At this small and unassuming restaurant, we had some of the best Taiwanese food around! There's only a couple tables so expect a wait during rush hours, but we thankfully were seated right away. We ordered a lot to try and I wasn't disappointed by any of them! I loved the soup dumplings, as always. I also really enjoyed their fried rice and porridge, both of which were tastefully seasoned. Although small, the staff that was helping us was very prompt at answering questions and ordering, so we didn't wait long before the food arrived. It was also clear they put thought into each dish, which all had unique flavor profiles instead of ending up tasting the same. Overall, I will absolutely come back again when in the area! read more

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Came on an early Saturday afternoon. Started to get busy. They also have an upstairs that they will open up if first floor is full. Very clean inside and pretty spacious between tables. Pretty big menu. We got the minced pork with rice (not what we expected as it was more like chopped up pork belly), Kung pao chicken (was not what we expected, they had zucchini in it, no celery and wasn't spicy), still tasted good but just not what we expected Kung pao chicken to be. The pan fried dumplings were pretty good. We also got their pumpkin pastry off their dim sum menu (weekend only). read more

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I really really wanted to like this place. I remember Alvin, one of the former managers who was great who is not there anymore it seems. I ordered 2 lunch specials and they were both pretty bad. One was the spicy beef which was too spicy and had not enough sauce to balance it; and sadly the take home lunch special had clearly rotten shrimp and I had to discard it; something that I have never done, ever. Yuck. I should have called to ask for a refund. They need to step it up. Also, the waitress looked shocked I was there to sit down and eat. The one redeeming thing was the waitress was very nice and had a good attitude. We had a pleasant conversation. read more

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Unfortunately had a disappointing experience after finding hair in the takeout. The place is small and we were told only takeout orders since the dining area was full. So we ordered the minced pork over rice and fried pork chop over rice. We found a long hair strand while eating the minced pork over rice but let it slide and continued eating. However when we started eating the fried pork chop over rice we also found two more shorter hair strands on the rice which had the same sauce as the minced pork. It was unbelievable and so lost our appetite and threw the rest of the food away wasting our money. We won't be a returning customer. Hopefully the restaurant will check the sanitary conditions in the kitchen and make sure food is clean before serving since we are paying quite a lot for the food and deserve at least clean food! read more

I've been passing by this lil hole-in-the-wall shop for the past couple years and I wish I could've visited this place sooner. Despite the small appearance, the food is pretty flavorful and filling for what we've got. Service is also pretty good, with friendly staff - even though they do seem a bit short handed as of the last time I've visited. Anyway, my favorite was the Beef Noodle Soup bowl as the beef itself was so tender (with relatively large chunks of meat) and the broth was also oh so very comforting with a mild spice to be felt. Definitely will be coming back for more! read more

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I stopped in at Jean & Lee Kitchen on a whim while running errands, a bit of a way from home. I'm always in the mood for Taiwanese food, and the menu seemed to contain authentic items, so I figured I'd try a new spot. I could tell immediately that this was a mom-and-pop establishment, with (who I'm assuming are) Jean and Lee tidying up the dining area when we stopped in. They immediately greeted and seated us. Once we were seated, a few other parties arrived to dine in, and several others came to pick up their orders. The staff was friendly and prompt, and the interior is clean and practical. We decided to go for the beef noodle soup, the beef rice cakes, and the pork belly with bamboo shoots. I will 100% be coming back - the food truly tastes like a home-cooked meal and comfort food. I would strongly recommend giving this hole-in-the-wall restaurant a try! read more

OMG The beef noodle soup. How do they get so much flavor in that broth?! Wow. I've been working through their menu without a disappointment read more

This was a Yelp superstar! It was probably the best beef soup I have ever had. It was so rich and perfect for the cold night. The meat was like butter. My husband and I shared the soup and snow pea leaves. They were perfectly sautéed with garlic and were actually a great addition to the soup for dipping. Definitely will be back when I visit. What a delightful experience with such sweet people. read more

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My friends and I frequent this place for authentic, traditional Taiwanese cuisine, which is hard to find especially in this area. I recommend their beef noodle soup, soup dumplings, beef wrap, braised pork bun and most items on their dim sum menu. There is a wonderful article written about them in the Boston globe (you can find it by googling). The place looks clean and orderly but it's important to recognize that since reopening after the pandemic they are only offering takeout so there is no dine-in option. Another important tip is that per their website: "if paying with credit/debit there will be a 3.99% up charge." So bring your cash and save some money. I highly recommend a visit. read more

The long counter by the entrance is gone and replaced with a shorter counter. They are back to in house dining. The place is small and good for casual small family dining. There isn't a lot of staff, so be patient. The food is still very tasty, I recommend the rice and noodle dishes. The soup dumpling was disappointing this time around. I don't know what happened but all our dishes came out warm-cold. The nice owner is always very nice to us. She warned us the dishes might be cold as she served us. read more

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Authentic Taiwanese food with large portions for takeout. We arrived at opening time listed at 11:30 am but wasn't let into the restaurant until 11:45. I also didn't realize the restaurant was takeout only now with no table service. You can still eat inside at the tables upstairs but you have to order first and only have take out containers and plastic ware to work with. That said despite no table service, I saw a group of ten people dine in with all the takeout ware. The food was quite tasty though. Juicy xiao Lian bao, beef noodle soup with big chunks of beef, and a very flavorful 3 spice tofu and eggplant. I'd recommend all 3 dishes. Price was a bit higher than expected at $50 for 3 dishes but given that the portion sizes were appropriate for family style meals, I'd say it's reasonable. More in range of an app and two entrees at a traditional restaurant. Not much ambience but that's typically what you should expect at legit Asian places. Restaurants supplies are going to be scattered in random spots. Food prep maybe happening out in the open. It's totally fine I promise. Despite not speaking Mandarin, I was able to point to the dishes and call them by their English names without any trouble. There is a small 4% convenience fee for using your credit card so if you want to save a few dollars you can use cash. read more

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Got takeout here for lunch with a few friends. Ordering was super easy and the owner(s) were super friendly and sweet. I was actually very surprised by the portions too--there was a LOT of food for what I paid (we split everything in the picture amongst 3 ppl). The Taiwanese fried rice was top notch, very very fulfilling fried rice that tasted really good. The pineapple chicken had a nice sweet and tangy flavor too, it paired really well with the rice. The last thing I tried, the xiaolongbao, also WOW'd me. The buns had so much juice and the filling to skin ratio was perfect. One of the best xiao long baos I've ever had. Very good Chinese food at this spot! Great portions! Superb taste! Highly recommend read more

Jean & Lee Kitchen - Yum - Szechuan Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Sadly pork belly is no longer a thing here, and smoked fish also came off their menu. When we did take-out from Jean & Lee Kitchen this pandemic summer 2021, I confirmed that their 2019 dated menu online was current (at least for the items, if not the prices), and they had daily specials. A new menu may very well be posted by the time this review becomes published. Salt & Pepper Chicken (bone-in) $10.95 Sliced Roast Beef Wrap (that's in a scallion pancake) Chinese Eggplant with Basil Leaves $10.95 Sweet & Sour Flounder $16.95 Sauteed Pea Pod Stems $16.95 Shredded Pork with Bamboo Shoot & Dried Tofu $14.95 made for a satisfactory meal. Although nothing was outstanding, I'd be willing to order any of these again. But note that they are closed on Sundays. read more

Jean & Lee Kitchen - 2021 take-out from Jean and Lee - Szechuan Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

I normally don't leave reviews, but I feel compelled to share my recent experience. I ordered takeout via Uber Eats, and although my food was prepared within 15 minutes, I arrived an hour before closing and found my order left unattended on the counter. This is where the orders are normally placed, however, an employee always hand me my bag, which is why I didn't grab it, knowing that it was my bag. I waited about 7-10 minuets while noticing several customers seated in the restaurant, including a group in the back and an older woman near the entrance. Growing impatient and hangry, I called the restaurant on my phone just to let them know that I was waiting and I honestly ask if I can grab the bag. I assumed they were cleaning, in the bathroom, grabbing some napkins who knows. Lo and behold the same older woman, who I made eye contact with when I walked in the building, answered the phone! Despite clearly seeing me waiting the entire time! I didn't even say anything. I just hung up because I was actually flabbergasted. I'm not a regular, as I only visit once every few months, and my previous interactions have been pleasant. This incident, however, left me questioning whether her behavior was a result of racism, laziness, or indifference. Regardless of the reason, the experience was disappointing. I could be overreacting but I've worked on food service before and even if we say her job is only to answer the phone. I can't imagine not even calling the person whose job it is to man the front. Waiting 7 minutes is not the end of the world, but waiting 7 minutes knowing an employee was looking at me the entire time and not saying anything is weird. I don't know. I really don't know. It was very weird. I also would like to comment about the food. Often times I can order something I know and something I don't know. While the chicken wings were very good, the beef rice noodles were subpar, in my opinion it was either under done or flavor just wasn't there. That being said it was the first time I had it. I don't know if that's the way it was supposed to taste. Based on this experience, I won't be returning. It was weird. I don't care to figure out whether I am just overreacting or if this lady just didn't wanna serve me. read more

This is a mom n' pop kinda place. I enjoyed their food, although limited menu, but they have the most popular Taiwanese dishes among families and they are perfect to eat among older crowd as they are not overseasoned but flavored enough. read more

Stopped in on rainy snowy cold day for lunch. Order downstairs and pay then they bring packaged for take out upstairs to you for dining, Weird process, but nice and warm upstairs Self serve water and napkins, cutlery or chop sticks. A lot of green plastic waste for eating there. Beef and green beans lunch special with white rice , soup fresh dish... a little more beef would have been good. I go drop with tomatoes pieces added a nice flavor and different. Chicken wings ok, no flavors... needed ginger or soy marinade... not many wings for 13 bucks . Girl taking order downstairs pleasant, nice and warm quiet sitting by self on 2nd floor... window view . Containers were nice quality to dump in trash or take home empty for freezer use. read more

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Summary: Authentic Taiwanese food in large portions for takeout. We stopped in on a cold day and had the beef tendon noodles as well as some stir fried vegetables. The portion sizes were generous and the noodles and soup reminded me of how my mom makes it. We also had a couple glasses of (unsweetened!) soy bean milk and it tasted exactly like it does back in Taiwan. It's rare to find unsweetened soy bean milk so this was a treat. It's not really a dine-in place, but we sat at the bar and they were very accommodating of that. Honestly even the ambiance felt super-authentic to East Asia/South East Asia. 10/10 would even bring my parents here! read more

This has been my go-to place for years, but with recent changes I'm starting to wonder. The food is delicious, which is great, but it is by far the most expensive Taiwanese food place in the area. And now they charge you extra if you use a card to pay, I mean, I never have that much cash on me. And they closed their upstairs restaurant, small as it was, it was a place you could sit and eat there. And I miss Alvin, the friendly guy who used to work behind the desk. All these cost changes when there are other options in the area, I don't know. The food is great, but at what cost? read more

Jean and Lee Kitchen - Authentic Taiwanese in the Metro West I've been a patron of Jean and Lee Kitchen for years, and it's always been my go-to for genuine Chinese cuisine in Metro West Boston. Their recent evolution--shifting to takeout during COVID-19 and now offering minimal dine-in services--has maintained their standing as a purveyor of authentic Taiwanese dishes that tantalize the taste buds of a discerning clientele. A four-star rating doesn't come lightly from me, but they truly earn it. Decor The atmosphere at Jean and Lee Kitchen is what you'd expect from a no-frills establishment that lets their food speak volumes: plain, yet unmistakably characteristic of Chinese eateries where the culinary creations are the stars of the show. While decor isn't their focal point, the genuine experience is palpable as soon as you walk in. Food Tackling the menu at Jean and Lee feels like an adventurous culinary excursion through Taiwan. The tofu skin and Beef Shank & Tripe in Chili Oil stand out among cold dishes, offering a flavorful preamble to the heat that awaits. The Sichuan fish fillet perfectly encapsulates heat and flavor, appeasing anyone with a penchant for spice. On the other hand, the three cup chicken offers a taste of tradition, so authentic it transports your senses. The beef noodle soup and hot pot dishes are not only hearty but also speak of the quality ingredients and skillful preparation Jean and Lee Kitchen prides itself on. However, the menu's vastness can be daunting, but it's a welcome challenge for those eager to explore Taiwanese cuisine. Wait Staff Although currently operating without their usual wait staff due to the dining format, I can't help but reminisce about the warm and welcoming service. The team here has always made guests feel like family, and their eventual return will surely rekindle the full Jean and Lee experience. Conclusion In summary, Jean and Lee Kitchen continues to be a bastion of Taiwanese flavor in the Boston Metro West area. My hope, along with surely many others, is for a return to full service that once made dining here complete. Until then, their doors are open for a taste of authenticity that's hard to find elsewhere. Rating: (4 Stars) Until they bring back full-service dining, I'll be eagerly awaiting the chance to enjoy their offerings as I remember them - surrounded by the hustle, bustle, and familial charm that made Jean and Lee Kitchen so special. read more

Love love love all the food from here. Consistent flavor, and delicious every time. Family favorites are the house Lo mein, house fried rice, spicy diced chicken, the green beans, the soups, and so much more. The special menu offerings during holidays are the best! read more

Delicious Taiwanese food with heart. The variety and depth of flavor cannot be compared. Friendly service. Nice ambiance. Family friendly. One of our favorites! read more

Expensive but very disappointing taste. The meats were not properly thawed and tasted frozen.

Heard about this place for some time and maybe my expectations were high. Finally went last night and got takeout. Very disappointed. Food was bland in general. Rice was half cooked and hard on your teeth. Tofu was over fried and soggy. Salt and pepper shrimp were clearly made from frozen shrimp with no real flavors. Beef tripe and shank cold dish has one flavor - overly spicy but not the normal complex aroma and flavor you'd expect. For three dishes and rice, paid almost $70. Won't go again. read more

Great food! Owners used to own Jo Jo Taipei which was our favorite. This reincarnation is just as good if not better!!!

Encouraging start with really good scallion pancakes (light and not oily) and then the soup dumplings arrived--really bad (filling was so dense and bland, wondered if they forgot to add any seasoning, soup was minimal and flavorless). Shrimp with ginger and green beans was "A-OK," not very spicy, barely any ginger in a gloppy sauce. Chicken with garlic tasted very similar to the shrimp dish. Portions are more than ample, especially for the price, but (except for the pancake) nothing impressed us. Interior is basic. read more

Jean & Lee Kitchen - Dining room - Szechuan Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Ordered 4 dishes as a taste comparison to my favorite Taiwanese restaurant in Quincy - Beef noodle soup, salt and pepper pork chop, Bubbling flounder and roast beef scallion wrap) Would definitely recommend the beef noodle soup and bubbling flounder! I actually like J&L's better even though the other place is really good too. I would pass on the pork chop and scallion beef wrap. The pork chop was disappointing, had barely any meat and really greasy. Some of the pieces were undercooked. Should have gotten the salt and pepper calamari instead. The beef scallion wrap is ok at J&L but the other place is just way better. read more

Food is generally good but it is too bad that they don't have the in-house service since the COVID.

Jean and Lee Kitchen tastes like a Taiwanese grandma's home cooking. Definitely get the beef noodles, plus don't miss brunch on the weekends. The tofu pudding with ginger syrup is amazing! read more

Best Chinese/Taiwanese we've found here in MA so far!! Convenient location w parking onsite. Clean, well managed, and a selection of all our fav yummies! Beef noodle soup dish used the correct S shank beef that was cooked to tender perfection. Soup flavorful, complex and not overly salty. They included the Taiwanese-style pickled mustard greens atop, and gave us free extra upon request, yay! XLB really yum. Skins just-right thick, meat filling tasty and soupy innards. Pan-fried buns would pass on next time. Bottoms incompletely fried and lacking that crispy crust. Stir fried morning glory done really well. Most think you can't screw up stir fried veggies, but oh yes you can. This dish esp can easily become soggy if even just slightly overcooked. The stems were "crispy", the leaves un-stringy, the garlic cloves thinly sliced and the batch of greens on a whole was super fresh. Pork belly and dried salted mustard greens reminded hubs of his childhood growing up in TW. Custard tofu w boiled peanuts reminded me of Saturday mornings enjoying TW brekkie in the WSGV w fam. Pork chop rice reminded us of Sinbala. A+++ to Jean and Lee Kitchen!! Our new staple read more

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We are frequent take-out customers and LOVE Jean & Lee. But last week we were very disappointed because one dish was so spicy it was too hot to eat. We called, complained, they credited us for the dish without question. We will be back!! read more

Great lunch spot for people who work nearby. It's quick and very reasonably price ($8-$12 for lunch and you will be full!!) I like the Braised Pork with Rice, which comes with a few pieces for tender braised pork belly, a marinated egg (tea egg), and a good amount of bok choy (Chinese cabbage). The Beef noodle soup is another good option. They have a small parking lot in the back, but it does get filled up quickly during lunch hours. read more

Jean & Lee Kitchen - Braised pork with rice - Szechuan Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

I love this place. But I think in my last order they used msg which they never did before. I had a reaction. I never had this experience with them before. Please don't use msg. Your food is yummy without it. read more

Delicious, got the general chicken which was actually spicy instead of just sweet like a lot of places, and chicken lo mein, and the pumpkin pastries with red bean filling. Kind of expensive compared to other takeout but much tastier, fast prep, and nice people working at the front. read more

Jean & Lee Kitchen - Pumpkin with red bean filling - Szechuan Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

I stumbled across this place on yelp. It has 3.5 stars, which is good enough for me. The pictures looked really good and what really sold me was the fried pork belly in wine sauce. This place is on Oak street, right off Needham street in Newton. There is a parking lot in the rear, but ample meter spots on the next street over. You don't even need quarters for the meters as they take nickels and dimes. When we arrived, we found that seating is on the 2nd floor. We went during lunch time on a Saturday and the place was pretty quiet. Service was okay. They were typical unenthused Asians who didn't really care for their job, but they did the minimum with little facial reaction. The only super friendly person was the young man who greeted us downstairs. He is likely the owner or the son of the owners Now on to the food...The pictures on Yelp makes it look much better than it is. That fried pork dish? It was kinda dry. That wine sauce? Seems like a mixture of hoisin and sriracha. It's just fried (DRY!) roast pig. It cost like $16 damn it. Could went to Chinatown and picked up 1.5 lbs of fresh roast pig instead. The Xiao Long Bao's (pork soup dumplings) came out promising. It was steaming hot as they uncovered the lid at the table. We quickly found that its pretty dried up inside though. There is minimal soup inside and the meat was kinda flat/smallish. There is no comparison to XLB's at Shang Ri La in Belmont. The pig ear was good...liked that it wasn't spicy so the kids could have some. The chicken Lo Mein was normal. The scallion pancake with beef was a hit with the kids. Other than that, nothing blew us away. We were more disappointed than anything as the pictures on Yelp gave us higher expectations. Another thing to call out is that the tea was lukewarm. That was disappointing. read more

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We love Jean and Lee's Kitchen. There wonton soup is AMAZING!!!! Like many restaurants experiencing supply chain shortages and worker shortages, they are doing a great job keeping up with the same amazing quality food! read more

Love this place. Wish I lived closer! I love their soup dumplings and noodles. I try to order something different every time I go and haven't been disappointed. They have a good size indoor dining area and do a lot of takeout business. read more

Jen &Lee Kitchen has been in business in my neighborhood for many years. Their food is delicious. Never had a bad order or experience. I order take out because I live close by. Very highly recommended. read more

So I really wanted scallion pancakes, so we ended up picking up some other food for dinner here. Called to order pick up and got scallion pancakes, soup dumplings, minced pork rice, pork chop rice, and salt and pepper squid. The scallion pancakes were standard and came with a little soy sauce, crunchy, tasty, and not too oily. On the other hand, the pork chop was super oily, the rice was probably leftover and old. The minced pork was meh, nothing too special about it, and didn't have any veggies as the Porkchop rice did, just some raddish and pickle stuff. The soup dumplings were good, not pipping hot, but also comes with the vinegar and ginger sauce container. The salt and pepper squid was oily and lacked flavor, but still crunchy and satisfied that craving. Overall, I'd recommend the salt and pepper squid, scallion pancakes, and soup dumplings, but the rice in the rice dishes just didn't work out for us. read more

Jean & Lee Kitchen - Scallion pancakes, salt & pepper squid, soup dumplings, pork chop rice, minced pork rice - Szechuan Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

I really like their water-cooked fish and the aubergine with basil. The former, even at $19, seemed like an ok price, but other dishes such as the pea-shoots which were only a dollar less seemed pretty expensive. So that summarizes the mixed blessing of this place. Some dishes are terrific and others good, but pricing also seems a bit much on some of them, to the point where it steers my menu selection. (admittedly, we came here once before with my Chinese mother-in-law and were less impressed but glad we came back for a better round of take out this time) read more

The best beef noodle soup outside of Taiwan -- with the correct cut of beef! And super chewy noodles. Broth is good, too! read more

Jean & Lee Kitchen - Szechuan Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

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