Exceptional food, great service with a unique experience you can only get in Boston's China…read moreChinatown. Dynasty is iconic. Known for a stem sum, we certainly enjoyed the dim sum offerings as well as traditional dishes . We've been there several times. This night, we had a table of 10 including a visit visitor from Germany for the World Cup. Unfortunately, I was so excited about the food. I missed several photos. It is all about the food. You can get some less common dishes. Two of my young adult children had friends who were eager to try the scallion, pancake crab Rangoon they had learned about on social media - it lived up to its reputation albeit a little messy! Dumplings of different varieties were amazing. Salt & pepper calamari was fresh, tender and a big hit! The generous portion of Chinese broccoli with garlic was amazing. The beef filet with pepper was one of the most popular dishes at the table and went quickly - the beef was tender with the right amount of spice. Every single dish was fully consumed. Most of all, it was a great value. Had I gone to the north end or anywhere else in Boston? It would've been 30 to 40% more expensive. We got great quality, food and service and an experience in the process. We didn't stray far except for Jelly fish appetizer that was crunchy with cucumber and a vinegar sauce that was tasty. The service is consistently attentive. As soon as you are seated, we had hot tea and drink orders. As food arrived, the table was always cleared. Nice to have this energy.

When I was planning this trip to Boston with my daughter, eating dim sum in a major city is a must!…read moreWe eat dim sum at every new city we hit up. Our mother/daughter tradition. So after looking up local Chinese joints to eat at, Dynasty popped up. They also offer street parking so that is what sold me on this joint. Considering Boston's Chinatown looks pretty run down, you should never judge a book by it's cover. Walking in, this joint is really bright and clean. The young man working the register greeted us and got my daughter and I a table. The big list of food items was dropped off and we were ready to get the party started! We ordered a handful of things! It's been a while since we have had dim sum so we were ready to put in work. Our food was starting to slowly trickle out. We started off with the congee. It came out pretty fast since it was probably made earlier waiting to be served. Shortly after the rest of our dumplings were making their way to our table. The congee was simple, savory and comforting. It tasted like my childhood. The fried shrimp rolls were tasty, crispy and savory. I have had similar fried shrimp dumplings like this served with a sauce similar to walnut shrimp. That sauce would have been killer with these rolls. The long rice noodles were silky and filled with char sui. The sauce was more vinegar than sweet which is how I have normally had it. Still good! Har gaw and shu mai were fabulous once they dropped off soy and chili oil to dip them in. The turnip cake will always be one of my favorites. My daughter enjoyed the soup dumplings and the rice in lotus leaf. I was too full to try them. Customer service was ok. They got you what you needed but not a lot of exchange in conversation. I feel like most dim sum experiences are like that. The food was so good! I enjoyed every bit of it with my daughter. Parking might be free but very limited and challenging to find. I'm still happy we got to check this joint out and have a great meal here!

Clay Pot Cafe is one of my favorite spots in Chinatown! The food is flavorful, comforting, and full…read moreof authentic taste. Their clay pot dishes are delicious, with generous portions and perfectly cooked ingredients. Everything came out fresh and satisfying, and the service was friendly and efficient. I typically come here for my lunch break and it's always hits the spot! I have no complaints and the staff is super friendly and service is great. The chicken sausage clay pot was delicious too!!

This spot serves authentic Cantonese claypot rice that genuinely feels like a comforting, homemade…read moremeal. The rice is well-seasoned and achieves that perfect, crispy layer at the bottom of the pot. ​The sautéed water spinach is an excellent side dish to add to your order, and the fresh lemon tea is balanced and refreshing. Your meal also comes with a pot of complimentary hot tea. ​The establishment is clean and sanitary--with the added convenience of a clean customer restroom - which I feel is rare for Chinatown. The staff was friendly and helpful.

Took my adult kids to Hei Ma Moon today. The ha how and siu mai were so good! The rice noodle with…read moreplump shrimp remind of the ones my grandma and I used to make on rainy days. The real surprise was the steamed gai lan with oyster sauce--tender sprigs that were hot and easy to manage without cutting them. Service was very good! As veteran dim sum fans, give Hei Ka Moon six thumbs up!

Hei La Moon has been a longtime fixture in Boston's Chinatown and is one of the restaurants that…read moremany people associate with traditional cart-style dim sum. After moving from its original large dining hall to a newer location on Essex Street, the restaurant has a more modern and compact layout while still keeping the familiar dim sum experience. Even with the smaller space, it remains a busy spot, especially on weekend mornings when the dining room fills up quickly with groups looking for a classic dim sum meal. I came here for the traditional dim sum service, and the menu covers all of the staples you would expect. Dishes like shu mai, har gow, rice noodle rolls, and steamed pork buns were easy to find as the carts made their way around the dining room. There is something nostalgic about choosing dishes directly from the carts as they pass by, and it adds to the experience in a way that ordering from a menu cannot quite replicate. That said, I found the food itself to be a little inconsistent. Some dishes arrived fresh and enjoyable, while others felt like they had been sitting a bit longer before reaching the table. The familiar dim sum classics were satisfying enough, but the quality and flavors varied from plate to plate, making the overall meal less memorable than I had hoped. It was still an enjoyable way to sample a variety of dishes, but not every item stood out. The service matched the fast-paced atmosphere of a busy dim sum restaurant. Once seated, the meal moved along quickly as carts circulated through the dining room and staff kept everything running efficiently. During peak hours it can get loud and crowded, so it is worth arriving earlier if you prefer a quieter experience. Overall, Hei La Moon is still a recognizable part of Boston's Chinatown and offers the traditional cart-style dim sum experience that has become increasingly difficult to find. While I appreciated the atmosphere and the chance to enjoy classic dim sum in a longstanding neighborhood restaurant, I felt the food quality was inconsistent enough that I would probably explore some of the newer dim sum spots in Boston before returning.

Early weekend lunch, half a flight up, low key space spread across two rooms. Deep menu of…read moreCantonese dishes. -- Clams in Black Bean Sauce: Smallish portion and small clams, especially compared with South Garden in Quincy, who makes a stellar rendition. Tasty sauce, with a little heat to it thanks to red and green peppers. Well cooked and solid enough dish despite the size issues. -- Beef Filet with Black Pepper Sauce (rice plate): In the beef world, the word "filet" connotes tenderness, which wasn't present here. Very chewy meat, well coated with a slightly peppery sauce that seemed fairly tame relative to the name. Hefty pile of rice and medium pile of meat. Not a bad meal. Not a bad price. Just a little underwhelming. Maybe it depends what you order.

We went to Ga Ga on the recommendation of a Yelp Elite and Barron of Chinatown, so we had high…read morehopes. It did not disappoint. Located on Tyler st on the second floor, it's easy to miss. I've probably walked by the place dozens of times and never noticed it. We were promptly seated. Staff were very friendly and gave us complementary tea when we sat down. The interior is two rooms and they have big tables that would be good for groups. What we got: - Hot and sour soup - Eggplant and short rib hot pot - Lobster sautéed in ginger scallion sauce The hot and sour was maybe the best I've had. It was packed with tofu, mushrooms, and a delicious broth. We ordered a "small" it was huge! The eggplant and short rib was without a doubt the best I've had. The eggplant was perfectly cooked. The beef was incredibly tender. All in a perfect sauce. It came out in a sizzling bowl. This is a dish to dream of. The sautéed lobster was also a knock-out. Perfectly cooked. I haven't had this dish often, so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but we loved it. I can't wait to go back and try more dishes. Definitely recommend stopping in!

I have been dreaming of duck so I had to go here. This did not disappoint. There was so much meat,…read moreand I was so so full. I honestly couldn't even finish everything, AND I was starving. Meats were very juicy and flavored well and honestly no complaints. Very crispy and just what you expect. Service was very fast. You can order in person or at a kiosk. They give you a number and u just wait for that. One of the few places that you can pay with card without any hidden details. There's about 10 seats inside but it's on a first come first serve basis. If you go for an early lunch, there's a good chance you can eat inside. Also has one of the cleanest bathrooms in Chinatown!

Chinese BBQ place in Chinatown Boston. Mainly a takeout place but they have about 4 tables inside…read morefor seating. Ordered some n the kiosk. They have a window where you can see the butcher cutting up all the Chinese BBQ meats. I got the 3 plate combo which was about $15. I got the roast pork, BBQ pork, and roast duck. The roast pork was on the salty side. Had about 6 pieces but only 2 had the crispy skin on it. Told the server and she was able to get us more and apologized that some was missing due to the cut. Skin was crispy. The roast duck and bbq pork was average. Would prefer if it came with more bbq sauce.

Hole in the wall in Chinatown. Huge portion of beef & noodles, for a reasonable price ($20 with…read moretip). We got a pot of tea as well for free. The beef & noodles wasn't our favorite (just our opinion), but definitely filled us up. I'd go back and get something different next time. Very sweet staff!

A unsuspecting hole in the wall downstairs in the basement of a chinatown building offering some of…read morethe best Chinese food with the typical mediocre/borderline rude service. Their best dishes are the emperors chicken and braised tofu. Like many restaurants there are some hits and misses, but the empires chicken and braised tofu are home runs.

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!

For a weekday work lunch, I stopped by Shoyu to try out their Cantonese BBQ. The establishment had…read moreits seating area blocked off into a Covid-era style makeshift take-out setup. I ordered a 3 item BBQ plate for $16 (the 1 item plate is $12 and 2 item plate is $14) and opted for char siu, roast duck, and soy sauce chicken. I paid at the counter and received my take out box after about 5 minutes. This proved a filling portion size - 4 pieces of duck, 4 pieces of chicken, more than a dozen smaller chair siu pieces, 2 pieces of bok choy, and ample rice. The butcher did not cheap out and give out bony pieces of duck. The duck was was overly soy sauced and the skin not fatty. The chicken and chair siu remained juicy. I don't know if the restaurant has take-out service for dinner, and also don't know why they call themselves Shoyu when they don't serve Japanese food. The paper menu lists the BBQ rice plate, but I can't remember if it enumerates the various protein options. A piece of cardboard next to the cash register has the options written in Mandarin w/o any English translation (on brand for this sort of establishment).

I came in for a dine-in experience. It has an extensive menu and offers Cantonese bbq items…read more The service is friendly. It is a small restaurant but offers plenty seating for small and large groups. Food is delicious!

My go to in Chinatown for baked goods. If you come early enough (before 9:30), the bread is still…read morewarm! I prefer the pineapple bun here compared to other Chinatown bakeries and they have a couple more varieties including pineapple coconut which isn't as easy to find in Boston. Their egg tart is also fantastic with good egg flavor in the custard and a buttery, flaky crust that smells so good. Prices are reasonable with most buns and baked items coming in under $2. Cash only for the bakery. I haven't tried the restaurant and need to do that soon. Definitely worth coming to visit the bakery!

The food and service here went downhill. The restaurant used to be packed. There was no line at…read morelunch time and many empty tables. Soy sauce chow mein ($13.95) - it was not authentic. It tasted like regular plain noodles. It was supposed to have a strong soy sauce flavor. The dim sum menu price was misleading. It was marked as small dish but they charged for more. Roasted pork and wonton noodles ($12.95) - the pork inside the wonton was black and had a terrible smell. The boneless spareribs also looked dark and not fresh. The server refused to cancel it on the bill. She insisted it was freshly made and said it was just the way they marinated the meat. It was not edible. Who would take the risk of food poisoning?

I call my Mom Grandma Ding because she's a little ditzy. And she likes to tag along on family…read moreoutings like a dinghy attached to a bigger boat, sometimes in front, sometimes in the wake, so when we found this place on Yelp it was fate. We came for a family dinner and of course Grandma Ding was with us in her wheelchair. We only smashed into a few chairs in the big, crowded dining room. And fortunately other customers were understanding while the staff was helpful and accommodating. The small, curious child running around the dining room without parental supervision didn't get hurt when I ran him over. The menu was huge so it took a long time to order with Grandma asking questions about every item. I could see that the waitstaff was used to quick orders and rapid food delivery to the table, but the waiter remained kind and patient. He also repeated his answers loudly when she couldn't understand his English and because she didn't have her hearing aides turned up. We finally ordered a giant wonton soup, eggplant with garlic sauce, a shrimp dish, and orange chicken; all to share. Everything was fresh, hot, tasty and delicious. Grandma Ding did have to ask for the soup to be heated up because she likes it to be scalding. The dining room is worn and dishes were flying in and out as items were served and cleared. It's definitely a place for family meals, not one for an engagement proposal or romance. Perfect for our evening. Portions are generous and prices competitive with other restaurants in the area. Parking on the street is the only difficulty, particularly when you have a nonagenarian to get into the restaurant. We will definitely be back.

We chose Ding's on the spur of the moment - the reviews were pretty good. We ordered scallion…read morepancakes and vegetarian potstickers to start, followed by sauteed eggplant-tofu casserole and chicken with cashews. The scallion pancakes were excellent - the winner of the evening. The potstickers weren't what is typically referred to as potstickers, but the small gyodza that one buys by the bag in Chinese and Korean markets. These were poor and flavorless (we've bought MUCH tastier ones in H-Mart and the 88). The eggplant was very tasty, not too garlicky, and was an enormous portion. It was a bit greasy, but not too bad. The chicken with cashews was bland and boring. We dined there with a good friend and commented about the great service - fast and efficient. As I mentioned, the portion size was significantly larger that most restaurants these days. The prices were a bit high, especially considering the barebones atmosphere - but this is Newton Center, and we expected this. In short, I won't return to Ding's - there are lots of better choices.