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    What A Soup

    4.4 (119 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

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    Khao soi
    Lilian Z.

    Solid option for comforting noodle or rice dishes at a student friendly price. Tried the khao soi noodles and fried sweet potato and both were good but not extraordinary. Prices are on the affordable end for this part of Cambridge and portion size is enough to leave full. Place looks a little sketchy on the outside but is nice and cozy inside. Service is great and they refilled waters promptly throughout the meal.

    Creamy Tom Yum Noodle soup
    Ying X.

    I had been following this restaurant for a long time since I came to Boston area, so I was so excited to be there. As "Uncle Roger" says, "not bad, not bad!" Creamy Tum Yum Noodle Soup: The Tum Yum soup broth was exactly authentic. It provided a strong taste of both tangy and spicy, exciting my taste buds and increasing my appetite. As for the ingredients, shrimps were fresh and bouncy, char-siu slices were crunchy but not greasy, while the lime added extra zing to the soup. But to be frank, unfortunately I could still taste the gamey smell from the refrigerated pork, even though it had been that heavily seasoned.

    Chris T.

    Popped in on a whim while in the area for a quick lunch! We ordered the following dishes! Homemade Chili wontons- this wasn't so yummy we ordered a second order! Shrimp tender, crispy shallots man wish it came with 5 to an order haha. Giant shu mai (not really giant)- clean and presented very nicely. Cooked well, but thought the meat filling could have been more flavorful. Khaos soi Beef spicy tasty broth, coconut creamy nice balance of acidity, rich bodied broth, the lady enjoyed it and i shared some from her bowl! Good portion! Service was very accommodating and staff were nice and quick.

    Khao Soi Beef
    Angela L.

    Very cute interior and friendly stuff. Food is southeast Asian fusion with a focus on noodle soups but also offer rice plates Tiny store so best for smaller groups of 4 or less. Otherwise could be a longer wait Lunch special is a great deal

    Brian T.

    Cute place with good basic thai soup noodle dishes. Enjoyed chicken clear broth soup with edamame and Thai iced tea lunch special. Really like the crispy garlic in the soup. Size is on the smaller side so works better for smaller parties but they can move some tables together to accommodate larger party. Daughter enjoyed the spicy wonton tom yum noodle soup but wife thought her beef noodle soup was just OK.

    Khao Soi Beef
    Lizzie Y.

    What A Soup has been on my list of places to try for quite some time now! Very happy we were able to make the visit the other day & was pleasantly surprised by HOW DELICIOUS their food is! We went ~5pm on Monday for dinner & there were plenty of seats available at the time. Their menus are absolutely adorable & I loved the vibe. If you're familiar w/ the restaurants Thai Bar Shi in Weymouth & What Da Chick in Watertown, then a little fun fact is, this restaurant was opened by the same owners! I didn't have the best experiences in recent times dining at Thai Bar Shi but that didn't deter me from trying out What A Soup. We ordered the Khao Soi noodle soup w/ beef, giant shumai, & chili wontons. The Khao Soi was flavorful & had a nice spice to it. I'm a really big fan of Khao Soi in general and this definitely satisfied my craving for it. The chili wontons were the star of the show for us. We ended up asking for another order of it when we were finished w/ everything lol, because it was just that good! The sesame sauce was the perfect pairing for this dish, as well as the bbq satay sauce. The shumai was tasty, but was much better on its own without the dipping sauce it came with. I believe it was oyster sauce mixed with something else, or simply just oyster sauce. Overall, I'd come back again and I think it's a great addition to Cambridge's food scene! Parking: it's very tricky finding parking here. There didn't seem to be any parking right outside of the restaurant, so we ended up parking ~5 min walk away. Lots of parking nearby are zoned for resident only.

    Steven W.

    Located in a neighborhood with street meter permit parking and outside looks like a hole in the wall. But inside is cute, not too large but has some interesting art on the wall and creative menu with photos. Great service and I enjoyed the beef curry

    Pork ball boat noodle soup added tendon and slice beef additional cost
    Johnny Y.

    So we ordered the Pork ball boat noodle soup added tendon and slice beef which was additional cost. This dish alone is great for cold winter nights. Funny about this broth. Once heated up to the right temperature it has that umami of savoriness to it. That dark soy really speaks in volumes and keeping you warm on cold nights. BUT, if the broth becomes room temp to cold. It becomes overly salted so make sure to eat it at the right temp! The Giant Shu mai...didn't feel so giant? In NY that is the standard size. Also the technique seemed to be lacking as it didn't have any bounce to it. If anything it tasted like an open end dumpling. The Chili wonton was definitely a winner with that dipping sauce on the side. It has that bit of funk to it. But in a good way. WIth the chili crisps and hot oil really ties in this dish. Definitely recommend this. The Thai Tea Custard was a bit confusing as this was my first time having it. Not sure if its due to the temperature. But just seemed like it was just toast with a side of coconut/thaitea sauce? I mean it was good? in a way. I actually don't know how I feel about it. For the price it didn't seem like the value was there. Overall this place was good. It's a different style compare to what we have in NY. Not many does it the way they do so I would definitely come back to try other dishes.

    Pork ball boat noodle soup
    Lena L.

    Service was quick and food was packed with flavor. Will definitely come back to try other dishes on the menu!

    John H.

    The brothless noodles with pork are a solid lunch delivery option. The sauce is a great mix of umami and sweetness and the noodles had a nice chew to them. I also was a big fan of the side of chicken broth that came on the side. Portion size is on the smaller side though.

    Shrimp omelette
    Ellie C.

    What a lovely neighborhood Thai spot specializing in soup bowls! We came here around 5pm on a cold Saturday night and were seated with no wait. The food was flavorful but not heavy, a solid portion for the price, and full of fresh, delicious ingredients. Of what we got: The shrimp creamy omelette was super soft, warm, and had a delicious umami flavor. The vegetarian noodle soup was basically pho broth and noodles, with added veggies and fried tofu. It was super savory, warm, and refreshing. The Khao Soi was a sweet and spicy curry with a giant chicken leg front and center. It was rich, but not too heavy and spicy enough to get the nose running. Every dish was delicious and worth getting again. They came out quickly and made the perfect warm meal for a cold day. The service was also fantastic, with our waters being refilled continuously and our server making sure to accommodate our dairy allergy. I would definitely come again to try more of their menu items!

    Tarun B.

    This is a new place that recently popped up in Central Square. This place previously was Nu Do Society. The design and table layout are almost the same. I enjoyed the character designs for the restaurant. We came here for lunch on a Friday and it was not too packed. We were able to find a table easily and order our food. Their menu is traditional Thai food. There are several options of noodles and rice. We both ordered the basil crispy pork. The food was great but there was not a lot of meat in the bowl. The majority of it was rice which was disappointing. I left feeling satisfied but unfilled. To drink you always have to go with the Thai Iced Coffee. It was a wonderful way to end any meal. Overall this place is great. It is very tiny and cramped but worth the wait. It is very similar to the Nu Do Society which was here before. If you are a big noodle lover I would say this is the place for you.

    Luiza P.

    The soup was PHENOMENAL. Definitely come here if you are in town. This is the best place especially during cold weather. We got the seafood and chicken and some veggie spring rolls. The price is everything! I mean this size portion for $14?? And the servers were very sweet. I 10/10 recommend and would love to come again.

    Pork ball boat noodle soup

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    11 months ago

    Chili wontons we're great. Love the boat noodles. Will go again hungry for more. Nice vibes and chill spot

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    4 months ago

    What a soup indeed! Visiting from the west coast and stumbled on this place. The food was awesome and the service on point.

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    Ask the Community - What A Soup

    Any parking space?

    Only street parking and there's a decent amount.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    I've been here a few times over the last few weeks because winter's really hitting hard and a nice…read morewarm bowl of noodles with broth seems more than appropriate. The Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup is a classic and my go-to order here - noodles are bouncy with just the right amount of chew, and the beef is fragrant and tender. Definitely take in a deep breath of the dish once it hits your table, and you'll already feel rewarded for braving the piercing cold to get your noodle fix. The cucumber salad and marinated wood ear mushrooms are also favorite small bites. Service is pretty straightforward; sometimes there's a wait, and they're usually accurate with providing wait times. Keep an eye out for the lunch specials!

    parking is street. you'll have to go a block away for metered parking…read more this review is for the second visit. stopped by for a saturday lunch. ordered the fried mushrooms, lamb skewers, chili oil beef noodle, lamb shank soup noodle, and a can of coke. mushroom was fantastic, really crispy, mushrooms inside was fresh, the seasoning was flavorful. the chili oil beef noodles lamb shank soup noodle was fantastic as always. the lamb skewers were RAW. the smallest piece on the skewer was raw, the bigger pieces were super raw. we took a few bites and noticed the texture was off. then realized it's not even cooked. we asked the server to take it back and have the kitchen cook it some more. see the pics on how raw it is. c'mon lanner, the whole existence of the place is to cook food and failed at that. the raw meat upset my stomach for the rest of the day. this is a health concern as you failed to operate your restaurant to code.

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    Great food! I had the Panang curry, and it was amazing. I was shocked at how much of a deal it was…read more-- they didn't even make you pay more for rice! I'd totally recommend their lunch special ($11) for students looking to eat on a budget :)

    Pai Kin Kao is a small casual restaurant in Cambridge that serves up some authentic Thai dishes…read more First time I stepped in, the restaurant was completely empty and silent. However, shortly after I placed an order, I started hearing one of my favorite sounds in the kitchen come to life. The breath of the wok and the sizzling dance of ingredients dancing within. It sounded like a jet engine firing up and it wasn't muffled as the kitchen literally was right there behind the stainless steel counter where the menu boards are (and not in another room). I love that sound so much as someone in the culinary profession who can tell when and what different ingredients are added to complete the one dish being ordered. As expected, my order didn't take long to arrive in my table. Less than 5 minutes from start to finish...and here I was looking at a beautiful dish steaming hot right in front of me. Did I mention just how amazing it smells? (Fast forward...many visits later...ordering the same few dishes and then some.) They are very consistent. Something that I truly appreciate as that's one of the more important things in the culinary world. Either you're consistently good...or consistently bad. None of the bi-polar quality issues here. They're just consistently good in what they do. For that alone, they are truly deserving of 5 stars and come highly recommended as a small casual authentic Thai eatery.

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    Dumpling House - Soup Dumplings with Pork (Xiao Long Bao)

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    Happy Lamb Hot Pot

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    Good quality meat, good service, and a good time! This is a decent hot pot place near the Boston…read morearea. I recommend going during their "Happy hour" times that is $19.99/pp as its much more worth it for that price. THE UNLIMITED PASSIONFRUIT GREEN TEA IS THE BEST PART! :) We tried all their meats on the menu and it's pretty decent quality, some of the chicken/pork with marinade is a little mushy in hot pot, but overall was good especially their sliced meats. The self serve vegetables/noodles/seafood was actually one of the best parts!! They have so many options- from bok choy to ramen noodles to shrimp to every fish cake ever, it was such a wide range of sides that is enough for practically anyone. They also have fresh rice in a rice cooker and some hot sides like spring rolls and these delicious red bean sesame balls. They're all fresh, and stored in the right temps. I loved having the unlimited soft drinks and passfruit green tea. It was such a great vibe inside and everyone was chatting away. Parking is easier along the side roads, don't waste your time on the main road. Definitely will be back or visiting one of their other locations as well.

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    What A Soup - noodles - Updated May 2026

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