Fantastic! This is a very unassuming restaurant near Boston south station. The noodles are soooooo…read moredelicious. 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!

I have been wanting to try Zhi Wei Cafe for some time now & finally found myself in the area to…read moregrab 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.

Redwhite was the best sushi I have had this year, while it seems like just 4 pieces, they're dense…read moreand heavy! Absolutely delicious though, we paired it with a No 7 Japanese Curry Ramen which was splendid too. It is a self service restaurant that has limited seating so just a heads up that you may have to wait, but trust me it's worth the wait!

Delicious vegan ramen, with less of a wait than I expected (maybe 20 minutes). The space was small…read more(I wouldn't come with more than a group of 6, and even that would be pushing it), but the whole place smelled so good! The ordering experience was a little odd, but the food came out very quickly. I got the truffle ramen with the spicy broth, and it was very good (which was not really spicy, simply well seasoned), and quite filling. Everyone else enjoyed their food as well. One of us got the non-spicy broth, and she noted that she thought the spicy broth was better (and again, not truly spicy at all), so I'd just keep that in mind when ordering. I also got the truffle mac & cheese, which I was pleasantly surprised by! It was pretty good, and came with some sort of delectable crunchies on top which I was obsessed with. I haven't had much ramen since I became vegan, so I don't really have any other vegan ramen to compare it to, but it's certainly some of the best I've had so far.

TLDR: Potentially…read moreone of my favorite Chinese restaurants in all of Massachusetts! Beautiful interior, centrally located, and delicious, high-quality food. Will definitely find a reason to come back here soon. ------ FOOD: 1. [MUST TRY] STIR-FRIED CABBAGE W/ PORK BELLY (5/5) Presentation was phenomenal (in a clay pot with its own burner underneath to keep it hot). The portion was much larger than expected, and most importantly, it tasted incredible. Generous amounts of pork in this, and the sauce was authentic and addicting. 2. SCALLION CHICKEN (5/5) Another great choice. This was a huge portion with lots of tender chicken, and the scallion was present without being overpowering. 3. CRISPY BEEF WITH FRIED DOUGH STICKS (5/5) I was expecting Chinese you tiao but these were actually the small, ultra crispy manhua twists! Paired with the beef, this was a large and unique dish that I loved. The crispiness of the mahua made this a textural delight to eat. 4. MANGO SAGO DESSERT (5/5) Big portion, wonderful assortment of toppings including grapefruit, mango, sago, and popping balls over a creamy dessert soup base. 5. PEKING DUCK (4/5) I think I'm a tough critic since I just came back from Beijing and had so much Peking duck there. We ordered the half portion here and it had a generous amount of meat for not being the full portion. There were an assortment of accompaniments, including pineapple (new to me) and sugar (like the Beijing style) which were welcome additions. The wrappers were steamed well and didn't curl up on the edges. Overall this was a solid Peking duck, but the meat wasn't as standout as I was hoping. 6. STEAMED PORK SOUP DUMPLING (4/5) Solid soup dumplings. Not the best I've ever had, but definitely hit the spot. 7. SAUTEED PEA SPROUTS (4/5) Another solid classic. 8. PORK MEATBALL IN CRAB MEAT SAUCE (4/5) This was the most unique thing we ordered. I've never had a shi zi tou meatball with crab meat sauce before. The meatball itself was large (maybe size of a tennis ball), tender, and fatty, as it should be. It was then drowned in a generous lake of traditional crab meat sauce. If you're not a fan of crab meat then this might be a bit too fishy for you, but honestly it all combined surprisingly well and I grew to like this dish more and more with each bite. I wasn't the biggest fan to start, but by the end I wouldn't have minded getting another one! ------ AMBIANCE / ENVIRONMENT: * The interior has the classic Asian style of decor, but you can tell it was recently built / renovated because everything felt new and fresh. * The ambiance also felt more new-school luxurious vs. the typical Asian establishments that are more no-frills with as many tables packed in as possible * You're still somewhat close to the tables around you, but it's not overwhelming during lunch time and we still felt like we had enough space regardless * There's a bar area at the front of the restaurant and then a large, spacious dining room in the back * This is a great place for a date or a meaningful family gathering * Right outside is Boston Common, making this restaurant very well-located for lunch before or after a nice day in the park. While there's lots of parking around the park, a spot itself can be hard to come by, so your best bet might be to use the nearby parking garage instead ------ SERVICE: * Overall the service was great and quick. They did forget our tea, but when we asked for it later they apologized profusely and were quick to bring it out for us * This place fills up quickly so be sure to come early if you don't have a reservation or if you're a big enough group, make a reservation for your desired dining time

Xiao Long Bao (5/10): Not worth ordering. To their credit, at least there was soup inside. The…read morefilling was not very flavorful, though. I had this with my Shanghainese relatives and they thought it was so bad Fish Slices w/ Pickled Mustard Greens (6.5/10): This tasted fine. The fish itself was not memorable. The spice level was ok, but could've been spicier. Crab Roe over Rice (7/10): Pretty tasty, but more of a side dish. Peking Duck (7/10): Honestly, I never order Peking duck unless I'm with my relatives. It tasted good to me, but pretty comparable to other Peking ducks I've had in the US. I think this is their #1 specialty dish or something, so knowing that, it doesn't really live up to the hype. tl;dr Too expensive for the quality of food you get.

I admittedly have high standards, but this is my go-to spot for a comforting bowl of beef noodle…read moresoup + the best spiced chicken nuggets one could ask for! A few staples are the golden chicken nuggets (top with chili crisps for maximal flavor bomb), wood ear mushrooms (delightful texture and chilled flavor), and braised beef noodle soup. Come on a weekday lunch for a $20 steal! Evenings (even on weekdays) have a wait, but scan the QR code to get on the waitlist and stroll Cambridge in the meantime. Ambiance is a little rushed with tight spacing between tables, but it's prompt service and a clean place, with soft music to maximize conversation

The chili oil beef rib noodles were fire. I got the wide noodles and the texture was good…read more The fried vegetable thing was good as well. The location is a bit snug though. Service was solid. Overall I'd come back for those chili oil noodles.

Wow! What a wonderful experience. We came on a Sunday, a little afternoon. There was a 15 minute…read morewait, but once we were seated things moved quickly. It wasn't large inside, but the high ceilings and windows made it feel spacious. Our server was friendly and helpful, with the perfect balance of checking in and letting us enjoy our meal. The vegetable mazesoba was incredible--and I appreciated how as we ate up the noodles, they offered us rice (no exfra charge!) to mix in so we could finish up the broth and toppings easily. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a delicious, reasonably priced vegan meal :) I would definitely come again!

Extremely quick but a satisfying meal! I've never tried mazesoba before so I didn't know what to…read moreexpect. We ordered the yuzu shio and tan tan mazesoba. While I preferred the yuzu shio as it was first served, once we were offered rice towards the end of the meal and mixed it into the remaining sauce, I preferred the tan tan mazesoba. I'd try it again but I might not actively seek it out on a regular basis.

Handmade noodles... no need to say more! I'm in! I was not disappointed. The restaurant is small,…read morecozy, casual nestled unassuming on the edge of bustling Chinatown. For an appetizer my friend and I had the spicy salmon tartare which was excellent. Thick cubes of salmon poke tossed in a bright yuzu vinaigrette that enhanced the flavor of the salmon excentuated by bursting ikura added another level to a refreshing texture. The saffron threads added aesthetic and a perfectly delicate garnish. For entrees, we had to try both the homemade soba and udon noodles. Both were so soft with great flavor that provides the essential reminder that homemade is superior. The soba noodles, if you have never had them, are almost sweet. The tofu in the yasai soup was a delightful fluffy pillow of fried tofu skin thinly cut and same flavor as inari tofu. I added a poached egg and the flavor of the yolk mixed into the noodles is unrivaled. I want to eat it for breakfast. I will definitely be back to try more of the menu.

I've been here a couple times. The soba noodles were refreshing and the broth has been umami. Had…read morethe tofu here as well. The service was pretty typical, so the wait staff were friendly and attentive. Ambiance and decor was pretty cool too. The pricing is pretty typical of Chinatown Boston restaurants. 8/10: food gets the job done. Effort was shown to the dishes but nothing was extremely mind blowing. Definitely worth a try.

I really want to give Gene's a five star review however with this location, it's just impossible. I…read moredid vamp it up to four from a 3 1/2. My real rating is a 3.5 star review here we go.: Food : 5 Star; I don't think anyone in the Chinatown area can match. The quality of the homemade hand pulled noodle that is served here. The menu was extremely limited to about 10 or 12 dishes. All include hand pulled noodle or homemade hand pressed dumplings. I've been here number of times every dish is delicious. Staff : 5 Star; I want to give a shout out to Kittie who works the counter is extremely polite goes the extra mile and to help the customer. The kitchen seem to be clean, kept and engaged in work. Cleanliness : 2 Star; I might be stretching it to give them a two just simple things like posters in the window have been there for 10 or 20 years soup on the back the trim everything is worn out and looks like it should be thrown away and replaced it needs an updating and a good good good cleaning a deep cleaning. Parking : 2 Star; if you're lucky there are a few meters outside as usual. The parking gods in Chinatown look down upon me and I got a meter half a block away. Otherwise you have to go get the early bird special and pay by the garage which means you're gonna be paying more for the parking than you are for the meal.

I brought my friends here this time, and the quality control seemed inconsistent…read more Cumin Lamb Hand-pulled Noodle孜然羊肉拌麵: The portion was really generous, especially the lamb--they were really lavish with it, and it was very fragrant. However, the noodles, soaked in the sauce, became a bit sticky, and they were too thick, as if they were just quickly stretched and cooked. Chilled Noodles涼皮: A weekend limited edition, icy cold, which was nice for summer. But the garlic flavor was too strong, extremely spicy, almost masking all the other seasonings. The presentation was just a box lid, which was a bit too perfunctory. Lamb Skewers羊肉串: Completely cold, and with an extremely strong gamey smell. I really don't understand how they dare to sell this?

No frills noodle place that serves up big portions for reasonable prices. I got a bowl of tomato…read morebased pork chop noodle for $13. The bowl kept the soup piping hot for a long time but I wish it had a stronger flavor. The skewers were $3 for an order of 2. The beef and enoki skewers were my favorite.

No frills Yunnan rice noodle shop in Chinatown. Menu lists a good amount of noodle soups with some…read morepictures but I kind of wish there was more description as to what was included in each bowl. For instance, I had gotten takeout from here before and ordered a tomato based soup with chunks of beef but the options on the menu said tomato beef and sirloin tomato. Based on that, I ordered beef this time but when I got my food, I realized I must have ordered sirloin previously (this time it was slices of beef). That being said, the food was great and came out quickly! Tomato broth wasn't sour or sweet. Noodles are added into the soup when the bowl is dropped off so they are still bouncy and not soggy. Good amount of ingredients included: beef, napa cabbage, ham, bean sprouts. You can also add additional ingredients for about $3 each (ex: enoki mushrooms, different meats, vegetables) Food is reasonably priced at around $15 a bowl. Super comforting and a perfect meal to have in the cold Boston winter. I will definitely be back again!