I absolutely love this place. It's small but there's a friendly staff on hand. I usually get the half chicken and share it with my friend. I love white meat and he loves dark meat, and it is conveniently sliced right down the middle and placed on each side of the plate. Awesome! I've ordered 2 rice dishes in the past, seafood fried rice and shrimp fried rice, both are great, no complaints, good prices and service. read more

I really enjoy the food fare in May Mei and will come back for more! I love their "Steamed Chicken", served with a dipping sauce made up of minced ginger and spring onions, I seriously think it beats the Hainanese chicken from Savoy Kitchen! Their chinese sausage clay pot rice as many have raved, is really delicious, no doubt! I would suggest sharing this 1 or 2 folks due to the big portion. I'm a sucker for sweet & sour fish and May Mei makes me happy with theirs. :) Their stir fry brocolli was cooked to perfection too! We asked for stir fry with garlic only which wasn't on the menu and they were cool about it. Beef horfun (flat noodles) was so-so to me as I've had it better. Somehow, we always end up packing up left-overs and the food is just as good the next day, even the broccoli. :) So if you enjoy cantonese food fare, head over to May Mei, you won't be disappointed. :) Just bring some cash with you as this restaurants takes in cash only... and an empty stomach of course! read more

This is a great Chinese restaurant. It has great pork and chicken. I have been coming here for years. I always forget to review because I am so busy eating. read more

May Mei Restaurant - Salt and pepper pork chops, beef chow fun , orange chicken. - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Great Spot to go to eat with your family ! The food is cooked wonderfully and it's not too crowded or overpacked there. The only thing is it's slightly dirty and they don't speak English well. read more

Great HK-style food at a good price. Large menu options, authentic food, and always served hot and fresh. Food can be customized to your liking, and I always leave with leftovers. Portions are generously-sized and served family style. IIt's great to order several dishes and sample them all. I love the yee mein and salty/spicy shrimp. It's a better deal to go for lunch b/c the prices are a bit cheaper. The restaurant fills up quickly, and it is a small place. You can expect to wait up to 45 minutes for a table or longer, if you have a large group. PROS: fast service, great food, large menu CONS: parking lot is usually crowded, no waiting area read more

Why haven't I reviewed this place yet? Maybe because it's so far away from me. This used to be my hometown for a good 7-8 years, Temple City and Arcadia. I live pretty much near Irvine now, and when I come in this area... THIS is the choice restaurant that I go to. That being said, I must say it comes highly recommended by me. The chef has a very interpretive style and the food, for the most part, all taste pretty spectacular. If you're looking for kung pao chicken and panda express type of food, I'm sorry but you probably won't enjoy as much, the authentic taste and dishes you will get here. Parking generally sucks, and wait time on to-go orders could be long. Place could get packed from time to time... but you might notice I don't give out a lot of five stars. This place still earns a 5-star in my book on authentic-style food and quality alone. read more

Overhyped. This past weekend, my uncle took my family and I to May Mei. Ordered several of the clay pot rice dishes with various toppings, tofu, and veggies. The rice was mainly soy sauce based. The toppings were alright but I didn't find anything special. The service is what you will get at a typical Asian restaurant. We had to ask like 3 or 4 times to get something... read more

I am a FANATIC when it comes to hot pot rice. I just love when the rice gets all crispy and yummy...mmmmmmm. And this place knows their hot pot rice. FOOD: Hot pot rice-Just get it. Don't ask me any questions, just get it. Shanghai rice cakes-I love Shanghai rice cakes but their rice cakes weren't cooked through when we got them. Disappointment Congee-Good, nothing special, but still good. Basically this review was mainly on the hot pot rice, (was a 3.5 in my book but I decided to round up just for the sake of that rice). read more

Fast service. Great prices. Good food. Yup, I'll be here frequently. Only downside is the lack of credit card being accepted. I don't like walking around with large wads of cash so eating here takes more preparation and planning that I am used to. The parking lot in this shopping plaza is a nightmare. It is loaded with really bad drivers in fancy cars. I have sat in gridlock on several occasions here where the drivers are either unaware of the dimensions of their cars or unaware while backing out of parking spots. I would seriously consider parking on the street behind the supermarket during high traffic hours and then walking there. read more

This is a good family style restaurant for large groups of people and if you have kids. I liked the taste of the different entrees. The food was very Chinese style. I went with a large group of around 15 people. My family enjoyed the food here and so did the kids. read more

3.5 stars This place used to be really really good. If I had reviewed this place 3 years ago, I would have given it 4.5 stars. Everything here nowadays is ok. The Clay pot rice is always good, though the quality of everything else seems to have gone down. I have never been a fan of their noodle soups, but their stir frys were always spot on. Since my family and I were pretty much regulars, the staff here would always be super friendly and one of the waitresses would always hook us up with extra soup; which by the way, is always great. Their soup of the day reminds me of the classic homecooked, boiled for several hours, medicinal, and healing broth that the Southern Chinese are famous for. It's free when you come during lunch hour, but you have to pay for it during dinner time. The portion sizes have gone down substantially over the last couple of years, as have the quality and taste of the food. It's still okay, just not as delicious as it used to be. read more

Man, this place was pretty darn good! I've been feening for a good Chinese place in my area for a while; but, for the life of me, I couldn't find one. What I like about this place is the same reasons I liked Sam Woo back in Rowland Heights when that was my Chinese place. It even had similarities to the 'Woo from 5 years ago. From taste to experience. Even down to cash only! And a cramped (but smaller parking lot). One thing I didn't find similar was the size of the place. It's quite small in there. I couldn't really believe it could sit 74 people in the least bit comfortably. But, hey, there are booths you can wait for if you want to be more separated! The chicken fried rice (hands down my favorite dish in any Chinese place) was great. Slightly salty when eating, the chicken was usually big enough to taste like chicken. All in all, exactly the kind of taste I like in my fried rice with chicken bits. One thing is that the portion was a bit smaller than what I was used to at the 'Woo. But, I also eat a little less, so it rather balances out. We also had some scallops in black bean sauce, which were great. The scallops came with delicious red and green bell peppers, as well as whole black beans. It rendered the sauce and the scallop a slight, sharp kick at the aftertaste. The scallops were soft and nicely cooked. I will say some were more soft, while some were slightly crispier at the corners. But, me taking off one star was for the service. I mean, I do expect less than 100% service, of course! But, we had ordered the scallop in garlic sauce instead of black bean sauce. We wanted some spicy scallops! But, we got black bean instead. We also asked for water, and never got any. Which I don't mind. It's the same at 'Woo's. But, to mess up an entire order? Oh well, at least we were lucky with what we got! Looks like I found my "local" though! Finally! read more

I've become a regular here for lunch for a couple reason 1) CHEAP 2) Pretty good cantonese food 3) They don't drown the food in sauce like other Cantonese restaurants 4) The Kung Pao Beef!! (I order this EVERY TIME). I love the taste and the crunchy peanuts It's funny, but they totally give regulars better treatment...aka more soup before your food comes and the ability to customize some of the dishes (I ask for pork with string beans when I get this one specific waitress..and she happily obliges, but when I get someone else, they never let me..those bastards!) CASH ONLY!!! Parking can be a bit of a hassle at this plaza during peak hours read more

Highly recommended for authentic hong kong style food. Friendly staff will remember you after a couple of visits. Good prices, great food. The soup is great, bean tips are excellent. I have tried many a dish here and have loved every one of them. Only negative is no beer. Have some tea or a soda and enjoy the food. The rice bowls are great too, try the slightly overlooked/ crispy bits stuck to the side of the bowl. Great texture. read more

The food here is a trifects: cheap, tasty and fast. Plus the place is clean and the waiter was nice. We had the Seafood Chow Fun (aka Seafood Noodles) and the Chicken Chow Mein (aka Chicken Noodles) and the Eggplant Stir-Fry (with unknown meat). All three tasted great, but the Chicken Chow Mein tasted the best. We also ordered the sugar cane juice but it came funky (definitely not fresh-pressed). Large restaurant, no wait. We sat right down. I have been to other places and oh my god it's you are standing in line at a refugee camp. read more

Cash only?!?! That's right. Don't forget to bring your best buddy Benjamin if you are bringing more than 3 guests to this place. They have the daily soup, the daily specials and daily desserts. It's pretty much a Chinese (Cantonese) fast food that tastes a lot better than those Panda Express styled Chinese American cuisine. read more

Bring some greens at this joint. There is a big "Cash Only" sign at the door. Order the clay pot and give the dish longer time to leave the kitchen. Although it was the last dish severed, it came out quicker than what the waiter's estimated 30 min cooking time. I did enjoy their wonton soup but the others were just typical Chinese food. We came in at 6:00pm so there is no line to wait but at around 7:30ish, there were patrons waiting for a table. read more

Great place for clay pots. This time I ordered beef stew and two clay pot rice. The beef stew is in this place is also great as the beef is tender and easy to chew. You can either have traditional or curry beef stew, depends which one you like. Clay pot rice taste wonderfully and serve hot but you expect to wait for 20 mins. read more

May Mei Restaurant - Sweet and sour pork - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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This is a great place for large groups. Portions are family size and reasonably priced. Wait may be 10-15 min in the evenings as it does get busy. Will be coming back more often. read more

I love this place! The only thing is...CASH ONLY... We came here b/c it was too late for Full House (open til 9:30), but we didn't feel like Hop Li/Hop Kee (open til 1 am) down the street. The best distinction I can make between this joint and Full House is that, to me, Full House is more of a high end place. You know, a place you'd order that giant lobster, the massive prawns, or the expensive steamed fish. Here, well, here is more about the peasant foods, the meat and potatoes as it were type of place. Here's a rundown of our meal: - Westlake Minced Beef Soup (kinda bland, needed white pepper) - Chicken with Taro Hot Pot (some pieces of chicken were overcooked, but the flavor was spot on) - Pig Feet with Dried Bean Sticks Hot Pot (probably my favorite dish) - Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce Hot Pot Rice (not as good as I imagined it would be, but still enjoyable) - Gailan (Chinese Broccoli, was okay) - HK Style Seafood Chow Mein (sadly I didn't get to taste this dish as I was pre-occupied with the others) This place is a definite winner and repeater for me. read more

If you're in the mood for good homestyle canto food, this is the place. I wouldn't hesitate to take any visiting chinese relatives here Like everyone else says, be prepared for a crappy parking lot, a line if you go at a normal dinner time, and your typical crappy chinese service. get passed that, and this place is golden! you HAVE to order the claypot, and you GOT to let the rice sit and become perfectly crisp. everything else they have is just bonus (fried shrimp, chicken, shanghai style noodles and pancakes, etc read more

The braised string beans and clay pot spareribs rice is good. I would give it a higher score if the food was less greasy and our waiter wasn't so intrusive. Found this place through Yelp. The braised string beans were good, but I wish they brought it when the clay pot spareribs rice came. It was cold by the time it came. The clay pot was good as well. The server separates most of the meat and all of the Chinese broccoli. Then he adds sauce and mixes the rice and left over meat around. We ended up putting the meat and vegetable back in the pot to keep the food warm. Jireh H. mentions of a rude waiter. I think we got him. He seems to be the boss. It was our first time there and it was not busy. He paced back and forth near us while we were trying to figure what to eat. It was irritating and after he asked us for the fourth time if we were ready I told him I couldn't think with him pacing next to us. His response was that this was a Chinese restaurant. I have no clue what he meant by that. All the other servers were fine. read more

Good lunch option if you want to come with a group of people. The lunch specials range from $4.75 to $6.25 a dish. They offer 68 different dishes on the lunch menu. None of the dishes stuck out in particular but all were pretty decent to above average. Unlimited refills on lemon ice tea ($2). Lunch also includes free soup and white rice. read more

I came here with my husband's family for Lunar New Year's Dinner. One of the few restaurants I've seen open late. We ordered tons of food. They have their fair share of hits and misses but overall, most of the dishes were actually good. They weren't packed when we went (around 8:30 ~ 9PM) and we had a party of 6. Service was good but it would have been nice if they checked up on us a little more often. I needed a lot of water because the food was salty but never got more than 2 refills. =( read more

I've been here several times and I like it. I first found it via Yelp and had to get the rice pot as everyone recommended! And yesterday was my first time there for lunch special, good deals! I've never had this Hong Kong Canton food (that's what it says on the window), but I really like the clay pot because it's so different! 1. Rice pot and Chicken - good and has gai lan, except I had chicken with bones... I wish asians would have chicken breast instead... 2. Rice pot with beef cube and egg - good, but no gai lan 3. Fried tofu and mushroom - my favorite 4. Lunch special soft tofu - almost the same as the fried tofu and mushroom, but the tofu is not friend, it's a healthy option I've had some of their fried dishes, such as fish/squid and they're ok. All the fried dishes are rather oily for my tastes, but at every restaurant, it is oily. read more

I didn't expect it. Then I am shocked. Small restaurant, cash only. But it's really tasty, the wok, and the roasted things. Really impressed! Love it! read more

Came by last night with the family and here is my take on the restaurant and what we ate. 1) ambience--good and spacious. 2) chicken and mushroom pot rice--good portion, okay flavor. Husband thinks it's nothing special and can easily be done at home. 3) seafood tofu pot--will not order again. I'm not keen on the flavor. 4) wonton with beef soup--noodles were good, wonton is lacking in flavor and soup was okay. On the whole, I'll go again as I'll like to try other dishes but husband and son said they will not. read more

I've been to May Mei countless times with my family for many years now. The waiters and waitresses have always been the same people and they've always been friendly and hardworking. I'm so madly in love with their hot pot rice! We order lat mei every single time. I can eat bowls here versus eating a single bowl at home. Parking is pretty tight and depending what day you go the plaza is often packed. read more

Love this place ! Crispy chicken chow mein is heaven service Is quick and fast ! Food never disappoints. And they accept phone orders must try place ! read more

Hey people, please be aware this restaurant has been cheating on the total charge of your bill. They do not have computerized bill and just use hand calculated bill. It is not just about rounding up to a penny or two. Many times, there are certain staffs who have intentionally marked up another 30 cents, 50 cents, 60 cents, etc... here and there on your total bill. If you use Arcadia tax rate 10.25% to calculate, you will notice they add extra charges assuming some customers do not bother to calculate. This happens more often if you paid cash for take out food. They would just take your cash and won't give you a receipt. If they cheat and charge every customer a little bit here and there on the orders, they will get extra money at the end of the day. That is totally cheating, and I wonder which agency I can report this. Today, I catch a bitchy waitress added another 25 cents to my total and I refuse to pay that until she fixed it. And she was annoyed that I caught her. This is about the principal of business. A restaurant should not hide and charge us extra assuming customers won't notice. read more

Very good Cantonese (Hong Kong style) food. The hot pot rice and hot pots are very good. I really enjoyed the crab meat (real) with vegetables. Pig feet, filet mignon, etc. are also good. Everything comes out HOT! And this place is very inexpensive. read more

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Ahhhhh, I love this place. I'm not that big of a fan of the meat that goes on the bo-jai-fan but the rice itself is consistently so aromatic and delicious! I never look at the menu because I know my 3 staples; pepper/salt chicken wings, pork sparerib bo-jai-fan and garlic tong choy. Fav restaurant in Arcadia! Live LONG and prosper for the love of god. read more

Ok, this place is like a Sam Woo, only cleaner. A couple of reviewers were underwhelmed by the service. Yeah, I can see why they would write that. To me, the service is decent, just gotta have the right expectations. It's a chinese diner type place. This ain't a hoity toity West LA place with the fake chinese food. The food is Cantonese, specifically Hong Kong. Here, you'll hear a lot of Canto spoken with some Mando too. Always a good sign to see chinese eating at a chinese place. They do an excellent rendition of "twice fried" chow mein (common HK dish). read more

I just had an great Cantonese style dinner with my friend Grand that I've known from back in the days when I was young. We ordered some Super Crispy Chow Mien with Chicken, Cubed Peppered Beef, and some delicious Split Shrimp with Green Onions. All the food was very flavorful, I ended up drinking about 10 cups of the tea also. My mom told me that when you eat some good heavy Chinese food, you have to wash it down with some tea. It was very busy, and the service was good and quick considering how busy it was. When you are in the mood for some good Cantonese style Chinese food Mei Mei is the spot. read more

Service is extremely slow but don't let it stop you from getting some good food. The dining area is not fancy. For togo orders, allow 20 minutes. I ordered my dishes and went to the supermarket. I had preserved vegetables with minced pork soup noodle. It had plenty of vegies and l liked it. I did not like the mustard green with salted egg soup. The container was too small for the $price. I'll have to return to try other dishes. read more

I live in arcadia and this is one of our better restaurants. One of the rare cases that makes me proud of this small, boring suburb. Never had a complaint: good, decent chinese/taiwanese-style foods. I see a review on the side that says Sinbala is better. I'll agree the food here isn't amazing but comparing this to Sinbala is like comparing those delicious taco trucks to taco bell, you obviously should not be making reviews on yelp. read more

This is a Chinese restaurant with authentic Cantonese entrees. You can also order various types of fried rice and chow mein. But I usually come here for the preserved meat clay pot rice. It's larger than any other restaurant. Rice is cooked just right with crispy rice on the inside wall of the pot. Good portion of meat, too. I also like the deep fried filet with creamy corn sauce. It's very crunchy. If you like lamb, I also recommend the soy skin with lamb stew in a clay pot. It's very flavorful and soy skin is chewy. Perfect with white rice. For dessert, Yogurtland is just two stores down. read more

Not a fan of the food, we only ordered hot & sour soup and clay pot rice with assorted meats. The soup is neither sour nor hot (spicy) and the rice is very hard to chew on... Last but not the least, when I asked the waiter to bring more tissues, he didn't seem to be very happy. Seriously I thought this was a Taiwanese restaurant, and when I saw the menu, it's definitely Cantonese. That is misleading info on Yelp. read more

Delicious, authentic Chinese food. Not the typical Americanized Chinese most people eat. This is the real deal. The first time you go, you may want to take a knowledgable friend. The ambiance is busy and noisy. Not a place for conversation. This is a place to come and eat. You could converse but you'll have to do it pretty loudly :) As far as the food. It's lovely. My favorite was the salt and peppered shrimp which is deep fried so you can also eat the shell if you care to. We also had the baby bok choy, as well as a chicken and vegetable dish. I was glad my sister was there to order because I would have had no clue. If you are an adventurous eater and feel comfortable ordering on the fly you'll be fine. read more

Fried tofu with bamboo fungus-not bad. The bamboo fungus has its unique aroma. Sweet and sour pork ribs-average. The flour is kind of thick. Tender green with supreme sauce-below average. Not tender enough. Dry scallop and egg fried rice-good. Not oily. Bits of dry scallop and well shredded egg make the dish more delicate. Complimentary soup-average. Hot red bean soup-good. Just the right level of sweetness. Mango pudding-average. read more