Went to this restaurant as in walking distance in Brookline. This is an apparently elevated Indian…read morefood restaurant. The food was interesting, the saag was blended to smoother creamy sauce with a hint of mushroom or truffle which was unexpected. The food was generally too spicy hot for mild. We are glad we didn't order spicier. naan was delicious. Salad was huge - enough for four to six people. Food tasted good. Good presentation. Staff could work on clearing plates earlier or using smaller plates. The table was absolutely cluttered unnecessarily. A few things stood out as questionable. Our waiter seemed a little spacy. Order didn't go in on time and then also forgot details. So maybe our food was spicier bc he forgot that we ordered mild. Also, I noticed water dripping from the kitchen ceiling and this kind of took away my appetite. Staff very apologetic for delays in our food order.

Food was good, fresh, spice level and aroma also right. Not…read morebusy at all, service was also good.

A friend recommended this Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan cuisine restaurant. Although I was so spicy I was…read morecrying, it was really authentic! Champion Chicken with Clams: The signature dish, a bit too spicy for me... The chicken was very tender. Flash-fried Sliced Snakehead: The best dish of the meal! The fish slices were so tender they melted in my mouth, mildly spicy but very fragrant, with a slightly sweet and sour taste. Golden Crispy Pork Belly: The dipping sauce was quite unique, a complex flavor of salty and sour, I didn't know how to describe it at first... Kung Pao Lava Tofu: Compared to authentic Kung Pao, it was a bit more like sweet and sour, but it suited my personal taste. Lava tofu is also a Yunnan specialty! Yunnan Ham with Mixed Mushrooms: The mushrooms were okay, quite fresh, but lacked wok hei (wok aroma), and the ham tasted really like overcooked lean meat. Handmade Braised Pork Soup Dumplings: Very pre-made, thick skin, sweet. Not recommended. Chinese Broccoli Hearts with Sesame Sauce: A savior for Cantonese vegetables... Similar to Caesar salad dressing, though a bit unusual, at least it's not spicy.

We came here for a gathering with friends on a Friday night, and the place was absolutely packed…read more Luckily, we had a reservation, although our group still had to split between tables. It was our first time here, and the first thing that stood out was the price. We thought Seattle was expensive, but this was on another level. The food came out hot and at a reasonable pace, but unfortunately, the taste just wasn't there for us. The fried pork was especially disappointing because it was very chewy. The one highlight was the fried mushrooms, which we really enjoyed. Overall, for the price and the food quality, it just didn't feel worth it. Probably won't be back.

Located in the heart of Brighton Center, this restaurant offers jianbing, tang hulu, and beef…read morenoodles. The jianbing ($8 w/o tax) is delightfully satisfying with a crunchy texture and good chew. The stars are the beef noodles ($16.95 w/o tax) and the General Gao's chicken ($12 w/o tax). The beef noodles comes with soft chewy noodles, beef shin meat, and some vegetables. Shockingly, the General Gao's chicken tastes like Panda Express in the best way and comes with vegetable fried rice. Service is friendly and there are two tables for people to dine in.

Beijing Taste is a cozy Asian fusion takeout place on Washington Street in Brighton that offers a…read morevariety of noodle dishes, meat & vegetable dishes, dumplings, small appetizers, Chinese crepes, soy milk, snacks & drinks. This place used to be Happy Garden. There are a couple of booths here and seats near the door to wait for your order. I stopped by later in the evening for some light fare takeout. I ordered the Chinese Crepe with Pork Sausage ($9) and the Takoyaki ($6.50) and it was ready in about 10 minutes. I also snacked on a free Japanese Kit-Kat mini bar while I waited. The savory crepe was made with wheat/grain & eggs and soft and rolled with small sausages (similar to vienna sausages) and topped with corriander. The 6 Takoyaki balls were fried, soft dough mix filled with octopus meat, another good savory snack. If I am hungry next time, I will probably order the Noodles with Soybean Paste with some Fried Dumplings.

Great food the kimchi Fritas with bulgogi beef is a must order and also the chicken wings. Good…read moreservice too.

Great hole in the wall fast casual Korean spot. Got the kimbap and really enjoyed. The bulgogi was…read morea little dry but had a good flavor. The pork katsu was great. Loved the sauce that came on it too. The pork was crispy and fresh. 12.95$ each. Perfect meal if you want something light with veggies and protein but also filling. Employees were really friendly here.

Flavor Boom is one of those places I appreciate having nearby when I didn't bring lunch and need…read moresomething fast, filling, and actually tasty. The people there have always been nice, and the food has a home-cooked quality to it. It's not fancy, not really a sit-down place, but comforting in a weekday lunch kind of way. There might be a tiny table for two, but I would think of this as a takeout spot. I've tried a handful of dishes here. The black pepper pork is probably my favorite and, in my opinion, the strongest thing on the menu. The chicken adobo is solid, the tangy tamarind chicken is good, and the chicken karahi was tasty, though the chicken itself was a little dry. I also tried the beef rendang, which was not really beef rendang to me. Maybe beef-rendang-inspired? It read more like a beef stew with potatoes. Still tasty, but I would not go in expecting traditional rendang. A couple caveats: friends have mentioned that the rice can be a little dry or uneven at dinner time, and I do think some dishes can get salty toward the end of the day. Maybe the sauce has been sitting and reducing? Unclear. I usually go for lunch, and that seems like the move. Price-wise, it does add up if you're getting lunch here every day. My recent order (large size) came out to about $17 after tax and tip. If I get the large, I can usually stretch it into two meals, so that feels more reasonable, but these are "pleasantly full" meals, not "I have defeated myself" meals. My practical advice: if you're nearby, rushing for lunch, and forgot to bring your own food, this is a very useful spot. If you're not ravenously hungry, get the large and split it into two meals. Also, I wouldn't necessarily add string beans because it seems like they already include a small amount. I probably wouldn't eat here every day because I think I'd get bored, but I'm glad it exists. While Flavor Boom is not my every-day lunch, it is indeed my "I forgot food and need something warm, filling, and tasty before my next meeting" lunch.

Had their large burgundy braised beef bowl. Came with…read moretender spiced beef on a bowl Of white rice and green beans. It was delicious. Great size and tasty..

Yet another Brookline restaurant I regret not trying sooner!…read more This past weekend I stopped in for a quick solo lunch around 1:30. I happened to be the only one in there, but could tell the staff was working on some online or takeout orders. I was nicely greeted and shown to a seat. After giving me water they took my order. I got the crab wontons, their take on crab rangoons, as well as three different rolls (yes my eyes are bigger than my stomach). I went with the eel avocado roll as well as the spicy tuna and yellowtail rolls. I was REALLY impressed by the quality of all the food. I was given the wontons first and they were perfectly crispy and filled. I dislike when the ratio of filling to wonton is too heavy on the filling side and things get messy. They were also SUPER hot which is a personal must. My only qualm is I would've loved a bit more sauce, there were a lot of wontons for that small dish of sweet chili sauce. In terms of the sushi I surprisingly loved the spicy yellowtail the best. Normally the other 2 are my favorite but I might've found a new go-to. The others were great as well, though. You could seriously tell the tuna was JUST cut from the fish (I watched the sushi chef do so!). Notably, the ratio on the eel-avocado roll was great as well as the amount of eel sauce. No need to pay for extra on the side! I will most definitely be ordering or dining in from here soon, this time bringing friends along!

Quite tasty! You will enjoy it if you love sushi that is fresh and affordable. Would have again!read more

I've always wanted to try Hainanese chicken rice, so after browsing all the available food stalls…read morein Novo Marketplace, I decided to try this place. Food came out pretty quickly, and the chicken is nice and tender and not dry. I don't really like the yellow rice that they use which is kind of dry. The chicken comes with some green gingery sauce that goes well with it. I guess I just kind of expected this dish to be more mind blowing as it's always hyped on social media and at hawker's stalls in Singapore, etc. but it was still quite enjoyable and I might come again to try their other offerings.

We made a reservation ahead of time for our large group of 12 people at Baby Cafe. They have a tiny…read moreparking lot with 3 narrow spaces in addition to street parking. Our food came with a complimentary drink so we had to try the "Ice Baby Milk Tea" drink which came with a frozen "baby chef" that later melted---the milk tea was absolutely delicious that tasted just like the milk tea I've had in Hong Kong. Favorite dishes of the evening: The hand-shredded chicken. Our cousin orders this every time they come and I can totally see why. It was tender and so flavorful! String Bean w/Ground Pork--it's diced up pretty small and my daughter loved this dish. Popcorn Chicken--crispy crunchy and so flavorful--I like that these aren't spicy Sour/spicy fish and pickled mustard greens stew--this was my favorite dish of the night. The pickled mustard worked so well with the tender flaky fish!

We made last minute reservations on a Saturday because some other plans fell through. They were…read moreable to accommodate us on short notice and when we arrived the table was already set up with a high chair and a sippy cup and plate for our toddler set up. The service was great and the food was also excellent. The matcha sour was delicious.

Wow- I love Thai food and when I saw what the menu fused Thai and Italian I knew I had to try…read more Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Boston now. Staff very friendly, we walked in no reservation around 6 on a Tuesday. Everything was flavorful and came out fast. I loved how there were many N/A drink options that were all under 10$. 1000% worth the price for a unique tasting experience. Would recommend to everyone visiting Boston, can't wait to return!!

Came to Esmai's for an early dinner with my boyfriend and sat on the outdoor rooftop (we made a…read morereservation). The Highlights: Blush Hour cocktail & Shrimp baos: Easily a 10/10! Absolute must-trys. Calamari: Pretty good, but the sauce really made the dish. The Misses: The Pasta (2/10): Neither of us enjoyed this. The sauce was very watery and lacked flavor--it seemed like it relied on meat juices for flavor, but it just didn't work. Smash Burger: Just an average burger. Hard to mess up, but nothing to write home about. Vibe & Service: The rooftop ambience was nice with staff playing music on a speaker. Wait-staff were very attentive! A huge plus was the owner coming out to check on tables and joke around with guests! Note on space: Upstairs indoor seating seems okay for private events (there was a bridal shower happening while we were there), and downstairs has a classic sit-down/bar feel. Verdict: Total came out to $171 (including tip) for 4 drinks, calamari, baos, pasta, and a burger. If we return, we'd definitely stick to drinks, shrimp baos, and hanging out downstairs!

Another place that I have passed in Coolidge corner a bunch of times when I'm in the area. Esmai's…read morequietly opened up a year or two ago and I was always wondering what was inside. From just looking inside it looks like a very nice American bar and restaurant. For a space in Coolidge corner, it is definitely one of the biggest restaurants in the area since FuGakyu is closed (The OG ). It has two floors as well as a patio space they recently opened. This is an asian fusion restaurant with more emphasis on the americanized side if that makes sense? The patio area was so nice especially once it cools down in the evening with a nice view of brookline. The staff were great at bringing everything and making the food and drinks the focus rather than themselves. The menu is kind of small but mighty with a lot of delicious options. You can choose from salad to a ban mih to pasta to curry to a Hawaiian dish,loco moco! The drinks, though pretty small in size, are all really interesting combos. I got the extra 99 which had scallion, oolong and szechuan pepper infused oil. It was such an interesting savory taste.. One of my friends said it reminded her of the smell of ramen.The Loco moco was delicious. I'm not sure why I thought it would be a burger but it essentially was but just swap the buns for rice. I'm not a fan of egg but it was perfectly balanced with the egg and beef patty. They do have a couple of GF options YAY but apart from the two entree items on their brunch menu it's essentially veggies, fruit and salad. The brunch menu looks delicious so I would definitely come back to try it out. $$ Food 8 Atmosphere 8 Service 7 Loco Moco Extra 99 Blush hour Chateau spritz Summer thyme You can sip with is

I'm so glad Uyghur cuisine has made its way to Boston…read more I was first introduced to it years ago at Silk Road in Cambridge, and I've been hoping more Uyghur restaurants would open ever since. Jahunger truly delivers. The restaurant immediately sets the mood. Candlelight, the scent of incense, traditional instruments on the walls, and pothos plants growing from mounted glass jars all make the space feel warm and inviting. One warning: unless you arrive around 6 p.m. or earlier, expect a wait. (It's popular.) Oh, and the food is worth it. The leek and egg dumplings tasted homemade in the best way: slightly rustic, fresh, and delicious. The hand-pulled noodles are the stars. Every noodle dish we ordered had the perfect chewy texture. My favorite was the Laghman noodles, though the Jahunger noodles were a close second with their rich spices and satisfying heat. The mee fen and stir-fried green beans both packed a respectable kick and leaned a little salty, but not enough to keep me from happily polishing them off. Don't forget the tea! It's beautiful to look at, filled with all sorts of ingredients (Chinese jujubes!), and only lightly sweet, which I appreciated. Then came the showstopping honey cake. The cake itself was fluffy, while the filling had a firmer, almost sticky texture with deep caramelized flavors that reminded me of burnt caramel in the best possible way. Paired with what tasted like coffee ice cream, it was the perfect ending to the meal. Jahunger is one of those restaurants that makes you want to come back before you've even paid the bill. I'm so glad Jahunger made it to Cambridge; the Boston food scene is richer because it's here.

My family really wanted to check out this new place nearby. I was not familiar with Uyghur food so…read moreI decided to join along. We came in and the restaurant was filled with younger people who were hanging out. To start off we ordered lamb dumplings and scallion pancakes. I was familiar with both of these appetizers and they were the same as anywhere else. To eat, we ordered chicken stew. The waitress told us that one stew was spicy and the other was non spicy. We decided to order the non-spicy one since others were not big fans of spice. When we received the food it was very spicy. It was hard to eat and we did not enjoy it. The waitress came back and thought we wanted the spicy chicken stew which was incorrect. She apologized and wanted to switch it. At this point we were running late so it didn't matter. We just packed it and gave it to our family member who likes spice. This place was okay. I will have to come back here and give it another chance.