"I respect the integrity of Happy Cow’s online listings of non-veg eateries with veg-options, so was surprised to see here this Chinese-American (C-A) restaurant. What could possibly distinguish this takeout joint from all the other conventional C-A takeout joints in the region, especially one in grisly Griswold, an unremarkable town, and in a rundown aging shopping plaza whose anchors are discount stores? What is remarkable is Mei’s extensive vegan submenu, here called Vegetarian tho it’s all vegan. It half consists of mock meats, so if you like mock meats this place is for you. While I shun mock meats, the Vegetarian menu’s other half consists of vegetables, with or without tofu. Most C-A eateries are no more a safe haven for vegheads than any other ethnic eatery. You often can find fish and other sea animals listed right on their menus in their so-called vegetarian sections. I shudder to guess what ingredients are not listed. Thai-American restaurants are the worst offenders, as fish lurks in all their sauces. Rest assured that Mei’s Veg menu really is vegetarian, indeed all vegan. The red sauces in C-A eateries are too sugary sweet and spicy hot for my tender palate, so here I stick with the vegetable dishes with brown sauces. Among them, I especially recommend the Triple Green. Note the Triple Green appears in the Vegetarian section of the printed menu, but in the Healthy Specials section of the online menu. And note that the Healthy Specials (steamed rather than stir-fried or fried) section includes many other vegan dishes, too. Worth noting here is the brown rice, which garners my award as a gold standard. The nutritional difference between brown and white might be slight, but shunning white rice and seeking brown makes a social statement. For $1 more, Mei’s serves brown rice, simple to prepare, yet easy to ruin. Mei’s brown rice is perfect, and packed above the brim in those traditional C-A white cardboard takeout containers with wire handles. The entrée containers, however, are made of microwavable plastic. They, too, are packed to the brim, so portions all are generous, making the prices quite low. Whether you eat-in or takeout, everything is served to-go. Despite a spacious dining area, you must serve yourself, so you might as well do takeout. When you’re northbound on I-395, Mei’s is a quick stop off of Exit 22. When southbound, its shopping plaza requires a few more turns. Those few more turns are well worth your while."
