Ive been going to cafe mami since i was a kid and it never disappoints. On this visit, i got the chili tokyo hamburg steak with cheese and the saba miso (a new dish for me) and the agedashi tofu. The agedashi tofu is a great appetizer dish! Its savory and light! Ive tried different sauces for the hamburg steak but i like the chili tokyo the best. It has a subtle spiciness that builds up. The steak itself is super tender and for those not familiar, it has a more meatloaf texture. I highly recommend adding cheese. I felt adventurous this day and tried a new dish called miso saba. A grilled mackerel smothered with sweet miso sauce with a hint of citrus. The mackerel was a little fishy but still delicious. I really enjoyed the sauce! Also, highly recommend the tatsuya chicken! read more

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This is the spot for Japanese comfort food! The service is super quick and very attentive. Even thought this place is pretty small with only a couple of tables, I've never had to wait for a seat. Each time that I've been here, I always order the Salmon Veggie Don with teriyaki sauce. It also comes with miso soup. The food is simple and delicious. read more

Cafe Mami - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Great value meals! The plates come with rice and miso soup or salad and miso soup. I got the beef with tofu plate and my wife got the Hamburg steak with spicy Tokyo sauce. Overall the taste was fine and solid. Nothing to really write home about - we were too full to take advantage of the included extra rice, but I'm sure for college students this is a great deal! read more

Cafe Mami - Hamburg steak with spicy Tokyo sauce - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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This place was recommended to me by a Japanese friend, so I had to try it. Absolutely did not disappoint. Came here with my girlfriend and since we share everything, I got to try two dishes (curry set and hamburg set) My friend told me the curry was the most authentic Japanese curry he's had since coming to the Northeast (note: we're currently in Rhode Island), so we had to try it. We chose to add the pork katsu for $2. The curry itself was very nice. Mildly spicy, nice texture, great flavor. The pork katsu was perfectly fried and tender. I felt strongly that we try the hamburg set since that's such a classic dish. The curry was good but this was fantastic. The meat was perfectly cooked, nice seared crust but so tender on the inside. We went with the "Tokyo" sauce, which is a tomato-based sauce My Japanese mother makes a great hamburg and this is the only one I've ever had that is better. The restaurant is located within a Lesley University building (Student Center?) and there's a hallway with multiple restaurants including several Japanese restaurants. Street parking only. Definitely worth the trip up from Rhode Island (to be fair, good Japanese food is hard to find here). Great food, reasonable prices, and large portions. I would 100% get the hamburg again. Curry was great but I'd probably want to try some other dishes too. read more

Cafe Mami - Hamburg Set with Tokyo sauce (comes with bottomless bowl of rice) - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Cafe Mami is a no frills restaurant/cafe tucked away in a nondescript hallway within Lesley University. There is a parking lot available in the back of the building but I would recommend taking the T since the red line is just a few minutes away. They only have a few tables so be prepared to wait if you are visiting during peak times. I highly recommend the pork katsu with classic curry. It comes with a healthy serving of rice and is plenty of food for one person. The rice was cooked perfectly and the curry was full of flavor. The katsu didn't feel oily and was super tender. read more

Cafe Mami - Pork Katsu - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This place is often packed due to the limited seating, but the service is fast and the lines move long! Food is getting more and more expensive these days so I'm so grateful that Cafe Mami still exists. Their most expensive menu item is $10 and you can get free refills on their rice. Just don't forget to bring cash because they are cash only. I tried the original Hamburg set with chili Tokyo sauce. The beef patty was covered in a tomato sauce that had a slight kick. It also came with a small baked potato, rice, miso soup, and a lot of salad. The patty was super tender, well-seasoned, and everything tasted great! The waitress recommended adding cheese or a fried egg (either would be +$1). I decided not to this time but I think either would taste awesome with the beef patty and the chili Tokyo sauce. It's like eating a deconstructed burger with rice. I also got to try a little bit of my friend's yaki beef tofu set. It came on a hot plate with a lot of bean sprouts. Again, seasoned wonderfully. Since there's tofu and beef I guess this is a good dish for anybody looking for #gains read more

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Cafe Mami is a consistently solid, quick, delicious option for Japanese home-cooked fare in Porter Square. Their service is always great and the food is always delicious! The katsu curry in particular is SO rich and delicious. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, and they have several veg friendly options too. read more

I will be coming here any time I am craving Japanese curry from now on... an entire meal including miso soup and salad for only $12?! AND delicious?? Can't ask for more! read more

Cafe Mami - Pork Cutlet Curry Rice Set - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

You want flawlessly cooked Japanese katsu curry in a no-frills setting? Then you now know where to go! Cafe Mami is located inside a building that has some shops, other small restaurants, and I think a college as well? There are only a handful of small tables inside, but we luckily didn't have to wait to be seated. My friend and I split the tofu appetizer (simple, light, cooling) and a curry set, which comes with miso soup, salad, rice, and your choice of chicken or pork cutlet. We went for the pork, since our waitress said that's the crowd favorite, and boy were we in for a treat! The meat was breaded perfectly on the outside yet somehow managed to be tender and juicy on the inside (which is often not the case with katsu, which is easy to overcook and make dry). The curry was SO beyond flavorful and authentic! And the whole set was only about $11...such a great deal for a truly excellent meal. Don't sleep on this place - you will not be disappointed! read more

Cafe Mami - Curry set (with pork cutlet). Comes with a side salad and miso soup - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Best bang for your buck deal in Boston! I was super impressed by the portion sizes and overall taste of the curry here. It's very authentic and savory and so filling. I ordered the fried pork cutlet curry set and my friend ordered the hamburger curry set. It came with heaping portions of rice, and a huge slab of cutlet. There was so much curry that came with this, and could probably feed two people but way too delicious / I had to eat this all! For around $11, this we an absolute steal! The hamburger curry was interesting - it was a hamburger patty covered in curry but it was surprisingly really good and paired well with the spices in the curry! Each set comes with a side salad and miso soup and was such a nice complement to our curry dishes. The service was FANTASTIC. Our waters were filled quickly, our food came out within 15 minutes, and we left very satisfied! Cafe mami is tucked in the corner of Lesley university, surrounded by so many other Asian stalls but would definitely recommend this place if you're feeling something savory! They also have Donburi bowls and other types of curry that I would love to try out when I'm back. The hype is real YALL! read more

Cafe Mami - Pork cutlet curry - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Wow, the Lesley University food court is popping off with Japanese food. This place is really good! I got the chicken tatsuta spicy and my girlfriend got the normal chicken tasuta. The spicy version wasn't all that spicy, so I think the normal version is better since it comes with kewpie mayo. The chicken is nicely sauteed on the outside for a crisp exterior and a tender interior. It's really flavorful and you get a decent amount of food! It comes with miso soup and rice. It also comes with a small boiled potato, which will make sure you are full. For $12, it's a decent deal. read more

Cafe Mami is one of the many small restaurants in the Porter Square plaza, all with very limited seating, or capacity for large parties. We lucked out and were seated immediately. My chicken yakisoba was alright, it felt a little bland to me, but my partner's yaki beef and tofu was amazing! The portion sizes are also quite generous. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back to enjoy some curry or oyakodon. read more

Cafe Mami - Chicken Yakisoba - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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It's a bit expensive, which is why ABBA sang: Mami Mami Mami Must be yummy In a rich man's world! Bae prefers the Cafe Papi, because that's what she usually calls me. Bad girl. It's hard to believe that it was actually three years ago that I first came here to get their infamous green tea milkshake which at the time was something quite innovative and unusual but now I suppose it has been done and done and overdone. This is one of the originals and it was actually pretty good. I like it and that's why I'm giving them a good rating. But I have to say that I never loved it as much as other people do but now compared to some of the crappy matcha stuff that people are releasing now I have to say it was superior. Boston doesn't have an amazing selection anyway so this is definitely something that people who like matcha stuff and green tea stuff in unusual forms like ice cream would probably really enjoy this milkshake as an anglicisation of something Asian. read more

Cafe Mami - I prefer Miami - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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True comfort food Would recommend the curry set with cheese and egg. The miso soup was a bit salty but everything was quality and delicious! read more

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Wowow! Amazing service, fast service, and great ambience for a low-key hang out or single person eating out. This is the place to go if you want comfort Japanese food. Their rice dishes are seriously good, not too heavy but still flavorful. Curry is also really good. Highly recommend! read more

Comfort, homemade Japanese food. Finally found it in Boston! Located in Cambridge, inside a shopping mall (which a majority is apparently rented out by Lesley College), hoards a small indoor alleyway of Japanese eateries- -and from the amount of people milling around on a Sunday afternoon, must all be quite tasty. My husband and I were dead set on getting Katsu curry today so we beelined to Cafe Mami and was promptly seated in their small space. It's cozy, no-frills, but the food will bring you back to being fed by your Japanese mom, even if you technically don't even have one! I ended up ordering the Hamburg Set, with my husband getting the Katsu Curry and both were extremely solid! The hamburg was tender, I got it Wafu style which had daikon oroshi on top which, (although I've never had it like this before), worked quite well. The katsu was tender, with a nice crispy outside. It was (in all the best ways of this description) like a katsu curry that you could get at a train station in Japan. It absolutely brought me back to some small cafes I have dined in Japan. By no means is it the best hamburg or the best katsu curry out there but for the price, and the level of comfort and homemade goodness that fills you, this place will be a new weekly go-to! read more

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Decent place to catch an affordable meal for sure. The place for a get busy pretty often. And with small number of seats, you are likely going to be to wait in line a bit before getting a seat. Food comes put pretty fast for sure but I was a bit disappointed in the taste (maybe I didnt order the right thing coz I ordered tofu with veggies when they are probably more well known for katsu..but even my tofu veggie don't didnt have much don sauce/taste to it). The stir fry was a nit bland for my taste so if I have the opoortunity to go back next time, I probably want to opt for katsu. P.S. bring cash, no cards! read more

Cafe Mami - Fried tofu veggie don ($9.10 inc. Tax) - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Don't get me wrong, I'll absolutely be coming back! The food I ordered was beyond delicious (especially that salad!). In all honesty, I regret not trying more of the items on the menu / customizing my meal more. Their curry is the PERFECT size for a singular person, and insanely affordable. The only issue I had (as seen in picture-- those little flecks on the mural!) were that tons of little black flies swarmed my table and landed on nearly every item of food I got. read more

Cafe Mami - The only issue I had (as seen in picture-- those little flecks on the mural!) tons of little black flies swarmed my table the whole time:( - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Just to let you know upfront, seating is quite limited and difficult if you're coming with a group larger than 4-5 people. That said, the food was good and representative of tastes of Japan, although not outstanding. For example, the curry was typical of Japanese curry, but honestly, I can make better curry at home using store-bought curry packets or curry blocks. I had the Hamburger set with Tokyo sauce, which again was good but not outstanding. Probably a good first start for most who wish to experience true Japanese food, but just know that it can be a lot better. read more

Cafe Mami - Eating with my daughters - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cafe Mami is an absolute gem within Porter Square. However, be warned that this place is quite tiny (2-3 tables) and it's cash only. I came here about 5pm to beat the dinner crowd and luckily got seated without a wait. The service here is great and they were extremely welcoming and friendly. I got the pork katsu and it was deep fried to perfection and the curry was extremely flavorful. The only thing I can say is that it was a bit salty. Cafe Mami is a great, affordable spot! read more

Cafe Mami - Pork Katsu (ig: tmfoodies) - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This small shop serves incredible food of generous portions at extremely reasonable prices! The owner was also extremely kind and welcoming. The yaki beef and tofu set was absolutely delicious. The tofu was soft and delicate, and the thinly sliced beef was pleasantly chewy. The sweet marinade really wrapped everything together. Hearing everything sizzle on the hot plate really tempted my appetite. The chili tokyo Hamburg steak was also extremely good! The Hamburg steak was wonderfully savory and beefy, and the tomato sauce acted as a great balance to the fattiness of the steak. Overall, Cafe Mami is a great place that deserves more recognition for serving authentic Japanese food at affordable prices. read more

Cafe Mami - Yaki Beef Tofu Set (~$12) - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Great place for lunch during the week! Fast and great service. Food is bomb too! Had eve chicken tatasu! read more

Cafe Mami - Chicken tatsuta - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cafe Mami is a great cheap eats kind of restaurant in located in the Porter Square Exchange building. There is very limited seating, 3 bar stools, and two tables which seat about five each. You can expect to be waiting for a short 15-30 minutes if you're not first in line. Food comes out fairly quickly. For appetizer I recommend the yakko. This is fresh chilled tofu with shavings of bonito, green onions, and a sweet ginger soy dressing. The reason why I recommend this dish is because the sets usually come with a side of salad so unless you want more salad for appetizer, this would be a better alternative. But if you don't have a side salad with your meal, I would then recommend the Kaiso salad which is a mixed medley of seaweed over lettuce and tomato. For drinks, I recommend the green tea smoothie. Only except, 4 out of 5 times that I have been to the restaurant the machine has been out of order. Food at Cafe Mami is consistently good. I recommend the Wafu Hamburg set. Japanese Hamburg is more similar to meatloaf than it is to what we normally think of when we say hamburger. There is no burger buns or even the usual toppings. Instead, you get a thick juicy beef patty topped with grated raw white radish, green onions, and a thick gravy sauce. The set comes with a side of salad and one steamed red potato. Another I recommend is the spicy chili tomato Hamburg. I also recommend adding a fried egg on top it off. If you like Worcestershire or teriyaki sauce, I recommend the Tokyo or the Teriyaki hamburg. All sets comes with miso soup. The Rock'n Chicken set is slightly sweet and spicy. The chicken meat is very tender. This set comes with salad, rice, and miso soup. The Saba miso set is stewed mackerel served with a side salad and comes with rice and miso soup. This dish is one I would recommend if you like mackerel. My husband favorite dish is the gyo don. This is pan fried thinly sliced beef over rice. It is garnished with thinly sliced green onion and two slices of pickled daikon radish. It comes with miso soup. Be sure to check the hours of operation. They are closed from 4:00pm-5:00pm. Otherwise you will be waiting up to an hour for them to re-open for dinner. Parking has also gone up. Over one hour but under two is now $6.00 without a restaurant validation. It is $5.00 with a restaurant validation. One hour and under is $3.00, so I believe with restaurant validation it should $2.00. So try not to come in during an off time and end up paying unnecessary parking fee. A lot of the shops and restaurants in the building also have hours in the middle of the day on which they close also. Overall, Cafe Mami has been and still is one of my favorite cheap meals from my college days. I didn't attend Lesley University however I always considered this restaurant college student budget friendly. See my pictures. read more

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Fav Japanese restaurant ever! Love all the dishes I've tried! Portion is large, taste is on point, and pricing is decent! A must try!

They take credit card now! Yay. Definitely a product over the pandemic and definitely beats handling cash that comes from god knows where. Super crazy that this and some other amazing asian restaurants are tucked away in this small alley inside a strip mall like area. Was recommended by local friends and I went to get takeout for the train back to philly. Got the tonkatsu curry set and wow the value you get for the price and the meticulousness of packing. It comes with a small salad and miso soup. The curry is super rich and flavorful. And despite eating it later I loved the tonkatsu although no longer crisp hours later. I can only imagine how it would have tasted if I ate it right away. Can I move to Boston yet lol read more

Cafe Mami - Menu - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This curry was pretty good and inexpensive for the portion size, but definitely not the best curry I've had. The curry was quite thick. It's definitely more of a quick bite cafeteria style meal. I would come again except it's quite a walk from the Red Line in Cambridge and in a strange location (in the dining hall of a college). The dining hall had a bunch of other options for Asian food, from ramen to curry. 1/22/2022 22W Order: Pork Cutlet Curry read more

Cafe Mami - Pork Cutlet Curry Rice Set - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I had the katsu chicken with curry and a fried egg. Super fluffy rice and great atmosphere. Staff were super nice and helpful Would highly recommend! read more

Cafe Mami - Chicken katsu with Cutlet Curry Rice Set - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Located within the Porter Campus of Lesley University is a small Japanese restaurant serving comfort food items such as dons, curry, hamburg steak. I had been curious for a long time about how good the food would be here. I got the yaki don as my friend got the hamburg steak set. The yaki don was pilled high with a katsu covered in egg and grilled onions, all on top of a pile of rice. The katsu isn't particularly crunchy as you might expect as a result of the egg but it had a nice "meatiness" to it and great flavor. The hamburg steak was also nicely cooked and the sauce connected well for it. I think the main value in Cafe Mami is... well, it's value The dishes here are about 8-12 dollars per dish and is a good amount of food. If you live nearby this area or need to get something quick to eat, Cafe Mami is a solid option to go to read more

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This place is ridiculously good. The food is divine. No matter what you order, you can't go wrong. My favorite dish to order is probably the original chicken cutlet. They start you off with a flavorful miso soup and then, very quickly, you get a bowl of rice, your main dish, half a baked potato, and a side salad. The bowl of rice comes with one free refill of rice (which we are too full to get but it's nice to have the option). They could easily charge for that second bowl, but they don't, which I love. It shows the generosity of this place, tons of food for a great value. Their weekday lunch prices are bizarre - $8 for a full plate of food that comes with soup *and* (not or) salad. Amazing. I don't think you can get value like that elsewhere, especially for how good the food is. The kitchen is very small, and it's open for all to see. The kitchen staff are very efficient, and the small menu makes it possible to keep up with the high demand. When we were last there, it was a 20 min wait, and the kitchen was constantly churning out dishes for patrons, as well as delivery orders and takeout orders. It's not a fine dining establishment, nor does it pretend to be one. It's a casual, small, and clean joint that will offer you a delicious plate of food served to you by a friendly & efficient but hurried waitress who is solely responsible for seating customers, maintaining the line, taking orders, bringing food out, refilling your waters, checking periodically if you needed anything, bringing you your check, bussing the tables, etc. (If you can't tell, I was very impressed by everything she was able to juggle since it was so busy). My only suggested improvement would be to make it more obvious how to queue up for a spot when all the tables are taken. We accidentally lined up for the ramen restaurant next door and there was no line for Cafe Mami. We ended up also accidentally forming a line for Cafe Mami which grew to be very long, but I'm not sure if the spot we picked was the "correct" one. In the future, a sign or something indicating where to line up would be useful. A tip on how to find this place because it wasn't immediately clear... the address that Google shows you will bring you to a locked door to Lesley University's classes or dorms. You want to use the doors to one of the "Shops at Porter" mall entrances, and there's a cluster of eating establishments Oh, also, this place is cash only! read more

efficient, affordable, and the food meets your expectations every time. I've tried a couple of dishes, but my all time favorite dish from here is the saba miso set. read more

Cafe Mami - Chili Tomato Chicken Set - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The pork katsu curry (13$+tax+tip) was very nice! A generous and filling portion of pork, rice, and curry, along with a small side of miso and salad. A good lunch spot in you're in the area! read more

Probably one of the better Asian places to eat at in the Boston area. It is a little out of the way and can be a little confusing to find, but it is well worth the trip. We were seated at the bar and the kitchen staff were super nice. I also want to shoutout to the waitress who had to handle the dinner rush by herself. We never felt neglected and she was able to handle everyone fabulously. Just be aware there isn't a lot of seating so maybe go during off hours to avoid a long wait. The food itself is delicious and well worth the price. I got the chicken cutlet curry and everything was cooked beautifully. The cutlet was hot, crisp, and juicy and the curry itself was not too thin nor too thick. The food also came out in a timely manner and was served to us immediately after it came out of the pan. When taking into consideration the portion size, taste, and the price, I believe this place is easily one of the best affordable Asian restaurants in the area. read more

Cafe Mami - Chicken Cutlet Curry Rice Set - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cafe Mami, one of my favorite local restaurants serving authentic japanese cuisine. On this occasion I had ordered the japanese curry set with chicken katsu on top. The set comes with a side of miso soup and a salad. This has to be the most heartwarming meal on this dreary memorial day weekend. The chicken cutlet was breaded and fried to absolute perfection, crispy flakey exterior with a mouthwatering center of chicken. Alongside that the japanese curry adds such a nice balance with its savory and peppery flavor and underneath all of that is the splendid fluffy white rice acting as a catalyst for the curry serving an enormous amount of flavor and umami with every bite. I wholeheartedly recommend this place to anyone looking to taste what japanese cuisine would taste like without having to take a plane to Japan. Recommendations: Curry set with chicken katsu, Gyu-don, everything on the menu Location: 1815 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140 read more

Cafe Mami - Cutlet Curry Rice Set - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Finds like these make you appreciate Yelp and the online food community in general. In another time, a place like Cafe Mami would have been considered a hidden gem, but hundreds of reviews later, there's nothing hidden about this spot, but the gem remains. If you are looking for a fancy setting, keep it moving. If great food is your objective, you're in the right spot. The Cafe Mami lunch special might be the best bang for your buck anywhere around. The Yaki Don is a beautiful bowl of rice and sliced beef(among other things). Quality food at fast food prices. Where were places like this in the college town I went to?! Note: still cash only! read more

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I've been coming here for over 10 years, and I'm honestly flabbergasted that I haven't left a glowing review yet. THEY ARE THE BEST DEAL ON JAPANESE FOOD IN TOWN! Seriously. $25 gets you an appetizer and two large plates of food (with unlimited white rice). Each plate is fabulously balanced, with your choice of meat, a large salad, a small baked potato, and a plate of steamed white rice. These plates are only $10 apiece. My favorite dishes are the chicken cutlet, which are extra crispy cuts of chicken in a tonkatsu sauce, which is similar to a tangy bbq sauce. Also, their "Hamburg Set" is amazing: they serve grilled lean hamburger patties in a sauce of your choice. These are essentially steaks made out of beef hamburger. Also, they serve a really creamy and delicious green tea matcha milkshake. If they still have it, you're in for a treat! read more

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Cute place to get a quick meal! I got the wafu Hamburg set. It was basically a hamburger in a semi sweet (not too sweet which was good) sauce. It was almost jelly like. I added cheese and egg which was a great addition. The salad and pickles (additional charge) were great to contrast the savory meat. The potato was perfectly cooked, soft and not chalky or dry! Miso soup and rice were above average!! Would come here again and try new dishes read more

Cafe Mami - Wafu Hamburg Set with egg and cheese and yellow pickles - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

the servers are very kind and helpful. the curry set was definitely a highlight, it's really good for a relatively cheap price. usually not too busy, kind of a hole in the wall. read more

Cafe Mami - Miso Soup and Small Salad from the Cutlet Curry Rice Set - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Great food for a fair price! I got the pork cutlet curry with a miso soup and salad. The restaurant is small but the waiter was very accommodating, moving a table to allow our party of 4 to sit in a space meant for 3. Definitely would come back again! read more

Bad service + Salty food! Seriously we had the worst dining experience - the waitress was rude, loud and rushed with our so called service! Will never return and not to mention the over seasoned food - way too salty! read more

Update: came back today again revisiting the food (and fond memories!!)- food is the same: delicious, piping hot, and with generous portions!! One sad piece of news I learned: they no longer serve green tea milkshakes :( read more

Cafe Mami - Curry set with fried chicken $9.99 - Japanese Curry Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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