A surprising little taste of authentic Asia
BLINK and you may miss it, the little hidden Swansea Asian restaurant that is serving the best styled cuisine in the city.
Opened in January, it’s a new face on the block of Dillwyn Street. This charming locally-run little restaurant serves mouth-watering authentic Asian cuisine and has gone largely unnoticed as queues flock to chain Wagamamas for their taste of the East.
Chains will always attract visitors but they don’t necessarily offer an authentic experience or have the same charm.
Wagamamas claims to offer “true nourishment from bowl to soul” but anyone who has visited the chain will recognise it as ‘hustle and bustle’, so much so that queues were appearing outside the venue even a month after opening.
As a result, other options have often been neglected for Asian food, but one of the newest is a small, charming place named Muswanna.
A small family-run operation, it aims to offer an authentic experience but also provide a starting point for those who may not be familiar with the cuisine.
The décor is simple while relaxing, providing an authentic feel. The emphasis is on less is more (not in portion size), with plentiful space and wide tables for comfort.
The menu offers diverse food options from all over Asia, ranging from China to Korea: crispy pork belly, duck pancake options, noodles, Korean beef ribs, bao buns, ramen and more. There are too many mouth-watering options to choose from.
Each item on the list is clearly detailed with allergen information. Vegetarian options are also detailed, but no apparent vegan advertised options – most likely down to the vegetarian options fulfilling a similar role.
It’s the perfect venue for a small party to share meals at affordable prices – the portion sizes here are generous.
Opting for a sharing experience, we ordered two specials: Korean beef ribs served with kim-chi and lettuce (as a wrap) at £13.80; and crispy shredded duck pancake wraps with homemade Peking sauce served with cucumber and leeks at £13.80.
With such a wide choice of appealing dishes it was difficult to stop there. We added typhoon shelter fried king prawns for £12.80 and Korean fried chicken ramen for £8.50 alongside a small portion of rice at £1.50 and a cider and Japanese beer. The grand total came in at £61.80 – and I do not regret a penny.
The Korean beef ribs cut straight off the bone and the aroma was enough to make your mouth water.
Serving with lettuce as a wrap made the meal delicate and light on the stomach but one you couldn’t stop admiring. Any rib lovers would drool at the sight of these.
Duck pancakes are a must at an Asian restaurant and the crispy option certainly did not disappoint, served with sweet soy sauce and light pancakes – the taste is gentle but exquisite, allowing individuals to pack how much meat or soy they want into the wrap.
The Korean fried chicken ramen was the highlight, an authentic Japanese noodle dish that feels like it brings the flavours of the East to Swansea.
I questioned why I had not tried it sooner; the noodles and meat were all packed with flavour and made you savour every bite.
The service size is also generous. It looked as good as it tasted.
The typhoon shelter fried king prawns were an unexpected triumph and another generous sharing size, a taste of Hong Kong believed to have originated from cooking found in typhoon shelters. The seasoning and chilli weren’t overpowering but added a great deal.
Having been defeated by the amount of food, we had to take half the prawns and Korean ribs home in containers but would, without question, be returning to try more of the menu.
Chains like Wagamamas have made a name by offering flavours of the East and do provide their own quality food, but little gems like Muswanna offer a more genuine and authentic experience of the cuisine and one that deserves queues outside the doors.