Excellent sushi! The Hamachi sashimi is marinated and pure Heaven. The rolls are expensive but worth it. The entree portions are huge. The chicken in the stir fry tasted like plain boiled chicken which was the reason for the one star reduction. This is great restaurant to go to if looking for a quick meal while at BWH. You can walk through the hospital to building 15 and it's basically across the street. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Chefs at work - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I wanted something veggie filled, not smoothered in sauce, but tasty. I needed a break from meat. If you are looking for that, get the pepper garlic stir fry veggie. Green and red bell peppers, carrots, snap peas, mushrooms, califlower, broccoli, and onions, sprinkled with some toasted dry garlic. Was so simple yet exactly what was looking for. Paired it with a miso soup. Service was quick, got a table quick . Coming here for my veggie fix (and yes those do exist) read more

Love the drunken noodles and pad thai. Decent size portions, great flavor, and well-cooked. One of my go to Thai spots!

I have started ordering to-go their lunch special and it's the perfect portion size and so delicious. Definitely stick to lunch on the weekdays to-go! read more

Excellent food, great food for catered party Pad Thai, yummy Also, Beef Lo Mein with garlic sauce, so delicious They catered my 70th birthday party and people are still talking about how good the food was! Delicious , Delicious , Delicious , Delicious Delicious , Delicious , Delicious , Delicious read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Pad Thai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ordered for pick up and it was ready on time. Things were hot and fresh. The pad Thai was really flavorful!

The food was pretty good!! I loved the vibes of the place!! My partner and I had the Thai tea and both absolutely loved it (even though it was very sweet) read more

Happy to have found this local gem just a few blocks from many local Boston hospitals. We easily ordered food to go on the website. We walked to pick up the food. Everything was so neatly packaged individually. The food was so delicious, fresh and full of flavor. I ordered drunken noodles with chicken. The serving was huge. I ordered the number 2 heat level and it was sooooo spicy. Next time I'll get no spice. It was still good but I worked up a crazy sweat from the spice! The restaurant itself looks cozy and busy. Hubs had the sushi and it was tasty. Def would or do that next time for something different. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Drunken noodles with chicken - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Laughing Monk is an amazing Thai and sushi spot in Mission Hill, but they also have two other locations. I have ordered takeout here several times and I went in for dine in a few years ago and every time I have been extremely satisfied all around. I love pad thai even though it's such a "basic" thai food and despite it being so basic, it is somehow really hard for restaurants to nail pad thai perfectly (at least in my opinion). It can either be too dry, too mushy, too fishy, or not enough flavor. I find that their pad thai is one of the best and is perfect. I get it almost every time with chicken and it is SO good and slightly expensive but for the quantity I think it is worth it. The sushi is just as amazing and I think it is the best sushi spot in Mission Hill by a landslide. More expensive than Sushi Today and Ginger Exchange but the quality and freshness is unmatched. I love their shrimp tempura roll (featured in the photo) but also love their spicy shrimp/salmon/tuna roll and have also enjoyed their specialty rolls. I am hoping to try some of their other dishes like the curries and other noodle/rice dishes because they look amazing! Another plus is their takeout packaging! They give you the peanuts on the side in a packet which is great for allergies and they give you a little container to put your soy sauce in for dipping. Highly recommend this spot for both sushi and thai food! read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Pad Thai Shrimp Tempura Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

LMC has been on my list for a while! My partner and I got a spicy roll w salmon, drunken noodles w chicken, and lo mein kapow basil w ground pork - TASTE: 4/5 - started off strong w the sushi and enjoyed the jalapeño in it. My drunken noodles were spicy and super flavorful, thanks to the basil. The ground pork in the lo mein was awesome too. Would come back to try their omakase TEXTURE: 4/5 - great noodles: the flat rice noodles were thick in the drunken noodles, and the stir-fried egg noodles were easy to slurp up in the lo mein. The drunken noodles had many contrasting bites of bell pepper, carrot, string bean, and broccoli too PRICE: 4/5 - total came out to $53, which was cheaper than I expected SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - good lunch portions, and I had a bit of drunken noodles to take home for leftovers SERVICE: 4/5 - we walked in at 12:30pm on a Sunday and were the only folks there dining so far, so our food came out quickly. The staff was very friendly and checked in w us often ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - the inside was darker and moodier than I expected! Definitely a nice Thai spot for students close to campus PARKING: 4/5 - got a free street spot, a couple of blocks away, on Huntington Ave read more

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Terrible experience ordering take out. Staff was rude and unapologetic. Never completed the order due to their behavior.

I took my fiancee here during Superbowl Sunday as a way to celebrate V-day 1 day early. The place was pretty empty when we dined there. Most likely due to the fact that people were home watching the game. The servers were great. They were knowledgeable of their dishes. The omakase set is not all nigiri sushi. It's more a multi-course set that centers around fish with some wagyu also incorporated. Please note, which we didn't realize until after our 1st nigiri bite, they use BROWN rice for their sushi. I did not research properly. We tasted a nuttiness and firmer texture and then we realized that they didn't use the traditional white sushi rice. I later read and confirmed that their sushi is made with brown rice. It's not bad, but just a surprise. I enjoyed most of the dishes here. The presentations of each dish were extravagant. I recommend to have the omakase at the restaurant instead of at home. Overall solid 4 stars (minus 1 for the use of brown rice instead of white rice). read more

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Restaurant dropped the ball on booked pickup omakase for two. We just called to confirm pickup this evening (paid in full last month, confirmation in hand). No offer to reschedule - Simply "we will post refund" Way to go ruining a Christmas gift! 0/10 read more

More Thai food!! I loveeeed this place, it was small, homey, and lively, and my food was amazing! The classic pad see ew did not disappoint and definitely convinced me to come back again to try their other dishes. We were also seated quickly with a party of 6 during dinner time, so I'd recommend it for a yummy easy meal with friends read more

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I got takeout from Laughing Monk a few times during my time in Boston. The first time, I got the drunken noodles and they were unlike any drunken noodles I'd had before... not in a good way. The assortment of vegetables was atypical for drunken noodles and the flavor was also not very drunken noodles-esque. The shrimp was well cooked and plump though! I ordered again a few days later (listen, minimal options in the area) and got the kua gei, which is the reason for this 4 star (instead of 2/3). I'd never had this dish before but it was so delicious! Nice thick noodles with egg and lettuce. I thought the cooked lettuce would be weird, but it actually worked really well! Highly recommend this dish! Very easy to order online and quick pickup as well. read more

Delicious Thai and Sushi. Food was freshly prepared and flavoring was on point. Ordered the Monk Sampler from the Sushi bar section of the menu. While everything was delicious, pricing was steep at 40 bucks for 5 pieces of Nigiri. The dish also came out about 40 mins after ordering, which meant everyone else at the table had already been served and eaten their meals. Service was good. Small spot with an intimate setting. read more

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I went to Laughing Monk Cafe located on 168 Brighton Ave A, Allston, MA. This northeastern thai isan style restaurant serves authentic cuisine that you just have to come and try! For drinks we had classic thai ice teas and coffee thai ice teas. This is a must have when ordering thai food. For appetizers we had the fried gyoza with chicken, cabbage and onion. We also had the Isan sausage or "Sai Krok Isan" which were deep fried Isan style sausage (ground pork, rice and herbs). And we had moo ping which was chargrilled marinated pork belly served with spicy dipping sauce. I never would think to order the isan sausage or the moo ping dishes but these were amazing! The meat was so flavorful and definitely worth a try. For entrees we had the Thai fried rice with shrimp, the Panang Nuar Nong Lai which was a Boneless beef shank in Panang curry and coconut milk, a papaya salad, and the nam ya poo with crab I personally loved the panang nuar nong lai dish. This packed delicious flavor and I wish I could pour that curry sauce over everything! If you love spice and also crab I recommend getting the Nam ya poo. For dessert we had a classic mango sticky rice. They aren't shy about giving you mango slices for this. Check out this spot if you are in Allston or if you are looking to get Thai takeout. Take a stab at trying some authentic dishes that you will easily fall in love with. Food: 8/10 Affordability: 8/10 Ambiance: take out spot not much seating so can't really give a fair score! read more

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AMAZING food! The seating is limited, but the experience is fantastic and totally worth the hype. Every bite was full of flavor, and the overall vibe made it a memorable visit. Highly recommended! read more

Amazing food, atmosphere, and service! I wish we lived closer. The Massaman curry was one If the best I have had.

Being a recent transplant into the Boston area, I was looking for a good sushi place, and the Laughing Monk Cafe doesn't disappoint. I walked in on a weekend, and the place was packed. Fortunately, they were able to seat me at the bar. The waiter was extremely attentive and quick to take my order. Additionally, despite the packed restaurant, my order took a very reasonable amount of time to prepare. As for the sushi, the fish tasted fresh and was served at the perfect temperature. Moreover, the sushi rice wasn't overly seasoned and complemented the fish well. Overall, I really enjoyed the Laughing Monk Cafe, and I will be sure to return for more in the future! read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Saturday in June about 1PM, just a few tables were occupied. I ordered soup and steamed chicken dumplings. The dumplings, wrapped in a pearly shell, tasted good, but they were cool. Were they hastily defrosted? read more

Very good Thai food and amazing service. Try Tom Zab soup here and you won't be disapppointed.

Laughing Monk is great Thai food. I was in the area and stumbled upon the restaurant. We ordered with veggie dumplings, Thai iced tea, roti, and the veggie pad Thai with tofu. The food was very delicious and the service was wonderful. The server was so attentive and knowledgeable. The roti appetizer was so good, it was just a bit on the smaller side. The dumplings were also tasty, as was the iced tea and pad Thai. Definitely a great neighborhood spot to have dinner at! A great menu with lots of options. read more

Thai food here is decent but don't get the sushi! Brown rice doesn't really go with sushi and they are so overpriced for the quality and flavors we got. read more

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the food was wonderful! Would def recommend the pad see ew with crispy chicken. Ao was an incredible server, very kind and quick!

Amazing service and delicious food! Highly recommend this spot for take out, a quick meal, or a celebratory dinner!

Came here for dinner with a large group and was seated right away. We ordered a bunch of dishes family style, and they were all pretty good. The tamarind duck was my favorite. Thai iced tea was amazing too. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Quick solo dinner with takeout for the hubs. Enjoyed an eel roll and a salmon avocado roll with hot sake. Was pleased as punch with the brown rice sushi rolls, so delicious. I wish more restaurants would offer this! Brought home a beef macadamia stir fry and a chicken drunken noodles. Beef was amazing, chicken was a bit gamey. Mild to medium heat was perfect, the dishes were carefully prepared and packed and thin plastic sealed (!) in custom Laughing Monk compostable cardboard boxes that kept them warm. Veggies were still fresh and crisp tender when we ate them at home. Sauces were delicious! Paid a little extra for both white and brown rice, happily. A good takeout experience. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Salmon avocado roll and eel roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Our first time having dinner at the Laughing Monk Cafe. The atmosphere is lovely. The service is genuinely amazing. The food was excellent and deliciously tasty!! Highly recommend FIVE STARS read more

Surprisingly tasty and delicious food in good packaging (ordered for delivery). RECOMMENDED!!

Food is great and staffs are super nice and welcoming! Food looks cute and yummy! Would come back. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Dragon - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Cute little cafe in Mission hill! Authentic cuisine with great flavors and large portions! Lost a star for not having a full liquor license! read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Chicken Basil fried rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Looking to try a different kind of omakase in Boston? We made a pre-paid reservation for a weekday dinner. The sushi was very unique with the restaurant's Thai influences. Super cute presentation of all the plates. Had a great experience with my friends here! read more

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Over all good. Would probably give it 3.5 stars if that was an option. Pros: Pad Thai was exactly what I wanted. It was perfectly delicious. I would have liked a tad more spice but nothing a few red pepper flakes couldn't take care of. The take out packaging is adorable and creative. Cons: I got the crispy chicken on my Pad Thai because it was flagged as 'popular' on the Uber eats app. I regret that. The chicken was grey and a bit slimy. I couldn't eat it. Next time I will stick with the regular chicken. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Cute packaging of delicious Pad Thai delivery - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This is a fabulous restaurant with a great ambiance. The food was perfectly seasoned, fresh delicious sushi, amazing red curry and salad with the best ginger dressing ever! The service was excellent, attentive, friendly and warm! We all loved this restaurant and you have to order the black sesame dessert which was incredible! Five Stars plus! read more

Great hidden gem down the street from the hospital. Lunch specials are perfect. Price is a reasonable for a lunch special and options are a bit restricted since the last time I went but still incredible food and attentive service. Highly recommend read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Got pad Thai on Uber Eats. Fast, delicious, not too expensive. Highly recommend, especially for delivery. read more

Food (1/2): A hybrid place that serves both sushi rolls and Thai food. Didn't try sushi but we had tried their Thai shrimp fried rice and pad see ew. The fried rice was great though the shrimp count is quite scarce. The ingredient balance swings a bit more heavily towards the vegetables. Nevertheless, the rice were cooked very well despite the heavy oil on the dish. Simple but good. The pad see ew on the other hand was a little bit more underwhelming. While it is still good, the vegetable of choice didn't seem to blend well with the rice noodles. The textures were too crunchy and ends up ruining the harmony of the dish. The flavor was also too sweet for my liking. Similar to the fried rice though, it is still a good dish. Service/wait-time/cleanliness (1/2): Service was standard. Courteous and attentive but sometimes feel a little bit curt. Wait-time is decent. Depending on the crowd, they can be a bit slower but generally within tolerance. Cleanliness is so-so. Nothing stellar nor egregious. Price (1/1): Given the location, portion, and service, their prices are one of the better ones in the area. read more

Maybe the omakase here is good, but the makis & nigiris I tried here were average at best for such a high price. I thought it was interesting that they had both sushi and Thai food in one restaurant. Most of the Yelp reviews raved about the sushi so I decided to order off of that side of the menu instead. After seeing the Thai entrees my friends ordered and seeing how their bill when the check arrived, I wish I just ordered a Thai yellow curry instead. But hey, I guess I'll know for the future. Also, other reviews have mentioned this, but they use brown rice for their sushi here. I personally didn't mind it, but I can understand why it might not sit well with everyone. SUSHI ENTREE - 28 7 nigiris and 1 maki, chef's choice. You also get a ginger salad and miso soup, both were standard and met my expectations (not that high, to be honest). The maki I got was the California roll, which is pretty disappointing. I am not a California roll fan because there's not even real fish in the sushi. It's literally avocado and imitation crab - don't get me wrong, they taste fantastic but I wouldn't normally order them at a sushi restaurant. I was hoping for a simple salmon or tuna roll seeing that the entree was $28. Regardless, it was still pretty good - brown rice consistency was fine - and I was hungry. The 7 nigiris were OK, a couple hits and a few misses. The amount of rice given were inconsistent - some nigiris had a good amount of rice and others had an absurd amount. Overall, I enjoyed the yellowtail, salmon, and eel nigiris a lot! The quality was fresh and the bites were tasty. The tuna was just OK. However, I was not a fan of the white tuna, shrimp (it was dry) or the imitation crab. Overall, thought the sushi here was overpriced for how mediocre it was. One of my friends got the MASSAMAN CURRY with beef and that was shy of $21. She seemed really full and satisfied and the couple bites I had were delicious. If I come back in the future, I'm definitely getting the Thai options instead. read more

Laughing Monk Cafe - Miso Soup & Small Salad - Sushi Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This is our go-to take out spot. Great sushi and Thai food. We order from here almost on a weekly basis and I've never been disappointed. We've tried the omakase here twice as well during the pandemic - was very impressed with the presentation for a takeout omakase, which was great and very reasonably priced. read more