As the weather continues to decide what direction it wants to go, we’ll continue to have days that are a bit frigid. That means we still have plenty of time for hot pot, casseroles, and soups of all kind. Nothing wrong with that.

I recently stopped into Pho Delight on Johnston Road in Wan Chai and was ready to grab one of my favorite stomach-warming soups, pho (when in Rome...), when I realised I might have been jumping the gun. While everyone around me was slurping the national dish of Vietnam, a different bowl of goodness caught my eye.

After scanning the menu, I came to the conclusion it was from the spicy soup noodles section, specifically: shredded chicken in soup noodles with satay and peanut sauce. The soup base had a deep brown colour that hinted at the fact it might be able to live up to its two-spicy-chilis designation on the menu. It did indeed. It was a pleasurable heat tempered by the peanut sauce. Sliced onion and herbs floated near the top of the generous bowl of noodles. Tender chunks of white and dark meat chicken were strewn throughout. For $40, this was definitely a welcome blast of heat from the cold and damp conditions outside.

As is usually the case at these tasty but cheap haunts, the place is packed at prime hours. While people are jammed into the narrow space, the service is efficient. Definitely not a place to linger though. (And don’t try to stupidly read the paper as I did on my last visit.)

Quite a few people were also eating the daily special curries, which we’ll try next go around. The spicy pork knuckle in beef soup noodles looked like a winner as well.

197 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai, 3168 2057.