I was looking for sushi for pick-up in the area and stumbled on this humble restaurant. We ordered the Special for Two and the quality of the food is definitely gonna lure us back here. Food: Everything in the platter we ordered was high quality and highlighted the unique tastes of the fish. Even the simple rolls like the yellowtail and the california carried their weight and really revealed how good they can be with a little extra care. Atmosphere: I can't say too much because I didn't dine in, but the decor was simple and inviting. Service: The staff that greeted me did so with a smile and the short exchange was as pleasant as can be. To top it off, the sushi chef was clearly enjoying his work and was doing it all with a smile as well. read more

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Though it truly hurts my soul to do, it seems it's time for a posthumous review of what I believe was the best sushi restaurant in the United States, Shogun Sushi of West Newton. You always remember your first, and while Shogun doesn't have the distinction of being the first piece of sushi I ever tried, it is the first sushi restaurant I was taken to when I asked my parents for more. I couldn't have known how lucky I was at the time. It's simple, friendly interior. The comfort of its space, small without being cramped, cozy without being claustrophobic. Years later, when I visited Japan for the first time, I would realize that it was simply authentically Japanese. And the sushi! I've been to Japan, I live in California, but to this day it is the standard to which I judge every piece of sushi I eat. The fish was always fresh and flavorful, the rice perfectly seasoned, and they had bar none the best spicy mayo I have ever tasted. Seriously, the spicy scallop gunkan was the greatest thing I have ever had the pleasure to eat. If you never ordered the spicy tuna salad appetizer, I am so sorry you missed out. This brings us to the real heart of Shogun for me: Ito-San. Jiro may dream of sushi, but I dream of Ito-san's sushi. From the first moment I stepped in the door in the mid 90's to the last time I was able to stop by in 2023, Ito was there. The incredible kindness he showed me for nearly 3 decades of my life is not to be undersold. As he watched me go through countless milestones in my own life, he also shared his and his families own. Even if his sushi was lousy he would have still been one of my favorite people on this planet. But of course, his sushi was top class. This is starting to feel like a eulogy, and as far as I know no one has died. But something has been lost. Perhaps to you it was just a restaurant. But to me, Shogun Sushi was a revelation, and an institution, and a place of intense nostalgia. Knowing I can never go back is deeply saddening. At the same time, I sincerely wish Ito-San and the rest of the staff a well earned retirement. If any of you are reading this, I hope you know that every time I eat sushi I will be thinking of your restaurant, and everything it meant to me. read more

Shogun Restaurant - My standard order, one last time. Spicy tuna roll, Ito's special roll, rainbow roll, 2 orders Unagi nigiri, 2 orders spicy scallop gunkan - Japanese Near Me - West Newton, Massachusetts

Solid sushi in a homey, no-frills atmosphere. I haven't had sushi in a while so the first bite was manna from the gods. Just a note that on weekends, they only serve sushi (so nothing like tempura or katsu-based rice dishes) which was fine with us. Aside from some sushi/sashimi combos, the menu also featured a good number of rolls. I ordered the sashimi combo, with salad, soup, and rice. The salad was all right (your standard iceberg lettuce with lots of carrot and purple cabbage) and the soup was a touch too salty, but I was here for the fish anyway. Cuts were thick and generous, maybe a little unevenly cut in some places. Lots of salmon pieces, which I didn't mind at all, as a salmon lover. The unagi nigiri that I ordered as an add-on was exceptional (tender, with nice crisp edges) - I'll have to try their unagi rice bowl next time. The presentation for all our dishes showed consideration. Our waitress was kind and sweet and apologized profusely when the food took a while to come out. I think she was the only one working that night, so just something to bear in mind. read more

Shogun Restaurant - Deluxe chirashi - Japanese Near Me - West Newton, Massachusetts

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Location & Atmosphere Tucked away at 1385 Washington St, Newton, MA, Shogun Japanese Restaurant delivers an intimate and cozy dining experience. With its warm ambiance and traditional Japanese touches, it's the perfect spot for sushi lovers and casual diners alike. Food & Drinks Salmon & Tuna Nigiri - Fresh, buttery, and perfectly portioned for that melt-in-your-mouth bite. Ito Special Charles River Kayak Roll - A standout specialty roll packed with bold flavors and a beautiful presentation. ‍ Service & Hospitality The staff is friendly, attentive, and ensures a smooth, enjoyable dining experience. Whether dining in or ordering takeout, they make sure everything is well-prepared and timely. Unique Selling Point Shogun shines for its fresh, high-quality sushi and creative specialty rolls that keep both traditional and adventurous sushi lovers coming back for more. read more

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This is hands down the best Japanese restaurant in all of Boston. My girlfriend and I went tonight on our drive back into town and we both have a new favorite overall restaurant. The service was excellent, the server (likely an owner) was extremely nice and utterly adorable. The sushi chef (also probably an owner) was also extremely nice. Every single item we got was above the bar, most of them by a long way. The teriyaki sauce was amazing, and clearly homemade, the katsu sauce was to die for, and the udon was very good with plenty of meat and each different item in the udon was excellent. Finally, as someone who has never really met sushi they liked before, the sweet potato roll was perfect. I understand now why sushi is supposed to be eaten exactly as is, because the balance of everything is perfect. We will absolutely be returning, as well as sharing this place with our friends! read more

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My friend and I visited Shogun's a few weeks ago and very much enjoyed our sushi! The older gentleman who waited on us was friendly and funny. There isn't much of an ambiance to it but if you appreciate good sushi in a somewhat humble setting and at a decent price, check it out. I'll definitely be going back! read more

This is not a fancy place but the sushi was fresh and delicious, the price were reasonable, and the service was friendly. I can't wait to return for more. . read more

Great taste. Family owned small and quite place. Local gem. They have very good Unadon. read more

Shogun Restaurant - Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - West Newton, Massachusetts

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おいしい So Fresh & So Authentic!! Takeout sushi lunchbox looks like a fresh package from Japan via airmail Sushi and sashimi are always fresh, and handled correctly in the most Meticulous form, the way it should be! Chefs and waitstaff are always friendly! I love how with their takeout - they separate the cold and warm food in separate bags maintaining its best temperature for sushi and hot entrees. Sushi Lunch is such a good deal! Love their "Tako-su" ... under Appetizer: Octopus avocado & cucumber in sweet vinegar dressing. So good when you eat that with cold clear yam noodles! read more

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Delicious sushi, well prepared. I hadn't visited for many years since I was a local, but it is still a friendly, comfortable restaurant at very reasonable prices. It is a West Newton institution now! read more

I do not understand all the positive reviews of this place. Maybe I came on an off night, but the service was slow. The food was tasteless and sloppily prepared, and the ambience of the place was akin to a nursing home. I have tried making sushi at home, and as inexperienced as I am, my makki rolls looked downright professional compared to the mess I was served. The whole meal was a terrible disappointment. read more

Shogun is delicious, fresh sushi every time. Try the sake in the cedar box, it's sort of hard to drink out of a square but it's delicious. The mackerel is incredible. This is an awesome family-owned spot, my dad has been coming here since he was a kid. read more

First time eating at Shogun, and the place was totally empty except for one other table with 2 young men. My friend and I ordered the fried chicken as an appetizer, and the nabeyaki udon. 30 minutes go by; no food. Another party arrives and is seated next to us. We receive our small plate of dried up fried chicken when they walk in. The chicken was cold, chewy and tasteless. It arrived on a plate with no garnish, no trimming, nothing, Just a plate with a few pieces of chicken thrown on it. Another 10 minutes go by- and the other party receives their udon. All 4 of them. We walk over to the man at the sushi counter at this time, and inquire where our food is. He says abruptly that it will be "out in a minute". Another 10 minutes go by, and he finally carries over two bowls of udon. The udon is a mess. The shrimp tempura, which is supposed to be crispy and hot, is soggy, disgusting and withered up into an indistinguishable piece. The udon noodles are also soggy, and inedible. We are both Asian, and this is by far the worst udon I have ever seen. We try to eat the udon, but it's impossible- the udon is not edible at all. We call over the man at the sushi counter and explain to him that the soup is cold and soggy, the noodles are not edible. We expect him to offer to replace the soups; instead, he does something unimaginable - he yells at us to "go home"! No discussion or explanation, no attempt to replace the dishes. We leave without eating the soup, now having to find another dinner option after wasting an hour at this dump. Outrageous experience at a restaurant that has been long-standing in the Newton community, and a total disappointment to be treated this way. Avoid it unless you want rude service, cold food and long wait times. There are much better Japanese restaurants in the area. read more

This place is so cute! The owners are so polite and engaging. The food is good! Not necessarily "wow" but we enjoyed all the flavors. The rice dishes are yummy and the sushi is fresh. Overall cost wasn't bad at all and they have lunch deals (I went for dinner). It's definitely a place I will return to as an effort to support a local business, good owners, and have a pretty good meal! The service seemed a bit slow so be kind and understanding. Don't go if you're in a rush and then be rude when you don't get your food right away. read more

This place was amazing. I went in for a late dinner with a friend and the chef took our orders. Everything came out so GOOD. Service was awesome too, you can tell the chef pours his heart and soul into this restaurant and the food. The food was 10/10 and very authentic and high quality. Definitely recommend! read more

Shogun Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - West Newton, Massachusetts

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Their food is amazing. We've been here for multiple times and have tried both sushi and donburi. Really taste great. The restaurant is ran by a old Japanese couple so very authentic! However, the service is really slow...The papa is the sushi chef and mama serves table. I think she has too many things to do, which keep her super busy. Today we waited for 30mins to order because we couldn't find her in the dining area. Finally she came to the dining area, but went to take order for another table who came later than us. Maybe she just forgot us...Last time we were also about to leave (because we waited for so long) when she finally showed up to take the order. Our main dish takes about 50 mins to prepare, which is also longer than most Japanese restaurants. Getting the check is also slow. We spent almost 2hrs for this dinner...Sometimes there are young guys who help with serving so it gets better. Strongly recommend them to hire someone to help. read more

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Shogun has the best sushi in the area! High quality and super fresh fish Chef is very passionate about preparing authentic and artistic cuisine to customers The food remind me about my trip to Japan many years ago Love this place!! read more

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Delicious and fresh sushi in an unassuming atmosphere. Service is prompt and the owner is so kind. Prices are extremely reasonable especially given the quality of food. Highly recommend. read more

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Found out about this local spot through a friend and it's now one of my favorite sushi spots in Boston. Small, family owned business that serves high quality authentic food that doesn't break the bank! The owner is very humble and friendly and clearly knows what he's doing with Japanese food. read more

This was some of the best sushi I've ever had--really. I've lived a lot of places with a lot of mediocre sushi but this food was fresh with huge pieces of fish, super reasonable prices, and very friendly service. Yes, it's a bit slow, but they apologize profusely about it and it's well worth it. read more

This is a small neighborhood Japanese restaurant. We arrived at 7:30pm during weekday. There were two customers happily chatting and eating. The yellow lights from lanterns make you feeling homey and relaxing. Two female workers, one works at sushi bar and another one works as a waitress. She has a lot white hairs and nice smile, looks like my grandma. She bring us water and utensils. At one moment, I kind feel I am back to Japan, a neighborhood store. My kid loves the tuna nigiri and tuna roll. I just love all different kind fishes, simple and tasty. The quality of the food is great and their prices are very reasonable. We had a wonderful dinner. When we left the place, we said good bye to them with a deep bow, showing our appreciation and respect for their hard work. We definitely keep this place on our list. From now on when we miss Japanese food, we will come here. read more

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We love Shogun! We order takeout from here at least twice a week. Chef Ito often works alone so sometimes there can be a bit of a wait, but we don't mind. The fish is always fresh and reasonably priced. If you're looking for super Americanized and/or high end rolls, look elsewhere. So grateful to have this local place available to us. read more

This place has been in here in the same location for many years and is the real deal. I believe they have the same sushi chef for many years. It might be the owner - not sure. What I do know is that this place is under rated on Yelp. The food is really good. It does not have the ambiance of some of the fancier places in the area, but the sushi and other items on the menu are excellent. read more

One of my favorite Japanese restaurants. It is a small, homey restaurant and it feels like you are eating in the dining room of the chef. My family and I ate there for lunch on a weekday. The chef himself came to give us our food and chatted with us about his ingredient suppliers and about the ingredients he used that day. The service was good (but of note, it was just us in the restaurant dining in at that time). The food was fresh, the plating looked beautiful. I got the hand rolls lunch special, which was really good. Definitely will return! read more

Best sushi I have ever had. Biggest hand rolls & nicest owner Always takes care of us, extremely unique and always best experience!!

Shogun is a cute little restaurant in West Newton. The prices are reasonable and the food and setting are authentic. The place seems to be run by an older couple. The husband seems to make the sushi, while the wife serves and helps around the kitchen (sorry if I am improperly assuming a marital connection). We came here the day after Thanksgiving, and the restaurant seemed woefully understaffed. My grandmother ordered a miso soup (which never came) and we never received chopsticks, napkins, or cups of water. It seems like the other tables were experiencing similar shortages of basic things. We managed by taking chopsticks and napkins from an empty table, but we did not have water for the duration of our meal. I hope that this was a holiday-season anomaly. Otherwise, it seems like the restaurant needs to hire more workers to stay competitive. The food is quite good. I love salmon skin sushi and sweet potato roll, and Shogun executed well on these dishes. The rolls are dense and substantial. The salmon skin was delightfully crispy and more flavorful than usual. I wish that I could give this restaurant a higher rating, because the owners are very kind and cheerful. They've put a lot of work into this restaurant, and it shows. But the service must improve before we come back. read more

Mr. Itto is incredible! A true sushi artist. We had the best customer service, quality of fish and conversation with Mr. Itto. He is a true gentleman and talented sushi chef, we will be back!! read more

good, fresh sashimi for a reasonable price. tucked away in the suburbs and not too crowded. the owners are a cute japanese couple and very nice. read more

It is extremely rare to find a good, authentic Japanese restaurant run by Japanese people in this area. This is one of those gems. Fair prices, delicious food, courteous service. Their lunch bentos and sushi are an excellent value and are more than enough food to fill you up. Everything is high quality, just simply done right. Not much fanfare, just good, honest food. If it weren't the pandemic I'd avoid writing about it to avoid it being too busy but since I don't want this place to shut down -- everyone order takeout and tip well! read more

Five-star for freshness, authenticity, and taste! Haven't had any sushi/sashimi that wasn't great here. Some of my recommendations: Rainbow Rolls, Caterpillar Rolls, classic salmon sashimi, and spicy salmon roll. I also had the sushi-sashimi combo the other day and it didn't disappoint. Not to mention, they managed to "decorate" the salmon sashimi so beautifully (see picture below) One comment is that the service can get pretty slow sometimes, since there's only one person serving the entire restaurant. I still argue that it's worth the wait though. And if you come here during off-hours, it shouldn't be a problem. read more

Shogun Restaurant - Salmon sashimi on the glass 3 - Japanese Near Me - West Newton, Massachusetts

Lovely little place, we finally got to come by and try. It was quiet, just the chef running the place tonight (taking orders and making food). Food was delicious and he was very nice. Can't ask for more. Glad to see from the reviews that they are appreciated by the neighborhood. What a gem! read more

Fine Japanese restaurant not so far away. Recommended by a Japanese friend of mine. Later i realized the reason being this place was run by a Japanese family. Eel combo, unajidon, was very good. Oily and rich flavor. The udon however, not my type. I also ordered a Yaki beef, a bit over cooked. Jyoza was ok They have a parking lot behind, but it could be a bit creepy to go to at night. read more

Shogun Restaurant - Eel rice, the best - Japanese Near Me - West Newton, Massachusetts

WOW. I have had my share of sushi, both cheap and expensive, and this place blew a lot of those places out of the water. I came to this humble looking restaurant for lunch and was first impressed by the interior decor. It was cute but elegant - someone has an eye for design! We were swiftly greeted and seated by an old lady. I'm assuming she's married to the sushi chef that I saw behind the counter - so cute!! I ordered the chirashi ($11) on the lunch menu which comes with an option of salad or miso soup. I went with the salad which had a delicious ginger dressing! If I had any complaint, it would be that the service was a tad slow, but I think it might be because all the sushi is carefully prepared. When I finally got my chirashi, I was BLOWN AWAY. The presentation was so beautiful. There were many different types of sushi on the bed of sushi rice. And the price! This is the kind of meal I expect at fancier sushi restaurants for $20 or higher! Shogun is an incredible find in a small town like Newton. Please do yourself a favor, and come to Shogun for one of the best lunches you've ever had! read more

Shogun Restaurant - Oh my goodness... The BEST chiraishi bowl I've ever had. And only $11 on the lunch menu?! - Japanese Near Me - West Newton, Massachusetts

Wait! That's what you'll do if you go here. That said, the food was quite delicious and they are hanging in, this older couple who do it all. If three hired a bit of help, it would be at least 4 stars. read more

Good spot. Quiet. Around for a long time. Kitchen dies not open weekends. Only counter sushi and sashimi

I love Shougun!!! This is my first time walking in Shogun and I know I'll come back pretty often in the future because of the food and the service provided here. I tried their sashimi lunch special and got a really beautiful sashimi presentation. Three pieces for each kind of sashimi, and they are tuna, salmon, and yellowtail (not sure). I never had such fresh sashimi for a while. You would also get two one-bite size mackerel rolls, rolled up with some pickled ginger. UMAMI! Not just the taste is so great, but also the texture. You would taste the softness of the mackerel while enjoying the crunchy pickled ginger. In addtion, miso soup and salad were super great as well. read more

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I'm not sure why this place has such rave reviews. We were excited to find a sushi place we hadn't tried in the area, but I don't think we'll be back. The fish was undoubtedly fresh, so if that's all you're looking for, this is a good spot. However, the maki presentation was messy, the individual pieces were unevenly and sloppily cut, and overall the thoughtless plating took away from the experience. The plateware was also shabby. I'm sure it was clean and just old, but the glasses looked dirty. The restaurant also seemed understaffed. While our server was very kind, she seemed to be responsible for all the tables in the restaurant, and so our wait times for everything were quite long. I don't think we'll be back. read more

This place is amazing. #1 sushi in the Boston area. The 4 stars on Yelp, which is basically a result of a few select individuals having poor experiences and writing multiple poor reviews, is creating a false impression of this restaurant. This is one of the only (if not, THE ONLY) authentic Japanese restaurant(s) remaining in the Boston area. Cherish it while you can - this is a special, dare I add, 5 star restaurant! read more

I had the best meal here. Salmon football is amazing. And so is the staff. The owner will talk to you and tell great stories. Make sure to get the house salad and any of the amazing rolls. read more

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This restaurant is 100% Japanese owned. The food is great and service is friendly. However, the food is costly and the portions are mostly veggies. Take a look at the pic... full of veggies with lil meat and tiny bowl of rice ... the cost is $28. If I do come back I will try the sushi. The entree is not worth it. read more