Mei's Asian Bistro, Washington Blvd in Clarendon - Closed

[mktye]

Could everyone sign in today and post about their most recent restaurant experience? I'm curious to see where people here have been dining. Hell, post on the McDonald's thread if you want to (I admit it - I went there once last week myself).

Lunch. Yesterday. Not rushing to go back. Mushy spring rolls. Gloppy sauces. Suprisingly flavorless (and heatless) Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. And why is it printed on the wrapper for the chopsticks that they are located in Silver Spring?

Mei's Asian Bistro

[DonRocks]

Lunch. Yesterday.

Why?!

Was it because of the "fully stocked bar featuring the finest international wines, beers and distilled spirits"

such as these beauties?

Red Wine Glass Bottle

Yellow Tail Shiraz 6.25 24.95

Blackstone Merlot 6.95 28.95

White Wine Glass Bottle

White Zinfandel 5.25 22.95

La Noble Chardonnay 6.25 24.95

House Wine Glass Bottle

House White 5.25 22.95

House Red 5.25 22.95

Plum Wine 5.25 22.95

KORBEL (small) 12.95

[FunnyJohn]

Mei's is a Pan-Asian spot that opened recently adjacent to the Giant on Washington Blvd a couple of blocks off Wilson. I returned there for my second meal last night with the wife. It's a fairly large bright and shiny space. Large bar area. I had the shrimp and chicken Kung Pao which was tasty -- lots of peanuts and meat. My wife had a Bento box which looked good with several tempura shrimp and other yummy things. We shared an app which turned out to be a small plate of Sashimi. Very good too (wasn't what we ordered, but...). The prices are on the high side relative to other places of this ilk, but the portions are large. They have small but decent list of wines-by-the-glass. Oh, and on Friday's they will feature a jazz combo starting around 7:30.

[FunnyJohn]

I think they've expanded/altered the wine offerings. I'll take notes and report.

[FunnyJohn]

NOW:RED

Merlot - Dry Creek glass 6.00

Copolla 6.50

Meridian 6.50

Shiraz - 6.00

Lindemans 6.50

Syrah - Bridalwood 6.50

Pinot N. - Mirassou 6.50

Cab. S. - Jacobs Creek 5.50

Round Hill 6.50

Penfolds 6.00

Indigo Hills 6.00

WHITE

Chard - Dry Creek 6.50

Lagaaria - 6.00

Bollini 6.50

Pinot Grig - Lagaria 6.00

King Estate 6.00

Reisling - St. Michelle 6.00

Rosemont 6.50

Sauvingnon Blanc - Pepi 6.00

White Haven 7.00

Gewurtz - Blackstone 6.50

OK so this is not Mark Slater's carte de vin, but it is better than you will find at most joints of the Asian persuasion in this part of NOVA. There are also some by the bottle only, but you get the gist from this list.

[Demvtr]

My girlfriend and I ate at Mei's Asian Bistro a month ago because I was interested in the extensive selection of vegetarian options. There are a number of "meat approximation" dishes (e.g., "shrimp" made of white yam). We started with the vegetarian lettuce wraps, which were actually really good, though the dish could have stood to be a bit spicier. The portion was generous enough to constitute a small meal.

I ordered the "duck" (layers of tofu) in a hot pot with eggplant and basil as my entree. The sauce was dark, fairly thick, and not particularly flavorful (though not offensive). The eggplant had a great mouth-feel, soft and sauce-soaked. The tofu layers had an interesting, chewy texture, though not so fascinating that I would order the dish again. My girlfriend got the kung pao tofu, and I thought it was very good, even if the tofu was aggressively fried and somewhat drowned in the sauce. The plate was packed with peanuts, which is, to me, a big plus.

The dining room is surprisingly spacious, but it felt uncomfortably empty when we were there; there may have been four couples in the whole joint. And there was a jazz duo playing music, but it was a bit too loud, and just made everyone feel awkward, because we felt obliged to applaud.

I'm in no hurry to go back, but I also hope it doesn't tank, as the vegetarian menu is extensive, and I'd like to give a few of the other "meat approximation" dishes a try.

[FunnyJohn]

And there was a jazz duo playing music, but it was a bit too loud, and just made everyone feel awkward, because we felt obliged to applaud.

I'm in no hurry to go back, but I also hope it doesn't tank, as the vegetarian menu is extensive, and I'd like to give a few of the other "meat approximation" dishes a try.

The jazz duo playing when you were there (I believe) is not the same as the duo that now plays on Friday's. OK - full disclosure: the sax player is a friend, but he is well worth hearing, he's played with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Lyle Lovett. The owner replaced the duo you heard because they were too interruptive. It's good you pointed out the vegetarian aspects of the menu -- Mei's describes itself as a Japanese, Chinese and Vegetarian restaurant, not really pan-Asian.

[barbhelm]

Last night we found it closed and cleared out. There were the usual signs on the door (hours, parking, etc.) but no notice of closure or moving. I suspect bank foreclosure.

Any thoughts?.

[bbhasin]

Last night we found it closed and cleared out. There were the usual signs on the door (hours, parking, etc.) but no notice of closure or moving. I suspect bank foreclosure.

Any thoughts?.

Suspect they did not generate the volume to support the large space. Dined there once with a group, majority did not think much of the food. There was an online auction for their equipment about a week ago.