Xiaoxiong Ramen
A build-your-own ramen bar!
- Saldanha (Linha Amarela/Vermelha)
- €
- 23 Av. Miguel Bombarda, 1050-100
For the final in our Chinese New Year trilogy (also featuring Macau Dim Sum and Chongqing Hot Pot), we visited Xiaoxiong Ramen in Saldanha. Xiaoxiong is a small chain of Chinese restaurants in Lisbon, and I have a confession: they first caught our attention for their frankly iconic logo of a sad-looking panda with his cookbook. On investigating beyond the panda, we discovered two very exciting things. Firstly, their fantastic looking customisable ramens. And secondly, that on the 11th, 12th, 25th and 26th of every month, their ramens are just €2.90. With free noodle and broth refills. And so, of course, it was only right that we finished a rainy Chinese New Year weekend in Lisbon with a visit to our local Xiaoxiong branch.
Anyone familiar with the Pizza Hut ice cream factory (the premier childhood experience in 1990’s UK) will know how much more exciting all food is when you get to build-your-own. Now imagine that instead of ice cream, you get to choose a ramen base. Instead of marshmallows, you pick from a range of vegetable, egg and meat toppings. And - much like the Pizza Hut - you then get to visit the sauce station, to choose from a range of chilli, soy, vinegar and pickle sauces. Meats are an extra cost - but when the noodles and vegetables are just €2.90, and there’s free kimchi going at the sauces station, that seems more than fair.
Chicken yakitori and one bowl of many of the excellent, smoky chilli sauce
Surprise dish of the day: the duck bao!
We went for two tonkotsu ramen bases, with thickly cut fresh noodles and all the vegetable toppings - one with fried chicken, one with char siu pork. And because we are greedy, we also ordered chicken yakitori skewers and a duck bao bun (and frequented the sauces station more than once to top-up bowls of kimchi and pickled radishes). Stand-out dishes were the ramens (of course). Fresh noodles, juicy broth, mushrooms tucked away, topped with fresh herbs, served with seaweed sheets. Brilliant. And the surprise dish was the duck bao - get one each, you won’t want to share. The lemongrass on the chicken skewers was also a delight.
Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, great flavours, a couple of chains around the city to choose from, and brilliant value (even at its full price of €6.90, it’s a bargain). We will definitely be back.
And the fried chicken ramen - astonishing value for a huge, delicious bowl of food
Don’t forget to order: Customisable ramen - €6.90 (or €2.90). Definitely pay the extra for the fried chicken and the egg.