Find Authentic Sichuan-Style Noodles at Miàn in South Coast Plaza
by Benjamin Epstein | Orange Coast Magazine
February 06, 2023
Fans of iconic Sichuan destination Chengdu Taste and its James Beard Award-nominated chef, Tony Xu, celebrate the opening of Miàn at South Coast Plaza. Decor is mostly contemporary but features an engaging, more traditional mural filled with sea creatures and a devil. The format improves on fast-casual: Parties are seated first, peruse the menu at leisure, then order from the table via bar code. The restaurant’s full name is Miàn Sichuan Gourmet Noodle; miàn is Chinese for “noodle.” Noodle dishes run a gamut from Sichuan cold noodles to vegan mapo tofu to spicy beef-rib soup; chile-oil dumplings are another highlight. Starters include the so-called Thousand Year Egg, attractively presented atop tofu, as well as spicy-and-sweet radishes and spicy black mushrooms. Most dishes can be ordered from mild to extra-spicy; distinctive flavors come from mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns and fiery chile oil. Find Miàn directly below Din Tai Fung and adjacent to Marugame Udon. Its sibling location in the San Gabriel Valley has earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand. 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, 714-265-7997
