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Name: 9 Tastes
Address: 50 JFK St, Cambridge, MA, 02138
Telephone: (617) 547-6666
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.14

9 Tastes

50 JFK St, Cambridge, MA, 02138

(617) 547-6666
Store is closed

9 Tastes Menu

Appetizers

Beef Or Chicken Satay

Spring Rolls

Veggie Puff

Tofu Triangles

Shrimp Blanket

9 Tastes Sampler

Miang Kum

Golden Bags

Shrimp Tod Mun

Spring Rolls

Yum Mango
Entrees

Beef California

Eggplant Delight
Chicken

Paradise Chicken

Bangkok Jungle

Lemon Grass Chicken

Roasted Honey Duck

Mango Curry

Crispy Chicken

Basil Crispy Chicken
Curry Dishes

Green Curry

Red Curry

Massaman Curry

Panang Curry

Yellow Curry
Desserts

Ice Cream

Chilled Thai Fruit

Honey Banana

Fried Ice Cream

Healthy Meal suggestions for 9 Tastes

Appetizers

Beef Or Chicken Satay [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spring Rolls [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Veggie Puff [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tofu Triangles [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Blanket [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

9 Tastes Sampler [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Miang Kum [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Golden Bags [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Tod Mun [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spring Rolls [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Yum Mango [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Entrees

Beef California [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Eggplant Delight [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Chicken

Paradise Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bangkok Jungle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Lemon Grass Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Honey Duck [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mango Curry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crispy Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Basil Crispy Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Curry Dishes

Green Curry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Red Curry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Massaman Curry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Panang Curry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Yellow Curry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Desserts

Ice Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chilled Thai Fruit [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Honey Banana [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Ice Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

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Write An Anonymous Review

Jimmy Z.

9 taste was a staple for my friends and me during college. It serves a crispy chicken pad thai, which is a delicious dish that I haven't found at any other Thai restaurants. That fact probably shows that 9 tastes does not have the most authentic menu, but great flavor and good portions always get four stars in my book
(4)
Ana S.

The other reviews that refer to 9 Tastes with various synonyms for "mediocre" are right. But sometimes, "mediocre" can be a superlative. That's exactly the case here with 9 Tastes. The food is nothing spectacular, but they do all of the staple items well -- pad thai, curries, and other noodle dishes leave you satisfied. Perhaps more importantly, this is one of the best options for Asian cuisine in Harvard Square. Just face it: everything in this part of town is a little overpriced and fairly unimpressive. You should go in knowing what you'll get out of 9 Tastes: tasty food at reasonable prices (in kind of a strange basement layout). It won't blow your socks off, but it's a solid option if you're looking for something to satisfy your craving for spicy food and/or concentrated umami, and you don't feel like venturing too far.
(4)
Angi B.

During a recent visit to the Boston area, we had planned to go to another Thai restaurant, but found ourselves hungry while in Harvard Square and decided to take a chance on 9 Tastes instead. We're glad we did! The food was wonderful, service excellent, decor lovely, and the bathroom, clean. Easily as good as any Thai food I've ever had, not that I've been to Thailand or anything... We were amused to be the oldest people in the restaurant, and the only ones drinking wine. If you like hot Thai food, be sure to explain that to your server. I ordered my tofu red curry "medium" and found it to be on the mild side, but with enough heat to enhance the flavor. Hubby wanted "hot" and also found his dish to be milder than he generally prefers, but still quite tasty.
(5)
Dj H.

Food comes super slow! And the potion is tiny ! Compare to 5 other Thai place we had in boston area, this one is terrible ! Update: the food finally came and they offered us Thai ice tea on the house for bring out the food so late. I was about to give them 2 stars for the effort. Then I realized that in my "kimchi fried rice" there's no kimchi in it ! Just 3 pieces of chicken and 3 pieces of white cabbage... I guess maybe they don't know what kimchi is at a Thai restaurant but why do you put that on the menu ? Btw, I had great kimchi fried rice from at least 3 other Thai places in Boston/cambridge. I'm still wondering if I want to give them more stars since my friend liked their red curry. And then it took them forever to get us the check... I can see only 5 tables occupied in the restaurant and at least 5 waiter/waitress. Oh well, 1 star it is. Update: by the time we leave, some of the tables are looking quite empty and I'm pretty sure they ordered shortly after us, I guess we didn't have the worst luck.
(1)
Samarth A.

The best part of lunch here was the quantity of entrees :) I was famished walking around the campus. Good taste and interiors completed the enjoyable experience.
(3)
Aanchal J.

I love Thai food, and I get very disappointed if it is not done well. And I had a not so nice experience at this place. I got the pad Thai, and it wasn't really pad Thai in my opinion. It lacked the basic flavor. The service isn't great either.
(2)
Keven C.

This place is gross! I saw mice running out of the kitchen on my way out! Then to top it all off the waitress chased me out of the restaurant to tell me that I didn't tip her enough. Stay away from this place by all means. Who nows what they are serving you on your plate.
(1)
John W.

Good service and pretty good food. The Thai staples seemed to be done well. I got drunken noodles and thought they were good - my only complaint was that some of the vegetables did not seem to be cooked long enough. The noodles were comparable to other similarly priced Thai places. For me, 9 Tastes shines in the service. I usually don't expect to get great service at Thai restaurants with similar prices, but at 9 Tastes, the waiters were always around making sure my water was filled, helping out with my menu selection, and were generally very courteous. The decor was also nice, especially in the details. Each table at 9 Tastes had fresh flowers, which was definitely a nice touch.
(4)
Kavya S.

When it comes to thai food, 9 Tastes has great taste. I've been to 9 Tastes over 30 times during my 3.5 years at Harvard, and I'm still not bored of it. As someone who is obsessed with noodles, I have delicious options to choose from, and find myself rotating between the following: Tofu Spicy Noodles, Tofu Pad Thai, Tofu Drunken Noodles, and Tofu Pad See Ew. All of the options are above average and always leave me satisfied. The tofu texture is crispy yet chewy and the noodles are incredibly flavorful without dripping with oil and sauce. Minus one star because the service can be a bit slow and because it's kind of odd to eat in a basement. I will definitely be back (very, very soon) for some noodles!
(4)
Fancypants X.

Roommate & I had food delivered this week. Luckily we had guests over who will eat anything (boys are human garbage disposals!), otherwise our dishes would've been thrown out, barely touched. Crispy basil chicken: totally my fault b/c I forgot to specify chicken breast & not chicken thigh. Even besides that fact, it was still a 2-star dish. Limp veggies, overly-salty sauce, greasy breading. Ewwww, no. Basil fried rice: overcooked, hella mushy, again, salted to high hell. Free delivery over $15. Worst $24 (not including tip) we've spent on dinner.
(2)
Priyanka R.

Winner of cheap eats! Being a connoisseur of Thai food, I have very high expectations for my Thai food. I went on a date here and the experience was fairly average. For a Harvard Square establishment, I was expecting a little bit more, but the reasonable prices were a win. We shared an appetizer, two entrees and a bottle of wine which was more than enough food & drank for us. The food was delicious and hit the spot. We had a pad thai and a green curry dish. Although the food was good, and decently well made, the food was not that memorable and was run of the mill thai food. Honestly I would say, take it to go. If you are looking for a cheap date this works well because the prices are very reasonable, but otherwise I could have had this sitting on my couch and just be as content. The service was fairly slow and we had to ask for the check twice. The ambiance again was good, but nothing memorable. Overall 3 stars because the food was so good, but everything else was mediocre. Note that the restaurant is right by the Harvard Square T stop = very accesible. Take Home Point: Go for the food and nothing else :)
(3)
Celia Z.

It's exactly 44 minutes before my three hour science exam, and here I am Yelping instead of cramming. Yepp. This just goes to show the extent of my dedication for Yelp. 9 Tastes is actually one of the places that is helping to get me through reading and exam period. And throughout college, it's been one of my go-to places: get togethers, birthday celebrations, study breaks, or anytime I need an excuse to binge eat. So yesterday, stressed to exhaustion, I asked my resident tutors for a study break: being stressed is a perfect reason to binge eat. So they bought two large catering boxes of pad thai--delivered. Greasy, sweet, salty, lemony, with a generous helping of eggs, veggies, and chicken, it is definitely one of the better pad thai I ever had. When we had leftovers at the end of the study break, I took the rest to go. I brunched away by stress this morning with two big plates of deliciousness. By the way, the lunch boxes are amazing. You get two entrees, rice, salad, appetizer, and soup for $10. The mango curry and sauteed garlic vegetables with tofu are especially delicious, as well as any of their soup noodles. And their sauce for their dumplings and shumai is actually some of the best soy sauce I've ever had. It's flavored with a bit of fermentation, sugar, and other subtle tastes I still cannot detect. And my exam in exactly 32 mins, now that I have finished this review? It's called Science of Cooking. Famous chefs from around the world come lecture to us about the science of food, and we do somewhat sciency equations to solve for gellation, viscosity, specification, and flavor release. Pretty cool, eh? That is, until I fail.
(4)
Javier B.

Good, fast, and inexpensive Thai food. Nothing great here to be honest--nothing mind-blowing. Just good, fast, inexpensive. Nothing is unexpected here. If you get the pad see ew, panang curry, spring rolls, probably anything else as well, you'll get what you'll get at a solid, above par Thai restaurant. That's all there is to 9 Tastes.
(4)
Louise K.

We were walking by and decided to go in for the mango/coconut rice dessert that you can get at Thai restaurants. Their presentation was gorgeous-sorry I didn't get a photo. Heart shaped rice patty with dusting of lightly toasted sesame seeds, beautiful ripe mango fanned out on both sides. Delicious! We want to go back for dinner, it smelled amazing.
(4)
Kat C.

The food at Spice is better but 9 Tastes has far superior service. So I've realized that the food here tastes just as good since the waiters don't give you bitch face like the ones at Spice.
(4)
Anup A.

Excellent service and reasonable prices for well-prepared thai fare. For some reason I see this place tends to attract tons of Indian people. My Favs: Panang Curry & Spicy Basil Fried Rice.
(4)
Zoe P.

The food is just fine, and I like that you can dine alone at the counter, in the midst of cheerful, anonymous hubbub.
(3)
May N.

I was in Cambridge with a friend for a concert & we wanted to grab some cheap, quick food so we stopped in here. Decor is nice, it was holiday season. The place was crowded with people, mostly college-aged at 6:30 on a Saturday night. I ordered the crispy pad thai and my friend had a rice entree. The pad thai was ok, but more salty than seasoned. Service was average. Grabbed a mint & minty toothpick on the way out the door...I love minty toothpicks!
(3)
Liz L.

Please note that my experience is based solely on ordering delivery through Dining In. This place came highly recommended to me, and I was astonished at just how bad it was for the rather expensive prices ("cheap," other reviewers say? seriously, $13-20 per entree and $7-10 per appetizer is "cheap" to you?). By far the best thing in my meal was the coconut ice cream. The Veggie Puffs were so-so, the inside mostly a mash of vegetables with almost no discernible spice, and the outside much more thickly deep-fried than I'm used to in Boston area Thai food. My entree, the Buddha's Delight, was quite possibly the most mediocre Thai vegetarian fare I have ever had in my entire life, even in the small towns where I used to eat fairly-faux-Thai before I moved to the city. It had absolutely no spice and no flavor, and the uber-bland sauce was so oily that the oil actually slicked on top of the entree, and then spilled out of the over-full container when I opened it, forming a matching oil slick on my shirt (yuck!). In addition, the other faux-meat besides tofu (it looked like maybe small pieces of seitan, but the menu doesn't specify and it was so bland I'm not sure) was scattered stingily around the dish, with giant blobs of tasteless tofu making up the bulk of the protein. (I know you avowed omnivores think tofu is *supposed* to be tasteless, but trust me, if it's prepared by even a halfway decent chef it won't!) I agree with the previous vegetarian reviewer who said vegetarians should avoid this place at all costs. I wouldn't even order delivery from here again, much less go to Harvard Square to eat in this establishment.
(1)
Sean M.

3.5 stars it had been at least 3 years since I was here, I could not remember if i liked it or not. The first impression is how "Fast Food" packaged the whole experience is. They even have Thai-bento boxes. But you know what? The product is very decent Thai food and I rarely have to ask for the condiment tray. The service is decent even when it is crowded. Portions are average sized. * Best Drunken Noodles in Harvard Sq, I know that's not saying much... * Tight seating * A real lunch value including the time factor, they get you in and out.
(4)
Stan M.

#NAME?
(2)
Joe H.

Don't believe the bad reviews on here...Nine Tastes is my favorite Thai restaurant in Cambridge, and they make the best pad thai and drunken noodle dishes around. The drunken noodle is very spicy and tasty, and always leaves both my mouth and eyes watering...always a good sign. I agree the service can be a bit slow when it gets busy, but it's easily my fav thai place in Harvard Square for the price and healthy portions.
(5)
Huan z.

Chicken satay is very tasty. Masamum curry and Green curry dish are very good. right across Bamby club and Tamarind bay( India food). No wonder people love Harvard Square!
(3)
J. H.

If you are in Harvard Square and are looking for a place to grab a tasty Thai meal on a budget then 9 Tastes may be just what you are looking for. 9 Tastes has some great special offers such as $7 lunch plates that include appetizer, entree, soup, salad and dessert. Also, they are currently running all-you-can-eat nights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The food here is good but the service is inconsistant. They have some different and exotic options on their menu for the more adventurous eaters.
(4)
Pilan C.

Pretty good Thai food in Harvard Square, but not spectacular. Some of their dishes are quite American-ized, which can be a bit disappointing, so you have to ask for some of their dishes "Thai-style." The Nine Tastes Pad Thai, Tom Yum Noodle Soup, and Basil Crispy Chicken are my favorites. Curries are average, especially since the vegetables in each curry don't always match the flavor of the curry. The dinner can be a little bit expensive, but I think you can say that about most places in the square. Their lunch menu is pretty good and cheaper. I especially love Nine Tastes in the winter when it's too cold to walk down to the square, and they deliver!!!
(4)
N S.

Really good thai. Have not been disappointed yet. Service is pretty good too. Prices are very affordable.
(5)
KC F.

Maybe this rating is partially because I'm having a bad day, but that's not the point. The point is, their pad thai is tasteless and they don't give you chopsticks in your take-out order.
(1)
Iska B.

I like this place thought the general consensus here is that it isn't that great at all. I've had the Pad Thai and the Pad See Yew here (your standard Thai stuff) and found the portions to be great and the food itself quite tasty. I've also had fresh rolls and the "golden bags" which were both good as well. The golden bags were especially cute. My favorite dish was the mango fried rice which I found to be flavorful as well as pretty to look at, with it's large array of colors. The picture menu was what led me to pick this dish out actually, which was very useful. I admit the service can be slow especially on a busy night which can get annoying if you've been waiting 15 minutes for the check and then have to wait 10 more to get your credit card back. Minus a few points for that. If I am in the Harvard area I am sure to come back here though my heart now lies with Dok Bua in Brookline (much closer to me).
(4)
Cristina B.

Lured by all the "Best of..." signs in the window and the seemingly good lunch deal, I went in to try some take out. First, they told me they were closed until 11:30 (when there were two people eating in the window). Frustrating. So I came back. Next, the lunch specials are not available on take out. Ok, fine. So I ordered the Tom Kha soup and Tofu Pad Thai. The soup was pretty bland. Seemed like veggies in coconut milk, with no spices. Lots of veggies, though, so that was nice. As far as I can tell, the Pad Thai sauce was oil. Not much more. I couldn't finish the dish because it was so greasy. Perhaps it was they were still warming up to the day, but it really wasn't worth the wait for me. The staff were friendly in the end, but not a place I would go to again.
(1)
Betty P.

Ugh! I had been here a few years ago so when my friend suggested we meet up here, I was excited to return. I remember my experience last time being pretty pleasant and I love Thai food and have had a craving. Unfortunately, instead of 9 Tastes, our dinner last night was more like NO taste. First of all, our waitress messed up both of our orders and neither of us got the dish we ordered. I am not sure if it is a language barrier thing or what. But there were only 3 other tables with patrons so it def. was not the noise level or due to a full dining room. When my friend got a bowl of soup instead of her rice plate dish, she politely inquired about it and the waitress began having an attitude. How rude!!! She made a mistake but yet she was the one copping the 'tude. Mistake #1. I usually give an extra star for service but if the food and the service is atrocious, then 1 star is all you're gonna get from me. So my friend added an appetizer and she said the summer rolls were really chewy and tough to eat. I seriously watched her suffer through chewing one before she could answer one of my questions. Moving on to my dish . . . my shrimp papaya salad was something else and definitely not what I ordered. Whatever I was delivered had 2 whole shrimp (Whoopee, thanks for sparing the two shrimp) and was spicy, but otherwise was bland and tasteless. Needless to say, we both left really hungry and dissatisfied. I don't think the waitress ever even came back to replenish our water or ask about our meal. The only saving grace was that the Thai iced tea was half decent. P.S. Well, since I still had a craving for good Thai after last night and didn't want to deal with poor service again, I did venture to Super 88 tonight. Got pad thai from the noodle place in Super 88 and that was by far much better!!! I should have known!
(1)
Kathryn S.

Food not up to par, crab appetizers too fishy, crispy chicken was soggy mystery meat. Had to stop early in the meal due to the fact that the manager/bartender ??? (directly facing me) stuck his index finger up his nostil, then his pinky, then looked at the results. This was not a fast pick, this was a long lengthly process. Needless to say, I left early and informed the waiter not to bring me a check. Don't know if I'll ever be able to eat Thai again......
(1)
Sarah L.

I think that I like Spice better than 9 tastes for food but not for atmosphere. My lunch box soup was on the bland side: broccoli and tofu. I ordered the jungle curry and was disappointed: menu said banana chunks and I think there were only 2 in the entire dish, with one slice of summer squash and a lot of chicken that was very unspicy considering that I'm a huge spice baby and the jungle curry was supposedly the most spicy dish on the lunch menu.
(3)
Kabir H.

Nine tastes; all equally bland. This is the worst Thai place in Harvard Sq. And when you consider Smile Thai and Spice are a couple minutes away, there's just no reason to subject yourself to this. Also, I heard third hand that a friend found a fly in their soup, and the staff's response was totally nonplussed. I'd believe it.
(2)
Jessica R.

One of the few places I'll eat in harvard square even though I'm stuck there most of the time. Has vegan options and will deliver to harvard campus. You can order on their website, google for 9 tastes. They'll even deliver you a shirley temple!
(3)
Emily H.

This is my favorite thai restaurant in the Boston-area. Everything I have tried on the menu is delicious! My favorite entree is the Spicy Basil Fried Rice --- the vegetables taste extremely fresh, but beware -- it is quite spicy!
(5)
Zach B.

They have an excellent selection including dinner box meals, which are delicious and a good value. They're located right in the middle of Harvard Sq., and it's a good place to go with a group before you head out on the town. The spicy fish is highly yummy, seriously folks, if I use the word "yummy," it really is. Make sure you check out the coconut soup..
(5)
Doug W.

I've never sat down to eat there, so I can't really comment on the service. And I've only ordered two things off the menu, so I can't really tell you about the selection. But their 9 Tastes Pad Thai is probably the best that I've ever had (I should probably be more ashamed than I am to admit that I've had it for lunch 5 days in a row on more than one occasion) and their takeout service is ridiculously fast. That's worth 5 stars in my book.
(5)
Kate D.

After a lot of reconnaissance work, I think this is the best Thai food in Harvard Square. The fried rice dishes are especially great. This is where I go with visitors when I want good, cheap food. The atmosphere is quiet enough to carry on a conversation without a lot of distractions.
(4)
Amar K.

Great Thai food that is fast, reasonably priced, and delicious. I have had better, but this works well enough for me. Free delivery to campus is a HUGE plus! Try out 9 Tastes if you get a chance - you will be happy.
(4)
Eric F.

Just ate here once, got the 9 Tastes Pad Thai, which is pretty good. But I also got my guilty pleasure (crab rangoon -- don't judge). It was $7 for four! Meanwhile the Pad Thai only cost $9 or $12 or something -- totally reasonable. What's up with the pricing of apps at this place? Makes no sense.
(4)
Tick R.

I love this place. I have been here many times but have only had a handful of dishes. I particularly love the "Drunken Noodle" because, it's spicy AND delicious. I try so hard all over New England to find something that is suitably spicy and hot (I'll overlook the delicious factor if it burns my tongue) and this is pretty durn good. It's better tasting than other Thai places I have been to...and the Thai tea is not to be passed up. The pad Thai is okay, but shit man, it's pad Thai...try something wild. Their appetizers aren't too special but still tasty. But the point is, if you like spicy and want it done right: Go to 9 Tastes!
(5)
Maia C.

wow, I always crave thai food but Ive never actually had good thai food before coming here so I dont really know why I always want it. I have finally found good thai food!!!! I wanted spicy, really spicy, so my friend and I decided to give it a try after hearing some good things. We went on a Thursday night and it was a lot smaller or bigger than I expected. Im not really sure, they had two rooms but they were small. It was also really crowded. I guess that is a good sign though. We got sat next to a really loud girl who talked way to much about her personal life but not their fault. When it came to ordering we decided to go "family-style" as loud girl next table over called it, which is when we get little things for the table instead of individual plates. Except we were only two so we got two plates to share. My friend recommended we try the pineapple fried rice, a favorite thai dish of hers, and I chose the jungle something or other. It had two red hot chili peppers next to it signifying it was a spicier dish. Sounds good to me. We had two servers. The girl first greeted us and she forgot to ask if we wanted something to drink but brought over plenty of water and I probably would have said Im ok with water anyway so no big deal. The guy seemed to be a bit snobby but in the end turned out to be pleasant, just your typical server. The food came out and it was delicious. The jungle dish was SO spicy!!! I loved it. The Pineapple Fried Rice was also quite yummy and had a bit of peanut taste to it. The food was actually amazing now that I think back to it. Service was good enough. Atmosphere actually made me feel like I was "out" and not just eating out. Overall, I was very please with the experience and will definitely go back again. I didnt give the place a five because I have only been once but I will update if need be.
(4)
Veronica P.

I love 9 Tastes. We were introduced to it by some friends and all agreed it was some of the best Thai we'd had. Everything I've had has been good, but their Tom Ka Gai soup is amazing. It's snug little intimate place, and always busy when I've been there. I can understand because if I lived closer, I'd eat there all the time.
(5)
Nancy W.

This restaurant is bit less expensive than Thai Spice (also in Harvard Sq.). Some of the dishes can be hit/miss. The tom yum soup is pretty good compared to the same dish at other Thai restaurants in Cambridge. I would also suggest the tofu (vegetarian dishes). The appetizers are really small in portion (they look like they were previously-frozen from the supermarket...I could even make the spring rolls at home!) and I would not recommend it . I am a big fan of Thai food and although I come to this restaurant regularly, I wouldn't say it's the best Thai restaurant. It can get really crowded and loud here on Saturday nights.
(3)
sheree I.

I originally planned on ordering drunken noodles, but when I called the lady on the phone told me that they ran out of the rice noodles-- I mean seriously?? So, I ended up ordering basil fried rice with vegetables and Tofu. The rice was super greasy, I know its fried rice but its prob the greasiest rice I have ever ate...not sure if I would go back, not a fan!!
(2)
Kristina D.

The lunch specials are super cheap. They include an entree, appetizer, and soup or salad. I had pad thai with miso soup and shumai, but none of it wowed me. The pad thai was extremely sweet. The shumai tasted like it had been microwaved from a freezer package instead of freshly made.
(2)
Anush J.

We lived in Boston for 2 years, and no matter where we go, we always remember this Thai spot. It is easy to pass by on the street, and is situated lower than street level. It has a cozy atmosphere and we loved the food. They have this crispy chicken that is just amazing. Crave this place and miss it.
(5)
Jeremy S.

An ok Thai place in restaurant deprived Harvard Square. I've been here several times, food and service was always reasonable. Not a destination joint however.
(3)
Fen Z.

The appetizer combo was actually very good, especially the chicken, but the pad thai was overly sweet and sticky. We also had the honey duck, which was nice in that it was bone free, but a little overly crispy. The wait staff was fast however.
(3)
aaron t.

pretty good thai food. Good place for a larger gathering of people. Lots of pad thai plate. Price. good I'd go there when I'm craving pad thai and some environment..
(3)
Lindsay R.

The thai tea and pineapple fried rice are delicious. But the Chicken Tom Kha was the best I have ever had! Minus 1 star for the waiter not asking us for drinks...we had to place that order with our dinner.
(4)
Teju P.

The best thai place in Cambridge. Cheap and fast = every dish is excellent. They make the food extra spicy upon request, and its actually REALLY spicy. :) Always easy to get a seat if you have 4 or less.
(5)
Daniel N.

Good food for a good price. Nice environment to dine in.
(4)
T T.

The atmosphere is like a tropical bus. Very hot and crowded with no space to move. The food comes out quickly, l'll give them that. The portions are big, true. I just find the food uninspired and bland. The waiters were great until we wanted a check....then ghost town. Probably won't be giving them a try again.
(2)
Abigail D.

9 Tastes fed me essentially every weekend for the duration of my college career. It's my go-to Thai place, although I'm pretty dull about it and always get the same thing. Maybe I'm unadventurous? Or maybe their Pad Thai is DELICIOUS.
(4)
Joe R.

Two words: pad thai. I usually try to get something more adventurous when I head out for Thai food, but the 9 tastes pad thai is worth at least one taste. Great ingredients, lots of flavor, and a hearty pile of chopped peanuts on top. I love peanut dishes. Cool hole-in-the-wall atmosphere, as well.
(4)
J D.

best thai food in cambridge. I go with a mix of meat eaters and vegetarians and there are great choices for the latter, too. Fresh vegetarian spring rolls are delicious, so are the curries. There is a dish called something like 3 kings, which is an array of several unusual vegetables. They have brown rice. And the staff is super nice.
(5)
Julian M.

Nice cozy atmosphere for the winter. Their seafood dishes were pretty good. My friend ordered the Tom Kah Gai as an appetizer that looked quite good.
(3)
Sophia C.

This is a very average restaurant: average service, average food, average setting, average price. Not good, not bad. You get what you pay for.
(4)
Bryanne R.

Food here is excellent. From the outside, you'd never know this place was anything special. The portions are big and priced fairly. Everything we had we loved. Best idea is to each get a different plate and share with the whole group. So much to choose from, but so far we've always picked well. The only warning I have is for my fellow lactose-intolerants: avoid the Thai Iced Tea like it's your job. It may taste good...but don't do it.
(4)
Aurora O.

This is a great restaurant, good vegetarian selection. My favorite is the yellow curry. If you haven't' eaten here you should try it out.
(5)
Lynda M.

Cute place, great Harvard Sq location, great prices. Delicious food. If you want Thai that wont kill your budget, go here!
(5)
Rob P.

Your best bet here is for the noodle dishes. The house special pad thai is quite delightful actually as are the drunken noodles. Although the noodle soup is really quite bland. Decent place for take-out or delivery. But if you want really good veggies, Spice (its sister) does a thumbs up job.
(3)
Jen Y.

Stopped by for dinner a few months back and was expecting a little more from this place. First thing I noticed when I walked in was how packed it was, good sign. It was the golden bags being advertised outside of the door that really lured us in. Of course we ordered that, a chicken pad thai, and pia kra pow (spicy fried fish with basil). Looking at the tables around me, the pad thai seems to be their most popular dish. It turns out that the golden bags are pretty much fried wontons that you might have tried from a Chinese take out joint, about $7 for 4 pieces, never again! I was satisfied with my pia kra pow, it was one of the dinner box specials so it came with a side of rice, salad, soup, and 2 spring rolls. The fish is deep fried with onions, basil and bell peppers and then topped off with a spicy chili sauce, went very well with the rice. I chose the chicken tom kha soup, which was a coconut based curry type of chicken soup. It was new to me and pretty good, but a little watered down. Nothing special about the salad. You would think that the dinner box is a deal, but neat little portions for about $15-17, not so much!! The boyfriend had the pad thai, but I managed to try some, portions were decent, tasted average though, only good thing was that it was less on the greasy side. Presentation is good at this place, but I'm sure the same dishes are available somewhere else with improved quality & prices!
(2)
Georgia Y.

9 Tastes is crappy Thai food. I'm sorry - this place is not worth the bargain price. I had a vegetarian "lunch box" for $7 this weekend and I was sorry - the curry was very average, the rice was so gummy it was nigh impossible to separate, and it was accompanied by a sad little salad and an unappetizing, mysterious vegetable soup.I will never go back - if I'm too broke to spend more than $7, I'll go to Pinocchio's or Grendel's or anywhere but this place.
(1)
Jonathan G.

We called to ask for delivery in Somerville. On the phone, we told them three times that our address was in Somerville. In reply, they repeatedly said "yeah, yeah, we see it in the computer." Thirty minutes later, a delivery driver called and said he couldn't find our address. This is because he was in Cambridge. He refused to come to Somerville and said that our order would be canceled because they don't deliver to Somerville. We called the restaurant back and told them this. They didn't dispute that we had repeatedly told them that our address was in Somerville, but refused to send our order to us and said "don't order from us again." I certainly wont! Thanks for wasting my time, 9 Tastes.
(1)
Bob W.

Just not very good. Wasn't terrible, but I have certainly had better. I went with a friend who is a thai fanatic and she didn't care for her meal either.
(2)
Valerie L.

I'm not a fan of curry, but I am a huge fan of pad thai. I think 9 tastes has the best pad thai I've had in the Boston area. It's slightly sweeter than most places. I also think they have the best crab rangoons. The price though for them is expensive for the quantity you receive, but still worth trying.
(5)
Anonymous P.

Bad Thai food without much flavor for people who don't like Thai food.
(2)
Pipes P.

9 tastes serves up a great thai meal for lunch or dinner at a reasonable price. the bar is a nice touch and a step up from the sister restaurant spice a few blocks away. but don't count on the wait staff to enhance your meal. much more concerned with their own conversation and less concerned about your dining experience, be warned that you may go for 30 minutes without so much as a check-in on your food or a refill on your water. oh, if your waiter does check in with you on how your food is, you don't really have to answer because they really don't care. make sure you emphasize how spicy you want your dish (instructions from you to the notepad to the kitchen often get lost in translation). nonetheless, the place does dish up some good meals at reasonable prices. some favorites include the yellow and red curry, the paradise chicken and pad thai.
(3)
Logan S.

The curries are decent. The mango curry is actually pretty tasty and the pad thai is very solid (and the other noodle dishes like drunken noodles) though I'm always still hungry afterwards. The rest of the food is mediocre at best. They deliver all the way to Central, though they have this lame policy where you have to request free delivery over the phone and show them that you have a menu with a coupon. It's only a couple bucks but it's an annoying and silly policy. I ate there once and the service was beyond terrible. Definitely only order out.
(3)
Heather B.

I have to downgrade it. Last meal there was bad and the server was horrific. I had some good meals there a year ago, but have to agree with the recent bad reviews.
(1)
Lisha L.

Excellent pad thai! Not too greasy or sticky like most places have it. I tried one of their spring rolls - it was tiny and completely unremarkable. The decor is playful and colorful - a bit of a surprise considering how much of a hole in the wall this place is. The atmosphere is pretty quiet, but maybe because I went when there was barely anyone in the restaurant (4pm is a weird time to be eating, I suppose). It'd be a cute place for a casual date. Prices are decent - not cheap but not too expensive either.
(4)
Heather Q.

Very good Thai food. Nothing exceptional -- except for the pad thai, which is excellent. They have even a pad thai eating contest! The curries are good, their brown sauces are kind of blah, and if you order a tofu dish, ask if the tofu is fried. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't, and there's no way to tell from the menu. The price is in line with other Thai places, but I think they could take a dollar off their appetizer prices. Sunday through Wednesday (I think) they offer binto-box style combo meals which are a good deal for the price. My biggest gripe is that they don't do medium spiced sauces very well. Everything is either bland or very hot.
(4)
Emilia D.

i'd skip it and try the indian in the area. while i love me some thai munch, this place just....was a little lackluster. not expensive, which is nice and rare for the neighborhood. cute locale and clean, but still nothing to write home about. good for a quick bite i guess?
(2)
Ruth P.

Decent place. good prices. good food. My friend asked them why it was called 9 tastes last time we were theere and we were told that 9 is a lucky thai number. he then asked what the 9 tastes were and the waiter looked confused, and then walked away. oh well.
(4)
Leilani C.

Some of the best Pad See Ew I've ever had (yay chinese broccoli!), but stay away from the Pad Thai!! Consistency in the tastiness of the meals at 9 Tastes is something you've got to watch out for.
(3)
S L.

They have some creative dishes that are quite tasty, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. I remember eating a Pad Thai dish here while thinking that Rod Dee 2 can make the same dish at three times less the cost. However, if the diners order creatively, they should be able to find a good tasty dish that the fast food joint doesn't offer.
(4)
Melinda P.

Surprised that the ratings are averagely low. The service was great. The papaya salad, crispy duck, pad Thai, drunk noodle, and crab rangoons were great. Even their Thai ice tea! I wish I lived closer. This is my favorite spot.
(5)
Gillian C.

For 4 years, this has been one of my go-to places for Thai food, but that was mostly because of the lack of alternatives. Thai Hut near Inman Square is cheaper, but farther away for me. I suspect that Spice is basically the same since their websites and menus are virtually identical. My favorite dish was the 9 Tastes Pad Thai, but in the last year or so their shrimp in it started tasting really gross - consistently fishy (old, not fresh) and improperly deveined, pretty unpleasant to eat. I stopped ordering it because it put me off so much. I tried their eggplant dish once, since I love basil eggplant, but the eggplant was not cooked all the way through, leaving it chewy and tough, and not flavorful enough. I sometimes got the green curry, but I would have loved more eggplant in it, rather than only bamboo shreds and peppers. The chicken in their dishes tends to be pretty dry, but I've come to accept that as inevitable. It's the same at Thai Hut. Also, I made the mistake of ordering their fresh spring rolls expecting a Vietnamese-style rice-paper-wrapped spring roll. This was so far from that! They use this weird crepe-y, pancake-y wrap, which falls apart, and inside it they put a ton of Thai basil - wayyy too much for me. Plus, the sauce was like a horrible sweet-and-sour deal, not the peanut sauce I like with the Vietnamese-style ones. Maybe this was a problem of my expectations, but it was a disappointing shock! I like their pineapple fried rice, it's tasty and a big portion, with a large slice of cucumber and a wedge of tomato to cut through the curry flavors. Also their Kao Soy is tasty - creamy and rich - but I don't really know what that's supposed to taste like; I only tried it on recommendation from a Burmese friend, since this is one of the few places that serves this dish. I often got their delicious Thai Iced tea, and the service is great, too.
(3)
Michelle S.

Food: 3.5 9 Tastes is a "pretty good" Thai place in Harvard Square that's slightly better than its neighbor, Spice. The food will definitely be filling and the portions aren't shy. I came here for dinner with a group and ordered red curry with shrimp and tasted the drunken noodle. The curry had a creamy taste of coconut milk and a bit of spice. There was a nice mix of vegetables and shrimp in the curry. The drunken noodle had a nice basil flavor, and the portions can make for two meals with one dish. The mango and sticky rice dessert is also pleasantly good! The mango was fresh and sweet, while the sticky rice was sweet and aromatic due to the small pieces of coconut.
(4)
Shendi X.

Solid product and value, no more, no less. Nothing particularly extraordinary, but pleasant indeed. Recommended.
(4)
Dina F.

This was a nice place for a quick lunch before some shopping and a movie in Harvard Square. We ordered the chicken fried rice and the crispy chicken pad Thai the rice was exquisite! The crispy chicken dish was pretty good too, but the noodles were a little rich. Service was super quick and friendly, and it was overall a very nice time. We certainly will go there again when we are in Harvard square for that fried rice!
(4)
Adam L.

My friends and I were craving some Thai food. We were quite hesitant on trying this place, but we went ahead and tried this place anyways just cause it was near harvard sq. The place was a downstairs seating area with a lot of thai decor. The waiters were quite nice. I got the pineapple fried rice! The pineapple fried rice came in a great portion size with a lot of pinepaples. If you're looking for a great blend in salty and sweet, Pineapple fried rice is the choice to go! It complements very well to where you're not just eating MSG salt at the same time. Came with an assortment of peppers, chili, and chicken. Perfect blend for a dish I wouldn't mind stopping here again for some thai food if i was around the harvard sq area. My friends were satisfied as well for their dishes.
(4)
Cathy Z.

I got the "Secret Braised Chicken" dish, and the meat was so gross. Usually I'm not super picky about this kind of thing but the tough, fatty pieces of chicken resembled what I would feed to my dogs. I know it's important to use all parts of the animal, but this meat was not prepared in an appetizing way at all (and it's not like it was dirt cheap either). I think this chicken should have remained a secret! Since I ordered off of the so-called "9 Tastes Specialties" section of the menu, it's hard to chalk this one up to a bad ordering choice, but I will say that 9 Tastes offers lots of menu options, and the restaurant is nice and quiet inside. There probably are some good dishes here, but I certainly wouldn't risk paying $15 for another plate of chicken scraps to find out!
(1)
Nisha P.

Great Thai place to order from. Drunken Noodles with tofu are my favorite but the Basil Crispy Chicken was a recent great discovery! The entrees are pretty big. Three entrees and an app were perfect for four of us. Remember to ask for rice, they don't give it automatically!
(4)
Michael C.

Got take out so cannot comment on eat in. Over sauced Pad Thai. Pretty weak chicken satay. Very watery Pa-Nang curry. Only 4 Crab Rangoon? For 6.99 I want at least double that, I don't care what you put in it. Good Peanut Sauce and sticky rice.
(2)
Andrew M.

I can't count how many Thai restaurants I've eaten at once and never reviewed for Yelp because I don't trust myself to distinguish, say, a three-star massaman curry from a four-star one. But 9 Tastes did enough to distinguish itself in my mind that I felt like I had to review it. The menu is really extensive, but the entree that caught my eye right away was the pumpkin curry, which was spicy and squash-filled and very good. I'd definitely go back to try some of the other entrees (especially some of the mango-themed ones) that appealed.
(4)
Isabella C.

I got take out from 9 Tastes on a fairly busy evening -- during Harvard Yale weekend -- and was pleasantly surprised by their efficiency. The online system takes your order and then they call you to confirm. I was able to pay in person using credit, and didn't have to give them any info over the phone or internet. I ordered the basil chicken (with rice) and the tofu pad thai. Both dishes were fairly standard. The chicken was breaded and fried and was flavorful, though I felt that it was served with onions that were a bit undercooked and not enough basil leaves! The tofu pad thai was lighter in color -- not the bright orange color that some places serve -- and it had bean sprouts and egg. The egg was a bit stingy in serving size though... The tofu was lightly fried and made for the right textural variety in the dish. Overall the pad thai was nice, as it wasn't too sweet. I would go back again primarily out of convenience, and also to try out the curry. Overall not bad! Take out service was efficient and friendly and hassle free.
(3)
Sonya M.

Service: Good, very attentive. Bit on the slower end, but good. Food: I ordered chicken drunken noodles and tom yum soup. The tom yum soup was bit on the sweeter end but fairly well done, their choice of mushroom was good. The drunken noodles were bit on the salty end but you can definitely taste the chilly sauce. It's not too spicy so I wouldn't worry too much if you don't like spicy food. The temperature of the food was just alright, hot enough so your food doesn't taste greasy. I had to drink lots of water because of the saltiness but the waitress was attentive enough to make sure i get the water for the most part. overall, I would definitely come back here again, it was a pleasant experience.
(4)
Jason S.

Great food at good prices. Great specials. Service is good, not great. Tables are too close together because it's busy. Lots of Harvard students, faculty and Thai customers, so you know it's good. I would go again.
(4)
Hao Y.

The food is nothing special. It is rather fast food than a restaurant. SNEAKY thing is: they added the total amount by revising your signed bill. ya.. it was just 0.1... but it is so sneaky.. you better watch out those sneaky restaurant.
(2)
Pulkit K.

At the onset the positive was great location in harvard square and great service. My food came within five minutes. But i was very disappointed that it was under cooked. I ordered the yellow curry with tofu and none of the veggies were cooked. they tasted raw and were very hard to chew. I expected a lot better from this location. The staff was courteous and agreed to re-cook it, but my friends had finished eating so i just paid and left.
(2)
Kate S.

I would have liked to give 9 Tastes a four star. The Vegetable Pad Thai was really very good, but I also ordered the Mango Sticky Rice and it was not edible. The rice seemed like it was dumped straight from the bag, it was so hard I literally could not chew it. :(
(3)
Dan R.

Normally 9 Tastes is one of my go-to Thai delivery places, along with Spices. They just lost that slot after last night's debacle. My wife asked what I wanted to order and I couldn't decide between the spicy pad thai and the crispy chicken pad thai. Both are normally quite good, but I prefer the mixture of sauce in the spicy pad thai over the regular version (which I find a bit too sour). But, I also wanted the crispy chicken, which is not an option on the spicy pad thai. So I had her order crispy chicken pad thai and ask for it spicy, thinking they'd just combine the two. I shouldn't have assumed. What I got was completely inedible. I made it through about five bites (maybe 15-20% of a takeout portion) before giving up in complete agony. This was not just spicy. It was literally pain-inducing levels of capsaicin, with no regard for flavor whatsoever (it was still excessively sour). Now, I'm not the kind of person who shies away from hot dishes. I can handle "5-star Thai spice" on curry dishes, and I have no problem with habenero sauces. I even season my morning omelets with ghost chili hot sauce. I love spicy foods. So I'm not exaggerating here when I say this is the single hottest thing I've ever eaten and had no redeeming value whatsoever. My lips tingled, burned and then went numb. I couldn't sleep last night because of the constant burning in my intestines that survived whatever kinds of antacids and liquids I threw at it. This morning on the toilet, was borderline torture (doubly so when wiping just spreads hot chili oil all over your sensitive bits). Sorry for the graphic detail but this couldn't possibly have been healthy. There was no redeeming value to the dish that I got, none whatsoever. And that's a shame because if I had just got the normal "spicy pad thai" I would have been happy as a clam. It was almost an afterthought slap in the face that the crispy chicken was undercooked and stringy. I think I'll stick with Spices for a while.
(2)
Jolene S.

Let me say that lots of Harvard Sq. regulars love this place. I don't. I have had panang, pad thai, and thai iced tea. I would never order the thai iced tea again here. Go to Qi in NYC for the best thai iced tea or get good thai iced tea at nearly every other place in Boston. The pad thai is decent and comes in a huge portion. But I've had just as good or better at other Boston places for comparable $ And the chicken panang was also decent. Meh sums it up perfectly.
(2)
Sofya T.

Went for lunch. The food was decent and a large quantity. I took some with me.
(4)
Garima V.

Excellent pad thai with shrimp. The shrimp was sweet and the noodles were flavorful without being greasy.
(4)
Kelly R.

If you like Spice, you'll like 9 Tastes, unless you're bothered by the idea of eating in a basement. To me, the food is the same at both locations, though I have many friends who swear that 9 Tastes is better. Slightly larger portions and lower prices can be found in Porter Square, but 9 Tastes definitely does the trick for Asian comfort food in Harvard Square. It's nothing special but will leave you more than satisfied. My personal favorite is the Beef Pad See Ew (not recommended for those who are afraid of a little oil/grease).
(4)
Imran G.

My first time here, I fell in love. However, after that, every subsequent visit seems to go downhill from there. The appetizers are pretty good. The sampler is rarely a miss, and its a great way to start things off. Order a Thai iced tea and you're all set. Onto the main courses. Again, consistency varies quite a bit from visit to visit. Sometimes its 4-stars, sometimes its 2, sometimes 3. Flavors are usually decent, but I distinctly remember ordering the beef california, and getting a few pieces of shrimp in in. That explains why it has subtle tastes of shrimp sometimes. It wouldn't be that bad, but even the sauce is too watery and it messes up the rice. Maybe I get the wrong dishes, or maybe I don't know enough about Thai food. Worth a try, but don't hold your expectations too high.
(3)
Dipak S.

Food - Was excellent. Especially the Thai curry and chicken satay. We ordered for the table. Will surely come here to try more stuff. Service - Friendly staff Ambience - Regular thai dining place. Cost - ~$12 per pax on sahring basis.
(4)
Minh C.

The portions at 9 Tastes are rather small for the prices that you pay. I had the basil fried rice, which I didn't think was very flavorful. Even so, if the portions were larger, I would bump this to four stars. Currently, the value to price ratio is too low to return.
(3)
N.L. K.

I ordered pad thai and papaya salad from this place. The pad thai had baby shrimp and the papaya salad had large shrimp. In both dishes, the shrimp was NOT DEVEINED!! I was completely disgusted and had to throw the pad thai away and remove the shrimp from the papaya salad. I have had both dishes for years and never had this shrimp situation. I will not be getting anything else from here.
(1)
Christie L.

Pad Thai- moist and super delicious!! The color of the noodles was not the orange-ish color I am used to seeing, but nonetheless, it was still really good! Beef Cali-not good. The beef was not tender and was too chewy. The flavor wasn't anything spectacular either. Chicken and Papaya salad entree--Really good if you like spicy. Chicken and the spice of the papaya was a very good combo.
(3)
Paul C.

Rushed service and pad Thai was over sauced. Overall local tourist spot for Harvard students and the like for those who don't want to venture far from the beaten path.
(2)
Xiao Z.

I've been here too often during my undergrad mostly because of my friend's inability to try something new. As far as thai places go, 9 Tastes is decent, but just a bit overpriced. Much of the noodles were a bit on the softer side, although, I gotta say, when you ask for a spicy dish, they will deliver! Finally, I do wish the waiters were a bit more attentive and paid attention to our orders. I've been here at least 4-5 times and there's been a confusion with one of our orders during each visit... Food: 3 star Price: 2 star Service: 2 stars Ambiance: 4 stars - this place does look cool
(3)
Jeannine W.

Beef pad-see-ew was amazing! Delivery service is pretty average but I was not a fan of the thai ice tea. I will be a repeat customer!
(5)
Rahul A.

Their " Thai Garlic Pepper Fish" makes this place a one of a kind explosion of your taste buds. ORDER IT
(5)
Joe T.

In 2006, 9 Tastes introduced me to tofu pad thai for the first time. I fell in love instantly. Since 2006, I have ordered tofu pad thai from lots of different restaurants in MA, NY, and DC. I always have a hard time finding any pad thai as moist, sweet, perfectly sour, and mysteriously magical as 9 Tastes's tofu pad thai! This dish just tastes like a fantasy. About the restaurant in general: I love the smell. It smells like a strange, seductive type of food. I also love how cozy it feels to eat below ground level. And the lunch specials rock for saving money. (When you eat at 9 Tastes as often as I used to eat here a few years ago, you need to start learning ways to save money in your 9 Tastes habits!)
(4)
Mary G.

WARNING! Snobby/obnoxious "I've been to Thailand like umpteen times so I CLRLY KNOW what Thai food is supposed to taste like" review. You've been warned. I was psyched to find out they had khao soi, a not-particularly-popular (For reasons I don't understand) soup, and delivered! The delivery got there way before Grubhub said it would, though unfortunately they completely ignored a few notes in the order request (Funky flavors! No plastic utensils needed for my home-delivery). Bad sign. First the khao soi. It did not come with the fried noodles and pickled vegetables that the dish is known for. The quart container came about half-full, barely enough to cover the noodles it came with. Had better Khao Soi at A @ Time (not by much, but at least it had fried noodles, you got more). Not a good deal for 12 dollars. It had vegetables not characteristically found, like red and green bell peppers. The meat was thinly sliced white meat instead of dark. Lacked body/depth, pretty sweet, had a nice slightly warming spicy finish but other than that meh. Pad thai: sweet, slightly undercooked noodles, little pieces of shrimp and bits of chicken aplenty. Not much else. Suggestions of bean sprouts and eggs, scant nary a thing for scallions. Chemical aftertaste, seemingly from the shrimp. 'nough said. The som tam was the relative strong point, it was not overly sweet like most som tam you find in the states, though it lacked funk and heat and had none of the little shrimp that the menu copy claimed. Had a nice amount of tomatoes, a few green beans, but came with all of 2 small shrimp (at least they didn't taste like chemicals). Again, not a great deal. Would not go to again. Would recommend going up the street to Porter to Rod Dee, or out to Allston for S & I Thai. A@Time Thai will also go authentic if you ask them all nice with tongue searing laap.
(1)
Tin S.

Extremely disappointing! While the woman at the counter was very friendly, I was so disappointed with my Eggplant Delight, which was a huge take out container of carrots, green beans, broccoli, squash, but only 5 SMALL pieces of eggplant. I specifically asked, when I ordered, if the dish came with a lot of eggplant, because that is what I was looking for. I was assured that yes, it did. So, when I got home and opened my dinner, I was bummed. It tasted okay, but not at all what I was promised. I would not go here again.
(2)
Jared S.

Phad Thai and 9 Tastes Phad Thai are tasty. 9 Tastes Phad Thai's house sauce gives it a saliva-inducing, tangy vinegar taste. Delicious!
(3)
Yucong Z.

This is my go-to place whenever I crave Thai -- I love it! The service is very fast, and the price cannot be beat (typically $10-15 for a meal). Only small point against is the interior is a bit crowded. The noodle dishes are especially tasty and many good pad thai options (but avoid the crunchy noodle pad thai). Highly recommended if you find yourself in Harvard Square.
(4)
Jane C.

1 star for the "spicy" seafood pad Thai, which was definitely not spicy in the slightest. Also, the seafood was gross. Bland and overly chewy. So maybe their other Thai food is good, but not this dish. Steer clear.
(1)
Ran L.

I may not be very familiar of Thai food. But I went there every weekend. I have tried almost all their dishes. All good enough for me to come back again. I definitely gonna try more Thai food. But I will never forget where I fall in love with it original. It is here. Nice, decent place for supper. One of the best places to go near Harvard square!
(4)
Annie W.

passable, but not exciting. i had the pumpkin curry. reasonable prices and a prime location, but I wasn't impressed. I'd rather go to rod dee...
(3)
Marcia R.

After a day walking around Harvard in the rain, this place hit the spot. Highly recommend to anyone looking for good eats. Started with the Golden Bags appetizer - very nice, would select again. I ordered the pumpkin curry and my husband ordered the avocado curry. We both loved our dishes which were very flavorful, just the right mix of sweet, spicy, savory. Generous portions. Will return again whenever we are near Harvard.
(5)
Louisa N.

Have had WAY better Pad Thai, especially at Rod Dee in Porter or Pepper Sky in Central. Where are all the scallions? Why does it come with a lemon (lime anyone?)? And why is it a weird gray color? Disappointing to say the least. "Spicy" Pik Pow rice was bland and totally underwhelming. Finally, if I'm paying $11 each for rice and noodles, I'd like to get my money's worth. Both takeout containers were half full. From now on, I'll take my Thai business elsewhere.
(2)
Globe V.

My first experience wasn't great but I was willing to give it another try. I can definitely say this is the worst Thai spot in Harvard Square. The food itself is decent but the staff are rude and inconsiderate. Better off going to Spice - which is where I'll be going to exclusively from now in!
(1)
Ali S.

This is my least favorite Thai place in Harvard Square. I've heard many people call it "authentic." While I can't speak to that, I can tell you that the Pad Thai is shitty. The sauce is kind of tangy.
(2)
Emily G.

Definitely one of the better food delivery places in Cambridge. A tad expensive for take out, but well worth it! The Golden Bags are unique, I definitely recommend trying them.
(4)
Olivia J.

Favorite Thai place in Harvard Square. I always get their red curry. Pineapple fried rice is also good. Pad Thai is a little too sweet for my taste.
(3)
Katharine P.

Yummy yummy yummy! The vegan scallion dumpling app is a slice of doughy fried heaven!!! Forget you read the word vegan. It's unbelievable. You must try it. Good pad Thai and good curry.
(4)
Adam G.

There are times when I am looking for a place to have a great dinner in Harvard Square and there are times when I am looking for a place that I can frequent. In 9 tastes I found a place that I would love to return to. I got Crispy Chicken Pad Thai. Their crispy chicken was breaded with Panko bread crumbs and the peanut sauce was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. I was charged $2 for extra peanut sauce but it was well worth it. The dining room is comfortable (very busy when I was there) and had been decorated for Halloween. The salt water fish tanks really added to the dining room. The staff was helpful and friendly and my food was served very quickly. It may go without saying as a Thai restaurant but they serve alcohol but unlike most Thai joints they have more beer choices than just Chinese or Thai beer. (ex. Blue Moon) I had seen this place before and the outside never appealed to me and the Yelp score wasn't that great. I would urge anyone reading this to check it out and give it a chance.
(5)
John L.

9 Tastes is one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Boston area. Probably one of the first ones I went to since I moved here. Their dishes are pretty good.. I am not sure how authentic they are since I have never been to Thai,but as far as the American Thai goes, I like them. Their wait staff are good, not particularly nice or something, but they are pretty fast and good at what they do, which is all I ask anyways. My friend has some pictures and reviews of this restaurant on her blog if you are interested! beanosbeantown.blogspot.â€¦
(4)
Rocio H.

I was there with my friend close to 3 pm, I did not know they close for 2 hours and open for dinner. The food come out fast and the prices are cheap. We ordered the lunch boxes that included soup and egg rolls; it's was pretty bad! The soup was cold and the egg roll were soggy, the chicken tasted like it was from yesterday, the pad tai was ok. I don't think that I would come back here..not impressed at all.
(1)
Rebecca Y.

Ugh. The Tom Yum soup was sickeningly sweet, there was tons of added sugar in it which just ruined the dish, I couldn't even finish the soup. The Jungle Curry I ordered featured watery curry with raw vegetables, mushy bananas (didn't go well with the dish at all), and dried stringy chicken. It was bad. I'm really surprised Zagat deemed this a "Very Good/Excellent" restaurant. Another tourist trap in Harvard Square.
(2)
Lauren P.

This place consistently serves up good thai food at average prices (my basil fried rice was 9.95). Probably not the cheapest dinner in town, but you're likely to have half of a portion to take home too. Service is fast - so fast they'll be clearing your table as soon as the check is on the table. Not so great for you if you weren't done with that water glass, but for the next patron at the door dying to come in and gorge himself on pad thai - maybe not a bad thing... They will also deliver - but with a minimum (I think $20 or $25) - so this isn't your go-to for those nights when you're setting up on the couch by yourself for a night of Full House reruns.
(3)
Jenn T.

I got some take out here for dinner after craving some thai food. They have a pretty vast menu for decent prices. The restaurant itself is pretty dimly lit with a themed decor and a few tables. The places was pretty crowded when I came to pick up my food. I went for the 9 tastes pad thai, which was ok. It came with shrimp and chicken, and was mixed in lots of sauce, which was a little too tangy for my taste. The flavor was ok, not the best I've ever had, but pretty ok. The order was made fast, within 5-10 minutes.
(3)
Phil Z.

cozy restaurant with fast and friendly service. pad see ew with duck.
(5)
Pete C.

Tried this place via delivery tonight, pretty unfortunate meal. Scallion pancakes were OK, quite hard to screw up scallion pancakes though. "Veggie Puff" was the "best", some sort of fried curry thing without much flavor aside from the generic sauce with it. but, curry + veggies + fried = OK. The worst was the "Carmelized Black Pepper Tofu". In their menu it's described as "A stunning dish, originally from a traditional eastern Thai village "Trad." Sauteed with a combination of brown sugar, fresh black ground pepper, and ginger." Sounds great! In reality, I got delivered four massive undercooked blocks of tofu with the most minimal of basic brown sauce at the bottom of the container combined with a few broccoli florets. Somewhere between barely and outright inedible, like it was the raw components of a dish prior to cooking rather than a dish itself. I thought maybe they delivered the wrong dish but I checked and can't find any other ones that sound like this on the menu, and any restaurant calling that a dish should be ashamed of themselves. Sorry guys, you totally blew it.
(2)
Kat V.

If you would have told me I would have liked a Thai food place I would have called you a liar. I would have found a glove to smack you with so I could challenge you to a duel! Well, the glove is in your hand, my friend, and it is your turn to smack away...because this place is damn good. The menu has a ton of options - even for the food allergy weary such as myself. The staff was great - very attentive and polite. The prices were good - considering the portions and that it is in Harvard Sq. Our dinners came out insanely fast even though the the restaurant was somewhat busy. All in all I will definitely be back to this place - which again, had you asked me prior to my visit I would have laughed in your face had you told me that. Just goes to show you, try new things and be pleasantly surprised! 1 taste down..8 more to go...
(4)
Jen D.

This would really be 3.5, but the people here are *so* *nice* I bumped it up to 4. I've tried two things: pad see-ew and green curry. The curry was rather thin, but tasty. Quite a large portion (ate at the restaurant). The pad see-ew (which was just okay) was to-go and a smaller portion. There's not much to choose from in Cambridge for Thai food, and given that the prices are reasonable for the area, I will definitely be back.
(4)
Stella P.

I love this place and Thai food in general. Their pad Thai is one of the best I have had and so is the crispy chicken. Also, try the Thai ice tea!
(5)
Nicole D.

The only thing I can really say about this restaurant is that the portions were pretty small. The food was good, I just wish I had more of it.
(3)
Guillermo M.

Decent option if you are craving Thai in Harvard square. Great location. Spring rolls and satay were delicious. Pad thai was decent and the thai iced tea was so good that I could have tons of them.
(3)
Christopher F.

I think Thai and/or Laotian people who go here would be insulted by the 4 &5 star reviews for 9 Tastes--my girlfriend certainly is. This is a place to go when you want somewhat affordable, decently cooked dishes that have a Western twist to it. But in no way is some of this food remotely authentic. The Indonesian fried rice is very filling to me BUT OK in terms of taste. The dish had tasty chicken satay enhanced by the smooth peanut sauce and a plentiful plate full of rice. But you could tell that the dish was not made fresh at all. How hard is it to make fresh fried rice, really? Not hard at all. I ordered the crispy duck on another occasion when some friends wanted to come here. The duck was okay, very crispy and goes very well with the sweet plum sauce that accompanies the dish. But I've had better since I've gone to Asia and had duck prepped there. Furthermore, the greasiness of this duck left me bloated and with a stomach ache. Ouch. Overall, this place is good but not great. Probably great to Westerners and novices of Asian cuisine, but insulting to Asians and foodies who actually have gone to Asia and/or had home-cooked Thai, Indonesian, and Laotian cuisine. Spend your dollars here if you have a fix for Thai food and have nowhere else/ better to go to in your time constraints.
(3)
Andrew S.

Not impressed. I had the crispy basil chicken. It was not crispy, and I'm not 100% sure it was chicken. The dish was soggy and greasy. My friend had another chicken dish that was overcooked and rubbery. Blargh!
(2)
Janis C.

UPDATE: I tried them again, just to give them another shot. I dined in this time and ordered the same plate of Drunken Noodle. Yup, still bad -- greasy and gross. My friends laughed at me for taking the same risk with the same dish. Well, joke's on YOU GUYS, for eating at the same restaurant with me! Your dishes weren't much better, either! Suckas. Well, at least this time around, I got flat rice noodles.
(1)
J B.

Forgot my order. Not a great spot for lunch during the work day if u have time constraints. Friendly staff and good Thai. Wouldn't come again and would do wagamana across the street instead.
(3)
Hannah P.

Went on a Sunday night, seated immediately. I like the basement location and the ~mood lighting~ that's not too dark. Water glasses were always full. When we ordered, though, we asked the waiter about the Golden Bags (I think that's what they were called), but he didn't even know where it was on the menu and he wasn't able to explain it without looking at the menu o_o He was friendly though ... Anyways, we ordered the Pad See Ew (tofu) and Pineapple Fried Rice. Both were decent. Our waiter actually first gave us Mango Fried Rice by mistake. I had already placed a spoonful on my plate, but he took the plate of mango fried rice AND my plate with the spoon of it to bring back the original order of PFR. That was pretty upsetting because I actually wanted to taste the MFR, haha. There was nothing too memorable about either plate, and I feel like the PSE had a tad bit more soy sauce than necessary. Both plates were okay and the service was okay. Okay. Oh yeah. And I think they were too expensive for the amount of food given.
(3)
kathy y.

Liked: fast service. I was there after an evenings class and there were lots of people. Ordered and food was ready within 5 or 10 minutes. Disliked: the food. I ordered the spicy noodles, which in normal Thai restaurants were supposed to be real noodles made of rice, but instead they gave me Ramen noodles! The ones u buy for $1 each at your high school cafeteria! I was super hungry so i was like fine I'll eat it, but Noodles were overcooked with dry and hard tofu. Sauce didn't taste authentic either.
(2)
Judy L.

We were attracted by the sign "Best of Boston 2007!" 2007 wasn't that far off right? I guess it was. I ordered 9 spices pad thai and it came out quite sour, with dry chicken. Though my friend really enjoyed his honey glazed chicken. I'd recommend Tamarind House 10 minutes up the street from here for more affordable and more flavorful Thai food.
(2)
Joshua G.

This spot is convenient and they have a good deal for lunch. I've been here more often than I'd like to admit so they have some positives. But the food is pretty boring. I think it caters to the New England palate. Bland. Not the worst but really not anything special, either.
(2)
Dean S.

I was visiting my friend in Cambridge and he took me to dinner here on my last night in town. I think if I were to plan our schedule out again, I'd have gone here earlier during my trip and instead spend the last night going on a giant seafood bender. But I digress, this place was just OK for a thai food place. We came in around 7pm, and there was not much of a wait. The restaurant itself is located on a basement/garden floor, so the ceilings are kind of low. I am 6'6" and had to stoop a little to walk to our table, but other than the low ceilings, the decor/ambiance is nice and asian-y. We ordered right away and our food came back even faster. I ordered shrimp pad thai and I think my friend ordered chicken pad thai. My pad thai was a little greasy for my tastes and could've used more shrimp, but overall it was decent in taste and portion. I've had better / more authentic pad thai before, but I was still happy with my meal and what I paid for it.
(3)
Alisa K.

This place is seriously underrated. 9 Tastes was my go-to Thai place when I was in college and it remains one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Boston. I have no idea why it has a 3 star average rating. Their drunken noodles are some of the best I've had and they have great fried ice cream. Their service is prompt and they're good with large, rowdy groups.
(5)
Jenny P.

BEST PAD THAI IN THE SQUAREEEEE!!! Yes, I went there. Their crunchy pad thai is especially good. Love it! This is the place for pad thai. Done deal
(5)
Jessica T.

Great Thai food and quaint little restaurant. We love to eat out here, but its a little expensive if you are just looking for some tasty noodles in my opinion. Try porter sq. for some other options.
(4)
Jared S.

Meh. Ordered delivery on Sunday from foodler.com because my go to Sweet Ginger isn't open for lunch on Sundays. Boo. The food came in 20 minutes, which immediately gave me pause as surely all of the food must be pre-cooked and waiting for someone to order it. I mean, I know I live at least a 10 minute drive from 9 Tastes through Harvard Square on a good day. I did get pretty popular stuff, though, so if the delivery guy was just about to leave and they just got my order in and whipped it all up, things could be good, right? Pad Thai and Tom Yum were decent. Chicken satay, while meaty, was super dry, and the peanut sauce with it was disgustingly coagulated. The "fresh spring rolls" were by far the worst part of the meal, the rice paper very very thick and hardly wrapped around the filling, spilling lettuce, sprouts, and basil everywhere. For $6.95, it was an absolute joke. Indeed, the whole meal was entirely overpriced. Had it not been for a 20% foodler discount, I would have been one pissed off camper.
(2)
Aisha L.

I got the Pad Thai with Tofu, yummy. Not too greasy. My friend got the calamari, I took a bite and it was tasty. Nice casual cheap asian food. No high expectations so I wasnt let down.
(3)
Scott J.

Another stellar meal at 9 Tastes, this time lunch with a friend. We arrived around 12:30 on a Saturday afternoon; the place was pretty empty since they open at noon. We were seated immediately in the same table where I sat alone several months ago. I went for the Spicy Noodle with chicken (made extra spicy) and it was fantastic -- thin, flavorful noodles combined with generous chunks of chicken, green peppers, and jalapenos (I left out the onions). My friend opted for the 9 Tastes Pad Thai, a house variant on the popular dish with even more ingredients for the same price. Service was prompt -- food came out steaming in minutes -- and our water was constantly refilled. Everyone who works here is so nice and they really ensure you have a positive experience; there's something to be said about that in a touristy/college area like Harvard Square where business is never a problem. They truly care about their customers. This is definitely a favorite Thai stop for me that I plan to frequent, especially in combination with going to the nearby Brattle Theatre.
(4)
Eric F.

My friend had her birthday dinner here recently and the food is pretty solid. I had a chance to try a few things including: Paradise Chicken - nice spiciness, but chicken itself was average and the "crispy" frying batter was in fact very soggy. 9 Tastes Pad Thai - great flavor though the noodles themselves were on the wet side. Spicy Basil Fried Rice - lovely texture and spiciness, a winner! The service here does merit 4 stars as the staff did an exceptional job of managing our two large tables in the midst of an absolutely PACKED Friday evening. The waitresses were prompt with taking our orders, the food came out quickly and they provided napkins and utensils for the lovely birthday girl's cake. All in all, I really want to round up to 4 stars overall...it's just that the food wasn't memorable enough to justify another trip out from the South End. 9 Tastes is a great go-to if you're local, but not quite good enough for a 30+ minute trek unless there's a special occasion ;)
(3)
Jen S.

Excellent. Sort of reminds me of another Brown Sugar Cafe, but much cozier. The service is quite decent. The food is GREAT. Prices are fine I actually came here about a million years ago with my Hub when I first moved here. I didn't really know about Yelp then but I had the mango curry chicken. My first time having anything like mango curry. It was pretty good, but I got tired of the taste after a while. I guess you have to really be in love with curry to tolerate eating the entire dish, and I'm not. so yeha. Came here two night ago. Here is what the table ordered + a small critique of each, since I tasted each one just so I could Yelp this place WELL (or a well as I can!): FIRST- we split the spring rolls. VERY GOOD. Came with yummy, sweet peanut sauce. Presentation = awesome. 1) me (yes, I'm number ONE)- crispy basil chicken. VERY VERY good. Not super spicy (as indicated by the ONE chili pepper). Comes with a decent amount of chicken and rice (and onions). Loved it. My only critique is that the chili pepper sauce becomes a bit too much at times. Presentation on plate was great. 2) Friend/former student visiting from France- he had the crispy chicken dish- came with a decent pile of chicken. Also came with a decent amount of rice and a bowl of sweet and sour sauce. The sweet and sour sauce was yummy but the chicken is also good by itself. Presentation- great. 3) Friend/former coworker #1- she had the Bangkok Jungle. She enjoyed her dish immensely. Mind you, she's been to Thailand. Not a very spicy dish, despite the 2 chili peppers. Ginger permeated the meat, which is not a bad thing. Was quite yummy. I wouldn't order it myself but if I attended a CATERED event and this was one of the items, I'd put a nice pile on my plate. :) Presentation was ok. 4) Friend/former coworker # 2- She had (can't remember the name) fried spicy tofu. It would be been AMAZING had it not come with cilantro leaves. Even though my piece of tofu had no cilantro on it, I could still taste it. Cilantro is the BANE of my EXISTENCE. There are few things I hate in this world (like Pepsi, seafood, any type of lemon/lime drink, the smell of cigarette smoke, Popeye's), and cilantro is one of them. The only time I can TOLERATE it is in some salsas. (and I guess I can TOLERATE Pepsi as a fountain drink, just thought I'd share). But it was otherwise good. And I'd order it and beg for no cilantro. And without cilantro it would be one of the yummiest fried tofu dishes EVER. What I love about Thai food as opposed to Chinese are the flavors. American Chinese food is SO SO bland. American Thai food is actually (in my opinion) closer to real Chinese food (and I know cuz I've been there and I have eaten like a dozen types of cuisines in my 11 months of living there SO I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT IT OK!?). I don't know how it compares to real Thai food. I will try it one day. I wish they had young coconut juice like most other Thai places around here. :( oh well! The food is yumtastic. Will definitely go again. Many more times.
(4)
Josh R.

9 Tastes is my go-to place for Thai food in Cambridge. It's dependable, and it offers good value. All the dishes I've tried have been tasty, and the restaurant is great for groups.
(4)
Augusto T.

Solid Thai noodles. I have been here a few times and I am always satisfied with my dish. I tend to gravitate towards their drunken noodles. They are spicy stir fried noodles and you can get them with a choice of beef, chicken, tofu, shrimp, or pork. If you like spicy food, they are always a solid choice. The portions at the restaurant are decent. The service is OK for this somewhat casual, yet cozy restaurant. They were able to accommodate a large party of 20 for a birthday, which was impressive. Overall, a solid place to try out. I have no real complaints. It is definitely more of a sit-down place than a take-out place. Definitely check it out if you like Thai food and want to explore the many Thai restaurants in the Boston and Cambridge area.
(3)
Anne W.

Fabulously cheap and near the Harvard Square. We decided to go to this spot when looking for affordable but decent food before a night out. Not really fabulous Thai food. The fresh spring rolls were less than fresh. I will give them props on the chicken satay. Very good. The food was just okay... the spicy sauce was not Sriracha (which dissapointed majorly) and made me sick afterwards for hours. Waitress was okay.. but took forever to get us the bill. But I guess the places in Harvard Square are not meant to be great. I have given up on this square.
(3)
Molly Y.

For the food alone, this place is 5-star, hands-down. We stumbled across it, ordered stuff that looked good, and WOW, we were SO impressed. Very authentic Thai food, amazing flavor, incredibly fresh - if you want to treat your tastebuds, GO HERE. Minus half a star for the OMG noise (it's kinda tight-packed in there) and another half-star for slow wait-staff, but then again, it was lunchtime on the Friday of Harvard Graduation, so some slowness is completely understandable. I'm going to drag all my colleagues out here for lunch someday because OH MAN, such good, good food. I'm a fan!
(4)
Sarah G.

Ya gotta love lunch specials that give you an entree, salad, soup, appetizers and rice all for around $8. And if you are feeling extra happy and lunch loving for about a dollar or so more, you can get two entrees with it!! Such a steal, but just average food really. I got their 9 tastes special for lunch with crab rangoon and they were not the best crab rangoon in the world...tasted like they had been sitting out for a little while and even if imitation crab that can't be too great, right? But my nine tastes stir fry with chicken in a sweet kind of sauce was pretty good especially for how cheap it all was. The salad was basically lettuce and not enough dressing and the soup was actually pretty good too! Matt J loved his two entree lunch box but i honestly did not think the curry sauce was that great....a little watery and not enough curry punch!! heh and Dave C got pad thai which he ate happily and I stole a bite of and it was a little above average but not by much. BUT this place has some of the best water service ever. Our glasses never even got a chance to get empty even during the lunch rush, and we drank A LOT of water that humid humid day, so 9 Tastes here's 9 cheers to you giving us hydration!!
(3)
Ernie F.

RATING: 3 stars NOTE: Only tried their noodle dishes and Thai iced tea. I have eaten here (or for take-out) more than 10 times, mostly for convenience and a Thai fix. QUICK SUMMARY: FOOD = Its what you would expect from most thai places. The meat offerings (pork, chicken, and beef) have all been overcooked more than well cooked in my 10+ visits. Noodles are done nicely. I recommend the pad see ew and the pad kee mow. Avoid the Rad Na (the gravy was not too good). THAI ICED TEA = Just right. Not overly sweetened. PORTIONS = There is enough food in the noodle dishes for an appetizing meal. There is slightly less food when you order to-go (from a qualitative standpoint). Lunch and dinner portions are the same size, the only difference is in the price. OTHER = Don't expect Lunch pricing on the food during the weekends, because they do dinner pricing all weekend. I learned the hard-way when ordering take-out at noon (despite the hour listings on their website). On another note, their website has broken links and is a bit outdated. SENTENCE SUMMARY: "Like their website, their 'Boston Magazine 2007 Best Neighborhood Takeout in Harvard Square' is definitely outdated-- the food, whether you dine in or takeout, is not really worth your money unless you eat here during lunch (with their lunch pricing) and have a craving for Thai food"
(3)
Meka A.

It's really easy to miss this cute Thai establishment while blazing down JFK as it's actually located downstairs below street-level. Service is consistently friendly and quick. I keep telling myself I'll order something different every time I go, but I always end up with the pineapple fried rice. The fried calamari appetizer is a good take on a classic. Good value for your buck as dishes are around $10. You can almost always waltz in and get a seat (I'm actually not even sure if the place takes reservations).
(3)
stacy c.

Went with a friend to 9 Tastes tonight because of the number of strong reviews it has received from Yelp and was very disappointed. She ordered the Eggplant entree (which had 1 spice icon next to it) and I had the Basil Leaf w/ Tofu entree (2 spice icons). The food was bland and our entrees had the same basic ingredients except hers had Chili in there (which was way too spicy for someone who didn't want a spicy dish) and mine did not. The fried tofu in my dish ranged from small tiny dried up cubes to medium sized dried up cubes - did not capture the flavor of the sauce well. Also, for a 2 spicy icon dish, wasn't spicy at all. Compared to other Thai places in the area, NYC, Thailand, LA - this definitely does not match up. Maybe this was a bad night and 9 Tastes deserves its positive rating, or maybe it's on JFK and more likely to be positively rated... either way, i'm not going back. PS - and they charge for tea.
(2)
Hannah M.

Trudged through the snow for Thai Cafe which no longer exists and ended up at 9 Tastes. Scallion pancakes (I'm obsessed, I order them everywhere) were really good! Crispy, light, flakey, and the gingery dipping sauce was delicious. Drunken noodles was a little lackluster. Could have been saucier, more flavorful, and less oil. Crispy pad thai was delicious! A crispy, sweet twist on the standard Thai fare. With chicken (no gristle!) and shrimp, definitely a go-to for 9 Tastes. Don't think I'd go to H Square just for 9 Tastes, but would certainly go again if I was in H Square.
(3)
Kara C.

I don't claim to be a Thai food aficionado, and my interests are pretty limited to Pad See Iew. I have to say, while others may gobble up the pad thai (or not), I am highly unimpressed with this service. I order from here frequently over seamless or pick up orders to go. I usually add special requests because I can't eat spicy food, and it is always a toss-up whether or not they pay attention. When I order it on seamless now, I have to call and follow up once to make sure they don't make my meal spicy (after writing it in the special comments section), and then usually the delivery is 2x what they tell you on the phone. Kind of a shame for a take-out cuisine.
(2)
David R.

Interior is a bit weird, but the food is solid. I've never regretted stopping by here for a take-out Pad See Ew, which is always ready in minutes. Definitely worth checking out.
(4)
Josh C.

Best pad Thai, lots of veggies in veg version. Not oily at all. Ordered on seamless
(5)
Jenn D.

Two stars for their interpretation of Khao Soi/Chiang Mai noodles. What I got was ramen in extra spicy tom kha soup with lots of bell peppers. The dish should have thick egg noodles with crispy egg noodles on top, in a coconut curry broth. It's described this way on the menu, but is served totally wrong. But it was tasty, and I wasn't going to get the real thing, so it was dinner. Mango w/sticky rice was the worst I've ever had. Mango was underripe and the rice was gross. No care was taken in the presentation. Cute place and decent service, but if you like good and authentic Thai don't bother.
(2)
MJ L.

This is one of my go-tos in Harvard Square. The food is generally 3-4 stars and the prices are very reasonable. My favorite dish is the Vegetarian Buddha Delight dish. It has a wonderful assortment of vegetables with tofu and a veggie meat in a light brown sauce. The flavors are subtle and it seems like a very healthy dish. The only downside is that the tables are pretty close to each other and the ceilings are low which means that the noise level can get pretty high and sometimes you need to talk louder to be heard.
(4)
Haley T.

I have been here for dinner and delivery. I really liked them! The service was quick and friendly, and the vegetables are plenty in the drunken noodle dish, forgiving the fact that they're more expensive than most thai places around here. The reason they get two stars is that the delivery went from good, to fair, to awful. I waited 2 hours for a lukewarm dish that had obviously been sitting under a heating lamp for those two hours. I repeatedly tried to call them, and always got a busy signal. I'm pretty sure the piece of plastic in my dish just broke my crown. Certainly done being a customer here!
(2)
Justin H.

This place has a monopoly on Thai food in Harvard Square as evidenced by the constant crowds of students and their families. The food is solid, not spectacular but nor does it have to be- it has a great location and a loyal following which I admit includes myself (though I haven't been there in a few months now). My staple dishes are the green curry with tofu and the drunken noodles with tofu (both extra spicy). The watercress soup with tofu is tasty as well. I order here a lot and although I enjoy the food, sometimes it is more out of necessity than passion. The reality is that good Asian food in Harvard Square is simply a white whale, true there are decent options like 9 Tastes, but they always end up leaving me wishing for something dirtier, spicier, cheaper and more authentic. I demand too much though, have probably been reading too much Kitchen Confidential, and to be fair the service is generally friendly and the atmosphere is pleasant. They have an iPhone app which is surprising and some other loyalty incentives which makes me think someone with an MBA and/or a passion for exploring marketing techniques works here. Overall a solid option for the neighborhood.
(3)
Diliny C.

Was not impressed. I found the pad thai to be lacking in the flavor I would usually expect. The curries we ordered were relatively bland. The only upside was the iced tea coffee. I won't be returning unless someone makes me.
(2)
charles l.

Look here y'all. My daughter goes to Harvard and we were moving her in. After carrying her belongings 2 flights of stairs for 2 hours I was ready to try something good and spicy to kick up my energy. My wife is in her prime if you know what I mean and in order for me to have a fighting chance after working that hard, I'd need a jolt. Thus began our disaster dinner. We were hungry and my daughter says "omg look lets do,Thai,". So we go down to the dungeon and it was hot as soon as we walked in. Clearly the AC was broken but no mention of that was made. Then we sat down and it just got hotter. People all over the place and loud as hell. Did I say it was hot? Yep. It sure was. So now we get the food...after that first bite I swear to earth and Galileo that I discovered Male Menopause! I mean it was hotter than a Texas whore house on quarter night. And that's where the story ends because I got up, asked for the box and check and got the hell out of there. They didn't ask why we were leaving, what's wrong...Nada. So I left them and unfortunately the remaining souls in that restaurant a parting gift. The most abominable nastiest fart! Get take out but beyond that.....sit down at your own risk
(1)
Enuma I.

Forget about it. Went to pick up a late night dinner, waited and watched the young girl text on her phone for a good 2-3 minutes before so placed her phone down and noticed me there. The food was extremely average, watered down, and you can taste the main use of American spices and pepper. I'm no expert but after having had authentic Thai food not only in several states and even in Thailand, this food was just disappointing. Maybe they were tired because it was the end of the night. So much for getting a great late night dinner :-/
(1)
Marlana Y.

The PAD THAI is very good. Went with some friends on a Friday Night, it wasn't very busy but I felt rushed there. Once we ordered, the food came right away which was nice. Since it didn't look busy, we just chatted a bit. The waiter tried to take my plate away even though there was still food on my plate (which led me to believe they were rushing us). Its good food and I would go again but I wish it was more relaxing. I just felt that we had to eat fast. The decor is nice, lots of Thai culture hanging on walls.
(3)
Prince V.

Just awful food... so bad... tasteless. Service was good... food was just bad.
(1)
Anuj M.

I usually have a good experience here but this time I went with a friend and it blew my mind. There were fruit flies all around our table and me and my friend are both vegetarians! Not just that, my friend's veggie soup had bits of chicken in it which the server confirmed. He told us that they use the same pot to boil chicken and veggie soup - what's the point of a veggie menu then? They replaced her dish with something else but charged her for it - no courtesy! I am probably not going back to this place. The service was super slow too.
(2)
Champika F.

I ordered some pad thai to go from this place and was really pleasantly surprised by the entire experience. First - I walked in and immediately wished I had time to sit down and have a meal there. It's located on the lower/ basement level of the building so it's really dimly lit and cozy and super charming inside. It wasn't overcrowded when I walked in and seemed like a good place to enjoy a low key meal alone or with a friend. Second - I ordered a can of coke with my meal and they took the time and courtesy to notify me that a can of coke costs $2.50! So of course I passed. After I paid for my pad thai - they asked me to wait a moment and filled a cup up with fountain coke in a to go cup...on the house. Wow - super bonus points. The pad thai wasn't exceptional but it was decent for the price. I'll definitely be back for a sit down meal and to try other menu items.
(4)
Christopher S.

The Tom Kha soup was thin and was not tasty. The spring rolls were like a salad inside a soggy wrap. The Chicken Satay was made of low quality, undercooked chicken. The pad thai was soupy (as others have said) and had an unappetizing sweet flavor rather than the peanuty, slightly spicy flavor I expect. The staff showed no pride in their business. They didn't offer us any drinks, we had to ask. I ate with a party of six, and only one person finished their meal. We are not a hard group to please. I love thai food and I have never complained about a restaurant before this. I've found great thai restaurants in both small towns and big cities all over the northeast. This has got to be the worst thai restaraunt in New England.
(1)
Katy G.

I had been wanting to try this place for a while, but I'm rarely in Cambridge. We went there on a Sunday afternoon, and there was hardly anyone else there. The waiters were very attentive. I was really dehydrated, and they were right on top of filling my glass. I had the vegetable curry. It was very tasty, but the flavor was a little different than what I'm used to. It definitely felt like comfort food- hot and spicy for a November afternoon. I might not go out of my way to go back to 9 Tastes, but I still would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Thai.
(4)
Rob L.

Best Pad Thai in town but absolute WORST service and stressful restaurant atmosphere. Get the takeout and skip the bad service at the restaurant. I eat out a lot and often order 9 Tastes just because of their Pad Thai with chicken and shrimp house special. Every time I go to the restaurant the same thing happen: 1) I wait in cramped lined with people bustling around me and pushing up against me trying to get in/out of the restaurant. 2) We are seated and the factory-restaurant experience begins: our order is rushed and our waiter comes and goes at his own will 3) The atmosphere feels like the Harvard Sq MBTA and we feel rushed 4) We leave and the next day I enjoy my leftovers. NOW, I just skip the madness of the place and just place my order online. GREAT food, but not so great husstle-n-busttle restaurant.
(2)
Dalia M.

Pad Thai was horrible. I have thai very frequently and I've had pad thai all over the world. This was not a good take on the dish. The sauce is not the best choice. However, the staff was incredibly nice and accommodating.
(1)
Jay A.

Shrimp Pad Thai was really good! I'm Thai and 9 tastes makes it pretty darn close to one in Thailand! That's why I like Thai restaurants in East and West coast. Friendly staff. Friendly price. I would go back to this place whenever I'm in Cambridge again. ^__^
(4)
Melynda J.

I was craving Thai food and decided to try to a new place. That was a mistake. The crab rangoons were not fully cooked and were extremely soupy. My Pad Thai was far from crispy and was dripping in grease. Despite the amount of grease, my chicken was beyond dry and I had to drink water to get the piece down. Both items were cold. I understand that take-out is not going to be piping hot, but I expect it to be relatively warm, To say that my craving was not met would be the better part of ordering from here. I got through half (because I paid for it, and it was not cheap) only to get sick. I for one will never order from here again, and recommend that no one does, unless you are looking for soggy, greasy food, then by all means, this is the place for you.
(1)
Angie G.

What a cozy little restaurant, this is. It's a small little thai place that has your basic key thai noodle dishes (pad kee mao aka drunken noodle, pad thai and pad see iew.) The food was wicked cheap and their bathroom was cute. i recommend it.
(3)
Jace F.

Having grown up in South East Asia, I've had my share of authentic Thai cuisine, and I know when I've found a place that has strayed from its culinary roots. 9 Tastes was not great , it was just okay. The pad Thai was alright, but lacked some of the subtle spices that the real pad offers. The atmosphere was nice, lots of couples. The service was alright. There are better Thai places around.
(2)
Jaimie M.

The pad thai here is one of the best that I've found in the city (so far). It's got a lot of flavor, a decent serving size, and it isn't overly greasy like you get at so many other places. Service is quick and efficient, and prices are definitely reasonable. Every time I've gone, everyone has been highly satisfied with their meal. Worth checking out!
(4)
Dave M.

great tasting food. had the pad see ew beef, something with walnut and chicken, and a curry. professional service. super busy on a friday night so that's a good sign.
(4)
James A.

I lived in Thailand for a year, so it's not uncommon for me to get Thai cravings. In terms of bang for buck, this place is hard to beat. The staff are authentic Thai ("sawadee krap!") and the 9 Tastes Pad Thai and Mango & Sticky Rice are both great (as long as the mangos aren't too under-ripe). It's certainly not gourmet Thai... and I haven't ventured too far into the menu (my addiction is normally satisfied by those two dishes... and nobody sells kow mun gai in the US) so I can't speak to the rest of it... but with those two caveats, it's great for a quick fix of Thai.
(4)
Natalie J.

Decent ambience, and great service, but I think Yelp reviews should be about the food. The shrimp cakes were frozen in the center and got sent back, and the papaya salad with shrimp showed evidence of about 9 shrimp-tail shells, but only one actual shrimp. Not worth the price.
(2)
Cassandra B.

This is decent thai food, but doesn't stand out from the crowd. Nothing notably good or bad about it.
(3)
Patty T.

After reading all the yelp reviews. I thought this would be a good place to get take out. Boy was I wrong. Maybe the food tastes better dining in but I was not impressed at all. I would give this place a 1.5 stars. I had one decent dish which was the Kra-Pow Rice dish but the rest of the order was terrible. The egg-rolls were super oily and had no flavor. Then Pad Thai my boyfriend got was terrible. There was no sauce, no flavor.. yuck... it tasted like they toss rice noodles with veggies and oil. Completely disappointed.
(1)
Nidhi M.

I had only once there but my experience was awesome. We went there for the dinner and luckily we sat on the window side, the weather was really amazing the cool breeze and the awesome Thai wow i just loved it. I really loved the Pad thai which was the best I ever had. Though I tried Thai at other places too but I would simply say "Pad thai is best at this place". my husband too ordered Tamarind curry and we really liked it too. The hospitality is really good they served us with our order too fast. I would defintely like to visit again & again!
(5)
NN R.

Omit my previous review for this place. After having gone back there the second time with my boyfriend, their quality of food has changed drastically, I don't know what happened. I got the same dish as last time and it was not up to par. :( His pad thai was bad too.
(2)
Lauren S.

9 tastes? The only taste I could detect was one: vinegar, and lots of it. Maybe it was just bad luck with the dish I ordered (vegetarian pad thai), but the tofu was swimming in an awful vinegar taste, the noodles were bland and the whole dish was wet and soggy. My friends also remarked that their dishes were rather unremarkable -- bland and rather on the soggy side. To top it off, they gave me about a fist full worth of pad thai and then covered it with their gross vinegar tofu. What the heck?! On a funnier note, one of my friend's ordered something on their menu and the waiter said "Oh, that's very dry." My friend replied that it was okay and he didn't mind if there wasn't a lot of sauce, to which the waiter responded "No, it's gross. You don't want it, I'll bring you the drunken noodles instead." Funny, I guess, and I always like when waiters are up front about their opinions, but come on, if it's that horrible, why is it on the menu!? ANNNND why didn't my friend get a chance to order what he wanted?! A little rude if you ask me.
(2)
Salem S.

Probably the best tofu pad thai I've ever had. Massaman w/tofu was also good, though my boyfriend didn't enjoy it (probably because it was spicy, he doesn't like that). I can't figure out why it's got such a low rating. I ate here consistently a little over a year ago, and it's always been good.
(5)
Janet X.

This place was better than I expected. I got the drunken noodle and it was slightly more expensive than what I'm used to, but considering this is Cambridge, I let it slide. There were plenty of veggies and chicken in the dish, and the portion size was perfect. Even though I wasn't very hungry going in, I still finished almost the whole thing. The only thing that knocked it down to 3 stars is the service. My server was incredibly impatient and it seemed like everything I wanted was a great inconvenience for him. (And keep in mind this is around 5 pm, when the restaurant wasn't busy at all). He didn't even offer to refill my drink, which is one of those things that should be second nature to being a server.
(3)
Sarah L.

I went for dinner with a large group, and we were seated quickly with a reservation. Once we placed our orders after a fair bit of lingering, our food arrived within minutes. I chose a simple, but enjoyable vegetarian dish comparable in quality, I think, to what's available at many other Thai restaurants throughout Boston and Cambridge. The portion was generous and reasonably priced under $13.
(3)
Laura M.

I have been to 9 Tastes a total of three times. On two of those occasions, I have found eggshell in my dish... no thanks! Won't be returning.
(1)
Rachel H.

Hard to explain why, with the same chef, it's undisputably better than Spice a few blocks away, but everyone agrees. The menu is solid--seems like it should be hard go wrong with curries, but then see above. I don't love the basement atmosphere most of the time but occasionally, when I'm in a casual mood, it hits the spot. Not special but very reliable. I'll go when I'm craving Thai.
(3)
Mister Chub S.

Affordable, tasty and unpretentious Thai in Harvard Square. Sure, the interior's not the most chic but the food is good with large portions and the waitstaff is accommodating. They have a lot of veggie options too. No complaints here.
(4)
Orly M.

Mediocre Thai food. In the absence of other local options, maybe this would get three stars, but there are plenty of delicious Thai restaurants in town. I went here with a friend once, I'd probably give it another try and see if it was an off night. Got a spicy seafood dish served over mixed greens. The shrimp didn't taste very fresh -- very chewy, almost like vegetarian shrimp but not as tasty (You heard me right, faux shrimp is delicious). The flavor profile was just off. Waaay too much oil for my liking. It kind of reminded me of the "thai" meals you can buy in the international aisle in the supermarket to make at home which cost $3.
(2)
Christina A.

So if you go to 9 tastes, make sure to go Sun-Wed night. They have a great dinner special here for $15-$20 (depending on entree) which includes an appetizer, soup, salad and entree. Great value! This place is also great for groups--it's frequently a location for our girls dinners, since there is such huge variety at pretty cheap prices. Waitstaff are professional and attentive and have never made a mistake. Now the food, I agree, is pretty mediocre. The Tom Kha soup is pretty amazing, but that's the only thing that really excites me from 9 tastes. But, I've never had anything terrible from here either--so make your choice.
(3)
Lauren L.

9 Tastes, just because you're located in a subterranean space doesn't mean you have to play up the whole 'cave' theme with super dim lighting which makes me feel like I'm stepping into a Thai-food scented abyss. They serve Chang's beer. Instant +1 star. And they have a really tasty appetizer dish called Nua Dad Deo which is unbattered deep fried pieces of beef served with a sweet chili dipping sauce. SO savory, juicy, and flavorful. Definitely a must-try if you're tired of spring rolls and tod mun shrimp cakes. Solid place for noodle (drunken noodles, noodle soups, rad nah, crispy pad thai) and stir fried rice dishes (basil fried rice), but go elsewhere for curries. Their yellow and green curries tasted a bit watered down, without enough curry pizazz. The raved about mango curry fared similarly, I essentially got the same yellow curry with literally 3 cubes of mango in it (yes, I counted, and savored every piece of it). Like other reviewers mentioned, I'm not fond of how all the curries use the same veggies, as if from a frozen bagged mix. I would come here again for their noodle dishes, the amazing beef appetizer, and Chang's beer but I see 9 Tastes not so much as a destination but more of a 'Hey, we're hungry, and 9 Tastes just happens to be here' type place. I personally prefer Thai Basil on Newbury, Pad Thai (absolutely no ambiance but tasty) by Berklee, and Sugar & Spice in Porter over 9 Tastes.
(3)
Udit P.

Although the food is decent, but the service is downright rude. The waiter stopped us while we were leaving and demanded that we leave a 15-20% tip because they have printed "Suggested gratuity" on their bill. This turned us off and we almost left a 0 tip. The "Best of Boston" tag seems to have gotten into their head. There are friendlier Thai places in Harvard Square. We're not going back there! Or if we do, no tip from now on!
(1)
Giselle E.

Never been to a bad Thai place, and this is just another place to put on that list. Fancy, nice big fish tank, cool decorative dineware, big menu to choose through. Seating was a bit tight and made me nervous to make any sudden moves and have people yelling at me for knocking over their flower/candle on their table. But nice lighting. Appetizer sampler was nice and had a little bit o everything I was curious to try, but didn't want to order full orders of them. Their version of samosa is really really good too. Mango fried rice, delicious. I just wish the mango wasn't that ripe, but a little softer would've made it perfect. Fried ice cream. Perfect. Not too doughy, not overly burnt/crispy with unmelted ice cream waiting for you in the middle. CRACK. I highly recommend this dessert after your meal because it's well worth the wait.
(4)
Laura B.

i work around the corner from this place. i've ordered lunch here three times in the past year. they say, "three times a charm" but that is not the case with 9 tastes. I feel that this establishment has progressively gotten worse since my first experience. the food is reasonably priced and the portion sizes are generous. however, the taste and presentation of the food is greatly lacking. my vegetable pad thai is mediocre at best. the veggies did not taste fresh. the peanut sauce was clumpy. the noodles were slightly undercooked and slimy with too much sauce. it seemed like the cook threw the ingredients together, stir-fried it up really quickly, and did not allow enough time for the flavors to mix together. if you agree that good things take time, dont order your lunch from 9 tastes and expect a delicious, fresh tasting meal.
(2)
Seth A.

Do you like your Thai food spicy? This place isn't kidding around, at least when it comes to the Shrimp Rad Pik. (More like Shrimp Rad Pick!) That dish was delish, and sweet and spicy as heck. Tom Yum soup was also very good, as was the Chicken and Basil Fried Rice. I will be returning! UPDATE: 2nd visit was not nearly as rewarding, thanks to the "9 Tastes Pad Thai" I ordered. It was overly sweet and mushy. Not terrible, but not what I think of when I think "Pad Thai." CC got the yellow curry and it was OK, but not the best we've had. Had to switch from four stars to three. Next time I'll go back to the Shrimp Rad Pik.
(3)
Kim M.

Very expensive food poisoning experience. My bf got sick immediately after a few bites of beef teriyaki. I got violently ill later that evening with the same symptoms after eating the chicken curry. Won't be be ordering from this place again.
(1)
Natasha A.

I have only gotten take out for lunch at 9 tastes. It has been very good especially the seafood kamikazi (nice and spicy, with plenty of basil). They use very fresh, crispy veggies. The take out is prepared quickly and packaged well in sturdy plastic containers. You can order online or by phone. I definitely prefer it to Smile even though its a bit further from my office. The interior also looks very cute.
(4)
Claudia H.

I had dinner with a friend recently. I ordered Tom Yum Soup and clearly said "with chicken". But it came with shrimp. The soup was not very generous as I was used to in other Thai restaurants. So I also got a papaya salad. It was good, but not delicious. My friend had the drunken noodle and was very happy with it. The ambiance was very noisy, several big groups in a small space.
(3)
MaryTyler M.

Hey vegetarians! Go anywhere else. First, my friend's dinner was presented to him with practically raw chicken and shrimp in it. Then, my yellow curry tofu was presented to me with little bits of chicken swimming all around the bowl. Mind you, my very considerate friend actually informed the waitress that I am a strict vegetarian, and she assured me this dish would not offend my dietary needs. After stating our complaints, the waitress very rudely rushed the plates away without saying anything but, "OK, OK". So we walked out. Sure, the undercooking was likely a fluke, but they obviously marinate their meat in the curry sauces. The pieces were so small it just looked like the larger ones had been picked out. Unless you're a very loose vegetarian I highly recommend you eat elsewhere.
(1)
Dominique N.

Perfectly serviceable Thai food. Nothing spectacular, but it's decent. Good location in Harvard Square and they generally allow reservations, unlike many other lower / mid-priced restaurants in the area. The decor is ok, though since the restaurant is in a basement, it has low light / ceilings. The food itself is a little high priced for what you get (most entrees range from $12-15/16) and it's about average in terms of taste and authenticity. The portions also aren't particularly substantial (which might matter to hungry undergrad guys). But again, it's a place good for groups, in a good location with decent food at reasonable-ish prices. Plus they deliver for free, which is key during the cold Boston winters.
(3)
Geraldine K.

** Important Note: I'd give this place 3.5 stars -- above 3 for sure but not quite 4. I hope Yelp can accommodate this suggestion in the future. ** 9 Tastes takes the overall lead amongst its Harvard Square rivals, Spice and Smile Thai Cafe, in terms of food and service. While the food is on par with Spice, the service is superior and that's why I give 9 Tastes 3.5 stars. Portions are decent to generous -- you leave the place full. Ambiance is cozy, and stepping into the dim lit space inside makes you feel as if you've entered a different time zone. Indeed, this can be attributed to its subterranean location, which deters from my personal geographic preferences. But the warmth created by food, service, and cheery clientele makes up for this slight defect.
(3)
Josh M.

I've heard that 9 Tastes (what are the 9 tastes, anyway? I'm dying of curiosity) is owned by the same people as the nearby Spice. I wouldn't be surprised - the menus are very similar - but to me, 9 Tastes comes up short. That's not to say that it's not good - I've never had a bad meal here - but it's nothing to write home about. The noodle dishes can be a bit too oily, and the appetizer portions are way too small. Come to think of it, there's really nothing too extraordinary to mention about 9 Tastes, good or bad. Given that, I can't think of any reason to go here over Spice (which has slightly better food, a nicer atmosphere, better lunch specials, and is no more expensive).
(3)
Wade C.

I was in the area and it sounded interesting, Thai fusion. It was unbelievably cold, I'm not sure their heat works 54 degrees is what the space heater in the corner read, at least it was on, they were trying to fix the situation. I ordered hot coffee and 10 minutes later they finally told me they didn't have coffee, and I could have tea, which would take three more minutes. I tried to stay excited about the meal despite feeling like l was in the arctic. I started with the scallion pancake, always good and they're hard to screw up. Sure to form they did fine but it was somewhat flavorless. As soon as I ordered that I received terrible service, I think the waitress thought that's all I was going to get and didn't see a big tip. I finally got her to come back and I ordered the basil chicken with rice noodles and it was equally as bland. The food wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't a sport I would push onto anyone else.
(2)
Stephanie L.

Aw, I'm disappointed. I used to be a huge fan of 9 Tastes. Something about the availability of the lunch/dinner box combos as well as the fast but decent atmosphere ... I really liked it. But today the menu made me cringe. Was there a substantial price increase that I missed, or did I just finally realize how much they charge you for some dishes? The pad thai serving also seemed small somehow, and although the tofu hot pot was delicious, it could also have been made larger for a dinner size (the marginal ingredients wouldn't really raise their costs in that one ...) Still 3 stars for the good service and decent food/atmosphere; nothing stellar. With the abundance of Thai options within walking (and especially driving) distance, there's no reason to go out of your way for this one.
(3)
Eric K.

Unfortunately I can't rate it at 0 stars. The food was mediocre at best and overpriced. My crispy chicken basil was just soggy and lacked flavor - it also gave me a bad stomach ache. If only that was it . . . The service was the worst I have ever experienced at a restaurant (seriously). We were there for a little over an hour and weren't finished our drinks and they asked us to leave because they needed the table. Yes, the place is really small, but still, this is ridiculous. We wanted to skimp on the tip because of it, but they put 18% right on our bill.
(1)
Pauline S.

I'm not from the area so I can't judge this place in relation to other Thai establishments in Cambridge/Boston, but overall I felt the place was mediocore. I came here on a Friday night and the place was buzzing, which was a good sign. It definitely had good vibes. The waitress was attentive enough and came around to refill our waters, which is always a plus in my book. On a side note, the place is pretty dark. I ordered the yellow curry chicken and I didn't really enjoy it. It was a bit too spicy for me. My bf had the mango fried rice with chicken and I got to enjoy some of that; that was definitely better than the curry. All in all, it seems like an all right place to go to if you're in harvard square and just want to get some food with friends.
(3)
Hyun Y.

Portion and price are good. And tastes great! I like the pad thai, and some of their appetizers are delicious. Although, the appetizers could be a bit pricey considering their portion.
(4)
Steven F.

Every few months, after not having had Thai food for a while, I stumble back in here and remember why I love the cuisine and this restaurant. Even though 9 Tastes is in the heart of Harvard Square, across from some other major spots like Om, Upstairs on the Square and Grendel's Den, I've never had to wait an excruciatingly long time for a table like I would at the others. The best thing about that, is that I think this place offers better quality food and service than most places in the square. In my most recent trip, I went here on a date with someone who'd lived in LA and was used to genuine, high quality Thai and I assured him, while crossing my fingers, that this would be Boston's equivalent. The speedy, attentive service, the lovely decor and the intimate setting all make for a fine evening out. (I love places where I never get to finish my water glass before it's refilled.) The real star, of course, is the food. I've had several meals here. Unlike so many of my other favorite restaurants, I never feel like I need to stick with what I know. I'm always confident every new dish I try will be fantastic. I strongly recommend...well, to be honest...any dish on the menu! Oh and p.s. my date was very pleased with his meal and said it definitely compared with his previous dining delights. I was sure the option of a third date hinged on whether 9 Tastes rose to the occasion. I was right, it did AND I got the third date.
(5)
Emily C.

The restaurant itself is really small with very limited seating, but they do take reservations, so I would highly recommend them...even for a group as small as four. The service is really good, the food is tasty, and the portions are about right (if you're not looking to stuff yourself...and if you want to save room for boston tea stop after). I've come here in both big groups and small. If you're here with a big group, don't expect all your entrees to come out at the same time. I came once for a friend's birthday, and she had pre-ordered a set menu ahead of time so it wasn't an issue. The other time everyone ordered individual entrees so the service was a little staggered. ...okay...i admit. I don't remember what I ate specifically...but I SWEAR i've been here multiple times and i've never had a bad experience.
(4)
Lauren G.

I've actually never eaten IN this restaurant. I've only ordered delivery. And, the delivery pad thai is delicious. I have pretty high standards on delivery food (I expect it to be just as good as when I go to the restaurant, but I find that it rarely is), and so you can trust when I say that the pad thai is so good it may be addicting. I also love the spring rolls and shumai (since the pad thai alone doesn't qualify me for delivery minimum). Only problem is - I think word has spread. It usually takes between an hour and an hour and a half to get my food after making the phone call. But, as long as you plan accordingly, it's worth the wait.
(4)
S W.

Good food with medium range price. Quite popular Thai restaurant in the neighborhood.
(4)
Karen W.

Went with my sister, we ordered pineapple fried rice and pad thai, two dishes that you rarely go wrong with. The pineapple fried rice was very, very greasy and had no flavor beside grease. The pad thai was liquidy, which I have never experienced before. Service was indifferent, neither good nor bad.
(2)
Lupe P.

This is a really snazzy place to eat in Harvard Square. The seating is kind of cramped but I like the fact you enter the front door and have to walk down to get to the sunken dining area - it feels very hipster, which I don't think happens much in Harvard Square. On to the food. The food was actually really, really good. To start off we shared delicious spring rolls. For the entree I ate the honey duck and fell in love after the first bite. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their dishes as well. After dinner, I decided to turn our conversation to favorite baseball teams and stadiums, despite the fact I was eating dinner with three women. Yes, I am an idiot. Overall, I enjoyed my 9 Tastes experience very much and although I would not give it 9 stars, 4 seems reasonable.
(4)
Marie E.

Wasn't sure what I wanted to eat....came upon 9 tastes! Prices were really affordable....lots of food...I could not finish my entree. My server was pleasant and I never felt rushed. Worth trying!
(4)
Mary G.

I have ordered from 9 Tastes before, and it has been fine. This time, they were an hour late. They didn't even call to offer a refund, and the delivery person didn't even apologize upon arrival. When I called them after 30 minutes, they told me there was traffic...9 Tastes is less than 1 mile from my destination. So, 9 Tastes, you have just lost a previously loyal customer, unless I get a refund.
(1)
Kris M.

Impeccable service. Got seated at a table soon as I walked in, took my drink order soon as I was ready, came around shortly after for food, which was delivered not 5 minutes later. Waiter made a point of asking how it was, but after I had actually had a chance to eat some (which a lot of waiters will surprisingly not do). Took the plates quickly after I finished, bill quickly after that. Excellent timing. The food was pretty good, too. Thai iced tea, a little more bitter than I'm used to but still delicious and refreshing. Got the drunken noodles, which were not as spicy as I was expecting, sadly. Lots of veggies in it though, even with chicken added, and some excellent snap peas that actually snapped when I bit into them. I'd definitely come back here and possibly make it a regular place for Thai, if I were sticking around.
(4)
Milee S.

I've never been a big fan of Thai food (I know, I'm in the minority!), but my boyfriend took me here since he loves Thai. It's his favorite restaurant. Wish I could say the same, but I can't. I had spring rolls which were good, but my steamed chicken dish pretty much sucked. Very bland and no sauces to put over it. My boyfriend had the green chili curry dish and really liked it. But I doubt I'd go back. I felt like I was in someone's basement, having a meal.
(2)
Andrew G.

For extremely reasonable thai food, this place is the best around. Drunken noodles w/ beef are fantastic, and only $8 which is an incredible deal. This place is certainly not going to stack up against fancy, pricey restaurants, but for what it is trying to be, definitely 5 stars.
(5)
Due H.

Nine taste does things right. Their lighting and environment is done well. I like looking at the decoration of mirrors. I like the food. I usually come here and order from the various amounts of fried rices. Had a few and I like them all. I usually avoid shrimp because I think it doesn't mix that well with the thai flavoring that they use. I guess thats opinion, but if you like shrimp go for it. If not, I wouldn't recommend the combination. Prices are medium. A rice plate, you can expect to pay 9-10 dollars.
(5)
Britt C.

I ate at 9 Tastes almost every Thursday afternoon with a group of friends for a year and a half. Most of the staff is very friendly and, if you look carefully, you'll notice that the owner/manager chooses to wear neither belt nor underwear with oversized bluejeans. Given the fact that the walls are covered in mirrors, this makes for an amusing lunch hour. The walls that are not covered in mirrors are covered with equally amazing paintings of Thai mermaids and sealife. As for the food, get a lunch special (between $8.95 and $10.95). These come with soup (clear broth with whatever leftover veggies or fried bits they have from the day before, I would guess), an appetizer (spring rolls or shumai) and a box with rice, salad, and whatever one or two main dishes you've ordered. My favorite is the combo special of yellow mango curry and vegetable delight. Their pad Thai isn't bad, their red curry is good, and their satay is good too. One of the better lunch finds in the square.
(3)
Andrew R.

Good neighborhood Thai place. Good service, interesting variety for Thai food, and prices are ok.
(4)
Carol W.

I was here yesterday evening right when they open for dinner service at 5PM. On Mondays through Wednesdays, they offer special dinner boxes. I got the tofu with vegetables in garlic sauce with spring rolls and chicken tom yum soup dinner box. Of everything I had, I was most impressed with the soup. It was the tastiest tom yum soup I have ever had, full of flavor and spice. I couldn't help from coughing a little and needing water! It was so good that I would definitely go back for that alone! I've had tom yum soup at other Thai restaurants, including Rod Dee, Dok Bua, Montien (surprisingly bland), Amarin of Thailand, House of Siam, and a few others. None of these other restaurants have as memorable a tom yum soup! The spring rolls were good and the entree was okay. I would come back again to get the soup and to try their curries. The service was quite attentive, and my water was refilled several times.
(4)
Dan C.

One of the most important things for a single guy to have, aside from an equally desperate female friend, is a "go to" place. She wants to see that you have an opinion and can make a decision from time to time. This is my place, and it should be yours too. Now I don't think I need to go into how 9 Tastes is appropriate for even the most wonder bread of pallets, but it is. 9 Tastes has something for everyone, and can still be marginally exotic. This cozy little spot on JFK serves a small selection of wine and beers (all bottles), but is a stone throw away from a number of Harvard bars, which make great after dinner hangouts. Draw back is I am always hungover the next day, which makes writing a funny review ever so difficult (compliment me more, yo!). The steamed shumai, as it should never be fried in this guy's eyes, is a little underwhelming, but the sauce is sweet and a little hot which makes up for the lack of taste. The pad thai is delicious, and served in heaping portions. The 9 Tastes pad thai, packed with everything but the kitchen sink, is definitely where its at. My person favorite, the drunken noodle, is just spicy enough for me to enjoy it with a beer, but not to the point where I also need a water. Prices are in the $10s so you wont break the bank while trying to chat her up. The place is rather cozy, being in a basement, but also bright, so don't try to make a move at dinner you naughty man...but then again that is what the corner table was made for, right? Bottom Line: 1st date, great.
(4)
Anna W.

This is my favorite Thai restaurant (the same people also own Spice, which is like a block away). The Pad Thai is tangy, citrusy, and totally delish. My favorite dish is the Pad See Iew. If you like spicy, get the Drunken Noodles!!! I have never had a bad experience here. I've eaten in and gotten take-out as well. The staff is very nice. If you do eat-in, they have some very good lunch box options during lunch (not available for take-out). It is under $10, and you get soup, appetizer, salad, rice, and an entree. Totally worth the price!! Definitely check out 9 Tastes if you are in harvard square and have a craving for Thai. If you go there often, get their lunch card -- you get a free lunch for every 6 that you buy :-)
(5)
Drew H.

This is the worst Thai food I have ever had. The food was ice cold sent it back and they nuked it. The chicken tasted like rubber. Stay far far away. Eat here at your own risk.
(1)
Sun Y.

9 tastes has a very extensive menu, especially for vegetarians. If you like spicyyy (the real kind of spicy, not the american kind of spicy), you'll like this place. The red curry with a thai iced tea is my favorite. It's also very cheap ($9-$15/dish).
(4)
Mandy L.

Not horrible for thai food.....but not the greatest either. Its more geared towards american tastes and not quite the authentic style. their thai iced tea is too sweet for my likey.
(2)
Sarah C.

If you want a cheap, easy and fast lunch place in Harvard Square then 9 Tastes is a no brainer. Come here for affordable Thai food that will fill you up and get you back to work within your 1 hour time period.
(3)
Robert B.

9 Tastes seemed so promising, but I'm not sure I'm sold on it. The food was just alright. I felt like it wasn't any better than the 'fast food' Thai place by my work. I got the rainbow chicken which was boring. And the service was pushy, for lack of a better word. I definitely felt rushed, as in they wanted us to leave because being in the restaurant at 8:30pm on a Friday was some giant inconvenience. I think they had something better to be doing. Funnily enough, I do want to go back and give it another whirl, though... just to see if maybe I have a better experience.
(2)
Alexis V.

I love 9 Tastes' food so much! It is affordable and my food always tastes great. They also bring the food out quickly. I am a vegetarian and find great options on the menu. My boyfriend doesn't like the food as much as other Thai places (especially the noodles), but to me they're top notch. The only thing I would say is that sometimes I feel like they rush you to leave and the waiters don't seem invested in you having a great dining experience. When you get take-out or delivery, this doesn't matter obviously. When I think of my favorite dinner spot (Rafiki Bistro) and compare it to 9 Tastes, I'd say my favorite place acts like they're happier you're there and makes an effort to make you feel welcome and comfortable. But 9 Tastes is awesome and affordable, and you should definitely go when you're in Harvard Square!
(4)
Steve F.

Something has changed about this place recently. I've been going at least once a month for several years with friends. On my last visit, the staff seemed entirely new...and confused. They were wearing new uniforms/costumes. The servings were smaller. The food was slightly different. Thai background music was replaced with popular music. I'm not saying it's bad but it's changed. And I'm not really happy with the changes.
(3)
Alexandra K.

I really enjoyed my visit to 9 Tastes last evening. Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening. When you walk through the door and down the stairs an expansive ground floor window-less dining room emerges in front of you. The decor is very appealing. They also have a pretty fishy tank with some beautiful fishes that guides you to the bathrooms. The waiters are all very handsome and very attentive. It really was great service. They seemed to all wait on everybody. We didn't just have one waiter, but several. The service was also incredibly fast. I'd say it only took about 7-10 minutes before our food was in front of us. That's a selling point for me! My friend had a packaged meal that included a little appetizer, soup, salad, a meal, and some fruit. I tried the soup and was in LOVE! I can't remember what it was called, but it was mushrooms and chicken in a broth made of some chicken stock, cilantro, and coconut milk. The broth had an amazing lemon flavor that really tied it all together. I am going to try to make this on my own now! I had the typical pad thai. It was excellent. It was sweeter than most pad thais that I've had, which was great, as I like it really sweet and peanutty. I had enough left overs for my lunch today! I highly recommend this restaurant. They are wonderful!~
(5)
Jenna H.

9 Tastes is a lovely Thai restaurant with good food and nice ambiance. Dinner's usually about $15, so not too expensive, and the Drunken Noodle and Spicy Noodle are both very delicious. In fact I'd recommend anything on the menu that has the little star next to it that stands for spicy! Service is good and fast also.
(4)
Wendy L.

Food is okay but pretty much just like any other Thai place. Nothing is very outstanding but it has typically been pretty consistent...I guess consistently average isn't too bad...? The curries I've eaten have been fine but not particularly tasty. I do find it weird to walk downstairs to eat in a subterranean place; I've never sat by a window, but I think it must be weird to see people's feet as you walk by.
(3)
Chris W.

Is it just me, or is this place the exact same restaurant as Chili Duck on Boylston? It has the same artwork and colorful plates and the same food. 9 tastes was a solid, nothing spectacular, "you get what you expect" Thai restaurant in Harvard Square. The service was ok, the selection of dishes was average for a Thai restaurant in Boston, and the prices were $10-20 for dinner. We got the appetizer sampler and also calamari to start. The calamari was pretty good, although it tasted more like popcorn chicken than other calamari I've had (which is ok because I like popcorn chicken). I got the crispy chicken fried rice which was a really good choice. The chicken was very crispy and the fried rice had just the slightest amount of spice such that it wasn't overwhelming but still made the dish really good.
(3)
Melissa M.

Good for pad thai (dining in). The takeout gets really clumpy, so I'd recommend going here to dine. The service is typical for this cuisine. They are quick/efficient/but may not speak English too well. But, I go for the food not the conversation.
(4)
Jasmine E.

This is probably the best Thai restaurant i've tried in the boston area so far (and i've tried quite a few and won't even bother to review them). Their tom yum soup is just the right combo of spiciness and flavor. Great pad thai and pad see ew. I've also tried their ginger and scallion and eggplant delight which was also fantastic. You can tell i've been here a few times right? And last but not least, the fried ice cream....I think i'm gonna have to make another trip there sometime soon. :-)
(4)
Will A.

Pro's: Seated immediately on a Thursday evening, cordial staff, food was delivered somewhat quickly, water glasses were always full. Con's: Waiter took a long time to come over and take our order, only 4 crab rangoons for $6, one of the rangoons was mostly empty and all were somewhat greasy Meh's: 9 Tastes pad thai was not what I was expecting from pad thai. Maybe it's my American palette but I didn't taste like I expected. Still good, just a bit lighter in flavor than anticipated. Could use some peppers or other things mixed in.
(3)
Food S.

This is one of the better Thai restaurants I have been to in recent years. I frequent a few of them...the service is very friendly, fast and needless to say, very efficient. I was here on Saturday evening with my girlfriend, we were waited on promptly, we placed our orders for our entrees and appetizers, all of which came out in a very reasonable time frame. As soon as we were finished with our appetizers, our entrees were out, the food was very fresh, and appealing to not only the eye, but, to the palate as well. There seemed to be a small bar that had limited alcohol, and some beers...none of which I checked out. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, various Thai artifacts were precariously placed around the walls and ledges. This place is quite classy and I do suggest checking it out if you are in the Harvard Square area.
(5)
Mike R.

So I went there with some friends. First of all the service was good, but way too fast. The soup/apps were on the table all of 45 seconds when the entrees came out. When I got to my Pad Thai it wasn't exactly steaming hot because it had been sitting there for a few minutes, but it was good. Not great, but good. It was a little too sweet, not enough heat for me, but it was good. Everyone else liked their dishes too. Ill probably go back eventually but I'll check out some other places on the area first.
(3)
Michael L.

I would say I was underwhelmed by 2 of the 5 tastes.* 1. Spicy - DELICIOUS! It was perfect-hot! 2. Tofu - GREAT! A little less fried than I'm used to, but tasty. So a double winner for health and yumminess. 3. Veggies - Crisp, fresh, yum. 4. Noodles - It looked like my "Spicy Noodle" dish was actually a plate of undercooked ramen. 5. Portion - Not really a taste, but when I finished I was still hungry, which makes me angry! Overall I'd say it's decent. They are running a special through the month of July where you get one entre at half price after buying one at full price. A full Thai meal coming to $12-$15 is enough enticement to bring me to 9 Tastes again. *What are the other 4 tastes? Meat, Bones, ?, ?...?
(3)
Mariale O.

Although I've eaten here a bunch of times since it is very close to my school, the last time I was there the experience was AWFUL! te place was pretty crowded, so instead of being asked to wait the took us to a table, and tried to sit down 6 people in a table for 4. This was ok, until 2 other friends decided to join, and instead of putting a new table next to ours (and the truth is we had a table next to us) they tried to sit the extra two people in the tiny table. At this point we were so upset we decided to stand up and leave, the worst part is that when I asked them, they said "We always sit 8 people in a table like that" which I believe is unacceptable!
(1)
Shawn D.

This was the best service I have had at a restaurant in months. They were the perfect balance of attentive, but not annoying. The food was delicious. Not too greasy, and not cooked beyond having any texture. This is the first time in far too long that I tipped not because I felt obligated, but I actually felt that they deserved it.
(5)
Thuy Tien L.

It seems that I go to a lot of places in Harvard Square simply because they're close by and the quality is decent, at least for what I can pay. This place is no exception. The food here skirts the borderline above average, but it's so consistent. The service has always been good, and the atmosphere is laid back and unpretentious, which is why my friend and I like to convene here every so often when we feel the need for face-to-face human conversation and pad thai. A three-star establishment gets a fourth star for being so darn dependable in my times of need. Okay but I have to admit: Spice (also in Harvard Square) is considerably better. The flavors are bolder and more, well, authentic, since they haven't been dulled for Western taste buds (at least in my opinion). But who has the time to wait more than an hour for a table? And this was WITH a reservation. Ridiculous. 9 Tastes is my sort of everyday place for Thai. Spice: special plan-ahead-and-eat-a-snack-before-you-come occasions.
(4)
Deepa C.

I came here with a friend and we had a lovely time. i got the red curry (as usual) and she got the mango chicken. The place wasn't too fancy (it is what it is), but I feel like the prices reflected the ambiance. The place was empty the night we were there (a Monday) so the service was attentive. The prices are good - I would probably take out instead of dining in the next time though. It is not worth the tip money and I would rather skip the tacky decor and sit on the couch eating my red curry any day.
(3)
Mike T.

I use to be a frequent customer so I decided to go back to this place recently. They have changed so much since I left. The food has gotten more sweat and the prices have seemed to gone up. I use to love this place because when you ask for extra spicy they deliver, but not anymore. The spice isn't there anymore but don't get me wrong it is still good . My only complaint is the price and the lack of spice in their food. Overall good place.
(4)
Christine L.

SO YUMMY try the 9 Tastes Pad Thai or the Yellow Curry or the Red Curry. Delicious, good-sized portions, not too expensive, fast service... and you know it is good food when while you're eating it, you think you'll be sad once all the food is gone. Definitely recommend! The place is rather small though, and a little hole-in-the-wallish because it is below street level.
(5)
Audrey C.

I am confused as to why this place is rated so highly. I went there with high hopes after reading the reviews, and I am NOT a good cook, but I ordered the Buddha Delight, and I have to say, I could cook better than what I got. It was just very plain and flavorless and not cheap either.
(2)
Tiffany D.

OOO food was good here :] Good service and good pad thai!!! This is the only thai place I've been to at Harvard so I can't really compare like others... but it's tasty. Altho it wasn't a place that I chose to go to repeatedly while still living in the area.
(3)
Liz G.

I enjoyed the chicken pad Thai very much! I was disappointed that they don't have any mixed drinks. My friends really liked their crab Rangoon but were HORRIBLY overpriced for only 4 rangoons ($7) ! My appetizer of chicken satay with peanut sauce and cucumber sauce was tender but bland. The terriyaki steak with vegetables was also very bland. There was a fly bothering us during dinner and the waiter kept skipping my water glass when refilling my friends'. I'd rather go to Mangoes in Tewksbury!
(2)
Tommy W.

How can people give this place any stars unless this is the only Thai food they've had in their life. 9 tastes struggles to reach "mediocre" What can you say about a place that serves Spicy Basil Fish that is supposed to be crispy and fresh but instead is soggy and, more likely than not, reheated leftovers? Maybe you can (and should) get away with that in curry dishes, but any idiot knows you can't reheat fried food. Not to mention, the reheating only managed to get the food to lukewarm. And even more disappointing is their close to flavor-less Tom-Yum Soup. Piling in bunches of chicken meat doesnt make up for the fact that you forgot to flavor the broth with adequate lime juice, lemongrass, and salt. Lucky for 9 tastes it has a good location so it can go on scamming unsuspecting tourists, students, and Harvard staff for eternity.
(1)
Abdullah A.

Gone a couple of times during lunch and dinner. The taste of the classical dishes is pretty good (Pad Thai, Thai fried rice, crispy chicken are a must try) There are some dishes that could use a little work (like the garlic beef, didn't have any real taste at all) My appetizer favorite are the golden bags, a real treat of seasoned shrimp in a fried dough sheet. What really stands out is the atmosphere, the restaurant is much bigger than what you would think from the outside, and it definitely looks nicer inside. The service is very amenable. The only con is that food odor invades the seating area (good food odor in any case), so that your clothes will be smelling if you spend too much time seated.
(4)
Dana L.

Came here with a Harvard Square resident, who claimed that this was among the best the Square had to offer. Even before we sat down, I noticed that all of the place-settings had primary color schemes (the serving dishes also had interesting schemes - one of them was shaped like a star). We ordered the chicken yellow curry and the roasted honey duck. The chicken curry was fairly good, if unexceptional, and the duck was also tasty. Slightly sweet, with a Chinese dwarf vegetables (corn, mushroom, pea shoots, ...) Not too chewy, so it was cooked properly. The food didn't make this a candidate for my best meal ever in Harvard Square (sorry), but still makes it a good meal for a reasonable price (the entrees were $12 - $15 each). The service here was pretty good - the waiters kept refilling our water, and they seemed to be friendly. Overall, a pretty good meal.
(3)

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Address : 50 JFK St
Cambridge, MA, 02138
Phone (617) 547-6666
Website https://www.9taste.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :5:00 pm - 10:00pm

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

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9 Tastes

50 JFK St, Cambridge, MA, 02138

9 Tastes Menu

Appetizers

Entrees

Chicken

Curry Dishes

Desserts

Healthy Meal suggestions for 9 Tastes

Appetizers

Entrees

Chicken

Curry Dishes

Desserts

Jimmy Z.

Ana S.

Angi B.

Dj H.

Samarth A.

Aanchal J.

Keven C.

John W.

Kavya S.

Fancypants X.

Priyanka R.

Celia Z.

Javier B.

Louise K.

Kat C.

Anup A.

Zoe P.

May N.

Liz L.

Sean M.

Stan M.

Joe H.

Huan z.

J. H.

Pilan C.

N S.

KC F.

Iska B.

Cristina B.

Betty P.

Kathryn S.

Sarah L.

Kabir H.

Jessica R.

Emily H.

Zach B.

Doug W.

Kate D.

Amar K.

Eric F.

Tick R.

Maia C.

Veronica P.

Nancy W.

sheree I.

Kristina D.

Anush J.

Jeremy S.

Fen Z.

aaron t.

Lindsay R.

Teju P.

Daniel N.

T T.

Abigail D.

Joe R.

J D.

Julian M.

Sophia C.

Bryanne R.

Aurora O.

Lynda M.

Rob P.

Jen Y.

Georgia Y.