As the leaves are turning and the weather gets crisper, we're ready for a beautiful season. A new season means new drinks and food holidays! Grandma's Pork W. Shang Gan & White Pepper 25Shang Gan (Firmed Tofu), Leek, Garlic, Soy sauce, Red Pepper. Characterized by bright colors, bold flavors, and a diverse palate, Hunan cuisine is one of the eight famous culinary traditions of China.
Located in the bustling and tech-driven Kendall Square, Sumiao Hunan Kitchen is a contemporary Chinese restaurant & bar introducing authentic Hunan Cuisine. At Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, we want our guests to feel special. That's why our staff takes so much pride in offering a variety of private event spaces for parties, meetings, and gatherings of any size.
Located in the bustling and tech-driven Kendall Square, Sumiao Hunan Kitchen is a contemporary Chinese restaurant & bar introducing authentic Hunan Cuisine. At Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, we want our guests to feel special. That's why our staff takes so much pride in offering a variety of private event spaces for parties, meetings, and gatherings of any size.
Reviews (27)
Kristen K.
Jan 27, 2022
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3.5 stars
A nice restaurant to have in the Kendall Square area, but certainly not comparable to other Chinese restaurants in the Boston area in terms of value. Dishes were both pricier and smaller than I expected, and service was almost questionably fast between ordering and food getting to the table. Interior design was nice but gave off a kind of confused vibe - definitely felt more hip than authentic with a touch of trying to be family friendly and also a sports bar? Spice level was also not personally impressive, although others in the party thought it was satisfying.
A nice restaurant to have in the Kendall Square area, but certainly not comparable to other Chinese restaurants in the Boston area in terms of value. Dishes were both pricier and smaller than I expected, and service was almost questionably fast between ordering and food getting to the table. Interior design was nice but gave off a kind of confused vibe - definitely felt more hip than authentic with a touch of trying to be family friendly and also a sports bar? Spice level was also not personally impressive, although others in the party thought it was satisfying.
James Z.
Jan 21, 2022
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Finally got to try Sumiao and I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the food! The ambience is pretty nice though my friend and I were seated in a side section what was a little brighter and less interesting than the main area. Sumiao definitely does spicy dishes well! Beef on Fire is a must-try!
The pork soup bao were pretty good, a little smaller and more doughy than I prefer, but still tasty.
The chili chicken was very tasty, had a good kick of spice, and was nice and tender.
Ginger and scallion chicken was super flavorful and filling. This was really great.
Beef on Fire was probably
The pork soup bao were pretty good, a little smaller and more doughy than I prefer, but still tasty.
The chili chicken was very tasty, had a good kick of spice, and was nice and tender.
Ginger and scallion chicken was super flavorful and filling. This was really great.
Beef on Fire was probably
Yvonne C.
Jan 11, 2022
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Peng L.
Jan 03, 2022
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This place is nice. It has a good vibe, the atmosphere is very chill. Vibe check: passed.
I ordered:
La Rou with bamboo shoot,
Garlic flavored okra,
Yellow river fish.
I personally love the la rou because it has a good balance between meat and veggies.
The yellow river fish is a bit spicy because there are jalapeños and the mala seeds.
Overall, I would come here about once every few months. There are other options with better prices.
I ordered:
La Rou with bamboo shoot,
Garlic flavored okra,
Yellow river fish.
I personally love the la rou because it has a good balance between meat and veggies.
The yellow river fish is a bit spicy because there are jalapeños and the mala seeds.
Overall, I would come here about once every few months. There are other options with better prices.
Charles Chuck Carletta
Dec 28, 2021
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Sumiao is a really good restaurant in general and excellent if you like spicy food. I went with my roommates and they absolutely loved it. I enjoyed my dish, but I think you’d get the most bang for your buck if your spice tolerance isn’t as low as mine. Would recommend people to come here and try different noodle dishes.
Trevor D.
Dec 21, 2021
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Sat at the bar on a slower night and had Kai as my bartender. He was excellent -- attentive, knowledgeable and lots of fun to chat with. All of his recommendations were spot on and I'm glad I took his advice. I was initially hesitant to get the garlic okra and Yellow River Beef but I'm glad he pushed me to try them.
I went the adventurous route and tried the Soft Crystals for dessert, and boy was that a trip! Very peculiar dish, unlike anything I've had before.
Had a great time last night overall. Sit at the bar when Kai is working and you'll have a fun night!
I went the adventurous route and tried the Soft Crystals for dessert, and boy was that a trip! Very peculiar dish, unlike anything I've had before.
Had a great time last night overall. Sit at the bar when Kai is working and you'll have a fun night!
Ozden Tozanl
Dec 18, 2021
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One of my favorite spots in town. Just a heads up, it has a variety of spicy options in the menu. If you want to order one of those, make sure you really like spicy food. You’ll probably be asked what level of spiciness you prefer from mild to super spicy. But even their regular spicy (middle level in the spicy scale) is super hot. Finishing your plate turns out to be a pain rather than enjoying it.
Khaota Ogawa
Dec 01, 2021
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Hello M.
Nov 25, 2021
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Caprisun Apple
Nov 23, 2021
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Super good Chinese Hunan dish. Hunan dish is spicy (careful) and they have enough spice to boost the flavor to more than just spicy.
Cabbage
* This one is pretty average
Green pepper (novel)
* Good flavored and it’s new to me that green pepper could be a dish by itself (should try this)
Pork and spicy green pepper
* Spicy, taste great but I’ll also say average
Beef slice with golden soup (recommend)
* Soup taste great, so as beef
* Good enough spice to make flavor strong enough
Salty egg yolk shrimp (recommend)
* My personal favorite dish
* Salty egg yolk and shrimp are such great
Cabbage
* This one is pretty average
Green pepper (novel)
* Good flavored and it’s new to me that green pepper could be a dish by itself (should try this)
Pork and spicy green pepper
* Spicy, taste great but I’ll also say average
Beef slice with golden soup (recommend)
* Soup taste great, so as beef
* Good enough spice to make flavor strong enough
Salty egg yolk shrimp (recommend)
* My personal favorite dish
* Salty egg yolk and shrimp are such great
Oliver Philcox
Nov 14, 2021
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Della S.
Nov 14, 2021
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I'm surprised that this place does not have a higher average rating! I've been slowly dining through various restaurants in Cambridge and I must say that this place is one of my favorites, if not my favorite restaurant in Cambridge (it's my favorite restaurant in the Kendall area for sure).
One downside is that this place is not cheap. Most of the entrees range between $20-30 and the portions are not as big as what you'd get at a typical family-style Chinese restaurant.
My friend who lived in China for most of their life recommended this spot as the only place in the greater
One downside is that this place is not cheap. Most of the entrees range between $20-30 and the portions are not as big as what you'd get at a typical family-style Chinese restaurant.
My friend who lived in China for most of their life recommended this spot as the only place in the greater
I. D.
Nov 03, 2021
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Veronica C.
Nov 03, 2021
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Came in a group of 6. Food was served pretty promptly and in decent portions! The below dishes were just the right amount for all of us.
Would definitely order again:
-String bean with eggplant
-Sizzling lamb
-Ginger and scallion chicken (note that this has a surprisingly spicy kick to it!)
Pretty good:
-Nom numb wings
-Steamed whole tilapia
Just okay:
-Sumiao hot dry noodles (I usually love dry noodles so this was slightly disappointing to me! I wish it had a little more flavor. Others in my group liked it though so maybe it's just me.)
-Scallion pancakes (also usually love these so this
Would definitely order again:
-String bean with eggplant
-Sizzling lamb
-Ginger and scallion chicken (note that this has a surprisingly spicy kick to it!)
Pretty good:
-Nom numb wings
-Steamed whole tilapia
Just okay:
-Sumiao hot dry noodles (I usually love dry noodles so this was slightly disappointing to me! I wish it had a little more flavor. Others in my group liked it though so maybe it's just me.)
-Scallion pancakes (also usually love these so this
Andres D.
Oct 14, 2021
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Nice Chinese restaurant by MIT. The service is friendly and there's lots of space. The menu is quite long so there's lots of options. Sadly the food is just mediocre (not very flavorful or filling) and the prices are pretty high. The ambiance is reasonably nice, but looking at my food and other tables, the food isn't really a cut above your standard Chinese restaurant. The noodles I got where subpar for Cambridge, honestly. The food options by Kendall square are mostly underwhelming, but I certainly wouldn't make visiting here a priority.
Grant Nedlik
Oct 02, 2021
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Just about a step lower than Panda Express. First off, wanted to grab a quick lunch special that was served until 3. Although I was seated before 3, even with a drink order placed, the establishment refused to honor the lunch special menu. Shrimp fried rice appeared more steamed than fried. Hunan street noodles were wet, salty and slimy, lacking any flavor other than salt with a hint of MSG. I have heard mixed reviews and tried it out, wish I had kept walking to another restaurant.
Peter Salem
Sep 27, 2021
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Delicious vegan Hunan cuisine dishes, honestly really impressed by the uniqueness of the dishes that you can't get anywhere else in the area. The Wood-Ear Mushrooms had an extremely unique texture of chewiness, and the Impossible Beef & Pickled Bean over noodles hit the spot absolutely perfect but wasn't too heavy, with very bright savory flavors. Definitely pretty pricey but good every now and then
Lauren S.
Sep 09, 2021
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Perfect for sharing dishes w friends! Good for big parties as there are ample amount of space. Each main dish has a fairly large portion size that if you want to stick to one entree per person, that works too.
Suuuper quick service. Our food all came out so fast!
Eggplant dish with string beans was the favorite!! Also get black rice! Purple yam bao is nutty/roasty with a hint of sweetness, and the dough's consistency is perfection - pillowy with a slight bit of pleasant chewiness like a good pita bread or potato rolls. I personally loved the stir fried noodle but it had mixed reviews from
Suuuper quick service. Our food all came out so fast!
Eggplant dish with string beans was the favorite!! Also get black rice! Purple yam bao is nutty/roasty with a hint of sweetness, and the dough's consistency is perfection - pillowy with a slight bit of pleasant chewiness like a good pita bread or potato rolls. I personally loved the stir fried noodle but it had mixed reviews from
Amanda Cheng
Sep 01, 2021
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The environment was clean and very nice, also conveniently located a few blocks from the red line. The food itself wasn't too bad. I got the eggplant string bean, popcorn chicken, wood ear mushroom salad, Hunan street noodle. The eggplant string bean was nicely charred, something that I've never been able to master at home. The string beans did taste a little softer than I'd expect. The wood ear mushroom was cold, crunchy and refreshing. The Hunan street noodle had generous slices of beef and shrimp. The protein wasn't overcooked, but the noodles were on the softer side. The popcorn chicken had
Regina L.
Aug 29, 2021
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Great Hunan restaurant in Kendall square! My family and I made a reservation for lunch and were seated promptly. The menu is a bit overwhelming, but they are known for their spicy dishes. You can ask them to tone down the spice if necessary.
Out of the many things we ordered my favorite were the yellow river beef and cumin lamb. I also love their purple yam buns, a really great comfort food!
They are a bit on the pricier side, but I loved their flavors and thought it was worth it.
Out of the many things we ordered my favorite were the yellow river beef and cumin lamb. I also love their purple yam buns, a really great comfort food!
They are a bit on the pricier side, but I loved their flavors and thought it was worth it.
Matthew H.
Aug 29, 2021
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I've been here once - years ago - and I really enjoyed my meal, so I jumped at the chance to drop by again the other day when my family were in town. Sumiao is a relatively high-end Chinese restaurant specialising in Hunan cuisine, so definitely a little pricier than similar restaurants, but I would say, largely speaking, definitely worth it.
We had reservations for 5:30pm on a Wednesday evening, and when we arrived we were immediately seated in the chic dining room - menus are QR-code-accessible now, and our server did highlight a few of their August recommended dishes. For the three of
We had reservations for 5:30pm on a Wednesday evening, and when we arrived we were immediately seated in the chic dining room - menus are QR-code-accessible now, and our server did highlight a few of their August recommended dishes. For the three of
Ethan M.
Aug 29, 2021
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Sumiao Hunan Kitchen is a great place if you want to stop by with friends and enjoy an authentic, hearty, Chinese meal. Each dish stands out alone with its own set of dynamic flavors kicked up by spice. As someone who has an extremely low spice-tolerance, I can confidently say that Hunan definitely knows how to properly balance spiciness and not make it too overwhelming (so long as you talk to them about adjusting the spice level, of course).
The whole fish on foil was steamed to perfection, with the flesh being exceptionally tender. The sauce was sweet and perfectly complemented the savory fish
The whole fish on foil was steamed to perfection, with the flesh being exceptionally tender. The sauce was sweet and perfectly complemented the savory fish
Manfred S.
Aug 14, 2021
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I really started to enjoy Sumiao. It is now worth an almost weekly trip.
Lava fish, sticky rice, spicy cauliflower, wood ear mushroom salad, ocra, five spice beef, cumin lamb are on my favorite list.
Avoid duck yolk shrimp. No flavor!
On the drink side: Sauvignon blanc (aka Baby Sancerre) is my favorite.
Lava fish, sticky rice, spicy cauliflower, wood ear mushroom salad, ocra, five spice beef, cumin lamb are on my favorite list.
Avoid duck yolk shrimp. No flavor!
On the drink side: Sauvignon blanc (aka Baby Sancerre) is my favorite.
Gloria Ha
Jul 11, 2021
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Sumiao has the perfect savory spicy flavors that I crave -- their dishes are what you would call a "rice thief" in Korean because they make you eat a lot of rice. My favorite dishes that I've tried so far are the lava fish (tender fish fillet in spicy fermented pepper sauce) and beef on fire. It definitely is pricey especially a la carte -- the lunch special is more reasonable though, and that's what I would go for in the future.
Pei-Hsin L.
Jun 02, 2021
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My mother picked this restaurant for a weekday lunch because her father is from Hunan.
We ordered the following dishes: (1) HOUSE CRISPY DUCK 本楼香酥烤鸭 for $36 (1/2 duck, bone-out, served with 4 steamed buns, cucumber, scallion, and seasoned seafood sauce); (2) LA ROU WITH MUSHROOMS 野山菌炒腊肉 for $28 (house-smoked hunan bacon with fresno pepper); (3) STRING BEANS WITH EGGPLANT 四季豆炝炒茄子 for $16 (dried chili, garlic, and seasoned soy sauce); (4) SUMIAO SHANG GAN 素描秘制香干 for $8 (tofu in chili bean sauce, dried chili, garlic, and scallion); and (5) WOOD
We ordered the following dishes: (1) HOUSE CRISPY DUCK 本楼香酥烤鸭 for $36 (1/2 duck, bone-out, served with 4 steamed buns, cucumber, scallion, and seasoned seafood sauce); (2) LA ROU WITH MUSHROOMS 野山菌炒腊肉 for $28 (house-smoked hunan bacon with fresno pepper); (3) STRING BEANS WITH EGGPLANT 四季豆炝炒茄子 for $16 (dried chili, garlic, and seasoned soy sauce); (4) SUMIAO SHANG GAN 素描秘制香干 for $8 (tofu in chili bean sauce, dried chili, garlic, and scallion); and (5) WOOD
Eric W.
Mar 31, 2021
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(Last visited 8/20/2020.) While working in Cambridge for the week I stayed at the Hotel Marlowe and had the pleasure of being able to walk to several awesome restaurants during that time. This was one of them and I'll tell you why...
Atmosphere/Appearance: It's a warm August day and this place was BUSY. The outdoor "garden" style seating was all full (especially with the COVID-19 regulations in place where tables had to be more spread out) so we got put on the waitlist for an indoor seat. We only waited about 10 minutes or so and were sat near one of the giant windows facing
Atmosphere/Appearance: It's a warm August day and this place was BUSY. The outdoor "garden" style seating was all full (especially with the COVID-19 regulations in place where tables had to be more spread out) so we got put on the waitlist for an indoor seat. We only waited about 10 minutes or so and were sat near one of the giant windows facing
Felicia L.
Nov 04, 2020
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Wanted to try a new place but ended up disappointed and upset. I would not recommend this place, and there are so many better places to go.
I ordered beef rice noodle soup, which was $15, and the amount of food they gave us was a joke. This place barely gave me any soup at all (see picture), what kind of "noodle soup" are you trying to serve? The amount of soup they gave us for a $15 meal was stingy and probably equivalent to a container of free soup that other Asian restaurants might throw in. Am I supposed to be eating "beef rice noodle soup" or noodles drenched in this tiny
I ordered beef rice noodle soup, which was $15, and the amount of food they gave us was a joke. This place barely gave me any soup at all (see picture), what kind of "noodle soup" are you trying to serve? The amount of soup they gave us for a $15 meal was stingy and probably equivalent to a container of free soup that other Asian restaurants might throw in. Am I supposed to be eating "beef rice noodle soup" or noodles drenched in this tiny
