LOCAL Houston | The City Guide FEBRUARY 2016 | Page 18

DINE WRITE

House Wonton Noodle
STEP INTO THE DOUBLE DOORS AT MEIN, MIKE TRAN’S CHINESE RESTAURANT IN CHINATOWN, YOU
CAN’T HELP BUT BE IMPRESSED BY THE ARTISTRY THAT WENT INTO THE RESTAURANT’S DESIGN.
The graffiti-like words on the landing before you walk in the door? “That’s
the Kowloon King,” says Tran as he describes his design choices for the
restaurant. “He was an anonymous street artist that left his mark all over
Hong Kong.”
On the main dining room wall, a mural of Zhou Xuan, a Shanghainese
actress from the 1930s, lights up the room. Next to the bar, the visage of
Eileen Chang, a Chinese writer born in the ’20s, takes pride of place. “I
hired an artist from the Chinese retirement home down the street to paint
the murals,” he says, adding that it was important for him to work with the
community, because he opened the restaurant for them.

18

L O C A L

| february 16

“My food is everyday food,” he explains. “It’s Chinese comfort food, food
you can eat every day. Noodles. Rice. Small plates that you can share
family style.”
Though Mein is probably more enjoyed by a big group or family, I often
find myself gripped by strong cravings for his noodles.
I’ll go there by myself for a quick lunch, grabbing a seat at the bar, where
I’ll order a Lavazza cappuccino and a bowl of his House Wonton Noodle,
a dry noodle lo mein-type dish that has this addictive, umami-laden sauce.
The noodles are made in-house, so they have this nice elastic pull and snap
that is just oh-so-pleasing. I order these just about every time I visit.