During such times of uncertainty, I find the most comfort in food, especially Asian food. One of my go-to places for Asian food is Allston. Known as the Ktown of Boston, Allston is home to many Korean restaurants along with a few other Asian cuisines. In this blog, I will be doing a review of the restaurants I’ve personally visited along with my recommendations and tips.
Coreanos
Coreanos was the first restaurant I’ve been to in Allston. I remember coming to Boston during my Junior year of high school for college tours and the first place that popped up in my Google search for restaurant recommendations in Boston was Coreanos. It is a family-owned restaurant that sells tacos and rice bowls with a Korean twist. Instead of your typical Al Pastor, Asada, or Carnitas style tacos, Coreanos serve their tacos with Korean style bulgogi beef, kalbi short ribs, spicy pork, and kimchi tofu. They also have Korean style kimchi quesadillas and fritas which I both highly recommend . Along with their Korean fusion menu, they also have your typical Korean entrees such as their signature Coreanos bowl, bibimbap, and kimchi fried rice. Their prices are relatively expensive with tacos that cost $3.50 each and bowls that cost around $10. But I’d say it’s still pretty worth it if you go once in a while. My to-go order from there would have to be their signature Coreanos bowl, a few bulgogi beef tacos, and chicken poppers.
Kaju Tofu House
Kaju is your typical Korean restaurant that specializes in Korean stews and traditional dishes. They have a variety of options on their menu ranging from your usual kimchi stew to stir-fried udon. A typical meal there can range from around $18 and upward depending on what you get. It is definitely one of my favorite Korean tofu houses in Boston. They also have a location in Kenmore, though, I think the Allston location give better side dishes (bonchon; 반찬) and have better services. My to-go meal would have to be their tofu soup combo special where you get a smaller size tofu soup with your choice of grilled meat dish. I usually get their kimchi and pork tofu stew with a side of pork belly. It is the perfect meal on a cold winter night. The tofu soup and the grilled meat just warms you up. They usually also serve you a free Yakult yogurt drink or Korean cinnamon tea (sujeonggwa; 수정과) to aid with digestion.
Seoul Soulongtang
Compared to Kaju, Seoul Soulongtang is a lot more authentic. Specializing in Korean ox bone soup (seolleongtang; 설렁탕) as their name suggests, they are located on Commonwealth Avenue, right off the Green Line. Even though Seoul Soulongtang is more expensive than Kaju, with a typical meal going from an average of $25 and upward, their quality is definitely a lot better. The establishment itself is relatively very large (largest on this list actually) which means that it’s great for big parties. I’ve been here a couple of times and I usually find myself here with a party of 5 or more people. If I’m feeling basic, I usually get their seolleongtang with a side of grilled pork belly or bulgogi, but if I’m here with a large group of friends, we would usually order the Korean army base stew (budae jjigae; 부대찌개) and a side of braised pork wraps (bossam; 보쌈) to share. The wait is usually not very long and the staff here are very nice. If you want, you can also request to sit in the traditional Korean seating area (without shoes and on the floor with cushions).
Mala
The only Chinese restaurant on this list, Mala specializes in Sichuanese style cuisine. I’ve actually discovered this place relatively late considering how amazing the food here actually is. Before coming here, I’ve always seen my friends posting about this place all over Instagram, and I’ve always been attracted to the bright red chili peppers that they use in all of their dishes. If you don’t know, Sichuanese style cuisine is known for its use of Chinese chili peppers and Chinese peppercorn to create the ma (麻) and la (辣) taste, enhance their name Mala. Ma translates to “numbing” which is the sensation you get after taking a bit in most of their dishes and la just means “spicy”. Some people might not be used to this specific sensation but I’ve always enjoyed it so I was excited to try this place out. I’d say Mala is most known for their mala xiangguo (麻辣香锅) which is basically a dry hotpot. You can choose what you want in the xiangguo and choose your preferred level of spice. I usually get my xianguos with beef, fried fish fillet, quail eggs, bok choy, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and wide bean noodles (a must) with a side of dry stir-fried chicken with spicy capsicum. The price here is relatively fair especially if you get a xiangguo with a side and share it with your friends. I would say a meal here would cost around $20 per person. There is sometimes a wait but it is definitely worth it. The only downside about this place is that the staff here are a bit unattentive so it can be a bit frustrating when ordering or asking for water refills, and be warned if you can’t handle spice because the majority of the dishes here are spicy.
Bonus!
Gong Cha
What’s a meal without getting boba afterward? If you’re like me, you always have room for boba after any meal. My to-go place for boba at Allston is Gongcha. Even though there is a Kungfu Tea too across the street, I usually go to Gong Cha since there is already a Kungfu Tea around campus. But another reason why I prefer Gong Cha is because I personally think they have one of the best teas out of most of the chain boba shops in Boston. Their actual bobas are also softer and chewier than most boba shops I’ve gone to. They also have another location in Chinatown, but it is a lot smaller than the Allston location. I usually get their brown sugar milk tea with 50% sugar and less ice, but sometimes I do like to try out their different fruit-flavored drinks too.
