Where to Find the Best Chinese Food in Boston

FOR SICHUAN: FULOON

You don't go to Fuloon for the atmosphere, which is classic suburban Chinese restaurant (think: elevator music, slippery "leather" booths, and a fish tank). Nor do you go because it's convenient, as Malden is a good 20 minute drive north of the city. You go for the chili burn, the citrusy numbing sensation of ma la, and the vinegar punch, all of which make frequent appearances on the restaurant's largely Sichuan menu.Chef Zhang Wenxue's ma po tofu is some of the best you'll taste anywhere, including in its hometown of Chengu: rich and intense, custard-smooth, and mouth-numbing with the intensity of its Sichuan peppercorns. But that's just one of many must-order dishes. Our best advice: get a group together and share as many of the following as can fit on the lazy Susan: Bang Bang Chicken, Wonton's with Special Hot Sauce, Jingdu Pork Pancake, Starch Noodles with Pork, Mandarin Cabbage with Spicy and Sour (the sleeper hit of the menu), Szechuan-Style Steamed (read: swimming in chili oil) Beef, Kan Shue String Beans, Hot Diced Chicken Szechuan Style, Wok-Baked Beef, and Bean Curd Knots with Pork Belly.

FOR CANTONESE SEAFOOD: PEACH FARM

Thanks to its late hours (open 'til 3 a.m.), this bustling subterranean Chinatown staple doubles a hangout for off-work chefs. (It's also a good idea to go late at night, because eating during primetime often means crowding around the entryway while you wait an hour or more for a table.) But the real draw is swimming in the restaurant's fish tanks: live fish and shellfish that are no sooner plucked from the water than they appear on your plate. Live, head-on, in-the-shell salt-and-pepper shrimp are a must, and you know they're fresh because their availability is day-to-day (call the restaurant after 1 p.m. to check if they'll have them that night). The fry job is so expertly done that the two-bite crustaceans boast a light, delicate crunch that you might not expect from shell-on seafood. Other good choices include Cantonese classics like lobster with ginger-scallion sauce and clams with black bean sauce