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Tama

4.2 (47 reviews)
Open • 11:30 am - 9:15 pm
Updated a few days ago

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Sushi Sashimi Lunch; Follow me @RimyEats on Instagram
Amy Z.

I made a pitstop at this spot for solo lunch. The sushi sashimi was super fresh. Loved all the salmon pieces. My eyes were definitely larger than my stomach! I think I ended up stuffing almost all of it because it was so good! The interior was super classy. Definitely recommend this spot and go with friends so you can try a bunch on the menu!

Money roll, patriot roll, and Wagyu truffle salt nori tacos
Alyanna T.

My sister and I got the Tokyo cocktail, scallion pancakes, Wagyu truffle salt nori tacos, money roll, and patriot roll - TASTE: 5/5 - favorites were the patriot roll, w its sweet mango and truffle yuzu sauce, and the Tokyo cocktail -- such a refreshing passionfruit mimosa! TEXTURE: 4/5 - crisp scallion pancake and tender sushi PRICE: 4/5 - warning: our special rolls were $20+ and Wagyu truffle salt nori tacos were $18 SERVING SIZE: 3/5 - only 4 pieces per scallion pancake order and 2 pieces per nori taco order. Otherwise, we were satisfied for lunch SERVICE: 4/5 - walked in at 12pm on a Sunday and plenty of tables were open. Waitress was friendly and food came out 15-20min after ordering ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - elegant space and food presentation was on point! PARKING: 5/5 - decent amount of parking in the Sunnyside Plaza parking lot

Tama Roll
Peter C.

Service was superb! The interior is redesigned from previous restaurant, Oga, which was also sushi. Tama is a bit more upscale than most sushi places. Not on the level of the highest in Boston, but it's a bit more pricey than your standard rolls spot. They have this smaller Nori taco style options, which you can see pictured in my review. Very good bites and they come in pairs, so it's perfect if you want to sample some with another person. The Nigiri was good quality. The salmon and hamachi were stand outs. Avoid the Uni. It's not good. I assume it's Maine Uni or just off season, but other reviews cited the same. Appetizers were so good. Highly recommend you pick 4-5 things from the appetizer menu for your table and then finish off with Nori tacos or Nigiri. The menu is pretty large, so you won't have trouble finding something. Parking can be a challenge given it's a strip mall with one row long row. The place is located right on Rte 9 and close to the Natick Mall. Overall, I will likely return.

This is what you receive for a $33.6 lunch box before tax and other fees. This is not leftovers. The taste was very greasy.
Lily L.

This box costs $33.6 before tax and other fees! The taste was very oily and greasy. Not worth the money.

Tama Roll, Snow Crab and Butter Tacos
Kristyn C.

I came to Tama for the first time last night for dinner. We were greeted and seated immediately. I was excited to see how the space was decorated after replacing Oga and was impressed with how grand the space looks. There were special holiday decorations which made the space feel especially cozy. I ordered the Roku Bloom cocktail and my husband ordered the Sakura Spring - we both thought the drinks were well-balanced and delicious. As for food, we went with an order of the salt and pepper wings, the snow crab and butter tacos, eel avocado maki, crazy maki, rainbow maki, and the Tama maki. The standout roll for us was the Tama maki. We also could tell that all of the raw fish was very fresh. My husband is also an avid lover of fried chicken and was commenting on how great the chicken was both in flavor and in cook. The menu is heavily geared towards sushi (aside from the hibachi of course) so if you're looking for more general Japanese entrees like noodle dishes or soups, you should look elsewhere. Overall, we had a great time at Tama and will definitely be back for more data nights.

Torch Roll
Alayna K.

New sushi spot to replace Ogas which was my favorite... tough shoes to fill! They renovated the inside and made the atmosphere moodier and more intimate, low lighting and dark colors. I think it's very fancy looking and they did a great job. The food is really delicious and high quality. They really fill the rolls with the fish - they don't use rice as a cheap filler. Super tasty rolls; I really loved the spicy salmon roll because it had a great tempura texture crunch. Can't complain about anything! They offer sushi "tacos", also a fun fusion dish. Quick and kind service. Check out this new Natick gem!

Judie K.

Great upscale spot to hang out with friends! They got a vast bar and nice seating area. Great sushi roll and hand roll options, which they call nori tacos. We really enjoyed the shiso squid and snow crab with butter nori tacos, and the patriot roll! These were our favorites. The rolls can be a bit expensive, but they are quite unique. The patriot role had the truffle Yuzu sauce with spicy salmon and fatty tuna, which is something to not miss out on. Most of the sashimi was pretty fresh as well! I personally would not order the tuna again, but the salmon, yellowtail and the other sashimi were very delicious and fresh~ love their quick and amazing service as well. Looking forward to coming back again!

Entrance
Danielle G.

Excellent sushi restaurant. Loved our waitress and sushi was fresh and delicious. Great restaurant while visiting Boston on a work trip.

Spicy tuna pizza and Sakura spring.
Jessica S.

We had an amazing time at Tama, what a great addition to the area! The atmosphere was that of a speak easy, perfectly lit for a romantic date night. The service was professional and charming. The food and the drinks were delicious, would highly recommend the Sakura Spring cocktail and the spicy tuna pizza. Can't wait to go back time and time again!

We picked two house cocktails. Both were very good.
Paige S.

We had the best experience at Tama! The customer service was 100%, best customer service I have had in a long time! Our bartender was so sweet and so attentive. The food was to die for. cocktails were so pretty and delicious. The sushi boat was beautiful and tasted like heaven. I will definitely be coming back and i highly recommend!

Alcohol menu
Anthony C.

Tried the sushi and "hibachi" today. Big disappointment. Here are some highlights: 1. Found a fishbone in my sushi. I realized this when I felt a stabbing pain in my mouth as I was chewing. 2. Uni tacos were "sold out" and asked me if i want uni sushi instead. Later clarified it wasn't sold out and there was a price mistake and they subbed in uni sushi that cost more than the tacos pre-price error and wouldn't honor the original price. $15 vs $24 bait and switch. They tried to explain the situation to me and asked me if it would be ok. I told them it's up to them to use their judgement here. They pocketed the money without a second thought. 3. "hibachi" is made who knows where. not in front of you thats for sure. beef was room temp. lobster was room temp. gross. 4. still or sparkling water offered. no mention of tap. still water is $8. surprise! I really wanted this place to be good since it's just a few minutes from my home but unfortunately it's a big let down in terms of food quality. 1. Fuji mountain, their take on what is often called spicy tuna salad elsewhere. The tempura crumbs were stale! It came out first. It gave the impression that it was premade and covered in plastic sitting in a fridge. The fish in it truly looked like cut offs. And what is worse, came with a bone in a salmon piece. Other places don't use cut offs and make it nice but it felt like they just mushed together leftover sashimi and covered it in some stale tempura crumbs and mayo. Don't order this you'll be disappointed. 2. Hibachi. This is not made table side. They can't seem to make the food at the same time. The steak was cold/room temp. The lobster was cold/room temp. the vegetables were warm. How? Their hibachi must be the smallest hibachi in existence. Less than half a cup of fried rice. lol. honestly bewildering. 3. Uni is bland and previously frozen. Texturally off. Worse than hmart uni. Sushi rice with the uni was unseasoned. Surprisingly the only good food I had here was the house side salad that comes with the hibachi and the Japanese mixed fries. Unfortunately even in the fries i found a few that were undercooked and soggy but the ones that were made well did taste good. Salad has a nice dressing and greens looked fresh. I don't see this place succeeding. I've had better food from a mall food court. This isn't so much a matter of being over priced but the food is just not that great. Cold hibachi food? Fishbones in sushi? I wanted to give 2* because our waitress was nice but it was offset by the manager weaseling $9 on the uni taco disaster situation. They rather have $9 now than a repeat customer that spends over $50pp. Very poor judgment on their part. There's so much shadiness and red flags in terms of upcharging. I don't think they care about having repeat customers. They will just fool old Oga patrons while they can. So many better options around less than five minutes away To quote my wife, "I feel like we've just thrown our money away". Whoops--probably won't be coming back.

When we got to the table.

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7 months ago

The special Sushi rolls were excellent and great service throughout. The fire ball roll was especially good.

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8 months ago

Food was good. A bit expensive tho. Service was great. Ambiance was soothing. We may return sometime.

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11 months ago

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11 months ago

Awesome new spot in Natick with a great ambiance and high quality food. I really enjoyed the sushi!

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

the food was great, had a nice time here with my wife. the servers were very attentive and the ambiance was just the cherry on top

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Golden Palace - Chicken Feet in. black Bean Sauce

Golden Palace

4.0(393 reviews)
67.9 mi
•$$

This is what happens when I am unsupervised at Golden Palace Chinese Restaurant & given a dim sum…read moremenu. Hubby responsibly orders a delicious lunch menu item & I order enough food for THREE people!!! - Steamed roast pork rice rolls - Steamed Golden Palace shrimp dumplings - Steamed pork & shrimp shumai - Deep-fried taro dumpling with pork & dried shrimp - Baked roast pork buns - Stir-fried Chinese broccoli with fresh garlic Hubby loves the #14 combo: shrimp with vegetables, fried rice, golden fingers (chicken tenders) & egg roll. Even for him, it is enough for 2 meals! His favorite item from the dim sum menu is the stir-fried Chinese broccoli with fresh garlic. Everything was outstanding & I would do it again tomorrow. If you are ever in the vicinity of Mohegan Sun, take a 5 minute drive & check out this amazing Chinese restaurant! Dim sum is available daily so give it try. Highly recommend. NOM NOM NOM #YUM

Cuisine: 7 Service: 7…read moreDecor: 6 Value: 6 Overall: 7 I have been coming here for the last 20 years. It has been one of my favorite dim sum restaurants in all of the US. Obviously things change over time, but my recent visit still tells me that most of the food is still very solid, though not quite as great as it once was. What I love about this place is that all the food comes out fresh and hot. Unfortunately, a few of my favorite items have taken a step back. For example, the Sticky Rice Flour Dumpling w/ Pork & Dried Shrimp had way less filling than a few years ago. Still good flavor, but not great any more. Also, what happened to the Pork & Shrimp Stuffed Peppers? All I tasted was soy based ground pork and no shrimp whatsoever. Lastly, the Duck Egg Yolk Custard Bun has gone really downhill. Skip! With that said, I still absolutely love their Pork & Shrimp in Dried Bean Sheet Roll. One of the best I've had anywhere. Chicken Feet in Black Bean Sauce and Fatty Pork Ribs, and Sole Filet in a Fried Thin Rice Wrap are still excellent. There are many other standard items that are done well, but not necessarily better than most places. Every time I come to Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods Casino, this has been a must stop. Though I feel the quality has downgraded a bit, I would still consider this restaurant one of the best places to eat in the area. However, I do hope that they find their old magic touch with some of my favorite dishes.

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Winsor Dim Sum Café - Shrimp Dumplings in the far shot.

Winsor Dim Sum Café

3.5(1.3k reviews)
15.8 mi•Chinatown
•$$

When we travel, we seek dim sum. Why? It's just our thing. So once our plane touched down in…read moreBoston, we went straight to Chinatown. This place has it all in a great Chinese restaurant: traditional dim sum dishes done well, a little grit, staff who get the job done but aren't the friendliest. The food was excellent. For that reason alone, I'd go back.

Winsor Dim Sum Café is the restaurant with the yellow sign and yellow awning. It is on a split…read morelevel, and so you have take a few stairs up to get to the restaurant. Looking for something to eat after landing at BOS airport, my husband and I decided to explore Chinatown. Figured we could do some dim sum for a late breakfast, early lunch (the time was a little after 10:35 am). Found this of one of a few places to have dim sum, we decided to come here since we weren't too far from it on foot. When we walked in, I let the employee know that we are a party of 2. Because this is a smaller restaurant, we were sat at a large round communal table. I am definite not a fan of this style of seating but it's fine (although we had walked passed another dim sum restaurant that was fancier that did not have tables like that and saw that 2 people were just sat at a table by themselves and wished we had gone to that restaurant instead. But didn't see this restaurant until after we had already had our meal). After looking over the menu, we ended up getting: Chicken Feet, $6.99 prior to tax- My husband got this for himself. I am not a big fan of chicken feet and only eat maybe 1 at most. But I wasn't really in the mood to eat it. But he enjoyed it. Choy Shum, $11.95 prior to tax- I love to have vegetables at every meal, when possible. So we ordered these vegetables, which were nice and tender and they were nice. I do like that the oyster sauce wasn't as heavily drizzled on top, which was nice. Shrimp Rice Noodle, $6.99 prior to tax- This came in an order of 3. These were good but standard. Pork Siu Mai, $6.99 prior to tax- I thought these tasted okay, just a little oily. Tea, $1.25 per person- You are charged this fee per person, regardless if you drink tea or not. --------------------------------- (Total= $37.90 after tax, prior to tip) Please note that to order, you just mark what items you want on a paper menu and then the food items will be brought out to you. This is supposed to be the fresher way of food items, since the idea is that it is made to order instead of staying inside a cart that may end up getting dry as it gets pushed around the restaurant. This place supposedly takes credit card, as there was a visa logo sticker in their entrance window. But when asked the employee who gave us the bill if they take credit card, she told us that cash is preferred (which is funny because this one Caucasian family sitting at our table looked a little freaked out because I think they were planning on paying with credit card). My husband ended up paying with two twenty dollar bills. The employee was just standing right next to my husband and asked if we need change. My husband said no (my husband was planning on leaving additional tip on the table before leaving). She then pointed to the bottom of the bill of the suggested tip and seemed rather pushy and insistent that we leave a tip (well a higher tip). So my husband (although feeling awkward), pulled out a few more dollars and gave it to her. She seemed satisfied and then walked away. I have never gone to any dim sum restaurant where tip was pushed upon and that a server would be so pushy and aggressive about it. I have also read from a few other Yelp members that have also experienced the same thing on their dining experience. It is a good thing I don't live in Boston because I would never come back to this restaurant if I did.

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Winsor Dim Sum Café - Interior

Interior

Winsor Dim Sum Café - Shrimp in Eggplant, Shumai, Shrimp Dumplings, Spare Ribs, Pork Steam Bun

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House of Noodles & Sushi - Grilled whole fish

House of Noodles & Sushi

4.3(52 reviews)
40.5 mi
•$$

Moved up here after 20yrs in Boston and 3 years in China. This place is the oasis in the desert of…read moreAsian cuisine in these parts. God I could hug the owner for coming all the way up here. It's not just good because every other Asian restaurant around (I could actually say all of NH and not be wrong I think) is mid and below, it's actually standalone great. The flavors beat a lot of my fav Chinatown spots. Steal my order for 2 and you'll go home happy Twice cooked pork - extra spicy Fish fillet in spicy Sichuan broth Mapo Tofu Plus, they got self serve Keno... Long live House of Noodles 面之家万岁!

An excellent find! The menu is SO large you'd think they couldn't handle it, and perhaps they can't…read morebut certainly they nailed both of our orders. One Thai (eggplant) and one from Shaanxi China region (Biang Biang). I ordered the Biang Biang extra spicy but I'm guessing they didn't believe me. It was tasty but regular spice level. It's clear that there were actual Szechuan peppers in it - characteristic tingle effect. Which is nice to see now that the US has decided they're not poison after all. The braised eggplant with Thai basil (hence known as basil eggplant in most Thai restaurants) was creamy in texture and rich in flavor. The meal started with hot and sour soup, which was surprising. The cup was quite large and the soup was absolutely packed with ingredients. Tofu, wood ear mushrooms, lily buds and more. Super satisfying, although I ordered a side of black vinegar to get it a bit more sour. The prices were super reasonable for normal portions but the portions weren't normal - they were HUGE. Half the noodles went home with me as well as half the braised eggplant. Hard to see how they support such huge portions without correspondingly huge prices.

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House of Noodles & Sushi - Inside

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Shanghai Soup Dumplings

Shanghai Soup Dumplings

4.7(37 reviews)
19.4 mi

Shanghai Soup Dumplings is A MUST try if you're looking for authentic, super juicy soup dumplings!…read moreTheir xiao long baos are out of this world! Located inside Kam Man Market, it took over the spot that once was Lollipop Bubble Tea. It's a hole in the wall gem that had unexpectedly DELICIOUS dishes. We were shopping at Kam Man and decided to try their crab meat XLB and Chinese chive pockets. Both were sooo good, but I definitely liked the XLBs more! The chive pockets are great if you like veggies, chives especially. We ended up getting another order of crab meat XLBs, along with pan fried pork + shrimp dumplings. The lady helping us was very nice and super efficient. After ordering, our food was ready within minutes! Definitely come try the soup dumplings from here. Probably one of the best ones I've tried in MA and comes close to the XLBs I have had in Shanghai ;))

This place is truly a hidden gem worth a visit…read more Vibe: Tiny restaurant tucked inside of a grocery store with glass walls, several small 2 seater tables, and the owner making food fresh in the little kitchen behind the counter. Service: The food was prepared so fast! Staff were friendly. Food: Excellent across the board. For two people we got: Scallion pancakes - the flakiest, crispiest I've ever had, good Signature soup dumpling - great portions, good flavor Chinese chive pockets - my favorite thing we got, the filling ingredients were so fresh and flavorful, the dough was perfectly cooked Pork dumplings with cabbage - probably my favorite dumplings I've ever had, excellent fresh flavor. All of the accompanying sauces were on point as well. Value: Excellent, for two people it only cost us $36 before tip. Bonus: They sell frozen dumplings you can make at home! I am so glad this place was recommended to me. 100% worth getting a meal there and I would absolutely go again.

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China Star - Excellent Sauteed Baby Clams in Black Bean Sauce

China Star

3.3(317 reviews)
23.2 mi
•$$

Where am I suppose to go for BBQ Pork Buns / Char Siu Bao buns ?…read more I posed this question in the Worcester FB group and most of them pointed me towards this restaurant. I've previously eaten here a few times, but I've never managed to stop by early enough for their Dim Sum lunch until now. As a side note, I cannot believe Worcester doesn't have ANY restaurants that serve these buns? Sounds like some enterprising individual needs to fulfill this void. I normally drive all the way to Joyful Garden in Watertown when I have a Dim Sum craving. Other times I will already be wandering through Boston before I stop by Hei La Moon. I came here with the expectation that I will get the same quality foods. This place has got a pretty darn big parking lot. I'm not going to count every spot on Google Maps, but it's about 50 spots. So it should not be hard to park. Walking inside, I was quickly greeted by the wait staff and directed to my table. I'm no interior design expert, so I will candidly say that the decor totally yells 'very Chinese' and elegant. I don't know man, just look at the interior pictures and you'll understand what I mean. If you've never done Dim Sum before, it can be very overwhelming. Someone with a cart will come by and you'll have several seconds to process what's available and say "Yes" or "No" through a variety of dishes they point at. And then before you can recover, another staff member will come by with another cart with towers of steaming baskets and you go through the song and dance again. I kid you not, in the average Dim Sum experience you will sit down and then have a table full of food literally within a few minutes. Before I knew it, I had 3 plates and 3 baskets on my table. The verdict? Totally delicious. I'm not going to talk about every dish I got and wax poetic one by one. I don't have time for that, and if you've been to one Dim Sum place, then you've been to all of them. I will give a few shoutouts for the sake populating this review with important keywords. Char Siu Bao bun / Baked BBQ Pork bun ; this is my favorite dish and precisely the reason why I came in. The bread is so light and the pork filling is so delicious sweet and savory. I'm in heaven Chicken Feet ; actually, I will note that the chicken feet here are not as flavorful as other places I've been to. This is a small nitpick because it still firmly lands in the delicious spectrum. It's the difference between scoring an A and an A- Random Pork Bun ; ??? I cannot find it on the menu, but I chose a set of 3 buns that were filled with pork. The bun style was closely similar to the chewy glutinous sesame balls and they were filled more yummy pork. I've never eaten these before. Shiu Mai ; holy sh** these are the biggest Shiu Mai I've ever eaten. I had an awesome experience here and I recommend it anyone in the area to give this place a shot if they don't want to drive all the way to Malden/Watertown/Boston/Quincy.

Experiences have ranged from a 3*** to 4****+ with the variable being both food and service…read more Definitely very good Chinese food worth the visit. Typically, you are quickly seated with the server checking in immediately and providing hot tea for the table. This is based on 3 recent visits, and weighted by the last visit which was a disappointment. The neon lights outside beckon you to come in. It's a brightly lit dining room with round tables typical a large Dim Sum restaurant in Boston. Perhaps a little too bright, but there is typically a table available. It offers late dining which is great. The food is certainly very good typically with good sized portions at a good value. The pan friend dumplings a large, tender and a great value. The Hunan and Sichuan dishes provide healthy portions. Definitely very good Chinese food for the area. It is typically served quickly and very hot. The service has been mixed. On a not so busy night, we felt ignored. It took a long time to get drinks (arriving with the food in one case) on one occasion.

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Joyful Garden Watertown - Braised chicken feet , har gow, shu mai, Cow Tripe with Ginger and Scallion, Steamed Bean Curd Skin Wrap with Pork in Oyster Sauce

Joyful Garden Watertown

3.5(388 reviews)
11.3 mi
•$$

Wowwwwwwww! What a great dim sum restaurant!!!! It is located in a mall. Ample parking in…read moreparking lot. The carts come around and you begin your feast. My favorites are chicken feet, spare ribs in black bean sauce, salt and pepper lobster and stir fried Chinese broccoli (not pictured). The bbq pork buns and pineapple custard buns were fantastic as well. Chicken feet were tender and flavorful. Pork spareribs had great flavor but wasn't as tender as I would've liked. The salt & pepper lobster was crispy on the outside and meat was delicious. I could've sat there all day eating it. The bbq pork buns had a little sticky glaze on top and the bun was so soft. The bbq pork filling had sweetness to it. The pineapple custard bun was a great dessert item to finish off a wonderful meal here. It was soft, topping was crumbly and the custard filling just oozing like an egg yolk. The bun was soft, sweet and delicious! Service was great. Staff were helpful and friendly Highly recommend and I will definitely return when I'm in the area again.

I always laugh a little when I read reviews saying, "This isn't the best dim sum in Greater…read moreBoston." You're right. It's also not in Chinatown, where parking is an Olympic sport. And it's not in Quincy or Malden either. Sometimes convenience matters. That's exactly why Joyful Garden has become my family's go-to. If you're coming for dim sum, weekends are absolutely the time to go. You'll get the biggest selection, everything comes out piping hot, and the carts are flying around the restaurant. The tradeoff? It is BUSY. Don't show up starving. Show up with friends, accept that you'll probably have a wait, grab the electronic buzzer, and spend some time chatting while wandering around the strip mall. (Yes, you'll probably end up standing near the vape shop. It's all part of the experience.) The ambiance is classic Cantonese restaurant: big round tables, banquet energy, families everywhere, and enough space for everything from dim sum to celebrations. I've been here for birthdays, baby one-month celebrations, weddings, banquets, and casual meals with a friend. There's also a bar area where you might find people watching Jeopardy or whatever else happens to be on, which honestly adds to the charm. The two biggest reasons we keep coming back are surprisingly unglamorous: 1. Parking. 2. Prices. The parking is fantastic. Front lot, back lot...it's in a strip mall, so you don't have to circle for twenty minutes hoping someone leaves. The prices deserve their own paragraph. ::IT'S STORYTIME:: My parents are from Guangdong and Hong Kong, and they are, without question, the most price-conscious people I know. They track grocery prices like they're following the stock market. They debate whether shrimp is worth ordering because it's gotten too expensive. AND despite living near Flushing, New York, every single time they come to visit me, they insist on going to Joyful Garden at least once because they cannot get over how reasonable the prices are. When there were rumors that businesses in Arsenal Yards might have to relocate, they were genuinely worried about Joyful Garden. That, more than anything, tells you what they think of the place. The Cantonese entrees are solid too. My family's favorites include the clay pot dishes, while I keep coming back for Buddha's Delight, Poached House Chicken, and the braised E-fu noodles with mushrooms. One last thing: I sometimes see reviews saying the dim sum isn't as good as Toronto or Vancouver. Well...yes. Neither is most dim sum in the United States. I think it's more useful to judge Joyful Garden for what it is: an affordable, dependable neighborhood Cantonese restaurant with good dim sum, plentiful parking, and prices that somehow still make my Cantonese parents happy. And trust me, that last part is a remarkably high bar.

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