Sugar & Spice Restaurant   

1933 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-868-4200

Directions   Email   Send to Cell  

Despite the multiculturalism of its culinary landscape, Cambridge has never been a destination for authentic Thai food, leaving the genre to Bostonian standbys like Brown Sugar and Montien. With the advent of Sugar & Spice, Porter Square gained its own hub for preparations redolent with lime and lemongrass -- and, in keeping with the neighborhood's student population, these champagne delicacies are available to those living on beer budgets. Owner-chef Penjan Kridaratikorn is no newcomer to the scene, having attracted a following with outposts of Sweet Chili in Arlington and Inman Square.With Sugar & Spice, she switches gears from Pan-Asian to "Thai Thai," returning to the cuisine she gleaned from her grandmother. The new restaurant also raises the bar for design in pedestrian Porter Square, with a scheme featuring psychedelic stained glass and light fixtures worthy of the 'Jetsons.' The encyclopedic menu furthers the atmosphere's theme of fantasy fulfillment, offering nearly 100 options for everyone from vegans to hardcore carnivores. Though partisans of pad thai certainly won't go hungry here, the kitchen's expertise with obscure native dishes is unequalled. Standouts include a perfect papaya salad, steamed ginger fish and 'Excited Chicken' (served with stir-fried vegetables and aromatic herbs in a crisp wonton shell).