Mein St. Asian Kitchen

Chef specialty’s are really good! Singapore’s noodles a bit spicy because of the Curry and Beef Chau Fan is delicious. Portions are big enough. Not a lot of seating because it’s a food hall but worth it

They were not the best soup dumplings ive had but were still decent. If I came back I would try to get something a little different. Love the vibe but its a little too crowded and not a lot of seating. Other than that its a perfect little spot! Workers were also really nice so thats a plus!!

Mein St is within the Little Italy Food Hall in San Diego. It offers a variety of Asian cuisine with highlights including house made dumplings and succulent wings. We found it whilst wondering around Little Italy on our first day. When we checked it out online, we nearly didn’t order from here as the google reviews didn’t score above a four. However, we were fairly exhausted and hadn’t really seen anything else that appealed so we went for it. We were very glad that we did! When I collected the order, the person that served us who I think could have been the owner appeared to be very humble. We ordered the following: Xiao Long Bao, which came as a portion of six (we only remembered to take the picture once we had already launched in and eaten two). These were nice and meaty with a thin soup retained within the pastry. Pork pot stickers which were served with house made zesty garlic soy dipping sauce. Mein St Wings, which were definitely the star of the show. These were huge with lots of succulent chicken lightly battered. The sauce which tasted like a mix between Peking and Cantonese was sweet and sticky. Combo Chow Mein, which consisted of wok-tossed noodles, broccoli, carrots, onions spinach, bean sprouts, savory soy sauce. Chicken fried rice which was again wok-tossed with beansprouts, peas, scallions, onions, egg. Both chow mein and fried rice were massive portions. After the starters we didn’t even scratch the surface. The next evening we ordered two portions of the chicken wings and reheated the left overs.

First time coming to this place with my girl 😊 the food and the service was amazing. The food and the spice level was on point compare to other food spots in National city. The texture of the chicken and the noodles were amazing and I would highly recommend for anyone to come down and try. There’s free water and lemon water. What to expect when you come here: Open space Excellent customer service Suggestion on dishes if you’ve never been here Plenty of seating Hard to find parking space 😞 (I had to park in Africa to walk here but it was worth the work out 🤪😁) We ordered 3 dishes: We hope you enjoy the food here and enjoy the atmosphere.

Ordered the Hawaiian; salmon tuna cucumber salad, seaweed, edemame, pickled mango with avocado on a bed of rice with a few different crunchy bits, tempura and wontons. Pretty good considering I got it in a food court. The mixture of flavors was surprisingly good of course being a bowl not every bit was a wow but there where enough to make me plesantly supprized.

The food was great! The cream cheese ragoons were to die for and the chicken was amazing! The guys who served us were very sweet and it didn't take long for the food to be made! Great experience and different twist inside Little Italy.

Ordered veg chow mein no tofu. My son picked it up n brought it to table. I opened up the bag and it was something completely different. It was soup. Took it back to say I wanted chow mein. Owner said “that’s what you ordered” I replied “no, I ordered noodles”. Owner “sorry”, me “you won’t change it?” Owner “no n no refund”. Rip off! Same night ordered veg spring rolls…the egg rolls were unraveling. I go here all the time n order their spring rolls any time we r sitting at the piazza, but, this will be my last. Unbelievably customer unfriendly.

Ramen was not good at all - we only had a few bites and stopped eating. We also ordered a bento box, the portion was really small, taste was not good as well. Overall a bad first impression, we won’t be back.

We were looking for a quick dinner on the way home from the airport. Honestly the food was so good!! He was really impressed with the beef in his Ramon and he even looked them up to see if they had other locations. The bento box was simple and so good. Workers were nice and quick. My one complaint is that the to go box wasn't sturdy at all. Within two hours it was leaking and completely falling apart. I had to move it into Tupperware as soon as I got home.

Decent Singapore noodles ( not greasy) , fresh tasting shrimps and other ingredients, the server was also the cook, he was friendly and efficient. The eatery is located on a small food market place in Little Italy.

The food is so hot, it's delightful on a cold night. It comes out fast which is also great. The flavor was pretty good, but not the best ramen I've ever had.

I know, I know, who goes to Little Italy for a Taiwanese Beef Noodle? However I was intrigued by the restaurant's location and decided to give it a try. The restaurant is located inside of Little Italy Food Hall alongside with other food vendors such as pizza, tacos and burgers. The menu is quite diverse, from traditional chow mein, to pad thai, ramen, kimchi fry rice and Singaporean rice noodle. Covering pretty much all East Asian food spectrum. The staff (2 older gentlemen who probably are the owners) were very friendly and attentive and the order was ready in about 10 minutes. I chose Taiwanese Beef Noodle because it was something I do not eat often compared to other dishes and it did not disappoint. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the meat was tender, the broth was well seasoned and slightly spicy (giving a mild tingling numbness to the mouth). I might try their other dishes when we stop by Little Italy again.

Just got off the plane and was looking for something quick, so I popped into the Little Italy food hall, and saw other people with Mein St. food and decided to give it a go. I went with the general tso's chicken bento box which came with rice and gyoza. I also added a couple of cream cheese wontons for an additional $2. They asked how spicy I wanted from a scale of 1-10, and went with a 6. The portion size was generous, however the dish was a little too sweet for my liking, I think if I went spicy, I would've enjoyed it more, however not sure if I'd order again. Much rather try their other chef specials. I do appreciate that everything was made to order vs the cafeteria style is when it sits there. The food came out piping hot and which is always a plus. For $26 after a drink, tax, and tip, it is on the pricier side but if you are craving this style of food, it's the only place in the food hall offering Asian food.

This is some of the best Ramen I have had in the area. Spicy and huge portions. Most places don't give you enough broth. Not the case. Reasonably priced. Literally was two meals in one order of ramen. Highly recommend this place

It's located inside the food court that overlooks the main piazza in Little Italy. You order at the counter and then find a seat either inside, near the bar or outside, at one of the many tables available on the piazza. I was curious about the offerings at the food court and frankly wasn't interested in the other places (fried chicken, pizza, pasta, gelato) so this was a better option in terms of variety. I tried the singporean noodles- curious what they might be. They were basically thin rice noodles with sauce made from curry powder (more generic American curry tasting) with shrimp, green onions and bean sprouts. The portion is very generous- I ordered to sit at a table outside but they gave me a foam carton that was completely full. The food was exactly as described but didn't have the authentic flavor you would expect in a southeast Asian country like Singapore or Malaysia. In any case, I sat outside and had a very nice convo with a nice guy who happens to live in the neighborhood, so it made for a nice lunch.

I was overjoyed when I spotted this place has Taiwanese Beef!!!! Although on my way there I was planning to buy a pizza, but my eyes caught the dish -- Taiwanese BEEF!!!! Well, my craving caved in!! I ordered the Taiwanese Beef & the fried Tofu!!!! (Both are Taiwanese cuisine !!!) I am so excited & joyful to find it in the Little Italy!! I was over the moon of my delights! I grab a drink from the bar - Opera Prima - Spain White wine and off I set out at the piazza and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon. This is the life! Sipping the white wine immediately transported me back to Italy!!! Oh what a refreshing taste. They were great and provided me table service, I guess they figure I was too indulging in the atmosphere I have forgotten of the buzzer. Lol Oh now onto the food! Taiwanese Beef. The noodle is Ma Ma Mia! Luscious and saporous! I wonder who makes these noodles! It's hand make I hope!! Being the texture of these noodles are toothsome, chewy, and al dente with a bounce of flavor and taste!!! I was very impressed by the noodles!!! No that's what a good noodle dish should be like! The beef on the other hand was okay, but if they stew it in longer oh boy, It would definitely be on a whole new level~~!!! Or even used different part of the beef. Baby! Oh! ....!!! Anyways, and the fried Tofu!!! It was tasty but the tofu was a bit hard to bit into. But hey this was the closest I have taste to the real Taiwanese food ever in San Diego!! I take the loss!! I say it's 70% closest to the true authentic food of Taiwanese cuisine. Tweak here and there! Oh baby!! I be here daily!! lol Drinking the white wine to clear my palate, it does give me such a refreshing taste. Reminding of my time in Italy. Ahhh those memories.

I really liked Mein St when I visited recently. I ordered the Teriyaki Chicken bento box. The chicken is not too crispy but very flavorful. The brocolli, carrots, and rice are also amazing pairings to the chicken. I also really liked the dumplings that came with it. They tasted amazing. The service was really nice and attentive. Inside the food hall, it was surprisingly calm and not too busy. Bonus Points Because I saw Sam the cooking guy ‍

I was getting tired of tacos, pizza, and fried chicken so I gambled and tried some Asian food in... yes Little Italy. There are only a handful of Asian restaurants here so it was risky but I was really craving some meat and rice after all my meals were of the above types. I tried the kung pao chicken and was hoping it would be more like the ones at Americanized Chinese restaurants (or even if it were like the one at Panda Express I would be okay with that). I was hoping for some lightly stir fried chicken with a light brown sauce but instead I got small fried bits of chicken with this bright red sauce that was definitely very sweet. I don't like my savory dinner meals to be that sweet. This is my least favorite kind of Americanized Chinese sauce so I was disappointed. The bowl was also on the more expensive size $17 so I was even more bummed. I read the receipt in my email later and it mentioned that kung pao chicken was ".... new york style - sweet red mandarin sauce" if they had indicated that on the menu I definitely would not have picked this dish. I barely ate half of the bowl.

Every single time we come here we always get their Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings, our absolute must when we go here! We haven't tried their other stuff on menu but looks amazing! Our 10yr old daughter is loving their wings, so we will be ordering more to "share"

Arrived at this spot about 10 minutes after they opened and ordered the xiao long bao (pork soup dumplings) and that's all. The order took over 25 minutes to come out and after all that wait the dumplings had absolutely no soup in it at all. Extremely dissapointing experience and absolutely irritated at the fact it took that long for a messed up order. Will not try this place again as the other spots in that food court were far better and more attentive.

Just a couple of rude guys serving good asian food. Good if you dont care how they talk to you

Not what I expected, especially since everything was over priced to me. I ordered an orange chicken bowl that came with white rice. For chow mein or egg fried rice it's extra charge to substitute the white rice. When I got my order, I immediately found a piece of hair, so I brought it back to the lady at the counter. She replaced the bowl, but I was already not feeling it, I ate a bite and couldn't eat anymore. My daughter ordered herself the potstickers, the sauce was salty, so she ate it alone. We did enjoy the spicy edamame.

First time coming to this place with my girl the food and the service was amazing. The food and the spice level was on point compare to other food spots in National city. The texture of the chicken and the noodles were amazing and I would highly recommend for anyone to come down and try. There's free water and lemon water. What to expect when you come here: Open space Excellent customer service Suggestion on dishes if you've never been here Plenty of seating Hard to find parking space (I had to park in Africa to walk here but it was worth the work out ) We ordered 3 dishes: salt pepper chicken Kimchi Fried Rice Chow Mein We hope you enjoy the food here and enjoy the atmosphere.

I got the pad Thai, orange chicken bento box,and fried rice. The spicy level recommended for my fried rice was a 7. Hands down the best pad Thai and fried rice that I have had and I have been to a lot a places. The price of the food was fair, but the amount that was given was very generous. Definitely recommend.

Got the Sweet and Sour chicken bento box. Chicken was 75% fried breading, very little meat. Honestly similar to what you'd get at Panda Express. Decent size portion but was $17. Add a spring roll order and a drink and you're at $24. Everything is pricey in San Diego but this is steep. Within the Little Italy Food Hall, some indoor and outdoor seating.

The beef and broccoli with fried rice.... Amazing!!!! Hot and fresh! So good! Was looking for a burger but ended up here. I highly recommend!!!!!

Came here with my friend during the week for lunch. I ordered the pork ramen and she ordered the beef one with gluten free rice noodles. They got her order wrong, then refused to refund her the difference of what they charged her vs what they gave her. My pork was super fatty. Kinda gross to eat. If you want good asian food, you're better off driving up to Convoy or Mira Mesa.

I ordered 3 dishes to be delivered to my condominium close by. Fried Rice, Ramen Soup, and Chow Mein. I received NO sounds sauce whatsoever and they didn't even give me a spoon for my soup. The food was average but I could have made it better with even ONE pack of sour cream sauce. I had to eat the soup with a fork. OVERPRICED and average and heaping out on the condiments. That was a oncer.

Best ramen I've ever had! Super savory, not too salty, good amount of ingredients. I got the Mein Street ramen. Recommend!

This place used to be a 5/5 but slowly has declined over the years. Went in on Sunday and service was meh and food lacked flavor and was stingy with both the main ingredients of our ramen and add one that we paid for.

If you are looking for ramen, skip this place and walk an extra three minutes to under belly. I wanted to try something new... mistake. I went with the Mein Street Ramen and it had an insane amount of oil, like a full layer of oil at the top. Broth was also chalky and tasted like straight garlic. Cream cheese wontons were a 6 - also really oily. Very nice, but the taste was not the best. If you are a few drinks in, probably would be ok.

The orange chicken is so good!! Such a great spot for quick comfort food to grab and go!

Ordered veg chow mein no tofu. My son picked it up n brought it to table. I opened up the bag and it was something completely different. It was soup. Took it back to say I wanted chow mein. Owner said "that's what you ordered" I replied "no, I ordered noodles". Owner "sorry", me "you won't change it?" Owner "no n no refund". Rip off! Same night ordered veg spring rolls...the egg rolls were unraveling. I go here all the time n order their spring rolls any time we r sitting at the piazza, but, this will be my last. Unbelievably customer unfriendly.

It was my first time here. After strolling the Farmers market, we were hungry. We stopped into this food area where there were several different restaurants to choose from. Seating is limited on busy days. We were lucky to get a table for six. I ordered the ramen with chicken and fried rice. I was shocked by the prices, very over priced in my opinion. We got our food fast but to my disappointment, both entrees were awful. The rice and chicken tasted like it was burnt with an awful after taste. The ramen was not tasty at all. I ended up throwing it all away. I won't order from her again.

Yes, I've read the reviews. A bit pricey but you're in prime real estate enjoying quality ingredients made to perfection, so NO, I won't knock any stars off for price. You get what you pay for here! Excellent location in Little Italy with plenty of seating, both indoors & out. Even live music during busier times. BEST OF ALL, the food was authentic & delicious!! With family visiting from LA area, and they know authentic Taiwanese noodles because they grew up there, everyone arrived starved but not feeling like pasta. We walked over and decided to try what we thought would be American Chinese food, similar to Panda Express, just to have noodles and sit in a safe outdoor environment.....MIND BLOWN! Turns out the man cooking, Charles, was from Taiwan and actually knows how to cook! Everyone was impressed! Every bowl of Taiwanese noodles with chunks of stewed beef was prepared to perfection. Great, I'm salivating while writing this. Might have to return sooner than later. Zen wings were also delicious! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, but the yummy sauce is what makes it & worth eating separately. 6 decent sized wings per order. Had to order a second since my family attacked my first order. You know how it goes, someone tries one and tells everyone else how good it is -next thing I know, I'm left with none. LOL

Man, I hate posting negative reviews and usually don't, but I felt like I have to post a buyer beware. Don't get the soup dumplings. I don't know if they steamed them improperly or what, but every single dumpling had no broth. None. Not one little slurp. Just an overly expensive dumpling that will break your heart.

I was craving some asian food so we decided to stop by to grab a bite. I would have to say the food here isn't 100% authentic asian. The flavoring here is very light and the food was ok for my liking and taste. I will have to come back and try something else.

Looks good. Came in for my Chinese fix while I'm in San Diego. Looks good and very cool food court. No wait a lot of people and very cool. Highly recommend come here for Chinese fix.

Whoa the Taiwanese beef noodle is legit!!! It transported me back to Taiwan in an instant. The seasoning, the broth and the tender braised beef- it was perfect. Super impressed!!

I'm not a ramen person and I personally don't order ramen when I'm eating out, but this place changed my mind. My friends are all Raki Raki and Tajima ramen fans, this place is better in my opinion. I come here weekly unless I'm out of town, the staff are so nice and friendly, especially the man cooking. He remembers I always order my food extra spicy and is passionate about his cooking. It is a little pricey, equivalent to Raki Raki but it doesn't stop me from coming here and continue to support them by sending family and friends here. My favorite, their beef ramen spicy with extra bamboo and ramen egg & their seafood ramen.

Food: - Xiao Long Bao - 6 for $10. The Xiao long bao themselves were good (not as good as Din Tai Fung or Dumpling N Noodles - and not as good for the price...), but all of them were broken so there was no soup in them (which is arguably the best part). It must be because this location is in Little Italy, but I've never seen spinach with Xiao Long Bao and I've eaten a ton of this in Taiwan, China, and the OC. It wasn't bad, but unique in that sense... (minus 1 star for price and broken dumpling). Service and Ambience: It was over a 20 minute wait, which was a bit strange since there was only one group in front of us. We even got pizza at Napizza while waiting... The cashier person was friendly and nice though (minus 1 star for wait). Parking: It is Little Italy, so parking is super hard, especially on a Friday night.

Mongolian Beef, Walnut Shrimp, and a Craft Poke bowl ..... delicious! I love the large portions they serve you inside the food court. I call ahead and order lunch and they have it ready in 10 minutes for pick up. The Mongolian beef is my favorite and his beef is sooo tender. I eat on this for days. I am not a big fan of cabbage so I am not a good point of reference on the coleslaw served with the yummy walnut shrimp. You must try the craft poke bowls. These bowls are packed with so much love. There is a little something for everyone at this restaurant......

Terrible!!!!!!!!!!! I'm originally from Hawaii so I've eaten lots of really good ramens in my life. But unfortunately visited SD and get visited this horrible place. I've ordered ramen with extra meat Huge Mistake!!! Meat had very very bad smell or rotten meat not sure with animal they use but definitely it's not beef!!! Complain to Asian cook who work there and he'd try to scam me and ask for more money for exchange!!! If you like to have food poisoning you're welcome to visit this shithole. In this moment I've definitely will contact gov expectation to check on this place! Wasted 22$ that went to garbage

I had a Hawaiian bowl from their new Poke menu on my 2nd visit. It was full of tuna, albacore, edamame, very filling. The prices are reasonable. The atmosphere is great with gorgeous outdoor seating in the Little Italy courtyard and nice food court seating with sports on TVs. Fun place with alot to offer.

I'm pretty happy with my Tofu Chow Mein. I'm a real Chinese, and I don't expect to eat authentic Chinese food in Little Italy Food Hall, as long as it tastes good, I'll consider it a good food. And this Chow Mein did it pretty good. They put a lot of tofu in the dish which is very nice. The noodles are udon noodles. The sauce is quite a lot, but it's nice for me, as I have a heave taste. Anyways, if you search for a good American style Chinese food, here is not a bad choice.

We really wanted to love this place as there is no good Asian food in Little Italy. We had the Ramen and a chow mein. Ramen had zero flavor. The broth was very wateryand the noodles were just noodles. The chow mein was also very plain. For $45 we were expecting way more. But sadly we will not be returning. Sam's burger, not not tacos, and Ambrosio are the stars of the show at the hall. Get your Asian food somewhere else.

Not bad for a last minute late night grab Classic Poke Bowl - tuna and salmon - a little freezer burned but definitely edible - rice - moist and has that hint of vinegar - pinapples - a little raw but ok - fried wonton wrappers - went really well with the tuna definitely not a bad poke bowl, it was quite tasty and was a satisfyingly more healthy dinner choice than most

I really, really wanted to like this place and give it a rave review (Asians supporting Asians!), but the food does disappoint so I'm now with the rest of the folks giving it an average 3 stars. The good: I got the sweet chili chicken (but subbed it for tofu to be vegan) plate, and it's a really good value for $10 with 2 gyoza and side salad. Really good lunch meal or a quick dinner meal for that price! The bad: the gyoza wasn't particularly delicious and tasted bland, and my biggest pet peeve: the rice was not cooked well:( It was crunchy and so it was either undercooked or just old. I couldn't tell, which, coming from a Chinese person who has had a lot of bad and good rice in her life, means that the rice is truly subpar. I think this place has so much potential because the sweet chili flavor was great, but overall the execution just isn't there yet. Please fix your rice so at least the baseline is flawless

Great find! Best salt and pepper chicken wings! Get it. And the staff here are so sweet and work hard to get you your food. Some items are cooked to order so you may be waiting 10-15 minutes but it's worth it cuz it will be hot and fresh.

Located inside the Little Italy food hall, Mein st is one of the vendors that make up the selection for this great lunch or quick bite spot. I have struggled in downtown trying to get any type of dumplings and even grab and go Asian. Sure downtown has its fair share of Ramen (I can count 4 or so dedicated Ramen shops nearby) and sushi (at least 7) and even Thai, but what if I want something else. Mein Street has both wontons and potstickers as well as a selection of ramen and non-ramen soups. They also have wings and a few other appetizers. Strangely enough I don't see any wok tossed noodle dishes on their menu.... or really any non soup noodle dish. Weird. I like both the wontons and the pork potstickers although I am currently favoring the wontons. I always get at least one of them when I go. I also got the wonton soup one time which isn't what I am used to a wonton soup being but really enjoyed it. Perfect for a chilly day or a hangover or just whenever. The BF LOVES the Taiwanese beef noodle soup. Loves loves loves it. He thinks it is so good and has flavor. He does agree that it is a little pricey, but we are downtown and it's super convenient if you are downtown.

Prices seems higher than normal. Maybe because it is in Little Italy. The Hawaiian poke was good but definitely didn't have the same amount of fish compared to Poke n half, Pokirrito or Poke Company. And the seared ahi didn't look like it was seared.

Came here despite the reviews; it takes a lot of guts for an asian restaurant to compete in the heart of little Italy, so I had to give it a chance. I have my favorites in Convoy, and the ramen I ordered from here is comparable if not better. It was Classic and flavorful ramen without all the gimicky toppings and flavors other restaurants add to theirs, which can sometimes be overwhelming. Their adjustments to COVID-19 have been smooth and I did not have issues with the separate ramens I ordered to-go. Only comment would be on service from the lady that took my order, she was boring and unenthusiastic, but the food made up for it so for me it was something that could be overlooked. Give this place a shot!

Oh man, the boyfriend was in a UPROAR at how utterly bland, but extremely oily the *Beef Noodle Soup* was for a whole $12. I thought he was overreacting, but was in total and complete agreement upon first sip. The noodles were also extremely doughy; perhaps they were a bit under-cooked. Bok choy pieces were on the stingy end. When they start skimping on cheap veggies, you know they are trying to cheat you real bad. Beef pieces were also pretty boring and dry. I might have given them 2-stars but they somewhat made up for it with their *Mein St. Wings* (4 for $8). I do wish they had added a little bit more seasoning, or perhaps some spices, but the wings were VERY crunchy and the sweet chili sauce is always a delight. They also fry the garlic to a crunch and sprinkle in a heavy helping. Reminded me fondly of the BEST sauced up wangz in town at Wei Wei over in east county. But, alas... the pricing over there is way better and you definitely get way more chicken, so I'd probably hit them up in a heart beat rather than poke my way through Little Italy just for the ones here.

For lunch, I jut had to have the Spicy Miso with Savory Ground Pork from this place located inside the Little Italy Food Hall. Watching people enjoy it the day before was torture. At $12, it was a deep bowl with a very good amount of spicy miso broth: a broth that was quite delicious and had a great spicy kick. The broth also had a touch of creaminess that made the broth very enjoyable to eat. It coated the inside of the mouth well. I thought the broth was very well developed and flavorful. The ground pork was pan fried and given a great charred color and texture. It was well seasoned and savory. I liked it very much and would choose it over chashu anytime. The ramen noodles were great and offered a bit of a chew. However, as a whole, I thought the bowl needed more ramen noodles and ground pork because it sure disappeared quickly or I was very hungry. The bowl also came with delicate baby spinach and chopped peppery green onions. These little guys had a good bite to them in a good way of course. The staff at this eatery were very nice and humble group of people. PS. I had a sample Salt & Pepper Wing in the from of a drum, and let me tell you, it was bliss..

The new Little Italy Food Hall was buzzing when I stopped by for dinner tonight. Mein St Asian Kitchen seemed to be one of the lesser busy vendors of the six that occupy the food hall so I tried them out. They are operated by the same group who own ZEN Modern Asian Bistro in Sabre Springs. The menu here is not as expansive as ZEN as the focus is on ramen, noodle soups, and some small plates. I ordered the Zen flavored chicken wings ($8) which came as four pieces with green and white onions, garlic, black pepper and ginger. The wings were large, and the coating was mildly spicy. I also got a bowl of the craft wonton noodle soup ($12) which consisted of noodles, four or five pork wontons, a chicken and pork broth, baby spinach and green onions. The broth was creamy which was not typical for a wonton noodle soup. The wontons were on the doughy side for my taste. The prices seemed to be on the expensive side, but I sensed that all the vendors were charging a premium for their items (e.g. $6 tacos at Not Not Tacos). Given a choice, I would rather enjoy a meal at ZEN for the $20+ I paid.

I was extremely excited to try their Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. This is probably one of my favorite noodle dishes ever, but the one I had here was definitely lacking. This is one of the vendors in the new Little Italy Food Hall, which is very similar to the Liberty Market Food Hall in Point Loma, but a lot smaller. Mein St's menu is pretty pricey with the Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup being $12. If I'm paying $12 for a noodle dish, especially one that's not at a fancy sit down place, I expect it to be of high quality and taste. However, the soup's flavor here was overpowering/salty, the beef wasn't very tasty and a lot of it was actually really fatty and hard to chew, and the noodles just weren't the appropriate type of noodles that would usually be served in this dish. They were completely different from the more thick, usually freshly prepared noodles you'd see at a more authentic restaurant. But, that's the thing- I get that this restaurant is more on the Americanized side, so I can't expect much when it come to authenticity. All in all, I still didn't really enjoy the dish though and I was a little sad that I splurged on a pricey meal that wasn't very satisfying.

Such a lovely day to sit outside in Little Italy close to many cafes and restaurants. We actually found a place by the water fountain felt like we were back in Spain again one of our most favorite trips together. This was our first time eating at Asian Kitchen and we were happily pleased with our orange chicken bowl and Teriyaki bowl. The owner was very happy that we were helping to support his place in the Food Hall and so glad that we enjoyed the food. Now, the price we were very surprised as in this Hall it doesn't say how much the food is on any of the menus. Just like going to a high-priced French restaurant..Haha It was $45 oh, yes oh, wow! It did include my most delicious Thai tea no boba and the green tea. We were fortunate to find a spot under an umbrella amongst many, many people. There was a small arts and crafts show which Little Italy is known for on specific days. Now about the food.. it was wonderful! The orange chicken was 1000 times better than P.E. And,the teriyaki teriyaki chicken was delicious also. Well worth the money and the environment as Little Italy is a very special place here in San Diego. The only heads-up is on the parking and I wish you the best on that.