Food-Stars: Dinner Date at Mey Lin, Makati

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Dinner Date at Mey Lin, Makati

Tired of our usual Jupiter Street eateries, we decided to go back to our old favorite, Mey Lin.

Mey Lin Bistro, Jupiter St. Makati

With ample parking spaces in the building's basement, you'll have no trouble parking your car. Ride the elevator up to the ground floor, get off, walk to the main entrance, turn right and voila!

P.S. don't forget to have your ticket validated!

The interiors were reminiscent of usual Chinese restaurants but with a more casual feel to it. The seats were comfy and the tables were evenly space, not at all cramped. The servers are also attentive and polite.

The long oblong-shaped lighting fixtures were cool too. Also the ceiling is beautifully designed with painted planks of wood. This adds to the overall aesthetic of the place, classy but casual.

Complimentary Hot Tea

They serve you complimentary hot tea which tastes a bit bitter. It conditions and readies the tongue for your food adventure. Hot tea during a rainy day = perfect.

Hot and Sour Soup

Ordered my favorite Chinese soup. They serve this per cup but the portion is for sharing. It's enough to fill 2 people. I was so happy that the soup did not have the usual ingredients other restaurants used as "fillers" (pandagdag). Also, the tofu were thinly sliced, not cubed and does not crumble easily even after stirring. Definite plus points for that. Verdict? The hot to sour ratio was just right for me. Enjoyed it a lot.

Plain Rice

We each ordered a cup of plain rice. We didn't want the rice to overpower the flavors of the other dishes. As you can see, the rice is as white as can be, no remnants of any dirt or such. That's how rice should always look; white, clean and sticky.

Three Cup Chicken

Simply put, this was chicken drumsticks chopped into bite sized pieces, fried in sesame oil and topped with basil leaves. It's fragrant aroma is enough to make your mouth water. Once they place this down, be ready to mix it unless you want to eat burnt chicken later. This is was one of our favorite dishes but alas, it seems the quality has certainly dropped since the last time we came here. Disappointing.

Baguio Beans with Garlic

To keep it healthy, we ordered this veggie dish. Seems simple and bland but it actually isn't. The baguio beans are cooked until tender and juicy. The garlic added the crunch needed in this dish. Serving is good for 2-3 people.

Friend Squid in Special Sauce

And finally, any meal at Mey Lin won't be complete without their Fried Squid in Special Sauce. This is the reason why we keep coming back here. With anticipation, we waited for it to be served. Hmmm... Looks the same... smells the same... will it taste the same?

Sadly, it didn't.

It was not how we remembered it. The squid was tough to chew and the serving is evidently smaller. Like every good thing, Mey Lin's Squid dish legend has come to an end. :( Sigh.

Mango Sago

To end the night on a sweet note, we each ordered the Mango Sago. Luckily, the sweetness of the dessert helped uplift our low spirits. The sago were chewy, just the way I like it. Refreshingly good.

Would we come back? Most probably, but not in the near future.
Expected much much more from you, Mey Lin.
For now, we are saying goodbye to one of our favorites.

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