Stopped in on a chilly day shortly after they opened. The shop is small but filled with various…read morehigh and low seating options. The menu is on a qr code and it's a cash only business. I ordered and received my food quickly. The ramen was delicious and well portioned. The staff were attentive and it was also clearly liked because in the 20 or so minutes I was there the place filled up with a waitlist running. Definitely worth going back again.

Tiny hole in the wall spot, they don't take reservations, and only accept cash. Yet, I highly…read morerecommend coming here! The ramen is delicious!! We got the Tan-Tan with extra ajitama and corn and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will definitely be back!!

Came to Boston for a work trip and really wanted to eat something light and healthier. I loved it…read moreso much I came back twice! I came during lunchtime on a Monday. It was adequately busy but still had seats open. The lunch menu is very affordable! If you can, I'd highly recommend going for lunch instead of dinner. Service was really quick! Received my meal in like 5-7 mins after ordering. Fish was super fresh and I really liked the different textures in the Hoseki Don. I also added in negitoro. They gave me a big clump of it! The second time I went back, I ordered take out so I could eat it at the airport for dinner. I ordered the Sake Maguro Hamachi don, added ikura and negitoro. Again, so impressed with the quality of the fish and the size of it. They didn't skimp out and really enjoyed the thickness of the sashimi despite it only being 3 pieces. It was a very satiating bowl. Cant wait to come back next time again!

absolutely adore tora! one of the few places i'd always recommend in boston! fish quality is pretty…read moregood and they have a good variety on the menu! i'd recommend the aburi waygu don but also something more interesting is the kani-yaki tama don however that's a bit more if u like imitation crab! resturant inside is pretty casual and service once seated is usually good and quick however resturant itself is very small so wait times on weekends are ALWAYS long but again it's a given for how popular the resturant is! (p.s. i've been here soooo many times times so i'd also say quality has always been consistent)

I was really impressed with my experience here. I stopped by on a weekday evening where there was…read morebasically no wait at all. We started with a salmon yamakake ($13) which had a very fresh, delicate flavor. The grated yam adds a super gooey texture which might not be for everyone. Both of us went for hot udon dishes and tried the beef sukiyaki ($20) and roast duck ($25). I loved how the broth in each dish was unique, super savory, yet light at the same time. I was initially a little bit annoyed at the price point for these dishes, but after seeing just how much protein each udon came with, I felt that the price was very fair. The udon was bouncy, chewy, and a decent portion size. I ended up having to take some leftovers home. Of the noodle soups I've had in Boston over the past year, I think the broth at Somenya has been my favorite! I can't wait to come here again to warm up with their broth on a cold winter day.

- texture of the udon was phenomenal! so smooth, buttery, and chewy!…read more- duck was so succulent and tender - spicy crab was not that spicy and the crab brought a lot of nice sweetness to balance. - quantity and quality of meat for duck and crab were well worth $25 - fried tentacles SHMACKED

I was staying at the Ritz and had made a reservation at Legal down the block because it seemed like…read morea right of passage after being in Boston so often and never having hit it. When we walked into Legal, the place was dead, the music was awful, and the vibe was just not there. So we sat at the bar and grabbed a drink while searching for a place to get an actual dinner where we could find last-minute reservations. Shojo in Chinatown came up with great reviews and after looking at the menu and seeing that we could get a reservation, we headed over. It was a short walk from the Ritz and Chinatown is just such a fun place with great energy. When we walked in, we knew we had made the right call and were easily able to switch our reservation from a table to bar seats, which is always an added bonus. The place is low lit and the music is on the louder side, but nothing was excessive to the point that we didn't enjoy our time there. We ordered a variety of drinks while there - a Toki Highball draft, a spicy tequila drink with lemongrass, a few different types of Japanese whiskeys as well (they have a really extensive list). As far as food goes, they categorize their menu into Snacks, Baos, and Rice, Noodles, and Dumplings. There's a lot of vegetarian friendly options, which is always a plus for me. My highlights were the 7 vegetable stir fry, fried eggplant bao, edamame dumplings, and the Thai veggie spring rolls. The salt and pepper calamari was also really great. Everything was terrific and really unique. Service was good - not great, but they took notice of empty glasses and were quick to bring out food, so I have absolutely no complaints. Shojo is somewhere I'd absolutely return to when staying in the area, I'm really happy we all turned what would have been a very touristy, depressing experience into something with a WAY better vibe and time!

This place was fun! We sat at the bar and got delicious mai tais in fun cups. For apps we got the…read moreTaiwanese Basil Popcorn Chicken and it was good but could have used more chicken, felt like too many pieces of just fried batter - the green herb aioli on the side was sooo good though! We also got the Sichuan Ribeye Bao which was good but felt too dry - could have used some type of sauce! The environment was fun.

Oh my deliciousness!!! I've passed by this place for years while visiting BOS ! I noticed that…read morethere was a line outside to dine. The foodie gods must've sent me over cause I actually waited in line Today was a bit cold and a good day for ramen! Waited for about 15ish minutes.... a spot opened up for us and we were ready to order!!!! My friend ordered the TONKOTSU CHA-SHU RAMEN Flavor choice: Shio Cha-shu Ramen comes with 5 pieces of Cha-shu (Braised pork belly). I ordered the VEGETARIAN RAMEN Soy based vegan broth with menma, kikurage mushrooms, soy sauce marinated fu (wheat gluten) and umeboshi. We both added to our ramen... AJI-TAMA* Marinated soft boiled egg. I added ... GREEN SALAD Fresh mixed greens served with original salad dressing. and SHIYAKE IKURA GOHAN Rice bowl topped with grilled salmon & salmon roe. Service was fast and friendly. You can order your ramen size bowl in small, medium and large. We both chose medium size. It was plenty! I ate my leftovers for dinner! I definitely recommend this place. The food is flavorful and delicious, service is fast and food portion for the price is great!

Santouka Back Bay is a small little ramen shop tucked away on a side street, right by Newbury St!…read more They've got 2 others locations in MA, one in Cambridge/Harvard Sq. & another in Allston. Looks like they have a couple of other locations in other states, 2 in WA & 1 in VA. This one is VERY SMALL... I would say only two tables that are suitable for parties of 4 & ~4-5 bar seats. The line is often pretty long here & people often are already standing in line outside half an hour to an hour before opening. Sometimes you can get away with just waiting for 5-15 minutes if you show up before opening. I personally think they make a decent bowl of ramen! They've been around for quite some time now & even with the dozens of new ramen shops popping up in Boston left & right, I'd still say they are in my top 5 in the city. I'd honestly come here more often if it wasn't for the line hahaha. I think the prices are reasonable & competitive w/ nearby shops. I like that they offer three different sizes for the ramens! Typically don't see that. I love getting the black garlic ramen, tantan ramen, & the miso ramen! But you honestly can't go wrong with any of the ramens they have. Highly recommend!

I'm slightly obsessed…read more Randomly ran into this place in a desperate late night hunt for noodles and since then have been there five times. Every time I'm like "where should I go in downtown" I just get stuck on this place like it's worn a groove in my brain. Like one of RFK's brain worms. It's a little confusing to order but basically you pick a soup, pick a spicy level (burn your face or burn your colon) and then add an absurd amount of toppings. Then they deliver a bowl the size of your head (or my head, I have a big head) and you kind of reconsider your life decisions. I like this over the other hot pot tech because my two greatest weaknesses are cooking and choosing. At least this takes out one of those. High marks to the sour cabbage broth - the slight vinegary tang is actually magic. Brain worm inducing magic. But don't go here. Because it's small and I want to make sure I have a seat.

- perfect burn your face off spicy (super spicy option) -…read moreportions are MASSIVE - soooo happy they have fish balls with roe inside bc those are literally the best toppings for hot pot teehee

Redwhite was the best sushi I have had this year, while it seems like just 4 pieces, they're dense…read moreand heavy! Absolutely delicious though, we paired it with a No 7 Japanese Curry Ramen which was splendid too. It is a self service restaurant that has limited seating so just a heads up that you may have to wait, but trust me it's worth the wait!

RedWhite is a vegan Japanese restaurant on Newbury Street known for its flavorful ramen. The…read moreambiance inside is pretty cramped and dark, plus our wait time was long. We also had to wait outside since there wasn't room inside the restaurant. Additionally, they have a policy where you must order 1 dish per person or they will not seat you. You order at the front and then are seated with a beeper to pick up your food. The menu is pretty limited, but the dishes was overall seasoned nicely. The Spicy Roasted Miso Avocado Sushi Roll was better than the roasted miso avocado sushi since the best part of the dish was the spicy crumble on top. However, the sushi was oddly sized (too big for one bite, but too small and fell apart for 2 bites). The ramen was also differently flavored. The garlic was too overpowering and the texture of the noodles to other vegetables in the dish was offputting to me. However, all the dishes were presented/plated well. I probably wouldn't go back, but it was conveniently located.

was craving hotpot after a long day while visiting boston from out of town -- came in with a group…read moreof five and three on the way, and got seated pretty much immediately. service was wonderful -- the woman serving us was super accommodating and answered all our questions, and the food came out in a timely manner. for our side of the table, we ordered a split pot with the pork bone and the cilantro broths. both were delicious; we were halfway done just drinking soup before the meat and vegetables came. meat portions were generous and quality was good, plus the vegetable offerings seemed fresh and plentiful. we also ordered a few appetizers: spicy fries, shrimp pancake, and crispy pork jowl -- all lived up to and even exceeded expectations. was a great experience all around to end the day off, and prices were affordable for the group.

This is a basically a bibimbap review. I ordered the beef bibimbap. The beef was baaaaaaad. The…read moreveggies were super lacking. I actually shoved the dish away. must have been the worst b'bap I've had. Decor waitstaff, fine. Buildings always been a bit odd, but that's not bad.

Went here with a large group for a quick convention lunch. Our group had a diverse set of tastes,…read moreso a place like this with a wide variety of noodle dishes and soups was perfect. Everyone was able to order something that they really enjoyed for a reasonable price. The atmosphere was perfect and the staff handled our large party with ease.

Stopped in here with a group of 6 for a lunch during a nearby convention…read more I really liked the concept of the place. All of the Asian noodle options in one place with great theming and service. I got the Pho chicken with greens (note: the greens are just bok choy), and it was as good as any other bowl I've had. Everyone with me was satisfied with their dish, and we got a variety of ramen, pho and even other dishes. If I was local to Boston I'd return. Great meal!

Fantastic! This is a very unassuming restaurant near Boston south station. The noodles are soooooo…read moredelicious. Chewy and smooth, just like the sign on the wall said. We got two appetizers and three mains. The soup dumplings were very tasty. The other appetizer, lamb pancake was ok, just not our style. The Lanzhou beef noodle soup was a great mix of beef, bok choy (we added), hot chili oil, and homemade noodles. We also got a shrimp stir fry with noodles. The noodles absorbed the flavor of the sauce. Overall, we loved it!

For a quick work lunch I stopped by Zhi Wei. On a blustery spring Tuesday, the establishment was…read morealmost completely full. I did manage to get seated without a wait at 12:30. I ordered the lunch combo of lanzhou noodle & lamb skewers. Not much has changed flavor wise. The broth was clear but flavorful. The noodles had decent texture and springiness. The skewers were adequately seasoned. It still remains a staple in the area. The wait for food was a bit long (for the standards of Chinese restaurants, so 15-20 min) because I happened to arrive at the tail end of a wave of customers.