Order Too Hot Takeout or Delivery
TOO HOT · YELP ASSISTANT
Ask Yelp Assistant
Too Hot Photos
TOO HOT ATMOSPHERE
What's the vibe?
You might also consider
More like Too Hot
Recommended Reviews - Too Hot
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Pretty solid szechuan spot in Harvard Square! I made a reservation to ensure no wait time and at the time, I had to make it quite early so it seems like a popular spot. Interior felt very modern and sleek - it was a bit small as well so it was a little cramped between tables and walking areas. The menu had a good selection of szechuan fare and we ended up sharing some of their popular dishes. I enjoyed the large fish one which was a good size for a family. Everything tasted authentic, my only qualm was paying for rice - you can't not have rice and it seems ridiculous to pay $3 for one bowl. Overall, a solid restaurant and option for Chinese food in Harvard Square.
Two weekend visits to this relatively new subterranean Sichuan eatery in Harvard Square (Eliot Street) with a very inviting interior and some VERY spicy dishes. -- Vegetarian Cold Noodle: Firm, peanut buttery, satisfying. Not spicy. Not too saucy, so you can "feel" the noodle, but I would have liked more vegetables. -- Yibin Fiery Noodles: Warm and similarly al dente, these were manageably spicy. Meat crumble, seeds or nuts, scallions, and heat. -- Red and Green Pepper Chicken: Batterless but crisp, tender, and not boneless. Relentlessly spicy from several heat sources and kaleidoscopically delicious. The closest comparison is dry hot chicken that also goes by a few other names, but this was better. Elite, and the best thing I ate in all of 2025, but sadly no longer on the menu. -- Stone Pot Tofu: Billed as Ma Po Tofu sizzling in a stone pot, but no sizzle and no stone pot. Identified as very spicy but minimally spicy and more numbing (more "ma" than "la"). I enjoyed the overall flavor (heavily seasoned) and the saltiness of the fermented black beans. Despite some of the menu discrepancies, this was a really good version for my tastes. Near-elite. -- Green Beans With Eggplant: Strong flavor, not too hot spicewise, but volcanically hot temperaturewise. Decent. -- Chicken and Clams: Black bean flavor, whole peppercorns, spicy but loaded with flavor beyond the spice. A deceptively huge and quite delicious. Elite. -- Beef Spring Rolls: Not my choice. Crisp, beefy, and chili sauce on the side added contrast. Solid, but boring, more typical of an Americanized offering, and a waste of an opportunity given Too Hot's killer menu. -- Pork Belly with Fermented Beans: Superb rendition, not drastically different from twice cooked pork, but much more flavor and giant pieces. Near-elite to Elite. -- Shrimp in Dry Hot Pot: Tons of dry rub spiciness, giant shrimp, chopped vegetables, and crinkle cut potatoes. Near-elite. -- Brussels Sprouts w/Shallots: More subtle flavors here but hardly bland. Fried shallots had sort of an onion ringy presence in miniature. Cooked just right. Outstanding overall experience, with the best dish on the first visit and almost all winners on the second. Kudos to the friendly and helpful service, including a server suggestion to switch an item after noticing we ordered two very similar items. Eager to return often and try even more of the menu.
Just had an amazing dinner at Too Hot. The food was incredibly flavorful and fragrant. The skewers were the highlight for me. If you love bold, garlicky, and spicy Chinese food, this is the place to be. Highly recommended!
TLDR: really yummy Chinese food in a beautiful space close to Harvard campus, albeit priced according to its campus proximity. I really loved the space; much more beautiful than what I expected walking to the basement level. I also found the service to be hospitable; when we decided to order the cumin beef, the server joked around with us while giving a genuine heads up about the spice level. He even brought over extra water before our carafe was empty because I had made a comment while ordering about how we'd need it. Dishes: - Yu Shiang eggplant: this was so delicious. I'd totally get it again. A nice smoky flavor with perfect char and spice - Cumin beef: too spicy for me! The waiter's warning was appropriate but I literally could not taste the flavor, only spice. Be warned. I also felt like the portion was smaller than I expected although that's perhaps due to the fact that the eggplant came our first and I expected a similar price:size ratio -- definitely get rice or some sort of carb base to neutralize the spice here - Pan fried pork dumplings: yummy and surprisingly generous for the price. Well flavored and as expected. In summary I'm really happy that a solid Chinese place has moved into the square. Hong Kong is much more Chinese-American in flavor. I'd recommend!
I know this is a Sichuan restaurant, but the food was drowning in oil. I came here with a friend and we ordered the gold griddle spicy chicken, sizzling cumin beef, and the Chongqing spicy beef slice shredded noodles. The two protein dishes tasted pretty similar and were extremely oily. The noodles were actually really good. I liked the different textures from the beef, noodles, and wood ear mushrooms. I'd honestly come back just to get the noodles again.
We're big fans of Noah's Kitchen, so we were excited to check out their new sister location. The space itself is beautiful--thoughtfully designed with unique, eye-catching decor that creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. That said, it felt like the team was still working through some kinks in service. A few of the dishes we ordered arrived lukewarm instead of hot, and one item was accidentally left off our order altogether. The mushroom egg shrimp balls with black truffle was delicious but an unreasonably small portion for the price of $36. We're hopeful that with a little more time to settle in, the experience will match the high standards we've come to love from Noah's Kitchen. We'll definitely be back to give it another try!
I was looking for a cozy spot to dine with family for New Year's Eve! Booked a table here . There is a parking garage conveniently next door although these guys don't validate parking tkt just yet . We came in a bit early not knowing what to expect and waited for the rest of our group to arrive as they won't seat until everyone is there . Our charming hostess walked over to give a menu for us to browse through. They were definitely busy !! Didn't have to wait long to get our reserved spot. This place is small but has a cozy and warm ambiance. The menu has a lot of items to choose from. Once we ordered ,everything came out in a fairly reasonable time. We ordered one round of shots to start the celebrations and then a plate of farm style mushrooms , griddle spicy chicken, pan fried veg dumplings and they were delicious!! Our hostess made sure to check in with us and ensure everything was good. We ordered side of rice to go with mapo tofu , lemongrass chicken and it was delicious! There is a good amount of vegetarian dishes to choose from . My daughter ordered the chicken soup with dumplings-that was a huge bowl and very shareable and delicious. Overall an enjoyable experience , although pricey! But we will definitely comeback here .
Really tasty place with spicy food! Favorite dishes were the smoked duck, steamed whole fish, and the complimentary rice cake dessert you get. The place is well decorated nice, though I do think it's pretty expensive.
This new restaurant is well-decorated, clean, and spacious. Here are the items we ordered: -Yibin Fiery Noodles ($16.99): These noodles were deliciously spicy, light, and chewy, but the dish came out room temp. -Tibetan Style Sizzling Beef ($30.99): Included a sturdy portion of beef and loved the crepes that it came with to wrap the beef and vegetables. -Small Potatoes with Cumin Dry Pot ($16.99): Potatoes were not crispy and vegetables were spicy but not very aromatic. -Grilled Whole Sea Bass with Spicy Ginger and Tofu ($52.99): Relative to other grilled whole fish I've had before at Chinese restaurants, this fish felt more deep fried. The sauce, tofu, and vegetables were good, but it would have been nice if the fish was hot when it came out. -Organic Mushroom Egg Shrimp Balls with Black Truffle ($36.99): This was my favorite dish. The eggs were well cooked and the shrimps were delicious. However, it was quite a small portion for the price and the truffle flavor was light. Overall, the food was solid and the service was attentive. Their menu is extensive and we will be back to try other dishes. Just note that it is difficult to find parking in Harvard Square. Additionally, many nearby parking spots along the street only allow parking for up to 1 hour, which is not quite long enough for a meal.
Solid 4/5. The food was delicious! Overall, everything was well seasoned and the ingredients tasted pretty fresh. The space was pretty clean and the decor was cute. Parking wise, it's Harvard Square... There isn't parking within a light walking distance so I highly recommend getting dropped off. Food spot lights: - Chengdu Mala Cold Chicken: Very tasty, loved the texture and flavors. The "ma"/numbing sensation wasn't overpowering and the chilly oil was pretty mild but added a lot of great flavor. - Wok-seared lamb: It can look a bit scary but the chillies far more for flavor and texture than for spiciness (it was actually pretty mild). The lamb was tender and very well seasoned. My only note would be that it is quite salty without some sort of neutral carb (e.g., rice, noodles) to cut the salt. - Spicy Double-Pepper Cod: I will say though, it is *pretty* spicy because of the millet pepper, so don't dip the fish in the sauce if you don't want the spice to really build. The cod was tender and juicy but not watered down and I *loved* the sauce. I didn't quite know what to expect for "Chinese Style Omakase", but to be honest, it was kind of disappointing. For something like Omakase, I place a lot of weight on service, and that's where my experience fell short. I felt like I was being rushed to finish each dish and if I paused to talk with company my plate with whatever was left on it would be taken away/replaced. It's hard to balance attentiveness with hovering, and I think it was a bit overdone that night. Also, the portions we got were great for family style dinners, but a bit too much for the number of things on the menu. given same serving sizes, I'd personally probably recommend 4-5 of the entrees on the menu for a group of 5-6 (with rice). I saw a lot of interesting dishes on their regular menu and I would definitely come back to try what the experience here is like normally.
Come back with friends! This time we tried a few new dishes, all of which were delicious! Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Pepper and Soft Tofu 燒椒豆花牛柳: This dish has been incredibly popular on the Chinese internet lately. I was surprised to find it in Boston - they really keep up with the times! Although it looks a little different from the Chinese version, it was still very tasty, and it was the only dish we finished! The beef was incredibly tender, the roasted peppers had a great smoky flavor, and it was savory with a hint of spiciness. The sauce was thick and very good with rice. However, the tofu was a bit rough; it wasn't made with soft tofu, which didn't quite match the overall flavor. Shrimp with Salted Egg Yolk 鹹蛋黃焗蝦球: The shrimp were very large, with a firm yet tender texture. The outer shell was fried to a crispy perfection, and it was served piping hot. The salted egg yolk coating was just the right thickness and very fragrant, but it became a bit too sweet and cloying towards the end. Gele Mountain Spicy Chicken 歌樂山辣子雞: The chicken was fried until crispy and had a delicious spicy flavor. A bit too spicy for me from Guangdong. Grandma's Style Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Pickles 老奶脆菜土豆泥: A pleasant surprise! The mashed potatoes were generally smooth and creamy, with a few lumps, but still acceptable. The seasoning was slightly spicy, and the crunchy pickles added a touch of sourness, freshness and flavor. read more
1 month ago
We came here for a gathering with friends on a Friday night, and the place was absolutely packed. Luckily, we had a reservation, although our group still had to split between tables. It was our first time here, and the first thing that stood out was the price. We thought Seattle was expensive, but this was on another level. The food came out hot and at a reasonable pace, but unfortunately, the taste just wasn't there for us. The fried pork was especially disappointing because it was very chewy. The one highlight was the fried mushrooms, which we really enjoyed. Overall, for the price and the food quality, it just didn't feel worth it. Probably won't be back. read more
Too Hot is the sister restaurant of Noah's Kitchen in Brookline, which is one of our favorites! We've been eyeing this place to try for a while but they were closed for more than half the year due to a water pipe issue and renovations, so we're happy that they finally were able to open back up in September. They're located in Harvard Sq., right by the Gyu-kaku. We did walk-in around 6pm, which was perfect because we got a table for 2 immediately without reservations. Definitely recommend making a reservation though because on our way out, there was a whole line waiting for tables that went almost out of the door haha. We took a while to figure out what we wanted to try but ended up ordering the following dishes: - dry tossed handmade wontons (8) - signature "strange-flavor" bang bang chicken (basically cold chili oil chicken) - Yunnan-style spicy chicken - Kung pao lava tofu - must-try twice cooked pork belly with crispy rice - 2 rice - 2 Diet Coke Bang bang chicken was not what we thought it would be. It was pretty much cold chili oil chicken dish. It was okay. I'm pretty sure they also have this at Noah's. Kung pao tofu is one of our favorites to order whenever we eat at Noah's Kitchen & this was exactly the same dish. Highly recommend if you like tofu!! It's really delicious. Dry tossed wontons were just okay. Seems like the filling is all minced and like eating a meatball. Not the same as Cantonese wontons. Not spicy. I wished the Yunnan style spicy chicken was spicier. It was very mild to me. I ended up crushing all the peppers in the dish with the spoon to try to make it taste spicier but didn't really help. I did like the chicken though! It was cooked perfectly & not dry at all. I was just expecting it to be spicy & it wasn't for me. The twice cooked pork belly with crispy rice was nice. I liked the thinly sliced potatoes... really addictive to eat. Great flavor. I just wished that the pork belly wasn't so fatty and they gave some leaner pieces. Overall, our dining experience at Too Hot was very similar to Noah's Kitchen. I felt like it was the same type of food & they had many similar dishes on their menu, just named slightly different. I recognized many of the staff members! Food is solid & really great if you're looking for Chinese food in the area. I'm still struggling to find Chinese food in Boston that is actually spicy but that could just be my spice tolerance! They do flavors well though at both Too Hot & Noah's Kitchen, so will for sure be back. Parking: can be a pain but there's 2 hr meter parking (pay until 8pm) on Mount Auburn St. read more
Pretty solid szechuan spot in Harvard Square! I made a reservation to ensure no wait time and at the time, I had to make it quite early so it seems like a popular spot. Interior felt very modern and sleek - it was a bit small as well so it was a little cramped between tables and walking areas. The menu had a good selection of szechuan fare and we ended up sharing some of their popular dishes. I enjoyed the large fish one which was a good size for a family. Everything tasted authentic, my only qualm was paying for rice - you can't not have rice and it seems ridiculous to pay $3 for one bowl. Overall, a solid restaurant and option for Chinese food in Harvard Square. read more
Two weekend visits to this relatively new subterranean Sichuan eatery in Harvard Square (Eliot Street) with a very inviting interior and some VERY spicy dishes. -- Vegetarian Cold Noodle: Firm, peanut buttery, satisfying. Not spicy. Not too saucy, so you can "feel" the noodle, but I would have liked more vegetables. -- Yibin Fiery Noodles: Warm and similarly al dente, these were manageably spicy. Meat crumble, seeds or nuts, scallions, and heat. -- Red and Green Pepper Chicken: Batterless but crisp, tender, and not boneless. Relentlessly spicy from several heat sources and kaleidoscopically delicious. The closest comparison is dry hot chicken that also goes by a few other names, but this was better. Elite, and the best thing I ate in all of 2025, but sadly no longer on the menu. -- Stone Pot Tofu: Billed as Ma Po Tofu sizzling in a stone pot, but no sizzle and no stone pot. Identified as very spicy but minimally spicy and more numbing (more "ma" than "la"). I enjoyed the overall flavor (heavily seasoned) and the saltiness of the fermented black beans. Despite some of the menu discrepancies, this was a really good version for my tastes. Near-elite. -- Green Beans With Eggplant: Strong flavor, not too hot spicewise, but volcanically hot temperaturewise. Decent. -- Chicken and Clams: Black bean flavor, whole peppercorns, spicy but loaded with flavor beyond the spice. A deceptively huge and quite delicious. Elite. -- Beef Spring Rolls: Not my choice. Crisp, beefy, and chili sauce on the side added contrast. Solid, but boring, more typical of an Americanized offering, and a waste of an opportunity given Too Hot's killer menu. -- Pork Belly with Fermented Beans: Superb rendition, not drastically different from twice cooked pork, but much more flavor and giant pieces. Near-elite to Elite. -- Shrimp in Dry Hot Pot: Tons of dry rub spiciness, giant shrimp, chopped vegetables, and crinkle cut potatoes. Near-elite. -- Brussels Sprouts w/Shallots: More subtle flavors here but hardly bland. Fried shallots had sort of an onion ringy presence in miniature. Cooked just right. Outstanding overall experience, with the best dish on the first visit and almost all winners on the second. Kudos to the friendly and helpful service, including a server suggestion to switch an item after noticing we ordered two very similar items. Eager to return often and try even more of the menu. read more
2 months ago
Just had an amazing dinner at Too Hot. The food was incredibly flavorful and fragrant. The skewers were the highlight for me. If you love bold, garlicky, and spicy Chinese food, this is the place to be. Highly recommended! read more
TLDR: really yummy Chinese food in a beautiful space close to Harvard campus, albeit priced according to its campus proximity. I really loved the space; much more beautiful than what I expected walking to the basement level. I also found the service to be hospitable; when we decided to order the cumin beef, the server joked around with us while giving a genuine heads up about the spice level. He even brought over extra water before our carafe was empty because I had made a comment while ordering about how we'd need it. Dishes: - Yu Shiang eggplant: this was so delicious. I'd totally get it again. A nice smoky flavor with perfect char and spice - Cumin beef: too spicy for me! The waiter's warning was appropriate but I literally could not taste the flavor, only spice. Be warned. I also felt like the portion was smaller than I expected although that's perhaps due to the fact that the eggplant came our first and I expected a similar price:size ratio -- definitely get rice or some sort of carb base to neutralize the spice here - Pan fried pork dumplings: yummy and surprisingly generous for the price. Well flavored and as expected. In summary I'm really happy that a solid Chinese place has moved into the square. Hong Kong is much more Chinese-American in flavor. I'd recommend! read more
1 month ago
I know this is a Sichuan restaurant, but the food was drowning in oil. I came here with a friend and we ordered the gold griddle spicy chicken, sizzling cumin beef, and the Chongqing spicy beef slice shredded noodles. The two protein dishes tasted pretty similar and were extremely oily. The noodles were actually really good. I liked the different textures from the beef, noodles, and wood ear mushrooms. I'd honestly come back just to get the noodles again. read more
We're big fans of Noah's Kitchen, so we were excited to check out their new sister location. The space itself is beautiful--thoughtfully designed with unique, eye-catching decor that creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. That said, it felt like the team was still working through some kinks in service. A few of the dishes we ordered arrived lukewarm instead of hot, and one item was accidentally left off our order altogether. The mushroom egg shrimp balls with black truffle was delicious but an unreasonably small portion for the price of $36. We're hopeful that with a little more time to settle in, the experience will match the high standards we've come to love from Noah's Kitchen. We'll definitely be back to give it another try! read more
I was looking for a cozy spot to dine with family for New Year's Eve! Booked a table here . There is a parking garage conveniently next door although these guys don't validate parking tkt just yet . We came in a bit early not knowing what to expect and waited for the rest of our group to arrive as they won't seat until everyone is there . Our charming hostess walked over to give a menu for us to browse through. They were definitely busy !! Didn't have to wait long to get our reserved spot. This place is small but has a cozy and warm ambiance. The menu has a lot of items to choose from. Once we ordered ,everything came out in a fairly reasonable time. We ordered one round of shots to start the celebrations and then a plate of farm style mushrooms , griddle spicy chicken, pan fried veg dumplings and they were delicious!! Our hostess made sure to check in with us and ensure everything was good. We ordered side of rice to go with mapo tofu , lemongrass chicken and it was delicious! There is a good amount of vegetarian dishes to choose from . My daughter ordered the chicken soup with dumplings-that was a huge bowl and very shareable and delicious. Overall an enjoyable experience , although pricey! But we will definitely comeback here . read more
1 month ago
This new restaurant is well-decorated, clean, and spacious. Here are the items we ordered: -Yibin Fiery Noodles ($16.99): These noodles were deliciously spicy, light, and chewy, but the dish came out room temp. -Tibetan Style Sizzling Beef ($30.99): Included a sturdy portion of beef and loved the crepes that it came with to wrap the beef and vegetables. -Small Potatoes with Cumin Dry Pot ($16.99): Potatoes were not crispy and vegetables were spicy but not very aromatic. -Grilled Whole Sea Bass with Spicy Ginger and Tofu ($52.99): Relative to other grilled whole fish I've had before at Chinese restaurants, this fish felt more deep fried. The sauce, tofu, and vegetables were good, but it would have been nice if the fish was hot when it came out. -Organic Mushroom Egg Shrimp Balls with Black Truffle ($36.99): This was my favorite dish. The eggs were well cooked and the shrimps were delicious. However, it was quite a small portion for the price and the truffle flavor was light. Overall, the food was solid and the service was attentive. Their menu is extensive and we will be back to try other dishes. Just note that it is difficult to find parking in Harvard Square. Additionally, many nearby parking spots along the street only allow parking for up to 1 hour, which is not quite long enough for a meal. read more
1 year ago
Solid 4/5. The food was delicious! Overall, everything was well seasoned and the ingredients tasted pretty fresh. The space was pretty clean and the decor was cute. Parking wise, it's Harvard Square... There isn't parking within a light walking distance so I highly recommend getting dropped off. Food spot lights: - Chengdu Mala Cold Chicken: Very tasty, loved the texture and flavors. The "ma"/numbing sensation wasn't overpowering and the chilly oil was pretty mild but added a lot of great flavor. - Wok-seared lamb: It can look a bit scary but the chillies far more for flavor and texture than for spiciness (it was actually pretty mild). The lamb was tender and very well seasoned. My only note would be that it is quite salty without some sort of neutral carb (e.g., rice, noodles) to cut the salt. - Spicy Double-Pepper Cod: I will say though, it is *pretty* spicy because of the millet pepper, so don't dip the fish in the sauce if you don't want the spice to really build. The cod was tender and juicy but not watered down and I *loved* the sauce. I didn't quite know what to expect for "Chinese Style Omakase", but to be honest, it was kind of disappointing. For something like Omakase, I place a lot of weight on service, and that's where my experience fell short. I felt like I was being rushed to finish each dish and if I paused to talk with company my plate with whatever was left on it would be taken away/replaced. It's hard to balance attentiveness with hovering, and I think it was a bit overdone that night. Also, the portions we got were great for family style dinners, but a bit too much for the number of things on the menu. given same serving sizes, I'd personally probably recommend 4-5 of the entrees on the menu for a group of 5-6 (with rice). I saw a lot of interesting dishes on their regular menu and I would definitely come back to try what the experience here is like normally. read more
4 months ago
10 months ago
11 months ago
6 months ago
1 year ago
Directly across from the Batia and Idan Ofer Building, the restaurant is located underground. It's warmly decorated and offers a wide variety of dishes, including specialties from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. For those who can't handle spicy food, milder options are also available. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
More info about Too Hot
Ask the Community - Too Hot
How spicy is the food? Is it possible to get things for people in dinner party who don't like too much spice?
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
5 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
10 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
