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9 Tastes
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
50 JFK StCambridge, MA 02138
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
(617) 547-6666
- Nearest Transit:
-
Jfk St @ Eliot St (66)
16 Eliot St (86)
Jfk St @ Eliot St (66, 86)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
173 reviews for 9 Tastes
Review Highlights
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"This is a really snazzy place to eat in Harvard Square." In 23 reviews -
"Panang Curry & Spicy Basil Fried Rice." In 3 reviews -
"The Pad Thai is tangy, citrusy, and totally delish." In 62 reviews
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173 reviews in English
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Review from Molly Y.
Lexington, MA
5/25/2012
For the food alone, this place is 5-star, hands-down. We stumbled across it, ordered stuff that looked good, and WOW, we were SO impressed. Very authentic Thai food, amazing flavor, incredibly fresh - if you want to treat your tastebuds, GO HERE.
Minus half a star for the OMG noise (it's kinda tight-packed in there) and another half-star for slow wait-staff, but then again, it was lunchtime on the Friday of Harvard Graduation, so some slowness is completely understandable.
I'm going to drag all my colleagues out here for lunch someday because OH MAN, such good, good food. I'm a fan! -
Review from Janis C.
Cambridge, MA
Updated - 4/2/2012
UPDATE:
I tried them again, just to give them another shot. I dined in this time and ordered the same plate of Drunken Noodle. Yup, still bad -- greasy and gross. My friends laughed at me for taking the same risk with the same dish. Well, joke's on YOU GUYS, for eating at the same restaurant with me! Your dishes weren't much better, either! Suckas.
Well, at least this time around, I got flat rice noodles.Listed in: Massassachusatts
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/10/2010
I just spent 1 hour and 45 minutes waiting for an order of Drunken Noodle that consisted of -- no,… Read more »
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Review from Laura B.
Boston, MA
2/29/2012
i work around the corner from this place. i've ordered lunch here three times in the past year. they say, "three times a charm" but that is not the case with 9 tastes. I feel that this establishment has progressively gotten worse since my first experience.
the food is reasonably priced and the portion sizes are generous. however, the taste and presentation of the food is greatly lacking. my vegetable pad thai is mediocre at best. the veggies did not taste fresh. the peanut sauce was clumpy. the noodles were slightly undercooked and slimy with too much sauce. it seemed like the cook threw the ingredients together, stir-fried it up really quickly, and did not allow enough time for the flavors to mix together.
if you agree that good things take time, dont order your lunch from 9 tastes and expect a delicious, fresh tasting meal. -
Review from Sallie M.
Boston, MA
2/25/2012
Omit my previous review for this place. After having gone back there the second time with my boyfriend, their quality of food has changed drastically, I don't know what happened. I got the same dish as last time and it was not up to par. :( His pad thai was bad too.
------------------------- ------------------------- ---
FOOD - B+
I would have given it an A for their Spicy Lemongrass Seafood Noodle Soup because it's DELICIOUS, but then I also ordered one of the dinner box specials at a different date and it was just "eh." I got the salmon and it was a bit dry. However, the dinner box also comes with a lot of things like appetizers and choice of soup.
LOCATION - A
It's under ground, but it's right in the middle of Harvard Square so it's still convenient. There are garages to choose from and metered street parking.
SERVICE - A+
The waiters are excellent. I asked one of them for a pitcher of water because I was especially parched and he didn't even miss a beat and immediately fetched me a pitcher of water. Not only that, he would check up on my glass a lot as to refill it for me even though I already had a pitcher of water.
FACILITY - B
It is under ground and small, but the decorations make up for it. It does give an exotic feel and it has an intimate atmosphere. There's also a fish tank, which is a big plus for restaurants or any place really.
OVERALL - A-
The food is excellent or at least the Spicy Lemongrass Seafood Noodle Soup. The rest are still pretty great! I love the service and it's just a trendy and affordable place to eat tasty Thai food. -
Review from Andy H.
Cambridge, MA
4/27/2012
I came here with my parents and it wasn't a pretty dismal dinner. It didn't help there was some girl at a large party behind us who had this laugh that was so loud, it resonant through the entire basement eating area and she seemed to think everything was funny. But the food itself kinda sucked, I got some combo platter. Wont be coming back!
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Review from Jared S.
1/31/2012
Meh.
Ordered delivery on Sunday from http://foodler.com because my go to Sweet Ginger isn't open for lunch on Sundays. Boo.
The food came in 20 minutes, which immediately gave me pause as surely all of the food must be pre-cooked and waiting for someone to order it. I mean, I know I live at least a 10 minute drive from 9 Tastes through Harvard Square on a good day. I did get pretty popular stuff, though, so if the delivery guy was just about to leave and they just got my order in and whipped it all up, things could be good, right?
Pad Thai and Tom Yum were decent. Chicken satay, while meaty, was super dry, and the peanut sauce with it was disgustingly coagulated. The "fresh spring rolls" were by far the worst part of the meal, the rice paper very very thick and hardly wrapped around the filling, spilling lettuce, sprouts, and basil everywhere. For $6.95, it was an absolute joke.
Indeed, the whole meal was entirely overpriced. Had it not been for a 20% foodler discount, I would have been one pissed off camper.Listed in: H^2, Union Square Delivery
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Review from Eric K.
Boston, MA
4/18/2012
Unfortunately I can't rate it at 0 stars. The food was mediocre at best and overpriced. My crispy chicken basil was just soggy and lacked flavor - it also gave me a bad stomach ache.
If only that was it . . .
The service was the worst I have ever experienced at a restaurant (seriously). We were there for a little over an hour and weren't finished our drinks and they asked us to leave because they needed the table. Yes, the place is really small, but still, this is ridiculous. We wanted to skimp on the tip because of it, but they put 18% right on our bill. -
Review from Hannah M.
Cambridge, MA
1/21/2012
Trudged through the snow for Thai Cafe which no longer exists and ended up at 9 Tastes.
Scallion pancakes (I'm obsessed, I order them everywhere) were really good! Crispy, light, flakey, and the gingery dipping sauce was delicious.
Drunken noodles was a little lackluster. Could have been saucier, more flavorful, and less oil.
Crispy pad thai was delicious! A crispy, sweet twist on the standard Thai fare. With chicken (no gristle!) and shrimp, definitely a go-to for 9 Tastes.
Don't think I'd go to H Square just for 9 Tastes, but would certainly go again if I was in H Square. -
Review from Celia Z.
It's exactly 44 minutes before my three hour science exam, and here I am Yelping instead of cramming. Yepp. This just goes to show the extent of my dedication for Yelp.
9 Tastes is actually one of the places that is helping to get me through reading and exam period. And throughout college, it's been one of my go-to places: get togethers, birthday celebrations, study breaks, or anytime I need an excuse to binge eat.
So yesterday, stressed to exhaustion, I asked my resident tutors for a study break: being stressed is a perfect reason to binge eat. So they bought two large catering boxes of pad thai--delivered. Greasy, sweet, salty, lemony, with a generous helping of eggs, veggies, and chicken, it is definitely one of the better pad thai I ever had. When we had leftovers at the end of the study break, I took the rest to go. I brunched away by stress this morning with two big plates of deliciousness.
By the way, the lunch boxes are amazing. You get two entrees, rice, salad, appetizer, and soup for $10. The mango curry and sauteed garlic vegetables with tofu are especially delicious, as well as any of their soup noodles. And their sauce for their dumplings and shumai is actually some of the best soy sauce I've ever had. It's flavored with a bit of fermentation, sugar, and other subtle tastes I still cannot detect.
And my exam in exactly 32 mins, now that I have finished this review? It's called Science of Cooking. Famous chefs from around the world come lecture to us about the science of food, and we do somewhat sciency equations to solve for gellation, viscosity, specification, and flavor release. Pretty cool, eh? That is, until I fail. -
Review from stacy c.
Cambridge, MA
12/2/2011
Went with a friend to 9 Tastes tonight because of the number of strong reviews it has received from Yelp and was very disappointed. She ordered the Eggplant entree (which had 1 spice icon next to it) and I had the Basil Leaf w/ Tofu entree (2 spice icons). The food was bland and our entrees had the same basic ingredients except hers had Chili in there (which was way too spicy for someone who didn't want a spicy dish) and mine did not. The fried tofu in my dish ranged from small tiny dried up cubes to medium sized dried up cubes - did not capture the flavor of the sauce well. Also, for a 2 spicy icon dish, wasn't spicy at all.
Compared to other Thai places in the area, NYC, Thailand, LA - this definitely does not match up. Maybe this was a bad night and 9 Tastes deserves its positive rating, or maybe it's on JFK and more likely to be positively rated... either way, i'm not going back.
PS - and they charge for tea. -
Review from S W.
Boston, MA
3/24/2012
Good food with medium range price. Quite popular Thai restaurant in the neighborhood.
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Review from Jeff B.
Brighton, MA
1/12/2012
I came here with a friend for the first time a couple of weeks ago for lunch and as a huge fan of thai food, I was actually quite excited. Mind you, I have had take out from this location before, and it has always managed to hit the spot :) Oddly enough, their takeout was a lot better than eating in, and here's why:
1- The waiter finally came by the table after waiting a while, and managed to take ONLY my friend's drink and food order before leaving in a rather hasty manner.
2- The waiter finally comes back after I waive him down, and I actually have to TELL him what my problem was before he realized his mistake. So, I order the Pad See-ew () and a glass of wine.
3- Finally happy I placed my order and expecting a plate full of deliciousness, my wine arrives. Not only does is taste corked, but it also tasted very old (and not in a good way). I don't care what you tell me- I have had enough sauvignon blanc to know that it is not supposed to have a slightly brownish hue to it.
4- My food finally arrives, and I am SUPER excited. I get a little snarky when I am really hungry (as I was that day), so I just kind of forgot about all of the other problems when that plate full of Pad See-ew was placed in front of me. That is, until I took my first bite only to find that my food was COLD.
5- Lastly, I am not sure if there was some sort of language barrier going on between us and the server, but just when things couldn't get any worse, the server started clearing our plates before we were finished. And...that was the last straw.
Bottom line, I have had their food before that visit, and it was the fact that it was really delicious that made me come back. It is that experience in the restaurant however, that will probably make me take my business elsewhere. -
Review from Ernie F.
San Leandro, CA
12/10/2011 4 Check-ins Here
RATING: 3 stars
NOTE: Only tried their noodle dishes and Thai iced tea. I have eaten here (or for take-out) more than 10 times, mostly for convenience and a Thai fix.
QUICK SUMMARY:
FOOD = Its what you would expect from most thai places. The meat offerings (pork, chicken, and beef) have all been overcooked more than well cooked in my 10+ visits. Noodles are done nicely. I recommend the pad see ew and the pad kee mow. Avoid the Rad Na (the gravy was not too good).
THAI ICED TEA = Just right. Not overly sweetened.
PORTIONS = There is enough food in the noodle dishes for an appetizing meal. There is slightly less food when you order to-go (from a qualitative standpoint). Lunch and dinner portions are the same size, the only difference is in the price.
OTHER = Don't expect Lunch pricing on the food during the weekends, because they do dinner pricing all weekend. I learned the hard-way when ordering take-out at noon (despite the hour listings on their website). On another note, their website has broken links and is a bit outdated.
SENTENCE SUMMARY:
"Like their website, their 'Boston Magazine 2007 Best Neighborhood Takeout in Harvard Square' is definitely outdated-- the food, whether you dine in or takeout, is not really worth your money unless you eat here during lunch (with their lunch pricing) and have a craving for Thai food" -
Review from Jenn D.
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Two stars for their interpretation of Khao Soi/Chiang Mai noodles. What I got was ramen in extra spicy tom kha soup with lots of bell peppers. The dish should have thick egg noodles with crispy egg noodles on top, in a coconut curry broth. It's described this way on the menu, but is served totally wrong. But it was tasty, and I wasn't going to get the real thing, so it was dinner.
Mango w/sticky rice was the worst I've ever had. Mango was underripe and the rice was gross. No care was taken in the presentation.
Cute place and decent service, but if you like good and authentic Thai don't bother. -
Review from Sarah L.
Boston, MA
2/5/2012
I went for dinner with a large group, and we were seated quickly with a reservation. Once we placed our orders after a fair bit of lingering, our food arrived within minutes. I chose a simple, but enjoyable vegetarian dish comparable in quality, I think, to what's available at many other Thai restaurants throughout Boston and Cambridge. The portion was generous and reasonably priced under $13.
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Review from Anuj M.
Cambridge, MA
12/24/2011
I usually have a good experience here but this time I went with a friend and it blew my mind. There were fruit flies all around our table and me and my friend are both vegetarians!
Not just that, my friend's veggie soup had bits of chicken in it which the server confirmed. He told us that they use the same pot to boil chicken and veggie soup - what's the point of a veggie menu then? They replaced her dish with something else but charged her for it - no courtesy!
I am probably not going back to this place. The service was super slow too. -
Review from Haley T.
10/29/2011
I have been here for dinner and delivery. I really liked them! The service was quick and friendly, and the vegetables are plenty in the drunken noodle dish, forgiving the fact that they're more expensive than most thai places around here.
The reason they get two stars is that the delivery went from good, to fair, to awful. I waited 2 hours for a lukewarm dish that had obviously been sitting under a heating lamp for those two hours. I repeatedly tried to call them, and always got a busy signal.
I'm pretty sure the piece of plastic in my dish just broke my crown. Certainly done being a customer here! -
Review from Champika F.
Brooklyn, NY
10/30/2011
I ordered some pad thai to go from this place and was really pleasantly surprised by the entire experience.
First - I walked in and immediately wished I had time to sit down and have a meal there. It's located on the lower/ basement level of the building so it's really dimly lit and cozy and super charming inside. It wasn't overcrowded when I walked in and seemed like a good place to enjoy a low key meal alone or with a friend.
Second - I ordered a can of coke with my meal and they took the time and courtesy to notify me that a can of coke costs $2.50! So of course I passed. After I paid for my pad thai - they asked me to wait a moment and filled a cup up with fountain coke in a to go cup...on the house. Wow - super bonus points.
The pad thai wasn't exceptional but it was decent for the price. I'll definitely be back for a sit down meal and to try other menu items. -
Review from Hyun Y.
Boston, MA
2/28/2012
Portion and price are good. And tastes great! I like the pad thai, and some of their appetizers are delicious. Although, the appetizers could be a bit pricey considering their portion.
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Review from Jen D.
Cambridge, MA
9/24/2011
This would really be 3.5, but the people here are *so* *nice* I bumped it up to 4.
I've tried two things: pad see-ew and green curry. The curry was rather thin, but tasty. Quite a large portion (ate at the restaurant). The pad see-ew (which was just okay) was to-go and a smaller portion.
There's not much to choose from in Cambridge for Thai food, and given that the prices are reasonable for the area, I will definitely be back. -
Review from Dean S.
Lincolnwood, IL
7/22/2011 2 photos
I was visiting my friend in Cambridge and he took me to dinner here on my last night in town. I think if I were to plan our schedule out again, I'd have gone here earlier during my trip and instead spend the last night going on a giant seafood bender. But I digress, this place was just OK for a thai food place.
We came in around 7pm, and there was not much of a wait. The restaurant itself is located on a basement/garden floor, so the ceilings are kind of low. I am 6'6" and had to stoop a little to walk to our table, but other than the low ceilings, the decor/ambiance is nice and asian-y. We ordered right away and our food came back even faster. I ordered shrimp pad thai and I think my friend ordered chicken pad thai. My pad thai was a little greasy for my tastes and could've used more shrimp, but overall it was decent in taste and portion. I've had better / more authentic pad thai before, but I was still happy with my meal and what I paid for it. -
Review from Zack B.
Fayville, MA
10/8/2011
Great place for lunch or dinner- try their soup! awesome noodles
and chicken- go fresh and basic -
Review from Hannah P.
Chapel Hill, NC
6/12/2011
Went on a Sunday night, seated immediately. I like the basement location and the ~mood lighting~ that's not too dark.
Water glasses were always full.
When we ordered, though, we asked the waiter about the Golden Bags (I think that's what they were called), but he didn't even know where it was on the menu and he wasn't able to explain it without looking at the menu o_o He was friendly though ...
Anyways, we ordered the Pad See Ew (tofu) and Pineapple Fried Rice. Both were decent. Our waiter actually first gave us Mango Fried Rice by mistake. I had already placed a spoonful on my plate, but he took the plate of mango fried rice AND my plate with the spoon of it to bring back the original order of PFR. That was pretty upsetting because I actually wanted to taste the MFR, haha. There was nothing too memorable about either plate, and I feel like the PSE had a tad bit more soy sauce than necessary.
Both plates were okay and the service was okay. Okay.
Oh yeah. And I think they were too expensive for the amount of food given. -
Review from Justin H.
San Francisco, CA
2/26/2011
This place has a monopoly on Thai food in Harvard Square as evidenced by the constant crowds of students and their families.
The food is solid, not spectacular but nor does it have to be- it has a great location and a loyal following which I admit includes myself (though I haven't been there in a few months now).
My staple dishes are the green curry with tofu and the drunken noodles with tofu (both extra spicy). The watercress soup with tofu is tasty as well.
I order here a lot and although I enjoy the food, sometimes it is more out of necessity than passion. The reality is that good Asian food in Harvard Square is simply a white whale, true there are decent options like 9 Tastes, but they always end up leaving me wishing for something dirtier, spicier, cheaper and more authentic.
I demand too much though, have probably been reading too much Kitchen Confidential, and to be fair the service is generally friendly and the atmosphere is pleasant.
They have an iPhone app which is surprising and some other loyalty incentives which makes me think someone with an MBA and/or a passion for exploring marketing techniques works here.
Overall a solid option for the neighborhood. -
Review from Jen S.
Boston, MA
5/21/2011 6 photos
Excellent. Sort of reminds me of another Brown Sugar Cafe, but much cozier. The service is quite decent. The food is GREAT. Prices are fine
I actually came here about a million years ago with my Hub when I first moved here. I didn't really know about Yelp then but I had the mango curry chicken. My first time having anything like mango curry. It was pretty good, but I got tired of the taste after a while. I guess you have to really be in love with curry to tolerate eating the entire dish, and I'm not. so yeha.
Came here two night ago. Here is what the table ordered + a small critique of each, since I tasted each one just so I could Yelp this place WELL (or a well as I can!):
FIRST- we split the spring rolls. VERY GOOD. Came with yummy, sweet peanut sauce. Presentation = awesome.
1) me (yes, I'm number ONE)- crispy basil chicken. VERY VERY good. Not super spicy (as indicated by the ONE chili pepper). Comes with a decent amount of chicken and rice (and onions). Loved it. My only critique is that the chili pepper sauce becomes a bit too much at times. Presentation on plate was great.
2) Friend/former student visiting from France- he had the crispy chicken dish- came with a decent pile of chicken. Also came with a decent amount of rice and a bowl of sweet and sour sauce. The sweet and sour sauce was yummy but the chicken is also good by itself. Presentation- great.
3) Friend/former coworker #1- she had the Bangkok Jungle. She enjoyed her dish immensely. Mind you, she's been to Thailand. Not a very spicy dish, despite the 2 chili peppers. Ginger permeated the meat, which is not a bad thing. Was quite yummy. I wouldn't order it myself but if I attended a CATERED event and this was one of the items, I'd put a nice pile on my plate. :) Presentation was ok.
4) Friend/former coworker # 2- She had (can't remember the name) fried spicy tofu. It would be been AMAZING had it not come with cilantro leaves. Even though my piece of tofu had no cilantro on it, I could still taste it. Cilantro is the BANE of my EXISTENCE. There are few things I hate in this world (like Pepsi, seafood, any type of lemon/lime drink, the smell of cigarette smoke, Popeye's), and cilantro is one of them. The only time I can TOLERATE it is in some salsas. (and I guess I can TOLERATE Pepsi as a fountain drink, just thought I'd share). But it was otherwise good. And I'd order it and beg for no cilantro. And without cilantro it would be one of the yummiest fried tofu dishes EVER.
What I love about Thai food as opposed to Chinese are the flavors. American Chinese food is SO SO bland. American Thai food is actually (in my opinion) closer to real Chinese food (and I know cuz I've been there and I have eaten like a dozen types of cuisines in my 11 months of living there SO I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT IT OK!?). I don't know how it compares to real Thai food. I will try it one day.
I wish they had young coconut juice like most other Thai places around here. :( oh well! The food is yumtastic.
Will definitely go again. Many more times. -
Review from Jolene S.
3/16/2011
The food and service were fine (had the chicken panang) but I just don't like the basement location. I'm not sure how clean this place is.
The lunch specials were recommended by a friend and you can get out with a great meal for under $10, but Wagamama and Spice seem like safer picks for dining in H Sq. -
Review from Katy G.
Boston, MA
11/17/2010
I had been wanting to try this place for a while, but I'm rarely in Cambridge. We went there on a Sunday afternoon, and there was hardly anyone else there. The waiters were very attentive. I was really dehydrated, and they were right on top of filling my glass.
I had the vegetable curry. It was very tasty, but the flavor was a little different than what I'm used to. It definitely felt like comfort food- hot and spicy for a November afternoon.
I might not go out of my way to go back to 9 Tastes, but I still would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Thai. -
Review from Lauren S.
Boston, MA
2/5/2011
9 tastes? The only taste I could detect was one: vinegar, and lots of it. Maybe it was just bad luck with the dish I ordered (vegetarian pad thai), but the tofu was swimming in an awful vinegar taste, the noodles were bland and the whole dish was wet and soggy.
My friends also remarked that their dishes were rather unremarkable -- bland and rather on the soggy side. To top it off, they gave me about a fist full worth of pad thai and then covered it with their gross vinegar tofu. What the heck?!
On a funnier note, one of my friend's ordered something on their menu and the waiter said "Oh, that's very dry." My friend replied that it was okay and he didn't mind if there wasn't a lot of sauce, to which the waiter responded "No, it's gross. You don't want it, I'll bring you the drunken noodles instead." Funny, I guess, and I always like when waiters are up front about their opinions, but come on, if it's that horrible, why is it on the menu!? ANNNND why didn't my friend get a chance to order what he wanted?! A little rude if you ask me. -
Review from Steve B.
12/11/2010
Let me preface this review by telling you that I am a typical American in a Thai Food restaurant, which is to say that I order pad thai and spicy pad thai if I am feeling adventurous. I dont know what "good pad thai" is, I only know what I like, and I like this place. Ok, preface done.
I work about 1/2 mile away from 9 Tastes, up Mass Ave towards Central Square. A few weeks ago, I was working late and decided to have dinner delivered to the office. A co-worker suggested 9 Tastes, having just been there for lunch for the first time today. I looked at their online menu, and decided to get -- guess what -- the pad thai...more specifically the "9 Tastes Pad Thai" this house version has some difference spices, as well as both shrimp and chicken. I also got a side order of steamed shumai dumplings. The order totalled about $15. Not bad for dinner. Delivery was quick...about 25 minutes.
Portions are pretty good and the food was DELICIOUS. So good that I ordered it again about a week later, then went there for lunch last week.
We made the walk and went downstairs (restaurant in below street level) and were seated right away. Service was good, though typically not really big on speaking English...They have lots of lunch specials, and my buddy Matt enjoyed one of those. I had my standard 9 Tastes Pad Thai with a side of shumai. I just cant get enough of it. Im like a junkie and I need my fix!
Come to think of it...I'll have to hit them up for lunch again this week! -
Review from Eric F.
1/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
My friend had her birthday dinner here recently and the food is pretty solid. I had a chance to try a few things including:
Paradise Chicken - nice spiciness, but chicken itself was average and the "crispy" frying batter was in fact very soggy.
9 Tastes Pad Thai - great flavor though the noodles themselves were on the wet side.
Spicy Basil Fried Rice - lovely texture and spiciness, a winner!
The service here does merit 4 stars as the staff did an exceptional job of managing our two large tables in the midst of an absolutely PACKED Friday evening. The waitresses were prompt with taking our orders, the food came out quickly and they provided napkins and utensils for the lovely birthday girl's cake.
All in all, I really want to round up to 4 stars overall...it's just that the food wasn't memorable enough to justify another trip out from the South End. 9 Tastes is a great go-to if you're local, but not quite good enough for a 30+ minute trek unless there's a special occasion ;) -
Review from Nidhi M.
Cambridge, MA
5/9/2011
I had only once there but my experience was awesome. We went there for the dinner and luckily we sat on the window side, the weather was really amazing the cool breeze and the awesome Thai wow i just loved it. I really loved the Pad thai which was the best I ever had. Though I tried Thai at other places too but I would simply say "Pad thai is best at this place". my husband too ordered Tamarind curry and we really liked it too.
The hospitality is really good they served us with our order too fast.
I would defintely like to visit again & again! -
Review from Gabrielle S.
San Francisco, CA
3/8/2011
Probably the best tofu pad thai I've ever had.
Massaman w/tofu was also good, though my boyfriend didn't enjoy it (probably because it was spicy, he doesn't like that).
I can't figure out why it's got such a low rating. I ate here consistently a little over a year ago, and it's always been good. -
Review from Rachel H.
Cambridge, MA
3/24/2011
Hard to explain why, with the same chef, it's undisputably better than Spice a few blocks away, but everyone agrees.
The menu is solid--seems like it should be hard go wrong with curries, but then see above. I don't love the basement atmosphere most of the time but occasionally, when I'm in a casual mood, it hits the spot.
Not special but very reliable. I'll go when I'm craving Thai. -
Review from Judy L.
9/30/2010
We were attracted by the sign "Best of Boston 2007!" 2007 wasn't that far off right?
I guess it was.
I ordered 9 spices pad thai and it came out quite sour, with dry chicken. Though my friend really enjoyed his honey glazed chicken. I'd recommend Tamarind House 10 minutes up the street from here for more affordable and more flavorful Thai food. -
Review from Jace F.
Allston-Brighton, MA
11/15/2010
Having grown up in South East Asia, I've had my share of authentic Thai cuisine, and I know when I've found a place that has strayed from its culinary roots.
9 Tastes was not great , it was just okay. The pad Thai was alright, but lacked some of the subtle spices that the real pad offers.
The atmosphere was nice, lots of couples. The service was alright.
There are better Thai places around. -
Review from Scotty J.
Another stellar meal at 9 Tastes, this time lunch with a friend.
We arrived around 12:30 on a Saturday afternoon; the place was pretty empty since they open at noon. We were seated immediately in the same table where I sat alone several months ago.
I went for the Spicy Noodle with chicken (made extra spicy) and it was fantastic -- thin, flavorful noodles combined with generous chunks of chicken, green peppers, and jalapenos (I left out the onions).
My friend opted for the 9 Tastes Pad Thai, a house variant on the popular dish with even more ingredients for the same price.
Service was prompt -- food came out steaming in minutes -- and our water was constantly refilled. Everyone who works here is so nice and they really ensure you have a positive experience; there's something to be said about that in a touristy/college area like Harvard Square where business is never a problem. They truly care about their customers.
This is definitely a favorite Thai stop for me that I plan to frequent, especially in combination with going to the nearby Brattle Theatre.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/29/2010
Dining alone can very often be an awkward experience: you feel like everyone is watching you and… Read more »
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Review from Due H.
Cambridge, MA
10/7/2011
Nine taste does things right. Their lighting and environment is done well. I like looking at the decoration of mirrors. I like the food. I usually come here and order from the various amounts of fried rices. Had a few and I like them all. I usually avoid shrimp because I think it doesn't mix that well with the thai flavoring that they use. I guess thats opinion, but if you like shrimp go for it. If not, I wouldn't recommend the combination. Prices are medium. A rice plate, you can expect to pay 9-10 dollars.
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Review from Janet X.
11/22/2010
This place was better than I expected. I got the drunken noodle and it was slightly more expensive than what I'm used to, but considering this is Cambridge, I let it slide. There were plenty of veggies and chicken in the dish, and the portion size was perfect. Even though I wasn't very hungry going in, I still finished almost the whole thing.
The only thing that knocked it down to 3 stars is the service. My server was incredibly impatient and it seemed like everything I wanted was a great inconvenience for him. (And keep in mind this is around 5 pm, when the restaurant wasn't busy at all). He didn't even offer to refill my drink, which is one of those things that should be second nature to being a server. -
Review from Sarah G.
8/31/2009
Ya gotta love lunch specials that give you an entree, salad, soup, appetizers and rice all for around $8. And if you are feeling extra happy and lunch loving for about a dollar or so more, you can get two entrees with it!!
Such a steal, but just average food really. I got their 9 tastes special for lunch with crab rangoon and they were not the best crab rangoon in the world...tasted like they had been sitting out for a little while and even if imitation crab that can't be too great, right? But my nine tastes stir fry with chicken in a sweet kind of sauce was pretty good especially for how cheap it all was. The salad was basically lettuce and not enough dressing and the soup was actually pretty good too!
Matt J loved his two entree lunch box but i honestly did not think the curry sauce was that great....a little watery and not enough curry punch!! heh and Dave C got pad thai which he ate happily and I stole a bite of and it was a little above average but not by much.
BUT this place has some of the best water service ever. Our glasses never even got a chance to get empty even during the lunch rush, and we drank A LOT of water that humid humid day, so 9 Tastes here's 9 cheers to you giving us hydration!! -
Review from MaryTyler M.
Cambridge, MA
2/22/2009
Hey vegetarians! Go anywhere else.
First, my friend's dinner was presented to him with practically raw chicken and shrimp in it. Then, my yellow curry tofu was presented to me with little bits of chicken swimming all around the bowl. Mind you, my very considerate friend actually informed the waitress that I am a strict vegetarian, and she assured me this dish would not offend my dietary needs. After stating our complaints, the waitress very rudely rushed the plates away without saying anything but, "OK, OK". So we walked out.
Sure, the undercooking was likely a fluke, but they obviously marinate their meat in the curry sauces. The pieces were so small it just looked like the larger ones had been picked out. Unless you're a very loose vegetarian I highly recommend you eat elsewhere.Listed in: Vegetarian Unfriendly
