Sichuan Noodle Spot
Located in San Gabriel, MIAN is a place where you can taste authentic Sichuan-style noodles, offering a variety of noodle dishes that boast a spicy yet deep flavor.
After pondering over what to eat among the various noodle dishes, we chose the Chengdu Zajiang Noodles and Spicy Beef Noodles, and ordered Steamed Egg & Minced Pork as an appetizer. Each noodle dish allowed for spice level adjustments, with options for Mild, Medium Spicy, and Spicy. The Steamed Egg & Minced Pork that came out first was soft and fluffy, melting in your mouth, and paired well with the moist minced pork on top. The nuttiness of the egg and the savory flavor of the pork blended beautifully, creating a deep taste despite being a simple appetizer.
The Chengdu Zajiang Noodles that followed were a noodle dish mixed with a rich meat sauce, leaving a strong impression with its unique savory flavor. I wondered if it would taste similar to Korean-style Jajangmyeon just because of the name, but it was completely different. The noodles had a chewy and bouncy texture, and the rich meat sauce soaked into the noodles, adding depth to the flavor. Especially when eaten with bok choy, the savory meat sauce and the crunchy bok choy combined to create an even richer umami taste.
The Spicy Beef Noodles were a dish where the deep broth flavor and tender beef harmonized beautifully. The richly brewed broth was filled with a spicy yet savory umami taste, and the chili oil floated lightly on top of the broth, maintaining a balanced spiciness from start to finish. The beef was tender and moist, melting in your mouth when eaten with the broth.
Overall, all the dishes were delicious, but one slight disappointment was that since we chose both noodle dishes as Mild, we couldn’t fully experience the unique spiciness of Sichuan cuisine. Sichuan dishes are originally characterized by their numbing spiciness, and I feel that if I had chosen a spicier option, I could have experienced its true charm. Next time, I will have to try Medium Spicy or Spicy.
Mian
Visit Mian in San Gabriel to enjoy authentic Sichuan-style noodles and experience new flavors.
