San Wan Hand-Pulled Noodles — Restaurant in Dubai

Reason for Dining: Just craving! My cousin and I were debating whether to go for Japanese, Chinese, Thai, or Vietnamese food. We checked the map for nearby spots we hadn’t tried yet and found San-Wan.

Location: The place was a little tricky to find since it’s at the back side of the building where there’s ongoing construction. At first, we thought it might have closed, so we called to check. The staff kindly gave us directions, they’re facing the building “The Brain of DP World.” Once we got there, we were surprised to see the outdoor seating already full (another Asian restaurant nearby was also packed).

Service: As soon as we entered, we were warmly greeted by the staff (fellow countrymen!). We kind of expected great service, and they delivered. What impressed me even more was how they treated every guest with the same genuine hospitality. The whole experience felt like dining in a fine-dining, Michelin-starred restaurant.

Food: Cucumber Salad - ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️ Crunchy, sweet, sour, sesameeeeey, definitely something I’d love to recreate at home.

Wontons: ⭐️⭐️ Not really my thing, so that’s on us for ordering wrong.

Chicken Wonton Noodle Soup: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Noodles were clearly fresh, the broth was light and comforting perfect hangover or “under-the-weather” soup.

Stir-Fried Noodles: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Decent.

Chicken & Shrimp Dumplings: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of the best dumplings I’ve had.

Mochi: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ must-try! We had blueberry and tiramisu (the only flavors available that night), and I’ll definitely be back to try the rest.

Cold Oolong Tea: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m dying to know what brand they use. it was that good.

Acai Al Nora Smoothie: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Perfectly balanced and refreshing. They have a great smoothie selection, too.

Overall: We left very full and very happy. Definitely worth...

Edit: After the reply from the restaurant I’v decided to change my review to a 1 star. If you are not ready to handle criticism for running a restaurant with unsafe standards. You shouldn’t be running one. EVERY cook in the kitchen should be wearing gloves as actions such as touching the face could happen unconsciously. I never said the Wok cook was the person who touched the rice in-fact it was the plating cook.

Instead of spending time arguing with customers who spent money at your restaurant and provided you with feedback. Trying investing into improving cleanliness issues and maybe learning some professional mannerisms.

I’ve noticed alarming hygiene issues while sitting in the restaurant. Especially since we’ve just overcome a pandemic, I was surprised basic standards weren’t being followed. Starting with uncovered chopsticks being left on the table in a holder. Its nice that the restaurant is providing different types of chopsticks based on your comfort but i would recommend asking the customers instead on keeping them exposed. Second was the chili oil being placed in a open condiment holder for everyone to use rather than a sealed one. Lastly and most importantly there was a live view of the cooks from which I was able to see that non of them were wearing gloves. In addition to the separating screen being dirty and covered in oil splatter. The most disgusting thing was witnessing a cook wipe his nose on the back of his hand then proceed to handle my food, touch the grains of rice and all the plates. Not acceptable at all.

This is a major issue and should be dealt with immediately. Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend the restaurant to anyone due to these...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Hand Pulled Noodles Sanwan and let me tell you, it was an incredible experience! The food was absolutely exceptional, and the entire atmosphere was warm and inviting. I can't recommend this place enough.

From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by the lovely host, Rasha. She was not only welcoming but also incredibly relatable and super sweet. Despite there being a waiting list, Rasha made sure to keep us informed and even came outside to apologize personally for the wait. Her attentiveness and friendly demeanor made the waiting time much more bearable.

Now, let's talk about the star of the show—the hand-pulled noodles. The texture of the noodles was incredibly satisfying, and I found myself savoring each bite. They were cooked to perfection, and the flavors were simply outstanding. The wontons were also a highlight, bursting with deliciousness. We had the traditional biang biang noodles and chicken wontons

The flavorful macarons were the perfect ending to our meal, leaving us wanting to come back for more!

Despite the wait to get a table, I must say that in a bustling food scene like Dubai, it's becoming more common to encounter such situations with good food places, it’s part of the charm I would say. And I assure you the wait at Hand Pulled Noodles Sanwan was definitely worth it

In fact, I'm already planning my next visit with a larger group of friends. Hand Pulled Noodles Sanwan has become a must-visit spot for anyone seeking a memorable dining experience with “hidden gem” sign...