Taking a break from all the strike news, looking for something on the way back to the office -- and have been meaning to try Mao's Kitchen for a while. They stipulated: Parking -- a rarity on Melrose -- is available, particularly at lunch; Mao's is also, handily, open until midnight. Strangely, entrees with tofu cost more than chicken or beef. Less strangely, entrees with shrimp or fish also cost more. (Flickr pic by Cabayarea.) What I ordered: Lunch $7.50...
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Tried Mao's Kitchen on Monday and was disappointed. It was empty yet service was slow. The food was fine- inexpensive for the large portions- but nothing more than slightly healthier Chinese take-out. The ginger ale was the best thing I had, made with real ginger. The outdoor seating and large space would better serve as a bar than a restaurant. The ginger ale was phenomenal. The soup was packed with ingredients, one of the thickest I've had. It wasn't bad... The pork baozi (a special) were served ten minutes after the other food because the steamer broke. The meat was bland and mealy. As it's brand new I'll still give it another shot....
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The space where the old Tommy Tang's used to be on Melrose has been reincarnated as Mao's Kitchen, a branch of Mao's first outpost in Venice. I'm always a bit skeptical about Chinese restaurants where not a single Chinese person is in evidence (I think our waiter was in Dogtown and Z-Boys) but Jon and Jason vouched for the place and I'm always up for a new find. They had already ordered a Chinese chicken salad in lettuce cups when I arrived.
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Mao's is an incredibly popular Chinese restaurant. Granted, there aren't many Chinese restaurants in the area, and most of them are bad, but even so, Mao's is very good, and it's healthy, too, with not a trace of MSG.
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