[category]
[title]
Galerias Valmor in São Domingos de Rana is one of those slightly run-down shopping centres with a distinctly 1990s feel, tucked away in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. Inside, among mobile phone shops, hairdressers and cafés kept lively by the local community, is the brand-new Jiao Ásia. Already established in Lisbon, it arrived in Parede on Monday 12 October.
The space is familiar: in January 2025, this was exactly where we tried the pizzas from Sour Dog, one of three brands created by Ukrainian entrepreneur Oksana Horshnar. Meow, dedicated to sushi, came first; then came the naturally fermented sourdough pizzas; and now there is Jiao, focused on Asian food, with dishes ranging from broths and sandwiches to noodles and rice.
‘I knew there was no quality Asian food in this area. Lisbon loves us, so we’re expanding to cover Cascais, Estoril, Carcavelos and Oeiras. No big investors or franchises – just really good food that keeps customers coming back,’ says 28-year-old Oksana.
To be clear, this is not one restaurant serving several different cuisines. These are three separate restaurants, with three different menus and three different teams working in one enormous open kitchen divided into three sections, operating mainly for delivery and takeaway. Galerias Valmor also has a dining room with large street-facing windows and seating for around 30 people, spread across a communal wooden table, small round tables and a large, comfortable sofa, so eating in is also an option. And Jiao’s specialities are particularly well suited to it.
Take the piping-hot spicy prawn and gyoza ramen (€15.95), for example, one of four soups on the menu, alongside options such as miso and tom yum. Made with chicken stock and a curry and kimchi base, it combines noodles, shiitake mushrooms, sweetcorn, marinated egg, nam prik pao, spring onion, coriander, sesame, lime and chilli with prawns and gyoza – and tastes all the better served fresh from chef Natalie’s kitchen.
Two of the house favourites are also best eaten on the spot – and Oksana beams at the sight of them plated rather than packed into boxes. ‘It all looks so beautiful,’ she says as the sweet, sour and spicy crispy aubergine (€5.95) and sweet-and-sour chicken (€12.95) arrive on blue-patterned plates. The spicy Korean kimchi (€4.95), meanwhile, is perfect for ordering and keeping at home, and is available vacuum-packed in 500g portions.
From the noodle dishes, we tried the chicken pad thai (€12.95): rice noodles stir-fried in tamarind sauce and served with bean sprouts, crunchy peanuts, leek, onion, spring onion, coriander, lime and chilli. There are also pho, udon and soba dishes, as well as egg fried rice bowls with chicken, beef or prawns, starting at €11.95. Bread lovers can choose between chicken and prawn baos (€9.94) and the crispy chicken katsu sando (€11.95), made with shokupan milk bread, breaded chicken, cabbage, cucumber, onion, kimchi mayo, Japanese mayo and tonkatsu sauce.
As well as being available on most delivery platforms, Jiao has its own ordering website, where prices are lower. You will also find the mochi that brought our meal to a sweet close. ‘It wasn’t easy to find a good supplier,’ admits Oksana, who now serves soft, plump and chewy rice cakes in strawberry, pistachio, blueberry and Biscoff flavours (€4.50).
Galerias Valmor, Rua Fernão de Magalhães, São Domingos de Rana. Tue–Sun 12.30pm–9.30pm; Mon 3pm–9.30pm