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    Ponzu

    3.8 (280 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 10:30 PM

    Ponzu Photos

    PONZU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Pink Lady, fried rice, Kiss of Fire Maki, Pork Gyoza 5 Pcs
    Aliyah D.

    I definitely think the food is very overpriced for the quality. The sushi was just okay but is very expensive. We got three separate rolls the pink lady roll, the kiss of fire and just a Philly roll and it was very similar quality to any other sushi place but the rolls were much more expensive. The waitress warned us that the fried rice had a lot of turmeric and they really meant it, it's a lot. All in all I don't think the quality matches the price.

    Soft Tofu Chigae Lunch
    Vivian D.

    I came here on a rainy summer day and ordered the soft tofu stew with pork for $16. The soup was hearty and slightly spicy, while the rice had a comforting texture that paired nicely with the steaming soup. I finished about 3/4 of the stew then tapped out. Leaving feeling full but satiated, this restaurant is a cozy Japanese/Korean restaurant but because it's called Ponzu Izakaya I expected more Japanese small dishes like pub foods in Japan. Otherwise, the food was decent, fast, and comforting.

    Samantha G.

    Pleasantly surprised with the quality of Korean food! Was great in comparison to regular korean restaurants. Came on a Friday for lunch, not to busy so service was quick they do offer some outdoor seating, but do so at your own risk because it is Moody St. Pricing is pretty average for a sit down restaurant, not super cheap but not too expensive. Place was clean.

    Dumplings
    Anna F.

    I wish I had photographed my partner's bibimbap- that was actually my favorite dish. I love the skinny flavorful bulgogi, and they serve it authentically in that special pot/bowl that keeps cooking it, and makes the rice all crispy at the bottom. The waitress was very kind, and made the whole experience homey. The sushi was really good, and I would have ordered more if I was hungrier. Was in the mood for a shrimp sushi roll. Tried a kind of stew/soup with tofu and zucchini as well, that my partner liked more than me. Overall really fun experience, and no wait. Love that they offer Korean and Japanese food.

    Interior
    Caleb L.

    Fantastic sushi specials, helpful staff, and reasonable prices. Met a friend here on his idea, and was very happy at his selection. They even omitted a fish I don't like from my special. The interior is beautiful and not overwhelming. I'll definitely come back.

    Goldfish Maki
    Grace B.

    Would not recommend Ponzu. The appetizers really varied in quality, from an extremely small, bland portion of calamari, to a delicious Hotate Hokkaiyaki (the star of the entire meal). Not pictured is sashimi, which is the worst I have ever tasted. It was warm, the salmon was falling apart, and both dinner guests felt sick afterward. The maki is average, and generally smothered in sauces. Although the food came out quickly, and waitstaff was courteous, it is not enough to make it worth your while.

    Anastasiia N.

    We decided to have dinner here, we ordered bibimbap and rolls. and if the rolls could still be eaten but here bibimbap was impossible to eat. they served it on a special plate that was heated, served it burned, everything was disgusting. the girl was officially unpleasant, she stood over the table, did not take the order long, did not give food, and went just so. I will not go there again! It is the most uncomfortable place. There were two of us, and the roll set was served for one, we asked in the end did not wait I suggest learning from others!

    Tteokbokki
    Kim L.

    My friend and I were just looking for a sushi restaurant and this was the only one open for sit-down dining. We were pleasantly surprised that this was both a Korean and Japanese restaurant since we both love Korean food, but have limited options in Waltham. The service was good and the staff were super friendly. The food came out quickly and was pretty good! We ordered tteokbokki and a couple of sushi combos. The tteokbokki came with some mozzarella cheese with it which was nice, and the dish in general was great for cool summer day. The sushi combos were also great. The cooked one was really filling and the other included fresh tasting yellowtail, tuna, and salmon (all spicy). I would say that the general spice level for everything was pretty mild, so you don't have to worry too much if you've got some spice intolerances and wanted to try these dishes. It's definitely a good restaurant with excellent service, but not a stand out Korean/Japanese restaurant (in my opinion). Since it's the only option in Waltham that's not Bonchon, you can't really beat it. Overall I give it a 4.5/5 stars.

    Volcano roll

    Ordered the volcano roll, seafood avocado salad and a couple other rolls. Fast service, fresh food and clean restaurant, will be back!

    Spicy Maki combo lunch special and bimbibap lunch special. Simple great choices.
    Eric D.

    Another great place to escape from the work grind and grab some good eatin' on Moody if you're craving sushi and/or Korean. The front of the restaurant was just a plane Jane looking regular restaurant but as soon as you step in, it was pretty nice, roomy, and clean. My coworker had the beef bimpibap lunch special and I had the spicy maki lunch special. The sushi here was great--sushi rice was very moist and the spicy tuna was on point. No complaints. The bimbibap came out sizzzzzzling which made the meal so inviting. With the egg on top as well. My sushi maki just had no trade value. It was a tootsie roll going against the butterfinger bar on Halloween. I'll have to try the bimbibap next time! Restaurant had plenty of space to host their guest. Of course on Moody, bring your parallel parking chops with you or park in the city parking lots off streets. Cheers

    Imesh W.

    Fantastic! First time here. Impressed about the place glancing at the open kitchen area and taking a peek at the bathroom-sparkling clean. Good service, food served promptly on a Saturday night. Polite staff. We ordered one appetizer- fried veggie gyoza, Pink lady, and a dolsot bibimbap. All were tasty. Pink lady is the favorite. It's a really nice maki. Overall, had a great experience. We had enough portions for two and took some home. Highly recommend.

    Miso soup
    Phil C.

    I came here with a friend for sushi buffet lunch on a weekday. The bar section of the restaurant doubled as the buffet line with the spread being laid out there, which was fine. Service was okay, though not exactly showing much of a pulse. The miso soup starter was acceptable, but not warm. The fish was generally fine and there was a diverse assortment of nigiri sushi and rolls. I mostly went for the tuna nigiri but there was salmon and yellowtail as well. Their spicy tuna roll was decent as well as their other rolls. Overall, the rice for the sushi was at the right temperature and not clumpy. Having seaweed salad was a nice touch and I went for that heavily. There were some typical Asian-esque hot entrees and appetizers (like crab rangoon), but I only went for a couple of crab rangoons for sake of variety. If you can pound nigiri sushi like a champ, this lunch buffet might be worthwhile for you. Just note: I'm not sure if they have lunch buffet all the time, so you might have to inquire before going. (arigato, Mai)

    Beef tender

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    Thank you for coming and enjoyed our food.

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    Fin's Sushi & Grill - Highly recommend Fin's if you're looking for a sushi place close to 95 north or south.

    Fin's Sushi & Grill

    4.4(45 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    I can't believe I haven't completed a review for Fins! This is my go to place. It is always…read moreconsistent. I always order take out or delivery from this place or dine in. There's a small parking lot but I never have any issues with parking. The fish is fresh and the is a lot of variety in rolls from simple to fancy. Service is good and very nice. It is a clean restaurant. If you love salmon, get the salmon combo! Avocado salad is my favorite as well. The only thing is I wish there were more dessert places around the area that is walkable so we can have something sweet close by.

    It's Christmas Day and we were tasked with bringing Sushi to the family gathering at 5pm. Our usual…read morego-to spot, Super Fusion in Watertown, was on a "break" and reopening at 5pm. This prompted us to look for alternatives...Fins in Waltham was open and taking orders and allowed us to get the Sushi on time. We tried it. We ordered the large boat raw and maki raw. $160 worth of sushi. The order was prepared quickly for pick up. There is a bunch of off street parking. The restaurant has about 8 various sized tables in side and a bar that seats probably another 6 or 7. The place looks clean and modern. The lone worker was pleasant and friendly. The order was correct and packaged well. Compared to Super Fusion in Watertown: 1. We usually order the party platter from Super Fusion as well, but it does cost like $20-$30 more at Super Fusion. However, they do give you more sushi...but no miso soup included anymore. 2. The family agrees that Super Fusion tastes better. I also noticed the sashimi was larger from Super Fusion. 3. One family member spat out a small piece of bone in their sushi from Fin's. This never happened at the other place, and we've gone to them for many years. 4. Fin's is more generous with providing enough wasabi and soy sauce when we asked for extra. 5. Fin's looks a lot more modern and fancy...they are in fact a newer establishment in the area. The free off street parking matters as well, as you only get street meters for Super Fusion. While we're glad to give a new place a try, and the sushi is not bad, we think Super Fusion is better. My kid and her friends frequently go to Fin's due to convenience and thats perfectly fine. I hope they stay around for a long time, as having options and competition is good. I'm thankful they were open and taking orders on Christmas Day, and I was served with a smile. Thank you!

    Photos
    Fin's Sushi & Grill - Entrance

    Entrance

    Fin's Sushi & Grill - Yellow Fins Maki, Fried Spring Roll, Spicy Tuna Tempura Maki

    Yellow Fins Maki, Fried Spring Roll, Spicy Tuna Tempura Maki

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    Waku Waku Ramen Waltham - Crab Croquette

    Waku Waku Ramen Waltham

    4.2(54 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    By the time my kid and I landed in Boston after our direct flight from Spain, we were famished- not…read moreto mention completely exhausted. Out of all the places by her in Cambridge, she chose Waku W. Since they were on Uber Eats, it was easy to go for it because, honestly, we had no energy to drive anywhere, much less dine in. Before my daughter placed the order, I called Waku W. to make sure the broth was truly vegan and not made with pork or any other meat. Once I got the green light that the broth was completely vegan, she ordered 2 Vegetable Miso Ramen bowls. The ramen was exactly what we needed after a long trip. The broth was tasty and garlicky without overpowering the miso flavor and every sip was satisfying and the noodles were cooked perfectly with that yummy chew.

    Pretty solid ramen with a more innovative menu (think beef, cheese, clam chowder etc) than your…read moretypical miso/shio/tonkatsu classics. The interior has blue and red neon with mirrors that remind me of a Japanese karaoke bar. We were seated immediately and chose the bar so we could watch the kitchen in action. Service was attentive and friendly. It was hot out, so I ordered a Sapporo, which was refreshing, but be warned this is the BIG can, and it's a lot of beer. We tried the fried beef bao to start, which was better than I expected - they fried the bao and it was really tasty. For ramen, I had their signature ramen and the broth was kind of like a hybrid between tan tan (sesame) and tonkatsu (porky) with a bit of spice. It was pretty good, not too salty, but was lacking a bit of depth. I liked the bok choy but didn't realize it didn't come with an egg, so I'd add that next time. The katsu that came on the side had a good sauce but it was kind of dry. Would return to try other ramen bowls when I'm in the area again.

    Photos
    Waku Waku Ramen Waltham
    Waku Waku Ramen Waltham - A Bowl Full Of Veggie Comfort @ Home: (Vegan Broth Thru UberEats)

    A Bowl Full Of Veggie Comfort @ Home: (Vegan Broth Thru UberEats)

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    Yume Ga Arukara - Signature Cold Niku Udon

    Yume Ga Arukara

    4.6(861 reviews)
    6.1 miPorter Square
    $$

    Finally got to try the famous cold niku udon at Yume Ga Arukara! I've heard so much about this…read moreplace, so I was really excited to finally check it out. We came around 4pm and luckily it wasn't too crowded, so we were able to get seated right away. I ordered the cold niku udon and overall it was really good! The noodles had a great chewy texture, the beef was flavorful, and everything tasted really fresh. We also tried the hot udon, which was really good too and definitely worth trying if you prefer something warm. Service was also super quick, which I appreciated. I will say I had pretty high expectations because of how hyped this place is, and personally I don't think it completely lived up to the hype for me. It was still a really good bowl of udon though, and I'm definitely glad I finally tried it. Would still recommend checking it out at least once!

    Came here on a Friday at 5:30PM whilst visiting Boston with my friend. We did not have to wait and…read moregot seated right away. I ordered the Hot Niku Udon since AC's been killing me. My friend ordered the Spicy Cold Niku Udon that I did not taste since I don't handle spicy well. Honestly the udon did not take a while to come but the servers kept checking in on us, telling that our udon was coming out soon and apologizing for the wait. They made sure our water cups were never empty; I don't think my water went below 50%. The Hot Niku Udon was honestly one of the best udon's I'd ever have. There was as lot of beef. Noodles were soft. Soup was warm. Lots of scallions. I loved the addition of the crispy tempura batter. I want to come back.

    Photos
    Yume Ga Arukara - Interior seating

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    Spicy Cold Niku Udon (to go)

    Ponzu - sushi - Updated September 2026

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