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    Zhi Wei Cafe

    4.2 (170 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Noodles
    Open • 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

    Order Zhi Wei Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    ZHI WEI CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Zhi Wei Cafe

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    Pork belly skewers, popcorn chicken, dumplings and noodles
    Yula K.

    Stopped here after a long flight from lax and a shuttle to South station. God, east coast Chinese food really does something different to me. Can't find great hearty Chinese food like this on the west coast. Everything was delicious, the popcorn chicken perfectly juicy. The dumplings a perfect texture and chewiness. Pork belly skewers had a great crisp to them and the noodles were fantastic. Quick service and delicious food

    Hursuong V.

    Yum! Great value, clean space, and very helpful and friendly servers. If you're not that hungry you can get a bowl of the noodle soup and get some extra noodles and it's a great amount to share between two people. But if you're hungry the bowl of noodles is hearty and filling. I liked their iPad menu ordering too. The only thing I noticed was that the lamb scallion pancake roll wasn't hot or even warm when it came out.

    A23. Beef Pancake A23. 牛肉夹饼
    Vincent C.

    This is my favorite Lanzhou Noodle Soup I've tried in the Boston area! The soup was rich, the needles fresh and chewy, and they don't skimp on the meat. Food: The noodle soups were the star. For a great price it's almost all you need for a satisfying meal. The appetizers and drinks good accompaniments to try out and share new dishes. Atmosphere: The dimmer lighting was a great fit with the cozy bowl of noodles. Service: The food came out very fast and the staff were pleasant.

    L10. Chicken Noodle Soup L10. 鸡肉汤面
    Elizabeth G.

    Okay for all my fellow peanut allergies: the beef broth has peanut oil. Do not order unless you want to die! No other reviews mentioned this. I am used to LA (real Lanzhou) noodles and soup. Those tend to not use peanut oil so I can get the beef noodle soup. They also come with any size noodle that you want. Zhi Wei Cafe makes you pay $2 extra for wide noodles and they feel NOT hand pulled. They feel rolled out and cut. There is no variation in thickness and width of the noodle. Hand pulled noodles are usually a little curly/wavy and these were like pappardelle pasta. It felt also old. It was not chewy and that was a shame. The noodles make the dish. And they did not make the dish. The beef noodle soup: my sister said it felt watered down and like it was missing something. Chicken noodle soup: it was literally veggie broth made of carrot and celery. With chunks of chicken thigh and the bad noodles. You order on your phone and they bring you the food. I feel like that would affect the tip that they receive on the check. The bathroom was also clogged and I really needed to pee. I would not come back here again. Sorry

    A33. Crispy Tofu A33. 脆皮滑豆腐
    Chris T.

    The lady was so gracious enough to travel down and meet me for lunch (we both were working) and this spot was right where i was stationed for the day! Heard about it but finally got to try it. We ordered: - popcorn chicken - nice light and crispy, i just wish the seasoning was tossed in more as most was just concentrated on the top center. - chicken heart skewers- decent but would have benefited more with seasoning. - pork belly skewers great cook on these, nice bites again though, some seasoning would have taken it up a level. - golden fish noodle soup - fish fillet was tender, the golden soup portion imo could have been more punch with the sour spice of what i believe golden soup usually brings but could be diff region styles. - soup dumplings thought this was good ample amount of soup, filling was generous. Skin wrap was thick but not overly so to make you sick of chewing it. - braised lamb noodle soup - not spicy, lamb tender not gamey. Came out hot! Plenty of noodles to get you full! -crispy tofu - actually loved this dish. Crispy exterior, soft silky tofu inside with a nice drizzle of a spicy mayo type dressing on top. Would recommend!

    Justin S.

    For a quick work lunch I stopped by Zhi Wei. On a blustery spring Tuesday, the establishment was almost completely full. I did manage to get seated without a wait at 12:30. I ordered the lunch combo of lanzhou noodle & lamb skewers. Not much has changed flavor wise. The broth was clear but flavorful. The noodles had decent texture and springiness. The skewers were adequately seasoned. It still remains a staple in the area. The wait for food was a bit long (for the standards of Chinese restaurants, so 15-20 min) because I happened to arrive at the tail end of a wave of customers.

    Lamb hot pot
    Isaiah S.

    After a rainy day in Boston it was great stumbling into this place that also happened to be recognized by the Michelin Guide. We started off with there soup dumplings which were incredible so much flavor in the broth with notes of ginger and lemongrass. The fatty beef skewers had so much flavor as well with a nice spicy rub and super tender beef. The star of the show was the lamb hot pot which was super unique to me and my family and so nice on this damp rainy day. I will say that a little bit more seasoning would have pulled it together nicely however adding chili oil really gave it more depth to the flavor. The inside is very nice and modern and just overall very cozy. We had a great time at this restaurant and it was awesome to try something new for my family and I. The server was also very helpful with explaining how to eat the hot pot even bringing over some sesame sauce to dip the lamb in.

    D9. Kumquat Lemon Tea D9. 金桔柠檬茶
    Kiaya S.

    This review is for the soup dumplings!!! Came in for lunch and was immediately seated! Fun music playing in the background! You order off of a QR code and the food came out relatively quickly! I was in and out in about 45 min! The soup dumplings were fresh and delicious and generous! They were perfect to not share with anyone hahah highly recommend putting the chili oil and vinegar on them for some amazing flavors!!! The kumquat tea was also nice, sweet and refreshing! I would dine here again!!!

    A33. Crispy Tofu A33.
    Lizzie Y.

    I have been wanting to try Zhi Wei Cafe for some time now & finally found myself in the area to grab dinner here. It was pretty busy the day we visited but did not have trouble getting a table ~7pm. Once seated, the server provides a tablet to order food! All the ordering is done through the tablet. They have A LOT on their menu, a bunch of the dishes piqued our interest & seemed right up our alley! We ordered the following: -crispy tofu -pork belly skewers -chicken hearts -braised lamb noodle soup -golden fish fillet noodle soup -popcorn chicken -soup dumplings I wished the noodle soups could've been spicier. I added 5 scoops of chili oil but I didn't find the chili oil to be spicy at all. It did help to make the soup more enjoyable though. The chili oil for the pork belly and chicken skewers were great. Has a slightly sweet note to it & in terms of spiciness, not spicy at all either. I think this is perfect for anyone who likes a little kick but not fully on board with spice. The skewers were great. We liked the seasoning they used; it was slightly spicy with a hint of sweetness. Note: we came here for lunch a week after this visit & we didn't enjoy the pork belly skewers as much. The pork belly was too fatty & was not grilled long enough to be rendered, so we found it hard to enjoy. The crispy tofu was our favorite appetizer! It's nice and crispy on the outside & soft on the inside, and came with a sauce to dip that complimented the tofu well. The popcorn chicken was okay. It was crispy and light but we believed that it could benefit from having more of the dry seasoning. There was a light dusting of the dry seasoning that only covered the top five chicken pieces, however, all of the other pieces remained bland. I think if they added more of the seasoning & tried tossing the chicken while it's still hot in the seasoning, it would be much better. Lastly, the soup dumplings were solid. They came with thicker skin than other spots around but we liked that the filling was pretty generous. Very soupy & had good flavor. Overall, Zhi Wei Cafe is not too shabby. It gets the job done if you're looking for Lanzhou noodles and fried appetizers. Service is very meh & food could be more flavorful.

    soup dumplings
    Nina N.

    great meal! service was incredible as well. my friend and i ordered a decent amount of food for just the two of us, and a server had checked in to confirm we didn't accidentally over-order but we really appreciated them looking out for us haha the lanzhou beef noodle soup is super flavorful, particularly loved the texture of the noodles. meat was a bit chewier than i would've liked but still good overall the soup dumplings were also yummy, loveddd the broth. no notes! the stir fried house special noodle was only decent, it didn't really stand out despite its name. i found that it was lacking in flavor. not sure if it was just the bite i had or something specific, but it was salty.=

    L6. Braised Lamb Noodle Soup(B) L6. 红烧羊肉面
    Stuart O.

    Fantastic! This is a very unassuming restaurant near Boston south station. The noodles are soooooo delicious. Chewy and smooth, just like the sign on the wall said. We got two appetizers and three mains. The soup dumplings were very tasty. The other appetizer, lamb pancake was ok, just not our style. The Lanzhou beef noodle soup was a great mix of beef, bok choy (we added), hot chili oil, and homemade noodles. We also got a shrimp stir fry with noodles. The noodles absorbed the flavor of the sauce. Overall, we loved it!

    Lanzhou beef noodle soup
    Angelina R.

    This spot is michelin recommended for a reason! Their traditional beef soup is out of this world, with springy hand pulled noodles, tender melt in your mouth beef, and a delicious complexly flavored soup base. I could crave it over and over again. Not to mention the other dishes their menu has to offer which are all just as amazing and perfectly crafted. My personal favorites were the soup dumplings which had lots of broth, a soft tender filling, and a satisfying delicate flavor--they were simple made perfect. As for the restaurant itself, it cozy but fills up fast. Despite being busy, it still never felt rushed or too chaotic. The energy was vibrant, fun, and welcoming. Plus, the service was super friendly and accommodating making the whole experience perfectly satisfying and making you want to come back for more. Overall, this spot is a great hidden gem and I'm glad their being put on the map!

    L1. Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup(B) L1. 兰州牛肉汤面
    Andres D.

    Excellent noodles! That's the fundamental attraction of this spot and it lives up to it. Nice environment, and the specific flavors of each dish are well done, but this is first and foremost a great noodle spot. Very convenient spot to grab a quick meal close to South station.

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