mei mei

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!

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

Tag: mei mei

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