MJ Ready Press

Articles and comments about MJ Ready

(beginning with most recent)

Mere muses on urbanspoon.com:

   A bit odd
   We saw a sign on Harvard Ave. advertising Thai soup. Although I wanted breakfast it sounded awesome to my husband so we went. The soup was packed with seafood, just the right amount of heat and a very large portion. Oddly enough, they were able to accommodate me as well with a fair stack of hotcakes. Not the best I've ever had, but pretty good, and a great compromise."
   Recommend

Mary D proclaims to yelp.com:

   'Tastes like home-cooked'. Lots of the reviews in here say that, but really, that's a mixed bag, isn't it? We all know there was that One Friend's house back in the day that we didn't want to stay the night at just because we'd be forced to eat whatever swill they considered food.
   This isn't that place. This is like the cooking you got if you managed to time your visits to that Other Friend's house just right, to overlap mealtimes no matter how long you were actually going to stay -- a trick that you'd get increasingly good at as time went on, grooming you to use those critical life skills later on at holiday parties and other sundry social events.
   Yeah, it's that good. I have yet to set foot on the actual property on which the actual kitchens of MJ Ready are located, but they've already saved my life (and the hung over lives of several friends by proxy) at least once. One of these days I'm going to have to get over there and pay my respects.
   That review that talks about the pork fried rice? Absolutely true. 100% true. Believe the hype and buy the rice. The steamed dumplings are likewise amazing.

Ingredients: fresh.
Flavors: popping.
Prices: reasonable.
Quantities: sizable.
Selection: strangely awesome.

   Just skip the cookies, IMO. They're the one weak spot in what is otherwise a pretty uncomplainable set of offerings.

Walter L. of Canton wants yelp.com to know:

MJ Ready took over from Caffe LaScala in the Arcade Building in Coolidge Corner. I work nearby and I've been eating lunch there maybe twice a week. WOW!! The food is fresh and well prepared. I love Thai food and this is the best I've tried in the area. The owners are friendly and are willing to adjust the how the food is prepared to your taste. Prices are reasonable, especially breakfast. Sometimes there is a little bit of a wait but it's well worth it.

Kat T. of Brighton has this to say to yelp.com:

   I LOVE LOVE LOVE MJ Ready.
   It's one of these hole-in-the-wall type restaurant that you want everyone you know to try it because it's just THAT GOOD.
   I go to MJ either for meeting girlfriends for a chatty night, or being in school for 10 hours, starving and don't feel like cooking dinner. Other time, I took my boyfriend there and wanted him to eat something really good that I enjoy and love. Yes, he loved it too. =)
   Every time I go, I come out with a smile. Food is above and beyond delicious (mango curry --- my fav, pad thai, crab ragoon --- my bf's fav, yam gai, tom yum kun, and thai hot tea). Tea can use some more water because it was strong, but food is super duper uber awesome. May's presentation of food is beautiful, and its taste stands up to its look. If I go there by myself, I usually order a large and take the rest to go. It makes a perfect lunch for the next day.
   There would be a little wait if it's busy, since there are only two people; Jim and May running the place. May is the main chef, and Jim handles everything else. But it definitely is worth of the wait.
   Food is made fresh to order, the kitchen is extremely clean, they always welcome you with a smile and treat you like you are part of their family. Who doesn't want that in a nice little restaurant when you are tired and hungry and want to eat something great?
   If you are hungry, or starving rather, go there. If you happened to be around the area, go there. If you want to try thai food, or look for a new place to eat, go there. If you want to take your favorite people to eat something fabulous but affordable, go there. There are just too many reasons to list here for me to say GO THERE. Because you won't be disappointed.
   Great food, great people, great price. It's just that simple.

Rose L. of Brookline compliments us on yelp.com:

The sweet couple who runs this hidden gem of a restaurant served me the BEST mango curry of my life! If you want Thai food that's both real and really good, then go to MJ Ready Bistro.

Talent T. of Kahului, Hawaii tells yelp.com:

Wow. After looking for a place to eat in Brookline, I found this on Yelp and it was five stars. I knew I had to try it out. I came into this rustic looking "arcade" and saw the quaint little restaurant. I walked in and saw the menu and ordered. I sat outside. When I recieved my food and tried it, oh my gosh! It was absolutely delicious! The Tom Yum was soooooo good! The flavors were intense and very strong and, well, overall amazing. The curries were smooth and-I shouldn't be describing this now, because YOU should be eating it. You have to try it. It's like you're entering their own home and they are cooking especially for you. This is a MUST. Come eat here NOW! IT'S DELICIOUS!!!

On yelp.com Alexander T. says:

Kind of like a Korean hole-in-the-wall restaurant except that there is a caucasian-and-Thai couple making the food in the back instead. They use fresher ingredients than any other Thai restaurant in Coolidge Corner. Try to come on a day when they are making the 'broccoli and sweet chili stuffed chicken wings" (I know, weird name, but it's delicious).

Nicole B. chirps to yelp.com:

Yummy, "home cooked" food feel. Wonderful people. Good prices. What more can you ask for? They are always open to making the food how you like it -- more or less spicy, no added sugar, and they never add MSG.

Eric H. reviews us on yelp.com:

   We came to dinner at MJ on a weekday evening and were amazed. It really felt like having a home-cooked meal. The owner served us directly and took time to talk with us and ask how we were doing. We saw him assemble the fresh spring rolls by hand (SOOOO good! Highly recommend them!). We ordered the lap salad, chicken pad thai, and the mango curry. All were delicious and presented beautifully, but the mango curry our fave.
   The seating area is really quaint, with chairs in the little market area outside; it makes you feel like you're outside while still having climate control! The restaurant is also very clean.
   Most importantly, though, the service and food were wonderful, and we really felt like we were at home. Couldn't recommend this place enough!

Reporter Neal Simpson of patch.com writes:

COUPLE BRINGS THAI FLAVORS
STRAIGHT FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE

   Just 12 years ago, Jim Brown had never tried Thai food. Now he owns his own restaurant.
   A former computer engineer [correction requested] from Maine, Brown is the unlikely restaurateur behind MJ Ready, a small and deceptively named restaurant that serves up Italian pasta, American breakfasts, espresso and a full menu of Thai dishes.
   Brown, who moved to Chestnut Hill from New Hampshire last year, owes his sudden career change to a few twists of fate that brought him in touch with his wife, Mayuree, a Thai immigrant who runs the restaurant's tiny kitchen in Coolidge Corner. The couple opened the new restaurant in shoebox storefront inside the Arcade Building last year after leaving behind a successful Thai restaurant – and much less successful video rental business – in Dover, NH.
   The move has meant going from being the first and only Thai restaurant in town to being just one of four or five within a two-block radius. But Brown said his wife isn't afraid of the competition.
   "What amazes me, what really amazes me here is we're getting the same comments I did in New Hampshire," he said. "People are saying, 'It's the best pad Thai I've ever had.'"
   The Browns met in the late 1990s when Mayuree, or May for short, was working at the first Thai restaurant in Portland, ME. A native of northeast Thailand who had already launched a successful shoe manufacturing company in Bangkok, May had decided to move to the United States a few years earlier after a divorce. Jim Brown, also recently divorced, was working at a computer manufacturer and looking around for a new wife.
   But two years after the couple married in 2000, Jim Brown realized his company wasn't going to survive the bursting of the dotcom bubble, so the Browns decided to sell their house in Maine and move to Dover to open the town's first Thai restaurant, though Brown himself hadn't tried Thai until four years earlier.
   "We put it all in and crossed our fingers," he said. "I just hoped she could cook."
   The 60-seat restaurant, called Thai Sweet Pepper, turned out to be a success, and the Browns were about to move into a larger space several years later when Jim was diagnosed with cancer. Stuck with two leases and a shortage of time, the couple decided to sell the restaurant and do something less demanding with their new retail space.
   It was after that second business failed and Jim began to recover that they decided it was time for a change.
   "We looked everywhere," Jim said. "We put 200 miles a day on the van, and this went on for months."
   The couple finally settled on the tiny space in the
Arcade Building, even though Jim thought it looked like a "museum." In order to keep some of the customers of
the Italian café that had been there before, they decided to serve some pasta dishes, including pesto with penne and fettuccine alfredo, and keep the espresso machine running.
   MJ Ready offers a fairly familiar Thai menu of Drunken Noodles, Rad Nar and curries, but also features some items, like a Laotian rice dish called Lap, that reflect May's upbringing in northeast Thailand.
   After nine months, the couple is still getting used to their new space, where May does all the cooking with just a six-burner stove and a deep fryer. May would like to have a larger space, but the couple doesn't want to move more than a couple of blocks and risk losing the loyal customers they already have. "People in New Hampshire would drive tens of miles," Jim said. "Here it's different."

Pad Thai by Mayuree Brown

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (approx.)
• 5 ounces chicken breast, sliced
• 3 shrimp (size 21/25) peeled and deveined
• 10 ounces medium rice noodles (soak in cold water four
to six hours and drain)
• 1 handful (more or less) fresh bean sprouts
• 1/6 cup fish sauce
• 1/6 cup vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/6 cup ground or finely chopped peanuts
• 1 tablespoon chopped salted turnip
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• scallion or green onion, sliced about 1 1/2 inches
(about two shoots or to your taste)
• 1 egg, beaten
• shredded carrot strips to your taste (optional)

Garnishments:

• 1/2 lemon slice
• 2 ounces ground or finely chopped peanuts
• small handful fresh bean sprouts

Directions:

Heat a 12-inch pan (or wok if you have one) over medium heat; add vegetable oil to coat pan. Stir in egg, garlic and turnip. Add chicken and stir. Add shrimp and stir. Add noodles and stir until noodles are somewhat soft. Add vinegar and fish sauce and stir. Add chicken stock to soften noodles further. Add sugar, stirring constantly. Add ground peanuts, scallions, bean sprouts and carrots. Stir until mixed. Taste. If too sour, add more sugar; if too sweet, add more vinegar. Turn onto plate and garnish with ground peanuts, fresh bean sprouts and lemon slice on the side. Fresh scallion can also be added on the top.

Dalina C. tells yelp.com:

   I am so happy I found this place on Yelp. How did May and Jim at MJ Ready know that, yes, I would like an order of fettucine alfredo with my pad thai?
   Their menu is so random, but it's awesome. I love being able to choose from different types of food all from one place. I went for take-out on Saturday around 8ish. May immediately started cooking the pad thai. I think their teenage son (I'm assuming that's who he was) made the fettucine alfredo, but I'm not 100% sure. Everything was made fresh to order - I saw them put a carton of cream back in the fridge once the pasta was finished, so I knew that this was legit.
   Both dishes were delicious, although next time I would probably eat the alfredo there since it should ideally be eaten immediately instead of sitting for the 10 minute ride home. It's definitely a perfect option for a casual, affordable meal in Coolidge Corner. If you're doing take-out, I would call ahead unless you don't mind waiting a little bit (15-20ish minutes depending on what you order). I am looking forward to trying out the rest of the menu!

Christien V. comments to yelp.com:

My girlfriend and I have been going here since it opening and love it every time. Our staples are the Mango Curry and Pad Thai which are always excellent but we've tried lots of dishes from the fresh Spring Rolls to the Drunken Noodles. The ingredients are always fresh and they tailor the spicy heat to your specification. I live about 60 miles south of M.J. Ready and it is worth the trip every time.

On yelp.com rbatina b. writes:

A Real Hidden Gem! My favorite thing about the food at MJ Ready is that it's fresh and tastes home cooked. I can really taste the authentic flavors in the Thai food: the lemongrass, lime leaves, coconut milk, mangoes. The dishes are prepared well and are not too oily or sweet. The baked goods are also delicious from the banana bread to the chocolate chip cookies. MJ Ready is owned by a husband and wife team who are warm and friendly, adding to the home cooked feel of the food. Dishes can be made to order by degree of spiciness. There is a variety of both savory and sweet soups, noodle dishes, and curries abundant with vegetables. The Tom Yum soup is one of my standards with shrimp, (the shrimp is always fresh and sweet), as well as the curries. It's a nice place to get takeout but sitting at the tables in the open air courtyard is great as well. I work in the area and have recommended MJ Ready to many of my clients who have been let in on this "hidden gem" in the Arcade Building. They usually order takeout and pick it up on the way home after they have come to see me. It's also a favorite stop for my boyfriend and I.

M M tells yelp.com about MJ Ready:

This new restaurant in the Coolidge Corner Arcade Building is a wonderful find. I would say their specialty is Thai ( The owner is Thai) but they offer other tasty food as well. The food is prepared fresh when you order. I am in love with many of the Thai dishes such as Drunken Noodles, Pad Ka Paw and the stir fry that is with wonderful FRESH vegetables and your choice of meat. My friend really likes the Mango Curry. A big plus is the place is kept spotless and the owners are very nice.

Jamie J. reviews us on yelp.com:

First let me say MJ Ready is awesome! I work literally a stones throw from this great little place, and eat there often as do many of my coworkers. The owners Jim & May are very friendly, and you know your meal is as good and FRESH as what they would serve guests eating at their home...Can you really ask for more than that when it comes to home style cooked Thai food? The must haves for me are the pad thai, crispy chicken, thai noodle soup and the best Thai iced tea in Brookline. Thoughtful touches in presentation and preparation elevate the food to an even more enjoyable experience...So quit reading and just try MJ Ready already.

Brian S. shares on yelp.com:

   "Please ring the bell for all above-ground stops. Next stop: Coolidge Corner."
   ::dunk::
   Apparently thats the sound of the "bell" on the green line. So anti-climatic. I'm not even sure it's a real bell. More of a scrapped piece of rusted metal affixed with a wax pendulum.
   Now imagine my version of a bell for when you enter MJ Ready International Bistro. I'm going to try and describe it in words, but it truly will diminish the true importance, volume, and pure insanity of what you would actually experience. Take a locomotive air horn, and the siren-esque song from and ice-cream truck, the flashing lights from a Trans-Siberian orchestra Christmas light show (http://www.youtube.com...), a musical clown from a circus, and a giggling baby. THIS is what you would witness.
   You would find yourself dancing through the doors and down the aisle like your own little JK Wedding Intro Dance to "Forever", but without the 40 million views and nation-wide popularity. Possibly add in some fist pumps and woot's after you order and you've got yourself an EPIC WIN from MJ Ready.
   This place makes seriously makes me that happy.
   MJ Ready makes food that I'm used to and love in a completely different way than I've ever had before. Couple that with an awesome staff, and bingo - I love it! The place is run by a husband and wife duo who seem so genuine and have a great attitude. They're very nice to speak with and obviously truly care about their little operation. It's got that "REAL" feeling to it. Prices are perfect too.
   I ordered pork fried rice and spring rolls. At first, I expected to be disappointed as I opened my heavy to-go box of rice to see a big piece of chicken sitting on top. Oh-well I thought as I dug in anyways while noticing the really nice display of the dish with scallions on top of the meat, cucumbers situated on the side, with a banana(?) leaf lined bottom of the container. WHOA!! This is real white meat pork! OH MY GOD this is good!! The flavor was so fresh and delicious. Fried rice like I've never tasted before. Not greasy and thick like many others I've had, it was light and flavorful. I (embarrassingly) ate the entire box of it in a matter of minutes. This was no small serving either.
   Next box was the spring roll appetizer. Inside, I basically find 2 Thai burritos. Impressive for sure. I usually see pinkie-finger-sized spring rolls. I remembered seeing these being made while I was waiting, but I totally assumed they were some sort of sandwich. AND THEY WERE GOOOOOOOODDDDDD. Came accompanied with a sweet and sour sauce like you might expect, but Emerill came in late at night tooth fairy style and BAM! kicked it up a notch by adding some peanut flavoring in it along with a squirt of heaven.
   I can't say whether they use MSG or not to obtain this amazing flavor, but I highly doubt it as I ate over an hour ago and I feel amazing. Full of energy, no bloated feeling, and ready to go! Correction... MJ Ready to go!
   Do not miss this one. I'm already kicking myself for knowing of its existence 3 months ago and not making it until just now.
   There are plenty of great Thai places in Boston, but not like this, and not at these prices.
   Disclaimer: there are no actual bells, light shows, or even insanity when you get to MJ Ready - It's all in your head. :-)

Michael R. comments on yelp.com:

Indeed it is the two owners who are always there, and the 2 Thai dishes I've had so far were excellent (the Pad Thai with crispy chicken and a vegetable stew-like dish whose name I've unfortunately forgotten). The food was especially fresh.
My 11 year old daughter actually discovered it before me, and now she proclaims it the best Thai in town. I don't know about that, but it means more than it normally would for that age group, because she is quite a foodie, and has eaten at Brown Sugar, Dokbua Thai and others.

Melanie S. posts on yelp.com:

I must have walked by this place a dozen times before trying it out. The menu has a bit of everything. Mostly Thai food, but it serves breakfast all day, deli sandwiches, wraps, and pasta & sauce. We just went for breakfast this morning and it was so good for the price. $6 for pancakes, eggs, bacon and coffee. You can't really beat that in Coolidge Corner. Plus the service was really nice. I think it's the owner that serves you, and it kind of felt like I was eating at his house. I'll definitely be back there to try the Thai food.

BU journalism student Marisa Morrison writes:

MJ READY TO SERVE YOU

   BROOKLINE-Upon entering MJ Ready's eight-table "international bistro," one is likely to believe to have mistakenly walked into someone's kitchen. The white and sky-blue walls, display of freshly baked cookies and array of potted greenery seem to resemble lunches in the country at Aunt May's cottage.
   But Aunt May is actually Mayuree Brown, an experienced Thai cook in an apron and hair net, and scattered on the walls are photographs and artwork from her native Thailand.
   She and husband Jim Brown replaced Italian Caffe La Scala in the Coolidge Corner Arcade last month and are now serving up a motley menu of traditional Thai cuisine, sandwiches, pasta and all-day breakfast.
   Having previously owned a Thai restaurant for five years in Dover, New Hampshire, the couple chose to integrate their experience in Thai cuisine with foods inspired by the location's former occupier [sic] to attract customers expecting to see an Italian eatery. Hence the varied selection.
   "We didn't want to limit ourselves. That's why there's no 'Thai' in the name," Jim said. "When you're eating with a group, maybe not everyone in the party wants Thai food."
   This statement comes from the couple's philosophy that the customer is the most important element of business because they are the ones writing your paycheck.
   "If you don't give perfect service, one customer is gunna tell 10 people and they are gunna tell a hundred people," Jim said.
   Eating at MJ Ready can be like having a personal cook with a suggested menu. Mayuree believes in being flexible with her customers' orders and that they should be able to order any dish just the way that he or she likes it.
   "If you love broccoli, just tell me in the order and I'll make it. Tell me what you love and I'll make you love," Mayuree said.
   MJ Ready's current clientele consists of numerous local business owners who have noticed the Browns' efforts and skill.
   "They work hard, you know," said Augusto Cipollone, owner of a hair salon in the Arcade Building and a frequent MJ Ready customer. "The restaurant is clean and [Mayuree] is considerate. She'll make whatever you like."
   One thing is certain: You will not have to pay the price of a personal cook at MJ Ready. The Browns believe that the cost and size of a dish can make all the difference. Most dishes range from $7.95 to $12.95.
   "If you've got your prices low and your portions high, your customers will come back," Jim said.
   If the affordable and generous meals are not what keeps people coming back to MJ Ready, then it must be Mayuree's take on that key Thai noodle dish.
   "If you asked her customers, Mayuree's best dish would be the Pad Thai," said Jim. "You can always tell the quality of a Thai restaurant by the Pad Thai. It shouldn't be too sweet or too salty, but rather a perfect blend of flavors. I'd say Mayuree's is in the top 10 in the Boston area."
   The Browns are currently running MJ Ready without any paid help. It is just the two of them that do all of the preparing, cooking and cleaning with occasional help from Jim's brother, Larry Brown, a Boston resident, who stops by the restaurant daily for a meal.
   Larry was able to help his brother and Mayuree most days in the two-month process of setting up the restaurant.
   "It was like a third job for me," Larry said, "but they were even here working to set up when I wasn't."
   For the Browns, MJ Ready has been a labor of love, and they say that they remain hopeful for the future of their restaurant.
   "We'll get the same kind of following we had up in Dover," Jim said. "We'll make friends and acquaintances and become part of the community."