At the table
Lift the noodles with chopsticks and use a spoon for the broth, letting hot mouthfuls cool. Ask “咖喱辣吗？” (“Is the curry spicy?”) or say “不要香菜” (“No coriander leaves, please”).
Contains beef and beef stock. Curry blends, seasonings for the cooked beef and noodle starches vary. For allergies, confirm the full preparation; glass noodles alone do not guarantee that the whole bowl is gluten-free.
Glass noodles may be made from different starches, including sweet potato. Scallion or coriander leaves may be added or omitted. Curry powders differ in their chilli content; ask about the blend and any added chilli rather than judging heat from the curry aroma.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Glass-noodle starch and curry blends vary; scallion or coriander may be added. The curry aroma does not establish a fixed chili-heat level.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Savory beef broth with warm curry-spice aromas.
- Chili heat
- Heat not recorded
- Texture
- Slippery glass noodles and tender beef slices.
- How it’s made
- Heat beef broth with curry powder, add soaked glass noodles and cooked beef, then finish with herbs if desired.
Glass-noodle starch and curry blends vary; scallion or coriander may be added. The curry aroma does not establish a fixed chili-heat level.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Shanghai.
About this regional connection
Shanghai: Associated with Shanghai snack shops, including Yunnan South Road.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有咖喱牛肉粉丝汤吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A familiar partner for Shanghai pan-fried buns
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Curry beef and glass-noodle soup is a familiar companion to Shanghai’s shengjian mantou, the buns with crisp pan-fried bottoms. The contrast is part of the appeal: a bowl of savory broth and slippery noodles alongside a bite of crisp dough. Cooked beef is served in slices, while curry powder perfumes the soup. This is a broth-based bowl, rather than beef coated in a thick curry sauce.