Dian Kitchen

I went to Dian Kitchen with my husband and 2 friends today. We ordered everything in the menu (as you can see from photos), and everyone LOVED it! As a born-and-bred Yunnan local, rice noodle (Mixian, 米线) to me is like salt to meat, I cannot live without it. But it's a mission impossible to find an authentic rice noodle place outside of Yunnan, not mentioning in the US. I tried so many places, full of hope, but left disappointed. I brought kilos of dried rice noodle to NYC from my hometown, but I could never re-create the umami flavor I grew up eating. A friend recommended Dian Kitchen to me, and I was surprised to find out how great it is. Every dish is made the same way we have in China, and the chef (2 ladies from Yunnan) do not compromise taste or materials. They offer fresh rice noodles, the right ingredients (nothing short from the original), and most importantly, the right flavors. That's the flavor of my hometown. Highly recommend it to everyone who's as homesick as I am, or just simply curious what's it like to eat "real" Chinese food.

Stumbled upon this humble dig and was blown away by the hospitality of the owners, Jessie and Ernie. True to Jessie's heritage, dining at their restaurant will bring forth the heat and flavours of Kunming. Every detail of the restaurant from the walls and decor pays homage to the restauranteurs background. The restaurant itself is small, but this allows the owners to maintain a high level of quality and satisfaction with their foods. If you ever catch the joint at a quieter hour, Jessie and Ernie relish in sharing a chat. Along with a partner, we tackled four dishes. The Kunming Beef Noodle serves you beef that has been tenderly braised for hours over top of a bed of homemade rice noodles and soup. Next, the Tofu Rice Noodles with Pork, was a perfect choice for someone who wants a mix of tastes and textures when you combine delicate tofu with the heat of spicy minced pork. For appetizers, the Cucumber Salad is an addiction with it's heavy hand on garlic and vinegars/sauces making it sensationally refreshing. Finally, we also tried the Hometown Street Potato, which gives a particularly unique twist on American crinkle fries by being hit with chili bean sauce. Having being only open for a month and a half, located outside of the heart of East Village, this hidden gem is a definite must try. I can gurantee that you will NOT be disappointed!

A hole in the wall shop serving up popular noodles from the southern Chinese province of Yunnan. The food from this area tend to take on many flavors and draws influence from its bordering communities like those from Thailand. What really surprised me during my first visit was just how much care they put into preparing fresh and authentic ingredients. This really showed not only in the intensities of the different flavors (like the pickled chili peppers in the woodear salad) but also in the overall texture of their signature dry noodle with soft tofu, which was my favorite. I suggest tune up the spice level to your liking. The dry noodles are perfect for the summer while a spicy bowl of beef noodle would be my choice when the temperature dips.

As a Yunnanese in nyc i’ve been looking for mixian for 3 years in the city. And this place definitely took me of surprise! I have to say it’s the best experience so far. My friend and I ordered mixian dishes, with street potato and mu-gua shui, and enjoyed it a lot. The taste was authentic as it can be and the portion was generous. I’m very happy to find out about this place, felt a slice of home, met nice people, and had genuine food. Will come back very soon!

A much welcomed entry to the neighborhood situated on a quiet street. The owner is warm and friendly, and is more than happy to assist and chat. Great selection on the menu with hot, warm, and cold noodle dishes available depending on the weather and mood. The signature rice noodles and tofu are a beautiful melange of flavors and textures. The housemade wontons are tender and delicate in the light chili oil broth. The cold papaya water makes for a refreshing dessert with its sweet jelly. Delicious!

A great rice noodle place for a cold winter day. The beef is very tender and braised very well. The soup might be too oily for me. Would like to come back and try a cold rice noodle dish on a hot summer day;)

We ordered tofu rice noodle and little pot noodle and many other small dishes last night, taste is super authentic, nice tried experience for us! Restaurant environment is cozy and comfortable, strongly recommend to you guys~

First time been here, so impressed. The food was so good, especially the chilly oil, if you love the spicy food, here will not disappoint you. The owner says rice noodles are the native Yunnan China food, very special. Love it!!!