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Pretty standard Chinese restaurant. Biggest pro is that they have large tables and that there is a small parking lot. Felt the dishes overall to be quite oily. Service was objectively fair as they were trying to rush us, came off as rude, and we had a hard time flagging them down. Tableware and such also need an update/refresh. Nonetheless it seems they are very popular as the place was full even on a weekday night. - beef scallion rolls were presented nicely - Szechuan cripsy chicken nugget things could have used more chicken! - Watercress and egg plants were good portions - Fried rice veryyyy oily - Mushu chicken was alright - chili oil potato strips were decently spicy
I'm honestly so shocked Mu Lan isn't rated higher here (and it's making me question my taste buds), BUT everything I've gotten here has been amazing. I was introduced by a friend of mine, and I've been hooked ever since. I bring my friends, who bring their friends, and the line goes on. In all seriousness, get the smoked or salted duck. They're cold dishes but absolutely delicious. My go to dishes are the duck, fried porkchops, Mu Lan fish, and the Ham Hock (thank me later.)
Classic flavors in a bustling environment. We got the 4. Pork with Chinese Cabbage Dumpling, 94. Shredded Pork with Dry Bean Curd, 132. Crispy Chicken in Chili Sauce, and 160. Stir Fried String Bean. Flavors were solid across the board, with the String Beans as a highlight--charred nicely and especially tasty. The issue, however, was the saltiness: the shredded pork and string beans were hypertension-inducing. Even pairing them with rice only helped a bit. Cups of water were needed to combat it...
Excellent service, food comes out very quick! Delicious variety of food, including vegetarian and meat dishes. It's surprising that this Taiwanese restaurant does not have soup dumplings or baos. The green beans And eggplant with basil are a must try, absolutely delicious! The whole fish and crispy chicken are also pretty good. The duck was okay, not my favorite place for duck. It was bustling indoors, loud environment with lots of guests On a Saturday evening.
Falsely advertised as Taiwanese food. Everything here other than 2-3 items are not Taiwanese. Much better options elsewhere around.
I came here for dinner with three friends, and as someone who just spent three months in Taiwan, the food didn't taste very authentic. Some dishes were enjoyable, like the the salt and pepper pork chop, but overall it didn't feel worth the price. The customer service was friendly and attentive but I probably wouldn't return for the food alone.
Visiting the area and was craving Asian cuisine. Mu Lan's dishes were delicious, with plenty of vegetarian options. We ordered the mixed vegetable, spicy eggplant, and Taiwanese rice noodles with pork. All nicely flavored. Food came out hot and quick.
KUDOS to the staff for providing supreme quality customer service! Thank God for them! We ordered braised pork shank, Taiwan chow main, and eggplant with basil. The ambiance was quiet! I highly recommend all to come and visit to support this local business!
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Boston Area. Me and my friends visit MuLan atleast a few times a month! Their crispy chicken in chilli sauce is just amazing! The MuLan fish is very tasty. The Lunch specials are a great value for money. The service is great too.
Authentic Taiwanese food in Cambridge! The flavors are great and the pricing is more than fair for the quality you get. We ordered a noodle dish, a meat dish, and a veggie, and it was the perfect combo - each dish well-executed, flavorful, and comforting. They serve hot tea as well. That said, this place gets busy--and for good reason. Expect a long wait on Fri/weekends, but the steady flow of takeout orders and packed tables are clear signs that people know where to find good food. The service is efficient despite the rush, and the atmosphere is lively. Already looking forward to my next visit!
I came here with my family to try a Taiwanese restaurant while visiting Boston. My son loved the braised pork dish. All the dishes tasted good to me. My husband had a higher standard, he said it was ok and that he wouldn't come back. My son and I would come back. The waiter was very attentive to us, great service. The restaurant was pretty crowded when we left. Nice atmosphere.
Taiwanese food in Cambridge! I only found this spot because it was recommended by a few friends who grew up in Taiwan (if that tells you anything). Really good spot for family style and/or a casual, special occasion and their seating can easily take large groups. Most dishes are made to be shared, and ordering one per person is usually more than enough. Atmosphere is casual; aesthetic is white table cloths and round tables w/ lazy Susans type beat. It's tucked away in the Cambridge suburbs, so it can be a little bit of a trip if coming from the city - but it's worth it. The place usually gets packed if you try to go at an average dinner time, but service is relatively fast once you're seated. Some dishes I really enjoy: the Mu Lan Fish (fish is cooked tender, and swims in a really yummy sauce with a little bit of spicy), Scallion Pancake with Beef (one of my favorite items to order if a place offers it; they give a generous portion of beef here), the Eggplant with Basil (can never go wrong with this one, the eggplant is so soft and saucy), and the Homestyle Chicken (it's one of their cold appetizers, the chicken is very simply-prepared, tender, and not too gamey, and comes quick).
1 year ago
Mu Lan is my new stop for authentic Chinese-Taiwanese cuisine! It's conveniently located next to MIT tucked away with its own parking lot! My girlfriend and I stopped in around 6 PM on a Friday night, and we were so lucky to get the open table. It gets busy for a reason! Mu Lan is a local favorite, and recommended to me by a friend who immigrated here from China. As we sat down, we were greeted with hot tea and pickled veggies. The menu is quite extensive, so tried our best to try their known dishes. We opted to order the pork chop with rice （排骨饭）, Mu Lan fish, and West Lake Soup. We were blown away by the pork chop rice and devoured it minutes within it being placed our table. The fried pork chop tasted like the ones my grand pa used to make when I visited China. The Mu Lan fish packs a spicy punch, and it worked very well with the extra rice they gave us. The West Lake Soup came in a massive bowl enough to feed 5-6 people, which was great because we packed up the remaining soup and had it for lunch the next day. Very pleased with Mu Lan!!! Come check them out when you're in the area. read more
2 years ago
The food was so delicious! Came in a big group so were able to get a lot and share. I didn't like how the rice didn't come with the dish so that had to be ordered separately. But it was busy but everything came out pretty fast! read more
I really liked this restaurant. I think the food is really good and the quality of the food is good too. We ordered the mapa tofu, beef scallion, popcorn pork, fried rice, and stir fry noodle. They were all good portion and was enough to share for 5people. The portions were good and the price was not too pricy. I recommend coming in a big group since it is spacious and share different food. There were unique dishes that I want to try next time. Also the food came out really quickly so it's also good to come to grab a quick meal. I would definitely come back in the future and try different food on their menu read more
I wouldn't say their spicy menu items are actually spicy but I love the quality of their food. I ordered the minced pork over rice ($4.25), mala chicken ($12.95), and garlic eggplant ($11.95). The minced pork over rice could be a meal on its own or perfectly split between two people as a side. It comes with a very flavorful stewed egg and the sauce from the pork soaks into every grain of rice. For $4.25 this is an awesome deal! The garlic eggplant came with a much bigger portion than I expected! It was oily but mostly due to the chili oil. I liked how the eggplant wasn't too sweet, as some places make their eggplant very sweet. The garlic flavor was pretty light. The eggplant was cut into big chunks and was very fresh. The mala chicken also came in a huge portion. The chicken was super tender, flavorful, and paired perfectly with the jalapenos. I would definitely order this dish again. A lot of restaurants make their food very salty but the dishes here didn't feel that way. Everything had a lot of flavor but I didn't need to reach for the cup of tea every few bites. I wish they had more Taiwanese small plates on their menu (they do have a nice selection of appetizers though), but their menu has a pretty big selection regardless. I'll definitely eat here again when I'm craving this type of food. read more
Loved our visit here. It's in a great location in Cambrdige and walkable to The Garment District and MIT. There was a great variety of lunch specials and were all reasonably priced ($10.95-12.95). The prices make it a great place to stop by for some quick lunch with friends and I wouldn't be surprised if this was a good dinner spot too. Ordering was a little confusing since there was a qr code for online ordering but someone came up to us to take our order so I guess they are patient and let you take your time. We ordered a few things which all came out very fast. Scallion Pancakes: a simple, classic appetizer that you can't go wrong with. It was crispy on the outside and a little flaky throughout. Dipping sauce was light and not too overbearing but it still adds a bit of sweetness and soy flavor to each bite. Bean Curd in Brown Sauce: delicious all around. Sauce was savory and went well with white rice. The bean curds were light and soft and paired with the mushrooms, added a nice texture to every bite. Eggplants with Spicy Garlic Sauce: another great lunch meal with a suace that pairs well with white rice. The sauce was very flavorful and the eggplants were cooked nicely; it was not too mushy nor too tough. Salt & Pepper Pork Chop: some of the best salt and pepper pork chops I've had. They were made fresh and hot and each piece was juicy and had the right amount of fatiness to it that just melted in your mouth. So delicious! Overall, a great experience and a tasty lunch. We are thoroughly satisfied. Great pricing and big portion sizes so be prepared to take some home with you. Absolutely recommend this place! read more
Love the food here! This place is near my work office so its always a treat to come here when I do show up in the office. L15 is one of my faves and a go-to item, house special pork chop over rice. I like it so much because it comes with really taste string beans, a whole egg and some shredded pickled veggies. It all goes together really well. I also ask for their hot oil to make it perfect! The plate is really big and hefty and is sure enough to satiate the hungriest person. With some discipline, this is easily 2 meals. Price is really good for their lunch specials, too. Definitely visit Mulan if you're around the area. They have a really good menu. I've been going there for many years and always had a good experience. Grab a free guava candy on the way out! Sometimes they'll offer a cash discount, as well. read more
6 years ago
Outstanding Taiwanese food and friendly, efficient table service. We started with the onion pancakes which were crispy, filled with multiple layers and not greasy. We moved onto the pork and cabbage dumplings which were steamed and accompanied by a light soy based dipping sauce. They were plump and well seasoned. The stir fried rice with pork included soft rice cakes with tender pork and a blend of vegetables. Finally, our favorite dish was the Taiwanese fried rice with ginger green onions and egg, which was flavorful and included a contrast of textures and the right amount of saltiness. Definitely will be eating here again to try all of their dumpling choices as well as other specialties. read more
4 years ago
One of my Taiwanese friends recommended this place, and this place was awesome! It feels like very authentic Taiwanese food. Very delicious and the portions are so big too! And the food came out very fast. We had Mu Lan fish, Salt & Pepper Pork, Watercress, and Moo Shi Pork. We liked everything, especially Mu Lan Fish, Sal & Pepper Pork and Watercress. I would highly recommend this place!! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
I really liked this place. One of the busiest restaurants in Boston, for a reason. It serves up totally legit Taiwanese food in clean and classy Asian venue. It's got a noisy electric vibe which is fun but maybe not the best choice for a quiet romantic date. LOL This is a good choice for a party of 8 - 10 people because you can reserve on of their big tables. We had to wait a half hour or so for a table at dinnertime so walked a couple of blocks to Lamplighter Brewing. By the time the IPA was finished our table was ready and they gave us a call. My phone ran out of battery so unfortunately no pics. Here is how the scoring went: Ginger scallion lobster (1 pounder) $22.95: this was a fabulous rendition of a Cantonese classic. You get a choice of different sauces but the ginger scallion is a perfect complement to the sweetness of the lobster. 5/5 Pork and shrimp dumpling $8.95: these steamed dumplings were pretty good. 4/5 Pan Fried Dumpling $9.95: AKA "pot stickers": these were pretty good also. 4/5 Taiwanese pan fried noodle with pork $10.95: this dish was a little bland and greasy, just OK. 3/5 Home style chicken (half) $10.95: AKA Soy Sauce Chicken (see yow guy). Another Cantonese classic which was prepared OK but the half order was a bit of a mess with regard to plating and looked like less than a half of a full order. If you get this dish, get the full order. It's a good leftover. 3.5/5 Mu Lan Fish $19.95: one of their signature dishes which most customers seem to order. It is SMOKING HOT!!!!! Seriously, even for Sriracha junkies it is hot. Next time I will ask them to make it a lit a little less spicy. 4/5 The service is pretty good for a Chinese venue* and I even got a smile from some of the staff. So rare. Ha ah * Please don't send the PC police after me, I grew up in a Cantonese Restaurant. LOL This place is crazy busy but one of the best choices for Chinese food in Boston. Get 8 friends, book reservations and you are good to go. It's great for big parties because you get to taste more dishes. Check it out. read more
3 years ago
Amazing lunch deals with super flavorful dishes and large portions! When I ordered by phone, the dishes were ready within 15 minutes. The hunan style bean curd with pork is wonderfully saucy and filled with pork, bean curd, mushrooms and leeks. The fish fillet with spicy bean sauce isn't spicy at all and is flaky and tender. The shredded pork with baby bamboo is delightfully smoky and a little greasy, paring perfectly with rice. I will definitely be coming back to try their other items! read more
I went to Mu Lan with a group of 5 so we were able to try a lot of dishes. We selected from the recommended dishes. Overall I was pleasantly surprised by the portion sizes but am not sold on all of their flavors. Crispy chicken in chili garlic sauce: get this! It's a lot of chicken and it's definitely crunchy. I prefer the flavor of Chongqing dry chili chicken from other restaurants, but it's hard to beat the chicken to pepper ratio in this dish. Pork with bamboo shoots: This is a big mound of pork and bamboo! The pork is tender and the bamboo is plentiful. There was a weird sour taste that I think came from the bamboo. The first few bites were really good (A+ texture) but the sourness got to me after a bit. Shrimp with bean curd: the bean curd sheets are extremely smooth and hot and delicious. The sauce is a pretty typical white sauce and pairs well with the dish. I think this dish should be called bean curd with shrimp because there was not much shrimp (especially considering the price). Luckily I love tofu sheets so I still enjoyed this. Taiwanese pan fried noodles with pork: Unremarkable, tastes like chow mein. Eggplant with basil: The eggplant was a bit too soft for me and it was sweet with no spice despite having the pepper symbol next to it. Definitely my least favorite of the 5. Overall I really liked the crispy chicken and enjoyed trying their offerings. As it stands I would go to 5 spices or Dumpling House over Mu Lan but I hope to get to try more of their dishes in the future! The serving sizes were larger than expected and they had a lot of items on the menu. read more
4 years ago
Always enjoy coming to Mulan. We got the smoked duck, eggplant, fish soup with preserved mustard greens, rice cakes with pork and the mapo dofu. The smoked duck was extremely juicy and tender. It wasn't served hot but I'm not sure if it's normally supposed to be. 10/10 would order it again. Of the dishes we ordered, this dish stood out. The restaurant is normally pretty busy so call ahead and make a reservation. There's a few private rooms off to the side if you have a larger group! read more
4.5/5 The food here is so good!! We ordered the lamb with scallion, the pineapple shrimp, and the basil with eggplant. Everything was delicious and I would definitely recommend this place. Knocked off half a star because I think the prices could be a little cheaper even with the large portions (the pineapple shrimp was $30+ and the lamb was $20+) read more
5 years ago
5 years ago
6 years ago
This is one of fav taiwanese restaurants, I have thoroughly enjoyed there preparations. Hunan lamb and spicy fish fillet are my favourite dishes. If you like food that is slightly on the hotter side then this is a must visit place for you since their promise of spicy food with flavor is what they serve ! Make sure to check the spice level on their menu before ordering and do not go for extra spicy dishes if that's not something you want read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Excellent chinese food at the most reasonable price one can expect. We usually get the Mu Lan fish which is more than enough to serve two and is absolutely delicious! The service is quick and friendly and ambience is nice and clean. Definitely recommend! read more
3 years ago
Went to this Taiwanese restaurant close to MIT for lunch. They have a lot of vegetarian options and we enjoyed the dishes with Tofu, potato and eggplant along with fried rice. Service was quick and good and a nice ambience. read more
2 years ago
Shit service and blend dishes. The male waiter with a ponytail has an extreme poor attitude. He gave us receipt when we are still eating. I hope he is having a good life. The owner also try add tips without our consent. read more
3 years ago
After a morning of touring MIT, we stopped at this restaurant for lunch. The food was reasonably priced and the dishes that we ordered were delicious with the exception of the pan fried dumplings. You can see from the photo that dumplings were not done well and plated without care. Also, we were disappointed with one of the waitstaff. He didn't fill our water glasses and was quite abrupt in his altitude. read more
4 years ago
I have been overlooking this place for 7 years, I walk past here almost daily so one night my fiancé said what do you want for dinner out of the blue I said let's try Mulaun, he was confused but went along that night we ordered the chicken fried rice, hot & sour soup, beef lo mein, and the diced chicken with spicy sauce, day 2 = the very next day fried rice, chicken wings, general Tso chicken and hot & sour soup (the rice was completely different in look and texture) we called they said come back in for a replacement so we went right back, they replaced and yet the rice was a miss again. Needless to say we went back the next day and got the vegetable lo mein and chicken wings again. Typing this I can actually go for some lo mein now. read more
4 years ago
Honestly we just stopped by this place spontaneously and wasn't expecting much. We ordered the Mu Lan fish, eggplant with basil, and the house special pork with rice. All orders came out quick, hot, and delicious. The eggplant complemented both the fish and pork very well as it's taste wasn't very overwhelming. As for the pork, I expected it to be dry but it was far from dry. It was moist and flavorful. Overall, a great place to stop by for great food at an affordable price. read more
Super good! one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Boston so far. Everything tastes authentic and the overall environment feels very clean. Fast seating and friendly service. All the food was super good. The smoked duck was tender, juicy, and so flavorful. Eggplant and rice cakes tasted as they should and perfectly flavored. Prices are pretty reasonable, and portions pretty big. read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
Came here for a group dinner at the recommendation of my Taiwanase friend. Great food! Elegant homey decor like a well educated Chinese family home. Fresh ingredients, great attention to detail. Kudos to the chef Typical of Taiwan tastes, dishes are mild. As someone from mainland l, I recognized many delicious flavors and classic recipes of the Chinese south (nanjing, Shanghai cuisine). Enjoyed it! Dishes were all good, next time I'll definitely get bamboo shoots again, and the gourds (si gua) read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
Lunchi special is cheap but it is not in good quality. I looks nice but it is not well cooked and I even see some blood in the salt and pepper pork chops. read more
3 years ago
More info about Mu Lan
228 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02139
Kendall Square/MIT
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(617) 441-8813
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