Noah's Kitchen — Restaurant in Brookline

I'm obsessed with Noah's Kitchen after my long-overdue first visit. I was absolutely delighted with everything I had. The menu is so expansive and everything looks so good so it was hard to choose what to order. We had five people and so were able to try a variety of dishes.

We tried two classic Szechuan style dishes -- the Szechuan spicy fish fillets and the Chongqing spicy chicken. Even though these dishes taste pretty similar anywhere I go I was surprised because they somehow managed to elevate the dishes and pack them with unique and powerful flavors. The fish was very tender with a great savory flavor while the chicken had a strong numbing spicy punch. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these dishes and would definitely get the fish fillet again.

We also got the squid with cumin, which was amazing! It's quite a sight to behold as it comes skewered and covered in bountiful spicy chili sauce. I thought the squid was quite tender and well-cooked, and the spicy topping had a tiny bit of sweetness in addition the bold spicy and savory flavors. Surprisingly, though the three dishes that we ordered looked like they would taste pretty similar, they all had unique flavors that I enjoyed switching between. It's clear they know how to work with spice.

We also tried two vegetable dishes. The eggplant with soy sauce and bonito flakes had more of a Japanese flavor profile but the eggplant was perfectly cooked and tender and the flavors were delicious. The garlic pea leaves were well-cooked and had good flavor. I would say neither of these dishes were outstanding but they were solid and served their purpose.

We also got the shrimp egg rolls which I wouldn't say were very special. They were small bites with good texture but I didn't taste much shrimp. We also got the sticky rice dessert which was fried bars of sticky rice with sweet syrup and soybean powder. This was quite good though I didn't love the syrup.

Also, their rice is really good! It seemed like some sort of sweet/sticky rice but the individual grains didn't stick together so it wasn't glutinous. The rice was a bit al dente and went perfectly with the food. Normally I don't like rice that much but this rice made me want to keep eating more.

Overall I was definitely the most impressed by all of the spicy options and can't wait to try more of their menu. Our server was really nice and gave very helpful recommendations. Honestly this is the best Szechuan food I've had in Boston by far and I can't wait to come back. Though Brookline is a bit of a trek for me, it's closer than New York. Everything at Noah's Kitchen is well thought-out. The ambiance and servers are great and the food is excellent. I absolutely can't wait for...

I arrived at this restaurant at 8:15 on a Wednesday night with my sister and her boyfriend. We were told that the kitchen will close soon and we will need to place our order by 8:30. We were guided by our waiter to a table meant for two people with a third seat facing all the tables next to us. I pulled out the chair and it was covered with water. I looked at our waiter and we had brief moment of silence until my sister just grabbed a chair from an empty table for me. Aside from the water issue, this seat was so awkward that I could not avoid eye contact with the two other tables next to us if I raise my head to have a conversation. The seating was tight as the tables are barely a foot away from each other.

Even with these issues, I had high expectations for the food as I only heard raving reviews from friends. We ordered 4 items: Pork Dumplings, Grass Fish Fillet in Spicy Broth, Mixed Mushroom with Black Pepper, and Braised Pork Trotter. The food was underwhelming. My favorite item would be the mixed mushroom with black pepper at this dinner but I would not say it is the best mushroom dish I ever had. The pork dumplings were obviously not homemade which was a letdown. The braised pork trotter were not fully soft. We also ask them to remove the chili pepper toppings from the braised pork which they ignored. The grass fish fillet in spicy broth was good and the fish was of good quality. However, we did not finish this item and I brought it home. Upon reheating, I found a piece of plastic in the food.

Also, the lady who processed our check had a bad attitude. We paid and left a 20% tip and did not need our receipt printed. However, upon getting into the car, we received one of those ToastTab generated receipt to our phone number for $180 which is steep for 4 dishes. However, after checking our bank accounts, we only paid ~$120. We realized that the receipt was for the table next to us because we had ordered similar items. So we rushed back to the restaurant for our receipt just in case we got charged for the wrong thing or got charged extra. The lady just went on and on about how she asked us earlier if we wanted our receipt and that we should have asked for it earlier. We confirmed that we paid the correct amount. However, this experience makes me never want...

Amazing Dan Dan noodles and Twice Cooked Pork, everything else just decent.

Heard rumors that this place was one of Boston’s top 10 Chinese restaurants, so my friend and I stopped by for lunch to see what the hype was about. Honestly, aside from a few, most of the menu felt like pretty standard Sichuan fare.

Their two most popular dishes—the Dan Dan noodles and Twice Cooked Pork—were genuinely excellent. The noodles might be the best I’ve had in Boston: chewy, al dente strands tossed with savory minced beef that had these crisp, caramelized edges. Twice Cooked Pork is a dish I always order when I try a new spot, but the one here was the first time I’d seen it made with thinly sliced potatoes. It worked. What really made the dish, though, was the fermented black beans. That intense, funky saltiness really added dimensionality to the dish and elevated the pork’s fat without overpowering it.

Everything else we tried was fine. The Mapo tofu was solid—nothing to rave about, but comforting and familiar. But the air-fried crispy duck? Should’ve known from the five-minute turnaround. It came out lukewarm, aggressively salty, and had a strange ham-like flavor. Some pieces were so dry they might as well have been jerky. If the intention was “duck ham,” then mission accomplished.

The beef tripe with source came cold, layered over roasted eggplant and meant to be dragged through chili oil. It felt more like a starter than an entrée, though it was priced like one. Not bad, just not memorable. The fish fillet with fermented mustard greens was exactly what we expected—tender fish, tangy broth, no surprises.

Boston’s Sichuan scene has improved a lot in the past couple of years, so I’m not sure if this place still holds the title as top 10. It definitely has a more family-oriented vibe—less student-heavy than places closer to Allston—which makes it a nice option for a casual lunch or dinner with family. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to try more, but wouldn’t mind coming back for the noodles...