Two weekend visits to this relatively new subterranean Sichuan eatery in Harvard Square (Eliot…read moreStreet) with a very inviting interior and some VERY spicy dishes. -- Vegetarian Cold Noodle: Firm, peanut buttery, satisfying. Not spicy. Not too saucy, so you can "feel" the noodle, but I would have liked more vegetables. -- Yibin Fiery Noodles: Warm and similarly al dente, these were manageably spicy. Meat crumble, seeds or nuts, scallions, and heat. -- Red and Green Pepper Chicken: Batterless but crisp, tender, and not boneless. Relentlessly spicy from several heat sources and kaleidoscopically delicious. The closest comparison is dry hot chicken that also goes by a few other names, but this was better. Elite, and the best thing I ate in all of 2025, but sadly no longer on the menu. -- Stone Pot Tofu: Billed as Ma Po Tofu sizzling in a stone pot, but no sizzle and no stone pot. Identified as very spicy but minimally spicy and more numbing (more "ma" than "la"). I enjoyed the overall flavor (heavily seasoned) and the saltiness of the fermented black beans. Despite some of the menu discrepancies, this was a really good version for my tastes. Near-elite. -- Green Beans With Eggplant: Strong flavor, not too hot spicewise, but volcanically hot temperaturewise. Decent. -- Chicken and Clams: Black bean flavor, whole peppercorns, spicy but loaded with flavor beyond the spice. A deceptively huge and quite delicious. Elite. -- Beef Spring Rolls: Not my choice. Crisp, beefy, and chili sauce on the side added contrast. Solid, but boring, more typical of an Americanized offering, and a waste of an opportunity given Too Hot's killer menu. -- Pork Belly with Fermented Beans: Superb rendition, not drastically different from twice cooked pork, but much more flavor and giant pieces. Near-elite to Elite. -- Shrimp in Dry Hot Pot: Tons of dry rub spiciness, giant shrimp, chopped vegetables, and crinkle cut potatoes. Near-elite. -- Brussels Sprouts w/Shallots: More subtle flavors here but hardly bland. Fried shallots had sort of an onion ringy presence in miniature. Cooked just right. Outstanding overall experience, with the best dish on the first visit and almost all winners on the second. Kudos to the friendly and helpful service, including a server suggestion to switch an item after noticing we ordered two very similar items. Eager to return often and try even more of the menu.

Pretty solid szechuan spot in Harvard Square! I made a reservation to ensure no wait time and at…read morethe time, I had to make it quite early so it seems like a popular spot. Interior felt very modern and sleek - it was a bit small as well so it was a little cramped between tables and walking areas. The menu had a good selection of szechuan fare and we ended up sharing some of their popular dishes. I enjoyed the large fish one which was a good size for a family. Everything tasted authentic, my only qualm was paying for rice - you can't not have rice and it seems ridiculous to pay $3 for one bowl. Overall, a solid restaurant and option for Chinese food in Harvard Square.

I recently stopped by Coreanos for a Korean-Mexican fusion meal…read more I ordered the bulgogi, shrimp tempura, and short rib tacos. While waiting, I was surprised with a bowl of miso soup, which was warm, comforting, and flavorful. The tacos were generously filled and served on flour tortillas. I went in expecting the short rib to be my favorite, but the bulgogi taco emerged as my favorite. That said, because they were so well-stuffed, the tacos were a bit soggy. I also paid extra to add kimchi to one of them via the ordering screen, but it seems that addition was missed. I paired this with a Thai coffee, which was refreshing and delivered a noticeable caffeine kick. I'll definitely be back to try the kimbap. My partner, Anna F., ordered it, and after stealing a bite, I was left craving more. The restaurant is small, but we were able to find a table without issue.

We ordered the pork katsu gimbap and the Coreanos Bowl--both had a little kick but nothing…read moreoverpowering or lingering. The Coreanos Bowl is especially generous in size and super filling. The gimbap is a new item and I'm obsessed with it. Overall, the food was fantastic and definitely worth recommending!

I'm honestly glad that I waited to post my original review with a lower rating and thought through…read morethe experience a little bit more. As always, I find it a bit harder to review fusion spots. Not just any fusion either, but one that is all over the world map. It's easy to just nitpick one dish and use it to judge everything else; but what about that is remotely fair? For example, their Beef Rendang (a dish that I'm very familiar with - including the different regional renditions) is more like a hint towards what "real" Beef Rendang is. I don't even need to speak on behalf of the Filipinos regarding their adobo (which I also grew up on) who are infamous to show up on public forums to criticize and say "that's not how my grandmother makes it" (lol). What did come to mind is the old quote that many often find negative but actually was meant to be a positive phrase (if the last part isn't so often omitted). "Jack of all trades, master of none, though often times better than a master of one". That definitely applies here with their style of food. There's a lot going on and a good portal to the true potential of each dish. Definitely give them a try! Portions are good and the food is definitely tasty!

Flavor Boom is one of those places I appreciate having nearby when I didn't bring lunch and need…read moresomething fast, filling, and actually tasty. The people there have always been nice, and the food has a home-cooked quality to it. It's not fancy, not really a sit-down place, but comforting in a weekday lunch kind of way. There might be a tiny table for two, but I would think of this as a takeout spot. I've tried a handful of dishes here. The black pepper pork is probably my favorite and, in my opinion, the strongest thing on the menu. The chicken adobo is solid, the tangy tamarind chicken is good, and the chicken karahi was tasty, though the chicken itself was a little dry. I also tried the beef rendang, which was not really beef rendang to me. Maybe beef-rendang-inspired? It read more like a beef stew with potatoes. Still tasty, but I would not go in expecting traditional rendang. A couple caveats: friends have mentioned that the rice can be a little dry or uneven at dinner time, and I do think some dishes can get salty toward the end of the day. Maybe the sauce has been sitting and reducing? Unclear. I usually go for lunch, and that seems like the move. Price-wise, it does add up if you're getting lunch here every day. My recent order (large size) came out to about $17 after tax and tip. If I get the large, I can usually stretch it into two meals, so that feels more reasonable, but these are "pleasantly full" meals, not "I have defeated myself" meals. My practical advice: if you're nearby, rushing for lunch, and forgot to bring your own food, this is a very useful spot. If you're not ravenously hungry, get the large and split it into two meals. Also, I wouldn't necessarily add string beans because it seems like they already include a small amount. I probably wouldn't eat here every day because I think I'd get bored, but I'm glad it exists. While Flavor Boom is not my every-day lunch, it is indeed my "I forgot food and need something warm, filling, and tasty before my next meeting" lunch.

Highly recommend this local gem!…read more Fresh, delicious sushi and hearty well-made udon noodle soup! The menu has a wide variety of options for fish-lovers, landlubbers and vegetarians alike. Also, as an extra bonus, the prices can't be beat. We've enjoyed this restaurant twice now and can't wait to go back. The restaurant is conveniently-located and open late. The owners/chefs are very nice and take a lot of pride in their work, and it shows! Thank you Super Fusion Cuisine!

Yet another Brookline restaurant I regret not trying sooner!…read more This past weekend I stopped in for a quick solo lunch around 1:30. I happened to be the only one in there, but could tell the staff was working on some online or takeout orders. I was nicely greeted and shown to a seat. After giving me water they took my order. I got the crab wontons, their take on crab rangoons, as well as three different rolls (yes my eyes are bigger than my stomach). I went with the eel avocado roll as well as the spicy tuna and yellowtail rolls. I was REALLY impressed by the quality of all the food. I was given the wontons first and they were perfectly crispy and filled. I dislike when the ratio of filling to wonton is too heavy on the filling side and things get messy. They were also SUPER hot which is a personal must. My only qualm is I would've loved a bit more sauce, there were a lot of wontons for that small dish of sweet chili sauce. In terms of the sushi I surprisingly loved the spicy yellowtail the best. Normally the other 2 are my favorite but I might've found a new go-to. The others were great as well, though. You could seriously tell the tuna was JUST cut from the fish (I watched the sushi chef do so!). Notably, the ratio on the eel-avocado roll was great as well as the amount of eel sauce. No need to pay for extra on the side! I will most definitely be ordering or dining in from here soon, this time bringing friends along!

We made a reservation ahead of time for our large group of 12 people at Baby Cafe. They have a tiny…read moreparking lot with 3 narrow spaces in addition to street parking. Our food came with a complimentary drink so we had to try the "Ice Baby Milk Tea" drink which came with a frozen "baby chef" that later melted---the milk tea was absolutely delicious that tasted just like the milk tea I've had in Hong Kong. Favorite dishes of the evening: The hand-shredded chicken. Our cousin orders this every time they come and I can totally see why. It was tender and so flavorful! String Bean w/Ground Pork--it's diced up pretty small and my daughter loved this dish. Popcorn Chicken--crispy crunchy and so flavorful--I like that these aren't spicy Sour/spicy fish and pickled mustard greens stew--this was my favorite dish of the night. The pickled mustard worked so well with the tender flaky fish!

I'm going to go on record and say this is probably the best hainanese chicken I've had in awhile…read more It was juicy, moist, and flavorful. The way it was prepped and packaged, there were barely any bones. Our good friend got this delivered to us and it still tasted amazing. Imagine dining in?? The minced string beans with beef were so addicting, I couldn't stop eating it with white rice. She got us a whole chicken that came with two side orders of rice. Not sure if it comes with one or two, maybe she ordered an extra one for us. The salt and pepper squid were ok. A little soggy due to the delivery but were still solid after placing it in the over. The ginger scallion that came with the chicken, amazing. I love the ginger aroma. It had more ginger to scallion ratio. I highly recommend giving this place a try. And if you can, dine in!

Black Ruby completely exceeded my expectations. The idea of Thai-American fusion with craft burgers…read moreand pasta sounded intriguing, but the food was genuinely impressive. Our favorites were the Mussels in Red Curry Rice Wine, Red Curry Bolognese, Massaman Beef Burger, and Mango Sticky Rice. Each packed with flavor and executed beautifully. The Thai Iced Tea was also excellent, while the Thai Ice Espresso Martini just wasn't for me. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the restaurant itself was clean, cozy, and inviting. The only downsides were that they had run out of their sourdough brioche buns, which I was excited to try, and reservations were tough to get as we had to book about a month in advance. Even so, it's easy to see why this place is so popular. I'll definitely be back and hopefully try some of the burgers with those sourdough buns next time.

I have to admit, given all the hype, I was expecting a bit more from Black Ruby. My friends and I…read morecame on a Thursday night with a reservation, and the restaurant was packed. Now, I suspect this might due in part because of the hype + location + thai/american fusion flavor, but even with a reservation we still ended up waiting about 30 minutes to be seated. Unfortunately, the service throughout dinner wasn't much better. Between the three of us, we ordered the scallion fries (which, for anyone wondering, aren't actually fries tossed in scallion oil or dressing), the fried calamari, the red curry Bolognese, the green curry pasta with steak, and, of course, the much-hyped Massaman burger. The fried calamari was probably the weakest dish. It had a fishier taste than I expected, and the breading was fairly greasy and tended to fall off. The scallion fries were good, though not especially memorable. Of the entrées, we preferred the green curry pasta over the red curry Bolognese, though both became a little heavy after a while. The Massaman burger was solid, but not quite the standout I was hoping for. Across the dishes, our biggest takeaway was that the curry sauces all leaned fairly rich and salty without much contrast. A little acidity or citrus would have gone a long way in brightening the flavors. Overall, Black Ruby was good, just not quite as memorable as I expected. Nothing we ordered really wowed us, but it's still a perfectly solid spot if you're in the area. I'd be open to coming back, though I'd probably try some different items if we were ever around Harvard Square.

GREAT FOOD! We got the brussel sprouts to share and the smashburger. Highly recommend this placeread more

The cocktails here are fantastic, I tried the Matchs Colado and the Upper East Side and both were…read moreexecuted extremely well and were worth the money. However, the smoked fried rice I felt was overpriced for such a simple dish.

one of my favorite restaurants in the Boston area. incredible hospitality and unbelievable food!…read morecold beef and cucumber is my go to. set in a neighborhood in Cambridge the aesthetic is also amazing!

I'm so glad Uyghur cuisine has made its way to Boston…read more I was first introduced to it years ago at Silk Road in Cambridge, and I've been hoping more Uyghur restaurants would open ever since. Jahunger truly delivers. The restaurant immediately sets the mood. Candlelight, the scent of incense, traditional instruments on the walls, and pothos plants growing from mounted glass jars all make the space feel warm and inviting. One warning: unless you arrive around 6 p.m. or earlier, expect a wait. (It's popular.) Oh, and the food is worth it. The leek and egg dumplings tasted homemade in the best way: slightly rustic, fresh, and delicious. The hand-pulled noodles are the stars. Every noodle dish we ordered had the perfect chewy texture. My favorite was the Laghman noodles, though the Jahunger noodles were a close second with their rich spices and satisfying heat. The mee fen and stir-fried green beans both packed a respectable kick and leaned a little salty, but not enough to keep me from happily polishing them off. Don't forget the tea! It's beautiful to look at, filled with all sorts of ingredients (Chinese jujubes!), and only lightly sweet, which I appreciated. Then came the showstopping honey cake. The cake itself was fluffy, while the filling had a firmer, almost sticky texture with deep caramelized flavors that reminded me of burnt caramel in the best possible way. Paired with what tasted like coffee ice cream, it was the perfect ending to the meal. Jahunger is one of those restaurants that makes you want to come back before you've even paid the bill. I'm so glad Jahunger made it to Cambridge; the Boston food scene is richer because it's here.