Boston Restaurant Tips by heywinks

Restaurant Name: Penang

PENANG, for Malaysian/Asian food
the interior of the restaurant has a very Asian feel to it and it's always really crowded here. there's usually a wait to get in but it's well worth it! It's an open kitchen style and what's great about that is when they make the roti canai, you can see them actually flipping the dough around (kind of like making a pizza but different).
The price is comparable to other restaurants in Chinatown and averages about $9-10 for an entree.
Open daily 11:30am-11:30pm. Weekends until midnight.

Favorite Dish: I love the roti canai (like nan flat bread dipped in curry), the mango chicken (served in a cut into mango), the buddhist yam pot, and the peanut pancake dessert! Everything is the menu is very good so whatever you order it's going to be great!

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-451-6373 or 6372
Address: 685-691 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111.
Directions: In Chinatown
Website: www.2nite.com/penang/home.htm

Restaurant Name: China Pearl

This is the best dim sum place in boston!
The dim sum carts are pushed around the restaurant and you order what you want from the carts. The price for each dish various but about $1.75-$3 average per dish. A dim sum lunch for two is usually around $25. It gets really really crowded here during lunch time. It's best to go before 11am.

Favorite Dish: I love almost everything on the dim sum menu! tripe, different kinds of dumplings (steamed & fried), clams w/ black bean sauce, fried salted shrimp, the various buns, mango bodine, tapioca pudding w/ coconut milk, etc...

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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (617) 426-4338
Address: 9 Tyler St, Boston, MA (2nd Floor)
Directions: Chinatown
Website: www.2nite.com/chinapearl/home.htm

Restaurant Name: LEGAL SEAFOODS

Legal Seafoods has been around for more than 50 years. They have built an excellent reputation with fresh fish & other kinds of seafood. Their clam chowder is delicious & their raw oysters are amazing! The lobster here is a bit expensive but the taste is good. Everything I`ve ever ordered on their menu has been delicious. I`ve never walked away disappointed.
There is a location at The Prudential on Boylston St. Always a line for lunch (best time to go) so be prepared!

Favorite Dish: Try the baked stuffed schrod w/ mashed potatoes. A basket of mussels. Clam chowder. Soft shell crab sandwich in the summertime.

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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: There are a few locations around the Boston area.
Website: www.legalseafoods.com

Restaurant Name: PHO PASTEUR

Pho Pasteur has excellent Vietnamese food for a good price. There are a few locations in the Boston area (Harvard Squ, Chinatown, Newbury St, Allston/Brighton). The BEST one is the one in Allston/Brighton. It`s always crowded & I see alot of Vietnamese people there (so it`s not just me who thinks this restaurant is great!).
DON`T GO TO THE ONE IN HARVARD SQU! THE SERVICE IS TERRIBLE THERE & THE TASTE IS NOT AS GOOD!!

Favorite Dish: Order fresh or fried spring rolls & pho (noodle soup). The dish of pork chops & rice w/ fish sauce is delicious as well. Also order the durian shake!

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-783-2340
Address: 137 BRIGHTON AVE, ALLSTON, MA 02134
Directions: Take the T (B line-green line) to Harvard Ave. Go past McDonalds until Harvard St meets Brighton Ave. Take a right onto Brighton. It`s across the street w/ a green awning.

Restaurant Name: PEARL VILLA

Pearl Villa is a small restaurant that has delicious seafood. It is my current favorite as alot of the Chinatown restaurants have great seafood dishes. Twin lobsters for $15! Beat that!! Ask what the fish of the day is. Order it steamed with ginger & scallions. You`ll be amazed!


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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-338-8770
Address: 25-27 Tyler St., Boston, MA 02110

Restaurant Name: VINNY TESTA`S

It`s not in the North End, but the food is great here! Great price & LARGE portions (enough to share for 2-3 people!). It gets crowded here & there`s always a wait.
When you finish your meal & the check arrives, your server will come by your table & shake a wine bottle. Your table # & others are inside the bottle. If your table # is the one chosen, then your whole meal is on the house (free!). Good luck!!

Favorite Dish: Try the Farfalle con Pollo (chicken & broccoli over a bed of bow tie pasta). & the Mussels Fra Diavolo. The Fried Calamari is excellent as well.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-262-6699
Address: 867 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115 (in Back Bay)
Directions: There are a few locations in the Boston area. Check their website for more information.
Website: www.vinnytestas.com

Restaurant Name: BIG FISH SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

My family loves to move from restaurant to restaurant in Chinatown & this is our current favorite. Ample seating with mirrors & Chinese wall hangings & paintings on the wall. Large tables with lazy susans (I have a big family!). You definitely know that you are in Chinatown. This place is frequented mostly by Chinese people, but also people of other Asian ethnicities, Caucasians & African-Americans. A decade ago, it was rare to see Caucasians eating in Chinatown, but through the years I think they have realized what a gem this place really is.

Favorite Dish: The menu selection is wonderful & for those of you who are vegetarian you would have no problem finding something you like on the menu. My family usually orders steamed fish (chosen from one of the fish tanks at the entrance so you know it's fresh), a tofu dish, steamed lobster scallions & ginger, seafood & veggies in a bird's nest, stir fried frog (sounds gross but is delicious!!), fried eel, steamed chicken with a ginger & scallion dip, & watercress with garlic. Mmmmm...my mouth is watering already!!!

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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-423-3288
Address: 18-20 Tyler St, Boston, MA 02111
Directions: In Chinatown, across from the center open parking lot (sorry, not free parking).

Restaurant Name: FINALE

If you love dessert, this would be dessert heaven for you. You want chocolate cake?? How about a rich, warm luxurious chocolate cake with a gooey chocolate center that melts in your mouth? Or how about a crispy Bartlett pear tart with spicy cinnamon ice cream? Sounds sinful doesn't it??
These are just two of the selections on the menu. There are many more to choose from.
The prices here are steep but when you see the desserts you know that you came to the right place. This place is upscale (not for kids). You don't just get the chocolate cake. The desserts are an artform, very pretty to look at. And with the open kitchen, you can see just exactly how they make the dessert you ordered. Everything is made to order.
One thing to remember: Come here on an empty stomach. And if you are on a diet, you might want to cheat just this one time.


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Theme: Dessert
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 617-423-3184
Address: 1 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02116
Directions: Behind the Four Seasons Hotel
Website: http://bostonchefs.com/Clients/Finale/rest_page/

Restaurant Name: JUICE BAR

An Asian drink rage for a few years now, fruit juice drinks mixed with tapioca (or pearl) are a delightful dessert or sweet drink. The Juice Bar is very popular among the young Asian crowd. You can choose from many different kinds of flavors to complement the pearls: watermelon, honeydew, red bean, grass jelly, avocado, strawberry, pina colada, banana, the original milk tea, etc. Just don`t try the starfruit one! It`s so sour!!
You can opt to have the drink without the pearls but then you miss out on the fun of sucking up the pearls with the wide straw at the end when you finish drinking up all the juice!!


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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: 44-46 Beach St, 2nd Fl, Boston, MA 02111
Directions: In Chinatown, at the "Grease Pit".