A clear step down down in quality of the food and dining experience from O Ya, the tops spot for Japanese in Boston. Oversaused and only mediocre fish. The restaurant itself is situated in a cramped room on the first floor of the Eliott Hotel. The menu is aggressively priced and the experienced is over rated by Zagat.
I made a reservation for a table for 3 and when I arrived, the host said there was table for us because I didn't specify on the phone that I wanted a table. Seriously!!!
His attitude was: I don't give a damn about you.
This is the place for people with an adventurous palate, who have seen and done everything-- who are looking for something out of the ordinary! It most certainly is no ordinary sashimi-- incredibly creative, unbelievably fresh and the kind of experience that makes you sit up and gasp.
I've only been here twice and I'm a believer! We came here for our 36th wedding anniversary and then brought our brood, in for Thanksgiving Weekend. Congrats!
Wake up Boston! This is a long way from fine sashimi, and in no way resembles authentic Japanese food. If the gaijin chefs don't alarm you, then the way fish is displayed should. Sashimi is available in every izakaya in Japan: you just need to slice it, then arrange it elegantly. No elegance here. Most important, this assumes top quality fish; not here either. It's all tarted up with sauces that try to make up for the bland, middling fish.
Great food and service
May. 2011