Sousaku Bistro Japanese Tapas & Bar

Really nothing special there, and pay a high price over mediocre food, definitely not worth making a trip there for food.

What drew me to this restaurant was the creative menu and the Asian tapas concept but what is keeping me from returning is the lackluster food. I really wanted to like this restaurant because I wanted to justify paying Boston prices in a dingy part of Malden but I just can’t. The food was just underwhelming. In theory, the dishes sounded amazing but the execution lacked commitment. Some dishes were under-​seasoned whereas others had conflicting flavors that did not mesh well together. Out of the ten plus dishes we ordered that night, nothing sparked any great interest. Everything was bland and uninspiring. It was a great disappointment.

I have visited this place several times. A couple of times for dinner and once for their Taiwanese brunch. Each time I leave satisfied. Now if you are expecting to come out with food coma and a full wallet, this is not a place for you. The omakse sashimi set was excellent. Our party ordered two sets and after we were done we ordered another set. The foie gras risotto (when it is available) is a amazing treat for the palate. I love the crispy risotto, I wish I could get a whole plate of it. The sushi pizza is a unique spin, but still very good. Since this is a tapas place all the portions are smaller, but you get to try out so much more variety. The atmosphere is casual and very enjoyable. The service I have gotten every time waas excellent. They were courteous and attentive. I will definitely be back to try the myriads of dishes they have to offer.

I have been to this AWESOME restaurant twice already! The location is kinda far for me and my family but we still can’t say no to them!!! Still willing to drive over there for great food. Love it!
Food: Sashimi and sushi are the requirements in Japanese restaurant and if your fish is not fresh, that will be a disaster! But in here, you don’t need to worry about that. Their fish is very fresh and they even have TORO (fatty tuna) in their restaurant. It was basically melt in your mouth and very delicious!!! The most important part for their food is they put a lot of efforts in their food. They are very creative and the presentation is really good. Once you see their food come to your table, you will already be amazed before you even eat it. Their Sushi pizza is a great example. Tasty and pretty. Good job!
Service: Their staffs are really dedicated. They always provide great service and make sure you are satisfied with your food.
Again, you will not regret to come to this place! Everything is awesome!

The food was fresh and delicious. Perfectly cooked. Presentation was superb. Loved the fois gras risotto (crispy, melt in your mouth goodness), the torched sushi (delicious) and the wagu beef was to die for…

If you want to get the bang for your buck, you might be better off elsewhere. We tried several dishes: the mini sashimi (7 pieces total consisting of salmon, tuna, and white fish), the foie gras risotto, shrimp toast, spicy chicken wings, and the Sousaku Boky Bun (1 bun).
Mini Sashimi: The sashimi seemed like it was just defrosted, the salmon and tuna lost their vibrant color… the fish looked very pale and it didn’t taste very fresh.
Foie Gras Risotto: This was decent. It was very small (probably the size of a quarter). The crispy risotto tastes like rice that was crisp from the bottom of a rice cooker.
Shrimp Toast: I’m not sure how I feel about this… it just tastes like fried shu mai from dimsum. The portion was as small as the dimsum portions, except more expensive.
Spicy Chicken Wings: Just seemed like someone dumped Korean spicy sauce on the wings after it was fried. Meh.
Sousaku Boky Bun: The pork was not as thick and juicy as pork buns I’ve ordered in the past. Instead the meat consists of two thin slices of cha shu. The mayo overpowered the actual taste of the bun.
Overall, this place did not live up to the $ 50 I paid. I’ve enjoyed better authentic Japanese tapas at Ittoku in Allston.

I came here late night so small plates was good for me. Food tasted good but a little expensive (~$ 3 for a sausage). Food and service was very good. I would like to come back to try the brunch.

My wife and I are walking distance, and have gone twice. Fois gras risotto does not disappoint, especially for the price; it melts in your mouth and the risotto is nice and crispy. The chicken don dish is amazing, the chicken is very juicy, and the sauce is great. I’ve read the mushroom medley can be hit or miss, but both times we got it it was very good. The one item I wasn’t a huge fan of was the monster maki. The fried sweet potato was very undercooked. The spicy tuna was good though, and the sashimi is very fresh. The staff is awesome, know the menu inside and out, and make great recommendations. The tapas dishes are very inventive. Overall a great new addition to the area! Highly recommend.

This place is perfect, the food is consistently good. Staff is friendly and good atmosphere. Nothing bad to say about this place.

I have been a big fan of tapas ever since I visited Barcelona, Spain. This is the first Japanese tapas place I have set foot in and it is right in my backyard here in Malden. I decided to give it a try since it was new and I have to say I was quite impressed. The venue looks aesthetically pleasing and is a good size. Their teriyaki chicken, popcorn chicken, and pork belly were delicious and fresh! The portion sizes were as expected; small, but satisfying. I would not say it is expensive, unless you are the type to eat A LOT.
One of the downfalls is the location. The restaurant is a bit hidden and there is not much parking in their lot. You most likely will have to find street parking somewhere. They also close for a few hours and reopen for dinner so look out for the schedule. Otherwise it was a fun place to try and try some Japanese Tapas, plus there’s a bar!

Sousaku Bistro is woefully disappointing. Their attempt at Asian fusion falls flat. And the high menu prices aren’t justified for such underwhelming flavor combinations and paltry portions.
* Food
On a weeknight, my party went to town ordering 8+ plates to share, and beer.
The $ 24 Crispy Duck Breast Risotto was neither crispy nor risotto. The soggy duck was served with bland white rice, which tasted more like congee than risotto.
Unbelievably, the «Japanese Sausage» was just a diagonally cut hot dog, coated with sesame oil. I was too bemused to be offended.
The gyoza tasted like gyoza — tasting no different than the ones in my freezer when I follow the cooking instructions on the bag.
The tempura tasted as you’d expect. I think the table agreed that the two or three small, deep fried vegetables were the best things the kitchen produced that night, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Most anything battered and deep fried tastes great.
We declined the offer for dessert and left the restaurant feeling hungry and disappointed.
We immediately drove elsewhere to eat a pile of tacos, satisfying our hunger and alleviating the shame.
* Ambiance
Inside is a dimly lit, casual, Japanese-​inspired interior. Our waitress was cute, but lacked menu-​knowledge and was otherwise unhelpful. The audio system played slightly-​too-​loud dance music that seemed to clash with the slow pace of the food service.
* Alternatives Nearby
For your Asian food fix, and to get more for your dollar, try Mandarin Malden or Yong Yong. Or, if you simply want to empty your wallet, try All Seasons Table, for larger portions and a similar clubby, fusion vibe.

Love this place! I finally got a chance to try this place. The food is good, the ambience is inviting, and the service is incredible.(Nelson) I recommend the blueberry cocktail and the wagyu beef skewers!!! And the sashimi!!! So good! It’s super fresh. ps. Free Parking in front of the store.

Came on a Saturday night and was expecting the business to be packed and parking impossible. But to our surprise, there was plenty of parking. Inside, there was only one other group of diners. Business was really slow for a Saturday while employees sat around. There were more employees than customers.
I had been dying to try the foie gras risotto and it sure lived up to expectations. I would describe it as a small bite of melt in your mouth deliciousness atop a disc of crispy risotto. One per person is the way to go.
The Fuji Sake. Warm torched salmon and sweet apples. A novel idea that tasted okay with the first bite but not sure about having seconds.
The regular sashimi came with 12 pieces of sashimi: salmon, tuna, yellowtail, white fish, and squid. All of the sashimi was fresh and delicious aside from the tuna which was on the cold side.
Curry tatsuta don (curry chicken) was very dry. The plastic bowl that it came in was deceiving. It looked small but was deeper than it looked. My complaint was that it did not have enough curry sauce, hence it was way too dry.
I didn’t have high expectations for the mushroom medley based on previous reviews. I was expecting dark dried out mushrooms but was surprised that they were actually moist. But I am still not sold. I am unsure if it was the red wine vinegar being reduced when the mushroom was being cooked or if it were the mushrooms that had a slight bitterness to them.
Yakitori Combo was delicious aside from the bitter shiitake mushroom trio. The chicken and green onion was juicy, the bacon wrapped oyster mushrooms was delicious, and then there was more juicy chicken. The presentation was lacking. Shiitake skewer looked abysmal and everything was stacked haphazardly on a huge white plate.
Sake mojito tasted mostly of soda and mint. None the less, it was refreshing. Though I will definitely try something different next time.
Had leftover that I wanted to take with me. My only complaint is for the $$$ I would think the waitress would take away and package our food for us. Instead, I was given a plastic container and no bag. Great service up until this point.
See my pictures.

Absolutely amazing service and food will definitely return, have been for lunch and dinner. The foie gras is amazing and affordable, fried chittlin are tasty, everything has a clean flavor like home cooking, overall really great restaurant. Try this place out you won’t be disappointed.

Must order the Fuji apple torched salmon and foie gras risotto! Don’t ask, I thought they are odd combination but they work. The crispiness of the risotto is a good balance of the melt in your mouth goodness of the foie gras. I can tell that the gyoza is freshly made, not the frozen BS you get elsewhere. Mushroom medley lacks taste. Parking is a bit tricky because they have limited parking spaces. We went on the second business day so some of the orders got mixed up but they were apologetic about it. Great and attentive staff. I will def go back, esp when the Taiwanese brunch starts next weekend!

Treta atmosphere. The edamame has been one of the best I’ve ever had and the drinks were very refreshing. I would definitely come back for food.

Was very excited to know this place had finally opened! Friendly and attentive staff, cute décor/​utensils/​dishware and overall good atmosphere. Drinks are tasty. High quality food, however the flavors and menu need some tweaking. The rice dishes were over powered with the taste of seaweed. The Eel Monster Maki was good, but left a lot to desire. For a $ 12 maki, normally most sushi restaurants would price their specialty makis in that range but it was presented as a simple 6-​piece maki which was disappointing. The Buttered Corn is nothing worth mentioning. The Foie Gras Risotto, Pork Buns and Tartar were delicious though! The Foie Gras just melts in your mouth! Definitely craving more. Will give it another try a few months down the lane after its gotten some time to perfect things after they have their grand opening. Was told Taiwanese-​styled brunch will be served starting the week Thanksgiving.

Nice place, high quality food! Lots of dishes you can’t find in other places. Must go again to try different liquors and cocktails!

Come and check this place out! Nice interior and has a bar. Everything tastes delicious!

Welcome to Malden! I am thrilled to have you! I love small bites and this place satisfies! It is tucked away and has limited parking but so worth the effort! We started the night with great pork steam buns, edamame, sashimi, sushi for the table to share. Everything was fresh and delicious! I had the duck breast with risotto and it honestly was the best dish I have had in a while! Others in our party had grilled steak and grilled chicken and we were all impressed, not only by the quality but also the presentation. The dining room décor is tasteful and modern. The place filled up quickly and it got loud and lively real quick. They just opened up so they are finding their groove but when we are in the mood for bites, this is going to be our go to place! The staff was friendly and attentive and I cannot wait to try all of their offerings!