Ramen may be all the rage right now, but this isn’t your typical noodle bar. Situated on an old street just around the corner from the Blue House, Maureen is a narrow restaurant with tall stools lined up along the bar, which parallels an open kitchen, and three small tables at the back. Owner-chef Maureen is a friendly hostess who explains the small menu in detail and how her dishes take inspiration, and depart, from traditional Chinese recipes. We stopped by for lunch and sprung for the $150 tasting menu. The care that Maureen puts into her food was readily apparent. A soft egg served with mushrooms, a bit of ham and a crunchy cracker was an unexpected delight. Another highlight was the chicken drizzled in lemon olive oil that was served atop thinly julienned slices of radish with a tender piece of well-seasoned abalone. The real stand-outs, though, were the perfectly chewy noodles in soup, which you can opt to have in a subtle chicken broth or a more savory pork one—Maureen’s are made sans MSG. The evening’s tasting menu is bigger and comes with a molecular drink, all for just $180. But for an even more special supper, shell out $350 for the molecular gastronomy-influenced “Chinese tapas” set menu, with dishes named “the perfect egg” and “instant tofu.” For food this unique (and at an affordable price), the low-key atmosphere and the friendly service, one thing’s for certain—we’ll visit Maureen for dinner soon.