Allston Eats - Kimchipapi Kitchen and 89℃ Crepe & Ice Cream

It never ceases to amaze me how many great places there are to eat in Allston. The other night we checked out a few new spots in that neighborhood.

Kimchipapi Kitchen has assorted appetizers along with their take on poke bowls. The owner couldn’t have been a nicer guy. He was extremely accommodating to our children, and genuinely interested in our opinion of the food. He was interested to hear about our experiences eating Korean food in the area, and insisted we take the kids for shabu shabu soon (in Allston of course, he is loyal to the hood). Glory bowls are what he calls his (or your) creations. He told us his goal is to incorporate the flavors of the traditional banchan into the bowls. In our opinion he succeeded very well, and all the flavors were bright and fresh. The options for mix ins are a bit broader than other build a bowl places. My kids ate up the fried gyoza and fries. My kids got a big kick out of the bathroom sign and it is still generating conversation days later. All in all, it was an enjoyable, casual and reasonably priced meal. We’ll be back. Seating is limited to about 10 people. I wish Cambridge rents weren’t so out of whack and more places like this could open here.

It was impossible to pass by the Thai rolled ice cream place 2 doors down for desert. The people working at 89℃ Crepe & Ice Cream were equally friendly. At this place it was all about the theater for the kids. I’ve never seen them quite as excited as when they saw the admittedly cool method of making the rolled ice cream. The flavors were nothing special, but I’d take it over other mix in type places. Some of the savory crepe flavor combos did look interesting, perhaps for another visit.

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yes. I have been thinking that once it cools down a bit I need to catch the shuttle over that way from work and hit some places that I haven’t been to. It’s also been too long since I have gone to Yi Soon, which is by far my favorite Chinese bakery around these parts.

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The biggest regret we’ve had moving from Brighton Center to Newton Center, is all the great places in Allston. We really miss Garlic and Lemons, S&I Thai, and many others. We still drive down there occasionally, but it was so easy to walk before.