Four words: spicy cold niku udon. The signature is also good!…read more I've been a fan of Yume ever since I found out about it when I went to Tufts for college. It was the Asian-American community's go-to spot for dine-in, take-out, or both! This was back when they had their location in the Lesley University food court too - people would be lining up for 30+ minutes to get a coveted seat at one of their humble seats. I look fondly on when they would yell "perfect" whenever I finished my bowl, praising how I slurped every freshly cut udon noodle and devoured every ounce of broth or crispy tempura bit they put in there. The new location is just a few stores down, still in/out of the Lesley University mall area. It has a nice ambiance and feels less cramped. While I miss the "perfect" yelling, the flavor still tastes just as good even if it's gotten an insane amount of hype since then. Would highly recommend ordering takeout if you're in a rush - they do it very efficiently, both at the original Cambridge location and the new Seaport location too. I'm so happy for all of their success!

Finally got to try the famous cold niku udon at Yume Ga Arukara! I've heard so much about this…read moreplace, so I was really excited to finally check it out. We came around 4pm and luckily it wasn't too crowded, so we were able to get seated right away. I ordered the cold niku udon and overall it was really good! The noodles had a great chewy texture, the beef was flavorful, and everything tasted really fresh. We also tried the hot udon, which was really good too and definitely worth trying if you prefer something warm. Service was also super quick, which I appreciated. I will say I had pretty high expectations because of how hyped this place is, and personally I don't think it completely lived up to the hype for me. It was still a really good bowl of udon though, and I'm definitely glad I finally tried it. Would still recommend checking it out at least once!

Ittoku is a great quality of izakaya, that serves a great quality of food plus drinks. From…read moreyakitori, sushi/sashimi, rice, noodle dishes and more... It's meant for sharing. Food is authentic and delicious. Some of our favorite are the cabbage salad, bacon wrapped quaileggs/mushroom/tomatoes, steak, yakitori chicken thighs/green onions, omusoba....and so on. Their cocktail is also also yummy and better price than a lot of bar. Don't forget to try their dessert. The place can get quite busy with a long wait. So true to make reservation or join the waitlist. I have been following Ittoku from Allston to Cambridge as it's the only one authentic izakaya in Boston so far.

izakaya ittoku is a beautiful sushi restaurant filled with fresh fish & amazing service! they…read morerecently renovated, and it does look like a brand new restaurant. very clean, well organized with a large capacity for any group. i came here after a yoga session to get a light bite to eat with a friend, and it was perfect. right down the street from sunbeam yoga studio, it's in porter square in the lesley university building. they share a location with another restaurant, so there are two sides and two separate entrances. they both look top of the line. we started with an ume sunshine and a hokusai sour. i loveddd my ume sunshine, it was perfect! my friend thought her hokusai sour was a bit too sour, but i liked it too. i was so happy they had plum wine, and the ume sunshine was the perfect complimentary drink to our meal. we tried their tuna tartare, carpaccio, 3 kind torched nigiri, nigiri combo, and 4 extra yellowtail hamachi nigiri. everything we ordered came out very fresh and in the perfect order. tuna tartare was absolutely delicious, fresh raw tuna on top of guac, with chips. then we went for the 3 kind torched nigiri, which comes with mackerel, tuna and salmon. my favorite was the torched tuna with spicy chili on top! absolutely insane flavor. then we tried a 6 nigiri combo, with mackerel, tuna, salmon, squid, hamachi, and eel. i had the hamachi & tuna and absolutely loved them, i even asked to order 4 more of the hamachi jalapeño nigiri, it is SO good! i could have eaten 14 of them alone. then the carpaccio is a MUST try! it came with raw octopus, salmon, tuna, mackerel, and hamachi. it is so hard to choose a favorite because everything was so good! i want to try everything on their menu, and they have a HUGE menu! ume sunshine 10/10 hokusai sour 9/10 tuna tartare 10/10 carpaccio 10/10 3 kind torched nigiri 9.8/10 nigiri combo 10/10 yellowtail hamachi nigiri 10/10 great quality food, welcoming staff, all around wonderful first experience (definitely won't be the last)! they saw we wanted to take photos and moved a table closer without us asking. it was a bit difficult to get the right angle because of the lighting, but i'll absolutely return here to add more. prices are very reasonable for high quality! delicious fresh food and impeccable presentation. if you love sushi and you're anywhere relatively near porter square, izakaya ittoku is SURE to satisfy all of your tastebuds! ambiance: 5/5 food: 6/5 drinks: 5/5 service: 6/5 izakaya ittoku: 5/5

Very solid sushi option. Exceeded expectations. A low key place with kind, prompt service. We got…read moreone app and three rolls to share. We really enjoyed the tuna tots and got a second order. Of the sushi we got, we enjoyed miso sugary the best. With a revisit.

Decent option for a quick dinner and large portions. The problem is it's forgettable; not much…read morespecial. What I got: - Nigiri dinner (3/5). 10 piece of nigri and 1 maki. Comes with Miso. Miso was pretty standard and forgettable. The maki roll is big. Seven of the pieces came topped with the exact same scallion pepper sauce. It was mostly salt. That made all seven taste identical (for the price, they should have done more to make each piece unique). The three pieces with different toppings were delicious. Scallop was smoky, the eel was great, and the salmon belly topped with chili oil was the best bite. Bathroom: Single stall bathroom. It is an older building, but it still could have been cleaner. Decent spot if you prioritize leaving full, but not a place I am in a rush to revisit.

A hidden gem. Great quality of sushi. A birthday boy or girl can even create (and save for…read morereorder) a personal sushi roll concoction. Sake selection is great, as well.

The love boat ($69) for 2 was EXCELLENT. We both left dinner completely stuffed to the brim, and I…read morewas thrilled with both the value and the quality of the meal. It comes with 2 bowls of miso soup, which were perfect on a cold winter night. The boat also includes a martini glass with seaweed salad, providing a refreshing, upscale palate cleanser when you need a moment's break from the fish. I was very impressed with the thick cuts for the sashimi, and the toppings on the nigiri also gave a tiny twist to the meal - while yuzu and jalapaeño are common pairings with raw fish, for example, the strawberry-on-salmon was a novel combo for me! The rolls also add appeal for any eating partners who enjoy their fish in another form. There isn't a lot of natural light/windows in the main seating area, so the lighting is dim and gives off an intimate ambiance that's perfect for a date night - no complaints about the service!

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.

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.

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.

I ordered the black garlic ramen and it was awesome! I loved how rich the broth was! The service…read morewas fantastic. They were quick and very energetic! The ambience was nice too. The price was indeed befitting for the taste.

Food: shoyu ramen, chicken karaage. Used to go to the location in Mitsuwa in San Jose, CA so was…read morenice to see this location. The ramen was satisfactory, but I just thought the karaage was just ok. Service: lightening fast. Ambiance: quite a large, bright space. Parking: difficult street parking. We were lucky enough to get a spot out front then realized it was only a 30 minute spot so we were grateful for the fast service and ate pretty quickly.

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!

The best sushi I've had in Boston. Hands down. I am not exaggerating, my partner and I dream about…read morethis sushi all the time, and we've unfortunately started comparing our other sushi experiences to this one. Soba is also really good. Everything here is really good, but I highly recommend the nigiri - while it's a little pricy (standard pricing comparative to other restaurants), it is well worth it Service is quite fast and we felt like we were taken care of. One time, the server took the soy sauce bottle away from one table without warning and gave it to us, and then proceeded to do the same to us. However, in this rare case, the food quality and taste overpowered the service issues. Inside is lively, and cozy. They also have outdoor patio seating in the summer, which is lovely as well. This is a restaurant I wouldn't mind coming to over and over again.

stopped in for a cool meal on a hot and sticky saturday. ordered an agedashi tofu, veggie tempura,…read moresushi soba and uni soba agedashi was good, kinda like fried tofu in hot and sour soup. tempura was cooked just right, came out popping hot, crispy, and the veggies inside cooked proper. the sashimi on the soba wasn't exactly the freshest, no concern whatsoever, but was not the freshest. uni soba was good. the uni was a little on the bitter side but the server did warn about that. the soba noodles were a little dried, not sure how the restaurant managed this for a soba place but it's just embarrassing.

Awesome Food quality, preparation, presentation- excellent…read moreStaff explains each dish, fish name, source and characteristics A culinary and educational event. Super friendly staff as well

When we first walked in, we were pretty taken aback by the ambience and the way the restaurant…read morelooked. The set up didn't feel inviting and it was dark and not in a good way. It looked pretty run down and like the owner didn't care to give too much attention to the space. If you're looking for an authentic omakase restaurant, this isn't it. Respectfully, I realized they learned their craft locally, rather than in Japan or from a Japanese sushi chef. From experience, I personally prefer the contrary because it does in fact taste different. Most of their fish are not sourced from Japan, but locally. Whenever served miso soup as the first course, I immediately know this will not be the experience I was hoping for. All the fish courses were more on the tangy side and it didn't seem to pair well with the fish. The best thing I had was probably the dessert, which was a matcha panna cotta. The service provided by one of the sushi chefs was excellent though. I don't remember his name, but it was the Chinese guy. I'm very expressive when I eat, even when I try to be discreet, it unfortunately shows on my face. He was very attentive and I believe he noticed I didn't enjoy the first few courses and over the 2 hours of our reservation, he tried to keep me as satisfied as possible by giving me more of what I did like. The 3 stars is because of him, or else I'd be giving it 1 if based solely on the food and ambiance. I guess for the price, you get what you pay for. 18 courses for $168-$178/pp is pretty decent considering most omakase restaurants are $250+. Still, I don't think it's worth it because my partner and I left feeling nauseous and hungry still (which is pretty normal for us lol). Unfortunately, taste wise, this is at the bottom of my list of "omakase" restaurants but service wise, it's good. So tread carefully if you're expecting an authentic experience/omakase.