Just visited Pagu for the first time and had a great experience. Dishes and drinks were creative and well executed. The service was above and beyond, our server Alejandra was so warm and attentive. We left feeling like we were part of their family and will definitely be back again. Highly recommend the green beans! read more

Came here to celebrate a birthday - definitely pricey but tasty. Highlights were the pork belly bao and the cocktails - the Lei it On Me is a good sweet option, and the Tropic Thunder is a nice one if you like your drinks a bit more sour. Getting a pizza is a good move if you have more than a couple people and you want to feel more full when you leave without breaking the bank. The salmon sashimi is probably not worth it - pieces are quite small and you could do better for less at an actual sushi restaurant. Service was lovely as well - they messed up one of our noodle dishes but were quick to get us a new one and let us keep the old as well for free. Our waitress also insisted on desserts for us since we had two people at the table with birthdays that day, which were also complimentary, even though initially we weren't going to get dessert here. Note that they do ask for proof of vaccination before being seated inside, so make sure to have photo proof if not the real thing with you. read more

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I came here with my friends on a Thursday night to celebrate Boston Asian restaurant week. This has some mixed reviews but I was keen on trying out this restaurant. It's a Japanese & Spanish tapas restaurant near central square in Cambridge. We got the striped bass ceviche, roasted mushrooms, braised pork belly bao, purple lamb yam bao, shio koji roasted corn, chicken katsu, spicy knife cut noodles, matcha cookie and the lei it on me mocktail. My favorites were the mocktail, chicken katsu and ceviche. The ambience was quite homey and not loud. The only thing that bothered us was that we had to wait around 15 mins even though we made reservations well in advance. read more

Pagu - Lei it on me - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I've been here twice now. Menu is inspired! The ramen has a great depth of flavor and the black cod is balanced and flavorful. Servers have been consistently friendly and helpful. Can't wait to return! read more

I was not super impressed with Pagu unfortunately. It wasn't bad, but I don't think I can say that it was good. Service was fine, no issues there. The restaurant itself has kind of a modern airy vibe about it, I thought that was fine too. I like that the pug is their mascot, very cute touch. When you arrive they ask for your vaccination records, which is nice, most places aren't doing that anymore so it's cool that there's still a place that does; I'll tell my parents and I'm sure they'll come here because of it, so I love that. The issue was the food. I think they were trying too hard to have the food be ultra modern/unique... and it sadly missed the mark for me. This is a tapas restaurant, all of the plates are small and designed to be easily shareable. Here's what we got: - cheesy wafflato [v, gf] 8 mozzarella, caramelized onion, hot honey - green pea bao [v] 15 pickled papaya, thai basil alioli - french fries [v] 8 rosemary, alioli, ketchup, thai chili hot sauce - tempura string beans [v] 13 thai chili hot sauce, alioli, togarashi, sesame The presentation was great, especially the tempura string beans. I wouldn't get that one again though, the flavor was pretty bland surprisingly. Green pea Bao was also a bit bland/odd. I ordered the cheesy wafflato purely based on the name, and that was the worst thing we were served, it was hard as a rock and flavor was sub par--I'm not sure if it was overcooked compared to what it's supposed to be, or if that's just how it is? Neither of us were sure how to eat the wafflato, it was too hard to cut it, but it was also sticky from the honey so we didn't want to pick it up; and they didn't even give us a knife to try to cut it with, so we were attempting to chop it up with our fork, which felt a bit awkward and was not an experience I'd care to repeat even if it had tasted good. The only thing I liked were the rosemary french fries. They weren't like *out of this world* but I'd get them again. I wish I could say more great things because I really wanted to love this place, but I don't know, maybe I just didn't pick very well on the selection. I'd come back and try some other plates. Will update my review if I do! read more

Pagu - Tempura String Beans | (vegan) Thai chili hot sauce, alioli, togarashi, sesame [13] - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dinner for 4 with a nice vibe - ordered drinks, apps, entrees, and dessert. Most of food/drinks were goods and the waitress was attentive until the end (where we were looking for her for dessert options and check). Recommend: * Lei It On Me, a refreshing cocktail * Tempura String Beans * Roasted Maitake Mushroom * Bone Marrow * Tuna Collar * Black Sesame Tofu (that was the best dessert out of the 4 that we got, unless you're not a fan of sesame or tofu) Don't recommend: * White Rabbit, does not taste like white rabbit candy * Matcha Cookie, dry and crumbling read more

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Booked a reservation here after the JB nom to support our local nominees. Staff was super friendly and generally attentive. Menu was labeled with allergens, which was great as a GF and DF diner. The food did not impress and left something to be desired for each dish. We ordered: Hamachi Crudo, Croquetas, Mushrooms, veggie paella and the pork noodles. Hamachi was not memorable. Mushroom sauce was tasty, but they needed to be hotter (temperature). Croquetas (eaten by my partner) didn't have the texture of cod. Flavor was good. Veggie paella sauce was excellent, but overall the dish was dry. We also got the chocolate cake which we were told was GF and vegan. It was very dry. Restaurant was very loud as they had a group party of likely 40 people. Would consider coming back again during the weekend. read more

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Pagu is not that great - it's mostly OK. It's easy to get a reservation via Resy, so it's a fine back-up option for group dinners, but I wouldn't seek it out for date nights and would rather go to other restaurants in the vicinity. FOOD We were a group of four, and ordered the following (and were pretty full): * Hamachi sashimi - OK * Black cod croquetas - OK, thought they would be better * Pan con tomate - OK * Mapo tofu - good! get this * Suckling pig - also good! * Dark chocolate cake - not good * Olive oil polenta cake - not good I would try the Midnight Ramen if I went back. DRANK We asked for a bottle recommendation, and got the Albariño - the wine was very good. VIBE Pagu has a generally good vibe that suits all purposes. I think it works best for family or friend dinners. SERVICE Service was not phenomenal. Our waiter was not very clear or helpful about how to go about choosing our dishes for the evening, and generally did not seem smooth/experienced. MONEY THO Expensive because it's a tapas place - but not worth the price tag. read more

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Food: tomato toast (plain but great, wanted more and more), green beans (great, fun flavors, haven't had green beans this way before), mushrooms (partner liked more than me, I found dull), waffle (impossible to cut, difficult to eat, tasted like nothing), mushroom noodles (great), chocolate cake (dry), olive oil cake (perfect, too much cream on the side, which worked out for the dry chocolate cake). Drinks: partner had tale of genji which was very earthy and he enjoyed. I had pica pika which was great and then lei it on me which was a let down because of how much ice they crammed in the glass Service: great, timing of dishes arriving to the table was well paced read more

Had a late Saturday night dinner for 3 here and was very impressed with the flavors and quality of the dishes. Service was attentive and friendly, we stayed pretty late having drinks and chatting and never felt rushed or pressured to leave. I liked the open kitchen ambiance as well so we could see dishes being prepared as we waited. Ordered the below and all were tasty, particularly the bao buns, and the string beans were surprisingly packed with flavor. Soft serve I could take or leave and tuna tartare was fine but not overly exciting. Pork Belly Bao* Black Cod Croquetas Tempura String Beans* Tuna Tartare Spicy Knife Cut Noodles w/ mushroom* Burnt Cheesecake* Soft Serve Half Matcha/Maple Definitely will be back to try more of the meat dishes as one in our party was pescatarian! read more

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When a teetotaler gets her glass refilled frequently with H2O at the bar, that's welcoming. And that's what happened at Pagu when I was checking out their Happy Hour menu (every day 2pm - 6pm, 6 food items (2 discounted off their regular menu, the rest special bar snacks), a cocktail special, a beer (at regular price, $6), and a white and a red) at the bar. The wafflato ($1 vs $6) is for those who like crisp potatoes and cheese. The chicken nugz $5 sounded like fake chicken to me, but I was informed that it was dark meat chicken nuggets. They came out sufficiently moist beneath the terrifically crunchy outer crust. The pork belly nachos $9 were nachos topped with melted cheese, guacamole, fresh diced tomatoes and onions, and shredded pork. Somehow it came out feeling surprisingly refreshing as a whole. 3.5 stars, rounded up do to service *** February 2020 visit I jumped the gun... I returned to Pagu in February shortly after receiving the note from Tracy C. about the upcoming new bar menu, and arrived in advance of the the menu. I made do with the Happy Hour Chicken Nugz $5, Patatas Bravas $3 with the hot sauce on the side, and wafflato $1 each; adding on something green from their regular menu in the form of the Kale and Brussels Salad $9 (candied cashew, verjus, shallot), and was informed that the dressing was more sweet than vinegar. The wafflato was the best part of the meal, despite looking a bit dark. The chicken was moist again though the crust was slightly less crunchy than last time. The potatoes neatly scored and tender, but a count of a dollar for each little spud - this was the weakest link for the value. While the bowl of greenery covered with a snowstorm of delicate shaved white (parmesan cheese, I presume?) was a refreshing, and rounded out my meal. The low point of this visit was the service. Point 1 - I was provided with both food and drink menu when I sat myself down at the bar. However, I had to inquire about the Happy Hour menu which I spotted before the party seated to my right. Point 2 - I sat there at a near empty bar for over 5 minutes (but less than 10 minutes) with my credit card set upon the check on the bar before me, while the bartender made drinks at the far end of the bar, and I presume, the manager was at his laptop in the corner with the host stand on his radar. Point 3 - I managed an exit without the hostess (she was back) looking up to say bye. 3 star food 2 star service Service can make or break one's experience. Let this now be a 3 star consolidated rating. read more

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I'm a sucker for a good fusion place. I heard this place was a Japanese and Spanish fusion joint, so I had to give it a try. We came here on a Friday night without a reservation, but were able to snag a couple of seats that overlooked the kitchen. Would definitely recommend getting a reservation if you want better, more intimate seating. From those seats, we could watch the chefs as they worked, which was cool. We were under the impression that this was going to be a tapas-style meal, considering the Spanish influence, so we ordered three items from the "snacks" section on the menu. It was immediately clear that our server was concerned that we were ordering too little, but he brought us our food regardless. Everything was good! The croquetas were the best of what we ordered, with the crispy outside breading and the creamy inside filling. The bao was flavorful and juicy. The wafflato was crispy and sweet, but nothing else really stood out to me about it. We ordered a couple cocktails as well, which were delightful! We ended our meal there, though, because our total reached about $80. Unfortunately, we weren't even remotely stuffed from these items. In all honesty, I would have definitely had a better experience if I were able to have afforded more! If you have the money to spend, this is a cool and unique place to try out. If you're a broke graduate student like us, you should probably look elsewhere. read more

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Sorry but I was not the biggest fan of the place. Having lived in Central/Harvard Square for a long time, I've seen/drove or walked by a few dozen times but never got around to trying it out. Now that I've tried it I'm just no very impressed. The menu seems repetitious with similar ingredients used on different platforms, and flavors seem similar. The pork on squid ink bun sounded interesting but it just didn't work for me. Pork didn't have too much flavor, bun just tasted like a regular bun, and the fruit slices cut into the savory but texture didn't fit well. Cocktails were on the sweet side except for the smoky Kyoto Temple which was the highlight of the meal probably. The 86 Grapefruit was WAY too tropical for a winter menu. The cedar smoked cod was another dish that was one of the better ones but at $33 the portion could have been a tiny bit bigger. Rich and flavorful though. We also had the suckling pig which was not memorable, except for the charred skin (pork belly part??) that was one of the best parts of the dinner as well. Rest of the pork and buns were just ok. Pork got cold real quick and became hard to eat. For dessert we had the matcha cookies which were really good. Wine selection is fair but mostly leaning toward sweet and oaky, not very full-bodied or complex. In terms of ambience, this place is pretty cramped and dark and noisy. It was almost impossible to hear our server over our neighbors. Overall I was disappointed by the offerings at Pagu; perhaps we didn't choose the right things but nothing else on the menu seemed too interesting. If I were to go back I'll give some of those noodle dishes a try. Gave a star for effort and the Kyoto temple, another star for the convenience of location. But definitely better options around. read more

Pagu - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Really enjoyed the space and variety in food. Great service. Didn't enjoy the mushroom noodles - I'm sure the meat noodles would be better. The server warned us. read more

My family wanted to celebrate some big milestones together over an exquisite meal, and Pagu delivered. We had attentive service, a visit from Tracy the chef, and fabulous food from start to finish. My dad had beers from a local brewery, my brother enjoyed the in-house fermented teas, and we even had a few mocktails. We ordered quite a few plates for everyone to share at the table. My parents in their late sixties had never tasted jamon iberico which blew their minds. My father doesn't choose to eat uncooked fish, however I watched him reach for a second piece of the hamachi sashimi. We ordered the tuna collar for the table, which was impressive and delicious. Its a bit of a project excavating tuna from all the nooks and crannies, but we cleaned the bones. We finished up with the basque burnt cheesecake and it was just overwhelmingly good from start to finish. I can't wait to go back. read more

So I'm not going to comment on the ambiance and food - simply because the service to organize a basic birthday dinner for 12 people was so unbelievably painful. This place is the definition of nickel and diming and poor communication, making what should have been a joyful occasion an absolute dread to execute. Let's list the last minute charges: -A minimum for the group that they notify us of THREE WEEKS AFTER we book and TWO DAYS before the event -$60 for cutting a cake we brought separately - and they sliced the ENTIRE cake, not allowing us to take any leftovers -Charging for hot sauce. Yes, hot sauce. A tiny cup of hot sauce in an unstable cup that spilled everywhere, which is why we needed to order more. We tried to reason with them and they said well, the food was served and consumed so there's nothing we can do! -A kitchen appreciation fee, separate from gratuity, that was a surprising $300 we did not anticipate because no one mentioned it at the time of booking or after -Oh, also we reserved a private room that was spontaneously unavailable when we arrived No one even apologized. Oh wait, maybe I will mention the food. It was nothing to write home about, especially the suckling pig. Don't give these people your hard-earned money. They hate their customers. read more

I'm sad to not have a more positive experience here- the staff was really friendly and the atmosphere was nice- although quite loud that night due to a private event going on in the downstairs area. The food just didn't wow me...it's not horrible by any means but every dish was "meh". The only dish I really loved was the fried green beans. I wish they would take more of a risk and season their food with some personality. It just felt "safe" and so the flavors were really underwhelming. I wouldn't bother going back unfortunately. read more

Decided to come to Pagu for Valentine's day 2022 and it was a great choice! We were greeted right as we entered and were quickly seated as we had a reservation. We ordered hamachi sashimi, pork belly baos, shishito peppers, french fries, chicken katsu, biang biang noodles and the valentines special A5 wagyu! Everything was quite yummy and my personal favorite were the biang biang noodles! Had the perfect amount of doughiness and was just the right amount of spicy!! Loved how they allowed us to split the meal into two bowls and the noodles were hand pulled too! Sashimi was also very fresh and the pork belly in the baos were really tender. Our only complaint of the night was that our wagyu was a bit over cooked. Asked for it medium rare and the pieces towards the end (pictured) were closer to well done. The drinks were also one of the highlights of our night. They were quite strong while tasting VERRRRY good. They have an extensive wine list as well, definitely recommend the rosé! It was quite busy as it was v-day but the service was extremely attentive. Our server Ian (I believe that's his name) was very friendly, answered any questions that we had and explained all the components of the food when it was brought which I really liked! Overall, we enjoyed our time at Pagu and are looking forward to coming back again :) read more

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I was really excited for Pagu, since multiple people had recommended it. Perhaps the high expectations were why I felt a little disappointed? (It was good, but not great.) FOOD: We ordered a bunch of stuff off the menu to share. I'd say the highlights were the mapo tofu and the suckling pig - everything else was still good, but not to the point where I'd want to go back for it. DRINKS: We got a bottle of the vinho verde, which was nice and refreshing. When we asked our server for recommendations, though, he seemed a little confused. SERVICE: Really nice and attentive, but seemed to maybe be new. Couldn't really answer our questions about rge menu. VIBE: It's a nice, dimly lit and modern looking space! Quite large, too. read more

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Amazing place to meet friends for dinner or to celebrate a special occasion. The food is fantastic, as other reviews have noted. Of specific concern to me is that Pagu takes food allergies very seriously. I'm severely allergic to sesame and generally would not even look twice at a place like Pagu that has sesame in a number of its dishes. But the staff at Pagu has the issue covered: they are able to tweak ingredients as necessary to make the dishes I order safe for me. I have eaten at Pagu more times than I can remember and never had a problem. read more

The chicken katsu was not that crispy or special at all. Mushroom and bread and romesco appetizer was good, but overall I did not think this place was too good and probably would not come again. Matcha ice cream also tasted pretty artificial. read more

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Pagu is wonderful, providing inventive and delicious food, creative cocktails, with great service in an inviting space. Highlights include Delicata Squash & Burrata Salad, Green Pea Bao, Spicy Knife Cut Noodles and Basque Burnt Cheesecake. read more

Run don't walk to Pagu for absolutely scrumptious food that weaves together Japanese and Spanish Basques Cuisines! A must order is the Tuna Collar - I've never had anything like it - it's huge, great for a crowd, bone-suckingly good (literally have done that) served with rice and nori! Also make sure you don't miss Tracy Chang's homemade nonalcoholic sparking teas - my favorites are the genmaicha and the hojicha - again I've never tasted a drink like this anywhere else. And then you have to end the night with a Basque Cheesecake - I particularly love when Pagu makes a seasonal Matcha or Ube Basque cheesecake! Pagu's dishes and drinks are across the board innovative but also welcoming and absolutely delicious! read more

A very middle-of-the-pack spot. The food was alright, very reasonably priced. The broth for the Midnight Ramen tasted like Campbell's Chicken noodle soup in a way I couldn't quite get past. The ambience and lighting was nice, the pug theme had some charm. The service was slow enough that at some points we felt we were being held hostage by our initial order, then by the food, then by the check. Had a nice meal but not in a rush to have another. read more

Everything on the menu looked amazing at Pagu. Unfortunately I can only recommend 50% of the items we ordered. The good: - Tempura brussels sprouts. Not much tempura coating on these guys, but they're well-seasoned, and their texture was perfectly crispy. I'd recommend getting the sauce on the side instead of on the dish itself. - Miso black cod. Perfect texture and flavor. However it's pretty pricey for what it is. Wished the fish was a bit bigger. - Matcha soft serve. The bad: - Pork belly buns. They're aite. - Tomato and salmon roe cold noodles. This might have gotten taken off the menu. Good decision. This is one of those "fusion" items that just shouldn't have been born. - Matcha tiramisu. Way too dense and heavy. No bueno. read more

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This review is a much overdue review for one of my favorite places in the greater Boston area. I've celebrated many life events here, from anniversaries, family/friends visiting, graduations... it was even one of the last restaurants I went to before moving away from Boston. The reason I frequented Pagu for these events in my life was because of the special experience I had here each and every time. The menu is innovative and constantly changing. I won't even try to review every dish in my photos; the important part is that each one is well thought out and delicious!! Since leaving Boston, I have not found a place like Pagu that always made me feel so at home while providing me with an incredible dining experience. It saddens me to know that they are getting a lot of hate for requiring proof of vaccination to dine in. I believe that the Pagu team is just doing everything they can to keep their customers and their staff safe. I hope we can all have empathy for others, especially during this unprecedented pandemic. read more

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There were some bright spots--the mocktails and the tempura green beans--but there are better restaurants in the area. I got the Bara no Bara, which had a nice cocoa note on top of the fruitiness, and my partner got the Shogun Spritz, which is *super* smoky, if that's your thing. Unfortunately, the entrees we got were subpar. The spicy hand cut noodles weren't spicy at all and the pork that accompanied it was oversalted; I couldn't finish the pork. We also got the black miso cod, but it was overcooked. On the amenities: the step on the bathroom trash can was broken, so you had to physically lift up the top to throw away anything. Kinda gross, given that you have no idea how long it's been broken or what else has touched it. read more

Pagu is a great go to for good food in the Cambridge area. I feel safe and relaxed when going. I really like how they incorporate squid ink into a myriad of items they have (the pizza at one point was my favorite in Boston). The staff is friendly and service is snappy. Cocktails are good here and mix it with the decor of many pugs makes the ambiance great overall. Food is great, they do switch up the menu. I do have to say Pagu's ramen is excellent; and overall all their noodle dishes are superb. They have the great Iberico ham which is always a must. The croquettes are crispy on the outside and gushing with gooey goodness on the inside. Again I would rate Pagu as one of the best places in Cambridge for innovative unique foods and good cocktails. read more

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HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!!!! We made a reservation weeks ago for seven people, including my 87 year old mother for a nice family dinner. TWO HOURS before the reservation, AMANDA who works at PAGU called and canceled the reservation. Of course we were shocked and said this was unacceptable. AMANDA then 100% LIED and said they had been trying to reach us to tell us that the reservation was cancelled. This is not true. We had no emails or phone messages but they had our correct number. IF Amanda has been the least bit apologetic, I would not be writing this terrible review. But honestly, who needs this kind of nastiness from a restaurant where we were excited to go spend hundreds of dollars?! read more

This review is for the hand made noodle class. It was enjoyable because we had a drink and talked to some nice people around us. I would not call this a cooking class however as you only spend about 10 minutes cooking. The first 20 minutes we were waiting at the bar and having a drink while waiting for people to show up. They did give us an appetizer which was nice and tasty. We then watched a convoluted series of video's on noodles and a disjointed talk about different flour that went no where. We then sat at another bar and mixed pre weighed out flour, salt and water for all of 2 minutes. They did give us some miso soup which for me was not palatable because of the strong salmon flavor. We then used premade dough to make 6 noodles each that we cooked for a minute in water then used some condiments to eat our noodles with. The chef was looking for bowls and tongs the entire time and forgot the pork and mushrooms but then brought out after we had already made our noodles. They finished up by giving us a cookie. I've taken many classes and this just didn't make the cut. 2 stars because both the chef and helper were nice but this just wasn't a cooking class. read more

SMART and Flavorful! I decided to make this review after thinking about my food experience here over 2 weeks after the fact. We ordered 4 cocktails total and they were all delicious, my favorite was the Aki Allure. My boyfriends favorite was the white rabbit. We also ordered a cafe shio and Kyoto temple. The cocktails pair very well with the flavor of the tapas. Each was strong with very unique tastes. For appetizers we ordered cod croquettes, cheesy wafflato, pork belly bao, Jamon Iberico, and hamachi sashimi. The sashimi was deliciously umami. The Jamon tasted like it was straight from Barcelona, succulent and salty. The pork belly bao was unlike anything I've had with beautiful texture and a flavorful play on sweet, salty, and sour. The wafflato was full of crunchy cheese with a wonderful spicy sweet dipping sauce. The cod croquettes had a soft and sweet texture. 2 weeks later my mouth still waters at the thought of the sashimi. For dinner we opted to split a plate of spicy knife cut noodles with pork (we were getting very full). This was delicious, the noodles were tossed and covered lightly so that every bite had a perfect balance of noodle, pork, and spices. The portions were great, with good quality ingredients. I was incredibly impressed with our service. Our server was very professional and made thoughtful suggestions on drink pairings. When we split our main, she came out with two plates before we even asked for an additional plate. They do require proof of vaccination and that is made abundantly clear, via text, on the website, on yelp, etc. I have seen some reviews on here talking about that in a negative way. If you are not vaccinated, even if you are and don't have your vaccination card or a picture of it, the hostess will turn you away. This is well within the rights of the restaurant and since this is made very abundantly clear, I do not understand how people are taking it as "rude" if they do not seat you. Bring proof of vaccination and you will have no problem, bullying your way in will not work. We will be back, I can't wait to try more of the menu. read more

Safety measures were well in place, which made for an easy dining experience. Nice ambiance and a mix of groups and dates in the room as well as outside patio area. Mozzarella cheese waffle - 2. There's something about it that felt a little old? Not the crisp, chew and stretch I was expecting. Avocado cucumber salad - 3.5. Refreshing and more cucumber with an avocado sauce but generally expect avocados to be more rationed outside of California. Suckling pig - 4. Excellent presentation. Skin is done well and most did not have fat pieces clinging on. Hot sauce went well with the dish as did the vinegar cucumber and napa cabbage sides. The nutty garlic (?) sauce didn't have the umami I expected. read more

Pagu - Suckling pig - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I enjoyed Pagu's Asian fusion and upscale vibe. The suckling pig was definitely a highlight with its assortment of kimchi, sides, and sauces. It was similar to eating Peking duck. I also really enjoyed the olive oil polenta cake since it featured a creative flavor combo with sweet maple soft serve and savory olive oil and sea salt. Good service and nice interior made for a nice Sunday dinner. Not sure if I'd come back since this is a little pricey compared to what you can get at other places in the area (i.e., the noodle dishes), but it was certainly worth the try! But if you want a tasty suckling pig, definitely go here! read more

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Pretentious with booking requirements started out the experience on the wrong tone-would have possibly been acceptable if they were able to back it up with exceptional food and service... yet, a big let down. Very low quality, poorly prepared, and poorly presented food (eg., iberico ham way too thick, thrown on a small round plate, and inedible). Ambiance... plain, Overpriced everything (eg., small drink pour did not fill glasses and pay for each club soda 3=$20?). I'll happily pay top $ for good quality food, but this was not it! Save your money and your taste buds. read more

Delicious cocktails and excellent tapas-style small plates. Especially love the squid ink oyster bao! read more

Pagu - The Smoky Kyoto temple - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I find Spanish and Japanese tapas to be a very interesting combination of cuisines, but I wouldn't come here expecting Spanish or Japanese food. I find the dishes to be mostly Spanish-style American food with a Japanese twist. The dishes are too strong in flavor to be Japanese food, but they like to add a touch of Japanese seasoning i.e. matcha, koji, etc. to each dish. I don't really care for the authenticity of the food, since this is an American fusion restaurant, so as long as it tastes good, I'm satisfied. Food quality and presentation was above average, and overall, my meal was delicious. The inside of the restaurant was also elegant and quiet. We went on a Sunday, and they were serving all-day brunch. We got the pork belly buns and squid ink buns with fried oyster. I think the combination of fillings in the pork belly buns made them tastier, but the squid ink buns were prettier. We also got the koji marinated steak, which was very tender and flavorful, but might have been a little too salty. The patatas bravas on the side were tasty, but the salad was too salty and sour, reminiscent of the very salty/flavorful dishes I had in Spain. There were a few other dishes on their menu that I want to try, like the matcha affogato dessert, so I'll come back next time. I think it's worth a visit. read more

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To be honest I never set foot in this restaurant. All of my observations and opinions are based on their newsletters and the fact that I picked up their foods during their suburban pick-ups I appreciate that this place offers food delivery to locations outside of Cambridge. Usually I'm skeptical with fusion food but I don't consider this too fusion. There are your Asian forward dishes as well as European forward dishes. The ramen here is awesome. It's not too salty and the broth is milky white that reminds me of a Korean sullungtang. The Taiwan beef noodle soup is also a favorite of mine. And that ciabatta bread. Say what? It's so good when it's warm and chewy. The food here is solid. I recommend giving it a try and buy some umami XO with it. It goes well with the dishes as well as any other food you plan to eat. The restaurant also does community outreach by providing food to those in need. What a great business model this place has. Can't wait for this place to open up for in person dining so I can check it out in person. read more

We were here on a Sunday night around 8 pm and is the only table there. This place is empty and still the service is horrible!! I have a birthday and bought a cake with us but they wanted $20 cake fee so we ended up not cutting the cake there and brought it back with us to the hotel. The food was not good and the drinks were not good. We had to return the drink . Never gonna come back. read more

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We were seated out on the patio in the evening so it was a little bit of a wait but not much. The menu had a diverse array of options and everything seemed really interesting. Our drinks were also super good; we basically got what our server recommended. (I got the Lei it on me and it was super good, though my sister liked the Pica Pika better) We got the squid ink pizza which was very good and also large, so we took some home. We also got the spicy hand pulled noodles, and when they say spicy, they really mean it (as someone who normally has a very good spice tolerance), but the noodles were very good, so if you can handle the spice, definitely get them. Overall it was a great experience and I definitely recommend coming here! (they also gave us a free cheesy wafflato!) read more

The inside looks nice. So does the food. But it is a hollow vanity. The lovely dark interior was unsurprisingly empty. Whatever ambiance it had was ruined by hip-hop being played far too loudly. Every customer including us were sat outside, and not just because of the weather. It seems like they want to be both a restaurant and a club, while lacking a dance floor. As to the food. If it tasted as nice as it looked, it might be worth the prices they are charging. There are a few large plates which are worth ordering but they are over $100 each. The rest of the "tapas" average $20 and are the size where, if you want to sate the hunger of two people, you will need to order 5 plates at least anyway. The flavor left a lot to be desired in both food and cocktails. Where one would expect either spicy or umami, it's overwhelmed with vinegar/pickle flavor. They didn't even have the one thing on the menu that I got excited for. Judging by the litany of ingredients they use, it's almost like they think being clever will somehow make up for lack of a soul. As to the service, the place seems to be run by very young staff. Which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. But they don't seem to have much understanding of what they are serving. For example, we ordered a nigori sake. First they brought the wrong kind, then, instead of bringing it unopened to the table and letting the oldest person serve as proper, it was opened and poured by the server, who didn't know to agitate the bottle before pouring to make it cloudy. All and all, Just an incrediblely high price to pay for a subpar experience. If you are the kind of person who cares more about how nice your food looks than actually eating it, you will probably like this place. If you are hungry and don't want to spend $200 and still be hungry, try elsewhere. They do get an third star for being dog friendly at least. Other wise I would have rated 2. read more

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