Do you want some yummy drinks and delicious Korean tapas alongside? Guess what, this is the place to be!!! From the good music, to the very attentive staff, this place is a VIBE! Loved all of the food I got and ESPECIALLY the delicious drinks!! Personally, the love potion was sooooooo good!!! And I loved the Galbi skewers, absolutely delicious and the sauce was YUM! You gotta check this place out, you won't regret it!! read more

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Ordered delivery from here and it really surprised me. I'd walked by here a couple of times and it always looked intriguing, but the price point kept me away. But I was able to order on Grubhub with a discount and was really pleasantly surprised. I ordered the grilled spicy chicken box which came with a selection of banchan, white rice, and seaweed soup, and it was actually really really tasty. For a place that looked fusion/expensive, this was pretty legit. Grilled spicy chicken box ($23) - The chicken itself was SPICY but really delicious. You can taste the charcoal of the grill, and it has a great balance of spicy, salty, and a little bit of sweetness too. It was juicy chicken thighs and went really great with the white rice which was also cooked perfectly and the perfect texture. For the sides, there was deep dried tteok, or rice cake with a red sauce and it was great! Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside - my favorite of the sides. The kimchi did have a bit of a strange taste to what I'm used to, but the pickles were crunchy and the potato shreds were delicious. The fish cake was also great and the seaweed soup was delicious as well. For $23, this is not a bad deal at all. I had enough leftover for another meal and everything was really tasty! read more

Bell86 - Grilled spicy chicken box - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

We were very excited to try this place, it had good reviews and seems like a more up scale re-imagined Korean restaurant that would be perfect for a date spot, but I felt that the quality of the food was not there, especially compared to a good mom and pop Korean restaurant. The banchan is very limited, you have to pay extra for more, and I didn't feel like it was exceptional quality. In fact, the kimchi was too spicy and didn't taste right. We tried multiple meat dishes (there aren't many vegetables to select from), and I felt each one could use improvement. Raw marinated crab: very heavily sauced, and I'd only recommend if you'd be into raw crab. Also it takes work to eat and you're mostly tasting sauce. Galbijim: this dish was fine, but given how nice this restaurant seems, I felt like I wasn't especially wow'ed and this dish alone wouldn't bring me back. Korean fried chicken: the fried chicken was delicious, but it is full of bones and on a bed of charred rice (which I love), but it didn't feel like much meat for how expensive it was Sweet and sour fried fish: there were so many tiny bones, it was difficult to eat and my friend choked on the bones. It also became soggy easily and I didn't think the flavor was that good. The service made me wonder if this was a soft opening. I feel like they didn't do a good job of placing the dishes, and while they were attentive about cutting up the meat for us, it was a little messy. Also difficult to get someone's attention for the check. Overall, I felt like we spent a lot of money, had to work hard to eat out food (removing bones and shells), and came out feeling hungry and unsatisfied. I think there's potential and the ambiance is nice, but there needs a lot of improvement. read more

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Great service, food was tasty, I really enjoyed the seafood stew. I forgot ro take a pic. read more

Bell86 - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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A cute little, semi fancy Korean spot in Coolidge Corner. It's kind of a tapas format which generally means you're paying $$$ prices for small plates and ordering 2 to 3 per person. The interior is nice. Seems a bit more upscale than some of the casual eateries in the area. Not terribly upscale but definitely elevated. It's a good date night spot for people. Bell86 Galbi was the best dish. Highly recommend that one. It's $68, but perfect for two to share with some other added plates. If you get one thing, get this! Fried chicken is a whole tiny hen. Smaller than a Costco rotisserie bird, by alot. This is like tiny game hen size. At $39 it's a bit steep. The rice under it gets cooked to the point of being a cracker. Not good. The sauce that comes with it is really good. Raw marinated shrimp were OK but not great. That was a bit of a gamble. Service was stellar though. The waiters are really friendly and helpful. Overall, it can easily become an expensive dinner. It's tapas style which means usually a few plates per person and those plates can run the price of an entrée at other spots. read more

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Always great service. I love their bartender, Raymond. You can tell he has a real passion for drinks and he was very entertaining and fun to talk to. Their food selection is cool because you can choose from so many different options. I also love how they provide banchan as well as a small piece of gimbap and tea to start. The drinks and food presentations are so pretty and everything is delicious. It is never that crowded which makes it a nice place to talk. read more

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Beautiful interior with amazing service and delicious dishes. I would recommend for a date night or special occasion. My favorites from the tapas menu are the fried rice cake and corn cheese. For larger dishes, I recommend the galbi jjim, conch beef, and army stew. They also have a beautiful bar and a great cocktail menu. I loved the cocktails made with soju. I suggest making a reservation for a weekend night. They were packed when I went on a Saturday night, but they were relatively free on a Thursday night. Unfortunately, there's a fee for a late cancellation, so just be sure that you can make your reservation. The menu is large so I'll have to go back to try more of the menu. read more

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I really wanted to like this place, but it ended up being a pretty disappointing experience overall. The only standout items we had were the drinks...they were genuinely well-made and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the food fell short in several ways. The cheese corn was overly greasy and lacked the balanced sweetness and creaminess you'd typically expect from this dish. The mung bean pancake ($11) was especially disappointing. It came out tasting burnt. It was served with a dipping sauce that seemed off as well....traditionally, this sauce should be light, tangy, and slightly savory (usually soy-based with vinegar) to complement and cut through the richness of the pancake. Here, it was overly salty, one-dimensional, and the portion was so small that it didn't even cover more than a few bites. The banchan were underwhelming in both quality and quantity. They lacked the variety and freshness that are usually a hallmark of a good Korean meal, and portions were quite small. We even asked the waiter for a refill, which is typically standard practice, but it never came. Our main meat dish was also overly salty, making it hard to enjoy beyond a few bites. Across the board, portions felt limited, which is surprising because Korean dining is usually about abundance and generosity... especially when it comes to shared plates and complimentary sides. Having grown up in Orange County and having visited Korea, I've experienced Korean food at a much higher level, often for significantly less. Spending over $100 for a non-KBBQ meal should come with better execution, more generous portions, and greater attention to balance and authenticity. Honestly, I've had more satisfying meals just picking up banchan from H Mart. To make things more confusing, it was difficult to secure a reservation!!! we had to take an 8:00 pm slot since 7:30 wasn't available... but the restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived. Overall, this place didn't meet expectations, especially given the price point and the reputation. read more

Bell86 - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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I came here with friends for lunch right when they opened and we had the place to ourselves. The service was great! He was very attentive and checked on us multiple times throughout our meal. The restaurant itself was super cute as well. I loved the decor and chopstick holders! Finally the food - AMAZING! I really think this place deserves way way more hype. Everything we had was delicious and very reasonably priced for the portions. We left so so full and satisfied! Would definitely come back again! read more

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Made a reservation for two on a Monday evening and it wasn't busy at all. Just a few other tables were taken. The space is cozy and they play a mix of upbeat and more lowkey Korean music. We ordered the Gujeolpan, Shrimp Scallop Skewers, and Boneless Short Rib. For the two of us, this was more than enough food. We also got drinks - the Citron Meets Honey and Love Potion. My favorite was the Gujeolpan, particularly the mix of sauces. We came for our anniversary and they surprised us with a small dessert, which was very thoughtful. The service was very attentive and quick. read more

Bell86 - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Food was so good! We got the marinated raw crabs, shrimp and scallop skewers, fried oysters, pork belly, and spicy pig feet. We would order everything again! Service was top notch, we were so surprised there wasn't more people here on a Saturday night read more

Bell86 - Seating area - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Delicious little restaurant in Coolidge corner! We came for a late lunch, and it was quite empty so we were able to be seated right away. Our server was great and cooked our food very well and was prompt with everything! We ordered their bulgogi dish and cold noodles, and the bulgogi was definitely the star of the show. It was cooked on the table and ended up so tender and juicy, perfectly pairing with their banchan! I could not get enough of this bulgogi! We also get unlimited refills of banchan so eat all you want! The cold noodles were also yummy and a great pick for after the bulgogi. For three people, this was honestly a little too much food, but I think very worth it! read more

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I checked out this new Korean tapas place in Brookline and had a pretty good experience. A gentleman, who seemed like the owner of the restaurant, greeted me at the door upon entering and sat me down at my table as I waited for my friend. The interior looked very nice and it smelled pleasantly of sesame oil. Our waiter brought out some complimentary kimbap and waters. Once my friend arrived, we ordered our drinks and plates. The drink menu had a lot of soju cocktail options that looked really good. I ordered the melon soju cocktail and my friend got the maktini, which were both delicious. For food, we got a couple dishes which included the galbi jjim, the marinated crab, the fried eggplant dish, and the fried pork belly dish. Our favorite by far was the galbi jjim but the other dishes were good as well! As we were waiting for my friend's ride, the owner gave us some free hot chocolate to enjoy while we waited. read more

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It's not a traditional Korean restaurant. It serves fusion tapa dishes. The presentation is beautiful, but the food is not worth it. You feel uncomfortable dining here because the service is just too much. You feel watched throughout the meal and have three different servers come to your table from time to time. Konjac Jelly Salad with assorted vegetables and beef Korean royal court cuisine Added too much sesame oil Five Colored Special Steam Shrimp with special mustard sauce 2 shrimp, and they used red shrimp, not much meat. Specially fried pork belly with scallion salad and house-made sauce Pork belly was dried. Fried Eggplant with Special BELL86 Sauce I ordered, but they forgot. Good thing they forgot, because other dishes were so-so. Save $15 Grilled minced Beef Short-Rib There was a little too much sauce; it just tasted like a Korean burger. However, it took forever for our server to cut it for us, and another server was watching behind her. Grilled Conch with beef and vegetables in Conch Shell Beautiful present, but the conch meat was cut too thick. Including tax and tips, the cost is over $150, not worth it, and we are not even full. read more

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I had such a great time here! We came as a group of 6 with a reservation at 12, but it was not crowded at all. When we were at the restaurant, we were the only ones there, although I heard it is very crowded for dinner time. Therefore, I would recommend coming for lunch. The decorations were so adorable. They had really cute chopstick holders and mine was in the shape of an origami crane. We ordered the Bell86 special premium bulgogi, and even though the menu says price "per person", we were a group of 6 and were able to order it for 2 people. We ordered other dishes as well, which we all shared as a group on the table. We got the kalbi jjim, which was amazing and I highly recommend. We also got the rice cake and yun ja yook (pork belly) which were great additions. read more

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Nice Korean tapas place in Coolidge Corner, may be more difficult to seat larger parties. Corn cheese was amazing and we ordered it twice. Slightly pricey for Korean food given the portions but overall on par for what you might expect when going out for tapas. They have a cute automatic drink machine at the front that dispenses coffee and hot chocolate which the hostess will give you a token for without charge. read more

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I feel like Bell86 is flying totally under the radar rn, and it shouldn't be because it's so good! Great atmosphere, kinda upscale. Friendly and attentive service. But the elevated dishes are what really blew me away. * Free kimbap and banchan: not your typical banchan, very interesting and yum. * Yun ja yook (pork belly with scallion salad): tender slices of pork + refreshing veggies. Wish the pork belly was more fatty though. * Shrimp meets potato: the potato batter was so unique & tasty! Surprise fave. * Kalbi jjim: a signature must-get! The beef was so tender, and I loved the slight sweetness. read more

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I was surprised!!!!! From my four years living in Massachusetts, Bell86 stands out as the BEST Korean restaurant I've ever had even when ordering delivery. The flavors are consistently amazing, and it honestly beats many places I've tried in person. Now I have to visit the restaurant myself to enjoy their food fresh and hot! read more

Bell86 - Tteok Galbi Box - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

My partner and I shared the BELL86 lunch special premium bulgogi, fried eggplant w special BELL86 sauce, and gujeolpan (plus complimentary starters: cinnamon drink, kimbap, and banchan) - TASTE: 4/5 - the cinnamon drink to start was super refreshing, and the kimchi and ribeye bulgogi hit the spot TEXTURE: 5/5 - highlights included the banchan's crunchy cucumbers and thinly sliced potatoes; bulgogi's chewy tteokbokki; fried eggplant's crisp and light tempura batter; and the nine delicacies gujeolpan's thin jeon pancakes and fillings -- cut into thin strips PRICE: 4/5 - knew it'd be a splurge. Total came to $107 SERVING SIZE: 5/5 - wasn't expecting the lunch special to be as large as it was. Banchan was unlimited, as were the jeon pancakes. Left super full and ate a very light dinner later that night lol SERVICE: 5/5 - walked in at 12:30pm on a Sunday and only a few tables were occupied. Food started coming out 20-30min later. There was only one waiter but he was really hustling lol, and he also cooks the bulgogi for you at your table ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - never visited the former space, parlour, before but BELL86's interior looks mostly the same. Narrow and deep space w elegant dinnerware. Appreciate the idea of Korean tapas PARKING: 4/5 - got a metered street spot on Babcock St read more

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New Korean tapas place in Brookline which just open two weeks ago. The decor is still reminiscing of the former restaurant that used to be here, but there's a whole new spin. They have really nice table lights that greet you when you first walk in. The chopsticks holders are incredibly unique. They're also very tolerant of our two toddlers. They started off with some Korean cinnamon tea with pinenuts, which was sweet and something I've never had. They also let us try one of the Kim starters which were very small, about 1/4 a size of an each March, but fairly good. The top is overall were , delicate but delicious. The bean pancakes was especially big hit. Duck is the specialty and definitely do not taste quite like duck. I'm not sure how they manage to make it braised and sweet on a bone that looks like beef, but it was very interesting.also brought in a very cute little box. You had a nice time trying out different foods. The kids are big fans with the anchovies and highly recommend bringing your kid here to try them and getting more calcium. read more

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What can I say but, Yes! This place absolutely hit the spot, I'm not much of tapas person but I found this place delicious and reasonable portions for the price. Service was quick, polite, and professional. Christmas music was playing at a reasonable tone and the seating wasn't cluttered or unreasonable. After we ordered the quickly brought sides of Kimchi, Fishcake, Pickled Potato, and Braised Soybean. We ordered the Korean Fried Chicken which was a whole bird deep deep fried and I can't recommend it enough. The it arrived on a hot stone and was quartered table side. The skin was crispy and the meat tender and flavorful. Additionally we got the fried crispy rice cakes as well as the shrimp and potato, both absolutely delicious. Dinner was served with a scattering of sauces to accompany, including honey, wasabi, and a spicy chicken sauce. 10/10 cannot recommend enough. read more

Bell86 - Korean Fried Hen - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Bell86 offers great table service and a very cozy atmosphere. The food is decent and has a creative spin on some traditional Korean dishes; however, the just-average meal quality hardly justifies the high prices. This could be a nice date night spot if you aren't a foodie. read more

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One of the worst experiences I've had dining out in a long time. Came here for dinner on a weeknight. The ambience was nice and the presentation was pretty. We ordered the shrimp meets potato, yun ja yook, and the grilled giant clam on fire. The food was very mediocre for the price. Not sure why the clam is listed as a shareable, when the portion was smaller than the pork belly small plate. The clam comes on a bed of salt that is on fire when served. Just as the waitress was about to put the fire out, the salt suddenly exploded and hit my friend on her face. Luckily she was wearing glasses, and the salt didn't hit her eye. Very dangerous. They need to find a safer way to serve this dish. The manager was apologetic and did comp the clam dish with an additional discount on our meal. While we were still hungry, we did not want to order more considering the experience and flavor. read more

Bell86 - Grilled giant clam on fire - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Service was great What shined was the braised short rib and fried eggplant Would be a great place for date night or group of foodies read more

Bell86 - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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This is a tough one to review. Nice environment but only soso food. The place is beautiful. Perfect for a romantic dinner. The service was impeccable. And Bell86 has the cleanest bathrooms in the Boston area. The Dduk Kalbi was very yummy. Fried pork belly and fried eggplant were okay. I would pass on the mung bean pancake and the spicy marinated crab. The rice wine sorbet was delicious. We flushed everything down with nice cucumber soju and a glass of Spanish white. I'd love to go back for the environment once the kitchen improves. read more

Came here on a Sunday for lunch during their soft opening. The service was amazing, the servers were all very kind, friendly and explained everything to us. Made sure to ask about allergies which is a huge thing I pay attention to when dining! There was only one thing available for their lunch menu which was bulgogi. They bring a pot and will cook the meat in front of you which was very good and it tasted delicious! We got one with the combo which came with the perilla leaf oil cold noodles which were very refreshing! The food was great, but hoping they expand their menu more with more options once they're done with their soft opening. Really enjoyed all their banchan (side dishes) they offered as well. The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice and classy yet also casual at the same time. They also have a good amount of space/seating. If they end up expanding their menu more, I would come back to try! read more

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We came here with a reservation for dinner at 6:15 on a Saturday and we were promptly seated. The staff (including our server, Kevin, who was awesome) is incredibly friendly and helpful and made our time here very enjoyable! This Korean BBQ tapas joint has a cool lounge-like decor on the inside. We were provided a complimentary cinnamon drink as we sat down and it was excellent. We put in a few orders and the food started coming out shortly thereafter. The standouts for us were the complimentary bonchan, mung bean pancakes, spicy stir-fried Korean sausage, and the Army stew. The spicy Korean sausage was exceptional and my personal favorite! It has a nice level of spiciness to it and the texture and flavor of the sausage, marinade, and veggies were incredible! I loved the Army stew as well, the ramen noodles, spam, and broth hit the spot! Definitely recommend coming here to try this place out! read more

Perfect for a date!! Cozy and warm, great costumer service and excellent food. The restroom is kinda small but nothing crazy. 5/5

Everything about this place was amazing ,the service, the restaurant itself, and the food. Especially since it was our first time trying Korean tapas, we loved how they explained each dish and how to eat it. It made the whole experience so much betters The dish yun ja yook is a must !! read more

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The place is a really nice and cozy spot. When me and my 2 friends went at around 10:30pm on Saturday, the place was pretty empty except for a table of other patrons and we were seated next to them. The food was good. Style is more like a tapa experience where the portions are smaller but the price is definitely on par with the other Korean restaurants. We got the corn cheese, raw marinated crabs (fire), and the army soup. The corn cheese was good, each person probably got 2 full spoonfuls out of it. The raw marinated crab was good, it was a single crab cut up. The army soup was able to feed the 3 of us, with each of us having 1 bowl each. The army soup is served in those tofu soup clay pots, unlike the traditional bigger pans that are cooked on top of a burner. I wouldn't call it an army soup, more like a skinny family soup. The service was great as well, no complaints there. read more

Bell86 has wonderful food, I'll say that. Everything we ordered was tasty. Service was good, atmosphere was ok. Loud pop music playing sort of ruins the vibe. Friday night and the place was empty, and I think I see why: The portion sizes here are TINY for the prices. This is a very very expensive place, and you must prepare to spend over ~70$ to have a meal's worth of food. Albeit, the menu is designed to be "shareable"/tapas style, but nothing about any of the several dishes we ordered were of shareable size. Even for yourself, one dish isn't really enough to fill the average person, I'd say. All that being said I'll say again the food was great! Just a shame it is so highly priced as I couldn't really justify coming back here. read more

Excellent food, excellent service. Really cool place, couldn't recommend it enough! I'd definitely come back here again when I'm in Boston. read more

Bell86 - Short rib - Korean Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Bell86 is a new restaurant in Coolidge Corner and has beautiful ambience, plating and service. The staff are very kind and friendly. What really drove down my rating is the menu. For a restaurant that looks like it's going to be the next "it" spot in Brookline, the menu lacks direction. It is Korean tapas, but doesn't have some of the greatest hits I would expect on the menu. The dishes are very niche and it's difficult to order because you don't understand what most of the dishes are and how they pair together. If you are vegetarian or pescatarian or even if you just don't eat red meat, forget it. The menu is very heavy on various pork and beef parts. Their menu doesn't include some of the great things that their sister restaurant has on the menu including kimchi pancakes. I recommend revisiting the menu and trying to include some of easy to order and pair items. The menu lacks direction and cohesiveness right now. It doesn't make much sense. The space is beautiful but that's all. read more

honestly the food was not it, the pork belly came out cold, most things the flavors were a miss. the drinks were good tho!

It was a nice change to find a Korean restaurant in the Boston area that was neat and original with quality to match. Food was very good, with a modern touch. Ambience was trendy with creative details while still feeling genuine, although the music was too loud. Price was higher than expected but justified by lack of competition. Service was top notch; the server was very attentive and very helpful with lots of detailed recommendations. read more

I was really excited to try this place but unfortunately I was pretty disappointed. Service wasn't very attentive or friendly. I did really like the truffle jap chae, but the other food wasn't very good. They were also out of fried chicken on a Saturday night? It was very expensive and the food wasn't good mostly. Cocktails were nice but not very strong, and we were never offered a second round. We waited forever and had to ask the bartender for our check eventually. The decor is honestly kind of tacky. I would have found it more charming if the food would have been good. The spicy food wasn't spicy at all really. I don't get the hype. It also felt disorganized - bartender left juice on the customer side of the bar, ect. No paper towels in the restroom. They also never gave us water, which negatively affected the romantic nature of our evening. read more

Nothing special about the menu nor the quality and presentation of the food. I understand it is tapas however it was just average but okay. Service was a bit much. Felt watched and had surveillance on my friend and I all throughout dinner which made us uncomfortable to eat with so many servers asking if we the food was ok. The ambiance of the restaurant was a bit confusing as the walls reminded me of Korean karaoke bars but the lighting was fine-dining. I hate to be negative and nit-picking every detail but these were the biggest things we noticed here. read more

Found a New and Interesting Korean Food option in Brookline MA, half way point Between BU and BC. Ordered a few dishes and took it back to the hotel. Spicy Chicken, KimBap, Conch, And Gizzards. Wish i had time to sit and eat. Service was amazing and loved the vibe of the restaurant. read more

Incredible place. This is Michelin level food and service. Literally everything is highly meticulous, from the service to the decor to the food to the presentation. Just bear in mind, this is a stylized take on Korean food. So, don't expect American flavor profiles. Keep an open mind. Also many of the dishes are tapas style, so they are on the smaller side, which means the overall cost can be on the high side. We loved the traditional Korean short ribs. The waiter comes with scissors to cut the meat from the bone so it is easier to eat. The mung bean pancake was also delicious and again they cut it into pieces for easier eating. The fried eggplant is like Japanese tempura, very light and not oily. It comes with two pieces of other vegetables on top, which I really liked. In fact, I wish they included a wider range of vegetables beyond the eggplant. Overall a fantastic experience and very surprised to find this in the heart of Coolidge Corner. read more

Waited for an hour for our food and portion size is not ideal for the price. Spent 100 dollars and left still a little hungry. If you're coming here you're really paying for the dining environment. read more