Xinh Xinh

7 Beach St
Boston, MA 02111
617-422-0501

Highly Recommended
 
Xinh Xinh (or as we call it "double-X) is located on Beach Street in Chinatown, about a half a block off of Washington Street. This tiny restaurant squeezes as many patrons in at lunch as possible so get there early or arrive after 1:30.

The menu is predominantly Vietnamese Pho (noodle soup). I have had the Pho Dac Biet, which is a soup of rice noodles with rare eye round, soft tendon, brisket and tripe and the Pho Sate Dac Biet; a fiery hot beef soup with noodles and herbs. Both were excellent and by far the best examples of Pho in Chinatown.  The menu also incorporates vermicelli and rice dishes, hot pots and porridges. The Duck Porridge (the server was worried when I ordered it) was the consistency of thin rice pudding with a pale, bland look but looks can be deceiving.  The porridge was amazing! Hot and savory with generous amounts of roast duck and herbs, this excellent comfort food that was perfect on the cold winter day I ordered it.  The vermicelli dishes are wonderfully interactive that are perfect for sharing. Hard disks of rice vermicelli are brought to the table with a plate of fillings and a bowl of hot water. The diners soften the disks in the hot water and fill them themselves. The shrimp paste grilled on sugar cane is particularly delicious.  The Pork Hot Pot was spicy and sweet and totally addictive.

The only down side to “Double X” is the tiny size and the cold wind that blasts through the place during the winter every time the front door opens. Go early and leave your hat on but definitely go!