I really enjoyed this place! All the food was very flavorful. I see why it's busy. We came here for restaurant week so we got to try lots of things on the menu. Vibes were buzzing in here, from the amazing smells as soon as we walked in to the live music going on. Service was great, our server helped with recos and spice levels. read more

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen - A feast! - Chinese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Ate pork gyoza because I wasn't super hungry, and it was flavorful. A bit small but good, and soy sauce had a nice vinegar taste to it. I drank a vodka lemon drop that wasn't on the menu then tried lychee blossom which is originally a mocktail but added house vodka to it. Both drinks were tasty but not very strong overall. My fiancé got grandmas pork over noodles. Pork was flavorful with a kick of spice which was needed because the noodles weren't special. He also ordered a cocktail made with Chinese liquor on the menu. He enjoyed the drink and would order again. The waiter was nice, knowledgeable, and patient seeing as it was our first time. We enjoyed the clean, modern look of the restaurant as well. read more

We had a strong experience at Sumiao Hunan Kitchen in Cambridge until the final course changed everything. Service stood out. Our server was attentive, polite, and handled the table with care. The meal up to that point reflected the quality the restaurant is known for. The issue came with the fish in foil. We ordered what was described as a whole fish. What arrived was largely bone and skin, with little usable meat. This did not match the expectation set by the menu or the price point. When I raised this with the manager, the response focused on the chef's opinion that the portion was acceptable. There was no real effort to understand the concern from the guest side. The dish was NOT removed from the bill, which we expected , but the interaction itself felt dismissive. Restaurants operating at this level are judged not only on food and service, but on how they respond when something falls short. A willingness to listen and acknowledge matters more than defending a position. The evening started well and could have ended the same way. Instead, it left a different impression. I hope the team takes this feedback seriously. read more

This place has amazing food- and actually spicy. I grew up in Garden Grove, CA and we have lots of great Asian food so I am always looking for similar or better food and this place exceeded all expectations. This place doesn't need my review. The food speaks for itself. This review is for those contemplating if they should try it. Do yourself a favor and just do it. No matter what you order it will be delicious. read more

See all

Came back for a second time because I enjoyed the first time so much. I was super disappointed that the tiger skin pork belly is no longer on the menu. The wood ear mushroom salad did not disappoint for the second time--still one of my favorite appetizer dishes out there especially on a hot summer day when I want a fresh crunchy dish. We split grandma's pork and the spicy cauliflower for the entrees. Both were high quality and flavorful. I love how veggie forward the dishes here are while still giving a large portion of meat. Portions are large here, two entrees was more than enough for the two of us...we still came away with leftovers. Expensive but as far as Hunan food goes, this is definitely my favorite spot in Boston. read more

See all

Hunan cuisine with a modern flair. Standout dish was the sizzling fennel lamb, which is served with Brussels sprouts. The Kung pao shrimp was okay - sautéed in a mild chili sauce with green peppers and sweet yellow onions - may have been the traditional preparation as it wasn't battered and fried as we expected. The eggplant & string beans were also good, just not super flavorful. We liked the thick chewy rice noodles, beef and egg dish. We got a bowl of black rice to share- it's slightly nutty and a little sticky. The taro / purple yam bao dessert was very good- fluffy and filled with a mildly sweet custard. I liked the triangular serving plates and fun, colorful rice bowls. We also got a pot of osmanthus green tea- it's served in a clear glass teapot and Chinese teacups decorated with modern illustrations of traditional scenes. Service was very attentive- we had two servers that tag teamed our table. read more

See all

Outstanding restaurant with a comprehensive menu that delivers incredible flavor! As a party of 6, we ended up with a selection of vegetarian, meat and poultry items. Some of the dishes we tried: gyoza, eggplant, two noodle plates, the five spice duck, popcorn chicken, tofu bowl, spicy cucumber salad and others. Everything was shared and everything was delicious - the regular spice level was good for everyone and I especially enjoyed the nice numbing level Sichuan peppercorns. Service was attentive and prompt, dishes were brought out as they were ready (as we expected). Cocktails with Baijiu were a hit, very creative flavor profile with ginger and chrysanthemums. The patio was fantastic for a warm summer evening, and the indoors looked gorgeous. I look forward to coming back and trying the seafood offerings! Thank you for a wonderful experience. read more

See all

I think this place is dazzling! A cut above, it does not seem to have any competition in this area. I tried one of the seasonal Cocktails found it to be equally artful and delicious. Even the rice is atypical: I definitely recommend the black rice.. there are some very interesting summer specials. People may find it interesting to note that the green vegetable known here and in the Asian community as "water spinach" is called " callaloo " in the Caribbean. Service was impeccable on my visit.. Colors in the decor are so captivating! There was a serious line for LUNCH tables! I recommend reservations. They even have live music sometimes! Overall, I cannot say enough good things about Sumiao Hunan, so let me say simply: "Bravo!" read more

Easy-to-access Kendall Square location, with a bright, modern feel, different sections, private rooms, and plenty of booths and tables, including a snaking curved table near the windows. Weekday lunch with a lunch special and an extra app. -- Nom Numb Wings: All flats, well covered in spicy red chile peppers, plus some peppercorns in the mix. Skins lightly crispy, interiors extremely tender and juicy. You can choose the spice level; I went with authentic spicy and found it challenging but delicious. Only negative was that the wings were on the small side, but they included 7 instead of 6. They also supplied plastic gloves to keep the chile pepper heat off the fingers (and indirectly elsewhere). Above average. -- Hot and Sour Soup (included with the weekday lunch special): Tasty broth, with the requisite spicy and sour flavors, plus a little something extra. I think there may have been some fermented vegetables in there; whatever it was made it refreshing. Light crunch to the vegetables. Not too oily. Well above average. -- Beef on Fire (weekday lunch special): The large bowl with enough meat to be an entree had tender slivers of beef studded with chile peppers, herbs, and greenery. Good feel, good taste, good slice, good balance. Simplicity let the ingredients shine with no need for sauce; it was still moist enough to work well with the white rice (not included but available for a surcharge). Well above average. Overall, solid across the board. Spicy. Generous. Polished. Some might think it too polished, but delicious is delicious, whether polished or not. In late 2025, Sumiao received Michelin recognition-- one of only two dozen restaurants in the Boston area. I can think of a few others that are just as deserving that didn't receive that accolade, but that takes nothing away from Sumiao. Friendly, professional service. Parking a little easier than you'd think. Don't go just because of the Michelin recognition. Go for the food. I'll be returning for sure. read more

See all

I made a reservation at Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, but still ended up waiting about 20 minutes after arriving before being seated. Once we were at the table, service was a bit slow to start, though things eventually picked up. We ordered the scallion pancakes, spicy cucumbers, and the crunchy fried duck. The scallion pancakes were a little greasier than I would have liked, but they still delivered that familiar comfort-food flavor. The spicy cucumbers were the most surprising dish of the night. They were spicier than expected with a touch of sweetness, and ended up being a standout. The crunchy fried duck was crispy, flavorful, and very well executed. I highly recommend the duck! I went it expecting a lot given the Michelin bib. Overall, it was a good dinner, but not a great one. The food was solid without being exceptional, and the service matched that same middle-of-the-road feeling. Worth trying if you're curious, just go in with measured expectations. read more

See all

We came here as it's a "Michelin bib gourmand" restaurant! My friend who has eaten at other Michelin star restaurants wasn't super impressed. She has had hunanese cuisine before and didn't think this was as authentic. However, we still quite enjoyed the food! Note that it is a bit on the pricier side. We had the chicken wit oyster mushroom and chives-- I loved the flavor and it had the perfect balance of gingery and chivy. The cold sesame noodles were soo good and definitely a hit! They were so creamy and tasty. I loved the Shaoshan cabbage, it was flavorful, crisp, and a bit vinegary and sour. They don't come with rice so we had to order a side of rice. The lychee drink was really good. The fizz from soda water was amazing and the pomegranate juice flavor really stood out. Overall it was a great meal and we had amazing service!! read more

See all

Upscale but casual Chinese Cuisine. The interior is trendy and colorful. The prices are on the high end. The menu is massive and has so many tantalizing choices for drinks, appetizers, sweets, and entrees. We ordered more dishes than I could count or try. The apps were the winners for me. My favorite was the Five Spice Beef ($14). The scallion pancake ($14) was crispy and addicting and paired well with the beef. The Soup Dumplings ($17) came steaming hot and were super unique with a crispy skin on the bottom. The Crispy Cucumbers ($12) were also great. Out of all the entrees we ordered I tried the Crispy Duck ($42), Crispy Fish Fillet ($28, THIS was my favorite), and Lava Fish ($28). It's hard to explain but the dishes were lacking a certain "oomph", and the duck was too salty for me. You can choose mild to spicy for any of these dishes, we asked for "authentic spice" and the only one that had a kick to me was the Lava Fish. The staff were so nice and accommodating for our last minute large group, and didn't really even fuss around us staying around until closing time. Overall, we had a wonderful time here :) Though, I can see someone complaining about the over-pricedness of the menu. read more

See all

Went for dinner and everything was good but we weren't really blown away for it having a bib gourmand award. The two mocktails we had were so so good loved the mango sticky rice drink definitely try that. The soup dumplings and the gyozas were good but not really different from any others I've had. The eggplant and string beans were okay I probably wouldn't order them again. And we also tried the spicy beef and crispy rice dish which was pretty good maybe my second favorite thing we had but it also didn't really seem that special. read more

See all

Definitely great for large groups. Food is plentiful, fresh and hot. Definitely enjoyed the food and would highly recommend a visit.

I really liked my visit here! The food tasted really fresh and flavorful, while not being oily which is hard to find usually!! Our server Sofia was awesome and so helpful to us. We really liked the cumin-scented mini potatoes and the cocktails. The restaurant was very clean, spacious, and cool inside. I also loved the secret drink menu (iykyk ). Can't wait to come back and try more stuff! read more

See all

We were excited to try this newly minted Michelin Bib Gourmand Chinese restaurant in Cambridge. The service was nice, space clean, and vibe was chill. We love their fish in foil, duck egg yolk coated shrimp, and beef on fire. Their tieguanyin tea was whole tea leaves so it helped cleanse the palette between bites very well. Highly recommend this place! read more

See all

Birthday dinner at Sumiao = 10/10 Great vibes, amazing food, and the sweetest surprise dessert on the house! Shoutout to Manish for being the most attentive server Get the peach nigori and thank me later! (Pork belly could be a touch more tender, but still a solid pick.) read more

See all

Yellow river beef with authentic spicy (4/5): this was more sour than spicy. As a spicy food lover, I'd say the spicy level was 4/10. Broth wasn't bad but it didn't have an in-depth flavor. Portion was small (chopsticks for scale), especially for the price but they didn't skimp on beef. It had (I think) thin sliced brisket meat and it was tender and flavorful. Rice needs to be ordered separately. One strange thing to note, the hostess asked for my phone number for check-in even though the restaurant was empty and I got seated right away. read more

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen - Yellow river beef (4/5) - Chinese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I stop in here a few times a year when I'm coming through Cambridge for work. It's always very crowded, often with a guitar player playing live music which is quite pleasant - but most importantly, great food! I've tried a bunch of dishes, but my favorite is the one titled something like "fish in fiery broth", just fantastic tender fish fillets soaking in a wonderful hotpot-style broth with other crunchy veggies to enjoy. It's always too much for a dinner for 1 at the bar, but still enjoyable. They have a good beer and cocktail selection if you're interested, I usually get a local MA beer and am not disappointed. read more

Bernadet is amazing... she brings great energy, is incredibly efficient, and made our experience spectacular. Food is also delicious. We had a party of 12, and everyone loved their food read more

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen well done! We got there before the dinner rush today. Our server Charlie was amazing, she gave recommendations and was personable, attentive and got us refills etc. we checked out the dine out Boston menu but opted to order from their regular menu instead. The food on the list today: Fish fillet in fiery broth - regular spice had a flavorful kick, fish fillets tender and was super enjoyable. You get plenty of fish, bean sprouts and fish tofu? Tiger skin pork belly with crispy pickled cabbage - our highlight, though i would have put a tad more salt in the brine or however they prep it, this was our favorite. The fatty pork belly was so tender on inside, juicy and the outside crispy!! This portion will knock you on your behind, def shareable with 4+ people! Apparently newish to their menu! Beef sizzling plate with chili and onions my least favorite of the bunch but still good, beef cooked well, has that peppercorn flavor, chilis weren't too spicy at all. Ginger ale - Fizzyyyyyy let's go White rice great with the dishes we ordered Guava mango sorbet nice refreshing desert to our full stomach's before headed out on the rode! Coming back again soon for a bday dinner in the family! If you are reserving for a party, they require a CC on file and if you have no shows you'll be charged $25/pp missing so any changes or cancellations need to be done 24hr in advance! This spot food wise kicks some high end buts over in seaport, yes I'm looking at you Mr.H! Haha great lighting and we was in and out before the dinner rush and booked tables piled in! read more

See all

Fantastic food and fantastic service. Thank you Bernadette for taking such good care of us! read more

Very good Hunan food, cool ambiance, service is quick. Buuuut food is very salty, so be warned.

~First Impressions~ The inside of the restaurant has a lot of character! Some of the tables are weirdly shaped (kind of like a wave of water) but it really gives the room character. The decorations are beautiful and it feels very modern. This is my second time here and both times have been great even after a year or two of missing out. ~The Food~ We had the string bean with eggplant, fish fillet in fiery broth, and grandma's pork. The fish fillet is always a go to dish for me to try at any Chinese restaurant I go to. Although it was a bit milder than I expected and was hoping for a bit spicier, but the fish was soft and plenty of veggies to mix with and eat with rice. The soup is always great on a cold day. The grandma's pork looked unassuming but was delicious. Not too chewy and the scallions and peppers really balanced out the meatiness of the dish. The eggplant and string beans was a strange combo. I felt like the string bean crunch and soft eggplant didn't really go together as textures, but the taste was great. ~The Logistics~ This place can definitely accommodate large parties, especially in that strangely shaped wave table. There are also plenty of seats for smaller parties and I haven't had to wait for a seat yet. The staff is super friendly and will give great recommendations. Definitely coming back! read more

See all

Stopped in to try for a lunch. First visit. The owner or maître d' at entrance asked if my first visit. Single diner, then seats me at small table by good window by kitchen utensils, storage? Many empty other tables with no visitors? And slow late lunch timeframe. Well ordered the ginger scallion chicken lunch special, the num chicken wings appetizer. Rice was an extra charge for a small bowl. Hot and sour or pumpkin soup was included. Well, listened to someone over ware wing , stacking, plates stacking as my seating location... walking back and forth to a hidden behind curtain where looks like staff was back there coming and going with food for their lunch...no ambiance to be had here at this table ? Pumpkin soup was unusual but was good ... I would have made it pumpkin egg drop soup. Entree shows and small in size, was reheated and could tell from the cold taste. It had a nice ginger flavor . I wouldn't reorder as wax not freshly prepared. The wings were very small in size, 6 flats small . These tasted reheated as well. They had a strong flavor and were just ok. Brown rice add on was needed as didn't come with the lunch special. I don't see returning again. Wasn't a 46 dollar lunch with tip and water as beverage. read more

See all

The food was ok, but the portion size was terribly over priced. The dish I ordered only had a few pieces of beef (well less than a quarter pound), but had an overwhelming amount of asparagus. Will not be back as the value is not there. read more

The restaurant décor and service were excellent, but the food flavors were just okay. read more

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen - The fish was called something like Yellow fish, but the flavor of the dish was quite unusual. - Chinese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

In addition to truly delicious and interesting food, the staff is pleasant and efficient. Even on the Fourth of July with a big crowd, we had a lovely dinner. read more

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen... has got to be the best Chinese restaurant in Cambridge/Boston! I'm not sure why I haven't tried going here sooner, but shame on me! Literally A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! We came here for an early casual dinner tonight on the second to last day of Boston's Restaurant Week so we were able to get a table without reservation. We had planned to do their restaurant week dinner menu, however, did not find anything we were super interested in eating on that menu. Decided to order off their regular menu. Here's what we ordered: -Tiger skin pork belly w/. Crispy pickled cabbage -Fish filet in fiery broth -Beef sizzling plate w/ chilis & onions -Ginger ale -Bowl of white rice -Guava mango sorbet dessert OMG, I don't even know where to start... everything was spectacular! Tiger skin pork belly w/. Crispy pickled cabbage was our favorite and what we were served first. It's cooked twice & is quite literally perfect. Very tender and succulent! The fat content in the pork belly, INCREDIBLE! The fish filet in fiery broth had great flavor, spicy but not overwhelming. Probably is the spiciest dish we ordered today. The beef sizzling plate was also lovely! Our "least favorite" but was still good. I would definitely order the pork belly & the fish filet again, both are MUST order dishes! Also, a bowl of white rice is great to pair with all these dishes. The last thing we ordered today, was the guava mango sorbet flute! We were honestly already incredibly full but everything we ordered turned out to be delicious & nothing short of that, so we figured why not try some dessert. The guava mango was tasty, not too sweet and not heavy either. It was a great way to end the meal! Our server, Charlie, was so nice & helpful throughout our entire dining experience. She gave great recs about what to order and was super attentive. Sumiao Hunan Kitchen might just be my new favorite spot to go for Hunan food! Will definitely be back SOON ;) Parking: We were able to find street parking w/o struggle by Takeda! Free parking after 6pm on weekdays. read more

See all

Great food. Surprisingly authentic. When they say spicy it truly is quite spicy! Great ambiance and service Despite I have to admit that food is slightly overpriced. They also somehow charge kitchen appreciation fees that I don't see common read more

See all

tl;dr great modern Asian food with an extensive bar selection. Can't go wrong here for dinner. I went to Sumiao on a Thursday evening without a reservation. I'd been multiple times before with a reservation, and this was my first time sitting at the bar (where we were seated immediately as a party of 3). The ambiance is modern and has its own personality, with several murals and popping colors on all sides. The bar area is also impressive in its own right. We kicked it off with a Flavored Sake Flight, with 2oz pours each of three different types of fruit-flavored sake (yuzu, pear, and strawberry). All were excellent, and at $12, the pricing felt very reasonable. For food, we got the Scallion Pancakes, Sumiao Hot Dry Noodles, Green Pepper mixed with Century Egg, Rustic Fried Tofu, and a side of rice. Each of these dishes were excellent, though I want to highlight the Scallion Pancakes and the Century Egg dishes. The Rustic Fried Tofu and Hot Dry Noodles were great dishes in their own right, but the other dishes were the stars of the show in my book. The Scallion Pancakes' texture is my favorite out of many Boston area restaurants - it's much softer and also lacks an oily sheen when presented, which I've observed with other spots I've been to (including when I try making them at home). The Century Egg dish is by far my favorite dish at Sumiao - I first had century egg in general during a work trip to China, and I was trying to find a spot in Boston that could make it with just the right flavor and texture, and I'm happy to say Sumiao delivered! Throughout the entire process, our waiter was informative and friendly, and the food arrived relatively quickly as well. I'm happy that Sumiao is so close to me in Cambridge - I look forward to returning. read more

See all

Sumiao is one of the best modern Chinese restaurants for Hunan dishes in Cambridge--great for both spice lovers and those who prefer milder dishes. I went with a group of friends and had a fantastic experience not only because of the beautiful decor but especially thanks to our server, David Tang. He was warm, professional, and gave spot-on recommendations like the sizzling lamb and fried tofu. With amazing food, standout service, and a prime location near Kendall/MIT, Sumiao is now my go-to dinner spot when I'm in tech square. A friend of mine who grew up in Hunan also raves about this place and always comes here when she misses home and now I see why! Don't miss out! read more

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen - Fried tofu, mala sauce, soybean sauce, salt, garlic, scallion, red chili oil - Chinese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

After being a regular customer at Sumiao for over five years, this place deserves only a ONE star because of its selfish, unethical, self-interest practice. Ordered multiple dishes through DoorDash. Sumiao ran out of one of the dishes. However, rather than informing the customer or fixing this problem (Sumiao's own mistake for not carrying the item without indicating such on DoorDash), selfish Sumiao simply crosses out the item on the receipt. Thereby, leaving the customer to 1. catch the missing item by themselves; and 2. Go through the problem of contacting and trying to resolve with DoorDash; and 3. Not to mention needing to prove to DoorDash that the customer indeed did not receive the missing item; and 4. More proof is needed to show that the customer did not lie. All these problems could've been easily fixed by Sumiao, who was aware of its own flaw by not carrying the missing item and not indicating of such on the DoorDash menu. However, Sumiao decided to pick the easy route -- minimizing its own effort and energy --and chose the route that allowed it to gain the highest profits (albeit, scheming the system) by getting paid for the missing item withOUT needing to do anything more whatsoever. This is wrong and unethical. Such business is doomed to fail. read more

Service is always great here and food is delicious. You can always adjust the spice level for the entrees you order, but they are known to be a place to get spicy food. Not sure if it's the MSG added (or just some other specific ingredients), but I always don't feel the greatest after eating from here, even though all of the food is tasty. I also regularly get takeout from here and they're always on time and package everything well. read more

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Amazingly authentic Chinese restaurant with upscale seating environment and really thorough menu with all allergies and ingredients marked. Full bar as well. I think it's one of its kind and really unique in Boston - you can't find an alternative for such a restaurant that's fitting for a big group with people in mixed backgrounds and different prior knowledge of Chinese food In other words, well done restaurant management! It shows a lot of thoughts behind the details and clear business objectives/targeted audience My favorite dish was the lamb chops. So tender and flavorful! If I have one critical feedback, that would be some menu items are overpriced, but again the portions are not bad so I still think it's worth it read more

See all

The vibes inside the restaurant were really nice. I did a walk-in without a reservation for two people on a Sunday night, and we were immediately seated. They had a special menu for the lunar new year week - we had the fish. It was good, but I'm not sure if I would order it again, it was a little sweet for me, but overall good experience. read more

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

A needo Chinese restaurant, fancier than most, with a massive menu, Sumaio Hunan Kitchen was a groovy place to celebrate Father's Day. I fell for the Noodles with Dry Chili (not the exact name of the dish, which I can't find on the menu on their web site). I am batty for spicy noodles and gobbled these up in a manner that was a little embarrassing. We also ordered the Rustic Fried Tofu, which was large slabs of tofu with a delectable sauce and green onions. The Egg and Veggie Stir Fried Noodle included pickled beans, which was similar, but different than some odd ingredient that I couldn't figure out in the other noodle dish. As far as Chinese food goes, this place is not cheap, though not overpriced, and as chichi as Chinese food gets. read more

We are gluten and dairy free - they have a LOT of gluten free options and have NO dairy in their kitchen! FOOD IS DELICIOUS! Sake is fabulous! And service is incredibly friendly, but really, FOOD IS DELICIOUS! read more

We had a great lunch at Sumiao. The patio is dog friendly and the server was kind enough to bring our puppy water. Our meal was really good- especially recommend the beef on fire. The service was very friendly and attentive. The menu has a lot of interesting options we are looking forward to trying. Definitely recommend! read more

See all

I ordered a takeout of four dishes. Yellow fish was not fresh. Chilli chicken was dry and not tasty at all. Beef in fire was good and green pepper with egg was good. read more

See all