On the Horizon

Introducing the Snowflake Dumpling: When Jason Doo—a visiting fellow at Harvard and a chef who has worked at places like Sensing and Menton—opens Kinsai this year, the restaurant will be the first in Boston (he’s still scouting locations) to serve “snowflake” dumplings, a variation on the pot sticker. Fried in a combination of flour, maltose, oil, and water, the snowflakes acquire a lacy crust at the bottom that holds several of them together—and shatters into wafer-thin crackers upon eating. In short, the snowflakes are the ultimate pot stickers. (Photo by Heath Robbins)

Bon Me
Kendall Square

The owners of the popular Vietnamese-inspired food trucks were scheduled at press time to open a brick-and-mortar eatery in February, offering the same stuffed banh mi sandwiches and tea-smoked deviled eggs you can find on the trucks, plus rotating dinner specials.

Blue Dragon
Fort Point

The second restaurant from celeb chef Ming Tsai, a casual gastropub, is scheduled to arrive this month. Tsai will keep his “East Meets West” ethos going. Pub classics like shepherd’s pie will feature an Indonesian twist, while sliders will have a Chinese spin.

Mei Mei Street Kitchen
Brookline

Another food-truck darling that will open a restaurant—in this case, this spring, by the St. Marys T stop. Mei Mei staples like pork buns and cheesy scallion-pancake sandwiches will be on the menu, as will larger, restaurant-only dishes.

Ittoku
Brighton

Rumor has it that the owners behind Café Mami, Ebi Sushi, and Sapporo Ramen have banded together to create a Japanese spot that will take over the Petit Robert Bistro space on Comm. Ave. Details so far are few, but we are hearing one bit of delightful news: There will be ramen.

Kinsai

Menton and Sensing alum Jason Doo will open an ambitious upscale Chinese project by fall. A nightly chef’s-table tasting menu—with set, 20-odd-course dinners—will be available, as will 1930s-Shanghai-style craft cocktails and snacks.

An As-Yet-Unnamed Izakaya from Guchi’s

After launching the city’s ramen craze (see Wonton Regard), the team behind Guchi’s Midnight Ramen (led by the O Ya chef Yukihiro Kawaguchi) will open a restaurant, centered around the concept of izakaya (Japanese small plates).

For more on Asian cuisine in Boston, check out our complete guide to Asian cuisine: Umami Rising.
Can’t wait for these spots to open? Check out The 20 Essential Asian Restaurants in Boston.