Local Chinese Kitchens

A preliminary report from Ken Winston

Since moving to the Esplanade (and Cambridge) four and a half years ago, I have indulged shamelessly, if intermittently, in one of my favorite pastimes – exploring local eating establishments, especially for lunch.  This report is a brief and preliminary review of four Chinese restaurants in Cambridge, two nearby and two that involve a bit of a walk.

The newest addition to Kendall Square – and nearest to the Esplanade – is Sumiao Hunan Kitchen which opened about a year ago, on the corner of Third Street and Binney Street.  The owner, Sumiao Chen, was born and raised in Hunan province in China.  She made a career as a research scientist in pharmaceuticals but has had long-standing aspirations as a restaurateur.  This restaurant is her effort to bring Hunan cuisine to our area, with an emphasis on healthy, seasonal ingredients.

If it makes a difference to your regard for a restaurant, you’ll want to know that, when Jeff Bezos was in town recently, he ate at Sumiao, ordering the House Crispy Duck (presumably at the recommendation of the chef).  Dishes that I have had at lunchtime include Lava Fish, Beef on Fire, and Grandma’s Pork.  As these names suggest, most dishes at Sumiao are spicy, although not all.  So, eating at Sumiao is partly a culinary decision and partly political.  The revered leader Mao Zidong, who was also born in Hunan province, famously said: “If you don’t eat red peppers, you’re not a revolutionary.”

The non-revolutionaries among us might be more interested in Mu Lan Taiwanese Restaurant, on Broadway about half way between Kendall Square and Central Square. Most dishes at Mu Lan are for a milder palate “doled out,” as it says on the website, “in bright, modest quarters.” Perhaps that’s an understatement because the bright, modest quarters are very pleasant indeed.  One feature I particularly like is that, when you are seated, your table is quickly provided with small plates of pickled cabbage and salted peanuts, to munch on while you peruse the menu.

Although Taiwanese, Mu Lan offers a number of dishes marked on the menu with a pepper, to indicate a bit of heat.  In almost all cases, however, the dishes are mild.  The one exception in my experience is diced chicken with spicy sauce, which was more fiery than anything I’ve had at Sumiao.  One of my favorite dishes at Mu Lan is steamed dumplings, for example pork with leak, which are mild and flavorful.  (Alert: cash is required at Mu Lan for bills under $20.)

Returning to the Mainland: one Red Line stop away (and a pleasant walk on a nice day) is Shanghai Fresh on Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square.  Chef Ben Gu worked initially at a Shanghai hotel but moved to this country to try his hand at something of his own.  Like Mu Lan, Shanghai Fresh draws a largely Chinese crowd, but its décor is plainer – no tablecloths, wiry chairs.  It’s also modest, one might say, and less bright. However,  it has a very attractive menu, in fact several menus – besides the lunch combo plates, there are always seasonal specials, and on weekends a special brunch menu.

Although I’ve ordered lunch combos at Shanghai Fresh, I prefer items from the main menu, such as spicy chicken with peas and asparagus and Yu Xiang shredded pork, bamboo shoots, and wood ears with steamed buns.  Just listing these dishes makes me want to return.

Still more distant, and with a less defined cuisine, is Changsho on Massachusetts Avenue between Harvard Square and Porter Square.  Changsho is a longtime fixture in Cambridge (in the 1970s it was known as Wong Foon), and unfortunately its age is evident in the old-fashioned appearance and tired dinner menu.  I mention it, however, because it has an outstanding weekday lunch buffet, accompanied by an excellent hot-and-sour soup.  The usual selections include pan-fried dumplings, salt-and-pepper squid, spicy long beans, as well as many other dishes.  The buffet makes Changsho a natural attraction to the Harvard Law School crowd – faculty and students – just a few blocks away.  So, it’s a good place to go for eavesdropping on the latest arguments for and against impeaching the president.

Many new restaurants today, at least in the Boston area, seem to believe that an energetic level of noise is crucial to success. But noise is not an issue at any of these four.  In terms of food, which is what matters, all are reliable (at least for lunch), although not spectacular.  The one possible exception is Sumiao, but I want to reserve judgment since I haven’t yet tried the Crispy Duck.  None of them, in my view, is a match for, say, Myers+Chang on Washington Street in the South End, which is more creative.  But Myers+Chang is far away, and these local restaurants are, well, local (and solid). Of course, there are a number of other Chinese restaurants in Cambridge which I’m not familiar with.  If you’re aware of local restaurants that ought to be on my list of places to try, I would welcome your suggestions.