Zoe's Chinese Food, Somerville

I'll cut to the chase: this place is great. When I'm craving my favorite Chinese restaurants (Grace Garden of Odenton and China Road of Syracuse), I feel lucky to at least have Zoe's nearby. That might sound like a backhanded compliment, but if you know how good my top two are, you'll realize it's actually just a compliment.

As when eating at Grace Garden, make sure to ask about the seasonal vegetable dishes. This roughage will brace you for the otherwise fleshy feast you are about to consume, and it's not too shabby either.

All whole fish options are delightful, the tea smoked Duck is as it should be, the salt and pepper squid are almost too hot to eat (another fronthanded compliment), and the sweet and sour lotus root appetizer will leave your tongue befuddled in all the right ways.



Equally good if less exotic is the spicy cucumber appetizer. It's almost an oxymoron, and that's why it works.

Other perks include a BYOB policy and a liquor store right across the street.

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Zoe's Chinese Food
289 Beacon Street
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 864-6265