Royal East
- February 13, 2004
- Rated 1 of 5 by
gmulligan from Colorado Springs, Colorado
In one word, awful. The food was bland, cold, and slow. Avoid this place. The beef dish was actually inedible. The place was crowded, though, so maybe it was just what we ordered, but I did not like it at all.
From journal Zigbee Meeting - 9/3/03
Editor Pick
Royal East
- February 25, 2003
- Rated 4 of 5 by
meadowlark from Boston, Massachusetts
Highlights:
Royal East is yet another favourite Chinese restaurant in the MIT/Central Square neighbourhood. The amazing appetiser here is the scallion pancakes. They are not always listed on the menu, but the restaurant always has them. They are divine--especially with the brown soy sauce served with them. They are perfect for two people sharing, but it can get kind of tense when you have only one order for three people. The overall quality of the food took a dramatic leap my fourth year at MIT, when we suddenly noticed that all the dishes were exceedingly good. Royal East has a lot of seating, with a whole other banquet room that can be opened up for special functions. There's even large round tables for groups of a dozen or so, with a lazy Susan in the middle that allows you to spin the dishes around and sample them all.
Making it a "Cheap Eat":
Delivery and carry-out are an option, but it is a very comfortable restaurant to sit in and the service is excellent (there is somebody whose only job is to make sure all the water glasses are full). We usually get one order of scallion pancakes, one main dish, and rice for two people, which works out to around $5 per person. Two dishes for three people or just taking home the leftovers is a money-saving option as well.
Special tips:
If there during the day, try to get one of the tables near the windows. The portions are really large, so ask for a take-home box. There is also the option of seafood on the menu, and the restaurant even has its own lobster tank--although I've never tried this before.
Getting there:
Royal is about a 5-minute walk down Main Street from the point where Mass. Ave meets Main Street on the right-hand side. If coming from the MIT campus up Mass. Ave., take a shortcut at the ADP fraternity; Royal East is about 5 minutes down on the corner when you hit Main Street.
The low-down:
Now that Royal East is known as good by others outside the community, it may be wise to call ahead if you don't want to wait to be seated.
From journal Student's Guide to Cheap Eats: Central Square