Recommends

Alex Rosenzweig

Joined 4 years ago

My go to Vietnamese. Ive made Xinh Xinh my go-to for Vietnamese, after having visited many other competing places over the years that sadly have become worse (Pho Pasteur/Le's). If a trip to Dorchester is out of your area which has become the epicentre of Vietnamese community in Boston, this place is the next best thing. For me, Pho is what separates good Vietnamese from great. The flavor has to be deep and beefy, full of star anise and other spices that are used to make this cuisine staple. Xinh Xinh makes great Pho broth and the all the options that it presents. It's family owned and you'll be often sitting/be served by one of the family members, and the food coming out the kitchen is definitely prepared with care. The prices are well withing cheap eats category and you'll be feeling full and warm.

Recommends

srw9

Joined 6 years ago

Great Vietnamese take-out. We live in Chinatown and have tried almost all of the Vietnamese restaurants in the area. I have to say that this is by far our favorite for take-out. When we want to eat at the restaurant, we usually will go to a place with better ambience. . . but the food at Xihn Xihn is cheap, fast, and most of all, tasty.

Recommends

always_hungry

Joined 8 years ago

So friendly and clean. We had Canh Chua Shrimp and Chicken Curry Vermecilli soup. The service was excellent and very friendly and the wait for our order was as we expected. Not too long and not as though it was prepared ahead of time. All of the food was very very fresh. The waiter came over and spent as much time explaining the food choices as we needed and we were not rushed at all. The place holds about 20 people so I advise coming off hours to avoid the rush. The prices are as good as the food. Excellent value. Very friendly and I'll be going back to try more.

Recommends

freewilly7

Joined 6 years ago

it's the effort that counts. their pho (noodle in soup) is too choppy (little pieces) and may be overcooked (too soft), not made as perfectly as pho pasteur. either they don't know how to cook it or the noodle is of inferior quality. but food in general is acceptable, especially when you don't want to wait at the other places.

the boss is very welcoming and attentive. one time he came to check on us and asked for our opinions. he explicitly sought for our input and expressed gratitude for our patronage as well as telling him what we think. that's probably something you will never get at pho pasteur (on the same street at the corner).

the curry chicken (you can ask for beef) on rice is my fav in this place, altho sometimes i'd go back to my grilled pork chop on (dry) vermicelli (it comes w/a vinegar sauce).

:)

Recommends

ricf964

Joined 6 years ago

Can't judge a book by its cover. I wholly agree about Xinh Xinh. I've probably walked past this restaurant a thousand times and just happened to stop in one day for lunch. The place is small and there's no real decor. You may even have to sit at a table with strangers, but that's part of the ambiance. It seems to be run by the same family and they all get along and have great, friendly personalities. Finally, the food is amazing and cheap. Definitely recommend it and it's now one of my regular spots.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Chinatown eatery serves up authentic Vietnamese fare.. In Short
With little by way of atmosphere or ambience, Xian Xian (pronounced "sin sin") puts an emphasis on its menu of Vietnamese and Chinese soups and noodle dishes. Young students and homesick expats come in to down beefy bowls of pho and crunchy eggrolls. Other popular dishes include chao tom (grilled shrimp paste on sugar cane) and banh hoi ga nuong (lemongrass chicken).