I had high expectations to this restaurant, but this wasn't as good as I had thought it would be. The food quality wasn't amazing, but it's not bad. This is comparable to any other Japanese restaurants, but would think it would be better because it's within Bloomies. The service was excellent, though! read more

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Everything is superb--location, ambiance, service and the food!! Thought I'd catch a bite for something to eat and caught a whole lot more!! My meal was bursting with flavors!! It's been a good while since I've been able to hand out 5 stars and my expectations were truly exceeded!! Happy to add a new eatery to my list and I definitely will be back!! read more

Daikanyama - Japanese Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Mushroom soup was good, but got short changed on shishito peppers and sushi. Only 7 little peppers for $10 and hardly any fish in the roll. Just your basic mall sushi at double the price. Will not return. read more

Daikanyama has been open just a week, I believe, but it's well worth checking out in this quiet opening period before the crowds get wind of it. While it's adjacent and connected to Bloomingdale's, it does have a separate exterior entrance. Daikanyama will surely attract the ladies-who-lunch crowd, but for now, it's an unassuming little jewel. Memorable highlights of our meal included the udon with poached duck breast (so tender and flavorful!), calamari salad (very meaty, lightly fried cuttlefish served over greens), udon with manila clams and mushrooms (great umami flavors), tempura king crab (sweet), fried oysters (crisp outside and juicy inside), and the oh-so-special magenta-hued ume plum rice (delicious and lovely to look at!). The chef changes the ingredients for both the flavored rice and miso soup daily, and you can tell he takes great care in preparing each dish and ensuring that the taste is as pleasing as presentation. The sushi was also quite inventive and flavorful--try the Sunny maki (pumpkin tempura, avocado, raspberries), Fuji maki (Fuji apple, sweet potato tempura, tuna) and the Godzilla maki (Mushroom tempura, avocado, asparagus). Also, you MUST end your meal with the chilled plum for dessert. It's topped with a seaweed gelee and a dab of edible gold foil. Truly an exquisite presentation. Oh, and if you're a tea drinker, do get a pot of the Earl Grey (or maybe it was Darjeeling?). Whatever it was, it was intensely fragrant and served alongside a special tea-infused honey imported from Japan. And not for nothing, but I want to own the entire porcelain tea set! Even the silverware was beautiful and had a lovely weight to it. These little touches do make an impression. As for the atmosphere, it's comfortable and intimate despite the somewhat austere decor. The service was extremely polite and attentive as well. They don't have their liquor license yet, but I think the experience was not lacking in any way due to the absence of alcohol. I'd absolutely come just for the dessert and tea alone! read more

I ordered Katsu don which is a standard lunch item which can Be eaten even in the college cafeteria in Japan. Therefore there are many varieties from very well high end gourmet restaurant to school cafeteria level. Daikanyama is beautiful interior and my expectations were high end restaurant with anicer Katudon than this which reminded me of my college cafeteria. $16.59 with green tea is a bit high for a lunch. They did give me a couple of pickles and a few fruits at the end. The Katsudon should be crisp on top and soft on the bottom and hard to achieve that! Also pork was very thin which was very dry. Japanese French Chef read more

What a find!!! The sushi is so fresh, with many creative options and combinations!! This is my new favorite spot for sushi now in New York City. It's never crowded and the service and atmosphere are top notch. I can't wait to go back when life returns to normal. read more

Extremely fresh sashimi, probably the best that I have had in Boston. I'm so happy that we got introduced to this place by Jenny and Calvin! We started off with the kaki fry and braised pork belly. The oysters were only lightly fried and so juicy when I bit into them. The pork belly melted in my mouth and was the huge crowd pleaser. Along with the Daikanyama and black forest roll (both really inventive), I had the most amazing order of salmon sashimi. It was so fresh that I could have swallowed it whole, no chewing needed. The black sugar creme brulee was so good. It tasted like a mixture of burnt sugar and chai tea. Let's not forget the apple saki that was really light and refreshing. We really can't wait to go back! read more

The food here is EXCELLENT. Everything is super fresh, elegant, and delicious. We always order almost half the menu and have never been let down by a single dish. A lot of care and thought is put towards every single dish. The Mai tais are also very good. The servers and staff are also very attentive, helpful, clean and polite. They are very gracious hosts. The decor is also very unique and interesting with a waterfall wall. The plates themselves range from traditional Japanese style to modern white porcelain. This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants. 5+ stars all around. Can't say enough about the great quality of this place. I love going out to eat here for dinner and/or lunch. read more

I saw a relatively good reviews so I thought I would give this place a try. What a disappointment . First the service was not particularly good they were slow and after bringing me my first plate rarely came back to see how I was doing . I requested that my dishes be prepared without wasabe . The waiter confirmed with me and the sushi chef as I was seated at the sushi bar . All three roles that I ordered came with wasabe. when I brought it to the waiters attention he was not interested . Even more annoying was the constant sniffing and grunting noises from the sushi chef behind the bar - it was repugnant. and while the tablets they used to order from is a neat idea they were so filthy it was disgusting. Hard to tell if the food was good, or the quality of the fish given I don't care for wasabe, but the whole deal added up to a poor experience. read more

Excellent, a nice retreat from the crowds and shops at the Mall at Chestnut Hill. Calming, traditional decor and excellent service. The maki specials were shown to us on the Barnes & Noble Nook, for added interest. We were served complimentary edamame (I think there is a hint of brown sugar in their edition? Yum.), and we ordered green tea. The chef's salad with ginger dressing was excellent, and a proper meal itself with brown rice. The gyoza, steamed, are the best in Boston, home-made, delicate. Good move Bloomingdales, yet another temptation to add to the shopping experience! read more

The environment is good. But the food is not that worthy. If you are expecting something fusion, you are at the right place. They do good meat and noodles. But if you are looking for something traditionally Japanese and fresh, it is not a good place for you. The so-called "fresh uni (sea urchin)" is BLACK instead of the fresh yellow-orange-ish look. The eel is HARD not fresh at all. The toro has very strong and unusual fishy smell. Additionally, when we complained to the manager that these were not fresh at all, he insisted: the dishes were fresh, he(the manager) was pretty busy and we were being ridiculously ignorant. What kind of service was that? We asked for check without finishing the courses. Though they took the uni and eel off the bill, this is not a place that I will come back again. There are many worthy places in the city. read more

Went here for dinner with a friend and was really happy with the meal and the service. It's a very small restaurant located on the first floor of bloomingdales but was definitely impressed with the excellent service and great decor! The makimono rolls are delicious! We ordered the traffic light roll and the Godzilla roll. Both were so delicious! Fresh ingredients and just the perfect combo! For main entrees we ordered the teriyaki chicken and chirashi. The chicken was a little dry but presentation was nice. My chirashi was really good - great presentation and fresh ingredients. Both entrees came with soup and salad. I had wanted to try the miyabi zen - basically a sample menu of traditional Japanese dishes but the menu was still being finalized so I will have to go back to try. Now I have to rave about the service. Our waiter was Albert and he was so attentive to our needs. He came around multiple times to make sure our food was acceptable and asked if we needed anything else. Price-wise there's a nice range of low-high priced items. Plus there are TONS of options so there is something for everyone. read more

Was at Bloomingdales for shopping I check the review on yelp and want to give a try. Well!! I loved it!! Wished I had the picture menu as I had a hard time to choose what I really wanted.... ;-) read more

who would have thought that you could get delicious quality sushi in a restaurant next to a bloomingdales. i seriously left satisfied and well-fed the server told us that thursdays are the best time to come because they get their shipment of fresh seafood then. in that case, we had the uni fresh from Maine. at $18 a sea urchin, it was very well worth it (i did not pay, thank you H.T. for being so generous) this was my first time having sea urchin and it won't be my last. it is a delicacy. my friend ordered 6 thinking they were shooters but instead we got 6 spiky sea urchin shells in 6 martini glasses delicately decorated with the orange-red uni on top. it attracted the attention of other patrons but i don't think anybody else was brave enough to try it. we had a tuna tataki appetizer, baked scallop w crab meat and spicy mayo appetizer, and one other appetizer that was all very good and better than other places where i had the same appetizer. we got a hot towel and edamame to start. the server was super friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, and you picked the sushi rolls using a tablet (some version of an iPad) OMG the sushi rolls were, not to exaggerate, but pretty much tasted like ambrosia haha. we had a geisha roll (cucumber instead of rice, three types of fish in a light soy sauce), kuchi roll (shrimp tempura with something super spicy), baked yellowtail with mango and double tuna roll. these aren't even on their menu but they were in the tablet. i just could not believe how fresh and well-paired everything was. we also had a pink sparking cold sake that was sweet and very nice. some of the best sushi i've had yet and i would definitely return. kudos to the chefs read more

Daikanyama is more than a little pretentious. Atmospherically, it's a bit of a mismatch: it has the ambiance of a nice date restaurant with its dim lighting and endless waterfall wall features, and yet while I was there I saw a bunch of BC bros being rambunctious in the corner, and a little girl and her grandmom in the table next to us. I get the feeling that this place aspires to have a dress code and then remembers it's a hole in the wall inside a mall. The maki was OK. You won't find a california roll, or spicy tuna, or a philly roll on the menu, but you will find deeply creative combinations like the ladybug roll with its cherry tomato crispness balanced with shrimp and octopus, and sweet potato sushi done right. That said... the flavors in the rolls came out to be rather ambiguous and even the spiciest of rolls had the mildest of burns. While all the maki was well balanced and fresh, I was more than a little disappointed. I'd like to be able to make out the differences in flavor and texture when I'm eating a roll that contains mango and mushroom, but I was left searching for both and coming up empty. Our waitress appeared to be new and not so familiar with their beverage selection or their menu. We came on a quiet night, and she was totally absent before we had ordered anything, but then stood directly behind us to watch us finish our meal and pay the bill. I'm sure this restaurant will improve in that respect. read more

Definitely not your average mall food here. Top notch sushi and Japanese delights such as miso soup and beef negima were all outstanding. Excellent staff and drinks as well. I would recommend ordering several sushi plates and apps so you may try a few things. Do make a reservation though as the limit space fills up fast. read more

Very sophisticated in details of plate ware. However, the sophistication does not hold over to the cuisine. The server had a handy digital picture menu to show us their specials for the day. It was cool for the first 5 seconds. The cuisine is average. Nothing to die for. I tried various appetizers to get their feel. They provide complimentary edemame after placing the order. I must say though, they have great tea! One thing did irk me, the bus boy kept walking around in circles continuously in this tiny Japanese restaurant. He was making me dizzy! read more

My boss took me and a few of our coworkers here for a holiday dinner. It was a real treat for all of us. Everything was incredibly fresh, well-prepared, inventive and exciting! We started with a warm towel to refresh ourselves. After some delicious miso, we started our meal with the sushi/sashimi/maki platter, the caterpillar roll (unagi with avocado) and a spicy lady (special roll, smoked salmon, i think?). We moved on to a tempura battered maki and the seafood tempura (shrimp & scallop). For drinks, I had a riesling, my boss had a malbec, my friend had a Bud Light (they cater to beer drinkers, too) and our other two companions had mixed sake drinks. Everyone was very happy and we were nearly bursting when it was all over. I would go again in a minute, but only if someone else was paying. Like I said, it was a real treat, very indulgent and a wonderful Christmas gift. read more

I've been going here for seven years and I have To say that it never disappoints. The food is fresh and wonderful and the staff are always friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere is quiet and elegant and is great For business lunches or dinner. I highly recommend You put this on your "to do" list. read more

first of all, the name got me all confused!! is it dyknora?? dynamite??? dykonomoo? daikiiikinoa? IDK BRO?!?! i don't want to be treated like this anymore!! restaurants feel the need to finesse me in this way and make me feel ILLITRATE. HA so the teriyaki chicken was very very very dry i had to pour roughly 403 gallons of sauce on it so i could stop my mouth from feeling like a fricking desert in arizona. AND the waitress was harassing me about rice!!! she was like, " YOU WANT MORE FRIED RICE?? " i said no thanks and she walks away. then she comes back and is like "YOU WANT BROWN RICE OR WHITE RICE" and i say i don't want either of them and she walks away then guess what happens next, SHE COMES BACK AGAIN and guess what she says .. "YOU WANT FRIED RICE" and i just lost it inside i was like NO THANK U WOMAN in my head but since i was polite i said "i'm ok thanks" and wow WHAT A TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE :(( thx for readin bbyz read more

I saw a sign next to the elevator saying Bloomingdales welcoming Daikanyama blah blah blah...otherwise I would have never noticed this Japanese restaurant. The decor of the restaurant was pretty nice. One thing I like the most was the size of table. They were huge! I was seated at the bar as I was by myself. It wasn't very comfy so I'd sit at the table if possible. I ordered salted mackerel, egg custard and the cold noodles. Surprisingly, the food was pretty good. I normally have zero expectation when it comes to Japanese food around Boston. The salted mackerel was about 3 by 3 inches. It tasted right; perhaps with better ingredients, it'd taste great. My first bite with the egg custard was very good. However, after 10 mins, the egg became watery. It still tasted good but it felt kind of weird. Plus, the seafood/chicken inside was tasteless. The cold buckwheat noodles was good. Unlike other Japanese restaurants, the noodles did not stick together and the sauce was tasty (not salty or sweet or some other weird taste). Also, Daikanyama is one of the very few restaurants that serve raddish and scallion with the sauce, nice. Would've been nice if they served raw quail egg as well. I also like their long list of noodles. I'll definitely go back to try a couple more. Please note: I only give Daikanyama a 4 star review because it is in the Boston area. I have yet to come across one that I really really like. Daikanyama is one of the few that I have no problem going again. read more

I was really pleasantly surprised by this mall restaurant experience. We stopped here for lunch on a Saturday after seeing a sign in the mall, and right away I was impressed by the decor and service. Everything is modern and clean, and the atmosphere and attention made it feel like a nicer restaurant. I got the makimono lunch special, which started off with a small salad, miso soup, and an appetizer trio of grilled zucchini, shrimp shumai, and gyoza. Salad was yummy, soup was standard, and the appetizers didn't seem homemade but were just fine. The makimono combo comes with three rolls: spicy tuna, salmon, and avocado. The filling to rice ratio was great (not too much rice), and the fish tasted fresh. The spicy tuna roll had a nice crunch to it too from the tempura flakes. All this for $14! Would definitely come back here and recommend to others. read more

Daikanyama - Lunch combo comes with salad (not pictured), miso soup, and small appetizers - Japanese Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

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Daikanyama is a GREAT place if you want to splurge a little on some really fresh and delicious Japanese food. I've been here a few times now, and the service has always blown me away. The staff here are so friendly and helpful, and if there's ever a question they can't answer, they find someone who can! The sushi here is some of the freshest I've had locally, and the dinner entrees were equally tasty. Also: the hamachi kama here was one of the best I've ever had! It's definitely a liiiiitttttle bit on the pricy side, but you're in Bloomingdales and the price shouldn't be that surprising to anyone! I also wish the tables were just a little cozier, but for the most part the decor is really interesting and calming with running water features and dim lights. read more

Probably the best sushi in Newton. The rolls are a standout -- they usually have two dozen specials displayed on an iPad that they bring to the table. The agedashi tofu has tiny mushrooms in it which adds an unusual and delicious touch. The nigiri sushi is fresh and flavorful. We've been to Daikanyama maybe 10 times and expect to remain regulars. Don't be put off that it's in a mall attached to Bloomingdale's. This is not "mall sushi," it's the real thing. read more

Hard to find and prep your wallet for a beating! This establishment is within the Bloomingdales in the Chestnut Hill mall. Bloomingdales occupy 2 anchors of the mall layout so ask the staff for directions or you'll waste a lot of time looking for this place. The entrance to the restaurant is just a door nestled among Bloomingdales' walls. There are no signs, nothing. Restrooms in department stores are easier to find than this! There's a special dining room in the middle of the restaurant with sliding doors and the room can seat 8 adults. The table is wobbly so don't rest your elbows on it! The seating style is more of a bench-like arrangement and the sharp angle (you know, when you sit down and the bench edge hits the joint in the back of your knee) isn't comfortable. It would be nice to have sliding doors that offered some privacy instead of clear glass that everyone can look through. The sushi chefs are located directly across from you and if they aren't busy making sushi, they're staring at you. I noticed this before they started taking orders and they kept staring at my party even when we left...very awkward. Maybe it's a cultural thing? The wait staff (Albert) is very friendly and helpful. The decor of the restaurant including the dining-ware is very nice. The sushi was fresh and the salmon was some of the best I've tasted in sushi bars. On the other hand, good Japanese food isn't cheap. Small portions but high prices. The veggie tempura appetizer was $7.95 and there were 5 small pieces on a medium-large plate - it looked like someone gave you the leftovers. The Daikanyama rolls (4 large sushi pieces) cost $9.95 and that's an entree! When I was here, most of the customers were middle-aged women or younger. I suggest Daikanyama as a place to take friends to catch up on the latest gossip but not a place that will leave your bellies satisfied. If you're a guy who can really eat, you need to eat a pre-game meal before coming here if you want to feel full. read more

This place was amazing. Their selection of makis was great; many new and interesting choices. Their service is great and the atmosphere is nice, sometimes it can get a bit loud, but that is only because the other guests appear to not have volume control. I would highly recommend their Gyoza. It is cooked perfectly, nice and crispy on one side and no tears in the dumpling. This is my new favorite sushi place. read more

I ordered take out for dinner the other night. Their sushi and sashimi dinners, even as a take out order, was amazing at home! If you don't have time to eat in, I definitely suggest ordering take out. The service was quick and friendly. read more

Daikanyama - Yum - Japanese Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

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I normally wait a couple days before drafting a poor review. This place failed me. Ordered four items, two maki rolls, a red miso with vegetable soup, and a pickled vegetable appetizer. One of the maki was a futo maki (AKA Big Roll) and one of the rolls was a Spider Maki (AKA soft shelled crab). The rolls were yummy, but their goodness doesn't make up for the app and soup or the overall price. These four items at say any other sushi place in the suburban metro Boston area, would top out at $21, here i paid close to $34. 8 pieces of maki, plus a half filled soup container with no veggies, and pickled veggies which tasted like crap, so not worth it. Entirely worth writing this review. If you are rich and want to be ripped off and fed mediocre food, come here. If you are poor and want great sushi, head to porter exchange. There is way better food IN THE CITY! read more

Considering this is attached to Bloomingdales, I expected the prices to be outrageous. For some things, they were, for others they weren't. The noodle dishes weren't too bad, and it looked like the lunch menu was reasonable for the area. However, they had a whole album of specials on a tablet for us to look through, and well, there were just too many specials. I'm fairly certain there were about as many specials as there were items on the maki list in the main menu. They were also all incredibly overpriced (many special rolls were over $15). I was here around 8:45 on a Saturday, and they seemed to have run out of a ton of stuff on the menu. They stopped making sake cocktails, and they were out of the necessary duck to make the udon soup I ordered. We also had to ask for the paper list of regular rolls, they don't give it to you with the menus. The lychee martini (while strong) was $15. Now that I'm done complaining about the prices, the food that I ordered (one of the udon dishes with beef in miso broth) was good. My husband ordered the same, except with spicy broth, and also enjoyed it. The sushi looked good, and they had some creative combinations, but I didn't try it. The service was prompt and fairly attentive. Our waitress was definitely on the quieter side, but we weren't looking to chat either. TLDR: Prices can be very high for many items, ran out of some items on the menu, and food/service was good. read more

What more can you ask for. Incredible sushi, great service, beautiful atmosphere..... and amazing shopping attached.

It's the new place in town! Well, for Bloomingdale that is. It's pretty hidden and you can easily miss it, but it's definitely worth a shot. The decor is really pretty and the food is really good too. I personally prefer the sweet potato roll from the other Daikanyama but this one offers a healthier and more subtle sweetness kind. Since this place recently opened, I can understand that they're still trying to improve the menu and train the new waiters, so for now, I will give this place a 4. read more

Chestnut Hill Mall. Feeling hungry and adventurous. Why not try Daikanyama? This Japanese restaurant is located within Bloomingdales, which took us a little effort to find. We didn't have a reservation but for a Friday night (7pm) and fairly packed restaurant, the wait time was only a reasonable 20 minutes. We were seated at a table for two alongside fellow patrons about an arms length away. (So if an intimate/private conversation is what you had in mind--this is not your place). Our waitress was friendly enough--she kept our water glasses full and walked by several times to check on us. I ordered Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura with Udon soup ($18). The udon soup was delicious--the udon noodles cooked to perfection and the soup flavorful without being overly salty. The tempura batter was rather flavorless, especially noticeable when fried with the vegetables, but the shrimp tempura was good. My friend ordered the Chicken Nabeyaki Udon ($15). At first glance, it looked like a very greasy chicken lo mein. I didnt taste it--but my friend claimed it was just "ok." Overall, I'd probably give this place another shot. I'd like to try the makimono or sushi rolls for which they are more known for... read more

The food is always amazing. I would definitely recommend the Sunset Maki. The staff and owners are very nice. The location is very convenient. It is much better than just mall food and could really stand on its own as a restaurant. read more

One of my favorite Japanese restaurants. This place has some of the highest quality fish and best rolls in town! I often get the boat for two, the chirashi, or sashimi special and am always very happy. The salmon and tuna is some of the best I've ever had. I always get some of the nice rolls here, the yakahama (I think) is really good, and they have a lot of other good creative ones.The kitchen here is really high quality too, the steak is super tender and flavorful and the orange Miso cod is really tasty. The nabayaki udon soup is the best in town, full of meat and seafood and amazing noodles. Supposed to see some of the reviews, I've always had great service. This place is pretty expensive but I always have a really nice time. They lunch menu is good, more expensive then most but you get what you pay for! Also, once I had lunch at the bar and they were breaking down a big tuna, it was pretty cool. read more

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We have ordered from them a couple of times and today was our last. I just spent almost $60 on an edamame and 4 tiny rolls. The sushi rolls are good put very small and overpriced. read more

Daikanyama - Japanese Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

The sushi is still good but the service is suffering a bit... We have been coming to Daikanyama for years. What was an occasional annoyance in the past, has become more commonplace such that it happened three times the last time we were dining there. The bottom line is that while the menu is quite extensive, they are frequently out of a number of items. Last time we dined there, we ordered the wagyu beef and foie gras dumplings. We were informed that they did not have them and asked us to order something else. We ordered the green dragon maki and were informed that they were running low on avocado because the price had increased. If we still wanted the green dragon maki, they would have to add a $3 surcharge. That must be some special avocado they use because even an organic avocado at Whole Foods does not cost $3 retail. After our sushi, the server brought us our check without offering us any dessert. We informed him that we wanted to look at the dessert menu. We ordered the honey toast and were informed that they did not have it. We had to settle for the tempura-fried ice cream. I really hope the management reads this review because there's an important message here: you absolutely CANNOT have items on your menu that you are habitually "out of". There is no use to having such an extensive menu if you can't supply the items on it. I'd love to say that this was an occasional problem but really it has been going on for years and now much more often. The honey toast, for example, is always on the menu but you only have had it available half of the time we have dined at Daikanyama. It is your job to make sure you have everything you need to supply the items on your menu. If you can't do so routinely, then you have to take the items off the menu or make them specials. Also, it's really a poor management decision to add a surcharge of $3 to a sushi roll that has avocado just because the price of avocado has increased. Finally, your servers should not assume patrons are ready for the check without offering a look at the dessert menu. No one wants to feel rushed out of the restaurant and that's what it feels like when the check gets dropped on the table at the end of the entrees. read more

I come here a lot and the staff and owners are great! I will call and all I would need to say is, " Hi this is ashley" and they will respond, " Hi ashley how many for tonight and what time." When I walk in, they all say to me, " Hi ashley." They are very friendly, prices are a little too much but you get what you pay for. Great food, great atmosphere, and great staff as well as clean. read more

Rude Rude staff! They take way way too long to even approach you with a menu with very few customers in the restaurant. Forget about thank you & being friendly. They even refused to honor my gift card, what a stressful experience. Ugh. read more

I love Daikanyama! My favorite roll is the Kuchi roll. I love watching them torch the meat, and the staff is friendly. It's really hard for me to find quality sushi around Boston, since I'm pretty picky, and Daikanyama does not disappoint ! read more

Very fresh- let us in a few minutes before opening- and most of all- delicious for a fair price. While their octopus stands out, the duck was also quite good- albiet a bit on the chewy side. Service was excellent. read more