<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0vz0al_0wCHPGQj00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0vz0al_0wCHPGQj00" width="2000" height="1500" ><figcaption>This homey eatery has a sister restaurant with a Michelin Bib Gourmand award.</figcaption></figure>A Los Angeles-based restaurant group focused on Sichuan food is adding to that cultural mélange by expanding into Texas — starting with Austin. Mian &amp; 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.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 one 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 &amp; 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.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?The restaurant 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.news you can eat<h2>Fake restaurant and Flamenco Nights flourish in Austin food news</h2>Oct 17, 2024 | 2:57 pmIt's a bit of a crazy week in Austin food news. Two well-established cafés are closing major locations, but thankfully both will carry on in new or existing locations. We also have news (at various degrees of fun and actual stakes) about internet agitators making it in the restaurant world. And as a palate cleanser, some recurring events are also on the menu.Openings and closingsLocal caféPatika is packing up its location at 2159 S. Lamar Blvd. after 10 years. In an Instagram post, the team stated, "Our lease ended recently, and with the prospect of increasing costs, a rocky few years of South Lamar road construction, as well as a desire to streamline our lives, Nick, Casey and I have made the incredibly difficult decision to close South Lamar." Its last day of service will be October 20, but the downtown location is remaining open and unchanged. A "farewell open house" is taking place from noon to 3 pm on the final day.ICYMI: With some very busy time around ACL, we temporarily dropped this section, so we have a bit more than usual to catch up on this week. Let's go from least to most recent.First, we looked into the contentious closing of Outer Heaven Disco Club, which cited impending condo construction in its public statement. Owner Sean Daigle declined to explain any further until legally cleared, and his neighbors followed suit. In other news, an Austin newcomer called the Flower Shop has arrived from New York City, bringing a lot of Australian influence and possibly high-profile customers. The Austin-born Tex-Mex restaurant chain Chuy's is relocating its headquarters to Orlando, Florida, which shouldn't change most Austinites' lives, but does signal a big ideological shift in where the brand belongs. Finally, Austin's classic diner Stars Café has followed many of its neighbors in closing its I-35 location to make way for big construction. It has been there for 58 years, and will leave (for relocation) on November 10.Other news and notesFor some reason, Austin's obviously fake restaurantEthos is making the rounds again on social media and even national news. Some of the AI images look much more real than others, and many of the comments are folks going along with the gag. The confusion happens when users stumble into a single image, and the satire of the whole is lost. Just have fun with it, and don't try the croissants. Check out our review of them here.Speaking of internet publicity stunts, YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul has now entered into a partnership with Dog Haus, a hot dog chain from Pasadena, California, that has two Austin-area locations: one in Cedar Park and one near Lake Travis. He'll join the Board of Directors and franchise 25 units, starting with four in Texas (and skipping over Austin for now). Paul is a controversial figure, to say the least — the first thing you'll see on Dog Haus' website is "Don't be a hater" — but he certainly makes headlines.It's a fairly niche group, the Austin folks who habitually attend dinner events. There is perhaps none better known than El Raval’s Flamenco Night, which is returning after a summer hiatus on October 20. Patrons at Flamenco Night, which happens every Sunday, can enjoy a regular dinner service or tapas and beverages, while flamenco dancers perform two shows. There is no ticket fee, but there is a minimum of two items per person, and reservations are strongly recommended (with an expected sell-out time around 5:30 pm). Plus, this month an exchange between El Raval and the recently openedOko gets Austinites familiar with the new Filipino restaurant.We were going to tell you about Chapulín Cantina's celebration for National Mezcal Day on October 21, but it appears to have sold out. No worries; the South Congress Oaxacan restaurant has monthly mezcal tastings, and the next one is just a week later on October 28. This month, the guest producer is Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, which uses agave from San Luis del Rio in Oaxaca. The four-course meal with pairings will feature a red snapper tostada, a pork tenderloin Wellington, braised beef short ribs, and a dessert TBD. Tickets ($100) are available at chapulincantina.com.Of course, there are other good reasons to vote in the November election, but the pepperoni on top is free pizza from Home Slice. The pizzeria is bringing back its popular election incentive, where customers can wear their “I Voted” sticker for a free slice. The promotion is running from October 21 (when early voting starts) to Election Day on November 5. And if you want breakfast covered too, stop by Kerbey Lane Cafe on Election Day to show off the sticker for a free pancake.</div></body>

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New Austin restaurant blends Sichuan and Shanghai comfort foods

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...