After a day in the cool wind, all I wanted was something hot and soupy. This ramen was perfect; one…read morebowl made my stomach feel much better. Shiro: The most classic tonkotsu ramen. The broth was rich and flavorful, the fat fragrant but not greasy; the noodles were thin and straight, firm and chewy; the wakame seaweed is crisp and refreshing, adding to the umami flavor, and the fresh green onions are just right in terms of crispness and aroma. As a Hakata ramen, everything is perfect. But for me, it would be even better if the chashu were a bit thicker and fattier. They only accept cash, and the space is cramped, which is a bit inconvenient. But it's still worth eating alone.

I got the spicy miso ramen while my friend got the tonton. Both of us really enjoyed our orders, &…read morethere was nothing wrong with the service. However, I have to warn future customers to not bring any valuables that can absorb odors. :') I had a large plastic tote with a Coach purse & Sony headphones inside. Both were inside the tote the entire time we ate. It's been 3 days & I still can't get the smell of onion/garlic out of my headphones. The smell mostly faded from my tote & my purse after being hung outside with baking soda packets for a few days, but I think my headphones are a lost cause. I took off the ear pads, washed them, & wiped down the rest of the headphones as thoroughly as possible, but the fragrance persists. I only got the smell out of my clothes by doing an extra wash with vinegar. To be clear, I didn't spill broth on my belongings or anything -- the air in the restaurant just smells so strongly of onion/garlic that it seeps into your things. The food is great. Enjoy the food. But don't bring anything expensive or anything you love to this place. & don't plan on going anywhere else afterwards. Don't repeat my mistakes. :')

I came here on my last trip to Boston and liked it so much that I knew I had to come back again!…read more Tora Japanese is located in Chinatown--in the basement area of one of the buildings, so seating is pretty limited. I came for lunch with two friends, and they didn't have a table for three, but the hostess was able to quickly accommodate us by rearranging another party that just sat down, and we were able to get some seats at the bar. Service was really fast and friendly throughout our dining experience. I ordered the sake don from the lunch menu, which came with a good-sized portion of rice topped with salmon sashimi and a side of miso soup. Definitely a great spot for a quick and affordable lunch in Chinatown!

Saw this on Google Maps and was so impressed at how quickly we got seated and food came out, but…read morealso the fresheners of fish! It seems like a very popular spot, so be prepared to wait. There are so many variations of the Don, great quality and price. Saving this place for future Boston visits!

This charming little restaurant a few steps down from the sidewalk is a lovely addition to the…read morerestaurant choices in the neighborhood. The decor is bright and cheerful and the room (and restrooms) sparkling clean. The service is quick, gracious and calm. And the food is delicious! I don't care to eat meat, so it was wonderful to have several selections of vegan and pescatarian dishes to choose from. My husband and I enjoyed the soups we chose and want to come back to try the cold noodle dishes.

Nothing beats a place where they have 12-year-old Asian kids from working. The service here can…read morerange from slow to normal considering that the place itself is not very big. The restaurant focuses mostly on soba or udon noodle dishes with a good selection between hot and cold options. It's not going to be the best udon or soba you've ever had. HOWEVER, I tried the cold ikura & uni cold soba and LOVED it. It's seasonal, so I tried that one out and was extremely surprised about how much I enjoyed the bowl. Not too much soup and the uni didn't completely obliterate when I stirred it up. They do use American wasabi though, and I found it superfluous to the dish and wished it was served on the side. But regardless, despite not having some extremely high quality noodles, the flavor and experience of the bowl itself was super pleasant. I ended up coming back the very next day because I wanted to try their clam soba. The clam soba only comes hot, which is a bit unfortunately because I actually think a cold clam soba with some lemon or yuzu would be phenomenol. I've been seeing recipes for it online so I've been wanting to try it, but their clam soba is a lot more standard and hot. They had a very good amount of clams in it, but I generally like their cold soba better. Still good, but didn't give me that feeling of needing to come back the very next day like I did with the ikura-uni combo. Overall, I'd still come back when I'm in downtown!

Shojo was amazing, from the food to the service. I was catching up with my friends but the service…read moreblew me away. All of the staff were so incredibly friendly as well. I love those place and will continue to come here as a patron. Shout out to Elaine for being the best bartender ever!!

2026 Boston. Dinner review. Asian fusion…read more SNACKS Taiwanese Basil Popcorn Chicken Green Herb Aioli, Hot Honey BAO CHICKA BAO WOW Award Winning Burger & Accompaniments: (Highlight - Best) Shōjōnator: ¼ lb Angus Beef Patty, House-Made Sesame Bao Bun, Sriracha Aioli, Smoked BBQ Sauce, Bacon, KimCheese, Fried Shallots, House Made Sesame Bao Bun Add Fried Egg Shadowless Fries Spicy Lady Beef Map Tofu, KimCheese, Scallions Overall, shojonator was generally good and unique, but I do wish the bao bun was more bao-like (i.e., softer and fluffier). "A-OK."

There is a steady line here even when they open. The space is small and you can be seated with…read moreother people. The waitress was really nice and very knowledgeable. There seems to be a lot of take out so if you're at a nearby hotel, it would be easy to order and take it back. TONKOTSU KARA MISO RAMEN - Very tasty with a little spice, the ramen noodles seem fresh. BARA TORO CHA-SYU - pork cheek - very good and very worth the extra money to add it on. The flavor is fantastic and they put it on the side so it doesn't overcook. NEGI NAMBAN - Our favorite of the two bowls ordered. The menu says to beware of the spice, but it is not bad. I added the chili oil that was on the counter. I was very happy with my order and would order this Ramen again. We got a side of the marinated hard boiled egg, cooked perfectly and it was great. We ordered the regular sized bowl and we were both very full and ready for a walk. There was another ramen bowl that was on a limited time menu, but we didn't see it so maybe next time.

Fair warning-- this is a small restaurant in newbury street so there tends to be a line. There are…read more3 outdoor tables with umbrellas on top. My friend and I got seated at the table because the group of 4 weren't all present. I ordered the Shio (salt) ramen here years ago and felt like it was on the saltier side so this time I tried their Miso. The difference between a small and medium is 1 piece of cha siu. Unfortunately, rather than cha siu it felt more like braised pork belly-- it wasn't tender nor melt in your mouth but it was rather fatty and chewy. Due to the aforementioned line, we did feel kind of rushed since two servers kept coming by our table and asking if we were ready/finished when we were still eating. While I did enjoy my experience of dinner here, I'm not sure if I would recommend Santouka as a "must have" ramen place in the area.

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.

I was really disappointed with this restaurant…read more We ordered the $17.99 combo, and while the portion was large, it was mostly cabbage and bean sprouts with very little beef. The beef itself had a strange taste and wasn't enjoyable at all. When I asked for chopped green onions, they told me they had already run out. The food also lacked flavor, so I asked for chili sauce since it is only chili oil with almost no actual chili sauce. When I mentioned it, they said that's just how they make it. It got even more ridiculous. They serve Coke, but when I asked for a cup of ice, they said they didn't have any ice left!!! We also ordered the crispy pork for $8.99, and the portion was surprisingly small for the price. The service wasn't good either. Our bill came to about $44, and I still left a $6 tip even though I wasn't happy with the experience. Instead of thanking us, the server ( a lady) came over and complained that my tip was "just under 15%" and said their restaurant expects a minimum 15% tip and started to give a nasty attitude after! Honestly, after hearing that, I almost wanted to take the tip back. Tips should be earned through good food and good service, not demanded. Overall, this meal was a huge disappointment, and I would not recommend this restaurant.

Absolutely top-notch vegan ramen. Coming from Vancouver, BC, where we have a killer…read more(vegan-friendly) ramen scene, I am a tough customer for ramen when visiting elsewhere. But this place completely lives up. 6 different ramens, $17.95 for the regular bowls. I was recommended the red hot miso ramen, a spicy option. You order up at the counter, and they give you a buzzer that buzzes when your ramen is ready to grab at the counter. The ramen was ready in under 10 minutes. First, the broth was remarkably complex and rich, with an endless depth that never became too overbearing -- perfect. The noodles were perfectly cooked as well, served up in a decent portion. Toppings-wise, you get tofu, soy crumble, corn, arugula, and sprouts, along with plenty of sesame seeds. I would've liked some proper greens (other than a few raw arugula leafs), but that's the most minor of complaints. Service was decent enough -- informative and helpful in describing the options. All in all, top-notch vegan ramen. Highest recommendation.

I have been dreading writing this review, because as much as I wanted to love this place - I…read moreprobably had one of the worst eating experiences ever. Swung by this place on a weekday for lunch to avoid the rush - most weekends I pass by this place and the line wraps around the street! My friend and I stepped in and were immediately greeted with a sour attitude. We were confused on the menu whether our ramen included chili oil or not, and the staff did not help explain anything and just quickly dismissed our questions to get us to order quicker. Once we sat down, the food was done relatively quickly. However I was very surprised on what we had gotten. Now I admit - I am not a vegetarian. However, I have enjoyed many vegetarian meals and this was quite upsetting. We both got the garlic miso ramen. The ramen was not temperature hot at all. The chili oil was not flavorful. The "soy meat" was simply just mushed tofu with awful texture, and it soaked into the soup and created a pretty unpleasant texture (I took a picture which makes me sad and unappetized). I was unable to finish my bowl. The food combined with the service made for a pretty negative time for me. I really wanted to love it - a place with a full vegetarian menu is amazing for all my friends who have that restriction! Maybe if they tried pan frying the tofu create a better textural experience? I will not plan to come back, and will highly recommend you go to any other restaurant in Back Bay.

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.

I visited for lunch on a Wednesday after seeing they had a vegan version of their curry laksa…read more($18.50 plus tax), so I ordered that. The place was super busy, but they were able to squeeze me into a bar seat. It took almost half an hour for my laksa to come after some mix-up with the order. In the soup came a few pieces of deep fried tofu cubes, lots of shimenji mushrooms and bok choy, a generous portion of ramen noodles, bean sprouts, and fried crispy onions to garnish. The soup broth was impressive, being appropriately rich in depth, not too oily, and perfectly balanced. Good-quality ingredients. Overall, other than the ordering mix-up, the laksa was extremely impressive. I would definitely return. Great spot in Fort Point.

4.5 stars rounded up for the top notch quality and friendly service. The only reason I wouldn't…read morerate it a 5 is because the soup was too salty for my palate. Aside from that, the flavors were good and everything tasted fresh and high quality. The noodles are the star, made in house daily with the perfect chewy texture. Delicious, but the real highlight for me was the soy milk, also made fresh in house. I can't even describe how good it was except to say it makes me sad I don't live in Boston so I can get it more often. I will be dreaming about the soy milk until my next visit. What we've ordered: Pan fried buns Stir fried chicken noodles Lanzhou beef noodle soup Fish filet noodle soup Hot soy milk with sugar Highly recommended!

Zhi Wei Cafe was SO good The soup dumplings were easily my favorite and now I seriously need more…read moredumplings in my life after having them here The Lanzhou noodles were delicious too, but the beef pancake really surprised me. It's basically a crispy scallion pancake sandwich filled with beef, and it was ‍ Everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and comforting. There's definitely a reason this spot is Michelin recommended. Such a great little find in Boston and I'll absolutely be back for more dumplings!