Nicole Eats & Roams
Cozy Atmosphere, Fresh Food, and a Unique Little Ritual.
From the outside, the space looks bigger, but I actually loved the cozy atmosphere they created with room dividers and plenty of plants, very similar to their sister restaurant AOI (Japanese cuisine).
When the host brings you to the table, they remove a flower from it, which I like to think is a symbolic gesture, as if the table was “fresh and awaiting guests.”
Service was exceptional and the food came out quickly. We had a tough time deciding what to order because we wanted to try everything! As a party of two, that was impossible, so we’ll definitely be back soon with more people.
What we did order:
•Pork fried rice: Very flavorful and tasted fresh.
•Boneless spareribs: Delicious.
•Pan-fried pork buns: Light, not overwhelming in flavor, I just wish they had a little more filling.
•Steamed pork & cabbage dumplings: Fresh and balanced flavor, loved these.
•Deep-fried shrimp & chive dumpling: Tasty but a bit too oily for my taste.
I noticed some negative reviews mention the food being “flavorless,” but I actually appreciated the freshness and that the flavors weren’t overpowering. Many Chinese restaurants can be too oily or heavy, but here I ate more than usual and still felt great afterward.
Can’t wait to return, hopefully with a larger group so we can try even more dishes, because everything on the menu looked tempting!
… moreSharon Dawes
Had lunch there on a Thursday. Got lobster with ginger and scallions. It was pretty good. Split that as an appetizer with my friend. Got lunch special which comes with a choice of main dish and rice. Got sesame chicken. It was a very large portion of chicken. Pieces were large but I’ve had better elsewhere. Waitress was very attentive. Will go back to try other food.
… moreMel
Amazing gluten free Chinese food. Truly so hard to find tasty celiac safe Chinese food, and this place is the best in the area. Shrimp dumplings, mapo tofu, and cumin lamb are our faves, but it’s all delish.
… moreSid
Cozy, relaxed atmosphere, great food with exceptional service. We came in hungry with two kids and the staff was very welcoming and did a great job explaining the menu and getting food to our table in no time.
We have been here twice now. Once on a date night and once with the kids. The place has been consistent with its food taste. The food is fresh, made to order, and delicious!
The Chicken dish was served fresh with vegetables and had flavorful broth with a nice kick.
In addition to the Chicken dish, We had the pork and vegetable steamed dumplings. The dumplings were the right thickness, had a great flavor, and had a nice ginger dipping sauce. The pork was extremely tender. The dish had great flavors and truly was amazing.
It’s definitely a place to checkout. It has some New England style Chinese food as well as authentic.
… moreVictoria Butler
Had a wonderful lunch here with friends! Our favorite dish was the wontons in red chilli sauce!
… moreKatie Sherman
I called this restaurant before I ate here because I have a gluten allergy (celiacs). The woman who answered the phone was so polite and patient while I asked a dozen questions about how the food is prepared, and qualifying if it’s truly gluten free or not. I ate the food yesterday, and I feel great today – anyone with a gluten allergy or celiacs knows what I’m talking about.
I had two types of steamed dumplings, and the veggie fried rice and it was all so delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant! Looking forward to coming back.
… moreNaima Reid
Great atmosphere but did not love any of the dishes we ordered. I went with the cucumber in chilli oil to start, and then had the soup dumplings. The cucumber did not have much flavor. The flavor of the soup dumplings was good. The texture of them was a quite thick. The wonton soup was decent. This is not my favorite spot but the menu was quite extensive and so I’d still recommend for folks to try it out.
… morechase hazel
Delicious food made by a really sweet team. Best gluten free dumplings i have ever had. Staff was excellent with explaining their menu and making recommendations to someone unfamiliar with the cuisin. Everyone I recommend this place to has been thrilled. So lucky to live near this gem
… morekarthik hubli
The soup dumplings are amazing. Perfectly sized, with a delicious burst of broth in every bite.
… moreJoe Healy
Cozy, relaxed atmosphere with exceptional service. The staff does a great job explaining the menu. I have been twice now. I got takeout my first time and ate in today. You wouldn’t know that they had just opened. They very much had it together. The food is fresh, made to order, and delicious! The hot and sour soup has a thin but flavorful broth with a nice kick. The soup is overflowing with all the yummy fillers like tofu, wood ear mushrooms, mushrooms, and egg, just to name a few. Very much recommend. I had the pork and crab dumplings. The dumplings were the right thickness, had a great flavor, and had a nice ginger dipping sauce. I got the preserved vegetables and pork belly off of the Chef’s Specialties. The pork was extremely tender. The dish had great flavors and truly was amazing. I’ve had to go the hot and sour soup. I also had the Singapore noodles. This had nice pieces of chicken and shrimp. They made it for me without onions. I really enjoyed it. Their wings are breaded but have a nice flavor throughout. It’s definitely a place to checkout. It has some New England style Chinese food as well as authentic. They have dim sum on the weekends!
Edit: I have been back, and their dumplings are amazing! The soup dumpling truffle pork was so good! I added pics.
Edit: The Crispy Pork Intestine is one of the best appetizers that I have ever had. Sooo good! The Lobster with Salted Egg Yolk is also delicious! I’ll add pictures below! Love this restaurant!!
Edit #2 The Toko Yaki (Octopus Meatball) is delicious! The Sautéed Corn with Salted Egg Yolk is phenomenal!!!
Edit #3 Their whole sweet and sour fish is amazing!
… more