Picked this restaurant for a special occasion to go somewhere more fancy than usual. It didn't…read moredisappoint. It's a fairly small dining area but upscale and has an intimate atmosphere. They give you the little shrunken hand towels for your table. They have a range of appetizers that are unique; I like that their menu has things you don't see everywhere. We ordered pickled vegetables which were interesting, and the wasabi shumai (I recommend this - shumai but with a kick). We ordered 5 rolls which is a good amount for two. Their signature roll is delicious and comes with a sauce that adds some sweetness and flavor compared to soy sauce. The other rolls were also very tasty, and inventive. I don't remember the names but you can't go wrong. The fish is high quality, melt-in-your-mouth. I would certainly come back here for other occasions. Prices are a little higher than other places I go but I was looking for a nicer experience.

Nice if dated interior…read more Nice servers but they are not in synch with each other. Two waiters asked me if I wanted to order a drink in 30 seconds I told one of them I wanted hot tea at the end of my meal, but it never happened. Ice water is ridiculous in the winter, and it's also disgusting with germs. I got you nice salmon, teriyaki lunch, special, which comes with two things that need to be dipped, but no sauce for them. Comes with broccoli and carrot that needs to be cut, but no knife. Carrot was not quite cooked. Soup and salad were good. Salmon dinner was excellent. Prices are decent. This could be a great restaurant if they would pay attention.

Got out for lunch at Fuji in Newton, MA. Pictured here is the lunch bento box for $23. Absolutely…read morescrumptious meal with large pieces of wild caught salmon. The salmon was cooked to perfection ... temperature (moist) and flavors (delicious). The dining room was bright and clean as was the restroom. Our waiter Steven was great and checked on us often. We got in just before the lunch crowd.

Delicious food, well seasoned, good service - friendly and prompt. Nice outdoor seating too, with…read morelights and umbrellas. They're also very knowledgeable and accommodating with allergies. Only reason this got a 4 instead of 5: First, prices are very high. Second, the chicken dish was too spicy and parts of it (mostly edges) were barely warm.

This is my second time here and I still love it. Will recommend to reserve a table if you have a…read moreparty of more than 2 as the space is limited. However, I haven't seen people wait too long. I love the options and sushi is very fresh. The ramen is also delicious. The staff is friendly and efficient. The sake selection is great and the price is affordable. I highly recommend to come back to this place if you want an affordable yet quality sushi experience.

I feel like Chiharu is a bit of a hidden gem! Despite its unassuming exterior, I was pleasantly…read moresurprised with how nice my food was. We came on a weeknight and easily snagged seats. The hostess was very kind and accommodating. I have high suspicions this place is owned by Chinese people based on some clues, such as Chinese style noodles on the ramen menu and steamed pork buns as an appetizer. We got the beef noodle soup which was excellent (albeit not expected in a Japanese restaurant!). It was actually a little spicy. Came with lots of beef and a flavorful and rich broth. We got two of the special rolls, Kiss of Fire and (I think) Torched Yellowtail, which were both tasty. No complaints there! For our appetizer we got sashimi salad, composed of strips of several kinds of raw fish (salmon, tuna, white tuna, yellowtail) and some surimi and avocado on top of a bed of greens. There was a ponzu like sauce on the side. Although fresh and not bad tasting, I think this was a bit plain. Overall though, the prices and vibes were good and I'd come back!

Celebrated a dear friend's birthday here. Planned a little surprise for him for them to bring out a…read morebirthday dessert fruit tart that we had brought over earlier and they brought it out after we finished dinner and it all worked out well! We ordered a few each of the yakitori skewers - chicken thigh, breast, lamb chop, zucchini, eggplant. The hubs got the spicy salmon sushi, I got the veggie katsu curry and friend got the pork ramen bowl. Food was good, and service was good too! We sat by the cool art wall. Overall good experience here!

Yakitori liver (5) was lovely and creamy. Tori jiro roll…read more(24) was a little salty and not really very special -- could've been crispier. For the price, I'd skip this Curry ramen (16+4 for karaage) had great rich broth and generous noodles and toppings. The noodles weren't amazing, but it was quite filling for the price. This would be fine if you lived in the area, but not worth a special visit.

First time here and it was great! We did the AYCE all-you-can-eat on a Monday (they only do it…read moreMonday and Tuesdays) - got there around 7:30p and even though it was very full, we got seated quickly with a table for 3. It's $50 for the regular AYCE or $80 for the Premium AYCE. We opted for the former, and it was plenty great. We have done lots of AYCE sushi and I will say this is the BEST of them - I think it's because it's the same grade sushi as they would normally do Ala carte on other nights. The $50 menu had plenty of sashimi and regular nigiri (sushi with rice) options and some Thai too. We had mostly the sashimi Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail, Octopus, a few rolls, some edamame, gyoza, shumai. My favorites were the salmon, as the cuts were large, thick and amazing silky, and the gyoza, as it was perfectly crispy. The Pad Thai was bit way too sweet for my taste - a skip for me next time. The decor is very nice - reminded me of a dive Tokyo bar. Service was quick and very attentive. We will be back!

Have been hearing about their Mon & Tue AYCE, so went on to try it a month or so ago. With what…read moreseems to be a recent price increase, now $50++ allows access to a good variety of sushi/sashimi, on top of apps, ramen, poke bowls, and cooked rice/noodle dishes. Whereas $80++ offers diners a set of amount of uni, plus unlimited amount of everything else, wagyu included. Sounds like a good deal, especially when one can eat a lot. Even as we are no longer Team Eat Till You Burst, we went for the premium, mainly for the nicer cuts such as toro and wagyu, and because uni!! Jumping in shortly after 5pm, we were promptly seated, marked a bunch of stuff on paper, and soon after submission, we got food brought to our table. It was a decent meal overall, so why 3 stars? Let's recap. Menu variety is fantastic, though of course we didn't get "one of everything", coz that's simply impossible. While the premium did cover a lot of grounds, it would have been nice if they also included anago (sea eel) which is currently only available on the a la cart menu, and maybe even offer couple lesser-known items such as monk fish liver app, sea grapes, off-the-beaten-path fish cuts, what have you. Would be happy even if we only get an allotment of those like we do with the uni. Now, service - great overall. Servers circulated around and were alert of customers' needs. Approached at appropriate times to take our order sheets, refill water, provide new order sheets, and ask if we wanted more food. So kudos on that. Their denotation of serving "regular portion" of cooked food had us hesitant in ordering, since we didn't want to be wasteful (or use our limited stomach space for dishes we can easily get elsewhere). But from other tables' orders as well as the one noodle dish that we ended up getting, it seems that the portion size was what I would like to see at AYCE places -- about 50-60% of regular Asian dish size, where 3-4 people can each have a couple bites "just to try". However, to think if that is what they call "regular portion", then it is definitely "Brookline pricing" on a la carte, which I would not recommend one to do such things on these items. Food is fantastic in general; we got a variety of stuff, and everything was really of top quality and taste. The meal would have been a "highly recommended" if they didn't serve the uni that we got. Out of the 12 pcs of uni sushi, all of them were... while not "foul" to a point where one cannot safely consume, they were definitely more sub-par than "ok but not great". Colors aside (which I understand there can be a range depending on origins and such), the uni was a "splat" of yellow stuff on rice, without distinct shape of the flesh. On top of the fishy smell (I'm talking about slightly ammonia-ish), the presentation and taste-texture upon them hitting our tongues... really left the ENTIRE room to be desired. In retrospect, we should have sent them back even if they weren't going to replace them. But instead, we stupidly forced ourselves to shove them all down in cowardly silence, then ordered another round of wagyu just to make us feel a little better about it. Yes, we weren't smart as customers. But if the restaurant is going to charge $100++ per person (after tax and tip), someone from the kitchen should have known better than pushing this thing out for customers to deal with. In their defense, yes, the uni itself was still "edible" in a sense that it didn't make us sick, but I'd maintain that better judgment should have been made. Once the shell was cracked open and you see this pale-gray yellow mush, it should have been decided that it is better repurposed, than be served straight to your customers as your star/featured product. As seen in other diners' experiences, it could just have been a one-off mishap, so I'm not knocking them entirely. But I do hope the restaurant would improve on their QC accordingly. It was such a disappointing low point in an otherwise wonderful meal.

Our entire experience was fantastic - we had the tasting experience and our server Dan made sure we…read morehad everything we needed to enjoy our meal and drinks! Food, delicious. Ambiance, fantastic...service, impeccable ‍

the food was beyond amazing! def out go to spot for nice dinners. Our server dan was super helpful,…read moreand timely with his service. the experience is one worth repeating!

Cute spot out in Newton, usually pretty busy and they've been around for quite some time so overall…read morethey are doing something right! We had about a 20-30 min wait for a table and explored the area and shops on the block while we waited. When we got seated we cruised the menu and ordered the following: APPETIZERS - chicken karaage - our order came with crispy chicken however lacked seasoning and was a bit over cooked and dry. - okonomiyaki-styled tater tots - the BEST appetizer we ordered, needed a pinch of salt, but flavor wise with the bonito flakes and sauce it was a hit! - green papaya salad this needed more seasoning, mortared herbs and chilis maybe tomatoes and garlic. Pass next time. RAMEN - miso ramen for the kiddo and she enjoyed it. She can't eat spicy so this was a very mild ramen. Didn't think the miso flavor came thru but she enjoyed it. - spicy miso ramen the lady got this one and i tried a some, the broth was lacking a bit of depth today. It's not spicy so normally I'd say even the non-spicy crowd probably would be able to handle it. The broth just tasted more watery was looking for the punch of flavor. Now the noodles were chewy and had great bounce to them, the char siu pork cuts were tender and melt in your mouth! - chef's ultra ramen - this broth definitely was the better broth out of all the ramens in my opinion with plenty of proteins and more depth of flavor, umami, smokiness, smelled great too. - spicy tan tan the brother got this one, it's typically what i would normally go for, he enjoyed it, not too spicy either, could use some more crunchy garlic with the chili oil. Overall would come back to give it another go, perhaps the heavy dinner rush some things got lost in the cooking on certain dishes.

Very tiny ramen shop! Expect a slight wait if you're coming…read morefor dinner. We visited around 6:30pm and experienced a 15-20 min wait for a table for 4. Walk-ins only, no reservations. They have the option of take out too! We got a couple appetizers to try & each got a different ramen. Here's what we ordered: APPETIZERS - chicken karaage - okonomiyaki-styled tater tots - green papaya salad RAMEN - miso ramen - spicy miso ramen - chef's ultra ramen - spicy tan tan ramen Thoughts: I thought the appetizer portions were pretty generous! A lot more than we were all expecting. I was pretty much already full before the ramens came out. Wasn't a big fan of the green papaya salad. It was missing some flavor. We all thought that it would be better if it had some tomatoes & garlic. Didn't seem like they used a mortar to ground the aromatics or anything, since the sauce just tasted like fish sauce and lime. The chicken karaage was okay. Wish there was more sauce to dip the chicken with. Chicken was also on the drier side. The tater tots were the best appetizer of the three we ordered, IMO. If you like takoyaki balls, you'll like this because it has similar sauces + bonito flakes. Ours needed some salt though. As for the ramens, I personally had the spicy miso ramen. It was missing a lot of depth in the broth that I would've liked to see (& taste). I didn't taste any miso to be honest. Salt was needed too. The highlights for the ramen were the chashu & corn. I loved that they used fresh corn! The chashu had the perfect amount of fattiness & almost melted in my mouth. The noodles were nice and chewy. The broth was just disappointing though. For the other ramens, everyone enjoyed the one they ordered. I tried a little of the chef's ultra ramen & the broth was much better than my spicy miso. Btw, the spicy miso ramen is not spicy at all for anyone who is hesitant & cannot do overly spicy foods. The food was a bit disappointing for me. I came in with high expectations with all the good reviews I read beforehand. Not terrible but not great.

The most incredible Japanese restaurant I've ever been to…read more The food is superb. First quality. The service is kind, attentive, genuine. Although perfectly pleasant, physically it's clean and well cared for yet nothing to get excited about. But if you're seeking the best food and service in the Boston area please don't walk...Run...!

I liked to gate keep this place since it is so good! The sushi is always beyond fresh which is what…read moremakes me come back! It is very small in there but they make it work with the space they have. The sushi came out super fast and was extremely fresh. If you are looking for a local spot with really quality sushi, I would definitely stop by to dine in or take out!

The diningroom was. Right with front windows. The entry at was broken off from the main dining…read moreroom. It reminded me of Japan with wall escentuated by wooden strips. They have banners with Japanese symbols adjacent to the sushi bar. I had the udon with mixed vegetables and chicken. Yum. I wish I had more of it. I like to try some of the other items on the menu so I will have to return.

High quality sushi spot serving great fish in a welcoming setting…read more Foods: I've ordered pick up a number of times and the Sushi for 2 Combo has been such a treat and consistently good. All of the rolls and nigiri are prepared very well and the unique fish flavors really come through. Service: The front of house is always super pleasant and the speed of the kitchen staff astound me. I ordered pickup around early dinner and they had my order ready in almost 10 minutes. Not only was the dining area filled seated there were piles of pickup orders beside mine. Atmosphere: The interior is super clean with pleasant light wood furnishing and the chefs station could be watched from all tables.

Went at 5pm on Wednesday. Quiet, intimate and limited menu.....which was what made it so…read morespectacular. Simple menu and very warm quiet service, unless you actually wanted to converse with the server and sushi chef.....and then it became almost like taking to longtime friends. Great quality fish. We had the wagyu special hand roll.....melt in your mouth richness. I was very surprised by the ikura. They were perfect firm spheres of salty richness.......I am so used to the added sweetness of ikura at other places that I forgot how much I liked salmon roe. The crispy hamachi crude was also amazing. The food was served one by one, gently placed in front of us by the lone sushi chef, almost omakase style. The toro was veru good as well as the scallop. I definitely plan on returning.

Lab 13 Handroll Bar feels built around a single idea: serving hand rolls at the exact moment they…read moreare meant to be eaten. The restaurant is small, intimate, and centered entirely around counter seating, creating an experience where guests sit directly across from the chefs as each roll is prepared and handed over one by one. There is a minimalist quality to the space that keeps the focus on the food, while the compact layout gives it an atmosphere that feels more like a traditional sushi bar than a typical Boston restaurant. We ordered takeout for this visit, which is also an option, and the build your own format gives you flexibility to customize your order while still providing a decent amount of meat per roll. The hand rolls are naturally the main attraction, with an emphasis on fresh fish, balanced rice, and crisp nori served immediately after assembly. Hamachi, bluefin toro, spicy yellowtail, snow crab, bay scallop, and eel are among the offerings, each highlighting the quality of the seafood without relying on excessive sauces or toppings. The bluefin toro roll is especially memorable for its rich texture, while the hamachi showcases the clean flavors that define much of the menu. For those looking beyond the traditional selections, specialty rolls and premium additions such as A5 wagyu provide a more indulgent side of the experience. The set menus are particularly appealing, offering a chance to sample a range of rolls while showcasing the variety of fish and textures that make hand roll focused dining so enjoyable. That said, not everything landed equally. We did not enjoy the scallops, which lacked flavor and felt rubbery in texture. The salmon also stood out as unremarkable, essentially just chunks of salmon sashimi without the thoughtful preparation or seasoning that made the other rolls memorable. For a restaurant built around fresh ingredients and precise execution, those two items fell short of the standard set by the toro and hamachi. What makes Lab 13 stand out is how focused it remains on doing one thing exceptionally well. Rather than offering an expansive sushi menu, the restaurant embraces the hand roll format and builds the entire experience around freshness, timing, and simplicity. When it hits the right notes, which it does more often than not, it delivers the kind of meal that reminds you why this format works so well in the first place.