Mei Lee Traveling Table

Last month, I didn’t get a chance to report on the STLwinegirl Traveling Table at Mei Lee. I had been a huge fan of Mei Lee many years ago when I worked with a woman from Thailand and she took us there for lunch one day. She had ordered us the best item on the menu, the last number, which was a sweet noodle dish with shrimp. Every time I went back, I would always order it. So I was sad when Mei Lee moved just because I am a traditionalist so this was a great excuse to try out the new location.

The best thing about the Traveling Table is that since the menu was already selected, it meant that I got to taste some new dishes instead of ordering my usual noodle dish. We started out with Chicken Spring Rolls and of course, a lighter appetizer pairs best with a light, white wine: Domaine Savard Cheverny Sauvignon Blanc from Loire Valley, France. The spring rolls were served with a fish sauce and a hoisin sauce so it was interesting to pair them both with the wine. I couldn’t decide…I loved them both!

The second course actually had two dishes…the first was a Papaya Salad with Shrimp & Pork. The shrimp was fantastic and I just ate around the pork of course. And speaking of trying something new, the second dish was my first time trying fried frog legs! They looked like little fried chicken drummies. (Tastes like chicken!) Maybe a little greasy and there is not much meat to a frog leg really. Both were paired with a Albert Mann Pinot Blanc from Alsace, France to help cut through the grease of the lighter meats.

Then to top of the last course, there were THREE dishes to try, all paired with a 2009 Olivier Hillaire Cotes du Rhone from Southern Rhone France. I am a huge Cotes du Rhone fan and it really paired well with the heavier meaty dishes. I skipped over the Five Spice Pork dish, but I did enjoy the Shrimp Fire Pot Soup that came in a Lemongrass-Tamarind Broth. I could not get enough shrimp! The last dish was a Shaking Beef that was also had a great flavor.

Resources:

STLwinegirl = http://www.stlwinegirl.com

Mei Lee = http://maileerestaurant.com/