Vancouver’s Bowl Cut Noodle Bar Pays Homage to the At-Home Haircut No One Wanted
Holy Duck Chili Oil and Ember Hong Kong Barbeque collaborate on this spicy pop-up that embraces bittersweet memories.
Louise Pang’s parents were likely surprised when she called them up asking for old photos of her childhood bowl cut. The co-founder and creative director of Vancouver’s Holy Duck Chili Oil didn’t exactly love the hairstyle as a little girl. “When I look back at those bowl cut photos, my eyes were always super swollen, probably from a lot of crying,” she says with a laugh.
It may have caused tears in the past, but now Pang, Holy Duck co-founder Chris Fung, and Ember Hong Kong Barbeque owner Kevin Wong have named their latest venture after the iconic cut. Reaching out to their families for photos of that round, symmetrical ’do was a no-brainer. “Our parents are very excited for this collaboration,” Pang says. Bowl Cut Noodle Bar, a pop-up serving build-your-own noodle bowls, recently launched at Light up Chinatown! earlier this month.
Bowl Cut isn’t just a great pun or an excuse to show off how cute the founders were as kids (yes, that’s Pang, Fung, and Wong in all the promotional materials). It’s actually a touching statement about autonomy and resilience. “We didn’t have a choice when we had the bowl cut,” Pang explains, adding that the haircut was done for function and convenience when many families didn’t necessarily have the time or money for a less-spherical look. She says that the build-your-own aspect of the noodle bar symbolizes “taking the power back into our hands”—it’s a delicious rebellion.
So when Holy Duck and Ember Hong Kong Barbeque decided to partner up, choice was at the heart of the project. The DIY nature references the choose-your-own-adventure ethos of Hong Kong’s noodle cart culture. At Bowl Cut Noodle Bar, customers will first pick from three noodle types: doll noodles (classic instant ramen noodles), vermicelli (a light rice noodle option), and spaghetti (a reference to Hong Kong‘s colonial history). “A lot of Hong Kong menus back in the day incorporated elements to fit expats’ taste,” Pang says, “and Vancouver’s Chinatown was built on Hong Kong immigrants, so I think it’s very iconic to have spaghetti on the menu.”
Next, Bowl Cut diners select their toppings (note: they all contain pork that is locally sourced in B.C.). Pang’s favourite is the minced pork that’s wok-fried with Holy Duck’s B.C. spot prawn chili mince. There’s also Typhoon Shelter garlic pork belly, named for the East China region that popularized it (it’s a boat community famous for extreme weather, hardworking people, and incredible food). Satay pork slices and five-spice pork cubes—both made in-house by Ember—are also on the toppings menu. Finally, there’s the Hong Kong classic char siu (“Ember has a special formula.… The pork comes out really glossy and honey-lacquered,” Pang says) and another colonial wild card, Hong Kong bolognese (“It’s sweeter, a little more tomato-y and tangy,” she quips). Every bowl comes with a hot finishing touch: a ladle of Holy Duck chili oil.
The dishes start at a low-cost (practically unheard of in this city), and the pop-up is also offering limited-edition collab merch, with all proceeds supporting the Richmond Hospital Foundation. After the initial launch at Light Up Chinatown!, Bowl Cut pops up at Picklefest Vancouver on September 6.
Since bowl cuts remain a rite of passage for many kids of all backgrounds in Hong Kong, Vancouver, and beyond, Pang is looking forward to serving some little customers with the signature style and vows to give them each the reward they deserve: “I promise every bowl-cut child gets a sticker.”
