Mey Lin: The home of hand-pulled noodles
Apart from its menu of heirloom Chinese dishes, the Mey Lin Pot and Noodle House branch at the SM Mall of Asia attracts its share of diners and mall goers whenever one of its cooks starts to pull noodles. It can happen at any time of the day. With noodles accounting for 85 percent of the restaurant’s orders, its noodle chef is busy all day long making fresh noodles.
Mey Lin has been operating since the ’80s. Its MOA branch has only been open since July 2006, but already it is a favorite of mall goers, be they Chinese, Filipino or even foreigners. Sometimes, you would find a group of foreigners, mostly Americans we were told, enjoying its offerings.
Among its hand-pulled noodle specials are its noodle soups, with seafood, Ansio beef, and
Apart from it noodles and dim sum, Mey Lin boasts authentic Chinese dishes that are popular among guests dining in groups. There’s the pata tim (half) with cuapao, soft and tender pork leg braised in a sweet soy-based sauce. The three-cups chicken is a Chinese version of chicken adobo. It uses a secret three-cup seasoning that gives the dish its name. Other must-try dishes are its crispy salted fish and squid with special sauce.
On weekends when the restaurant is most busy, there might be a wait before you get a table. But be patient. If the food isn’t that good, people wouldn’t be lining up for it. — Joseph O. Cortes
