A bit late. What’s happening out there?
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No real details about it but there is a new place that recently opened in Waltham - Noodle Hut, on Main street.
I’m not really sure how long it has been there now but I was stuck in traffic and noticed it, plus it has a big grand opening sign hanging so it must have opened recently (I’ve been out of town for a month or so).
There used to be another Asian place there but i can’t remember the name of it. That place had only been around for 3 years or so - I tried to go a few times when it first opened and had such horrible experiences I actually never ate there - so i’m not upset it closed.
But if anyone tries Noodle Hut please let me know! (or if I get there I’ll post too). I am always happy for a new Noodle place - especially going into fall and winter!!! The website initial description made me pause for a second (“offers a wide of authentic Chinese dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken”) but the menu itself has some interesting sounding items, some of which I don’t know what they are . . . anyone know what “Eight Jewel” dishes are? They have several with that description, I’m assuming it is a direct translation - Sweet eight jewel rice or taro, spicy eight jewel (cold dish), spicy eight jewel noodle soup . . . . . . .
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The Hungry I is supposed to be closing this month. Just heard on WCVB last night but cannot find it on their website. According to the reporter, the current chef/owner is looking forward to retirement, and he said that patrons will be “pleasantly surprised” at the new ownership.
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Just read somewhere that Moody’s is opening a fried chicken place and n the previous taco place in Waltham (never understood the hype of fried chicken - from time to time it is OK but…)
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Very interesting find, @Thimes! The Chinese name for this place is Jiang Nan (South of Yangtze), and the menu looks generally Shanghai-ish (Jiangnan cuisine is still a little different from Shanghai cuisine but that’s topic for another day).
Wish they have the Chinese menu so I can tell you exactly what’s what, but I do recommend trying some of the famous Shanghai dishes like Shanghai wonton soup, chilled chicken in wine sauce, or the fish filet with seaweed and see how good of a job they are doing on those. Shanghai-style restaurants in the area have the unfortunate reputation of starting out really good and getting worse as time goes on, so do try them out while they are still new!
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I’ve never heard of Eight Jewel Taro but Eight jewel rice, or what I assume is actually Eight “Treasure” Rice (Ba Bao Fan, 八寶飯) is a well-known Chinese treat for special occasions. See picture and description here.
Since they also described it as sweet, I think that’s what they meant. But I’m also thrown off by iterations that are spicy. The word for treasure sometimes is used to just note a mix of different proteins or ingredients in the dish. For example three treasure rice, is a dish where you get to choose 3 roast meats to pair with your rice. Maybe those dishes are a mixture of 8 ingredients into a dish?
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Thank you both for the suggestions. I’m going to have to give it a try. They also have “three treasure” items on the menu which just makes me more confused.
I did swing in and grabbed a take out menu which has Chinese on it. The place was full of Asian college students, they seemed to all be eating a lot but they are college students … haha
Here is a pic that has the spicy eight treasure cold dish in it. If that helps.
Oh that’s what that is! It’s a stir-fry of eight things in cube forms with spicy black bean sauce and sweet bean sauce; which eight things is more of a chef’s choice, but pork, chicken, bamboo shoots, shrimp/scallop, chestnut/ginko/peanuts tend to be recurring items in a fancy restaurant.
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Sorry, I couldn’t get past the Beef & Triples with Spicy Flavor translation 
That’s the classic cold dish of fuqi fei pian which is often beef offal and tripe in a spicy chili oil and peanuts.
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Seta’s Cafe has closed in Belmont - too bad, I quite liked them
oh too bad!!
Wha . . . just read on Eater that Red Bird in Waltham closed (apparently looking for a bigger space) . . . I know this is my hood, but is this true? How have I not heard or noticed? When did this happen . . . so many questions. (Not that I went there often, but I enjoyed it when I did).
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Thanks to some excellent intel from @Ferrari328 blog (http://thedailylunch-woburn.blogspot.com/2019/09/okipoke-burlington.html), finding myself in Burlington, unfed, at 7:45 tonight I stopped into Okipoke (kitty-corner across the 3rd Avenue rotary from Wegman’s Market Café). It was deserted but I was warmly greeted and my bowl swiftly built. As part of their Grand Opening they are not charging for anything you add and I suspect are also doling out larger portions. I got a double portion of immaculately fresh salmon on well-seasoned sushi rice, with avocado, edamame, cucumber, “sweet onion”, seaweed salad (very good!), and a hefty scoop of tobiko, sprinkled with LOTS of shredded crispy nori. Really a gigantic amount of food for $12 plus tax. There is a TON of salmon under there.
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Keeping Waltham in the news 
Walked past the old Biagio space (Moody Street at the train tracks) and it looks like the folks who opened The Federal (steak place that took over Flank space next to the Market Basket) are opening an Italian place in the space . . . Stazzione di Federale. No idea of opening date, will have to see what happens. I haven’t been to Federal so can’t really predict anything.
Ironically already has a 1 star rating on google . . . LOL, hasn’t even opened.
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