It wasn’t all that long ago that Boston and its neighbors Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline were where people in the area went for top-tier food — the suburbs were mostly full of houses of pizza and sub shops, restaurant chains and old-school neighborhood eateries that featured breakfast and comfort food.
But more and more, diners are finding outstanding food options north, west and south of the city, including in communities that up until recently weren’t really known for such places. Some of these cities and towns are downright hot right now.
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Woburn, Burlington, Beverly, Dedham, Quincy and Wellesley are increasingly seen as destination spots for food and drink. Braintree is slowly but surely joining this list, especially considering such highly anticipated restaurants as Ganko, an outlet of an award-winning ramen place in Brookline, and Scutari, an upscale Italian restaurant that will join another that recently opened in Hanover, are on the way.
Another Braintree dining spot that quietly opened, in South Braintree Square earlier this year, has been getting rave reviews from locals, and based on a couple of visits to The Peppery on Pearl Street, it is easy to see why people are excited about this unassuming little spot. While its predecessor — Café Asiana — was a very good fusion place around for nearly 25 years, The Peppery feels like it’s on another level, not just compared to the now-closed Café Asiana but other Asian restaurants nearby and elsewhere in the Greater Boston area.
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Much like Café Asiana, The Peppery is a tiny eatery that does quite a bit of takeout business due, in part to its size but also because it is centrally located, near many residential sections of Braintree. Unlike some other restaurants with limited seating, The Peppery does have table service, and the interior is quiet and comfortable with plenty of light from its large windows. Parking isn’t overly difficult, as South Braintree Square has plenty of street parking (it’s just off the heart of the square in a slightly quieter area) and those who use public transportation have the benefit of the Braintree T station within walking distance.
The Peppery features a mix of familiar and not-so-familiar dishes, giving folks who live in or near this southern suburb a little something for everyone.
The menu includes tasty appetizers such as crab rangoon (that have a slightly tart flavor with the addition of cranberries) and handmade dumplings that can be ordered with pork and shrimp or with veggies. The main dishes include pad thai, of course, but the version served here uses fresher ingredients than that which you might find at the countless takeout spots that dot the landscape, and unlike some of those eateries, you can order this one with duck. The drunken noodle dish can also come with duck (along with beef, chicken, seafood, tofu and veggies, as is the case with the pad thai), and it packs a bit of a punch thanks to its hot peppers. The menu also includes such popular Thai items as massaman curry, basil fried rice, tamarind duck and a variety of stir-fry dishes.
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A particularly impressive option at The Peppery is the kaho soi, an aromatic curry noodle soup with crispy egg noodles, and which can be ordered with crispy chicken —it is truly a picture-worthy dish that you almost don’t want to eat because it’s presented so nicely.
Among the appetizers is a particularly unique item especially for the Boston suburbs, and while you might be scratching your head at the sight of chicken donuts or shrimp donuts on the menu, the take on a traditional Thai street food, basically savory cakes coated in panko breadcrumbs, is absolutely delicious.
The Peppery doesn’t have a liquor license, but they do offer a refreshing Thai iced tea as well as coconut juice, Thai lemonade, lychee with coconut jelly and more.
South Braintree Square is a charming little downtown area that’s only a few minutes away from the Braintree Split, making it easy to get to as long as traffic on the Expressway or Route 128 isn’t too bad, and The Peppery is a very impressive new addition to this commercial area which is already full of both new and old dining spots. Based on early impressions, it would seem this little-known eatery might not be so little known for too much longer, and with the addition of Ganko coming to East Braintree, this laid-back suburb of Boston could soon see lovers of Asian food coming from quite a distance to check out its burgeoning restaurant scene.
The Peppery Thai Restaurant, 25 Pearl Street, Braintree, MA, 02184. thepepperythai.com
