Myers + Chang

I've wanted to go Myers + Chang for what seems like forever.  Being a big fan of Flour, Joanne Chang's string of awesome bakeries, I couldn't wait to visit the Asian restaurant that she started with her husband, Christopher Myers.  However, something always seemed to come up or food that was closer to my apartment beckoned, so I kept putting it off and putting it off.  Until a few weekends ago, that is, when I finally got my butt there with E, in a belated birthday dim sum brunch celebration.  And let me tell you, I am so sorry that I waited so long, because it was the most delicious, satisfying meal that I've had in a long time.  But before I really start gushing about the food, let me show you around the place.

The interior is small but doesn't feel confining even when it's packed, which is probably due to the wall of windows at the front.  You can see the chefs at work preparing the food, and the clatter of pots and pans and the hissing of hot oil only add to the fun, frenetic atmosphere.  There's an artsy, cool diner vibe about the place, which sets it apart from other Asian restaurants in the area.

 The Asian references in the decor aren't completely gone though, and the blend of Eastern motifs with the diner feel makes for a truly unique setting.

But anyway, let's get to the good stuff.  E and I of course started off with some brunchy booze.  I went for the Shanghai Sangria (mango, blood orange, sake, and red wine) and she chose the Lotus blossom (St. Germain, soda, and bubbly).

Both were rather good, but I have to say that I preferred the Lotus Blossom.  Bright, crisp, and refreshing.  Just the thing to nurse you back to life after a rough Saturday night.  While choosing the cocktails had been pretty easy, narrowing down the options on the menu, which features interesting spins on Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, and Thai specialties, was more of a challenge since everything sounded so good.  After much contemplation, we started off with the braised pork belly bao.

Actually, this choice was a no-brainer for me.  They had me at "pork belly" and I think that I made a convert out of E as well.  It was just dripping with juicy flavor. 

I could have ordered about seven more but I knew that there were other goodies to get to.  Next up:  dan dan noodles with a spicy peanut sauce....

fresh spring rolls....

and fried egg banh mi with sweet soy glazed bacon.

 

This one was quite messy to eat but it was totally worth it.  

At this point, we decided that we had room for one more dish, so we chose the lemony shrimp pot-sticker style dumplings.

After polishing these off, we both agreed that, although we were stuffed, we still could still manage dessert (as usual) so we ended with the frozen vanilla bean parfait with fresh orange granita.

 

This was a happy mistake.  We were a bit unclear with our waiter and meant to order a different dessert but this was what we got.  Fortunately, it turned out to be wonderfully light and zingy and we weren't at all sorry.  A perfectly refreshing palate cleanser to end the meal.  

If you want to hit up Myers + Chang, I'd recommend making a reservation, because the place is popular and it fills up fast.  And for good reason too.  This was probably the best Asian food that I've had.  Everything tastes so fresh and the combinations are interesting, and there isn't any of the weird aftertaste or feelings in your stomach (indigestion? guilt?) that usually accompany Chinese food.  I'm already adding this to the list of Boston places that I'll have to hit when I'm back in town for a visit after my move to New York.  Maybe I'll see you there?

 

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