Mae Asian Eatery — Restaurant in Cambridge

It’s not a “eatery” as google coined it. Presented like a small cosy restaurant, it brings on the image of a family diner in SEA but the pricey menu definitely does not reflect that. More like a restaurant with upsell of every entree.

It’ll could be an intimate lovely dinner spot or good you are on business per diem but not for your typical family dinner with kids. I was not expecting take out Panda Express prices but I also didn’t expect to have to order rice separately with every main course. By the time you add the rice (unless you are keto, who would eat a stir fry or curry without rice/ bread?) and the protein, you are paying more than $20 per entree.

Indonesia fried rice (nasi goreng) has the wok hei and is flavorful. But I can get the same for less $ in the Asian restaurant right across the street with tasteful decor and larger serving.

Mango curry was alright. Feels like they just added mango pieces to a curry dish . Our friends had some gyoza 🥟 which is tasty but nothing special and they didn’t think their dishes were anything extraordinary either.

The cheapest main course we had in the group was a “street noodle” dish but the portion also corresponded to the price.

Beer was $6? and up.

Then, they slapped a 20% mandatory gratuity on our bill (group of 6).

Hospitality is good staff were nice. Although because half our group arrived 15 min later, they wouldn’t offer seating to the ones who arrived first (probably because they are small and couldn’t afford the capacity). So it’s not a place you want to relax and be seated and hang out with drinks…

Food was also extremely slow. We sat down around 7.30pm. All our 6 orders finally trickled in at 8.35/8.40pm. Our friend’s dish which arrived first was all cold by the time the last person’s food was was the table.

We won’t go back because it’s way overpriced...

Reviewing based on lunch offerings (since dinner menu is very different and has more variety but I haven't tried them yet)

Aesthetics is nice, the staff is helpful, and food comes out quick. However I think the food itself is average. It probably doesn't help that the expectations that was set by the menu (not many choices and you must pick a dish and appetizer or get charged $10) and the hype surrounding the place sets a bar that this place is special or "fancier" than the normal southeast Asian restaurant.

It advertises itself as a fusion between Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese, but it feels like a compromise of all three. The ingredients of the dishes are comprised of things that you can find in the US normally (for ex. Thai green curry could have had the thai round eggplants instead of Chinese eggplant, etc.) And on the subject of the number of ingredients, the chive fried dough barely had any chives (like countable on one hand for each triangle piece).

The taste of the food isn't bad, but the one main thing that stands out is how sweet everything is, without much spice. I'm not here to judge things based on "authenticity" only; it just feels like the dish didn't come together well in general for what it is.

Overall, I just don't think that there's anything that sets the food itself apart from other restaurants at least for how the lunch menu...

During a recent business trip to Boston, my wife and I were in search of a restaurant offering Asian cuisine for dinner. Although our reservation was for 7:30 PM, we arrived early at 6:15 PM and were pleasantly surprised when the staff graciously accommodated us with a table for two ahead of schedule. The atmosphere was inviting, and the staff were exceptionally friendly, making for a comfortable dining experience.

For our meal, we started with the Crab Rangoon appetizer, followed by Bun Thom Thit and A Fat Kid At Heart as our main courses. The Crab Rangoon was quite rich, making it an ideal sharing dish for a group of 3 or 4. For smaller parties, the appetizer might be a bit too indulgent. While the main courses were not extraordinary, they offered a delightful fusion of Asian flavors adapted to Western tastes. This makes the restaurant an excellent choice for those looking to experience Asian cuisine with an American twist.

Although I am not a local and may not have the opportunity to return, I was impressed by both the food and the hospitality. The restaurant appears to be gaining popularity, as evidenced by the crowd waiting outside during our meal. I would highly recommend making a...