About Us:
Thanks for visiting our website! I couldn't think of a better way to tell you all our story than to ask my son Jason who is currently enrolled at UMASS/AMHERST in his sophomore year as an English major to tell it to you. I hope you all enjoy it!
-The Mui Family
My father was always a man of vision. No matter the trial or tribulation, as long as the goal was clear and deemed worthy of his attention he would strive to no end to reach it. Three self-owned restaurants later, he finds himself re-entering the fray now, in this quaint town of Lynnfield, re-establishing a premise of great Chinese food and service to another fresh crowd of customers. Along with his business and life partner, my father and mother have sought to bring about a business unrivaled in work ethic and commitment to truly bridging American and Asian culture through culinary.
Rewinding the clocks a bit, I was four years old when my pops first started out in Danvers. The first to come forth was the 88 Restaurant, which would eventually develop into a fine and prosperous business venture for my family, for the next 13 years from 1995 to 2008, as rated and raved by the townspeople of Danvers themselves. Throughout our stay there, my father was able to earn 4½ out of five stars rating by the North Shore Community, the “Taste of Town” from Danvers, and recognized as the go-to joint for Chinese cuisine all across the social services and schools in Danvers. It was at that point that the twilight years of my parents’ careers began to dawn, and thus the decision was made to relocate closer to home to better accommodate the harsh toll restaurant life tends to take on those who choose it. Being open 364 days a year was and never will be an easy task, thus giving birth to our second establishment the 88 Café in the town of Winchester.
Perhaps it was a stroke of bad luck that the recession hit quickly thereafter, putting my family into a bit of struggle for the next couple years. Again, as I’ve seen them so many times throughout my life, my parents pulled together with an air of venerable fortitude and iron will which I’m so blessed to be instilled with myself, to creating another food business that thankfully keeps the roof over my head and clothes on my back. My older sister, to which our current restaurant is named after also helped build, immensely in fact, the sense of good service and food that we parted with in Winchester. Unfortunately, for the first time this would not be enough, as problems from our landlord plagued my Dad constantly and thoughts of relocation would again arise.
Now, for the final time, my father sets his sight on this town of Lynnfield to be his last stop in this journey. Once again serving up delicious meals for families and businesses and doing what he loves to do. Clearly, I would be lying to say I am not bias in the praise of my father’s cooking, though he does truly deserve it. I however do challenge you in trying the many dishes he makes to see for yourself how he cooks from the heart. My father personally selects all the goods used for cooking on a daily basis for maximum freshness that ranges from the simple to bafflingly complex.
Of course the popular dishes like General Gao’s, Orange Flavored Meats, Sweet n’ Sour dishes, and Crab Rangoons (just to name a few) are made entirely to please the taste buds. I highly implore all of you who do choose to come down, to note the details and care my father puts in each and every dish. Our rice is soft but not soggy and firm but not dry as true Asian cuisine rice should be. The crisp freshness you get from the vegetables, the tenderness in the meat of the chicken fingers, and balance of flavors and seasoning on the fried rice so that it tastes exactly as what you ordered and more. The sweetness, yet citrus hints in our duck sauce, the overall fragrance that surrounds our soups like an aura, combined with a smile every time you walk through our door I present before you a true ma and pa establishment of Chinese food done justice. Whether it’s the beef or chicken, the rice or lo mein, whether you’re a spicy person or not, an appetizer abuser or a combo plate regular, whether vegetarian or meat lover, by all means come one and come all to a restaurant that gives worth back to that familiar phrase that I assure will come around more frequently as you turn to a friend and say, “Hey, how about Chinese tonight?”.
Written by Proud son of Harry Mui, Jason Mui
-The Mui Family
My father was always a man of vision. No matter the trial or tribulation, as long as the goal was clear and deemed worthy of his attention he would strive to no end to reach it. Three self-owned restaurants later, he finds himself re-entering the fray now, in this quaint town of Lynnfield, re-establishing a premise of great Chinese food and service to another fresh crowd of customers. Along with his business and life partner, my father and mother have sought to bring about a business unrivaled in work ethic and commitment to truly bridging American and Asian culture through culinary.
Rewinding the clocks a bit, I was four years old when my pops first started out in Danvers. The first to come forth was the 88 Restaurant, which would eventually develop into a fine and prosperous business venture for my family, for the next 13 years from 1995 to 2008, as rated and raved by the townspeople of Danvers themselves. Throughout our stay there, my father was able to earn 4½ out of five stars rating by the North Shore Community, the “Taste of Town” from Danvers, and recognized as the go-to joint for Chinese cuisine all across the social services and schools in Danvers. It was at that point that the twilight years of my parents’ careers began to dawn, and thus the decision was made to relocate closer to home to better accommodate the harsh toll restaurant life tends to take on those who choose it. Being open 364 days a year was and never will be an easy task, thus giving birth to our second establishment the 88 Café in the town of Winchester.
Perhaps it was a stroke of bad luck that the recession hit quickly thereafter, putting my family into a bit of struggle for the next couple years. Again, as I’ve seen them so many times throughout my life, my parents pulled together with an air of venerable fortitude and iron will which I’m so blessed to be instilled with myself, to creating another food business that thankfully keeps the roof over my head and clothes on my back. My older sister, to which our current restaurant is named after also helped build, immensely in fact, the sense of good service and food that we parted with in Winchester. Unfortunately, for the first time this would not be enough, as problems from our landlord plagued my Dad constantly and thoughts of relocation would again arise.
Now, for the final time, my father sets his sight on this town of Lynnfield to be his last stop in this journey. Once again serving up delicious meals for families and businesses and doing what he loves to do. Clearly, I would be lying to say I am not bias in the praise of my father’s cooking, though he does truly deserve it. I however do challenge you in trying the many dishes he makes to see for yourself how he cooks from the heart. My father personally selects all the goods used for cooking on a daily basis for maximum freshness that ranges from the simple to bafflingly complex.
Of course the popular dishes like General Gao’s, Orange Flavored Meats, Sweet n’ Sour dishes, and Crab Rangoons (just to name a few) are made entirely to please the taste buds. I highly implore all of you who do choose to come down, to note the details and care my father puts in each and every dish. Our rice is soft but not soggy and firm but not dry as true Asian cuisine rice should be. The crisp freshness you get from the vegetables, the tenderness in the meat of the chicken fingers, and balance of flavors and seasoning on the fried rice so that it tastes exactly as what you ordered and more. The sweetness, yet citrus hints in our duck sauce, the overall fragrance that surrounds our soups like an aura, combined with a smile every time you walk through our door I present before you a true ma and pa establishment of Chinese food done justice. Whether it’s the beef or chicken, the rice or lo mein, whether you’re a spicy person or not, an appetizer abuser or a combo plate regular, whether vegetarian or meat lover, by all means come one and come all to a restaurant that gives worth back to that familiar phrase that I assure will come around more frequently as you turn to a friend and say, “Hey, how about Chinese tonight?”.
Written by Proud son of Harry Mui, Jason Mui