Sanlitun’s ramen lovers no longer need to trek out to Xiaoyun Lu for a satiating slurp at the Invincible Ramen chain – they now have their own branch in The Village, boiling up no less than a kilo of pork bone for every bowl of ramen served.

Once inside the wood and wicker interior, you’ll find yourself choosing between two popular bowls of ramen, though the only difference is the soy flavouring – and even then the difference between the two tangy, savoury flavours isn’t enormous.

Go for the 38RMB ‘No 1 special noodle soy soup’: ‘QQ’ noodles dressed with spinach, toothsome bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, a creamy yolked half‑boiled egg, and sheets of nori seaweed plastered against the bowl’s interior. Finishing it off are slices of tender pork that fall apart between chopsticks, their fat melting into the soup to add a lip‑smacking stickiness. The ‘No 2’ soup is essentially the same, but a tad saltier. Still, these are perfect choices to quell a wintry chill.

Vegetarians won’t find much to eat at Invincible Ramen beyond a few salads, such as the tartly sweet tofu with ume (salty plum) sauce salad and their chawamushi, steamed egg with vegetables served in a cup. Rice bowl set meals include miso soup and a few salty pickled daikon‑and‑cucumber nibbles. The spicy beef bowl packs heat, with loads of sliced onions over a deep bowl of rice – it’s a real filler, but stick with the noodles and load up on the grain next door at QQ Rice!

Whether or not the ramen is invincible is for you to decide, but if you’re looking for a delicious noodle soup to warm you to the bone, then steam up the windows and chow down here.

Address: S9, Sanlitun Village, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village南区S9号

Source: timeoutbeijing.com