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    Rubato

    4.4 (200 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Order Rubato Takeout or Delivery

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    RUBATO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Rubato

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    Kim D.

    Overall, the food was quite good, though a bit on the pricey side. The standout dish was the beef brisket bao. The chicken bolo was tasty, but felt expensive for the portion size, especially since it didn't come with a side. We also tried the salt and pepper chicken rice plate, which was just okay; it came with only one piece of choy. Glad there's a restaurant with this style of cuisine but expected more.

    Phoebe L.

    I've heard amazing reviews about this spot so I was super excited to try this spot. The space is pretty small with limited seating so definitely better to go for takeout if you can. The service was also pretty quick so nothing to complain about. I absolutely loved the fried chicken bolo bao. Even though it was a complete mess to eat, I think they nailed the sauce and texture of the fried chicken and the flakiness of the pineapple bun. I also ordered a hong kong milk tea and it was solid with the strong tea flavor.

    Fried Chicken Bolo
    George K.

    I stopped by Rubato while traveling and I was so glad I did. This unassuming cafe has some amazing food. There is very limited seating within the cafe so be sure to plan accordingly. Some other patrons were kind and made space for us to sit. The staff were friendly and attentive. I had the fried chicken bolo, it was sweet and savory and not a combination I thought would work, but it did. If I am in the area I will definitely be stopping by again!

    Jeffrey J.

    Foods good, the staffs were very nice. Had the curry fishballs and congee.. this location stand in a road that has many Chinese business.

    Monica L.

    Cha siu bolo bao -- was nice and crispy on outside with soft bread and very yummy sweet and savory pork inside. Was actually very yummy and filled w meat. Usually dont love bolo baos but rubato's take on it was very well done :) lava egg yolk French toast -- nice crunchy crumbs of something, plus soft dense yummy French toast. And the egg yolk! More sweet than savory but the salty lava egg yolk added a nice satisfying warm creaminess. Definitely a heavy dessert but worth it Inside is very cute green tiles and simple but cute countertop area to eat. Seating is all in a line and also not many seats, so hard to come in a group of maybe more than 3 Service was quick and efficient, food comes out on little metal trays, chill cafeteria vibe

    Sesame + Hoisin Ji Cheung Fun
    Meghan L.

    The place is retro. I love the green tiles. The place didn't have much seatings. There are only high top seatings along the window about 8-10 seats. Most people just grab food to go. The food is already premade. This is what I ordered: Cha Siu Bao - Chinese bbq pork. Normally the pork is chopped up but this is pulled pork. Flavor was average but it was quite oily to the mouth--found out I had a chunk of pork fat inside. Lava Egg Yolk Bao - This was delicious. It tasted like Chinese milk custard bao but this was runny and overall flavorful. My favorite. Shichuan Veg Bao - Filled with peas, pickled veggies, and soy marinated tofu. This has the five spice smell and taste. It was a bit spicy. I'm not sure if it tasted like sichuan to me. My least favorite. Fried Chicken Bolo - Thick fried chicken topped with cold slaw between Chinese pineapple bun (bolo bao). The sugar crust on the bao was thicker than what you normally see in a Chinese bakery. This was my bf's favorite. I thought the pineapple bun was a bit dry. I did like the sweet and savory balance. It was a bit more on the sweeter side. The chicken was not dry at all. Sesame + Hoisin Ji Cheung Fun - This is a classic Cantonese dish, the OG. Plain rice noodle rolls topped with sesame and hoisin sauce. I wished it was more sesame sauce so it is a bit more nutty to balance out the sweetness from the hoisin. I asked for scallion and cilantro for toppings. I did find they made the cheung fun (rice noodle) correctly, it has a nice chew. Beef Brisket Ji Cheung Fun - Plain rice noodle rolls topped with braised beef brisket. This was okay. I found it to be a bit plain. The beef brisket is pretty tender. Overall, I thought the food was okay, nothing really stood out to me except for the egg lava bao. For a place in Quincy it's fine since there aren't any similar in this town. I do prefer the OG spots in Chinatown. I also thought the food was pricey for the amount of food you are getting and for something that is pretty standard.

    Menu as of 10/25/25
    Winston L.

    A unique find! Didn't expect the Fried Chicken Bolo combo to work, but was pleasantly surprised. Crispy, succulent chicken and sriracha mayo-esque sauce with the sweetness and crumbliness of the pineapple bun. Easily the highlight. The Beef Brisket Rice Rolls had tender, nicely-flavored meat too but the rice rolls didn't really stand out in any way. Def would try the other menu options too

    Youtiao, Beef Brisket Cheung Fun, Curry Fishballs, Rubato Sampan Congee, Hot House Soy Milk
    Connie L.

    Rubato has become my favorite place in Boston. They do Cantonese classics so well, it truly feels like you're eating comfort meals from your family's kitchen. While they do elevate some classic dishes like their bolo baos, you can never go wrong with their youtiao or ji cheung fun. My favorites ever. If you haven't tried it yet, get the beef brisket cheung fun with sriracha, it's amazing. The beef melts in your mouth and is paired with some yummy stewed daikon. Their youtiao sells out fast, but if you pair it with their hot house soymilk, it is the best thing ever in the morning. Not to mention the staff is very nice, always attentive and quick. The owner is also very kind. Highly recommend this place, they are the best!

    Beef Brisket Bao
    John R.

    Went for lunch with wife and daughter. I got the Chili Chicken Bolo. This was an amazing fried chicken thigh sandwich with chili sauce, sour cream with onion dressing. The buttery bao with its crunchy top was tremendous. My daughter tried some and thought it was great as well. The chili sauce was a little of my wife's heat level but liked the chicken. We split a Beef Brisket Bao which we all liked. I thought it was great, daughter and wife while not as exuberant, they still liked it. My daughter got the Rubato fun fun, this is a bowl with rice roll, curry fish ball, and beef brisket chunks that had a sauce of sesame and hoisin. She added chili sauce to this and it was really tasty. My wife got the ji cheung fun with just the sesame and hoisin sauce. While the chicken bolo was a little pricy at $14 i thought it was worth the cost and will likely visit and Fried Chicken bolo with sesame slaw next time.

    Fried Chicken Bolo
    Mel N.

    This review is for the fried chicken bolo. It's great! The bun is soft and fluffy inside and the topping is not too sweet. The chicken was juicy and I appreciated the slaw in the sandwich to make me feel like I got my vegetables in for the day. I got this as takeout and it was still crispy and hot when I opened up the box!

    Alice D.

    I've heard great things about this place and it didn't disappoint! The menu had a good selection of Hong Kong breakfast/brunch items - I would say to get here early though due to them already being sold out of some items by 11am! Seating here is tricky as they have limited space, but we were lucky enough to get a few chairs via lucky timing. Food came out pretty fast despite the business and everything was super fresh tasting while being a reasonable price. The sandwich was definitely the highlight, I would recommend not skipping it! The rice plate was also solid in portion and the toast was great. Overall, if I'm ever in the area again, I would be happy to come back. Definitely would recommend timing it well though and maybe going takeout if you're flexible enough!

    Rubao Fun Fun
    Hursuong V.

    The Bolo Fried Chicken Bao and the retro HK diner vibes were chef's kiss. The other items were good but not outstanding, and portions were sort of small for the price. The curry fish balls feels like something I could try to replicate at home and the porridge was not as warm as I would have liked. The Rubato congee and rice roll did have interesting toppings. The food came out decently quickly. There is VERY limited counter seating even at off peak times, which is worse given the steady flow of customers, so maybe do not count on dining in.

    Rubao Fun Fun
    Karen C.

    Loved loved loved this find while in town. Rubato offers quick Hong Kong cafe style eats. What drew me to this place was the Bolo Fried Chicken Bao. I literally did not know I needed this in my life until I saw it. The sweetness of the bread, the tang from the slaw, and the crispy, savoury fried chicken all in one bite was soooo good. Beware that it is a messy, but satisfying meal! I also tried the Rubato Fun Fun which was cantonese rice crepes with braised beef, curry fishballs and sesame & hoisin sauce. I wish I had ordered more fish balls!!!! The noodles were silky and savoury. Delicious to eat!! The staff were friendly. My only complaint is I wish there was more seating in the restaurant. It was packed even when we went off lunch hours.

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    Big Fun Cafe - 2 Item Clay Pot Rice Combo: Chinese Sausage and Bacon and Spare Ribs with Black Beans

    Big Fun Cafe

    (162 reviews)

    $

    Big Fun Cafe is a hidden gem in Quincy. They specialize in clay pot dishes which are a must have in…read moreCantonese style restaurant. Their menu is limited but thats not a bad thing. The restaurant is relatively small and only have 17-20 seats. I ordered Chinese sausage and bacon clay pot rice and shrimp rice rolls with eggs. They have extra sauce ready for you on the table for both clay pot dish and rice rolls in case you need more sauce. The rice rolls are perfect. They aren't stingy with the shrimp and the claypot dish is also tasted like grandma's cooking. Service was awesome. Server was very welcoming and considerate. I will definitely return here in the future.

    I took the subway for 40 minutes to check out this place, and my mood after eating was as gloomy as…read morea sudden drizzle... Ground Pork W.preserved Vegetables Clay Pot Rice梅菜肉餅煲仔飯: The English translation is already a bit misleading. This dish should be pork patty with preserved mustard greens, but what was served didn't match either component. First, this was not meicai梅菜(preserved mustard greens). Proper meicai should be dark brown and fibrous even after soaking, whereas this consisted of pale yellow granules, both in appearance and taste much closer to dongcai冬菜 (preserved Chinese cabbages). While dongcai can appear in some clay pot rice dishes, this was clearly not what it should be. Second, this was not a pork patty. The meat was simply loose minced pork scattered on top of the rice, without any mixing or shaping. As a result, it lacked the cohesion, tenderness, and springy texture that define a proper pork patty. There was even a slight sour note, which felt off. Third, the "claypot sauce" was surprisingly slightly viscous, like Singaporean dark soy sauce, and had a strong ginger flavor. I also tried the rice roll sauce; it had a normal soy sauce texture, but the ginger flavor was still very strong, meaning it was still not authentic. Given the stated Taishan background, the lack of traditional structure and technique in this clay pot rice was quite surprising. Compared to Clay Pot Cafe in Boston Chinatown, which offers a way more authentic execution, the difference becomes even more apparent. That said, to be fair, the rice itself was decent: grains were distinct, and there was a noticeable wok aroma. Milk Tea: The old menu called it "Hong Kong style milk tea," while the new menu simply said "milk tea," which seems more accurate. It was bitter at first, then intensely sweet, not fragrant at all--very weird. As someone who grew up in Guangdong, it's honestly frustrating to see it reduced to something so off. If you're looking for an authentic Cantonese clay pot rice experience, this would likely be a disappointing stop.

    Dynasty - Yin yang fried rice

    Dynasty

    (251 reviews)

    Chinatown

    My friend found this place from a viral item they are serving--scallion pancake crab rangoon. They…read morewere not on the menu so we were worried we were at the wrong place but they assured they had it. They were super good--gooey and cheesey and still like a crab rangoon. I would come back for these. Someone next to us also ordered them. Now I did still want to try their traditional dishes so we split Xaio Long Baos which were really good soup dumplings. They were fresh and tasty. I also got a general gau chicken which I know is more Americanized Chinese food but got it since it was offered as a plate with rice. It was tasty, a little spicy and a large portion--I had leftovers. I would like to come back to try more of their authentic dishes as the food was of high quality and it was busy inside so that's a good sign! What we ordered: Scallion Pancake & Crab Rangoon T15 Xiao Long Bao Z16 general Gaus Chicken

    I wasn't super impressed during my latest visit to Dynasty... I had dined here once before ~2 years…read moreago for a special event and really enjoyed my experience so the expectations were maybe too high. First of all, the arrangement they had for queueing for tables was a bit confusing and unclear. We were given a slip of a paper with a number on it, which the hostess eventually called out after about 10 minutes. I wish they had a more seamless system for handling this (in an app or taking phone numbers instead). We ordered lots of dishes to share.. pineapple buns with roast pork, the viral crab rangoon scallion pancake, soup dumplings, rice rolls with ribs, etc. The standout for me was definitely the crab rangoon scallion pancakes. I 100% get the hype! It's ooey and gooey and perfect for any crab rangoon lover. I was however pretty disappointed in the pineapple buns (one of my favorite dishes) and soup dumplings, which honestly just tasted like they were frozen and reheated from the grocery store. The service was also very absent and it took awhile for us to wave someone down so we could pay our bill. Not sure if we visited on an off day or something, but I wasn't very impressed.

    Bayao Cafe - Rice roll with sauce

    Bayao Cafe

    (102 reviews)

    So value and so good. Apparently the prices have gone up, but it's still super cheap. Only drawback…read moreis the food can get a little greasy, so be prepared. Chow Foon (8/10): Extremely solid, with plenty of wok hei. I always judge chow foon off of the beef, and they did pretty well here. It was tender and flavorful. Noodles had perfect texture. Chicken Quarter Appetizer (7/10): This was pretty good fried chicken. Very crispy. I think Cafe Mami in Porter Square still does it better. It was a bit too greasy for me. It's VERY value though ($9.99 for a massive piece) Bolo Bao w/ Silky Scramble Egg (8.5/10): I haven't had this combo before, but it was very good. Their silky scramble egg dishes are a must-try. Cream-Filled French Toast topped with Ovaltine (9/10): Delicious. They somehow made cheese work with this. I applaud it. Baked Pork Chop w/ Portuguese Sauce (8.5/10): Portuguese sauce was delicious. Pork was tender and flavorful. Cheese on top was delicious. We waited about 90 minutes for Saturday lunch. I would highly recommend not coming with more than 4 people. If you do, you should split your party. They only have one large table. Service was very good, though. Food came out super fast.

    Bayou Cafe is one of my favorite Hong Kong style restaurant in Massachusetts. The restaurant has…read morevery limited parking spaces in front of the restaurant, maybe enough for three or four cars? Be prepared to find street parking and even do a little walking. As for wait time, I have been here twice during lunch and on the second trip I did have to wait 20 minutes for a table. The restaurant was packed and there were plenty of takeout orders throughout the meal when I dined in both time. Clearly, a local favorite. You can try the trio appetizer that lets you try the fish ball, fish dumpling, and rice rolls. It's the right amount to share with three people and each person gets a taste of the three appetizers. My favorite had to be the rice balls, followed by the fish dumplings, and last the rice noodles. Of the toasts I have tried so far, I preferred the sweet toast dessert filled with milk as opposed to the truffle egg toast. For entree, I have to say, the fried chicken with the omelet egg is a must try. Next would be the Hainese chicken. Then third with be the sorrowful rice, which is two fried eggs and bbq pork. Everything was so flavorful. You have to try the milk teas. If you prefer sweet, go for the ice bear milk tea, but if you like a bit bitter, go for the hot version and add sugar to your preference. Overall, food came at a fast pace, service attentive. There is plenty of seating end even seating in a private dining space for a larger group of 10 or so in the back of the restaurant. I would definitely be coming back. See my pictures.

    Jinye Cafe - S2. Soy Sauce Chicken

    Jinye Cafe

    (41 reviews)

    $$

    I drive by this area pretty often & have been to many of the restaurants around here but have never…read moretried Jinye Cafe before, or at least I thought I haven't. Turns out, my family has been getting their salted chicken & soy sauce chicken from here all along! We got half a salted chicken & half soy sauce chicken to go, plus extra ginger scallion oil. I LOVE GINGER SCALLION OIL! THIS over rice, chef's kiss. Simple but so darn good. Def a hole in the wall kind of spot, but don't knock it until you try it! I will be back to try their other menu items. Looks like they offer Hong Kong styled food like the baked chicken/ pork with cheese & curry or tomato sauce and wonton noodle soup. The salt & pepper chicken wings look absolutely delicious.

    Do not sleep on this hole in the wall restaurant! If you are looking for comfort Chinese food,…read moresimilar to a cha chaan teng or food that your grandma used to cook, this is the spot! Between my friend and I, we ordered three items. We started off strong with the salt and pepper chicken wings. They were perfectly fried, sprinkled with salt, and adorned with fresh jalapeños. Then we got the curry beef brisket with rice. The beef is so hearty and tender. The sauce sopped up every morsel of rice. And the star of the show was the baked pork chop rice with tomato sauce. This dish was so satisfying. It's a crispy pork chop over a bed of fried rice. Ladled on top is a blanket of tomato sauce and gooey cheese. If it is your first time eating at Jinye Cafe , please order the baked pork chop rice with tomato sauce. It is like a hug in a bowl. Jinye Cafe has three available tables. The waitresses are so sweet. We went on a Friday at 6PM and the tables were full and the takeout orders were non stop. Street parking available but busy during dinner time.

    Rubato - hkcafe - Updated May 2026

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