Editor Pick
Pu Pu Hot Pot
- February 25, 2003
- Rated 4 of 5 by
meadowlark from Boston, Massachusetts
Highlights:
Don't be deterred by the name--Pu Pu's is one my favourite establishments. Although it survives on a busy delivery and takeout service to the MIT and Central Square community, the little restaurant with big glass windows seats fewer than 20 people and is rarely full. The appetiser special here is crab rangoons, which in combination with the orange "duck sauce" are absolutely to die for!! We usually get crab rangoons and one other dish for two people. The orange chicken is good, but we ODed on the ginger chicken once--too much ginger for our blood. The quality is not as high, but the staff is great, and those who choose to eat here over the more popular Mary Chung's feel quite possessive about it. There is also some charm in eating in the small dining room. The pale walls with a Chinese wall hanging or two are strangely pacifying while watching the buzz of Central Square through the large windows.
Making it a "Cheap Eat":
The food is definitely the cheapest here and the portions are large. The delivery service lasts at least until 11pm, and we often order the appetiser and main and then cook our own rice while we wait for the delivery. Dishes range from $4 to $9 or so, while most are around $5 or $6.
Special tips:
Ask for recommendations from the menu, as the quality does go up and down. Also, it's customary in Cambridge to tip the driver $1 or $2 (or 10%, whichever is larger) for deliveries. Even when trying to save money on a cheap eat, remember to factor this in as a cost.
Getting there:
Pu Pu's is on Main Street just where it joins Mass. Ave. It's next to the Toscanni's ice cream (great for dessert!).
The low-down:
The quality is not as high as at Mary's or Royal East, but the staff is very friendly and the delivery service is excellent.
From journal Student's Guide to Cheap Eats: Central Square