The story of Cambridge and Somerville food scene is very talented chefs getting lost on their way to New York or an actual city. Kokoro Don really has no business being this good. People line up for Santouka in this town, and this place is throwing down like like the Shinkansen is across the block. Not claiming to be an expert here but I've been to Japan and this is bringing some serious Japan vibes into a random corner of Somerville. The place is impeccably neat, with its kitchen wide open for you to watch them expertly craft and package adorable little takeout boxes. But they also don't mess around with the eat-in accoutrements, all the dishes are very carefully assembled and instagram-worthy (i.e. good) without being instagram-quality (i.e. bad). We got the signature don and another dish I can't remember that looked like a "terrine" with fish and avocado. Both were extremely high quality and had some interesting flavors you don't normally get in a run-of-the-mill sushi spot. This place is top-notch. I'd get takeout here just for the cuteness of the packaging - something I'd never thought I'd write. read more

Woah. I ended up ordering takeout from here bc I was in the mood for raw fish for breakfast. Naturally. A very normal and responsible way to start the day. First of all, the packaging was both strategically sound and adorable, which I appreciated more than I probably should have. Second, the food was amazing. I got the Kokoro Mix Signature Don with sashimi over rice, spicy fish mix, ikura with a slice of lemon, some Kewpie, and ginger tucked off to the side like it knew its place. Three types of fish, all incredibly fresh and clean. No weird chewiness. Thank god. Nothing ruins your morning quite like having to negotiate with a piece of sashimi. It also came with a side of what I believe was some kind of pickled root vegetable, two pieces of hamachi with jalapeño and a citrusy sauce, and some seaweed. Naturally, I just shoveled some rice and fish onto the seaweed and called myself a chef. Voila. Oh! It also came with a small thing of soup. It tasted kind of like miso, but darker and clear. I have no idea what it was, but I drank it and minded my business. Loved everything. Would absolutely eat raw fish for breakfast again. read more

Kokoro Don Cafe - Kokoro Mix Signature Don - Japanese Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Kokoro Don Cafe is a small Japanese cafe near Union Square in Somerville that feels like a genuine labor of love from the moment you walk in. We settled into the bar seating, which gives the space an intimate, counter style atmosphere, and a hand painted mural on the wall added a personal touch that sets it apart from spots that rely on imported aesthetics. The staff was warm and engaged in a way that made the whole experience feel more like a neighborhood place than a new opening still finding its footing. The kaisen don is the dish that earns the most attention and rightfully so. We ordered it and found the fish fresh, the portions generous, and the rice cooked well enough that it held its own rather than just serving as a base. Presentation across the menu is careful and deliberate, and the kaisen don in particular reflected that. The katsu sando is another strong order, with the pork katsu hitting the right balance of crispy exterior and tender meat tucked into soft bread in a way that makes it a satisfying and complete bite. We finished with the fruit sando, light and refreshing with fresh fruit and cream that did not overstay its welcome. The matcha latte is fine but leans on the milkier side, which softens the matcha flavor more than it should. It is not a bad drink, but if you are someone who wants that grassy, slightly bitter edge to come through, it falls a little short of that mark. Pricing runs on the higher end for the format, which was our main hesitation. The quality is there to justify most of it, particularly on the don and sando side of the menu, but it is worth going in with calibrated expectations on cost. For a newer spot still building its name, Kokoro is doing a lot right. We would come back for the kaisen don and the warmth of the room, and we would skip the matcha latte in favor of something else. read more

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A place to find Japanese comfort food! I came here one day looking specifically for a classic Japanese egg sandwich and wasn't disappointed. I ordered the Tokyo creamy egg shokupan, and it felt very similar to the egg sandwiches you'd find in a 7/11 in Japan. Simple but delicious with fluffy eggs and a light creamy texture. I also ordered the kokoro sando which tasted more like a classic BEC and would be a better fit for a breakfast sandwich than the Tokyo creamy egg one. As a side I also ordered the steamed edamame which tasted exactly as all edamame from restaurant. Orders are placed on a tablet which gives you time to sort through the menu and decide on what you want. Personally I would have hoped the person that directed us to the tablets could have stopped by/been a bit more available so I could ask for recommendations, but if you already know what you want then the ordering at the kioski vibe is perfect. It is small inside with limited seating so Id plan on either waiting for a spot to open up or have a backup plan on takeout. read more

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Kokoro Don Cafe is a Japanese restaurant located in Somerville, MA. It offers both dine in and takeout services. It is known for its sandos and fruit shokupan. There are also donburi and sushi options as well. There is limited street parking, mostly residential. I recommend ordering online for pickup and head out to a picnic area instead of dining in. The restaurant has stool seating by the window only. The staff greets you immediately upon entering and is super friendly. I ordered a variety of sandos to try. My favorite was the Kokoro Sando, which has an omelet layered with ham, bacon and cheese. My next favorite was the Premium Katsu Sando(Pork) sandwich. Although I added some Japanese mayo to bring everything together. My next favorite would be the framing egg shokupan. I also ordered the chicken katsu sandos and karaage waffle. Those are chicken options. The fruit shokupan is a must try. I came to try that and ended up with six sandwiches. For sushi, I ordered the sushi balls, Kokoro Tamari Treats which came with three pieces sushi ball with a refreshing sweet japanese mayo dressing. I also ordered the Kokoro Bento Sushi Box which had three slices of sashimi, four piece nigiri, and a salmon maki roll and came with seaweed salad and dashi soup. The quality is excellent and this makes for a great lunch set. I recommend the Iced Uji Matcha Latte for drinks if you love matcha lattes. I highly recommend this cafe. I see myself coming back to try the other menu items as I did not get to try the ramen, donburi, and onigiri. So glad to have them so close by. The online ordering is so convenient and you're notified when your order is ready in case you have to sit in the car and wait if there is no street parking. See my pictures! read more

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This place is so damn cute, and the staff are super friendly. I got a pork katsu sando, and it was super tasty. I also got an iced drink (honey yuzu maybe?) and it came in the CUTEST little plastic cup with lid. I kept the cup because I can't bare to part with it. I can't wait to go back and try more food... the egg sando was quite tempting, I will say! read more

I been waiting for sando shops opening in Boston area since I ate one during my last trip to Las Vegas... but ended up disappointment but not sandos, their sushi. The sandos are great for grab and go but their sushi are waste of money due to the portion and quality. For lower price, I can get a better quality and portion in a restaurant. Only sandos are worth it and food are nicely packaged. I order online and pick up, spending over $60, not worth the price if you are considered a comfort food cafe. 1Tamago Sando $7.95 1 Fruit Sando $7.95 1 Kokoro unagi flame roll $19.95 1 Kokoro Volcano Tower $13.95 1 Kokoro Inari - Avocado Salad $3.95 1 Kokoro Inari - Sweet Corn $3.95 1 Kokoro Inari - Spicy Crab $3.95 read more

Kokoro Don Cafe - Japanese Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Got a takeout order and enjoyed most of what we got. The udon noodles were well made, the fruit sando was very fun, the broccoli was really good. Inside it was really cute and the staff was lovely. Would be fun to eat their IRL! read more

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super cute place with lots of food options . it's not really a sit down restaurant,although there are stools and chairs. there are 2 kiosks to order at with good pictures to help with the order. my son loved the lychee tea. I had the Kokoro roll and the torched toro was delicious. we'd love to return and try the sandwiches. read more

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I ordered the Kokoro mix signature don, golden uni handroll, and Tokyo fruit shokupan - TASTE: 5/5 - was pleasantly surprised by everything, and would come back to try more of the menu! Kokoro don's side of hamachi ponzu was fire, super fresh uni in the handroll, and a perfect level of sweet in the fruit shokupan's whipped cream TEXTURE: 5/5 - tender fish, fresh pickled daikon, crisp cucumber, and soft shokupan bread PRICE: 4/5 - wasn't expecting the higher price points: donburi rice bowl was $27 and handroll was $14. Total came to $58 SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - def generous portions though and the handroll was so loaded. Took the fruit shokupan home for dessert SERVICE: 4/5 - walked in at 11:45am on a Sunday and was the only person inside, though it was filled by the time I left. Helpful to see photos at the self-service tablet, and my order was ready in 15min ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - small space, w maybe 10 counter seats, and cutely decorated w pops of red PARKING: 4/5 - got a free street spot around the corner on School St read more

Kokoro Don Cafe - Kokoro mix signature don, golden uni handroll, and Tokyo fruit shokupan - Japanese Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Good: - pork Sando was very flavorful and full of pork. I was afraid the leftovers would get too soggy with all the dressing but it was just as tasty the next day! - While clearly focused on delivery and takeout, service was still good. Multiple people asked if I needed anything. - chopsticks are very nice quality. I kept them to reuse. - edamame was fine - lots of variety in the menu Please change: - the unagi onigiri was very disappointing. Even though I followed the directions to unwrap the plastic, it completely came apart. The seaweed separated and the rice was too soft and not packed in enough to hold its shape. And there was not even 1 small bite of eel and not much extra sauce to even flavor the rest of the rice. - provide more than 1 napkin or make them accessible without having to get someone's attention read more

It was a nice warm day out and I stopped by here on my walk home back home. I got the chicken katsu sando and the unagi onigiri to try. It's self ordering and there is also the option to order with a person. With the tablet though, there are photos for most of the items to get an idea of what you are ordering. It's more of a grab and go kind of place. There's a ledge type table with seats to eat inside if you want though. I enjoyed the chicken katsu a lot just a sandwich cut in half. The unagi onigiri is a nice size for a filling snack but I wish there was more meat to rice ratio. I got maybe one small piece of unagi to all that rice. Overall it was a good lunch treat. The food was still warm when I got home. read more

Great spot to order lunch from! I ordered a bento box and it was a great way to try a bunch of things like sushi, gyoza, and tofu katsu. Everything was really yummy so I'll definitely be ordering again if I need takeout. read more

Kokoro Don is fantastic. Great service, cool vibe, and really amazing food. We had the gyoza, the chicken katsu sandwich, and the egg shokupan sandwich. Each was so good. We can't wait to go back. Such a great addition to the neighborhood!! read more

I saw this place on Yelp and was very excited to try it for the first time! There aren't many places in Boston that have Japanese comfort food so this place was at the top of my list. It is a cozy corner spot in Somerville with a very cute interior and very friendly staff. I drove to the area on a Sunday afternoon and had no trouble finding parking. As soon as my friend and I walked in, the staff welcomed us and helped situate us with the menu. They have so many menu items that it took us some time to pick something but we ended up ordering the fruit sando, the sushi bento box, and the pork katsu bento box. The sushi tasted very fresh and the rice to fish ratio was perfect. The fruit sando was also very delicious and it was made with some type of brioche bread. The pork katsu bento box came with some seaweed salad, salmon avocado Maki rolls, some gyoza, and pork katsu over rice. It was the perfect amount of food and each dish was absolute perfection. My only one critique is that I wish the pork katsu had thicker meat pieces but in terms of the proportion of food the bento box was perfect. I will definitely have to go again to try their other menu items! read more

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Absolutely Amazing Experience and Service! I was with my parents and young daughter and we decided to pop in for coffee and a bite. The second we walked in my daughter was greeted by the friendliest staff and they were so engaging and helpful with menu selections! The foods were so yummy and the presentation was so cute! Can't recommend enough and had a wonderful experience! read more

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The A5 Wagyu sukiyaki don is very good with tender wagyu over rice topped with a soy onion dressing and raw quail egg yolk (optional). Chicken (thigh meat) karaage is a bit heavy on batter but tastes very fresh and lightly fried. Egg salad sandwich would be nicer with some butter on the bread. Wouldn't mind some somen. More low seating would be nice, and a foot rail for the counter seats. read more

Cute counter space spot! $20 (plus tip and tax) for a sashimi don, which came with 7 total pieces of sashimi. It felt a little pricey for the amount of food, but was tasty enough. I will probably be back, but would try something else next time! read more

Adorable little cafe with really delicious food! The decor reminded me of similar spots in Japan. My wife and I decided to dine in. We started with some gyoza, which were nice and juicy and had those crispy connecting "wings" that you don't often see in places here (a pleasant surprise). I had the chicken katsudon, which was deliciously crunchy but not dry, as well as a refreshing iced yuzu honey green tea that wasn't too sweet. My wife had the oyakodon with katsu, which was also really tasty and wasn't overly runny as the dish can sometimes be. The staff were also super accommodating and sweet. Overall a great quick lunch, and I can't wait to come back and try more! read more

Found this place about 2 weeks after it opened. The staff was really welcoming. I had the Tonkotsu Ramen and some sushi. The ramen was some of the best I've had in the area and I personally think there's a lot of good ramen in the area. The sushi was also great. The hand rolls are delicious and the tamari sushi balls were cool. They even said they could make everything gluten free which I'll definitely be telling my gf homies. I ate in, which they said they were still working on perfecting but it was comfortable to me. The sushi was really beautiful so I think eating in was the way to go. The staff was really passionate about their food and it showed in the excellent taste and presentation. They even gave me a free slice of banana bread for Christmas and some tea. Can't wait to go back. read more

Incredible new place! Wow the food is so delicious!!!! Incredible sushi, amazing chicken katsu! Delicious sauces, soup, salad!! Oh my! I'm so happy they are in the neighborhood!!!!! read more

This place is amazing! Nice space. We have been a few times now. They have great food, both on the more expensive/fancy side and on the more affordable side. Great dishes, Sando, sushi, rice bowl. It's all great do give them a try if in the area highly recommend. They are also very friendly and accommodating there. read more

The staff were sweet and enthusiastic. The food was amazing and stood out in each type from sweet to savory. read more

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The food was delicious- we got the bento box so we tried a variety of flavors. I particularly loved the dumplings but everything was good. The people were friendly and attentive. I will be going back often. read more

Great food, quick service, reasonable prices, nice people. Others in my family have been several times, including day 1 and for breakfast, all are enthusiastic. read more

Delicious food. Not a long wait, we could handle ordering on a tablet. Staff was really friendly.

It was great. As a Japanese person who's eaten a lot in Japan I approve of this place, the atmosphere and the food was perfect.

We probably shouldn't have gone during the soft opening when a business is working through things, but given all the issues they have, I want to give feedback to help them improve: 1. Ordering - three self service screens and no customer interaction. Not good at a new business. Maybe get a menu board so people who aren't ready to order can look at the menu. 2. Technology. The menu timed out multiple times, including at the end which prevented me from getting a receipt or knowing my order number. 3. Tip - although I hit the no tip button, it added on 15% anyway (and there was zero customer service). 4. Wait time - there were about 7 people ahead of us when we arrived and I waited over 40 minutes for my order (15 minutes after my friend who ordered at exactly the same time got hers). And it wasn't like there were 100 online orders done in between- they put a maximum of 8 or 9 regular size orders out for customers when we were there. 5. Loud music - the music was blasting in the front of the store making it impossible to hear the order numbers called. 6. Prices and portions. The prices look typical (everything is high now) but the portions are small for the price. Examples: eel sushi was $12 or $15 (I don't remember) for ONE piece. Tempura was about $12 and was 4 pieces of onion, 2 squash and 3 broccoli and a tiny container of tempura sauce. Tiny portion of seaweed salad. And my pork noodle dish had maybe 4 ounces of fatty pork and a lot of onions in it. Again, I'm estimating prices because the system timed out and didn't give me a receipt, but for $60 we got one piece of sushi, a small seaweed salad, 2 veggie tempuras and one noodle bowl with 4 pieces of pork in it. Sorry Kokoro Don, but your issues are not all because you're new -- $60 for small and mediocre takeout food with a forty minute wait is pretty dreadful. I hope you'll improve for your sake or you won't be around very long. read more

absolutely delicious, the ingredients taste fresh and the dishes are simple but really impressive in execution