The space where the old Tommy Tang's used to be on Melrose has been reincarnated as Mao's Kitchen, a branch of Mao's first outpost in Venice. I'm always a bit skeptical about Chinese restaurants where not a single Chinese person is in evidence (I think our waiter was in Dogtown and Z-Boys) but Jon and Jason vouched for the place and I'm always up for a new find. They had already ordered a Chinese chicken salad in lettuce cups when I arrived. I don't know if this dish has ever been served on the Asian continent or if it was invented by P.F. Chang's but I dutifully filled my leaf of iceberg up with the diced, stir-fried chicken with bits of green beans and cleaned my plate, the lettuce included. The menu has Chinese restaurant favorites including both kung pao and orange chicken as well as some more exotic specialties like the typically Muslim Chinese lamb with leeks which I was happy to try. Aside from the lamb, we ordered a lo mein with chicken and a salt and pepper seafood. Jason thought the lamb was the best dish--thinly sliced and stir-fried with green leeks--and it was pretty delicious. But I thought everything was really good. The salt and pepper seafood was lightly battered, deep-fried pieces of shrimp and sole, not greasy at all. The lo mein noodles with chunks of white meat chicken provided a nice balance to the other dishes. The waiter and staff were all friendly and accomodating and talk about a cultural revolution, Mao's even has their own parking lot sans valet. They just opened in late January and don't seem to have a huge following yet as they were only moderately busy on a Friday night. But hopefully with time Mao's will catch on as LA could definitely use a decent Chinese restaurant this side of the SGV.
Mao's Kitchen
7315 Melrose Ave (west of La Brea at Fuller)
323.932.9681 (call for delivery)
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