clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Soon Allston Will Be Swimming in Hot Pot

Another hot pot restaurant is headed to the neighborhood, this time in the former Refuge Cafe space

Signage at the former home of Refuge Cafe in Allston
Signage at the former home of Refuge Cafe in Allston
Courtesy of James Donner

A month after Allston’s Refuge Cafe closed — apparently due to an artificial intelligence takeover — a hot pot restaurant stands poised to take its place. Mala Kungfu has moved in and will open soon at 155 Brighton Ave.

After bouncing back from a rumored closure in the fall of 2016, Refuge closed for good in June 2018 after a series of bizarre posts on its Facebook page. Now, Mala Kungfu has posted signage within the space, and though Mala Kungfu has a bare-bones website and social media presence, both indicate that the forthcoming restaurant will serve hot pot and tea, operating seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Mala Kungfu joins several other hot pot restaurants in Allston-Brighton, including the recently opened Pot Bar, as well as Shabu Zen and Spring Shabu-Shabu.

Update, August 21: Mala Kungfu is now open.

Refuge Cafe Has Closed for Real This Time [EBOS]
Mala Kungfu [Official Site]

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Eater Boston newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter.