During our New Years Road Trip we decided to stop by Nagasaki’s Chinatown. We had just put our clothes in the laundry machines at the laundromat and we were looking for a place for lunch. During our planning phase we had heard that Nagasaki Champon was a regional specialty. We looked for a restaurant and ended up choosing Lao Lee which was known for their Champon and fried rice. The restaurant was a part of a larger group of restaurants that were known for their Taiwanese cuisine.

The restaurant was located in a dense side street just off the main road. It was pretty popular and there was a short line outside. We figured, it must be worth it, so we lined up. The line moved at a decent pace and we got a seat within 15 minutes. The inside of the restaurant was pretty small. There were only a handful of small four person tables surrounded by stools and a long bar along the wall. The interior was pretty drab with a concrete earthen floor and a coat bar for jackets on the wall.

Lao Lee Menu

The menu was a mix of affordable fried rice, champon, gyoza, and noodle dishes. We looked over the menu for a bit and decided to order the water dumplings, the Nagasaki champon, and a side of their fried rice. We also learned that they had a number of other specialty restaurants located throughout Nagasaki with even a location in Tokyo.

Our food came out shortly after ordering. The water gyoza were good, the filling was moist and flavorful. The Nagasaki Champon was excellent. The vegetables and seafood had absorbed the flavorful sauce nicely. Would definitely recommend. The fried rice had a nice crisp to it. It had been fried a little longer than usual which gave the rice, onions, and egg a bit of a crisp. The sour pickled vegetables provided a nice contrasting flavor.

Final Thoughts

We really enjoyed the at Lao Lee. Everything was super tasty and quite affordable. Our only point of contention was that the menus and table area was a bit greasy. In addition, an insufficient amount of ventilation from the kitchen meant that our clothes smelled like the food we were eating. Overall, we’d happily recommend Lao Lee for their delicious champon and affordable prices.

Here is the link to their website.

More to Come…