Laughing Monk Allston is hands down one of the few places in Boston where you can get truly authentic Thai flavors — no dilution, no shortcuts. I ordered the fried pork belly with fish sauce, larb moo, nam tok kor moo yang, and Isaan sausage — and every bite made me feel like I was back in Thailand.
The pork belly was perfectly crisp with that deep, savory hit from the fish sauce. The larb and nam tok were packed with roasted rice powder aroma, proper heat, and bright acidity — nothing was muted for the American palate. The Isaan sausage was exactly as it should be: slightly funky, garlicky, with a good char.
It’s clear the kitchen knows what they’re doing, both in terms of flavor layering and technique. As someone who spends a lot of time around food, I can tell when a place cooks with intention — and this is one of them. If you’re craving Thai food that actually tastes like home, this is where you go.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
T S
So happy to discover this little gem in Wellesley centre! It's small only maybe 7 or 8 tables, so there can be a wait, but eating at the small (4 chair) sushi bar also an option ( and cool visuals there, huge colorful video loop of underwater sea life) Service was *exceptional*, food fresh and delicious. And loved trying the Japanese IPA, it was terrific. Highly recommend👍
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rich
Deliveries are never ready on time. Slow slow slow. Avoid
Service: 1
Rashmi R
Lovely little hole in the wall place in Wellesley.. The vegetarian gyoza was the best I’ve ever tasted. The nigiri was amazingly delicious, the drunken noodles and curries were very flavourful too. Strongly recommend this gem
Eat in if possible. Waiting for take out is not comfortable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joe Hardie
Average experience. Food looks appetizing, but lacks attention to detail (missing avocado in some of the sushi). Noodle portions were inadequate for the price. Most of the container was empty. $8 soup was slightly spilled due to inadequate packaging. Also, my daughter found a hair in her rice. Room for improvement.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Robert Ang
They took my money for an omakase reservation for 2. They called the day prior and denied the reservation due to lack of staff, which is understandable. I asked them to instead give me a reservation for their a la carte serving, but they refused. They said I had to wait in line like everyone else?!
In addition, they did not refund my $50 per person reservation fee, despite their promises to do so. Unbelievable. I had to make a credit card claim to get a refund. Craziness. Never going to go here, ever. Totally mismanaged.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Полопарт Polopart
You constantly have to wait for my order, can't they increase the staff a little, the food is so-so!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
J.M. Hardie
Average experience. Food looks appetizing, but lacks attention to detail (missing avocado in some of the sushi). Noodle portions were inadequate for the price. Most of the container was empty. $8 soup was slightly spilled due to inadequate packaging. Also, my daughter found a hair in her rice. Room for improvement.
Poor service chicken was stringy and tough. Couldn’t eat it. Not a nice atmosphere
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ben Dunder
The food was absolutely amazing and the atmosphere was great as well. HOWEVER, the server was beyond rude. My friend and I split a basil fried rice and a shrimp appetizer. We sat at the bar, right in front of the sushi station. The server took our orders, gave us our food, refilled our water once, and asked how the food was one time. Service was nothing special at all. The total for each of us was $14.15, and I rounded up the total to $15 and paid. I didn’t tip much because we sat at the bar, service was literally nothing special, and tips are never required. Once the server saw my tip amount, she began interrogating me about the tip amount, ending off by saying to not dine in with them again if I can’t tip. Both my friend and I, who are first year college students, were extremely uncomfortable and a little scared. I was insanely taken aback because it’s never okay to do this as a server, especially when you factor in the fact that it’s EXTREMELY unprofessional. I was just telling my friend how much I loved the food and was literally thinking how this place might become my usual spot given how much I love Thai food and how close by it is. However, after this terrible experience, I will NEVER be coming back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Tien H
Everything was very fresh. I really enjoyed the toro and uni. Fresh wasabi was very nice. Lovely cocktail.
I also ordered the spider roll and the waitress didn’t tell me they didn’t have soft shell crab. She didn’t write anything down and I thought maybe she just forgot. She never came back with it so I was just waiting there. Until I asked another waitress. By then I was kind of done and didn’t want to look for anything else.
Overall, I thought the food was very good. I will probably try the omakase box next time or sit in for omakase if I have the time.
Laughing Monk Allston is hands down one of the few places in Boston where you can get truly authentic Thai flavors — no dilution, no shortcuts. I ordered the fried pork belly with fish sauce, larb moo, nam tok kor moo yang, and Isaan sausage — and every bite made me feel like I was back in Thailand.
The pork belly was perfectly crisp with that deep, savory hit from the fish sauce. The larb and nam tok were packed with roasted rice powder aroma, proper heat, and bright acidity — nothing was muted for the American palate. The Isaan sausage was exactly as it should be: slightly funky, garlicky, with a good char.
It’s clear the kitchen knows what they’re doing, both in terms of flavor layering and technique. As someone who spends a lot of time around food, I can tell when a place cooks with intention — and this is one of them. If you’re craving Thai food that actually tastes like home, this is where you go.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So happy to discover this little gem in Wellesley centre! It's small only maybe 7 or 8 tables, so there can be a wait, but eating at the small (4 chair) sushi bar also an option ( and cool visuals there, huge colorful video loop of underwater sea life)
Service was *exceptional*, food fresh and delicious. And loved trying the Japanese IPA, it was terrific. Highly recommend👍
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Deliveries are never ready on time. Slow slow slow. Avoid
Service: 1
Lovely little hole in the wall place in Wellesley..
The vegetarian gyoza was the best I’ve ever tasted. The nigiri was amazingly delicious, the drunken noodles and curries were very flavourful too.
Strongly recommend this gem
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi Entree, Drunken Noodle, Green Curry, Pineapple Fried Rice
Food is lovely. But the portions are small.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eat in if possible. Waiting for take out is not comfortable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Average experience. Food looks appetizing, but lacks attention to detail (missing avocado in some of the sushi). Noodle portions were inadequate for the price. Most of the container was empty. $8 soup was slightly spilled due to inadequate packaging. Also, my daughter found a hair in her rice. Room for improvement.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
They took my money for an omakase reservation for 2. They called the day prior and denied the reservation due to lack of staff, which is understandable. I asked them to instead give me a reservation for their a la carte serving, but they refused. They said I had to wait in line like everyone else?!
In addition, they did not refund my $50 per person reservation fee, despite their promises to do so. Unbelievable. I had to make a credit card claim to get a refund. Craziness. Never going to go here, ever. Totally mismanaged.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
You constantly have to wait for my order, can't they increase the staff a little, the food is so-so!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Average experience. Food looks appetizing, but lacks attention to detail (missing avocado in some of the sushi). Noodle portions were inadequate for the price. Most of the container was empty. $8 soup was slightly spilled due to inadequate packaging. Also, my daughter found a hair in her rice. Room for improvement.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
They just say wait wait.
Service: 1
Food came out quick, delicious, and beautiful.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Poor service chicken was stringy and tough. Couldn’t eat it. Not a nice atmosphere
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The food was absolutely amazing and the atmosphere was great as well. HOWEVER, the server was beyond rude.
My friend and I split a basil fried rice and a shrimp appetizer. We sat at the bar, right in front of the sushi station. The server took our orders, gave us our food, refilled our water once, and asked how the food was one time. Service was nothing special at all. The total for each of us was $14.15, and I rounded up the total to $15 and paid. I didn’t tip much because we sat at the bar, service was literally nothing special, and tips are never required. Once the server saw my tip amount, she began interrogating me about the tip amount, ending off by saying to not dine in with them again if I can’t tip. Both my friend and I, who are first year college students, were extremely uncomfortable and a little scared. I was insanely taken aback because it’s never okay to do this as a server, especially when you factor in the fact that it’s EXTREMELY unprofessional.
I was just telling my friend how much I loved the food and was literally thinking how this place might become my usual spot given how much I love Thai food and how close by it is. However, after this terrible experience, I will NEVER be coming back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Everything was very fresh. I really enjoyed the toro and uni. Fresh wasabi was very nice. Lovely cocktail.
I also ordered the spider roll and the waitress didn’t tell me they didn’t have soft shell crab. She didn’t write anything down and I thought maybe she just forgot. She never came back with it so I was just waiting there. Until I asked another waitress. By then I was kind of done and didn’t want to look for anything else.
Overall, I thought the food was very good. I will probably try the omakase box next time or sit in for omakase if I have the time.
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