When choosing a restaurant while visiting the area, this establishment is rated a 2 $ per person place, which is very deceiving when it is recommended to order 3 dishes per person, ($12-$22 per dish) as they are very small portions (a surprise kitchen appreciation tax was included in the total... Odd as no one knew what it was or what it was for but also increases the overall total per person) the food was nicely presented and also tasty but I will admit that some of the flavor combos were not to my liking. It was an interesting experience but this won't be my first choice to come back to. read more

Pagu - Halibut - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Food was pretty disappointing. Paella came out cold. Quantity was disappointing as well.

Every cocktail was great. Everything we ordered was delicious. Portion size on the mains could stand to be a bit better. Took a while to get a drink once we were seated. Waiter was fairly attentive after the first order. My girlfriend's food came out first, and she was finished before mine came out. Huge strike against them for that. That's an amateur mistake for a restaurant to make. Look forward to hitting this place again. Maybe just for drinks, or when time isn't an issue. Everything is quality here. Execution needs a lot of help though. read more

After not making it to Pagu for many months after opening, it has quickly become one of our go-to restaurants. We are huge fans of Spanish food and tapas portions, so those 2 aspects initially brought us in, but the Japanese fusion adds that little bit of extra interest that helps keep us coming back. We don't go when we're in the modo for Spanish cuisine. We don't go when we're in the mood for Japanese. We go when we're in the mood for Pagu. The ever-changing menu has some staples that we love. The pork belly baos are awesome, with tender pork that practically melts in your mouth. The kampachi sashimi has a nice balance of citrus and spice. Other favorites are probably the Tortilla Eespañola de John Bush, which is a small traditional Spanish tortilla, but with tomato jam and torched goat cheese on top, the brussels sprouts, which have a nice amount of spice to them, the piquillo peppers, which are very simple, and the cucumber salad. Really, though, nearly everything we've had (and we've tasted nearly the entire menu) has been excellent. More traditional bites like pan con tomate with boquerones and croquetas are nicely done at Pagu, as well. Lately, they've had the lobster roll on the menu, which is a favorite of mine. The Dovetail Sake kasu brioche is nice and soft, which does a good job of holding together the cold lobster meat over the incredible, but simple avocado and asian pear base. Really, the pears are what take the lobster roll to a new level for me. So, so good. From our very first visit, the staff were incredible, outgoing, and knowledgeable. Management made sure to come by and check on our table to make sure things were going well, ask for feedback, etc. It's the type of service that demonstrates a restaurant that's constantly seeking ways to improve the experience on all levels. The atmosphere is wonderful, as well. It's a very open space, with seated bar that surrounds an open kitchen, an open floorpan that allows customers and staff coexist nicely, a coffee bar, which is absolutely beautiful, and a great patio. They've held events (we've only made it to one), but it seems like the whole environment is meant to provoke socializing as part of the experience. Our very first visit had us chatting with people all around us. It was interesting and a nice surprise. The owner seems to really embrace this mentality, as well, as she is often chatting with customers and sparking conversation amongst people.. All of the things I've mentioned is what's turned us into regulars, and also why we often see other familiar customer faces there on a regular basis. The team at Pagu really seems to be doing things right, and working on improving anything they may be missing. If there's one downside, it's going to be the cost for some. If you've been to Spain, you'll know that tapas are generally very affordable. I think Pagu has priced things fairly for where it's located, but I can see some people being upset about the cost vs quantity. I'm just not one of them. The ability to order a bunch of things, share, sample, explore is wonderful...especially when you consider the quality. For example, ~$130 will get you kampachi sashimi, piquillo peppers, cucumber salad, papatas braves, brussels sprouts, tortilla españols de John Bush, pork belly baos, oyster baos, a lobster roll (with side of chips), and curry crab croquetas. That's a solid meal for 2 and actually more food than we ever need. It's not "cheap," but it's not as expensive as it would sound if we just read off the amount of items listed. Granted, a few drinks quickly sends your meal up, but we've never walked away upset about the cost, as the experience has yet to let us down! Keep it up, Pagu! read more

Despite the proliferation of Asian fusion menus, chefs often struggle with amalgamating seeming different spices and dishes. I haven't enjoyed an Asian fusion menu this much since OG in Manhattan. Pagu has been on my radar since I started seeing pictures of their squid ink fried oyster bao. A Chinese chef's interpretation of Japanese and Spanish fare seemed intriguing. I was in love with the menu immediately. We opted for the four course tasting menu which included salmon sashimi, Island Creek oyster shooter, oxtail croquettes, squid ink oyster bao, uni miso mazemen, and dessert. One will wonder if the design firm IDEO was involved in the design of this restaurant. Regular readers of my reviews will know that I detest paying for décor. This restaurant and the corresponding menu is executed with great skill. I appreciated everything from the business card font to the fizziness of the oyster shooter. The restaurant and menu "almost" makes me ponder whether I live on the wrong side of the Charles. You must dine here. read more

See all

Yes! I'm a fan, and not because the same love for dogs that both the restaurant owner and I have. We went here for Friday lunch, and it was surprisingly quite empty. Seated promptly and servers were attentive. With the increasing number of Asian-inspired restaurants in Boston/Cambridge area, it gets tricky to stand out of the pack in terms of flavors and finding the balance between "effectively inventive" and going overboard. I think Pagu definitely hits the right spot. I tried their Curry Crab Croquettas and Squid Ink Bao for lunch, which both were delicious!! I licked the croquette dipping sauce clean. Squid Ink Bao was heavier than I thought, but the slaw made up for the right balance. BF got the Taipei lunch set, which at $22 was a pretty good deal! The set consists of soup, gyudon-inspired rice bowl (which he emptied pretty quickly,) plus our favorite - black sesame tofu dessert dish! It was not too sweet, and the tofu foam was the best part. Nice interiors with an open kitchen as well. They also have a mezzanine to host private parties which I think is super neat! We'd definitely love to come back to check out dinner menu sometime soon! read more

See all

The pork baos are fantastic! The pork was cooked to absolute perfection and the pickles and sauce were so delicious. The matcha cookie was tasty as well -- it's a warm, soft matcha cookie with chocolate filling and isn't too sweet. The pork noodles were just okay. The noodle texture wasn't great and the flavor was a bit bland, but the pork tasted fine. Overall, would recommend :) read more

Hi I'm Minh Very nice decor where you'd probably take someone on a special occasion. Very modern, chic and dimly lit. You will be surrounded by a lot of dark colors and candles to compliment the earthy colors. The menu is decorated with PUGS. Yes you heard me right, mother loving PUGS. They even have cute stickers in the front of the menu isn't enough. You will probably need to make a reservation for this place if you plan on coming on a Saturday or Friday night since it will fill up pretty fast. The menu is mostly tapas with a few heartier meals in the form of different types of ramen. The menu will feature a lot Japanese fusion items and baos. So for food my friend and I tried a pretty decent spread of squid ink baos, crab croquettes and a couple bowls of ramen. Everything was very tasty and the crab croquettes were tasty and crunchy! Curry flavor was light and shredded crab shined on its own! Squid ink baos were very average since the fried oyster was rather small and dry. I appreciated the slightly seafood bao though, it had this "twang from the sea" I appreciated a lot. The reason why the review is average was that the ramen was severely disappointing. The broth was advertised as hearty and it tasted extremely light and airy, something that would probably accompany a dish like pho more. So that was a very contradicting dish for me. The mushroom mazemen was a broth-less ramen and that was really hearty as it was chock full of mushrooms and goodies! It didn't taste fantastic but again neither did my pork belly. The egg was fantastic though. Please consider putting the egg a-la-carte because that was a really, really, really good egg!!!! They offer you a dessert menu at the end but the ramen was filling but not very satisfying unfortunately. All in all, good vibes, nice drinks, average food at a steeper price ~ (Get the pug stickers though ^_^) read more

See all

Pagu is a slam dunk for Tracy Chang! Her new venture in Japanese/ Basque fusion far exceeded my expectations. Five star service, atmosphere and food. The waitstaff were knowledgeable and incredibly friendly - the bartender even allowed us to try an experimental cocktail off menu. The setting makes you forget you're on Mass Ave! Dark, cozy and modern. We especially loved sitting at the chefs counter for dinner and a show. Drinks were whimsical and delicious - try the coconut milk drink or one of their many inventive gin and tonics. I also appreciated the breadth of Txakolinas on the wine list. The food: + oxtail ramen - favorite dish of the night! Rich and flavorful + chicken katsu - huge portion of crispy chicken and the most addicting white sauce + Shitakke bao - the baos are all beautiful and tasty + Ikura on avocado toast - skip it. Loved the ikura, toast was small and nothing special read more

See all

3 small plates and a main was enough for two people. We had the roasted mushrooms, shashimi, fried calamari, and chicken katsu. The mushrooms and calamari were my favorite but everything was quite good. We also had one glass each of warm and cold sangria which was well spiced and very enjoyable at either temperature. read more

I normally love Pagu but the last 2 times have been an awkward experience. We called and asked if there was any way for a party of two anytime that evening and was told there was nothing available. We hung up. Then it occurred to me there was a bar or two - so called back and asked if we could just go to the bar. Man who answered the phone said we could "risk" it. It was a Tuesday. We showed up at 7. The restaurant literally had 5-6 occupied tables and 2 empty bars. (When we left around 8-830 there were maybe 10) We sat at one and had a lovely meal and a terrific experience with a bartender who's name I didn't get. But she was wonderful. I came back -Sunday night - sat alone at the bar and the poor Bartender was alone with a cocktail party of 50, a full restaurant and a good number at the bar. He had run out of everything and could barely keep up - and yet served me with a smile and an apology. The food was cold and mediocre - when it iis usually beyond fabulous. Seems a Manager meandered behind the bar and attempted to help by asking the beleaguered bartender where this or that was. The served a couple of drinks while the drink tickets stacked up. I've had an empty glass and empty plate in front of me for about 20 minutes but I don't have the heart to catch his eye and ask for a check. Unexpected to be sure. And. I'm still sitting watching with an empty glass and empty plate. read more

Pagu was a magnificent experience. The atmosphere is classy yet approachable. It's clear that every part of the menu and drinks are carefully considered. The Pork Belly Bao and Cheesy Wafflatos were delicious. I highly recommend the Spicy Cut Noodles and Chicken Katsu. The service was five stars. The servers were knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. Lastly, the desserts are unique and excellent. I'd recommend trying them, even if they're outside of your comfort zone. read more

Okay, I know this place just opened, but I think there are some improvements to be made. I made reservations before coming and needed to put down a $25 deposit per person for the a la carte menu. I thought this was a little odd, given that the place on a weekday during dinner hours was only half full, but maybe they anticipate it getting very popular very soon. Also, our total bill wasn't significantly more than our deposit, which again was weird. And just one more thing about the price, the prix fixe is $60 per person, so it doesn't seem worth the cost when comparing it to the a la carte menu. Anyway, moving on. We were seated at an awkward open kitchen table, where instead of the chefs serving us, they passed dishes off to the waiters on the sides of the bar who then came behind us and served us. It would have worked well, but the seats were close together, and it felt as if the staff was between us or serving around us all night, including frequent visits for to refill our water. I'd also comment that some of the flavors that they use--particularly the smoked items and seafood--are very aromatic, which could be a problem for some people sitting so close to the 'kitchen.' Before ordering, a waitress came around with what I'm going to call a 'vase of breadsticks' and to offer us. Very weird. We wanted to order several items from their menu to get a general idea about the type of food and a good range of flavors, so we ordered 6-7 plates, which was a good amount of food. The ones worth mentioning are below. Curry crab croquetas - One of the best items we had. Light on the crab; heavy on the curry. Accompanied with a delicious spicy, creamy sauce. Pan + Avocado + Ikura - Probably the most original item we tried. I don't know that the salmon roe/avocado combination necessarily works well together, but I'll give them an 'A' for effort. Childhood fried rice - Easily the worst item we ordered. The seasoning wasn't uniform, and overall, the dish was bland and tasteless. Definitely skip this dish. In general, I had high hopes for this place based off others' reviews, but I wasn't too impressed. I'll give them the benefit that it is still new and potentially ironing out some of the kinks, and I will say that everyone was extremely friendly and polite. Overall, it was an average experience, but there is definitely room for improvement. read more

See all

Pagu is a restaurant that delivers with great food, but falls short on service. At the start they give Japanese olives and breadsticks. The olives were nice, the the breadsticks were good. These are the hard, long, thin type of breadstick, not a soft & warm one like you would get at an Italian restaurant. I had a cocktail called the Owl's Eye which was good. Even better was the second cocktail I had, the Kyoto, which had Rye whiskey, Hojicha syrup, and Vermouth. The cocktail was well balanced with the sweetness of the Hojiuka against the strong Rye. Food here mostly consists of small plates. If you don't order the tasting menu, you will want to get 3-5 dishes depending on how hungry you are. I had the Braised Pork Belly Bao, which was very tasty and flavorful. I also had the Pan, Avocado, and Ikura which is essentially avocado toast with fish roe. It was really good, but the size of the portion was quite small even for a place serving small plates. I also had the Curry Crab Croquettas which were tasty and had great flavor, though I wish the crab was more prominent in it. Finally, I had the Midnight Ramen which was good. Overall, Pagu has potential to be one of the best restaurants in Greater Boston, but to get there they will need to improve service, especially on speed of food to the table. They are somewhat new, so hopefully they are learning and will improve. read more

See all

Went to Pagu to celebrate my boyfriend's new job and the service + food were perfect for making the dinner feel special. Our server gave food and drink recommendations as well as advice on how many plates would be appropriate for the two of us. We tried what others have recommended and loved the cheesy wafflato and kampachi sashimi. I'm always excited to see Lambrusco (sparkling red, not a Rose) on a wine list so I went to order it before changing my mind and getting the Flight to Narita cocktail. The cocktail was delicious and at the end of our meal the serving brought over two champagne glasses and a bottle of Lambrusco. Two pours on the house to toast our special occasion! It was sweet of her to remember. Thank you, Pagu! read more

Pagu - Flight to Narita - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

I didn't think there was room for my love of tapas (small plates) to grow until I dined at Pagu. A melding of Spanish-style small plates with Japanese delicacies, this Cambridge spot is an exciting place to chow down AND offers plenty of gluten-free options. Chef Tracy Chang of O Ya and Guchi Midnight Ramen opened her own venue and named it after the Pug breed of man's best friend (pagu means pug in Japanese). She spent time at the 3-Michelin starred Martin Berasategui in Spain so she has plenty of inspiration to draw on for the Spanish plates. Pagu is a large venue, great for groups and special events yet intimate ambiance for any date night as well. Walking in, you'll find a bar on your left, chefs counter at the back, and plenty of tables and common dining space to the right. We sat at the chef's table and got to witness the excitement and bustle of the kitchen. We started with the Kampachi sashimi with aged shoyu, garlic, lime, and thai chili. Crudo and sashimi plates are always my favorite since they're incredibly fresh, and this was no exception. I'm not good with spicy things so don't worry, this one had a slight kick but isn't too strong. The Jamon Iberico de Bellota is a must-try plate! It's a 36 month aged acorn-fed Spanish ham that melts in your mouth. I'm not even the biggest ham fan, but I couldn't stop thinking about this dish even days after! I almost always order kale salad when I see it on the menu, and I love to compare them. This one is so unique it sets itself apart from the rest. with roasted red bell peppers, marcona almonds and avocado, it's a lovely smooth take on a kale salad - and so packed with those healthy omega-3s! I want the Tortilla Espanola for bfast every day - it is made with corn tortillas so it's gluten free, with organic eggs, potatoes, and arbequina. It's the ultimate comfort food! This Uni Miso Mazemen has Maine uni, shiro miso, and nori with gluten free noodles. Uni is always such a funny texture for me, but I still love trying it. The noodles and sauce here were buttery perfection. How cool are the black squid ink oyster baos?? With norioli, shiso, fried oysters and purple cabbage, they may not be gluten-free but they look too cool for school. For dessert, I went with the Black Sesame Tofu which came in such a neat presentation. With hojicha syrup, tofu foam, and sesame tuille this dish was a frenzy of earthy flavors and fun textures, from light, bubbly foam to smooth syrup. When the waitress asked us which plate was our favorite, we ended up listing almost every plate. Including an actual plate with an adorable pug face on it. I definitely recommend Pagu for anyone in the Boston area. If you like Spanish tapas, Japanese food, and cool ambiance, you'll love it here. Our waitress was the nicest and Chef Tracy Chang even came over a couple times to say hello! It's such a unique dining experience and very well-executed. They even give you complimentary mandarin oranges to take home as you're leaving, so fun! read more

See all

I've never heard of people around me talking about this restaurant. I decided to give it try. It turned out that it was not mentioned for a good reason. A small group us went on weekday evening. We made the reservation with Pagu directly. However, we were not placed to our seats when we arrived on time, although there were multiple open tables.... We were told all tables were reserved. Well, we had a reservation too! It turned out our reservation did not matter much. After questioning a few times, we did not get any reasonable explanation. The servers kept telling us although we had a reservation we could not be seated and we had to wait at the bar..... while waiting at the bar, nobody checked on us or updated us with the table status. We had to check with the server ourselves at least 3 times. After a long wait, we almost gave up and started thinking to order at the bar. We were finally seated at our table. The food was mediocre, I would have to say. Salmon was way too salty. Noodles were mushy. Nothing was worth more than 5 min wait. The server did not know how many different types of hot sauce they offer..... Now I totally understand why this restaurant is in a good location but nobody recommends it in my friend circle. I will certainly not come back. read more

A friend casually suggested that we have a Friday night dinner at Pagu - since I wasn't in charge of the reservation I didn't do any research about the place and simply showed up at 8 pm. It turned out that the restaurant had only been open a week and that my friend had already been two times. After experiencing the prix fixe, it's easy to see why. The restaurant is trendy without being over the top, and lively without being noisy. The open kitchen concept and private loft space is really cool, and the bar is backlit in a visually appealing way. As we progressed through rounds of tiny, perfectly curated dishes, I marveled at the consistent quality and flavor of the food. The avocado ikura pintxo, Jamón ibérico, croquetas and Guchi's Midnight Ramen were standouts for me, but everything was tasty. The drinks were no different; my pear ginger daiquiri was extremely straightforward and enjoyable, while my husband's Agua De Valencia cocktail had a lot more nuance - each sip was layered with different delicious flavors. During the first week of operation, you expect to experience some hiccups. Our server forgot to bring one of our appetizers so we didn't get it until the end of the meal; timing was a little choppy at the halfway mark (the food came out in small batches and then there was a lull of about 20 minutes where nothing happened); and we had to get the bill changed because we had been charged for a few more prix fixes than we had ordered. However, it was a thoroughly charming evening with great food, wonderful Spanish music and a lovely ambiance. Our server was thoroughly apologetic about the mixup and I have full confidence this restaurant will be 5-star once it hits its stride. Hats off to Tracy Chang for an extremely successful launch! I can't wait to return. read more

See all

Me: "Dinner last night was really good!" Husband: "Yes" Me, an hour later: "I really liked dinner last night!" Husband: "Yes" Me, that night: "Man, I can't stop thinking about dinner last night!" Husband: "YES, I know!" And it's true! I can't stop thinking about Pagu. The food was awesome and each dish gave me so much to appreciate. Our party of 4 snagged reservations for a snowy Saturday night. We considered doing a la carte, but quickly became paralyzed by indecision and decided to go for the prix fixe. We started with a round of drinks: note, there's a large format section and a whole gin and tonic section, which was fun. We tried the mount tamalpais, the bog G&T, pear daquiri, and agua de valencia. The Bog and Mount Tamalpais were the two winners, but the pear daquiri was pretty good too. Our dinner started with the croqueta de maitake, avocado ikura pintxo, and... the long awaited smokey cheese wafflato. Loved the maitake balls and the roe was a cool addition to the avocado toasts. The highlight, for me, was the wafflato. I was worried I'd built it up too much in my head, but it was perfect!! The peppers were a roulette experience. I waited for other three people to taste and asked if they were hot: two nah, one yes. So I had one- nothing! Mild as a green pepper. Then, next one- yikes, hot! We realized it was just a mix, so then it became a game trying to guess how the next one would taste. Then we moved onto bao and ramen. I felt a little gross from all the meat I'd consumed recently, so asked if I could sub the mushroom in for the pork in both dishes and they were totally cool about it. My friends loved the pork belly bao and their Midnight ramen, commenting it was probably the best ramen in the area. The noodles themselves weren't anything to note, but the flavoring was good. I was really happy with the mushroom ramen. It had just the right amount of heat and I didn't feel like I got the short end of the stick for going veg. Finally, some bubbly sake with candied lemon to cleanse our palates (YUM), and a delicious dessert-- maybe it was like a squash sorbet? I was super happy with the food and the space, which was cool but not cold or over the top. I'll probably get the wafflato and ramen on my next trip, and another prix fixe when the menu changes. read more

See all

I have been to Pagu twice since it opened this past winter and had a great experience, for dinner and brunch, both times. Because this is a combined review experiences, I'll just go over the highlights. Our dinner was during one of Pagu's first nights, service was incredibly smooth, the servers were well informed on drinks and dishes, and were very accommodating for allergies. There was a small hiccup where another table's dish was set on our table. Despite pointing it out to the server immediately, they let us keep the dish and we were not charged for it. The original table (beside us) received their tortilla perhaps 5 minutes later. Though not quiet by any means, it is easy to carry on a conversation inside and outside, the playlist is enjoyable, and there are a wide variety of seating options (counter, high tops, booths, tables, patio). Where Pagu could perhaps improve is in it's concept of a Spanish/Japanese fusion restaurant. The dishes typically fall into a Japanese or Spanish category and true fusion dishes such as the Chilled Tomato Mazemen (a very soft dish, borderline mushy dish with the chilled noodles, tomatoes and egg), Curry Crab Croquetas aren't the dishes that the restaurant is necessarily known for. Their American/Japanese fusions with dishes like the Lobster Roll and Oyster Bao stand out visually and in the taste department. Squid Ink Oyster Bao - I've heard great things about the Pork Belly Boa, but being allergic to peanuts and a pescetarian, the oyster bao was on our table. The bao is soft and fresh, the oyster crispy on the outside, soft on the inside (not undercooked or overcooked and tough). With the aoili it almost becomes a North American/Japanese fusion of a fried oyster sandwich/Po' Boy, but this isn't anywhere close to your typical deep fried oysters and mayo on a hot dog roll. Tortilla Espanola (John Bush) - This was accidentally brought to our table during our first dinner service and let's just say it was a very happy accident. The tomato jam is thick combining sweet, savoury and tart, and the goat cheese becomes gooey and melted on top. If you're getting the Tortilla Red Sangria - Using fruit puree the dark purple drink carries the flavour of wine and fruit, with distinguished notes of blackberries. The following dishes aren't currently on their menu, but hopefully they'll be back! Kampachi Collar - served with the head in tact, the fish was tender, the skin crispy, and it was beautifully seasoned. Scallop Sashimi - Tender and succulent, almost buttery, with bright notes Sautéed Vegetables on Romesco (?) - I feel bad that I don't remember the name of the dish, but these sautéed vegetables on what I believe was a red romesco sauce were warm, charred, and still had a bit of crunch. read more

See all

[BOTTOM LINE]: パグ // PAGU (noun); Pug, in Japanese Also, a really special restaurant in a phenomenal location between Central and Kendall. [THE SPACE/SERVICE]: So beautiful and spacious! There's a large bar near the front, an open kitchen (our high/booth tables faced it, which was awesome), and really bright and airy. The dishes were all beautifully plated and our server (who was training, but she was excellent) was great. Also, I loved the pugs on the menu. The only thing that confused was that all of our dishes came out within 3 minutes of each other which overwhelmed both our table and our heads since I ended up balancing the art of eating from 9 dishes at once. [THE FOOD]: A sincere take on Asian-Spanish tapas fusion. The menu is, of course, small plates. Our waitress suggested 3 plates/person but the 4 of us were quite satisfied with 9 dishes (+ dessert and drinks). The menu is really expansive, but it wasn't overwhelming. I recommend ordering one from each category -- if you're looking for more filling bowls, definitely go for the ramen or the fried rice. Also, don't miss out on the veggie section! Our favorites: 1) Squid Ink Bao with Fried Oysters - firstly, it's stunning. The bao has a hint of fishiness (in a good way), and the fried oyster and slaw paired so well. Must get. 2) Roasted mushroom mazemen - Yummy and surprisingly rich/creamy from a meatless ramen. 3) Curry crab croquettes -- Amazing curry dipping sauce, and tastes like a crab cake on crack. 4) Chocolate cake with szechuan peppercorn ice cream -- not a spicy ice cream, and yet it still had the mala feeling from the peppercorn (and a hint of cumin, maybe?). SO interesting, and so delicious. 5) Brussels sprouts with XO sauce / Sambal patatas bravas -- two fresh takes on two dishes that have been done -a lot-. The patatas bravas were more like hasselback potatoes instead of chunks of potatoes. Love! 6) Steak tartare -- the chips that came with it were killer. I can't wait to come back here. Coming for you, rest of the bao and veggie menu! read more

See all

Food was meh. Drinks were all right. The seasoning is too simple in general, lacking complexity.

Decent service and nice place. We really wanted to like it but it falls far short of the other great restaurants in the area, or in Boston. There really are so many others that do small plates/tapas with similar menus. If we weren't familiar with the other places it might have made a stronger impression. Starter tapas: good for those just exploring. read more

First off, where else can you get bao buns and shishto papers as well as Jamon iberico, pan con tomate AND suckling pig? Exactly! Chef Tracy blends her Asian roots with her Spanish training to bring together a unique menu with the highest quality ingredients. Also, when the Restaurant opened after Covid, it was a place I felt that the entire staff cared about the personal health of the customers and each other. This level of care is certainly something I appreciate from the hospitality industry. read more

PAGU has a drool-worthy social media presence. The problem is, what they're putting out is not consistent with their instagram. We ordered the pork belly bao, which are shown as dressed with greens and toppings, which were not present. The pork belly had a deep fried texture. Not tender at all. The squid ink pizza had good flavor overall, like.a rhode island style calamari plate, but the calamari on insta looked pan fried. mine was battered and deep fried, and it had a double crust- meaning I ordered a small pizza and it came with a primary crust stacked on another smaller circle of crust making a thin crust pizza weird and bready. (See photo). Literally two crusts, one small topped with one larger. Never seen anything like it. The gucci's midnight ramen was ordinary, tasted like a light chicken stock base with commercially made thin noodles. The duck salad was a deep fried duck leg on arugula with a vinaigrette, no gogi berries and toppings as indicated on the menu. And an order of matcha cookies for $4 was one single cookie. Maybe that's on me if the serving was a single cookie but still, Wtaf. Five small items for more than $100 bucks plus delivery. Yah. Not ordering here again. I know the pandemic has affected supply chains and such- but if you're not able to deliver what is described on the menu and displayed like a jewel on insta, scale back. Don't rely on the fryolator for everything. Update descriptions. Be realistic. Your customers will appreciate it. At least my Caviar delivery was timely and accurate. :/ read more

Pagu - This is my double crust pizza. What is even happening. And the calimari is deep fried. Not as advertised. - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

My family and I politely informed the host upon our arrival that we had a gift card. It had been given to us as a gift, but it didn't have a bar code or number, so we told him. He said the gift card would undoubtedly be accepted. We showed it to the manager, the waiter, we were told by all it would be no problem. We sat down and enjoyed our meal and kept the drinks flowing, taking care to keep our bill under the gift card's amount. When it came time to pay our bill, the waiter avoided eye contact. When we finally flagged him down, he said they'd never seen anything like our gift card, and they wouldn't be able to accept it. We were forced to pay for our bill ourselves. To say this was both confounding, and a disappointment, would be an understatement. Several weeks later, we were able to dig out receipts for the gift card and the restaurant refunded our bill. For this we are thankful (Thank you Pagu). But more transparency would be appreciated up front next time. Thanks. read more

With friends in town who love Asian food, I was between here and Myers + Chang (as small plates are my favorite way to try a bunch of different things). I had already been to Myers + Chang so we decided to try something new. Made a reservation for 8:30 and we got there a little early and were seated by 8:40. My friends got cocktails (Sanguina Y Tonic) which they enjoyed but I was here for the food. SETTING: Very dimly-lit (as you will see from the pictures below) but vibrant setting. Really cool bar with the bartenders in aprons. Lots of high-top tables that are pretty close together. There is also a counter where people can sit and watch the kitchen. FOOD: I'll list everything we got in order of what I would recommend. I realize we got mostly fried food but fried food is good. Tempura Brussels Sprouts - Brussels sprouts, either pan-fried or deep-fried, are always a must. The hot sauce and aioli were delicious too. The best thing we ate. Squid Ink Bao - A unique take on a bao bun but it's pitch black (due to squid ink) with a fried oyster on it. Definitely a small bite but a very delicious one. Cedar Campfire Black Cod - This fish melted in our mouths. The portion size was quite small for $23 but damn it was good. The seaweed salad wasn't really a value-add to the dish. Fried Goat Cheese - Covered in pistachios and on top of arugula and beets, this was a delicious salad. The richness of the fried outer portion helped offset the tartness of the goat cheese within. Cheesy Wafflato - A thin waffle with cheesy and caramelized shallots. Tasted pretty good but given the description, I wish they were bigger and oozed more cheese. Could have been better. Curry Crab Croquetas - I am candidly not a big croqueta fan so I am biased here but these were just meh. Nothing special compared to the other things we ordered. PRICE: Definitely on the more expensive side for the portion size but I was very happy with the meal. Probably won't be back soon but definitely a good option for Asian small plates in Boston. read more

See all

Food great, good idea food, we love the Black cod. That s perfect cook. We had double orders for (Cedar Campfire Black Cod).. good service. But hard to find the parking. We will comeback again to try another dish. For the drink not sweet if you want more sweet you can ask for syrup. For ramen is good. They called Guchi's midnight ramen. Chicken katsu a little bit dry but it s still good. Recommend tempura Brussels sprouts and Squid ink oyster bao. read more

See all

High quality food. I had salmon sashimi, Napa cabbage, cod, Japanese cheese cake with mocha ice cream. All tasty and reminded me of my country Japan! Service is quite good. I wish food was a little bigger, but small portion is considered real Japanese. read more

Went here last night as it looked like an interesting menu. First off, while I'm a big fan of disease prevention, given that they require proof of vaccine and they take your temperature when you arrive, there's no reason to also leave all doors and windows open. It was cold here last night and the restaurant was frankly uncomfortable. The food was "so-so." I ordered the chicken katsu and it literally had no flavor. It was essentially a piece of bread, pan-fried chicken. Very disappointing. At the end of the meal I wanted a decaf coffee and they did not have that to offer. Also disappointing. I cannot recommend this place. read more

We had an amazing experience here! We sat at the bar that was basically in the kitchen (so cool!) and the manager came over a few times to recommend her favorite dishes. We went with the suckling pig for two and oh. My. God. It was amazing. The bao buns were so soft and the pork was juicy, with some crispy bits in there too. We also got the squid ink croquettes, which were delicious. We will certainly be back! read more

I was visiting my brothers for a weekend in February, and we wanted to try something out-of-the-ordinary so Pagu seemed like a smart choice. The delightful hostess greeted us at the front door and showed us to our table, and that was the highlight of the evening. We notice they were advertising happy hour deals on a chalkboard at the entrance. We tried to order these specials, only to be told that they were only available at the bar. We tried to order them at the bar, only to be told that we couldn't bring them back to our table; both equally inexplicable choices made by management. We move past this and order our meal. Being unfamiliar with their portions, we ask the waiter how many entrees would be appropriate for our party of six. His obvious eye roll and indifferent recommendation of "5-10" left us with more questions, which he was less than eager to answer. The first plate came out, an order of avocado toast of size and quality suitable for a small dog. To our amazement, each subsequent dish came out smaller than previous. The minuscule portions failed to justify even a fraction of the inflated prices at this restaurant, and I fail to see how this restaurant brands itself as tapas when the entrees aren't large enough to share. To poor salt on the wound, a 4% "kitchen appreciation fee" was added to our bill; the restaurant claims this is a "transparent" way to show gratitude for the entirety of the staff, when in reality, the fee is hidden in the fine print of a long paragraph on the menu. Main point: If you're going to spend upwards of $50 per person on a meal, make sure it's at a restaurant where the staff and food will leave you satisfied. If you really want to experience an evening at Pagu, you can join a local boxing gym for cheaper and you can get smacked around there in a shorter period of time. Boston, and even Central Square, is full of great dining options so don't waste your time or money here. read more

I was excited to try Pagu. While the atmosphere is lovely, the food is lackluster. Items sounded delicious on paper but upon execution were just bland. The ramen was disappointing, though the pork and 6 minute egg were good. We also had the pork croquettes and fried rice, both of which were just okay. With an almost $60 price tag, we both left hungry. I'm disappointed to say we won't be back. read more

Pagu - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Terrific stuff! Biang biang noodles rocked my face.

Food was great - we had some tapas to start, the pan con tomate was delicious, others were great as well. Drinks were also well done and service was excellent, very kind and professional staff! read more

Pagu - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Pagu's own description on website: "we challenge ourselves to create feel-good homey food that speaks to the body and soul [..]" Everything my friends and I ate was delectable, beautifully presented, but I don't think the tiny portion "spoke to our souls," necessarily. The concept was a bit confusing to me, intriguing as it is... but "Japanese-Spanish" tapas? While I enjoyed the meal and everything, I was left confused with 90's hip-hop music (heard Ricky Martin as well), Chinese baos, and Taiwanese sausage fried rice, etc. I reiterate, everything tasted wonderful, but I couldn't figure out the vibe. A little heavy on the wallet for such tiny portions... but they were nice enough to prorate prices for our table of 3 because most itmes are just two bites. read more

See all

We came here for a dinner last Friday and we had a great time. The staff was friendly and helpful. We ordered cocktails and a bunch of small plates, including the two types of bao, wagyu beef, green beans, etc. Each dish was excellent. The wagyu beef was a bit expensive but well worth it! We will come back again. read more

Came here with three friends and was super excited to try the food since I've seen Pagu come up on a couple of restaurant lists! Strictly speaking, the food is pretty average in my opinion. My bf and I shared the biang biang noodles and chicken katsu - the noodles were good (although a fairly small portion), and the katsu was nothing special.. Drinks were solid though, and service itself was good. However, as one reviewer recently stated, I think the management should take some things into consideration. After checking the receipt a few days after dining at Pagu, we noticed there was a 20% COVID response fee. We were super puzzled since this was the first time we had heard or seen anything like it, and it wasn't until we read a review from another Yelper that we realized we weren't the only ones who were surprised. We called Pagu, and they explained the fee is to protect their employees. However, she also basically said that the fee is intended to make customers tip more. First of all, if a store is trying to "protect" their employees, shouldn't they consider maybe taking a slight cut of their own profits instead of pushing that burden on paying customers? I realize that these times have been extremely hard for everyone, especially restaurants, and I do appreciate the sentiment. I also understand that not everyone may tip enough (or not at all), but our group wrote in the tip WITH that thought in mind and tipped more than normal (not knowing that the COVID fee was included). The fee added on an additional $36, which is a pretty significant amount when you're already paying quite high prices for the food itself. We checked the website, and it does not mention this fee once nor did we notice this on the menu. The employee we spoke to said it was on the side and they had made sure to emphasize it, but based on what other Yelpers have said, I feel like this wasn't really the case. Honestly, I was expecting more from such a renowned restaurant. Transparency is key here! We would've appreciated the opportunity to adjust the tip accordingly. In hindsight, I wish we would've checked the receipt right then and there, but checking a long receipt of items is difficult especially when the waiter/waitress brings out a digital pad for you to pay and is waiting on you to do so. I understand if the waiters/waitresses could be too busy to remember to tell all the customers that come in, but even putting a small note in the middle of each table would be sufficient. I know it's on the menu, but obviously, it was not emphasized enough to where the average reader could see it (no one in my group saw it)...AND the online menu PDF isn't updated either. Please consider highlighting this on the website somewhere as a courtesy to your customers who want to dine in your restaurant and enjoy a nice meal. I think everyone would understand and appreciate the reasoning behind the fee and be more than happy to add additional tip on top of that; however, not mentioning this at all while only including small text on the side of the menu for such a sizeable fee feels sneaky and is in poor taste. Sad to say the food is not enough to get us to come back. read more

Good but not great. I didn't feel like it was worth the price. Had the chefs tasting menu and added the ramen and seafood noodles. Chefs tasting menu had very small portions and we were still hungry afterwards. They didn't have cod so we had mackerel instead which was very good - perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. Squid ink bao was good but not amazing. Oyster shooter was interesting! I liked the croquettes a lot. The dessert yam ice cream was very good though, almost smoky, I'd definitely have this again! Did NOT like the noodles. The ramen broth was subpar, and the seafood noodles were just meh. The flavors didn't feel very complex and overall we were all disappointed. Go to a ramen restaurant instead if you're craving noodles. Good, but nothing to write home about - especially for the price. I had high expectations and was overall disappointed in the quality of the food. read more

See all

Very nicely done Asian fusion. We only had Asian parts of the menu for lunch. We really enjoyed the lobster roll sandwich-the Asian pear offered a nice crunch and despite the healthy portion of avacado they did not skimp on the lobster. The bao buns were also delicious-would have been nice to get 3 for $12 but this is a quality over quantity place. Be sure and try the espresso tonic-super refreshing and unexpectedly delicious. Service was fast and friendly. Would definitely come back here! read more

Pagu - Nice dining room - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts