Great fish. Very good sake list. Friendly services. The atmosphere depresses the rating for me. But some may enjoy a Grayhound terminal too. In my opinion, not suitable for a date night, but good if food is all that matters. Sushi: certainly always very tasty and a great rotating selection. I recall a wonderful o'toro experience that was a bargain. read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Excellent sake, not on the menu. - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Overpriced sushi. Was excited to order the weekend tray for two but was a bit let down. Sushi was fresh and generally tasted good, some creative maki (w/ cilantro and lettuce inside..lm still not sure if I enjoyed that or not. Pink sushi rice- not sure what that brought to the dish as it tasted like normal sushi rice) Tray was not worth $130 with each sushi piece being about $5+, and the maki $20/roll reg price. As a reference: I've eaten at a lot of great sushi/omakase places in LA, NYC etc. I'm still looking for a great one in Boston .. read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Weekend sushi tray for 2 - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cafe Sushi has really good quality sushi at a reasonable price. Unfortunately as a college student, I have not had the opportunity to try out more stuff but the things I have had were delicious and fresh. I recently got the Spicy Citrus Roll ($12): baked spicy salmon, shrimp, cucumber, topped with ao-nori and thinly sliced lemon Despite being a fan of everything on the ingredient list, I was skeptical of the flavor combination. However, I was pleasantly surprised! The lemon + salmon provide a refreshing and clean taste. The lemon is not overwhelming but complements the fish very well. The cucumbers provided a nice crunch! Ive also had their sushi sashimi lunch set ($18) which was also fresh and delicious. They dont overstuff the sushis with rice and the rice is also well seasoned. I really liked the variety of sushi and sashimi served! read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Sushi Sashimi Lunch ($18) - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Cafe Sushi has been one of my favorite Cambridge restaurants for years. FOOD The sushi is always great, and there are many options (even my vegetarian friends loved going here with me!). I highly recommend: * Sushi dinner - my favorite, best deal during lunch * Chirashi * Salmon Tosa Maki * Summer Vegetable Roll - for vegetarians; the truffle oil addition makes this especially yummy DRANK I've mostly had beers and white wine (sauv blanc) here, and was always satisfied with the drinks selection. VIBE It's very cozy, family-friendly, date-friendly. SERVICE Really really great, every time! Everyone is so friendly and service is also quick. MONEY THO Sushi is always going to be pricey, but I think Cafe Sushi is really worth it. My next goal is to try the omakase here. *PHOTOS TAKEN PRE-COVID read more

See all

Cafe Sushi is a beloved staple of Harvard Sq for good reason. Over the several years I've lived in the area, I've been thrilled to see Cafe Sushi stay in business, maintain it's high quality, and add some upgrades while keeping prices reasonable. They did some renovations and menu redesigning over the last couple of years that really upped the dining experience to match the level of the food! Onto the food: All of the maki and nigiri are as tasty as you would hope for, but they also have more than sushi. I want to give a special shoutout to their lunch menu -- the teriyaki bento box is a favorite and is such a fantastic value since the bentos (and many other menu items) come with miso soup and a salad. While I'm on the subject of lunch, just wanted to note that you can't go wrong with the Chef's Sushi special and Chef's Sashimi special. One other menu item that I want to highlight is the whole fish. The scup is a white fish and it's seasoned with a lot of ginger, green onions, and a delicious sauce, served with steamed rice. It's a large portion, very generous for one person and easily shared with two for a satisfying meal if you also get a roll of sushi or another small dish. The flavors are terrific--I'd highly recommend it! I've heard wonderful things about the omakase and hope to try it soon. Service has always been great, and Cafe Sushi is quite popular so make a reservation if you are able. read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Whole Fish - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Hands down the best sushi restaurant in the Boston area and for it's value, even better than many NYC sushi restaurants. I came here twice - once for omakase dinner for my birthday and once ordering off their regular dinner menu. Amazing, literally. Cafe Sushi has fresh fish, innovative pairings, and very knowledgeable staff and chefs - knowledgeable in the food they are serving, the methodologies for preparation, the wines/sakes/beers they offer and more. They even have sake sampling flights and I've never seen that before! Service is also attentive, friendly and accommodating. The omakase varies in price and what they serve because it's usually what is in season. My version was a miso soup starter, 14 pieces, 3 pieces of sashimi, 1 broth/soup, as well as a special deluxe piece along with sake and ice cream as a free addition for my birthday. The omakase came out to $110 per person. This is a MUCH better value than omakase anywhere else. See my pictures for the deliciousness! I highly recommend making dinner reservations in advance whether for omakase or a normal dinner because the waits can get really long. It was an awesome experience speaking to the chef and watching them make piece by piece in front of us. They introduce each piece and what it's made with so it's a cool learning experience as well. For their regular dinner menu, the rolls are a dollar ish more expensive than other sushi restaurants, but the options are also more unique as well as mind blowing delicious. For example, a simple shrimp tempura roll tastes the same at 99.9% of the restaurants. But at Cafe Sushi, WOW, they are so good with their flavors that the spicy tuna, shrimp tempura roll, and even futomaki (something that tastes so plain usually to me) tastes so delicious - they got me at piece #1 no joke. The key during the dinner menu is to order the signature creation nigiri pieces. They're very innovative and similar in flavor profile as the omakase, about $3.50 - 4.50 a piece. Some are seared or cured, some have smoked salt, lemon zest, balsamic, truffle oil, yuzu, ponzu, and the creativity goes on. I could rave about their nigiri pieces for here, but in the meantime, can't wait to be back! read more

See all

We got the takeout from this place and ordered the weekday special for two and it was so tasty! The fish tasted fresh and the veggie role was well seasoned and had nice texture. read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Weekend Platter for Two - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This is my favorite sushi place in Boston for sure. In fact, I may come here every time I come to Boston. The sushi was absolutely incredible and the service was fantastic too. I've never had sashimi combinations like I had, incredible flavor combinations. My buddy and I just told the waitress to have the chef make us whatever he liked and he did NOT disappoint! Whew. I'm not even sure what the hell we ate, but everything was outstanding. The waitress was also very friendly, hospitable and knowledgeable about the menu. The prices were very reasonable and the wine was pretty good. I am recommending this place to everyone I know that visits Boston! read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Incredible sushi rolls - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Cafe Sushi I'd have to say is one of the best spots for sushi. My boyfriend and I had visited for regular sushi this year for Valentine's day but I decided I wanted to surprise him on our anniversary with Omakase. Omakase is an experience. It comes at a pretty steep price, $110/per person (not including tip). Edamame and dessert are free. I'd would only recommend it to anyone who loves sushi and will appreciate the flavors and textures of different fish/seafood. The day we went we had gotten 7 courses. Each included ~3 nigiri's or either 3pc shashimi or scallops. My boyfriend and I enjoyed it immensely. My favorite pieces were definitely the uni and the salmon belly. I have never been a huge fan of uni but after tasting the uni here, I am now a huge fan. In the words of my boyfriend "It almost brought me to tears". The only thing was that I do not favor the taste of wasabi. It's a personal preference and had asked for my nigiri's to be made without wasabi. They were still made with wasabi anyways. So there were some pieces that I did not enjoy as much as others. read more

See all

I thought this place was ok at best. My family and I ordered the first 5 rolls off the signature maki section, but none of them stood out to me. The signature nigiri platter and signature sashimi platter were both $17, but I preferred the nigiri platter. I wasn't blown away by the flavors of these creations and found it to be a little weird actually. For example, some of the toppings on the sushi were ginger and tomato. Overall, I wouldn't come back to try out more dishes. read more

Found another banger! Phenomenal place. Top notch classic Sushi spot. Lots to choose from. This visit was done like the true foodie professionals myself and the boys are.... got there a lil before 5:30 and they werent opened yet... went to Waypoint (another reviewed gem) until they opened and smashed out 2 clam pies (the best Clam pie ever , EVER) , 2 dozen oysters , lobster toast and some Japanese Old Fashions. One of the guys ran to put our name on the list and wait to be called, but by the luck of the draw he called us right back and said we had a table as long as we were done by 7:30...done deal. Got there and preceeded to put on an eating spectacle worthy of only true foodies .... smashed out eveything. ....and it was all unbelievable. Grade A spot. They have a lot of fish that you won't typically see on at a lot of places.... the Japanese Thorny Head Rock Fish, The Artic Char,Japanese Barracuda, man we ate so much and put on a display that there was no way we were gonna be asked to leave .. .. Salmon Belly, Branzino , Sea Bream, Hiramasu Crudo, Maki.....we ate it all... 3 bottles of Ryujin Kakushi Saki (sweet and tasty) , and a few desserts and we were a happy crew... life is good ... Eat more sushi. But only great sushi. This is great sushi. Excellent place and you wont break the bank either. Treat yourself. #BuddhaReview read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Cant remember #1. #2 Japanese Barracuda, #3 Artic Char, #4 Japanese Thorny Head Rock Fish .....sooooooo good.. - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

We came in on a Sunday night around 6 and ended up waiting about 45 minutes for a table for 2. Once seated, the waitress was very courteous and our food was served fairly quickly even though the place was packed. Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. The cold tofu app, uni nigiri and salmon tosa maki were my favorite. Another highlight was the tamago (pictured), it was HUGE compared to the rice under it and had a nice bit of sweetness. Overall, a 5/5 experience. Will def have to come back and try the omakase :) Make a reservation if you can - it's a popular spot! read more

See all

4.5 * We made reservations for a Saturday evening dinner, and I highly recommend you make reservations since this place is wildly popular. I personally would go back for lunch because I feel as though the value would be much better for the price point. The service was impeccable - the waitstaff in general was SO on top of their game and was constantly refilling my water if it was even 70% full. I always have an issue with my water not being filled quickly enough at restaurants because I drink water by the gallon (okay, not that much, but you get it), and the fact that my glass was always being filled was greatly appreciated. Also appreciated that the water pitcher was left at our table. My friend ordered the sushi dinner, and I ordered the salmon teriyaki bento box. Both meals came with a salad and miso soup. My goodness...the bento box came with 3 pieces of shumai, seaweed salad, pickled vegetables, and a choice of either sashimi or California roll. I went with the sashimi and that honestly may have been my favorite part of the whole meal. The sashimi cuts were thick and so fresh!! It genuinely felt as though the pieces were melting in my mouth. The salmon teriyaki was also cooked so tenderly and flavored so well - I was thoroughly impressed. If I were to come back to Boston, I'd definitely come to Cafe Sushi again, but would go for lunch!! read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Salmon teriyaki bento box (bottom) and sushi dinner (top) - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Strongly recommended by a friend that this was one of the best sushi places in Boston, so I knew I had to check it out. They're still doing takeout only so pick up orders can be made through their website and they have a cute pick up window. I got the sushi dinner which has 7 nigiri pieces and a spicy tuna roll as well as the crispy toban jan roll which is shrimp tempura and avocado topped with spicy tuna. The rice was soft and nicely seasoned. The nigiri has some interesting toppings and combinations but I enjoyed them all. Filling for the maki was loaded and each piece was pretty big. 4* because this isn't your casual everyday sushi place unless you can afford to drop a significant amount of money all the time. The sushi was good but I feel like I'm always at odds with myself for dropping almost $70 on a takeout sushi dinner. Prices are steep but every now and then it's okay and worth it. Treat your self, right? read more

Stopped in here while running errands during lunchtime and was getting munchy. I've tried tons of gourmet, artisanal, and vegetarian sushi, and this floored me at the first bite how amazing it was. I got miso soup (one of my favorite foods and hands-down the best I've ever had) and the summer roll, which was absolutely life changing. The house made ponzu sauce was insanely delicious too. Will be coming back constantly!! read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Wow this place was so yummy that I wanted to come back a second time while on my vacation. The staff was so sweet and friendly-it was very crowded, but we waited around 25 minutes. The menu is a tad pricey, but it is such good QUALITY! I loved the inari, tofu, gyoza (bomb!), tamago (house made, not pre-packaged like some places) and one of the signature creations and signature maki (I can't remember which one). Forget Boston, come to Cambridge for sushi! Def coming back here again if I'm ever in the area. read more

See all

I really liked this place! We have done Omakase many times, so I was looking forward to trying Omakase at a place that I had never been. Although the atmosphere is overall very casual, the level and quality of sushi is really exceptional. Additionally, each piece was crafted with care, and accompanied with a full explanation by the chef. My only complaint was that the service was a bit slow, and in most Omakase situations I know they try not to keep you waiting. Also thinking maybe I got frustrated because I showed up starving and having one bite at a time in a slow fashion isn't the best way to satisfy hunger (so in that sense, my own fault)! The prices were fair, the staff members were very friendly, and overall we had a delightful experience. ***Note - if you're looking for a quieter more intimate sushi setting this is probably not your spot. Very popular place so it was quite crowded/a bit noisy! read more

See all

Made a reservation for dinner for 2 here after searching for a great sushi place that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. It seems in Boston, quality sushi seems limited and good sushi is usually extremely expensive. When I discovered cafe sushi and the great reviews it had, I wanted to try it out for myself. My friend and I arrived on time for our reservation and the restaurant was full even at the bar! We got an assortment of rolls and tried the zushi out as well even though it wasn't my favorite. The quality of fish was extremely fresh and every roll had its unique flavor. At the end, we decided to each get a piece of salmon belly nigiri and it was so buttery it just melted in our mouths. It was definitely the best piece of fish and we were so glad we got it. I definitely recommend cafe sushi if you are in Boston/ Cambridge. They also offer omakase and from the looks of it, the chef seems to get really creative with it so that would be interesting! read more

$80/person for our omakase (chef's tasting menu) experience at Cafe Sushi. Came here to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. Quality of their fish- outstanding. Things to do: -Call ahead to make a reservation if you want to partake in the omakase experience. -You should absolutely sit at the sushi bar: 1. The chef can interact with you. 2. To see the magic happening. 3. You're separated from the other diners who are eating off their regular menu. The big question is why Cafe Sushi vs. other highly acclaimed omakase places in Boston? Their dishes are clean and simple. After some research, Cafe Sushi is one of the rare places that makes their sushi not overly "decked" up. Their main courses consist mostly of nigiri's with minor toppings/twists. None of that East-meets-West take. Not to mention the price point is very reasonable. Other places easily charge 100+ for an experience like this. Interestingly enough, our chef asked us why we decided to come here and after sharing my thoughts, he treated us to an amazing salmon dish on the house. That dish happened to be my man's favorite. Domo! We weren't overly full after the meal so we ordered one of their regular rolls. (+) Crunchy roll: eel & avocado, topped with spicy snow crab, tobiko, tempura flakes & eel sauce. OOhhh my man still raves and dreams about coming back to eat this again. Dessert rec (+) Mexican chocolate ice cream. Dessert is included in the omakase. Wishes: -A written description of the day's dishes Although our chef did describe each dish as he was serving it to us, it was sometimes hard to hear. I'll admit I was a little tipsy as well with the sake and was having poor recall to exactly what I was eating. Cafe Sushi is the place to go if you want to ease into the omakase scene and like more of a traditional take on sushi. read more

See all

I got take out from here and the fish was dry and the sushi rice was old, seemed like our platter had been premade and left out for a while. I ordered with my friend who said it was his favorite sushi place in the city and he even agreed that this particular take-out was terrible. I'll try them again but when they offer indoor/outdoor dining. read more

Have been coming here for years. They've taken advantage of Covid completely and don't offer in person dining. Why? I understand during the pandemic but at this point it's just wild! They have offerings at $125 a person-- to go!!! Hard pass. The whole point of a restaurant is not take out-- it's to go and enjoy fresh fish there not take it go in a doggy bag. read more

Kinda fun trying this place. My bf and I were in town for the weekend, and wanted to try East Coast sushi. Using Boston Eater's Best Sushi in Boston list, we stumbled upon this restaurant. It had pretty good reviews, and when we made a reservation online, they had the perfect reservation for us - Thursday at 8:30pm for Omakase tasting. Fish overall was pretty good, although not the best I've ever had. This restaurant focuses on the artistic form of sushi, and adding other elements to enhance the flavor. For instance, instead of simply giving you a plain ocean trout nigiri, the chef will add truffle oil with yuzu and lemon zest to top it off. He adds toppings to all the fish I think. Personally, I would say this is not my favorite style of sushi. I prefer to have the fish only, plain and naked, with the chef putting only soy sauce and a dab of wasabi. However, the fish was still good. My favorite fish was the Uni from Maine. I was born and raised in CA, and we always have access to great Santa Barbara uni, Mendocino uni, and if you want to splurge, Hokkaido uni. However, it is rare to try uni from the East Coast! This was quite a treat. I guess we made it in time for uni season on the East Coast, because the one we had was super creamy. I really loved it. I think that Santa Barbara uni, what I usually have, is too briny. I'd say what made this meal the most memorable was being able to talk to the chef in front of us. We were lucky to sit in front of the head sushi chef (whom everyone kept going up to after their meal to thank him). Anyway, it turned out we had a lot in common. He used to live in San Francisco, about 10 minutes from us. He used to work at Sushi Ran, a restaurant in Marin County that used to have a Michelin star but lost it (I have a feeling he was working there when they still had their star), a restaurant we have dined a few times before and enjoyed. It was fun chatting with him like we were old friends! This place is great overall. It's the best for people who love all the toppings on their sushi. Their fish quality is great though! To be honest, it was a pretty inexpensive omakase. It came out to $95/person for a starter, and 12 pieces of nigiri. Wow! Really, not bad at all for the quality. read more

See all

Has a pretty good selection of sushi, though really just the same generic things you will find anywhere else not any unique house specialties. However the atmosphere is not great (cramped and otherwise uninteresting) plus is is very pricey. There are not many dedicated sushi options in Cambridge so they have somewhat corned the market sadly. read more

Great service but food was nothing much to rave about, really. I got the chirashi dinner that comes with miso soup and salad. It was an okay sized portion, though I think lunch and dinner are the same size. The fish variety was also just okay and nothing fancy, just the basic salmon, tuna, shrimp, tamago, makarel and yellowtail slices on top of sushi rice. Prices are on the higher side so I expected a great meal but it fell short. Make a reservation beforehand! It gets busy. read more

Quick dinner in Cambridge before heading to my hotel. The sushi was high quality. I sat at the bar. I was surprised by how packed it was on a weeknight around 8:30pm. I definitely enjoyed the nigiri more than the roll that I ordered. read more

See all

Fresh, high-quality sushi, but pricy (even for sushi in Cambridge). I got the signature sampler ($22 / 5 piece nigiri), and salmon-avo aburi maki ($20 / 8 pieces) for delivery. They are currently only doing takeout (as of July 2022). SIGNATURE SAMPLER: * Madai Fresco (Japanese sea bream | wasabi oil, lemon, rock salt) * Maguro Tataki (seared tuna | truffle oil, black salt, kizami wasabi) * Hiramasa Crudo (yellowtail kingfish | tomato, aged balsamic, basil) * Maguro Zuke (house-cured tuna | yuzu kosho, scallion) * Seaame Salmon (salmon | sesame oil, ssamjang, lime, scallion) The madai (sea bream) was my favorite. Firm, but tender, and melts right in your mouth. I also think the sauce pairing for this one was the most subtle and appropriate, allowing me to savor the taste of the fish more. The hirasama (yellowtail) and maguro zuke (cured tuna) were great too. That being said, I wasn't a fan of some of the sauce pairings. The ssamjang (Korean soybean+chili paste) on the salmon was too strong, and I say this as a Korean who eats this sauce often. Especially for a mild-tasting, buttery fish like salmon, the ssamjang was too overpowering for me to taste the fish at all. This sauce just does not go well with raw fish in my opinion. The tomato and basil also did not go that well with the yellowtail, but it was still an interesting combo that I overall liked. Overall, I really enjoyed the signature sampler. For any kind of sushi, the fish is absolutely the most important part, and they delivered on that. So fresh. And of course, the sushi rice was also done well. Did not fall apart and was well seasoned. The fish to rice ratio was good, too, which a lot of places seem to mess up. SALMON-AVO ABURI MAKI: * Inside: Spicy snow crab, oshinko, marinated eggplant * Outside: seared avocado, seared salmon, aburi ponzu Would skip on this next time. It was nothing special, and with so many extra flavors, it was hard to taste the salmon. I especially did not like the oshinko/danmuji (yellow pickled radish), as I felt its flavor was too overpowering (seems to be a common theme). I should've known better, but it's definitely way more worth it to get nigiri/sashimi, especially at a place like Cafe Sushi that has such high-quality fish. TL;DR great, fresh fish with interesting (good and bad) sauce pairings. pricy. recommend signature sampler. do not recommend salmon-avo aburi maki. read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Signature Sampler - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Every sushi place in Boston buys their fish from the same fishmongers, so it's really the preparation and other elements that distinguish one place from another. At Cafe Sushi, the fish is fresh, tender, and buttery. However, it's the sushi rice that really confirms that this is a serious sushi shop. The rice is consistently slightly warm, chewy, and vinegary, with a good balance between having distinguishable individual grains and holding together well in nigiri or a roll. On paper, this seems simple, but the difference between the good sushi rice and even mediocre sushi rice is night and day. The chirashi bowl here features 9 pieces of fresh fish, including tuna, mackerel, octopus, and shrimp. My favorites were the soft, tender octopus, and the savory, rich mackerel. The rice comes with furikake, which gives it some salty depth. The chirashi also comes with salad and miso soup, which were pretty much just bland afterthoughts. Our rolls were also enjoyable, and then we ordered the firefly squid special to close out our meal. This came as three small squids on a parillo leaf topped with a golden fruity sauce. This was definitely the prettiest thing we got, and tasted as good as it looked. read more

See all

Incredibly delicious sushi for incredible prices! We had 3 rolls, sake, miso soup, and a vegetable nigiri for under $60. We ordered the spicy tuna, ceviche roll, and salmon tosa maki; they were all delicious but the ceviche roll was the best! We had a dinner reservation and were seated immediately, and the service was prompt. The decor isn't super fancy, but it is very cozy. I had a great dinner and would come back again! read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Mushroom nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Shrimp tempura was cold in my $18 crispy toban jan roll. I like tempura hot out of the fryer, not after it's been sitting there all afternoon. Tuna on it was spectacular. Smooth and great flavor. Avocado was good. Neon lights were cool and the place had energy from its many customers and staff. read more

Meh. It's OK at best. I took my sister for her birthday recently to try the chefs omakase tasting and was pretty disappointed. 1. There is no set number of courses or price.. so they just charge what they want each night depending on what they serve as 'fresh' for the evening. 2. The omakase in itself started off OK but became boring very quickly. We started with a grilled oyster mushroom that was lightly salted - good. Then had a brandzino sasha with grilled blood orange and beets-good. The choices of fish however were not to my sister or my liking. There was a mackerel plate with 3 different types and 2 of them I never want to eat again and the third was just better than the other two. Nothing great. Another course was salmon folding crisps - i didn't care for the specific pieces of salmon. It was more chewy than it should have been. The "last course" was a handroll of Eel, avocado and what i think was imitation crab meat. I did not like some of the sauces that topped the Nigiri, they were too sweet for some of fishes. 3. The chef told us a specific dish was going to be our last and after that bite we asked for a menu because that would have been the first time I did a chefs tasting anywhere and almost left pretty hungry still (about $90/pp meal) - maybe the chef or waiter caught on because they offered us an extra small bottle of sake on the house for my sisters bday and also gave another plate of 2 pieces. The 2 extra pieces (salmon roe with topped with grilled salmon on crisp nori and tuna with a chestnut chutney-- the tuna I didn't care for) ended up saving this review because the salmon bite was better than anything else served to us throughout the dinner course. 4. I will say-- considering we did the Omakase, the food being sent out to the rest of the tables looked much more appetizing than anything we ate (except that last dish). Maybe I will try to order the a la carte menu. This place may be great to those who are new to the sushi world but any real food or sushi lover would have disappointed with the meal I had here. Customer service was fine, not the newest or cleanest looking spot. read more

See all

tldr: go for the omakase if you like raw fish, and make sure to get a reservation! I've been here several times, always for the omakase. It's a little more than $100 a plate (the price varies each time as they use seasonal ingredients). Each bite is unique and the servers will explain what everything is, from the source of the fish to the different toppings and garnishes that go on it. If you like sushi for the raw fish itself, the omakase is a great experience in trying different varieties and flavor combinations. Every time I've had omakase here, we've been seated at a table, so there isn't any back-and-forth with the chefs. The last time, my companion mistakenly made a reservation for a normal table instead of omakase (which is limited each night), but our server was able to talk to the chef/kitchen and we were able to get the omakase. In the fall, the courses were mostly raw fish with a few cooked items, ending with mochi ice cream. I enjoy the omakase every time and plan to come again for future special days! read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - one course of different salmons with specific toppings - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Here is what I had for the amazing omakase! Read it carefully if you are a crazy foodie, else just go directly to see the pretty pictures! The food is traditional with a spin - all of the nigiris are topped with some kind of special sauce and pickle - offering a bit of acidity and perfectly compliment the flavor of the fish. 1. Edamame 2. Spainish mackerel - ponzu sauce, sliced ginger, shiso - So buttery!!! 3. White fish nigiri (3) - isaki (lemon/chili), sea bream (wasabi oil/tomato), red snapper (pickled Napa cabbage/wasabi root) 4. Salmon nigiri (3) - MY FAVScottish trout (topped with king oyster mushroom), Arctic char (sesame oil, scallion), New Zealand king salmon (cured lemon) 5. Marinated sea bream Kama (collar) in dashi vinegar served with picked carrot and peppers 6. Mackerel nigiri (3) - Canadian mackerel (topped with pickled seaweed), Japanese mackerel (sesame seed & shiso), local bluefish (pickled onions) 7. White/red fish nigiri (3) - Aji, stripe jack (some fermented bean sauce), Amber jack (topped with crunch shallot) 8. Kinki (rockfish) nigiri + uni nigiri (Santa Barbara - super sweet!!) 9. Salmon roe and seared salmon belly nigiri (chef's special birthday surprise) - it was awesome!! 10. Japanese uni + tamago nigiri 11. Mochi (3) - Shiso mint chip, mango basil, passion fruit flavor (the best!!) Sake: Sake 101 flights- Takatenjin, Yamada, Tengumai Warm sake - Hakushika (mild & sweet) Definitely among the top 3 omakase in the Boston area and price of $110/pp is a lot more reasonable than O Ya. Service was nice too and the sushi chefs were engaging and friendly! read more

See all

Got two GREAT rolls from here last night. The salmon roll and the shrimp tempura. They were huge. I couldn't finish both by myself and usually I'm a two roll gal. I would recommend this place to any of my sushi fans in the area! The pick up window is a cute little touch too. read more

Got lucky, snagged a weeknight dinner table without a reservation. Wednesday night, 6:20pm. Place filled up quick afterwards. Upscale- casual atmosphere inside, with wood accented decor all around. The lighting inside is great for food pics! Service was great. My girlfriend and I both ordered the Sushi Dinners ($22.00 at time of order, Feb '19). They come with salad and miso soup. The salad was fresh and dressing was not overpowering. The miso, however, was way too salty. Our sushi platters were presented wonderfully, and the fish was indeed quite fresh, although do note that the portions are not all that large! The actual nigiri are quite small. Overall, solidly good food, good service, with my only gripe being portions on the smaller side! read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Menu as of Feb 2019 - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

See all

Fun and inventive sushi. I like Cafe Sushi because their dishes will sometimes challenge and surprise you. The nigiri are frequently topped with very interesting ingredients, including caramelized onions, shizo leaves, chestnut pastes, sun dried tomato, sesame oil, preserved lemon peels, green onions, truffle oil, and more. Maybe some traditionalists find these choices questionable, but I think the pairings are generally well thought out and usually allow the subtle fish flavors to come through. I have come here a few times for dinner and have also had the omakase twice. On my last visit the fish is prepared beautifully and the rice is cooked and seasoned to perfection. The raw scallops were the sweetest I have had and their two uni servings were incredibly fresh. The chefs provide great service at the sushi bar. My one complaint is that the omakase is quite pricey and even though it has been very enjoyable I have not been quite full at the end of the meal, leading me to order some additional sushi from the regular menu. I think it's only worth if you are willing to spend over 3 figures per person at a fairly casual venue. Dining out can sometimes be expensive, and it is a subjective assessment whether a meal feels like it was worth it or not. The omakase at Cafe Sushi for me personally falls just under that threshold. It needed more courses or more of a wow factor, or alternatively it had to cost less. The casual ambience and casual service doesn't add to the overall experience. If you order from the regular menu you can get a very similar experience at a more affordable entry point. For most diners I would recommend ordering from the menu and skipping the omakase. I definitely think you should try Cafe Sushi if you want to have your sushi senses challenged. It's one of the best and most interesting sushi restaurants in the area. Great for a date or a special occasion with a small group. Reservations recommended. read more

They are take out only, but they do have a small seating area for a few people to eat at. The sashimi in the chirashi bowl was of great qualilty and overall a great meal. ~40$. read more

A super packed super small sushi place in the heart of Harvard square known for its best tasting Japanese cuisine If not for their service,this place deserves five stars. I was quite surprised to know that they would make you wait, to be seated at your table till your entire party arrives.I do not mind a small restaurant having this policy to save their space if they bothered to put it up in their website or communicate when you call to reserve the place. We were told about this only when we enquired as to why we weren't being seated even when our table is ready. Having said that, my husband is a big time sushi lover and really loves this place for its delicious food. We ordered various sushi and makis and one of their speciality which I personally loved is the Spicy Citrus roll. read more

See all

So glad we paid a visit to this casual no-frills cafe on yet another random Monday night. I've heard on more than a few occasions that they're well known for their Omakase. Since we didn't have a reservation, we found ourselves lucky to have regular seating in the dining area. It was the only restaurant on the street that was bustling and now I know why. These guys have super innovative and delicious sashimi at a fraction of the price of places like O Ya and Oiishi. Sure, the atmosphere is not as upscale but they make up for it in taste. The highlight of our meal were the 2 different signature samplers (see pics), one which had the regular kinds of fish like wild salmon, yellowtail, tuna etc and the other featuring only their in-season selection of more exotic fish like striped jack, sea bream, amberjack and european croaker. All were melt-in-your-mouth exquisite and dressed with very unique sauces, accompaniments and ingredients. We only tried it sashimi style but it could be ordered both ways. In fact, it was served beautifully nigiri style on our neighbor's table and we made a mental note to try it that way next time as well. Now for the meh: We also ordered the tofu appetizer, the Hiyayako and it was a little bland IMO. Just not my thing. We also threw in a couple rolls so we could have something more substantial, specifically the Spicy Salmon and the Crunch maki rolls but these were just okay. Probably more like the average sushi restaurant variety. So don't be like us and shy away from the Omakase experience. Reserve your seats at the bar and order the tasting. Yes, just do it. You won't regret it. If for some reason you can't commit to it though, at the minimum, order their in-season signature sampler. At least with this dish, you'll get a pretty good idea what the tasting is like and then you'll agree that your next visit will be to try their Omakase option. read more

See all

Best sushi in the greater Boston area! The fish is so fresh and delicate, and the flavor combinations in their rolls are excellent. Recently went with three friends and shared pork gyoza and the cafe sushi salad to start. For simple items they were both excellent. For sushi we shared the crispy toban Jan roll, the salmon-avo aburi maki, the crunch roll and the summer vegetable roll. They were all outstanding, such interesting and delicious flavor combinations. read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Summer Vegetable Roll, Crispy Toban Jan Roll, Crunch Roll, salmon-avo aburi maki - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Right off the hustle and bustle of Harvard square, cafe sushi is an unassuming restaurant in an area not short of options. For lunch I put myself at the mercy of the chef, opting for the lunch tasting special. Although the creativity is refreshing, I can't say I was particularly impressed with the tastes/flavors. Overall the sushi is just ok.... read more

Cafe Sushi Shoten - Tasting special - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts