Alternative to Wang's for tomorrow? Other good Chinese open on Tuesday?

[Dave MP]

I'll be in Boston area tomorrow (Tuesday), and I was hoping to eat at Wang's Fast Food with some friends, but they are closed on Tuesdays. Qingdao Garden in Cambridge is also closed, and so is Shanghai Gate in Allston. Grrr.

I can't figure out of Shangri-La in Belmont is open on Tuesdays or not.

I was hoping to eat at one of these old favorites of mine, but are there other places I'm forgetting about? Would rather not have to go to Chinatown, but it looks like maybe I'll have to if I want good Chinese (non-Cantonese)?

I am living in London now, so I'm trying to pick somewhere that is different than what I find there. Vietnamese would be a good option, are there good places in Cambridge or Allston? I forget. Again, I'd rather not venture into Chinatown or Dorchester, since I'll mostly be in the Watertown/Somerville/Cambridge area.......but going to Allston might be okay.

So, to summarize, I'm looking for chow-worthy spots that are pretty inexpensive and casual, open on Tuesday for dinner. In addition to Chinese and Vietnamese, I could imagine Burmese (the place in Allston?), Korean, Mexican, Salvadoran (Tacos Lupita?), ???

Sorry for the rather open-ended question, but I'm hoping someone has a brilliant idea....Thanks very much

Dave MP

[Dave MP]

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions. We ended up eating at MuLan, which ended up being quite convenient and pretty good!

We had:

Vegetarian dumplings - Pretty good, although not as good as the Vegetarian-leek dumplings at Wang's. But for a mixed-veggie dumpling, I liked it, and the dough had a good consistency.

Pork and leek dumplings - Good, though I didn't think the filling was anything that special. But again, good wrappers, and a nice sized serving.

Eggplant with basil - Good, though a bit heavy on hoisin sauce, especially compared to the Taiwan Cafe version I'm used to. Still, it was a hit.

Pork w/ dried bean curd - Huge serving piled high on the plate, this was pretty tasty, and the tofu was nicely cut as beetlebug noted. Simple and good.

Salted crispy chicken - I actually wasn't a huge fan of this, although other dining companions loved it and the plate was devoured. The breading on these little strips of chicken tasted like the breading on Taiwanese pork chops that I've had before - slightly sweet, very salty, and five-spice flavors. I thought the chicken pieces looked kinda strange, almost like clam strips, but less attractive.

Soft tofu (really bean curd noodles) with mustard greens and edamame (although it's not called this on the menu exactly). This was nice, but again I like Taiwan Cafe's version better, since it has more of a sauce. This version was on the dryer side, and I thought I tasted a hint of wasabi flavor in the dish, which I liked a lot!

Hunan lamb - This was good - not too greasy, not very spicy either. I wouldn't necessarily order it again, but I liked it.

Total bill was 74 dollars for 6 of us, and we all ate a lot. Perhaps I've started thinking like a Londoner or something, but the servings were HUGE! With two plates of dumplings and 5 other dishes, we had a TON of food. It was hard not to make comparisons to Wang's (for the dumplings) and Taiwan Cafe (for other dishes), but since Wang's was closed and Taiwan Cafe is in Chinatown, this made for a great alternative. Thanks again everyone for the help!

Dave MP

[Aromatherapy]

Shangri-La is closed Mondays, open Tuesdays.

[Taralli]

Mulan, Cambridge: http://www.mulan-ma.com/
Jo Jo Taipei, Allston: http://www.jojotaipeiboston.com/
Yoma, Allston: http://www.yomaboston.com/Site/Welcome_to_Yoma.html
Fuloon, Malden: http://fuloon-restaurant.com/default....

[beetlebug]

Mulan in Cambridge (Kendall) is open tomorrow. I just had a spectacular rendition of shredded pork with dried bean curd (xiang gan rou shi). This is one of my favorite dishes and Mulan has my favorite version. The knife work on the dried bean curd is really fine elevating the dish to a higher plain. They also have a version with yellow chives that is also really tasty.

Other faves at Mulan include: Mulan bean curd, salted crispy chicken (under fried dishes), stir fried pea pod stems (also outstanding last night), Hunan Lamb, Lamb with Hot Chili, roasted pork belly with preserved vegetables, braised pork shin and many of their fish dishes. Their dumplings are also quite good and housemade.

Others have also liked the beef with leek wrapped in pancakes but it's not my thing.

[beetlebug]

Web site:

http://www.mulan-ma.com/

Turn the sound off your computer before you open the site.

[Dave MP]

Great, thanks for the recommendation! I have never tried Mulan, and I think that will be great for us.

Also, a friend just reminded me about Zoe's in Somerville. Anyone been there recently? And is it open Tuesday?

[kdemayo]

hi dave. zoe's appears to be open (according to foodler at least! that was the only place online where i could find their hours) on tuesday. i thought it was quite good. went there two weeks ago with my chinese class and had a really great meal. their seafood soup and ma po tofu were outstanding. there were about 12 of us so i got to try alot of dishes. was very happy with the food and would definitely go back. have a great time in boston!

[beetlebug]

Don't know whether Zoe's is open on Tuesdays or not. But Mulan is the better overall chinese restaurant.

If you want Sichuanese food, then Fuloon in Malden is a superior choice over Zoe's. However, the commute from Cambridge can be painful.

Also, JoJo Taipei in Allston is also very good. I think JJTP is equal to Mulan though although each has their specific strengths. JJTP has great soup dumplings (best in the city) but Mulan has great regular dumplings (a la Wang's and QingDao). I also give Mulan a slight edge for their knife work and a huge edge for their convenience to me.

[Dave MP]

It's official, we're going to Mulan! I'm excited. Which types of dumpling are best? Any other recs besides the ones beetlebug already listed?

[barleywino]

ditto on the braised pork shin, also the fish filet w/ jellyfish (not on menu, ask them to hold the celery) and the diced chicken w/ mustard green

[Taralli]

Either of their eggplant dishes (basil vs. garlic) are melt-in-your-mouth delish.

[yumyum]

Their salty crispy fried chicken with basil leaves is delicious! I think it's on the hot apps part of the menu. Also consider the beef and leek wrapped in Taiwanese pancake.

You'll dig Mulan Dave!