By Mareska Chettiar, Co-T/E Life Editor
Sweet and delicious aromas filter through my nose as I entered the small waiting area of M&M Dim Sum and Hong Kong BBQ. After walking past a large fish tank, the waitstaff welcomed me to the restaurant and into a large dining space, ranging from tables for two to a party table. Music played softly over the speakers and warm lighting surrounded the seating space, creating an inviting atmosphere.
After being seated, servers provide paper menus that customers can mark off and write on in addition to traditional menus. The selection includes a wide range of dumplings, dim sum, noodles, Hong Kong-style BBQ options, fried rice, clay pots, pork, beef and dessert options.
I started with a pot of light and fragrant jasmine green tea for just $4. For appetizers, I ordered pork soup dumplings and the scallion pancake for $6 each and shrimp rice noodle wraps for $8. The soup dumplings were steaming and an absolute delight, though I would have preferred more soup in them rather than more meat. However, the dish overall was filling and satisfying with the great texture of the dumpling and the umami-rich soup. The scallion pancakes were crispy and flaky, with a ginger-garlic sauce that I could not get enough of. I was also excited to try the shrimp rice noodle wraps. They lived up to my expectations, with a light sauce to complement the slightly chewy texture of the wrap. They were bursting with the flavor of shrimp and an overall great dish.
For the entrée, I ordered roasted pork Hong Kong BBQ style. It was chewy and surprisingly sweet, and it had a great quantity for just $15. The jasmine tea and shrimp noodle wraps served as great palate cleansers as I switched between dishes. Finally, I had the restraunt’s “homemade mango pudding” for dessert. The texture of the pudding was more like jelly, and though there was an aftertaste of mango, the first flavor was primarily of condensed milk. As it lacked texture and flavor, I would not rate it as highly as the other dishes.
My experience at M&M Dim Sum and Hong Kong BBQ was excellent overall. The five items I ordered totaled up to $54.06, which I considered very reasonable for the quantity and quality of dishes. The waitstaff were very friendly, the aesthetic of the restaurant warm and welcoming, and the food was top-tier. I will definitely be visiting again.
Mareska Chettiar can be reached at [email protected].
