Came here cause the bf had a groupon since they're promoting their new restaurant. They have a great location in the center of porter square, the convenience of a parking garage, but unfortunately I found the food to be disappointing. Ordered the: 1. Pork cheek yakitori - of all the dishes this was the best but pricey, 3 scantily clad skewers for $6 or 7 2. oyster mushroom yakitori -nothing sexy about soggy mushrooms 3. Tried to order the hamachi collarbone but apparently they only have one a day 4. Fried oyster -came out piping hot, nice fried exterior, didn't enjoy the oyster itself though 5.spicy salmon and tuna roll - just your standard roll but pricey 6. Lovers roll - tuna, salmon avocado, crunchies, and roe topped with a sweet spicy sauce. Sauce was good, rice was hard and stale. No bueno. The restaurant is huge btw, but when it's empty it's not as impressive :/ the magnetic belt rotating in the center for people doing hot pot was though. Prob won't be back
(2)
Vivian C.
T'was a Groupon that led me all the way out here on the Red Line for dinner one chilly wintry eve. And it was the available free parking in the back that made it an easy choice to suggest to my DC. If you took the T as I did, exit the Porter Square station through the door to the right and zero in on the Walgreens before you, slightly to the right. Akai Ryu Shabu & Sushi is its upstairs neighbor, perched above the Potbelly Sandwich Shop which is positioned on the ground floor, in the Porter Square Galleria From there you have a choice. Head on in and take the escalator, stairs, or elevator. Or, if the escalator is out of whack, like it was on the evening of my visit, take Walgreen's escalator on up. Akai Ryu has quite a good-sized footprint. The kitchen is hidden in the center, and you can walk all the way around if you like. And just might, since the bathroom is in a little hallway in the back. Purely sushi tables are located to the left by the sushi bar. The rest of the tables have burners in case you are hankering to cook up some raw meat and veggies in a pot of simmering soup. We started with two appetizers. Though I doubted our appetites could do it justice, my DC didn't want to miss out on the Kaki Fry $8 (deep fried oysters, lightly panko-breaded, served with Japanese mayonnaise) when I suggested it. The second was the Okonomiyaki $12 (Japanese-style pizza: ebi, scallops, ika, and scallion pancake topped with bonito flakes, Japanese mayonnaise, and okonomi sauce). The fried oysters were terrific! They counted 6 fat, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside orbs to an order and we completely decimated the plate. The Okonomiyaki happily waved its bonito flakes at me, yet sadly lacked the visual effect of the generous pieces of seafood that had so enticed me from the photo printed on their menu. Two of the Shabu-Shabu broths were offered at no charge (the rest were either $4 or $5) so I went with those in the twin compartments of our pot: Chicken (light and silky chicken consomme) and Vegetable (Our vegetarian and vegan soup base). Shabu-Shabu Combinations come with your selection of protein (or vegetarian) and a mixed vegetable platter, and either rice or noodles. We ordered the Boneless short rib combo $20 and added Beef Tongue a la carte for $10. I selected the Sweet Potato Noodle to go with the combo since at $4 a la carte it was a dollar more than my beloved Udon Noodles, and I figured if we were hungrier than expected and hankered for more carbs, we could always add on the Udon later. The sauce for dipping the cooked goods after their pass through the bubbling broth was provided in do-it-yourself fashion so we could fix it up to taste. A small bowl of soy sauce was poured out for each diner. A shared bowl of bbq satay sauce was set before us, and each diner provided with our own two-compartment dish of diced garlic and scallions - both raw. Add what you will to the soy sauce, mix and enjoy! The mixed vegetable platter that came with the short rib was pleasantly easily divisible by two. Don't mind if we do! Admittedly though, I had trouble identifying some of the veggies exactly. There was corn on the cob, some orange squash thing (don't think it was sweet potato), some sliced fungus, wood-ear, tofu, and maybe 3 varieties of leafy greens, just two pieces of each, except maybe 6 of the larger darker leaf vegetable. We heard that the a la carte meat were larger portions than when ordered in a combo. The short rib combo came as 12 slices nicely rolled up while the tongue a la carte numbered 15. I couldn't quite get the tongue to be exactly tender after its hot bath, but I did manage to cook my final slice of the short rib just right to my intense pleasure. We quit with half the pancake app, most of the noodles, and nearly a third of the meat left. Yet we had room for dessert! They do say that there is a separate stomach for dessert ! After perusing the two sided dessert menu, we went with the Bailey's Irish Cream Pie $6.99. Not a generous portion at say 1/16th a cake, but plenty for our remaining appetites. Hot green tea to accompany our sweet was $3 for a pot. It had an interesting fragrance and flavor, nothing like the Chinese teas I'm more familiar with. Their parking lot is out back, down a few steps, and it is off-set from the large parking lot that belongs to the Porter Square Shopping Center which serves the patrons of Shaw's and its neighboring businesses.
(4)
Diane H.
It's a very beautiful venue as others have said. The prices may be a little high for hotpot and sushi though, unfortunately. Usually prime rib eye is 20 but here it is 24 so a bit different. Side orders are higher too, such as extra noodle because it's not a lot that is given. The sushi isn't as good as stand alone sushi places but they still charge the same price for the special rolls. the service was fine. Our server was very accessible but there was a confusion when they tried to give me the next table's order and my bf who was very hungry almost Took it but I was like "no". The korean bone marrow soup want good. The regular chicken soup tasted like soup from ramen which I liked cause I like ramen. I enjoyed the spinach looking veggies and the amount of mushroom given was good. Anywyas I wasn't expecting to have a bill of almost 100 for 2 people for just 2 entrees, a green tea, mango shake, a roll of sushi and the salmon essence. The salmon essence was good but wow, tiny compared to the pictures I saw-- which was probably taken. Very close. I may come back for lunch... but I don't know about dinner, I don't spend that much at other Hotpot places....
(3)
Denise M.
Doggie downer is not my preference for a review but I was disappointed. It was OK, not be running back for more unless its with or group or for convenience . The szechuan broth was basically just hot chili peppers, I couldn't taste anything more than that. There is no meat combo only only fish/meat combos. The serving platter of meat and vegetable plate was average in size compared to other Shabu restaurants. The server was bored, I really just wanted to get things myself instead of feeling like a burden. It was a quiet night and he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but helping to make me happy. I understand, we all have those days. The three stars are for the interior. The decor is quite lovely, the design spacious with great lighting. If you can get a table overlooking Porter Square it is quite nice. I might return, try a different broth and give it another try. Every new establishment deserves a second chance. Chefs, business owners and customers are all only human.
(3)
Chenkai L.
I came here for dinner with my gf and we got an appetizer and a number of sushi rolls. The salmon essence we got was beautiful as it was delicious, nicely crispy and toasted and topped with delicious sauce. The sushi was also really good, this place definitely uses fresh ingredients that you can taste. The restaurant is a little hidden behind the mall but inside was clean and roomy, great service and i will definitely come back when there is a groupon again.
(4)
Andrew W.
Overall 3.5/5 rounded up because of Groupon (no lunch special if you use Groupon) Food 3/5 Store 4/5 Service 4/5 I came here due to a Groupon i bought for $32 for a $45 value. This place is located in a building complex so im not sure how parking would work out. Nonetheless its located on the 2ed floor very close to the red line. Upon entering this place around noon, my impressions were modern, spacious and it felt clean. I ordered the lamb hot pot for 22, california roll for 6, spider roll for 11 and salmon for 7 and yellowtail sashimi for 7. The sashimi was ok, but the cut was extremely small and thin. For 7 bucks I would expect better cuts. The rolls were ok. The quantity was there but the quality and taste was not. The hot pot came with a small portion of veges, small rice, some dipping sauces and a decent amount of meat. If you need more food you can just take it off the convyer belt which is really neat :) Overall, you get a lot of food with an okay quality. I would not come here without a groupon but will so if I have it again. Cheers!
(4)
Jimmy B.
Really pretty, and I love the concept of conveyor belt appetizers for shabu. They also have a private parking, which is always a plus. And the meat is pretty darn good.. but the price man, the price. $20 for a dinner entree set.. and the portions aren't large. Mind you, they may LOOK large, but it's all fluff (one of our meat dishes had a large hump of napa cabbage under it). The noodles are also not precooked.. which may be a good thing for some people, but to me, that means there's less noodles packed per bowl (as cooked noodles remove the excess air uncooked noodle has). Soup level also began at like, 1/4 of the bowl and quickly evaporated, and the waiter had to keep filling it. Sauce quantity was also very conservative - literally about two tablespoons of barbecue sauce which I need about a whole bowl full of when eating shabu. So, all in all, not a bad place, and the location is definitely convenient if you're around porter square. Otherwise, I'd rather go to Boston for cheaper shabu of comparable quality as I just can't justify the current price.
(3)
Joseph A.
My wife and I Had the pleasure of dining there yesterday afternoon. It was an outstanding culinary experience, with great food and service. We had the Lun Shabu with prime rib for two for only $19 !! It was the absolutely the best Asian food we have ever had. The decor was fabulous with a convenient location in Porter Square and free parking. Highly recommended - a must try!! .
(5)
Mark T.
I did not try the shabu, I went here for the sushi, or rather maki. If you are looking to eat shabu (hot pot) read other reviews... if you are looking for sushi, either from the menu or from the conveyer (kaiten) read this review, and then go elsewhere. My first experience was on a Wednesday, I came here alone. $26 all you can eat (but you are charged for uneaten plates). There was sushi on the conveyor included and shabu included. The sushi was okay, and had some nice flavors, but was not over the top special, and did not feel fresh. There was a decent variety on the conveyor, but could have been more exciting. Since I only ate 6 plates (~2 small pieces each), and did not touch the shabu, this was a poor value. If you come for the Wednesday special, come with a group that is prepared to eat [subpar food]. I decided to return on a different day in the hopes that there would be more variety. I had thought that the plates circling on Wednesday are the same $2 plates circling at lunch, and that dinner had various fancier $3 and $4 plates. Anyways, we sit near the conveyor, and there is stuff circling... sparing you the long winded explanation, there was only one kind of sushi circling, the rest was raw vegetables and other raw/frozen things to be added the shabu. -- Also, the sushi that was circling had shrimp with the tail still on (as opposed to sushi that can go straight into the mouth). This unexpected disappointment led us to order from the menu, to satisfy our curiosity. we tried a plate of Alaska, California, and Philadelphia. Plates cost $6, and has 6 teeny pieces each. A buck a piece of already excessive for teeny pieces. Add that they were terrible. Rice was of low quality and or undercooked, nori was too thick, and fish inside was salty (why then soy sauce... and they did not feel fresh for stuff supposedly just made. Seriously, stuff at food courts and Market Basket is better. No lie! Service was something else... the restaurant had probably two or three groups of people, at 5PM, on a Saturday (my friends claim this is a sign to avoid a restaurant). It was horribly slow and inattentive. It took probably five minutes to get some utensils, also a long time for order to be taken, and for water to be refilled. I will applaud them for not charging us for the plate we took off conveyor and tried that was of frozen stuff (for shabu). 2 stars and not one for some decent pieces during Wednesday. ...either they need a major revamp, or, being empty at dinnertime on Saturday they will not stay in business for long.
(2)
Rhea S.
Maybe more like 3.5 stars. My disappointment is this: raw vegetables on a plate is not sushi. It's crudites. I love the conveyor belt sushi thing, which seem to be much more popular on the West coast than here. I've been to the one in the Natick Mall, and was excited to hear that there was one close by in Cambridge. Well, maybe a Tuesday night isn't the best time to see the belt's offerings, but there was nothing on there resembling sushi. Plates of mushrooms, mixed greens, root vegetables, edamame and broccoli rotated around, untouched. Disappointing! The sushi we ordered off-menu was very good though. We had a shrimp tempura appetizer, lover's sushi (tuna), and snow crab sushi. The plating was a little confusing as I had 5 pieces of tuna sushi vs. my husband's 10 or so pieces. Yes, mine were bigger, but the price points were roughly the same. The cocktails were excellent. I would go back and re-set expectations of the conveyor belt. As for the decor, I don't agree with the "few steps up from a food court" description. I think bringing a date here would be fine.
(3)
Wahyu D.
We had a great lunch at this restaurant. The shabu soup was delicious with a variety of broths to choose from. We chose Tom Yum broth which was superb. The waiters were super helpful and friendly. And the view to the street and Porter Square adds to the whole ambience of the restaurant. The prices might be a little too expensive but it's worth a try.
(4)
Francis C.
My friend had a Groupon so we stopped by to use it and it was fine but nothing spectacular. Nothing was particularly wrong, but nothing was exceptionally great either. The roll selection was fine... they had a lot of interesting rolls, but I'm kind of a simple, sashimi type of girl so I'm not really into "super fancy" rolls (my friend ordered one with pineapple and mango and as someone who doesn't like to mix fruit with any other food group, it was weird... BUT he liked it so....) The shabu was fine.... I wish they had more vegetables on the platter though; I feel like we went through the veggies pretty quickly. I wasn't all that impressed and for what it was, I actually think it's a bit overpriced (perhaps because the space is so big?). We definitely left hungry and contemplated getting a second meal but decided to fill up on ice cream instead (I know, we're super smart). I'd rather make a trek to one of the all you can eat sushi bars... I think the price is comparable but you'd get way more bang for your buck.
(2)
Jay K.
Didn't do the shabu, just came in for a few snacks. I thought it was conveyor belt sushi, but found out that's only at lunch time. The shabu stuff was going around on the belt though. Sushi was ok, seemed smaller than usual. Really just felt over charged for something so small, and would recommend you go over to the porter exchange mall and get better Japanese food, more of it, and for better prices.
(3)
Anarie S.
I came here for lunch. I had bought a groupon online for $25 to spend $50. Just a little note.. you have to spend $50, not including tax to use it. There is an additional special menu for lunch. I got the marrow bone ramen soup that was about $10. It was really good! The best thing I liked about this place was the waitress was really nice and sweet. She have a lot of suggests on what to order. I'll definitely come back for the conveyor belt sushi :)
(4)
Jo M.
I've been to Akai Ryu twice now - once for sushi and once for shabu. It was really good. The sushi choices were varied - not your usual salmon and avocado. But the shabu! My husband and I went for dinner one evening, and had a great time. I was a bit pricey, but we ate a lot for our money. The choice of broths was very interesting (we had a bone marrow broth), and the mushroom selection was amazing. They also have the sushi train filled with veggies and mushrooms for the shabu, which was really great. It definitely took the fear of ordering too much / not enough away. It's definitely a meal you want to share with your close friends though. It can be quite messy and there's lots of double dipping. I can also highly recommend the caramel cheesecake and the Baileys cake-y thing for dessert. Both were amazing. Would highly recommend for a night out with friends or your significant other
(4)
Sebastian S.
The Wednesdays "all you can eat" deal is spectacular. The shabu (hot pot) broth was especially flavorful. I recommend the herbal chicken broth. All the meats for the hot pot were amazingly tender and tasty. The lamb, beef, and shrimp were far from dry or tough; they were 5-star quality minimum. The waiters were always attentive and helpful, bringing over extra water for the broth and adjusting the heat for the hot pot. Lastly, I recommend the tuna sashimi, which was moist and fresh.
(5)
Amanda P.
SONYA WAS AMAZING!! She's funny make sure you ask for her. The food was ok The decor has a modern twist to it and the vibe.
(2)
Lesley F.
We had a comically bad dining experience here. We came with a big group on a night when all-you-can eat sushi was an option. Most, but not all, of us did all-you-can eat sushi. It took over an hour for the first of the sushi orders to arrive, and another hour for the second (refill) order. They said that they had two sushi chefs instead of three, but this does not explain why the delay was _so_ long. In the middle, they brought us some gross fried stuff to tide us over. I did not try the sushi, but was told it was fine (not good, but not bad). Those of us who were not getting all-you can eat sushi were instructed to sit in a small corner of the table, all together, to avoid any confusion. I ordered a veggie shabu, which the waiter said came with tofu, but which did not (tofu cost extra, and we had to order it later, when we discovered it did not come with the dish). The noodles - which are a key part of the dish - did not arrive, so I had to ask about them... it took over half an hour to get the noodles after the soup part arrived - and the soup ingredients took up more table space than we had. At some point, the waiter walked by and said something to the tune of "I'm going to go get a cigarette so I don't kill myself." If the place had any idea what it was doing that night, they would have comped our bill and told us to leave early on, because they were definitely not in the position to serve food. I would have left, but we were in a big group with my husband's office, so there was a certain amount of inertia that kept us all there.
(1)
Tams N.
Fulfill your octopus balls craving here. Their takoyaki is on point. Friends and I went there for a divine shabu shabu experience after a day frolicking in the woods. What better way to warm up after a crisp autumn hike than hot soup and hot balls. We got the pork combo, with squid, clams, and maitake mushrooms added. It was all good. Will be back to try sushi, grilled kama and okonomiyaki. So thankful this is in the neighborhood.
(4)
Dawn B.
My DH and I went here with a Groupon recently and had no preconceived notions other than having read the mixed reviews on Yelp. I am happy to say we enjoyed our meal! We decided ahead of time that hot pot could wait for another time and focused on apps and sushi. We started with a large hot sake which the server said to let cool for 3 minutes but was never very hot to begin with. We ordered fried oysters (because lots of people raved about them in their reviews) and yellowtail collar. Our oysters arrived relatively quickly and needed time to cool; they came with mayo and spicy mayo, and were tasty. We put in an order for some maki rolls and they arrived before the collar, so be warned that they must need extra time to prepare that. Once it did arrive, o.m.g. was it delicious! I love yellowtail sushi (my husband is less of a fan) but the broiled collar was smoky and moist and yum. It looked like "two dead birds" with the fins attached, according to DH, and it did maybe a little. :) Tasted a lot like swordfish. Sushi was fresh and delicious, which was encouraging since some reviews dissed the sushi. No conveyor belt sushi on weekends which makes sense I guess. I think plates only have 2 rolls on them anyway so it all works out in the end. Service was good; only hiccup was when waiting for the credit card/Groupon to be processed but otherwise a good experience.
(4)
Michele J.
I have been to Akai Ryu twice and have had shabu only, so I can't comment on the sushi. My first experience at Akai Ryu was beyond my expectations. The spaciousness was a nice surprise; it's hard to find an eatery in the area where you don't have to wait to be seated. The decor is lovely to look at; each section has something unique about it. It has the look of being a nice place without any sense of snobbery (and by no means do you need to dress up; jeans all the way)! The shabu experience was great due to our friendly waiter who would stop by when needed but didn't come so often you felt like you were being rushed out. In fact, we took our time letting the broth become more flavorful as we added our ingredients. Shabu/hot pot is about taking your time and enjoying the cooking as much as the eating. The only downside I would say is that I wished there were more noodles given, both in the combo and as a side. $4 for a small portion of noodles is not filling enough. I would also suggest that we're given bowls rather than the almost dish-like shaped bowls. It's a petty thing but I like to be able to sip the contents I've gathered rather than trying to slurp the plate/bowl and not spill over the sides. However, this isn't going to keep me from coming back for more. Like I said, I've been here twice -- and it was within two weeks! Next time I will try the sushi. But, knowing that I have other sushi spots and no other places to go for shabu, it will be hard to resist a bowl.
(4)
Jeff M.
Pretty good as far as hot pot goes. The nice open space was unexpected on the top floor of a mall. I'd go back.
(4)
Jill O.
The food was absolutely delicious! The sushi was so fresh and the shabu shabu was great. I'm very picky about my sushi and this is one of the better places in the Cambridge/Somerville area. A much needed addition!
(4)
Jen K.
First time here wanted to try a new shabu place cause I love shabu! First kudos to our waitress KIM she was awesome, accommodating, and attentive! She refilled our waters and checked up on us without being overbearing! Her service was great!! It would be one star but because of her I'll give it two stars. We ordered the takoyaki! Delicious! Loved it! But it took literally 20 minutes for it to come out! Word to the wise any appetizers should only take 10-12 minutes. 20 minutes is way way too long! I worked at various restaurants and if a customers appetizer took a long time the manager would always make sure the table understood why. It should not take that long! Thirdly, getting out shabu pot tooooook forever....... When u go to any shabu restaurant they bring it out right away. It took 30 min...... I ordered the szchuen broth. You guys just dumped chili oil and peppercorn into the broth.... So, when you make he broth you have to use the szchuen paste. This is because the broth won't mix with the oil. The oil just sits on top. If u use the paste the broth and the paste mix together. Do not make bad broths. It ruined the experience for me. I like how you have the plates o the conveyor belt great idea! Also the garnish. You guys give literally the size of a penny... If people are paying 20 dollars plus for a meal do not skimp out on the necessities of hot pot. Give more garnish! The manager of this place needs to visit more shabu places and bring better quality shabu! Or else no one will come back for it! Also there were many tables waiting for their meals for over 30 minutes.... I saw many people just look around and sit just waiting for their sushi. You need to either hire more people on the weekend or have a more efficient way of cooking in the kitchen. Even though the food is great, if a customer waits forever for it to come out. It ruins the experience! I know this is new! But definitely many improvements must be made to compete in restaurants in boston especially shabu ones!
(2)
s c.
Adding to the mixed reviews here - our party of 17 had a terrific luncheon experience today. I don't recall his name, but the person who waited on us may have been the manager. We ordered many apps, sushi, and some opted for the shabu. Service was excellent, although the missing baby octo app appeared upon inquiry, after everything else came out. Particularly delish were the tuna cerviche, fried oysters, and baby octopus. One downside was that nigiri pieces were the smallest I've ever had. A nice touch was the complimentary desserts: cheesecake, tiramisu, choc lava cake, mochi to share. This nice place with free parking (!) was fairly empty on a Wed afternoon - do try it!
(4)
Jonathan M.
I've now been to Akai Ryu twice, and both times the service was unacceptably slow. Tonight we waited over 25 minutes between ordering and getting our first appetizer; clock was at 45 minutes by the time the main course sushi arrived. The place wasn't super crowded or anything. Our party had mixed opinions on the sushi ranging from 'ok' to 'good but not great'. We didn't try the shabu. The wait times were similar on my first visit (and in the end I didn't get what I ordered). I want to like this place and the servers were perfectly pleasant, but they need to up the speed of the kitchen.
(3)
Paul R.
The good - the food, clearly, can be amazing. Fresh, beautiful food. But. I went out with 10 friends, we had a reservation days in advance, not just a 'surprise - here were are' thing. The waitress was fine - she did the best she could, full of energy, and we all felt really sorry for her - there were insufficient wait staff working. The bad: It was not clear if there was anyone in the kitchen at all though! I'm VERY forgiving of service - I tend to try to understand how things can be unexpected and that there is complexity - but the service was so bad I would have still left unhappy had they comp'd the entire meal! We all ordered Shabu. Some of us were nearly done before some of us got ANY food at all. I was done with my meat before I saw a single vegetable, even though I got the combination (as did everyone else). When the first few plates came out, the first few folks in the group got their vegetables. It was nearly 45 minutes before the rest of us saw vegetables! It was to the point where we were wondering if they forgot about us - even though we asked precisely this questions more than once. One of us in our group ordered scallops, he received his scallops LONG after I had finished my prime rib, and I was in the second wave of food to come out. I want to love this place - it is BEAUTIFUL, spacious, and the food is actually amazing. They have a liquor license and they make good drinks! But the place is a total nightmare for groups, or maybe we just came in on a night when the entire kitchen staff had gone on strike - I really wish I could imagine a reason for this experience being so poor. We were even offered dessert BEFORE we had all received our main courses - which would seem weird, except based on the amount of time we had waited, that was probably an appropriate point in our visit to offer up dessert menus. Absolutely will not return.
(2)
Patricia J.
A great restaurant. The service was fast and the food delightful. Highly recommend for sushi and for a fun atmosphere. They had a very extensive menu and several varieties of saki. The waiter was very nice and gave us some good recommendations for the best Shabu broth and other items. Very fun!
(5)
J C.
I have been here for different types of meals (shabu shabu dinner, sushi lunch, bento). The best here is shabu shabu. I was impressed with the quality and quantity, whether its the set or a la carte. I won't normally order takoyaki but one day the very nice waitress recommended and said that it was her favorite. It turned out to be really good indeed! They were also super nice and found me a nice plum wine when I wasn't sure what I wanted to drink. Also came here with a vegetarian friend and she was spoilt for choice.
(4)
Richard H.
We dined here on a Groupon (disclaimer), and I generally felt that the food was 4 stars, but the service was 1.5 stars. As a resident of China for a year, I know hot pot pretty well, and the menu has all of the generally expected fixings from beef and lamb plates to tofu and vegetables. We opted for a beef plate which is served with a side of mixed veggies and noodles, and added on a tofu-plate with the neutral chicken broth and a spicy broth split down the middle. The portion sizes were average, nothing like the "serves 2-people" compliments posted on Yelp, but the ingredients were fresh and made for an enjoyable hot pot experience in Porter, especially with the good value with the Groupon. The tofu plate was sparse, and actually forgotten by the staff. It took us a while to find our waiter to kindly remind him that we had not received our tofu plate, and this theme was constantly repeated through the evening, as our water glasses were not refilled, and they forgot about our maki roll, which came quite late. In the end after a decent hot pot meal, we just wanted our check to move on after this almost 2 hour ordeal, but alas we had to track down the waiter again. I'm willing to give Akai Ryu another try as these service issues may just be a small kink in their recent opening. The interior is a nice and open space, and the booths and hot plates are large. The atmosphere felt very much like a hot pot restaurant in China, however I was not expecting the mainland requirement that you shout "waiter" when you truly need to find the waiter to get water, a forgotten plate, or your check.
(3)
Nikki L.
I love this place! They have the best sushi in town, the service was amazing, and Sonia rocks!
(5)
matthew k.
Great place, amazing service and a good value. Heard they do all you can eat on Tuesday.
(5)
Max N.
Brand spankin new and the emptiness shows it. Shabu shabu is the thing I partake in when I'm looking to spoil myself. I wandered in and ordered my usual "surf and turf" combo. Their seafood selection was less diverse then Kaze or Shabu Zen, but satisfactory nonetheless. The clams and mussels were quite small and the white fish was not something that was very flavorful fresh from the hot pot. The veggies were also a little less diverse than what I'm used to, but the beef was fine. I would have given them two stars only, but as others have reviewed, the waitstaff was exceedingly nice. But I'd be nervous that if the restaurant was full, it'd be a really lackluster experience.
(3)
Kevin T.
Yep, still solid when I went there again for another friend's (surprise) birthday celebration. Though we went for some of the favorites from last time (Such as the Agedashi Tofu and Fruit Smoothies), the new sampling we had this time was also quite nice. The Salmon essence that others have mentioned is *very* nice, and beautiful too to boot, so I'd definitely recommend getting it. Also we got the Tom Yum, Kimchee Tomato, and Szechuan soup bases, and they're all very flavorful . The Kimchee tomato was very hearty, and the szechuan extra spicy had a really good kick to it. A nice plus for the combo platters was the addition of some mushrooms and some more greens to the platter from what I last remembered. The lamb was same good ole' deliciousness (and the chicken was great too!). All beautifully sliced and presented. By the end of the meal, we totally made converts out of the three Shabu-newbies at the table. Service was fantastic as usual. Everyone was very attentive from start to finish and made sure stuff came out in reasonable time. I feel bad for staying til closing time (since we came in a bit past 8:30pm) but they were very nice about it throughout. Sonya and Patrick: you guys were amazing. :) **Also awesome news: they had their liquor license approved! End of the month before they get it, but (hard) drinks + Shabu will soon be upon us!
(5)
David X.
We went on a Saturday night. They sat us at a dirty table, and instantly removed the dirty dishes. No one came back to wipe the table down or provide utensils, glasses, etc. We waited 20 minutes and no waiter showed up either. Eventually, some angry asian woman came over, dropped a bowl of edamame on our table, said "on the house. for waiting." And left. As she walked away, I heard some staff member yell at her and she shouted back "Free because I'm nice!" We waited another 10 minutes, still no waiter, nothing. So we left. The menu itself left a lot to be desired. It says Japanese Sushi, Grill and Shabu. No "Grill" items on the menu. And the sushi had no standard items like a 'Sashimi Dinner" which you see everywhere for like $25 for chef's choice. It makes ordering much easier. Indeed, the few options available on the menu were all $1 - $3 more than any other Japanese restaurant I've been to, and all have been better than this place. The Shabu menu was also $3 - $5 more per item than all the other great shabu restaurants around town. The place was completely disorganized, staff members yelling at each other, tripping over each other, etc. My guess is they are severely understaffed for the weekends. Doesn't matter though. 30 minutes waiting at a dirty table for a waiter to show up is more than fair before giving up on the place.
(1)
L M.
It looked brand spanking new. Very clean place (I always check for that). I have ordered a Spider roll and my child ordered California roll. Both dishes were ABSOLUTELY FRESH and delicious. We also had seaweed salad. My daughter ate all of hers and mine - it was so good. They ran out of Diet Coke (?!?!?) while we were there (Monday lunch I guess). But not a big deal. We got a chance to try their green iced tea. Interesting and intense taste. We would definitely go to this restaurant again! P.S. having a parking in the back of the building is a huge plus (it is metro Boston area after all). P.S.2 place is a bit pricey. But I am from suburbs and might not be that familiar with prices in Boston. I don't regret a penny we've spent! Yum Yum Yum.
(5)
Kimberly K.
Beautiful setting. Place looks great! We had the shabu ramen and bone marrow broths. The broth was extremely flavorful some of the best I've had. I got the prime rib which was a little thick cut and kind of tough (I cook it to a medium) not the same quality as other shabu places around. The vegetable plate with the combo was unimpressive. I'm used to more bok choy, an assortment of mushrooms and tofus. I had a groupon so this place was a great deal. Probably won't be back unless there is another one. Best quality for cheaper elsewhere, even though the broths are quite delicious. Unfortunate because this restaurant is much closer for me than the other shabu places.
(2)
Taryn M.
Although I still enjoyed the food and my experience on our latest visit to Akai Ryu, I need to deduct a star. The vegetable platter that comes with the combo meal pretty much halved in size. It was like everything was zapped with a shrink ray. Even the corn pieces went from being around a fourth of a corn to an eighth (seriously, one piece of corn was only around four rows deep). There was also only one type of mushroom which was very underwhelming because the first time I came, there was so much variety. Having a very average vegetable platter would not be such a big deal if their prices weren't so high. The lamb combo at Akai Ryu is $20 when compared to $12 at Shabuzen. When we were getting a superior vegetable platter I could overlook this discrepancy but now I don't know. I won't say we will never come again but it definitely not as tempting a dining option with the downgrading of the vegetable platter combined with the high prices. Aside from my complaints about the vegetables, we did try a few new things that we liked. The Chinese chicken herbal broth was tasty without being overly salty. I preferred it over the Szechuan Spicy/ Extra Spicy broth which was true to its name and had quite a kick (When I want a spicy broth, it is hard to beat the mala broth at Little Q). We also really enjoyed their tofu skin which was paper thin and different from the tofu skin you typically see at shabu shabu places. The fish meatball with shrimp filling was also a hit.
(3)
Kristina Z.
We went there as we bought a groupon. The first impression was ok, the place look nice, but the waiters were seating at the table ( which is fine as they had only one table when we came in). The food preparation took a while, but the everything was delicious. If you like sushi, you would love that place for sure. I gave 3 stars because of the service. The waiter was singing and whistling and acted like he didn't really care, he was asking if we needed anything else but the attitude seemed like he didn't want us to stay. I will come again one more time to see if next time we will like the service they provide as we know they can serve tasty food.
(3)
Yuwen C.
Their sushi is so good.they have many kinds of special maki.i like to eat dragon maki.snow maki.akai Ryu special maki and black pearl!
(5)
Sami G.
A gorgeous, well-appointed shabu shabu restaurant with an extensive sushi menu. Service is prompt and friendly, and the food is some of the best of its kind I've had in the area, which is saying a great deal. I've had four appetizers and eight or so maki rolls/entree options, as well as one shabu shabu lunch, and have come away thoroughly happy with my experience each time. The only reason the location isn't yet 5-star, at least in my book, is that I think they are still growing into their own. I believe they're still gauging the popularity of their menu items, and may run out of some of the best of the best. Even so, the manager clearly cares about the satisfaction of his diners. The restaurant already shines. Give it some time, and it could be the best restaurant the area has to offer.
(4)
Carly C.
Checked out this spot tonight, a few days after they opened. We didn't have huge appetites, so we didn't go for the shabu shabu. We ordered two maki rolls, the seaweed salad, and gyoza. Everything was so good! The rolls were really nicely prepared, clearly a lot of care was put into making them. The staff was all super friendly, even the manager stopped by to ask how our meal was going. We finished up with some green tea ice cream - make sure to save room for dessert because they have a nice dessert menu! The space is done up really nicely, they have a few water feature things around the restaurant, and many of the tables overlook Porter Square. I liked the art they had up as well as the other design choices made. There is a semi private area that would be good for a really large group. They also have an area set up with the conveyor belt thing coming from the kitchen, it will be fun to be back and see that in action! We were there around 8 on a Sunday when the US was playing the World Cup, so I wasn't expecting it to be very busy. This was definitely true, there were only a few other tables seated while we were there. It is a big space, and definitely fills a need for the Porter area, so I would really like to see them succeed! We'll definitely be going back to try the shabu shabu. Important to note - they don't have their alcohol license yet, but will in the next 1-2 months. But don't let this deter you!
(5)
Thai N.
Visited this restaurant for the Shabu. Ordered a few dish of meat including the rib eye, short ribs, lamb and sirloin. Quality of meat would be a B at most. Ordered "Tofu putts" and received tofu puffs, I have never been so disrespected in my whole life!!!! (Typo on the menu) All jokes aside, service was terrible, Shabu quality decent, yielding an overpriced mediocre Shabu restaurant. Make the drive down to Chinatown Boston for good Shabu.
(2)
C R.
Absolutely love this place! A real hidden treasurer! Located on the second floor, this restaurant offers an abundance of delicious food, great ambience with spectacular views, and excellent customer service. We've tried both their sushi and shabu, and it's fantastic. For sushi we ordered, the inside out California Roll, Scorpion Roll, and Rainbow Maki, Spider Maki -- all were fantastic. Yesterday, we tried the shabu which was delicious on all counts. For broths we did a split bowl of Tomato Kimchi and Spicy Szechuan...amazing. I highly recommend this place. Looking forward to returning soon.
(5)
Jared S.
Okonomiyaki was a delicious crispier Americanized version that kept true to the original flavors. Seaweed salad was good. Sushi was very high quality and presented well.
(5)
Jenny D.
One of the best hotpot places in the Boston area. Unlike other Asian restaurants, servers (We had Will) were prompt and very knowledgable in what they were serving. The meat is extremely fresh and there were good portions. The vegetables were very clean and had no bug bites like other places. I HIGHLY recommend the Salmon Essence, soooooo good, and the fish balls with roe!!! As for sushi, it's really unique and pretty good. We had the red eye maki. Definitely a must go. lol I'm already drooling about my next visit.
(5)
Jessica C.
This place is huge and the staff is super friendly. It was empty when we went in so they were extra attentive. We were given noodles for free, just cause, and even were discounted $10 after my gym membership discount. The food is really good and not too expensive either. I'll be going back frequently.
(4)
S L.
Excellent service and food. Bill the manager and Patrick our server was awesome. The extra spicy shabby did not disappoint and the short ribs were soffit and decadent.
(5)
Clara S.
Came back here to finally try the hot pot -- was not disappointed! Got the tom yum broth with combination platter with seafood and sirloin. Generous portions (except the noodles could have been a little more generous), diligent and attentive staff, and, most importantly, great flavors! Will be back. Great addition to the neighborhood.
(5)
Margaret Ann B.
This restaurant opened recently, and the staff still seems a bit confused, but we came on a ridiculously frigid weeknight and had a spectacular meal. We ordered the seafood broth/mushroom broth in a split cauldron, and an assortment of seafood and vegetable items. We ended up getting WAY too much - ordered udon, it was a smallish portion, so ordered different noodles, much larger portion! I'd recommend pacing out the order, because as your broth cooks your items, it becomes more flavorful, so no reason not to keep adding items as you want them. It wasn't busy the night we went there, and our server was extremely attentive, so that tactic would work... perhaps not so well on a busier night. Still, it's a festive way to eat, a healthy way to eat, and it looks like they have a decent drink menu as well. It's also fun watching the various items rolling along on the little conveyor belt!
(4)
Will S.
Solid sushi at a reasonable price. Got a mixture of sashimi, rolls, and nigiri and all were good. Friendly staff. Will def be back.
(4)
Ai L.
Food: we had the spicy broth and two meat combos. The quantity is pretty good, though the meat quality is just alright. The quality to price ratio is a bit subpar compared to some other shabu places in Boston such as shabu zen, kaze shabu in Chinatown and swish shabu in Fenway, but it's still decent. I also didn't like the sauce mix here because, personally, I don't like sweet soy sauce with spicy shabu. Perhaps in the future they could add more options. However, I was very pleased with the quality, selection and quantity of the a la carte vegetable items. I also liked that when they refill the broth for you, they use the broth you purchased instead of the generic base broth (a lot of shabu places do this and it dilutes out the flavor). Service: we got seated right away and someone came to take our order pretty quickly after that. Our server seemed really busy (she forgot to bring us a few things until we reminded her). They seemed to be under-staffed for a Saturday night, even though the place was relatively empty. As a result, our server was running around all over the place and so we had a hard time getting her attention. She did get everything we wanted and was very friendly! Decor: really new, modern and the space is huge! It's a great place for large parties!
(3)
Maris R.
I never write these, but I have to let people know that my boyfriend and I got THE WORST food poisoning from this restaurant last week. It has been an absolute nightmare. We are never coming back to this place. Ever.
(1)
Sammy L.
Good food, small portions, and expensive. There are other places that better in boston.
(3)
Samantha S.
This was our first experience with Shabu Shabu, and it was a great one! Our waitress was extremely helpful in explaining the process to us and giving suggestions on what to order. We ended up with the prime rib combination shabu and a few sushi rolls. Everything was delicious, fresh and reasonably priced! We will definitely be coming back.
(4)
Sw O.
I really enjoyed my dining experience here. I appreciate its high ceilings and ample sitting space. You'll need a large table with all the food that you get! Loved the beautifully cut pork and beef, and could have used more noodles though. If you're in the mood for spice you must try the broth peppered with chili oil. Pair it with the tom yum soup and add a chicken broth too for good measure- it's one of the best I've had! Having all three broths will delight your senses.
(4)
Kuidaore Sensei X.
meh. service was very slow. barely any unagi in the black pearl maki. food itself was good enouh but nothing better than average. did not try shabu. there are certainly better/cheaper options for sushi.
(3)
Joe U.
Great start to a new conveniently located shabu place. Stylish interior rocks the Uno's that was there. It looks so much bigger than before. Went twice. Lunch special for two is a killer good deal, especially the pork. The quality of the meat was excellent and presentation topnotch. Try the kimchi/tomato broth if you like kimchi flavors. Dinner was very good. Fried oyster appetizer (kaki fry) tasty, as well as hotate hokkaiyaki. We had a bit of problem with our induction heating surfaces and the manager Alan really took care of us. Compared to our standard Shabu-zen in Allston, lunch is better at Akai Ryu, dinner cheaper at Shabu-zen. Interior is better at Akai. Service is a toss-up; Shabu-zen servers know what they're doing. Akai's servers are trying to ramp up to speed...they checked again and again, the manager came by multiple times, and everyone was earnest and trying very hard, but you can tell they're learning the ropes. Parking and location superior at Akai. In short, Akai is now our new go-to shabu place. BTW, all the other shabu places I've tried would be ranked lower than either of these.
(5)
Elena J.
The food was not as good as when I went one month ago. They decreased the variety of vegetables that came with the hot pot meat, taking out the Enokitake, which is my favorite, and other things. In addition, the sushi was underwhelming this time, although I really enjoyed it last time. Previously the waiter had mixed some chicken broth with the flavored stock to make it less spicy, this time they said that was not possible. Even with the Groupon deal it was not worth it.
(2)
Leslie G.
This brand new restaurant will be right up there with the best! With its opening night there were only a couple of timing issues which will certainly work itself out but the experience and the food were amazing! Our group had the shabu shabu experience with choosing our broth, meats or fish, vegetables after a few wonderful appetizers. The veggies were incredibly fresh, the broths were really good, especially the mushroom and the meats and fish were plentiful, huge orders. It is easy to have huge eyes b/c everything sounds so good... and actually is!! Save room for dessert! Our waitress Kannika (?) was wonderful! It can only get better and a great fun experience for a small group for sharing!
(4)
Lindsay P.
We've been to Akai Ryu a couple times and love it. We've gone for early dinners with our kids and the owner has always been very friendly and helpful. The appetizers are delicious. I think their gyoza are the best I've ever had and the octopus balls are excellent. The sushi is great. The shabu shabu quality is excellent. We've had seafood and beef and both were very fresh and delicious. Akai Ryu has quickly become one of our favorites. The only thing lacking is a liquor license. Otherwise I think Akai Ryu is close to perfect.
(5)
Adam A.
This restaurant is quite nice, the staff are very friendly and attentive, as well as informative. The different sushi we tried were all very good, and the shabu made for a delightful experience. Plenty of seating and a clean environment make this place well recommended. I will be returning.
(5)
Umerican I.
Good food, very attentive staff. The place is very clean and nice bathrooms including a family bathroom. Nice flavors and presentation.
(4)
Stella B.
I went this restaurant with my husband around 3pm today to have japanese shabu shabu for lunch . We ordered chicken basic broth with Thai tom yam broth for soups with beef and fish meet balls . I've also had a plate of chicken yakitori with teriyaki sauce . First , the chicken broth soup is really good also Thai Tom yam soup was good but not as much as we expected . And chicken yakitori was just okay . I highly recommend you to have the chicken basic broth soup with beef.
(4)
Felix G.
Akai Ryu is surprisingly good sushi for a very reasonable price. And in Porter Square? That's all I needed to hear. There's a very modern vibe going on, with black floors and an almost industrial look in places, it's actually a really cool spot to impress anyone. Unfortunately the place never seems too busy during the evenings I've been. And this seems to reinforce a sense of lackadaisical care from the staff. Always know what you're going to order, or they'll walk away and leave you for ten minute (at least) periods to make a decision. That said, the staff is pleasant and they have take out, so really there's only good reasons to come here.
(4)
Khunravin H.
Was craving hot pot so came here on a whim with my friends. Atmosphere: It's a nice looking place inside. Nothing fancy about it, but doesn't matter to me. Service: It was pretty good. Our waitress checked in on us every now and then. Food: My friends and I opted to do a split pot-Tom Yum and Regular Broth. Oh boy, Tom Yum really hit the spot and considering I was sick and still sick, it really helped! My friend ordered the cheap dollar oysters and she seemed to like it. We opted for the prime rib & rib-eye veggie combo, rice, and udon noodles and it was more than filling for dinner. Drinks: My friends and I each ordered a different drink. I don't recall what my friends ordered, but I remember ordering a Watermelon Sakitini? Whoa, it was really good. The watermelon was actually blended to a pulp. Price: The Prime Rib/Veggie Combo for Hot Pot was $25 and The Rib-Eye/Veggie Combo was $22. I don't remember the prices of the drinks, but I'd say it was around $12-$13, which is pretty standard. Final Verdict: It was my first time being in Porter Square and this was my first taste of it (literally) haha. I liked it enough to want to come back again and perhaps try different drinks. So definitely try it out when you get the chance.
(4)
Rachel L.
I would like to update my review and give this place 5-stars. The boy and I's go to place for hotpot. Never disappoint. Though, a bit on the pricier end - but that's what you usually get with a la carte. Making food babies every time. Extensive (sorta) broth selections. And more enoki mushroom + bean thread on the conveyor please!
Each and every time I come back things are just better and better. It's too good and to close to my domicile, very dangerous. Always surprised it isn't packed. I even get good service being that customer that uses groupon and such. I am certain that I will keep returning to here. The broth selection is just great.
(5)
Less H.
Great shabu shabu. I went with a friend after a long day of classes and per my usual hot pot routine, having eaten little that day and wearing my eating pants. My friend and I ordered the surf and turf platter with udon an add on dish of mushrooms and a plate of shrimp stuffed fish balls. We got the chicken herbal broth. The food arrived quickly and was fresh smelling and looking. The seafood plate had a decent selection of fish and shellfish: clams, mussels, scallops, white fish, octopus, and shrimp. The meat plate was plentiful. The veggies featured wood ear mushrooms, white button mushrooms, assorted greens, giant hunks of cabbage, squash and possibly a few other things I'm forgetting. The shrimp stuffed fish balls were awesome. They were more like a dumpling stuffed with shrimp paste and roe. Biting into the ball squirted out a sweet spray of roe into my mouth. Surprising and delicious. the broth was good but didn't blow my mind. It was as good as any other place and they topped us up when we got low. The surf and turf platter with 2 add on plates was more than enough for the two of us. I had to be rolled to the T to get home. I may have unbuttoned my top button and loosened my belt when I sat down. But you'll never know. We went all out but prices aren't too bad considering how plentifully they fill the veggies, seafood and meat plates. I suppose you could save a few coins by ordering a la cart. the Add on/a la cart items are HUGE plates of food. It is a little dark at the table but we had no problems talking or seeing our food. I'm going to need to drag other friends here for the food. The only bad thing was that the soy on the table had some serious issues with fruit flies, not an unusual thing, but could easily be solved by popping the container in the fridge overnight (several nights in a row.)
(4)
Julianne S.
I'd rate the food at 3 stars but their service gets bumped a star. I was here with an OpenTable reservation initially, but the restaurant was closed with no sign on the door. I called about an hour later to see if there was some misunderstanding, and it turns out that they have new hours that they had not changed online or in store. I was pretty annoyed because we were excited to try out the place but I was told to come back, as the manager wanted to give us 30% off our next bill. My friends and I ordered edamame, california roll, salmon avocado, spicy tuna, caterpillar, and snow maki rolls. The food was decent, not mind blowing, but the service was great and the location is super convenient so I would consider returning.
(4)
Raymond C.
This is definitely one of the hidden jewels in Cambridge.The sushi here is unbelievable, especially Ikura & Hamachi!! On top, Shabu Shabu is also so good. Definitely try the short ribs!! The owner, Bill, is one of the most decent and down to earth guy I know. You will definitely enjoy the delicious food here!!
(5)
Joanna C.
HUGE space - I was given a huge booth to myself, and I wasn't too near a lot of other tables so that was kind of nice. But then again, my poor server must walk a thousand miles a day. His "territory" was like the size of a football field so it made it hard for him to pay attention to all of us. And when one table was being crazy needy it threw a wrench into his flow, and I can see what a pain in the ass it was the walk the entire expanse of the restaurant to check in on an order, and come right back around the giant space to let the table know what was going on. With the huge space - I wish they had a make your own sauce bar for the Shabu! They bring you BBQ sauce and garlic and scallions and a sweet soy sauce, but I wanted like way more garlic (I'm Korean I can eat an entire bushel of them), and wished I could make my own sauce instead of having to flag down someone to get me more garlic and more soy sauce when I had run out. Please put in a sauce bar - that would make this my fav shabu place!! I had the prime rib combo for shabu, and a philly roll and some scallop sushi. The sushi was really good, but the Shabu really shined! The meat was deliciously tender. I wish there was just a bit more in the veg platter (just a few more Napa cabbage leaves!), but it was all delicious. I really enjoyed the herbal chicken broth for the Shabu - a really good base for it all. The space is beautiful and stylish - and there's parking, yay! Would def return. (Please put in a Shabu sauce bar!!!!)
(4)
Stephanie S.
First time here. Had a good experience. The interior is really big and nicely decorated. We got Sashimi Kinuta as appetizer; similar to naruto, but I like this kinuta better because personally I like pickled radish with sashimi. The dressing was tasty too. We just got reg house broth and ordered short ribs and rib eye for meat. Both meats were good and nice assorted vegie. We were so full at the end. But I would definitely come back to try other things in the menu. There were many appetizers that I wanted to try :)
(4)
Sam W.
People raving about the interior should elaborate - if sleek and shiny surfaces and an ambiance a few notches above mall food court but with the same impersonality are what you crave, you'll love it. Personally I prefer a little character. It is spacious but, when I was there on a Friday evening, sparsely occupied. The sushi was delicious to be sure, but not filling enough for the price! For two people who don't have enormous appetites, $50.
(3)
Ellie L.
Pricey but great quality. Lovers' Maki - good quantity of raw fish and nice wide rolls. Sauce was not over-done. Chicken Shabu-shabu broth - SO good. light and clear but packed with flavor. Lamb combination - a modest portion of lamb but came with the standard vegetables. When we went, they didn't have any plain white rice cooked so we ate our dishes with sushi rice which turned out to be pretty good.
(4)
Daisy E.
Amazing! More on the upper scale compared to other Shabu places I've been to. The dumplings were beyond belief and the Szechuan broth for the short rib & sirloin beef was to die for. Enjoyed saki and "I Love Lamp" pineapple Heffenweizer with dinner. I'd recommend this place for anyone looking for a romantic evening out or upscale sushi/Shabu!!
(4)
Chris J.
Went back to this place only because I had already purchased the groupon. Went between peak hours I assume since I was the only one there. Service was a lot better this time. The waiter was helpful, patient, and friendly. I had a $40 group oj and I went solo, needless to say I had to get my money's worth. Appetizers: Pork Gyoza. I devoured those tasty little things. A nice crisp side from the sear and the rest was soft and steamy. Next was the Dragon Maki. Don't go to this place for sushi. Did it taste good? well yea. But was it good sushi? Idk about all that. I fancy myself a bit of a sushi snob, so if you feel you know really good sushi you will be very disappointed. However, if you can't tell what you're looking at without reading the menu then I'm sure you'll be just fine. Hot pot: seafood combo with Szechuan broth. Broth was spicy (good) but had way to many peppers in it though. Not to say I hear from the peppers was too much but it ruined the experience of tryin to eat my noodles seafood n veggies. I had continuously pick peppers out of my teeth. Otherwise, I though the soup was good.
(3)
Sarah K.
Came here on a whim due to false advertising. I LOVE conveyor belt sushi bars - I don't know maybe it's because I feel like I'm paying less and have more selection (I think I always pay more at the end of it tho), and I thought that that was exactly what I was getting for dinner. CORRECTION: this is only a conveyor belt sushi place for lunch on Monday through Friday. At dinner it's a shabu conveyor belt, which may suit some of your fancies. The only stars this place gets is for the sushi which was pretty awesome actually. The waiter was nice, but almost that fake level of nice - like "nice to the people that spend a lot and give him a big tip" nice. I was seated next to the bar so I could hear all his "lovely comments" about the people that came into the restaurant and that he waited on. Also, I asked for my check and it took him 20 mins! Normally I wouldn't think that's a huge deal, but he literally sat behind me at the bar talking to his waiter friends - trust me I watched him. All we had was 2 rolls and 2 cocktails - that could have been signed out quickly enough. Needless to say, I probably won't be going back there because there are similar sushi restaurants with nicer/more respectful/not fake waiters.
(1)
Suzanne L.
Sushi was good, service was a little TOO doting - we felt put upon. The place was also sadly pretty empty, during a peak time. The hot pot was good, but the vegetables that come with it were considerably less than what I am used to getting in Chinatown. Overall, too expensive for what it was. The space itself is beautiful, though, and HUGE.
(3)
Christine J.
average hot pot and small portions but higher prices! customer service isn't bad but very slow! waiters either new or in charge or way too many tables? not sure which. taste of hot pot v avg, nothing special at all. they put a slice of squash in the veggie tray for the combo. wth? who shabus squash? lol. weird. would not go back, lil Q is much better, and I intend to shabu at home now, bought a set of pot and induction burner, so excited for my own creations and much lower costs!
(3)
Brie P.
Went here last night with a group of 9. We got right in and were seated around 7:35pm. We got an awesome window table, where you can watch the hustle and bustle of Porter. We got our drink order taken, and were given a menu for the all you can eat sushi. The menu was laminated, with a dry erase marker, which was something small but pretty brilliant. We put in our first round d of sushi and waited. The only down part about our dinner here was the waiting. It took a good 30 mins for the first plate to come out, and it was gone within minutes. Then every 10 mins or so we'd get another plate. I did enjoy the care and placement of their sushi rolls, but it seems a little ridiculous when they bring you one plate at a time, with one roll on it. So, about half way in, we got a few plates of free appetizers, with the manager (I think) coming to apologize for the slow service, due to one of their sushi chefs having to leave. I ordered a miso soup, and was a little disappointed in the soup. It tasted like the store bought package I pick up at H-Mart. That was the only thing I did not like. But all the sushi rolls that we ordered were delicious and creative. We were all understanding, and jusy enjoying our chats, water, and mix of music (new wave, disco and today's hits. A good mix in my book) We ended up leaving around 10:30 (30 mins after they close) we were not rushed out, and correctly rung out for our bill. We also got free mochi ice cream (yay) which was super yummy. A mix of green tea and strawberry peices. Overall, it was a pleasant visit. The interior design is sleek and beautiful, the staff was attentive, and the atmosphere is pleasant. We hope to be back for some hot pot, and hope they run more different specials every week. We would love to try the hot pot too. I also saw some delicious and hard to find Japanese dishes (okonomiyaki & takoyaki!!)
(4)
Tienyun H.
So happy to have this restaurant join Porter Square. Great food, great space, great service with reasonable price and great location (with parking!). We ordered Lover's roll (cuz today's Chinese Valentine's Day) I think it's their special dish, it's very good and looks they made it very carefully and detailedly. The fish inside is also very fresh! The Takoyaki is the best I've ever had in the US. Each balls have big chunks of octopus. The hop pot is not Japanese style (which is a good news to me :p ) I love the vegetable plate, all fresh vegetables no artificial something. Chicken herb broth is amazing while sichuan spicy is not too impressive. We only ordered one dessert which is pecan cheesecake, it wasn't very good at the beginning I guess because it just came out of fridge but after about 10 mins it becomes super delicious! Service is very good, my glass is always full and the check/clean the table very often. I especially appreciate that they brought me clean tissues a couple times during the meal without me asking for one. Great place to enjoy a decent meal with friends/family/lover ;)
(5)
Johanna G.
Went here for Valentines Day dinner in the middle of a snowstorm. The food was great! I had the prime rib hotpot combo + two a la carte hotpot additions (mushrooms and meat) + sashimi and the black pearl maki. Quality was good and the broths we had were flavorful. Price-wise, it was more of a splurge than something I'll be returning to often (esp. considering all-you-can-eat options in Chinatown), but the ambience, wide tables, and excellent/attentive service were all quite welcome.
(4)
Jackie D.
This place is nice and relaxing. The decor inside is stylish. They have a sushi buffet belt as well as hot pot and other dishes on the menu. I had ordered quite a lot not knowing how big the portions were and the hot pot has a big sized portion it will fill you right up! They have high quality meats so a must try is the prime rib! As for appetizers the takoyaki balls and the salmon essence are something you can't miss out on!!! We had a lovely server her name was Thuy, really sweet girl! So if anyone comes here I definitely recommend for you all to ask her to be your server! The managers check up on you as well to see how your doing this definitely showed us how caring they are to their customers!
(4)
An N.
- I would like to give them 5 stars without the problem about my creadit card. But anyway, good food and i will come back again !
(4)
Iv L.
1st time: hot pot was very over priced and left feeling very hungry ...the choices were not extensive and the portions were meager 2nd time: sushi was not fresh and the appetizers portions were smaller than expected ... hotate hokkaiyaki was good of the two experiences... most likely will not come back... i noticed they have a conveyor belt for hot pot the second time and the "free" items were vegetables....
(2)
Fleurette A.
Excellent food, very nicely arranged place and very attentive and knowledgable staff. Only down side -for now- is they do not serve any alcohol as they are waiting for their license. They said hopefully next month. Fingers crossed! Good to know: Tuesday night is all you can eat sushi for $23 / person. Have not tried it myself but might. Will definitely go back.
(4)
Jenny O.
Just threw a birthday party here, and I had the best time of my life. The food was amazing. The sushi is the best! The service was really good.Sonya is the funniest server ever. Sonya just made my night! I highly recommend this place if you want to throw a birthday party or to just hang out.
(5)
Emily A.
I've been to Akai Ryu a few times-- it's my friend's and my go-to after-work dinner spot. Above Walgreens across the street from the Porter Square T stop, the place is huge-- not sure if they're anticipating their clientele to grow over time, but I've never seen it full. Our seating requests are always accommodated (by the windows, in a booth, or both). Their food is great-- I've had sushi, shabu, apps, and drinks, and never been disappointed. It's not out-of-this-world, but if you want reliably good sushi that's a little more upscale than I Heart Sushi inside the University Hall building, give this a shot.
(3)
Joshua K.
Went here for dinner on a Saturday after seeing the "conveyor belt sushi" sign. Walked out after they said there's no conveyor belt sushi on a weekend. I assume it would be nothing like Japan anyhow. I'm sure it's jammed with California rolls and spicy tuna (other Maki Zushi). I suggest going to Cafe Sushi on MA Ave instead for sushi. With a name like Akai Ryu, it's obviously not authentic.
(1)
Will M.
Well well well.....so a friend and I both had a craving for sushi and decided to give this place a shot. I wish we didn't. After standing there at the entrance for a few awkward moments, we flagged down a passing waiter who told us to sit wherever. We decided to sit at the bar. There was no menu's so we decided to go find them ourselves at the hostess stand. I asked a waiter if there were any lunch specials, and he said "not on the weekends". After sitting there for 15 minutes the bartender asked what we wanted and we ordered the Crunchy Salmon Roll, avocado salad, and spicy tuna roll. -Avocado salad was decent. It also had a welcome addition of fish eggs on top of it. -My friends entree "spicy tuna roll" came way before mine 6/10 -My 13 dollar crunchy salmon was not crunchy (really soggy) and not very filling. 3/10 -service was not ideal. Our bartender forgot utensils, soy sauce, ginger and wasabi and made a weird observation that he "knew when a table was going to use a groupon like a drug dog at an airport" If this place was cheaper (I had a roll and a little avocado salad and it came out to 21.00 (25.00 with tip) and had better service I'd definitely come back. I feel like this is an ideal place for a sushi joint but you can tell that they are totally new and have a lot of things to work out. I hope they do turn things around because its in a great spot in Porter Sq with easy parking! Good Luck!
(2)
Dom K.
Does well: - good, friendly service - $25 for $45 groupon - decent sushi, salmon essence was good Could do better: - better quality meat for shabu shabu, rib eye quality pretty low given $24 for combination - we expected more quantity given what we paid, even with the groupon. Felt that it was not great value for money
(3)
Kat J.
We live nearby and we've visited several times. This review is only for the shabu, since we haven't had the sushi yet. Meat - Good quality. Nice balance between fat and lean. We generally get sirloin and pork. Veggies - The veggies plate that comes with the combos has a nice variety but it's small. We generally supplement with conveyor belt veggies. Every so often they send around free veggies on the belt which is great. Broth - Chicken broth (free) and mushroom broth ($4) are both good. Vegetable broth (free) tasted like it came from powder - would not recommend. Noodles - The ramen used to be our favorite. But we went last night and the ramen was completely different. Instead of springy, chewy yellow noodles we got white noodles that were pre-cooked and already soggy. Boo. Bring back the old ramen please! Service - Usually pretty good. There is one waiter who is unfriendly but the waitresses we've had have all been nice. Price/Value - Yes, it's a bit more expensive than the shabu options in Chinatown. But the location is convenient for us and the free parking lot is a nice bonus. Overall, we're glad to have a decent shabu option nearby.
(4)
Tim G.
Akai Ryu is a no-win situation. I hosted a hot pot dinner at Akai Ryu, and the service was frustrating at best and infuriating at worst. We were seated, got our water, and waited for 20 minutes to get menus. The waiter kept on avoiding eye contact. And how did we know that it was 20 minutes? We actually made it a game and passed the time with our smartphones. And it wasn't a jerk move - the sub-par service became an object of objective curiosity. After our orders were placed, our food came out at different times. This is somewhat irregular if you are familiar with the hot pot experience. Our water was not refilled, and getting the check was another hide-and-seek game with our waiter. Our dinner was later in the evening, so it's not as if the restaurant was busy or Akai Ryu was short-staffed. To be fair, the pork cheek yakatori was good. But there are other restaurants in the Boston area that do it just as well, if not better. The hot pot is completely standard and can be substituted with many other hot pot options through Metro Boston. With the hot pot market getting increasingly competitive, there is absolutely no reason to try Akai Ryu unless you happen to love terrible customer service. This is a definite, "no," for dates or dinners with larger parties.
(1)
wolf t.
Updated: they have a liquor license now, and a pretty good selection of sake. Tried the Shabu Shabu and it was good, but not quite as satisfying as Kaju Tofu (formerly Shabu Ya). Fewer accompaniments for the broth, less interesting broth options, no combination lamb/beef plate, less interesting mushrooms on the side plate, and portion size a bit smaller.
(3)
Morgan H.
I love this place! There's always a place to sit, the waitstaff is very friendly, the food is solidly good, and the drinks are great. The sushi is just OK, but the shabu - in particular the sirloin with mushroom broth and rice noodles - is delicious. Make sure to use all of the extras they give you. My one complaint is that they don't offer much by way of instruction. We floundered around a bit trying to figure everything out. That just means we'll have to keep going back!
(4)
Faith K.
I really wanted to like this place, especially because it's so close, and I purchased a Groupon to try it out. I'm a vegetarian and in all fairness, the food could be good, but I never got to taste it. I asked about the $18 vegetarian shabu (which should be more accurately be called mushroom shabu) and it's full of the one vegetable I can't stand and little else. Upon asking if substitution was an option for the mushrooms, the response was a flat, "no" and a blank face. I asked her then what are the options and again, "there are no substitutions." I can totally grasp that fact, especially since I am in fact not deaf and I was told twice, but the tone and lack of effort to help find a solution was just a disappointment. There are a bunch of veggies listed in the back of the menu (how about putting some of those in the VEGETABLE Shabu?!) and I'd have happily paid a little more to choose my own veggies, but the rude demeanor put me off and we left. On the bright side, my husband gets to find a way to spend the $40 Groupon all by himself and I don't think he's bummed about that at all, and I am happy to be taking my business back to Kaze in Chinatown.
(1)
Mia C.
Ordered sushi and Shabu and had mixed reviews. The salmon essence is very delicious.The salmon is cooked on the outside but raw on the inside and the sauce tastes amazing. Dragon rolls are also good. The fried shrimps are very crispy. I highly recommend their sushi. However, I'm not a big fan of the Shabu. I ordered the Szechuan broth and beef combo. Whenever I eat hotpot, I would always go for spicy Szechuan broth. Their Szechuan broth is unfortunately at the bottom of my list. The broth lacks flavor and is thin like water. The spicy chili oil is the essence for any Szechuan cuisine and must be made with a mixture of spices and herbs ( not just dried peppers) to achieve the aroma and bold flavors. However the chili oil in their broth fails to deliver. Their oil is basically just plain old oil with dried peppers. If you are a regular at Szechuan restaurants then you probably will find their Szechuan broth inadequate. Also the combo is not a good value for $24 (I paid $4 for the broth). The veggie plate is mostly filled up by cheap veggies like spinach and napa cabbage, which are actually bad for Szechuan broth since leafy greens catch up a lot of the floating oil. There are only two slices ( yes, slices) of mushrooms in the veggie plate.
(3)
Brendan D.
I went to Akai Ryu last night. It was ok - I only had sushi. One issue came up when I ordered Spicy Tuna but got plain Salmon. The waiter said the spicy tuna was on its way but it never came. Luckily I had already completely lost my appetite when I saw a cook sniffing a bin of chicken, four or five times. Guess what I got for an appetizer? That's right, the chicken. This probably happens all the time at many restaurants, albeit behind closed doors- out of site out of mind.
(3)
Brent M.
Really awesome place in Cambridge, the owners Sonia and Bill are very charming and offer exceptional service. The sushi is excellent, and I highly recommend trying the seared scallops. Hands down the best Japanese sushi place in the Boston area!
(5)
Scott T.
Loved this place. Came here on a Sunday night and had some very delicious food. We started with the gyoza and seared tuna salad appetizers...both were awesome. We had the ribeye shabu shabu and a few sushi rolls. Everything was fantastic. The shabu shabu ingredients were really high quality, as was the sushi. Can't say enough about how great the food was. The only thing this place is missing is a liquor license, which is hard to come by in Cambridge these days.
(5)
Allison P.
Nothing special. Pricey for the amount of food you get. Service was good though. I would probably recommend other shabu places over this one.
(3)
Zoe Y.
What a sleek spot and welcome addition to Porter! -High quality ingredients (the shabu rib eye and short ribs were beautiful) -Solid standbys and some inventive dishes that really worked: Salmon Essence, tobiko-stuffed fish balls for shabu, and snow crab maki -Friendly, attentive waitstaff -Reasonable prices!! Nothing worse than overpriced shabu with watery broth. Thinking of having a party here once they get their liquor license - def great spot for group celebrations.
(5)
Erin N.
Akai Ryu is a little hidden away, upstairs in the same building as Walgreens right in the heart of Porter Square. I've been twice now, and both times is has been almost completely empty which is SUCH a shame. It's an absolutely wonderful space that has been beautifully redone, the staff is incredibly friendly and accomodating, and the food is great! It may be a little pricey for a day to day place, but it's really nothing crazy. I highly recommend any of the hot pot options, and each individual order comes with enough for at least two people. However, its not just hot pot that this place does well - their sushi is wonderful as well, and I highly recommend the fried octopus appetizer! As others have said, there is no liquor license, but you really don't miss it here. You get great food, great environment, and great service. I highly recommend a visit!
(5)
Yuko I.
The worst dining experience. The service is slow, and bad, food, nothing to talk about and the atmosphere and the cleanest of the restaurant are questionable. We asked a server if there were any sushi combo dinner plate - there was only boat option, which contained 60 pieces. I obviously could not remember the number and 20 min later (notice how long the service takes) when he came back, clearly I could not remember how many and asked again. The server was rude enough to say you asked this question before. When the food came, we counted - it was 38. We complained, the server told us the chef counted but they would give us extra. Meanwhile, we ordered extra sushi - their "service extra" pieces came back with our new order to only find they added extra 2 pieces... we will never be back.
(1)
Thanh L.
The hot pot meets and vegetables were real fresh. I did enjoy the kimchi broth. The atmosphere of the place was pretty nice and staff was helpful. You can tell that the cuts of meat were not cheap compare to other places
(4)
Halle R.
This is my new favorite place to take people in Porter Square. This review is only really for the shabu, since that's all I ever get. The ingredients are fresh and tasty. The prices are mid-range; I wouldn't call them "inexpensive", but they're not inflated either for the quality of the food. Service was a little rocky when it first opened, but has since improved greatly and I've never had an issue with it since the first time I went. I get cravings for this place all the time!
(5)
Gina W.
Returned to try their hot pot (had their groupon $29 for $45 worth of food). We ordered the prime rib and sirloin hot pot combos. Portions were decent; we weren't stuffed, but that's good because we tend to overeat at all-you-can-eat hot pot places (we didn't go for the all-you-can-eat option tonight). We tried both their Tom Yum and Chicken Broth soup bases. Both were good. The Tom Yum was too salty to drink (we opted for noodles instead of rice), but good to cook the beef in. Ramen noodles were chewy (the way we like it). They provide free satay sauce with fresh chilies, green onion and garlic, which was appreciated. Service was great even though it was quite busy this Sunday night.
(4)
k f.
We ordered the vegetarian shabu-shabu combination. Here is the rundown: 1) The Vegetarian Shabu-Shabu ($18) : Honestly, kinda disappointing. They had a few nice things on this platter (a few different types of mushrooms, 3 ears of corn, a few stalks of asparagus, and 2 small pieces of butternut squash) in addition to the usual lettuce (watercress, bok choy, napa cabbage), and broccolini. There were only 2 small pieces of silken tofu on the platter! It also came with a choice of noodles or rice. We ordered an additional tofu platter ($6) as we needed more protein and were served another 2 pieces of silken tofu, 2 pieces of fried tofu, and some tofu skin. If I were to have my dream vegetarian platter it would include more tofu from the start, a few vegetarian dumplings, and more butternut squash. 2) Broths for the Shabu: We ordered the Mushroom and the Thai Tom Yum. The mushroom was earthy but quite boring to cook the vegetables in. After trying the mushroom broth once, we switched over to (and stuck with) the Tom Yum side. This broth was nice. Relatively flavorful and spicy. 3) Rice: We ordered a side of rice which was $2 for about 1 cup. Seemed overpriced for the amount given. 4) The Physical Space: Nice, LARGE. The lighting was a tad bit dark for my liking but overall they did a beautiful remodeling job. 5) Service: The waitress was young and inexperienced. Kinda reminded me of my days as a waitress (I was well intentioned just not very skilled). She told us one of the broths on the menu was vegetarian when it was not and did not know if the "BBQ" sauce on the table was vegetarian or not. She was sweet though and was obviously trying her hardest. FInal Analysis: Would we rush back? No. Will we try them again in the future? Perhaps once they settle in a bit and hopefully make some slight "tweaks" to the menu.
(3)
Katherine L.
Brand new restaurant in Porter Square and I was really happy with the results. I was seated immediately and my server was with me right away. The interior of the restaurant was very stylish and comfortable. My table had maki, shabu shabu and some appetizers (I had the Salmon Carpaccio, Ocean Naruto, and Salmon Essence which were all really really good.) The portions were a really good a decent size. The wait time for the food was perfect. I didn't wait too long, and I had time to talk to my friends as we waited for our food! I was pretty disappointed that the conveyer belt wasn't running yet but I definitely can't wait until it does. If you come, definitely ask for the server Will. He took care of us and checked up on us a couple of times. He's really nice, fast, friendly and efficient! They also don't have their liquor license yet, but I can't wait until they do!
(4)
Kim V.
Well let's see where I should start..I would give this place a 4 star however the hostess needs to be more professional and have a better communication with the rest of the staff... when she was asking for some help from a guy (he's white tall and has a bread.. Sorry I couldn't get his name) I just wanted to say that he was a rude a** server and very unprofessional..but as for our server for the night she was awesomely nice and helpful.. Although food was a little pricey, broth is better then kaze.. I would def come again for the convenience.
(3)
Matt Q.
This is kinda of a strange place, both overwhelming and underwhelming.... Walk into this cavernous restaurant and you will find a huge dining space with the kitchen in the center, a large sushi bar with moving serving dishes, and seating abounding. However.....where are all the people?!?! According to the manager they've been open now for a few months, but I went with a larger group of 10 and we were probably one of two tables eating at the giant restaurant. Sadly, the oddities continued with our meal, which was both overpriced and lacking in anything exciting. We opted for the shabu and ordered one combo sirloin beef and one seafood dinner. The "combos" mean the meal comes with your selected meats, a plate of vegetables, and noodles/rice. Adding to the mounting cost, we were forced to select a "soup base" for a minimum of $3 extra, as a "plain / house" broth was not an option. Upon arrival, the meal was nothing exciting and basically comparable to the majority of other Shabu options around town, only more expensive. Yet another strike against the restaurant was the fact that our stove didn't really work and after much fussing with the buttons the staff gave up and simply gave us a lid for our soup to get it to boil......... Were there any upsides to the experience, in which we left with a bill of over $30 a person, even with the complimentary desserts for our time spent....well, the service was friendly/nice and we had the whole huge restaurant to ourselves!
(2)
Paulina P.
Ate a lot of food. Had chicken yakitori, takoyaki, salmon essence, shabu with prime rib and pork, and caterpillar maki. A lot of food for two girls but worth it. Super fast service from Thuy the server. If you come in ask for Thuy, she's super friendly and fast server. Their shabu meat is of really high quality, you can tell the difference from the first bite. We also got mango smoothies and it's not often you get mango smoothies made of out real mangos. It was delicious. Definitely coming back!
(5)
Ryan H.
Great addition to Porter. The decor is very sleek, the staff welcoming and attentive. As for the food: we had gyoza (excellent), but our focus was on the shabu. The ingredients were fresh and very good quality. With the sirloin combination, we got a ton of different vegetables (including three kinds of mushrooms) as well as the meat, and we added in a few more a la carte. We left sated and happy with the very reasonable check. Definitely would go again.
(4)
Elena E.
I've been to Akai twice and while I think the sushi is very good, the rest of the experience unfortunately is not. The first time I was there with a friend and a server immediately spilled a whole jar of soy sauce right next to us. It got on my friends coat which she was obviously upset about. They were extremely nice, taking a lot of money off our bill and throwing in free dessert. So after that first experience I would have given it a 4. The second time I came with three others. The waiter was one of the worst I've ever had. He brought out only 2 waters and no matter how many times we asked for 2 more he couldn't make it happen. We finally had to ask the manager for the waters. We ordered cocktails and 3 came out after 15 minutes of waiting and again we had to keep asking about the 4th drink and again had to tell the manager in order to get it. For dinner my 3 dinning companions did shabu and 1 appetizer and I ordered an appetizer and sushi for myself. Their appetizer came, then their entrees came and still no sign of my food anywhere. Again I had to ask the manager after some investigation it seems that the waiter never put in my appetizer order and who knows what was taking the sushi so long. Finally my food came out - both at the same time, and after having to watch everyone else eat for 10 or 15 min. 5 minutes later I had eaten less than half the appetizer and the server came back and tried to clear my plate. What? And this was in the early evening on a Sunday when the place was pretty empty. No reason for such terrible service. Just like the first time, the manager was extremely apologetic for the terrible service experience and gave me my appetizer for free and took 10% off the bill. So the pro is that the sushi is really good and since the service is so bad it's likely you'll get a discount on your meal. But everything else is cons: service, drinks were weak and sounded a lot better than they tasted, and my dinning companions were disappointed by the shabu, saying that they'd much prefer to go to places in Chinatown where the food is better and it's cheaper.
(3)
Kerry G.
Foodies with food allergies rejoice! I LOVED it here. I'm a vegetarian with a soy allergy who absolutely loves shabu. It's been ages since I've found a place 1) that I can trust (I get handed gluten free soy sauce when I tell a waiter I have a soy allergy more times than not) and 2) that actually has flavor. Our waiter was super helpful. Both my meat eating bf and I were able to have a seriously delicious (and cheap) hot pot experience together. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Tuyet V.
I like this place for convenience, there's a parking lot so no need to fight for street parking. The servers were really nice and attentive and I am definitely a fan of the kimchi tomato broth, but overall my experience here was ok. I felt like the portions were pretty small and pricey, so I didn't think I got what I paid for.
(3)
Irene N.
I checked this place out via Groupon. I got Shabu (hot pot) and I can't say I was disappointed. I, unfortunately, am VERY picky about food so my friend and I took FOREVER trying to decide what to order. I am very very grateful for our waiter. He was EXREMELY patient with us... We kept asking him to come over to tell us what was in what. In my defense they had an option that was like "fish piece" or something like that I wasn't going to eat some random fish. We also asked to see if we could replace some seafood on the seafood combo with other stuff cause my friend has shellfish allergy, no can do apparently. But when we finally ordered and got our food, is was decent. It's definitely NOT a place I'd go again cause the food didn't match the price. The other thing was the atmosphere and the decor. It's dim, with a lot of fountain statues (maybe 3?) so it's especially entertaining for kids; be sure to watch them though so they don't play with it and get wet. I'm not really someone that cares a whole lot about eating in a pretty atmosphere.
(4)
Stella C.
Went here for the shabu-shabu and overall the dining experience was great. We ordered the takoyaki and Salmon Essence which was really good but there are only 4 pieces for $12. There are many options for the shabu-shabu and I recommend the ribeye and fish fillet. The decor is brand new and stylish. Staff attentive too.
(4)
Min K.
Poor service rude employee. I don't know what to say about this place. Foods are slow to be prepared. Not a single good food among 3 dishes..
(1)
Terry H.
Extremely disappointed at their shabu shabu broth. There is extra charge to get the special broth (which I don't mind at all if the broth is good). Asking your customer to pay for broth at a shabu shabu place requires you to use good and plenty ingredient to make a killer broth but the broth we got (the herbal and the tonkotsu broth) has almost nothing in them and full of MSG! We literally were drinking water instead of the broth the whole time. Not only that, the broth has so much MSG in it that my bf and I continue to chug down water through the night and my dry throat actually woke me up in the middle of the night to get water. I would stay away from this place unless you don't mind eating tons of MSG. Just to proven that I am not just saying...I am a Taiwanese/Japanese and have been eating shabu shabu for my entire life and never have I need to chug water down my throat from drinking the shabu broth, this is by far the worst shabu experience.
(1)
Emily C.
Wanted to grab some take out to see how this new restaurant was. I got the Red Eye Maki, which was AMAZING. The fish was incredibly fresh and well made. It tasted so good. I will definitely be coming back for lunch and dinner in the future.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Dinner Parking : Garage, Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Nina S.
Came here cause the bf had a groupon since they're promoting their new restaurant. They have a great location in the center of porter square, the convenience of a parking garage, but unfortunately I found the food to be disappointing. Ordered the: 1. Pork cheek yakitori - of all the dishes this was the best but pricey, 3 scantily clad skewers for $6 or 7 2. oyster mushroom yakitori -nothing sexy about soggy mushrooms 3. Tried to order the hamachi collarbone but apparently they only have one a day 4. Fried oyster -came out piping hot, nice fried exterior, didn't enjoy the oyster itself though 5.spicy salmon and tuna roll - just your standard roll but pricey 6. Lovers roll - tuna, salmon avocado, crunchies, and roe topped with a sweet spicy sauce. Sauce was good, rice was hard and stale. No bueno. The restaurant is huge btw, but when it's empty it's not as impressive :/ the magnetic belt rotating in the center for people doing hot pot was though. Prob won't be back
(2)Vivian C.
T'was a Groupon that led me all the way out here on the Red Line for dinner one chilly wintry eve. And it was the available free parking in the back that made it an easy choice to suggest to my DC. If you took the T as I did, exit the Porter Square station through the door to the right and zero in on the Walgreens before you, slightly to the right. Akai Ryu Shabu & Sushi is its upstairs neighbor, perched above the Potbelly Sandwich Shop which is positioned on the ground floor, in the Porter Square Galleria From there you have a choice. Head on in and take the escalator, stairs, or elevator. Or, if the escalator is out of whack, like it was on the evening of my visit, take Walgreen's escalator on up. Akai Ryu has quite a good-sized footprint. The kitchen is hidden in the center, and you can walk all the way around if you like. And just might, since the bathroom is in a little hallway in the back. Purely sushi tables are located to the left by the sushi bar. The rest of the tables have burners in case you are hankering to cook up some raw meat and veggies in a pot of simmering soup. We started with two appetizers. Though I doubted our appetites could do it justice, my DC didn't want to miss out on the Kaki Fry $8 (deep fried oysters, lightly panko-breaded, served with Japanese mayonnaise) when I suggested it. The second was the Okonomiyaki $12 (Japanese-style pizza: ebi, scallops, ika, and scallion pancake topped with bonito flakes, Japanese mayonnaise, and okonomi sauce). The fried oysters were terrific! They counted 6 fat, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside orbs to an order and we completely decimated the plate. The Okonomiyaki happily waved its bonito flakes at me, yet sadly lacked the visual effect of the generous pieces of seafood that had so enticed me from the photo printed on their menu. Two of the Shabu-Shabu broths were offered at no charge (the rest were either $4 or $5) so I went with those in the twin compartments of our pot: Chicken (light and silky chicken consomme) and Vegetable (Our vegetarian and vegan soup base). Shabu-Shabu Combinations come with your selection of protein (or vegetarian) and a mixed vegetable platter, and either rice or noodles. We ordered the Boneless short rib combo $20 and added Beef Tongue a la carte for $10. I selected the Sweet Potato Noodle to go with the combo since at $4 a la carte it was a dollar more than my beloved Udon Noodles, and I figured if we were hungrier than expected and hankered for more carbs, we could always add on the Udon later. The sauce for dipping the cooked goods after their pass through the bubbling broth was provided in do-it-yourself fashion so we could fix it up to taste. A small bowl of soy sauce was poured out for each diner. A shared bowl of bbq satay sauce was set before us, and each diner provided with our own two-compartment dish of diced garlic and scallions - both raw. Add what you will to the soy sauce, mix and enjoy! The mixed vegetable platter that came with the short rib was pleasantly easily divisible by two. Don't mind if we do! Admittedly though, I had trouble identifying some of the veggies exactly. There was corn on the cob, some orange squash thing (don't think it was sweet potato), some sliced fungus, wood-ear, tofu, and maybe 3 varieties of leafy greens, just two pieces of each, except maybe 6 of the larger darker leaf vegetable. We heard that the a la carte meat were larger portions than when ordered in a combo. The short rib combo came as 12 slices nicely rolled up while the tongue a la carte numbered 15. I couldn't quite get the tongue to be exactly tender after its hot bath, but I did manage to cook my final slice of the short rib just right to my intense pleasure. We quit with half the pancake app, most of the noodles, and nearly a third of the meat left. Yet we had room for dessert! They do say that there is a separate stomach for dessert ! After perusing the two sided dessert menu, we went with the Bailey's Irish Cream Pie $6.99. Not a generous portion at say 1/16th a cake, but plenty for our remaining appetites. Hot green tea to accompany our sweet was $3 for a pot. It had an interesting fragrance and flavor, nothing like the Chinese teas I'm more familiar with. Their parking lot is out back, down a few steps, and it is off-set from the large parking lot that belongs to the Porter Square Shopping Center which serves the patrons of Shaw's and its neighboring businesses.
(4)Diane H.
It's a very beautiful venue as others have said. The prices may be a little high for hotpot and sushi though, unfortunately. Usually prime rib eye is 20 but here it is 24 so a bit different. Side orders are higher too, such as extra noodle because it's not a lot that is given. The sushi isn't as good as stand alone sushi places but they still charge the same price for the special rolls. the service was fine. Our server was very accessible but there was a confusion when they tried to give me the next table's order and my bf who was very hungry almost Took it but I was like "no". The korean bone marrow soup want good. The regular chicken soup tasted like soup from ramen which I liked cause I like ramen. I enjoyed the spinach looking veggies and the amount of mushroom given was good. Anywyas I wasn't expecting to have a bill of almost 100 for 2 people for just 2 entrees, a green tea, mango shake, a roll of sushi and the salmon essence. The salmon essence was good but wow, tiny compared to the pictures I saw-- which was probably taken. Very close. I may come back for lunch... but I don't know about dinner, I don't spend that much at other Hotpot places....
(3)Denise M.
Doggie downer is not my preference for a review but I was disappointed. It was OK, not be running back for more unless its with or group or for convenience . The szechuan broth was basically just hot chili peppers, I couldn't taste anything more than that. There is no meat combo only only fish/meat combos. The serving platter of meat and vegetable plate was average in size compared to other Shabu restaurants. The server was bored, I really just wanted to get things myself instead of feeling like a burden. It was a quiet night and he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but helping to make me happy. I understand, we all have those days. The three stars are for the interior. The decor is quite lovely, the design spacious with great lighting. If you can get a table overlooking Porter Square it is quite nice. I might return, try a different broth and give it another try. Every new establishment deserves a second chance. Chefs, business owners and customers are all only human.
(3)Chenkai L.
I came here for dinner with my gf and we got an appetizer and a number of sushi rolls. The salmon essence we got was beautiful as it was delicious, nicely crispy and toasted and topped with delicious sauce. The sushi was also really good, this place definitely uses fresh ingredients that you can taste. The restaurant is a little hidden behind the mall but inside was clean and roomy, great service and i will definitely come back when there is a groupon again.
(4)Andrew W.
Overall 3.5/5 rounded up because of Groupon (no lunch special if you use Groupon) Food 3/5 Store 4/5 Service 4/5 I came here due to a Groupon i bought for $32 for a $45 value. This place is located in a building complex so im not sure how parking would work out. Nonetheless its located on the 2ed floor very close to the red line. Upon entering this place around noon, my impressions were modern, spacious and it felt clean. I ordered the lamb hot pot for 22, california roll for 6, spider roll for 11 and salmon for 7 and yellowtail sashimi for 7. The sashimi was ok, but the cut was extremely small and thin. For 7 bucks I would expect better cuts. The rolls were ok. The quantity was there but the quality and taste was not. The hot pot came with a small portion of veges, small rice, some dipping sauces and a decent amount of meat. If you need more food you can just take it off the convyer belt which is really neat :) Overall, you get a lot of food with an okay quality. I would not come here without a groupon but will so if I have it again. Cheers!
(4)Jimmy B.
Really pretty, and I love the concept of conveyor belt appetizers for shabu. They also have a private parking, which is always a plus. And the meat is pretty darn good.. but the price man, the price. $20 for a dinner entree set.. and the portions aren't large. Mind you, they may LOOK large, but it's all fluff (one of our meat dishes had a large hump of napa cabbage under it). The noodles are also not precooked.. which may be a good thing for some people, but to me, that means there's less noodles packed per bowl (as cooked noodles remove the excess air uncooked noodle has). Soup level also began at like, 1/4 of the bowl and quickly evaporated, and the waiter had to keep filling it. Sauce quantity was also very conservative - literally about two tablespoons of barbecue sauce which I need about a whole bowl full of when eating shabu. So, all in all, not a bad place, and the location is definitely convenient if you're around porter square. Otherwise, I'd rather go to Boston for cheaper shabu of comparable quality as I just can't justify the current price.
(3)Joseph A.
My wife and I Had the pleasure of dining there yesterday afternoon. It was an outstanding culinary experience, with great food and service. We had the Lun Shabu with prime rib for two for only $19 !! It was the absolutely the best Asian food we have ever had. The decor was fabulous with a convenient location in Porter Square and free parking. Highly recommended - a must try!! .
(5)Mark T.
I did not try the shabu, I went here for the sushi, or rather maki. If you are looking to eat shabu (hot pot) read other reviews... if you are looking for sushi, either from the menu or from the conveyer (kaiten) read this review, and then go elsewhere. My first experience was on a Wednesday, I came here alone. $26 all you can eat (but you are charged for uneaten plates). There was sushi on the conveyor included and shabu included. The sushi was okay, and had some nice flavors, but was not over the top special, and did not feel fresh. There was a decent variety on the conveyor, but could have been more exciting. Since I only ate 6 plates (~2 small pieces each), and did not touch the shabu, this was a poor value. If you come for the Wednesday special, come with a group that is prepared to eat [subpar food]. I decided to return on a different day in the hopes that there would be more variety. I had thought that the plates circling on Wednesday are the same $2 plates circling at lunch, and that dinner had various fancier $3 and $4 plates. Anyways, we sit near the conveyor, and there is stuff circling... sparing you the long winded explanation, there was only one kind of sushi circling, the rest was raw vegetables and other raw/frozen things to be added the shabu. -- Also, the sushi that was circling had shrimp with the tail still on (as opposed to sushi that can go straight into the mouth). This unexpected disappointment led us to order from the menu, to satisfy our curiosity. we tried a plate of Alaska, California, and Philadelphia. Plates cost $6, and has 6 teeny pieces each. A buck a piece of already excessive for teeny pieces. Add that they were terrible. Rice was of low quality and or undercooked, nori was too thick, and fish inside was salty (why then soy sauce... and they did not feel fresh for stuff supposedly just made. Seriously, stuff at food courts and Market Basket is better. No lie! Service was something else... the restaurant had probably two or three groups of people, at 5PM, on a Saturday (my friends claim this is a sign to avoid a restaurant). It was horribly slow and inattentive. It took probably five minutes to get some utensils, also a long time for order to be taken, and for water to be refilled. I will applaud them for not charging us for the plate we took off conveyor and tried that was of frozen stuff (for shabu). 2 stars and not one for some decent pieces during Wednesday. ...either they need a major revamp, or, being empty at dinnertime on Saturday they will not stay in business for long.
(2)Rhea S.
Maybe more like 3.5 stars. My disappointment is this: raw vegetables on a plate is not sushi. It's crudites. I love the conveyor belt sushi thing, which seem to be much more popular on the West coast than here. I've been to the one in the Natick Mall, and was excited to hear that there was one close by in Cambridge. Well, maybe a Tuesday night isn't the best time to see the belt's offerings, but there was nothing on there resembling sushi. Plates of mushrooms, mixed greens, root vegetables, edamame and broccoli rotated around, untouched. Disappointing! The sushi we ordered off-menu was very good though. We had a shrimp tempura appetizer, lover's sushi (tuna), and snow crab sushi. The plating was a little confusing as I had 5 pieces of tuna sushi vs. my husband's 10 or so pieces. Yes, mine were bigger, but the price points were roughly the same. The cocktails were excellent. I would go back and re-set expectations of the conveyor belt. As for the decor, I don't agree with the "few steps up from a food court" description. I think bringing a date here would be fine.
(3)Wahyu D.
We had a great lunch at this restaurant. The shabu soup was delicious with a variety of broths to choose from. We chose Tom Yum broth which was superb. The waiters were super helpful and friendly. And the view to the street and Porter Square adds to the whole ambience of the restaurant. The prices might be a little too expensive but it's worth a try.
(4)Francis C.
My friend had a Groupon so we stopped by to use it and it was fine but nothing spectacular. Nothing was particularly wrong, but nothing was exceptionally great either. The roll selection was fine... they had a lot of interesting rolls, but I'm kind of a simple, sashimi type of girl so I'm not really into "super fancy" rolls (my friend ordered one with pineapple and mango and as someone who doesn't like to mix fruit with any other food group, it was weird... BUT he liked it so....) The shabu was fine.... I wish they had more vegetables on the platter though; I feel like we went through the veggies pretty quickly. I wasn't all that impressed and for what it was, I actually think it's a bit overpriced (perhaps because the space is so big?). We definitely left hungry and contemplated getting a second meal but decided to fill up on ice cream instead (I know, we're super smart). I'd rather make a trek to one of the all you can eat sushi bars... I think the price is comparable but you'd get way more bang for your buck.
(2)Jay K.
Didn't do the shabu, just came in for a few snacks. I thought it was conveyor belt sushi, but found out that's only at lunch time. The shabu stuff was going around on the belt though. Sushi was ok, seemed smaller than usual. Really just felt over charged for something so small, and would recommend you go over to the porter exchange mall and get better Japanese food, more of it, and for better prices.
(3)Anarie S.
I came here for lunch. I had bought a groupon online for $25 to spend $50. Just a little note.. you have to spend $50, not including tax to use it. There is an additional special menu for lunch. I got the marrow bone ramen soup that was about $10. It was really good! The best thing I liked about this place was the waitress was really nice and sweet. She have a lot of suggests on what to order. I'll definitely come back for the conveyor belt sushi :)
(4)Jo M.
I've been to Akai Ryu twice now - once for sushi and once for shabu. It was really good. The sushi choices were varied - not your usual salmon and avocado. But the shabu! My husband and I went for dinner one evening, and had a great time. I was a bit pricey, but we ate a lot for our money. The choice of broths was very interesting (we had a bone marrow broth), and the mushroom selection was amazing. They also have the sushi train filled with veggies and mushrooms for the shabu, which was really great. It definitely took the fear of ordering too much / not enough away. It's definitely a meal you want to share with your close friends though. It can be quite messy and there's lots of double dipping. I can also highly recommend the caramel cheesecake and the Baileys cake-y thing for dessert. Both were amazing. Would highly recommend for a night out with friends or your significant other
(4)Sebastian S.
The Wednesdays "all you can eat" deal is spectacular. The shabu (hot pot) broth was especially flavorful. I recommend the herbal chicken broth. All the meats for the hot pot were amazingly tender and tasty. The lamb, beef, and shrimp were far from dry or tough; they were 5-star quality minimum. The waiters were always attentive and helpful, bringing over extra water for the broth and adjusting the heat for the hot pot. Lastly, I recommend the tuna sashimi, which was moist and fresh.
(5)Amanda P.
SONYA WAS AMAZING!! She's funny make sure you ask for her. The food was ok The decor has a modern twist to it and the vibe.
(2)Lesley F.
We had a comically bad dining experience here. We came with a big group on a night when all-you-can eat sushi was an option. Most, but not all, of us did all-you-can eat sushi. It took over an hour for the first of the sushi orders to arrive, and another hour for the second (refill) order. They said that they had two sushi chefs instead of three, but this does not explain why the delay was _so_ long. In the middle, they brought us some gross fried stuff to tide us over. I did not try the sushi, but was told it was fine (not good, but not bad). Those of us who were not getting all-you can eat sushi were instructed to sit in a small corner of the table, all together, to avoid any confusion. I ordered a veggie shabu, which the waiter said came with tofu, but which did not (tofu cost extra, and we had to order it later, when we discovered it did not come with the dish). The noodles - which are a key part of the dish - did not arrive, so I had to ask about them... it took over half an hour to get the noodles after the soup part arrived - and the soup ingredients took up more table space than we had. At some point, the waiter walked by and said something to the tune of "I'm going to go get a cigarette so I don't kill myself." If the place had any idea what it was doing that night, they would have comped our bill and told us to leave early on, because they were definitely not in the position to serve food. I would have left, but we were in a big group with my husband's office, so there was a certain amount of inertia that kept us all there.
(1)Tams N.
Fulfill your octopus balls craving here. Their takoyaki is on point. Friends and I went there for a divine shabu shabu experience after a day frolicking in the woods. What better way to warm up after a crisp autumn hike than hot soup and hot balls. We got the pork combo, with squid, clams, and maitake mushrooms added. It was all good. Will be back to try sushi, grilled kama and okonomiyaki. So thankful this is in the neighborhood.
(4)Dawn B.
My DH and I went here with a Groupon recently and had no preconceived notions other than having read the mixed reviews on Yelp. I am happy to say we enjoyed our meal! We decided ahead of time that hot pot could wait for another time and focused on apps and sushi. We started with a large hot sake which the server said to let cool for 3 minutes but was never very hot to begin with. We ordered fried oysters (because lots of people raved about them in their reviews) and yellowtail collar. Our oysters arrived relatively quickly and needed time to cool; they came with mayo and spicy mayo, and were tasty. We put in an order for some maki rolls and they arrived before the collar, so be warned that they must need extra time to prepare that. Once it did arrive, o.m.g. was it delicious! I love yellowtail sushi (my husband is less of a fan) but the broiled collar was smoky and moist and yum. It looked like "two dead birds" with the fins attached, according to DH, and it did maybe a little. :) Tasted a lot like swordfish. Sushi was fresh and delicious, which was encouraging since some reviews dissed the sushi. No conveyor belt sushi on weekends which makes sense I guess. I think plates only have 2 rolls on them anyway so it all works out in the end. Service was good; only hiccup was when waiting for the credit card/Groupon to be processed but otherwise a good experience.
(4)Michele J.
I have been to Akai Ryu twice and have had shabu only, so I can't comment on the sushi. My first experience at Akai Ryu was beyond my expectations. The spaciousness was a nice surprise; it's hard to find an eatery in the area where you don't have to wait to be seated. The decor is lovely to look at; each section has something unique about it. It has the look of being a nice place without any sense of snobbery (and by no means do you need to dress up; jeans all the way)! The shabu experience was great due to our friendly waiter who would stop by when needed but didn't come so often you felt like you were being rushed out. In fact, we took our time letting the broth become more flavorful as we added our ingredients. Shabu/hot pot is about taking your time and enjoying the cooking as much as the eating. The only downside I would say is that I wished there were more noodles given, both in the combo and as a side. $4 for a small portion of noodles is not filling enough. I would also suggest that we're given bowls rather than the almost dish-like shaped bowls. It's a petty thing but I like to be able to sip the contents I've gathered rather than trying to slurp the plate/bowl and not spill over the sides. However, this isn't going to keep me from coming back for more. Like I said, I've been here twice -- and it was within two weeks! Next time I will try the sushi. But, knowing that I have other sushi spots and no other places to go for shabu, it will be hard to resist a bowl.
(4)Jeff M.
Pretty good as far as hot pot goes. The nice open space was unexpected on the top floor of a mall. I'd go back.
(4)Jill O.
The food was absolutely delicious! The sushi was so fresh and the shabu shabu was great. I'm very picky about my sushi and this is one of the better places in the Cambridge/Somerville area. A much needed addition!
(4)Jen K.
First time here wanted to try a new shabu place cause I love shabu! First kudos to our waitress KIM she was awesome, accommodating, and attentive! She refilled our waters and checked up on us without being overbearing! Her service was great!! It would be one star but because of her I'll give it two stars. We ordered the takoyaki! Delicious! Loved it! But it took literally 20 minutes for it to come out! Word to the wise any appetizers should only take 10-12 minutes. 20 minutes is way way too long! I worked at various restaurants and if a customers appetizer took a long time the manager would always make sure the table understood why. It should not take that long! Thirdly, getting out shabu pot tooooook forever....... When u go to any shabu restaurant they bring it out right away. It took 30 min...... I ordered the szchuen broth. You guys just dumped chili oil and peppercorn into the broth.... So, when you make he broth you have to use the szchuen paste. This is because the broth won't mix with the oil. The oil just sits on top. If u use the paste the broth and the paste mix together. Do not make bad broths. It ruined the experience for me. I like how you have the plates o the conveyor belt great idea! Also the garnish. You guys give literally the size of a penny... If people are paying 20 dollars plus for a meal do not skimp out on the necessities of hot pot. Give more garnish! The manager of this place needs to visit more shabu places and bring better quality shabu! Or else no one will come back for it! Also there were many tables waiting for their meals for over 30 minutes.... I saw many people just look around and sit just waiting for their sushi. You need to either hire more people on the weekend or have a more efficient way of cooking in the kitchen. Even though the food is great, if a customer waits forever for it to come out. It ruins the experience! I know this is new! But definitely many improvements must be made to compete in restaurants in boston especially shabu ones!
(2)s c.
Adding to the mixed reviews here - our party of 17 had a terrific luncheon experience today. I don't recall his name, but the person who waited on us may have been the manager. We ordered many apps, sushi, and some opted for the shabu. Service was excellent, although the missing baby octo app appeared upon inquiry, after everything else came out. Particularly delish were the tuna cerviche, fried oysters, and baby octopus. One downside was that nigiri pieces were the smallest I've ever had. A nice touch was the complimentary desserts: cheesecake, tiramisu, choc lava cake, mochi to share. This nice place with free parking (!) was fairly empty on a Wed afternoon - do try it!
(4)Jonathan M.
I've now been to Akai Ryu twice, and both times the service was unacceptably slow. Tonight we waited over 25 minutes between ordering and getting our first appetizer; clock was at 45 minutes by the time the main course sushi arrived. The place wasn't super crowded or anything. Our party had mixed opinions on the sushi ranging from 'ok' to 'good but not great'. We didn't try the shabu. The wait times were similar on my first visit (and in the end I didn't get what I ordered). I want to like this place and the servers were perfectly pleasant, but they need to up the speed of the kitchen.
(3)Paul R.
The good - the food, clearly, can be amazing. Fresh, beautiful food. But. I went out with 10 friends, we had a reservation days in advance, not just a 'surprise - here were are' thing. The waitress was fine - she did the best she could, full of energy, and we all felt really sorry for her - there were insufficient wait staff working. The bad: It was not clear if there was anyone in the kitchen at all though! I'm VERY forgiving of service - I tend to try to understand how things can be unexpected and that there is complexity - but the service was so bad I would have still left unhappy had they comp'd the entire meal! We all ordered Shabu. Some of us were nearly done before some of us got ANY food at all. I was done with my meat before I saw a single vegetable, even though I got the combination (as did everyone else). When the first few plates came out, the first few folks in the group got their vegetables. It was nearly 45 minutes before the rest of us saw vegetables! It was to the point where we were wondering if they forgot about us - even though we asked precisely this questions more than once. One of us in our group ordered scallops, he received his scallops LONG after I had finished my prime rib, and I was in the second wave of food to come out. I want to love this place - it is BEAUTIFUL, spacious, and the food is actually amazing. They have a liquor license and they make good drinks! But the place is a total nightmare for groups, or maybe we just came in on a night when the entire kitchen staff had gone on strike - I really wish I could imagine a reason for this experience being so poor. We were even offered dessert BEFORE we had all received our main courses - which would seem weird, except based on the amount of time we had waited, that was probably an appropriate point in our visit to offer up dessert menus. Absolutely will not return.
(2)Patricia J.
A great restaurant. The service was fast and the food delightful. Highly recommend for sushi and for a fun atmosphere. They had a very extensive menu and several varieties of saki. The waiter was very nice and gave us some good recommendations for the best Shabu broth and other items. Very fun!
(5)J C.
I have been here for different types of meals (shabu shabu dinner, sushi lunch, bento). The best here is shabu shabu. I was impressed with the quality and quantity, whether its the set or a la carte. I won't normally order takoyaki but one day the very nice waitress recommended and said that it was her favorite. It turned out to be really good indeed! They were also super nice and found me a nice plum wine when I wasn't sure what I wanted to drink. Also came here with a vegetarian friend and she was spoilt for choice.
(4)Richard H.
We dined here on a Groupon (disclaimer), and I generally felt that the food was 4 stars, but the service was 1.5 stars. As a resident of China for a year, I know hot pot pretty well, and the menu has all of the generally expected fixings from beef and lamb plates to tofu and vegetables. We opted for a beef plate which is served with a side of mixed veggies and noodles, and added on a tofu-plate with the neutral chicken broth and a spicy broth split down the middle. The portion sizes were average, nothing like the "serves 2-people" compliments posted on Yelp, but the ingredients were fresh and made for an enjoyable hot pot experience in Porter, especially with the good value with the Groupon. The tofu plate was sparse, and actually forgotten by the staff. It took us a while to find our waiter to kindly remind him that we had not received our tofu plate, and this theme was constantly repeated through the evening, as our water glasses were not refilled, and they forgot about our maki roll, which came quite late. In the end after a decent hot pot meal, we just wanted our check to move on after this almost 2 hour ordeal, but alas we had to track down the waiter again. I'm willing to give Akai Ryu another try as these service issues may just be a small kink in their recent opening. The interior is a nice and open space, and the booths and hot plates are large. The atmosphere felt very much like a hot pot restaurant in China, however I was not expecting the mainland requirement that you shout "waiter" when you truly need to find the waiter to get water, a forgotten plate, or your check.
(3)Nikki L.
I love this place! They have the best sushi in town, the service was amazing, and Sonia rocks!
(5)matthew k.
Great place, amazing service and a good value. Heard they do all you can eat on Tuesday.
(5)Max N.
Brand spankin new and the emptiness shows it. Shabu shabu is the thing I partake in when I'm looking to spoil myself. I wandered in and ordered my usual "surf and turf" combo. Their seafood selection was less diverse then Kaze or Shabu Zen, but satisfactory nonetheless. The clams and mussels were quite small and the white fish was not something that was very flavorful fresh from the hot pot. The veggies were also a little less diverse than what I'm used to, but the beef was fine. I would have given them two stars only, but as others have reviewed, the waitstaff was exceedingly nice. But I'd be nervous that if the restaurant was full, it'd be a really lackluster experience.
(3)Kevin T.
Yep, still solid when I went there again for another friend's (surprise) birthday celebration. Though we went for some of the favorites from last time (Such as the Agedashi Tofu and Fruit Smoothies), the new sampling we had this time was also quite nice. The Salmon essence that others have mentioned is *very* nice, and beautiful too to boot, so I'd definitely recommend getting it. Also we got the Tom Yum, Kimchee Tomato, and Szechuan soup bases, and they're all very flavorful . The Kimchee tomato was very hearty, and the szechuan extra spicy had a really good kick to it. A nice plus for the combo platters was the addition of some mushrooms and some more greens to the platter from what I last remembered. The lamb was same good ole' deliciousness (and the chicken was great too!). All beautifully sliced and presented. By the end of the meal, we totally made converts out of the three Shabu-newbies at the table. Service was fantastic as usual. Everyone was very attentive from start to finish and made sure stuff came out in reasonable time. I feel bad for staying til closing time (since we came in a bit past 8:30pm) but they were very nice about it throughout. Sonya and Patrick: you guys were amazing. :) **Also awesome news: they had their liquor license approved! End of the month before they get it, but (hard) drinks + Shabu will soon be upon us!
(5)David X.
We went on a Saturday night. They sat us at a dirty table, and instantly removed the dirty dishes. No one came back to wipe the table down or provide utensils, glasses, etc. We waited 20 minutes and no waiter showed up either. Eventually, some angry asian woman came over, dropped a bowl of edamame on our table, said "on the house. for waiting." And left. As she walked away, I heard some staff member yell at her and she shouted back "Free because I'm nice!" We waited another 10 minutes, still no waiter, nothing. So we left. The menu itself left a lot to be desired. It says Japanese Sushi, Grill and Shabu. No "Grill" items on the menu. And the sushi had no standard items like a 'Sashimi Dinner" which you see everywhere for like $25 for chef's choice. It makes ordering much easier. Indeed, the few options available on the menu were all $1 - $3 more than any other Japanese restaurant I've been to, and all have been better than this place. The Shabu menu was also $3 - $5 more per item than all the other great shabu restaurants around town. The place was completely disorganized, staff members yelling at each other, tripping over each other, etc. My guess is they are severely understaffed for the weekends. Doesn't matter though. 30 minutes waiting at a dirty table for a waiter to show up is more than fair before giving up on the place.
(1)L M.
It looked brand spanking new. Very clean place (I always check for that). I have ordered a Spider roll and my child ordered California roll. Both dishes were ABSOLUTELY FRESH and delicious. We also had seaweed salad. My daughter ate all of hers and mine - it was so good. They ran out of Diet Coke (?!?!?) while we were there (Monday lunch I guess). But not a big deal. We got a chance to try their green iced tea. Interesting and intense taste. We would definitely go to this restaurant again! P.S. having a parking in the back of the building is a huge plus (it is metro Boston area after all). P.S.2 place is a bit pricey. But I am from suburbs and might not be that familiar with prices in Boston. I don't regret a penny we've spent! Yum Yum Yum.
(5)Kimberly K.
Beautiful setting. Place looks great! We had the shabu ramen and bone marrow broths. The broth was extremely flavorful some of the best I've had. I got the prime rib which was a little thick cut and kind of tough (I cook it to a medium) not the same quality as other shabu places around. The vegetable plate with the combo was unimpressive. I'm used to more bok choy, an assortment of mushrooms and tofus. I had a groupon so this place was a great deal. Probably won't be back unless there is another one. Best quality for cheaper elsewhere, even though the broths are quite delicious. Unfortunate because this restaurant is much closer for me than the other shabu places.
(2)Taryn M.
Although I still enjoyed the food and my experience on our latest visit to Akai Ryu, I need to deduct a star. The vegetable platter that comes with the combo meal pretty much halved in size. It was like everything was zapped with a shrink ray. Even the corn pieces went from being around a fourth of a corn to an eighth (seriously, one piece of corn was only around four rows deep). There was also only one type of mushroom which was very underwhelming because the first time I came, there was so much variety. Having a very average vegetable platter would not be such a big deal if their prices weren't so high. The lamb combo at Akai Ryu is $20 when compared to $12 at Shabuzen. When we were getting a superior vegetable platter I could overlook this discrepancy but now I don't know. I won't say we will never come again but it definitely not as tempting a dining option with the downgrading of the vegetable platter combined with the high prices. Aside from my complaints about the vegetables, we did try a few new things that we liked. The Chinese chicken herbal broth was tasty without being overly salty. I preferred it over the Szechuan Spicy/ Extra Spicy broth which was true to its name and had quite a kick (When I want a spicy broth, it is hard to beat the mala broth at Little Q). We also really enjoyed their tofu skin which was paper thin and different from the tofu skin you typically see at shabu shabu places. The fish meatball with shrimp filling was also a hit.
(3)Kristina Z.
We went there as we bought a groupon. The first impression was ok, the place look nice, but the waiters were seating at the table ( which is fine as they had only one table when we came in). The food preparation took a while, but the everything was delicious. If you like sushi, you would love that place for sure. I gave 3 stars because of the service. The waiter was singing and whistling and acted like he didn't really care, he was asking if we needed anything else but the attitude seemed like he didn't want us to stay. I will come again one more time to see if next time we will like the service they provide as we know they can serve tasty food.
(3)Yuwen C.
Their sushi is so good.they have many kinds of special maki.i like to eat dragon maki.snow maki.akai Ryu special maki and black pearl!
(5)Sami G.
A gorgeous, well-appointed shabu shabu restaurant with an extensive sushi menu. Service is prompt and friendly, and the food is some of the best of its kind I've had in the area, which is saying a great deal. I've had four appetizers and eight or so maki rolls/entree options, as well as one shabu shabu lunch, and have come away thoroughly happy with my experience each time. The only reason the location isn't yet 5-star, at least in my book, is that I think they are still growing into their own. I believe they're still gauging the popularity of their menu items, and may run out of some of the best of the best. Even so, the manager clearly cares about the satisfaction of his diners. The restaurant already shines. Give it some time, and it could be the best restaurant the area has to offer.
(4)Carly C.
Checked out this spot tonight, a few days after they opened. We didn't have huge appetites, so we didn't go for the shabu shabu. We ordered two maki rolls, the seaweed salad, and gyoza. Everything was so good! The rolls were really nicely prepared, clearly a lot of care was put into making them. The staff was all super friendly, even the manager stopped by to ask how our meal was going. We finished up with some green tea ice cream - make sure to save room for dessert because they have a nice dessert menu! The space is done up really nicely, they have a few water feature things around the restaurant, and many of the tables overlook Porter Square. I liked the art they had up as well as the other design choices made. There is a semi private area that would be good for a really large group. They also have an area set up with the conveyor belt thing coming from the kitchen, it will be fun to be back and see that in action! We were there around 8 on a Sunday when the US was playing the World Cup, so I wasn't expecting it to be very busy. This was definitely true, there were only a few other tables seated while we were there. It is a big space, and definitely fills a need for the Porter area, so I would really like to see them succeed! We'll definitely be going back to try the shabu shabu. Important to note - they don't have their alcohol license yet, but will in the next 1-2 months. But don't let this deter you!
(5)Thai N.
Visited this restaurant for the Shabu. Ordered a few dish of meat including the rib eye, short ribs, lamb and sirloin. Quality of meat would be a B at most. Ordered "Tofu putts" and received tofu puffs, I have never been so disrespected in my whole life!!!! (Typo on the menu) All jokes aside, service was terrible, Shabu quality decent, yielding an overpriced mediocre Shabu restaurant. Make the drive down to Chinatown Boston for good Shabu.
(2)C R.
Absolutely love this place! A real hidden treasurer! Located on the second floor, this restaurant offers an abundance of delicious food, great ambience with spectacular views, and excellent customer service. We've tried both their sushi and shabu, and it's fantastic. For sushi we ordered, the inside out California Roll, Scorpion Roll, and Rainbow Maki, Spider Maki -- all were fantastic. Yesterday, we tried the shabu which was delicious on all counts. For broths we did a split bowl of Tomato Kimchi and Spicy Szechuan...amazing. I highly recommend this place. Looking forward to returning soon.
(5)Jared S.
Okonomiyaki was a delicious crispier Americanized version that kept true to the original flavors. Seaweed salad was good. Sushi was very high quality and presented well.
(5)Jenny D.
One of the best hotpot places in the Boston area. Unlike other Asian restaurants, servers (We had Will) were prompt and very knowledgable in what they were serving. The meat is extremely fresh and there were good portions. The vegetables were very clean and had no bug bites like other places. I HIGHLY recommend the Salmon Essence, soooooo good, and the fish balls with roe!!! As for sushi, it's really unique and pretty good. We had the red eye maki. Definitely a must go. lol I'm already drooling about my next visit.
(5)Jessica C.
This place is huge and the staff is super friendly. It was empty when we went in so they were extra attentive. We were given noodles for free, just cause, and even were discounted $10 after my gym membership discount. The food is really good and not too expensive either. I'll be going back frequently.
(4)S L.
Excellent service and food. Bill the manager and Patrick our server was awesome. The extra spicy shabby did not disappoint and the short ribs were soffit and decadent.
(5)Clara S.
Came back here to finally try the hot pot -- was not disappointed! Got the tom yum broth with combination platter with seafood and sirloin. Generous portions (except the noodles could have been a little more generous), diligent and attentive staff, and, most importantly, great flavors! Will be back. Great addition to the neighborhood.
(5)Margaret Ann B.
This restaurant opened recently, and the staff still seems a bit confused, but we came on a ridiculously frigid weeknight and had a spectacular meal. We ordered the seafood broth/mushroom broth in a split cauldron, and an assortment of seafood and vegetable items. We ended up getting WAY too much - ordered udon, it was a smallish portion, so ordered different noodles, much larger portion! I'd recommend pacing out the order, because as your broth cooks your items, it becomes more flavorful, so no reason not to keep adding items as you want them. It wasn't busy the night we went there, and our server was extremely attentive, so that tactic would work... perhaps not so well on a busier night. Still, it's a festive way to eat, a healthy way to eat, and it looks like they have a decent drink menu as well. It's also fun watching the various items rolling along on the little conveyor belt!
(4)Will S.
Solid sushi at a reasonable price. Got a mixture of sashimi, rolls, and nigiri and all were good. Friendly staff. Will def be back.
(4)Ai L.
Food: we had the spicy broth and two meat combos. The quantity is pretty good, though the meat quality is just alright. The quality to price ratio is a bit subpar compared to some other shabu places in Boston such as shabu zen, kaze shabu in Chinatown and swish shabu in Fenway, but it's still decent. I also didn't like the sauce mix here because, personally, I don't like sweet soy sauce with spicy shabu. Perhaps in the future they could add more options. However, I was very pleased with the quality, selection and quantity of the a la carte vegetable items. I also liked that when they refill the broth for you, they use the broth you purchased instead of the generic base broth (a lot of shabu places do this and it dilutes out the flavor). Service: we got seated right away and someone came to take our order pretty quickly after that. Our server seemed really busy (she forgot to bring us a few things until we reminded her). They seemed to be under-staffed for a Saturday night, even though the place was relatively empty. As a result, our server was running around all over the place and so we had a hard time getting her attention. She did get everything we wanted and was very friendly! Decor: really new, modern and the space is huge! It's a great place for large parties!
(3)Maris R.
I never write these, but I have to let people know that my boyfriend and I got THE WORST food poisoning from this restaurant last week. It has been an absolute nightmare. We are never coming back to this place. Ever.
(1)Sammy L.
Good food, small portions, and expensive. There are other places that better in boston.
(3)Samantha S.
This was our first experience with Shabu Shabu, and it was a great one! Our waitress was extremely helpful in explaining the process to us and giving suggestions on what to order. We ended up with the prime rib combination shabu and a few sushi rolls. Everything was delicious, fresh and reasonably priced! We will definitely be coming back.
(4)Sw O.
I really enjoyed my dining experience here. I appreciate its high ceilings and ample sitting space. You'll need a large table with all the food that you get! Loved the beautifully cut pork and beef, and could have used more noodles though. If you're in the mood for spice you must try the broth peppered with chili oil. Pair it with the tom yum soup and add a chicken broth too for good measure- it's one of the best I've had! Having all three broths will delight your senses.
(4)Kuidaore Sensei X.
meh. service was very slow. barely any unagi in the black pearl maki. food itself was good enouh but nothing better than average. did not try shabu. there are certainly better/cheaper options for sushi.
(3)Joe U.
Great start to a new conveniently located shabu place. Stylish interior rocks the Uno's that was there. It looks so much bigger than before. Went twice. Lunch special for two is a killer good deal, especially the pork. The quality of the meat was excellent and presentation topnotch. Try the kimchi/tomato broth if you like kimchi flavors. Dinner was very good. Fried oyster appetizer (kaki fry) tasty, as well as hotate hokkaiyaki. We had a bit of problem with our induction heating surfaces and the manager Alan really took care of us. Compared to our standard Shabu-zen in Allston, lunch is better at Akai Ryu, dinner cheaper at Shabu-zen. Interior is better at Akai. Service is a toss-up; Shabu-zen servers know what they're doing. Akai's servers are trying to ramp up to speed...they checked again and again, the manager came by multiple times, and everyone was earnest and trying very hard, but you can tell they're learning the ropes. Parking and location superior at Akai. In short, Akai is now our new go-to shabu place. BTW, all the other shabu places I've tried would be ranked lower than either of these.
(5)Elena J.
The food was not as good as when I went one month ago. They decreased the variety of vegetables that came with the hot pot meat, taking out the Enokitake, which is my favorite, and other things. In addition, the sushi was underwhelming this time, although I really enjoyed it last time. Previously the waiter had mixed some chicken broth with the flavored stock to make it less spicy, this time they said that was not possible. Even with the Groupon deal it was not worth it.
(2)Leslie G.
This brand new restaurant will be right up there with the best! With its opening night there were only a couple of timing issues which will certainly work itself out but the experience and the food were amazing! Our group had the shabu shabu experience with choosing our broth, meats or fish, vegetables after a few wonderful appetizers. The veggies were incredibly fresh, the broths were really good, especially the mushroom and the meats and fish were plentiful, huge orders. It is easy to have huge eyes b/c everything sounds so good... and actually is!! Save room for dessert! Our waitress Kannika (?) was wonderful! It can only get better and a great fun experience for a small group for sharing!
(4)Lindsay P.
We've been to Akai Ryu a couple times and love it. We've gone for early dinners with our kids and the owner has always been very friendly and helpful. The appetizers are delicious. I think their gyoza are the best I've ever had and the octopus balls are excellent. The sushi is great. The shabu shabu quality is excellent. We've had seafood and beef and both were very fresh and delicious. Akai Ryu has quickly become one of our favorites. The only thing lacking is a liquor license. Otherwise I think Akai Ryu is close to perfect.
(5)Adam A.
This restaurant is quite nice, the staff are very friendly and attentive, as well as informative. The different sushi we tried were all very good, and the shabu made for a delightful experience. Plenty of seating and a clean environment make this place well recommended. I will be returning.
(5)Umerican I.
Good food, very attentive staff. The place is very clean and nice bathrooms including a family bathroom. Nice flavors and presentation.
(4)Stella B.
I went this restaurant with my husband around 3pm today to have japanese shabu shabu for lunch . We ordered chicken basic broth with Thai tom yam broth for soups with beef and fish meet balls . I've also had a plate of chicken yakitori with teriyaki sauce . First , the chicken broth soup is really good also Thai Tom yam soup was good but not as much as we expected . And chicken yakitori was just okay . I highly recommend you to have the chicken basic broth soup with beef.
(4)Felix G.
Akai Ryu is surprisingly good sushi for a very reasonable price. And in Porter Square? That's all I needed to hear. There's a very modern vibe going on, with black floors and an almost industrial look in places, it's actually a really cool spot to impress anyone. Unfortunately the place never seems too busy during the evenings I've been. And this seems to reinforce a sense of lackadaisical care from the staff. Always know what you're going to order, or they'll walk away and leave you for ten minute (at least) periods to make a decision. That said, the staff is pleasant and they have take out, so really there's only good reasons to come here.
(4)Khunravin H.
Was craving hot pot so came here on a whim with my friends. Atmosphere: It's a nice looking place inside. Nothing fancy about it, but doesn't matter to me. Service: It was pretty good. Our waitress checked in on us every now and then. Food: My friends and I opted to do a split pot-Tom Yum and Regular Broth. Oh boy, Tom Yum really hit the spot and considering I was sick and still sick, it really helped! My friend ordered the cheap dollar oysters and she seemed to like it. We opted for the prime rib & rib-eye veggie combo, rice, and udon noodles and it was more than filling for dinner. Drinks: My friends and I each ordered a different drink. I don't recall what my friends ordered, but I remember ordering a Watermelon Sakitini? Whoa, it was really good. The watermelon was actually blended to a pulp. Price: The Prime Rib/Veggie Combo for Hot Pot was $25 and The Rib-Eye/Veggie Combo was $22. I don't remember the prices of the drinks, but I'd say it was around $12-$13, which is pretty standard. Final Verdict: It was my first time being in Porter Square and this was my first taste of it (literally) haha. I liked it enough to want to come back again and perhaps try different drinks. So definitely try it out when you get the chance.
(4)Rachel L.
I would like to update my review and give this place 5-stars. The boy and I's go to place for hotpot. Never disappoint. Though, a bit on the pricier end - but that's what you usually get with a la carte. Making food babies every time. Extensive (sorta) broth selections. And more enoki mushroom + bean thread on the conveyor please!
(5)Addie M.
I did a chinese herbal broth and sirloin shabu/hot pot. Lots of vegetables, fair amount of beef, great tasting broth. My fiancé did a basic california roll from their sushi bar, and for a drink I ordered a lychee smoothie. Everything tasted great. My only complaint is the prices for shabu. My favorite restaurant of all time is in china town, on tyler street, and their shabu is HALF the price of this somerville location. And they're located in Boston. The place is pretty. It was dead on a Friday night, which I found strange. Maybe because they're in their first year? The server could have been more knowledgable. There was some minor communication errors, and he was a little slower than I like. But he tried and he was pleasant. I did not like the fact that all the sushi chef's were eating at the sushi bar where they prepared food. That is a health violation.
(3)Derek B.
Each and every time I come back things are just better and better. It's too good and to close to my domicile, very dangerous. Always surprised it isn't packed. I even get good service being that customer that uses groupon and such. I am certain that I will keep returning to here. The broth selection is just great.
(5)Less H.
Great shabu shabu. I went with a friend after a long day of classes and per my usual hot pot routine, having eaten little that day and wearing my eating pants. My friend and I ordered the surf and turf platter with udon an add on dish of mushrooms and a plate of shrimp stuffed fish balls. We got the chicken herbal broth. The food arrived quickly and was fresh smelling and looking. The seafood plate had a decent selection of fish and shellfish: clams, mussels, scallops, white fish, octopus, and shrimp. The meat plate was plentiful. The veggies featured wood ear mushrooms, white button mushrooms, assorted greens, giant hunks of cabbage, squash and possibly a few other things I'm forgetting. The shrimp stuffed fish balls were awesome. They were more like a dumpling stuffed with shrimp paste and roe. Biting into the ball squirted out a sweet spray of roe into my mouth. Surprising and delicious. the broth was good but didn't blow my mind. It was as good as any other place and they topped us up when we got low. The surf and turf platter with 2 add on plates was more than enough for the two of us. I had to be rolled to the T to get home. I may have unbuttoned my top button and loosened my belt when I sat down. But you'll never know. We went all out but prices aren't too bad considering how plentifully they fill the veggies, seafood and meat plates. I suppose you could save a few coins by ordering a la cart. the Add on/a la cart items are HUGE plates of food. It is a little dark at the table but we had no problems talking or seeing our food. I'm going to need to drag other friends here for the food. The only bad thing was that the soy on the table had some serious issues with fruit flies, not an unusual thing, but could easily be solved by popping the container in the fridge overnight (several nights in a row.)
(4)Julianne S.
I'd rate the food at 3 stars but their service gets bumped a star. I was here with an OpenTable reservation initially, but the restaurant was closed with no sign on the door. I called about an hour later to see if there was some misunderstanding, and it turns out that they have new hours that they had not changed online or in store. I was pretty annoyed because we were excited to try out the place but I was told to come back, as the manager wanted to give us 30% off our next bill. My friends and I ordered edamame, california roll, salmon avocado, spicy tuna, caterpillar, and snow maki rolls. The food was decent, not mind blowing, but the service was great and the location is super convenient so I would consider returning.
(4)Raymond C.
This is definitely one of the hidden jewels in Cambridge.The sushi here is unbelievable, especially Ikura & Hamachi!! On top, Shabu Shabu is also so good. Definitely try the short ribs!! The owner, Bill, is one of the most decent and down to earth guy I know. You will definitely enjoy the delicious food here!!
(5)Joanna C.
HUGE space - I was given a huge booth to myself, and I wasn't too near a lot of other tables so that was kind of nice. But then again, my poor server must walk a thousand miles a day. His "territory" was like the size of a football field so it made it hard for him to pay attention to all of us. And when one table was being crazy needy it threw a wrench into his flow, and I can see what a pain in the ass it was the walk the entire expanse of the restaurant to check in on an order, and come right back around the giant space to let the table know what was going on. With the huge space - I wish they had a make your own sauce bar for the Shabu! They bring you BBQ sauce and garlic and scallions and a sweet soy sauce, but I wanted like way more garlic (I'm Korean I can eat an entire bushel of them), and wished I could make my own sauce instead of having to flag down someone to get me more garlic and more soy sauce when I had run out. Please put in a sauce bar - that would make this my fav shabu place!! I had the prime rib combo for shabu, and a philly roll and some scallop sushi. The sushi was really good, but the Shabu really shined! The meat was deliciously tender. I wish there was just a bit more in the veg platter (just a few more Napa cabbage leaves!), but it was all delicious. I really enjoyed the herbal chicken broth for the Shabu - a really good base for it all. The space is beautiful and stylish - and there's parking, yay! Would def return. (Please put in a Shabu sauce bar!!!!)
(4)Stephanie S.
First time here. Had a good experience. The interior is really big and nicely decorated. We got Sashimi Kinuta as appetizer; similar to naruto, but I like this kinuta better because personally I like pickled radish with sashimi. The dressing was tasty too. We just got reg house broth and ordered short ribs and rib eye for meat. Both meats were good and nice assorted vegie. We were so full at the end. But I would definitely come back to try other things in the menu. There were many appetizers that I wanted to try :)
(4)Sam W.
People raving about the interior should elaborate - if sleek and shiny surfaces and an ambiance a few notches above mall food court but with the same impersonality are what you crave, you'll love it. Personally I prefer a little character. It is spacious but, when I was there on a Friday evening, sparsely occupied. The sushi was delicious to be sure, but not filling enough for the price! For two people who don't have enormous appetites, $50.
(3)Ellie L.
Pricey but great quality. Lovers' Maki - good quantity of raw fish and nice wide rolls. Sauce was not over-done. Chicken Shabu-shabu broth - SO good. light and clear but packed with flavor. Lamb combination - a modest portion of lamb but came with the standard vegetables. When we went, they didn't have any plain white rice cooked so we ate our dishes with sushi rice which turned out to be pretty good.
(4)Daisy E.
Amazing! More on the upper scale compared to other Shabu places I've been to. The dumplings were beyond belief and the Szechuan broth for the short rib & sirloin beef was to die for. Enjoyed saki and "I Love Lamp" pineapple Heffenweizer with dinner. I'd recommend this place for anyone looking for a romantic evening out or upscale sushi/Shabu!!
(4)Chris J.
Went back to this place only because I had already purchased the groupon. Went between peak hours I assume since I was the only one there. Service was a lot better this time. The waiter was helpful, patient, and friendly. I had a $40 group oj and I went solo, needless to say I had to get my money's worth. Appetizers: Pork Gyoza. I devoured those tasty little things. A nice crisp side from the sear and the rest was soft and steamy. Next was the Dragon Maki. Don't go to this place for sushi. Did it taste good? well yea. But was it good sushi? Idk about all that. I fancy myself a bit of a sushi snob, so if you feel you know really good sushi you will be very disappointed. However, if you can't tell what you're looking at without reading the menu then I'm sure you'll be just fine. Hot pot: seafood combo with Szechuan broth. Broth was spicy (good) but had way to many peppers in it though. Not to say I hear from the peppers was too much but it ruined the experience of tryin to eat my noodles seafood n veggies. I had continuously pick peppers out of my teeth. Otherwise, I though the soup was good.
(3)Sarah K.
Came here on a whim due to false advertising. I LOVE conveyor belt sushi bars - I don't know maybe it's because I feel like I'm paying less and have more selection (I think I always pay more at the end of it tho), and I thought that that was exactly what I was getting for dinner. CORRECTION: this is only a conveyor belt sushi place for lunch on Monday through Friday. At dinner it's a shabu conveyor belt, which may suit some of your fancies. The only stars this place gets is for the sushi which was pretty awesome actually. The waiter was nice, but almost that fake level of nice - like "nice to the people that spend a lot and give him a big tip" nice. I was seated next to the bar so I could hear all his "lovely comments" about the people that came into the restaurant and that he waited on. Also, I asked for my check and it took him 20 mins! Normally I wouldn't think that's a huge deal, but he literally sat behind me at the bar talking to his waiter friends - trust me I watched him. All we had was 2 rolls and 2 cocktails - that could have been signed out quickly enough. Needless to say, I probably won't be going back there because there are similar sushi restaurants with nicer/more respectful/not fake waiters.
(1)Suzanne L.
Sushi was good, service was a little TOO doting - we felt put upon. The place was also sadly pretty empty, during a peak time. The hot pot was good, but the vegetables that come with it were considerably less than what I am used to getting in Chinatown. Overall, too expensive for what it was. The space itself is beautiful, though, and HUGE.
(3)Christine J.
average hot pot and small portions but higher prices! customer service isn't bad but very slow! waiters either new or in charge or way too many tables? not sure which. taste of hot pot v avg, nothing special at all. they put a slice of squash in the veggie tray for the combo. wth? who shabus squash? lol. weird. would not go back, lil Q is much better, and I intend to shabu at home now, bought a set of pot and induction burner, so excited for my own creations and much lower costs!
(3)Brie P.
Went here last night with a group of 9. We got right in and were seated around 7:35pm. We got an awesome window table, where you can watch the hustle and bustle of Porter. We got our drink order taken, and were given a menu for the all you can eat sushi. The menu was laminated, with a dry erase marker, which was something small but pretty brilliant. We put in our first round d of sushi and waited. The only down part about our dinner here was the waiting. It took a good 30 mins for the first plate to come out, and it was gone within minutes. Then every 10 mins or so we'd get another plate. I did enjoy the care and placement of their sushi rolls, but it seems a little ridiculous when they bring you one plate at a time, with one roll on it. So, about half way in, we got a few plates of free appetizers, with the manager (I think) coming to apologize for the slow service, due to one of their sushi chefs having to leave. I ordered a miso soup, and was a little disappointed in the soup. It tasted like the store bought package I pick up at H-Mart. That was the only thing I did not like. But all the sushi rolls that we ordered were delicious and creative. We were all understanding, and jusy enjoying our chats, water, and mix of music (new wave, disco and today's hits. A good mix in my book) We ended up leaving around 10:30 (30 mins after they close) we were not rushed out, and correctly rung out for our bill. We also got free mochi ice cream (yay) which was super yummy. A mix of green tea and strawberry peices. Overall, it was a pleasant visit. The interior design is sleek and beautiful, the staff was attentive, and the atmosphere is pleasant. We hope to be back for some hot pot, and hope they run more different specials every week. We would love to try the hot pot too. I also saw some delicious and hard to find Japanese dishes (okonomiyaki & takoyaki!!)
(4)Tienyun H.
So happy to have this restaurant join Porter Square. Great food, great space, great service with reasonable price and great location (with parking!). We ordered Lover's roll (cuz today's Chinese Valentine's Day) I think it's their special dish, it's very good and looks they made it very carefully and detailedly. The fish inside is also very fresh! The Takoyaki is the best I've ever had in the US. Each balls have big chunks of octopus. The hop pot is not Japanese style (which is a good news to me :p ) I love the vegetable plate, all fresh vegetables no artificial something. Chicken herb broth is amazing while sichuan spicy is not too impressive. We only ordered one dessert which is pecan cheesecake, it wasn't very good at the beginning I guess because it just came out of fridge but after about 10 mins it becomes super delicious! Service is very good, my glass is always full and the check/clean the table very often. I especially appreciate that they brought me clean tissues a couple times during the meal without me asking for one. Great place to enjoy a decent meal with friends/family/lover ;)
(5)Johanna G.
Went here for Valentines Day dinner in the middle of a snowstorm. The food was great! I had the prime rib hotpot combo + two a la carte hotpot additions (mushrooms and meat) + sashimi and the black pearl maki. Quality was good and the broths we had were flavorful. Price-wise, it was more of a splurge than something I'll be returning to often (esp. considering all-you-can-eat options in Chinatown), but the ambience, wide tables, and excellent/attentive service were all quite welcome.
(4)Jackie D.
This place is nice and relaxing. The decor inside is stylish. They have a sushi buffet belt as well as hot pot and other dishes on the menu. I had ordered quite a lot not knowing how big the portions were and the hot pot has a big sized portion it will fill you right up! They have high quality meats so a must try is the prime rib! As for appetizers the takoyaki balls and the salmon essence are something you can't miss out on!!! We had a lovely server her name was Thuy, really sweet girl! So if anyone comes here I definitely recommend for you all to ask her to be your server! The managers check up on you as well to see how your doing this definitely showed us how caring they are to their customers!
(4)An N.
- I would like to give them 5 stars without the problem about my creadit card. But anyway, good food and i will come back again !
(4)Iv L.
1st time: hot pot was very over priced and left feeling very hungry ...the choices were not extensive and the portions were meager 2nd time: sushi was not fresh and the appetizers portions were smaller than expected ... hotate hokkaiyaki was good of the two experiences... most likely will not come back... i noticed they have a conveyor belt for hot pot the second time and the "free" items were vegetables....
(2)Fleurette A.
Excellent food, very nicely arranged place and very attentive and knowledgable staff. Only down side -for now- is they do not serve any alcohol as they are waiting for their license. They said hopefully next month. Fingers crossed! Good to know: Tuesday night is all you can eat sushi for $23 / person. Have not tried it myself but might. Will definitely go back.
(4)Jenny O.
Just threw a birthday party here, and I had the best time of my life. The food was amazing. The sushi is the best! The service was really good.Sonya is the funniest server ever. Sonya just made my night! I highly recommend this place if you want to throw a birthday party or to just hang out.
(5)Emily A.
I've been to Akai Ryu a few times-- it's my friend's and my go-to after-work dinner spot. Above Walgreens across the street from the Porter Square T stop, the place is huge-- not sure if they're anticipating their clientele to grow over time, but I've never seen it full. Our seating requests are always accommodated (by the windows, in a booth, or both). Their food is great-- I've had sushi, shabu, apps, and drinks, and never been disappointed. It's not out-of-this-world, but if you want reliably good sushi that's a little more upscale than I Heart Sushi inside the University Hall building, give this a shot.
(3)Joshua K.
Went here for dinner on a Saturday after seeing the "conveyor belt sushi" sign. Walked out after they said there's no conveyor belt sushi on a weekend. I assume it would be nothing like Japan anyhow. I'm sure it's jammed with California rolls and spicy tuna (other Maki Zushi). I suggest going to Cafe Sushi on MA Ave instead for sushi. With a name like Akai Ryu, it's obviously not authentic.
(1)Will M.
Well well well.....so a friend and I both had a craving for sushi and decided to give this place a shot. I wish we didn't. After standing there at the entrance for a few awkward moments, we flagged down a passing waiter who told us to sit wherever. We decided to sit at the bar. There was no menu's so we decided to go find them ourselves at the hostess stand. I asked a waiter if there were any lunch specials, and he said "not on the weekends". After sitting there for 15 minutes the bartender asked what we wanted and we ordered the Crunchy Salmon Roll, avocado salad, and spicy tuna roll. -Avocado salad was decent. It also had a welcome addition of fish eggs on top of it. -My friends entree "spicy tuna roll" came way before mine 6/10 -My 13 dollar crunchy salmon was not crunchy (really soggy) and not very filling. 3/10 -service was not ideal. Our bartender forgot utensils, soy sauce, ginger and wasabi and made a weird observation that he "knew when a table was going to use a groupon like a drug dog at an airport" If this place was cheaper (I had a roll and a little avocado salad and it came out to 21.00 (25.00 with tip) and had better service I'd definitely come back. I feel like this is an ideal place for a sushi joint but you can tell that they are totally new and have a lot of things to work out. I hope they do turn things around because its in a great spot in Porter Sq with easy parking! Good Luck!
(2)Dom K.
Does well: - good, friendly service - $25 for $45 groupon - decent sushi, salmon essence was good Could do better: - better quality meat for shabu shabu, rib eye quality pretty low given $24 for combination - we expected more quantity given what we paid, even with the groupon. Felt that it was not great value for money
(3)Kat J.
We live nearby and we've visited several times. This review is only for the shabu, since we haven't had the sushi yet. Meat - Good quality. Nice balance between fat and lean. We generally get sirloin and pork. Veggies - The veggies plate that comes with the combos has a nice variety but it's small. We generally supplement with conveyor belt veggies. Every so often they send around free veggies on the belt which is great. Broth - Chicken broth (free) and mushroom broth ($4) are both good. Vegetable broth (free) tasted like it came from powder - would not recommend. Noodles - The ramen used to be our favorite. But we went last night and the ramen was completely different. Instead of springy, chewy yellow noodles we got white noodles that were pre-cooked and already soggy. Boo. Bring back the old ramen please! Service - Usually pretty good. There is one waiter who is unfriendly but the waitresses we've had have all been nice. Price/Value - Yes, it's a bit more expensive than the shabu options in Chinatown. But the location is convenient for us and the free parking lot is a nice bonus. Overall, we're glad to have a decent shabu option nearby.
(4)Tim G.
Akai Ryu is a no-win situation. I hosted a hot pot dinner at Akai Ryu, and the service was frustrating at best and infuriating at worst. We were seated, got our water, and waited for 20 minutes to get menus. The waiter kept on avoiding eye contact. And how did we know that it was 20 minutes? We actually made it a game and passed the time with our smartphones. And it wasn't a jerk move - the sub-par service became an object of objective curiosity. After our orders were placed, our food came out at different times. This is somewhat irregular if you are familiar with the hot pot experience. Our water was not refilled, and getting the check was another hide-and-seek game with our waiter. Our dinner was later in the evening, so it's not as if the restaurant was busy or Akai Ryu was short-staffed. To be fair, the pork cheek yakatori was good. But there are other restaurants in the Boston area that do it just as well, if not better. The hot pot is completely standard and can be substituted with many other hot pot options through Metro Boston. With the hot pot market getting increasingly competitive, there is absolutely no reason to try Akai Ryu unless you happen to love terrible customer service. This is a definite, "no," for dates or dinners with larger parties.
(1)wolf t.
Updated: they have a liquor license now, and a pretty good selection of sake. Tried the Shabu Shabu and it was good, but not quite as satisfying as Kaju Tofu (formerly Shabu Ya). Fewer accompaniments for the broth, less interesting broth options, no combination lamb/beef plate, less interesting mushrooms on the side plate, and portion size a bit smaller.
(3)Morgan H.
I love this place! There's always a place to sit, the waitstaff is very friendly, the food is solidly good, and the drinks are great. The sushi is just OK, but the shabu - in particular the sirloin with mushroom broth and rice noodles - is delicious. Make sure to use all of the extras they give you. My one complaint is that they don't offer much by way of instruction. We floundered around a bit trying to figure everything out. That just means we'll have to keep going back!
(4)Faith K.
I really wanted to like this place, especially because it's so close, and I purchased a Groupon to try it out. I'm a vegetarian and in all fairness, the food could be good, but I never got to taste it. I asked about the $18 vegetarian shabu (which should be more accurately be called mushroom shabu) and it's full of the one vegetable I can't stand and little else. Upon asking if substitution was an option for the mushrooms, the response was a flat, "no" and a blank face. I asked her then what are the options and again, "there are no substitutions." I can totally grasp that fact, especially since I am in fact not deaf and I was told twice, but the tone and lack of effort to help find a solution was just a disappointment. There are a bunch of veggies listed in the back of the menu (how about putting some of those in the VEGETABLE Shabu?!) and I'd have happily paid a little more to choose my own veggies, but the rude demeanor put me off and we left. On the bright side, my husband gets to find a way to spend the $40 Groupon all by himself and I don't think he's bummed about that at all, and I am happy to be taking my business back to Kaze in Chinatown.
(1)Mia C.
Ordered sushi and Shabu and had mixed reviews. The salmon essence is very delicious.The salmon is cooked on the outside but raw on the inside and the sauce tastes amazing. Dragon rolls are also good. The fried shrimps are very crispy. I highly recommend their sushi. However, I'm not a big fan of the Shabu. I ordered the Szechuan broth and beef combo. Whenever I eat hotpot, I would always go for spicy Szechuan broth. Their Szechuan broth is unfortunately at the bottom of my list. The broth lacks flavor and is thin like water. The spicy chili oil is the essence for any Szechuan cuisine and must be made with a mixture of spices and herbs ( not just dried peppers) to achieve the aroma and bold flavors. However the chili oil in their broth fails to deliver. Their oil is basically just plain old oil with dried peppers. If you are a regular at Szechuan restaurants then you probably will find their Szechuan broth inadequate. Also the combo is not a good value for $24 (I paid $4 for the broth). The veggie plate is mostly filled up by cheap veggies like spinach and napa cabbage, which are actually bad for Szechuan broth since leafy greens catch up a lot of the floating oil. There are only two slices ( yes, slices) of mushrooms in the veggie plate.
(3)Brendan D.
I went to Akai Ryu last night. It was ok - I only had sushi. One issue came up when I ordered Spicy Tuna but got plain Salmon. The waiter said the spicy tuna was on its way but it never came. Luckily I had already completely lost my appetite when I saw a cook sniffing a bin of chicken, four or five times. Guess what I got for an appetizer? That's right, the chicken. This probably happens all the time at many restaurants, albeit behind closed doors- out of site out of mind.
(3)Brent M.
Really awesome place in Cambridge, the owners Sonia and Bill are very charming and offer exceptional service. The sushi is excellent, and I highly recommend trying the seared scallops. Hands down the best Japanese sushi place in the Boston area!
(5)Scott T.
Loved this place. Came here on a Sunday night and had some very delicious food. We started with the gyoza and seared tuna salad appetizers...both were awesome. We had the ribeye shabu shabu and a few sushi rolls. Everything was fantastic. The shabu shabu ingredients were really high quality, as was the sushi. Can't say enough about how great the food was. The only thing this place is missing is a liquor license, which is hard to come by in Cambridge these days.
(5)Allison P.
Nothing special. Pricey for the amount of food you get. Service was good though. I would probably recommend other shabu places over this one.
(3)Zoe Y.
What a sleek spot and welcome addition to Porter! -High quality ingredients (the shabu rib eye and short ribs were beautiful) -Solid standbys and some inventive dishes that really worked: Salmon Essence, tobiko-stuffed fish balls for shabu, and snow crab maki -Friendly, attentive waitstaff -Reasonable prices!! Nothing worse than overpriced shabu with watery broth. Thinking of having a party here once they get their liquor license - def great spot for group celebrations.
(5)Erin N.
Akai Ryu is a little hidden away, upstairs in the same building as Walgreens right in the heart of Porter Square. I've been twice now, and both times is has been almost completely empty which is SUCH a shame. It's an absolutely wonderful space that has been beautifully redone, the staff is incredibly friendly and accomodating, and the food is great! It may be a little pricey for a day to day place, but it's really nothing crazy. I highly recommend any of the hot pot options, and each individual order comes with enough for at least two people. However, its not just hot pot that this place does well - their sushi is wonderful as well, and I highly recommend the fried octopus appetizer! As others have said, there is no liquor license, but you really don't miss it here. You get great food, great environment, and great service. I highly recommend a visit!
(5)Yuko I.
The worst dining experience. The service is slow, and bad, food, nothing to talk about and the atmosphere and the cleanest of the restaurant are questionable. We asked a server if there were any sushi combo dinner plate - there was only boat option, which contained 60 pieces. I obviously could not remember the number and 20 min later (notice how long the service takes) when he came back, clearly I could not remember how many and asked again. The server was rude enough to say you asked this question before. When the food came, we counted - it was 38. We complained, the server told us the chef counted but they would give us extra. Meanwhile, we ordered extra sushi - their "service extra" pieces came back with our new order to only find they added extra 2 pieces... we will never be back.
(1)Thanh L.
The hot pot meets and vegetables were real fresh. I did enjoy the kimchi broth. The atmosphere of the place was pretty nice and staff was helpful. You can tell that the cuts of meat were not cheap compare to other places
(4)Halle R.
This is my new favorite place to take people in Porter Square. This review is only really for the shabu, since that's all I ever get. The ingredients are fresh and tasty. The prices are mid-range; I wouldn't call them "inexpensive", but they're not inflated either for the quality of the food. Service was a little rocky when it first opened, but has since improved greatly and I've never had an issue with it since the first time I went. I get cravings for this place all the time!
(5)Gina W.
Returned to try their hot pot (had their groupon $29 for $45 worth of food). We ordered the prime rib and sirloin hot pot combos. Portions were decent; we weren't stuffed, but that's good because we tend to overeat at all-you-can-eat hot pot places (we didn't go for the all-you-can-eat option tonight). We tried both their Tom Yum and Chicken Broth soup bases. Both were good. The Tom Yum was too salty to drink (we opted for noodles instead of rice), but good to cook the beef in. Ramen noodles were chewy (the way we like it). They provide free satay sauce with fresh chilies, green onion and garlic, which was appreciated. Service was great even though it was quite busy this Sunday night.
(4)k f.
We ordered the vegetarian shabu-shabu combination. Here is the rundown: 1) The Vegetarian Shabu-Shabu ($18) : Honestly, kinda disappointing. They had a few nice things on this platter (a few different types of mushrooms, 3 ears of corn, a few stalks of asparagus, and 2 small pieces of butternut squash) in addition to the usual lettuce (watercress, bok choy, napa cabbage), and broccolini. There were only 2 small pieces of silken tofu on the platter! It also came with a choice of noodles or rice. We ordered an additional tofu platter ($6) as we needed more protein and were served another 2 pieces of silken tofu, 2 pieces of fried tofu, and some tofu skin. If I were to have my dream vegetarian platter it would include more tofu from the start, a few vegetarian dumplings, and more butternut squash. 2) Broths for the Shabu: We ordered the Mushroom and the Thai Tom Yum. The mushroom was earthy but quite boring to cook the vegetables in. After trying the mushroom broth once, we switched over to (and stuck with) the Tom Yum side. This broth was nice. Relatively flavorful and spicy. 3) Rice: We ordered a side of rice which was $2 for about 1 cup. Seemed overpriced for the amount given. 4) The Physical Space: Nice, LARGE. The lighting was a tad bit dark for my liking but overall they did a beautiful remodeling job. 5) Service: The waitress was young and inexperienced. Kinda reminded me of my days as a waitress (I was well intentioned just not very skilled). She told us one of the broths on the menu was vegetarian when it was not and did not know if the "BBQ" sauce on the table was vegetarian or not. She was sweet though and was obviously trying her hardest. FInal Analysis: Would we rush back? No. Will we try them again in the future? Perhaps once they settle in a bit and hopefully make some slight "tweaks" to the menu.
(3)Katherine L.
Brand new restaurant in Porter Square and I was really happy with the results. I was seated immediately and my server was with me right away. The interior of the restaurant was very stylish and comfortable. My table had maki, shabu shabu and some appetizers (I had the Salmon Carpaccio, Ocean Naruto, and Salmon Essence which were all really really good.) The portions were a really good a decent size. The wait time for the food was perfect. I didn't wait too long, and I had time to talk to my friends as we waited for our food! I was pretty disappointed that the conveyer belt wasn't running yet but I definitely can't wait until it does. If you come, definitely ask for the server Will. He took care of us and checked up on us a couple of times. He's really nice, fast, friendly and efficient! They also don't have their liquor license yet, but I can't wait until they do!
(4)Kim V.
Well let's see where I should start..I would give this place a 4 star however the hostess needs to be more professional and have a better communication with the rest of the staff... when she was asking for some help from a guy (he's white tall and has a bread.. Sorry I couldn't get his name) I just wanted to say that he was a rude a** server and very unprofessional..but as for our server for the night she was awesomely nice and helpful.. Although food was a little pricey, broth is better then kaze.. I would def come again for the convenience.
(3)Matt Q.
This is kinda of a strange place, both overwhelming and underwhelming.... Walk into this cavernous restaurant and you will find a huge dining space with the kitchen in the center, a large sushi bar with moving serving dishes, and seating abounding. However.....where are all the people?!?! According to the manager they've been open now for a few months, but I went with a larger group of 10 and we were probably one of two tables eating at the giant restaurant. Sadly, the oddities continued with our meal, which was both overpriced and lacking in anything exciting. We opted for the shabu and ordered one combo sirloin beef and one seafood dinner. The "combos" mean the meal comes with your selected meats, a plate of vegetables, and noodles/rice. Adding to the mounting cost, we were forced to select a "soup base" for a minimum of $3 extra, as a "plain / house" broth was not an option. Upon arrival, the meal was nothing exciting and basically comparable to the majority of other Shabu options around town, only more expensive. Yet another strike against the restaurant was the fact that our stove didn't really work and after much fussing with the buttons the staff gave up and simply gave us a lid for our soup to get it to boil......... Were there any upsides to the experience, in which we left with a bill of over $30 a person, even with the complimentary desserts for our time spent....well, the service was friendly/nice and we had the whole huge restaurant to ourselves!
(2)Paulina P.
Ate a lot of food. Had chicken yakitori, takoyaki, salmon essence, shabu with prime rib and pork, and caterpillar maki. A lot of food for two girls but worth it. Super fast service from Thuy the server. If you come in ask for Thuy, she's super friendly and fast server. Their shabu meat is of really high quality, you can tell the difference from the first bite. We also got mango smoothies and it's not often you get mango smoothies made of out real mangos. It was delicious. Definitely coming back!
(5)Ryan H.
Great addition to Porter. The decor is very sleek, the staff welcoming and attentive. As for the food: we had gyoza (excellent), but our focus was on the shabu. The ingredients were fresh and very good quality. With the sirloin combination, we got a ton of different vegetables (including three kinds of mushrooms) as well as the meat, and we added in a few more a la carte. We left sated and happy with the very reasonable check. Definitely would go again.
(4)Elena E.
I've been to Akai twice and while I think the sushi is very good, the rest of the experience unfortunately is not. The first time I was there with a friend and a server immediately spilled a whole jar of soy sauce right next to us. It got on my friends coat which she was obviously upset about. They were extremely nice, taking a lot of money off our bill and throwing in free dessert. So after that first experience I would have given it a 4. The second time I came with three others. The waiter was one of the worst I've ever had. He brought out only 2 waters and no matter how many times we asked for 2 more he couldn't make it happen. We finally had to ask the manager for the waters. We ordered cocktails and 3 came out after 15 minutes of waiting and again we had to keep asking about the 4th drink and again had to tell the manager in order to get it. For dinner my 3 dinning companions did shabu and 1 appetizer and I ordered an appetizer and sushi for myself. Their appetizer came, then their entrees came and still no sign of my food anywhere. Again I had to ask the manager after some investigation it seems that the waiter never put in my appetizer order and who knows what was taking the sushi so long. Finally my food came out - both at the same time, and after having to watch everyone else eat for 10 or 15 min. 5 minutes later I had eaten less than half the appetizer and the server came back and tried to clear my plate. What? And this was in the early evening on a Sunday when the place was pretty empty. No reason for such terrible service. Just like the first time, the manager was extremely apologetic for the terrible service experience and gave me my appetizer for free and took 10% off the bill. So the pro is that the sushi is really good and since the service is so bad it's likely you'll get a discount on your meal. But everything else is cons: service, drinks were weak and sounded a lot better than they tasted, and my dinning companions were disappointed by the shabu, saying that they'd much prefer to go to places in Chinatown where the food is better and it's cheaper.
(3)Kerry G.
Foodies with food allergies rejoice! I LOVED it here. I'm a vegetarian with a soy allergy who absolutely loves shabu. It's been ages since I've found a place 1) that I can trust (I get handed gluten free soy sauce when I tell a waiter I have a soy allergy more times than not) and 2) that actually has flavor. Our waiter was super helpful. Both my meat eating bf and I were able to have a seriously delicious (and cheap) hot pot experience together. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Tuyet V.
I like this place for convenience, there's a parking lot so no need to fight for street parking. The servers were really nice and attentive and I am definitely a fan of the kimchi tomato broth, but overall my experience here was ok. I felt like the portions were pretty small and pricey, so I didn't think I got what I paid for.
(3)Irene N.
I checked this place out via Groupon. I got Shabu (hot pot) and I can't say I was disappointed. I, unfortunately, am VERY picky about food so my friend and I took FOREVER trying to decide what to order. I am very very grateful for our waiter. He was EXREMELY patient with us... We kept asking him to come over to tell us what was in what. In my defense they had an option that was like "fish piece" or something like that I wasn't going to eat some random fish. We also asked to see if we could replace some seafood on the seafood combo with other stuff cause my friend has shellfish allergy, no can do apparently. But when we finally ordered and got our food, is was decent. It's definitely NOT a place I'd go again cause the food didn't match the price. The other thing was the atmosphere and the decor. It's dim, with a lot of fountain statues (maybe 3?) so it's especially entertaining for kids; be sure to watch them though so they don't play with it and get wet. I'm not really someone that cares a whole lot about eating in a pretty atmosphere.
(4)Stella C.
Went here for the shabu-shabu and overall the dining experience was great. We ordered the takoyaki and Salmon Essence which was really good but there are only 4 pieces for $12. There are many options for the shabu-shabu and I recommend the ribeye and fish fillet. The decor is brand new and stylish. Staff attentive too.
(4)Min K.
Poor service rude employee. I don't know what to say about this place. Foods are slow to be prepared. Not a single good food among 3 dishes..
(1)Terry H.
Extremely disappointed at their shabu shabu broth. There is extra charge to get the special broth (which I don't mind at all if the broth is good). Asking your customer to pay for broth at a shabu shabu place requires you to use good and plenty ingredient to make a killer broth but the broth we got (the herbal and the tonkotsu broth) has almost nothing in them and full of MSG! We literally were drinking water instead of the broth the whole time. Not only that, the broth has so much MSG in it that my bf and I continue to chug down water through the night and my dry throat actually woke me up in the middle of the night to get water. I would stay away from this place unless you don't mind eating tons of MSG. Just to proven that I am not just saying...I am a Taiwanese/Japanese and have been eating shabu shabu for my entire life and never have I need to chug water down my throat from drinking the shabu broth, this is by far the worst shabu experience.
(1)Emily C.
Wanted to grab some take out to see how this new restaurant was. I got the Red Eye Maki, which was AMAZING. The fish was incredibly fresh and well made. It tasted so good. I will definitely be coming back for lunch and dinner in the future.
(5)