The Best Little Restaurant

The Best Little Restaurant

13A Hudson St

Boston, MA

617-338-4988

the sign

bean sprout greens

I once called Boston home. It has been many years since I called Boston home, and a lot has changed. The restaurants I liked are gone, the old buildings I liked have been renovated or torn down and a bigger building has been built, a major highway once there is now hidden and a city park, and there is a new subway line that I have never ridden on before. So many changes that I really have no idea what to do or where to go to get the best anything.

So, I told my mom that I wanted Chinese food in Boston Chinatown, and the old restaurant favorites of mine are long gone, making way for new ventures. She said to me, ok, let's go to the best little restaurant in Chinatown. I said, "Sure, what is the name of the restaurant so I can Yelp or Urbanspoon search it?" She said, "It is just the best little restaurant in Chinatown, ok." I asked again, and her reply was the same. It was like playing Who's on First. So, I let it go, and didn't search on the restaurant. To my surprise, the restaurant name is The Best Little Restaurant.

While in Boston, I wanted to get all the food I can't get in Nashville. We ordered Cantonese style roasted duck, garlic and scallion lobster, and mung bean sprout greens with garlic and salt. These are some of my favorite yummies. The lobster was a twin lobster deal for $15. The lobster was right off the boat from the dock in Boston, and was just delicious. While in Boston, I could eat lobster from the dock everyday. In Nashville, there are grocery store lobsters, but what bacteria is in the water in the tank and how long have the lobsters been there. It is just not right to eat a lobster that has been sitting in TN tank cared for by people who don't know a thing about lobsters.

The mung bean greens were tasty too, and similar to ong choy, long stem and water cress style green. I love the deceptively simple preparation of the garlic and salt green that can only be had in a restaurant with someone who knows how to cook in a very hot wok. Since I have an electric stove at home, I cannot get the BTUs hot enough to cook greens in this manner. I must wait for greens like this when I visit Chinatowns in Boston, S.F., L.A., N.Y., Chicago and Atlanta. I long for greens prepared this way.

I think we should have stopped at these 2 dishes for just the two of us, but we ordered Cantonese style roasted duck too because I cannot get that here in Nashville, and every attempt I have made (but one) to make it (it is a multi-day process) has ended in failure. I much rather not disrespect a duck, so I just don't attempt to make roasted duck anymore. Well, this duck was ok, but wasn't the best I have had. I am not sure if it was because I was full, and didn't want to eat anymore (so food becomes unappealing when full) or if it was just ok duck. I have a feeling that it was because I was so stuffed, I just didn't want to eat anymore.

The portions here are big, and we walked away with to-go boxes full of lobster, greens and duck. I hope my mom enjoyed many more meals from the leftovers.