Hand-made tradition

Tradition is important to the Hsu family. The clan has been in the restaurant business for generations, and brothers Jeff and Domingo Hsu are no different.

They are co-owners of Ruby Palace, which has served Surf City traditional Chinese dishes for 27 years. The restaurant was founded by Hsueh Yung Hsu, who trained sons Jeff and Domingo to take over.

“My father likes tradition,” says Jeff Hsu. “He wants everything to continue.”

For the past six years, the Hsus have been sharing another family tradition with Huntington Beach — the art of making Chinese noodles by hand.

Ruby Palace celebrates the Chinese New Year with noodle-making demonstrations. Jeff Hsu sets up a table in the middle of the restaurant to let diners witness the process.

Noodles are traditional for special occasions like birthdays and holidays, Hsu said. Today, most noodles are made commercially by machine.

Hsu demonstrates how noodles were made before the industrial age.

The noodles are made of a flour dough, which is kneaded like bread to get out all the lumps.

“Obviously a machine can do anything, but when you make with the hand, it’s more massaging,” Hsu said.

The demonstrations are Friday and Saturday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, call Ruby Palace at (714) 848-6088.