Mamahuhu serves tasty, well-executed cuisine
Brandon Jew, of San Francisco Chinatown's Mister
Jiu's, wanted to offer a taste of the Chinese American foods he loved as a kid in a casual setting and at a comfortable price point. Jew, who won the James Beard award for best chef in California last year after also winning best restaurant cookbook for “Mister Jiu's in Chinatown,” and business partners Ben Moore and Anmao Sun of Shanghai's Hunter Gatherer opened Mamahuhu on Clement Street in San Francisco as their first foray into this style. Now we have our own Mamahuhu right here in Marin.
Mill Valley's Mamahuhu offers some familiar dishes such as Sweet and Sour Chicken, Broccoli and Beef, and Kung Pao Chicken. You'll find these on many Chinese menus around the Bay. At Mamahuhu, the flavors are clean and pointed. Everything on the menu is made in-house using local organic produce and transparently raised animals. The menu doesn't shy away from spices and chilies.
Mamhuhu's look is clean and minimalist. On entering, place your order at the desk. The menu offers a few house specials, noodles and rice, sides and desserts. Pay and find a seat at one of the blond wooden booths with high-back seats or two-top tables. There's also a table along part of the wall with high-top stools, where you can watch the street activity.
On our way to our seats, we picked up cups and water from the buffet, and grabbed a few bowls so we could share. The utensils, including chopsticks and paper napkins, were already on the tables. When our order was ready, a pleasant and helpful server delivered it to our table.
We ordered the Rice Plate
($14), which came with jasmine rice and wok'd vegetables with a choice of any of the house specials. You can add a long Egg Roll ($2) or Jade Fried Rice ($3). We opted for the Sweet and Sour Chicken and added the Egg Roll. It can also be ordered
with pork ($17) or cauliflower ($16). Both are gluten-free. The chicken was lightly ricebattered and fried, and tossed with triangles of fresh pineapple, chunks of bell pepper and onions in a honey-sweetened sweet and sour sauce. It