Chinese for Chinese: The Real Thing Part 3
The much-welcome “Asian Invasion” shows no signs of slowing in our ever more globally minded capital. Across the city, the sound of sizzling woks—and now, the slurping of noodles—is the soundtrack to a quiet culinary revolution, fueled in part by recent waves of immigration tied to the booming electronics and electric car industries. Many of these new eateries aren’t pandering to outsiders craving sweet-and-sour pork with a side of Coke. In fact, some don’t even bother with Spanish-language menus (thank you, Google Translate). These are restaurants for a new and growing Asian clientele—and we, the Chinese food fanatics, get to come along for the ride.
If 2024 was the year of the Wok, 2025 may well be shaping up to be the year of the Bowl. This post focuses on the newest wave: humble-looking but serious spots specializing in soup noodles—hand-pulled, knife-cut, or wheat-threaded.
There are several new spots that specialize in maocai, a popular style of soup preparation originating in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. Diners choose from an array of ingredients—vegetables, meats, fish, tofu, noodles—which are whisked away to the kitchen, cooked to order, and returned to the table immersed in a rich, spicy malatang (numbing-and-hot) bone broth. The dish is then customized with condiments like chile oil, black vinegar, sesame, garlic, etc.—tailored to the diner’s preferred intensity and flavor balance. Be aware that price can vary greatly, between $150 and $400 pesos, depending on what you select: weighty items like shrimps, tofu and fresh noodles can add up!
Malatang at Yanggoufu
Weighing the ingredients
Only part of the enormous selection at Yanggoufu
Yangoufu Malatang
This branch of a Chinese chain with thousands of locations, is set up like a clean, friendly fast‑food spot — grab a bowl, choose your ingredients, pay by weight, and then wait to be served. There is an enormous variety of ingredients to choose from, though some, such as what appear to be Vienna sausages or rubbery “fish” balls can be discounted. Despite its plasticky fast-food appearance, the kitchen puts out a particularly good broth, rich, beefy and full of the aforementioned “ma-la”.
Yanggoufu
Mariano Escobedo 539, Rincón del Bosque (Polanco) see map
Open daily, 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Average $250 pp
Our selection at Bambii which included purple sweet potato noodles
Bambii & Lele Malatang
This curiously named spot, tucked into a quiet corner of northwest Roma, offers a similar build-your-own soup concept. Housed in a repurposed old storefront, the vibe leans more toward hipster than fast food— the clientele is split between Asian expats and the usual young Roma habitués. The selection of ingredients is more curated than at Yangguofu: there are fewer options overall, but better quality, with less filler.
Bambii & Lele Malatang
Morelia 73, Roma Nte. see map
Open daily, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.
$180 - 400 pp
Beef noodles at Wangchuan
WangChuan Maocai
WangChuan, upstairs overlooking cacophonous Calle Sevilla, takes its name from a phrase that loosely means “Prosperous Sichuan.” Like its counterparts, it offers the maocai style of spicy noodle soup, but skips the buffet: instead, a handful of carefully chosen combinations are listed on the menu. The standout is the dark, rich beef noodle soup, available in two sizes—the “chica” is satisfyingly generous or a “grande” which can be shared by 3 or 4 people.
WangChuan Maocai
Sevilla 21, Juárez see map
Open Thursday – Tuesday 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., closed Wednesday
Average $200 pp
Breakfast of champions at Du Te
Du Te Chinese Breakfast
This modest spot, down and across the street from the Teatro Metropolitan in the Centro, spills onto the street with a few tables and more seating spread over two small interior levels. Opening at 8 a.m., it serves a hodgepodge of typical regional Chinese breakfast dishes. The awkwardly translated menu makes an effort to cater to non-Asian diners—few of whom show up. Instead, local Chinese regulars and their friends arrive early for rice bowls, soups, dumplings and “tamales” (actually zhenggao, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves).
I’m partial to the “pequeños bollos al vapor,” which turn out to be xiao long bao—those famous Shanghai soup dumplings, though here they’re the dry variety filled with pork. The hand-cut wheat noodles are satisfyingly chewy, though the broth is on the bland side. Fortunately, vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil are supplied at every table for much-needed jazzing up. Unfortunately, despite the name that sounds like “of the tea” in French, hot tea is not served here. As in China, it is assumed that diners will order tea only at more formal or sit-down meals, not at quick breakfast joints like this.
Du Te Chinese Breakfast
Independencia 69, Centro see map
Open daily, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Average $150 pp.
Yangrou tang at Shaanxi Sabor
Shaanxi Sabor
Tucked just north of Polanco in a modern office complex, Shaanxi Sabor is unique in Mexico City for its focus on northwestern Chinese cuisine, rooted in the street food traditions of Xi’an. This is a deeply regional menu, not the pan-Asian or generic Chinese fare found elsewhere.
Standouts include the cold spicy noodles (liangpi-style)—steamed as a flat sheet, sliced into ribbons, and topped with tree ear mushrooms, cucumber, and chili oil. There are jiaozi dumplings with classic fillings like pork and Chinese chives or napa cabbage, and roujiamo-style pork “burgers”, a staple of Xi’an street food. Also worth exploring are the cold salad plates (liangcai), such as crunchy pig’s ear or my personal favorite: glistening black tree ear mushrooms. But my top pick is the yangrou tang—a bowl of rice noodles in a rich, savory lamb broth, garnished with chili oil and fresh cilantro.
Shaanxi Sabor
C. Lago Filt 7-local C D3-02, Amp. Granada, Miguel Hidalgo see map
Open daily 12 – 8:30 p.m.
Average $250 pp
