We visited Nine Tastes in Harvard Square for dinner with a group of four. It was our first time at the restaurant, and while we really appreciated the warm and attentive service—the staff were friendly and accommodating throughout the evening—the food, unfortunately, didn't quite live up to expectations. The Tom Kha soup arrived with fresh ingredients, but its overly sweet broth threw the balance off. Similarly, the Nine Tastes Sampler offered a decent variety, but the inclusion of French fries felt like a filler—out of place and unnecessary in what should be a more authentic Thai appetizer selection. For mains, the shrimp Pad Thai also leaned far too sweet, which overshadowed the rest of the dish. The chicken krapow was served in a generous portion, but again, the flavor profile lacked balance—missing the punch and complexity the dish is known for. The Panang curry rounded things out with basic, somewhat one-note flavors that felt more rushed than refined. Overall, while we appreciated the hospitality and had a pleasant evening catching up, the food left something to be desired. There's potential here, but the kitchen could benefit from dialing back the sweetness and paying closer attention to balance and authenticity.
Donna
The lunch specials at Nine Tastes are always varied and satisfying. The service is friendly and accommodating.
Zachary
Nine Tastes is amazing. We were three rowdy college guys - we had a fantastic female server, I can't recall their name, but she was so kind. Always checking in on us, making sure we were satisfied with our meal (and always refilling our water glasses). Truly enjoyed it and always look forward to having this dining experience.
George
I had a fantastic meal at Nine Tastes in Cambridge, Massachusetts! The Crispy Chicken Pad Thai was absolutely delicious—perfectly crispy chicken paired with flavorful noodles, all tossed in their special sauce for just $15.95. The portion was generous, and the balance of flavors was spot on. The staff were friendly, and the atmosphere had a cozy, welcoming vibe that made the dining experience even better. I'd highly recommend Nine Tastes to anyone craving authentic Thai food with a creative twist!
Pamela
Our first visit to Nine Tastes. Their large menu offers classic Thai favorites including noodle and rice dishes, as well as several vegetarian options. I had the Nine Tastes Pad Thai, a delicious blend of rice noodles stir fried with baby shrimps (surprisingly plentiful!), chicken, egg, bean sprouts and scallions, topped with crushed peanuts. Nine Tastes' special sauce made this dish especially delicious. My husband had the yellow curry and loved it. We shared an appetizer of tofu triangles, since our first choice of Thai spring rolls was not available. The triangles were crunchy and delicious. Nine Tastes has an easy street-level entrance; one of the dining rooms is at the same level and another is a few steps down. Restrooms are a couple of steps up. The waitstaff is friendly and attentive without being intrusive. We will be back!
Karen
We had the usual Thai dishes — spring rolls, pad thai, and pad see ew — and they were good. The service was prompt, efficient and friendly. We will return.
Willem
Great menu with some more original Thai dishes ( seems not too Americanized) and Thai beer( Chang). I definitely will go again
Andrey Gizdov
The Thai curry was soooooooo sweet. It was inedible, full of sugar. The sauce for the chicken satay was also suuuper sweet. Overall not recommended. The price for the portion sizes is also pretty bad.
Hana
I’ve had a hard time finding a go-to Thai restaurant in the area, and this place is pretty on par with the rest of Cambridge. A bit overpriced and not super flavorful. Service was pretty efficient, though.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Jake Goodman
Solid and affordable Thai food in Harvard Square packed with students on a busy night. They have all the Thai staples you could want and then some. The food does the job, and it’s a great student hotspot in a basement atmosphere.
Got the pad see iu and chicken satay. Both were okay, but I've had better at some other Thai restaurants.
Laurie
Great food! We got there early (5:30) and it was empty but it filled up so fast! Curry's were fantastic. I will definitely go bsvk
Marleen
As usual, the food is absolutely incredible! There were 10 of us, sharing appetizers and main dishes, and everyone enjoy the food
Monica Tran
Ehh the food was okay, I had better Thai around here. I enjoyed the Crab Rangoons the most! The pad thai noodles were delicious but the chicken had no flavor. The drunken noodles lacked noodles sadly though the flavor was okay. Truly I wouldn’t come back
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Melody Cao
Great tasting Thai food at a casual but elevated restaurant! The food is very flavorful. I would say it is a little bit overpriced, the experience and food is worth $3-4 cheaper than the actual price. Yes the food is good, but it’s quite normal and there was nothing spectacular. The mango curry was good except the mango bits took my by surprised and almost had a slimy texture which I personally didn’t love, but that’s just what mango bits in curry feel like. The noodle portions were quite small for the price. The pad thai didn’t look very appetizing since it was a bland beige color and had no veggies. I’d recommend the curry if you come here!
The service was good though and this is a good restaurant for large-ish parties (8-12) as long as you make a reservation.
We visited Nine Tastes in Harvard Square for dinner with a group of four. It was our first time at the restaurant, and while we really appreciated the warm and attentive service—the staff were friendly and accommodating throughout the evening—the food, unfortunately, didn't quite live up to expectations. The Tom Kha soup arrived with fresh ingredients, but its overly sweet broth threw the balance off. Similarly, the Nine Tastes Sampler offered a decent variety, but the inclusion of French fries felt like a filler—out of place and unnecessary in what should be a more authentic Thai appetizer selection. For mains, the shrimp Pad Thai also leaned far too sweet, which overshadowed the rest of the dish. The chicken krapow was served in a generous portion, but again, the flavor profile lacked balance—missing the punch and complexity the dish is known for. The Panang curry rounded things out with basic, somewhat one-note flavors that felt more rushed than refined. Overall, while we appreciated the hospitality and had a pleasant evening catching up, the food left something to be desired. There's potential here, but the kitchen could benefit from dialing back the sweetness and paying closer attention to balance and authenticity.
The lunch specials at Nine Tastes are always varied and satisfying. The service is friendly and accommodating.
Nine Tastes is amazing. We were three rowdy college guys - we had a fantastic female server, I can't recall their name, but she was so kind. Always checking in on us, making sure we were satisfied with our meal (and always refilling our water glasses). Truly enjoyed it and always look forward to having this dining experience.
I had a fantastic meal at Nine Tastes in Cambridge, Massachusetts! The Crispy Chicken Pad Thai was absolutely delicious—perfectly crispy chicken paired with flavorful noodles, all tossed in their special sauce for just $15.95. The portion was generous, and the balance of flavors was spot on. The staff were friendly, and the atmosphere had a cozy, welcoming vibe that made the dining experience even better. I'd highly recommend Nine Tastes to anyone craving authentic Thai food with a creative twist!
Our first visit to Nine Tastes. Their large menu offers classic Thai favorites including noodle and rice dishes, as well as several vegetarian options. I had the Nine Tastes Pad Thai, a delicious blend of rice noodles stir fried with baby shrimps (surprisingly plentiful!), chicken, egg, bean sprouts and scallions, topped with crushed peanuts. Nine Tastes' special sauce made this dish especially delicious. My husband had the yellow curry and loved it. We shared an appetizer of tofu triangles, since our first choice of Thai spring rolls was not available. The triangles were crunchy and delicious. Nine Tastes has an easy street-level entrance; one of the dining rooms is at the same level and another is a few steps down. Restrooms are a couple of steps up. The waitstaff is friendly and attentive without being intrusive. We will be back!
We had the usual Thai dishes — spring rolls, pad thai, and pad see ew — and they were good. The service was prompt, efficient and friendly. We will return.
Great menu with some more original Thai dishes ( seems not too Americanized) and Thai beer( Chang). I definitely will go again
The Thai curry was soooooooo sweet. It was inedible, full of sugar. The sauce for the chicken satay was also suuuper sweet. Overall not recommended. The price for the portion sizes is also pretty bad.
I’ve had a hard time finding a go-to Thai restaurant in the area, and this place is pretty on par with the rest of Cambridge. A bit overpriced and not super flavorful. Service was pretty efficient, though.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Solid and affordable Thai food in Harvard Square packed with students on a busy night. They have all the Thai staples you could want and then some. The food does the job, and it’s a great student hotspot in a basement atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Pad Thai GF
Restaurantji Recommends
Got the pad see iu and chicken satay. Both were okay, but I've had better at some other Thai restaurants.
Great food! We got there early (5:30) and it was empty but it filled up so fast! Curry's were fantastic. I will definitely go bsvk
As usual, the food is absolutely incredible! There were 10 of us, sharing appetizers and main dishes, and everyone enjoy the food
Ehh the food was okay, I had better Thai around here. I enjoyed the Crab Rangoons the most! The pad thai noodles were delicious but the chicken had no flavor. The drunken noodles lacked noodles sadly though the flavor was okay. Truly I wouldn’t come back
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Great tasting Thai food at a casual but elevated restaurant! The food is very flavorful. I would say it is a little bit overpriced, the experience and food is worth $3-4 cheaper than the actual price. Yes the food is good, but it’s quite normal and there was nothing spectacular. The mango curry was good except the mango bits took my by surprised and almost had a slimy texture which I personally didn’t love, but that’s just what mango bits in curry feel like. The noodle portions were quite small for the price. The pad thai didn’t look very appetizing since it was a bland beige color and had no veggies. I’d recommend the curry if you come here!
The service was good though and this is a good restaurant for large-ish parties (8-12) as long as you make a reservation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Drunken Noodle, Mango Curry
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