Yunnan Kitchen

🍜 **Yunnan Kitchen Review - Boston** 🍜 📍 Nestled in the South End of Boston at 1721 Washington St #B, Yunnan Kitchen stands out!🌟 🥔 **Yunnan Potato Pancake**: A crispy shredded potato masterpiece akin to a French fry pancake. A bit spicy thanks to my brother's heavy hand, but a solid 8/10. 🌶️🥞 🥩 **Stir-Fried Beef with Long Horn Peppers**: This dish offers perfectly seasoned thin cuts of beef paired with seriously spicy peppers. It’s a mouth-watering 9/10. 🔥🐄 🌿 **Mint Beef**: Thinly sliced beef with crispy fried mint leaves—light but flavorful, earning another 9/10. 🍃🥩 🍚 **Stir-Fried Rice Cakes**: A best-seller for a reason! Tossed with pickled mustard greens, pork, egg, and tomato—this dish is a must-try if you're new to rice cakes. 9/10. 🌟 🍗 **Authentic Yongping Braised Chicken**: Generously seasoned with garlic, tsao-ko, scallions, and whole chili—this dish keeps you coming back for more. 9/10. 🐔🌶️ 🐟 **Lemongrass Tilapia**: Stuffed with chili herb paste, jalapeños, garlic, lemongrass, and citrus, cooked perfectly to score a flawless 10/10. 🌿🐟 🥔🍖 **Xuanwei Ham and Potato Rice**: Cooked in a stone pot, this dish offers delightful crispy bits of rice. Absolutely delicious! 🍚🔥 👥 **Ambiance and Experience**: It's a small space, but it packs a huge punch with some of the best Chinese cuisine I've had. And even while we were there someone in another booth said it was the best Chinese food they have ever had. The ambiance is simple, rated 5/10, which lets the food shine even more. 💵 **Affordability**: With reasonable pricing for exceptional food, it scores a 7/10 on affordability. 🍷 **Tip**: Share several plates with friends or family, order a bottle of wine, and prepare for an unforgettable dining experience. 📈 **Overall**: - Food: 9/10 - Ambiance: 5/10 - Affordability: 7/10 If you're looking for authentic Chinese cuisine outside of Boston's Chinatown, run, don't walk, to Yunnan Kitchen. You won’t be disappointed! 🌟👣

Great Yunnan food, very authentic. Hard to find a better Yunnan option in Boston. My partner who’s Yunnanese absolutely loves it.

Excellent food overall, very flavorful with great textures and generous portions. The grilled lemongrass tilapia was a standout, as well as the brisket tomato stew. I was a big fan of the "potato salad" but it was almost too spicy for some - a theme across any dishes that were marked spicy (I wasn't complaining 😅). The cocktails were ok but some so-so, I wouldn't make a point of coming for those. The service was lacking in some ways - very informal and slow/inattentive at times. But the food came very quickly. I loved the decor - there's stained glass lamps and Chinese style carvings/trim throughout the intimate space. The booth/bench seats could certainly use replacing though, some spots were held together with tape.

Checked out this place on a Saturday night with a group of friends after discovering it on Boston Eater. Dimly lit with booths and antique-looking decor. We ordered quite a few dishes because we were hungry, but the portions were huge (not complaining)! The sticky rice steamed ribs were a unanimous favorite, and the boiled pork in chili oil was a unanimous least favorite. The boiled pork and the boiled fish dishes had way too much peppercorn, which made them difficult to eat because we could not scoop anything without getting a mouthful of peppercorn as well. However, the boiled fish alone was okay. I liked the stir fried rice cakes too because the texture and flavors were nice: it was almost as if you put mochi in a clay pot to get that burnt, chewy/crispy texture. The coconut delight dessert was not too sweet (which was good) but also not memorable. Overall, I don't think this type of cuisine is for me, but you'll get the bang for your buck, and I had no complaints about the service when I went.

Great authentic Chinese food. We ordered yongping braised chicken, boiled fish filet in chili oil, and dali fried mushroom. All were much better than expected. Among the three, the chicken was the best; chewy but soft inside (there are huge chunk of ginger, be careful). The chicken can be bit salty, so I would recommend it with rice. Service was not exceptional, but good enough that we can enjoy the meal. The only downside would be the atmosphere. The building and furniture were outdated, and it would be much appealing to customers if they renovate the interior.

Solid Yunnanese food with a decent amount of options for appetizers, and entrées. Good vibe with some neat decor and ambiance. Service however was atrocious. Not particularly friendly and definitely far from attentive. They never checked in on us and it took them nearly twenty minutes to notice we were done eating. Would have probably had a friendlier experience at a prison 's dining hall. I don't know how they got a James Beard nomination with service being so sloppy. I'd be reluctant to return just because of that, even though the food we had was good. And it's a shame really because they offer a rather unique take on Chinese food, representing food from the Yunnan region, which is frequently overlooked and definitely underrepresented.

Food was acceptable BUT, the service was horrible. Extremely unprofessional. Server and hostess were dressed in t- shirt and shirts, respectively. The restaurant highlights the chef/owner's accomplishment and James Beard award and charges high prices for dishes. However, poor and unprofessional service don't warrant the high prices. They remind me of old Chinese restaurants were the wait staff lack any sense of customer service with stacks of sodas in the dining area along with any other things that should be out of sight for a restaurant that charges these prices. This is exactly what you will see here! If any restaurant wants to play with the big boys, they have to act the part. That is, they are trying to be a high end restaurant with a unique and uncommon version of Chinese food while charging high prices and highlighting the chef/owner's renowned culinary background BUT, they act like they are the corner restaurant with family members working the front of the house who appear to have just walked in off the street. The person who took our order, I'm not calling him a waiter because he has no waiter skills, was dressed in a t- shirt and after he took our order, he walked away. I had to call him back so that he could take the menus of the table. We also had to call him over to get boxes for the leftovers and call him over to bring the check. Even though the food wasn't bad, I'll never eat here again because of the lack of customer service relative to its pricing. I get better and more professional service from places like Fridays.

Staff was so friendly!! They helped with menu choices and recommendations. Very attentive. We did have lunch early so it was fairly slow so we enjoyed the personal attention. The food was good. No matter how good it is it’s never as good as being there but some come pretty close. One of my favorite dishes out is the boiled fish in chili. This one hit the spot. Not as spicy as others but it’s a different region so it’s gonna be a bit different. And the difference was welcomed. I love rice cakes and these did not disappoint. Actually probably the tastiest ones I’ve had. Plenty of flavor. The rice pancake was good as was the mushroom dish we had. All in all very good. The one thing that always gets me is the restaurants that bring the machine to pay to the table. You don’t really get a chance to look at the receipt first. And it’s a bit pricey so I’d like to see it on paper first. Then the tip question is asked and apparently 15/18/20 have been replaced by 18/20/25. Restaurants really need to pay their staff better. Pretty soon we will be like Canada at 30%. It’s not the staffs fault here so don’t get me wrong. Just venting about their process. Definitely will go back!

I've ordered out a single fish dish from here several times (boiled fish in chili oil) but finally had the opportunity to dine in with a few friends and try some different plates. Yunnan rice cakes: a crispy on the outside, soft on the inside patty served with a condensed milk sauce for dipping. Also makes a perfectly absorbent medium for sopping up the spicy sauces! Helpful hint: Wait for them to cool before trying to stuff the whole cake in your mouth. Mint beef: This was a friend's pick for which I had no expectations at all but ended up enjoying so much that I ate most of the bowl. Tender beef cuts sauteed with fragrant mint and with just a bit of a spicy kick. Stir fried rice cakes: I'm a huge fan of these chewy nuggets. Think al dente rice pasta tossed with mustard greens, pork and egg in a mildly spicy oil. Boiled fish in chili oil: A thing of beauty. It's a dish I've had at other restaurants but the tofu skin and baby cauliflower set this one apart for me. It's not half as dangerous as it looks or sounds - the sichuan peppercorns and chili oil just leave you with a pleasant tingly-face. Green pepper and potato fried rice: This was our safety/recovery (non spicy) dish if we needed it, but we liked it as much as everything else on the table. Not at all greasy, almost like broken rice with shreds of potatoes and pepper. Fast and unobtrusive service, as well background music with an actual background volume level to make this one of the rare restaurants where you can actually hold a conversation (THANK YOU AND PLEASE DON'T CHANGE). A unique and delicious experience! So much more to try here.

When I went here for the first time last year, I immediately went again the next day because I wanted to try so many things on their menu! The food is super yummy, the service is wonderful and efficient, and the interior is so cool and unique. I ordered their sautéed choy som, Dali fried mushrooms, Yongping braised chicken (tender, juicy, and warmly flavored), stir fried rice cakes (wish it was cooked through a little more, but the flavors completely made up for it), Yunnan style rice pancakes (great texture and when dipped in the condensed milk it was a perfect level of sweetness), boiled pork in chili oil (the broth was again a flavor explosion), handmade sticky rice meatballs, vegetable stir fried udon, and yunnan potato pancake (so so crispy). Went again more recently and everything remains super delicious! Found some new favorites including their sweet and sour pork (sauce is so so good), mint beef, and their boiled fish filet in chili oil (this might be my favorite). Loved everything here, and there's still more I want to try!

**Yunnan Kitchen Review - Boston** Nestled in the South End of Boston at 1721 Washington St #B, Yunnan Kitchen stands out! **Yunnan Potato Pancake**: A crispy shredded potato masterpiece akin to a French fry pancake. A bit spicy thanks to my brother's heavy hand, but a solid 8/10. **Stir-Fried Beef with Long Horn Peppers**: This dish offers perfectly seasoned thin cuts of beef paired with seriously spicy peppers. It's a mouth-watering 9/10. **Mint Beef**: Thinly sliced beef with crispy fried mint leaves--light but flavorful, earning another 9/10. **Stir-Fried Rice Cakes**: A best-seller for a reason! Tossed with pickled mustard greens, pork, egg, and tomato--this dish is a must-try if you're new to rice cakes. 9/10. **Authentic Yongping Braised Chicken**: Generously seasoned with garlic, tsao-ko, scallions, and whole chili--this dish keeps you coming back for more. 9/10. **Lemongrass Tilapia**: Stuffed with chili herb paste, jalapeños, garlic, lemongrass, and citrus, cooked perfectly to score a flawless 10/10. **Xuanwei Ham and Potato Rice**: Cooked in a stone pot, this dish offers delightful crispy bits of rice. Absolutely delicious! **Ambiance and Experience**: It's a small space, but it packs a huge punch with some of the best Chinese cuisine I've had. And even while we were there someone in another booth said it was the best Chinese food they have ever had. The ambiance is simple, rated 5/10, which lets the food shine even more. **Affordability**: With reasonable pricing for exceptional food, it scores a 7/10 on affordability. **Tip**: Share several plates with friends or family, order a bottle of wine, and prepare for an unforgettable dining experience. **Overall**: - Food: 9/10 - Ambiance: 5/10 - Affordability: 7/10 If you're looking for authentic Chinese cuisine outside of Boston's Chinatown, run, don't walk, to Yunnan Kitchen. You won't be disappointed!

Ordered delivery for a larger group and it came very quickly and everything was still hot on arrival! The rice cakes and scallion pancakes are must get items for me! Tried the dali fried mushrooms for the first time and was very pleasantly surprised, have never had anything like it before!

yunnan is a classy place that always seems to be teeming with guests. come at lunch time for less of a crowd. i am fortunate enough to live across the street from such a good establishment, so i frequent here. service is quick, no fuss, and out of the way so you can enjoy the company that you came with. some favorites include the stir fried rice cakes, the beef with peppers, sticky rice meatballs, and dali fried mushrooms. enjoy your time here!!

Fabulous food and service. One of the best Chinese food meals I've ever had. Standouts were the La La Beef, sweet and sour fish and rice meat balls. Good size portions, great for sharing, and best of all reasonable prices.

I have to admit that I have never had Yunnan food before except one dish (过桥米线) and I do not have too much knowledge on Yunnan cuisine. So we blindly picked beef brisket stew with potato (good but not quite sure this one is an authenticate Yunnan dish), mint fried ribs (good but very spicy), Yunnan potato pancake (excellent), and hand-made stick rice meatballs (excellent, my favor). I have seen several other dishes such as Yunnan style rice pancake, and Grandma's potato that might represent typical Yunnan food. I will definitely come back. I also love the decoration of this restaurant, quite traditional!

My brother really wanted to try this place so we dragged the whole fam to try more dishes. Overall I think they use solid ingredients (especially compared to the typical Chinese restaurant) but the flavors can be tweaked. They have wok air which is nice. I wouldn't feel like my mouth is dry from msg afterwards. Not my type of place but would be open to coming again. Interior We don't like how they kept the previous restaurant's decor with all the dark wood and dim lights. Chinese food esp this type isn't meant to be moody. I literally saw a couple need to use their phone flashlight to read the menu. Booth seating works for me. Heating is uneven across various parts of the restaurant. We ordered: stir fried rice cake, sweet and sour pork, boiled fish in chili oil, yong ping braised chicken, sauteed snow pea leaves, stir fried beef with pickled vegetables Stir fried rice cake It was a surprise that it's not too oily too mushy and has wok air. The seasoning is uneven so some bites are too salty. Sweet and sour pork This was surprisingly still crunchy with sauce coating each piece. Meat is fresh. Flavor isn't the best but the balance of other parts makes this pretty solid. Boiled fish in chili oil The fish is flounder filet pieces but thankfully no freezer taste. My mom requested mild spicy so they eliminated the fragrant oil, and we immediately realized how bland it is without. The guy was nice enough to give us back the fragrant oil, promising that it's not spicy. True it's not spicy and not mala either. It tasted better but still not a flavor I like and found it not intriguing enough. It was a surprise they have a bunch of veggies at the bottom. Yong ping braised chicken It looks so dark and dry but surprisingly actually still juicy inside. The only problem is too salty and oily. Sauteed snow pea leaves We ordered this instead of choy sum because this feels relatively more worth considering the price difference. It was mediocre. We got it only for the sake of veggies. The actual sprouts aren't tender and quite rough. Stir fried beef with pickled veggies This was my least favorite. The beef was mushy and thin. I don't like pickled veggies. I read some reviews saying that this is authentic and yummy such that Chinese people would go to. No offense but when I went everyone else was non-Asian. There's so many Chinese in Boston, I 500% bet that if something is authentic enough and proper Chinese social media it'll be flooded with them. I'm not judging their marketing and I'm fine with them staying peaceful. It does look like a family run business. The front of the house does look like siblings. They speak mandarin with each other but know some cantonese as well.

Stumbled upon this and wanted to try a new cuisine. The vibe and service were superb. We ordered the Yunnan Style Rice Cake, Coconut Delight, and Sweet and Sour Fish Filet. The Coconut Delight was a fun and sweet drink/dessert. The Rice Cake was bland but luckily there was condensed milk for dipping. Soon, the rice cake got cold and hard to bite into. The sweet and sour fish filet's batter reminded me of the thick chicken finger appetizer from a Chinese restaurant. It should be not be this thick. Overall, the experience was pleasant but the food was just very very mediocre.

Multiple friends had this spot on their list to try. In my opinion, I think the food was decent. The flavors were good but I expected more of a spice due to the hype around this place. We got here at 1pm on a Saturday and it was not super busy. Not a super upscale place but more like a mom and pop shop. Food arrived quickly to the table and the portions were big. The tomato pork dish (I forget the name) was our least favorite unfortunately. It leans much more towards tomato and sour flavor than a savory meat dish. Overall I probably won't go out of my way to come here again. Maybe if I find something on the menu I can't find elsewhere

We of course had to get the pea jelly salad to start. A classic. It's served cold with nuts and some chili sauce, but it's really not spicy. It has a fresh jelly taste and an umami flavor. The peanuts adds some crunch balanced well with soft jelly. The Stir Fried Rice Cake is a must have. It's soft and chewy with a tangy flavor, and I can eat it all day! We also have the Mint Beef for extra protein. The thinly sliced beef is soaked in pickled pepper and mint sauce. The coconut delight is a must have for drinks. It's a coconut milk based drink with some magical ingredients that makes it doesn't taste like coconut at all. It's sweet and it's just right. And the toasted brioche bread adds so much flavor and texture to it. The service is super fast and the waitress is crazy nice and attentive. The ambiance is peaceful with decor that is not Buddha status but still distinctive East Asian.

Being Boston's first and only Yunnan restaurant, I came in expecting food incomparable to those served from other chinese restaurants around Boston. For the most part, I came out relatively satisfied. The stir fried rice cakes exceeded my expectations. The dish was actually quite fragrant and smokey, providing a great deal of wok-stir-fry flavor and aroma. The mint beef was also a delight! The beef was tender and moist; the chillies added a fiery but sweet flair; and the mint leaves provided a refreshing aftertaste that leaves you going for another piece. The wood ear mushroom salad was simple but refreshing! Cold, soaked in soy sauce and vinegar, accompanied by crunchy onions. A great pallet cleanser! Unfortunately, the steamed pot chicken completely fell short, and was by far the weakest dish. $35 for a few chicken scraps in a broth that lacked any depth in flavor. The chicken itself was somehow incredibly dry and lacked any complexity in its taste! It's almost as if they took the scraps of another chicken dish, boiled it in water, and served it in a fancy vessel. Aside from the food, the restaurant itself is cozy, though not very spacious. As for the service, the food was brought out almost instantaneously! All four dishes came out in less than 5 minutes! Unfortunately, we were rushed out before I could even ask what was on the dessert menu. Overall, Yunnan kitchen isn't a bad restaurant at all. Aside from the chicken, it executed its food quite well. Personally, I wasn't too blown away by it. The flavors were good, but certainly not extraordinary to leave me wanting to come back for more. Needless to say, you won't be disappointed coming here.

Small Regional Chinese joint near the corner of Mass Ave and Washington Street. Small bar, about a dozen tables, and specialties from Yunnan province that bring lots of sour and spicy flavors. One of my favorite Chinese restaurants. Yunnan Potato Pancake: A first, and a fine starter, but plain (we ordered it milder for my wife) and not that exciting. Fortunately, the other dishes are VERY exciting. Lots of crispness here. Fish Fillet with Pickled Vegetable: Soft, delicate, white fish in a very non-delicate broth. Incredibly flavorful and sharply so, both in sourness and spiciness. Think chicken piccata, only fish instead of chicken, Chinese instead of Italian, and everything more intense and a little extra spicy (from both finely sliced peppers and whole peppercorns), and there you have it. This was a triumph of texture as well as flavor, with so many contrasting elements. It's a dish that reheats well, but you gotta eat it in the restaurant to appreciate how finely calibrated every aspect is. By far my favorite dish here. I like to get a separate little bowl for the broth to enjoy that as a separate entity. Yongping Braised Chicken: Big clay pot with large chunks of red/brown-tinted chicken on the bone, crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, complemented by whole garlic cloves, scallions, whole chile peppers and peppercorns, and chunks of a mushroom-like/ginger-like plant. Delicious flavor, remotely similar to Kentucky Fried Chicken original recipe, but elevated about 7 or 8 levels in intensity, quality, and spice. Aromatic too. Hard to eat without simply picking up the pieces, so just go for it. Plenty to share or save. Beef with Longhorn Peppers: Succulent beef with spicy, crunchy peppers cooked almost to the point of losing the crunch, but not quite. Some smokiness in the mix, from the natural flavors in the vegetables. Beef very tender and moist. Spiciness comes from several sources here, and flavor is sky high. Fried Tofu with Longhorn Peppers: Same crunch, same smokiness, same enjoyment, and yea, even though it's tofu. Thankfully fried but not deep fried. This is a dish you can devour and still respect yourself in the morning. Dali Spicy Shrimp: Spicy, tangy, very slightly buttery, very faintly sweet. Salty in a good way and different way, hard to describe. Wonderful. Boiled Fish Filet in Chili Oil: Darker, deeper, spicier, and crunchier than what I've had elsewhere. Captivating broth delicious enough to spoon on its own, although too oily to indulge in more than a few spoonfuls. Wonderful. Mint Beef: Tender, aromatic, not spicy. They don't all have to be spicy. Subtle yet effective. General Gau's Chicken: I am a firm believer in the "when in Rome" principle, so an unusual choice here. But this restaurant has wowed me so many times before (and the manager recommended it as something beyond an item to appease the less adventurous), so we gave it a try. Crisp, fresh, and good meat-to-breading ratio. Sauce was typically sweet, with minimal if any contrasting elements. I wouldn't get it again, but no regrets on trying it. Wood Ear Mushroom Salad: I'm not a mushroom guy, but I do make an exception for dishes like this. Not firm like I'm used to, but the "refreshing" promised on the menu was indeed fulfilled. Great combo of spice and tartness, with fresh lime slices in addition to the lime juice. Sticky Rice Meatballs: Sometimes a dish can impress without having to dump the entire spice cabinet into it. This is one of them. Subtle but full of finesse, with tasty steamed minced pork, covered with rice, and topped with a goji berry (don't ask). Boiled Pork in Chili Oil. Not as dark (in both meat and sauce) or as garlicky as in the menu description and photo, but enjoyable nonetheless. Spicy with nuance. That said, I'm still not convinced it was pork.

I would go back to this restaurant just to get the fried rice cakes! Perfect texture, perfectly flavorful. We also got the pork stew, it was decent. The service was a bit slow, but the yummy food definitely made up for it. Will definitely be back to try more things!

Great restaurant! It is 9/10. It is a great place to find an original taste from south-west of China. The survey is friendly and the fast. The ambiance is a very traditional from original area. However it takes time to find a parking spot. The food in the image is my favorite. Highly recommended!

Very spacious seating. (Much appreciated) There's also a small bar area. The service was okay. The sweet & sour fish filet was good. I really likes the sauce but wished that the fish batter was slightly more crispy. No complaints about the fish itself, super soft and tender. The braised chicken was also yummy. It was flavorful and moist. The beef was super soft, tender, and flavorful. The dessert was surprisingly good, not too sweet. Would definitely come back for the dessert and other sweet and sour dishes that they have.

Easy online ordering, ready and waiting for pickup when they said it would be. Unique menu items, cooked just right with fresh ingredients, as well as traditional Chinese restaurant items (eg scallion pancakes).

Yunnan was not too busy on Saturday evening. They make reservations by phone only so I had made one a few days before but it looked like it wasn't needed. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very casual but cozy. There was some booth seating next to the windows and much longer tables closer to the bar side that could fit a very large group. There was actually a group of 7-10 celebrating a birthday. I'd seen comments saying that they had some very spicy dishes but none of the stuff I got was really spicy so I was surprised. The food though was very delicious and flavorful. Also the portions are really nice so we ended up having leftovers for the two of us that could last for at last 2 days. Service was alright and definitely you need to take initiative when it comes to making sure you get your check or to go boxes as the servers and staff forgot about us at the end. What I got: Stir fried beef w/ pickled veggies Sweet and sour pork Dali Fried Pea jelly (very similar texture to tofu) Stir fried rice cake (very yummy one of my favs) Price $$ Food 9 Atmosphere 7 Service 5

I really amped up my expectations after hearing about the James Beard nomination. Definitely delicious and worthwhile but wasn't out of this world or mind blowing. Still, you cannot make a mistake when coming here and you will enjoy good food with great taste and extremely fast service. There are definitely some dishes that I felt were rarer to find in this area and that I thoroughly enjoyed, such as the pea jelly and the rice pancake with condensed milk. Go for those! Other more common dishes, such as the stir fried beef udon noodles and the boiled pork in chili oil, were more on the average side for me and maybe could have had more ingredients in it or something to make it stand out more. I came on a Saturday night and the wait was minimal. Keep in mind your whole party has to be present to be seated. Food came out extremely fast - like shockingly. Decor was good except for the random Halloween witch and the Valentine's bear... Jazz in the background was a little too loud.

Portion sizes were massive - the soups could all have served two. I had the fried tofu with long horn peppers which was mostly peppers which was very spicy. We started with the fried cheese, dali fried mushrooms and potato pancake all of which were great. The mushrooms had the spice in the side, so if you don't like spice you can still share.

Order the house special rice cakes, the fish and pickled greens soup, - my two favorites. There are a lot of dishes outside of my HK and Shanghainese repertoire so it was a little daunting to decide what to order. It did get a James Beatd nod and my 2 foodie friends are tegulars. So give it a try!

The food was amazing! I highly recommend the stir-fried rice cakes, they were so flavorful and such a unique dish

I enjoyed the Dali fried pea jelly (13$) a lot! It was super interesting, with a nice crisp outside and nice spicy dip. It was ever so slightly too bland because of the issue of double dipping though -- I feel like if it were smaller chunks, it would be ideal! The Yongping braised chicken (29$) came out sizzling hot, but was overall way too salty; delicious otherwise with tender chicken and lots of flavor. The rice (3$) was a bit on the drier side, which normally would be fine, except the chicken didn't have sauce, so it did make for a suboptimal combination. Service was fine except when we wanted to get our bill, which was weirdly slow. I'd definitely recommend visiting!

I was quite disappointed given all the recommendations I have been receiving from my Chinese friends recently and after learning about all the credentials and awards Yunnan Kitchen has received. We ordered around 7 dish, ALL of which, except for the dessert, were extremely salty. Everyone at the table mentioned that the food was a bit salty . Personally, I think the kitchen made a huge mistake for all of our dish, but if that's their standard amount of salt they add to their dish, I will never return as the salt drowns all other flavors and it is bad for my health. Hence I ordered white rice to help myself to finish the food, but it turns out the rice was not made well either, it was slightly undercooked and dried. I assume they didn't add enough water. When we left the table, a lot of food were not finished which was not surprising to me. Most of the items in the menu are not authentic Yunnan dish, my friends informed me. But that doesn't matter too much to me as long as they had other authentic and tasty Chinese cuisine. But I have no reason to return, I look forward to being proven wrong about this establishment and have more Chinese restaurants opened in Boston.

I've had take out from here once, and sit down meal once. The takeout was the rice cakes with pork which was far far too spicy for my taste, which isn't the restaurant's fault, I'm sure they can make it less spicy for my western palate. This review focuses on my sit down meal here and how utterly terrible the service was. But first the food - my friend and I shared the fried goat cheese with honey, which was fun and delicious. We also shared the sticky rice meatballs which were tasty but bland (could definately use some ginger.) Finally we had the sweet and sour pork, which was good - crispy with a more complex than usual sweet and sour sauce. Both the meatballs and pork came with crisp-tender brocolli (but rice should have come with the sweet and sour pork.) So for the food alone, at least a 4. But from the greeting at the door, to the service where we sat a the bar, this place left a bad taste in both our mouths. The staff at the host stand was confused, unclear and not communicative. They never actually put our names on thier (paper) list, then said the wait was 15 minutes. Then 60. Then no, someone was leaving. Then what was your name? (You didn't take it) Then "oh, someone left from the bar, you can sit there.). We were confused and left feeling like the staff were completely making things up as they went. (An electronic reservation system cost money, yes, but it would be way more efficient than a messy paper list you aren't even really using.) When we sat, it took a long time for a waiter to come over and take our order, then they brought out appetizer without side plates.When we asked for one, he gave my friend a plate and said "we don't have any more, that's the last one." That might have been a language issue, but they did clean one, or find one for me, instead of placing it in front of me, threw it on the bar next to my friend. Just not great service from the hostess or from out waiter, and we felt like we were an annoyance. This place has a James Beard nomination. Do they count service in there at all? Cause it was not a James Beard noiminee experience at all.

This was a James Beard nominated restaurant, please!!!! It was the worst dining/drinking experience I've ever had. First, we both ordered one of their 5 signature cocktails to be told "we don't have those two". I had a water. I ordered the fried mushrooms, fried spring rolls and pork dumplings. The fried mushrooms were served cold, limp and super spicy (awful). The spring rolls were equivalent to the cheapest frozen spring rolls I could get at the grocery store and the pork dumplings were decent. My partner got a lime chicken dish. It was a pile of over cooked shredded chicken breast heaped in a mound on a plate with 3 slices of lime sitting on top. THATS IT!!! We left 80% of the food on the table and went to China town. Whom ever nominated them for a James Beard award needs to give up on review food establishments, you have no taste. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

This place is located in the South end of Boston close to BU medical campus. Upon walking in, the place had a very nice ambience; it was dimly lit medium sized space with music in the background. The staff were all friendly as well. The place offers authentic traditional Yunnan food which is not as commonly seen in the states compared to other Chinese food. Almost all of the food had spicy kick to it, therefore if you're not familiar or used to spicy food, I wouldn't recommend coming here. We ordered the wood ear mushrooms, fish filet in chili oil and stir fried rice cakes, all of which were very delicious, flavorful, and well made but definitely spicy.

If your a fan of authentic Chinese food this is your place ! It's not your Americanized Cantonese style many are accustomed too. I had a tofu skin and pickled vegetables soup it was great. The beef and jalapeños fried rice was fantastic. The dumplings were also very good. Great beer selection.

Stopped by for lunch on a Saturday and was seated right away. We tried a bunch of dishes including the rice pancakes, shrimp with lotus root, fish in chili oil, stir fry udon, sauté snow peas, and coconut delight dessert. Because if you don't like spicy because a lot of the dishes were spicy. Everything was tasty but service was slow and they forgot one of our dishes. The rice pancakes were interesting. They don't have much flavor but taste good when dipped in the condensed milk. The coconut delight was not sweet which made it very bland. Overall decent option for Yunnan dishes!

New spot (and much needed Chinese food) in the South End! Ambiance of the restaurant is great and the service is 10/10! We ordered the chicken, stir fried beef, rice cakes which were all tasty but just a tad on the saltier side. Mix it up with some other dishes and it's a solid meal, even better experience.

I got my food and I found 2 plastic wraps , please don't go to this restaurant, it is very dirty. So I did email the manager and of course it is not answer , I don't think they really care about customer, so if anybody go to eat there please check your food.

Came here after I recently saw their chef was a James Beard Award Finalist in 2023. It's also been on a friend's list for a while so this was a good opportunity. Located in the South End it's an unassuming restaurant with a few homier touches. Finding a table was reasonable ~ 30-45min on a Friday at 630pm. Lots of takeout orders but our party of 4 (2 M/F couples) got a booth. We got 4 appetizers and 3 entrees which are all good and different from what we usually eat. We're all chinese-american so we eat at Asian restaurants a lot but 2 of us are northern and 2 southern. I haven't eaten a lot of Yunnan food so this was somewhat unique! We got: Apps: Fried pea jelly, yunan style rice pancake, dali fried mushroom Entrees: Sticky rice steamed ribs , boiled fish filet in chili oil, stir fried beef with pickled veges, Lemon shredded chicken Highlights: - Fried Pea Jelly (somewhat like fried tofu) - Yunan Style Rice Pancake w/ condensed milk (very good) - Dali Fried Mushroom (unique, jerky-like mushroom) - Boiled Fish Filet in Chili Oil (not as spicy as szechuan but very good) - Stir-fried Beef w/ Pickeled Veggies (very soft and appropriate texture) Overall, great place with great taste. Homier in taste than traditional chinese restaurants. There are of course classic American-Chinese options but we didn't try them. Yunan is southern-ish which tends to be less salt/garlic heavy and more sweet but it's hard to generalize. Give the traditional Yunan dishes a try!

Dropped in for a light dinner and was lucky to beat the 95% Asian crowd in at 6! We ordered the fried pea jelly since we had no idea what it was--perfect light fry on a mild "jelly" (very soft and the slightest bit of chew), which turned out to be a great vessel for the real star of the dish, the dry chili powder. I'm a big fan of the numbing spice sensation, which we got even more of with the braised chicken. I didn't expect it to be still so juicy with such a strong sauce (you can see all the whole spices used!), and I couldn't get enough. Would return if I come back in town and recommend for an authentic southern Chinese spicy kick!

Way above average Chinese food. Many menu items that are not common in many places. Prompt and efficient service. Pleasant atmosphere. Our favorites are wood ear mushroom, Dali fried mushroom, vegetable udon noodle, sticky rice meatballs, pea shoots, yongping chicken and pork in chili oil.

Very good food and service. Be warned, the spice level is no joke. Very authentic, even the dishes not marked spicy had quite the kick.

6.5/10: Yunnan Kitchen is a newcomer to the Boston food scene. It's quickly built a clout after snagging a James Beard nomination just a year after opening its doors. Unfortunately, the food fell a bit flat. There's not many Asian restaurants in Boston that attempt elevated cooking. Most in Chinatown and Allston stick to the American staples of Lo Meins and Crab Rangoons. The fusion places often disguise mediocre cooking with catchy phrases like "Koji Marinade" and "knife cut noodles." Think Pagu. Yunnan Kitchen certainly shakes things up. The chef introduces elements like mint, lime, pea jelly, and goji berry that are rarely seen in Chinese restaurants. That being said, there was room for improvement. - The texture of the fried mushrooms was an off putting mix of dried and squishy. - The snow pea leaves were overpriced. - The braised chicken used lower quality meats. - The sticky rice meatballs were the best dish.

The fried pea jelly was my favorite along with the Szechuan sliced fish! I thought it was odd that they served us rice in coffee mugs.. but all of the food was delicious. Service is a friendly albeit a little clunky. I'll be back!

Delicious and very traditional yunnan food! My friend spent a couple of years in the area and was impressed by the food that popped out. They do a great job with every dish. The grandmas mashed potatoes weren't like anything my grandma would make, but man I want to meet this grandma 10/10. The fish in chili oil was also stunning. Finally do yourself a favor and get the fried pea jelly. Fun fact they are made of peas. Heads up they don't do carafes of sake, but they have a massive bottle you can order off menu.

If there was a definition of a restaurant I wanted to gate-keep, it would be here. I came here late on a Friday night without a reservation with 2 of my friends. I called 20min before to check if they had a table available. They luckily said yes, and we were immediately sat down when we arrived. We shared the mushroom appetizer - so good so spicy. Then our 3 mains were the mint beef, fish in chili oil, and stir fried rice cakes. I believe everything we chose was spicy (the menu specifies which dishes are spicy), and it was amazing. I definitely need to come back and check out their drinks. The waiter was also so helpful in helping us decide which dishes to choose. There are also some decorations inside that pay tribute to the Chinese culture so overall a great ambiance!

An incredible dining experience. Humble, cozy, and extremely tasty. We had a few dishes and each was on point. One of the best Chinese restaurants in Boston.

We were in the neighborhood and we're attracted by the beautiful setting snd the crowded tables. The food and the service was terrific! Everything we ordered was delicious ! Meatballs and mint beef!

Amazing food, wonderful prompt service, deserving of the James Beard recognition! Rice cake dish was amazing!

Wish I could give this a better review, but this place was expensive for asian food and was actually sweet when we asked for spicy. Would not go again

Food is very tasty and authentic to the region. Ambience was chill but lively, the waiters are also very friendly and attentive.

Great service, good environment, authentic Yunnan food, but mediocre chief. If you are craving for authentic Yunnan dishes you've seen on YouTube, here's the place to go and try it out see if you like the gourmet. If you miss your hometown in Yunnan, we'll, you can try it out but you might be disappointed a little bit. Why do I say that? Because the food here tastes like Yunnan food, but is not cooked very well. We ordered some authentic Yunnan dishes. Vegetable dished were fine, such as fried mushrooms, and fried rice cake with egg and basil. But the meat dishes were just OK, like 3 stars out of 5. The ingredients were right, it's just the chief's skill I guess. Dishes were presented well, although, so they all looked good. So hopefully the chief can do better in the future. But I can see that they are at least on the right path! Will check it out again I guess next year and see. Overall 4 stars.

The front lady was mean and bad attitude. Food is below average. Don't go if you have a choice.

My coworkers and I ordered lunch from here and it was great! 3 of us got the general tso's chicken and 1 got the beef and broccoli. We ordered from the lunch menu and I was SO surprised at how large the portions were. When you take a bite of the chicken, you actually see that there's white meat inside! I feel like at a lot of places, there's little meat and mostly fried batter. The sauce was sweet but not overly and it's not the usual thick goop that you get elsewhere. My coworker also loved his beef and broccoli, even saying this was going to be his new spot for Chinese food. Prices seem high ($14/$15 for lunch) but it was worth it, especially considering how big the portions were. We will definitely be going back.

I am a Uber delivery driver. I asked to use the bathroom before delivering an order for your establishment but I was told that it's for customers only. That is absurd to me that. You would turn away a driver who is doing something for your business. You lost a potential future customer. Do better Yunnan.

Service was above and beyond, and the food was excellently seasoned. As MA residents looking to explore more areas of chinese cuisine, this was a great pick