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I've been wanting to try Yunnan Kitchen for some time now after seeing some great reviews about their food & so we ended up going here for dinner today! For a table for 2, it was only a 5 min wait. We ordered three dishes to try: - sweet & sour fish fillet - stir fried rice cakes - mint fried ribs Let me first preface that I have had authentic food from the Yunnan region, Dali/Kunming area specifically & I'll be honest, I didn't really enjoy the food at all. I came in with high expectations that couldn't be met unfortunately. With that being said, I don't think the food was terrible per se, but I think it leaves a lot to be desired. The sweet + sour fish fillet was pretty much orange chicken but with fish instead of chicken. This was probably the best tasting dishes we ordered. The mint fried ribs were bland. It came with lime and dried peppers for decoration. Not spicy. I think this dish would be tastier if it was glazed with honey! But likely not the flavor profile they were going for/intended to have. Literally had no flavor & greasy is the best adjective I can use to describe it. Yunnan stir fried rice cakes were okay. The rice cakes themselves were cooked perfectly; nice & chewy. Not spicy at all but wished there was more flavor. Tasted flat to me, though it did have more going on than the mint fried ribs. I did end up asking for some salt on the side & it didn't help too much. Now, I do understand none of the dishes we ordered were intended to be spicy but there was truly not much flavor going on. Taste is almost reminiscent of mall food court food honestly. We were initially going to order more dishes to try (before the food came) but decided not to. I really wanted to like Yunnan Kitchen! Couldn't help but think: did we order the wrong dishes to try? The dishes visually looked great, just wished they tasted as good as they looked. Color me disappointed. And as for service, we didn't really receive any? Our server just took our order & checked in on us once, when we first received the food. At the end of the meal after we paid, she asked for our opinions on our experience and it almost felt like she was implying we were wrong for not really enjoying the food lol. Then proceeded to go through the menu passive aggressively to show us what we should order if we were to come back again! Parking: street parking on Washington St.
As a native from Yunnan, I came here full of expectation and excitement. After I searched the menu in vain, I asked the waiter- "do you have yunnan rice noodles". After consulting with the manager for a few minutes, he came back " I am so sorry, we don't." I was deflated. How can a restaurant with Yunnan in its name not feature some kind of rice noodle. But this restaurant has zero (0) rice noodle dish. They have udon noodles. But not yunnan rice dishes. Disappointed I ordered yunnan rice cake 大救驾 and 油鸡纵。大救驾Is very salty; and 油鸡纵 Is also salty without too much flavor. I really wan to give higher rank to a restaurant founded by a 云南老乡。but I am sorry. The fond memory of yunnan cuisine is so different from what is offered in this restaurant.
Unfortunately, Yelp doesn't allow for half stars, but Yunnan Kitchen would be a solid 4.5/5 for me. A group of friends and I made the trek to the South End on a rather sad, rainy day, so we had high expectations for the food. For the most part, Yunnan delivered. We came in on a Sunday at 5 pm, and the restaurant was moderately busy. We were able to find seating and order relatively quickly. Based on one friend's suggestion and a bit of online help, we ordered the Boiled Fish Fillet in Chili Oil, the Mint Beef, the Potato Pancake, and the Stir-Fried Rice Cakes. Overall, the meal was pretty good. The stars of the dinner were the Stir-Fried Rice Cakes and the Mint Beef (which was realllyyyy minty and herbaceous), while the fish tasted pretty standard for a typical Chinese restaurant. The Potato Pancake added some nice texture, but it wasn't particularly memorable and I probably wouldn't order it again. Now you might ask... okay? Cozy restaurant, fast service, good food--why the 0.5 off? And sadly, it was the dessert. Call me picky, but this was the part I had the highest hopes for. After finishing our meal, we decided to get the Coconut Delight and the Devil Sweet Sticky Balls (their words, not mine). The Coconut Delight was... okay. The best part was the bread (three pieces per cup), which, when soaked in the coconut milk, was just heavenly. But beyond that, the dish resembled a rather sad, runny coconut sago. The Devil Sweet Sticky Balls weren't much better. We loved the texture of the rice balls (chewy!), but the brown sugar syrup tasted burnt and left a strange, bitter aftertaste. This may have been a one-off, so we'll have to return to verify (and when we do, I'll update this review). But to give Yunnan the benefit of the doubt, I'll round up to a full 5 stars for now. For main dishes, fast service, and a cozy ambiance, Yunnan hits all the right boxes (just not quite dessert!)
The lighting here is very dim and gives off romantic vibes, although it's not necessarily a romantic spot. We came for dinner on a Sunday and it was fairly quiet. The food is authentic Yunnan cuisine, and while many menu items are labeled spicy, I wouldn't consider them very spicy. The flavors are more well-seasoned with just a slight hint of spice. The stir-fried rice cakes were delicious and reminded me of pad see ew in texture and flavor. The beef with longhorn peppers was very tender, and the sweet and sour pork had the perfect balance of crispiness, sweetness, and tang. The fish fillet in chili oil came in a huge portion, but I wished it had more spice. It tasted more like lightly spiced oil and lacked additional depth of flavor. I also did not enjoy the Dali mushrooms, as they were very dry and bland even with the side of chili powder. Overall, I would come back because the food is good, but if you're expecting bold heat, I recommend asking for a higher spice level. The service was okay.
Walked in on a Friday night and they were able to sit us at the bar. The food came out insanely quickly and portions were huge. I would definitely come back - the fish was so so yum!
This place offers regional Chinese cuisine with labeled vegetarian options. The non-vegetarian options are frankly disconcerting as is often the case in Asian cuisines, but I kept to myself and ordered some intriguing dishes. Notably, they offer something called pea jelly that I hadn't seen before but which makes a fantastic salad. It is soft, but firm enough to hold its shape. The more typical dish I ordered was a homestyle tofu that generated a taste that you only get from proper wok preparation and quality ingredients. I wolfed it down pretty quickly and took a lot of my salad to go. The restaurant was busy even in the middle of the day, and I would expect it to remain so given the large number of Chinese immigrants and visitors in this area who clearly have decided that this is the place they want to be.
They do regional specialties such as fish, mint beef, and sweet and sour pork well. We also had friends who preferred American Chinese food and they ranked the general gaos chicken as one of the top! Service was fast and friendly with 2 toddlers in tow. The restaurant is in a dark wood panel setting which is nice but they are always full so I anticipate them moving to a larger place someday given how popular they are.
We been in Boston for a birthday trip and chose this restaurant for lunch. The foods are amazing, price is reasonable, service was great.
While there are more and more Chinese restaurants opening in Boston, Yunnan cuisine is still rare to find. I stopped by on a Saturday for lunch and the restaurant was not too crowded. The servers were very attentive the whole time we were there. Their menu features a lot of Dali dishes, but also contains many Chinese American or Sichuan options if you are not feeling as adventurous. 2 of us split the fried cheese ($13), pea jelly salad ($12), mint beef ($24), and 2 bowls of rice ($3/each). The fried cheese was firm on the inside and slightly crispy on the surface. It came with honey for dipping, so the dish was sweet like dessert. The pea jelly salad was soaked with chili oil and vinegar. Although every piece was glistening with chili oil, the heavy portion of veggies and vinegar added a refreshing and healthy vibe to the dish. I could see how the texture (slightly grainy, similar to Italian panelle) or very mild flavor of the pea jelly could be less appealing to someone with a more Americanized palate. Lastly, the mint beef had a very tender texture and had a savory sauce that soaked into the rice well. I wouldn't have minded if there was more mint in the dish but overall I enjoyed it a lot. We realized after leaving the restaurant that we should have tried their rice cakes! I had a pleasant dining experience here and would come back to try their other Yunnan specialties.
Not crowded on a week night and food came quickly. Portions are big so we have plenty leftovers to take home!
I really liked this place - it's so hard to find decent Chinese food in Boston but this place is affordable and yummy. It's a nice vibe inside - service is extremely fast. The pickled potatoes with mustard greens is insane , the flavor is delicious. The tofu with long peppers extra spicy is amazing as well - great with some white rice. The tables loved the braised chicken too! I also really enjoyed the rice cakes with condensed milk
We came here with group of 7. We ordered 9 dishes total. Fried mushroom, stir fried rice cake, beef with pepper, Shredded lemon chicken, stir fried tofu, whole fish, Tomatoe beef brisket, ground beef with some tomato sauce, spare rib, and free coconut dessert. Service is good. Attentive and friendly. Nothing really much to say about them. But the food. Always every dish that comes out it's either too salty, or plain, or just horrible. Especially that fried mushroom. It tastes like it's from a bag or something. Tried one piece and done. Fried tofu dish. Too much soy bean paste sauce. Tastes way too salty! Ground pork with Tomatoe sauce. There is weird taste and hardly and meat. Lemon shredded chicken got some bad aftertaste. Like they didn't marinate or seasoning the chicken enough. Prolly my fav was the rice and tomato beef brisket. A little plain but that is prolly the dish I ate the most because I was hungry. And the dessert coconut toast... tasted like watered down coconut and 3 piece of fried bread cutted. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place if they don't step up their game! Just mostly bad. Bad enough I have to write this lengthy review. read more
The gentleman at the door greeted us promptly, it was a busy evening with larger parties! 5 min wait for a party of 2 though. Our host was very nice. Quickly seated and started to cruise through the menu. We settled on the following dishes: + stir fried rice cake, first time having a dish like this. Stir fried with pickled mustard greens, minced pork, egg and tomatoes. The rice cake was easy to eat but lacked any sort of flavor depth for us. I don't know how it's meant to come across, but felt like it was missing salt or something for a punch. + sweet and sour fish, i honestly was thinking it might have been with chili's or something thinking (Noah's kitchen) but that's my fault. It is sweet and sour so more like orange chicken but with fish fillet battered. I honestly liked this dish fish anyways, portion size was good. Fish was flakey had crispiness to it. +Shiny fried ribs I'd have to pass next time around I was thinking from some pictures I've seen that it may have had a honey or some type of chili honey glaze. Probably would have elevated it more for me. Don't get me wrong I'm not a Michelins recognized anything but just my humble opinion. Didn't work for me. Began looking around and I'm thinking the dish to get is the spicy fish fillet soup. Or the whole fish dish. Most other tables seem to have the big pot of spicy fish. Server was nice overall, when taking order and initial check in after food arrived. After that didn't see them again until we were done (needed a drink refill some ginger ale haha) Overall a miss for me but it does offer good location, street parking, casual atmosphere with good portions. Might have to give it another go with the soup based dish next time. The dishes all presented well, good portion size and will get you full. read more
I've been wanting to try Yunnan Kitchen for some time now after seeing some great reviews about their food & so we ended up going here for dinner today! For a table for 2, it was only a 5 min wait. We ordered three dishes to try: - sweet & sour fish fillet - stir fried rice cakes - mint fried ribs Let me first preface that I have had authentic food from the Yunnan region, Dali/Kunming area specifically & I'll be honest, I didn't really enjoy the food at all. I came in with high expectations that couldn't be met unfortunately. With that being said, I don't think the food was terrible per se, but I think it leaves a lot to be desired. The sweet + sour fish fillet was pretty much orange chicken but with fish instead of chicken. This was probably the best tasting dishes we ordered. The mint fried ribs were bland. It came with lime and dried peppers for decoration. Not spicy. I think this dish would be tastier if it was glazed with honey! But likely not the flavor profile they were going for/intended to have. Literally had no flavor & greasy is the best adjective I can use to describe it. Yunnan stir fried rice cakes were okay. The rice cakes themselves were cooked perfectly; nice & chewy. Not spicy at all but wished there was more flavor. Tasted flat to me, though it did have more going on than the mint fried ribs. I did end up asking for some salt on the side & it didn't help too much. Now, I do understand none of the dishes we ordered were intended to be spicy but there was truly not much flavor going on. Taste is almost reminiscent of mall food court food honestly. We were initially going to order more dishes to try (before the food came) but decided not to. I really wanted to like Yunnan Kitchen! Couldn't help but think: did we order the wrong dishes to try? The dishes visually looked great, just wished they tasted as good as they looked. Color me disappointed. And as for service, we didn't really receive any? Our server just took our order & checked in on us once, when we first received the food. At the end of the meal after we paid, she asked for our opinions on our experience and it almost felt like she was implying we were wrong for not really enjoying the food lol. Then proceeded to go through the menu passive aggressively to show us what we should order if we were to come back again! Parking: street parking on Washington St. read more
11 days ago
As a native from Yunnan, I came here full of expectation and excitement. After I searched the menu in vain, I asked the waiter- "do you have yunnan rice noodles". After consulting with the manager for a few minutes, he came back " I am so sorry, we don't." I was deflated. How can a restaurant with Yunnan in its name not feature some kind of rice noodle. But this restaurant has zero (0) rice noodle dish. They have udon noodles. But not yunnan rice dishes. Disappointed I ordered yunnan rice cake 大救驾 and 油鸡纵。大救驾Is very salty; and 油鸡纵 Is also salty without too much flavor. I really wan to give higher rank to a restaurant founded by a 云南老乡。but I am sorry. The fond memory of yunnan cuisine is so different from what is offered in this restaurant. read more
Unfortunately, Yelp doesn't allow for half stars, but Yunnan Kitchen would be a solid 4.5/5 for me. A group of friends and I made the trek to the South End on a rather sad, rainy day, so we had high expectations for the food. For the most part, Yunnan delivered. We came in on a Sunday at 5 pm, and the restaurant was moderately busy. We were able to find seating and order relatively quickly. Based on one friend's suggestion and a bit of online help, we ordered the Boiled Fish Fillet in Chili Oil, the Mint Beef, the Potato Pancake, and the Stir-Fried Rice Cakes. Overall, the meal was pretty good. The stars of the dinner were the Stir-Fried Rice Cakes and the Mint Beef (which was realllyyyy minty and herbaceous), while the fish tasted pretty standard for a typical Chinese restaurant. The Potato Pancake added some nice texture, but it wasn't particularly memorable and I probably wouldn't order it again. Now you might ask... okay? Cozy restaurant, fast service, good food--why the 0.5 off? And sadly, it was the dessert. Call me picky, but this was the part I had the highest hopes for. After finishing our meal, we decided to get the Coconut Delight and the Devil Sweet Sticky Balls (their words, not mine). The Coconut Delight was... okay. The best part was the bread (three pieces per cup), which, when soaked in the coconut milk, was just heavenly. But beyond that, the dish resembled a rather sad, runny coconut sago. The Devil Sweet Sticky Balls weren't much better. We loved the texture of the rice balls (chewy!), but the brown sugar syrup tasted burnt and left a strange, bitter aftertaste. This may have been a one-off, so we'll have to return to verify (and when we do, I'll update this review). But to give Yunnan the benefit of the doubt, I'll round up to a full 5 stars for now. For main dishes, fast service, and a cozy ambiance, Yunnan hits all the right boxes (just not quite dessert!) read more
The lighting here is very dim and gives off romantic vibes, although it's not necessarily a romantic spot. We came for dinner on a Sunday and it was fairly quiet. The food is authentic Yunnan cuisine, and while many menu items are labeled spicy, I wouldn't consider them very spicy. The flavors are more well-seasoned with just a slight hint of spice. The stir-fried rice cakes were delicious and reminded me of pad see ew in texture and flavor. The beef with longhorn peppers was very tender, and the sweet and sour pork had the perfect balance of crispiness, sweetness, and tang. The fish fillet in chili oil came in a huge portion, but I wished it had more spice. It tasted more like lightly spiced oil and lacked additional depth of flavor. I also did not enjoy the Dali mushrooms, as they were very dry and bland even with the side of chili powder. Overall, I would come back because the food is good, but if you're expecting bold heat, I recommend asking for a higher spice level. The service was okay. read more
This place offers regional Chinese cuisine with labeled vegetarian options. The non-vegetarian options are frankly disconcerting as is often the case in Asian cuisines, but I kept to myself and ordered some intriguing dishes. Notably, they offer something called pea jelly that I hadn't seen before but which makes a fantastic salad. It is soft, but firm enough to hold its shape. The more typical dish I ordered was a homestyle tofu that generated a taste that you only get from proper wok preparation and quality ingredients. I wolfed it down pretty quickly and took a lot of my salad to go. The restaurant was busy even in the middle of the day, and I would expect it to remain so given the large number of Chinese immigrants and visitors in this area who clearly have decided that this is the place they want to be. read more
They do regional specialties such as fish, mint beef, and sweet and sour pork well. We also had friends who preferred American Chinese food and they ranked the general gaos chicken as one of the top! Service was fast and friendly with 2 toddlers in tow. The restaurant is in a dark wood panel setting which is nice but they are always full so I anticipate them moving to a larger place someday given how popular they are. read more
4 months ago
We been in Boston for a birthday trip and chose this restaurant for lunch. The foods are amazing, price is reasonable, service was great. read more
While there are more and more Chinese restaurants opening in Boston, Yunnan cuisine is still rare to find. I stopped by on a Saturday for lunch and the restaurant was not too crowded. The servers were very attentive the whole time we were there. Their menu features a lot of Dali dishes, but also contains many Chinese American or Sichuan options if you are not feeling as adventurous. 2 of us split the fried cheese ($13), pea jelly salad ($12), mint beef ($24), and 2 bowls of rice ($3/each). The fried cheese was firm on the inside and slightly crispy on the surface. It came with honey for dipping, so the dish was sweet like dessert. The pea jelly salad was soaked with chili oil and vinegar. Although every piece was glistening with chili oil, the heavy portion of veggies and vinegar added a refreshing and healthy vibe to the dish. I could see how the texture (slightly grainy, similar to Italian panelle) or very mild flavor of the pea jelly could be less appealing to someone with a more Americanized palate. Lastly, the mint beef had a very tender texture and had a savory sauce that soaked into the rice well. I wouldn't have minded if there was more mint in the dish but overall I enjoyed it a lot. We realized after leaving the restaurant that we should have tried their rice cakes! I had a pleasant dining experience here and would come back to try their other Yunnan specialties. read more
4 months ago
1 month ago
I really liked this place - it's so hard to find decent Chinese food in Boston but this place is affordable and yummy. It's a nice vibe inside - service is extremely fast. The pickled potatoes with mustard greens is insane , the flavor is delicious. The tofu with long peppers extra spicy is amazing as well - great with some white rice. The tables loved the braised chicken too! I also really enjoyed the rice cakes with condensed milk read more
2 years ago
One of the best places to get Asian food in the South End! Their wood ear mushroom salad is my favorite. Super chewy mushrooms in this amazing marinade that is cold vinegary, citrusy, and perfectly spicy and fresh. I always get the stir fried rice cakes too which comes with minced pork for some protein. Tried their boiled fish in chili oil which was great to share. Make sure to order some rice on the side because it's a bit spicy! Also got the yunnan style pancakes that come with condensed milk on the side to dip. Overall, always a great meal at Yunnan Kitchen. Would recommend booking a reservation if you are coming for weekend dinner. read more
4 months ago
9 months ago
9 months ago
They have a lot of good options, the food l got was the best! I got 2 dishes of edamame vegetable fried rice and l loved it but l got the edamame with some soy sauce and l really love this place and I'm definitely coming back read more
When I went here for the first time last year, I immediately went again the next day because I wanted to try so many things on their menu! The food is super yummy, the service is wonderful and efficient, and the interior is so cool and unique. I ordered their sautéed choy som, Dali fried mushrooms, Yongping braised chicken (tender, juicy, and warmly flavored), stir fried rice cakes (wish it was cooked through a little more, but the flavors completely made up for it), Yunnan style rice pancakes (great texture and when dipped in the condensed milk it was a perfect level of sweetness), boiled pork in chili oil (the broth was again a flavor explosion), handmade sticky rice meatballs, vegetable stir fried udon, and yunnan potato pancake (so so crispy). Went again more recently and everything remains super delicious! Found some new favorites including their sweet and sour pork (sauce is so so good), mint beef, and their boiled fish filet in chili oil (this might be my favorite). Loved everything here, and there's still more I want to try! read more
**Yunnan Kitchen Review - Boston** Nestled in the South End of Boston at 1721 Washington St #B, Yunnan Kitchen stands out! **Yunnan Potato Pancake**: A crispy shredded potato masterpiece akin to a French fry pancake. A bit spicy thanks to my brother's heavy hand, but a solid 8/10. **Stir-Fried Beef with Long Horn Peppers**: This dish offers perfectly seasoned thin cuts of beef paired with seriously spicy peppers. It's a mouth-watering 9/10. **Mint Beef**: Thinly sliced beef with crispy fried mint leaves--light but flavorful, earning another 9/10. **Stir-Fried Rice Cakes**: A best-seller for a reason! Tossed with pickled mustard greens, pork, egg, and tomato--this dish is a must-try if you're new to rice cakes. 9/10. **Authentic Yongping Braised Chicken**: Generously seasoned with garlic, tsao-ko, scallions, and whole chili--this dish keeps you coming back for more. 9/10. **Lemongrass Tilapia**: Stuffed with chili herb paste, jalapeños, garlic, lemongrass, and citrus, cooked perfectly to score a flawless 10/10. **Xuanwei Ham and Potato Rice**: Cooked in a stone pot, this dish offers delightful crispy bits of rice. Absolutely delicious! **Ambiance and Experience**: It's a small space, but it packs a huge punch with some of the best Chinese cuisine I've had. And even while we were there someone in another booth said it was the best Chinese food they have ever had. The ambiance is simple, rated 5/10, which lets the food shine even more. **Affordability**: With reasonable pricing for exceptional food, it scores a 7/10 on affordability. **Tip**: Share several plates with friends or family, order a bottle of wine, and prepare for an unforgettable dining experience. **Overall**: - Food: 9/10 - Ambiance: 5/10 - Affordability: 7/10 If you're looking for authentic Chinese cuisine outside of Boston's Chinatown, run, don't walk, to Yunnan Kitchen. You won't be disappointed! read more
3 years ago
My brother really wanted to try this place so we dragged the whole fam to try more dishes. Overall I think they use solid ingredients (especially compared to the typical Chinese restaurant) but the flavors can be tweaked. They have wok air which is nice. I wouldn't feel like my mouth is dry from msg afterwards. Not my type of place but would be open to coming again. Interior We don't like how they kept the previous restaurant's decor with all the dark wood and dim lights. Chinese food esp this type isn't meant to be moody. I literally saw a couple need to use their phone flashlight to read the menu. Booth seating works for me. Heating is uneven across various parts of the restaurant. We ordered: stir fried rice cake, sweet and sour pork, boiled fish in chili oil, yong ping braised chicken, sauteed snow pea leaves, stir fried beef with pickled vegetables Stir fried rice cake It was a surprise that it's not too oily too mushy and has wok air. The seasoning is uneven so some bites are too salty. Sweet and sour pork This was surprisingly still crunchy with sauce coating each piece. Meat is fresh. Flavor isn't the best but the balance of other parts makes this pretty solid. Boiled fish in chili oil The fish is flounder filet pieces but thankfully no freezer taste. My mom requested mild spicy so they eliminated the fragrant oil, and we immediately realized how bland it is without. The guy was nice enough to give us back the fragrant oil, promising that it's not spicy. True it's not spicy and not mala either. It tasted better but still not a flavor I like and found it not intriguing enough. It was a surprise they have a bunch of veggies at the bottom. Yong ping braised chicken It looks so dark and dry but surprisingly actually still juicy inside. The only problem is too salty and oily. Sauteed snow pea leaves We ordered this instead of choy sum because this feels relatively more worth considering the price difference. It was mediocre. We got it only for the sake of veggies. The actual sprouts aren't tender and quite rough. Stir fried beef with pickled veggies This was my least favorite. The beef was mushy and thin. I don't like pickled veggies. I read some reviews saying that this is authentic and yummy such that Chinese people would go to. No offense but when I went everyone else was non-Asian. There's so many Chinese in Boston, I 500% bet that if something is authentic enough and proper Chinese social media it'll be flooded with them. I'm not judging their marketing and I'm fine with them staying peaceful. It does look like a family run business. The front of the house does look like siblings. They speak mandarin with each other but know some cantonese as well. read more
1 year ago
Mapo tofu is so good. First time here. Definitely come back again and again. The service and environment are nice as well read more
Tasty and authentic food. Quick and friendly service. And cozy atmosphere. We came here on a Friday night and were immediately seated. It didn't take too long for us to order since the pictures and names were pretty straightforward. The tomato beef stew came very quick, although it's definitely on the sweeter side, more like ketchup than tomato sauce/fresh tomato. There were plenty of beef chunks in the clay pot tho. The coconut delight (dessert) was special, mainly because how rare it is to find. The chewy couscous/rice on the bottom of the drink tastes fun. The light was quite dim, so it took me some time to get used to the environment. And it was super hot inside. So I would wear shirt instead of sweater next time coming here. In general a decent experience dining here. Neighborhood restaurant that you can chill with friends after a whole week work. read more
We of course had to get the pea jelly salad to start. A classic. It's served cold with nuts and some chili sauce, but it's really not spicy. It has a fresh jelly taste and an umami flavor. The peanuts adds some crunch balanced well with soft jelly. The Stir Fried Rice Cake is a must have. It's soft and chewy with a tangy flavor, and I can eat it all day! We also have the Mint Beef for extra protein. The thinly sliced beef is soaked in pickled pepper and mint sauce. The coconut delight is a must have for drinks. It's a coconut milk based drink with some magical ingredients that makes it doesn't taste like coconut at all. It's sweet and it's just right. And the toasted brioche bread adds so much flavor and texture to it. The service is super fast and the waitress is crazy nice and attentive. The ambiance is peaceful with decor that is not Buddha status but still distinctive East Asian. read more
Small Regional Chinese joint near the corner of Mass Ave and Washington Street. Small bar, about a dozen tables, and specialties from Yunnan province that bring lots of sour and spicy flavors. One of my favorite Chinese restaurants. Yunnan Potato Pancake: A first, and a fine starter, but plain (we ordered it milder for my wife) and not that exciting. Fortunately, the other dishes are VERY exciting. Lots of crispness here. Fish Fillet with Pickled Vegetable: Soft, delicate, white fish in a very non-delicate broth. Incredibly flavorful and sharply so, both in sourness and spiciness. Think chicken piccata, only fish instead of chicken, Chinese instead of Italian, and everything more intense and a little extra spicy (from both finely sliced peppers and whole peppercorns), and there you have it. This was a triumph of texture as well as flavor, with so many contrasting elements. It's a dish that reheats well, but you gotta eat it in the restaurant to appreciate how finely calibrated every aspect is. By far my favorite dish here. I like to get a separate little bowl for the broth to enjoy that as a separate entity. Yongping Braised Chicken: Big clay pot with large chunks of red/brown-tinted chicken on the bone, crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, complemented by whole garlic cloves, scallions, whole chile peppers and peppercorns, and chunks of a mushroom-like/ginger-like plant. Delicious flavor, remotely similar to Kentucky Fried Chicken original recipe, but elevated about 7 or 8 levels in intensity, quality, and spice. Aromatic too. Hard to eat without simply picking up the pieces, so just go for it. Plenty to share or save. Beef with Longhorn Peppers: Succulent beef with spicy, crunchy peppers cooked almost to the point of losing the crunch, but not quite. Some smokiness in the mix, from the natural flavors in the vegetables. Beef very tender and moist. Spiciness comes from several sources here, and flavor is sky high. Fried Tofu with Longhorn Peppers: Same crunch, same smokiness, same enjoyment, and yea, even though it's tofu. Thankfully fried but not deep fried. This is a dish you can devour and still respect yourself in the morning. Dali Spicy Shrimp: Spicy, tangy, very slightly buttery, very faintly sweet. Salty in a good way and different way, hard to describe. Wonderful. Boiled Fish Filet in Chili Oil: Darker, deeper, spicier, and crunchier than what I've had elsewhere. Captivating broth delicious enough to spoon on its own, although too oily to indulge in more than a few spoonfuls. Wonderful. Mint Beef: Tender, aromatic, not spicy. They don't all have to be spicy. Subtle yet effective. General Gau's Chicken: I am a firm believer in the "when in Rome" principle, so an unusual choice here. But this restaurant has wowed me so many times before (and the manager recommended it as something beyond an item to appease the less adventurous), so we gave it a try. Crisp, fresh, and good meat-to-breading ratio. Sauce was typically sweet, with minimal if any contrasting elements. I wouldn't get it again, but no regrets on trying it. Wood Ear Mushroom Salad: I'm not a mushroom guy, but I do make an exception for dishes like this. Not firm like I'm used to, but the "refreshing" promised on the menu was indeed fulfilled. Great combo of spice and tartness, with fresh lime slices in addition to the lime juice. Sticky Rice Meatballs: Sometimes a dish can impress without having to dump the entire spice cabinet into it. This is one of them. Subtle but full of finesse, with tasty steamed minced pork, covered with rice, and topped with a goji berry (don't ask). Boiled Pork in Chili Oil. Not as dark (in both meat and sauce) or as garlicky as in the menu description and photo, but enjoyable nonetheless. Spicy with nuance. That said, I'm still not convinced it was pork. read more
Business owner information
Patrick S.
Hello Gary,…
1 year ago
This place was good, traditional Chinese food I believe is is James Beard recommended? We had sticky rice meatballs, beef udon, and two pork dishes I can't remember the name of. They had hard to find Asian beers and an interesting menu. I definitely recommend visiting! read more
Stumbled upon this and wanted to try a new cuisine. The vibe and service were superb. We ordered the Yunnan Style Rice Cake, Coconut Delight, and Sweet and Sour Fish Filet. The Coconut Delight was a fun and sweet drink/dessert. The Rice Cake was bland but luckily there was condensed milk for dipping. Soon, the rice cake got cold and hard to bite into. The sweet and sour fish filet's batter reminded me of the thick chicken finger appetizer from a Chinese restaurant. It should be not be this thick. Overall, the experience was pleasant but the food was just very very mediocre. read more
2 years ago
Multiple friends had this spot on their list to try. In my opinion, I think the food was decent. The flavors were good but I expected more of a spice due to the hype around this place. We got here at 1pm on a Saturday and it was not super busy. Not a super upscale place but more like a mom and pop shop. Food arrived quickly to the table and the portions were big. The tomato pork dish (I forget the name) was our least favorite unfortunately. It leans much more towards tomato and sour flavor than a savory meat dish. Overall I probably won't go out of my way to come here again. Maybe if I find something on the menu I can't find elsewhere read more
10 months ago
3 years ago
Yunnan was not too busy on Saturday evening. They make reservations by phone only so I had made one a few days before but it looked like it wasn't needed. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very casual but cozy. There was some booth seating next to the windows and much longer tables closer to the bar side that could fit a very large group. There was actually a group of 7-10 celebrating a birthday. I'd seen comments saying that they had some very spicy dishes but none of the stuff I got was really spicy so I was surprised. The food though was very delicious and flavorful. Also the portions are really nice so we ended up having leftovers for the two of us that could last for at last 2 days. Service was alright and definitely you need to take initiative when it comes to making sure you get your check or to go boxes as the servers and staff forgot about us at the end. What I got: Stir fried beef w/ pickled veggies Sweet and sour pork Dali Fried Pea jelly (very similar texture to tofu) Stir fried rice cake (very yummy one of my favs) Price $$ Food 9 Atmosphere 7 Service 5 read more
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Patrick S.
Hello Gabrielle!…
3 years ago
I really amped up my expectations after hearing about the James Beard nomination. Definitely delicious and worthwhile but wasn't out of this world or mind blowing. Still, you cannot make a mistake when coming here and you will enjoy good food with great taste and extremely fast service. There are definitely some dishes that I felt were rarer to find in this area and that I thoroughly enjoyed, such as the pea jelly and the rice pancake with condensed milk. Go for those! Other more common dishes, such as the stir fried beef udon noodles and the boiled pork in chili oil, were more on the average side for me and maybe could have had more ingredients in it or something to make it stand out more. I came on a Saturday night and the wait was minimal. Keep in mind your whole party has to be present to be seated. Food came out extremely fast - like shockingly. Decor was good except for the random Halloween witch and the Valentine's bear... Jazz in the background was a little too loud. read more
Business owner information
Patrick S.
Hi Hursuong,…
I would go back to this restaurant just to get the fried rice cakes! Perfect texture, perfectly flavorful. We also got the pork stew, it was decent. The service was a bit slow, but the yummy food definitely made up for it. Will definitely be back to try more things! read more
1 year ago
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1721 Washington St
Boston, MA 02118
South End
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(617) 936-4123
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http://yunnankitchensouthend.com
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1 year ago
