Between the DDM I last had at DTF and today’s, let’s just say it’s a night and day comparison.

BRIEF: “A sesame specialty: Our house-made thin egg noodles coated in a nutty sesame sauce. Topped with our signature chili oil and crushed roasted peanuts. May contain peanuts.” SOOT’S TAKE: Reliably good staple from DTF.

I hadn’t had dan dan mian in ages and this was deeply satisfying! 😋

Chen’s Signature Spicy Dan Dan Noodles with Savoury Minced Meat: Well-seasoned broth and the noodles had great chewy texture (qq?) but I would’ve preferred a more intense peanut flavor. I may prefer Din Tai Fung’s version. Chen’s Signature Mapo Tofu: This is better than any of the mapo tofus I’ve had (not that I’ve been a fan but I wanted to give their signature dish a try). It’s full of flavor and it would enhance any bland food acting as a canvas (e.g. rice, gruel, bread) but the bitter aftertaste bothered me so will likely not repeat. NB: Both cleared my sinuses good.

Not as flavorful as I remember it to be. I’m not sure why? The flavors were muted (and barely spicy). Could benefit with more green onion and a lot more sauce but I suspect it’d still be missing something 🤔