Cute area, cozy restaurant, good service, average sushi. Not a bad experience, not the best sushi I've had... but I'm a tough critic when it comes to spicy ahi. read more

I really like the bento box for lunch, even though it is a bit pricey. The salmon bento box is awesome! We took our son there for his 21st birthday and told them to bring us whatever special dishes they had. Some of the dishes were not what we would have chosen. But we found some truly excellent dishes that we will definitely order again. If you are in the Lexington area and looking for sushi, check them out. Yum! And the service is excellent. read more

I really, really, really wanted to like this place but i walked away thinking, we possibly ordered the wrong things but then again, if you are a well-known restaurant, your food should not suck in general, riiiight? Anyway, my husband and i ordered the fried calamari and spicy chicken ramen. So here goes. Fried calamari - should just be called sautéed frozen calamari because that is what it was; definitely not batter-fried. If you dislike the skin on calamari, this one is NOT for you. The calamari was sliced so thick that it was CHEWWWWYYYYY and definitely not pleasant. 2 pieces of calamari later, i was literally gagging. I just couldn't keep it in. The skin does come off in your mouth and bah, nope nope nope. Spicy Chicken Ramen- Honestly, it was meh. My husband and I have had better for sure. It's mostly noodle with 1 shitake mushroom and maybe 4 small pieces (if you are lucky) of dry, "roasted" chicken. The "spicy broth" has a soy sauce base. The service was slow and could be better. Our waiter recommended the fried calamari and i wish we hadn't asked for any recommendations. He also served us a spicy condiment in a delicate earthenware with no condiments in it. Mistakes happen and i get that but service in general can be improved. That said, I think this restaurant only gets a few items right. The vege tempura looked good. Maybe we should have ordered that and called it a day. Oh well. read more

So kind of the reason I am giving this place four stars is because it is my sisters favorite place. I honestly think there is better food out there and if she didn't like it this would be three stars. I have been here twice, once I got takeout and the other time I ate inside. The sushi and stuff is pretty good but I think for a hungry person you would have to order a little extra. I also was looking online and I thought the prices were kind of funny. The food was very filling when you got full meals. I liked it but I just can't eat that heavy of a meal or a tiny meal. They did a good job making the food and bringing it out fast when I was eating there. I know I will be eating there many more times but it has okay food. read more

Stay away! I've been to this place one too many times. The food is okay but nothing to write home about. For us it's only a neighborhood place but it has consistently awful service. Today made reservations for two and the person on the phone curtly told me not to be late. I arrived 3 minutes early and was told to wait. After waiting for 10 minutes, a host told me our table was ready. We were led to a six top table and the host got in an uncomfortable argument that everyone in the dining room overheard with a woman who was another manager or perhaps the owner. She admonished him for seating us as she had a party of five arriving soon. We were told to sit and wait again for an undetermined amount of time. We simply left and had dinner elsewhere. Your life is too short to put up with places like this. read more

I've tried Daikanyama several times now in my quest for good sushi in Boston. Sadly, wishing will not make it so. Most of the varieties had the indistinct flavor and telltale soggy texture of frozen farm fish, and the man behind the bar applies roughly double the proper quantity of rice per bite. There oughta be a law! Staff are very nice, and decor is pretty, but look around: there are no Japanese customers despite the sizable Japanese ex-pat population living in and around Lexington. Word traveled fast. read more

It pains me to write this review. I have been eating at Daikanyama for years, since it opened in fact, and it was one of my favorite restaurants -- 5 stars. In September, 2013, the restaurant closed for three weeks for remodeling. I have been back five times since the restaurant reopened, and I'm sorry to report that it is not the same - nowhere near as good and more expensive. Because of the history, I kept giving it "one more chance," but tonight was the last straw. I heard they hired a new kitchen manager at the same time they did the remodeling. Maybe s/he brought in a new fish supplier or something? In any event, I'm sorry to say we won't be going back. Time to find a new sushi spot... read more

Great place for lunch and dinner. 10 minute drive from Waltham, I enjoy their amazing sushi, try the tuna avocado.

After a couple more visits, I've concluded that the fish is very good and everything else not so much. Not so much = the dishwatery miso soup, the heavy tempura, the dried-out cooked meat dishes, and the uninspired teriyaki. Good = sashimi, nigiri, maki. Stick with sushi and you'll do fine here. read more

This place is solid, especially considering Lexington is... Lexington. They're working on upping the sophistication factor in the center of town and slowly succeeding, Daikanyama I feel is kind of a transitional place. It is not what I'd consider upscale dining but it's not one of those hokey suburban "fusion" places that embarrass me to eat at. (i.e. A restaurant that serves thom yum, sushi, chow fun and bibimbap is unlikely to be good at any of those). It sticks to Japanese foods popular in the states, your standard bento fare -- tempura anyone? -- and an extensive maki and sushi menu. It's solid, especially, again, for Lexington. Not a place I recommend to people to when they're visiting the Boston area and want omgamazing sushi, but a solid place if you're in Waltham or Lexington and want a good dinner. read more

I have been to a lot of sushi places, but this joint is definitely the best. It is also the first GREAT restaurant in Lexington. The sushi menu is so large and diverse it amazed me. I have in Lexington most of my life and everything about this restaurant smacked of excellent. 5 Stars. read more

I don't want to give this a bad review, cause my friend works here, and I work at Dabin, but the sushi is so overpriced, for average quality sushi...the meals are also just so expensive, and so I just don't go there anymore =( read more

So, I know about the sister restaurant at the Chestnut Hill Mall and have always wondered about this restaurant as I often drive by the Lexington one. Finally, after the renovation was completed, I was excited about trying it out. Here's the deal, you are really just paying for the ambiance and decor. Yes, the food is okay and is authentic enough, but honestly, I wouldn't come here unless someone else was paying. I was dying for tempura or nabeyaki udon and thought they had a lunch special on those items. I was mistaken, and it was $18 for tempura udon and $23 for nabeyaki udon. That seemed a little outrageous to me, so I ordered the cheaper of the two. While the tempura was spot on and the broth tasted like what I expected except for some missing scallions (?), the portion size was extremely disappointing. I got two shrimp and three vegetables (broccoli, sweet potato, and squash). After drinking every last drop of the broth, I decided to order a spicy tuna roll and green tea because I was still hungry. The spicy tuna roll had scallions on it which I don't think pair well together. The little cup for my green tea was cute but really too small as my tea became too strong - it was a tea bag. It seems like the restaurant tries to go the extra mile to make things nice such as the little cute cup for the green tea, the chopsticks holder, and the bamboo basket for the tempura. Even so, I feel like the restaurant somehow misses the mark as the tea cup was too small, and I found the bamboo basket somewhat flimsy and cumbersome to deal with. For me, when I eat out, I care more about the food quality and value. Regarding service, I would give them 5 stars for that. My waitress and the other waiter who came by to refill my water and tea did an excellent job. Also, I did find the environment comfortable and relaxing. I was able to get some work reading done while I was there. read more

I'm disappointed in Daikanyama. I ate there several years ago and the food was excellent. The prices weren't outrageous, and it was good service, too. Fast forward to a few months ago, after the remodeling. I had lunch there with a friend and got a dish with mostly tuna and salmon sashimi, which was pretty good, no complaints except that it was not enough food. I went back there for supper a few days later and asked for a sashimi dish with tuna and salmon. The waitress brought me a dish with a variety of fish including one piece of tuna and one piece of salmon. I had a long discussion with the waitress, then with the manager. They finally brought me something closer to what I wanted. Still not very much food, and quite expensive. Something happened during the remodeling, perhaps a change in management. Why would they close for months like that, then reopen with a different menu and worse food? Probably they lost their chef, and whoever took it over is trying to make money instead of making great food. I'm done with Daikanyama. While it's still possible to get decent food there, the portions are small, for a high price, and I remember it being better. Thus, the search for great sushi continues. read more

I am sorry to say they are getting bad. This restaurant provides fake Japanese food by Chinese owner. I think they spent too much on improving the "Looks". All furniture are replaced. They use own Chopsticks (Doesn't have to be name on it). The shape of Chopsticks isn't Japanese Standard (Similar to Chinese?). They started using Tablet for recommendation. All friendly servers are gone. The technique of Sushi chef isn't as good as average Japanese chef. Soba-Tsuyu (Dipping sauce for Soba) is different. I would assume they put some hot spice in it. They only serve Cha-Soba for cold nodule. Which is rare in Japan. Yes, This restaurant is a bit pricy. The owner of this restaurant hasn't studied enough Japanese food. Probably, Dabin (Korean-Japanese) serves better Japanese food. When I saw other reviews, I would assume they became Americanized Asian restaurant. If you are looking for Japanese food, probably, I should go to other town. read more

I had a black pork tonkatsu bento and my sister got the oyakodon. Food was lukewarm and not fresh, pickles were actually spicy dill pickles and not authentic Japanese style pickles and the tonkatsu sauce was a kind of applesauce, not thrilled with the quality considering how pricy it is :( read more

A great Japanese restaurant in every aspect, not to mention the deliciousness and creativity of their maki often blows me away (in a good direction). No it's not really an authentic Japanese restaurant, but that doesn't bother me since the decoration and atmosphere is delicate enough for such price. read more

One of the few places to get a hearty bowl of udon soup on a winter's day in the north/west Boston suburbs, this comfortable restaurant specializes in Japanese food. They have sushi and tempura and shabu shabu, everything is fresh and beautifully presented. Portions seem large. The vibe is very zen and I think would be nice for a date night. Great service, too. read more

I subtracted a star for the subpar service I received today for lunch. The food was excellent, but our waitress took over 15 minutes to take our drink order, which was just hot tea, and she didn't bring it for another 15 minutes. She forgot about it and only brought it when I asked why it is taking so long. She was rude and unfriendly. Disappointing in particular because the food was quite good. This will be a definite take out spot going forward and I don't plan to dine inside here ever again. We had agedashi tofu and 3 different rolls. All excellent. read more

Lunch again, ordered the vegetable maki lunch special (3 rolls - sweet potato, cucumber & avacado) and split/shared with my sister who got the other lunch maki special. Each of us were brought out 18 pieces of sushi! The rolls were even pretty big. This of course came with soup and salad and an orange. It was a huge amount of food, and with drinks the bill was only 25 for two people - and the sushi was really good. I definitely recommend this place for lunch. The service was excellent - kept our tea & water full to the brim! read more

Best sushi in the area by leaps and bounds. The fish is always super fresh and the lunch specials on Saturday is awesome! Although dinner is a bit pricey it is worth it compared to any place in Lexington or Waltham. read more

Quality decor, swift service, and excellent quality sushi. I come from NYC, and the sushi easily rivals some of the best sushi I would find in there. Highly Recommend. read more

The sushi was very tasty but extremely overpriced. We paid $2.50 each for a small amount of green tea. Hand rolls are $9 and are smaller than average. Spent $30 and am still hungry. read more

My husband and I went here for dinner last night and were not too impressed. The sushi was Ok, but it was very expensive. Each roll is ~$13, which i wouldn't complain about if the quality of the rolls and appetizers were spectacular. Overall, very average ambiance, sushi. and customer service. I don't think that we will be back. read more

Easily my favorite Japanese around. Unique menu, and everything I've tried has been great!

Don't judge a book by its cover. I went here based on reviews and was very disappointed. Visually they looked very nice. Clean, welcoming, and friendly. I ordered beef ramen with miso broth. It looked great when it came out. The broth was decent but the veggies were rubbery and the noodles tasted poor. Furthermore, there was very minimal noodles and 5 small pieces of tough beef. To top all this off it was fairly expensive for what it was. Every expectation I had of this place fell short. Honestly, would probably not come here again. read more

Great price and HUGE menu. The philly roll left me breathless and the dragon roll made me fall in love. I've been thinking about it since...until we meet again lover..... read more

Not the best, but okay. I would do take-out if I were you. Service is good, but I don't get why the host (probably the owner) is in a suit and the waitress is rocking a full out traditional Japanese kimono. Place looks like a dressed up takeout place. read more

Spicy. All of their rolls are very spicy, and I love spicy, but it would be nice if they included a few rolls that incorporated fruit with the fish to just pair it off. On the pricier side, nice wine list, but clean and open and always room to sit. Spicy Girl Maki is definitely a must to try. read more

I was staying at the Aloft nearby and just made it 20 min before closing. The proximity to the hotel was a big plus. The hosts are polite and gracious, although their kimono attires looked costume-ish and likely meant to impress suburbanites rather than inspire an authentic experience. I had the Obachama Maki (spicy tuna, salmon topped with yellow roe) which was tangy, citrusy and goddang tasty- not to mention fairly priced at $8.95. The Cherry Blossom roll was artfully arranged with a small pile of seaweed in the center- not bad for $12.95. The portions were reasonable and the seafood of reasonable quality. Their nigori sake selection can certainly be expanded (n=1, regular ShoChikuBai). I am docking one star since they could not serve me green tea due to "broken hot water"... I guess there's a first time for everything! read more

i don't think i've ever eaten here for dinner, but lunch is great. they have a great deals on lunch. i love their noodle soup menu. they have this thing for around 9 dollars that lets you choose your meat, your soup base, and your type of noodles. they also have the best sushi around in lexington and the place is super well decorated. it's not tacky, and its very elegant. the waitresses all wear kimono's which i kind of funny since i don't think any of them are actually japanese. the only thing i have a problem with is just it's inaccessibility at night. it's really expensive when it comes to dinner sushi and for most people like me (student), it's a little pricey. read more

One of my favorite sushi places. Went there before the construction and after. Happy to report the food didn't suffer in quality with the expansion. A bit on the pricy side though. read more

Nice local restaurant in lexington, not great for large parties, but sushi is fresh and service is terrific. 5 stars for the hard working family. read more

This is very good sushi. The service is efficient and friendly. The sushi is very fresh and tasty. Some of the best miso soup I have had and very good dressing on the house salad too. read more

This place has one of the best sushi rolls I've had in the area. If only parking wasn't a B!=tch during lunch time I'd go here more often... nuff said :-) read more

The food was perfect, very fresh. The Sushi chef was spot on, he made a special dish just for us! It was delicious. The service was a bit slow, and she was not friendly at all. We tried to be nice and thanked her for water, not even a smile, oh well.....the food was what we cared about and that was great. read more

This place is fantastic. The sushi is very inventive and super fresh. The only negative I would contribute is that you need to be prepared to spend a lot of money. I went twice in one week and it was $100 both times for 2 people without alcohol. There isn't a lot of 'value' in eating here but if you are craving super fresh sushi and you are in the area, you should definitely stop in! P.S. The Hawaiian Maki was the crowd favorite! read more

Of any sushi places in the area, this is by a mile my favorite. The whole place from the design of the restaurant, to the servers, to the actual sushi itself are all top notch. It's a bit on the pricey side, but with sushi you get what you pay for and the quality is just as good as any of the top places in metro Boston. read more

SO GOOD. This place is like the illegitimate child of the Sudbury/Brookline (Coolidge Corner)'s Fugakyu (literally speaking, business-wise). The menu is almost exactly the same as it's removed parents -- extensive (talking about 10 pages.. no joke) and yummy! It is very small, quaint, plain and simply decorated. It has a very crisp, fresh feel to it. This place also still makes things that are no longer available on the Fugakyu menu. The appetizers are my ABSOLUTE favs. You MUST MUST must MUST get the following: Hotate Kaiyaki, which is baked scallop, crab stick tobikko, spicy mayo and melted cheese on a large clam shell. It is a bit spicy but SO SO good. Sake Aburi -- torched salmon on top of crab stick, avocado, shitake mushroom & mayo. Topped with eel sauce & scallion. It's served a bit chilled and is like a refined japanese version of a seafood salad. Unagi Sandwich -- eel in eel sauce sandwiched with tempura sweet potato i've given these recommendations to many friends and they ALL absolutely loved them! I promise you will not be disappointed!!! As for the sushi, the presentation is beautiful and the fish is so so fresh and is the type that melts in your mouth. One of my sushi foodie friends who loves fatty white tuna agrees with me that Daikanyama has probably the best fatty white tuna in Boston. Also, the dessert is quite good as well! The cakes taste and look like Finale cakes and the red bean ice cream is REALLY GOOD. i never liked red bean but it really is amazing here. The service is great. There's this waiter that has thick black glasses, petit, and kind of big spiked hair who is really quirky and fun and nice. Gives great recommendations. There is a public parking lot right behind the place and you can enter through the back as well. The meters go until 8pm (unlike cambridge and boston!) so don't forget to pay! Yes, as a college student, I wouldn't spend this much money on the food but I frequent here with my parents and family friends often so i indulge in not having to pick up the check. However, if you asked me to pick up the bill, I'd try and suggest the pizza joint, Uppercrust next door. read more

Daikanyama is definitely the best Sushi in the Lexington/Arlington/Belmont/Waltham area. The owner is very knowledgeable about the menu, and happy to talk about the new recipes she's planning to try out. The specials are always adventures. Our favorites include the spicy tuna tartare, and the unusual salads. This is also my culinarily-sophisticated daughter's favorite, so I have to disagree with the "not good for kids" statement. It's great for kids who love sushi adventures...and whose parents are prepared to "pay" a bit extra for them. read more