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A white bowl on a glossy wooden table is filled to the brim with a meaty rendition of mapo tofu, topped with scallions.
Mapo tofu at Zoe’s Chinese in Somerville.
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Where to Eat Mapo Tofu in Greater Boston

Savory and spicy, this dish is a must at the area’s great Sichuan restaurants

by Karen Wilber
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Mapo tofu at Zoe’s Chinese in Somerville.
| Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater
by Karen Wilber

Mapo tofu comes from the Sichuan province of China, and a star ingredient is Sichuan peppers, used to create the málà — or numbing, tingling — flavor. Mapo tofu packs a punch as a savory, spicy, and numbing dish, often cooked with a ground meat and served with white rice on the side. Other key ingredients include silken tofu, which is a softer tofu, as well as fermented black beans and chile bean paste.

With so many excellent Chinese restaurants in Boston, find the best mapo tofu by seeking out restaurants that specialize in Sichuan cuisine, and look for one of many possible spellings on the menu — mapo tofu, mápó dòufu, ma-po tofu, mo po tofu, and more.

Here are eight great Boston-area restaurants that serve must-try mapo tofu.

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Zoe’s Gourmet Chinese Cuisine

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The mapo tofu at Zoe’s in Somerville is classic, with ground pork and, of course, spice. The menu offers plenty more to complete the meal, including dedicated selections of both Sichuan and Hunan dishes. For more Sichuan goodness, try the Sichuan steamed spicy dumplings. (In general, Zoe’s is a good pick for dumplings of various kinds.)

296 Beacon St, Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 864-6265
(617) 864-6265
A white bowl on a glossy wooden table is filled to the brim with a meaty rendition of mapo tofu, topped with scallions.
Mapo tofu at Zoe’s Chinese in Somerville.
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Mu Lan

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If you’ve ever walked by Mu Lan’s Cambridge location to see the little parking lot packed and the tables full, it’s a testament to the delicious dishes that await at the Taiwanese restaurant, which also has a location in Waltham. Mapo tofu is listed as “ma-bo bean curd” on the menu, and diners even have a choice of spiciness level. Try it with Mu Lan’s stir-fried pea pods with minced garlic.

228 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 441-8812
(617) 441-8812
A circle of white rice sits among cubes of tofu in a thin reddish sauce with black beans, all on a pale blue plate.
Mapo tofu from Mu Lan in Cambridge.
Karen Wilber/Eater

Mae Asian Eatery

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Mae Asian Eatery — which serves a menu touching on Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese cuisines — offers a Thai-inspired spin on mapo tofu. Mild in spiciness and vegan, the dish includes steamed tofu stir-fried with a variety of vegetables and sesame oil in a chile bean sauce.

781 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 354-3388
(617) 354-3388

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Mala Restaurant

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Mapo tofu is just one of the many reasons that Mala Restaurant is one of the best places to eat Chinese food in Boston. It’s also a great place to try mala spicy pot, sometimes known as mala dry pot; it’s similar to hot pot, but without the broth, instead stir-fried (often with spicy oil and Sichuan peppercorns).

129 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134
(617) 254-1839
(617) 254-1839

Five Spices House

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As a Sichuan restaurant, Five Spices House offers mapo tofu along with many other traditional Sichuan dishes, including spicy stir-fried beef tripe and Sichuan braised pork belly. Find locations in Chinatown and Cambridge.

58 Beach St #2017, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 574-8888
(617) 574-8888

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Double Chin

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Double Chin’s take on mapo tofu offers two options — one vegan, one with pork. Try this soft and saucy dish alongside the ultra-crunchy ramen-crusted fried chicken, and save room for dessert: This fun Chinatown spot — open late — is known for over-the-top treats, like its ice cream- and candy-stuffed cube toast.

86 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 482-0682
(617) 482-0682

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BOS' Sichuan Taste

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BOS’ Sichuan Taste, open since late 2021, is serving up many traditional Sichuan dishes, including Sichuan dan dan noodles, Sichuan special tea smoked duck, and, of course: Sichuan spicy mapo tofu.

204 Harvard Ave, Allston, MA 02134
(617) 566-7344
(617) 566-7344

Blossom Bar at Sichuan Garden

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Blossom Bar’s mapo tofu comes with ground pork and is a staple dish on an undeniably delightful menu. Accompany it with a big bowl of rice, an order of the restaurant’s addicting string beans, and a cocktail or mocktail to cool down the spiciness. Duan’s Whip, perhaps?

295 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 734-1870
(617) 734-1870

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Zoe’s Gourmet Chinese Cuisine

296 Beacon St, Somerville, MA 02143

The mapo tofu at Zoe’s in Somerville is classic, with ground pork and, of course, spice. The menu offers plenty more to complete the meal, including dedicated selections of both Sichuan and Hunan dishes. For more Sichuan goodness, try the Sichuan steamed spicy dumplings. (In general, Zoe’s is a good pick for dumplings of various kinds.)

296 Beacon St, Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 864-6265
(617) 864-6265
A white bowl on a glossy wooden table is filled to the brim with a meaty rendition of mapo tofu, topped with scallions.
Mapo tofu at Zoe’s Chinese in Somerville.
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Mu Lan

228 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139

If you’ve ever walked by Mu Lan’s Cambridge location to see the little parking lot packed and the tables full, it’s a testament to the delicious dishes that await at the Taiwanese restaurant, which also has a location in Waltham. Mapo tofu is listed as “ma-bo bean curd” on the menu, and diners even have a choice of spiciness level. Try it with Mu Lan’s stir-fried pea pods with minced garlic.

228 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 441-8812
(617) 441-8812
A circle of white rice sits among cubes of tofu in a thin reddish sauce with black beans, all on a pale blue plate.
Mapo tofu from Mu Lan in Cambridge.
Karen Wilber/Eater

Mae Asian Eatery

781 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Mae Asian Eatery — which serves a menu touching on Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese cuisines — offers a Thai-inspired spin on mapo tofu. Mild in spiciness and vegan, the dish includes steamed tofu stir-fried with a variety of vegetables and sesame oil in a chile bean sauce.

781 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 354-3388
(617) 354-3388

Mala Restaurant

129 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134

Mapo tofu is just one of the many reasons that Mala Restaurant is one of the best places to eat Chinese food in Boston. It’s also a great place to try mala spicy pot, sometimes known as mala dry pot; it’s similar to hot pot, but without the broth, instead stir-fried (often with spicy oil and Sichuan peppercorns).

129 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134
(617) 254-1839
(617) 254-1839

Five Spices House

58 Beach St #2017, Boston, MA 02111

As a Sichuan restaurant, Five Spices House offers mapo tofu along with many other traditional Sichuan dishes, including spicy stir-fried beef tripe and Sichuan braised pork belly. Find locations in Chinatown and Cambridge.

58 Beach St #2017, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 574-8888
(617) 574-8888

Double Chin

86 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111

Double Chin’s take on mapo tofu offers two options — one vegan, one with pork. Try this soft and saucy dish alongside the ultra-crunchy ramen-crusted fried chicken, and save room for dessert: This fun Chinatown spot — open late — is known for over-the-top treats, like its ice cream- and candy-stuffed cube toast.

86 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 482-0682
(617) 482-0682

BOS' Sichuan Taste

204 Harvard Ave, Allston, MA 02134

BOS’ Sichuan Taste, open since late 2021, is serving up many traditional Sichuan dishes, including Sichuan dan dan noodles, Sichuan special tea smoked duck, and, of course: Sichuan spicy mapo tofu.

204 Harvard Ave, Allston, MA 02134
(617) 566-7344
(617) 566-7344

Blossom Bar at Sichuan Garden

295 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445

Blossom Bar’s mapo tofu comes with ground pork and is a staple dish on an undeniably delightful menu. Accompany it with a big bowl of rice, an order of the restaurant’s addicting string beans, and a cocktail or mocktail to cool down the spiciness. Duan’s Whip, perhaps?

295 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 734-1870
(617) 734-1870

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