Ochi is an excellent example of a high quality, local Japanese restaurant and bar. It's not…read morecomparable to authentic Tokyo, NY, LA, or Boston, so it doesn't warrant 5 stars globally, but it does deserve 5-stars for a dependable, flavorful suburban Japanese eatery. The food quality is above average, the execution is high, and the service is attentive. The space is clean and efficient, but lacks warmth. We visited the day after a large 1-2 foot snowstorm, and Ochi was one of the only restaurants open in town. I've eaten at Ochi 4x since it opened in 2023, although there's a lot more to explore on its expansive and prolific menu. On this visit, we tried a Tuna Poke Bowl, a Salmon Pome Bowl, a Katsu Ramen, a Mango Salad, and a Mochi desert. Regarding the Tuna Poke Bowl, Ochi took the liberty of substituting more expensive fatty tuna (Toro), for regular tuna (Maguro), a generous and appreciated gift as a thanks for dining on a very slow night due to the storm. Hence, I would recommend everything we tried: the Mango Salad, any of the Sushi, Sashimi and Maki choices, the Poke bowls and Ramen (especially the Spicy Miso Ramen, the chicken Katsu Ramen, and any of the traditional pork or beef Ramen choices). In addition, the deserts are especially worth trying, and are all well orchestrated. You can't really go wrong at Ochi.

We visited Ochi Sushi & Ramen on a Thursday around 5/6pm and the establishment was practically…read moreempty besides 2 other patrons at the bar. Location is great, there were able 2 employees working the front. Not really sociable with us but very chatty with each other. Pricing is a bit on the higher end for the quality for sure, out of 7 dishes between a group of 4 and 2 were for sure pre-made items only 2 dishes were ok. As for the food itself, I can say it's more on a "cleaner" side vs the extra flavor and oily texture you'd get from a fast food chain. The ramen broth was subtle, the noodle perfect, but the flavor wasn't there. The Chef special roll was way over priced for what you get, especially only having 1 piece being the best out of the "assorted" fish. The hibachi wasn't good in my opinion, good portion though. Would not order that again. The chicken teriyaki flavor was great, chicken texture was more like grilled on a pan vs over flame. Loved the veggies though. The gyoza and takoyaki were good as well as the strawberry mochi icecream. Wish they were more friendly though, making us feel like we were inconvenient for them was a major turn off.

A generous bowl of ramen filled with the usual suspects. It was Monday so most other ramen shops…read moreare closed. No complaints. We had the spicy miso and the shoyo broth. We left with full bellies and a smile

A solid casual ramen spot! Lots of flavor, large portions, and friendly staff working. It's pretty…read moresmall inside but that makes it feel more homey and warm inside. We came for dinner and it wasn't busy inside. Our food came out quick! We got the Karaage chicken appetizer which was a little more chewy than I had hoped but it was still tasty -- especially with that dipping sauce it came with! For ramen, we all ordered something different and were all happy with our orders.

Very tiny ramen shop! Expect a slight wait if you're coming…read morefor dinner. We visited around 6:30pm and experienced a 15-20 min wait for a table for 4. Walk-ins only, no reservations. They have the option of take out too! We got a couple appetizers to try & each got a different ramen. Here's what we ordered: APPETIZERS - chicken karaage - okonomiyaki-styled tater tots - green papaya salad RAMEN - miso ramen - spicy miso ramen - chef's ultra ramen - spicy tan tan ramen Thoughts: I thought the appetizer portions were pretty generous! A lot more than we were all expecting. I was pretty much already full before the ramens came out. Wasn't a big fan of the green papaya salad. It was missing some flavor. We all thought that it would be better if it had some tomatoes & garlic. Didn't seem like they used a mortar to ground the aromatics or anything, since the sauce just tasted like fish sauce and lime. The chicken karaage was okay. Wish there was more sauce to dip the chicken with. Chicken was also on the drier side. The tater tots were the best appetizer of the three we ordered, IMO. If you like takoyaki balls, you'll like this because it has similar sauces + bonito flakes. Ours needed some salt though. As for the ramens, I personally had the spicy miso ramen. It was missing a lot of depth in the broth that I would've liked to see (& taste). I didn't taste any miso to be honest. Salt was needed too. The highlights for the ramen were the chashu & corn. I loved that they used fresh corn! The chashu had the perfect amount of fattiness & almost melted in my mouth. The noodles were nice and chewy. The broth was just disappointing though. For the other ramens, everyone enjoyed the one they ordered. I tried a little of the chef's ultra ramen & the broth was much better than my spicy miso. Btw, the spicy miso ramen is not spicy at all for anyone who is hesitant & cannot do overly spicy foods. The food was a bit disappointing for me. I came in with high expectations with all the good reviews I read beforehand. Not terrible but not great.

Oh yes!! Oishi, Oishi!! Yum yum yum. Nice broth, great…read morenoodles, perfect ajitama and quick yet courteous service. Satisfaction all around!

It looks like a hole in the wall, but inside it's all about the food. I took a flyer on this place…read moreand so glad that I did! It was great!

Amazing delicious sushi!! Honestly blown away, the rolls were super fresh and flavorful. Did not…read moreexpect this from a takeout we happened to get. Torched maki and spicy bad boy maki were phenomenal. Eel avocado and alaskan maki were solid staples. Cannot say much to the restaurant itself and service as we only had takeout, but I was thoroughly impressed by the special rolls.

Little Spoon is a Thai restaurant tucked into a corner of Main Street in Needham with a cozy,…read morewelcoming atmosphere that makes it easy to settle into for a relaxed dinner. We walked into a space with a cute, unique quality to it, and the menu covers a wide range of Thai dishes including ramen, curries, noodles, and rice dishes, which gives a table with different preferences plenty of directions to go. The pad see ew and basil fried rice are both solid orders that cover familiar ground competently. The noodles on the pad see ew had decent wok character and the basil fried rice was well seasoned and aromatic, though neither dish pushed beyond what you would expect from a good neighborhood Thai spot. The mango sticky rice is a satisfying finish and the sticky rice texture was on point, though the mango itself can vary depending on the season. The Thai tea is well made and a natural complement to the spicier dishes on the table. Across everything we ordered, the food was consistently good without being particularly memorable, landing in that comfortable range where you leave satisfied but not necessarily thinking about it the next day. For a weeknight dinner close to home it works well and the portion sizes are reasonable for the price. The menu is large enough that there is probably a higher ceiling to explore on return visits with some of the more distinctive options like the khao soi, tamarind wings, or crispy duck. Service and pickup accuracy have been inconsistent based on different visits, so dining in tends to produce a smoother experience than ordering out. As a neighborhood Thai option in Needham, it fills the gap well enough.

Excellent food with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options…read more Good for both eat-in and take-out. Nice little dining room.

Gari continues to be a great local option. Since my original review, we've eaten in the restaurant…read moremany times. The service is always excellent. The sushi is consistently fresh and delicious, with many options to choose from. There's a small bar in front of the, in addition to a sushi bar. You can eat in both areas. Happy Gari survived Covid. Also a solid option.

Unfortunately didn't get a chance to eat in person, but we got it delivered and all of it was…read morefantastic. I definitely would want to try more of the sushi as they really took it home, but the katsu is great also. My mother liked her ramen. I had (not in one sitting): Pork Katsu (great) Lobster wonton (good) Lady in red maki (must try) Paradise Maki (great!)

Great ramen, delicious apps, clean restaurant and friendly staff.. will definitely be back!read more

Went to Soup Shack with some friends because I was craving ramen and this place did not disappoint…read more Everything was so flavorful, fresh and comforting. Such a good spot for a cozy filling meal. STEAMED CHICKEN GYOZA Soft tender and packed with a juicy chicken filling. The wrapper had the perfect bite and dipping it in the ginger sauce made it even better. A great starter. FRIED PORK GYOZA Crispy outside juicy inside and so flavorful. The pork filling was seasoned well and the crunch made each bite so satisfying. These were gone instantly. DAC BIET A rich beef broth loaded with rare steak brisket tripe tendon and meatballs. So much flavor and such a generous portion. Comforting, savory and the kind of bowl that warms you instantly. MI WONTON Light clean and comforting. The wontons were stuffed generously and the broth was flavorful without feeling heavy. A great balance to the richer bowls we ordered. SPICY MISO BEEF STEW This was incredible. Spicy miso broth with tender slow cooked beef and all the toppings. The spice level actually enhanced the flavor instead of overpowering it. Deep savory and so satisfying. TAN TAN MEN One of my favorites. Spicy creamy broth with ground pork bok choy and bean sprouts layered over chewy noodles. Rich bold and full of flavor in every bite. We also added marinated soft boiled eggs to our ramen and they were perfect. Soft jammy and full of flavor. Highly recommend adding one to any bowl. Overall Soup Shack really hit my craving. Everything tasted fresh portions were generous and the spicy bowls had so much depth. Loved this visit and will definitely be back.

Went to Yama Japanese restaurant for the third time for lunch. Usually, we just have the shrimp…read moretempura Bento box. Since we left New Jersey, we have been unable to find a Japanese restaurant that had sukiyaki Yama had a good sukiyaki. The only criticism I have is that the meat could have been more tender. There was tofu, vegetables and noodles. The broth was delicious. The sukiyaki came with a salad and rice

This has been my family's go-to spot for sushi takeout in Wellesley for years!!! The owners are so…read moresweet and recognize us by now. It's also a great experience dining in. Sushi is always fresh and tastes delicious, especially the salmon. Some of our favorite rolls are the Red Sox roll, porcupine roll, Celtics roll, and Jodie roll. They have a great lunch deal too!