Anna Ing, Author at Sampan

Tsurutontan is a Japanese udon restaurant chain where the founder opened his first restaurant in Osaka, Japan in 1979. Then, in 1989, the first TsuruTonTan-Noodle Craftsman’s Hospitality restaurant opened up after the founder did extensive research on various styles of udon noodles. Their first international location outside of Japan was opened in 2016 in New York City. Now, they have expanded their locations to include Boston, another Manhattan location, and one in Hawaii. According to their website, the restaurant name […]

Food September 3, 2021 0

Cajun comfort comes to South End: Bootleg Special

High School friends and co-owners Chris Young and Stephen Chan opened their South End eatery Bootleg Special, a southern crawfish joint with a nod to the French Quarter. We went there to check out their dine-in only weekend brunch, available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 2:30pm. Located at the edge of South End by Mass Pike, upon entry you see a large, deep dining room. The setup transports you into a New Orleans-like space with chandeliers and a […]

Café Phinista review

Owners Yeanie Bach and Phi Pham started out with a dream: to share the beauty of Vietnamese coffee with Boston by doing a few area pop ups, before finding their dream home in Fenway last summer to open Café Phinista. A month earlier they also opened a bánh mì shop, Bánh mì oi, in West Roxbury. At Café Phinista, they only use coffee beans in their Vietnamese Coffee from a farm in Vietnam (they are the world’s second largest grower […]

Food August 6, 2021 0

Underdog Hot Chicken

Underdog Hot Chicken (first location with another in Fort Lee, New Jersey) is a recent entry in the former Kim Tofu’s space located in Allston to serve hot chicken. They have a simple menu of three kinds of combos: Hot Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Tenders and the 3 wings and 3 drumsticks all come with one side and a drink. They do have a simple array of sides. They take inspiration from the Nashville Hot chicken which gets their spicy heat […]

Food June 11, 2021 0

Food for Thought: authentic Lao and Thai gem in Lowell

While visiting Lowell, we went to the cozy and casual dining spot Laos Thai Kitchen in downtown Lowell. They do take out and have six tables available for dine in service. We started out with Thai Iced Tea ($3), the classic black tea drink made with sugar, condensed and evaporated milks. Then came the Beef Jerky (Lao marinated beef strips, $8.95) a popular snack and food with refrigeration not widely available in Laos. This sweet and savory jerky version came […]

Food May 21, 2021 0

Tora Ramen

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Tora Ramen 99 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02111 857-233-4860 Last fall while in the pandemic, the team of Kenix Wong and Patrick Zhong who brought Tora Japanese Restaurant to Boston bravely opened their second Chinatown restaurant called Tora Ramen. This new hole in the wall ramen joint sits on the corner of Harrison Avenue and Kneeland Street. COVID-19 protocols were observed but there was limited dine in seating. For starters we got the Tofu in Goma Shoyu $4 which […]

Food May 7, 2021 0

Food for Thought: Noah’s Kitchen is a delightful find in Brookline Village for Sichuan Cuisine

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Noah’s Kitchen 18 Harvard Street Brookline, MA 02445 (617) 383-5848 M-F 11:30-9pm Sa-Sun-12-9pm Takeout and delivery/ Limited indoor dining and RSVP Noah’s Kitchen, with an emphasis on homey, Chinese, mainly Sichuan cuisine, quietly opened last year in the former ChoBee Hoy Realty space in Brookline Village. The restaurant has a mix of East meets West modern and simple décor. Their use of thoughtful touches is seen from their table setting to their use of a traditional metal teapot and […]

Food February 5, 2021 0

Boston’s first Kaisen don restaurant: TORA Japanese restaurant review

Tora Japanese Restaurant in Chinatown is Boston’s first Kaisen don restaurant. Four years ago, Tora (Japanese for tiger) was opened by owners Kenix Wong and Patrick Zhong after three years of research around Japan and training in Hong Kong. The restaurant space is simply decorated in hues of grey, white and black with minimal decor. COVID protocols were strictly adhered to with hand sanitizers, spaced out tables to provide a safe dining experience. Kaisen don means seafood on rice, unlike […]

Food January 8, 2021 0

Food for Thought: Mahaniyom (Thai Tapas Bar)

Mahaniyom, which in Thai stands for “beloved” or “very popular,” is a Thai Tapas Bar that opened up this past winter in Brookline Village, in the old El Centro space. Long time Shojo alum Chompon (Boong) Boonnak and Smuch (Top) Saikamthorn, along with Chef Suparerk (Pao) Thampitak and their team, wanted to bring a “taste of home.” They have introduced delicious and homey Thai foods, served along with creative, handcrafted cocktails. This team brings many years of restaurant experience from […]

Food November 20, 2020 0

Food for Thought: Melodias

Melodias, translated into English, means “melodies.” It is a lovely Colombian restaurant and bar in the Orient Heights neighborhood of East Boston (just steps from the Orient Heights Blue Line T stop). Melodias now serves take out and some limited dine in seating, at the already cozy restaurant. There is a flat screen tv playing Latin music videos in the background. For our drinks, we got the Guanábana, also known as sour sop milk, custard apple, and a blackberry milk, […]

Anna Ing

Sounds of udon at Tsurutontan