In Chinese culture, birthday noodles — also called longevity or long-life noodles — are more than a meal. They're a wish. The belief is simple: long, unbroken noodles symbolize a long life.

In Chinese tradition, when one is in mourning, it is forbidden to eat noodles for a month. Alung is reminded by his brother not to eat noodles for a month, then a commotion occurs when Alung is ...