Having lived in China close to 10 years, this is not really Chinese MaPo Tofu but a Japanese take on an ubiquitous Chinese dish.

Here they use a firmer type of tofu so it does not break when frying with the meat and bean paste. The final mixture is poured on a rice bowl instead of being served as a dish so the tofu is drier than what you normally get in China. Certainly less oily which is a plus. The numbness and spiciness is about the same so there’s that.

The Dan Dan noodles is fragrant but a tad dry, even as the noodles are cooked Al dente.

But the $12 for a combo of 1/2 MaPo tofu Don and 1/2 Dan Dan noodles is expensive for something so simple in terms of ingredient. And honestly, I’ve had better in China. Although this is my first try, I get the feeling the Michelin Bib Gourmand was unwarranted.

Will come again, but to a different branch to see if it’s better elsewhere.