Cafe Sushi

Worst service ever. Wrong order for omakase despite the fact that the wait time was an hour after ordered. Because we ate one by mistake, we were told that instead of five pieces, we can only have 4 pieces of sushi (wait time was another 20 minutes). Also, confining the wrong order, we were asked whether we were sure. Of course we were.

Café Sushi, you are my #1 omakase spot on this side of the Rocky Mountains. Ever since I was displaced from SF to go to school in the Midwest, I’d be on the hunt for a good omakase place either where I am or where my husband lives, which is here in Boston. After 2 years, I’m happy to say that my search is over.
We made reservations for an 8pm dinner at the sushi bar since I was supposed to fly in that afternoon, and we weren’t sure if my flight would arrive on time or not. Luckily, when I did get in on time, they let us push up our reservation to 6pm, which was perfect because I was starving! Upon arrival, we were promptly seated at the bar, and our server quickly took our drink orders before we immediately began our dining experience.
Luckily for us, we were seated right in front of the chef who was preparing our courses, so we got to see all the details of his preparations. He would serve each course as soon as it was completed, so everything was very fresh, and he also explained what fish/​ingredients he used. Presentation alone was already 5 stars, but I can’t even begin to describe how perfect everything tasted. Zero complaints about anything, each sushi was absolutely delicious, and our chef was incredibly creative and insightful with his creations.
Our courses included:
— Hamachi topped with wasabi oil and fried miso
— Nigiri plate with (can’t remember the first one), sea bream, isaki, barracuda, and goldeneye snapper
— Namasu topped with salmon roe, Nantucket scallop, and pomegranate
— Nigiri — soy cured arctic shark and lightly smoked salmon topped with coconut
— Nigiri — butterfish and seaweed, amberjack, and straight jack
— Monkfish liver and roe over pickled cucumber
— Nigiri — anago (salt-​water eel) and Maine sea urchin
We also added on an order of Hokkaido sea urchin (100% recommend getting this — SO GOOD, and very much worth the price!) and finished off with a shared order of tamago (which they even served to us pre-​split).
Finally, for dessert, we tried a few of their ice cream flavors (adzuki bean, black sesame, ginger) and also got a mango mochi. Definitely recommend the adzuki bean, easily my favorite of the ones we tried, but black sesame is pretty good too. The ginger was very interesting — it’s something you’ll either like or dislike (I really enjoyed it, but my husband was less of a fan).
If we hadn’t already made dinner plans for the following night, I had actually strongly considered coming back for round 2 (kidding…sort of…)

Skip the sushi and sashimi platter here and go for the specials. That’s where café sushi really differentiates itself. The uni is fresh and sweet tasting and so worth it. I got my standard eel and avocado roll and for$ 7 can’t be beat. The salmon collar bone be warned comes with the head on, and is huge, and really salty.

Excellent. Sushi. The worst service I have experienced in a long time.
We were two, walked-​in and waited for one hour. During that entire hour they had between 6 and 8 seats open, CONSTANTLY. Their system is dumb and their hostess knows nothing about her job.
The dinner was good and the waiter was nice, and we decided to finish the night with a final order. After 15 minutes we asked and the waiter seemed not to remember it, but said if we placed it it must be coming. Another 15 minutes later the chefs hadn’t even started on it. We canceled and left.

My new go to Sushi restaurant in Boston! I love everything about this place. If you are going to go, make sure you try either the signature sampler and/​or the chef sampler. It’s 5 pieces of either nigiri or sashimi. Delectable. Get the Santa Barbara Uni if it’s available! You won’t regret it I promise! Skip the stuff you can get anywhere else. The chef here knows exactly what he’s doing.

Overall: my favorite sushi spot in the Boston area. The problem with Boston sushi is that you have your phenomenal Japanese «sushi» restaurants like O Ya, Uni, and Oishii (which are phenomenally expensive to boot). And then you have hole-​in-​the-​wall joints like Avana in Chinatown. To quote Goldilocks, Café Sushi is just right!
Must order: Any signature creation. I opt for the «signature sampler» — nigiri transformed into composed bites full of flavor. For example, the hamachi crudo is fresh yellowtail nigiri dressed up with drizzles of aged balsamic, basil oil, and a grape tomato.
Skip it: Anything besides the signature creations or nigiri. Don’t come here for maki rolls.

I really love their food!
The sushi is sooooo fantastic with reasonable prices.
Our waiter was so polite a helpful, but the only negative point is the weather inside! The air is trapped and its a bit hot inside with the smell of food.

Extremely mediocre. After seeing positive reviews I went to Café Sushi and ordered:
–Seared Hamachi Maki -$ 14 — unimpressive
–Ceviche Maki — $ 13 — Probably the best thing we ordered fresh but still not nearly as flavorful as it could have been. Good concept just not executed well.
–Spicy Citrus Roll — $ 10 — the only flavor present is the slice of lemon. It is too thick in that it overpowers everything else and the other flavors don’t come through.
Overall –its just fine. I’ve had better sushi in Boston. Plus I’d rather spend a little bit more for a better meal.

For the price range, Café Sushi is the best sushi option around. Due to their high prices, I have not been to O Ya or Oishii, so I cannot say much about how they compare. But for everywhere else, I think Café Sushi outshines its competitors.
My favorite time to go to Café Sushi is during lunch. They serve very cute lunch bentos with a nice selection of side dishes. My friends also like the fresh chirashi as well as the teriyaki bowls.
Recently, my colleagues and I placed a large order for takeout (8 rolls, I believe) on a really busy night. The sushi chefs managed to get our order made within 40 minutes, and packed them neatly and cleanly into three different boxes. Even in takeout boxes, the makis looked gorgeous and appetizing. As for the bill, it came out to be only $ 80 total for four people. :D

Quite possibly the most innovative sushi in town these days. Just go and be happy.
Nothing pretentious here … Just fresh and quality food. I fear the secret is out on this place. Oh well.
Also a good Sake menu

This is as good as it gets when it comes to sushi in Boston (well near Boston). There are obviously other places around the area that are just as wonderful, but not many. The fish is amazingly fresh. The presentation is beautiful and they even serve specific specialty fish based on what is in season. You can find all the typical choice, but will also find on the menu artful combinations of flavors. Downside is that this restaurant is small, so make sure to have a reservation if you wish to be seated. Although there usually are a few seats here and there at the sushi bar. I had the most wonderful piece of uni sushi here. The service is friendly and the noise level is moderate.
Definitely coming back

Café Sushi is my go to spot in greater Boston for high quality sushi at more moderate prices. They have a superb selection of seasonal, Japanese fish on the menu that is very fresh and quite unique. The chef’s signature sampler (nigiri or sashimi) at 5 pieces for $ 20 is a great way to try a variety of fish. The sashimi pieces are small but tasty morsels dressed with condiments that highlight the flavor profiles of the fish. The knife jaw snapper and amberjack were personal favorites. The menu also has Hokkaido, Santa Barbara, and Maine uni. The Hokkaido uni is especially creamy and sweet, and perfectly fresh. Sushi is the standout at Café Sushi, but I’ve also tried some wonderful cooked dishes. There is a nice kama selection beyond the salmon and hamachi collars that is more often found on standard menus. The shima aji kama is deliciously fatty — crispy and beautifully charred on the outside and moist on the inside. Given the type of fish, you may not have as much meat as you typically would get from hamachi. The shima aji is served with the head for fellow eaters who enjoy that sort of thing.
The environment is casual and unassuming. Service is courteous and knowledgeable. Wait staff is well versed in the different fish types and can make solid recommendations. Pace of service can be inconsistent. My most recent visit was on a busy night and we waited well over 20 minutes between courses (waited for a nigiri sampler, not a dish like kama which takes around 20 minutes to prepare). Our server also didn’t come by during this time to refill waters or inquire about beverage needs. To be fair, this was an isolated experience that I have not encountered in the past.

Nice spot for a casual lunch/​dinner — cozy n’ clean, with tables far apart enough to have a conversation.
If you like salmon, I would definitely recommend the Salmon Teriyaki Bento Lunch ($ 13). It comes with: 3 generous chunks of salmon (juicy and well-​seasoned, yum), seaweed salad, white rice (no brown rice substitute, boo), 2 small shumai, and a choice of: 4 California rolls or 4 pieces of sashimi (I opted for the latter, which was very fresh — I’m a fan). Minor complaint: the seaweed salad was drowned in the very-​salty teriyaki sauce… Those two should be separated.
My friend got the Chef’s Sushi Lunch ($ 16), which comes with 6 spicy salmon rolls + 6 pieces of nigiri, and really liked it. Great food for such a good deal.

Ever since I read Ruth Reichel’s «Garlic and Sapphires» (a great book — totally required reading for any foodie!), I’ve wanted to try omakase. But I didn’t know what it would be like, so I wanted to go someplace where it wasn’t totally exorbitant so it didn’t feel like a ridiculously expensive gamble.
(As a side note, I lived in Porter for 7 years and never went here… why?! No one knows. Perhaps because it looks like nothing special?)
I found the omakase experience to be lovely! The food came at a slow, measured pace, allowing us time to taste and discuss each dish. The waiter was able to describe everything nicely to us. I think the per person price was $ 95. It’s not an experience for someone who needs to eat a ton — we were both a little hungry at the end and each got another roll. But I really appreciated the experience of being surprised by each course and getting to try types of fish I’d never encountered before, in sushi combinations that were delightfully surprising.
Omakase is definitely going to be something I do more often! My only regret is that we didn’t sit at the bar, so we had no interaction with the chef, which would have helped it feel a little more special.

3 stars for having a very average experience. I was excited about this place given its rating on Unilocal and all the pictures people post. I ordered the chef’s selection for sushi, in which you’re supposed to be getting in-​season fish. I thought this meant that the fish would be fresh too. 5 pieces and $ 20 later, I’m sad to report that this order is not worth your time and money. I’d say that only 2 out of the 5 pieces were decent. The other three were straight up RUBBERY. Given that I had to wait over an hour at this place, I was not happy. I still rate Café Sushi 3 stars because two of my friends ordered the chirashi bowl, and from the looks of it, they got great portions for a great price (cheaper than mine T. T).
However, I am willing to come back here since they do an omakase, and I just can’t say no to that.

I’m a little biased since this is the first and only place I’ve tried omakase so far. And it’s delicious. Get ready to spend because it is around $ 80 per person, and I would definitely sit at the sushi bar for it so you can see the chefs prepare it, serve it, and describe it to you. All the fish tastes very fresh, and it goes from light to rich. You just have to go experience it.
I’ve had it twice at Café Sushi and my favorites this time around was the salmon belly and the Madai. Staff are friendly and are attentive. I’ve also eaten here for non-​omakase and it’s pretty delicious. They have about 5 chefs working at the sushi bar.
I would definitely say at least try ordering a few rolls off the menu, and if you are feeling like spending $ 80, then splurge for the omakase, you won’t regret it.
Parking is a little difficult, only street parking available. Arrive a little earlier to make sure you can get a spot! And definitely make a reservation, they fill up pretty quickly!

Solid sushi spot around Harvard Square.
FOOD
+ Signature Sampler: The chef selects five pieces of sashimi (we chose sashimi over sushi), which are already dressed and topped with ponzu or soy sauce. The sashimi is meant to be consumed alone, while savoring the various toppings that complement the fish. Although a small portion, this is a great way to try a variety of fish that you wouldn’t normally get with normal sashimi. I honestly can’t remember which fish came on the plate, as the waiter hurriedly told us each fish selection.
+ Sushi dinner: This came with 8 pieces of sushi, a 6-​piece salmon roll, and miso soup/​salad. This was a great way to complement the signature sampler, eating more traditional sushi while trying different types of sashimi.
SAKE FLIGHT
~ I’m not sure that I would get this again. It was a great way to try different sake options, but I only enjoyed one sake out of the three offered.

Service: 3.5÷5
Food: 4.25÷5
So I have been giving a lot of four-​star reviews lately, but I feel like café sushi is a solid four star sushi restaurant in Boston.
We were seated without a reservation right when it opened by the window overlooking Massachusetts Avenue. My date arrived a few minutes before me so she was seated first. It was awkward because after I arrived, it took a while to flag down a server.
I wasn’t super hungry so I ordered a roll recommended by the waiter called Salmon-​Avo something （$ 15). My beautiful date ordered the Yudofu with udon ($ 15), which was one of the few vegetarian entrées on the menu.
The portions were quite generous; there were so many noodles and the waiter was nice enough to give us two bowls so we could share. The ponzu dipping sauce tasted like soy sauce, and there wasn’t really anything extraordinary about Napa cabbage in soup. However they did give us some nice condiments: the spicy red sprinkles the Japanese people use. As for my roll, it was a fusion of flavor and I was glad I went with the waiters recommendation.
Although Café Sushi is not the best sushi I’ve had in Boston, it definitely surpasses its Harvard Square competitors. Good for dinners! I might even try to come back to try the lunch.

I ate here for Valentine’s Day with my better half. She ordered the chef’s sashimi lunch and I the chef’s sushi lunch special. The side salad and miso soup were both very good. The sushi itself was good, worthy of a ~3−4 star Unilocal rating, but not the best we’ve ever had. We also ordered the 101 flight of sake, which was a pleasant introduction to the world of sake.
Perhaps had we come on any other day I’d have given Café Sushi a 4-​star Unilocal rating. Being fully aware that Valentine’s day is probably the worst day of the year to dine out anywhere, for what it’s worth their presentation was quite nice. I even liked the collins glasses they served water in.

The Café Sushi Omokase is certainly the only game in town after O Ya.
A five to six course selection of the freshest fish from all over the world.
Sea urchin from Georgia and Maine creamy while briny. Red and black Sea bream from Japan. Spanish mackerel, sweet Nantucket scallops with pickled vegetables, cured campachi, chutoro.
Each part of the meal is a morsel of hand crafted flavor sensation. A wedge of blood orange tests the pungent aroma of mint on a thin slice of yellowtail.
Seared dishes. Smoked and drizzled sushi.
A wonderful variety. A talented chef. An excellent service.