Boston

Ok, I totally missed posting snippets from our Boston trip (which was directly after our Newport trip). And I posted our first Honeymoon trip before I remembered to post this one ARGH! Since we were continuing our little summer road trip from Newport, we were a bit tired when we finally arrived in Boston. By chance, we had our first dinner at Myers + Chang, the Asian fusion restaurant. NORMALLY, when I see the words “Asian Fusion” my red flags go way up - mostly because Asian Fusion is hard to execute well without compromising authenticity and because I’ve only had so-so experiences before.

However, Myers + Chang was so delicious AND authentically Chinese while including western characteristics. We got the Date Night menu - which may rotate seasonally, but ours included: 2 wines, Edamame and Cucumber Salad, Taiwanese Dan Dan Noodles, Pan Roasted Soy-Glazed Salmon, Spicy Taiwanese Chicken Thigh, and Ginger Scallion Bok Choy.

Fun fact: The owner actually reposted my story on Instagram!! AND we also stumbled upon her chain of bakeries (Flour Bakery + Cafe) later on in our trip!

The next day, we strolled around and visited the markets. Of course we had to get lobster rolls and clam chowder! The roll we got at Boston Chowda was so fresh and delicious! And of course, no trip anywhere would be complete without visiting Starbucks for a city mug.

We spent an afternoon in the Back Bay neighborhood, mostly staying indoors because of the rain. We had fun window shopping at Eataly, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barnes & Noble, and stopped at Blue Bottle to get our daily caffeine dose. In the late afternoon we were getting a bit hungry, so we looked around for a quick snack before dinnertime hehe. We saw a Luke’s Lobster (a chain that I recognized from New York) so we decided to stop in. We ordered a lobster roll, crab roll, and a lobster bisque. OMG the soup was SO salty and the rolls were just alright - would not go back, If you are in New England, try to stay away from seafood chains, and instead go to dedicated or even local seafood joints!

That night for dinner, we visited my childhood friend and her boyfriend in the suburbs in Waltham. They ordered a huge buffet of food and we brought popular mochi donuts from MOMO for dessert! At the time of our trip (Summer 2020), the world was still trying to figure out the COVID situation, so it made it all the more special to be able to (safely) see one of my friends again.

Our last full day in Boston, we decided to explore across the river on the MIT and Harvard campuses. We started the morning at Blue Bottle for croissants and coffee! I vividly remember it was so hot that morning, and our iced coffees were melting quicker than we could sip them. We mostly did drive-through tours through the campuses because of the heat. We made sure to stop by L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates to take some home gifts for our family. One of the treats we ate in the car were little chocolate mice (with the cutest string tails!)

Before we went back to the hotel for a pre-dinner break, we of course had to make a stop for bubble tea!! There was a newly-opened Shinmio Tea near campus. We got a large fruit tea to share. It was WAY too expensive and tart, but oh well, we’ll know for next time to try something else.

Our last night in Boston, we ventured into Chinatown! Despite the weather being oh-so hot in the morning, we were craving hot pot anyways. For some reason the few cross-streets we decided to look, there was an abundance of hot pot restaurants. We ended up choosing Happy Lamb Hot Pot, which was 10/10. The interior was so clean and spacious, and we were seated quickly. We chose a nice spot by the window. Each plate of meat or vegetable we ordered came to us saran-wrapped. The broth was amazing and all the meats and veggies we chose were also delicious and fresh. Also, in the back, they have a sign on the wall that says ‘Broth So Hard’ LOL.

After dinner, we walked around Chinatown looking for dessert. No matter how full I am after dinner, I have a separate stomach reserved for dessert (or bubble tea!) We got mango and black sesame desserts from a plastic-wrapped covered Cantonese joint. By plastic-wrapped, I mean it was take-out only and the cashier was separated from the lobby by floor-to-ceiling plastic sheets. :)

The next morning, we packed our stuff and prepared to leave Boston. Before we left, stopped by Flour Bakery (owned by Joanna Chang of Myers + Chang from our first day dinner spot!) for coffees and breakfast for the drive back. Wow, I can’t believe I’ve never heard of these places before this trip, but they are super popular. In the bakery, their whole back wall is for cookbooks and other merch! We got the Breakfast Egg Sandwich (Bacon, Cheddar, Arugula, Tomato, Dijonaise), Parmesan Chive Scones, and Cold Brews. I can’t believe I forgot to take photos - I was probably too hungry hehe. See you next time, Boston!