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I always come here on the way back home from a workout and it hits so well. The prices are pretty decent for the amount and quality of the food! When I want to eat something light, I always get the napa tofu soup and it hits all the right spots. The dishes for the most part (I am trying to go down the menu and finish) are not too saucy and not too bland. The place has a lot of seats and the employees are super nice/attentive when needed. I would recommend this place if you want to have something quick and good. It is also in an area where it probably caters to a lot of BU kids since it's on campus. I will say that during the summer it may feel stuffy there because it's B1 and it feels like a local restaurant in Asia where it's humid and has a fan on (not complaining/used to it) but just a note!
I used to eat here many years ago during my MBA at BU across street. Decided to try as in area. Lunch special garlic chicken I rested with add on spring roll for 1.60. Well, dish had minimal minced chicken I didn't notice til I went looking for meat to see if correct dish I ordered ... was no garlic taste, lousy dish The spring roll tasted greasy like turpentine or rancid... looked inside it and didn't see any thing fresh or springy... window, door, mirrors on wall all dirty and unappealing or appetizing. I don't see reason to return. I am hoping the greasy spring roll passes thru without incident. Ohh well .... Was good 20 years ago ....
I saw the bubble tea sign outside of this place so of course I was drawn in. We ordered the lychee bubble tea which was super sweet and had an intense lychee flavor. It was served in nostalgic milkshake type glasses which did make it a bit hard to get to the bubbles, but nevertheless I really enjoyed it. I also ordered the wontons with hot sesame sauce which were not bad but were a bit lacking in flavor. Overall, this place was good and served a unique bubble tea although I would order a different dish next time.
I ordered takeout and got spicy sesame sauce noodles, scallion pancakes and hot and sour soup. One might think that the spicy sesame sauce noodles would have something else in them--vegetables, meat, tofu, etc.--but one would be wrong. I received a pile of unseasoned and unsalted noodles with a "sauce" on top that was actually a big glob of unmixed goo. There were nuggets of what looked like sesame paste that clearly needed to be melted and mixed into a true sauce, not piled on top--I ate one and had to spit it out immediately. They didn't even have the decency to mix the noodles and sauce together. There was clearly zero effort making the dish, the presentation was horrible (see attached photo) and the taste was worse. The scallion pancakes dish was just flaky fried dough with no flavor and almost no scallions, some of the worst I have ever had. The hot and sour soup was actually quite tasty, but not good enough to make up for the $35 I wasted on the meal. Do not go here; reheating frozen food would be ten times tastier.
There are bugs in the black rice porridge and polenta at this restaurant. Please use your utensils to fish them out before eating.
I haven't eaten here since I lived in Boston a few years ago. Ordered delivery and it was not very good. We tried dumplings and sesame chicken. The sesame chicken was very bland, soggy and not very fresh tasting. I would not recommend it. The spring roll was also bland and soggy and the duck sauce was bland. We also tried the spicy Napa cabbage dumplings. They were pretty good but we would have enjoyed them being more flavorful too. The gentleman operating the phone was polite and helpful so they gained a star for that! Overall, I won't order from them again but seems like their dumplings are pretty good.
The food here is pretty good, the service is very attentive. Although it is pretty cold and cheap looking. That does not subtract from the overall quality of the restaurant but the paper napkins tear easily. The food can also vary in preparation time. For example the juicy pork dumplings take half an hour to prepare. It definitely needs a remodel and a couple upgrades but the food is always good.
I think it's a red flag when Chinese restaurants charge for white rice. Like come on, $2 for a bowl of white rice?! That was my biggest complaint. I got the Yu Xiang Eggplant, a sweet, salty, very slightly spicy fried eggplant dish. It was pretty good, not salty at all compared to what you might expect from take out, though very greasy. The staff were nice enough, and I think they were training a new staff member. All in all $19.50 for one dish (including tax and tip) eating solo is definitely not worth it in my book, but the food does feel pretty authentic. They have a "healthy" section of the menu with steamed veggies and chicken if you're really on a diet but they look kinda sad.
Very disappointed Sweet and sour chicken was all breading or thin strips of beef jerky tough chicken. Sauce was hot but no real flavor. The carrots peppers and onions in the sweet and sour chicken had no flavor (like not even the plain vegetable flavor). Crab Rangoons were no crab and all cream cheese. For where it was an timing I was fine with how over priced it was, but became quickly disappointed once I got home and started eating... The picture of chicken I'm posting is what I'm not eating because it's breading or too tough. (Majority of order)
I'm 32 but I can go by unnoticed on a college campus because of my baby looks, which come through even with the beard. Occasionally, old Embryo Face gets a mad craving for dumplings. Luckily, he happened to be at Boston University East last week and was able to mingle with the children without giving off that Sandusky vibe. Some people aren't so lucky. A family friend of ours went horseshoe bald at 20 and started getting grays at 21. He had a mustache that was only a little wider than Hitler's. Above the mustache was a toucan's beak. Above the nose were coke-bottle glasses. And above the glasses were two fuzzy plantains. It was the totem pole of 50-year old virgins. Incredibly, he had a wife and three kids. His wife had a mustache too. And a big nose and thick eyebrows. Her glasses were like the InSight Lander's solar panels. Their sons did too. The four of them looked like they decided to show up to gatherings with Groucho glasses. If Groucho and Bogdan from 'Breaking Bad' had kids, it would be that family. Except for the daughter. She had luscious mutton chops. I bet she's marrying runaways in Vegas right now. I chuckled to myself over these memories while waiting for two orders of dumplings: The celery and pork and spicy napa cabbage and pork. I can't emphasize enough how courteous the attractive older woman who greeted me was. Even after taking my order and making sure my glass was full, she kept looking over, hoping I would ask for a neck massage or her daughter's hand in marriage. This doesn't happen often and I appreciated it. There's twelve dumplings in each order, which was just about enough to satisfy the insane craving. I liked the pork and celery but the spicy napa and pork were probably some of the best dumplings I have ever had in my life. First of all, they lived up to the bold claim of spicy. My relationship with Boston's spicy food . . . man oh man. Boston's "heat" is my allegedly recovering heroin addict son: Now and then, I'm encouraged by his progress but mostly I have to ignore the painful knowledge that there's a picture of him on Craigslist like Kate Winslet in 'Titanic.' Not so here. The spicy napa blasted open my tear ducts and they were accompanied by a SWAT team of sichuan peppercorn. I LOVE sichuan peppercorns. Using them in just the right amount is a skill and when you nail it, you will get a perfect numbness that makes each taste bud hum like a little generator. Heat by itself is nice but that little hum from the peppercorn turns the experience 3D. The freshness of dough and the filling was evident. I recommend eating really good dumplings like these as soon as possible after they come out of the steamer. Their half-life is short and the freshness of the flavors threaten to get buried under sogginess. Think a crisp Belgian autumn day that turns into a humid Vietnamese jungle in July. Think exfoliated face vs. runner's taint. The waitress suggested I eat them with both the soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar. Soy sauce is standard but the vinegar is an acquired taste. I think it might be the cilantro of the liquid ingredient world. To some, it will taste like diesel. If you give it a chance and use it sparingly, you will appreciate the truffle-like woodsy quality to it. One little dip of the crimped edge of the dumpling in the vinegar is enough. I downed twenty-four dumplings and happily left a 25% tip. I walked in fully aware of some diners' complaints of brusque service and I want to give them full points for rectifying the problem. A lot of places simply choose not to give a virgin's fuck. I may try their other dishes at some point, just out of curiosity. I'm not sure yet. What I am sure of is that every dumpling on my plate the next time around will be the spicy napa and pork. No need to fuck with a winning formula.
Ordered the Tomato & Beef Stew and Pan Fried leek Dumplings. I'm not sure if I picked a wrong day to order but adding an extra $1 for pan fried when you get boiled ? and instead of leeks we got celery. Celery!? Maybe in parts of Asia but, never have I gotten celery dumplings in my life. Let alone that one of our colleagues is actually allergic to celery. The odds of that happening is of its own. Simply put it. It was not worth the value. Just mushed celery mixed with what looks like "pork". The beef and Tomato stew. You would think you can't really mess this dish up? Sadly it was definitely a disappointment. One thing about star anise. I was always taught to never put too much as it overpowers any dish you make. I literally had 6-7 stars worth in that one order. Causing the meat and everything in there overly inedible. I hate wasting food but this was a first time in a long time that I had to throw the entire order out. In hopes they improve their dishes. read more
4 years ago
I was hesitant to try out Beijing cafe, but ever since I did my sophomore year at BU, I literally haven't been able to stop. I love ordering here for takeout and my faves that NEVER FAIL are the mapo tofu entree, crispy salt and pepper fish, and their pan fried dumplings. Beijing cafe became a staple for takeout and the ladies that work here are so sweet and I'm so glad there was such a solid Chinese place on campus! Also brought my parents during grad week and we ordered the eggs and leeks dish which was so surprisingly good as well read more
I always come here on the way back home from a workout and it hits so well. The prices are pretty decent for the amount and quality of the food! When I want to eat something light, I always get the napa tofu soup and it hits all the right spots. The dishes for the most part (I am trying to go down the menu and finish) are not too saucy and not too bland. The place has a lot of seats and the employees are super nice/attentive when needed. I would recommend this place if you want to have something quick and good. It is also in an area where it probably caters to a lot of BU kids since it's on campus. I will say that during the summer it may feel stuffy there because it's B1 and it feels like a local restaurant in Asia where it's humid and has a fan on (not complaining/used to it) but just a note! read more
4 years ago
I used to eat here many years ago during my MBA at BU across street. Decided to try as in area. Lunch special garlic chicken I rested with add on spring roll for 1.60. Well, dish had minimal minced chicken I didn't notice til I went looking for meat to see if correct dish I ordered ... was no garlic taste, lousy dish The spring roll tasted greasy like turpentine or rancid... looked inside it and didn't see any thing fresh or springy... window, door, mirrors on wall all dirty and unappealing or appetizing. I don't see reason to return. I am hoping the greasy spring roll passes thru without incident. Ohh well .... Was good 20 years ago .... read more
I saw the bubble tea sign outside of this place so of course I was drawn in. We ordered the lychee bubble tea which was super sweet and had an intense lychee flavor. It was served in nostalgic milkshake type glasses which did make it a bit hard to get to the bubbles, but nevertheless I really enjoyed it. I also ordered the wontons with hot sesame sauce which were not bad but were a bit lacking in flavor. Overall, this place was good and served a unique bubble tea although I would order a different dish next time. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
I ordered takeout and got spicy sesame sauce noodles, scallion pancakes and hot and sour soup. One might think that the spicy sesame sauce noodles would have something else in them--vegetables, meat, tofu, etc.--but one would be wrong. I received a pile of unseasoned and unsalted noodles with a "sauce" on top that was actually a big glob of unmixed goo. There were nuggets of what looked like sesame paste that clearly needed to be melted and mixed into a true sauce, not piled on top--I ate one and had to spit it out immediately. They didn't even have the decency to mix the noodles and sauce together. There was clearly zero effort making the dish, the presentation was horrible (see attached photo) and the taste was worse. The scallion pancakes dish was just flaky fried dough with no flavor and almost no scallions, some of the worst I have ever had. The hot and sour soup was actually quite tasty, but not good enough to make up for the $35 I wasted on the meal. Do not go here; reheating frozen food would be ten times tastier. read more
3 years ago
There are bugs in the black rice porridge and polenta at this restaurant. Please use your utensils to fish them out before eating. read more
3 years ago
I haven't eaten here since I lived in Boston a few years ago. Ordered delivery and it was not very good. We tried dumplings and sesame chicken. The sesame chicken was very bland, soggy and not very fresh tasting. I would not recommend it. The spring roll was also bland and soggy and the duck sauce was bland. We also tried the spicy Napa cabbage dumplings. They were pretty good but we would have enjoyed them being more flavorful too. The gentleman operating the phone was polite and helpful so they gained a star for that! Overall, I won't order from them again but seems like their dumplings are pretty good. read more
3 years ago
The food here is pretty good, the service is very attentive. Although it is pretty cold and cheap looking. That does not subtract from the overall quality of the restaurant but the paper napkins tear easily. The food can also vary in preparation time. For example the juicy pork dumplings take half an hour to prepare. It definitely needs a remodel and a couple upgrades but the food is always good. read more
I think it's a red flag when Chinese restaurants charge for white rice. Like come on, $2 for a bowl of white rice?! That was my biggest complaint. I got the Yu Xiang Eggplant, a sweet, salty, very slightly spicy fried eggplant dish. It was pretty good, not salty at all compared to what you might expect from take out, though very greasy. The staff were nice enough, and I think they were training a new staff member. All in all $19.50 for one dish (including tax and tip) eating solo is definitely not worth it in my book, but the food does feel pretty authentic. They have a "healthy" section of the menu with steamed veggies and chicken if you're really on a diet but they look kinda sad. read more
2 years ago
7 years ago
Very disappointed Sweet and sour chicken was all breading or thin strips of beef jerky tough chicken. Sauce was hot but no real flavor. The carrots peppers and onions in the sweet and sour chicken had no flavor (like not even the plain vegetable flavor). Crab Rangoons were no crab and all cream cheese. For where it was an timing I was fine with how over priced it was, but became quickly disappointed once I got home and started eating... The picture of chicken I'm posting is what I'm not eating because it's breading or too tough. (Majority of order) read more
8 years ago
I'm 32 but I can go by unnoticed on a college campus because of my baby looks, which come through even with the beard. Occasionally, old Embryo Face gets a mad craving for dumplings. Luckily, he happened to be at Boston University East last week and was able to mingle with the children without giving off that Sandusky vibe. Some people aren't so lucky. A family friend of ours went horseshoe bald at 20 and started getting grays at 21. He had a mustache that was only a little wider than Hitler's. Above the mustache was a toucan's beak. Above the nose were coke-bottle glasses. And above the glasses were two fuzzy plantains. It was the totem pole of 50-year old virgins. Incredibly, he had a wife and three kids. His wife had a mustache too. And a big nose and thick eyebrows. Her glasses were like the InSight Lander's solar panels. Their sons did too. The four of them looked like they decided to show up to gatherings with Groucho glasses. If Groucho and Bogdan from 'Breaking Bad' had kids, it would be that family. Except for the daughter. She had luscious mutton chops. I bet she's marrying runaways in Vegas right now. I chuckled to myself over these memories while waiting for two orders of dumplings: The celery and pork and spicy napa cabbage and pork. I can't emphasize enough how courteous the attractive older woman who greeted me was. Even after taking my order and making sure my glass was full, she kept looking over, hoping I would ask for a neck massage or her daughter's hand in marriage. This doesn't happen often and I appreciated it. There's twelve dumplings in each order, which was just about enough to satisfy the insane craving. I liked the pork and celery but the spicy napa and pork were probably some of the best dumplings I have ever had in my life. First of all, they lived up to the bold claim of spicy. My relationship with Boston's spicy food . . . man oh man. Boston's "heat" is my allegedly recovering heroin addict son: Now and then, I'm encouraged by his progress but mostly I have to ignore the painful knowledge that there's a picture of him on Craigslist like Kate Winslet in 'Titanic.' Not so here. The spicy napa blasted open my tear ducts and they were accompanied by a SWAT team of sichuan peppercorn. I LOVE sichuan peppercorns. Using them in just the right amount is a skill and when you nail it, you will get a perfect numbness that makes each taste bud hum like a little generator. Heat by itself is nice but that little hum from the peppercorn turns the experience 3D. The freshness of dough and the filling was evident. I recommend eating really good dumplings like these as soon as possible after they come out of the steamer. Their half-life is short and the freshness of the flavors threaten to get buried under sogginess. Think a crisp Belgian autumn day that turns into a humid Vietnamese jungle in July. Think exfoliated face vs. runner's taint. The waitress suggested I eat them with both the soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar. Soy sauce is standard but the vinegar is an acquired taste. I think it might be the cilantro of the liquid ingredient world. To some, it will taste like diesel. If you give it a chance and use it sparingly, you will appreciate the truffle-like woodsy quality to it. One little dip of the crimped edge of the dumpling in the vinegar is enough. I downed twenty-four dumplings and happily left a 25% tip. I walked in fully aware of some diners' complaints of brusque service and I want to give them full points for rectifying the problem. A lot of places simply choose not to give a virgin's fuck. I may try their other dishes at some point, just out of curiosity. I'm not sure yet. What I am sure of is that every dumpling on my plate the next time around will be the spicy napa and pork. No need to fuck with a winning formula. read more
3 years ago
super yummy pork + cabbage dumplings, waiter was nice and let us know the time it would take + fast service. My friend ordered the pork bun and hot and spicy rice stick soup and said it was delicious. Highly recommend!! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
Have seen Beijing Cafe every day on my B-line commute to and from work every day so naturally, when The Boy and I crave Chinese, we thought to give this place a shot (plus they offer delivery on Foodler - very convenient). Review & ratings per dish below: - Delivery Service: 4/5 Very quick! Foodler gave us a 45 minute estimate (which is already less than the typical hour) and they arrived probably 10 minutes early. - Chicken with Garlic Sauce Lunch Special: Please refer to the picture of a MOSTLY white rice "combo" with minimal chicken or sauce. The Boy was SUPER disappointed. - Beijing Meat Sauce Big Bowl Noodles: The 'handmade noodles' (thick) that you pay $1 extra for seemed more like udon and we're a little overcooked/too soft. Sauce was good though but it wasn't really that spicy - a problem I am encountering a lot with Allston area Chinese food. Spicy should mean spicy, dammit. Large portion of noodles & sauce though. - Pork & Leek Dumplings: Certainly NOT handmade as they claim. You can tell from the size - they're smaller than handmade ones - and they even resemble store-frozen ones that I can get from the Super 88 Market. - Egg Drop Soup: Probably the item we were most satisfied with. Good consistency and seasoning. Their version of Egg Drop features diced tomatoes. Noodles seem to be the safer choice here but I don't think this is going to be our go-to Chinese takeout. The search continues. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
I'm a BU student and I come here all the time for a quick meal between classes. I have been coming here since I was a freshman and have never been disappointed. The service is so friendly and kind and they have a variety of tasty dishes. My favorites are the pan fried veggie dumplings, General Gao's chicken, orange chicken, chicken and broccoli and wonton soup. I go in to sit and watch youtube and eat by myself usually and it is so peaceful. The food comes out quickly and the server refills my water quickly. They bring the check fast but you aren't rushed, but it's for my convenience as a student in case I need to eat and go fast. It's affordable compared to other places in the area and so much better than panda express across the street, obviously. It's a great pick me up and comfort when I feel stressed from school, and they have bubble tea! It is usually not too crowded so you are usually seated right away, no reservation is needed, not sure that they even take them. Right on the green B line so very convenient location especially for BU students. read more
7 years ago
4 years ago
I stopped by this place after doing some work near the BU area. It's a small hole-in-a-wall, with only a few tables crammed into a small space. However, their food is very solid. My order: 18 dumplings for less than $10!! And beef chow foon, which is stir-fried slices of beef with veggies and large, flat rices noodles. Big portions, cheap, and exactly what I needed to fill my belly. A big reason why I'm giving this place 5-stars is because of their amazing service. The manager on duty, Diane (?), was the nicest lady ever. I was in a hurry and needed to leave in about 10 minutes, and she rushed my order, even though there were a lot of sit-down diners there. Thank you so much! [Remember, this is a cheap place catered towards students. I'm amazed at people rating this place as if it was a Michelin-star restaurant. If that were the case, every fast food joint out there should automatically be given 1-star.] read more
7 years ago
Have eaten here on multiple occasions because of convenience to Boston University. However, the food is not very flavorful and quite expensive. Ordered veggies and dumplings and costed $30. The dumplings had no flavor and must have been frozen. I have also ordered soup dumplings which took super long then had no flavor. I have also ordered the tomato egg noodles and it had strong soy sauce base which is not traditional read more
8 years ago
7 years ago
Came here for lunch with my sister (a BU student) and our dad. Despite giving this place a three I would say that I do like this place, but as a place that is relatively fast, friendly, and cheap. This is not a restaurant anyone should really be going way out of their way for, but if you live nearby or are a BU student, I think it's a great option to have. If I lived nearby I would probably stop in once a month or so. The food is very comfort-food ish and a little bit on the bland side, especially the egg and tomato noodles. Chances are that I will be back! read more
7 years ago
Authentic cuisine. Portion size and price on the lunch portion was great! Some odd things with the service - can't do separate checks...even before you order. You can't order crab Rangoon and an egg roll. Like at all - even after offering to pay extra. Could use some background music or something bc the ambiance was a little odd with mirrors at face level and no music, i caught myself staring at me watching myself eat in the corner. Overall, good food and price but could be better seeing it's prime location near BU. read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
10 years ago
The key here is to order the right food. All 砂锅are pretty good. Noodles are ok but different from what I expected. I only like the 砂锅here. The workers there are always warm and welcome. Price is decent. read more
6 years ago
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728 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA 02215
Kenmore
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(617) 536-1616
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