Jason wonders just what's in the menu he got in his mailbox yesterday - and whether it's better than the Old Ho Toy.

Just a hunch, but I bet that when Fan Pier is all built out, this waterfront Chinese place won't be around to share in the success.

Brookline Police charge a local man with gau'ing berserk at the Golden Temple on Beacon Street early Friday morning:

Upon arrival [officers] observed the kitchen to be in disarray with dozens of broken plates, prepared food, and other items scattered on the floor. Mr. Homan was placed under arrest and brought to the police station. Fallon ambulance determined that they were going to transport him to Beth Israel Hospital. While the subject was being escorted to a room he slapped a nurse across the face and became very belligerent. During a struggle to restrain the subject, he also managed to hit the officers.

Also in Brookline, police report that when they responded to 229 St. Paul St., where some new residents moving in were reporting the theft of their stuff, they noticed a resident of the building carrying a stereo into his apartment. They asked to take a look and when he said yes, they discovered the missing items. Busted.

Earlier:
Kung Pow I.

Innocent until proven guilty.

Jason McIntosh is loving the unassuming Chinese place in Porter Square:

... I just now had their eggplant chicken dish and the eggplant portion was represented by large, even slices that were still vibrant purple on one side, where many other places would have opted for colorless blobs of mush. This is the sort of thing that gets me very excited. And the chicken part was made of succulent and tender strips, not gloopy chunkulets. ...

The West Roxbury Transcript alerts us to the news that some Chinese-restaurant group this month named Tai Ho in West Roxbury one of the 100 best Chinese take-out places in America.

Only problem: Tai Ho burned to the ground in August, killing two Boston firefighters in the process.

Will Ng is on a quest for pork buns.

Charles Bandes hopes Szechuan Bay in Somerville can recover from a fire quickly:

... I miss their food already, they were easily the best Chinese restaurant in Somerville, perhaps the best this side of Chinatown. ...

Boston Chomps raves about Sichuan Gourmet in Framingham:

... I actually like it more than most of the Chinatown places. ...

Lynne call Z Square a hidden gem in Harvard Square:

Harvard Square has no shortage of places to eat but to me, there was a need for a good, straightforward American food restaurant that fell between the high-end restaurants like Om and Upstairs on the Square and the simple places like Au Bon Pain and Bartley's Burgers. Z Square has filled this gap and is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. ...

Jon Abbett declares the Milk Street Cafe disappointing:

... Strike 1: Asparagus soup. It smelled delicious and looked hearty, but with one spoonful, I frantically grabbed a napkin to spit it out. It was chock full of long, fibrous, gag-inducing strands, showing clearly that the cooked asparagus was never strained before being mixed with the other ingredients. ...

Jason explains why he refuses to ever again go to: Chili's, Qdoba, Brasserie Jo or Laurel.

On Boston's Hidden Restaurants(!), Marc describes a recent dinner at the world's largest Chinese restaurant:

... I ordered the flaming ambrosia, which is made as follows: Hollow out a pineapple; put a bunch of chicken fingers inside; fill the pineapple to the top with duck sauce; insert pineapple chunks and maraschino cherries; pour alcohol over the whole thing; set it all on fire. ...

Kowloon has a series of delightfully cheesy cable-TV commercials. My favorites are the kid who wants to have his bah mitzvah there, the guy in the lobster suit and Ribs II (Ribs I is just, well, boring). When you click on one, wait a minute or so for it to download; otherwise, watching it will be very painful.

Via the Phantom Gourmet forums.