Meisiu Cafe
Have you heard of Meisiu Café? It’s located at 7622 Dodge St, Omaha, NE. My wife had been telling me about this new noodle place that we needed to try. I enjoy Asian food very much; it is my favorite! She was saying how they make the noodles themselves from scratch. It took a while, but we finally made it for a day date without the kids.
When you walk in you see the counter area and seating which are very clean and welcoming, but you can tell that it is a newer place that a lot of people may not yet know about. Don’t let the fact that a new restaurant is not busy deter you from giving it a try. You just may be missing out on a hidden gem. When you walk up to the counter front end manager, Pascal, greets you and provides information about the menu options. You can get a menu item by itself or for an additional $2 upgrade to a meal.
If you go for the gold and hit the upgrade you surely will not leave hungry. You get an appetizer, a drink and soup. The soup is a good deal because you can serve yourself and get seconds if you would like. The options are hot & sour and egg drop. On our date I went with the Lanzhou Beef Noodle (handmade noodle served with sliced beef in broth, cilantro and scallion.) It comes spicy, but you can get non-spicy if you would like. I also got the veggie delight and then they give you a hard-boiled egg with it. You know I went with the spicy.
I like the flavor! The cilantro and scallion are common ingredients when it comes to Asian noodle dishes. The combination of those two things with the broth is so awesome! The meat was really tender and the noodles were thick and smooth. They had a heaviness to them and I think that is from them making the noodles in house. Getting the spicy was a great choice and I had a little sniffle going on while I was eating my meal. No problem with that!
My wife went with the Stewed Beef Noodle (handmade noodle served in special beef broth, stewed beef, cilantro, scallion, and bok choy). She enjoyed her order as well. Meisiu is not far from her work and she thought that it would be a place that she would return to. One of the things that she mentioned during our visit was that it would be nice if you could see the chefs making the noodles while you dined. Currently there isn’t a view behind the scenes to see where all the magic takes place.
On a follow-up visit I did sit with Pascal and he said that making this an available option in the future is something that they would like to do. Yes, I had a follow-up visit. I actually went back for lunch and to meet my CPA to interview him for an episode of my What’s Up Omaha podcast. I again had the Lanzhou Beef Noodles and again they helped my belly smile. I didn’t get a whole combo this time and the noodles and soup were more than enough. After a second successful visit I sent an email to see how I could assist the restaurant grow.
ascal and I set a meeting and it was there where we had a good conversation about the restaurant and where he would like it to head in the future. Right now the main focus is on the food and spreading the word about how the chefs really are passionate about creating great food and as close to authentic as they can make it. Some people have mentioned that the broth is salty, but Pascal says that this is because of them making the noodles in house. If they didn’t use the level of salt that they do then the flavor would be lacking. It’s a science behind it and they hope that it translates to what the dishes are really supposed to represent. They don’t want to be a typical Chinese restaurant in Omaha and this is why you won’t see a lot of what you would see in many other establishments.
They realize that this is something that could turn some customers away and they have considered expanding the menu, but want to stay true to their initial vision for what they want to serve to the Omaha community. It may take a little time and they are committed to providing wonderful food and adding to the culture in the city. The next few months will be pivotal for the small restaurant and they want to make the most of the opportunity that they have.
I believe that this restaurant has the ability to catch on in the area. We spoke about having more of a presence on Social Media platforms to help spread their message. Personally, I would go back and hope to do so again soon. The food is good and Pascal does a nice job of being the face of the business and keeping the atmosphere set to a level that invites customers in. The price is reasonable and I mentioned the amount of food that you receive. If you go with just a dish you will spend from around $10-$13 and again an extra $2 if you upgrade to a combo. Either way you are good to go.
When I do go back I would like to try one of the rice dishes. This is something that Dan Hoppen of Restaurant Hoppen and I had a chat about on Facebook in the Omaha Food Lovers group. I have a huge respect for him and what he is doing in the food scene locally. Please go and check out his blog and podcast! Something that I once said on Twitter is, “The good thing about being a food reviewer is that there is enough for everyone to eat!” The couple of people that I watch and listen to have great perspectives and input. Though I stay in my lane and do my own thing I’m excited to cross paths with others in this field in the near future.
Now, back to Meisiu. The only thing that would be a slight mark off in my eyes, but something that is not uncommon is the lack of a fountain drink option. I see this from time to time in newer or small restaurants where only can or bottle options are available. I would assume this is due to the cost associated with having a soda distributor, but that is just a guess. Other than that both of my visits have been pretty good. I hope that the word gets out and that people start filing in to give them a try. They are in a high traffic area so if they can get the ball rolling they shouldn’t have a problem seeing increased traffic.
I give Meisiu Cafe 4 Fatties! Have you been? If so, what do you think?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my thoughts on food. You are amazing!