Yup, Yelp is my go to buddy whenever looking for something close, cheap, hearty, and delicious. On this cold Bostonian night, Vietnamese seemed the way to go.
Xinh Xinh is one of the top rated Vietnamese restaurants in Boston and is located in Chinatown and 2 steps from the theatre district. The clientel is a diverse mix of various types of Asian people, tourists, Caucasians, families, students, and groups of friends.
I ordered the Seafood Pho $8
Tastiness: A-. Complete with fresh peeled shrimp, squid, fish cakes, fish balls, and imitation crab meat, this was the perfect bowl of noodles for me. The rice noodles come in a chicken broth that I asked our waitress to spike with “a little bit of spicyness”…but came out to be really spicy for me! You can tell that the ingredients were fresh from how sweet and succulent the shrimp were. The fish cakes were soft yet chewy, and I finished every single bite of the food.
The best part? A plate full of fresh bean sprouts and basil leaves to throw into your soup.
My favorite thing to do is to throw it all in at once and let it soften slightly before eating. Then I ask for a second plate. J
Nick ordered the Beef Pho $8
Tastiness: I can’t say because I don’t eat beef, but he said this was better than any of the pho’s he’s ever had in Chicago. The reason being how fresh the beef was. He came close to drinking all his MSG-filled soup. Teehee
Taro Bubble Tea Smoothie $3 (Actual Picture from Boston Tea Stop)
Tastiness: A-. Mmmm so thick and smooth, this is almost like a milk shake flavored with taro. I hate when taro smothies are underblended (too icy) or overblended (too watery), but Xinh Xinh has it right. However, the tapioca balls were on the verge of being overly firm, particularly the center.
Boston Tea Stop Tastiness: B. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t a smoothie, nor was it iced. Even though the taro flavor was spot on, the lukewarm temperature was kinda off-putting. However, to be fair, the tapioca bubbles were fresh and chewy - much better than the hard bubbles from Xinh Xinh Vietnamese Restaurant.
Loveliest part of dinner is that dessert of fortune cookies was included when they give you your bill. Additional requests for cookies are also granted!
RATINGS
Taste: 4/5
Originality: 4/5 (This place has everything from Thai, to Vietnamese, to Chinese. Next time, I’m going for a seafood casserole!)
Plating: 3/5
Value: 4/5 (Our tab was $20 and everything was delicious and filling!)
Service: 5/5 (Our servers were so attentive, nice, and willing to customize any dish for your taste…they also give you extra bean sprouts along with a giant smile!)
Overall - a great Vietnamese restaurant, very laid back and unpretentious. I’d go again, but order something different just to try out the different menu options.