Willow &amp; Ivy

•$$

Stopped by the Boston location after hearing so much about Uncle Tetsu's famous Japanese…read morecheesecake. There was a short wait since they bake the cheesecakes fresh in batches, but it moved pretty quickly. The Original Japanese Cheesecake was warm, soft, and definitely lived up to its signature "jiggle." It's very different from a traditional cheesecake--much lighter, fluffier, and less sweet, almost like a cross between a soufflé and a sponge cake. If you're expecting a rich New York-style cheesecake, this isn't that. Personally, I enjoyed how light it was, and it didn't leave me feeling overly full. The staff was friendly, and the shop was clean and well organized. My only suggestion would be to have a few more seating options since it's mostly grab-and-go. Overall, it's worth checking out if you're in downtown Boston or curious about Japanese-style cheesecake. I'd come back again and would like to try some of their other pastries next time.

I visited this place on a Sunday morning . When I walked in, there was no staff present and I had…read moreto wait a few minutes before someone came to assist me. I ordered an Ube cheesecake and repeated my order as it seemed there might have been some miscommunication. I was in a bit of a rush due to limited parking and unfortunately didn't check my bag before leaving. When I got home, I realized I had been given a different cheesecake than what I ordered. I decided to keep it rather than return, as going back to Chinatown wasn't convenient at the time. The cheesecake itself was also disappointing in texture and freshness--it felt quite soggy and not as fresh as expected. Overall, the experience did not meet my expectations, and I don't think I would return.

Honey madeleine

See all

Entrance

Bao Bao Bakery & Cafe

4.0(185 reviews)

I was looking for some bakery buns to bring to friends and stumbled on Bao Bao in Chinatown. They…read morehave a nice selection of Chinese buns, pastries, and cake slices. I ended up choosing the red bean & matcha mochi bun, cream puff with mango, and pork sung roll to-go. My favorite has to be the red bean & matcha mochi bun which is super unique as I haven't seen the combination before but it was super yummy with chewy mochi in the middle. The pork sung roll was also pretty good. The cream puff on the other hand was a bit disappointing as the cream tastes a bit artificial and was not the light & fluffy whipped cream filling that I like in cream puffs.

I've gone to this bakery so many times and it's always great!! They have great prices on their…read moreitems and they are so delicious!! The sesame balls are always fantastic, I get them every time. Their Yuzu tea is also my go to and so delicious. I tried the scallion bread this time and it was such a hit, not super oniony and a the bread is a little sweet to balance it out. I would recommend every item in the case from bread to pastry.

Very lychee in flavor. Soft fluffy cake

See all

Lychee mousse cake

CT Sweet Kingdom

3.6(127 reviews)

The Mango Kingdom and Mango Moochi are perfect. They are so refreshing on a summer day or as an…read moreevening sweet treat. The portion size is good and it is reasonably priced. I love coming here! :) #supportlocalbusinesses

Had the Strawberry Coconut Jelly Shaved Ice Dessert and it was truly refreshing and super tasty!! A…read moresweet and Yummy! The place is small but a well kept shop in Chinatown! Easy to find and plenty of places to sit at a table and enjoy ! Lots of choices do next time I go will try the soft Waffle Dessert! It's self service where you order and pick up!

See all

2 Mango Kingdom's, Coffee Ice Cream and Milk Tea Shaved Ice.

One Zo

3.9(89 reviews)

Out of all the boba spots in the area, Onezo has been my go to for my boba cravings. They make…read moretheir own boba so they have unique flavors to choose from. The classic brown sugar boba can't go wrong with any drink option. But a strong recommendation from me is the black sesame pearls. It isn't too sweet and it provides a nice toasty flavor of the black sesame that makes a drink especially yummy. They are consistent with their drinks and I haven't been disappointed in a drink I've gotten. Their Hong Kong milk tea is one of their signature drinks and it is a strong tea flavor that isn't sweetened unless you add boba to it. The interior is bright and clean with a couple of tables to sit at. They're never super busy since the drinks are made so quickly. I haven't tried the desserts here just yet but I've heard good things so far.

Came here for a snack. Small place with a couple of seats and table. We ordered two desserts and a…read moredrink. The drink was really sweet dessert was okay. We definitely have had better. The mangos were a little too sour for our liking. They made us the wrong dessert at first so they had to make us a new one. They were nice enough to let us keep the mistake to try. The mochi balls had a nice chew to them. Decent dessert place but not the best.

Seating area

Pick up station

See all

Drink menu

Corner Cafe Bakery

4.1(124 reviews)

Solid egg tarts, but remember to bring cash because there's a minimum for credit card. Can never go…read morewrong. I've never tried any of their other items though I would assume they are reliable and delicious as well.

I was craving a pork bun and I happened to be right next to this store so I went in. This FIRE…read morebread was super fluffy and filling ratio was good! Would recommend Service was fast and there were two people available to check out. There is a 10 dollar minimum for a card purchase though so unless you are going to buy 5+ breads, I would bring cash!

Cafe Corner on Harrison

Outside

See all

Tora Japanese Restaurant

4.4(954 reviews)

•$$

I came here on my last trip to Boston and liked it so much that I knew I had to come back again!…read more Tora Japanese is located in Chinatown--in the basement area of one of the buildings, so seating is pretty limited. I came for lunch with two friends, and they didn't have a table for three, but the hostess was able to quickly accommodate us by rearranging another party that just sat down, and we were able to get some seats at the bar. Service was really fast and friendly throughout our dining experience. I ordered the sake don from the lunch menu, which came with a good-sized portion of rice topped with salmon sashimi and a side of miso soup. Definitely a great spot for a quick and affordable lunch in Chinatown!

Saw this on Google Maps and was so impressed at how quickly we got seated and food came out, but…read morealso the fresheners of fish! It seems like a very popular spot, so be prepared to wait. There are so many variations of the Don, great quality and price. Saving this place for future Boston visits!

Inside!

K11. Sake Maguro Hamachi Don

See all

LR2 Lunch menu

Tea Do - Boston

3.9(773 reviews)

Walked in this morning placed our order for 4 drinks got the green apple smoothie, taro dragon,…read morejasmine tea all great drinks service were quick and efficient. There were 3 super great looking Asian females doing a great job during a busy time in a professional manner. The ambience in the place was great music low light great place to chill. Need to stop by plenty to chose from lots of great tasty choices of drinks I can see why people keep returning but definitely always a large why not. Just try it. Great job ladies you ladies did great keep it up and smile !!! See you soon!!! Btw no pics drinks didn't last lol

What a fun and funky place to randomly walk into! I waltzed in to Tea Do to find it absolutely…read morepacked (I'm sure a large portion of the patronage was due to the fact that it was Pride, but from what I've read this location is typically pretty busy regardless)! They have three tablet kiosks for self-ordering, and it's an intuitive UI, so the process was simple. Once I made my decision from their extensive list of options and combinations, it took me maybe 2 minutes from start to finish to build and submit my order. I ordered a large taro milk tea and it was everything I had hoped for. Flavorful, not too sweet, and the tapioca was a wonderful consistency. My only thing was that it was so busy and loud that the staff were unable to continuously call out when orders were complete, or you couldn't hear them. I eventually went up to the bar, noticed my drink had been sitting a few minutes, yelled over, "This is mine, thanks!!" Smiled, and then grabbed it. Beyond that? It was absolutely a great experience.

Inside

*.Fresh Avocado Smoothie & *.Oolong Milk Tea

See all

*.Juliet and *.Tropical Twister (both Large, less sugar and less ice adding boba)

Taiwan Bakery

3.9(40 reviews)

So many bakeries on this street...which one to try? Located beside more old school Ho Yuen that…read moreI'll have to try next, Taiwan Bakery has an inviting feel. Walk up the stairs and the cases show off their pre-wrapped buns and other goodies. The cashier has a gruff about her that's not as inviting. The coconut butter bun was lacking than the more usual coconut bun with filling. The Portuguese eggs tarts were luciously soft and creamy not too sweet, and the regular egg tarts good. Good bakery overall but not earth shattering with a decent selection. Enjoy!

Got myself a HUGEEE steamed pork bun. It was around 4 dollars, which is a steal. It was pretty…read moregood, but the bun to filling ratio made me sad. It was like 3/4 bun 1/4 filling... The bread kept being stocked and it felt like I was in a corporate bakery not a local one. But prices were fair and system was efficient. There is a minimum 10 dollar purchase to pay with credit card. Otherwise it is cash only! Also they don't have pennies. Pretty cozy inside but no room to eat!

Cake slices

See all

Cafe Darq

4.2(134 reviews)

amazing customer service from ann and wen the best ever. this is the most life changing drink ive…read moreever had.

I've visited this cafe a few times and everything I've ordered was delicious and refreshing! I've…read moretried the matcha latte (very rich and flavorful), the Vietnamese coffee (both iced and hot, and they come with a little Biscoff cookie!), and the coppa pistachio (smooth and creamy, and you get to keep the little glass of your like!). Everything has been a big hit, not a single miss in sight! Service is always friendly and accommodating. The offered seating is nice and offers a little break from walking around. This has got to be my new favorite spot for a little tea or latte.

Interior

Smoked Salmon Banh Mi w/ Truffle Aioli

See all

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Top Bread

3.8(153 reviews)

•$$

I'm quite curious about the relationship between the three bakeries in Chinatown…read more(Corner/Top/Taiwan). Although their names seem to have nothing to do with each other, they share paper bags and some products. Are they sister shops run by the same team? Egg Tart蛋撻: Since there was no insulated box, it was cold, which is a shame compared to Corner Cafe. The egg and milk aromas were masked, but there was a slight eggy smell. Portuguese Egg Tart葡撻: Although it was also cold, I preferred the baking. It had a thin crust, and the filling was still smooth and delicate, with a richer egg, milk, and sweet flavor. Butter Bun奶香包: The best product, but I forgot to take a picture... I unexpectedly encountered "Little Swell bread微波麵包," something that has disappeared in China for a long time. It was exactly the soft and moist texture I remembered, and the milk, butter, and salt flavors were even stronger.

Solid bakery in Boston's Chinatown. Would rate it a 3.5. Everything is individually packaged so…read moreit's nice being able to try a selection of pastries. They've gotten expensive over the years (now it's about $4-5 for a bun) and the quality can be hit or miss. Some things are fantastic such as their milk bread loaves or taro buns. Other items are just okay such as their raisin coconut bread & bolo baos. Those tend to be dry & flavorless. Like many other Chinatown businesses they require a $10 minimum to pay with card, so definitely more convenient to bring cash.