In January, SugarHouse Casino added another restaurant to its already diverse dining scene. Mian, a quick-serve style eatery, opened offering an Asian cuisine option to accommodate its Chinese gaming section or for those who simply prefer Asian fare.

The restaurant boasts fresh vegetable, seafood, beef and chicken dishes, as well as daily chef’s specials. The menu covers Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and some Japanese flavors. You’ll find everything from ramen and fried rice to calamari and clams to roasted duck and spring rolls. The most popular meals include Thai-style chicken, Vietnamese beef tenderloin and “X.O.” shrimp-fried rice.

Just don’t expect any sushi here. 😉

I’m a fan of all Asian cuisines — from Americanized Chinese to the finest Japanese omakase, I live for it. I happily accepted an invitation to check out the latest restaurant at SugarHouse. We couldn’t have said it better than our partners at Explore Philly, but here’s how it went down for us.

Hubby and I both agreed the interior design was respectably stylish. Sleek, modern Asian-influenced decor not entirely overwrought with stereotype. The color scheme —  red, white, black, and brown (wood accents) — worked very well together and integrated into the overall style of the restaurant.

The graphics on the wall were reminiscent of 20th century propaganda artwork and was probably my favorite part of the décor.

Colorful umbrella accents hanging from the ceiling add texture and whimsy to the environment.

The small plates, or appetizers, menu has the usual suspects like dumplings, egg rolls, and spring rolls, but there are two items on it that stand out as unique and different: Jellyfish ($13.95) and Salt & Pepper Silver Noodle Fish ($12.95).

I’ll be honest, the Jellyfish didn’t grab me, but the silver pin fish sounded intriguing so that is what we ordered. So glad we did! It was rather delightful. Reminded us of tempura calamari, however the silver pin fish are much smaller and extremely delicate. Salt & pepper is a very accurate description as the dish was well-seasoned. A great start!

What can I say? I’m a sucker for lo mein. I had to get it. The Roasted Pork Lo Mein ($15.95) was very good! The noodles were toothsome and satisfying.

The Salty Fish & Chicken Fried Rice ($16.95) sounded great. It was a lighter, non-greasy fried rice which we both appreciated quite a bit. While fried rice is delicious, sometimes it comes out too rich and gloppy. You could taste all of the ingredients in this dish. The salty fish brought just the right amount of flavor.

Both the noodles and rice were kicked up a notch with great condiments like soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and Sriracha.

I found it curious that they offer Lamb Chops ($20.95) on the menu. Wok-fried lamb chops in a black pepper sauce served with broccoli and white rice. I wouldn’t call them chops, they were more like lamb lollipops as they were on the smaller side. With that said, by cooking them at such a high temperature in a wok, they were mostly overcooked. The sauce was quite flavorsome, though, and saved the dish.

By far, the best thing we had all night was the Vietnamese Beef Tenderloin ($24.95). Wok-charred beef tenderloin stir-fried in a black pepper, butter and dark soy sauce served with finely shredded carrots and steamed white rice. This dish was outstanding. It was obvious they used a high-quality cut and worth the price. The beef was cooked and seasoned perfectly!

I had to end on a sweet note, so I ordered the Coconut Custard Bread Pudding ($5.95). It was the perfect amount for two people to share. We especially loved the fresh strawberries and kiwi on top, rekindling my love of kiwi in the process.

All in all, we had a nice meal at Mian Restaurant. Despite a little noise and cigarette smoke from the casino, it was a pleasurable experience. Those things didn’t detract from it, though.

Our server Tai was a consummate professional. He executed perfect service – friendly, smiling, and attentive. We couldn’t have asked for a better server. Alas, we did not get a picture of him. But be sure to ask for him or General Manager Reuben Abasolo.

If you find yourself at the casino for some gaming or perhaps for one of the great events coming up at the Event Center, consider Mian Restaurant and tell them Philly Grub sent you!

*Special thanks to Hornercom PR for arranging our visit. Our opinions are our own.