Williamsburg has always been a neighborhood in conversation between old and new, between grit and polish. At Meili, that conversation takes a new shape, this time between Brooklyn cool and Sichuan soul.
It’s a place where cumin and sesame speak fluently with soft lighting and subtle confidence. At Meili, the new restaurant tucked into the Coda Hotel in Williamsburg, those oppositions hum in balance. It’s not a place that shouts for attention. Instead, it simmers, slowly drawing you in with its quiet confidence and the steady hand of a chef who understands restraint as well as richness.
The space itself carries that same duality. Designed with soft lighting and sleek lines, it feels at once polished and deeply lived-in, the kind of restaurant that might have existed here for years, though Meili is barely a few months old. Owner Miki Niu and managing partner Jason Xie, whose prior ventures include CHILI and Wonderland Bar, have brought in Michelin-starred chef Peter He to oversee a menu that spans Sichuan street food traditions and refined, almost meditative takes on classics.
We began with the dan dan noodles, mild by design, the kind of dish that could easily be overlooked if you’re expecting an aggressive punch of heat. But here, the pleasures are in the textures—the tangle of soft but chewy noodles, the gentle hum of sesame, the slow build of spice that lingers without ever overwhelming. It’s a quiet starter, but a purposeful one.
Next came the pan-fried pork dumplings, a dish that feels instantly familiar. No tricks here—just a well-seared base, a delicate chew, and a balanced filling. It’s easy to miss the nuance in something so classic.
But it’s the spicy cumin lamb that truly commands attention. Fragrant, fiery, and beautifully tender, this dish is the high note—the reason to return. It arrives sizzling, its aroma trailing a promise it absolutely keeps. The lamb is deeply marinated and crisp-edged, and the cumin sings without shouting. It’s easily one of the best renditions I’ve had of this dish, and one that reflects Chef He’s confident restraint and deep technique.
Alongside it, the spicy shredded beef feels like a clever remix of a takeout staple. There’s crunch and heat, sweetness and smoke, a dish that reminds you how far refinement can elevate the familiar.
And then, unexpectedly, dessert. Tiramisu, heavy on the cream, unapologetically sweet, and perhaps a little surprising in a Sichuan-focused menu—but undeniably satisfying. It doesn’t aim for fusion. It simply says: you’ve earned this. And we had.
Meili’s menu doesn’t try to dazzle with theatrics or overwhelm with spice. Instead, it presents a studied, confident take on Sichuan flavors, rooted in tradition and executed with finesse. There’s something deeply reassuring about a meal like this, where each dish lands exactly where it should, and nothing feels like a performance. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t need to shout to be heard. You’ll be listening anyway.
