Prav's Profile
Athan's in Brookline, sadly meh
I don't like their attitude - they make me feel like they're doing me a favor getting and wrapping something up for me.
Authentic Asian Noodle Soup West of Boston?
"No. 1 Noodle House" in Newton Center has laksa which is spicy and coconutty - great on a rainy day.
Fill Belly's - Jamaica Plain - Report
Their twitter feed says they'll be back in June, but who knows.
Chow-worthy in Nonantum?
Antoines has good lobster tails, too (sfogliatelle). The quality of their pastry cream is high; it's flavorful without being too rich or heavy.
After picking one up, it was hard to drive back to my office without sneaking a couple red light nibbles. Came back to my desk with a guilty powdered sugar face.
Chow-worthy in Nonantum?
Steamers seafood (a few steps from Antoines, the Italian pastry shop you mention) sells good seafood, but also makes a quality fried clam plate (and decent chowder), which nicely fulfills a hankering if you live/work out here.
There's also "Nudo Gelateria" across the street a little ways, too, which I've heard is not bad.
Too bad Bobalicious is closed - it was a little Vietnamese boba shop which also served good banh mi and special soups, and it was run by the two lovely sisters.
Moksa - Tender, Spicy, Meaty
I finally got a chance to try this "pan-Asia fusion" place and was pleasantly surprised. My DC and I traditionally have awful luck in restaurants; our presence together somehow seems to stir up the cosmos such that nearly every restaurant meal we've had together has been memorably bad. Not this time! Oddly, Moksa seems to get a fair amount of mediocre reviews in Yelp. Maybe that's the key.
Moksa is nestled away on Mass Ave in Central Square next to the theater. It's a sparsely decorated industrial-looking space, but it doesn't really feel cold the way a lot of modern places do. There's a club in the back.
We ordered various items and split them. The menu is in the form of small plates.
-Beef tongue on a stick. Delightful! This has become my #2 beef tongue preparation, with #1 being the beef tongue listed on the Toraya specials menu. Tender and juicy slabs, the tongue has a cumin-y flavor, and is served atop a drizzle of horseradish sauce.
-Silk Road Meatballs. Lamby, spicy, minty, meatbally-goodness.
-Uiygur Lamb. Definitely a "Must-get" dish. A cereal bowl full of tender chunks of lamb, with such a delightfully spicy (but not too hot) underlying cumin burn, stir fried with veggies and "gnocchi", which were actually the oval discs of rice cake (duk). The duk missed the mark, however, as it was overboiled and gummy. We ended up leaving a big bowl of gummy duk, with most of the meat plucked out with our chopsticks.
-Shao Bing with Red Cooked Pork. Red cooked pork is one of my all-time favorite dishes; this version came in the form of a McGriddle-looking sandwich, panini-pressed complete with slotted grill marks. It was excellent. It had a strong star-anise flavor but it wasn't greasy and adipose like many RCP preparations.
The table next to us reported that they tried many of the grilled skewer items, and reported that the duck breast was their favorite. I'll have to try that, because I certainly will be going back to this place.
Griddler's, West End
Not yet, but the clam chowder dog sounds intriguing - covered in clam strips, and ladled with chowder. Bizarre!
Super 88 Allston
I third (or fourth) the praise of MIXX toppings. No other place that I've ever seen carries lychee and longan (which look almost exactly alike).
And yes, all the spoons, ftw.
It's a fun experience. That's what these kinds of places are about.
Done with Chez Henri
I thought you couldn't order the cubano unless you were at the bar - did they change the policy?
Citra: when you're stuck at the doctors on 850 Boylston
Yep, it's the Brigham & Women's Clinic on Rt 9.
One of the Kind - Super 88 Allston
I've been trying desperately to get that House Special Pork (the one served atop sticky rice and potatoes), but I've gone there 3 (!!) separate times and have been given the cold shoulder (no pun intended). The last time I asked, a couple weeks ago, the lady coldly mumbled about how they "lost the chef"???
Very confused and left wanting this pork dish even more strongly.
DD's Bavarian Cream donut, extinct?
It's huge, extremely clean, open till 11, and the pharmacy and regular staff are excellent. Very friendly, helpful folks, and will call up a back-up cashier to relieve even a small line of customers. I used to live across the street from it, and frequently miss it now that I live in the city near a cramped, rude CVS.
To keep it "chow focused", the restaurant next to it, Green Tea, has pretty good dim sum a-la-carte, on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. :)
DD's Bavarian Cream donut, extinct?
Confirmed sighting at the Newton Highlands DD (Route 9 eastbound, next to the best CVS in the world).
April 2012 Openings & Closings
Good news for Newton office workers - New England Soup Factory in Newton Upper Falls (Needham St) is expanding, and will have rotisserie chickens.
Just heard this from our office manager (from Newton, who's one of those people that's known everyone in town since they were babies, including Marjorie, the founder of NESF).
SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
I wonder if you had a batch that was just made; it always looks mushy and old when I see it in the steam table (@ the Wholefoods in Charles River Plaza).
Potato Freak, Somerville?
Yum! Just tried this place for the first time this weekend.
I brought one to a picnic on the Esplanade this Sunday. It was the "California" one, a cake of shredded potato, stuffed with bits of chopped ham, onion, and mozzarella. Comes with a small side salad.
Nothing spectacular, but pretty tasty. Next time I'll try a different flavor combination, as mine tasted pretty much like hash browns with ham and onion. I'm sure it would be better eaten fresh rather than take-out.
This place (especially the branding) is rather strange. Has anyone tried the other stuff they have, like burritos/quesadillas? Also, what's up with the random chocolate fondue?
DD's Bavarian Cream donut, extinct?
which place are you talking about that has pork buns down the street?
(damn, it's 2:40am and now i want pork buns.)
CRISPY GINGER, SCALLION CHINESE LOBSTER
Stupid question, but what is the best way to eat this dish? I know it generally comes chopped up into pieces - do you just pluck out meat from the shell with chopsticks?
DD's Bavarian Cream donut, extinct?
Was just googling this exact same question. Sadly, I can only find an old Boston globe article about the Weymouth location, that has a sentence saying "It is one of the only three dozen locations in the northeast that makes its own donuts", or something to that effect.
I hope someone can provide a list!
Camies Bakery in Cambridge.. hole in the wall, but good lunch
Not French but Haitian Creole, right?
So-Gross-They're-Good Faves
Man, I used to love the Dhaba. I stopped going a few years ago because of its decline. Anyone been lately, i.e., the past year or so?
Saturday night challenge in Newton: quick dinner options
Sweet Potato Bistro, in Newton Corner, and order some of the "Taiwanese Tapas".
Scampo: A big oily disappointment :(
Re: Roti - I did clear it up with them immediately, and they took the $10 roti off (and charged me the $4). No biggie. They were cool about it.
Re: Bolognese - you're correct, I meant 'chicken' livers. Forgot to mention that the dish was a tad watery (which mirrored Nab's experience with this dish) which was a downer, too.
I should express that, despite my experience (what with it being V-day and all), I would still tell folks to give it a try, based on the overwhelmingly positive things I hear about it when it's running on all cylinders, as they say. I'd be happy to give it another shot, if someone treats. :)
Please help - Just read negative review on Scampo. Should I still go on Saturday night or should I go to Sorrelina?
I agree with libertywharf. Based on what a vast majority of folks say about this restaurant, I actually do recommend going to check it out.. (I wrote the "long winded" review), perhaps on a Fri or Sat when Lydia Shire is in the kitchen. My experience was mine and solely mine, and on a night that is known to be risky when it comes to dining out.
Scampo: A big oily disappointment :(
Yeah, I know, I feel bad that I had to experience the place on a Valentines Day. I'm sure it's great when running on all 8, and Lydia in the kitchen.
