Ohh that looks awesome. Next visit.
We did our part! On a cold sleet-soaked Saturday night, the 4 of us trekked out to Waltham to partake in the good eats. The Mongolian dumplings were consumed and raved about, as was the rest of the food.
Sadly, the restaurant was completely empty for most of the time we were there (6-7:30 on a Saturday, granted terrible weather). A 3-top of what looked like students showed up just before we left and dug into a whole fish. But other than that, very quiet.
The hot tea thermos was a hit- sprouts may have consumed more than their usual amount of caffeine. Or maybe it was the clock change, but we’re paying now.
I loved the hand made noodle dish- chili oil and thick ropy noodles with tons of garlic. Chongqing chicken was excellent, as mentioned above. Pot stickers were nicely crisped on the bottom. Garlic eggplant was a good rendition of the dish. We got a kick out of the walnut shrimp dish, which I’ve mentioned elsewhere I did not realize was a Chinese-American standard- I’ve never seen it anywhere other than Empire Chinese in Portland, ME. (This version was nowhere near as good as Empire’s). What else? The other adult in the room insisted on General Gau’s chicken (it’s a holdover from his midwest upbringing that he can’t let go of. Marriages are based on compromise) and proclaimed it good.
I’d certainly venture here again, especially now that Wang’s which is our usual dumpling fix, rotating with Dumpling House outside Harvard Square, appears to be closed. I hope they can continue to do well.
I also really hope they invest in a proper sign with the actual name of the restaurant so that diners can find them.
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Great report, thanks for posting!! So envious…
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Is Wang’s closed permanently? Last time DH stopped by to get frozen dumplings, they had a sign on the door about kitchen renovations, so we assumed / hoped it was temporary.
The sign threw us for a loop the first time we tried to find it! Traffic was also very light on the three visits we’ve made so far. A proper sign will help, but they may need more than that to survive.
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Sounds like I will have to give them a go! Thanks for this!
There have been posts on a Davis Square facebook page recently to this effect, although I’m not sure it’s hard intel. A big loss, in my opinion.
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I loved the Farmhouse Chicken. A cold appetizer with flavors of the dish you more commonly see called Saliva Chicken - main difference here being that the chicken is cut smaller and without the charactertically taut skin. You can tell a lot of care when into the assembly here, and a terrific toasting job in the szechuan peppercorns. Intoxicating.
On a separate note - this is my first comment/ post here and I’m incredibly grateful to have found anon6418899’s writings and the rest of the great discussion on this forum. I was an active participant in a similar forum back in Chicago and since moving to MA, I had not yet found anything like this. So glad it exists!
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Welcome @Kennyz, we are so glad to have you here! Chicago is certainly a great food city but the Greater Boston area has a lot to offer as well. That Farmhouse Chicken looks amazing!!
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Hello @Kennyz that’s a nice shot on the Farmhouse Chicken. Very observant, you can truly appreciate the skill and care as you say. I mentioned in that other thread that Tao Li and the team will pack it up in a few days for a couple of months, but they will be back, likely in Belmont. That’s not definitive, I just know that is the plan for now.
I did try Beef Jerky, it’s something I don’t see often, I suspect because it’s just one other thing you have to schedule prep for ahead of time. But the results are very satisfying!
I will try to hang out here so long as you know what
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It is a shame (for me) that they are moving - they were so close and the food was great.
The rumor I heard was also moving to Belmont (not that far) into a currently occupied space with hopes of reopening in May under a new name (same kitchen crew).
A lot can happen in business in that timeframe, so I hope that all comes to pass. The rest is theirs to tell as things progress for now. It was fun while it lasted.
That space in walthan has some bad juju it seems.
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Certainly the was most exciting opening for me this year (or late last year) so far.
That space is tough, 4 Sichuan places in a row and this was one of the best New England’s ever seen. A sushi place might go in next. I guess I can let this go since it fell through, but they were considering going into Uncle Cheung’s in Framingham, across the highway from one of the Sichuan Garden’s.
Yea location really is everything in this business.
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DAMN IT. They are so close to me. I don’t want to schlep to Belmont or god forbid Framingham while we are still in the Now Times where I don’t want to eat indoors. I guess I missed the other thread anon6418899 mentioned - do we think I can squeeze in one more local takeaway this week?
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As another Waltham person, I feel the same way. Hopefully they will still deliver to Waltham. Pleasantly surprised, for example, that Xi’an Rougamo #3 does (via Grub Hub).
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Darn, I haven’t even finished my multi visits blog post yet!
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My chicken didn’t thaw fast enough for dinner tonight so I seized the day and massively over-ordered at A Lee 88 (at least 4 things I ordered were unavailable, and I still ended up with all this incredible stuff). All of it was extremely delicious but standouts were the bok choy with fried dace/black bean, the cold eggplant with mashed chili (and garlic), and the sweet-salty radish pickles. Left: spicy beef jerky, eggplant potato & pepper, bok choy stir fried with fried dace in black bean sauce, and sichuan chicken. Top Right: cold dishes - farmhouse chicken, pickled radish, eggplant with mashed chili pepper, pork belly & bamboo in chili sauce. Bottom Right: pan fried potstickers.
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Is location really the issue? Gordon’s is practically next door so there’s plenty of traffic. Perhaps a rent or landlord issue? Might explain why the sign was never updated.
What a spread! That bok choy sounds fabulous!
ETA: Looking at it again on a full-size monitor this time I am struck by all the gorgeous colors, such beautiful food!!
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Wasn’t Hon Dynasty in that space forever and a half ago? Certainly it was nowhere near as good, but I think it lasted as long as it did because it got student business from Brandeis.
An excerpt from a Yelp review of Hon Dynasty:
“It could have been the greasy Hon food or a total coincidence, but that night my uncle’s aorta ruptured in his sleep.”
Hon Dynasty might have been there 10 years or so, not sure, but the demographics of the student population have changed dramatically. Chinese mainlanders might be 30% of the Brandeis population at this point. They can’t eat Chinese American food. But then Americans can’t eat real Chinese food, so it’s a Catch 22. A Lee 88’s main problem was that they weren’t allowed to change the awning/signage and that they launched with no announcements or social media. It was simply empty from November to February.
Anyway I’m there for one last meal now. Double order of Mongolian Shumai garlic cukes wood ear spicy sauce and pickled cabbage fish.
Last service ends 6 pm tomorrow many dishes are gone
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