Another eatery to join the Mayfair/No Name Lane precinct in Acton/Canberra City, is Wild Panda specialising in Sichuan/Chongqing noodles. When we dined in, there were only three laminated A3 menus at the counter. The menu listed some appetisers, noodle soups, noodles without soup, and handmade dumplings.
We started off with the house dumplings in chicken soup ($11.90 for 10 pieces). The pork dumplings were meaty good portions mixed with chives. I was pleasantly surprised by the chicken soup. I was expecting a watered down broth, but the soup was fantastic on its own. Great if you have a cold.
I ordered the beef noodle soup ($13.90) and a big bowl was provided. The noodle soup was red, almost a scary red. And it was spicier than I imagined. I was happy with the portion of chewy egg noodles provided but there wasn’t much beef. After a few mouthfuls, it felt like my taste buds had been burned off and I couldn’t taste anything else. The menu did mention that a house made chilli oil is used and you can request a ‘less oil’ or ‘less spicy’ dish upon ordering. I’ll request both next time.
My friend ordered the chitlin vermicelli ($14.90) which came with the same chilli noodle soup. In case you didn’t know, chitlin is another word for small intestines (usually pig). My friend made me try a piece of chitlin, and I’m happy to say offal is still not my thing.
Another friend ordered the pork and mashed peas (chickpea) noodle bowl (no soup) ($12.90). All the ingredients are mixed together providing a nice balance of mince, soft chickpeas and crunchy peanut throughout the noodles. Simple and delicious.
Meals are ordered and paid for at the counter and a table number is provided. It didn’t take long for our meals to arrive and we were happy with the portion sizes. The eatery is small with only a few tables inside. I’m told there are long queues during lunch time so get in early if you want a seat.
Wild Panda
40 Marcus Clarke Street, Acton, Canberra
Opening Hours:
Mon to Friday: 11.00am- 3.00pm; 4.00-9.00pm
Sat: 11.30-3.00pm; 4.00-9.00pm
Foodgasm 7.5/10
Value for money 8.5/10
Service 7.5/10
FPJ score 23.5/30
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