"After winning "Top Chef," Mei Lin became a culinary force in Los Angeles with the now-closed Nightshade and her still-popular fast-casual spot Daybird. At her new 88 Club in Beverly Hills, Lin explores Chinese and Chinese American in a posh fine-dining setting. Her prawn toast is a brilliant take on the Cantonese snack and her nam yu chicken is universal comfort food, but other dishes are less fully realized."
"Lin makes the toasts her own by using crustless pain de mie to form squared borders; the fine crumb seizes into thin, pleasingly sand-textured shells. Black and white sesame seeds vary the crunch. The prawn filling, rather than the usual slick pink paste, remains translucent with distinct pieces. It registers as squiggly on the tongue, almost sentient. If cut in half, ginger and garlic dart out in front among many mingled scents."
Mei Lin established a strong Los Angeles culinary presence with Nightshade and Daybird and now leads 88 Club in Beverly Hills. The restaurant presents Chinese and Chinese American dishes in a posh fine-dining setting. The rectangular prawn toasts use crustless pain de mie for thin, sand-textured shells, translucent prawn filling with distinct pieces, sesame seeds for varied crunch, and pre-dolloped hot mustard aioli and thick sweet-and-sour jam; three pieces cost $38. The nam yu chicken delivers universal comfort. The menu spans regional repertoires across about two dozen dishes but includes several items that feel less fully realized despite standout highlights.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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