Myers + Chang + Us + Friends =

A truly great experience!

An impromptu visit to the city last night led us to Myer’s + Chang for dinner… with three adults and two 3-year olds. I have been anxious to visit M + C since they opened, but just havn’t had the opportunity. So, when the option presented itself I was very excited (to say the least)… and I was not disappointed.

Myer’s and Chang, the brainchild of Christoper Myers (of Radius, Via Matta and Great Bay) and Joanne Chang (MIT MBA graduate of Flour Bakery), is a fun and funky mix of traditional Chinese cuisine, modern Asian fushion, 50’s diner kitch and an edgy rock-star atmosphere — all rolled into one. There’s no restaurant website, but there is an aptly designed MySpace page to peruse. Log into their site and you’ll be greeted with China Girl (David Bowie) followed by Me So Horny (2 Live Crew)… it’s definitely worth a visit!

We started our early dinner (5:30 – that’s what happens when toddlers are in tow) with a few cocktails. “D” and I both started with a Daiginjo Gimlet, a combination of sake, ginger syrup & fresh lime ($14), served on the rocks. An expensive drink, but a delcious one none the less! My friend “Shills” went with the server’s recommendation for Sake (served straight up, chilled). She was very pleased with her selection as well. They also offer several ‘house-made’ sodas that sounded cool… such as, Lychee Vanilla, Aloe-Yuzu and Cherry-Ginger (all $4). Perhaps next time when I’m not drowning my sorrows in order to deal with two “end-of-day” three year-olds.

M + C offers many small plates to choose from and they encourage sharing. For three adults and two children, our server recommended getting between 8 and 10 dishes. Who were we to argue?

We started with a few Dim Sum selections: Edamame and Celery Slaw ($4), served with sesame oil and candied lemon peel, Crispy Spring Rolls ($5 and vegetarian), stuffed with garlic chives, bamboo and shitake mushrroms, Traditional Scallion Pancake ($7) and Green Papaya Slaw ($5), served with chilis, peanuts and lime.

Everything was fabulous. For such a simple dish, the edamame and celery slaw was SO good. The sesame oil was a perfect marriage with with the crunch and nuttiness of the slaw and the candied lemon peel added a very pleasant surprise every so often.

The spring rolls were very good, though the temperature was ridiculously hot (they were clearly right out of the boiling oil). The scallion pancake was the best I have ever had. It was fluffy, thick, delicious and paired perfectly with the sweet dipping sauce. The green papaya slaw was so fricken hot that I could only eat one bite for fear that my tongue would start on fire. My friend Shills loved it and ate most of it (she grew up in a home where a LOT of spice was used). She’s had this combination before and stated that this version was extremely good.

Next came my Grilled Whole Prawns ($12) served with a ketjap butter, tamarind and lime; Nirvana Chicken ($9) for Shills, seasoned with charred scallion and star anise; and, Dan Dan Noodles ($7) for “D”, with housemade peanut sauce and sambal. We also ordered Wok Charred Udon Noodles** – vegetarian version ($9), with baby bok choy and oyster sauce and Tofu Chow Fun** ($9) with wide rice noodels and onions.

**Both a vegetarian and a nut-free menu are availabe upon request.

The sauce on the grilled prawns was scrumptuous; however, they were overcooked and it was terribly difficult to peel the shell off the shrimp. I threw more meat out than I was able to remove from the shells… and the meat was tough. I was told the nirvana chicken (which was served atop white rice) was very good. I did not taste it though, so I cannot give specifics. The Dan Dan noodles were great. Not too hot, not too mild; and the peanut sauce was great. The udon noodles were perhaps my favorite “main course” of the evening. The oysters sauce was perfectly seasoned and the vegetables and noodles were extrememly fresh and delicious. I did not have an opportunity to try the entire chow fun dish, but I did have a super-wide rice noodle (with the sauce) which was very good.

Our meal ended with our server brining over a small complimentary dish of Lemon Custard for each of us. It was fabulous! Even my 3-year old, who won’t eat anything, scarfed two portions down.

I cannot say enough how much I loved this place. It’s causal, fun, funky, has good music, is kid-friendly, is affordable and has great food. If you haven’t been… GO!