Eating Your Way Through Chinatown
Boston’s Chinatown is one of my favorite areas of the city. No, it doesn’t have the best shopping, best spas, or even the best food; however, what it does have is the most authentic feel of anywhere in the city. When I want a break from typical Boston life, I’ll head over to Chinatown. I love being immersed in a completely different experience than the typical Beacon Hill yuppy or touristy North End vibes. To me, Chinatown is a refreshing escape.
Chinatown used to be known as the Combat Zone, a seedy adult entertainment area of the city. Prostitution and drug dealing were rampant and unfortunately are still issues. However, with the development of Emerson College, Suffolk University, and the Ritz Carleton on the outskirts of the neighborhood, as well as general gentrification of the area, Chinatown can now be valued and appreciated for the cultural experience it offers.
My friends joke that I am the resource for everything Chinatown. Whenever they have questions on where to get the “best of” in the neighborhood, they come to me. I have yet to let anyone down with my recommendations! Below is a taste of the best of what Chinatown has to offer.
Best Bubble Tea: Dong Khanh is actually a casual Vietnamese eatery which serves the best bubble tea in Chinatown. I normally go to Dong Khanh for Goi Cuon Chay (Vietnamese Summer Rolls with bean sprout, tofu, scallions, and vermicelli) and Canh Chua Tom (Sweet and Sour Soup with shrimp), and take a bubble tea to-go for dessert. Dong Khanh’s bubble teas claim the top spot because they only use the freshest, ripest fruits, and the texture of their boba is perfectly soft without being mushy. They don’t overload it with sugar, ice cream, or condensed milk like most other places do. Go for the mango, papaya, strawberry, or taro varieties!
Best Dim Sum: Winsor Dim Sum Cafe is my favorite dim sum eatery in Chinatown. Rather than women pushing carts, pointing to what you want, and guessing what you’re eating, Winsor’s dim sum is menu-style. Everything is cooked to order and super fresh, which is very important, especially when ordering fried dishes. The service is great and they even know me by name. My favorite items include: Pan Fried Turnip Cake, Steamed Chicken Buns, Sesame Buns with Red Bean Paste, and any variation of their vegetable and chicken dumplings. Winsor is a great place to take out-of-town guests who may be a little weary of dim sum, but be sure to arrive early, as it is small and gets very crowded!
Best Late-Night: Chinatown is notorious for catering to drunken 20-somethings who are seeking a greasy, cheap meal at 3AM on a Saturday night. Plus, you may even find establishments offering “cold tea”; more specifically put, a six-pack of beer placed under your table and tea cups placed on your table to sip your beer from. Chau Chow City, a three floor grandiose restaurant, is the #1 late night destination in Chinatown. It tends to attract Boston’s “bridge and tunnel”crowd who spent the hours beforehand at any number of nightclubs close by, of which I’m not afraid to admit I’ve joined quite a times. Imagine three floors of strangers sitting at communal tables with one another, decked out in their Ed Hardy, fake Louis Vuittons, and Bebe embezzled tanks?! Yup, that is what Chau Chow is all about. I’m happy to say I’ve discovered the gems on the menu which are all available during normal businesses hours, too: Scallion Pancakes, Honey Glazed Jumbo Walnut Shrimp, and Chicken with Ginger and Scallions. What can I say, I still have great taste at 3AM.
Best Sushi: The best sushi can be found at Suishaya, a Korean and Japanese restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. There are two other Japanese eateries in the area, but their sushi does not compare in quality or variety. Suishaya has great luncheon and midnight sushi specials, but I prefer to order a al carte. I highly recommend their simple yet delicious Spicy Tuna Roll, Sun Roll Maki (crab meat, avocado, and tobiko wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber), Caterpillar Maki (eel/cucumber maki and spicy mayonnaise wrapped in grilled eel), and the enormous Godzilla Maki (Alaskan king crab meat avocado, and tempura crumbs and mayo wrapped in grilled eel and topped with assorted tobiko). You’ll find me at Suishaya during for late-night munchies just as often as I’ll go for lunch!
Best Chinese Sponge Cake: The secret to why Chinese Sponge cake is so airy, light, and delicious is that it’s actually steamed rather than baked. The best Chinese Sponge cake by far can be found at the newly refurbished Eldo Cake House, where they offer a large array of sponge cakes, as well as other Chinese pastries and candies. What’s so great about their cake is that they layer it with fresh whipped cream and any number of fresh fruits… and it’s cheap! Eldo Cake House is THE hidden gem in all of Boston to get the most delicious cakes for any occasion. Try their version of Strawberry Shortcake.
Chinatown is such an interesting place to visit, and I strangely feel at home when I am in Chinatown. Perhaps I was Chinese in a past life? Who knows. Regardless, my explorations of Chinatowns is not over- next up, San Francisco!
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COMMENTS
I agree with you about Chinatown, Sara. It’s one of my favorite parts of Boston.
Not to quibble, but the former “Combat Zone” was not Chinatown itself. Rather, it was on the border of Chinatown, specifically on lower Washington and a few intersecting streets. LaGrange Street was probably the epicenter of the Combat Zone’s seediness.
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fantastic post! makes me chinatown and eating chinese food on a regular basis :) i really like dimsum places where you can order off a menu- it makes things a lot easier! there’s a place like that in nyc called “dim sum go go” and it’s great too.