Myers and Chang Chowdown UPDATE – Boston

Like all relationships, my relationship with Myers & Chang was in desperate need of rekindling after a dry year. Even Joanne Chang and Chris Myers probably have a non-culinary date night once in a while.

So I had a date night…with Myers & Chang. Before you snicker at my willingness to third wheel, remember that third wheels are necessary on several vital contraptions…like cars…and tricycles…although I think tricycles are now antiques. Shut up, I’m not that old…

My night at Myers & Chang started with the easy familiarity that comes with knowing who you’re dealing with. The Taiwanese-Style Dan Dan Noodles were predictably sweet with peanuts and chili sambai. No surprises, but why stray when you know what you have is good?

The date night hit a minor hiccup with the Wok-Roasted Mussels. A heavier hand on the lemongrass makes swallowing these juicy, flavorful, fully-saturated mussels a tad bit painful. Plenty of people prefer their mussels drenched so take my opinion with a grain of salt…of which this sauce had one too many.

The Black Pepper Shanghai Noodles were comfort with a kick. The tofu and portabella are old comforts you get to know over the years, and the black pepper kicks you awake with the novelty of an occasional moment of feistiness, an unexpected laugh, or a new inside joke.

The Corn with Sriracha Butter is the shocking burn when a little unexpected spice pops up after years of sweet predictability. Corn is tasty, especially at places like Toro, but once in a while you just need the spark of Myers & Chang.

I tried a lot of new things with Myers & Chang that night, but my relationship with them may never change. There is the constant companionship of the 5-spice Tofu Buns and the chocolate mousse with legendary meringue, but just when I think I’ve been through it all, they throw a some hot sriracha butter and a kick of black pepper into the flame. Myers & Chang may be what I like to call a faithful old favorite, and some nights, they’re all I crave.