11/07/17
La Mei Zi is a terrific Taiwanese restaurant located in a large shopping center on Buford Hwy. It is located next to several other Asian inspired restaurants but stands out because of the quality and quantity of food they provide. The one dish you must try when you go here is the Basil Eggplant with Pork ($15). Thick cut slices of fresh eggplants are boiled and then wok stir fried with basil leaves, jalapeño, garlic and slivers of pork. The light brown sauce is a combination of oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and other spices that is not too thick and provides a great base for the main ingredients. The eggplant slices soak up the sauce perfectly and you immediately get a rush of it upon first bite. It has a sweet, salty, aromatic taste from the basil leaves, oyster sauce and garlic. Each eggplant slice has a soft, silky texture with a bit of chew from the bright purple skin. The pork protein has a textural and cut size similar to the eggplant which is perfect in to tricking your mind to thinking your eating a full meat dish and not one mainly consisting of eggplants. The fresh jalapeño slices add some heat and a crunchy texture to the dish. Overall, this dish is well balanced and very filling (probably serves 2-3 adults easily). A bowl of white rice is always served on the side and makes a great vehicle for drizzling the leftover brown sauce on top and finishing the plate entirely. BTB for sure... ✌🏽