Reviewing Hunan Gourmet: Authentic Chinese food in the heart of Boston’s Chinatown.

Boston’s Chinatown may be small, but the neighborhood has an impressive variety of Asian restaurants. You’ll find everything from ramen to dim sum to dumpling shops. Formerly known as Bubor Cha Cha, Hunan Gourmet is an exceptional Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood’s center. 

My friend and I visited Hunan Gourmet at 6pm on a Wednesday. Upon entering, we were immediately seated at a booth. The interior was pretty spacious, with booth and table seating that fit up to six people. The wood-finished walls were minimally decorated with Chinese-inspired murals. Since there was no music playing, the room was filled with the chatter of the other patrons.  

Once seated, our server prompted us to order from our smartphones by scanning the QR code at our table. The digital menu had a wide selection of classic Chinese dishes emphasizing Hunan and Sichuan cuisine. For anyone unfamiliar with Hunan food, it’s a regional Chinese cuisine characterized by bold, spicy, and salty flavors. Due to the liberal use of chili peppers and garlic, many Hunan dishes have a robust, “in-your-face” spice. Similarly, Sichuan cuisine uses a lot of peppercorns for a tongue-numbing spice. 

We ordered three of the restaurant’s most popular menu items – Xiang’s Fried Chicken, Mapo Tofu, and Pork Soup Dumplings. Each dish was meant to be split family-style, so the portions were large. Three entrees were more than enough for the two of us. 

The first dish to come out was Xiang’s Fried Chicken. It consisted of deeply savory bite-sized boneless fried chicken tossed with chili peppers and peppercorns. Each chicken popper had a crispy outer shell and juicy, dark thigh meat inside. The peppercorns added a wonderful, numbing spice that somehow made it all the more enticing. 

The Mapo Tofu came with medium-firm blocks of tofu and ground pork in a thick, somewhat oily chili-bean sauce. The sauce’s herbs, garlic, and scallions created a spicy umami flavor. I found the tofu delicious, but I will admit that it got pretty salty halfway through. I recommend ordering a bowl of steamed white rice to mellow the saltiness.  

The last dish to arrive was the Xiao Long Bao, or pork soup dumplings. Six soup dumplings came in a traditional bamboo steaming basket. Each one was filled with seasoned pork and steaming pork bone broth. I nearly burned my tongue on the first bite, so I suggest waiting a few minutes and then taking a bite from the side to allow steam to escape. It also came with a vinegar-based soy sauce for dipping. The dumplings were tasty, but I was disappointed that they were so small compared to other Boston restaurants.  

Despite the digital ordering process, the service at Hunan Gourmet was quick and attentive. We didn’t have to wait long for water refills or for them to bring us the bill, which I greatly appreciated. The only instance where service felt slow was waiting for the food — it took nearly thirty minutes to receive everything. However, it’s understandable if everything’s made to order.  

Hunan Gourmet is an excellent option for Hunan and Sichuan cuisine in Boston. I’d recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a no-frills Chinese restaurant, especially if you enjoy eating spicy!