We tried TooHot with some friends this past weekend - new-ish-ly opened near the corner of Eliot and JFK in Harvard Square. It’s downstairs (subterranean) which lends it a cozy vibe, but nicely decorated and bright enough that it doesn’t feel like a basement.
We started with the appetizer duck and mushrooms, both of which were only ok. The mushrooms were advertised as being spicy “in a numbing, peppercorn-infused oil” but were not even faintly spicy, nearly flavorless. The others described the duck as “fine.” This was not an auspicious beginning.
Luckily the next round more than redeemed the kitchen. We had the Steamed Fish with Twin Chili Essence (after seeing our neighbors at the communal table enjoy it, we asked for the name as there were several whole fish dishes on the menu) which was fantastic - so much so that several of us were spooning the sauce over rice long after the fish was picked clean. We also enjoyed the Spicy Green Beans with Stewed Eggplant Strips, the Yibin Fiery Noodles (spicy but not overly so), and - the best dish of the night - Secret Sizzling Squid Tentacles. This last dish had dry-pot style seasoning and was served on a skillet (similar to a fajita serving platter). We again left not a single bite behind.
It was full with a slight wait (just after the Harvard-Brown game) and service was occasionally slow (we had to flag someone down for another round of Tsingtaos, hardly a crisis!). Overall, though, a great spot with a warm vibe.
Capped it off, as we (too?) often do, with a final drink and the oatmeal cookie whoopie pie at the Longfellow. We claim to want to try other spots, but rarely do - their cocktails are always outstanding, the cookie is fun, and the bartenders are excellent. Can’t beat it.
