Used to come here a lot, since the food is not bad, and it's comfort food for us. We went after the pandemic; and sadly they are just taking advantage of the situation to get into the price gouging frenzy. We ordered spicy salted tofu, and paid almost $18 (it's just a smaller portion of fried tofu, and nothing fancy in the dish's ingredients). We don't mind if they add reasonable increase like many other local restaurants that we love to support, but this is just too much.
david we
Order anything that comes with the black bean sauce. The clams are really good but my favorite is the eggplant and tofu. Good size portion and comes with rice.
Les
It’s a shame how overpriced this place is in the name of “ rising cost” and “small business.” This place is in the neighborhood of Boston University where there are many international college students looking for a home cooked meal and something affordable to eat.The first red flag is he doesn’t list the prices. Another red flag is that there is no register with a set amount, so he writes down the order and sets whatever price he feels like. A two item BBQ rice is $18 plus whatever taxes he feels like adding to pay for his luxury clothing.The portion size will disappoint you because all you get is 5 small slices of BBQ pork and 5 small slices of roast pork with "bok choy" covering 2/3 of the lunch box. Do your self a favor and go anywhere else in the food court.
Kristin chen
I ordered crispy pork belly and they gave me 2 bones. I asked them if that was a mistake and they said no. They sell the bone the same price as the meat. I would not recommend this place. Not worth it. And if you use credit card, u have to pay extra 3%.
Alice D.
Honestly pretty solid Chinese food in the food court of HK supermarket! We came here on a Monday evening and despite it being a weekday, it was still pretty busy. It was the busiest store in the food court which is what drew our eye and it didn't disappoint. Their menu is huge so it took some time to narrow down what we wanted, but sharing a plate of veggies with an entree each was a good amount of food for two. The wonton soup was pretty standard and what I would expect all around - a very light soup and well-cooked beef as well. The duck was pretty tender as well and it was a decent amount of food for its price. I would say overall things were a little on the more expensive side for a place like this and they took quite a long time to get our food ready, but otherwise, I enjoyed this place and wouldn't mind ordering again after grocery shopping or if I was in the area. Thanks for a good meal, Kantin!
Christopher Lee (soongx2)
Kantin has been here for a long time and usually alright with rice plates but the scallion pancakes was so deep fried that it crumbled into pieces after one bite. Sad...can't even get scallion pancakes right.
John Y.
I bought 2 lunch plates a few days ago. 1) 3 meat bbq combo over rice. 2) Beef chow foon. The total was $34 and change. Wow, inflation hit hard here. If you're at the Super 88 food court in Allston, this is probably the best food available there. They're hidden in the back corner, near the supermarket. The food tasted good, but I feel like it was on the pricey side. One of the 4 duck pieces was bones and skin. One of the roast pork pieces was dessert dry (I didn't even give it to my dog, that's how dry it was). The 4 pieces of roast crispy pig were fatty and delicious. On the side were some cabbage and a bunch or rice underneath. There were no sauces included like in everyone else's picture. I asked for hot oil (saw the lady write it down) but didn't get it. Their bbq meats have good flavor, but I was hoping for more pieces for the price. If you're really really craving it, and you're in this area, then go get (like I did). The lady also asked if I wanted a fried egg...I'm scared to know how much more she would've charged for that, lol. It's all good, its a small business and I hope they stay open. As a consumer, this was just how I honestly felt.
Katie C.
Recently discovered Kantin and am a big fan! I tried a bento box combination, which came with rice, veggies, roast pork, crispy pork, an egg and soup. I've read other reviews complain about the amount of sauce given, which I can understand - it would be nice to have a bit more. And the meats weren't as hot as I would've liked, but the flavors were all delicious and the crispy pork had a great crunch. I especially liked the soup, which was the perfect counterpoint to the rich pork. At around $18, it isn't the steal that it probably used to be pre-pandemic and inflation. But it hits the spot and I'd certainly go back!
Khuyen Tran
I ordered the spicy salted shrimp - regular order. I wasn't sure how big the portion was gonna be so I asked him and he said it's 13 shrimps which was advertised as jumbo size and this is what I got - 13 small shrimps for $24! Way overpriced for this cheap tiny restaurant inside the food court! Never going back again !Updated: the food was good but I don't think it's worth the price.
Iris S.
Nestled in the food court attached to 99 ranch, this gem of a stall takes up the entire back wall. Everything about their noodle soup with bbq meats is so comforting for me. I love that one. They actually make the soup really hot and not like warm. It has a great meaty flavor but is not slick on the tongue. The broth is very clear. Two. I like that you can pick three meats. I usually do duck, tripe and intestine. They give a generous helping of each. All three are well seasoned and I honestly don't have a favorite. I don't love the noodles in this dish. Don't get me wrong they are cooked well and the traditional type that come in this dish, i just prefer flat noodles and next time I'll request this. I definitely will come back next time I need groceries!
So satisfying: duck buns and chicken congee. Love the simplicity of this space! Service is quick but sometimes there is a line due to popularity! Glad I found it.
CC
Don't not buy their take-outs on Chowbus!!!!!!!! They charged a lot more, but they put a lot less!!!! Below they charged for 22.05 on the menu for 2 picked meet. That apps did not allow to show comments or reviews!!!! This is ridiculously expensive and so cheating.
Ed Y.
Use to be one of my favorite hidden gems but after they tried charging me for extra sauce over my roast pork, forget it. If they have to be cheap to stay in business i'll take my business else where.
Keiichi H.
Lately I go to Kantin a lot. First of all, the way they make white rice is really my favorite in Boston area. I always order Hot & Sour Soup and rice dishes. I love spicy pork chop, Yang Chow fried rice, and Lotus seafood ( very spicy, comes with separate rice and soup).
Elizabeth D'Oliveira
We have been going to Kantin for 20 years. The food is always fabulous and the new owners are incredibly kind and always ask about our kids when we sneak away for lunch. Definitely recommend them!
Used to come here a lot, since the food is not bad, and it's comfort food for us. We went after the pandemic; and sadly they are just taking advantage of the situation to get into the price gouging frenzy. We ordered spicy salted tofu, and paid almost $18 (it's just a smaller portion of fried tofu, and nothing fancy in the dish's ingredients). We don't mind if they add reasonable increase like many other local restaurants that we love to support, but this is just too much.
Order anything that comes with the black bean sauce. The clams are really good but my favorite is the eggplant and tofu. Good size portion and comes with rice.
It’s a shame how overpriced this place is in the name of “ rising cost” and “small business.” This place is in the neighborhood of Boston University where there are many international college students looking for a home cooked meal and something affordable to eat.The first red flag is he doesn’t list the prices. Another red flag is that there is no register with a set amount, so he writes down the order and sets whatever price he feels like. A two item BBQ rice is $18 plus whatever taxes he feels like adding to pay for his luxury clothing.The portion size will disappoint you because all you get is 5 small slices of BBQ pork and 5 small slices of roast pork with "bok choy" covering 2/3 of the lunch box. Do your self a favor and go anywhere else in the food court.
I ordered crispy pork belly and they gave me 2 bones. I asked them if that was a mistake and they said no. They sell the bone the same price as the meat. I would not recommend this place. Not worth it. And if you use credit card, u have to pay extra 3%.
Honestly pretty solid Chinese food in the food court of HK supermarket! We came here on a Monday evening and despite it being a weekday, it was still pretty busy. It was the busiest store in the food court which is what drew our eye and it didn't disappoint. Their menu is huge so it took some time to narrow down what we wanted, but sharing a plate of veggies with an entree each was a good amount of food for two. The wonton soup was pretty standard and what I would expect all around - a very light soup and well-cooked beef as well. The duck was pretty tender as well and it was a decent amount of food for its price. I would say overall things were a little on the more expensive side for a place like this and they took quite a long time to get our food ready, but otherwise, I enjoyed this place and wouldn't mind ordering again after grocery shopping or if I was in the area. Thanks for a good meal, Kantin!
Kantin has been here for a long time and usually alright with rice plates but the scallion pancakes was so deep fried that it crumbled into pieces after one bite. Sad...can't even get scallion pancakes right.
I bought 2 lunch plates a few days ago. 1) 3 meat bbq combo over rice. 2) Beef chow foon. The total was $34 and change. Wow, inflation hit hard here. If you're at the Super 88 food court in Allston, this is probably the best food available there. They're hidden in the back corner, near the supermarket. The food tasted good, but I feel like it was on the pricey side. One of the 4 duck pieces was bones and skin. One of the roast pork pieces was dessert dry (I didn't even give it to my dog, that's how dry it was). The 4 pieces of roast crispy pig were fatty and delicious. On the side were some cabbage and a bunch or rice underneath. There were no sauces included like in everyone else's picture. I asked for hot oil (saw the lady write it down) but didn't get it. Their bbq meats have good flavor, but I was hoping for more pieces for the price. If you're really really craving it, and you're in this area, then go get (like I did). The lady also asked if I wanted a fried egg...I'm scared to know how much more she would've charged for that, lol. It's all good, its a small business and I hope they stay open. As a consumer, this was just how I honestly felt.
Recently discovered Kantin and am a big fan! I tried a bento box combination, which came with rice, veggies, roast pork, crispy pork, an egg and soup. I've read other reviews complain about the amount of sauce given, which I can understand - it would be nice to have a bit more. And the meats weren't as hot as I would've liked, but the flavors were all delicious and the crispy pork had a great crunch. I especially liked the soup, which was the perfect counterpoint to the rich pork. At around $18, it isn't the steal that it probably used to be pre-pandemic and inflation. But it hits the spot and I'd certainly go back!
I ordered the spicy salted shrimp - regular order. I wasn't sure how big the portion was gonna be so I asked him and he said it's 13 shrimps which was advertised as jumbo size and this is what I got - 13 small shrimps for $24! Way overpriced for this cheap tiny restaurant inside the food court! Never going back again !Updated: the food was good but I don't think it's worth the price.
Nestled in the food court attached to 99 ranch, this gem of a stall takes up the entire back wall. Everything about their noodle soup with bbq meats is so comforting for me. I love that one. They actually make the soup really hot and not like warm. It has a great meaty flavor but is not slick on the tongue. The broth is very clear. Two. I like that you can pick three meats. I usually do duck, tripe and intestine. They give a generous helping of each. All three are well seasoned and I honestly don't have a favorite. I don't love the noodles in this dish. Don't get me wrong they are cooked well and the traditional type that come in this dish, i just prefer flat noodles and next time I'll request this. I definitely will come back next time I need groceries!
Restaurantji Recommends
So satisfying: duck buns and chicken congee. Love the simplicity of this space! Service is quick but sometimes there is a line due to popularity! Glad I found it.
Don't not buy their take-outs on Chowbus!!!!!!!! They charged a lot more, but they put a lot less!!!! Below they charged for 22.05 on the menu for 2 picked meet. That apps did not allow to show comments or reviews!!!! This is ridiculously expensive and so cheating.
Use to be one of my favorite hidden gems but after they tried charging me for extra sauce over my roast pork, forget it. If they have to be cheap to stay in business i'll take my business else where.
Lately I go to Kantin a lot. First of all, the way they make white rice is really my favorite in Boston area. I always order Hot & Sour Soup and rice dishes. I love spicy pork chop, Yang Chow fried rice, and Lotus seafood ( very spicy, comes with separate rice and soup).
We have been going to Kantin for 20 years. The food is always fabulous and the new owners are incredibly kind and always ask about our kids when we sneak away for lunch. Definitely recommend them!