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Washington Square (Green)
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
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Haters haters everywhere. I mean, how can you NOT enjoy a chinese food place that turns into something that resembles a club/lounge/circus on the weekends? I think this place is hilarious. What a diverse crowd- I've met some fun people here that feed me alcohol and have been terrified by the drunk, um, working girl beckoning me out on the dancefloor as she writhed to Miley Cyrus (no joke.) Make friends with the heavy-handed bartenders and trust, they will treat you well.
I've held out on reviewing this place until I tried some of the food. Well, the other night I finally did and ordered the shrimp/pork dumplings, beef satay and scallion pancakes. I thought they were all really good. And it's healthy! The dumps were open faced so a little bit more difficult for me to eat due to my clumsiness but the scallion pancakes were divine. I didn't try the crab rangoons due to other people's reviews, but then again, I must be the only one that doesn't trust fried crab and cream cheese from Chinese places, no matter how nice it is. The interior space is pretty unique (you should get a table in the dome part) and everyone there always seems to having a good time.
This wouldn't be my destination on a Friday night, as it is for some, but the boy lives around the corner so we sometimes stop by for a stiff drink and a laugh. Perhaps I've just sampled awful Chinese in Boston, but comparatively, this is the best I've been to.
My first time at Golden Temple was on St. Patty's Day a few years ago with a friend...we were seated for dinner in the dining room, and happened to be sitting across from a man who was chewing really, really loudly. It bothered both of us, to the point where we asked to be moved. Far, far away AKA the bar!!! We had no idea what to expect, but ended up having a great night filled with yummy food, a few drinks, and dancing to 90s club hits like "Strike It Up!' and "Pump Up the Jam".
My recent visit with a different friend landed us in a comfy booth in the dining room sans bothersome chewing sounds, and my food was out of control! So yummy and fresh. You can really tell that they use all natural/organic ingredients. I had sesame chicken with a huge plate of perfect snow peas. Highly recommended and I will definitely be back for more (hopefully) soon.
Side note: the decor is fantastic.
Golden Temple is my jam.
I've never had a go-to place in Boston. I have never pledged my loyalty to a neighborhood watering hole, I've never had a bartender who knew me by name, and I've never scribbled my name on a bathroom wall to mark my territory. Sad, I know. But don't cry for me any longer, Yelp, because I think I have finally found my way home.
Golden Temple (or "the GT" as I now refer to it) is a Chinese restaurant that turns into a club on the weekends. I went on a Friday with a bunch of friends and no, there wasn't anyone else in there except a few lurkers and some couples that were trying to get to second base with each other at their respective tables. But the GT willingly offered themselves over to us, and the rest is history.
The DJ played anything we wanted. Literally, anything. From Melissa Etheridge (not my choice) to Jay Sean, it was like we had hooked up our iPod to the speakers. We could have requested the national anthem of France, and he would've played it. The waiters were also fabulous, always willing to chat and joke around. And I can't say from personal experience, but I heard during the course of the evening that the scorpion bowls are heavenly.
There is only one chink in the GT armor, and this is it: the crab rangoons are awful. The taste like fish rangoons, which is not something I ever wanted to experience. Seriously bad. This would usually be a deal-breaker with any other Chinese restaurant, but dammit, when a place let's me have my own personal dance party on a Friday night, I just can't walk away from that.
In conclusion, I am pledging complete loyalty to the GT, for better or worse, til death do us part (and if I ever eat the "crab rangoon" again, it just might come down to that).
I just moved in around the corner and was looking for a good hangout spot. Golden Temple did just that. Good drinks at a reasonable price! Will definitely come back
When I used to live this way, I used to always say I wanted to grab dinner here. After getting take-out, I'm almost glad I didn't. I ordered the shrimp hot 'n' sour soup. The soup base itself was pretty yum! But the shrp
i give this 3 stars because they don't use MSG and they use only hormone-free meats which is very difficult to find in a chinese restaurant here in Boston. so props to them.
BUT, minus 2 stars because when I had called them prior to coming, they said they did have plenty of gluten-free options. However, when it actually came to ordering, the waiter was very unclear as to which items were actually gluten-free. the manager said to just pick something and they would make it gluten-free (first warning sign). 15 minutes after placing the order, the waiter returns saying that the chef said making that dish gluten-free would render it tasteless. however, he did not offer any other options or even ask if i wanted to see the menu again to pick something else. he just stood there waiting for a response. so i suggested a few seasonings and spices to use. since when do the patrons have to do the cooking?
additionally, our check took lightyears to arrive, and they forgot to give us our take-away/doggie bags.
price is average.
FIrst off the host is gorgeous! Very sweet and funny. Always great to get off to a good start when you enter a restaurant. I thought the food was really unfairly priced until it came out and the quantity was really too massive to finish. I wish I had been told that the entrees are family style. A friend and I ordered two entrees, pork fried rice and crab rangoons and we had enough leftovers for the next two days. The crab rangoons are different from any I've ever had before. They're stuffed with real crab meat (explains the $$) but I wasn't crazy about them. I'm used to the more junky overly cream cheesed kind so they were different.
I was there on a Friday after midnight and was so happy that their kitchen doesn't close until 1:30 am! That's a find for Brookline and even Boston on the whole. The dance floor was pretty full of 20 somethings making fools of themselves which is always relatively entertaining to watch. I had a fun night there and I'd recommend it for late night dining.
I'm giving 2 stars because the food is admittedly decent. But truthfully, I found it greasier than the food from Lucky Wah, a take-out place down the road.
I've never really been a fan of Golden Temple. I think it's overpriced for what it is. Yes, I realize it's organic, and I support that. But the service almost always seems rude and really, it doesn't feel any healthier to me than my local take-out place.
A group of 5 of us went there on Saturday. At the outset, we asked if the bill could be split 2 ways (3 on 1, 2 on the other). They absolutely refused. One of my friends asked if the onions in her Tempura dish could be replaced with more of the other veggies as she's not an onion person. The waiter automatically responded that she couldn't have anything more but that they could take out the onions. So let me see, we get to pay the same price for less? Fantastic!
Next, we noticed that the menu clearly requests that in exchange for their courteous service, relaxed atmosphere and "healthy food", each person at the table is asked to spend $24.95. Not for nothing, but that is not their call. Granted, the over inflated prices make that easy to do. But they have no right to tell me what to spend.
Overall, I just wasn't impressed. The food is fine. I'm not blown away. But I highly doubt I would willingly go back.
It's nice feeling like I'm eating healthier by spending money here but in the end I much prefer eating an unhealthy version if it's better tasting. The food and drinks are on the expensive side. I do like that they have hoegaarden on tap and the waiter was very patient and accommodating. I think it's some sort of night lounge also but I don't really foresee heading there on a Friday night.
When we leave Boston, this place will be near the top of the list of the things I'll miss. The rest of them won't be restaurants.
The best raspberry daiquiris, crab rangoons, and Peking duck in Boston. The Empress chicken, chicken satay, and General Gau's chicken are all also very good, as are most of the shrimp dishes.
If you bring someone who speaks Chinese, the seafood menu magically triples.
And when I thought I was a celiac, they went out of their way to remake dishes so I could eat them.
But what really does it for me is that when this place delivers, the Peking duck STAYS good, as do the rangoons. (But don't get battered chicken - they send it in plastic sealed containers, not paper, so it steams itself.)
And it's completely on my sleep schedule.
Beat that.
The crab rangoon here are BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS the worst I've ever had.
Everything else is just extremely ordinary. Not worth a trip or the expensive prices.
The place is just overrated and the food is sub par at best.
If you're craving Chinese food, the kind most Americans get the urge for, DEFINITELY look elsewhere. You won't be satisfied here.
This is the best Chinese in Boston. Hands down. It's super expensive, but worth it. Everything we ordered was awesome.
You DO have to order a side of rice, like everywhere else in Boston. What's up with this? Everywhere else in the world it comes with? This annoys me.
It's like eating inside of a 1980s spaceship. That was the best part. The food was ucky. The service wasn't very friendly or speedy, despite the fact we were the only ones in the room.
I had something with chicken. I don't remember the name of it, but it had "spicy" in the title. When I ordered, he repeated it back to me. Ok, great. The food came out and looked fine, but it was basically tasteless. The most insulting part was that my "spicy chicken" something or other was NOT AT ALL SPICY. Not even a tiny bit. Not even like, spicy enough for my grandma. Not even a hint of black pepper or ANYTHING. Forget chilis, it literally had zero spices of any kind in it. WTF.
Overpriced and gross.
Great place for Chinese in Greater Boston. Sat outside here on a sunny, early summer night last weekend and fully enjoyed the sun setting over tree-lined, lovely Washington Square - and of course our meal.
Been here a few times and the food is tasty and doesn't leave you feeling unhealthy and gross as some Chinese food does. They pride themselves on fresh ingredients and it shows. Everything is tasty and loaded with vegetables. Extensive menu to please anyone. Great for vegetarians and picky eaters. Excellent service too.
Some say it's expensive. Maybe compared to your shady local Chinese hole-in-the-wall, but not compared to most of the restaurants in the vicinity (Washington Sq. Tavern, Fireplace, etc.). I'd estimate entress in the $12-18 range. Not terrible.
My boyfriend and I had gotten take out here before which was all very good.
We decided to stop there for dinner one night before seeing a movie (which neverwent to, due to the HUGE scorpion bowl)
The atmosphere was great, we sat in the dining area near the bar.
There was a work party going on and everyone was dancing and having a great time.
The plates are huge and the food is yummy. The scorpion bowls are are good for two or three, but beware of their long island ice teas, they are deadly!
the music could have been a bit quieter but there is a dining area not near the bar that looked very peaceful.
Golden Temple is fairly over-rated. The food is not great (in fact, it was nearly inedible the last time we went), it's pricey and the service is not good.
On our last visit, the food was lukewarm, the service was not great and the restaurant smelled like garbage. One of the meals we got was a chicken dish and had basically NO chicken - all celery.
They have fun decor and a great location, but we prefer the hole-in-the-wall takeout place around the corner.
After one too many bad experiences here, we won't be going back.
My friends and I sat down together to enjoy a nice dinner. While the we were seated with our novels, I mean menus. The menus were a little overwhelming because it's about a dozen pages. As we peered in both the drink and food menus, the couple next to our table started talking to us. They attempted to make a joke but it went quite poorly. In front of the waiter they said, "Don't order from this waiter. He's terrible. All of your food will be cold by the time he gets it to you." At this point our jaws were on the floor and the waiter walked off. They then finished their joke by adding "because he's SO tall the food gets cold when he puts it on the table." Unfortunately, the waiter never heard the rest of the joke and he was more than a little "off" for the rest of the night.
We decided to move on and ignore all comments made by surrounding tables. When we ordered drinks the waiter forgot the fourth person's drink order while spilling my friends martini. (Party foul number 1). Meanwhile the three of us starred at our drinks and waited to make our toasts. After a couple minutes the drink arrived and all was well.
I was so overwhelmed by the enormous menu. I couldn't believe how many dishes they had. You could probable order from the Golden Temple everyday for at least a month without ever repeating a single meal. They're divided mostly by the type of meat, vegetable, noodle, or rice. The waiter was understanding and gave us time to peruse the menu. I ordered the Clams and Scallion on a bed of lo mien but when the food came out my clams looked great. However each clam had one, yes one, noodle sticking out of it. I was a little perplexed because a dozen noodles hardly makes up a bed. The waiter immediately got his manager who preceded to tell me I had ordered the cheaper (appetizer) dish. I explained to him that I ordered the dish that was $18 and therefore was aware that I was ordering the more expensive dish. It was quickly fixed.
The waiter threw in some ice cream bon bons for all the mishaps but there was still one more accident! As he refilled our water he spilled it all over the table. Between the eating, and all of the waiter's spills the table cloth was probably needed to be thrown away.
Even though everything that could've gone wrong did, it was still a good dinner. The food was descent and the portions were good. The restaurant was beautiful on the inside as well. I went to have a memorable dinner with three friends, and that's just what I got.
While their mojitos, long islands and scorpion bowls are great, the food is not so much.
I've never dined in but I have gotten takeout twice and while both times overpriced (but you get what you pay for with "healthy Chinese"), I have never been too impressed. I got one of the same things each time and the second time it was just terrible, bland, with flavors that didn't seem to mesh with chicken at all, and furthermore, just completely different tasting than last time. Not to mention, the lo-mein was rather noodle-less and more like a salad. I'm done trying and would rather have the calories and go elsewhere.
I don't eat chinese food, because it does a number on my stomach. And usually when I have chinese, I break out in hives.
I went to Golden Temple for the first time the other night. It was so good. Spare Ribs delicious; chicken skewers amazing... nothing was dried out.... they have a great wine selection and something on the menu for everyone. Be forewarned however, there is a DJ so you may be subjected to bad-straight-people-dancing!!
i have no complaints about golden temple if someone else is paying. the food is decent enough but definitely not worth the high prices. they're very accommodating and make ordering healthy painless, but if you know what and how to order, you can get a comparable meal at just about any chinese restaurant. my roommate used to love this place because he claimed it was so healthy. there is nothing healthy about crab rangoon and rice smothered in lobster sauce! sure it's msg and transfat free, but don't assume everything is local or organic. i overhead a waiter and bartender sharing a laugh over a customer who wanted organic juice in her cocktail.
if you left your sugah momma at home, skip the restaurant and visit the e-room. it's a great spot for cooling down with fruity cocktails on a summer weeknight. you'll always find a few spots open at the bar and plenty of free tables in the lounge. the weekday crowd is mostly couples splitting appetizers, or some tipsy cougars on the prowl. give the pineapple infused vodka a try- it tastes like candy and takes the edge off a tough workday.
YES me lion!!
Ate here for the first time - SO GOOD.
Definitely a good place to go on a date. Romantic space and lighting. Spacious booths for two.
For apps we had the ribs (bone in) and they were epic. Best ribs I've had in boston, anywhere. I think they were over 10 bucks but it was a full, hearty portion. The meat just tasted top notch.
We also had the beef satay appetizer - the beef was so tender, perfectly spiced, and the peanut sauce was sweet and savory at the same time. We kept calling it "dessert beef" - SO GOOD.
For entrees he had the salt and pepper fried shrimp (can't comment on that as I am allergic to shrimp - but it looked crispy and tasty).
I had the beef chow foon which was REALLY good. Nice full flavor, fresh tasting chow foon noodles, tender beef, fresh veggies. The pea pods just tasted so damn good.
To drink, he had Jack Daniels and I had lemonade. This was no minutemade - it was fresh lemonade! SO GOOD.
I can't WAIT to go back here.
This was my first visit to the Golden Temple after hearing it was quite good. I wasn't terribly impressed. We were impressed that on a friday night at 7 we were able to be seated right away, but then we sat at the table for about 15 minutes before anyone greeted us. The service was rushed and not attended to well at all. We waited to be greeted, waited forever for our food and our check. Waitress kept saying "sorry...I'm just so busy...." and rushed off. Food was ok, but nothing amazing. The fried scallops was the appetizer and we were starving at this point, so they were good, yet they were so piping hot we had to wait AGAIN, for them to cool down enough to touch...probably won't be back....
If you're looking for an Americanized Chinese food that is healthier than PF Changs, then this is the place to go. It is not authentic Chinese by any means, however the fact that the place is clean and the servers do speak very good English, it certainly helps. Went there for dinner last week had a Shrimp and Veggie dish that was good. My husband had the Spicy Sliced Chicken which he liked. We also ordered Veggie Soong to start off with, it's somewhat similar to the lettuce wrap at PF Changs. Ask them to make you a more original Chinese version of fried rice, which is a light colored fried rice as oppose to the dark color Americanized Chinese fried rice. Overall, very good service and food is not bad either.
My review here is for the lounge as I have only noshed on appetizers.
BUT, the lounge is unlike the usual chinese restaurant, it's spacious, and thumping musically with a DJ in residence SEVEN nights o week.
The dance floor is an awesome display of patrons soused with scorpion bowls thumping through their veins and the DJ has always been obligatory towards requests.
Great, "healthy" chinese food, not far from where I live, inside a super nice dining area. Sounds like a winner to me!
A word to the wise - the food will NOT taste exactly like it does at that greasy hole in the wall you order from at 2am when the bars close, but it will be fresh, delicious, and will leave you food coma free. Be sure to try the crab rangoons here - possibly the best I have had.
So I guess I'm one of those people who likes the Americanized Chinese food better than the real deal, because I didn't like the food here at all.
The crab rangoons were these dry, flat, disappointing things.
The food came in small portions and was very expensive for Chinese.
Also, the place was deserted.
Overall, I'd prefer to go to many other Chinese restaurants other than this one.
I have NEVER eaten here. I know its a Chinese restaurant and its probably really good. But I can be found on the dance floor!
3 of the 4 girls that I live with (me included!) have ended our birthday nights here for dancing. The DJ plays whatever you tell him to! Sometimes its like a bad wedding. But thats ok, its all a part of the golden temple experience. They play everything from the 70s on. We've been in random congo lines and everything. So hilarious. The ridiculously strong scorpion bowls probably help the whole experience too.
The dance floor is probably like 10ft by 10ft, but it gets packed!! Its in a dining room too, so theres tables and chairs everywhere. Once, during 'dont stop believing" I saw someone standing on a chair waving the candle that was on the table, like at a concert.
This is why i love the temple.
Is this place as different as it gets or is it just me?
Dancing? OH ok I'll take a right and stay low key. Ummmm... no the music sounds better with you so I'll take a left into the bar. WOW! Slide to the left to the right, contrasts for sure.
Keep going back and it's a new experience every time.
Bartenders set the standard for service, funny, killer cocktails and inventive shots.
DJ's play requests... unusual!
It's all good folks... we are hurtin' Golden Temple Addicts.
http://www.healthyfres...
ENJOY!
Beautifully decorated place with a great DJ.
The people there were very friendly, even the other customers! I believe you get friendly customers when they are satisfied with the service they are receiving so two thumbs up!
I admit I did not eat the food--because we only came here to pre-game but you must go and have the Golden Temple Mai Tai!
OMG--it is sooo strong, and sooo amazing! Not watered down like Mai Tai's tend to be :)
I came here awhile ago for the food (like 3 years ago) and I remember being pleased with the food (even though I had a really bad toothache so I could not enjoy it as much as I had wanted to) but I know it my tooth was not hurting so bad, I would have really been able to enjoy the food.
:)
This is probably my most favorite Chinese restaurant in town. The decor and atmosphere is unlike any Chinese restaurant I've ever been too. And frankly, with health issues a continuous hindrance between me and my love of Chinese food, they completely transformed the way I enjoy my favorite Chinese dishes. Everything they make is made from fresh organic ingredients (even their alcohol is organic!!! try the espresso martini, it's amazing) which makes eating Chinese a guilt-free experience. Though the prices are a bit high, I have learned to accept it only because of the high quality ingredients used. Their service is always in top form too. I've been there countless times and have not had a bad experience yet. The best part about it all...?
Can't make it out to a sit down fancy Chinese dinner? They will deliver to you free of charge as late as midnight!!!
Golden Temple is an interesting place. The one half is a traditional upscale Chinese restaurant. The other being a large open area with a bar and tables early in the evening, which later in the night are discarded for a dance floor.
My experience with their food has been good. Meals are served family style so it is worth going with someone else. This way you can get a variety of things to share and cut down on your cost since this place can be a little pricey if you order as if you are in a typical small Chinese take out place and like variety.
From my last visit the general tso or gau, whichever variation they use, was tasty, more sweet than hot. The chicken lo mein was really good, not weighed down with alot of oil, a lighter feel. The rice was fine, nothing outstanding regular run of the mill but you do have a choice of white or brown.
A part of this restaurant that stands out in my mind are the mixed drinks. There is a variety to choose from and they are usually made pretty strong, some bang for your buck. So if you're a fan of the drink don't miss out on a nice cocktail with dinner.
Service is usually pretty quick. If they are busy they almost rush you a little bit, which I do not enjoy. Overall they are friendly and usually deliver quality food. The GT is a little pricey but makes for a nice evening out.
Golden Temple has been the Valentine's Day staple among my single-lady friends for the past four years, though this past VDay was my first time joining the girls. I can see how you could have a good time there, but I have to say that I just wasn't impressed overall, given a few issues with the service.
Things I liked:
- The decor - it's cool and feels very upscale, even though the large dining room resembles a beehive more than anything else.
- The free Valentine's Day gifts for the girls! Free things are always nice, and all the ladies received a long-stem rose along with a keepsake mug (past years have included a pretty champagne flute and martini glass)
- Strength of the drinks. They're expensive, but you get your money's worth in the alcohol content - watch out!
Things I didn't like:
- The wait. As always for big groups, I called ahead to make the reservation, confirmed it again the day of, and yet we still had to wait an hour for our table to be ready. Apparently the previous group occupying our table had lingered, but it doesn't seem right to wait an hour for a table that was supposedly reserved.
- The service. Again, I should acknowledge that it was Valentine's Day and the place was PACKED, but our waitress didn't seem to know what she was doing and made it worse by being rude. Example: we asked about the price of a bottle of champagne, which she couldn't tell us. Without us actually ordering the bottle, she brought out what turned to be an $85 bottle - then got upset when we asked her not to open it and take it back. She also mixed up some orders, which was annoying but understandable given the size of our group and (I guess) complexity of our order.
- The food was just decent, made even less so given the prices. My entree (a noodle dish) cost $20 but was indistinguishable from the stuff I can order at 3am from Hoy Hing. It was heavy on the veggies though, which I always appreciate.
Moral of the story is... don't expect too much. I wouldn't advise against it per se, but with so many great places in Boston, you could definitely have a better time (and spend less!) elsewhere.
So, this review is for a visit last night with a group of friends. We sat in the bar and had drinks only.
Atmosphere: I really like the bar. The high ceilings, the tea lights, the dance floor with a DJ spinning disco mash-ups, the nifty architecture.
The drinks:they have a ridiculous selection. There was one menu for beer/ wine and cocktails. The cocktail list must have been ten pages long- filled with fruity drinks, Chinese standards (suffering bastard, mai tai, scorpion bowl, etc), martinis, ice cream drinks, etc.
My vote is for the Hennessy martini. It's the best bang for your buck. It's $11 and straight booze with a twist of lemon. I also split a scorpion bowl which was $20 and gets two thumbs down. There was one sad piece of orange and that's it. No cherries, no pineapple, no flaming 151 at the center, no funny umbrellas. Very disappointing.
Service: very so-so. The drinks took quite awhile and the bill was difficult to read (as is so often the problem at Chinese restaurants).
This place has potential. I'll have to update the review after eating there again (I ate their once a few years ago and I really can't remember a thing about it- never a good sign).
I sauntered into Golden Temple this past Monday for a "business ladies night". We stopped in about 6:30 and the atmosphere was just right for some girly gossip and life stories without fearing the table next to us what listening in.
The wait staff was very accomodating and attentive. We originally sat in a booth for 4, but when someone showed up last minute our waiter was super friendly and helped us pick a new table and move everything including the various purses bags etc. we had.
There were 5 ladies and we all decided to share some appetizers and dinner. There is a huge selection of items on the menu, not too many vegetarian options, but enough that I was happy. I got the Pad Thai with Tofu - pretty average but tasty.
There is a pretty large drink list and our waiter was all to keen to get us a new glass of wine before the first was finished. But hey, it was a ladies night right? So he was just helping to keep things going :)
After appetizers and drinks it came to about $40 each, not bad considering we each probably had two drinks. Overall good expereince and a good place to go with groups, but I don't think I would schlep out to Brookline just for Golden Temple.
I was impressed with the Golden Temple. I expected it to be like Kowloon judging from the outside, but it was actually quite good. I loved that they had the option for steamed pot stickers (so many places will only fry them) and they had this spicy eggplant dish that I used to get at many Chinese restaurants when I lived outside of San Francisco, but I've had a hard time finding here. Everything was tasty and fresh and I have enough leftover for lunch tomorrow.
Service was good and our glasses of water never got less than half full.
Their menu is broad and has plenty of healthy food options.
Want to know the best part about Golden Temple? It is not greasy. Not even a little bit. How can it be Chinese food without the grease?? Blasphemy!
Well listen up kids, because grease it out and crunchy goodness is in. No longer do you have to sop up your greasy and chewy lo mein noodles and hope that you don't have a coronary before the dessert menu.
No longer do you have to wonder what it's like to have REAL crab in crab rangoons, instead of mountains of cream cheese and a smidgen of crab.
No longer do you have to be saddened by weak and tiny spare ribs, but instead be greeted by gigantic portions of delicious meat that is tough yes tender enough to be eaten with relative ease.
Yes, the place is a little more expensive than your traditional Chinese takeout. But this isn't takeout kids, this is some fine HEALTHY cooking. Never thought you would see THAT in the same sentence as Chinese food eh? I love everything about Golden Temple, from the minimalist decorations, to the gigantic menu. Kudos for offering smaller portions as well on multiple dishes. The crab rangoons are excellent, even though I have to admit, I do like some extra cream cheese in my ragoons. Everything that was fried was crispy and light, not heavy and greasy like so many other places. They serve family style, which can be a little awkward and space-consuming, but I'm OK with it. The service is always pleasant.
If you are sick and tired of greasy Chinese food, then Golden Temple is your place!
I'm throwin' my two cents in on this place since I lived behind it for 8 years....
Anyway, short and sweet... acceptable americanized chinese food. Quality ingredients, consistently executed, but not very exciting or memorable. Except for the Crab Rangoon which is some of the best I've ever had. But, in general, slightly bland food. I actually prefer Dragon Star around the corner.
The E-Room is cheesy fun though. A diverse crowd, cheesy DJ, and lots of drinks can make for a silly evening. Yeah, that was me who dumped an entire Mai-Tai on the dance floor two New Year's Eve's ago. Sorry.
This place is the strangest oddity in Brookline. Why, in the middle of a wealthy Jewish enclave is there a restaurant/wine bar/disco club open every night until 2 in the morning? The food here is really good, I think it's all organic chinese/american fusion. Every item of food here I've ever had has been great. The duck, the fish, the chicken it's all fantastic. But I really like coming here on the weekends since there is no cover charge and slurping down a scorpion bowl as I watch older women pick up young men. The DJ is hilarious and always plays Michael Jackson but won't play the Black-Eyed Peas "My Hump" because the restaurant owner thinks that song is too risque. I absolutely love this place because not only do they have really good food with free delivery, or take out ready in fifteen minutes, they are one of the only restaurants in Boston to win mention in Wine Spectator. I mean they have it all, a really random dance floor, crab rangoons for when your drunk off of a scorpion bowl and really cranky Chinese waiters who mumble about loud, annoying Americans in Chinese.
I can't understand how anyone has had a good experience here!?
On my first visit I was told the wait for a table would be about 10 minutes. 40 minutes later we were finally seated downstairs in the strange dancing/bar area. After waiting at our table for about 10-15 minutes with no one coming by with water or to see if we were ready to order I actually had to get the host to get someone to take our order. I then noticed that of the 5 tables around us, not one single table had drinks and still all had their menus. Not a good sign.
We finally ordered and our meals arrived pretty quickly. The server never checked on us again until it was time to give us our check. The food was average, but certainly not worth the price. The service was just crappy.
However, despite the horrible service I agreed to go back once more because my buddy loves scorpion bowls. Again, our service was severely lacking and I'm almost positive I saw a mouse scurry across the dining room floor.
Its a shame this place ranked so low on my list since it is so close, but a new chinese food relationship wasn't meant to be between the two of us.
I used to live in Washington Square and never took advantage of Golden Temple enough. The restaurant is excellent. It isn't the typical greasy, bogged-down, everything-tastes-the-same Chinese food.
You feel like you are eating healthy. And, that's rare for Chinese food. Very rare.
The hot and sour soup is wonderful I probably could have and (should have) just had that!
Note: This review ISN'T for the E-Room. I'm reviewing the restaurant ;)
Special Offer: Box Office…
Neighborhood: Central Square
3 Course Dinners $13.95
Neighborhood: Back Bay
Neighborhood: Brookline Village
Category: Chinese
Brookline, MA
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Coolidge Corner
Category: Chinese
Brookline, MA
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Back Bay
Category: Dance Clubs
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