asian

Shojo: Modern Asian Fusion from the Center of Chinatown

Published on April 17, 2016April 17, 2016 by br126Leave a comment

By Bovey Rao ‘19

It is obvious by now that I have a profound love of Asian food. While I am unfortunately underwhelmed by the Chinese food in Boston, I adore the prevalence of other Asian cuisines. Even more intriguing to me are Asian fusion restaurants. Given my glowing review of Asian fusion powerhouse, Mei Mei, it is only natural that I visit Shojo, another Asian fusion icon in Chinatown. As they prepare to expand with a ramen shop, Ruckus Noodles, Shojo is a dining destination worth a visit.

In the center of Chinatown, there are a plethora of delicious Asian dining options from Chinese and Japanese hot pot to dim sum to traditional Chinese dumplings. Why would anyone go to the hipster joint with rock music blaring and Ip Man 2 on the TV? I asked myself this questions as I walked into Shojo with a few companions. It had a small dining room but was packed with a young crowd. After being seated, I glossed over the menu and was overwhelmed the number of delicious options. A waitress offered her insights and informed us of the specials for the day.

Starting with an order of their famous suckling pig bao, I could scarcely hold myself back when they arrived. Whenever I see pork bao on the menu, I will tend to order them as one of my favorite dishes. Biting into these pork buns, I was simultaneously enthused and slightly underwhelmed. The tender pork meshed with the crisp cucumber and sweet steamed bun. However, the overtly smoky barbeque sauce was overpowering and prevented me from fully enjoying the bao.

Our Shadowless Duck Fat Fries came out next. This dish has stood out amongst the crowd of starches when it won Boston Magazine’s best potato course. Crunchy fries with a mildly spiced mapo tofu, thick cheese sauce, and light scallions. The decadence of this dish is truly laudable as we devoured it in a hurry. My single qualm was that I wished the mapo tofu spicier to balance with the creaminess of the cheese. However, I truly respect the creativity and depth to this Asian and American amalgamation.

The peanut sauce ramen and the daily special arrived concurrently. With an eclectic mix of peanut sauce, grapes, and cucumbers, the ramen was slightly convoluted. However, the flavors surprisingly meshed excellently and evoked a sense of childhood nostalgia. The daily special of seafood squid ink ramen was visually impactful with the jet-black noodles. With a light creamy sauce, the collection of scallops, mussels, clams, and calamari was elegantly and subtly flavored. I was quite upset that this dish is not a menu staple, as they elevated ramen to another level. To finish, I had the kimchi fried rice, a traditional rendition with aromatic jasmine rice. Topped with an expertly fried egg, it was a savory and spicy masterpiece.

During the course of the meal, I was enthralled with the exceptional bar service. With bartenders mixing and shaking complex cocktails, I lamented being underage. However, I strongly encourage visiting the bar as there was a constant stream of activity. Loud and hip, you must find your way to Shojo for exceptional Asian fusion cuisine. There are incredible restaurants in Chinatown, and Shojo stands out as the wild little brother.

Shojo

Location: 9 Tyler St, Boston, MA 02111

Reservation: Reserve or Call (617)-423-7888

Stand out dishes: Shadowless Duck Fat Fries, Seafood Squid Ink Ramen

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Food: 4/5

Service: 5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5 (Loud)

Feel free to contact the writer at boveyrao@college.harvard.edu with food musings, dining requests, or any restaurant advice!

Mei Mei Pops Up at Shepard: Shepard and Mei Mei Team Up for Dim Sum Brunch

Published on April 11, 2016 by br126Leave a comment

By Bovey Rao ‘19

What exactly is a pop-up restaurant? Most people do not know this terminology, as they are a relatively new development. Pop-up restaurants are when kitchens are lent out to other restaurants or chefs for temporary residence. While this seems like an extravagant venture, many great restaurants (Mission Chinese, NYC) have emerged from pop-ups, and many great restaurants (Aliena, Chicago) have hosted pop-up sessions. Usually, the menu is specially prepared for each individual session. Thus, when I heard that Mei Mei was hosting a pop-up at the nearby Shepard, I quickly booked a reservation.

Entering Shepard, we were greeted by the two teams and were seated after a brief wait. Glancing at the menu, I was immediately drawn to the unique fusion dishes. However, glancing at other tables, I noticed that the portions were a little small and ordered accordingly. After we ordered a long list of various dim sum dishes, I waited excitedly for our mix of buns, dumplings, and vegetables.

The dry aged lamb buns were a delicacy with complex savory notes of Chinese five-spice. While incredibly soft and moist, the order only came with three relatively small buns, which was unfortunate for my party of four individuals. Later, we would discover this applied to most dishes we ordered. The corned beef and xo dumplings similarly had rich, savory flavors, but texturally the shredded beef was not the most appealing. As the dishes continuously arrived, I enjoyed the mildly spicy beef tendon. The gelatinous texture melded perfectly with the crisp skin that garnished the dish.

Still insatiated, I salivated as stuffed chicken wings and Carolina gold rice were placed at the table. Chicken wings filled with a smooth chicken mousse with a sweet glaze proved to be one of the highlights of the brunch. While rice may seem to be a peculiar dish to order, Carolina gold rice is a specific breed that garners significant national attention for its flavor. Anson Mills, a seed restoration group, found and revived this heritage breed and distributes it to many of the United States best restaurants (notably, Husk). Thus, I was excited to see them on the menu with a soy butter. While it may not taste empirically different, I had a profound appreciation of the crop, which may have altered my perception of the dish.

After these courses, we added rounds of cabbage, leek, brined duck egg dumplings, lily shoots, and lo bok go, parsnip cakes. Dark green dumplings quickly reached the table, and we dived in. Freshly steamed, the dough was stickier than I was normally accustomed to but were appropriate to hold the looser filling. While the lo bok go were respectable, the accompanying fermented black beans were truly delicious. A light acidity complemented the natural creaminess, and I snacked on them thorough the meal. My favorite dish of the day was actually the lily shoots with fried shallots. Dark soy sauce provided the perfect salinity for the chewy but smooth shoots. I honestly was tempted to order more sets of lily shoots with rice but instead settled with the select dessert courses.

The fried sesame balls and egg custard tarts proved to be elevated versions, but nothing that truly affected me. Delicious and simple, we enjoyed them as a solid finish to the meal. Overall, I was slightly disappointed with the size of the dim sum and the unequal portions for the table. I expected that they could accommodate a table of 4, since that is a standard party number. Regardless, the dishes proved to be soundly delicious with a few notable standouts. Mei Mei is arguably one of the most important restaurants in Boston, and I am glad they decided to come nearby. Hopefully, they will return soon with yet another nuanced menu. Shepard is one of the newest restaurants in Cambridge, and I hope people will join them for dinner one day.

Shepard

Location: 1 Shepard St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Reservation: OpenTable or Call (617)-714-5295

Mei Mei

Location: 506 Park Dr, Boston, MA 02215

Reservation: Reserve or Call (857)-250-4959

Stand-Out Dishes: Lily Shoots, Carolina Gold Rice, Stuffed Chicken Wings

Overall Rating: 4/5

Food: 4/5

Service: 3.5/5

Atmosphere (Shepard): 5/5

Feel free to contact the writer at boveyrao@college.harvard.edu with food musings, dining requests, or any restaurant advice!

When Hungry, Mix-it Up

Published on April 11, 2016April 11, 2016 by br126Leave a comment

by Hayoung Chang ‘18

Last Saturday, I decided I had had enough of HUDS food. Don’t get me wrong; HUDS is great. Especially if you employ some of our dhall hacks. But after a rough week of midterms and papers, I wanted to treat myself. My friend and I decided on Mix-It, an Asian fusion restaurant on Mass Ave near the Quad/Law School.

We arrived at noon, right when it opened. Although usually crowded during weeknights, we were able to enjoy a spacious and lengthy meal that Saturday afternoon. Craving some sushi, we each ordered a special roll – The Kiss of Fire roll and the namesake, The Mix It roll. One caveat, however, is that the special rolls were not accompanied by the staple miso soup and salad like the regular rolls were. When the sushi came out, we were disappointed by the portions. Initially, we thought they had only brought out one roll, when it was actually both rolls. The Kiss of Fire was also extremely spicy due to slabs of jalapeno. You might be thinking that I just have no spice tolerance. But just trust me on this one, I do.

Still hungry after the meager rolls, we decided to split the yaki soba with shrimp. Service was pretty quick, however, as the noodles were brought out promptly. Although not the most photogenic dish, the noodles were decent. The shrimp was tangy, and the noodles chewy. The sauce was a bit too greasy for me, though.

Overall, the lunch was satisfactory. If I had to recommend the place to fellow Quadlings, I would recommend dinner. Although more expensive, the atmosphere and food portions might be worth it.

Mix-it Restaurant

Location: 1678 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

Reservation: Seatme or Call (617) 547-0212

Overall Rating: 3/5

Food: 2.5/5

Service: 4/5

Atmosphere: 3.5/5

Fried Rice

Published on March 7, 2016March 7, 2016 by mchiang123Leave a comment

by Michelle Chiang ’19

We’ve all been there – you walk into the dining hall, and nothing really piques your appetite. You could settle for a salad, but that’s hardly satisfying. You could splurge and eat out, but you don’t want to spend money. What to do?

Fortunately, there’s a third option that’s ALWAYS available: make your own meal. More specifically, make your own fried rice.

Fried rice is unbelievably easy to make. At home, my family often makes it with whatever ingredients are at hand: rice (of course), steamed vegetables, egg, leftover meat. Here’s my dhall version of fried rice.

(Feel free to add, remove, or change any part or the recipe! Everything is entirely up to you and your tastes.)

Ingredients:

brown rice

over-easy egg (from the grill)

vegetables (whatever’s in the dhall that day)

sesame oil

soy sauce

Recipe:

1.Dump everything in a bowl.

2. Mix.

3. Eat and be happy.

Enjoy!

Mei Mei Street Kitchen: Asian Fusion Food Truck Turns Brick and Mortar in Fenway

Published on November 3, 2015November 3, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Bovey Rao ’19

In 2011, Boston changed its food policy regulations to allow for food trucks vendors. While many other large cities made the change previously, the food truck movement remained relatively muted, as it was seen as a financial risk. However, Boston made an active effort to reinforce this movement by designating several special parking locations and scheduled trucks at each primed position. Thus, Boston’s food truck revolution shot off with notable restaurants on wheels like Roxy’s, Bon Me, and Chicken and Rice Guys (which come to Harvard Plaza). In 2012, Mei Mei joined the race.

Mei Mei specializes in Asian Fusion cuisine and incorporates international flavors into its classic Asian cuisine. “Mei Mei” translates to little sister, which is a reminder of the family that runs the truck. Started by an older brother with his two younger sisters, Mei Mei brought forth their traditional Asian techniques combined with exotic global flavors. Almost immediately, the food truck shot out to incredible popularity and was named Boston’s best food on wheels. In 2013, they opened a brick and mortar location near Fenway Park and have continued their trend for elegance with top honors from Eater Boston and Boston Magazine.

Mei Mei’s restaurant in Fenway is a short walk from the T stop and conveniently located near Boston University. My friend and I arrived exactly between lunch and dinner, which proved to be a significant shift at the restaurant. Transforming from casual lunch counter to a more sophisticated sit-down establishment, Mei Mei demonstrates incredible versatility in its restaurant model. After placing our orders at the counter, we sat in the empty restaurant and waited comfortably for our food.

As the aroma began to waft from the open kitchen, I snuck in a glance and watched the final trays being assembled. When our names were called, we rushed to the counter and grabbed our lunch trays, reminiscent of our high school years.

With the famous Double Awesome, a braised beef porridge, and a steamed bun with compound butter, I stared at my tray contently. My friend’s pierogi dumplings and rib tips accompanied his Double Awesome, as we snapped our pictures before digging in.

Mei Mei’s Double Awesome is regarded as one of the best “sandwiches” in Boston, with a scallion pancake caressing two beautifully fried eggs with pesto and cheddar. Utilizing the Asian scallion pancake as a “wrap” for non-Asian ingredients like pesto and cheddar is a testament to Mei Mei’s Asian Fusion brand. As I bit into the soft, but crisp pancake, the egg burst open, releasing its rich yolk to mix with the earthy pesto and creamy cheddar. While somewhat difficult to eat, the Double Awesome is exactly as promised; it is indeed awesome. The untraditional pesto, mixed with chives and other Asian herbs, provided the necessary green to balance the liquid egg yolk and melted cheddar. It is difficult to describe the savory mess that this becomes as the egg yolk drips from the wrap, but I promise you it is worth it. If you ever have the chance to visit Mei Mei, the Double Awesome is a must!

The rest of the meal proceeded without a hitch, as we vacuumed up our portions. The braised beef porridge with cabbage and tortilla strips seemed bizarre at first, but it was perfectly nostalgic. While the porridge was a little grainier than I was used to, the warm, flavorful broth reminded me of home. However, this was more than a normal porridge. With the salty beef broth, crisp tortilla strips, and acidic cabbage, the dish was perfectly balanced both in flavor and texture. It may have seemed a little peculiar at first, but the dish was the ideal combination of nostalgic flavors from home with exotic accompaniments.

While I enjoyed my meal, I had a quick sample of my friend’s portions. Pierogis are essentially Eastern European style dumplings with potato fillings, and I was surprised to see them on the menu. Surprisingly, they were exemplary with a smooth, but spicy potato filling in the fried skin. With the traditional Asian dumpling shape and an untraditional filling, they again filled me with a weird sense of nostalgia. Finally, we had the rib tips. Unfortunately, the rib tips, with an amazing sauce, were tough and unpalatable. The little meat that could be salvaged was delicious to say the least, but overall, this was the disappointment of the night. Satisfied with our meal, we left the cozy little shop into the crisp Boston evening.

Mei Mei is considered one of Boston’s best restaurants, and it is obvious why. For Asian Americans, it is the perfect place to be hit with nostalgia, while simultaneously exploring other cuisines. For everyone else, it delivers dishes that are both familiar and foreign at approachable prices. It serves as the perfect canvas for people to try cuisines that they are not accustomed to. I look forward to my next visit to Mei Mei and what other nostalgic noshes I will experience.

Mei Mei Street Kitchen

Location: 506 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215

Reservation: 857-250-4959 for Reservation

Stand out dishes: Double Awesome, Pierogi Potstickers

Overall Rating: 5/5

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 5/5

Ambience: 5/5