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In the City

Getting to Know Your Neighborhood: Chinatown

Eating, shopping, and hanging out in one of the Hub’s oldest neighborhoods

Located in one of Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods, Chinatown borders the Boston Common, Downtown Crossing, the Massachusetts Turnpike, and the South End. It is the third largest Chinatown in the United States and home to a vibrant Asian community.

The neighborhood was originally a tidal flat. Once that was filled, a succession of Irish, Jewish, Italian, and Syrian families called it home, before the first Chinese immigrants arrived in the 1870s, pitching tents in the area now known as Ping On Alley. The city’s garment manufacturing began there, and some of the old plants have been converted into apartments and condominiums.

Beach Street remains the heart of Chinatown’s bustling business district. The number of dining opportunities is almost overwhelming. Chinatown restaurants were once exclusively Chinese, but you can now find an assortment of other Asian cuisines, including Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese. You can also find small shops that offer everything from live turtles and small statues of Buddha to Chinese herbs and foodstuffs.

Below are some of the area’s highlights.

Chinatown Park
160 Kingston St.

Just outside the Chinatown gate, the neighborhood’s formal entrance, is a small park featuring a giant floor chessboard, bamboo gardens, and a large mural. It’s a quiet place to enjoy a takeout meal, a refuge from the area’s bustling sidewalks. The area used to be a highway exit ramp, but is now part of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, named for the mother of President John F. Kennedy (Hon.’55). The Greenway was created when Boston’s Big Dig construction project moved previously elevated roadways underground, making way for a mile-and-a-half stretch of parks and green space that today winds through Chinatown, the Wharf District, and the North End.

My Thai Vegan Cafe
3 Beach St., second floor

The back stairs leading to My Thai may look somewhat foreboding, but for vegans, or vegan wannabes, the climb is worth it. The menu is extensive, the food inexpensive, and the restaurant has huge windows, an excellent vantage point for viewing the comings and goings on Beach Street below. Try the delectable pad see ew or the cashew nut chicken.

Egg Puffs
42 Beach St.

Situated deep inside a derelict-looking food court, Egg Puffs offers one of the best-kept-secret snacks Chinatown has to offer—a warm, custardy, slightly sweet pastry that resembles a bite-size waffle. The stand is a one-person operation, staffed by an elderly woman who is known simply as the “Egg Puff Lady.” She makes these delicacies using a single electric griddle. Each piece is crunchy on the outside, with a soft, airy interior and a subtle, sweet taste. They’re addicting, and at $4 for one fluffy nosh—or $5 to $7.50 for a flavored version—they’re an easy habit to maintain.

Sakura Sunakku
42 Beach St.

Sakura Sunakku bills itself as a “snackery,” serving up crepes, drinks, and desserts with a Japanese twist. The crepes are beautifully folded into handheld cones. Try the sweet wild berries crepe, filled with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, chopped cookies, strawberry ice cream, and whipped cream, all topped off with a chocolate drizzle. Another must-try is the shaved snow: folds of airy, icy “snow” (frozen milk or yogurt) in flavors such as matcha, strawberry, lychee, and taro, topped with fruit and a variety of other toppings, like popping boba, flavored mochi, and sweetened condensed milk.

5 Spices House
58 Beach St.

If you’re in the mood for some spicy Szechuan cuisine (because why wouldn’t you be), this restaurant, in the heart of Chinatown (they also have a location in Central Square), has you more than covered. The menu consists of traditional/modern flavors and fusions. Lunch specials are priced at $8.50 for one dish and $21.95 for three, each served with daily soup and white or fried rice. For broke college students, you couldn’t ask for a better deal. Get the hot and spicy fish fillet, chicken lo mein, and the dry sauteed string beans (ask for extra garlic) for what will likely be one of the best meals of your life.

Great Taste Bakery & Restaurant
63 Beach St.

Half restaurant, half bakery, Great Taste holds true to its name. Its novel-length menu offers a wide variety of delicious Hong Kong–style dishes at great prices—everything from noodles to rice plates to chicken or beef and even frog dishes. But it’s their dim sum that steals the show. There are no carts in this cozy space. Instead, you check off items from a special dim sum menu, and they come out in stages, fresh and steaming hot. Stop by the bakery next door for an array of delicious desserts (standouts include the egg custard tarts, the cream or lemon roll, the mango cheese chocolate, and the red bean cakes) and bubble tea, available in a variety of flavors.

Wai Wai Restaurant & Ice Cream Shoppe
26 Oxford St., basement

Tucked away in a basement storefront, this hole-in-the-wall is actually one of Chinatown’s hidden gems. With its affordable prices, generous portions, and a variety of mouthwatering dishes (including BBQ pork, roast duck with noodles, and chicken with rice and veggies), Wai Wai is worth the trip to Chinatown. But come prepared: the restaurant is cash and takeout only.

Happy Family Food Market
11 Hudson St.

Seafood fans across the city are drawn to Happy Family Food Market for its fresh fish. You’ll find standard selections like crab, shrimp, and lobster, as well as a good selection of more exotic sea creatures like eel, conch, and razor and surf clams. The market receives new deliveries every day—and it’s all for sale at very reasonable prices.

Shojo
9A Tyler St.

Shojo specializes in Asian American–fusion cuisine that gives traditional Chinese cooking a delicious modern twist. The restaurant prides itself on its ever-changing menu, a mélange of inspired dishes that feature local produce and fresh ingredients. The C-Town Chicken ’N’ Waffles (crafted with Hong Kong egg puffs and fried chicken, with 5-spice butter and syrup) is sure to make your taste buds tingle. Be sure to come hungry and thirsty (the drinks menu boasts a wide variety of sake, soju, shochu, and creative cocktails for those 21-plus).

Shabu-Zen
16 Tyler St.

If you like to add an extra challenge to a meal, try hot-pot style dining, where you cook an assortment of thinly sliced raw meat, fish, and vegetables in your choice of 11 hot broths right at your table. Not sure if you want the beef or the pork? You can cook up both, with your choice of veggies.

163 Vietnamese Sandwiches & Bubble Tea
66 Harrison Ave.

Craving some bubble tea and banh mi? Head to 163 Vietnamese Sandwiches & Bubble Tea, where you can get coconut- or avocado-flavored drinks with or without the gummy tapioca balls at the bottom. Then order up a curry chicken sandwich (which comes with mayo, cucumbers, pickled carrots, daikon, onions, cilantro, and soy or fish sauce) or try the restaurant’s famous BBQ beef sandwich. The prices are great (drinks are $4 and food items range from $5.50 to $12), but be sure to bring cash—the small eatery doesn’t take credit cards.

Nam Bac Hong
75 Harrison Ave.

Just a few minutes from Tufts Medical Center, Nam Bac Hong is a Chinese herb and medicine shop that sells centuries-old treatments for almost any ailment imaginable. The cramped storefront is filled with herbal teas (try the ginger…it cures colds), lotions, potions, and other traditional medicinal methods of healing.

Bao Bao Bakery
84 Harrison Ave.

Fluffy Japanese cheesecake, freshly made puff pastries, matcha mochi, handmade sesame thins, and pork, red bean, and pineapple buns…you’ll find all that and more at Bao Bao Bakery. The shop serves up some of the freshest and most creative Asian-fusion baked goods in Chinatown. Their desserts are (almost) too pretty to eat…one glance at the custom cake section is sure to make your mouth water. Indulge in your choice of a lavender, mango, or thai tea smoothie with a slice of ube strawberry custard cake. You won’t be sorry.

Double Chin
86 Harrison Ave.

Named for sister owners Gloria and Emily Chin, this Asian-fusion café features an array of quirky snacks, entrees, desserts, and drinks. The menu offers some startling twists on both Asian and American dishes: stir-fried shin ramen in a noodle cup; Spam and taro fries served in a Spam can; poutine made with waffle fries topped with kimchi, cheese, sriracha, mayo, scallion, and seaweed seasoning; and the Fish Bowl, a cocktail of soju, blue curacao, lychee, pineapple, and swedish fish served in, yes, a fish bowl. The eatery is a welcome addition to the late-night scene; it’s open from 11:30 am to 4 am on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 11 pm on weekdays. If you come with a group of friends, be sure to try the café’s famous cube toast dessert, a hollowed-out hunk of brioche stuffed with ice cream, candy, mochi, fruit, and other sweets like Pocky sticks, red bean, and granola. It’s perfect for sharing.

Ding Ho
88 Harrison Ave.

One of the cheapest eats anywhere in Boston, Ding Ho’s delicious dishes and generous servings draw a line down the block. The small Chinese food joint has been serving staples like lo mein, curry chicken, pork dumplings, hot and sour soup, Singapore noodles, and fried rice since 1980. For only $4, get a to-go container packed to the brim with a hot entree and side, and for $6 get almost double the portion and another side. The food doesn’t skimp on flavor, either. Ding Ho’s dishes taste robust and authentic, with their value-for-money only adding to the overall experience.

Hayden Building
681–683 Washington St.

Henry Hobson Richardson—the influential architect responsible for Trinity Church in Copley Square—completed this building in 1875, and it’s a must-see for anyone with a passion for architecture. A reflection of the constantly changing neighborhood, the Hayden Building has housed everything from pharmacies to tailor shops to adult movie theaters over the past century. After falling into a state of disrepair, the building has undergone a series of renovations (while still maintaining its historic façade) and is now the site of loft-style apartments, with a wig store on the bottom floor. Richardson, who also designed the State Capitol building in Albany, N.Y., was one of the most influential architects working in 19th-century America.

Pho Pasteur
682 Washington St.

This hidden gem is renowned for its delicious pho, or Vietnamese soup. Beyond its beef, chicken, pork, and seafood pho varieties, the restaurant also serves entrees, including rice dishes, seafood noodle soup, and vegetarian options. The drinks menu even balances the tastes of America with Vietnamese traditions: the restaurant pours not only coffee, tea, and lemonade, but also egg soda and salty plum soda. Try the pho tái (beef noodle soup with rare steak, well-done flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe) and the fried egg rolls. Pho Pasteur is an ideal stop if you find yourself around Boston Common, either for a warming bowl of pho or to try new dishes.

Penang
685 Washington St.

Between its dark wooden interior and bamboo decorations, entering Penang feels like stepping into a traditional Malaysian village. This eatery serves traditional Malaysian cuisine, including nasi goreng, a type of fried rice, and Malaysian-style spare ribs. You’ll even find Malaysia’s national dish, nasi lemak, a combination of coconut rice, chili anchovy curry chicken, and hard-boiled eggs. The extensive menu also includes Thai, American, Singaporean, and Indian dishes, as well as a variety of traditional Malaysian desserts. Try the pulut hitam—black glutinous rice with coconut milk, or chendol, a refreshing mix of green jellies, sweet red bean, shaved ice, and coconut milk—to round off the meal.

Dumpling Café
695 Washington St.

If you’re looking for a luxurious dining experience, don’t go to Dumpling Café. This no-frills restaurant may not have white tablecloths or romantic candlelight, but it does have the best Taiwanese-style dumplings and scallion pancakes anywhere in Chinatown. The wantons are crispy on the outside with a burst of flavor the moment you take a bite. Open daily from 11 am to 2 am, it’s the perfect spot for those looking for a late-night nosh. Check this hidden gem out…it closes late on Fridays and Saturdays and serves scrumptious late-night snacks.

Getting there: Take the Green Line inbound to the Boylston Street stop, turn left out of the station, walk on Tremont Street away from the Boston Common, take a left on Stuart Street (which turns into Kneeland Street), and walk about five minutes until you reach Chinatown, or take the Orange Line to the Chinatown stop.

Click on the points in the map above for more information on the places listed in our guide to the Chinatown area.

This article was updated on March 29, 2024.

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