Karyn Sin runs Portswood restaurant and takeaway Noodle 8, which has proved popular with locals and students alike since opening in the summer of 2019.

But it's been a tough few years for Karyn, both personally and professionally.

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Her 48-year-old husband Simon died of pancreatic cancer in December 2020, just weeks after their wedding day and just 18 months after fulfilling his lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant.

After negotiating all the Covid-related lockdowns and rules for restaurants, Karyn broke her neck and saw fires take hold on both sides of the restaurant, causing smoke damage and closing it for several weeks last year.

Now Karyn, who used to be front of house while Sy ran the kitchen, is taking on some cooking duties along with some of the original team and some new faces.

"I feel really confident getting on the wok now," she said. "I've always cooked with Sy from the early days on the markets, but it's the speed at which you've got to get everything done.

"Sy has left us all his brilliant recipes and we haven't changed a thing. Everything on the menu is what Sy and I created together. He was a wonderful cook and a wonderful teacher."

Described as a ‘rough and tumble food joint with bags of atmosphere and delicious food', the Noodle 8 menu showcases all of the favourites that Simon and Karyn had been sharing at markets and festivals since 2015.

Customers can enjoy noodles, Katsu curry, Malaysian curry, Terriyaki salmon, Gyozas, Tempura prawns and spring rolls.

Choose your noodles from a selection including Chow Mein, Ramen and Vermicelli, choose your meat, tofu, veg or seafood and choose a sauce like Satay, Pad Thai, Sweet Chilli and Oyster to your preferred level of spice.

A selection of sides and dim sum include Sesame Prawn Toast, Salt and Chilli Chicken Wings and Prawn Crackers.

Noodle 8, which sponsors the University of Southampton women's rugby team, is the first place in Southampton to offer Japanese Kirin beer on draft.

It hosts live music including everything form a 50s rock n roll night to a solo guitarist singing in English, Italian and Hebrew.

The decor is stripped back ‘Shoreditch’ style with a colourful graffiti mural.

• Noodle 8 is our trader of the week. If you'd like us to feature your local business, click on the link below or email lorelei.reddin@dailyecho.co.uk