Double Chin, owned by sisters Emily and Gloria Chin, is a staple restaurant located in the heart of Boston’s Chinatown. Happy to see that it was still a thriving business post-Pandemic, I revisited them to check out their extensive menu, which now features new additions for tasting. Double Chin’s kitchen offers modern Hong Kong cuisine with a twist.
The generously huge plate of Surf N’ Turf, which goes for $26, was a great Chinese appetizer to start with (popular in Cantonese and Taiwanese cuisine). It came chock-full of lightly battered calamari, shrimp, soft shell crab, and salt and pepper pork chops for $26. Everything was crispy, light and had a little heat from a seasoning of red chili seeds and flakes.
Next, the Wonton Noodle Soup, priced at $10, came out as the simple soul food of Hong Kong cooking. The Chin sisters do this classic dish well. The light chicken broth served with the classic pork and shrimp dumplings, vegetables and springy noodles was nourishing and satisfying in its simplicity. Alongside our soup, we experienced The Lobster Skillet Chow fun Mac’n’Cheese, which goes for $16. It was a uniquely cool fusion revelation, and for those with seafood limitations, you can get it without lobster, too! Tiny lobster bits studded the popular Chow Fun noodles (wide rice noodles), which are popular in Hong Kong cuisine. It all paired nicely in the cheesy béchamel sauce, topped by a melted cheese and panko topping, and served in a cast iron pan. It was gobbled up quickly, to say the least.
The Sambal Seafood Fried Rice, also priced at $16, satisfied our curiosity around sambal, which is a popular Southeast Asian sauce of Indonesian origin made with chili peppers, shrimp paste, ginger, and other seasonings that pack it full of umami flavor. This addition elevated what would typically be a plain Chinese fried rice, as opposed to the heavily darkened fried rice found in Chinese American take out places.
Finally, the Black Pepper Lamb, priced at $22, came out with four lamb chops smothered in a popular Cantonese sauce that paired well with lamb, instead of the usual beef, with broccoli stems. Though rather simple in ingredients, its peppercorn-rich flavor beautifully highlighted the tender and juicy meat of the lamb chops.
If you are craving a tasty departure from the typical fare found in Chinatown, then do check out Double Chin! You will be met with a creative and fresh approach to popular Chinese dishes.
Double Chin Modern Asian Restaurant
86 Harrison Ave
Boston MA 02111
617 482 0682
