Shojo

A new addition to Boston, Shojo sits in the heart of Chinatown. A standout from the traditional restaurants in the area, Shojo dazzles with creativity. Blending tastes and styles of Asia, Europe, and America, the tapas style (often changes) menu is a unique treat. Come for a snack (slightly above cheap for more). The Wu Tang Tiger Style ribs (3 per order) are neatly presented with a pack of flavor. The ribs are a combination of traditional Chinese American spare ribs and Kansas City style, saucy with Thai basil, shallots, and peanuts. The Big Mac Mantou (3 Chinese steamed buns) is downright blissful. The homage to childhood fast food (complete with the "special sauce") and the genius pairing of the Chinese bun fuses this reviewer's favorite treats of yore and present. On a cold winter evening, chowder was the soup of the day, with a silky and creamy broth with sausage, corn, and potatoes. Charred eggplant Ttukbokki (Korean rice cakes) is enough for a small meal. The eggplant, albeit a slim portion, and rice cakes are served in a red chili sauce over baked mozzarella. The rice cakes act as penne pasta and the red chili sauce provides the "tomato" element, to combine this reviewer's first witness of Korean Italian fusion. Kudos! The Bang Bang (reference to an episode of Louie?) Bolognese is enough for a meal and is a great value. This dish has the more apparent Italian flare with strong overtones of Sichuan cuisine in the peppercorn sauce. Looking forward to coming back to sample the rest of the menu!