Road Trip: Mei Jia Deli - San Gabriel(LA)

*** Mei Jia Deli has since closed......

On this short road trip, we decided to do something different. Instead of making plans for meals (other than Komasa), we decided to just drive and walk around and see what caught our fancy. So, after sushi at Komasa and driving around, we parked our car on Valley just West of San Gabriel Boulevard, and got out to stretch our legs. Somehow, out of all of the restaurants(and there are hundreds of them), Mei Jia Deli caught the Missus's eye. Actually the Chinese sign with Tianjin got the attention of the Missus. As we approached the restaurant, the Missus brightened, and kept repeating "oh, oh, Jian Bing Guo Zi, oh, oh Jian Bing Guo Zi". She literally sprinted into the restaurant and started up a conversation with the Waitress.

Unfortunately, Jian Bing Guo Zi was only sold between 8am and 2pm, but the Waitress, a very chatty lady said "it is better than what you get in Beijing", which practically made the Missus swoon. You see, the Missus has fond memories of getting up in the morning and running to the corner to buy hot Jian Bing Guo Zi while living in Beijing. I could just see the wave of nostalgia cresting.......As we walked back to the car, I could see a smile on the Missus's face. Upon inquiry She told me, "I haven't heard Beijing and Tianjin accents like that in years!" I swear that I could hear the Missus mumbling "Jian Bing Guo Zi" in Her sleep.

The next afternoon, after checking out the Dog Show we headed over to Mei Jia Deli, which was packed with a very loud, boisterous, and cantankerous group. It really doesn't take much to fill tiny Mei Jia Deli, there are only 9 tables in the whole restaurant, and four of them had been placed together for a large group. We ended up with a small "spare" table, which usually sees duty as the condiment bar. You can see it in the photo from another visit, good old table number 7. If you're expecting a bright, clean, and shiny restaurant...well this ain't it! The floors looked like they haven't been mopped in a while, the tables and the menus are a decidedly "San Gabriel sticky".

After looking over the menu, a portion of which is only in Chinese, the Missus starting ordering.  When She ordered the Guo Ba(called "rice crust", but it doesn't resemble rice crust in the least bit) the Waitress told Her not to order it. She basically did the "you no like that" thing, She did say the she was "from Beijing and she even hates the dish, and many Chinese customers end up ordering it, and not eating it." I think that She knew that the Missus wasn't from Tianjin by her accent, and thought we, and especially me, the only non-Chinese in the restaurant would not enjoy the dish.

Of course we got the Jian Bing Guo Zi($2.99). The Missus had spoken on length about Jian Bing Guo Zi, about how the thin crepe/pancake batter is spread on a special iron, or sometimes the top of a barrel, and egg is cracked on top; it is important to note that you should see the separation of white and yolk. A sauce is then smeared on the egg covered batter, some Youtiao(fried cruller) is placed on the crepe, and it is folded up, not unlike a burrito of sorts.

I took a bite, and was totally unimpressed. I looked over to the Missus, who said, "this isn't very good", the crepe had no taste, just a slight sour flavor, and was not soft and fluffy, the Youtiao was mushy, overall not very good. The bean sauce smeared on the Jian Bing Guo Zi just made it more soggy.......

The Gou Bu Li Bao Zi ("Stuffed buns that dogs are not interested in" - $5.00). I'm sure there's a story behind the name.

We ordered the Pork, Egg, and Shrimp version, and while the filling was excellent, with large pieces of shrimp, and cloud ears fungus adding a nice crunch, the buns themselves were tough. I noticed that the buns had not been steamed correctly, heat had been allowed to escape making the dough tough and rubbery, not soft and fluffy. When I mentioned this to the Missus, She nodded in agreement, and asked, "How did you get to be so picky". To which I answered, "guess......" Having a Wife and Mother In Law from Shandong will make you that way.

Fennel and Pork Dumplings(actually Dill - $5.00 for 12):

We both thought these were excellent. The wrappers had just the perfect amount of pull and chewiness, probably the best I've had in a restaurant. The filling, while not having much meat, was perfect in quantity. I've had this type of dumpling before that had a large amount of filling, and the taste of dill just overpowered everything. In this case, the amount of filling was perfect for this type of Jiaozhi. Perfect with a splash of Black Vinegar.

Lamb in Brown Sauce with Sesame Cake($13.99), which is I think is the most expensive item on the menu:

This was brought out in the cast iron wok it was cooked in, the lamb flavor, though on the mild side was good, and the flavoring was just about perfect. Everything was in perfect balance, from the amount of cumin to the slight "heat", all ingredients worked in harmony. I was really jonesing for a bowl of rice...but we are talking about Northern Chinese Food here. Which brings me to the teeth shattering, dry, flavorless Sesame Cake, definitely not my cup of tea. For consolation, all the Missus could say was, "you should have this in China, it's even harder and drier."

The waitress brought us 2 bowls of Xiao Mi Zhou(Millet Porridge - Free, if you want a BIG bowl it's 50 cents). We had noticed that the two really loud women on the table next to us had only ordered about 6 bucks worth of food, but were helping themselves to the porridge. They would just stand up, brush past us, walk behind the counter to the pot and help themselves. When the Waitress brought them new bowls of porridge, they just poured off what was in the fresh bowl into their bowls, and dump the bowls on the counter. All told, each one of them had 4 bowls a piece, and that was only while we were there. They had been eating before we arrived, and were still eating when we left.

After taking a sip the Missus put Her spoon down, and never picked it back up. The porridge has a texture like runny-grits, and has no flavor at all. The Missus told me that this was a more refined version of Millet Porridge, most times the millet hasn't been processed and there are hulls in the porridge. The version She grew up eating had more of a nutty flavor, probably because it hadn't been processed as much as this.

Still, we had enjoyed our meal, and decided to go back the next morning. This time we lucked out, it was Sunday morning, and there were a few open spaces in the "parking lot from hell" that Mei Jia Deli shares with 3 other restaurants.

So having been seated, the Missus proceeded to order the Guo Ba Cai($2.50), and again the Waitress told Her not to order it. But this time the Missus stood firm, with the help of the 4 people on the next table who yelled out "let her have the Guo Ba Cai". They were eating Guo Ba Cai, and I'm sure the Waitress didn't try and dissuade them from ordering it.

Looks interesting, doesn't it? This concoction uses the crepe portion of the Jian Bing Guo Zi, cut into strips and mixed into a thick, brown, gooey gravy. The dish is topped with cilantro, chili paste, and fermented tofu. And it's delici-yoso!!! The dish hits all of the sour-salty-spicy notes, and is very hearty. Caution, it is also quite salty, but we loved it, to the amusement of our Waitress.

More Dumplings (6 Chive and Pork, 6 Cabbage and Pork - $4.50):

The Missus asked for mixed dumplings, and they arrived steaming. The dumpling wrappers were excellent, just as those we had yesterday. This Jiaozhi fell far short in the filling department. The Pork and Chive dumplings were bland, with not enough chive, and tasteless pork. The same bland profile for the pork and cabbage dumplings as well.

Sesame Cake with Beef($2.50).

I thought that perhaps the presence of 5 spice beef would moisten the Sesame Cake, boy was I wrong. I almost lost several teeth. Still, can you believe breakfast for 10 bucks, in a restaurant?

We'll most definitely return to Mei Jia Deli, there are a few more items we'd like to try. The place can be a bit intimidating, the people can be loud, abrasive, rude, and aggressive, and we're talking about the customers! The Waitresses(there are two) are nice considering the circumstances. Most of the clientele have Tianjin or Beijing accents according to the Missus, and Mandarin is spoken exclusively. If you're able to find an unoccupied space in the parking lot during most hours, give yourself a pat on the back, and go buy a lottery ticket!

Mei Jia Deli
534 East Valley Blvd. #8
San Gabriel, CA 91776

Comments

[Joseph E]

What a roller-coaster ride! Your food writing keeps getting better, Kirk. You truly had me expecting some great Jian Bing Guo Zi after all that lead up; I wanted to cry when it turned out to be a disappointment. I'm glad some of the other dishes made up for it. Those dill dumplings looked as good as your description.

Has the Mrs. ever considered contributing to a post? I would love to hear her first-person perspective on these northern Chinese places.

[clayfu]

hum, i consider myself pretty well - versed in chinese food (doesn't hurt that i'm chinese and i grew up in diamond bar) but i've never heard of Jian Bing Guo Zi (thought it was a juice at first)

or um.. Guo Ba Cai.

hum interesting i'll have to ask my mom if she knows anything about them.

my gf lives in MP, we go to all these lil places all the time, i highly suggest you go and try some of the Cafe's around there, ah nothing better at 1am in the morning.

[Passionate Eater]

"San Gabriel Sticky" is the best description I've heard in my life! That is completely true, but you can gauge the quality of the restaurant by the stickiness factor!

[wandering chopsticks]

Oh man, after that first experience, I don't know if I'd go back for more. And you want to go back a third time? Your missus is an awesome resource though!

[Jim]

"which practically made the Missus swoon"

WOW, I wish I could find something to make my wife swoon!

[eatdrinknbmerry]

Thanks for reviewing this. i drive by all the time and see it. It's funny, many restaurants in that shopping center have come and gone. I used to go to the restaurant next door for NRmian and jiao huh jiao huh which is the cold-simmered offals... i think it was called Da Ho. I will try and drop by Saturday at the restaurant. Have a great time.

[Chubbypanda]

The lackluster food made me a sad panda.

I'm glad you and the missus liked the place, but I really felt her disappointment through your writing.

- Chubbypanda

[howie]

I've never heard of Jian Bing Guo Zi before either! Too bad you didn't like their version. I love Chinese donuts, so it sounds particularly intriguing to me...

By the way, I tried making Xiao Long Bao last weekend, and it was a total disaster! How was the missus able to make the wrappers so thin, round and even?

[Trent]

If everyone hasn't already seen these linked from Gary Soup's eatingchinese.org, check out the technique:

Northern Style Jian Bing : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPUWgX8vkHI

Southern Style Jian Bing : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIw_XW-BTrc

[Kirk]

Hi JosephE - Thanks for the kind words, sometimes it's just "there" you know...and sometimes it's just another meal. Believe me when I say that the opinion of the Missus is strongly felt in our posts. And there are a few more stories for this trip.

Hi Clayfu - This is real regional cuisine, mostly snacks and homestyle stuff. It's really great that you can get this in restaurants.

Hi PE - When my shoes stick to the floor I sometimes get kinda grossed out....but sometimes there's a good meal at the end of that sticky trail.

Hi WC - There are a few pretty unque items on the menu I'd like to try. And I'd return for the lamb, dill dumplings, and Guo Ba.

Hi Jim - Well we still owe the both of you some Sinigang...so maybe we'll get a "swoon"!

Hey EDBM - Please stop by....I look forward to meeting you! The SGV is ever changing, and it seems that new restaurants pop up every day.

Hi CP - Some of the other stuff made up for the Jian Bing Guo Zi. And she was pretty happy with the memories....

Hi Howie - It wasn't easy, the Missus really worked that dough. She thought the protein content was too high.

Hi Trent - Someone had told me that Jian Bing Guo Zi is called Dan Bing "down south". Great video. The Missus is thinking about making Her own Jian Bing Guo Zi, based on the recipe on eatingchinese.org:

http://eatingchinese.org/jbtutor/jbtutor.html

[Kathy]

Oh man, I like the variety you had there - only with Chinese food can you get such a good deal! I used to visit Shanghai often when I was younger, and breakfast EVERY morning was Jian Bing Guo Zi from the street vendor :) I've yet to have one in the US yet, but if there any place that offers a good version, it MUST be hiding somewhere here in SoCal :)

[Kirk]

Hi Kathy - The Missus has such great memories of Jian Bing Guo Zi, just as it seems you do.

[clayfu]

my mom gave me a detailed explanation of the food via email. haha

[Kirk]

Hi Clayfu - What would we do without Mom???? ;o)

[Andy 食神]

Kirk you went to Meijia!

I went here a couple of months ago and found it excellent, I'm glad you did too! BTW, we usually end up at the same restaurants unknowingly, even without reading your blog, simply because we both have the same great tastes in food. However, this is first time, I went there before you did.. ahahaha!

http://theabc.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/10/meijia_deli.html

Overall you found it to be quite good... and it is! I've been wanting to revisit this place too.. there are great many items to try! funny that the Missus too found the that millet soup to be not tasty at all. so it's millet and not corn... how insightful!

[Kirk]

Hi Andy - I guess we both have great taste! BTW, how was the corn meal porridge? Just kidding! I don't know how I missed your post......

[jinjin]

hi!
does anyone happen to have a recipe for the sauces that go in a jianbing? I live in Beijing for part of the year and the other part I spend in NYC. While in NYC, I miss jainbings!! After getting probably a hundred jianbings, I have the method down, but I don't know what the sauces are. The best place that I know of puts on three types of sauces (one is chili sauce) and shakes some sort of herb or something onto it out of a can (I think one of the youtube videos also has this shake can herb). Does anyone know what the sauces or herbs are? Thanks!

[wandering chopsticks]

Hey Kirk,

I caught this in one of Jonathan Gold's run-downs of current fave eats. I haven't checked it out myself but if the missus has cravings for Shandong food the next time ya'll are in SGV.

101 Noodle Express, a bleak mini-mall storefront next to a bowling alley, may not scream with promise. But the café is home to the Shandong-style beef roll, a massive, bronzed construction that commands its platter like two El Tepeyac burritos laid side by side — brawny Chinese pancakes rolled around slivers of stewed beef and seasoned with a sprinkling of chopped scallion tops and fresh cilantro. The inside of the beef roll is smeared with a sweet, house-made bean paste with an ethereal, almost transparent top note, a bean paste that bears the same relationship to ordinary hoisin sauce that Joachim Splichal’s demi-glace might to a slug of canned brown gravy. It is a simple composition, and yet not; ordinary street food raised to a transcendent level. 1408 E. Valley Blvd., Alhambra, (626) 300-8654.

[Kirk]

Hi WC - Thanks for the heads-up, I think this is the restaurant you're mentioning?

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2006/12/road_trip_dezho.html

We didn't have time to try anything but the Dezhou Pa Ji, but will try the other dishes in the future! Thanks again!

[wandering chopsticks]

Hey Kirk,

I totally blanked on this one. I only remembered the missus' wonderful descriptions of China and forgot the name of the restaurant. I guessed I could have searched it on your page...Heh.