Somenya was excellent! I went as a walk in at 845pm on a Friday night and my party was seated right away. The ambiance was lovely. I loved the Sakura decor. I got the duck udon and it was delicious! I also enjoyed the peach yuzu soda. Overall great experience! read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - Duck udon - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Came here on a Friday around 6, and the place was pretty busy- I grabbed the last open table. I was waiting for a friend to arrive, but the staff allowed me to be seated anyway, which I really appreciated! Most places require your whole party to be present, especially during dinner rush hours. The restaurant itself is small, cozy, with cute decor. I was excited to try this place because i've heard good things. The fried oysters were crispy but soft on the inside, and not fishy at all! I really enjoyed them, and recommend them- they tasted similar to shrimp tempura, for anyone hesitant about too strong of an oyster flavor. The salmon tartare was fresh with a nice kick and nutty sesame oil. I was super satisfied by the roast duck udon! The broth was earthy while the duck was tender with a crunch from the roasted skin. The soba dish was light and not too spicy. While I wouldn't order the soba kanten again, I thought the flavors were nice and recommend for anyone who's into jelly desserts. I will definitely be back! read more

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What a wonderful addition to Chinatown! This is my most recommended restaurant in the neighborhood. I've been for both lunch and dinner and I am completely obsessed with the cold spicy beef udon! It is always delicious and I've had it so many times that I can speak to the consistency. The didn't do take out when they first opened and now they do which is a bonus, but the restaurant is such a cute spot with friendly and attentive staff. A+, no notes. read more

The restaurant itself is super cute and cozy. 3 of us went for lunch because my daughter had heard it was good and wanted to try it. Since it was raining and much cooler than it has been lately, we all got hot noodle bowls. I had Yasai, with udon, veggies, and tofu. My daughter had shrimp tempura with udon and my husband had the beef sukiyaki udon. We also had crispy Brussels sprouts for an app. Those came with a moving garnish! We were told it was super thinly sliced tuna that curled when next to the hot Brussels sprouts. So tasty and fun! All of it was delicious! We are fans and will definitely return to try cold soba noodles next time! read more

I was only in Boston for a week and got their Spicy Japanese Cold Tofu Soba $18 in crunchy garlic chili oil, sesame chili oil, scallions, nori, yuzu juice, bonito flakes three times. And I'm still craving it now! The flavors all mixed well together. Would skip their truffle fries though. Sooooo salty. read more

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In an ocean of noodle restaurants, Somenya stands out in Boston. The food is masterfully done, incredibly bold flavors. The kind of soups you spend a few days thinking about after. Ambiance is very traditional Japanese, they do a good job making me feel like I'm back overseas. Service is quick and friendly - no complaints here. read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The restaurant is extremely clean and had great service. We stopped in for a quick lunch and overall it was a great experience . The food came quick and were greeted with great portion sizes. It's clean, well lit, and very charming. Definitely will be back! read more

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I've been here a few times and have tried the snow crab udon and the sukiyaki udon. They are both great and the portions were really filling! I liked the sukiyaki udon the most because I thought it was more flavorful but the snow crab one is not bad though. I've also had their takoyaki and it's pretty standard. The price is slightly under $25 depending on the item you get. The inside is so nice and the decorations are super cute! It's a small area and I don't believe they have a waiting list, so I would be wary coming in with a big group unless you're there during off hours. It does get quite crowded during dinner time so be prepared for a wait! read more

We came here on a Wednesday evening. Finding parking is tough (it's Boston) but once we got there, it was smooth sailing. (Yes, I drove because I had my 80 y.o. mom with me who couldn't take the subway stairs anymore) We didn't have to wait as we went at 6 pm. The decoration and the environment is very nice. Even though the restaurant is small and there aren't many tables, we didn't feel cramp. The food was all good, the seafood taste very fresh and the right amount of saltiness. We had a great time there. Service was great as well, frequent water filling and we were asked if everything is OK. The only thing was I felt pressured when I pay the bill. They were standing right there waiting for me/the machine. I usually don't press the automatic button for 18% tip, so I had to calculate on my own. Anyway, besides that, it was fine. I would come back again. read more

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Cute soba spot located right in Chinatown! The space is small, but decorated really well with a nice ambiance overall. The place also felt super clean and just homey in general. The menu had a good selection of dishes ranging from appetizers to various noodle entrees. I got the one with duck and found it to be cooked really well - the meat was so tender and almost melted in my mouth. The apps were all right in comparison - probably not worth getting; their entrees were where the place shined. The service was okay. Water was slow for refills, but the food came out relatively quickly so that wasn't too bad. Overall, I found this spot to be pretty decent and I wouldn't mind returning albeit I think it was a little pricey given the small portion size. I'm glad I found this spot though and I'm glad it's in Chinatown! read more

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I was super excited to try this place out as Boston does not have many places that serve soba noodles. Immediately upon entering the restaurant, I noticed that there was a lot of decor inside that gave the restaurant a pretty cozy atmosphere. We went around 12:30 on a Friday and were immediately seated. I ordered the taraka soba which has an egg and tempura flakes on top and the cucumber appetizer. My friend ordered the spicy beef soba which was also a cold soba dish. The cucumber appetizer was very delicious and refreshing and definitely whet our appetites for when the soba dishes came out. The soba dishes were also good, but the reason why I give my experience 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt slightly underwhelmed by the flavor of the broth. I grew up eating cold soba noodles at home so I can be particularly picky about how the broth tastes. Regardless of all that, I had an overall great experience and would definitely go back to try their other dishes. read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - View of the interior - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Pretty good spot- curry sauce is amazing My moms kimchi ramen wasn't what I expected but it def hit the spot with how smooth and 얼큰 the soup was read more

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I came across Somenya on a foodie Instagram account and I'm so glad I did! It's located in Chinatown and in a not so blatant spot. When you go inside you ascend down a staircase to the restaurant and it is so cute! There is so much Japanese flair and it is surprisingly bright despite being below ground. To start we ordered truffle edamame and it was so delicious! For my main I was feeling cold noodles so I got the beef soba. This dish is supposed to be made spicy but since I am a baby with spice, our server said it was no problem to be made with no spice. The dish came with shaved ribeye, tempura flakes, grated radish, ginger, yuzu juice, scallions and nori. This was absolutely delicious! It was savory, citrusy and bright. Usually I never finish my food or leave broth but nothing was left behind. I could not get over the flavors! My fiancé got the beef sukiyaki udon that featured shaved ribeye, poached egg, onions, scallions, nori, sesame and chili oil. His bowl was also clean after! I highly recommend checking this place out for a bowl full of flavor!!! read more

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a true hidden gem in Boston that was so delicious my family came back twice in one week! Somenya is the perfect spot on a cold day with lots of hot (and cold) noodle options, and comfort rice dishes. My personal favorites were the beef sukiyaki don and beef sukiyaki udon. The vegetarians in my group also enjoyed having multiple options and found the kitsune udon delicious. My only con would have to be that the dishes are a bit pricey (~$20 a bowl). Overall the shop has an adorable ambiance, great customer service, and delicious dishes to make it a must visit! read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - Beef sukiyakidon (top) and beef sukiyaki udon (bottom) - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I'm still dreaming about my meal here! We got the hot beef sukiyaki udon and the cold spicy beef soba, and both were SO good!! The broth for the sukiyaki udon was very well seasoned and so was the cold spicy soba, which was refreshing and not too spicy . I honestly think this might be one of the best meals I've ever had. The service was super nice and the inside was clean and cold, perfect for when it was hot out. We were seated immediately as it wasn't too busy on a weekday. Definitely try it out!!! read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - Hot beef sukiyaki udon and cold spicy beef soba - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Been here a couple times now and always left satisfied - nice place to go on a cold winter day. Decor is bright and inviting and service is generally prompt, with solid variety of udon and soba dishes which the area had been lacking before. Prices are a tad on the higher side but not crazy. I enjoyed the crispy squid tentacles as appetizer. Not the best udon or soba place in Boston in my opinion, but a good addition to the Chinatown area and still a place I would continue to revisit if in the area. read more

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We came here on a Tuesday night and the food and service were excellent. I ordered the vegetarian soba noodles and got the cucumber appetizer they had for their specials. The cucumbers were crisp and the sauce was tangy and delicious. The soba noodles were cooked to perfection. There is even a small spice jar on the table so you can make it how spicy you want it. The prices were great as well. I would definitely come back here. read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - Vegetarian soba - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I came on a weekday afternoon and there was only one other patron. It's a small restaurant, but so modern and clean. I got the Takoyaki and spicy beef udon. The Takoyaki was great, and had nice big pieces in octopus so they don't skimp out. The udon was also good, flavored well and very filling. The waitress was very friendly. The bathroom was also clean. There are a set of stairs to get down to the restaurant. read more

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What a welcome addition to Chinatown! I came here with a few friends on a Wednesday night and it wasn't too crowded. The restaurant was well-decorated and the interior reminded me of restaurants in Japan. Even their bowls and plates were imported from Japan and they were so aesthetically pleasing to look at and eat off of! We started off with Salmon Sashimi ($12) and Japanese Takoyaki ($10). Both appetizers were delicious. The sashimi came with 4 thick pieces that were fresh and melted in our mouths. The takoyaki came with 6 pieces that were slightly crispy on the outside with a warm filling and a good amount of octopus on the inside. For the mains, we got Shrimp Tempura Soba ($20) and Roast Duck Soba ($22). I was impressed with their homemade buckwheat soba. They had a nice bouncy texture and the soba was cooked just right. I liked my shrimp tempura - each piece was fried perfectly with a crispy and lightly salted coating and the shrimp was juicy and tender. I liked the soba in the light broth, though it got slightly too salty. My friend thought her roast duck was a bit dry, but she enjoyed the soba with the light broth and the mushrooms added some sweetness. The highlight of our meal was their homemade desserts. They were unique and well executed. We tried their Soba Kanten ($10), Soba Ice Cream ($10), and Soba Pudding ($12). The ice cream ended up being my favorite. It was simple, yet it captured the deep roasted flavors of the buckwheat seeds. The kanten was my second favorite - this was a buckwheat jelly that came with a black sugar syrup and soy bean powder that we added on top. It was a delicious combination of flavors and textures. The pudding was good as well, though its flavor profile wasn't as complex as the other desserts. Overall, we enjoyed our meal. The service was fast and the staff was friendly. I'm glad I don't need to go all the way to Porter for some authentic Japanese food! read more

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Hidden gem for soba in Boston. All of the soba dishes have the option of udon noodles. The cold soba is great for a hot summer day. After the soba restaurant in Somerville closed I've been looking for a place like this. I got the shrimp tempura cold soba, but want to try their udon next. The interior is cute and festive. It's a nice addition for more variety in the Chinatown food scene. read more

There are not enough udon centric let alone soba noodle restaurants in Boston. So Somenya is a very much welcome addition! The menu has a good variety of appetizers along with hot and cold entrees. Started with the crispy squid tentacles which was okay, was a bit overdone and under seasoned. The chicken yakitori on the other hand was fantastic, highly recommend. As for the entree, I opted for hot udon today since it was 27 degrees outside and got the beef sukiyaki. The broth had a nice sweet and spicy kick and the udon absorbed the flavor of the broth very well. The pouched egg is also a nice touch. Overall, great first time here and will definitely come back. read more

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Came on a Thursday evening after work for 2 and there were a bunch of seats open! Probably got busier around 7/8PM. A bit of a smaller restaurant in chinatown but the meal did not disappoint! I loved the soba noodles, they also had an udon option. The portions were decently sized and my bowl was around $19, not surprising for Boston prices. The servers were nice, would definitely come back again! They also have a few happy hour deals. read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - beef soba - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I thought this place was just ok. Ambiance and decor were really nice. Service was acceptable; waitress was attentive. The food was ok - I get the sense this place is cashing in the novelty of serving soba noodles in Chinatown and that the dishes themselves are pretty basic. My curry udon soba felt mostly like generic curry from the box. I will say my partners dish that was the duck soba tasted better. Certainly could be my dish selection but a little unconvinced. Was going to be a three but I bumped to a four cause the bathroom is really nice. read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - Curry soba udon - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The interior is very clean, cozy and well decorated. It's a smaller restaurant, but our party of two didn't have to wait long for a table to open up on a Friday afternoon. The host and waitresses are welcoming and kind. As for food, we ordered the hot beef sukiyaki soba and the cold spicy beef soba (both can be ordered with udon instead of soba). The broths were both good and the noodle portions were large, but I thought the soba noodles themselves were just okay. They had a good earthy and nutty flavor but were slightly overcooked and could've been chewier. Although everything we ordered was overall tasty, I wasn't quite satisfied after the meal. There were zero vegetables in either dish (besides some thinly sliced scallion garnishing), and the meat to noodle ratio seemed smaller than other Japanese noodle spots around Boston. Would recommend coming once for the experience and vibes but probably won't be returning soon. read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - Cold spicy beef soba (front). Hot beef sukiyaki soba (back). - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Somenya is a cozy and beautifully decorated spot serving a variety of Japanese dishes The in-house made soba noodles had a great texture that paired well with the fresh salmon ikura (roe) and uni (sea urchin). The broth was so refreshing with hints of yuzu, and I personally prefer the texture of the soba cold rather than hot 100%! The roast duck soba (hot) broth also had hints of yuzu that I enjoyed, and I liked the texture of roasted buckwheat on top. The duck itself was super tender and juicy Although I overall enjoyed the curry beef udon, the texture of the udon was a little too soft for me. I think I would've preferred the curry chicken udon for more texture I definitely would go back to try their other udon and cold soba dishes, but 1000% would order the soba ice cream everytime I LOVED the roasted buckwheat on top of the ice cream and the ice cream itself has such a unique roasted buckwheat after taste that is so surprising and pleasant. I recommend it to anyone that visits here! read more

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Overall: what a cute little spot in Chinatown! It doesn't have much seating and thankfully wasn't too packed when I went but the food hits the spot at a reasonable price. Food: having tried the sansai soba and the spicy beef soba both cold I would personally recommend the sansai soba even though it's lighter on flavor. The wasabi and nagaimo mix gives off the refreshing soba salad vibe without being empty like a salad. The spicy beef was a bit reserved on the spiciness and the little broth it did have wasn't extremely beefy. Ambience/Decor/Service: I can not get over how cute the decorations organization etc that this place does. The bowls are also super with the theme being almost DIY earthenware/ pottery. Service was exceptional allowing for my friend and I to have a conversation uninterrupted while being available if we did need something. read more

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Thought this place was great. Good service, cute atmosphere, and food was delicious! I got the beef sukiyaki udon read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - Beef sukiyaki udon - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Somenya is a Japanese soba/udon restaurant situated on a corner lot of Hudson Street and Kneeland Street and in the heart of Chinatown, Boston. Parking is challenging for this area, even on a weeknight but we managed. If you're willing to pay, there will be plenty of parking lots in the area and short distance walk. It is easily accesible by the T as well, and you can get off at the Chinatown train stop or New England Medical Center stop. The restaurant is basement level. Upon entering, you forget you're in Chinatown Boston. I love the cutesy Japanese themed decor, pink cherry blossoms trees, colorful Japanese banners and straw paper umbrellas that drop from the ceiling. My family went on a week night after work and it was still a 20 minutes wait for a table of four. I would say that a table of two will be seating faster. I don't recommend large groups. For appetizers, we ordered the salmon niguri from the Fresh Sashimi of the Day. Four pieces of salmon adorned with a delicate purple flower. We also ordered the spicy salmon tartare, which had a spicy kick. It was topped with salmon roe. We also ordered the salmon yamakake which was cubes of salmon served in a shoyu sauce and with grated Japanese yam on top. If you have never had Japanese yam, when chopped or grated, it gives of a slimy liquid. It doesn't have strong taste by any means. Another thing to be aware of is the little side of grated wasabi, something you should be aware of. I enjoyed all three salmon appetizers and will order again. The final appetizer we tried was the chicken yakitori, which came with two skewers. No complaints. For mains, we ordered the curry katsu don, the beef sukiyaki udon, and the spicy cold beef udon. All three were delicious. I actually prefer this texture udon over the thick noodle versions. I would like to try some more variations during another visit. Definitely go with the flavor profile and noodle you prefer. I'll definitely be heading back and as well as recommending friends. See my pictures! Happy eating! read more

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New food spot alert in Chinatown! You enter and step down to a cute soba spot heavily decorated in rays of color from the flower to hanging stringed designs. I had called prior and they had mistaken the time I was coming in so it took some time to be seated. However, it is a smaller restaurant probably seating 20-30 max. My friend has celiac so we had to make sure it was GF and at first they explained to us they would have to check with the kitchen to see if they could make hers separately and they were able to accommodate her needs which was great because. I got the beef sukiyaki and the meat and broth were delicious. The bowl was huge so I felt like there was a good amount of soba, beef and lots of broth. Bowls were priced at $20 which in my opinion is not too bad but definitely a bit higher than other noodle spots. Check it out and get yourself some boba tea after or sing your heart out at KTV studio which is right across the street! read more

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I enjoyed the hot soba with tempura. We also had tempura appetizer which came with four pieces and mayo sauce, which was good and salmon sashimi which was not worth it (4 pieces for $12). Service was good and all of the tables were full on a Friday night. read more

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Incredibly adorable small Japanese spot with fantastic Udon and Don bowls. Took my daughter here last night and was very impressed and happy with the meal. read more

Finally more options in Chinatown besides hotpot and boba! SPACE: Just a down a few flight of stairs, the space very welcoming with florals and tea lights. There are not too many tables as space is small so it may be hard to come with a large group. FOOD: As a soba restaurant, there are a lot of soba options but they also have udon and rice bowls. The duck soba was very delicious - duck was super smokey and there were quite a few pieces. We ordered the fried oysters as an app. The oysters were nicely coated and battered. SERVICE: The staff was nice and attentive. There was an issue with the credit card reader but it was quickly resolved. read more

Somenya - Soba restaurant - Duck soba - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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A great find. It's now one of my favorite places to eat in Boston. The soba, udon, and donburi choices on the menu are pretty extensive and creative. So many things to try! I had the salmon and salmon eggs with the cold soba and it was delicious and refreshing. We also had the chicken curry donburi which was made with chicken karaage. That was very tasty and cozy - hit the spot! The beef sukiyaki udon noodle bowl was also very flavorful and delicious. Service is very friendly and the place is decorated nicely for a nice Japanese vibe. It's not a big place so there'll probably be a wait. Worth it! read more

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Went on a not so busy Thursday afternoon after finding this spot on TikTok. I ordered a soba and appetizer. Maybe I'm not a big fan of soba so that's fault on my part but it was just decent. Service was super slow. Ambiance is cozy. read more

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It's on the side of China town. Very hidden, but once u are inside. You will love the atmosphere and the food! I felt like I am in Japan while eating there. We got a lot of foods. The beef hot ramen was incredible, it is savory, our party love this dish the most out of 4. The duck after taste was too sickly for my personal reference. The server was super nice. She makes sure that we all have our dishes at the same time, Andddd our cups are refilled regularly. Will be back to try different dish. read more

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I was very excited to hear that Boston opened a Soba noodle place since I just came back from a trip to Japan. The decoration of this place is beautiful and it definitely gives it a cozy feel. The service was overall decent, although the restaurant is small, I think they may need another server since the host was busy bussing tables as well and we had to track down someone to take our order. The food was overall okay. I was not impressed, I thought other Japanese restaurants in Bostons are better for some of the dishes. Here are my thoughts for each dish I ordered: Toro sashimi-- The cuts were thick. It was delicious. I mean it's fatty tuna, you cannot go wrong with it. Koji Fried Chicken-- They nailed it with the flavor. The only con was that it was not crispy enough. Grilled Lamb chops-- This was very sad. Both pieces are missing some parts of the meat, I felt like someone took a piece from each of them. If you had lamb chops, you know the shape of it and that it is rounded at the top with meat and not in some weird shape. Th flavor was not that good anyways. Total miss. Salmon Ikura Soba-- The soba noodles are very grainy compared to what I've had. It was a bit too al dente and may need a bit more cooking time. I wish they provided grated radish to go with the dipping sauce, it will help cut a bit of the sweetness and give it a slight kick and depth to the dipping sauce. The salmon sashimi on it was fresh and the Ikura were good too. Kimchi Beef Soba-- This is honestly better than the cold soba noodles. Soup was slightly sweet and tangy from the kimchi. For some reason the flavor of the dish reminded me of a Vietnamese dish. I added some of the red pepper powder to give it some heat. read more

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Came here at 12pm when they opened and the restaurant was already packed! They started a wait list just 15 minutes after opening. Service was super slow, considering the restaurant was packed right when it opened. Definitely a beautifully decorated Japanese restaurant that takes you somewhere else when you step inside! Wonderful ambiance and friendly staff. There's nothing quite like this elsewhere in Chinatown so I'm very happy to see something new and innovative! They serve hot noodles and cold noodles either udon or soba. They were out of udon noodles when they opened so we all got soba noodles. * Salmon ikura cold soba noodles ($26 ) * Sounds super delicious but I am thoroughly dissatisfied. The entire dish for the price I received 4 thin slices of salmon sashimi and a handful of ikura. The majority of the dish was just the cold noodles and it comes with a side of cold dipping broth that tasted like watered down soy sauce. It really didn't taste like anything? It tasted healthy and refreshing because there was absolutely no seasoning or flavor. But honestly for the price I will never get this again and I don't recommend. * Spicy beef cold soba noodles ($20) * Not spicy at all. Beef was a little dry. This didn't come with any broth at all so it was a little dry and cold and exactly what it looks like. Overall maybe I am just not a fan of the cold noodles but they were almost flavorless and tasted super clean and healthy. I would come again to try the hot noodles instead, hopefully that's better. read more

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My friend came early to order while I was running late, but the food took longer to arrive even though we were the only customers. I arrived 15 minutes late, and my friend arrived half an hour early; I still needed to wait another 20 minutes just for the appetizer to arrive. The fried squid and peppers are well-seasoned and crispy. The soba was okay, but the portion seemed smaller than my first time trying it. It is nothing extraordinary; it's just comfort food with a cute interior design. read more

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Came across Somenya while searching for food around the area and was excited to try out this new spot in Chinatown. The decor is very inviting and warm, and the service was friendly. Unfortunately, we were disappointed by the food. While we enjoyed the broths and toppings (I got the roast duck), we found the texture of the soba noodles to be lacking. There were clumps of soba stuck together in my bowl, and it felt like the toppings to noodles ratio was off. I didn't end up finishing because it wasn't enjoyable to eat the noodles on their own. I'm open to giving their udon or rice bowls another try, but for a soba restaurant, I would expect better. read more

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How had I never heard of this place ?!?!?! Great stuff. Freshly fried karaage, handmade somen and udon.. I'll be back. They need a bigger place, it's packed. read more