Tried out a new boat noodle place I have been seeing a lot on instagram. It is a small place in the corner of Cambridge and had about twelve tables. I went there on a Thursday night during their soft opening and it was full! But the wait wasn't long and we got our table after like ten minutes at most. Their menu specializes in boat noodles and noodle soups. I got the classic beef boat noodles. It was okay - tastes like regular boat noodle but there wasn't much meat and toppings. Flavor was authentic and strong (a little too strong in my opinion) and portion isn't too big. It is the place if you want a quick authentic thai noodle soup. read more

What A Soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Came in with some of my guys last night to see what the hype is about this place, and we were pleasantly surprised that this yummy little shop met our expectations! Seeing as it was below freezing, with the windchill outside making it all the worse, it made their hot apps and rich warm noodle soup all the more enticing. Despite it being a cozy little restaurant, their staff were also just as warm and friendly as they sat my group to our table. For their apps, what they may lack in quantity, they definitely more than make of up for in quality! The crispy pork slender we got had some really crispy skin that crackled with every bite, but I must say I really enjoyed their pork belly skewers since the fat simply melted in my mouth and it was quite flavorful with each sweet and savory bite. As for their main dishes, I got their beef boat noodle soup with a side order of a giant pork ball as an add-on, which I'd highly suggest! My favorite parts of the noodle soup would probably be how soft and tender the tendons and pork ball were, as well as how rich and soothing the broth felt for me - making it sorta feel like a nice little hug going down my throat on that cold wintery night. All in all, I'd definitely come back for more! read more

What A Soup - Beef boat noodle soup with a giant pork ball as an add-on - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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What a soup indeed! Visiting from the west coast and stumbled on this place. The food was awesome and the service on point.

It's always easy to get a table at What a Soup, a small restaurant tucked away in a nondescript corner of Cambridge. Service is fast and attentive, and food comes out piping hot. Personal favorites from the three times I've been here include: - Pork belly skewers - well marinated and slightly sweet - Boat noodle soup - huge and hefty portion - Khao soi - beautiful presentation and nice flavor read more

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Very solid Thai spot serving more authentic food than most. Not a spot for you typical pad thai or drunken noodles but if you love Tom Yum or Kaprow this is your spot. Service and food is super fast. Enjoyed a lot! read more

What A Soup - Seafood Tom Yum Noodle soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Great neighborhood restaurant! We had the Brothless Noodle Bowl, Shumai, Spring Rolls, Pork Belly entree. Tom Yum Bowl. All prepared perfectly, generous servings and was so delicious! The Thai iced Coffee is amazing. Service is gracious and the restaurant is very clean. Looking forward to visiting again! read more

The Thai Tea Custard got me wanting to try this place and I finally got the chance! The food was AMAZINGGG! The Pork Belly Skewers were sooo JUICY! Thai tea was a 10/10! The Pork Ball Noodle Soup comes with a GIANT pork ball. Their Chili Wonton is very unique, it is served with a whole shrimp and tail on, but super BOMB!! The staff was super nice and we got our food really quickly. I really love the drawings on the walls. Definitely the perfect vibe for lunch and dinner! P.S. Ask the staff what the characters on the wall mean! read more

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We came here for lunch on a Monday. The place was pretty busy, but service was fast and smooth. We waited probably 15 minutes for a table. The interior was pretty with art work. We got What a Signature (boat noodles) , Creamy Tom yum soup, pork belly skewers, Thai Tea Custard Bread, Thai ice Tea, & Pandan drink. The presentation was beautiful on the bowls. The boat noodle was rich & spicy. The Wagyu melted in my mouth. The Tom yum soup was sweet & soup. The pork belly skewers were tender & flavorful. The drinks were refreshing & cold. This tea custard bread was a nice surprise. It was light & sweet. Overall, worth to get out. read more

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A new thai casual ambiance restaurant with friendly service but street parking only. We ordered the pork skewers, crispy pork slender, and giant shumai. Pork skewers and the crispy pork slender was juicy, not over seasoning. Highly recommended. The shumai was average, just meat, nothing special. What a signature was delicious, the wagyu beef just melt in your mouth, just wish there are more slices but the meatball are tasteless. Pork ball noodle soup was okay, the meat ball was huge that can you be full easily just eating the meatball without the noodle. The Thai tea custard for dessert was not too sweet... a nice little after dinner dessert snack. read more

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Super disappointed, ordered the What a Rice for delivery and there was no sauce!! The person who ordered didn't even eat it. Completely unacceptable, this was plain white rice and plain unseasoned meat. Fortunately, we were able to share the boat noodles and brothless noodles so they could eat, and we just mixed the meat into them. The other dishes were fine; not spectacular but at least they had flavor. Wouldn't recommend this place. Such a shame as we live nearby and were really looking forward to having another Thai option. read more

What A Soup - What A Rice - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

All of the food was very flavorful, but felt slightly unbalanced in flavor profile to me. The creamy tom yum was a little too salty to just drink the broth straight, and the pork skewers were a little too sweet for my taste.Like some other reviews, I think the portion sizes are just a little bit small compared to the prices. The inside looked recently renovated, but the seating arrangement made some tables be exposed to the cold winter draft every time the door opened. I think service was ok. I get that they're busy, but they were rushing us to order before we even sat down. They were very clearly not ready to handle a weekend crowd like this, but I hope this will be improved in the future. read more

What A Soup - Creamy Tom Yum Noodle soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

We were headed to another noodle shop that was packed so circled back to What a Soup that we saw on the way. We shared spicy wontons to start that were yummy and modestly spices, soft pork around shrimp. One had the beef boat with tendon that was a rich broth full of Chinese 5 spice and well cooked tendon, slightly sweeter than she wanted but very nice. I had the Tom yum boat that was topped with crispy pork. It too was slightly sweet but I enjoyed it, a rich broth and lots of noodles. Our friend had the basil pork and enjoyed it as well, as her bowl was empty. Prices are modest for the area, $13-19 for a bowl depending on choices. The small omelet bowls looked intriguing and I would try that next time, they ran $6-7. read more

What A Soup - Tom Yum - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Excellent! Love the updated menu. Glad to see that they updated it. Also updated the layout of the restaurant and it is spacious and cozy I ordered the Khao Soi which is new and it was absolutely delicious. The broth was super flavorful and there were plenty of crunch little toppings keeping it nice and refreshing. read more

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What A Soup is a delightful and welcoming restaurant with some of the kindest staff I've ever interacted with. I love the design of the restaurant -- the cartoon mural on the wall and the soup devil branding are very cute. The restaurant was bustling on a Thursday evening, and though we were told it would be a 20-25 minute wait, it ended up being closer to 10 minutes. A big part of the fast turnaround is the fast service! The food came really quickly. I got the chicken noodle soup. I don't like sweet savory things, and I figured it was my best bet at not having a sweet broth. Thankfully, the broth was not sweet at all. It was warm, flavorful, and comforting. The chicken was more tender than I expected. There were a lot of noodles, so the dish was quite filling. I would get this again. I also tried adding in a spoonful of their chili flakes (they have a little set of 4 sauces/spices (chili peppers in vinegar, chili sauce, chili flakes, and fish sauce), and it was potent! Would recommend adding a little bit at a time. My dining partner got the beef boat noodle soup, which I didn't try much of. We were told the broth is cooked for over 12 hours, and my partner said he could tell. He also said the broth was a little bit too sweet, and if the sweetness was dialed down, it would've been perfect. He liked the variety of meats in the soup. We also tried the pork belly skewers. There's a good amount of meat and it's cooked well, and surprisingly didn't feel too fatty. The flavor is reminiscent of lightly caramelized meat, and the sauce is slightly sweet and sour. This wasn't a must-get for me. I would be interested in trying the fried pork and the shrimp and egg next time. Overall, we had a great experience at What A Soup. The staff are knowledgeable and excited about the menu and are very open to feedback from customers, which I really appreciated. I would get the chicken noodle soup again, and would want to try some of the other appetizers and maybe the dry noodles on my next visit. read more

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Great food at a very cheap price. Noodle soups were delicious and large with complex flavors and a nice variety of toppings, the shumai was decent, and we really enjoyed the toast as well. The service was also top notch. Server was super attentive and nice. Overall a great experience. read more

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Delicious Thai noodle soups! Will come again! I'm a fan of the tom yum noodle soup, I liked the beef as well though the broth is slightly on the sweeter side. The pork skewer with a slightly sweet bbq sauce. The desserts were delicious but simple, would still get again. The service was really nice as well. The skewers actually came out raw the first time, but the staff were quick to rectify the situation, providing a new one and removing the item from the bill completely. read more

My partner and I got the beef boat noodle soup, creamy tom yum noodle soup, pandan drink, and Thai tea custard - TASTE: 5/5 - I love hot and sour combos, and the creamy tom yum noodle soup was definitely the star of the show. Sinfully good! The dark soy broth of the beef boat noodle soup was savory and satisfying. The pandan drink hit the spot (wanted to order another lol), as well as the thai tea sauce that came w the custard bread dessert TEXTURE: 4/5 - enjoyed the instant noodles and ground pork in the tom yum noodle soup, and the rice noodles w beef, tendon, and meatballs in the beef boat noodle soup. Both came w bean sprouts and fried wontons for crunch PRICE: 4/5 - our total came out to $60 SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - great portions for lunch w no leftovers to spare SERVICE: 5/5 - we walked in at 11:30am on Sunday, right at opening; we were the first ones seated and the space was almost full by the time we left. The staff was friendly and very attentive, and our food came out 10-15min after ordering ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - loved the eye catching, painted mural and "What a Soup" signage by the kitchen PARKING: 4/5 - got a free street spot on River St read more

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New authentic Thai place in the Cambridge area! I just got back from a trip from Thailand and the taste is so similar! We both got the boat noodle soup (beef and pork) and both are really good read more

What A Soup - Beef boat noodle soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

With the recent cold snap it's been perfect soup weather, so I stopped by to check out this new spot in Cambridge. I had the beef boat noodles, which had a nice variety of meat types and a very generous portion of noodles. Ambience was casual and welcoming. Staff were friendly and noodles came out very fast. read more

What A Soup - Beef boat noodle soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I got the beef boat noodle soup and coconut juice through UberEats. The broth was extremely flavorful but not overly salty. They definitely didn't skimp on the ingredients either. All the meat tasted so good and the tendon and sliced beef was very tender. The coconut drink was also very refreshing and has coconut meat in it too! The food and drink taste great but the way they packaged the food also says a lot about their service. Not only did they pack the soup separately from the other ingredients so the noodles and chip don't get soggy, but they also kept the soup container in a plastic bag to make sure it doesn't have a chance of spilling. Also, they sealed the drink where you insert straws and put the cup in a Chinese takeout container box so that also doesn't spill during delivery. I really appreciated this kind of attention to detail, I will definitely order delivery from here again and will also dine in one day. Can't wait to try their other foods!! read more

What A Soup - Beef boat noodle soup, Coconut juice - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This restaurant is a newer restaurant located in Central Square, Cambridge. It specializes in Thai noodle soups and definitely lives up to it! The ambiance is very cozy and intimate but feels authentic. Service was also great and even had a great conversation with one of the servers! For food, we got Boat Noodle Soup, Tom Yum Soup, Pork Skewers, Toast, Fried Chicken and Gizzard, a rice flan-like dessert, and some drinks. The boat noodle soup had good flavor and was loaded with meat, which I loved, but the noodles were a bit too soft. The tom yum soup balanced sour and savory well and the consistency wasn't too thick. I liked that they used ramen noodles instead of the usual rice noodles. The crispy pork in the tom yum was to die for! The appetizers were overall solid, but wouldn't go out of my way to get them again. The dessert was iffy at first but really grew on me! Not too sweet. Drinks on the other hand were a little too sweet but good flavor. I'm loving that so many new Asian restaurants are opening up in the Cambridge area! Check them out! read more

What A Soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

What a spot! Food, ambiance, and service all a 10/10. The staff was very friendly! My partner and I came on a Sunday afternoon, we found it online and wanted to check it out. We ordered some drinks, appetizers, entree, and dessert all of which were really good! Here is what we ordered: -Pandan Drink (super refreshing, perfect amount of sweetness, would recommend this trying this drink!) - Thai Milk Tea (more orange than some other ones I've tried but nice amount of sweetness and tea flavor) -Pork Belly Skewers (Amazing! Melts in your mouth but a bit crispy on the outside, sauce that is comes with is flavorful and fresh) - Fried Chicken Tendon (Tendon texture may not be for everyone, but if you like it, this is great! Would recommend saving pork belly skewer sauce to try with this as well) - Beef Boat Noodle Soup (very flavorful, not too salty, beef was super tender, melts in your mouth, wonton crisp was really good dipped in the broth) - Creamy Tom Yum Noodle Soup (citrusy, fragrant, , a little spicy, and full of flavor! Pork belly was nice and crispy!) - Thai Tea Custard (bread is nice and toasted and Thai tea dip tastes great even on its own! Perfect amount of sweetness and nice creamy texture) - Coconut Custard (I was very impressed with this one! It has a creamy coconut top and a more chewy jelly like bottom, the texture work together beautifully!) The creamy coconut part could definitely be good as a dip for the bread as well! Will definitely be back! Can't wait for the grand opening! read more

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I ordered the tom yum noodle soup, and my friend got the boat noodle soup. We also got pork belly skewers, and fried chicken and tendon. I thought the boat noodle soup was better than the tom yum. The broth was heartier. The tom yum broth was tangier than I expected. I also didn't really like the ramen noodles in it, I wish they used rice noodles instead. The pork belly was really good too! better than the fried chicken. I'd def come back to try another dish, their menu is pretty big. read more

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Come here for the vibes! What a Soup serves up great authentic flavors in a casual ambiance that feels like you're really grabbing a bite off the street in Thailand. The staff are very attentive, kind, and knowledgeable, and the playlist they had was so well-curated too. Great spot to bring your friends. Simple, unpretentious menu with some fun/out-of-the-box offerings. We got the signature noodles and rice plate to try a bit of both, as well as the pork belly skewers and coconut juice and pandan drink. Drinks were subtle, not too sweet. Skewers were a tasty app to share; sweet with great flavor and fresh dipping sauce. Noodles and rice were not totally to my personal taste, but definitely worth a try. You likely won't find flavors like this anywhere else in Boston. The What A Signature soup was very rich in flavor and creamy, but I thought it was slightly overdone. I would've liked to taste more of the broth than the toppings. Both dishes were very hearty and generous though, so come with a big appetite and expect thick cuts of meat! I'd come again if I'm in the mood for a heavy dinner. read more

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Heard about this place from Eater Boston and it was close to my gym so I decided to try it as my post workout meal. I got there a few minutes after opening (1130am) on a Saturday and there were already customers inside. It's a tiny hole in the wall with not that many tables inside; not sure if they take reservations but I think it'd be pretty hard to sit parties of 6+ unless yall go during opening or be prepared to wait. I ordered the pork belly skewers and beef boat soup (see images). I was raised on Cantonese BBQ pork belly and was expecting something similar but these skewers only had the meat and fat underneath, no skin. Taste was there though and the dipping sauce was a nice sweet addition. The beef boat soup was ~$17 and I've seen others say that the serving size is small, which I agree with, but I think the flavor profile of everything inside the bowl compensates for that. The broth was rich though a little spicy when just drinking it at the end of the meal, decent amount of various beef products (beef balls, sliced beef, and gelatinous beef tendons?), and a large amount of rice noodles. The service was great, server came to check in every once in a while and took my order a few minutes after I sat down. Will definitely come back in the future and hopefully will update this review with some reviews of their dessert! read more

What A Soup - Beef boat soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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We started with the pork belly skewers, which were flavorful but a little but too much fat. Would be perfect if there were a little bit of the charcoal smell to it. The broth from both creamy tom yum and boat noodle is rich, bold and full of aroma. Would come back to try the other dishes read more

What A Soup - The broth from both creamy tom yum and boat noodle is rich, bold and full of aroma. Would come back to try the other dishes - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Don't sleep on this place! The first time I tried this was via Uber eats. I wasn't feeling well and desperately needed some chicken soup. I ended ordering the pork skewer (4 stars) and chicken noodle soup (4.5 stars). Second time was in the restaurant to try their lunch special. It was $21 for a an app (wontons, 4.8 stars), creamy shrimp omelette rice bowl (5 stars) and thai iced tea. Third and not last time was for dinner. I ordered the beef boat noodle soup (4.8 stars)- great combination of meats, delicious broth and perfect noodles. This place is so awesome! And oh yeah, the service is also great! read more

Highly recommend! Came here with my friend on a Sat afternoon lunch - we got the pork belly skewers, creamy tom yum soup, and boat noodle soup. Very flavorful soups, and the pork belly skewers were delicious and very tender. Service was excellent and great ambiance! Not too crowded and very spacious with excellent lighting. Would definitely come back here again! read more

What A Soup - Creamy Tom Yum Noodle soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I just tried the creamy tom yum and the crispy pork belly, as well as the thai iced tea. I didn't think it could get better than the beef boat noodle soup but I think the creamy tom yum is almost better. The sauces with the crispy pork appetizer are amazing. I got the pandan drink again because it is so good. The service here was just as friendly as it was the first time I went. I will be back to get the a5 soup soon! read more

What A Soup - Creamy Tom Yum Noodle soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Ordered the creamy Tom yum soup and pork belly skewers. The pork belly was ok, I liked the dipping sauce. The Tom yum soup could use more sour and spicy flavoring. It was on the sweeter side and a little bland. I would try the boat noodle soup if I return! read more

What A Soup - Creamy Tom Yum Noodle soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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As an Asian, I have high expectations for Asian food and this place certainly exceeded my expectations!!! read more

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Amazing! The food was flavorful and filling and decently priced. The waitstaff were friendly and attentive. The playlist was bopping and had both my mom and I dancing along. Wish we lived in Boston so we could come back again! read more

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I recently had Boat Noodle soup which had the perfect balance of authentic Thai noodle soup (not too salty). The Crispy pork slender was another highlight- the taste was so yummy and easy to bite. I love here. read more

What A Soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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This place is AMAZING!!!! I loved every single item that was ordered. The pork belly skewers are out of this world - whatever marinade they use is so flavorful and addicting. Definitely get the crispy pork slenders if you're feeling something fried. The mini shrimp creamy omelette was so addicting to munch on - I couldn't stop eating it while taking photos of the other items. The "What A Signature" had A5 wagyu in it and it was AMAZINGGGG. The broth was so rich and smelled soooo good. My mouth was watering the entire meal. For dessert, we got the thai tea custard bread and it's was finger licking good. For drinks, I got the thai iced tea and the panda drink - both good options, but thai iced tea will always win me over. The service here was super friendly! read more

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Food: we got the boat beef noodle and the pork ball noodle! They were really good! The Thai tea custard was also really good. It was a good way to end our meal with something not too sweet! Service: they made sure we got everything we needed, they explained what the dishes were and they asked advice on how the dishes could be improved! I loved to see that they were really trying to listen to their customers! Ambiance: the restaurant to pretty small and cozy. But I liked their wall decor. read more

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I had the chicken clear soup. Super yummy. Great vibes! I recommend coming here if you are a soup lover! The crispy pork is my favorite, the crunchiness is addicting! Service is great to very friendly! read more

What A Soup - Crispy pork slender (8) Fried chicken tendon - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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The service was really fast and the food was super yummy. It is baseline slightly spicy which I loved. The seafood tasted fresh. The restaurant is not too loud with their music so you can continue to chat. The bathrooms are clean. read more

What A Soup - Seafood Tom Yum Noodle soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I had the khao soi, which seems to be a new menu item. The flavor was very rich, savory, and had great spice. It comes with a chicken drum stick, which was super tender and falls right off the bone. The thai tea had amazing flavor as well. The servers were very sweet and welcoming. The interior is casual and cozy. I'll definitely be returning to try more of their dishes! read more

What A Soup - Chicken Khao Soi - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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A smallish restaurant is hidden on River Street a few blocks down from Central Square in Cambridge. This is the sister restaurant to What a Chick in Watertown, so I had pretty high expectations coming in. I came here on a Friday night for dinner just as the dinner rush started. We sat down at a table and hung up our jackets on the hooks against the wall towards the back of the restaurant. We were given the menu and I easily decided on the pork ball boat noodle soup. As we were waiting for our food, we noticed the service was quick and efficient. I thoroughly enjoyed this meal from the sweet broth to the soft tender meatballs, and the crunchy pork rinds. The presentation is great with the signature crisp with "What a Soup" imprinted on it as well. We were also offered 10% off our bill for reviewing them on Google. Overall, a great place to check out in Cambridge that'll satisfy your hunger. read more

What A Soup - Noodles Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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This place really reminds me of the boat noodle shops in bangkok. The creamy tom yum noodle is our favorite. Very flavorful and umami. The beef boat noodle soup is also delicious however has a slight bitter after taste. The pork slender is very crispy although a bit too fatty. Service was quick. Will definitely be back to try their other dishes. read more

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