Spring Rolls, Fried Rice and Noodles Explained
What spring rolls are, what makes good fried rice and which noodles to order: the spring roll, fried rice and hand-made noodles at Toki in Jeddah, with prices.
. 6 min read
Spring rolls, fried rice and noodles are the dishes people order at almost every Chinese restaurant, and they show quickly whether a kitchen cares about the basics. A good spring roll is light, good fried rice has separate grains, and good noodles have bite.
This guide explains each one and what Toki, a Chinese restaurant in Al Khalidiyah, Jeddah, selected in the MICHELIN Guide Saudi Arabia, serves of each, with prices from the November 2026 menu.
What are spring rolls?
Spring rolls are thin wheat wrappers rolled around a filling of shredded vegetables, sometimes with meat or seafood, and usually fried until crisp. They are one of the best-known dim sum dishes and a standard Chinese starter around the world.
Fresh versions exist too, especially in Southeast Asia, where rolls wrapped in rice paper are served without frying. The Chinese spring roll is usually the fried one.
Why are spring rolls linked to spring and the new year?
Spring rolls take their name from the Spring Festival, the Chinese lunar new year, which marks the start of spring in the traditional calendar.
They grew out of an older custom of wrapping the first fresh vegetables of the season in thin pancakes to welcome spring. Once fried, the rolls turn golden and are often compared to gold bars, so they appear on new year tables as a wish for a prosperous year.
What is in Toki’s Vegetable Spring Roll?
Toki’s Vegetable Spring Roll (SAR 66) is filled with cabbage, snow pea, Chinese black mushroom, turnip and glass noodles.
It sits in the dim sum section of the menu, so it belongs in the first round, next to steamed baskets such as Xiao Long Bao (SAR 68) and Crystal Shrimp (SAR 55). It is 190 kcal. The menu lists gluten, soybeans, sesame, dairy and crustaceans as allergens and marks it as high in sodium, so tell your server if you avoid shellfish. For the rest of the dim sum list, read the types of dim sum at Toki.
What makes good fried rice?
Good fried rice has separate, lightly toasted grains, not a soft clump. That comes from three things: cooked rice that has cooled and dried out, a very hot wok, and fast, constant tossing.
- Cold cooked rice: freshly cooked rice is wet and sticks together in the pan. Rice cooked a day ahead and chilled has lost surface moisture, so the grains separate and fry instead of steaming. That is why day-old rice is the classic advice.
- High heat: a wok over a strong flame sears the rice and vegetables in seconds. With too little heat, the rice stews in its own steam.
- Wok hei: Cantonese cooks use this term, often translated as the breath of the wok, for the smoky, slightly charred aroma that only very high heat gives. It is the flavour home kitchens find hardest to copy.
- Small batches and a light hand with sauce: too much rice in the wok drops the temperature, and too much sauce makes the grains soggy.
Which fried rice should you order at Toki?
Order the Vegetable Fried Rice (SAR 50) as a side for the table, or the Seafood Green Fried Rice (SAR 138) as a dish in its own right.
The Vegetable Fried Rice is made with mixed vegetables and edamame, and you can add truffle for SAR 30, which brings it to SAR 80. It is the plain, supporting rice that carries the sauces of dishes like Kung Pao Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken. It is 220 kcal and lists gluten, soybeans, sesame, sulphites and dairy.
The Seafood Green Fried Rice is new on the menu and sits under From the sea. It comes with shrimp, scallop and olive leaf, at 293 kcal, and lists gluten, soybeans, sulphites, dairy, eggs, crustaceans, onion, garlic and chilli.
Are Toki’s noodles made by hand?
Yes. Toki’s kitchen makes its noodles by hand.
Hand-made wheat noodles are a northern Chinese craft: the dough is stretched and folded again and again until it becomes many fine strands. Fresh noodles made this way have a springy bite that dried noodles rarely match. In China, long noodles are also served at birthdays as a wish for long life, which is why cooks try not to cut them.
Which noodles should you order at Toki?
Order the Braised Short Rib Noodles for a filling main, the Rice Noodles for prawns and chicken with a little heat, and the Vegetable Noodles for a simple side.
- Braised Short Rib Noodles (SAR 220): spiced honey short rib, roasted vegetables and a braised Chinese sauce. At 919 kcal it is the richest rice or noodle dish on the menu, and two people can share it as a main.
- Rice Noodles (SAR 90): prawns, chicken, cabbage, carrots, onions, green pepper, red chili and oyster sauce. Rice noodles are a southern Chinese staple, made from rice flour, and softer and silkier than wheat noodles.
- Vegetable Noodles (SAR 66): Chinese cabbage, carrot, onion and soy. The plainest choice, and a good partner for spicy mains. The menu lists fish and crustaceans among its allergens, so mention it if you avoid seafood.
Glass noodles, made from starch rather than wheat, turn up in the Vegetable Spring Roll and in the Baked Scallops (SAR 145), which come with butter, garlic and chili sauce.
How do you build a table around rice and noodles?
Treat rice and noodles as the base of the meal, not the centre. Order one rice or noodle dish for every two people, then choose the dishes around it.
On a Chinese table, lightly seasoned rice is there to carry the sauces of the other dishes, so pair the Vegetable Fried Rice with something saucy, such as Kung Pao Chicken or Black Bean Angus (SAR 242). A noodle dish with its own sauce, like the Braised Short Rib Noodles, already does that job, so pair it with something fresh, such as Cantonese Spinach (SAR 80) or the Cantonese Steamed Najel (SAR 220).
A table for four could look like this:
- Vegetable Spring Roll: SAR 66
- Xiao Long Bao: SAR 68
- Crystal Shrimp: SAR 55
- Kung Pao Chicken: SAR 154
- Cantonese Spinach: SAR 80
- Vegetable Fried Rice with truffle: SAR 80
- Braised Short Rib Noodles: SAR 220
- Total before drinks: SAR 723
That is about SAR 180 each. For a full walk through the menu, read what to order at Toki.
Where is Toki?
Toki is on King Abdulaziz Road in Al Khalidiyah, Jeddah. It is open Saturday to Wednesday, 1 pm to 11:30 pm, and Thursday and Friday, 1 pm to 12:30 am.
You can book your table online or call reservations on 050 466 5658.
Quick answers
Why are they called spring rolls?
Because they are tied to the Spring Festival, the Chinese lunar new year, when they are traditionally eaten to welcome spring.
Why is day-old rice better for fried rice?
Cooked rice that has been chilled is drier, so the grains separate and fry instead of turning mushy.
What is wok hei?
The smoky, slightly charred aroma food picks up from a very hot wok. The Cantonese term is often translated as the breath of the wok.
How much is fried rice at Toki?
Vegetable Fried Rice is SAR 50, or SAR 80 with truffle. Seafood Green Fried Rice is SAR 138.
Does Toki make its own noodles?
Yes. Toki’s kitchen makes its noodles by hand.
