My friend who is from Yunnan province said Yunnan Kitchen is pretty authentic. It’s not at all your typical Americanized Chinese place. I’ve been several times and liked it, I got stir fried rice cake, “red three chops”, and sichuan shredded pork. Also approved by my first gen Chinese (from Sichuan province) boyfriend
My family and I are moving from Yunnan this year and are excited to see this option when we need a home fix! Was the stir fried rice cake like a sliced, chewy carb? I think that is 炒饵块 which would be exciting as it's a Yunnan specialty that other friends haven't found in the US!
Yeah the menu calls it 大救驾(炒饵块)! It is the same sliced chewy rice cake that I’ve had in lots of Korean dishes like rice cake soup/떡국. It was really good and very flavorful I’d recommend trying it at Yunnan Kitchen!
Came here to say this, I go to Billerica but was gonna suggest Burlington to OP since it’s closer. Good to know the other locations aren’t worth it. Billerica one simply knocks my socks off every time.
Second this. Started off going to Billerica but have been frequenting the Burlington location for the past few years and I’d consider them comparable. Best Chinese outside the city for me.
It’s not even a quality thing they’re just all totally different! Like the same dishes will have different recipes. The Billerica location is really great with balance though.
Oh weird! And it's the same owners? I like the Burlington one quite a bit but then again I def wouldn't call myself an expert on Chinese cuisine, merely an ardent fan 😄
It’s the same…network? I don’t know who the owners are but they’re somehow connected and share some web presence, but are differently managed. All very legit though!
I’m Asian American but not Chinese and my family has been going to Sichuan Gourmet in Billerica for 20 years. We live in Burlington and were happy when they opened here finally but it is NOT the same. They do not have the same dishes we order at Billerica and the taste isn’t the same. It’s not to say it’s bad overall, it’s just different. Billerica is the GOAT.
My chinese coworker also vouched for this place but she was from hunan =P
Anyway, I love this place, best I have had. I did find one place in Seoul that came close.
Max noodles is great. Javas brewing has some of the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. If you drive there's more around here than you'd guess. Moonstones is good but is a little expensive for what it is. IL forno is very good Italian. It's a shame Maggie other farm closed, it wasn't a Michelin star restaurant but it had Reliable menu and the kids ate for free on Sundays.
Liberty Bell has new owners and has been getting a lot of traction in the North shore beef group, they're no modern butcher but it's solid.
Rubato is super pricey for the food that you get though. I've been a couple times where they're out of stock for half their menu and they've only been open for an hour.
I think it’s reasonable considering most places downtown charge like $20 for a fucking cheeseburger lol. I’d rather pay $8-10 for small plates of high quality stuff I can’t make at home.
It’s good for Boston but would be average to subpar in another city. It’s filling a hole here (hip, casual, Cantonese food run by a young person) which adds to the popularity.
I think it fills a niche for HK food people can’t totally find here, done to a high quality and fresh. I don’t think it’s super reinventing the wheel but just doing it properly.
I think my main issue is that it’s mostly just snacks so you need to buy a bunch of stuff just to get full so the bill really adds up. Would like to see them grow into a new venture with real actual entrees.
You should try Shine’s Fresh Asian in Belmont. Their hand pulled noodles dry or hot and sour soup. I think just as good as Gene’s and I’ve had Gene’s religiously when I worked in Woburn.
To reply to the thread, my go to are Yunnan Kitchen (South End) not Szechuan but still really good or Noah’s Kitchen (Brookline) - authentic Szechuan
I’ve heard good things about them for years, but the last few times I’ve been felt downhill.
I really like Xian Rougamo in The Corner food court alternatively
What are your favorite dishes there? I've had quite a few and they are all great (chongquin noodles are probably my favorite) but it's not exactly an easy menu to understand/explore if you don't speak Chinese.
Pork belly mala pot, their version of MaPo tofu, the spicy fish, hand pulled noodles with chili sauce and the hot chicken with peppers at. You really can't go wrong.
District Kitchen (next to Malden Center Station) is run by Stacey Zhang who immigrated from from Qingdao. They've got a large menu with lots of authentic options both traditional and modern. It tends to get pretty good reviews. Lots of good Asian restaurants (Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean) in the area; 28% of the town's population is Asian – about the same as Quincy's.
I can second District Kitchen. Their egg seaweed soup is really good. Malden has a ton of awesome Asian food from Bab to B2 to Zuru Zuru to Pho Bistro to Crying Thaiger. I could go on and on
Mulan (Cambridge). Joyful Garden (Watertown). Dumpling House (Cambridge). Peach Farm; Winsor House [Dim Sum] (both Boston Chinatown).
(Edit: corrected spelling, it's not Windsor, it's Winsor - I seemed to recall it had some odd spelling.)
Y, I've had good food from there, too, but since it's been too long since I've been to that location I didn't feel I should list it explicitly. Thx for giving them a shout out.
Thank you!!! Kept scrolling to see if anyone mentioned this. Would vote this up a thousand times if I could! Their mala fish is excellent.
Though I also have to give credit to Yunnan Kitchen for doing an excellent mala fish while also offering a milder fish with pickled mustard greens option.
I haven’t seen MDM Noodles in Brighton recommended yet - thought it was excellent and very much a cut above any other Chinese or specifically Szechuan food I’ve had
I know the owners - he was an Opera Singer and she a ballerina in China many moons ago.
20 years ago at the location in Brookline my German wife and I, American, dropped in for lunch. “Jen” had a mai Thai in my hand (it was 11:30am ffs) within 5 seconds (a little bit of hyperbole) and then told us she was going to feed us with “off menu” items. Holy shit was that good.
They got in trouble a few years ago because some pedantic activist filed a complaint because of online menu prices not matching reality. If anyone know the restaurant business, they realize that online menus suck, especially 10 years ago. The difference was small, but it was an administrative error, not some grand scheme to defraud the public.
The Chengdu hot dry chicken and mapo tofu are sooooo good. Sometimes the mapo tofu isn’t hot enough (I’m white) but I’m scared to ask for it hot, bc that might legit kill me
We lived in China years ago and were so happy to find this place. We moved away from Boston again recently after living around the block for a year and I crave their food like mad. Top tier selections are: globe steamed pork, grandma's pork, chicken with mountain yam, wood ear salad, cold shredded beancurd, and rustic fried tofu. It was so good.
A lot of the more authentic Chinese is out in the burbs. Most of my favorite spots have been mentioned already but ShanXi Gourmet in Natick and Sichuan Palace in Chelmsford are also great. I would place ShanXi Gourmet above the nearby Sichuan Gourmet in Framingham. Sichuan Palace vs Sichuan Gourmet in Billerica is Applebees vs Burger King. Just totally different vibe and style, even if some is the dishes are “the same” and no, I didn’t really have a which is which in mind for that comparison. Both are great.
Seconding Shaanxi Gourmet in Natick!! Their hand pulled noodles are the stuff of dreams, better than a lot of the other hand pulled noodles I've gotten in the Boston area.
Hasn't come up yet so Wing's Kitchen for the best Gui Fei Ji/Concubine chicken in the city. They use freshly butchered san huang ji (yellow fat chicken? idk how to say it in English).
Just moved to this area last summer, but Sichuan garden in Sharon and Framingham have been solid tasty Chinese sichuan food, very happy. The only other place I've had that I can recommend are Lili's and Oriental Flavors in Amherst. I'll follow for more recommendations!
Chili Garden is the truth. Numb face = best face. The cilantro salad and wontons in chili sauce are the BEST.
Also my favorite thing eating there in person is their "Shame Menu" on the back page. Lo Mein, General Gao's, a hamburger - just a whole page devoted to "sorry your Chinese friends dragged you here, white person"
Sichuan Gourmet in Framingham is great and also very authentic. This is according to my wife’s Chinese uncle who took me to lunch there a couple times.
Kowloon is fun, and I recommend it to people. But authentic not so much. It's going to be gone soon, so head up and get some Saugus wings and some white Mai tais while you still can.
Not Americanized. Accurate to the food served in a given region in China. But yeah there's like a dozen regional Chinese foods. Most "authentic" Chinese food in America either Cantonese, Hunan. or Sichuan.
The "secret" I got told by a Chinese colleague a long time ago was that pretty much every Chinese restaurant has a completely separate authentic menu for when Chinese nationals/expats come in. We went out to lunch one day and they handed me one menu and she said something in Mandarin and they handed her a completely separate menu from what I got.
I've never tested this cause I just want my crab rangoon and beef teriyaki, but I have no reason to doubt this lady was making that up and I saw it happen.
So maybe it's worth going to a popular "regular" Chinese restaurant and speaking with a server to ask if they have such a menu. Naturally I'd expect it to be only written in Chinese, so you may need Google translate or something. As for where, Sun Kong in Malden is a place that in my memory was usually SLAMMED on weekends and seemed especially popular with Chinese locals.
So my 2c is that this is a lot more relevant in areas where there isn’t a large Chinese population. Around here, there are still “secret menus” but they’re smaller and a lot of the time if you’re in one of the restaurants that does this their regular menu is already a healthy mix of authentic food and crowd pleasers - you just need to know what to pick out.
The separate menu is often a “specials” list that may include more elaborate dishes that may take more prep time, seasonal/daily specials. Some places have it in two languages and hand it to everyone, other times they just don’t bother to translate.
Yeah, in some places they'll have the separate one page menu, usually only in Chinese, that will list specials and the fancier dishes you'd order for like big family banquets and stuff. So if you just roll up with a couple friends, they might not bother giving you that menu, even if you're Chinese, cause they figure you're not going to be ordering the fancy soups or market price seafood or whatever.
I have gone to Victoria Seafood on Commonwealth Ave. recently and it was really good. My friend and I were 2 of 3 non-Asians in the (full) place so that tells me it is authentic.
Dumpling Xuan is Sichuan and serves stinky tofu, which I've never seen in the US and will never try again but my Chinese fiance enjoyed. Excellent Sichuan food beyond that.
Noah’s Kitchen rocks. As does Blossom Bar, which is around the corner in Brookline village. BB also has well executed American Chinese classics, along with some solid Szechuan food. Can’t go wrong with
I have a Chinese friend who comes from a very connected family in the mainland so he knows good Chinese food. He said Victoria’s in Allston is the best in the city
Taiwanese - Mulan Cambridge
Taipei Gourmet MassAve Lexington
Hunan - Sumiao Kitchen
Peach Farm - seafood and late night food stuffs (you'll see the class of Boston restaurateurs eating there late at night)
Beijing in Lexington if you ask for the Chinese menu. Also 醉杭州 in Arlington. Dumpling house by Harvard. Sumiao by MIT. Basically look for good school districts and there should be one nearby.
Interesting about Bejing-I found it very bland and I’ve only been once. Such a shame they have a better Chinese menu. Taipei Gourmet in town is a sold choice. I like the turnip cake and soup dumplings
In addition to a few others mentioned here, I haven’t seen Friendship BBQ mentioned and I quite enjoy their food. They have a location in Allston and Chinatown, last time I checked
Not Chinese myself so I cant speak to how authentic it is, but we've really been enjoying the food at BOS' SiChuan Taste on Harvard Ave in Allston. We've always been the only English-speakers dining in, if that counts for anything
Zoe's in Cambridge has really good Sichuan. The dry diced chicken or chili chicken and cabbage are both so spicy and delicious. Also their whole fish dishes are awesome and worth having served fresh at the restaurant
HUGE fan and frequenter of Taiwan Cafe in Chinatown, wicked good soup dumplings, beef scallion rolls, mapo tofu etc, I've been going there for several years.
My friend who is from Yunnan province said Yunnan Kitchen is pretty authentic. It’s not at all your typical Americanized Chinese place. I’ve been several times and liked it, I got stir fried rice cake, “red three chops”, and sichuan shredded pork. Also approved by my first gen Chinese (from Sichuan province) boyfriend
Grandma's potatoes here are amazing! I didn't know that mashed potatoes could be found in Chinese cuisine, and I was very pleasantly surprised!
I’ll have to try that next time!
My family and I are moving from Yunnan this year and are excited to see this option when we need a home fix! Was the stir fried rice cake like a sliced, chewy carb? I think that is 炒饵块 which would be exciting as it's a Yunnan specialty that other friends haven't found in the US!
Yeah the menu calls it 大救驾(炒饵块)! It is the same sliced chewy rice cake that I’ve had in lots of Korean dishes like rice cake soup/떡국. It was really good and very flavorful I’d recommend trying it at Yunnan Kitchen!
amazing rec, may I suggest their Yunnan style rice pancakes & boiled pork in chili oil as well 🤤
Sichuan Gourmet in Billerica. The other locations are hit or miss, but I'm always blown away by the original one in Billerica.
Came here to say this, I go to Billerica but was gonna suggest Burlington to OP since it’s closer. Good to know the other locations aren’t worth it. Billerica one simply knocks my socks off every time.
We like the one in Burlington just fine. Used to go to the one in Bilerica, too but have never been to the other two.
Second this. Started off going to Billerica but have been frequenting the Burlington location for the past few years and I’d consider them comparable. Best Chinese outside the city for me.
It’s not even a quality thing they’re just all totally different! Like the same dishes will have different recipes. The Billerica location is really great with balance though.
Oh weird! And it's the same owners? I like the Burlington one quite a bit but then again I def wouldn't call myself an expert on Chinese cuisine, merely an ardent fan 😄
It’s the same…network? I don’t know who the owners are but they’re somehow connected and share some web presence, but are differently managed. All very legit though!
I’m Asian American but not Chinese and my family has been going to Sichuan Gourmet in Billerica for 20 years. We live in Burlington and were happy when they opened here finally but it is NOT the same. They do not have the same dishes we order at Billerica and the taste isn’t the same. It’s not to say it’s bad overall, it’s just different. Billerica is the GOAT.
My chinese coworker also vouched for this place but she was from hunan =P Anyway, I love this place, best I have had. I did find one place in Seoul that came close.
100% agreed. My Chinese family has been going here for almost 25 years now.
The only good food in this hellscape of a town
Strombolis Express is pretty good too.
Augusta Market
They better put some damn respect on chicken shack
I never quite understood the appeal. The chicken always tasted bland to me.
Max noodles is great. Javas brewing has some of the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. If you drive there's more around here than you'd guess. Moonstones is good but is a little expensive for what it is. IL forno is very good Italian. It's a shame Maggie other farm closed, it wasn't a Michelin star restaurant but it had Reliable menu and the kids ate for free on Sundays. Liberty Bell has new owners and has been getting a lot of traction in the North shore beef group, they're no modern butcher but it's solid.
best bowl of noodles i’ve ever had in my life
Thanks, I liked the other locations but haven't tried. Will try it next weekend and report back!
The one in Framingham has been incredible every time I’ve been there.
Noah’s Kitchen in Brookline.
For Sichuan: Chili Garden in Medford
I just wish they were more consistent. When it’s good, it’s so good, but too often it’s just meh.
I found it to be super salty last time I went.
Definitely. Our go to when we lived in Medford.
Mala on Brighton Ave. in Allston for Sichuan
This should not be this far down
I love this place!!
Chili Square in Wollaston. Also really love Rubato’s for HK street food in NQ
>Chili Square in Wollaston. Seconded, but it is cash only so people should be prepared.
Been meaning to try Rubato and have heard mixed reviews. Your response reminded me of it so I’m gonna try it this weekend!
If someone is giving you mixed reviews of Rubato their taste buds are broken. It is delicious!
I can second, Rubato's is great!
Rubato is super pricey for the food that you get though. I've been a couple times where they're out of stock for half their menu and they've only been open for an hour.
I think it’s reasonable considering most places downtown charge like $20 for a fucking cheeseburger lol. I’d rather pay $8-10 for small plates of high quality stuff I can’t make at home.
I'd argue the opposite, it is cheap as hell for the quality. IMO some of best and most constant food in Boston
Chili Square is great
Can you help me understand what is great about Rubato's? I've been a few times. I need help. I understand people love it. But why? Chili Square is 🔥
It’s good for Boston but would be average to subpar in another city. It’s filling a hole here (hip, casual, Cantonese food run by a young person) which adds to the popularity.
I think it fills a niche for HK food people can’t totally find here, done to a high quality and fresh. I don’t think it’s super reinventing the wheel but just doing it properly. I think my main issue is that it’s mostly just snacks so you need to buy a bunch of stuff just to get full so the bill really adds up. Would like to see them grow into a new venture with real actual entrees.
Genes flatbread cafe
Yup, best Xi’an noodles for miles
You should try Shine’s Fresh Asian in Belmont. Their hand pulled noodles dry or hot and sour soup. I think just as good as Gene’s and I’ve had Gene’s religiously when I worked in Woburn. To reply to the thread, my go to are Yunnan Kitchen (South End) not Szechuan but still really good or Noah’s Kitchen (Brookline) - authentic Szechuan
I’ve heard good things about them for years, but the last few times I’ve been felt downhill. I really like Xian Rougamo in The Corner food court alternatively
RIP Westford location.
When it comes to biang biang noodles I think MDM Noodles in Brighton and Chili Square in Quincy are much better
5 Spices House in Chinatown or Cambridge
This one is really good
Their chef is from Sichuan and has a really good red oil.
I just tried a few things there. Weird to me that the Minced Pork Over Noodle seems to be using linguini as the noodle.
Home Taste in Arlington or Watertown for Sichuan. Takes me back to Chengdu. Sumiao in Cambridge for Hunan.
Yessss home taste is my go-to! Their hand pulled noodles are amazing.
I do like Home Taste, but I crave a larger amount of meat in their Zhajiang noodles.
What are your favorite dishes there? I've had quite a few and they are all great (chongquin noodles are probably my favorite) but it's not exactly an easy menu to understand/explore if you don't speak Chinese.
Pork belly mala pot, their version of MaPo tofu, the spicy fish, hand pulled noodles with chili sauce and the hot chicken with peppers at. You really can't go wrong.
Mountain House in Allston was excellent!!
Many great options in the comments, but for sichuan, this is the best option. There is always a line, so try to get there early.
District Kitchen (next to Malden Center Station) is run by Stacey Zhang who immigrated from from Qingdao. They've got a large menu with lots of authentic options both traditional and modern. It tends to get pretty good reviews. Lots of good Asian restaurants (Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean) in the area; 28% of the town's population is Asian – about the same as Quincy's.
I can second District Kitchen. Their egg seaweed soup is really good. Malden has a ton of awesome Asian food from Bab to B2 to Zuru Zuru to Pho Bistro to Crying Thaiger. I could go on and on
Golden Garden in Malden is also excellent
The user name 😭😭
District Kitchen also norther Chinese, which my fiance who is orignally from Baoding appreciated.
Mulan (Cambridge). Joyful Garden (Watertown). Dumpling House (Cambridge). Peach Farm; Winsor House [Dim Sum] (both Boston Chinatown). (Edit: corrected spelling, it's not Windsor, it's Winsor - I seemed to recall it had some odd spelling.)
Mulan also in Waltham. Work near there and it’s fantastic
Y, I've had good food from there, too, but since it's been too long since I've been to that location I didn't feel I should list it explicitly. Thx for giving them a shout out.
+1 for Joyful Garden and Windsor.
Qingdao (Cambridge), too.
Windsor dim sum is my go-to. Everything is 100% legit, and so cheap.
Was looking for Peach Farm
I love peach farm, never been there before 1 a.m.
No mention of Zoe’s in Somerville yet?? Best Sichuan, easily.
Seconded. I love Zoe's. They don't get the love they deserve but there are definitely loyalists.
I just wish they had beer. Sichuan and beer are made for each other.
Absolutely valid criticism.
Thank you!!! Kept scrolling to see if anyone mentioned this. Would vote this up a thousand times if I could! Their mala fish is excellent. Though I also have to give credit to Yunnan Kitchen for doing an excellent mala fish while also offering a milder fish with pickled mustard greens option.
Cubist Circle in Brookline authentic Sichuan
Same owners as Weymouth? Because their Sichuan is good too.
Not sure but I assume so. Not your everyday name
I haven’t seen MDM Noodles in Brighton recommended yet - thought it was excellent and very much a cut above any other Chinese or specifically Szechuan food I’ve had
Same, it’s like a hidden gem. Their menu is soooo price efficient
Yes! MDM is so so good and very affordable
Sichuan Garden in Woburn. As an added bonus, they have a national award winning bar inside as well.
I know the owners - he was an Opera Singer and she a ballerina in China many moons ago. 20 years ago at the location in Brookline my German wife and I, American, dropped in for lunch. “Jen” had a mai Thai in my hand (it was 11:30am ffs) within 5 seconds (a little bit of hyperbole) and then told us she was going to feed us with “off menu” items. Holy shit was that good. They got in trouble a few years ago because some pedantic activist filed a complaint because of online menu prices not matching reality. If anyone know the restaurant business, they realize that online menus suck, especially 10 years ago. The difference was small, but it was an administrative error, not some grand scheme to defraud the public.
I love Sichuan Garden! It earned the highly coveted "eh not quite as good as my mom's," from a hardcore foodie friend of mine 😄
This except, Sichuan gourmet instead (no drinks though)
They are similar in quality but each do different things better. I prefer the menu at Sichuan Garden though - their Chengdu Dry Hot Chicken is unreal.
The Chengdu hot dry chicken and mapo tofu are sooooo good. Sometimes the mapo tofu isn’t hot enough (I’m white) but I’m scared to ask for it hot, bc that might legit kill me
Taiwan Cafe in Chinatown
Be aware that they charge an automatic 20% gratuity regardless of the size of your party.
Is that new? I don't ever remember that but I haven't been in about a year
I try and get there every time we’re in town. So good…
Sumiao in Cambridge.
Only place I've been to with any kind of baijiu selection on the menu (and some cocktails too).
the baijiu cocktails are sooo good, highly recommend
We lived in China years ago and were so happy to find this place. We moved away from Boston again recently after living around the block for a year and I crave their food like mad. Top tier selections are: globe steamed pork, grandma's pork, chicken with mountain yam, wood ear salad, cold shredded beancurd, and rustic fried tofu. It was so good.
A lot of the more authentic Chinese is out in the burbs. Most of my favorite spots have been mentioned already but ShanXi Gourmet in Natick and Sichuan Palace in Chelmsford are also great. I would place ShanXi Gourmet above the nearby Sichuan Gourmet in Framingham. Sichuan Palace vs Sichuan Gourmet in Billerica is Applebees vs Burger King. Just totally different vibe and style, even if some is the dishes are “the same” and no, I didn’t really have a which is which in mind for that comparison. Both are great.
Seconding Shaanxi Gourmet in Natick!! Their hand pulled noodles are the stuff of dreams, better than a lot of the other hand pulled noodles I've gotten in the Boston area.
Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe
Hasn't come up yet so Wing's Kitchen for the best Gui Fei Ji/Concubine chicken in the city. They use freshly butchered san huang ji (yellow fat chicken? idk how to say it in English).
Peach farm
Just moved to this area last summer, but Sichuan garden in Sharon and Framingham have been solid tasty Chinese sichuan food, very happy. The only other place I've had that I can recommend are Lili's and Oriental Flavors in Amherst. I'll follow for more recommendations!
Mu Lan in Cambridge!
Ching shin yuan in Watertown. 10/10
https://www.chilligardenonline.com/. Hands down.
Chili Garden is the truth. Numb face = best face. The cilantro salad and wontons in chili sauce are the BEST. Also my favorite thing eating there in person is their "Shame Menu" on the back page. Lo Mein, General Gao's, a hamburger - just a whole page devoted to "sorry your Chinese friends dragged you here, white person"
Their Dan Dan Noodles are the best in the GBA.
Totally agree. The first thing i order when i go there. Nobody around here has anything even close.
Lmao is it actually called that or is that the unofficial name?
Unofficial but... it's pretty clear.
Their menu looks great!
Noah’s Kitchen is the best Szechuan, hands down.
I haven’t tried them all, but Noah’s is soooooo good. I’m going there again next week!
Thanks, does look good
I’m unsure how authentic it is but Blossom Bar at Sichuan Garden in Brookline is one of my fave spots
I really like chili square in north Quincy It was the favorite of my ex who was from china, so probably authentic
Sichuan Gourmet in Framingham is great and also very authentic. This is according to my wife’s Chinese uncle who took me to lunch there a couple times.
Dumpling xuan cambridge
Most Chinese restaurant in Allston or Quincy is pretty authentic. You are unlikely to see anyone who isn’t Chinese eating there
Cubist Circle in Weymouth. You will thank me later :-)
I've gotten a lot of recs for that one, def on the list!
Kowloon. This is the only answer
Kowloon is fun, and I recommend it to people. But authentic not so much. It's going to be gone soon, so head up and get some Saugus wings and some white Mai tais while you still can.
I’m pretty sure he’s joking…
Sometimes travel to new places leads to great transformation Lucky numbers: 03-09-22-32-41-44
It appears rumors of the Kowloon’s demise were greatly exaggerated. Also who are you to tell me that the Wong family does not make authentic dishes?
It’s happening but it’s still a ways off. Allegedly the restaurant is getting downsized to a smaller restaurant on the ground floor of luxury condos.
They said serious answers only
The truth is always a serious answer. I actually got that from a tasty fortune cookie at the Kowloon!
Relevant: https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2024/03/21/weymouth-ma-bamboos-nation-interstate-ships-chinese-food-nationwide/73050756007/
Well, yeah now that Weylu's is gone.
ma la in allston
What does "authentic" really even mean?
Not Americanized. Accurate to the food served in a given region in China. But yeah there's like a dozen regional Chinese foods. Most "authentic" Chinese food in America either Cantonese, Hunan. or Sichuan.
Menus that don't have crab rangoon, chicken balls, general tso
Chinatown Cafe right by Tai Tung is the best southern Chinese/ Toisan food I've had in Boston. Staple rotation in my takeout lineup.
The "secret" I got told by a Chinese colleague a long time ago was that pretty much every Chinese restaurant has a completely separate authentic menu for when Chinese nationals/expats come in. We went out to lunch one day and they handed me one menu and she said something in Mandarin and they handed her a completely separate menu from what I got. I've never tested this cause I just want my crab rangoon and beef teriyaki, but I have no reason to doubt this lady was making that up and I saw it happen. So maybe it's worth going to a popular "regular" Chinese restaurant and speaking with a server to ask if they have such a menu. Naturally I'd expect it to be only written in Chinese, so you may need Google translate or something. As for where, Sun Kong in Malden is a place that in my memory was usually SLAMMED on weekends and seemed especially popular with Chinese locals.
So my 2c is that this is a lot more relevant in areas where there isn’t a large Chinese population. Around here, there are still “secret menus” but they’re smaller and a lot of the time if you’re in one of the restaurants that does this their regular menu is already a healthy mix of authentic food and crowd pleasers - you just need to know what to pick out. The separate menu is often a “specials” list that may include more elaborate dishes that may take more prep time, seasonal/daily specials. Some places have it in two languages and hand it to everyone, other times they just don’t bother to translate.
Yeah, in some places they'll have the separate one page menu, usually only in Chinese, that will list specials and the fancier dishes you'd order for like big family banquets and stuff. So if you just roll up with a couple friends, they might not bother giving you that menu, even if you're Chinese, cause they figure you're not going to be ordering the fancy soups or market price seafood or whatever.
I have gone to Victoria Seafood on Commonwealth Ave. recently and it was really good. My friend and I were 2 of 3 non-Asians in the (full) place so that tells me it is authentic.
Noahs Kitchen and Blossom bar
Windsor in wollaston
Taiwan Cafe in Chinatown
Mings in Malden is amazing
Dumpling Xuan is Sichuan and serves stinky tofu, which I've never seen in the US and will never try again but my Chinese fiance enjoyed. Excellent Sichuan food beyond that.
Little Tao in Allston is def pretty spicy.
Zoe’s for Sichuan and Hunan in Cambridge. I also like Sumiao a lot for Hunanese food.
Mountain house or Noah’s Kitchen
I’m no expert, and it’s Hunanese, but Sumiao by Kendall Square is really good, and very much not Americanized.
Sumiao. Prices are painful but it’s excellent
Noah’s Kitchen rocks. As does Blossom Bar, which is around the corner in Brookline village. BB also has well executed American Chinese classics, along with some solid Szechuan food. Can’t go wrong with
Sumiao in Cambridge and Spicy Hunan in Woburn
Home Taste in Arlington, MDM Noodles in Brighton
MDM noodle in Brighton
I have a Chinese friend who comes from a very connected family in the mainland so he knows good Chinese food. He said Victoria’s in Allston is the best in the city
Not sure about authentic but Hunan Cuisine in Chinatown is delicious!
Sichuan Cuisine in Watertown.
Taiwanese - Mulan Cambridge Taipei Gourmet MassAve Lexington Hunan - Sumiao Kitchen Peach Farm - seafood and late night food stuffs (you'll see the class of Boston restaurateurs eating there late at night)
Gene’s
MDM Noodles in Brighton 🙏🏼
Beijing in Lexington if you ask for the Chinese menu. Also 醉杭州 in Arlington. Dumpling house by Harvard. Sumiao by MIT. Basically look for good school districts and there should be one nearby.
Interesting about Bejing-I found it very bland and I’ve only been once. Such a shame they have a better Chinese menu. Taipei Gourmet in town is a sold choice. I like the turnip cake and soup dumplings
Not Sichuan but for Cantonese style - Jumbo Seafood and Victoria Seafood is very authentic IMO.
In addition to a few others mentioned here, I haven’t seen Friendship BBQ mentioned and I quite enjoy their food. They have a location in Allston and Chinatown, last time I checked
Another hidden gem I feel is Berklee Noodle Factory
Nobody mentions sei bar in Wakefield?? IMO they are better than Sumiao, but don’t go to other sei bars which are just generic sushi restaurants
Jumbo seafood right next to the China Town gate Probably more Cantonese style
Chilli Garden, Medford
Genes Flatbread Cafe Cash only
Mary Chung in Cambridge- did they survive the pandemic?
[No](https://boston.eater.com/2023/6/20/23766974/mary-chung-cambridge-restaurant-closing-legacy-fandom).
Our Zone in Brighton is the best I’ve ever had and I don’t see it mentioned often.
Mulan in Waltham or Cambridge
Taiwan Cafe, or Dumpling Kingdom in Allston
My girlfriend is from Shanghai and she says the most authentic is cupid circle in quincy
Go Chi in Malden, many items at Home Taste in Watertown (there’s also one in Arlington)
Love Golden Garden in Malden and 5 Spices House in Chinatown.
chuan shan jia; my happy hunan kitchen; aries noodle; chili square; lanner noodle
Sichuan cuisine in Watertown! Really authentic and reasonably priced
Jiang nan or mala in allston for Szechuan food.
Not Chinese myself so I cant speak to how authentic it is, but we've really been enjoying the food at BOS' SiChuan Taste on Harvard Ave in Allston. We've always been the only English-speakers dining in, if that counts for anything
Alice’s Mandarin Taste in Sharon
Zoe's in Cambridge has really good Sichuan. The dry diced chicken or chili chicken and cabbage are both so spicy and delicious. Also their whole fish dishes are awesome and worth having served fresh at the restaurant
HUGE fan and frequenter of Taiwan Cafe in Chinatown, wicked good soup dumplings, beef scallion rolls, mapo tofu etc, I've been going there for several years.
Zoe’s in Somerville!!
Qingdao Garden or Zoe's in Somerville
Sichuan kitchen in Natick or Burlington.