Food is definitely a powerfully emotional thing for me, especially in the way it triggers memories. There’s something wonderful about how a bite can instantly transport you to another time.
Growing up, getting to eat out with family was always a special moment and there were quite a few places special to us. Mien San Noodle House is one of them. We saw it go from a small, slightly dingy, sketchy-looking hole-in-the-wall to a revamped, clean, often full, two-storey restaurant. The food didn’t change though – it’s as great as it ever was.
My favorite dish here forever and ever is the Spicy Wanton (Php 198, 6 pcs.). It’s honestly the best spicy wonton I’ve ever had. I know it doesn’t look like much (in fact, a picture of mine that I included in a food review was once censored because it apparently looked ‘gross’) but the cliché applies here – don’t judge a book by its cover.
I love how the sauce’s layers of flavors – sweet, spicy, umami – coat my tongue every time I bite into a silky soft dumpling. I love it so much that I cut all my wonton in half to soak up as much of it as possible. I even used to take home the leftover sauce and dip new dumplings in it. Thankfully, they started selling it in bottles and I don’t have to do that (slightly unsanitary) practice anymore. You can order it with noodles, which comes with a peanut-y sauce (Spicy Wan-ton Dry Noodle, Php 268) – I hated this a lot as a kid but now I quite like the contrast. I still do douse it in the spicy wonton sauce though because it’s just the best thing ever.
Another winner from Mien San is the Century Egg with Tofu (Php 168). No other version has come close to their take for me. Everything in this dish is perfectly balanced – the silkiness and clean taste of the tofu, the creaminess and earthy flavor of the century egg, and the sweet umami sauce that ties it all together. I personally don’t even need the pork floss on top. The serving plate is always wiped clean in a matter of seconds.
We also recently tried the Siao Long Pao (Php 198, 4 pcs.) It’s not my favorite xiao long bao that I’ve tasted, but it had a nice savory soup and plump filling inside a sturdy but soft wrapper – not bad.
Everything else is pretty standard Chinese fare, but good nonetheless so go ahead and choose your favorite dishes. Just do yourself a favor and don’t forget the spicy wonton, and the tofu and century egg.
Mien San Noodle House is located in:
- 42 Granada St., Valencia, Quezon City
- Fox Square Bldg., 53 Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan City
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