This was our first visit to Pagu, and it might already be one of my new favorite spots in Cambridge. The menu had a great mix of reasonably priced dishes and a few higher-end options. Everything we ordered was amazing!! The Tempura String Beans were our favorite (perfectly crispy and addictive), the Hamachi Crudo was super fresh and balanced, and the Pork Spicy Knife Cut Noodles were spicy but honestly some of the best noodles I've ever had. The Miso Black Cod was rich and buttery, and the Chicken Karaage was incredibly tender with a great crunch. Service was great, dishes came out maybe a little slow, but we enjoyed taking our time. We also loved seeing the chef/owner Tracy Chang so hands-on, checking in on guests and delivering dishes, which made the experience feel extra special. You can tell a lot of care goes into every dish. Already planning my next visit, it looks like they have a bunch of cooking classes on the weekends too! read more

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After seeing that Pagu is Michelin Bib Gourmand, I had high expectations. The interior was nice with a pleasant ambiance with a subtle pug theme which was cute. For drinks, we ordered the spritz from the drink menu and also asked if they could make a lychee martini. The lychee martinis weren't bad and were pink to match the spritz which was fun, but I do wish the martini included an actual lychee. We ordered the pork bao buns for the table which usually come in two, but our waitress kindly offered for three bao buns to come out since our group had three people. These bao buns were fantastic and I would definitely recommend, the pork was so tender and flavorful. I ordered the 2011 guchi ramen and unfortunately, I was disappointed. I've had many bowls of ramen in my lifetime and maybe my opinion is based on personal preference, but the ramen was not great. The broth was pretty bland and the pork was mostly fat and the meat itself was quite dry and tough. I'm not sure if this is what they were going for, but I wouldn't recommend the ramen and I wouldn't get it again. However, I wouldn't be opposed to coming back and trying something else as my friends enjoyed their meal! read more

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Having received a Michelin Bib Gourmet, Pagu is appropriately described as good food at a good price. While marked as fusion, the dishes we ordered leaned more Asian and didn't disappoint in variety. Even so, they did boil down to mostly basic flavors and lacked nuance. All were good, but nothing was great. Even so, the atmosphere and service made this a great place for any group from coworkers, dates, or family celebrations. There was plenty of seating and we would have loved to hear more from the staff about their cooking classes. read more

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Came here with a large group! The ambience is upscale and the food was decent. I did like the matcha cookies so try those out if you have room for dessert! read more

Pagu - dessert - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

True rating 4.5 We had a really lovely dinner at Pagu. The ambiance is beautiful, warm, and welcoming, making it great for a special night out. Service was a little slow to start (we waited a while before someone came by), but they were clearly very busy, and once things got going, our server was incredibly kind and thoughtful. I have an egg intolerance, and they were super helpful in walking us through the menu and making recommendations, which I really appreciated. Food-wise, there were some real standouts. Tempura string beans were delicious; perfectly crisp, not greasy at all, and packed with flavor. Shio koji roasted corn was probably my favorite small dish of the night. The lime zest with the aioli was divine and so well-balanced. Green pea bao had great flavor and was really unique, but I wished it had a bit more sauce -- it felt slightly dry. Spicy knife-cut noodles with mushrooms were just okay for me. I loved the concept, but the flavor profile didn't quite land and felt a little muted. Dessert absolutely delivered. The ube panna cotta was incredible. And this is coming from someone who usually doesn't love panna cotta because of the texture. The ube added so much depth, making it rich, flavorful, and really special. As a thoughtful touch, they brought us a complimentary non-alcoholic tea to celebrate our anniversary since we weren't drinking, which was such a nice gesture. Overall, a really memorable meal with great flavors, a lovely space, and genuinely kind service. Would definitely go back. read more

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Rating experience from July 11, 2025--------------------- First, Pagu means Pug dog in Japanese and the motif of pups are everywhere- absolutely adore. This innovative Japanese/Spanish Tapas spot has a lot to offer: space, great service and food! It was a hot summer late afternoon and we came in for dinner, got seated immediately as they are a larger restaurant. They do allow pets on their patio. We opted for the private patio space behind the planters, enjoying the fresh air and summer warmth while sipping on the cold crisp beer. My partner and I don't usually opt for alcohol but the weather and their selection made it irresistible. I ordered the "Lamplighter" by Birds of a Feather and by boyfriend got the white allagash by Lord Hobo. The FOOD! I still think about the patatas bravas today. PATATAS BRAVAS (10/10) PAGU hot sauce, alioli, togarashi HAMACHI CRUDO (9.5/10) lime, garlic, aged soy, fish sauce, thai chili CHICKEN KATSU (9.8/10) PAGU sauce, pickled cabbage, alioli, sesame, rice CRAB LAKSA (6.7/10) ramen noodles, shrimp, coconut milk, chili crisp, fried shallots, herbs My partner and I loved our dinner at this tapas restaurant and would definitely return if in the area. Shout out to Mariana H for making our meal so memorable!! read more

Pagu - Lamplighter by Birds of a Feather - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Came in on a Sunday evening at 6:30 for dinner after making a reservation an hour before. After finding street parking, we arrived and were promptly seated in the intimate low top dining area. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and took our drink order and walked us through any questions we had about the menu. The food is tapas style which means small, shareable dishes that come out as they're ready. We put in our first salvo of orders after we got our cocktails. The Pica Pika was an excellent combo of mezcal, lime, and Thai chili. The flurry of food started coming out about 15 minutes later. The traditional Spanish Tapas dishes were the classics you'll see at many tapas joints across the world. The pan con tomate was two lightly toasted pieces of baguette with a tomato, garlic, and olive oil spread. The boquerones were a few sliced anchovies in a vinegar and olive oil marinade. The patatas bravas were baby Hasselbacked potatoes with a lovely aioli and mojo verde on them. The black cod croquetas had the same aioli on them and were incredibly flavorful with some lovely pickled onions as garnish. The shio koji elote was a lovely combination of feta cheese with za'atar seasoning and that same great aioli as the previous dishes. There was a potato chip special on the menu called "txips" which were simply prepared with nothing else accompanying them. If I had to prioritize the traditional tapas dishes so as to be able to try as much as possible, I'd go with the patatas braves, croquetas, and elote over the pan con tomato and boquerones. Unfortunately, I would pass on the txips entirely as there wasn't anything about them that stood out, would be worth revisiting if they added some of the Thai chili aioli or something else to go along with the chips. The braised pork belly bao was super tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly in a soft and pillowy bao bun and the green pea bao was a green pea fritter sandwiched into a soft bao bun with the aioli and some pickled papaya. Both were two pieces in each order and were lovely! These were both definitely worthy orders. The chicken karaage was a nice and crispy dish with small pieces of coated and fried chicken thigh in a lightly sweet garlic-ginger marinade. I'd love to see it be more savory and less sweet, but it was definitely enjoyable! We got the spicy knife cut noodles with mushrooms (we ordered pork, but there was a miscommunication and didn't feel like sending it back and waiting for the pork version to come out since it was our last dish). The midnight ramen was lovely with the alkali noodles, tender pork belly, and the perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg with jammy yolk. If I had to revisit my choices, I'd pass on the mushroom spicy knife cut noodles (can't speak to the pork version which we'll try next time). I did appreciate the way the noodles were prepared and the garnishes including the fried shallots did enhance the dish. For dessert, we got the matcha cookie, yuzu Basque burnt cheesecake, and the ube panna cotta. There was also a dark chocolate cake, but after reading the description there wasn't anything that stood out to us and after seeing a few go to other tables it just seemed to be a generic crowd pleaser. The ube panna cotta was very coconut forward which was great, but not much ube flavor to it aside from the purple aesthetic. The matcha cookie had a crispy exterior and soft interior and made a great small dessert if you're feeling full. The standout for me was the Basque burnt cheesecake. It was dense with that cream cheese taste you're looking for and the blueberry sauce thinned out the heaviness of the cheesecake. Overall, I was worried it would be pretentious/snobby since they're a Michelin bib gourmand award winner, but it was just the opposite! We will be coming back again to revisit some other dishes and cocktails as well as hopefully sit by the kitchen since we enjoy watching the flurry of food being prepared. Definitely recommend this joint and it was worth making the trip into the city to try it out! read more

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The staff is very nice with a very relaxed environment, however the food lacked perception that the ambience was giving off. I ordered 3 types of fish dish, anchovies, hamachi (yellowtail) and black cod. All the fishes were very fresh, but the sauces and flavors lacked. Most of them had too much acid and covering all the fish's actual flavor. I enjoyed the tapas style and Spanish fusion with Japanese dishes, but Japanese dishes should lean towards savory than acid marinated type of fish. read more

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Great flavor and variety in dinner menu. Decent service and prices were a tad high. Noodle making experience was unique too

What a wonderful place! We took a hand-pulled noodle class at Pagu today. Tracy and Johnny were the perfect teachers/ hosts- making it all very easy and approachable. They both provide lots of insights and guidance in a way that was very comfortable. Everybody's noodles came out great in our class of 13. It was SOOOO yummy! We are eager to return both for other classes and to eat at the restaurant. We might even try one of their overseas excursions, which sounds amazing and of course are food-centric. Check out Pagu, you will love it! read more

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Overall, this was a really nice dining experience. The cold dishes were very strong - the crudo, the ceviche special and the eggplant. The noodles were also delicious. Bao buns were fine, but I'm never really wowed by bao buns. Our cocktails were great as well. We had a really nice table in the center of the restaurant. I knocked off a star for timing and service. Our drinks didn't come until we already had five tapas. We also ordered pan con tomate and it never came. We didn't get charged, but that was a bummer. I probably would not re-order the patatas bravas or the cheesecake dessert. Otherwise, would reorder everything including the drinks! read more

Pagu - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Always a great time at Pagu! I've been to Pagu before, so I knew I'd enjoy it again. The food and cocktails were excellent as usual and I was happy to see them being recognized by the michelin guide, a well earned award! I most recently joined on Friday night, which was super busy as you might expect and service did take some more time, but they are busy for good reason. We had the Gonna be Golden (sunflower orgeat is great for those with nut allergies!), pork bao, corn, crab laksa, and tuna tartare. I thought the bao and laksa were dishes that particularly stood out in terms of freshness and quality. I also love the open kitchen and the transparency of the kitchen. I look forward to trying more of their menu soon-the tuna collar handrolls sound excellent! read more

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Just a reminder... I only rate food and drinks, not service, atmosphere, if there enough bathroom accents. It's solely about the food. Txakolina | 4 out of 5 Crudo | 4 out of 5 Ceviche | 4 out of 5 Pork Belly Buns | 3.5 out of 5 Corn | 3.5 out of 5 Fries | 4 out of 5 Miso Black Cod 1.5 out of 5 Why - No Salt at all, and needed more acid to carry the dish. Even with all elements in my "1" bite, there were no "perfect bites." Duck Paella | 2 out of 5 Why - Same reason. Little to no salt, needed more acid to balance the dish. I didn't have an acidic bite that made we want to keep eating. Also, duck skin wasn't crispy and fat wasn't rendered at all. read more

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Struggling because I want to give this place a 3.5 so as every yelpers dilemma I had to decide and I decided it was a 3 star experience. The staff and servers were all nice and helpful. The ambiance was also great I'd say. We sat at the bar and our bar tender was great. The real reason behind the 3 stars was just the food and drinks were lacking. Nothing special to rave about unfortunately. I will say it is worth it to stop by, but I probably wouldn't consider coming in again. Oh and if you love fried chicken I'd say to order it here. That was probably my favorite. Okay jk, as I was adding my pics I realized I really did like the beef tartare and even tho it was just served with "Spanish xips" on the side it was steal tasty. Order that as well. You can skip dessert read more

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A little overpriced for the portion size: yamachi was tasty but didn't melt in my mouth. Everything tasted good but nothing out of the ordinary. 3.5 stars overall read more

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With a Michelin award of Bib Gourmand in late 2025, which is characterized by great cuisine and good value, boy, did Pagu deliver big time!! Four of us foodies enjoyed a most delicious and plentiful dinner last Saturday evening. In contrast to the bitter cold outdoors, we walked into an airy & inviting open space with warm welcomes by the front desk staff. This attitude of "happy I work here, how can I help you?" continued to be shown by our friendly and informative wait staff, Jake, who helped with our food selections. He thoughtfully checked in on us throughout our meal without being intrusive. I ordered the G & H nonalcoholic cocktail to begin with, guava & hibiscus with club soda, which was presently beautifully & hit the spot. The four of us shared the following, which was so fun to try as a group: Japanese hamachi crudo (that dish & sauce was damn good); tempura string beans ( one of our group's fav); split one order of braised pork belly bao; black cod croquetas (yum); shiokoji roasted corn (yum, yum); spicy pork & mushroom noodles and green crab laksa ramen soup with coconut milk flavoring were two great noodle dishes; miso roasted black cod on top of pea puree & roasted corn (if I was looking for a main course for myself, I would choose this!). Desserts were a delicious frosted dark chocolate cake which was gluten free & vegan; 2 matcha cookies (soo good); and ube mochi bites (omg, what a way to end a fabulous evening!) Another highlight towards the end of the evening was our opportunity to talk with Chef Tracy Chang. She was so personable, taking time to meet with us and tell us about the history of her restaurant. Its flexible space & high ceiling allows it to be used for special celebrations, such as weddings and milestone events. I am also imagining a return to Pagu during warmer weather to eat outdoors on their sizable patio! Pagu, you won my heart! Thank you for a most satisfying and memorable evening!! read more

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My partner and I shared a non-alcoholic piña colada, N/A alcoholic beer (accidental charge), striped bass ceviche, shio koji roasted corn, purple yam lamb bao, suckling pig for 2, matcha cookie, and hojicha basque cheesecake - TASTE: 5/5 - fire! Loved the brightness of the ceviche, fresh feta and lime in the corn, saltiness in the suckling pig plus its sauces (romesco, cranberry hoisin, and hot sauce), and blueberry sauce in the cheesecake. Wish the lamb came through more in the bao though TEXTURE: 5/5 - highlights included the tender roasted corn, the super crunchy skin of the pig complemented w light & crisp pickles and kimchi, and the softness of all of the baos -- amazing PRICE: 4/5 - definitely came knowing it'd be a splurge. Total came to $211 SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - so stuffed after the meal. Wish the cookie was bigger SERVICE: 4/5 - walked in at 7:45pm on a Friday and other only seats available were at the kitchen counter. We really enjoyed watching the chefs in action, saw Chef Tracy too, and the servers were friendly and informative about the dishes ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - a nice space, dark and moody at night w lots of energy. We had been to Pagu once before, 7 years ago!, and so glad we came back haha PARKING: 4/5 - metered street parking along Mass Ave or its side streets read more

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AMAZING!!! Food is so unique and delicious. Small portions but trust me you will be full. And the prices are affordable for such a fancy spot! The staff is so well mannered and the restaurant set up is beautiful. All of our food came out in a timely manner read more

Having seen that Pagu won the Bib Gourmand award, I'm really disappointed at how bland all the food was. It was honestly sad that the most flavorful thing was the bread. Cocktail was a tiny glass. The corn was ok, though it could have used more spiciness. The fish in the ceviche had weird texture and was not citrusy at all. But the worst had to be the paella (or more appropriately, rice with peas). Completely insipid and it tasted like a can of vegetables. Ube panna cotta didn't taste like anything. The worst part though was that there was a very obnoxious influencer party with someone walking around all the time, actively filming and taking photos and being on the way of all the staff for more than two hours. Made me very uncomfortable and the restaurant did nothing to stop them. Truly disappointing knowing that there are other restaurants that do Japanese/Spanish fusion really well (in Boston) for lesser price. read more

Friends of ours had their wedding reception here so this review is about that. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the food and the service. They mainly catered vegetarian items along with chicken and fish. I enjoyed the selection of food because even though it was a large serving of food, it didn't weigh me down once it was time to party. I love the vibrancy of the food especially the boas with the toppings, that was such a nice touch and that the doughs were made with the natural coloring of ingredients and not a dye, eg the black bao made of black sesame seeds, purple bao made of purple yam, green bao made of green pea (I think) I looked up their menu after the wedding to see which items are staple items. I wouldn't say their food is out of this world for the pricing but think it's worth a try at least once. Here's what I had that's on their menu: Black Cod Croquetas - these were my fave, so flavorful Shio Koji Roasted Corn (it's like Mexican Street corn) - 2nd fave thing Roasted mushrooms - good Chicken Katsu - good Green Pea Bao - good, nice crunch, very filling because of the bao Patatas bravas - ok, nothing to write home about, wish they were crispier Vegetable Paella - ok (note: I'm not a paella person but got it to try) tempura string beans - ok (note: I'm not a string bean person but got it to try) Here's what I had that was from the wedding catering menu: Swedish meatballs, chicken katsu bao, oyster bao, roasted beet salad, carrot soup, teriyaki salmon, arugula which I'd rate all being good. read more

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Went here recently for a private wedding. They closed down the restaurant for the event. I wish I took photos of all the food! It was presented so nicely. We had a multi-course meal that was delicious. So much food but not unhealthy. Healthy, unique and delicious. My favorite thing I ate was the wagyu prime rib with the miso glaze. Yum yum! read more

You can get similar even better quality food at any average Chinese restaurant with half the price, the only good things were the service and the cute dogs decorations. They did give us free dessert for our anniversary at the end, one additional star for that. read more

Pretty ambience and we were seated at a table by the window. Lots of cute pug themed art. Made a reservation for Friday evening a few hours before seating time. Server Wendy was lovely and knowledgeable about vegan items (also asked about allergies and informed us about cross contamination in fryers which was appreciated). Easy to modify the Lei It On Me cocktail to have vodka instead of gin and it was delicious. Kyoto temple was also good and not too smokey. Patatas bravas and tempura string beans were delicious, warm, and crispy right when they came out to the table. Tempura beans were a bit spicy but enjoyably so. Knife cut noodles had a great texture, nice & chewy. read more

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Generally quite an excellent restaurant, mostly tapas style with a diverse menu. I'll go from weakest dishes to strongest. The roasted mushrooms needed more complexity - using maitake and oyster mushrooms, they were well seasoned and placed on a serving plate, but there were no other accoutrements over them. They were also sweating in their own juices a bit; there was a decent miso-flavored sauce to go along with it but not much else. The special of the day, a seafood paella, was way too inconsistent; some of the granules were hard and overly crispy; and some of the dish was nicely soft, as you'd expect paella to be. More concerning were the overcooked pieces of squid, one of which was charred as to be bitter and burnt. The broth needed more complex flavors and was in general underseasoned. The saving grace of the dish were the shrimp, which wasn't too salty, and the squid ink, which was nicely colored the paella rice. It also took the longest to arrive, so it's unfortunately that the dish turned out the way it did. The chocolate cake was decent, though I couldn't taste the declared coffee flavor. The richness of the chocolate was much appreciated, the texture was more on the indulgent and less of a sponge, though I wish the cake were sliced more nicely; it came out as a slice on its side, and unfortunately my mind went directly to Pepperidge farm cake! The spicy knife cut noodles were decently flavored (perhaps a bit salty); the pulled pork was nicely mixed with the noodles, and the hon shimeji mushrooms provided a nice contrasting texture. The squash and arugula salad was really fresh, with a nice touch of thai basil pesto to go along with it (though I think it could have used more of that pesto sauce). This dish was a pivot from the intended dish which was to include a burrata (by this point the kitchen had run out). The squash was really nicely toasted; I hadn't thought that squash would work like that with arugula. The chicken katsu was cooked to perfection, topped with a black garlic bbq and an aioli. I wish I could have tasted more black garlic though; that flavor came out as too subtle. But the chicken again was really tender, and the outside of the chicken fairly crispy, without seeming too oily at all. The shio koji corn was excellent; the corn was crunch, fresh, and there was richness in the feta cheese balancing out the lighter flavors of the togarashi. It's like a symphony in your mouth, yum!!! Staff was professional, informative, and generally attentive. The architecture of the environs was engaging - visually active but not overly done. There is a small upstairs seating area in addition to the larger downstairs area. The place fills up, so get a reservation. read more

Stellar cocktails. Sat at the bar and enjoyed the Gin Gin Tea cocktail which was refreshing and light. I would definitely want to revisit and try the food here next time! read more

We attended a beautiful private event at Pagu and had a wonderful time. The food, staff, and ambiance were all excellent. I really enjoyed this roasted corn appetizer and chicken katsu, but really everything was delicious. For dessert, I loved the chocolate cake and matcha cookie. What a great, fun spot! read more

Review for the dimsum cooking class: This was a very informative class with a great host. We learned about what dimsum is while enjoying drinks and appetizers, then learned how to fold dumplings, followed by enjoying what we made and enjoying some more food and dessert. We left very full with leftovers. Although we enjoyed all the food, it was a little disappointing that the "cooking" portion was so limited. However the restaurant and regular menu look fantastic and I will be back to try the food! read more

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Had a solid time having dinner here as a party of 4. The ambiance is upscale but not stuffy and the service is friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, value for price is a bit hit-or-miss and none of the flavors besides dessert really blew us away. Thoughts on what we got: Tempura string beans: a solid portion with flavorful aioli and hot sauce on top, but not very unique flavor or presentation-wise. If you really like tempura, would recommend. Otherwise, would skip. Roasted mushrooms: these were flavorful, well cooked, and a good portion size. Would recommend. Squid ink oyster bao: very delicious fried oyster and purple cabbage filling in a soft, fluffy bao, but wasn't worth the price for me. If you like bao at this price point, would recommend. Otherwise, would skip. Roasted bone marrow and mushrooms: an incredibly soft-textured dish with good presentation, but not very flavorful or worth the price to me. Would skip. Roasted tuna collar for 4-6: a fun experience making your own handrolls, with a solid portion size when split between four people. Unfortunately, not very flavorful and different parts of the collar differed in tenderness and dryness. Would recommend having with a group if you want to try the experience. Otherwise, would skip. Bouqerones: the biggest rip off of the night. $8 for basically the top layer of a $1 can of anchovies. Would not recommend. Black sesame tofu: a unique and delicious restaurant dessert. Sweet without being too sweet, elevates the dish by having a layer of foam on top, and has a wonder hojicha tea flavor added to it. Would recommend. Overall, I would maybe come back to try more of Pagu's large plates and desserts, but probably skip out on their small plates. Food here is okay, but not really worth the price. Ambiance and service are great though. read more

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Let me begin this review by noting that I've know about pagu since it opened (I think 2016), and this was my first time visiting in 2024. I checked reviews time to time but it wasn't high on my list to visit. We ended up coming because we were in the area and thought we may be surprised, AND WE WERE. What a cute place, it really does have lovely ambiance. There is a table full of pug stuff when you walk in which is quite adorable. 0 complaints on service. Everyone was nice and helpful. Now onto the food, which was extremely disappointing. We ordered the following: Black Cod Croquettes - A bit fishy. Not what we expected. Hamachi -The fish quality was terrible. It was old and we couldn't eat it. Luckily our server noticed that we barely touched it and subbed in the patatas bravas Bone marrow - Fine but salty. Would not get this again. Patatas Bravas- The only item we enjoyed. They are crispy itty bitty potatoes almost sliced through with a little sauce on top. Mapo Tofu - I can honestly say we can make a better pork rice dish ourselves. Flavorless & the pork was not crispy. The execution here didn't make any sense on top of the food being underwhelming. Within 5 min of ordering we got the Mapo tofu (an entree), and then the hamachi & croquettes followed. Since the pork came out so fast it was obvious they did not just make it. Anyways we will not be returning. I'm surprised at the good ratings, we were very disappointed in the quality and taste of the food. read more

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Went here last night and was incredibly impressed. There was a function going on the first floor so things were a bit noisy when we came in but not anything to do with the restaurant itself. We were seated in the lofted second floor which was quieter and nice. Service was incredible everyone was extremely helpful and attentive. Good came out extremely quickly and servers presumptively split dishes for sharing. Now the food! The food was incredible especially for the price. We've been to a few high rated places around the city and things can get pretty pricey. For the amazing quality you are getting the prices are extremely reasonable. The pork belly bao was my favorite dish. The pork was so tender and juicy and the bao was fresh and delicious. I will definitely be coming again! read more

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PAGU is great! A large group of us stopped in for dinner and we shared lots of delicious plates. Our appetizers included arugula with Barata salad, spicy fried green beans, and a delicious tuna Crudo. Yum! Our next set of courses include street corn, a decent seafood, paella, and an excellent delicious chicken Katsu with barbecue sauce. We share dessert that included blueberry cheesecake, and an incredibly yummy Matcha and chocolate chip cookie. My lemonade was good. Our service was really good, we died in a small private room. Our party had a good time. read more

This is a must for anyone who appreciates good food when in the Boston area! The fusioned flavor combinations are brilliant and absolutely delicious. There are always fun and unique specials in addition to the seasonal menu. The service is friendly, efficient, and helps to meet any dietary needs. It's a good spot for people watching too with a mix of all kinds of patrons. Everyone fits in here, locals and tourists alike. :-) read more

Pagu - Lei it on Me cocktail - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Great drinks and good, interesting flavors. Our fav was white rabbit and smoked Kyoto (almost an old fashioned) The hamachi crudo was outta this world. The squid ink bao was good to look at but to taste, just meh, try the pork belly instead. Good service good vibes. read more

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I really enjoyed dinner here last night! I joined my friends to celebrate their birthday and it was very pleasant and the service was great. We were a party of 5 with various dietary preferences and allergies and they were very accommodating. The menu is well labeled as well for those who are gluten-free and vegetarian. I started off with the gin-gin tea cocktail ($14), and my friends got the lei it on me ($14) and a couple of non-alcoholic beverages as well. I got the patatas bravas ($12) for an app and my friends got various appetizers like the green pea bao ($15), shio koji roasted corn ($14), and boquerones ($8). I really enjoyed the patatas bravas as it was nice and crispy, cut hasselback style with just the right amount of aioli. For my main entree, I got the roasted bone marrow and mushrooms ($18) and I enjoyed it. It was a smaller portion than I was imagining, but it was still tasty! The mushrooms were so nice with a good punch of umami. It came with squid ink bread which was pretty cool. My friends got the ramen ($18) and veggie paella ($16) which had good reviews all around. For dessert, I had the ube panna cotta ($12) and my friends had the basque cheesecake ($13), dark chocolate cake ($13), and matcha cookie ($3). As it was my friend's birthday, they also provided us complementary chocolate covered strawberries. I really enjoyed the contrast of the fruit and caramel with the Ube custard - this was my favorite part of the meal. Staff were attentive and food came out in good times. I enjoyed the ambiance as the music wasn't too loud and the lights were well lit without being dim. I will definitely be visiting again and trying to sit at the kitchen bar seats to be able to watch the kitchen work its magic. There's so much more I want to try here like the roasted big eye tuna collar or suckling pig. Their desserts left me wanting more, so I'll be back! read more

Pagu - Roasted bone marrow & mushrooms - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Certainly enjoyed the flavors here. Came here for a special occasion and had made a reservation ahead of time. We were seated at the kitchen counter which I was disappointed by (because I wanted to face my bf) but they were able to quickly switch us to a high top table without us asking. - Knife cut noodles - my bf's favorite. Lots of umami with the mushrooms and pork. - Shishito - plenty of them! - Katsu chicken - very tender inside, I love the pickled onion/cabbage too - Calamari - excellent, the squid ink sauce was also a nice addition - Pork belly bao - my favorite - Squid ink bao - comes with a fried oyster inside. Will make your teeth temporarily black so would not recommend for a date. - Cheesecake - not too sweet and has smokey/caramelized hints - Lei It On Me cocktail - I love the guava flavor in this! With the squid ink bao, my bf actually chewed into a large oyster shell which we promptly showed our server for safety reasons, which then escalated to the manager as they were all shocked to see that there. We learned that they purchase ?de-shelled oysters so that really shouldn't be there. Either way, the staff handled the situation professionally and removed the item from our bill and offered dessert on the house. Overall, my bf and I really enjoyed the meal despite the shell. Would be happy to come back! read more

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Forever my favorite place!! My husband and I had our wedding here the first Saturday in October and everyone had such a great time! Not only did everyone rave about the food, but the team was absolutely amazing. We were lucky enough to have great weather that day, so we were able to use the patio space. The team worked with us to curate the perfect drink and food menu. Everything exceeded expectations and I can't thank the team enough. read more

Pagu - Japanese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Cambridge/Boston area for so many reasons: It has a great bar program. The ambiance is fancy and decor is nice. It serve lunch and dinner. I was working closed by when they first opened and got to eat lunch here quite a bit. To be clear, it's not affordable enough to eat lunch here everyday but the food is worth the price. I came here for dinner this time and here are some of my suggestions: On a busy weekend, it would be helpful to make a reservation especially if you have a big party. For a party of 2-3ish, I recommend the Kitchen bar seats because it's really fun watching the chefs cook. It's pretty easier to get bar seating if you are by yourself or with 1 more person. Drinks are great and you can find something to enjoy. For food, try everything. The knife cut noodles is a must. Suckling Pig comes off as pull pork but great to share with a group and it comes with Baos (a sandwich if you), kimchi, and sauce. The suckling pig is so good that I ordered it to go for my Super Bowl party. My wife love the Koji Marinated striplion because it's a more tasty and umami steak compared to what you find from the usual steakhouse. There is a lot more for food options. read more

The iberico bellota was not carved to order off the leg but rather the kind one buys online or in Formaggio, presliced into thin postage-stamp sized pieces and sealed in a plastic wrapper. As a result it was mostly dry and hard. The American wagyu steak had zero marbling, I would have been better off going to Bistro Midi to get a piece of real A5 Japanese wagyu for the same price, or a hanger steak elsewhere for less money. The Basque cheesecake looked and tasted like a block of cream cheese, and (judging by the white color and lack of richness) contained zero egg, which i can only assume they left out to save money. Service was inattentive. This place claims to be both Spanish and Japanese but with the shortcuts it's taking, it appears to be neither. read more

This is a cute restaurant not too far from MIT and it is a leisurely walk from the main hubbub of Boston (about a mile ish walk if you are up for it). We were able to get in on a same day reservation on a Saturday for dinner. There is ample patio seating and a private dining room as well. One thing I will mention is that the inside of the restaurant is SO HOT. It was about 80 degrees outside and breezy but the inside was like an oven. I think it was because the kitchen was an open concept and the heat from all the stoves caused the inside to be consistently heated. I saw fans throughout but that didn't really help. My partner and I were sweating throughout the entire meal. The food is fresh and tasty. The Japanese Hamachi Crudo was great but it tasted room temp when I feel it should normally be chilled. Again, I think it was the heat of the restaurant that made it so warm. The oysters on the half shell were on HH for $1. Normally I would be suspicious of this price but these oysters were fresh and briny and I wish we got more than the half dozen. Patas Bravas - these are like a mini hasselback potato. I don't normally care for these but it was a cute appetizer. Squid Ink Oyster Bao - in my head, I thought it would be a protein covered in oyster sauce. But it is fried oyster. Very umami flavored bordering on almost too "fishy" tasting. Spicy Knife Cut Noodles - a great portion that is stuffed in this bowl. The noodles were chewy without being soggy. I am partial to having chili oil with many meals at home so I thought this dish could have used more chili oil. Overall, I thought the food was decent here and I would come back. But I would only sit on the patio or near an open door in the wintertime because it was uncomfortably hot inside. read more

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Giving a rating for the Bao bun cooking class. On the plus side the food was excellent, the host/instructor was great, and it was a relaxing time with conversation among the few other people attending. Tons of food, with plenty of leftovers to bring home, and one free cocktail is included. The only reason I don't give 5 stars is that the cooking was limited to learning to roll, fill and fold the Bao buns. That's a surprisingly tricky process, but I'd call that prep more than cooking as no heat was involved (they have a huge commercial steamer oven, and filling was prepped ahead for us). Still, it was worth the money and we had a wonderful time! read more