We went for dinner, interesting decor, A/C was broken-very hot, small tables, uncomfortable barstool chairs, no padding no back support, we waited over an hour to get served after we ordered, were never asked if we wanted more drinks. The sushi rolls were fresh and tasty, but the unacceptable wait-time and poor service would discourage us from going again.
(2)
Corinne-Marie G.
Though the place was nice, our waiter was good, the prices were reasonable. I definitely see room for improvement. I wasn't impressed with the sushi/sashimi part of the menu. I expected to see more choices for cooked and raw rolls. There wasn't much variety and creativity. The rolls I ordered looked nice, but one was some what sour. My miso soup was nice and hot and yummy. My ginger margarita was very good and well made. I will go again if in that area and want sushi near the House of Blues, but I hope additions are made to the sushi/ sashimi part of the menu.
(3)
Elizabeth H.
Located in the heart of Fenway, this is the closest sushi place to my office and as a result head in occasionally. The atmosphere is nice: very high ceilings, nice booths and a long bar. While the atmosphere is really nice, the food is not the best for the price paid. Service can be slow even if it isn't too busy. The ramen was not too flavorful but the rolls are good for lunch. For the price, though, I'd prefer to walk down the road to Fins.
(3)
Jeannie D.
Yes this place is on the pricey side but normal compared to the usual Fenway standards. We tried different sushi rolls, yaki udon, and some desserts. The sushi was pretty good and fresh but the noodles were just normal. We ordered green tea fried ice cream and chocolate lava cake and it took a while for it to get to our table. The fried ice cream was eh because of the extra red beans they added and the chocolate lava cake was extra small for the price. Service was pretty good other than the dessert taking a long time - no other problems.
(3)
Sandra C.
Fine dining SERIOUSLY. Parking is always hard to find in this area, so the best way to get here is probably cabbing it or taking some public transportation. Walking in was kind of like walking into a nightclub. I feel like there's also A LOT more waitstaff than it is necessary, but that never hurts, because that just means that the service is really good. Went with a whole bunch of friends, which is the BEST because I get to sample their food! 1) OYSTERS on shell from raw bar: really good, but a little overpriced for three little morsels of goodness. 2) KOBE BEEF STEW: can you ever go wrong with Kobe beef? That's top grade beef yo! In a stew, it was even better, and the broth that came with this had a kick of flavor. I approve. I suggest you split this with someone, because it's extremely filling. 3) SEAFOOD KAIYAKIi: !!!!!!!! I LOVED THIS. It was AWESOME. Cooked really well and I wanted more. I actually want some right now just thinking about it. 4) STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE: It looks SO PRETTY. Tasted pretty too. 5) BANANA TEMPURA: I actually wish I ordered this instead of my strawberry cream cake. This is just right for a dessert when you're already full, but you still want to snack on something sweet. The good thing about all the sushi rolls is that you don't really need soy sauce to mix with each piece. The sushi has enough taste by itself...just the right crisp and niceness. So next time you have some extra cash on you, go to Basho. I'm probably not gonna come again until someone offers to pay for my meal--because I'm super cheap, but what else is new? It's a great restaurant to go to with a date.
(4)
Alicia M.
This place is huge and very pretty inside. THe staff was very good as well, but the sushi didnt stand out. It didnt make me want to come back because I didnt have anything on the menu that was different from other sushi places I have been to.
(3)
Chirag P.
This place isn't cheap, but you certainly get what you paid for. Very refined dishes, every ingredient on the plate has a purpose. Great cocktails! I especially liked the salmon fried rice, fairly good size pieces of salmon with a smokey flavor to it. I forget the name, but I had this roll which also had some mango pulp on top which had the perfect texture balances, and of course tasted great.
(4)
Michelle C.
I have gone here two weeks in a row now so I guess it's time for a good review. This place is really yummy and a slightly different twist on your typical sushi. Some different things they do to keep it interesting and delicious is using a flame torch to sear some of their sashimi as well as unique sauces and toppings which adds a nice texture to the fish. I love love love the cucumber hand rolls. But order one per person or a knife to cut it, not so share-friendly. The knife skills to make this roll happen is impressive. As a foodie, I do appreciate this and am jealous that I can't do this. Overall, I would go out of your way for this but be adventerous with your order otherwise go somewhere else that is just as fresh but cheaper.
(4)
Ariela G.
My friend who dined w/me remarked when we got seated, "I feel like I'm in Vegas". Indeed, the white lights behind the bar & thumping clubby music (started out faint & got louder throughout our Friday night dinner) do evoke a Vegas-like feel. But ambiance aside, the food was very tasty. My friend tried the Basho tasting sushi, 6 pieces of their best fish available (I think toro, salmon, yellowtail, mackarel + 2 others I couldn't remember). I had melt-in-your mouth tempura & ground chicken robata (meat grilled on a stick). Miso soup was very flavorful & we topped it off w/lava cake & cheesecake arranged like egg rolls. It was so good that when i saw that living social was running a coupon for it, it snatched it right up!
(4)
Anna I.
Boston has plenty of Japanese Restaurants. But Basho Japanese Brasserie is a breath of fresh air. Amidst the usual sushi and sashimi choices, they also have the robata grill (on skewer). Located in the recently redeveloped Fenway area (1338 Boylston St, Boston (617) 262-1338), Basho has already garnered some fans. The decor is modern and minimal. Patrons can even get free Wi-Fi. First comes the steamed bun sandwich with kurabota pork and pickled cucumber ($7.75) in bamboo steamers. The perfectly marinated pork belly and refreshing cucumber pair well with the steamed bun, but could use a bit more sauce. The Dobin Mushi soup is served in a pot with seafood and chicken ($7.50), topped with ginger slivers, which cleanse and refresh the palate. Off the Robata Grill comes one skewer each of the tsukune (the seasoned ground chicken) ($4.00) and the Spicy Duck Mushroom ($6.50).The grilled but flavorful ground chicken as well as the duck with mustard and mushroom are delectable. Their inventive makimono rolls list makes it hard for diners to choose. Green Monster Roll ($14.95) has softshell crab with spicy mayo wrapped with escolar (white tuna) with an interesting flavor twist of cilantro pesto. Their weekly special is the popular Celtics Maki burrito ($16.95), which has spicy tuna, avocado and cilantro wrapped with soy paper and seaweed, topped with unagi served with basil oil and jalopeno aioli. Brown rice can be substituted for an additional fee. For dessert, there is sorbet ($6.95) and the cheesecake harumaki ($7.95). With the colorful flavored sorbet molded in a small shape of the actual fruits (raspberry, strawberry and peach), this is the most beautifully arranged sorbet, subtle and refreshing. The harumaki is a cheesecake deep fried as an egg roll served with raspberry sauce and chocolate shavings.
(4)
molly L.
This place gets 3 stars because the food is SO GOOD, if over-priced. But for customer service they should get 0. Would that I could give the hostess negative points. We ordered through Foodler/dashed (which we do regularly to get it delivered to my office) -- Basho mixed up 2 of our Lunch specials for something very different than what we ordered (sweet potato tempura rolls swapped for sashimi plates). Totally fine, mix ups happen. But when I called to see about getting the food swapped for the right thing, the hostess was SO RUDE. She gave me serious attitude, and blamed the food delivery service, even though the restaurant is who prepares the food for pick up. She tried to insist that what we received was what we ordered (even though I was looking at the receipt), and then seemed not to understand that I wanted what was ordered, not what was delivered.
(3)
Gerardo F.
I really wish Yelp could enable people to give half stars, because Basho is really worth 3.5 stars in my opinion. Overall, it's not a bad restaurants at all. On the upside, the decoration is beautiful and amazing, the mood/atmosphere very relaxed and trendy, and the place is extremely clean. However, I do have some concerns over their food and beverages. I ordered a variety of sushi ranging from salmon to tuna to sea urchins to egg. The taste and quality ranged from amazingly good (urchins and salmons were awesome) to actually tasting weird (eggs almost tasted like cheese). I also tried a desert with tempura fried banana; nothing particularly special. Beverage-wise, they serve their drinks a little too warmly. Basho really has tons of potential. I believe that it can become a great Boston institution. But they need to improve the overall quality of their food.
(4)
Sarah P.
Creative sushi options in a posh setting. I was particularly drawn to the rolls combining sweet potato and eel, which they had a few. The spicy yellowtail was very yummy and a bit lighter than your traditional tuna. They also had quite a few vegetarian options and decent wines. The only thing I didn't love was the edamame... Am I the only one that thinks its just not the same if it doesn't come with sea salt? Oh, and the chairs weren't incredibly comfortable, but I was so distracted by the cool lighting and swanky atmosphere that I just didn't care.
(4)
Brian C.
LOVE the food, atmosphere, and aesthetics of the place. The pork buns are to die for and the rolls are exquisite. Quality is an A+. I brought my gf here after work one day and was seated near the window near bar area. The waiter completely forgot about half of our order and turned our hour dinner into a 2 hour dinner there. Further, when I attempted to just ask for the check and cancel an order I placed, the older asian woman (manager or hostess?) took the plate in the back, asked one of the staff what to do with it, waited about 5 minutes and brought it BACK to my table, saying it was a fresh handroll. DO NOT INSULT me, by bringing back the SAME handroll that has been sitting in the kitchen, and saying it was a new one "on the house." Lord knows what she might have done with it when she brought it back to the kitchen because I was unpleased with the service already.. Oh, and she never apologized once that the original order never came..isn't that customer service 101? I must say however, every other time I have come here, it has been great. Although a little over priced. You get what you pay for I guess, unless you get overcharged for a bad waiter and poor experience.
(2)
Lori J.
I have been to most Sushi restaurants in the area. Basho is consistently good. The service is always friendly and efficient. Lots of seating and hardly ever a wait. Must try the Celtics Maki or The Green Monster Roll. The cocktails never disappoint. People have written that this place is expensive, you get what you pay for when it comes to quality sushi!! Give Basho a try!!
(4)
Kaori S.
Admittedly, I'm a snob about Japanese food because... well, I'm Japanese. But this is the food I love and know best so I hope this review helps. Here we go! *puts on monocle* Rolls: We got the Crunchy Roll and the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll - both tasty. That doesn't mean much because you could roll up some old ass salmon or tuna and I wouldn't be able to gauge its freshness. All of the sauces, dressings, vegetables, fruits, tempura, panko, and crumbly-whatnots tend to cover the fish inside and, personally, that's what I'm most interested in. The presentation of the rolls were great. The texture, taste, and form of the rice were pleasin'. If you are most interested in rolls when you go out to eat sushi, I would recommend the two we had. Sashimi: In my opinion, sashimi is the true test of the quality of sushi. We ordered squid and sweet shrimp. Something I learned from my father about the freshness of squid is that the clearer and less opaque/white it is, the better. The texture is hard to explain but it should be kind of slippery? Well, the squid and sweet shrimp were disappointing - mediocre, I would say. The presentation was nice but there's only so much cutting and shaping of lemon peels and cucumbers you can do for a gal who likes her raw seafood. I would much rather have higher quality sushi on a plain plate than a carnival with some fish on top, especially for Basho's price. Service: Ibina (sp?) was our waitress and she was very helpful. She suggested the rolls to us and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. She knew exactly what sashimi were and were not out of stock, which made ordering quick and easy. Thanks, Ibina! To sum this place up in a nutshell... Basho tries too hard. If a restaurant is going to put up a front that it's fancy and posh (seriously, it's called a "Brasserie"), then it's food better be up to par as well. Japanese people love their presentation but none of that matters if the food is just "meh." But if you like eating slightly overpriced rolls to deep house music and fun lights, then please try Basho.
(3)
Hillary C.
When i first saw a GROUPON for this restaurant i was very excited to use it for a free sushi meal. Turns out the place is so expensive that even with a groupon worth $40 i still had to shell out like $30 for a small dinner that was not even that great. The soft shell crab was definately the star of the show, while the catipillar roll looked shviveled up and pathetic, as the torched yellowtail that the waitress reccommended was bland and overly cooked. We also ordered a duck appetizer that was too salty. The atomosphere was very nice and trendy with friendly waitresses but for the price of okay sushi, it is not worth it.
(3)
Giovanna D.
Love all the special rolls! And they are on living social and groupon fairly often. The renovation is looking great as well ! Go basho!
(4)
Chris C.
I work across the street from here and none of my coworkers have ever said anything good about this place and now I know why. Went here because of a Groupon and the proximity to my work. The first warning sign should have been when I called ahead to ask what the deal with the garage parking was on Red Sox nights. They gave a half answer of there some spaces, but no guarantees. I didn't find this very reassuring and it ended up not mattering because the game got rained out. Once I sat down with my friends we were all impressed with the menu. Everything sounded really interesting and the variety of things available was impressive. The prices were pretty high, but we were hoping quality would make up for that. So we began to order and were shocked to find out how unbelievably tiny the portions were. We ordered the edamame with lime which was tasty, but probably was only enough for 2 people to share not a whole table. We also got the kobe beef skewers which were good, but at almost $7 per skewer I was horrified. The worst part being there were like 2 tiny pieces of beef on a skewer maybe topping out at 3 oz total. I could get an entire kobe steak for way less that tastes even better at a lot of other places. We also had the crispy shrimp which again was tiny and expensive. The last thing we got was the scallop kaiyaki which ended up tasting off. Either they didn't use good scallops or the sauce they used made them taste funky. The drink menu was pretty limited and the drinks we all had were unimpressive. So since the place is wicked expensive, has so-so service and the portions are tiny I would definitely skip this place in the future.
(2)
Aaron T.
I live a few blocks away, and have been excited about Basho from the moment I saw it under construction. Sleek, upscale sushi. Right? The place is cavernous, great decor and atmosphere. I ate outside, under the recently-added awning, which was comfortable and spacious. They have a lunch special, so I ordered the Makimono along with seaweed salad and hot tea, and my wife had the bento box with beef and California rolls. The seaweed salad was good: a tad overdressed, but sizable portion and beautiful presentation. The hot green tea was nothing to write home about. Then our entrees came out -- and the real disappointment began. The rolls were clearly not very well wrapped, falling apart before we even touched them. My lunch special included cucumber, tuna, and California rolls. They were all completely flavorless! This was especially surprising for the tuna rolls, which had quite a bit of meat. Easily the most disappointing maki I've had in Boston. My wife's beef roll at least had some flavor, but she was also underwhelmed. The service was OK, if a bit disorganized. Even ordering the cheaper items off the lunch menu, with tip we paid almost $40. The food might have been passable at half that price. Look elsewhere.
(2)
Jill F.
I want to like this. I really do. Fenway has become a fabulous (wait is this a fabulous thing?) over-commercialized area with new bars, restaurants and cafe's in all under 3 years. My roommates and I had a coupon so we decided to come. I really don't feel like reviewing this place but I must say, Don't waste your money....I felt like going to Fugakyu anyday over this place. Okay so the environment WANTs to be like a NYC sushi bar. But people, look around you're at the Fenway! There are boozing Red Sox fans. The waitresses were nice, but college girls who obviously just don't care. I also managed to have my water spilled all over me by the poor waitress (I don't really care but I'm guessing this doesn't happen at Fugakyu) Anyhoo. Just, I mean, If you're absolutely STRANDED in Fenway and you NEED sushi, this would be good. Or if you work near by and you want to mix up your lunch dates. But seriously, get you're butt on the train and go elsewhere. Did you really want to eat sushi in a fancy bar next to a tourist in a Red Sox shirt on you're next date? I didn't think so. Try harder gents, try harder.
(2)
Jo T.
Ate at the bar before a Red Sox game. Service was quick. Sushi had both traditional and modernized items. Really impressed with the quality of the fish. I also had the grilled shishito peppers, which were deliciously basted with balsamic vinegar. Sapporo on draft, a rarity, was awesome. Love the fact that you can get brown rice to go with the nigiri and maki.
(5)
Andrew M.
We came here with a Groupon to get some sushi, and were absolutely blown away by how fresh everything was. We got the large sushi tray for two people and it was just one delicious piece of fish after another. I had been getting tired of sushi after going to several places in the Greater Boston area that just left a bad taste in my mouth after eating not-so-fresh fish. But this place definitely left me hungry for more! I can't say anything about the other parts of the menu, but the sushi is the best I've had so far in Boston! (other than Privus possibly, but that's closed)
(5)
Jamie G.
The restaurant definitely has cool ingredients for their Japanese dishes, but it is so very expensive. I am glad it's on open table and that I was able to use a groupon to try to it out. But I probably won't be back here anytime soon. We decided to split a bunch of different appetizers... Crispy shrimp - delicious, with a creamy, spicy sauce Scallop kaiyaki- diced scallops with shredded carrots and other ingredients baked. it was WAY too fishy tasting for me. couldnt finish it, which was practically a sin because it's so expensive Edamame with salt and lime- good, but a small portion for $4.75 Kobe beef skewers- delicious, but tiny, and each one was $6.75. OUCH! Garden roll0 delicious- with avocado, cucumber, carrot, asparagus and tomato. and for a drink, I had the Japanese version of a mojito, a Yuzuhito, but it tasted just like a plain ole mojito to me. All in all, I wasn't impressed. For less money and/or way bigger portions, I would think about coming back, but as it stands, I probably won't. Sorry Basho, you're just not doing it for me.
(3)
Ang Y.
I had a horrible experienc.e i bought a livingsocial deal for this place. I felt like they treated me differently because i have a coupon. I dthink it should be better if groupon /living social don't specify that we have to show our certificate before the meal because it makes a difference. Then again, it isnt their problem , it is the restaurant's problem. They shouldn't treat their customer differently because they have a coupon. I had to write a review for basho because I have never in my life gone to a restaurant , sat down for 15 minutes I was not given a menu, nor water, and the table next to me that came after us already got their appetizer soups. Just sitting there, I tried to catch waiters with my eyes but they all seem to just walk pass us and avoided eye contact. I sat their observing and realize that the waiters that work tthere are assigned tables by row so tables not beloning to his row isnt his bussiness. They just run along and serve their own tables. After I ordered appetizer and entre, we waited at least 30 minutes after the waiter took our orders. I was so close to just leaving the place although I had a coupon but I confronted the manager , she apologized and our soup came immediately. it was on the house but I was still not too happy with the service since we were already starving by then. The setting was nice but the food quality was not good for what it is priced. One of the sushi I bit into, the rice was still raw. It is such a shame since the place looked very nice but sushi quality was not good, maybe it can fool the americans with the nice setting and fancy interior designs but all in all, iit is more important that the food is good. I will never come back to this place again. I rather pay more for better quality sushi
(1)
Kelly B.
I visited Basho several times while I was a student at Boston University. This place was a great choice for a group meal as we often did but it's atmosphere serves well for dates too. The decor is modern and romantic with lots of open space. For the food, I must say that this is the best sushi I had in the Boston area-- could almost say the best sushi I've had period. We ordered a variety of rolls and sashimi and were not disappointed. "Insultingly fresh" is how I jokingly described the sushi. As a sushi snob, I was not expecting to be so satisfied! We also ordered several items off the robata grill menu. I had never had this style of cooking and must say it was incredible. The grill brought out such immense flavors in all of the items. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Boston area looking for a nice dining experience and delicious Japanese food!
(4)
Zulu Q.
The sake selection is fantastic. The sushi...meh....
(3)
Mabel L.
When my friends tried the robata grill beef, they said that sex was occurring in their mouths, and they all were in full agreement. However, it had taken a $40 Groupon and my birthday to drag them in. The sushi and rolls here is fine, high-grade but not a shout-worthy object. The robata grill is fantastic, however. Their entrees are not as wonderful as the sushi and robata grill, so I recommend filling yourself up with those two menu items instead. And, as some other reviewers said, this place is way too much buck for the mellow 'bang'.
(3)
Vanessa M.
Over a year has passed since I last reviewed this place. I am now giving them the benefit of the doubt. I am hopeful that the staff member that made the unkind comment about gay folks is no longer working there and they have gotten up to speed with their service. The management still does not seem very welcoming, but maybe they are stressed out in a down economy? Our waitress was very nice and service speed was average. The sushi was delicious to say the least. The meal was fresh and the presentation was excellent. The prices are a bit high, but I would be more concerned if it was too cheap. The atmosphere is nice when the restaurant is full, otherwise it's like sitting in a giant warehouse. I am giving 3 stars because of the overall ambiance and experience. It still feels like a giant cafeteria.
(3)
Brian L.
Basho is the place opened by Jack from Duozo in the Fenway Area. Across from Jerry Remy's First thing that is different is the huge bar area in the very center of the place. and full floor to ceiling kick out doors so you can practically be sitting on the street. We sat at the bar , of course, and were served by Molly , who is a Duozo veteran and as expected service was excellent and the best lychee martini ever! I had 3 and could have had 5 more it is like drinking liquid love. The food is nearly exactly what you get at Duozo. Sashimi is 6 bucks for 2 pieces of say Yellowtail but you get two huge slabs of amazing fish. That and the rainbow roll and I was in Sushi heaven.This place has a grill too so try the skewers, Pork belly and asparagus. Yum. my only complaint if that the bar seats are less than comfortable, but I could never deduct points for that, everything else was amazing . I can still taste the salmon skin roll and the miso soup with plenty of seaweed.
(5)
J. W.
The atmosphere and ambiance was very chic, a great place to bring a date. As far as Boston standards for sushi go, Basho is pretty good for the price. The quality is somewhat comparable to their sister restaurant Douzo, but without the fishy smell. I've been to Basho several times now for dinner and sushi and have never been disappointed. The salmon sashimi is always fresh, soft, and delicious. On the downside, the service was extremely slow. It took over 30 minutes to get out a few rolls and nearly 15 minutes to get us the check!
(4)
Florina K.
The decor is pretty the atmosphere is good. The food is just okay for the most part. We had one good dishout of 5... Rest were just okay. The service was horrible. Our waitress said she could not validate our parking ticket, because we had to do it upfront ourselves. So we said okay and placed the ticket on the table, not to forget about it later. A few minutes later another waitress walked by and without us even adding took care of the ticket... The prices are really ridiculous as well. Good luck!
(3)
Grace R.
It was alright. A little underwhelming and overpriced I thought considering all the hype I saw others give it.
(3)
Dan G.
This is a new review. Since they have done renovations, ie made the restaurant smaller, service has got better. The bartenders are great and the front desk people are overly polite. Seems like they read YELP and learned how to do it better. Way to go Basho!! Below is my last review. I like having a sushi restaurant near my apartment. The atmosphere is really cool the sushi is decent. The price is kinda high, but then again it is a sushi joint in Boston. The service sucks! Painfully slow. I was there tonight the bar area was not busy yet it took forever to get menus. The waitress didn't even ask if we wanted drinks, that took another 5 minutes. When she dropped off our drinks again 5 minutes later she left with out asking if we wanted to order. I almost walked out. It took 15 minutes before a second waiter came by to get our order. Big shocker it took a while for the food to come. If I hadn't asked for the check right as the food came I think I would still be there right now. I wish I could say this was the first time but it's like this every time and its never been super busy there. Next time I want sushi I'm heading out of my neighborhood.
(4)
Sara L.
I think Basho is my new favorite sushi/sashimi joint. Excellent quality fish, presentation, ingenuity. Here's what I'd recommend: - The spicy ginger and garlic edamame: Holy deliciousness. If I had that sauce readily available I would be eating edamame all day every day. - Steamed bun sandwiches: Tender, delicious pork with pickled vegetables in a steamed bun? I think I just died and went to heaven. - Spicy tuna roll: A simple classic, but they really do it well here. - Lychee martini - clean, refreshing, delicious - Salmon sashimi - Really all of the sashimi I've had here has been tasty, but the salmon is just superb. There are so many other great thins on the menu here, I can't wait to go back and order new things! Basho is a little pricey, but there are a lot of great small items to order and share amongst a group. Don't hesitate to ask your server or bartender what's good - everyone who has waited on me has been knowledgeable about the menu and has recommended really tasty treats!
(5)
Patricia D.
I arrived early and started off with a good glass of Pinot Grigio. The bartender was very friendly and attractive. My friends arrived and we were seated. I ordered the seaweed salad and some kind of a roll with squid and eel and salmon roe (don't remember name). It was ok. The description had omitted the mayonnaise. The only reason I chose that roll over others was the lack of mayo in the description. Not a bad night, though. My friends like it and go often.
(3)
Kim P.
Sexy sushi. That's all I can say. Fresh sushi, didn't love the fresh tofu, but loved everything else I had. Service was not so hot, though. Our server was cold and unhelpful. Boo. However, the fact that the atmosphere is quite amazing, aided by some trippy club-y music, is enough to bring me back and not want to shoot myself for hoping to find parking in the Fenway. I think they have their own garage, if I'm not mistaken.
(4)
Ed E.
Quick review: We live around the block within a 5 min away from Basho. After passing by the place for months we finally decided to go in for lunch. I will have to say it is a very nice atmosphere and the sushi is reasonably fresh. But if I were to analyze the food critically Fins has similar quality sushi for less price. If you are a hard core sushi/sashimi enthusiast try somewhere else. If you are looking for a good bowl ramen you also have the wrong place. However, if you are looking for a chic place with atmosphere, you should consider stopping by. ----------------------- Longer comment: We came in here for lunch and ordered: 1) rainbow roll, 2) Chef's choice bento and 3) Udon noodle soup with chicken. The Rainbow roll was a good sized portion and the fish was fresh. The bento was a good portion and had plenty of variety. What I love about the menu is that they offer the choice for brown or white rice for the sushi. It was a nice touch. The Udon soup however was horrible. The noodles were overcooked and falling apart and the chicken was rubbery and over cooked. The decor was lovely, but the service was very slow. Our server was very nice, helpful with the menu and quickly came to refill our water. However, we came in for lunch at 11:30 and barely left 2 hours later. It couldn't be that they were too busy because only 1 other couple came in. It was empty otherwise and that is between 11:30-1:30pm on a Saturday. I had the feeling they were keeping us at our table near the window to make it look like the place wasn't empty. Our neighbors keep telling us it's always packed and we have to try it. We didn't want to argue because they usually are spot on with their recommendations, but most of the time we walk by it is only 1/3 full. At most we see it half full with patrons spaced out to make the restaurant look more packed. And I'm basing this observation from the face that we walk by the restaurant every day coming home from work. So unless people don't eat dinner 6-8pm the other times must be the packed times. I hope more word of mouth gets out so the place doesn't close down.
(3)
Aboud Y.
I don't know...there's lots to like about Basho. Nice space, cool vibe, good service, and excellent sushi. I tried the ChuToro, Yellow Tail, and Red Snapper nigiri, one of their special rolls (can't remember the name), and the Avalanche roll. Everything was outstanding. The rice had the right taste/texture and the fish tasted fresh. Their menu is also pretty extensive (read: tempting) and had lots of interesting choices. This is now one of my favorite sushi spots in Boston!
(4)
Holly J.
I wish I could afford to eat here every day! They have wonderful sushi - the fish is delicious and seems to be extremely fresh. I don't love salmon, but I almost always get the wild alaska sashimi when I go here because its so tasty. I'm also a fan of many of their rolls. This really is the only sushi place I go to where I regularly order salmon in anything. I'm also a huge fan of their tempura - especially the tempura cauliflower. I've tried 2 of the desserts, and the strawberry cream thing one is delicious - I would definitely recommend it! While many things on the menu are quite pricey, overall its usually not too bad when the check arrives. This is especially true if you stick to the more basic rolls (like spicy tuna). And all the staff I have interacted with have been very good. One day I'll make myself try something other than the sushi and tempura, but I have a feeling its going to be a while since I enjoy those so much!
(5)
James O.
Decent Japanese fare in a trendy joint. This review is based on two trips. The first trip I went to lunch with a friend, we tried a few of the maki and sashimi, the standout of which was a crusted sashimi, which fish it was I forgot, but it was great. Service was good, definitely no complaints, but nothing to rave about either. The second trip was for a birthday dinner of about 10 people. I don't like writing reviews based on huge group outings because I understand how much pressure it puts on the kitchen staff to crank out dishes for a large table, but still, that's the business. We were seated promptly, but it was all a bit confusing. We had two waiters working our table and I didn't know who to address, even though both were very helpful. Once we ordered the food took way too long to come out. One appetizer came out and we didn't see another dish come for a good 15 minutes, which is just awkward. This was a Thursday night and it didn't seem terribly busy, either. Once the food did make it to the table, again, no real complaints. I tried a few Robata Grill dishes, including the Tsukune ground chicken and the Japanese eggplant. These little kebab-like skewers are a fun concept and a nice change-up from standard makis and sashimi, and they are also fun to share. Overall I'd say the food here is good, not great. The restaurant itself rather spacious with modern decor, although the floor plan is a bit confusing. The height of the ceilings, spacious interior, thumping music, and colorful lights would be put to better use in a club, not a restaurant.
(3)
Adam E.
I've been wanting to try Basho for a while now, since I work near it and it's not too far from home to be out of the question. Then one day I saw that they were the featured deal on Groupon and I was in. Parking is pretty easy in the off-season, there are plenty of meters around. We did one loop around the block and found a meter right in front. I definitely wouldn't bank on that on a game day, or even when schools are in session. But if you're savvy and know the area (I spent some time around Simmons in the past, if ya know what I mean, and I think ya do), you'll be fine. The restaurant itself is large, open and airy. If not for the mindfully placed pots of bamboo sticks throughout, breaking up the space, it would feel stark. We sat in a booth that felt oversized, but not like Lily Tomlin in that huge chair. Just...roomy. I can see a space like this seeming intimidating, but I felt that it was sophisticated and approachable at once. Our waitress was knowledgeable, friendly, and very forthcoming with information about the menu items. She was not all over us, but did little things that made a difference and assured us that she was present. For instance, our tealight was out when we arrived, she took one from an empty table and put it on ours immediately. When that one went out (why can't we have nice things?!) she replaced it again, speedily. Low-sodium soy sauce is the default here, which is lovely. When our waitress presented it, she offered us the option of the regular stuff, which we declined, and christened our dipping plates with it. So the stage is set and we're looking good so far. But the food is the star, so is it Lina Lamont or Kathy Selden? Well, you see the five stars, so you already know it's Kathy! To be fair, I didn't have any raw rolls. I had my standard fallback of the Crazy Roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber & spicy mayo), along with some house specialties. The Dynamite Roll (roe, avocado, cucumber wrapped with torched spicy seafood salad and cheese) and the Dragon Roll (sweet potato tempura wrapped with eel, avocado, touch of unagi sauce). Don't judge me, I was sharing. Well, I was hoping to at least. The Dynamite Roll lived up to its name and I ended up eating the whole portion since it was too much for my date. I loved it though! Flavorful, with a delightful mix of textures and tastes, it was perfect. She ate the Dragon Roll but let me try some and it was absolutely splendid. The sweet potato and avocado made it creamy and the taste was superb. The Crazy Roll was good too, but kind of standard. I should have ordered another adventurous roll. But still, for what it was, they did a damn fine job. I'll definitely go back and try some raw stuff. I'm so psyched for a delicious dining option in the area! Prices are slightly more expensive than I'm used to, but pretty normal downtown numbers.
(5)
Sarah C.
I've eaten here three times. The service has varied from good to mediocre to downright terrible. At my last visit, I ordered a bento box for lunch. It arrived at nearly room temperature. The tempura was a little soggy. I had asked for no tomatoes in something, and the waiter forgot. My friend had to request extra ginger three times. Their spinach appetizer is awesome--it's three large spinach plugs in a slightly-too-sweet peanut sauce. The menu is otherwise not very friendly for vegetarians, which is fine for sushi (the 3/5 stars is for the service and messing up things like tempura).
(3)
A S.
Updating this. I've been here multiple times since I claimed I'd never return. Food here is always magnificent. A little pricey but worth it.
(5)
Frank G.
I had the misfortune of visiting Basho the other evening. We had a reservation but still had to wait some time for our table. My colleagues and I waited at the bar. We inquired with our bartender Bill what drinks he recommended. He asked a few questions and made me the most delicious berry drink that was not on the menu. My colleagues had a Winter Warmer (delicious) and something he called a Red October. He is a true connoisseur of the bar-tending art. I thought our experience was off to a good start. The restaurant was clearly busy. After twenty minutes at the bar, we were then seated. We then waited almost another twenty minutes for our waitress to come over. Ann(e?) was her name. She was very curt, cold, and acted like we were a bother or inconvenience rather than paying customers that are typically valued. She was very impatient when we asked about specials and other questions as we are not typical sushi-goers. She pushed us for an order and barked at us as if we were in the military. When I asked for water for the table she grabbed another employee and yelled "you - water NOW! Here - GO!" It was completely unprofessional, rude, and awful. Our food arrived shortly after. The sushi was fresh, unique, and very tasty. We ordered a few yaki items from their Robata Grill. The samplers are the best way to go and a great value. Almost a dozen pieces for $18 The rest of the meal was uneventful. Our waitress' service was awful and I hope they improve their service. Usually restaurant's are happy to have customers and treat them well. We will come back for the drinks and eat at the bar....perhaps their only asset.
(1)
Jon V.
OK, Basho. I work right by Basho, so on days like today when there's two feet of snow on the ground and it's 20 degrees out, I find it a convenient place to duck in for lunch. That might sound indulgent, as this place isn't cheap. Or is it? I can get out of lunch at Basho with a $12 bill. I wouldn't pay $12 for lunch everyday. I mean, that might cut into my moderately priced red wine fund. God, this paragraph is starting out douchy-sounding. But it's true. These are things that concern me right after the global effect of pre-exposure prophylaxis on HIV transmission, the plot of Fringe, and whether my dog can see ghosts. Basho is affordable because they give me a 10% discount based on where I work, they have good lunch specials, and I know how to order-- think tempura udon with no sides and no booze. Add to this value the fact that I bring lunch most days, and it really isn't a financial liability at all. The food is fantastic. The waiters are sweet. The price is oddly right. I totally recommend it. A couple things to make note of: there is a weird white cardboard room in the back. Not sure what it's for. The floor is probably 30,000 square feet in the high rent Fenway neighborhood and there are usually only 5-10 other people in there at lunch. Also, they play trance music. None of these observations are complimentary or derogatory. They are just observations. Although nothing will top my beloved JP Seafood for affordable Japanese food, Basho is right on.
(4)
Melody K.
I'm Asian... I've been eating sushi before it became a fad. This place impresses me. Sure, it's a little pricier than other's... but you get what you pay for. The sashimi comes in nice and thick. It's clearly fresh. The decor is pretty and it's catered to a more upscale crowd. The service? Fantastic. I've been here 3 times: 1 - Once when it first opened (2 days after the grand opening) - the server was still learning the specials and fumbled on the words and what was in the sashimi platter but she made the effort and got back to us when she was unsure of anything. The sashimi platter was fantastic. Very fresh. 2 - The second time for cocktails and a few sushi rolls with friends. Again, great service and the server gave fantastic suggestions. I had a 10% off dining cert since I got it from my building management for living in the area, and still no change in service. I recommend the sake sangria. 3 - The third time for dinner with a groupon. The server was not only happy to serve, but also made conversation with us when she noticed our groupon and our driver's license indicating proximity to the restaurant (I ALWAYS get carded... it's the Asian thing...) The black cod was cooked to perfection - silky smooth in texture and melts in your mouth. The Chirashi was just as fresh as the sashimi from my first visit. Both great dishes I'd recommend for sure! The proportions aren't going to be huge... it's a sushi restaurant. But... look at it on the bright side - if you're still hungry, you can sample other fine dishes they have!
(4)
Frank W.
Bottom line: Creative, trendy, tasty, unreasonably expensive. Went here with a couple friends for dinner one night. Each of us had a cocktail ($10 ea) which were delicious but gone way too soon. The spicy edamame was AWESOME! I've never had it that way and edamame will never be the same for me. My sushi, while it read very interesting, but not quite so interesting tasting. Which I was ok with, there were no surprises, but it was too much $$ for not many surprises. The presentation, however, was top notch. Sushi was very fresh though (you can always tell when it isn't..) Our server did ok, nothing special but I didn't want to curse her either. So that's always a good thing. Had a livingsocial deal which made me cry slightly less. But only slightly. Probably will stick to other places for my sushi adventures. Even Haru is less expensive than this and that's saying something.
(3)
Sarah M.
Went back to Basho recently (again with a groupon) on a weeknight and took a seat at the bar. The food was great, and the service was attentive. Changing my mind to thinking this place is quite good, though the prices are a little high. Would go back again and sit at the bar.
(4)
Philip T.
I live in the building above Basho, and have been here probably twice a month for the past year. I would have given this place a 4.5, but after tonight's visit, it's 5 all the way. We did the 5-course tasting menu (reservations required), and every bite was literally heaven. I hate oysters, and I'd still classify the oyster that they served as one of the best foods I've ever tasted in my life. The food here is great (including some special rolls and cocktails that aren't on the menu and only known to regulars- ask your server), and prices are reasonable for the degree of quality.
(5)
Julie R.
I've been wanting to eat at this new sushi place since I heard of its opening. I got a CoupMe deal in my email and jumped to try it out. Walking in, the vibe was sleek. It looked like a restaurant you would find in a W hotel. There is a large bar on the left then a huge dining area on the right. Behind that is a large sushi station with many chefs. On a Friday night it seemed slow, then as we left around 9pm, it was packed. Our server Kelsey was a doll. She went over the specials with us very thoroughly, mentioning which ones were top sellers. One of the rolls, a fusion of fish maki, caught our ear and we tried it. We also got a lot of a la carte sushi and some shrimp and asparagus tempura. The fusion roll was beautifully presented. The concept was a different slice of fish and sauce on each slice of a Cali Roll. Kind of like a rainbow roll but prettier. I was surprised to see that roll was $18 on the bill. I found it a few dollars overpriced compared to comparable rolls on the menu The a la carte sushi was perfectly presented on a clean white tray. Everything we had was fresh. The tempura shrimp and veggies were also just right. They offer the nigiri in single cuts vs 2 pieces per order. Use that to your advantage and be adventurous. For dessert we got the chocolate molten cake and creme brulee. No complaints on both. Basho does a great job on all the presentations, from a few pieces of sushi, to a dessert. The owner was making her way around and stopped in to chat. We got to talking of the sister restaurant Douzo. I have to say I like Basho better for the atmosphere and and experience. I will definitely keep it in the rotation.
(4)
Joy Y.
Basho, Basho, Basho... such high hopes I had for you! Good location, trendy decor, and sushi! I mean everyone loves sushi! (and obviously by everyone, I mean me.) With that kind of combo, you really can't go wrong....except as you know you very well can. I have a feeling this is going to be a long review so you all might want to brace yourselves.... It all started when we entered the restaurant and walked up to desk directly in front of us, which in case you were wondering, is not where you go to check in for your reservation. Instead, it is the take out counter....I think...it was very confusing, which is also how the girl at the desk presented when we said we had reservations at 8. When she finally understood, she brought us over to the reservation desk at which point four other people who worked there also joined us to assist in the process. I didn't think it was going to be that complicated to tell someone that we had arrived for our reservation, but in fact it was. This is a little synopsis of how the next 7-10 mins worked: The hostess asks us if we want a table in the dining room or the bar. We tell her we have a reservation, sooo.... obviously the dining room. She tells us that our reservation is ready. Two seconds later someone else tells us that in fact our reservation is not ready. Another person tells us to take a seat and wait on the bench. So we sit down on the bench. Yet another person comes up to us with menus (yay! we're going to our table!) Nope. He suggests we go to the bar. Okay, drinks are good. We sit down at the bar. The bartender approaches. She gives us a drink menu. We get comfy. Someone comes over and asks to take our coats. We struggle to get our coats out from under us. We get comfy again. The bartender asks us if we know what we want. At the very same time, the hostess comes over and says our table is ready. We choose the table. The hostess then passes us on to another guy. He walks us over to the other side of the screen where the elusive dining room is. Finally! There are at least three open tables and no one else waiting on the benches or at the bar. Weird... We have a seat and he tells us our server will be right over. Awesome! We are hungry! 2 mins goes by, 6 mins goes by, 10 mins goes by. At some point, I stop someone (a manager I think? I don't know. It seemed like there were about fifty "managers" and no servers...) and ask if we can have some water and put in our drink orders. She is very nice and seems embarrassed. Okay, we get it, you're working out the kinks still-- it's a newish restaurant, that happens (um... except that it's not that new, but whatever.) Another 5 mins (which by the way, seems like forever when you've already been waiting for at least 20 mins with either too much or too little service) goes by and someone comes over with our waters and my saketini, which apparently is supposed to have some sort of other fruity substance in it, but in fact just tastes like sake. The tables next to us get seated. They get drinks. Then they get food. I am really starting to get annoyed now. I mean are we freaking lepers or what??? I mean we go to dinner for an experience! We are spending a crap load of money! Why the F have we not even put in our orders yet?!? UGH.... but my friend and I are having fun catching up with each other and I just don't know that it's worth it to make a huge fuss (and for all you haters out there. I know, it's our own damn fault that we didn't say anything, but I guess that's what Yelp is for, right??) Anyway, eventually we put our orders in, and eventually we get our food. And all I have to say is, for both their sake and ours... the sushi was amazing. Like a.maz.ing . Yes, we were very hungry at that point so I'm guessing pretty much anything would have tasted good, but this was legitimately delicious and creative and so very, very melt in your mouth yummy. We got this tasting and generous platter that came with sake pairings and damn, I'm not kidding when I say it blew me away. Seriously, it's amazing how happy good food and drinks can make me. Actually it's almost a little disturbing, but as I was scraping every delicious morsel of sushi goodness off my plate I damn near forgot about all of the crappy service we had had up to that point. So thankfully we ended on a high note. So all in all... (out of five) Service= 1 (once we actually got a server, she nice but often MIA) Ambiance= 2.5 (weird layout/ bathroom mirrors, very cool, trendy vibe) Food=5 Basho's got lots of things going for it, but man unless they figure out their service issues...let's just say there's a fine line between greatness* and insanity**. *Greatness=sushi. **Insanity=what will happen to me if I have to sit through another service experience like that. Seriously, it sucked.
(2)
Sarah A.
I don't care how good your food is. If the service sucks, I'm not going to enjoy the experience. The food here is your average American-ized Japanese food. It's over-priced and just meeeh. I got the Miso black cod which was good but not worth $10. I asked the waitress what was in the seafood roll and she explains there's "Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail..." hmm...sounds good so I order it. First of all, this waitress got both of my friends' orders wrong. Not only that but when we told her she gave us all kinds of attitude. My roll comes and it is fake crab meat mixed with tobiko and spicy mayo..Where the eff is my salmon, tuna and yellowtail??! Biyatch lied about what was in the roll cuz she had NO IDEA. That is totally unacceptable. First of all, KNOW the menu items and if you don't, GO ASK THE CHEFS!! Don't just make up some bullshit answer. Psht. My friends were still eating and she tried to hurry us up by giving us the check and being like "okay are you guys all set??" umm no. we're still eating. I give it 2 stars because the atmosphere is pretty nice. They need to train their waitstaff better.
(2)
Steven E.
It took us an hour and ten minuets to eat lunch here. The bulk of that time was spent waiting for our food (over 30 min for three lunch bento boxes). I was also confused as to why my miso soup came out after all the bento boxes (it would have been nice to enjoy some soup during the long wait for my food). All the food came out at different times even though we all ordered +/- the same thing. The service here is really quite bad. Our server didn't bring any soy sauce to us and as we were leaving another table (who also was not brought any) asked to have ours. I'm just not a fan.
(2)
Thuy L.
Good sushi: Check Good service: Check Knowledgable wait staff: Check Check Check. The food was great and being a sister to Douzo, we had to check this place out. The drinks are great. The Bling Bling was heaven in a glass, how can you go wrong with Gin and gold specks in a martini glass rimmed with sugar? We tried a variety of dishes. Started off with the monkfish pate which was just okay, not really quite a pate. It was definitely missing something crunchy. I was hoping they would have brought out some kind of cracker or something but what comes out is just the monkfish pate in a bowl with a little vermicelli. The vermicelli is not the right addition to highlight the dish. Then we tried some things from the Robata grill: the pork belly, the shiitake mushrooms, and the scallops. All were delicious. We learned from our waiter that the Robata grills the food but does not leave the smoky taste and he was absolutely right. We tried 5 different combos of Sushi: Basho Roll, Dragon Roll, Volcano Roll, Torch Roll, and the sushi sampler from the specials menu. They were all fantastic. The dragon roll is made of sweet potato tempura which is pretty unique and delicious. I can't wait to go back!!!
(4)
Saba N.
I decided to try out Basho for two reasons: 1. I am a big fan of Douzo & I believe it's a sister restaurant.. and 2. I purchased the Rue La La special. what a treat! The service was fantastic, and the restaurant is pretty cool and modern, but casual at the same time. The tables were small, but there was a lot of them and it was PACKED. It's also really spacious which is nice as well. good sushi date spot without the pretentiousness of the south end (although, it's still $$). We ordered steamed shumai to start.. very small, but delicious. I suggest fried though. I think it might be more filling. Then, out came the rue la la dish. This involved 14 pieces of fish & three types of saki - all really delicious. I LOVED the torch salmon roll, and all of the sashimi was excellent. What a treat - and it was nice to branch out of my normal maki rolls! For dessert we ordered the lava cake to share and it was delicious. Great presentation, great flavors, and enough for 2! Will definitely be coming back next time I'm in the Fenway area. Good food, good atmosphere, and good service! win.
(4)
Fiddos J.
A very good japanese restaurant. The sushi/sashimi is excellent - top quality fish, well curated, great flavors and beautifully presented. They have lot of innovative items (in terms of what's usually available in the US) - esp. the rolls. These really push the boundary of what can sushi be. However, it would be mistake to only eat the sushi/sashimi - because the other items are just as excellent. I esp. like their eggplant & (bunashimeji??) mushroom appetizer, the spicy tuna tartare, gyoza and the pork bun sandwich. The last one is really exceptional - perfectly marbled pork belly cooked just right and with a delicious miso / soy sauce. And the best part is that the price is not outrageous - compared to other japanese places in the same market segment.
(4)
Alexa M.
Delicious sushi! Great modern atmosphere and attentive staff. I have been there a couple of times but I recently went for "paint nite" with my friends and it was a blast. It is a tad on the pricey side but they always seem to have groupons or living social deals so keep an eye out for the hookup before you go. Overall- it's a great spot for sushi!
(4)
K. N.
10 pm on a Sunday night, so just a few other tables (that seemed to be happy). My friend and I had a very nice and attentive server in Aida who was also sweet to be quick with the check when we mentioned we had to catch something at 11. She gave some enthusiastic recommendations and knew the menu well. The pork bun appetizer ($7.95)was delicious with juicy pork inside and the pickles were a surprising and nice part of the "sandwich". The black miso cod ($13.75) was super small in serving. The miso dots on the side of the dish added really good flavor, though it's just not something I would order again for the cost. The kobe beef robata ($6.95) - delicious. I think I would have liked it even a little more pink, but the flavor was good and it was 2 decent sized cubes of juicy meat. The chu-toro sushi (about $6 for 1 pc sushi) - fresh and clean taste and perfect. The yuzu yellowtail roll ($15.75) was nicely done and fresh. Though, it was smaller in size than I'd hoped. The yuzu adds some sweetness and there was enough flavor to the roll that my friend opted to skip the soy sauce dipping. TI liked that they had white pickled ginger on the side instead of pink - firm and full taste. Presentation on everything was nice. Tea was refilled attentively. Staff were nice from the hostess to person who seated us and servers. I like the matchstick lights dancing behind the sushi bar staff. Place feels very big, which I didn't like as much because there weren't too many people, but perhaps the size is fitting when it's a full house. Went for dinner with a livingsocial coupon. It was definitely tasty but the expensive prices would make it a hard sell for me to come back on my budget, which is too bad because I would like to try more rolls and kobe beef items. We're in that area sometimes, so we may still stop by again just for the pork bun sandwich and robata grill items.
(4)
Amy R.
The boyfriend and I went to Basho a couple of weeks ago for what we were hoping would be a quick bite to eat before we headed out for the night. Well, the experience was certainly not a short one. We asked for seating on the patio and our waiter was moving slower than a Special Olympic hurdler. Being a waiter at Basho may be his first waiting gig, so we laid off of him a little bit - seemed a bit jittery and nervous. Anyway, the reason why I didn't give this less stars is because I am HOPING this isn't the case with the waitstaff across the board. The food was tres delicious. We split the sweet potato tempura for an appetizer - if you're hankering for more than small bites for an app, I recommend getting a couple of orders. My boyfriend also got the grilled squash from the Robata grill and it had a really nice mustard sauce on top. He had the lobster tempura maki, which looked really good... but he had gobbled them up to quickly for me to sneak a bite! I had sake maki and spicy tuna and was very pleased. Also, there is an incredible White Pomegranate martini that I would recommend to anyone in the mood for a girly cocktail!
(4)
stephanie c.
I was really excited to check out this new sushi place. Unfortunately, it seemed to miss a lot of marks and I hope they continue to thrive in the next few years. Location-Fenway probably isn't the best location for their classier upscale restaurant given that most people in the area are either collegians or tourists. It's nice to have a finer restaurant in the sporty Fenway area, but the probably not the best business decision. It would have done much better in Back Bay, DT, Cambridge, or the South End Ambiance-surprisingly nice! I liked the spacious open bar. It's very simplistic, yet modern, zen-ish, clean, and comfortable. True it can give a sort of cold cafetaria vibe in the space and choice of furniture. They have a lot of land, so it's definitely not the cozy vibe, but I still thought the layout was well down and the ambiance is nice. Menu-great variety. Here's the big misser. The concept of the sushi, appetizers, sounded great but tasted overcompensated. We tried a variety of robata, sashimi, maki sushi, and appetizers-everything was fresh but it just seemed as thought they were trying too hard to make their entrees unique and ended up destroying the natural flavor and delicacy of the fish. The result is a puzzled, uncertain, experience in my mouth. Kobe beef in particular was dry and overcooked (how sad for the kobe) Overall-if the sushi was off hand incredible, they'd have a better shot at getting people to come out to Fenway to try it. Otherwise they're just banking right now on novelty and as soon as that dies out...business might be rough. Suggestions-simply the flavors and taste and focus on presenting something more amazing. Will I be back? Perhaps...undecided at this time whether the venture to Fenway is worth it...
(2)
Hieu T.
My former team and I went to this local restaurant last night, and it was amazing! I love the decor of the restaurant. It reminds me of a hip, euro type of restaurant with Asian theme to it. It is was empty on a Tuesday's night so I can just imagine when it gets busy. It could be transform into a nightclub. My team and I had amazing service here! Our waiter was amazing and offered excellent choices for sushi. There were rolls made out of brown rice - so tendor, soft, and amazing! One of my team mates cannot decide which wine to get, so the restaurant manager stop by our table and offer a few glasses of wine to taste. Absolutely marvelous! I would like to give it a five stars, but it is quite expensive for dinner - which it is not surprising since Sushi joints are expensive. I want to go back there for LUNCH! Besides, I get 10% off for being an area hospital employees.
(4)
Elisabeth G.
Basho, I have to thank you for two reasons: 1) Your food is delicious 2) You have brought me to the important life realization that I do NOT enjoy listening to techno music while eating raw fish. I know the two really aren't related, but that's probably why it felt wrong at the time. All things considered, I really had a very good experience here. A few co-workers and I went here after a work function earlier this week. We got there around 6:30 and, although there were probably 5 other people in the place, it took them a good 10 minutes to seat us. However, once we we got a table, everything went much better. We started off with spicy ginger edemame. Why I have not seen spiced edemame anywhere else is beyond me because it was delicious. When our food arrived, there wasn't anything I didn't want to try. My friend and I got a bunch of maki and devoured it all. My maki partner in crime had to make active efforts not to hog the food from each other. Standout roll of the night award definitely went to the spicy avalanche roll with an honorable mention to the Crunchy roll. I have to admit, I was expecting to eat here, like it, but pay far too much. While the sushi is expectedly slightly more expensive than the average hole-in-the-wall, it's really not much worse on price and it has the goods to back it up. The only drawbacks were the aforementioned tumpa-thumpa music and the slightly over-eager service. You can only be asked how everything is so many times before you start feeling guilty that you're not eating faster.
(4)
Andrea E.
Best sushi I've ever had! I eat a Basho often because of two reasons 1) I'm addicted to sushi 2) I love Basho I've actually dared to try new things at Basho, which I hadn't done before at any other sushi restaurant because of fear. My favorite pieces are Spicy Tuna appetizer (with crispy rice...yum!) Any Bento lunch Caterpillar roll Tempura Banana Dessert Once you try Basho, you can't really go anywhere else!
(5)
Jenny C.
OMG this place is really cool and the food won't disappoint you. pro: - classy atmosphere...some good music...not too loud... - presentation of food...awesome - taste of food...awesome ( get the kobe beef skewers). - you want to order something really good and that fills u up? get the Pork Ramen soup! - Servers: pretty nice and attentive cons: - they charge you $ 1.50 for a side of sriracha hot sauce ( wait what !!!???) - I asked for a Tom Collins and instead of telling me "We don't know how to do it " they just brought me a bad "experiment" and it tasted pretty bad. So only get drinks on the menu. The lychee martini is pretty good. - a bit pricey I like it...give it a chance if you are around fenway and you're hungry. Ps: great date spot
(4)
Catherine R.
All in all it was good. I have been there on numerous occasions with friends, boyfriends, and family members, and the service was always good. So far, no complaints. Traditional food, done by Japanese. Of all the dishes, I can truly tell you that the Sushi is wonderful, and that the Scallops are to die for. Don't believe me? Go there and see for yourself.
(4)
Laura B.
I am very surprised to see the bad reviews of Basho on Yelp. I have been to Basho twice and had great experiences both times. The first time I went with my boyfriend and used a BuyWithMe certificate. We did not have any problems using it. My mushroom robata was fabulous and my boyfriend had pork robata and loved that too. Our sushi was delicious. Everything went so well that we decided not only to go back for my boyfriend's graduation dinner with his, rather large, family but also to buy 3 more BWM certificates for future use. They gave us a nice corner for a little privacy for our big group and were very accomodating to our various preferences, even to his six yr old brother's tastes. The spicy edamame is fabulous. I am also surprised that people like Duozo better. I live near Duozo but have only been once. The tables are MUCH closer together at Duozo than at Basho. The sushi is good at both places but the other Japanese small plates are much better at Basho in my opinion. I have had some flops at Duozo. I am happy to be moving to Fenway so I can eat Basho all the time!
Went here with my husband after I got a $25 for $50 deal from Where.com . Both of us enjoyed our food very much and would like to come back. The only thing keeping this from a 5 star, or a more enthusiastic 4 star, is the service. While our waiter was great, he was handling six other tables toward the end of lunch service by himself and seemed overwhelmed. The food also came out at an odd pace, so my husband and I were often left not eating while the other one was. I had the steamed pork bun sandwich and I thought it was great. The bun was light and fluffy and the pork was perfectly cooked and seasoned. It was so meltingly tender. After that, I tried the pork belly and asparagus skewer which was well prepared and the perfect size, probably about one stalk of asparagus cut into quarters and then wrapped in pork belly. Lastly I had the avalanche roll which was just okay; there was something about all the components that didn't just come together in the right way for me. My husband had the eel and cucumber roll and one of the lunch specials. The lunch special was ridiculously large - a pile of rice, some beautiful sashimi, onion rings, chicken teriyaki, some maki, a really cute segmented orange plus a salad. He enjoyed all of it. Parking out front was easy, but I imagine it'd be a nightmare when there's a game. The interior of the restaurant is very nice, but way too big. the cavernous aspect of it made it seem cold.
(4)
Gail F.
When I heard Fenway was getting a sushi restaurant by the owners of my favorite Back Bay sushi joint, Douzo, I couldn't wait to check it out. About a week after opening, I gave it a go - and it was likely my last. The decor and atmosphere are not what you would expect from a Fenway bar/restaurant. Inside you'll find chic decor with dark intimate lighting. My friend and I sat in the bar area and quickly ordered two cocktails - however, they didn't arrive nearly as quickly as we ordered them. Our food was good, but nothing to rave about. And the service was terrible. Slow, unfriendly, and boring. If you're looking for a swanky evening out, this place may be for you. If you're looking for a simple bite of sushi, look elsewhere.
(2)
Tyson F.
Basho is old reliable when it comes to sushi. Always happy with the quality, freshness and flavors of the food here. This was our 4th or 5th visit since it opened late in 2010, and it was typical sub-par service. The wait staff could certainly be more attentive. This was the 3rd time we've sat down and waited nearly 15 minutes before even hearing from our waiter. It begins to border on the point where you want to get up to remind your hostess that we're waiting to be taken care of. There is also a longer than usual wait for your food, once you do finally get to order. Our waiter explained that there was a big table holding up the process. Oh well. Poor service aside, the food is always great, and I'm sure we'll be back soo
(4)
Hilary D.
Great sushi, large dining area, cool, modern bar/lounge...this is a great spot! I had dinner and drinks with a friend at Basho earlier this week. We started with a cocktail in the lounge area - she had some sort of berry martini thing, which was really good, but a little sweet for my taste. I had the cucumber martini, and I had the bartender make it with Hendricks gin instead of vodka - sure, I was *that* annoying person, but I prefer gin martinis. No problem, the bartender didn't mind the substitution and poured a perfectly balanced drink. Any drink with gin and cucumber is good by me, but the muddled herbs are a nice touch. When we were finished with our drinks, we sat down for dinner, and decision-making was not easy. The menu is pretty extensive. I'd love to try some of their non-sushi offerings, but we ordered all sushi. She had a crazy roll, a rainbow roll, and spicy yellowtail. I ordered salmon roe sashimi, uni sashimi (more on this later), salmon sushi, pickled mackerel sushi, a sweet potato tempura roll, and a shiitake mushroom tempura roll. Dude - the shiitake roll was amazing! Sweet potato tempura roll is one of my "must-have's" at sushi joints, and Basho did a great job. About the uni - I can't really say whether Basho's uni was any better than anyone else's, because this was my first time trying it (if you're unfamiliar with sushi, uni is sea urchin). If you haven't tried it, please do - I fully intended to order another portion, but I was so full that I ended up packing up my last few mushroom rolls. I would love to look at Basho's dessert menu, but I was so stuffed that I didn't even want to see it. I'll check it out online - I bet they make some fun desserts! My only complaint is that the dining room was too cold. I was pretty chilly in a skirt and short-sleeved shirt, so if you get cold easily, you might want to wear pants and bring a sweater. But this wasn't enough to knock a star off my rating; I'm always cold. If you decide to go, make sure you check out the screen projections on the back wall. The night I was there, it featured long, rod-shaped rectangles in a fluid motion, and we were giggling because it reminded us of looking at the paramecium under the microscope in high school science class. I'd love to come here on a weekend night - the food is great, but it seems like it would also be a great place to go for a trendy night out.
(5)
Cami F.
Basho is much like Douzo, although slightly cheaper and with a more simplistic appearance. The food is great- they have my favorite crunchy roll- and a wide variety of other selections too. When we went it was a bit cold and the music a little loud, but that wouldnt stop me from trying it again!
(3)
Katie D.
I haven't ever had anything I didn't like at Basho. As a longtime sushi fan, I've recently jumped on the modern-sushi wagon and this is definitely a favorite spot. The skewers are amazing - especially the Kobe, of course - and the seafood salad was also really flavorful & refreshing as an app. I virtually always order the scallop kiki roll, because it's so fresh and all the flavors just pop, but the spicy yellowtail or Phoenix rolls are also amazing. Service has always been really friendly, down-to-earth, and attentive with a sense of humor -- just what Boston needed in a sushi restaurant.
(4)
Leo E.
Found this place totally by chance - it made me get a Yelp account. This place is fantastic, I'll definitely be going back. First of all, the food was GREAT. Everything we tried was amazing. Even the tea was amazing! We bought 8 food items and 2 drinks, and everything was perfectly done...and free refills on that amazing tea. They have small appetizers for cheap so you can try lots of different things. Each tempura appetizer comes with two pieces, so it's perfect for a date. We got two tempura appetizers and one order of gyoza - which were, by the way, the perfect texture. We also got miso soup, and they give you a legitimate bowl there. For the entree, I got chicken teriyaki, and my boyfriend got vegetable yaki udon. My chicken was tender and juicy and the teriyaki sauce was great. Even the rice was awesome. My boyfriend's tofu was perfect, and we're both picky about it. We ended up sharing both. For dessert, we shared the banana tempura, which was awesome as well. The waitress (who was really, really nice, so bonus points) recommended it because "the warm banana and the cold ice cream is a good contrast" - I definitely agree! It has lots of different tastes and textures, I really recommend it...but on the other hand, I won't be getting it again for a while, since everything else on the dessert menu looks so good. If you want something simple, they have various kinds of ice cream I'm kind of itching to try as well. My boyfriend also got sake, of which they have a very good selection. He said he'd get a different kind next time probably, but that's just because he doesn't know a lot about individual kinds of sake. So, 3 appetizers, 2 soups, 2 drinks, 2 entrees and 1 dessert later (and we didn't break 100 with 20% tip)...we're definitely going back. Basho is set on my list of places I think about going now. I see no reason to give it less than a full score.
(5)
Nicholas S.
Basho promises a lot with its looks and its menu, but it really doesn't deliver. You might think you're paying for atmosphere, but really the atmosphere here is just not my scene, and, from the looks of it on what should have been a busy night, no one else's. The decor, lights, and music were all just a little off, like they are trying too hard and not quite getting it right. Our waiter prefaced everything by saying that he "had to bring everything out as it became ready, you know", as if it was something that we should already understand. I don't know how practically every Japanese place (and other restaurants) can bring out all of your entrees at the same time when Basho can't. We ordered the Lime and Salt Edamame. I get what they're trying to do, making things more "fusion", but to do that, you really have to know how NOT to overcook edamame. It was squishy and flavorless, and difficult to eat without getting shell. I can imagine some of the types of edamame being good, but I couldn't get over how overcooked it was to really enjoy it. The sushi we had was slightly fishy (c'mon, we're on the ocean) and the tofu "steak" plate was far more rice than tofu, and not much else. The mushi that two of us ordered, while actually pretty good, came in a mini soup tureen that was impossible to eat out of with the soup spoon they gave us. Our waiter said it was popular and almost always sold out, so you would think that they would know its impossible to eat in the way that it was served. While it was very tasty, I don't think a bowl of broth with a few bits of seafood was worth what we paid. The Robata Grill grape tomato skewer was good and all, but Robata is supposed to be a grill at which customers sit around and it basically tasted Italian instead of Japanese , and not worth $2.25 for four grape tomatoes. In general it seemed like the pricing was generally too high for the quality of food that we received. It was also pretty inconsistent. Some things were $2 while others were $16, and it just didn't make sense. In a few months I might head back to see if they've adjusted their prices, re-sourced their fish, figured out how to serve mushi, stopped cooking their edamame so long, and just generally got their act together, but, to be honest, I'm not hopeful.
(1)
Russ B.
The food is fairly well done. I am not blown away and have recently visited Japan. This place comes close on some levels, they have more of an offering. However the prices are way too high. The robata is a great idea, but in Japan we were getting 3 skewers for the price they are charging. So everything is overprices, but at least tastes good. The best deal is lunch, though high for lunch it is at least reasonable. The main complaint I have is with the restaurant owner and manager. Is it just me or do they give everyone dirty looks when they go in there? The staff on the other hand is great. I anticipate there will be high turnover though because of the rude nature of the management. I feel for a new offering they should keep their prices low, perhaps reduce the staff and do everything they can to make a good impression and bring customers back. I don't see them doing that successfully here. I wonder what will replace them by next year?
(2)
Bethany T.
Went here about a week ago with the hubby. It was around 6 and the place was busy but not packed. Waited at least 10 minutes for water and a drink order although we were repeatedly passed by at least 3 servers. When someone finally came over they were attentive and took our orders for food and drink. Service slacked off quite a bit once a loud obnoxious party came in and were seated near us. Used a Groupon; the waiter deleted it before taking down the number (duh). Took almost 10 minutes to dredge up the number again while he said that it was probably an issue with our "system" (whatever that means). Took forever to get out of there. It shouldn't take 2 hours to get out of a place when you have two people and order everything at the same time. 2 stars for service definitely. However, the tempura appetizers and 3 hand rolls (rainbow, crunchy and spider) were amazing. Wish I could have given the place a better rating, but it is what it is.
(3)
Daniel P.
Hellz. Yes. First off, the hostess was SUPER FRIENDLY and talked to us throughout the meal. She's from California. Go say hi to her. My friend and I each got a drink - I, the Samurai and he the Blood Orange Martini - and both very much loved them. The monkfish pate appetizer was fanTAStic, as were the other two of which names have slipped my mind. One of them involved spinach and seaweed...need I say more? I had the salmon roe sushi, the toro sashimi, the squid sashimi, and the tiger roll. I really wish my life were like Groundhog Day so I could wake up every morning knowing I was going to eat that exact combination. My friend got the mushroom rolls and the scallop rolls, both of which he said were quite tasty. The atmosphere is pretty trendy and gay - as am I, so I can say that - and all of our servers were really friendly. They were all women and, in my experience, women love us gays. I'm sure they're always that friendly, you should go and find out and then let me know :-).
(5)
Tricia F.
I like the new decor and vibe at Basho; we sat at the bar and only had light meal, but with mixed results. Bartender seemed overwhelmed and unfamiliar with the menu. We tried robato-grill: chicken thigh, beef roll, and scallops. Scallops were delicious, but only got 2 on a stick. Chicken thigh was dry and overseasoned, beef roll was better. They've got an extensive menu, so something for everyone, and I've never been disappointed here before. Will definitely go again, but skip the robato.
(3)
Baking M.
Basho is the sister restaurant of Douzo on Boylston Street in Fenway. Next to Upper Crust, Basho features a spacious bar. The lighting and modern atmosphere is pleasing. Basho is not as loud as the clubby music from Douzo and they do take reservations. The menu has a lot of similar items as Douzo as well. Service is prompt and attentive. From the Robata Grill (On Skewer)), we had the Spicy Duck with mushroom for $6.25 and was tender and we would definitely order again. From the Fried section or Agemono, we tried the Fried Chicken Meat Balls with robata teriyaki sauce for $8.00. For maiki rolls, we tried spicy yellow tail, spicy tuna, shitake mushroom tempura, philadelphia all around 5.00- 7.00 each roll. Our favorite was the shitake mushroom tempura which was earthy and crunchy. They sushi was fresh, high quality, well made and delicious.
(4)
Alison C.
Basho just had their grand opening, like, yesterday, but I got my hiney over there two weeks ago to check it out. Ended up having a blast! The vibe in there was similar to the vibe in The Lansdowne Pub when I went there on their opening day: skittish waiters with bigger-than-big smiles and the smell of new paint on the walls. The outside definitely needed some work since there wasn't much signage, but I thought the inside was really cool. It's very big, lots of black and white and a laser show over the sushi bar (I know!) Our waitress was blonde and adorable and I think Russian, and I shall refer to her as Sletvana (not her real name, but she's my boo). So yeah, the sushi is pretty expensive, but it's worth it. We ended up ordering four different rolls and all of them tasted very fresh. One of them had some kind of jelly eggs as a garnish, and even that was tasty! Also I would highly suggest ordering the Malbec, and the strawberry cheesecake for dessert. The wine will get you drunk, and the cheesecake will only make your buzz that much better. I also really appreciated the fact that they let me and my date sit there for four hours without rushing us out. There was a pretty decent sized crowd and I think this new place will do well in Fenway. The only weird thing was that Sletvana kept coming over and changing our plates like it was going out of style. I would eat one edamame pod and I would put the empty shell on the plate, and BOOM. It would be gone and replaced with a brand new dish. Those dishwashers in the kitchen of Basho must hate their lives.
(4)
R F.
Came in with a group. Decided on happy hour roll specials. Some of the tools were great others were so so. Live and learn.
*Disclaimer* We had a Level-up coupon that got us a Chef's Sushi Boat...so we didn't get to pick and choose what we got. I liked the sushi we had (california, spicy shrimp tempura, eel...) but they were pretty simple and none were AMAZING that I'd be dying to try again. I would like to go back and just eat off the menu. The menu seemed great, and lots of delicious options. We sat outside, which due to no red sox game was really nice and relaxing. Our waitress was very nice, helpful... no service issues. I'd give it another shot, but still favor Fugakyu, etc....
(3)
Courteney M.
As a fanatic of their sister restaurant, Douzo, in Back Bay, the joke amongst my friends was that Douzo ran a spending report by zip code and decided they had to open a location in the Fenway to better monetize me. Basho is my new favorite spot for sushi in Boston - the same amazing rolls and food as Douzo, with better decor and more spacious seating (I love Douzo, but I sometimes feel like I'm sitting on top of my neighbors because the tables are so close together). Other plusses? A robata grill (AMAZING grilled veggies - the shitake mushrooms and grape tomatoes are my favorites), the ability to make a reservation for parties less than 5 (unlike Douzo, where you have to get there before 7pm to avoid a wait because they don't take reservations for parties of 2-4), and EASY, validated parking in the 1330 Boylston garage ($4 for 3 hours, even during Sox games - if you go and they tell you the garage is full, they'll let you in if you're eating at Basho). The whole process couldn't be easier, and you still get the same amazing food as you do at Douzo.
(5)
Elizabeth K.
It's super expensive for the portions you get. It's a bit deceiving though since a lot of items are priced by piece. So, you think "oh, $7 isn't bad" then, for example, you get two tiny piece of asparagus (like half of your pinky size) wrapped in two tiny pieces of pork belly. We ordered a special sushi sampler, 4 different types of skewers, and a spicy scallop roll (and feeling like we were being little piggies) the waitress responded with: "you're going to need more food than that." Yikes! (There were only two of us). So, we ended up adding on another roll that we honestly could have done without. The food was really tasty, but not soooooo tasty that the price was worth it combined with the service. In a near empty restaurant they sat us at a two top essentially attached to another two top, but separated by bamboo branches for privacy (which is a cute idea, but doesn't work, I heard way more from ladies conversation next to me than I did of my husband). I am also not really sure what they were going for while seating us seeing that all the other two-tops that were empty. It was pretty annoying. Furthermore, after seeing our new table-mates drinking tea, I was tempted to get one myself. Although the waitress seemed to refill their cups every five seconds and refill my husband's water glass just as frequently, she kept forgetting I had tea. Most of the dinner was spent with my mouth on fire from the spicy rolls and nothing to drink. It was very strange/unpleasant.
(3)
Maleia S.
Basho is fantastic. They have an amazingly diverse selection available and their sushi is unmatched. While I'm used to the cheaper pricing of Symphony Sushi, I have to say, Basho is worth it. Even their sushi rice is better. Some of my favorite items are the Phoenix Roll, Steamed Bun Sandwich, Sushi Rice, and Plum Wine. Their plum wine is the best I've ever had! The restaurant is huge and very chic. While technically a casual dress code, you'll find that it's a little fancier than that. The bar is fully stocked and their bartenders and wait staff are incredibly polite and friendly - not to mention knowledgeable. One small issue: they refuse to deliver past the building next to theirs. I work at a store on the next block, and they refused to deliver to me, saying I should use a website that charged not only an added percent on the menu prices, but also a delivery charge. Luckily, I was able to finagle leaving for a few minutes and get take-out instead. But yeah, even after they refused delivery, I still chose Basho, because they're the best. Hands down.
(5)
Jayna D.
Decided to come here with my lunch buddy on a whim. We are always looking for a good sushi place close to work. This place was pretty good overall. We decided to sit at the bar and were greeted by a very friendly bartender who was extremely knowledgeable of the food. We ordered the Toro, which was ultra fresh and delicious, the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll and the Scallop Kiwi Roll, which ended up being my favorite. I will go back just for that! The only drawback was the service. They had our poor bartender also tend to all the tables around the bar and the outside tables. The two other waitresses in the bar didn't seem to know what to do to help her, therefore, everything got backed up and we ended up waiting for our check for 20 minutes. However, this would not stop me from going there again. I just hope management learns how to staff a little better.
(4)
Sarah D.
I had a wonderful time here this past week. I had bought two of the RueLaLa deals and was finally able to redeem them. A friend of mine and I went on Tuesday night. They weren't busy at all when we arrived. I had read the reviews before going and was curious to see what the service would be like. Ten minutes after we had been seated, no one had come to the table with water or menus, even though there were several servers standing close by, not doing anything. I felt that the reviews had been confirmed. However, our server eventually showed up and managed to turned things around. The meal was delicious- as the other reviews mention, they serve you a selection of rolls and starters, along with a flight of sakes. The food was incredible and I am ashamed to say that I wasn't able to try everything because I got too full. What really made the meal, however, was our discussions about sake with the server. At one point he mentioned Basho's most expensive (and tasty) offering, Hakkaisan. He raved about the flavor, saying that it was the best he had tasted. A short while later, he came out with two small glasses so that we could sample it, I assume guessing that we would never be able to afford it on our own. The ceilings are high and unfortunately, it doesn't have the cozy feel of its sister restaurant, Douzo. I think they could make changes with the decor to change the atmosphere, but they don't have to do anything to improve the food. Also, our server mentioned that they have monthly parties on the first Wednesday with a DJ. He said there's more information about it on facebook.
(4)
Frank S.
The place is beautiful and definitely marketed for the people looking for a trendy vibe. The people are very accomodating and the service is more than exceptional. I would recommend this place for a nice dinner out before heading out into town or even if you wanted to impress a date why not bring her or him here! The food is better than I expected but probably not the best sushi I've tried in Boston. I definitely have a few favorites... 1. The kobe beef on skewer (ahhh my love for kobe beef!) 2. The pork belly rolled on asparagus skewer (just melts in the mouth!) I also had the spciy tuna on crispy sushi rice which was just delightful but didn't scream out spectacular! And to wrap things up I had the Phoenix Roll which consists of crab stick with spicy mayo wrapped with seared salmon and tobiko, unagi sauce. The presentation was very nice but as I would expect a place like this to carry good sushi it did! The salmon tasted very fresh and the roll was delightful. It didn't scream out to me and say you have to come back here and try this very same dish but it did leave me with a lasting impression on the restaurant as a whole. I had their plum wine and I have to say that it was pretty sweet which I really enjoyed. Much sweeter than most places that serve plum wine. I had a great time with my friend and definitely see myself coming back here for some more sushi! The food: 4 stars The service: 3.5 stars The decor: 5 stars
(4)
Eve C.
This place was phenomenal. We went several months ago and I never got around to reviewing it, but I should have! We got a huge amount of food, drinks, the works. It was a bit expensive ($200 for 4 people) but we really got a ton of really really delicious food and we all had multiple drinks. If all you want is basic sushi, then yes, it is overpriced, but if you want to experiment with sushi a bit, come here!
(5)
Sarah D.
Sushi rolls are great here, but you're going to pay the price. We wanted to love this place since it's in our neighborhood but the service is so slow and the wait staff just seem to disappear for awhile. If i'm going to choose dine-in instead of take-out for sushi and pay the $$ for it, I better have attentive service. Without the group-on we'd be even more disappointed. I think we'll stick to take-out from here in the future.
(3)
Lily L.
Ambiance: Basho is very nicely decorated. Minimal but sleek and modern. One side has the bar and the other side has the restaurant. It's definitely a great place to come with date or friends. Service: Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. Food: The food is good, but not amazing. And the downside is the portions are very, very small. We ordered the pork belly with asparagus skewer. There were 4 pieces of pork belly wrapped around asparagus. I don't think the pork belly was as crispy as I had hoped. We also ordered the miso black cod. It's a 4 oz piece of fish or about the size of your palm. The flavors were pretty good. The 3 rolls we ordered were: dragon roll, spider roll, and spicy tuna roll. My least favorite would be the spicy avalanche roll. The serving of crab on top of the roll was good, but I couldn't taste any tuna at all. I don't know if it got overwhelmed by the cheese, but I just couldn't detect any hint of tuna. The dragon roll came in 4 pieces. Since I like tempura anything and crab, the combination of the two was great to me. The flavor was simple--just really let the crab sing. Our favorite was the dragon roll, and this roll was the best roll by far. If I were to come back again, I'd re-order this. Overall, the dinner cost $70 for 2 of us. I thought it was expensive for the quality and quantity of food.
(3)
Khiem T.
I personally love Basho. I love the name too, very lovely. Here's the deal with people and expensive sushi, it's gourmet! You go to Basho for creativity, flavors, and interesting modern food preparation. This is not Americanized. If you want traditional sushi, you should go elsewhere, this place is very creative with their food. As for service, I enjoy the waiters here, they are very polite. We got the octopus and tuna tartar for appetizers, and crunchy roll and tiger roll to finish off. One word that stood out to me right away with the food. FLAVOR. all the ingredients were put together and it transcends the rawness of the fish. The flavor was exquisite. My only complaint was the 12$ drink that tasted like a normal mojito. haha.
(5)
Meatdowntown C.
The food is good, but the service is pretty inconsistent. I have been there three times and the really can't figure out how they are going to managet to stay in business. They need to lower down the prices because the food is pretty expensive and the wile list mediocre. Also, 50% of the wines listed they do not have them. This place needs a lot of attention from the customer service standpoint. It is a gigantic place and it is usually empty. Good luck. The bad thing is that the rolls are pretty good, but very expensive.
I first want to say that I was really excited when Basho opened. I love Japanese food and was looking forward to supporting a local, high quality restaurant. We have eaten at Basho 3 times since they have opened, so this review is not the result of just one bad experience. This is our experience today for lunch: 1) It took 2 hours for us to get in and out due to kitchen and service issues. There was only one other group of customers and at least 10 visible staff members. 2) It took at least 20 minutes for one of us to get our meal. 5 minutes later, the second person got their meal. Then It took at least 25 additional minutes for the other two to get their meals. By the time I ate my food, it was completely cold. 3) One of us requested brown rice, which they were out of. This is okay, except that we were charged 2 extra dollars for brown rice that we never received. We were not warned about the extra cost, nor was there a footnote on the lunch menu indicating the charge. When we politely told the manager about the mistake on the bill, she was somewhat defensive and unapologetic. We were also charged $1 extra for the Nabeyaki Udon for no reason (we did not notice this until we got home). Check your bills extra carefully if you eat here! 4) One of us ordered green tea. The tea in the teapot was cold, so she basically paid for refills of cold tea. 5) The management offered free dessert because of the bad service, which was a very nice gesture. We were full from our lunch, so two of us ordered dessert to-go after which we were told by our waitress that this was against their policy (even though they have a to-go section for their food). I asked if they could make an exception b/c of our bad experience. The manager said that this was an inflexible policy. When we inquired about the reason for the bizarre policy, she did not provide an explanation. 6) Two tempura dishes were brought out without tempura sauce. 7) It took at least 20 minutes for our change to arrive. If it were not for the unprofessional and slow service, I would give Basho 3 stars. Each time we have eaten at Basho, the staff to customer ratio has been at least 2:1, so the bad service is inexcusable. I love Douzo, but the owner should take a serious look at Basho. I understand that new restaurants have a lot of kinks to work out, but today was just one bad experience after another with little done to ameliorate the situation. We have given them 3 chances, and while not all visits have been as bad as today, food consistently comes out slowly and at staggered times when the place is practically empty. The management had the opportunity to make this up to us today but refused to be flexible with their dessert "policy" or offer any alternative, such as comping our meals. If they had done this, I would not have written this review. I am very disappointed, as I was looking forward to being a regular customer of Basho.
(1)
David V.
The consensus on this place is 3.5 stars, and that's probably an appropriate summation of this Japanese newcomer. Never thought I'd be eating good sushi on the block that housed Burger King and the New Alliance studios when I first moved to town. The atmosphere is modern and sleek, the server I had was very attentive and friendly and the menu was full of things I was dying to try. Their specialty is a selection of small skewers called Robata, but all I could think of in my head was "domo arigato mr. roboto". Tried a pork belly and asparagus one and a trumpet royal mushroom one. They were small but packed with flavor. The seafood kiyake is one of my favorite appetizers and Basho's is on par with any I've had around town - a mound of spicy seafood, tobiko and cheese baked into a large scallop shell. Ordered a couple of maki rolls - a decent spicy seafood one, a solid Alaskan with bonito flakes (Fugakyu does this too), and a fancy roll that had about 10 ingredients. It tasted great, but there were a lot of these fancy maki rolls on the menu and none of them really reached out at me. Had a couple of nigiri pieces - wild salmon and yuzu yellowtail belly. The pieces were rather small for the price, but the yellowtail was particularly melt-in-my-mouth. It would just be nice if they paid as much attention to quantity as they do to quality.
(4)
Tina D.
Basho is a relatively new sushi place near Fenway. It is decorated in a trendy and modern way. There are big TVs on the bar side and more than enough seating in the dining room. The service was fabulous! My waiter made some great selections and went out of his way to make sure I was happy. The garlic/ginger edamame has a pleasant zing to it and left me wanting more. I was a little disappointed in the tempura rolls... I thought they lacked flavor and were covered in too much spicy mayo. The volcano roll left me with the same feeling. The spicy tuna roll was a good mix of crunchy and tuna. I think it might have been the best thing I ate that night. I would not be opposed to going back, but I doubt I will go out of my way to do so.
(3)
Long V.
Amazing! I have been waiting for Basho to open and I was not disappointed in anyway. Just started with a light drink and hot starter (Tokyo Cosmo and grilled duck). I had to leave early, but am excited to taste much more of the food and styled. Major side note... The staff is polite and fun to interact with. Thanks Brian and Bill!
(5)
Shakira M.
Went to Basho last week with a group of friends and had a great experience. Its a very stylish place, very clean and contemporary. I love this place for its food and atmosphere. The one thing I wasn't too impressed with was the waitstaff. The place was not packed since it was a Wednesday night and it was snowing, but the waiter was pretty slow with taking our orders and seemed a little confused. Maybe he was new so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Other than the slow waiter, this is definitely a great place. Perfect for groups and dates.
(4)
Zachary K.
Best Japanese food in Boston. Aida was a fantastic waitress. Get the house salad and the spicy edamame. Lamb was great.
(5)
Dawn S.
If you're willing to pay a lot for a little, this is a great place. I looked through yelp reviews for about an hour before we went so I'd know what to get (or more accurate, what not to get), so we ended up with: the pork belly and sweet tomato robata (skewers), scallop robata (skewers), crunchy roll, blacked cod with sweet miso, and baby octopus in an orange sauce. All were DELICIOUS but they were all extremely small portions and we ended up getting the check before we were satiated just because we knew we'd have to spend twice as much money to be satiated. If you're willing to drop the dough, this place is great - my bf and i agreed that the blackened cod was one of the best fish dishes we've ever had but it was also the smallest portion of fish we've ever seen... about 1/2 the size of an iphone (strange explanation?) for $12... still worth it though if you have a groupon. The scallop skewers were also cooked perfectly with a delicious sauce but again, very small ($6 for 2 large scallops). I'd skip the pork belly skewers since the pork belly was cut so thin that it was basically dry bacon wrapped around a cherry tomato. Crunchy roll was very good and reasonably priced for the quantity and quality and the baby octopus was definitely great for the value but i have to admit, I was a little more skeeved out by it than my boyfriend - I was expecting there to be cut up pieces of octopus but instead there are just whole baby octopuses. Still good, though I let my bf eat most of it. I don't really care about service as long as the food is good but for those that do: We had the Basho groupon ($20 for $40 of food) and it seemed like our waitress was pretty annoyed with us when we asked for the check after spending almost exactly $40. I kinda can't blame her but I still thought it was rude for her to show her disappointment that we weren't ordering more. Other than that though, the service was great - she was very attentive and even though we were her only table seated on the patio, she came outside frequently to check on us. Oh one more thing! The validated $4 parking garage made it so easy to come here - even on a red sox night when the same garage was charging $40 for non restaurant-goers!
(3)
Christina C.
Service was horrendous. My husband and I went here for dinner on Friday and we were told that it would be a 45 minute wait which was fine. While we were waiting for a table, a group of 3 was able to get a table without any wait or a reservation. Once we were seated it took 10 minutes for our server to bring us some water. The sushi was ok. One of the maki rolls we ordered was not fresh as it left a very fishy after taste.
(2)
Kim W.
If you have a wheelchair in your group, expect great service. To the point where I was annoyed, and then amused because it got so ridiculous. They helped out my buddy before I got there when his footrest fell off, that's great. Coming by every five minutes and somehow always when I had my mouth full? It got to the point where we referred to our server as the ninja because she'd somehow make me jump every single time she came by. She was far too loud. My date is quadriplegic, not deaf! She was so cheery I wanted to tell her something that would remove that condescending voice. Maybe I'm just picky, but there's helpful, and then there's "Leave us the fuck alone for 10 minutes so I can eat my food". Serious overkill. Good sushi. The wine selection could use some work. Looks great. Good for date night. Our bill for two was $75 somehow. I live nearby, so I can actually say that is always packed after 9pm when I walk the dog, but dead at 7. Go then. My date rated it: the food was: good service was: very good a little pricy but not tooo bad For wheelchair users: The table is just a tad too low. You will bump your knees on it. We had to try three separate tables before we found one that fit. I'm also not sure why they have a doorman. They don't offer valet, so you're paying someone a salary to literally open the door? How about fire him and lower your highest rolls by a buck or two.
(4)
Alo M.
Went to Basho for the first time tonight, was super excited. The noodles and soup were good but was very disappointed by the sashimi platter. I love sushi and can handle almost anything, but the fish just didn't taste good and the pieces were too big. Really did not enjoy that part. May have been an off day for them as the place was full, but just didn't like the fish. Everything else was good. I told the waitstaff and they did NOTHING about it except say sorry. Not sure I'm going back.
(2)
Eric W.
In the year and a half I've lived in the West Fens, the eating options have thankfully exploded. (When restaurant row is restored, we will be unstoppable.) Basho is not a home run but it is a solid double, so it should satisfy the deprived locals but not draw many as a destination spot. The variety of sushi I've sampled (both at table and as takeout, from classic staples to more exotic specialties, sashimi and maki) have been consistently "good," satisfying my stomach, making my mouth happy enough, and leaving my value-focused mind in doubt. Unlike its peers, Basho excels at hot appetizers (I recommend the spicy garlic edamame or the rich, baked seafood kaiyaki) and the tempura menu is delicious.
(3)
Laura B.
Great food, especially the Kobe beef spring rolls and the banana tempura. Only downside was the air conditioning was turned off when the outdoor patio was opened, which made the whole restaurant hot.
(4)
Davide B.
I like it a lot...food is pretty good and service is fast most of the times...a bit pricey maybe! Thumbs up for basho!
(4)
L M.
WOW. I have never been motivated to actaully write a review until now. I had dinner tonight at Basho and have to tell everyone about the experience. I was there on a business dinner and loved absolutely every minute. The bartender who started off the night (Mike) was a professional, approachable and knowledgable guy. He suggested that I order the saki martini and it was DELICIOUS! Maybe the best martini I have ever had. The food was top notch - so fresh and great presentation. Because it was a work dinner, I actually have no idea what it cost, but the prices looked really fair. The ambience was perfect. The music was just right, both the sound level and the selection. Our server was fantastic too. Jack Huang (owner) is a great guy and spent a lot of time at our table talking to us and getting to know us. This place is very "cool", but without trying to hard. I felt completely at ease and loved that the patronage was diverse. HIGHLY recommend for a group or a romantic night.
(4)
Hugh K.
Excellent and inventive sushi, extremely knowledgeable server, fresh everything. Nice room, though a bit cavernous. Good prices. Best of all, a great new option in a part of town where high-end options have been few and far between.
(4)
Chris B.
We had a Groupon, $20 for $40, so we decided to give it a shot. Expect nothing more than average sushi in an environment and with prices that would lead you to believe you are about to get much more. The ambiance is modern, cool and comfortable. I encountered very friendly staff from the time I made our reservation until we left. First impressions are big for me, when our wine arrived at the table filled just up to the fill line on the glass, I began to question this place. I feel that having an etching on a glass to ensure the bartender gives just the right pour is extremely un-classey and cheap. Basho, you can do better than this, especially when a glass of wine is in the $10 per glass price range. Further, I felt that the portion to price ratio is small. The 7.50 seafood salad was half of what it could have been for the price. If the salad was filled with freshness and flavor, a $7.50 price tag would be fine, but it was the typical run of the mill spicy seafood salad you can get at any other popular Boston Area sushi places, or even make at home. The maki rolls were inventive on paper, but again lacked the flavor and freshness I would expect for the price. Nothing here was bad, but nothing here made Basho stand apart. In fact, I expected good things based on ambiance and service, but the food certainly disappointed. I would put Basho into the same genre of places that Fugakyu belongs to, and thus, I do not see myself back until I hear of improvements.
(2)
Christian K.
Wow. All I can say is wow. Erin B. was a super waitress. She managed to be informative without being annoying- and informative was essential because this place has a massive menu, for a sushi place!! The spicy tuna tots are way less trashy than they sound. I'm mos def coming back to try more on this amazing fanastic menu. If you look at my other yelp reviews, you know: I'm not kidding.
(5)
K P.
It's nothing special. For the price that you will pay, you can get far better.
(2)
Alexis B.
Wow! Basho is literally a breath of fresh air. In Boston there are so many so-so sushi restaurants I usually hate when a new one opens because I know it will be a let down. But last night my world changed. Now I love Fugakyu but it gets old. I love Genki Ya but its a baby Fugakyu. Now Basho is completely different. First of all the atmosphere. I generally liked the minimal look of the restaurant. It felt cool, and young. Very different from more Boston restaurants. The menu is a bit overwhelming. We had a nice waitress last night but she was SOOOO nervous. I don't know if it was her first night or what. Anyway we went for dinner last night at 8pm. There was a Sox game too but it wasn't packed. We were seated right away. We started with broccoli and shrimp tempura. For $2 bucks for 2 pieces of broccoli I was super satisfied. They were huge and Delicious. The Gyoza weren't anything special- but OH THE EDAMAME! For real! Get the chili garlic sauce ones. They come in this warm sweet salty spicy sauce that just makes them out of this world. I had the crunchy roll which was fine nothing too special. You must try the Snow Mountain Maki! Shrimp tempura roll with crab on top. Sooo good I could eat like 4 of them. My bf had the grilled tuna steak which was good. Nice portions. Definitely can't wait to go back. Also they have validated parking for $4 for 3 hours. Even during game nights. Which is pretty awesome.
(4)
Jessica K.
My favorite sushi in the city. Fresh and so many rolls to choose from. I recommend the crunchy roll or the spicy tuna with a soy wrap!
(5)
Sachin P.
Overall, just another in a sea of pseudo trendy Japanese restaurants. Food was good though pricy. Ambience was trying too hard. Our waitress was very polite, though we strangely had to request soy sauce as opposed to it already being present. In general, not a bad experience, but with similar places (like haru, etc...) that feel more polished, can't imagine that I will be a regular.
(3)
Les P.
Best sushi around! LOVE LOVE LOVE this place and go there often! The spicy crispy shrimp are amazing and the spicy ginger edamame are amazing. Only complaint is with the new chef or manager they changed it up and do not always put the sauce on top of them! everything here is good so I wont go on and on! Def recommend!!
The food was excellent but the service was a little slow. If you are short on time I would say wait. We went for lunch and I got the Bento Lunch. It was delicious. Highly recommend eating here.
(4)
Gina R.
Basho is a really great place for lunch in the Fenway area. The lunch specials are very creative, good sized portions with a variety of choices. I've really enjoyed the salmon teriyaki and the sushi is fresh and light.
(4)
Rachel R.
Last night my sister and I had dinner at Basho, as she had recently been there with a friend and loved it! I am not in love with it too! We both had the same thing, the house sald($5.75)(DELICIOUS) and a California Roll and a Garden Roll!! California Roll($6.00) was perfect and non-fishy, and the garden roll ($7.00)(wrapped in rice and avocado, with lettuce,tomato,asparagus,avacado, and cucumber) was amazing!!!! A meal for two with plenty of food for $40.00!!! Definitely check out Basho if youre a sushi lover.... plus they have $4.00 validated parking in their garage!
(5)
sage f.
I work down the street and was very excited that a new lunch option was coming to the neighborhood. But so far, this place hasn't thrilled me all that much... The decor is clearly trying to be hip, but the chairs aren't that comfortable and it always feels empty and cold inside. The food is decent, but not great. The lunch specials have some good options. I had the makimono combo once, which was mediocre (they made a substitution for me once, but wouldn't do it the second time I asked.) I also had the udon vegetable noodles, which were also pretty good, but a little on the salty side for my taste. I am hoping that this place picks up a bit because I'd love to be able to include Japanese in my lunch repertoire.
(3)
Mitchell P.
Love the look and feel of this place its a very large, modern/industrial setting. Food was excellent, had the spicy lobster soup which was great, the skewers were great. Had a bunch of their specialty rolls, the phoenix, and the crunchy roll both stood out as the 2 best we ordered, didnt care for the Yuzu. Dessert was great banana tempura, was delicious. Our server Chris was fantastic, super knowledgeable and made great recommendations, i was just shocked to have someone who actually spoke english serve me at a sushi restaurant. We would def go back.
(4)
Leah N.
We went here last night and the food was delicious. we had an assortment of rolls, both specialty and your typical hand roll along with some of their spicy edamame, which was really yummy! Their martinis are also great. The only downfall to this place is the service. We had a party of six with two waitresses and it still took them 20-25 mins to bring us our drinks; which makes me wonder, how many waitresses per table do they need for us to receive acceptable service? But, the food was terrific and that's what really matters. Also, I am reading some reviews that are complaining about the portions and I found them to be the same size as every other sushi restaurant in town, definitely not skimpy.
(4)
Arienne B.
Delicious and very fresh sushi--it's very good in that regard. Also, there are some nice lunchtime combo meals. On the downside though, although the wait staff is friendly, the service has been slow as molasses each of the 4 times I've been here. If you're not in a hurry it's not a problem, and I think this is really something borne out of their desire to give you an overall relaxed dining experience rather than of the staff just being lazy/distracted--however, if you're pressed for time and need to get back to the office (as I have each time I've eaten lunch here), I would not recommend sit down service here
(4)
Simona R.
Really good, fresh, quality sushi. Bad music. Kinda cool layout. Very expensive, but I had a Rue LaLa voucher and it was awesome. I think they do sushi happy hour late night, so half price is more reasonable. Really quality food though. Super fresh!! Delicious!
(4)
Becky A.
Went in for the first time tonight with a CoupMe. 5 stars for the Spicy Tuna. My friend and I had to order another plate of it because we just wanted more after our first order. Definitely going back here.
(5)
Yours Truly B.
although i'm not a huge sushi expert am a huge fan of japanese cuisine and i'm a huge fan of basho (obvi i gave it 5 stars). i'm very particular about what i eat, if you've read any of my other reviews most things fit into 3 categories - fried, cheese and sugar but once and awhile i dabble on other cuisines. i've always loved the food at douzo but wasn't crazy about the atmosphere or the stuffy clientele, so basho is the best of both worlds. i had a crazing for fresh tuna the other night and basho immediately popped into my head. i've been a quite a few times before and like the times before everything was great. as always we get a carafe of hot sake upon sitting, its very enjoyable here, always served extremely hot. my other go-tos on the menu are the spicy edamame with ginger and garlic, the tuna tartare and the spicy tuna app. the edamame are delicious, especially if you love things with a kick. it's a perfect blend of spice, ginger and garlic that makes a heavenly combination when paired with smooth, creamy beans. i do recommend asking for light on the sauce as they tend to put quite a lot. the tuna tartare is AMAZING, fresh tuna, seasoned perfectly on a crispy rice cake. finally the spicy tuna app... deep fried rice, spicy mayo and jalapeno... need i saw more. in regards to the sushi, i'm not much of an expert. i always get tuna sushi and cucumber rolls. both are amazing, fresh, delicious and tasty! the drinks at basho have never been a let down, from sake to martinis. they have mastered the art of the cocktail! they always have great background music in a comfortable, trendy atmosphere. def on it's way to being a boston hot spot!
(5)
Jess T.
I continue to go to Basho because the sushi and sashimi is fantastic. The hostesses were definitely doing their job by checking on everyone that comes through the door and making sure they had a reservation. However, a consistent problem is that there are never menus when we are seating. They always seem to be out of menus and we have to wait 10-15 minutes to get one (and there was 2 of us). Also, our waitress seemed to be a little impatient that we didn't wolf down our food and leave immediately.
(3)
Jaime M.
Been there twice, both times food was great and good service. New manager Justin (I believe that was his name) is a pleasure.
(5)
amanda w.
Great food. The service is ok, sometimes the waitresses get lost. Decoration wise very Japanese, just a little plain. Sushi is great and food is ok. Drinks are amazing. Try the cucumber martini if you get a chance.
(4)
Whitney A.
What a cool place! Modern, clean lines and a traditional menu. The only sushi spot where all the soy sauce on the tables are low-sodium (well, at least that what they told us. I hope the slow, unexciting service is attributed to how fresh the food is and they make everything from scratch. It is delicious! You gotta try the edamame, they serve it with a wedge of lime that takes the beans to a new level. It's kinda pricey, like all Japanese spots, but lunch is a great deal if you order the bento box. It's on a super busy street & we had to park kinda far, so please use the crosswalk to you don't get hit and try out this new spot;)
(4)
R F.
i've gotten food from here a few times now. but their high prices are really starting to throw me off. the sushi is mediocre, and my last takeout from Basho really turned me off. i ordered a few rolls. one of which was a tuna maki roll. simple. easy to make, one fish, rice, nori. I opened the container it came in and i noticed these weird white things stuck to the tops of the pieces. at first i thought it was some weird garnish. upon further inspection i realized they were fish bones. not just one (i can get over one, okay maybe two fish bones). but my entire roll had them! after dissecting them from the maki myself, i moved on to my other roll. i think it was a caterpillar roll. upon eating a few pieces i noticed something odd kept stabbing the roof of my mouth. MORE BONES! in a different roll! ugh. if you're going to charge an arm and a limb for sushi rolls they better be amazing. and please debone the seafood properly! also, $10+ for a plate of veggie udon seems pretty expensive.
(3)
Lili M.
The food is pretty good but not the best Asian in Boston by any means. But it's a relatively spacious restaurant and it's a good place to go with friends to grab a bite and a few drinks before going out around Fenway.
(3)
Tim L.
We just received our delivery order care of DiningIn.com . We received it promptly & it was exactly as ordered. After separating the order amongst friends I was able to take my first bite and was surprised by how delicious it was. I mean I was really surprised by the quality of our order. In the past I have not had much success with food that has been delivered but since I really had a Jones for sushi and since I was at work and could not pick it up I had no choice. Thank God I took a chance, Basho is going in to my list of favorite places. I will be back. I can promise you that!
(5)
Laura N.
It was overwhelming choosing from so many dishes, and you can definitely put together a meal that suits whatever you are craving. Definitely a good place to go with a few people so you can divide and conquer. The sauces and flavors were surprising and delightful. Definitely a pricier Japanese meal, but if you want to experiment - it's a delicious experience!
(4)
Sofia A.
We had the bento box and beef noodle soup... It was very tasty. I have been to Haru, Douzo, Oishi, Snappy etc for reference... and at least in this one time experience, the food did not lack in flavor. Service was good too. The dessert needs some improvement though (banana tempura with ice cream) and the seats (high chair) were not very comfy...
(4)
J. N.
I love Basho. Granted, I love Douzo (same owner) but with Douzo being in the South End, it's rare that I get there. I've been to Basho about four times and each time is great food and service. I have also taken advantage of the $17 dinner special (a salad, an app, and a sushi roll) but there's a great selection on the regular menu as well. I love the spicy tuna app & the spicy seafood salad. All the sushi I've had has been creative and delicious. I am actually going there tonight. Convenient location!
(4)
Cyndi L.
By far, Basho was the worst lunch experience I've had in a long time. Usually, I'm pretty patient and understanding of new restaurants or waitstaff who are still learning how to provide good service, but this restaurant just seemed like they plain didn't care if we came back. I ordered the Nabeyaki Udon lunch special. For the listed price of $8.75, it was a pretty tasty portion of food. Unfortunately, that was the only redeeming thing about the restaurant: 1. Our food took 25 minutes to arrive - pretty appalling given that there was only 1 other table in the whole restaurant 2. When our food did arrive, they only brought half of our orders. The other half took another 25-30 minutes because of a "kitchen malfunction". The manager offered to give us dessert on the house, but it didn't make up for the fact that half of our lunches were already cold. 3. Our "comped" desserts had to be eaten in the restaurant, even though we were full from our lunches and would rather have taken them home. The manager said their policy was that desserts can't be taken to go. 4. The Nabeyaki udon was charged $1 more than the menu price. 5. The green tea was consistently cold. They must have brewed it once when I ordered it and never bothered to reheat it throughout the meal. Also, they charged me $1.50 for tea which was pretty surprising for a typical/upscale Japanese restaurant. Overall, we were pretty shocked that it took us 2 hours to eat lunch here, to the point where we were feeling like hostages. I would not recommend this place unless you really don't care about service, eating cold food, or how timely your food arrives. Sorry, Basho. You've disappointed me twice in two weeks. We will not be coming back.
(1)
Corey L.
I'm no sushi expert by any means, but Basho is GREAT! Very hip, sleek atmosphere, but also relaxed. Service was excellent, the food was excellent. Nothing to complain about. I hardly ever leave 5 stars, but I feel I must this time. Prices are very reasonable as well, you can easily get away with $50 plus tip for 2.
(5)
Sadalit V.
Came here based on high ratings and description in the Boston Phoenix, and it was so worth it! The service was really attentive (without being TOO attentive) and the food was original and amazing. The Phoenix's review described the place as "large and ultramodern yet curiously comfortable" which is right on - it's a big high-ceilinged space but the bamboo between the tables and the dim lighting manage to give it intimacy. Great for a date. Maybe not so great for kids but I did see a family or two there. The flavored sashimi platter is a must-try, as is the cucumber hand roll - it's an alternative to the traditional hand roll with a thin cucumber wrap around the fish instead of rice and seaweed. So fresh and light and delicious! Also highly recommend the vegetable robata skewers. We tried a few of the meat robata skewers too but my opinion is they didn't shine as much as the asparagus one did. Nice wine list and again, awesome service!
(5)
Tanya D.
I've eaten here at least over 20 times in the past year. The food is terrific and not too expensive! The ambiance is phenomenal for a date, a hangout with a group of friends, or even to host a family event. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The service is fast and efficient. Overall this is one of my top 5 restaurants in Boston!
(5)
Michael D.
I never write reviews but Basho definitely deserved one. I've done some of the best sushi places while living in NYC and LA and generally Boston sushi has been a huge let down. That was until we had dinner at Basho. Bottom line amazing, fresh and innovative flavors while staying true to the quality of their ingredients. The best selection and freshest sushi in Boston far and away. I hope Boston embraces this place, it will take sushi eating to the next level and set a new standard for what sushi should be. Check out the yellowtail belly with yuzu or anything kampachi. Spicy tuna on crispy rice is just about the most perfect bite of anything I have ever had. You will not be disappointed.
(5)
Shelly A.
I waited a long time to try Basho to make sure they had all the kinks ironed out. After having dinner there tonight I see that it was definitely worth the wait! We had a really good grilled vegetable plate that's not on the menu: two kinds of beefy mushrooms, asparagus, squash and eggplant. We found out about it when we asked the waitress why some of the grilled vegetables weren't marked as vegetarian (it's the sauce). My husband's vegetarian; I'm not. For that reason we have a hard time finding new restaurants. We were both happy tonight though. He had vegetable udon with big, sexy noodles and I had a yellow tail tempura roll with tempura broccoli on the side. The broccoli came with a magnificent dipping broth that is to die for. Everything was cooked perfectly, artfully presented and served promptly. I highly recommend and will be going back to this restaurant to try more of the surprisingly expansive menu!
(5)
Joanna S.
I live by this restaurant and after my recent obsession with Naruto, I've been craving for ramen. Basho makes good ramen filled with veggies. Note: their vegetable ramen is made with fish stock so it's not vegetarian but they've always been kind to substitute a vegetarian soup for me. Good food, great service.
(4)
Laura P.
I decided to try Basho on Saturday night and will never return again. While I thought the food was very good (as expected for the prices!), the service was terrible. Our waitress was pretty rude, she took our order and never came back. There were 2 tables in the entire restaurant and three servers, but we waited 1 hour for our food. I spoke to the manager and she was initially apologetic, but didn't have anyone come clear our table, ask if we wanted additional drinks or bring our check. Again, we had to go up to the hostess stand to ask to be helped. After this, the manager lied and said she would give us a 10% discount for the problems, but didn't. On top of the poor experience who wants to be lied to? If you are looking for a pleasant eating out experience DO NOT GO HERE.
(1)
J R.
Good variety of Japanese food beyond sushi. We had some robata veggies before our sushi. All choices were very good. Fish was high quality so we didn't even use soy sauce. Attentive service and nice ambience. More relaxing than most sushi bars.
(4)
Jenna D.
Great, all except for the too loud music!
(4)
Ellen T.
So this is a sister restaurant of Douzo. I loved Douzo so I had to try this place. I've been here several times and every time the food is spot on. This is a bigger restaurant so perfect for big dinner parties. I don't think I was ever disappointed with any of the food ordered. I always go for the miso cod appetizer. They have a miso cod dinner as well. The eggplant app and the pork buns are really good. I'm not a huge fan of the robata grill..didn't get a wow factor compared to the ones in NY. Good attempt though! The tempura choices are great, and came out perfectly fried. I tried the cucumber hand roll and it was really refreshing. The sashimi dinner is a great choice if you want just raw fish. The sushi choices are really fresh too. I've tried a bunch of the special rolls and the notable standouts were the crunchy roll, tiger roll, yuzu yellowtail and the toro roll with jalepenos. The drinks here are great too. Anything with lychee I always try. It came in a martini glass..so it packs a punch. If you are feeling adventurous, try the sparkling sake...yum!
(5)
Jo J.
this was a horrible experience. i sat at the bar with some friends and service was horribly slow. when i finally got my drink and was able to ask the waiter questions about the menu before i ordered, the waiter did not know the menu at all. i asked him what certain pieces of sushi were and he had no idea. i would be embarrassed if i owned a restaurant and my wait staff did not know what the items are on the menu. nonetheless, with the age of internet everywhere thanks to google i was able to figure some things out but i just couldn't shake how annoying this waiter was in how unapologetic he was to not knowing the menu at all. oh, and the one other thing that the wait staff did that was extremely offensive was that he did not offer me a clean glass with my second beer and without any prompting poured my second beer right in to my old glass. i was disgusted. oh and one more thing, the food was subpar, the sushi was fishy and old appearing. all in all a horrible experience.
(1)
Lindsey S.
Went to Basho for the first time last night. I do not eat sushi, so I can not comment on that. We had shumai and gayoza (I can't spell these things) to start, both delish, and I had seared scallops with risotto. I loved all of the food and the lychee martinis were very delicious with a whole fresh lychee in each one. I had lava cake for dessert. It was all perfect and I was really full when it was over. The music was a little odd. The bar was great.
(4)
Maryann P.
I was extremely excited for this place to open as my work often brings me to the area around noon. Since Umi burned down, I have been on a serious sushi hunt at lunchtime. I have now eaten there twice. First time I got the Shrimp Mango roll that sounded really good, but the sweet shrimp on top was not cooked... at all! It was slimy and not at all appetizing.. Doesn't shrimp HAVE to be cooked? Not pleasant in any way and I ended up tossing an expensive roll after eating one piece! I was not happy.... Second time I went in I got the Lunchbox pick two and it was GREAT and a really good value with the Spicy Tuna roll that came with it. That's why I gave them 3 stars... One star for the first trip and 5 stars for the second. I'll definitely go back, I think I'll just be more careful about what I order and stick to what I know. Also, the white miso soup is AMAZING, but a bit overpriced at 4 bucks and change.... but the little mushroom caps in the broth are pretty awesome.
(3)
Janet H.
Basho fasho! I'm actually a huge fan of Basho. In the past week, I actually ate here 3 times, mainly because if you show your Red Sox tickets, you get 15% off the bill! I should mention that my cousin was in town visiting and is a huge Red Sox fan... insane, but we went to three games in 5 days. Anywho, Basho makes a great option, considering the food around Fenway park are mainly bar/greasy food. On a hot summer day, something light and refreshing, like sushi, is perfect. Not to mention, this venue is gorgeous and makes a great date night spot. Definitely come here during lunch if you can. They offer great deals on their lunch specials -- not to mention generous portions! The Basho lunch special came with a bunch of fresh sashimi! Their baos are also amazing (highly recommend the pork belly and hamachi), as well as their miso yaki dinner. Their salad is also surprisingly delicious! I love their ginger salad dressing. I wonder if they make it in house. I also had the 1338 roll, which was just okay. I felt I couldn't really enjoy the fish on there because the crab concoction in the middle is way too overpowering. -1 star for their service... it's kind of meh. One day we were able to substitute the miso soup with the salad, and another day we couldn't :( Who wants to drink soup during a 90-degree day? Furthermore, their service can be slooooow. On a Tuesday night, with the restaurant 3/4 empty, our food took forever! Also, some of the employees could be friendlier. When you exit, they also have these delicious dream mints! I think they're coated with a thin layer of chocolate. I definitely will be back :) It's such a good deal, especially if you're watching a Red Sox game that day!
(4)
Kat B.
Good service Beautiful venu Great sushi Amazing food display Good music Everything was fabulous here I went here on a date before the movies and it was wonderful. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. ( and if you can't use chopsticks they will be glad to give you a fork )
(5)
Maeghan R.
I am in town for a conference and I'm staying at a hotel near Fenway. I needed a quick, easy place for dinner that was within walking distance of the hotel. Basho was a great choice. I had a simple Philly roll as well as a Spider roll - both were delicious! They had my takeout ready for me in fifteen minutes, and the host was very friendly and welcoming as he checked me out with my order. I would definitely go back.
(4)
Agnes A.
Food quality is really good. I ordered the soft shell crab tempera sandwich comes with sweet potato fries. My friends ordered two rolls of sushi, like I said, quality was great but portion was small. So we ordered two more rolls. We also had a scorpion bowl, delicious and it was really strong. So the bill came up to be 90 dollars for all three of us. Overall, I would come back again.
(4)
Ana S.
I love this place. They have extremely high quality fish, a solid menu, and good service. Their miso is also incredible--very complex and always hot. I generally get the tuna/cucumber with brown rice and a miso soup, and it's just about $10. I'm so glad (or am I?) this place is just around the corner from me...I'll be back far too often.
(5)
Sophie P.
Even though everyone talks about how Basho has mediocre SUSHI, I would suggest trying their other items since their name entails they are a brasserie (they have a large variety of items). FOOD Braised pork belly steamed buns (+) Every time I come here, I get this. The order comes in two buns in the cutest bamboo containers. I am always in search of the best pork bun in the city, and I have to say these are better than the one from Ippudo in NY. The bun is so soft that it sticks to the container and melts in your mouth. The pork is tender and falls out of the bun, but it's because it's THAT soft - like pillows melting in your mouth. Yellowtail Usuzukuri : Good yellowtail, although I do with it was a little bit fatter. Crispy shrimp: There was mushroom and shrimp covered in a spicy mayo sauce that was really good. However, the cabbage at the bottom didn't get any sauce at all, and was very dry in comparison to the drenched shrimp and shitake mushroom. DRINKS Lychee tini: It's not as sweet as you would think. It's a little tart Ginger margarita: Like a normal margarita. I didn't really taste the ginger. Sparkling pear (+): My favorite. It was tangy, sparkly, and very strong. SERVICE The waiters were very attentive, and we were approached by the server, bartender for more drinks, and the manager. We were treated like VIP sitting at the table!
(4)
Mallory C.
We had a great date night at Basho, to use our Groupon. I really liked the vibe and space, as it was not too crowded, and was pretty spacious in terms of seating. the food and drinks were delicious, but everything seemed to take quite a while. The place was empty, and our waiter kept coming over to tell us the "bartender is really backed up." I can't really imagine being there when it's crowded! I would go back though, it was nice ambience, and we were able to have a conversation without shouting. The menu had a good variety, it's accessible, and they also have outdoor seating. This would be a good central place to meet up with friends, or bring friends from out of town. Just make sure to check if there is a game that night or you could be doomed to be stuck in a crowd on your way home!!!
(3)
Wendy C.
Visited during lunch time. There were only 2 tables and one waitress. We were starving. She is not busy at all but it took her like forever to order for us. Food was great but relatively expansive. We ordered a sushi boat for two which was $29. It's not enough for a couple but maybe good for two girls. It came with two bowls of miso soup. The salmon sashimi was awesome. Definitely try salmon in this place. You will like it.
(3)
Yow-Bang W.
I ordered the 7 dishes course for $55. I love the fried shrimp rolled with sashimi, and the 3 piece seared sashimi in cocktail glass; on the other hand the sushi and maki are disappointing, almost like mediocre $$ restaurants. I guess this might pretty much tells their strength and weakness, for it's quite similar to some previous reviews. Despite the great service they've provided, overall it's overpriced and I have to rate this restaurant down for their foods.
(3)
Casey F.
Like a puppy pooping on the rug, it's hard to get mad at these people. Super nice, but super incompetent during a busy period. So bad that they comp'ed our $60 meal.
(1)
Megan B.
Basho is a solid option if you're looking for a nice bar or dinner around Fenway. Most of the establishments near the park are dive bars and sports bars so it's a good option if you're in the mood for sushi or a good cocktail. The food, drinks, and service are good, but the menu is quite pricey, which is why I gave the 3 star rating. Sushi always feels over-priced to me, but the rest of the menu is pricey for the portions too. I did really enjoy my meal at my last visit though. My friends and I were in the mood for sake and the waiter suggested a sparkling sake. It was tasty but it was more than I usually spend for a bottle of wine: $20 for 2 glasses worth. I had the pear martini afterword and this was a really delicious cocktail. I would definitely recommend it. For our meal we ordered the salmon avocado roll, spicy tuna roll, and the Yuzu Yellow tail roll with avocado and black tobiko. All of the roles were very tasty and the yellow tail specialty roll was really unique. I'd recommend if you're in the mood for Sushi and cocktails and happen to be in the Fenway area, but wouldn't recommend coming here over other sushi restaurants in Boston.
(3)
Patrick C.
I stopped in for lunch at Basho which generically means 'place' in Japanese and as a restaurant that calls itself a "Japanese brasserie", this 'place' was about Asian fusion cuisine for the masses and not necessarily Japanese cuisine. I was right - it is Asian fusion with an emphasis on Japanese-ish dishes. The food isn't as hearty as what a true brasserie might have, but they do the food they make very well. You'll find sushi, maki, and sashimi variations, plus tempura, meats cooked on a robatayaki grill, and a nice selection of hot and cold appetizers. I was hoping that they had nigori sake but they had hard cider (my usual drink of choice) so I was happy. I ordered the steamed buns (bao) with braised pork belly and the ramen kurobuta soup. Bao are not really Japanese but again, we're talking fusion cuisine. Service was quick and efficient and the bao came out hot and fresh from the steamer. The bao were presented in a stacked double mini bamboo steamer, each one holding a hot soft bao bun filled with a nice chunk of delicious, tender teriyaki-glazed pork belly, crispy cucumber and greens. The ramen kurobuta soup had the same pork belly, tender and succulent in a delicious broth filled with vegetables and perfectly cooked ramen noodles. There was plenty of food there and I am a hearty eater of good food - I didn't quite finish the ramen... For a quick, delicious Asian-fusion lunch right on Boylston Street in Boston, I think Basho hits the mark.
(4)
Eric K.
Overall a great experience. I ordered the miso ramen (spicy) with seafood (salmon, scallop, shrimp, squid) at the bar. The service was fast. The seafood and ramen were cooked perfectly. The broth was just spicy enough.
(5)
Arthur C.
Trendy place! I was slightly sad that they were out of squid sushi when I came in, and the waiter presumed a wrong dish when we really wanted another one. A little pricier than I'd like but not a bad experience overall
(3)
Casey C.
I don't usually give reviews unless I'm super satisfied or super pissed and this place has to be the worst for me to spare my precious time on Valentine's Day to write a review. So we called earlier for reservation, and asked how long the wait was for walkins. The manager replied "I can't give you that information because all tables were booked" with the rudest tone. I was quite upset, but my friend craved for sushi and we were super close by, so we decided to check it out. We walked in and the restaurant was almost empty! Our friend went to park her car, so we asked for a table. The guy who talked on the phone told us we can't have the table without all parties, while the restaurant was more than half empty! And he added "we can't get you seated till all parties are here because there r like 300 reservations" 300 reservations???!!! You mean in a year? So we waited for our friend and got the table. After we got seated, we saw the manager went over and talked to a few waiters. And they kept looking this way. Since there's no bird nest on our head, it appeared pretty obvious the manager was talking about us behind our back. I don't know how people usually run business but that was just pure unprofessional. We were just shocked any restaurant could treat its customer that way. At that point, we already lost our appetite, knowing with this kinda attitude they would probably spit in our food. It was probably the worst dining experience ever. Anyways, the food was mediocre at best. We have had better food way more than 300 times tho. And I'm definitely not lying about 300 times. 300 reservations? 300 reservations my ass!
(1)
Suad M.
Great place if you love it when waiters lie to you about the price and get you to order a $130 instead of the $40 you thought you were getting. I swear I'm not crazy. Here's what happened: My friends and I were having dinner and wanted to order a boat. We don't like eating tuna for environmental reasons and wanted to substitute it for any other fish. Given that tuna is usually the most expensive fish it's typically not a problem, but we were told that there are no substitutions. Okay, understood, we say, and start looking for alternative options on the menu. But then the waiters says magic words: BUT YOU CAN MAKE A CUSTOM BOAT! We look at each other surprised that this has never been an option before considering how often we come there. Are you sure we ask? Any rolls, for the same price! Yes, the waiters says. Order as much you can eat, same price. Are you sure it's the same price, I ask? Yes, he says, same price. Naturally we go crazy. Any roll combination for $40 total, that quite amazing. We went all out! You can see how it ends... With $130 check, because naturally, we were ordering separate rolls, that simply were placed in the boat but charged separately. We ask for the manager who was very professional, but defended the waiter who clearly made a mistake and gave us no discount on our order. This is a huge bummer. I live in the neighborhood and was a frequent visitor for drinks. After this, I won't be going back with much enthusiasm. Grrr. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CUSTOM BOAT YOU GUYS. Order at your own risk.
(1)
Lauretta L.
While Basho offers a convenient spot to grab sushi, the quality is average at best. We came here for a light dinner and shared a miso soup, sashimi sampler appetizer (yellowtail, salmon and tuna), spicy tuna roll and the yuzu roll. The miso soup was quite large and enough for the two of us. The presentation of the sashimi sampler was strange. The salmon slices were wrapped around a mix of sliced vegetables (sprouts, cucumbers and carrots). I think most people enjoy eating sashimi by itself, unadulterated by anything other than some soy sauce and wasabi. The yellowtail was also accented by a drop of some type of sauce, which overpowered the fish itself. If you want to mess with sashimi, you have a high bar to overcome. The spicy tuna mixture in the spicy tuna roll was dried out, bland and lacked any heat. The yuzu roll was better, although nothing to write home about. Portions for the sashimi and sushi rolls were very small as well. You won't get full here unless you want to break the bank.
(2)
Andrew Q.
This place really just sets up you for the disappointment, and it's pretty sad, to be honest. Let's get started with the basics. Its name, Basho Japanese Brasserie, is some sort of ridiculous combination of faux Japanese and French. Walking in the door, you're greeted with an entryway with multicolored LED lights, reminiscent of a club, and a little basket on the desk of the host that reads "Keep Calm and Sake Bomb". The place, otherwise, is gorgeous and trendy, just as you might expect a higher-end Japanese restaurant to be like, yet certain deco choices, like the sake bomb sign, just scream "We cater to a college crowd!" Prices are standard for a Japanese restaurant, so no complaints there. Service was ... awkward. I'm not saying small-talk is frowned upon, but our server was definitely on the awkward side. I was pleased that they served hard cider with a chilled glass, though I likewise found it odd that such an externally high-end place didn't require servers to pour the first glass. The food was... I guess inconsistent. Pan-seared duck ramen is a novel idea. The ramen was delicious, but the duck leaves something to be desired. The sushi, too, lacks polish. The fish was disturbingly close to room temperature upon its arrival to the table, and the rice was off. The sushi was fresh and I'm picky, no doubt, but it left something to be desired. All bark and no bite, I'm afraid.
(2)
Freddy A.
Great decor. The sushi is delicious. I had the spicy tuna. Ginger and wasabi were fresh. Their playlist was also enjoyable. Will come back.
(5)
Steven S.
Being a suburban homebody, I spent a lot of time looking at Yelp for places to eat in Boston with friends visiting from NJ. While the 8 of us, evenly split between adults and kids, panned Wagamama at the Pru, we give Basho 16 thumbs up! The atmosphere may seem too upscale for kids, but the staff was very friendly and accommodating to all, making our visit very warm, welcoming and never rushed. (Having some Kirin also helps set the right mood!) For apps, the Basho Ribs the Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls and Miso soup received highest praises. For sushi, everyone loved every roll they ordered - no leftovers at all (which I do admit for dads who like to finish others' plates is sad). Topping my personal favorite sushi list are the Lobster Tempura, the Snow Crab and the Phoenix rolls. We left with fully bellies, happy smiling faces, and a great overall experience to remember.
(5)
Jason A.
You know those chicks who dress all pretty, and then you take them home and realize that you'd have more fun talking to your cat? That's what Basho in the Fenway reminds me of. Went with my wife on a Groupon (yes, the universal sign that the place is hurting for business/sucks balls), and without it, the place would have been a 2 star experience. The food was abominable. Seriously, the sushi at Whole Foods was superior. Unless you were hammered on 11 sake bombs, you could not tell me that the food was a reasonable facsimile of good Japanese food. And if you think that it is, then I beg of you to please never review another Japanese restaurant on Yelp again. Ever. However (see above reference to pretty girls), the restaurant design looked pretty. Enough that my wife said "Ooohhhh" when we walked in. It's a shame that she also said "Ooohhh" when we walked out, but that was mostly because I think the diarrhea had just started.
(3)
Daniel C.
We have basho a second try after eating there during their cold open And being disappointed. We should have stayed away. The prices are that if a far superior restaurant with more focus. The food remains bland and badly portioned. Basho may work for the well heeled Sox fans from the burbs, but it does nothing to stand out from the crowd.
(2)
Ryan G.
Posh sushi in a up and coming posh neighborhood... But the thing about this place that throws me off a bit is that its a Japanese restaurants, that looks like a zen garden meets bar. So when I first came here I was slightly confused and didn't know what to really expect. Maybe its just because I am Asian and the whole bar Japanese vipe wasn't speaking to me....who knows. Overall, this place has good quality food (4 stars) but its fairly expensive; and to me, the quality does not justify the cost. The specialty rolls were surprisingly fresh and tasty, but be warned that you will definitely be paying upwards of $15 for a roll. What was actually surprisingly good was the Katsu sandwich, which came with sweet potato fries. However, it is in a super great location; A couple blocks from Fenway and Kenmore square. Lots of bars nearby if you want to drink afterwards. I would recommend giving this place a try and coming up with your own consensus. But if you are around the area for lunch I would definitely give it a try for their lunch specials and sandwiches.
(3)
Mary M.
Ahhh Basho....How can I even begin to describe how wonderful their sushi is! I've been here about a dozen times and every time I'm even more in love. I would definitely recommend the yuzu yellowtail roll, it's one of my favorites. I really don't know why people think the sushi is so bad because I've never gotten a bad roll. I do, however, give the 4 stars because some of the waiters have been not so great. Super slow service, and on one occasion the manager was super rude. When I called to reserve a table, I said (and my friends were there to back me up!) "Can I reserve a table for 4 at 7?" When we got there they said I had asked for a table of 7 and instead of just sloughing it off as no big deal, the manager kept correcting me saying that I reserved a table for 7. He just seemed like the kind of person who no one says no to. Other than that minuscule issue- go to basho!
(4)
Kenny C.
I was not expecting much from an Americanized Japanese/Korean restaurant but was pleasantly surprised. The yellowtail usuzukuri featured great cuts of yellowtail, but I felt the jalapeno, although initially brought out the flavor of the fish, ultimately overpowered the yellowtail. The garnish on the side - cucumber and onions - did not complement the dish at all. Great presentation, but taste was 4/5. At this point I was not too impressed, and my feeling for this place was sorta just average. But then out came the rolls, and the rolls were surprisingly good. We ordered the salmon tempura roll, caterpillar, and yellowtail yuzu. The salmon tempura roll was well flavored, the salmon was not overcooked, and the roll stayed together after biting half of a piece off, which speaks to its quality. It's hard to go wrong with the caterpillar when its drizzled in unagi sauce. Again, the roll was put together very well and this one in particular melts right in your mouth. The yellowtail yuzu was the gf's favorite. I also really, really liked it. The flavoring was unique, and went very well with the yellowtail. I'd definitely order all 3 rolls again. The price was not bad either - everything was around $10~12 dollars, which is standard for sushi rolls. The most important ingredient in sushi is the rice. The sushi chefs here has done a great job with the rice - they worked perfectly with the rolls we ordered. Now I'm curious if they can pull this off with brown rice instead of the white rice traditionally used. The service is a bit lacking though. Our server was super nice but the restaurant seemed way too understaffed. Or many it's just poorly managed. There was a guy responsible for pouring water. There was a guy responsible for clearing tables. Another guy as our dedicated waiter. Seems pretty standard, right? But our waiter was way too busy and took way too long to get us our water and even to come back and take our orders. The guy pouring water walked by us and didn't offer to get us cups of water. Another complaint is on their drinks. With such an extensive drink menu at a restaurant with a full bar, we'd expect at least decent drinks. Sadly, the gf and I didn't enjoy her lychee martini at all. Everything about it is meh. Will not be ordering this one again. I'd give it 4 stars but -1 for the poor service tonight. I'd definitely come back and try some other things on their huge menu. Hope they will have improved on their services by then!
(3)
Miyuki A.
By far the worst that I've ever had to experience from beginning to end. Highly unprofessional and unforgivable attitude by the restaurant manager. I'm more shocked than anything else, would not pay a single cent for the treatment I received. And it wasn't even just the service, your sushi was just absolutely mediocre.. Will definitely not be returning here. Not worth risking your precious time.
(1)
Mei l.
When i told the manager the sushi is bad. He says: i think it taste great. You are too picky. Ok jerk.. I will just never come here again. Period.
(1)
The Throwin S.
I stopped by for LUNCH recently, and I tried the lunch sashimi special. The sushi/sashimi was excellent and the price was surprisingly cheap. The standard lunch salad and miso were good too. I thought that maybe this was a fluke (pun intended), so I returned 2 more times. The sushi/sashimi were consistently excellent. I am a fan! I read a few Yelp Basho reviews, including a negative one from Andrew Q. on 6/2/14. Andrew wrote, "The fish was disturbingly close to room temperature upon its arrival to the table...". The fish is NOT supposed to be served cold. I have had some superb sushi in Tokyo-- and the best joints serve it slightly chilled to room temp. Andrew, you are clueless.
(5)
Mary T.
I came here because I had a groupon deal. I tried their sushi rolls only. I had their crazy roll, dynamite roll, crunchy roll and spicy salmon. I didn't think the dynamite was that good. It didn't seem authentic to me. But maybe, it is different in Boston. They put imitation crab meat on top. Normally, it's spicy mayo or mayo and it's baked. Another roll I had was the crazy roll. I wasn't a big fan of the mango puree they used. It reminded me of baby food. The other rolls were good. The service was good as well. They were friendly. It wasn't that busy so the food came out pretty fast. You get an option of using brown rice or white rice for your sushi. You are probably looking at spending around $20-30 per person. They also have takoyaki, ramen, fried rice, sashimi... but I did not get to try it.
(3)
Simon L.
A classy spot that is appointed nicely in a warm and cozy wood paneled manner. A bar area and a sushi bar are separate from the dining area. Quick service, polite. Food? Bland and rather unmatched to the high price of doing business. The torched tuna roll ($19.95) lacks any defining elements of flavor - the most distinguished taste is the yuzu sauce. The yuzu yellow tail roll ($15.95) similarly lacked any specific unique tastes. The Spider roll ($10.95) arrived with four large slices of fried softshell crab and is standard. The kurobuta pork ramen ($14.75) is similarly unimpressive. This soup is available as either a ramen or udon variation and in this case, it is clearly an udon soup with ramen noodles substituted. A tasty but thin broth with all the vegetables of udon soup is not worth being classified as ramen. Beer and liquor available.
(3)
Tonya H.
This place is incredible. The food is phenomenal, but more importantly the staff is what makes it 5 stars. The new manager William Foley has really turned this place around. My favorite server is Bromeyn (i think thats what she said her name was). Great place and I will continue to celebrate birthdays there! They always accommodate to make an event special.
(5)
Karis O.
A Japanese sushi wonderland that's masked by Fenway but totally worth the drop-in. This place just got renovated! I could eat the spicy edamame for the rest of my life, I assure you, you can do the same. Not a lot of specialty cocktails to choose from but the Snapdragon has been burned into my memory and now I want three million more! Fruity magic with alcohol. The specialty rolls are expected: $11-$15. Maki rolls are about $5-$10 depending on what you get. Snow Mountain Roll (shrimp tempura with a bunch of snow crab on top). Excuse me while I give a standing ovation. And for those brave enough to handle wasabi, the Fenway roll will not let you down!
(4)
Alex E.
I wasn't too impressed with my experience at Basho. The interior is awesome, which really set my expectations pretty high when we first came in. But then they served their water in plastic cups and that kinda killed it for me. I know this seems like something very minor, but they weren't even really nice plastic cups, I think they are the same cups that my university's dining halls use. I guess I just found that pretty inconsistent because the decoration is so nice, you would expect some nicer dishware as well. We shared the spicy edamame and the shishito peppers as an appetizer. These were pretty flavorful, but I felt like the edamame was a little overcooked. I ordered a stirfried noodle dish with ramen noodles, veggies and tofu. It was really really bland, I only ate a few bites of it. I got the rest wrapped up but it just wound up sitting in my fridge until I threw it away. Really disappointing. My boyfriend ordered sushi and wasn't very excited about it either. Though the presentation was pretty nice, the quality was a letdown.
(2)
Ashley N.
I am from Cali and the sushi there is fresh! I haven't found a sushi place here in Boston as fresh, but Basho is excellent! I can taste the freshness here and this is the place that I keep coming back to! I love their Green Monster Roll! My favorite!!!! I love their happy hour. I always tend to go with friends right before it gets busy, so it's great for us. I love the design of the place. Atmosphere is nice and clean. Spacious, so I don't feel like I'm in the next table's conversation. It is a bit dark, for the romantic side, but I'm there more for the food! Waiters/waitresses & hostesses are all very nice. I have nothing to complain about with them. I'll keep coming back here!
(5)
David M.
As a place I would describe as being always a bit slow and a bit on the overpriced side - you would think i don't like Fin's. Thing is - I actually enjoy coming by here. The servers will never make you feel rushed, the atmosphere is trendy without trying to hard, and the noise level is always reasonable. The food, when it gets to you, has never disappointed, and they even have a few creative rolls. If you want something a bit less expensive, and a little less trendy, hike up to Kenmore to check out the competition - but I'll come back here for Fenway adjacent sushi experiences.
(4)
Graham W.
Sushi - 4/5 Delicious and reasonably priced. Atmosphere - 2/5 Sat at the bar. Bar seats have seen better days and the menus were in rough shape. Had kind of a "lazy" feel to it. Service - 3/5 Bartender was nice enough. Our appetizers came after our sushi rolls which was annoying but whatever. Drinks were a bit strong but I didn't complain. Overall, if you're in the fenway area and want some sushi it's a good option. Otherwise, I'd say definitely do not go out of your way. I put three stars but I mean 2.5
(3)
Lynn J.
REVIEW OF THE BAR ONLY... Bartender overcharged me, did not apologize...and possibly stole money. I approached his nearly EMPTY BAR, smiling. He did return my smile, and walked away, pretending to have something to do at the other end, then walked back to me and took my wine order. He then charged me $9.50 for a $7.00 glass of wine, took my $20 before I could correct his mistake, and hit a button on his register that rang up "NO SALE." As he tossed my change on the bar and turned away, without even acknowledging me, again, I told him the price was only $7.00 on the menu. He waved his hand in the air & said "I thought it was the other," opened the register to "NO SALE" again & gave me $2.00. The subtraction was too much for him and he was $.50 short. THE DEAL: He didn't smile, or talk to me at all. He over charged me, twice, and never apologized. Business owner, this is NOT the guy you want selling drinks. I don't even know if he even rang in my drink at all, or just pocketed the money by hitting "NO SALE."
(1)
Greg P.
A nice sushi option in Fenway Located right near Fenway Park, Basho is probably the best option in the area for good sushi and Japanese. The menu is large with lots of options if you do not eat sushi. The sushi is very good from the basics (shrimp tempura roll, spice tuna roll) to their more exotic rolls (torched toro, yuzu yellowtail). The fish is fresh and you have the option to have the sushi made with brown rice. A lot of the rolls are innovative and keep things from getting stay. There are only so many spicy tuna rolls you can eat, right?! Their desserts are fun and include a cheesecake harumaki that is decadent but not over-sweetened. A nice way to end the meal. The atmosphere is fun and the waitstaff helpful. Overall, a very good option for sushi and a change of pace from all of the pub-food in Fenway.
(4)
Veronica H.
We live in the building so we're here at least once a month. Service is always good and food is tasty. The recently updated their menu and actually lowered their prices! I recommend the Crazy roll.
(4)
Ralph O.
Basho is average, although prices are a little above average. I did enjoy the service there, but the atmosphere is not particularly great and the food is good enough. There is really not much to say.
(2)
Monica C.
Great restaurant with delicious sushi rolls. The sweet potato tempura roll was the best I've ever had and everyone's specialty rolls were also great. Chicken fried rice was good and saki bombs were fun and reasonably priced. The staff was beyond nice and service was excellent. Perfect restaurant for a fun night out of drinking and sushi with friends!
(5)
Rachael B.
The sushi is really good! The service was terrible. We asked for water once, twice, three times and then it arrived. Silverware once, twice, three times and then it arrived. Drink refills...the same. Either our server was overwhelmed or really just didn't want to be at work that night. This isn't exactly a cheap restaurant so I definitely expected a higher level of service. I can't say we'll be back.
(2)
Court S.
Well for the cost of $11, it's pretty good. I came here last Sunday for lunch with my cousin and we sat outside and enjoyed the lovely weather and atmosphere. I ordered the crazy roll( shrimp, avacado, rice, wrapped in seaweed) and a side of brown rice. The seaweed was a bit on the chewy side and some parts I spit out because I felt like I was getting a jaw muscle workout. That sounds weird but overall it was good sushi...just way too chewy. My cousin ordered something with eel, squid, and some other creatures of the sea, and she enjoyed it. I like my sushi simple so I took a bite of hers and promised myself not to take another.
(3)
Jill S.
We started with a well priced chardonnay bottle and ordered steamed shumai to begin. After she brought back our wine, we ordered the rainbow roll with brown rice, the lobster tempura, and the yuzu yellowtail roll with brown rice. The appetizer and the sushi all came out at once which was less than ideal, but i know things like that happen. At least it all came out quickly! The rolls were unbelievable - we really were impressed with the level of freshness and the creativity of the rolls. The lobster tempura was our unhealthy splurge, and it was SO worth it. So crunchy and delicious and they lay it on a bed of sauce which complemented it nicely. The rainbow roll was standard and well executed. The yuzu yellowtail was stand out - the citrusy flavors went so well with the mild yellowtail, and the caviar on top was definitely present but not overwhelming. I'm dreaming about this roll now. Thank you to Groupon for opening our eyes to this place!
(4)
Yasa E.
Interesting sushi, very fresh, very delicious.... The drinks aren't that great and way overpriced. The space itself is enormous and waaaay too open. Kind of makes you feel like you're eating in the middle of a basketball court. I think if they made better use of that space, the dining experience would be more pleasant
(3)
David S.
So my girl friend got a groupon for this place only reason i went there and I am glad we did not have to pay there ridiculous prices. Firstly location is very inconvenient and you have to most likely pay to park. secondly very over crowed and loud(hate to sound like and old man) Sushi was crappy at best .. fishy and expensive. service was crappy .. I asked my waitress to validate my parking and she was to lazy too and told me to do it myself. Another server had walked by and picked it up off the table and said oh I'll do that for you. I only left her a 6 tip because of it. I will not return to this place only thing it has going for it is atmosphere..
(2)
Brian D.
Pretty decent Japanese food, but aggressively overpriced. Truth be told, I'd avoid Basho altogether if it weren't for one dish: the Roast Duck Breast Udon soup. Which is heavenly. Tender duck breast with light, tasty noodles, carrots, some greens and a handful of mushrooms. I prefer it moderately spicy, my wife prefers it non-spicy and they accommodate that. They do, however, charge an extra $0.50 for making it spicy. Which pretty much sums up the place. Between the location and the fancy decor they either need to or choose to fancy up the prices as well. That Udon I just described runs $14.95 (which I don't mind so much because it does stand out). Entrees, cocktails and sushi all seem to run near the upper level of what they feel they could get away with. I do like their tempura a la cart menu, and their small bite robata choices (the grilled spiced chicken was okay at $4.00). These are overpriced but much more reasonable than the "small plates" menu. But on the whole you are paying for atmosphere (dark, classy, a bit loud). We'll go back there for that soup sometimes, but usually only when it's cold out and we're in that area already. But it's going to warm up soon and I know cheaper, pretty good Udon elsewhere so I probably won't be back until November.
(3)
Mirta S.
Update: Came in yesterday with a reservation for 6pm. Got a pretty aggressive call earlier in the day letting me know that they could only save my table for 10 minutes or so. Due to the reconstruction of the Longwood bridge, we were indeed 20 minutes late, so I kind of gave my hopes up on the reservation. Coming in, we noticed a completely empty restaurant - I told them what happened and was told that no problem, we could be seated right away. I am still perplexed as to why the aggression and unpleasantness were needed earlier in the day when it was clear that it didn't matter if we were late or not. Food, as usually, was really good. Switched it up a bit this time with Tornado roll, which tasted a lot of the acidic (lemony) stuff they put in, but was overall good. I could have a bazillion of their spicy tuna rolls though, so recommending that again as an add-on to all orders!
(3)
Francis C.
Went here for dinner and ordered the boat for two. I explained I had a shellfish allergy. The waiter assured me the chef would make sure no shellfish was on the plate. When the rolls came out there was tempura shrimp and california roll on the boat. I just ate from the other side of the boat. The sushi is good the lack of detail to an important allergy wasnt.
(2)
Mark W.
Four of my sushi connoisseur friends went to Basho last night (Wednesday) around 9pm, no wait in fact hardly anyone was at the bar or sitting at a table. They really went all out on this place... very nice. I can understand some of the issues other yelpers had from the cafeteria feel of the place to the trans music and definitely an interesting crowd with everyone wearing Red Sox hats and shirts but hey it is across from Fenway Park. The sushi was unique and very flavorful. The service was fun and attentive. Basho is our next new sushi hang out.
(5)
Summer X.
The food is as good as Douzo, a little different in presentation. I like the Japanese style BBQ, a little pricey though. It is big, has couple place for private parties.
(5)
Wini H.
While the restaurant itself is beautiful, the food and service are spotty. The boyfriend and I arrived at an empty restaurant and were seated at a table connected to a large, rowdy, loud party. The only things separating us were the sparse wall of bamboo sticks. This seemed a bit odd to us given that the whole restaurant was empty, and the next couple that came in was seated at a more intimate, private spot. The food itself varied. The sushi and udon were only okay, and overpriced for the quality. At this point our waitress, as polite and nice as she was, forgot to give us soy sauce. The pork belly buns, however, were amazing. If you were to go here, I would recommend just ordering like...5 orders of pork belly buns. The pear martini was unfortunately very bland and not drinkable--not sweet (almost neutral, really. Water-like), barely pear-flavored, and didn't even really taste of vodka. Perhaps it was watered down? I drank a few sips and put it aside. Seeing how you can get great pork belly buns elsewhere (or make them yourself! It's surprisingly easy), I would skip this place!
(2)
Criselle O.
This place is ridiculously expensive but it was super worth it. First of all, the interior of this place is classy and elegant. Very upscale. I felt kinda weird eating here during lunch and not being dressed up. Anyway, we ordered so much food. Let me try to remember since I was here about 2 1/2 weeks ago. We started off with some blood orange martini's which were yummo btw and for the real appetizers we got the toro (tuna belly), tuna tartar and edamame. The toro and tuna tartar were so beyond delicious. The toro practically melted in my mouth... Oh man, I was excited for what was coming. . . We each ordered our own rolls but we pretty much shared them. Ok, I'm totally drawing a blank with what everyone else ordered but I ordered the crunchy roll and it was filled with cucumber, mango, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, and tobiko. Soooo good. Oh yea, I really liked our server. She was super attentive and she totally recommended all the good stuff. My belly was so satisfied after this meal. It better be since we dropped almost $200 amongst 3 people. Haha. If only there was a Basho in SD. . .
(5)
Jamie B.
Basho deserves maybe 2 1/2 stars. We had seaweed salad, some generic sushi rolls and a few specialty rolls. There was nothing outstanding about the quality of the sushi. It certainly wasn't bad by any means, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again. The service was attentive, but it was also a very slow night, as we were maybe one of five parties there.
(2)
P C.
**LIVING SOCIAL WARNING** I've been here 2 times and both times I wasn't wow-ed for dinner and drinks. I've had the apps and sushi. I also had a living social that I purchased- I viewed it on my iphone and NEVER clicked redeemed- when I went to the restaurant to use my livingsocial they said it had already been used. They said there is no way they could "MAKE-UP" The voucher number and the manager actually blamed us and said theres no way it could've been them. Needless to say, I won't go back.
(2)
Shayne Z.
I really want to like Basho much more than I do. The food is decent, but not amazing, and for the price I really expect more. The sushi is fresh enough, nothing special but nothing terrible, though I think the portions are small for the price and the spicy tuna roll (one of my usual favorites) is among my least favorite I've had in the Boston area. Still, I keep coming back in hopes that it will be better (and also because it's so convenient), but I think I might finally be done giving this place chance after chance. I ordered take out for lunch today--salmon teriyaki lunch special, since I hadn't tried the kitchen entrees before. The salad that came with the lunch special had brown lettuce, and the container of soup wasn't even half full. The salmon teriyaki was fine, but I was charged extra for brown rice and that wasn't made clear on the menu, as far as I could tell. I think todays meal sealed the deal. I'm not a fan, Basho, and if I'm going to pay over $10 for lunch, I'd rather walk around the corner to Rod Dee and get twice as much food that tastes a lot better. Sorry.
(2)
Kelsey C.
NOT worth it is the only thing I can say about Basho. An imposingly large space in fun Fenway, Basho is beautiful at first glance. The paneling is modern, the floor shines, and you wonder how the food couldn't do the same. Take a bite of the Lobster Tempura Roll and you'll see why Basho is the first stop for sushi disaster tourism. The roll tasted more like shake n' bake chicken than lobster thanks to the almost-burnt breading...wasn't worth the chipped teeth either. The Snow Mountain Roll was better but not by much. Snow crab makes a tasty topper, but the filling of shrimp tempura drowned out the sweet crab. The Amaebi Mango Roll was even more bland...didn't even think that was possible. The Soft Shell Crab Tempura wasn't bad but clearly wasn't very fresh, and wecould barely tell the Water Eel Tempura from regular fish. I hate to bash, but there's nothing else to do with an overpriced restaurant with sucky sushi. I could have paid half this amount at Seiyo if I wanted something so un-special.
(1)
Emlchach C.
The service was HORRIBLE! I was with a very large group, and they gave us two servers to take care of the tables (we had two because they separated them). Both servers were inattentive and the server for my table legitimately gave us attitude the entire time. They did not provide the table with water and I had to ask FOUR times to have the waitress bring water. Four times. The food was...sushi. They had a brown rice option which was nice, and overall it was decent sushi. But because of the service that I experienced I would never go back, and would recommend other establishments before I ever recommended this place.
(2)
Kaitlin C.
Yummy sushi! Had some little tuna bombs or whatever they were called (spicy tuna on crispy rice) and it was fantastic. My friend had some tuna tartar that I was not impressed with, but he enjoyed all the same. Nigiri was tasty, and sushi was really beautiful and yummy when it came to the table. Also had some sauteed Udon and it was great. Ordered too much (as usual) and finished it off the next day. I will definitely be back here!!
(4)
Dan G.
Went here on a Saturday night with a reservation. We were seated prompty when we arrived, a party of 8. As soon as we were sat, the waitress came over and greeted us and asked if we wanted anything to drink. As soon as the drink orders came, we ordered apps and entrees. We didnt wait long for our apps to come out. The apps consisted of 4-6 pieces, shumai or dumplings. Everything was great, but for 6 pieces I believe the dumplings cost around $9. A little expensive if you ask me. The main course were fairly large, the soups were giant. 2 people were not even able to finish them. The sushi platter was large enough for 2, the noodle dish was delicious and again a large portion size. The waitress was very attentive throughout the whole meal. She kept coming to check up on us to see if we needed anything. In addition to the attentive waiteress, another waiter kept refilling our waters which was great. The restaurant was a little stark but crowded for a saturday night. Parking is tricky since its on a main street but there are some garages nearby. The restuarant is pricey depending on what you get. There seem to be a lot of other places in the Fenway area that are less expensive.
(3)
aja m.
The food at this place was great but while we were here a waiter accidentally spilled a tray of wine and sushi all over a friend of ours. We were a large party of 10 or so out for a friends birthday, and this poor girl got wine alllll over her hair and white shirt before we went out for the night. The waiter apologized a bit, but they didn't comp her meal or offer her a free glass of wine. The most that happened was the manager gave her his card so she could get the shirt dry cleaned through him. Lame.
(2)
Kayla B.
Went here on Saturday night with my boyfriend, called ahead for seating and was easily accommodated. The scorpion bowl was amazing, only 16$ and great mix of alcohol and juices. We ordered some apps to start, they didn't come out at the same time, but the manager was very attentive when he noticed I wasn't eating mine and went out back to grab his app we were waiting on. I had the ocean roll with some salmon sashimi. It was amazing and fresh. The waitress was attentive and we got two other cocktails to sip on after our meals came. We will certainly be back!
(5)
Nina N.
Would have been three for food but I have reached my final verdict of two stars for overall experience. Why? Basho stole my co-worker's hard earned $20.00! Lunch. The hostess might not have been the hostess at all. When we walked through the huge dark double glass doors, we stood awkwardly for a minute or two before being greeted although there was two staff up front. One totally ignored us while another girl was taking orders over the phone. When she finally finished the call, she greeted us. A party of four, please. We were told to wait while she checked something. Another awkward moment. When she returned, she clumsily gathered our menus and so I figured we could just follow her. We did an awkward U-turn back to doors and then finally to the dining area. Love the open dining area but it could use more lighting if not natural light. Our waiter was very polite, ordered our drinks and came back with it within five minutes. All food came out at a steady pace. For appetizer, we ordered from from the Robata Grill - chicken breast, two orders of pork toro, and spicy duck with mushroom. The chicken breast and spicy duck was good but the four stars would have to go to the pork toro. It was melt in your mouth good! Soft, juicy, tender pork belly. It is comparable to NY Ipuddo. I guess I don't have to go to New York anymore. For entrees, my brothers each had an order of the Basho's lunch set. I was hoping the Chef would be creative and make the two sets different from one another but they were the same food selection. The salmon was flavorless. I am thankful I stayed away from the sushi. The lunch set also came with fried chicken tempura. The batter was too thick and soggy rather than crispy and light as it should be. I took one bite and didn't want to finish the other half. I thought dipping it into the spicy mayo would help but that only made it worse. The beef skewers was chewy. The only highlight if I can even call it a highlight was the two tiny pieces of fried sushi. Overall, though there be plenty to eat, everything was sub-par in quality, possibly poor in quality even. If you want quantity, you got it but the quality sure will suffer. My fiance's entree, seared duck ramen looked like a miserable cabbage ramen soup. Well, aside from the pretty carrots, it looked very sad. I wonder if it tasted as miserable as it looked. He did not enjoy it. Of course we are comparing it to NY Ipuddo. My own entree, the spicy korubuta pork ramen was on the other hand, well presented and tasted pretty darn good. I can't quite pinpoint what is wrong with the ramen, whether the texture is just not quite right, but every other component of the dish was delicious. I would order this dish again on any given cold or rainy day. But all good things seem to end terribly. My co-worker had purchased a Groupon for me as a gift so I was excited happy that this experience would have been $40.00 less so my brothers who I brought along had free meals or would have been... Our very nice waiter, after ten minutes we were able to flag him down, came back and asked me if I had another Groupon as the one I have does not work and that it had already been used. It was a gift so how would I know if my co-worker had accidentally used it without realizing it. I told the waiter that I would pay in full on my credit card. Later I found out from my co-worker that the restaurant had made an error. She checked her Groupon account and it showed that the coupon was used today, 11/05/2011. Somehow our waiter or the cashier must have typed in the coupon redemption code twice so that it showed that it was already used. This really made the experience all the more worse. Initially, I was excited to try this place because it practically had all the items I absolutely love: sushi, ramen and steamed pork buns. Because the Groupon was rejected, the bill was $105.00, plus $16.00 tip. It would have been $65.00 plus $16.00 tip. Because of the mistake, Basho practically got an additional $20.00. Ahhhh....I felt twice ripped off for mediocre food. Would only come back for the pork belly. Then again, I just may not come back at all. See my pictures.
(2)
Matt C.
Basho is one of the few locations that was a Groupon decision that did not end in a one time only desire with the restaurant. Although without the 50% off deal Basho comes off as a bit pricey, the quality of the food would make it hard to pass up even if I wasn't wielding a half-off coupon. The sushi was fresh, the menu was unique, and even though the restaurant was going through renovations, the atmosphere was still enjoyable. All in all my suggestion is to search out living social/groupon paths to a discount, but even if you can't, give Basho a try at the full price.
(4)
Aaron K.
Been to basho twice, both times with a groupon type coupon. Really have enjoyed the food and atmosphere. -Service is a bit lacking on a busy saturday night but it gets the job done. There were a couple times we thought we were forgotten (also one of our robata orders was missed). -Atmosphere is trendy and hip with some lights on the wall near the sushi bar. Not overbearing and makes for a really 'chill' spot. They really know how to use their space. There is a lot of people in one room but you don't feel like anyone is really that close to you, other restaurants should take note. -Value is a little low as you are paying 14-18$ for a lot of the specialty sushi rolls. Robata grill items are tiny and pricey for what you are getting! Kobe beef 7$ was about 3 bites (not big ones either). You really can't get off cheap here for a full meal. -Food is really good. Robata grill items are tasty and have some excellent interesting sauces on top of them. Robata items are tiny, order more not less if you go this route. We tried a bunch of items but the japanese eggplant was the best one. My absolute must do on this menu is the steamed bun sandwich appetizer. These use kurobuta pork that the waitress said is slow cooked for 16 hours. To this day it is the best pork I have ever had and this little bun sandwich is just mind blowing because of this pork. Sushi is good, crafted wonderfully. Everytime we saw a sushi roll go by we would ooo and awww. They all look good. Had the tiger roll and it was a good size and tasty. My parents split the miso yaki dinner (cod) which I tried. Came with a great yellow sauce that paired well with the glazed cod and pickled vegetable it came with. For dessert we had the banana tempura. This is an excellent finish to the meal with fried banana slices with a scoop of ice cream. Everything goes together so well in this dish and the presentation is very nice. Overall a good restaurant worth trying and you will have a fun night out here. I will be back if another groupon type deal is offered, but I won't make the trip back into Boston for this place at full price.
(4)
Mary P.
Never buy coupon online, e.g. Groupon for this sushi bar. They set an option of purchasing $30 coupon. But when you check out, you will get two $15 coupons. And get noticed that you can't use them together. They are CHEATING. And the manager of the restaurant sucks, no consideration and no explanation. Worst experience in Fenway ever.
(1)
Steve K.
This was our go-to sushi place when we lived in Fenway.. especially since we lived 1 block away. It's a great place to grab drinks or sit down for a meal. The best part is that you never have to wait for seat. The sushi is really high quality and some of the freshest fish I've had. Our typical meal would start off with oysters, agedashi tofu (fantastic), miso black cod (amazing!) and a couple of rolls (recommend the rainbow roll). The duck or pork ramen is really good too. However, the most amazing part of dinner is the salmon sashimi... 2 pieces of heaven that literally tastes like butter!
(4)
Jose E.
My first time at Basho for lunch,I was very impressed sushi is delicious!!!! and the service outstanding can't wait to comeback for dinner great job.
I'm not really a fan. Execution is always a little bit off. Some of the words I'd use are: ~ "clinical" space which at full lighting would remind of a fancy cafeteria; the restaurant often feels kind of empty or non energetic... ~ few people seemed to be drinking, which is a big problem at an izakaya (friendly note for anyone not familiar with the term: it is defined in Wikipedia as "a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks.") ~ music was kind of muzak-y... didn't really recognize sort of generic jazz. Maybe would help to go for some good Japanese izakaya music? ~Ume chazuke came out after our meal was finished -- apparently it had to get remade; for me this is comfort food, which is why I ordered it... but it definitely was a bit off. Soup was starchier than I would expect, and there wasn't enough flavor... Just now I read in the "Boston Globe" that apparently in Basho's restaurant review, the critic also thought it was "terrible" -- whoops. I can see why they remade it this time though; they were probably terrified of the dish after it was panned so badly last time. They kindly apologized for the delay and sent out a amuse bouche though. ~ Sashimi quality was very good to start when they opened, but I feel like maybe it has gone slightly downhill over time? The quantity within the sashimi app is kinda generous though... could probably make smaller slices and everyone still be happy. ~ The inside "to-go" prepared foods section has been removed, which makes sense... Personally, I wish they'd close half the restaurant (get a smaller space), make the lighting a little brighter, have tons of sake and beer everywhere (Asahi, Sapporo, etc), Japanese-ify the restaurant with some good music, and simplify the menu down to one page of daily specials... a handful of freshly grilled robata, a handful of sushi/sashimi/rolls, etc. Tell me about the origin of the meat, the bincho coals, the sauces. Show pride in the quality of the food paired with the outstanding social scene of drinking with close friends. In other words, make it a drinking establishment with food -- not the other way around.
(3)
Becca P.
This place is AMAZING! It looks small from the outside but it's much bigger. It is very modern and chic. The staff is very nice. The food is expensive but delicious! The Basho flavored sashimi sampler was good but more $$ than I would have wanted to pay. The kobe beef skewers were cooked PERFECTLY. I can't remember the name of the rolls/makis we got but they were all GOOD so I really do not think you can go wrong here. 2 Thumbs up for Basho!
(5)
Robert G.
My "go to" sushi place in Boston. Rolls are creative and well executed. The selections from the robata grill are excellent and worth the trip alone. The avocado tempura is out of this world. I have always had great service and the decor/feel is great. It is in the Fenway area, so parking is ample (except during games/events).
(5)
Brian M.
I met up with some former co-workers there last week and was supremely impressed with the friendly and prompt service that went along w/the tasty food. The spicy edamame was an outstanding starter. One of the more interesting rolls was a special - a burrito of sorts - and was delectable. I urge them to make that roll a mainstay. You won't go wrong giving Basho a try. I'll certainly be back.
(5)
Nadine F.
Came back here with friends, this time with a Groupon. I know people say this place is too pricey but I actually don't think it's bad given how good the food we've had has been. We had...shrimp tempura--yummy, crispy, good sized, I love the dipping sauce; Kobe beef robata--tender and delicious, probably wouldn't get it again just because it's kind of pricey for the size, but that's expected with Kobe and it was worth trying the robata style cooking method; salmon and spicy seafood maki rolls--both were good but we both liked the flavor of the salmon roll more; Rainbow roll--so delicious! I traded a piece of it with a friend for a volcano roll, and was kind of disappointed because it wasn't as good as mine! If you're going to try a combo roll, definitely get the rainbow, it was really excellent with lots of seafood and great flavor. You get what you pay for here, and with a Groupon you get a lot more than you paid for. We'll probably be back with or without one!
(5)
Whytnee B.
I had brown rice sushi, which was pretty good. Not phenomenal. Prices were reasonable, although I didn't try any of the adventurous rolls. None of them really appealed to me. My friend ordered off the apps and Robata Grill menus, which seemed to be the better choice. He had roasted eggplant and a pork belly skewer. He had steamed buns at one point too. They were all exciting and delicious. The atmosphere was downright cheesy. Totally trying too hard. But our server was very friendly and attentive. Thumbs up. Definitely going back between the service and the food. Skip the sushi; be bold and sample everything else.
(3)
Vina A.
Still think about the chu toro we had here. Good sashimi and sushi choices beyond the normal every day Japanese just expensive for the good bits you do get.
(4)
Megan S.
I had an excellent time when I stopped by for a mid-afternoon sushi snack. Two mind-baffling things though: Why was the air conditioning blasting AND all the windows open from floor to ceiling? Why is it called Brasserie? It was the name that caught my eye and made me want to check it out. Brasserie means brewery in french - how intriguing! - I thought, imagining french-japanese beer fermenting in large tanks. But you will find nothing of the sort here. It also means a small Fench restaurant, but this place was decidedly not French.
(4)
D K.
I live in the neighborhood. My neighbor and I had dinner here once a few months after they opened. Our food was fine. Somehow the food passing us to go to other tables looked/smelled more exciting, so it's possible we made poor ordering decisions? The restaurant has some strange seating options. We sat at a small table on a busy end of the restaurant with servers continuously whizzing past us. The restaurant wasn't very busy when we went, but they seated a couple at the table adjacent to us. The tables were very close together and the only thing between our two tables were some fake bamboo sticks. We found this configuration to be awkward. The reason why I won't go back: THEY SERVE FRAUDULENT FISH! Not only is it completely unacceptable for them to charge you for one fish, yet serve you one which is cheaper, it also completely disregards that some people have certain food allergies!!!!! (The study was done by the Boston Globe if you're curious to see the specifics)
(1)
A K.
Went to Basho last night with a date to grab a "Sappora" (menu typo) and sample the new sushi joint. We decided to split some maki rolls (spicy salmon, kamikaze, and shiitake tempura). The miso soup was also good; everything there tasted a lot "cleaner" than other sushi places in Boston. I think this could be the use of fresh quality ingredients. The food was filling but nothing was really heavy. The only thing that really put me off was the atmosphere. I understand it's supposed to be modern looking but the techno music gives off a totally different vibe than if something more relaxing were played in the same space. Also, due to this restaurant's relative newness staff was running all over the place looking real anxious. Chill out guys! Not perfect, but definitely the best sushi in the Fenway area (ha! ok, pretty good by other Boston standards as well) and I look forward to coming back when the staff's not so on edge
(4)
Cheryl M.
My friend and I ate at Basho last night before seeing a show on Landsdown Street. We were blown away. The menu is big and has a nice variety, including individual tempura items (we got scallop, sweet potato and shiitake mushroom- the last being AMAZING) a unique grill and everything has the option of brown rice instead of white. They have Kobe beef and Pork belly available as well. We had a delicious hand roll, a specialty roll and the salmon sashimi we had was so fresh and buttery I swear they caught it 5 minutes before we ordered it. The drinks were yummy and the service was great, we even had 2 people waiting on us. I found the prices to be fair and comparable for what we got, there are some very expensive options available as well such as lobster ceviche or the Kobe beef, pork belly if you want to go big. Can't wait to go back, although I think this is a place for date nights or friend nights, not the type of place I would feel comfortable bringing my kids, although my 2 1/2 year old adores sushi.
(5)
Emily F.
Really great sushi for a good price. I've been several times in the last few months and I've never had a complaint. I had someone, who is by no means open to trying new things and has a very basic palette, try a spicy tuna roll, and loved it!!! Definitely recommend. They also have a great deal on Sundays.
(4)
CW W.
Went to Basho for the first time last week. It was a Monday around 5:30 so not very busy, I think there were 2 other tables when we arrived. The waiter who took care of us was very friendly, answered any questions we had and offered suggestions as well. Overall the food was good but service was REALLY slow. Like I said there were only a few tables and it took almost 30mins for our first order to come out. There were some dishes that were ok and others were really good it was 50/50 in that regard. I suppose I would go again knowing now what not to order but perhaps get take out as the service was so slow.
(3)
David D.
Good...Staff needs work but I will try it again!
(3)
Bassem S.
A-OK for Boston sushi... They renovated the interior - it was my first time here, but my friends said it was definitely an upgrade. Our servers were very nice, although I'd say we were a little understaffed. We had made special arrangements with the restaurant for our large group, where they served us 4 courses and we brought our own (very top-notch) sake. Unfortunately they didn't give us a menu, but I'll take my best guess at how our dishes corresponded to the menu: -House salad - Surprisingly delicious! I was expecting the typical Japanese house salad, but this had mesclun greens and a really tasty dressing. Actually one of my favorite parts of the meal... -Sushi/sashimi platter - My favorite part of our meal by far! We had toro sushi, water eel, and seared salmon sushi; as well as scallop sashimi and a few pieces of uni sushi. The scallop sashimi and uni sushi were the big winners: super fresh and tasty. The seared salmon sushi could have been a little more flavorful, but the toro and eel were delicious. Only complaint is that the portions are quite small! -Mixed tempura - Shrimp, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato, etc. I was so excited to see this dish and really wanted to like it, but the breading was just way too thick. The shrimp in particular was too greasy with all the bread coating. The broccoli was my favorite by the far...I think because it was hard for all of the breading to stick... -Mystery roll: UGH. This was disgusting. I'm not sure which combination roll it was, but after looking at them on the menu, my advice would just be to STAY AWAY from them and stick to traditional rolls or sushi/sashimi. I had 6 leftover pieces of this and did NOT want to take it home with me Summary: Nothing special and over-priced (though not more so than other Boston restaurants). Drop by if you're in the area and have a craving for a few fresh pieces of fish Tip: AVOID the combo rolls! Stick to the fresh sushi!
(3)
Island Boy B.
Everyone I've brought here really enjoyed the atmosphere and food. People, listen, its sushi, its gonna be expensive. That's why you have to take advantage of their lunch specials and happy hour. I always joke with my buddy who is a food snob about this place. We are always one of only a few groups/people in there and we joke we hope it doesn't close down soon. The food and the specials are too good. On another note, I brought another sushi snob and my brother, who coincidentally was visiting Boston from Japan. They both agreed the portions were excellent and quality was good. Obviously we have our favorite hole in wall Sushi joints, but if you utilize the specials, you are going to get a great meal and if you are already used to spending $40 or so when you go out for sushi, it beats comparable priced places hands down. This definitely is worth the 5 stars. Parking is always available out front, and even during Sox games, they validate for $4 in their garage. Can't beat that. If you like Douza (same owner), then you will like Basho. Plus its less of a headache and more accessible by car. Robata is a nice treat and I'm recommending you order a few to fill you up and ordering one less maki roll. I'm sticking with the 5 stars, but if there was a 4.75 rating I would give them that - once they get Sapporo on draft, then they will be 5 stars.
(5)
Karina L.
This place is a little on the expensive side, but with the price comes an amazing selection of signature rolls and a great date environment. My roommate and I came here all dumpy looking after the gym and we felt seriously out of place. Here we were, 2 hungry girls sitting among 15 other couples. No matter, the food was great enough to distract us from our glaring ugliness. We had a Groupon, but I would consider coming back here for a birthday dinner. We started off with a steamed pork belly and cucumber bun. It comes with 2, but one was enough for each of us. The pork belly is fatty, rich, and well-seasoned. I haven't found a pork bun that has rivaled Basho in Boston. Even the simple maki rolls (e.g.: spicy tuna) are top-notch quality and only a tad bit more expensive than a take-out sushi place ($6.75). Signature rolls like the Avalanche Roll and Dragon Roll are huge (8-10 pieces) -- 1 of these orders is probably enough for a meal. Service was prompt and polite. We got our rolls fairly quickly, but we had empty glasses of water pretty often.
(5)
Emerald L.
The atmosphere and food were decent, but our waiter was wonderful! My partner has Celiac Disease so eating out can sometimes be a dangerous, stressful and awkward experience. Our waiter tonight at Basho was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, courteous and thorough. Contrary to the blank or confused looks we get elsewhere when we double-check ingredients, our waiter offered suggestions and either knew the full ingredients in everything we wanted, or offered to double check without being asked. Thank you for making date night relaxing and fun!
(4)
M M.
We have ate a handful of times here and utilized groupons some of the times we have visited. We had two groupons per our table and last time we were given no issue when asked. Well, this time we went and we were not allow to use the second one. We had proof that we redeemed them both last time we visited together. The manager come have cared less. I asked the manager since last time we were allowed to that if we could use them this one time, and for now on we wouldn't use two together as now we know the policy is different. Nope! I mean seriously it's $15 and makes your customer happy. Won't be back.
(1)
Susan C.
This place gets 4 stars for appearance and service, but only 3 for food. Basho looks great after its recent facelift. But it's not particularly a positive when the decor is more memorable than the food. The food is definitely more on the pricey side. I ordered 4 sushi rolls an app and a beer and it came out to around $100. My sushi orders were essentially: 1) a toro tartare app, spicy salmon roll, alaska roll, caterpillar roll, some other generic-ish roll, and this lobster tempura roll I was excited to try. The lobster roll just turned out to be okay, it was somewhat bland, and it turned out the whole roll was fried, not just the tempura inside. The toro tartare was seasoned well, but it was a little chewy and definitely could have used some wontons or chips as an accouterments because it was very difficult to eat with chopsticks alone (and I grew up using chopsticks!). I'd probably be back for lunch or their happy hour specials, but I'm not sure I'd be back for dinner.
(3)
Andrea B.
Creative rolls + a daily 50% off happy hour special? I'm all over that! We got four rolls for 34 dollars, not a bad deal, especially considering I'd probably never come here at full price. Of those four rolls, I highly recommend trying their Tropical Sunset roll (which normally would cost you $16). It consisted of onion, cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese on the inside, with strawberry, fresh salmon, jalapeno, kiwi, and mango mayo on top. YUM. Sweet + spicy at the same time = amazing. Warning though - don't try to eat a piece in one bite, they're way too big. In the typical over-excitement that comes whenever I'm eating sushi, I attempted this and failed miserably. Service was fast and pleasant enough. However, our waitress had a little trouble keeping our water glasses full, but I was distracted enough by the delicious sushi that it didn't bother me that much. I'll definitely be back, as long as they keep that 50% happy hour going!
(4)
Sidney L.
This restaurant is just really well put together. From start to finish, you get very contemporary takes on Japanese cuisine, and every time I've come here, I've felt like I've gotten a unique meal that no other restaurant could give me. My entree has always been sushi when I've come here, but I'll have to try the rice and noodle dishes some time. Be prepared to spend $30-50 per person here though. - For appetizers, you can't go wrong with the edamame, especially the spicy ginger and garlic flavor. They occasionally have specials on oyster shooters, which is something fun to do with a group of people (it's like taking shots, but less alcoholic and more slimy). My favorite is "spicy tuna," which is spicy tuna on a crispy piece of sushi rice (which more or less tastes like a tater-tot). - For sushi, I recommend the Basho roll, crunchy roll, red spider roll, snow mountain roll, the rock and roll roll, and the tempura roll. Heck they're all good, you can't really go wrong here. Though this place isn't cheap, especially if you order sushi. - For dessert, try the fried green tea ice cream or the banana roll with ice cream. - For drinks, try the lychee martini or asian pear martini. Felt like those cocktails complimented the meal well. Finally, the service here is really outstanding. Many times I've been here, I've ended up striking up goofy conversations with my waiter or waitress, and I've gotten good recommendations from them as well.
(5)
Irina R.
Very very good sushi! Service can be a bit slow, but every piece of sushi we had was delicious. Left feeling crazy stuffed.
(4)
Dave B.
The food is good at Basho. I was not amazed by it but not disappointed. However the service and whole vibe of the place is confusing. First, we had made a reservation really late on a Friday night. When we arrive it didn't really matter that we had called ahead, we still waited for about 20 minutes - even though the place was not even that busy and there were plenty of tables clearing up. Walking in you would think you are walking in to a vegas club - with the EDM blasting - could be a good or bad thing based on where you want the night to go!
(3)
Tom H.
Our family of four are fans of sushi and came across Basho mainly because it was so close to our hotel. It ended up being one of those gems that will be added to list when we come back to Boston. Was a perfect balance of being casual but not too casual- perfect for what we were looking for. Our waitress, attending Northeastern, was friendly, helpful with the menu, and overall made a great experience even better. She is a true asset to the establishment. Food was fresh, creative, and tasty. Highly recommend when you are looking for high quality and friendly atmosphere. Well done Basho and The "Husky".
(4)
Joe P.
One of my top 5 favorite Japanese places. Probably number 4 at this point . The foods great. The sushi is pretty good. Im still a little upset they took some of the best things off their menu. No more vegetable tempura on the lunch menu?! That's a huge mistake since everyone I knew who went there got that. And the added shrimp was the best. I used to dream of that. The food is really good though and the staff are all very kind. There's been a few times I haven't been wowed but I never leave disappointed.
(4)
Kat M.
I love this place. Its pretty cool inside and offers PaintNite once a week which is a lot of fun! The food is great and about what I would expect price wise. I've also held events here, which they accommodated us very easily and were able to book a space with no booking fee or minimum. The staff is always friendly and prompt. I highly recommend it as a great place to eat.
(5)
Sam N.
Great sushi and appetizers. I got spicy salmon which is pretty standard but the fish was fresh. The Phoenix roll was amazing!! And the Fenway roll was a little plain, I wouldn't order it again. The appetizers were great, the spicy tuna rice bites, miso soup and shrimp gyoza. I'm definitely going back to try more rolls
(4)
Douglas S.
Overall decent sushi in a great location for Sox games but restaurant management is very snippy and not accommodating at all...Fins all in all is a better choice in the area.
(1)
Iaroslav M.
nice decor and lounge music, very friendly host and service. Ginger margarita was a little weak, but bash-full drink is a "must-try"!had an seafood appetizer special in a half-shell with some melted cheese on it-yummm! I really liked my spicy lobster soup (generous amount of lobster meat for $8),red spider roll was looks fancy and taste great!will definitely come back
(5)
Fanasha D.
Food is good, and the restaurant is really pretty. Convenient location. However, we went during a lunch rush and the understaffed restaurant was extremely SLOWWWWWWWWW. The servers were overwhelmed and forgetful. Because I was in a large group it was tolerable but had it been with just myself and one or two people it would've been insufferable. They really need to up their game during the lunch rush.
(3)
Jenn H.
A little overpriced and definitely the quality or freshness that I was expecting for the price. There are so many other places for much better sushi in Boston.
(2)
Elizabeth S.
I agree wholeheartedly with mike G. but I'm giving an extra star because I did not get food poisoning and let's face it, that's a huge plus when ordering raw seafood. Inedible salmon sashimi. Inedible salmon roe sashimi. Both were slightly sour and old tasting. I left them on the plate. Fancy rolls were fine. Not the best I've had (kind of dry), but edible. The rock shrimp tempura was the superstar of the evening - it's possible that Basho's forte is in the cooked dishes. The waiter came around to take drink orders and I gave him mine. Five minutes later, he returned, and asked me what I had ordered. I told him again. Ten minutes later he reappeared and presented me with a different drink. When I asked him if it was indeed the drink I suspected it was, he said yes. And I said okay, that's not what I ordered, but I don't really care. He suggested I give it to another member of our party since she had just ordered one, and he would bring me the drink I ordered. This was not a deal-breaker, but just very odd in a supposedly nice establishment that wasn't even half full, the whole time we were there (around 3 hours). I feel like you can either ask me twice what I ordered, or give me the wrong drink. I don't see how you can do both. Moving on... The chocolate cake was fine. The cheesecake dish and the banana tempura were both dissatisfying for a meal-ender. The prices are pretty high for a place with a florescent-lit fridge with soda and Gatorade in the entrance, and escolar on the menu. It's not as trendy as Red Lantern or as exotic as Fugakyu or as iconic as O Ya or as good tasting as any shack in Allston. Next.
(2)
Shruti S.
I am not happy with the fact that they changed the menu. I was used to go to Basho for their Basho Ribs, Octopus Ceviche and few other things. We are definitely not coming back. :( It was used to be our favorite place to come atleast once a month sometimes twice a month.
(3)
Stephanie F.
I just had my second dinner here and it confirmed what I thought after the first dinner: fantastic! The food is really, really good. I originally went with a friend who raved about the black cod and teriyaki salmon so that's what we got. Both were delicious. This time, I was with a friend who wanted to try the sushi so we got the black cod appetizer and shumai as well as the spider roll and caterpillar roll. Again, the black cod was insanely good. Next time I come I might just have to get that. Though the sushi was amazing too so it's going to be a tough call. As for all the other stuff (service, parking, ambiance)... Parking is easy either on the street or the garage around the corner from the restaurant on Jersey St (which they validate). We went on the earlier side ahead of a show at the House of Blues so it wasn't super crowded. We sat at a high table near the bar which was fine. It's a cozy place so it would be good for dinner with friends or as a date spot. Service was also really good. Our meal came out pretty quick and he was very attentive. Overall, highly recommend it if you want yummy Japanese food. I'll surely be back.
(5)
Jamie F.
I hosted my collegiate reunion/joint birthday dinner at Basho recently, and would definitely recommend this venue for large parties (we had 22 people). The atmosphere was trendy with soft lounge music playing - perfect for group celebration. We were seated in the private area (secluded by semi-transparent curtains). They won't seat you until most of your party has arrived, so my early bird friends waited at the sushi bar. I was prepared for mediocre service, as warned by some yelpers. To my surprise, our two servers were shining stars. They were really patient, friendly, and efficient. I had so many requests, i.e. to split the bill, change my drink order, add another app, etc. (...I swear I'm not one of those pain-in-the-ass customers), and they said, "no problem!" with a smile every single time. Food, as expected, took a while to come for our big group. My section of the table (4 people) shared oyster shooters (special), shrimp tempura app (special), tuna tartare with taro chips, steamed pork bun sandwiches, shishito peppers, and 4 sushi rolls (basho, tiger, crunchy, and yuzu yellowtail). Everything was delicious, good quality, beautifully presented, and good portion too. For drinks, both the lychee martini and cucumber martini were strong (without the alcohol sting) and refreshing. Wished we had time for dessert, but we were running late for our after-party. Total damage was about $50pp after tip & tax - pricey but worth it. There's validated parking in the garage around the corner ($4 for 3 hours), but don't bother if there's a redsox game (lot will most likely be full). Valet is $16. I'm Basho's newest fan! Can't wait to try the rest of the menu.
(4)
Nikhil D.
Each time I've visited Basho I get super excited by the decor and friendly staff and then my emotions take a hit when I taste the food. Overall it's very lackluster and semi-expensive for the quality/size of the portions. I do recommend checking out their bar food since they're having a deal. If you sit at their newly renovated bar, you can get an array of small plates for $3-5 dollars each. My favorite was (what I remember to be) the Pork Bun. Really tasty. It's by no means terrible since I do go when I'm feeling sushi and am in the area, but definitely not my favorite sushi joint.
(2)
Michelle T.
I really enjoyed Basho's food and service. great place to bring a date and a fun place for friends to meet and catch up at. This place isn't quite as small and cozy as many other Japanese places but not so loud you can't hear your dining companions. The pork buns were the best appetizers! Each bun had its own steamer and the pork inside was MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. The bun itself was soft and fluffy...absolutely delicious and so memorable. The skewers were hit or miss. The meat ones were quite a fail, and overpriced. The mushroom skewers however were absolutely AWESOME! Sushi was excellent. We ordered 2 different types of special maki rolls and both were presented beautifully and had unique ingredients. Even the soup noodles were tasty. I appreciate the broth as it was flavorful and not overly salted. NOT from an instant mix, which is a lot more than i can say for many Japanese restaurants in Boston. The seafood in our noodles were actually mostly fresh seafood. There was shrimp, scallops, and salmon, all in decent portions. Would definitely recommend this place if you live around the area!
(4)
Jessica L.
This place is so disappointing. I have given it several attempts, but it consistently lets us down. We started with a spicy tuna sampler.... that more accurately reflected mashed spicy tuna dollops on top of tater tots (well, tater tots of fried rice balls). We had to specially request regular soy sauce, because all that was provided to us was the low-sodium kind. Next was the Basho sampler platter. This place is confusing because, in theory, its rolls sound good, but they never seem to work; the flavors in the rolls never fuse together to create the delicious flavor combination you might expect. Instead, it tastes piecemeal; as if you just tossed seaweed/sashimi/rice/etc into your mouth. We got the tempura ice cream for dessert. The tempura was extremely soggy and inedible. Even the cherry on top was shriveled and gross. What's worse, in addition to a completely unsatisfying and overpriced meal, we always leave.... well, still hungry. This place is almost worse than having not eaten at all.
(2)
April C.
Wonderful meal before the Red Sox game. Atmosphere was zen-like and comfortable. Service was impeccable. We ordered a few combination rolls; The Green Monster, The Rainbow, and The Spider Roll. All choices were fresh and delicious.
(4)
Ariel Z.
Holy moly. Me like a lot. I went here on a Groupon and boy was I pleased. The atmosphere is awesome. And the sushi rolls are so innovative and equally delicious. I highly recommend the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll, Tropical Sunset Roll, and the Kimchee Fried Rice. I can't wait to go back and try the Spicy Lobster Miso Soup!
(5)
Tony N.
I struggle with my rating here. If I could give it 2.5 I would but I simply cannot give it a 3. In short, the food is excellent but the service is inexcusably and unapologetically slow. Appetizers: Pork Bun - Amazing. Comes in a two level steamer with a delicious pork bun on each level. Have had better in NY but not in Boston. A must order if you go. Shishito Peppers- On par with what they should be. Nothing special. Not very spicy. Edamame - Good. I recommend he spicy sauce as an accompaniment. Spicy Tuna - Those who had it love it. Too bad it came over an hour after all the other appetizers came....... Robata Grill Items - This is something that you don't see often. I would recommend ordering several items from this part of the menu. We had the pork belly (excellent), duck (excellent), and the Basho ribs (great sauce, super fatty). Sushi/Maki/Sashimi: The list of rolls is extensive. It is all great. The sashimi is especially good. Nice thick slices of fish, (a mirror image of Douzo). Substituions are discouraged but will be made. Service: Our server was incredibly pleasant and welcoming. She knew the entire menu and was able to make some fantastic suggestions. HOWEVER....food would just not leave the sushi bar. Appetizers came within 15-20 minutes, were hot, tasty, but missing one item, (the spicy tuna). We waited and waited and after a half hour had to ask where it was, (we assumed they missed the order). No, they did not miss the order, the sushi bar was just busy. Well....if that's the case I don;t expect to have to wait, wonder, and track down the information myself. Come tell me you didn't forget and it is coming in X minutes. ANOTHER 30 minutes pass and we tell them to forget the effort since our dinner is coming. Welllll not exactly. The appetizer was on its way but the sushi/maki/sashimi was going to be another ten minutes! In all it took over an hour, after getting out appetizers to get our sushi dinner items. We were not given any sort of apology or even an update. I have read the other reviews in this restaurant and it appears these folks just don't get it. If you have a big place with lots of people in the seats, staff appropriately! I hate to bash Basho but while the food was great there are just too many Japanese/sushi joints in this town to put up with that lack of service.
(2)
Ben R.
Nice and big on the inside, in a fine area of the city. The food is over priced though. It's not top-notch sushi or anything, so I don't know why the specialty rolls are about $15 each. I had the rainbow roll and it was delicious, but definitely not worth the price in terms of portion. I also had the fried calamari for an appetizer -- that on the other hand was not good. The spices on the batter were overpowering. You didn't taste the calamari at all. What you did taste was a very strong onion powder that was literally like those Frito-Lay Funyun bagged onion rings. It was honestly the worst fried calamari I've ever had. Also, it wasn't a big deal, but it was kind of loud inside. The more people that came in, the louder each table began to speak just so they could hear each other -- I didn't like that. Maybe lunch would be nice at this place since the pricing and atmosphere is different, but for dinner? I definitely would not recommend it. For the price, you might as well go somewhere nice in the North or South end of the city.
(2)
Michael C.
Went here this past weekend for their soft opening. The first thing you will notice when you walk in is that this place is massive. It looks like it seats over 200 people and has some space for private dining. Now on to the food! We started with the Foie Gras Teriyaki which I have to say was one fo the best cooked foie gras I have ever had. Next we ordered 5 rolls. The best being the Basho Roll which is a gigantic spicy snow crab roll. My favorite was the Dragon Roll which was a sweet potato tempura roll wrapped with eel and avacado. Not only was the sushi great but the presentation was on par with some of the best sushi restaurants I have been too. I posted some pics. This place is a welcome addition to the Fenway restaurant scene and Boston sushi in general.
(5)
Danie R.
I'm rounding up... I think it's more like 3.5 stars. Great atmosphere, great service, great food! It is a beautiful, new restaurant. Very dark and romantic spot for my lady date. Lots of mood lighting, nice big space. Our server was new and training but he was really nice and knowledgable about food in general. He wasn't too sure about the cocktails but they were overpriced and mediocre anyway.. Although the house candied ginger is DELICIOUS. I liked the ramen and tempura! The tempura was perfectly cooked. It's kinda weird they did it by the piece. The ramen was slightly under seasoned but after adding the tempura sauce and some spicy stuff it was awesome. I'd go back, but not if I had to go out of my way.
(4)
Jessie E.
Ive gone here like 50+ times, the lunch specials are very good, the space is large and empty. Service is usually aloof and uninformed. The chirashi can be great quality and I quite like the torched hamachi roll.
(3)
Steve G.
We had a great time here and our server was so helpful. We're not the most experienced sushi eaters, so the menu could be intimidating, but we were guided along in our choices and the food was amazing. We had a few signature salmon and tuna rolls. The Crunchy Rolls were great. We had a table of four, so each order was divided into 8 pieces, 2 each. Great way to do it. After the Sushi we had a thick noodle and chicken dish. Love the noodles. We finished by splitting the Banana Tempura. We'll go back.
(5)
Eunice E.
Basho's a very sleek, modern restaurant, and its food is as beautiful as its setting! We came in and were seated by the window, which actually felt a bit drafty. Though when we told the staff, they immediately turned up the heat, which helped tremendously, and was impressively quick on their part. Our waiter, Ezra, was also quite quick and very helpful. We had a "small bites" tasting, and were able to sample the kobe beef rolls, asparagus tempura, and giant shrimp tempura. They were all quite tasty, and went well with my Asian Pear martini (it really did taste like an alcoholic, Grey Goose-laden Asian pear) and my partner's Sapporo. Then, we were able to try a bit of the lobster tempura roll, salmon and tuna sashimi, and really delicious smoked hamachi. All the food we had was really fresh and cooked to perfection. The prices here are on the higher end, so it's definitely more of a special occasion type of place, but I had a lot of fun here, and would love to come back and sample more delectable sushi bites.
(4)
Jennifer T.
This place is huge, probably not much of a wait whenever you go, there seems to be so much seating. The inside is a dim, trendy minimalistic style place, seemed fitting for a date night or evening out with friends, but saw families enjoying the food too. The menu is extensive, with items on the more pricey end. The udon was perfect, and when we asked them to bring out bowls so we can share, they actually divied it up into 3 separate bowls already for us, which was great! We got a couple of their robata, which are like little skewered meats. The kobe robata was delicious but wish it was bigger and the toro robata was also flavorful but be forewarned it really is a large percentage of pure fat. As for sushi, my favorite role was the "crunchy roll", the Alaskan was descent enough, and the sashimi platter was unique with each piece topped with a unique dip of sauce (e.g., passionfruit, kimchi, etc). The food itself was like a 3.5, but the overall experience was smooth sailing, so I give it a 4.
(4)
David C.
Basho continues in the tradition of Douzo, its sister restaurant, which itself carries in the tradition of my beloved Fugakyu, so by two degrees of separation, you know you're in good hands. Basho is decidedly less elegant than its contemporaries, but its sleek, modern styling is appropriate for its neighborhood and clientele. I've been here twice and enjoyed myself on both occasions. The first time was for dinner. Anticipating the midnight premiere of the last Harry Potter film, my friends and I decided to go all out and partake in a maki extravaganza. The rolls are a little pricey, sure, but they're packed to the brim and totally worth it. Of all the rolls we tried (only one, the spicy seafood maki, was a dud) the one that sticks out best in my memory is the Green Monster. Softshell crab laced with spicy mayo, wrapped in escolar and topped with cilantro pesto? Good lord. Don't mind if I do... Lunch is a great deal, though I wish the specials came with soup and salad as they do elsewhere. Overall, I'd definitely recommend Basho for a fun and trendy night out. It seems they have happy hour specials now as well. This could be dangerous.
(4)
Jen A.
I'm here at the restaurant, been sat for over 15 minutes and nobody has offered me a drink or asked to take my order It's early evening so it's not packed, there are servers milling around but may be there's a cloaking device on my table
(1)
Mike G.
DODGY SASHIMI Chirashi Dinner - dull-colored/tasteless tuna, slimy salmon, mushy unagi, hamachi with lots of muscle tissue. obviously NOT prime seafood and certainly not fresh, despite manager's insistence. Black Cod Miso Yaki DInner - fatty tail part of cod with sugar-laced sauce. Tiger Roll and Spring Roll - edible but all you could taste was mayo. very slow post-game night, prime dinner hour. the robatayaki (grill) was unused. prolly not doing too well and cutting corners i.e. quality.
(1)
Irina N.
Girlfriend took me out for a belated birthday dinner here and it was a success. Although, pricey, the food was great and the service was up to par. Maybe the establishment got the message from all the reviews or maybe it was just a good day for us! We came in around 6:30pm on a Wednesday and it was empty. We got to pick a better table (for 4 instead of 2 edge sitting we were originally offered). Apps included edamame salted and tuna tartar. Can't spoil edamame but tuna tartar didn't taste that adventurous to me. Rolls chosen: yuzu yellow-tail roll we tried for something new to try (yuzu was the type of lemony/citrucy sauce), which is the only one that was so-so; tiger roll, which has salmon roe on the top, which was the most favorite; spicy scallop roll, not my favorite because of the scallions but my girlfriend liked it a lot; rainbow roll, which is everywhere the same and never disappoints! We tried lichyee tini and sparkling pear. Both highly recommended but if i had to order over again i would do more sparkling pear for it refreshing and still sweet taste with a little tangle! I know I didn't pay but i was still very satisfied with quality of food; attentive service; good drinks; it was convenient location and we left full and happy :)
(5)
Michael R.
So much for "bad service". Before embarking on another Groupon-fueled trek to a new food-based adventure, I peeped some of the Yelp reviews before stopping by, and definitely noticed a trend of quips in regards to subpar service. Absolutely not the case with my experience -- our waitress was attentive and helpful in describing some of the trickier menu items, and had some great suggestions. But what the vast majority of Yelpers got right is the quality of the food. Most definitely fresh fish, expertly arranged. Case in point, the current profile picture for Basho. Our plate wasn't quite as artistically arranged, but it was quite close. Basho's also got a pretty extensive menu -- pages of rolls for the sushi fanatics, a few meat-based, Japanese-inspired plates, and an intriguing cocktail menu. And if you're wondering which roll to mow down on first, I'd go with the Green Monster, which is a snow crab tempura-style roll which should be a hit for the adventurous and hesitant seafood samplers in your group.
(4)
Bill C.
Wow, what a disappointment! We decided to treat ourselves with a little sushi take-out to celebrate the Obama win (and the Romney loss) and this was a very mediocre and (speaking of Romney) pricey dinner. The sushi dinner, had fresh fish, but instead of nice slabs draped over the rice, these were small and neatly trimmed. In addition, a "dinner" usually includes a maki and miso soup. No soup for us! In addition the California Roll had cucumber in it after we specifically asked for no cucumber in any of our makis. The spicy tuna was acceptable, but bland, but not tasteless like the spicy salmon. The spider maki was stuffed into a takeout platter so that it was just a big lump with no distinction even between slices. We did like the rainbow maki which salvaged this from being a complete waste of money. There are many decent places to take-out sushi in Boston with food at least as good and $20 cheaper than Basho, a place that clearer thinks it's better than it is.
(2)
Ryan A.
MY FAVORITE SUSHI PLACE! Great food, great environment! The staff is excellent. Highly recommend!
(5)
Denise D.
A co worker and I decided to have lunch here today and it was pretty good. The menu did not state how many rolls you get so I was surprised when they came out and there were 4 rolls on my plate...FOUR...seriously!! However they were pretty big...but try stuffing something that big in your mouth that you have to chew, and its very rare that you see people bite sushi. So once we ate our FOUR rolls I order 4 more of the same (crazy roll) and she tried the sweet potato roll which was six this time around. She really enjoyed the sweet potato roll. I tried one but thought it was too greasy. My crazy rolls weren't as good the second time around but I'm gonna chuck that up to me being full. I also got a sparkling pear cocktail...Not a fan...it tasted like a Heineken and I'm not a beer drinker. I may go back if I'm in the mood, the decor was very nice.
(3)
M C.
Yuck. I ordered the 6 piece nigiri. Rice was poor, fish was not fresh. The horrible taste in my mouth lasted for days. Avoid avoid avoid.
(1)
Lily S.
3.5 stars if i could. this place is ok. i've been cautious about trying it because of a lot of the negative reviews, but then there was a groupon, so why not. I went here for dinner on a saturday night. the original reservation was for 7...up until my friend was an hour and a half late due to issues on the red line. fuck the MBTA. First good thing about this place--instead of giving me the pitty "aww you're being stood up eyes," the bartender made a stroooong ass leychee martini...there was at least 2 times more goose in there than there should have been. thanks bro! anyhoo. finally when my friend got there, the hostesses were very nice and accommodating in getting us a table. Our server (Molly B.) was great and very attentive. She also didnt make a big stink about having to scan a groupon--which is generally not the reaction i get from people--so that was nice. We tried a whole bunch of different appetizers and rolls and I have to say Fugakyu is by far better in terms of quality of fish. We got something that was like a variation on a regular rainbow roll and i had to pick the raw fish off the top because it was just not good. They had a volcano roll as well but sadly it pales in comparison to what you get at Fugakyu. Also their bar chairs, as well as the ones at the individual tables in the bar-ish area dont have backs that you can lean in to...which is weird. Overall it was a decent experience, but i will definitely be going to Fugakyu for my sushi instead. sorry Basho.
(3)
Bex M.
Douzo's sister restaurant, need I say more? Many reviews describe Basho as cafeteria-esque. I liked it. The minimal decor, the intimate lighting, the organic feeling - I felt very comfortable there. The hostess and waitstaff were all very nice, had great powers to know exactly when we needed them and were unobtrusive to let us enjoy our dinner. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of your selections..mine's below. steamed bun sandwich. This was absolutely exquisite. I am a huge fan of pork buns and this was so good, so good, so good. (There was a Red Sox game that night.) The appetizer came with two, thank goodness, because I didn't plan on sharing after my first bite. It was made with kurobuta pork and pickled cucumber. The bun was soft and had a nice chewy texture to it. (It's the peking duck bun sandwich, but with pork.) The pork was so tender and juicy and super oily, which is characteristic of kurobuta. hamachi kama. The broiled yellow tail collar was picked at to the bone, it was that satisfying. It was very delicate and was cooked perfectly. I know Basho is an izakaya but we couldn't help ourselves. robata grill: kobe beef, chicken breast, japanese eggplant. Basho is the only place that does robata grill. It's an ancient way of cooking food over an open fire. The food is only enhanced with minimal ingredients, to let us enjoy its natural flavors. My favorite was the japanese eggplant over the kobe beef and chicken breast. cherrystone ginger soup simmered with fresh ginger I love soup and I really like ginger. I was rather underwhelmed by my soup. I tasted no hint of ginger at all! It was basically cherrystone broth. The clams were good though, but I was disappointed. Crunchy Roll fried onion, cucumber, spicy crumb wrapped with tuna, tobiko, salmon, salmon roe, touch of mango sauce It's not tempura; it's fried onion! nomnom. The medley of seafood, the nice crunchiness, the mango sauce, came together pretty well (although the mango sauce tasted slightly bitter to me, but no one else thought so!). This is one of their most popular rolls. Tiger Roll eel, cucumber wrapped with smoked salmon, torched squid and salmon roe (I secretly prefer this over the crunchy roll) As with all their food, this was well presented. The torched squid added a new texture to the standard sushi roll.
(4)
Priscilla T.
3 for the overall food, but 4 for the fact that you can always get a big group reservation here without much hassle. Overall, it's a fun/trendy space that's good for a big group dinner. Tip: go for the izakaya and grilled items and skip the sushi rolls (sashimi selection ain't bad though).
(3)
Jess Y.
my friend lives around the corner from here and and she and i i got takeout around 6pm. we shared the crispy shrimp appetizer, which was not that greasy and generally delicious. she had the yuzu yellowtail roll and i the rainbow roll, and we were both very satisfied with our respective choices. fish was fresh and maki was well-made by all accounts. great ambiance, too - upon entering i was struck by how spacious and elegant the place was. the bar looks well-stocked and ready to meet all your libation needs. i'd love to come back here for a dine-in experience.
(4)
Kelly O.
Basho isn't a bad choice for a sit-down lunch in the area, if you have the money and time and are craving some 'healthy'/Japanese food. The interior is a bit too trendy and cavernous for me (they also have a patio), and it was pretty empty when my party of 4 came in. Their menu was extensive and pretty interesting, but as a budget-conscious person I stuck with the lunch specials, of which there were a good amount for a decent price. I chose the salmon terriyaki lunch which came with a nicely cooked piece of glazed fish in a tasty terriyaki sauce atop brown rice with scallions and other goodies, with some lightly dressed greens on the side. I thought it was a good portion of food that left me just shy of full, all pretty flavorful and just about worth it for the $8.95 I paid. I also tried a $10 martini which, while pricey, was really delicious with muddled strawberries and flavored rum. My dining companions got udon and sushi and had no major complaints (no major raves either though). Sushi was definitely on the pricey side though, even compared to other 'high end' places like Fugakyu. The major downside of our lunch, which is accurately echoed throughout the Yelp reviews, was the service... our waiter didn't stop by our table nearly enough (my water disappeared fast), and we had to wait a long time for our entrees which didn't even come out uniformly (why it took twice as long for my dining companion's sushi plate to come out as it did my cooked salmon, I have no idea). The place was pretty empty too, so I'm not sure why the lag time. If I want some serious amazing sushi and/or want to have a fun night out and a great dinner, you can bet I'm heading to Fugakyu over Basho, or any other Japanese place for that matter. But if I'm looking for a sit-down 'healthyish' lunch in the area, Basho will do in a pinch.
(3)
Jo C.
I had a Sunday dinner with my parents and we had a pleasant time! The waiter is very friendly and helpful and provided very good service! We order 2 cocktails, 2 shrimp tempura and 2 sashimi dinners to share. We have been here for a few times already and find the sashimi dinner hast he best value and their quality is the best!! But I won't go for their soup noodle dishes as last time I tried the noodles was not hot enough.
(4)
Tony S.
LA sushi in a giant dentist office. The place is massive, and I love that it has multiple areas for private parties/groups. We came in at 8pm on Thursday, and it looked about 1/2 full. With its high ceilings and huge layout, it felt a bit sterile and cold, like a dentist's office. But the hidden DJ booth above the entrance churned out hip Sade-like beats, and the service was excellent, so I quickly got over the apprehension that normally grips my heels whenever I'm going in for a filling. The sushi was LA-isk, which means that I felt right at home. A very solid 4-stars. Can't complain. Very tasty signature rolls including dragon roll, crispy rolls, and this one rainbow-ish roll (can't remember the name) that had a mix of fish, and was topped with some kind of sweet mango sauce. Excellent. If you're into foie gras, you must try the foie gras sushi.... succulent morsels mixed with multiple flavors, like you're having a love affair with a Hawaiian Tropic model on the beaches of Bali, with Mai Tai in one hand, and juicy ribs in another. The grilled (or was it BBQ?) chicken meatballs were a very pleasant surprise, and i quickly devoured it as I topped off my second Sake-tini. Highly recommend this place, especially if you have large groups.
(4)
John L.
~Massive sushi spot by Fenway that with an extremely modern and trendy design... but bigger isn't always better~ Check out my full review with helpful photos here: asupr.us/ap_basho Let me start off by saying that the location of Basho is a double edged sword. It's absolutely awesome that they are located just a few streets from Fenway Park, but it's absolutely abysmal that they are located just a few streets from Fenway Park. Huh? Yes, if you're lucky to find a spot there or willing to pay the ridiculous prices to park in a lot there, Basho is great to grab a couple of rolls and head to the game for a great game or get your sushi fix after perhaps a 16 inning game since Basho stays open quite late. After you do manage finding a way here, the first thing you'll notice is how massive this place is. One of the few times I've been there, a huge private party took up half the restaurant. But aside from that time, the restaurant doesn't seem to be ever fully packed. Wouldn't exactly be one of my top choices for a date spot as the noise is distracting, but also there is a lack of intimacy as tables seem to be placed relatively close to one another. If I was hard on Basho for the size and noise of the place, I make up for it in the praise for the modern and trendy design. The place has a cool ambience flowing throughout the massive restaurant. Huge selection of rolls. There are a lot of upscale twists on traditional rolls and some real unique ones as well. I will say, their unique rolls are really hit or miss. Some are right on the spot and show off the shear genius in creating these rolls, while others left me wondering what they could have possibly be thinking. Some of the rolls I have tried: Green Monster Roll - Softshell Crab, Spicy Mayo, wrapped with Escolar and seasoned with Cilantro Pesto Kind of required to try this because of the Red Sox fan of me, after this roll I might switch to a Yankees fan. Amaebi Mango Roll - Mango, Cucumber, Grilled Pineapple, wrapped with Sweet Shrimp and a touch of Mango Sauce At times like this, I wish I wasn't so adventurous with trying unique and different rolls... Don't think shrimp was the right choice for this roll. Crunchy Roll - Fried Onion, Cucumber, Spicy Crumb wrapped with Tuna, Tobiko, Salmon, Salmon Roe and a touch of Mango Sauce Incredible crunch and flavor. Awesome flavors together and the perfect contrast in textures.
(4)
Julie G.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. I'm all about trying new places so I typically don't like going to a place I've already been but I've come back to this place several times. I hate to say it but I always get the same thing...the chicken katsu dinner (one of my fave dishes) and the sweet potato tempura (simply delicious). I've also tried a banana sushi dessert type thing. I don't remember the name of it since it's not listed on the dinner menu but that was pretty good as well. In terms of decor, it's very modern but intimate. My only complaint was that the first time I went here, the waiters just kind of stood in a line across the back of the restaurant watching everyone eat until they noticed someone needed more water or something. Kind of creepy. I felt like I was in a fish bowl but the food was so good I had to come back and this hasn't happened since.
(5)
Joseph W.
I was going to give it 3 stars, but I increased it by one for the nice decor and great service. the food is just so so for the price. The robata items was the main draw for me, but I found the food average and under portioned considering the price. I was particularly disappointed with the hamachi kama, which was smoked instead of grilled and filleted into the tiniest and thinnest pieces that was more passable as sushi than hamachi kama. The sashimi platter, on the other hand, was generously portioned for the price and the quality of the fish varied with each type but was generally average or greater. The salmon was particularly good. Pair this with one of their good sake choices and you've got a great meal for a reasonable price.
(4)
Amy B.
My Groupon to Basho was about to expire, so we finally made the short trek to Fenway for sushi. The food, on the whole, was excellent. The spicy tuna roll was hands-down our favorite. It really showcased the fresh flavor of the tuna. Incidentally, I love Douzo's spicy tuna roll as well, but they are different from each other, so take note that the sushi rolls are not necessarily identical across the two restaurants. We also had the salmon roll (good, not particularly memorable), the crunchy roll (interesting and fresh, I think I could live without the sweet mango sauce), and the yellowtail roll (2nd favorite of the night). We started with two bowls of adequate miso soup. Service was standoffish and slow--we waited a long time for water and beers, although the pace picked up when it was time to pay. No problems using the Groupon. I wasn't a huge fan of the atmosphere at Basho. It felt industrial, almost like they stopped working on the restaurant halfway through construction. Tony S. has a point when he compares Basho to a giant dentist office. The room was also a little too open and noisy for my taste. I would definitely come back to Basho, but Douzo is closer to home and has a better atmosphere, so I don't see it happening often.
(3)
Jenn S.
I finally went to Basho Japanese Brasserie and used my BuyWithMe coupon a few days before it expired. I went with my coworker and her sister immediately after work, so we got there right @ 5pm. The place was pretty empty and we got a nice booth, but one where we're all sitting side-by-side, instead of 2 benches facing each other. Anyway. The first thing you notice is the awesome, modern, trendy decor. The second thing you notice is that this place is huge! We sat down and the server gave us the "happy hour" menu. Basically - 1/2 price apps and drinks (I think). Since we had the coupon, we couldn't do any of these. Although, we did end up getting 1 and our nice server put it on a different bill so we could still get the 1/2 price! Score! We ended up splitting a bunch of things and got a LOT of food, so let's see if I can remember it all! My dining companions started with the Sashimi Naruto (tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and asparagus rolled in cucumber). There were 5 huge pieces. I don't eat sushi or seafood, so I didn't partake, but they both enjoyed it. Next we went for 2 of Basho's special Robata Grill skewers: Pork belly rolled on grape tomatoes and Grilled Chicken thighs. DELISH. These were both succulent and tasty. We also shared an order of Gyoza (pan-fried or steamed pork ravioli - I think we had pan-fried) and Steamed Bun Sandwiches (with Kurobuta pork and pickled cucumber). There were 3 of us, but only 5 gyozas and 2 sandwiches. I think the restaurant should bring either 1 or 2 per person, but hey - what do I know?? I got 1 of the specials - a Kobe Beef sushi... It's not online, so I can't tell you exactly what it was, but I THINK it was Kobe Beef (rare) wrapped around more Kobe? With some pickled onions in the middle? I dunno. What I do know is that it was ok (I've now had Kobe twice and both times it was rare/raw. Not the best) and EXPENSIVE. It was 1(!!!) piece for $8. I thought it was going to be an entire roll. Ridic. My friends split 1 more sushi, but I don't know which one. They liked it, but didn't finish the entire thing. Oh, we also ordered some Kim Chee (spelling??) rice, which was a decent-size portion, spicy and tasty. Yum. Overall, the food is good, but not the best I've had. My main issue is that, for the most part, the portions are small and the prices are high... It's not ridiculous, but apparently lunch is MUCH more reasonable. I would rate this between 3.5-4 stars, but went up to 4 because our server was so nice and helpful.
(4)
Melissa B.
I have been here 3 times now, usually on a Groupon type deal. I just really wanted to mention just how great the combination rolls are, specifically the Green Monster Roll. It is by far the best roll on the menu. Also worth trying: the Rock & Roll. I was a little sad the the bar is closed for renovations, but the weather was nice so we just sat outside insted. Once the constuction is done I will be excited to go back.
(5)
Eva K.
The food here is really good, but also very expensive. This is why you should really invest in a Basho groupon (of which there have been several) before coming here. Speaking of... we had a serious buywithme meltdown here, because they were tracking the groupons by hand(!), and would not take the buywithme app number (this was right after the buywithme app came out). After a big to-do, the manager finally allowed us to email her the pdf so she could print it. Seriously, get with the times. Other than that one incident, my experience there has been good... nice decor, good food and good service.
(4)
Ladyjane S.
Came for sushi the other night and where should I begin...oh dear, looks like it's all been said. The fish is not the best tasting, freshest fish I've had. It wasn't actually very good at all. The presentation was nice, but that's about all I can say about it. I had the Green Monster and Rainbow Roll along with some tuna sashimi. The ambiance is a drag. We sat at the bar (I'm bar people) and I wouldn't recommend sitting there ever. There's really nothing to look at other than a big blank white wall (???). In fact the whole place is blank. No identity whatsover. It's weird. Worse than that though, are the long plastic thingies hanging over the sushi bar from the ceiling. I looked up and all I could see were filthy dust covered plastic wands hanging right over my head. Clearly never been cleaned/dusted. Gross. Don't sit at bar. The waitress was nice, but disappeared for 10-15 minutes at a time when we needed her. Seemed to be happening to lots of other people as well. With the Groupon we had we paid about $25 or so including tip, which isn't bad. But I'd never come here without one. Actually I don't think I'd come back with one again either. The prices do not reflect the quality of the food here AT ALL. The only thing I may order from here again for take-out is the pork bun sandwich. Holy yum, that thing's awesome.
(2)
Sue H.
There are a lot of reasons as to why I'm not a fan of Basho, and it's a shame, because I really wanted to like this place, but with so many other options that are just a short drive or train ride away, I can't help but ask myself why I would ever waste my money here again. Let me break it down for you: 1) The ambiance here is absolutely terrible. It's cold and almost office-like, although they try really hard to make it trendy and hip with all the fancy strobe lights. Honestly, it just doesn't work. Everything here feels so overdone and too minimalist at the same time (what a conundrum!) Who wants to dine with concrete walls surrounding you anyway? 2) I ordered a sushi item off of their specials menu that was about roughly $20, and when I got it, all it was was six pieces of california maki wrapped with sashimi. Umm... This is not what I ordered! This is a rainbow maki -- I even kindly asked the waitress prior to ordering to describe the special, and she made it sound like it was nigiri sushi (which is what I clearly said I wanted). While she was really nice, it didn't seem like she knew the menu very well... Or maybe she really wanted to up sell me. 3) I personally think Basho is a little too pricey for the quality of food they serve. I was pretty much unimpressed with just about everything I ordered. I'm just saying, there are so many other great places you could go that would offer you better food, atmosphere, and value. Hey, if you have no other options, go ahead and try Basho. They're open pretty late, so that's a plus. I'd just be careful about what you order, and perhaps to stick to the basics.
(2)
Clara L.
3 stars for food, 1 star for service... The food was decent, but some menu items are overpriced in my opinion. We got the tuna tartare, pretty good with the fried rice cakes, but the portion is small for $21. The seaweed salad is excellent, but also overpriced at $5. The salmon skin roll is quite good, as is their spicy tuna roll. The winner of the night is the duck ramen. It comes in a large bowl filled with ramen and perfectly cooked duck, with assorted mushrooms, veggies, and a delicious broth. At $12.50, it's a steal. Now about the service...we got started and ordered some tea. It came out with a tea film, and when asked, they confirmed they used a tea leaf and tea powder blend. The waiter explained they had to brew so much tea that it sped up the process. Not a good excuse. I patiently am willing to wait for my tea to brew, and don't appreciate tea gunk on the side of my tea cup and a pile of it when I get to the bottom of the cup. Furthermore, they didn't leave the pot at the table, and we had to wait quite a bit to get these small cups refilled, and sometimes the tea was only lukewarm. Our waiter actually left halfway through our dinner (we were eating at 8 pm) and didn't fire our meal past our seaweed salad. We sat around waiting for 25 minutes before our new waiter figured out what the problem was with our order and then sent it to the kitchen. He did apologize at the end, which was nice, but this shouldn't happen. Don't start serving a table if you are 10 minutes from leaving. The decor and ambiance was more like a club than a "brasserie". There was a house beat going, and the lighting would flash every once a while. A tip: don't sit under the TVs, especially if there is a game playing, you will get a bunch of people standing in front of your table, including the waiters/barstaff that makes it seem like you're being stared at. Awkward. All in all, not a great experience, although the ramen did save them from a 1 star review.
(2)
lily l.
The sushi here is very good and extremely creative. The sauces were delicious and presentation along with ambiance was very very nice. I must say the only that ruined my experience was that our waitress was could not explain our rolls which is a tad bit important. Although I felt like we ordered blindly everything was still delicious. Would definitely come back and spend more time on the menu.
(4)
Caroline R.
The lunch deal is great and there's a lot of food but the customer service is absolutely horrid. I don't think I have ever gone there without being angry as I left because they were so rude/hostile. As a long-time customer, I have resorted to only getting takeout since the service is so bad..I have NO idea how they have let this go on for so long!! Unreal.
(2)
H N.
I have been going to Douzo (Basho's older sister restaurant in Back Bay) for many many years. I love that place so had to try Basho. Basho is very hip and cozy at the same time. I've been a few times now and it has never failed. The food is so pretty that you almost don't want to eat it! It is pricey, but like I said before- it never fails to satify. Amazing wine list and drinks list. The best part- they validate parking on Red Sox game days! Since I cannot seem to remember what we ordered- it is time to go back!
(4)
Michael D.
I came here with a groupon ($40 for $20) and i guess the first thing that i noticed was how freakin HUGE this place is. it's way too big to be just a restaurant.. it has more of a loungy-clubby feel. Everything is super modern, super trendy.. but it's to the point where it almost feels as if theyre trying TOO hard to be cool ya know? anyway, let's get on to what youre REALLY here for.. the food review! I came here at 10:30pm so they didn't have any bento boxes or anything for sale :(. So me and my brother split the following: kurobata ramen ( yelp.com/biz_photos/x1RY… ): The bowl of ramen was actually a lot bigger than I had anticipated.. i thought it'd be TINY cause this place is has three $$$ on yelp. But one bowl probably woulda been enough to fill me up! I'm from LA, so I have high standards when it comes to ramen. the noodles were cooked perfectly, but unfortunately, the broth was pretty bland. Not the fatty broth I had hoped for to complement the kurobata... The presentation was nice, and they gave a pretty thick piece of kurobata, but overall the dish was lacking. tiger roll and lobster roll ( yelp.com/biz_photos/x1RY… ): The rolls here are very.. unique. I've never been to a place that had ANY rolls similar to the ones here. These two weren't nothing to rave about.. but they definitely were different.. Like I said, i feel like basho is TRYING too hard to be cool and coming up with odd rolls at the cost of taste.. but that's just my two cents.. Overall, come here for the ambiance and the presentation of food.. flavorwise.. there are plenty of better places to nomnom.
(3)
Lala I.
food quality is below average and disappointing. will not return
(2)
Holly Marie C.
I sat at the bar. The bartender didn't smile once the entire time, nor did he say thank you or offer any kind of pleasant service. It was obvious he didn't like his job and would rather be sitting on his couch eating potato chips. As a general rule when visiting sushi bars, I like to try a few dishes on the menu so I ordered the seaweed salad (this is the only redeeming quality of the restaurant that brings my review from a 1 to a 2 star; I would go back just to get 3 orders of this and eat all of it). I also ordered the bento box which came with a roll (I got the only vegetarian roll), and a side (I got the only vegetarian side), a salad and a miso soup. Normally miso soups are made with fish stock so I asked the bartender if this was the case for BASHO. Indeed it was and I asked for a double order of salad instead, stating I am a vegetarian. He gave it to me without question. Before he left to put the order in, I asked if they had agadashi tofu on the menu as I would like to share an order with my friend. Indeed they did. "Okay, great. We'll have an order of that, too." The agadashi tofu comes out, and lo and behold there's fish flakes on it. Having ordered A COMPLETE VEGETARIAN MEAL and making a point to steer clear of all fish products you would think the bartender would have enough SERVER INTUITION to hold the fish flakes. Needless to say I didn't have any of the tofu because he never came back to check up on us. When the bento box arrived it was sub-par. The roll was meh and the tempura tasted like it was battered the day before. Seriously, the only thing about this restaurant that was any kind of good was the seaweed salad.
(2)
Dinna Y.
Sushi is an easy thing to be picky about as it should! Coming from Chicago where great sushi is everywhere, I was very picky when I came to Boston... and Basho meets all the standards! Not only food wise but as far as a trendy modern well decorated restaurant and service, they have it all! The people are WONDERFUL there and soo accomodating! They worked with us for a large party of about 30 for our shared birthday. They had a special menu with our names on it and setup a pre fixe meal. It was great!!! We celebrated our mini-dance team reunion there as well. They set aside the back booth area which was a perfect semi-private area for us. The people are great, introduce yourself and they'll remember you every time! Things to try... pork belly with asparagus - amazing flavor and melts in your mouth. Spicy Tuna over crispy rice, great texture! Caterpillar and crunchy rolls. Happy Hour and Late Night menu....um who wouldn't do amazing sushi for half the price!
(5)
Vi N.
Every sushi place that i go to, they have a special item on their menu that i absolutely love. Here at Basho, you have to try their steamed bun sandwich with pork and pickled cucumber. It's actually a must! It literally just melts in your mouth and the sweetness and tang of the pickle pairs so well with it! Delicious! Besides the steamed bun sandwich i was ake to sample their tasting menu. Everything that they had brought out was very good. I don't think i disliked anything at all. Basho was not a disappointment !
(4)
Colin W.
I'll start off by saying I was really impressed by the food. The spicy lobster miso soup, the tempura fried shrimp and sweet potatoes, and the red spider roll were all expertly prepared, and they tasted amazing. Especially the tempura. I had a small bottle of unfiltered sake with my dinner, and that was good, but someone else at our table ordered a lychee martini, and *that* was out-of-this-world amazing. It even inspired my wife to make lychee sorbet at home a few days later. If I were reviewing Basho on its food, alone, then it would get four stars. There's no excuse for having crab stick ("krab", "seafood extender", whatever) on your menu... otherwise, it'd probably even be five stars. However, I had some problems with the ambiance and the service. First, it was waaaay too hot in the restaurant. They had their big outside doors open on an 80+ degree night, and even though they also had the air conditioning running inside (waste of electricity, anyone?), I doubt the restaurant dipped below about 78 degrees while we were there. The other thing that bothered me was their egregious attention to food allergens. I mentioned I'm allergic to a few things when the waitress asked (which was good), but then when my key lime tart showed up for dessert, it had *none* of the berries and sauces it should have had, despite me telling the waitress that I wasn't allergic to any of them. So she brought me a pitiful little plate of tiny sliced strawberries to go with my tart to make up for it. The tart ended up being really tasty, but the presentation was pretty terrible. To sum it all up: great food, poor surroundings, decent service. A note on parking: if the Sox are playing, the parking lots in the area will cost triple or quadruple their normal prices. Basho has valet parking... use it!
(3)
Helen L.
I got a groupon for Basho Japanese and so we went for a Sunday lunch. They had a bento box that was $15 for some rice, salad, tempura, some sort of fried roll, chicken teriyaki, few pieces of sashimi and two sushi rolls pieces. It was a lot of food but my only complaint was that there were really only two pieces of sushi in the bento box. And it was a good roll too! I also got the udon noodles which wasn't as tasty as I'd hope for $10. The atmosphere was really nice, very modern-sleek feel, nice for a date or a night out. But I thought the bento box wasn't as tasty as it could have been for that price- they should include more actual sushi. I'm not sure I'd go again and spend the money unless there was some sort of discount involved.
(3)
Doris O.
Just popped in for Sunday lunch with my 2 kids. But i can see comng back to have a drink before a sox game. This was our first visit. Seafood Yaki udon was served in incredible sauce that was perfectly balanced with jumbo shrimps and sea scallops. Sooo good! My daughter, the tempura connoseiur gave the shrimp tempura an "AAA+++" rating. They were light as air, super crispy and shrimps were super fresh. I had the Basho lunch set which is a huge portion -this was a great sampling dish! It included the freshest salmon sushi and tilefish. So we will definitely be back to try more selections from the robata grill. A must try is the grilled pepper, grilled asparagus.
(5)
Monika W.
Everything is perfect except the food. Ambiance, service, etc. very good, but the food was bland. I am vegetarian, and the veggie tempura had very little veggie tempura, no tempura sauce, a scoop of white rice, and steamed broccoli. My boyfriend got chicken something which he says was inedible due to the blandness. We went at lunch on a weekday and it was empty. Very sad for such a nice place otherwise.
(1)
Lindy L.
I really enjoyed our Valentine's Day date @ this lovely japanese restaurant. My husband had made a reservation for V-Day after we tried to get in on New Years and it was closed for a Private Party. We arrived about 6:05 for a 6:15 reservation and were seated immediately. The server came over and I ordered a Pomegranate Saketini immediately. I'm a sucker for a Saketini and this one did not disappoint. We were baffled by the number of choices on the menu! We have some eating restrictions (read: we keep kosher for the most part) so shellfish and any type of meat is off the table. We can eat Salmon, Tuna and Yellowtail but not Shrimp, Eel, Crab or beef/chicken out, unless it's at a kosher restaurant. For us, the menu was laid out perfectly, separating the tuna, yellowtail, and salmon from the stuff we couldn't eat. We had a crunchy roll (the perfect balance of crunchy and smooth fish), a cucumber handroll w/spicy yellowtail in it (instead of normal seaweed, the handroll is wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber - delish!), and assorted other vegetarian maki (asparagus, sweet potato, shitake mushroom tempura - YUM!). It was expensive, but worth it. Basho will be on our list for special occasion places to eat for a celebration, out of town guest, anniversary, birthday, etc. :)
(4)
Alex B.
Came here for the Rue La La Special. Which involved 3 types of Sake, 2 pieces of the torched salmon appetizer (best thing on the menu), 6 pieces of assorted sashimi, and 6 pieces of maki (california roll with each piece having a different type of fish and sauce on top). As someone who usually just finds what they like and stick to that this deal really got me to try some new things. The sashimi was cut so thick and it was extremely fresh. Our waitress was probably the most friendly server I have had at Basho and she was very helpful in explaining our dish. I think her name was Ibhina. She even took the time to write down the name of one of the types of sake that I really enjoyed. Wakatake Onikoroshi ""Demon Slayer" in case anyone wants to try a great sake. The management was also very helpful in remaking a drink that was a little sour for our taste. Also gave the lychee martini a try. Love the fact that they had a piece of fresh lychee to replace the usual olive. Great. Unfortunately, the special is not on the actual menu. My gf and I talked to the manager about hopefully getting it on as a menu option because it really is a varied assortment of some of the best things that Basho has to offer. I continue to enjoy this place and hope to revisit soon.
(4)
James F.
Just had a wonderful meal at Basho. The Spicy Salmon, Spicy Tuna, and our waiters recommendation, the Phoenix Roll were all superb. David W, was excellent and very attentive throughout the meal. Not overbearing, but there when needed. A+ Basho, A+ David W. - we'll be back.
(5)
Rachael M.
Good quality sushi. Everything we had was flavorful and unique. The duck melted in my mouth. The service was amazing too! Seemed like a very large restaurant with not many customers. It appeared they do a great take-out service.
(4)
Paul L.
This was our second try to get in here after the first time it was booked for a party, but now that we've eaten there, I can say it was worth the wait. The decor and food presentation was very trendy looking, which reflected in the pricing of a lot of the items. Because of that we will call this our "special occasion" sushi place only. Loved the crunchy roll and the shitaki tempura roll. It's not only sushi, if you're not into that, there's grilled stuff and noodles as well. I'll admit the place was jam packed, but our server brought us the dessert menu and seemingly forgot about us for about fifteen minutes, despite walking right by a few times. The music bordered on loud thumping club music to remixes of unusual choices like the funeral march and the tetris theme song. Hated it at first but got a few laughs out of it by the end of the night.
(4)
Jamie G.
Unfortunately, they have very good sushi--unfortunate because I will never go back there. I brought a girlfriend who has a gluten allergy. After informing the waitress and specially requesting gluten free soy sauce, we were served sushi that clearly had gluten in it. We called the manager over and he suggested that he wasn't sure how to solve the problem. He said he would take that one roll off of our bill, and was rather aloof and unapologetic. Needless to say my friend got very sick, and I will never return. The food took absolutely forever to come out. Only go there if no one has an allergy, you're prepared to spend a TON of money, and you have at least 3 hours set aside for dinner.
(2)
Samantha C.
We walked into Basho on a whim while we were in the Fenway area and were trying to get away from drunken college kids on a pub crawl. This place looked nice so we figured it wasn't part of the crawl. We sat at the bar and immediately noticed the great decor. It was the middle of the day but it still felt very cool and had great ambiance. I bet at night it looks fantastic. The lighting, wall covering, tvs behind mirrors - every detail was well planned. We tried a few of the cocktails (lychee martini and cucumber martini) both were very good. I then tried a g&t with the bombay sapphire "east" which was very good. The bartender was very attentive and kept busy behind the bar stocking instead of standing around or disappearing like most bartenders do when it's slow. We asked her what kind of sake was in the martini and she wowed us with her knowledge of sake and the different kinds. One of those rare people in the service industry that make you feel really welcome. We weren't very hungry (in between lunch and dinner) but we decided to try a few small bar apps b/c everything sounded so good. I tried a couple pcs of a spicy roll and my bf got a fresh tasting shrimp roll. The food was very fresh and very good! I honestly wanted to stay for a while, have a few more drinks and eat dinner there. I was loving this place until a weird male bartender came on shift. He asked us if we had had enough food and took our plates. He wasn't mean but he was not very friendly. He then proceeded to put our bill in front of us. Not like in a glass in front of us like bars sometimes do if you keep ordering items... like in the credit card leather receipt holder. Then I put my card out and I am pretty sure he waited to take it until the other bartender left. It was rung in as "PM BAR" as the server. He was also just standing around behind the bar doing nothing. He basically ruined our experience. I wish I could give this place a better rating for the nice (I think she was Russian?) bar tender and a zero stars for the weird abrasive middle aged guy with thick black glasses... I will visit soon for dinner, can't wait!
(4)
R O.
I am a regular at Douzo so honestly I was not expecting to be surprised and even though I have friends that live in the building I had never really been inclined to try it out. But I was in the area for an event and thought why not run over... Boy was I surprised! Yes, they mostly offer the same thing as Douzo but the ambiance is different, the space is bigger, and I found it refreshing. The staff was super friendly. Highlights: the spicy edamame and the spicy tuna. Seriously I cannot stop thinking about these items! The spicy tuna is served over a fried shell of sushi rice and topped with a jalapeno. I cannot describe the taste of the spicy edamame but if you go for hot this should be top on your list to try! Items that were delish though same as Douzo were the lychee martini, rainbow roll, naruto and pan fried gyoza. This is going to ruin me! I am going to have to venture out of Back Bay to go back now!
(5)
Barefoot B.
The kobe beef carpaccio is amazing-- but my steak was dry. The sushi was good- no complaints there. Sake was awesome, love the cold bottle display. ill be going back for the carpaccio but thats about it.
(3)
Nick L.
Came here after wandering around Boylston a few nights ago and was incredibly pleased with the discovery. The place has a very cool feel to it, very nice lighting in the lounge, though not sure why there are TVs there. Something to note, if you don't have a reservation then you'll be seated in the lounge, which is a little area off to the side next to the bar. Not a big deal really, its not quite as private as the rest of the restaurant but still nice. The presentation here is really spot-on, all of the dishes looked great, even the drinks came presented well. On to the food! We got a few dishes, started off with Gyoza and a few kinds of tempura. The Gyoza was great, as was the tempura. Large servings of Miso Soup for $3 is major bonus points in my book too. Chicken Teriyaki and Veggie Yaki Udon were also fantastic; the tofu was especially delicious. I'm really picky about tofu so yeah, it was good :) Oh and the dessert menu. Oh man. Banana tempura with ice cream is something I would have never thought of, but is oh so good. The real reason Basho is getting my 4 stars though is the sake menu: there's a whole menu for it! I was very impressed with the selection, they had at least a dozen varieties, mostly cold but they have hot sake as well. Sake was maybe a little overpriced but certainly still affordable, I will returning if for nothing else than to try more sake.
(4)
Beth H.
It's like Douzo but better with more food. The steamed bun with kurobuta pork is delicious and I can eat like ten of those shiitake mushroom robata skewers. The fish is always so fresh. Their salmon is the best in town. I've been going there atleast once a week since they've open. Bought myself a groupon and buywithme coupon for the restaurant and they've been great with accepting my printed coupon. I'm not sure why there's so many complaints about it since all you have to do is print it at home and bring it with you for a GREAT discount. I think I've had every single server wait on me a few times and everybody has been very friendly and prompt. Their recommendations are fantastic, and every week there's a new special that they tell me about. I think Basho has spoiled me cuz now i won't even go to douzo for sushi or any other sushi joint.
(5)
M B.
Wow! Never felt such a contrast between expectations and experience. WAY way way overpriced for tiny tiny micro starters and entrees. E.g. $18 for a few mini Sashimi pieces. The ambiance great but the food is SOOOO disappointing. Everything is sweetened!! Never ate such a sweetened Sushi even in wedding buffets. Terrible. Don't even try.
(1)
Kerr T.
Just got some lunch here. Pork Katsu (um, is that how you spell it?) lunch is yummy. The portion is just right and so is the nutrient provided. It comes with some salad and half of an orange (that goes my needed daily fruits & vegetables intake) and rice and some deep fried pork (I like fried stuff). I don't think it's pricey, it was around $8 something. Oh, I had the take-out, so, I couldn't comment on the dine-in experience. And oh, oh, they offer some of the nearby companies discounts if proper ID was presented.
(4)
Lisa B.
Update: Basho has discontinued their sushi happy hour. Boo! I'll still visit for a cocktail occasionally, though.
(3)
Erin C.
I think a certain set of people would probably love this place. The ambience is cool, minimalist, and modern with techno music. The sushi is contemporary and interesting/strange. However, I don't like this place because they don't have any straightforward sushi that is just good, well cut, raw fish. Everything is flavored for an "American" palate--too sweet, too fried, too salty--basically, too obvious. I don't think the execution of any of their dishes is particularly skillful. I think sushi should be exquisite. This place is not. Some things on the menu are kind of tasty but short circuits your taste receptors with all the sweet/saltiness. So I would only come here again if my friends really really wanted to for whatever reason.
Basho is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Boston and in general. I have never ever had a bad meal here. It is in a great location, right across from Fenway. The food is always spectacular. My roommate and I go here almost every week. It is a little pricey but definitely worth it. The only thing that isn't perfect is the service. Sometimes we get really good waiters and sometimes we don't. Kahn is our favorite waitress and is always so friendly. She remembers our favorite meals and special requests. Others can be a little dull and rude. Some of the managers can be a little unfriendly and inattentive. Other than that, Basho is typically a pleasant dining experience.
(4)
Kimberly W.
The food was all very good! We ordered a sashimi dinner, crunchy roll, and tiger roll. We also had the iced green tea and house green tea. All the sashimi was pretty good - I actually had a decent experience with mackerel! More yummy than fishy. The maki rolls were also good; the crunchy roll stayed crunchy. However, there was a bit too much mango sauce...it kind of overtook the flavour of the sushi...I like mango sauce a lot though so I don't want to complain, but it was too much even for me. While our waiter was smiling and alright overall, he neglected to come by very often. The atmosphere is very "trendy;" each section of the place has different decor, and it is sort of partitioned into three or four sections. While everything looked nice in the evening, it was a bit too dim to see the menu very well. Aside from that though, the atmosphere was enjoyable. The music played was also interesting...reminded me of a much toned down dubstep...but I'm a fan of dubstep... Overall, a good experience! I used a LivingSocial voucher though, so normally I actually would never have known about the place; it's close to where I am, but not so much that I would casually pass by. I enjoyed it, and I wouldn't mind going again, but it's a bit pricy.
(4)
Brian D.
Absolutely, totally acceptable. Great spot for lunch. Great lunch for lunch. Damn the bento box style lunch specials are huge. I can almost never finish these things but I inhaled this one w/salmon and spicy tuna maki right down to the decorative orange slices. Damn fine. Sapporo? You betcha. When in Rome...or Basho. Our server was fine, the atmosphere was casual yet sort of Miami Vice and the place had a light buzz to it. Not bad for 2:00 in the afternoon on a Friday. Keep swingin' Basho, see you soon.
(3)
Michelle C.
I was excited in welcoming Basho to Boston mainly because of the robata grill and because they serve sushi, on of my favorite cuisines! I've been to a couple of places in NYC and Hawaii that first brought my cravings for delectable grilled meat, especially after a night of drinking. Basho has a standard selection of staple meats like beef, chicken, seafood, veggies and...chicken wings, a plus as it's a favorite of mine. However, I also like unconventional items that were missing from the menu like gizzard and chicken heart leaving me slightly disappointed. I got the wings, which were delicious. Two wings served with lemon came to an order and the tops of the meat were scored for the ease of munching. nomnomnom We also got edamame with spicy ginger and garlic sauce (delicious), steamed pork buns (good, but a little too much fat in the pork for my liking), raw clams served with ponzu sauce, scallions, and chilli peppers (good, but the clams were not very fresh), pork ramen (ehh ok). The sushi was disappointing. They have the usual sushi and maki dishes, which I'm sure were good but didn't try. What was a let down was their "Basho Sushi," sushi and sashimi served with specially paired house sauces so no soy sauce is needed as we were told. I got the tuna tofu puree and uni ikura sushi. Tofu puree had no taste, but silly me tofu doesn't usually so why did I expect it to?! Uni Ikura was a nice combination and came plain. My boyfriend got the seared salmon that came with a heaping spoonful of mayo. All in all it was ok, but when you factor the premium price in I don't think it's worth it. My advice? Go to Basho for a fun night of drinks and apps with friends. Don't go if you're hungry and want to eat a full meal because you'll either burn a hole in your wallet or find yourself at Upper Crust at the end of the night.
(3)
Sweet L.
I was at the Fenway location last Friday and I was very disappointed with the hostess. She started off by telling us it way a 30 minute wait. So when it was well past 30 minutes. I asked how was the wait she said 30 minutes. I noticed that another two other groups that came in well after us seated immediately because they were her friends. So one group was actually ahead of us left because they noticed the same thing because i overheard them talking about the same thing. So I decided to ask her "why are you letting your friends come in and be seated immediately?" she totally denied that they were her friends but we overheard the hostess talking to friend about things on a personal level. So I told her exactly what they were talking about she had a blank stare. I told that it was very rude of her to do that because we well wasted well over an hour and half on a Friday night. So we decided to go to the restaurant "Citizen" instead of wasting more of our Friday night. I never complain about my experiences at restaurants but this experience really resonated with me so I decided to share. I already emailed the management since that night and they have yet to respond.
(1)
Kasey A.
I'm going to start off by saying the torched salmon salad here was immaculate and caused my eyes to grow twice as hungry from when I first sat down. Not so much a problem for my stomach, but a big one for my wallet considering this place is a tad bit overpriced, but well worth it in my opinion. I was very pleased with the level of service we received, probably the best I've had at a sushi restaurant. The decor was nice & trendy, decent music and they had a cool lighting system that gave it a lounge type of feel. Everything we ordered was scrumptious and I loved the creativity they put into decorating the dishes. We did not order drinks, so there's not much I can say about that, but I do know my girls and I will be back and I'm sure we won't be disappointed.
(4)
wing n.
i don't usually give 5 stars, but for basho, i will. i had 2 dinners at basho so far, and my experience was great! the chef seems to offer a very artistic modern japanese cuisine and i really love what they put onto the table for us. i just can't wait to go back again!!
(5)
Annie M.
Basho has the best food, seriously. It's high-quality, good asian food. It's a bit on the expensive side, but if you're in the mood to treat yourself, this is a great place for Japanese food. I'm not a sushi person myself, but my friends seem to really like the sushi here. The servers are really nice and professional. This place books up fast, though, so you should make a reservation the day before on weekends, just to be safe. This restaurant is very trendy and located right next to Fenway!
(4)
Nat P.
Basho puts the SEX in Japanese(x) dining! Super sexy atmosphere and silky smooth sushi. They will put Viagara out of business. Nat Dogg rates this as one of the Top Five places in Boston to seal the deal! Yum.
(5)
Boston D.
Amazing food. Don't expect typical Japanese or typical anything. Incredibly flavorful and creative sushi. Amazing grilled items on a stick, from Kobe beef, to duck, to chicken, to veggies. 3 kinds of Edamame: regular, pepper/garlic, and curry. Great apps. My favorite is the blackened cod, sort of Nobu style. Anyone who complains about the prices isn't being fair. The prices are reasonable for the way above average quality, and way below the most expensive Japanese places. Yes, they are more than your local sushi joint, but the food and culinary creativity is so much better. You do get what you pay for. Also good place to go is some people in your party don't like sushi because non-sushi menu is so extensive. Great deal with $4 parking on Sox game nights.
(5)
Sabrina T.
Don't bother. Over priced sushi that is mediocre at best. Bought a $40 buywithme, but manager would not accept the coupon via the buywithme iphone app. The terms and conditions never state "must present printed coupon". Manager suggested "the kinkos down the street is open until 9pm". Seriously?
(1)
Russell F.
Basho was a big disappointment. I know a lot about Japanese food, and a Japanese friend who had not been to the restaurant suggested that I check it out. He had heard about it, but never visited. I chose to sit at the sushi bar. Although I was there at about 7PM on a weekday, there were no more than about 4 people eating inside the restaurant and a handful outside in this cavernous space. I ordered three types of sushi: O-toro, Uni and Ama-ebi. The O-toro was not O-toro. It was a much lower grade of tuna, perhaps not even chu-toro. It may have come from the tuna belly, but that is not the key criterion. By passing it off as O-toro and charging O-toro prices, they are cheating their customers. The O-toro was not visible in the display case. The Uni was from Maine, not California. Tthey should be able to provide the higher quality California Uni which is much creamier and sweeter. If they want to sell uni from Maine in this 'high end' restaurant, the charge should probably be a little less, they should be more selective about the quality and the uni should be visible in the display case. The Ama-ebi had a nice flavor. One shrimp per piece, but larger size shrimps. It wasn't super fresh, but it was good. It was not served with the cooked heads, as is customary with this size shrimp. The rice that was used for the sushi was a bit too dry for my taste, but worse, in my opinion, was that there was too much of it in each piece. Sadly, in Boston, this is a common theme. It's as if the restaurants want to show the customers that they are getting more for their money, so they give you about twice the amount of rice that you would get in Japan or in an authentic Japanese restaurant in NY or L.A., and they often give you a larger piece of (therefore) lower quality fish. Personally, I would prefer a smaller (bite-sized, as is traditional) piece with higher quality fish or other ingredient (neta.) When the chef asked me if I was pleased with the sushi, I told him exactly what I stated above. He agreed when I said that the Uni was from Maine, but that was pretty much the last word I heard from him. He never offered to give me a better piece of O-toro, something that I would hope for, but perhaps he didn't have any. There was also no adjustment to the bill, at least not a reduction. The highlight of my meal was the Shishito Pepper appetizer. It was absolutely wonderful. I was just in Barcelona, where grilled Padron peppers are in season and wondrous, and the Shishitos brought back that fantastic memory. Basho's chef cooked them perfectly, still holding a little crunch and varying from mild to medium in the heat category. They were in a delicious, spicy sauce that reminded me of Nobu's Peruvian-inspired Anti-Cucho sauce. I had Miso soup, which was a good sized portion and perfectly fine. I ordered Monkfish pate, which was the usual monkfish liver roll sliced up with too little ponzu sauce. It had very little flavor and seemed a bit harder than it should have been, perhaps from prolonged storage. I was excited by the description of the Yellowtail Usuzukuri l, so I ordered that as well. It was described as yellowtail with yuzu sauce. Simple and perhaps exactly what I needed - NOT! The raw yellowtail slices were laid out on the plate with too much of a cloying, almost gelatinous thick 'sauce' on each and a slice of jalapeno pepper. It was a bad interpretation of Nobu's Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno. Note that the menu description did not even mention Jalapeno and, by the way, the yellowtail had little flavor. On to 'Robata.' I'm also a big fan of Yakitori or grilled chicken. Typically a Yakitori house in Japan prepares almost every part of the chicken on skewers. One of my favorite selections is grilled chicken skin. When properly prepared and crispy it can be sublime. It was on their 'Robata' menu, but the waiter, who was excellent and very attentive, by the way, told me that an hour before he had been told that they were taking it off the menu. Really????? So I asked him to ask the chef, who must still have had chicken and chicken skin, if he could make it for me. No. I then ordered 4 skewers - Chicken Thigh, Kobe Beef, Pork Belly with Mustard and Shrimp. The chicken thigh was skinless (so where was my chicken skin???) and dry - it had been marinated but perhaps for too long and the overall result was poor. Chicken thigh in a good restaurant is often a whole chicken thigh wrapped in its own skin and grilled to the point where the skin is crispy and the meat is tender. This was terrible by comparison. Bleh. The Kobe Beef, supposedly not Wagyu but actually from the Kobe Prefecture in Japan, was mostly tough and chewy and without a lot of flavor. If it was Kobe, it was a low grade. Bleh+ The Pork Belly was a bit burned and the meat portion was mostly dry and overcooked. The shrimp was not fresh. I've hit the space limit for this review.
(1)
Amy R.
Like its sister restaurant, Douzo, Basho is high end and trendy. Unlike Douzo, however, Basho doesn't have its act together. Service is inefficient, amateurish, and clueless. At a recent meal, we had five different servers. We had just received water when another waiter came with three more full glasses and seemed non-plussed when we said we didn't need them. Our bill was miscalculated so we had to send it back and wait for an accurate one. We saw our server redo the bill then stop to chat for over ten minutes with another table while we waited. We would find it difficult to return.
(2)
Stephanie Y.
My friends and I love dining out, especially for Asian delights such as sushi. One of my friends lives right in the Fenway area and suggested Basho (which wasn't even officially open yet, so it was cool we got to see what it was like - almost a sneak preview). We went on a Saturday night and the place had the right amount of crowd. It wasn't too busy but reservations are highly recommended - I can see this place becoming a hot new night spot. The staff was super friendly and there was PLENTY of staff around if you ever needed some assistance. The decor of the place seemed very NYC - hip and modern. Our server was Richard and he was such a delight. He trained for two weeks straight trying to learn the menu and all the details on the dishes.. I couldn't help but quiz him a little bit. He seemed knowledgeable for the most part, but clearly still learning. Overall, he is an asset to Basho in my opinion (clearly, we made friends). More importantly, the food = yum. The dishes were more on the higher priced side of things, very similar to Douzo on Dartmouth. In fact the owner of Basho had started Douzo! I highly recommend trying their Basho flavored sushi. These sushi pieces are special and unique because the chef chooses special flavors to highlight/compliment the type of fish used. Very interesting concept. If you like sushi and are into trying new things, I would definitely recommend you give Basho a try.
(4)
Anya M.
So good! And a nice venue
(5)
Hyun Y.
I've had the lunch specials (sushi special, sashimi special), which were good. I do like their food, but I wish they had more selections. The shishimaki is ok, but I've had better. I tried their dessert a while ago, and it was good at the time (I don't know what they have right now...but I'm sure it's pretty good). I think I like this place more than I should partially because it's pretty much the only Japanese restaurant in the vicinity (Fenway). Overall, not the best, but pretty good.
(3)
C. C.
Still come here regularly for their sushi. Lately have been ordering delivery at least once a week and they are so fast! (I think delivery is offered only for apartments by the same owner). The food arrives fresh within 15-20minutes.
(4)
amy m.
I was so excited to come here, especially with my Groupon, so I made a reservation for 2. The decor was cool but I felt like there was no privacy because all of the tables were really close together. We ordered a couple of beers (pretty cheap), some gyoza, a sushi roll, and entrees. We waited about 45 minutes before we saw the gyoza which tasted pretty yummy, next came the entrees about half an hour after that. We were confused as to what happened to our sushi but we were told it would come out shortly. We finished out entrees, still no sushi. We were so frustrated because of the wait that we told the server not to bring it. There was no apology from the manager or anything which added to our frustration. I would not come here again. The dishes were overpriced and I have had better at other places.
(2)
H S.
I'm one of those weirdos who really likes donating blood every 8 weeks. Fortunately, I also love red meat and seafood, two key producers of iron, which is important and necessary for donating. I'm consistently just making the cut-off for my hemoglobin levels, whether right on the money or just a smidge under. But not if I go to Basho the night before. The fish is so good and fresh you will want to keep eating way past the second you realize you're full. The sushi bar staff is so pleasant and cheerful, you will want to eat whatever they're making. Service is great and prices are reasonable, considering the quality of this delicious food. Sometimes I feel like I'm in "Club Basho" though so wish it was a more laid back place. Sake doesn't really help your iron count but it can't hurt, right?
(4)
Peter M.
I had terrible service here. I ordered take out, and this really ditzy girl managed to: (1) overcharge me (2) get my order wrong (3) have it ready an hour early (I ordered early and said "i'll be there at 7:30" i got there at 7:25 and she told me she was just calling me because it had been ~45 mintues and was wondering where i was) so everything was cold by the time i got there, let alone got home) food was overpriced for the quality (it was OK, definately had better at Genki Ya, etc.) The restaurant itself seemed nice but as I didn't eat there and spent most of my time inside being pissed off I won't pass judgement. Hope that if you go you have a better experience than I had -
(2)
john e.
Absolute rubbish and stale sashimi, which is the whole point of going here. I mean for fresh sashimi. The salmon was rubbery and flavorless and no wonder after we went here I hear they are trying to survive by going with coupons from Groupon. A lot of the restaurants that you see on Groupon are complete failures and should shut down.
(1)
Adrian W.
This place is was a huge letdown. I came to this place for lunch with hopes of finding a great japanese restaurant around town, but I have to say, this is not it. This place is pretty nice and well decorated, but that is all that is good about it. I ordered a Spider Roll, Rainbow Roll, Vegetable Tempura Bento Box with a Spicy Tuna Roll, and Shiitaki Mushroom Yakitori. The Spider roll was not too bad, but just the fact that it took several bites to eat one piece was annoying. The Rainbow roll was not bad either, but it didn't seem to hold together too well. The Tempura was disappointing. Not only was it not crisp and was soggy, THE TEMPURA SAUCE WASN'T EVEN A SAUCE!! It could have been a soup! It severely lacked soy sauce and just made the tempura even worse to eat. On a side note, the rice that came with the bento box was not fresh (most likely from the previous night) and it was not Japanese rice, it was just plain Jasmine rice. The Spicy Tuna rolls that came with the bento box were like baby food in a sushi. It was bland and had no texture at all. The Shiitaki Mushroom Yakitori was most likely the best tasting food of the meal, but how hard is it to really to cook mushrooms on a skewer. Overall, this place does not deserve its current rating listed on Yelp. To think that this place is authentic is a lie. Make no mistake, this place is CHINESE-OWNED and CHINESE-MANAGED. I had the pleasure of hearing the manager yell at one of her staff members in Chinese. Food: 4/10 Service: 2/10 Atmosphere: 8/10
(2)
Casmine L.
I like this place. It is the sister restaurant of Douzo. I have only eaten here for lunch (yes they have a lunch menu), and I think the sushi is fresh and the rolls are decent. The Bento box is delish too. The pan fried noodle dishes need a little work. Needs more flavor. I was worried about this place thriving for dinner though, especially since the price point for this location is higher than most places in the area. You can charge this much in back bay or south end, but fenway??? There's not much "action" around here, so going here is a destination, not a quick stop over...Not so sure college students and red sox fans are willing to shell out the dough for sushi. Needless to say, I like this place and the service that I have received during lunch has been great. Another reviewer is right, being a dishwasher here must stink because they are constantly clearing plates!
(4)
Anabelle D.
Too expensive for what it is. The place looks nice but it's not very cozy.
(2)
Elle J.
Average. I've gone for lunch and dinner a couple of times. I would recommend the lunch. The lunch menu is very good and the price is right. However, I won't go for dinner again. The dinner is very pricey and while the quality is ok it's not amazing for what they charge. The service is good but the food comes out really quickly so that works if you are in a rush but not so much if you want to spend a leisurely evening relaxing.
(3)
Nadia K.
This would be 5 stars if it was a little more affordable, but as is, I solid 4.5 stars. We went tonight and sat against the back wall, our waitress was a very nice asian woman (sorry can't remember the name, but if anyone from the restaurant reads these- she was great) who was always there when we wanted her and not there when we didn't. It's an art being a good waitress, she's got the skill. We started with the spicy tuna cold appetizer on the crispy rice. That was a perfect balance between the soft fresh spicy tuna and the crunchy rice. I'm in food love. Next we got the garlic spicy peppers, which came with fried onions and were in a very tasty spicy/vinegar sauce. Could have been a touch spicier but very good. After that we got the kobe beef skewer, very tender, a nice char on it, but for $7... a little small, needed something else with it. We also got the spicy tuna cucumber roll, which is impossible to eat without using your hands but the filling is again that perfect balance of spicy tuna with a crispy tempura, I can't describe it- try it, it's worth the $7. We also got two rolls, both were excellent and the seafood was clearly very fresh as it tasted almost sweet. There was no trace of that "fishy" garbage you get at places like ma soba- and I can definitely tell because I'm allergic to seaweed and therefore get my sushi wrapped in soy paper, this is definitely the good stuff. I'm glad to see this area of Boston picking up. Oh they also need to reduce their "waiting" area on non-game nights... I mean put some tables there and increase table service so you don't have to wait on a wednesday night... come on people.
(4)
Sara S.
Absolutely delicious sushi, ranging from traditional to over-the-top maki rolls. The prices are a little higher than average, but so is the quality. The atmosphere is a little sterile but chic and pleasant. They have a nice wine selection, but their cocktails leave a little to be desired. Come here as a great alternative to Douzo's wait and scene.
(4)
Sean H.
Awesome place. Had a shrimp app that was amazing. I had the sushi which was very fresh. My husband had the chicken teriyaki and my sister had the beef teriyaki, both said it was extremely tasty. Prices were reasonable, entrees were $19-$35 (most on the lower end of that range) for a decent portion ; apps, tempora, and sushi were a little better pricewise all were under $20. The three of us spent less than $70(pretty good for 3 ppl). The ambience was great; dim lights but not too dark, soft music, and intimate seating really set the mood for a great meal.
(5)
Colin S.
I love this place. The trendy atmosphere at basho goes well with their artfully presented dishes. Their management however could use some work as it could get a little hectic at times.
(5)
Jeannie H.
I thought I would give this place another chance since the last time I went they had just opened. I got a bento box, which I think was $16. There was definitely a lot of food but it wasn't good food. There was some sushi - 2 pieces of salmon, a piece of tuna, and a piece of shrimp. There was some vegetable tempura, fried cooked salmon sushi roll, fried cooked salmon egg roll, mound of rice, side of salad, and a slice of orange. Notice a theme? Fried and salmon. Too much of both. Another terrible meal.
(2)
Myha N.
Amazing restaurant. I went there for a birthday last night and loved the dishes I ordered! I read a bunch of the reviews before ordering and was very pleased! I got the kobe and pork belly w/ aparagus skewers, spicy tuna (appetizer), foie gras teriyaki and the fried chicken meatballs. For a drink I got the dragon berry drink the waitress recommended and it was great. I'm normally not a martini person but it tasted very good.
(5)
Meliza Anne M.
As far as sushi restaurants go, I could take this place or leave it. It's good, good quality, interesting combinations, and a great ambiance, but it's also pretty pricey and for that price, I would want to be "WOW'ed" I just wasn't. There are plenty of other sushi places around here that are not as expensive and just as good, if not better.
(3)
Amanda L.
I sat outside at Basho a few months ago with 5 friends. The sushi was decent, drinks were very good, but service was REALLY meh. I think our waitress was new, but she left us alone for SO long, our food came out at all different times, we had to go inside to find someone to refresh our drinks... I would go back, probably, the atmosphere is nice and the location is great, but slow and frustrating service really put a damper on the evening.
(2)
Kat A.
Best sushi in the city! We've been in Boston for 6 years and this place is the best there is. I just wish they didn't renovate their beautiful interior! it used to feel much more private and cozy of an atmosphere- now it's a bit too open and barren. However, the food trumps all and in this case, the food is FANTASTIC!
(5)
Laura G.
The food was pretty good...best sushi I had in a while. I liked the decor..very clean and modern. But it didn't fit in with the Fenway crowd.. Boy was it expensive..I work next door and we get a discount from this place..but honestly that's the only reason I would eat here.. Take out? yes they have it..but call ahead because you'll be waiting at least 20 -30 minutes for it...
(3)
Alan T.
first timer. went with 5 others, we had 3 groupons (each for 14 sushi/sashimi pieces and three shots of sake sampler). we also ordered the skewers (pork tenderloin, pork belly w/tomatoe, chix skins), black cod, duck udon, and baby octopus. Food was ok, nothing was bad but nothing was spectacular. Definitely overpriced, even after the groupons. most likely will not go again.
(2)
Molly W.
Basho is yummmmers. I like the decor - so what? who cares? I appreciate a sushi restaurant with some space to move around! The sushi is fresh, and they have some pretty clever menu options. They have have lunch specials for $10, not bad, right? I still like Oishii best, but Basho is a nice addition to Fenway. And anyone who knows Fenway knows it need help in the good food department.
(4)
Scott M.
Just stay home and flush your money down the toilet, at least you'll save time.
(1)
Tony S.
We recently went to Basho with an OpenTable certificate for a 5 course chef tasting. The restaurant is right on Boylston St so thankfully they have a valet because parking near Fenway is atrocious. We walked in and approached what appeared to be the hostess who was hanging out at a desk type area directly in front of the door. I indicated that we had reservations and she curtly pointed to the actual hostess stand and said, she'll take care of you. It's a little thing but really, you couldn't approach this a little more gracefully? The first course of the tasting menu was amazing. A plate of several different & widely contrasting items - oyster, duck, stuffed cucumber, smoked cheese and some type of fruit for which I cannot remember the name. Excellent! The second course was sashimi which was better than good but not great. Toro is my favorite sashimi but sadly the toro at Basho did not live up to my high standards as set by Oishii. Instead of being buttery and simply melting in your mouth, it was overly fatty tuna that was tough. Between the 2nd and 3rd course, my wife and I had finished our respective drinks. We waited for a good 8-10 minutes before we had to finally ask a bus boy to send our waiter over. I fully understand it was a busy Friday night but when the waiter seems to linger just a tad to long at the table right behind us (cue 2 blonde girls splitting 1 roll), it seems that his focus needs some refinement. Had he simply looked in the direction of our table, he would have seen me asking him for another round. The 3rd course was a nice tempura. I'm generally not a fan of tempura but this was well done. Kudos to the chef. The 4th and what should have been the highlight course was Kobe beef. Full disclosure, I am a food snob. I've had Kobe in Japan and at very fine restaurants like Nobu. I have ridiculously high expectations for my Kobe. What Basho served cannot/should not be called Kobe. First it was completely rare, not lightly seared rare, carpaccio rare. Problem is, it was somewhere between carpaccio & medallion in thickness. It did come on a sizzling skillet so I was able to cook to rare plus as I like but I would prefer the chef to handle the preparation to ensure it is done properly. The biggest problem was that these pieces of beef were more akin to flank steak than Kobe. Hugely disappointing. The 5th course was an interesting pumpkin coconut mouse. Enjoyable but it didn't knock my socks off. To be fair, I'm not much of a dessert person so it would have to be pretty amazing for me to write a rave review. Overall, I give Basha a B-. It's worth checking out, it has a cool vibe but the food is just slightly above average and the service needs a bit of refinement.
(3)
A N.
Food: Very tasty but quantity is so little Service: Good Ambiance: Trendy Price: Not reasonable for the amount of food they give for certain dishes Octopus Cheviche with Mango Tasty again! It could have used a little extra mango. But overall wonderful! Right size for appetizer. Miso Black Cod The best tasting fish I have had anywhere, but small portion size. The entree size was probably 3-4 oz. of fish with 2 heads of rapini as garnish. 3-4oz is not enough for most people for dinner when there are no sides. Although it was VERY tasty but $26 for 4oz of fish is not reasonable. The first time I was there I had ordered the appetizer size of the same dish and it was small but this time I ordered the entree size and expected it to be big enough to not leave me hungry. Sashimi platter Hubby had it. Was very impressed. Also they give a lot of fish in this dish - size is not an issue here. Overall food was amazing but portion size of the entree miso balck cod was ridiculous.
(4)
Anna W.
I'm not a big sushi person to begin with (ewe to raw fish), and I'm pregnant, so mix the two together, and you may wonder what the hell I'm doing in a sushi restaurant. I guess you could call me the non-sushi Japanese food lover. And, being from a family of sushi-lovers, it's hard to avoid sushi restaurants -- I'd never be able to eat out with my family. So, enter Basho. It's owned by the same people who own Douzo on Back Bay. The restaurant is located in the Fens, and though street parking may be tough to come by, they do validate for the garage that is attached to the building. The inside is cool and funky. It's very simplistic and different for a Japanese restaurant, but I rather quite like it. They have some longer tables that are great for larger parties, and the ambiance is dark but not overly romantic. I found it weird that they had so much "open" space that wasn't filled with tables -- I'd hate to think what the wait for a table would be on a busier night. There was a large group of us having dinner, so with all of us, we had pretty much everything on the menu -- my cousins enjoyed lots of sushi (their input: very fresh, a tad on the pricey side, but very well made and delicious), and the hubs and I enjoyed some cooked entrees. I had the lamb, which was a bit too charred on the outside for my liking, but the inside was cooked to perfection (guess you can't avoid a little bit of charring when your food is cooked on a grill). And, hubs RAVED about his steak entree. He originally requested the steak that was listed on the menu, but the server asked him if he would like to substitute it with Kobe Steak, which is hubs's favorite, so he said yes (price difference was only about $10 or so, so it was very reasonable). The portion size was decent, but not overwhelming, and he couldn't stop talking afterward about how tender and perfect the Kobe steak was. Big thumbs up from him, obviously. Service was friendly and prompt. Water glasses were filled at the right time, and beverages were brought over and refilled often. Our server was very friendly and made some helpful menu suggestions when asked for input. The place was not pretentious, which was a nice surprise. It's a "nice" Japanese restaurant, but I wouldn't feel out of place in jeans and a T-shirt. I'd definitely go again!
(4)
Nagisu K.
Creative food. Very fresh and delicious. The place is very noisy and crowded. That wouldnt stop me from going back though.
(4)
Jeffrey K.
We were just leaving Boston and needed to find a nice place for some lunch. We checked out Yelp and found this place. We frequent Japanese restaurants on a regular basis so we have a high standard. The presentation was really good. I had soba noodles with some tempura and Stacy had a sushi plate. Both were good quality. The soba was not the best I have had but the tempura was just right. The quality was high on all the products. We had a few rolls but neither of them was the best. To much mayo in the sauce. The space is almost to open but there were not a lot of people there when we visited so it might feel different at night with a full restaurant. This one is on the fence so I am going to give them a four star.
(4)
Sarun C.
Why is this place in the Fenway? I'm not sure, but I'll take it! Basho is L.A. chic transplanted into the so-called 'Boylston corridor;' mouth-watering, excellent, varied, and refreshing Japanese fare (even if a little heavy on the wallet), and, being in my own backyard, I'm thrilled to have it just steps away. I've been to Douzo a few times and now Basho a couple of times. Sure, sometimes I'm in the mood for decent, economical sushi (which, unless you're a sushi snob, can be found if you look in the right places in Boston). Other times, I want modern class and elegance, with not only my food but also the ambience and service. That's the time for Basho. We went both before and after the recent grand opening. Yes, they're new and figuring stuff out. But that's okay. To me, they're allowed that. The sincerity of the staff and owner (somehow, pleasantly, on both occasions, we've ended up chatting with him at length, about the growing pains, about Fenway development, and so on) more than make up for what will surely be a journey to success. Food: Quality, intriguing stuff, goes beyond just the sushi. If you don't try one of the many dishes with ingredients that you've likely never tried before, then you're selling yourself short. Just go buy sushi at Whole Foods. Instead, here, you can explore new horizons. Try the appetizers: the agedashi tofu is silky, with minimalist seasoning of dashi and scallions; the plum broth that bathed the seared seabass was tart and tempting -- a perfect appetizer that left us wanting more. The standard maki was fresh with (for once!) nicely cooked rice -- not too sticky, not too dry, room temperature that allowed the rice to show off its own flavor; the Russian roll, with caviar, was fantastic. Our second time there, we tried the robata grill. Don't go here without trying this! You'd think that meat and veggies on a grill would have a pretty straightforward, generic taste, right? No. This was freaking succulent, envy-inducing stuff. The shitake robata gave us both shivers and made us collapse into our chairs out of delight. Not to be forgotten, the cocktails were decadently solid, sophisticated, tasty, and relaxing. Our first time there, they were a little light on alcohol; the second time, the bartenders got the balance just right. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that the portions are not huge (but it would be foolish to expect that at a place like this). The ordering strategy should be to get lots of little plates, like tapas, otherwise you'll miss out on the diversity of good stuff here, and you won't be as satisfyingly full as you deserve to be. Decor: Sitting inside Basho, we easily forgot the annoying traffic and parking lot eyesores just outside on Boylston. Love the theme and variation of bamboo and sticks, played out at the bar, the private dining room, the kitchen, and main dining area in iterative but playfully unique ways. Soothing and Zen-like but (perhaps un-ironically) shi-shi at the same time. Service: One time, we sat at the bar. Our waiter went to the trouble to push another table to ours, which ended up being a little off-kilter, so then he got on his hands and knees to balance it. Then ,there were a couple of ingredients that none of us knew (yuzu zest, mentaiko, kabocha squash), and he found out promptly for us (yes, he should have known - and indeed, we asked about lots of other ingredients, and he patiently explained all of them to us -- but these are the growing pains...). Altogether, it's the details of service and effort that matter, and he got an 'A' from us. I make an effort to support local businesses, and Basho makes this easy. Why trek to other fancy sushi places when I have the rookie-of-the-year in my backyard?
(4)
Foodie F.
Very average food at very expensive prices. The amount of fish in each roll is small to none. The rice is not cooked enough so it remains hard. These type of Japanese places make me laugh because they charge a lot of money for unauthentic supermarket quality sushi. If you want good sushi go to a small family run place. Douzo is the sister restaurant of Basho and it is just as bad. Don't waste your time, money, or calories here!!!!
(2)
Matt G.
Didn't even order. Hostess was incredibly rude and unprofessional.
(1)
Latoya T.
i must profess my love for this sleek Japanese eatery. Just thinking about it makes my heart go pitter patter. Basho is just a block from my apartment and I am embarrassed to say that I am there at least once a week. The wait staff is always attentive and helpful, the fish is fresh and the sushi is deeelicious. I am especially fond of the Crunchy Roll and you must get the eggplant appetizer. I may have to pay this place a visit tonight. This place is a great addition to the Fenway neighborhood.
(4)
Graham S.
My friends and I ventured to Basho their first week of opening all the way from upstairs at my apartment in 1330 Boylton and boy was it a great dining experience. The food was divine, the atmosphere was tranquil and the service was exceptional. It's so delightful seeing such a wonderful addition to the new Fenway neighborhood. For so long the neighborhood has been all fast food/bar food places, but now actual foodies from the South End and other areas are visiting the new Fenway. I'm pleased to see people visiting the new Fenway for something other than a Red Sox game. Definitely add Basho to your to do list folks.
(5)
Gina M.
Now that other people have found it, it's less fun. We waited a while for our reserved table on a recent visit. Then immediately after we were seated, we were moved to another table. The food was still great, but the whole place just feels really harried and less pleasant now.
(3)
Amy R.
Like its sister restaurant, Douzo, Basho is high end and trendy. Unlike Douzo, however, Basho doesn't have its act together. Service is inefficient, amateurish, and clueless. At a recent meal, we had five different servers. We had just received water when another waiter came with three more full glasses and seemed non-plussed when we said we didn't need them. Our bill was miscalculated so we had to send it back and wait for an accurate one. We saw our server redo the bill then stop to chat for over ten minutes with another table while we waited. We would find it difficult to return.
(2)
Colin S.
I love this place. The trendy atmosphere at basho goes well with their artfully presented dishes. Their management however could use some work as it could get a little hectic at times.
(5)
Jeannie H.
I thought I would give this place another chance since the last time I went they had just opened. I got a bento box, which I think was $16. There was definitely a lot of food but it wasn't good food. There was some sushi - 2 pieces of salmon, a piece of tuna, and a piece of shrimp. There was some vegetable tempura, fried cooked salmon sushi roll, fried cooked salmon egg roll, mound of rice, side of salad, and a slice of orange. Notice a theme? Fried and salmon. Too much of both. Another terrible meal.
(2)
Anabelle D.
Too expensive for what it is. The place looks nice but it's not very cozy.
(2)
Corinne-Marie G.
Though the place was nice, our waiter was good, the prices were reasonable. I definitely see room for improvement. I wasn't impressed with the sushi/sashimi part of the menu. I expected to see more choices for cooked and raw rolls. There wasn't much variety and creativity. The rolls I ordered looked nice, but one was some what sour. My miso soup was nice and hot and yummy. My ginger margarita was very good and well made. I will go again if in that area and want sushi near the House of Blues, but I hope additions are made to the sushi/ sashimi part of the menu.
(3)
The Throwin S.
I stopped by for LUNCH recently, and I tried the lunch sashimi special. The sushi/sashimi was excellent and the price was surprisingly cheap. The standard lunch salad and miso were good too. I thought that maybe this was a fluke (pun intended), so I returned 2 more times. The sushi/sashimi were consistently excellent. I am a fan! I read a few Yelp Basho reviews, including a negative one from Andrew Q. on 6/2/14. Andrew wrote, "The fish was disturbingly close to room temperature upon its arrival to the table...". The fish is NOT supposed to be served cold. I have had some superb sushi in Tokyo-- and the best joints serve it slightly chilled to room temp. Andrew, you are clueless.
(5)
Mary T.
I came here because I had a groupon deal. I tried their sushi rolls only. I had their crazy roll, dynamite roll, crunchy roll and spicy salmon. I didn't think the dynamite was that good. It didn't seem authentic to me. But maybe, it is different in Boston. They put imitation crab meat on top. Normally, it's spicy mayo or mayo and it's baked. Another roll I had was the crazy roll. I wasn't a big fan of the mango puree they used. It reminded me of baby food. The other rolls were good. The service was good as well. They were friendly. It wasn't that busy so the food came out pretty fast. You get an option of using brown rice or white rice for your sushi. You are probably looking at spending around $20-30 per person. They also have takoyaki, ramen, fried rice, sashimi... but I did not get to try it.
(3)
Simon L.
A classy spot that is appointed nicely in a warm and cozy wood paneled manner. A bar area and a sushi bar are separate from the dining area. Quick service, polite. Food? Bland and rather unmatched to the high price of doing business. The torched tuna roll ($19.95) lacks any defining elements of flavor - the most distinguished taste is the yuzu sauce. The yuzu yellow tail roll ($15.95) similarly lacked any specific unique tastes. The Spider roll ($10.95) arrived with four large slices of fried softshell crab and is standard. The kurobuta pork ramen ($14.75) is similarly unimpressive. This soup is available as either a ramen or udon variation and in this case, it is clearly an udon soup with ramen noodles substituted. A tasty but thin broth with all the vegetables of udon soup is not worth being classified as ramen. Beer and liquor available.
(3)
Tonya H.
This place is incredible. The food is phenomenal, but more importantly the staff is what makes it 5 stars. The new manager William Foley has really turned this place around. My favorite server is Bromeyn (i think thats what she said her name was). Great place and I will continue to celebrate birthdays there! They always accommodate to make an event special.
(5)
Karis O.
A Japanese sushi wonderland that's masked by Fenway but totally worth the drop-in. This place just got renovated! I could eat the spicy edamame for the rest of my life, I assure you, you can do the same. Not a lot of specialty cocktails to choose from but the Snapdragon has been burned into my memory and now I want three million more! Fruity magic with alcohol. The specialty rolls are expected: $11-$15. Maki rolls are about $5-$10 depending on what you get. Snow Mountain Roll (shrimp tempura with a bunch of snow crab on top). Excuse me while I give a standing ovation. And for those brave enough to handle wasabi, the Fenway roll will not let you down!
(4)
Alex E.
I wasn't too impressed with my experience at Basho. The interior is awesome, which really set my expectations pretty high when we first came in. But then they served their water in plastic cups and that kinda killed it for me. I know this seems like something very minor, but they weren't even really nice plastic cups, I think they are the same cups that my university's dining halls use. I guess I just found that pretty inconsistent because the decoration is so nice, you would expect some nicer dishware as well. We shared the spicy edamame and the shishito peppers as an appetizer. These were pretty flavorful, but I felt like the edamame was a little overcooked. I ordered a stirfried noodle dish with ramen noodles, veggies and tofu. It was really really bland, I only ate a few bites of it. I got the rest wrapped up but it just wound up sitting in my fridge until I threw it away. Really disappointing. My boyfriend ordered sushi and wasn't very excited about it either. Though the presentation was pretty nice, the quality was a letdown.
(2)
Ashley N.
I am from Cali and the sushi there is fresh! I haven't found a sushi place here in Boston as fresh, but Basho is excellent! I can taste the freshness here and this is the place that I keep coming back to! I love their Green Monster Roll! My favorite!!!! I love their happy hour. I always tend to go with friends right before it gets busy, so it's great for us. I love the design of the place. Atmosphere is nice and clean. Spacious, so I don't feel like I'm in the next table's conversation. It is a bit dark, for the romantic side, but I'm there more for the food! Waiters/waitresses & hostesses are all very nice. I have nothing to complain about with them. I'll keep coming back here!
(5)
David M.
As a place I would describe as being always a bit slow and a bit on the overpriced side - you would think i don't like Fin's. Thing is - I actually enjoy coming by here. The servers will never make you feel rushed, the atmosphere is trendy without trying to hard, and the noise level is always reasonable. The food, when it gets to you, has never disappointed, and they even have a few creative rolls. If you want something a bit less expensive, and a little less trendy, hike up to Kenmore to check out the competition - but I'll come back here for Fenway adjacent sushi experiences.
(4)
Graham W.
Sushi - 4/5 Delicious and reasonably priced. Atmosphere - 2/5 Sat at the bar. Bar seats have seen better days and the menus were in rough shape. Had kind of a "lazy" feel to it. Service - 3/5 Bartender was nice enough. Our appetizers came after our sushi rolls which was annoying but whatever. Drinks were a bit strong but I didn't complain. Overall, if you're in the fenway area and want some sushi it's a good option. Otherwise, I'd say definitely do not go out of your way. I put three stars but I mean 2.5
(3)
Lynn J.
REVIEW OF THE BAR ONLY... Bartender overcharged me, did not apologize...and possibly stole money. I approached his nearly EMPTY BAR, smiling. He did return my smile, and walked away, pretending to have something to do at the other end, then walked back to me and took my wine order. He then charged me $9.50 for a $7.00 glass of wine, took my $20 before I could correct his mistake, and hit a button on his register that rang up "NO SALE." As he tossed my change on the bar and turned away, without even acknowledging me, again, I told him the price was only $7.00 on the menu. He waved his hand in the air & said "I thought it was the other," opened the register to "NO SALE" again & gave me $2.00. The subtraction was too much for him and he was $.50 short. THE DEAL: He didn't smile, or talk to me at all. He over charged me, twice, and never apologized. Business owner, this is NOT the guy you want selling drinks. I don't even know if he even rang in my drink at all, or just pocketed the money by hitting "NO SALE."
(1)
Greg P.
A nice sushi option in Fenway Located right near Fenway Park, Basho is probably the best option in the area for good sushi and Japanese. The menu is large with lots of options if you do not eat sushi. The sushi is very good from the basics (shrimp tempura roll, spice tuna roll) to their more exotic rolls (torched toro, yuzu yellowtail). The fish is fresh and you have the option to have the sushi made with brown rice. A lot of the rolls are innovative and keep things from getting stay. There are only so many spicy tuna rolls you can eat, right?! Their desserts are fun and include a cheesecake harumaki that is decadent but not over-sweetened. A nice way to end the meal. The atmosphere is fun and the waitstaff helpful. Overall, a very good option for sushi and a change of pace from all of the pub-food in Fenway.
(4)
Veronica H.
We live in the building so we're here at least once a month. Service is always good and food is tasty. The recently updated their menu and actually lowered their prices! I recommend the Crazy roll.
(4)
Ralph O.
Basho is average, although prices are a little above average. I did enjoy the service there, but the atmosphere is not particularly great and the food is good enough. There is really not much to say.
(2)
Monica C.
Great restaurant with delicious sushi rolls. The sweet potato tempura roll was the best I've ever had and everyone's specialty rolls were also great. Chicken fried rice was good and saki bombs were fun and reasonably priced. The staff was beyond nice and service was excellent. Perfect restaurant for a fun night out of drinking and sushi with friends!
(5)
Rachael B.
The sushi is really good! The service was terrible. We asked for water once, twice, three times and then it arrived. Silverware once, twice, three times and then it arrived. Drink refills...the same. Either our server was overwhelmed or really just didn't want to be at work that night. This isn't exactly a cheap restaurant so I definitely expected a higher level of service. I can't say we'll be back.
(2)
Court S.
Well for the cost of $11, it's pretty good. I came here last Sunday for lunch with my cousin and we sat outside and enjoyed the lovely weather and atmosphere. I ordered the crazy roll( shrimp, avacado, rice, wrapped in seaweed) and a side of brown rice. The seaweed was a bit on the chewy side and some parts I spit out because I felt like I was getting a jaw muscle workout. That sounds weird but overall it was good sushi...just way too chewy. My cousin ordered something with eel, squid, and some other creatures of the sea, and she enjoyed it. I like my sushi simple so I took a bite of hers and promised myself not to take another.
(3)
Jill S.
We started with a well priced chardonnay bottle and ordered steamed shumai to begin. After she brought back our wine, we ordered the rainbow roll with brown rice, the lobster tempura, and the yuzu yellowtail roll with brown rice. The appetizer and the sushi all came out at once which was less than ideal, but i know things like that happen. At least it all came out quickly! The rolls were unbelievable - we really were impressed with the level of freshness and the creativity of the rolls. The lobster tempura was our unhealthy splurge, and it was SO worth it. So crunchy and delicious and they lay it on a bed of sauce which complemented it nicely. The rainbow roll was standard and well executed. The yuzu yellowtail was stand out - the citrusy flavors went so well with the mild yellowtail, and the caviar on top was definitely present but not overwhelming. I'm dreaming about this roll now. Thank you to Groupon for opening our eyes to this place!
(4)
Yasa E.
Interesting sushi, very fresh, very delicious.... The drinks aren't that great and way overpriced. The space itself is enormous and waaaay too open. Kind of makes you feel like you're eating in the middle of a basketball court. I think if they made better use of that space, the dining experience would be more pleasant
(3)
Brian D.
Pretty decent Japanese food, but aggressively overpriced. Truth be told, I'd avoid Basho altogether if it weren't for one dish: the Roast Duck Breast Udon soup. Which is heavenly. Tender duck breast with light, tasty noodles, carrots, some greens and a handful of mushrooms. I prefer it moderately spicy, my wife prefers it non-spicy and they accommodate that. They do, however, charge an extra $0.50 for making it spicy. Which pretty much sums up the place. Between the location and the fancy decor they either need to or choose to fancy up the prices as well. That Udon I just described runs $14.95 (which I don't mind so much because it does stand out). Entrees, cocktails and sushi all seem to run near the upper level of what they feel they could get away with. I do like their tempura a la cart menu, and their small bite robata choices (the grilled spiced chicken was okay at $4.00). These are overpriced but much more reasonable than the "small plates" menu. But on the whole you are paying for atmosphere (dark, classy, a bit loud). We'll go back there for that soup sometimes, but usually only when it's cold out and we're in that area already. But it's going to warm up soon and I know cheaper, pretty good Udon elsewhere so I probably won't be back until November.
(3)
Mirta S.
Update: Came in yesterday with a reservation for 6pm. Got a pretty aggressive call earlier in the day letting me know that they could only save my table for 10 minutes or so. Due to the reconstruction of the Longwood bridge, we were indeed 20 minutes late, so I kind of gave my hopes up on the reservation. Coming in, we noticed a completely empty restaurant - I told them what happened and was told that no problem, we could be seated right away. I am still perplexed as to why the aggression and unpleasantness were needed earlier in the day when it was clear that it didn't matter if we were late or not. Food, as usually, was really good. Switched it up a bit this time with Tornado roll, which tasted a lot of the acidic (lemony) stuff they put in, but was overall good. I could have a bazillion of their spicy tuna rolls though, so recommending that again as an add-on to all orders!
(3)
Francis C.
Went here for dinner and ordered the boat for two. I explained I had a shellfish allergy. The waiter assured me the chef would make sure no shellfish was on the plate. When the rolls came out there was tempura shrimp and california roll on the boat. I just ate from the other side of the boat. The sushi is good the lack of detail to an important allergy wasnt.
(2)
Wini H.
While the restaurant itself is beautiful, the food and service are spotty. The boyfriend and I arrived at an empty restaurant and were seated at a table connected to a large, rowdy, loud party. The only things separating us were the sparse wall of bamboo sticks. This seemed a bit odd to us given that the whole restaurant was empty, and the next couple that came in was seated at a more intimate, private spot. The food itself varied. The sushi and udon were only okay, and overpriced for the quality. At this point our waitress, as polite and nice as she was, forgot to give us soy sauce. The pork belly buns, however, were amazing. If you were to go here, I would recommend just ordering like...5 orders of pork belly buns. The pear martini was unfortunately very bland and not drinkable--not sweet (almost neutral, really. Water-like), barely pear-flavored, and didn't even really taste of vodka. Perhaps it was watered down? I drank a few sips and put it aside. Seeing how you can get great pork belly buns elsewhere (or make them yourself! It's surprisingly easy), I would skip this place!
(2)
Criselle O.
This place is ridiculously expensive but it was super worth it. First of all, the interior of this place is classy and elegant. Very upscale. I felt kinda weird eating here during lunch and not being dressed up. Anyway, we ordered so much food. Let me try to remember since I was here about 2 1/2 weeks ago. We started off with some blood orange martini's which were yummo btw and for the real appetizers we got the toro (tuna belly), tuna tartar and edamame. The toro and tuna tartar were so beyond delicious. The toro practically melted in my mouth... Oh man, I was excited for what was coming. . . We each ordered our own rolls but we pretty much shared them. Ok, I'm totally drawing a blank with what everyone else ordered but I ordered the crunchy roll and it was filled with cucumber, mango, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, and tobiko. Soooo good. Oh yea, I really liked our server. She was super attentive and she totally recommended all the good stuff. My belly was so satisfied after this meal. It better be since we dropped almost $200 amongst 3 people. Haha. If only there was a Basho in SD. . .
(5)
Jamie B.
Basho deserves maybe 2 1/2 stars. We had seaweed salad, some generic sushi rolls and a few specialty rolls. There was nothing outstanding about the quality of the sushi. It certainly wasn't bad by any means, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again. The service was attentive, but it was also a very slow night, as we were maybe one of five parties there.
(2)
Shayne Z.
I really want to like Basho much more than I do. The food is decent, but not amazing, and for the price I really expect more. The sushi is fresh enough, nothing special but nothing terrible, though I think the portions are small for the price and the spicy tuna roll (one of my usual favorites) is among my least favorite I've had in the Boston area. Still, I keep coming back in hopes that it will be better (and also because it's so convenient), but I think I might finally be done giving this place chance after chance. I ordered take out for lunch today--salmon teriyaki lunch special, since I hadn't tried the kitchen entrees before. The salad that came with the lunch special had brown lettuce, and the container of soup wasn't even half full. The salmon teriyaki was fine, but I was charged extra for brown rice and that wasn't made clear on the menu, as far as I could tell. I think todays meal sealed the deal. I'm not a fan, Basho, and if I'm going to pay over $10 for lunch, I'd rather walk around the corner to Rod Dee and get twice as much food that tastes a lot better. Sorry.
(2)
Kelsey C.
NOT worth it is the only thing I can say about Basho. An imposingly large space in fun Fenway, Basho is beautiful at first glance. The paneling is modern, the floor shines, and you wonder how the food couldn't do the same. Take a bite of the Lobster Tempura Roll and you'll see why Basho is the first stop for sushi disaster tourism. The roll tasted more like shake n' bake chicken than lobster thanks to the almost-burnt breading...wasn't worth the chipped teeth either. The Snow Mountain Roll was better but not by much. Snow crab makes a tasty topper, but the filling of shrimp tempura drowned out the sweet crab. The Amaebi Mango Roll was even more bland...didn't even think that was possible. The Soft Shell Crab Tempura wasn't bad but clearly wasn't very fresh, and wecould barely tell the Water Eel Tempura from regular fish. I hate to bash, but there's nothing else to do with an overpriced restaurant with sucky sushi. I could have paid half this amount at Seiyo if I wanted something so un-special.
(1)
Emlchach C.
The service was HORRIBLE! I was with a very large group, and they gave us two servers to take care of the tables (we had two because they separated them). Both servers were inattentive and the server for my table legitimately gave us attitude the entire time. They did not provide the table with water and I had to ask FOUR times to have the waitress bring water. Four times. The food was...sushi. They had a brown rice option which was nice, and overall it was decent sushi. But because of the service that I experienced I would never go back, and would recommend other establishments before I ever recommended this place.
(2)
Dan G.
Went here on a Saturday night with a reservation. We were seated prompty when we arrived, a party of 8. As soon as we were sat, the waitress came over and greeted us and asked if we wanted anything to drink. As soon as the drink orders came, we ordered apps and entrees. We didnt wait long for our apps to come out. The apps consisted of 4-6 pieces, shumai or dumplings. Everything was great, but for 6 pieces I believe the dumplings cost around $9. A little expensive if you ask me. The main course were fairly large, the soups were giant. 2 people were not even able to finish them. The sushi platter was large enough for 2, the noodle dish was delicious and again a large portion size. The waitress was very attentive throughout the whole meal. She kept coming to check up on us to see if we needed anything. In addition to the attentive waiteress, another waiter kept refilling our waters which was great. The restaurant was a little stark but crowded for a saturday night. Parking is tricky since its on a main street but there are some garages nearby. The restuarant is pricey depending on what you get. There seem to be a lot of other places in the Fenway area that are less expensive.
(3)
aja m.
The food at this place was great but while we were here a waiter accidentally spilled a tray of wine and sushi all over a friend of ours. We were a large party of 10 or so out for a friends birthday, and this poor girl got wine alllll over her hair and white shirt before we went out for the night. The waiter apologized a bit, but they didn't comp her meal or offer her a free glass of wine. The most that happened was the manager gave her his card so she could get the shirt dry cleaned through him. Lame.
(2)
Jill F.
I want to like this. I really do. Fenway has become a fabulous (wait is this a fabulous thing?) over-commercialized area with new bars, restaurants and cafe's in all under 3 years. My roommates and I had a coupon so we decided to come. I really don't feel like reviewing this place but I must say, Don't waste your money....I felt like going to Fugakyu anyday over this place. Okay so the environment WANTs to be like a NYC sushi bar. But people, look around you're at the Fenway! There are boozing Red Sox fans. The waitresses were nice, but college girls who obviously just don't care. I also managed to have my water spilled all over me by the poor waitress (I don't really care but I'm guessing this doesn't happen at Fugakyu) Anyhoo. Just, I mean, If you're absolutely STRANDED in Fenway and you NEED sushi, this would be good. Or if you work near by and you want to mix up your lunch dates. But seriously, get you're butt on the train and go elsewhere. Did you really want to eat sushi in a fancy bar next to a tourist in a Red Sox shirt on you're next date? I didn't think so. Try harder gents, try harder.
(2)
Jo T.
Ate at the bar before a Red Sox game. Service was quick. Sushi had both traditional and modernized items. Really impressed with the quality of the fish. I also had the grilled shishito peppers, which were deliciously basted with balsamic vinegar. Sapporo on draft, a rarity, was awesome. Love the fact that you can get brown rice to go with the nigiri and maki.
(5)
Andrew M.
We came here with a Groupon to get some sushi, and were absolutely blown away by how fresh everything was. We got the large sushi tray for two people and it was just one delicious piece of fish after another. I had been getting tired of sushi after going to several places in the Greater Boston area that just left a bad taste in my mouth after eating not-so-fresh fish. But this place definitely left me hungry for more! I can't say anything about the other parts of the menu, but the sushi is the best I've had so far in Boston! (other than Privus possibly, but that's closed)
(5)
Jamie G.
The restaurant definitely has cool ingredients for their Japanese dishes, but it is so very expensive. I am glad it's on open table and that I was able to use a groupon to try to it out. But I probably won't be back here anytime soon. We decided to split a bunch of different appetizers... Crispy shrimp - delicious, with a creamy, spicy sauce Scallop kaiyaki- diced scallops with shredded carrots and other ingredients baked. it was WAY too fishy tasting for me. couldnt finish it, which was practically a sin because it's so expensive Edamame with salt and lime- good, but a small portion for $4.75 Kobe beef skewers- delicious, but tiny, and each one was $6.75. OUCH! Garden roll0 delicious- with avocado, cucumber, carrot, asparagus and tomato. and for a drink, I had the Japanese version of a mojito, a Yuzuhito, but it tasted just like a plain ole mojito to me. All in all, I wasn't impressed. For less money and/or way bigger portions, I would think about coming back, but as it stands, I probably won't. Sorry Basho, you're just not doing it for me.
(3)
Ang Y.
I had a horrible experienc.e i bought a livingsocial deal for this place. I felt like they treated me differently because i have a coupon. I dthink it should be better if groupon /living social don't specify that we have to show our certificate before the meal because it makes a difference. Then again, it isnt their problem , it is the restaurant's problem. They shouldn't treat their customer differently because they have a coupon. I had to write a review for basho because I have never in my life gone to a restaurant , sat down for 15 minutes I was not given a menu, nor water, and the table next to me that came after us already got their appetizer soups. Just sitting there, I tried to catch waiters with my eyes but they all seem to just walk pass us and avoided eye contact. I sat their observing and realize that the waiters that work tthere are assigned tables by row so tables not beloning to his row isnt his bussiness. They just run along and serve their own tables. After I ordered appetizer and entre, we waited at least 30 minutes after the waiter took our orders. I was so close to just leaving the place although I had a coupon but I confronted the manager , she apologized and our soup came immediately. it was on the house but I was still not too happy with the service since we were already starving by then. The setting was nice but the food quality was not good for what it is priced. One of the sushi I bit into, the rice was still raw. It is such a shame since the place looked very nice but sushi quality was not good, maybe it can fool the americans with the nice setting and fancy interior designs but all in all, iit is more important that the food is good. I will never come back to this place again. I rather pay more for better quality sushi
(1)
Kelly B.
I visited Basho several times while I was a student at Boston University. This place was a great choice for a group meal as we often did but it's atmosphere serves well for dates too. The decor is modern and romantic with lots of open space. For the food, I must say that this is the best sushi I had in the Boston area-- could almost say the best sushi I've had period. We ordered a variety of rolls and sashimi and were not disappointed. "Insultingly fresh" is how I jokingly described the sushi. As a sushi snob, I was not expecting to be so satisfied! We also ordered several items off the robata grill menu. I had never had this style of cooking and must say it was incredible. The grill brought out such immense flavors in all of the items. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Boston area looking for a nice dining experience and delicious Japanese food!
(4)
Zulu Q.
The sake selection is fantastic. The sushi...meh....
(3)
Whytnee B.
I had brown rice sushi, which was pretty good. Not phenomenal. Prices were reasonable, although I didn't try any of the adventurous rolls. None of them really appealed to me. My friend ordered off the apps and Robata Grill menus, which seemed to be the better choice. He had roasted eggplant and a pork belly skewer. He had steamed buns at one point too. They were all exciting and delicious. The atmosphere was downright cheesy. Totally trying too hard. But our server was very friendly and attentive. Thumbs up. Definitely going back between the service and the food. Skip the sushi; be bold and sample everything else.
(3)
Vanessa M.
Over a year has passed since I last reviewed this place. I am now giving them the benefit of the doubt. I am hopeful that the staff member that made the unkind comment about gay folks is no longer working there and they have gotten up to speed with their service. The management still does not seem very welcoming, but maybe they are stressed out in a down economy? Our waitress was very nice and service speed was average. The sushi was delicious to say the least. The meal was fresh and the presentation was excellent. The prices are a bit high, but I would be more concerned if it was too cheap. The atmosphere is nice when the restaurant is full, otherwise it's like sitting in a giant warehouse. I am giving 3 stars because of the overall ambiance and experience. It still feels like a giant cafeteria.
(3)
Brian L.
Basho is the place opened by Jack from Duozo in the Fenway Area. Across from Jerry Remy's First thing that is different is the huge bar area in the very center of the place. and full floor to ceiling kick out doors so you can practically be sitting on the street. We sat at the bar , of course, and were served by Molly , who is a Duozo veteran and as expected service was excellent and the best lychee martini ever! I had 3 and could have had 5 more it is like drinking liquid love. The food is nearly exactly what you get at Duozo. Sashimi is 6 bucks for 2 pieces of say Yellowtail but you get two huge slabs of amazing fish. That and the rainbow roll and I was in Sushi heaven.This place has a grill too so try the skewers, Pork belly and asparagus. Yum. my only complaint if that the bar seats are less than comfortable, but I could never deduct points for that, everything else was amazing . I can still taste the salmon skin roll and the miso soup with plenty of seaweed.
(5)
J. W.
The atmosphere and ambiance was very chic, a great place to bring a date. As far as Boston standards for sushi go, Basho is pretty good for the price. The quality is somewhat comparable to their sister restaurant Douzo, but without the fishy smell. I've been to Basho several times now for dinner and sushi and have never been disappointed. The salmon sashimi is always fresh, soft, and delicious. On the downside, the service was extremely slow. It took over 30 minutes to get out a few rolls and nearly 15 minutes to get us the check!
(4)
Florina K.
The decor is pretty the atmosphere is good. The food is just okay for the most part. We had one good dishout of 5... Rest were just okay. The service was horrible. Our waitress said she could not validate our parking ticket, because we had to do it upfront ourselves. So we said okay and placed the ticket on the table, not to forget about it later. A few minutes later another waitress walked by and without us even adding took care of the ticket... The prices are really ridiculous as well. Good luck!
(3)
Grace R.
It was alright. A little underwhelming and overpriced I thought considering all the hype I saw others give it.
(3)
Dan G.
This is a new review. Since they have done renovations, ie made the restaurant smaller, service has got better. The bartenders are great and the front desk people are overly polite. Seems like they read YELP and learned how to do it better. Way to go Basho!! Below is my last review. I like having a sushi restaurant near my apartment. The atmosphere is really cool the sushi is decent. The price is kinda high, but then again it is a sushi joint in Boston. The service sucks! Painfully slow. I was there tonight the bar area was not busy yet it took forever to get menus. The waitress didn't even ask if we wanted drinks, that took another 5 minutes. When she dropped off our drinks again 5 minutes later she left with out asking if we wanted to order. I almost walked out. It took 15 minutes before a second waiter came by to get our order. Big shocker it took a while for the food to come. If I hadn't asked for the check right as the food came I think I would still be there right now. I wish I could say this was the first time but it's like this every time and its never been super busy there. Next time I want sushi I'm heading out of my neighborhood.
(4)
Sara L.
I think Basho is my new favorite sushi/sashimi joint. Excellent quality fish, presentation, ingenuity. Here's what I'd recommend: - The spicy ginger and garlic edamame: Holy deliciousness. If I had that sauce readily available I would be eating edamame all day every day. - Steamed bun sandwiches: Tender, delicious pork with pickled vegetables in a steamed bun? I think I just died and went to heaven. - Spicy tuna roll: A simple classic, but they really do it well here. - Lychee martini - clean, refreshing, delicious - Salmon sashimi - Really all of the sashimi I've had here has been tasty, but the salmon is just superb. There are so many other great thins on the menu here, I can't wait to go back and order new things! Basho is a little pricey, but there are a lot of great small items to order and share amongst a group. Don't hesitate to ask your server or bartender what's good - everyone who has waited on me has been knowledgeable about the menu and has recommended really tasty treats!
(5)
Patricia D.
I arrived early and started off with a good glass of Pinot Grigio. The bartender was very friendly and attractive. My friends arrived and we were seated. I ordered the seaweed salad and some kind of a roll with squid and eel and salmon roe (don't remember name). It was ok. The description had omitted the mayonnaise. The only reason I chose that roll over others was the lack of mayo in the description. Not a bad night, though. My friends like it and go often.
(3)
Eva K.
The food here is really good, but also very expensive. This is why you should really invest in a Basho groupon (of which there have been several) before coming here. Speaking of... we had a serious buywithme meltdown here, because they were tracking the groupons by hand(!), and would not take the buywithme app number (this was right after the buywithme app came out). After a big to-do, the manager finally allowed us to email her the pdf so she could print it. Seriously, get with the times. Other than that one incident, my experience there has been good... nice decor, good food and good service.
(4)
Ed E.
Quick review: We live around the block within a 5 min away from Basho. After passing by the place for months we finally decided to go in for lunch. I will have to say it is a very nice atmosphere and the sushi is reasonably fresh. But if I were to analyze the food critically Fins has similar quality sushi for less price. If you are a hard core sushi/sashimi enthusiast try somewhere else. If you are looking for a good bowl ramen you also have the wrong place. However, if you are looking for a chic place with atmosphere, you should consider stopping by. ----------------------- Longer comment: We came in here for lunch and ordered: 1) rainbow roll, 2) Chef's choice bento and 3) Udon noodle soup with chicken. The Rainbow roll was a good sized portion and the fish was fresh. The bento was a good portion and had plenty of variety. What I love about the menu is that they offer the choice for brown or white rice for the sushi. It was a nice touch. The Udon soup however was horrible. The noodles were overcooked and falling apart and the chicken was rubbery and over cooked. The decor was lovely, but the service was very slow. Our server was very nice, helpful with the menu and quickly came to refill our water. However, we came in for lunch at 11:30 and barely left 2 hours later. It couldn't be that they were too busy because only 1 other couple came in. It was empty otherwise and that is between 11:30-1:30pm on a Saturday. I had the feeling they were keeping us at our table near the window to make it look like the place wasn't empty. Our neighbors keep telling us it's always packed and we have to try it. We didn't want to argue because they usually are spot on with their recommendations, but most of the time we walk by it is only 1/3 full. At most we see it half full with patrons spaced out to make the restaurant look more packed. And I'm basing this observation from the face that we walk by the restaurant every day coming home from work. So unless people don't eat dinner 6-8pm the other times must be the packed times. I hope more word of mouth gets out so the place doesn't close down.
(3)
Aboud Y.
I don't know...there's lots to like about Basho. Nice space, cool vibe, good service, and excellent sushi. I tried the ChuToro, Yellow Tail, and Red Snapper nigiri, one of their special rolls (can't remember the name), and the Avalanche roll. Everything was outstanding. The rice had the right taste/texture and the fish tasted fresh. Their menu is also pretty extensive (read: tempting) and had lots of interesting choices. This is now one of my favorite sushi spots in Boston!
(4)
Holly J.
I wish I could afford to eat here every day! They have wonderful sushi - the fish is delicious and seems to be extremely fresh. I don't love salmon, but I almost always get the wild alaska sashimi when I go here because its so tasty. I'm also a fan of many of their rolls. This really is the only sushi place I go to where I regularly order salmon in anything. I'm also a huge fan of their tempura - especially the tempura cauliflower. I've tried 2 of the desserts, and the strawberry cream thing one is delicious - I would definitely recommend it! While many things on the menu are quite pricey, overall its usually not too bad when the check arrives. This is especially true if you stick to the more basic rolls (like spicy tuna). And all the staff I have interacted with have been very good. One day I'll make myself try something other than the sushi and tempura, but I have a feeling its going to be a while since I enjoy those so much!
(5)
James O.
Decent Japanese fare in a trendy joint. This review is based on two trips. The first trip I went to lunch with a friend, we tried a few of the maki and sashimi, the standout of which was a crusted sashimi, which fish it was I forgot, but it was great. Service was good, definitely no complaints, but nothing to rave about either. The second trip was for a birthday dinner of about 10 people. I don't like writing reviews based on huge group outings because I understand how much pressure it puts on the kitchen staff to crank out dishes for a large table, but still, that's the business. We were seated promptly, but it was all a bit confusing. We had two waiters working our table and I didn't know who to address, even though both were very helpful. Once we ordered the food took way too long to come out. One appetizer came out and we didn't see another dish come for a good 15 minutes, which is just awkward. This was a Thursday night and it didn't seem terribly busy, either. Once the food did make it to the table, again, no real complaints. I tried a few Robata Grill dishes, including the Tsukune ground chicken and the Japanese eggplant. These little kebab-like skewers are a fun concept and a nice change-up from standard makis and sashimi, and they are also fun to share. Overall I'd say the food here is good, not great. The restaurant itself rather spacious with modern decor, although the floor plan is a bit confusing. The height of the ceilings, spacious interior, thumping music, and colorful lights would be put to better use in a club, not a restaurant.
(3)
Frank G.
I had the misfortune of visiting Basho the other evening. We had a reservation but still had to wait some time for our table. My colleagues and I waited at the bar. We inquired with our bartender Bill what drinks he recommended. He asked a few questions and made me the most delicious berry drink that was not on the menu. My colleagues had a Winter Warmer (delicious) and something he called a Red October. He is a true connoisseur of the bar-tending art. I thought our experience was off to a good start. The restaurant was clearly busy. After twenty minutes at the bar, we were then seated. We then waited almost another twenty minutes for our waitress to come over. Ann(e?) was her name. She was very curt, cold, and acted like we were a bother or inconvenience rather than paying customers that are typically valued. She was very impatient when we asked about specials and other questions as we are not typical sushi-goers. She pushed us for an order and barked at us as if we were in the military. When I asked for water for the table she grabbed another employee and yelled "you - water NOW! Here - GO!" It was completely unprofessional, rude, and awful. Our food arrived shortly after. The sushi was fresh, unique, and very tasty. We ordered a few yaki items from their Robata Grill. The samplers are the best way to go and a great value. Almost a dozen pieces for $18 The rest of the meal was uneventful. Our waitress' service was awful and I hope they improve their service. Usually restaurant's are happy to have customers and treat them well. We will come back for the drinks and eat at the bar....perhaps their only asset.
(1)
Adam E.
I've been wanting to try Basho for a while now, since I work near it and it's not too far from home to be out of the question. Then one day I saw that they were the featured deal on Groupon and I was in. Parking is pretty easy in the off-season, there are plenty of meters around. We did one loop around the block and found a meter right in front. I definitely wouldn't bank on that on a game day, or even when schools are in session. But if you're savvy and know the area (I spent some time around Simmons in the past, if ya know what I mean, and I think ya do), you'll be fine. The restaurant itself is large, open and airy. If not for the mindfully placed pots of bamboo sticks throughout, breaking up the space, it would feel stark. We sat in a booth that felt oversized, but not like Lily Tomlin in that huge chair. Just...roomy. I can see a space like this seeming intimidating, but I felt that it was sophisticated and approachable at once. Our waitress was knowledgeable, friendly, and very forthcoming with information about the menu items. She was not all over us, but did little things that made a difference and assured us that she was present. For instance, our tealight was out when we arrived, she took one from an empty table and put it on ours immediately. When that one went out (why can't we have nice things?!) she replaced it again, speedily. Low-sodium soy sauce is the default here, which is lovely. When our waitress presented it, she offered us the option of the regular stuff, which we declined, and christened our dipping plates with it. So the stage is set and we're looking good so far. But the food is the star, so is it Lina Lamont or Kathy Selden? Well, you see the five stars, so you already know it's Kathy! To be fair, I didn't have any raw rolls. I had my standard fallback of the Crazy Roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber & spicy mayo), along with some house specialties. The Dynamite Roll (roe, avocado, cucumber wrapped with torched spicy seafood salad and cheese) and the Dragon Roll (sweet potato tempura wrapped with eel, avocado, touch of unagi sauce). Don't judge me, I was sharing. Well, I was hoping to at least. The Dynamite Roll lived up to its name and I ended up eating the whole portion since it was too much for my date. I loved it though! Flavorful, with a delightful mix of textures and tastes, it was perfect. She ate the Dragon Roll but let me try some and it was absolutely splendid. The sweet potato and avocado made it creamy and the taste was superb. The Crazy Roll was good too, but kind of standard. I should have ordered another adventurous roll. But still, for what it was, they did a damn fine job. I'll definitely go back and try some raw stuff. I'm so psyched for a delicious dining option in the area! Prices are slightly more expensive than I'm used to, but pretty normal downtown numbers.
(5)
Sarah C.
I've eaten here three times. The service has varied from good to mediocre to downright terrible. At my last visit, I ordered a bento box for lunch. It arrived at nearly room temperature. The tempura was a little soggy. I had asked for no tomatoes in something, and the waiter forgot. My friend had to request extra ginger three times. Their spinach appetizer is awesome--it's three large spinach plugs in a slightly-too-sweet peanut sauce. The menu is otherwise not very friendly for vegetarians, which is fine for sushi (the 3/5 stars is for the service and messing up things like tempura).
(3)
A S.
Updating this. I've been here multiple times since I claimed I'd never return. Food here is always magnificent. A little pricey but worth it.
(5)
Janet H.
Basho fasho! I'm actually a huge fan of Basho. In the past week, I actually ate here 3 times, mainly because if you show your Red Sox tickets, you get 15% off the bill! I should mention that my cousin was in town visiting and is a huge Red Sox fan... insane, but we went to three games in 5 days. Anywho, Basho makes a great option, considering the food around Fenway park are mainly bar/greasy food. On a hot summer day, something light and refreshing, like sushi, is perfect. Not to mention, this venue is gorgeous and makes a great date night spot. Definitely come here during lunch if you can. They offer great deals on their lunch specials -- not to mention generous portions! The Basho lunch special came with a bunch of fresh sashimi! Their baos are also amazing (highly recommend the pork belly and hamachi), as well as their miso yaki dinner. Their salad is also surprisingly delicious! I love their ginger salad dressing. I wonder if they make it in house. I also had the 1338 roll, which was just okay. I felt I couldn't really enjoy the fish on there because the crab concoction in the middle is way too overpowering. -1 star for their service... it's kind of meh. One day we were able to substitute the miso soup with the salad, and another day we couldn't :( Who wants to drink soup during a 90-degree day? Furthermore, their service can be slooooow. On a Tuesday night, with the restaurant 3/4 empty, our food took forever! Also, some of the employees could be friendlier. When you exit, they also have these delicious dream mints! I think they're coated with a thin layer of chocolate. I definitely will be back :) It's such a good deal, especially if you're watching a Red Sox game that day!
(4)
Kat B.
Good service Beautiful venu Great sushi Amazing food display Good music Everything was fabulous here I went here on a date before the movies and it was wonderful. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. ( and if you can't use chopsticks they will be glad to give you a fork )
(5)
Maeghan R.
I am in town for a conference and I'm staying at a hotel near Fenway. I needed a quick, easy place for dinner that was within walking distance of the hotel. Basho was a great choice. I had a simple Philly roll as well as a Spider roll - both were delicious! They had my takeout ready for me in fifteen minutes, and the host was very friendly and welcoming as he checked me out with my order. I would definitely go back.
(4)
Sophie P.
Even though everyone talks about how Basho has mediocre SUSHI, I would suggest trying their other items since their name entails they are a brasserie (they have a large variety of items). FOOD Braised pork belly steamed buns (+) Every time I come here, I get this. The order comes in two buns in the cutest bamboo containers. I am always in search of the best pork bun in the city, and I have to say these are better than the one from Ippudo in NY. The bun is so soft that it sticks to the container and melts in your mouth. The pork is tender and falls out of the bun, but it's because it's THAT soft - like pillows melting in your mouth. Yellowtail Usuzukuri : Good yellowtail, although I do with it was a little bit fatter. Crispy shrimp: There was mushroom and shrimp covered in a spicy mayo sauce that was really good. However, the cabbage at the bottom didn't get any sauce at all, and was very dry in comparison to the drenched shrimp and shitake mushroom. DRINKS Lychee tini: It's not as sweet as you would think. It's a little tart Ginger margarita: Like a normal margarita. I didn't really taste the ginger. Sparkling pear (+): My favorite. It was tangy, sparkly, and very strong. SERVICE The waiters were very attentive, and we were approached by the server, bartender for more drinks, and the manager. We were treated like VIP sitting at the table!
(4)
Mallory C.
We had a great date night at Basho, to use our Groupon. I really liked the vibe and space, as it was not too crowded, and was pretty spacious in terms of seating. the food and drinks were delicious, but everything seemed to take quite a while. The place was empty, and our waiter kept coming over to tell us the "bartender is really backed up." I can't really imagine being there when it's crowded! I would go back though, it was nice ambience, and we were able to have a conversation without shouting. The menu had a good variety, it's accessible, and they also have outdoor seating. This would be a good central place to meet up with friends, or bring friends from out of town. Just make sure to check if there is a game that night or you could be doomed to be stuck in a crowd on your way home!!!
(3)
Wendy C.
Visited during lunch time. There were only 2 tables and one waitress. We were starving. She is not busy at all but it took her like forever to order for us. Food was great but relatively expansive. We ordered a sushi boat for two which was $29. It's not enough for a couple but maybe good for two girls. It came with two bowls of miso soup. The salmon sashimi was awesome. Definitely try salmon in this place. You will like it.
(3)
Megan B.
Basho is a solid option if you're looking for a nice bar or dinner around Fenway. Most of the establishments near the park are dive bars and sports bars so it's a good option if you're in the mood for sushi or a good cocktail. The food, drinks, and service are good, but the menu is quite pricey, which is why I gave the 3 star rating. Sushi always feels over-priced to me, but the rest of the menu is pricey for the portions too. I did really enjoy my meal at my last visit though. My friends and I were in the mood for sake and the waiter suggested a sparkling sake. It was tasty but it was more than I usually spend for a bottle of wine: $20 for 2 glasses worth. I had the pear martini afterword and this was a really delicious cocktail. I would definitely recommend it. For our meal we ordered the salmon avocado roll, spicy tuna roll, and the Yuzu Yellow tail roll with avocado and black tobiko. All of the roles were very tasty and the yellow tail specialty roll was really unique. I'd recommend if you're in the mood for Sushi and cocktails and happen to be in the Fenway area, but wouldn't recommend coming here over other sushi restaurants in Boston.
(3)
Patrick C.
I stopped in for lunch at Basho which generically means 'place' in Japanese and as a restaurant that calls itself a "Japanese brasserie", this 'place' was about Asian fusion cuisine for the masses and not necessarily Japanese cuisine. I was right - it is Asian fusion with an emphasis on Japanese-ish dishes. The food isn't as hearty as what a true brasserie might have, but they do the food they make very well. You'll find sushi, maki, and sashimi variations, plus tempura, meats cooked on a robatayaki grill, and a nice selection of hot and cold appetizers. I was hoping that they had nigori sake but they had hard cider (my usual drink of choice) so I was happy. I ordered the steamed buns (bao) with braised pork belly and the ramen kurobuta soup. Bao are not really Japanese but again, we're talking fusion cuisine. Service was quick and efficient and the bao came out hot and fresh from the steamer. The bao were presented in a stacked double mini bamboo steamer, each one holding a hot soft bao bun filled with a nice chunk of delicious, tender teriyaki-glazed pork belly, crispy cucumber and greens. The ramen kurobuta soup had the same pork belly, tender and succulent in a delicious broth filled with vegetables and perfectly cooked ramen noodles. There was plenty of food there and I am a hearty eater of good food - I didn't quite finish the ramen... For a quick, delicious Asian-fusion lunch right on Boylston Street in Boston, I think Basho hits the mark.
(4)
Eric K.
Overall a great experience. I ordered the miso ramen (spicy) with seafood (salmon, scallop, shrimp, squid) at the bar. The service was fast. The seafood and ramen were cooked perfectly. The broth was just spicy enough.
(5)
Andrea B.
Creative rolls + a daily 50% off happy hour special? I'm all over that! We got four rolls for 34 dollars, not a bad deal, especially considering I'd probably never come here at full price. Of those four rolls, I highly recommend trying their Tropical Sunset roll (which normally would cost you $16). It consisted of onion, cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese on the inside, with strawberry, fresh salmon, jalapeno, kiwi, and mango mayo on top. YUM. Sweet + spicy at the same time = amazing. Warning though - don't try to eat a piece in one bite, they're way too big. In the typical over-excitement that comes whenever I'm eating sushi, I attempted this and failed miserably. Service was fast and pleasant enough. However, our waitress had a little trouble keeping our water glasses full, but I was distracted enough by the delicious sushi that it didn't bother me that much. I'll definitely be back, as long as they keep that 50% happy hour going!
(4)
Sidney L.
This restaurant is just really well put together. From start to finish, you get very contemporary takes on Japanese cuisine, and every time I've come here, I've felt like I've gotten a unique meal that no other restaurant could give me. My entree has always been sushi when I've come here, but I'll have to try the rice and noodle dishes some time. Be prepared to spend $30-50 per person here though. - For appetizers, you can't go wrong with the edamame, especially the spicy ginger and garlic flavor. They occasionally have specials on oyster shooters, which is something fun to do with a group of people (it's like taking shots, but less alcoholic and more slimy). My favorite is "spicy tuna," which is spicy tuna on a crispy piece of sushi rice (which more or less tastes like a tater-tot). - For sushi, I recommend the Basho roll, crunchy roll, red spider roll, snow mountain roll, the rock and roll roll, and the tempura roll. Heck they're all good, you can't really go wrong here. Though this place isn't cheap, especially if you order sushi. - For dessert, try the fried green tea ice cream or the banana roll with ice cream. - For drinks, try the lychee martini or asian pear martini. Felt like those cocktails complimented the meal well. Finally, the service here is really outstanding. Many times I've been here, I've ended up striking up goofy conversations with my waiter or waitress, and I've gotten good recommendations from them as well.
(5)
Irina R.
Very very good sushi! Service can be a bit slow, but every piece of sushi we had was delicious. Left feeling crazy stuffed.
(4)
Dave B.
The food is good at Basho. I was not amazed by it but not disappointed. However the service and whole vibe of the place is confusing. First, we had made a reservation really late on a Friday night. When we arrive it didn't really matter that we had called ahead, we still waited for about 20 minutes - even though the place was not even that busy and there were plenty of tables clearing up. Walking in you would think you are walking in to a vegas club - with the EDM blasting - could be a good or bad thing based on where you want the night to go!
(3)
Tom H.
Our family of four are fans of sushi and came across Basho mainly because it was so close to our hotel. It ended up being one of those gems that will be added to list when we come back to Boston. Was a perfect balance of being casual but not too casual- perfect for what we were looking for. Our waitress, attending Northeastern, was friendly, helpful with the menu, and overall made a great experience even better. She is a true asset to the establishment. Food was fresh, creative, and tasty. Highly recommend when you are looking for high quality and friendly atmosphere. Well done Basho and The "Husky".
(4)
Joe P.
One of my top 5 favorite Japanese places. Probably number 4 at this point . The foods great. The sushi is pretty good. Im still a little upset they took some of the best things off their menu. No more vegetable tempura on the lunch menu?! That's a huge mistake since everyone I knew who went there got that. And the added shrimp was the best. I used to dream of that. The food is really good though and the staff are all very kind. There's been a few times I haven't been wowed but I never leave disappointed.
(4)
Kat M.
I love this place. Its pretty cool inside and offers PaintNite once a week which is a lot of fun! The food is great and about what I would expect price wise. I've also held events here, which they accommodated us very easily and were able to book a space with no booking fee or minimum. The staff is always friendly and prompt. I highly recommend it as a great place to eat.
(5)
Sam N.
Great sushi and appetizers. I got spicy salmon which is pretty standard but the fish was fresh. The Phoenix roll was amazing!! And the Fenway roll was a little plain, I wouldn't order it again. The appetizers were great, the spicy tuna rice bites, miso soup and shrimp gyoza. I'm definitely going back to try more rolls
(4)
Douglas S.
Overall decent sushi in a great location for Sox games but restaurant management is very snippy and not accommodating at all...Fins all in all is a better choice in the area.
(1)
Iaroslav M.
nice decor and lounge music, very friendly host and service. Ginger margarita was a little weak, but bash-full drink is a "must-try"!had an seafood appetizer special in a half-shell with some melted cheese on it-yummm! I really liked my spicy lobster soup (generous amount of lobster meat for $8),red spider roll was looks fancy and taste great!will definitely come back
(5)
Fanasha D.
Food is good, and the restaurant is really pretty. Convenient location. However, we went during a lunch rush and the understaffed restaurant was extremely SLOWWWWWWWWW. The servers were overwhelmed and forgetful. Because I was in a large group it was tolerable but had it been with just myself and one or two people it would've been insufferable. They really need to up their game during the lunch rush.
(3)
Jenn H.
A little overpriced and definitely the quality or freshness that I was expecting for the price. There are so many other places for much better sushi in Boston.
(2)
Elizabeth S.
I agree wholeheartedly with mike G. but I'm giving an extra star because I did not get food poisoning and let's face it, that's a huge plus when ordering raw seafood. Inedible salmon sashimi. Inedible salmon roe sashimi. Both were slightly sour and old tasting. I left them on the plate. Fancy rolls were fine. Not the best I've had (kind of dry), but edible. The rock shrimp tempura was the superstar of the evening - it's possible that Basho's forte is in the cooked dishes. The waiter came around to take drink orders and I gave him mine. Five minutes later, he returned, and asked me what I had ordered. I told him again. Ten minutes later he reappeared and presented me with a different drink. When I asked him if it was indeed the drink I suspected it was, he said yes. And I said okay, that's not what I ordered, but I don't really care. He suggested I give it to another member of our party since she had just ordered one, and he would bring me the drink I ordered. This was not a deal-breaker, but just very odd in a supposedly nice establishment that wasn't even half full, the whole time we were there (around 3 hours). I feel like you can either ask me twice what I ordered, or give me the wrong drink. I don't see how you can do both. Moving on... The chocolate cake was fine. The cheesecake dish and the banana tempura were both dissatisfying for a meal-ender. The prices are pretty high for a place with a florescent-lit fridge with soda and Gatorade in the entrance, and escolar on the menu. It's not as trendy as Red Lantern or as exotic as Fugakyu or as iconic as O Ya or as good tasting as any shack in Allston. Next.
(2)
Stephanie F.
I just had my second dinner here and it confirmed what I thought after the first dinner: fantastic! The food is really, really good. I originally went with a friend who raved about the black cod and teriyaki salmon so that's what we got. Both were delicious. This time, I was with a friend who wanted to try the sushi so we got the black cod appetizer and shumai as well as the spider roll and caterpillar roll. Again, the black cod was insanely good. Next time I come I might just have to get that. Though the sushi was amazing too so it's going to be a tough call. As for all the other stuff (service, parking, ambiance)... Parking is easy either on the street or the garage around the corner from the restaurant on Jersey St (which they validate). We went on the earlier side ahead of a show at the House of Blues so it wasn't super crowded. We sat at a high table near the bar which was fine. It's a cozy place so it would be good for dinner with friends or as a date spot. Service was also really good. Our meal came out pretty quick and he was very attentive. Overall, highly recommend it if you want yummy Japanese food. I'll surely be back.
(5)
Jamie F.
I hosted my collegiate reunion/joint birthday dinner at Basho recently, and would definitely recommend this venue for large parties (we had 22 people). The atmosphere was trendy with soft lounge music playing - perfect for group celebration. We were seated in the private area (secluded by semi-transparent curtains). They won't seat you until most of your party has arrived, so my early bird friends waited at the sushi bar. I was prepared for mediocre service, as warned by some yelpers. To my surprise, our two servers were shining stars. They were really patient, friendly, and efficient. I had so many requests, i.e. to split the bill, change my drink order, add another app, etc. (...I swear I'm not one of those pain-in-the-ass customers), and they said, "no problem!" with a smile every single time. Food, as expected, took a while to come for our big group. My section of the table (4 people) shared oyster shooters (special), shrimp tempura app (special), tuna tartare with taro chips, steamed pork bun sandwiches, shishito peppers, and 4 sushi rolls (basho, tiger, crunchy, and yuzu yellowtail). Everything was delicious, good quality, beautifully presented, and good portion too. For drinks, both the lychee martini and cucumber martini were strong (without the alcohol sting) and refreshing. Wished we had time for dessert, but we were running late for our after-party. Total damage was about $50pp after tip & tax - pricey but worth it. There's validated parking in the garage around the corner ($4 for 3 hours), but don't bother if there's a redsox game (lot will most likely be full). Valet is $16. I'm Basho's newest fan! Can't wait to try the rest of the menu.
(4)
Nikhil D.
Each time I've visited Basho I get super excited by the decor and friendly staff and then my emotions take a hit when I taste the food. Overall it's very lackluster and semi-expensive for the quality/size of the portions. I do recommend checking out their bar food since they're having a deal. If you sit at their newly renovated bar, you can get an array of small plates for $3-5 dollars each. My favorite was (what I remember to be) the Pork Bun. Really tasty. It's by no means terrible since I do go when I'm feeling sushi and am in the area, but definitely not my favorite sushi joint.
(2)
Shruti S.
I am not happy with the fact that they changed the menu. I was used to go to Basho for their Basho Ribs, Octopus Ceviche and few other things. We are definitely not coming back. :( It was used to be our favorite place to come atleast once a month sometimes twice a month.
(3)
David S.
So my girl friend got a groupon for this place only reason i went there and I am glad we did not have to pay there ridiculous prices. Firstly location is very inconvenient and you have to most likely pay to park. secondly very over crowed and loud(hate to sound like and old man) Sushi was crappy at best .. fishy and expensive. service was crappy .. I asked my waitress to validate my parking and she was to lazy too and told me to do it myself. Another server had walked by and picked it up off the table and said oh I'll do that for you. I only left her a 6 tip because of it. I will not return to this place only thing it has going for it is atmosphere..
(2)
Michelle T.
I really enjoyed Basho's food and service. great place to bring a date and a fun place for friends to meet and catch up at. This place isn't quite as small and cozy as many other Japanese places but not so loud you can't hear your dining companions. The pork buns were the best appetizers! Each bun had its own steamer and the pork inside was MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. The bun itself was soft and fluffy...absolutely delicious and so memorable. The skewers were hit or miss. The meat ones were quite a fail, and overpriced. The mushroom skewers however were absolutely AWESOME! Sushi was excellent. We ordered 2 different types of special maki rolls and both were presented beautifully and had unique ingredients. Even the soup noodles were tasty. I appreciate the broth as it was flavorful and not overly salted. NOT from an instant mix, which is a lot more than i can say for many Japanese restaurants in Boston. The seafood in our noodles were actually mostly fresh seafood. There was shrimp, scallops, and salmon, all in decent portions. Would definitely recommend this place if you live around the area!
(4)
Jessica L.
This place is so disappointing. I have given it several attempts, but it consistently lets us down. We started with a spicy tuna sampler.... that more accurately reflected mashed spicy tuna dollops on top of tater tots (well, tater tots of fried rice balls). We had to specially request regular soy sauce, because all that was provided to us was the low-sodium kind. Next was the Basho sampler platter. This place is confusing because, in theory, its rolls sound good, but they never seem to work; the flavors in the rolls never fuse together to create the delicious flavor combination you might expect. Instead, it tastes piecemeal; as if you just tossed seaweed/sashimi/rice/etc into your mouth. We got the tempura ice cream for dessert. The tempura was extremely soggy and inedible. Even the cherry on top was shriveled and gross. What's worse, in addition to a completely unsatisfying and overpriced meal, we always leave.... well, still hungry. This place is almost worse than having not eaten at all.
(2)
April C.
Wonderful meal before the Red Sox game. Atmosphere was zen-like and comfortable. Service was impeccable. We ordered a few combination rolls; The Green Monster, The Rainbow, and The Spider Roll. All choices were fresh and delicious.
(4)
Ariel Z.
Holy moly. Me like a lot. I went here on a Groupon and boy was I pleased. The atmosphere is awesome. And the sushi rolls are so innovative and equally delicious. I highly recommend the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll, Tropical Sunset Roll, and the Kimchee Fried Rice. I can't wait to go back and try the Spicy Lobster Miso Soup!
(5)
Mike G.
DODGY SASHIMI Chirashi Dinner - dull-colored/tasteless tuna, slimy salmon, mushy unagi, hamachi with lots of muscle tissue. obviously NOT prime seafood and certainly not fresh, despite manager's insistence. Black Cod Miso Yaki DInner - fatty tail part of cod with sugar-laced sauce. Tiger Roll and Spring Roll - edible but all you could taste was mayo. very slow post-game night, prime dinner hour. the robatayaki (grill) was unused. prolly not doing too well and cutting corners i.e. quality.
(1)
Tony N.
I struggle with my rating here. If I could give it 2.5 I would but I simply cannot give it a 3. In short, the food is excellent but the service is inexcusably and unapologetically slow. Appetizers: Pork Bun - Amazing. Comes in a two level steamer with a delicious pork bun on each level. Have had better in NY but not in Boston. A must order if you go. Shishito Peppers- On par with what they should be. Nothing special. Not very spicy. Edamame - Good. I recommend he spicy sauce as an accompaniment. Spicy Tuna - Those who had it love it. Too bad it came over an hour after all the other appetizers came....... Robata Grill Items - This is something that you don't see often. I would recommend ordering several items from this part of the menu. We had the pork belly (excellent), duck (excellent), and the Basho ribs (great sauce, super fatty). Sushi/Maki/Sashimi: The list of rolls is extensive. It is all great. The sashimi is especially good. Nice thick slices of fish, (a mirror image of Douzo). Substituions are discouraged but will be made. Service: Our server was incredibly pleasant and welcoming. She knew the entire menu and was able to make some fantastic suggestions. HOWEVER....food would just not leave the sushi bar. Appetizers came within 15-20 minutes, were hot, tasty, but missing one item, (the spicy tuna). We waited and waited and after a half hour had to ask where it was, (we assumed they missed the order). No, they did not miss the order, the sushi bar was just busy. Well....if that's the case I don;t expect to have to wait, wonder, and track down the information myself. Come tell me you didn't forget and it is coming in X minutes. ANOTHER 30 minutes pass and we tell them to forget the effort since our dinner is coming. Welllll not exactly. The appetizer was on its way but the sushi/maki/sashimi was going to be another ten minutes! In all it took over an hour, after getting out appetizers to get our sushi dinner items. We were not given any sort of apology or even an update. I have read the other reviews in this restaurant and it appears these folks just don't get it. If you have a big place with lots of people in the seats, staff appropriately! I hate to bash Basho but while the food was great there are just too many Japanese/sushi joints in this town to put up with that lack of service.
(2)
Ben R.
Nice and big on the inside, in a fine area of the city. The food is over priced though. It's not top-notch sushi or anything, so I don't know why the specialty rolls are about $15 each. I had the rainbow roll and it was delicious, but definitely not worth the price in terms of portion. I also had the fried calamari for an appetizer -- that on the other hand was not good. The spices on the batter were overpowering. You didn't taste the calamari at all. What you did taste was a very strong onion powder that was literally like those Frito-Lay Funyun bagged onion rings. It was honestly the worst fried calamari I've ever had. Also, it wasn't a big deal, but it was kind of loud inside. The more people that came in, the louder each table began to speak just so they could hear each other -- I didn't like that. Maybe lunch would be nice at this place since the pricing and atmosphere is different, but for dinner? I definitely would not recommend it. For the price, you might as well go somewhere nice in the North or South end of the city.
(2)
Michael C.
Went here this past weekend for their soft opening. The first thing you will notice when you walk in is that this place is massive. It looks like it seats over 200 people and has some space for private dining. Now on to the food! We started with the Foie Gras Teriyaki which I have to say was one fo the best cooked foie gras I have ever had. Next we ordered 5 rolls. The best being the Basho Roll which is a gigantic spicy snow crab roll. My favorite was the Dragon Roll which was a sweet potato tempura roll wrapped with eel and avacado. Not only was the sushi great but the presentation was on par with some of the best sushi restaurants I have been too. I posted some pics. This place is a welcome addition to the Fenway restaurant scene and Boston sushi in general.
(5)
Danie R.
I'm rounding up... I think it's more like 3.5 stars. Great atmosphere, great service, great food! It is a beautiful, new restaurant. Very dark and romantic spot for my lady date. Lots of mood lighting, nice big space. Our server was new and training but he was really nice and knowledgable about food in general. He wasn't too sure about the cocktails but they were overpriced and mediocre anyway.. Although the house candied ginger is DELICIOUS. I liked the ramen and tempura! The tempura was perfectly cooked. It's kinda weird they did it by the piece. The ramen was slightly under seasoned but after adding the tempura sauce and some spicy stuff it was awesome. I'd go back, but not if I had to go out of my way.
(4)
Jessie E.
Ive gone here like 50+ times, the lunch specials are very good, the space is large and empty. Service is usually aloof and uninformed. The chirashi can be great quality and I quite like the torched hamachi roll.
(3)
Steve G.
We had a great time here and our server was so helpful. We're not the most experienced sushi eaters, so the menu could be intimidating, but we were guided along in our choices and the food was amazing. We had a few signature salmon and tuna rolls. The Crunchy Rolls were great. We had a table of four, so each order was divided into 8 pieces, 2 each. Great way to do it. After the Sushi we had a thick noodle and chicken dish. Love the noodles. We finished by splitting the Banana Tempura. We'll go back.
(5)
Eunice E.
Basho's a very sleek, modern restaurant, and its food is as beautiful as its setting! We came in and were seated by the window, which actually felt a bit drafty. Though when we told the staff, they immediately turned up the heat, which helped tremendously, and was impressively quick on their part. Our waiter, Ezra, was also quite quick and very helpful. We had a "small bites" tasting, and were able to sample the kobe beef rolls, asparagus tempura, and giant shrimp tempura. They were all quite tasty, and went well with my Asian Pear martini (it really did taste like an alcoholic, Grey Goose-laden Asian pear) and my partner's Sapporo. Then, we were able to try a bit of the lobster tempura roll, salmon and tuna sashimi, and really delicious smoked hamachi. All the food we had was really fresh and cooked to perfection. The prices here are on the higher end, so it's definitely more of a special occasion type of place, but I had a lot of fun here, and would love to come back and sample more delectable sushi bites.
(4)
Jennifer T.
This place is huge, probably not much of a wait whenever you go, there seems to be so much seating. The inside is a dim, trendy minimalistic style place, seemed fitting for a date night or evening out with friends, but saw families enjoying the food too. The menu is extensive, with items on the more pricey end. The udon was perfect, and when we asked them to bring out bowls so we can share, they actually divied it up into 3 separate bowls already for us, which was great! We got a couple of their robata, which are like little skewered meats. The kobe robata was delicious but wish it was bigger and the toro robata was also flavorful but be forewarned it really is a large percentage of pure fat. As for sushi, my favorite role was the "crunchy roll", the Alaskan was descent enough, and the sashimi platter was unique with each piece topped with a unique dip of sauce (e.g., passionfruit, kimchi, etc). The food itself was like a 3.5, but the overall experience was smooth sailing, so I give it a 4.
(4)
David C.
Basho continues in the tradition of Douzo, its sister restaurant, which itself carries in the tradition of my beloved Fugakyu, so by two degrees of separation, you know you're in good hands. Basho is decidedly less elegant than its contemporaries, but its sleek, modern styling is appropriate for its neighborhood and clientele. I've been here twice and enjoyed myself on both occasions. The first time was for dinner. Anticipating the midnight premiere of the last Harry Potter film, my friends and I decided to go all out and partake in a maki extravaganza. The rolls are a little pricey, sure, but they're packed to the brim and totally worth it. Of all the rolls we tried (only one, the spicy seafood maki, was a dud) the one that sticks out best in my memory is the Green Monster. Softshell crab laced with spicy mayo, wrapped in escolar and topped with cilantro pesto? Good lord. Don't mind if I do... Lunch is a great deal, though I wish the specials came with soup and salad as they do elsewhere. Overall, I'd definitely recommend Basho for a fun and trendy night out. It seems they have happy hour specials now as well. This could be dangerous.
(4)
Jen A.
I'm here at the restaurant, been sat for over 15 minutes and nobody has offered me a drink or asked to take my order It's early evening so it's not packed, there are servers milling around but may be there's a cloaking device on my table
(1)
J L.
We went for dinner, interesting decor, A/C was broken-very hot, small tables, uncomfortable barstool chairs, no padding no back support, we waited over an hour to get served after we ordered, were never asked if we wanted more drinks. The sushi rolls were fresh and tasty, but the unacceptable wait-time and poor service would discourage us from going again.
(2)
Irina N.
Girlfriend took me out for a belated birthday dinner here and it was a success. Although, pricey, the food was great and the service was up to par. Maybe the establishment got the message from all the reviews or maybe it was just a good day for us! We came in around 6:30pm on a Wednesday and it was empty. We got to pick a better table (for 4 instead of 2 edge sitting we were originally offered). Apps included edamame salted and tuna tartar. Can't spoil edamame but tuna tartar didn't taste that adventurous to me. Rolls chosen: yuzu yellow-tail roll we tried for something new to try (yuzu was the type of lemony/citrucy sauce), which is the only one that was so-so; tiger roll, which has salmon roe on the top, which was the most favorite; spicy scallop roll, not my favorite because of the scallions but my girlfriend liked it a lot; rainbow roll, which is everywhere the same and never disappoints! We tried lichyee tini and sparkling pear. Both highly recommended but if i had to order over again i would do more sparkling pear for it refreshing and still sweet taste with a little tangle! I know I didn't pay but i was still very satisfied with quality of food; attentive service; good drinks; it was convenient location and we left full and happy :)
(5)
Michael R.
So much for "bad service". Before embarking on another Groupon-fueled trek to a new food-based adventure, I peeped some of the Yelp reviews before stopping by, and definitely noticed a trend of quips in regards to subpar service. Absolutely not the case with my experience -- our waitress was attentive and helpful in describing some of the trickier menu items, and had some great suggestions. But what the vast majority of Yelpers got right is the quality of the food. Most definitely fresh fish, expertly arranged. Case in point, the current profile picture for Basho. Our plate wasn't quite as artistically arranged, but it was quite close. Basho's also got a pretty extensive menu -- pages of rolls for the sushi fanatics, a few meat-based, Japanese-inspired plates, and an intriguing cocktail menu. And if you're wondering which roll to mow down on first, I'd go with the Green Monster, which is a snow crab tempura-style roll which should be a hit for the adventurous and hesitant seafood samplers in your group.
(4)
Bill C.
Wow, what a disappointment! We decided to treat ourselves with a little sushi take-out to celebrate the Obama win (and the Romney loss) and this was a very mediocre and (speaking of Romney) pricey dinner. The sushi dinner, had fresh fish, but instead of nice slabs draped over the rice, these were small and neatly trimmed. In addition, a "dinner" usually includes a maki and miso soup. No soup for us! In addition the California Roll had cucumber in it after we specifically asked for no cucumber in any of our makis. The spicy tuna was acceptable, but bland, but not tasteless like the spicy salmon. The spider maki was stuffed into a takeout platter so that it was just a big lump with no distinction even between slices. We did like the rainbow maki which salvaged this from being a complete waste of money. There are many decent places to take-out sushi in Boston with food at least as good and $20 cheaper than Basho, a place that clearer thinks it's better than it is.
(2)
Ryan A.
MY FAVORITE SUSHI PLACE! Great food, great environment! The staff is excellent. Highly recommend!
(5)
Denise D.
A co worker and I decided to have lunch here today and it was pretty good. The menu did not state how many rolls you get so I was surprised when they came out and there were 4 rolls on my plate...FOUR...seriously!! However they were pretty big...but try stuffing something that big in your mouth that you have to chew, and its very rare that you see people bite sushi. So once we ate our FOUR rolls I order 4 more of the same (crazy roll) and she tried the sweet potato roll which was six this time around. She really enjoyed the sweet potato roll. I tried one but thought it was too greasy. My crazy rolls weren't as good the second time around but I'm gonna chuck that up to me being full. I also got a sparkling pear cocktail...Not a fan...it tasted like a Heineken and I'm not a beer drinker. I may go back if I'm in the mood, the decor was very nice.
(3)
M C.
Yuck. I ordered the 6 piece nigiri. Rice was poor, fish was not fresh. The horrible taste in my mouth lasted for days. Avoid avoid avoid.
(1)
Lily S.
3.5 stars if i could. this place is ok. i've been cautious about trying it because of a lot of the negative reviews, but then there was a groupon, so why not. I went here for dinner on a saturday night. the original reservation was for 7...up until my friend was an hour and a half late due to issues on the red line. fuck the MBTA. First good thing about this place--instead of giving me the pitty "aww you're being stood up eyes," the bartender made a stroooong ass leychee martini...there was at least 2 times more goose in there than there should have been. thanks bro! anyhoo. finally when my friend got there, the hostesses were very nice and accommodating in getting us a table. Our server (Molly B.) was great and very attentive. She also didnt make a big stink about having to scan a groupon--which is generally not the reaction i get from people--so that was nice. We tried a whole bunch of different appetizers and rolls and I have to say Fugakyu is by far better in terms of quality of fish. We got something that was like a variation on a regular rainbow roll and i had to pick the raw fish off the top because it was just not good. They had a volcano roll as well but sadly it pales in comparison to what you get at Fugakyu. Also their bar chairs, as well as the ones at the individual tables in the bar-ish area dont have backs that you can lean in to...which is weird. Overall it was a decent experience, but i will definitely be going to Fugakyu for my sushi instead. sorry Basho.
(3)
Lori J.
I have been to most Sushi restaurants in the area. Basho is consistently good. The service is always friendly and efficient. Lots of seating and hardly ever a wait. Must try the Celtics Maki or The Green Monster Roll. The cocktails never disappoint. People have written that this place is expensive, you get what you pay for when it comes to quality sushi!! Give Basho a try!!
(4)
Bex M.
Douzo's sister restaurant, need I say more? Many reviews describe Basho as cafeteria-esque. I liked it. The minimal decor, the intimate lighting, the organic feeling - I felt very comfortable there. The hostess and waitstaff were all very nice, had great powers to know exactly when we needed them and were unobtrusive to let us enjoy our dinner. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of your selections..mine's below. steamed bun sandwich. This was absolutely exquisite. I am a huge fan of pork buns and this was so good, so good, so good. (There was a Red Sox game that night.) The appetizer came with two, thank goodness, because I didn't plan on sharing after my first bite. It was made with kurobuta pork and pickled cucumber. The bun was soft and had a nice chewy texture to it. (It's the peking duck bun sandwich, but with pork.) The pork was so tender and juicy and super oily, which is characteristic of kurobuta. hamachi kama. The broiled yellow tail collar was picked at to the bone, it was that satisfying. It was very delicate and was cooked perfectly. I know Basho is an izakaya but we couldn't help ourselves. robata grill: kobe beef, chicken breast, japanese eggplant. Basho is the only place that does robata grill. It's an ancient way of cooking food over an open fire. The food is only enhanced with minimal ingredients, to let us enjoy its natural flavors. My favorite was the japanese eggplant over the kobe beef and chicken breast. cherrystone ginger soup simmered with fresh ginger I love soup and I really like ginger. I was rather underwhelmed by my soup. I tasted no hint of ginger at all! It was basically cherrystone broth. The clams were good though, but I was disappointed. Crunchy Roll fried onion, cucumber, spicy crumb wrapped with tuna, tobiko, salmon, salmon roe, touch of mango sauce It's not tempura; it's fried onion! nomnom. The medley of seafood, the nice crunchiness, the mango sauce, came together pretty well (although the mango sauce tasted slightly bitter to me, but no one else thought so!). This is one of their most popular rolls. Tiger Roll eel, cucumber wrapped with smoked salmon, torched squid and salmon roe (I secretly prefer this over the crunchy roll) As with all their food, this was well presented. The torched squid added a new texture to the standard sushi roll.
(4)
Priscilla T.
3 for the overall food, but 4 for the fact that you can always get a big group reservation here without much hassle. Overall, it's a fun/trendy space that's good for a big group dinner. Tip: go for the izakaya and grilled items and skip the sushi rolls (sashimi selection ain't bad though).
(3)
Jess Y.
my friend lives around the corner from here and and she and i i got takeout around 6pm. we shared the crispy shrimp appetizer, which was not that greasy and generally delicious. she had the yuzu yellowtail roll and i the rainbow roll, and we were both very satisfied with our respective choices. fish was fresh and maki was well-made by all accounts. great ambiance, too - upon entering i was struck by how spacious and elegant the place was. the bar looks well-stocked and ready to meet all your libation needs. i'd love to come back here for a dine-in experience.
(4)
Kelly O.
Basho isn't a bad choice for a sit-down lunch in the area, if you have the money and time and are craving some 'healthy'/Japanese food. The interior is a bit too trendy and cavernous for me (they also have a patio), and it was pretty empty when my party of 4 came in. Their menu was extensive and pretty interesting, but as a budget-conscious person I stuck with the lunch specials, of which there were a good amount for a decent price. I chose the salmon terriyaki lunch which came with a nicely cooked piece of glazed fish in a tasty terriyaki sauce atop brown rice with scallions and other goodies, with some lightly dressed greens on the side. I thought it was a good portion of food that left me just shy of full, all pretty flavorful and just about worth it for the $8.95 I paid. I also tried a $10 martini which, while pricey, was really delicious with muddled strawberries and flavored rum. My dining companions got udon and sushi and had no major complaints (no major raves either though). Sushi was definitely on the pricey side though, even compared to other 'high end' places like Fugakyu. The major downside of our lunch, which is accurately echoed throughout the Yelp reviews, was the service... our waiter didn't stop by our table nearly enough (my water disappeared fast), and we had to wait a long time for our entrees which didn't even come out uniformly (why it took twice as long for my dining companion's sushi plate to come out as it did my cooked salmon, I have no idea). The place was pretty empty too, so I'm not sure why the lag time. If I want some serious amazing sushi and/or want to have a fun night out and a great dinner, you can bet I'm heading to Fugakyu over Basho, or any other Japanese place for that matter. But if I'm looking for a sit-down 'healthyish' lunch in the area, Basho will do in a pinch.
(3)
Jo C.
I had a Sunday dinner with my parents and we had a pleasant time! The waiter is very friendly and helpful and provided very good service! We order 2 cocktails, 2 shrimp tempura and 2 sashimi dinners to share. We have been here for a few times already and find the sashimi dinner hast he best value and their quality is the best!! But I won't go for their soup noodle dishes as last time I tried the noodles was not hot enough.
(4)
Tony S.
LA sushi in a giant dentist office. The place is massive, and I love that it has multiple areas for private parties/groups. We came in at 8pm on Thursday, and it looked about 1/2 full. With its high ceilings and huge layout, it felt a bit sterile and cold, like a dentist's office. But the hidden DJ booth above the entrance churned out hip Sade-like beats, and the service was excellent, so I quickly got over the apprehension that normally grips my heels whenever I'm going in for a filling. The sushi was LA-isk, which means that I felt right at home. A very solid 4-stars. Can't complain. Very tasty signature rolls including dragon roll, crispy rolls, and this one rainbow-ish roll (can't remember the name) that had a mix of fish, and was topped with some kind of sweet mango sauce. Excellent. If you're into foie gras, you must try the foie gras sushi.... succulent morsels mixed with multiple flavors, like you're having a love affair with a Hawaiian Tropic model on the beaches of Bali, with Mai Tai in one hand, and juicy ribs in another. The grilled (or was it BBQ?) chicken meatballs were a very pleasant surprise, and i quickly devoured it as I topped off my second Sake-tini. Highly recommend this place, especially if you have large groups.
(4)
John L.
~Massive sushi spot by Fenway that with an extremely modern and trendy design... but bigger isn't always better~ Check out my full review with helpful photos here: asupr.us/ap_basho Let me start off by saying that the location of Basho is a double edged sword. It's absolutely awesome that they are located just a few streets from Fenway Park, but it's absolutely abysmal that they are located just a few streets from Fenway Park. Huh? Yes, if you're lucky to find a spot there or willing to pay the ridiculous prices to park in a lot there, Basho is great to grab a couple of rolls and head to the game for a great game or get your sushi fix after perhaps a 16 inning game since Basho stays open quite late. After you do manage finding a way here, the first thing you'll notice is how massive this place is. One of the few times I've been there, a huge private party took up half the restaurant. But aside from that time, the restaurant doesn't seem to be ever fully packed. Wouldn't exactly be one of my top choices for a date spot as the noise is distracting, but also there is a lack of intimacy as tables seem to be placed relatively close to one another. If I was hard on Basho for the size and noise of the place, I make up for it in the praise for the modern and trendy design. The place has a cool ambience flowing throughout the massive restaurant. Huge selection of rolls. There are a lot of upscale twists on traditional rolls and some real unique ones as well. I will say, their unique rolls are really hit or miss. Some are right on the spot and show off the shear genius in creating these rolls, while others left me wondering what they could have possibly be thinking. Some of the rolls I have tried: Green Monster Roll - Softshell Crab, Spicy Mayo, wrapped with Escolar and seasoned with Cilantro Pesto Kind of required to try this because of the Red Sox fan of me, after this roll I might switch to a Yankees fan. Amaebi Mango Roll - Mango, Cucumber, Grilled Pineapple, wrapped with Sweet Shrimp and a touch of Mango Sauce At times like this, I wish I wasn't so adventurous with trying unique and different rolls... Don't think shrimp was the right choice for this roll. Crunchy Roll - Fried Onion, Cucumber, Spicy Crumb wrapped with Tuna, Tobiko, Salmon, Salmon Roe and a touch of Mango Sauce Incredible crunch and flavor. Awesome flavors together and the perfect contrast in textures.
(4)
Julie G.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. I'm all about trying new places so I typically don't like going to a place I've already been but I've come back to this place several times. I hate to say it but I always get the same thing...the chicken katsu dinner (one of my fave dishes) and the sweet potato tempura (simply delicious). I've also tried a banana sushi dessert type thing. I don't remember the name of it since it's not listed on the dinner menu but that was pretty good as well. In terms of decor, it's very modern but intimate. My only complaint was that the first time I went here, the waiters just kind of stood in a line across the back of the restaurant watching everyone eat until they noticed someone needed more water or something. Kind of creepy. I felt like I was in a fish bowl but the food was so good I had to come back and this hasn't happened since.
(5)
Joseph W.
I was going to give it 3 stars, but I increased it by one for the nice decor and great service. the food is just so so for the price. The robata items was the main draw for me, but I found the food average and under portioned considering the price. I was particularly disappointed with the hamachi kama, which was smoked instead of grilled and filleted into the tiniest and thinnest pieces that was more passable as sushi than hamachi kama. The sashimi platter, on the other hand, was generously portioned for the price and the quality of the fish varied with each type but was generally average or greater. The salmon was particularly good. Pair this with one of their good sake choices and you've got a great meal for a reasonable price.
(4)
Amy B.
My Groupon to Basho was about to expire, so we finally made the short trek to Fenway for sushi. The food, on the whole, was excellent. The spicy tuna roll was hands-down our favorite. It really showcased the fresh flavor of the tuna. Incidentally, I love Douzo's spicy tuna roll as well, but they are different from each other, so take note that the sushi rolls are not necessarily identical across the two restaurants. We also had the salmon roll (good, not particularly memorable), the crunchy roll (interesting and fresh, I think I could live without the sweet mango sauce), and the yellowtail roll (2nd favorite of the night). We started with two bowls of adequate miso soup. Service was standoffish and slow--we waited a long time for water and beers, although the pace picked up when it was time to pay. No problems using the Groupon. I wasn't a huge fan of the atmosphere at Basho. It felt industrial, almost like they stopped working on the restaurant halfway through construction. Tony S. has a point when he compares Basho to a giant dentist office. The room was also a little too open and noisy for my taste. I would definitely come back to Basho, but Douzo is closer to home and has a better atmosphere, so I don't see it happening often.
(3)
Kaitlin C.
Yummy sushi! Had some little tuna bombs or whatever they were called (spicy tuna on crispy rice) and it was fantastic. My friend had some tuna tartar that I was not impressed with, but he enjoyed all the same. Nigiri was tasty, and sushi was really beautiful and yummy when it came to the table. Also had some sauteed Udon and it was great. Ordered too much (as usual) and finished it off the next day. I will definitely be back here!!
(4)
Nadine F.
Came back here with friends, this time with a Groupon. I know people say this place is too pricey but I actually don't think it's bad given how good the food we've had has been. We had...shrimp tempura--yummy, crispy, good sized, I love the dipping sauce; Kobe beef robata--tender and delicious, probably wouldn't get it again just because it's kind of pricey for the size, but that's expected with Kobe and it was worth trying the robata style cooking method; salmon and spicy seafood maki rolls--both were good but we both liked the flavor of the salmon roll more; Rainbow roll--so delicious! I traded a piece of it with a friend for a volcano roll, and was kind of disappointed because it wasn't as good as mine! If you're going to try a combo roll, definitely get the rainbow, it was really excellent with lots of seafood and great flavor. You get what you pay for here, and with a Groupon you get a lot more than you paid for. We'll probably be back with or without one!
(5)
Jenn S.
I finally went to Basho Japanese Brasserie and used my BuyWithMe coupon a few days before it expired. I went with my coworker and her sister immediately after work, so we got there right @ 5pm. The place was pretty empty and we got a nice booth, but one where we're all sitting side-by-side, instead of 2 benches facing each other. Anyway. The first thing you notice is the awesome, modern, trendy decor. The second thing you notice is that this place is huge! We sat down and the server gave us the "happy hour" menu. Basically - 1/2 price apps and drinks (I think). Since we had the coupon, we couldn't do any of these. Although, we did end up getting 1 and our nice server put it on a different bill so we could still get the 1/2 price! Score! We ended up splitting a bunch of things and got a LOT of food, so let's see if I can remember it all! My dining companions started with the Sashimi Naruto (tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and asparagus rolled in cucumber). There were 5 huge pieces. I don't eat sushi or seafood, so I didn't partake, but they both enjoyed it. Next we went for 2 of Basho's special Robata Grill skewers: Pork belly rolled on grape tomatoes and Grilled Chicken thighs. DELISH. These were both succulent and tasty. We also shared an order of Gyoza (pan-fried or steamed pork ravioli - I think we had pan-fried) and Steamed Bun Sandwiches (with Kurobuta pork and pickled cucumber). There were 3 of us, but only 5 gyozas and 2 sandwiches. I think the restaurant should bring either 1 or 2 per person, but hey - what do I know?? I got 1 of the specials - a Kobe Beef sushi... It's not online, so I can't tell you exactly what it was, but I THINK it was Kobe Beef (rare) wrapped around more Kobe? With some pickled onions in the middle? I dunno. What I do know is that it was ok (I've now had Kobe twice and both times it was rare/raw. Not the best) and EXPENSIVE. It was 1(!!!) piece for $8. I thought it was going to be an entire roll. Ridic. My friends split 1 more sushi, but I don't know which one. They liked it, but didn't finish the entire thing. Oh, we also ordered some Kim Chee (spelling??) rice, which was a decent-size portion, spicy and tasty. Yum. Overall, the food is good, but not the best I've had. My main issue is that, for the most part, the portions are small and the prices are high... It's not ridiculous, but apparently lunch is MUCH more reasonable. I would rate this between 3.5-4 stars, but went up to 4 because our server was so nice and helpful.
(4)
Meliza Anne M.
As far as sushi restaurants go, I could take this place or leave it. It's good, good quality, interesting combinations, and a great ambiance, but it's also pretty pricey and for that price, I would want to be "WOW'ed" I just wasn't. There are plenty of other sushi places around here that are not as expensive and just as good, if not better.
(3)
Amanda L.
I sat outside at Basho a few months ago with 5 friends. The sushi was decent, drinks were very good, but service was REALLY meh. I think our waitress was new, but she left us alone for SO long, our food came out at all different times, we had to go inside to find someone to refresh our drinks... I would go back, probably, the atmosphere is nice and the location is great, but slow and frustrating service really put a damper on the evening.
(2)
Ladyjane S.
Came for sushi the other night and where should I begin...oh dear, looks like it's all been said. The fish is not the best tasting, freshest fish I've had. It wasn't actually very good at all. The presentation was nice, but that's about all I can say about it. I had the Green Monster and Rainbow Roll along with some tuna sashimi. The ambiance is a drag. We sat at the bar (I'm bar people) and I wouldn't recommend sitting there ever. There's really nothing to look at other than a big blank white wall (???). In fact the whole place is blank. No identity whatsover. It's weird. Worse than that though, are the long plastic thingies hanging over the sushi bar from the ceiling. I looked up and all I could see were filthy dust covered plastic wands hanging right over my head. Clearly never been cleaned/dusted. Gross. Don't sit at bar. The waitress was nice, but disappeared for 10-15 minutes at a time when we needed her. Seemed to be happening to lots of other people as well. With the Groupon we had we paid about $25 or so including tip, which isn't bad. But I'd never come here without one. Actually I don't think I'd come back with one again either. The prices do not reflect the quality of the food here AT ALL. The only thing I may order from here again for take-out is the pork bun sandwich. Holy yum, that thing's awesome.
(2)
Sue H.
There are a lot of reasons as to why I'm not a fan of Basho, and it's a shame, because I really wanted to like this place, but with so many other options that are just a short drive or train ride away, I can't help but ask myself why I would ever waste my money here again. Let me break it down for you: 1) The ambiance here is absolutely terrible. It's cold and almost office-like, although they try really hard to make it trendy and hip with all the fancy strobe lights. Honestly, it just doesn't work. Everything here feels so overdone and too minimalist at the same time (what a conundrum!) Who wants to dine with concrete walls surrounding you anyway? 2) I ordered a sushi item off of their specials menu that was about roughly $20, and when I got it, all it was was six pieces of california maki wrapped with sashimi. Umm... This is not what I ordered! This is a rainbow maki -- I even kindly asked the waitress prior to ordering to describe the special, and she made it sound like it was nigiri sushi (which is what I clearly said I wanted). While she was really nice, it didn't seem like she knew the menu very well... Or maybe she really wanted to up sell me. 3) I personally think Basho is a little too pricey for the quality of food they serve. I was pretty much unimpressed with just about everything I ordered. I'm just saying, there are so many other great places you could go that would offer you better food, atmosphere, and value. Hey, if you have no other options, go ahead and try Basho. They're open pretty late, so that's a plus. I'd just be careful about what you order, and perhaps to stick to the basics.
(2)
Clara L.
3 stars for food, 1 star for service... The food was decent, but some menu items are overpriced in my opinion. We got the tuna tartare, pretty good with the fried rice cakes, but the portion is small for $21. The seaweed salad is excellent, but also overpriced at $5. The salmon skin roll is quite good, as is their spicy tuna roll. The winner of the night is the duck ramen. It comes in a large bowl filled with ramen and perfectly cooked duck, with assorted mushrooms, veggies, and a delicious broth. At $12.50, it's a steal. Now about the service...we got started and ordered some tea. It came out with a tea film, and when asked, they confirmed they used a tea leaf and tea powder blend. The waiter explained they had to brew so much tea that it sped up the process. Not a good excuse. I patiently am willing to wait for my tea to brew, and don't appreciate tea gunk on the side of my tea cup and a pile of it when I get to the bottom of the cup. Furthermore, they didn't leave the pot at the table, and we had to wait quite a bit to get these small cups refilled, and sometimes the tea was only lukewarm. Our waiter actually left halfway through our dinner (we were eating at 8 pm) and didn't fire our meal past our seaweed salad. We sat around waiting for 25 minutes before our new waiter figured out what the problem was with our order and then sent it to the kitchen. He did apologize at the end, which was nice, but this shouldn't happen. Don't start serving a table if you are 10 minutes from leaving. The decor and ambiance was more like a club than a "brasserie". There was a house beat going, and the lighting would flash every once a while. A tip: don't sit under the TVs, especially if there is a game playing, you will get a bunch of people standing in front of your table, including the waiters/barstaff that makes it seem like you're being stared at. Awkward. All in all, not a great experience, although the ramen did save them from a 1 star review.
(2)
lily l.
The sushi here is very good and extremely creative. The sauces were delicious and presentation along with ambiance was very very nice. I must say the only that ruined my experience was that our waitress was could not explain our rolls which is a tad bit important. Although I felt like we ordered blindly everything was still delicious. Would definitely come back and spend more time on the menu.
(4)
Caroline R.
The lunch deal is great and there's a lot of food but the customer service is absolutely horrid. I don't think I have ever gone there without being angry as I left because they were so rude/hostile. As a long-time customer, I have resorted to only getting takeout since the service is so bad..I have NO idea how they have let this go on for so long!! Unreal.
(2)
H N.
I have been going to Douzo (Basho's older sister restaurant in Back Bay) for many many years. I love that place so had to try Basho. Basho is very hip and cozy at the same time. I've been a few times now and it has never failed. The food is so pretty that you almost don't want to eat it! It is pricey, but like I said before- it never fails to satify. Amazing wine list and drinks list. The best part- they validate parking on Red Sox game days! Since I cannot seem to remember what we ordered- it is time to go back!
(4)
Michael D.
I came here with a groupon ($40 for $20) and i guess the first thing that i noticed was how freakin HUGE this place is. it's way too big to be just a restaurant.. it has more of a loungy-clubby feel. Everything is super modern, super trendy.. but it's to the point where it almost feels as if theyre trying TOO hard to be cool ya know? anyway, let's get on to what youre REALLY here for.. the food review! I came here at 10:30pm so they didn't have any bento boxes or anything for sale :(. So me and my brother split the following: kurobata ramen ( yelp.com/biz_photos/x1RY… ): The bowl of ramen was actually a lot bigger than I had anticipated.. i thought it'd be TINY cause this place is has three $$$ on yelp. But one bowl probably woulda been enough to fill me up! I'm from LA, so I have high standards when it comes to ramen. the noodles were cooked perfectly, but unfortunately, the broth was pretty bland. Not the fatty broth I had hoped for to complement the kurobata... The presentation was nice, and they gave a pretty thick piece of kurobata, but overall the dish was lacking. tiger roll and lobster roll ( yelp.com/biz_photos/x1RY… ): The rolls here are very.. unique. I've never been to a place that had ANY rolls similar to the ones here. These two weren't nothing to rave about.. but they definitely were different.. Like I said, i feel like basho is TRYING too hard to be cool and coming up with odd rolls at the cost of taste.. but that's just my two cents.. Overall, come here for the ambiance and the presentation of food.. flavorwise.. there are plenty of better places to nomnom.
(3)
Lala I.
food quality is below average and disappointing. will not return
(2)
Holly Marie C.
I sat at the bar. The bartender didn't smile once the entire time, nor did he say thank you or offer any kind of pleasant service. It was obvious he didn't like his job and would rather be sitting on his couch eating potato chips. As a general rule when visiting sushi bars, I like to try a few dishes on the menu so I ordered the seaweed salad (this is the only redeeming quality of the restaurant that brings my review from a 1 to a 2 star; I would go back just to get 3 orders of this and eat all of it). I also ordered the bento box which came with a roll (I got the only vegetarian roll), and a side (I got the only vegetarian side), a salad and a miso soup. Normally miso soups are made with fish stock so I asked the bartender if this was the case for BASHO. Indeed it was and I asked for a double order of salad instead, stating I am a vegetarian. He gave it to me without question. Before he left to put the order in, I asked if they had agadashi tofu on the menu as I would like to share an order with my friend. Indeed they did. "Okay, great. We'll have an order of that, too." The agadashi tofu comes out, and lo and behold there's fish flakes on it. Having ordered A COMPLETE VEGETARIAN MEAL and making a point to steer clear of all fish products you would think the bartender would have enough SERVER INTUITION to hold the fish flakes. Needless to say I didn't have any of the tofu because he never came back to check up on us. When the bento box arrived it was sub-par. The roll was meh and the tempura tasted like it was battered the day before. Seriously, the only thing about this restaurant that was any kind of good was the seaweed salad.
(2)
Dinna Y.
Sushi is an easy thing to be picky about as it should! Coming from Chicago where great sushi is everywhere, I was very picky when I came to Boston... and Basho meets all the standards! Not only food wise but as far as a trendy modern well decorated restaurant and service, they have it all! The people are WONDERFUL there and soo accomodating! They worked with us for a large party of about 30 for our shared birthday. They had a special menu with our names on it and setup a pre fixe meal. It was great!!! We celebrated our mini-dance team reunion there as well. They set aside the back booth area which was a perfect semi-private area for us. The people are great, introduce yourself and they'll remember you every time! Things to try... pork belly with asparagus - amazing flavor and melts in your mouth. Spicy Tuna over crispy rice, great texture! Caterpillar and crunchy rolls. Happy Hour and Late Night menu....um who wouldn't do amazing sushi for half the price!
(5)
Vi N.
Every sushi place that i go to, they have a special item on their menu that i absolutely love. Here at Basho, you have to try their steamed bun sandwich with pork and pickled cucumber. It's actually a must! It literally just melts in your mouth and the sweetness and tang of the pickle pairs so well with it! Delicious! Besides the steamed bun sandwich i was ake to sample their tasting menu. Everything that they had brought out was very good. I don't think i disliked anything at all. Basho was not a disappointment !
(4)
Colin W.
I'll start off by saying I was really impressed by the food. The spicy lobster miso soup, the tempura fried shrimp and sweet potatoes, and the red spider roll were all expertly prepared, and they tasted amazing. Especially the tempura. I had a small bottle of unfiltered sake with my dinner, and that was good, but someone else at our table ordered a lychee martini, and *that* was out-of-this-world amazing. It even inspired my wife to make lychee sorbet at home a few days later. If I were reviewing Basho on its food, alone, then it would get four stars. There's no excuse for having crab stick ("krab", "seafood extender", whatever) on your menu... otherwise, it'd probably even be five stars. However, I had some problems with the ambiance and the service. First, it was waaaay too hot in the restaurant. They had their big outside doors open on an 80+ degree night, and even though they also had the air conditioning running inside (waste of electricity, anyone?), I doubt the restaurant dipped below about 78 degrees while we were there. The other thing that bothered me was their egregious attention to food allergens. I mentioned I'm allergic to a few things when the waitress asked (which was good), but then when my key lime tart showed up for dessert, it had *none* of the berries and sauces it should have had, despite me telling the waitress that I wasn't allergic to any of them. So she brought me a pitiful little plate of tiny sliced strawberries to go with my tart to make up for it. The tart ended up being really tasty, but the presentation was pretty terrible. To sum it all up: great food, poor surroundings, decent service. A note on parking: if the Sox are playing, the parking lots in the area will cost triple or quadruple their normal prices. Basho has valet parking... use it!
(3)
Helen L.
I got a groupon for Basho Japanese and so we went for a Sunday lunch. They had a bento box that was $15 for some rice, salad, tempura, some sort of fried roll, chicken teriyaki, few pieces of sashimi and two sushi rolls pieces. It was a lot of food but my only complaint was that there were really only two pieces of sushi in the bento box. And it was a good roll too! I also got the udon noodles which wasn't as tasty as I'd hope for $10. The atmosphere was really nice, very modern-sleek feel, nice for a date or a night out. But I thought the bento box wasn't as tasty as it could have been for that price- they should include more actual sushi. I'm not sure I'd go again and spend the money unless there was some sort of discount involved.
(3)
Doris O.
Just popped in for Sunday lunch with my 2 kids. But i can see comng back to have a drink before a sox game. This was our first visit. Seafood Yaki udon was served in incredible sauce that was perfectly balanced with jumbo shrimps and sea scallops. Sooo good! My daughter, the tempura connoseiur gave the shrimp tempura an "AAA+++" rating. They were light as air, super crispy and shrimps were super fresh. I had the Basho lunch set which is a huge portion -this was a great sampling dish! It included the freshest salmon sushi and tilefish. So we will definitely be back to try more selections from the robata grill. A must try is the grilled pepper, grilled asparagus.
(5)
Monika W.
Everything is perfect except the food. Ambiance, service, etc. very good, but the food was bland. I am vegetarian, and the veggie tempura had very little veggie tempura, no tempura sauce, a scoop of white rice, and steamed broccoli. My boyfriend got chicken something which he says was inedible due to the blandness. We went at lunch on a weekday and it was empty. Very sad for such a nice place otherwise.
(1)
Lindy L.
I really enjoyed our Valentine's Day date @ this lovely japanese restaurant. My husband had made a reservation for V-Day after we tried to get in on New Years and it was closed for a Private Party. We arrived about 6:05 for a 6:15 reservation and were seated immediately. The server came over and I ordered a Pomegranate Saketini immediately. I'm a sucker for a Saketini and this one did not disappoint. We were baffled by the number of choices on the menu! We have some eating restrictions (read: we keep kosher for the most part) so shellfish and any type of meat is off the table. We can eat Salmon, Tuna and Yellowtail but not Shrimp, Eel, Crab or beef/chicken out, unless it's at a kosher restaurant. For us, the menu was laid out perfectly, separating the tuna, yellowtail, and salmon from the stuff we couldn't eat. We had a crunchy roll (the perfect balance of crunchy and smooth fish), a cucumber handroll w/spicy yellowtail in it (instead of normal seaweed, the handroll is wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber - delish!), and assorted other vegetarian maki (asparagus, sweet potato, shitake mushroom tempura - YUM!). It was expensive, but worth it. Basho will be on our list for special occasion places to eat for a celebration, out of town guest, anniversary, birthday, etc. :)
(4)
Jon V.
OK, Basho. I work right by Basho, so on days like today when there's two feet of snow on the ground and it's 20 degrees out, I find it a convenient place to duck in for lunch. That might sound indulgent, as this place isn't cheap. Or is it? I can get out of lunch at Basho with a $12 bill. I wouldn't pay $12 for lunch everyday. I mean, that might cut into my moderately priced red wine fund. God, this paragraph is starting out douchy-sounding. But it's true. These are things that concern me right after the global effect of pre-exposure prophylaxis on HIV transmission, the plot of Fringe, and whether my dog can see ghosts. Basho is affordable because they give me a 10% discount based on where I work, they have good lunch specials, and I know how to order-- think tempura udon with no sides and no booze. Add to this value the fact that I bring lunch most days, and it really isn't a financial liability at all. The food is fantastic. The waiters are sweet. The price is oddly right. I totally recommend it. A couple things to make note of: there is a weird white cardboard room in the back. Not sure what it's for. The floor is probably 30,000 square feet in the high rent Fenway neighborhood and there are usually only 5-10 other people in there at lunch. Also, they play trance music. None of these observations are complimentary or derogatory. They are just observations. Although nothing will top my beloved JP Seafood for affordable Japanese food, Basho is right on.
(4)
Melody K.
I'm Asian... I've been eating sushi before it became a fad. This place impresses me. Sure, it's a little pricier than other's... but you get what you pay for. The sashimi comes in nice and thick. It's clearly fresh. The decor is pretty and it's catered to a more upscale crowd. The service? Fantastic. I've been here 3 times: 1 - Once when it first opened (2 days after the grand opening) - the server was still learning the specials and fumbled on the words and what was in the sashimi platter but she made the effort and got back to us when she was unsure of anything. The sashimi platter was fantastic. Very fresh. 2 - The second time for cocktails and a few sushi rolls with friends. Again, great service and the server gave fantastic suggestions. I had a 10% off dining cert since I got it from my building management for living in the area, and still no change in service. I recommend the sake sangria. 3 - The third time for dinner with a groupon. The server was not only happy to serve, but also made conversation with us when she noticed our groupon and our driver's license indicating proximity to the restaurant (I ALWAYS get carded... it's the Asian thing...) The black cod was cooked to perfection - silky smooth in texture and melts in your mouth. The Chirashi was just as fresh as the sashimi from my first visit. Both great dishes I'd recommend for sure! The proportions aren't going to be huge... it's a sushi restaurant. But... look at it on the bright side - if you're still hungry, you can sample other fine dishes they have!
(4)
Frank W.
Bottom line: Creative, trendy, tasty, unreasonably expensive. Went here with a couple friends for dinner one night. Each of us had a cocktail ($10 ea) which were delicious but gone way too soon. The spicy edamame was AWESOME! I've never had it that way and edamame will never be the same for me. My sushi, while it read very interesting, but not quite so interesting tasting. Which I was ok with, there were no surprises, but it was too much $$ for not many surprises. The presentation, however, was top notch. Sushi was very fresh though (you can always tell when it isn't..) Our server did ok, nothing special but I didn't want to curse her either. So that's always a good thing. Had a livingsocial deal which made me cry slightly less. But only slightly. Probably will stick to other places for my sushi adventures. Even Haru is less expensive than this and that's saying something.
(3)
Julie R.
I've been wanting to eat at this new sushi place since I heard of its opening. I got a CoupMe deal in my email and jumped to try it out. Walking in, the vibe was sleek. It looked like a restaurant you would find in a W hotel. There is a large bar on the left then a huge dining area on the right. Behind that is a large sushi station with many chefs. On a Friday night it seemed slow, then as we left around 9pm, it was packed. Our server Kelsey was a doll. She went over the specials with us very thoroughly, mentioning which ones were top sellers. One of the rolls, a fusion of fish maki, caught our ear and we tried it. We also got a lot of a la carte sushi and some shrimp and asparagus tempura. The fusion roll was beautifully presented. The concept was a different slice of fish and sauce on each slice of a Cali Roll. Kind of like a rainbow roll but prettier. I was surprised to see that roll was $18 on the bill. I found it a few dollars overpriced compared to comparable rolls on the menu The a la carte sushi was perfectly presented on a clean white tray. Everything we had was fresh. The tempura shrimp and veggies were also just right. They offer the nigiri in single cuts vs 2 pieces per order. Use that to your advantage and be adventurous. For dessert we got the chocolate molten cake and creme brulee. No complaints on both. Basho does a great job on all the presentations, from a few pieces of sushi, to a dessert. The owner was making her way around and stopped in to chat. We got to talking of the sister restaurant Douzo. I have to say I like Basho better for the atmosphere and and experience. I will definitely keep it in the rotation.
(4)
Joy Y.
Basho, Basho, Basho... such high hopes I had for you! Good location, trendy decor, and sushi! I mean everyone loves sushi! (and obviously by everyone, I mean me.) With that kind of combo, you really can't go wrong....except as you know you very well can. I have a feeling this is going to be a long review so you all might want to brace yourselves.... It all started when we entered the restaurant and walked up to desk directly in front of us, which in case you were wondering, is not where you go to check in for your reservation. Instead, it is the take out counter....I think...it was very confusing, which is also how the girl at the desk presented when we said we had reservations at 8. When she finally understood, she brought us over to the reservation desk at which point four other people who worked there also joined us to assist in the process. I didn't think it was going to be that complicated to tell someone that we had arrived for our reservation, but in fact it was. This is a little synopsis of how the next 7-10 mins worked: The hostess asks us if we want a table in the dining room or the bar. We tell her we have a reservation, sooo.... obviously the dining room. She tells us that our reservation is ready. Two seconds later someone else tells us that in fact our reservation is not ready. Another person tells us to take a seat and wait on the bench. So we sit down on the bench. Yet another person comes up to us with menus (yay! we're going to our table!) Nope. He suggests we go to the bar. Okay, drinks are good. We sit down at the bar. The bartender approaches. She gives us a drink menu. We get comfy. Someone comes over and asks to take our coats. We struggle to get our coats out from under us. We get comfy again. The bartender asks us if we know what we want. At the very same time, the hostess comes over and says our table is ready. We choose the table. The hostess then passes us on to another guy. He walks us over to the other side of the screen where the elusive dining room is. Finally! There are at least three open tables and no one else waiting on the benches or at the bar. Weird... We have a seat and he tells us our server will be right over. Awesome! We are hungry! 2 mins goes by, 6 mins goes by, 10 mins goes by. At some point, I stop someone (a manager I think? I don't know. It seemed like there were about fifty "managers" and no servers...) and ask if we can have some water and put in our drink orders. She is very nice and seems embarrassed. Okay, we get it, you're working out the kinks still-- it's a newish restaurant, that happens (um... except that it's not that new, but whatever.) Another 5 mins (which by the way, seems like forever when you've already been waiting for at least 20 mins with either too much or too little service) goes by and someone comes over with our waters and my saketini, which apparently is supposed to have some sort of other fruity substance in it, but in fact just tastes like sake. The tables next to us get seated. They get drinks. Then they get food. I am really starting to get annoyed now. I mean are we freaking lepers or what??? I mean we go to dinner for an experience! We are spending a crap load of money! Why the F have we not even put in our orders yet?!? UGH.... but my friend and I are having fun catching up with each other and I just don't know that it's worth it to make a huge fuss (and for all you haters out there. I know, it's our own damn fault that we didn't say anything, but I guess that's what Yelp is for, right??) Anyway, eventually we put our orders in, and eventually we get our food. And all I have to say is, for both their sake and ours... the sushi was amazing. Like a.maz.ing . Yes, we were very hungry at that point so I'm guessing pretty much anything would have tasted good, but this was legitimately delicious and creative and so very, very melt in your mouth yummy. We got this tasting and generous platter that came with sake pairings and damn, I'm not kidding when I say it blew me away. Seriously, it's amazing how happy good food and drinks can make me. Actually it's almost a little disturbing, but as I was scraping every delicious morsel of sushi goodness off my plate I damn near forgot about all of the crappy service we had had up to that point. So thankfully we ended on a high note. So all in all... (out of five) Service= 1 (once we actually got a server, she nice but often MIA) Ambiance= 2.5 (weird layout/ bathroom mirrors, very cool, trendy vibe) Food=5 Basho's got lots of things going for it, but man unless they figure out their service issues...let's just say there's a fine line between greatness* and insanity**. *Greatness=sushi. **Insanity=what will happen to me if I have to sit through another service experience like that. Seriously, it sucked.
(2)
Vina A.
Still think about the chu toro we had here. Good sashimi and sushi choices beyond the normal every day Japanese just expensive for the good bits you do get.
(4)
Megan S.
I had an excellent time when I stopped by for a mid-afternoon sushi snack. Two mind-baffling things though: Why was the air conditioning blasting AND all the windows open from floor to ceiling? Why is it called Brasserie? It was the name that caught my eye and made me want to check it out. Brasserie means brewery in french - how intriguing! - I thought, imagining french-japanese beer fermenting in large tanks. But you will find nothing of the sort here. It also means a small Fench restaurant, but this place was decidedly not French.
(4)
Sarah A.
I don't care how good your food is. If the service sucks, I'm not going to enjoy the experience. The food here is your average American-ized Japanese food. It's over-priced and just meeeh. I got the Miso black cod which was good but not worth $10. I asked the waitress what was in the seafood roll and she explains there's "Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail..." hmm...sounds good so I order it. First of all, this waitress got both of my friends' orders wrong. Not only that but when we told her she gave us all kinds of attitude. My roll comes and it is fake crab meat mixed with tobiko and spicy mayo..Where the eff is my salmon, tuna and yellowtail??! Biyatch lied about what was in the roll cuz she had NO IDEA. That is totally unacceptable. First of all, KNOW the menu items and if you don't, GO ASK THE CHEFS!! Don't just make up some bullshit answer. Psht. My friends were still eating and she tried to hurry us up by giving us the check and being like "okay are you guys all set??" umm no. we're still eating. I give it 2 stars because the atmosphere is pretty nice. They need to train their waitstaff better.
(2)
Steven E.
It took us an hour and ten minuets to eat lunch here. The bulk of that time was spent waiting for our food (over 30 min for three lunch bento boxes). I was also confused as to why my miso soup came out after all the bento boxes (it would have been nice to enjoy some soup during the long wait for my food). All the food came out at different times even though we all ordered +/- the same thing. The service here is really quite bad. Our server didn't bring any soy sauce to us and as we were leaving another table (who also was not brought any) asked to have ours. I'm just not a fan.
(2)
Kim P.
Sexy sushi. That's all I can say. Fresh sushi, didn't love the fresh tofu, but loved everything else I had. Service was not so hot, though. Our server was cold and unhelpful. Boo. However, the fact that the atmosphere is quite amazing, aided by some trippy club-y music, is enough to bring me back and not want to shoot myself for hoping to find parking in the Fenway. I think they have their own garage, if I'm not mistaken.
(4)
Mabel L.
When my friends tried the robata grill beef, they said that sex was occurring in their mouths, and they all were in full agreement. However, it had taken a $40 Groupon and my birthday to drag them in. The sushi and rolls here is fine, high-grade but not a shout-worthy object. The robata grill is fantastic, however. Their entrees are not as wonderful as the sushi and robata grill, so I recommend filling yourself up with those two menu items instead. And, as some other reviewers said, this place is way too much buck for the mellow 'bang'.
(3)
Giovanna D.
Love all the special rolls! And they are on living social and groupon fairly often. The renovation is looking great as well ! Go basho!
(4)
Thuy L.
Good sushi: Check Good service: Check Knowledgable wait staff: Check Check Check. The food was great and being a sister to Douzo, we had to check this place out. The drinks are great. The Bling Bling was heaven in a glass, how can you go wrong with Gin and gold specks in a martini glass rimmed with sugar? We tried a variety of dishes. Started off with the monkfish pate which was just okay, not really quite a pate. It was definitely missing something crunchy. I was hoping they would have brought out some kind of cracker or something but what comes out is just the monkfish pate in a bowl with a little vermicelli. The vermicelli is not the right addition to highlight the dish. Then we tried some things from the Robata grill: the pork belly, the shiitake mushrooms, and the scallops. All were delicious. We learned from our waiter that the Robata grills the food but does not leave the smoky taste and he was absolutely right. We tried 5 different combos of Sushi: Basho Roll, Dragon Roll, Volcano Roll, Torch Roll, and the sushi sampler from the specials menu. They were all fantastic. The dragon roll is made of sweet potato tempura which is pretty unique and delicious. I can't wait to go back!!!
(4)
Saba N.
I decided to try out Basho for two reasons: 1. I am a big fan of Douzo & I believe it's a sister restaurant.. and 2. I purchased the Rue La La special. what a treat! The service was fantastic, and the restaurant is pretty cool and modern, but casual at the same time. The tables were small, but there was a lot of them and it was PACKED. It's also really spacious which is nice as well. good sushi date spot without the pretentiousness of the south end (although, it's still $$). We ordered steamed shumai to start.. very small, but delicious. I suggest fried though. I think it might be more filling. Then, out came the rue la la dish. This involved 14 pieces of fish & three types of saki - all really delicious. I LOVED the torch salmon roll, and all of the sashimi was excellent. What a treat - and it was nice to branch out of my normal maki rolls! For dessert we ordered the lava cake to share and it was delicious. Great presentation, great flavors, and enough for 2! Will definitely be coming back next time I'm in the Fenway area. Good food, good atmosphere, and good service! win.
(4)
Fiddos J.
A very good japanese restaurant. The sushi/sashimi is excellent - top quality fish, well curated, great flavors and beautifully presented. They have lot of innovative items (in terms of what's usually available in the US) - esp. the rolls. These really push the boundary of what can sushi be. However, it would be mistake to only eat the sushi/sashimi - because the other items are just as excellent. I esp. like their eggplant & (bunashimeji??) mushroom appetizer, the spicy tuna tartare, gyoza and the pork bun sandwich. The last one is really exceptional - perfectly marbled pork belly cooked just right and with a delicious miso / soy sauce. And the best part is that the price is not outrageous - compared to other japanese places in the same market segment.
(4)
Alexa M.
Delicious sushi! Great modern atmosphere and attentive staff. I have been there a couple of times but I recently went for "paint nite" with my friends and it was a blast. It is a tad on the pricey side but they always seem to have groupons or living social deals so keep an eye out for the hookup before you go. Overall- it's a great spot for sushi!
(4)
Hilary D.
Great sushi, large dining area, cool, modern bar/lounge...this is a great spot! I had dinner and drinks with a friend at Basho earlier this week. We started with a cocktail in the lounge area - she had some sort of berry martini thing, which was really good, but a little sweet for my taste. I had the cucumber martini, and I had the bartender make it with Hendricks gin instead of vodka - sure, I was *that* annoying person, but I prefer gin martinis. No problem, the bartender didn't mind the substitution and poured a perfectly balanced drink. Any drink with gin and cucumber is good by me, but the muddled herbs are a nice touch. When we were finished with our drinks, we sat down for dinner, and decision-making was not easy. The menu is pretty extensive. I'd love to try some of their non-sushi offerings, but we ordered all sushi. She had a crazy roll, a rainbow roll, and spicy yellowtail. I ordered salmon roe sashimi, uni sashimi (more on this later), salmon sushi, pickled mackerel sushi, a sweet potato tempura roll, and a shiitake mushroom tempura roll. Dude - the shiitake roll was amazing! Sweet potato tempura roll is one of my "must-have's" at sushi joints, and Basho did a great job. About the uni - I can't really say whether Basho's uni was any better than anyone else's, because this was my first time trying it (if you're unfamiliar with sushi, uni is sea urchin). If you haven't tried it, please do - I fully intended to order another portion, but I was so full that I ended up packing up my last few mushroom rolls. I would love to look at Basho's dessert menu, but I was so stuffed that I didn't even want to see it. I'll check it out online - I bet they make some fun desserts! My only complaint is that the dining room was too cold. I was pretty chilly in a skirt and short-sleeved shirt, so if you get cold easily, you might want to wear pants and bring a sweater. But this wasn't enough to knock a star off my rating; I'm always cold. If you decide to go, make sure you check out the screen projections on the back wall. The night I was there, it featured long, rod-shaped rectangles in a fluid motion, and we were giggling because it reminded us of looking at the paramecium under the microscope in high school science class. I'd love to come here on a weekend night - the food is great, but it seems like it would also be a great place to go for a trendy night out.
(5)
Cami F.
Basho is much like Douzo, although slightly cheaper and with a more simplistic appearance. The food is great- they have my favorite crunchy roll- and a wide variety of other selections too. When we went it was a bit cold and the music a little loud, but that wouldnt stop me from trying it again!
(3)
Leo E.
Found this place totally by chance - it made me get a Yelp account. This place is fantastic, I'll definitely be going back. First of all, the food was GREAT. Everything we tried was amazing. Even the tea was amazing! We bought 8 food items and 2 drinks, and everything was perfectly done...and free refills on that amazing tea. They have small appetizers for cheap so you can try lots of different things. Each tempura appetizer comes with two pieces, so it's perfect for a date. We got two tempura appetizers and one order of gyoza - which were, by the way, the perfect texture. We also got miso soup, and they give you a legitimate bowl there. For the entree, I got chicken teriyaki, and my boyfriend got vegetable yaki udon. My chicken was tender and juicy and the teriyaki sauce was great. Even the rice was awesome. My boyfriend's tofu was perfect, and we're both picky about it. We ended up sharing both. For dessert, we shared the banana tempura, which was awesome as well. The waitress (who was really, really nice, so bonus points) recommended it because "the warm banana and the cold ice cream is a good contrast" - I definitely agree! It has lots of different tastes and textures, I really recommend it...but on the other hand, I won't be getting it again for a while, since everything else on the dessert menu looks so good. If you want something simple, they have various kinds of ice cream I'm kind of itching to try as well. My boyfriend also got sake, of which they have a very good selection. He said he'd get a different kind next time probably, but that's just because he doesn't know a lot about individual kinds of sake. So, 3 appetizers, 2 soups, 2 drinks, 2 entrees and 1 dessert later (and we didn't break 100 with 20% tip)...we're definitely going back. Basho is set on my list of places I think about going now. I see no reason to give it less than a full score.
(5)
Tricia F.
I like the new decor and vibe at Basho; we sat at the bar and only had light meal, but with mixed results. Bartender seemed overwhelmed and unfamiliar with the menu. We tried robato-grill: chicken thigh, beef roll, and scallops. Scallops were delicious, but only got 2 on a stick. Chicken thigh was dry and overseasoned, beef roll was better. They've got an extensive menu, so something for everyone, and I've never been disappointed here before. Will definitely go again, but skip the robato.
(3)
Baking M.
Basho is the sister restaurant of Douzo on Boylston Street in Fenway. Next to Upper Crust, Basho features a spacious bar. The lighting and modern atmosphere is pleasing. Basho is not as loud as the clubby music from Douzo and they do take reservations. The menu has a lot of similar items as Douzo as well. Service is prompt and attentive. From the Robata Grill (On Skewer)), we had the Spicy Duck with mushroom for $6.25 and was tender and we would definitely order again. From the Fried section or Agemono, we tried the Fried Chicken Meat Balls with robata teriyaki sauce for $8.00. For maiki rolls, we tried spicy yellow tail, spicy tuna, shitake mushroom tempura, philadelphia all around 5.00- 7.00 each roll. Our favorite was the shitake mushroom tempura which was earthy and crunchy. They sushi was fresh, high quality, well made and delicious.
(4)
Nicholas S.
Basho promises a lot with its looks and its menu, but it really doesn't deliver. You might think you're paying for atmosphere, but really the atmosphere here is just not my scene, and, from the looks of it on what should have been a busy night, no one else's. The decor, lights, and music were all just a little off, like they are trying too hard and not quite getting it right. Our waiter prefaced everything by saying that he "had to bring everything out as it became ready, you know", as if it was something that we should already understand. I don't know how practically every Japanese place (and other restaurants) can bring out all of your entrees at the same time when Basho can't. We ordered the Lime and Salt Edamame. I get what they're trying to do, making things more "fusion", but to do that, you really have to know how NOT to overcook edamame. It was squishy and flavorless, and difficult to eat without getting shell. I can imagine some of the types of edamame being good, but I couldn't get over how overcooked it was to really enjoy it. The sushi we had was slightly fishy (c'mon, we're on the ocean) and the tofu "steak" plate was far more rice than tofu, and not much else. The mushi that two of us ordered, while actually pretty good, came in a mini soup tureen that was impossible to eat out of with the soup spoon they gave us. Our waiter said it was popular and almost always sold out, so you would think that they would know its impossible to eat in the way that it was served. While it was very tasty, I don't think a bowl of broth with a few bits of seafood was worth what we paid. The Robata Grill grape tomato skewer was good and all, but Robata is supposed to be a grill at which customers sit around and it basically tasted Italian instead of Japanese , and not worth $2.25 for four grape tomatoes. In general it seemed like the pricing was generally too high for the quality of food that we received. It was also pretty inconsistent. Some things were $2 while others were $16, and it just didn't make sense. In a few months I might head back to see if they've adjusted their prices, re-sourced their fish, figured out how to serve mushi, stopped cooking their edamame so long, and just generally got their act together, but, to be honest, I'm not hopeful.
(1)
Russ B.
The food is fairly well done. I am not blown away and have recently visited Japan. This place comes close on some levels, they have more of an offering. However the prices are way too high. The robata is a great idea, but in Japan we were getting 3 skewers for the price they are charging. So everything is overprices, but at least tastes good. The best deal is lunch, though high for lunch it is at least reasonable. The main complaint I have is with the restaurant owner and manager. Is it just me or do they give everyone dirty looks when they go in there? The staff on the other hand is great. I anticipate there will be high turnover though because of the rude nature of the management. I feel for a new offering they should keep their prices low, perhaps reduce the staff and do everything they can to make a good impression and bring customers back. I don't see them doing that successfully here. I wonder what will replace them by next year?
(2)
Gail F.
When I heard Fenway was getting a sushi restaurant by the owners of my favorite Back Bay sushi joint, Douzo, I couldn't wait to check it out. About a week after opening, I gave it a go - and it was likely my last. The decor and atmosphere are not what you would expect from a Fenway bar/restaurant. Inside you'll find chic decor with dark intimate lighting. My friend and I sat in the bar area and quickly ordered two cocktails - however, they didn't arrive nearly as quickly as we ordered them. Our food was good, but nothing to rave about. And the service was terrible. Slow, unfriendly, and boring. If you're looking for a swanky evening out, this place may be for you. If you're looking for a simple bite of sushi, look elsewhere.
(2)
Tyson F.
Basho is old reliable when it comes to sushi. Always happy with the quality, freshness and flavors of the food here. This was our 4th or 5th visit since it opened late in 2010, and it was typical sub-par service. The wait staff could certainly be more attentive. This was the 3rd time we've sat down and waited nearly 15 minutes before even hearing from our waiter. It begins to border on the point where you want to get up to remind your hostess that we're waiting to be taken care of. There is also a longer than usual wait for your food, once you do finally get to order. Our waiter explained that there was a big table holding up the process. Oh well. Poor service aside, the food is always great, and I'm sure we'll be back soo
(4)
Bethany T.
Went here about a week ago with the hubby. It was around 6 and the place was busy but not packed. Waited at least 10 minutes for water and a drink order although we were repeatedly passed by at least 3 servers. When someone finally came over they were attentive and took our orders for food and drink. Service slacked off quite a bit once a loud obnoxious party came in and were seated near us. Used a Groupon; the waiter deleted it before taking down the number (duh). Took almost 10 minutes to dredge up the number again while he said that it was probably an issue with our "system" (whatever that means). Took forever to get out of there. It shouldn't take 2 hours to get out of a place when you have two people and order everything at the same time. 2 stars for service definitely. However, the tempura appetizers and 3 hand rolls (rainbow, crunchy and spider) were amazing. Wish I could have given the place a better rating, but it is what it is.
(3)
Daniel P.
Hellz. Yes. First off, the hostess was SUPER FRIENDLY and talked to us throughout the meal. She's from California. Go say hi to her. My friend and I each got a drink - I, the Samurai and he the Blood Orange Martini - and both very much loved them. The monkfish pate appetizer was fanTAStic, as were the other two of which names have slipped my mind. One of them involved spinach and seaweed...need I say more? I had the salmon roe sushi, the toro sashimi, the squid sashimi, and the tiger roll. I really wish my life were like Groundhog Day so I could wake up every morning knowing I was going to eat that exact combination. My friend got the mushroom rolls and the scallop rolls, both of which he said were quite tasty. The atmosphere is pretty trendy and gay - as am I, so I can say that - and all of our servers were really friendly. They were all women and, in my experience, women love us gays. I'm sure they're always that friendly, you should go and find out and then let me know :-).
(5)
Alison C.
Basho just had their grand opening, like, yesterday, but I got my hiney over there two weeks ago to check it out. Ended up having a blast! The vibe in there was similar to the vibe in The Lansdowne Pub when I went there on their opening day: skittish waiters with bigger-than-big smiles and the smell of new paint on the walls. The outside definitely needed some work since there wasn't much signage, but I thought the inside was really cool. It's very big, lots of black and white and a laser show over the sushi bar (I know!) Our waitress was blonde and adorable and I think Russian, and I shall refer to her as Sletvana (not her real name, but she's my boo). So yeah, the sushi is pretty expensive, but it's worth it. We ended up ordering four different rolls and all of them tasted very fresh. One of them had some kind of jelly eggs as a garnish, and even that was tasty! Also I would highly suggest ordering the Malbec, and the strawberry cheesecake for dessert. The wine will get you drunk, and the cheesecake will only make your buzz that much better. I also really appreciated the fact that they let me and my date sit there for four hours without rushing us out. There was a pretty decent sized crowd and I think this new place will do well in Fenway. The only weird thing was that Sletvana kept coming over and changing our plates like it was going out of style. I would eat one edamame pod and I would put the empty shell on the plate, and BOOM. It would be gone and replaced with a brand new dish. Those dishwashers in the kitchen of Basho must hate their lives.
(4)
R F.
Came in with a group. Decided on happy hour roll specials. Some of the tools were great others were so so. Live and learn.
*Disclaimer* We had a Level-up coupon that got us a Chef's Sushi Boat...so we didn't get to pick and choose what we got. I liked the sushi we had (california, spicy shrimp tempura, eel...) but they were pretty simple and none were AMAZING that I'd be dying to try again. I would like to go back and just eat off the menu. The menu seemed great, and lots of delicious options. We sat outside, which due to no red sox game was really nice and relaxing. Our waitress was very nice, helpful... no service issues. I'd give it another shot, but still favor Fugakyu, etc....
(3)
Courteney M.
As a fanatic of their sister restaurant, Douzo, in Back Bay, the joke amongst my friends was that Douzo ran a spending report by zip code and decided they had to open a location in the Fenway to better monetize me. Basho is my new favorite spot for sushi in Boston - the same amazing rolls and food as Douzo, with better decor and more spacious seating (I love Douzo, but I sometimes feel like I'm sitting on top of my neighbors because the tables are so close together). Other plusses? A robata grill (AMAZING grilled veggies - the shitake mushrooms and grape tomatoes are my favorites), the ability to make a reservation for parties less than 5 (unlike Douzo, where you have to get there before 7pm to avoid a wait because they don't take reservations for parties of 2-4), and EASY, validated parking in the 1330 Boylston garage ($4 for 3 hours, even during Sox games - if you go and they tell you the garage is full, they'll let you in if you're eating at Basho). The whole process couldn't be easier, and you still get the same amazing food as you do at Douzo.
(5)
Elizabeth K.
It's super expensive for the portions you get. It's a bit deceiving though since a lot of items are priced by piece. So, you think "oh, $7 isn't bad" then, for example, you get two tiny piece of asparagus (like half of your pinky size) wrapped in two tiny pieces of pork belly. We ordered a special sushi sampler, 4 different types of skewers, and a spicy scallop roll (and feeling like we were being little piggies) the waitress responded with: "you're going to need more food than that." Yikes! (There were only two of us). So, we ended up adding on another roll that we honestly could have done without. The food was really tasty, but not soooooo tasty that the price was worth it combined with the service. In a near empty restaurant they sat us at a two top essentially attached to another two top, but separated by bamboo branches for privacy (which is a cute idea, but doesn't work, I heard way more from ladies conversation next to me than I did of my husband). I am also not really sure what they were going for while seating us seeing that all the other two-tops that were empty. It was pretty annoying. Furthermore, after seeing our new table-mates drinking tea, I was tempted to get one myself. Although the waitress seemed to refill their cups every five seconds and refill my husband's water glass just as frequently, she kept forgetting I had tea. Most of the dinner was spent with my mouth on fire from the spicy rolls and nothing to drink. It was very strange/unpleasant.
(3)
Katie D.
I haven't ever had anything I didn't like at Basho. As a longtime sushi fan, I've recently jumped on the modern-sushi wagon and this is definitely a favorite spot. The skewers are amazing - especially the Kobe, of course - and the seafood salad was also really flavorful & refreshing as an app. I virtually always order the scallop kiki roll, because it's so fresh and all the flavors just pop, but the spicy yellowtail or Phoenix rolls are also amazing. Service has always been really friendly, down-to-earth, and attentive with a sense of humor -- just what Boston needed in a sushi restaurant.
(4)
Sarah M.
Went back to Basho recently (again with a groupon) on a weeknight and took a seat at the bar. The food was great, and the service was attentive. Changing my mind to thinking this place is quite good, though the prices are a little high. Would go back again and sit at the bar.
(4)
Maleia S.
Basho is fantastic. They have an amazingly diverse selection available and their sushi is unmatched. While I'm used to the cheaper pricing of Symphony Sushi, I have to say, Basho is worth it. Even their sushi rice is better. Some of my favorite items are the Phoenix Roll, Steamed Bun Sandwich, Sushi Rice, and Plum Wine. Their plum wine is the best I've ever had! The restaurant is huge and very chic. While technically a casual dress code, you'll find that it's a little fancier than that. The bar is fully stocked and their bartenders and wait staff are incredibly polite and friendly - not to mention knowledgeable. One small issue: they refuse to deliver past the building next to theirs. I work at a store on the next block, and they refused to deliver to me, saying I should use a website that charged not only an added percent on the menu prices, but also a delivery charge. Luckily, I was able to finagle leaving for a few minutes and get take-out instead. But yeah, even after they refused delivery, I still chose Basho, because they're the best. Hands down.
(5)
Jayna D.
Decided to come here with my lunch buddy on a whim. We are always looking for a good sushi place close to work. This place was pretty good overall. We decided to sit at the bar and were greeted by a very friendly bartender who was extremely knowledgeable of the food. We ordered the Toro, which was ultra fresh and delicious, the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll and the Scallop Kiwi Roll, which ended up being my favorite. I will go back just for that! The only drawback was the service. They had our poor bartender also tend to all the tables around the bar and the outside tables. The two other waitresses in the bar didn't seem to know what to do to help her, therefore, everything got backed up and we ended up waiting for our check for 20 minutes. However, this would not stop me from going there again. I just hope management learns how to staff a little better.
(4)
Sarah D.
I had a wonderful time here this past week. I had bought two of the RueLaLa deals and was finally able to redeem them. A friend of mine and I went on Tuesday night. They weren't busy at all when we arrived. I had read the reviews before going and was curious to see what the service would be like. Ten minutes after we had been seated, no one had come to the table with water or menus, even though there were several servers standing close by, not doing anything. I felt that the reviews had been confirmed. However, our server eventually showed up and managed to turned things around. The meal was delicious- as the other reviews mention, they serve you a selection of rolls and starters, along with a flight of sakes. The food was incredible and I am ashamed to say that I wasn't able to try everything because I got too full. What really made the meal, however, was our discussions about sake with the server. At one point he mentioned Basho's most expensive (and tasty) offering, Hakkaisan. He raved about the flavor, saying that it was the best he had tasted. A short while later, he came out with two small glasses so that we could sample it, I assume guessing that we would never be able to afford it on our own. The ceilings are high and unfortunately, it doesn't have the cozy feel of its sister restaurant, Douzo. I think they could make changes with the decor to change the atmosphere, but they don't have to do anything to improve the food. Also, our server mentioned that they have monthly parties on the first Wednesday with a DJ. He said there's more information about it on facebook.
(4)
Frank S.
The place is beautiful and definitely marketed for the people looking for a trendy vibe. The people are very accomodating and the service is more than exceptional. I would recommend this place for a nice dinner out before heading out into town or even if you wanted to impress a date why not bring her or him here! The food is better than I expected but probably not the best sushi I've tried in Boston. I definitely have a few favorites... 1. The kobe beef on skewer (ahhh my love for kobe beef!) 2. The pork belly rolled on asparagus skewer (just melts in the mouth!) I also had the spciy tuna on crispy sushi rice which was just delightful but didn't scream out spectacular! And to wrap things up I had the Phoenix Roll which consists of crab stick with spicy mayo wrapped with seared salmon and tobiko, unagi sauce. The presentation was very nice but as I would expect a place like this to carry good sushi it did! The salmon tasted very fresh and the roll was delightful. It didn't scream out to me and say you have to come back here and try this very same dish but it did leave me with a lasting impression on the restaurant as a whole. I had their plum wine and I have to say that it was pretty sweet which I really enjoyed. Much sweeter than most places that serve plum wine. I had a great time with my friend and definitely see myself coming back here for some more sushi! The food: 4 stars The service: 3.5 stars The decor: 5 stars
(4)
Eve C.
This place was phenomenal. We went several months ago and I never got around to reviewing it, but I should have! We got a huge amount of food, drinks, the works. It was a bit expensive ($200 for 4 people) but we really got a ton of really really delicious food and we all had multiple drinks. If all you want is basic sushi, then yes, it is overpriced, but if you want to experiment with sushi a bit, come here!
(5)
Sarah D.
Sushi rolls are great here, but you're going to pay the price. We wanted to love this place since it's in our neighborhood but the service is so slow and the wait staff just seem to disappear for awhile. If i'm going to choose dine-in instead of take-out for sushi and pay the $$ for it, I better have attentive service. Without the group-on we'd be even more disappointed. I think we'll stick to take-out from here in the future.
(3)
Mark W.
Four of my sushi connoisseur friends went to Basho last night (Wednesday) around 9pm, no wait in fact hardly anyone was at the bar or sitting at a table. They really went all out on this place... very nice. I can understand some of the issues other yelpers had from the cafeteria feel of the place to the trans music and definitely an interesting crowd with everyone wearing Red Sox hats and shirts but hey it is across from Fenway Park. The sushi was unique and very flavorful. The service was fun and attentive. Basho is our next new sushi hang out.
(5)
Summer X.
The food is as good as Douzo, a little different in presentation. I like the Japanese style BBQ, a little pricey though. It is big, has couple place for private parties.
(5)
Lily L.
Ambiance: Basho is very nicely decorated. Minimal but sleek and modern. One side has the bar and the other side has the restaurant. It's definitely a great place to come with date or friends. Service: Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. Food: The food is good, but not amazing. And the downside is the portions are very, very small. We ordered the pork belly with asparagus skewer. There were 4 pieces of pork belly wrapped around asparagus. I don't think the pork belly was as crispy as I had hoped. We also ordered the miso black cod. It's a 4 oz piece of fish or about the size of your palm. The flavors were pretty good. The 3 rolls we ordered were: dragon roll, spider roll, and spicy tuna roll. My least favorite would be the spicy avalanche roll. The serving of crab on top of the roll was good, but I couldn't taste any tuna at all. I don't know if it got overwhelmed by the cheese, but I just couldn't detect any hint of tuna. The dragon roll came in 4 pieces. Since I like tempura anything and crab, the combination of the two was great to me. The flavor was simple--just really let the crab sing. Our favorite was the dragon roll, and this roll was the best roll by far. If I were to come back again, I'd re-order this. Overall, the dinner cost $70 for 2 of us. I thought it was expensive for the quality and quantity of food.
(3)
Khiem T.
I personally love Basho. I love the name too, very lovely. Here's the deal with people and expensive sushi, it's gourmet! You go to Basho for creativity, flavors, and interesting modern food preparation. This is not Americanized. If you want traditional sushi, you should go elsewhere, this place is very creative with their food. As for service, I enjoy the waiters here, they are very polite. We got the octopus and tuna tartar for appetizers, and crunchy roll and tiger roll to finish off. One word that stood out to me right away with the food. FLAVOR. all the ingredients were put together and it transcends the rawness of the fish. The flavor was exquisite. My only complaint was the 12$ drink that tasted like a normal mojito. haha.
(5)
Steve K.
This was our go-to sushi place when we lived in Fenway.. especially since we lived 1 block away. It's a great place to grab drinks or sit down for a meal. The best part is that you never have to wait for seat. The sushi is really high quality and some of the freshest fish I've had. Our typical meal would start off with oysters, agedashi tofu (fantastic), miso black cod (amazing!) and a couple of rolls (recommend the rainbow roll). The duck or pork ramen is really good too. However, the most amazing part of dinner is the salmon sashimi... 2 pieces of heaven that literally tastes like butter!
(4)
Jose E.
My first time at Basho for lunch,I was very impressed sushi is delicious!!!! and the service outstanding can't wait to comeback for dinner great job.
(5)
Francis W.
I first want to say that I was really excited when Basho opened. I love Japanese food and was looking forward to supporting a local, high quality restaurant. We have eaten at Basho 3 times since they have opened, so this review is not the result of just one bad experience. This is our experience today for lunch: 1) It took 2 hours for us to get in and out due to kitchen and service issues. There was only one other group of customers and at least 10 visible staff members. 2) It took at least 20 minutes for one of us to get our meal. 5 minutes later, the second person got their meal. Then It took at least 25 additional minutes for the other two to get their meals. By the time I ate my food, it was completely cold. 3) One of us requested brown rice, which they were out of. This is okay, except that we were charged 2 extra dollars for brown rice that we never received. We were not warned about the extra cost, nor was there a footnote on the lunch menu indicating the charge. When we politely told the manager about the mistake on the bill, she was somewhat defensive and unapologetic. We were also charged $1 extra for the Nabeyaki Udon for no reason (we did not notice this until we got home). Check your bills extra carefully if you eat here! 4) One of us ordered green tea. The tea in the teapot was cold, so she basically paid for refills of cold tea. 5) The management offered free dessert because of the bad service, which was a very nice gesture. We were full from our lunch, so two of us ordered dessert to-go after which we were told by our waitress that this was against their policy (even though they have a to-go section for their food). I asked if they could make an exception b/c of our bad experience. The manager said that this was an inflexible policy. When we inquired about the reason for the bizarre policy, she did not provide an explanation. 6) Two tempura dishes were brought out without tempura sauce. 7) It took at least 20 minutes for our change to arrive. If it were not for the unprofessional and slow service, I would give Basho 3 stars. Each time we have eaten at Basho, the staff to customer ratio has been at least 2:1, so the bad service is inexcusable. I love Douzo, but the owner should take a serious look at Basho. I understand that new restaurants have a lot of kinks to work out, but today was just one bad experience after another with little done to ameliorate the situation. We have given them 3 chances, and while not all visits have been as bad as today, food consistently comes out slowly and at staggered times when the place is practically empty. The management had the opportunity to make this up to us today but refused to be flexible with their dessert "policy" or offer any alternative, such as comping our meals. If they had done this, I would not have written this review. I am very disappointed, as I was looking forward to being a regular customer of Basho.
(1)
P C.
**LIVING SOCIAL WARNING** I've been here 2 times and both times I wasn't wow-ed for dinner and drinks. I've had the apps and sushi. I also had a living social that I purchased- I viewed it on my iphone and NEVER clicked redeemed- when I went to the restaurant to use my livingsocial they said it had already been used. They said there is no way they could "MAKE-UP" The voucher number and the manager actually blamed us and said theres no way it could've been them. Needless to say, I won't go back.
(2)
David V.
The consensus on this place is 3.5 stars, and that's probably an appropriate summation of this Japanese newcomer. Never thought I'd be eating good sushi on the block that housed Burger King and the New Alliance studios when I first moved to town. The atmosphere is modern and sleek, the server I had was very attentive and friendly and the menu was full of things I was dying to try. Their specialty is a selection of small skewers called Robata, but all I could think of in my head was "domo arigato mr. roboto". Tried a pork belly and asparagus one and a trumpet royal mushroom one. They were small but packed with flavor. The seafood kiyake is one of my favorite appetizers and Basho's is on par with any I've had around town - a mound of spicy seafood, tobiko and cheese baked into a large scallop shell. Ordered a couple of maki rolls - a decent spicy seafood one, a solid Alaskan with bonito flakes (Fugakyu does this too), and a fancy roll that had about 10 ingredients. It tasted great, but there were a lot of these fancy maki rolls on the menu and none of them really reached out at me. Had a couple of nigiri pieces - wild salmon and yuzu yellowtail belly. The pieces were rather small for the price, but the yellowtail was particularly melt-in-my-mouth. It would just be nice if they paid as much attention to quantity as they do to quality.
(4)
Tina D.
Basho is a relatively new sushi place near Fenway. It is decorated in a trendy and modern way. There are big TVs on the bar side and more than enough seating in the dining room. The service was fabulous! My waiter made some great selections and went out of his way to make sure I was happy. The garlic/ginger edamame has a pleasant zing to it and left me wanting more. I was a little disappointed in the tempura rolls... I thought they lacked flavor and were covered in too much spicy mayo. The volcano roll left me with the same feeling. The spicy tuna roll was a good mix of crunchy and tuna. I think it might have been the best thing I ate that night. I would not be opposed to going back, but I doubt I will go out of my way to do so.
(3)
Long V.
Amazing! I have been waiting for Basho to open and I was not disappointed in anyway. Just started with a light drink and hot starter (Tokyo Cosmo and grilled duck). I had to leave early, but am excited to taste much more of the food and styled. Major side note... The staff is polite and fun to interact with. Thanks Brian and Bill!
(5)
Shakira M.
Went to Basho last week with a group of friends and had a great experience. Its a very stylish place, very clean and contemporary. I love this place for its food and atmosphere. The one thing I wasn't too impressed with was the waitstaff. The place was not packed since it was a Wednesday night and it was snowing, but the waiter was pretty slow with taking our orders and seemed a little confused. Maybe he was new so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Other than the slow waiter, this is definitely a great place. Perfect for groups and dates.
(4)
Chris B.
I'm not really a fan. Execution is always a little bit off. Some of the words I'd use are: ~ "clinical" space which at full lighting would remind of a fancy cafeteria; the restaurant often feels kind of empty or non energetic... ~ few people seemed to be drinking, which is a big problem at an izakaya (friendly note for anyone not familiar with the term: it is defined in Wikipedia as "a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks.") ~ music was kind of muzak-y... didn't really recognize sort of generic jazz. Maybe would help to go for some good Japanese izakaya music? ~Ume chazuke came out after our meal was finished -- apparently it had to get remade; for me this is comfort food, which is why I ordered it... but it definitely was a bit off. Soup was starchier than I would expect, and there wasn't enough flavor... Just now I read in the "Boston Globe" that apparently in Basho's restaurant review, the critic also thought it was "terrible" -- whoops. I can see why they remade it this time though; they were probably terrified of the dish after it was panned so badly last time. They kindly apologized for the delay and sent out a amuse bouche though. ~ Sashimi quality was very good to start when they opened, but I feel like maybe it has gone slightly downhill over time? The quantity within the sashimi app is kinda generous though... could probably make smaller slices and everyone still be happy. ~ The inside "to-go" prepared foods section has been removed, which makes sense... Personally, I wish they'd close half the restaurant (get a smaller space), make the lighting a little brighter, have tons of sake and beer everywhere (Asahi, Sapporo, etc), Japanese-ify the restaurant with some good music, and simplify the menu down to one page of daily specials... a handful of freshly grilled robata, a handful of sushi/sashimi/rolls, etc. Tell me about the origin of the meat, the bincho coals, the sauces. Show pride in the quality of the food paired with the outstanding social scene of drinking with close friends. In other words, make it a drinking establishment with food -- not the other way around.
(3)
Becca P.
This place is AMAZING! It looks small from the outside but it's much bigger. It is very modern and chic. The staff is very nice. The food is expensive but delicious! The Basho flavored sashimi sampler was good but more $$ than I would have wanted to pay. The kobe beef skewers were cooked PERFECTLY. I can't remember the name of the rolls/makis we got but they were all GOOD so I really do not think you can go wrong here. 2 Thumbs up for Basho!
(5)
Robert G.
My "go to" sushi place in Boston. Rolls are creative and well executed. The selections from the robata grill are excellent and worth the trip alone. The avocado tempura is out of this world. I have always had great service and the decor/feel is great. It is in the Fenway area, so parking is ample (except during games/events).
(5)
Brian M.
I met up with some former co-workers there last week and was supremely impressed with the friendly and prompt service that went along w/the tasty food. The spicy edamame was an outstanding starter. One of the more interesting rolls was a special - a burrito of sorts - and was delectable. I urge them to make that roll a mainstay. You won't go wrong giving Basho a try. I'll certainly be back.
(5)
D K.
I live in the neighborhood. My neighbor and I had dinner here once a few months after they opened. Our food was fine. Somehow the food passing us to go to other tables looked/smelled more exciting, so it's possible we made poor ordering decisions? The restaurant has some strange seating options. We sat at a small table on a busy end of the restaurant with servers continuously whizzing past us. The restaurant wasn't very busy when we went, but they seated a couple at the table adjacent to us. The tables were very close together and the only thing between our two tables were some fake bamboo sticks. We found this configuration to be awkward. The reason why I won't go back: THEY SERVE FRAUDULENT FISH! Not only is it completely unacceptable for them to charge you for one fish, yet serve you one which is cheaper, it also completely disregards that some people have certain food allergies!!!!! (The study was done by the Boston Globe if you're curious to see the specifics)
(1)
K. N.
10 pm on a Sunday night, so just a few other tables (that seemed to be happy). My friend and I had a very nice and attentive server in Aida who was also sweet to be quick with the check when we mentioned we had to catch something at 11. She gave some enthusiastic recommendations and knew the menu well. The pork bun appetizer ($7.95)was delicious with juicy pork inside and the pickles were a surprising and nice part of the "sandwich". The black miso cod ($13.75) was super small in serving. The miso dots on the side of the dish added really good flavor, though it's just not something I would order again for the cost. The kobe beef robata ($6.95) - delicious. I think I would have liked it even a little more pink, but the flavor was good and it was 2 decent sized cubes of juicy meat. The chu-toro sushi (about $6 for 1 pc sushi) - fresh and clean taste and perfect. The yuzu yellowtail roll ($15.75) was nicely done and fresh. Though, it was smaller in size than I'd hoped. The yuzu adds some sweetness and there was enough flavor to the roll that my friend opted to skip the soy sauce dipping. TI liked that they had white pickled ginger on the side instead of pink - firm and full taste. Presentation on everything was nice. Tea was refilled attentively. Staff were nice from the hostess to person who seated us and servers. I like the matchstick lights dancing behind the sushi bar staff. Place feels very big, which I didn't like as much because there weren't too many people, but perhaps the size is fitting when it's a full house. Went for dinner with a livingsocial coupon. It was definitely tasty but the expensive prices would make it a hard sell for me to come back on my budget, which is too bad because I would like to try more rolls and kobe beef items. We're in that area sometimes, so we may still stop by again just for the pork bun sandwich and robata grill items.
(4)
Elle J.
Average. I've gone for lunch and dinner a couple of times. I would recommend the lunch. The lunch menu is very good and the price is right. However, I won't go for dinner again. The dinner is very pricey and while the quality is ok it's not amazing for what they charge. The service is good but the food comes out really quickly so that works if you are in a rush but not so much if you want to spend a leisurely evening relaxing.
(3)
Amy R.
The boyfriend and I went to Basho a couple of weeks ago for what we were hoping would be a quick bite to eat before we headed out for the night. Well, the experience was certainly not a short one. We asked for seating on the patio and our waiter was moving slower than a Special Olympic hurdler. Being a waiter at Basho may be his first waiting gig, so we laid off of him a little bit - seemed a bit jittery and nervous. Anyway, the reason why I didn't give this less stars is because I am HOPING this isn't the case with the waitstaff across the board. The food was tres delicious. We split the sweet potato tempura for an appetizer - if you're hankering for more than small bites for an app, I recommend getting a couple of orders. My boyfriend also got the grilled squash from the Robata grill and it had a really nice mustard sauce on top. He had the lobster tempura maki, which looked really good... but he had gobbled them up to quickly for me to sneak a bite! I had sake maki and spicy tuna and was very pleased. Also, there is an incredible White Pomegranate martini that I would recommend to anyone in the mood for a girly cocktail!
(4)
stephanie c.
I was really excited to check out this new sushi place. Unfortunately, it seemed to miss a lot of marks and I hope they continue to thrive in the next few years. Location-Fenway probably isn't the best location for their classier upscale restaurant given that most people in the area are either collegians or tourists. It's nice to have a finer restaurant in the sporty Fenway area, but the probably not the best business decision. It would have done much better in Back Bay, DT, Cambridge, or the South End Ambiance-surprisingly nice! I liked the spacious open bar. It's very simplistic, yet modern, zen-ish, clean, and comfortable. True it can give a sort of cold cafetaria vibe in the space and choice of furniture. They have a lot of land, so it's definitely not the cozy vibe, but I still thought the layout was well down and the ambiance is nice. Menu-great variety. Here's the big misser. The concept of the sushi, appetizers, sounded great but tasted overcompensated. We tried a variety of robata, sashimi, maki sushi, and appetizers-everything was fresh but it just seemed as thought they were trying too hard to make their entrees unique and ended up destroying the natural flavor and delicacy of the fish. The result is a puzzled, uncertain, experience in my mouth. Kobe beef in particular was dry and overcooked (how sad for the kobe) Overall-if the sushi was off hand incredible, they'd have a better shot at getting people to come out to Fenway to try it. Otherwise they're just banking right now on novelty and as soon as that dies out...business might be rough. Suggestions-simply the flavors and taste and focus on presenting something more amazing. Will I be back? Perhaps...undecided at this time whether the venture to Fenway is worth it...
(2)
Myha N.
Amazing restaurant. I went there for a birthday last night and loved the dishes I ordered! I read a bunch of the reviews before ordering and was very pleased! I got the kobe and pork belly w/ aparagus skewers, spicy tuna (appetizer), foie gras teriyaki and the fried chicken meatballs. For a drink I got the dragon berry drink the waitress recommended and it was great. I'm normally not a martini person but it tasted very good.
(5)
Hieu T.
My former team and I went to this local restaurant last night, and it was amazing! I love the decor of the restaurant. It reminds me of a hip, euro type of restaurant with Asian theme to it. It is was empty on a Tuesday's night so I can just imagine when it gets busy. It could be transform into a nightclub. My team and I had amazing service here! Our waiter was amazing and offered excellent choices for sushi. There were rolls made out of brown rice - so tendor, soft, and amazing! One of my team mates cannot decide which wine to get, so the restaurant manager stop by our table and offer a few glasses of wine to taste. Absolutely marvelous! I would like to give it a five stars, but it is quite expensive for dinner - which it is not surprising since Sushi joints are expensive. I want to go back there for LUNCH! Besides, I get 10% off for being an area hospital employees.
(4)
Elisabeth G.
Basho, I have to thank you for two reasons: 1) Your food is delicious 2) You have brought me to the important life realization that I do NOT enjoy listening to techno music while eating raw fish. I know the two really aren't related, but that's probably why it felt wrong at the time. All things considered, I really had a very good experience here. A few co-workers and I went here after a work function earlier this week. We got there around 6:30 and, although there were probably 5 other people in the place, it took them a good 10 minutes to seat us. However, once we we got a table, everything went much better. We started off with spicy ginger edemame. Why I have not seen spiced edemame anywhere else is beyond me because it was delicious. When our food arrived, there wasn't anything I didn't want to try. My friend and I got a bunch of maki and devoured it all. My maki partner in crime had to make active efforts not to hog the food from each other. Standout roll of the night award definitely went to the spicy avalanche roll with an honorable mention to the Crunchy roll. I have to admit, I was expecting to eat here, like it, but pay far too much. While the sushi is expectedly slightly more expensive than the average hole-in-the-wall, it's really not much worse on price and it has the goods to back it up. The only drawbacks were the aforementioned tumpa-thumpa music and the slightly over-eager service. You can only be asked how everything is so many times before you start feeling guilty that you're not eating faster.
(4)
Andrea E.
Best sushi I've ever had! I eat a Basho often because of two reasons 1) I'm addicted to sushi 2) I love Basho I've actually dared to try new things at Basho, which I hadn't done before at any other sushi restaurant because of fear. My favorite pieces are Spicy Tuna appetizer (with crispy rice...yum!) Any Bento lunch Caterpillar roll Tempura Banana Dessert Once you try Basho, you can't really go anywhere else!
(5)
Jenny C.
OMG this place is really cool and the food won't disappoint you. pro: - classy atmosphere...some good music...not too loud... - presentation of food...awesome - taste of food...awesome ( get the kobe beef skewers). - you want to order something really good and that fills u up? get the Pork Ramen soup! - Servers: pretty nice and attentive cons: - they charge you $ 1.50 for a side of sriracha hot sauce ( wait what !!!???) - I asked for a Tom Collins and instead of telling me "We don't know how to do it " they just brought me a bad "experiment" and it tasted pretty bad. So only get drinks on the menu. The lychee martini is pretty good. - a bit pricey I like it...give it a chance if you are around fenway and you're hungry. Ps: great date spot
(4)
Laura B.
I am very surprised to see the bad reviews of Basho on Yelp. I have been to Basho twice and had great experiences both times. The first time I went with my boyfriend and used a BuyWithMe certificate. We did not have any problems using it. My mushroom robata was fabulous and my boyfriend had pork robata and loved that too. Our sushi was delicious. Everything went so well that we decided not only to go back for my boyfriend's graduation dinner with his, rather large, family but also to buy 3 more BWM certificates for future use. They gave us a nice corner for a little privacy for our big group and were very accomodating to our various preferences, even to his six yr old brother's tastes. The spicy edamame is fabulous. I am also surprised that people like Duozo better. I live near Duozo but have only been once. The tables are MUCH closer together at Duozo than at Basho. The sushi is good at both places but the other Japanese small plates are much better at Basho in my opinion. I have had some flops at Duozo. I am happy to be moving to Fenway so I can eat Basho all the time!
Went here with my husband after I got a $25 for $50 deal from Where.com . Both of us enjoyed our food very much and would like to come back. The only thing keeping this from a 5 star, or a more enthusiastic 4 star, is the service. While our waiter was great, he was handling six other tables toward the end of lunch service by himself and seemed overwhelmed. The food also came out at an odd pace, so my husband and I were often left not eating while the other one was. I had the steamed pork bun sandwich and I thought it was great. The bun was light and fluffy and the pork was perfectly cooked and seasoned. It was so meltingly tender. After that, I tried the pork belly and asparagus skewer which was well prepared and the perfect size, probably about one stalk of asparagus cut into quarters and then wrapped in pork belly. Lastly I had the avalanche roll which was just okay; there was something about all the components that didn't just come together in the right way for me. My husband had the eel and cucumber roll and one of the lunch specials. The lunch special was ridiculously large - a pile of rice, some beautiful sashimi, onion rings, chicken teriyaki, some maki, a really cute segmented orange plus a salad. He enjoyed all of it. Parking out front was easy, but I imagine it'd be a nightmare when there's a game. The interior of the restaurant is very nice, but way too big. the cavernous aspect of it made it seem cold.
(4)
Kasey A.
I'm going to start off by saying the torched salmon salad here was immaculate and caused my eyes to grow twice as hungry from when I first sat down. Not so much a problem for my stomach, but a big one for my wallet considering this place is a tad bit overpriced, but well worth it in my opinion. I was very pleased with the level of service we received, probably the best I've had at a sushi restaurant. The decor was nice & trendy, decent music and they had a cool lighting system that gave it a lounge type of feel. Everything we ordered was scrumptious and I loved the creativity they put into decorating the dishes. We did not order drinks, so there's not much I can say about that, but I do know my girls and I will be back and I'm sure we won't be disappointed.
(4)
wing n.
i don't usually give 5 stars, but for basho, i will. i had 2 dinners at basho so far, and my experience was great! the chef seems to offer a very artistic modern japanese cuisine and i really love what they put onto the table for us. i just can't wait to go back again!!
(5)
Annie M.
Basho has the best food, seriously. It's high-quality, good asian food. It's a bit on the expensive side, but if you're in the mood to treat yourself, this is a great place for Japanese food. I'm not a sushi person myself, but my friends seem to really like the sushi here. The servers are really nice and professional. This place books up fast, though, so you should make a reservation the day before on weekends, just to be safe. This restaurant is very trendy and located right next to Fenway!
(4)
Nat P.
Basho puts the SEX in Japanese(x) dining! Super sexy atmosphere and silky smooth sushi. They will put Viagara out of business. Nat Dogg rates this as one of the Top Five places in Boston to seal the deal! Yum.
(5)
Boston D.
Amazing food. Don't expect typical Japanese or typical anything. Incredibly flavorful and creative sushi. Amazing grilled items on a stick, from Kobe beef, to duck, to chicken, to veggies. 3 kinds of Edamame: regular, pepper/garlic, and curry. Great apps. My favorite is the blackened cod, sort of Nobu style. Anyone who complains about the prices isn't being fair. The prices are reasonable for the way above average quality, and way below the most expensive Japanese places. Yes, they are more than your local sushi joint, but the food and culinary creativity is so much better. You do get what you pay for. Also good place to go is some people in your party don't like sushi because non-sushi menu is so extensive. Great deal with $4 parking on Sox game nights.
(5)
Sabrina T.
Don't bother. Over priced sushi that is mediocre at best. Bought a $40 buywithme, but manager would not accept the coupon via the buywithme iphone app. The terms and conditions never state "must present printed coupon". Manager suggested "the kinkos down the street is open until 9pm". Seriously?
(1)
Russell F.
Basho was a big disappointment. I know a lot about Japanese food, and a Japanese friend who had not been to the restaurant suggested that I check it out. He had heard about it, but never visited. I chose to sit at the sushi bar. Although I was there at about 7PM on a weekday, there were no more than about 4 people eating inside the restaurant and a handful outside in this cavernous space. I ordered three types of sushi: O-toro, Uni and Ama-ebi. The O-toro was not O-toro. It was a much lower grade of tuna, perhaps not even chu-toro. It may have come from the tuna belly, but that is not the key criterion. By passing it off as O-toro and charging O-toro prices, they are cheating their customers. The O-toro was not visible in the display case. The Uni was from Maine, not California. Tthey should be able to provide the higher quality California Uni which is much creamier and sweeter. If they want to sell uni from Maine in this 'high end' restaurant, the charge should probably be a little less, they should be more selective about the quality and the uni should be visible in the display case. The Ama-ebi had a nice flavor. One shrimp per piece, but larger size shrimps. It wasn't super fresh, but it was good. It was not served with the cooked heads, as is customary with this size shrimp. The rice that was used for the sushi was a bit too dry for my taste, but worse, in my opinion, was that there was too much of it in each piece. Sadly, in Boston, this is a common theme. It's as if the restaurants want to show the customers that they are getting more for their money, so they give you about twice the amount of rice that you would get in Japan or in an authentic Japanese restaurant in NY or L.A., and they often give you a larger piece of (therefore) lower quality fish. Personally, I would prefer a smaller (bite-sized, as is traditional) piece with higher quality fish or other ingredient (neta.) When the chef asked me if I was pleased with the sushi, I told him exactly what I stated above. He agreed when I said that the Uni was from Maine, but that was pretty much the last word I heard from him. He never offered to give me a better piece of O-toro, something that I would hope for, but perhaps he didn't have any. There was also no adjustment to the bill, at least not a reduction. The highlight of my meal was the Shishito Pepper appetizer. It was absolutely wonderful. I was just in Barcelona, where grilled Padron peppers are in season and wondrous, and the Shishitos brought back that fantastic memory. Basho's chef cooked them perfectly, still holding a little crunch and varying from mild to medium in the heat category. They were in a delicious, spicy sauce that reminded me of Nobu's Peruvian-inspired Anti-Cucho sauce. I had Miso soup, which was a good sized portion and perfectly fine. I ordered Monkfish pate, which was the usual monkfish liver roll sliced up with too little ponzu sauce. It had very little flavor and seemed a bit harder than it should have been, perhaps from prolonged storage. I was excited by the description of the Yellowtail Usuzukuri l, so I ordered that as well. It was described as yellowtail with yuzu sauce. Simple and perhaps exactly what I needed - NOT! The raw yellowtail slices were laid out on the plate with too much of a cloying, almost gelatinous thick 'sauce' on each and a slice of jalapeno pepper. It was a bad interpretation of Nobu's Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno. Note that the menu description did not even mention Jalapeno and, by the way, the yellowtail had little flavor. On to 'Robata.' I'm also a big fan of Yakitori or grilled chicken. Typically a Yakitori house in Japan prepares almost every part of the chicken on skewers. One of my favorite selections is grilled chicken skin. When properly prepared and crispy it can be sublime. It was on their 'Robata' menu, but the waiter, who was excellent and very attentive, by the way, told me that an hour before he had been told that they were taking it off the menu. Really????? So I asked him to ask the chef, who must still have had chicken and chicken skin, if he could make it for me. No. I then ordered 4 skewers - Chicken Thigh, Kobe Beef, Pork Belly with Mustard and Shrimp. The chicken thigh was skinless (so where was my chicken skin???) and dry - it had been marinated but perhaps for too long and the overall result was poor. Chicken thigh in a good restaurant is often a whole chicken thigh wrapped in its own skin and grilled to the point where the skin is crispy and the meat is tender. This was terrible by comparison. Bleh. The Kobe Beef, supposedly not Wagyu but actually from the Kobe Prefecture in Japan, was mostly tough and chewy and without a lot of flavor. If it was Kobe, it was a low grade. Bleh+ The Pork Belly was a bit burned and the meat portion was mostly dry and overcooked. The shrimp was not fresh. I've hit the space limit for this review.
(1)
Stephanie Y.
My friends and I love dining out, especially for Asian delights such as sushi. One of my friends lives right in the Fenway area and suggested Basho (which wasn't even officially open yet, so it was cool we got to see what it was like - almost a sneak preview). We went on a Saturday night and the place had the right amount of crowd. It wasn't too busy but reservations are highly recommended - I can see this place becoming a hot new night spot. The staff was super friendly and there was PLENTY of staff around if you ever needed some assistance. The decor of the place seemed very NYC - hip and modern. Our server was Richard and he was such a delight. He trained for two weeks straight trying to learn the menu and all the details on the dishes.. I couldn't help but quiz him a little bit. He seemed knowledgeable for the most part, but clearly still learning. Overall, he is an asset to Basho in my opinion (clearly, we made friends). More importantly, the food = yum. The dishes were more on the higher priced side of things, very similar to Douzo on Dartmouth. In fact the owner of Basho had started Douzo! I highly recommend trying their Basho flavored sushi. These sushi pieces are special and unique because the chef chooses special flavors to highlight/compliment the type of fish used. Very interesting concept. If you like sushi and are into trying new things, I would definitely recommend you give Basho a try.
(4)
Anya M.
So good! And a nice venue
(5)
Hyun Y.
I've had the lunch specials (sushi special, sashimi special), which were good. I do like their food, but I wish they had more selections. The shishimaki is ok, but I've had better. I tried their dessert a while ago, and it was good at the time (I don't know what they have right now...but I'm sure it's pretty good). I think I like this place more than I should partially because it's pretty much the only Japanese restaurant in the vicinity (Fenway). Overall, not the best, but pretty good.
(3)
C. C.
Still come here regularly for their sushi. Lately have been ordering delivery at least once a week and they are so fast! (I think delivery is offered only for apartments by the same owner). The food arrives fresh within 15-20minutes.
(4)
amy m.
I was so excited to come here, especially with my Groupon, so I made a reservation for 2. The decor was cool but I felt like there was no privacy because all of the tables were really close together. We ordered a couple of beers (pretty cheap), some gyoza, a sushi roll, and entrees. We waited about 45 minutes before we saw the gyoza which tasted pretty yummy, next came the entrees about half an hour after that. We were confused as to what happened to our sushi but we were told it would come out shortly. We finished out entrees, still no sushi. We were so frustrated because of the wait that we told the server not to bring it. There was no apology from the manager or anything which added to our frustration. I would not come here again. The dishes were overpriced and I have had better at other places.
(2)
David D.
Good...Staff needs work but I will try it again!
(3)
H S.
I'm one of those weirdos who really likes donating blood every 8 weeks. Fortunately, I also love red meat and seafood, two key producers of iron, which is important and necessary for donating. I'm consistently just making the cut-off for my hemoglobin levels, whether right on the money or just a smidge under. But not if I go to Basho the night before. The fish is so good and fresh you will want to keep eating way past the second you realize you're full. The sushi bar staff is so pleasant and cheerful, you will want to eat whatever they're making. Service is great and prices are reasonable, considering the quality of this delicious food. Sometimes I feel like I'm in "Club Basho" though so wish it was a more laid back place. Sake doesn't really help your iron count but it can't hurt, right?
(4)
Peter M.
I had terrible service here. I ordered take out, and this really ditzy girl managed to: (1) overcharge me (2) get my order wrong (3) have it ready an hour early (I ordered early and said "i'll be there at 7:30" i got there at 7:25 and she told me she was just calling me because it had been ~45 mintues and was wondering where i was) so everything was cold by the time i got there, let alone got home) food was overpriced for the quality (it was OK, definately had better at Genki Ya, etc.) The restaurant itself seemed nice but as I didn't eat there and spent most of my time inside being pissed off I won't pass judgement. Hope that if you go you have a better experience than I had -
(2)
john e.
Absolute rubbish and stale sashimi, which is the whole point of going here. I mean for fresh sashimi. The salmon was rubbery and flavorless and no wonder after we went here I hear they are trying to survive by going with coupons from Groupon. A lot of the restaurants that you see on Groupon are complete failures and should shut down.
(1)
Adrian W.
This place is was a huge letdown. I came to this place for lunch with hopes of finding a great japanese restaurant around town, but I have to say, this is not it. This place is pretty nice and well decorated, but that is all that is good about it. I ordered a Spider Roll, Rainbow Roll, Vegetable Tempura Bento Box with a Spicy Tuna Roll, and Shiitaki Mushroom Yakitori. The Spider roll was not too bad, but just the fact that it took several bites to eat one piece was annoying. The Rainbow roll was not bad either, but it didn't seem to hold together too well. The Tempura was disappointing. Not only was it not crisp and was soggy, THE TEMPURA SAUCE WASN'T EVEN A SAUCE!! It could have been a soup! It severely lacked soy sauce and just made the tempura even worse to eat. On a side note, the rice that came with the bento box was not fresh (most likely from the previous night) and it was not Japanese rice, it was just plain Jasmine rice. The Spicy Tuna rolls that came with the bento box were like baby food in a sushi. It was bland and had no texture at all. The Shiitaki Mushroom Yakitori was most likely the best tasting food of the meal, but how hard is it to really to cook mushrooms on a skewer. Overall, this place does not deserve its current rating listed on Yelp. To think that this place is authentic is a lie. Make no mistake, this place is CHINESE-OWNED and CHINESE-MANAGED. I had the pleasure of hearing the manager yell at one of her staff members in Chinese. Food: 4/10 Service: 2/10 Atmosphere: 8/10
(2)
Casmine L.
I like this place. It is the sister restaurant of Douzo. I have only eaten here for lunch (yes they have a lunch menu), and I think the sushi is fresh and the rolls are decent. The Bento box is delish too. The pan fried noodle dishes need a little work. Needs more flavor. I was worried about this place thriving for dinner though, especially since the price point for this location is higher than most places in the area. You can charge this much in back bay or south end, but fenway??? There's not much "action" around here, so going here is a destination, not a quick stop over...Not so sure college students and red sox fans are willing to shell out the dough for sushi. Needless to say, I like this place and the service that I have received during lunch has been great. Another reviewer is right, being a dishwasher here must stink because they are constantly clearing plates!
(4)
Nadia K.
This would be 5 stars if it was a little more affordable, but as is, I solid 4.5 stars. We went tonight and sat against the back wall, our waitress was a very nice asian woman (sorry can't remember the name, but if anyone from the restaurant reads these- she was great) who was always there when we wanted her and not there when we didn't. It's an art being a good waitress, she's got the skill. We started with the spicy tuna cold appetizer on the crispy rice. That was a perfect balance between the soft fresh spicy tuna and the crunchy rice. I'm in food love. Next we got the garlic spicy peppers, which came with fried onions and were in a very tasty spicy/vinegar sauce. Could have been a touch spicier but very good. After that we got the kobe beef skewer, very tender, a nice char on it, but for $7... a little small, needed something else with it. We also got the spicy tuna cucumber roll, which is impossible to eat without using your hands but the filling is again that perfect balance of spicy tuna with a crispy tempura, I can't describe it- try it, it's worth the $7. We also got two rolls, both were excellent and the seafood was clearly very fresh as it tasted almost sweet. There was no trace of that "fishy" garbage you get at places like ma soba- and I can definitely tell because I'm allergic to seaweed and therefore get my sushi wrapped in soy paper, this is definitely the good stuff. I'm glad to see this area of Boston picking up. Oh they also need to reduce their "waiting" area on non-game nights... I mean put some tables there and increase table service so you don't have to wait on a wednesday night... come on people.
(4)
Sara S.
Absolutely delicious sushi, ranging from traditional to over-the-top maki rolls. The prices are a little higher than average, but so is the quality. The atmosphere is a little sterile but chic and pleasant. They have a nice wine selection, but their cocktails leave a little to be desired. Come here as a great alternative to Douzo's wait and scene.
(4)
Sean H.
Awesome place. Had a shrimp app that was amazing. I had the sushi which was very fresh. My husband had the chicken teriyaki and my sister had the beef teriyaki, both said it was extremely tasty. Prices were reasonable, entrees were $19-$35 (most on the lower end of that range) for a decent portion ; apps, tempora, and sushi were a little better pricewise all were under $20. The three of us spent less than $70(pretty good for 3 ppl). The ambience was great; dim lights but not too dark, soft music, and intimate seating really set the mood for a great meal.
(5)
Tony S.
We recently went to Basho with an OpenTable certificate for a 5 course chef tasting. The restaurant is right on Boylston St so thankfully they have a valet because parking near Fenway is atrocious. We walked in and approached what appeared to be the hostess who was hanging out at a desk type area directly in front of the door. I indicated that we had reservations and she curtly pointed to the actual hostess stand and said, she'll take care of you. It's a little thing but really, you couldn't approach this a little more gracefully? The first course of the tasting menu was amazing. A plate of several different & widely contrasting items - oyster, duck, stuffed cucumber, smoked cheese and some type of fruit for which I cannot remember the name. Excellent! The second course was sashimi which was better than good but not great. Toro is my favorite sashimi but sadly the toro at Basho did not live up to my high standards as set by Oishii. Instead of being buttery and simply melting in your mouth, it was overly fatty tuna that was tough. Between the 2nd and 3rd course, my wife and I had finished our respective drinks. We waited for a good 8-10 minutes before we had to finally ask a bus boy to send our waiter over. I fully understand it was a busy Friday night but when the waiter seems to linger just a tad to long at the table right behind us (cue 2 blonde girls splitting 1 roll), it seems that his focus needs some refinement. Had he simply looked in the direction of our table, he would have seen me asking him for another round. The 3rd course was a nice tempura. I'm generally not a fan of tempura but this was well done. Kudos to the chef. The 4th and what should have been the highlight course was Kobe beef. Full disclosure, I am a food snob. I've had Kobe in Japan and at very fine restaurants like Nobu. I have ridiculously high expectations for my Kobe. What Basho served cannot/should not be called Kobe. First it was completely rare, not lightly seared rare, carpaccio rare. Problem is, it was somewhere between carpaccio & medallion in thickness. It did come on a sizzling skillet so I was able to cook to rare plus as I like but I would prefer the chef to handle the preparation to ensure it is done properly. The biggest problem was that these pieces of beef were more akin to flank steak than Kobe. Hugely disappointing. The 5th course was an interesting pumpkin coconut mouse. Enjoyable but it didn't knock my socks off. To be fair, I'm not much of a dessert person so it would have to be pretty amazing for me to write a rave review. Overall, I give Basha a B-. It's worth checking out, it has a cool vibe but the food is just slightly above average and the service needs a bit of refinement.
(3)
A N.
Food: Very tasty but quantity is so little Service: Good Ambiance: Trendy Price: Not reasonable for the amount of food they give for certain dishes Octopus Cheviche with Mango Tasty again! It could have used a little extra mango. But overall wonderful! Right size for appetizer. Miso Black Cod The best tasting fish I have had anywhere, but small portion size. The entree size was probably 3-4 oz. of fish with 2 heads of rapini as garnish. 3-4oz is not enough for most people for dinner when there are no sides. Although it was VERY tasty but $26 for 4oz of fish is not reasonable. The first time I was there I had ordered the appetizer size of the same dish and it was small but this time I ordered the entree size and expected it to be big enough to not leave me hungry. Sashimi platter Hubby had it. Was very impressed. Also they give a lot of fish in this dish - size is not an issue here. Overall food was amazing but portion size of the entree miso balck cod was ridiculous.
(4)
Kat A.
Best sushi in the city! We've been in Boston for 6 years and this place is the best there is. I just wish they didn't renovate their beautiful interior! it used to feel much more private and cozy of an atmosphere- now it's a bit too open and barren. However, the food trumps all and in this case, the food is FANTASTIC!
(5)
Laura G.
The food was pretty good...best sushi I had in a while. I liked the decor..very clean and modern. But it didn't fit in with the Fenway crowd.. Boy was it expensive..I work next door and we get a discount from this place..but honestly that's the only reason I would eat here.. Take out? yes they have it..but call ahead because you'll be waiting at least 20 -30 minutes for it...
(3)
Alan T.
first timer. went with 5 others, we had 3 groupons (each for 14 sushi/sashimi pieces and three shots of sake sampler). we also ordered the skewers (pork tenderloin, pork belly w/tomatoe, chix skins), black cod, duck udon, and baby octopus. Food was ok, nothing was bad but nothing was spectacular. Definitely overpriced, even after the groupons. most likely will not go again.
(2)
Anna W.
I'm not a big sushi person to begin with (ewe to raw fish), and I'm pregnant, so mix the two together, and you may wonder what the hell I'm doing in a sushi restaurant. I guess you could call me the non-sushi Japanese food lover. And, being from a family of sushi-lovers, it's hard to avoid sushi restaurants -- I'd never be able to eat out with my family. So, enter Basho. It's owned by the same people who own Douzo on Back Bay. The restaurant is located in the Fens, and though street parking may be tough to come by, they do validate for the garage that is attached to the building. The inside is cool and funky. It's very simplistic and different for a Japanese restaurant, but I rather quite like it. They have some longer tables that are great for larger parties, and the ambiance is dark but not overly romantic. I found it weird that they had so much "open" space that wasn't filled with tables -- I'd hate to think what the wait for a table would be on a busier night. There was a large group of us having dinner, so with all of us, we had pretty much everything on the menu -- my cousins enjoyed lots of sushi (their input: very fresh, a tad on the pricey side, but very well made and delicious), and the hubs and I enjoyed some cooked entrees. I had the lamb, which was a bit too charred on the outside for my liking, but the inside was cooked to perfection (guess you can't avoid a little bit of charring when your food is cooked on a grill). And, hubs RAVED about his steak entree. He originally requested the steak that was listed on the menu, but the server asked him if he would like to substitute it with Kobe Steak, which is hubs's favorite, so he said yes (price difference was only about $10 or so, so it was very reasonable). The portion size was decent, but not overwhelming, and he couldn't stop talking afterward about how tender and perfect the Kobe steak was. Big thumbs up from him, obviously. Service was friendly and prompt. Water glasses were filled at the right time, and beverages were brought over and refilled often. Our server was very friendly and made some helpful menu suggestions when asked for input. The place was not pretentious, which was a nice surprise. It's a "nice" Japanese restaurant, but I wouldn't feel out of place in jeans and a T-shirt. I'd definitely go again!
(4)
Nagisu K.
Creative food. Very fresh and delicious. The place is very noisy and crowded. That wouldnt stop me from going back though.
(4)
Jeffrey K.
We were just leaving Boston and needed to find a nice place for some lunch. We checked out Yelp and found this place. We frequent Japanese restaurants on a regular basis so we have a high standard. The presentation was really good. I had soba noodles with some tempura and Stacy had a sushi plate. Both were good quality. The soba was not the best I have had but the tempura was just right. The quality was high on all the products. We had a few rolls but neither of them was the best. To much mayo in the sauce. The space is almost to open but there were not a lot of people there when we visited so it might feel different at night with a full restaurant. This one is on the fence so I am going to give them a four star.
(4)
Molly W.
Basho is yummmmers. I like the decor - so what? who cares? I appreciate a sushi restaurant with some space to move around! The sushi is fresh, and they have some pretty clever menu options. They have have lunch specials for $10, not bad, right? I still like Oishii best, but Basho is a nice addition to Fenway. And anyone who knows Fenway knows it need help in the good food department.
(4)
Scott M.
Just stay home and flush your money down the toilet, at least you'll save time.
(1)
Foodie F.
Very average food at very expensive prices. The amount of fish in each roll is small to none. The rice is not cooked enough so it remains hard. These type of Japanese places make me laugh because they charge a lot of money for unauthentic supermarket quality sushi. If you want good sushi go to a small family run place. Douzo is the sister restaurant of Basho and it is just as bad. Don't waste your time, money, or calories here!!!!
(2)
Matt G.
Didn't even order. Hostess was incredibly rude and unprofessional.
(1)
Latoya T.
i must profess my love for this sleek Japanese eatery. Just thinking about it makes my heart go pitter patter. Basho is just a block from my apartment and I am embarrassed to say that I am there at least once a week. The wait staff is always attentive and helpful, the fish is fresh and the sushi is deeelicious. I am especially fond of the Crunchy Roll and you must get the eggplant appetizer. I may have to pay this place a visit tonight. This place is a great addition to the Fenway neighborhood.
(4)
Sarun C.
Why is this place in the Fenway? I'm not sure, but I'll take it! Basho is L.A. chic transplanted into the so-called 'Boylston corridor;' mouth-watering, excellent, varied, and refreshing Japanese fare (even if a little heavy on the wallet), and, being in my own backyard, I'm thrilled to have it just steps away. I've been to Douzo a few times and now Basho a couple of times. Sure, sometimes I'm in the mood for decent, economical sushi (which, unless you're a sushi snob, can be found if you look in the right places in Boston). Other times, I want modern class and elegance, with not only my food but also the ambience and service. That's the time for Basho. We went both before and after the recent grand opening. Yes, they're new and figuring stuff out. But that's okay. To me, they're allowed that. The sincerity of the staff and owner (somehow, pleasantly, on both occasions, we've ended up chatting with him at length, about the growing pains, about Fenway development, and so on) more than make up for what will surely be a journey to success. Food: Quality, intriguing stuff, goes beyond just the sushi. If you don't try one of the many dishes with ingredients that you've likely never tried before, then you're selling yourself short. Just go buy sushi at Whole Foods. Instead, here, you can explore new horizons. Try the appetizers: the agedashi tofu is silky, with minimalist seasoning of dashi and scallions; the plum broth that bathed the seared seabass was tart and tempting -- a perfect appetizer that left us wanting more. The standard maki was fresh with (for once!) nicely cooked rice -- not too sticky, not too dry, room temperature that allowed the rice to show off its own flavor; the Russian roll, with caviar, was fantastic. Our second time there, we tried the robata grill. Don't go here without trying this! You'd think that meat and veggies on a grill would have a pretty straightforward, generic taste, right? No. This was freaking succulent, envy-inducing stuff. The shitake robata gave us both shivers and made us collapse into our chairs out of delight. Not to be forgotten, the cocktails were decadently solid, sophisticated, tasty, and relaxing. Our first time there, they were a little light on alcohol; the second time, the bartenders got the balance just right. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that the portions are not huge (but it would be foolish to expect that at a place like this). The ordering strategy should be to get lots of little plates, like tapas, otherwise you'll miss out on the diversity of good stuff here, and you won't be as satisfyingly full as you deserve to be. Decor: Sitting inside Basho, we easily forgot the annoying traffic and parking lot eyesores just outside on Boylston. Love the theme and variation of bamboo and sticks, played out at the bar, the private dining room, the kitchen, and main dining area in iterative but playfully unique ways. Soothing and Zen-like but (perhaps un-ironically) shi-shi at the same time. Service: One time, we sat at the bar. Our waiter went to the trouble to push another table to ours, which ended up being a little off-kilter, so then he got on his hands and knees to balance it. Then ,there were a couple of ingredients that none of us knew (yuzu zest, mentaiko, kabocha squash), and he found out promptly for us (yes, he should have known - and indeed, we asked about lots of other ingredients, and he patiently explained all of them to us -- but these are the growing pains...). Altogether, it's the details of service and effort that matter, and he got an 'A' from us. I make an effort to support local businesses, and Basho makes this easy. Why trek to other fancy sushi places when I have the rookie-of-the-year in my backyard?
(4)
Graham S.
My friends and I ventured to Basho their first week of opening all the way from upstairs at my apartment in 1330 Boylton and boy was it a great dining experience. The food was divine, the atmosphere was tranquil and the service was exceptional. It's so delightful seeing such a wonderful addition to the new Fenway neighborhood. For so long the neighborhood has been all fast food/bar food places, but now actual foodies from the South End and other areas are visiting the new Fenway. I'm pleased to see people visiting the new Fenway for something other than a Red Sox game. Definitely add Basho to your to do list folks.
(5)
Gina M.
Now that other people have found it, it's less fun. We waited a while for our reserved table on a recent visit. Then immediately after we were seated, we were moved to another table. The food was still great, but the whole place just feels really harried and less pleasant now.
(3)
A K.
Went to Basho last night with a date to grab a "Sappora" (menu typo) and sample the new sushi joint. We decided to split some maki rolls (spicy salmon, kamikaze, and shiitake tempura). The miso soup was also good; everything there tasted a lot "cleaner" than other sushi places in Boston. I think this could be the use of fresh quality ingredients. The food was filling but nothing was really heavy. The only thing that really put me off was the atmosphere. I understand it's supposed to be modern looking but the techno music gives off a totally different vibe than if something more relaxing were played in the same space. Also, due to this restaurant's relative newness staff was running all over the place looking real anxious. Chill out guys! Not perfect, but definitely the best sushi in the Fenway area (ha! ok, pretty good by other Boston standards as well) and I look forward to coming back when the staff's not so on edge
(4)
Cheryl M.
My friend and I ate at Basho last night before seeing a show on Landsdown Street. We were blown away. The menu is big and has a nice variety, including individual tempura items (we got scallop, sweet potato and shiitake mushroom- the last being AMAZING) a unique grill and everything has the option of brown rice instead of white. They have Kobe beef and Pork belly available as well. We had a delicious hand roll, a specialty roll and the salmon sashimi we had was so fresh and buttery I swear they caught it 5 minutes before we ordered it. The drinks were yummy and the service was great, we even had 2 people waiting on us. I found the prices to be fair and comparable for what we got, there are some very expensive options available as well such as lobster ceviche or the Kobe beef, pork belly if you want to go big. Can't wait to go back, although I think this is a place for date nights or friend nights, not the type of place I would feel comfortable bringing my kids, although my 2 1/2 year old adores sushi.
(5)
Emily F.
Really great sushi for a good price. I've been several times in the last few months and I've never had a complaint. I had someone, who is by no means open to trying new things and has a very basic palette, try a spicy tuna roll, and loved it!!! Definitely recommend. They also have a great deal on Sundays.
(4)
Bassem S.
A-OK for Boston sushi... They renovated the interior - it was my first time here, but my friends said it was definitely an upgrade. Our servers were very nice, although I'd say we were a little understaffed. We had made special arrangements with the restaurant for our large group, where they served us 4 courses and we brought our own (very top-notch) sake. Unfortunately they didn't give us a menu, but I'll take my best guess at how our dishes corresponded to the menu: -House salad - Surprisingly delicious! I was expecting the typical Japanese house salad, but this had mesclun greens and a really tasty dressing. Actually one of my favorite parts of the meal... -Sushi/sashimi platter - My favorite part of our meal by far! We had toro sushi, water eel, and seared salmon sushi; as well as scallop sashimi and a few pieces of uni sushi. The scallop sashimi and uni sushi were the big winners: super fresh and tasty. The seared salmon sushi could have been a little more flavorful, but the toro and eel were delicious. Only complaint is that the portions are quite small! -Mixed tempura - Shrimp, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato, etc. I was so excited to see this dish and really wanted to like it, but the breading was just way too thick. The shrimp in particular was too greasy with all the bread coating. The broccoli was my favorite by the far...I think because it was hard for all of the breading to stick... -Mystery roll: UGH. This was disgusting. I'm not sure which combination roll it was, but after looking at them on the menu, my advice would just be to STAY AWAY from them and stick to traditional rolls or sushi/sashimi. I had 6 leftover pieces of this and did NOT want to take it home with me Summary: Nothing special and over-priced (though not more so than other Boston restaurants). Drop by if you're in the area and have a craving for a few fresh pieces of fish Tip: AVOID the combo rolls! Stick to the fresh sushi!
(3)
Island Boy B.
Everyone I've brought here really enjoyed the atmosphere and food. People, listen, its sushi, its gonna be expensive. That's why you have to take advantage of their lunch specials and happy hour. I always joke with my buddy who is a food snob about this place. We are always one of only a few groups/people in there and we joke we hope it doesn't close down soon. The food and the specials are too good. On another note, I brought another sushi snob and my brother, who coincidentally was visiting Boston from Japan. They both agreed the portions were excellent and quality was good. Obviously we have our favorite hole in wall Sushi joints, but if you utilize the specials, you are going to get a great meal and if you are already used to spending $40 or so when you go out for sushi, it beats comparable priced places hands down. This definitely is worth the 5 stars. Parking is always available out front, and even during Sox games, they validate for $4 in their garage. Can't beat that. If you like Douza (same owner), then you will like Basho. Plus its less of a headache and more accessible by car. Robata is a nice treat and I'm recommending you order a few to fill you up and ordering one less maki roll. I'm sticking with the 5 stars, but if there was a 4.75 rating I would give them that - once they get Sapporo on draft, then they will be 5 stars.
(5)
Kimberly W.
The food was all very good! We ordered a sashimi dinner, crunchy roll, and tiger roll. We also had the iced green tea and house green tea. All the sashimi was pretty good - I actually had a decent experience with mackerel! More yummy than fishy. The maki rolls were also good; the crunchy roll stayed crunchy. However, there was a bit too much mango sauce...it kind of overtook the flavour of the sushi...I like mango sauce a lot though so I don't want to complain, but it was too much even for me. While our waiter was smiling and alright overall, he neglected to come by very often. The atmosphere is very "trendy;" each section of the place has different decor, and it is sort of partitioned into three or four sections. While everything looked nice in the evening, it was a bit too dim to see the menu very well. Aside from that though, the atmosphere was enjoyable. The music played was also interesting...reminded me of a much toned down dubstep...but I'm a fan of dubstep... Overall, a good experience! I used a LivingSocial voucher though, so normally I actually would never have known about the place; it's close to where I am, but not so much that I would casually pass by. I enjoyed it, and I wouldn't mind going again, but it's a bit pricy.
(4)
Brian D.
Absolutely, totally acceptable. Great spot for lunch. Great lunch for lunch. Damn the bento box style lunch specials are huge. I can almost never finish these things but I inhaled this one w/salmon and spicy tuna maki right down to the decorative orange slices. Damn fine. Sapporo? You betcha. When in Rome...or Basho. Our server was fine, the atmosphere was casual yet sort of Miami Vice and the place had a light buzz to it. Not bad for 2:00 in the afternoon on a Friday. Keep swingin' Basho, see you soon.
(3)
Michelle C.
I was excited in welcoming Basho to Boston mainly because of the robata grill and because they serve sushi, on of my favorite cuisines! I've been to a couple of places in NYC and Hawaii that first brought my cravings for delectable grilled meat, especially after a night of drinking. Basho has a standard selection of staple meats like beef, chicken, seafood, veggies and...chicken wings, a plus as it's a favorite of mine. However, I also like unconventional items that were missing from the menu like gizzard and chicken heart leaving me slightly disappointed. I got the wings, which were delicious. Two wings served with lemon came to an order and the tops of the meat were scored for the ease of munching. nomnomnom We also got edamame with spicy ginger and garlic sauce (delicious), steamed pork buns (good, but a little too much fat in the pork for my liking), raw clams served with ponzu sauce, scallions, and chilli peppers (good, but the clams were not very fresh), pork ramen (ehh ok). The sushi was disappointing. They have the usual sushi and maki dishes, which I'm sure were good but didn't try. What was a let down was their "Basho Sushi," sushi and sashimi served with specially paired house sauces so no soy sauce is needed as we were told. I got the tuna tofu puree and uni ikura sushi. Tofu puree had no taste, but silly me tofu doesn't usually so why did I expect it to?! Uni Ikura was a nice combination and came plain. My boyfriend got the seared salmon that came with a heaping spoonful of mayo. All in all it was ok, but when you factor the premium price in I don't think it's worth it. My advice? Go to Basho for a fun night of drinks and apps with friends. Don't go if you're hungry and want to eat a full meal because you'll either burn a hole in your wallet or find yourself at Upper Crust at the end of the night.
(3)
CW W.
Went to Basho for the first time last week. It was a Monday around 5:30 so not very busy, I think there were 2 other tables when we arrived. The waiter who took care of us was very friendly, answered any questions we had and offered suggestions as well. Overall the food was good but service was REALLY slow. Like I said there were only a few tables and it took almost 30mins for our first order to come out. There were some dishes that were ok and others were really good it was 50/50 in that regard. I suppose I would go again knowing now what not to order but perhaps get take out as the service was so slow.
(3)
Sweet L.
I was at the Fenway location last Friday and I was very disappointed with the hostess. She started off by telling us it way a 30 minute wait. So when it was well past 30 minutes. I asked how was the wait she said 30 minutes. I noticed that another two other groups that came in well after us seated immediately because they were her friends. So one group was actually ahead of us left because they noticed the same thing because i overheard them talking about the same thing. So I decided to ask her "why are you letting your friends come in and be seated immediately?" she totally denied that they were her friends but we overheard the hostess talking to friend about things on a personal level. So I told her exactly what they were talking about she had a blank stare. I told that it was very rude of her to do that because we well wasted well over an hour and half on a Friday night. So we decided to go to the restaurant "Citizen" instead of wasting more of our Friday night. I never complain about my experiences at restaurants but this experience really resonated with me so I decided to share. I already emailed the management since that night and they have yet to respond.
(1)
Zachary K.
Best Japanese food in Boston. Aida was a fantastic waitress. Get the house salad and the spicy edamame. Lamb was great.
(5)
Meatdowntown C.
The food is good, but the service is pretty inconsistent. I have been there three times and the really can't figure out how they are going to managet to stay in business. They need to lower down the prices because the food is pretty expensive and the wile list mediocre. Also, 50% of the wines listed they do not have them. This place needs a lot of attention from the customer service standpoint. It is a gigantic place and it is usually empty. Good luck. The bad thing is that the rolls are pretty good, but very expensive.
(2)
Philip T.
I live in the building above Basho, and have been here probably twice a month for the past year. I would have given this place a 4.5, but after tonight's visit, it's 5 all the way. We did the 5-course tasting menu (reservations required), and every bite was literally heaven. I hate oysters, and I'd still classify the oyster that they served as one of the best foods I've ever tasted in my life. The food here is great (including some special rolls and cocktails that aren't on the menu and only known to regulars- ask your server), and prices are reasonable for the degree of quality.
(5)
Dawn S.
If you're willing to pay a lot for a little, this is a great place. I looked through yelp reviews for about an hour before we went so I'd know what to get (or more accurate, what not to get), so we ended up with: the pork belly and sweet tomato robata (skewers), scallop robata (skewers), crunchy roll, blacked cod with sweet miso, and baby octopus in an orange sauce. All were DELICIOUS but they were all extremely small portions and we ended up getting the check before we were satiated just because we knew we'd have to spend twice as much money to be satiated. If you're willing to drop the dough, this place is great - my bf and i agreed that the blackened cod was one of the best fish dishes we've ever had but it was also the smallest portion of fish we've ever seen... about 1/2 the size of an iphone (strange explanation?) for $12... still worth it though if you have a groupon. The scallop skewers were also cooked perfectly with a delicious sauce but again, very small ($6 for 2 large scallops). I'd skip the pork belly skewers since the pork belly was cut so thin that it was basically dry bacon wrapped around a cherry tomato. Crunchy roll was very good and reasonably priced for the quantity and quality and the baby octopus was definitely great for the value but i have to admit, I was a little more skeeved out by it than my boyfriend - I was expecting there to be cut up pieces of octopus but instead there are just whole baby octopuses. Still good, though I let my bf eat most of it. I don't really care about service as long as the food is good but for those that do: We had the Basho groupon ($20 for $40 of food) and it seemed like our waitress was pretty annoyed with us when we asked for the check after spending almost exactly $40. I kinda can't blame her but I still thought it was rude for her to show her disappointment that we weren't ordering more. Other than that though, the service was great - she was very attentive and even though we were her only table seated on the patio, she came outside frequently to check on us. Oh one more thing! The validated $4 parking garage made it so easy to come here - even on a red sox night when the same garage was charging $40 for non restaurant-goers!
(3)
Christina C.
Service was horrendous. My husband and I went here for dinner on Friday and we were told that it would be a 45 minute wait which was fine. While we were waiting for a table, a group of 3 was able to get a table without any wait or a reservation. Once we were seated it took 10 minutes for our server to bring us some water. The sushi was ok. One of the maki rolls we ordered was not fresh as it left a very fishy after taste.
If you have a wheelchair in your group, expect great service. To the point where I was annoyed, and then amused because it got so ridiculous. They helped out my buddy before I got there when his footrest fell off, that's great. Coming by every five minutes and somehow always when I had my mouth full? It got to the point where we referred to our server as the ninja because she'd somehow make me jump every single time she came by. She was far too loud. My date is quadriplegic, not deaf! She was so cheery I wanted to tell her something that would remove that condescending voice. Maybe I'm just picky, but there's helpful, and then there's "Leave us the fuck alone for 10 minutes so I can eat my food". Serious overkill. Good sushi. The wine selection could use some work. Looks great. Good for date night. Our bill for two was $75 somehow. I live nearby, so I can actually say that is always packed after 9pm when I walk the dog, but dead at 7. Go then. My date rated it: the food was: good service was: very good a little pricy but not tooo bad For wheelchair users: The table is just a tad too low. You will bump your knees on it. We had to try three separate tables before we found one that fit. I'm also not sure why they have a doorman. They don't offer valet, so you're paying someone a salary to literally open the door? How about fire him and lower your highest rolls by a buck or two.
(4)
Alo M.
Went to Basho for the first time tonight, was super excited. The noodles and soup were good but was very disappointed by the sashimi platter. I love sushi and can handle almost anything, but the fish just didn't taste good and the pieces were too big. Really did not enjoy that part. May have been an off day for them as the place was full, but just didn't like the fish. Everything else was good. I told the waitstaff and they did NOTHING about it except say sorry. Not sure I'm going back.
(2)
Eric W.
In the year and a half I've lived in the West Fens, the eating options have thankfully exploded. (When restaurant row is restored, we will be unstoppable.) Basho is not a home run but it is a solid double, so it should satisfy the deprived locals but not draw many as a destination spot. The variety of sushi I've sampled (both at table and as takeout, from classic staples to more exotic specialties, sashimi and maki) have been consistently "good," satisfying my stomach, making my mouth happy enough, and leaving my value-focused mind in doubt. Unlike its peers, Basho excels at hot appetizers (I recommend the spicy garlic edamame or the rich, baked seafood kaiyaki) and the tempura menu is delicious.
(3)
Laura B.
Great food, especially the Kobe beef spring rolls and the banana tempura. Only downside was the air conditioning was turned off when the outdoor patio was opened, which made the whole restaurant hot.
(4)
Davide B.
I like it a lot...food is pretty good and service is fast most of the times...a bit pricey maybe! Thumbs up for basho!
(4)
L M.
WOW. I have never been motivated to actaully write a review until now. I had dinner tonight at Basho and have to tell everyone about the experience. I was there on a business dinner and loved absolutely every minute. The bartender who started off the night (Mike) was a professional, approachable and knowledgable guy. He suggested that I order the saki martini and it was DELICIOUS! Maybe the best martini I have ever had. The food was top notch - so fresh and great presentation. Because it was a work dinner, I actually have no idea what it cost, but the prices looked really fair. The ambience was perfect. The music was just right, both the sound level and the selection. Our server was fantastic too. Jack Huang (owner) is a great guy and spent a lot of time at our table talking to us and getting to know us. This place is very "cool", but without trying to hard. I felt completely at ease and loved that the patronage was diverse. HIGHLY recommend for a group or a romantic night.
(4)
Hugh K.
Excellent and inventive sushi, extremely knowledgeable server, fresh everything. Nice room, though a bit cavernous. Good prices. Best of all, a great new option in a part of town where high-end options have been few and far between.
(4)
Chris B.
We had a Groupon, $20 for $40, so we decided to give it a shot. Expect nothing more than average sushi in an environment and with prices that would lead you to believe you are about to get much more. The ambiance is modern, cool and comfortable. I encountered very friendly staff from the time I made our reservation until we left. First impressions are big for me, when our wine arrived at the table filled just up to the fill line on the glass, I began to question this place. I feel that having an etching on a glass to ensure the bartender gives just the right pour is extremely un-classey and cheap. Basho, you can do better than this, especially when a glass of wine is in the $10 per glass price range. Further, I felt that the portion to price ratio is small. The 7.50 seafood salad was half of what it could have been for the price. If the salad was filled with freshness and flavor, a $7.50 price tag would be fine, but it was the typical run of the mill spicy seafood salad you can get at any other popular Boston Area sushi places, or even make at home. The maki rolls were inventive on paper, but again lacked the flavor and freshness I would expect for the price. Nothing here was bad, but nothing here made Basho stand apart. In fact, I expected good things based on ambiance and service, but the food certainly disappointed. I would put Basho into the same genre of places that Fugakyu belongs to, and thus, I do not see myself back until I hear of improvements.
(2)
Christian K.
Wow. All I can say is wow. Erin B. was a super waitress. She managed to be informative without being annoying- and informative was essential because this place has a massive menu, for a sushi place!! The spicy tuna tots are way less trashy than they sound. I'm mos def coming back to try more on this amazing fanastic menu. If you look at my other yelp reviews, you know: I'm not kidding.
(5)
K P.
It's nothing special. For the price that you will pay, you can get far better.
(2)
Alexis B.
Wow! Basho is literally a breath of fresh air. In Boston there are so many so-so sushi restaurants I usually hate when a new one opens because I know it will be a let down. But last night my world changed. Now I love Fugakyu but it gets old. I love Genki Ya but its a baby Fugakyu. Now Basho is completely different. First of all the atmosphere. I generally liked the minimal look of the restaurant. It felt cool, and young. Very different from more Boston restaurants. The menu is a bit overwhelming. We had a nice waitress last night but she was SOOOO nervous. I don't know if it was her first night or what. Anyway we went for dinner last night at 8pm. There was a Sox game too but it wasn't packed. We were seated right away. We started with broccoli and shrimp tempura. For $2 bucks for 2 pieces of broccoli I was super satisfied. They were huge and Delicious. The Gyoza weren't anything special- but OH THE EDAMAME! For real! Get the chili garlic sauce ones. They come in this warm sweet salty spicy sauce that just makes them out of this world. I had the crunchy roll which was fine nothing too special. You must try the Snow Mountain Maki! Shrimp tempura roll with crab on top. Sooo good I could eat like 4 of them. My bf had the grilled tuna steak which was good. Nice portions. Definitely can't wait to go back. Also they have validated parking for $4 for 3 hours. Even during game nights. Which is pretty awesome.
(4)
Jessica K.
My favorite sushi in the city. Fresh and so many rolls to choose from. I recommend the crunchy roll or the spicy tuna with a soy wrap!
(5)
Sachin P.
Overall, just another in a sea of pseudo trendy Japanese restaurants. Food was good though pricy. Ambience was trying too hard. Our waitress was very polite, though we strangely had to request soy sauce as opposed to it already being present. In general, not a bad experience, but with similar places (like haru, etc...) that feel more polished, can't imagine that I will be a regular.
(3)
Les P.
Best sushi around! LOVE LOVE LOVE this place and go there often! The spicy crispy shrimp are amazing and the spicy ginger edamame are amazing. Only complaint is with the new chef or manager they changed it up and do not always put the sauce on top of them! everything here is good so I wont go on and on! Def recommend!!
(5)
Arienne B.
Delicious and very fresh sushi--it's very good in that regard. Also, there are some nice lunchtime combo meals. On the downside though, although the wait staff is friendly, the service has been slow as molasses each of the 4 times I've been here. If you're not in a hurry it's not a problem, and I think this is really something borne out of their desire to give you an overall relaxed dining experience rather than of the staff just being lazy/distracted--however, if you're pressed for time and need to get back to the office (as I have each time I've eaten lunch here), I would not recommend sit down service here
(4)
Simona R.
Really good, fresh, quality sushi. Bad music. Kinda cool layout. Very expensive, but I had a Rue LaLa voucher and it was awesome. I think they do sushi happy hour late night, so half price is more reasonable. Really quality food though. Super fresh!! Delicious!
The food was excellent but the service was a little slow. If you are short on time I would say wait. We went for lunch and I got the Bento Lunch. It was delicious. Highly recommend eating here.
(4)
Gina R.
Basho is a really great place for lunch in the Fenway area. The lunch specials are very creative, good sized portions with a variety of choices. I've really enjoyed the salmon teriyaki and the sushi is fresh and light.
(4)
Rachel R.
Last night my sister and I had dinner at Basho, as she had recently been there with a friend and loved it! I am not in love with it too! We both had the same thing, the house sald($5.75)(DELICIOUS) and a California Roll and a Garden Roll!! California Roll($6.00) was perfect and non-fishy, and the garden roll ($7.00)(wrapped in rice and avocado, with lettuce,tomato,asparagus,avacado, and cucumber) was amazing!!!! A meal for two with plenty of food for $40.00!!! Definitely check out Basho if youre a sushi lover.... plus they have $4.00 validated parking in their garage!
(5)
sage f.
I work down the street and was very excited that a new lunch option was coming to the neighborhood. But so far, this place hasn't thrilled me all that much... The decor is clearly trying to be hip, but the chairs aren't that comfortable and it always feels empty and cold inside. The food is decent, but not great. The lunch specials have some good options. I had the makimono combo once, which was mediocre (they made a substitution for me once, but wouldn't do it the second time I asked.) I also had the udon vegetable noodles, which were also pretty good, but a little on the salty side for my taste. I am hoping that this place picks up a bit because I'd love to be able to include Japanese in my lunch repertoire.
(3)
Mitchell P.
Love the look and feel of this place its a very large, modern/industrial setting. Food was excellent, had the spicy lobster soup which was great, the skewers were great. Had a bunch of their specialty rolls, the phoenix, and the crunchy roll both stood out as the 2 best we ordered, didnt care for the Yuzu. Dessert was great banana tempura, was delicious. Our server Chris was fantastic, super knowledgeable and made great recommendations, i was just shocked to have someone who actually spoke english serve me at a sushi restaurant. We would def go back.
(4)
Leah N.
We went here last night and the food was delicious. we had an assortment of rolls, both specialty and your typical hand roll along with some of their spicy edamame, which was really yummy! Their martinis are also great. The only downfall to this place is the service. We had a party of six with two waitresses and it still took them 20-25 mins to bring us our drinks; which makes me wonder, how many waitresses per table do they need for us to receive acceptable service? But, the food was terrific and that's what really matters. Also, I am reading some reviews that are complaining about the portions and I found them to be the same size as every other sushi restaurant in town, definitely not skimpy.
(4)
Becky A.
Went in for the first time tonight with a CoupMe. 5 stars for the Spicy Tuna. My friend and I had to order another plate of it because we just wanted more after our first order. Definitely going back here.
(5)
R F.
i've gotten food from here a few times now. but their high prices are really starting to throw me off. the sushi is mediocre, and my last takeout from Basho really turned me off. i ordered a few rolls. one of which was a tuna maki roll. simple. easy to make, one fish, rice, nori. I opened the container it came in and i noticed these weird white things stuck to the tops of the pieces. at first i thought it was some weird garnish. upon further inspection i realized they were fish bones. not just one (i can get over one, okay maybe two fish bones). but my entire roll had them! after dissecting them from the maki myself, i moved on to my other roll. i think it was a caterpillar roll. upon eating a few pieces i noticed something odd kept stabbing the roof of my mouth. MORE BONES! in a different roll! ugh. if you're going to charge an arm and a limb for sushi rolls they better be amazing. and please debone the seafood properly! also, $10+ for a plate of veggie udon seems pretty expensive.
(3)
Yours Truly B.
although i'm not a huge sushi expert am a huge fan of japanese cuisine and i'm a huge fan of basho (obvi i gave it 5 stars). i'm very particular about what i eat, if you've read any of my other reviews most things fit into 3 categories - fried, cheese and sugar but once and awhile i dabble on other cuisines. i've always loved the food at douzo but wasn't crazy about the atmosphere or the stuffy clientele, so basho is the best of both worlds. i had a crazing for fresh tuna the other night and basho immediately popped into my head. i've been a quite a few times before and like the times before everything was great. as always we get a carafe of hot sake upon sitting, its very enjoyable here, always served extremely hot. my other go-tos on the menu are the spicy edamame with ginger and garlic, the tuna tartare and the spicy tuna app. the edamame are delicious, especially if you love things with a kick. it's a perfect blend of spice, ginger and garlic that makes a heavenly combination when paired with smooth, creamy beans. i do recommend asking for light on the sauce as they tend to put quite a lot. the tuna tartare is AMAZING, fresh tuna, seasoned perfectly on a crispy rice cake. finally the spicy tuna app... deep fried rice, spicy mayo and jalapeno... need i saw more. in regards to the sushi, i'm not much of an expert. i always get tuna sushi and cucumber rolls. both are amazing, fresh, delicious and tasty! the drinks at basho have never been a let down, from sake to martinis. they have mastered the art of the cocktail! they always have great background music in a comfortable, trendy atmosphere. def on it's way to being a boston hot spot!
(5)
Jess T.
I continue to go to Basho because the sushi and sashimi is fantastic. The hostesses were definitely doing their job by checking on everyone that comes through the door and making sure they had a reservation. However, a consistent problem is that there are never menus when we are seating. They always seem to be out of menus and we have to wait 10-15 minutes to get one (and there was 2 of us). Also, our waitress seemed to be a little impatient that we didn't wolf down our food and leave immediately.
(3)
Jaime M.
Been there twice, both times food was great and good service. New manager Justin (I believe that was his name) is a pleasure.
(5)
amanda w.
Great food. The service is ok, sometimes the waitresses get lost. Decoration wise very Japanese, just a little plain. Sushi is great and food is ok. Drinks are amazing. Try the cucumber martini if you get a chance.
(4)
Whitney A.
What a cool place! Modern, clean lines and a traditional menu. The only sushi spot where all the soy sauce on the tables are low-sodium (well, at least that what they told us. I hope the slow, unexciting service is attributed to how fresh the food is and they make everything from scratch. It is delicious! You gotta try the edamame, they serve it with a wedge of lime that takes the beans to a new level. It's kinda pricey, like all Japanese spots, but lunch is a great deal if you order the bento box. It's on a super busy street & we had to park kinda far, so please use the crosswalk to you don't get hit and try out this new spot;)
(4)
Lili M.
The food is pretty good but not the best Asian in Boston by any means. But it's a relatively spacious restaurant and it's a good place to go with friends to grab a bite and a few drinks before going out around Fenway.
(3)
Tim L.
We just received our delivery order care of DiningIn.com . We received it promptly & it was exactly as ordered. After separating the order amongst friends I was able to take my first bite and was surprised by how delicious it was. I mean I was really surprised by the quality of our order. In the past I have not had much success with food that has been delivered but since I really had a Jones for sushi and since I was at work and could not pick it up I had no choice. Thank God I took a chance, Basho is going in to my list of favorite places. I will be back. I can promise you that!
(5)
Laura N.
It was overwhelming choosing from so many dishes, and you can definitely put together a meal that suits whatever you are craving. Definitely a good place to go with a few people so you can divide and conquer. The sauces and flavors were surprising and delightful. Definitely a pricier Japanese meal, but if you want to experiment - it's a delicious experience!
(4)
Sofia A.
We had the bento box and beef noodle soup... It was very tasty. I have been to Haru, Douzo, Oishi, Snappy etc for reference... and at least in this one time experience, the food did not lack in flavor. Service was good too. The dessert needs some improvement though (banana tempura with ice cream) and the seats (high chair) were not very comfy...
(4)
Cyndi L.
By far, Basho was the worst lunch experience I've had in a long time. Usually, I'm pretty patient and understanding of new restaurants or waitstaff who are still learning how to provide good service, but this restaurant just seemed like they plain didn't care if we came back. I ordered the Nabeyaki Udon lunch special. For the listed price of $8.75, it was a pretty tasty portion of food. Unfortunately, that was the only redeeming thing about the restaurant: 1. Our food took 25 minutes to arrive - pretty appalling given that there was only 1 other table in the whole restaurant 2. When our food did arrive, they only brought half of our orders. The other half took another 25-30 minutes because of a "kitchen malfunction". The manager offered to give us dessert on the house, but it didn't make up for the fact that half of our lunches were already cold. 3. Our "comped" desserts had to be eaten in the restaurant, even though we were full from our lunches and would rather have taken them home. The manager said their policy was that desserts can't be taken to go. 4. The Nabeyaki udon was charged $1 more than the menu price. 5. The green tea was consistently cold. They must have brewed it once when I ordered it and never bothered to reheat it throughout the meal. Also, they charged me $1.50 for tea which was pretty surprising for a typical/upscale Japanese restaurant. Overall, we were pretty shocked that it took us 2 hours to eat lunch here, to the point where we were feeling like hostages. I would not recommend this place unless you really don't care about service, eating cold food, or how timely your food arrives. Sorry, Basho. You've disappointed me twice in two weeks. We will not be coming back.
(1)
Corey L.
I'm no sushi expert by any means, but Basho is GREAT! Very hip, sleek atmosphere, but also relaxed. Service was excellent, the food was excellent. Nothing to complain about. I hardly ever leave 5 stars, but I feel I must this time. Prices are very reasonable as well, you can easily get away with $50 plus tip for 2.
(5)
Sadalit V.
Came here based on high ratings and description in the Boston Phoenix, and it was so worth it! The service was really attentive (without being TOO attentive) and the food was original and amazing. The Phoenix's review described the place as "large and ultramodern yet curiously comfortable" which is right on - it's a big high-ceilinged space but the bamboo between the tables and the dim lighting manage to give it intimacy. Great for a date. Maybe not so great for kids but I did see a family or two there. The flavored sashimi platter is a must-try, as is the cucumber hand roll - it's an alternative to the traditional hand roll with a thin cucumber wrap around the fish instead of rice and seaweed. So fresh and light and delicious! Also highly recommend the vegetable robata skewers. We tried a few of the meat robata skewers too but my opinion is they didn't shine as much as the asparagus one did. Nice wine list and again, awesome service!
(5)
Tanya D.
I've eaten here at least over 20 times in the past year. The food is terrific and not too expensive! The ambiance is phenomenal for a date, a hangout with a group of friends, or even to host a family event. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The service is fast and efficient. Overall this is one of my top 5 restaurants in Boston!
(5)
J. N.
I love Basho. Granted, I love Douzo (same owner) but with Douzo being in the South End, it's rare that I get there. I've been to Basho about four times and each time is great food and service. I have also taken advantage of the $17 dinner special (a salad, an app, and a sushi roll) but there's a great selection on the regular menu as well. I love the spicy tuna app & the spicy seafood salad. All the sushi I've had has been creative and delicious. I am actually going there tonight. Convenient location!
(4)
Michael D.
I never write reviews but Basho definitely deserved one. I've done some of the best sushi places while living in NYC and LA and generally Boston sushi has been a huge let down. That was until we had dinner at Basho. Bottom line amazing, fresh and innovative flavors while staying true to the quality of their ingredients. The best selection and freshest sushi in Boston far and away. I hope Boston embraces this place, it will take sushi eating to the next level and set a new standard for what sushi should be. Check out the yellowtail belly with yuzu or anything kampachi. Spicy tuna on crispy rice is just about the most perfect bite of anything I have ever had. You will not be disappointed.
(5)
Shelly A.
I waited a long time to try Basho to make sure they had all the kinks ironed out. After having dinner there tonight I see that it was definitely worth the wait! We had a really good grilled vegetable plate that's not on the menu: two kinds of beefy mushrooms, asparagus, squash and eggplant. We found out about it when we asked the waitress why some of the grilled vegetables weren't marked as vegetarian (it's the sauce). My husband's vegetarian; I'm not. For that reason we have a hard time finding new restaurants. We were both happy tonight though. He had vegetable udon with big, sexy noodles and I had a yellow tail tempura roll with tempura broccoli on the side. The broccoli came with a magnificent dipping broth that is to die for. Everything was cooked perfectly, artfully presented and served promptly. I highly recommend and will be going back to this restaurant to try more of the surprisingly expansive menu!
(5)
Joanna S.
I live by this restaurant and after my recent obsession with Naruto, I've been craving for ramen. Basho makes good ramen filled with veggies. Note: their vegetable ramen is made with fish stock so it's not vegetarian but they've always been kind to substitute a vegetarian soup for me. Good food, great service.
(4)
Laura P.
I decided to try Basho on Saturday night and will never return again. While I thought the food was very good (as expected for the prices!), the service was terrible. Our waitress was pretty rude, she took our order and never came back. There were 2 tables in the entire restaurant and three servers, but we waited 1 hour for our food. I spoke to the manager and she was initially apologetic, but didn't have anyone come clear our table, ask if we wanted additional drinks or bring our check. Again, we had to go up to the hostess stand to ask to be helped. After this, the manager lied and said she would give us a 10% discount for the problems, but didn't. On top of the poor experience who wants to be lied to? If you are looking for a pleasant eating out experience DO NOT GO HERE.
(1)
J R.
Good variety of Japanese food beyond sushi. We had some robata veggies before our sushi. All choices were very good. Fish was high quality so we didn't even use soy sauce. Attentive service and nice ambience. More relaxing than most sushi bars.
(4)
Jenna D.
Great, all except for the too loud music!
(4)
Ellen T.
So this is a sister restaurant of Douzo. I loved Douzo so I had to try this place. I've been here several times and every time the food is spot on. This is a bigger restaurant so perfect for big dinner parties. I don't think I was ever disappointed with any of the food ordered. I always go for the miso cod appetizer. They have a miso cod dinner as well. The eggplant app and the pork buns are really good. I'm not a huge fan of the robata grill..didn't get a wow factor compared to the ones in NY. Good attempt though! The tempura choices are great, and came out perfectly fried. I tried the cucumber hand roll and it was really refreshing. The sashimi dinner is a great choice if you want just raw fish. The sushi choices are really fresh too. I've tried a bunch of the special rolls and the notable standouts were the crunchy roll, tiger roll, yuzu yellowtail and the toro roll with jalepenos. The drinks here are great too. Anything with lychee I always try. It came in a martini glass..so it packs a punch. If you are feeling adventurous, try the sparkling sake...yum!
(5)
Jo J.
this was a horrible experience. i sat at the bar with some friends and service was horribly slow. when i finally got my drink and was able to ask the waiter questions about the menu before i ordered, the waiter did not know the menu at all. i asked him what certain pieces of sushi were and he had no idea. i would be embarrassed if i owned a restaurant and my wait staff did not know what the items are on the menu. nonetheless, with the age of internet everywhere thanks to google i was able to figure some things out but i just couldn't shake how annoying this waiter was in how unapologetic he was to not knowing the menu at all. oh, and the one other thing that the wait staff did that was extremely offensive was that he did not offer me a clean glass with my second beer and without any prompting poured my second beer right in to my old glass. i was disgusted. oh and one more thing, the food was subpar, the sushi was fishy and old appearing. all in all a horrible experience.
(1)
Lindsey S.
Went to Basho for the first time last night. I do not eat sushi, so I can not comment on that. We had shumai and gayoza (I can't spell these things) to start, both delish, and I had seared scallops with risotto. I loved all of the food and the lychee martinis were very delicious with a whole fresh lychee in each one. I had lava cake for dessert. It was all perfect and I was really full when it was over. The music was a little odd. The bar was great.
(4)
Maryann P.
I was extremely excited for this place to open as my work often brings me to the area around noon. Since Umi burned down, I have been on a serious sushi hunt at lunchtime. I have now eaten there twice. First time I got the Shrimp Mango roll that sounded really good, but the sweet shrimp on top was not cooked... at all! It was slimy and not at all appetizing.. Doesn't shrimp HAVE to be cooked? Not pleasant in any way and I ended up tossing an expensive roll after eating one piece! I was not happy.... Second time I went in I got the Lunchbox pick two and it was GREAT and a really good value with the Spicy Tuna roll that came with it. That's why I gave them 3 stars... One star for the first trip and 5 stars for the second. I'll definitely go back, I think I'll just be more careful about what I order and stick to what I know. Also, the white miso soup is AMAZING, but a bit overpriced at 4 bucks and change.... but the little mushroom caps in the broth are pretty awesome.
(3)
Kayla B.
Went here on Saturday night with my boyfriend, called ahead for seating and was easily accommodated. The scorpion bowl was amazing, only 16$ and great mix of alcohol and juices. We ordered some apps to start, they didn't come out at the same time, but the manager was very attentive when he noticed I wasn't eating mine and went out back to grab his app we were waiting on. I had the ocean roll with some salmon sashimi. It was amazing and fresh. The waitress was attentive and we got two other cocktails to sip on after our meals came. We will certainly be back!
(5)
Nina N.
Would have been three for food but I have reached my final verdict of two stars for overall experience. Why? Basho stole my co-worker's hard earned $20.00! Lunch. The hostess might not have been the hostess at all. When we walked through the huge dark double glass doors, we stood awkwardly for a minute or two before being greeted although there was two staff up front. One totally ignored us while another girl was taking orders over the phone. When she finally finished the call, she greeted us. A party of four, please. We were told to wait while she checked something. Another awkward moment. When she returned, she clumsily gathered our menus and so I figured we could just follow her. We did an awkward U-turn back to doors and then finally to the dining area. Love the open dining area but it could use more lighting if not natural light. Our waiter was very polite, ordered our drinks and came back with it within five minutes. All food came out at a steady pace. For appetizer, we ordered from from the Robata Grill - chicken breast, two orders of pork toro, and spicy duck with mushroom. The chicken breast and spicy duck was good but the four stars would have to go to the pork toro. It was melt in your mouth good! Soft, juicy, tender pork belly. It is comparable to NY Ipuddo. I guess I don't have to go to New York anymore. For entrees, my brothers each had an order of the Basho's lunch set. I was hoping the Chef would be creative and make the two sets different from one another but they were the same food selection. The salmon was flavorless. I am thankful I stayed away from the sushi. The lunch set also came with fried chicken tempura. The batter was too thick and soggy rather than crispy and light as it should be. I took one bite and didn't want to finish the other half. I thought dipping it into the spicy mayo would help but that only made it worse. The beef skewers was chewy. The only highlight if I can even call it a highlight was the two tiny pieces of fried sushi. Overall, though there be plenty to eat, everything was sub-par in quality, possibly poor in quality even. If you want quantity, you got it but the quality sure will suffer. My fiance's entree, seared duck ramen looked like a miserable cabbage ramen soup. Well, aside from the pretty carrots, it looked very sad. I wonder if it tasted as miserable as it looked. He did not enjoy it. Of course we are comparing it to NY Ipuddo. My own entree, the spicy korubuta pork ramen was on the other hand, well presented and tasted pretty darn good. I can't quite pinpoint what is wrong with the ramen, whether the texture is just not quite right, but every other component of the dish was delicious. I would order this dish again on any given cold or rainy day. But all good things seem to end terribly. My co-worker had purchased a Groupon for me as a gift so I was excited happy that this experience would have been $40.00 less so my brothers who I brought along had free meals or would have been... Our very nice waiter, after ten minutes we were able to flag him down, came back and asked me if I had another Groupon as the one I have does not work and that it had already been used. It was a gift so how would I know if my co-worker had accidentally used it without realizing it. I told the waiter that I would pay in full on my credit card. Later I found out from my co-worker that the restaurant had made an error. She checked her Groupon account and it showed that the coupon was used today, 11/05/2011. Somehow our waiter or the cashier must have typed in the coupon redemption code twice so that it showed that it was already used. This really made the experience all the more worse. Initially, I was excited to try this place because it practically had all the items I absolutely love: sushi, ramen and steamed pork buns. Because the Groupon was rejected, the bill was $105.00, plus $16.00 tip. It would have been $65.00 plus $16.00 tip. Because of the mistake, Basho practically got an additional $20.00. Ahhhh....I felt twice ripped off for mediocre food. Would only come back for the pork belly. Then again, I just may not come back at all. See my pictures.
(2)
Matt C.
Basho is one of the few locations that was a Groupon decision that did not end in a one time only desire with the restaurant. Although without the 50% off deal Basho comes off as a bit pricey, the quality of the food would make it hard to pass up even if I wasn't wielding a half-off coupon. The sushi was fresh, the menu was unique, and even though the restaurant was going through renovations, the atmosphere was still enjoyable. All in all my suggestion is to search out living social/groupon paths to a discount, but even if you can't, give Basho a try at the full price.
(4)
Aaron K.
Been to basho twice, both times with a groupon type coupon. Really have enjoyed the food and atmosphere. -Service is a bit lacking on a busy saturday night but it gets the job done. There were a couple times we thought we were forgotten (also one of our robata orders was missed). -Atmosphere is trendy and hip with some lights on the wall near the sushi bar. Not overbearing and makes for a really 'chill' spot. They really know how to use their space. There is a lot of people in one room but you don't feel like anyone is really that close to you, other restaurants should take note. -Value is a little low as you are paying 14-18$ for a lot of the specialty sushi rolls. Robata grill items are tiny and pricey for what you are getting! Kobe beef 7$ was about 3 bites (not big ones either). You really can't get off cheap here for a full meal. -Food is really good. Robata grill items are tasty and have some excellent interesting sauces on top of them. Robata items are tiny, order more not less if you go this route. We tried a bunch of items but the japanese eggplant was the best one. My absolute must do on this menu is the steamed bun sandwich appetizer. These use kurobuta pork that the waitress said is slow cooked for 16 hours. To this day it is the best pork I have ever had and this little bun sandwich is just mind blowing because of this pork. Sushi is good, crafted wonderfully. Everytime we saw a sushi roll go by we would ooo and awww. They all look good. Had the tiger roll and it was a good size and tasty. My parents split the miso yaki dinner (cod) which I tried. Came with a great yellow sauce that paired well with the glazed cod and pickled vegetable it came with. For dessert we had the banana tempura. This is an excellent finish to the meal with fried banana slices with a scoop of ice cream. Everything goes together so well in this dish and the presentation is very nice. Overall a good restaurant worth trying and you will have a fun night out here. I will be back if another groupon type deal is offered, but I won't make the trip back into Boston for this place at full price.
(4)
Mary P.
Never buy coupon online, e.g. Groupon for this sushi bar. They set an option of purchasing $30 coupon. But when you check out, you will get two $15 coupons. And get noticed that you can't use them together. They are CHEATING. And the manager of the restaurant sucks, no consideration and no explanation. Worst experience in Fenway ever.
This place is a little on the expensive side, but with the price comes an amazing selection of signature rolls and a great date environment. My roommate and I came here all dumpy looking after the gym and we felt seriously out of place. Here we were, 2 hungry girls sitting among 15 other couples. No matter, the food was great enough to distract us from our glaring ugliness. We had a Groupon, but I would consider coming back here for a birthday dinner. We started off with a steamed pork belly and cucumber bun. It comes with 2, but one was enough for each of us. The pork belly is fatty, rich, and well-seasoned. I haven't found a pork bun that has rivaled Basho in Boston. Even the simple maki rolls (e.g.: spicy tuna) are top-notch quality and only a tad bit more expensive than a take-out sushi place ($6.75). Signature rolls like the Avalanche Roll and Dragon Roll are huge (8-10 pieces) -- 1 of these orders is probably enough for a meal. Service was prompt and polite. We got our rolls fairly quickly, but we had empty glasses of water pretty often.
(5)
Emerald L.
The atmosphere and food were decent, but our waiter was wonderful! My partner has Celiac Disease so eating out can sometimes be a dangerous, stressful and awkward experience. Our waiter tonight at Basho was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, courteous and thorough. Contrary to the blank or confused looks we get elsewhere when we double-check ingredients, our waiter offered suggestions and either knew the full ingredients in everything we wanted, or offered to double check without being asked. Thank you for making date night relaxing and fun!
(4)
M M.
We have ate a handful of times here and utilized groupons some of the times we have visited. We had two groupons per our table and last time we were given no issue when asked. Well, this time we went and we were not allow to use the second one. We had proof that we redeemed them both last time we visited together. The manager come have cared less. I asked the manager since last time we were allowed to that if we could use them this one time, and for now on we wouldn't use two together as now we know the policy is different. Nope! I mean seriously it's $15 and makes your customer happy. Won't be back.
(1)
Susan C.
This place gets 4 stars for appearance and service, but only 3 for food. Basho looks great after its recent facelift. But it's not particularly a positive when the decor is more memorable than the food. The food is definitely more on the pricey side. I ordered 4 sushi rolls an app and a beer and it came out to around $100. My sushi orders were essentially: 1) a toro tartare app, spicy salmon roll, alaska roll, caterpillar roll, some other generic-ish roll, and this lobster tempura roll I was excited to try. The lobster roll just turned out to be okay, it was somewhat bland, and it turned out the whole roll was fried, not just the tempura inside. The toro tartare was seasoned well, but it was a little chewy and definitely could have used some wontons or chips as an accouterments because it was very difficult to eat with chopsticks alone (and I grew up using chopsticks!). I'd probably be back for lunch or their happy hour specials, but I'm not sure I'd be back for dinner.
(3)
Alex B.
Came here for the Rue La La Special. Which involved 3 types of Sake, 2 pieces of the torched salmon appetizer (best thing on the menu), 6 pieces of assorted sashimi, and 6 pieces of maki (california roll with each piece having a different type of fish and sauce on top). As someone who usually just finds what they like and stick to that this deal really got me to try some new things. The sashimi was cut so thick and it was extremely fresh. Our waitress was probably the most friendly server I have had at Basho and she was very helpful in explaining our dish. I think her name was Ibhina. She even took the time to write down the name of one of the types of sake that I really enjoyed. Wakatake Onikoroshi ""Demon Slayer" in case anyone wants to try a great sake. The management was also very helpful in remaking a drink that was a little sour for our taste. Also gave the lychee martini a try. Love the fact that they had a piece of fresh lychee to replace the usual olive. Great. Unfortunately, the special is not on the actual menu. My gf and I talked to the manager about hopefully getting it on as a menu option because it really is a varied assortment of some of the best things that Basho has to offer. I continue to enjoy this place and hope to revisit soon.
(4)
James F.
Just had a wonderful meal at Basho. The Spicy Salmon, Spicy Tuna, and our waiters recommendation, the Phoenix Roll were all superb. David W, was excellent and very attentive throughout the meal. Not overbearing, but there when needed. A+ Basho, A+ David W. - we'll be back.
(5)
Rachael M.
Good quality sushi. Everything we had was flavorful and unique. The duck melted in my mouth. The service was amazing too! Seemed like a very large restaurant with not many customers. It appeared they do a great take-out service.
(4)
Paul L.
This was our second try to get in here after the first time it was booked for a party, but now that we've eaten there, I can say it was worth the wait. The decor and food presentation was very trendy looking, which reflected in the pricing of a lot of the items. Because of that we will call this our "special occasion" sushi place only. Loved the crunchy roll and the shitaki tempura roll. It's not only sushi, if you're not into that, there's grilled stuff and noodles as well. I'll admit the place was jam packed, but our server brought us the dessert menu and seemingly forgot about us for about fifteen minutes, despite walking right by a few times. The music bordered on loud thumping club music to remixes of unusual choices like the funeral march and the tetris theme song. Hated it at first but got a few laughs out of it by the end of the night.
(4)
Jamie G.
Unfortunately, they have very good sushi--unfortunate because I will never go back there. I brought a girlfriend who has a gluten allergy. After informing the waitress and specially requesting gluten free soy sauce, we were served sushi that clearly had gluten in it. We called the manager over and he suggested that he wasn't sure how to solve the problem. He said he would take that one roll off of our bill, and was rather aloof and unapologetic. Needless to say my friend got very sick, and I will never return. The food took absolutely forever to come out. Only go there if no one has an allergy, you're prepared to spend a TON of money, and you have at least 3 hours set aside for dinner.
(2)
Samantha C.
We walked into Basho on a whim while we were in the Fenway area and were trying to get away from drunken college kids on a pub crawl. This place looked nice so we figured it wasn't part of the crawl. We sat at the bar and immediately noticed the great decor. It was the middle of the day but it still felt very cool and had great ambiance. I bet at night it looks fantastic. The lighting, wall covering, tvs behind mirrors - every detail was well planned. We tried a few of the cocktails (lychee martini and cucumber martini) both were very good. I then tried a g&t with the bombay sapphire "east" which was very good. The bartender was very attentive and kept busy behind the bar stocking instead of standing around or disappearing like most bartenders do when it's slow. We asked her what kind of sake was in the martini and she wowed us with her knowledge of sake and the different kinds. One of those rare people in the service industry that make you feel really welcome. We weren't very hungry (in between lunch and dinner) but we decided to try a few small bar apps b/c everything sounded so good. I tried a couple pcs of a spicy roll and my bf got a fresh tasting shrimp roll. The food was very fresh and very good! I honestly wanted to stay for a while, have a few more drinks and eat dinner there. I was loving this place until a weird male bartender came on shift. He asked us if we had had enough food and took our plates. He wasn't mean but he was not very friendly. He then proceeded to put our bill in front of us. Not like in a glass in front of us like bars sometimes do if you keep ordering items... like in the credit card leather receipt holder. Then I put my card out and I am pretty sure he waited to take it until the other bartender left. It was rung in as "PM BAR" as the server. He was also just standing around behind the bar doing nothing. He basically ruined our experience. I wish I could give this place a better rating for the nice (I think she was Russian?) bar tender and a zero stars for the weird abrasive middle aged guy with thick black glasses... I will visit soon for dinner, can't wait!
(4)
R O.
I am a regular at Douzo so honestly I was not expecting to be surprised and even though I have friends that live in the building I had never really been inclined to try it out. But I was in the area for an event and thought why not run over... Boy was I surprised! Yes, they mostly offer the same thing as Douzo but the ambiance is different, the space is bigger, and I found it refreshing. The staff was super friendly. Highlights: the spicy edamame and the spicy tuna. Seriously I cannot stop thinking about these items! The spicy tuna is served over a fried shell of sushi rice and topped with a jalapeno. I cannot describe the taste of the spicy edamame but if you go for hot this should be top on your list to try! Items that were delish though same as Douzo were the lychee martini, rainbow roll, naruto and pan fried gyoza. This is going to ruin me! I am going to have to venture out of Back Bay to go back now!
(5)
Barefoot B.
The kobe beef carpaccio is amazing-- but my steak was dry. The sushi was good- no complaints there. Sake was awesome, love the cold bottle display. ill be going back for the carpaccio but thats about it.
(3)
Nick L.
Came here after wandering around Boylston a few nights ago and was incredibly pleased with the discovery. The place has a very cool feel to it, very nice lighting in the lounge, though not sure why there are TVs there. Something to note, if you don't have a reservation then you'll be seated in the lounge, which is a little area off to the side next to the bar. Not a big deal really, its not quite as private as the rest of the restaurant but still nice. The presentation here is really spot-on, all of the dishes looked great, even the drinks came presented well. On to the food! We got a few dishes, started off with Gyoza and a few kinds of tempura. The Gyoza was great, as was the tempura. Large servings of Miso Soup for $3 is major bonus points in my book too. Chicken Teriyaki and Veggie Yaki Udon were also fantastic; the tofu was especially delicious. I'm really picky about tofu so yeah, it was good :) Oh and the dessert menu. Oh man. Banana tempura with ice cream is something I would have never thought of, but is oh so good. The real reason Basho is getting my 4 stars though is the sake menu: there's a whole menu for it! I was very impressed with the selection, they had at least a dozen varieties, mostly cold but they have hot sake as well. Sake was maybe a little overpriced but certainly still affordable, I will returning if for nothing else than to try more sake.
(4)
Beth H.
It's like Douzo but better with more food. The steamed bun with kurobuta pork is delicious and I can eat like ten of those shiitake mushroom robata skewers. The fish is always so fresh. Their salmon is the best in town. I've been going there atleast once a week since they've open. Bought myself a groupon and buywithme coupon for the restaurant and they've been great with accepting my printed coupon. I'm not sure why there's so many complaints about it since all you have to do is print it at home and bring it with you for a GREAT discount. I think I've had every single server wait on me a few times and everybody has been very friendly and prompt. Their recommendations are fantastic, and every week there's a new special that they tell me about. I think Basho has spoiled me cuz now i won't even go to douzo for sushi or any other sushi joint.
(5)
M B.
Wow! Never felt such a contrast between expectations and experience. WAY way way overpriced for tiny tiny micro starters and entrees. E.g. $18 for a few mini Sashimi pieces. The ambiance great but the food is SOOOO disappointing. Everything is sweetened!! Never ate such a sweetened Sushi even in wedding buffets. Terrible. Don't even try.
(1)
Kerr T.
Just got some lunch here. Pork Katsu (um, is that how you spell it?) lunch is yummy. The portion is just right and so is the nutrient provided. It comes with some salad and half of an orange (that goes my needed daily fruits & vegetables intake) and rice and some deep fried pork (I like fried stuff). I don't think it's pricey, it was around $8 something. Oh, I had the take-out, so, I couldn't comment on the dine-in experience. And oh, oh, they offer some of the nearby companies discounts if proper ID was presented.
(4)
Lisa B.
Update: Basho has discontinued their sushi happy hour. Boo! I'll still visit for a cocktail occasionally, though.
(3)
Erin C.
I think a certain set of people would probably love this place. The ambience is cool, minimalist, and modern with techno music. The sushi is contemporary and interesting/strange. However, I don't like this place because they don't have any straightforward sushi that is just good, well cut, raw fish. Everything is flavored for an "American" palate--too sweet, too fried, too salty--basically, too obvious. I don't think the execution of any of their dishes is particularly skillful. I think sushi should be exquisite. This place is not. Some things on the menu are kind of tasty but short circuits your taste receptors with all the sweet/saltiness. So I would only come here again if my friends really really wanted to for whatever reason.
Basho is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Boston and in general. I have never ever had a bad meal here. It is in a great location, right across from Fenway. The food is always spectacular. My roommate and I go here almost every week. It is a little pricey but definitely worth it. The only thing that isn't perfect is the service. Sometimes we get really good waiters and sometimes we don't. Kahn is our favorite waitress and is always so friendly. She remembers our favorite meals and special requests. Others can be a little dull and rude. Some of the managers can be a little unfriendly and inattentive. Other than that, Basho is typically a pleasant dining experience.
(4)
Sandra C.
Fine dining SERIOUSLY. Parking is always hard to find in this area, so the best way to get here is probably cabbing it or taking some public transportation. Walking in was kind of like walking into a nightclub. I feel like there's also A LOT more waitstaff than it is necessary, but that never hurts, because that just means that the service is really good. Went with a whole bunch of friends, which is the BEST because I get to sample their food! 1) OYSTERS on shell from raw bar: really good, but a little overpriced for three little morsels of goodness. 2) KOBE BEEF STEW: can you ever go wrong with Kobe beef? That's top grade beef yo! In a stew, it was even better, and the broth that came with this had a kick of flavor. I approve. I suggest you split this with someone, because it's extremely filling. 3) SEAFOOD KAIYAKIi: !!!!!!!! I LOVED THIS. It was AWESOME. Cooked really well and I wanted more. I actually want some right now just thinking about it. 4) STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE: It looks SO PRETTY. Tasted pretty too. 5) BANANA TEMPURA: I actually wish I ordered this instead of my strawberry cream cake. This is just right for a dessert when you're already full, but you still want to snack on something sweet. The good thing about all the sushi rolls is that you don't really need soy sauce to mix with each piece. The sushi has enough taste by itself...just the right crisp and niceness. So next time you have some extra cash on you, go to Basho. I'm probably not gonna come again until someone offers to pay for my meal--because I'm super cheap, but what else is new? It's a great restaurant to go to with a date.
(4)
Alicia M.
This place is huge and very pretty inside. THe staff was very good as well, but the sushi didnt stand out. It didnt make me want to come back because I didnt have anything on the menu that was different from other sushi places I have been to.
(3)
Chirag P.
This place isn't cheap, but you certainly get what you paid for. Very refined dishes, every ingredient on the plate has a purpose. Great cocktails! I especially liked the salmon fried rice, fairly good size pieces of salmon with a smokey flavor to it. I forget the name, but I had this roll which also had some mango pulp on top which had the perfect texture balances, and of course tasted great.
(4)
Michelle C.
I have gone here two weeks in a row now so I guess it's time for a good review. This place is really yummy and a slightly different twist on your typical sushi. Some different things they do to keep it interesting and delicious is using a flame torch to sear some of their sashimi as well as unique sauces and toppings which adds a nice texture to the fish. I love love love the cucumber hand rolls. But order one per person or a knife to cut it, not so share-friendly. The knife skills to make this roll happen is impressive. As a foodie, I do appreciate this and am jealous that I can't do this. Overall, I would go out of your way for this but be adventerous with your order otherwise go somewhere else that is just as fresh but cheaper.
(4)
Ariela G.
My friend who dined w/me remarked when we got seated, "I feel like I'm in Vegas". Indeed, the white lights behind the bar & thumping clubby music (started out faint & got louder throughout our Friday night dinner) do evoke a Vegas-like feel. But ambiance aside, the food was very tasty. My friend tried the Basho tasting sushi, 6 pieces of their best fish available (I think toro, salmon, yellowtail, mackarel + 2 others I couldn't remember). I had melt-in-your mouth tempura & ground chicken robata (meat grilled on a stick). Miso soup was very flavorful & we topped it off w/lava cake & cheesecake arranged like egg rolls. It was so good that when i saw that living social was running a coupon for it, it snatched it right up!
(4)
Anna I.
Boston has plenty of Japanese Restaurants. But Basho Japanese Brasserie is a breath of fresh air. Amidst the usual sushi and sashimi choices, they also have the robata grill (on skewer). Located in the recently redeveloped Fenway area (1338 Boylston St, Boston (617) 262-1338), Basho has already garnered some fans. The decor is modern and minimal. Patrons can even get free Wi-Fi. First comes the steamed bun sandwich with kurabota pork and pickled cucumber ($7.75) in bamboo steamers. The perfectly marinated pork belly and refreshing cucumber pair well with the steamed bun, but could use a bit more sauce. The Dobin Mushi soup is served in a pot with seafood and chicken ($7.50), topped with ginger slivers, which cleanse and refresh the palate. Off the Robata Grill comes one skewer each of the tsukune (the seasoned ground chicken) ($4.00) and the Spicy Duck Mushroom ($6.50).The grilled but flavorful ground chicken as well as the duck with mustard and mushroom are delectable. Their inventive makimono rolls list makes it hard for diners to choose. Green Monster Roll ($14.95) has softshell crab with spicy mayo wrapped with escolar (white tuna) with an interesting flavor twist of cilantro pesto. Their weekly special is the popular Celtics Maki burrito ($16.95), which has spicy tuna, avocado and cilantro wrapped with soy paper and seaweed, topped with unagi served with basil oil and jalopeno aioli. Brown rice can be substituted for an additional fee. For dessert, there is sorbet ($6.95) and the cheesecake harumaki ($7.95). With the colorful flavored sorbet molded in a small shape of the actual fruits (raspberry, strawberry and peach), this is the most beautifully arranged sorbet, subtle and refreshing. The harumaki is a cheesecake deep fried as an egg roll served with raspberry sauce and chocolate shavings.
(4)
molly L.
This place gets 3 stars because the food is SO GOOD, if over-priced. But for customer service they should get 0. Would that I could give the hostess negative points. We ordered through Foodler/dashed (which we do regularly to get it delivered to my office) -- Basho mixed up 2 of our Lunch specials for something very different than what we ordered (sweet potato tempura rolls swapped for sashimi plates). Totally fine, mix ups happen. But when I called to see about getting the food swapped for the right thing, the hostess was SO RUDE. She gave me serious attitude, and blamed the food delivery service, even though the restaurant is who prepares the food for pick up. She tried to insist that what we received was what we ordered (even though I was looking at the receipt), and then seemed not to understand that I wanted what was ordered, not what was delivered.
(3)
Gerardo F.
I really wish Yelp could enable people to give half stars, because Basho is really worth 3.5 stars in my opinion. Overall, it's not a bad restaurants at all. On the upside, the decoration is beautiful and amazing, the mood/atmosphere very relaxed and trendy, and the place is extremely clean. However, I do have some concerns over their food and beverages. I ordered a variety of sushi ranging from salmon to tuna to sea urchins to egg. The taste and quality ranged from amazingly good (urchins and salmons were awesome) to actually tasting weird (eggs almost tasted like cheese). I also tried a desert with tempura fried banana; nothing particularly special. Beverage-wise, they serve their drinks a little too warmly. Basho really has tons of potential. I believe that it can become a great Boston institution. But they need to improve the overall quality of their food.
(4)
Melissa B.
I have been here 3 times now, usually on a Groupon type deal. I just really wanted to mention just how great the combination rolls are, specifically the Green Monster Roll. It is by far the best roll on the menu. Also worth trying: the Rock & Roll. I was a little sad the the bar is closed for renovations, but the weather was nice so we just sat outside insted. Once the constuction is done I will be excited to go back.
(5)
Sarah P.
Creative sushi options in a posh setting. I was particularly drawn to the rolls combining sweet potato and eel, which they had a few. The spicy yellowtail was very yummy and a bit lighter than your traditional tuna. They also had quite a few vegetarian options and decent wines. The only thing I didn't love was the edamame... Am I the only one that thinks its just not the same if it doesn't come with sea salt? Oh, and the chairs weren't incredibly comfortable, but I was so distracted by the cool lighting and swanky atmosphere that I just didn't care.
(4)
Brian C.
LOVE the food, atmosphere, and aesthetics of the place. The pork buns are to die for and the rolls are exquisite. Quality is an A+. I brought my gf here after work one day and was seated near the window near bar area. The waiter completely forgot about half of our order and turned our hour dinner into a 2 hour dinner there. Further, when I attempted to just ask for the check and cancel an order I placed, the older asian woman (manager or hostess?) took the plate in the back, asked one of the staff what to do with it, waited about 5 minutes and brought it BACK to my table, saying it was a fresh handroll. DO NOT INSULT me, by bringing back the SAME handroll that has been sitting in the kitchen, and saying it was a new one "on the house." Lord knows what she might have done with it when she brought it back to the kitchen because I was unpleased with the service already.. Oh, and she never apologized once that the original order never came..isn't that customer service 101? I must say however, every other time I have come here, it has been great. Although a little over priced. You get what you pay for I guess, unless you get overcharged for a bad waiter and poor experience.
(2)
Kaori S.
Admittedly, I'm a snob about Japanese food because... well, I'm Japanese. But this is the food I love and know best so I hope this review helps. Here we go! *puts on monocle* Rolls: We got the Crunchy Roll and the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll - both tasty. That doesn't mean much because you could roll up some old ass salmon or tuna and I wouldn't be able to gauge its freshness. All of the sauces, dressings, vegetables, fruits, tempura, panko, and crumbly-whatnots tend to cover the fish inside and, personally, that's what I'm most interested in. The presentation of the rolls were great. The texture, taste, and form of the rice were pleasin'. If you are most interested in rolls when you go out to eat sushi, I would recommend the two we had. Sashimi: In my opinion, sashimi is the true test of the quality of sushi. We ordered squid and sweet shrimp. Something I learned from my father about the freshness of squid is that the clearer and less opaque/white it is, the better. The texture is hard to explain but it should be kind of slippery? Well, the squid and sweet shrimp were disappointing - mediocre, I would say. The presentation was nice but there's only so much cutting and shaping of lemon peels and cucumbers you can do for a gal who likes her raw seafood. I would much rather have higher quality sushi on a plain plate than a carnival with some fish on top, especially for Basho's price. Service: Ibina (sp?) was our waitress and she was very helpful. She suggested the rolls to us and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. She knew exactly what sashimi were and were not out of stock, which made ordering quick and easy. Thanks, Ibina! To sum this place up in a nutshell... Basho tries too hard. If a restaurant is going to put up a front that it's fancy and posh (seriously, it's called a "Brasserie"), then it's food better be up to par as well. Japanese people love their presentation but none of that matters if the food is just "meh." But if you like eating slightly overpriced rolls to deep house music and fun lights, then please try Basho.
(3)
Hillary C.
When i first saw a GROUPON for this restaurant i was very excited to use it for a free sushi meal. Turns out the place is so expensive that even with a groupon worth $40 i still had to shell out like $30 for a small dinner that was not even that great. The soft shell crab was definately the star of the show, while the catipillar roll looked shviveled up and pathetic, as the torched yellowtail that the waitress reccommended was bland and overly cooked. We also ordered a duck appetizer that was too salty. The atomosphere was very nice and trendy with friendly waitresses but for the price of okay sushi, it is not worth it.
(3)
Chris C.
I work across the street from here and none of my coworkers have ever said anything good about this place and now I know why. Went here because of a Groupon and the proximity to my work. The first warning sign should have been when I called ahead to ask what the deal with the garage parking was on Red Sox nights. They gave a half answer of there some spaces, but no guarantees. I didn't find this very reassuring and it ended up not mattering because the game got rained out. Once I sat down with my friends we were all impressed with the menu. Everything sounded really interesting and the variety of things available was impressive. The prices were pretty high, but we were hoping quality would make up for that. So we began to order and were shocked to find out how unbelievably tiny the portions were. We ordered the edamame with lime which was tasty, but probably was only enough for 2 people to share not a whole table. We also got the kobe beef skewers which were good, but at almost $7 per skewer I was horrified. The worst part being there were like 2 tiny pieces of beef on a skewer maybe topping out at 3 oz total. I could get an entire kobe steak for way less that tastes even better at a lot of other places. We also had the crispy shrimp which again was tiny and expensive. The last thing we got was the scallop kaiyaki which ended up tasting off. Either they didn't use good scallops or the sauce they used made them taste funky. The drink menu was pretty limited and the drinks we all had were unimpressive. So since the place is wicked expensive, has so-so service and the portions are tiny I would definitely skip this place in the future.
(2)
Aaron T.
I live a few blocks away, and have been excited about Basho from the moment I saw it under construction. Sleek, upscale sushi. Right? The place is cavernous, great decor and atmosphere. I ate outside, under the recently-added awning, which was comfortable and spacious. They have a lunch special, so I ordered the Makimono along with seaweed salad and hot tea, and my wife had the bento box with beef and California rolls. The seaweed salad was good: a tad overdressed, but sizable portion and beautiful presentation. The hot green tea was nothing to write home about. Then our entrees came out -- and the real disappointment began. The rolls were clearly not very well wrapped, falling apart before we even touched them. My lunch special included cucumber, tuna, and California rolls. They were all completely flavorless! This was especially surprising for the tuna rolls, which had quite a bit of meat. Easily the most disappointing maki I've had in Boston. My wife's beef roll at least had some flavor, but she was also underwhelmed. The service was OK, if a bit disorganized. Even ordering the cheaper items off the lunch menu, with tip we paid almost $40. The food might have been passable at half that price. Look elsewhere.
(2)
Catherine R.
All in all it was good. I have been there on numerous occasions with friends, boyfriends, and family members, and the service was always good. So far, no complaints. Traditional food, done by Japanese. Of all the dishes, I can truly tell you that the Sushi is wonderful, and that the Scallops are to die for. Don't believe me? Go there and see for yourself.
(4)
Arthur C.
Trendy place! I was slightly sad that they were out of squid sushi when I came in, and the waiter presumed a wrong dish when we really wanted another one. A little pricier than I'd like but not a bad experience overall
(3)
Yow-Bang W.
I ordered the 7 dishes course for $55. I love the fried shrimp rolled with sashimi, and the 3 piece seared sashimi in cocktail glass; on the other hand the sushi and maki are disappointing, almost like mediocre $$ restaurants. I guess this might pretty much tells their strength and weakness, for it's quite similar to some previous reviews. Despite the great service they've provided, overall it's overpriced and I have to rate this restaurant down for their foods.
(3)
Casey F.
Like a puppy pooping on the rug, it's hard to get mad at these people. Super nice, but super incompetent during a busy period. So bad that they comp'ed our $60 meal.
(1)
Casey C.
I don't usually give reviews unless I'm super satisfied or super pissed and this place has to be the worst for me to spare my precious time on Valentine's Day to write a review. So we called earlier for reservation, and asked how long the wait was for walkins. The manager replied "I can't give you that information because all tables were booked" with the rudest tone. I was quite upset, but my friend craved for sushi and we were super close by, so we decided to check it out. We walked in and the restaurant was almost empty! Our friend went to park her car, so we asked for a table. The guy who talked on the phone told us we can't have the table without all parties, while the restaurant was more than half empty! And he added "we can't get you seated till all parties are here because there r like 300 reservations" 300 reservations???!!! You mean in a year? So we waited for our friend and got the table. After we got seated, we saw the manager went over and talked to a few waiters. And they kept looking this way. Since there's no bird nest on our head, it appeared pretty obvious the manager was talking about us behind our back. I don't know how people usually run business but that was just pure unprofessional. We were just shocked any restaurant could treat its customer that way. At that point, we already lost our appetite, knowing with this kinda attitude they would probably spit in our food. It was probably the worst dining experience ever. Anyways, the food was mediocre at best. We have had better food way more than 300 times tho. And I'm definitely not lying about 300 times. 300 reservations? 300 reservations my ass!
(1)
Suad M.
Great place if you love it when waiters lie to you about the price and get you to order a $130 instead of the $40 you thought you were getting. I swear I'm not crazy. Here's what happened: My friends and I were having dinner and wanted to order a boat. We don't like eating tuna for environmental reasons and wanted to substitute it for any other fish. Given that tuna is usually the most expensive fish it's typically not a problem, but we were told that there are no substitutions. Okay, understood, we say, and start looking for alternative options on the menu. But then the waiters says magic words: BUT YOU CAN MAKE A CUSTOM BOAT! We look at each other surprised that this has never been an option before considering how often we come there. Are you sure we ask? Any rolls, for the same price! Yes, the waiters says. Order as much you can eat, same price. Are you sure it's the same price, I ask? Yes, he says, same price. Naturally we go crazy. Any roll combination for $40 total, that quite amazing. We went all out! You can see how it ends... With $130 check, because naturally, we were ordering separate rolls, that simply were placed in the boat but charged separately. We ask for the manager who was very professional, but defended the waiter who clearly made a mistake and gave us no discount on our order. This is a huge bummer. I live in the neighborhood and was a frequent visitor for drinks. After this, I won't be going back with much enthusiasm. Grrr. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CUSTOM BOAT YOU GUYS. Order at your own risk.
(1)
Agnes A.
Food quality is really good. I ordered the soft shell crab tempera sandwich comes with sweet potato fries. My friends ordered two rolls of sushi, like I said, quality was great but portion was small. So we ordered two more rolls. We also had a scorpion bowl, delicious and it was really strong. So the bill came up to be 90 dollars for all three of us. Overall, I would come back again.
(4)
Ana S.
I love this place. They have extremely high quality fish, a solid menu, and good service. Their miso is also incredible--very complex and always hot. I generally get the tuna/cucumber with brown rice and a miso soup, and it's just about $10. I'm so glad (or am I?) this place is just around the corner from me...I'll be back far too often.
(5)
Elizabeth H.
Located in the heart of Fenway, this is the closest sushi place to my office and as a result head in occasionally. The atmosphere is nice: very high ceilings, nice booths and a long bar. While the atmosphere is really nice, the food is not the best for the price paid. Service can be slow even if it isn't too busy. The ramen was not too flavorful but the rolls are good for lunch. For the price, though, I'd prefer to walk down the road to Fins.
(3)
Jeannie D.
Yes this place is on the pricey side but normal compared to the usual Fenway standards. We tried different sushi rolls, yaki udon, and some desserts. The sushi was pretty good and fresh but the noodles were just normal. We ordered green tea fried ice cream and chocolate lava cake and it took a while for it to get to our table. The fried ice cream was eh because of the extra red beans they added and the chocolate lava cake was extra small for the price. Service was pretty good other than the dessert taking a long time - no other problems.
(3)
Lauretta L.
While Basho offers a convenient spot to grab sushi, the quality is average at best. We came here for a light dinner and shared a miso soup, sashimi sampler appetizer (yellowtail, salmon and tuna), spicy tuna roll and the yuzu roll. The miso soup was quite large and enough for the two of us. The presentation of the sashimi sampler was strange. The salmon slices were wrapped around a mix of sliced vegetables (sprouts, cucumbers and carrots). I think most people enjoy eating sashimi by itself, unadulterated by anything other than some soy sauce and wasabi. The yellowtail was also accented by a drop of some type of sauce, which overpowered the fish itself. If you want to mess with sashimi, you have a high bar to overcome. The spicy tuna mixture in the spicy tuna roll was dried out, bland and lacked any heat. The yuzu roll was better, although nothing to write home about. Portions for the sashimi and sushi rolls were very small as well. You won't get full here unless you want to break the bank.
(2)
Andrew Q.
This place really just sets up you for the disappointment, and it's pretty sad, to be honest. Let's get started with the basics. Its name, Basho Japanese Brasserie, is some sort of ridiculous combination of faux Japanese and French. Walking in the door, you're greeted with an entryway with multicolored LED lights, reminiscent of a club, and a little basket on the desk of the host that reads "Keep Calm and Sake Bomb". The place, otherwise, is gorgeous and trendy, just as you might expect a higher-end Japanese restaurant to be like, yet certain deco choices, like the sake bomb sign, just scream "We cater to a college crowd!" Prices are standard for a Japanese restaurant, so no complaints there. Service was ... awkward. I'm not saying small-talk is frowned upon, but our server was definitely on the awkward side. I was pleased that they served hard cider with a chilled glass, though I likewise found it odd that such an externally high-end place didn't require servers to pour the first glass. The food was... I guess inconsistent. Pan-seared duck ramen is a novel idea. The ramen was delicious, but the duck leaves something to be desired. The sushi, too, lacks polish. The fish was disturbingly close to room temperature upon its arrival to the table, and the rice was off. The sushi was fresh and I'm picky, no doubt, but it left something to be desired. All bark and no bite, I'm afraid.
(2)
Freddy A.
Great decor. The sushi is delicious. I had the spicy tuna. Ginger and wasabi were fresh. Their playlist was also enjoyable. Will come back.
(5)
Steven S.
Being a suburban homebody, I spent a lot of time looking at Yelp for places to eat in Boston with friends visiting from NJ. While the 8 of us, evenly split between adults and kids, panned Wagamama at the Pru, we give Basho 16 thumbs up! The atmosphere may seem too upscale for kids, but the staff was very friendly and accommodating to all, making our visit very warm, welcoming and never rushed. (Having some Kirin also helps set the right mood!) For apps, the Basho Ribs the Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls and Miso soup received highest praises. For sushi, everyone loved every roll they ordered - no leftovers at all (which I do admit for dads who like to finish others' plates is sad). Topping my personal favorite sushi list are the Lobster Tempura, the Snow Crab and the Phoenix rolls. We left with fully bellies, happy smiling faces, and a great overall experience to remember.
(5)
Jason A.
You know those chicks who dress all pretty, and then you take them home and realize that you'd have more fun talking to your cat? That's what Basho in the Fenway reminds me of. Went with my wife on a Groupon (yes, the universal sign that the place is hurting for business/sucks balls), and without it, the place would have been a 2 star experience. The food was abominable. Seriously, the sushi at Whole Foods was superior. Unless you were hammered on 11 sake bombs, you could not tell me that the food was a reasonable facsimile of good Japanese food. And if you think that it is, then I beg of you to please never review another Japanese restaurant on Yelp again. Ever. However (see above reference to pretty girls), the restaurant design looked pretty. Enough that my wife said "Ooohhhh" when we walked in. It's a shame that she also said "Ooohhh" when we walked out, but that was mostly because I think the diarrhea had just started.
(3)
Daniel C.
We have basho a second try after eating there during their cold open And being disappointed. We should have stayed away. The prices are that if a far superior restaurant with more focus. The food remains bland and badly portioned. Basho may work for the well heeled Sox fans from the burbs, but it does nothing to stand out from the crowd.
(2)
Kenny C.
I was not expecting much from an Americanized Japanese/Korean restaurant but was pleasantly surprised. The yellowtail usuzukuri featured great cuts of yellowtail, but I felt the jalapeno, although initially brought out the flavor of the fish, ultimately overpowered the yellowtail. The garnish on the side - cucumber and onions - did not complement the dish at all. Great presentation, but taste was 4/5. At this point I was not too impressed, and my feeling for this place was sorta just average. But then out came the rolls, and the rolls were surprisingly good. We ordered the salmon tempura roll, caterpillar, and yellowtail yuzu. The salmon tempura roll was well flavored, the salmon was not overcooked, and the roll stayed together after biting half of a piece off, which speaks to its quality. It's hard to go wrong with the caterpillar when its drizzled in unagi sauce. Again, the roll was put together very well and this one in particular melts right in your mouth. The yellowtail yuzu was the gf's favorite. I also really, really liked it. The flavoring was unique, and went very well with the yellowtail. I'd definitely order all 3 rolls again. The price was not bad either - everything was around $10~12 dollars, which is standard for sushi rolls. The most important ingredient in sushi is the rice. The sushi chefs here has done a great job with the rice - they worked perfectly with the rolls we ordered. Now I'm curious if they can pull this off with brown rice instead of the white rice traditionally used. The service is a bit lacking though. Our server was super nice but the restaurant seemed way too understaffed. Or many it's just poorly managed. There was a guy responsible for pouring water. There was a guy responsible for clearing tables. Another guy as our dedicated waiter. Seems pretty standard, right? But our waiter was way too busy and took way too long to get us our water and even to come back and take our orders. The guy pouring water walked by us and didn't offer to get us cups of water. Another complaint is on their drinks. With such an extensive drink menu at a restaurant with a full bar, we'd expect at least decent drinks. Sadly, the gf and I didn't enjoy her lychee martini at all. Everything about it is meh. Will not be ordering this one again. I'd give it 4 stars but -1 for the poor service tonight. I'd definitely come back and try some other things on their huge menu. Hope they will have improved on their services by then!
(3)
Miyuki A.
By far the worst that I've ever had to experience from beginning to end. Highly unprofessional and unforgivable attitude by the restaurant manager. I'm more shocked than anything else, would not pay a single cent for the treatment I received. And it wasn't even just the service, your sushi was just absolutely mediocre.. Will definitely not be returning here. Not worth risking your precious time.
(1)
Mei l.
When i told the manager the sushi is bad. He says: i think it taste great. You are too picky. Ok jerk.. I will just never come here again. Period.
(1)
Ryan G.
Posh sushi in a up and coming posh neighborhood... But the thing about this place that throws me off a bit is that its a Japanese restaurants, that looks like a zen garden meets bar. So when I first came here I was slightly confused and didn't know what to really expect. Maybe its just because I am Asian and the whole bar Japanese vipe wasn't speaking to me....who knows. Overall, this place has good quality food (4 stars) but its fairly expensive; and to me, the quality does not justify the cost. The specialty rolls were surprisingly fresh and tasty, but be warned that you will definitely be paying upwards of $15 for a roll. What was actually surprisingly good was the Katsu sandwich, which came with sweet potato fries. However, it is in a super great location; A couple blocks from Fenway and Kenmore square. Lots of bars nearby if you want to drink afterwards. I would recommend giving this place a try and coming up with your own consensus. But if you are around the area for lunch I would definitely give it a try for their lunch specials and sandwiches.
(3)
Mary M.
Ahhh Basho....How can I even begin to describe how wonderful their sushi is! I've been here about a dozen times and every time I'm even more in love. I would definitely recommend the yuzu yellowtail roll, it's one of my favorites. I really don't know why people think the sushi is so bad because I've never gotten a bad roll. I do, however, give the 4 stars because some of the waiters have been not so great. Super slow service, and on one occasion the manager was super rude. When I called to reserve a table, I said (and my friends were there to back me up!) "Can I reserve a table for 4 at 7?" When we got there they said I had asked for a table of 7 and instead of just sloughing it off as no big deal, the manager kept correcting me saying that I reserved a table for 7. He just seemed like the kind of person who no one says no to. Other than that minuscule issue- go to basho!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
J L.
We went for dinner, interesting decor, A/C was broken-very hot, small tables, uncomfortable barstool chairs, no padding no back support, we waited over an hour to get served after we ordered, were never asked if we wanted more drinks. The sushi rolls were fresh and tasty, but the unacceptable wait-time and poor service would discourage us from going again.
(2)Corinne-Marie G.
Though the place was nice, our waiter was good, the prices were reasonable. I definitely see room for improvement. I wasn't impressed with the sushi/sashimi part of the menu. I expected to see more choices for cooked and raw rolls. There wasn't much variety and creativity. The rolls I ordered looked nice, but one was some what sour. My miso soup was nice and hot and yummy. My ginger margarita was very good and well made. I will go again if in that area and want sushi near the House of Blues, but I hope additions are made to the sushi/ sashimi part of the menu.
(3)Elizabeth H.
Located in the heart of Fenway, this is the closest sushi place to my office and as a result head in occasionally. The atmosphere is nice: very high ceilings, nice booths and a long bar. While the atmosphere is really nice, the food is not the best for the price paid. Service can be slow even if it isn't too busy. The ramen was not too flavorful but the rolls are good for lunch. For the price, though, I'd prefer to walk down the road to Fins.
(3)Jeannie D.
Yes this place is on the pricey side but normal compared to the usual Fenway standards. We tried different sushi rolls, yaki udon, and some desserts. The sushi was pretty good and fresh but the noodles were just normal. We ordered green tea fried ice cream and chocolate lava cake and it took a while for it to get to our table. The fried ice cream was eh because of the extra red beans they added and the chocolate lava cake was extra small for the price. Service was pretty good other than the dessert taking a long time - no other problems.
(3)Sandra C.
Fine dining SERIOUSLY. Parking is always hard to find in this area, so the best way to get here is probably cabbing it or taking some public transportation. Walking in was kind of like walking into a nightclub. I feel like there's also A LOT more waitstaff than it is necessary, but that never hurts, because that just means that the service is really good. Went with a whole bunch of friends, which is the BEST because I get to sample their food! 1) OYSTERS on shell from raw bar: really good, but a little overpriced for three little morsels of goodness. 2) KOBE BEEF STEW: can you ever go wrong with Kobe beef? That's top grade beef yo! In a stew, it was even better, and the broth that came with this had a kick of flavor. I approve. I suggest you split this with someone, because it's extremely filling. 3) SEAFOOD KAIYAKIi: !!!!!!!! I LOVED THIS. It was AWESOME. Cooked really well and I wanted more. I actually want some right now just thinking about it. 4) STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE: It looks SO PRETTY. Tasted pretty too. 5) BANANA TEMPURA: I actually wish I ordered this instead of my strawberry cream cake. This is just right for a dessert when you're already full, but you still want to snack on something sweet. The good thing about all the sushi rolls is that you don't really need soy sauce to mix with each piece. The sushi has enough taste by itself...just the right crisp and niceness. So next time you have some extra cash on you, go to Basho. I'm probably not gonna come again until someone offers to pay for my meal--because I'm super cheap, but what else is new? It's a great restaurant to go to with a date.
(4)Alicia M.
This place is huge and very pretty inside. THe staff was very good as well, but the sushi didnt stand out. It didnt make me want to come back because I didnt have anything on the menu that was different from other sushi places I have been to.
(3)Chirag P.
This place isn't cheap, but you certainly get what you paid for. Very refined dishes, every ingredient on the plate has a purpose. Great cocktails! I especially liked the salmon fried rice, fairly good size pieces of salmon with a smokey flavor to it. I forget the name, but I had this roll which also had some mango pulp on top which had the perfect texture balances, and of course tasted great.
(4)Michelle C.
I have gone here two weeks in a row now so I guess it's time for a good review. This place is really yummy and a slightly different twist on your typical sushi. Some different things they do to keep it interesting and delicious is using a flame torch to sear some of their sashimi as well as unique sauces and toppings which adds a nice texture to the fish. I love love love the cucumber hand rolls. But order one per person or a knife to cut it, not so share-friendly. The knife skills to make this roll happen is impressive. As a foodie, I do appreciate this and am jealous that I can't do this. Overall, I would go out of your way for this but be adventerous with your order otherwise go somewhere else that is just as fresh but cheaper.
(4)Ariela G.
My friend who dined w/me remarked when we got seated, "I feel like I'm in Vegas". Indeed, the white lights behind the bar & thumping clubby music (started out faint & got louder throughout our Friday night dinner) do evoke a Vegas-like feel. But ambiance aside, the food was very tasty. My friend tried the Basho tasting sushi, 6 pieces of their best fish available (I think toro, salmon, yellowtail, mackarel + 2 others I couldn't remember). I had melt-in-your mouth tempura & ground chicken robata (meat grilled on a stick). Miso soup was very flavorful & we topped it off w/lava cake & cheesecake arranged like egg rolls. It was so good that when i saw that living social was running a coupon for it, it snatched it right up!
(4)Anna I.
Boston has plenty of Japanese Restaurants. But Basho Japanese Brasserie is a breath of fresh air. Amidst the usual sushi and sashimi choices, they also have the robata grill (on skewer). Located in the recently redeveloped Fenway area (1338 Boylston St, Boston (617) 262-1338), Basho has already garnered some fans. The decor is modern and minimal. Patrons can even get free Wi-Fi. First comes the steamed bun sandwich with kurabota pork and pickled cucumber ($7.75) in bamboo steamers. The perfectly marinated pork belly and refreshing cucumber pair well with the steamed bun, but could use a bit more sauce. The Dobin Mushi soup is served in a pot with seafood and chicken ($7.50), topped with ginger slivers, which cleanse and refresh the palate. Off the Robata Grill comes one skewer each of the tsukune (the seasoned ground chicken) ($4.00) and the Spicy Duck Mushroom ($6.50).The grilled but flavorful ground chicken as well as the duck with mustard and mushroom are delectable. Their inventive makimono rolls list makes it hard for diners to choose. Green Monster Roll ($14.95) has softshell crab with spicy mayo wrapped with escolar (white tuna) with an interesting flavor twist of cilantro pesto. Their weekly special is the popular Celtics Maki burrito ($16.95), which has spicy tuna, avocado and cilantro wrapped with soy paper and seaweed, topped with unagi served with basil oil and jalopeno aioli. Brown rice can be substituted for an additional fee. For dessert, there is sorbet ($6.95) and the cheesecake harumaki ($7.95). With the colorful flavored sorbet molded in a small shape of the actual fruits (raspberry, strawberry and peach), this is the most beautifully arranged sorbet, subtle and refreshing. The harumaki is a cheesecake deep fried as an egg roll served with raspberry sauce and chocolate shavings.
(4)molly L.
This place gets 3 stars because the food is SO GOOD, if over-priced. But for customer service they should get 0. Would that I could give the hostess negative points. We ordered through Foodler/dashed (which we do regularly to get it delivered to my office) -- Basho mixed up 2 of our Lunch specials for something very different than what we ordered (sweet potato tempura rolls swapped for sashimi plates). Totally fine, mix ups happen. But when I called to see about getting the food swapped for the right thing, the hostess was SO RUDE. She gave me serious attitude, and blamed the food delivery service, even though the restaurant is who prepares the food for pick up. She tried to insist that what we received was what we ordered (even though I was looking at the receipt), and then seemed not to understand that I wanted what was ordered, not what was delivered.
(3)Gerardo F.
I really wish Yelp could enable people to give half stars, because Basho is really worth 3.5 stars in my opinion. Overall, it's not a bad restaurants at all. On the upside, the decoration is beautiful and amazing, the mood/atmosphere very relaxed and trendy, and the place is extremely clean. However, I do have some concerns over their food and beverages. I ordered a variety of sushi ranging from salmon to tuna to sea urchins to egg. The taste and quality ranged from amazingly good (urchins and salmons were awesome) to actually tasting weird (eggs almost tasted like cheese). I also tried a desert with tempura fried banana; nothing particularly special. Beverage-wise, they serve their drinks a little too warmly. Basho really has tons of potential. I believe that it can become a great Boston institution. But they need to improve the overall quality of their food.
(4)Sarah P.
Creative sushi options in a posh setting. I was particularly drawn to the rolls combining sweet potato and eel, which they had a few. The spicy yellowtail was very yummy and a bit lighter than your traditional tuna. They also had quite a few vegetarian options and decent wines. The only thing I didn't love was the edamame... Am I the only one that thinks its just not the same if it doesn't come with sea salt? Oh, and the chairs weren't incredibly comfortable, but I was so distracted by the cool lighting and swanky atmosphere that I just didn't care.
(4)Brian C.
LOVE the food, atmosphere, and aesthetics of the place. The pork buns are to die for and the rolls are exquisite. Quality is an A+. I brought my gf here after work one day and was seated near the window near bar area. The waiter completely forgot about half of our order and turned our hour dinner into a 2 hour dinner there. Further, when I attempted to just ask for the check and cancel an order I placed, the older asian woman (manager or hostess?) took the plate in the back, asked one of the staff what to do with it, waited about 5 minutes and brought it BACK to my table, saying it was a fresh handroll. DO NOT INSULT me, by bringing back the SAME handroll that has been sitting in the kitchen, and saying it was a new one "on the house." Lord knows what she might have done with it when she brought it back to the kitchen because I was unpleased with the service already.. Oh, and she never apologized once that the original order never came..isn't that customer service 101? I must say however, every other time I have come here, it has been great. Although a little over priced. You get what you pay for I guess, unless you get overcharged for a bad waiter and poor experience.
(2)Lori J.
I have been to most Sushi restaurants in the area. Basho is consistently good. The service is always friendly and efficient. Lots of seating and hardly ever a wait. Must try the Celtics Maki or The Green Monster Roll. The cocktails never disappoint. People have written that this place is expensive, you get what you pay for when it comes to quality sushi!! Give Basho a try!!
(4)Kaori S.
Admittedly, I'm a snob about Japanese food because... well, I'm Japanese. But this is the food I love and know best so I hope this review helps. Here we go! *puts on monocle* Rolls: We got the Crunchy Roll and the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll - both tasty. That doesn't mean much because you could roll up some old ass salmon or tuna and I wouldn't be able to gauge its freshness. All of the sauces, dressings, vegetables, fruits, tempura, panko, and crumbly-whatnots tend to cover the fish inside and, personally, that's what I'm most interested in. The presentation of the rolls were great. The texture, taste, and form of the rice were pleasin'. If you are most interested in rolls when you go out to eat sushi, I would recommend the two we had. Sashimi: In my opinion, sashimi is the true test of the quality of sushi. We ordered squid and sweet shrimp. Something I learned from my father about the freshness of squid is that the clearer and less opaque/white it is, the better. The texture is hard to explain but it should be kind of slippery? Well, the squid and sweet shrimp were disappointing - mediocre, I would say. The presentation was nice but there's only so much cutting and shaping of lemon peels and cucumbers you can do for a gal who likes her raw seafood. I would much rather have higher quality sushi on a plain plate than a carnival with some fish on top, especially for Basho's price. Service: Ibina (sp?) was our waitress and she was very helpful. She suggested the rolls to us and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. She knew exactly what sashimi were and were not out of stock, which made ordering quick and easy. Thanks, Ibina! To sum this place up in a nutshell... Basho tries too hard. If a restaurant is going to put up a front that it's fancy and posh (seriously, it's called a "Brasserie"), then it's food better be up to par as well. Japanese people love their presentation but none of that matters if the food is just "meh." But if you like eating slightly overpriced rolls to deep house music and fun lights, then please try Basho.
(3)Hillary C.
When i first saw a GROUPON for this restaurant i was very excited to use it for a free sushi meal. Turns out the place is so expensive that even with a groupon worth $40 i still had to shell out like $30 for a small dinner that was not even that great. The soft shell crab was definately the star of the show, while the catipillar roll looked shviveled up and pathetic, as the torched yellowtail that the waitress reccommended was bland and overly cooked. We also ordered a duck appetizer that was too salty. The atomosphere was very nice and trendy with friendly waitresses but for the price of okay sushi, it is not worth it.
(3)Giovanna D.
Love all the special rolls! And they are on living social and groupon fairly often. The renovation is looking great as well ! Go basho!
(4)Chris C.
I work across the street from here and none of my coworkers have ever said anything good about this place and now I know why. Went here because of a Groupon and the proximity to my work. The first warning sign should have been when I called ahead to ask what the deal with the garage parking was on Red Sox nights. They gave a half answer of there some spaces, but no guarantees. I didn't find this very reassuring and it ended up not mattering because the game got rained out. Once I sat down with my friends we were all impressed with the menu. Everything sounded really interesting and the variety of things available was impressive. The prices were pretty high, but we were hoping quality would make up for that. So we began to order and were shocked to find out how unbelievably tiny the portions were. We ordered the edamame with lime which was tasty, but probably was only enough for 2 people to share not a whole table. We also got the kobe beef skewers which were good, but at almost $7 per skewer I was horrified. The worst part being there were like 2 tiny pieces of beef on a skewer maybe topping out at 3 oz total. I could get an entire kobe steak for way less that tastes even better at a lot of other places. We also had the crispy shrimp which again was tiny and expensive. The last thing we got was the scallop kaiyaki which ended up tasting off. Either they didn't use good scallops or the sauce they used made them taste funky. The drink menu was pretty limited and the drinks we all had were unimpressive. So since the place is wicked expensive, has so-so service and the portions are tiny I would definitely skip this place in the future.
(2)Aaron T.
I live a few blocks away, and have been excited about Basho from the moment I saw it under construction. Sleek, upscale sushi. Right? The place is cavernous, great decor and atmosphere. I ate outside, under the recently-added awning, which was comfortable and spacious. They have a lunch special, so I ordered the Makimono along with seaweed salad and hot tea, and my wife had the bento box with beef and California rolls. The seaweed salad was good: a tad overdressed, but sizable portion and beautiful presentation. The hot green tea was nothing to write home about. Then our entrees came out -- and the real disappointment began. The rolls were clearly not very well wrapped, falling apart before we even touched them. My lunch special included cucumber, tuna, and California rolls. They were all completely flavorless! This was especially surprising for the tuna rolls, which had quite a bit of meat. Easily the most disappointing maki I've had in Boston. My wife's beef roll at least had some flavor, but she was also underwhelmed. The service was OK, if a bit disorganized. Even ordering the cheaper items off the lunch menu, with tip we paid almost $40. The food might have been passable at half that price. Look elsewhere.
(2)Jill F.
I want to like this. I really do. Fenway has become a fabulous (wait is this a fabulous thing?) over-commercialized area with new bars, restaurants and cafe's in all under 3 years. My roommates and I had a coupon so we decided to come. I really don't feel like reviewing this place but I must say, Don't waste your money....I felt like going to Fugakyu anyday over this place. Okay so the environment WANTs to be like a NYC sushi bar. But people, look around you're at the Fenway! There are boozing Red Sox fans. The waitresses were nice, but college girls who obviously just don't care. I also managed to have my water spilled all over me by the poor waitress (I don't really care but I'm guessing this doesn't happen at Fugakyu) Anyhoo. Just, I mean, If you're absolutely STRANDED in Fenway and you NEED sushi, this would be good. Or if you work near by and you want to mix up your lunch dates. But seriously, get you're butt on the train and go elsewhere. Did you really want to eat sushi in a fancy bar next to a tourist in a Red Sox shirt on you're next date? I didn't think so. Try harder gents, try harder.
(2)Jo T.
Ate at the bar before a Red Sox game. Service was quick. Sushi had both traditional and modernized items. Really impressed with the quality of the fish. I also had the grilled shishito peppers, which were deliciously basted with balsamic vinegar. Sapporo on draft, a rarity, was awesome. Love the fact that you can get brown rice to go with the nigiri and maki.
(5)Andrew M.
We came here with a Groupon to get some sushi, and were absolutely blown away by how fresh everything was. We got the large sushi tray for two people and it was just one delicious piece of fish after another. I had been getting tired of sushi after going to several places in the Greater Boston area that just left a bad taste in my mouth after eating not-so-fresh fish. But this place definitely left me hungry for more! I can't say anything about the other parts of the menu, but the sushi is the best I've had so far in Boston! (other than Privus possibly, but that's closed)
(5)Jamie G.
The restaurant definitely has cool ingredients for their Japanese dishes, but it is so very expensive. I am glad it's on open table and that I was able to use a groupon to try to it out. But I probably won't be back here anytime soon. We decided to split a bunch of different appetizers... Crispy shrimp - delicious, with a creamy, spicy sauce Scallop kaiyaki- diced scallops with shredded carrots and other ingredients baked. it was WAY too fishy tasting for me. couldnt finish it, which was practically a sin because it's so expensive Edamame with salt and lime- good, but a small portion for $4.75 Kobe beef skewers- delicious, but tiny, and each one was $6.75. OUCH! Garden roll0 delicious- with avocado, cucumber, carrot, asparagus and tomato. and for a drink, I had the Japanese version of a mojito, a Yuzuhito, but it tasted just like a plain ole mojito to me. All in all, I wasn't impressed. For less money and/or way bigger portions, I would think about coming back, but as it stands, I probably won't. Sorry Basho, you're just not doing it for me.
(3)Ang Y.
I had a horrible experienc.e i bought a livingsocial deal for this place. I felt like they treated me differently because i have a coupon. I dthink it should be better if groupon /living social don't specify that we have to show our certificate before the meal because it makes a difference. Then again, it isnt their problem , it is the restaurant's problem. They shouldn't treat their customer differently because they have a coupon. I had to write a review for basho because I have never in my life gone to a restaurant , sat down for 15 minutes I was not given a menu, nor water, and the table next to me that came after us already got their appetizer soups. Just sitting there, I tried to catch waiters with my eyes but they all seem to just walk pass us and avoided eye contact. I sat their observing and realize that the waiters that work tthere are assigned tables by row so tables not beloning to his row isnt his bussiness. They just run along and serve their own tables. After I ordered appetizer and entre, we waited at least 30 minutes after the waiter took our orders. I was so close to just leaving the place although I had a coupon but I confronted the manager , she apologized and our soup came immediately. it was on the house but I was still not too happy with the service since we were already starving by then. The setting was nice but the food quality was not good for what it is priced. One of the sushi I bit into, the rice was still raw. It is such a shame since the place looked very nice but sushi quality was not good, maybe it can fool the americans with the nice setting and fancy interior designs but all in all, iit is more important that the food is good. I will never come back to this place again. I rather pay more for better quality sushi
(1)Kelly B.
I visited Basho several times while I was a student at Boston University. This place was a great choice for a group meal as we often did but it's atmosphere serves well for dates too. The decor is modern and romantic with lots of open space. For the food, I must say that this is the best sushi I had in the Boston area-- could almost say the best sushi I've had period. We ordered a variety of rolls and sashimi and were not disappointed. "Insultingly fresh" is how I jokingly described the sushi. As a sushi snob, I was not expecting to be so satisfied! We also ordered several items off the robata grill menu. I had never had this style of cooking and must say it was incredible. The grill brought out such immense flavors in all of the items. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Boston area looking for a nice dining experience and delicious Japanese food!
(4)Zulu Q.
The sake selection is fantastic. The sushi...meh....
(3)Mabel L.
When my friends tried the robata grill beef, they said that sex was occurring in their mouths, and they all were in full agreement. However, it had taken a $40 Groupon and my birthday to drag them in. The sushi and rolls here is fine, high-grade but not a shout-worthy object. The robata grill is fantastic, however. Their entrees are not as wonderful as the sushi and robata grill, so I recommend filling yourself up with those two menu items instead. And, as some other reviewers said, this place is way too much buck for the mellow 'bang'.
(3)Vanessa M.
Over a year has passed since I last reviewed this place. I am now giving them the benefit of the doubt. I am hopeful that the staff member that made the unkind comment about gay folks is no longer working there and they have gotten up to speed with their service. The management still does not seem very welcoming, but maybe they are stressed out in a down economy? Our waitress was very nice and service speed was average. The sushi was delicious to say the least. The meal was fresh and the presentation was excellent. The prices are a bit high, but I would be more concerned if it was too cheap. The atmosphere is nice when the restaurant is full, otherwise it's like sitting in a giant warehouse. I am giving 3 stars because of the overall ambiance and experience. It still feels like a giant cafeteria.
(3)Brian L.
Basho is the place opened by Jack from Duozo in the Fenway Area. Across from Jerry Remy's First thing that is different is the huge bar area in the very center of the place. and full floor to ceiling kick out doors so you can practically be sitting on the street. We sat at the bar , of course, and were served by Molly , who is a Duozo veteran and as expected service was excellent and the best lychee martini ever! I had 3 and could have had 5 more it is like drinking liquid love. The food is nearly exactly what you get at Duozo. Sashimi is 6 bucks for 2 pieces of say Yellowtail but you get two huge slabs of amazing fish. That and the rainbow roll and I was in Sushi heaven.This place has a grill too so try the skewers, Pork belly and asparagus. Yum. my only complaint if that the bar seats are less than comfortable, but I could never deduct points for that, everything else was amazing . I can still taste the salmon skin roll and the miso soup with plenty of seaweed.
(5)J. W.
The atmosphere and ambiance was very chic, a great place to bring a date. As far as Boston standards for sushi go, Basho is pretty good for the price. The quality is somewhat comparable to their sister restaurant Douzo, but without the fishy smell. I've been to Basho several times now for dinner and sushi and have never been disappointed. The salmon sashimi is always fresh, soft, and delicious. On the downside, the service was extremely slow. It took over 30 minutes to get out a few rolls and nearly 15 minutes to get us the check!
(4)Florina K.
The decor is pretty the atmosphere is good. The food is just okay for the most part. We had one good dishout of 5... Rest were just okay. The service was horrible. Our waitress said she could not validate our parking ticket, because we had to do it upfront ourselves. So we said okay and placed the ticket on the table, not to forget about it later. A few minutes later another waitress walked by and without us even adding took care of the ticket... The prices are really ridiculous as well. Good luck!
(3)Grace R.
It was alright. A little underwhelming and overpriced I thought considering all the hype I saw others give it.
(3)Dan G.
This is a new review. Since they have done renovations, ie made the restaurant smaller, service has got better. The bartenders are great and the front desk people are overly polite. Seems like they read YELP and learned how to do it better. Way to go Basho!! Below is my last review. I like having a sushi restaurant near my apartment. The atmosphere is really cool the sushi is decent. The price is kinda high, but then again it is a sushi joint in Boston. The service sucks! Painfully slow. I was there tonight the bar area was not busy yet it took forever to get menus. The waitress didn't even ask if we wanted drinks, that took another 5 minutes. When she dropped off our drinks again 5 minutes later she left with out asking if we wanted to order. I almost walked out. It took 15 minutes before a second waiter came by to get our order. Big shocker it took a while for the food to come. If I hadn't asked for the check right as the food came I think I would still be there right now. I wish I could say this was the first time but it's like this every time and its never been super busy there. Next time I want sushi I'm heading out of my neighborhood.
(4)Sara L.
I think Basho is my new favorite sushi/sashimi joint. Excellent quality fish, presentation, ingenuity. Here's what I'd recommend: - The spicy ginger and garlic edamame: Holy deliciousness. If I had that sauce readily available I would be eating edamame all day every day. - Steamed bun sandwiches: Tender, delicious pork with pickled vegetables in a steamed bun? I think I just died and went to heaven. - Spicy tuna roll: A simple classic, but they really do it well here. - Lychee martini - clean, refreshing, delicious - Salmon sashimi - Really all of the sashimi I've had here has been tasty, but the salmon is just superb. There are so many other great thins on the menu here, I can't wait to go back and order new things! Basho is a little pricey, but there are a lot of great small items to order and share amongst a group. Don't hesitate to ask your server or bartender what's good - everyone who has waited on me has been knowledgeable about the menu and has recommended really tasty treats!
(5)Patricia D.
I arrived early and started off with a good glass of Pinot Grigio. The bartender was very friendly and attractive. My friends arrived and we were seated. I ordered the seaweed salad and some kind of a roll with squid and eel and salmon roe (don't remember name). It was ok. The description had omitted the mayonnaise. The only reason I chose that roll over others was the lack of mayo in the description. Not a bad night, though. My friends like it and go often.
(3)Kim P.
Sexy sushi. That's all I can say. Fresh sushi, didn't love the fresh tofu, but loved everything else I had. Service was not so hot, though. Our server was cold and unhelpful. Boo. However, the fact that the atmosphere is quite amazing, aided by some trippy club-y music, is enough to bring me back and not want to shoot myself for hoping to find parking in the Fenway. I think they have their own garage, if I'm not mistaken.
(4)Ed E.
Quick review: We live around the block within a 5 min away from Basho. After passing by the place for months we finally decided to go in for lunch. I will have to say it is a very nice atmosphere and the sushi is reasonably fresh. But if I were to analyze the food critically Fins has similar quality sushi for less price. If you are a hard core sushi/sashimi enthusiast try somewhere else. If you are looking for a good bowl ramen you also have the wrong place. However, if you are looking for a chic place with atmosphere, you should consider stopping by. ----------------------- Longer comment: We came in here for lunch and ordered: 1) rainbow roll, 2) Chef's choice bento and 3) Udon noodle soup with chicken. The Rainbow roll was a good sized portion and the fish was fresh. The bento was a good portion and had plenty of variety. What I love about the menu is that they offer the choice for brown or white rice for the sushi. It was a nice touch. The Udon soup however was horrible. The noodles were overcooked and falling apart and the chicken was rubbery and over cooked. The decor was lovely, but the service was very slow. Our server was very nice, helpful with the menu and quickly came to refill our water. However, we came in for lunch at 11:30 and barely left 2 hours later. It couldn't be that they were too busy because only 1 other couple came in. It was empty otherwise and that is between 11:30-1:30pm on a Saturday. I had the feeling they were keeping us at our table near the window to make it look like the place wasn't empty. Our neighbors keep telling us it's always packed and we have to try it. We didn't want to argue because they usually are spot on with their recommendations, but most of the time we walk by it is only 1/3 full. At most we see it half full with patrons spaced out to make the restaurant look more packed. And I'm basing this observation from the face that we walk by the restaurant every day coming home from work. So unless people don't eat dinner 6-8pm the other times must be the packed times. I hope more word of mouth gets out so the place doesn't close down.
(3)Aboud Y.
I don't know...there's lots to like about Basho. Nice space, cool vibe, good service, and excellent sushi. I tried the ChuToro, Yellow Tail, and Red Snapper nigiri, one of their special rolls (can't remember the name), and the Avalanche roll. Everything was outstanding. The rice had the right taste/texture and the fish tasted fresh. Their menu is also pretty extensive (read: tempting) and had lots of interesting choices. This is now one of my favorite sushi spots in Boston!
(4)Holly J.
I wish I could afford to eat here every day! They have wonderful sushi - the fish is delicious and seems to be extremely fresh. I don't love salmon, but I almost always get the wild alaska sashimi when I go here because its so tasty. I'm also a fan of many of their rolls. This really is the only sushi place I go to where I regularly order salmon in anything. I'm also a huge fan of their tempura - especially the tempura cauliflower. I've tried 2 of the desserts, and the strawberry cream thing one is delicious - I would definitely recommend it! While many things on the menu are quite pricey, overall its usually not too bad when the check arrives. This is especially true if you stick to the more basic rolls (like spicy tuna). And all the staff I have interacted with have been very good. One day I'll make myself try something other than the sushi and tempura, but I have a feeling its going to be a while since I enjoy those so much!
(5)James O.
Decent Japanese fare in a trendy joint. This review is based on two trips. The first trip I went to lunch with a friend, we tried a few of the maki and sashimi, the standout of which was a crusted sashimi, which fish it was I forgot, but it was great. Service was good, definitely no complaints, but nothing to rave about either. The second trip was for a birthday dinner of about 10 people. I don't like writing reviews based on huge group outings because I understand how much pressure it puts on the kitchen staff to crank out dishes for a large table, but still, that's the business. We were seated promptly, but it was all a bit confusing. We had two waiters working our table and I didn't know who to address, even though both were very helpful. Once we ordered the food took way too long to come out. One appetizer came out and we didn't see another dish come for a good 15 minutes, which is just awkward. This was a Thursday night and it didn't seem terribly busy, either. Once the food did make it to the table, again, no real complaints. I tried a few Robata Grill dishes, including the Tsukune ground chicken and the Japanese eggplant. These little kebab-like skewers are a fun concept and a nice change-up from standard makis and sashimi, and they are also fun to share. Overall I'd say the food here is good, not great. The restaurant itself rather spacious with modern decor, although the floor plan is a bit confusing. The height of the ceilings, spacious interior, thumping music, and colorful lights would be put to better use in a club, not a restaurant.
(3)Adam E.
I've been wanting to try Basho for a while now, since I work near it and it's not too far from home to be out of the question. Then one day I saw that they were the featured deal on Groupon and I was in. Parking is pretty easy in the off-season, there are plenty of meters around. We did one loop around the block and found a meter right in front. I definitely wouldn't bank on that on a game day, or even when schools are in session. But if you're savvy and know the area (I spent some time around Simmons in the past, if ya know what I mean, and I think ya do), you'll be fine. The restaurant itself is large, open and airy. If not for the mindfully placed pots of bamboo sticks throughout, breaking up the space, it would feel stark. We sat in a booth that felt oversized, but not like Lily Tomlin in that huge chair. Just...roomy. I can see a space like this seeming intimidating, but I felt that it was sophisticated and approachable at once. Our waitress was knowledgeable, friendly, and very forthcoming with information about the menu items. She was not all over us, but did little things that made a difference and assured us that she was present. For instance, our tealight was out when we arrived, she took one from an empty table and put it on ours immediately. When that one went out (why can't we have nice things?!) she replaced it again, speedily. Low-sodium soy sauce is the default here, which is lovely. When our waitress presented it, she offered us the option of the regular stuff, which we declined, and christened our dipping plates with it. So the stage is set and we're looking good so far. But the food is the star, so is it Lina Lamont or Kathy Selden? Well, you see the five stars, so you already know it's Kathy! To be fair, I didn't have any raw rolls. I had my standard fallback of the Crazy Roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber & spicy mayo), along with some house specialties. The Dynamite Roll (roe, avocado, cucumber wrapped with torched spicy seafood salad and cheese) and the Dragon Roll (sweet potato tempura wrapped with eel, avocado, touch of unagi sauce). Don't judge me, I was sharing. Well, I was hoping to at least. The Dynamite Roll lived up to its name and I ended up eating the whole portion since it was too much for my date. I loved it though! Flavorful, with a delightful mix of textures and tastes, it was perfect. She ate the Dragon Roll but let me try some and it was absolutely splendid. The sweet potato and avocado made it creamy and the taste was superb. The Crazy Roll was good too, but kind of standard. I should have ordered another adventurous roll. But still, for what it was, they did a damn fine job. I'll definitely go back and try some raw stuff. I'm so psyched for a delicious dining option in the area! Prices are slightly more expensive than I'm used to, but pretty normal downtown numbers.
(5)Sarah C.
I've eaten here three times. The service has varied from good to mediocre to downright terrible. At my last visit, I ordered a bento box for lunch. It arrived at nearly room temperature. The tempura was a little soggy. I had asked for no tomatoes in something, and the waiter forgot. My friend had to request extra ginger three times. Their spinach appetizer is awesome--it's three large spinach plugs in a slightly-too-sweet peanut sauce. The menu is otherwise not very friendly for vegetarians, which is fine for sushi (the 3/5 stars is for the service and messing up things like tempura).
(3)A S.
Updating this. I've been here multiple times since I claimed I'd never return. Food here is always magnificent. A little pricey but worth it.
(5)Frank G.
I had the misfortune of visiting Basho the other evening. We had a reservation but still had to wait some time for our table. My colleagues and I waited at the bar. We inquired with our bartender Bill what drinks he recommended. He asked a few questions and made me the most delicious berry drink that was not on the menu. My colleagues had a Winter Warmer (delicious) and something he called a Red October. He is a true connoisseur of the bar-tending art. I thought our experience was off to a good start. The restaurant was clearly busy. After twenty minutes at the bar, we were then seated. We then waited almost another twenty minutes for our waitress to come over. Ann(e?) was her name. She was very curt, cold, and acted like we were a bother or inconvenience rather than paying customers that are typically valued. She was very impatient when we asked about specials and other questions as we are not typical sushi-goers. She pushed us for an order and barked at us as if we were in the military. When I asked for water for the table she grabbed another employee and yelled "you - water NOW! Here - GO!" It was completely unprofessional, rude, and awful. Our food arrived shortly after. The sushi was fresh, unique, and very tasty. We ordered a few yaki items from their Robata Grill. The samplers are the best way to go and a great value. Almost a dozen pieces for $18 The rest of the meal was uneventful. Our waitress' service was awful and I hope they improve their service. Usually restaurant's are happy to have customers and treat them well. We will come back for the drinks and eat at the bar....perhaps their only asset.
(1)Jon V.
OK, Basho. I work right by Basho, so on days like today when there's two feet of snow on the ground and it's 20 degrees out, I find it a convenient place to duck in for lunch. That might sound indulgent, as this place isn't cheap. Or is it? I can get out of lunch at Basho with a $12 bill. I wouldn't pay $12 for lunch everyday. I mean, that might cut into my moderately priced red wine fund. God, this paragraph is starting out douchy-sounding. But it's true. These are things that concern me right after the global effect of pre-exposure prophylaxis on HIV transmission, the plot of Fringe, and whether my dog can see ghosts. Basho is affordable because they give me a 10% discount based on where I work, they have good lunch specials, and I know how to order-- think tempura udon with no sides and no booze. Add to this value the fact that I bring lunch most days, and it really isn't a financial liability at all. The food is fantastic. The waiters are sweet. The price is oddly right. I totally recommend it. A couple things to make note of: there is a weird white cardboard room in the back. Not sure what it's for. The floor is probably 30,000 square feet in the high rent Fenway neighborhood and there are usually only 5-10 other people in there at lunch. Also, they play trance music. None of these observations are complimentary or derogatory. They are just observations. Although nothing will top my beloved JP Seafood for affordable Japanese food, Basho is right on.
(4)Melody K.
I'm Asian... I've been eating sushi before it became a fad. This place impresses me. Sure, it's a little pricier than other's... but you get what you pay for. The sashimi comes in nice and thick. It's clearly fresh. The decor is pretty and it's catered to a more upscale crowd. The service? Fantastic. I've been here 3 times: 1 - Once when it first opened (2 days after the grand opening) - the server was still learning the specials and fumbled on the words and what was in the sashimi platter but she made the effort and got back to us when she was unsure of anything. The sashimi platter was fantastic. Very fresh. 2 - The second time for cocktails and a few sushi rolls with friends. Again, great service and the server gave fantastic suggestions. I had a 10% off dining cert since I got it from my building management for living in the area, and still no change in service. I recommend the sake sangria. 3 - The third time for dinner with a groupon. The server was not only happy to serve, but also made conversation with us when she noticed our groupon and our driver's license indicating proximity to the restaurant (I ALWAYS get carded... it's the Asian thing...) The black cod was cooked to perfection - silky smooth in texture and melts in your mouth. The Chirashi was just as fresh as the sashimi from my first visit. Both great dishes I'd recommend for sure! The proportions aren't going to be huge... it's a sushi restaurant. But... look at it on the bright side - if you're still hungry, you can sample other fine dishes they have!
(4)Frank W.
Bottom line: Creative, trendy, tasty, unreasonably expensive. Went here with a couple friends for dinner one night. Each of us had a cocktail ($10 ea) which were delicious but gone way too soon. The spicy edamame was AWESOME! I've never had it that way and edamame will never be the same for me. My sushi, while it read very interesting, but not quite so interesting tasting. Which I was ok with, there were no surprises, but it was too much $$ for not many surprises. The presentation, however, was top notch. Sushi was very fresh though (you can always tell when it isn't..) Our server did ok, nothing special but I didn't want to curse her either. So that's always a good thing. Had a livingsocial deal which made me cry slightly less. But only slightly. Probably will stick to other places for my sushi adventures. Even Haru is less expensive than this and that's saying something.
(3)Sarah M.
Went back to Basho recently (again with a groupon) on a weeknight and took a seat at the bar. The food was great, and the service was attentive. Changing my mind to thinking this place is quite good, though the prices are a little high. Would go back again and sit at the bar.
(4)Philip T.
I live in the building above Basho, and have been here probably twice a month for the past year. I would have given this place a 4.5, but after tonight's visit, it's 5 all the way. We did the 5-course tasting menu (reservations required), and every bite was literally heaven. I hate oysters, and I'd still classify the oyster that they served as one of the best foods I've ever tasted in my life. The food here is great (including some special rolls and cocktails that aren't on the menu and only known to regulars- ask your server), and prices are reasonable for the degree of quality.
(5)Julie R.
I've been wanting to eat at this new sushi place since I heard of its opening. I got a CoupMe deal in my email and jumped to try it out. Walking in, the vibe was sleek. It looked like a restaurant you would find in a W hotel. There is a large bar on the left then a huge dining area on the right. Behind that is a large sushi station with many chefs. On a Friday night it seemed slow, then as we left around 9pm, it was packed. Our server Kelsey was a doll. She went over the specials with us very thoroughly, mentioning which ones were top sellers. One of the rolls, a fusion of fish maki, caught our ear and we tried it. We also got a lot of a la carte sushi and some shrimp and asparagus tempura. The fusion roll was beautifully presented. The concept was a different slice of fish and sauce on each slice of a Cali Roll. Kind of like a rainbow roll but prettier. I was surprised to see that roll was $18 on the bill. I found it a few dollars overpriced compared to comparable rolls on the menu The a la carte sushi was perfectly presented on a clean white tray. Everything we had was fresh. The tempura shrimp and veggies were also just right. They offer the nigiri in single cuts vs 2 pieces per order. Use that to your advantage and be adventurous. For dessert we got the chocolate molten cake and creme brulee. No complaints on both. Basho does a great job on all the presentations, from a few pieces of sushi, to a dessert. The owner was making her way around and stopped in to chat. We got to talking of the sister restaurant Douzo. I have to say I like Basho better for the atmosphere and and experience. I will definitely keep it in the rotation.
(4)Joy Y.
Basho, Basho, Basho... such high hopes I had for you! Good location, trendy decor, and sushi! I mean everyone loves sushi! (and obviously by everyone, I mean me.) With that kind of combo, you really can't go wrong....except as you know you very well can. I have a feeling this is going to be a long review so you all might want to brace yourselves.... It all started when we entered the restaurant and walked up to desk directly in front of us, which in case you were wondering, is not where you go to check in for your reservation. Instead, it is the take out counter....I think...it was very confusing, which is also how the girl at the desk presented when we said we had reservations at 8. When she finally understood, she brought us over to the reservation desk at which point four other people who worked there also joined us to assist in the process. I didn't think it was going to be that complicated to tell someone that we had arrived for our reservation, but in fact it was. This is a little synopsis of how the next 7-10 mins worked: The hostess asks us if we want a table in the dining room or the bar. We tell her we have a reservation, sooo.... obviously the dining room. She tells us that our reservation is ready. Two seconds later someone else tells us that in fact our reservation is not ready. Another person tells us to take a seat and wait on the bench. So we sit down on the bench. Yet another person comes up to us with menus (yay! we're going to our table!) Nope. He suggests we go to the bar. Okay, drinks are good. We sit down at the bar. The bartender approaches. She gives us a drink menu. We get comfy. Someone comes over and asks to take our coats. We struggle to get our coats out from under us. We get comfy again. The bartender asks us if we know what we want. At the very same time, the hostess comes over and says our table is ready. We choose the table. The hostess then passes us on to another guy. He walks us over to the other side of the screen where the elusive dining room is. Finally! There are at least three open tables and no one else waiting on the benches or at the bar. Weird... We have a seat and he tells us our server will be right over. Awesome! We are hungry! 2 mins goes by, 6 mins goes by, 10 mins goes by. At some point, I stop someone (a manager I think? I don't know. It seemed like there were about fifty "managers" and no servers...) and ask if we can have some water and put in our drink orders. She is very nice and seems embarrassed. Okay, we get it, you're working out the kinks still-- it's a newish restaurant, that happens (um... except that it's not that new, but whatever.) Another 5 mins (which by the way, seems like forever when you've already been waiting for at least 20 mins with either too much or too little service) goes by and someone comes over with our waters and my saketini, which apparently is supposed to have some sort of other fruity substance in it, but in fact just tastes like sake. The tables next to us get seated. They get drinks. Then they get food. I am really starting to get annoyed now. I mean are we freaking lepers or what??? I mean we go to dinner for an experience! We are spending a crap load of money! Why the F have we not even put in our orders yet?!? UGH.... but my friend and I are having fun catching up with each other and I just don't know that it's worth it to make a huge fuss (and for all you haters out there. I know, it's our own damn fault that we didn't say anything, but I guess that's what Yelp is for, right??) Anyway, eventually we put our orders in, and eventually we get our food. And all I have to say is, for both their sake and ours... the sushi was amazing. Like a.maz.ing . Yes, we were very hungry at that point so I'm guessing pretty much anything would have tasted good, but this was legitimately delicious and creative and so very, very melt in your mouth yummy. We got this tasting and generous platter that came with sake pairings and damn, I'm not kidding when I say it blew me away. Seriously, it's amazing how happy good food and drinks can make me. Actually it's almost a little disturbing, but as I was scraping every delicious morsel of sushi goodness off my plate I damn near forgot about all of the crappy service we had had up to that point. So thankfully we ended on a high note. So all in all... (out of five) Service= 1 (once we actually got a server, she nice but often MIA) Ambiance= 2.5 (weird layout/ bathroom mirrors, very cool, trendy vibe) Food=5 Basho's got lots of things going for it, but man unless they figure out their service issues...let's just say there's a fine line between greatness* and insanity**. *Greatness=sushi. **Insanity=what will happen to me if I have to sit through another service experience like that. Seriously, it sucked.
(2)Sarah A.
I don't care how good your food is. If the service sucks, I'm not going to enjoy the experience. The food here is your average American-ized Japanese food. It's over-priced and just meeeh. I got the Miso black cod which was good but not worth $10. I asked the waitress what was in the seafood roll and she explains there's "Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail..." hmm...sounds good so I order it. First of all, this waitress got both of my friends' orders wrong. Not only that but when we told her she gave us all kinds of attitude. My roll comes and it is fake crab meat mixed with tobiko and spicy mayo..Where the eff is my salmon, tuna and yellowtail??! Biyatch lied about what was in the roll cuz she had NO IDEA. That is totally unacceptable. First of all, KNOW the menu items and if you don't, GO ASK THE CHEFS!! Don't just make up some bullshit answer. Psht. My friends were still eating and she tried to hurry us up by giving us the check and being like "okay are you guys all set??" umm no. we're still eating. I give it 2 stars because the atmosphere is pretty nice. They need to train their waitstaff better.
(2)Steven E.
It took us an hour and ten minuets to eat lunch here. The bulk of that time was spent waiting for our food (over 30 min for three lunch bento boxes). I was also confused as to why my miso soup came out after all the bento boxes (it would have been nice to enjoy some soup during the long wait for my food). All the food came out at different times even though we all ordered +/- the same thing. The service here is really quite bad. Our server didn't bring any soy sauce to us and as we were leaving another table (who also was not brought any) asked to have ours. I'm just not a fan.
(2)Thuy L.
Good sushi: Check Good service: Check Knowledgable wait staff: Check Check Check. The food was great and being a sister to Douzo, we had to check this place out. The drinks are great. The Bling Bling was heaven in a glass, how can you go wrong with Gin and gold specks in a martini glass rimmed with sugar? We tried a variety of dishes. Started off with the monkfish pate which was just okay, not really quite a pate. It was definitely missing something crunchy. I was hoping they would have brought out some kind of cracker or something but what comes out is just the monkfish pate in a bowl with a little vermicelli. The vermicelli is not the right addition to highlight the dish. Then we tried some things from the Robata grill: the pork belly, the shiitake mushrooms, and the scallops. All were delicious. We learned from our waiter that the Robata grills the food but does not leave the smoky taste and he was absolutely right. We tried 5 different combos of Sushi: Basho Roll, Dragon Roll, Volcano Roll, Torch Roll, and the sushi sampler from the specials menu. They were all fantastic. The dragon roll is made of sweet potato tempura which is pretty unique and delicious. I can't wait to go back!!!
(4)Saba N.
I decided to try out Basho for two reasons: 1. I am a big fan of Douzo & I believe it's a sister restaurant.. and 2. I purchased the Rue La La special. what a treat! The service was fantastic, and the restaurant is pretty cool and modern, but casual at the same time. The tables were small, but there was a lot of them and it was PACKED. It's also really spacious which is nice as well. good sushi date spot without the pretentiousness of the south end (although, it's still $$). We ordered steamed shumai to start.. very small, but delicious. I suggest fried though. I think it might be more filling. Then, out came the rue la la dish. This involved 14 pieces of fish & three types of saki - all really delicious. I LOVED the torch salmon roll, and all of the sashimi was excellent. What a treat - and it was nice to branch out of my normal maki rolls! For dessert we ordered the lava cake to share and it was delicious. Great presentation, great flavors, and enough for 2! Will definitely be coming back next time I'm in the Fenway area. Good food, good atmosphere, and good service! win.
(4)Fiddos J.
A very good japanese restaurant. The sushi/sashimi is excellent - top quality fish, well curated, great flavors and beautifully presented. They have lot of innovative items (in terms of what's usually available in the US) - esp. the rolls. These really push the boundary of what can sushi be. However, it would be mistake to only eat the sushi/sashimi - because the other items are just as excellent. I esp. like their eggplant & (bunashimeji??) mushroom appetizer, the spicy tuna tartare, gyoza and the pork bun sandwich. The last one is really exceptional - perfectly marbled pork belly cooked just right and with a delicious miso / soy sauce. And the best part is that the price is not outrageous - compared to other japanese places in the same market segment.
(4)Alexa M.
Delicious sushi! Great modern atmosphere and attentive staff. I have been there a couple of times but I recently went for "paint nite" with my friends and it was a blast. It is a tad on the pricey side but they always seem to have groupons or living social deals so keep an eye out for the hookup before you go. Overall- it's a great spot for sushi!
(4)K. N.
10 pm on a Sunday night, so just a few other tables (that seemed to be happy). My friend and I had a very nice and attentive server in Aida who was also sweet to be quick with the check when we mentioned we had to catch something at 11. She gave some enthusiastic recommendations and knew the menu well. The pork bun appetizer ($7.95)was delicious with juicy pork inside and the pickles were a surprising and nice part of the "sandwich". The black miso cod ($13.75) was super small in serving. The miso dots on the side of the dish added really good flavor, though it's just not something I would order again for the cost. The kobe beef robata ($6.95) - delicious. I think I would have liked it even a little more pink, but the flavor was good and it was 2 decent sized cubes of juicy meat. The chu-toro sushi (about $6 for 1 pc sushi) - fresh and clean taste and perfect. The yuzu yellowtail roll ($15.75) was nicely done and fresh. Though, it was smaller in size than I'd hoped. The yuzu adds some sweetness and there was enough flavor to the roll that my friend opted to skip the soy sauce dipping. TI liked that they had white pickled ginger on the side instead of pink - firm and full taste. Presentation on everything was nice. Tea was refilled attentively. Staff were nice from the hostess to person who seated us and servers. I like the matchstick lights dancing behind the sushi bar staff. Place feels very big, which I didn't like as much because there weren't too many people, but perhaps the size is fitting when it's a full house. Went for dinner with a livingsocial coupon. It was definitely tasty but the expensive prices would make it a hard sell for me to come back on my budget, which is too bad because I would like to try more rolls and kobe beef items. We're in that area sometimes, so we may still stop by again just for the pork bun sandwich and robata grill items.
(4)Amy R.
The boyfriend and I went to Basho a couple of weeks ago for what we were hoping would be a quick bite to eat before we headed out for the night. Well, the experience was certainly not a short one. We asked for seating on the patio and our waiter was moving slower than a Special Olympic hurdler. Being a waiter at Basho may be his first waiting gig, so we laid off of him a little bit - seemed a bit jittery and nervous. Anyway, the reason why I didn't give this less stars is because I am HOPING this isn't the case with the waitstaff across the board. The food was tres delicious. We split the sweet potato tempura for an appetizer - if you're hankering for more than small bites for an app, I recommend getting a couple of orders. My boyfriend also got the grilled squash from the Robata grill and it had a really nice mustard sauce on top. He had the lobster tempura maki, which looked really good... but he had gobbled them up to quickly for me to sneak a bite! I had sake maki and spicy tuna and was very pleased. Also, there is an incredible White Pomegranate martini that I would recommend to anyone in the mood for a girly cocktail!
(4)stephanie c.
I was really excited to check out this new sushi place. Unfortunately, it seemed to miss a lot of marks and I hope they continue to thrive in the next few years. Location-Fenway probably isn't the best location for their classier upscale restaurant given that most people in the area are either collegians or tourists. It's nice to have a finer restaurant in the sporty Fenway area, but the probably not the best business decision. It would have done much better in Back Bay, DT, Cambridge, or the South End Ambiance-surprisingly nice! I liked the spacious open bar. It's very simplistic, yet modern, zen-ish, clean, and comfortable. True it can give a sort of cold cafetaria vibe in the space and choice of furniture. They have a lot of land, so it's definitely not the cozy vibe, but I still thought the layout was well down and the ambiance is nice. Menu-great variety. Here's the big misser. The concept of the sushi, appetizers, sounded great but tasted overcompensated. We tried a variety of robata, sashimi, maki sushi, and appetizers-everything was fresh but it just seemed as thought they were trying too hard to make their entrees unique and ended up destroying the natural flavor and delicacy of the fish. The result is a puzzled, uncertain, experience in my mouth. Kobe beef in particular was dry and overcooked (how sad for the kobe) Overall-if the sushi was off hand incredible, they'd have a better shot at getting people to come out to Fenway to try it. Otherwise they're just banking right now on novelty and as soon as that dies out...business might be rough. Suggestions-simply the flavors and taste and focus on presenting something more amazing. Will I be back? Perhaps...undecided at this time whether the venture to Fenway is worth it...
(2)Hieu T.
My former team and I went to this local restaurant last night, and it was amazing! I love the decor of the restaurant. It reminds me of a hip, euro type of restaurant with Asian theme to it. It is was empty on a Tuesday's night so I can just imagine when it gets busy. It could be transform into a nightclub. My team and I had amazing service here! Our waiter was amazing and offered excellent choices for sushi. There were rolls made out of brown rice - so tendor, soft, and amazing! One of my team mates cannot decide which wine to get, so the restaurant manager stop by our table and offer a few glasses of wine to taste. Absolutely marvelous! I would like to give it a five stars, but it is quite expensive for dinner - which it is not surprising since Sushi joints are expensive. I want to go back there for LUNCH! Besides, I get 10% off for being an area hospital employees.
(4)Elisabeth G.
Basho, I have to thank you for two reasons: 1) Your food is delicious 2) You have brought me to the important life realization that I do NOT enjoy listening to techno music while eating raw fish. I know the two really aren't related, but that's probably why it felt wrong at the time. All things considered, I really had a very good experience here. A few co-workers and I went here after a work function earlier this week. We got there around 6:30 and, although there were probably 5 other people in the place, it took them a good 10 minutes to seat us. However, once we we got a table, everything went much better. We started off with spicy ginger edemame. Why I have not seen spiced edemame anywhere else is beyond me because it was delicious. When our food arrived, there wasn't anything I didn't want to try. My friend and I got a bunch of maki and devoured it all. My maki partner in crime had to make active efforts not to hog the food from each other. Standout roll of the night award definitely went to the spicy avalanche roll with an honorable mention to the Crunchy roll. I have to admit, I was expecting to eat here, like it, but pay far too much. While the sushi is expectedly slightly more expensive than the average hole-in-the-wall, it's really not much worse on price and it has the goods to back it up. The only drawbacks were the aforementioned tumpa-thumpa music and the slightly over-eager service. You can only be asked how everything is so many times before you start feeling guilty that you're not eating faster.
(4)Andrea E.
Best sushi I've ever had! I eat a Basho often because of two reasons 1) I'm addicted to sushi 2) I love Basho I've actually dared to try new things at Basho, which I hadn't done before at any other sushi restaurant because of fear. My favorite pieces are Spicy Tuna appetizer (with crispy rice...yum!) Any Bento lunch Caterpillar roll Tempura Banana Dessert Once you try Basho, you can't really go anywhere else!
(5)Jenny C.
OMG this place is really cool and the food won't disappoint you. pro: - classy atmosphere...some good music...not too loud... - presentation of food...awesome - taste of food...awesome ( get the kobe beef skewers). - you want to order something really good and that fills u up? get the Pork Ramen soup! - Servers: pretty nice and attentive cons: - they charge you $ 1.50 for a side of sriracha hot sauce ( wait what !!!???) - I asked for a Tom Collins and instead of telling me "We don't know how to do it " they just brought me a bad "experiment" and it tasted pretty bad. So only get drinks on the menu. The lychee martini is pretty good. - a bit pricey I like it...give it a chance if you are around fenway and you're hungry. Ps: great date spot
(4)Catherine R.
All in all it was good. I have been there on numerous occasions with friends, boyfriends, and family members, and the service was always good. So far, no complaints. Traditional food, done by Japanese. Of all the dishes, I can truly tell you that the Sushi is wonderful, and that the Scallops are to die for. Don't believe me? Go there and see for yourself.
(4)Laura B.
I am very surprised to see the bad reviews of Basho on Yelp. I have been to Basho twice and had great experiences both times. The first time I went with my boyfriend and used a BuyWithMe certificate. We did not have any problems using it. My mushroom robata was fabulous and my boyfriend had pork robata and loved that too. Our sushi was delicious. Everything went so well that we decided not only to go back for my boyfriend's graduation dinner with his, rather large, family but also to buy 3 more BWM certificates for future use. They gave us a nice corner for a little privacy for our big group and were very accomodating to our various preferences, even to his six yr old brother's tastes. The spicy edamame is fabulous. I am also surprised that people like Duozo better. I live near Duozo but have only been once. The tables are MUCH closer together at Duozo than at Basho. The sushi is good at both places but the other Japanese small plates are much better at Basho in my opinion. I have had some flops at Duozo. I am happy to be moving to Fenway so I can eat Basho all the time!
(4)Nikki T.
I went to Basho for a friend's birthday dinner a couple of months ago, and it was nothing short of one of the greatest culinary disappointments I've ever experienced in Boston. Maybe I just have extraordinarily high standards when it comes to Japanese food considering I was born and raised in Japan for 18 years, and I compare everything to my mother's cooking. Regardless, in short, Basho is not worth the price you pay for the quality of food you're served here. The atmosphere of this place can only be described as "tries-too-hard". Its décor is a fusion of mod, zen, and bamboo themes - which could be cool if executed properly...but it wasn't. I guess it serves well for a "high-class" Japanese restaurant smack dab in the center of a collegiate neighborhood. Very bizarre location for this "caliber" of restaurant I'd have to say. Several of my friends ordered sushi - which is fine if you're willing to pay $4 per sushi (nigiri). I'm not. Sushi is a hit or miss thing for me at Japanese restaurants in Boston. I usually order a main non-sushi dish and feed off my friend's sushi plates when I assess the quality of a restaurant. The sushi at Basho is A-ok. Nothing special. Definitely not worth the price. I decided to try the Tofu Hamburg Steak, a vegetarian dish. Biggest mistake of my life. There was absolutely no taste (not even copious amounts of salt and pepper can save this culinary disaster) and it felt like I was eating a hamburger made out of flavorless cardboard. I don't care how vegetarian you are, you will be disappointed by the blandness of the dish. It is so awful that it should be taken off the menu. I'm not kidding. It is a waste of your $16.50. I walked out of this restaurant feeling so utterly disappointed and cheated of my money. I'd probably never return here again.
(1)Michelle B.
Went here with my husband after I got a $25 for $50 deal from Where.com . Both of us enjoyed our food very much and would like to come back. The only thing keeping this from a 5 star, or a more enthusiastic 4 star, is the service. While our waiter was great, he was handling six other tables toward the end of lunch service by himself and seemed overwhelmed. The food also came out at an odd pace, so my husband and I were often left not eating while the other one was. I had the steamed pork bun sandwich and I thought it was great. The bun was light and fluffy and the pork was perfectly cooked and seasoned. It was so meltingly tender. After that, I tried the pork belly and asparagus skewer which was well prepared and the perfect size, probably about one stalk of asparagus cut into quarters and then wrapped in pork belly. Lastly I had the avalanche roll which was just okay; there was something about all the components that didn't just come together in the right way for me. My husband had the eel and cucumber roll and one of the lunch specials. The lunch special was ridiculously large - a pile of rice, some beautiful sashimi, onion rings, chicken teriyaki, some maki, a really cute segmented orange plus a salad. He enjoyed all of it. Parking out front was easy, but I imagine it'd be a nightmare when there's a game. The interior of the restaurant is very nice, but way too big. the cavernous aspect of it made it seem cold.
(4)Gail F.
When I heard Fenway was getting a sushi restaurant by the owners of my favorite Back Bay sushi joint, Douzo, I couldn't wait to check it out. About a week after opening, I gave it a go - and it was likely my last. The decor and atmosphere are not what you would expect from a Fenway bar/restaurant. Inside you'll find chic decor with dark intimate lighting. My friend and I sat in the bar area and quickly ordered two cocktails - however, they didn't arrive nearly as quickly as we ordered them. Our food was good, but nothing to rave about. And the service was terrible. Slow, unfriendly, and boring. If you're looking for a swanky evening out, this place may be for you. If you're looking for a simple bite of sushi, look elsewhere.
(2)Tyson F.
Basho is old reliable when it comes to sushi. Always happy with the quality, freshness and flavors of the food here. This was our 4th or 5th visit since it opened late in 2010, and it was typical sub-par service. The wait staff could certainly be more attentive. This was the 3rd time we've sat down and waited nearly 15 minutes before even hearing from our waiter. It begins to border on the point where you want to get up to remind your hostess that we're waiting to be taken care of. There is also a longer than usual wait for your food, once you do finally get to order. Our waiter explained that there was a big table holding up the process. Oh well. Poor service aside, the food is always great, and I'm sure we'll be back soo
(4)Hilary D.
Great sushi, large dining area, cool, modern bar/lounge...this is a great spot! I had dinner and drinks with a friend at Basho earlier this week. We started with a cocktail in the lounge area - she had some sort of berry martini thing, which was really good, but a little sweet for my taste. I had the cucumber martini, and I had the bartender make it with Hendricks gin instead of vodka - sure, I was *that* annoying person, but I prefer gin martinis. No problem, the bartender didn't mind the substitution and poured a perfectly balanced drink. Any drink with gin and cucumber is good by me, but the muddled herbs are a nice touch. When we were finished with our drinks, we sat down for dinner, and decision-making was not easy. The menu is pretty extensive. I'd love to try some of their non-sushi offerings, but we ordered all sushi. She had a crazy roll, a rainbow roll, and spicy yellowtail. I ordered salmon roe sashimi, uni sashimi (more on this later), salmon sushi, pickled mackerel sushi, a sweet potato tempura roll, and a shiitake mushroom tempura roll. Dude - the shiitake roll was amazing! Sweet potato tempura roll is one of my "must-have's" at sushi joints, and Basho did a great job. About the uni - I can't really say whether Basho's uni was any better than anyone else's, because this was my first time trying it (if you're unfamiliar with sushi, uni is sea urchin). If you haven't tried it, please do - I fully intended to order another portion, but I was so full that I ended up packing up my last few mushroom rolls. I would love to look at Basho's dessert menu, but I was so stuffed that I didn't even want to see it. I'll check it out online - I bet they make some fun desserts! My only complaint is that the dining room was too cold. I was pretty chilly in a skirt and short-sleeved shirt, so if you get cold easily, you might want to wear pants and bring a sweater. But this wasn't enough to knock a star off my rating; I'm always cold. If you decide to go, make sure you check out the screen projections on the back wall. The night I was there, it featured long, rod-shaped rectangles in a fluid motion, and we were giggling because it reminded us of looking at the paramecium under the microscope in high school science class. I'd love to come here on a weekend night - the food is great, but it seems like it would also be a great place to go for a trendy night out.
(5)Cami F.
Basho is much like Douzo, although slightly cheaper and with a more simplistic appearance. The food is great- they have my favorite crunchy roll- and a wide variety of other selections too. When we went it was a bit cold and the music a little loud, but that wouldnt stop me from trying it again!
(3)Katie D.
I haven't ever had anything I didn't like at Basho. As a longtime sushi fan, I've recently jumped on the modern-sushi wagon and this is definitely a favorite spot. The skewers are amazing - especially the Kobe, of course - and the seafood salad was also really flavorful & refreshing as an app. I virtually always order the scallop kiki roll, because it's so fresh and all the flavors just pop, but the spicy yellowtail or Phoenix rolls are also amazing. Service has always been really friendly, down-to-earth, and attentive with a sense of humor -- just what Boston needed in a sushi restaurant.
(4)Leo E.
Found this place totally by chance - it made me get a Yelp account. This place is fantastic, I'll definitely be going back. First of all, the food was GREAT. Everything we tried was amazing. Even the tea was amazing! We bought 8 food items and 2 drinks, and everything was perfectly done...and free refills on that amazing tea. They have small appetizers for cheap so you can try lots of different things. Each tempura appetizer comes with two pieces, so it's perfect for a date. We got two tempura appetizers and one order of gyoza - which were, by the way, the perfect texture. We also got miso soup, and they give you a legitimate bowl there. For the entree, I got chicken teriyaki, and my boyfriend got vegetable yaki udon. My chicken was tender and juicy and the teriyaki sauce was great. Even the rice was awesome. My boyfriend's tofu was perfect, and we're both picky about it. We ended up sharing both. For dessert, we shared the banana tempura, which was awesome as well. The waitress (who was really, really nice, so bonus points) recommended it because "the warm banana and the cold ice cream is a good contrast" - I definitely agree! It has lots of different tastes and textures, I really recommend it...but on the other hand, I won't be getting it again for a while, since everything else on the dessert menu looks so good. If you want something simple, they have various kinds of ice cream I'm kind of itching to try as well. My boyfriend also got sake, of which they have a very good selection. He said he'd get a different kind next time probably, but that's just because he doesn't know a lot about individual kinds of sake. So, 3 appetizers, 2 soups, 2 drinks, 2 entrees and 1 dessert later (and we didn't break 100 with 20% tip)...we're definitely going back. Basho is set on my list of places I think about going now. I see no reason to give it less than a full score.
(5)Nicholas S.
Basho promises a lot with its looks and its menu, but it really doesn't deliver. You might think you're paying for atmosphere, but really the atmosphere here is just not my scene, and, from the looks of it on what should have been a busy night, no one else's. The decor, lights, and music were all just a little off, like they are trying too hard and not quite getting it right. Our waiter prefaced everything by saying that he "had to bring everything out as it became ready, you know", as if it was something that we should already understand. I don't know how practically every Japanese place (and other restaurants) can bring out all of your entrees at the same time when Basho can't. We ordered the Lime and Salt Edamame. I get what they're trying to do, making things more "fusion", but to do that, you really have to know how NOT to overcook edamame. It was squishy and flavorless, and difficult to eat without getting shell. I can imagine some of the types of edamame being good, but I couldn't get over how overcooked it was to really enjoy it. The sushi we had was slightly fishy (c'mon, we're on the ocean) and the tofu "steak" plate was far more rice than tofu, and not much else. The mushi that two of us ordered, while actually pretty good, came in a mini soup tureen that was impossible to eat out of with the soup spoon they gave us. Our waiter said it was popular and almost always sold out, so you would think that they would know its impossible to eat in the way that it was served. While it was very tasty, I don't think a bowl of broth with a few bits of seafood was worth what we paid. The Robata Grill grape tomato skewer was good and all, but Robata is supposed to be a grill at which customers sit around and it basically tasted Italian instead of Japanese , and not worth $2.25 for four grape tomatoes. In general it seemed like the pricing was generally too high for the quality of food that we received. It was also pretty inconsistent. Some things were $2 while others were $16, and it just didn't make sense. In a few months I might head back to see if they've adjusted their prices, re-sourced their fish, figured out how to serve mushi, stopped cooking their edamame so long, and just generally got their act together, but, to be honest, I'm not hopeful.
(1)Russ B.
The food is fairly well done. I am not blown away and have recently visited Japan. This place comes close on some levels, they have more of an offering. However the prices are way too high. The robata is a great idea, but in Japan we were getting 3 skewers for the price they are charging. So everything is overprices, but at least tastes good. The best deal is lunch, though high for lunch it is at least reasonable. The main complaint I have is with the restaurant owner and manager. Is it just me or do they give everyone dirty looks when they go in there? The staff on the other hand is great. I anticipate there will be high turnover though because of the rude nature of the management. I feel for a new offering they should keep their prices low, perhaps reduce the staff and do everything they can to make a good impression and bring customers back. I don't see them doing that successfully here. I wonder what will replace them by next year?
(2)Bethany T.
Went here about a week ago with the hubby. It was around 6 and the place was busy but not packed. Waited at least 10 minutes for water and a drink order although we were repeatedly passed by at least 3 servers. When someone finally came over they were attentive and took our orders for food and drink. Service slacked off quite a bit once a loud obnoxious party came in and were seated near us. Used a Groupon; the waiter deleted it before taking down the number (duh). Took almost 10 minutes to dredge up the number again while he said that it was probably an issue with our "system" (whatever that means). Took forever to get out of there. It shouldn't take 2 hours to get out of a place when you have two people and order everything at the same time. 2 stars for service definitely. However, the tempura appetizers and 3 hand rolls (rainbow, crunchy and spider) were amazing. Wish I could have given the place a better rating, but it is what it is.
(3)Daniel P.
Hellz. Yes. First off, the hostess was SUPER FRIENDLY and talked to us throughout the meal. She's from California. Go say hi to her. My friend and I each got a drink - I, the Samurai and he the Blood Orange Martini - and both very much loved them. The monkfish pate appetizer was fanTAStic, as were the other two of which names have slipped my mind. One of them involved spinach and seaweed...need I say more? I had the salmon roe sushi, the toro sashimi, the squid sashimi, and the tiger roll. I really wish my life were like Groundhog Day so I could wake up every morning knowing I was going to eat that exact combination. My friend got the mushroom rolls and the scallop rolls, both of which he said were quite tasty. The atmosphere is pretty trendy and gay - as am I, so I can say that - and all of our servers were really friendly. They were all women and, in my experience, women love us gays. I'm sure they're always that friendly, you should go and find out and then let me know :-).
(5)Tricia F.
I like the new decor and vibe at Basho; we sat at the bar and only had light meal, but with mixed results. Bartender seemed overwhelmed and unfamiliar with the menu. We tried robato-grill: chicken thigh, beef roll, and scallops. Scallops were delicious, but only got 2 on a stick. Chicken thigh was dry and overseasoned, beef roll was better. They've got an extensive menu, so something for everyone, and I've never been disappointed here before. Will definitely go again, but skip the robato.
(3)Baking M.
Basho is the sister restaurant of Douzo on Boylston Street in Fenway. Next to Upper Crust, Basho features a spacious bar. The lighting and modern atmosphere is pleasing. Basho is not as loud as the clubby music from Douzo and they do take reservations. The menu has a lot of similar items as Douzo as well. Service is prompt and attentive. From the Robata Grill (On Skewer)), we had the Spicy Duck with mushroom for $6.25 and was tender and we would definitely order again. From the Fried section or Agemono, we tried the Fried Chicken Meat Balls with robata teriyaki sauce for $8.00. For maiki rolls, we tried spicy yellow tail, spicy tuna, shitake mushroom tempura, philadelphia all around 5.00- 7.00 each roll. Our favorite was the shitake mushroom tempura which was earthy and crunchy. They sushi was fresh, high quality, well made and delicious.
(4)Alison C.
Basho just had their grand opening, like, yesterday, but I got my hiney over there two weeks ago to check it out. Ended up having a blast! The vibe in there was similar to the vibe in The Lansdowne Pub when I went there on their opening day: skittish waiters with bigger-than-big smiles and the smell of new paint on the walls. The outside definitely needed some work since there wasn't much signage, but I thought the inside was really cool. It's very big, lots of black and white and a laser show over the sushi bar (I know!) Our waitress was blonde and adorable and I think Russian, and I shall refer to her as Sletvana (not her real name, but she's my boo). So yeah, the sushi is pretty expensive, but it's worth it. We ended up ordering four different rolls and all of them tasted very fresh. One of them had some kind of jelly eggs as a garnish, and even that was tasty! Also I would highly suggest ordering the Malbec, and the strawberry cheesecake for dessert. The wine will get you drunk, and the cheesecake will only make your buzz that much better. I also really appreciated the fact that they let me and my date sit there for four hours without rushing us out. There was a pretty decent sized crowd and I think this new place will do well in Fenway. The only weird thing was that Sletvana kept coming over and changing our plates like it was going out of style. I would eat one edamame pod and I would put the empty shell on the plate, and BOOM. It would be gone and replaced with a brand new dish. Those dishwashers in the kitchen of Basho must hate their lives.
(4)R F.
Came in with a group. Decided on happy hour roll specials. Some of the tools were great others were so so. Live and learn.
(3)Juliana N.
Came here with my friend with the idea that we'd eat LIGHT and heathly so we can stay skinny for Vegas this week. And did we hold back on eating the rice or noodle dishes or getting a sugar filled yummie looking martini? We did. Order 1: SASHIMI DINNER 28.00-----complete with 7 different types of fish, 3 pieces of each. The cuts were generously large and plenty. Order 2: Kanpachi Carpaccio with shiso yuzu-kosho dressing and chardonnay gelée 14.75 --- the dressing was light and delicious! SO GOOD. Came with 5 pieces. I'd definitely order this again. The sushi was fresh. I didn't go home with a stomach ache, so i'd say 5 stars for fresh sushi! I LOVED the trendy and sleek look. The bar was so nice! Though we opted to sit at a table. They sat us down by the window/door and nice bamboo stalks for decoration. Nice. Love love love. My friend and I said we'd love to have our birthday party here because there's a subtle sheer curtain divider that adds this really nice elegant feel to the section!
(5)Jessica B.
*Disclaimer* We had a Level-up coupon that got us a Chef's Sushi Boat...so we didn't get to pick and choose what we got. I liked the sushi we had (california, spicy shrimp tempura, eel...) but they were pretty simple and none were AMAZING that I'd be dying to try again. I would like to go back and just eat off the menu. The menu seemed great, and lots of delicious options. We sat outside, which due to no red sox game was really nice and relaxing. Our waitress was very nice, helpful... no service issues. I'd give it another shot, but still favor Fugakyu, etc....
(3)Courteney M.
As a fanatic of their sister restaurant, Douzo, in Back Bay, the joke amongst my friends was that Douzo ran a spending report by zip code and decided they had to open a location in the Fenway to better monetize me. Basho is my new favorite spot for sushi in Boston - the same amazing rolls and food as Douzo, with better decor and more spacious seating (I love Douzo, but I sometimes feel like I'm sitting on top of my neighbors because the tables are so close together). Other plusses? A robata grill (AMAZING grilled veggies - the shitake mushrooms and grape tomatoes are my favorites), the ability to make a reservation for parties less than 5 (unlike Douzo, where you have to get there before 7pm to avoid a wait because they don't take reservations for parties of 2-4), and EASY, validated parking in the 1330 Boylston garage ($4 for 3 hours, even during Sox games - if you go and they tell you the garage is full, they'll let you in if you're eating at Basho). The whole process couldn't be easier, and you still get the same amazing food as you do at Douzo.
(5)Elizabeth K.
It's super expensive for the portions you get. It's a bit deceiving though since a lot of items are priced by piece. So, you think "oh, $7 isn't bad" then, for example, you get two tiny piece of asparagus (like half of your pinky size) wrapped in two tiny pieces of pork belly. We ordered a special sushi sampler, 4 different types of skewers, and a spicy scallop roll (and feeling like we were being little piggies) the waitress responded with: "you're going to need more food than that." Yikes! (There were only two of us). So, we ended up adding on another roll that we honestly could have done without. The food was really tasty, but not soooooo tasty that the price was worth it combined with the service. In a near empty restaurant they sat us at a two top essentially attached to another two top, but separated by bamboo branches for privacy (which is a cute idea, but doesn't work, I heard way more from ladies conversation next to me than I did of my husband). I am also not really sure what they were going for while seating us seeing that all the other two-tops that were empty. It was pretty annoying. Furthermore, after seeing our new table-mates drinking tea, I was tempted to get one myself. Although the waitress seemed to refill their cups every five seconds and refill my husband's water glass just as frequently, she kept forgetting I had tea. Most of the dinner was spent with my mouth on fire from the spicy rolls and nothing to drink. It was very strange/unpleasant.
(3)Maleia S.
Basho is fantastic. They have an amazingly diverse selection available and their sushi is unmatched. While I'm used to the cheaper pricing of Symphony Sushi, I have to say, Basho is worth it. Even their sushi rice is better. Some of my favorite items are the Phoenix Roll, Steamed Bun Sandwich, Sushi Rice, and Plum Wine. Their plum wine is the best I've ever had! The restaurant is huge and very chic. While technically a casual dress code, you'll find that it's a little fancier than that. The bar is fully stocked and their bartenders and wait staff are incredibly polite and friendly - not to mention knowledgeable. One small issue: they refuse to deliver past the building next to theirs. I work at a store on the next block, and they refused to deliver to me, saying I should use a website that charged not only an added percent on the menu prices, but also a delivery charge. Luckily, I was able to finagle leaving for a few minutes and get take-out instead. But yeah, even after they refused delivery, I still chose Basho, because they're the best. Hands down.
(5)Jayna D.
Decided to come here with my lunch buddy on a whim. We are always looking for a good sushi place close to work. This place was pretty good overall. We decided to sit at the bar and were greeted by a very friendly bartender who was extremely knowledgeable of the food. We ordered the Toro, which was ultra fresh and delicious, the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll and the Scallop Kiwi Roll, which ended up being my favorite. I will go back just for that! The only drawback was the service. They had our poor bartender also tend to all the tables around the bar and the outside tables. The two other waitresses in the bar didn't seem to know what to do to help her, therefore, everything got backed up and we ended up waiting for our check for 20 minutes. However, this would not stop me from going there again. I just hope management learns how to staff a little better.
(4)Sarah D.
I had a wonderful time here this past week. I had bought two of the RueLaLa deals and was finally able to redeem them. A friend of mine and I went on Tuesday night. They weren't busy at all when we arrived. I had read the reviews before going and was curious to see what the service would be like. Ten minutes after we had been seated, no one had come to the table with water or menus, even though there were several servers standing close by, not doing anything. I felt that the reviews had been confirmed. However, our server eventually showed up and managed to turned things around. The meal was delicious- as the other reviews mention, they serve you a selection of rolls and starters, along with a flight of sakes. The food was incredible and I am ashamed to say that I wasn't able to try everything because I got too full. What really made the meal, however, was our discussions about sake with the server. At one point he mentioned Basho's most expensive (and tasty) offering, Hakkaisan. He raved about the flavor, saying that it was the best he had tasted. A short while later, he came out with two small glasses so that we could sample it, I assume guessing that we would never be able to afford it on our own. The ceilings are high and unfortunately, it doesn't have the cozy feel of its sister restaurant, Douzo. I think they could make changes with the decor to change the atmosphere, but they don't have to do anything to improve the food. Also, our server mentioned that they have monthly parties on the first Wednesday with a DJ. He said there's more information about it on facebook.
(4)Frank S.
The place is beautiful and definitely marketed for the people looking for a trendy vibe. The people are very accomodating and the service is more than exceptional. I would recommend this place for a nice dinner out before heading out into town or even if you wanted to impress a date why not bring her or him here! The food is better than I expected but probably not the best sushi I've tried in Boston. I definitely have a few favorites... 1. The kobe beef on skewer (ahhh my love for kobe beef!) 2. The pork belly rolled on asparagus skewer (just melts in the mouth!) I also had the spciy tuna on crispy sushi rice which was just delightful but didn't scream out spectacular! And to wrap things up I had the Phoenix Roll which consists of crab stick with spicy mayo wrapped with seared salmon and tobiko, unagi sauce. The presentation was very nice but as I would expect a place like this to carry good sushi it did! The salmon tasted very fresh and the roll was delightful. It didn't scream out to me and say you have to come back here and try this very same dish but it did leave me with a lasting impression on the restaurant as a whole. I had their plum wine and I have to say that it was pretty sweet which I really enjoyed. Much sweeter than most places that serve plum wine. I had a great time with my friend and definitely see myself coming back here for some more sushi! The food: 4 stars The service: 3.5 stars The decor: 5 stars
(4)Eve C.
This place was phenomenal. We went several months ago and I never got around to reviewing it, but I should have! We got a huge amount of food, drinks, the works. It was a bit expensive ($200 for 4 people) but we really got a ton of really really delicious food and we all had multiple drinks. If all you want is basic sushi, then yes, it is overpriced, but if you want to experiment with sushi a bit, come here!
(5)Sarah D.
Sushi rolls are great here, but you're going to pay the price. We wanted to love this place since it's in our neighborhood but the service is so slow and the wait staff just seem to disappear for awhile. If i'm going to choose dine-in instead of take-out for sushi and pay the $$ for it, I better have attentive service. Without the group-on we'd be even more disappointed. I think we'll stick to take-out from here in the future.
(3)Lily L.
Ambiance: Basho is very nicely decorated. Minimal but sleek and modern. One side has the bar and the other side has the restaurant. It's definitely a great place to come with date or friends. Service: Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. Food: The food is good, but not amazing. And the downside is the portions are very, very small. We ordered the pork belly with asparagus skewer. There were 4 pieces of pork belly wrapped around asparagus. I don't think the pork belly was as crispy as I had hoped. We also ordered the miso black cod. It's a 4 oz piece of fish or about the size of your palm. The flavors were pretty good. The 3 rolls we ordered were: dragon roll, spider roll, and spicy tuna roll. My least favorite would be the spicy avalanche roll. The serving of crab on top of the roll was good, but I couldn't taste any tuna at all. I don't know if it got overwhelmed by the cheese, but I just couldn't detect any hint of tuna. The dragon roll came in 4 pieces. Since I like tempura anything and crab, the combination of the two was great to me. The flavor was simple--just really let the crab sing. Our favorite was the dragon roll, and this roll was the best roll by far. If I were to come back again, I'd re-order this. Overall, the dinner cost $70 for 2 of us. I thought it was expensive for the quality and quantity of food.
(3)Khiem T.
I personally love Basho. I love the name too, very lovely. Here's the deal with people and expensive sushi, it's gourmet! You go to Basho for creativity, flavors, and interesting modern food preparation. This is not Americanized. If you want traditional sushi, you should go elsewhere, this place is very creative with their food. As for service, I enjoy the waiters here, they are very polite. We got the octopus and tuna tartar for appetizers, and crunchy roll and tiger roll to finish off. One word that stood out to me right away with the food. FLAVOR. all the ingredients were put together and it transcends the rawness of the fish. The flavor was exquisite. My only complaint was the 12$ drink that tasted like a normal mojito. haha.
(5)Meatdowntown C.
The food is good, but the service is pretty inconsistent. I have been there three times and the really can't figure out how they are going to managet to stay in business. They need to lower down the prices because the food is pretty expensive and the wile list mediocre. Also, 50% of the wines listed they do not have them. This place needs a lot of attention from the customer service standpoint. It is a gigantic place and it is usually empty. Good luck. The bad thing is that the rolls are pretty good, but very expensive.
(2)Josh S.
We were here the other night for dinner and thought it was good. The staff was very efficient, answered our questions well, and were attentive without being overly attentive. We were very happy that they could use brown rice instead of white in all of the dishes they make, including the sushi! The sushi was good, as was the shrimp appetizer we shared in a dark sauce. The ambiance was also very nice, sleek and modern, yet elegant with some warmth. The deserts (lava cake and crème brûlée) were absolutely wonderful. We would recommend this restaurant!
(4)Francis W.
I first want to say that I was really excited when Basho opened. I love Japanese food and was looking forward to supporting a local, high quality restaurant. We have eaten at Basho 3 times since they have opened, so this review is not the result of just one bad experience. This is our experience today for lunch: 1) It took 2 hours for us to get in and out due to kitchen and service issues. There was only one other group of customers and at least 10 visible staff members. 2) It took at least 20 minutes for one of us to get our meal. 5 minutes later, the second person got their meal. Then It took at least 25 additional minutes for the other two to get their meals. By the time I ate my food, it was completely cold. 3) One of us requested brown rice, which they were out of. This is okay, except that we were charged 2 extra dollars for brown rice that we never received. We were not warned about the extra cost, nor was there a footnote on the lunch menu indicating the charge. When we politely told the manager about the mistake on the bill, she was somewhat defensive and unapologetic. We were also charged $1 extra for the Nabeyaki Udon for no reason (we did not notice this until we got home). Check your bills extra carefully if you eat here! 4) One of us ordered green tea. The tea in the teapot was cold, so she basically paid for refills of cold tea. 5) The management offered free dessert because of the bad service, which was a very nice gesture. We were full from our lunch, so two of us ordered dessert to-go after which we were told by our waitress that this was against their policy (even though they have a to-go section for their food). I asked if they could make an exception b/c of our bad experience. The manager said that this was an inflexible policy. When we inquired about the reason for the bizarre policy, she did not provide an explanation. 6) Two tempura dishes were brought out without tempura sauce. 7) It took at least 20 minutes for our change to arrive. If it were not for the unprofessional and slow service, I would give Basho 3 stars. Each time we have eaten at Basho, the staff to customer ratio has been at least 2:1, so the bad service is inexcusable. I love Douzo, but the owner should take a serious look at Basho. I understand that new restaurants have a lot of kinks to work out, but today was just one bad experience after another with little done to ameliorate the situation. We have given them 3 chances, and while not all visits have been as bad as today, food consistently comes out slowly and at staggered times when the place is practically empty. The management had the opportunity to make this up to us today but refused to be flexible with their dessert "policy" or offer any alternative, such as comping our meals. If they had done this, I would not have written this review. I am very disappointed, as I was looking forward to being a regular customer of Basho.
(1)David V.
The consensus on this place is 3.5 stars, and that's probably an appropriate summation of this Japanese newcomer. Never thought I'd be eating good sushi on the block that housed Burger King and the New Alliance studios when I first moved to town. The atmosphere is modern and sleek, the server I had was very attentive and friendly and the menu was full of things I was dying to try. Their specialty is a selection of small skewers called Robata, but all I could think of in my head was "domo arigato mr. roboto". Tried a pork belly and asparagus one and a trumpet royal mushroom one. They were small but packed with flavor. The seafood kiyake is one of my favorite appetizers and Basho's is on par with any I've had around town - a mound of spicy seafood, tobiko and cheese baked into a large scallop shell. Ordered a couple of maki rolls - a decent spicy seafood one, a solid Alaskan with bonito flakes (Fugakyu does this too), and a fancy roll that had about 10 ingredients. It tasted great, but there were a lot of these fancy maki rolls on the menu and none of them really reached out at me. Had a couple of nigiri pieces - wild salmon and yuzu yellowtail belly. The pieces were rather small for the price, but the yellowtail was particularly melt-in-my-mouth. It would just be nice if they paid as much attention to quantity as they do to quality.
(4)Tina D.
Basho is a relatively new sushi place near Fenway. It is decorated in a trendy and modern way. There are big TVs on the bar side and more than enough seating in the dining room. The service was fabulous! My waiter made some great selections and went out of his way to make sure I was happy. The garlic/ginger edamame has a pleasant zing to it and left me wanting more. I was a little disappointed in the tempura rolls... I thought they lacked flavor and were covered in too much spicy mayo. The volcano roll left me with the same feeling. The spicy tuna roll was a good mix of crunchy and tuna. I think it might have been the best thing I ate that night. I would not be opposed to going back, but I doubt I will go out of my way to do so.
(3)Long V.
Amazing! I have been waiting for Basho to open and I was not disappointed in anyway. Just started with a light drink and hot starter (Tokyo Cosmo and grilled duck). I had to leave early, but am excited to taste much more of the food and styled. Major side note... The staff is polite and fun to interact with. Thanks Brian and Bill!
(5)Shakira M.
Went to Basho last week with a group of friends and had a great experience. Its a very stylish place, very clean and contemporary. I love this place for its food and atmosphere. The one thing I wasn't too impressed with was the waitstaff. The place was not packed since it was a Wednesday night and it was snowing, but the waiter was pretty slow with taking our orders and seemed a little confused. Maybe he was new so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Other than the slow waiter, this is definitely a great place. Perfect for groups and dates.
(4)Zachary K.
Best Japanese food in Boston. Aida was a fantastic waitress. Get the house salad and the spicy edamame. Lamb was great.
(5)Dawn S.
If you're willing to pay a lot for a little, this is a great place. I looked through yelp reviews for about an hour before we went so I'd know what to get (or more accurate, what not to get), so we ended up with: the pork belly and sweet tomato robata (skewers), scallop robata (skewers), crunchy roll, blacked cod with sweet miso, and baby octopus in an orange sauce. All were DELICIOUS but they were all extremely small portions and we ended up getting the check before we were satiated just because we knew we'd have to spend twice as much money to be satiated. If you're willing to drop the dough, this place is great - my bf and i agreed that the blackened cod was one of the best fish dishes we've ever had but it was also the smallest portion of fish we've ever seen... about 1/2 the size of an iphone (strange explanation?) for $12... still worth it though if you have a groupon. The scallop skewers were also cooked perfectly with a delicious sauce but again, very small ($6 for 2 large scallops). I'd skip the pork belly skewers since the pork belly was cut so thin that it was basically dry bacon wrapped around a cherry tomato. Crunchy roll was very good and reasonably priced for the quantity and quality and the baby octopus was definitely great for the value but i have to admit, I was a little more skeeved out by it than my boyfriend - I was expecting there to be cut up pieces of octopus but instead there are just whole baby octopuses. Still good, though I let my bf eat most of it. I don't really care about service as long as the food is good but for those that do: We had the Basho groupon ($20 for $40 of food) and it seemed like our waitress was pretty annoyed with us when we asked for the check after spending almost exactly $40. I kinda can't blame her but I still thought it was rude for her to show her disappointment that we weren't ordering more. Other than that though, the service was great - she was very attentive and even though we were her only table seated on the patio, she came outside frequently to check on us. Oh one more thing! The validated $4 parking garage made it so easy to come here - even on a red sox night when the same garage was charging $40 for non restaurant-goers!
(3)Christina C.
Service was horrendous. My husband and I went here for dinner on Friday and we were told that it would be a 45 minute wait which was fine. While we were waiting for a table, a group of 3 was able to get a table without any wait or a reservation. Once we were seated it took 10 minutes for our server to bring us some water. The sushi was ok. One of the maki rolls we ordered was not fresh as it left a very fishy after taste.
(2)Kim W.
If you have a wheelchair in your group, expect great service. To the point where I was annoyed, and then amused because it got so ridiculous. They helped out my buddy before I got there when his footrest fell off, that's great. Coming by every five minutes and somehow always when I had my mouth full? It got to the point where we referred to our server as the ninja because she'd somehow make me jump every single time she came by. She was far too loud. My date is quadriplegic, not deaf! She was so cheery I wanted to tell her something that would remove that condescending voice. Maybe I'm just picky, but there's helpful, and then there's "Leave us the fuck alone for 10 minutes so I can eat my food". Serious overkill. Good sushi. The wine selection could use some work. Looks great. Good for date night. Our bill for two was $75 somehow. I live nearby, so I can actually say that is always packed after 9pm when I walk the dog, but dead at 7. Go then. My date rated it: the food was: good service was: very good a little pricy but not tooo bad For wheelchair users: The table is just a tad too low. You will bump your knees on it. We had to try three separate tables before we found one that fit. I'm also not sure why they have a doorman. They don't offer valet, so you're paying someone a salary to literally open the door? How about fire him and lower your highest rolls by a buck or two.
(4)Alo M.
Went to Basho for the first time tonight, was super excited. The noodles and soup were good but was very disappointed by the sashimi platter. I love sushi and can handle almost anything, but the fish just didn't taste good and the pieces were too big. Really did not enjoy that part. May have been an off day for them as the place was full, but just didn't like the fish. Everything else was good. I told the waitstaff and they did NOTHING about it except say sorry. Not sure I'm going back.
(2)Eric W.
In the year and a half I've lived in the West Fens, the eating options have thankfully exploded. (When restaurant row is restored, we will be unstoppable.) Basho is not a home run but it is a solid double, so it should satisfy the deprived locals but not draw many as a destination spot. The variety of sushi I've sampled (both at table and as takeout, from classic staples to more exotic specialties, sashimi and maki) have been consistently "good," satisfying my stomach, making my mouth happy enough, and leaving my value-focused mind in doubt. Unlike its peers, Basho excels at hot appetizers (I recommend the spicy garlic edamame or the rich, baked seafood kaiyaki) and the tempura menu is delicious.
(3)Laura B.
Great food, especially the Kobe beef spring rolls and the banana tempura. Only downside was the air conditioning was turned off when the outdoor patio was opened, which made the whole restaurant hot.
(4)Davide B.
I like it a lot...food is pretty good and service is fast most of the times...a bit pricey maybe! Thumbs up for basho!
(4)L M.
WOW. I have never been motivated to actaully write a review until now. I had dinner tonight at Basho and have to tell everyone about the experience. I was there on a business dinner and loved absolutely every minute. The bartender who started off the night (Mike) was a professional, approachable and knowledgable guy. He suggested that I order the saki martini and it was DELICIOUS! Maybe the best martini I have ever had. The food was top notch - so fresh and great presentation. Because it was a work dinner, I actually have no idea what it cost, but the prices looked really fair. The ambience was perfect. The music was just right, both the sound level and the selection. Our server was fantastic too. Jack Huang (owner) is a great guy and spent a lot of time at our table talking to us and getting to know us. This place is very "cool", but without trying to hard. I felt completely at ease and loved that the patronage was diverse. HIGHLY recommend for a group or a romantic night.
(4)Hugh K.
Excellent and inventive sushi, extremely knowledgeable server, fresh everything. Nice room, though a bit cavernous. Good prices. Best of all, a great new option in a part of town where high-end options have been few and far between.
(4)Chris B.
We had a Groupon, $20 for $40, so we decided to give it a shot. Expect nothing more than average sushi in an environment and with prices that would lead you to believe you are about to get much more. The ambiance is modern, cool and comfortable. I encountered very friendly staff from the time I made our reservation until we left. First impressions are big for me, when our wine arrived at the table filled just up to the fill line on the glass, I began to question this place. I feel that having an etching on a glass to ensure the bartender gives just the right pour is extremely un-classey and cheap. Basho, you can do better than this, especially when a glass of wine is in the $10 per glass price range. Further, I felt that the portion to price ratio is small. The 7.50 seafood salad was half of what it could have been for the price. If the salad was filled with freshness and flavor, a $7.50 price tag would be fine, but it was the typical run of the mill spicy seafood salad you can get at any other popular Boston Area sushi places, or even make at home. The maki rolls were inventive on paper, but again lacked the flavor and freshness I would expect for the price. Nothing here was bad, but nothing here made Basho stand apart. In fact, I expected good things based on ambiance and service, but the food certainly disappointed. I would put Basho into the same genre of places that Fugakyu belongs to, and thus, I do not see myself back until I hear of improvements.
(2)Christian K.
Wow. All I can say is wow. Erin B. was a super waitress. She managed to be informative without being annoying- and informative was essential because this place has a massive menu, for a sushi place!! The spicy tuna tots are way less trashy than they sound. I'm mos def coming back to try more on this amazing fanastic menu. If you look at my other yelp reviews, you know: I'm not kidding.
(5)K P.
It's nothing special. For the price that you will pay, you can get far better.
(2)Alexis B.
Wow! Basho is literally a breath of fresh air. In Boston there are so many so-so sushi restaurants I usually hate when a new one opens because I know it will be a let down. But last night my world changed. Now I love Fugakyu but it gets old. I love Genki Ya but its a baby Fugakyu. Now Basho is completely different. First of all the atmosphere. I generally liked the minimal look of the restaurant. It felt cool, and young. Very different from more Boston restaurants. The menu is a bit overwhelming. We had a nice waitress last night but she was SOOOO nervous. I don't know if it was her first night or what. Anyway we went for dinner last night at 8pm. There was a Sox game too but it wasn't packed. We were seated right away. We started with broccoli and shrimp tempura. For $2 bucks for 2 pieces of broccoli I was super satisfied. They were huge and Delicious. The Gyoza weren't anything special- but OH THE EDAMAME! For real! Get the chili garlic sauce ones. They come in this warm sweet salty spicy sauce that just makes them out of this world. I had the crunchy roll which was fine nothing too special. You must try the Snow Mountain Maki! Shrimp tempura roll with crab on top. Sooo good I could eat like 4 of them. My bf had the grilled tuna steak which was good. Nice portions. Definitely can't wait to go back. Also they have validated parking for $4 for 3 hours. Even during game nights. Which is pretty awesome.
(4)Jessica K.
My favorite sushi in the city. Fresh and so many rolls to choose from. I recommend the crunchy roll or the spicy tuna with a soy wrap!
(5)Sachin P.
Overall, just another in a sea of pseudo trendy Japanese restaurants. Food was good though pricy. Ambience was trying too hard. Our waitress was very polite, though we strangely had to request soy sauce as opposed to it already being present. In general, not a bad experience, but with similar places (like haru, etc...) that feel more polished, can't imagine that I will be a regular.
(3)Les P.
Best sushi around! LOVE LOVE LOVE this place and go there often! The spicy crispy shrimp are amazing and the spicy ginger edamame are amazing. Only complaint is with the new chef or manager they changed it up and do not always put the sauce on top of them! everything here is good so I wont go on and on! Def recommend!!
(5)Melanie P.
Basho is the sister restaurant to Douzo in the South End. This sushi/Japaense restaurant is located in the Fenway area on Boylston Street just beside Upper Crust Pizzeria. From the outside, you might drive past it if you don't realize the yellow awning outside the flat, dark glass paneled window building. I wasn't sure what to expect in coming here but was fully impressed when I left. The modern décor/ambiance gets 5 stars from me. There is so much to admire in this restaurant including the booths, the black light 3-D image on the back wall of where the sushi chefs are located, the squared lined tables, dark cherry oak wood floors, etc. The food/food presentation gets another 5 stars from me. I went with a group and we all ordered something different. Each dish came on a separate modern, white, asymmetrical plate that was eloquently placed on the table top. For starters, we each ordered some sort of salad. I had the seaweed salad while the two other girls had a ginger infused salad. There was nothing special about these dishes but again the presentation was worth complimenting. The specialized rolls that we ordered were excellent and would highly recommend the rainbow roll. For desert we had the fried banana dish, recommendation of the waiter. DO NOT... I repeat... DO NOT LEAVE THIS RESTAURANT WITHOUT TRYING THIS DISH.... It was unlike anything I had ever tasted. My suggestion would be to get the dish extra crispy. It comes with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. I can still taste this dish in my mouth as I write this... ugh amazing!! Server gets 3 stars from me. Our waiter was really slow. He mentioned that he was "very busy"; however, there were not many patrons in the restaurant when we looked around. We did not understand his excuse. The GMs walked the floor and were fully engaged in the dining experience of their customers. I appreciate this because they care to know how the meal/service is and it's a great opportunity to voice your opinions (whether negative or positive). The price was average and similar to other sushi restaurants so 5 stars there. All in all, this was a great place to dine. I will be back but more for a sex in the city type night rather than a romantic date night. I will save my romantic night for Douzo.
(4)Emily P.
The food was excellent but the service was a little slow. If you are short on time I would say wait. We went for lunch and I got the Bento Lunch. It was delicious. Highly recommend eating here.
(4)Gina R.
Basho is a really great place for lunch in the Fenway area. The lunch specials are very creative, good sized portions with a variety of choices. I've really enjoyed the salmon teriyaki and the sushi is fresh and light.
(4)Rachel R.
Last night my sister and I had dinner at Basho, as she had recently been there with a friend and loved it! I am not in love with it too! We both had the same thing, the house sald($5.75)(DELICIOUS) and a California Roll and a Garden Roll!! California Roll($6.00) was perfect and non-fishy, and the garden roll ($7.00)(wrapped in rice and avocado, with lettuce,tomato,asparagus,avacado, and cucumber) was amazing!!!! A meal for two with plenty of food for $40.00!!! Definitely check out Basho if youre a sushi lover.... plus they have $4.00 validated parking in their garage!
(5)sage f.
I work down the street and was very excited that a new lunch option was coming to the neighborhood. But so far, this place hasn't thrilled me all that much... The decor is clearly trying to be hip, but the chairs aren't that comfortable and it always feels empty and cold inside. The food is decent, but not great. The lunch specials have some good options. I had the makimono combo once, which was mediocre (they made a substitution for me once, but wouldn't do it the second time I asked.) I also had the udon vegetable noodles, which were also pretty good, but a little on the salty side for my taste. I am hoping that this place picks up a bit because I'd love to be able to include Japanese in my lunch repertoire.
(3)Mitchell P.
Love the look and feel of this place its a very large, modern/industrial setting. Food was excellent, had the spicy lobster soup which was great, the skewers were great. Had a bunch of their specialty rolls, the phoenix, and the crunchy roll both stood out as the 2 best we ordered, didnt care for the Yuzu. Dessert was great banana tempura, was delicious. Our server Chris was fantastic, super knowledgeable and made great recommendations, i was just shocked to have someone who actually spoke english serve me at a sushi restaurant. We would def go back.
(4)Leah N.
We went here last night and the food was delicious. we had an assortment of rolls, both specialty and your typical hand roll along with some of their spicy edamame, which was really yummy! Their martinis are also great. The only downfall to this place is the service. We had a party of six with two waitresses and it still took them 20-25 mins to bring us our drinks; which makes me wonder, how many waitresses per table do they need for us to receive acceptable service? But, the food was terrific and that's what really matters. Also, I am reading some reviews that are complaining about the portions and I found them to be the same size as every other sushi restaurant in town, definitely not skimpy.
(4)Arienne B.
Delicious and very fresh sushi--it's very good in that regard. Also, there are some nice lunchtime combo meals. On the downside though, although the wait staff is friendly, the service has been slow as molasses each of the 4 times I've been here. If you're not in a hurry it's not a problem, and I think this is really something borne out of their desire to give you an overall relaxed dining experience rather than of the staff just being lazy/distracted--however, if you're pressed for time and need to get back to the office (as I have each time I've eaten lunch here), I would not recommend sit down service here
(4)Simona R.
Really good, fresh, quality sushi. Bad music. Kinda cool layout. Very expensive, but I had a Rue LaLa voucher and it was awesome. I think they do sushi happy hour late night, so half price is more reasonable. Really quality food though. Super fresh!! Delicious!
(4)Becky A.
Went in for the first time tonight with a CoupMe. 5 stars for the Spicy Tuna. My friend and I had to order another plate of it because we just wanted more after our first order. Definitely going back here.
(5)Yours Truly B.
although i'm not a huge sushi expert am a huge fan of japanese cuisine and i'm a huge fan of basho (obvi i gave it 5 stars). i'm very particular about what i eat, if you've read any of my other reviews most things fit into 3 categories - fried, cheese and sugar but once and awhile i dabble on other cuisines. i've always loved the food at douzo but wasn't crazy about the atmosphere or the stuffy clientele, so basho is the best of both worlds. i had a crazing for fresh tuna the other night and basho immediately popped into my head. i've been a quite a few times before and like the times before everything was great. as always we get a carafe of hot sake upon sitting, its very enjoyable here, always served extremely hot. my other go-tos on the menu are the spicy edamame with ginger and garlic, the tuna tartare and the spicy tuna app. the edamame are delicious, especially if you love things with a kick. it's a perfect blend of spice, ginger and garlic that makes a heavenly combination when paired with smooth, creamy beans. i do recommend asking for light on the sauce as they tend to put quite a lot. the tuna tartare is AMAZING, fresh tuna, seasoned perfectly on a crispy rice cake. finally the spicy tuna app... deep fried rice, spicy mayo and jalapeno... need i saw more. in regards to the sushi, i'm not much of an expert. i always get tuna sushi and cucumber rolls. both are amazing, fresh, delicious and tasty! the drinks at basho have never been a let down, from sake to martinis. they have mastered the art of the cocktail! they always have great background music in a comfortable, trendy atmosphere. def on it's way to being a boston hot spot!
(5)Jess T.
I continue to go to Basho because the sushi and sashimi is fantastic. The hostesses were definitely doing their job by checking on everyone that comes through the door and making sure they had a reservation. However, a consistent problem is that there are never menus when we are seating. They always seem to be out of menus and we have to wait 10-15 minutes to get one (and there was 2 of us). Also, our waitress seemed to be a little impatient that we didn't wolf down our food and leave immediately.
(3)Jaime M.
Been there twice, both times food was great and good service. New manager Justin (I believe that was his name) is a pleasure.
(5)amanda w.
Great food. The service is ok, sometimes the waitresses get lost. Decoration wise very Japanese, just a little plain. Sushi is great and food is ok. Drinks are amazing. Try the cucumber martini if you get a chance.
(4)Whitney A.
What a cool place! Modern, clean lines and a traditional menu. The only sushi spot where all the soy sauce on the tables are low-sodium (well, at least that what they told us. I hope the slow, unexciting service is attributed to how fresh the food is and they make everything from scratch. It is delicious! You gotta try the edamame, they serve it with a wedge of lime that takes the beans to a new level. It's kinda pricey, like all Japanese spots, but lunch is a great deal if you order the bento box. It's on a super busy street & we had to park kinda far, so please use the crosswalk to you don't get hit and try out this new spot;)
(4)R F.
i've gotten food from here a few times now. but their high prices are really starting to throw me off. the sushi is mediocre, and my last takeout from Basho really turned me off. i ordered a few rolls. one of which was a tuna maki roll. simple. easy to make, one fish, rice, nori. I opened the container it came in and i noticed these weird white things stuck to the tops of the pieces. at first i thought it was some weird garnish. upon further inspection i realized they were fish bones. not just one (i can get over one, okay maybe two fish bones). but my entire roll had them! after dissecting them from the maki myself, i moved on to my other roll. i think it was a caterpillar roll. upon eating a few pieces i noticed something odd kept stabbing the roof of my mouth. MORE BONES! in a different roll! ugh. if you're going to charge an arm and a limb for sushi rolls they better be amazing. and please debone the seafood properly! also, $10+ for a plate of veggie udon seems pretty expensive.
(3)Lili M.
The food is pretty good but not the best Asian in Boston by any means. But it's a relatively spacious restaurant and it's a good place to go with friends to grab a bite and a few drinks before going out around Fenway.
(3)Tim L.
We just received our delivery order care of DiningIn.com . We received it promptly & it was exactly as ordered. After separating the order amongst friends I was able to take my first bite and was surprised by how delicious it was. I mean I was really surprised by the quality of our order. In the past I have not had much success with food that has been delivered but since I really had a Jones for sushi and since I was at work and could not pick it up I had no choice. Thank God I took a chance, Basho is going in to my list of favorite places. I will be back. I can promise you that!
(5)Laura N.
It was overwhelming choosing from so many dishes, and you can definitely put together a meal that suits whatever you are craving. Definitely a good place to go with a few people so you can divide and conquer. The sauces and flavors were surprising and delightful. Definitely a pricier Japanese meal, but if you want to experiment - it's a delicious experience!
(4)Sofia A.
We had the bento box and beef noodle soup... It was very tasty. I have been to Haru, Douzo, Oishi, Snappy etc for reference... and at least in this one time experience, the food did not lack in flavor. Service was good too. The dessert needs some improvement though (banana tempura with ice cream) and the seats (high chair) were not very comfy...
(4)J. N.
I love Basho. Granted, I love Douzo (same owner) but with Douzo being in the South End, it's rare that I get there. I've been to Basho about four times and each time is great food and service. I have also taken advantage of the $17 dinner special (a salad, an app, and a sushi roll) but there's a great selection on the regular menu as well. I love the spicy tuna app & the spicy seafood salad. All the sushi I've had has been creative and delicious. I am actually going there tonight. Convenient location!
(4)Cyndi L.
By far, Basho was the worst lunch experience I've had in a long time. Usually, I'm pretty patient and understanding of new restaurants or waitstaff who are still learning how to provide good service, but this restaurant just seemed like they plain didn't care if we came back. I ordered the Nabeyaki Udon lunch special. For the listed price of $8.75, it was a pretty tasty portion of food. Unfortunately, that was the only redeeming thing about the restaurant: 1. Our food took 25 minutes to arrive - pretty appalling given that there was only 1 other table in the whole restaurant 2. When our food did arrive, they only brought half of our orders. The other half took another 25-30 minutes because of a "kitchen malfunction". The manager offered to give us dessert on the house, but it didn't make up for the fact that half of our lunches were already cold. 3. Our "comped" desserts had to be eaten in the restaurant, even though we were full from our lunches and would rather have taken them home. The manager said their policy was that desserts can't be taken to go. 4. The Nabeyaki udon was charged $1 more than the menu price. 5. The green tea was consistently cold. They must have brewed it once when I ordered it and never bothered to reheat it throughout the meal. Also, they charged me $1.50 for tea which was pretty surprising for a typical/upscale Japanese restaurant. Overall, we were pretty shocked that it took us 2 hours to eat lunch here, to the point where we were feeling like hostages. I would not recommend this place unless you really don't care about service, eating cold food, or how timely your food arrives. Sorry, Basho. You've disappointed me twice in two weeks. We will not be coming back.
(1)Corey L.
I'm no sushi expert by any means, but Basho is GREAT! Very hip, sleek atmosphere, but also relaxed. Service was excellent, the food was excellent. Nothing to complain about. I hardly ever leave 5 stars, but I feel I must this time. Prices are very reasonable as well, you can easily get away with $50 plus tip for 2.
(5)Sadalit V.
Came here based on high ratings and description in the Boston Phoenix, and it was so worth it! The service was really attentive (without being TOO attentive) and the food was original and amazing. The Phoenix's review described the place as "large and ultramodern yet curiously comfortable" which is right on - it's a big high-ceilinged space but the bamboo between the tables and the dim lighting manage to give it intimacy. Great for a date. Maybe not so great for kids but I did see a family or two there. The flavored sashimi platter is a must-try, as is the cucumber hand roll - it's an alternative to the traditional hand roll with a thin cucumber wrap around the fish instead of rice and seaweed. So fresh and light and delicious! Also highly recommend the vegetable robata skewers. We tried a few of the meat robata skewers too but my opinion is they didn't shine as much as the asparagus one did. Nice wine list and again, awesome service!
(5)Tanya D.
I've eaten here at least over 20 times in the past year. The food is terrific and not too expensive! The ambiance is phenomenal for a date, a hangout with a group of friends, or even to host a family event. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The service is fast and efficient. Overall this is one of my top 5 restaurants in Boston!
(5)Michael D.
I never write reviews but Basho definitely deserved one. I've done some of the best sushi places while living in NYC and LA and generally Boston sushi has been a huge let down. That was until we had dinner at Basho. Bottom line amazing, fresh and innovative flavors while staying true to the quality of their ingredients. The best selection and freshest sushi in Boston far and away. I hope Boston embraces this place, it will take sushi eating to the next level and set a new standard for what sushi should be. Check out the yellowtail belly with yuzu or anything kampachi. Spicy tuna on crispy rice is just about the most perfect bite of anything I have ever had. You will not be disappointed.
(5)Shelly A.
I waited a long time to try Basho to make sure they had all the kinks ironed out. After having dinner there tonight I see that it was definitely worth the wait! We had a really good grilled vegetable plate that's not on the menu: two kinds of beefy mushrooms, asparagus, squash and eggplant. We found out about it when we asked the waitress why some of the grilled vegetables weren't marked as vegetarian (it's the sauce). My husband's vegetarian; I'm not. For that reason we have a hard time finding new restaurants. We were both happy tonight though. He had vegetable udon with big, sexy noodles and I had a yellow tail tempura roll with tempura broccoli on the side. The broccoli came with a magnificent dipping broth that is to die for. Everything was cooked perfectly, artfully presented and served promptly. I highly recommend and will be going back to this restaurant to try more of the surprisingly expansive menu!
(5)Joanna S.
I live by this restaurant and after my recent obsession with Naruto, I've been craving for ramen. Basho makes good ramen filled with veggies. Note: their vegetable ramen is made with fish stock so it's not vegetarian but they've always been kind to substitute a vegetarian soup for me. Good food, great service.
(4)Laura P.
I decided to try Basho on Saturday night and will never return again. While I thought the food was very good (as expected for the prices!), the service was terrible. Our waitress was pretty rude, she took our order and never came back. There were 2 tables in the entire restaurant and three servers, but we waited 1 hour for our food. I spoke to the manager and she was initially apologetic, but didn't have anyone come clear our table, ask if we wanted additional drinks or bring our check. Again, we had to go up to the hostess stand to ask to be helped. After this, the manager lied and said she would give us a 10% discount for the problems, but didn't. On top of the poor experience who wants to be lied to? If you are looking for a pleasant eating out experience DO NOT GO HERE.
(1)J R.
Good variety of Japanese food beyond sushi. We had some robata veggies before our sushi. All choices were very good. Fish was high quality so we didn't even use soy sauce. Attentive service and nice ambience. More relaxing than most sushi bars.
(4)Jenna D.
Great, all except for the too loud music!
(4)Ellen T.
So this is a sister restaurant of Douzo. I loved Douzo so I had to try this place. I've been here several times and every time the food is spot on. This is a bigger restaurant so perfect for big dinner parties. I don't think I was ever disappointed with any of the food ordered. I always go for the miso cod appetizer. They have a miso cod dinner as well. The eggplant app and the pork buns are really good. I'm not a huge fan of the robata grill..didn't get a wow factor compared to the ones in NY. Good attempt though! The tempura choices are great, and came out perfectly fried. I tried the cucumber hand roll and it was really refreshing. The sashimi dinner is a great choice if you want just raw fish. The sushi choices are really fresh too. I've tried a bunch of the special rolls and the notable standouts were the crunchy roll, tiger roll, yuzu yellowtail and the toro roll with jalepenos. The drinks here are great too. Anything with lychee I always try. It came in a martini glass..so it packs a punch. If you are feeling adventurous, try the sparkling sake...yum!
(5)Jo J.
this was a horrible experience. i sat at the bar with some friends and service was horribly slow. when i finally got my drink and was able to ask the waiter questions about the menu before i ordered, the waiter did not know the menu at all. i asked him what certain pieces of sushi were and he had no idea. i would be embarrassed if i owned a restaurant and my wait staff did not know what the items are on the menu. nonetheless, with the age of internet everywhere thanks to google i was able to figure some things out but i just couldn't shake how annoying this waiter was in how unapologetic he was to not knowing the menu at all. oh, and the one other thing that the wait staff did that was extremely offensive was that he did not offer me a clean glass with my second beer and without any prompting poured my second beer right in to my old glass. i was disgusted. oh and one more thing, the food was subpar, the sushi was fishy and old appearing. all in all a horrible experience.
(1)Lindsey S.
Went to Basho for the first time last night. I do not eat sushi, so I can not comment on that. We had shumai and gayoza (I can't spell these things) to start, both delish, and I had seared scallops with risotto. I loved all of the food and the lychee martinis were very delicious with a whole fresh lychee in each one. I had lava cake for dessert. It was all perfect and I was really full when it was over. The music was a little odd. The bar was great.
(4)Maryann P.
I was extremely excited for this place to open as my work often brings me to the area around noon. Since Umi burned down, I have been on a serious sushi hunt at lunchtime. I have now eaten there twice. First time I got the Shrimp Mango roll that sounded really good, but the sweet shrimp on top was not cooked... at all! It was slimy and not at all appetizing.. Doesn't shrimp HAVE to be cooked? Not pleasant in any way and I ended up tossing an expensive roll after eating one piece! I was not happy.... Second time I went in I got the Lunchbox pick two and it was GREAT and a really good value with the Spicy Tuna roll that came with it. That's why I gave them 3 stars... One star for the first trip and 5 stars for the second. I'll definitely go back, I think I'll just be more careful about what I order and stick to what I know. Also, the white miso soup is AMAZING, but a bit overpriced at 4 bucks and change.... but the little mushroom caps in the broth are pretty awesome.
(3)Janet H.
Basho fasho! I'm actually a huge fan of Basho. In the past week, I actually ate here 3 times, mainly because if you show your Red Sox tickets, you get 15% off the bill! I should mention that my cousin was in town visiting and is a huge Red Sox fan... insane, but we went to three games in 5 days. Anywho, Basho makes a great option, considering the food around Fenway park are mainly bar/greasy food. On a hot summer day, something light and refreshing, like sushi, is perfect. Not to mention, this venue is gorgeous and makes a great date night spot. Definitely come here during lunch if you can. They offer great deals on their lunch specials -- not to mention generous portions! The Basho lunch special came with a bunch of fresh sashimi! Their baos are also amazing (highly recommend the pork belly and hamachi), as well as their miso yaki dinner. Their salad is also surprisingly delicious! I love their ginger salad dressing. I wonder if they make it in house. I also had the 1338 roll, which was just okay. I felt I couldn't really enjoy the fish on there because the crab concoction in the middle is way too overpowering. -1 star for their service... it's kind of meh. One day we were able to substitute the miso soup with the salad, and another day we couldn't :( Who wants to drink soup during a 90-degree day? Furthermore, their service can be slooooow. On a Tuesday night, with the restaurant 3/4 empty, our food took forever! Also, some of the employees could be friendlier. When you exit, they also have these delicious dream mints! I think they're coated with a thin layer of chocolate. I definitely will be back :) It's such a good deal, especially if you're watching a Red Sox game that day!
(4)Kat B.
Good service Beautiful venu Great sushi Amazing food display Good music Everything was fabulous here I went here on a date before the movies and it was wonderful. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. ( and if you can't use chopsticks they will be glad to give you a fork )
(5)Maeghan R.
I am in town for a conference and I'm staying at a hotel near Fenway. I needed a quick, easy place for dinner that was within walking distance of the hotel. Basho was a great choice. I had a simple Philly roll as well as a Spider roll - both were delicious! They had my takeout ready for me in fifteen minutes, and the host was very friendly and welcoming as he checked me out with my order. I would definitely go back.
(4)Agnes A.
Food quality is really good. I ordered the soft shell crab tempera sandwich comes with sweet potato fries. My friends ordered two rolls of sushi, like I said, quality was great but portion was small. So we ordered two more rolls. We also had a scorpion bowl, delicious and it was really strong. So the bill came up to be 90 dollars for all three of us. Overall, I would come back again.
(4)Ana S.
I love this place. They have extremely high quality fish, a solid menu, and good service. Their miso is also incredible--very complex and always hot. I generally get the tuna/cucumber with brown rice and a miso soup, and it's just about $10. I'm so glad (or am I?) this place is just around the corner from me...I'll be back far too often.
(5)Sophie P.
Even though everyone talks about how Basho has mediocre SUSHI, I would suggest trying their other items since their name entails they are a brasserie (they have a large variety of items). FOOD Braised pork belly steamed buns (+) Every time I come here, I get this. The order comes in two buns in the cutest bamboo containers. I am always in search of the best pork bun in the city, and I have to say these are better than the one from Ippudo in NY. The bun is so soft that it sticks to the container and melts in your mouth. The pork is tender and falls out of the bun, but it's because it's THAT soft - like pillows melting in your mouth. Yellowtail Usuzukuri : Good yellowtail, although I do with it was a little bit fatter. Crispy shrimp: There was mushroom and shrimp covered in a spicy mayo sauce that was really good. However, the cabbage at the bottom didn't get any sauce at all, and was very dry in comparison to the drenched shrimp and shitake mushroom. DRINKS Lychee tini: It's not as sweet as you would think. It's a little tart Ginger margarita: Like a normal margarita. I didn't really taste the ginger. Sparkling pear (+): My favorite. It was tangy, sparkly, and very strong. SERVICE The waiters were very attentive, and we were approached by the server, bartender for more drinks, and the manager. We were treated like VIP sitting at the table!
(4)Mallory C.
We had a great date night at Basho, to use our Groupon. I really liked the vibe and space, as it was not too crowded, and was pretty spacious in terms of seating. the food and drinks were delicious, but everything seemed to take quite a while. The place was empty, and our waiter kept coming over to tell us the "bartender is really backed up." I can't really imagine being there when it's crowded! I would go back though, it was nice ambience, and we were able to have a conversation without shouting. The menu had a good variety, it's accessible, and they also have outdoor seating. This would be a good central place to meet up with friends, or bring friends from out of town. Just make sure to check if there is a game that night or you could be doomed to be stuck in a crowd on your way home!!!
(3)Wendy C.
Visited during lunch time. There were only 2 tables and one waitress. We were starving. She is not busy at all but it took her like forever to order for us. Food was great but relatively expansive. We ordered a sushi boat for two which was $29. It's not enough for a couple but maybe good for two girls. It came with two bowls of miso soup. The salmon sashimi was awesome. Definitely try salmon in this place. You will like it.
(3)Yow-Bang W.
I ordered the 7 dishes course for $55. I love the fried shrimp rolled with sashimi, and the 3 piece seared sashimi in cocktail glass; on the other hand the sushi and maki are disappointing, almost like mediocre $$ restaurants. I guess this might pretty much tells their strength and weakness, for it's quite similar to some previous reviews. Despite the great service they've provided, overall it's overpriced and I have to rate this restaurant down for their foods.
(3)Casey F.
Like a puppy pooping on the rug, it's hard to get mad at these people. Super nice, but super incompetent during a busy period. So bad that they comp'ed our $60 meal.
(1)Megan B.
Basho is a solid option if you're looking for a nice bar or dinner around Fenway. Most of the establishments near the park are dive bars and sports bars so it's a good option if you're in the mood for sushi or a good cocktail. The food, drinks, and service are good, but the menu is quite pricey, which is why I gave the 3 star rating. Sushi always feels over-priced to me, but the rest of the menu is pricey for the portions too. I did really enjoy my meal at my last visit though. My friends and I were in the mood for sake and the waiter suggested a sparkling sake. It was tasty but it was more than I usually spend for a bottle of wine: $20 for 2 glasses worth. I had the pear martini afterword and this was a really delicious cocktail. I would definitely recommend it. For our meal we ordered the salmon avocado roll, spicy tuna roll, and the Yuzu Yellow tail roll with avocado and black tobiko. All of the roles were very tasty and the yellow tail specialty roll was really unique. I'd recommend if you're in the mood for Sushi and cocktails and happen to be in the Fenway area, but wouldn't recommend coming here over other sushi restaurants in Boston.
(3)Patrick C.
I stopped in for lunch at Basho which generically means 'place' in Japanese and as a restaurant that calls itself a "Japanese brasserie", this 'place' was about Asian fusion cuisine for the masses and not necessarily Japanese cuisine. I was right - it is Asian fusion with an emphasis on Japanese-ish dishes. The food isn't as hearty as what a true brasserie might have, but they do the food they make very well. You'll find sushi, maki, and sashimi variations, plus tempura, meats cooked on a robatayaki grill, and a nice selection of hot and cold appetizers. I was hoping that they had nigori sake but they had hard cider (my usual drink of choice) so I was happy. I ordered the steamed buns (bao) with braised pork belly and the ramen kurobuta soup. Bao are not really Japanese but again, we're talking fusion cuisine. Service was quick and efficient and the bao came out hot and fresh from the steamer. The bao were presented in a stacked double mini bamboo steamer, each one holding a hot soft bao bun filled with a nice chunk of delicious, tender teriyaki-glazed pork belly, crispy cucumber and greens. The ramen kurobuta soup had the same pork belly, tender and succulent in a delicious broth filled with vegetables and perfectly cooked ramen noodles. There was plenty of food there and I am a hearty eater of good food - I didn't quite finish the ramen... For a quick, delicious Asian-fusion lunch right on Boylston Street in Boston, I think Basho hits the mark.
(4)Eric K.
Overall a great experience. I ordered the miso ramen (spicy) with seafood (salmon, scallop, shrimp, squid) at the bar. The service was fast. The seafood and ramen were cooked perfectly. The broth was just spicy enough.
(5)Arthur C.
Trendy place! I was slightly sad that they were out of squid sushi when I came in, and the waiter presumed a wrong dish when we really wanted another one. A little pricier than I'd like but not a bad experience overall
(3)Casey C.
I don't usually give reviews unless I'm super satisfied or super pissed and this place has to be the worst for me to spare my precious time on Valentine's Day to write a review. So we called earlier for reservation, and asked how long the wait was for walkins. The manager replied "I can't give you that information because all tables were booked" with the rudest tone. I was quite upset, but my friend craved for sushi and we were super close by, so we decided to check it out. We walked in and the restaurant was almost empty! Our friend went to park her car, so we asked for a table. The guy who talked on the phone told us we can't have the table without all parties, while the restaurant was more than half empty! And he added "we can't get you seated till all parties are here because there r like 300 reservations" 300 reservations???!!! You mean in a year? So we waited for our friend and got the table. After we got seated, we saw the manager went over and talked to a few waiters. And they kept looking this way. Since there's no bird nest on our head, it appeared pretty obvious the manager was talking about us behind our back. I don't know how people usually run business but that was just pure unprofessional. We were just shocked any restaurant could treat its customer that way. At that point, we already lost our appetite, knowing with this kinda attitude they would probably spit in our food. It was probably the worst dining experience ever. Anyways, the food was mediocre at best. We have had better food way more than 300 times tho. And I'm definitely not lying about 300 times. 300 reservations? 300 reservations my ass!
(1)Suad M.
Great place if you love it when waiters lie to you about the price and get you to order a $130 instead of the $40 you thought you were getting. I swear I'm not crazy. Here's what happened: My friends and I were having dinner and wanted to order a boat. We don't like eating tuna for environmental reasons and wanted to substitute it for any other fish. Given that tuna is usually the most expensive fish it's typically not a problem, but we were told that there are no substitutions. Okay, understood, we say, and start looking for alternative options on the menu. But then the waiters says magic words: BUT YOU CAN MAKE A CUSTOM BOAT! We look at each other surprised that this has never been an option before considering how often we come there. Are you sure we ask? Any rolls, for the same price! Yes, the waiters says. Order as much you can eat, same price. Are you sure it's the same price, I ask? Yes, he says, same price. Naturally we go crazy. Any roll combination for $40 total, that quite amazing. We went all out! You can see how it ends... With $130 check, because naturally, we were ordering separate rolls, that simply were placed in the boat but charged separately. We ask for the manager who was very professional, but defended the waiter who clearly made a mistake and gave us no discount on our order. This is a huge bummer. I live in the neighborhood and was a frequent visitor for drinks. After this, I won't be going back with much enthusiasm. Grrr. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CUSTOM BOAT YOU GUYS. Order at your own risk.
(1)Lauretta L.
While Basho offers a convenient spot to grab sushi, the quality is average at best. We came here for a light dinner and shared a miso soup, sashimi sampler appetizer (yellowtail, salmon and tuna), spicy tuna roll and the yuzu roll. The miso soup was quite large and enough for the two of us. The presentation of the sashimi sampler was strange. The salmon slices were wrapped around a mix of sliced vegetables (sprouts, cucumbers and carrots). I think most people enjoy eating sashimi by itself, unadulterated by anything other than some soy sauce and wasabi. The yellowtail was also accented by a drop of some type of sauce, which overpowered the fish itself. If you want to mess with sashimi, you have a high bar to overcome. The spicy tuna mixture in the spicy tuna roll was dried out, bland and lacked any heat. The yuzu roll was better, although nothing to write home about. Portions for the sashimi and sushi rolls were very small as well. You won't get full here unless you want to break the bank.
(2)Andrew Q.
This place really just sets up you for the disappointment, and it's pretty sad, to be honest. Let's get started with the basics. Its name, Basho Japanese Brasserie, is some sort of ridiculous combination of faux Japanese and French. Walking in the door, you're greeted with an entryway with multicolored LED lights, reminiscent of a club, and a little basket on the desk of the host that reads "Keep Calm and Sake Bomb". The place, otherwise, is gorgeous and trendy, just as you might expect a higher-end Japanese restaurant to be like, yet certain deco choices, like the sake bomb sign, just scream "We cater to a college crowd!" Prices are standard for a Japanese restaurant, so no complaints there. Service was ... awkward. I'm not saying small-talk is frowned upon, but our server was definitely on the awkward side. I was pleased that they served hard cider with a chilled glass, though I likewise found it odd that such an externally high-end place didn't require servers to pour the first glass. The food was... I guess inconsistent. Pan-seared duck ramen is a novel idea. The ramen was delicious, but the duck leaves something to be desired. The sushi, too, lacks polish. The fish was disturbingly close to room temperature upon its arrival to the table, and the rice was off. The sushi was fresh and I'm picky, no doubt, but it left something to be desired. All bark and no bite, I'm afraid.
(2)Freddy A.
Great decor. The sushi is delicious. I had the spicy tuna. Ginger and wasabi were fresh. Their playlist was also enjoyable. Will come back.
(5)Steven S.
Being a suburban homebody, I spent a lot of time looking at Yelp for places to eat in Boston with friends visiting from NJ. While the 8 of us, evenly split between adults and kids, panned Wagamama at the Pru, we give Basho 16 thumbs up! The atmosphere may seem too upscale for kids, but the staff was very friendly and accommodating to all, making our visit very warm, welcoming and never rushed. (Having some Kirin also helps set the right mood!) For apps, the Basho Ribs the Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls and Miso soup received highest praises. For sushi, everyone loved every roll they ordered - no leftovers at all (which I do admit for dads who like to finish others' plates is sad). Topping my personal favorite sushi list are the Lobster Tempura, the Snow Crab and the Phoenix rolls. We left with fully bellies, happy smiling faces, and a great overall experience to remember.
(5)Jason A.
You know those chicks who dress all pretty, and then you take them home and realize that you'd have more fun talking to your cat? That's what Basho in the Fenway reminds me of. Went with my wife on a Groupon (yes, the universal sign that the place is hurting for business/sucks balls), and without it, the place would have been a 2 star experience. The food was abominable. Seriously, the sushi at Whole Foods was superior. Unless you were hammered on 11 sake bombs, you could not tell me that the food was a reasonable facsimile of good Japanese food. And if you think that it is, then I beg of you to please never review another Japanese restaurant on Yelp again. Ever. However (see above reference to pretty girls), the restaurant design looked pretty. Enough that my wife said "Ooohhhh" when we walked in. It's a shame that she also said "Ooohhh" when we walked out, but that was mostly because I think the diarrhea had just started.
(3)Daniel C.
We have basho a second try after eating there during their cold open And being disappointed. We should have stayed away. The prices are that if a far superior restaurant with more focus. The food remains bland and badly portioned. Basho may work for the well heeled Sox fans from the burbs, but it does nothing to stand out from the crowd.
(2)Ryan G.
Posh sushi in a up and coming posh neighborhood... But the thing about this place that throws me off a bit is that its a Japanese restaurants, that looks like a zen garden meets bar. So when I first came here I was slightly confused and didn't know what to really expect. Maybe its just because I am Asian and the whole bar Japanese vipe wasn't speaking to me....who knows. Overall, this place has good quality food (4 stars) but its fairly expensive; and to me, the quality does not justify the cost. The specialty rolls were surprisingly fresh and tasty, but be warned that you will definitely be paying upwards of $15 for a roll. What was actually surprisingly good was the Katsu sandwich, which came with sweet potato fries. However, it is in a super great location; A couple blocks from Fenway and Kenmore square. Lots of bars nearby if you want to drink afterwards. I would recommend giving this place a try and coming up with your own consensus. But if you are around the area for lunch I would definitely give it a try for their lunch specials and sandwiches.
(3)Mary M.
Ahhh Basho....How can I even begin to describe how wonderful their sushi is! I've been here about a dozen times and every time I'm even more in love. I would definitely recommend the yuzu yellowtail roll, it's one of my favorites. I really don't know why people think the sushi is so bad because I've never gotten a bad roll. I do, however, give the 4 stars because some of the waiters have been not so great. Super slow service, and on one occasion the manager was super rude. When I called to reserve a table, I said (and my friends were there to back me up!) "Can I reserve a table for 4 at 7?" When we got there they said I had asked for a table of 7 and instead of just sloughing it off as no big deal, the manager kept correcting me saying that I reserved a table for 7. He just seemed like the kind of person who no one says no to. Other than that minuscule issue- go to basho!
(4)Kenny C.
I was not expecting much from an Americanized Japanese/Korean restaurant but was pleasantly surprised. The yellowtail usuzukuri featured great cuts of yellowtail, but I felt the jalapeno, although initially brought out the flavor of the fish, ultimately overpowered the yellowtail. The garnish on the side - cucumber and onions - did not complement the dish at all. Great presentation, but taste was 4/5. At this point I was not too impressed, and my feeling for this place was sorta just average. But then out came the rolls, and the rolls were surprisingly good. We ordered the salmon tempura roll, caterpillar, and yellowtail yuzu. The salmon tempura roll was well flavored, the salmon was not overcooked, and the roll stayed together after biting half of a piece off, which speaks to its quality. It's hard to go wrong with the caterpillar when its drizzled in unagi sauce. Again, the roll was put together very well and this one in particular melts right in your mouth. The yellowtail yuzu was the gf's favorite. I also really, really liked it. The flavoring was unique, and went very well with the yellowtail. I'd definitely order all 3 rolls again. The price was not bad either - everything was around $10~12 dollars, which is standard for sushi rolls. The most important ingredient in sushi is the rice. The sushi chefs here has done a great job with the rice - they worked perfectly with the rolls we ordered. Now I'm curious if they can pull this off with brown rice instead of the white rice traditionally used. The service is a bit lacking though. Our server was super nice but the restaurant seemed way too understaffed. Or many it's just poorly managed. There was a guy responsible for pouring water. There was a guy responsible for clearing tables. Another guy as our dedicated waiter. Seems pretty standard, right? But our waiter was way too busy and took way too long to get us our water and even to come back and take our orders. The guy pouring water walked by us and didn't offer to get us cups of water. Another complaint is on their drinks. With such an extensive drink menu at a restaurant with a full bar, we'd expect at least decent drinks. Sadly, the gf and I didn't enjoy her lychee martini at all. Everything about it is meh. Will not be ordering this one again. I'd give it 4 stars but -1 for the poor service tonight. I'd definitely come back and try some other things on their huge menu. Hope they will have improved on their services by then!
(3)Miyuki A.
By far the worst that I've ever had to experience from beginning to end. Highly unprofessional and unforgivable attitude by the restaurant manager. I'm more shocked than anything else, would not pay a single cent for the treatment I received. And it wasn't even just the service, your sushi was just absolutely mediocre.. Will definitely not be returning here. Not worth risking your precious time.
(1)Mei l.
When i told the manager the sushi is bad. He says: i think it taste great. You are too picky. Ok jerk.. I will just never come here again. Period.
(1)The Throwin S.
I stopped by for LUNCH recently, and I tried the lunch sashimi special. The sushi/sashimi was excellent and the price was surprisingly cheap. The standard lunch salad and miso were good too. I thought that maybe this was a fluke (pun intended), so I returned 2 more times. The sushi/sashimi were consistently excellent. I am a fan! I read a few Yelp Basho reviews, including a negative one from Andrew Q. on 6/2/14. Andrew wrote, "The fish was disturbingly close to room temperature upon its arrival to the table...". The fish is NOT supposed to be served cold. I have had some superb sushi in Tokyo-- and the best joints serve it slightly chilled to room temp. Andrew, you are clueless.
(5)Mary T.
I came here because I had a groupon deal. I tried their sushi rolls only. I had their crazy roll, dynamite roll, crunchy roll and spicy salmon. I didn't think the dynamite was that good. It didn't seem authentic to me. But maybe, it is different in Boston. They put imitation crab meat on top. Normally, it's spicy mayo or mayo and it's baked. Another roll I had was the crazy roll. I wasn't a big fan of the mango puree they used. It reminded me of baby food. The other rolls were good. The service was good as well. They were friendly. It wasn't that busy so the food came out pretty fast. You get an option of using brown rice or white rice for your sushi. You are probably looking at spending around $20-30 per person. They also have takoyaki, ramen, fried rice, sashimi... but I did not get to try it.
(3)Simon L.
A classy spot that is appointed nicely in a warm and cozy wood paneled manner. A bar area and a sushi bar are separate from the dining area. Quick service, polite. Food? Bland and rather unmatched to the high price of doing business. The torched tuna roll ($19.95) lacks any defining elements of flavor - the most distinguished taste is the yuzu sauce. The yuzu yellow tail roll ($15.95) similarly lacked any specific unique tastes. The Spider roll ($10.95) arrived with four large slices of fried softshell crab and is standard. The kurobuta pork ramen ($14.75) is similarly unimpressive. This soup is available as either a ramen or udon variation and in this case, it is clearly an udon soup with ramen noodles substituted. A tasty but thin broth with all the vegetables of udon soup is not worth being classified as ramen. Beer and liquor available.
(3)Tonya H.
This place is incredible. The food is phenomenal, but more importantly the staff is what makes it 5 stars. The new manager William Foley has really turned this place around. My favorite server is Bromeyn (i think thats what she said her name was). Great place and I will continue to celebrate birthdays there! They always accommodate to make an event special.
(5)Karis O.
A Japanese sushi wonderland that's masked by Fenway but totally worth the drop-in. This place just got renovated! I could eat the spicy edamame for the rest of my life, I assure you, you can do the same. Not a lot of specialty cocktails to choose from but the Snapdragon has been burned into my memory and now I want three million more! Fruity magic with alcohol. The specialty rolls are expected: $11-$15. Maki rolls are about $5-$10 depending on what you get. Snow Mountain Roll (shrimp tempura with a bunch of snow crab on top). Excuse me while I give a standing ovation. And for those brave enough to handle wasabi, the Fenway roll will not let you down!
(4)Alex E.
I wasn't too impressed with my experience at Basho. The interior is awesome, which really set my expectations pretty high when we first came in. But then they served their water in plastic cups and that kinda killed it for me. I know this seems like something very minor, but they weren't even really nice plastic cups, I think they are the same cups that my university's dining halls use. I guess I just found that pretty inconsistent because the decoration is so nice, you would expect some nicer dishware as well. We shared the spicy edamame and the shishito peppers as an appetizer. These were pretty flavorful, but I felt like the edamame was a little overcooked. I ordered a stirfried noodle dish with ramen noodles, veggies and tofu. It was really really bland, I only ate a few bites of it. I got the rest wrapped up but it just wound up sitting in my fridge until I threw it away. Really disappointing. My boyfriend ordered sushi and wasn't very excited about it either. Though the presentation was pretty nice, the quality was a letdown.
(2)Ashley N.
I am from Cali and the sushi there is fresh! I haven't found a sushi place here in Boston as fresh, but Basho is excellent! I can taste the freshness here and this is the place that I keep coming back to! I love their Green Monster Roll! My favorite!!!! I love their happy hour. I always tend to go with friends right before it gets busy, so it's great for us. I love the design of the place. Atmosphere is nice and clean. Spacious, so I don't feel like I'm in the next table's conversation. It is a bit dark, for the romantic side, but I'm there more for the food! Waiters/waitresses & hostesses are all very nice. I have nothing to complain about with them. I'll keep coming back here!
(5)David M.
As a place I would describe as being always a bit slow and a bit on the overpriced side - you would think i don't like Fin's. Thing is - I actually enjoy coming by here. The servers will never make you feel rushed, the atmosphere is trendy without trying to hard, and the noise level is always reasonable. The food, when it gets to you, has never disappointed, and they even have a few creative rolls. If you want something a bit less expensive, and a little less trendy, hike up to Kenmore to check out the competition - but I'll come back here for Fenway adjacent sushi experiences.
(4)Graham W.
Sushi - 4/5 Delicious and reasonably priced. Atmosphere - 2/5 Sat at the bar. Bar seats have seen better days and the menus were in rough shape. Had kind of a "lazy" feel to it. Service - 3/5 Bartender was nice enough. Our appetizers came after our sushi rolls which was annoying but whatever. Drinks were a bit strong but I didn't complain. Overall, if you're in the fenway area and want some sushi it's a good option. Otherwise, I'd say definitely do not go out of your way. I put three stars but I mean 2.5
(3)Lynn J.
REVIEW OF THE BAR ONLY... Bartender overcharged me, did not apologize...and possibly stole money. I approached his nearly EMPTY BAR, smiling. He did return my smile, and walked away, pretending to have something to do at the other end, then walked back to me and took my wine order. He then charged me $9.50 for a $7.00 glass of wine, took my $20 before I could correct his mistake, and hit a button on his register that rang up "NO SALE." As he tossed my change on the bar and turned away, without even acknowledging me, again, I told him the price was only $7.00 on the menu. He waved his hand in the air & said "I thought it was the other," opened the register to "NO SALE" again & gave me $2.00. The subtraction was too much for him and he was $.50 short. THE DEAL: He didn't smile, or talk to me at all. He over charged me, twice, and never apologized. Business owner, this is NOT the guy you want selling drinks. I don't even know if he even rang in my drink at all, or just pocketed the money by hitting "NO SALE."
(1)Greg P.
A nice sushi option in Fenway Located right near Fenway Park, Basho is probably the best option in the area for good sushi and Japanese. The menu is large with lots of options if you do not eat sushi. The sushi is very good from the basics (shrimp tempura roll, spice tuna roll) to their more exotic rolls (torched toro, yuzu yellowtail). The fish is fresh and you have the option to have the sushi made with brown rice. A lot of the rolls are innovative and keep things from getting stay. There are only so many spicy tuna rolls you can eat, right?! Their desserts are fun and include a cheesecake harumaki that is decadent but not over-sweetened. A nice way to end the meal. The atmosphere is fun and the waitstaff helpful. Overall, a very good option for sushi and a change of pace from all of the pub-food in Fenway.
(4)Veronica H.
We live in the building so we're here at least once a month. Service is always good and food is tasty. The recently updated their menu and actually lowered their prices! I recommend the Crazy roll.
(4)Ralph O.
Basho is average, although prices are a little above average. I did enjoy the service there, but the atmosphere is not particularly great and the food is good enough. There is really not much to say.
(2)Monica C.
Great restaurant with delicious sushi rolls. The sweet potato tempura roll was the best I've ever had and everyone's specialty rolls were also great. Chicken fried rice was good and saki bombs were fun and reasonably priced. The staff was beyond nice and service was excellent. Perfect restaurant for a fun night out of drinking and sushi with friends!
(5)Rachael B.
The sushi is really good! The service was terrible. We asked for water once, twice, three times and then it arrived. Silverware once, twice, three times and then it arrived. Drink refills...the same. Either our server was overwhelmed or really just didn't want to be at work that night. This isn't exactly a cheap restaurant so I definitely expected a higher level of service. I can't say we'll be back.
(2)Court S.
Well for the cost of $11, it's pretty good. I came here last Sunday for lunch with my cousin and we sat outside and enjoyed the lovely weather and atmosphere. I ordered the crazy roll( shrimp, avacado, rice, wrapped in seaweed) and a side of brown rice. The seaweed was a bit on the chewy side and some parts I spit out because I felt like I was getting a jaw muscle workout. That sounds weird but overall it was good sushi...just way too chewy. My cousin ordered something with eel, squid, and some other creatures of the sea, and she enjoyed it. I like my sushi simple so I took a bite of hers and promised myself not to take another.
(3)Jill S.
We started with a well priced chardonnay bottle and ordered steamed shumai to begin. After she brought back our wine, we ordered the rainbow roll with brown rice, the lobster tempura, and the yuzu yellowtail roll with brown rice. The appetizer and the sushi all came out at once which was less than ideal, but i know things like that happen. At least it all came out quickly! The rolls were unbelievable - we really were impressed with the level of freshness and the creativity of the rolls. The lobster tempura was our unhealthy splurge, and it was SO worth it. So crunchy and delicious and they lay it on a bed of sauce which complemented it nicely. The rainbow roll was standard and well executed. The yuzu yellowtail was stand out - the citrusy flavors went so well with the mild yellowtail, and the caviar on top was definitely present but not overwhelming. I'm dreaming about this roll now. Thank you to Groupon for opening our eyes to this place!
(4)Yasa E.
Interesting sushi, very fresh, very delicious.... The drinks aren't that great and way overpriced. The space itself is enormous and waaaay too open. Kind of makes you feel like you're eating in the middle of a basketball court. I think if they made better use of that space, the dining experience would be more pleasant
(3)David S.
So my girl friend got a groupon for this place only reason i went there and I am glad we did not have to pay there ridiculous prices. Firstly location is very inconvenient and you have to most likely pay to park. secondly very over crowed and loud(hate to sound like and old man) Sushi was crappy at best .. fishy and expensive. service was crappy .. I asked my waitress to validate my parking and she was to lazy too and told me to do it myself. Another server had walked by and picked it up off the table and said oh I'll do that for you. I only left her a 6 tip because of it. I will not return to this place only thing it has going for it is atmosphere..
(2)Brian D.
Pretty decent Japanese food, but aggressively overpriced. Truth be told, I'd avoid Basho altogether if it weren't for one dish: the Roast Duck Breast Udon soup. Which is heavenly. Tender duck breast with light, tasty noodles, carrots, some greens and a handful of mushrooms. I prefer it moderately spicy, my wife prefers it non-spicy and they accommodate that. They do, however, charge an extra $0.50 for making it spicy. Which pretty much sums up the place. Between the location and the fancy decor they either need to or choose to fancy up the prices as well. That Udon I just described runs $14.95 (which I don't mind so much because it does stand out). Entrees, cocktails and sushi all seem to run near the upper level of what they feel they could get away with. I do like their tempura a la cart menu, and their small bite robata choices (the grilled spiced chicken was okay at $4.00). These are overpriced but much more reasonable than the "small plates" menu. But on the whole you are paying for atmosphere (dark, classy, a bit loud). We'll go back there for that soup sometimes, but usually only when it's cold out and we're in that area already. But it's going to warm up soon and I know cheaper, pretty good Udon elsewhere so I probably won't be back until November.
(3)Mirta S.
Update: Came in yesterday with a reservation for 6pm. Got a pretty aggressive call earlier in the day letting me know that they could only save my table for 10 minutes or so. Due to the reconstruction of the Longwood bridge, we were indeed 20 minutes late, so I kind of gave my hopes up on the reservation. Coming in, we noticed a completely empty restaurant - I told them what happened and was told that no problem, we could be seated right away. I am still perplexed as to why the aggression and unpleasantness were needed earlier in the day when it was clear that it didn't matter if we were late or not. Food, as usually, was really good. Switched it up a bit this time with Tornado roll, which tasted a lot of the acidic (lemony) stuff they put in, but was overall good. I could have a bazillion of their spicy tuna rolls though, so recommending that again as an add-on to all orders!
(3)Francis C.
Went here for dinner and ordered the boat for two. I explained I had a shellfish allergy. The waiter assured me the chef would make sure no shellfish was on the plate. When the rolls came out there was tempura shrimp and california roll on the boat. I just ate from the other side of the boat. The sushi is good the lack of detail to an important allergy wasnt.
(2)Mark W.
Four of my sushi connoisseur friends went to Basho last night (Wednesday) around 9pm, no wait in fact hardly anyone was at the bar or sitting at a table. They really went all out on this place... very nice. I can understand some of the issues other yelpers had from the cafeteria feel of the place to the trans music and definitely an interesting crowd with everyone wearing Red Sox hats and shirts but hey it is across from Fenway Park. The sushi was unique and very flavorful. The service was fun and attentive. Basho is our next new sushi hang out.
(5)Summer X.
The food is as good as Douzo, a little different in presentation. I like the Japanese style BBQ, a little pricey though. It is big, has couple place for private parties.
(5)Wini H.
While the restaurant itself is beautiful, the food and service are spotty. The boyfriend and I arrived at an empty restaurant and were seated at a table connected to a large, rowdy, loud party. The only things separating us were the sparse wall of bamboo sticks. This seemed a bit odd to us given that the whole restaurant was empty, and the next couple that came in was seated at a more intimate, private spot. The food itself varied. The sushi and udon were only okay, and overpriced for the quality. At this point our waitress, as polite and nice as she was, forgot to give us soy sauce. The pork belly buns, however, were amazing. If you were to go here, I would recommend just ordering like...5 orders of pork belly buns. The pear martini was unfortunately very bland and not drinkable--not sweet (almost neutral, really. Water-like), barely pear-flavored, and didn't even really taste of vodka. Perhaps it was watered down? I drank a few sips and put it aside. Seeing how you can get great pork belly buns elsewhere (or make them yourself! It's surprisingly easy), I would skip this place!
(2)Criselle O.
This place is ridiculously expensive but it was super worth it. First of all, the interior of this place is classy and elegant. Very upscale. I felt kinda weird eating here during lunch and not being dressed up. Anyway, we ordered so much food. Let me try to remember since I was here about 2 1/2 weeks ago. We started off with some blood orange martini's which were yummo btw and for the real appetizers we got the toro (tuna belly), tuna tartar and edamame. The toro and tuna tartar were so beyond delicious. The toro practically melted in my mouth... Oh man, I was excited for what was coming. . . We each ordered our own rolls but we pretty much shared them. Ok, I'm totally drawing a blank with what everyone else ordered but I ordered the crunchy roll and it was filled with cucumber, mango, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, and tobiko. Soooo good. Oh yea, I really liked our server. She was super attentive and she totally recommended all the good stuff. My belly was so satisfied after this meal. It better be since we dropped almost $200 amongst 3 people. Haha. If only there was a Basho in SD. . .
(5)Jamie B.
Basho deserves maybe 2 1/2 stars. We had seaweed salad, some generic sushi rolls and a few specialty rolls. There was nothing outstanding about the quality of the sushi. It certainly wasn't bad by any means, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again. The service was attentive, but it was also a very slow night, as we were maybe one of five parties there.
(2)P C.
**LIVING SOCIAL WARNING** I've been here 2 times and both times I wasn't wow-ed for dinner and drinks. I've had the apps and sushi. I also had a living social that I purchased- I viewed it on my iphone and NEVER clicked redeemed- when I went to the restaurant to use my livingsocial they said it had already been used. They said there is no way they could "MAKE-UP" The voucher number and the manager actually blamed us and said theres no way it could've been them. Needless to say, I won't go back.
(2)Shayne Z.
I really want to like Basho much more than I do. The food is decent, but not amazing, and for the price I really expect more. The sushi is fresh enough, nothing special but nothing terrible, though I think the portions are small for the price and the spicy tuna roll (one of my usual favorites) is among my least favorite I've had in the Boston area. Still, I keep coming back in hopes that it will be better (and also because it's so convenient), but I think I might finally be done giving this place chance after chance. I ordered take out for lunch today--salmon teriyaki lunch special, since I hadn't tried the kitchen entrees before. The salad that came with the lunch special had brown lettuce, and the container of soup wasn't even half full. The salmon teriyaki was fine, but I was charged extra for brown rice and that wasn't made clear on the menu, as far as I could tell. I think todays meal sealed the deal. I'm not a fan, Basho, and if I'm going to pay over $10 for lunch, I'd rather walk around the corner to Rod Dee and get twice as much food that tastes a lot better. Sorry.
(2)Kelsey C.
NOT worth it is the only thing I can say about Basho. An imposingly large space in fun Fenway, Basho is beautiful at first glance. The paneling is modern, the floor shines, and you wonder how the food couldn't do the same. Take a bite of the Lobster Tempura Roll and you'll see why Basho is the first stop for sushi disaster tourism. The roll tasted more like shake n' bake chicken than lobster thanks to the almost-burnt breading...wasn't worth the chipped teeth either. The Snow Mountain Roll was better but not by much. Snow crab makes a tasty topper, but the filling of shrimp tempura drowned out the sweet crab. The Amaebi Mango Roll was even more bland...didn't even think that was possible. The Soft Shell Crab Tempura wasn't bad but clearly wasn't very fresh, and wecould barely tell the Water Eel Tempura from regular fish. I hate to bash, but there's nothing else to do with an overpriced restaurant with sucky sushi. I could have paid half this amount at Seiyo if I wanted something so un-special.
(1)Emlchach C.
The service was HORRIBLE! I was with a very large group, and they gave us two servers to take care of the tables (we had two because they separated them). Both servers were inattentive and the server for my table legitimately gave us attitude the entire time. They did not provide the table with water and I had to ask FOUR times to have the waitress bring water. Four times. The food was...sushi. They had a brown rice option which was nice, and overall it was decent sushi. But because of the service that I experienced I would never go back, and would recommend other establishments before I ever recommended this place.
(2)Kaitlin C.
Yummy sushi! Had some little tuna bombs or whatever they were called (spicy tuna on crispy rice) and it was fantastic. My friend had some tuna tartar that I was not impressed with, but he enjoyed all the same. Nigiri was tasty, and sushi was really beautiful and yummy when it came to the table. Also had some sauteed Udon and it was great. Ordered too much (as usual) and finished it off the next day. I will definitely be back here!!
(4)Dan G.
Went here on a Saturday night with a reservation. We were seated prompty when we arrived, a party of 8. As soon as we were sat, the waitress came over and greeted us and asked if we wanted anything to drink. As soon as the drink orders came, we ordered apps and entrees. We didnt wait long for our apps to come out. The apps consisted of 4-6 pieces, shumai or dumplings. Everything was great, but for 6 pieces I believe the dumplings cost around $9. A little expensive if you ask me. The main course were fairly large, the soups were giant. 2 people were not even able to finish them. The sushi platter was large enough for 2, the noodle dish was delicious and again a large portion size. The waitress was very attentive throughout the whole meal. She kept coming to check up on us to see if we needed anything. In addition to the attentive waiteress, another waiter kept refilling our waters which was great. The restaurant was a little stark but crowded for a saturday night. Parking is tricky since its on a main street but there are some garages nearby. The restuarant is pricey depending on what you get. There seem to be a lot of other places in the Fenway area that are less expensive.
(3)aja m.
The food at this place was great but while we were here a waiter accidentally spilled a tray of wine and sushi all over a friend of ours. We were a large party of 10 or so out for a friends birthday, and this poor girl got wine alllll over her hair and white shirt before we went out for the night. The waiter apologized a bit, but they didn't comp her meal or offer her a free glass of wine. The most that happened was the manager gave her his card so she could get the shirt dry cleaned through him. Lame.
(2)Kayla B.
Went here on Saturday night with my boyfriend, called ahead for seating and was easily accommodated. The scorpion bowl was amazing, only 16$ and great mix of alcohol and juices. We ordered some apps to start, they didn't come out at the same time, but the manager was very attentive when he noticed I wasn't eating mine and went out back to grab his app we were waiting on. I had the ocean roll with some salmon sashimi. It was amazing and fresh. The waitress was attentive and we got two other cocktails to sip on after our meals came. We will certainly be back!
(5)Nina N.
Would have been three for food but I have reached my final verdict of two stars for overall experience. Why? Basho stole my co-worker's hard earned $20.00! Lunch. The hostess might not have been the hostess at all. When we walked through the huge dark double glass doors, we stood awkwardly for a minute or two before being greeted although there was two staff up front. One totally ignored us while another girl was taking orders over the phone. When she finally finished the call, she greeted us. A party of four, please. We were told to wait while she checked something. Another awkward moment. When she returned, she clumsily gathered our menus and so I figured we could just follow her. We did an awkward U-turn back to doors and then finally to the dining area. Love the open dining area but it could use more lighting if not natural light. Our waiter was very polite, ordered our drinks and came back with it within five minutes. All food came out at a steady pace. For appetizer, we ordered from from the Robata Grill - chicken breast, two orders of pork toro, and spicy duck with mushroom. The chicken breast and spicy duck was good but the four stars would have to go to the pork toro. It was melt in your mouth good! Soft, juicy, tender pork belly. It is comparable to NY Ipuddo. I guess I don't have to go to New York anymore. For entrees, my brothers each had an order of the Basho's lunch set. I was hoping the Chef would be creative and make the two sets different from one another but they were the same food selection. The salmon was flavorless. I am thankful I stayed away from the sushi. The lunch set also came with fried chicken tempura. The batter was too thick and soggy rather than crispy and light as it should be. I took one bite and didn't want to finish the other half. I thought dipping it into the spicy mayo would help but that only made it worse. The beef skewers was chewy. The only highlight if I can even call it a highlight was the two tiny pieces of fried sushi. Overall, though there be plenty to eat, everything was sub-par in quality, possibly poor in quality even. If you want quantity, you got it but the quality sure will suffer. My fiance's entree, seared duck ramen looked like a miserable cabbage ramen soup. Well, aside from the pretty carrots, it looked very sad. I wonder if it tasted as miserable as it looked. He did not enjoy it. Of course we are comparing it to NY Ipuddo. My own entree, the spicy korubuta pork ramen was on the other hand, well presented and tasted pretty darn good. I can't quite pinpoint what is wrong with the ramen, whether the texture is just not quite right, but every other component of the dish was delicious. I would order this dish again on any given cold or rainy day. But all good things seem to end terribly. My co-worker had purchased a Groupon for me as a gift so I was excited happy that this experience would have been $40.00 less so my brothers who I brought along had free meals or would have been... Our very nice waiter, after ten minutes we were able to flag him down, came back and asked me if I had another Groupon as the one I have does not work and that it had already been used. It was a gift so how would I know if my co-worker had accidentally used it without realizing it. I told the waiter that I would pay in full on my credit card. Later I found out from my co-worker that the restaurant had made an error. She checked her Groupon account and it showed that the coupon was used today, 11/05/2011. Somehow our waiter or the cashier must have typed in the coupon redemption code twice so that it showed that it was already used. This really made the experience all the more worse. Initially, I was excited to try this place because it practically had all the items I absolutely love: sushi, ramen and steamed pork buns. Because the Groupon was rejected, the bill was $105.00, plus $16.00 tip. It would have been $65.00 plus $16.00 tip. Because of the mistake, Basho practically got an additional $20.00. Ahhhh....I felt twice ripped off for mediocre food. Would only come back for the pork belly. Then again, I just may not come back at all. See my pictures.
(2)Matt C.
Basho is one of the few locations that was a Groupon decision that did not end in a one time only desire with the restaurant. Although without the 50% off deal Basho comes off as a bit pricey, the quality of the food would make it hard to pass up even if I wasn't wielding a half-off coupon. The sushi was fresh, the menu was unique, and even though the restaurant was going through renovations, the atmosphere was still enjoyable. All in all my suggestion is to search out living social/groupon paths to a discount, but even if you can't, give Basho a try at the full price.
(4)Aaron K.
Been to basho twice, both times with a groupon type coupon. Really have enjoyed the food and atmosphere. -Service is a bit lacking on a busy saturday night but it gets the job done. There were a couple times we thought we were forgotten (also one of our robata orders was missed). -Atmosphere is trendy and hip with some lights on the wall near the sushi bar. Not overbearing and makes for a really 'chill' spot. They really know how to use their space. There is a lot of people in one room but you don't feel like anyone is really that close to you, other restaurants should take note. -Value is a little low as you are paying 14-18$ for a lot of the specialty sushi rolls. Robata grill items are tiny and pricey for what you are getting! Kobe beef 7$ was about 3 bites (not big ones either). You really can't get off cheap here for a full meal. -Food is really good. Robata grill items are tasty and have some excellent interesting sauces on top of them. Robata items are tiny, order more not less if you go this route. We tried a bunch of items but the japanese eggplant was the best one. My absolute must do on this menu is the steamed bun sandwich appetizer. These use kurobuta pork that the waitress said is slow cooked for 16 hours. To this day it is the best pork I have ever had and this little bun sandwich is just mind blowing because of this pork. Sushi is good, crafted wonderfully. Everytime we saw a sushi roll go by we would ooo and awww. They all look good. Had the tiger roll and it was a good size and tasty. My parents split the miso yaki dinner (cod) which I tried. Came with a great yellow sauce that paired well with the glazed cod and pickled vegetable it came with. For dessert we had the banana tempura. This is an excellent finish to the meal with fried banana slices with a scoop of ice cream. Everything goes together so well in this dish and the presentation is very nice. Overall a good restaurant worth trying and you will have a fun night out here. I will be back if another groupon type deal is offered, but I won't make the trip back into Boston for this place at full price.
(4)Mary P.
Never buy coupon online, e.g. Groupon for this sushi bar. They set an option of purchasing $30 coupon. But when you check out, you will get two $15 coupons. And get noticed that you can't use them together. They are CHEATING. And the manager of the restaurant sucks, no consideration and no explanation. Worst experience in Fenway ever.
(1)Steve K.
This was our go-to sushi place when we lived in Fenway.. especially since we lived 1 block away. It's a great place to grab drinks or sit down for a meal. The best part is that you never have to wait for seat. The sushi is really high quality and some of the freshest fish I've had. Our typical meal would start off with oysters, agedashi tofu (fantastic), miso black cod (amazing!) and a couple of rolls (recommend the rainbow roll). The duck or pork ramen is really good too. However, the most amazing part of dinner is the salmon sashimi... 2 pieces of heaven that literally tastes like butter!
(4)Jose E.
My first time at Basho for lunch,I was very impressed sushi is delicious!!!! and the service outstanding can't wait to comeback for dinner great job.
(5)Jeremy K.
Nested amongst a rather diverse bunch of restaurants neighboring Fenway Park, from steakhouses to fast food joints, from bars and pizzerias, Basho is welcome breathe of fresh air. With it's unique, sleek and eye-popping décor to it's creative and versatile menu, it has managed to leave me rather impressed after I had an impromptu dinner there with a friend. We had not anticipated where we'd have dinner but after an eatery next to it was packed and had a significant wait, we decided to go there instead, out of convenience. It wasn't very busy and the décor caught our attention. We proceeded to walk in and were immediately speechless. I have never seen a décor like it anywhere. It's actually pretty awesome. It's sleek, dynamic (more on that later) and memorable. There are crisp white, green and black tones and it has a fresh feel to it. I dig it. We were seated, brought menus and some waters. I glanced at the menu and instantly noticed that it was very different that what you'd find in other Japanese restaurants. They have a strong emphasis on small plates, both hot and cold, alongside more traditional items like sushi and tempura dishes. Best of all, they have Robata skewers, which is a simple way of grilled various skewers of protein or vegetables. It is different than yakitori though as it is more diverse in terms of what can be used. It's not just chicken. As I sipped on my Sapporo beer, I glanced at the menu and finally decided to order a bunch of smaller items instead of sushi or a larger entre. After all, I can get chicken katsu anywhere but one doesn't stumble upon those Robata skewers often. Those said skewers varied in price from $3.50 to $8.95 depending on which ingredients were featured and I decided to get three various types of them: the one featuring chicken breast, the one with pork belly wrapping some baby tomatoes and the one with the Japanese eggplant. Alongside these skewers, I got their steamed pork buns ($7.95). The waitress was able to make recommendations as I ordered and was able to answer our questions - she was friendly and terrific. After a few minutes, our food started to arrive. My dining companion had started off his meal with the Shishito peppers ($6), a small bowls of those said peppers which were marinated in a sweet balsamic sauce. A terrific balance of texture, heat and flavor. Luckily for me, he shared a bit of it with me. We were both impressed. He ate sushi for the rest of his meal that he seemed to enjoy while I had my Robata skewers and the pork buns. Everything came out tasting terrific. They didn't withhold on any of the details, from the countless touches on the platting to the ingredients and flavors. Everything was a feast for both the eyes and the stomach. It was a very enjoyable meal in a very unique setting. Speaking of which, the setting here is unlike anything I've seen in Boston. Pictures would do it justice - it can be best described as a very white interior with touches of green and featuring very simple, clean lines. And they have this thing they do with the lighting and projectors which creates this effect that displays these branches on the walls which move. It's really amazing. I would return to Basho for a good meal however I did find it to be a bit on the expensive side. But then again, with this kind of quality of food an service, it is justifiable.
(4)Chris B.
I'm not really a fan. Execution is always a little bit off. Some of the words I'd use are: ~ "clinical" space which at full lighting would remind of a fancy cafeteria; the restaurant often feels kind of empty or non energetic... ~ few people seemed to be drinking, which is a big problem at an izakaya (friendly note for anyone not familiar with the term: it is defined in Wikipedia as "a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks.") ~ music was kind of muzak-y... didn't really recognize sort of generic jazz. Maybe would help to go for some good Japanese izakaya music? ~Ume chazuke came out after our meal was finished -- apparently it had to get remade; for me this is comfort food, which is why I ordered it... but it definitely was a bit off. Soup was starchier than I would expect, and there wasn't enough flavor... Just now I read in the "Boston Globe" that apparently in Basho's restaurant review, the critic also thought it was "terrible" -- whoops. I can see why they remade it this time though; they were probably terrified of the dish after it was panned so badly last time. They kindly apologized for the delay and sent out a amuse bouche though. ~ Sashimi quality was very good to start when they opened, but I feel like maybe it has gone slightly downhill over time? The quantity within the sashimi app is kinda generous though... could probably make smaller slices and everyone still be happy. ~ The inside "to-go" prepared foods section has been removed, which makes sense... Personally, I wish they'd close half the restaurant (get a smaller space), make the lighting a little brighter, have tons of sake and beer everywhere (Asahi, Sapporo, etc), Japanese-ify the restaurant with some good music, and simplify the menu down to one page of daily specials... a handful of freshly grilled robata, a handful of sushi/sashimi/rolls, etc. Tell me about the origin of the meat, the bincho coals, the sauces. Show pride in the quality of the food paired with the outstanding social scene of drinking with close friends. In other words, make it a drinking establishment with food -- not the other way around.
(3)Becca P.
This place is AMAZING! It looks small from the outside but it's much bigger. It is very modern and chic. The staff is very nice. The food is expensive but delicious! The Basho flavored sashimi sampler was good but more $$ than I would have wanted to pay. The kobe beef skewers were cooked PERFECTLY. I can't remember the name of the rolls/makis we got but they were all GOOD so I really do not think you can go wrong here. 2 Thumbs up for Basho!
(5)Robert G.
My "go to" sushi place in Boston. Rolls are creative and well executed. The selections from the robata grill are excellent and worth the trip alone. The avocado tempura is out of this world. I have always had great service and the decor/feel is great. It is in the Fenway area, so parking is ample (except during games/events).
(5)Brian M.
I met up with some former co-workers there last week and was supremely impressed with the friendly and prompt service that went along w/the tasty food. The spicy edamame was an outstanding starter. One of the more interesting rolls was a special - a burrito of sorts - and was delectable. I urge them to make that roll a mainstay. You won't go wrong giving Basho a try. I'll certainly be back.
(5)Nadine F.
Came back here with friends, this time with a Groupon. I know people say this place is too pricey but I actually don't think it's bad given how good the food we've had has been. We had...shrimp tempura--yummy, crispy, good sized, I love the dipping sauce; Kobe beef robata--tender and delicious, probably wouldn't get it again just because it's kind of pricey for the size, but that's expected with Kobe and it was worth trying the robata style cooking method; salmon and spicy seafood maki rolls--both were good but we both liked the flavor of the salmon roll more; Rainbow roll--so delicious! I traded a piece of it with a friend for a volcano roll, and was kind of disappointed because it wasn't as good as mine! If you're going to try a combo roll, definitely get the rainbow, it was really excellent with lots of seafood and great flavor. You get what you pay for here, and with a Groupon you get a lot more than you paid for. We'll probably be back with or without one!
(5)Whytnee B.
I had brown rice sushi, which was pretty good. Not phenomenal. Prices were reasonable, although I didn't try any of the adventurous rolls. None of them really appealed to me. My friend ordered off the apps and Robata Grill menus, which seemed to be the better choice. He had roasted eggplant and a pork belly skewer. He had steamed buns at one point too. They were all exciting and delicious. The atmosphere was downright cheesy. Totally trying too hard. But our server was very friendly and attentive. Thumbs up. Definitely going back between the service and the food. Skip the sushi; be bold and sample everything else.
(3)Vina A.
Still think about the chu toro we had here. Good sashimi and sushi choices beyond the normal every day Japanese just expensive for the good bits you do get.
(4)Megan S.
I had an excellent time when I stopped by for a mid-afternoon sushi snack. Two mind-baffling things though: Why was the air conditioning blasting AND all the windows open from floor to ceiling? Why is it called Brasserie? It was the name that caught my eye and made me want to check it out. Brasserie means brewery in french - how intriguing! - I thought, imagining french-japanese beer fermenting in large tanks. But you will find nothing of the sort here. It also means a small Fench restaurant, but this place was decidedly not French.
(4)D K.
I live in the neighborhood. My neighbor and I had dinner here once a few months after they opened. Our food was fine. Somehow the food passing us to go to other tables looked/smelled more exciting, so it's possible we made poor ordering decisions? The restaurant has some strange seating options. We sat at a small table on a busy end of the restaurant with servers continuously whizzing past us. The restaurant wasn't very busy when we went, but they seated a couple at the table adjacent to us. The tables were very close together and the only thing between our two tables were some fake bamboo sticks. We found this configuration to be awkward. The reason why I won't go back: THEY SERVE FRAUDULENT FISH! Not only is it completely unacceptable for them to charge you for one fish, yet serve you one which is cheaper, it also completely disregards that some people have certain food allergies!!!!! (The study was done by the Boston Globe if you're curious to see the specifics)
(1)A K.
Went to Basho last night with a date to grab a "Sappora" (menu typo) and sample the new sushi joint. We decided to split some maki rolls (spicy salmon, kamikaze, and shiitake tempura). The miso soup was also good; everything there tasted a lot "cleaner" than other sushi places in Boston. I think this could be the use of fresh quality ingredients. The food was filling but nothing was really heavy. The only thing that really put me off was the atmosphere. I understand it's supposed to be modern looking but the techno music gives off a totally different vibe than if something more relaxing were played in the same space. Also, due to this restaurant's relative newness staff was running all over the place looking real anxious. Chill out guys! Not perfect, but definitely the best sushi in the Fenway area (ha! ok, pretty good by other Boston standards as well) and I look forward to coming back when the staff's not so on edge
(4)Cheryl M.
My friend and I ate at Basho last night before seeing a show on Landsdown Street. We were blown away. The menu is big and has a nice variety, including individual tempura items (we got scallop, sweet potato and shiitake mushroom- the last being AMAZING) a unique grill and everything has the option of brown rice instead of white. They have Kobe beef and Pork belly available as well. We had a delicious hand roll, a specialty roll and the salmon sashimi we had was so fresh and buttery I swear they caught it 5 minutes before we ordered it. The drinks were yummy and the service was great, we even had 2 people waiting on us. I found the prices to be fair and comparable for what we got, there are some very expensive options available as well such as lobster ceviche or the Kobe beef, pork belly if you want to go big. Can't wait to go back, although I think this is a place for date nights or friend nights, not the type of place I would feel comfortable bringing my kids, although my 2 1/2 year old adores sushi.
(5)Emily F.
Really great sushi for a good price. I've been several times in the last few months and I've never had a complaint. I had someone, who is by no means open to trying new things and has a very basic palette, try a spicy tuna roll, and loved it!!! Definitely recommend. They also have a great deal on Sundays.
(4)CW W.
Went to Basho for the first time last week. It was a Monday around 5:30 so not very busy, I think there were 2 other tables when we arrived. The waiter who took care of us was very friendly, answered any questions we had and offered suggestions as well. Overall the food was good but service was REALLY slow. Like I said there were only a few tables and it took almost 30mins for our first order to come out. There were some dishes that were ok and others were really good it was 50/50 in that regard. I suppose I would go again knowing now what not to order but perhaps get take out as the service was so slow.
(3)David D.
Good...Staff needs work but I will try it again!
(3)Bassem S.
A-OK for Boston sushi... They renovated the interior - it was my first time here, but my friends said it was definitely an upgrade. Our servers were very nice, although I'd say we were a little understaffed. We had made special arrangements with the restaurant for our large group, where they served us 4 courses and we brought our own (very top-notch) sake. Unfortunately they didn't give us a menu, but I'll take my best guess at how our dishes corresponded to the menu: -House salad - Surprisingly delicious! I was expecting the typical Japanese house salad, but this had mesclun greens and a really tasty dressing. Actually one of my favorite parts of the meal... -Sushi/sashimi platter - My favorite part of our meal by far! We had toro sushi, water eel, and seared salmon sushi; as well as scallop sashimi and a few pieces of uni sushi. The scallop sashimi and uni sushi were the big winners: super fresh and tasty. The seared salmon sushi could have been a little more flavorful, but the toro and eel were delicious. Only complaint is that the portions are quite small! -Mixed tempura - Shrimp, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato, etc. I was so excited to see this dish and really wanted to like it, but the breading was just way too thick. The shrimp in particular was too greasy with all the bread coating. The broccoli was my favorite by the far...I think because it was hard for all of the breading to stick... -Mystery roll: UGH. This was disgusting. I'm not sure which combination roll it was, but after looking at them on the menu, my advice would just be to STAY AWAY from them and stick to traditional rolls or sushi/sashimi. I had 6 leftover pieces of this and did NOT want to take it home with me Summary: Nothing special and over-priced (though not more so than other Boston restaurants). Drop by if you're in the area and have a craving for a few fresh pieces of fish Tip: AVOID the combo rolls! Stick to the fresh sushi!
(3)Island Boy B.
Everyone I've brought here really enjoyed the atmosphere and food. People, listen, its sushi, its gonna be expensive. That's why you have to take advantage of their lunch specials and happy hour. I always joke with my buddy who is a food snob about this place. We are always one of only a few groups/people in there and we joke we hope it doesn't close down soon. The food and the specials are too good. On another note, I brought another sushi snob and my brother, who coincidentally was visiting Boston from Japan. They both agreed the portions were excellent and quality was good. Obviously we have our favorite hole in wall Sushi joints, but if you utilize the specials, you are going to get a great meal and if you are already used to spending $40 or so when you go out for sushi, it beats comparable priced places hands down. This definitely is worth the 5 stars. Parking is always available out front, and even during Sox games, they validate for $4 in their garage. Can't beat that. If you like Douza (same owner), then you will like Basho. Plus its less of a headache and more accessible by car. Robata is a nice treat and I'm recommending you order a few to fill you up and ordering one less maki roll. I'm sticking with the 5 stars, but if there was a 4.75 rating I would give them that - once they get Sapporo on draft, then they will be 5 stars.
(5)Karina L.
This place is a little on the expensive side, but with the price comes an amazing selection of signature rolls and a great date environment. My roommate and I came here all dumpy looking after the gym and we felt seriously out of place. Here we were, 2 hungry girls sitting among 15 other couples. No matter, the food was great enough to distract us from our glaring ugliness. We had a Groupon, but I would consider coming back here for a birthday dinner. We started off with a steamed pork belly and cucumber bun. It comes with 2, but one was enough for each of us. The pork belly is fatty, rich, and well-seasoned. I haven't found a pork bun that has rivaled Basho in Boston. Even the simple maki rolls (e.g.: spicy tuna) are top-notch quality and only a tad bit more expensive than a take-out sushi place ($6.75). Signature rolls like the Avalanche Roll and Dragon Roll are huge (8-10 pieces) -- 1 of these orders is probably enough for a meal. Service was prompt and polite. We got our rolls fairly quickly, but we had empty glasses of water pretty often.
(5)Emerald L.
The atmosphere and food were decent, but our waiter was wonderful! My partner has Celiac Disease so eating out can sometimes be a dangerous, stressful and awkward experience. Our waiter tonight at Basho was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, courteous and thorough. Contrary to the blank or confused looks we get elsewhere when we double-check ingredients, our waiter offered suggestions and either knew the full ingredients in everything we wanted, or offered to double check without being asked. Thank you for making date night relaxing and fun!
(4)M M.
We have ate a handful of times here and utilized groupons some of the times we have visited. We had two groupons per our table and last time we were given no issue when asked. Well, this time we went and we were not allow to use the second one. We had proof that we redeemed them both last time we visited together. The manager come have cared less. I asked the manager since last time we were allowed to that if we could use them this one time, and for now on we wouldn't use two together as now we know the policy is different. Nope! I mean seriously it's $15 and makes your customer happy. Won't be back.
(1)Susan C.
This place gets 4 stars for appearance and service, but only 3 for food. Basho looks great after its recent facelift. But it's not particularly a positive when the decor is more memorable than the food. The food is definitely more on the pricey side. I ordered 4 sushi rolls an app and a beer and it came out to around $100. My sushi orders were essentially: 1) a toro tartare app, spicy salmon roll, alaska roll, caterpillar roll, some other generic-ish roll, and this lobster tempura roll I was excited to try. The lobster roll just turned out to be okay, it was somewhat bland, and it turned out the whole roll was fried, not just the tempura inside. The toro tartare was seasoned well, but it was a little chewy and definitely could have used some wontons or chips as an accouterments because it was very difficult to eat with chopsticks alone (and I grew up using chopsticks!). I'd probably be back for lunch or their happy hour specials, but I'm not sure I'd be back for dinner.
(3)Andrea B.
Creative rolls + a daily 50% off happy hour special? I'm all over that! We got four rolls for 34 dollars, not a bad deal, especially considering I'd probably never come here at full price. Of those four rolls, I highly recommend trying their Tropical Sunset roll (which normally would cost you $16). It consisted of onion, cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese on the inside, with strawberry, fresh salmon, jalapeno, kiwi, and mango mayo on top. YUM. Sweet + spicy at the same time = amazing. Warning though - don't try to eat a piece in one bite, they're way too big. In the typical over-excitement that comes whenever I'm eating sushi, I attempted this and failed miserably. Service was fast and pleasant enough. However, our waitress had a little trouble keeping our water glasses full, but I was distracted enough by the delicious sushi that it didn't bother me that much. I'll definitely be back, as long as they keep that 50% happy hour going!
(4)Sidney L.
This restaurant is just really well put together. From start to finish, you get very contemporary takes on Japanese cuisine, and every time I've come here, I've felt like I've gotten a unique meal that no other restaurant could give me. My entree has always been sushi when I've come here, but I'll have to try the rice and noodle dishes some time. Be prepared to spend $30-50 per person here though. - For appetizers, you can't go wrong with the edamame, especially the spicy ginger and garlic flavor. They occasionally have specials on oyster shooters, which is something fun to do with a group of people (it's like taking shots, but less alcoholic and more slimy). My favorite is "spicy tuna," which is spicy tuna on a crispy piece of sushi rice (which more or less tastes like a tater-tot). - For sushi, I recommend the Basho roll, crunchy roll, red spider roll, snow mountain roll, the rock and roll roll, and the tempura roll. Heck they're all good, you can't really go wrong here. Though this place isn't cheap, especially if you order sushi. - For dessert, try the fried green tea ice cream or the banana roll with ice cream. - For drinks, try the lychee martini or asian pear martini. Felt like those cocktails complimented the meal well. Finally, the service here is really outstanding. Many times I've been here, I've ended up striking up goofy conversations with my waiter or waitress, and I've gotten good recommendations from them as well.
(5)Irina R.
Very very good sushi! Service can be a bit slow, but every piece of sushi we had was delicious. Left feeling crazy stuffed.
(4)Dave B.
The food is good at Basho. I was not amazed by it but not disappointed. However the service and whole vibe of the place is confusing. First, we had made a reservation really late on a Friday night. When we arrive it didn't really matter that we had called ahead, we still waited for about 20 minutes - even though the place was not even that busy and there were plenty of tables clearing up. Walking in you would think you are walking in to a vegas club - with the EDM blasting - could be a good or bad thing based on where you want the night to go!
(3)Tom H.
Our family of four are fans of sushi and came across Basho mainly because it was so close to our hotel. It ended up being one of those gems that will be added to list when we come back to Boston. Was a perfect balance of being casual but not too casual- perfect for what we were looking for. Our waitress, attending Northeastern, was friendly, helpful with the menu, and overall made a great experience even better. She is a true asset to the establishment. Food was fresh, creative, and tasty. Highly recommend when you are looking for high quality and friendly atmosphere. Well done Basho and The "Husky".
(4)Joe P.
One of my top 5 favorite Japanese places. Probably number 4 at this point . The foods great. The sushi is pretty good. Im still a little upset they took some of the best things off their menu. No more vegetable tempura on the lunch menu?! That's a huge mistake since everyone I knew who went there got that. And the added shrimp was the best. I used to dream of that. The food is really good though and the staff are all very kind. There's been a few times I haven't been wowed but I never leave disappointed.
(4)Kat M.
I love this place. Its pretty cool inside and offers PaintNite once a week which is a lot of fun! The food is great and about what I would expect price wise. I've also held events here, which they accommodated us very easily and were able to book a space with no booking fee or minimum. The staff is always friendly and prompt. I highly recommend it as a great place to eat.
(5)Sam N.
Great sushi and appetizers. I got spicy salmon which is pretty standard but the fish was fresh. The Phoenix roll was amazing!! And the Fenway roll was a little plain, I wouldn't order it again. The appetizers were great, the spicy tuna rice bites, miso soup and shrimp gyoza. I'm definitely going back to try more rolls
(4)Douglas S.
Overall decent sushi in a great location for Sox games but restaurant management is very snippy and not accommodating at all...Fins all in all is a better choice in the area.
(1)Iaroslav M.
nice decor and lounge music, very friendly host and service. Ginger margarita was a little weak, but bash-full drink is a "must-try"!had an seafood appetizer special in a half-shell with some melted cheese on it-yummm! I really liked my spicy lobster soup (generous amount of lobster meat for $8),red spider roll was looks fancy and taste great!will definitely come back
(5)Fanasha D.
Food is good, and the restaurant is really pretty. Convenient location. However, we went during a lunch rush and the understaffed restaurant was extremely SLOWWWWWWWWW. The servers were overwhelmed and forgetful. Because I was in a large group it was tolerable but had it been with just myself and one or two people it would've been insufferable. They really need to up their game during the lunch rush.
(3)Jenn H.
A little overpriced and definitely the quality or freshness that I was expecting for the price. There are so many other places for much better sushi in Boston.
(2)Elizabeth S.
I agree wholeheartedly with mike G. but I'm giving an extra star because I did not get food poisoning and let's face it, that's a huge plus when ordering raw seafood. Inedible salmon sashimi. Inedible salmon roe sashimi. Both were slightly sour and old tasting. I left them on the plate. Fancy rolls were fine. Not the best I've had (kind of dry), but edible. The rock shrimp tempura was the superstar of the evening - it's possible that Basho's forte is in the cooked dishes. The waiter came around to take drink orders and I gave him mine. Five minutes later, he returned, and asked me what I had ordered. I told him again. Ten minutes later he reappeared and presented me with a different drink. When I asked him if it was indeed the drink I suspected it was, he said yes. And I said okay, that's not what I ordered, but I don't really care. He suggested I give it to another member of our party since she had just ordered one, and he would bring me the drink I ordered. This was not a deal-breaker, but just very odd in a supposedly nice establishment that wasn't even half full, the whole time we were there (around 3 hours). I feel like you can either ask me twice what I ordered, or give me the wrong drink. I don't see how you can do both. Moving on... The chocolate cake was fine. The cheesecake dish and the banana tempura were both dissatisfying for a meal-ender. The prices are pretty high for a place with a florescent-lit fridge with soda and Gatorade in the entrance, and escolar on the menu. It's not as trendy as Red Lantern or as exotic as Fugakyu or as iconic as O Ya or as good tasting as any shack in Allston. Next.
(2)Shruti S.
I am not happy with the fact that they changed the menu. I was used to go to Basho for their Basho Ribs, Octopus Ceviche and few other things. We are definitely not coming back. :( It was used to be our favorite place to come atleast once a month sometimes twice a month.
(3)Stephanie F.
I just had my second dinner here and it confirmed what I thought after the first dinner: fantastic! The food is really, really good. I originally went with a friend who raved about the black cod and teriyaki salmon so that's what we got. Both were delicious. This time, I was with a friend who wanted to try the sushi so we got the black cod appetizer and shumai as well as the spider roll and caterpillar roll. Again, the black cod was insanely good. Next time I come I might just have to get that. Though the sushi was amazing too so it's going to be a tough call. As for all the other stuff (service, parking, ambiance)... Parking is easy either on the street or the garage around the corner from the restaurant on Jersey St (which they validate). We went on the earlier side ahead of a show at the House of Blues so it wasn't super crowded. We sat at a high table near the bar which was fine. It's a cozy place so it would be good for dinner with friends or as a date spot. Service was also really good. Our meal came out pretty quick and he was very attentive. Overall, highly recommend it if you want yummy Japanese food. I'll surely be back.
(5)Jamie F.
I hosted my collegiate reunion/joint birthday dinner at Basho recently, and would definitely recommend this venue for large parties (we had 22 people). The atmosphere was trendy with soft lounge music playing - perfect for group celebration. We were seated in the private area (secluded by semi-transparent curtains). They won't seat you until most of your party has arrived, so my early bird friends waited at the sushi bar. I was prepared for mediocre service, as warned by some yelpers. To my surprise, our two servers were shining stars. They were really patient, friendly, and efficient. I had so many requests, i.e. to split the bill, change my drink order, add another app, etc. (...I swear I'm not one of those pain-in-the-ass customers), and they said, "no problem!" with a smile every single time. Food, as expected, took a while to come for our big group. My section of the table (4 people) shared oyster shooters (special), shrimp tempura app (special), tuna tartare with taro chips, steamed pork bun sandwiches, shishito peppers, and 4 sushi rolls (basho, tiger, crunchy, and yuzu yellowtail). Everything was delicious, good quality, beautifully presented, and good portion too. For drinks, both the lychee martini and cucumber martini were strong (without the alcohol sting) and refreshing. Wished we had time for dessert, but we were running late for our after-party. Total damage was about $50pp after tip & tax - pricey but worth it. There's validated parking in the garage around the corner ($4 for 3 hours), but don't bother if there's a redsox game (lot will most likely be full). Valet is $16. I'm Basho's newest fan! Can't wait to try the rest of the menu.
(4)Nikhil D.
Each time I've visited Basho I get super excited by the decor and friendly staff and then my emotions take a hit when I taste the food. Overall it's very lackluster and semi-expensive for the quality/size of the portions. I do recommend checking out their bar food since they're having a deal. If you sit at their newly renovated bar, you can get an array of small plates for $3-5 dollars each. My favorite was (what I remember to be) the Pork Bun. Really tasty. It's by no means terrible since I do go when I'm feeling sushi and am in the area, but definitely not my favorite sushi joint.
(2)Michelle T.
I really enjoyed Basho's food and service. great place to bring a date and a fun place for friends to meet and catch up at. This place isn't quite as small and cozy as many other Japanese places but not so loud you can't hear your dining companions. The pork buns were the best appetizers! Each bun had its own steamer and the pork inside was MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. The bun itself was soft and fluffy...absolutely delicious and so memorable. The skewers were hit or miss. The meat ones were quite a fail, and overpriced. The mushroom skewers however were absolutely AWESOME! Sushi was excellent. We ordered 2 different types of special maki rolls and both were presented beautifully and had unique ingredients. Even the soup noodles were tasty. I appreciate the broth as it was flavorful and not overly salted. NOT from an instant mix, which is a lot more than i can say for many Japanese restaurants in Boston. The seafood in our noodles were actually mostly fresh seafood. There was shrimp, scallops, and salmon, all in decent portions. Would definitely recommend this place if you live around the area!
(4)Jessica L.
This place is so disappointing. I have given it several attempts, but it consistently lets us down. We started with a spicy tuna sampler.... that more accurately reflected mashed spicy tuna dollops on top of tater tots (well, tater tots of fried rice balls). We had to specially request regular soy sauce, because all that was provided to us was the low-sodium kind. Next was the Basho sampler platter. This place is confusing because, in theory, its rolls sound good, but they never seem to work; the flavors in the rolls never fuse together to create the delicious flavor combination you might expect. Instead, it tastes piecemeal; as if you just tossed seaweed/sashimi/rice/etc into your mouth. We got the tempura ice cream for dessert. The tempura was extremely soggy and inedible. Even the cherry on top was shriveled and gross. What's worse, in addition to a completely unsatisfying and overpriced meal, we always leave.... well, still hungry. This place is almost worse than having not eaten at all.
(2)April C.
Wonderful meal before the Red Sox game. Atmosphere was zen-like and comfortable. Service was impeccable. We ordered a few combination rolls; The Green Monster, The Rainbow, and The Spider Roll. All choices were fresh and delicious.
(4)Ariel Z.
Holy moly. Me like a lot. I went here on a Groupon and boy was I pleased. The atmosphere is awesome. And the sushi rolls are so innovative and equally delicious. I highly recommend the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll, Tropical Sunset Roll, and the Kimchee Fried Rice. I can't wait to go back and try the Spicy Lobster Miso Soup!
(5)Tony N.
I struggle with my rating here. If I could give it 2.5 I would but I simply cannot give it a 3. In short, the food is excellent but the service is inexcusably and unapologetically slow. Appetizers: Pork Bun - Amazing. Comes in a two level steamer with a delicious pork bun on each level. Have had better in NY but not in Boston. A must order if you go. Shishito Peppers- On par with what they should be. Nothing special. Not very spicy. Edamame - Good. I recommend he spicy sauce as an accompaniment. Spicy Tuna - Those who had it love it. Too bad it came over an hour after all the other appetizers came....... Robata Grill Items - This is something that you don't see often. I would recommend ordering several items from this part of the menu. We had the pork belly (excellent), duck (excellent), and the Basho ribs (great sauce, super fatty). Sushi/Maki/Sashimi: The list of rolls is extensive. It is all great. The sashimi is especially good. Nice thick slices of fish, (a mirror image of Douzo). Substituions are discouraged but will be made. Service: Our server was incredibly pleasant and welcoming. She knew the entire menu and was able to make some fantastic suggestions. HOWEVER....food would just not leave the sushi bar. Appetizers came within 15-20 minutes, were hot, tasty, but missing one item, (the spicy tuna). We waited and waited and after a half hour had to ask where it was, (we assumed they missed the order). No, they did not miss the order, the sushi bar was just busy. Well....if that's the case I don;t expect to have to wait, wonder, and track down the information myself. Come tell me you didn't forget and it is coming in X minutes. ANOTHER 30 minutes pass and we tell them to forget the effort since our dinner is coming. Welllll not exactly. The appetizer was on its way but the sushi/maki/sashimi was going to be another ten minutes! In all it took over an hour, after getting out appetizers to get our sushi dinner items. We were not given any sort of apology or even an update. I have read the other reviews in this restaurant and it appears these folks just don't get it. If you have a big place with lots of people in the seats, staff appropriately! I hate to bash Basho but while the food was great there are just too many Japanese/sushi joints in this town to put up with that lack of service.
(2)Ben R.
Nice and big on the inside, in a fine area of the city. The food is over priced though. It's not top-notch sushi or anything, so I don't know why the specialty rolls are about $15 each. I had the rainbow roll and it was delicious, but definitely not worth the price in terms of portion. I also had the fried calamari for an appetizer -- that on the other hand was not good. The spices on the batter were overpowering. You didn't taste the calamari at all. What you did taste was a very strong onion powder that was literally like those Frito-Lay Funyun bagged onion rings. It was honestly the worst fried calamari I've ever had. Also, it wasn't a big deal, but it was kind of loud inside. The more people that came in, the louder each table began to speak just so they could hear each other -- I didn't like that. Maybe lunch would be nice at this place since the pricing and atmosphere is different, but for dinner? I definitely would not recommend it. For the price, you might as well go somewhere nice in the North or South end of the city.
(2)Michael C.
Went here this past weekend for their soft opening. The first thing you will notice when you walk in is that this place is massive. It looks like it seats over 200 people and has some space for private dining. Now on to the food! We started with the Foie Gras Teriyaki which I have to say was one fo the best cooked foie gras I have ever had. Next we ordered 5 rolls. The best being the Basho Roll which is a gigantic spicy snow crab roll. My favorite was the Dragon Roll which was a sweet potato tempura roll wrapped with eel and avacado. Not only was the sushi great but the presentation was on par with some of the best sushi restaurants I have been too. I posted some pics. This place is a welcome addition to the Fenway restaurant scene and Boston sushi in general.
(5)Danie R.
I'm rounding up... I think it's more like 3.5 stars. Great atmosphere, great service, great food! It is a beautiful, new restaurant. Very dark and romantic spot for my lady date. Lots of mood lighting, nice big space. Our server was new and training but he was really nice and knowledgable about food in general. He wasn't too sure about the cocktails but they were overpriced and mediocre anyway.. Although the house candied ginger is DELICIOUS. I liked the ramen and tempura! The tempura was perfectly cooked. It's kinda weird they did it by the piece. The ramen was slightly under seasoned but after adding the tempura sauce and some spicy stuff it was awesome. I'd go back, but not if I had to go out of my way.
(4)Jessie E.
Ive gone here like 50+ times, the lunch specials are very good, the space is large and empty. Service is usually aloof and uninformed. The chirashi can be great quality and I quite like the torched hamachi roll.
(3)Steve G.
We had a great time here and our server was so helpful. We're not the most experienced sushi eaters, so the menu could be intimidating, but we were guided along in our choices and the food was amazing. We had a few signature salmon and tuna rolls. The Crunchy Rolls were great. We had a table of four, so each order was divided into 8 pieces, 2 each. Great way to do it. After the Sushi we had a thick noodle and chicken dish. Love the noodles. We finished by splitting the Banana Tempura. We'll go back.
(5)Eunice E.
Basho's a very sleek, modern restaurant, and its food is as beautiful as its setting! We came in and were seated by the window, which actually felt a bit drafty. Though when we told the staff, they immediately turned up the heat, which helped tremendously, and was impressively quick on their part. Our waiter, Ezra, was also quite quick and very helpful. We had a "small bites" tasting, and were able to sample the kobe beef rolls, asparagus tempura, and giant shrimp tempura. They were all quite tasty, and went well with my Asian Pear martini (it really did taste like an alcoholic, Grey Goose-laden Asian pear) and my partner's Sapporo. Then, we were able to try a bit of the lobster tempura roll, salmon and tuna sashimi, and really delicious smoked hamachi. All the food we had was really fresh and cooked to perfection. The prices here are on the higher end, so it's definitely more of a special occasion type of place, but I had a lot of fun here, and would love to come back and sample more delectable sushi bites.
(4)Jennifer T.
This place is huge, probably not much of a wait whenever you go, there seems to be so much seating. The inside is a dim, trendy minimalistic style place, seemed fitting for a date night or evening out with friends, but saw families enjoying the food too. The menu is extensive, with items on the more pricey end. The udon was perfect, and when we asked them to bring out bowls so we can share, they actually divied it up into 3 separate bowls already for us, which was great! We got a couple of their robata, which are like little skewered meats. The kobe robata was delicious but wish it was bigger and the toro robata was also flavorful but be forewarned it really is a large percentage of pure fat. As for sushi, my favorite role was the "crunchy roll", the Alaskan was descent enough, and the sashimi platter was unique with each piece topped with a unique dip of sauce (e.g., passionfruit, kimchi, etc). The food itself was like a 3.5, but the overall experience was smooth sailing, so I give it a 4.
(4)David C.
Basho continues in the tradition of Douzo, its sister restaurant, which itself carries in the tradition of my beloved Fugakyu, so by two degrees of separation, you know you're in good hands. Basho is decidedly less elegant than its contemporaries, but its sleek, modern styling is appropriate for its neighborhood and clientele. I've been here twice and enjoyed myself on both occasions. The first time was for dinner. Anticipating the midnight premiere of the last Harry Potter film, my friends and I decided to go all out and partake in a maki extravaganza. The rolls are a little pricey, sure, but they're packed to the brim and totally worth it. Of all the rolls we tried (only one, the spicy seafood maki, was a dud) the one that sticks out best in my memory is the Green Monster. Softshell crab laced with spicy mayo, wrapped in escolar and topped with cilantro pesto? Good lord. Don't mind if I do... Lunch is a great deal, though I wish the specials came with soup and salad as they do elsewhere. Overall, I'd definitely recommend Basho for a fun and trendy night out. It seems they have happy hour specials now as well. This could be dangerous.
(4)Jen A.
I'm here at the restaurant, been sat for over 15 minutes and nobody has offered me a drink or asked to take my order It's early evening so it's not packed, there are servers milling around but may be there's a cloaking device on my table
(1)Mike G.
DODGY SASHIMI Chirashi Dinner - dull-colored/tasteless tuna, slimy salmon, mushy unagi, hamachi with lots of muscle tissue. obviously NOT prime seafood and certainly not fresh, despite manager's insistence. Black Cod Miso Yaki DInner - fatty tail part of cod with sugar-laced sauce. Tiger Roll and Spring Roll - edible but all you could taste was mayo. very slow post-game night, prime dinner hour. the robatayaki (grill) was unused. prolly not doing too well and cutting corners i.e. quality.
(1)Irina N.
Girlfriend took me out for a belated birthday dinner here and it was a success. Although, pricey, the food was great and the service was up to par. Maybe the establishment got the message from all the reviews or maybe it was just a good day for us! We came in around 6:30pm on a Wednesday and it was empty. We got to pick a better table (for 4 instead of 2 edge sitting we were originally offered). Apps included edamame salted and tuna tartar. Can't spoil edamame but tuna tartar didn't taste that adventurous to me. Rolls chosen: yuzu yellow-tail roll we tried for something new to try (yuzu was the type of lemony/citrucy sauce), which is the only one that was so-so; tiger roll, which has salmon roe on the top, which was the most favorite; spicy scallop roll, not my favorite because of the scallions but my girlfriend liked it a lot; rainbow roll, which is everywhere the same and never disappoints! We tried lichyee tini and sparkling pear. Both highly recommended but if i had to order over again i would do more sparkling pear for it refreshing and still sweet taste with a little tangle! I know I didn't pay but i was still very satisfied with quality of food; attentive service; good drinks; it was convenient location and we left full and happy :)
(5)Michael R.
So much for "bad service". Before embarking on another Groupon-fueled trek to a new food-based adventure, I peeped some of the Yelp reviews before stopping by, and definitely noticed a trend of quips in regards to subpar service. Absolutely not the case with my experience -- our waitress was attentive and helpful in describing some of the trickier menu items, and had some great suggestions. But what the vast majority of Yelpers got right is the quality of the food. Most definitely fresh fish, expertly arranged. Case in point, the current profile picture for Basho. Our plate wasn't quite as artistically arranged, but it was quite close. Basho's also got a pretty extensive menu -- pages of rolls for the sushi fanatics, a few meat-based, Japanese-inspired plates, and an intriguing cocktail menu. And if you're wondering which roll to mow down on first, I'd go with the Green Monster, which is a snow crab tempura-style roll which should be a hit for the adventurous and hesitant seafood samplers in your group.
(4)Bill C.
Wow, what a disappointment! We decided to treat ourselves with a little sushi take-out to celebrate the Obama win (and the Romney loss) and this was a very mediocre and (speaking of Romney) pricey dinner. The sushi dinner, had fresh fish, but instead of nice slabs draped over the rice, these were small and neatly trimmed. In addition, a "dinner" usually includes a maki and miso soup. No soup for us! In addition the California Roll had cucumber in it after we specifically asked for no cucumber in any of our makis. The spicy tuna was acceptable, but bland, but not tasteless like the spicy salmon. The spider maki was stuffed into a takeout platter so that it was just a big lump with no distinction even between slices. We did like the rainbow maki which salvaged this from being a complete waste of money. There are many decent places to take-out sushi in Boston with food at least as good and $20 cheaper than Basho, a place that clearer thinks it's better than it is.
(2)Ryan A.
MY FAVORITE SUSHI PLACE! Great food, great environment! The staff is excellent. Highly recommend!
(5)Denise D.
A co worker and I decided to have lunch here today and it was pretty good. The menu did not state how many rolls you get so I was surprised when they came out and there were 4 rolls on my plate...FOUR...seriously!! However they were pretty big...but try stuffing something that big in your mouth that you have to chew, and its very rare that you see people bite sushi. So once we ate our FOUR rolls I order 4 more of the same (crazy roll) and she tried the sweet potato roll which was six this time around. She really enjoyed the sweet potato roll. I tried one but thought it was too greasy. My crazy rolls weren't as good the second time around but I'm gonna chuck that up to me being full. I also got a sparkling pear cocktail...Not a fan...it tasted like a Heineken and I'm not a beer drinker. I may go back if I'm in the mood, the decor was very nice.
(3)M C.
Yuck. I ordered the 6 piece nigiri. Rice was poor, fish was not fresh. The horrible taste in my mouth lasted for days. Avoid avoid avoid.
(1)Lily S.
3.5 stars if i could. this place is ok. i've been cautious about trying it because of a lot of the negative reviews, but then there was a groupon, so why not. I went here for dinner on a saturday night. the original reservation was for 7...up until my friend was an hour and a half late due to issues on the red line. fuck the MBTA. First good thing about this place--instead of giving me the pitty "aww you're being stood up eyes," the bartender made a stroooong ass leychee martini...there was at least 2 times more goose in there than there should have been. thanks bro! anyhoo. finally when my friend got there, the hostesses were very nice and accommodating in getting us a table. Our server (Molly B.) was great and very attentive. She also didnt make a big stink about having to scan a groupon--which is generally not the reaction i get from people--so that was nice. We tried a whole bunch of different appetizers and rolls and I have to say Fugakyu is by far better in terms of quality of fish. We got something that was like a variation on a regular rainbow roll and i had to pick the raw fish off the top because it was just not good. They had a volcano roll as well but sadly it pales in comparison to what you get at Fugakyu. Also their bar chairs, as well as the ones at the individual tables in the bar-ish area dont have backs that you can lean in to...which is weird. Overall it was a decent experience, but i will definitely be going to Fugakyu for my sushi instead. sorry Basho.
(3)Bex M.
Douzo's sister restaurant, need I say more? Many reviews describe Basho as cafeteria-esque. I liked it. The minimal decor, the intimate lighting, the organic feeling - I felt very comfortable there. The hostess and waitstaff were all very nice, had great powers to know exactly when we needed them and were unobtrusive to let us enjoy our dinner. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of your selections..mine's below. steamed bun sandwich. This was absolutely exquisite. I am a huge fan of pork buns and this was so good, so good, so good. (There was a Red Sox game that night.) The appetizer came with two, thank goodness, because I didn't plan on sharing after my first bite. It was made with kurobuta pork and pickled cucumber. The bun was soft and had a nice chewy texture to it. (It's the peking duck bun sandwich, but with pork.) The pork was so tender and juicy and super oily, which is characteristic of kurobuta. hamachi kama. The broiled yellow tail collar was picked at to the bone, it was that satisfying. It was very delicate and was cooked perfectly. I know Basho is an izakaya but we couldn't help ourselves. robata grill: kobe beef, chicken breast, japanese eggplant. Basho is the only place that does robata grill. It's an ancient way of cooking food over an open fire. The food is only enhanced with minimal ingredients, to let us enjoy its natural flavors. My favorite was the japanese eggplant over the kobe beef and chicken breast. cherrystone ginger soup simmered with fresh ginger I love soup and I really like ginger. I was rather underwhelmed by my soup. I tasted no hint of ginger at all! It was basically cherrystone broth. The clams were good though, but I was disappointed. Crunchy Roll fried onion, cucumber, spicy crumb wrapped with tuna, tobiko, salmon, salmon roe, touch of mango sauce It's not tempura; it's fried onion! nomnom. The medley of seafood, the nice crunchiness, the mango sauce, came together pretty well (although the mango sauce tasted slightly bitter to me, but no one else thought so!). This is one of their most popular rolls. Tiger Roll eel, cucumber wrapped with smoked salmon, torched squid and salmon roe (I secretly prefer this over the crunchy roll) As with all their food, this was well presented. The torched squid added a new texture to the standard sushi roll.
(4)Priscilla T.
3 for the overall food, but 4 for the fact that you can always get a big group reservation here without much hassle. Overall, it's a fun/trendy space that's good for a big group dinner. Tip: go for the izakaya and grilled items and skip the sushi rolls (sashimi selection ain't bad though).
(3)Jess Y.
my friend lives around the corner from here and and she and i i got takeout around 6pm. we shared the crispy shrimp appetizer, which was not that greasy and generally delicious. she had the yuzu yellowtail roll and i the rainbow roll, and we were both very satisfied with our respective choices. fish was fresh and maki was well-made by all accounts. great ambiance, too - upon entering i was struck by how spacious and elegant the place was. the bar looks well-stocked and ready to meet all your libation needs. i'd love to come back here for a dine-in experience.
(4)Kelly O.
Basho isn't a bad choice for a sit-down lunch in the area, if you have the money and time and are craving some 'healthy'/Japanese food. The interior is a bit too trendy and cavernous for me (they also have a patio), and it was pretty empty when my party of 4 came in. Their menu was extensive and pretty interesting, but as a budget-conscious person I stuck with the lunch specials, of which there were a good amount for a decent price. I chose the salmon terriyaki lunch which came with a nicely cooked piece of glazed fish in a tasty terriyaki sauce atop brown rice with scallions and other goodies, with some lightly dressed greens on the side. I thought it was a good portion of food that left me just shy of full, all pretty flavorful and just about worth it for the $8.95 I paid. I also tried a $10 martini which, while pricey, was really delicious with muddled strawberries and flavored rum. My dining companions got udon and sushi and had no major complaints (no major raves either though). Sushi was definitely on the pricey side though, even compared to other 'high end' places like Fugakyu. The major downside of our lunch, which is accurately echoed throughout the Yelp reviews, was the service... our waiter didn't stop by our table nearly enough (my water disappeared fast), and we had to wait a long time for our entrees which didn't even come out uniformly (why it took twice as long for my dining companion's sushi plate to come out as it did my cooked salmon, I have no idea). The place was pretty empty too, so I'm not sure why the lag time. If I want some serious amazing sushi and/or want to have a fun night out and a great dinner, you can bet I'm heading to Fugakyu over Basho, or any other Japanese place for that matter. But if I'm looking for a sit-down 'healthyish' lunch in the area, Basho will do in a pinch.
(3)Jo C.
I had a Sunday dinner with my parents and we had a pleasant time! The waiter is very friendly and helpful and provided very good service! We order 2 cocktails, 2 shrimp tempura and 2 sashimi dinners to share. We have been here for a few times already and find the sashimi dinner hast he best value and their quality is the best!! But I won't go for their soup noodle dishes as last time I tried the noodles was not hot enough.
(4)Tony S.
LA sushi in a giant dentist office. The place is massive, and I love that it has multiple areas for private parties/groups. We came in at 8pm on Thursday, and it looked about 1/2 full. With its high ceilings and huge layout, it felt a bit sterile and cold, like a dentist's office. But the hidden DJ booth above the entrance churned out hip Sade-like beats, and the service was excellent, so I quickly got over the apprehension that normally grips my heels whenever I'm going in for a filling. The sushi was LA-isk, which means that I felt right at home. A very solid 4-stars. Can't complain. Very tasty signature rolls including dragon roll, crispy rolls, and this one rainbow-ish roll (can't remember the name) that had a mix of fish, and was topped with some kind of sweet mango sauce. Excellent. If you're into foie gras, you must try the foie gras sushi.... succulent morsels mixed with multiple flavors, like you're having a love affair with a Hawaiian Tropic model on the beaches of Bali, with Mai Tai in one hand, and juicy ribs in another. The grilled (or was it BBQ?) chicken meatballs were a very pleasant surprise, and i quickly devoured it as I topped off my second Sake-tini. Highly recommend this place, especially if you have large groups.
(4)John L.
~Massive sushi spot by Fenway that with an extremely modern and trendy design... but bigger isn't always better~ Check out my full review with helpful photos here: asupr.us/ap_basho Let me start off by saying that the location of Basho is a double edged sword. It's absolutely awesome that they are located just a few streets from Fenway Park, but it's absolutely abysmal that they are located just a few streets from Fenway Park. Huh? Yes, if you're lucky to find a spot there or willing to pay the ridiculous prices to park in a lot there, Basho is great to grab a couple of rolls and head to the game for a great game or get your sushi fix after perhaps a 16 inning game since Basho stays open quite late. After you do manage finding a way here, the first thing you'll notice is how massive this place is. One of the few times I've been there, a huge private party took up half the restaurant. But aside from that time, the restaurant doesn't seem to be ever fully packed. Wouldn't exactly be one of my top choices for a date spot as the noise is distracting, but also there is a lack of intimacy as tables seem to be placed relatively close to one another. If I was hard on Basho for the size and noise of the place, I make up for it in the praise for the modern and trendy design. The place has a cool ambience flowing throughout the massive restaurant. Huge selection of rolls. There are a lot of upscale twists on traditional rolls and some real unique ones as well. I will say, their unique rolls are really hit or miss. Some are right on the spot and show off the shear genius in creating these rolls, while others left me wondering what they could have possibly be thinking. Some of the rolls I have tried: Green Monster Roll - Softshell Crab, Spicy Mayo, wrapped with Escolar and seasoned with Cilantro Pesto Kind of required to try this because of the Red Sox fan of me, after this roll I might switch to a Yankees fan. Amaebi Mango Roll - Mango, Cucumber, Grilled Pineapple, wrapped with Sweet Shrimp and a touch of Mango Sauce At times like this, I wish I wasn't so adventurous with trying unique and different rolls... Don't think shrimp was the right choice for this roll. Crunchy Roll - Fried Onion, Cucumber, Spicy Crumb wrapped with Tuna, Tobiko, Salmon, Salmon Roe and a touch of Mango Sauce Incredible crunch and flavor. Awesome flavors together and the perfect contrast in textures.
(4)Julie G.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. I'm all about trying new places so I typically don't like going to a place I've already been but I've come back to this place several times. I hate to say it but I always get the same thing...the chicken katsu dinner (one of my fave dishes) and the sweet potato tempura (simply delicious). I've also tried a banana sushi dessert type thing. I don't remember the name of it since it's not listed on the dinner menu but that was pretty good as well. In terms of decor, it's very modern but intimate. My only complaint was that the first time I went here, the waiters just kind of stood in a line across the back of the restaurant watching everyone eat until they noticed someone needed more water or something. Kind of creepy. I felt like I was in a fish bowl but the food was so good I had to come back and this hasn't happened since.
(5)Joseph W.
I was going to give it 3 stars, but I increased it by one for the nice decor and great service. the food is just so so for the price. The robata items was the main draw for me, but I found the food average and under portioned considering the price. I was particularly disappointed with the hamachi kama, which was smoked instead of grilled and filleted into the tiniest and thinnest pieces that was more passable as sushi than hamachi kama. The sashimi platter, on the other hand, was generously portioned for the price and the quality of the fish varied with each type but was generally average or greater. The salmon was particularly good. Pair this with one of their good sake choices and you've got a great meal for a reasonable price.
(4)Amy B.
My Groupon to Basho was about to expire, so we finally made the short trek to Fenway for sushi. The food, on the whole, was excellent. The spicy tuna roll was hands-down our favorite. It really showcased the fresh flavor of the tuna. Incidentally, I love Douzo's spicy tuna roll as well, but they are different from each other, so take note that the sushi rolls are not necessarily identical across the two restaurants. We also had the salmon roll (good, not particularly memorable), the crunchy roll (interesting and fresh, I think I could live without the sweet mango sauce), and the yellowtail roll (2nd favorite of the night). We started with two bowls of adequate miso soup. Service was standoffish and slow--we waited a long time for water and beers, although the pace picked up when it was time to pay. No problems using the Groupon. I wasn't a huge fan of the atmosphere at Basho. It felt industrial, almost like they stopped working on the restaurant halfway through construction. Tony S. has a point when he compares Basho to a giant dentist office. The room was also a little too open and noisy for my taste. I would definitely come back to Basho, but Douzo is closer to home and has a better atmosphere, so I don't see it happening often.
(3)Jenn S.
I finally went to Basho Japanese Brasserie and used my BuyWithMe coupon a few days before it expired. I went with my coworker and her sister immediately after work, so we got there right @ 5pm. The place was pretty empty and we got a nice booth, but one where we're all sitting side-by-side, instead of 2 benches facing each other. Anyway. The first thing you notice is the awesome, modern, trendy decor. The second thing you notice is that this place is huge! We sat down and the server gave us the "happy hour" menu. Basically - 1/2 price apps and drinks (I think). Since we had the coupon, we couldn't do any of these. Although, we did end up getting 1 and our nice server put it on a different bill so we could still get the 1/2 price! Score! We ended up splitting a bunch of things and got a LOT of food, so let's see if I can remember it all! My dining companions started with the Sashimi Naruto (tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and asparagus rolled in cucumber). There were 5 huge pieces. I don't eat sushi or seafood, so I didn't partake, but they both enjoyed it. Next we went for 2 of Basho's special Robata Grill skewers: Pork belly rolled on grape tomatoes and Grilled Chicken thighs. DELISH. These were both succulent and tasty. We also shared an order of Gyoza (pan-fried or steamed pork ravioli - I think we had pan-fried) and Steamed Bun Sandwiches (with Kurobuta pork and pickled cucumber). There were 3 of us, but only 5 gyozas and 2 sandwiches. I think the restaurant should bring either 1 or 2 per person, but hey - what do I know?? I got 1 of the specials - a Kobe Beef sushi... It's not online, so I can't tell you exactly what it was, but I THINK it was Kobe Beef (rare) wrapped around more Kobe? With some pickled onions in the middle? I dunno. What I do know is that it was ok (I've now had Kobe twice and both times it was rare/raw. Not the best) and EXPENSIVE. It was 1(!!!) piece for $8. I thought it was going to be an entire roll. Ridic. My friends split 1 more sushi, but I don't know which one. They liked it, but didn't finish the entire thing. Oh, we also ordered some Kim Chee (spelling??) rice, which was a decent-size portion, spicy and tasty. Yum. Overall, the food is good, but not the best I've had. My main issue is that, for the most part, the portions are small and the prices are high... It's not ridiculous, but apparently lunch is MUCH more reasonable. I would rate this between 3.5-4 stars, but went up to 4 because our server was so nice and helpful.
(4)Melissa B.
I have been here 3 times now, usually on a Groupon type deal. I just really wanted to mention just how great the combination rolls are, specifically the Green Monster Roll. It is by far the best roll on the menu. Also worth trying: the Rock & Roll. I was a little sad the the bar is closed for renovations, but the weather was nice so we just sat outside insted. Once the constuction is done I will be excited to go back.
(5)Eva K.
The food here is really good, but also very expensive. This is why you should really invest in a Basho groupon (of which there have been several) before coming here. Speaking of... we had a serious buywithme meltdown here, because they were tracking the groupons by hand(!), and would not take the buywithme app number (this was right after the buywithme app came out). After a big to-do, the manager finally allowed us to email her the pdf so she could print it. Seriously, get with the times. Other than that one incident, my experience there has been good... nice decor, good food and good service.
(4)Ladyjane S.
Came for sushi the other night and where should I begin...oh dear, looks like it's all been said. The fish is not the best tasting, freshest fish I've had. It wasn't actually very good at all. The presentation was nice, but that's about all I can say about it. I had the Green Monster and Rainbow Roll along with some tuna sashimi. The ambiance is a drag. We sat at the bar (I'm bar people) and I wouldn't recommend sitting there ever. There's really nothing to look at other than a big blank white wall (???). In fact the whole place is blank. No identity whatsover. It's weird. Worse than that though, are the long plastic thingies hanging over the sushi bar from the ceiling. I looked up and all I could see were filthy dust covered plastic wands hanging right over my head. Clearly never been cleaned/dusted. Gross. Don't sit at bar. The waitress was nice, but disappeared for 10-15 minutes at a time when we needed her. Seemed to be happening to lots of other people as well. With the Groupon we had we paid about $25 or so including tip, which isn't bad. But I'd never come here without one. Actually I don't think I'd come back with one again either. The prices do not reflect the quality of the food here AT ALL. The only thing I may order from here again for take-out is the pork bun sandwich. Holy yum, that thing's awesome.
(2)Sue H.
There are a lot of reasons as to why I'm not a fan of Basho, and it's a shame, because I really wanted to like this place, but with so many other options that are just a short drive or train ride away, I can't help but ask myself why I would ever waste my money here again. Let me break it down for you: 1) The ambiance here is absolutely terrible. It's cold and almost office-like, although they try really hard to make it trendy and hip with all the fancy strobe lights. Honestly, it just doesn't work. Everything here feels so overdone and too minimalist at the same time (what a conundrum!) Who wants to dine with concrete walls surrounding you anyway? 2) I ordered a sushi item off of their specials menu that was about roughly $20, and when I got it, all it was was six pieces of california maki wrapped with sashimi. Umm... This is not what I ordered! This is a rainbow maki -- I even kindly asked the waitress prior to ordering to describe the special, and she made it sound like it was nigiri sushi (which is what I clearly said I wanted). While she was really nice, it didn't seem like she knew the menu very well... Or maybe she really wanted to up sell me. 3) I personally think Basho is a little too pricey for the quality of food they serve. I was pretty much unimpressed with just about everything I ordered. I'm just saying, there are so many other great places you could go that would offer you better food, atmosphere, and value. Hey, if you have no other options, go ahead and try Basho. They're open pretty late, so that's a plus. I'd just be careful about what you order, and perhaps to stick to the basics.
(2)Clara L.
3 stars for food, 1 star for service... The food was decent, but some menu items are overpriced in my opinion. We got the tuna tartare, pretty good with the fried rice cakes, but the portion is small for $21. The seaweed salad is excellent, but also overpriced at $5. The salmon skin roll is quite good, as is their spicy tuna roll. The winner of the night is the duck ramen. It comes in a large bowl filled with ramen and perfectly cooked duck, with assorted mushrooms, veggies, and a delicious broth. At $12.50, it's a steal. Now about the service...we got started and ordered some tea. It came out with a tea film, and when asked, they confirmed they used a tea leaf and tea powder blend. The waiter explained they had to brew so much tea that it sped up the process. Not a good excuse. I patiently am willing to wait for my tea to brew, and don't appreciate tea gunk on the side of my tea cup and a pile of it when I get to the bottom of the cup. Furthermore, they didn't leave the pot at the table, and we had to wait quite a bit to get these small cups refilled, and sometimes the tea was only lukewarm. Our waiter actually left halfway through our dinner (we were eating at 8 pm) and didn't fire our meal past our seaweed salad. We sat around waiting for 25 minutes before our new waiter figured out what the problem was with our order and then sent it to the kitchen. He did apologize at the end, which was nice, but this shouldn't happen. Don't start serving a table if you are 10 minutes from leaving. The decor and ambiance was more like a club than a "brasserie". There was a house beat going, and the lighting would flash every once a while. A tip: don't sit under the TVs, especially if there is a game playing, you will get a bunch of people standing in front of your table, including the waiters/barstaff that makes it seem like you're being stared at. Awkward. All in all, not a great experience, although the ramen did save them from a 1 star review.
(2)lily l.
The sushi here is very good and extremely creative. The sauces were delicious and presentation along with ambiance was very very nice. I must say the only that ruined my experience was that our waitress was could not explain our rolls which is a tad bit important. Although I felt like we ordered blindly everything was still delicious. Would definitely come back and spend more time on the menu.
(4)Caroline R.
The lunch deal is great and there's a lot of food but the customer service is absolutely horrid. I don't think I have ever gone there without being angry as I left because they were so rude/hostile. As a long-time customer, I have resorted to only getting takeout since the service is so bad..I have NO idea how they have let this go on for so long!! Unreal.
(2)H N.
I have been going to Douzo (Basho's older sister restaurant in Back Bay) for many many years. I love that place so had to try Basho. Basho is very hip and cozy at the same time. I've been a few times now and it has never failed. The food is so pretty that you almost don't want to eat it! It is pricey, but like I said before- it never fails to satify. Amazing wine list and drinks list. The best part- they validate parking on Red Sox game days! Since I cannot seem to remember what we ordered- it is time to go back!
(4)Michael D.
I came here with a groupon ($40 for $20) and i guess the first thing that i noticed was how freakin HUGE this place is. it's way too big to be just a restaurant.. it has more of a loungy-clubby feel. Everything is super modern, super trendy.. but it's to the point where it almost feels as if theyre trying TOO hard to be cool ya know? anyway, let's get on to what youre REALLY here for.. the food review! I came here at 10:30pm so they didn't have any bento boxes or anything for sale :(. So me and my brother split the following: kurobata ramen ( yelp.com/biz_photos/x1RY… ): The bowl of ramen was actually a lot bigger than I had anticipated.. i thought it'd be TINY cause this place is has three $$$ on yelp. But one bowl probably woulda been enough to fill me up! I'm from LA, so I have high standards when it comes to ramen. the noodles were cooked perfectly, but unfortunately, the broth was pretty bland. Not the fatty broth I had hoped for to complement the kurobata... The presentation was nice, and they gave a pretty thick piece of kurobata, but overall the dish was lacking. tiger roll and lobster roll ( yelp.com/biz_photos/x1RY… ): The rolls here are very.. unique. I've never been to a place that had ANY rolls similar to the ones here. These two weren't nothing to rave about.. but they definitely were different.. Like I said, i feel like basho is TRYING too hard to be cool and coming up with odd rolls at the cost of taste.. but that's just my two cents.. Overall, come here for the ambiance and the presentation of food.. flavorwise.. there are plenty of better places to nomnom.
(3)Lala I.
food quality is below average and disappointing. will not return
(2)Holly Marie C.
I sat at the bar. The bartender didn't smile once the entire time, nor did he say thank you or offer any kind of pleasant service. It was obvious he didn't like his job and would rather be sitting on his couch eating potato chips. As a general rule when visiting sushi bars, I like to try a few dishes on the menu so I ordered the seaweed salad (this is the only redeeming quality of the restaurant that brings my review from a 1 to a 2 star; I would go back just to get 3 orders of this and eat all of it). I also ordered the bento box which came with a roll (I got the only vegetarian roll), and a side (I got the only vegetarian side), a salad and a miso soup. Normally miso soups are made with fish stock so I asked the bartender if this was the case for BASHO. Indeed it was and I asked for a double order of salad instead, stating I am a vegetarian. He gave it to me without question. Before he left to put the order in, I asked if they had agadashi tofu on the menu as I would like to share an order with my friend. Indeed they did. "Okay, great. We'll have an order of that, too." The agadashi tofu comes out, and lo and behold there's fish flakes on it. Having ordered A COMPLETE VEGETARIAN MEAL and making a point to steer clear of all fish products you would think the bartender would have enough SERVER INTUITION to hold the fish flakes. Needless to say I didn't have any of the tofu because he never came back to check up on us. When the bento box arrived it was sub-par. The roll was meh and the tempura tasted like it was battered the day before. Seriously, the only thing about this restaurant that was any kind of good was the seaweed salad.
(2)Dinna Y.
Sushi is an easy thing to be picky about as it should! Coming from Chicago where great sushi is everywhere, I was very picky when I came to Boston... and Basho meets all the standards! Not only food wise but as far as a trendy modern well decorated restaurant and service, they have it all! The people are WONDERFUL there and soo accomodating! They worked with us for a large party of about 30 for our shared birthday. They had a special menu with our names on it and setup a pre fixe meal. It was great!!! We celebrated our mini-dance team reunion there as well. They set aside the back booth area which was a perfect semi-private area for us. The people are great, introduce yourself and they'll remember you every time! Things to try... pork belly with asparagus - amazing flavor and melts in your mouth. Spicy Tuna over crispy rice, great texture! Caterpillar and crunchy rolls. Happy Hour and Late Night menu....um who wouldn't do amazing sushi for half the price!
(5)Vi N.
Every sushi place that i go to, they have a special item on their menu that i absolutely love. Here at Basho, you have to try their steamed bun sandwich with pork and pickled cucumber. It's actually a must! It literally just melts in your mouth and the sweetness and tang of the pickle pairs so well with it! Delicious! Besides the steamed bun sandwich i was ake to sample their tasting menu. Everything that they had brought out was very good. I don't think i disliked anything at all. Basho was not a disappointment !
(4)Colin W.
I'll start off by saying I was really impressed by the food. The spicy lobster miso soup, the tempura fried shrimp and sweet potatoes, and the red spider roll were all expertly prepared, and they tasted amazing. Especially the tempura. I had a small bottle of unfiltered sake with my dinner, and that was good, but someone else at our table ordered a lychee martini, and *that* was out-of-this-world amazing. It even inspired my wife to make lychee sorbet at home a few days later. If I were reviewing Basho on its food, alone, then it would get four stars. There's no excuse for having crab stick ("krab", "seafood extender", whatever) on your menu... otherwise, it'd probably even be five stars. However, I had some problems with the ambiance and the service. First, it was waaaay too hot in the restaurant. They had their big outside doors open on an 80+ degree night, and even though they also had the air conditioning running inside (waste of electricity, anyone?), I doubt the restaurant dipped below about 78 degrees while we were there. The other thing that bothered me was their egregious attention to food allergens. I mentioned I'm allergic to a few things when the waitress asked (which was good), but then when my key lime tart showed up for dessert, it had *none* of the berries and sauces it should have had, despite me telling the waitress that I wasn't allergic to any of them. So she brought me a pitiful little plate of tiny sliced strawberries to go with my tart to make up for it. The tart ended up being really tasty, but the presentation was pretty terrible. To sum it all up: great food, poor surroundings, decent service. A note on parking: if the Sox are playing, the parking lots in the area will cost triple or quadruple their normal prices. Basho has valet parking... use it!
(3)Helen L.
I got a groupon for Basho Japanese and so we went for a Sunday lunch. They had a bento box that was $15 for some rice, salad, tempura, some sort of fried roll, chicken teriyaki, few pieces of sashimi and two sushi rolls pieces. It was a lot of food but my only complaint was that there were really only two pieces of sushi in the bento box. And it was a good roll too! I also got the udon noodles which wasn't as tasty as I'd hope for $10. The atmosphere was really nice, very modern-sleek feel, nice for a date or a night out. But I thought the bento box wasn't as tasty as it could have been for that price- they should include more actual sushi. I'm not sure I'd go again and spend the money unless there was some sort of discount involved.
(3)Doris O.
Just popped in for Sunday lunch with my 2 kids. But i can see comng back to have a drink before a sox game. This was our first visit. Seafood Yaki udon was served in incredible sauce that was perfectly balanced with jumbo shrimps and sea scallops. Sooo good! My daughter, the tempura connoseiur gave the shrimp tempura an "AAA+++" rating. They were light as air, super crispy and shrimps were super fresh. I had the Basho lunch set which is a huge portion -this was a great sampling dish! It included the freshest salmon sushi and tilefish. So we will definitely be back to try more selections from the robata grill. A must try is the grilled pepper, grilled asparagus.
(5)Monika W.
Everything is perfect except the food. Ambiance, service, etc. very good, but the food was bland. I am vegetarian, and the veggie tempura had very little veggie tempura, no tempura sauce, a scoop of white rice, and steamed broccoli. My boyfriend got chicken something which he says was inedible due to the blandness. We went at lunch on a weekday and it was empty. Very sad for such a nice place otherwise.
(1)Lindy L.
I really enjoyed our Valentine's Day date @ this lovely japanese restaurant. My husband had made a reservation for V-Day after we tried to get in on New Years and it was closed for a Private Party. We arrived about 6:05 for a 6:15 reservation and were seated immediately. The server came over and I ordered a Pomegranate Saketini immediately. I'm a sucker for a Saketini and this one did not disappoint. We were baffled by the number of choices on the menu! We have some eating restrictions (read: we keep kosher for the most part) so shellfish and any type of meat is off the table. We can eat Salmon, Tuna and Yellowtail but not Shrimp, Eel, Crab or beef/chicken out, unless it's at a kosher restaurant. For us, the menu was laid out perfectly, separating the tuna, yellowtail, and salmon from the stuff we couldn't eat. We had a crunchy roll (the perfect balance of crunchy and smooth fish), a cucumber handroll w/spicy yellowtail in it (instead of normal seaweed, the handroll is wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber - delish!), and assorted other vegetarian maki (asparagus, sweet potato, shitake mushroom tempura - YUM!). It was expensive, but worth it. Basho will be on our list for special occasion places to eat for a celebration, out of town guest, anniversary, birthday, etc. :)
(4)Alex B.
Came here for the Rue La La Special. Which involved 3 types of Sake, 2 pieces of the torched salmon appetizer (best thing on the menu), 6 pieces of assorted sashimi, and 6 pieces of maki (california roll with each piece having a different type of fish and sauce on top). As someone who usually just finds what they like and stick to that this deal really got me to try some new things. The sashimi was cut so thick and it was extremely fresh. Our waitress was probably the most friendly server I have had at Basho and she was very helpful in explaining our dish. I think her name was Ibhina. She even took the time to write down the name of one of the types of sake that I really enjoyed. Wakatake Onikoroshi ""Demon Slayer" in case anyone wants to try a great sake. The management was also very helpful in remaking a drink that was a little sour for our taste. Also gave the lychee martini a try. Love the fact that they had a piece of fresh lychee to replace the usual olive. Great. Unfortunately, the special is not on the actual menu. My gf and I talked to the manager about hopefully getting it on as a menu option because it really is a varied assortment of some of the best things that Basho has to offer. I continue to enjoy this place and hope to revisit soon.
(4)James F.
Just had a wonderful meal at Basho. The Spicy Salmon, Spicy Tuna, and our waiters recommendation, the Phoenix Roll were all superb. David W, was excellent and very attentive throughout the meal. Not overbearing, but there when needed. A+ Basho, A+ David W. - we'll be back.
(5)Rachael M.
Good quality sushi. Everything we had was flavorful and unique. The duck melted in my mouth. The service was amazing too! Seemed like a very large restaurant with not many customers. It appeared they do a great take-out service.
(4)Paul L.
This was our second try to get in here after the first time it was booked for a party, but now that we've eaten there, I can say it was worth the wait. The decor and food presentation was very trendy looking, which reflected in the pricing of a lot of the items. Because of that we will call this our "special occasion" sushi place only. Loved the crunchy roll and the shitaki tempura roll. It's not only sushi, if you're not into that, there's grilled stuff and noodles as well. I'll admit the place was jam packed, but our server brought us the dessert menu and seemingly forgot about us for about fifteen minutes, despite walking right by a few times. The music bordered on loud thumping club music to remixes of unusual choices like the funeral march and the tetris theme song. Hated it at first but got a few laughs out of it by the end of the night.
(4)Jamie G.
Unfortunately, they have very good sushi--unfortunate because I will never go back there. I brought a girlfriend who has a gluten allergy. After informing the waitress and specially requesting gluten free soy sauce, we were served sushi that clearly had gluten in it. We called the manager over and he suggested that he wasn't sure how to solve the problem. He said he would take that one roll off of our bill, and was rather aloof and unapologetic. Needless to say my friend got very sick, and I will never return. The food took absolutely forever to come out. Only go there if no one has an allergy, you're prepared to spend a TON of money, and you have at least 3 hours set aside for dinner.
(2)Samantha C.
We walked into Basho on a whim while we were in the Fenway area and were trying to get away from drunken college kids on a pub crawl. This place looked nice so we figured it wasn't part of the crawl. We sat at the bar and immediately noticed the great decor. It was the middle of the day but it still felt very cool and had great ambiance. I bet at night it looks fantastic. The lighting, wall covering, tvs behind mirrors - every detail was well planned. We tried a few of the cocktails (lychee martini and cucumber martini) both were very good. I then tried a g&t with the bombay sapphire "east" which was very good. The bartender was very attentive and kept busy behind the bar stocking instead of standing around or disappearing like most bartenders do when it's slow. We asked her what kind of sake was in the martini and she wowed us with her knowledge of sake and the different kinds. One of those rare people in the service industry that make you feel really welcome. We weren't very hungry (in between lunch and dinner) but we decided to try a few small bar apps b/c everything sounded so good. I tried a couple pcs of a spicy roll and my bf got a fresh tasting shrimp roll. The food was very fresh and very good! I honestly wanted to stay for a while, have a few more drinks and eat dinner there. I was loving this place until a weird male bartender came on shift. He asked us if we had had enough food and took our plates. He wasn't mean but he was not very friendly. He then proceeded to put our bill in front of us. Not like in a glass in front of us like bars sometimes do if you keep ordering items... like in the credit card leather receipt holder. Then I put my card out and I am pretty sure he waited to take it until the other bartender left. It was rung in as "PM BAR" as the server. He was also just standing around behind the bar doing nothing. He basically ruined our experience. I wish I could give this place a better rating for the nice (I think she was Russian?) bar tender and a zero stars for the weird abrasive middle aged guy with thick black glasses... I will visit soon for dinner, can't wait!
(4)R O.
I am a regular at Douzo so honestly I was not expecting to be surprised and even though I have friends that live in the building I had never really been inclined to try it out. But I was in the area for an event and thought why not run over... Boy was I surprised! Yes, they mostly offer the same thing as Douzo but the ambiance is different, the space is bigger, and I found it refreshing. The staff was super friendly. Highlights: the spicy edamame and the spicy tuna. Seriously I cannot stop thinking about these items! The spicy tuna is served over a fried shell of sushi rice and topped with a jalapeno. I cannot describe the taste of the spicy edamame but if you go for hot this should be top on your list to try! Items that were delish though same as Douzo were the lychee martini, rainbow roll, naruto and pan fried gyoza. This is going to ruin me! I am going to have to venture out of Back Bay to go back now!
(5)Barefoot B.
The kobe beef carpaccio is amazing-- but my steak was dry. The sushi was good- no complaints there. Sake was awesome, love the cold bottle display. ill be going back for the carpaccio but thats about it.
(3)Nick L.
Came here after wandering around Boylston a few nights ago and was incredibly pleased with the discovery. The place has a very cool feel to it, very nice lighting in the lounge, though not sure why there are TVs there. Something to note, if you don't have a reservation then you'll be seated in the lounge, which is a little area off to the side next to the bar. Not a big deal really, its not quite as private as the rest of the restaurant but still nice. The presentation here is really spot-on, all of the dishes looked great, even the drinks came presented well. On to the food! We got a few dishes, started off with Gyoza and a few kinds of tempura. The Gyoza was great, as was the tempura. Large servings of Miso Soup for $3 is major bonus points in my book too. Chicken Teriyaki and Veggie Yaki Udon were also fantastic; the tofu was especially delicious. I'm really picky about tofu so yeah, it was good :) Oh and the dessert menu. Oh man. Banana tempura with ice cream is something I would have never thought of, but is oh so good. The real reason Basho is getting my 4 stars though is the sake menu: there's a whole menu for it! I was very impressed with the selection, they had at least a dozen varieties, mostly cold but they have hot sake as well. Sake was maybe a little overpriced but certainly still affordable, I will returning if for nothing else than to try more sake.
(4)Beth H.
It's like Douzo but better with more food. The steamed bun with kurobuta pork is delicious and I can eat like ten of those shiitake mushroom robata skewers. The fish is always so fresh. Their salmon is the best in town. I've been going there atleast once a week since they've open. Bought myself a groupon and buywithme coupon for the restaurant and they've been great with accepting my printed coupon. I'm not sure why there's so many complaints about it since all you have to do is print it at home and bring it with you for a GREAT discount. I think I've had every single server wait on me a few times and everybody has been very friendly and prompt. Their recommendations are fantastic, and every week there's a new special that they tell me about. I think Basho has spoiled me cuz now i won't even go to douzo for sushi or any other sushi joint.
(5)M B.
Wow! Never felt such a contrast between expectations and experience. WAY way way overpriced for tiny tiny micro starters and entrees. E.g. $18 for a few mini Sashimi pieces. The ambiance great but the food is SOOOO disappointing. Everything is sweetened!! Never ate such a sweetened Sushi even in wedding buffets. Terrible. Don't even try.
(1)Kerr T.
Just got some lunch here. Pork Katsu (um, is that how you spell it?) lunch is yummy. The portion is just right and so is the nutrient provided. It comes with some salad and half of an orange (that goes my needed daily fruits & vegetables intake) and rice and some deep fried pork (I like fried stuff). I don't think it's pricey, it was around $8 something. Oh, I had the take-out, so, I couldn't comment on the dine-in experience. And oh, oh, they offer some of the nearby companies discounts if proper ID was presented.
(4)Lisa B.
Update: Basho has discontinued their sushi happy hour. Boo! I'll still visit for a cocktail occasionally, though.
(3)Erin C.
I think a certain set of people would probably love this place. The ambience is cool, minimalist, and modern with techno music. The sushi is contemporary and interesting/strange. However, I don't like this place because they don't have any straightforward sushi that is just good, well cut, raw fish. Everything is flavored for an "American" palate--too sweet, too fried, too salty--basically, too obvious. I don't think the execution of any of their dishes is particularly skillful. I think sushi should be exquisite. This place is not. Some things on the menu are kind of tasty but short circuits your taste receptors with all the sweet/saltiness. So I would only come here again if my friends really really wanted to for whatever reason.
(2)Henry C.
The girlfriend wanted sushi for her birthday dinner, so we decided to check out Basho. It's in a nice location near Fenway, but as expected the parking is quite a hassle. If you have the option of taking the subway in, would highly recommend it. The restaurant is clean, stylish and chic. Nice upscale modern atmosphere, the décor on point, the lighting was dim (good and bad, but it definitely set the mood ^_-). For dinner we had a Sushi Dinner Combo, rainbow, spicy tuna and spicy scallop rolls. The Sushi dinner was served with 8 nigiri, and a California roll, but no sides at all. Decent portions but, absolutely seen better. The presentation was pleasing and appetizing. The cuts of fish on the nigiri was average and it did the job. But surprisingly the California roll, (which I usually just write off as a filler lameness) was really good!! Prob one of the best California Rolls I had in a while. We also agreed that the tuna nigiri was especially fresh and excellent. Another win was the Rainbow roll, and would highly recommend this to people who actually like raw fish. It had a good assortment of fresh sushi, and the middle was packed with ebi and kani (imitation I think), every bite was flavorful. The Spicy tuna was pretty good as well, and had pieces of panko (or something else crunchy)~ but it should have been called 'not-so spicy tuna roll'. The flavor from the wasabi, (which gets high marks, well as the white ginger) easily overpowered the taste of the spicy tuna. And finally, I would have rated this restaurant a 5, but the disappointment came from the spicy scallop. Too much cucumber and the tiny bits of scallop failed to satisfy. The service was okay, and took a while to get our food. Understandably it was pretty busy... ON A MONDAY. But our waiter was fun, and had good energy. Over all, great atmosphere, okay service, tasty sushi, about average pricing since it is in Boston/ Fenway. Recommended.
(4)Paige S.
Basho is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Boston and in general. I have never ever had a bad meal here. It is in a great location, right across from Fenway. The food is always spectacular. My roommate and I go here almost every week. It is a little pricey but definitely worth it. The only thing that isn't perfect is the service. Sometimes we get really good waiters and sometimes we don't. Kahn is our favorite waitress and is always so friendly. She remembers our favorite meals and special requests. Others can be a little dull and rude. Some of the managers can be a little unfriendly and inattentive. Other than that, Basho is typically a pleasant dining experience.
(4)Kimberly W.
The food was all very good! We ordered a sashimi dinner, crunchy roll, and tiger roll. We also had the iced green tea and house green tea. All the sashimi was pretty good - I actually had a decent experience with mackerel! More yummy than fishy. The maki rolls were also good; the crunchy roll stayed crunchy. However, there was a bit too much mango sauce...it kind of overtook the flavour of the sushi...I like mango sauce a lot though so I don't want to complain, but it was too much even for me. While our waiter was smiling and alright overall, he neglected to come by very often. The atmosphere is very "trendy;" each section of the place has different decor, and it is sort of partitioned into three or four sections. While everything looked nice in the evening, it was a bit too dim to see the menu very well. Aside from that though, the atmosphere was enjoyable. The music played was also interesting...reminded me of a much toned down dubstep...but I'm a fan of dubstep... Overall, a good experience! I used a LivingSocial voucher though, so normally I actually would never have known about the place; it's close to where I am, but not so much that I would casually pass by. I enjoyed it, and I wouldn't mind going again, but it's a bit pricy.
(4)Brian D.
Absolutely, totally acceptable. Great spot for lunch. Great lunch for lunch. Damn the bento box style lunch specials are huge. I can almost never finish these things but I inhaled this one w/salmon and spicy tuna maki right down to the decorative orange slices. Damn fine. Sapporo? You betcha. When in Rome...or Basho. Our server was fine, the atmosphere was casual yet sort of Miami Vice and the place had a light buzz to it. Not bad for 2:00 in the afternoon on a Friday. Keep swingin' Basho, see you soon.
(3)Michelle C.
I was excited in welcoming Basho to Boston mainly because of the robata grill and because they serve sushi, on of my favorite cuisines! I've been to a couple of places in NYC and Hawaii that first brought my cravings for delectable grilled meat, especially after a night of drinking. Basho has a standard selection of staple meats like beef, chicken, seafood, veggies and...chicken wings, a plus as it's a favorite of mine. However, I also like unconventional items that were missing from the menu like gizzard and chicken heart leaving me slightly disappointed. I got the wings, which were delicious. Two wings served with lemon came to an order and the tops of the meat were scored for the ease of munching. nomnomnom We also got edamame with spicy ginger and garlic sauce (delicious), steamed pork buns (good, but a little too much fat in the pork for my liking), raw clams served with ponzu sauce, scallions, and chilli peppers (good, but the clams were not very fresh), pork ramen (ehh ok). The sushi was disappointing. They have the usual sushi and maki dishes, which I'm sure were good but didn't try. What was a let down was their "Basho Sushi," sushi and sashimi served with specially paired house sauces so no soy sauce is needed as we were told. I got the tuna tofu puree and uni ikura sushi. Tofu puree had no taste, but silly me tofu doesn't usually so why did I expect it to?! Uni Ikura was a nice combination and came plain. My boyfriend got the seared salmon that came with a heaping spoonful of mayo. All in all it was ok, but when you factor the premium price in I don't think it's worth it. My advice? Go to Basho for a fun night of drinks and apps with friends. Don't go if you're hungry and want to eat a full meal because you'll either burn a hole in your wallet or find yourself at Upper Crust at the end of the night.
(3)Sweet L.
I was at the Fenway location last Friday and I was very disappointed with the hostess. She started off by telling us it way a 30 minute wait. So when it was well past 30 minutes. I asked how was the wait she said 30 minutes. I noticed that another two other groups that came in well after us seated immediately because they were her friends. So one group was actually ahead of us left because they noticed the same thing because i overheard them talking about the same thing. So I decided to ask her "why are you letting your friends come in and be seated immediately?" she totally denied that they were her friends but we overheard the hostess talking to friend about things on a personal level. So I told her exactly what they were talking about she had a blank stare. I told that it was very rude of her to do that because we well wasted well over an hour and half on a Friday night. So we decided to go to the restaurant "Citizen" instead of wasting more of our Friday night. I never complain about my experiences at restaurants but this experience really resonated with me so I decided to share. I already emailed the management since that night and they have yet to respond.
(1)Kasey A.
I'm going to start off by saying the torched salmon salad here was immaculate and caused my eyes to grow twice as hungry from when I first sat down. Not so much a problem for my stomach, but a big one for my wallet considering this place is a tad bit overpriced, but well worth it in my opinion. I was very pleased with the level of service we received, probably the best I've had at a sushi restaurant. The decor was nice & trendy, decent music and they had a cool lighting system that gave it a lounge type of feel. Everything we ordered was scrumptious and I loved the creativity they put into decorating the dishes. We did not order drinks, so there's not much I can say about that, but I do know my girls and I will be back and I'm sure we won't be disappointed.
(4)wing n.
i don't usually give 5 stars, but for basho, i will. i had 2 dinners at basho so far, and my experience was great! the chef seems to offer a very artistic modern japanese cuisine and i really love what they put onto the table for us. i just can't wait to go back again!!
(5)Annie M.
Basho has the best food, seriously. It's high-quality, good asian food. It's a bit on the expensive side, but if you're in the mood to treat yourself, this is a great place for Japanese food. I'm not a sushi person myself, but my friends seem to really like the sushi here. The servers are really nice and professional. This place books up fast, though, so you should make a reservation the day before on weekends, just to be safe. This restaurant is very trendy and located right next to Fenway!
(4)Nat P.
Basho puts the SEX in Japanese(x) dining! Super sexy atmosphere and silky smooth sushi. They will put Viagara out of business. Nat Dogg rates this as one of the Top Five places in Boston to seal the deal! Yum.
(5)Boston D.
Amazing food. Don't expect typical Japanese or typical anything. Incredibly flavorful and creative sushi. Amazing grilled items on a stick, from Kobe beef, to duck, to chicken, to veggies. 3 kinds of Edamame: regular, pepper/garlic, and curry. Great apps. My favorite is the blackened cod, sort of Nobu style. Anyone who complains about the prices isn't being fair. The prices are reasonable for the way above average quality, and way below the most expensive Japanese places. Yes, they are more than your local sushi joint, but the food and culinary creativity is so much better. You do get what you pay for. Also good place to go is some people in your party don't like sushi because non-sushi menu is so extensive. Great deal with $4 parking on Sox game nights.
(5)Sabrina T.
Don't bother. Over priced sushi that is mediocre at best. Bought a $40 buywithme, but manager would not accept the coupon via the buywithme iphone app. The terms and conditions never state "must present printed coupon". Manager suggested "the kinkos down the street is open until 9pm". Seriously?
(1)Russell F.
Basho was a big disappointment. I know a lot about Japanese food, and a Japanese friend who had not been to the restaurant suggested that I check it out. He had heard about it, but never visited. I chose to sit at the sushi bar. Although I was there at about 7PM on a weekday, there were no more than about 4 people eating inside the restaurant and a handful outside in this cavernous space. I ordered three types of sushi: O-toro, Uni and Ama-ebi. The O-toro was not O-toro. It was a much lower grade of tuna, perhaps not even chu-toro. It may have come from the tuna belly, but that is not the key criterion. By passing it off as O-toro and charging O-toro prices, they are cheating their customers. The O-toro was not visible in the display case. The Uni was from Maine, not California. Tthey should be able to provide the higher quality California Uni which is much creamier and sweeter. If they want to sell uni from Maine in this 'high end' restaurant, the charge should probably be a little less, they should be more selective about the quality and the uni should be visible in the display case. The Ama-ebi had a nice flavor. One shrimp per piece, but larger size shrimps. It wasn't super fresh, but it was good. It was not served with the cooked heads, as is customary with this size shrimp. The rice that was used for the sushi was a bit too dry for my taste, but worse, in my opinion, was that there was too much of it in each piece. Sadly, in Boston, this is a common theme. It's as if the restaurants want to show the customers that they are getting more for their money, so they give you about twice the amount of rice that you would get in Japan or in an authentic Japanese restaurant in NY or L.A., and they often give you a larger piece of (therefore) lower quality fish. Personally, I would prefer a smaller (bite-sized, as is traditional) piece with higher quality fish or other ingredient (neta.) When the chef asked me if I was pleased with the sushi, I told him exactly what I stated above. He agreed when I said that the Uni was from Maine, but that was pretty much the last word I heard from him. He never offered to give me a better piece of O-toro, something that I would hope for, but perhaps he didn't have any. There was also no adjustment to the bill, at least not a reduction. The highlight of my meal was the Shishito Pepper appetizer. It was absolutely wonderful. I was just in Barcelona, where grilled Padron peppers are in season and wondrous, and the Shishitos brought back that fantastic memory. Basho's chef cooked them perfectly, still holding a little crunch and varying from mild to medium in the heat category. They were in a delicious, spicy sauce that reminded me of Nobu's Peruvian-inspired Anti-Cucho sauce. I had Miso soup, which was a good sized portion and perfectly fine. I ordered Monkfish pate, which was the usual monkfish liver roll sliced up with too little ponzu sauce. It had very little flavor and seemed a bit harder than it should have been, perhaps from prolonged storage. I was excited by the description of the Yellowtail Usuzukuri l, so I ordered that as well. It was described as yellowtail with yuzu sauce. Simple and perhaps exactly what I needed - NOT! The raw yellowtail slices were laid out on the plate with too much of a cloying, almost gelatinous thick 'sauce' on each and a slice of jalapeno pepper. It was a bad interpretation of Nobu's Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno. Note that the menu description did not even mention Jalapeno and, by the way, the yellowtail had little flavor. On to 'Robata.' I'm also a big fan of Yakitori or grilled chicken. Typically a Yakitori house in Japan prepares almost every part of the chicken on skewers. One of my favorite selections is grilled chicken skin. When properly prepared and crispy it can be sublime. It was on their 'Robata' menu, but the waiter, who was excellent and very attentive, by the way, told me that an hour before he had been told that they were taking it off the menu. Really????? So I asked him to ask the chef, who must still have had chicken and chicken skin, if he could make it for me. No. I then ordered 4 skewers - Chicken Thigh, Kobe Beef, Pork Belly with Mustard and Shrimp. The chicken thigh was skinless (so where was my chicken skin???) and dry - it had been marinated but perhaps for too long and the overall result was poor. Chicken thigh in a good restaurant is often a whole chicken thigh wrapped in its own skin and grilled to the point where the skin is crispy and the meat is tender. This was terrible by comparison. Bleh. The Kobe Beef, supposedly not Wagyu but actually from the Kobe Prefecture in Japan, was mostly tough and chewy and without a lot of flavor. If it was Kobe, it was a low grade. Bleh+ The Pork Belly was a bit burned and the meat portion was mostly dry and overcooked. The shrimp was not fresh. I've hit the space limit for this review.
(1)Amy R.
Like its sister restaurant, Douzo, Basho is high end and trendy. Unlike Douzo, however, Basho doesn't have its act together. Service is inefficient, amateurish, and clueless. At a recent meal, we had five different servers. We had just received water when another waiter came with three more full glasses and seemed non-plussed when we said we didn't need them. Our bill was miscalculated so we had to send it back and wait for an accurate one. We saw our server redo the bill then stop to chat for over ten minutes with another table while we waited. We would find it difficult to return.
(2)Stephanie Y.
My friends and I love dining out, especially for Asian delights such as sushi. One of my friends lives right in the Fenway area and suggested Basho (which wasn't even officially open yet, so it was cool we got to see what it was like - almost a sneak preview). We went on a Saturday night and the place had the right amount of crowd. It wasn't too busy but reservations are highly recommended - I can see this place becoming a hot new night spot. The staff was super friendly and there was PLENTY of staff around if you ever needed some assistance. The decor of the place seemed very NYC - hip and modern. Our server was Richard and he was such a delight. He trained for two weeks straight trying to learn the menu and all the details on the dishes.. I couldn't help but quiz him a little bit. He seemed knowledgeable for the most part, but clearly still learning. Overall, he is an asset to Basho in my opinion (clearly, we made friends). More importantly, the food = yum. The dishes were more on the higher priced side of things, very similar to Douzo on Dartmouth. In fact the owner of Basho had started Douzo! I highly recommend trying their Basho flavored sushi. These sushi pieces are special and unique because the chef chooses special flavors to highlight/compliment the type of fish used. Very interesting concept. If you like sushi and are into trying new things, I would definitely recommend you give Basho a try.
(4)Anya M.
So good! And a nice venue
(5)Hyun Y.
I've had the lunch specials (sushi special, sashimi special), which were good. I do like their food, but I wish they had more selections. The shishimaki is ok, but I've had better. I tried their dessert a while ago, and it was good at the time (I don't know what they have right now...but I'm sure it's pretty good). I think I like this place more than I should partially because it's pretty much the only Japanese restaurant in the vicinity (Fenway). Overall, not the best, but pretty good.
(3)C. C.
Still come here regularly for their sushi. Lately have been ordering delivery at least once a week and they are so fast! (I think delivery is offered only for apartments by the same owner). The food arrives fresh within 15-20minutes.
(4)amy m.
I was so excited to come here, especially with my Groupon, so I made a reservation for 2. The decor was cool but I felt like there was no privacy because all of the tables were really close together. We ordered a couple of beers (pretty cheap), some gyoza, a sushi roll, and entrees. We waited about 45 minutes before we saw the gyoza which tasted pretty yummy, next came the entrees about half an hour after that. We were confused as to what happened to our sushi but we were told it would come out shortly. We finished out entrees, still no sushi. We were so frustrated because of the wait that we told the server not to bring it. There was no apology from the manager or anything which added to our frustration. I would not come here again. The dishes were overpriced and I have had better at other places.
(2)H S.
I'm one of those weirdos who really likes donating blood every 8 weeks. Fortunately, I also love red meat and seafood, two key producers of iron, which is important and necessary for donating. I'm consistently just making the cut-off for my hemoglobin levels, whether right on the money or just a smidge under. But not if I go to Basho the night before. The fish is so good and fresh you will want to keep eating way past the second you realize you're full. The sushi bar staff is so pleasant and cheerful, you will want to eat whatever they're making. Service is great and prices are reasonable, considering the quality of this delicious food. Sometimes I feel like I'm in "Club Basho" though so wish it was a more laid back place. Sake doesn't really help your iron count but it can't hurt, right?
(4)Peter M.
I had terrible service here. I ordered take out, and this really ditzy girl managed to: (1) overcharge me (2) get my order wrong (3) have it ready an hour early (I ordered early and said "i'll be there at 7:30" i got there at 7:25 and she told me she was just calling me because it had been ~45 mintues and was wondering where i was) so everything was cold by the time i got there, let alone got home) food was overpriced for the quality (it was OK, definately had better at Genki Ya, etc.) The restaurant itself seemed nice but as I didn't eat there and spent most of my time inside being pissed off I won't pass judgement. Hope that if you go you have a better experience than I had -
(2)john e.
Absolute rubbish and stale sashimi, which is the whole point of going here. I mean for fresh sashimi. The salmon was rubbery and flavorless and no wonder after we went here I hear they are trying to survive by going with coupons from Groupon. A lot of the restaurants that you see on Groupon are complete failures and should shut down.
(1)Adrian W.
This place is was a huge letdown. I came to this place for lunch with hopes of finding a great japanese restaurant around town, but I have to say, this is not it. This place is pretty nice and well decorated, but that is all that is good about it. I ordered a Spider Roll, Rainbow Roll, Vegetable Tempura Bento Box with a Spicy Tuna Roll, and Shiitaki Mushroom Yakitori. The Spider roll was not too bad, but just the fact that it took several bites to eat one piece was annoying. The Rainbow roll was not bad either, but it didn't seem to hold together too well. The Tempura was disappointing. Not only was it not crisp and was soggy, THE TEMPURA SAUCE WASN'T EVEN A SAUCE!! It could have been a soup! It severely lacked soy sauce and just made the tempura even worse to eat. On a side note, the rice that came with the bento box was not fresh (most likely from the previous night) and it was not Japanese rice, it was just plain Jasmine rice. The Spicy Tuna rolls that came with the bento box were like baby food in a sushi. It was bland and had no texture at all. The Shiitaki Mushroom Yakitori was most likely the best tasting food of the meal, but how hard is it to really to cook mushrooms on a skewer. Overall, this place does not deserve its current rating listed on Yelp. To think that this place is authentic is a lie. Make no mistake, this place is CHINESE-OWNED and CHINESE-MANAGED. I had the pleasure of hearing the manager yell at one of her staff members in Chinese. Food: 4/10 Service: 2/10 Atmosphere: 8/10
(2)Casmine L.
I like this place. It is the sister restaurant of Douzo. I have only eaten here for lunch (yes they have a lunch menu), and I think the sushi is fresh and the rolls are decent. The Bento box is delish too. The pan fried noodle dishes need a little work. Needs more flavor. I was worried about this place thriving for dinner though, especially since the price point for this location is higher than most places in the area. You can charge this much in back bay or south end, but fenway??? There's not much "action" around here, so going here is a destination, not a quick stop over...Not so sure college students and red sox fans are willing to shell out the dough for sushi. Needless to say, I like this place and the service that I have received during lunch has been great. Another reviewer is right, being a dishwasher here must stink because they are constantly clearing plates!
(4)Anabelle D.
Too expensive for what it is. The place looks nice but it's not very cozy.
(2)Elle J.
Average. I've gone for lunch and dinner a couple of times. I would recommend the lunch. The lunch menu is very good and the price is right. However, I won't go for dinner again. The dinner is very pricey and while the quality is ok it's not amazing for what they charge. The service is good but the food comes out really quickly so that works if you are in a rush but not so much if you want to spend a leisurely evening relaxing.
(3)Nadia K.
This would be 5 stars if it was a little more affordable, but as is, I solid 4.5 stars. We went tonight and sat against the back wall, our waitress was a very nice asian woman (sorry can't remember the name, but if anyone from the restaurant reads these- she was great) who was always there when we wanted her and not there when we didn't. It's an art being a good waitress, she's got the skill. We started with the spicy tuna cold appetizer on the crispy rice. That was a perfect balance between the soft fresh spicy tuna and the crunchy rice. I'm in food love. Next we got the garlic spicy peppers, which came with fried onions and were in a very tasty spicy/vinegar sauce. Could have been a touch spicier but very good. After that we got the kobe beef skewer, very tender, a nice char on it, but for $7... a little small, needed something else with it. We also got the spicy tuna cucumber roll, which is impossible to eat without using your hands but the filling is again that perfect balance of spicy tuna with a crispy tempura, I can't describe it- try it, it's worth the $7. We also got two rolls, both were excellent and the seafood was clearly very fresh as it tasted almost sweet. There was no trace of that "fishy" garbage you get at places like ma soba- and I can definitely tell because I'm allergic to seaweed and therefore get my sushi wrapped in soy paper, this is definitely the good stuff. I'm glad to see this area of Boston picking up. Oh they also need to reduce their "waiting" area on non-game nights... I mean put some tables there and increase table service so you don't have to wait on a wednesday night... come on people.
(4)Sara S.
Absolutely delicious sushi, ranging from traditional to over-the-top maki rolls. The prices are a little higher than average, but so is the quality. The atmosphere is a little sterile but chic and pleasant. They have a nice wine selection, but their cocktails leave a little to be desired. Come here as a great alternative to Douzo's wait and scene.
(4)Sean H.
Awesome place. Had a shrimp app that was amazing. I had the sushi which was very fresh. My husband had the chicken teriyaki and my sister had the beef teriyaki, both said it was extremely tasty. Prices were reasonable, entrees were $19-$35 (most on the lower end of that range) for a decent portion ; apps, tempora, and sushi were a little better pricewise all were under $20. The three of us spent less than $70(pretty good for 3 ppl). The ambience was great; dim lights but not too dark, soft music, and intimate seating really set the mood for a great meal.
(5)Colin S.
I love this place. The trendy atmosphere at basho goes well with their artfully presented dishes. Their management however could use some work as it could get a little hectic at times.
(5)Jeannie H.
I thought I would give this place another chance since the last time I went they had just opened. I got a bento box, which I think was $16. There was definitely a lot of food but it wasn't good food. There was some sushi - 2 pieces of salmon, a piece of tuna, and a piece of shrimp. There was some vegetable tempura, fried cooked salmon sushi roll, fried cooked salmon egg roll, mound of rice, side of salad, and a slice of orange. Notice a theme? Fried and salmon. Too much of both. Another terrible meal.
(2)Myha N.
Amazing restaurant. I went there for a birthday last night and loved the dishes I ordered! I read a bunch of the reviews before ordering and was very pleased! I got the kobe and pork belly w/ aparagus skewers, spicy tuna (appetizer), foie gras teriyaki and the fried chicken meatballs. For a drink I got the dragon berry drink the waitress recommended and it was great. I'm normally not a martini person but it tasted very good.
(5)Meliza Anne M.
As far as sushi restaurants go, I could take this place or leave it. It's good, good quality, interesting combinations, and a great ambiance, but it's also pretty pricey and for that price, I would want to be "WOW'ed" I just wasn't. There are plenty of other sushi places around here that are not as expensive and just as good, if not better.
(3)Amanda L.
I sat outside at Basho a few months ago with 5 friends. The sushi was decent, drinks were very good, but service was REALLY meh. I think our waitress was new, but she left us alone for SO long, our food came out at all different times, we had to go inside to find someone to refresh our drinks... I would go back, probably, the atmosphere is nice and the location is great, but slow and frustrating service really put a damper on the evening.
(2)Kat A.
Best sushi in the city! We've been in Boston for 6 years and this place is the best there is. I just wish they didn't renovate their beautiful interior! it used to feel much more private and cozy of an atmosphere- now it's a bit too open and barren. However, the food trumps all and in this case, the food is FANTASTIC!
(5)Laura G.
The food was pretty good...best sushi I had in a while. I liked the decor..very clean and modern. But it didn't fit in with the Fenway crowd.. Boy was it expensive..I work next door and we get a discount from this place..but honestly that's the only reason I would eat here.. Take out? yes they have it..but call ahead because you'll be waiting at least 20 -30 minutes for it...
(3)Alan T.
first timer. went with 5 others, we had 3 groupons (each for 14 sushi/sashimi pieces and three shots of sake sampler). we also ordered the skewers (pork tenderloin, pork belly w/tomatoe, chix skins), black cod, duck udon, and baby octopus. Food was ok, nothing was bad but nothing was spectacular. Definitely overpriced, even after the groupons. most likely will not go again.
(2)Molly W.
Basho is yummmmers. I like the decor - so what? who cares? I appreciate a sushi restaurant with some space to move around! The sushi is fresh, and they have some pretty clever menu options. They have have lunch specials for $10, not bad, right? I still like Oishii best, but Basho is a nice addition to Fenway. And anyone who knows Fenway knows it need help in the good food department.
(4)Scott M.
Just stay home and flush your money down the toilet, at least you'll save time.
(1)Tony S.
We recently went to Basho with an OpenTable certificate for a 5 course chef tasting. The restaurant is right on Boylston St so thankfully they have a valet because parking near Fenway is atrocious. We walked in and approached what appeared to be the hostess who was hanging out at a desk type area directly in front of the door. I indicated that we had reservations and she curtly pointed to the actual hostess stand and said, she'll take care of you. It's a little thing but really, you couldn't approach this a little more gracefully? The first course of the tasting menu was amazing. A plate of several different & widely contrasting items - oyster, duck, stuffed cucumber, smoked cheese and some type of fruit for which I cannot remember the name. Excellent! The second course was sashimi which was better than good but not great. Toro is my favorite sashimi but sadly the toro at Basho did not live up to my high standards as set by Oishii. Instead of being buttery and simply melting in your mouth, it was overly fatty tuna that was tough. Between the 2nd and 3rd course, my wife and I had finished our respective drinks. We waited for a good 8-10 minutes before we had to finally ask a bus boy to send our waiter over. I fully understand it was a busy Friday night but when the waiter seems to linger just a tad to long at the table right behind us (cue 2 blonde girls splitting 1 roll), it seems that his focus needs some refinement. Had he simply looked in the direction of our table, he would have seen me asking him for another round. The 3rd course was a nice tempura. I'm generally not a fan of tempura but this was well done. Kudos to the chef. The 4th and what should have been the highlight course was Kobe beef. Full disclosure, I am a food snob. I've had Kobe in Japan and at very fine restaurants like Nobu. I have ridiculously high expectations for my Kobe. What Basho served cannot/should not be called Kobe. First it was completely rare, not lightly seared rare, carpaccio rare. Problem is, it was somewhere between carpaccio & medallion in thickness. It did come on a sizzling skillet so I was able to cook to rare plus as I like but I would prefer the chef to handle the preparation to ensure it is done properly. The biggest problem was that these pieces of beef were more akin to flank steak than Kobe. Hugely disappointing. The 5th course was an interesting pumpkin coconut mouse. Enjoyable but it didn't knock my socks off. To be fair, I'm not much of a dessert person so it would have to be pretty amazing for me to write a rave review. Overall, I give Basha a B-. It's worth checking out, it has a cool vibe but the food is just slightly above average and the service needs a bit of refinement.
(3)A N.
Food: Very tasty but quantity is so little Service: Good Ambiance: Trendy Price: Not reasonable for the amount of food they give for certain dishes Octopus Cheviche with Mango Tasty again! It could have used a little extra mango. But overall wonderful! Right size for appetizer. Miso Black Cod The best tasting fish I have had anywhere, but small portion size. The entree size was probably 3-4 oz. of fish with 2 heads of rapini as garnish. 3-4oz is not enough for most people for dinner when there are no sides. Although it was VERY tasty but $26 for 4oz of fish is not reasonable. The first time I was there I had ordered the appetizer size of the same dish and it was small but this time I ordered the entree size and expected it to be big enough to not leave me hungry. Sashimi platter Hubby had it. Was very impressed. Also they give a lot of fish in this dish - size is not an issue here. Overall food was amazing but portion size of the entree miso balck cod was ridiculous.
(4)Anna W.
I'm not a big sushi person to begin with (ewe to raw fish), and I'm pregnant, so mix the two together, and you may wonder what the hell I'm doing in a sushi restaurant. I guess you could call me the non-sushi Japanese food lover. And, being from a family of sushi-lovers, it's hard to avoid sushi restaurants -- I'd never be able to eat out with my family. So, enter Basho. It's owned by the same people who own Douzo on Back Bay. The restaurant is located in the Fens, and though street parking may be tough to come by, they do validate for the garage that is attached to the building. The inside is cool and funky. It's very simplistic and different for a Japanese restaurant, but I rather quite like it. They have some longer tables that are great for larger parties, and the ambiance is dark but not overly romantic. I found it weird that they had so much "open" space that wasn't filled with tables -- I'd hate to think what the wait for a table would be on a busier night. There was a large group of us having dinner, so with all of us, we had pretty much everything on the menu -- my cousins enjoyed lots of sushi (their input: very fresh, a tad on the pricey side, but very well made and delicious), and the hubs and I enjoyed some cooked entrees. I had the lamb, which was a bit too charred on the outside for my liking, but the inside was cooked to perfection (guess you can't avoid a little bit of charring when your food is cooked on a grill). And, hubs RAVED about his steak entree. He originally requested the steak that was listed on the menu, but the server asked him if he would like to substitute it with Kobe Steak, which is hubs's favorite, so he said yes (price difference was only about $10 or so, so it was very reasonable). The portion size was decent, but not overwhelming, and he couldn't stop talking afterward about how tender and perfect the Kobe steak was. Big thumbs up from him, obviously. Service was friendly and prompt. Water glasses were filled at the right time, and beverages were brought over and refilled often. Our server was very friendly and made some helpful menu suggestions when asked for input. The place was not pretentious, which was a nice surprise. It's a "nice" Japanese restaurant, but I wouldn't feel out of place in jeans and a T-shirt. I'd definitely go again!
(4)Nagisu K.
Creative food. Very fresh and delicious. The place is very noisy and crowded. That wouldnt stop me from going back though.
(4)Jeffrey K.
We were just leaving Boston and needed to find a nice place for some lunch. We checked out Yelp and found this place. We frequent Japanese restaurants on a regular basis so we have a high standard. The presentation was really good. I had soba noodles with some tempura and Stacy had a sushi plate. Both were good quality. The soba was not the best I have had but the tempura was just right. The quality was high on all the products. We had a few rolls but neither of them was the best. To much mayo in the sauce. The space is almost to open but there were not a lot of people there when we visited so it might feel different at night with a full restaurant. This one is on the fence so I am going to give them a four star.
(4)Sarun C.
Why is this place in the Fenway? I'm not sure, but I'll take it! Basho is L.A. chic transplanted into the so-called 'Boylston corridor;' mouth-watering, excellent, varied, and refreshing Japanese fare (even if a little heavy on the wallet), and, being in my own backyard, I'm thrilled to have it just steps away. I've been to Douzo a few times and now Basho a couple of times. Sure, sometimes I'm in the mood for decent, economical sushi (which, unless you're a sushi snob, can be found if you look in the right places in Boston). Other times, I want modern class and elegance, with not only my food but also the ambience and service. That's the time for Basho. We went both before and after the recent grand opening. Yes, they're new and figuring stuff out. But that's okay. To me, they're allowed that. The sincerity of the staff and owner (somehow, pleasantly, on both occasions, we've ended up chatting with him at length, about the growing pains, about Fenway development, and so on) more than make up for what will surely be a journey to success. Food: Quality, intriguing stuff, goes beyond just the sushi. If you don't try one of the many dishes with ingredients that you've likely never tried before, then you're selling yourself short. Just go buy sushi at Whole Foods. Instead, here, you can explore new horizons. Try the appetizers: the agedashi tofu is silky, with minimalist seasoning of dashi and scallions; the plum broth that bathed the seared seabass was tart and tempting -- a perfect appetizer that left us wanting more. The standard maki was fresh with (for once!) nicely cooked rice -- not too sticky, not too dry, room temperature that allowed the rice to show off its own flavor; the Russian roll, with caviar, was fantastic. Our second time there, we tried the robata grill. Don't go here without trying this! You'd think that meat and veggies on a grill would have a pretty straightforward, generic taste, right? No. This was freaking succulent, envy-inducing stuff. The shitake robata gave us both shivers and made us collapse into our chairs out of delight. Not to be forgotten, the cocktails were decadently solid, sophisticated, tasty, and relaxing. Our first time there, they were a little light on alcohol; the second time, the bartenders got the balance just right. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that the portions are not huge (but it would be foolish to expect that at a place like this). The ordering strategy should be to get lots of little plates, like tapas, otherwise you'll miss out on the diversity of good stuff here, and you won't be as satisfyingly full as you deserve to be. Decor: Sitting inside Basho, we easily forgot the annoying traffic and parking lot eyesores just outside on Boylston. Love the theme and variation of bamboo and sticks, played out at the bar, the private dining room, the kitchen, and main dining area in iterative but playfully unique ways. Soothing and Zen-like but (perhaps un-ironically) shi-shi at the same time. Service: One time, we sat at the bar. Our waiter went to the trouble to push another table to ours, which ended up being a little off-kilter, so then he got on his hands and knees to balance it. Then ,there were a couple of ingredients that none of us knew (yuzu zest, mentaiko, kabocha squash), and he found out promptly for us (yes, he should have known - and indeed, we asked about lots of other ingredients, and he patiently explained all of them to us -- but these are the growing pains...). Altogether, it's the details of service and effort that matter, and he got an 'A' from us. I make an effort to support local businesses, and Basho makes this easy. Why trek to other fancy sushi places when I have the rookie-of-the-year in my backyard?
(4)Foodie F.
Very average food at very expensive prices. The amount of fish in each roll is small to none. The rice is not cooked enough so it remains hard. These type of Japanese places make me laugh because they charge a lot of money for unauthentic supermarket quality sushi. If you want good sushi go to a small family run place. Douzo is the sister restaurant of Basho and it is just as bad. Don't waste your time, money, or calories here!!!!
(2)Matt G.
Didn't even order. Hostess was incredibly rude and unprofessional.
(1)Latoya T.
i must profess my love for this sleek Japanese eatery. Just thinking about it makes my heart go pitter patter. Basho is just a block from my apartment and I am embarrassed to say that I am there at least once a week. The wait staff is always attentive and helpful, the fish is fresh and the sushi is deeelicious. I am especially fond of the Crunchy Roll and you must get the eggplant appetizer. I may have to pay this place a visit tonight. This place is a great addition to the Fenway neighborhood.
(4)Graham S.
My friends and I ventured to Basho their first week of opening all the way from upstairs at my apartment in 1330 Boylton and boy was it a great dining experience. The food was divine, the atmosphere was tranquil and the service was exceptional. It's so delightful seeing such a wonderful addition to the new Fenway neighborhood. For so long the neighborhood has been all fast food/bar food places, but now actual foodies from the South End and other areas are visiting the new Fenway. I'm pleased to see people visiting the new Fenway for something other than a Red Sox game. Definitely add Basho to your to do list folks.
(5)Gina M.
Now that other people have found it, it's less fun. We waited a while for our reserved table on a recent visit. Then immediately after we were seated, we were moved to another table. The food was still great, but the whole place just feels really harried and less pleasant now.
(3)Amy R.
Like its sister restaurant, Douzo, Basho is high end and trendy. Unlike Douzo, however, Basho doesn't have its act together. Service is inefficient, amateurish, and clueless. At a recent meal, we had five different servers. We had just received water when another waiter came with three more full glasses and seemed non-plussed when we said we didn't need them. Our bill was miscalculated so we had to send it back and wait for an accurate one. We saw our server redo the bill then stop to chat for over ten minutes with another table while we waited. We would find it difficult to return.
(2)Colin S.
I love this place. The trendy atmosphere at basho goes well with their artfully presented dishes. Their management however could use some work as it could get a little hectic at times.
(5)Jeannie H.
I thought I would give this place another chance since the last time I went they had just opened. I got a bento box, which I think was $16. There was definitely a lot of food but it wasn't good food. There was some sushi - 2 pieces of salmon, a piece of tuna, and a piece of shrimp. There was some vegetable tempura, fried cooked salmon sushi roll, fried cooked salmon egg roll, mound of rice, side of salad, and a slice of orange. Notice a theme? Fried and salmon. Too much of both. Another terrible meal.
(2)Anabelle D.
Too expensive for what it is. The place looks nice but it's not very cozy.
(2)Corinne-Marie G.
Though the place was nice, our waiter was good, the prices were reasonable. I definitely see room for improvement. I wasn't impressed with the sushi/sashimi part of the menu. I expected to see more choices for cooked and raw rolls. There wasn't much variety and creativity. The rolls I ordered looked nice, but one was some what sour. My miso soup was nice and hot and yummy. My ginger margarita was very good and well made. I will go again if in that area and want sushi near the House of Blues, but I hope additions are made to the sushi/ sashimi part of the menu.
(3)The Throwin S.
I stopped by for LUNCH recently, and I tried the lunch sashimi special. The sushi/sashimi was excellent and the price was surprisingly cheap. The standard lunch salad and miso were good too. I thought that maybe this was a fluke (pun intended), so I returned 2 more times. The sushi/sashimi were consistently excellent. I am a fan! I read a few Yelp Basho reviews, including a negative one from Andrew Q. on 6/2/14. Andrew wrote, "The fish was disturbingly close to room temperature upon its arrival to the table...". The fish is NOT supposed to be served cold. I have had some superb sushi in Tokyo-- and the best joints serve it slightly chilled to room temp. Andrew, you are clueless.
(5)Mary T.
I came here because I had a groupon deal. I tried their sushi rolls only. I had their crazy roll, dynamite roll, crunchy roll and spicy salmon. I didn't think the dynamite was that good. It didn't seem authentic to me. But maybe, it is different in Boston. They put imitation crab meat on top. Normally, it's spicy mayo or mayo and it's baked. Another roll I had was the crazy roll. I wasn't a big fan of the mango puree they used. It reminded me of baby food. The other rolls were good. The service was good as well. They were friendly. It wasn't that busy so the food came out pretty fast. You get an option of using brown rice or white rice for your sushi. You are probably looking at spending around $20-30 per person. They also have takoyaki, ramen, fried rice, sashimi... but I did not get to try it.
(3)Simon L.
A classy spot that is appointed nicely in a warm and cozy wood paneled manner. A bar area and a sushi bar are separate from the dining area. Quick service, polite. Food? Bland and rather unmatched to the high price of doing business. The torched tuna roll ($19.95) lacks any defining elements of flavor - the most distinguished taste is the yuzu sauce. The yuzu yellow tail roll ($15.95) similarly lacked any specific unique tastes. The Spider roll ($10.95) arrived with four large slices of fried softshell crab and is standard. The kurobuta pork ramen ($14.75) is similarly unimpressive. This soup is available as either a ramen or udon variation and in this case, it is clearly an udon soup with ramen noodles substituted. A tasty but thin broth with all the vegetables of udon soup is not worth being classified as ramen. Beer and liquor available.
(3)Tonya H.
This place is incredible. The food is phenomenal, but more importantly the staff is what makes it 5 stars. The new manager William Foley has really turned this place around. My favorite server is Bromeyn (i think thats what she said her name was). Great place and I will continue to celebrate birthdays there! They always accommodate to make an event special.
(5)Karis O.
A Japanese sushi wonderland that's masked by Fenway but totally worth the drop-in. This place just got renovated! I could eat the spicy edamame for the rest of my life, I assure you, you can do the same. Not a lot of specialty cocktails to choose from but the Snapdragon has been burned into my memory and now I want three million more! Fruity magic with alcohol. The specialty rolls are expected: $11-$15. Maki rolls are about $5-$10 depending on what you get. Snow Mountain Roll (shrimp tempura with a bunch of snow crab on top). Excuse me while I give a standing ovation. And for those brave enough to handle wasabi, the Fenway roll will not let you down!
(4)Alex E.
I wasn't too impressed with my experience at Basho. The interior is awesome, which really set my expectations pretty high when we first came in. But then they served their water in plastic cups and that kinda killed it for me. I know this seems like something very minor, but they weren't even really nice plastic cups, I think they are the same cups that my university's dining halls use. I guess I just found that pretty inconsistent because the decoration is so nice, you would expect some nicer dishware as well. We shared the spicy edamame and the shishito peppers as an appetizer. These were pretty flavorful, but I felt like the edamame was a little overcooked. I ordered a stirfried noodle dish with ramen noodles, veggies and tofu. It was really really bland, I only ate a few bites of it. I got the rest wrapped up but it just wound up sitting in my fridge until I threw it away. Really disappointing. My boyfriend ordered sushi and wasn't very excited about it either. Though the presentation was pretty nice, the quality was a letdown.
(2)Ashley N.
I am from Cali and the sushi there is fresh! I haven't found a sushi place here in Boston as fresh, but Basho is excellent! I can taste the freshness here and this is the place that I keep coming back to! I love their Green Monster Roll! My favorite!!!! I love their happy hour. I always tend to go with friends right before it gets busy, so it's great for us. I love the design of the place. Atmosphere is nice and clean. Spacious, so I don't feel like I'm in the next table's conversation. It is a bit dark, for the romantic side, but I'm there more for the food! Waiters/waitresses & hostesses are all very nice. I have nothing to complain about with them. I'll keep coming back here!
(5)David M.
As a place I would describe as being always a bit slow and a bit on the overpriced side - you would think i don't like Fin's. Thing is - I actually enjoy coming by here. The servers will never make you feel rushed, the atmosphere is trendy without trying to hard, and the noise level is always reasonable. The food, when it gets to you, has never disappointed, and they even have a few creative rolls. If you want something a bit less expensive, and a little less trendy, hike up to Kenmore to check out the competition - but I'll come back here for Fenway adjacent sushi experiences.
(4)Graham W.
Sushi - 4/5 Delicious and reasonably priced. Atmosphere - 2/5 Sat at the bar. Bar seats have seen better days and the menus were in rough shape. Had kind of a "lazy" feel to it. Service - 3/5 Bartender was nice enough. Our appetizers came after our sushi rolls which was annoying but whatever. Drinks were a bit strong but I didn't complain. Overall, if you're in the fenway area and want some sushi it's a good option. Otherwise, I'd say definitely do not go out of your way. I put three stars but I mean 2.5
(3)Lynn J.
REVIEW OF THE BAR ONLY... Bartender overcharged me, did not apologize...and possibly stole money. I approached his nearly EMPTY BAR, smiling. He did return my smile, and walked away, pretending to have something to do at the other end, then walked back to me and took my wine order. He then charged me $9.50 for a $7.00 glass of wine, took my $20 before I could correct his mistake, and hit a button on his register that rang up "NO SALE." As he tossed my change on the bar and turned away, without even acknowledging me, again, I told him the price was only $7.00 on the menu. He waved his hand in the air & said "I thought it was the other," opened the register to "NO SALE" again & gave me $2.00. The subtraction was too much for him and he was $.50 short. THE DEAL: He didn't smile, or talk to me at all. He over charged me, twice, and never apologized. Business owner, this is NOT the guy you want selling drinks. I don't even know if he even rang in my drink at all, or just pocketed the money by hitting "NO SALE."
(1)Greg P.
A nice sushi option in Fenway Located right near Fenway Park, Basho is probably the best option in the area for good sushi and Japanese. The menu is large with lots of options if you do not eat sushi. The sushi is very good from the basics (shrimp tempura roll, spice tuna roll) to their more exotic rolls (torched toro, yuzu yellowtail). The fish is fresh and you have the option to have the sushi made with brown rice. A lot of the rolls are innovative and keep things from getting stay. There are only so many spicy tuna rolls you can eat, right?! Their desserts are fun and include a cheesecake harumaki that is decadent but not over-sweetened. A nice way to end the meal. The atmosphere is fun and the waitstaff helpful. Overall, a very good option for sushi and a change of pace from all of the pub-food in Fenway.
(4)Veronica H.
We live in the building so we're here at least once a month. Service is always good and food is tasty. The recently updated their menu and actually lowered their prices! I recommend the Crazy roll.
(4)Ralph O.
Basho is average, although prices are a little above average. I did enjoy the service there, but the atmosphere is not particularly great and the food is good enough. There is really not much to say.
(2)Monica C.
Great restaurant with delicious sushi rolls. The sweet potato tempura roll was the best I've ever had and everyone's specialty rolls were also great. Chicken fried rice was good and saki bombs were fun and reasonably priced. The staff was beyond nice and service was excellent. Perfect restaurant for a fun night out of drinking and sushi with friends!
(5)Rachael B.
The sushi is really good! The service was terrible. We asked for water once, twice, three times and then it arrived. Silverware once, twice, three times and then it arrived. Drink refills...the same. Either our server was overwhelmed or really just didn't want to be at work that night. This isn't exactly a cheap restaurant so I definitely expected a higher level of service. I can't say we'll be back.
(2)Court S.
Well for the cost of $11, it's pretty good. I came here last Sunday for lunch with my cousin and we sat outside and enjoyed the lovely weather and atmosphere. I ordered the crazy roll( shrimp, avacado, rice, wrapped in seaweed) and a side of brown rice. The seaweed was a bit on the chewy side and some parts I spit out because I felt like I was getting a jaw muscle workout. That sounds weird but overall it was good sushi...just way too chewy. My cousin ordered something with eel, squid, and some other creatures of the sea, and she enjoyed it. I like my sushi simple so I took a bite of hers and promised myself not to take another.
(3)Jill S.
We started with a well priced chardonnay bottle and ordered steamed shumai to begin. After she brought back our wine, we ordered the rainbow roll with brown rice, the lobster tempura, and the yuzu yellowtail roll with brown rice. The appetizer and the sushi all came out at once which was less than ideal, but i know things like that happen. At least it all came out quickly! The rolls were unbelievable - we really were impressed with the level of freshness and the creativity of the rolls. The lobster tempura was our unhealthy splurge, and it was SO worth it. So crunchy and delicious and they lay it on a bed of sauce which complemented it nicely. The rainbow roll was standard and well executed. The yuzu yellowtail was stand out - the citrusy flavors went so well with the mild yellowtail, and the caviar on top was definitely present but not overwhelming. I'm dreaming about this roll now. Thank you to Groupon for opening our eyes to this place!
(4)Yasa E.
Interesting sushi, very fresh, very delicious.... The drinks aren't that great and way overpriced. The space itself is enormous and waaaay too open. Kind of makes you feel like you're eating in the middle of a basketball court. I think if they made better use of that space, the dining experience would be more pleasant
(3)Brian D.
Pretty decent Japanese food, but aggressively overpriced. Truth be told, I'd avoid Basho altogether if it weren't for one dish: the Roast Duck Breast Udon soup. Which is heavenly. Tender duck breast with light, tasty noodles, carrots, some greens and a handful of mushrooms. I prefer it moderately spicy, my wife prefers it non-spicy and they accommodate that. They do, however, charge an extra $0.50 for making it spicy. Which pretty much sums up the place. Between the location and the fancy decor they either need to or choose to fancy up the prices as well. That Udon I just described runs $14.95 (which I don't mind so much because it does stand out). Entrees, cocktails and sushi all seem to run near the upper level of what they feel they could get away with. I do like their tempura a la cart menu, and their small bite robata choices (the grilled spiced chicken was okay at $4.00). These are overpriced but much more reasonable than the "small plates" menu. But on the whole you are paying for atmosphere (dark, classy, a bit loud). We'll go back there for that soup sometimes, but usually only when it's cold out and we're in that area already. But it's going to warm up soon and I know cheaper, pretty good Udon elsewhere so I probably won't be back until November.
(3)Mirta S.
Update: Came in yesterday with a reservation for 6pm. Got a pretty aggressive call earlier in the day letting me know that they could only save my table for 10 minutes or so. Due to the reconstruction of the Longwood bridge, we were indeed 20 minutes late, so I kind of gave my hopes up on the reservation. Coming in, we noticed a completely empty restaurant - I told them what happened and was told that no problem, we could be seated right away. I am still perplexed as to why the aggression and unpleasantness were needed earlier in the day when it was clear that it didn't matter if we were late or not. Food, as usually, was really good. Switched it up a bit this time with Tornado roll, which tasted a lot of the acidic (lemony) stuff they put in, but was overall good. I could have a bazillion of their spicy tuna rolls though, so recommending that again as an add-on to all orders!
(3)Francis C.
Went here for dinner and ordered the boat for two. I explained I had a shellfish allergy. The waiter assured me the chef would make sure no shellfish was on the plate. When the rolls came out there was tempura shrimp and california roll on the boat. I just ate from the other side of the boat. The sushi is good the lack of detail to an important allergy wasnt.
(2)Wini H.
While the restaurant itself is beautiful, the food and service are spotty. The boyfriend and I arrived at an empty restaurant and were seated at a table connected to a large, rowdy, loud party. The only things separating us were the sparse wall of bamboo sticks. This seemed a bit odd to us given that the whole restaurant was empty, and the next couple that came in was seated at a more intimate, private spot. The food itself varied. The sushi and udon were only okay, and overpriced for the quality. At this point our waitress, as polite and nice as she was, forgot to give us soy sauce. The pork belly buns, however, were amazing. If you were to go here, I would recommend just ordering like...5 orders of pork belly buns. The pear martini was unfortunately very bland and not drinkable--not sweet (almost neutral, really. Water-like), barely pear-flavored, and didn't even really taste of vodka. Perhaps it was watered down? I drank a few sips and put it aside. Seeing how you can get great pork belly buns elsewhere (or make them yourself! It's surprisingly easy), I would skip this place!
(2)Criselle O.
This place is ridiculously expensive but it was super worth it. First of all, the interior of this place is classy and elegant. Very upscale. I felt kinda weird eating here during lunch and not being dressed up. Anyway, we ordered so much food. Let me try to remember since I was here about 2 1/2 weeks ago. We started off with some blood orange martini's which were yummo btw and for the real appetizers we got the toro (tuna belly), tuna tartar and edamame. The toro and tuna tartar were so beyond delicious. The toro practically melted in my mouth... Oh man, I was excited for what was coming. . . We each ordered our own rolls but we pretty much shared them. Ok, I'm totally drawing a blank with what everyone else ordered but I ordered the crunchy roll and it was filled with cucumber, mango, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, and tobiko. Soooo good. Oh yea, I really liked our server. She was super attentive and she totally recommended all the good stuff. My belly was so satisfied after this meal. It better be since we dropped almost $200 amongst 3 people. Haha. If only there was a Basho in SD. . .
(5)Jamie B.
Basho deserves maybe 2 1/2 stars. We had seaweed salad, some generic sushi rolls and a few specialty rolls. There was nothing outstanding about the quality of the sushi. It certainly wasn't bad by any means, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again. The service was attentive, but it was also a very slow night, as we were maybe one of five parties there.
(2)Shayne Z.
I really want to like Basho much more than I do. The food is decent, but not amazing, and for the price I really expect more. The sushi is fresh enough, nothing special but nothing terrible, though I think the portions are small for the price and the spicy tuna roll (one of my usual favorites) is among my least favorite I've had in the Boston area. Still, I keep coming back in hopes that it will be better (and also because it's so convenient), but I think I might finally be done giving this place chance after chance. I ordered take out for lunch today--salmon teriyaki lunch special, since I hadn't tried the kitchen entrees before. The salad that came with the lunch special had brown lettuce, and the container of soup wasn't even half full. The salmon teriyaki was fine, but I was charged extra for brown rice and that wasn't made clear on the menu, as far as I could tell. I think todays meal sealed the deal. I'm not a fan, Basho, and if I'm going to pay over $10 for lunch, I'd rather walk around the corner to Rod Dee and get twice as much food that tastes a lot better. Sorry.
(2)Kelsey C.
NOT worth it is the only thing I can say about Basho. An imposingly large space in fun Fenway, Basho is beautiful at first glance. The paneling is modern, the floor shines, and you wonder how the food couldn't do the same. Take a bite of the Lobster Tempura Roll and you'll see why Basho is the first stop for sushi disaster tourism. The roll tasted more like shake n' bake chicken than lobster thanks to the almost-burnt breading...wasn't worth the chipped teeth either. The Snow Mountain Roll was better but not by much. Snow crab makes a tasty topper, but the filling of shrimp tempura drowned out the sweet crab. The Amaebi Mango Roll was even more bland...didn't even think that was possible. The Soft Shell Crab Tempura wasn't bad but clearly wasn't very fresh, and wecould barely tell the Water Eel Tempura from regular fish. I hate to bash, but there's nothing else to do with an overpriced restaurant with sucky sushi. I could have paid half this amount at Seiyo if I wanted something so un-special.
(1)Emlchach C.
The service was HORRIBLE! I was with a very large group, and they gave us two servers to take care of the tables (we had two because they separated them). Both servers were inattentive and the server for my table legitimately gave us attitude the entire time. They did not provide the table with water and I had to ask FOUR times to have the waitress bring water. Four times. The food was...sushi. They had a brown rice option which was nice, and overall it was decent sushi. But because of the service that I experienced I would never go back, and would recommend other establishments before I ever recommended this place.
(2)Dan G.
Went here on a Saturday night with a reservation. We were seated prompty when we arrived, a party of 8. As soon as we were sat, the waitress came over and greeted us and asked if we wanted anything to drink. As soon as the drink orders came, we ordered apps and entrees. We didnt wait long for our apps to come out. The apps consisted of 4-6 pieces, shumai or dumplings. Everything was great, but for 6 pieces I believe the dumplings cost around $9. A little expensive if you ask me. The main course were fairly large, the soups were giant. 2 people were not even able to finish them. The sushi platter was large enough for 2, the noodle dish was delicious and again a large portion size. The waitress was very attentive throughout the whole meal. She kept coming to check up on us to see if we needed anything. In addition to the attentive waiteress, another waiter kept refilling our waters which was great. The restaurant was a little stark but crowded for a saturday night. Parking is tricky since its on a main street but there are some garages nearby. The restuarant is pricey depending on what you get. There seem to be a lot of other places in the Fenway area that are less expensive.
(3)aja m.
The food at this place was great but while we were here a waiter accidentally spilled a tray of wine and sushi all over a friend of ours. We were a large party of 10 or so out for a friends birthday, and this poor girl got wine alllll over her hair and white shirt before we went out for the night. The waiter apologized a bit, but they didn't comp her meal or offer her a free glass of wine. The most that happened was the manager gave her his card so she could get the shirt dry cleaned through him. Lame.
(2)Jill F.
I want to like this. I really do. Fenway has become a fabulous (wait is this a fabulous thing?) over-commercialized area with new bars, restaurants and cafe's in all under 3 years. My roommates and I had a coupon so we decided to come. I really don't feel like reviewing this place but I must say, Don't waste your money....I felt like going to Fugakyu anyday over this place. Okay so the environment WANTs to be like a NYC sushi bar. But people, look around you're at the Fenway! There are boozing Red Sox fans. The waitresses were nice, but college girls who obviously just don't care. I also managed to have my water spilled all over me by the poor waitress (I don't really care but I'm guessing this doesn't happen at Fugakyu) Anyhoo. Just, I mean, If you're absolutely STRANDED in Fenway and you NEED sushi, this would be good. Or if you work near by and you want to mix up your lunch dates. But seriously, get you're butt on the train and go elsewhere. Did you really want to eat sushi in a fancy bar next to a tourist in a Red Sox shirt on you're next date? I didn't think so. Try harder gents, try harder.
(2)Jo T.
Ate at the bar before a Red Sox game. Service was quick. Sushi had both traditional and modernized items. Really impressed with the quality of the fish. I also had the grilled shishito peppers, which were deliciously basted with balsamic vinegar. Sapporo on draft, a rarity, was awesome. Love the fact that you can get brown rice to go with the nigiri and maki.
(5)Andrew M.
We came here with a Groupon to get some sushi, and were absolutely blown away by how fresh everything was. We got the large sushi tray for two people and it was just one delicious piece of fish after another. I had been getting tired of sushi after going to several places in the Greater Boston area that just left a bad taste in my mouth after eating not-so-fresh fish. But this place definitely left me hungry for more! I can't say anything about the other parts of the menu, but the sushi is the best I've had so far in Boston! (other than Privus possibly, but that's closed)
(5)Jamie G.
The restaurant definitely has cool ingredients for their Japanese dishes, but it is so very expensive. I am glad it's on open table and that I was able to use a groupon to try to it out. But I probably won't be back here anytime soon. We decided to split a bunch of different appetizers... Crispy shrimp - delicious, with a creamy, spicy sauce Scallop kaiyaki- diced scallops with shredded carrots and other ingredients baked. it was WAY too fishy tasting for me. couldnt finish it, which was practically a sin because it's so expensive Edamame with salt and lime- good, but a small portion for $4.75 Kobe beef skewers- delicious, but tiny, and each one was $6.75. OUCH! Garden roll0 delicious- with avocado, cucumber, carrot, asparagus and tomato. and for a drink, I had the Japanese version of a mojito, a Yuzuhito, but it tasted just like a plain ole mojito to me. All in all, I wasn't impressed. For less money and/or way bigger portions, I would think about coming back, but as it stands, I probably won't. Sorry Basho, you're just not doing it for me.
(3)Ang Y.
I had a horrible experienc.e i bought a livingsocial deal for this place. I felt like they treated me differently because i have a coupon. I dthink it should be better if groupon /living social don't specify that we have to show our certificate before the meal because it makes a difference. Then again, it isnt their problem , it is the restaurant's problem. They shouldn't treat their customer differently because they have a coupon. I had to write a review for basho because I have never in my life gone to a restaurant , sat down for 15 minutes I was not given a menu, nor water, and the table next to me that came after us already got their appetizer soups. Just sitting there, I tried to catch waiters with my eyes but they all seem to just walk pass us and avoided eye contact. I sat their observing and realize that the waiters that work tthere are assigned tables by row so tables not beloning to his row isnt his bussiness. They just run along and serve their own tables. After I ordered appetizer and entre, we waited at least 30 minutes after the waiter took our orders. I was so close to just leaving the place although I had a coupon but I confronted the manager , she apologized and our soup came immediately. it was on the house but I was still not too happy with the service since we were already starving by then. The setting was nice but the food quality was not good for what it is priced. One of the sushi I bit into, the rice was still raw. It is such a shame since the place looked very nice but sushi quality was not good, maybe it can fool the americans with the nice setting and fancy interior designs but all in all, iit is more important that the food is good. I will never come back to this place again. I rather pay more for better quality sushi
(1)Kelly B.
I visited Basho several times while I was a student at Boston University. This place was a great choice for a group meal as we often did but it's atmosphere serves well for dates too. The decor is modern and romantic with lots of open space. For the food, I must say that this is the best sushi I had in the Boston area-- could almost say the best sushi I've had period. We ordered a variety of rolls and sashimi and were not disappointed. "Insultingly fresh" is how I jokingly described the sushi. As a sushi snob, I was not expecting to be so satisfied! We also ordered several items off the robata grill menu. I had never had this style of cooking and must say it was incredible. The grill brought out such immense flavors in all of the items. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Boston area looking for a nice dining experience and delicious Japanese food!
(4)Zulu Q.
The sake selection is fantastic. The sushi...meh....
(3)Whytnee B.
I had brown rice sushi, which was pretty good. Not phenomenal. Prices were reasonable, although I didn't try any of the adventurous rolls. None of them really appealed to me. My friend ordered off the apps and Robata Grill menus, which seemed to be the better choice. He had roasted eggplant and a pork belly skewer. He had steamed buns at one point too. They were all exciting and delicious. The atmosphere was downright cheesy. Totally trying too hard. But our server was very friendly and attentive. Thumbs up. Definitely going back between the service and the food. Skip the sushi; be bold and sample everything else.
(3)Vanessa M.
Over a year has passed since I last reviewed this place. I am now giving them the benefit of the doubt. I am hopeful that the staff member that made the unkind comment about gay folks is no longer working there and they have gotten up to speed with their service. The management still does not seem very welcoming, but maybe they are stressed out in a down economy? Our waitress was very nice and service speed was average. The sushi was delicious to say the least. The meal was fresh and the presentation was excellent. The prices are a bit high, but I would be more concerned if it was too cheap. The atmosphere is nice when the restaurant is full, otherwise it's like sitting in a giant warehouse. I am giving 3 stars because of the overall ambiance and experience. It still feels like a giant cafeteria.
(3)Brian L.
Basho is the place opened by Jack from Duozo in the Fenway Area. Across from Jerry Remy's First thing that is different is the huge bar area in the very center of the place. and full floor to ceiling kick out doors so you can practically be sitting on the street. We sat at the bar , of course, and were served by Molly , who is a Duozo veteran and as expected service was excellent and the best lychee martini ever! I had 3 and could have had 5 more it is like drinking liquid love. The food is nearly exactly what you get at Duozo. Sashimi is 6 bucks for 2 pieces of say Yellowtail but you get two huge slabs of amazing fish. That and the rainbow roll and I was in Sushi heaven.This place has a grill too so try the skewers, Pork belly and asparagus. Yum. my only complaint if that the bar seats are less than comfortable, but I could never deduct points for that, everything else was amazing . I can still taste the salmon skin roll and the miso soup with plenty of seaweed.
(5)J. W.
The atmosphere and ambiance was very chic, a great place to bring a date. As far as Boston standards for sushi go, Basho is pretty good for the price. The quality is somewhat comparable to their sister restaurant Douzo, but without the fishy smell. I've been to Basho several times now for dinner and sushi and have never been disappointed. The salmon sashimi is always fresh, soft, and delicious. On the downside, the service was extremely slow. It took over 30 minutes to get out a few rolls and nearly 15 minutes to get us the check!
(4)Florina K.
The decor is pretty the atmosphere is good. The food is just okay for the most part. We had one good dishout of 5... Rest were just okay. The service was horrible. Our waitress said she could not validate our parking ticket, because we had to do it upfront ourselves. So we said okay and placed the ticket on the table, not to forget about it later. A few minutes later another waitress walked by and without us even adding took care of the ticket... The prices are really ridiculous as well. Good luck!
(3)Grace R.
It was alright. A little underwhelming and overpriced I thought considering all the hype I saw others give it.
(3)Dan G.
This is a new review. Since they have done renovations, ie made the restaurant smaller, service has got better. The bartenders are great and the front desk people are overly polite. Seems like they read YELP and learned how to do it better. Way to go Basho!! Below is my last review. I like having a sushi restaurant near my apartment. The atmosphere is really cool the sushi is decent. The price is kinda high, but then again it is a sushi joint in Boston. The service sucks! Painfully slow. I was there tonight the bar area was not busy yet it took forever to get menus. The waitress didn't even ask if we wanted drinks, that took another 5 minutes. When she dropped off our drinks again 5 minutes later she left with out asking if we wanted to order. I almost walked out. It took 15 minutes before a second waiter came by to get our order. Big shocker it took a while for the food to come. If I hadn't asked for the check right as the food came I think I would still be there right now. I wish I could say this was the first time but it's like this every time and its never been super busy there. Next time I want sushi I'm heading out of my neighborhood.
(4)Sara L.
I think Basho is my new favorite sushi/sashimi joint. Excellent quality fish, presentation, ingenuity. Here's what I'd recommend: - The spicy ginger and garlic edamame: Holy deliciousness. If I had that sauce readily available I would be eating edamame all day every day. - Steamed bun sandwiches: Tender, delicious pork with pickled vegetables in a steamed bun? I think I just died and went to heaven. - Spicy tuna roll: A simple classic, but they really do it well here. - Lychee martini - clean, refreshing, delicious - Salmon sashimi - Really all of the sashimi I've had here has been tasty, but the salmon is just superb. There are so many other great thins on the menu here, I can't wait to go back and order new things! Basho is a little pricey, but there are a lot of great small items to order and share amongst a group. Don't hesitate to ask your server or bartender what's good - everyone who has waited on me has been knowledgeable about the menu and has recommended really tasty treats!
(5)Patricia D.
I arrived early and started off with a good glass of Pinot Grigio. The bartender was very friendly and attractive. My friends arrived and we were seated. I ordered the seaweed salad and some kind of a roll with squid and eel and salmon roe (don't remember name). It was ok. The description had omitted the mayonnaise. The only reason I chose that roll over others was the lack of mayo in the description. Not a bad night, though. My friends like it and go often.
(3)Eva K.
The food here is really good, but also very expensive. This is why you should really invest in a Basho groupon (of which there have been several) before coming here. Speaking of... we had a serious buywithme meltdown here, because they were tracking the groupons by hand(!), and would not take the buywithme app number (this was right after the buywithme app came out). After a big to-do, the manager finally allowed us to email her the pdf so she could print it. Seriously, get with the times. Other than that one incident, my experience there has been good... nice decor, good food and good service.
(4)Ed E.
Quick review: We live around the block within a 5 min away from Basho. After passing by the place for months we finally decided to go in for lunch. I will have to say it is a very nice atmosphere and the sushi is reasonably fresh. But if I were to analyze the food critically Fins has similar quality sushi for less price. If you are a hard core sushi/sashimi enthusiast try somewhere else. If you are looking for a good bowl ramen you also have the wrong place. However, if you are looking for a chic place with atmosphere, you should consider stopping by. ----------------------- Longer comment: We came in here for lunch and ordered: 1) rainbow roll, 2) Chef's choice bento and 3) Udon noodle soup with chicken. The Rainbow roll was a good sized portion and the fish was fresh. The bento was a good portion and had plenty of variety. What I love about the menu is that they offer the choice for brown or white rice for the sushi. It was a nice touch. The Udon soup however was horrible. The noodles were overcooked and falling apart and the chicken was rubbery and over cooked. The decor was lovely, but the service was very slow. Our server was very nice, helpful with the menu and quickly came to refill our water. However, we came in for lunch at 11:30 and barely left 2 hours later. It couldn't be that they were too busy because only 1 other couple came in. It was empty otherwise and that is between 11:30-1:30pm on a Saturday. I had the feeling they were keeping us at our table near the window to make it look like the place wasn't empty. Our neighbors keep telling us it's always packed and we have to try it. We didn't want to argue because they usually are spot on with their recommendations, but most of the time we walk by it is only 1/3 full. At most we see it half full with patrons spaced out to make the restaurant look more packed. And I'm basing this observation from the face that we walk by the restaurant every day coming home from work. So unless people don't eat dinner 6-8pm the other times must be the packed times. I hope more word of mouth gets out so the place doesn't close down.
(3)Aboud Y.
I don't know...there's lots to like about Basho. Nice space, cool vibe, good service, and excellent sushi. I tried the ChuToro, Yellow Tail, and Red Snapper nigiri, one of their special rolls (can't remember the name), and the Avalanche roll. Everything was outstanding. The rice had the right taste/texture and the fish tasted fresh. Their menu is also pretty extensive (read: tempting) and had lots of interesting choices. This is now one of my favorite sushi spots in Boston!
(4)Holly J.
I wish I could afford to eat here every day! They have wonderful sushi - the fish is delicious and seems to be extremely fresh. I don't love salmon, but I almost always get the wild alaska sashimi when I go here because its so tasty. I'm also a fan of many of their rolls. This really is the only sushi place I go to where I regularly order salmon in anything. I'm also a huge fan of their tempura - especially the tempura cauliflower. I've tried 2 of the desserts, and the strawberry cream thing one is delicious - I would definitely recommend it! While many things on the menu are quite pricey, overall its usually not too bad when the check arrives. This is especially true if you stick to the more basic rolls (like spicy tuna). And all the staff I have interacted with have been very good. One day I'll make myself try something other than the sushi and tempura, but I have a feeling its going to be a while since I enjoy those so much!
(5)James O.
Decent Japanese fare in a trendy joint. This review is based on two trips. The first trip I went to lunch with a friend, we tried a few of the maki and sashimi, the standout of which was a crusted sashimi, which fish it was I forgot, but it was great. Service was good, definitely no complaints, but nothing to rave about either. The second trip was for a birthday dinner of about 10 people. I don't like writing reviews based on huge group outings because I understand how much pressure it puts on the kitchen staff to crank out dishes for a large table, but still, that's the business. We were seated promptly, but it was all a bit confusing. We had two waiters working our table and I didn't know who to address, even though both were very helpful. Once we ordered the food took way too long to come out. One appetizer came out and we didn't see another dish come for a good 15 minutes, which is just awkward. This was a Thursday night and it didn't seem terribly busy, either. Once the food did make it to the table, again, no real complaints. I tried a few Robata Grill dishes, including the Tsukune ground chicken and the Japanese eggplant. These little kebab-like skewers are a fun concept and a nice change-up from standard makis and sashimi, and they are also fun to share. Overall I'd say the food here is good, not great. The restaurant itself rather spacious with modern decor, although the floor plan is a bit confusing. The height of the ceilings, spacious interior, thumping music, and colorful lights would be put to better use in a club, not a restaurant.
(3)Frank G.
I had the misfortune of visiting Basho the other evening. We had a reservation but still had to wait some time for our table. My colleagues and I waited at the bar. We inquired with our bartender Bill what drinks he recommended. He asked a few questions and made me the most delicious berry drink that was not on the menu. My colleagues had a Winter Warmer (delicious) and something he called a Red October. He is a true connoisseur of the bar-tending art. I thought our experience was off to a good start. The restaurant was clearly busy. After twenty minutes at the bar, we were then seated. We then waited almost another twenty minutes for our waitress to come over. Ann(e?) was her name. She was very curt, cold, and acted like we were a bother or inconvenience rather than paying customers that are typically valued. She was very impatient when we asked about specials and other questions as we are not typical sushi-goers. She pushed us for an order and barked at us as if we were in the military. When I asked for water for the table she grabbed another employee and yelled "you - water NOW! Here - GO!" It was completely unprofessional, rude, and awful. Our food arrived shortly after. The sushi was fresh, unique, and very tasty. We ordered a few yaki items from their Robata Grill. The samplers are the best way to go and a great value. Almost a dozen pieces for $18 The rest of the meal was uneventful. Our waitress' service was awful and I hope they improve their service. Usually restaurant's are happy to have customers and treat them well. We will come back for the drinks and eat at the bar....perhaps their only asset.
(1)Adam E.
I've been wanting to try Basho for a while now, since I work near it and it's not too far from home to be out of the question. Then one day I saw that they were the featured deal on Groupon and I was in. Parking is pretty easy in the off-season, there are plenty of meters around. We did one loop around the block and found a meter right in front. I definitely wouldn't bank on that on a game day, or even when schools are in session. But if you're savvy and know the area (I spent some time around Simmons in the past, if ya know what I mean, and I think ya do), you'll be fine. The restaurant itself is large, open and airy. If not for the mindfully placed pots of bamboo sticks throughout, breaking up the space, it would feel stark. We sat in a booth that felt oversized, but not like Lily Tomlin in that huge chair. Just...roomy. I can see a space like this seeming intimidating, but I felt that it was sophisticated and approachable at once. Our waitress was knowledgeable, friendly, and very forthcoming with information about the menu items. She was not all over us, but did little things that made a difference and assured us that she was present. For instance, our tealight was out when we arrived, she took one from an empty table and put it on ours immediately. When that one went out (why can't we have nice things?!) she replaced it again, speedily. Low-sodium soy sauce is the default here, which is lovely. When our waitress presented it, she offered us the option of the regular stuff, which we declined, and christened our dipping plates with it. So the stage is set and we're looking good so far. But the food is the star, so is it Lina Lamont or Kathy Selden? Well, you see the five stars, so you already know it's Kathy! To be fair, I didn't have any raw rolls. I had my standard fallback of the Crazy Roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber & spicy mayo), along with some house specialties. The Dynamite Roll (roe, avocado, cucumber wrapped with torched spicy seafood salad and cheese) and the Dragon Roll (sweet potato tempura wrapped with eel, avocado, touch of unagi sauce). Don't judge me, I was sharing. Well, I was hoping to at least. The Dynamite Roll lived up to its name and I ended up eating the whole portion since it was too much for my date. I loved it though! Flavorful, with a delightful mix of textures and tastes, it was perfect. She ate the Dragon Roll but let me try some and it was absolutely splendid. The sweet potato and avocado made it creamy and the taste was superb. The Crazy Roll was good too, but kind of standard. I should have ordered another adventurous roll. But still, for what it was, they did a damn fine job. I'll definitely go back and try some raw stuff. I'm so psyched for a delicious dining option in the area! Prices are slightly more expensive than I'm used to, but pretty normal downtown numbers.
(5)Sarah C.
I've eaten here three times. The service has varied from good to mediocre to downright terrible. At my last visit, I ordered a bento box for lunch. It arrived at nearly room temperature. The tempura was a little soggy. I had asked for no tomatoes in something, and the waiter forgot. My friend had to request extra ginger three times. Their spinach appetizer is awesome--it's three large spinach plugs in a slightly-too-sweet peanut sauce. The menu is otherwise not very friendly for vegetarians, which is fine for sushi (the 3/5 stars is for the service and messing up things like tempura).
(3)A S.
Updating this. I've been here multiple times since I claimed I'd never return. Food here is always magnificent. A little pricey but worth it.
(5)Janet H.
Basho fasho! I'm actually a huge fan of Basho. In the past week, I actually ate here 3 times, mainly because if you show your Red Sox tickets, you get 15% off the bill! I should mention that my cousin was in town visiting and is a huge Red Sox fan... insane, but we went to three games in 5 days. Anywho, Basho makes a great option, considering the food around Fenway park are mainly bar/greasy food. On a hot summer day, something light and refreshing, like sushi, is perfect. Not to mention, this venue is gorgeous and makes a great date night spot. Definitely come here during lunch if you can. They offer great deals on their lunch specials -- not to mention generous portions! The Basho lunch special came with a bunch of fresh sashimi! Their baos are also amazing (highly recommend the pork belly and hamachi), as well as their miso yaki dinner. Their salad is also surprisingly delicious! I love their ginger salad dressing. I wonder if they make it in house. I also had the 1338 roll, which was just okay. I felt I couldn't really enjoy the fish on there because the crab concoction in the middle is way too overpowering. -1 star for their service... it's kind of meh. One day we were able to substitute the miso soup with the salad, and another day we couldn't :( Who wants to drink soup during a 90-degree day? Furthermore, their service can be slooooow. On a Tuesday night, with the restaurant 3/4 empty, our food took forever! Also, some of the employees could be friendlier. When you exit, they also have these delicious dream mints! I think they're coated with a thin layer of chocolate. I definitely will be back :) It's such a good deal, especially if you're watching a Red Sox game that day!
(4)Kat B.
Good service Beautiful venu Great sushi Amazing food display Good music Everything was fabulous here I went here on a date before the movies and it was wonderful. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. ( and if you can't use chopsticks they will be glad to give you a fork )
(5)Maeghan R.
I am in town for a conference and I'm staying at a hotel near Fenway. I needed a quick, easy place for dinner that was within walking distance of the hotel. Basho was a great choice. I had a simple Philly roll as well as a Spider roll - both were delicious! They had my takeout ready for me in fifteen minutes, and the host was very friendly and welcoming as he checked me out with my order. I would definitely go back.
(4)Sophie P.
Even though everyone talks about how Basho has mediocre SUSHI, I would suggest trying their other items since their name entails they are a brasserie (they have a large variety of items). FOOD Braised pork belly steamed buns (+) Every time I come here, I get this. The order comes in two buns in the cutest bamboo containers. I am always in search of the best pork bun in the city, and I have to say these are better than the one from Ippudo in NY. The bun is so soft that it sticks to the container and melts in your mouth. The pork is tender and falls out of the bun, but it's because it's THAT soft - like pillows melting in your mouth. Yellowtail Usuzukuri : Good yellowtail, although I do with it was a little bit fatter. Crispy shrimp: There was mushroom and shrimp covered in a spicy mayo sauce that was really good. However, the cabbage at the bottom didn't get any sauce at all, and was very dry in comparison to the drenched shrimp and shitake mushroom. DRINKS Lychee tini: It's not as sweet as you would think. It's a little tart Ginger margarita: Like a normal margarita. I didn't really taste the ginger. Sparkling pear (+): My favorite. It was tangy, sparkly, and very strong. SERVICE The waiters were very attentive, and we were approached by the server, bartender for more drinks, and the manager. We were treated like VIP sitting at the table!
(4)Mallory C.
We had a great date night at Basho, to use our Groupon. I really liked the vibe and space, as it was not too crowded, and was pretty spacious in terms of seating. the food and drinks were delicious, but everything seemed to take quite a while. The place was empty, and our waiter kept coming over to tell us the "bartender is really backed up." I can't really imagine being there when it's crowded! I would go back though, it was nice ambience, and we were able to have a conversation without shouting. The menu had a good variety, it's accessible, and they also have outdoor seating. This would be a good central place to meet up with friends, or bring friends from out of town. Just make sure to check if there is a game that night or you could be doomed to be stuck in a crowd on your way home!!!
(3)Wendy C.
Visited during lunch time. There were only 2 tables and one waitress. We were starving. She is not busy at all but it took her like forever to order for us. Food was great but relatively expansive. We ordered a sushi boat for two which was $29. It's not enough for a couple but maybe good for two girls. It came with two bowls of miso soup. The salmon sashimi was awesome. Definitely try salmon in this place. You will like it.
(3)Megan B.
Basho is a solid option if you're looking for a nice bar or dinner around Fenway. Most of the establishments near the park are dive bars and sports bars so it's a good option if you're in the mood for sushi or a good cocktail. The food, drinks, and service are good, but the menu is quite pricey, which is why I gave the 3 star rating. Sushi always feels over-priced to me, but the rest of the menu is pricey for the portions too. I did really enjoy my meal at my last visit though. My friends and I were in the mood for sake and the waiter suggested a sparkling sake. It was tasty but it was more than I usually spend for a bottle of wine: $20 for 2 glasses worth. I had the pear martini afterword and this was a really delicious cocktail. I would definitely recommend it. For our meal we ordered the salmon avocado roll, spicy tuna roll, and the Yuzu Yellow tail roll with avocado and black tobiko. All of the roles were very tasty and the yellow tail specialty roll was really unique. I'd recommend if you're in the mood for Sushi and cocktails and happen to be in the Fenway area, but wouldn't recommend coming here over other sushi restaurants in Boston.
(3)Patrick C.
I stopped in for lunch at Basho which generically means 'place' in Japanese and as a restaurant that calls itself a "Japanese brasserie", this 'place' was about Asian fusion cuisine for the masses and not necessarily Japanese cuisine. I was right - it is Asian fusion with an emphasis on Japanese-ish dishes. The food isn't as hearty as what a true brasserie might have, but they do the food they make very well. You'll find sushi, maki, and sashimi variations, plus tempura, meats cooked on a robatayaki grill, and a nice selection of hot and cold appetizers. I was hoping that they had nigori sake but they had hard cider (my usual drink of choice) so I was happy. I ordered the steamed buns (bao) with braised pork belly and the ramen kurobuta soup. Bao are not really Japanese but again, we're talking fusion cuisine. Service was quick and efficient and the bao came out hot and fresh from the steamer. The bao were presented in a stacked double mini bamboo steamer, each one holding a hot soft bao bun filled with a nice chunk of delicious, tender teriyaki-glazed pork belly, crispy cucumber and greens. The ramen kurobuta soup had the same pork belly, tender and succulent in a delicious broth filled with vegetables and perfectly cooked ramen noodles. There was plenty of food there and I am a hearty eater of good food - I didn't quite finish the ramen... For a quick, delicious Asian-fusion lunch right on Boylston Street in Boston, I think Basho hits the mark.
(4)Eric K.
Overall a great experience. I ordered the miso ramen (spicy) with seafood (salmon, scallop, shrimp, squid) at the bar. The service was fast. The seafood and ramen were cooked perfectly. The broth was just spicy enough.
(5)Andrea B.
Creative rolls + a daily 50% off happy hour special? I'm all over that! We got four rolls for 34 dollars, not a bad deal, especially considering I'd probably never come here at full price. Of those four rolls, I highly recommend trying their Tropical Sunset roll (which normally would cost you $16). It consisted of onion, cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese on the inside, with strawberry, fresh salmon, jalapeno, kiwi, and mango mayo on top. YUM. Sweet + spicy at the same time = amazing. Warning though - don't try to eat a piece in one bite, they're way too big. In the typical over-excitement that comes whenever I'm eating sushi, I attempted this and failed miserably. Service was fast and pleasant enough. However, our waitress had a little trouble keeping our water glasses full, but I was distracted enough by the delicious sushi that it didn't bother me that much. I'll definitely be back, as long as they keep that 50% happy hour going!
(4)Sidney L.
This restaurant is just really well put together. From start to finish, you get very contemporary takes on Japanese cuisine, and every time I've come here, I've felt like I've gotten a unique meal that no other restaurant could give me. My entree has always been sushi when I've come here, but I'll have to try the rice and noodle dishes some time. Be prepared to spend $30-50 per person here though. - For appetizers, you can't go wrong with the edamame, especially the spicy ginger and garlic flavor. They occasionally have specials on oyster shooters, which is something fun to do with a group of people (it's like taking shots, but less alcoholic and more slimy). My favorite is "spicy tuna," which is spicy tuna on a crispy piece of sushi rice (which more or less tastes like a tater-tot). - For sushi, I recommend the Basho roll, crunchy roll, red spider roll, snow mountain roll, the rock and roll roll, and the tempura roll. Heck they're all good, you can't really go wrong here. Though this place isn't cheap, especially if you order sushi. - For dessert, try the fried green tea ice cream or the banana roll with ice cream. - For drinks, try the lychee martini or asian pear martini. Felt like those cocktails complimented the meal well. Finally, the service here is really outstanding. Many times I've been here, I've ended up striking up goofy conversations with my waiter or waitress, and I've gotten good recommendations from them as well.
(5)Irina R.
Very very good sushi! Service can be a bit slow, but every piece of sushi we had was delicious. Left feeling crazy stuffed.
(4)Dave B.
The food is good at Basho. I was not amazed by it but not disappointed. However the service and whole vibe of the place is confusing. First, we had made a reservation really late on a Friday night. When we arrive it didn't really matter that we had called ahead, we still waited for about 20 minutes - even though the place was not even that busy and there were plenty of tables clearing up. Walking in you would think you are walking in to a vegas club - with the EDM blasting - could be a good or bad thing based on where you want the night to go!
(3)Tom H.
Our family of four are fans of sushi and came across Basho mainly because it was so close to our hotel. It ended up being one of those gems that will be added to list when we come back to Boston. Was a perfect balance of being casual but not too casual- perfect for what we were looking for. Our waitress, attending Northeastern, was friendly, helpful with the menu, and overall made a great experience even better. She is a true asset to the establishment. Food was fresh, creative, and tasty. Highly recommend when you are looking for high quality and friendly atmosphere. Well done Basho and The "Husky".
(4)Joe P.
One of my top 5 favorite Japanese places. Probably number 4 at this point . The foods great. The sushi is pretty good. Im still a little upset they took some of the best things off their menu. No more vegetable tempura on the lunch menu?! That's a huge mistake since everyone I knew who went there got that. And the added shrimp was the best. I used to dream of that. The food is really good though and the staff are all very kind. There's been a few times I haven't been wowed but I never leave disappointed.
(4)Kat M.
I love this place. Its pretty cool inside and offers PaintNite once a week which is a lot of fun! The food is great and about what I would expect price wise. I've also held events here, which they accommodated us very easily and were able to book a space with no booking fee or minimum. The staff is always friendly and prompt. I highly recommend it as a great place to eat.
(5)Sam N.
Great sushi and appetizers. I got spicy salmon which is pretty standard but the fish was fresh. The Phoenix roll was amazing!! And the Fenway roll was a little plain, I wouldn't order it again. The appetizers were great, the spicy tuna rice bites, miso soup and shrimp gyoza. I'm definitely going back to try more rolls
(4)Douglas S.
Overall decent sushi in a great location for Sox games but restaurant management is very snippy and not accommodating at all...Fins all in all is a better choice in the area.
(1)Iaroslav M.
nice decor and lounge music, very friendly host and service. Ginger margarita was a little weak, but bash-full drink is a "must-try"!had an seafood appetizer special in a half-shell with some melted cheese on it-yummm! I really liked my spicy lobster soup (generous amount of lobster meat for $8),red spider roll was looks fancy and taste great!will definitely come back
(5)Fanasha D.
Food is good, and the restaurant is really pretty. Convenient location. However, we went during a lunch rush and the understaffed restaurant was extremely SLOWWWWWWWWW. The servers were overwhelmed and forgetful. Because I was in a large group it was tolerable but had it been with just myself and one or two people it would've been insufferable. They really need to up their game during the lunch rush.
(3)Jenn H.
A little overpriced and definitely the quality or freshness that I was expecting for the price. There are so many other places for much better sushi in Boston.
(2)Elizabeth S.
I agree wholeheartedly with mike G. but I'm giving an extra star because I did not get food poisoning and let's face it, that's a huge plus when ordering raw seafood. Inedible salmon sashimi. Inedible salmon roe sashimi. Both were slightly sour and old tasting. I left them on the plate. Fancy rolls were fine. Not the best I've had (kind of dry), but edible. The rock shrimp tempura was the superstar of the evening - it's possible that Basho's forte is in the cooked dishes. The waiter came around to take drink orders and I gave him mine. Five minutes later, he returned, and asked me what I had ordered. I told him again. Ten minutes later he reappeared and presented me with a different drink. When I asked him if it was indeed the drink I suspected it was, he said yes. And I said okay, that's not what I ordered, but I don't really care. He suggested I give it to another member of our party since she had just ordered one, and he would bring me the drink I ordered. This was not a deal-breaker, but just very odd in a supposedly nice establishment that wasn't even half full, the whole time we were there (around 3 hours). I feel like you can either ask me twice what I ordered, or give me the wrong drink. I don't see how you can do both. Moving on... The chocolate cake was fine. The cheesecake dish and the banana tempura were both dissatisfying for a meal-ender. The prices are pretty high for a place with a florescent-lit fridge with soda and Gatorade in the entrance, and escolar on the menu. It's not as trendy as Red Lantern or as exotic as Fugakyu or as iconic as O Ya or as good tasting as any shack in Allston. Next.
(2)Stephanie F.
I just had my second dinner here and it confirmed what I thought after the first dinner: fantastic! The food is really, really good. I originally went with a friend who raved about the black cod and teriyaki salmon so that's what we got. Both were delicious. This time, I was with a friend who wanted to try the sushi so we got the black cod appetizer and shumai as well as the spider roll and caterpillar roll. Again, the black cod was insanely good. Next time I come I might just have to get that. Though the sushi was amazing too so it's going to be a tough call. As for all the other stuff (service, parking, ambiance)... Parking is easy either on the street or the garage around the corner from the restaurant on Jersey St (which they validate). We went on the earlier side ahead of a show at the House of Blues so it wasn't super crowded. We sat at a high table near the bar which was fine. It's a cozy place so it would be good for dinner with friends or as a date spot. Service was also really good. Our meal came out pretty quick and he was very attentive. Overall, highly recommend it if you want yummy Japanese food. I'll surely be back.
(5)Jamie F.
I hosted my collegiate reunion/joint birthday dinner at Basho recently, and would definitely recommend this venue for large parties (we had 22 people). The atmosphere was trendy with soft lounge music playing - perfect for group celebration. We were seated in the private area (secluded by semi-transparent curtains). They won't seat you until most of your party has arrived, so my early bird friends waited at the sushi bar. I was prepared for mediocre service, as warned by some yelpers. To my surprise, our two servers were shining stars. They were really patient, friendly, and efficient. I had so many requests, i.e. to split the bill, change my drink order, add another app, etc. (...I swear I'm not one of those pain-in-the-ass customers), and they said, "no problem!" with a smile every single time. Food, as expected, took a while to come for our big group. My section of the table (4 people) shared oyster shooters (special), shrimp tempura app (special), tuna tartare with taro chips, steamed pork bun sandwiches, shishito peppers, and 4 sushi rolls (basho, tiger, crunchy, and yuzu yellowtail). Everything was delicious, good quality, beautifully presented, and good portion too. For drinks, both the lychee martini and cucumber martini were strong (without the alcohol sting) and refreshing. Wished we had time for dessert, but we were running late for our after-party. Total damage was about $50pp after tip & tax - pricey but worth it. There's validated parking in the garage around the corner ($4 for 3 hours), but don't bother if there's a redsox game (lot will most likely be full). Valet is $16. I'm Basho's newest fan! Can't wait to try the rest of the menu.
(4)Nikhil D.
Each time I've visited Basho I get super excited by the decor and friendly staff and then my emotions take a hit when I taste the food. Overall it's very lackluster and semi-expensive for the quality/size of the portions. I do recommend checking out their bar food since they're having a deal. If you sit at their newly renovated bar, you can get an array of small plates for $3-5 dollars each. My favorite was (what I remember to be) the Pork Bun. Really tasty. It's by no means terrible since I do go when I'm feeling sushi and am in the area, but definitely not my favorite sushi joint.
(2)Shruti S.
I am not happy with the fact that they changed the menu. I was used to go to Basho for their Basho Ribs, Octopus Ceviche and few other things. We are definitely not coming back. :( It was used to be our favorite place to come atleast once a month sometimes twice a month.
(3)David S.
So my girl friend got a groupon for this place only reason i went there and I am glad we did not have to pay there ridiculous prices. Firstly location is very inconvenient and you have to most likely pay to park. secondly very over crowed and loud(hate to sound like and old man) Sushi was crappy at best .. fishy and expensive. service was crappy .. I asked my waitress to validate my parking and she was to lazy too and told me to do it myself. Another server had walked by and picked it up off the table and said oh I'll do that for you. I only left her a 6 tip because of it. I will not return to this place only thing it has going for it is atmosphere..
(2)Michelle T.
I really enjoyed Basho's food and service. great place to bring a date and a fun place for friends to meet and catch up at. This place isn't quite as small and cozy as many other Japanese places but not so loud you can't hear your dining companions. The pork buns were the best appetizers! Each bun had its own steamer and the pork inside was MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. The bun itself was soft and fluffy...absolutely delicious and so memorable. The skewers were hit or miss. The meat ones were quite a fail, and overpriced. The mushroom skewers however were absolutely AWESOME! Sushi was excellent. We ordered 2 different types of special maki rolls and both were presented beautifully and had unique ingredients. Even the soup noodles were tasty. I appreciate the broth as it was flavorful and not overly salted. NOT from an instant mix, which is a lot more than i can say for many Japanese restaurants in Boston. The seafood in our noodles were actually mostly fresh seafood. There was shrimp, scallops, and salmon, all in decent portions. Would definitely recommend this place if you live around the area!
(4)Jessica L.
This place is so disappointing. I have given it several attempts, but it consistently lets us down. We started with a spicy tuna sampler.... that more accurately reflected mashed spicy tuna dollops on top of tater tots (well, tater tots of fried rice balls). We had to specially request regular soy sauce, because all that was provided to us was the low-sodium kind. Next was the Basho sampler platter. This place is confusing because, in theory, its rolls sound good, but they never seem to work; the flavors in the rolls never fuse together to create the delicious flavor combination you might expect. Instead, it tastes piecemeal; as if you just tossed seaweed/sashimi/rice/etc into your mouth. We got the tempura ice cream for dessert. The tempura was extremely soggy and inedible. Even the cherry on top was shriveled and gross. What's worse, in addition to a completely unsatisfying and overpriced meal, we always leave.... well, still hungry. This place is almost worse than having not eaten at all.
(2)April C.
Wonderful meal before the Red Sox game. Atmosphere was zen-like and comfortable. Service was impeccable. We ordered a few combination rolls; The Green Monster, The Rainbow, and The Spider Roll. All choices were fresh and delicious.
(4)Ariel Z.
Holy moly. Me like a lot. I went here on a Groupon and boy was I pleased. The atmosphere is awesome. And the sushi rolls are so innovative and equally delicious. I highly recommend the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll, Tropical Sunset Roll, and the Kimchee Fried Rice. I can't wait to go back and try the Spicy Lobster Miso Soup!
(5)Mike G.
DODGY SASHIMI Chirashi Dinner - dull-colored/tasteless tuna, slimy salmon, mushy unagi, hamachi with lots of muscle tissue. obviously NOT prime seafood and certainly not fresh, despite manager's insistence. Black Cod Miso Yaki DInner - fatty tail part of cod with sugar-laced sauce. Tiger Roll and Spring Roll - edible but all you could taste was mayo. very slow post-game night, prime dinner hour. the robatayaki (grill) was unused. prolly not doing too well and cutting corners i.e. quality.
(1)Tony N.
I struggle with my rating here. If I could give it 2.5 I would but I simply cannot give it a 3. In short, the food is excellent but the service is inexcusably and unapologetically slow. Appetizers: Pork Bun - Amazing. Comes in a two level steamer with a delicious pork bun on each level. Have had better in NY but not in Boston. A must order if you go. Shishito Peppers- On par with what they should be. Nothing special. Not very spicy. Edamame - Good. I recommend he spicy sauce as an accompaniment. Spicy Tuna - Those who had it love it. Too bad it came over an hour after all the other appetizers came....... Robata Grill Items - This is something that you don't see often. I would recommend ordering several items from this part of the menu. We had the pork belly (excellent), duck (excellent), and the Basho ribs (great sauce, super fatty). Sushi/Maki/Sashimi: The list of rolls is extensive. It is all great. The sashimi is especially good. Nice thick slices of fish, (a mirror image of Douzo). Substituions are discouraged but will be made. Service: Our server was incredibly pleasant and welcoming. She knew the entire menu and was able to make some fantastic suggestions. HOWEVER....food would just not leave the sushi bar. Appetizers came within 15-20 minutes, were hot, tasty, but missing one item, (the spicy tuna). We waited and waited and after a half hour had to ask where it was, (we assumed they missed the order). No, they did not miss the order, the sushi bar was just busy. Well....if that's the case I don;t expect to have to wait, wonder, and track down the information myself. Come tell me you didn't forget and it is coming in X minutes. ANOTHER 30 minutes pass and we tell them to forget the effort since our dinner is coming. Welllll not exactly. The appetizer was on its way but the sushi/maki/sashimi was going to be another ten minutes! In all it took over an hour, after getting out appetizers to get our sushi dinner items. We were not given any sort of apology or even an update. I have read the other reviews in this restaurant and it appears these folks just don't get it. If you have a big place with lots of people in the seats, staff appropriately! I hate to bash Basho but while the food was great there are just too many Japanese/sushi joints in this town to put up with that lack of service.
(2)Ben R.
Nice and big on the inside, in a fine area of the city. The food is over priced though. It's not top-notch sushi or anything, so I don't know why the specialty rolls are about $15 each. I had the rainbow roll and it was delicious, but definitely not worth the price in terms of portion. I also had the fried calamari for an appetizer -- that on the other hand was not good. The spices on the batter were overpowering. You didn't taste the calamari at all. What you did taste was a very strong onion powder that was literally like those Frito-Lay Funyun bagged onion rings. It was honestly the worst fried calamari I've ever had. Also, it wasn't a big deal, but it was kind of loud inside. The more people that came in, the louder each table began to speak just so they could hear each other -- I didn't like that. Maybe lunch would be nice at this place since the pricing and atmosphere is different, but for dinner? I definitely would not recommend it. For the price, you might as well go somewhere nice in the North or South end of the city.
(2)Michael C.
Went here this past weekend for their soft opening. The first thing you will notice when you walk in is that this place is massive. It looks like it seats over 200 people and has some space for private dining. Now on to the food! We started with the Foie Gras Teriyaki which I have to say was one fo the best cooked foie gras I have ever had. Next we ordered 5 rolls. The best being the Basho Roll which is a gigantic spicy snow crab roll. My favorite was the Dragon Roll which was a sweet potato tempura roll wrapped with eel and avacado. Not only was the sushi great but the presentation was on par with some of the best sushi restaurants I have been too. I posted some pics. This place is a welcome addition to the Fenway restaurant scene and Boston sushi in general.
(5)Danie R.
I'm rounding up... I think it's more like 3.5 stars. Great atmosphere, great service, great food! It is a beautiful, new restaurant. Very dark and romantic spot for my lady date. Lots of mood lighting, nice big space. Our server was new and training but he was really nice and knowledgable about food in general. He wasn't too sure about the cocktails but they were overpriced and mediocre anyway.. Although the house candied ginger is DELICIOUS. I liked the ramen and tempura! The tempura was perfectly cooked. It's kinda weird they did it by the piece. The ramen was slightly under seasoned but after adding the tempura sauce and some spicy stuff it was awesome. I'd go back, but not if I had to go out of my way.
(4)Jessie E.
Ive gone here like 50+ times, the lunch specials are very good, the space is large and empty. Service is usually aloof and uninformed. The chirashi can be great quality and I quite like the torched hamachi roll.
(3)Steve G.
We had a great time here and our server was so helpful. We're not the most experienced sushi eaters, so the menu could be intimidating, but we were guided along in our choices and the food was amazing. We had a few signature salmon and tuna rolls. The Crunchy Rolls were great. We had a table of four, so each order was divided into 8 pieces, 2 each. Great way to do it. After the Sushi we had a thick noodle and chicken dish. Love the noodles. We finished by splitting the Banana Tempura. We'll go back.
(5)Eunice E.
Basho's a very sleek, modern restaurant, and its food is as beautiful as its setting! We came in and were seated by the window, which actually felt a bit drafty. Though when we told the staff, they immediately turned up the heat, which helped tremendously, and was impressively quick on their part. Our waiter, Ezra, was also quite quick and very helpful. We had a "small bites" tasting, and were able to sample the kobe beef rolls, asparagus tempura, and giant shrimp tempura. They were all quite tasty, and went well with my Asian Pear martini (it really did taste like an alcoholic, Grey Goose-laden Asian pear) and my partner's Sapporo. Then, we were able to try a bit of the lobster tempura roll, salmon and tuna sashimi, and really delicious smoked hamachi. All the food we had was really fresh and cooked to perfection. The prices here are on the higher end, so it's definitely more of a special occasion type of place, but I had a lot of fun here, and would love to come back and sample more delectable sushi bites.
(4)Jennifer T.
This place is huge, probably not much of a wait whenever you go, there seems to be so much seating. The inside is a dim, trendy minimalistic style place, seemed fitting for a date night or evening out with friends, but saw families enjoying the food too. The menu is extensive, with items on the more pricey end. The udon was perfect, and when we asked them to bring out bowls so we can share, they actually divied it up into 3 separate bowls already for us, which was great! We got a couple of their robata, which are like little skewered meats. The kobe robata was delicious but wish it was bigger and the toro robata was also flavorful but be forewarned it really is a large percentage of pure fat. As for sushi, my favorite role was the "crunchy roll", the Alaskan was descent enough, and the sashimi platter was unique with each piece topped with a unique dip of sauce (e.g., passionfruit, kimchi, etc). The food itself was like a 3.5, but the overall experience was smooth sailing, so I give it a 4.
(4)David C.
Basho continues in the tradition of Douzo, its sister restaurant, which itself carries in the tradition of my beloved Fugakyu, so by two degrees of separation, you know you're in good hands. Basho is decidedly less elegant than its contemporaries, but its sleek, modern styling is appropriate for its neighborhood and clientele. I've been here twice and enjoyed myself on both occasions. The first time was for dinner. Anticipating the midnight premiere of the last Harry Potter film, my friends and I decided to go all out and partake in a maki extravaganza. The rolls are a little pricey, sure, but they're packed to the brim and totally worth it. Of all the rolls we tried (only one, the spicy seafood maki, was a dud) the one that sticks out best in my memory is the Green Monster. Softshell crab laced with spicy mayo, wrapped in escolar and topped with cilantro pesto? Good lord. Don't mind if I do... Lunch is a great deal, though I wish the specials came with soup and salad as they do elsewhere. Overall, I'd definitely recommend Basho for a fun and trendy night out. It seems they have happy hour specials now as well. This could be dangerous.
(4)Jen A.
I'm here at the restaurant, been sat for over 15 minutes and nobody has offered me a drink or asked to take my order It's early evening so it's not packed, there are servers milling around but may be there's a cloaking device on my table
(1)J L.
We went for dinner, interesting decor, A/C was broken-very hot, small tables, uncomfortable barstool chairs, no padding no back support, we waited over an hour to get served after we ordered, were never asked if we wanted more drinks. The sushi rolls were fresh and tasty, but the unacceptable wait-time and poor service would discourage us from going again.
(2)Irina N.
Girlfriend took me out for a belated birthday dinner here and it was a success. Although, pricey, the food was great and the service was up to par. Maybe the establishment got the message from all the reviews or maybe it was just a good day for us! We came in around 6:30pm on a Wednesday and it was empty. We got to pick a better table (for 4 instead of 2 edge sitting we were originally offered). Apps included edamame salted and tuna tartar. Can't spoil edamame but tuna tartar didn't taste that adventurous to me. Rolls chosen: yuzu yellow-tail roll we tried for something new to try (yuzu was the type of lemony/citrucy sauce), which is the only one that was so-so; tiger roll, which has salmon roe on the top, which was the most favorite; spicy scallop roll, not my favorite because of the scallions but my girlfriend liked it a lot; rainbow roll, which is everywhere the same and never disappoints! We tried lichyee tini and sparkling pear. Both highly recommended but if i had to order over again i would do more sparkling pear for it refreshing and still sweet taste with a little tangle! I know I didn't pay but i was still very satisfied with quality of food; attentive service; good drinks; it was convenient location and we left full and happy :)
(5)Michael R.
So much for "bad service". Before embarking on another Groupon-fueled trek to a new food-based adventure, I peeped some of the Yelp reviews before stopping by, and definitely noticed a trend of quips in regards to subpar service. Absolutely not the case with my experience -- our waitress was attentive and helpful in describing some of the trickier menu items, and had some great suggestions. But what the vast majority of Yelpers got right is the quality of the food. Most definitely fresh fish, expertly arranged. Case in point, the current profile picture for Basho. Our plate wasn't quite as artistically arranged, but it was quite close. Basho's also got a pretty extensive menu -- pages of rolls for the sushi fanatics, a few meat-based, Japanese-inspired plates, and an intriguing cocktail menu. And if you're wondering which roll to mow down on first, I'd go with the Green Monster, which is a snow crab tempura-style roll which should be a hit for the adventurous and hesitant seafood samplers in your group.
(4)Bill C.
Wow, what a disappointment! We decided to treat ourselves with a little sushi take-out to celebrate the Obama win (and the Romney loss) and this was a very mediocre and (speaking of Romney) pricey dinner. The sushi dinner, had fresh fish, but instead of nice slabs draped over the rice, these were small and neatly trimmed. In addition, a "dinner" usually includes a maki and miso soup. No soup for us! In addition the California Roll had cucumber in it after we specifically asked for no cucumber in any of our makis. The spicy tuna was acceptable, but bland, but not tasteless like the spicy salmon. The spider maki was stuffed into a takeout platter so that it was just a big lump with no distinction even between slices. We did like the rainbow maki which salvaged this from being a complete waste of money. There are many decent places to take-out sushi in Boston with food at least as good and $20 cheaper than Basho, a place that clearer thinks it's better than it is.
(2)Ryan A.
MY FAVORITE SUSHI PLACE! Great food, great environment! The staff is excellent. Highly recommend!
(5)Denise D.
A co worker and I decided to have lunch here today and it was pretty good. The menu did not state how many rolls you get so I was surprised when they came out and there were 4 rolls on my plate...FOUR...seriously!! However they were pretty big...but try stuffing something that big in your mouth that you have to chew, and its very rare that you see people bite sushi. So once we ate our FOUR rolls I order 4 more of the same (crazy roll) and she tried the sweet potato roll which was six this time around. She really enjoyed the sweet potato roll. I tried one but thought it was too greasy. My crazy rolls weren't as good the second time around but I'm gonna chuck that up to me being full. I also got a sparkling pear cocktail...Not a fan...it tasted like a Heineken and I'm not a beer drinker. I may go back if I'm in the mood, the decor was very nice.
(3)M C.
Yuck. I ordered the 6 piece nigiri. Rice was poor, fish was not fresh. The horrible taste in my mouth lasted for days. Avoid avoid avoid.
(1)Lily S.
3.5 stars if i could. this place is ok. i've been cautious about trying it because of a lot of the negative reviews, but then there was a groupon, so why not. I went here for dinner on a saturday night. the original reservation was for 7...up until my friend was an hour and a half late due to issues on the red line. fuck the MBTA. First good thing about this place--instead of giving me the pitty "aww you're being stood up eyes," the bartender made a stroooong ass leychee martini...there was at least 2 times more goose in there than there should have been. thanks bro! anyhoo. finally when my friend got there, the hostesses were very nice and accommodating in getting us a table. Our server (Molly B.) was great and very attentive. She also didnt make a big stink about having to scan a groupon--which is generally not the reaction i get from people--so that was nice. We tried a whole bunch of different appetizers and rolls and I have to say Fugakyu is by far better in terms of quality of fish. We got something that was like a variation on a regular rainbow roll and i had to pick the raw fish off the top because it was just not good. They had a volcano roll as well but sadly it pales in comparison to what you get at Fugakyu. Also their bar chairs, as well as the ones at the individual tables in the bar-ish area dont have backs that you can lean in to...which is weird. Overall it was a decent experience, but i will definitely be going to Fugakyu for my sushi instead. sorry Basho.
(3)Lori J.
I have been to most Sushi restaurants in the area. Basho is consistently good. The service is always friendly and efficient. Lots of seating and hardly ever a wait. Must try the Celtics Maki or The Green Monster Roll. The cocktails never disappoint. People have written that this place is expensive, you get what you pay for when it comes to quality sushi!! Give Basho a try!!
(4)Bex M.
Douzo's sister restaurant, need I say more? Many reviews describe Basho as cafeteria-esque. I liked it. The minimal decor, the intimate lighting, the organic feeling - I felt very comfortable there. The hostess and waitstaff were all very nice, had great powers to know exactly when we needed them and were unobtrusive to let us enjoy our dinner. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of your selections..mine's below. steamed bun sandwich. This was absolutely exquisite. I am a huge fan of pork buns and this was so good, so good, so good. (There was a Red Sox game that night.) The appetizer came with two, thank goodness, because I didn't plan on sharing after my first bite. It was made with kurobuta pork and pickled cucumber. The bun was soft and had a nice chewy texture to it. (It's the peking duck bun sandwich, but with pork.) The pork was so tender and juicy and super oily, which is characteristic of kurobuta. hamachi kama. The broiled yellow tail collar was picked at to the bone, it was that satisfying. It was very delicate and was cooked perfectly. I know Basho is an izakaya but we couldn't help ourselves. robata grill: kobe beef, chicken breast, japanese eggplant. Basho is the only place that does robata grill. It's an ancient way of cooking food over an open fire. The food is only enhanced with minimal ingredients, to let us enjoy its natural flavors. My favorite was the japanese eggplant over the kobe beef and chicken breast. cherrystone ginger soup simmered with fresh ginger I love soup and I really like ginger. I was rather underwhelmed by my soup. I tasted no hint of ginger at all! It was basically cherrystone broth. The clams were good though, but I was disappointed. Crunchy Roll fried onion, cucumber, spicy crumb wrapped with tuna, tobiko, salmon, salmon roe, touch of mango sauce It's not tempura; it's fried onion! nomnom. The medley of seafood, the nice crunchiness, the mango sauce, came together pretty well (although the mango sauce tasted slightly bitter to me, but no one else thought so!). This is one of their most popular rolls. Tiger Roll eel, cucumber wrapped with smoked salmon, torched squid and salmon roe (I secretly prefer this over the crunchy roll) As with all their food, this was well presented. The torched squid added a new texture to the standard sushi roll.
(4)Priscilla T.
3 for the overall food, but 4 for the fact that you can always get a big group reservation here without much hassle. Overall, it's a fun/trendy space that's good for a big group dinner. Tip: go for the izakaya and grilled items and skip the sushi rolls (sashimi selection ain't bad though).
(3)Jess Y.
my friend lives around the corner from here and and she and i i got takeout around 6pm. we shared the crispy shrimp appetizer, which was not that greasy and generally delicious. she had the yuzu yellowtail roll and i the rainbow roll, and we were both very satisfied with our respective choices. fish was fresh and maki was well-made by all accounts. great ambiance, too - upon entering i was struck by how spacious and elegant the place was. the bar looks well-stocked and ready to meet all your libation needs. i'd love to come back here for a dine-in experience.
(4)Kelly O.
Basho isn't a bad choice for a sit-down lunch in the area, if you have the money and time and are craving some 'healthy'/Japanese food. The interior is a bit too trendy and cavernous for me (they also have a patio), and it was pretty empty when my party of 4 came in. Their menu was extensive and pretty interesting, but as a budget-conscious person I stuck with the lunch specials, of which there were a good amount for a decent price. I chose the salmon terriyaki lunch which came with a nicely cooked piece of glazed fish in a tasty terriyaki sauce atop brown rice with scallions and other goodies, with some lightly dressed greens on the side. I thought it was a good portion of food that left me just shy of full, all pretty flavorful and just about worth it for the $8.95 I paid. I also tried a $10 martini which, while pricey, was really delicious with muddled strawberries and flavored rum. My dining companions got udon and sushi and had no major complaints (no major raves either though). Sushi was definitely on the pricey side though, even compared to other 'high end' places like Fugakyu. The major downside of our lunch, which is accurately echoed throughout the Yelp reviews, was the service... our waiter didn't stop by our table nearly enough (my water disappeared fast), and we had to wait a long time for our entrees which didn't even come out uniformly (why it took twice as long for my dining companion's sushi plate to come out as it did my cooked salmon, I have no idea). The place was pretty empty too, so I'm not sure why the lag time. If I want some serious amazing sushi and/or want to have a fun night out and a great dinner, you can bet I'm heading to Fugakyu over Basho, or any other Japanese place for that matter. But if I'm looking for a sit-down 'healthyish' lunch in the area, Basho will do in a pinch.
(3)Jo C.
I had a Sunday dinner with my parents and we had a pleasant time! The waiter is very friendly and helpful and provided very good service! We order 2 cocktails, 2 shrimp tempura and 2 sashimi dinners to share. We have been here for a few times already and find the sashimi dinner hast he best value and their quality is the best!! But I won't go for their soup noodle dishes as last time I tried the noodles was not hot enough.
(4)Tony S.
LA sushi in a giant dentist office. The place is massive, and I love that it has multiple areas for private parties/groups. We came in at 8pm on Thursday, and it looked about 1/2 full. With its high ceilings and huge layout, it felt a bit sterile and cold, like a dentist's office. But the hidden DJ booth above the entrance churned out hip Sade-like beats, and the service was excellent, so I quickly got over the apprehension that normally grips my heels whenever I'm going in for a filling. The sushi was LA-isk, which means that I felt right at home. A very solid 4-stars. Can't complain. Very tasty signature rolls including dragon roll, crispy rolls, and this one rainbow-ish roll (can't remember the name) that had a mix of fish, and was topped with some kind of sweet mango sauce. Excellent. If you're into foie gras, you must try the foie gras sushi.... succulent morsels mixed with multiple flavors, like you're having a love affair with a Hawaiian Tropic model on the beaches of Bali, with Mai Tai in one hand, and juicy ribs in another. The grilled (or was it BBQ?) chicken meatballs were a very pleasant surprise, and i quickly devoured it as I topped off my second Sake-tini. Highly recommend this place, especially if you have large groups.
(4)John L.
~Massive sushi spot by Fenway that with an extremely modern and trendy design... but bigger isn't always better~ Check out my full review with helpful photos here: asupr.us/ap_basho Let me start off by saying that the location of Basho is a double edged sword. It's absolutely awesome that they are located just a few streets from Fenway Park, but it's absolutely abysmal that they are located just a few streets from Fenway Park. Huh? Yes, if you're lucky to find a spot there or willing to pay the ridiculous prices to park in a lot there, Basho is great to grab a couple of rolls and head to the game for a great game or get your sushi fix after perhaps a 16 inning game since Basho stays open quite late. After you do manage finding a way here, the first thing you'll notice is how massive this place is. One of the few times I've been there, a huge private party took up half the restaurant. But aside from that time, the restaurant doesn't seem to be ever fully packed. Wouldn't exactly be one of my top choices for a date spot as the noise is distracting, but also there is a lack of intimacy as tables seem to be placed relatively close to one another. If I was hard on Basho for the size and noise of the place, I make up for it in the praise for the modern and trendy design. The place has a cool ambience flowing throughout the massive restaurant. Huge selection of rolls. There are a lot of upscale twists on traditional rolls and some real unique ones as well. I will say, their unique rolls are really hit or miss. Some are right on the spot and show off the shear genius in creating these rolls, while others left me wondering what they could have possibly be thinking. Some of the rolls I have tried: Green Monster Roll - Softshell Crab, Spicy Mayo, wrapped with Escolar and seasoned with Cilantro Pesto Kind of required to try this because of the Red Sox fan of me, after this roll I might switch to a Yankees fan. Amaebi Mango Roll - Mango, Cucumber, Grilled Pineapple, wrapped with Sweet Shrimp and a touch of Mango Sauce At times like this, I wish I wasn't so adventurous with trying unique and different rolls... Don't think shrimp was the right choice for this roll. Crunchy Roll - Fried Onion, Cucumber, Spicy Crumb wrapped with Tuna, Tobiko, Salmon, Salmon Roe and a touch of Mango Sauce Incredible crunch and flavor. Awesome flavors together and the perfect contrast in textures.
(4)Julie G.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. I'm all about trying new places so I typically don't like going to a place I've already been but I've come back to this place several times. I hate to say it but I always get the same thing...the chicken katsu dinner (one of my fave dishes) and the sweet potato tempura (simply delicious). I've also tried a banana sushi dessert type thing. I don't remember the name of it since it's not listed on the dinner menu but that was pretty good as well. In terms of decor, it's very modern but intimate. My only complaint was that the first time I went here, the waiters just kind of stood in a line across the back of the restaurant watching everyone eat until they noticed someone needed more water or something. Kind of creepy. I felt like I was in a fish bowl but the food was so good I had to come back and this hasn't happened since.
(5)Joseph W.
I was going to give it 3 stars, but I increased it by one for the nice decor and great service. the food is just so so for the price. The robata items was the main draw for me, but I found the food average and under portioned considering the price. I was particularly disappointed with the hamachi kama, which was smoked instead of grilled and filleted into the tiniest and thinnest pieces that was more passable as sushi than hamachi kama. The sashimi platter, on the other hand, was generously portioned for the price and the quality of the fish varied with each type but was generally average or greater. The salmon was particularly good. Pair this with one of their good sake choices and you've got a great meal for a reasonable price.
(4)Amy B.
My Groupon to Basho was about to expire, so we finally made the short trek to Fenway for sushi. The food, on the whole, was excellent. The spicy tuna roll was hands-down our favorite. It really showcased the fresh flavor of the tuna. Incidentally, I love Douzo's spicy tuna roll as well, but they are different from each other, so take note that the sushi rolls are not necessarily identical across the two restaurants. We also had the salmon roll (good, not particularly memorable), the crunchy roll (interesting and fresh, I think I could live without the sweet mango sauce), and the yellowtail roll (2nd favorite of the night). We started with two bowls of adequate miso soup. Service was standoffish and slow--we waited a long time for water and beers, although the pace picked up when it was time to pay. No problems using the Groupon. I wasn't a huge fan of the atmosphere at Basho. It felt industrial, almost like they stopped working on the restaurant halfway through construction. Tony S. has a point when he compares Basho to a giant dentist office. The room was also a little too open and noisy for my taste. I would definitely come back to Basho, but Douzo is closer to home and has a better atmosphere, so I don't see it happening often.
(3)Kaitlin C.
Yummy sushi! Had some little tuna bombs or whatever they were called (spicy tuna on crispy rice) and it was fantastic. My friend had some tuna tartar that I was not impressed with, but he enjoyed all the same. Nigiri was tasty, and sushi was really beautiful and yummy when it came to the table. Also had some sauteed Udon and it was great. Ordered too much (as usual) and finished it off the next day. I will definitely be back here!!
(4)Nadine F.
Came back here with friends, this time with a Groupon. I know people say this place is too pricey but I actually don't think it's bad given how good the food we've had has been. We had...shrimp tempura--yummy, crispy, good sized, I love the dipping sauce; Kobe beef robata--tender and delicious, probably wouldn't get it again just because it's kind of pricey for the size, but that's expected with Kobe and it was worth trying the robata style cooking method; salmon and spicy seafood maki rolls--both were good but we both liked the flavor of the salmon roll more; Rainbow roll--so delicious! I traded a piece of it with a friend for a volcano roll, and was kind of disappointed because it wasn't as good as mine! If you're going to try a combo roll, definitely get the rainbow, it was really excellent with lots of seafood and great flavor. You get what you pay for here, and with a Groupon you get a lot more than you paid for. We'll probably be back with or without one!
(5)Jenn S.
I finally went to Basho Japanese Brasserie and used my BuyWithMe coupon a few days before it expired. I went with my coworker and her sister immediately after work, so we got there right @ 5pm. The place was pretty empty and we got a nice booth, but one where we're all sitting side-by-side, instead of 2 benches facing each other. Anyway. The first thing you notice is the awesome, modern, trendy decor. The second thing you notice is that this place is huge! We sat down and the server gave us the "happy hour" menu. Basically - 1/2 price apps and drinks (I think). Since we had the coupon, we couldn't do any of these. Although, we did end up getting 1 and our nice server put it on a different bill so we could still get the 1/2 price! Score! We ended up splitting a bunch of things and got a LOT of food, so let's see if I can remember it all! My dining companions started with the Sashimi Naruto (tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and asparagus rolled in cucumber). There were 5 huge pieces. I don't eat sushi or seafood, so I didn't partake, but they both enjoyed it. Next we went for 2 of Basho's special Robata Grill skewers: Pork belly rolled on grape tomatoes and Grilled Chicken thighs. DELISH. These were both succulent and tasty. We also shared an order of Gyoza (pan-fried or steamed pork ravioli - I think we had pan-fried) and Steamed Bun Sandwiches (with Kurobuta pork and pickled cucumber). There were 3 of us, but only 5 gyozas and 2 sandwiches. I think the restaurant should bring either 1 or 2 per person, but hey - what do I know?? I got 1 of the specials - a Kobe Beef sushi... It's not online, so I can't tell you exactly what it was, but I THINK it was Kobe Beef (rare) wrapped around more Kobe? With some pickled onions in the middle? I dunno. What I do know is that it was ok (I've now had Kobe twice and both times it was rare/raw. Not the best) and EXPENSIVE. It was 1(!!!) piece for $8. I thought it was going to be an entire roll. Ridic. My friends split 1 more sushi, but I don't know which one. They liked it, but didn't finish the entire thing. Oh, we also ordered some Kim Chee (spelling??) rice, which was a decent-size portion, spicy and tasty. Yum. Overall, the food is good, but not the best I've had. My main issue is that, for the most part, the portions are small and the prices are high... It's not ridiculous, but apparently lunch is MUCH more reasonable. I would rate this between 3.5-4 stars, but went up to 4 because our server was so nice and helpful.
(4)Meliza Anne M.
As far as sushi restaurants go, I could take this place or leave it. It's good, good quality, interesting combinations, and a great ambiance, but it's also pretty pricey and for that price, I would want to be "WOW'ed" I just wasn't. There are plenty of other sushi places around here that are not as expensive and just as good, if not better.
(3)Amanda L.
I sat outside at Basho a few months ago with 5 friends. The sushi was decent, drinks were very good, but service was REALLY meh. I think our waitress was new, but she left us alone for SO long, our food came out at all different times, we had to go inside to find someone to refresh our drinks... I would go back, probably, the atmosphere is nice and the location is great, but slow and frustrating service really put a damper on the evening.
(2)Ladyjane S.
Came for sushi the other night and where should I begin...oh dear, looks like it's all been said. The fish is not the best tasting, freshest fish I've had. It wasn't actually very good at all. The presentation was nice, but that's about all I can say about it. I had the Green Monster and Rainbow Roll along with some tuna sashimi. The ambiance is a drag. We sat at the bar (I'm bar people) and I wouldn't recommend sitting there ever. There's really nothing to look at other than a big blank white wall (???). In fact the whole place is blank. No identity whatsover. It's weird. Worse than that though, are the long plastic thingies hanging over the sushi bar from the ceiling. I looked up and all I could see were filthy dust covered plastic wands hanging right over my head. Clearly never been cleaned/dusted. Gross. Don't sit at bar. The waitress was nice, but disappeared for 10-15 minutes at a time when we needed her. Seemed to be happening to lots of other people as well. With the Groupon we had we paid about $25 or so including tip, which isn't bad. But I'd never come here without one. Actually I don't think I'd come back with one again either. The prices do not reflect the quality of the food here AT ALL. The only thing I may order from here again for take-out is the pork bun sandwich. Holy yum, that thing's awesome.
(2)Sue H.
There are a lot of reasons as to why I'm not a fan of Basho, and it's a shame, because I really wanted to like this place, but with so many other options that are just a short drive or train ride away, I can't help but ask myself why I would ever waste my money here again. Let me break it down for you: 1) The ambiance here is absolutely terrible. It's cold and almost office-like, although they try really hard to make it trendy and hip with all the fancy strobe lights. Honestly, it just doesn't work. Everything here feels so overdone and too minimalist at the same time (what a conundrum!) Who wants to dine with concrete walls surrounding you anyway? 2) I ordered a sushi item off of their specials menu that was about roughly $20, and when I got it, all it was was six pieces of california maki wrapped with sashimi. Umm... This is not what I ordered! This is a rainbow maki -- I even kindly asked the waitress prior to ordering to describe the special, and she made it sound like it was nigiri sushi (which is what I clearly said I wanted). While she was really nice, it didn't seem like she knew the menu very well... Or maybe she really wanted to up sell me. 3) I personally think Basho is a little too pricey for the quality of food they serve. I was pretty much unimpressed with just about everything I ordered. I'm just saying, there are so many other great places you could go that would offer you better food, atmosphere, and value. Hey, if you have no other options, go ahead and try Basho. They're open pretty late, so that's a plus. I'd just be careful about what you order, and perhaps to stick to the basics.
(2)Clara L.
3 stars for food, 1 star for service... The food was decent, but some menu items are overpriced in my opinion. We got the tuna tartare, pretty good with the fried rice cakes, but the portion is small for $21. The seaweed salad is excellent, but also overpriced at $5. The salmon skin roll is quite good, as is their spicy tuna roll. The winner of the night is the duck ramen. It comes in a large bowl filled with ramen and perfectly cooked duck, with assorted mushrooms, veggies, and a delicious broth. At $12.50, it's a steal. Now about the service...we got started and ordered some tea. It came out with a tea film, and when asked, they confirmed they used a tea leaf and tea powder blend. The waiter explained they had to brew so much tea that it sped up the process. Not a good excuse. I patiently am willing to wait for my tea to brew, and don't appreciate tea gunk on the side of my tea cup and a pile of it when I get to the bottom of the cup. Furthermore, they didn't leave the pot at the table, and we had to wait quite a bit to get these small cups refilled, and sometimes the tea was only lukewarm. Our waiter actually left halfway through our dinner (we were eating at 8 pm) and didn't fire our meal past our seaweed salad. We sat around waiting for 25 minutes before our new waiter figured out what the problem was with our order and then sent it to the kitchen. He did apologize at the end, which was nice, but this shouldn't happen. Don't start serving a table if you are 10 minutes from leaving. The decor and ambiance was more like a club than a "brasserie". There was a house beat going, and the lighting would flash every once a while. A tip: don't sit under the TVs, especially if there is a game playing, you will get a bunch of people standing in front of your table, including the waiters/barstaff that makes it seem like you're being stared at. Awkward. All in all, not a great experience, although the ramen did save them from a 1 star review.
(2)lily l.
The sushi here is very good and extremely creative. The sauces were delicious and presentation along with ambiance was very very nice. I must say the only that ruined my experience was that our waitress was could not explain our rolls which is a tad bit important. Although I felt like we ordered blindly everything was still delicious. Would definitely come back and spend more time on the menu.
(4)Caroline R.
The lunch deal is great and there's a lot of food but the customer service is absolutely horrid. I don't think I have ever gone there without being angry as I left because they were so rude/hostile. As a long-time customer, I have resorted to only getting takeout since the service is so bad..I have NO idea how they have let this go on for so long!! Unreal.
(2)H N.
I have been going to Douzo (Basho's older sister restaurant in Back Bay) for many many years. I love that place so had to try Basho. Basho is very hip and cozy at the same time. I've been a few times now and it has never failed. The food is so pretty that you almost don't want to eat it! It is pricey, but like I said before- it never fails to satify. Amazing wine list and drinks list. The best part- they validate parking on Red Sox game days! Since I cannot seem to remember what we ordered- it is time to go back!
(4)Michael D.
I came here with a groupon ($40 for $20) and i guess the first thing that i noticed was how freakin HUGE this place is. it's way too big to be just a restaurant.. it has more of a loungy-clubby feel. Everything is super modern, super trendy.. but it's to the point where it almost feels as if theyre trying TOO hard to be cool ya know? anyway, let's get on to what youre REALLY here for.. the food review! I came here at 10:30pm so they didn't have any bento boxes or anything for sale :(. So me and my brother split the following: kurobata ramen ( yelp.com/biz_photos/x1RY… ): The bowl of ramen was actually a lot bigger than I had anticipated.. i thought it'd be TINY cause this place is has three $$$ on yelp. But one bowl probably woulda been enough to fill me up! I'm from LA, so I have high standards when it comes to ramen. the noodles were cooked perfectly, but unfortunately, the broth was pretty bland. Not the fatty broth I had hoped for to complement the kurobata... The presentation was nice, and they gave a pretty thick piece of kurobata, but overall the dish was lacking. tiger roll and lobster roll ( yelp.com/biz_photos/x1RY… ): The rolls here are very.. unique. I've never been to a place that had ANY rolls similar to the ones here. These two weren't nothing to rave about.. but they definitely were different.. Like I said, i feel like basho is TRYING too hard to be cool and coming up with odd rolls at the cost of taste.. but that's just my two cents.. Overall, come here for the ambiance and the presentation of food.. flavorwise.. there are plenty of better places to nomnom.
(3)Lala I.
food quality is below average and disappointing. will not return
(2)Holly Marie C.
I sat at the bar. The bartender didn't smile once the entire time, nor did he say thank you or offer any kind of pleasant service. It was obvious he didn't like his job and would rather be sitting on his couch eating potato chips. As a general rule when visiting sushi bars, I like to try a few dishes on the menu so I ordered the seaweed salad (this is the only redeeming quality of the restaurant that brings my review from a 1 to a 2 star; I would go back just to get 3 orders of this and eat all of it). I also ordered the bento box which came with a roll (I got the only vegetarian roll), and a side (I got the only vegetarian side), a salad and a miso soup. Normally miso soups are made with fish stock so I asked the bartender if this was the case for BASHO. Indeed it was and I asked for a double order of salad instead, stating I am a vegetarian. He gave it to me without question. Before he left to put the order in, I asked if they had agadashi tofu on the menu as I would like to share an order with my friend. Indeed they did. "Okay, great. We'll have an order of that, too." The agadashi tofu comes out, and lo and behold there's fish flakes on it. Having ordered A COMPLETE VEGETARIAN MEAL and making a point to steer clear of all fish products you would think the bartender would have enough SERVER INTUITION to hold the fish flakes. Needless to say I didn't have any of the tofu because he never came back to check up on us. When the bento box arrived it was sub-par. The roll was meh and the tempura tasted like it was battered the day before. Seriously, the only thing about this restaurant that was any kind of good was the seaweed salad.
(2)Dinna Y.
Sushi is an easy thing to be picky about as it should! Coming from Chicago where great sushi is everywhere, I was very picky when I came to Boston... and Basho meets all the standards! Not only food wise but as far as a trendy modern well decorated restaurant and service, they have it all! The people are WONDERFUL there and soo accomodating! They worked with us for a large party of about 30 for our shared birthday. They had a special menu with our names on it and setup a pre fixe meal. It was great!!! We celebrated our mini-dance team reunion there as well. They set aside the back booth area which was a perfect semi-private area for us. The people are great, introduce yourself and they'll remember you every time! Things to try... pork belly with asparagus - amazing flavor and melts in your mouth. Spicy Tuna over crispy rice, great texture! Caterpillar and crunchy rolls. Happy Hour and Late Night menu....um who wouldn't do amazing sushi for half the price!
(5)Vi N.
Every sushi place that i go to, they have a special item on their menu that i absolutely love. Here at Basho, you have to try their steamed bun sandwich with pork and pickled cucumber. It's actually a must! It literally just melts in your mouth and the sweetness and tang of the pickle pairs so well with it! Delicious! Besides the steamed bun sandwich i was ake to sample their tasting menu. Everything that they had brought out was very good. I don't think i disliked anything at all. Basho was not a disappointment !
(4)Colin W.
I'll start off by saying I was really impressed by the food. The spicy lobster miso soup, the tempura fried shrimp and sweet potatoes, and the red spider roll were all expertly prepared, and they tasted amazing. Especially the tempura. I had a small bottle of unfiltered sake with my dinner, and that was good, but someone else at our table ordered a lychee martini, and *that* was out-of-this-world amazing. It even inspired my wife to make lychee sorbet at home a few days later. If I were reviewing Basho on its food, alone, then it would get four stars. There's no excuse for having crab stick ("krab", "seafood extender", whatever) on your menu... otherwise, it'd probably even be five stars. However, I had some problems with the ambiance and the service. First, it was waaaay too hot in the restaurant. They had their big outside doors open on an 80+ degree night, and even though they also had the air conditioning running inside (waste of electricity, anyone?), I doubt the restaurant dipped below about 78 degrees while we were there. The other thing that bothered me was their egregious attention to food allergens. I mentioned I'm allergic to a few things when the waitress asked (which was good), but then when my key lime tart showed up for dessert, it had *none* of the berries and sauces it should have had, despite me telling the waitress that I wasn't allergic to any of them. So she brought me a pitiful little plate of tiny sliced strawberries to go with my tart to make up for it. The tart ended up being really tasty, but the presentation was pretty terrible. To sum it all up: great food, poor surroundings, decent service. A note on parking: if the Sox are playing, the parking lots in the area will cost triple or quadruple their normal prices. Basho has valet parking... use it!
(3)Helen L.
I got a groupon for Basho Japanese and so we went for a Sunday lunch. They had a bento box that was $15 for some rice, salad, tempura, some sort of fried roll, chicken teriyaki, few pieces of sashimi and two sushi rolls pieces. It was a lot of food but my only complaint was that there were really only two pieces of sushi in the bento box. And it was a good roll too! I also got the udon noodles which wasn't as tasty as I'd hope for $10. The atmosphere was really nice, very modern-sleek feel, nice for a date or a night out. But I thought the bento box wasn't as tasty as it could have been for that price- they should include more actual sushi. I'm not sure I'd go again and spend the money unless there was some sort of discount involved.
(3)Doris O.
Just popped in for Sunday lunch with my 2 kids. But i can see comng back to have a drink before a sox game. This was our first visit. Seafood Yaki udon was served in incredible sauce that was perfectly balanced with jumbo shrimps and sea scallops. Sooo good! My daughter, the tempura connoseiur gave the shrimp tempura an "AAA+++" rating. They were light as air, super crispy and shrimps were super fresh. I had the Basho lunch set which is a huge portion -this was a great sampling dish! It included the freshest salmon sushi and tilefish. So we will definitely be back to try more selections from the robata grill. A must try is the grilled pepper, grilled asparagus.
(5)Monika W.
Everything is perfect except the food. Ambiance, service, etc. very good, but the food was bland. I am vegetarian, and the veggie tempura had very little veggie tempura, no tempura sauce, a scoop of white rice, and steamed broccoli. My boyfriend got chicken something which he says was inedible due to the blandness. We went at lunch on a weekday and it was empty. Very sad for such a nice place otherwise.
(1)Lindy L.
I really enjoyed our Valentine's Day date @ this lovely japanese restaurant. My husband had made a reservation for V-Day after we tried to get in on New Years and it was closed for a Private Party. We arrived about 6:05 for a 6:15 reservation and were seated immediately. The server came over and I ordered a Pomegranate Saketini immediately. I'm a sucker for a Saketini and this one did not disappoint. We were baffled by the number of choices on the menu! We have some eating restrictions (read: we keep kosher for the most part) so shellfish and any type of meat is off the table. We can eat Salmon, Tuna and Yellowtail but not Shrimp, Eel, Crab or beef/chicken out, unless it's at a kosher restaurant. For us, the menu was laid out perfectly, separating the tuna, yellowtail, and salmon from the stuff we couldn't eat. We had a crunchy roll (the perfect balance of crunchy and smooth fish), a cucumber handroll w/spicy yellowtail in it (instead of normal seaweed, the handroll is wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber - delish!), and assorted other vegetarian maki (asparagus, sweet potato, shitake mushroom tempura - YUM!). It was expensive, but worth it. Basho will be on our list for special occasion places to eat for a celebration, out of town guest, anniversary, birthday, etc. :)
(4)Jon V.
OK, Basho. I work right by Basho, so on days like today when there's two feet of snow on the ground and it's 20 degrees out, I find it a convenient place to duck in for lunch. That might sound indulgent, as this place isn't cheap. Or is it? I can get out of lunch at Basho with a $12 bill. I wouldn't pay $12 for lunch everyday. I mean, that might cut into my moderately priced red wine fund. God, this paragraph is starting out douchy-sounding. But it's true. These are things that concern me right after the global effect of pre-exposure prophylaxis on HIV transmission, the plot of Fringe, and whether my dog can see ghosts. Basho is affordable because they give me a 10% discount based on where I work, they have good lunch specials, and I know how to order-- think tempura udon with no sides and no booze. Add to this value the fact that I bring lunch most days, and it really isn't a financial liability at all. The food is fantastic. The waiters are sweet. The price is oddly right. I totally recommend it. A couple things to make note of: there is a weird white cardboard room in the back. Not sure what it's for. The floor is probably 30,000 square feet in the high rent Fenway neighborhood and there are usually only 5-10 other people in there at lunch. Also, they play trance music. None of these observations are complimentary or derogatory. They are just observations. Although nothing will top my beloved JP Seafood for affordable Japanese food, Basho is right on.
(4)Melody K.
I'm Asian... I've been eating sushi before it became a fad. This place impresses me. Sure, it's a little pricier than other's... but you get what you pay for. The sashimi comes in nice and thick. It's clearly fresh. The decor is pretty and it's catered to a more upscale crowd. The service? Fantastic. I've been here 3 times: 1 - Once when it first opened (2 days after the grand opening) - the server was still learning the specials and fumbled on the words and what was in the sashimi platter but she made the effort and got back to us when she was unsure of anything. The sashimi platter was fantastic. Very fresh. 2 - The second time for cocktails and a few sushi rolls with friends. Again, great service and the server gave fantastic suggestions. I had a 10% off dining cert since I got it from my building management for living in the area, and still no change in service. I recommend the sake sangria. 3 - The third time for dinner with a groupon. The server was not only happy to serve, but also made conversation with us when she noticed our groupon and our driver's license indicating proximity to the restaurant (I ALWAYS get carded... it's the Asian thing...) The black cod was cooked to perfection - silky smooth in texture and melts in your mouth. The Chirashi was just as fresh as the sashimi from my first visit. Both great dishes I'd recommend for sure! The proportions aren't going to be huge... it's a sushi restaurant. But... look at it on the bright side - if you're still hungry, you can sample other fine dishes they have!
(4)Frank W.
Bottom line: Creative, trendy, tasty, unreasonably expensive. Went here with a couple friends for dinner one night. Each of us had a cocktail ($10 ea) which were delicious but gone way too soon. The spicy edamame was AWESOME! I've never had it that way and edamame will never be the same for me. My sushi, while it read very interesting, but not quite so interesting tasting. Which I was ok with, there were no surprises, but it was too much $$ for not many surprises. The presentation, however, was top notch. Sushi was very fresh though (you can always tell when it isn't..) Our server did ok, nothing special but I didn't want to curse her either. So that's always a good thing. Had a livingsocial deal which made me cry slightly less. But only slightly. Probably will stick to other places for my sushi adventures. Even Haru is less expensive than this and that's saying something.
(3)Julie R.
I've been wanting to eat at this new sushi place since I heard of its opening. I got a CoupMe deal in my email and jumped to try it out. Walking in, the vibe was sleek. It looked like a restaurant you would find in a W hotel. There is a large bar on the left then a huge dining area on the right. Behind that is a large sushi station with many chefs. On a Friday night it seemed slow, then as we left around 9pm, it was packed. Our server Kelsey was a doll. She went over the specials with us very thoroughly, mentioning which ones were top sellers. One of the rolls, a fusion of fish maki, caught our ear and we tried it. We also got a lot of a la carte sushi and some shrimp and asparagus tempura. The fusion roll was beautifully presented. The concept was a different slice of fish and sauce on each slice of a Cali Roll. Kind of like a rainbow roll but prettier. I was surprised to see that roll was $18 on the bill. I found it a few dollars overpriced compared to comparable rolls on the menu The a la carte sushi was perfectly presented on a clean white tray. Everything we had was fresh. The tempura shrimp and veggies were also just right. They offer the nigiri in single cuts vs 2 pieces per order. Use that to your advantage and be adventurous. For dessert we got the chocolate molten cake and creme brulee. No complaints on both. Basho does a great job on all the presentations, from a few pieces of sushi, to a dessert. The owner was making her way around and stopped in to chat. We got to talking of the sister restaurant Douzo. I have to say I like Basho better for the atmosphere and and experience. I will definitely keep it in the rotation.
(4)Joy Y.
Basho, Basho, Basho... such high hopes I had for you! Good location, trendy decor, and sushi! I mean everyone loves sushi! (and obviously by everyone, I mean me.) With that kind of combo, you really can't go wrong....except as you know you very well can. I have a feeling this is going to be a long review so you all might want to brace yourselves.... It all started when we entered the restaurant and walked up to desk directly in front of us, which in case you were wondering, is not where you go to check in for your reservation. Instead, it is the take out counter....I think...it was very confusing, which is also how the girl at the desk presented when we said we had reservations at 8. When she finally understood, she brought us over to the reservation desk at which point four other people who worked there also joined us to assist in the process. I didn't think it was going to be that complicated to tell someone that we had arrived for our reservation, but in fact it was. This is a little synopsis of how the next 7-10 mins worked: The hostess asks us if we want a table in the dining room or the bar. We tell her we have a reservation, sooo.... obviously the dining room. She tells us that our reservation is ready. Two seconds later someone else tells us that in fact our reservation is not ready. Another person tells us to take a seat and wait on the bench. So we sit down on the bench. Yet another person comes up to us with menus (yay! we're going to our table!) Nope. He suggests we go to the bar. Okay, drinks are good. We sit down at the bar. The bartender approaches. She gives us a drink menu. We get comfy. Someone comes over and asks to take our coats. We struggle to get our coats out from under us. We get comfy again. The bartender asks us if we know what we want. At the very same time, the hostess comes over and says our table is ready. We choose the table. The hostess then passes us on to another guy. He walks us over to the other side of the screen where the elusive dining room is. Finally! There are at least three open tables and no one else waiting on the benches or at the bar. Weird... We have a seat and he tells us our server will be right over. Awesome! We are hungry! 2 mins goes by, 6 mins goes by, 10 mins goes by. At some point, I stop someone (a manager I think? I don't know. It seemed like there were about fifty "managers" and no servers...) and ask if we can have some water and put in our drink orders. She is very nice and seems embarrassed. Okay, we get it, you're working out the kinks still-- it's a newish restaurant, that happens (um... except that it's not that new, but whatever.) Another 5 mins (which by the way, seems like forever when you've already been waiting for at least 20 mins with either too much or too little service) goes by and someone comes over with our waters and my saketini, which apparently is supposed to have some sort of other fruity substance in it, but in fact just tastes like sake. The tables next to us get seated. They get drinks. Then they get food. I am really starting to get annoyed now. I mean are we freaking lepers or what??? I mean we go to dinner for an experience! We are spending a crap load of money! Why the F have we not even put in our orders yet?!? UGH.... but my friend and I are having fun catching up with each other and I just don't know that it's worth it to make a huge fuss (and for all you haters out there. I know, it's our own damn fault that we didn't say anything, but I guess that's what Yelp is for, right??) Anyway, eventually we put our orders in, and eventually we get our food. And all I have to say is, for both their sake and ours... the sushi was amazing. Like a.maz.ing . Yes, we were very hungry at that point so I'm guessing pretty much anything would have tasted good, but this was legitimately delicious and creative and so very, very melt in your mouth yummy. We got this tasting and generous platter that came with sake pairings and damn, I'm not kidding when I say it blew me away. Seriously, it's amazing how happy good food and drinks can make me. Actually it's almost a little disturbing, but as I was scraping every delicious morsel of sushi goodness off my plate I damn near forgot about all of the crappy service we had had up to that point. So thankfully we ended on a high note. So all in all... (out of five) Service= 1 (once we actually got a server, she nice but often MIA) Ambiance= 2.5 (weird layout/ bathroom mirrors, very cool, trendy vibe) Food=5 Basho's got lots of things going for it, but man unless they figure out their service issues...let's just say there's a fine line between greatness* and insanity**. *Greatness=sushi. **Insanity=what will happen to me if I have to sit through another service experience like that. Seriously, it sucked.
(2)Vina A.
Still think about the chu toro we had here. Good sashimi and sushi choices beyond the normal every day Japanese just expensive for the good bits you do get.
(4)Megan S.
I had an excellent time when I stopped by for a mid-afternoon sushi snack. Two mind-baffling things though: Why was the air conditioning blasting AND all the windows open from floor to ceiling? Why is it called Brasserie? It was the name that caught my eye and made me want to check it out. Brasserie means brewery in french - how intriguing! - I thought, imagining french-japanese beer fermenting in large tanks. But you will find nothing of the sort here. It also means a small Fench restaurant, but this place was decidedly not French.
(4)Sarah A.
I don't care how good your food is. If the service sucks, I'm not going to enjoy the experience. The food here is your average American-ized Japanese food. It's over-priced and just meeeh. I got the Miso black cod which was good but not worth $10. I asked the waitress what was in the seafood roll and she explains there's "Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail..." hmm...sounds good so I order it. First of all, this waitress got both of my friends' orders wrong. Not only that but when we told her she gave us all kinds of attitude. My roll comes and it is fake crab meat mixed with tobiko and spicy mayo..Where the eff is my salmon, tuna and yellowtail??! Biyatch lied about what was in the roll cuz she had NO IDEA. That is totally unacceptable. First of all, KNOW the menu items and if you don't, GO ASK THE CHEFS!! Don't just make up some bullshit answer. Psht. My friends were still eating and she tried to hurry us up by giving us the check and being like "okay are you guys all set??" umm no. we're still eating. I give it 2 stars because the atmosphere is pretty nice. They need to train their waitstaff better.
(2)Steven E.
It took us an hour and ten minuets to eat lunch here. The bulk of that time was spent waiting for our food (over 30 min for three lunch bento boxes). I was also confused as to why my miso soup came out after all the bento boxes (it would have been nice to enjoy some soup during the long wait for my food). All the food came out at different times even though we all ordered +/- the same thing. The service here is really quite bad. Our server didn't bring any soy sauce to us and as we were leaving another table (who also was not brought any) asked to have ours. I'm just not a fan.
(2)Kim P.
Sexy sushi. That's all I can say. Fresh sushi, didn't love the fresh tofu, but loved everything else I had. Service was not so hot, though. Our server was cold and unhelpful. Boo. However, the fact that the atmosphere is quite amazing, aided by some trippy club-y music, is enough to bring me back and not want to shoot myself for hoping to find parking in the Fenway. I think they have their own garage, if I'm not mistaken.
(4)Mabel L.
When my friends tried the robata grill beef, they said that sex was occurring in their mouths, and they all were in full agreement. However, it had taken a $40 Groupon and my birthday to drag them in. The sushi and rolls here is fine, high-grade but not a shout-worthy object. The robata grill is fantastic, however. Their entrees are not as wonderful as the sushi and robata grill, so I recommend filling yourself up with those two menu items instead. And, as some other reviewers said, this place is way too much buck for the mellow 'bang'.
(3)Giovanna D.
Love all the special rolls! And they are on living social and groupon fairly often. The renovation is looking great as well ! Go basho!
(4)Thuy L.
Good sushi: Check Good service: Check Knowledgable wait staff: Check Check Check. The food was great and being a sister to Douzo, we had to check this place out. The drinks are great. The Bling Bling was heaven in a glass, how can you go wrong with Gin and gold specks in a martini glass rimmed with sugar? We tried a variety of dishes. Started off with the monkfish pate which was just okay, not really quite a pate. It was definitely missing something crunchy. I was hoping they would have brought out some kind of cracker or something but what comes out is just the monkfish pate in a bowl with a little vermicelli. The vermicelli is not the right addition to highlight the dish. Then we tried some things from the Robata grill: the pork belly, the shiitake mushrooms, and the scallops. All were delicious. We learned from our waiter that the Robata grills the food but does not leave the smoky taste and he was absolutely right. We tried 5 different combos of Sushi: Basho Roll, Dragon Roll, Volcano Roll, Torch Roll, and the sushi sampler from the specials menu. They were all fantastic. The dragon roll is made of sweet potato tempura which is pretty unique and delicious. I can't wait to go back!!!
(4)Saba N.
I decided to try out Basho for two reasons: 1. I am a big fan of Douzo & I believe it's a sister restaurant.. and 2. I purchased the Rue La La special. what a treat! The service was fantastic, and the restaurant is pretty cool and modern, but casual at the same time. The tables were small, but there was a lot of them and it was PACKED. It's also really spacious which is nice as well. good sushi date spot without the pretentiousness of the south end (although, it's still $$). We ordered steamed shumai to start.. very small, but delicious. I suggest fried though. I think it might be more filling. Then, out came the rue la la dish. This involved 14 pieces of fish & three types of saki - all really delicious. I LOVED the torch salmon roll, and all of the sashimi was excellent. What a treat - and it was nice to branch out of my normal maki rolls! For dessert we ordered the lava cake to share and it was delicious. Great presentation, great flavors, and enough for 2! Will definitely be coming back next time I'm in the Fenway area. Good food, good atmosphere, and good service! win.
(4)Fiddos J.
A very good japanese restaurant. The sushi/sashimi is excellent - top quality fish, well curated, great flavors and beautifully presented. They have lot of innovative items (in terms of what's usually available in the US) - esp. the rolls. These really push the boundary of what can sushi be. However, it would be mistake to only eat the sushi/sashimi - because the other items are just as excellent. I esp. like their eggplant & (bunashimeji??) mushroom appetizer, the spicy tuna tartare, gyoza and the pork bun sandwich. The last one is really exceptional - perfectly marbled pork belly cooked just right and with a delicious miso / soy sauce. And the best part is that the price is not outrageous - compared to other japanese places in the same market segment.
(4)Alexa M.
Delicious sushi! Great modern atmosphere and attentive staff. I have been there a couple of times but I recently went for "paint nite" with my friends and it was a blast. It is a tad on the pricey side but they always seem to have groupons or living social deals so keep an eye out for the hookup before you go. Overall- it's a great spot for sushi!
(4)Hilary D.
Great sushi, large dining area, cool, modern bar/lounge...this is a great spot! I had dinner and drinks with a friend at Basho earlier this week. We started with a cocktail in the lounge area - she had some sort of berry martini thing, which was really good, but a little sweet for my taste. I had the cucumber martini, and I had the bartender make it with Hendricks gin instead of vodka - sure, I was *that* annoying person, but I prefer gin martinis. No problem, the bartender didn't mind the substitution and poured a perfectly balanced drink. Any drink with gin and cucumber is good by me, but the muddled herbs are a nice touch. When we were finished with our drinks, we sat down for dinner, and decision-making was not easy. The menu is pretty extensive. I'd love to try some of their non-sushi offerings, but we ordered all sushi. She had a crazy roll, a rainbow roll, and spicy yellowtail. I ordered salmon roe sashimi, uni sashimi (more on this later), salmon sushi, pickled mackerel sushi, a sweet potato tempura roll, and a shiitake mushroom tempura roll. Dude - the shiitake roll was amazing! Sweet potato tempura roll is one of my "must-have's" at sushi joints, and Basho did a great job. About the uni - I can't really say whether Basho's uni was any better than anyone else's, because this was my first time trying it (if you're unfamiliar with sushi, uni is sea urchin). If you haven't tried it, please do - I fully intended to order another portion, but I was so full that I ended up packing up my last few mushroom rolls. I would love to look at Basho's dessert menu, but I was so stuffed that I didn't even want to see it. I'll check it out online - I bet they make some fun desserts! My only complaint is that the dining room was too cold. I was pretty chilly in a skirt and short-sleeved shirt, so if you get cold easily, you might want to wear pants and bring a sweater. But this wasn't enough to knock a star off my rating; I'm always cold. If you decide to go, make sure you check out the screen projections on the back wall. The night I was there, it featured long, rod-shaped rectangles in a fluid motion, and we were giggling because it reminded us of looking at the paramecium under the microscope in high school science class. I'd love to come here on a weekend night - the food is great, but it seems like it would also be a great place to go for a trendy night out.
(5)Cami F.
Basho is much like Douzo, although slightly cheaper and with a more simplistic appearance. The food is great- they have my favorite crunchy roll- and a wide variety of other selections too. When we went it was a bit cold and the music a little loud, but that wouldnt stop me from trying it again!
(3)Leo E.
Found this place totally by chance - it made me get a Yelp account. This place is fantastic, I'll definitely be going back. First of all, the food was GREAT. Everything we tried was amazing. Even the tea was amazing! We bought 8 food items and 2 drinks, and everything was perfectly done...and free refills on that amazing tea. They have small appetizers for cheap so you can try lots of different things. Each tempura appetizer comes with two pieces, so it's perfect for a date. We got two tempura appetizers and one order of gyoza - which were, by the way, the perfect texture. We also got miso soup, and they give you a legitimate bowl there. For the entree, I got chicken teriyaki, and my boyfriend got vegetable yaki udon. My chicken was tender and juicy and the teriyaki sauce was great. Even the rice was awesome. My boyfriend's tofu was perfect, and we're both picky about it. We ended up sharing both. For dessert, we shared the banana tempura, which was awesome as well. The waitress (who was really, really nice, so bonus points) recommended it because "the warm banana and the cold ice cream is a good contrast" - I definitely agree! It has lots of different tastes and textures, I really recommend it...but on the other hand, I won't be getting it again for a while, since everything else on the dessert menu looks so good. If you want something simple, they have various kinds of ice cream I'm kind of itching to try as well. My boyfriend also got sake, of which they have a very good selection. He said he'd get a different kind next time probably, but that's just because he doesn't know a lot about individual kinds of sake. So, 3 appetizers, 2 soups, 2 drinks, 2 entrees and 1 dessert later (and we didn't break 100 with 20% tip)...we're definitely going back. Basho is set on my list of places I think about going now. I see no reason to give it less than a full score.
(5)Tricia F.
I like the new decor and vibe at Basho; we sat at the bar and only had light meal, but with mixed results. Bartender seemed overwhelmed and unfamiliar with the menu. We tried robato-grill: chicken thigh, beef roll, and scallops. Scallops were delicious, but only got 2 on a stick. Chicken thigh was dry and overseasoned, beef roll was better. They've got an extensive menu, so something for everyone, and I've never been disappointed here before. Will definitely go again, but skip the robato.
(3)Baking M.
Basho is the sister restaurant of Douzo on Boylston Street in Fenway. Next to Upper Crust, Basho features a spacious bar. The lighting and modern atmosphere is pleasing. Basho is not as loud as the clubby music from Douzo and they do take reservations. The menu has a lot of similar items as Douzo as well. Service is prompt and attentive. From the Robata Grill (On Skewer)), we had the Spicy Duck with mushroom for $6.25 and was tender and we would definitely order again. From the Fried section or Agemono, we tried the Fried Chicken Meat Balls with robata teriyaki sauce for $8.00. For maiki rolls, we tried spicy yellow tail, spicy tuna, shitake mushroom tempura, philadelphia all around 5.00- 7.00 each roll. Our favorite was the shitake mushroom tempura which was earthy and crunchy. They sushi was fresh, high quality, well made and delicious.
(4)Nicholas S.
Basho promises a lot with its looks and its menu, but it really doesn't deliver. You might think you're paying for atmosphere, but really the atmosphere here is just not my scene, and, from the looks of it on what should have been a busy night, no one else's. The decor, lights, and music were all just a little off, like they are trying too hard and not quite getting it right. Our waiter prefaced everything by saying that he "had to bring everything out as it became ready, you know", as if it was something that we should already understand. I don't know how practically every Japanese place (and other restaurants) can bring out all of your entrees at the same time when Basho can't. We ordered the Lime and Salt Edamame. I get what they're trying to do, making things more "fusion", but to do that, you really have to know how NOT to overcook edamame. It was squishy and flavorless, and difficult to eat without getting shell. I can imagine some of the types of edamame being good, but I couldn't get over how overcooked it was to really enjoy it. The sushi we had was slightly fishy (c'mon, we're on the ocean) and the tofu "steak" plate was far more rice than tofu, and not much else. The mushi that two of us ordered, while actually pretty good, came in a mini soup tureen that was impossible to eat out of with the soup spoon they gave us. Our waiter said it was popular and almost always sold out, so you would think that they would know its impossible to eat in the way that it was served. While it was very tasty, I don't think a bowl of broth with a few bits of seafood was worth what we paid. The Robata Grill grape tomato skewer was good and all, but Robata is supposed to be a grill at which customers sit around and it basically tasted Italian instead of Japanese , and not worth $2.25 for four grape tomatoes. In general it seemed like the pricing was generally too high for the quality of food that we received. It was also pretty inconsistent. Some things were $2 while others were $16, and it just didn't make sense. In a few months I might head back to see if they've adjusted their prices, re-sourced their fish, figured out how to serve mushi, stopped cooking their edamame so long, and just generally got their act together, but, to be honest, I'm not hopeful.
(1)Russ B.
The food is fairly well done. I am not blown away and have recently visited Japan. This place comes close on some levels, they have more of an offering. However the prices are way too high. The robata is a great idea, but in Japan we were getting 3 skewers for the price they are charging. So everything is overprices, but at least tastes good. The best deal is lunch, though high for lunch it is at least reasonable. The main complaint I have is with the restaurant owner and manager. Is it just me or do they give everyone dirty looks when they go in there? The staff on the other hand is great. I anticipate there will be high turnover though because of the rude nature of the management. I feel for a new offering they should keep their prices low, perhaps reduce the staff and do everything they can to make a good impression and bring customers back. I don't see them doing that successfully here. I wonder what will replace them by next year?
(2)Gail F.
When I heard Fenway was getting a sushi restaurant by the owners of my favorite Back Bay sushi joint, Douzo, I couldn't wait to check it out. About a week after opening, I gave it a go - and it was likely my last. The decor and atmosphere are not what you would expect from a Fenway bar/restaurant. Inside you'll find chic decor with dark intimate lighting. My friend and I sat in the bar area and quickly ordered two cocktails - however, they didn't arrive nearly as quickly as we ordered them. Our food was good, but nothing to rave about. And the service was terrible. Slow, unfriendly, and boring. If you're looking for a swanky evening out, this place may be for you. If you're looking for a simple bite of sushi, look elsewhere.
(2)Tyson F.
Basho is old reliable when it comes to sushi. Always happy with the quality, freshness and flavors of the food here. This was our 4th or 5th visit since it opened late in 2010, and it was typical sub-par service. The wait staff could certainly be more attentive. This was the 3rd time we've sat down and waited nearly 15 minutes before even hearing from our waiter. It begins to border on the point where you want to get up to remind your hostess that we're waiting to be taken care of. There is also a longer than usual wait for your food, once you do finally get to order. Our waiter explained that there was a big table holding up the process. Oh well. Poor service aside, the food is always great, and I'm sure we'll be back soo
(4)Bethany T.
Went here about a week ago with the hubby. It was around 6 and the place was busy but not packed. Waited at least 10 minutes for water and a drink order although we were repeatedly passed by at least 3 servers. When someone finally came over they were attentive and took our orders for food and drink. Service slacked off quite a bit once a loud obnoxious party came in and were seated near us. Used a Groupon; the waiter deleted it before taking down the number (duh). Took almost 10 minutes to dredge up the number again while he said that it was probably an issue with our "system" (whatever that means). Took forever to get out of there. It shouldn't take 2 hours to get out of a place when you have two people and order everything at the same time. 2 stars for service definitely. However, the tempura appetizers and 3 hand rolls (rainbow, crunchy and spider) were amazing. Wish I could have given the place a better rating, but it is what it is.
(3)Daniel P.
Hellz. Yes. First off, the hostess was SUPER FRIENDLY and talked to us throughout the meal. She's from California. Go say hi to her. My friend and I each got a drink - I, the Samurai and he the Blood Orange Martini - and both very much loved them. The monkfish pate appetizer was fanTAStic, as were the other two of which names have slipped my mind. One of them involved spinach and seaweed...need I say more? I had the salmon roe sushi, the toro sashimi, the squid sashimi, and the tiger roll. I really wish my life were like Groundhog Day so I could wake up every morning knowing I was going to eat that exact combination. My friend got the mushroom rolls and the scallop rolls, both of which he said were quite tasty. The atmosphere is pretty trendy and gay - as am I, so I can say that - and all of our servers were really friendly. They were all women and, in my experience, women love us gays. I'm sure they're always that friendly, you should go and find out and then let me know :-).
(5)Alison C.
Basho just had their grand opening, like, yesterday, but I got my hiney over there two weeks ago to check it out. Ended up having a blast! The vibe in there was similar to the vibe in The Lansdowne Pub when I went there on their opening day: skittish waiters with bigger-than-big smiles and the smell of new paint on the walls. The outside definitely needed some work since there wasn't much signage, but I thought the inside was really cool. It's very big, lots of black and white and a laser show over the sushi bar (I know!) Our waitress was blonde and adorable and I think Russian, and I shall refer to her as Sletvana (not her real name, but she's my boo). So yeah, the sushi is pretty expensive, but it's worth it. We ended up ordering four different rolls and all of them tasted very fresh. One of them had some kind of jelly eggs as a garnish, and even that was tasty! Also I would highly suggest ordering the Malbec, and the strawberry cheesecake for dessert. The wine will get you drunk, and the cheesecake will only make your buzz that much better. I also really appreciated the fact that they let me and my date sit there for four hours without rushing us out. There was a pretty decent sized crowd and I think this new place will do well in Fenway. The only weird thing was that Sletvana kept coming over and changing our plates like it was going out of style. I would eat one edamame pod and I would put the empty shell on the plate, and BOOM. It would be gone and replaced with a brand new dish. Those dishwashers in the kitchen of Basho must hate their lives.
(4)R F.
Came in with a group. Decided on happy hour roll specials. Some of the tools were great others were so so. Live and learn.
(3)Juliana N.
Came here with my friend with the idea that we'd eat LIGHT and heathly so we can stay skinny for Vegas this week. And did we hold back on eating the rice or noodle dishes or getting a sugar filled yummie looking martini? We did. Order 1: SASHIMI DINNER 28.00-----complete with 7 different types of fish, 3 pieces of each. The cuts were generously large and plenty. Order 2: Kanpachi Carpaccio with shiso yuzu-kosho dressing and chardonnay gelée 14.75 --- the dressing was light and delicious! SO GOOD. Came with 5 pieces. I'd definitely order this again. The sushi was fresh. I didn't go home with a stomach ache, so i'd say 5 stars for fresh sushi! I LOVED the trendy and sleek look. The bar was so nice! Though we opted to sit at a table. They sat us down by the window/door and nice bamboo stalks for decoration. Nice. Love love love. My friend and I said we'd love to have our birthday party here because there's a subtle sheer curtain divider that adds this really nice elegant feel to the section!
(5)Jessica B.
*Disclaimer* We had a Level-up coupon that got us a Chef's Sushi Boat...so we didn't get to pick and choose what we got. I liked the sushi we had (california, spicy shrimp tempura, eel...) but they were pretty simple and none were AMAZING that I'd be dying to try again. I would like to go back and just eat off the menu. The menu seemed great, and lots of delicious options. We sat outside, which due to no red sox game was really nice and relaxing. Our waitress was very nice, helpful... no service issues. I'd give it another shot, but still favor Fugakyu, etc....
(3)Courteney M.
As a fanatic of their sister restaurant, Douzo, in Back Bay, the joke amongst my friends was that Douzo ran a spending report by zip code and decided they had to open a location in the Fenway to better monetize me. Basho is my new favorite spot for sushi in Boston - the same amazing rolls and food as Douzo, with better decor and more spacious seating (I love Douzo, but I sometimes feel like I'm sitting on top of my neighbors because the tables are so close together). Other plusses? A robata grill (AMAZING grilled veggies - the shitake mushrooms and grape tomatoes are my favorites), the ability to make a reservation for parties less than 5 (unlike Douzo, where you have to get there before 7pm to avoid a wait because they don't take reservations for parties of 2-4), and EASY, validated parking in the 1330 Boylston garage ($4 for 3 hours, even during Sox games - if you go and they tell you the garage is full, they'll let you in if you're eating at Basho). The whole process couldn't be easier, and you still get the same amazing food as you do at Douzo.
(5)Elizabeth K.
It's super expensive for the portions you get. It's a bit deceiving though since a lot of items are priced by piece. So, you think "oh, $7 isn't bad" then, for example, you get two tiny piece of asparagus (like half of your pinky size) wrapped in two tiny pieces of pork belly. We ordered a special sushi sampler, 4 different types of skewers, and a spicy scallop roll (and feeling like we were being little piggies) the waitress responded with: "you're going to need more food than that." Yikes! (There were only two of us). So, we ended up adding on another roll that we honestly could have done without. The food was really tasty, but not soooooo tasty that the price was worth it combined with the service. In a near empty restaurant they sat us at a two top essentially attached to another two top, but separated by bamboo branches for privacy (which is a cute idea, but doesn't work, I heard way more from ladies conversation next to me than I did of my husband). I am also not really sure what they were going for while seating us seeing that all the other two-tops that were empty. It was pretty annoying. Furthermore, after seeing our new table-mates drinking tea, I was tempted to get one myself. Although the waitress seemed to refill their cups every five seconds and refill my husband's water glass just as frequently, she kept forgetting I had tea. Most of the dinner was spent with my mouth on fire from the spicy rolls and nothing to drink. It was very strange/unpleasant.
(3)Katie D.
I haven't ever had anything I didn't like at Basho. As a longtime sushi fan, I've recently jumped on the modern-sushi wagon and this is definitely a favorite spot. The skewers are amazing - especially the Kobe, of course - and the seafood salad was also really flavorful & refreshing as an app. I virtually always order the scallop kiki roll, because it's so fresh and all the flavors just pop, but the spicy yellowtail or Phoenix rolls are also amazing. Service has always been really friendly, down-to-earth, and attentive with a sense of humor -- just what Boston needed in a sushi restaurant.
(4)Sarah M.
Went back to Basho recently (again with a groupon) on a weeknight and took a seat at the bar. The food was great, and the service was attentive. Changing my mind to thinking this place is quite good, though the prices are a little high. Would go back again and sit at the bar.
(4)Maleia S.
Basho is fantastic. They have an amazingly diverse selection available and their sushi is unmatched. While I'm used to the cheaper pricing of Symphony Sushi, I have to say, Basho is worth it. Even their sushi rice is better. Some of my favorite items are the Phoenix Roll, Steamed Bun Sandwich, Sushi Rice, and Plum Wine. Their plum wine is the best I've ever had! The restaurant is huge and very chic. While technically a casual dress code, you'll find that it's a little fancier than that. The bar is fully stocked and their bartenders and wait staff are incredibly polite and friendly - not to mention knowledgeable. One small issue: they refuse to deliver past the building next to theirs. I work at a store on the next block, and they refused to deliver to me, saying I should use a website that charged not only an added percent on the menu prices, but also a delivery charge. Luckily, I was able to finagle leaving for a few minutes and get take-out instead. But yeah, even after they refused delivery, I still chose Basho, because they're the best. Hands down.
(5)Jayna D.
Decided to come here with my lunch buddy on a whim. We are always looking for a good sushi place close to work. This place was pretty good overall. We decided to sit at the bar and were greeted by a very friendly bartender who was extremely knowledgeable of the food. We ordered the Toro, which was ultra fresh and delicious, the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll and the Scallop Kiwi Roll, which ended up being my favorite. I will go back just for that! The only drawback was the service. They had our poor bartender also tend to all the tables around the bar and the outside tables. The two other waitresses in the bar didn't seem to know what to do to help her, therefore, everything got backed up and we ended up waiting for our check for 20 minutes. However, this would not stop me from going there again. I just hope management learns how to staff a little better.
(4)Sarah D.
I had a wonderful time here this past week. I had bought two of the RueLaLa deals and was finally able to redeem them. A friend of mine and I went on Tuesday night. They weren't busy at all when we arrived. I had read the reviews before going and was curious to see what the service would be like. Ten minutes after we had been seated, no one had come to the table with water or menus, even though there were several servers standing close by, not doing anything. I felt that the reviews had been confirmed. However, our server eventually showed up and managed to turned things around. The meal was delicious- as the other reviews mention, they serve you a selection of rolls and starters, along with a flight of sakes. The food was incredible and I am ashamed to say that I wasn't able to try everything because I got too full. What really made the meal, however, was our discussions about sake with the server. At one point he mentioned Basho's most expensive (and tasty) offering, Hakkaisan. He raved about the flavor, saying that it was the best he had tasted. A short while later, he came out with two small glasses so that we could sample it, I assume guessing that we would never be able to afford it on our own. The ceilings are high and unfortunately, it doesn't have the cozy feel of its sister restaurant, Douzo. I think they could make changes with the decor to change the atmosphere, but they don't have to do anything to improve the food. Also, our server mentioned that they have monthly parties on the first Wednesday with a DJ. He said there's more information about it on facebook.
(4)Frank S.
The place is beautiful and definitely marketed for the people looking for a trendy vibe. The people are very accomodating and the service is more than exceptional. I would recommend this place for a nice dinner out before heading out into town or even if you wanted to impress a date why not bring her or him here! The food is better than I expected but probably not the best sushi I've tried in Boston. I definitely have a few favorites... 1. The kobe beef on skewer (ahhh my love for kobe beef!) 2. The pork belly rolled on asparagus skewer (just melts in the mouth!) I also had the spciy tuna on crispy sushi rice which was just delightful but didn't scream out spectacular! And to wrap things up I had the Phoenix Roll which consists of crab stick with spicy mayo wrapped with seared salmon and tobiko, unagi sauce. The presentation was very nice but as I would expect a place like this to carry good sushi it did! The salmon tasted very fresh and the roll was delightful. It didn't scream out to me and say you have to come back here and try this very same dish but it did leave me with a lasting impression on the restaurant as a whole. I had their plum wine and I have to say that it was pretty sweet which I really enjoyed. Much sweeter than most places that serve plum wine. I had a great time with my friend and definitely see myself coming back here for some more sushi! The food: 4 stars The service: 3.5 stars The decor: 5 stars
(4)Eve C.
This place was phenomenal. We went several months ago and I never got around to reviewing it, but I should have! We got a huge amount of food, drinks, the works. It was a bit expensive ($200 for 4 people) but we really got a ton of really really delicious food and we all had multiple drinks. If all you want is basic sushi, then yes, it is overpriced, but if you want to experiment with sushi a bit, come here!
(5)Sarah D.
Sushi rolls are great here, but you're going to pay the price. We wanted to love this place since it's in our neighborhood but the service is so slow and the wait staff just seem to disappear for awhile. If i'm going to choose dine-in instead of take-out for sushi and pay the $$ for it, I better have attentive service. Without the group-on we'd be even more disappointed. I think we'll stick to take-out from here in the future.
(3)Mark W.
Four of my sushi connoisseur friends went to Basho last night (Wednesday) around 9pm, no wait in fact hardly anyone was at the bar or sitting at a table. They really went all out on this place... very nice. I can understand some of the issues other yelpers had from the cafeteria feel of the place to the trans music and definitely an interesting crowd with everyone wearing Red Sox hats and shirts but hey it is across from Fenway Park. The sushi was unique and very flavorful. The service was fun and attentive. Basho is our next new sushi hang out.
(5)Summer X.
The food is as good as Douzo, a little different in presentation. I like the Japanese style BBQ, a little pricey though. It is big, has couple place for private parties.
(5)Lily L.
Ambiance: Basho is very nicely decorated. Minimal but sleek and modern. One side has the bar and the other side has the restaurant. It's definitely a great place to come with date or friends. Service: Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. Food: The food is good, but not amazing. And the downside is the portions are very, very small. We ordered the pork belly with asparagus skewer. There were 4 pieces of pork belly wrapped around asparagus. I don't think the pork belly was as crispy as I had hoped. We also ordered the miso black cod. It's a 4 oz piece of fish or about the size of your palm. The flavors were pretty good. The 3 rolls we ordered were: dragon roll, spider roll, and spicy tuna roll. My least favorite would be the spicy avalanche roll. The serving of crab on top of the roll was good, but I couldn't taste any tuna at all. I don't know if it got overwhelmed by the cheese, but I just couldn't detect any hint of tuna. The dragon roll came in 4 pieces. Since I like tempura anything and crab, the combination of the two was great to me. The flavor was simple--just really let the crab sing. Our favorite was the dragon roll, and this roll was the best roll by far. If I were to come back again, I'd re-order this. Overall, the dinner cost $70 for 2 of us. I thought it was expensive for the quality and quantity of food.
(3)Khiem T.
I personally love Basho. I love the name too, very lovely. Here's the deal with people and expensive sushi, it's gourmet! You go to Basho for creativity, flavors, and interesting modern food preparation. This is not Americanized. If you want traditional sushi, you should go elsewhere, this place is very creative with their food. As for service, I enjoy the waiters here, they are very polite. We got the octopus and tuna tartar for appetizers, and crunchy roll and tiger roll to finish off. One word that stood out to me right away with the food. FLAVOR. all the ingredients were put together and it transcends the rawness of the fish. The flavor was exquisite. My only complaint was the 12$ drink that tasted like a normal mojito. haha.
(5)Steve K.
This was our go-to sushi place when we lived in Fenway.. especially since we lived 1 block away. It's a great place to grab drinks or sit down for a meal. The best part is that you never have to wait for seat. The sushi is really high quality and some of the freshest fish I've had. Our typical meal would start off with oysters, agedashi tofu (fantastic), miso black cod (amazing!) and a couple of rolls (recommend the rainbow roll). The duck or pork ramen is really good too. However, the most amazing part of dinner is the salmon sashimi... 2 pieces of heaven that literally tastes like butter!
(4)Jose E.
My first time at Basho for lunch,I was very impressed sushi is delicious!!!! and the service outstanding can't wait to comeback for dinner great job.
(5)Francis W.
I first want to say that I was really excited when Basho opened. I love Japanese food and was looking forward to supporting a local, high quality restaurant. We have eaten at Basho 3 times since they have opened, so this review is not the result of just one bad experience. This is our experience today for lunch: 1) It took 2 hours for us to get in and out due to kitchen and service issues. There was only one other group of customers and at least 10 visible staff members. 2) It took at least 20 minutes for one of us to get our meal. 5 minutes later, the second person got their meal. Then It took at least 25 additional minutes for the other two to get their meals. By the time I ate my food, it was completely cold. 3) One of us requested brown rice, which they were out of. This is okay, except that we were charged 2 extra dollars for brown rice that we never received. We were not warned about the extra cost, nor was there a footnote on the lunch menu indicating the charge. When we politely told the manager about the mistake on the bill, she was somewhat defensive and unapologetic. We were also charged $1 extra for the Nabeyaki Udon for no reason (we did not notice this until we got home). Check your bills extra carefully if you eat here! 4) One of us ordered green tea. The tea in the teapot was cold, so she basically paid for refills of cold tea. 5) The management offered free dessert because of the bad service, which was a very nice gesture. We were full from our lunch, so two of us ordered dessert to-go after which we were told by our waitress that this was against their policy (even though they have a to-go section for their food). I asked if they could make an exception b/c of our bad experience. The manager said that this was an inflexible policy. When we inquired about the reason for the bizarre policy, she did not provide an explanation. 6) Two tempura dishes were brought out without tempura sauce. 7) It took at least 20 minutes for our change to arrive. If it were not for the unprofessional and slow service, I would give Basho 3 stars. Each time we have eaten at Basho, the staff to customer ratio has been at least 2:1, so the bad service is inexcusable. I love Douzo, but the owner should take a serious look at Basho. I understand that new restaurants have a lot of kinks to work out, but today was just one bad experience after another with little done to ameliorate the situation. We have given them 3 chances, and while not all visits have been as bad as today, food consistently comes out slowly and at staggered times when the place is practically empty. The management had the opportunity to make this up to us today but refused to be flexible with their dessert "policy" or offer any alternative, such as comping our meals. If they had done this, I would not have written this review. I am very disappointed, as I was looking forward to being a regular customer of Basho.
(1)P C.
**LIVING SOCIAL WARNING** I've been here 2 times and both times I wasn't wow-ed for dinner and drinks. I've had the apps and sushi. I also had a living social that I purchased- I viewed it on my iphone and NEVER clicked redeemed- when I went to the restaurant to use my livingsocial they said it had already been used. They said there is no way they could "MAKE-UP" The voucher number and the manager actually blamed us and said theres no way it could've been them. Needless to say, I won't go back.
(2)David V.
The consensus on this place is 3.5 stars, and that's probably an appropriate summation of this Japanese newcomer. Never thought I'd be eating good sushi on the block that housed Burger King and the New Alliance studios when I first moved to town. The atmosphere is modern and sleek, the server I had was very attentive and friendly and the menu was full of things I was dying to try. Their specialty is a selection of small skewers called Robata, but all I could think of in my head was "domo arigato mr. roboto". Tried a pork belly and asparagus one and a trumpet royal mushroom one. They were small but packed with flavor. The seafood kiyake is one of my favorite appetizers and Basho's is on par with any I've had around town - a mound of spicy seafood, tobiko and cheese baked into a large scallop shell. Ordered a couple of maki rolls - a decent spicy seafood one, a solid Alaskan with bonito flakes (Fugakyu does this too), and a fancy roll that had about 10 ingredients. It tasted great, but there were a lot of these fancy maki rolls on the menu and none of them really reached out at me. Had a couple of nigiri pieces - wild salmon and yuzu yellowtail belly. The pieces were rather small for the price, but the yellowtail was particularly melt-in-my-mouth. It would just be nice if they paid as much attention to quantity as they do to quality.
(4)Tina D.
Basho is a relatively new sushi place near Fenway. It is decorated in a trendy and modern way. There are big TVs on the bar side and more than enough seating in the dining room. The service was fabulous! My waiter made some great selections and went out of his way to make sure I was happy. The garlic/ginger edamame has a pleasant zing to it and left me wanting more. I was a little disappointed in the tempura rolls... I thought they lacked flavor and were covered in too much spicy mayo. The volcano roll left me with the same feeling. The spicy tuna roll was a good mix of crunchy and tuna. I think it might have been the best thing I ate that night. I would not be opposed to going back, but I doubt I will go out of my way to do so.
(3)Long V.
Amazing! I have been waiting for Basho to open and I was not disappointed in anyway. Just started with a light drink and hot starter (Tokyo Cosmo and grilled duck). I had to leave early, but am excited to taste much more of the food and styled. Major side note... The staff is polite and fun to interact with. Thanks Brian and Bill!
(5)Shakira M.
Went to Basho last week with a group of friends and had a great experience. Its a very stylish place, very clean and contemporary. I love this place for its food and atmosphere. The one thing I wasn't too impressed with was the waitstaff. The place was not packed since it was a Wednesday night and it was snowing, but the waiter was pretty slow with taking our orders and seemed a little confused. Maybe he was new so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Other than the slow waiter, this is definitely a great place. Perfect for groups and dates.
(4)Chris B.
I'm not really a fan. Execution is always a little bit off. Some of the words I'd use are: ~ "clinical" space which at full lighting would remind of a fancy cafeteria; the restaurant often feels kind of empty or non energetic... ~ few people seemed to be drinking, which is a big problem at an izakaya (friendly note for anyone not familiar with the term: it is defined in Wikipedia as "a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks.") ~ music was kind of muzak-y... didn't really recognize sort of generic jazz. Maybe would help to go for some good Japanese izakaya music? ~Ume chazuke came out after our meal was finished -- apparently it had to get remade; for me this is comfort food, which is why I ordered it... but it definitely was a bit off. Soup was starchier than I would expect, and there wasn't enough flavor... Just now I read in the "Boston Globe" that apparently in Basho's restaurant review, the critic also thought it was "terrible" -- whoops. I can see why they remade it this time though; they were probably terrified of the dish after it was panned so badly last time. They kindly apologized for the delay and sent out a amuse bouche though. ~ Sashimi quality was very good to start when they opened, but I feel like maybe it has gone slightly downhill over time? The quantity within the sashimi app is kinda generous though... could probably make smaller slices and everyone still be happy. ~ The inside "to-go" prepared foods section has been removed, which makes sense... Personally, I wish they'd close half the restaurant (get a smaller space), make the lighting a little brighter, have tons of sake and beer everywhere (Asahi, Sapporo, etc), Japanese-ify the restaurant with some good music, and simplify the menu down to one page of daily specials... a handful of freshly grilled robata, a handful of sushi/sashimi/rolls, etc. Tell me about the origin of the meat, the bincho coals, the sauces. Show pride in the quality of the food paired with the outstanding social scene of drinking with close friends. In other words, make it a drinking establishment with food -- not the other way around.
(3)Becca P.
This place is AMAZING! It looks small from the outside but it's much bigger. It is very modern and chic. The staff is very nice. The food is expensive but delicious! The Basho flavored sashimi sampler was good but more $$ than I would have wanted to pay. The kobe beef skewers were cooked PERFECTLY. I can't remember the name of the rolls/makis we got but they were all GOOD so I really do not think you can go wrong here. 2 Thumbs up for Basho!
(5)Robert G.
My "go to" sushi place in Boston. Rolls are creative and well executed. The selections from the robata grill are excellent and worth the trip alone. The avocado tempura is out of this world. I have always had great service and the decor/feel is great. It is in the Fenway area, so parking is ample (except during games/events).
(5)Brian M.
I met up with some former co-workers there last week and was supremely impressed with the friendly and prompt service that went along w/the tasty food. The spicy edamame was an outstanding starter. One of the more interesting rolls was a special - a burrito of sorts - and was delectable. I urge them to make that roll a mainstay. You won't go wrong giving Basho a try. I'll certainly be back.
(5)D K.
I live in the neighborhood. My neighbor and I had dinner here once a few months after they opened. Our food was fine. Somehow the food passing us to go to other tables looked/smelled more exciting, so it's possible we made poor ordering decisions? The restaurant has some strange seating options. We sat at a small table on a busy end of the restaurant with servers continuously whizzing past us. The restaurant wasn't very busy when we went, but they seated a couple at the table adjacent to us. The tables were very close together and the only thing between our two tables were some fake bamboo sticks. We found this configuration to be awkward. The reason why I won't go back: THEY SERVE FRAUDULENT FISH! Not only is it completely unacceptable for them to charge you for one fish, yet serve you one which is cheaper, it also completely disregards that some people have certain food allergies!!!!! (The study was done by the Boston Globe if you're curious to see the specifics)
(1)K. N.
10 pm on a Sunday night, so just a few other tables (that seemed to be happy). My friend and I had a very nice and attentive server in Aida who was also sweet to be quick with the check when we mentioned we had to catch something at 11. She gave some enthusiastic recommendations and knew the menu well. The pork bun appetizer ($7.95)was delicious with juicy pork inside and the pickles were a surprising and nice part of the "sandwich". The black miso cod ($13.75) was super small in serving. The miso dots on the side of the dish added really good flavor, though it's just not something I would order again for the cost. The kobe beef robata ($6.95) - delicious. I think I would have liked it even a little more pink, but the flavor was good and it was 2 decent sized cubes of juicy meat. The chu-toro sushi (about $6 for 1 pc sushi) - fresh and clean taste and perfect. The yuzu yellowtail roll ($15.75) was nicely done and fresh. Though, it was smaller in size than I'd hoped. The yuzu adds some sweetness and there was enough flavor to the roll that my friend opted to skip the soy sauce dipping. TI liked that they had white pickled ginger on the side instead of pink - firm and full taste. Presentation on everything was nice. Tea was refilled attentively. Staff were nice from the hostess to person who seated us and servers. I like the matchstick lights dancing behind the sushi bar staff. Place feels very big, which I didn't like as much because there weren't too many people, but perhaps the size is fitting when it's a full house. Went for dinner with a livingsocial coupon. It was definitely tasty but the expensive prices would make it a hard sell for me to come back on my budget, which is too bad because I would like to try more rolls and kobe beef items. We're in that area sometimes, so we may still stop by again just for the pork bun sandwich and robata grill items.
(4)Elle J.
Average. I've gone for lunch and dinner a couple of times. I would recommend the lunch. The lunch menu is very good and the price is right. However, I won't go for dinner again. The dinner is very pricey and while the quality is ok it's not amazing for what they charge. The service is good but the food comes out really quickly so that works if you are in a rush but not so much if you want to spend a leisurely evening relaxing.
(3)Amy R.
The boyfriend and I went to Basho a couple of weeks ago for what we were hoping would be a quick bite to eat before we headed out for the night. Well, the experience was certainly not a short one. We asked for seating on the patio and our waiter was moving slower than a Special Olympic hurdler. Being a waiter at Basho may be his first waiting gig, so we laid off of him a little bit - seemed a bit jittery and nervous. Anyway, the reason why I didn't give this less stars is because I am HOPING this isn't the case with the waitstaff across the board. The food was tres delicious. We split the sweet potato tempura for an appetizer - if you're hankering for more than small bites for an app, I recommend getting a couple of orders. My boyfriend also got the grilled squash from the Robata grill and it had a really nice mustard sauce on top. He had the lobster tempura maki, which looked really good... but he had gobbled them up to quickly for me to sneak a bite! I had sake maki and spicy tuna and was very pleased. Also, there is an incredible White Pomegranate martini that I would recommend to anyone in the mood for a girly cocktail!
(4)stephanie c.
I was really excited to check out this new sushi place. Unfortunately, it seemed to miss a lot of marks and I hope they continue to thrive in the next few years. Location-Fenway probably isn't the best location for their classier upscale restaurant given that most people in the area are either collegians or tourists. It's nice to have a finer restaurant in the sporty Fenway area, but the probably not the best business decision. It would have done much better in Back Bay, DT, Cambridge, or the South End Ambiance-surprisingly nice! I liked the spacious open bar. It's very simplistic, yet modern, zen-ish, clean, and comfortable. True it can give a sort of cold cafetaria vibe in the space and choice of furniture. They have a lot of land, so it's definitely not the cozy vibe, but I still thought the layout was well down and the ambiance is nice. Menu-great variety. Here's the big misser. The concept of the sushi, appetizers, sounded great but tasted overcompensated. We tried a variety of robata, sashimi, maki sushi, and appetizers-everything was fresh but it just seemed as thought they were trying too hard to make their entrees unique and ended up destroying the natural flavor and delicacy of the fish. The result is a puzzled, uncertain, experience in my mouth. Kobe beef in particular was dry and overcooked (how sad for the kobe) Overall-if the sushi was off hand incredible, they'd have a better shot at getting people to come out to Fenway to try it. Otherwise they're just banking right now on novelty and as soon as that dies out...business might be rough. Suggestions-simply the flavors and taste and focus on presenting something more amazing. Will I be back? Perhaps...undecided at this time whether the venture to Fenway is worth it...
(2)Myha N.
Amazing restaurant. I went there for a birthday last night and loved the dishes I ordered! I read a bunch of the reviews before ordering and was very pleased! I got the kobe and pork belly w/ aparagus skewers, spicy tuna (appetizer), foie gras teriyaki and the fried chicken meatballs. For a drink I got the dragon berry drink the waitress recommended and it was great. I'm normally not a martini person but it tasted very good.
(5)Hieu T.
My former team and I went to this local restaurant last night, and it was amazing! I love the decor of the restaurant. It reminds me of a hip, euro type of restaurant with Asian theme to it. It is was empty on a Tuesday's night so I can just imagine when it gets busy. It could be transform into a nightclub. My team and I had amazing service here! Our waiter was amazing and offered excellent choices for sushi. There were rolls made out of brown rice - so tendor, soft, and amazing! One of my team mates cannot decide which wine to get, so the restaurant manager stop by our table and offer a few glasses of wine to taste. Absolutely marvelous! I would like to give it a five stars, but it is quite expensive for dinner - which it is not surprising since Sushi joints are expensive. I want to go back there for LUNCH! Besides, I get 10% off for being an area hospital employees.
(4)Elisabeth G.
Basho, I have to thank you for two reasons: 1) Your food is delicious 2) You have brought me to the important life realization that I do NOT enjoy listening to techno music while eating raw fish. I know the two really aren't related, but that's probably why it felt wrong at the time. All things considered, I really had a very good experience here. A few co-workers and I went here after a work function earlier this week. We got there around 6:30 and, although there were probably 5 other people in the place, it took them a good 10 minutes to seat us. However, once we we got a table, everything went much better. We started off with spicy ginger edemame. Why I have not seen spiced edemame anywhere else is beyond me because it was delicious. When our food arrived, there wasn't anything I didn't want to try. My friend and I got a bunch of maki and devoured it all. My maki partner in crime had to make active efforts not to hog the food from each other. Standout roll of the night award definitely went to the spicy avalanche roll with an honorable mention to the Crunchy roll. I have to admit, I was expecting to eat here, like it, but pay far too much. While the sushi is expectedly slightly more expensive than the average hole-in-the-wall, it's really not much worse on price and it has the goods to back it up. The only drawbacks were the aforementioned tumpa-thumpa music and the slightly over-eager service. You can only be asked how everything is so many times before you start feeling guilty that you're not eating faster.
(4)Andrea E.
Best sushi I've ever had! I eat a Basho often because of two reasons 1) I'm addicted to sushi 2) I love Basho I've actually dared to try new things at Basho, which I hadn't done before at any other sushi restaurant because of fear. My favorite pieces are Spicy Tuna appetizer (with crispy rice...yum!) Any Bento lunch Caterpillar roll Tempura Banana Dessert Once you try Basho, you can't really go anywhere else!
(5)Jenny C.
OMG this place is really cool and the food won't disappoint you. pro: - classy atmosphere...some good music...not too loud... - presentation of food...awesome - taste of food...awesome ( get the kobe beef skewers). - you want to order something really good and that fills u up? get the Pork Ramen soup! - Servers: pretty nice and attentive cons: - they charge you $ 1.50 for a side of sriracha hot sauce ( wait what !!!???) - I asked for a Tom Collins and instead of telling me "We don't know how to do it " they just brought me a bad "experiment" and it tasted pretty bad. So only get drinks on the menu. The lychee martini is pretty good. - a bit pricey I like it...give it a chance if you are around fenway and you're hungry. Ps: great date spot
(4)Laura B.
I am very surprised to see the bad reviews of Basho on Yelp. I have been to Basho twice and had great experiences both times. The first time I went with my boyfriend and used a BuyWithMe certificate. We did not have any problems using it. My mushroom robata was fabulous and my boyfriend had pork robata and loved that too. Our sushi was delicious. Everything went so well that we decided not only to go back for my boyfriend's graduation dinner with his, rather large, family but also to buy 3 more BWM certificates for future use. They gave us a nice corner for a little privacy for our big group and were very accomodating to our various preferences, even to his six yr old brother's tastes. The spicy edamame is fabulous. I am also surprised that people like Duozo better. I live near Duozo but have only been once. The tables are MUCH closer together at Duozo than at Basho. The sushi is good at both places but the other Japanese small plates are much better at Basho in my opinion. I have had some flops at Duozo. I am happy to be moving to Fenway so I can eat Basho all the time!
(4)Nikki T.
I went to Basho for a friend's birthday dinner a couple of months ago, and it was nothing short of one of the greatest culinary disappointments I've ever experienced in Boston. Maybe I just have extraordinarily high standards when it comes to Japanese food considering I was born and raised in Japan for 18 years, and I compare everything to my mother's cooking. Regardless, in short, Basho is not worth the price you pay for the quality of food you're served here. The atmosphere of this place can only be described as "tries-too-hard". Its décor is a fusion of mod, zen, and bamboo themes - which could be cool if executed properly...but it wasn't. I guess it serves well for a "high-class" Japanese restaurant smack dab in the center of a collegiate neighborhood. Very bizarre location for this "caliber" of restaurant I'd have to say. Several of my friends ordered sushi - which is fine if you're willing to pay $4 per sushi (nigiri). I'm not. Sushi is a hit or miss thing for me at Japanese restaurants in Boston. I usually order a main non-sushi dish and feed off my friend's sushi plates when I assess the quality of a restaurant. The sushi at Basho is A-ok. Nothing special. Definitely not worth the price. I decided to try the Tofu Hamburg Steak, a vegetarian dish. Biggest mistake of my life. There was absolutely no taste (not even copious amounts of salt and pepper can save this culinary disaster) and it felt like I was eating a hamburger made out of flavorless cardboard. I don't care how vegetarian you are, you will be disappointed by the blandness of the dish. It is so awful that it should be taken off the menu. I'm not kidding. It is a waste of your $16.50. I walked out of this restaurant feeling so utterly disappointed and cheated of my money. I'd probably never return here again.
(1)Michelle B.
Went here with my husband after I got a $25 for $50 deal from Where.com . Both of us enjoyed our food very much and would like to come back. The only thing keeping this from a 5 star, or a more enthusiastic 4 star, is the service. While our waiter was great, he was handling six other tables toward the end of lunch service by himself and seemed overwhelmed. The food also came out at an odd pace, so my husband and I were often left not eating while the other one was. I had the steamed pork bun sandwich and I thought it was great. The bun was light and fluffy and the pork was perfectly cooked and seasoned. It was so meltingly tender. After that, I tried the pork belly and asparagus skewer which was well prepared and the perfect size, probably about one stalk of asparagus cut into quarters and then wrapped in pork belly. Lastly I had the avalanche roll which was just okay; there was something about all the components that didn't just come together in the right way for me. My husband had the eel and cucumber roll and one of the lunch specials. The lunch special was ridiculously large - a pile of rice, some beautiful sashimi, onion rings, chicken teriyaki, some maki, a really cute segmented orange plus a salad. He enjoyed all of it. Parking out front was easy, but I imagine it'd be a nightmare when there's a game. The interior of the restaurant is very nice, but way too big. the cavernous aspect of it made it seem cold.
(4)Kasey A.
I'm going to start off by saying the torched salmon salad here was immaculate and caused my eyes to grow twice as hungry from when I first sat down. Not so much a problem for my stomach, but a big one for my wallet considering this place is a tad bit overpriced, but well worth it in my opinion. I was very pleased with the level of service we received, probably the best I've had at a sushi restaurant. The decor was nice & trendy, decent music and they had a cool lighting system that gave it a lounge type of feel. Everything we ordered was scrumptious and I loved the creativity they put into decorating the dishes. We did not order drinks, so there's not much I can say about that, but I do know my girls and I will be back and I'm sure we won't be disappointed.
(4)wing n.
i don't usually give 5 stars, but for basho, i will. i had 2 dinners at basho so far, and my experience was great! the chef seems to offer a very artistic modern japanese cuisine and i really love what they put onto the table for us. i just can't wait to go back again!!
(5)Annie M.
Basho has the best food, seriously. It's high-quality, good asian food. It's a bit on the expensive side, but if you're in the mood to treat yourself, this is a great place for Japanese food. I'm not a sushi person myself, but my friends seem to really like the sushi here. The servers are really nice and professional. This place books up fast, though, so you should make a reservation the day before on weekends, just to be safe. This restaurant is very trendy and located right next to Fenway!
(4)Nat P.
Basho puts the SEX in Japanese(x) dining! Super sexy atmosphere and silky smooth sushi. They will put Viagara out of business. Nat Dogg rates this as one of the Top Five places in Boston to seal the deal! Yum.
(5)Boston D.
Amazing food. Don't expect typical Japanese or typical anything. Incredibly flavorful and creative sushi. Amazing grilled items on a stick, from Kobe beef, to duck, to chicken, to veggies. 3 kinds of Edamame: regular, pepper/garlic, and curry. Great apps. My favorite is the blackened cod, sort of Nobu style. Anyone who complains about the prices isn't being fair. The prices are reasonable for the way above average quality, and way below the most expensive Japanese places. Yes, they are more than your local sushi joint, but the food and culinary creativity is so much better. You do get what you pay for. Also good place to go is some people in your party don't like sushi because non-sushi menu is so extensive. Great deal with $4 parking on Sox game nights.
(5)Sabrina T.
Don't bother. Over priced sushi that is mediocre at best. Bought a $40 buywithme, but manager would not accept the coupon via the buywithme iphone app. The terms and conditions never state "must present printed coupon". Manager suggested "the kinkos down the street is open until 9pm". Seriously?
(1)Russell F.
Basho was a big disappointment. I know a lot about Japanese food, and a Japanese friend who had not been to the restaurant suggested that I check it out. He had heard about it, but never visited. I chose to sit at the sushi bar. Although I was there at about 7PM on a weekday, there were no more than about 4 people eating inside the restaurant and a handful outside in this cavernous space. I ordered three types of sushi: O-toro, Uni and Ama-ebi. The O-toro was not O-toro. It was a much lower grade of tuna, perhaps not even chu-toro. It may have come from the tuna belly, but that is not the key criterion. By passing it off as O-toro and charging O-toro prices, they are cheating their customers. The O-toro was not visible in the display case. The Uni was from Maine, not California. Tthey should be able to provide the higher quality California Uni which is much creamier and sweeter. If they want to sell uni from Maine in this 'high end' restaurant, the charge should probably be a little less, they should be more selective about the quality and the uni should be visible in the display case. The Ama-ebi had a nice flavor. One shrimp per piece, but larger size shrimps. It wasn't super fresh, but it was good. It was not served with the cooked heads, as is customary with this size shrimp. The rice that was used for the sushi was a bit too dry for my taste, but worse, in my opinion, was that there was too much of it in each piece. Sadly, in Boston, this is a common theme. It's as if the restaurants want to show the customers that they are getting more for their money, so they give you about twice the amount of rice that you would get in Japan or in an authentic Japanese restaurant in NY or L.A., and they often give you a larger piece of (therefore) lower quality fish. Personally, I would prefer a smaller (bite-sized, as is traditional) piece with higher quality fish or other ingredient (neta.) When the chef asked me if I was pleased with the sushi, I told him exactly what I stated above. He agreed when I said that the Uni was from Maine, but that was pretty much the last word I heard from him. He never offered to give me a better piece of O-toro, something that I would hope for, but perhaps he didn't have any. There was also no adjustment to the bill, at least not a reduction. The highlight of my meal was the Shishito Pepper appetizer. It was absolutely wonderful. I was just in Barcelona, where grilled Padron peppers are in season and wondrous, and the Shishitos brought back that fantastic memory. Basho's chef cooked them perfectly, still holding a little crunch and varying from mild to medium in the heat category. They were in a delicious, spicy sauce that reminded me of Nobu's Peruvian-inspired Anti-Cucho sauce. I had Miso soup, which was a good sized portion and perfectly fine. I ordered Monkfish pate, which was the usual monkfish liver roll sliced up with too little ponzu sauce. It had very little flavor and seemed a bit harder than it should have been, perhaps from prolonged storage. I was excited by the description of the Yellowtail Usuzukuri l, so I ordered that as well. It was described as yellowtail with yuzu sauce. Simple and perhaps exactly what I needed - NOT! The raw yellowtail slices were laid out on the plate with too much of a cloying, almost gelatinous thick 'sauce' on each and a slice of jalapeno pepper. It was a bad interpretation of Nobu's Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno. Note that the menu description did not even mention Jalapeno and, by the way, the yellowtail had little flavor. On to 'Robata.' I'm also a big fan of Yakitori or grilled chicken. Typically a Yakitori house in Japan prepares almost every part of the chicken on skewers. One of my favorite selections is grilled chicken skin. When properly prepared and crispy it can be sublime. It was on their 'Robata' menu, but the waiter, who was excellent and very attentive, by the way, told me that an hour before he had been told that they were taking it off the menu. Really????? So I asked him to ask the chef, who must still have had chicken and chicken skin, if he could make it for me. No. I then ordered 4 skewers - Chicken Thigh, Kobe Beef, Pork Belly with Mustard and Shrimp. The chicken thigh was skinless (so where was my chicken skin???) and dry - it had been marinated but perhaps for too long and the overall result was poor. Chicken thigh in a good restaurant is often a whole chicken thigh wrapped in its own skin and grilled to the point where the skin is crispy and the meat is tender. This was terrible by comparison. Bleh. The Kobe Beef, supposedly not Wagyu but actually from the Kobe Prefecture in Japan, was mostly tough and chewy and without a lot of flavor. If it was Kobe, it was a low grade. Bleh+ The Pork Belly was a bit burned and the meat portion was mostly dry and overcooked. The shrimp was not fresh. I've hit the space limit for this review.
(1)Stephanie Y.
My friends and I love dining out, especially for Asian delights such as sushi. One of my friends lives right in the Fenway area and suggested Basho (which wasn't even officially open yet, so it was cool we got to see what it was like - almost a sneak preview). We went on a Saturday night and the place had the right amount of crowd. It wasn't too busy but reservations are highly recommended - I can see this place becoming a hot new night spot. The staff was super friendly and there was PLENTY of staff around if you ever needed some assistance. The decor of the place seemed very NYC - hip and modern. Our server was Richard and he was such a delight. He trained for two weeks straight trying to learn the menu and all the details on the dishes.. I couldn't help but quiz him a little bit. He seemed knowledgeable for the most part, but clearly still learning. Overall, he is an asset to Basho in my opinion (clearly, we made friends). More importantly, the food = yum. The dishes were more on the higher priced side of things, very similar to Douzo on Dartmouth. In fact the owner of Basho had started Douzo! I highly recommend trying their Basho flavored sushi. These sushi pieces are special and unique because the chef chooses special flavors to highlight/compliment the type of fish used. Very interesting concept. If you like sushi and are into trying new things, I would definitely recommend you give Basho a try.
(4)Anya M.
So good! And a nice venue
(5)Hyun Y.
I've had the lunch specials (sushi special, sashimi special), which were good. I do like their food, but I wish they had more selections. The shishimaki is ok, but I've had better. I tried their dessert a while ago, and it was good at the time (I don't know what they have right now...but I'm sure it's pretty good). I think I like this place more than I should partially because it's pretty much the only Japanese restaurant in the vicinity (Fenway). Overall, not the best, but pretty good.
(3)C. C.
Still come here regularly for their sushi. Lately have been ordering delivery at least once a week and they are so fast! (I think delivery is offered only for apartments by the same owner). The food arrives fresh within 15-20minutes.
(4)amy m.
I was so excited to come here, especially with my Groupon, so I made a reservation for 2. The decor was cool but I felt like there was no privacy because all of the tables were really close together. We ordered a couple of beers (pretty cheap), some gyoza, a sushi roll, and entrees. We waited about 45 minutes before we saw the gyoza which tasted pretty yummy, next came the entrees about half an hour after that. We were confused as to what happened to our sushi but we were told it would come out shortly. We finished out entrees, still no sushi. We were so frustrated because of the wait that we told the server not to bring it. There was no apology from the manager or anything which added to our frustration. I would not come here again. The dishes were overpriced and I have had better at other places.
(2)David D.
Good...Staff needs work but I will try it again!
(3)H S.
I'm one of those weirdos who really likes donating blood every 8 weeks. Fortunately, I also love red meat and seafood, two key producers of iron, which is important and necessary for donating. I'm consistently just making the cut-off for my hemoglobin levels, whether right on the money or just a smidge under. But not if I go to Basho the night before. The fish is so good and fresh you will want to keep eating way past the second you realize you're full. The sushi bar staff is so pleasant and cheerful, you will want to eat whatever they're making. Service is great and prices are reasonable, considering the quality of this delicious food. Sometimes I feel like I'm in "Club Basho" though so wish it was a more laid back place. Sake doesn't really help your iron count but it can't hurt, right?
(4)Peter M.
I had terrible service here. I ordered take out, and this really ditzy girl managed to: (1) overcharge me (2) get my order wrong (3) have it ready an hour early (I ordered early and said "i'll be there at 7:30" i got there at 7:25 and she told me she was just calling me because it had been ~45 mintues and was wondering where i was) so everything was cold by the time i got there, let alone got home) food was overpriced for the quality (it was OK, definately had better at Genki Ya, etc.) The restaurant itself seemed nice but as I didn't eat there and spent most of my time inside being pissed off I won't pass judgement. Hope that if you go you have a better experience than I had -
(2)john e.
Absolute rubbish and stale sashimi, which is the whole point of going here. I mean for fresh sashimi. The salmon was rubbery and flavorless and no wonder after we went here I hear they are trying to survive by going with coupons from Groupon. A lot of the restaurants that you see on Groupon are complete failures and should shut down.
(1)Adrian W.
This place is was a huge letdown. I came to this place for lunch with hopes of finding a great japanese restaurant around town, but I have to say, this is not it. This place is pretty nice and well decorated, but that is all that is good about it. I ordered a Spider Roll, Rainbow Roll, Vegetable Tempura Bento Box with a Spicy Tuna Roll, and Shiitaki Mushroom Yakitori. The Spider roll was not too bad, but just the fact that it took several bites to eat one piece was annoying. The Rainbow roll was not bad either, but it didn't seem to hold together too well. The Tempura was disappointing. Not only was it not crisp and was soggy, THE TEMPURA SAUCE WASN'T EVEN A SAUCE!! It could have been a soup! It severely lacked soy sauce and just made the tempura even worse to eat. On a side note, the rice that came with the bento box was not fresh (most likely from the previous night) and it was not Japanese rice, it was just plain Jasmine rice. The Spicy Tuna rolls that came with the bento box were like baby food in a sushi. It was bland and had no texture at all. The Shiitaki Mushroom Yakitori was most likely the best tasting food of the meal, but how hard is it to really to cook mushrooms on a skewer. Overall, this place does not deserve its current rating listed on Yelp. To think that this place is authentic is a lie. Make no mistake, this place is CHINESE-OWNED and CHINESE-MANAGED. I had the pleasure of hearing the manager yell at one of her staff members in Chinese. Food: 4/10 Service: 2/10 Atmosphere: 8/10
(2)Casmine L.
I like this place. It is the sister restaurant of Douzo. I have only eaten here for lunch (yes they have a lunch menu), and I think the sushi is fresh and the rolls are decent. The Bento box is delish too. The pan fried noodle dishes need a little work. Needs more flavor. I was worried about this place thriving for dinner though, especially since the price point for this location is higher than most places in the area. You can charge this much in back bay or south end, but fenway??? There's not much "action" around here, so going here is a destination, not a quick stop over...Not so sure college students and red sox fans are willing to shell out the dough for sushi. Needless to say, I like this place and the service that I have received during lunch has been great. Another reviewer is right, being a dishwasher here must stink because they are constantly clearing plates!
(4)Nadia K.
This would be 5 stars if it was a little more affordable, but as is, I solid 4.5 stars. We went tonight and sat against the back wall, our waitress was a very nice asian woman (sorry can't remember the name, but if anyone from the restaurant reads these- she was great) who was always there when we wanted her and not there when we didn't. It's an art being a good waitress, she's got the skill. We started with the spicy tuna cold appetizer on the crispy rice. That was a perfect balance between the soft fresh spicy tuna and the crunchy rice. I'm in food love. Next we got the garlic spicy peppers, which came with fried onions and were in a very tasty spicy/vinegar sauce. Could have been a touch spicier but very good. After that we got the kobe beef skewer, very tender, a nice char on it, but for $7... a little small, needed something else with it. We also got the spicy tuna cucumber roll, which is impossible to eat without using your hands but the filling is again that perfect balance of spicy tuna with a crispy tempura, I can't describe it- try it, it's worth the $7. We also got two rolls, both were excellent and the seafood was clearly very fresh as it tasted almost sweet. There was no trace of that "fishy" garbage you get at places like ma soba- and I can definitely tell because I'm allergic to seaweed and therefore get my sushi wrapped in soy paper, this is definitely the good stuff. I'm glad to see this area of Boston picking up. Oh they also need to reduce their "waiting" area on non-game nights... I mean put some tables there and increase table service so you don't have to wait on a wednesday night... come on people.
(4)Sara S.
Absolutely delicious sushi, ranging from traditional to over-the-top maki rolls. The prices are a little higher than average, but so is the quality. The atmosphere is a little sterile but chic and pleasant. They have a nice wine selection, but their cocktails leave a little to be desired. Come here as a great alternative to Douzo's wait and scene.
(4)Sean H.
Awesome place. Had a shrimp app that was amazing. I had the sushi which was very fresh. My husband had the chicken teriyaki and my sister had the beef teriyaki, both said it was extremely tasty. Prices were reasonable, entrees were $19-$35 (most on the lower end of that range) for a decent portion ; apps, tempora, and sushi were a little better pricewise all were under $20. The three of us spent less than $70(pretty good for 3 ppl). The ambience was great; dim lights but not too dark, soft music, and intimate seating really set the mood for a great meal.
(5)Tony S.
We recently went to Basho with an OpenTable certificate for a 5 course chef tasting. The restaurant is right on Boylston St so thankfully they have a valet because parking near Fenway is atrocious. We walked in and approached what appeared to be the hostess who was hanging out at a desk type area directly in front of the door. I indicated that we had reservations and she curtly pointed to the actual hostess stand and said, she'll take care of you. It's a little thing but really, you couldn't approach this a little more gracefully? The first course of the tasting menu was amazing. A plate of several different & widely contrasting items - oyster, duck, stuffed cucumber, smoked cheese and some type of fruit for which I cannot remember the name. Excellent! The second course was sashimi which was better than good but not great. Toro is my favorite sashimi but sadly the toro at Basho did not live up to my high standards as set by Oishii. Instead of being buttery and simply melting in your mouth, it was overly fatty tuna that was tough. Between the 2nd and 3rd course, my wife and I had finished our respective drinks. We waited for a good 8-10 minutes before we had to finally ask a bus boy to send our waiter over. I fully understand it was a busy Friday night but when the waiter seems to linger just a tad to long at the table right behind us (cue 2 blonde girls splitting 1 roll), it seems that his focus needs some refinement. Had he simply looked in the direction of our table, he would have seen me asking him for another round. The 3rd course was a nice tempura. I'm generally not a fan of tempura but this was well done. Kudos to the chef. The 4th and what should have been the highlight course was Kobe beef. Full disclosure, I am a food snob. I've had Kobe in Japan and at very fine restaurants like Nobu. I have ridiculously high expectations for my Kobe. What Basho served cannot/should not be called Kobe. First it was completely rare, not lightly seared rare, carpaccio rare. Problem is, it was somewhere between carpaccio & medallion in thickness. It did come on a sizzling skillet so I was able to cook to rare plus as I like but I would prefer the chef to handle the preparation to ensure it is done properly. The biggest problem was that these pieces of beef were more akin to flank steak than Kobe. Hugely disappointing. The 5th course was an interesting pumpkin coconut mouse. Enjoyable but it didn't knock my socks off. To be fair, I'm not much of a dessert person so it would have to be pretty amazing for me to write a rave review. Overall, I give Basha a B-. It's worth checking out, it has a cool vibe but the food is just slightly above average and the service needs a bit of refinement.
(3)A N.
Food: Very tasty but quantity is so little Service: Good Ambiance: Trendy Price: Not reasonable for the amount of food they give for certain dishes Octopus Cheviche with Mango Tasty again! It could have used a little extra mango. But overall wonderful! Right size for appetizer. Miso Black Cod The best tasting fish I have had anywhere, but small portion size. The entree size was probably 3-4 oz. of fish with 2 heads of rapini as garnish. 3-4oz is not enough for most people for dinner when there are no sides. Although it was VERY tasty but $26 for 4oz of fish is not reasonable. The first time I was there I had ordered the appetizer size of the same dish and it was small but this time I ordered the entree size and expected it to be big enough to not leave me hungry. Sashimi platter Hubby had it. Was very impressed. Also they give a lot of fish in this dish - size is not an issue here. Overall food was amazing but portion size of the entree miso balck cod was ridiculous.
(4)Kat A.
Best sushi in the city! We've been in Boston for 6 years and this place is the best there is. I just wish they didn't renovate their beautiful interior! it used to feel much more private and cozy of an atmosphere- now it's a bit too open and barren. However, the food trumps all and in this case, the food is FANTASTIC!
(5)Laura G.
The food was pretty good...best sushi I had in a while. I liked the decor..very clean and modern. But it didn't fit in with the Fenway crowd.. Boy was it expensive..I work next door and we get a discount from this place..but honestly that's the only reason I would eat here.. Take out? yes they have it..but call ahead because you'll be waiting at least 20 -30 minutes for it...
(3)Alan T.
first timer. went with 5 others, we had 3 groupons (each for 14 sushi/sashimi pieces and three shots of sake sampler). we also ordered the skewers (pork tenderloin, pork belly w/tomatoe, chix skins), black cod, duck udon, and baby octopus. Food was ok, nothing was bad but nothing was spectacular. Definitely overpriced, even after the groupons. most likely will not go again.
(2)Anna W.
I'm not a big sushi person to begin with (ewe to raw fish), and I'm pregnant, so mix the two together, and you may wonder what the hell I'm doing in a sushi restaurant. I guess you could call me the non-sushi Japanese food lover. And, being from a family of sushi-lovers, it's hard to avoid sushi restaurants -- I'd never be able to eat out with my family. So, enter Basho. It's owned by the same people who own Douzo on Back Bay. The restaurant is located in the Fens, and though street parking may be tough to come by, they do validate for the garage that is attached to the building. The inside is cool and funky. It's very simplistic and different for a Japanese restaurant, but I rather quite like it. They have some longer tables that are great for larger parties, and the ambiance is dark but not overly romantic. I found it weird that they had so much "open" space that wasn't filled with tables -- I'd hate to think what the wait for a table would be on a busier night. There was a large group of us having dinner, so with all of us, we had pretty much everything on the menu -- my cousins enjoyed lots of sushi (their input: very fresh, a tad on the pricey side, but very well made and delicious), and the hubs and I enjoyed some cooked entrees. I had the lamb, which was a bit too charred on the outside for my liking, but the inside was cooked to perfection (guess you can't avoid a little bit of charring when your food is cooked on a grill). And, hubs RAVED about his steak entree. He originally requested the steak that was listed on the menu, but the server asked him if he would like to substitute it with Kobe Steak, which is hubs's favorite, so he said yes (price difference was only about $10 or so, so it was very reasonable). The portion size was decent, but not overwhelming, and he couldn't stop talking afterward about how tender and perfect the Kobe steak was. Big thumbs up from him, obviously. Service was friendly and prompt. Water glasses were filled at the right time, and beverages were brought over and refilled often. Our server was very friendly and made some helpful menu suggestions when asked for input. The place was not pretentious, which was a nice surprise. It's a "nice" Japanese restaurant, but I wouldn't feel out of place in jeans and a T-shirt. I'd definitely go again!
(4)Nagisu K.
Creative food. Very fresh and delicious. The place is very noisy and crowded. That wouldnt stop me from going back though.
(4)Jeffrey K.
We were just leaving Boston and needed to find a nice place for some lunch. We checked out Yelp and found this place. We frequent Japanese restaurants on a regular basis so we have a high standard. The presentation was really good. I had soba noodles with some tempura and Stacy had a sushi plate. Both were good quality. The soba was not the best I have had but the tempura was just right. The quality was high on all the products. We had a few rolls but neither of them was the best. To much mayo in the sauce. The space is almost to open but there were not a lot of people there when we visited so it might feel different at night with a full restaurant. This one is on the fence so I am going to give them a four star.
(4)Molly W.
Basho is yummmmers. I like the decor - so what? who cares? I appreciate a sushi restaurant with some space to move around! The sushi is fresh, and they have some pretty clever menu options. They have have lunch specials for $10, not bad, right? I still like Oishii best, but Basho is a nice addition to Fenway. And anyone who knows Fenway knows it need help in the good food department.
(4)Scott M.
Just stay home and flush your money down the toilet, at least you'll save time.
(1)Foodie F.
Very average food at very expensive prices. The amount of fish in each roll is small to none. The rice is not cooked enough so it remains hard. These type of Japanese places make me laugh because they charge a lot of money for unauthentic supermarket quality sushi. If you want good sushi go to a small family run place. Douzo is the sister restaurant of Basho and it is just as bad. Don't waste your time, money, or calories here!!!!
(2)Matt G.
Didn't even order. Hostess was incredibly rude and unprofessional.
(1)Latoya T.
i must profess my love for this sleek Japanese eatery. Just thinking about it makes my heart go pitter patter. Basho is just a block from my apartment and I am embarrassed to say that I am there at least once a week. The wait staff is always attentive and helpful, the fish is fresh and the sushi is deeelicious. I am especially fond of the Crunchy Roll and you must get the eggplant appetizer. I may have to pay this place a visit tonight. This place is a great addition to the Fenway neighborhood.
(4)Sarun C.
Why is this place in the Fenway? I'm not sure, but I'll take it! Basho is L.A. chic transplanted into the so-called 'Boylston corridor;' mouth-watering, excellent, varied, and refreshing Japanese fare (even if a little heavy on the wallet), and, being in my own backyard, I'm thrilled to have it just steps away. I've been to Douzo a few times and now Basho a couple of times. Sure, sometimes I'm in the mood for decent, economical sushi (which, unless you're a sushi snob, can be found if you look in the right places in Boston). Other times, I want modern class and elegance, with not only my food but also the ambience and service. That's the time for Basho. We went both before and after the recent grand opening. Yes, they're new and figuring stuff out. But that's okay. To me, they're allowed that. The sincerity of the staff and owner (somehow, pleasantly, on both occasions, we've ended up chatting with him at length, about the growing pains, about Fenway development, and so on) more than make up for what will surely be a journey to success. Food: Quality, intriguing stuff, goes beyond just the sushi. If you don't try one of the many dishes with ingredients that you've likely never tried before, then you're selling yourself short. Just go buy sushi at Whole Foods. Instead, here, you can explore new horizons. Try the appetizers: the agedashi tofu is silky, with minimalist seasoning of dashi and scallions; the plum broth that bathed the seared seabass was tart and tempting -- a perfect appetizer that left us wanting more. The standard maki was fresh with (for once!) nicely cooked rice -- not too sticky, not too dry, room temperature that allowed the rice to show off its own flavor; the Russian roll, with caviar, was fantastic. Our second time there, we tried the robata grill. Don't go here without trying this! You'd think that meat and veggies on a grill would have a pretty straightforward, generic taste, right? No. This was freaking succulent, envy-inducing stuff. The shitake robata gave us both shivers and made us collapse into our chairs out of delight. Not to be forgotten, the cocktails were decadently solid, sophisticated, tasty, and relaxing. Our first time there, they were a little light on alcohol; the second time, the bartenders got the balance just right. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that the portions are not huge (but it would be foolish to expect that at a place like this). The ordering strategy should be to get lots of little plates, like tapas, otherwise you'll miss out on the diversity of good stuff here, and you won't be as satisfyingly full as you deserve to be. Decor: Sitting inside Basho, we easily forgot the annoying traffic and parking lot eyesores just outside on Boylston. Love the theme and variation of bamboo and sticks, played out at the bar, the private dining room, the kitchen, and main dining area in iterative but playfully unique ways. Soothing and Zen-like but (perhaps un-ironically) shi-shi at the same time. Service: One time, we sat at the bar. Our waiter went to the trouble to push another table to ours, which ended up being a little off-kilter, so then he got on his hands and knees to balance it. Then ,there were a couple of ingredients that none of us knew (yuzu zest, mentaiko, kabocha squash), and he found out promptly for us (yes, he should have known - and indeed, we asked about lots of other ingredients, and he patiently explained all of them to us -- but these are the growing pains...). Altogether, it's the details of service and effort that matter, and he got an 'A' from us. I make an effort to support local businesses, and Basho makes this easy. Why trek to other fancy sushi places when I have the rookie-of-the-year in my backyard?
(4)Graham S.
My friends and I ventured to Basho their first week of opening all the way from upstairs at my apartment in 1330 Boylton and boy was it a great dining experience. The food was divine, the atmosphere was tranquil and the service was exceptional. It's so delightful seeing such a wonderful addition to the new Fenway neighborhood. For so long the neighborhood has been all fast food/bar food places, but now actual foodies from the South End and other areas are visiting the new Fenway. I'm pleased to see people visiting the new Fenway for something other than a Red Sox game. Definitely add Basho to your to do list folks.
(5)Gina M.
Now that other people have found it, it's less fun. We waited a while for our reserved table on a recent visit. Then immediately after we were seated, we were moved to another table. The food was still great, but the whole place just feels really harried and less pleasant now.
(3)A K.
Went to Basho last night with a date to grab a "Sappora" (menu typo) and sample the new sushi joint. We decided to split some maki rolls (spicy salmon, kamikaze, and shiitake tempura). The miso soup was also good; everything there tasted a lot "cleaner" than other sushi places in Boston. I think this could be the use of fresh quality ingredients. The food was filling but nothing was really heavy. The only thing that really put me off was the atmosphere. I understand it's supposed to be modern looking but the techno music gives off a totally different vibe than if something more relaxing were played in the same space. Also, due to this restaurant's relative newness staff was running all over the place looking real anxious. Chill out guys! Not perfect, but definitely the best sushi in the Fenway area (ha! ok, pretty good by other Boston standards as well) and I look forward to coming back when the staff's not so on edge
(4)Cheryl M.
My friend and I ate at Basho last night before seeing a show on Landsdown Street. We were blown away. The menu is big and has a nice variety, including individual tempura items (we got scallop, sweet potato and shiitake mushroom- the last being AMAZING) a unique grill and everything has the option of brown rice instead of white. They have Kobe beef and Pork belly available as well. We had a delicious hand roll, a specialty roll and the salmon sashimi we had was so fresh and buttery I swear they caught it 5 minutes before we ordered it. The drinks were yummy and the service was great, we even had 2 people waiting on us. I found the prices to be fair and comparable for what we got, there are some very expensive options available as well such as lobster ceviche or the Kobe beef, pork belly if you want to go big. Can't wait to go back, although I think this is a place for date nights or friend nights, not the type of place I would feel comfortable bringing my kids, although my 2 1/2 year old adores sushi.
(5)Emily F.
Really great sushi for a good price. I've been several times in the last few months and I've never had a complaint. I had someone, who is by no means open to trying new things and has a very basic palette, try a spicy tuna roll, and loved it!!! Definitely recommend. They also have a great deal on Sundays.
(4)Bassem S.
A-OK for Boston sushi... They renovated the interior - it was my first time here, but my friends said it was definitely an upgrade. Our servers were very nice, although I'd say we were a little understaffed. We had made special arrangements with the restaurant for our large group, where they served us 4 courses and we brought our own (very top-notch) sake. Unfortunately they didn't give us a menu, but I'll take my best guess at how our dishes corresponded to the menu: -House salad - Surprisingly delicious! I was expecting the typical Japanese house salad, but this had mesclun greens and a really tasty dressing. Actually one of my favorite parts of the meal... -Sushi/sashimi platter - My favorite part of our meal by far! We had toro sushi, water eel, and seared salmon sushi; as well as scallop sashimi and a few pieces of uni sushi. The scallop sashimi and uni sushi were the big winners: super fresh and tasty. The seared salmon sushi could have been a little more flavorful, but the toro and eel were delicious. Only complaint is that the portions are quite small! -Mixed tempura - Shrimp, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato, etc. I was so excited to see this dish and really wanted to like it, but the breading was just way too thick. The shrimp in particular was too greasy with all the bread coating. The broccoli was my favorite by the far...I think because it was hard for all of the breading to stick... -Mystery roll: UGH. This was disgusting. I'm not sure which combination roll it was, but after looking at them on the menu, my advice would just be to STAY AWAY from them and stick to traditional rolls or sushi/sashimi. I had 6 leftover pieces of this and did NOT want to take it home with me Summary: Nothing special and over-priced (though not more so than other Boston restaurants). Drop by if you're in the area and have a craving for a few fresh pieces of fish Tip: AVOID the combo rolls! Stick to the fresh sushi!
(3)Island Boy B.
Everyone I've brought here really enjoyed the atmosphere and food. People, listen, its sushi, its gonna be expensive. That's why you have to take advantage of their lunch specials and happy hour. I always joke with my buddy who is a food snob about this place. We are always one of only a few groups/people in there and we joke we hope it doesn't close down soon. The food and the specials are too good. On another note, I brought another sushi snob and my brother, who coincidentally was visiting Boston from Japan. They both agreed the portions were excellent and quality was good. Obviously we have our favorite hole in wall Sushi joints, but if you utilize the specials, you are going to get a great meal and if you are already used to spending $40 or so when you go out for sushi, it beats comparable priced places hands down. This definitely is worth the 5 stars. Parking is always available out front, and even during Sox games, they validate for $4 in their garage. Can't beat that. If you like Douza (same owner), then you will like Basho. Plus its less of a headache and more accessible by car. Robata is a nice treat and I'm recommending you order a few to fill you up and ordering one less maki roll. I'm sticking with the 5 stars, but if there was a 4.75 rating I would give them that - once they get Sapporo on draft, then they will be 5 stars.
(5)Kimberly W.
The food was all very good! We ordered a sashimi dinner, crunchy roll, and tiger roll. We also had the iced green tea and house green tea. All the sashimi was pretty good - I actually had a decent experience with mackerel! More yummy than fishy. The maki rolls were also good; the crunchy roll stayed crunchy. However, there was a bit too much mango sauce...it kind of overtook the flavour of the sushi...I like mango sauce a lot though so I don't want to complain, but it was too much even for me. While our waiter was smiling and alright overall, he neglected to come by very often. The atmosphere is very "trendy;" each section of the place has different decor, and it is sort of partitioned into three or four sections. While everything looked nice in the evening, it was a bit too dim to see the menu very well. Aside from that though, the atmosphere was enjoyable. The music played was also interesting...reminded me of a much toned down dubstep...but I'm a fan of dubstep... Overall, a good experience! I used a LivingSocial voucher though, so normally I actually would never have known about the place; it's close to where I am, but not so much that I would casually pass by. I enjoyed it, and I wouldn't mind going again, but it's a bit pricy.
(4)Brian D.
Absolutely, totally acceptable. Great spot for lunch. Great lunch for lunch. Damn the bento box style lunch specials are huge. I can almost never finish these things but I inhaled this one w/salmon and spicy tuna maki right down to the decorative orange slices. Damn fine. Sapporo? You betcha. When in Rome...or Basho. Our server was fine, the atmosphere was casual yet sort of Miami Vice and the place had a light buzz to it. Not bad for 2:00 in the afternoon on a Friday. Keep swingin' Basho, see you soon.
(3)Michelle C.
I was excited in welcoming Basho to Boston mainly because of the robata grill and because they serve sushi, on of my favorite cuisines! I've been to a couple of places in NYC and Hawaii that first brought my cravings for delectable grilled meat, especially after a night of drinking. Basho has a standard selection of staple meats like beef, chicken, seafood, veggies and...chicken wings, a plus as it's a favorite of mine. However, I also like unconventional items that were missing from the menu like gizzard and chicken heart leaving me slightly disappointed. I got the wings, which were delicious. Two wings served with lemon came to an order and the tops of the meat were scored for the ease of munching. nomnomnom We also got edamame with spicy ginger and garlic sauce (delicious), steamed pork buns (good, but a little too much fat in the pork for my liking), raw clams served with ponzu sauce, scallions, and chilli peppers (good, but the clams were not very fresh), pork ramen (ehh ok). The sushi was disappointing. They have the usual sushi and maki dishes, which I'm sure were good but didn't try. What was a let down was their "Basho Sushi," sushi and sashimi served with specially paired house sauces so no soy sauce is needed as we were told. I got the tuna tofu puree and uni ikura sushi. Tofu puree had no taste, but silly me tofu doesn't usually so why did I expect it to?! Uni Ikura was a nice combination and came plain. My boyfriend got the seared salmon that came with a heaping spoonful of mayo. All in all it was ok, but when you factor the premium price in I don't think it's worth it. My advice? Go to Basho for a fun night of drinks and apps with friends. Don't go if you're hungry and want to eat a full meal because you'll either burn a hole in your wallet or find yourself at Upper Crust at the end of the night.
(3)CW W.
Went to Basho for the first time last week. It was a Monday around 5:30 so not very busy, I think there were 2 other tables when we arrived. The waiter who took care of us was very friendly, answered any questions we had and offered suggestions as well. Overall the food was good but service was REALLY slow. Like I said there were only a few tables and it took almost 30mins for our first order to come out. There were some dishes that were ok and others were really good it was 50/50 in that regard. I suppose I would go again knowing now what not to order but perhaps get take out as the service was so slow.
(3)Sweet L.
I was at the Fenway location last Friday and I was very disappointed with the hostess. She started off by telling us it way a 30 minute wait. So when it was well past 30 minutes. I asked how was the wait she said 30 minutes. I noticed that another two other groups that came in well after us seated immediately because they were her friends. So one group was actually ahead of us left because they noticed the same thing because i overheard them talking about the same thing. So I decided to ask her "why are you letting your friends come in and be seated immediately?" she totally denied that they were her friends but we overheard the hostess talking to friend about things on a personal level. So I told her exactly what they were talking about she had a blank stare. I told that it was very rude of her to do that because we well wasted well over an hour and half on a Friday night. So we decided to go to the restaurant "Citizen" instead of wasting more of our Friday night. I never complain about my experiences at restaurants but this experience really resonated with me so I decided to share. I already emailed the management since that night and they have yet to respond.
(1)Zachary K.
Best Japanese food in Boston. Aida was a fantastic waitress. Get the house salad and the spicy edamame. Lamb was great.
(5)Meatdowntown C.
The food is good, but the service is pretty inconsistent. I have been there three times and the really can't figure out how they are going to managet to stay in business. They need to lower down the prices because the food is pretty expensive and the wile list mediocre. Also, 50% of the wines listed they do not have them. This place needs a lot of attention from the customer service standpoint. It is a gigantic place and it is usually empty. Good luck. The bad thing is that the rolls are pretty good, but very expensive.
(2)Philip T.
I live in the building above Basho, and have been here probably twice a month for the past year. I would have given this place a 4.5, but after tonight's visit, it's 5 all the way. We did the 5-course tasting menu (reservations required), and every bite was literally heaven. I hate oysters, and I'd still classify the oyster that they served as one of the best foods I've ever tasted in my life. The food here is great (including some special rolls and cocktails that aren't on the menu and only known to regulars- ask your server), and prices are reasonable for the degree of quality.
(5)Dawn S.
If you're willing to pay a lot for a little, this is a great place. I looked through yelp reviews for about an hour before we went so I'd know what to get (or more accurate, what not to get), so we ended up with: the pork belly and sweet tomato robata (skewers), scallop robata (skewers), crunchy roll, blacked cod with sweet miso, and baby octopus in an orange sauce. All were DELICIOUS but they were all extremely small portions and we ended up getting the check before we were satiated just because we knew we'd have to spend twice as much money to be satiated. If you're willing to drop the dough, this place is great - my bf and i agreed that the blackened cod was one of the best fish dishes we've ever had but it was also the smallest portion of fish we've ever seen... about 1/2 the size of an iphone (strange explanation?) for $12... still worth it though if you have a groupon. The scallop skewers were also cooked perfectly with a delicious sauce but again, very small ($6 for 2 large scallops). I'd skip the pork belly skewers since the pork belly was cut so thin that it was basically dry bacon wrapped around a cherry tomato. Crunchy roll was very good and reasonably priced for the quantity and quality and the baby octopus was definitely great for the value but i have to admit, I was a little more skeeved out by it than my boyfriend - I was expecting there to be cut up pieces of octopus but instead there are just whole baby octopuses. Still good, though I let my bf eat most of it. I don't really care about service as long as the food is good but for those that do: We had the Basho groupon ($20 for $40 of food) and it seemed like our waitress was pretty annoyed with us when we asked for the check after spending almost exactly $40. I kinda can't blame her but I still thought it was rude for her to show her disappointment that we weren't ordering more. Other than that though, the service was great - she was very attentive and even though we were her only table seated on the patio, she came outside frequently to check on us. Oh one more thing! The validated $4 parking garage made it so easy to come here - even on a red sox night when the same garage was charging $40 for non restaurant-goers!
(3)Christina C.
Service was horrendous. My husband and I went here for dinner on Friday and we were told that it would be a 45 minute wait which was fine. While we were waiting for a table, a group of 3 was able to get a table without any wait or a reservation. Once we were seated it took 10 minutes for our server to bring us some water. The sushi was ok. One of the maki rolls we ordered was not fresh as it left a very fishy after taste.
(2)Josh S.
We were here the other night for dinner and thought it was good. The staff was very efficient, answered our questions well, and were attentive without being overly attentive. We were very happy that they could use brown rice instead of white in all of the dishes they make, including the sushi! The sushi was good, as was the shrimp appetizer we shared in a dark sauce. The ambiance was also very nice, sleek and modern, yet elegant with some warmth. The deserts (lava cake and crème brûlée) were absolutely wonderful. We would recommend this restaurant!
(4)Kim W.
If you have a wheelchair in your group, expect great service. To the point where I was annoyed, and then amused because it got so ridiculous. They helped out my buddy before I got there when his footrest fell off, that's great. Coming by every five minutes and somehow always when I had my mouth full? It got to the point where we referred to our server as the ninja because she'd somehow make me jump every single time she came by. She was far too loud. My date is quadriplegic, not deaf! She was so cheery I wanted to tell her something that would remove that condescending voice. Maybe I'm just picky, but there's helpful, and then there's "Leave us the fuck alone for 10 minutes so I can eat my food". Serious overkill. Good sushi. The wine selection could use some work. Looks great. Good for date night. Our bill for two was $75 somehow. I live nearby, so I can actually say that is always packed after 9pm when I walk the dog, but dead at 7. Go then. My date rated it: the food was: good service was: very good a little pricy but not tooo bad For wheelchair users: The table is just a tad too low. You will bump your knees on it. We had to try three separate tables before we found one that fit. I'm also not sure why they have a doorman. They don't offer valet, so you're paying someone a salary to literally open the door? How about fire him and lower your highest rolls by a buck or two.
(4)Alo M.
Went to Basho for the first time tonight, was super excited. The noodles and soup were good but was very disappointed by the sashimi platter. I love sushi and can handle almost anything, but the fish just didn't taste good and the pieces were too big. Really did not enjoy that part. May have been an off day for them as the place was full, but just didn't like the fish. Everything else was good. I told the waitstaff and they did NOTHING about it except say sorry. Not sure I'm going back.
(2)Eric W.
In the year and a half I've lived in the West Fens, the eating options have thankfully exploded. (When restaurant row is restored, we will be unstoppable.) Basho is not a home run but it is a solid double, so it should satisfy the deprived locals but not draw many as a destination spot. The variety of sushi I've sampled (both at table and as takeout, from classic staples to more exotic specialties, sashimi and maki) have been consistently "good," satisfying my stomach, making my mouth happy enough, and leaving my value-focused mind in doubt. Unlike its peers, Basho excels at hot appetizers (I recommend the spicy garlic edamame or the rich, baked seafood kaiyaki) and the tempura menu is delicious.
(3)Laura B.
Great food, especially the Kobe beef spring rolls and the banana tempura. Only downside was the air conditioning was turned off when the outdoor patio was opened, which made the whole restaurant hot.
(4)Davide B.
I like it a lot...food is pretty good and service is fast most of the times...a bit pricey maybe! Thumbs up for basho!
(4)L M.
WOW. I have never been motivated to actaully write a review until now. I had dinner tonight at Basho and have to tell everyone about the experience. I was there on a business dinner and loved absolutely every minute. The bartender who started off the night (Mike) was a professional, approachable and knowledgable guy. He suggested that I order the saki martini and it was DELICIOUS! Maybe the best martini I have ever had. The food was top notch - so fresh and great presentation. Because it was a work dinner, I actually have no idea what it cost, but the prices looked really fair. The ambience was perfect. The music was just right, both the sound level and the selection. Our server was fantastic too. Jack Huang (owner) is a great guy and spent a lot of time at our table talking to us and getting to know us. This place is very "cool", but without trying to hard. I felt completely at ease and loved that the patronage was diverse. HIGHLY recommend for a group or a romantic night.
(4)Hugh K.
Excellent and inventive sushi, extremely knowledgeable server, fresh everything. Nice room, though a bit cavernous. Good prices. Best of all, a great new option in a part of town where high-end options have been few and far between.
(4)Chris B.
We had a Groupon, $20 for $40, so we decided to give it a shot. Expect nothing more than average sushi in an environment and with prices that would lead you to believe you are about to get much more. The ambiance is modern, cool and comfortable. I encountered very friendly staff from the time I made our reservation until we left. First impressions are big for me, when our wine arrived at the table filled just up to the fill line on the glass, I began to question this place. I feel that having an etching on a glass to ensure the bartender gives just the right pour is extremely un-classey and cheap. Basho, you can do better than this, especially when a glass of wine is in the $10 per glass price range. Further, I felt that the portion to price ratio is small. The 7.50 seafood salad was half of what it could have been for the price. If the salad was filled with freshness and flavor, a $7.50 price tag would be fine, but it was the typical run of the mill spicy seafood salad you can get at any other popular Boston Area sushi places, or even make at home. The maki rolls were inventive on paper, but again lacked the flavor and freshness I would expect for the price. Nothing here was bad, but nothing here made Basho stand apart. In fact, I expected good things based on ambiance and service, but the food certainly disappointed. I would put Basho into the same genre of places that Fugakyu belongs to, and thus, I do not see myself back until I hear of improvements.
(2)Christian K.
Wow. All I can say is wow. Erin B. was a super waitress. She managed to be informative without being annoying- and informative was essential because this place has a massive menu, for a sushi place!! The spicy tuna tots are way less trashy than they sound. I'm mos def coming back to try more on this amazing fanastic menu. If you look at my other yelp reviews, you know: I'm not kidding.
(5)K P.
It's nothing special. For the price that you will pay, you can get far better.
(2)Alexis B.
Wow! Basho is literally a breath of fresh air. In Boston there are so many so-so sushi restaurants I usually hate when a new one opens because I know it will be a let down. But last night my world changed. Now I love Fugakyu but it gets old. I love Genki Ya but its a baby Fugakyu. Now Basho is completely different. First of all the atmosphere. I generally liked the minimal look of the restaurant. It felt cool, and young. Very different from more Boston restaurants. The menu is a bit overwhelming. We had a nice waitress last night but she was SOOOO nervous. I don't know if it was her first night or what. Anyway we went for dinner last night at 8pm. There was a Sox game too but it wasn't packed. We were seated right away. We started with broccoli and shrimp tempura. For $2 bucks for 2 pieces of broccoli I was super satisfied. They were huge and Delicious. The Gyoza weren't anything special- but OH THE EDAMAME! For real! Get the chili garlic sauce ones. They come in this warm sweet salty spicy sauce that just makes them out of this world. I had the crunchy roll which was fine nothing too special. You must try the Snow Mountain Maki! Shrimp tempura roll with crab on top. Sooo good I could eat like 4 of them. My bf had the grilled tuna steak which was good. Nice portions. Definitely can't wait to go back. Also they have validated parking for $4 for 3 hours. Even during game nights. Which is pretty awesome.
(4)Jessica K.
My favorite sushi in the city. Fresh and so many rolls to choose from. I recommend the crunchy roll or the spicy tuna with a soy wrap!
(5)Sachin P.
Overall, just another in a sea of pseudo trendy Japanese restaurants. Food was good though pricy. Ambience was trying too hard. Our waitress was very polite, though we strangely had to request soy sauce as opposed to it already being present. In general, not a bad experience, but with similar places (like haru, etc...) that feel more polished, can't imagine that I will be a regular.
(3)Les P.
Best sushi around! LOVE LOVE LOVE this place and go there often! The spicy crispy shrimp are amazing and the spicy ginger edamame are amazing. Only complaint is with the new chef or manager they changed it up and do not always put the sauce on top of them! everything here is good so I wont go on and on! Def recommend!!
(5)Arienne B.
Delicious and very fresh sushi--it's very good in that regard. Also, there are some nice lunchtime combo meals. On the downside though, although the wait staff is friendly, the service has been slow as molasses each of the 4 times I've been here. If you're not in a hurry it's not a problem, and I think this is really something borne out of their desire to give you an overall relaxed dining experience rather than of the staff just being lazy/distracted--however, if you're pressed for time and need to get back to the office (as I have each time I've eaten lunch here), I would not recommend sit down service here
(4)Simona R.
Really good, fresh, quality sushi. Bad music. Kinda cool layout. Very expensive, but I had a Rue LaLa voucher and it was awesome. I think they do sushi happy hour late night, so half price is more reasonable. Really quality food though. Super fresh!! Delicious!
(4)Melanie P.
Basho is the sister restaurant to Douzo in the South End. This sushi/Japaense restaurant is located in the Fenway area on Boylston Street just beside Upper Crust Pizzeria. From the outside, you might drive past it if you don't realize the yellow awning outside the flat, dark glass paneled window building. I wasn't sure what to expect in coming here but was fully impressed when I left. The modern décor/ambiance gets 5 stars from me. There is so much to admire in this restaurant including the booths, the black light 3-D image on the back wall of where the sushi chefs are located, the squared lined tables, dark cherry oak wood floors, etc. The food/food presentation gets another 5 stars from me. I went with a group and we all ordered something different. Each dish came on a separate modern, white, asymmetrical plate that was eloquently placed on the table top. For starters, we each ordered some sort of salad. I had the seaweed salad while the two other girls had a ginger infused salad. There was nothing special about these dishes but again the presentation was worth complimenting. The specialized rolls that we ordered were excellent and would highly recommend the rainbow roll. For desert we had the fried banana dish, recommendation of the waiter. DO NOT... I repeat... DO NOT LEAVE THIS RESTAURANT WITHOUT TRYING THIS DISH.... It was unlike anything I had ever tasted. My suggestion would be to get the dish extra crispy. It comes with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. I can still taste this dish in my mouth as I write this... ugh amazing!! Server gets 3 stars from me. Our waiter was really slow. He mentioned that he was "very busy"; however, there were not many patrons in the restaurant when we looked around. We did not understand his excuse. The GMs walked the floor and were fully engaged in the dining experience of their customers. I appreciate this because they care to know how the meal/service is and it's a great opportunity to voice your opinions (whether negative or positive). The price was average and similar to other sushi restaurants so 5 stars there. All in all, this was a great place to dine. I will be back but more for a sex in the city type night rather than a romantic date night. I will save my romantic night for Douzo.
(4)Emily P.
The food was excellent but the service was a little slow. If you are short on time I would say wait. We went for lunch and I got the Bento Lunch. It was delicious. Highly recommend eating here.
(4)Gina R.
Basho is a really great place for lunch in the Fenway area. The lunch specials are very creative, good sized portions with a variety of choices. I've really enjoyed the salmon teriyaki and the sushi is fresh and light.
(4)Rachel R.
Last night my sister and I had dinner at Basho, as she had recently been there with a friend and loved it! I am not in love with it too! We both had the same thing, the house sald($5.75)(DELICIOUS) and a California Roll and a Garden Roll!! California Roll($6.00) was perfect and non-fishy, and the garden roll ($7.00)(wrapped in rice and avocado, with lettuce,tomato,asparagus,avacado, and cucumber) was amazing!!!! A meal for two with plenty of food for $40.00!!! Definitely check out Basho if youre a sushi lover.... plus they have $4.00 validated parking in their garage!
(5)sage f.
I work down the street and was very excited that a new lunch option was coming to the neighborhood. But so far, this place hasn't thrilled me all that much... The decor is clearly trying to be hip, but the chairs aren't that comfortable and it always feels empty and cold inside. The food is decent, but not great. The lunch specials have some good options. I had the makimono combo once, which was mediocre (they made a substitution for me once, but wouldn't do it the second time I asked.) I also had the udon vegetable noodles, which were also pretty good, but a little on the salty side for my taste. I am hoping that this place picks up a bit because I'd love to be able to include Japanese in my lunch repertoire.
(3)Mitchell P.
Love the look and feel of this place its a very large, modern/industrial setting. Food was excellent, had the spicy lobster soup which was great, the skewers were great. Had a bunch of their specialty rolls, the phoenix, and the crunchy roll both stood out as the 2 best we ordered, didnt care for the Yuzu. Dessert was great banana tempura, was delicious. Our server Chris was fantastic, super knowledgeable and made great recommendations, i was just shocked to have someone who actually spoke english serve me at a sushi restaurant. We would def go back.
(4)Leah N.
We went here last night and the food was delicious. we had an assortment of rolls, both specialty and your typical hand roll along with some of their spicy edamame, which was really yummy! Their martinis are also great. The only downfall to this place is the service. We had a party of six with two waitresses and it still took them 20-25 mins to bring us our drinks; which makes me wonder, how many waitresses per table do they need for us to receive acceptable service? But, the food was terrific and that's what really matters. Also, I am reading some reviews that are complaining about the portions and I found them to be the same size as every other sushi restaurant in town, definitely not skimpy.
(4)Becky A.
Went in for the first time tonight with a CoupMe. 5 stars for the Spicy Tuna. My friend and I had to order another plate of it because we just wanted more after our first order. Definitely going back here.
(5)R F.
i've gotten food from here a few times now. but their high prices are really starting to throw me off. the sushi is mediocre, and my last takeout from Basho really turned me off. i ordered a few rolls. one of which was a tuna maki roll. simple. easy to make, one fish, rice, nori. I opened the container it came in and i noticed these weird white things stuck to the tops of the pieces. at first i thought it was some weird garnish. upon further inspection i realized they were fish bones. not just one (i can get over one, okay maybe two fish bones). but my entire roll had them! after dissecting them from the maki myself, i moved on to my other roll. i think it was a caterpillar roll. upon eating a few pieces i noticed something odd kept stabbing the roof of my mouth. MORE BONES! in a different roll! ugh. if you're going to charge an arm and a limb for sushi rolls they better be amazing. and please debone the seafood properly! also, $10+ for a plate of veggie udon seems pretty expensive.
(3)Yours Truly B.
although i'm not a huge sushi expert am a huge fan of japanese cuisine and i'm a huge fan of basho (obvi i gave it 5 stars). i'm very particular about what i eat, if you've read any of my other reviews most things fit into 3 categories - fried, cheese and sugar but once and awhile i dabble on other cuisines. i've always loved the food at douzo but wasn't crazy about the atmosphere or the stuffy clientele, so basho is the best of both worlds. i had a crazing for fresh tuna the other night and basho immediately popped into my head. i've been a quite a few times before and like the times before everything was great. as always we get a carafe of hot sake upon sitting, its very enjoyable here, always served extremely hot. my other go-tos on the menu are the spicy edamame with ginger and garlic, the tuna tartare and the spicy tuna app. the edamame are delicious, especially if you love things with a kick. it's a perfect blend of spice, ginger and garlic that makes a heavenly combination when paired with smooth, creamy beans. i do recommend asking for light on the sauce as they tend to put quite a lot. the tuna tartare is AMAZING, fresh tuna, seasoned perfectly on a crispy rice cake. finally the spicy tuna app... deep fried rice, spicy mayo and jalapeno... need i saw more. in regards to the sushi, i'm not much of an expert. i always get tuna sushi and cucumber rolls. both are amazing, fresh, delicious and tasty! the drinks at basho have never been a let down, from sake to martinis. they have mastered the art of the cocktail! they always have great background music in a comfortable, trendy atmosphere. def on it's way to being a boston hot spot!
(5)Jess T.
I continue to go to Basho because the sushi and sashimi is fantastic. The hostesses were definitely doing their job by checking on everyone that comes through the door and making sure they had a reservation. However, a consistent problem is that there are never menus when we are seating. They always seem to be out of menus and we have to wait 10-15 minutes to get one (and there was 2 of us). Also, our waitress seemed to be a little impatient that we didn't wolf down our food and leave immediately.
(3)Jaime M.
Been there twice, both times food was great and good service. New manager Justin (I believe that was his name) is a pleasure.
(5)amanda w.
Great food. The service is ok, sometimes the waitresses get lost. Decoration wise very Japanese, just a little plain. Sushi is great and food is ok. Drinks are amazing. Try the cucumber martini if you get a chance.
(4)Whitney A.
What a cool place! Modern, clean lines and a traditional menu. The only sushi spot where all the soy sauce on the tables are low-sodium (well, at least that what they told us. I hope the slow, unexciting service is attributed to how fresh the food is and they make everything from scratch. It is delicious! You gotta try the edamame, they serve it with a wedge of lime that takes the beans to a new level. It's kinda pricey, like all Japanese spots, but lunch is a great deal if you order the bento box. It's on a super busy street & we had to park kinda far, so please use the crosswalk to you don't get hit and try out this new spot;)
(4)Lili M.
The food is pretty good but not the best Asian in Boston by any means. But it's a relatively spacious restaurant and it's a good place to go with friends to grab a bite and a few drinks before going out around Fenway.
(3)Tim L.
We just received our delivery order care of DiningIn.com . We received it promptly & it was exactly as ordered. After separating the order amongst friends I was able to take my first bite and was surprised by how delicious it was. I mean I was really surprised by the quality of our order. In the past I have not had much success with food that has been delivered but since I really had a Jones for sushi and since I was at work and could not pick it up I had no choice. Thank God I took a chance, Basho is going in to my list of favorite places. I will be back. I can promise you that!
(5)Laura N.
It was overwhelming choosing from so many dishes, and you can definitely put together a meal that suits whatever you are craving. Definitely a good place to go with a few people so you can divide and conquer. The sauces and flavors were surprising and delightful. Definitely a pricier Japanese meal, but if you want to experiment - it's a delicious experience!
(4)Sofia A.
We had the bento box and beef noodle soup... It was very tasty. I have been to Haru, Douzo, Oishi, Snappy etc for reference... and at least in this one time experience, the food did not lack in flavor. Service was good too. The dessert needs some improvement though (banana tempura with ice cream) and the seats (high chair) were not very comfy...
(4)Cyndi L.
By far, Basho was the worst lunch experience I've had in a long time. Usually, I'm pretty patient and understanding of new restaurants or waitstaff who are still learning how to provide good service, but this restaurant just seemed like they plain didn't care if we came back. I ordered the Nabeyaki Udon lunch special. For the listed price of $8.75, it was a pretty tasty portion of food. Unfortunately, that was the only redeeming thing about the restaurant: 1. Our food took 25 minutes to arrive - pretty appalling given that there was only 1 other table in the whole restaurant 2. When our food did arrive, they only brought half of our orders. The other half took another 25-30 minutes because of a "kitchen malfunction". The manager offered to give us dessert on the house, but it didn't make up for the fact that half of our lunches were already cold. 3. Our "comped" desserts had to be eaten in the restaurant, even though we were full from our lunches and would rather have taken them home. The manager said their policy was that desserts can't be taken to go. 4. The Nabeyaki udon was charged $1 more than the menu price. 5. The green tea was consistently cold. They must have brewed it once when I ordered it and never bothered to reheat it throughout the meal. Also, they charged me $1.50 for tea which was pretty surprising for a typical/upscale Japanese restaurant. Overall, we were pretty shocked that it took us 2 hours to eat lunch here, to the point where we were feeling like hostages. I would not recommend this place unless you really don't care about service, eating cold food, or how timely your food arrives. Sorry, Basho. You've disappointed me twice in two weeks. We will not be coming back.
(1)Corey L.
I'm no sushi expert by any means, but Basho is GREAT! Very hip, sleek atmosphere, but also relaxed. Service was excellent, the food was excellent. Nothing to complain about. I hardly ever leave 5 stars, but I feel I must this time. Prices are very reasonable as well, you can easily get away with $50 plus tip for 2.
(5)Sadalit V.
Came here based on high ratings and description in the Boston Phoenix, and it was so worth it! The service was really attentive (without being TOO attentive) and the food was original and amazing. The Phoenix's review described the place as "large and ultramodern yet curiously comfortable" which is right on - it's a big high-ceilinged space but the bamboo between the tables and the dim lighting manage to give it intimacy. Great for a date. Maybe not so great for kids but I did see a family or two there. The flavored sashimi platter is a must-try, as is the cucumber hand roll - it's an alternative to the traditional hand roll with a thin cucumber wrap around the fish instead of rice and seaweed. So fresh and light and delicious! Also highly recommend the vegetable robata skewers. We tried a few of the meat robata skewers too but my opinion is they didn't shine as much as the asparagus one did. Nice wine list and again, awesome service!
(5)Tanya D.
I've eaten here at least over 20 times in the past year. The food is terrific and not too expensive! The ambiance is phenomenal for a date, a hangout with a group of friends, or even to host a family event. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The service is fast and efficient. Overall this is one of my top 5 restaurants in Boston!
(5)J. N.
I love Basho. Granted, I love Douzo (same owner) but with Douzo being in the South End, it's rare that I get there. I've been to Basho about four times and each time is great food and service. I have also taken advantage of the $17 dinner special (a salad, an app, and a sushi roll) but there's a great selection on the regular menu as well. I love the spicy tuna app & the spicy seafood salad. All the sushi I've had has been creative and delicious. I am actually going there tonight. Convenient location!
(4)Michael D.
I never write reviews but Basho definitely deserved one. I've done some of the best sushi places while living in NYC and LA and generally Boston sushi has been a huge let down. That was until we had dinner at Basho. Bottom line amazing, fresh and innovative flavors while staying true to the quality of their ingredients. The best selection and freshest sushi in Boston far and away. I hope Boston embraces this place, it will take sushi eating to the next level and set a new standard for what sushi should be. Check out the yellowtail belly with yuzu or anything kampachi. Spicy tuna on crispy rice is just about the most perfect bite of anything I have ever had. You will not be disappointed.
(5)Shelly A.
I waited a long time to try Basho to make sure they had all the kinks ironed out. After having dinner there tonight I see that it was definitely worth the wait! We had a really good grilled vegetable plate that's not on the menu: two kinds of beefy mushrooms, asparagus, squash and eggplant. We found out about it when we asked the waitress why some of the grilled vegetables weren't marked as vegetarian (it's the sauce). My husband's vegetarian; I'm not. For that reason we have a hard time finding new restaurants. We were both happy tonight though. He had vegetable udon with big, sexy noodles and I had a yellow tail tempura roll with tempura broccoli on the side. The broccoli came with a magnificent dipping broth that is to die for. Everything was cooked perfectly, artfully presented and served promptly. I highly recommend and will be going back to this restaurant to try more of the surprisingly expansive menu!
(5)Joanna S.
I live by this restaurant and after my recent obsession with Naruto, I've been craving for ramen. Basho makes good ramen filled with veggies. Note: their vegetable ramen is made with fish stock so it's not vegetarian but they've always been kind to substitute a vegetarian soup for me. Good food, great service.
(4)Laura P.
I decided to try Basho on Saturday night and will never return again. While I thought the food was very good (as expected for the prices!), the service was terrible. Our waitress was pretty rude, she took our order and never came back. There were 2 tables in the entire restaurant and three servers, but we waited 1 hour for our food. I spoke to the manager and she was initially apologetic, but didn't have anyone come clear our table, ask if we wanted additional drinks or bring our check. Again, we had to go up to the hostess stand to ask to be helped. After this, the manager lied and said she would give us a 10% discount for the problems, but didn't. On top of the poor experience who wants to be lied to? If you are looking for a pleasant eating out experience DO NOT GO HERE.
(1)J R.
Good variety of Japanese food beyond sushi. We had some robata veggies before our sushi. All choices were very good. Fish was high quality so we didn't even use soy sauce. Attentive service and nice ambience. More relaxing than most sushi bars.
(4)Jenna D.
Great, all except for the too loud music!
(4)Ellen T.
So this is a sister restaurant of Douzo. I loved Douzo so I had to try this place. I've been here several times and every time the food is spot on. This is a bigger restaurant so perfect for big dinner parties. I don't think I was ever disappointed with any of the food ordered. I always go for the miso cod appetizer. They have a miso cod dinner as well. The eggplant app and the pork buns are really good. I'm not a huge fan of the robata grill..didn't get a wow factor compared to the ones in NY. Good attempt though! The tempura choices are great, and came out perfectly fried. I tried the cucumber hand roll and it was really refreshing. The sashimi dinner is a great choice if you want just raw fish. The sushi choices are really fresh too. I've tried a bunch of the special rolls and the notable standouts were the crunchy roll, tiger roll, yuzu yellowtail and the toro roll with jalepenos. The drinks here are great too. Anything with lychee I always try. It came in a martini glass..so it packs a punch. If you are feeling adventurous, try the sparkling sake...yum!
(5)Jo J.
this was a horrible experience. i sat at the bar with some friends and service was horribly slow. when i finally got my drink and was able to ask the waiter questions about the menu before i ordered, the waiter did not know the menu at all. i asked him what certain pieces of sushi were and he had no idea. i would be embarrassed if i owned a restaurant and my wait staff did not know what the items are on the menu. nonetheless, with the age of internet everywhere thanks to google i was able to figure some things out but i just couldn't shake how annoying this waiter was in how unapologetic he was to not knowing the menu at all. oh, and the one other thing that the wait staff did that was extremely offensive was that he did not offer me a clean glass with my second beer and without any prompting poured my second beer right in to my old glass. i was disgusted. oh and one more thing, the food was subpar, the sushi was fishy and old appearing. all in all a horrible experience.
(1)Lindsey S.
Went to Basho for the first time last night. I do not eat sushi, so I can not comment on that. We had shumai and gayoza (I can't spell these things) to start, both delish, and I had seared scallops with risotto. I loved all of the food and the lychee martinis were very delicious with a whole fresh lychee in each one. I had lava cake for dessert. It was all perfect and I was really full when it was over. The music was a little odd. The bar was great.
(4)Maryann P.
I was extremely excited for this place to open as my work often brings me to the area around noon. Since Umi burned down, I have been on a serious sushi hunt at lunchtime. I have now eaten there twice. First time I got the Shrimp Mango roll that sounded really good, but the sweet shrimp on top was not cooked... at all! It was slimy and not at all appetizing.. Doesn't shrimp HAVE to be cooked? Not pleasant in any way and I ended up tossing an expensive roll after eating one piece! I was not happy.... Second time I went in I got the Lunchbox pick two and it was GREAT and a really good value with the Spicy Tuna roll that came with it. That's why I gave them 3 stars... One star for the first trip and 5 stars for the second. I'll definitely go back, I think I'll just be more careful about what I order and stick to what I know. Also, the white miso soup is AMAZING, but a bit overpriced at 4 bucks and change.... but the little mushroom caps in the broth are pretty awesome.
(3)Kayla B.
Went here on Saturday night with my boyfriend, called ahead for seating and was easily accommodated. The scorpion bowl was amazing, only 16$ and great mix of alcohol and juices. We ordered some apps to start, they didn't come out at the same time, but the manager was very attentive when he noticed I wasn't eating mine and went out back to grab his app we were waiting on. I had the ocean roll with some salmon sashimi. It was amazing and fresh. The waitress was attentive and we got two other cocktails to sip on after our meals came. We will certainly be back!
(5)Nina N.
Would have been three for food but I have reached my final verdict of two stars for overall experience. Why? Basho stole my co-worker's hard earned $20.00! Lunch. The hostess might not have been the hostess at all. When we walked through the huge dark double glass doors, we stood awkwardly for a minute or two before being greeted although there was two staff up front. One totally ignored us while another girl was taking orders over the phone. When she finally finished the call, she greeted us. A party of four, please. We were told to wait while she checked something. Another awkward moment. When she returned, she clumsily gathered our menus and so I figured we could just follow her. We did an awkward U-turn back to doors and then finally to the dining area. Love the open dining area but it could use more lighting if not natural light. Our waiter was very polite, ordered our drinks and came back with it within five minutes. All food came out at a steady pace. For appetizer, we ordered from from the Robata Grill - chicken breast, two orders of pork toro, and spicy duck with mushroom. The chicken breast and spicy duck was good but the four stars would have to go to the pork toro. It was melt in your mouth good! Soft, juicy, tender pork belly. It is comparable to NY Ipuddo. I guess I don't have to go to New York anymore. For entrees, my brothers each had an order of the Basho's lunch set. I was hoping the Chef would be creative and make the two sets different from one another but they were the same food selection. The salmon was flavorless. I am thankful I stayed away from the sushi. The lunch set also came with fried chicken tempura. The batter was too thick and soggy rather than crispy and light as it should be. I took one bite and didn't want to finish the other half. I thought dipping it into the spicy mayo would help but that only made it worse. The beef skewers was chewy. The only highlight if I can even call it a highlight was the two tiny pieces of fried sushi. Overall, though there be plenty to eat, everything was sub-par in quality, possibly poor in quality even. If you want quantity, you got it but the quality sure will suffer. My fiance's entree, seared duck ramen looked like a miserable cabbage ramen soup. Well, aside from the pretty carrots, it looked very sad. I wonder if it tasted as miserable as it looked. He did not enjoy it. Of course we are comparing it to NY Ipuddo. My own entree, the spicy korubuta pork ramen was on the other hand, well presented and tasted pretty darn good. I can't quite pinpoint what is wrong with the ramen, whether the texture is just not quite right, but every other component of the dish was delicious. I would order this dish again on any given cold or rainy day. But all good things seem to end terribly. My co-worker had purchased a Groupon for me as a gift so I was excited happy that this experience would have been $40.00 less so my brothers who I brought along had free meals or would have been... Our very nice waiter, after ten minutes we were able to flag him down, came back and asked me if I had another Groupon as the one I have does not work and that it had already been used. It was a gift so how would I know if my co-worker had accidentally used it without realizing it. I told the waiter that I would pay in full on my credit card. Later I found out from my co-worker that the restaurant had made an error. She checked her Groupon account and it showed that the coupon was used today, 11/05/2011. Somehow our waiter or the cashier must have typed in the coupon redemption code twice so that it showed that it was already used. This really made the experience all the more worse. Initially, I was excited to try this place because it practically had all the items I absolutely love: sushi, ramen and steamed pork buns. Because the Groupon was rejected, the bill was $105.00, plus $16.00 tip. It would have been $65.00 plus $16.00 tip. Because of the mistake, Basho practically got an additional $20.00. Ahhhh....I felt twice ripped off for mediocre food. Would only come back for the pork belly. Then again, I just may not come back at all. See my pictures.
(2)Matt C.
Basho is one of the few locations that was a Groupon decision that did not end in a one time only desire with the restaurant. Although without the 50% off deal Basho comes off as a bit pricey, the quality of the food would make it hard to pass up even if I wasn't wielding a half-off coupon. The sushi was fresh, the menu was unique, and even though the restaurant was going through renovations, the atmosphere was still enjoyable. All in all my suggestion is to search out living social/groupon paths to a discount, but even if you can't, give Basho a try at the full price.
(4)Aaron K.
Been to basho twice, both times with a groupon type coupon. Really have enjoyed the food and atmosphere. -Service is a bit lacking on a busy saturday night but it gets the job done. There were a couple times we thought we were forgotten (also one of our robata orders was missed). -Atmosphere is trendy and hip with some lights on the wall near the sushi bar. Not overbearing and makes for a really 'chill' spot. They really know how to use their space. There is a lot of people in one room but you don't feel like anyone is really that close to you, other restaurants should take note. -Value is a little low as you are paying 14-18$ for a lot of the specialty sushi rolls. Robata grill items are tiny and pricey for what you are getting! Kobe beef 7$ was about 3 bites (not big ones either). You really can't get off cheap here for a full meal. -Food is really good. Robata grill items are tasty and have some excellent interesting sauces on top of them. Robata items are tiny, order more not less if you go this route. We tried a bunch of items but the japanese eggplant was the best one. My absolute must do on this menu is the steamed bun sandwich appetizer. These use kurobuta pork that the waitress said is slow cooked for 16 hours. To this day it is the best pork I have ever had and this little bun sandwich is just mind blowing because of this pork. Sushi is good, crafted wonderfully. Everytime we saw a sushi roll go by we would ooo and awww. They all look good. Had the tiger roll and it was a good size and tasty. My parents split the miso yaki dinner (cod) which I tried. Came with a great yellow sauce that paired well with the glazed cod and pickled vegetable it came with. For dessert we had the banana tempura. This is an excellent finish to the meal with fried banana slices with a scoop of ice cream. Everything goes together so well in this dish and the presentation is very nice. Overall a good restaurant worth trying and you will have a fun night out here. I will be back if another groupon type deal is offered, but I won't make the trip back into Boston for this place at full price.
(4)Mary P.
Never buy coupon online, e.g. Groupon for this sushi bar. They set an option of purchasing $30 coupon. But when you check out, you will get two $15 coupons. And get noticed that you can't use them together. They are CHEATING. And the manager of the restaurant sucks, no consideration and no explanation. Worst experience in Fenway ever.
(1)Jeremy K.
Nested amongst a rather diverse bunch of restaurants neighboring Fenway Park, from steakhouses to fast food joints, from bars and pizzerias, Basho is welcome breathe of fresh air. With it's unique, sleek and eye-popping décor to it's creative and versatile menu, it has managed to leave me rather impressed after I had an impromptu dinner there with a friend. We had not anticipated where we'd have dinner but after an eatery next to it was packed and had a significant wait, we decided to go there instead, out of convenience. It wasn't very busy and the décor caught our attention. We proceeded to walk in and were immediately speechless. I have never seen a décor like it anywhere. It's actually pretty awesome. It's sleek, dynamic (more on that later) and memorable. There are crisp white, green and black tones and it has a fresh feel to it. I dig it. We were seated, brought menus and some waters. I glanced at the menu and instantly noticed that it was very different that what you'd find in other Japanese restaurants. They have a strong emphasis on small plates, both hot and cold, alongside more traditional items like sushi and tempura dishes. Best of all, they have Robata skewers, which is a simple way of grilled various skewers of protein or vegetables. It is different than yakitori though as it is more diverse in terms of what can be used. It's not just chicken. As I sipped on my Sapporo beer, I glanced at the menu and finally decided to order a bunch of smaller items instead of sushi or a larger entre. After all, I can get chicken katsu anywhere but one doesn't stumble upon those Robata skewers often. Those said skewers varied in price from $3.50 to $8.95 depending on which ingredients were featured and I decided to get three various types of them: the one featuring chicken breast, the one with pork belly wrapping some baby tomatoes and the one with the Japanese eggplant. Alongside these skewers, I got their steamed pork buns ($7.95). The waitress was able to make recommendations as I ordered and was able to answer our questions - she was friendly and terrific. After a few minutes, our food started to arrive. My dining companion had started off his meal with the Shishito peppers ($6), a small bowls of those said peppers which were marinated in a sweet balsamic sauce. A terrific balance of texture, heat and flavor. Luckily for me, he shared a bit of it with me. We were both impressed. He ate sushi for the rest of his meal that he seemed to enjoy while I had my Robata skewers and the pork buns. Everything came out tasting terrific. They didn't withhold on any of the details, from the countless touches on the platting to the ingredients and flavors. Everything was a feast for both the eyes and the stomach. It was a very enjoyable meal in a very unique setting. Speaking of which, the setting here is unlike anything I've seen in Boston. Pictures would do it justice - it can be best described as a very white interior with touches of green and featuring very simple, clean lines. And they have this thing they do with the lighting and projectors which creates this effect that displays these branches on the walls which move. It's really amazing. I would return to Basho for a good meal however I did find it to be a bit on the expensive side. But then again, with this kind of quality of food an service, it is justifiable.
(4)Karina L.
This place is a little on the expensive side, but with the price comes an amazing selection of signature rolls and a great date environment. My roommate and I came here all dumpy looking after the gym and we felt seriously out of place. Here we were, 2 hungry girls sitting among 15 other couples. No matter, the food was great enough to distract us from our glaring ugliness. We had a Groupon, but I would consider coming back here for a birthday dinner. We started off with a steamed pork belly and cucumber bun. It comes with 2, but one was enough for each of us. The pork belly is fatty, rich, and well-seasoned. I haven't found a pork bun that has rivaled Basho in Boston. Even the simple maki rolls (e.g.: spicy tuna) are top-notch quality and only a tad bit more expensive than a take-out sushi place ($6.75). Signature rolls like the Avalanche Roll and Dragon Roll are huge (8-10 pieces) -- 1 of these orders is probably enough for a meal. Service was prompt and polite. We got our rolls fairly quickly, but we had empty glasses of water pretty often.
(5)Emerald L.
The atmosphere and food were decent, but our waiter was wonderful! My partner has Celiac Disease so eating out can sometimes be a dangerous, stressful and awkward experience. Our waiter tonight at Basho was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, courteous and thorough. Contrary to the blank or confused looks we get elsewhere when we double-check ingredients, our waiter offered suggestions and either knew the full ingredients in everything we wanted, or offered to double check without being asked. Thank you for making date night relaxing and fun!
(4)M M.
We have ate a handful of times here and utilized groupons some of the times we have visited. We had two groupons per our table and last time we were given no issue when asked. Well, this time we went and we were not allow to use the second one. We had proof that we redeemed them both last time we visited together. The manager come have cared less. I asked the manager since last time we were allowed to that if we could use them this one time, and for now on we wouldn't use two together as now we know the policy is different. Nope! I mean seriously it's $15 and makes your customer happy. Won't be back.
(1)Susan C.
This place gets 4 stars for appearance and service, but only 3 for food. Basho looks great after its recent facelift. But it's not particularly a positive when the decor is more memorable than the food. The food is definitely more on the pricey side. I ordered 4 sushi rolls an app and a beer and it came out to around $100. My sushi orders were essentially: 1) a toro tartare app, spicy salmon roll, alaska roll, caterpillar roll, some other generic-ish roll, and this lobster tempura roll I was excited to try. The lobster roll just turned out to be okay, it was somewhat bland, and it turned out the whole roll was fried, not just the tempura inside. The toro tartare was seasoned well, but it was a little chewy and definitely could have used some wontons or chips as an accouterments because it was very difficult to eat with chopsticks alone (and I grew up using chopsticks!). I'd probably be back for lunch or their happy hour specials, but I'm not sure I'd be back for dinner.
(3)Alex B.
Came here for the Rue La La Special. Which involved 3 types of Sake, 2 pieces of the torched salmon appetizer (best thing on the menu), 6 pieces of assorted sashimi, and 6 pieces of maki (california roll with each piece having a different type of fish and sauce on top). As someone who usually just finds what they like and stick to that this deal really got me to try some new things. The sashimi was cut so thick and it was extremely fresh. Our waitress was probably the most friendly server I have had at Basho and she was very helpful in explaining our dish. I think her name was Ibhina. She even took the time to write down the name of one of the types of sake that I really enjoyed. Wakatake Onikoroshi ""Demon Slayer" in case anyone wants to try a great sake. The management was also very helpful in remaking a drink that was a little sour for our taste. Also gave the lychee martini a try. Love the fact that they had a piece of fresh lychee to replace the usual olive. Great. Unfortunately, the special is not on the actual menu. My gf and I talked to the manager about hopefully getting it on as a menu option because it really is a varied assortment of some of the best things that Basho has to offer. I continue to enjoy this place and hope to revisit soon.
(4)James F.
Just had a wonderful meal at Basho. The Spicy Salmon, Spicy Tuna, and our waiters recommendation, the Phoenix Roll were all superb. David W, was excellent and very attentive throughout the meal. Not overbearing, but there when needed. A+ Basho, A+ David W. - we'll be back.
(5)Rachael M.
Good quality sushi. Everything we had was flavorful and unique. The duck melted in my mouth. The service was amazing too! Seemed like a very large restaurant with not many customers. It appeared they do a great take-out service.
(4)Paul L.
This was our second try to get in here after the first time it was booked for a party, but now that we've eaten there, I can say it was worth the wait. The decor and food presentation was very trendy looking, which reflected in the pricing of a lot of the items. Because of that we will call this our "special occasion" sushi place only. Loved the crunchy roll and the shitaki tempura roll. It's not only sushi, if you're not into that, there's grilled stuff and noodles as well. I'll admit the place was jam packed, but our server brought us the dessert menu and seemingly forgot about us for about fifteen minutes, despite walking right by a few times. The music bordered on loud thumping club music to remixes of unusual choices like the funeral march and the tetris theme song. Hated it at first but got a few laughs out of it by the end of the night.
(4)Jamie G.
Unfortunately, they have very good sushi--unfortunate because I will never go back there. I brought a girlfriend who has a gluten allergy. After informing the waitress and specially requesting gluten free soy sauce, we were served sushi that clearly had gluten in it. We called the manager over and he suggested that he wasn't sure how to solve the problem. He said he would take that one roll off of our bill, and was rather aloof and unapologetic. Needless to say my friend got very sick, and I will never return. The food took absolutely forever to come out. Only go there if no one has an allergy, you're prepared to spend a TON of money, and you have at least 3 hours set aside for dinner.
(2)Samantha C.
We walked into Basho on a whim while we were in the Fenway area and were trying to get away from drunken college kids on a pub crawl. This place looked nice so we figured it wasn't part of the crawl. We sat at the bar and immediately noticed the great decor. It was the middle of the day but it still felt very cool and had great ambiance. I bet at night it looks fantastic. The lighting, wall covering, tvs behind mirrors - every detail was well planned. We tried a few of the cocktails (lychee martini and cucumber martini) both were very good. I then tried a g&t with the bombay sapphire "east" which was very good. The bartender was very attentive and kept busy behind the bar stocking instead of standing around or disappearing like most bartenders do when it's slow. We asked her what kind of sake was in the martini and she wowed us with her knowledge of sake and the different kinds. One of those rare people in the service industry that make you feel really welcome. We weren't very hungry (in between lunch and dinner) but we decided to try a few small bar apps b/c everything sounded so good. I tried a couple pcs of a spicy roll and my bf got a fresh tasting shrimp roll. The food was very fresh and very good! I honestly wanted to stay for a while, have a few more drinks and eat dinner there. I was loving this place until a weird male bartender came on shift. He asked us if we had had enough food and took our plates. He wasn't mean but he was not very friendly. He then proceeded to put our bill in front of us. Not like in a glass in front of us like bars sometimes do if you keep ordering items... like in the credit card leather receipt holder. Then I put my card out and I am pretty sure he waited to take it until the other bartender left. It was rung in as "PM BAR" as the server. He was also just standing around behind the bar doing nothing. He basically ruined our experience. I wish I could give this place a better rating for the nice (I think she was Russian?) bar tender and a zero stars for the weird abrasive middle aged guy with thick black glasses... I will visit soon for dinner, can't wait!
(4)R O.
I am a regular at Douzo so honestly I was not expecting to be surprised and even though I have friends that live in the building I had never really been inclined to try it out. But I was in the area for an event and thought why not run over... Boy was I surprised! Yes, they mostly offer the same thing as Douzo but the ambiance is different, the space is bigger, and I found it refreshing. The staff was super friendly. Highlights: the spicy edamame and the spicy tuna. Seriously I cannot stop thinking about these items! The spicy tuna is served over a fried shell of sushi rice and topped with a jalapeno. I cannot describe the taste of the spicy edamame but if you go for hot this should be top on your list to try! Items that were delish though same as Douzo were the lychee martini, rainbow roll, naruto and pan fried gyoza. This is going to ruin me! I am going to have to venture out of Back Bay to go back now!
(5)Barefoot B.
The kobe beef carpaccio is amazing-- but my steak was dry. The sushi was good- no complaints there. Sake was awesome, love the cold bottle display. ill be going back for the carpaccio but thats about it.
(3)Nick L.
Came here after wandering around Boylston a few nights ago and was incredibly pleased with the discovery. The place has a very cool feel to it, very nice lighting in the lounge, though not sure why there are TVs there. Something to note, if you don't have a reservation then you'll be seated in the lounge, which is a little area off to the side next to the bar. Not a big deal really, its not quite as private as the rest of the restaurant but still nice. The presentation here is really spot-on, all of the dishes looked great, even the drinks came presented well. On to the food! We got a few dishes, started off with Gyoza and a few kinds of tempura. The Gyoza was great, as was the tempura. Large servings of Miso Soup for $3 is major bonus points in my book too. Chicken Teriyaki and Veggie Yaki Udon were also fantastic; the tofu was especially delicious. I'm really picky about tofu so yeah, it was good :) Oh and the dessert menu. Oh man. Banana tempura with ice cream is something I would have never thought of, but is oh so good. The real reason Basho is getting my 4 stars though is the sake menu: there's a whole menu for it! I was very impressed with the selection, they had at least a dozen varieties, mostly cold but they have hot sake as well. Sake was maybe a little overpriced but certainly still affordable, I will returning if for nothing else than to try more sake.
(4)Beth H.
It's like Douzo but better with more food. The steamed bun with kurobuta pork is delicious and I can eat like ten of those shiitake mushroom robata skewers. The fish is always so fresh. Their salmon is the best in town. I've been going there atleast once a week since they've open. Bought myself a groupon and buywithme coupon for the restaurant and they've been great with accepting my printed coupon. I'm not sure why there's so many complaints about it since all you have to do is print it at home and bring it with you for a GREAT discount. I think I've had every single server wait on me a few times and everybody has been very friendly and prompt. Their recommendations are fantastic, and every week there's a new special that they tell me about. I think Basho has spoiled me cuz now i won't even go to douzo for sushi or any other sushi joint.
(5)M B.
Wow! Never felt such a contrast between expectations and experience. WAY way way overpriced for tiny tiny micro starters and entrees. E.g. $18 for a few mini Sashimi pieces. The ambiance great but the food is SOOOO disappointing. Everything is sweetened!! Never ate such a sweetened Sushi even in wedding buffets. Terrible. Don't even try.
(1)Kerr T.
Just got some lunch here. Pork Katsu (um, is that how you spell it?) lunch is yummy. The portion is just right and so is the nutrient provided. It comes with some salad and half of an orange (that goes my needed daily fruits & vegetables intake) and rice and some deep fried pork (I like fried stuff). I don't think it's pricey, it was around $8 something. Oh, I had the take-out, so, I couldn't comment on the dine-in experience. And oh, oh, they offer some of the nearby companies discounts if proper ID was presented.
(4)Lisa B.
Update: Basho has discontinued their sushi happy hour. Boo! I'll still visit for a cocktail occasionally, though.
(3)Erin C.
I think a certain set of people would probably love this place. The ambience is cool, minimalist, and modern with techno music. The sushi is contemporary and interesting/strange. However, I don't like this place because they don't have any straightforward sushi that is just good, well cut, raw fish. Everything is flavored for an "American" palate--too sweet, too fried, too salty--basically, too obvious. I don't think the execution of any of their dishes is particularly skillful. I think sushi should be exquisite. This place is not. Some things on the menu are kind of tasty but short circuits your taste receptors with all the sweet/saltiness. So I would only come here again if my friends really really wanted to for whatever reason.
(2)Henry C.
The girlfriend wanted sushi for her birthday dinner, so we decided to check out Basho. It's in a nice location near Fenway, but as expected the parking is quite a hassle. If you have the option of taking the subway in, would highly recommend it. The restaurant is clean, stylish and chic. Nice upscale modern atmosphere, the décor on point, the lighting was dim (good and bad, but it definitely set the mood ^_-). For dinner we had a Sushi Dinner Combo, rainbow, spicy tuna and spicy scallop rolls. The Sushi dinner was served with 8 nigiri, and a California roll, but no sides at all. Decent portions but, absolutely seen better. The presentation was pleasing and appetizing. The cuts of fish on the nigiri was average and it did the job. But surprisingly the California roll, (which I usually just write off as a filler lameness) was really good!! Prob one of the best California Rolls I had in a while. We also agreed that the tuna nigiri was especially fresh and excellent. Another win was the Rainbow roll, and would highly recommend this to people who actually like raw fish. It had a good assortment of fresh sushi, and the middle was packed with ebi and kani (imitation I think), every bite was flavorful. The Spicy tuna was pretty good as well, and had pieces of panko (or something else crunchy)~ but it should have been called 'not-so spicy tuna roll'. The flavor from the wasabi, (which gets high marks, well as the white ginger) easily overpowered the taste of the spicy tuna. And finally, I would have rated this restaurant a 5, but the disappointment came from the spicy scallop. Too much cucumber and the tiny bits of scallop failed to satisfy. The service was okay, and took a while to get our food. Understandably it was pretty busy... ON A MONDAY. But our waiter was fun, and had good energy. Over all, great atmosphere, okay service, tasty sushi, about average pricing since it is in Boston/ Fenway. Recommended.
(4)Paige S.
Basho is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Boston and in general. I have never ever had a bad meal here. It is in a great location, right across from Fenway. The food is always spectacular. My roommate and I go here almost every week. It is a little pricey but definitely worth it. The only thing that isn't perfect is the service. Sometimes we get really good waiters and sometimes we don't. Kahn is our favorite waitress and is always so friendly. She remembers our favorite meals and special requests. Others can be a little dull and rude. Some of the managers can be a little unfriendly and inattentive. Other than that, Basho is typically a pleasant dining experience.
(4)Sandra C.
Fine dining SERIOUSLY. Parking is always hard to find in this area, so the best way to get here is probably cabbing it or taking some public transportation. Walking in was kind of like walking into a nightclub. I feel like there's also A LOT more waitstaff than it is necessary, but that never hurts, because that just means that the service is really good. Went with a whole bunch of friends, which is the BEST because I get to sample their food! 1) OYSTERS on shell from raw bar: really good, but a little overpriced for three little morsels of goodness. 2) KOBE BEEF STEW: can you ever go wrong with Kobe beef? That's top grade beef yo! In a stew, it was even better, and the broth that came with this had a kick of flavor. I approve. I suggest you split this with someone, because it's extremely filling. 3) SEAFOOD KAIYAKIi: !!!!!!!! I LOVED THIS. It was AWESOME. Cooked really well and I wanted more. I actually want some right now just thinking about it. 4) STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE: It looks SO PRETTY. Tasted pretty too. 5) BANANA TEMPURA: I actually wish I ordered this instead of my strawberry cream cake. This is just right for a dessert when you're already full, but you still want to snack on something sweet. The good thing about all the sushi rolls is that you don't really need soy sauce to mix with each piece. The sushi has enough taste by itself...just the right crisp and niceness. So next time you have some extra cash on you, go to Basho. I'm probably not gonna come again until someone offers to pay for my meal--because I'm super cheap, but what else is new? It's a great restaurant to go to with a date.
(4)Alicia M.
This place is huge and very pretty inside. THe staff was very good as well, but the sushi didnt stand out. It didnt make me want to come back because I didnt have anything on the menu that was different from other sushi places I have been to.
(3)Chirag P.
This place isn't cheap, but you certainly get what you paid for. Very refined dishes, every ingredient on the plate has a purpose. Great cocktails! I especially liked the salmon fried rice, fairly good size pieces of salmon with a smokey flavor to it. I forget the name, but I had this roll which also had some mango pulp on top which had the perfect texture balances, and of course tasted great.
(4)Michelle C.
I have gone here two weeks in a row now so I guess it's time for a good review. This place is really yummy and a slightly different twist on your typical sushi. Some different things they do to keep it interesting and delicious is using a flame torch to sear some of their sashimi as well as unique sauces and toppings which adds a nice texture to the fish. I love love love the cucumber hand rolls. But order one per person or a knife to cut it, not so share-friendly. The knife skills to make this roll happen is impressive. As a foodie, I do appreciate this and am jealous that I can't do this. Overall, I would go out of your way for this but be adventerous with your order otherwise go somewhere else that is just as fresh but cheaper.
(4)Ariela G.
My friend who dined w/me remarked when we got seated, "I feel like I'm in Vegas". Indeed, the white lights behind the bar & thumping clubby music (started out faint & got louder throughout our Friday night dinner) do evoke a Vegas-like feel. But ambiance aside, the food was very tasty. My friend tried the Basho tasting sushi, 6 pieces of their best fish available (I think toro, salmon, yellowtail, mackarel + 2 others I couldn't remember). I had melt-in-your mouth tempura & ground chicken robata (meat grilled on a stick). Miso soup was very flavorful & we topped it off w/lava cake & cheesecake arranged like egg rolls. It was so good that when i saw that living social was running a coupon for it, it snatched it right up!
(4)Anna I.
Boston has plenty of Japanese Restaurants. But Basho Japanese Brasserie is a breath of fresh air. Amidst the usual sushi and sashimi choices, they also have the robata grill (on skewer). Located in the recently redeveloped Fenway area (1338 Boylston St, Boston (617) 262-1338), Basho has already garnered some fans. The decor is modern and minimal. Patrons can even get free Wi-Fi. First comes the steamed bun sandwich with kurabota pork and pickled cucumber ($7.75) in bamboo steamers. The perfectly marinated pork belly and refreshing cucumber pair well with the steamed bun, but could use a bit more sauce. The Dobin Mushi soup is served in a pot with seafood and chicken ($7.50), topped with ginger slivers, which cleanse and refresh the palate. Off the Robata Grill comes one skewer each of the tsukune (the seasoned ground chicken) ($4.00) and the Spicy Duck Mushroom ($6.50).The grilled but flavorful ground chicken as well as the duck with mustard and mushroom are delectable. Their inventive makimono rolls list makes it hard for diners to choose. Green Monster Roll ($14.95) has softshell crab with spicy mayo wrapped with escolar (white tuna) with an interesting flavor twist of cilantro pesto. Their weekly special is the popular Celtics Maki burrito ($16.95), which has spicy tuna, avocado and cilantro wrapped with soy paper and seaweed, topped with unagi served with basil oil and jalopeno aioli. Brown rice can be substituted for an additional fee. For dessert, there is sorbet ($6.95) and the cheesecake harumaki ($7.95). With the colorful flavored sorbet molded in a small shape of the actual fruits (raspberry, strawberry and peach), this is the most beautifully arranged sorbet, subtle and refreshing. The harumaki is a cheesecake deep fried as an egg roll served with raspberry sauce and chocolate shavings.
(4)molly L.
This place gets 3 stars because the food is SO GOOD, if over-priced. But for customer service they should get 0. Would that I could give the hostess negative points. We ordered through Foodler/dashed (which we do regularly to get it delivered to my office) -- Basho mixed up 2 of our Lunch specials for something very different than what we ordered (sweet potato tempura rolls swapped for sashimi plates). Totally fine, mix ups happen. But when I called to see about getting the food swapped for the right thing, the hostess was SO RUDE. She gave me serious attitude, and blamed the food delivery service, even though the restaurant is who prepares the food for pick up. She tried to insist that what we received was what we ordered (even though I was looking at the receipt), and then seemed not to understand that I wanted what was ordered, not what was delivered.
(3)Gerardo F.
I really wish Yelp could enable people to give half stars, because Basho is really worth 3.5 stars in my opinion. Overall, it's not a bad restaurants at all. On the upside, the decoration is beautiful and amazing, the mood/atmosphere very relaxed and trendy, and the place is extremely clean. However, I do have some concerns over their food and beverages. I ordered a variety of sushi ranging from salmon to tuna to sea urchins to egg. The taste and quality ranged from amazingly good (urchins and salmons were awesome) to actually tasting weird (eggs almost tasted like cheese). I also tried a desert with tempura fried banana; nothing particularly special. Beverage-wise, they serve their drinks a little too warmly. Basho really has tons of potential. I believe that it can become a great Boston institution. But they need to improve the overall quality of their food.
(4)Melissa B.
I have been here 3 times now, usually on a Groupon type deal. I just really wanted to mention just how great the combination rolls are, specifically the Green Monster Roll. It is by far the best roll on the menu. Also worth trying: the Rock & Roll. I was a little sad the the bar is closed for renovations, but the weather was nice so we just sat outside insted. Once the constuction is done I will be excited to go back.
(5)Sarah P.
Creative sushi options in a posh setting. I was particularly drawn to the rolls combining sweet potato and eel, which they had a few. The spicy yellowtail was very yummy and a bit lighter than your traditional tuna. They also had quite a few vegetarian options and decent wines. The only thing I didn't love was the edamame... Am I the only one that thinks its just not the same if it doesn't come with sea salt? Oh, and the chairs weren't incredibly comfortable, but I was so distracted by the cool lighting and swanky atmosphere that I just didn't care.
(4)Brian C.
LOVE the food, atmosphere, and aesthetics of the place. The pork buns are to die for and the rolls are exquisite. Quality is an A+. I brought my gf here after work one day and was seated near the window near bar area. The waiter completely forgot about half of our order and turned our hour dinner into a 2 hour dinner there. Further, when I attempted to just ask for the check and cancel an order I placed, the older asian woman (manager or hostess?) took the plate in the back, asked one of the staff what to do with it, waited about 5 minutes and brought it BACK to my table, saying it was a fresh handroll. DO NOT INSULT me, by bringing back the SAME handroll that has been sitting in the kitchen, and saying it was a new one "on the house." Lord knows what she might have done with it when she brought it back to the kitchen because I was unpleased with the service already.. Oh, and she never apologized once that the original order never came..isn't that customer service 101? I must say however, every other time I have come here, it has been great. Although a little over priced. You get what you pay for I guess, unless you get overcharged for a bad waiter and poor experience.
(2)Kaori S.
Admittedly, I'm a snob about Japanese food because... well, I'm Japanese. But this is the food I love and know best so I hope this review helps. Here we go! *puts on monocle* Rolls: We got the Crunchy Roll and the Yuzu Yellowtail Roll - both tasty. That doesn't mean much because you could roll up some old ass salmon or tuna and I wouldn't be able to gauge its freshness. All of the sauces, dressings, vegetables, fruits, tempura, panko, and crumbly-whatnots tend to cover the fish inside and, personally, that's what I'm most interested in. The presentation of the rolls were great. The texture, taste, and form of the rice were pleasin'. If you are most interested in rolls when you go out to eat sushi, I would recommend the two we had. Sashimi: In my opinion, sashimi is the true test of the quality of sushi. We ordered squid and sweet shrimp. Something I learned from my father about the freshness of squid is that the clearer and less opaque/white it is, the better. The texture is hard to explain but it should be kind of slippery? Well, the squid and sweet shrimp were disappointing - mediocre, I would say. The presentation was nice but there's only so much cutting and shaping of lemon peels and cucumbers you can do for a gal who likes her raw seafood. I would much rather have higher quality sushi on a plain plate than a carnival with some fish on top, especially for Basho's price. Service: Ibina (sp?) was our waitress and she was very helpful. She suggested the rolls to us and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. She knew exactly what sashimi were and were not out of stock, which made ordering quick and easy. Thanks, Ibina! To sum this place up in a nutshell... Basho tries too hard. If a restaurant is going to put up a front that it's fancy and posh (seriously, it's called a "Brasserie"), then it's food better be up to par as well. Japanese people love their presentation but none of that matters if the food is just "meh." But if you like eating slightly overpriced rolls to deep house music and fun lights, then please try Basho.
(3)Hillary C.
When i first saw a GROUPON for this restaurant i was very excited to use it for a free sushi meal. Turns out the place is so expensive that even with a groupon worth $40 i still had to shell out like $30 for a small dinner that was not even that great. The soft shell crab was definately the star of the show, while the catipillar roll looked shviveled up and pathetic, as the torched yellowtail that the waitress reccommended was bland and overly cooked. We also ordered a duck appetizer that was too salty. The atomosphere was very nice and trendy with friendly waitresses but for the price of okay sushi, it is not worth it.
(3)Chris C.
I work across the street from here and none of my coworkers have ever said anything good about this place and now I know why. Went here because of a Groupon and the proximity to my work. The first warning sign should have been when I called ahead to ask what the deal with the garage parking was on Red Sox nights. They gave a half answer of there some spaces, but no guarantees. I didn't find this very reassuring and it ended up not mattering because the game got rained out. Once I sat down with my friends we were all impressed with the menu. Everything sounded really interesting and the variety of things available was impressive. The prices were pretty high, but we were hoping quality would make up for that. So we began to order and were shocked to find out how unbelievably tiny the portions were. We ordered the edamame with lime which was tasty, but probably was only enough for 2 people to share not a whole table. We also got the kobe beef skewers which were good, but at almost $7 per skewer I was horrified. The worst part being there were like 2 tiny pieces of beef on a skewer maybe topping out at 3 oz total. I could get an entire kobe steak for way less that tastes even better at a lot of other places. We also had the crispy shrimp which again was tiny and expensive. The last thing we got was the scallop kaiyaki which ended up tasting off. Either they didn't use good scallops or the sauce they used made them taste funky. The drink menu was pretty limited and the drinks we all had were unimpressive. So since the place is wicked expensive, has so-so service and the portions are tiny I would definitely skip this place in the future.
(2)Aaron T.
I live a few blocks away, and have been excited about Basho from the moment I saw it under construction. Sleek, upscale sushi. Right? The place is cavernous, great decor and atmosphere. I ate outside, under the recently-added awning, which was comfortable and spacious. They have a lunch special, so I ordered the Makimono along with seaweed salad and hot tea, and my wife had the bento box with beef and California rolls. The seaweed salad was good: a tad overdressed, but sizable portion and beautiful presentation. The hot green tea was nothing to write home about. Then our entrees came out -- and the real disappointment began. The rolls were clearly not very well wrapped, falling apart before we even touched them. My lunch special included cucumber, tuna, and California rolls. They were all completely flavorless! This was especially surprising for the tuna rolls, which had quite a bit of meat. Easily the most disappointing maki I've had in Boston. My wife's beef roll at least had some flavor, but she was also underwhelmed. The service was OK, if a bit disorganized. Even ordering the cheaper items off the lunch menu, with tip we paid almost $40. The food might have been passable at half that price. Look elsewhere.
(2)Catherine R.
All in all it was good. I have been there on numerous occasions with friends, boyfriends, and family members, and the service was always good. So far, no complaints. Traditional food, done by Japanese. Of all the dishes, I can truly tell you that the Sushi is wonderful, and that the Scallops are to die for. Don't believe me? Go there and see for yourself.
(4)Arthur C.
Trendy place! I was slightly sad that they were out of squid sushi when I came in, and the waiter presumed a wrong dish when we really wanted another one. A little pricier than I'd like but not a bad experience overall
(3)Yow-Bang W.
I ordered the 7 dishes course for $55. I love the fried shrimp rolled with sashimi, and the 3 piece seared sashimi in cocktail glass; on the other hand the sushi and maki are disappointing, almost like mediocre $$ restaurants. I guess this might pretty much tells their strength and weakness, for it's quite similar to some previous reviews. Despite the great service they've provided, overall it's overpriced and I have to rate this restaurant down for their foods.
(3)Casey F.
Like a puppy pooping on the rug, it's hard to get mad at these people. Super nice, but super incompetent during a busy period. So bad that they comp'ed our $60 meal.
(1)Casey C.
I don't usually give reviews unless I'm super satisfied or super pissed and this place has to be the worst for me to spare my precious time on Valentine's Day to write a review. So we called earlier for reservation, and asked how long the wait was for walkins. The manager replied "I can't give you that information because all tables were booked" with the rudest tone. I was quite upset, but my friend craved for sushi and we were super close by, so we decided to check it out. We walked in and the restaurant was almost empty! Our friend went to park her car, so we asked for a table. The guy who talked on the phone told us we can't have the table without all parties, while the restaurant was more than half empty! And he added "we can't get you seated till all parties are here because there r like 300 reservations" 300 reservations???!!! You mean in a year? So we waited for our friend and got the table. After we got seated, we saw the manager went over and talked to a few waiters. And they kept looking this way. Since there's no bird nest on our head, it appeared pretty obvious the manager was talking about us behind our back. I don't know how people usually run business but that was just pure unprofessional. We were just shocked any restaurant could treat its customer that way. At that point, we already lost our appetite, knowing with this kinda attitude they would probably spit in our food. It was probably the worst dining experience ever. Anyways, the food was mediocre at best. We have had better food way more than 300 times tho. And I'm definitely not lying about 300 times. 300 reservations? 300 reservations my ass!
(1)Suad M.
Great place if you love it when waiters lie to you about the price and get you to order a $130 instead of the $40 you thought you were getting. I swear I'm not crazy. Here's what happened: My friends and I were having dinner and wanted to order a boat. We don't like eating tuna for environmental reasons and wanted to substitute it for any other fish. Given that tuna is usually the most expensive fish it's typically not a problem, but we were told that there are no substitutions. Okay, understood, we say, and start looking for alternative options on the menu. But then the waiters says magic words: BUT YOU CAN MAKE A CUSTOM BOAT! We look at each other surprised that this has never been an option before considering how often we come there. Are you sure we ask? Any rolls, for the same price! Yes, the waiters says. Order as much you can eat, same price. Are you sure it's the same price, I ask? Yes, he says, same price. Naturally we go crazy. Any roll combination for $40 total, that quite amazing. We went all out! You can see how it ends... With $130 check, because naturally, we were ordering separate rolls, that simply were placed in the boat but charged separately. We ask for the manager who was very professional, but defended the waiter who clearly made a mistake and gave us no discount on our order. This is a huge bummer. I live in the neighborhood and was a frequent visitor for drinks. After this, I won't be going back with much enthusiasm. Grrr. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CUSTOM BOAT YOU GUYS. Order at your own risk.
(1)Agnes A.
Food quality is really good. I ordered the soft shell crab tempera sandwich comes with sweet potato fries. My friends ordered two rolls of sushi, like I said, quality was great but portion was small. So we ordered two more rolls. We also had a scorpion bowl, delicious and it was really strong. So the bill came up to be 90 dollars for all three of us. Overall, I would come back again.
(4)Ana S.
I love this place. They have extremely high quality fish, a solid menu, and good service. Their miso is also incredible--very complex and always hot. I generally get the tuna/cucumber with brown rice and a miso soup, and it's just about $10. I'm so glad (or am I?) this place is just around the corner from me...I'll be back far too often.
(5)Elizabeth H.
Located in the heart of Fenway, this is the closest sushi place to my office and as a result head in occasionally. The atmosphere is nice: very high ceilings, nice booths and a long bar. While the atmosphere is really nice, the food is not the best for the price paid. Service can be slow even if it isn't too busy. The ramen was not too flavorful but the rolls are good for lunch. For the price, though, I'd prefer to walk down the road to Fins.
(3)Jeannie D.
Yes this place is on the pricey side but normal compared to the usual Fenway standards. We tried different sushi rolls, yaki udon, and some desserts. The sushi was pretty good and fresh but the noodles were just normal. We ordered green tea fried ice cream and chocolate lava cake and it took a while for it to get to our table. The fried ice cream was eh because of the extra red beans they added and the chocolate lava cake was extra small for the price. Service was pretty good other than the dessert taking a long time - no other problems.
(3)Lauretta L.
While Basho offers a convenient spot to grab sushi, the quality is average at best. We came here for a light dinner and shared a miso soup, sashimi sampler appetizer (yellowtail, salmon and tuna), spicy tuna roll and the yuzu roll. The miso soup was quite large and enough for the two of us. The presentation of the sashimi sampler was strange. The salmon slices were wrapped around a mix of sliced vegetables (sprouts, cucumbers and carrots). I think most people enjoy eating sashimi by itself, unadulterated by anything other than some soy sauce and wasabi. The yellowtail was also accented by a drop of some type of sauce, which overpowered the fish itself. If you want to mess with sashimi, you have a high bar to overcome. The spicy tuna mixture in the spicy tuna roll was dried out, bland and lacked any heat. The yuzu roll was better, although nothing to write home about. Portions for the sashimi and sushi rolls were very small as well. You won't get full here unless you want to break the bank.
(2)Andrew Q.
This place really just sets up you for the disappointment, and it's pretty sad, to be honest. Let's get started with the basics. Its name, Basho Japanese Brasserie, is some sort of ridiculous combination of faux Japanese and French. Walking in the door, you're greeted with an entryway with multicolored LED lights, reminiscent of a club, and a little basket on the desk of the host that reads "Keep Calm and Sake Bomb". The place, otherwise, is gorgeous and trendy, just as you might expect a higher-end Japanese restaurant to be like, yet certain deco choices, like the sake bomb sign, just scream "We cater to a college crowd!" Prices are standard for a Japanese restaurant, so no complaints there. Service was ... awkward. I'm not saying small-talk is frowned upon, but our server was definitely on the awkward side. I was pleased that they served hard cider with a chilled glass, though I likewise found it odd that such an externally high-end place didn't require servers to pour the first glass. The food was... I guess inconsistent. Pan-seared duck ramen is a novel idea. The ramen was delicious, but the duck leaves something to be desired. The sushi, too, lacks polish. The fish was disturbingly close to room temperature upon its arrival to the table, and the rice was off. The sushi was fresh and I'm picky, no doubt, but it left something to be desired. All bark and no bite, I'm afraid.
(2)Freddy A.
Great decor. The sushi is delicious. I had the spicy tuna. Ginger and wasabi were fresh. Their playlist was also enjoyable. Will come back.
(5)Steven S.
Being a suburban homebody, I spent a lot of time looking at Yelp for places to eat in Boston with friends visiting from NJ. While the 8 of us, evenly split between adults and kids, panned Wagamama at the Pru, we give Basho 16 thumbs up! The atmosphere may seem too upscale for kids, but the staff was very friendly and accommodating to all, making our visit very warm, welcoming and never rushed. (Having some Kirin also helps set the right mood!) For apps, the Basho Ribs the Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls and Miso soup received highest praises. For sushi, everyone loved every roll they ordered - no leftovers at all (which I do admit for dads who like to finish others' plates is sad). Topping my personal favorite sushi list are the Lobster Tempura, the Snow Crab and the Phoenix rolls. We left with fully bellies, happy smiling faces, and a great overall experience to remember.
(5)Jason A.
You know those chicks who dress all pretty, and then you take them home and realize that you'd have more fun talking to your cat? That's what Basho in the Fenway reminds me of. Went with my wife on a Groupon (yes, the universal sign that the place is hurting for business/sucks balls), and without it, the place would have been a 2 star experience. The food was abominable. Seriously, the sushi at Whole Foods was superior. Unless you were hammered on 11 sake bombs, you could not tell me that the food was a reasonable facsimile of good Japanese food. And if you think that it is, then I beg of you to please never review another Japanese restaurant on Yelp again. Ever. However (see above reference to pretty girls), the restaurant design looked pretty. Enough that my wife said "Ooohhhh" when we walked in. It's a shame that she also said "Ooohhh" when we walked out, but that was mostly because I think the diarrhea had just started.
(3)Daniel C.
We have basho a second try after eating there during their cold open And being disappointed. We should have stayed away. The prices are that if a far superior restaurant with more focus. The food remains bland and badly portioned. Basho may work for the well heeled Sox fans from the burbs, but it does nothing to stand out from the crowd.
(2)Kenny C.
I was not expecting much from an Americanized Japanese/Korean restaurant but was pleasantly surprised. The yellowtail usuzukuri featured great cuts of yellowtail, but I felt the jalapeno, although initially brought out the flavor of the fish, ultimately overpowered the yellowtail. The garnish on the side - cucumber and onions - did not complement the dish at all. Great presentation, but taste was 4/5. At this point I was not too impressed, and my feeling for this place was sorta just average. But then out came the rolls, and the rolls were surprisingly good. We ordered the salmon tempura roll, caterpillar, and yellowtail yuzu. The salmon tempura roll was well flavored, the salmon was not overcooked, and the roll stayed together after biting half of a piece off, which speaks to its quality. It's hard to go wrong with the caterpillar when its drizzled in unagi sauce. Again, the roll was put together very well and this one in particular melts right in your mouth. The yellowtail yuzu was the gf's favorite. I also really, really liked it. The flavoring was unique, and went very well with the yellowtail. I'd definitely order all 3 rolls again. The price was not bad either - everything was around $10~12 dollars, which is standard for sushi rolls. The most important ingredient in sushi is the rice. The sushi chefs here has done a great job with the rice - they worked perfectly with the rolls we ordered. Now I'm curious if they can pull this off with brown rice instead of the white rice traditionally used. The service is a bit lacking though. Our server was super nice but the restaurant seemed way too understaffed. Or many it's just poorly managed. There was a guy responsible for pouring water. There was a guy responsible for clearing tables. Another guy as our dedicated waiter. Seems pretty standard, right? But our waiter was way too busy and took way too long to get us our water and even to come back and take our orders. The guy pouring water walked by us and didn't offer to get us cups of water. Another complaint is on their drinks. With such an extensive drink menu at a restaurant with a full bar, we'd expect at least decent drinks. Sadly, the gf and I didn't enjoy her lychee martini at all. Everything about it is meh. Will not be ordering this one again. I'd give it 4 stars but -1 for the poor service tonight. I'd definitely come back and try some other things on their huge menu. Hope they will have improved on their services by then!
(3)Miyuki A.
By far the worst that I've ever had to experience from beginning to end. Highly unprofessional and unforgivable attitude by the restaurant manager. I'm more shocked than anything else, would not pay a single cent for the treatment I received. And it wasn't even just the service, your sushi was just absolutely mediocre.. Will definitely not be returning here. Not worth risking your precious time.
(1)Mei l.
When i told the manager the sushi is bad. He says: i think it taste great. You are too picky. Ok jerk.. I will just never come here again. Period.
(1)Ryan G.
Posh sushi in a up and coming posh neighborhood... But the thing about this place that throws me off a bit is that its a Japanese restaurants, that looks like a zen garden meets bar. So when I first came here I was slightly confused and didn't know what to really expect. Maybe its just because I am Asian and the whole bar Japanese vipe wasn't speaking to me....who knows. Overall, this place has good quality food (4 stars) but its fairly expensive; and to me, the quality does not justify the cost. The specialty rolls were surprisingly fresh and tasty, but be warned that you will definitely be paying upwards of $15 for a roll. What was actually surprisingly good was the Katsu sandwich, which came with sweet potato fries. However, it is in a super great location; A couple blocks from Fenway and Kenmore square. Lots of bars nearby if you want to drink afterwards. I would recommend giving this place a try and coming up with your own consensus. But if you are around the area for lunch I would definitely give it a try for their lunch specials and sandwiches.
(3)Mary M.
Ahhh Basho....How can I even begin to describe how wonderful their sushi is! I've been here about a dozen times and every time I'm even more in love. I would definitely recommend the yuzu yellowtail roll, it's one of my favorites. I really don't know why people think the sushi is so bad because I've never gotten a bad roll. I do, however, give the 4 stars because some of the waiters have been not so great. Super slow service, and on one occasion the manager was super rude. When I called to reserve a table, I said (and my friends were there to back me up!) "Can I reserve a table for 4 at 7?" When we got there they said I had asked for a table of 7 and instead of just sloughing it off as no big deal, the manager kept correcting me saying that I reserved a table for 7. He just seemed like the kind of person who no one says no to. Other than that minuscule issue- go to basho!
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