Reviewer Says Mudan Modern Asian Cuisine Dim Sum Lacks Heart

In a recent dining review, Paul Tibbets reports that Mudan Modern Asian Cuisine’s dim sum offerings fall short of the restaurant’s namesake, which translates to “touch the heart.”

The new addition to Baton Rouge’s Asian fusion scene, located at 9460 Perkins Road, occupies the former space of Southern Pearl Oyster House. Created by the same team behind the Daruma Ramen chain, the establishment opened just over a month ago.

Tibbets describes the interior as a warm and atmospheric environment featuring lower lighting and digital wallpaper depicting a cozy line of shops. The restaurant utilizes rounded standalone tables equipped with lazy Susans, a design intended to facilitate the sharing of various entrees and dim sum dishes.

While the restaurant’s atmosphere aims for coziness, the food provides a more inconsistent experience, according to the review. Tibbets notes that the dim sum selection, which he tested specifically to evaluate the restaurant’s flagship sharing style, lacked the emotional impact suggested by the name Mudan.

The garlic spare ribs, described as bite-sized pork ribs seasoned with black bean, garlic, red bell peppers, and sliced jalapeño, received mixed feedback. Tibbets writes that while the flavor profile of the pork was “delectable” and offered a “slightly sweet and savory palette,” the dish suffered from small portion sizes. He observed that the pieces contained very little meat relative to the amount of bone.

The shumai, or steamed open-faced dumplings, proved to be a high point of the meal. These dumplings, filled with a mixture of pork, shrimp, and crab roe, were noted for a “multifaceted umami flavor.” Tibbets observed that the soft dumpling wrapper helped offset the “sponginess” of the filling, though he suggested the dish works best as a shared plate because the texture can become repetitive.

In contrast, the stuffed pepper shrimp failed to meet expectations regarding both texture and seasoning. Although the menu describes the dish as crispy, Tibbets found the peppers to be “incredibly wet and soft.” He further noted that the shrimp portion felt “rubbery” and that the oyster sauce was largely lost in the struggle between the pepper and the seafood.

The critique of the dim sum extends to the restaurant’s appetizers, specifically the parmesan garlic fries. While not a traditional staple of Asian cuisine, the dish is a menu fixture consisting of fries tossed with roasted garlic, butter, parmesan cheese, and parsley.

Tibbets observed that the execution of this dish lacked the expected abundance of cheese. Rather than being covered in parmesan to highlight the flavor, he noted it appeared as if the cheese had “simply been crumbled around” the fries. He suggested that the garlic and butter were the most prominent flavors, questioning if the “parmesan” designation in the name was fully warranted.

Ultimately, Tibbets assigned the dim sum experience a rating of 5/10. He concluded that while the menu might appeal to certain palates, he would likely pivot to the entree section upon a future visit to the Perkins Road location.