Hands down my fav Japanese market in Boston!! Feels like you're transported back to Japan, with all…read morethe good vibes and good food. There's so many options when it comes to food, hot food or quick food! My favorite are the hand-rolls, ranges from $4-$8, and the strawberry matcha latte, perfect flavor and sweetness. The onigiris in the fridge are fantastic, as low as $2 and is amazing to eat later, but there are fresh made ones for about $4 each. They also have the infamous egg sandos, for quick grabs! I need to try the curry katsu next time because I see so many people ordering those. Sometimes they have food demonstrations from Japan and they are always so nice! It's fun in here, but finding a seat could be difficult during lunch hour, but people tend to come and go, so it's worth the wait.

Wonderful food, service, and vibes! We came here on a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed…read more I got the grab-and-go chirashi bowl, which was extremely fresh, flavorful, and the perfect portion for lunch. I also got the iced plum tea and it was refreshing with a kick of cinnamon and tart fruit flavors, but not too sweet. One of the better iced teas I've had. The line to order was long but moved quickly, and there is one seating area with typical tables and chairs as well as one where you remove your shoes and sit on the floor. The drinks took a while to come out, simply because there were so many orders, but overall was a great and delicious experience!

Japonaise is a super cute Asian bakery…read more They have a variety of traditional Asian breads, and you can customize the filling as well.

I love Japonaise Bakery for their adorable anime- themed pastries! While their Totoro Bun is…read moredefinitely the most popular, they also like to experiment with new flavors & characters. The display in the front with all the figurines and product samples is the cutest thing you will see all day. Although their Kuromi Bun had a nice (not too sweet) custard filling, the bread itself was a tad too dry. We also got their Shio Butter Bread which was the better choice. We happened to get a freshly baked one which was fluffy and melt in your mouth delicious! Also, it must be said that their service is A+. Their staff are truly such kind folks - always smiling and making friendly conversation with their customers. Turns out they were testing a new dough for the Shio Bread so they even gave us one on the house to try. The kind gesture was very sweet and much appreciated!

Stopped by after getting dinner near by and they had a large selection of drinks and mochi donuts.read more

Came here right at opening on a Friday morning and the place was empty except for us which made…read moresense. The ambiance felt clean and quiet. The worker was quick and efficient with making the drink - I opted for something you usually don't see on the menu and it didn't disappoint. It didn't knock me out of the park or anything, but the drink was refreshing enough and hit the spot. Thanks, OneZo!

I've come here a few times before and tried multiple items before: HK milk tea, Kashmiri chai,…read morewintermelon oolong, red date ginger tea, hojicha latte, and matcha latte. What brought me here originally is the HK milk tea. It's one of the few drinks on the menu that isn't presweetened. I think it's the best HK milk tea I've had at these modern cafes outside of Hong Kong. Their blend of tea leaves gives it a depth of flavor with a ton of umami and after taste. It's not rough on the tongue or bitter. Despite knowing they batch prepare the tea blends, I can't taste oxidation or overboiling here. I appreciate how they would use a shaker to mix the milk and tea base together when you're ordering it iced. You're not really chasing a gradient effect for HK milk tea, so I'm happy to receive a cup ready to drink. Iced doesn't taste diluted and the tea flavor still comes through despite muted iciness. Since they use whole milk instead of evaporated milk, it won't taste as heavy or harsh on the stomach as OG ones. I don't mind this substitute as the tea flavors are still robust enough to hold up the drink without the thicker dairy. This places deserves a 5* even just for their HK milk tea! Kashmiri Chai also stands out to me. It's the not the typical chai (i.e. Starbucks). It's a beautiful pink coral beige color. It tastes a bit savory and sweet and warm at the same time. All the flavors are subtle yet together make a flavorful drink. I get creamy buttery flavors. Wintermelon oolong and red date ginger tea are both very comforting options if it's cold outside or I feel under the weather. They're a bit sweet for my preference but I don't think I can adjust sweetness. Flavors are strong though. Hojicha latte is an off-menu item that I requested after seeing there was the powder behind the counter. I think they used to offer it but not sure why not anymore. Matcha latte isn't a strength there. I appreciate how they whisk each cup after you order it. It tastes a bit like cereal/grain. I wish it was stronger and more concentrated though. I appreciate how all their hot drinks are boiled on a pot on the stove rather than microwave or stored in a thermos which ends up making the drinks lukewarm. Also shout out to one of the owners from Hong Kong, Andy. He was here during one of my visits and as what other people have mentioned already, he's super friendly. He loves striking up conversations with his customers. He's happy to provide suggestions on restaurants, cafes, and bars around Boston. He travels a lot, so he's not always around, but say hi if you see him. He's also into arts, so the rotating art collection in the café is curated by him. Appreciate how he supports local artists and the community (various collaborations and community events).

The Sipping Room by Breeze is a small, intimate cafe in Boston that feels like a genuine find…read morerather than another coffee shop filling a corner. We walked into a minimalist and calm space with enough personality to make it comfortable for a longer stay, the kind of room where the lighting and the seating encourage you to settle in rather than rush out. The dalgona coffee is one of the standout orders and delivered the creamy, slightly bitter contrast that makes the format work when it is done well. We had it with oat milk, which smoothed out the richness without losing the depth of the coffee underneath. The matcha was another high point, aromatic and grassy in a way that reflects quality sourcing, and notably not overly sweet. The hojicha with hojicha foam was on rotation during our visit, layered and smooth in a way that made it an easy recommendation for anyone who leans toward roasted, nutty flavors. Prices across the menu are genuinely affordable for the quality. The loose leaf teas can be rebrewed multiple times, which added real value to the experience as we settled in for a while. Service was warm and unhurried, with staff who clearly know the drink menu well and are happy to talk through the options without any pressure. For a handcrafted drink in a space that feels like it was built for people who actually care about what they are drinking, The Sipping Room earns a spot on the short list. We would come back for the dalgona coffee and a quiet afternoon with a rebrewed pot of tea.

Convenient location but easy to miss. Menu seems pretty diverse and they even have monthly…read morespecials. Little bit of seating inside and a cozy atmosphere makes for good studying, working, or just conversing. Jasmine Milk Tea w/ Boba - boba was fresh and very flavorful! Chew was alright as the pearls were more of a medium size, which I typically don't prefer, but they were well marinated. Tea was pretty faint, at 25% sugar I couldn't quite get any jasmine taste. Wouldn't get this drink again, but maybe on the boba, and would likely try a specialty drink.

Cute place to grab a bubble tea or snack; the location is particularly convenient as it's right…read moreacross the street from the T and I like ducking in here after a yoga class at the Corepower nearby. They have a good selection of bubble tea, matcha, and coffee, as well as some pastries and desserts. I ordered the lychee jasmine fruit tea and it was staggeringly sweet. For a lot of bubble tea places, you can customize the sugar level to 0-100% and I would've preferred having a choice here. I didn't see an iPad ordering option. As it was, my drink was also 80% ice for almost $6 - definitely not a treat I can get all the time. Quite a bit of seating inside. We came on a slow Sunday afternoon and the place was a ghost town with our pick of the tables. Only one girl working and making all the drinks; she wasn't super friendly, oh well.

Nothing too amazing with this Royaltea, just a solid spot to get some bubble tea! The space was a…read morebit small, but had some seating around if you wanted to get a drink and sit. Service was quick with getting the drink itself which was nice. Flavor was good, bubbles were okay, and price was decent. Overall, solid spot and a good contender for the area.

ordered the cheese mango slush，I think they have used the freshest mangoes of the season and paired…read morewith a refreshing green tea base. I eat real mango pulp! love it

I didn't really like the milk tea. Kinda tasted like chocolate Rice Krispies. The boba texture was…read moregood though, nice and bouncy. I love the grapefruit tea, very refreshing. My husband got the Thai lime green tea and that was really good too.

I must be one of the few people to come here and not order a drink at all. I had heard that their…read moresnacks were good, so I stopped by for a quick bite to eat before heading to the park nearby. I ordered the Luxury Crepe A (Green Bean Dough, Egg, Crisper, Lettuce, Sausage) for $8.95 and it was great - I'd definitely stop by here again for another next time I'm nearby! It also only took a few minutes to make, so it's definitely something you can quickly grab while you're walking around the area. Luxury Crepe A ($8.95) - Although $8.95 feels a little high for the ingredients in this, it was actually quite good. The "crisper" is a large sheet of fried wonton and gave a great crunch that didn't get soggy over time. The green bean dough tasted like a normal crepe, but the egg and green onion added a nice flavor. There was a hoisin sauce as well which added a sweet/savory flavor, and the "sausage" is actually a hotdog, so I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a Chinese sausage. Still though, the portion size was pretty good and I was very content with the volume of food in this order. It isn't the perfect 5/5, but it's a solid 4/5 for a delicious bite to eat under $10. I'll definitely be getting this again!

This has been my favorite boba in Boston for the past five years for the low sugar and decaf…read moreoptions, golden boba and fresh fruit. Today they went above and beyond when I accidentally dropped my phone in the trash (!) The employee went to get gloves and fished it out of the bin for me. Then I used a wipe to sanitize it lol. Thank you!!

Came here with a friend in the afternoon, got roasted oolong tea with boba (no milk). Tea flavor…read morewas pretty strong, boba was perfectly chewy. $7.76 (post-tax) for a large, their fruit teas are really expensive. Inside was modern, has a few tables to sit and chat, decent place to hang out.

GREAT FOOD! We got the brussel sprouts to share and the smashburger. Highly recommend this placeread more

Came to Esmai's for an early dinner with my boyfriend and sat on the outdoor rooftop (we made a…read morereservation). The Highlights: Blush Hour cocktail & Shrimp baos: Easily a 10/10! Absolute must-trys. Calamari: Pretty good, but the sauce really made the dish. The Misses: The Pasta (2/10): Neither of us enjoyed this. The sauce was very watery and lacked flavor--it seemed like it relied on meat juices for flavor, but it just didn't work. Smash Burger: Just an average burger. Hard to mess up, but nothing to write home about. Vibe & Service: The rooftop ambience was nice with staff playing music on a speaker. Wait-staff were very attentive! A huge plus was the owner coming out to check on tables and joke around with guests! Note on space: Upstairs indoor seating seems okay for private events (there was a bridal shower happening while we were there), and downstairs has a classic sit-down/bar feel. Verdict: Total came out to $171 (including tip) for 4 drinks, calamari, baos, pasta, and a burger. If we return, we'd definitely stick to drinks, shrimp baos, and hanging out downstairs!

In a world where so many Japanese-style items aren't actually made in Japan (and aren't always the…read morebest quality), I really respect Maruichi Select for carrying so many genuinely Japanese items. The shop, with all its ceramics, is SO cute. I want everything. It's also just a lovely little cafe: calm, cozy, neat, clean, and surprisingly spacious. Also, the onigiri is the biggest onigiri I've ever had. Maybe I just haven't eaten enough onigiri in my life, but I swear theirs is huge and also one of the most flavorful. I got the spicy chicken karaage onigiri and did not regret it. I also got the matcha latte, which was really good. And I respect that they serve Ogawa Coffee, a Japanese coffee. So based. I wish I lived closer so I could just roll out of bed and work here. Honestly, I wish I could WFH so I could work here. Why can't I just live here while I'm at it? They also have a good selection of ramen, udon, sandos, and, when they aren't short-staffed, kakigori shaved ice. I'm sad about the kakigori. It's summer, goddamnit! They could be making so much money if they had enough staff for it. You really can't go wrong being here. It's a little serene Japanese oasis, and I'm very glad it exists.

Cute little Japanese shop and food spot. Some street parking in the area and a small paid parking…read morelot in the back of the Coolidge center with 4 hour parking. We got here right when they opened so they were still preparing the premium onigiri for the day. Service was very friendly - order at the register and pick up your food when ready. We did order one of each - Chashu & Aji-Tama (Braised Pork & Egg) - this was one of my favorites, flavorful and fresh. Karage - Probably our second favorite - the chicken was tender. Spicy Karage - similar to the regular karage but I wasn't the biggest fan of the spicy mayo Takana (Pickled Mustard Leaf) - this one was surprising but very good and a little spicy. I also ordered their Cherry Blossom Tea and the Hojicha Latte. Both were good teas. I did some shopping here too as they had a variety of snacks, teas and other trinkets. They have a small little refrigerated fresh food section where you can also get onigiri and other foods. Very cute spot and good amount of seating inside. Nice, quiet and calming inside. Would definitely come back.