I TRIED Basingstoke’s new Pan-Asian noodle bar which has people queuing out the door.

Chopstix is the newest restaurant in Festival Place, offering a range of Asian dishes for quick serve.

I visited the establishment on Monday, January 15, opting to try one of the regular noodle boxes that seemed to be the talk of the town.

The box cost £7.35, though full disclosure; I was kindly given the box to try as part of the store’s opening promotion.

READ MORE: Review of new Basingstoke cafe Thriive and its breakfast

Basingstoke Gazette: Reporter Lola Crossman with her noodle box

I opted for the vegetable noodles, (I couldn’t visit a noodle bar and not order them), the salted caramel chicken out of pure curiosity, and the sweet and sour chicken, as it is my go-to Chinese takeaway order.

The caramel drizzle chicken was the highlight of the box, it felt like a combination that shouldn’t go together, such as Walker’s Christmas Pudding crisps, which I am convinced no one enjoyed, or dipping your fries in ice cream.

The sweet and sour chicken was a slight let down for me after the highs of the caramel drizzle chicken, I found it lacked flavour, and was overwhelmingly salty. The noodles were great and paired wonderfully with the salted caramel chicken, with the cooked vegetables adding a fresh element to the box.

Basingstoke Gazette: Lola's meal of caramel drizzle chicken, sweet and sour chicken and vegetable noodles

SEE ALSO: Basingstoke mum on brink of completing world's toughest row for climate change

In terms of service, all the staff were extremely knowledgeable, recommending the salted caramel chicken as a firm favourite amongst the staff, and all worked incredibly efficiently despite the onslaught of customers on that Monday morning.

The sides and drinks were great value at £2.30 for a large fizzy drink, or a small drink and spring/duck rolls or chicken balls as an addition to a meal for £1.99, which in this economy, I think is a steal, compared to the £1.85 a small bottle of coke now costs in my local supermarket.

Chopstix serves as a great alternative for a quick meal, differing from burgers or pizzas, while similarly reasonable in price. If you need a food fix fast, I would recommend Chopstix as you can’t go wrong with its selection of vegetarian, vegan and meat dishes.