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Some answers via Twitter
Ugh, those are both awful.
Ugh, those are both awful. Awful. If you were any whiter, you'd be transparent.
Get Shanghai Gate in Allston - they deliver. Also with PostMates, you can get it from Chinatown.
There is more to Chinese food than sweet and sour chicken, pork fried rice, and crab rakoon.
De gustibus and all that
Thank you for highlighting how morally and ethically superior you are. You are truly on a far higher plane than those of us who recognize that Mandarin Gourmet is not "authentic" in your rarified terms, but who might want to go there because it serves comfort food and is the scene of many happy memories with family and friends.
First off mandarin is the shit
And they do have real Chinese food. When I have family staying with us from CHINA guess where we go..... Yup!
To each their own
If you like it, more power to you. So much better places, even for Chinese American food. I'm not the one who got all defensive.
Do your relatives come from China to have General Tso's, like in the old country? Would you take Italian people to the Olive Garden to enjoy endless breadsticks like they do in Sicily?
Come on folks, stop acting like suburban Chinese food or suburban pizza is good.
*cue bunch of whiners talking about how good their suburban food is*
Next thing, you'll see Roxbury and Savin Hill are awesome and up and coming because they have ethiopian food and food trucks and shootings are down from last year.
Lock your doors, use PostMates, and get yourself something from Chinatown.
Does anyone know of a good Italian restaurant I can go to on Yom Kippur, then what movie I can to after? Also, where can I get a good bacon sandwich during Ramadan?
Man, someone critiques these places, and offers alternatives, and you whine and ger defensive. I'm so glad the internet is bred a bunch of spineless thick skins, when they terrorsts come, all the need to do is use some un-PC terms, and throw gluten and peanut butter into the air, and everyone will freak out.
Hi, pot
It's me, kettle.
First, you're right, I shouldn't have been quite so defensive.
We don't really know what the original person was asking for. What's good? To me, good Chinese food on Christmas is partly the food, partly the atmosphere and the people you're with. I'm old enough to remember when the only people who went out for Chinese food on Christmas were my fellow landsmen - and, yes, that involves places with deep booths or maybe one of those giant lazy-susan things with lots and lots of dishes, all of the sort we've been eating forever. The goal really wasn't to experiment and try "authentic" cuisine.
So yes, the answer I might give for "good Chinese food on Christmas" might be different than for "good Chinese food" any other time.
That having been said, there is nothing wrong with somebody who wants food made exactly as they make it in [name your favorite Chinese province that only you and the natives have ever heard of]. If that's what you like, go for it! You be you!
But please don't play all innocent in the insult room here. "If you were any whiter, you'd be transparent." Really? And now you come in and insult random ethnic groups and neighborhoods?
We all know that …
The real time to go for Chinese is on Christmas eve. It's still mostly landsmen and Chinese, and it's always a trip to walk the silent streets in to a bustling Chinese restaurant (with some goyim usurpers). Christmas Day is more of a mixed crowd, but Christmas eve is where it's at. (Then go for a movie, although only a few theaters are open, almost surprisingly the Coolidge is closed; note that movies released on Christmas Day are often playing the night before.) [edited to close tag and show the rest of the comment]
You do you, Adam. Maybe we should have a Jews-of-UHub meetup on Xmas eve. We'll let this Freddie Benson pick the restaurant, and then go elsewhere.
You should not use the
You should not use the italicized word in the last sentence anymore. It's not used as a compliment and it's literal translation is more unkind. It's not cute or funny and when a young person uses it they look very smug and out to lunch. If the situation were reversed people would get very offended. People should stop using words like this to put people it groups, there's just no need.
Can I use words like
waaahmbulance?
Anon told you!
Anon told you!
So when confronted with your
So when confronted with your own bigotry you reply with an even more puerile answer.
No, you don't have a special privilege that allows you to use bigoted language without being called out on it. You would not like it if the situation were reversed, even as a joke as you seem to treat it.
Stop using ethnic slurs and grow up. It's amazing how some people probably believe they are so politically correct but when it comes to their own behavior towards others they don't like to be reminded of it.
American Chinese food is not
American Chinese food is not the Olive Garden, it is its own cuisine deserving of praise without being attacked for not being the same as the food they eat in China. China has many different styles of cuisine within its own borders, it might as well have a few styles outside its borders as well. Americanization does not mean dumbing down for the suburbs, (even if, admittedly, that often happens) it just means different. Not all American Chinese food is Panda Express.
Both Anna's Taqueria and Taco Bell offer highly Americanized versions of burritos, but one is a heck of a lot better than the other.
lol Fred
"If you were any whiter, you'd be transparent."
"I'm not the one who got all defensive."
Right, because you were the one who was offensive.
Gee, way to go off the deep
Gee, way to go off the deep end there, man. All over someone's recommendation of a Chinese restaurant on the internet. I see you have your priorities in life figured out... not.
And...
...because it's open on Christmas. Let's not forget, in our efforts to strive for higher things, that the original request was for something open on Christmas.
Lighten up!
Lighten up!
w/e man, Mandarin Gourmet is
w/e man, Mandarin Gourmet is damn good American Chinese food and they make a decent Singapore Sling. Plus just order in Canto - they are generally happy to make more authentic things if you ask and they have the ingredients.
Shanghai Gate in Allston?? Awful.
Hepingmen Branch: Building 14, Qianmen West Street, Xuanwu District (宣武区前门西大街14号楼) is a quick 14 hour flight from Boston to Beijing. If you go early on the 24th, you will be back by Christmas morning.
Best roasted duck in the WORLD.
Did you just Google chinese
Did you just Google chinese restaurants in China? Or were you comparing Shanghaiese cuisine to regular northern Chinese cuisine in Beijing?
Shanghai Gate is one of the best places in town - if you're getting the Chinese American dishes, I can't speak to that, since I never have.
Sounds like someone is a cranky puss - but then again, we have a word for people who are unhappy during the Xmas season. They're called Jewsish people. You don't see me getting all upset during the High Holidays when I can't get a corned beef on rye, do you?
You guys need to chill. You're the type of person who make the world hate Americans.
I bet you think fettucini alfredo is authentic too, huh?
Aren't you special and precious
*pats head*
Give a man enough rope...
You went full on Herald commenter there, huh buddy? Although you at least backpedalled a bit and took out the Ramadan comment.
Authenticity is a moving target and kind of meaningless. The same Chinese dishes don't share a lot more than a name between different cities in China and there are plenty of chefs there focused on innovation instead of applying some rigid idea of authenticity. Boston and New York have never had the high quality authentic Chinese food you can find in the San Gabriel Valley outside LA (maybe Flushing is changing that today though) but we’ve got lots of delicious stuff to check out regardless. Mellow out and have an egg roll!
"Jewsish" ?
Yeah, you know
like multiple Jews, but not quite. Only Jewsish, not really Jews.
I was being a dick, just like you were.
Except I was joking.
(No subject)
Crab Raccoon?
Not Shanghai Gate
Shanghai Gate is a treasure, no doubt about it. However, they aren't open on Christmas. (As a matter of fact, most of the restaurants in Allston close on Christmas.)
west garden. centre st west
west garden. centre st west roxbury. best chinese food in my eyes
Hmm ...
Not exactly a sit-down place, though, any more than, say 7 Chinese on Grove.
i was figuring for a pick up
i was figuring for a pick up and eat at home. but what ever floats your boat. i dont care for the one on grove. id rather go to asian tai on river st in hyde park
"any food"
Cook in your kitchen.
You are a pill
n/t
Pho Viet
Pho Viet at the Super 87 food court in Allston.
Phone Viet?
First, Phoenix Viet is great, but it's not Chinese. Second, I believe they are closed on Christmas.
Two things
1. The restaurant is called "Pho Viet". That's what it says on its sign.
2. The original post asked for "Chinese food or any food".
Yikes
Sorry about the typos, I didn't even see that I had been sabotaged by autocorrect. Point taken about "any food." Nevertheless, I'm fairly certain that they close for Christmas. At Thanksgiving the only place in the food court that was open was the Sichuan stall that does the ma la pots. I was actually surprised that they had gotten building management to open up for them, because everything else was buttoned up tight.
Same Question
Recommendations needed for the Arlington/Medford/Cambridge region. I've lived in West Medford for a while but rarely eat Chinese. Since I'll be home for Xmas I would be a bad Jew if I didn't go out and make a night of it. What's "The Best"?
Taam China. It's one of the
Taam China. It's one of the few places that serves kosher meat dishes in the area. However, because of that, it may be packed that day and you will want to call ahead.
Oh, please
It's not really a Jewish Christmas unless you're eating full-on trayfe.
Also, it's quite mediocre.
Chilli Garden on Riverside in
Chilli Garden on Riverside in Medford Square: the American-Chinese side of the menu sucks, but the Szechuan side is out of this world, so hot I normally can't hear for 30 minutes after I eat it. In fact, I already confirmed they will be open because that's MY Xmas day dinner!
Love that place!
They are so nice, too. A few years back, on the half days of the nearby middle school, my son and a couple of friends would go there for lunch because it was so nice and quiet and they liked the food. That group grew to about fourteen kids, a couple of whom spoke the same dialect, and the restaurant would serve them ravenous teen-sized portions, bring out extra rice, and also comp them a couple of new dishes to expand their horizons.
In short, they are very much about the cuisine and about introducing people to it.
The best
Any of the Vietnamese places in Fields Corner - way tastier and healthier than chinese.
PREACH!
Thinking outside the cleverly folded white box, well done.
Anh Hong at the corner of Adams & Park St. is a personal favorite. Grilled pork chops over steamed rice, praise the lawd.
plenty of tasty and healthy
plenty of tasty and healthy chinese food out there, even at white bread places. pretty dumb to generalize like that.
Maybe
But for the most part it's general tso's chicken with greasy fried rice - not too tasty or healthy, if you ask me.
Maybe not
I hear most Chinese restaurants serve steamed rice these days.
medford
My GF and her son swear by Chili Garden in Medford...
Zoe's
Zoe's
Wangs Chinese in Magoun Sq.
Wangs Chinese in Magoun Sq.
Arlington / Medford / Cambridge Restaurants
I agree with the recommendation foir Chilli Garden in Medford for Sichuan. Very different than Sichuan Gourmet which is an area favorite of mine, but good in its own way.
In Arlington there’s Szechuan’s Dumpling which doesn’t have much Sichuan about it except for the name. They’re under new ownership and their menu ranges from excellent to mediocre depending on what you get. Despite some duds we’ve gotten enough good dishes from there to warrant going back from time to time. Stay away from the xiao long bao (soup dumplings) – it’s a personal pet peeve that the “homemade” xiao long bao at most area restaurants that gets mentioned in newspaper reviews is the same cheap, lousy, Chinese grocery store frozen dumpling brand.
Less than a mile from there over the Arlington / Lexington line on Mass Ave is Tapei Gourmet which is generally solid for Taiwanese food. Their clientele seems to skew all Chinese and their menu is slowly but steadily expanding and improving. Their “ko cha dish” is stir fried firm tofu, calamari, pork, and black beans and it’s usually salty and delicious over a bowl of white rice. Some of their American style standards are lacking like their lo mein, but there are always better alternatives like their Singapore curried rice noodles.
In North Cambridge, there’s Qingdao Garden on Mass Ave which has decent homemade dumplings and some more authentic northern style dishes. Their serving size tends to be a little smaller but the quality is good. Not a lot of ambiance, but good food.
If you can go a little out of that range to Belmont there is Shangri La (Sichuan Xiao Guan) which is also Taiwanese oriented despite the old name. I’d take this place over all of the above although for dining in it tends to have a wait. Their cold tofu skin and mushroom appetizer is absolutely delicious and they nail a lot of more traditional Chinese dishes like salt and pepper frog legs or the braised ox tail along with American standards.
I guessing with the Christmas recommendation you're probably looking for more comfort food like General's chicken, lo mein, and egg rolls. Most of these places offer at least a little bit of traditional fare, but I don't think they'd steer you wrong for American Chinese classics either.
Dim sum in Chinatown
China Pearl and Hei La Moon are both traditional destinations for Christmas Day dim sum.
Non-Chinese options
FWIW, here are a couple of lists--can't vouch for most of these places and as you might guess, many are attached to hotels.
http://boston.eater.com/maps/boston-restaurants-open-christmas-2015
http://www.bostonchefs.com/holiday/christmas-day-boston-restaurants/
Golden Temple, Brookline
Top shelf American Chinese.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Mary Chung's
Near Central Square, Cambridge. She used to be open at least part of the day on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but that was a long time ago. Certainly good value in a good range of Chinese food.
A couple of suggestions in Malden
FuLoon
Ferry Street Food and Drink (turkey and ham prix fixe dinners, along with a vegetarian option)
Sichuan Gourmet House in Newton Highlands
Bigger place than they used to have. New and clean. Fresh authentic and Americanized Chinese. Only been there three times, but pleasantly impressed each time.
Sunset!
in Allston is open on Christmas. It's never busy and the food is actually really good (nachos with homemade veggie chili are particularly amazing, as are the pastas and the various sandwiches with fresh mozzarella).
One of my favorite memories of that place was one Christmas early in the day when in addition to my family there were about a dozen small groups parking there for much of the day ordering everything in sight (based on eavesdropping, it seemed to be about half Christmas-celebrators and half not), and an older disheveled man with a large bag of what looked to be his worldly possessions, nursing a light beer and staring at his hands. One group asked if he wanted to join them and he turned them down with a grumble and an eyeroll. We quietly asked our server to bring him another beer on our tab. When the server brought it over, the man looked surprised, but started smiling. He looked around thoughtfully every so often at the people in the place, trying to figure it out. We then asked the server to have him order any dinner he wanted. He actually teared up a bit, and ordered dinner. We asked the server to keep his beer filled. When the server brought our check, only one of the man's items was on it. I told the server I wanted to make sure we were covering everything he had. The server told us, oh, yes, don't worry about it, a couple other tables sent him beers, a couple of us bought him beers, he's all taken care of.
Chinese food restaurant where the Chinese go....
Joyful Garden on Soldiers Field Road on Brighton