Don't be fooled by the staid interior and lack of in-person diners in this local Asian establishment. This restaurant, serving mostly Szechuan Chinese dishes, is a real treat in the Belmont Center district. Walking in, you're greeted by ... 2 large screens. Yes! There are not many people at the register. The screens let you choose a variety of dishes, from hot noodle soups to more traditional entrees to cold dishes. It's a bit disorienting not to have more human presence, but I guess that's just the way they run things. The dishes themselves were often top notch. The homemade pork and chive dumplings were often a bit too tough on the skins, but you could tell that they were homemade. The hot and sour beef noodle soup with glass noodle was as advertised a nice mix of hot and sour; they noodle itself was chewy, not too mushy soft, and not too tough as to render it inedible. The peanuts were crispy and really nice. The wood ear added some nice textures, and the soup itself was flavorful. I would have limited the amount of oil in the soup. The XLB (Xiao Long Bao) was really good - might be the best in the Boston area (not a town known for its XLB)! The skins were relatively thin and the soup inside really hot. Too bad there weren't ginger strips to accompanying the useful vinegary sauce. The Hand-pulled Biang biang noodle with spicy cumin lamb was quite good as well. The dish could have been presented with a bit more finesse; the lamb bits were all mixed in with the noodle, and the noodle itself was a bit thick. But the flavoring was excellent and many of the lamb pieces were rendered tenderly. The baby bok choy with tofu skin was definitely stir-fried in a lot of oil! They were really yummy, but I felt they got that nice crispy veggie effect by using a lot of oil. This environs presents something of a conundrum ... who's the market? It looks way too casual for the prices to be located in the low 10s / high 10s range (dishes were served entirely in plastic containers). But the quality of food is on par (and in some cases better) than many other Chinese restaurants in the area. But those restaurants are usually conceived of as carpeted dine-in / service places. If indeed the establishment is looking to create a casual dining experience in the Belmont area, then maybe it should remove some of the more usual shared entree type dishes on the menu (e.g. hot oil spicy fish, the famous Szechuan dish). But again, who are the expected patrons here? If they do want to have a sit-down place, make the chairs somewhat nicer (and maybe brighten up the place). Service was really quick. Looking forward to seeing this place do well! read more

Very typical American Chinese food (although this may be due to me ordering an American Chinese dish, General Tso Chicken). The dishes were a tad too salty for my taste but the flavor itself is not bad. I wish I ordered plain white rice with the chicken as both the salt in the chicken and the fried rice was a little overbearing. However, the establishment itself is very clean and well kept. Ordering, water, and dish cleanup are all self serve but the food itself will be delivered to your table. Our waitress was very sweet and was constantly bustling around, making sure the interior was clean. read more

Shine's Fresh Asian - Bento A - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Shine's is a gem of a restaurant: authentic, traditional Chinese food in Belmont Center. If you haven't been to Shine's for a while, you might want to give it a second look. I wrote a review a few years ago, but the restaurant has changed and improved so much that I felt that it was appropriate to delete my old review and write a completely new one. (hopefully this won't show up as a duplicate...) The menu contains a lot of choices that aren't typical (and it seems like they add new choices regularly). We particularly like the Rougamo sandwiches (listed on the menu as "burgers", but that's not exactly how I would describe them) and the "pancakes" (more like stuffed crepes, sort of), particularly the shredded potato pancakes. The soups are also excellent and unusual. And there are still areas of the menu we haven't explored at all. (I have no idea what "Toofy" is... guess I'll have to try it.) There are many things on this menu that I've never seen anywhere else, and my family likes to explore and try new Chinese restaurants. Every time we come we try to get at least one new thing that we've never had before, and they've all been delightful. My only (minor) complaint is that you order at a kiosk (or online, for take-out) so you can't ask the waiter/waitress for any info/recommendations. read more

Never again!!! Not worth the price. $20 for teriyaki chicken with a cup of rice? How is that a dinner? Ripping people off! Don't eat here. Only the sandwiches are great. Don't spend money on dinner plate read more

Grandma took us out for lunch today. Very casual but large dining room. Order At computer stations and pick a table. Food is brought out in disposable plastic containers by polite and friendly staff. They brought us water as well. Food ingredients are fresh and good quality. Scallion pancakes were nice and crispy. The little round dumplings were tender and tasty. Fried rice was delicately flavored as was the tofu lo mein. The bulgogi had a nice balance of vegetables to beef. The one item we ordered that I couldn't eat was the hand pulled noodles in hot and sour soup. It had too much chili oil for my European American mouth to handle! If you can't handle the heat maybe avoid this one dish. By far the pho is one of the best I've eaten. The broth is incredible. I want to try the rougamo next time I'm in. I'll update then. read more

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This place didn't get any of my orders right the 2 times me and my friends went they got the orders wrong and also we had to wait hours for our food they didn't speak a lot of English which is fine but it's was to to understand them but when we got our drinks my friends soda never came so we had literally go up there and ask for our sprite the sprite was warm. Not going back we wasted so much money read more

The food here was sooo good and flavorful. Definitely come here if you love spicy food. The noodles are very fresh and there's a lot to chose from. The restaurant itself is casual so it is a great spot to grab quick lunch a dinner. read more

Shine's Fresh Asian - a variety of food items - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Authentic delicious Chinese food! The pork stew rougamo and cumin lamb were my favorite dishes. I have searched long and hard for cumin lamb in the Boston area, and this is the first place I've found! Their prices are also very reasonable for the quality of food. All of the dishes had great flavors and good size portions. read more

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Not sure what I missed. The general tsou was certainly not fresh. Pad Thai was not flavorful. Gyozas were fine. May give them one more shot.

For Asian takeout that has tons of options for different tastes, Shine hits the mark. It does exactly what it says it will do -- give you quality food at a reasonable price that will please the crowd. Is it mind-blowing? No. But it's good and that's all it needs to be. read more

Thank you Shine for supporting the BHS All Night Party. Your generosity was very much appreciated (and your food is delicious!) THANK YOU!! read more

mind-bogglingly good food hidden as a local Belmont hip-takeout spot. Very helpful around, and accommodating of, a vegan diet.

This is my favorite local business. The service is so friendly (and fast). The food is delicious, particularly the pork stew rougamo, the mango sticky rice, and the steamed juicy buns. It's lightweight comfort food, healthy and delicious. read more

Some of the best Chinese food we've had around here! We tried the fish filet with dry chili sauce, fish filet in Sichuan hot chili broth, and chili pepper oil splashed Biang Biang noodle, all were fantastic. We also had the eggplant with garlic sauce which was really flavorful and delicious! We will definitely be ordering from here again! read more

Don't be fooled by the huge pan-Asian menu. If you look closely you can see that in addition to the American Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes, it has Chinese cuisine from central/northern China - not typical for a pan-Asian restaurant. I recommend items from this category - the biang biang noodles, liang pi noodles, the rougamo, etc. all items were delicious - excellent taste and texture. If you're not trying these items you are missing out! read more

We like to go to Shine's for their lunch specials. If there isn't parking out front there is a large lot behind the buildings across the street. The staff is friendly and usually very efficient. For the lunch specials the main dishes are pretty good and the extra sides bring the whole meal up a notch. read more

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Ordered the liang pi with chili oil and sesame sauce after having had biang biang noodles here before. Just the fact that I can get liang pi in this sleepy town of Belmont is exciting! Happy to report that the noodles are delicious, and they give a generous amount of food. The chili oil was nicely seasoned, just enough salt and spice, and the sesame sauce was delicious. The noodles were chewy, had a nice mouth feel, and paired well with the wheat gluten chunks and sliced cucumber. Note- this northern Chinese menu is part of the Chinese chain Xi'an Rougamo, which is housed inside Shines. They have a second location in downtown Boston... how lucky we are to be able to get this northern Chinese specialty in Belmont!! read more

Shine's Fresh Asian - Liang Pi in chili oil with a side of sesame sauce - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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I think they've given up. Spent a ton of time placing a huge order for many people, and at the end it refuses the order. Their website said they were open. I suspect they are in the process of going out of business. Call before heading over or ordering despite what their hours claim. read more

What makes this establishment terrible is the awful and slow service! There are many employees but no one seems to be able to put any order together. read more

Asian restaurants in Boston suburbs have historically had a tough time (especially with plant based people like me!). If they tried anything but Americanized Chinese food they had to offer a fusion menu because Boston customers would be cautious with unfamiliar menus making a deep dive menu risky. For the last 20 years, the pad Thai/sushi/fried rice combo was the typical tactic of the entrepreneur opening a suburban Boston Asian restaurant. And this has worked for many (think All Seasons in Malden and what Shine was before). But tastes are changing and more and more Asian restaurants are focusing on one cuisine. That's why I'm glad Shine is getting some of this focus. Obviously more people are more familiar with various Asian cuisines (especially the Asian people increasingly moving in to place like Belmont). So bring focused is easier now than 20 years ago. They have dropped the sushi and are focusing more on a Northern Chinese menu in partnership with a chain from China called Xi'an Rougamo. I think they may just change their name too but not sure. This cuisine includes things like Li Niang which I just ate. That's where they separate the flour into the wheat gluten and starch, make stretchy noodles out of the starch and protein chunks out of the gluten. It's served in a chili oil sauce and was tasty. The rest of the menu looks good too. I checked reviews from other sites and most are positive. A couple of people questioned the freshness in the Boston location (always a concern) but we didn't have that problem. I plan to go back and try other dishes and update my review. read more

Tucked in the corner of the popular Leonard Street, Shine's really shines (yes, I went there). Walking in you are welcomed by an extremely friendly staff and escorted to the limited but spacious seating area. The exposed brick with the modern art really spices the interior up. Bubble tea...oh the bubble tea! It comes in so many flavors ranging from milk teas to smoothies. Boba is just .50 more. There is nothing I enjoy more than a sweet bubble tea while waiting for my sushi to be served, however with Shine's there really is no waiting! No matter how busy it is, service is extremely prompt and food is brought out within 10-15 minutes of ordering it. Prices are pretty normal. The menu can be pretty overwhelming, however most of the rolls actually have pictures next to them. It makes the ordering experience much easier and a bit more fun. Highly recommend! read more

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I have long been a fan of Shine's, but tonight's meal brought me great joy. Pan-Asian joints often get knocked for doing everything poorly, Shine's is the opposite. From the Pho, to the bento boxes, to the sushi everything is very good to great. Tonight I had the Biang Biang noodles with spicy cumin lamb and it was simply divine. Melt in your mouth tender lamb with bok choy over wide, soft, hand cut noodles with just the right amount of spice. Absolutely delicious - as were the pork gyoza. One thing I've learned about Shine's is to try the things that you haven't heard of before, or that you don't see at other restaurants. They are always fresh and tasty! read more

I love Shine's. I've been there a bunch of times and I'm never disappointed. Well, I guess I leave disappointed in myself for eating more than I should've, but the food is always delicious. The sushi menu is large and I've ordered a bunch of their specialty rolls. They also have all of the classic rolls if you're feeling simple. My favorite thing to get when I eat there is the pho. I am a pho phanatic ;) I am ALWAYS in the mood for pho but not every place does it right. I've only ever gotten the chicken pho and I always leave happy. The bubble tea at Shine's is another one of their hidden gems. For those that aren't familiar, bubble tea is a Taiwanese tea-based drink with chewy tapioca balls at the bottom. It comes with a huge straw so that when you take a sip, you get a few of the balls too. It's truly a one of a kind experience. Shine's is right in the center of Belmont, a quaint little town with a bunch of stores and restaurants. read more

Shine's Fresh Asian - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

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Tried this restaurant for NewYear's takeout. We were underwhelmed at the quality of the food. The honey walnut shrimp had a sauce that seemed to be more mayonnaise based than honey. The Korean style beef was grisly and inedible. The salt and pepper calamari was lacking flavor and a bit too chewy. And our order came to over $50. According to the website we were supposed to get an order of spareribs- they were not included. They did include white rice. Will not be going back. read more

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More like a 4.5. The service was great and my kids love the bento boxes, although they're no longer for dinner Today my wife had the bibimbop and I had the pho. Both were excellent although hers was better. We started with some tuna sushi with the roll on the outside. We found it fresh and very tasty. Definitely worth a look if you're in the area. The menu has a lot of options and none seem lacking. read more

Shine's incredible! I normally don't expect to be impressed by places that do multiple types of Asian cuisine, but I was blown away by how good the food here is. Everything here is really fresh and the flavors are incredible. My mother was born in China and even she only had good things to say about our meal. The highlights from our meal were as follows: -oyster on the half shell with ponzu sauce (so light and fresh, and the home made ponzu pairs perfectly) -Sichuan style boiled fish in spicy soupbase (this was a special and the blend of the Sichuan peppers, the white fish and garlic was unworldly - definitely a dish that any spice food aficionado would appreciate) -red curry (just as good as the curry I had in Thailand!) Definitely give this place a try. The new owners have done an incredible job and I am so impressed. The service is great to boot. read more

Shine's Fresh Asian - Our table of 4 ordered 7 dishes and pretty much ate everything - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

I'm super depressed because I just discovered this place, and I'm about to move out of the area. The hand-pulled biang biang noodles are UNREAL. Pad see ew is also fire. Will definitely be ordering again, as many times as possible, before moving. read more

We had a good meal at Shine's tonight. The ambiance is okay, the service was fine. Our Thai lettuce wraps were good but the straight hosin sauce with it was boring. The sauce could use a kick of mustard or chili paste or something. The Tom Yum soup was very spicy! Too spicy for me, but my husband thought the soup was good. The chicken teriyaki comes with a generous portion of chicken. I am not excited to go back to Shine's, but I wouldn't stay away either. I would give them another chance to shine! read more

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Their 12 dollar poke do not include rice at all! It only comes with some tuna and seaweed, didn't include anything else that you would expect in a poke.... read more

Shine's Fresh Asian - Poke!! No rice! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

I have been trying to get the kids to try this place with me and they finally relented. Sadly, it was not a good experience. I got the luncheon General Tso's chicken and (not sure if it was me or not) it did not taste good nor was it spicy. It lacked something - I think someone else put it perfectly. It lacked depth. The only thing I did enjoy was the hot and sour soup that came with the meal. The service was a bit off as well. Our order was taken after many other bigger tables were taken care of first (even though we came before those tables). Our meal also came after another table, whose order was similar, and whose order was taken after our order was placed. The appetizer, pan fried gyoza, came after our meal was already served. I will give this place another shot because maybe they were having an off day or perhaps the soups are better. I doubt I will be able to get the kids to try it again tho'. read more

Utterly tasteless and disappointing. Tempura Udon: undercooked tempura with a predominantly oily flavor/ broth tasteless with no depth Hamachi can our nicked and dull looking on top of crunchy undercooked sushi rice. I discovered that the wasabi was the only thing worth tasting in those few bites. For a new restaurant, it is surprisingly dingy with no ambiance. However, clearly no one else minds. The place is packed. read more

This place is highly underwhelming. We ordered four dishes: * Szechuan twice-cooked pork - which was dry and chewy. Maybe they should'be cooked it longer the first time around instead of nuking it to death the second time. They also added a special ingredient - a nice big piece of metal from their scouring pad. * 3 cup chicken - there was so much sauce, it looked like we ordered a bowl of soup. This is supposed to be a "dry" dish. Despite the sauce, there was so little flavor. And to add insult to injury, the chicken was dry. * Shredded potato with long horn pepper - this was not bad. * Cucumber & Fungus in vinegar sauce - this was not bad as well. We placed our order through Eat24, Yelp's service. In our bag, they left us a condescending note starting with: "What's 20% of $43?" And proceeded to talk about how we should order from their website next time instead. Not a problem, more than happy to, but I thought that note was in poor taste. Don't worry, we won't be ordering from you again. read more

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We're GF and I knew they could use Tamari as long as you call them before ordering. The woman who answered was super helpful and told me, repeatedly, to just write gluten free in the comments for our grubhub order. I promptly forgot to add the note, as is my way, and she called me back immediately after I placed the order. The food was delivered in less than 30 minutes, hot and fresh. Don't recommend or post often, but this was a noteworthy experience... especially for the gluten challenged out there. read more

Hand-pulled noodles are excellent. Fungus and cucumber in vinegar sauce is a perfect appetizer. The trick here, as others have said, is to order the Shaanxi style dishes, not the typical suburban dishes. read more

It's a new menu again, or at least the sushi is gone. It looks like they are focusing more on Chinese than fusion (I hope). The Chinese we had was great, especially for this area, which doesn't have much good Chinese/Taiwanese since Shangri La closed. Cucumber and fungus and pork dumplings were great. The first I've ever had of biang biang noodles, and that was a treat. Beef with longhorn peppers was tasty and spicy. I would like to try the Liang pi next time. They also have something called Toofy snacks, but I couldn't figure out much about that except you eat them while you are getting drunk? Also for next time. read more

On my most recent visit i found the place much brighter and with some other redesign elements, maybe to compete with all the pizzerias in Belmont Center? What the place has going for it is excellent rice bowls with generous portions. I had bibimbob and it was filling and delicious. But the service can be quite slow and tentative. We didn't try the sushi. Also no beer or wine. read more

This place has awesome Xi'an food. The meat bons and Liang Pi! I really like them. I am not sure but I guess they may have a new chef who did these dishes well. Also, their milk tea is awesome too! read more

Excellent pho! Giant portions and a big plate of all the fixings. Everything was very fresh! read more

Shine's Fresh Asian - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

My husband and I went to Shine for dinner on a Saturday night. It seems that Shine probably does more lunch/take out business as the restaurant was not crowded. We were served promptly and ordered three rolls to share. The sushi was fresh and creative. I especially enjoyed the Tiffany roll with spicy tuna and mayo. The dinner was a little pricey for three rolls and nothing else, but we had a good time. read more

Shine's Fresh Asian - left to right (Dragon Roll, Tiffany Roll, Rock Mountain Roll) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Belmont, Massachusetts

Surprisingly amazing. Pan-Asian food (pad Thai + sushi + kung Pao) is rarely good. The menu is huge. Everything under the sun. I went to lunch expecting very little - ordered the Bento Box. OMG- this might be the best lunch special I have ever had! I ordered the fish filet with chili- it was amazing. And it came with spicy Tuna rolls (okay) and hot and sour soup (excellent). I ordered fried rice and it was some of the best fried rice I've had in a while. Seriously- this place is better than most fancy Asian places I've been. I don't know how it is for dinner or take out, but I plan on getting the same exact meal again. Maybe tomorrow. read more