Mian — Restaurant in Walnut

I've heard of MIAN and wanted to try them for a very long time. From reviews and word of mouth I had high expectations from them. Coming here I wanted to try a lot of their menu so I brought friends to help with me. First thing I was worried about was since their noodles all looked very similar, that they would all have the same base taste with different meats/ingredients. To my surprised this was not the case at all. Each dish had its own unique taste that I could clearly tell from one another.

To start, they provided a refreshing cold mung bean drink. This will be key when you finally have your meal. It is surprisingly refreshing after all the spicy noodles you'll be having.

The first item to come out was the steamed egg and minced pork. This was such a simple yet elegant dish. The egg was so light, smooth and creamy. With the pork that topped it off, it adds the perfect amount of savoriness to the dish. You must get this as a starter to your meal. It is just such a comforting appetizer.

As soon as I finished the appetizer the main dishes came out.

House Beef Noodles: This dish was a very typical beef noodle soup, but had a great rich broth. Noodles were cooked perfectly and had a great chew to them. Meat was very tender. Highly recommend this if you just want a traditional beef noodle soup.

Chengdu Zajian Noodles: This dish was delicious. The same ground pork from the steamed egg was now on top of those amazing bouncy noodles. All this is topped off with a pan fried egg with bok choy. Mixed all together with a bite of each ingredient in one spoon full is just heavenly. And when the spice or the saltiness gets too much, have a piece of their pickled cabbage and a drink of the mung bean drink and you'll be ready to go again.

Special Gizzard Noodles: Now this dish was my favorite. If you love the taste of innards, this dish is for you. The gizzards added a change in texture in the dish while adding that gamy flavor, which I love. The gamy flavor of the gizzards works so well with the spicy chili oil of this dish. To counter all the richness the pickled celery was a nice touch to the dish. This dish may not be for everyone, but I personally think it was the best dish I tried.

Spare Rib Noodles: This dish was one of the biggest surprises to me. I expected the dish to just be their house beef noodles but with spare rib instead, but to my surprise it was totally different. The soup broth had a strong mushroom flavor to it and made it taste completely different from the other noodle soup. The spare rib was melt in your mouth. I think I liked this better than the beef noodle soup. If you just want to try something a bit different from the original beef noodle soup, don't miss out on this.

Hot and Sour Chaoshou: Lastly, the hot and sour dumpling soup. This was probably the best thing to have in between a few bites of any of the previous dishes. The hot and sour soup was a nice refresher from all the richness in all the dishes. After having a few dumplings and the soup, it made me want to come back to all my other dishes. The dumplings themselves were wonderful. The dumpling skin was very thin and there was a generous amount filling. I don't know why, but it made me want to eat more and more, so if you want to be able to eat more, make sure to get this dish.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised about this place. Everything had a unique taste to it and it was so refreshing to see that. Even though the noodles weren't hand pulled or anything, they were cooked to perfection and complimented the ingredients used. Highly recommend coming here to try anything here. I will be back to try more of their menu...

Mian noodles may be a small chain, but make no mistake, their dishes pack the unique and authentic flavor of a Chinese hole-in-the-wall with the class and polished look of a trendy boba shop for an experience that's not to be missed. For Chinese food connoisseurs, particular those looking to experience or already fans of Sichuan spice, Mian is a winner through and through.

For the uninitiated, authentic Sichuan spice has a particular sensation setting it apart from your regular red hot pepper. Sichuanese spice is a numbing spice, which tends to leave your tongue tingling and your throat comparatively fine. A truly unique and, for this reviewer, pleasing taste worth experiencing at least once, Mian offers spice levels which let you ease your way into this if so desired, something other authentic Sichuanese places don't always do. (Worth noting that although Chinese was certainly a preferred language, servers all spoke fluent English so if you're not Mandarin fluent it shouldn't be an issue).

The dishes themselves are mostly noodles and noodle soups with a single page of cold sides (and scrumptious meat pie) and anything with ground meat is a treat, but the real kicker here is that if you eat in, you can order extra noodles. For FREE. AS MUCH AS YOU WANT. I felt one extra batch was perfect and my cohort got two batches. The value in this for noodle lovers is tremendous, especially since the noodles, while they look humble enough, have a great chewiness and addictive texture. Potstickers come with an authentic slightly spicy dip that really brings out a hearty flavor.

For taste, uniqueness, and the unparalleled value of unlimited free noodles, Mian goes to the top of my list. While it might be busier on weekends, we went to the Roland Hills location and found ample parking and no wait. It's possible Sichuan spice might not speak to you and that's really the only reservation I might suggest for some. For the rest of us though, they serve one Mian noodle bowl, and that's...

I can confidently say this is the best noodle shop I've ever visited! From the moment I walked in, the aromatic broth smells whetted my appetite. The hand-pulled noodles were cooked to perfection - springy with just the right chewiness that shows the chef's skill.

I ordered the signature beef noodle soup, and it exceeded all expectations. The broth was rich, deeply flavorful with layers of spices that simmered for hours. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the portion was extremely generous for the price.

What impressed me equally was the service. The staff were attentive without being intrusive, and the owner came by to check if we needed anything. The restaurant itself was spotlessly clean with a cozy, authentic atmosphere.

The homemade chili oil and pickled vegetables on the table were fantastic additions that took the meal to another level. Every component showed care and authenticity.

I'll definitely be returning regularly and bringing all my friends. This hidden gem deserves all the praise it gets! If you're craving authentic, soul-warming noodles made with passion, look no further.

Pro tip: Come hungry - the portions are huge and you'll want to finish...