We know, we know. "Don't California my Texas," "go back to L.A." and so on and so forth. Plenty of Austinites object to the fairly sizable number of West Coast transplants now living and working in the city - some for valid reasons, and some for less valid reasons. But anyone who's spent time in Southern California knows that this region of the country has a distinct advantage over Austin where Asian food is concerned. So when I heard that Taste Corp., the L.A. restaurant group behind beloved San Gabriel Valley Sichuan spot Chengdu Taste, planned to open an eatery in Austin that would include both Sichuan and Shanghainese items on its menu, I was immediately ready to break out the welcome banner.
This restaurant, Mian & Bao, recently opened in the Triangle, the Central Austin "urban complex" just north of the UT campus. Depending on where you're coming from and how you're getting there, this location could prove to be one of Mian & Bao's biggest negatives, as parking at the Triangle is not for the faint of heart. The small lot fills up quickly (especially during peak mealtime hours), and the tiny garage with a single passage for entry and exit is nothing short of harrowing. If at all possible, head over via carpool, Uber, or public transit.
Now that we've gotten the parking woes out of the way, we can move onto some much happier news. Mian & Bao's interior feels casual and approachable, but with a hefty dose of polish and style. There's a counter area facing the kitchen that's well-designed for solo diners (and the presence of electrical outlets along the wall makes this a great locale for a working lunch or dinner), the green tile on the tabletops and along the walls brings a relaxing vibe, and whimsical paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling offer a light scheme that's warm and inviting. "Warm and inviting" also describes the service; the team on the floor greeted me promptly, directed me to a table right away, patiently explained the ordering system, and made themselves readily available to answer questions about the menu.
But while the front-of-house staff is very helpful and friendly, some guests may be dismayed to discover that Mian & Bao is a QR-code establishment. Each table features a code that diners are meant to scan, which gives them access to the menu and allows them to order on their phones. QR ordering remains a controversial subject, but I'll say this for Mian & Bao's system: It's very efficient. If you - like me - choose to place your entire order at once, dishes will come to your table as they're prepared, which could result in an overcrowded table and a very quick meal duration. If you prefer a more leisurely dining experience, be sure to stagger your ordering.
The menu at Mian & Bao focuses primarily on shareable dim sum-style dishes. As dim sum is meant to be enjoyed with tea, Mian & Bao's beverage list includes both hot green tea and a cold "house fruit tea" bursting with sugar and traces of citrus, melon, and passion fruit. If you're not in a tea mood, soft drinks and plum juice are also available, but Mian & Bao serves no alcohol.
I mentioned at the top that Mian & Bao highlights an even mixture of Sichuan and Shanghainese dishes, and their Snacks and Steamed menu sections reflect that combination. I'll admit to a clear personal bias toward Sichuan dishes; I'm a spice fanatic who lives for the lip-numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, and I'm pleased to report that Mian & Bao's Sichuan items deliver massive flavor. Their marinated cucumbers, which boast a perfect level of crunch, a tangy rice vinegar marinade with a hint of balancing sweetness, and hits of garlic and hot pepper for extra nuance, earned my "favorite dish of the day" award. A Sichuan specialty that doesn't get a lot of play in Austin is the "thousand year egg," or an egg cured and preserved in a clay and alkaline paste that darkens the color and adds a unique (yet approachable) level of funk. Mian & Bao serves it traditionally with silken tofu, which provides a soft, mellow cushion for the chewier egg and evens out the umami-packed soy marinade and punchy herb relish.
The Snacks menu also contains Sichuan noodle dishes with serious stage presence. Chengdu noodles, a cold preparation with sesame paste, ginger, and chili oil, are nutty and tangy and spicy and generally delightful. Finely shaved cucumber shreds bring freshness and sliced green onion contributes just enough sharp allium flavor. Another triumphant noodle dish is the Dan Dan noodles. As a self-proclaimed Dan Dan enthusiast, I've long been on the lookout for an excellent Austin version of this mala-packed minced pork specialty, and I found it at Mian & Bao. The wheat noodles have an appealing springy texture and they mix easily into the sauce, which is savory, well-salted, and fragrant with five-spice. The peppercorn heat rings in at entry level, and while I would have personally liked more of that signature tingle, the spice integrates nicely with the dish as a whole.
Dumplings play a major role at Mian & Bao, and the restaurant gives you the opportunity to try both Sichuan-style wontons and Shanghai-style soup dumplings and buns. As their name suggests, the chili oil wontons feature a heavy slick of hot oil that clings well to the tender wontons and livens up the gently flavored pork filling. The soup dumplings (xiao long bao) are encased with a thin and flexible wrapper that doesn't tear easily (a blessing to those of us who've suffered leaky dumplings in the past), and while the pork broth isn't richly seasoned, the accompanying dipping vinegar and pickled ginger help round out the flavor profile and make for an engaging eating experience.
The dough on the bao buns proves springy and flavor-absorbing, and I really appreciated the crispiness of the fried bases. A dipping sauce might have brightened up the overall taste, but I found myself able to focus instead on the pleasant blend of textures.
As a laid-back and centrally located spot to appreciate Chinese dishes with vibrant flavors, Mian & Bao succeeds with aplomb. Parking may be a battle and the L.A. connection might annoy some residents, but the restaurant offers something much-needed and much-desired to the city's dining scene, and I hope that it earns enough love from locals to encourage other Asian restaurants with intriguing regional menus to try their luck here in Austin.