One of the BEST Thai restaurants in Boston. Love that I don't have to drive into the city, there is…read morea spacious parking lot, and the folks inside are always speedy and friendly. The food is spicy, delicious, and flavorful every time. Everything is fantastic and I've yet to taste a dish that I wouldn't get again. Things I've gotten: -Larb - quintessential, can't go wrong. -Thai Saap Pork Ribs Soup: SO GOOD. Sour and spicy (you can adjust the heat). It was perfect during the cold winter. The ribs were very tender and the broth was full of flavor. -Pad Thai - again, can't go wrong. -Wonton Soup - some of the best I've had. The broth was deliciously savory and so much tastier than the bland versions you get from most Chinese places. -Pad See Ew - also fantastic. -Rad Nah - appreciated that they packed the noodles separately so I could assemble the dish fresh. No soggy noodles. -Ka Prow Crispy Pork - by the time I got it home, it wasn't very crispy anymore but it didn't matter because the flavor was fantastic. -Crispy Chicken Basil - same thing, not too crispy but still delicious. Restaurant decor looks comfortable and there are a decent amount of tables inside. I haven't made the effort to eat onsite yet, but looking forward to doing that at some point because I definitely want to try their whole fish. It looks amazing! Can totally understand why some people would be intimidated by the location and look from outside, but looks can be deceiving! Absolutely worth the drive.

This place used to be the adult store but I think it moved to the back. Decent parking around since…read morea small lot. Its small inside with tables for dine in. 4/5 drunken noodles was spicy and delicious. Arived fresh and hot. This was lunch portion so assuming its smaller sized. Think there was only one cook so things bit slower but fresh cook to order. 4/5 fighting fish roll was decent. Crunchy tofu skin exterior and packed with flavors of pork, crab and shrimp. Juicy and hot inside, good flavor and texture. 3.5 siam fried rice was decent and flavored well but just wasn't distinguishing itself enough. Service was decent, it was one guy doing waiter and cashier. He was back and forth and sometimes waiting inside kitchen. Overall will come again since location has decent parking and reasonable prices and good thai food. I like their specials menu which I assume rotates.

Two weekend visits to this relatively new subterranean Sichuan eatery in Harvard Square (Eliot…read moreStreet) with a very inviting interior and some VERY spicy dishes. -- Vegetarian Cold Noodle: Firm, peanut buttery, satisfying. Not spicy. Not too saucy, so you can "feel" the noodle, but I would have liked more vegetables. -- Yibin Fiery Noodles: Warm and similarly al dente, these were manageably spicy. Meat crumble, seeds or nuts, scallions, and heat. -- Red and Green Pepper Chicken: Batterless but crisp, tender, and not boneless. Relentlessly spicy from several heat sources and kaleidoscopically delicious. The closest comparison is dry hot chicken that also goes by a few other names, but this was better. Elite, and the best thing I ate in all of 2025, but sadly no longer on the menu. -- Stone Pot Tofu: Billed as Ma Po Tofu sizzling in a stone pot, but no sizzle and no stone pot. Identified as very spicy but minimally spicy and more numbing (more "ma" than "la"). I enjoyed the overall flavor (heavily seasoned) and the saltiness of the fermented black beans. Despite some of the menu discrepancies, this was a really good version for my tastes. Near-elite. -- Green Beans With Eggplant: Strong flavor, not too hot spicewise, but volcanically hot temperaturewise. Decent. -- Chicken and Clams: Black bean flavor, whole peppercorns, spicy but loaded with flavor beyond the spice. A deceptively huge and quite delicious. Elite. -- Beef Spring Rolls: Not my choice. Crisp, beefy, and chili sauce on the side added contrast. Solid, but boring, more typical of an Americanized offering, and a waste of an opportunity given Too Hot's killer menu. -- Pork Belly with Fermented Beans: Superb rendition, not drastically different from twice cooked pork, but much more flavor and giant pieces. Near-elite to Elite. -- Shrimp in Dry Hot Pot: Tons of dry rub spiciness, giant shrimp, chopped vegetables, and crinkle cut potatoes. Near-elite. -- Brussels Sprouts w/Shallots: More subtle flavors here but hardly bland. Fried shallots had sort of an onion ringy presence in miniature. Cooked just right. Outstanding overall experience, with the best dish on the first visit and almost all winners on the second. Kudos to the friendly and helpful service, including a server suggestion to switch an item after noticing we ordered two very similar items. Eager to return often and try even more of the menu.

Pretty solid szechuan spot in Harvard Square! I made a reservation to ensure no wait time and at…read morethe time, I had to make it quite early so it seems like a popular spot. Interior felt very modern and sleek - it was a bit small as well so it was a little cramped between tables and walking areas. The menu had a good selection of szechuan fare and we ended up sharing some of their popular dishes. I enjoyed the large fish one which was a good size for a family. Everything tasted authentic, my only qualm was paying for rice - you can't not have rice and it seems ridiculous to pay $3 for one bowl. Overall, a solid restaurant and option for Chinese food in Harvard Square.

*Limited Street Parking (Resident Pass Required)…read more The vibes is here are great, it has dim lighting and is pretty busy but small so I would recommend getting a reservation. They have a limited menu with some items being seasonal but the waiters are very helpful and will let you know. I strongly recommend the toro, it is on the pricey side for $55 but it is one of their most popular dishes and I would say it's worth it. One dish that was recommended by everyone that I was a little disappointed about was the lobster roe pasta. It was good but I didn't enjoy it as much as expected and it started become gummy like so if you don't eat it quickly, it may become like this. It is a little plain without the lobster meat but there is an additional $15 charge so that is up to you. We also got another dish, I forget the name I think it was some black bean octopus over rice. But this dish was great with a little spice to it. Enjoyed the sake flight as well, the menu is pretty descriptive so you can pick and choose which ones that look good to you.

I visited about 3 months ago so some of the menu items I tried might be outdated, but I wanted to…read moreshare some thoughts about my experience because some of the dishes were exceptional. We started with the temaki sushi ($32) which came with two handrolls that had a good balance of rice and fish. They weren't super large but were fresh and had good flavor. We then got the miso-braised pork shoulder ($18), which was a larger portion than expected. This was our favorite dish, as the pork was very tender and flavorful. The dish had pieces of cabbage which were soft, naturally sweet, and soaked up all the flavor of the sauce. I would get this again, but with some rice because it was seasoned strongly. As this seems to be one of their most popular dishes, we also ordered the lobster roe pasta ($34). While the noodles were creamy and tasty, I think this dish is more worthwhile if you add the lobster (+$15). It does become even pricier at that point, but the noodles on their own were not super memorable. At the end we had some stomach space left and were still curious about the menu so we ordered the monkfish katsu ($25). I regretted getting this! The breading and fish basically tasted like the frozen fish fingers you can buy from the grocery store. While the yuzu tartar sauce was tasty, the rest of the dish was just not worth it. Overall, I thought the fish was good quality and really loved the pork shoulder. I would definitely eat here again, but would do more research on different menu items ahead of time.

Celebrated Lunar New Year dinner at Myers & Chang! While owners Joanne Chang and Christopher Myers…read morewere away in Asia, the staff did a good job "holding down the fort". Staff was very knowledgeable about each entree, and provided information about how entrees were cooked and served. They also had a "halvsies" menu of half-size portions (ideal portions for one or two diners). Started with the Mama Chang Pork Dumplings, which were excellent, and the cauliflower appetizer (a little spicy, but very good). Liked the udon noodles with chicken and bok choy, although a little less red chili pepper would have suited my tastes better (good for those who like a bit of zing to their food). The lettuce wrap chicken was well worth the 20-minute wait. Finished with the lemon ginger mousse, which was very light. The fortune cookie on the mousse was fresh and crisp, so good that some thought it might have been baked at Joanne Chang's Flour Cafe and Bakery. The finish was extra nice, with a red lucky envelope with chocolates accompanying the check, an orange at each table (signs for good fortune in the New Year), and red decorations hanging in the restaurant to create a festive setting. Good choice for the start of the New Lunar Year of the Fire Horse!

First time here tonight and had a great experience! A friend had won a gift certificate to this…read morerestaurant at an auction and invited us to go to dinner. The interior is very cool, cozy, and the cool red paint design on the glass windows makes it all feel very charming and comfortable. We did have a bit of a wait for our table despite having reservations. We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share between the 4 of us - scallion pancake, bourbon chicken wings, spicy salmon rolls, pork belly buns, sliced beef, eggplant, hot n sour soup, golden potato and lemongrass soup. I think my favorite of those was the eggplant dish - perfectly cooked and flavorful with ginger and soy. Wings were good too. The soups were nice I liked the hot n sour one. The lemongrass soup was a creamy one quite tasty but also quite filling and rich. For entrees, we ordered the roasted soy glazed salmon, the Indonesian fried rice, bok choy and surf and turf noodles. Everything was good. We were all so full and also had leftovers. But decided to order dessert too - everyone loved the vanilla bean ice cream (the menu described it as a parfait) with orange granita - really generous too - 3 scoops of ice cream and the orange sorbet which was more granular than a sorbet more like very finely crushed ice. Very refreshing! The banana caramel crème brûlée was really good too - nice and creamy. The lemon ginger mousse was very creamy but I thought had a bit too much of ginger. I think the deserts were hands down everyone's favorite part of the meal despite everyone pretty much denying they wanted any! Service was very friendly by our server Julie who was delightful! Lovely young lady. Overall great experience!!

I got take out from this silk for the first time. The hostess was very friendly and was quick to…read morehelp grab my food. The chicken Tikka was delicious, and you seemed to get two servings for one order which was nice for the price. I will be going back!

I had really been looking forward to trying this place and was finally able to on Valentines Day…read more The decoration was adorable and I'm pretty sure they were booked out for the evening. There was a great singer, pianist, and sax player to really set the mood. They were super fun, especially when a couple got engaged! To start, I got their ginger martini and while my friend went with a Do-er neat (not a whiskey drinker myself, lol). He tried to order 2 of their beers but they were out of both. My drink came after 15 mins and then we had to remind the waiter about his whiskey. That took another 10. We started with the chicken bao buns and the samosas. Both spectacular! My only complaint is the little size for the samosa size. For our mains we got the short rib and the white butter chicken. The butter chicken could've used a bit more chicken for the price and was frankly a bit tough. The sauce was great. The short rib was flavorful and packed the perfect punch. Dipping the garlic naan in both sauces was my fav part!! Overall an ok experience. I want to give the restaurant grace because it was very packed but service was poor. I think we had 4 different staff members help us total which probably led to lots of miscommunication.

Full Blog: https://tantorski.com/f/black-ruby…read more Friday nights in Cambridge have a great energy, and Black Ruby fully leans into it. The restaurant was buzzing when we arrived, but we were seated right away at the last available table. The space felt both lively and cozy, perfect for a date night. Service started a bit slow, but once it picked up, the pacing was excellent. Our server was more hands off, which worked well, letting us settle in and enjoy the night without feeling rushed. We started with the Larb Pork Dumplings, which were beautifully presented with chili lime mayo, fresh herbs, and crispy greens. They were fried perfectly, packed with bright Thai flavors, and the added crunch from the greens made the dish even better. With five dumplings, it was a great portion to share. For dinner, we ordered the Crispy Basil Burger and the Thai Garlic Burger, both cooked medium and full of flavor, with Thai seasoning adding a unique twist to the beef.

Once I tried Black Ruby, it immediately became one of my favorite restaurants in Cambridge. The…read morecocktails are creative and delicious--I love the Thai Tea Martini--and the food is fantastic as well. The Khao Soi burger is my go-to. It has all of the flavors and textures of Khao Soi, with pickled mustard greens for acid, crispy noodles for a crunchy flair, and just the right amount of spice. I find myself craving it often! The one and only bone I have to pick with Black Ruby is that the service, while very attentive, is almost TOO fast. I get that they want to turn tables over efficiently, but the last couple of times I've come, I kind of felt like they were rushing me out. I came here to catch up with a couple friends and our food came almost instantly, before our drinks, and the waitress seemed eager to keep us moving. I think our entire meal was less than 50 minutes. While I'll definitely be back, I think it won't be somewhere I'd bring friends anymore since it's just not enough time for a full conversation.

Come for the Peking duck! 10/10…read more This is an elevated version of a Chinese family-style restaurant located in the heart of downtown Boston. Exactly what we needed after a trip of lobster rolls and fried food. The service was incredibly friendly and attentive! They also have a selection of dishes that incorporate black truffle which was intriguing. We got the chicken and truffle soup dumplings and it was so good! I'd recommend!

JiangNan had some great dishes! I didn't try the peking duck on this visit, but the house specials…read morewere still excellent. The braised pork belly was prepared really well; the sauce was decadent without tasting like a pile of sugar, and the meat itself was very tender. The crispy tofu was also great, lots of spices and a nice golden breaded crust made for a good vegan dish (but that's why I didn't get to try the peking duck...). And the pineapple beer was a fun drink, it's about 50/50 beer and pineapple juice so it was more of a cocktail than an actual beer. The line for a table was a chaotic experience. I know that popular restaurants are always a bit of a mess, especially those that don't take reservations. But this place was especially disorganized, it took a while to get seated fora party of two, and even then, it was a consolation bar spot. I hope they can get more organized in the future!

TLDR: shockingly flavorful food in a homey ambiance…read more I have to say I was blown away with the flavors presented to me here. In particular, the pork dumplings were such a surprise pick! They're filled with this flavorful broth so despite looking very unassuming they were bursting with flavor. We came here on a Sunday evening without a reservation and were seated in 10min. The menu is entirely online but food came out quickly after we ordered. Dishes we got: - beef laghman: spiced well and chewy noodles! I liked it, although I was a bit confused if it was Uyghur or Chinese because it tasted very similar to Chinese food to me - Pork dumplings: delicious, you have to get these. They look so boring. They're SO good and there's so many. - Mapo tofu: my mouth was very numb eating this but the tofu was silky smooth. I can only assume it was good but I didn't have much spice tolerance left in me after the laghman.

Cozy, intimate, and very quiet. This restaurant is a great option for date night or a quiet setting…read morebest for lunch and dinner. Service was prompt and thorough. The menu offers options of seafood, beef, and chicken with pairings such as noodles or rice. We ordered the samosa and dumplings for appetizer and you really can't go wrong with either option. For dinner we tried the stir fry chicken, spicy beef noodle, and the Laghman. Everything was flavorful and I would describe as a between of east and South Asian dishes with its own uniqueness that is a must try!

Delicious coffee, super cute space, and refreshing food…read more It's a bus yourself restaurant with an unassuming outdoor space in the back for additional seating. They generally require you to order before sitting given the small space so keep that in mind when you arrive. Service is friendly and very quick. Their food is delicious and refreshing, however I'd say the star of the show is their coffee. I really enjoyed the Saigon latte especially paired with the DELICIOUS pastry. Definitely want to come back to try their dinner menu!

Came here on a sunday evening around 7:45 PM without a reservation, and were quickly seated at the…read morebar. The restaurant had a really great ambiance, and I enjoyed being able to watch the chefs prepare the food. We ordered the ginger cabbage salad, the coconut eggplant, and the duck noodles. I would have loved to have tried their sushi grade salmon, but they were unfortunately sold out for the night. So I would recommend arriving earlier if you would like to try it. My favorite dish was the duck noodles. I liked the freshness of the basil in the pesto, and the tenderness and juiciness of the duck. The coconut eggplant was a close second favorite. The coconut flavor was delicious, and I liked the nuts on top for crunch. I also found the ginger cabbage salad to be yummy, but not as much as a standout as the other two dishes. Overall, I really enjoyed this spot for dinner. I liked how fresh everything was, and how the dishes felt very light and healthy. It's definitely a bit on the pricier side, but I found it to be very worth it. I definitely come back and try their lattes and other dishes.

Great little holiday pop-up bar in the Kimpton-Marlowe Hotel. The decorations were great and so…read morewere the special holiday drinks and mugs. A little on the pricey side but a nice indulgence.

The decorations are very cute inside this pop up bar. The drinks all come in festive glasses which…read moreis fun as well. I liked the christmapolitan cocktail. Unfortunately they really have no accommodations for non-alcoholic people. Their cocktails are premixed and they don't have a mocktail menu, so my NA friend just had to get water. The hummus appetizer was very delicious tho. Another thing to note is that the bar is quite small and only fits about 25 people, so they form a line in the hotel. I got there 2 minutes before they opened on a Friday and there was already a line forming.