Maureen 摩廚麵館 - Fusion Egg Noodles

Rating: ❤❤❤❤

This restaurant was not hard to find if you know where to look. If you know where the Blue House is in Wan Chai, this shop is just a block away. I came here for lunch and it was pretty empty at around 12:30pm. After looking through their lunch menu, I opted for the Noodles Beef Short Ribs cooked 48 hours with Chinese Radish Sauce. 

The soup of the day came first and today's was winter melon soup. It was very flavorful and not watery at all, which can be the case at other restaurants.

Then my lo mein came a mushroom and some sliced veggies garnished on top. The waitress came by and squeezed some cream from a can, and informed me that it was sesame oil. Guess that's where the molecular aspect of the meal is coming from. The noodle was a special blend of northern dan dan noodle and southern wonton noodle. There was hardly any sauce on the noodles so at first I was afraid it will be quite dry to eat. The noodle was interesting as the texture of the noodle was thick and chewy with egg flavor. It was not as dry as I thought, and with some soup I was able to finish the noodles quickly. 

When my 48 hours slowed cooked beef short ribs came, it was nicely plated with the radish sauce on the bottom and some peanuts on top. It was also a bit seared on the surface of the beef. Contrary to the name, there were no bones at all with the meat. At my first bite, I thought the beef was quite tender but there was also a big problem. It was not hot but COLD. I mean it was not cold cold but when I imagine slowed cooked beef short ribs, I'd imagined the ribs sitting in some pot and arriving steaming hot in front of me. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be like this since this is some new fusion cuisine but I finally asked the waitress if my beef was supposed to be cold. She said no and took it back to reheat for me. One of the chefs brought it back it me and the beef now looked overcooked with the outside being darker and more seared, but the inside was still a bit cold. My stomach was sinking fast and I was ready to write this place off. The chef apologized and explained it was because the beef was frozen and ice had formed ALL OVER. What?! He then offered to make a brand new piece for me.

My expectations were low at that point, but the second plate of beef looked much better. It was nicely seared on the surface but looked reddish pink on the inside like steak. Finally, the beef was at the right temperature. It was very tender and flavorful, and the Chinese radish sauce went very well with the beef. The sauce was basically crushed radish so there were bits of radish for texture. It was interesting how the sauce and beef were cooked in a more Western style but together they tasted like the traditional Chinese beef short ribs dish. 

I'm glad they were able to redeem themselves with the second plate of beef. I would love to try more of their other dishes next time. 

Maureen
G/F, 11 Hing Wan Street, Wan Chai 
2915 2261