Zoe's Gourmet Chinese Cuisine (2 Dine For Boston)

It took Joel and me a while to discover Zoe’s, even though it’s walking distance from us. I saw a stray Yelp or Chowhound mention of it one day, noticed words like “authentic” and “amazing,” and realized the proximity and potential awesomeness. On our first visit, the Chinese restaurant was nearly empty; a few people picked up takeout orders, but we pretty much had the place to ourselves. This seemed like a bad sign, but on the contrary, we quickly realized that we would become regulars. I can’t believe we didn’t find this place earlier.

On a subsequent visit, several old roommates were in town who had also never realized that Zoe’s existed. We had a fantastic feast, all the while eyeing a very intriguing dish at a nearby table. It appeared to be a gigantic bowl full of chili peppers, and the two diners were scooping broth and something else out of the bowl. We had to know. The waitress told us that it was fish fillet with hot chili sauce, and we made a mental note to try it the next time. It’s on the Sichuan-style portion of the menu, which is full of spicy, authentic Chinese dishes. There is also a similarly spicy Hunan-style portion, as well as a large number of dishes more familiar to American diners.

Read my full "she said" review, along with Joel's "he said" review, at 2 Dine For Boston.

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Chinese New Year Party at Dumpling Cafe (2 Dine For Boston)

For the past two years, I've attended a Chinese New Year party at Dumpling Cafe in Chinatown; this year, Joel got to come along. There were dumplings galore, other tasty treats, and a dancing dragon. The Dumpling Cafe soup dumplings are downright addictive. Check out Joel's recap and my photos of this year's party on 2 Dine For Boston.

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Restaurant Review: Zoe's Gourmet Chinese Cuisine (CBS Boston)

I should already be a regular here. Zoe’s is a mere thirteen-minute walk from my door – less if I take the sketchy Fraggle Rock-painted tunnel from Somerville Avenue – and it is fantastic. I can’t believe it took me so long to try it out. I’d heard that Zoe’s serves fairly authentic Sichuan and Hunan cuisine, two types of Chinese food that tend towards the hot and spicy side, my favorite. Due to its proximity and promise of spiciness, I had a good feeling about it.

When my boyfriend and I walked in late on a Monday night, it was completely empty, which made us a bit uneasy, but it was an odd time for dinner, after all. The location is fairly hidden as well; Zoe’s takes up residence on the stretch of Beacon St. where you can find Petsi Pies, Pho ‘n Rice, and R.F. O’Sullivan’s, probably the busiest part of the neighborhood but still relatively unknown to outsiders.

Read the rest of my article over on CBS Boston.

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Food Truck Review: Momogoose (CBS Boston)

Momogoose is absurdly fast, cheap, and filling. Don’t let the huge line scare you: within seconds of ordering, you’ll be walking away, food in hands. Momogoose, a pan-Asian food truck, is parked closest to the main street in the mega-row of food trucks near the Kendall Square T station in Cambridge, so it tends to draw the biggest crowd of all the trucks, but they certainly know how to handle the hordes. Food trucks like Momogoose are a fun adventure; items are constantly running out, so you have to be a bit flexible – and keep an eye on the daily specials, as those are often the most exciting choices. If a menu item is covered with tape, it’s out. Quick – pick something else.

Momogoose’s service is amazingly friendly, particularly for a team cramped in a blindingly fast- paced, tiny kitchen with no end to the customer line in sight. You will always be greeted by a smile. (And how can you not smile in return? You’re paying less than $6 for a gigantic container of hot food – really enough for a second meal.)

Read the rest of my article over on CBS Boston.

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EventBite: Mumbai Chopstix Preview Party

Tomorrow, Newbury Street is getting a brand new restaurant: Mumbai Chopstix, featuring Chinese/Indian fusion cuisine.  I attended a preview party last week and got to try out a few appetizers, shown in the slideshow below.



The restaurant covers two floors of 254 Newbury St., plus a very nice outdoor patio.  I explored the bottom floor, which was designed with the help of a Feng Shui specialist.  There's a bar down there (which features a large TV that was strangely playing Kitchen Nightmares during the party...interesting juxtaposition.)  It's a small space, but it doesn't seem cramped.  I guess the Feng Shui design works!  The decor is simple and nice, with Buddhas aplenty.

It's hard to judge the food on three simple appetizers that I tried (pork dumplings, vegetable spring rolls, and chicken wings) but they were all enjoyable. The full menu is posted on MenuPages.  Some interesting sounding dishes include Meatball Manchurian (meatballs sauteed in soy-cilantro Manchurian sauce) and Crispy Fried Duck (an "Indian Chinese delicacy" marinated in a blend of indochinese spices.)

It was a fun evening drinking, eating, and chatting with fellow food bloggers Richard (A Passionate Foodie) and Will (The Boston Foodie), and I'm looking forward to trying out the restaurant again soon.

Food in Unusual Places: Rolls Done Right at Beijing Tokyo Sushi Bar

by Benjamin Margolis

For the 50,000 people who work and learn in the techie neighborhood of Kendall Square in Cambridge, there are several places to get a quick lunch. Few places are as quick as Beijing Tokyo, where if you don't have your order in your mind within one second of being asked, they will stare you down and make you feel uncomfortable. It's situated in a food court, connected to the Kendall T-stop and the massive MIT COOP, the bookstore for MIT operated by Barnes and Noble. The restaurant is 80% mall-style Chinese counter with the combos and everything and 20% hidden gem -- the sushi section. In addition to the sushi bar menu, there is a glass counter with colorful rolls, sushi and sashimi that was made "2-3 hours ago," the clerk said in my last 1pm visit. Since they don't keep sushi overnight, there is a discount later in the day, according to Yelp.com reviews. However, the prices during the lunch rush are definitely easy to swallow.

"Is this place okay?" I asked the person next to me in line.

"What do you mean, are you going to die from it?"
"No, it's just unusual to find sushi in a food court."
"I've been here a few times. It's pretty good, actually."

Reassured, I dug in.

For $4.50 on my first visit I had the eel tempura roll. It was delivered in a tightly packed takeout container, with a shiny brown glaze drizzled on top of all of the 8 pieces. The glaze was sweet and tangy, and I feel like it was teriyaki sauce. They also added toasted sesame seeds on top of it, adding visual appeal and crunchiness. Ingredients also included avocado and cucumber which tied everything together nicely. As would be expected with tempura, Japan's delicious style of fried food, if it's chilled, it won't be crispy. So, don't come expecting a crunchy roll. However, do come expecting fresh rice and a yummy flavor combination.

On my second visit, at the tail end of the lunch rush, the food was, as I expected, inexpensive and good. The Rainbow Roll, $8.25, had salmon and yellowtail, red, and white tuna wrapped around the roll. In the center was rice, crab stick, and creamy avocado, like a California roll. Mmm! The fish itself was creamy as well. It was much fresher than I would have imagined from a food court. I really liked the variety, with each piece presenting a different flavor. And, they know how to pull my heartstrings because the pieces were topped with those tiny orange specimens of flying-fish roe.

I learned that good sushi can be had in a food court. I just wish this was a cleaner establishment. They don't wash the tables after people are finished eating, and I didn't see any employees for the actual food court itself. However, it is near where I and thousands of other people spend 8+ hours a day, and it is a great asset to the neighborhood.

Address: 3 Cambridge Center, Cambridge (near Kendall Square t-stop on the Red Line)
Phone: (617) 252-0788
Website: www.beijingtokyomit.com (The information on the website is for their sit-down restaurant nearby on Main St.)