Buttoned-down suburb of Boston sees an explosion of Chinese, Japanese and Korean food, shopping spots
For Asian international students like Nikki Song, Newbury Street used to be her go-to spot to hang out.
“It was our only option,” said Song, a Chinese international student studying at Northeastern.
But then she discovered an unlikely alternative: Brookline, a town once mainly viewed as a quiet and stodgy suburb with dining options that mostly included family restaurants, a couple of Irish bars and a few old-fashioned Chinese restaurants.
In recent years, however, the town has seen an explosion in mostly upscale and trendy Chinese, Korean and Japanese restaurants and several Asian sweets and grocery shops, which could never quite gain traction in the past.
“It has more decent Asian restaurants and charming stores to explore,” said Song. “Plus, it’s close to campus.”
The Asian shop and dining scene is divided into two main hubs: First is the St. Mary’s MBTA stop area, where H Mart serves as an anchor, surrounded by acclaimed chain restaurants including Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ, Kyuramen, and Kyo Matcha. Also next door is Japonaise Bakery, a family-owned Japanese bakery established in 1991, which recently reopened after renovations in 2023, adding to the area’s legacy businesses. The second hub, Coolidge Corner, features on both sides of Harvard Street, Maruichi, a traditional Japanese market and restaurant complex, known for its distinctive tatami dining areas, teas and imported foods. The town has in the past few years also attracted a diverse array of Asian eateries, including Kungfu Kitchen, Maguro, Mochinut, Lan Feast and, inside the historic Arcade Building, Ganko Ittetsu Ramen, which prepares Sapporo-style ramen. That’s on top of other legacy places, such as Fugakyu on Beacon Street, a new novelty shop Tee Hee and, further up Beacon, spots like Royaltea and Oasit’s Sweet.
For many students, the town is easy to reach, too — close to several universities like Northeastern, Boston College and Boston University, and accessible by the Green Line trolley and the Route 66 bus.
But unlike most of Boston’s traditional Asian clusters in Allston, Quincy, and Chinatown, Brookline’s emerging Asian district presents a more upscale, fusion-oriented character, exemplified by places such as Lan Feast. Lan Feast on Harvard Street bills itself as an authentic full-service restaurant and bar specializing in Lanzhou hand-pulled beef noodle soup.
“During winter, I often miss the beef noodles from my hometown,” said Zoey Chen, an international student from Lanzhou, China. “This new restaurant is quite authentic—you can even choose the thickness of the noodles. The decor is modern, and the customer base is really diverse. I spotted quite a few Western customers, which feels pretty unique.”
The owner of Lan Feast, Peng Jia, said she chose to open her first restaurant in the town because of the bustling location and “friendly” community. She also said the town is less competitive than Quincy or Chinatown for a new Chinese restaurant to succeed.
“I love this area,” said Jia, who also owns Teazzi Tea Shop in Chinatown and MoreFun toy store in Chinatown and Newbury Street.
The Brookline Chamber of Commerce keeps no specific data on the number of Asian restaurants and shops that have opened and not all of the businesses are members, according to executive director, Christopher Mutty. But, the trend is apparent, he said, with new places popping up more and more and with some new ones on the way.
“I do agree there has been significant growth in Asian-themed or -inspired restaurants and shops,” Mutty told the Sampan by email recently. “Specifically, we’ve added several grocery stores including H Mart, Maruichi, and a new Japanese market, which is likely being approved soon.”
He added that Asian-owned businesses are in general under-represented in the Chamber membership.
“I hope to change that over the course of the next year,” he added.
Demographics are key to this transformation that’s been underway. With Massachusetts’ largest Japanese community — and a Chinese and Korean church – Brookline offers diversity that is reflected in its business landscape.
“Brookline’s Asian population is close to 20%, so it makes sense that we’d see steady growth in these businesses,” noted Mutty.
Sarah Park, a local food blogger who lives near Coolidge Corner, said the area, “bridges cultures.”
“You’ll see servers and customers from all backgrounds enjoying and learning about Asian cuisine. It’s really becoming a cultural exchange through food,” said Park.
And the rapid pace of change shows no signs of slowing.
“There were limited spots to discover seven years ago when I first came here ,” said Jerry Wang, who studied and worked in the community for a decade. “Now I have friends who come to the area and hang out for the whole day. The neighborhood’s evolution has been remarkable.”
-Adam Smith contributed to this story.
(This story was updated on Feb. 6 to reflect what will be in the print version of Sampan)
