I was so excited when this place opened near my house, and like another reviewer here, I really wanted to like it. Sadly, I cannot recommend this place. I've ordered a number of items on three occasions. A bento box of teriyaki chicken seemed overpriced but is sized to share, should there be anything there you want to inflict on a friend. Sweet, sticky teriyaki glaze on chicken is the centerpiece. It's accompanied by an over-dressed little salad. The dressing is good, or would be if there were a lot less of it. There were a couple of cold, starchy, memorably bad dumpling type things. There was miso soup, which was okay. The physically largest part of the Bento box was tempura. Lots and lots and lots of tempura. Greasy, plentiful tempura. There were three mammoth shrimps, and many, many vegetables. And much oil. The tempora was perfectly cooked, but it looks like they dumped some of the fryer oil in with the food. Gross. I also ordered the spicy maki combo. This was three types of fish, I don't remember what kinds but it doesn't matter. All three were revolting. There was a lot of mayo and panko filler, and it tasted neither spicy nor like fish. On our next visit, we ordered several types of sushi. They all tasted pretty much the same, not necessarily bad/old tasting, but the fish was sort of hard and not very fresh or nice. It's didn't make us sick, but it wasn't particularly pleasant either. Sadly, this was not just one of the types of fish. It was all of the ones we tried. In addition, we tried the special eggplant appetizer that the people at the next table were raving about. It tasted okay, but mostly it was in a slick of oil that was absolutely disgusting. If you were not careful to get all the ingredients in a bite, it tasted like eggplant and grease. Yum. The interior restaurant is sort of a sushi bar meets tacky bar amalgamation. Pendant lights, some of which were not working, and ambient light that changes color. It did not feel like a nice restaurant. My companion found the booth seating to be rather uncomfortable. The only saving grace for this restaurant is that the people are very friendly. Sadly, the food is remarkably poor. Happily there is another place for sushi in Arlington, and it is one of the best in the Boston area. That would be Toraya on Mass Ave. read more

Delicious. Lets go down the list... The chicken terriyaki dinner is great. The chicken was tender and seemed to be cooked in a light eggwash. Comes with rice, miso soup and salad. It came with a few veggies and my only issue is that the broccolli was not cut small enough to eat with chopsticks. The chicken tempura dinner was awesome. How often do you see chicken tempura on a menu??? The chicken is cut into long sticks and then given a temporah batter. Served with miso, rice, and salad. It was amazing and tender. I think there is an appetizer version as well. Beef negimaki is one of my favourite cooked japanese apps. Its beef rolled around scallion, cut like a maki roll and served with teriyaki sauce. Sono does an amazing job and its delicious. Its not the best execution that I've had but its very near the top. My only improvement would be the thickness of the beef layer... its very thin compared to the amount of scallion. It could be a litter more proportionate. Its still a top choice. They also have an asparagas verison which I haven't tried yet. The pork gyoza were good. The filling was a pinch on the salty side. The dipping sauce is nice because it isn't super salty. The scallion pancake was flawless and the sauce is delicious. I'm totally digging this place. There are at least 5 other things on the menu that I will be trying in the near future. read more

I'm raining on the 4.5 star parade, but here goes: I really want to like this place. I live very close by. I could eat here all the time if it merited it. First time there, ate at the restaurant. Food was good. Not amazing, but definitely good-sized portions, quality fish, etc. The server was completely rude. We can deal with that because the food was good, we just opted for take out the next time which was last night. Sushi was not good. We had a very simple order - tuna, spicy tuna, california rolls and a vegetable roll. The avocado in the first set of vegetable rolls was rotten. Like visibly black on the outside, wouldn't serve it to anyone. There were so many opportunities to fix this: first chef then expediter then take out manager who reviewed the order should have seen it. It was plain as day. We saw it instantly. Then I had a suspicion about the california rolls and pushed out the avocado in another roll. Completely, wretchedly, disgustingly black. This was so avoidable, and grossed us out a lot. One of us actually consumed two of the rolls and really could have gotten her sick. Before you think I'm whining, from the avocado producers themselves: Q: How do I know if my Avocado is too ripe to eat? A: We do not recommend eating "browned" or oxidized portions of the fruit. Overly ripe fruit can take on a rancid odor, it is best not to eat the fruit. If the fruit or guacamole has oxidized (turned brown) on the top layer and the underneath is green, simply discard the brown layer. We didn't call the restaurant. We were both dead tired, didn't want to wait another 45 minutes for an order and basically just chalked it up to a waste of money we won't repeat. Sadly, two strikes for Sono, a place I really was rooting for. Not enough attention to some very obvious details. read more

I am in love with Sono. Been there 3 times since it opened, and got take out once. The sushi is fantastic. Spicy tuna could have been spicier, but the consistency was nice and the fish was very fresh. Yellowtail roll was perfect. The Hawaii Sunshine Maki is my absolute favorite! The chicken teriyaki lunch box was a good amount of food and everything was very, very good. I went with a group of 6 friends for my birthday and it could not have been a more pleasant evening. The blueberry lime rickey was the table favorite drink of the night. The dinner bento boxes were a ridiculous amount of food - really, they need to make them much smaller - a full order of spicy tuna, a full order of shrimp shumai, veggie and shrimp tempura, miso soup, and salad in addition to whatever you ordered. No one at the table could finish the boxes. One friend got the pad thai and it was surprisingly good considering it is a fusion restaurant - truly, very authentic pad thai. The whole birthday outing ended with a surprise of fried green tea ice cream on the house. The staff was very kind and attentive. Some have complained about prices, but I found them to be comparable to other places in the area. Welcome to Boston. Yes, it is a little more than I'd like to pay - but well, well worth the cost. The food is delicious and the staff is very good. I wish them luck. read more

This is definitely one of my favorite restaurant!! The food is very fresh and extremely delicious. I've been there for couples of times since it opened. The chef made the food fastidiously regularly. I guess that's why some reviews said it severs food a little slow. For me is good, cause you need to be patient for good food. I recommended it to several friends and they all love it! We will definitely come back! read more

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Really great to have a quality Japanese place in Arlington. We sat at the bar and had the big sushi boat and it was a really nice selection of quality sushi, not to mention really nice thick sashimi. The chef was a real artist and was quite friendly as well, chatting to us as he worked. Great overall experience. I'll update after we have a chance to go back again and try some of the more unusual dishes. read more

We went on a Monday night. Walked in and were impressed with the lighting and atmosphere. We didn't think that there would be many other diners there on a Monday but there was a pretty good crowd. We started off with a scorpion bowl which was a little on the sweet side but still tasty. Straws for the bowl were not the long kind we were use to so we had to either reach across the table or move the bowl closer to whomever was sipping. Would be better to have longer straws. We ordered a few special sushi rolls and loved all of them. The fish was very fresh. All the ingredients worked lovely together in all the rolls we chose. We quickly declared that we might have our new favorite go to spot as the rolls rivaled other local sushi spots. We also ordered the pineapple fried rice which according to the menu comes served in a pineapple half, however our dish was not. It was still very tasty! We found the servers and staff all very friendly. One of the partners made it a point to greet us and chat with us for a bit. Overall, there may be a few kinks to work out but we were very pleased and will be back. read more

It is amazing to have such a high quality Sushi restaurant with in walking distance of my home, and they stay open an hour later than anywhere else in Arlington (that I know of). This place is as good as the most expensive fancy sushi bars in Boston. The sushi lunch is extraordinarily good for it's ordinary price. However, my favorite thing is to walk over about an hour before closing when it's usually slow, and I ask Tom behind the sushi bar "What's good tonight?", the menus disappear, and an assortment of amazing sushi made to my tastes is in front of me in minutes. If I show up with a date, and ask what's good tonight, Tom will engage my dining partner to find out how adventurous they are and what to avoid. Every time i've done this the sushi has been creatively beautiful, and delicious. When I do order, I love the salmon nigiri, snow mountain roll, and oysters on the half shell. I recently adventured over to the Chinese side of the menu for chicken and cashew nuts, and asked them to replace the celery with mushrooms. It was the best version of that dish I've ever had. They're on Foodler too, so I can pay for delivery with Bitcoin. read more

While visiting a friend who lived in the area, we decided to get dinner and wanted to support the local establishments so with decent reviews here on yelp, we decided to try out Sono. The quick summary is this place has bland food, light drinks, but good service. I would avoid this place until they get new chefs or improve the food quality. The Pros: Prompt and very polite service Ample parking behind the restaurant Decent decor and ambience The sushi was fairly fresh. The Cons: The appetizer was over fried and under seasoned. The entrees were under seasoned. The cocktails tasted mostly like juice, I didn't taste any alcohol. Overpriced My friend and I shared a nigiri and a maki roll. The tuna on the nigiri was pretty fresh, not the best piece of tuna that I've had but certainly not the worst. The maki roll was not memorable, hence why I forgot exactly what roll we got. I believe it had salmon or tuna inside the roll with avocado and a thin piece of eel on the outside. I mostly tasted the sweet soy sauce that they glazed onto the eel and maki roll. Nothing special. The appetizer, peppered calamari, was what I was most looking forward to. I absolutely love peppered calamari done in the style of most Chinese restaurants. I order this expecting savory, crispy, and peppery calamari with a hint of garlic. Instead I got over fried calamari with barely any seasoning. What was worst was the calamari wasn't even cut properly before it was battered and fried. So, I had to gnaw my way through bland and very tough pieces of calamari the sizes of my fingers. There was a sprinkle of chopped red peppers and fried garlic but it was minimal and clearly just garnish. I ordered the beef teriyaki for my entree and my friend got curry katsu with scallops. My beef came cooked right, medium, but the teriyaki sauce was watery with very little taste. Again I was disappointed in the lack of flavor. My friends scallops were cooked right and the curry was decent. We had two cocktails each with our dinner. I had started with a mai tai and switched to some other cocktail that was described similar to a Long Island iced tea. Both tasted mostly of juice. Overall, this place was disappointing and a bit overpriced (the total bill was $90 before taxes or tip). If not for the polite service would of rated this place 1 star. This place wasn't busy either. We went in on a Friday night around 9 and besides my table there was only one other party of 3. The sushi bar top was also empty. Needless to say they need some serious improvements on the food. read more

My second visit here and the experience was about the same as the first. Allow me to preface the review by stating that I am perhaps being more critical than I would with a different style of cooking; sushi, by its very nature, should be high quality because there aren't any spices to mask the flavors of a low quality fish. On the first visit my dining companion and I ordered several different rolls, in addition to soup, scallion pancake, chicken dumpling, edamame, sashimi, and sake. The second visit's meal was comprised of a sashimi lunch, salad, soup, fried tofu, and a cocktail. The presentation was beautiful for the sashimi and the rolls on both occasions! The service was fast and friendly, and the place itself is clean. Color-changing lights, several T.v.'s, and trip- hop music playing in the background make for a very hip vibe. For me, however, this combination always makes me feel like I'm in an airport restaurant. And I am not a fan of having both the volume from the television turned up as well as the music. Ok maybe at a bar but not on the opposite end of a restaurant from where the t.v. is. The uni sashimi was memorable, as was the saba sashimi (eel and mackerel, respectively). The sake recommendations were appropriate and complimentary to our meal. The cocktail was tasty, but topped with a dry orange slice and a maraschino cherry, which I happen to find blasè, and again, airport restaurant-like. Scallion pancakes and chicken dumplings: nothing to write home about. Although not overly greasy, both were lacking in any refined flavor profile; perhaps these are the old reliable standbys that the restaurant carries to satisfy the palate of Americans, but they tasted as if they came from the freezer. The salad was a sorry salad. Nice dressing, but iceberg lettuce? God made iceberg lettuce so that middle class families can make affordable party platters. Not for restaurant salad. And...the wasabi. *sigh* Call me a wasabi snob, but it should be fresh made and VERY spicy. On both occasions the wasabi tasted like it was a day old; I had to use quite a bit to add some kick to the dish. And the salmon...definitely farm raised and of lower quality. It would have been fine with a sear on it, some lemon and herbs, but served raw the corn mealy flavor of whatever the fish had eaten really comes through. Overall, meh. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here for sushi. But if one is looking to eat something healthier than pub food while watching the game or the news, this would be a good spot. Plus, if you can't afford airfare, you can just come here and feel like you're in an airport Asian fusion joint! read more

Sono Asian - View of the dining area, greeting area, and bar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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This is my go-to sushi place - everything is always so fresh and tasty, and the service is quick. We have also ordered some of the dishes from the kitchen (noodles, soups, tempura etc) and they are always very good. If you plan to order takeout or delivery online, just call to make sure they are open and taking orders - COVID has disrupted their hours a bit. read more

We love Sono! Such a good local spot, it's one of our go to restaurants. Everyone is so friendly and the food is fresh and delicious. Tons of options too! read more

Why did you change the service provider? EatStreet app is horrible. Can't specify quantity on items, and every time you select an item it takes you back to the top of the list so you need to scroll down over & over & over. Totally lame. And our order was over an hour late (still waiting!). Customer support said they don't even handle the delivery. No updates via email or phone. When I called they said 15 minutes more. Then 45 minutes later still nothing. I don't think we will be ordering from this restaurant or any restaurant using this service. read more

Tasty, cheap, quick! Perfect lunch spot with great lunch deals for cheap. Sushi was fresh and tender though one of them, maybe yellowtail had a tendon in it that took a little bit away from the experience. Overall I'd choose it again. read more

Enjoyed the food here. Delicious spicy tuna and tasty lobster tempura roll. The service was excellent. Check in numerous times. The decor was modern and clean and overall good experience read more

Sono Asian - Yum - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

We came here for lunch the other weekend. The bento lunch box was a good deal and we were impressed by the squid appetizer. It's actually a whole squid that that is sliced. We'll definitely visit again to try the other items on the menu. read more

This town ain't no stranger to decent Asian food. Toraya set the bar super high for good sushi, but they don't deliver, which makes me the saddest panda. Thankfully, Sono's there to fulfill that sushi craving when you're not willing to wait an hour at Toraya for a table or just feel like having a night-in. The menu is mostly Japanese in origin. They inexplicably offer Pad Thai, but do a good job with it. Don't expect any high-end bottle-slinging cocktails here. Liquor selections are limited, and their cocktail menu is pretty standard for this tier of restaurant/bar (mai tai, scorpion bowl, sake-tini). Only quibble: naming a cocktail the Pearl Harbor is in REALLY poor taste. Who did the thing? Please review your high school history notes. Plating is pleasant, portions are typical (i.e. small compared to typical Asian takeout joints, on par with sushi dine-in restaurants without all-you-can-eat), and the food is fresh and good. OUTSTANDING vegetarian menu with faux meats. They make it in-house. Apparently the chef learned it while working in a Buddhist temple. The texture of the "chicken" was exactly like the real thing. Ambiance is a little like a gaudy nightclub. Color-changing LEDs everywhere, weird pseudo-hip hop piped through the ceiling, easy-clean pleather seats. Definitely meant to appeal to younger folks looking for a night out in a quiet town. Waitstaff and chef (at least the one who fielded our questions about specifics) spoke both English and Cantonese. Willing to bet they also know Mandarin. Don't tell them it's your birthday. They'll give you a slice of cheesecake, sure, but they also blare the LOUDEST BIRTHDAY SONG KNOWN TO MAN. read more

I've ordered both delivery and pickup here on many occasions, and have not been disappointed, ever. The sushi is super fresh and tasty. I've been to the fancy, expensive sushi restaurants in downtown Boston, and Sono definitely holds its own with those places. My usual order: Valentine Maki, Sono House Special Roll, and tekka maki. Always delicious. $50 sufficiently feeds two people with high-quality sushi, often with enough for leftovers. Best sushi in Arlington! read more

Love it for both dining in and takeout. The sashimi, cherry blossom rolls, any rolls with eel, etc. are great. Nice and attentive server - I asked her for recommendations and was not disappointed. Very nice people. Easy parking on the back (parking entrance is to the right of the restaurant.) Will definitely come back. read more

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I'm no longer ordering from sono. They deserve the 3.7 star review on google if not less. The delivery person left my food out in 0 degree weather. When I called the restaurant, he could not care less. Just said, "I don't know what delivery does." This is your restaurant you should know what delivery does. Leaving food out in 0 degree temps is not acceptable. read more

This place is our go-to for Japanese fare. Teriyaki steak juicy and marinated just right. Sushi fresh and reasonably priced. Nabiyaki noodle dish plentiful and delicious. Tempura very good too. I always bring my family from SF California here and they say Sono is better than most Japanese restaurants out there for value and dishes! The one dish I didn't like was the Pad Thai. But their Japanese dishes are all good! read more

My husband has become sick twice eating sushi here. We tried them a second time because of such few sushi options during covid but we have not experienced their raw stuff to be fresh at all. read more

Never again. Food took over two hours to arrive. I called twice and each time the driver 'was on his way. When the delivery person did arrive, he placed the food on my pathway and not on my porch. Food was fine but unremarkable. read more

Sushi is good, I'd say above-average. CAUTION: Was there in October 2020 to pickup an order: Not one of the sushi chefs preparing the food was wearing a mask during the 15 minutes I waited for my order (and they were really busy). Raw food and no masks? Not a risk I'll take again; will get my sushi elsewhere during the pandemic. read more

Love this place! The food is always delicious and I've been going here for years. I ordered sushi and thai curry take-out for pickup and came to grab it with my bike, as I biked away I had an unfortunate accident and all the food spilled on the ground. I called Sono again and the staff were so helpful and kind and replaced all of my food. I'm very grateful to have this restaurant in town. read more

Fantastic sushi, great chicken teriyaki, just an overall great place! In a cute neighborhood too :)

Omg so disgusting! Do.Not waste your money. Not only was it awful I didn't get all of the items that ordered. I would give this a -5 stars if I could. Threw it in the trash! read more

Came in yesterday for dinner, the first thing i noticed when i walked in was the friebdly greetins, i sat diwn and saw how large the selectiin the menu was and ibwas a bit over whelmed. I tried the food from the kitchen and sushi bar, the food was amazing everything was freshed and the service was great, ill be comin here again! read more

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I'm all in on this place. Usually order delivery and these guys are consistent. On time and the food is nice and hot. Good sushi and hot noodles. My favorite is the scorpion and dragon maki and the yaki fried soba noodles. Seaweed salad is full of flavor. Paired with a glass of white wine (Sauvignon Blanc preferably) and I'm a happy camper. Perfect for a Sunday night in when you just don't feel like cooking. read more

We love this (for us) local neighborhood restaurant and can get noodles, sushi, tropical drinks, and tempura at super reasonable prices. It has a pretty busy takeout/delivery business, so while the physical seats may not be constantly full, they are always sending out food into the world. The servers are all very nice and the interior is small, clean, and well-kept. All of the sushi items I've had have been delicious, fresh, and nicely plated. I'd recommend both going in-person or ordering for delivery, same great food either way, but you can only get the cool fruity tiki drinks in the restaurant itself! read more

"Au contraire, mon frère" - I disagree with the fake negative reviews about the restaurant. This is a great place in the neighborhood. What else can you ask for? You have a full bar, Japanese and Chinese cuisine, large TVs (watch any game), friendly staff, great lunch menu, cozy ambience, large parking area. I could go on and on and on... Beats going to Boston or the center for that matter. We have been going to Sono for a while. Always consistent, fast, and fresh. On top of it, they customize to your allergy needs. Just ask the waiter to do so. read more

Ordered take-out. Once at home we noticed that one item was missing. After reading other reviews this seems to be normal, but we called and they refunded us. Sushi was ok. Fish didn't taste fresh and the rolls fell apart unless you held onto them tightly (maybe rice was too dry?). I'd go back to try their non-sushi dishes. read more

Tried this place a number of times. Been disappointed each time the only thing that keeps me going back is how close it is to my house. The staff is rude and the food is mediocre you could do better somewhere else read more

We come for lunch or dinner several time always great food. The service needs improvement. Never got a great service. It will not stop me from coming. read more

This place is awesome, Sushi is comparable to any of the higher end sushi restaurants around, if not better! It's easy to notice the quality and freshness of the food, they clearly are using the best stuff around. The plate presentation is amazing. Can't get enough, I keep going back and anyone I refer loves it, his place is a must try! read more

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Food is flavorless, service is crappy. How can people rate this place 4 star and above is beyond unbelievable. I ordered chicken teriyaki, worst I have ever had, a street cart is easily 500 times better. Noodles were tasteless too. Just do yourself a favor and don't go. And don't be as foolish as I was believing the 4 star they had on yelp. read more

Bland and they delivered the wrong kind of gyoza (pork rather than vegetable) so I could eat them. Won't be ordering again.

I'm thrilled for this scrumptious addition to the neighborhood! I've visited Sono twice since it opened two weeks ago. We had take out on opening night, which could've been dicey, but it was great. They were already busy but had their act together. The second time I dined in. We made a reservation on a Sat night and took the last table. Again-excellent! Here's the breakdown: -Ambiance: modern, comfy chairs, white tablecloths, dim lighting with some colorful hanging lights. 2 flat screen TVs in bar area. Lively atmosphere and friendly staff. -Service: very attentive. The owner went out of his way to welcome us and even offered to comp drinks because our table wasn't immediately ready when we walked in (we waited 3 min tops). -Menu: Extensive and delicious. Thick, fresh, melts-in-your-mouth cuts of fish. Top-notch sushi. Comparable to Toraya, but thicker rolls and easier to get a table. Better than other popular spots in nearby towns. -Prices: I'm baffled by reviews complaining that it is pricey. Sono is comparable and even slightly cheaper than other places in the area. Much cheaper than any good sushi joint in Boston. Very reasonable prices given the quality. Recent dinner for two with 1 appetizer, 2 orders of nigiri, 3 maki rolls (the fancy ones), sake and wine = $55. That's a steal. -Parking is available in back lot, but fits maybe 10-12 cars. The lot will free up when it gets warmer and local customers (like me) will leave cars at home. Welcome to the neighborhood, Sono! read more

Sono is off to a great start. Tender octopus with kimchee and jalapeño for appetizer; brilliant combination! Delicately sautéed duck breast in brown sauce along with its crispy skin; another stroke of genius. And let us not forget the roasted Sea Bass , firm yet tender which melts in your mouth. Does Arlington deserve a restaurant this good? Yes! Competing in a pack of strong Asian restaurants in the general vicinity, Sono is sure to send their owners into a panic: gentlemen it's time to step up your game! read more

I would love to give Sono 5 stars due to their consistent fresh quality, but there are little things here and there that are keeping me from doing so. First off, almost every time I had ordered delivery from here, they've gotten my order wrong. Only once did it come correctly on the first try. One time, the order got messed up THREE times in a row and they kept sending me things of much lesser cost than what I ordered, and upon calling the third time they tried to charge me 40+ dollars again for their mistake. I wouldn't have mind had they sent me something incorrect that cost the same, but getting something that cost 7-10 and being told you have to repay is ridiculous. The woman on the phone was a new employee and definitely shouldn't have been taking orders yet. They also charge you 5-6 dollars if you ask for specific fish(s), so if you're allergic to something expect to pay more just for that. I requested that my Sashimi be only Salmon and Shrimp (two of the cheapest meats), and was refused and I had an unpleasant talk with the manager who refused to explain to me why I would be charged extra for something that wouldn't cost them more money - along with being fairly impatient and rude. Compared to other Sushi places on the borders of the towns around me, Sono has the highest price for small rolls/cuts of Sushi. Sashimi from Sono I've found equals about half the size of the Sashimi I've bought elsewhere, it's also a smaller serving size and costs more. Same thing with the Nigiri, though Nigiri is always smaller, I've found that Nigiri from Sono is especially tiny and has very little fish in it. Not enough bang for your buck if you ask me. I've deducted these opinions upon ordering delivery and coming into Sono probably around 10 times now, and have decided that I wont be buying food here any time soon. It's a nice place to go for a date, as it's in a nice location and is very classy inside, but I personally would rather drive the same distance in a different direction if I can pay less for the same quality sushi that is also much more generous with fish. read more