Tiger Mama, Yuki Shabu, and Victoria's Diner: Reviewed

Tiffani Faison's latest venture, Tiger Mama, received a rave review from The Boston Globe's Ted Weesner, who wrote that "there is clearly sorcery at work here." Faison's "passion radiates from each dish," he wrote, including in the cold dishes of scallop sashimi and hamachi crudo, as well as a short rib crudo that tastes "scary pretty." Weesner praised the vegetable dishes and the tom kha gai, and he found the pig rice deeply flavored. "Even the fails are spectacular," he noted, referring to the whole duck, writing that its high price leads to high expectation, but some of the accompaniments seemed odd, and the duck leg meat was rubbery with the skin not crisp enough. Still, he cooked the leftovers the next morning for "possibly the best breakfast ever," and he called Tiger Mama a "spectacular restaurant."

Across the river in Somerville, the Globe's Catherine Smart dined at Yuki Shabu, where she found a massive menu spanning China and beyond. Taking suggestion from manager Joe Lam, she ate the lemongrass chicken wings and fired dumplings for appetizers, which showed the chef's experience, she wrote, though "both could use a little more oomph." For the hot pot, she chose spicy Sichuan and Korean kimchi, finding both "tasty enough, but not brimming with chiles and peppercorns," speculating the chef is playing it safe on the flavor. Outside the hot pot, her favorite dishes included the sautéed snow pea tip with garlic and the sesame chicken. Overall, Smart praised the knowledge of the chef but thought the menu could be trimmed to a more manageable size.

Boston Restaurant Talk's Marc Hurwitz stopped in at Victoria's Diner for his latest review for Dig Boston. The place features classic American fare and comfort foods "that are good for the soul." He wrote that some of the menu highlights include a breakfast monte cristo stuffed into Texas-style French toast, a breakfast burger, and mac and cheese mixed with tender short rib. Don't forget the classic grilled pastrami with Swiss cheese and mustard, either, Hurwitz wrote, and finish everything off with a dessert: bourbon pecan pie, carrot cake, or bread pudding. The diner is open 24 hours a day from Thursday to Sunday night, and is a very good late-night option, Hurwitz wrote.