Article By David Lee
2F, Yang Guang Tian Di Walking Street, Bo Shi Lu.
博士路阳光新天地步行街2楼
(029) 8112 0015
11:30am – 9:30pm
Average Price per Person /人均消费: 100RMB
PROS: Great fusion food
CONS: A couple of the more conventional dishes don’t live up to their promise
Miwu is my favorite restaurant in Xi’an.
Hiding in place sight in Sunshine Paradise Mall on the southern tip of Gaoxin, Miwu serves luxury food from all over the world at a shockingly affordable price point. I cannot praise this restaurant enough—every time I come here I wonder why I ever eat anywhere else.
Originally billed as a Korean restaurant, the menu has expanded to include German, Italian, Mexican, Vietnamese and Japanese food. Normally, this amount of variance could be indicative of an identity problem. I was also hesitant to eat my Korean barbeque alongside fajitas, pizza, pho and pork knuckles. I was wrong. Somehow, Miwu manages to pull it off. Each item is vigorously tested and perfected before being added to the menu, so I can vouch for the food quality.
Of course, some foods still stand out among the rest. From the dining room, you can see the huge wood-burning pizza oven that churns out perfectly soft and flaky pizza crusts. Ranging from 60-100 yuan per personal pie, pizza is one of the more expensive things on the menu but is also a step above any other pizza I’ve had in China. You can even get a cheese or sweet potato-stuffed crust. Miwu is Korean-owned and managed, so the Korean food and side dishes are also top-notch. I can personally be pretty picky when it comes to Korean food but Miwu blows all my expectations out of the water. Even the Mexican food, like nachos and burritos, are solid and taste great. The Mexican food, in particular, is the one thing that might not taste exactly like what you would expect, but is very tasty nonetheless.
Some of the lesser-ordered items on the menu are my favorites. Korean beef broth cold noodles (韩式冷面) is a perfect elixir for the relentless Xi’an summer approaching. The Japanese hot pot and Korean fried chicken are incredible. There are also some less common options, like spicy squid ink pasta or chocolate and banana pizza, that turn out shockingly delicious. My personal favorite was a dish written in English as “beef entrails & pork rinds on a hot stone plate.” I understand that might not be everybody’s go-to, but it is great for the daring.
The desserts at Miwu are some of the highlights of the entire experience. Whether it’s fresh yogurt, Korean-style shaved ice, honey bread, or cream roll cakes, Miwu imports almost all its baking ingredients to get the desired flavors and textures. There is also a very decent drink menu, featuring draft and bottled beer, wine, Korean liqueur and almost anything you would expect to find in a café.
The managers also let me try some ribs, baked potatoes and other American barbeque. I was told they will be added to the menu soon. These are absolutely gamechangers and will get me going to Miwu even more frequently than I already do.
David Lee is a reviewer for Xianease hoping to eventually write something as good as “real g’s move in silence like lasagna.” He can be reached at reviews@xianease.com