Qingdao Garden
2382 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 492-7540
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--- Winner, Best Chinese Restaurant in Boston Area, 2009 ---
For those who are tired of chains and generic shops and restaurants, North Cambridge comes as quite a breath of fresh air. From the bustling Porter Square north and west to the Arlington border, Massachusetts Avenue is one long stretch of ma-and-pa shops and independent restaurants, with chains relatively few and far between. And closer to the Arlington line is a blink-and-you-miss-it Chinese restaurant called Qingdao Garden that may be rather low on atmosphere but it is definitely very high in quality of food.
Like so many restaurants and shops in North Cambridge, Qingdao Garden doesn't look like much from the outside, or the inside, for that matter; indeed, it could be mistaken for one of those harshly lit 2:00 in the morning Chinese takeout places that folks often go to after the bars close. But it is nothing like this, as the menu includes some pretty exotic Northern Chinese dishes. Some of these dishes aren't for everyone, such as the pig stomach, pig kidney, pig intestine, or pig's feet. But some of the authentic Northern Chinese dishes are probably a bit more appetizing to those who are less adventurous, including Chinese cabbage with garlic sauce, minced potato with hot pepper, pork with cilantro, and baby shrimp with bean curd. Another section of the menu includes interesting house specialties such as squid with chili peppers, lamb with scallions, and a meatball hot pot. Much of the rest of the menu includes more familiar Chinese-American dishes, such as moo shi, lo mein, fried rice, and egg foo young.
Perhaps the most popular dish at Qingdao Garden, however, (and one of the best dishes in all of Cambridge, in this writer's opinion) is the homemade Chinese dumplings. These delicious little morsels, which come in 12 pieces (fresh) or 50 pieces (frozen) can be ordered as veggie dumplings (string beans, cabbage, leek, or spinach) or meat/veggie combos (pork or shrimp). All of them are outstanding, with the outside being moist and tender and the inside being full of flavor no matter which option is ordered. Other than perhaps Wang's in nearby Somerville, Qingdao Garden's dumplings may be about the best in the Boston area.
Qingdao Garden is just one of a number of excellent restaurants along the section of Mass. Ave. that cuts through North Cambridge. This section of the city often gets overlooked (perhaps because it is not on a subway line), but there are some real treasures between Porter Square and the Arlington border, with Qingdao Garden being one that should certainly not be overlooked.
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