I would come here for their matcha drinks and cozy, chill vibe. The food is not bad-- the prices are pretty reasonable for the area and give a home-cooked feeling. I got their matcha latte ($6 with oat milk +$0.5) and a few onigiri ($3-4 each). The onigiri was fresh, but as others have said, could have used a bit more filling. The matcha flavor was strong and was not drowned out by too much sugar. The cafe was not too crowded when I visited on a Saturday and there were a lot of wall outlets near the seating areas. This could be a really nice spot for studying or getting some work done. read more

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Update: I still really love this cafe and how serene the dining space is. The matcha consistently has me coming back. It's a neighborhood favorite for me and the service is always impeccable. I did recently try the taiyaki which you could tell was fresh. I liked how it was an understated sweetness but still delicious. My photo doesn't do the food justice because it was well presented and yummy The matcha crepe cake was good. I split this with my roommates so I was honestly demolishing the taiyaki while they ate the crepe cake but they had good things to say about it! It was the perfect texture and temperature and no issues with it being frozen or anything which I've experienced at other restaurants read more

Cafe Itadaki - Taiyaki and Matcha Mille Crepe cake - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

This place is honestly fantatic. it has a sit-down feel but is still a counter-service establishment. This hybrid design not only makes the restaurant feel relaxed, but also makes you feel taken care of - the staff are accommodating and helpful, and I felt completely at ease sitting here for an hour. I had one of their curries with vegetable croquettes. The flavor of the curry was savory and rich, and it paired well with the rice, pickled onion, and fried delicacies. I've also tried this with fish, and it was similarly satisfying. I will definitely come back here, and I'm excited to try literally everything on the menu. They left a great first impression, and I love everything I've tried here. I hope this restaurant stays around for a long time. read more

Cafe Itadaki - Vegetable Croquette Curry - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

My salmon rice ball was made with... spam?! Idk what the f@$k this protein is, but it's not from something that lives in the sea. read more

Cafe Itadaki - Mystery meat - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

$10 chicken karage from Fooda. Unless Fooda is skimming food from my order, this is a pretty sad chicken karage. I've had the katsu curry before and the portions are just so disappointing. read more

Cafe Itadaki - 5 pieces of chicken for $10. - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

If I had to compare this to Maruichi, I do think there is a wider food selection at Maruichi and it's more exciting there, but I come to Cafe Itadaki mainly for the vibes and it's honestly a great quiet spot to study at, chill at, or to catch up with a friend. I can comfortably stay at this cafe catching up with a friend and there's not many spots like that around Brookline. They offer drinks, dessert, curry, onigiris, and such. Very quick and casual service. read more

Great place to get some good food with the option to do some studying/work! I came on a Friday at around 5pm and it was surprisingly quiet with 2 tables occupied. Food I tried: * Pork Katsu Curry - The pork was a bit dry, but with the curry sauce it's better. * Veggies Croquette Curry - Love the extra crunchy croquette! * Cafe Itadaki Omurice - Knowing there aren't many omurice in the area, I have to say this omurice tastes better than the other places I've had in Brookline/Boston! It has the right amount of flavor and fluffiness, sauce, and texture in every bite. * Matcha Mille Crepe Cake - This has more vanilla/cream taste than matcha, so good for those who don't prefer that strong matcha taste. Aside from the food, I love the ambiance - clean and calm. It's definitely a good place to do some work and get some food that will fill you up compared to other cafes. Overall, it's a decent quiet place that I'd come back to with friends and some work! Highly recommend their omurice! read more

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My partner and I shared a plum onigiri, pork cutlet curry, Cafe Itadaki omurice, and iced signature itadaki matcha latte - TASTE: 4/5 - enjoyed the strong pickled plum flavor in the onigiri, savory curry, tasty hayashi (demi glace) sauce w the omurice, and balanced matcha flavor TEXTURE: 5/5 - just the right ratio of filling vs rice in the onigiri, yum! The pork katsu was crunchy, and the omelette was runny and still sturdy PRICE: 4/5 - total came to $53, not bad SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - good servings for lunch SERVICE: 4/5 - walked in at 12:30pm on a Sunday and was nervous it'd be packed, but there were still several tables open. Placed our order at the register then found our seat, and food started coming out 10-15min after. The woman who served us our omurice was good natured when I started taking a video of the sauce being poured lol ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - small, cozy space w minimal decor, plus basket containers near your seat to hold any belongings PARKING: 4/5 - had to circle a couple times, but eventually found a free street spot right on Harvard St and walked a couple blocks over read more

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Omurice, onigiri, matcha oh my! Cafe Itadaki in Brookline, MA Cafe Itadaki has so many options for small bites like onigiri and pork cutlet or egg sandos, or larger lunch options of ramen, japanese curry, or omurice! This visit, I tried their omurice and the demiglace sauce was perfectly flavored and tasted SO GOOD with each bite of their fluffy egg over ketchup chicken fried rice As for drinks, we had their iced barley tea and signature iced matcha latte WHEN I TELL YOU I LOVE THEIR MATCHA!!!! Perfectly not too sweet and smooth, their matcha was delightful!! Definitely a lovely japanese cafe to visit when in Brookline! Quick service, lots of seating, and great food and drinks! read more

Cafe Itadaki recently opened up in Brookline and they're offering Japanese comfort dishes. The restaurant has cafe vibes great for studying, casual eating, and even has a bar seating area! It's counter-service so you order before you seat yourself. Fod food, we ordered some of the most popular dishes but overall a bit disappointing. We got the Cafe Itadaki omurice which comes with a sweet demiglaze, pork katsu curry and a spicy salmon onigiri. The egg cooked on top of the omurice was cooked well where the inside was nice and soft. The glaze was okay, nothing fancy. The fried rice on the inside was bland, not much flavor, and barely had any chicken. Pork katsu was fried nicely and the pork itself was still soft. The actual curry wasn't amazing, tasted similar to a curry pack. I wish there was more katsu or even veggies in the curry. The onigiri had way too much rice, barely any salmon, and dry. The best thing we got was definitely the matcha latte. You can tell the matcha is high quality and they get it from Japan! I don't think I would go again right now but if they update their menu I might go back. I think they would benefit from focusing in on a few dishes to improve them! read more

Cafe Itadaki - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Soft opening until August 4th, with limited hours. The atmosphere is a general cafe vibe, lots of tables and it wasn't too busy when I arrived. The service was quick and friendly. They only had one person manning the front, but dishes came out quick and were good. They had a self serve water station, but the water was a bit warm when we went. The food is decently priced and portions are decently sized, may be a bit small for some people but I was satisfied with it. I got the classic Omurice, which went well with the rice and meat base underneath and the signature runny eggs was perfect. I also tried the Katsu Sando, which had a nice Katsu sauce glaze and was fried lightly. I'd love to go here again when it opens up. read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed by miso soup and onigiri. Everything was perfect. Someone thoughtfully brought me water and served me with grace. I will return! It was scrumptious. read more

Cute cafe and location. You order at the counter and take a number but you're free to take the menu and have a seat until you're ready to order. Went during a slow day so service was pretty fast. I got the cafe itadaki omurice and thought it was okay. It was very filling because of the size but the egg didn't open up as seamlessly as I hoped it would. Flavor wise, it wasn't too bad. I did like their sauce and thought it brought it all together so I'd rather have this gravy than ketchup. Definitely wished there were more sauce on the side for the last bites. Rice was cooked well and there are chunks of meat in it. read more

Cafe Itadaki - Cafe Itadaki Omurice - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

We tried Cafe Itadaki today during their soft opening. You order at the counter and seat yourself, then they bring the food to your table. There is a self-service bussing area with a Brita water pitcher as well. We ordered the Cafe Itadaki omurice with demi-glacé ($18), pork katsu curry ($16), salmon onigiri ($3.50), iced matcha latte ($5), and iced barley tea ($2). We received our drinks first and they were refreshing on this hot 91°F day. The iced matcha latte is sweet and well-made and the iced barley tea was crisp. I will mention that it was a bit warm inside the cafe, but this may be because of the high temps outside. We received the salmon onigiri and it was a good size with decent rice to filling ratio - I would order this again. The rice was seasoned well and the salmon was tasty. We then received the pork katsu curry and it was okay. There weren't a ton of veggies in the curry sauce and it was very reminiscent of Japanese boxed curry roux. We received the omurice last and the server cuts the omelette when serving and you pour the sauce yourself. When the server finished cutting open the omelette, I poured the sauce and noticed a very short black hair on the plate and the server did as well and took the plate back to replace the dish with a newly made one. When we received the newly made dish, he cut the omelette again and I sauced it shortly afterwards. I thought the dish was really underwhelming and the demi-glacé was just okay. The rice had pieces of chicken, but it was minimal at best. I'm hoping they add more menu items or work on refining their dishes. I wasn't wowed by the dishes, but would return for their matcha lattes. read more

Cafe Itadaki - Cafe Itadaki omurice with demi-glace - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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I got the iced green tea matcha, there is no no sugar option for this unfortunately so it comes a bit sweetened, but I think you can ask them to add just a little bit of sweetener. The omurice with the brown sauce is pretty good. It is my first time having omurice so I have no barometer to based it off of. However, the egg was cooked just right, not too solid and not too runny. The flavor was not too salty, rice was cooked well. No complaints here. I also got the takoyaki, which is your run of the mill takoyaki, it wasnt super good but it was not bad either, I would say it was decent. read more

Cafe Itadaki embodies rustic charm in its every aspect. The food is unquestionably delicious - the omurice was fluffy and perfectly cooked, the katsu sando was crunchy, well seasoned, and balanced - but what distinguishes Itadaki from other Japanese establishments is the wonderfully warm home-cooked quality in each dish. There is an enormous amount of personality in otherwise cosmetic imperfections, and when combined with the friendliness and thoughtfulness of the staff, give the impression that you're experiencing something more personal than a meal ordered at a restaurant. read more

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This place was a little disappointing. The cafe is a casual cute place but the rice in the omurice was dry/bland and the egg was overcooked. I think you could make this type of omurice at home. The service was fine, you order first and then they bring the food to the table you sit at. I likely won't come back again but the concept of a Japanese style cafe is very cute read more

Cafe Itadaki - Hayashi omurice - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Cafe Itadaki is located in Brookline where there's either a ton of parking or not at all. The positive here is that there are a lot of parking lots nearby and if you come on Sundays, parking is free! The restaurant itself is very cute. It was cozy but not too claustrophobic. The walls were decorated with dark green and cold. I loved it. You order by going up to the counter and they give you a number. Then you seat wherever. We got an iced matcha latte with almond milk, a Cafe Itadaki omurice, and a pork katsu curry. The omurice was pretty good. The egg didn't open up the way I really wanted it to and the rice was okay. The pork katsu was the same. It was good, but I wished there was an option to add some spice. The iced matcha latte though - WOW. That was delicious. So good, that we got another one to go. And then obviously we had to get a taiyaki which was filled with red bean. The red bean was good but the dough itself was quite greasy and that made the small dessert feel much heavier. Overall, the place is a good addition to Brookline but am excited to see if they ever tweak the menu a bit to add just a bit more zing! read more

Love this place!! I can't speak for the entire menu because I haven't tried it all but everything I have eaten has been amazing. What strikes me the most about the place is the customer service though. So friendly! I was once digging into the pork cutlet sando and before I could take my first bite it slipped out of my hand and landed right on the floor. Not only were they incredibly kind about the situation, they immediately made me another half sandwich to replace what fell on the floor. The sandwich itself was really yummy. The onigiri is great too and a sizeable portion for the $4 it costs. I will be a loyal customer. read more

Cafe Itadaki - Pork cutlet sando - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I wish I could justify returning to try other menu items and give this place a chance. I was a little disappointed. Stopped bye on my lunch break and ordered their karage curry dish. When it came out I was immediately underwhelmed. There were only 5 small pieces of chicken. The curry did not make up for the chickens mediocre showing. It was very packet-esque and some bites a little pasty. Coming from a student with a big appetite but a not so big budget, I could never again justify spending almost $20 (after tax and tip) to still leave hungry. Two stars not one, because the cafe was very clean and comfortable. read more

We are regulars here and have been here many, many times. Our favorites are the ramen, pork katsu sando, egg salad sando, chicken karaage, and takoyaki. The cafe has a peaceful vibe. Food comes out quickly and service is very efficient and polite. Love the self-serve water and spice station. read more

Grateful to have this place in Brookline. Their onigiri (Rice balls) are generously portioned), enjoyed their tonkatsu sando alot. Yummy matcha lattes (hot or iced) and takoyaki is solid. While their curry plate hits the spot. What we were disappointed was their green tea (Matcha) crepe cakes. We are fans of crepe cakes (LadyM) and this one unfortunately underwhelmed us. It was memorable to us but the way it was too dry and we did not finish it. read more

Pork katsu curry was delicious and authentic. Hits the spot if you're craving this Japanese classic. ありがとうー！ read more

Cafe Itadaki - Pork Katsu Curry - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I've been to Cafe Itadaki twice now. I ordered the omurice the first time and the tonkotsu shoyu ramen with gluten free noodles the second times. I wasn't familiar with a breakfast/brunch option like omurice beforehand but I absolutely loved it. My server even cut it open and drizzled ketchup over it. It was quite novel to me. And as I mentioned before, I got gluten free noodles in my ramen. Thankfully someone else at my table ordered regular ramen noodles so I could see the difference in the noodles, otherwise, I would've never known my noodles were gluten free. 10/10 experience both visits. ALSO, not that it is as important as the restaurant experience itself but Cafe Itadaki is located in a wonderful neighborhood of Brookline on Harvard just by the Brookline Village stop on the green(D) line. There are cute little shops all around so you can make an afternoon out of it. read more

Found our new favorite place to get paitan ramen in Boston. Onigiri was also delicious. It was nice and quiet which we appreciated.

I had vegetable croquette curry. There was one croquette and a piece of carrot in the roux and lots of rice, which was dry. Authentic Japanese style curry is supposed to have lots of carrots, onions and potatoes in the roux. Barley tea was very thin with lots of ice and didn't have any barley flavor. Onigiri rice was huge but dry. It seems that the place is focusing to save cost instead of serving good food. read more

This cafe made unauthorized charges to my credit card days after I purchased a meal there.

this place is super homey! food tastes like home too the service is also top tier!! def recommend coming here to try read more

Cafe Itadaki - Demi glazed omurice and katsu sando - Cafes Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Friendly staff with prompt food delivery. Ambiance is plain but not something I would look for in a cafe setting like this. As someone who has been to Japan it was great to find a place that had some of the essential Japanese comfort foods. read more

Cafe's food is solid 2/5 because... honestly, have nothing special, taste is very mid. Esthetic is not Japanese at all I would say