Sumiao Hunan Kitchen — Restaurant in Cambridge

Reviewing high end Asian restaurants as a Chinese-American person is always tricky. How tasty is it? Is it tastier than Asian restaurants of similar cuisine? And if it's not tastier, then how much weight do you give to decor and service to justify its price point? There’s a feeling that Asian food (not including Japanese food here) should be cheap and tasty, and that some of its tastiness DERIVES from its affordability. But I believe that’s a dangerous construct, one that perpetuates the racism against minorities and upholds the idea that non-Western cuisine can’t be fancy, can’t be philosophical, can’t be expensive.

Sumiao has an absolutely gorgeous interior: a riot of colors amidst an exposed ceiling and industrial-looking furniture. A long bar circles the restaurant; there is great contrast between the curved wooden high-tops and the more geometric square low-top tables. Service is mostly prompt and friendly; we ordered within 3-5 minutes of sitting down and got our food shortly thereafter.

Was the food good? Sure. Was it the best Chinese food in the area? Maybe the best Hunan food, but definitely not the best Chinese food. The salted duck egg yolk corn was tasty ($18), although wasn’t quite as crispy as I would have liked and skewed sweet in my opinion. The sesame noodles ($12) were a bit oily but the noodles themselves had great mouthfeel. The mountain yam ($18) was my favorite: spicy, crunchy, a little gooey, with nice chunks of pork belly and garlic. The Hunan ½ duck ($36) was a little unwieldy and I wish there had been a crisp element (green onions or cucumbers for the soft buns) but the duck itself was cooked well, with great crispy skin and not too much fat. (Side note: like a good Asian, prior to the waiter coming to box up our leftovers I separated all the meat and skin from the fat and bones…but when they boxed it they threw away the skin! I was so sad.)

Finally, how innovative is it? In many ways, innovation in Asian food is just not as much of a thing, perhaps because there’s so much local pride. Moreover, mixing flavors from Sichuan and Hunan and Shaanxi could be very innovative but for American audiences, it's all just "Chinese” – it doesn’t push the envelope in the same way as, say, a southern-style Dungeness crab & grits “pushes the envelope.” Sometimes, it feels like the only way to innovate in Asian food is to combine with Western cuisines (think Pagu or Little Donkey) and then you run the risk of being branded with the dubious term “fusion.” So Sumiao isn’t…innovative, exactly, except for maybe on their tropical / rice-wine inspired drink menu. But they offer up some dishes I truly haven’t seen outside China (osmanthus cakes, yam bao with lotus paste filling) and that I appreciate.

Tl;rd: 4 stars. We spent $120 after tax and tip for 2 people: 1 drink, 4 dishes, with a good amount of leftovers. Service is great. Ambiance is fun. Pretty tasty....

Best spicy Chinese food in town! I think their food is a creative twist of the traditional Hunan cuisine. Some of their dishes are unlike any I've seen in any other Chinese restaurant. They use fresh ingredients, including very fresh very high-quality ginger, green scallions, various types of peppers. Definitely check this place out if you love spicy food! Their menus change very frequently (there is a "seasonal menu" and also a "monthly special menu") so there are always new tasty dishes to look forward to! Some of my favorite dishes (from their regular menu) include: appetizers: pork soup bao (non-spicy, I think this is the best pork soup bao I've had in Boston), chili chicken (spicy), mala duck (a little bit spicy), garlic-flavored okra. main dishes: Yellow River Beef/Fish (both spicy, the fish version is a bit spicier than the beef version); Steamed Whole Tilapia (I prefer it with spicy sauce); Angry Frog; pretty much all of their Sizzling Plates are great (I've tried beef, lamb, whole fish, eggplant and calamari so far and they're all absolutely delicious!); Steamed Egg Tofu (with pork); Beef on Fire (this is their signature dish); Ginger and Scallion Chicken (very fresh ginger!); String Bean with Eggplant, as well as Dry Fried String Beans (I know this is a standard dish you can find at any other Chinese restaurant but they do it so incredibly well here; note it can be very very spicy so make sure you get their "regular" or "mild" spice level on a first try); Chinese broccoli (this is one of my favorite non-spicy dishes at Sumiao; it strikes a nice balance with the other spicy dishes); Chinese Cabbage Pot is extremely tasty, but also extremely spicy (probably among their spiciest dishes!), and I would only get this one on "mild spicy" level. Noodles: both the "Egg and Veggies stir-fry noodles" and the "Chef Zhang's Fried Rice noodles" are very tasty! I also really like the "Shao's cold noodles" as an appetizer. desserts: pumpkin cake (this is listed under appetizers but I'd get it as a dessert), sweet sticky rice cake (also listed under appetizers). I love their Sweet Tofu Pudding (cold)! Seasonal specials (spring 2023): my favorites are the Lamb N' Fresh Calamari and the Changsha Flavor Chicken. (They used to have a Skin-on Lamb Pot, and also a Drunken Duck that I really loved but those seem to have rotated out of the seasonal menu.)

Lastly, I want to say that Sumiao has among the best service out of all the Chinese restaurants I've tried in the states! Their waiters/waitresses are very well-trained and...

These categories all deserve a minimum of five starts but I wish that I could indicate service as ten stars!!!! I've only been to this restaurant four times and they've all been AMAZING!!!!!! In fact, from the last time to the most recent time, a month passed and yet Johnny still remembered what cocktail I said that I wanted to try next. I would not imagine that would be possible, if it hadn't actually happened. He also remembers from one visit to the next that I want my spice level at the hottest possible - he doesn't even ask anymore. I was worried that it was forgotten once and he had already taken care of it! In addition to Johnny, Bao has also provided great service, as well as the rest of the staff, who are always beyond friendly. Another person who has made me feel special is Ernest. As a manager, he is busy, yet he goes out of his way to welcome me back! I feel like I'm returning to friends when I dine at Sumaio.

In addition to the world-class service that I receive, the food is top-tier! Hot kiss and nom numb wings are (thus far) my favorite two items on the menu but I keep trying new dishes! Everything on the menu has been great! However, not all dishes include the spice that I like so when I've made a comment about the food not quite being to my liking, they immediately provide spicy options to enhance the dish! For my preferences, this corrects any tast shortcomings.

But wait - there's more!!! The cocktails! Not only are they tasty, but they're served in such style! The mai tai (one of my faves and a standard on the menu) comes in a clear tiki glass. Yesterday, I had a seasonal drink, the spiced cherry swizzle, which was nothing short of fantastic! I also enjoy drinks from "The Globetrotter Club". I don't want to spoil the surprise but I hope that you can obey the rules in order to experience this delight! They also offer a variety of non-alcoholic options that I have either tried or just admire from afar.

I am sorry that it took me so long to try Sumaio after it was recommended to me but now that I know the people and food, I am doing my best to make up for lost time. Kudos to the Sumaio team for creating such an amazing experience for the...