The food was fresh and flavorful. The portions are quite good and they came out very quickly after ordering. The ordering is unique. You scan a QR code and get what you need wordlessly. If you're with someone else, it'll combine your orders but the tickets are separate. There's no server but they do come in to check on you. I believe restaurants should still have a traditional ordering style for customers that need it, so Im sure they do!...I didn't think to ask though. There are lunch specials which are affordable for the combos you can get, which is what we did. The inside is super stylish and calm. It's a bit small inside. read more

Mian & Bao - Inside - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The interior is so so beautiful! I could not get over the lanterns and green tables. We came during lunch time to try out their lunch specials on a weekday! The servers were kind and informative. Our order was the sweet potato cheese rolls, marinated cucumber, chicken stir fry noodles, and pork stir fry noodles. The sweet potato was good, it tasted more like a dessert rather than appetizer. The marinated cucumber was our favorite! Unfortunately, we found the noodles to be too oily and more on the bland side. I do want to go back for more marinated cucumber and try the dumplings! read more

Mian & Bao - chicken stir fry noodles pork stir fry noodles - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We've gotten takeout from Mian and Bao before, and it was pretty good, but a couple days ago was our first time venturing in. For half an hour, we were the only people in the restaurant. It's actually very cute inside--they put some effort into the place (unlike Sushi Warriors or Dumpling World). There were four people on the floor and a very nice Gen Z'er still tried to get us to use the QR code on the table, which we loathe, so we appreciated that they had actual menus to pass out. No beers on tap, but they've got the usual stuff in bottles. We started with the chilled cucumber salad, and it was a crunchy and fresh beginning which we enjoyed. For mains, the three of us shared Dan Dan Noodles, steamed pork dumplings, and the chicken wonton soup. Everything was good. The dumplings were sturdy and tender, the noodles had just the right amount of peppercorn, and the wontons were also tasty. There's nothing outstanding here, but everything is well done for what it is, so there's nothing to complain about and the prices are fair for the overall value. We're landing on three stars, but it's a happy three because we do like this place, and we can see ourselves coming back because our daughter is obsessed with dumplings. read more

Previously tried Ugly Dumplings and thought it was pretty good, but turned out I never tried Mian&Bao before. We tried the xiaolongbao, pan fried bun and spicy beef noodles and all Tasted better than Ugly Dumplings, making M&B the best option in Austin IMHO. read more

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We stopped here for lunch when my family was in town. There was plenty of seating during lunch, and I'm glad this place opened earlier because it was perfect for a quick meal before they headed to the airport. Ordering was easy--just scan a QR code and place your order on your phone. We appreciated the friendly service as they checked on us to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was excellent and arrived quickly after we ordered. We tried several dishes with the family. The kids loved the steamed eggs, and my personal favorite was the fried dumplings. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Parking could be difficult depending on the time of your visit. read more

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This place was okay, the interior was nice and cozy but the food was alright. We got the Xiao Long Bao, Pan Fried Pork Dumplings, and Chili Oil Wonton. The food wasn't hot and the pan fried dumpling wasn't crispy at all. The dumpling wrappers were really thick and they didn't give you much fillings inside. The xiao long bao's soup inside had a hủ tiếu (a Vietnamese noodle soup) taste to it, which was interesting. The chili oil wonton was also okay, the chili oil wasn't spicy at all it was just oily. We wanted to try the spicy beef noodle soup but it was like $17 so we didn't get it. All of this costed $30+ which were pretty expensive given that we didn't enjoy it that much. There are a lot of better places around so I wouldn't come back here. read more

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Really solid lunch special! There's a $16 and a $20 combo- we got the $20 one which came with chicken cutlets, pork and veg noodles, and a drink. We decided to order a side of pork buns, but the combo alone would've satisfied two people. Service was pretty fast and it wasn't too busy during lunch, but dinner service might be busier. I love the location in the triangle. It's definitely on the more casual side but good enough for a low key lunch meeting, and relatively quiet too. read more

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They definitely paid attention to details while decorating. The restaurant is pretty casual but feels well put together. Also, playlist is very kpop-heavy! Although the menu is quite small, the food options were pretty solid. Definitely a reliable Chinese spot in the mid town away from more busy Asian plazas. The price points is pretty average. The food quality was goods everything was delicious and came out quick. I had to take one star out because ordering/paying system is a bit annoying. You have to order off the phone by scanning a QR code, and everyone's order must be on the same tab. Which becomes a problem when you want to pay. Our party of 4 was told that there was no way to split the bill at all. Which is pretty inconvenient. read more

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This place is pretty good in terms of the food. I didn't look at the menu before coming here, I only saw the pictures online. But when I saw the menu it seemed kind of lacking for a szechuan spot. Most of the stuff will be fried rice, noodles, and dumplings. The service and ordering from the QR code was kind of weird where the whole table shared the same cart. Which also made service more limited and lacking. Overall the food was good for some simple dishes. It had nice seasoning and spice to it. Nothing much for family style though. read more

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Ordering takeout from Mian and Bao for Thanksgiving was honestly the best decision of my life. While everyone else was wrestling with dry turkey and lumpy gravy, I was blissfully surrounded by noodles, buns, and dumplings, and zero dishes in the sink. The noodles were perfectly chewy and saucy, total comfort in a bowl. The buns were soft, warm, and stuffed with flavor, and the dumplings were so juicy and delicious that we kept saying "okay, last one" and then grabbing another. By the end of the night, we all agreed: who needs turkey when you can have a dumpling feast? If you're even thinking about doing an unconventional holiday meal (or just an epic night in), let Mian and Bao take over. I might never go back to traditional Thanksgiving again. read more

Mian & Bao - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Craving noodles and something warm on a breezy Austin night, I finally stopped into Mian & Bao up at the Triangle. Atmosphere: Casual and bright with a steady hum once dinner hits. Tables are set up well for sharing (you'll want to), and it's easy to settle in without the room feeling cramped. Parking's fine but limited out front--there's a nearby garage if the surface spots are gone. Food: Leaning Shanghainese meets Sichuan in the best way. The xiao long bao (soup dumplings) are the headline--thin wrappers, good snap, plenty of broth; give them a tiny pierce to vent and you're golden. The spicy beef noodle soup brings tender chunks and a rich, beefy broth that builds warmth without blowing out your palate. For starters, the chili-oil wontons and cold cucumber are easy yeses, and if you want something simple-comforting, the scallion oil noodles scratch that itch. Wash it down with the house fruit tea if you're skipping booze (they don't serve alcohol). Service: Counter-order, then they run plates out. Friendly, patient with first-timer questions, and good pacing even when the line forms. Expect a short wait at peak; off-hours it's a breeze. Wrap-up: Comfort food with some punch: legit soup dumplings, a deeply satisfying beef noodle, and starters that make the table happy. Easy add to the north-of-campus rotation when you want Chinese that's cozy without being bland. read more

Mian & Bao - Soup dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Mian and Bao is one of my go-to Chinese restaurants in Austin because all the dishes are consistently good. My favorite dish is the beef noodle soup but this time we decided to try different things on the menu. There is a variety of meat for everyone-beef, chicken, pork. I was surprised their shumai contains chicken instead of the traditional pork. This dish was ok but each piece is huge! Love the soup dumplings! Can't go work with these. Be sure to use a spoon to catch all the soup that's inside. Loveeee the beef pancake rolls. Ok, you gotta get their noodle dishes. Mian literally means noodle in Chinese. Bao means bread. I wonder if they sell those mahjong t-shirts the workers have on. They are so cute!! You order from the QR code at the table. This is located in the Triangle, along with other restaurants and shops. There is a small lot and a small parking garage. Parking can sometimes be a challenge. read more

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Our family visited on Thanksgiving night at 5:30 PM. Surprisingly, it wasn't crowded at all. However, when we left at 6:30, it had filled up. With our family of six, we ordered several dishes and got to sample a lot. Our top favs - pan fried beef buns, pan fried pork buns, xiao long bao, szechuan dandan noodles, drunken chicken, and sesame balls. We could've passed on the chicken fried rice. Service was OK, nothing exceptional. But food flavor and quality was excellent. And extra kudos for being open on Thanksgiving night. read more

Mian & Bao - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Probably one of the best Chinese meals we've partaken in, in some time. Made us miss L.A.!!! The food was ~FANTASTIC~ a Party on the palate and cooked to Perfection. We WILL BE BACK! This was overdue visited Austin last month headed there tomorrow and Mian & Bao is part of the plan! read more

One of the best soup dumplings I've had in the country! It's very comparable to Nan Xiang in NYC with good soup inside and nice chewy thin yet sturdy skin. The beef noodles was solid and had to try the wandou noodles since I've never seen that! The decor is so cute and trendy. You can order by QR code and food comes quick. Found this place from online reviews and did not disappoint! read more

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Wife and I wanted late night Chinese. Our favorite was closed so we tried this place. We were unexpectedly surprised at the speedy delivery, the quality of the food and quantity. This is our go to delivery place moving forward. read more

This was our 2nd time here because I mainly wanted to try their Spicy Beef Noodle Soup again! The noodles were thin with a soft, chewy texture and the broth had a soft lingering Szechuan flavor. I wouldn't say that the broth was spicy at all but rather, there was a faint taste of the peppercorn flavor mixed with a slight sweetness in the broth! I personally think this is a great option even for folks who can't handle a ton of spiciness. The dish also came with a good ratio of bok choy and tender beef pieces (I think there were about 4 pieces) -- I still had some beef left when I finished most of the noodles! We also ended up getting their Chengdu Spicy Fries (which were crispy on the outside and airy soft on the inside), but again, it had more of a spice flavor but wasn't actually spicy at all. It felt like it was missing a dipping sauce so they brought over a side of their sweet & sour sauce, which complimented the fries well. Both the Steamed Egg with Ground Pork and Pan Fried Beef Bun were good starters. The steamed egg was on the lighter flavor side so I asked for some chili oil to spice it up a bit, but the beef buns didn't need any extra dipping sauces! The beef was flavorful on the inside and I'd say it was a great ratio between beef filling and breading. You do have to be a bit more proactive with getting the server's attention, so don't be afraid to call them over because they were extremely nice and accommodating. The ambiance is also cute with a ton of red lanterns hanging from the ceiling! Although you can't make a reservation, if the place is busy, you can add yourself to the waitlist via an iPad at the front of the restaurant, so be prepared for some waiting during the dinner rush hour timeframe! read more

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Came here for dinner on a Thursday evening. Had no wait time, and found the service to be very fast and friendly. I tried the steamed egg with ground pork and the pan fried beef buns for my main course. The steamed egg was solid, an unusual mix of a kinda custardy egg with spicy pork. I think both aspects could've used a little more flavor, but still enjoyed it The pan fried beef buns were really tasty. They had a nice mild bit of the Sichuan peppercorn tinglyness, I would've been happy having a little more but I have a fairly high tolerance to that flavor. I liked that the exterior gave a scallion pancake like taste. Only downside is that the sauce inside will either ooze out when you squeeze it, or explode out if you take a bite. It doesn't seem like there's a way to eat it without having a big pool of oil on your plate I had the ice jelly for dessert and that was kind of the star of my meal. I'd never had or heard of ice jelly before, it was kind of like jello in a pool of less thick jello texture wise. This one in particular has a strong sesame flavor, with the raisins and hawthorn giving a good bit of sweetness that thankfully doesn't overpower. I really like it and will definitely have my eye out for similar desserts in the future Overall I definitely recommend giving this spot a try if you live in the north Austin area! read more

Mian & Bao - Ice Jelly - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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A decent spot to grab some dumplings and noodles in the Triangle! I've been here a few times and was pleased with the dishes that I've tried. By no means are their dishes the most mind blowing or the "best" but I was pleasantly surprised. You can't go wrong with their chili oil wontons, and their pan fried dumplings had lovely crispy bottoms with a juicy filling. Their soup dumplings were nothing to write home about and were a little difficult to pick up without ripping but had a decent flavor. The chengdu chilled noodles are a great dish to cool down with. Their service was on point both times I went. Staff were friendly and welcoming, and we were seated very quickly. Their ordering system is a self-explanatory QR code where you can place your order via phone. Food came out quickly, with the pan fried dumplings taking a bit longer which lines up with their note on the menu that it may take 15ish minutes longer. The spot itself is a well-adorned, slightly dimmed space with a mix of tables, bar seating, and a few half booths. It's definitely a cozy space so I could see them getting filled easily. read more

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I think a lot of folks understand that parking around the Triangle area gets pretty difficult. Luckily we came here late afternoon and was able to grab a spot pretty fast We didn't realize there was a lunch menu, and as seen through the pictures, I thought it was good value for the amount of food we got My girlfriend and I mixed and matched different items available on the menu so we can try different things We were seated pretty fast by a nice gentleman. We were then told to use the QR code on the table to order what we wanted. It was fairly straightforward to use, no issues at all The inside is very cute and modern. The tables and walls have cool green tiles making it pop, and the tables also have the same green, making it look like a mahjong table. I would say, the tables could be on the smaller side for the 2 person seaters if you're ordering a lot. The lunch combo comes with an appetizer, main course and a drink. I don't think they give you the food in any particular order since we got the main course first. At first bite I thought it tasted kind of bland. Compared to some other Chinese/Dumpling/Noodle places in Austin. I thought the flavor was also on the sweeter side, for all the food we got. But I could immediately tell the difference in the quality of the ingredients. The meat was really tender, nothing was over salted, and I didn't feel crazy bloated after leaving. It felt good eating Chinese. The best way to explain the flavor is, if you're hungover and craving Chinese, this isn't the flavor you're looking for. But if you're looking for something new, clean, and fresh, I'd highly recommend this place Will definitely be coming back! read more

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Took a group to mostly have dumplings. Thought some were good and some were just ok. Soup dumplings were too dougy. Inside of those were underwhelming. On the other hand both the pan fried pork and steamed pork ones were very good. Not a bad meal at all. Reasonable prices. read more

Mian & Bao - Lunch - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

We normally go to dumpling world but wanted to give mian & bao a try. My favorite thing was their beef wrap. Overall, I think the food was good but nothing that really hit the spot like I feel warm food should. Like the comfort and satisfied feeling. I also had to ask for a lot of things rather than the condiments already being on the table like at other dumpling places I've gone to. I would come back for the beef wraps 100% but this isn't my favorite dumpling spot in Austin. read more

Mian & Bao - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

I was confused by the description of mahjong tables, but there was nothing confusing about the vast array of delicious menu choices or the wonderful service. NOTE: one orders electronically but pays in the old-fashioned way, by getting help from the charming server. Cute place, great food, and parking in the nearby garage (or get lucky, as I usually do). Worth whatever momentary inconvenience you might experience. 6 stars ! read more

Mian & Bao - Steamed veggie dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I wanted to like this place more . There is such a loss in the experience when you are seated and then told to order off the QR code on the table . There is little customer service or connection. The food was ok , not close to what you get at Din Tai Fung if you know what I mean. read more

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My friend and I were craving something Unami and we stumbled upon this restaurant. Upon entering, we were greeted and taken to our seats immediately. The aesthetic inside was lovely and very clean. The servers with hospitable and greeted us with ice cold water as well as a pitcher to help ourselves with. I ordered the chicken stir fried noodles and my friend ordered the Xiao long bao--both were made fresh and were delicious. The bao was the perfect texture and the noodles were loaded with vegetables and meat. The only reason I took off one star is because the noodles were greasy, but aren't all stir fried noodles? We were in and out within an hour and I will definitely be back! read more

What a great new spot in the triangle! We actually visited the area for another restaurant and ended up seeing this one and walking in. It's a very small restaurant so I'm sure at times there's a wait. Everything we tried was delicious. Highlights for us were the steamed egg with ground pork, the XIAO Long Bao, and the stir fried chicken noodle. So so good!! Service was incredibly quick and attentive. We'll definitely be back when in the area. read more

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Had the spicy beef noodle soup, spicy wontons, and fries. Would 10/10 get each item again. Spicy beef noodle soup is flavorful with a little kick. Spicy is def there but enjoyable. Don't forget the fruit tea!! Delicious! Went for dinner and was a little wait. Restaurant isn't super big. Nice decor. Located in the triangle. Parking is a little tough bc parking lot shares with the apartment complex and other restaurants. read more

This place was okay in my opinion. My husband and I came on a Friday night. There's a tablet when you walk in to add yourself to the waitlist. There were a few open tables, but we opted for the bar. At the bar, you can see the chefs hand make all of the dumplings! You order online via a QR code and the food will be delivered to you. This concept is strange, since you can't pay through the app. It took awhile for us to flag a waiter to pay because by 7:30pm, Mian & Bao was packed! I could also tell the kitchen was backed up, with tons of dishes waiting to be served. The food is okay in my option. I thought the dumpling wrappers were very thick. When we ordered the pan-fried pork dumplings, the pork was uncooked! The chicken katsu was very thin, and mostly fried. I think my favorite dish was the Spicy Wonton Dumplings. read more

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Amazing quality food and bites, super quick ordering with QR codes, and prompt staff! 10/10! read more

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I never knew Mian & Bao even existed until Tuesday, and my excellent experience almost did not happen. Arriving early for a 6 PM dinner meeting, I came upon a "Sorry we are closed" sign taped to their door. Rats! I quickly pivoted to the Brass Tap for a quick beer to wait for my dining companion, and guess what, they also had a "Sorry we are closed" sign. Walking back to Mian, I noticed they were now open. Winning! They are renovating the restaurant and do not open until 6 PM instead of 11 AM. We ordered dumplings and a fried bun. The dumplings are the stars here. You can't beat a freshly made steamed dumpling, and our chicken, pork, and veggie dumplings were outstanding. As others have mentioned, the fried bun is too doughy, which overwhelms the filling's taste. I will be returning to explore their menu further. The spicy beef noodle dish looks amazing. Speaking of menus, you access theirs via a QR code. We were able to order with the server instead of via our phones. Dis and Dat: They do offer a few bottled beer options. Mian is cozy, so there may be a wait. It can get noisy, so it may not be a "first date night" choice. read more

I'm shocked the reviews for this place aren't that great because my friends and I really enjoyed our time here! It's definitely better than the other Chinese spot in the Triangle. Service is really good, and staff comes up to you frequently to ask if you need anything. The interior is really beautiful, and the tables reminded my friends and me of mahjong tables. 1. beef noodle soup - my friend and I really liked this dish! The soup isn't that complex, but it's solid. The noodles' texture is very enjoyable, and they have lots of beef pieces. 2. pan fried beef bao - this was okay. It was fried nicely but the dough was really soggy 3. soup dumplings - star of the show. Best soup dumplings in Austin. The dough is so nice and it's not super dough-y. The broth is so flavorful and rich, and the filling is fantastic. 4. century egg with tofu - I'm actually not the biggest fan of century egg by itself and not in congee, so I wasn't a huge fan of this dish. However, my friend really enjoyed it. Overall, it was a great experience! Quite a vibey restaurant as well. I would definitely come back again with my boyfriend because he loves Chinese food. read more

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THE BIG: Noodle spot inside the Triangle of Central Austin. Beautiful interior with yellow chinese lamps and glass walls peering into the kitchen. Parking garage available. THE BLACK AND WHITE: We went here on a Friday night at 6pm and when we left, it was packed! You have to put your name down on the ipad at the front and then you're seated. We were seated on the bar and you order everything through the website via a QR code. We got the xiao long bao, bok choy, chili wonton, purple sweet potato cheese roll, pan fried pork/shrimp bun, chicken cutlet. Everything was just good. However what turned me off was when we got the pan fried pork/shrimp bun, it was RAW... The waitress got us another order, but it took another 30 minutes to get our food. The xiao long baos are huge, but lack the rich soup flavor youd typically find in a quality soup dumpling. Chicken cutlet was thin and dry. The best dish was the bok choy. Nice and fragrant with the garlic and ginger. Otherwise, all other dishes came up short for me. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall, this place is alright. We spent around $70 for six dishes and the flavors were mid. read more

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We came in on a Friday night at 6:30pm and our table of 4 was sat immediately. There were QR codes on the table that we scan with our smart phones so we are able to look at the menu and order online. The staff brings the food out as it is ready. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share. They brought out our marinated chilled pickled cucumbers immediately, they must've been prepared and chilled ahead of time. They brought out our Dandan noodles, soup dumplings, pot stickers, fried chicken with kewpie mayo as they were ready. Everything was delicious and seasoned perfectly. The servers took our plates as we were done with them. Everything is reasonably priced. I plan on bringing friends to this restaurant whenever someone comes visit us. read more

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Been here twice now, my favorite dish has to be the spicy wontons. Beef noodle soup on the greasy/oily side for me, beef was tender. Don't have any complaints about other dishes, all fairly decent for my taste. Love love love their decor, takes you back in time. read more

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We went here on a Saturday night and it was pretty busy. We added ourselves on a self input waitlist machine at the front. There were maybe around 4 parties in front of us. There's not that much space inside to wait with maybe like a couple chairs for people to sit at. There's a qr code on the table where you can self order everything as a group. We both got the xiao long bao. I liked how there was a lot of soup in it and that they didn't fall apart like other places. I thought they were okay though. Definitely not the best place I have been to but still good! I wish there were more options for sauce because we only received a little bit of vinegar and ginger. Overall, it's a small place but the food is pretty good if you're looking for quick bites to eat. Also it's in the triangle so it's nice to walk around if you're waiting for your table and get ice cream after you eat! read more

Mian & Bao - xiao long bao - Chinese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I'm very happy to have this restaurant in Austin, just as I was missing my mom's cooking :) Thankfully, we were seated immediately on a Friday night. The restaurant does seem to get quite busy though. Parking was a bit difficult, but I was able to snag one in the parking garage after not finding one outside in the Triangle general parking. My friend summarized this restaurant as a good introduction to Chinese food for people not familiar with it. With its cultural decorations but well kept interior, a non-intimidating menu, and good service, I do think that was a good way to describe Mian & Bao. My favorites were the beef noodle soup and beef rolls! Both had a good kick of flavor to them. The noodle soup was a little spicy, and the broth was full of flavor. The rolls has a Chinese bbq-like sauce, I just wish the rolls were bigger!! read more

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Was having issues ordering food online for pick up so I placed an order to-go in person and sat at the bar. The order came out very quickly! Feel like I only waited 5-10 minutes which was nice. I ordered chili dumplings, fried beef bun, pork dumplings, beef pancake roll, kimchi, shrimp fried rice and the fried chicken cutlet. The dumplings were great (would recommend friend), but the beef pancake roll and fried chicken cutlet stole the show. Both were very very good! The rice 'shrimp fried rice,' was steamed (not fried) so that was a bummer, but the portion was very generous and I ate on it twice. read more

It's winter, so let's go to Mian and Bao and order a beef pancake roll, and two cold dishes to go with it: their spicy cold jelly noodles, and ice jelly. I placed an order online and went it for pickup. Upon entering, the staff somehow knew I was the sole takeout order. Overall interior--very small space, reddish ambiance, and some windows into the kitchen. Later on, during a separate visit, I placed an order for their soup dumplings (pork) and their pan fried buns (shrimp+pork). First, the good: The beef pancake roll was tasty. Although it was small, it had a good amount of flavor from the sauce. But it was quite small. An order of soup dumplings comes with 6 of them. Their pork was **slightly** stinky, and the broth inside had a noticeable ginger component--noticeable, but not too strong. Their shrimp and pork pan-fried buns did not have a crisp surface, but they were juicy, had a whole shrimp within, and overall pleasant flavors. Since the crunch was missing, the texture was lacking. Second, those jelly noodles, accompanied by what **should** be fragrant oil, was instead accompanied by oil that was not fragrant. Disappointing. It's not that difficult to extract aromatics and make a reasonably delicious chili oil. Small dried/fried soybeans offered a textural little crunch on the noodles. Overall, the dish was disappointing, due to lack of punchy flavor, which is of course dependent on the oil, vinegar, and toppings, since the jelly noodles (probably mung bean based) themselves are meant to have no flavor. Third, the ice jelly in syrup, while refreshing, was also a let down. The base is iced jelly in not-very-sweet syrup. That's why it's sprinkled with toppings. However, their provided toppings were abysmal. Sure sesame seeds, some type of dried raisin, and perhaps hawthorn candy bits might impart some flavor. Unfortunately those items were devoid of taste. To make the food mode enjoyable, we added our own raisins, peanut and almond butter which transformed the jelly into a much better dish. Overall, the two cold dishes kinda suck, and I don't recommend ordering those. Their beef pancake roll had a good flavor combo, but it was rather small. Their chili oil and vinegar combo is not something they should be proud of if they rely on it to impart flavor. If you like soup dumplings and pan-fried buns, you might try their renditions of those, knowing their soup dumpling broth has a gingery backdrop, and their pan-fried buns lack crisp textures but are still juicy and flavorful. Finally, note that their portions are on the smaller side across the board. To stay informed, note that there does exist another establishment roughly 13 miles north of Mian & Bao with better value (in terms of per unit price, flavor, diversity of menu items, and quantity of food), even if the total cost of your meal is more. However, if you're restricted to staying within the Triangle, Mian & Bao may suit your needs just fine. read more

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If you don't know what you're looking for, this place would be about 4 stars. If you do know what you're looking for, this place is mid at best. The ambiance is really cool, but the seating is tight and the table is small, even for 2 people. You order on your phone which is cool and leaves less room for error, but what you end up getting is a not personal, not intimate time in a tight table where you can barely fit your plate of food. and you're expected to pay a 20% tip for someone who barely talks to you. (Which we did, I'm not a monster.) I'll start off with the good, the xiao long bao ( pork soup dumplings) were good, fair priced, and a good portion. Everything else was subpar. I got a chicken cutlet and my husband got their version of a pork lo mein. The chicken cutlet was... okay. The chicken was juicy and the texture of the coating was good, but the secret to having a good chicken cutlet is the sauce. All you get is mayo and Thai chili sauce, which didn't really add anything to it, and no rice either or carb with it makes it a little hard to eat. The lo mein was alright, but it doesn't stand out for its flavor. You're better off going to a local Chinese takeout for a better price. If you do decide to come here, it's good for an introvert who doesn't like to talk much to people and you're not THAT hungry, and all you want is soup dumplings. This place is right for you. read more

food came out fast and everything was very yummy! might be the best xiao long bao place i've had in austin. super juicy, and the skin was able to hold it all nicely when we took it off the steamer. the dandan noodles were good -- the only downside is they added chili oil, so it was a bit spicy. i'll need to ask them not to add it next time, and the noodles will be perfect for me. read more

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