Counter service meets exciting food at Amba in Cambridge
The back story
Amba, which is named for a delicious, golden-colored, Iraqi-Indian sauce made with fermented mangos, is a collaboration with the City of Cambridge, which owns the parking garage over the restaurant, and
An Arayes, an open-faced smashed lamb burger, at Amba Cafe in Cambridge.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
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What to eat
Amba plates have an
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Dukkah morning buns at Amba Cafe.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
What to drink
Along with
Avocado toast with smoked salmon at Amba Cafe.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
The takeaway
With its blond wood chairs, blush leather-like banquettes with velvet backs, and cement flooring, Amba could be a nice-looking cafeteria anywhere. But this isn't cafeteria cuisine. It's thoughtful, well-made, and full of surprise tastes and textures. Staff are especially friendly. Chef Gilson and his team got this prize spot after submitting a proposal to the city. Where they go, crowds follow.
57 First St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, 857-706-1962,
. Breakfast $8-$10; lunch/dinner $6-$40.
Sheryl Julian can be reached at
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