Journo

Review: Boston's Trendy Myers+Chang

Yum Me. Yum You.

As a part-time Bostonian (and full-time ex-Bostonian), one tries to keep up with the times—restaurants, shows, visiting acts, bars, nightlife. You pick up copies of Improper Bostonian and The Phoenix and The Dig like they are going out of style. And recently, that’s in the last year or so, there was a noticeable trend in those papers: all were covering the restaurant couple Christopher Myers and Chef Joanne Chang and their joint effort to open a yummy Asian-inspired eatery in the trendy South End. Literally every restaurant section featured an interview of the pair, looking cute in their apartment as they picked out carry-out containers or planned color schemes while gazing adoringly at each other. The anticipation, the build-up, was both exciting and stress-free (at least for the foodie, if not for the owners), and the Boston public could hardly wait—especially those without cars, with no way to visit Ming Tsai’s Blue Ginger in Wellesley, henceforth known as “that other modern upscale Asian food place.”

The first, and probably only, major problem with Myers + Chang is the location. Although every ad and review cites its “trendy” South End space, the restaurant is in fact located way the heck down Berkley Street—like all the way down—past Tremont and the streetlights and shops and what I would consider “trendy.” I might consider it more “sketchy,” with a bus stop right outside and a nice long walk past ugly apartment complexes to get there (we took a cab when we left). But give it five years or so, and it will be a buzzing, bustling hub of trendiness.

Despite tongue-in-check faux Confucius-say isms on the walls and the large red dragon on the front window, the décor of the place is surprisingly underwhelming and understated, leaving the food the focus with a smallish bar and open kitchen with counter space for curious diners. We started out with glasses of red and white sangria—the red had a great ginger kick, the white a nice mellow melon vibe—and a plate of Green Papaya Slaw ($5)*, after our waiter (in a funny vest which should be scrapped immediately, how fug and awkward—and I’m a waitress who likes vests) explained that the plates were small, for sharing, and came out as ready in no particular order. I personally would have been content with a gallon of red sangria and an entire plateful of the slaw, which was fantastic; the menu indicated it was a spicy dish, but you hardly noticed the heat what with the roasted toasty peanuts and all the flavors. Plus, there’s something seriously satisfying about waving your chopsticks around as plate after plate of piping hot food is brought to your table.

We followed the slaw up with Braised Pork Belly Buns ($8) and pot-sticker dumplings with Chinese greens ($10), both quite nice (although the best part of the buns, was, in my opinion, the bun—probably not a great recommendation, as the pork belly seems to be a house favorite, but maybe I’m just a peasant). Then the largest plate we ordered arrived, the Chinese Fried Chicken ($21) with chili-lime and sweet-and-sour dipping sauces. The chicken was undercooked every so slightly, which I like just fine and so did not even notice until it was pointed out to me, and the delicious, crispy skin with the natural juices made the dipping sauces completely superfluous. Definite finger food—and I will never crave Southern-style fried chicken again, although getting up to Boston every time I want this dish might pose a problem.

We could have ordered more, but I was in the mood for dessert—as I almost always am—and was told there was no dessert menu, but a complimentary coconut tapioca, which we never actually received. Instead, we ordered a pot of jasmine tea ($5) and lingered over drinks until the combination of too few small plates and the promise of even more yummy food had us catching a cab to Finale for some serious dessert. Myers + Chang might be my day-off hangout for several months to come.

1145 Washington St | South End, Boston | 617.542.5200

http://www.myspace.com/myersandchang