Meandering with Mal / Noodle

In the wise words of a band from Jeeves’ younger years: “Allow me to introduce myself”.
My name is Mallory aka Noodle and I am Jeeves’ youngest daughter and a longtime eater of his cooking. I got my nickname Noodle from Jeeves when I was about 5 years old because I loved to eat plain buttered noodles and my hair looked like actual noodles. I luckily grew out of that phase and became a foodie like my dad who loves to try new foods and explore cuisines with roots from all over the world. Unlike my dad, I have never worked in a restaurant kitchen but I like to think I have witnessed enough of his cooking skills to be considered an amateur foodie. I will be a monthly guest blogger on Jeeves and Fork mostly highlighting restaurants, easy recipes, and sharing what gives me joy in life.

Now, you’re probably wondering if I also live in Ohio or Michigan like Jeeves? Well, I graduated last May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Integrated Language Arts from The Ohio State University. In lieu of staying in Ohio, I moved to the South to live with a relative while I adult for the first time. I currently am a seventh grade English teacher in the mid-south. I teach in Mississippi and live in Tennessee (weird, I know but my commute is only 45 minutes one way). I am a first year teacher so this year has been hard with COVID-19 and settling in to a new place. My students have taught me a lot and I am in awe of their resilience with the craziness our world has become. This blog is a way for me to escape reality and focus on one of my loves: food. I love writing also so I can practice what I preach when I tell my students to “just keep writing”. You can expect witty commentary and exposure to food you may have not eaten before.

Today I am sharing with you my favorite go-to food: the pork steamed dumplings from Mulan Bistro.

These heavenly pillows of goodness are homemade dumplings filled with pork and steamed to perfection. I order these at least once a week with a side of chicken fried rice. The sauce that comes with the dumplings is tangy soy sauce that pairs well with the dumplings. The thing I love most about these dumplings is that they are larger than normal dumplings and that they are not crispy. I prefer a softer dumpling rather than a fried dumpling because it lets the filling do the talking. The actual dumpling dough is not overpowering or chalky which some dumplings I have found are. This dumpling dough holds up and enhances the overall taste.

Mulan Bistro is a self-proclaimed Asian restaurant with multiple locations in the Memphis area. Their menu is expansive and has dishes including: sushi, hibachi, Szechuan, and Thai cuisine offerings. Other dishes that I recommend from Mulan Bistro are:

Mongolian Shrimp
Steamed Buns
Sesame Chicken
Shrimp Tempura Roll

All of these dishes were excellent with fresh ingredients and better than any local Chinese restaurant I have eaten at before. Mulan Bistro is available for pickup or delivery and limited indoor seating. If you ever are in the Memphis area I recommend ordering anything off their menu. Sneak in an order of pork steamed dumplings and you won’t be disappointed.