Q Restaurant – Review by: Rebeccah Marsters
Review Courtesy of: Table Critic
Monday, December 27, 2010
660 Washington Street
Chinatown, MA 02111
Atmosphere:
It’s usually understood that you don’t visit sushi joints for the ambiance – nine times out of ten you are folded into a tiny table in a stark room where the harsh lighting flatters neither your food nor your date. The stylized neon ‘Q’ in the darkened window immediately sets this restaurant apart from the neighboring establishments, where Asian characters are splashed across bright yellow and red signs. This Chinatown area is undergoing a renaissance of sorts, and while 660 Washington Street may be across from an empty lot, with at least two strip clubs in view of the front door, it’s also at the feet of the swanky Archstone apartments, and only steps from Boylston Street and the Boston Common. 
The glowing blue glass filled with floating bubbles (reminiscent of so many dorm room lava lamps) and the sleek, well-stocked bar area give the space a chic, club-like vibe, and further distinguish the Q in its demographic. Having only been open for eight weeks now, novelty is in the air, from the pristine wooden booths, sparkling tropical fish tanks, red-accented décor, and sushi bar, to the charmingly enthused and informative staff – even the bathrooms were well scrubbed. 
Poppy music played in the background, and tinted picture windows offered views of Vietnamese bakeries and bubble tea ‘lounges’, not to mention freezing pedestrians hurrying by outside.
After closing Little Q, his hot pot joint in Quincy, owner Ming Zhu was ready to make a mark in the city. He chose to situate his restaurant in the Chinatown district, but caters to a wide variety of clientele with an eclectic but accessible menu including hot pot, sushi, and various other ethnic favorites – not to mention a full bar (another rarity in the sushi arena). From the look of the diners that evening, the crowds he draws are as varied as the cuisine, putting Q restaurant somewhat on the fringe of Chinatown – both literally and figuratively.
Starters:
After being seated at a roomy table against the wall and sliding into the cushy bench seats, we were warned that the menu might be a bit daunting. For a food enthusiast and daring eater such as myself, this tends to be the case at many a restaurant merely due to indecision, so I dove right in unfazed. In addition to the many pages of options, what makes the menu here unnerving is that the pan-Asian style puts crowd-pleasing dishes from multiple cuisines all within reach – what’s a girl to do when crab Rangoon ($5) and scallion pancakes ($4) vie for page space with seaweed salad ($4), edamame ($4), tempura ($4 to $6), and even chicken wings ($7)? The answer to that, of course, is that she orders sushi. An extensive sushi menu lists the typical fish, eel, and veggie selections in roll or sashimi form, as well as several signature rolls. Seeing as I have a staunch dislike for crabstick (and anything that has ‘imitation’ as part of its name, come to think of it), one thing that endeared the menu to me immediately was seeing that while the typical California roll was available, they also have a California Q ($8), or what I think of as a ‘real’ California roll, in which snow crab takes the place of the surimi. When our selections arrived, I was ready with chopsticks poised, and took only a moment’s pause to glance regretfully at the fish tank before digging in.
A generous portion of uni ($8) rested daintily in a cucumber cup, and the tender lobes of sea urchin were creamy and tasted just as they should – like fresh, briny, ocean essence. The chu-toro sashimi ($12) (mid-fatty tuna) was both rich and clean tasting, with a buttery texture that nearly melted in the mouth. On our server’s (and the bartender’s) recommendation, we went for the restaurant’s eponymous Q roll, with spicy salmon, tuna, hamachi, eel sauce, spicy mayo, and flying fish roe on top. If it sounds like overkill, it was – in the best, most decadent way possible. After admiring the artful creation for about as long as it took to swirl some wasabi into our soy sauce, we were won over by the combination of fatty salmon, sweet hamachi, spicy sauce, and the subtle crunch of the shiny little orbs of roe on top. Attention to detail is obviously a 
point of pride here, as each bite was crowned with a tiny leaf of micro-greens, and tempura flakes further adorned the sauce-splashed plate. Now, while I could have continued ordering and eating in sushi bliss for the remainder of the evening, we had yet to scratch the surface of Q’s menu, and hot pots were next to come….
Entrees:
For those not familiar with the concept of hot pot, it’s a form of dining where various foods (meats, vegetable, fish) are cooked at the table in a pot of simmering broth. Often referred to as Mongolian hot pot, or shabu-shabu in Japanese, there are actually no vestiges of this tradition in modern-day Mongolian cuisine, suggesting that while its origins may lie elsewhere in Asia, many modern cultures practice some form of it today. Between hot pot and sushi, one might wonder if they actually cook anything here, but turning the page of the menu will assuage any doubt, as various fried rice dishes ($7 to $8), shanghai-style chow mein ($8), and bowls of ramen ($8) are all dished out of Q’s kitchen. As for the hot pots, you can order all the components a la carte, selecting one or two broths from varieties such as Tomyum and Black bone chicken ($3 each), a meat or seafood from pork and chicken to dumplings, tendon, and tripe, ($5 to $15), noodles (udon, rice vermicelli, etc.) and vegetables from a laundry list including pea pods, lotus root, various mushrooms, pumpkin, taro, and on and on ($3 each). If you instead opt for the hot pot combo, you pay a set price and get a broth, a meat, a noodle or rice of your choice, and a basket of assorted vegetables. The latter seemed like the best route for the hot pot neophyte, and we chose the Angus rib eye ($19) and the seafood supreme ($15).
The first thing that was set down in front of us was a giant metal pot of broth, which took up residence on one of the smooth black induction burners set into each table. A switch under the table allows diners to control the heat level, keeping the liquid at a simmer throughout the meal. A
central divider in the pot separated the mala, or spicy, broth that we had chosen from the Mongolian vegetable, and both were emitting plumes of fragrant steam. Next came bowls of noodles and baskets of vegetables, including corn on the cob, tomato, mushroom, baby bok choy, Napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, fried tofu, and an Asian green called tong-ho. 
The rib eye was shaved thin and arranged in ethereal crimson folds streaked with a generous marbling of fat. A few swishes in the bubbling liquid rendered the meat tender, just barely cooked, and subtly flavored by the broth. Half the fun of hot pot meals is not only the interactive dining aspect, but also the fact that you are in essence the chef, deciding how much you want each bite cooked, and learning as you go along. The mussels and clams on the seafood platter required a significantly longer bath in the bubbling liquid, while the white fish, salmon, and scallops just needed a dip. Both broths had treasure troves of aromatics bobbing around in their depths, with a bumper crop of chiles, garlic, bay leaves, scallions and lychees infusing the spicy one, and goji berries, Chinese dates, anise, ginger and several unidentifiable roots and pods in the other. We happily dipped, dunked, and swished our way through the meal, unsure if the beads of sweat on our brows were from the not-insignificant level of spice in the mala broth, or the billowing clouds of steam rising around our faces. 
Either way, the bitter cold outside was all but forgotten. As we ate, the broth reduced and took on the aromas of the food cooked in it, becoming flavorful and concentrated enough that we scooped ladles of it into our china bowls and slurped it even when the rest of the food was gone.
Drinks:
Dining out on sushi usually means that alcoholic beverages are limited to sakes of varying and questionable qualities, or the ubiquitous can of Sapporo, so to be confronted with not only a full bar, but a menu of creative and unique cocktails was a pleasant departure. Signature cocktails make use of local and artisan liquors, a wide selection of flavored spirits, and even sake, with creations such as the Feng Shui martini ($15), containing lychee vodka, and the Dos Diablos ($9), which boasts the unlikely combination of tequila and crème de cassis. Other options are more familiar, but still have a twist; I sipped the Perfect GQ ($12), which pairs sweet and dry vermouth with a scotch-style whiskey from Japan, and the Local Vesper ($12) was also a hit, with local gin, vodka, and white Lillet. Not in the mood for a cocktail? The Q has beers from near and far, with Sapporo and Tsingtao, as well as the local Berkshire Brewing Company’s BBC on draft, wines by the bottle and glass, sake, and for the daring drinker, an avocado or red bean smoothie and aloe juice can also be had.
Dessert:
Craving something sweet after all that heat and spice, we decided that ordering NY style cheesecake, tiramisu, or carrot cake ($5 each) after the meal we’d just had 
would be taking the fusion concept a little too far. Instead, we went for a few of the ice cream flavors that Q scoops for only two bucks a pop. The green tea was appropriately hued, and had the unmistakable and intense flavors of the freshly brewed beverage without any of the fake sweetness or astringent bitterness. The red bean, however, was the favorite at our table; resembling a scoop of black raspberry, the ice cream had an irresistible sweet-savory balance, and was studded with chewy little bits of azuki bean – it may sound odd, but it worked.
Assessment:
With sushi restaurants at every corner, and Asian cuisines becoming more and more mainstream among increasingly daring Bostonian diners, the Q is a perfect example of how savvy restaurateurs are upping the ante. Owner Ming Zhu cleverly uses his Chinatown location to vouch for the authenticity that a modern fusion approach might belie. The pan-Asian menu assures that there’s something for everyone – even those who haven’t fully embraced the idea of raw food – while the full bar and funky atmosphere take it one step beyond its competitors and neighbors, bringing in the younger crowds and giving it potential to be both eatery and hangout. Although hot pot is enjoyed all year round (many cultures say that the best way to cool down in sweltering heat is to eat hot, spicy foods), the steaming cauldrons of broth might lose their appeal come August, but the Q has again covered all bases, with the promise of an icy cocktail and a chilled plate of fresh sashimi ensuring that business will not be limited to the seasonal. 
We’re all familiar with the advisory to do one thing and do it well, and while the Q is still a newborn in restaurant terms, they seem in no danger of spreading themselves too thin. And in a time when competition is tough, and everyone seems to be doing at least one thing well, the Q has thus far succeeded in doing several things, and doing them quite well indeed.
Address: 660 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111
Phone: (857) 350-3968
Website: http://thequsa.com/
Cuisine: ?Japanese, Chinese
Price: Appetizers, $4 to $7; Sushi, $4 to $16; Hot pot and entrees, $7 to $19; Desserts, $2 to $5; Cocktails, $9 to $15
Hours: Daily: 1130am-1am
Features: Hot pot, full bar
Recommendations: Rib eye hot pot combo, Q Roll, Chu-toro (mid-fatty tuna) sashimi, red bean ice cream
Parking: ?Street
Payment Options: All major credit cards
