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May Mei Restaurant Inc

4 star rating
based on 49 reviews

Category: Chinese  [Edit]

639 W Duarte Rd
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 574-1318
Price Range:
$$
Accepts Credit Cards:
No
Parking:
Private Lot
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
Yes
Takes Reservations:
No
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Good for:
Lunch, Dinner
Alcohol:
None

49 reviews for May Mei Restaurant Inc

Review Highlights   

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"As many have said before me, the clay pot rice was excellent." (in 21 reviews)
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"Good service, authentic Cantonese cuisine." (in 18 reviews)
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"The only drawback is the cash only thing." (in 13 reviews)
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Photo of Jack L.

 

140

82

Jack L.

San Gabriel, CA

5 star rating
11/13/2009

Came here with my boyfriend's family for lunch on a lazy Monday afternoon. I'm not exactly attuned to Cantonese food, but this place was definitely delicious, even to my Mandarin/Taiwanese taste palate!

Started off with a delicious light broth. I was told by my bf that it's free. Omgah! Usually you get crummy free soups at other places, or the 'sink water' soups, as my mother would call them. Not this place. The soup here was wonderful and tasty! With a table of eight, there was quite a bit of food to go around.

Calamari came in thick slices, which was pretty good. Not seasoned enough for me, but fried very nicely and still pleasant. The sweet and sour sauce fried fish was definitely one of my favorites. The fish was in large pieces and fried just right without being overly drenched by the sauce. As many have said before me, the clay pot rice was excellent! The rice was the perfect consistency, and had plenty of burnt rice for those that enjoy that too. The smoked meats and sausage one was my favorite. The salted fish was a bit pungent for me, as I'm not used to Cantonese cuisine(yet I enjoy the occasional stinky tofu! HAH!). We also had tender eggs with shrimp, which was very well done. The egg and shrimp weren't over or under cooked. There were a few more dishes that I didn't try, but looked good. There was a platter of some kinda vegetables, a bowl of wonton soup, and an eggplant dish.

Oh, and I think most everything came off of the lunch menu, which was pretty cheap. Some restaurants separate the dishes by price ranges, but the range would be like at least $1 difference. The price differentiation is less than $1 here, so don't let the price separation scare you.

They are cash only! Haven't really had a problem with parking. Plaza has lots of spaces, and usually isn't too packed.

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Photo of brittney a.

 

23

40

brittney a.

Arcadia, CA

4 star rating
10/11/2009

Just went here today for lunch, as my family and I usually do when we're too lazy to drive anywhere further on a Sunday afternoon.

They have really good porridge here; when I got my wisdom teeth pulled out, their porridge kept me alive, hahaha.

I love the clay pot rice here! Let me tell you why ... after we scrape all the rice from it and all that's left over is the BURNT rice, we ask for wonton soup and pour it in w/ some green onions :). Then we just scrape the burnt rice and drink it with the soup :) yummmm!

I also like the deep fried chicken wings with spicy salt :) We order them every single time.

The service is good, all the waiters and waitresses are super nice and always stop to talk to us when they get the chance. YAY for canto food that comes out in less than 4 minutes hahaa : )

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Photo of Leslie P.

 

0

47

Leslie P.

Tacoma, WA

4 star rating
9/9/2009

I've been to this place since it opened! I love their daily soups and clay pot rice. I also love their sweet and sour pork, spicy clam, french style beef cubes and basically any kind of stir-fried veggies. I also love their wonton noodles too. Portions are good, nothing much to complain about.

Sometimes the order will take longer and the service is super but the food is great so who cares! I wouldn't eat here all the time because it would be too pricey but once in a while is great.

It's hard to get parking because the whole plaza is crowded with other restaurants, market, shops, etc. Most of the time there is a wait if you arrive late so eat early!!

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Photo of oiyan p.

Elite '09

140

116

oiyan p.

West Hollywood, CA

3 star rating
7/25/2009

Met up with a friend for dinner to catch up before she moves away for a new job. The place was packed at 8 p.m., and parking in the lot was a pain!

Service was on the iffy side. You really have to flag someone down to order, but after that, everything comes out pretty quickly.  Definitely order the clay pot right away, as it takes about 20 minutes.

The clay pot rice was pretty good. We had it with the beef cubes and egg. It was alright... nothing terribly special. In Hong Kong, when you do clay pot, they usually take everything out and then pour hot tea/water in the pot and cover it so you can have the tasty bits of rice that's been burned on the pot with sugars from the rest of the stuff in the pot.  Nope, not here. They just took the cover off, mixed up the rice and stuff, and left us to serve ourselves.  It was tasty, but now that I make my own clay pot meals, it just wasn't that special to me.

We also ordered the salt/pepper shrimp, which was quite crispy and pea sprouts with garlic.  The pea sprouts were pretty good. Very light, but some of the sprouts were kind of thick and weren't fully cooked through.

All in all, with the so-so service and OK food... I've definitely had better.  But as far as Cantonese food goes in So Cal, I give it a thumbs up. I'm comparing this place to much better places I've been to in SF. Is that fair, when there just aren't that many Canto places in So Cal? I dunno... I've just had better.  So... A-OK, considering we're in So Cal.

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Photo of Alexander H.

Elite '09

19

116

Alexander H.

Palo Alto, CA

5 star rating
8/17/2009

This place takes me back home to Chinatown, NY.  LA is infested with HK Cafe with mediocre food however, May Mei does a great job with Cantonese Cuisine.  No, there are no Bobas or Thai tea served here but there's a lot of dishes that would satisfy my palette especially with their Clay Pot Rice.  Of course, there are many other tasty delicious dishes executed perfectly.

People typically choose the variety of sausages clay pot rice but I would suggest the brave to try the salted fish and pork clay pot rice (the smell is very potent).  To end the meal right, get the Almond Jelly and the Tapioca Pudding which most customers forget to order.

Lastly, remember this place is only CASH ONLY.  Don't look bad by bringing your credit card. =)

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0

40

Teresa S.

Pasadena, CA

4 star rating
10/16/2009

This place has decent Cantonese soup and dishes.  I always get their daily soup when we go there.  People like the clay pot rice dishes there.  The porridge is pretty good too.  No, it is not great but it is probably one of the best around the area.  It's cash only, which is a little annoying.  Good thing is that there is a BOA AMT in the parking lot.  The parking during the weekend can be pretty crazy there.

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Photo of Ken L.

 

23

34

Ken L.

South Pasadena, CA

4 star rating
8/16/2009

If you're in the mood for good homestyle canto food, this is the place.  I wouldn't hesitate to take any visiting chinese relatives here

Like everyone else says, be prepared for a crappy parking lot, a line if you go at a normal dinner time, and your typical crappy chinese service. get passed that, and this place is golden!

you HAVE to order the claypot, and you GOT to let the rice sit and become perfectly crisp.  everything else they have is just bonus (fried shrimp, chicken, shanghai style noodles and pancakes, etc

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Photo of Forrest D.

Elite '09

150

241

Forrest D.

South Pasadena, CA

3 star rating
6/28/2009

It's possible I can't really give this place a fair review. I've got a feeling that to truly appreciate it you need to like homestyle chinese cooking, which means you probably need to be of Chinese descent. This seems to be comfort food for my wife's family, but for me it's not too enjoyable. My inlaws brought us here for lunch with some friends, it's about the third or fourth time and they seem to really like it. Usually it's freezing cold inside, but at least today it was just normal.

Started out with the traditional soup, can't stand it so I didn't try it. To be honest, we ordered alot of plates I didn't try as most of them were not to my taste. We had tofu squares, some type of chinese vegetables, boiled chicken, and some pretty good shrimp. We had a nice pork chop plate and one great plate consisting of scallops, eggs and some type of noodle wrapped into a knot. My father in law said it was a vegetable but I'm almost positive it was noodles but I quite enjoyed the dish and it was new to me as I've never even seen it before.

Service was okay for a chinese restaurant, decor was lacking and almost nonexistant although they did pop for those cute little chinese doll cutouts they sell in gift shops for use as art on the walls. Classy. Also, and this is important, it's cash only here.

I doubt I would ever choose to come here of my own volition, but I've definitely had worse. I've also had better, at any one of a hundred places. Still,  I quite liked the new scallop dish so I'll somewhat defer to those with more knowledge and give this three stars.

Food - B
Ambience - C
Service - B
Value - B

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Photo of Winnie J.

 

2

4

Winnie J.

Temple City, CA

4 star rating
5/26/2009

The Good:
Seafood hot pot, chicken and taro hot pot, catfish hot pot, fried chicken wings, stone pot rice...  In fact, most a la carte entrees are pretty tasty.  And don't forget Yogurtland for dessert a few doors down!  :o)

The Bad:
Parking, the wait if you get there late, typical Chinese waiters that don't care much for customer service, cash only

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Photo of Kione E.

Elite '09

57

489

Kione E.

Irvine, CA

2 star rating
3/11/2009

Uh...where we going?
To my parents.
OH YEAH! Cool.
Huh? Why?
'Cus I was craving Chinese food. Hehehe.
(We always eat Chinese food when we go to visit Ev's sister and parents.)

Ev was craving juk (rice porridge) and that was fine with me. I wanted noodles. Any kind. Fried, in a soup, whatever.
Raf didn't care. He was just hungry.

When we finally got to May Mei, and finally found a parking space in that nightmare parking lot (sigh. Asian people, give us other Asian people a bad name. Learn to negotiate a FREAKIN' parking lot will you!), we had to wait about 20 minutes for a table for 6.
No big whoop, I'll just have a smoke or 2.

I noticed on the door that they got a B from the Board of Health...we soon found out otherwise.
When we finally got sat at the table, we notice how wet and greasy it was. Especially on the lazy-susan which was clear glass.
Fricken' gross! And the table smelled like a mildewy towel.
Extra-fricken'-gross.
Pops got up and went to grab a stack of napkins so we could clean the table, our dinner ware and what not.
Yeah, we usually like to sit at a dirty table and clean it up ourselves before we order our meal.
Doesn't everybody?

Lets see.
We started off with the Hot Pot Rice w/ Chinese sausage and dried pork. Excellent. I was impressed. Thinking ,if the rest of the meal was going  to be this way, then it was going to turn out to be a good night after all.
No.
That was the best part. and things slowly declined.
Beef w/ veggies Chow Fun.
Decent. Kinda heavy on the sauce.
Chicken Chow Mein. Eh, absolutely no flavor.
But the texture and bite of the noodles were pretty dang good.
1000 yr.old egg with pork porridge.
Eh, alright. Ev's mom make it better.
Sliced Fish Meat Porridge.
It was missing something....oh yeah. Flavor.
I thought that  putting a little soy sauce, chili oil and pepper in it would bring out at the very least the fish flavor, and ...no.
It ended up tasting like soy sauce, chili oil and pepper.
Not good.

Total bill plus tip: $40.00.

Overall, like the 2 stars say: Meh. I've experienced better.

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Photo of John L.

 

32

382

John L.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
8/18/2009

I love this place. I think in many ways the food that they serve here reminds me of the food that I would eat growing up, similar taste profile. So clay pot rice is quite delicious, love eating those morsels of crackled rice. The braised pork w/lettuce is yum, tender with fat that would just melt in your mouth. Salt pepper fish fillet is good or have this fish fillet w/ greens. Nothing much to say about the service tho, usually very bad. But once the food arrived I don't care about the service anymore.

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Photo of Sara T.

 

2

16

Sara T.

Monrovia, CA

5 star rating
3/10/2009

Great Cantonese food.  It's just like home (without the nagging).  Every dish I've ordered has been delicious.  It's a no frills sort of place.  Just good food!  

Service is always nice and quick.  Just remember that it's cash only!  Luckily there is a Bank of America ATM in the parking lot.

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Photo of J W.

 

0

179

J W.

Alhambra, CA

5 star rating
10/3/2009

Very good Cantonese (Hong Kong style) food.  The hot pot rice and hot pots are very good.  I really enjoyed the crab meat (real) with vegetables.  Pig feet, filet mignon, etc. are also good.  Everything comes out HOT!  And this place is very inexpensive.

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Photo of Olivia T.

 

3

31

Olivia T.

Walnut, CA

5 star rating
7/28/2009

My friends and I went here a fews weeks ago - the French-style Beef Cube Pepper thing was soooo good! There was also this thing called something like Soy Sauce Shrimp (not sure if that's what it was called). It was perfectly marinated and then pan fried, I think, but it had just enough seasoning and still retained the sweetness of the shrimp. I can't decide which was my favorite - the beef or the shrimp. We also had a chicken rice pot which was also delectable! I really want to go here again!

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Photo of Wing Y.

 

81

36

Wing Y.

Menlo Park, CA

4 star rating
6/21/2009 1 photo

My parents take me here pretty much every time I come home to LA. We get pretty much the same thing every time we come here, and I wouldn't change a thing. For me, it's comfort food at its best: beef chow fun with soy sauce, wonton noodle soup, egg and pork porridge, a huge plate of Chinese broccoli. I think the salt and pepper fried shrimp has worked its way into the rotation too. Everything is delicious.

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Photo of Sally L.

 

100

202

Sally L.

Tampa, FL

4 star rating
1/10/2009

Everything here is good. All of the hot pot rice dishes are spectacular, but order them the second you sit down because they take a while. When they do bring them out, they scoop off the toppings, pour the sauce over the rice, & then mix it for you, making sure to get all of the crispy pieces scraped off of the bowl. So so so so good.

All the dishes are cheap considering just how much food you get, and I've absolutely loved everything I've had, from the veggies to the meat to the seafood. Expect to wait at least 15 minutes to be seated, & the service isn't spectacular, but it's decent. You won't be neglected, but they're not exactly smiling friendly chatty servers. Flag them down if you need something. Cash only; I'd say $20 for 2 people is plenty, but that depends on how much you eat.

& then go back, again & again & again, because I guarantee you'll become addicted after your first visit.

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Photo of Johnny L.

 

12

138

Johnny L.

Arcadia, CA

5 star rating
1/31/2009

There are so few Chinese restaurants that I actually recommend and this is one of them.

Never had anything that I did not like here, my parents usually order but damn some of the great stuff to try is: fillet mignon cubes and seafood claypot.

They also do claypot rice pretty well last time I remembered but haven't ordered in a while, don't even remember if its on the menu.

Anyway parking is hell on weekends so come early and carpool it over here now!  

The service is pretty good and its got that nice small restaurant feel to it which I prefer but at the same time its got serious "big" restaurant quality backing up its dishes.

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Photo of sophia c.

 

21

156

sophia c.

Sunnyvale, CA

4 star rating
11/13/2008

This place is great.  Good Chinese food for really low prices.  The cuisine is authentic cantonese.  I come here all the time, mostly fridays, with some co-workers and it's always good.  I would recommend it to people if they are not in a hurry.  The only reason why they lose one star is because service is a bit slow.  But if you have time, it's definitely worth it.

Cash only guys.

*The stone pot rice dishes here are yummy.  You don't really get the crusty outer layer, which I don't like anyway, but the rice is cooked differently and it smells sooo good when they uncover the pot for you.  If you're planning to get that, order it as soon as you sit down since it takes about 15 minutes to cook.  The waiter will help you prepare it properly once it comes out though.

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Photo of pamela b.

 

0

2

pamela b.

Temple City, CA

4 star rating
9/18/2009

the husband and i come here once a week for lunch.  recommended is the ....
chicken with black bean sauce
beef with tofu
1/2 steamed chicken with the "wild sauce"
beef chow fun is good, though sometimes oily

Tip....this happened to us last time so don't come around 3pm because all the waiters take their lunch about this time. our particular waiter was explaining something about the lunch special. i looked up and he must of had a fist full of food in his mouth. he was talking and chewing at the same time, and i swear, i almost  went into hysterics. it was so absurdly funny.

oh yeah, cash only

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Photo of Bob C.

Elite '09

63

390

Bob C.

CA

5 star rating
6/25/2008

I love this place!  The only thing is...CASH ONLY...

We came here b/c it was too late for Full House (open til 9:30), but we didn't feel like Hop Li/Hop Kee (open til 1 am) down the street.

The best distinction I can make between this joint and Full House is that, to me, Full House is more of a high end place.  You know, a place you'd order that giant lobster, the massive prawns, or the expensive steamed fish.  Here, well, here is more about the peasant foods, the meat and potatoes as it were type of place.

Here's a rundown of our meal:

- Westlake Minced Beef Soup (kinda bland, needed white pepper)
- Chicken with Taro Hot Pot (some pieces of chicken were overcooked, but the flavor was spot on)
- Pig Feet with Dried Bean Sticks Hot Pot (probably my favorite dish)
- Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce Hot Pot Rice (not as good as I imagined it would be, but still enjoyable)
- Gailan (Chinese Broccoli, was okay)
- HK Style Seafood Chow Mein (sadly I didn't get to taste this dish as I was pre-occupied with the others)

This place is a definite winner and repeater for me.

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Photo of Edwin B.

 

3

56

Edwin B.

Arcadia, CA

5 star rating
8/30/2008

Just authentic Cantonese cuisine when I want it without any alterations.

Of course I wouldn't know authentic since I'm not even Cantonese, but it feels authentic.

Yes the food is good.

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Photo of simon c.

 

0

8

simon c.

Arcadia, CA

4 star rating
5/24/2009

the food is good especially the salt and pepper squid. The only drawback is the cash only thing. The waiter is super nice to us since were regulars but i do agree with other people that parking sucks, but then again i live 3 blocks away, so we usually just walk there just like to that dumpling place.

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Photo of Calvin L.

 

52

143

Calvin L.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
12/1/2006

This is homestyle Hong Kong comfort Chinese food!  The hot pots are the stars here, although I haven't had any dish that I didn't like.  The house soup is simmered for hours, the fish fillets are fresh with very generous portions, and the taste is as Hong Kong as you can get in Los Angeles.  We had the salted fish with eggplant hot pot, garlic spinach, and rib w/black bean sause rice hot pot.  It was simply delish--we finished everything!!

An (061807)update:  this is now our go-to Hong Kong Cantonese joint!  We had a craving for Hong Kong Cantonese food and couldn't think of any others that were as good, so we trekked 10 miles out of our way to eat here!

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Photo of Deanna T.

 

1

15

Deanna T.

El Monte, CA

4 star rating
4/25/2009

The waiters are so nice here! Their soup of the day (Artichoke, Beef and Carrot Soup) was the perfect start to our lunch! My best friend ordered her usual favorite, the Mabo Tofu (soft and silky tofu with minced beef) dish while I decided to try their Seafood Yee Mein (fish, squid, scallops, shrimp, and vegetables over whitish egg noodles). Some would say their food is too bland, but personally, it suited my taste just fine.

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Photo of anthony l.

 

47

174

anthony l.

Pasadena, CA

4 star rating
5/17/2007 3 photos

Great Cantonese Chinese style food!  Here's what you should order when you eat here:
1.)  Herbal Chicken Soup - Comes complete with Chicken feet and head.  The herbs don't overpower the chicken flavor.  Great broth
2.)  Peppered Fillet Mignon steak cubes - The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth.
3.)  Rice cooked in the clay pot with all of the preserved meats - The flavors of the sausage and ham just permeate the rice perfectly.  

Invite friends and family to eat a good Southern Chinese meal.

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Photo of Rich G.

 

0

12

Rich G.

Arcadia, CA

5 star rating
3/8/2007

This is, I think, my favorite restaurant.  The staff has even begun to recognize me and my kids now which I don't believe has ever happened to me before.

I tend to get stuck in a rut and so, I always order the minced beef porridge.  A bowl of that with a bit of ginger and a few drops of soy sauce.....ohhhhhh.....did you ever see that old cartoon with the dog who eats a treat and then goes flying into the air and comes floating down like a leaf, moaning in ecstacy?  Well, if you have, imagine the dog was me and, instead of a dog treat, imagine I was eating some minced beef porridge and....oh, never mind.

Oh, I should mention too, I can feed a family of four for less than $20 at May Mei's.

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25

35

... ..

CA

5 star rating
7/8/2007

This restaurant is just a pleasure to go ! the food is really really good, very tasty, generously served and affordable, at May Mei nothing is snoby it is casual family oriented, clean space, simple pleasant warm deco,  super easy parking !

Well ! family's and couples after lunch or dinner at May Mei  you can also drive relax to Mary's market (See my review about it)  in the heart of the oldest area of Sierra Madre village (Spanish and Indians were living there before American came in California).... It is the perfect  spot to just walk and enjoy the paradisiac scenery of this very untypical micro-village at just 5 mns from the 210 freeway and maybe 10mns from May Mei.

Trust me ! Try it ! you will like it !

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Elite '09

13

109

Kevin C.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
1/12/2008

Cut to the chase review:
Good service, authentic Cantonese cuisine. Great hot pot rice. Cheap eats. Highly recommended. Four stars because I need to go there a few more times and try their other dishes. For the clay pot rice, I give them a 5 star, but that's just too easy even though that dish had won my heart. :)

Wholesome review:
I read about May Mei on yelp several weeks back. I can vaguely remember, but someone brought up clay pot / hot pot rice (bo jai fan). That very dished drawn my attention at first, then it was the 4.5 star rating that got me to want to try this place out.

My stories might have gotten old and perhaps, so are the introductions to my restaurant reviews. However, my food preference has a lot to do with what I've been exposed to in the past, whether its from my childhood or from where I grew up.  That is why I must introduce this place with their clay pot rice that had drawn so much of my attention. Growing up in Hong Kong, I had plentiful of opportunities to have bo jai fan. It's pretty much one of my favorite authentic dishes in Cantonese cuisine. The flavor, the texture, the aroma of clay pot rice is just heavenly to me, most importantly, it reminds me of where I came from. It reminds me that I should miss home, which can link to friends and family indirectly.

Tonight, I was able to experience that when I went to May Mei restaurant for the very first time. The restaurant is bright, loud and clean, typical Cantonese. Waiters and waitresses were nice with quick services. The wait was not long for two, 5 minute max. We sat down and I browsed through the menu. My decision was almost instantaneous.

1. Lop mei bo jai fan  (Cured meat hot pot rice)
2. Si jiu chow heen (Clams in black bean sauce with assorted pepper)
3.  Hung siu dow fu (Tofu in brown sauce)

The first dish came out fast. The waiter brought it out and removed the clay pot lid. Steam and aroma of the rice rushed out along with the scent of the cured meat. Cured meat includes cured duck drumstick, cured fatty cha siu and Chinese sausage, topped with choy sum (Chinese broccoli). Everything but the rice were pulled out and placed on a plate seperately. Then a side of sweet soy sauce was poured on top of the rice. Mixed in and folded in gently the aroma smell even more delicious.

The chow heen with assorted pepper consists of black bean sauce, bell pepper and chili pepper.

The tofu in brown sauce consists of tofu with carrots, sweet peas, shitake mushrooms in gravy consistence sauce.

These three dishes combined were more than enough for the two of us. They all contain authentic flavor and I love them. The service was friendly and outstanding. After dining in numerous Cantonese restaurants in L.A., May Mei became one of my favorites. This place beats Phoenix (http://www.yelp.com/bi... a tad better than Fantasy Eatery (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).

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29

382

Lillian L.

Monterey Park, CA

1 star rating
1/22/2008

Originally I was supposed to go across to have dinner at Sinbala, but because it was on a Tuesday, and Sinbala isn't opened on Tuesday, and I'm starving, I ended up eating here: Because it's Chinese owned, so that means it's got to be cheap with big portions.

I ended up ordering this seafood noodle soup, that had a ton of vegetable's and ...tomato's... yeah.. tomatoes... weird.. I know.
How was the meal? Well, it's .. definitely water with salt... not the chicken broth soup - because of the water/salt flavor soup, no matter how much soy sauce and hot sauce I put in.. didn't help.

But the Chinese pancake.. that was pretty good. Light and fluffy.

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Elite '09

66

170

Kimmie Q.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/30/2007

This place never fails to impress me, my mom, or my sister.

It's just delicious and they have everything you could ever hope for at a Chinese restaurant.  It gets busy and they don't take cards, so be prepared to wait with cash in hand.  

I highly recommend going here with a large group of people since it is family style dining.  

The food is just so good... my mom usually orders take out here instead of making dinner..

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Elite '09

47

107

annie t.

Pasadena, CA

4 star rating
8/28/2007

This is my favorite place to get cantonese food. I absolutely love their daily soup and have been known to (shamelessly) ask for refills during lunch when it's free. I mean, they give it to you in that tiny white bowl - how can you not want seconds?

It seems that everyone gets the hot pot rice (bao zai fan) when they come here. I like that stuff, but don't LOVE it, so it's not a staple for me. But if that's what you want to order, make sure to put in the order as soon as possible, because it takes a minimum of 15 minutes (and usually longer) for that to be finished. My favorite dishes besides the usual lunch special stir-fry are the beef and egg over rice and the beef chow fun (gan chao niu he). Yummy. Thinking about it right now is making me hungry.

This is one of my favorite lunch places during the week because they offer their lunch specials till 4 every weekday. Awesome huh.

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Elite '09

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649

Eileen T.

Irvine, CA

3 star rating
11/30/2008 6 photos

Spareribs w/ Black Bean Sauce Hot Pot Rice was really good.  Beef Chow Fun w/ Soy Sauce was too oily.  I didn't even need lip gloss after eating this dish.  Iced coffee was horrible.  They made it with instant coffee and powder creamer and it wasn't even dissolved.  Gross.  But I'd go back for the hot pot rice any time.

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37

Tiffany W.

Temple City, CA

4 star rating
12/4/2008

Everything I've eaten here is pretty good.  The service is okay.  Sometimes the food is a bit greasy but it's about the same as any chinese place.

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7

Eric C.

Monrovia, CA

4 star rating
1/4/2009

A great Cantonese Juk-fein-mien-fun (congee-rice noodle-noodle-rice) place. this type of restaurant is a perfect showcase of traditional Chinese (Cantonese) culinary. All food are simple dishes here, although the dinner menu does offer some banquet type dishes, but most people come here for the everyday, hearty, quick, simple-yet satisfying meal. these are the type of food, in my opinion, that put Cantonese cooking on the world cuisine map.
Lunch time is usually packed with business people, service is pretty sad, but service and atmosphere are not the reasons you come here. the lunch is inexpensive, cook-to-order with generous portion. I've pretty much tried everything on their lunch menu. my favorites are: Salt Pepper pork ribs, "dry" pan fried beef fein (wide flat rice noodle), beef with runny egg over rice, won ton noodle soup, sea food crispy pan fried egg noodle and sausage bbq clay pot rice. in fact, most everything on the menu is good. Lunch comes with complimentary soup. Lunch menu only served Monday - Friday. Every time my wife and i eat here, we end up with leftovers. it is a great lunch place but dinner also good, just cost a little more (also more selections). i wish there are more of this type of restaurants, i strongly recommend this place :P BTW - they don't take credit card, make sure bring cash.

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Lily C.

Pasadena, CA

5 star rating
8/28/2007

Excellent food, excellent service.

Perfect when I'm craving authentic cantonese food!  Absolutely LOVE their soups.  Haven't had anything on the menu I didn't like.  You have to try their passionfruit juice and sugar cane juice - not exactly common around these parts.  I've been coming here for years and its always the same great quality (family owned) and will continue to be for years to come!  Luckily, my bf's uncle is the owner so we're always treated like family.  =)

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Elite '09

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430

Caroline K.

Buena Park, CA

2 star rating
6/23/2008

I wasn't at all impressed by the food here.  We ordered the chicken and cream corn w/ rice (only good fresh), which was good, and the cubed beef hot pot, which was blah.  The meat wasn't very good, and the rice never got really crispy.  The server who brought our dishware was pretty rude and kept slamming things down on the table.  It came out to be only like $22 but still not worth it.

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3

19

Jessica G.

Pasadena, CA

4 star rating
6/6/2008

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8

112

Lindsay L.

Arcadia, CA

4 star rating
7/26/2008

Very good. I go there often. I love the rice pots and the orange flavored chicken. waiters are friendly but you have to pester them to get some water! a good chinese restaurant

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Elite '09

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152

Patty T.

Arcadia, CA

4 star rating
1/21/2008

nom nom nom!  

came here with the bf for dinner one night... we ordered the Chicken & Mushroom Clay Pot Rice ($8) and the Peppered & Garlic Beef Cubes ($10).  Portions were large and very filling.  The beef cubes were very tender almost like filet mignon...  the clay pot came with rice, chicken, mushroom, some veggies and chinese sausage...  Although we only ordered 2 dishes, it was more than enough for us...we were seriously stuffed by the end of dinner and still had some leftovers.

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Elite '09

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168

Kevin F.

Burbank, CA

4 star rating
6/24/2007

After many visits and many many dishes, I have to say I haven't been disappointed.  This is great tasting, reasonably priced chinese food and plenty of it.  I usually go with a group of people and we get one or more dish each and share them all.  If you have a big group they sit you at one of the big round tables with a lazy susan so you can spin your food around the table.  But as mom used to say, don't play with your food!  They have a wide variety of chicken, beef, pork, seafood, noodle, rice and other dishes.   My favorites are the garlic chicken, orange beef, and of course the hot pot rice.  Gotta have several hot pot rices!   Weekends get fairly busy, so you might have to wait a bit, but it's worth it.  Also, be careful in the parking lot!  It's usually packed and people don't drive so well!

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