(SPOT.ph) Imagine this: It’s been a long and tiring day at work, you’ve just gotten off the clock and are contemplating what to have for dinner. We know what you’re thinking: a warm bowl of mami probably sounds so good right now. A dish said to have Fujianese roots that’s now popular with the Filipino-Chinese community, mami is typically made from a flavored beef broth, aromatics, and sometimes, a hint of spice.
There are numerous mami places in the Metro and undoubtedly you have your fave, but how do their versions of the heartwarming dish compare? To find out, we ventured out on a mami crawl and visited five restaurants ranging from hidden gems to the more known locations.
We tried five restaurants to find out which has the best beef mami:
Charlie Wanton Special
PHOTO BY Pat Villarica-Adriano
If you don’t live or work near the area, chances are, you’ve never heard of Charlie Wanton Special. The relatively small restaurant is tucked away in Haig Street, one of those narrow roads you won’t likely remember unless you’re on Waze or Google Maps.
Charlie Wanton’s take on the Beef Wanton Mami (P285/regular; P330/special) has thin, firm but chewy wonton-style egg noodles and a broth that’s flavorful and light. Whereas our perception of beef mami in general is that it’s a pretty straightforward dish with little to no variety, the take by this Mandaluyong hidden gem was a pleasant surprise. Instead of the typical salty beef, this particular version leans more towards a pares-style approach which means the flavor has a slight sweetness to it.
Charlie Wonton Special is at 265 Haig Street, Mandaluyong City.
Chinese Beef Noodle House
PHOTO BY Pat Villarica-Adriano
If you’re seeking real-deal Chinese fare—you know, the type that the mainlanders tend to patronize—then it’s Chinese Beef Noodle House you need to visit. While they have a couple of branches scattered all over town, we visited their outpost in Makati.
The Braised Beef Noodle (P380) is one of the pricier bowls on this list but that shouldn’t discourage you from trying it out. Fair warning though as it isn’t for the faint of heart (read: those that can’t tolerate their spice) as you can tell from the dark reddish broth. The bowl had a good amount of bite-sized braised beef chunks that were so tender, that it easily broke apart when applied pressure using a pair of chopsticks. If you’re particular about your noods, Chinese Beef Noodle House offers udon-style noodles that while firm, are still plenty chewy.
Chinese Beef Noodle House is at Makati Avenue, Makati City. They also have branches in Pasay City and Parañaque City.
Ma Mon Luk
PHOTO BY Pat Villarica-Adriano
When one thinks of mami, Ma Mon Luk tends to be top of mind. The QC restaurant has been around for ages and is considered to be an institution of sorts—some even say this was where the idea of mami originated from! We arrived at around dinner time and were surprised to find out that their version of the Beef Mami (P180) had already sold out. “Konti lang kasi ang pag gawa ng Beef Mami kasi mas mabenta ang Original,” says the waiter who served us.
Not wanting to waste our visit, we ended up getting The Original Mami (P160/small; P170/large). We’ll be honest and say it was rather underwhelming. Yes, it tastes good, but we were somewhat expecting to be mindblown considering how many people sing praises of the place. If there was a saving grace to the dish, it was the broth; the soup was light but very flavorful, the best on this list even. In terms of carbohydrates, the hand-pulled noodles were soft and chewy.
Ma Mon Luk is at Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.
Wai Ying
PHOTO BY Pat Villarica-Adriano
Admittedly, Wai Ying isn’t exactly known for their take on the mami but we knew we had to give the restaurant a shot. The popular Binondo haunt had a line that ran for a couple of hours and it took roughly an hour and fifteen minutes before we got ushered inside the small two-floor restaurant.
We got the Beef Mami (P220) which has a light and flavorful broth. The egg noodles were also slightly firm and very chewy. However, we were slightly disappointed with their beef chunks. The meat was a bit tough to chew—perhaps it needs more time in the slow cooker. Overall, the bowl of soup was a very welcoming affair after spending quite some time impatiently waiting for a taste of the popular restaurant.
Wai Ying is at 810 Benavidez St, Binondo, Manila City.
San Guo La Mien
PHOTO BY Pat Villarica-Adriano
Seldom would you find a mami spot that serves a mean bowl inside a mall, but that’s exactly what San Guo La Mien in Lucky Chinatown Mall does. Their Beef Wanton Lamien (P390) is a dish that can be described as one huge bowl of happiness and is worth braving Binondo traffic for. The soup has a hint of spice and you could taste the mix of umami flavors that the combination of spices, greens, and meat brings. Meanwhile, the hand-pulled noodles, or lamien, were soft but chewy while the beef brisket was very tender and melted in our mouths. Our only quip about the dish was that the wontons could’ve been bigger but were that the case, we might have been too overstuffed to finish our order.
San Guo La Mien is at Ground Floor, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Binondo, Manila City.
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