Water Song Yunnan Kitchen — Restaurant in Baltimore

2024 Updated Review:

The constant influx of positive reviews of Water Song tempted me back to try Water Song again. I'm glad we did because it filled a spot in my stomach that most Federal Hill restaurants don't scratch.

We chose to dine in since carry out didn't seem to hold up well last time. The server was SO friendly and helpful. We ordered the pig ear salad, snow pea leaves/pickled mustard greens, and pork wonton soup (with spice on the side thanks again to our server).

The pig ear salad WAS SO GOOD! ❤️ I loved the flavour of the sauce in combination with the cucumber + very gently crunchy ear slices. The snow pea leaves tasted very similar to spinach + had great flavour. The pickled mustard greens also were way more balanced/mild than I expected, which was nice.

The soup was bland like the soups we'd gotten in our original review, but adding a fair amount salt brightened it up immeasurably. Based on this (and what I've read in other recent reviews), i think this is just the case with Water Song's broth-based dishes. If you're willing to season them yourself, they definitely warm your belly in a softer way compared to the plates that have more zing to them.

🥇 Standout dish was definitely the pig ear salad. I ended up dipping everything else into that plate because the sauce was so delightful. I'll definitely be returning to eat this again and try more dishes from Water Song. I'm sad I didn't revisit sooner to explore other non-noodle dishes.

If you shied away for similar reasons as me, I'd recommend stopping by and exploring their smaller plates + vegetable sides. Those are a great change of pace in the surrounding area.

Original Review:

I'm really surprised by how positive other reviews are.

I ordered takeout - specifically the soft tofu rice noodles, braised beef rice noodles, and roasted eggplant salad.

The tofu noodles had some flavour, but it was not appetizing enough to get past the overall texture of extremely mushy noodles. Same case for the beef noodles, but for broth being super bland. My husband and I could not finish our meals. The roasted eggplant salad had some interesting flavour notes, but it too was underseasoned.

All in all, nothing was disgusting, but nothing was flavourful or appetizing. We took the loss on the meal and promptly went out to get...

This place is - seriously - something special. Have had the pleasure of dining here twice now and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots in the City.

On my first visit, we tried the peppercorn fried pork, the kunming fried potato (both appetizers), and the Xiao Guo pork noodles.

The peppercorn fried pork were unctuous strips of pork, fried to perfection, and tossed in a dry spice mix. These little spicy bits are absolutely cravable.

The kunming fried potatoes were crispy, spicy, and adorned with crunchy peanuts. The perfect accompaniment to a nice cold beer (they are BYOB as mentioned below).

The Xiao Guo pork noodles were an umami flavor bomb. Ground spicy pork laden noodles in an incredibly savory broth. Also spicy, but the kind of heat where you can't stop slurping up the noodles in bliss.

The second time we paid homage to this gem, we opted for the roasted eggplant salad, their speciality crossing the bridge noodles, and clams from their special, expanded summer menu.

The eggplant salad was served cold and tasted slightly fermented in the best way. Perfect for a hot summer day.

The crossing the bridge noodles is like a hot pot or melting pot style soup where you get a plateful of raw and cooked meats and get to put what you want into a boiling, large boil of delicious broth. Of course, we put it ALL in. OUTSTANDING.

Oh, and the clams? Us bay area folk are spoiled with quality seafood, but let me tell you what - these clams were the best clams I have ever had. This dish rivals some of the top cuisine I got the opportunity to enjoy in Southern China.

The service is fantastic and the chef/owners clearly have given an incredible amount of thought into every dish.

Also, it's BYOB for those of you interested in enjoying some libations while you scarf down...

Here’s the short version:

The food was wonderfully flavorful. A lot of cilantro and chili oil, so keep that in mind if you’re among the “tastes like soap” or anti-lipids crowd.

Here’s the long version: We ordered

1. Soft Tofu Rice Noodles with pork

2. Roasted Pork Belly Ramen

3. Spicy Garlic Cucumber Salad

4. Sesame Balls

5. Yunnan Puer Hot Tea Pot

6. Xiao Long Bao

7. the soft tofu rice was delicious. Slightly sweet, faintly spicy, cilantro and chili oil heavy. If you’re like my wife, you’re fishing every morsel out of the broth and savoring the flavor. If you’re like me, you’re drinking the stuff by the end of the meal. The Tofu was soft (rather than the typical blocks of tofu) in an appetizing way, and it made for a good mixture/medley.

8. My ramen was also fantastic. I’m a fan of spicy, and I’m a fan of ramen. The noodles got pretty soft before I finished the soup, so keep that in mind if you have a texture sensitivity. I thought it was delicious, but if youre a save-the-best for last type and have a texture preference, you might have to tackle that part first. Same goes for the roasted pork.

9. Cucumber salad cut the flavors really well. It was a pleasant little palate cleanser.

10. Yes. Sweet, chewy but firm, excellent flavor profile. A lovely dessert pastry. We were scraping honey off of the plate. Ask me if I’m ashamed. (No)

11. We were warned that the tea would be sour. I guess? It tasted more like unsweetened green tea. Tasted wonderful to me, and sugar was an option to add.

12. I mean.. soup dumplings. They were perhaps somewhat small? I’d still say they were worth it flavor wise if you’re not doing a cost-value analysis (which I often am).

Delightful food. Great presentation. Kind staff. 5/5...