3 days ago
Tiny Fupo in Cambridge's Huron Village is serving a Chinese and fusion menu
The Backstory
Before they opened Fupo, Xuyang (Benny) Zhang was an R&D mechanical engineer, and his wife, Qianyi Lin, worked as a business intelligence analyst. When they decided to open a restaurant, they returned to China — he is from Canton and she is from Sichuan — and tried food from many regions to see what they wanted to bring to their new place.
The Chinese beef flatbread at Fupo.
Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff
What to Eat
Chinese beef-stuffed flatbread, from the street food section of the menu, with a flattened patty seasoned with red and green Sichuan peppercorns baked inside a yeast dough. It's delicious. Roasted dumplings (eight to an order) with vegetables, chicken, or pork, with crispy edges and juicy filling. Stir-fried broccoli with garlic, perfectly cooked, almost crunchy. Cold noodles (with or without shredded chicken) with carrots and cucumber and a chile oil sauce you add yourself, so you're in charge of the heat. You'll find vegan dishes, such as noodles tossed with stir-fried zucchini slices; familiar food such as egg and veggie fried rice or roasted pork ribs; family fare as in thin-crust pizza; exciting specialties such as Sichuan peppercorn shrimp pasta; and unusual offerings such as brown sugar buns.
The dumplings at Fupo.
Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff
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What to Drink
Regular coffee and latte, plus many versions of iced latte, including lavender, Nutella, and banana; several matcha drinks; and more bottles and cans to choose from.
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The Takeaway
Fupo means 'rich lady' in Mandarin. When Qianyi Lin told a friend that she and her husband were opening a restaurant, he wished them great success and hoped she became rich, hence the name. The couple is very enthusiastic and accommodating, and their food is quite fresh, prepared with care, and mostly healthy. This is a shoestring operation with 16 seats. You want to encourage and patronize a sweet place like this.
359 Huron Ave., Huron Village, Cambridge, 617-491-3133. Dumplings, noodles, vegetables $9.95-$22.95; meat and seafood $8.25-$26.95.
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