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Umami Rising

All over Boston—and across the country—Asian food is what’s hot. Soba noodles and pork-belly buns are showing up in unexpected places: celebrated kitchens, hip watering holes, even your neighborhood supermarket. You’ll be licking your chopsticks as we present the definitive list of the city’s very best Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Cambodian restaurants. We’ve consulted dumpling masters, broken down ramen and dim sum, and even mapped the Chinatown dining maze. Get ready to improve your fortunes.

Features

Adam DeTour

Point Man

Twelve years ago, WBUR’s Tom Ashbrook had never worked in radio. Today, from his small Boston studio, he hosts one of the most popular and influential shows on public radio, heard each week on 240 stations nationwide. And he’s only just getting started.

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The Outlaw

Confit and roasted milk-fed pig’s head. Swordfish wrapped in guanciale. Hourly menu changes and no time off. Welcome to the no-limits world of the mercurial chef Tony Maws.

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The Fellowship of the Miserable

Whiny, petulant, entitled, self-important—no, it’s not Boston fans we’re talking about, it’s Boston sportswriters. How did the sports media in this town, once the envy of the nation, become so awful?

Departments

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Mind the Gap

Why does Massachusetts—perhaps the most progressive state of them all—have one of the country’s biggest wage disparities between men and women?

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Dumbbelles

Yeah, Lisa Liberty Becker is a woman who pumps iron. What are you looking at?

News

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Q&A with Miss Universe Olivia Culpo

In January, Cranston, Rhode Island, native and Boston University sophomore Olivia Culpo beat out entire galaxies of women to win the Miss Universe pageant.

Restaurants

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Wonton Regard

There may be no more quintessential food across all Asian cuisines than the dumpling. Here are some of the best ones around, from the traditional to the anything-but.

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On the Horizon

Soon, the standard-bearers will be joined by a batch of exciting new places focusing on ­everything from epic tasting menus to scallion-pancake sandwiches.

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Have $5?

…then you’ve got more than enough for one (or, in many cases, several) of these delicious items, all gathered from area Asian grocers, bakeries, and banh mi shops.

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Chinatown Tour

Having consulted the experts and eaten our way across the area, we present Chinatown’s hidden treasures.

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Your Guide to Dim Sum

Brian Moy, co-owner of China Pearl, in Quincy and Chinatown, breaks down the must-order items available at his restaurant and elsewhere.

Fashion & Style