This was our third time visiting this restaurant with my family, and since it's right here in…read moreSwampscott, we've really grown to enjoy the intimate and cozy atmosphere of the place. One of my favorite touches is that you can always see the chef hustling in the kitchen--it gives the restaurant such a personal and authentic feel. The ambience is lovely, and the staff is consistently attentive and professional. The service has always been excellent. As someone with a background in restaurant management, I do sometimes feel that the restaurant may be slightly overstaffed and could possibly benefit from a little more operational strategy. That being said, it never negatively affects the guest experience--the service is always seamless. We love the variety of the food, the coziness of the space, and the overall experience. I would definitely recommend this restaurant, and we will absolutely keep coming back!

Njord Haven is amazing! I had my doubts before arriving; two vastly different categories of cuisine…read moreon the same menu and somewhat blended? However, I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised with everything we had. The National Dish of Denmark (stegt flæsk) was incredible, the dumplings were jam packed with meat, and the Chinese Churros hit the spot. We came in about 50 minutes before closing and stayed long after, but the service was fantastic the whole time. We were thanked by the owner for coming in and were told that staying late was expected and well welcomed. The restaurant itself is gorgeous and the music was a lot of fun. The restaurant faces the shore, so expect lovely views, especially around the golden hour. Overall, this place is an absolute gem. It's worth the trip from Boston or anywhere within a 50 mile radius, honestly.

Really good food (especially the ShushImi Deluxe). Good and…read morefriendly service in a warm and comfortable atmosphere.

i had a nice little meal on a wednesday evening at chi modern asian cuisine. a friend took me here,…read moreit's easy to miss in the plaza but worth trying! it's very spacious with comfortable, modern decor. alan & rachel provided excellent service all night til closing. i loved their sashimi which was fresh, their edamame was delicious + spicy, and their egg rolls were really good, slightly overcooked. the only thing i wasn't a fan of was their chicken lettuce wraps, they had ground chicken rather than pieces, but their menu is so big so i'll try something else next time. the best mistake ever was delicious, i had two! sashimi 8.5/10 edamame 10/10 egg rolls 8/10 chicken lettuce wraps 2/10 best mistake ever (drink) 10/10 green tea shots 10/10 overall they have so many options, it would be hard to not find something you like here! ambiance 4.5/5 food: 3.6/5 drinks: 5/5 service: 5/5 chi modern asian cuisine: 4.5/5

The ramen was delicious and definitely worth ordering again. The broth was flavorful and filling. I…read morewill say the parts of pork belly was a little tough and chewy but still tasty overall. I recommend getting the yuzu ginger if you're looking for a cider. It has slight ginger aftertaste but still tastes amazing. The server was knowledgeable on what was good and recommended great choices.

Wow this place was a life saver on MLK Day since it was sooo cold lol. This spot is located inside…read moreBambolima which is an Italian spot serving pizza which is a win for us since I got ramen and my daughter order cheese pizza. The service was great and our server was amazing. The ambiance was a little bar feeling with lots of wood tables which I liked. Now let's get to the food.. Pork buns: the pork was cooked perfectly and the bun was nice and soft. The sauce went well everything and it's a great starter dish. Spicy Kimchi Ramen- this consists of pork belly, pickled mushrooms, kimchi and fried garlic. The ramen was really good and had a lot of flavor with just the right amount of spice from the kimchi. Perfect for a cold day! Colonel Sanders Ramen- this had a pork broth with fried chicken and was delicious and moist. Also had corn with Vermont butter which you can taste through the bowl. This dish was the highlight for me and I'll definitely be back again. If you're in Salem, MA and are craving ramen then be sure to give this place a try.

Gem in Danvers right off the highway. Fresh and flavorful sushi (speciality maki rolls were the…read morestar), solid Chinese appetizers, attentive service and cozy space. The restaurant and parking is small but tables turn pretty quickly, even on a Friday night. Drinks and soups were good and the freshly fried cheese wontons were really tasty. We got the sushi deluxe and true love roll which was a nice way to try different bites. Will definitely be back - next time we'll get a few specialty maki rolls, their flavor and texture combos are stellar.

Blu Karma is my favorite restaurant in Danvers! The staff is incredibly friendly and runs a tight…read moreship. The seating situation is pretty small which can mean long waits but the takeout is just as good. When the weather is nice, the outdoor seating is comfortable too. My favorite dishes at Blu Karma are the shrimp chow foon or any of the sushi rolls. I've had a few alcoholic drinks there which have been colorful and yummy. I always look forward to going or getting takeout!

If you find yourself in the Lynn area, call Nightshade and see if you can nab a seat for yourself…read moresolo or a party of 2. I read online that you need advanced reservations to dine, but decided to call and see if they had an opening since I was in nearby Salem. They did, and I had tremendous experience starting around 7pm on a late-August Friday evening. Caveat: October tends to be the busiest month, so advanced reservations are advised. The mantra to enter into the multicourse journey is "Trust the Process" and "Take Your Time." The chef and her team will curate a unique medley of dishes. After familiarizing myself to the "menu map," I knew there were some ingredients (duck tongue and caviar, for example) that I normally wouldn't order ad hoc, so jumped in with a deep breath. This was one of those instances where the risk taken paid off in spades! I opted for the seven-course experience. The staff are knowledgable, food-passionate, attentive, and expert at creating an atmosphere of ease and genuine hospitality. They were quick to refill my water, make sure I had everything I needed, and inquire about my take on the dishes. The pacing overall was solid, and I was intentional about tasting and allowing the mouth feel of each dish to register: this helped my brain clock that the tasting menu left me satiated, despite the 1-to-2 bite portion sizes of a few of the courses. As you can see from my photos (not in chronological order), each dish is a work of art for the eye and the palate. My favorites were the uni brulee and the "dragon's blood" aloe vera gel: the latter was technically a chef's gift (palate cleanser) vs an actual course, but I loved the play on a vibrant childhood icee flavor and the "pop" of the tangy/tart/sweet lime sugar. Actual order: choupique caviar service (chips), grilled coconut sticky rice pop w/pork floss, habotcha squash bot chien, uni brulee, collard greens, garlic noodles with crab cake, "dragon's blood" aloe vera gel, and lemon custard "trifle" (deconstructed lemon merengue pie). Note: if you are sensitive to spicy, certain dishes may not suit you. They include the habotcha squash bot chien and uni brulee, which both have a decent kick. Everything was memorable in delivery, gorgeous presentation, and symphony of flavors. I've been fortunate to enjoy a Michelin-rated prix fixe in Paris, and Nightshade was on par with that meal. I'm already looking forward to my next visit, and will highly recommend to friends for a special meal. Trust me, it's worth it! Bonus: Nightshade is a stone's throw from the Lynn MBTA Station.

We got the 7-course menu…read more Choupique Caviar (7/10): the caviar was good. I do think the eggspuma dip kind of overwhelms the subtle flavor of the caviar, though. I think I'd rather this be a supplement to the tasting menu and have the base option be cheaper. Coconut Sticky Rice Pop (7/10): Decent dish. I liked the sticky rice pop (love coconut milk), but it was little hard to eat. The ratio of sticky rice to meat floss could be a smidge higher. Kabocha Squash bot Chien (7/10): A bit too acidic (really needs a palate cleanser), but still good. Kind of difficult to get a perfect bite, with all the stuff on the plate. Maine Uni Brulee (8.5/10): Umami bomb! So, so delicious. Couldn't even tell it was uni. The sauce was incredible. Collard Greens (6/10): This dish was way too salty. I was also disappointed by the balance of the dish. Too much salt, too much of the garlic sauce. The flavors were good and had promise, but the balance was just all off. Homemade Egg Noodles (6/10): Same thing as above for this dish. The flavors were very promising, but it was just too salty and unbalanced. There also weren't enough noodles to absorb the sauce. Garlic Noodles (9/10): Favorite of the night. These are LOADS better than the homemade egg noodles. So well balanced. Loved the bursts of citrus in the candied lemon. Every bite came with such an amazing aftertaste of crab. Super unique and creative. Salted Chocolate Mousse (6/10): I liked the cognac taste, but this was too salty as well. Not really impressed with the dessert. Tiger Blood (7/10): Decent. not much to say about it. Nice palate cleanser. The service was excellent. The waitstaff really took our feedback seriously. Ambiance is nice, too. My honest review is that $85 is too much for what you get. I understand a lot of that goes towards caviar, but I don't care much for the caviar dish here. With Inkind offers, you can probably get the price down to something more reasonable. If that's the case, then Nightshade is worth a try.

Delicious pad Thai, tom yum dumpling soup and crab rangoon. Good amount of crab. Orders are smaller…read morethan what I'm used too, but good quality overall. Very fresh.

Le Ros is a hidden gem. Found it on my search for a similar Roti Massamam I had in another area…read moreand it didn't disappoint. Flavors are on point here. Food usually comes out pretty quick and they have lunch specials during the week. Everything I I've had has been really good and I think this has become my go to for Thai food. The reason they lost one star is two part - I don't think their drink prices are as good a value as compared to other options and second, last time we went there were a couple of sub-par chicken pieces in my pad Thai. It hasn't happens any of the other times so I'm not going to fault them terribly for it but will update if it happens again. They're pretty consistent with everything and the service is very friendly here. Definitely recommend this place.

Koto is a Salem staple. They have a ton of vegan options that are clearly labeled, and some are…read moresuper unique. For instance, they just added sushi rolls with vegan spam & a pizza bao bun. My go-to is the orange tofu. Their late-nite weekend menu always hits the spot: try the spicy ramen or bulgogi fried rice! Koto also routinely hosts events like a monthly goth night, metal trivia, and 80s night.

I recently went here, after years of not coming to Salem. I used to brag about this restaurant so…read moremuch! They changed their menu (since 2021) and it was not for the better. I used to love their coconut chicken soup, but they no longer have it on the menu. My friends and I ordered the pineapple fried rice. Not only was there no yellow curry powder in the product, the pineapple tasted old and bitter. My chicken wasn't cooked fully, either. The rice literally was sautéd in a wok for about 2-3 minutes and looked very white. I kept trying to spice it up with soy sauce, or red chili oil. It eventually became so inedible that we had to send it back. I so looked forward to this space and this trip was extremely disappointing. I will not be back.

Dumpling Garden deserves 5 stars for a multitude of reasons:…read more- Kind and attentive staff - Large menu with lots of good stuff - Some of the best dumplings in the area - Boba! - Open late (my favorite part) - A charm that cannot be put into writing I love finding dumplings that feel and taste authentic. It can be hard in the north shore but dumpling garden does a great job!

They make the best Cantonese Shumai. I recommend their Braised Beef Noodle Soup 10/10read more

Fighting Fish Thai Cuisine is a small restaurant located in an industrial area near Encore Resort…read more Despite its modest size, the restaurant is cozy and air-conditioned, making it a comfortable place to enjoy a meal even on a hot day. We started with the pork jowls appetizer. They were flavorful on their own, but the accompanying dipping sauce added an extra layer of bold flavor for those who want it. For our main dishes, we ordered the Tom Yum noodle soup with chicken and the Pad See Ew at a medium spice level. Both dishes were delicious and perfectly seasoned. A word of caution: their spice levels are definitely on an authentic Thai or Asian scale. If you're accustomed to typical American spice levels, medium here may feel quite hot. I love spicy food, so the medium level provided a great balance of heat and chili flavor. My husband, however, found it too spicy. The Tum Yum noodle soup featured a rich, savory broth with just the right amount of sourness. While I really enjoyed the dish, I noticed that many of the noodles were broken into shorter strands. We also shared the Thai Chili Fish, which came with two large deep-fried fish fillets and a generous bowl of sweet and savory chili sauce. The sauce reminded me of sweet-and-sour sauce but with a stronger chili kick. The flavors were fantastic, although the presentation could have been better. The host/servers consisted of just two people, but both were friendly and welcoming. The woman serving us was especially funny and entertaining, which added to the overall experience. Overall, I had a great meal and would definitely return whenever I'm in Boston. There are several other dishes on the menu that I'm eager to try.

I've come here several times and had a wonderful meal every time - definitely a hidden gem! Located…read morein an awkward spot, there is plenty of parking and the entrance is pretty clear. Space is small but homey - a little drafty by the door though so if you come during the winter, try to sit away! The menu has a great selection of dishes from appetizers to sharables to entrees. I highly recommend the full fish - fried and delicious. The hot pot soup is also super flavorful and great to split with a friend. Their papaya salad is also EXTREMELY spicy, be warned! Overall, I happily will return to this spot whenever craving Thai food. Good portions, friendly staff, and tasty food!

Love the food Love the restaurant…read more Service is great and prices are reasonable. Gone back 4 times and quality is consistent

Confusing menu spread across 2 menus, with the layout hard to parse. They do have a vegetarian…read moresection of the menu, most of which is vegan by default. I got a vegetable & tofu soup ($8) to start; and a vegetable curry with tofu ($16) as my main, which came with rice--I asked for it to be 4/4 in spiciness. The soup was as boring as could be. Flavourless broth, with maybe a touch of sodium, with a bunch of veggies and steamed tofu. Well, it was healthy--just a pathetically designed dish. Why have this on the menu? Thankfully, the curry was fantastic. Rich curry, adequately spicy--though I wouldn't say 4/4; maybe 2-2.5/4--with lots of depth, copious mixed veggies and deep fried tofu no really liked the inclusion of charged Brussels sprouts, something you don't normally see in Thai food. When I asked for the bill, there was an additional $2 for "tofu & veggies" that I wasn't told about. Rather than argue, I just took it out of the tip. Can't stand when restaurants tack on extra charges without telling you. All in all, very good vegan-friendly Thai.