Today’s Special: Melissa’s Eggplant With Tofu

It was a few minutes past 11 on a recent Wednesday on Cedar Street, and Christopher Chialastri was digging into an aluminum container of spicy fried shrimp.

“I’m working a long day, so I’m thankful for this,” he said between chews as he sat on a bench just outside the entrance of Brady Memorial Laboratory near Congress.

Chialastri is a plant maintenance technician for Plantations, an interior landscaping company based in Bloomfield. Each Wednesday, for the past six years, he’s been doing weekly check-ups on the indoor plants at Yale-New Haven Hospital, the School of Public Health, and the Medical School.

Each Wednesday, he stops at the Healthy Way food cart.

Usually he gets fried shrimp.

“The manager that taught me how to do this job, she used to get her lunch there, she showed it to me, and I’ve been going ever since,” he said.

Chialastri is one of owner Melissa Chang’s regulars.

So is Yeqi Chen, a nurse practitioner candidate at Yale School of Nursing, who was standing beside the fluorescent hand-written poster board signs that double as Healthy Way’s exterior and menu.

“I was a new student last semester and came here for my clinical rotation,” she said. ​“I didn’t bring cash and they were really nice, and the food was really good and healthy.”

That’s among the reasons Healthy Way, which has been serving General Tso’s Chicken and its signature Jumbo Wonton with vegetables since 1996, is among the OGs of the Cedar Street food carts.

“Chinese food is usually greasy,” she said, as lunchgoers began their daily parade along the sidewalks under the budding trees. ​“We want to do it healthy. We make a nice, healthy brown rice, fried rice, so it’s nutritious. We don’t use MSG, so you don’t get a headache and we don’t use a lot of salt, so you don’t get very thirsty.”

Chang and her husband Roger, Taiwanese-Americans who live in Orange, own and operate Healthy Way Chinese Food on Forest Street in West Haven, which is currently open for take-out. They decided to start their food truck business in 1996 for practical reasons.

“I’m a mother of two kids, now adult kids, so it was easier because I could be with them after school,” she said, handing Chen the popular No. 6, eggplant with string beans, broccoli, and tofu. Her daughter is now a documentary filmmaker.

“Same thing?” she called out to Sunil Koundal, an associate research scientist in the department of anesthesiology.

“I’m a vegetarian, and this gives me options,” he said, after nodding to Chang. ​“I usually get a mixture of vegetables and brown rice, and that gives me a balanced diet.”

Inside the stainless steel interior of the cart, Chang was spooning rice into a container. She and her husband start the day at 6:30 preparing ingredients at the restaurant, ​“fresh food, fresh veggies,” she said. Her husband drops her off on Cedar Street at 10:30 and picks her up at three, parking the food cart in their restaurant garage.

“I added cashew nuts for the energy,” she said to Koundal, handing him a container. ​“Good for your health.”

“Most people here, they’re working or studying, they are working hard, they eat our food, and we want to keep them healthy and feeling good,” she said, as Xiaona Lu, a post doc in plastic surgery who’s working in the Jiang genetics lab, stepped to the front of the line.

“I come five times a week,” she said, after ordering No. 6. ​“Sometimes No. 6, sometimes the eggplant and coconut. It tastes perfect every time.”

Chang smiled. Consistency, for her, is key. ​“We try to do everything the same way every day,” she said.

That’s come with its challenges over the years, it seems — and not only inclement weather and increasing annual licensing fees. (The licensing fee for a food cart is $600 every six months). There’s more competition, for one thing. ​“Originally it was six carts, then 10 carts,” she said. ​“Now it’s huge.”

There are currently 24 designated food cart spots on Cedar Street.

For over two decades, Healthy Way occupied a prime space directly across from the hospital.

Then, in 2017, new regulations governing the city’s food vending industry went into effect. A public lottery removed Chang’s food cart to a space near Congress Avenue.

“In wintertime, it’s too far for people in the hospital,” Chang said. At the same time, ​“the new spot has more shade in the summer.”

Then there was the pandemic. ​“We shut down for three months, from March through June, and it was slow through the summer,” Chang said. Social distancing has somewhat thinned the ranks. ​“There used to be a long line,” she said. ​“Now it’s not so easy.”

Then again, there are regulars like Tingting Wang, a postdoctoral fellow at the Galan Laboratory in the microbial pathogenesis department. She was picking up a stack of containers.

“People in our lab like this cart very much because it’s so healthy,” she said, taking a final container from Chang. ​“And this last one is for my roommate. I introduced her to this place.”

As a rich aroma wafted through the warm spring air, this correspondent betook herself to a nearby bench, and opened her No. 6. People passed by, tourist-like, studying the offerings of the international lineup of food carts. Some stopped at Healthy Way, perhaps drawn in by its unapologetically flamboyant signage.

The dish itself was light, quiet, and tasty. The eggplant introduced itself in an earthy way, sharing the glory of the garlicky sauce with the velvety tofu.

Then came the string beans, with just enough crunch to animate the flavors, and the pillowy, fluffy brown rice. True to Chang’s words, it left this correspondent feeling nourished and good.

As I rose to leave, I looked back at Healthy Way, hoping to thank Chang for the marvelous meal.

By then, though, the socially distanced line stretched back to the wrought iron fence.

I did, however, happen to see my brother-in-law, Cary Gross, an ecumenical fan of the Cedar Street food carts for years.

“This street at lunchtime is one of New Haven’s best kept culinary secrets,” he said. ​“It’s like an international food festival every day.”

Healthy Way Chinese Food cart is located five food carts down from Congress Avenue. It can be identified by its vibrant hand-written exterior.

Previous coverage of recommended take-out orders to help local businesses survive the pandemic:

• Today’s Special: Haci’s Napoletana Pie
• Today’s Special: Fred & Patty’s Brie On Baguette
• Today’s Special: Nieda’s Moist Falafel
• Today’s Special: Qulen’s Vegan ​“Wings”
• Today’s Special: Aaron’s Peruvian Rice Bowl
• Today’s Special: Singh Bros.’ Chana Kulcha
• Today’s Special: Grandma’s Chicken Soup
• Today’s Special: Woody’s Steak & Shrimp
• Today’s Special: Shilmat’s Yemisir Sambusa
• Today’s Special: Arjun’s Vegetarian Manchurian
• Today’s Special: Mohammed’s Bhel Poori
• Today’s Special: Francesco’s Tortelli
• Today’s Special: Seikichi’s Sushi
• Today’s Special: Ketkeo’s Khao Poon
• Today’s Special: Mike Fox’s French Toast
• Today’s Special: Zhang’s Squirrel Fish Dish
• Today’s Special: Jessica’s Gumbo
• Today’s Special: Kenny Kim’s Vegan Ramen
• Today’s Special: Ernesto’s Venezuelan Arepa
• Today’s Special: Corey’s ​“Prison Reformer” Frank
• Today’s Special: Bryan’s Butter Chicken Pie
• Today’s Special: Jared’s Super Supreme Baked Potato
• Today’s Special: Craig’s Breakfast Reuben
• Today’s Special: Sunny’s Mackerel Sashimi
• Today’s Special: Jamshed’s Lemon Chicken
• Today’s Special: Dave’s Navratan Curry
• Today’s Special: Nicole’s Oxtail
• Today’s Special: Brisket Kansa-Lina Fries
• Today’s Special: Sandra’s Bourbon-Glazed Salmon
• Today’s Special: Alba’s Beet Salad With Goat Cheese Panna Cotta
• Today’s Special: Alex’s Chicken Pad Thai
• Today’s Special: Kenia’s Steak & Cheese Sub
• Today’s Special: Mama Mary’s Collards
• Today’s Special: Jesse’s Chicken Cutlet Scarpariello
• After Pandemic Pause, BBQ Soul Returns