Mary Chungs

Mary's has been a favorite among MIT students and community for a long time. It unfortunately closed in 1991 for several years, but Mary found a new space in Central Square a few years later and has been there ever since. She tells me that MIT (who owns the building) has given her a lease for life.

Mary's is Szechuan style in general, and while everything is very good, there's a handful of things that go even above and beyond "very good". In particular:

• Suan La Chow Chow. This "soup" is often very spicy and is the one thing that I can't possibly go to Mary's without getting.
  
  
• Pan-fried Peking Ravs. In other places, called "pot-stickers" or the like. Mary knows how to do these right.
  
  
• Crab Rangoon. My wife loves these.
  
  
• Dun Dun Noodles. These tend to be very very spicy, and are great for clearing out your sinuses.
  
  
• Mongolian Beef. Also called "embarrasing beef" because they serve it at your table on a hot skillet which makes a very loud noise, causing most of the other patrons in the restaurant to turn your way.
  
  
• Kung Pao Chi Ding. I really like this chicken with peanut dish, though it's not as universal a favorite.
  

If you're in Cambridge and want good Chinese food, Mary's is the place to go.