Really exciting place focused on Northwest Chinese cuisine…read more The signature dish, the hand-pulled beef noodle soup, had a fairly light, but subtle, flavor. The noodles themselves I wish were chewier (got the 'flat' but probably should have gone for 'extra wide'), and perhaps it'd been nice to have some different textures inside the soup (e.g. something crunchy). The scallions in the soup were also too wide, and needed to be sliced more thinly. The beef pancake was quite decent, though the edges didn't have enough beef and the middles had too much beef. The beef was tender, though I might have liked it more flaky. The sauce inside the pancake was somewhat unevenly applied, and a bit too sweet. I wonder if a dipping sauce (maybe a vinegar?) would have helped. The blueberry with mashed yams was fascinating. It was listed under appetizers, and wondered why the dish came out last. But the dish was a bit sweet (naturally!) and so it actually worked as a light modest dessert! The wait staff was spot on after all in putting out the dish last. The stir-fried cabbage dish was beautiful! It was appropriately crunch, yet using good wok hey. The salt level was a bit high, but the spice level was good. Their spice ratings were a bit timid to what I encounter in Szechuan restaurants (the 'regular' level seemed to be more 'mild-regular'). The stir-fried cumin potato was delicious; nicely flavored, nicely charred. Some bits were a bit oily but the cook on the potato was really neat. Will revisit!!!

The hand pulled noodles are perfectly made, and the beef soup base is full of flavors and well-made…read moretoo. However, beef in the noodle soup was quite chewy in my taste. On the other hand, the lamb was excellent. We had Lan feast tender boiled mutton (excellent when dip in the sauce), tangy & spicy shredded potatoes (ok, only spicy and not much taste otherwise), lamb skewer (good), chili oil hand-pulled noodles (excellent), Lanzhou hand-pulled beef noodles (excellent except beef). We also ordered two summer drinks: mung bean slush and lychee jasmine iced tea. Both were delicious. This restaurant is quite popular with many young people and the service is adequate. I will definitely come back if I am in the mood for hand-pulled noodles.

I've been to KungFu Kitchen two times now and it's been consistently great. I've ordered the Pork…read moreXiao Long Bao, Pork and Shrimp Wonton Soup, Scallion Pancake with Sliced Beef, Shanghai Pan-Fried Pork Buns, and Cucumber Salad - all were amazing and would order again. The pork and shrimp wonton soup was brought a perfect balance to the flavorful meal and it's broth was super yummy. The cucumber salad was seasoned perfectly and was a nice balance to the otherwise heavy meal. My favorite is probably the pork xiao long bao, but honestly, you can't go wrong with anything you order. Service was great. Both times we were a party of two and were seated quickly, if not immediately. Food came out very fast. Will 100% be returning.

Xiao long bao a little over steamed and MSG heavy, but nice thin wrapper and flavor. Best I've had…read morein Boston so far. Knife cut noodles also pretty tasty with good soup but too salty for me. Sheng jian bao was a bit of a letdown, not as crisp as I'd like. But still not bad, with a good ratio of bun to meat. The space is nice and open, and going with a toddler is easy due to clean high chair and bathroom changing table.

I've been here a couple times and every time it is SOO good and reliable. Service is super fast,…read moreand guests can't really sit around and chat at the tables but the food is worth it. Last time, I got the tan tan ramen with the spicy chili oil on the side and it was delicious. I loved that I could customize the spice level. The gyoza are also delicious. Reasonably priced as well. I'd highly recommend!

Super duper ramen. It still holds up and the crowded space…read moreaffirms it Had the spicy vegetarian ramen. A meal unto itself, though the menu was deep. And, as a curiosity next door, endless options of eyebrows....

We went on a Thursday night and it was about a 40 minute wait for 2 people. We got chicken gyoza,…read moremyself a Sapporo miso with no pork and my partner a GANTETSU SHOYU with tantan pork and no chasu. The ramen did hit the spot although it wasn't particularly superb. I personally don't think I'd come back here again but not because it's bad but because it wasn't super great - and I basically got a vegetarian ramen since I couldn't get the pork so that probably has a lot to do with it. The gyoza was good though! There definitely was a lot of food which was nice. The vibe was also pretty good and the music was catchy and in season which is great! I'd say closer to 4 than a 3 but not quite a 4 so having to leave a 3/5.

Busy, bustling, and tucked away, Gantetsu-Ya features cosy and comforting ramen bowls in Brookline…read more The portions are big but the ramen was a bit too oily and the noodle texture was a little too soft for me. We also got the kaarage which was crispy but bland. Despite being told our table was ready, we still waited for 15 minutes.

Miraku Boston is a ramen-focused Japanese restaurant in Brookline that centers its menu around rich…read morebroths, carefully prepared noodles, and a small selection of appetizers and sides. We walked into a cozy, understated space that often filled up quickly, giving it a lively but still relatively calm dining atmosphere once we were seated. The room was warm and functional, with a layout that kept the focus on the food rather than the décor, and the steady hum of conversation added to the comfortable energy. The main draw here is the ramen itself, especially the broth-forward bowls like shoyu and miso variations. We ordered a few different styles and found the Yaki Shoyu and spicy miso standing out the most, with deep umami flavors and a layered richness that built as we ate. The sesame ramen was also a popular option for its nutty, aromatic profile. When everything was hitting well, the broth was the clear highlight and felt like the reason to come. The noodles were a bit more divisive depending on preference. Some bowls landed perfectly, while others felt more standard or less fresh compared to the broth, which could slightly affect the overall balance of the dish. Because of that, the experience tended to be strongest when we stuck to the core ramen offerings rather than branching out too far into appetizers or rice dishes. Service was generally friendly and efficient, but the restaurant could get busy during peak hours, which might lead to a short wait before seating. Once inside, the pacing of the meal was smooth, and the atmosphere stayed comfortable enough for a relaxed lunch or dinner, even when the dining room was full. The staff moved through the room with ease, and the food came out without much delay. Overall, Miraku Boston is a solid ramen spot in the Brookline area that does best when focusing on its strengths: rich, flavorful broth-based ramen bowls. It is not overly experimental, but when the kitchen is on point, it delivers a satisfying and comforting ramen experience worth returning for.

Came here with some friends as this was their favorite ramen spot and they were having a popup…read morewhere a Japanese chef came here to make some limited bowls of seabream and shellfish white soy sauce ramen. As this was limited pop up, we did wait about 1-1.5 hours to be able to get inside and order the food, but it was a relatively organized experience. We got sat at the bar at the side where the waiters/waitresses entered/exited which was mildly annoying and flagging them to get more water was a little hard as well. I didn't order the limited bowl as that's not usually my choice of flavor for ramen broths but I got to try it. It was very mild and had a nice taste but still wouldn't be my go to order. For myself, I got the spicy miso which was nice and flavorful. My friends also ordered the Takoyaki and the Zangi Fried Chicken which were both good. For dessert we also ordered the Monako Ice Cream and Hojicha Chiffon Cake. The Hojicha Chiffon cake didn't have as much flavor as I would've liked and the ice cream that came with it, kind of just overpowered it, should get hojicha ice cream with this one to taste more hojicha.

Their duck noodle soup was fantastic. Definitely needed a to-go container because it was pretty…read morefilling, alongside the miso soup. Service was very attentive, and I enjoy sitting at one of the high-tops and people-watching those that walk by outside.

One of my favorite spots to get miso soup! The service is great & the spicy miso ramen soup is a…read moremust! I love the coconut water it comes with too

First time here and it was great! We did the AYCE all-you-can-eat on a Monday (they only do it…read moreMonday and Tuesdays) - got there around 7:30p and even though it was very full, we got seated quickly with a table for 3. It's $50 for the regular AYCE or $80 for the Premium AYCE. We opted for the former, and it was plenty great. We have done lots of AYCE sushi and I will say this is the BEST of them - I think it's because it's the same grade sushi as they would normally do Ala carte on other nights. The $50 menu had plenty of sashimi and regular nigiri (sushi with rice) options and some Thai too. We had mostly the sashimi Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail, Octopus, a few rolls, some edamame, gyoza, shumai. My favorites were the salmon, as the cuts were large, thick and amazing silky, and the gyoza, as it was perfectly crispy. The Pad Thai was bit way too sweet for my taste - a skip for me next time. The decor is very nice - reminded me of a dive Tokyo bar. Service was quick and very attentive. We will be back!

Have been hearing about their Mon & Tue AYCE, so went on to try it a month or so ago. With what…read moreseems to be a recent price increase, now $50++ allows access to a good variety of sushi/sashimi, on top of apps, ramen, poke bowls, and cooked rice/noodle dishes. Whereas $80++ offers diners a set of amount of uni, plus unlimited amount of everything else, wagyu included. Sounds like a good deal, especially when one can eat a lot. Even as we are no longer Team Eat Till You Burst, we went for the premium, mainly for the nicer cuts such as toro and wagyu, and because uni!! Jumping in shortly after 5pm, we were promptly seated, marked a bunch of stuff on paper, and soon after submission, we got food brought to our table. It was a decent meal overall, so why 3 stars? Let's recap. Menu variety is fantastic, though of course we didn't get "one of everything", coz that's simply impossible. While the premium did cover a lot of grounds, it would have been nice if they also included anago (sea eel) which is currently only available on the a la cart menu, and maybe even offer couple lesser-known items such as monk fish liver app, sea grapes, off-the-beaten-path fish cuts, what have you. Would be happy even if we only get an allotment of those like we do with the uni. Now, service - great overall. Servers circulated around and were alert of customers' needs. Approached at appropriate times to take our order sheets, refill water, provide new order sheets, and ask if we wanted more food. So kudos on that. Their denotation of serving "regular portion" of cooked food had us hesitant in ordering, since we didn't want to be wasteful (or use our limited stomach space for dishes we can easily get elsewhere). But from other tables' orders as well as the one noodle dish that we ended up getting, it seems that the portion size was what I would like to see at AYCE places -- about 50-60% of regular Asian dish size, where 3-4 people can each have a couple bites "just to try". However, to think if that is what they call "regular portion", then it is definitely "Brookline pricing" on a la carte, which I would not recommend one to do such things on these items. Food is fantastic in general; we got a variety of stuff, and everything was really of top quality and taste. The meal would have been a "highly recommended" if they didn't serve the uni that we got. Out of the 12 pcs of uni sushi, all of them were... while not "foul" to a point where one cannot safely consume, they were definitely more sub-par than "ok but not great". Colors aside (which I understand there can be a range depending on origins and such), the uni was a "splat" of yellow stuff on rice, without distinct shape of the flesh. On top of the fishy smell (I'm talking about slightly ammonia-ish), the presentation and taste-texture upon them hitting our tongues... really left the ENTIRE room to be desired. In retrospect, we should have sent them back even if they weren't going to replace them. But instead, we stupidly forced ourselves to shove them all down in cowardly silence, then ordered another round of wagyu just to make us feel a little better about it. Yes, we weren't smart as customers. But if the restaurant is going to charge $100++ per person (after tax and tip), someone from the kitchen should have known better than pushing this thing out for customers to deal with. In their defense, yes, the uni itself was still "edible" in a sense that it didn't make us sick, but I'd maintain that better judgment should have been made. Once the shell was cracked open and you see this pale-gray yellow mush, it should have been decided that it is better repurposed, than be served straight to your customers as your star/featured product. As seen in other diners' experiences, it could just have been a one-off mishap, so I'm not knocking them entirely. But I do hope the restaurant would improve on their QC accordingly. It was such a disappointing low point in an otherwise wonderful meal.

Looking for something different while visiting Boston. This place was withing walking distance of…read moreour lodging so gave it a shot. There was a small line of people waiting when we arrived, but the wait was not very long. The dining area is not huge, but the Staff hustles so it seems to turn over quick. Super friendly hostess/server who was non-stop energy and movement. She made it flow while still being personable. I have never had this type of food, so cannot base it on anything except it was delicious. I followed the instructions and added the rice at the end (nice top off). The Miso soup was good along with the Sushi roll. The Hostess gave us a new drink to try and we all enjoyed it. Definitely a great spot !!!

I've had my fair share of Japanese cuisine, but mazesoba isn't exactly in my usual lane. That's…read morewhat made my visit to Kenzoku Mazesoba in Fenway such a pleasant surprise. My first impression? Bright, modern, and incredibly welcoming. The space has an inviting energy, but what really stood out was the hostess. Since it was my first visit, she took the time to patiently explain the menu and made me feel completely at ease. Her recommendation of the Tan Tan turned out to be absolutely spot on. Loaded with spicy minced pork, minced garlic, onions, chives, sesame sauce, dried chili pepper, and a perfectly poached egg, this bowl was a beautiful marriage of flavor and texture. The savory minced pork stole the show, while the chewy hand-pulled noodles held onto every bit of that rich, nutty, spicy sauce. Just when I thought the experience was over, I learned the best part was still to come. After finishing the noodles, you're encouraged to ask for a bowl of rice and mix it into the remaining sauce. It transforms the leftovers into an entirely new dish, making sure not a single drop of flavor goes to waste. The entire meal felt like an adventure--one I genuinely didn't want to end. I've always considered myself a ramen guy, but this experience reminded me that it's worth stepping outside your comfort zone every now and then. Japanese cuisine really is the gift that keeps on giving, and I'm here for it!