Hôtel-Restaurant du Soleil Levant

The Canard Laqué was a favorite of mine, and the team at MEI prepared it very well. The food was phenomenal, the service attentive, and the atmosphere great. This longtime Sarrebourg classic, known to residents for decades, has been completely renovated and taken over by the previous owner's son, who revamped the whole restaurant and turned it into a work of art. A must when visiting the area!

I’d gladly recommend this place, even though it costs more than the buffets. It’s a real Asian restaurant, and it doesn’t trade away authenticity for profit. The traditional food is a welcome change from the all-you-can-eat buffets we’ve had too much of. The quality is much higher, the service is fit for royalty, and the flavors are simply exquisite.

The new setting at Mei Restaurant was lovely. I liked the welcoming green wall and the striking single-block wooden bench with its inviting curves. The atmosphere was great. The food, though, didn’t live up to the surroundings. There were four of us. The steamed shrimp dumplings and vegetable nems were basic frozen versions; the chicken nem may have been made in the restaurant. We meant to order the traditional canard laqué, but the waiter suggested the “Aiguillettes de canard with foie gras” instead. That was a mistake, as the canard laqué at the next table looked possibly better. The “Bœuf au poivre Sichuan” lacked the lovely flavors of Sichuan cooking and didn’t taste of Sichuan pepper at all. The vegetarian “Millefeuille de soja fourrée aux champignons sur un lit de légume” was bad and wasn’t a millefeuille at all (see picture). The salmon was okay. Each dish also needs a side ordered separately, adding another 2-8 euro per dish, which felt overpriced for the food quality. Before Mei Restaurant, it was called “Soleil Levant” until 2022, and it was a great Chinese restaurant in the heart of Sarrebourg. It then changed management (Lucas Lang), name, and appearance completely. The menu is mostly Chinese, with a few Malaysian, Thai, and Indian-inspired dishes. The food gallery on the restaurant’s website doesn’t show its own food or style. It uses internet stock images of beautiful Japanese dishes that don’t reflect Mei Restaurant’s cuisine, along with stock photos of Japanese chefs working in Japanese cuisine. That’s bizarre, confusing, and misleading. I guess those were red flags I overlooked. There isn’t any real competition for this Chinese restaurant in the small town of Sarrebourg, apart from bad Chinese buffets. It’ll keep attracting locals who want something other than French food. Shame. I’d advise tourists to stick to local, fresh cuisine instead.

Great spot for Vietnamese food. Ask them what they recommend for dessert. The quality is good for the price.