Boston Restaurant Tips by dinhyen

Boston can't compare with NY when it comes to dining. But it'll impress you with the diversity of dining options. When it comes to food, I like practically anything. But being Vietnamese, I still think of Vietnamese first and foremost. The restaurant we frequent the most is the Pho Pasteur in Brighton; it sits at the corner of Brighton Ave and Harvard St. This area itself is very lively with restaurants, bars, live-music cafes and abounds with college-types from BU just down the street. However, if you don't have a set of wheels, you may opt for the another Pho Pasteur in the chain in Chinatown or the one on Kennedy St in Harvard Square.

One may wonder why a restaurant is named after a 19th-century French scientist. Well, the original Pho Pasteur has always been on Pasteur Street in Saigon's District 1. It's still there now.

Favorite Dish: The chain specializes in the Vietnamese soup, Pho, which can be customized with different types of toppings. Vietnamese people loves soup, of which there are several varieties besides Pho. If you're not into soup, the vermicelli with grilled meat and spring rolls may be another option.

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Restaurant Name: Spinnaker Italia

The entrees here are only so-so, the dessert above average, the cocktails acceptable, the music.. well, let's not go into that. What's good about this place is the view, and it's 360-degree thanks to the revolving floor.

Favorite Dish: The tiramisu

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Theme: Dessert
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Directions: Top floor of the Hyatt Regency on Memorial Drive.

Restaurant Name: Just Pho :)

Pho So 1 (Dorchester)
Pho Hoa (Chinatown and Dorchester)
Pho 2000 (Dorchester)
Pho Pasteur (Chinatown, Brighton, Harvard Square, Newbury St, Stuart St, Atrium Mall)
Pho Pascal (Dorchester)
Pho Que Huong (Brighton)
Dong Khanh (Chinatown)
Saigon Restaurant (Brighton)
Pho Lemongrass (Brookline)
Pho Republique (Boston)


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Theme: Other
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter

Restaurant Name: Penang

The best Malaysian I've had was on a sidewalk foodstand, but that was in Singapore. In Boston, Penang is probably the best Malaysian place. It may also be the only in town. There used to be another restaurant called Banana Leaf but it went out of business years ago. There are two Penang in the chain. The original, also better, and cheaper, is on Washington St in Chinatown. Inside its wooden furniture and decoration try to impart a Malaysian feel. The menu has some Chinese influence, probably due to the ownership. According to my sister, this one is even better than the original Penang in NY. It's certainly better than the Malaysian restaurant, whose name I forget, that I visited in NY's Chinatown.

The newer restaurant in Harvard Sq has glitzier decor, as is the trend for restaurants in that area.


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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Website: http://www.penangboston.com

Restaurant Name: Montien

It seems like you can't walk a few blocks in Boston without running into a Thai restaurant. After Chinese, Thai is probably the second most numerous ethnic Asian offering in Boston. Yet surprisingly, in Chinatown, the Asian food capital of Boston, there's only one Thai restaurant. Right across from the theater district, it tends to be a bit pricier than the others, but if you're in the area and have a craving for pad thai, this is it.

If I remember right, they also have live karaoke late on weekend nights.


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Theme: Other
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter