Mien-San : Just around the neighborhood

Mien-San Noodle House has been around since I was still in Grade School. I remember spending Friday afternoons there with my parents as we enjoy their delicious noodle soup and dumplings. They have been a permanent fixture along Granada Avenue that their bright yellow signage just makes up the over-all look of this semi-commercial/residential area.

Not so long ago, I blogged about Mien-San being our go-to place whenever hungry strikes late in the evening. It has been a regular hang-out for guys after a basketball game and families who are craving for some warm noodles before they head to bed.

Recently, Mien-San had a little face lift where the little yellow signage was replaced by a bright red store facade signage that spells out M-I-E-N S-A-N which can easily be read meters away. The size of the store doubled as compared to its old located and they have added more dishes to their menu. It's a good thing though, our favorite choices were all still available.

For Paul's birthday, we decided to have a casual date at Mien-San. Arriving a little past 7, we had to wait for a short while as the restaurant was filled with families enjoying their Sunday dinner. Turnover was fast though and in no time, we were led to our tiny table for two at the back of the restaurant.

While scanning the menu, we were served with their complimentary fried wanton chips. I really liked this appetizer however, Mien-San's version was a tad too sweet for my taste. I would prefer for it to be salty and crunchy.

For starters, we got the Century Egg with Tofu (Php. 88). How many times have we reminded ourselves to not order this everytime we visit Mien-San as this dish is pretty high in uric acid and cholesterol but we couldn't help it. The comfort of biting into the cold firm tofu block and the salty century egg really perks up our taste preparing our taste buds for the feast ahead.

Next, we ordered the Fried Oyster Cake (Php. 128). We both loved Mien-San's oyster cake as you can see huge oyster pieces in every slice. Also, this is not loaded with gawgaw (starch) making it more filling in every bite.

No visit to Mien-San would be complete without an order of Steamed Kuchay Dumplings (Php. 68). I love the perfectly wrapped pork and veggie dumpling that goes well with anything! Be it with rice, congee, noodles or eaten alone. This is definitely a must-try! After all, this is one of those things that has made Mien-San a must-visit with its regular patrons.

In our continuous goal to cut down on our carb intake, we don't normally order rice for dinner anymore. However, it was Paul's birthday dinner and we allowed ourselves to indulge just this once. We ordered the Mien-San Fried Rice (Php. 128) and were surprised to see that the serving was HUGE! It's actually good for a family of 3-4!

I've mentioned in a number of entries how much I love fried rice. This is actually one of my weakness and my biggest enemy when trying to lessen carb intake. I just enjoy fried rice mixed with chopped veggies, a bit of meat (asado or Chinese sausages) and aromatic garlic bits! I love Mien-San's fried rice as it was mixed with egg, carrots, spring onions, a bit of sweet pork and garlic. It was so good we each got two servings that evening. The rest was my lunch the next day (yipee!!).

We enjoyed a very filling dinner to celebrate my husband's 29th birthday! I truly enjoy spending quality time with him as we share a small table for two. Pretty soon, our little table for two might just continue to expand to a family table for three...four or five. Till then, we will continue to enjoy our occasional dates as we unwind and simply enjoy each other's company.

Mien-San Noodle House is located at Units 40-42 Granda Street, Brgy. Valencia, New Manila, Quezon City. Call them at 721-5794/ 723-0558.