A Los Angeles-based restaurant group focused on Sichuan food is adding to that cultural mélange by expanding into Texas — starting with Austin. Mian & Bao, which merges comfort foods from Sichuan and Shanghai, started its soft opening at The Triangle on October 17.
If Chinese food lovers think they can piece together what the name refers to, they're probably right: "mian" refers to wheat noodles, and "bao" brings in steamed buns, each representing the two regional cuisines. Although Sichuan food is known for its mouth-numbing spice, a press release cites Shanghai's "mildly sweet" flavors as a reason for combining the two. It promises both spicy and mild options on the menu.
Guests can expect Sichuan street foods like spicy beef noodles, zajiang noodles, chili oil wontons, and spicy potato wedges. However, the restaurant considers its specialty to be authentic Shanghai comfort dishes: xiao long bao (soup dumplings), pan-fried buns, and scallion oil noodles.
Some of these dishes won't be pulling any punches when it comes to spice.Photo courtesy of Mian & Bao
The founders of the restaurant group Taste Corp., James Beard Award-nominated chef Tony Xu and his business partner Sean Xie, have a much more public image than the group itself, which operates Chengdu Taste and Mian. Both of these restaurants have garnered coveted praise: Chengdu Taste in Alhambra, California, is a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand (for restaurants with both a good value and high quality), and in 2016 the famous reviewer Johnathan Gold said "there is nothing quite like Mian."
The group also owns a franchise location of XiaoLongKan Hotpot, a chain that started in Sichuan and has since grown to more than 1,000 locations worldwide, including Taste's location in Houston. Austinites should be receiving some news from the group in early 2025 about a new Sichuan hotpot brand, a spokesperson teases.
Perhaps the story of Xu's inspiration for Mian & Bao is not a surprise, given what's been laid out so far. The chef from Chengdu, Sichuan, already loved the wheat noodles in Sichuanese cooking, but decided to study in Shanghai, where his in-laws are from. This is a relatively recent chapter of personal growth for Xu, who is making his return to cooking at Taste restaurants in 2024.
Note the window into the kitchen.Photo courtesy of Mian & Bao
The Austin restaurant is taking the place of the now-defunct Mama Fu's (4700 W Guadalupe St., Unit A5), which basically disappeared in June of 2023, leaving both customers and staff with more questions than answers. The re-model's AI-created design is meant as an "exciting nod" to Austin as a tech city.
It doesn't look particularly high-tech, though. Green tiled tables look earthy and casual, wicker chairs remind us we're in Texas, and paper lanterns ensure the Chinese aesthetic comes through. There are also some vintage and antique-looking photographs on the wall next to some traditional paintings. That's all the better for a comfort food restaurant — who really wants soup dumplings in a hyper-modern restaurant?
Mian & Bao is now in its soft opening week, closing Monday, October 21, for any necessary tweaks. Hours for both the soft opening and permanent schedule are 11 am to 9 pm daily. Right now, the restaurant's online presence is limited.
