Lai : From noodle counter to Sichuan destination

Lai by Noodle Noodle has really come a long way as it started as just Noodle Noodle, a small take-away counter in MagasinBlaa and now it is a genuinely cool Asian fusion restaurant. With the new Sichuan menu, I think it is safe to say that Fargegata just got a little spicier! Did I mention that they have also establish quite a good wine list?

• 

  Lai by Noodle Noodle

• 

  Ready for spicy food

• 

  Ready for Sichuan menu

Full transparency: we were invited to taste Lai's new Sichuan menu. We paid for the food but got some glasses of wine! But as always, opinions are entirely our own. We visited on a Friday evening, and the first surprise came before the first bite: having previously done Lai's tasting menu where dishes arrive in a leisurely procession, we weren't expecting the entire Sichuan menu to land on the table at once. But that's the format here: everything together, family-style, dig in. It makes for a livelier, more social meal and a faster one, if that's what your evening calls for.

Sichuan cuisine has a reputation for serious heat, but nothing this evening crossed into punishing territory. Consider it warm-blooded rather than aggressive.

Let us talk about some of the food that was served this evening!

Thinly sliced pork belly with soy, ginger & garlic. The first thing I pounced on: delicate slices of pork belly in a sauce of soy, ginger and garlic, finished with spring onion and pickled onion. Served cold which surprised no one familiar with Sichuan traditions. This was absolutely a strong start.

• 

  All the food was served at once

• 

  Sichuan menu

• 

  Watermelon

Watermelon with spiced broth & herbs. Another cold dish, and a sneaky highlight. Watermelon in a lightly spiced broth with fresh herbs and crucially, they'd found a melon of remarkable sweetness. Refreshing, unexpected, and very good indeed.

Cucumber salad with toasted peanuts. The quietest plate on the table and a little anonymous in this company, truth be told. But it earns its place as a cooling palate-break if the spicier dishes start getting the better of you.

"Mouthwatering chicken" or saliva chicken This one looked genuinely intimidating with a fire-red sauce that promised pain. It turned out to be far kinder than advertised: incredibly tender, juicy chicken, and a sauce that begged to be stirred through the rice. The name is the classic Sichuan dish kou shui ji though we'd gently suggest Lai keeps workshopping the Norwegian translation, because "munnvannskylling" isn't quite it.

• 

  Saliva chicken

• 

  Monk fish

• 

  Cucumbers

Monkfish in sour fish brothwith pickled vegetables. The undisputed headliner: monkfish in a tangy, deeply savoury broth absolutely loaded with umami. This one carried more heat than expected but it was a beautiful dish, with pickled vegetables lending a satisfying crunch down in the broth. Order it, brave the burn, thank us later.

Dessert - a playful finale. Desserts are ordered separately from the menu. We got a dessert from the tasting menu and it was a gleefully chaotic party platter: profiteroles, madeleines, marshmallow, a Dumle-style chocolate caramel on a stick, fresh melon, and the pièce de résistance : a sorbet with popping candy. Childhood joy, plated for adults. Thanks to chef Eirikur for the playful platter.

• 

  Dessert

• 

  Riesling is good with spicy food

• 

  Stavanger Foodies

Thanks for having us, Lai! This is a great sharing menu and it is perfect if you fancy a slightly quicker, more sociable meal and you appreciate food with a bit of fire in it. The transformation from take-away counter to this is quite something!

Highlights

• Everything served at once — social & fast

• Wonderful range of flavours and textures

• Good wine list

• That monkfish broth — umami heaven

Watch out for

• You need to enjoy a bit of heat

• Cucumber salad plays a supporting role only