What a great hole-in-the-wall Japanese food spot in the Shops at Porter food area. We came here for…read morelunch on a weekend, and were seated with no wait. We got the veggie don and the saba miso set to share. Both came with a bowl of miso soup and were filling-but-not-stuffed portion sizes. They both had delicious flavors, which were the perfect balance of sweet and savory, but not too much so. The service was friendly and fast, with our food being made and served fresh very quickly after we placed our orders. I would definitely come back to try more of their menu items!

Cafe Mami is a Japanese comfort food spot that focuses on simple, hearty dishes like curry rice,…read morekatsu, hamburg steak, and donburi-style meals. We walked into a fairly small space tucked away in Porter Square, with more of a functional, casual feel rather than a polished dining room. The seating was tight and the room filled up quickly, making it clear that this was the kind of place people go for a quick, filling meal rather than a long sit-down experience. The standout here is definitely the Japanese curry and katsu combinations. We ordered the pork tonkatsu curry, a go-to for many, and found it came with a thick, crispy cutlet served over rich curry sauce and rice. The curry itself leaned comforting and slightly sweet-savory in a way that felt very classic and approachable. The portions were generous for the price, and the hamburg steak and oyakodon were also solid options if you wanted something different from fried cutlet dishes. The food came out hot and well assembled, and the flavors were consistent with what we were hoping for. Service was fast and handled by a very small staff, so things moved quickly once we ordered. Because of how busy it can get during peak hours and how limited the seating is, there was a bit of a rush feel to the experience. It worked well as a quick lunch or casual dinner, but it was not really a place to linger for long. The seating situation is probably the biggest drawback. It fills up quickly, and the space feels tight, especially when there is a line forming. That said, the turnover is fast enough that you usually do not have to wait too long, even when it looks crowded from outside. Overall, Cafe Mami is a reliable spot for Japanese comfort food in the Porter Square area. The value is strong, the portions are generous, and the curry dishes are consistently satisfying. It is not fancy, but it does exactly what it is meant to do well, which is serve quick, filling, and comforting Japanese meals.

This small Japanese husband-and-wife business, which has been running for 34 years, is closing down…read morethis June due to retirement, so I rushed over for a meal. Pork Cutlet Curry: The restaurant specializes in fried foods, with the pork cutlet being their absolute signature dish. Although the cutlets were on the thinner, leaner side, each one was fried to order, resulting in a crispy exterior and tender, juicy interior, fragrant but not greasy. The breadcrumbs were especially fluffy and light, bursting with flavor on the palate, which was incredibly satisfying. The curry was authentic Japanese curry--rich, mild, and slightly spicy with a distinct fruity aroma, perfectly suited to my taste. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask for a runny egg for the $2 additional egg; otherwise, it would have been even better. And at only $15 a serving, including a salad/miso soup, it's incredibly good value for money, perfect for lunch. Fried Oysters: Also crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the oysters were fresh and juicy. The lemon juice and salad dressing were refreshing. I felt they were even more delicious than the pork cutlet. The place is located in Lesley University's Main Hall and has only four tables, so you may have to wait.

This was such a cute mom-and-pop shop run by a husband-and-wife team who were both incredibly kind…read moreand welcoming. The restaurant is located inside a shopping center and has only a small amount of seating, giving it a cozy, homey feel. We ordered the shrimp tempura udon, pork cutlet curry, and a side of vegetable tempura. My favorite part was the tempura. The batter was incredibly light and crispy without feeling greasy. The udon broth was comforting and well-made, though its flavor was fairly simple. Overall, the meal reminded me of a home-cooked dinner, making it a cozy spot if you're looking for comforting Japanese food.

After a long day of walking around in the cold, Soup Shack was the perfect dinner. Popping in…read morearound 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday in March, the wait was 20 minutes, so we ordered it to go. After 7 minutes waiting, we were in a Lyft back to our flat. The takeout carried well and comes with the broth in separate containers to be poured over the noodles. The Red Ramen was full of flavor and the right amount of spice. The pho was excellent as well. Service was kind and there are tables and wall seating if you dine in.

The perfect spot if you want a quick bowl of soup. The service was a bit slo to take our order but…read morethe food came out super quick and was good. Plus they're in a place with plenty of parking which is a win

This place is in the same building as H Mart! I've been to this H Mart location multiple times, but…read morethis was my first time trying one of the restaurants inside. I came here after work with some friends looking for a quick meal, and the menu looked really satisfying, so I went for it. I got the pork katsu curry in a medium, which was a good amount of food for $14. It took about five minutes for my food to be ready, and it was definitely worth the wait. The curry had a subtle spiciness that made it flavorful, and it came with cabbage on the side. The katsu itself was cooked perfectly, and I loved how it paired with the curry. The employees were kind and answered all of my questions. As for seating, it's set up like a food hall, so there's plenty of space. I was with four other people, and we had no trouble finding a table together. If you're ever in Central Square and looking for a quick meal, consider stopping by here (and maybe doing some shopping at H Mart afterward)!

Came to Go Go Curry right after arriving in Cambridge since I wanted to do some grocery shopping at…read moreHMart. The service was good and the person taking my order was patient while I determined which bowl looked the yummiest. It's a fast-casual spot so you pay when you order and they'll call out your order number when it's ready. There is a small open area for seating that is shared with the other small eateries inside HMart. I ordered the chicken Home Run combo meal and it was everything you would expect. The chicken and the egg were a little drier than I would have liked, but taste was still decent. For a place with "curry" in the name, I would've liked more curry. The sausage and tempura shrimp were good quality and my favorite parts of the whole dish. There's lots of people coming and going as it is a supermarket, but if you're just looking for a quick stop meal before/after your grocery shopping, Go Go Curry is an okay choice.

We got seated fairly quickly and food didn't take too long. We got 3 udons to share - the niku,…read morespicy dan dan, and sukiyaki. Personally I love some spice so the spicy dan dan was my favorite, but all of them tasted great! Definitely fulfilled my udon craving

Solid udon spot, one of the best in Boston, but I am unfortunately going to dock a point because I…read morethink the quality of the udon has been inconsistent over the last few years. I've been coming here since 2020 and it was easily one of my favorites when I was in college. I usually get the sukiyaki udon here: sweet, soy-based broth, tender beef, plump tofu, poached egg, and fun mushrooms - what's not to like? It is a hearty portion too, although I can easily down it all personally. I think this one is regularly consistent. Their uni cream udon is the one that I feel has been inconsistent. The first time I had it, it had lots of deep uni flavor in the sauce/broth as well as the uni on top. The last time I had it, I felt like the uni flavor fell short and the sauce was too creamy, which I did not feel was worth the higher price point. I've also had their kimchi pork udon and vegetarian udon, which were nothing to write home about but fine.

This was surprisingly really good. Originally I'd been staying away from this place because usually…read morea restaurant with multiple different types of cuisines can't do any particular one very well, but this was so so so so good! My wife originally tried the Pho Mala which had a perfect pho taste AND a perfect mala taste. And though we originally were skeptical at those flavors working together, it worked wonderfully, so I had to come back and try the wonton noodle soup. I was not disappointed. Mi Wonton ($15.95) - The chicken broth on this was delicate and lovely - very homey and the perfect comfort dish. The roast pork was flavorful, and the wontons were plentiful and packed full of pork and shrimp. The noodles were perfectly chewy and bouncy, and the veggies rounded it out really nicely. I love wonton noodle soup, so I'll definitely be back!

We ordered pork buns and ramen. The pork buns melt in your mouth. The ramen portion size is large…read moreand full of flavor. Made me want to eat ramen for a week straight. Although small, we were seated quickly and service is fast. They were very friendly and interacted a lot with my toddler.

I will be coming back here especially during the winter! Really solid ramen spot and they have…read moreplenty of options here (including vegetarian options!) I got one of the veggie spicy ramens and the flavor was great! The ramen comes with lotus root, corn, greens and mushroom (and maybe more but it's been a while since I went so I can no longer remember)

On a rainy Sunday night, a friend and I decided on ramen. At 7, the establishment looked almost…read morefull, but we snagged a 2-too. I ordered the spicy tonkotsu ramen, loaded ($21). My friend and I also ordered the takoyaki ($9) and bacon-age (forgot the price). The takoyaki and bacon-age, as appetizers, arrived first. The takoyaki had 4 pieces with generous amounts of octopus inside. The batter was fluffy and just a bit gooey inside and hot enough to burn the roof of your mouth (as it should be). It had the customary bonito and sauces. The bacon-age was essentially extra thin pork belly (like the ones you see at Korean BBQ), fried and served with a wasabi dip. This dish proved a bit too oily; the dip could only somewhat ameliorate. The ramen had decent thin noodles with a nice bite. The eggs arrived textbook- jammy yolk and marinade staining the whites. The broth itself, like many tonkotsu broths in America, lacked richness and sufficient flavor. I ordered mine medium spicy. It added flavor, but not much heat.

This charming little restaurant a few steps down from the sidewalk is a lovely addition to the…read morerestaurant choices in the neighborhood. The decor is bright and cheerful and the room (and restrooms) sparkling clean. The service is quick, gracious and calm. And the food is delicious! I don't care to eat meat, so it was wonderful to have several selections of vegan and pescatarian dishes to choose from. My husband and I enjoyed the soups we chose and want to come back to try the cold noodle dishes.

Nice and casual Japanese addition to Boston's Chinatown with a really charming, cute, and clean…read moreinterior. Kind staff and quick service. It's tightly packed but spaced well enough, given the small space. Mainly soba and udon with both hot and cold options. Compared to other udon spots in the area (Yume, Futago), I think the noodle texture here stands out to me. They're slightly dinner but they're cooked slightly al dente, which I appreciated. I would say they are similar to Korean kalguksu noodles, which are hand-pulled and hand-cut noodles also often served in a soup format. I got the sukiyaki, which had a great sweet and soy sauce-forward broth, a poached egg, and topped with julienned scallions. I thought it was solid but not outstanding, knock my socks off!

My husband and I came to Momi Nonmi for an anniversary dinner and thoroughly enjoyed our…read moreexperience! As we made our way inside the restaurant, Chef Chris took the time to greet us and since we were the first ones there for our time slot, he gave us the option to pick any table we wanted for our omakase experience. He is very personable and took the time to get to know us and talk a bit about his background. The tables were split into separate sections so that you were seated only with your party which I thought was a nice setup, especially for a date night. We decided to do the Grand Slam Omakase with 16 courses with a specially selected sake pairing. Chef Chris took the time to explain each course, with several of the components being made in-house. I was an especially big fan of the Hokkaido scallop course but everything was phenomenal, especially the nigiri. You can tell that every aspect of every course is crafted thoughtfully and with care. If you are looking for an omakase experience, I would definitely recommend reserving a time at Momi Nonmi!

Outstanding sake dinner pairing rare seasonal sake releases from guest producer with premium small…read moreplates prepared by the chef. Looking forward to the next one!

Holy cow. Can't stop calling this place anything other than Pikachu. First time getting ramen also…read morefirst time leaving a review. This place rocks 10/10. Got spicy miso soup w the egg

So friendly, fresh tasty noodles, great prices…read more Out of the way, but glad I happened across it...I'll be back often