I ordered the peanut butter French toast ($9) and lemon ice tea ($5). The French toast was served coated in condensed milk and crushed peanuts. Amazing. The lemon ice tea was the perfect complement to this sweet, crunchy meal. Will return often. read more

My husband and I stayed in Quincy for a wedding a couple of weeks ago. We had a couple of free hours during the day so we decided to check out the area nearby our hotel. After doing a quick TikTok search, I was prompted to try out this chicken sandwich from Rubato. We walked over and actually missed it on the street because it's so tiny. After realizing it, we turned around and to our surprise, there were several people inside eating and others waiting. This must be a good sign. We walked in and it was the most casual, laid-back establishment. The green color scheme and plants gave it a more earthy vibe, which I absolutely loved. Since we didn't necessarily know what to order we decided to split the fried chicken bolo. When I tell you, I have not stopped thinking about that sandwich since I ate it, I'm not kidding. It was absolutely delicious. My husband, who was resistant to even going in the first place, kept telling everyone around town about it. We will not skip a beat when in Quincy next to visit this establishment. Thanks for an awesome experience. read more

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I had been wanting to visit Rubato for a while but when I noticed Chef Laurence was replicating his dishes from that week's episode of Top Chef, I knew I had to go for it. On my first visit, my partner and I had the catfish sando and a bao filled with pork. The sandwich had a great texture. The fish was crispy from the outside but juicy and tender from the inside. The honey mayo was delicious and added a different flavor profile, and the bao on the sando had leather britches (dried beans from the south) which added flavor and complexity. With Boston being a huge seafood city, I hope this becomes a staple in the future. Although I'd love it even more if there was a spicy sandwich option, yeah it's the Mexican in me! This week, we came looking for the cheung fun quartet but (no surprise) the place was buzzin and the dish sold out. Luckily, they still had some of the other rice roll dishes so we tried the beef brisket cheung fun. And let me tell you, it lives up to the reputation. The brisket was so juicy and tender, and the rice rolls were great. We coupled this with the chili chicken polo bao, which is epic. The top of the bread was sweet and reminds me a little of Mexican sweet bread. The chicken (just like the fish the week before) was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender in the inside. I'm not sure what the mayo/sauce was, but it was pretty tasty. My partner had the chili tofu and, obviously, I had to try a little bit of it. Unexpectedly, the tofu turned out to be one of our favorite things. You may be noticing a trend here but it was perfectly crispy on the outside and spicy but nice and tender in the inside. We shared a spicy cucumber salad which was both refreshing but had a nice kick to it. I think we got excited and over ordered, but looking at the bright side, we have delicious leftovers to take home. The service is very quick, even though it's busy. Chef Laurence is very friendly and greets all guests. I was lowkey star-struck when he said "welcome back" and remembered us from last week. We're super fans of Rubato and will keep coming back to sample more of the menu! read more

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We have been rooting for our hometown hero, Chef Laurence, this whole season of Top Chef. We were excited when we found out he would be serving the dishes he cooked each week on Top Chef at Rubato, and the first one we got to try was the fried catfish sandwich with sourwood honey mayo, and with fresh baked bread with leather britches inside (southern beans that are hung up to dry). The ingredients he incorporated were such a great homage to the Carolinas, where this season of Top Chef is taking place. We also tried other regular menu items, on that and other visits. The char siu bun had great flavor and was stuffed with meat. I think I may have tasted some star anise? My favorite so far has been the chili tofu, just because I'm a sucker for tofu (was a vegetarian for a number of years), and because the tofu was perfectly and completely fried, great for absorbing the chili goodness. Also tried the chunky cucumber salad and the brisket rice noodles. My Texan boyfriend whole heartedly approved of the tender brisket. I enjoyed it too! We also really liked the Hong Kong tea and the lemon tea (good to the last drop- I even ate the pieces of lemon inside). Almost forgot, a colleague recommended the bolo bao, and it did not disappoint. My boyfriend loved the fried chicken bolo bao, and I also enjoyed the few bites I had. Careful, it's a little messy. I walked out with sauce on my cheek, smh. My boyfriend said the bread reminded him of pan dulce- I totally agree with him. It has a similar sugar crusty top as a Mexican concha. When that fell off a little and was left for the end, my boyfriend happily finished it off, saying it was the best part. We wish Chef Laurence success at the Top Chef Finale. we are happy his restaurant is so close to us. Also recently learned Rubato is sponsoring a family event for a local nonprofit, BCNC. It's awesome that he cooks such great food, and that his restaurant is embedded in and supportive of the local Quincy community. read more

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My third visit here, and the food continues to impress. The flavors are always consistent. I usually order the Hong Kong-style lemon tea along with a few other items, and this time I went with the fried chicken bolo bao. It was pretty busy when I ordered, so they waited until I found a seat before making the sandwich to keep it fresh. About 15 minutes later, it arrived. The sandwich looked great--juicy, well-seasoned chicken on a soft, fluffy bun. My only complaint was the slaw, which didn't have much flavor. I was hoping for a bit more acidity to balance the sweetness of the bun, but overall it was still a solid sandwich. Just a heads up: it's a small spot with very limited seating. read more

Rubato - Fried chicken bolo - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

I made two mistakes: I went at 3:10 on a Wednesday, and they were out of a lot things. Also maybe not the freshest. After travelling from Watertown, on my birthday, it was a bit of a let down. The place is quite small, and really only set up for take out. The kid who took my order, seemed tired, and ready to pack it up and go home. We tried two bao, two kinds of ji jeung fun, and the congee. We live near Joyful Garden in Watertown, and have variations of these dishes there for dim sum. I enjoyed them more at Joyful Garden. IF I go again, I'll try on a weekend when Laurence Louie is there, on a weekend, and we'll go earlier, so we can try more things. read more

The hype is real, the chicken bolo was Crispy and full of flavor while being incredible moist on the inside. It's more of a takeout space than a sit down but service was very prompt and the food was super fresh when we got it. read more

Rubato - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

Small shop you can get into to enjoy some good food. I got their chicken sandwich which looks amazing, but it isn't something I'd try again. I've tried many different chicken sandwiches and a lot outperformed compared to this one. For what the place is I would give it a solid 4 stars. I may go back to try their other foods which seemed more appealing in a home cooked meal sense. read more

Rubato - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

The place is small but the food is 5 star. I had two different steam buns char sui and braised beef amazing and then I had salt and pepper chicken over white rice. They were all delicious. Worth every penny. read more

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Yeah, I don't know. I think this place is just below average and overrated. As someone who is Taiwanese, I was very disappointed in the bolo. It was very hard and tasted stale. I also don't really like their rice rolls. I would go to other places in Boston for these things. read more

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. read more

Rubato - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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. read more

Rubato - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

What a great lunch. Great , fast service. Very good food. I'll go back. Can't wait. A highlight of Quincy Market.

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! read more

Rubato - Fried Chicken Bolo - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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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 read more

Rubato - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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. read more

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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 read more

Rubato - Menu as of 10/25/25 - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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! read more

Rubato - Youtiao, Beef Brisket Cheung Fun, Curry Fishballs, Rubato Sampan Congee, Hot House Soy Milk - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

Their bolo bao is hard as a rock with bland flavor. Place look like low end take out cafeteria.

HK cafe but they are not cantonese---ah wells! It still works and is Greaf! place is packeddddd - and there are no ample seatings, but customers are still coming in non-stop picking up to go. They came up with a never-seen before system with the seats. The counter seats are full so the workers will make sure you are waiting on the side lines- you must also let them know. They will know you are next in their mental queue to ensure no brawls take place from that. It is not too hard to manage because the seats are so few but to come up with this idea, actually works! Seriously- it is the most ridiculously simplest system ever, especially now that I am re-verbalizing all this, it is almost preposterous no one has really thought of this. Basically, these are free for all seats like in any take out restaurant would have. You order and then go and test your luck, food court style. In malls- no problem. But with less than 10 seats- holy smokes- no store will have the capacity, energy or even aptitude to manage that, it is too minimal. Of course it takes a food shop in quincy, boston to allow me to experience this striking realization! I havent even heard of Quincy before finding this spot! There is always a connection somehow! We tried almost everything on menu to share and were there at the spot to see how many people came and what they ordered. The lemon tea was the most ordered. We tried the HK tea, congee/porridge with fresh fried cruller, "pineapple" bolo bun which is not pineapple at all (just a name), fried chicken rice dish, the rice rolls with sauce and so on. Also tried coffee which I prob, shouldnt have ordered. Everything was solid. Steam buns also kept coming out like crazy too. The spot adds flair to this town. Impressive concept and creativity! Best of luck and wishing continued success! The menu on the wall was also simple too! read more

Rubato - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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Delicious, so worth the hype!! Everything we ate (and saw being ordered) looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. Food came out piping hot and fresh. Definitely recommend the beef brisket bao and the fried chicken bolo. Note that there are limited seating options in the cafe, though customers do turnover fairly quickly read more

Rubato - Fried Chicken Bolo, Beef Brisket Bao, Hot Hong Kong Milk Tea - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

Just tried the Chili Chicken Bolo, and I am just going to say it is the best fried chicken sandwich in all of Massachusetts. The light spicy flavor, crispy breading, juicy chicken, and sweet bolo bun - it's sandwich perfection. It is a huge sandwich as well so you get your money's worth. I just wish I ate it slower so I could enjoy it longer. They also have several vegan options that my friend loved. The Sichuan Veg Bao and the Chili Tofu Rice was a big hit with him. Tip - if you can't find street parking, there is a small free parking lot off of Billings St (behind the liquor store) that you can park in. read more

Stopped in to try the Top Chef winning steamed fish (with soy, ginger and scallions) and it did not disappoint. Have eaten the fried chicken bolo sandwich on previous visits. Also a winner. Do not anticipate a sit down table dining experience. Other than seats lined up at the front window it's primarily take out. On Saturday it was really busy but service was still quick and efficient. read more

Food is a 5, maybe a 4 if you're very critical in general and having a bad day. I literally don't believe any bad food reviews about this place. Everything I've had here kicks ass, especially the 2 bolo chicken sandwiches and the cha Sui bao bun. The owner has been onsite most of the times I've gone in, telling me he really cares and is still invested in the quality he is putting out. The only thing I wasn't super thrilled with was the congee, but I'm not Asian, it was my first time trying it and I think it was more of a texture thing for me than flavor. Yeah, sometimes the staff can be a little whatever but it's a very small space, they are always busy at lunch time and you know, kindly get into Seinfeld soup mode. Know your order, place your order, pay and move along. Everyone behind you appreciates it. :) read more

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

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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! read more

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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! read more

Rubato - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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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. read more

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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. read more

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Unfortunately this place was a little over-rated in my honest opinion. If you're craving for hk comfort food in Boston, this would be the place to go considering there aren't many around. Bolo bao and cheung fun were ok, but definitely had better ones that were less pricey elsewhere like NY. The yuen yeung also tasted a lil watered down. There aren't many seatings, so be sure to come early if you want to try it. read more

Rubato - Menu - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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Honestly nothing too memorable except it was definitely overpriced for what you're getting, even by Boston standards. These 2 items and the drink was $21.25. The quality and taste was not there to justify that price. Not sure if they're getting charged Boston level rent as this is in Quincy, even then I would expect the food to be better. I would still go elsewhere. Photo is yellow since they put a yellow shade on their windows so everything looks yellow inside the restaurant. read more

Rubato - Chung fun, bolo bao and a drink for $21. - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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. read more

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Such a hit of a spot - WOW! Rubato is a cute restaurant serving Asian inspired food, and WOW - every bite was delicious! We got the Salt + Pepper Chicken, Fried Chicken Bolo, and milk tea, and they were delicious. The owner is really friendly and welcoming, and the food came out pretty quick. One note - there's little space to sit down, so I suggest either taking to go or expecting to to sit down briefly to eat. read more

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Finally made it in! We had some time after the morning and made it in for lunch around 2! We decided on the chili chicken bolo and the congee with thousand year egg. For the last item the HK lava toast. Now the bolo bao chili chicken was fire in my opinion, would be dope if it had 2 tips instead of the normal bottom half the bao haha. But flavor reminded me of Sichuan spice, the chicken was tender and crispy, i ended up just eating mainly the top of the pineapple bun and the chicken itself at the end. the congee i thought was well balanced hot, ask for some white pepper and you're good to go. The French toast lava egg yolk was a bit too sweet for me but it was good overall. I believe the salted egg yolk is mixed directly with condensed milk, so it took me a little bit to taste the egg yolk part. I forgot we also had the hot style soy milk which was good to help offset some of the sweetness. The HK style milk tea was TOO sweet for my taste, i did ask for less sugar but i probably will choose a different beverage next time around! Window counter seating with sunshade, the staff were very nice. Would be back. read more

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Big yum. Interesting menu. No frills dining and service experience. Everything we had was delicious: fried chicken bun, fried tofu rice plate, veggie bao, and cucumber salad. I think the big winner for me was the Rubato fun fun, the steamed rice rolls are not to be missed!!! Would go back. Major casual lunch vibes with limited seating so consider takeout. read more

This place is over hyped in my opinion. We arrived on a weekend day just as they arrived, as we hear it gets super busy here. Walking in at 9am, this place was ICE COLD. We were wearing summer attire as it is hot out...but you will freeze inside! Service was okay. I witness the 2 workers out front fighting in the open over one person putting a paper tray down to indicate either take out or dine in, but it was wrong. This could've been better handled in front of customers. It shows they do not like working there or enjoy their work. On to the food... Cha Siu Bolo - This is their bread and butter item and I was looking forward to trying them...hoping it would be just like the ones in Manhattan chinatown. The ones here cost like 3 or 4x more than manhattan chinatown and they do not live up to the hype at all, which was most disappointing. It had a good amount of filling but the filling was so so salty! Not just a little, but by a lot. We ate it, but it wasn't enjoyable. Lava Egg Yolk french toast - Okay, definitely order this! Its fantastic! Very very yummy. It's sweet but a little savory with some crisps here and there. Have this with the milk tea. Milk tea - This is the best milk tea I've had, ever! However, let me caveat by saying I don't typically drink milk tea. I believe this place may have converted me and I'll be looking to drink this more...hopefully it'll be as good. Sesame and hoisin cheung fun - Nah, not that great. Ding ho in chinatown made it soo much better. Pass on this. Outside of the french toast and milk tea, I'm not moved to come back. read more

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The Bao is an amazing part of my visit. I tried twice different ones this week. Lava egg and pork bao I just took one bite and felt as if I was in Heaven. The taste was so different and wonderful at the same time! I also tried the Nutella French Toast. read more

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Finally got to check out Rubato for breakfast the other day! There is limited seating (~9 seats) along the counter if you want to dine in. We ordered the Fried Chicken Bolo, the Spam Bolo, and the Gochujang Pork Floss HK French Toast special. It seems like things are made to order because it took a while for our items to come out, but everything came out pipping hot. The crispy fried chicken was very juicy and paired well with the refreshing sesame slaw on top. The spam was a bit thin and overcooked for my taste, but you can't go wrong with a spam, egg, and cheese combo. We loved ending the meal on a sweet, unique note with the Gochujang HK French toast. It came with a generous portion of pork floss, condensed milk, and sweet/savory gochujang filling. It's pretty easy to find street parking nearby, but definitely come early as it gets busy later in the day! read more

Rubato - Fried Chicken Bolo (front). Spam Bolo (back right). Gochujang HK French Toast (back left). - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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This place is unbelievably interesting and great. They apparently don't like money because they close at like 4 every day they are open. And they are also closed two days a week. They're also pretty unfriendly but I feel like the food speaks for itself and I am happy to shoulder the micro-aggressions. One weakness (perhaps also a strength lest the world become homogeneous) is their deliberate choice to remain steadfast in authenticity. For example, the lava egg yolk French toast was FAR superior when I told them to hold the condensed milk. I brought it home and used real maple syrup instead of the condensed milk. It was wonderful and should be another option on the menu for a restaurant in the middle of New England. read more

This place is a very simple, straightforward but their food is truly off the charts good. We had the chicken sandwich and the beef curry. Flavorful, healthy portion, well presented. The hype around this place is well earned and you'd be silly not to try this when you're in Quincy. read more

Rubato - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Quincy, Massachusetts

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