88 Club
Restaurant · Golden Triangle ·
Modern Chinese dining with refined interpretations of classic dishes
Modern Chinese dining with refined interpretations of classic dishes
"On October 17 and 18, 88 Club will serve a soy milk creme brulee with tahini caramel, black sesame ice cream, and a vanilla shortbread cookie—a limited-edition dessert collaboration between makeup artist Patrick Ta and chef Mei Lin inspired by Patrick Ta Beauty’s new eyeshadow palette—and anyone who orders the dish will receive a complimentary Artistry Edit palette." - Rebecca Roland
"Understated takes on regional Chinese dishes anchor Mei Lin’s return to fine dining, executed with a no-thrills approach that delivers deeply layered flavors and brilliant results. Start with cold mung bean noodles tossed in aged black vinegar and a chrysanthemum salad, then move to hiramasa crudo in a pool of XO sauce. Sesame prawn toast, finished with dollops of sweet-and-sour sauce and hot mustard aioli, and Manila clams in lemongrass black bean sauce make umami-packed middle courses, while XO fried cakes blow away the version at Din Tai Fung. Nam yu chicken, sweet & sour fish, and cha siu Iberico pork channel Chinese banquet classics, and dessert lands with coconut sago pomelo topped with Dippin’ Dots-style mango ice cream. High, cathedral-like ceilings disguise a relatively small room shielded from daylight by thick curtains; a side bar plays like a secret alcove of a swanky hotel cocktail hideaway, while the serene green main room—checkered floors, rounded leather club chairs, gold-rimmed plateware, and quarter-sized marble lazy susans—rides a steady simmer thanks to R&B bangers. Fashionistas in dark, flowy tones mix with corporate types, and the Art Deco-like interior in sumptuous greens contrasts with a bar the color of capicola; the menu also threads influences from Dearborn, Hong Kong, and Vancouver through dishes like Singaporean chow mein and kung pao scallops." - Matthew Kang
"Mei Lin’s sophomore effort in Los Angeles (we’ll consider her casual restaurant Daybird more of a 1.5) comes in the form of 88 Club , a striking, moody affair with just a few dozen seats and an almost secret side lounge for cocktails. The entire look and feel are incredibly lovely, well-detailed, and luxurious, like a high-end restaurant hidden away in a Singapore or Bangkok hotel that only the well-heeled know about. Thankfully Lin’s restaurant, a partnership with restaurateur Francis Miranda, is easy to access right from Little Santa Monica in Beverly Hills. The service is polite and helpful without being too much. In fact, “not too much” could be the theme here. All the dishes are balanced and refined to a near razor’s edge, meant to delight without pizzazz. Lin herself said the menu was “no thrills” and “what you see is what you get,” and I’m perfectly fine with that in an age when we’ve moved beyond rainbow bagels and Instagram bullshit. Starters are modest and refreshing, like a dressed chrysanthemum salad or mung bean jelly noodles. Singaporean fried noodles don’t carry the heady spices of something in a hawker center, but doused with Lin’s chile oil they’re hard to stop eating. The shrimp toast, gorgeous and hefty in the hand, is a must-order. I pined for more of the tangy sweet and sauce sour beneath the fried sea bream, fresh herbs balancing the fish. Across the board, portions and flavors are modest but reveal layers of pleasant complexity, like the blackened edges of char siu iberico pork. I’ll even swoon over the desserts, like the mango sago topped with sweet dollops that resemeble Dippin’ Dots ice cream. The pro-tip here is to go with four people to reduce the costs and maximize dishes to order; we paid about $100 before drinks, tax, and tip, but the price could easily balloon to $200 a person with lots of cocktails. I’m excited to return to 88 Club and try the rest of the dishes, like the kung pao scallop, but for now, I’ll happily marinate in my first visit knowing that Mei Lin, arguably one of the most talented chefs in Los Angeles right now, is back with a full service restaurant." - Eater Staff
"Throw the best parts of Mr. Chow, La Dolce Vita, and P.F. Chang’s into a blender and you’d end up with 88 Club, a swanky Chinese spot from the former Nightshade chef. With a low-lit clubby vibe, thumping Michael Jackson and Big Pun playlist, and glammed-up prawn toast the size of corn dogs, the place has all the ingredients for a fun Beverly Hills dinner, remixed with Chinese food nostalgia. The crispy sweet and sour fish sauced tableside and glistening char siu with hot mustard should be your priorities—both spendy but shareable. Get the milk tea custard buns to end the night, or the cheeky Long Island Iced Tea with baijiu and bergamot to keep it going." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, garrett snyder, cathy park, cathy park, cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, brant cox, brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park, brant cox, brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder, sylvio martins, cathy park
"This is Beverly Hills dining done right. Pure old-school glamour meets modern sophistication, the space blends dark woods, plush seating, and jade accents that make you straighten your posture and check your reflection. Chef Mei Lin's family-style menu balances bold flavors with interactive presentations. Don't skip the Chrysanthemum Salad or the Nam Yu Roasted Chicken, a childhood favorite served with ginger scallion oil. The menu focuses on globally inspired wines emphasizing French selections and small producers. The cocktails are delicious; try the reimagined Gimlet with pear brandy and perilla, or the elevated LIIT featuring baijiu and osmanthus for cultural depth. When you want to feel fancy and the food needs to match the vibe, this delivers." - Celeste Moure