Typically, I visit at lunch time. The service is not perfect, but it is not a classy restaurant. The food is excellent. There may well be a tiresome debate on how authentic it is, which I cannot and do not want to enter into. However, I will say that at weekends a large majority of customers appear to be Chinese. The dishes vary from the conservative to the out the ordinary. Decor is plain and more cafeteria standard. However, searching through the menu should deliver a dish you enjoy and a good lunch for about $11, for either the conservative (salt and pepper pork chops) or more adventurous diner. This place would have fiver, if I were not a miser. PS: Another reason it is not a 5Star, to quote the review below "After spending over an hour saying and repeating my address, phone number, food order and credit card number (4x each to a non-English speaker) ....." I ordered as I was feeling lazy. It would have been much quicker to walk over. Some was a language barrier, but imagine the heart sinking frustration, when after finally getting the message over, she then went to write it down and we had to start all over again. read more

I'm putting a placeholder for a more extensive review later, but for now, I want to go on record as saying this was the best Chinese food I've had in Boston. It stood up to NYC's restaurants, and held it's own. Saturday night, five stars. And the atmosphere is a cut above. Lovely. read more

I had heard rave reviews of MuLan for quite some time that I was almost apprehensive when I finally had the chance to go. How could it live up to so much hype? Two vegetable dumplings later, I realized that my apprehension was simply silliness and unfounded. MuLan is the real deal. The aforementioned dumplings are homemade and you get ten per order. There's also many different options to choose from as far as fillings, which is an assurance that one will never get bored of them. The soups - also many to choose from - are made to feed four, so I had plenty to take home with me. Incidentally, the seafood vegetable soup is delicious at the restaurant, but even better the next day re-heated or even cold. I also had the fortune of ordering some sticky rice with mushroom and pork and gravy. I had never had sticky rice prepared like this before, and it was such a treat. We were then given complimentary dessert, which was a soup cup filled with some sort of bean/syrupy mixture, served cold. It tasted almost like oatmeal, but not as sweet or sugary. It was honestly delightful, but I am somewhat wary when I do not know exactly what I am eating. The prices are completely reasonable and the portions are very generous. The pink flowery curtains and the bright walls are a little much on the eyes, but just because the ambiance doesn't quite make sense, the food absolutely does and I will return again and again! read more

The food is really good here but their service is horrible. English is clearly not their first language and have a non-welcoming personality. They have this one item "Roasted Pork Belly with Baby Bamboo" has been on their menu for awhile but it's never available. They have a very limited parking space, make for a few spots. read more

I have come here as a regular on many, MANY occasions, but how shocked I was to show up today with the restaurant 7/8 empty (it was before 5:30pm), asked to be seated for 2 guests, and then have the host apologize and say that if I wanted to wait 20some minutes for a two-top to open (most folks had just sat down to eat), I could do that since the rest of the restaurant was booked already. There were clearly over 45 seats empty at the time which is why I was in disbelief, and yes the two tops were occupied, but there were also clearly four tops open that we could have been seated at. Incredibly disappointed to be a loyal customer and to encounter this type of situation. Speaking as a culinary industry professional, I feel this incident reflects so poorly on the values of the restaurant and how they perceive customers. Such a shame... read more

This is a great little place in Cambridge. It's not like other "typical" chinese restaurants. Its menu contains many food items that you would not find elsewhere. We had the spicy pork blood and intestine hot pot. It might sound gross to some, but I am telling you.. it's yummieeee! The tofu with dried peunut sauce was kinda sweet, but also quite tasty. The only thing we didn't really enjoy was the bitter melon with salty egg.. somehow I thought the bitter melon was not cooked enough or maybe it's supposed to be that way.. overall good food.. A must try if you want to get away from typical chinese. By the way, Todd T.. of course it seemed chinese to you.. This is Taiwanese food from Taiwan. You know an island south of mainland China?.. NOT Thailand. read more

Went to wait on the next showing of Black Swan at Kendall Square Cinema (see that movie, by the way). I ordered Taiwanese-style pan-fried noodles w/pork; my girlfriend went with Hunan beef. They were alright-- just alright. Aggressively average. Whatever. Service was *awful,* and would keep me from ever going here again. Our waitress ignored us beyond taking and (after a long while) placing our orders on our table. While we were still eating, with 1.5 hours left until closing time, our waitress and another employee started to take away our plates. The rush was a little confusing-- the restaurant was only 2/3 full, we'd been seated for only about forty minutes, and we were, by my estimation, maybe the second-to-last party to have come in during that time. The waitress acted both surprised and annoyed when we asked to have our food at least boxed up. Weird. I have never been bum-rushed out of a restaurant before. It sucks. Avoid MuLan. read more

A friend of mine introduced me to MuLan takeout one night and I've been hooked ever since. The best dish I've had Shredded Beef In Peking Style. So delicious! and it's even better the next day. I've also had the Pumpkin Pan Fried Rice Noodle with pork, which is a little bland. But it tastes great if you eat it with the shredded beef. The Eggplant with spicy garlic sauce is also tasty, but a little greasy. I've only ever had delivery from MuLan, never eaten at the restaurant itself. So I can't speak for that experience. But I can say, the delivery is fast and the delivery guy is friendly. Overall, a solid place if you want to order in! read more

Mulan is a hidden gem, though lots of people know where it's hidden. I almost hate to write it up, because it's already tough to get a table sometimes. The food is great, and the prices are very reasonable. Ambiance is "meh", but focus on the food and you'll be happy. The Mulan Fish is excellent - spicy and tangy and loaded with perfectly cooked chunks of white fish. Also try the Eggplant with Basil. Beautiful purple eggplant slices - very nice indeed. read more

You got to try their authentic Taiwanese dishes on the menu! Deep fried tofu with hot peppers garlic sauce is my favorite. Bitter melon with salty eggs, bamboo shoots with pork and luffa with Chinese yam and mushroom are also must-try! read more

See all

MuLan fish was mighty tasty if you are in the mood for a spicy dish. The other dishes I tried including peapod greens and beef rolls were pretty good too though not as distinctive. read more

Ordered from Mu Lan for the first time today after a friend recommended it but was highly disappointed. Except for the hot & sour soup, every dish we ordered was bland & tasteless. We'd asked our food be made extra spicy but the eggplant in basil was oily & bland & same for the kung pao chicken. The dumplings were sparsely filled & doughy. Definitely the time we order from Mu Lan. read more

Came in with my parents and grandparents for dinner and really had a great time! We ordered a lot of the specials they recommended and everything was a good recommendation. The service was great, the teapot was always filled. We ordered the smoked duck, the Taiwan beef special, a whole steamed fish, the fish and pickled Napa soup, fried pork chops, eggplant, ginger scallion lobster, and the house made dumplings too. The duck was our favorite- highly recommend that. Half an order suffices! The eggplant would have been good on its own but amongst the other dishes, we probably could have gone without it. Pork chops were hot and not that greasy. Pretty tasty. The soup was a really nice start - it's a big bowl so make sure you have a few people to share with, or be ready to take some home :) LOVED the lobster dish - the pieces were prechopped to perfect edible sizes without special crackers or equipment. Also, very very tasty. read more

Got takeout here on a Sunday evening. Ordered four items on the menu (hot and sour soup, scallion pancakes, vegetable dumplings, and eel with sticky rice and gravy), asked them to read it back to me, but when I arrived at the restaurant they forgot the eel... umm ok, can you make it now, no sorry kitchen is closed (my bad arriving so near to closing your bad for not getting it right) Anyways as I was walking home I was really disappointing for the lack of eel, and that feeling continued when everything I ordered lack any flavor. Let me reiterate, I have never had such bland food, it was overwhelmingly bland. The only thing with a hint of flavor was the super vinegar taste of the dipping sauce. I had such high hope, and this place fell seriously short. Boo. read more

Great quality food! Was very happy with the meal, and lots of other Chinese people were there too.

The pork and cabbage dumplings are so good and for a great price, definitely my new local dumpling place.

Budget dining with perks: like candy and fortune cookies. In terms of mass/$, MuLan can't be beat. A pork chop with rice (green beans and egg) comes in at less than $7.50 with tax and gives two full meals for one person. But I think you'd be better off using MuLan as a source of frozen dumplings for parties at your house. The cooked dumplings I've ordered in the past have been watery. But as a "bulk" supplier, they're a great place and in a pinch, you can order tasty, cheap food to eat in/take out--but it will be greasy and salty (not a health-food place). They also ask for a $20 min. purchase/credit card. read more

Good food but a couple of things kept it from being a 5 star review. The service was slow (a table that got there after us got their order taken and food before us). Additionally the pork fried rice was really skimpy on the pork and the sweet and sour chicken had some gristle. Other than that it was good tasting food and the inside was really nice. They had flowers on the tables and gave us complimentary tea and fortune cookies! read more

Thank heavens Mulan is back! We missed the neighborhood stalwart. Eating here is always a treat and great pleasure--the food, the service, the busy comfortable ambiance. Dishes here I've never seen elsewhere. NOT average, NOT just like any other Chinese restaurant. Special. read more

I went here for lunch with some work colleagues and I definitely enjoyed the food. They have a huge menu but it is easy to read and they've highlighted some of their specialties to guide you. At lunch, you also receive complimentary soup and of course, rice. PRO TIP: If you have a large party for lunch, make a reservation for 11:45AM. If you don't make a reservation, come BEFORE noon. It is a TINY restaurant and it gets packed easily. Of everything that we ordered, my favorites were the Sauteed Chinese Watercress w/ Garlic and Smoked Lamb & Leek. On a scale of 1 to 5 of authenticity of Chinese food (1 being Panda Express), this place is probably a 3 or 4. Which means, YOU CAN'T EXPECT WESTERN STYLE SERVICE. Chinese service is prided on efficiency, that means, getting you seated in a timely manner, serving you food, and getting your bill. So just because you don't get waited on hand and foot like you would at most North American restaurants, doesn't mean the service is bad, you just have to understand cultural context. PRO TIP: To get a new tea pot or have you tea pot refilled, take the top and turn it upside-down or sideways on top of the pot. This signals to the staff that your tea pot is empty and that you need a new one. Overall, good things. I would definitely come again. read more

Really not imrpressive. Not authentic Taiwanese. But not too bad. I guess I just couldn't say anything about this restaurant. The only reason that we went to this restaruant was that all other Chinese restaurants were full of people at Chinese New Year Eve. read more

Cheap, authentic Chinese/Taiwanese food, what more can I ask? My friend at MIT suggested we come to this place for dinner. I was a little hesitant after seeing 3.5 star review on Yelp, but it definitely did not disappoint! The four of us had (forgive me for not knowing their names) a veggie dish, an eggplant dish, crispy chicken, black bean pork (?), and winter melon soup. I tried all but the first dish, and they were all fantastic. I think my favorite was the winter melon soup, which reminded me of what my mom used to make. Everything was so, so, so good and well priced. Oh, the pickled cabbage that they serve before the meal is to die for! My one and only complaint is that MuLan is in a super sketchy area, basically standing alone in an unlit area on Broadway. Granted it was dark out, I was still super sketched out walking from MIT to MuLan. (However, definitely take that with a grain of salt as I was raised in suburbia.) Overall I was very satisfied with my meal at MuLan, as did the three other people who came with me. read more

About 3.5 rounded up to 4. I went here with a large group. For apps, I liked the various dumplings and a spicey fried chicken dish. Not a fan of their scallion pancake (avoid) or hot and sour soup (not my style). For entrees, the taiwanese dishes were the winners. I didn't particularly care for the standard americanized chinese offerings, which most chinese restaurants are obliged to offer. Overall, a good option for this area if you stick with this restaurant's strong suit. read more

Went there for lunch. Food is decent and so is the service. I ordered the sauteed rice cake with pork and vegetables. It's something I've eaten since childhood. Though it didn't take me back to childhood, and it wasn't the best I've had, I'd say overall it was good. I'd go back again and try their lunch options. A friend got chili beef and it was beautifully presented with rice, some tempura veggies, and edamame. (Just slightly odd for Taiwanese food, but still seemed satisfying for lunch). read more

This place has a good ambience. The servers and host are very polite. The food is amazing. I was surprised to find some great options for vegetarians like myself. I tried the scallion pancakes and eggplant in spicy garlic sauce with brown rice. Both dishes were delicious. MuLan is a must try place!! read more

First time trying out this location! Order was ready within the time range they mentioned. The Taiwanese pan-fried rice noodle with pork is delicious! I asked for little heat but would definitely ask for more spice next time! The Hunan beef was also a great dish and would order again. The portions are pretty large and you will have plenty of leftovers. read more

We were very excited to hear of a Taiwanese restaurant that was closer to us, and not in Belmon/Watertown. We ordered 4 items, and 3 out of 4 of them weren't great, but I think we failed to order the right things so I'm willing to give this place another shot. We ordered: -thousand layer pie (this was the worst dish, literally just a plate of tasteless, coiled, baked dough -- not worth the money) -noodle soup with pork and fermented mustard greens (bland -- much better at Qing Dao) - tofu with peanuts (this one was pretty OK) - tofu skins with bamboo shoots and mushrooms (I liked this one but it was a pretty simple dish) All in all, the prices were a little inflated for the quality/portion size. Next time I go, I'll probably ask what the chef recommends. read more

The Chinese food here is delicious and decently authentic. You really can't beat it for authentic Chinese food in Cambridge...not that there are many Chinese restaurants here anyway. But if you want General Tso's or crap like that, keep looking. If you like spicy dishes, I suggest the Mulan house fish. It had a lot of flavor and just enough kick. The salty fried chicken was just okay. Jojo Taipei has a MUCH better one. read more

Experience: The staff is friendly, but don't really speak English. The spot is a good size so seating is not an issue. Food: The food is AMAZING if you know what to order. Even though I'm Chinese this is Taiwanese so unless I go with someone who knows the dishes it's a hit or miss. Also these are traditional dishes and not "Americanized". I recommend the following dishes (don't remember some of the actual menu names) 1. Yushaing eggplant- if you like spicy, but it's more mild 2. Beancurd, mustard greens, and edema beans 3. Spicy shredded beef-this one is actually spicy (love it!) 4. Shredded pork with noodles 5. Peapod stems with garlic read more

If you know what to order, the food is great, otherwise it can be pretty hit or miss. Our favorites? House special fish: It's this delicious white fish in this really great special spicy sauce. Yummmm. (we're actually going again tonight to have it!) I would also recommend the green beans and the eggplant dish. The last time we were there I tried ordering an egg soup and she said it didn't have pork in it, but.... my husband who doesn't eat pork couldn't go near it. It didn't taste that great either. So... now I'm kinda hesitant about ordering other things off the menu. But it won't stop us from going there to order our favorite dishes! read more

This is one of my favorite chinese restaurants in the Boston area. The food is authentic taiwanese with generous portions. We have a couple favorite dishes, but my all-time favorite is the beef and leek wrapped in pancake. They have it listed as an appetizer, but it's an entree to us. The restaurant is packed most evenings - mostly with MIT asian grad students, but we don't usually have to wait long. Great place for groups - especially so you can order more and try different things. read more

There are two ways of looking at this place: does the food taste good, and does the restaurant deliver what it should? On the first count, this place is a winner. I really enjoyed all of the dishes. We ate pork with leek dumplings, san bei ji ("chicken casserole"), and ma la ji ("chicken in chili sauce"). The san bei ji was delicious, and the portions were huge. That being said, the ma la ji... wasn't ma la (mouth numbing). It was tasty, but it was the wrong kind of spicy. Also, while this place claims to be a Taiwanese restaurant, it was missing a lot of the items I wanted to order. A big bowl of beef noodle soup (niu rou mian) or a plate of soy sauce noodles (zha jiang mian) would have been nice, but they were not available. In their place were a number of quasi-Sichuan and American items. Oh well. To sum it all up, this is a tasty place to go and eat. But, if you are looking for Taiwanese food, there are other places that have more comprehensive menus. read more

We visited this place the other day. We had heard good things about it and parking was easy. Service could be better as my chair actually got bumped by a rushing waiter. It took awhile for them to refill our empty teapot. Overall, the food itself was decent. I really liked the beef scallion appetizer. Unfortunately, one of the dishes listed as using satay sauce turned out to be quite different than expected. read more

Hangover Heaven. The combination of an unlimited supply of hot tea, salty and spicy food makes this place one of the best spots to nurse a hangover. The House Special Fish, Salt and Pepper Pork and Salt fried chicken are some of the best dishes on the menu. Be sure to try the pea shoots with scallions! read more

Ordered from here before and remember being satisfied. Got the chicken with mustard greens but what I got was the disgusting chicken with soybeans (?) drowning in what is best described as dirty dishwasher liquid. Inedible. read more

Mu Lan - Taiwanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Favorite place to go for when I'm missing home - the portions are huge, and great for family style. Servers have usually been pretty friendly and accommodating for large orders. Everything I've had on the menu has been good! Brought my relatives here when they were visiting and they were excited to get a taste of home here in Boston. read more

Comfort food :) A bit oily but if you need some Mu Lan, you just need some Mu Lan man! The fried rice is really good with eggplant basil, and the shredded beef. The Mu Lan fish was really good, but spicy. If you can handle spice, its delicious! If not, I recommend getting a bowl of white rice to go with it. The lo mein noodles are also really good read more

Another place that offers Taiwanese food besides Taiwan cafe in Chinatown and Wisteria House on Newbury Street. Being a Taiwanese myself, I think the food here was worse than average - not flavorful and not very authentic. I got one of the most traditional Taiwanese dishes - pork chop over rice, and was disappointed. The pork chop was not marinated and deep fried the way it should have been done, and the minced pork poured over the rice was cooked with just ground pork instead of belly. Bamboo shoots + pork had 5% pork without much of a taste. The fried pig intestines (appetizer) was great though... even though also not done the "traditional" way. I would have given this place a 2 star if it werent for the intestines. Note: the parking lot is awfully small (~5 cars) yet its pretty far from the nearest T station... read more

It's a nice place for Taiwanese food. My favorite dish is the shredded pork with baby bamboo. Chicken casserole is pretty good too. Also I like that there's a very good variety of vegetables here, such as bitter melon, Chinese squash, to name a couple. Like all Chinese/Taiwanese restaurants, it's best to go with a large party and to sample a bunch of stuff. However, the little parking lot in front of this restaurant is horrendous. read more

Just went to Mulan in last week twice, the one in Cambridge for lunch and the new one in Walltham for dinner. The must order dish is Mulan fish, , it is very tender and spicy which fit for every fish-lover and spicy-lover. This time the three-cup chicken was not as good as before, too dry and too little basil made it taste not good. But overall, 5 dishes only $70 (including tips) is a worth trip! read more