Noodle 168
“Peace will come to the world when the people have enough noodles to eat”
I’m a big fan of Asian cuisine, but in Sweden, this often means Thai or Vietnamese. Other regions of Asia are often forgotten, so it’s nice to see another place pop up right at Kungsgatan that is focused on China, Noodle 168 (or Eating 168?). I am stoked, but how is it?
First things first. The place is new and you can feel it everywhere. The interior is still quite sterile and freshly renovated, the procedures not clear yet and most dishes on the menu are not even available yet. So the menu serves more as a spoiler of what to come. For the time being, it’s basically soup dumplings and Noodles only. But there will be some bao buns and starters coming as well.
One thing that stuck out for me was the crowd. It’s a lot of chinese-speaking people, so that only shows me that there is a gap in the market for Chinese food in Gothenburg. It’s a good sign!
As a vegan, you can basically choose between soup dumplings filled with glass noodles and tofu, as well as Zhajiang Mian, which is a noodle dish served with fried bean sauce, some tofu, carrots and cucumber.
Not too much to choose from, but no problem. Went for both of it and waited for quite some time. It took a while until the vegan dishes were prepared, as most people do not order it and large orders took priority. Nothing too bad, but a bit longer than one feels comfortable for lunch in a - so far - pretty sterile environment.
However, when the food arrived, it was a good look. The vegan soup dumplings are coloured in green to distinguish them from other ones and the Zhajiang Mian looked good as well
In terms of taste, it was a bit of a let down though. The soup noodles lacked the signature soup filling, and were rather dry and lacking in taste. With some chili sauce dip it was quite nice though. The Zhajiang Mian was quite nice and the sauce had a strong taste, while the noodles had a good bite. It felt quite authentic and though I am not the biggest fan of the consistency of the tofu, I liked the overall composition. For the price point of only 128 SEK for the noodles, it’s a fair deal.
Price:
Soup Dumplings: 68 SEK (4 pieces)/128 SEK (8 pieces)
Zhajiang Mian: 128 SEK
The Verdict
It’s alright and the kind of place you can definitely go to once in a while for lunch. The price point is fair, but the soup dumplings are a let down. At this time, it’s a nice addition to the central area of Gothenburg, but nothing I’d seek out intentionally. I will check back in a while though and see how it developed and to try the other dishes!
3/5 Leaves
Pro
Chinese Noodles are a rare sight in Gothenburg
Fair prices
Con
Lack of atmosphere in the restaurant
Very few options to choose from
Location
Kungsgatan 38
Opening Hours
Mo-Fri: 11:00 - 20:00
Sa: 12:00 - 20:00
Su: 12:00 - 18:00
