Hate to rain down on the parade but yes Mei Lah Wah has been closed due to DOH. The record is not very clear on the DOH website though.
http://167.153.150.32/RI/web/detail.do?method=detail&restaurantId=40366101&inspectionDate=20080103
I have been to Terroir few times since it opened and had few food items off the menu: lamb sausage with sage leaves, cheese plates and panna cotta with cherries. They were all delicious --- in fact, last time I was there, I overheard Andrew Knowlton of Bon Appetit complimenting Marco Canora on the sausage and the "comeback of sage."
freshly made tofu -- nothing beats that sweetness of soy.
gribenes?
also matzah ball soup with noodles
Sauteed garlic king oyster mushrooms AND braised fennel!
swiss or gruyere and mustard.
I like it crispy and actually, I do them in the microwave and comes out so right (and almost guilt free)
rib eye or fillet mignon
I may not be original, but bagel, lox and cream cheese is the best. I prefer some capers and very thin slices of red onion on that.
@mandabear
It seems a lot of Chinese buns can fall under the category of pan dulce! Mexican buns and bo lo bao both resemble kinds of pan dulce. Related, perhaps?
@ chinowitz: Yeah I know. I wrote pineapple buns with egg custard filling.
Be aware that 'pineapple buns' (bwolwo bao) normally do not have egg custard filling as you have depicted. The egg custard filled buns externally look the same as the 'pineapple buns' but are called 'guy yeung bao' -- not sure what that is in English.
@ fuuchan - I don't know why Mexican buns are called that but they DO look a lot like the buns I find at panaderias. Pan dulce?
Awesome write-up!
A lot of the bakeries also take half-off the leftover goods after 7:30 pm or so. I mean, they're already cheap as they are, but if you happen to be in the area... All I remember is that I used to drop by Fay Da after work last year when I lived by Chinatown and pick up loaves of bread for less than $1. :)
I dropped by Mei Lai Wah today. I peeked through the window and didn't see any work being done along the lines of remodeling. I also didn't see anyone inside except two people in the back talking.
@ Gastro888: Mooncakes that have ham and nuts in them? Mott street below or above Canal street?
@ bluebird: Ooh, I'll check that place out when I start researching the East Broadway Chinatown post!
Don't miss Mo Xi Guh bao (Mexico/Mexican buns) if you can help it! I have no clue why they're named the way they are, but what they are is a simple pillowy bun made from sweet dough, topped with a rich, buttery crust made from evaporated milk.
They're great for those of us who don't like overly sweet things, or are overwhelmed by goopy, gelatinous fillings. They're very rich and lightly sweet, great with tea.
Another treat is mwa ji (the Chinese version of Japanese mochi). No rubbery,. freezer aisle mochi here. The mochi at Chinese bakeries tend to be softer and stickier. They are dusted with starch and flaked coconut and can contain a dab of anything from red bean paste to ground peanuts and sugar.
And at some bakieres, there are ultra-fine egg cupcakes that look like a cross between a brioche and a popover. They are lighter than air and I can easily inhale several in a sitting.
Look for these next time you find yourself near a Chinese bakery!
I like the Manna bakeries for the swiss rolls and egg custard tarts. Also, the bakery on East Broadway right around the corner from the F train has a great scallion roll and the buns with sweet topping filled with cream or pineapple. They also have this wonderful swiss roll kind of thing that looks like it is fried? in some sort of sweet crumbly pastry. Like cake in a pie. It's really good.
I fell in love with chinese bakeries in Singapore. I haven't found one near me in Minnesota. Oh I miss custard filled buns.
Actually, milk cream buns are "nhyai wong bao", which is a long, oval shaped bun split down the center and filled with pipped cream and topped with flaked coconut. The name of "cocktail bun" is the literal translation of "gai mei bao"=cock's tail bun. Or chicken butt bun, if you will. (j/k). The gravy in the cha siu bao varies from bakery to bakery but most of the time it contains oyster sauce & soy sauce amongst other goodies.
Check out the smaller mom & pop bakeries along Mott. One place (can't remember the name, sorry!) specializes in mooncakes that have Chinese ham & nuts in them. Gooooood eats.
Anyone have any info on Mei Lai Wah? I hope they're not closed. They have the best cha siu bao plus they do "dan zat". It's a big fried noodle coated in maltose. You know those fried noodles that come with your carryout wonton soup? Supersize that, cover it with sticky maltose and that's your "dan zat". YUM!
For me, Fay Da is okay for the Japanese style cheesecake but between that place & Tai Pan - give me Tai Pan any day. I like the variety and the quality of the bread better. It's as close as I'll get to HK right now without hopping on a plane! :)
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