Riyadh is full of authentic Asian restaurants, and there are oodles of noodles to get your chopsticks into.
Delving into the history books tells us that noodles have been eaten in Asia for thousands of years, with the ancient Chinese writer Shu Hsi writing instructions for preparing hand-pulled lo-mein more than 2,300 years ago.
It’s hard to believe, but instant noodles are an ancient invention too, dating back more than seven centuries to China’s Yuan Dynasty when they were hung out on racks to dry in the sunshine.
Following that long line of noodle history leads us to present-day Riyadh, where you’ll find chefs serving up mounds of noodles tossed in teriyaki from steaming hot woks every day of the week – and diners still attempting to figure out how to use chopsticks.
Here are the best places for noodles in Riyadh (even if you’re still fumbling around with a fork).
Chao Bao
The menu at Chao Bao is divided into two sections – Chinese and Japanese. The former is where you’ll find the widest selection of noodles, including kung pao chicken on a bed of mixed peppers, onion, cashew nut and dried red chilli, or for a tongue-tingling treat try the Szechuan shrimp. Not keen on the specials? The chefs will cook you up a custom bowl from scratch. Start off by selecting your base – options include thin Hong Kong noodles, thick wheat flour Japanese udon, Chinese chow mein or Jasmine rice – then load it up with meat, vegetables and all the sauce you can shake a (chop)stick at.
Open Sun-Wed 1pm-12.30am, Thu and Fri 1pm-1.30am, Sat 12.30pm-12.30am. Prince Muqrin Ibn Abdulaziz St, An Nuzhah, mychaobao.com (9200 09070).
Hong
Nestled comfortably at the heart of the Ritz-Carlton and elegantly decked out in rich, deep-red interiors, Hong offers a concise menu that’s full of five-spiced delight. The noodles here are simple – pick from either seafood or vegetables – but the freshly flash-fried presentation (try saying that after a bowlful) means they’re more than worthy of an order. If you’re not quite ready for the full-on noodle experience, order a portion to share between the table with a selection of Hong’s signature dishes like claypot beef tenderloin and braised mushrooms with broccoli in oyster sauce.
Open daily 6pm-11pm. The Ritz-Carlton, Al Had, ritzcarlton.com (011 802 8333).
Kampai
The Asian fusion menu at Kampai is simply enormous (we count well over 100 options before even reaching the drinks and desserts) and includes a whole section dedicated to “stir fry wokky wok” dishes. The quirky name is a catch-all for five soba dishes topped with your choice of beef, orange chicken, shrimp, vegetables or a satay-style sauce. Extra points if you can keep a straight face while asking your waiter for the “nutty peanut noodles”.
Open 12.30pm-midnight Sat-Wed, Thu and Fri 12.30pm-12.30am. Prince Muhammad Ibn Abd Al Aziz, Almaz Plaza, kampai.co (011 461 7601).
Kitami Sushi & Noodles
Located in the north east of the city, tucked-away Japanese takeaway Kitami serves a solid selection of noodles which come in ‘volcano’ varieties for those looking to spice things up. For a double dose of chilli, opt for the version topped with dynamite shrimp – or if you’re more into ramen, chicken and shrimp bowls are hidden on the side dishes menu. Kitami is open late every day of the week, so you can satisfy those cravings well into the early hours.
Open daily 12.30pm-2.30am. Alsalamah St, An Narjis, instagram.com/kitami.sa (055 008 8318).
Mirage
Is it all a mirage? Fortunately not, because we’re hungry for noodles. This dark and moody Asian fusion spot only offers three options – either with vegetables, roasted with black peppercorn sauce or topped with seafood, jalapeño and spicy basil – but the portions are more than generous and served hot from the frying pan.
Open Sun-Thu 3pm-midnight, Fri and Sat 1.30pm-midnight. Al Takhassousi, Ar Rahmaniyyah, instagram.com/miragechinese (011 483 4216).
Riyadh Chinese Restaurant
A traditional, old-school spot with all the flavour and none of the frills, customers at Riyadh Chinese Restaurant are presented with a bulky catalogue of an order book including everything from tofu sticks to black fungus and fried banana with honey. Among the options are two whole pages of noodles and stir fries in every possible combination of meat, vegetable and sauce you could ever imagine. Make sure you’re totally set on your order before confirming with the waiter, because the portions here are mountain-sized. Otherwise prepare to eat noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of the year.
Open daily 11am-midnight. Abdullah Ibn Riwaha, As Sulimaniyah (011 465 5451).
Tokyo
Tokyo was the first Japanese restaurant in Saudi Arabia, opening its doors way back in 1985 when landmarks like the Kingdom Centre, Al Faisaliah Tower and the King Abdullah Financial District – plus all the other eateries on this list – didn’t yet exist. The menu hasn’t changed much, and that means there’s a sprawling selection of hearty ramen dishes and yakisoba noodles (beef, chicken, shrimp or vegetables). For something different, try the tempura udon – a Japanese classic which layers battered-and-fried meat on top of a bowl of thick, slurpy noodles.
Open daily 12.30pm-midnight. Al Urubah Rd, As Sulimaniyah, tokyoarabia.com (9200 09662).
