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    Laughing Monk Cafe

    4.4 (499 reviews)
    ModerateSushi Bars, Thai
    Open 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Laughing Monk Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Laughing Monk Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    LAUGHING MONK CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Laughing Monk Cafe

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    Yellow curry- veggie - lunch
    Hiroshi S.

    Spent the morning at MFABoston glutting ourselves on art, and 10K steps later were ready for food before we ended up having some sort of hypoglycemic meltdown, when I remembered that my niece had recommended this place. We were seated immediately and shared four lunch specials. The yellow curry had a nice heat that grew in your mouth, the potatoes so soft and the veggies with a satisfyingly soft crunch. The Pad See Ew chicken was classic, colorful, and satisfying. The Chili Basil Tofu was my favorite--if I could make tofu like this, I'd eat it every day with a different sauce each day. And the Pepper Garlic beef was tender and delightful. The flavors all complemented each other beautifully. I was too focused on the food but was surrounded by three others who kept remarking on the playlist: all truly awful covers of pop songs. My brother-in-law quipped that while he hates Oasis with a passion, the cover made him prefer the original, and he launched on a tirade about the sheer wretchedness of all things Oasis, which absolutely counted as my lunchtime entertainment. I want to try the sushi here next time I'm here!

    Scallion Pancake
    Brendon W.

    Stopped in with 2 friends on a weekend with no reservation and we were seated immediately. The service is very friendly and the menu is extensive with many options for Thai dishes or sushi. A lot of people were grabbing takeout as parking was a little difficult to find. Now the food itself is the best part as the sashimi I ordered was sooooo fresh and colorful and delicious. My friends also liked their dishes and everything was very reasonably priced. I would definitely return and come back. They also have another location in Allston and Wellesley!

    Magda C.

    Close to 4 stars. Sushi roll was good, panang curry excellent, vegetarian dumplings also very good. Not impressed with the Pad see, and scallion pancake had no scallions.

    Pad Thai
    Thomas S.

    Solid Sushi and Thai food spot in Boston. I was visiting with my family and this hit the spot for all of us. I've even recommended to friends as well.

    outside
    Hanay W.

    We popped into laughing monk cafe on a saturday night after a day of moving. The restaurant is small so I would highly recommend a reservation and getting there on time to the reservation because they almost gave up our table when we arrived 2 minutes after. It is a dimly lit, casual restaurant with quick and kind service. I started with the miso soup which was good and ordered the fire dragon roll along with the chicken drunken noodles to share. I loved the fire dragon roll and this was my favorite part of my meal that night. It was a great size and the fish tasted fresh. The drunken noodles were a little mushy but had good flavor. I don't think I would order it again but it was worth the try. Their pricing is fair and service is quick. If I am ever back in Boston and needed a quick casual but cute lunch or dinner, I would definitely come back.

    Rainbow
    Anna S.

    My first time trying the laughing monk cafe and it was very good! We had a big party and decide to do family style. We ordered a variety of entrees from sushi to their Thai food. Everything came quick and hot. I would recommend this place!

    Negihama roll
    Eva A.

    Very casual cute spot, fitting for a date night or a casual meal. We only tried the basic California and negihama rolls but would certainly return to explore other menu options. I appreciate the menu featuring photos of the sushi, wish they added them for every meal!

    Pad Thai
    Shaun L.

    I haven't been to laughing monk in a while and wifey was craving Pad Thai so we decided to give their Thai food a try. Usually we go there for their omakase which is absolutely delicious. Anyway, we ordered on Uber eats and got it pretty quick. It was piping hot because we were a few blocks away. The packaging was interesting, you get pad Thai in an ice cream container. It works and it's better than plastic! The pad Thai was mild, not too sweet or sour. We appreciated it wasn't filled with bean sprouts and was made up entirely of noodles, egg and chicken. It's a great starter pad Thai for people who haven't had it before.

    Top: Fire Dragon Roll Bottom: Tuna Maki
    Angie P.

    Small, cozy interior. Went for dinner because I was craving sushi. Service was quick and staff were friendly. Fire Dragon roll: delicious flavors, fresh, plated beautifully. So good that I ordered a second serving

    Front counter
    John Y.

    I ate at the Gigantic Wonton place next door and grabbed some crispy chicken pad thai for my kid at home. This was in the bag for at least 30-45 minutes before taking the picture. The crispy chicken was still kinda crispy! The pad thai noodles had great flavor. My daughter enjoyed the food. The restaurant looks clean, and ordering the take out was easy. Price is about what is expected. The crispy chicken was an additional $4. Note: - Street parking only, in a very busy area! - Seating appears limited here, so call ahead if you have a large party for dining in.

    Pad Thai, Indonesian fried rice, crispy pork belly. There was also Moo Ping (4).We over ordered and everything was excellent!!
    Peaches G.

    Consistently the best Thai food around! Small space so you have to go early. Very delicious food, quickly prepared, and friendly staff. Popular with many local students and professionals.

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    2 years ago

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    7 months ago

    Love the takeaway, quick and easy online ordering and pleasant service. Good for Thai and Sushi.

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    1 year ago

    Really yummy and reasonably priced foods. Good vegetarian and some vegan options. Efficient service.

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    2 years ago

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    8 months ago

    Rude staff who were unkind and not accommodating. Would not recommend especially for dine in.

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    2 years ago

    Love the drunken noodles and pad thai. Decent size portions, great flavor, and well-cooked. One of my go to Thai spots!

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Ordered for pick up and it was ready on time. Things were hot and fresh. The pad Thai was really flavorful!

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Terrible experience ordering take out. Staff was rude and unapologetic. Never completed the order due to their behavior.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Amazing food, atmosphere, and service! I wish we lived closer. The Massaman curry was one If the best I have had.

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Very good Thai food and amazing service. Try Tom Zab soup here and you won't be disapppointed.

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    3 years ago

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    Page 2 of 13

    Laughing Monk Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Laughing Monk Cafe

    How many courses are in the omakase?

    12 courses (includes 1 dessert course)

    Is there a la carte on Wednesday night?

    We serve Thai menus all day and more sushi choice on dinner (night) time

    What's the price range for omakase and how many courses in each please?

    This month we offer only 10 course Omakase at $100, we also would like to ask anyone reserve seat at Resy.com under omakase course

    Does this restaurant automatically add 20% service fee to your bill? Three of us just dine in here and the bill automatically includes 20% tip.

    Might be new, but I've never seen this before at this restaurant.

    Do they do the lunch special on Saturdays too?

    sorry, we don't serve lunch specials on weekend.

    Does Laughing Monk offer omakase?

    Yes, we are now serving Omakase by reservation only

    View All 8 Questions

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    4.1(173 reviews)
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    I've been going to the nail salon next door for years. First time trying out this sushi spot and it…read morewas 10/10. The place is super authentic which is hard to tell from the outside. We had lunch there on a Saturday and were seated right away with no reservation. Place was packed by the time we left. Sushi was fresh and the price was amazing. Both my boys got the ramen and loved it. Will definitely be back!

    Great lunch deals! I got the lunch combo with the karaage and nigiri 8 and my wife got the nigiri…read more12 with yuzu lemonade. Plenty of food and if you have resy credits through AMEX, it's the perfect amount to cover the meal with tax and tip. Service was good despite being busy with the weekend lunch crowd. We had a reservation and that's what I would recommend, but there's a bar and outdoor seating so they can definitely accommodate walk-ins. We were seated near the door so it was pretty hectic around our table, but I'm sure the atmosphere is nicer deeper into the restaurant. The sushi itself was good, but nothing spectacular. They season their nigiri rice with vinegar which is unique but I didn't think it changed the flavor much (which is good because I'm much more interested in the fish). Good fish to rice ratio. Seared otoro and salmon appeared to be their specialties, but we didn't try those. Takoyaki was very good with big chunks of octopus. Karaage was the one disappointment since it was supposed to be popular according to yelp. A bit greasy and the breading wasn't very crispy. Didn't come with sauce either unless you pay extra. I'd probably pass on the Karaage next time around. We skipped desert since there are so many other good places nearby. All-in-all, this place won't blow you away but it's a solid choice for a filling lunch-time meal.

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    At Zuma, we ordered quite a few items from the menu, and somehow each one was more delicious than…read morethe last. Our waiter made the experience even better. He took his time explaining the menu, made thoughtful recommendations, and made us feel very well taken care of throughout the meal. We ordered the sashimi platter, several crudo dishes, tempura shrimp, miso cod, skirt steak, tuna tartare, calamari, rock shrimp, and finished with two desserts. Every dish was beautifully presented and packed with flavor. The standout for me was how consistently good everything was. It is rare to order so many items and not have a single disappointment. If you're dining at Zuma, I would confidently recommend every item pictured below. The food, service, and overall experience were all exceptional.

    Great atmosphere, excellent customer service, and wonderful food. All three of these made the price…read morepoint worth it. The menu is tapas style and makes it easy to try multiple things and share with others. I went there alone -- was in the area for a conference -- and still had an easy time trying multiple things without it being too much food. I had the romanesco, edamame, mirashi sushi, and hamachi sashimi. All of them were wonderful, but the romanesco was the highlight for sure. Stephanie was my server and was an absolute delight. Highly recommend and would definitely come here again if I'm ever back in the area!

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    311 Boston - Omakase - 7/18/2025 - Anagi

    311 Boston

    4.8(58 reviews)
    1.7 miSouth End

    This place rocks the sushi world. only Michelin star restaurant in Boston. That should say it all…read more You have to try this place. Service is five

    There are meals you remember because they taste good, and then there are experiences that change…read morethe way you think about food. Three 1 One Omakase was one of those experiences. It introduced me to new textures, flavors, aromas, and, most importantly, a deeper appreciation for the culture behind the food. From the moment we arrived, Chef Wei, his wife Carrie, and the staff made us feel genuinely welcome. The atmosphere felt intimate, as though we had been invited into someone's home rather than a restaurant. Every detail felt intentional, from the minimalist design and calming ambiance to the subtle aromas throughout the space. Learning that Three 1 One was originally a one-bedroom apartment made the experience even more meaningful. The evening reminded me of a trip to Phu Quoc, Vietnam, where local islanders welcomed my fiancé and eight friends into their home to share a meal prepared from that day's catch. Coincidentally, there were ten guests gathered around the counter at Three 1 One, just as there had been ten of us in Vietnam. In both places, strangers came together over exceptional food and genuine hospitality. That feeling stayed with me throughout the evening. My fiancé and I celebrated our 11th anniversary here as we began exploring Michelin-starred restaurants together. After traveling throughout North and South Vietnam, where his family is from, we returned with a renewed appreciation for food and the stories it tells. We were excited to discover such a thoughtful Michelin-starred restaurant so close to home. The 19-course omakase felt like a journey. The opening truffle sea bream with mizuna and sudachi sauce awakened the palate with bright citrus and earthy richness. The Kegani Hokkaido hairy crab with dashi jelly and tomato dashi mousse became my fiancé's favorite. Once mixed together, it was creamy, savory, delicate, and refreshing. His reaction said it all: "Wow." The tako (octopus) with house-made sweet soy sauce highlighted the natural flavor of the seafood beautifully, while the Tokobushi somen with abalone, wheat noodles, yam, okra, and cold dashi became one of my favorite courses. It was refined yet bold, layered with umami, and unexpectedly reminded me of the haenyeo women of Jeju Island, whose tradition of free-diving for seafood gave me an even greater appreciation for the ingredients. Another standout was the Amadai Uroko Yaki (crispy-scale tilefish). The contrast between the crisp scales and tender fish created a texture I'd never experienced before. Along with the abalone course, it was one of the highlights of the evening. The Aji horse mackerel with ginger, chives, sesame, and nori provided a refreshing transition before the sushi. The sushi alone deserves its own review. Every piece reflected remarkable craftsmanship and precision. Watching Chef Wei prepare each bite was part of the experience itself. The rice was beautifully seasoned, and every ingredient felt balanced. My favorite piece was the uni (sea urchin). It was incredibly smooth, rich, and almost buttery. My second favorite was the Hokkaido hotate (scallop), with its delicate smokiness, sweetness, and juicy texture that left me wanting another bite immediately. We also tried selections from the additional menu, along with a pear-toned sake that paired beautifully with the meal. More than anything, what stayed with me wasn't just the food, but the feeling of the evening. It was an experience built around craftsmanship, hospitality, culture, and sharing a meal with others. Thank you to Chef Wei, Carrie, and the entire team for making our 11th anniversary unforgettable and for giving us such a memorable first Michelin-star dining experience. We look forward to returning.

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