Coming back to Boston from Hong Kong, we do sometimes “lament” about how the food in Boston is less international than Hong Kong. Bostonians love their steak, pastas, and seafood. Sometimes it’s hard to open restaurants that are too exotic or expensive.
So I was thrilled when Bryan found Comfort Kitchen, a very popular restaurant that’s been making waves in Boston. Located in Dorchester right next to a lovely park, Comfort Kitchen Boston focuses on African cuisine with a modern twist.
Upon entering, the server brings over what looks like a magazine. It is - in fact - the menu, but it includes stories to accompany the drinks and the food. As you read, you realize the “story” is about you. It’s about identity, and finding out what you represent.
And the food did indeed look “exotic”. There were ingredients and preparations that I’d never see before. Many dishes looked really exciting, and it was hard to choose.
We were a group of four, and finally settled upon the following dishes:
Appetizers
Mustard Marinated Grilled Aachar Beef served with crispy confit fingerling potatos, a green tomato aioli, pickled shallots, green tomatoes, and topped with micro mustard leaves ($22).
Main Dishes
Shrimp, Cornmeal Fried Cod, Asparagus, Crispy Pork Crumbs, Charred Leek + Basil Oil ($41)
Desserts
raspberry sorbet ($17)
General Thoughts - Comfort Kitchen Boston
In general, everything at Comfort Kitchen Boston was fantastic. They are not shy on heat, so be careful if you’re really afraid of something being too spicy. There were a few dishes that I found to be borderline too hot!
Still, it was so much fun finally exploring a cuisine type that is so different from most of the other dishes I usually eat. The food is delicious, the service was top notch, and overall we really enjoyed our meal there. Everything is also very reasonably priced, especially for the creativity and quality of the entire experience!
The wine list is quite small and everything costs the same, which was very, very reasonable.
I am really excited that this type of restaurant is doing so well in Boston. I hope Comfort Kitchen Boston continues to pave the way for other restaurants serving more diverse cuisines to open up and thrive in Boston.
Comfort Kitchen
611 Columbia Road
Dorchester, MA 02125
