Changsho — Restaurant in Cambridge

Old school Chinese restaurant that serves one of the best American Chinese food in the city.

Swung by this spot a few times whenever I’m craving classic American Chinese comfort food. While it’s not the trendiest or most authentic Chinese restaurant in the area, it’s got a charm all its own. Having served the neighborhood for over three decades, it’s more of a local favorite than a student hotspot. The food isn’t upscale or fancy, but what sets it apart are the little details—everything is fresh, extra crispy, and perfectly balanced in flavor.

Take the Wonton Soup and Soup Dumplings, for example. The Wonton Soup here isn’t your standard “free with entrée” stuff. The pickled veggies inside add a tangy kick that beautifully complements the umami of the wontons, while the seaweed and a drizzle of sesame oil give it an extra layer of flavor. They even time it right, adding the wontons just before serving so they’re not soggy—just give them a minute to soak up the soup.

As for the Soup Dumplings, they’re some of the best I’ve had in recent memory. Served the classic way with a vinegar-and-ginger dipping sauce, they’re perfectly crafted, with pork fat melting into a rich, savory broth at the bottom. Shaomai had an interesting twist - fish roe on top added a pop of playful texture.

The entrées I’ve tried so far have been great as well. The Tian Shan Spareribs and the Crispy Beef with Sesame were perfectly crispy despite being coated in a thick sweet and sour sauce. It’s rare for dishes like these to hold onto their texture, but these nailed it. Portions lean on the smaller side, so if you’re feeling ravenous, I’d suggest kicking things off with an appetizer.

Changsho might not be one of the must-try Chinese spots in the area, but if you’re craving good-quality comfort food that hits the spot, it’s definitely...

Upside: the food is okay; they use decent ingredients and dishes are not overly salty (unlike most other Chinese restaurants in the area); the style of cooking is quite old-fashioned--reminds me of my grandparents' cooking, where dishes are simple, down-to-earth, and quite hearty. No msg in the food, which is great.

Downside: I'm usually more than happy to pay for upscale Chinese cuisine, but this place charges fine dining prices for very ordinary home-style cooking; e.g. half a Peking duck cost $50 except it must be an extremely tiny duck because I have never experienced such a small portion for a "half duck". All the other dishes are also over-priced, and portion size extremely small. I have been to many upscale Chinese restaurants with cheaper prices, much larger portions, much more professional service, and Changsho seems to charge at least as much as (for many dishes more than) most upscale Chinese restaurants, delivers much smaller portions, and provides very unprofessional service (e.g. our waitress didn't pack the flour pancake nor the vegetables that come with the Peking duck for us to go, despite the fact that we specifically asked for everything to go; in the end for the $50 worth of Peking duck, they only remembered to pack half of the items to go, and we didn't even discover it until we got home and it was too late).

I know this restaurant has been in the neighborhood for a long time, and they used to have much larger portions at much lower prices, perhaps they are struggling financially, but in any case, skimping the customers is not the right way to try to survive in a very competitive restaurant scene at the prime locations...

I had lunch at Changsho today, and it was by far one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in Boston.

Let’s start with the food: The “Moo Shu Pork” was a complete disaster. It bore no resemblance to the actual dish in taste, texture, or preparation — frankly, it was inedible. When I asked the server about it, they simply shrugged and said, “It’s different from China.” If you’re running a Chinese restaurant, at the very least, you should serve something recognisably Chinese — not an unseasoned mess passed off under a familiar name.

Then there’s the service — or rather, the complete lack of it. A light-haired female server blatantly ignored us when we tried to ask for the bill in Chinese, pretending not to understand. This was after we heard her confidently chatting in English with another table, even saying she understood Chinese. She deliberately ignored us until we had to call her multiple times. This kind of performative ignorance is disrespectful and discriminatory.

As for the tip for another server — we were told she’d bring us our change, but we later realised $6 had been silently taken without any confirmation or receipt. She took the cash without ever asking how much tip we intended to leave. This is not just unprofessional — it’s dishonest.

To sum up: overpriced, terrible food, disrespectful service, and shady billing practices. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone looking for an authentic or respectful dining experience. There are far better Chinese restaurants in Cambridge — this one is a disgrace...