Chopstix Noodle Bar: The One with the Weird Logo

And boy, is it weird. Not only is it just awkward and a little sloppy looking (no offence to the artist), but the figure seems pretty Japanese-inspired, and yet Chopstix primarily do Chinese style dishes...That and the use of the word 'oriental' in their description? Yikes. I don't think they could make it any more obvious how out of touch they are with East Asian culture and cuisine if they physically tried.

I ended up at Chopstix after getting stranded in Edinburgh after an interview, as the differing peak travel times confuse me (they don't start until 6:15pm outside of the cities). I've walked past it before and always been curious, but I've never actually ventured in, so that day seemed like as good a day as any to try it out.

I'll start off by saying that it actually smelled pretty good. Especially that salt and chili chicken. Oh yeah. Unfortunately, they didn't actually have any left (it's clearly a popular choice), but a craving for it had been awoken in me, so in a very un-me move (I'm a self-confessed carnivore), I opted for the salt and chili potatoes.

While the potatoes were nice, I'm not sure they were the best choice for a noodle topping, as they made for a dry meal considering the lack of sauce. The noodles themselves were just 'okay', with a rubbery and stiff texture. I never actually finished them, as after the potatoes were gone, the rest of the meal was bland and tasteless. I hesitate to discount Chopstix entirely though, as I would be keen to try out some of their other toppings and see how they fare.

Prices for their boxes aren't too bad. Each of their options are the same size - the prices just dictate how many toppings you get, and since the majority of them come with their own sauces, it would strike me as a little odd to get more than two since I can't imagine they would all mix particularly well. To be honest, even two seems a little overkill to me, but whatever suits you, I guess. At roughly £4.50 a box, it's pretty standard as far as fast food goes.

Overall, I'd say Chopstix is 'fine'. Not somewhere I would actively want to go to for noodles, as at the end of the day, there are far better and just as affordable authentic Chinese restaurants in Edinburgh that guarantee a good experience.

© Photos by A Scottish Dumpling