I had the Itadaki Miso Ramen with spicy miso paste. It had all of the basics: chasu pork, corn, bean sprouts, nori, hard boiled egg and a good amount of noodles. I was not impressed by the miso broth alone, it definitely needed the extra flavor the spicy paste added. The egg was a typical hard boiled egg not soft boiled like most traditional ramen spots. I wouldn't come here again for their ramen but might try their sushi as it looked decent. Good ramen is hard to come by in Boston so for here this place is ok but there are better. I'm spoiled coming from California where they have endless choices that are very good! The service was good other than not getting a refill on water on a warm afternoon sitting outside.
(3)
Kárenly N.
Came here for a quick lunch and was excited to try it. I choose to try their signature roll and a Philadelphia roll to compliment it. The Itadaki Spicy Roll had tempura flakes that tasted old but the flavor overall was good. The Philadelphia roll tasted like the cream cheese was old or something. The staff was very friendly though and the place has a great look. I hope that they can step up their food quality though.
(3)
Kimberly L.
The most mediocre tasting ramen place in Boston. My boyfriend and I love a good bowl of ramen and were excited to try Itadaki. Boy were we disappointed. First, let's talk ramen. I got a miso based broth and he got a spicy miso broth. Both broths tasted great, but there was hardly any of it in the tiny little bowl. Aside from that, the rest of the meal went downhill for both of us. Dried out pork, hardboiled egg with a gross powdery yolk (ps they only give you half an egg)... The list goes on. Now for the service. Pretty horrible! It was 90 degrees out so I finished my water within 2 minutes of getting it, but it wasn't refilled until close to the end of the meal. My boyfriend ordered a green tea that was also forgotten about until midway through the meal. Everything was slow even and we were hardly checked on even though the restaurant was dead. All of this for the price of $40. Needless to say we are never going back. /endrant
(2)
Wilma O.
This is very mediocre, overpriced Japanese food, for such a good spot on Newbury St too, with an outdoor patio and cool bar space! Such a waste. The fare is fairly standard, and the experimental items I've tried have been pretty gross (like the sushi pizza - shudder). Don't get the sushi pizza!!!! I recently got lunch and this is what we tried: - Omurice - my friend liked it, but I feel this is relatively hard to mess up. It was a bit greasy but generally tasted alright. - Salmon teriyaki bento - so boring and blah!! The salmon piece was very meager - about 1/3 of what a place would usually serve. Then it came with standard, blah, not-quite-Japanese items: very fried shumai, cold hard California pieces, seaweed salad. Overall bleh!! Anyways, don't come here unless if you're starving to death on Newbury street or want an outdoor patio. There are better options all around. Note: I may be less strict and veer more towards 3 stars if this place weren't sitting right on Newbury street, where we should be showcasing Bostonian and high quality Japanese food!
I can handle a mistake with the food. I lose it when the staff just SUCKS. I ordered uni to start my meal and the waiter somehow forgot to put the order in. I also ordered the shoyu ramen, and that came out without any issue. How was the shoyu? It was OK. It doesn't live up to whatever good things people have said about it. I needed more flavor. I asked for chili or spice and the waiter kept saying that adding something other than chili flakes would make it sour. Really??? Let me decide. He never brought out any additional chili. Boooooo!!! It feels like our waiter had majorly selective hearing. He heard bits and pieces and paid attention to what he wanted. He messed up our order and our bill. I honestly don't know what the potential of this place is, but my experience was not very good. Proceed with caution. #disappointed
(2)
Laleh J.
I felt it was just okay. The outdoor seating and live music was nice but the food was otherwise fairly standard.
(3)
Vanessa T.
Cute place on Beacon Street. Outdoor space to sit, downstairs bar and inside restaurant. Plenty of space inside and out. Reasonable priced dishes and drinks. Great selection of food and liquor. The staff is friendly and the bartender that works weekends is funny and upbeat. Will be back soon!
(4)
Sylvia C.
We sat up at the sushi bar. Place had a relaxing vibe. Server was quick to greet and attentive throughout. We ordered several items to share: Cream Coquettes - well pureed creamy texture - sort of reminds me of fish cakes Fried Oysters - pleasantly plump Spider Maki - generous size topped with eel and spicy mayo sauce Salmon and Octopus Sashimi - decent quality and nicely cut Overall, we were pleased with the quality and service.
(4)
Shaina P.
Ramen wasn't on the lunch menu, so I paid $14 + $ for extra pieces of pork. The pork slices were cold (must have been made the day before and not swished with the warm broth?), the egg was cold (and fully boiled, so no nice soft yolk), and the bowl was about the same size as a half-bowl that you can get at Moksa in Central Square for $9. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed.. Just another over-priced restaurant on Newbury delivering sub-par popular food. Not sure I would give it another go at a different time of day.
(2)
Lulu A.
we held off from coming bc of the reviews. now we get it. sat at the bar for a quick roll. a cucumber roll. Friday night place is empty. a ton of waitresses congregating. literally like 15 min for the roll?!?! rice, subpar. shape of sushi? I could have rolled better. ordered a 2nd roll (for torture?!) it came quicker but just as bad. 2 stars bc we don't think we got food poisoning (yet...).
(2)
Cecille R.
After an exhausting day of shopping on Newbury St. (hey, shopping should be a sport!) I decided to stop here for a super early bite to eat . Not to mention their deals on the chalkboard outside lured me in. Thankfully, there was no crowd since it was about 430p so I got a nice little table to myself in the corner. My waitress made some suggestions and showed me the options for udon bowls. I mentioned the happy hour deals on the food and she said that they were valid with purchase of a drink. So I opted for an udon bowl with shrimp tempura and fishcake, spicy tuna roll and a warm milk with Kahlua and cream. Everything came out pretty quickly. The udon bowl (they were generous with the noodles) hit the spot especially with the cold weather outside and was the perfect portion for one person. Shrimp tempura was plated and perfectly crispy. The spicy tuna roll was good but nothing out of the ordinary and pretty standard. The restaurant comes off kinda swanky but was totally cozy. My server was pretty attentive even though I really didn't need much in terms of service. There is also additional seating downstairs (which is where the restroom is located). This is one of those times where I lucked out being so impulsive with finding a place to eat! I would definitely eat here again!
(4)
Elisa C.
Itadaki caught my eye as I walked down a very busy and lively Newbury Street during a Sunday afternoon. The outdoor seats were set up and filled and there was a line working for the next available table. If it was this crowded, it had to be good right? After speaking the hostess, I learned that the indoor seats were only by reservation and outdoor seats were first come first serve (and no leaving names!), so I couldn't stroll off for 10 minutes and expect my place to be held. Nonetheless, being a party of one, I got my table very quickly and the waitress immediately came by with water and a menu. I decided to forgo the lunch specials and went straight to the ramen offerings. There were 4 choices and 2 additional ones that simply added more meat for a few more dollars. I decided go with the Itadaki Shoyu Ramen, a classic noodle bowl that would sum up the quality of the restaurant. My ramen arrived speedily and it was a solid bowl of noodles. Plenty of noodles, half a hardboiled egg, two slices of charsu and naruto, a few pieces of bamboo shoots and plenty of greens. The broth was flavorful but it might have been over salted. The charsu was dry and chewy and the hardboiled egg was overcooked for my liking. Regardless it was a filing and good quality lunch. Overall the meal was barely under $14, which is pricey for a standard bowl of ramen anywhere, but the restaurant is located on Newbury Street so I expected that. I might come back again to try their donkatsu in the near future. Service; 5/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 Food: 3/5 Overall: 4/5
(4)
Devon A.
Probably my favorite establishment in the city of Boston. AMAZING scorpion bowls. They are HUGE. Great for a big group of people Japanese themed establishment with some pretty good food items. Decent service and friendly bartenders. It's definitely a spot I visit "regularly"
(5)
Lambert P.
We were walking on Newbury and decided to stop and eat here. We had preferred to eat outside and we did until it started to rain so everybody moved inside. I had ordered several rolls and the food was good but wasn't anything out of the ordinary as far as sushi and rolls goes. The service was good though and we had a nice dinner. One thing you can't help but notice are these absolutely huge drinks which people are sharing. I asked one person what was in it and there was a lot of alcohol and the drink is expensive but that's understandable because it's so damn huge. It ended up raining hard so we stayed longer after we were paid up for dinner and stuck around at the bar for a bit and my wife ended up having an espresso.
(3)
Ami P.
alright sushi, not the best service. I had the vegetarian doria and nothing great, just rice and cheese on top- tasted kind of like a pizza with rice inside.
(3)
Nick M.
AWFUL. I was looking for a different Japanese restaurant to treat my friend to, but unfortunately that one had closed down, and I was forced to bring her here since I didn't do enough planning. It seemed pretty busy, I figured there wasn't too much risk. This place was insulting is the only way I could put it. The service was not up to standard, but the really bad part was just the food itself. I got miso ramen, which was basically this bland soup with clearly no miso in it and instant ramen noodles. No I am not exaggerating, it was like they literally pulled out the noodles from Cup Ramen and threw it in this thing, it was awful. The cherry on top was this garbage cost around $15. My friend got Chicken Karage, which she wasn't satisfied with, at the $9 it cost she got about 7 pieces of chicken on a tiny plate. I feel so terrible I treated her to such an awful meal. I'll never come back.
(1)
Kevin P.
I got this for a take-out, so I cannot comment on the service. However the food we ordered was mediocre. The sushi seemed a bit stale, and the portions were very small. Not that I am expecting large portions. Regardless of portions, sushi was not up to par for the price. We didn't order any noodles, or crazy scorpion bowls. Just note this is simply a review of the sushi we ordered: 1. Dragon Roll 2. Rainbow 3. Spicy Tuna 4. Spicy Salmon
(2)
Sara M.
I went here for a birthday party after work and we shared a bunch of those huge fishbowls downstairs. It was a fun time. However, I was running errands on a Saturday in the area and decided to stop in for a late lunch/early dinner. It was quite empty and quiet so I sat at the bar. My server was adorably friendly and pleasant. I ordered green tea in a cute teapot, a (too) sweet alcoholic drink, karaage, and chashu miso ramen. I was brought a complimentary fruit salad in a martini glass with a too heavy white dressing; I ended up just picking out the mango, apple, and avocado. The karaage arrived and it wasn't crispy but still tasty with the traditional dipping sauce - good portion and could have been shared. The ramen looked small but ended up being just enough after all the other things I had just eaten. The noodles were springy and chewy, the broth was not too sticky or thick, and the chashu was not stringy. I wish the egg had been soft-boiled but I liked that it was included, along with corn and wakame. The pace of the meal was a bit slow for being so empty but I enjoyed it anyway. The price was a bit higher than I would have liked but...Newbury Street. I will definitely be back for my ramen fix since this is much closer than Pikaichi.
(4)
Victoria H.
Tried the salmon sushi pizza... The rice was very heavily battered with a weird grainy texture beneath it. It was definitely oily and very heavy. The overall salmon sashimi placed on top was outstanding and very fresh, but this place still doesn't win me over. My friends tried the ramen. It did not appear to be a winner either, especially with only offering hard-boiled over soft-boiled eggs. (Easy fix, don't you think?!) The decor was a lot nicer than what I expected. The seating is separated by these curtains so you get a sense of privacy (and claustrophobia, lol). Service was great, but it can't win a repeat customer over mediocre food.
(3)
Ria S.
I like the variety and experiments of sushi plates this place has.
(4)
Tin H.
We were going to local mei noodle on Gloucester at but was closed since September! So we saw this place and give a try ! Great lunch special and I had sweet potato tempura were amazing ! I also had vegetarian Doria also very good ! Will def be back !!
(5)
Will G.
The food is absolutely amazing the ppl are great and very down to earth overall a great place great food and even better service bartenders are awesome cooks are great servers are very friendly and the dishes are superb
(5)
Judy K.
Food here is alright... Not the best sushi place and def not the place to get Japanese food. I've had some of their basic rolls and it's not so bad. I've also had their basic salad and it literally looked like a teenager tossed it together and put it on her mother's plate. Not impressive. The menu has changed quite a bit and now it has some fancy salads, but those are too expensive and so so so tiny! I wouldn't come here for the food. I come here for the fish bowl. It's the best fish bowl I've ever had and it is GINORMOUS. It has over 40 different types of alcohol and they put lychees in there, which are my favorite part! It soaks up the alcohol, but still sweet like a lychee should be! The drink is super delicious, I feel like I'm not drinking alcohol at all! Those are the drinks you have to be careful of though because you think you're drinking juice, but a few minutes later, you're feeling GREAT haha! Both the blue and the red one is good so don't worry about which one to choose. Half a fishbowl can be good for 2-3 ppl and the full sized is good for 4-5!
(3)
Edward L.
I've never seen sushi this dry and stringy in my life. Didn't take long to get a stomach ache. Prices were high, even for Newbury, but made more sense when the dishes came and it was clear how American-sized the portions were. The sushi rice wasn't sushi rice, but the same plain rice that came in a bowl with my sushi, which was confusing in and of itself. Sake selection was huge, though I didn't order any. Cocktails were pricey so I didn't end up ordering one ($13-$14 for a pretty simple drink). I would definitely never return here or recommend it, but I'll assign the restaurant two stars for having prompt, friendly service.
(2)
Jenny K.
Itadaki was a little disappointing. The ramen was poor: the broth was nothing near what ramen should be, and the noodles were soggy. Not to mention an eyelash floating in the bowl. The rolls were so-so, but overpriced.
(1)
Leyani L.
When i came to Itadaki i mainly stayed in their bar area which is basically located on their basement. The bar was cool. Then i was taken upstairs by the owner just to take a peek at their actual restaurant and that was beautiful. The curtains that devide the tables make it seem very intimate.
(5)
Amanda Y.
The place is terrible. I ordered a miso ramen and the ramen was not well cooked. It tasted like stone. In short It's a low-end Japanese restaurant.
(1)
Jason A.
Very average sushi.
(2)
Dee R.
Absolutely terrible food, service, and price. Extremely expensive for sushi that falls apart, ramen that taste like instant ramen but cost $17, and snotty service. The hostess, who is supposed to welcome you, yelled at us for following her because she wasn't ready, then barely acknowledged us. Can't wait for them to go out of business so something else can open up in its place. Not worth it at all.
(1)
Olivia B.
Finally a Izakaya place in Boston! Great selections of small tapa style Japanese food. And they sell Sapporo by the pitcher. Watching the game in there numerous tv's and sipping sapporo draft beef with a yakitori platter.... Thank what I call heaven. There sushi is quite authentic and nice too.
(5)
Jing Z.
Ramen was meh.. Ingredients were not too fresh. Downstairs have some kind of smell. We made a mistake and ordered sushi, it was terrible, the lobster meat seems frozen and the tuna was weird. The only plus side is the outdoor settin in the nice summer day.
(2)
Lillian C.
It was a nice day out and wait at other places on Newbury were about an hour... We decided to try this place out since there was no wait and we were seated promptly. Service was fast and friendly. I ordered a ramen, but when it came... there was like no broth. It was vey strange... and perhaps not the usual. It seemed like they just forgot to add more water since the broth was extra salty and literally didn't even cover my noodles. The rest of the group enjoyed their food, but I didn't think it was anything special. We also ordered a pitcher of sangria and that was good. However, there are just so many other places I would eat besides here...
(2)
Alex C.
I don't know what is wrong with these 5 star comments but I went there to eat today and it was a rip off. $9.50 for 3 PIECES of sashimi?! Are you kidding me?! The sushi is overpriced and there is way better place in Boston where you can eat better and cost less. Also..$3 just for a cup of PEPSI?! Like why don't you just go robe a bank?? The ramen soup was really salty, the service was bad, it took forever for my friends sandwich to come. Furthermore, when we left, the workers just stared at us like they hated us so much. I'm never going back to this place EVER AGAIN!
(1)
L F.
On a recent Sunday night I was chilling in Back Bay and had the urgent need to fill my stomach with ramen. Seeing that I was so far far away from my FAVORITE ramen joint my boyfriend and I decided to give Itadaki a try. Although we made a reservation there was no wait for a table. The ambiance is cute: very Japanese. The ramen was pretty average. There wasn't anything about it that blew me away, hence the 3 star rating. I also thought the prices were a bit steep for what we got. I think it was around $14-17 per dish of ramen. We did also order the gyoza which were quite delicious. I'm actually interested to go back for their brunch menu. They seem to have some interesting offerings: red bean filled waffles.
(3)
K T.
The yakitori is a good choice. My friends usually get chicken while I like the pork belly and sausage (it's chinese sausage). I think the seasoning they use on the yakitori is a bit too salty for me, though. The entrees are OK, I haven't sampled any sushi yet. I love the Calpico Sake, never thought that was a pairing. I got it with lychee Calpico. Their happy hour deals are nice, especially the oysters. This place is right around the corner from my apt so it's super convenient.
(3)
James A.
So made a reservation at 10pm, thinking since they are open until 1am it wouldn't be a problem... It was! They didn't want to honor the res and said they would sit us but made it sound like a major inconvenience. Decided it wasn't worth it so just left. Can't comment on food, just very disappointed!
(1)
Ed G.
I eat at Itadaki every time I come to Newbury Street. The menu is robust and creative. The sashimi is always fresh, and I love the outdoor setting. Today I had salmon and roe (Parent and child) on a bed of sushi rice, Oyako Don. Don't forget the glass of wine!
(4)
Yale B.
My friends and I were a party of 5 and we rushed in for a quick sushi dinner. We are from New York and have tried many quality sushi restaurants in New York. Itadaki successfully managed to appease our taste buds in the same manner that we have been used to for New York style sushi. The menu had a lot of options and one order just simply not enough. Not to mention, the prices were incredibly reasonable! Everyone got at least two sushi rolls. My friend even tried the noodle bowl which was delicious. The sushi had great flavor and the shrimp tempura was a great amount of crisp. The service was quick and we were able to have a nice meal and chat at the same time because of the calm and soothing ambience. Although there was a party of 6 next to us, there was plenty of space to hear each other and not feel crammed. I would definitely go here again if i were to visit Boston and be around Newbury St.
(4)
John G.
Having lived in Japan for a few months I am slightly bias when it comes to reviewing Japanese cuisine. With that said, I have no patience for a place that serves instant ramen noodles in a $13 dish that is advertised as 'ramen'. Not to mention a bland broth of a disturbingly brown color (tasted like saltwater). If the dishes here were priced at $4-6 I would consider giving it two stars, but they're not and so I have no choice but to vilify this establishment. During my weeklong stay in Boston this was by far the worst meal.
(1)
Jennifer Y.
My friend purchased a gilt city voucher for ramen and drinks. The restaurant was not very packed on a Thursday evening despite the nice decorations and interior design-it's a nice cozy atmosphere. However, I think our experience could be better. The voucher never stated that we had 2 ramen options to choose from which really caught us by surprise. I decided to get the most expensive ramen for a try BUT we were told that we could only choose 2 bowls! WHAT!? First of all, there wasn't much variety to choose from and secondly, the voucher deal did not specifically state that we could only choose from 2 selections out of the 5 ramen choices that they had. I was quite disappointed. Second of all, our server seemed ambiguous throughout that evening; he didn't seem to know the answer to the questions nor did his answers made any sense so he told us about 4 times he will get back to us after discussing with the manager. He didn't seem like he had the confidence so he relied on his manager but I'd understand if he just started the position (it's not easy). The communication between the server and the managers needs improvement. The manager chimes in and we didn't know who was serving us; the server and/or the manager. I opted to not get the drink so asked them if I could substitute that for a dessert. They said no BUT then they said they will give us a complementary dessert and also a drink. O.o? So basically, I had the option to get a drink + a dessert for free. Seriously, that was really confusing since I just wanted one or the other! I couldn't pass on their offer so I said I'll order a green tea, but later changed my drink order for a iced latte instead. Next thing you know, the server brings over a ice latte AND green tea while I only asked for one!!! Ai yi yi..the server was even more confused and eventually I was drinking an ice latte and green tea. Did the manager hear what I said when she was taking down my order? The ramen was mediocre-the chashu was bland and tasteless. I would probably go to pikachu in Brighton for ramen if I were you.
(2)
Ays M.
I think they have one of the best sushi in Boston. They are always nice and the environment is always nice too. I love Itadaki
(5)
Meg C.
Really overpriced food, nothing special at all. The waiter was really forgetful and the food wasn't that flavorful. They have a large selection of alcoholic drinks, but unfortunately the drinks we wanted on tap were out. We ordered ramen extra spicy and the waiter dropped it off saying if we wanted more spice he will bring some more hot sauce later. When we did request more, we were told they were out. Why offer it if you ran out? We had to ask three times for water.
(1)
Lauren N.
I came here with my boyfriend on a quiet night back in March. To start, we shared a sweet potato tempura roll, which was very good. Then we both got different Ramen bowls, which we both really enjoyed. Because it was a slow night, the service was good, and the food was out quickly. We will definitely be here again when we are back in Boston!
(4)
Betty S.
Wow, wow, wow delicious food!!! Welcoming attentive staff and beautiful ambiance. Every item out of the kitchen looked like a piece of art. Every morsel I ate was better then the one before. I can not wait to go back. This is my new favorite restaurant. I plan to bring all my friends and family for a truly special night. Boston Betty!!!
(5)
Lily H.
A friend and I decided to give the place a shot for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. We were immediately greeted at the door and seated up stairs. The inside is fancy, the ambiance is nice, and it's what you'd expect from a Newbury St. restaurant. The presentation of the food was beautiful. With that being said, I really wanted to like this place, but the food was just okay. I ordered the spicy yellowtail roll ($8) and for $5 extra it came with soup, salad, and dessert. Btw, their pastry chef is no longer there so we were given tempura fried bananas over a chocolate drizzle by default. My friend ordered Omu rice ($15) which didn't even have any meat or one single pea inside, which was served with a side of soggy fries. The fries actually looked good, golden, and crispy so I asked to try one and when I reached for it, it plopped over. I didn't even bother tasting it. I know Japanese restaurants don't specialize in french fries, but if you're going to serve it, then at least make it decent! On the brighter side, the miso soup and ginger-dressing salad was tasty - if I had eaten just that I'd give the place 5 stars for food. But sadly, we found it to be not worth the value, and a disappointment overall.
(3)
Anna T.
This is a good place to go drink and people watch, nothing more. If you eat here you might feel left out of the party that is happening at any number of the better restaurants around you on Newbury St. The service is extra friendly, however.
(2)
Trinh N.
I love the food here. Last time I came and got "Dragon Rolls", and it was absolutely much more delicious than many sushi restaurants I've ever tried before. The price was also good for that delicious dish. But the only thing that I didn't like about the restaurant was: its hard to find a waitress whenever I want them. They stand in front of the door, and just go to your table every 10-15 mins. But they were nice tho. Btw, I would be here again.
(4)
Tasty Bee Review S.
It was great! Spicy tuna avocado salad was fantastic! Service was fast and very friendly. The host (a young guy) enjoyed talking to customers.
(5)
d f.
Bottomline: Friendly but inesperienced service, average expensive Boston prices, poor atmosphere, good food but not great, not particularly enjoyable. Not competitive with other nearby places. Went here for a dinner. The host was not to be found -- had to tap her on the shoulder to get attention even though restaurant was not at capacity or that busy. Took a seat at the sushi bar upstairs. It was a mess and not cleaned up. Even the space next to me took 20 minutes to get cleaned up. Soy sauce was all over the counter surface so had to be careful not to get stains. I needed to remind a server that I would like an opportunity to order food. The sushi chef finally called one over to help me. Food was good, but the experience was bad. Not a fan.
(2)
Christine S.
I love this place! Best sushi on Newbury! The fish in their sushi rolls is always fresh and the rice is never hard or old. Unlike a lot of Asian restaurants that serve you ginger dressing on iceberg lettuce, Itadaki's green salad is made with mixed greens and fresh veggies. I love eating here because I know the food is fresh and of good quality. I really like the vibe of this place too, it has a modern sleek design and doesn't feel cramped like some restaurants on Newbury do. The wait staff here is very attentive and friendly. I always enjoy eating here :)
(5)
Cristina R.
The Sangria here is lovely. Sitting outside on Newbury on a warm summer night, Itadaki is a wonderful spot to meet up with friends over drinks or have a drink with a date. Note: I emphasize drinking here not eating the food. The food was lackluster to bad with being pricey as the cherry on top. My husband and I ordered the seaweed salad, lamb chops, seared hamachi roll and ocha-zuke between us. The lamb chops were just bad. The meat was tough and tasteless. The salmon on the ocha-zuke was decent but the rice was soaked in fish sauce making the rest of the dish a fishy inedible mess. The seaweed salad was standard but cost twice as much as any other restaurant. All in all, stop in for a drink but utterly skip the food.
(1)
Kyoko U.
This place is surprisingly chic in an area that's a lovely European-style brick neighborhood. Great combination if you ask me! My friend and I ate on their patio. Sushi was super fresh (definitely recommend the dragon roll) and they have this huge sake selection, so we had the server recommend one of the sakes. Service was friendly too. Definitely will try to come back.
(5)
Justin S.
I also believe that the amount of 5 star, heck even 3 or 4 star reviews of this place must be inflated. My girlfriend and I, like many other people stumbled upon this place as we were strolling around Newbury St. We sat down excited, and left extremely disappointed. 1. Our waiter seemed more like a Gym Membership or Used Car Salesman than a waiter. He would not stop trying to up-sell us on everything. We made the mistake of asking for "2" sparkling waters--he brought us 2 large VOSS bottles ($8 each) which by the way are not on the menu so you have no idea you are about to spend $16 on water. For reference, Morton's, Ruths Chris, Teatro, any other "fine dining" is going to charge you a tops of $6 a bottle....anyhow... 2. Portions... WOW. I ordered the chicken kara-age for starters....there must have been a whopping 1.5 oz of chicken...there. The miso soup was cold, bland and disgusting. When I pointed this out to the waiter he explained to me that they serve "a lot of old people who are salt conscious because of their blood pressure" LOL! Riiiiiight....at a Japanese place... 3. The tables outside teetered like a drunk BU girl leaving Saint. It was simply impossible to eat without the table rocking back and forth--when we asked for some assistance with it we were told "there's nothing we can do." 4. Not that I generally ever mind this; but clearly some of the runners seemed stoned...I couldn't communicate with one because he just looked at me and kept saying "huh??, and then he would pull out his cell phone look at it and ask: what did you need? sorry I am a little out of it." So over all bottom line this place SUCKS. Over priced with pushy-annoying waitstaff, bland food and minuscule 1980's minimalist portions. STAY AWAY.
(1)
Mariano D.
*** THE NUMBER OF 5 STAR REVIEWS SEEMS INFLATED. *** "Lemme tell ya' something, ya' suspect. Yeah you. I don't know what your reputation is in this town, but after the sh!t you tried to pull today, you can bet I'll be looking into you." - Ben Affleck, "Good Will Hunting" With that said, I wanted to check this place out for myself ($20 - $30) before bringing my wife there ($75 - $100). The location, decor, and overall vibe are what you would expect to find in this area. The hostesses and waitstaff were friendly and attentive as well. Blah, blah, blah... Looks good... let's get to the food. I ordered a Kirin Ichiban draft ($6), a spicy tuna roll ($8), and a shrimp tempura roll ($9). The menu is very limited, but the waitress mentioned that it would be expanded in the future. I eat sushi ALL THE TIME and can usually get an idea of what a place is all about within a couple of bites. Don't get me wrong, the presentation was quite nice, but I don't eat with my eyes. The beer was cold. The spicy tuna roll wasn't spicy. The shrimp tempura roll was bland. Overall: Meh. Why? Expensive... Bland... Expensive. Ya' suspect.
(2)
Matt S.
I've been here twice now and sampled a fair bit of the small menu. The cocktail menu is pretty exciting with plenty of Asian twists on standard drinks : I tried the Lychee dog (Gin with a Lychee liquor) and thought it was great. The Sushi Pizza, their "signature dish" gets points for being fun. The crust is made of deep-fried rice and is topped with salmon. I enjoyed the pairing of textures here but the overall taste of the dish fell a bit short - in the end we preferred the Sushi rolls - the caterpillar roll was tasty (and very pretty to look at!). The sushi plates are rather small (and not cheap!) - unless you're not very hungry, you'll probably need at least 3 plates to serve 2. For dessert, the green tea creme brulee is both inventive and delicious. Likewise, the Earl Grey panna cotta...yum. I usually don't order custards/puddings for dessert but I'd order either one of these again. However, I'd pass on the flourless chocolate cake - it was dry and forgettable. Meh! So all in all, I like Itadaki - it does have some flaws; namely, it is a bit expensive (hello Newbury Street). On the other hand, the chefs seem willing to take an over-done idea (Sushi) and go out on a limb and try some new things to make the menu a bit more exciting. And I like that - I'll definitely be looking forward to see what their expanded menu has on it.
(4)
Allen W.
Visited a couple weeks ago which I think was pretty close to when they opened. You could tell there were some issues of a new place. Tried ordering the sushi pizza thing but were told that they didn't have all the ingredients to make it. Granted, this was at like 5:30pm and we were only one of a couple tables there. We ordered four rolls instead and it took awhile to arrive. And to my surprise, each roll came on a separate plate and was individually presented. On a small table for two, four plates was hard to juggle. Seemed really odd for a sushi place -- usually multiple roll orders are plated together .... maybe we weren't supposed to order more than one roll per person (?). The rolls tasted good. They were served with a side of french fried onions which also struck me as odd ... but I enjoyed eating them, so I won't complain. Server was energetic and friendly, but admitted that he doesn't eat sushi. Um, great -- then I won't really trust your recommendations ;-)
(3)
Lis H.
I wish this had been great. We came by for lunch on a beautiful day because it had tables open outside. We were seated quickly and ordered, but had no sign of food for nearly half an hour (despite being one of only 3 occupied tables). My date got his food, the chicken teryaki crepe, and it was delicious... however my food took an additional 20 minutes to arrive, long after he'd finished his. My food sounded delicious (the pork katsu sandwich) but turned out to be an incredibly gristly, lukewarm breaded chunk of pork on wonderbread with wilted iceberg and a massive amount of mayo. When we complained about its quality, the server became defensive and argued. We will NOT be returning.
(1)
Rob T.
Nice spot for sunday lunch, food was decent, staff were very pleasant.
This place was very disappointing. Ambience. Not so great. The sushi quality was very poor. Even the edamame was gross, how is that possible? It somehow tasted raw and overcooked at the same time. Like flavorless mush. I would rather buy maki from Whole Foods than eat here again. The service was good, waitress was nice.
A friend and I went by here last night and was blown away ! We literally went for the huge scorpion bowl ( blue is the best ) ! and were so pleased. Food came out in good time and the customer service was over the top ! It's so rare you feel WANTED at a resturant on Newbury. i would highly recommend this place for patio eats , good drinks, and great customer service :)
(5)
Tara S.
Stopped by this place last week around 10ish for a few drinks and something light to eat. The menu was limited, but I understand they've just opened and will be adding more soon. I ordered pretty basic fish rolls, one spicy tuna and one spicy himachi. I thought they were fabulous. Much 'fancier' than what you usually get for such a basic roll. the portions were great, and the fish had a super-fresh great flavor. They also included a little stack of tempura crumbs next to the wasabi and ginger, which I loved. We also tried the fruit tart for dessert, and it was fantastic. This place does not outsource their desserts- I asked. They actually have an in-house pastry chef, which is damn near unheard of anywhere other than Finale. You could tell the tart was amazingly fresh- it didn't have that thin layer of unflavored gelatin on top of it to preserve it. All in all, I thought the food was great and the prices were extremely reasonable for the area. We had a great waitress and the food came out faster than I've ever gotten sushi before. I will definitely consider this my go-to for sushi in Back Bay.
(4)
Melissa C.
I am a regular at Itadaki. The service as well as the quality of the food is always fantastic. The rising sun, spicy tuna and the volcano are some of my favorite sushi rolls. The spicy tuna comes as hot as you want, they have an in house spicy sauce that gives it a kick yet it tastes delicious. Try the mango mami or geishas kiss as far as cocktails, and they have this HUGE scorpion bowl thats filled with a ton of alcohol and fruit juices- delicious ! I highly suggest this restaurant if you want fresh sushi and great service ! Oh, and the patio is great for people watching !
(5)
jenny z.
Service: The service was pretty average -- everyone was nice enough but nothing spectacular. Service: 3 Environment : awful this place always smells like an unclean bathroom, the tables are sticky, and it is perpetually empty. Environment: 1 Food: the portion size is tiny -- tapas size but with an entree price. I got a scorpion bowl the second time I came here -- it was a huge portion for 40 dollars but it was also the a very lack luster scorpion bowl -- very watered down and not enough juice or alcohol. Food : 2
(2)
Jessica C.
Stopped to eat here on a hungry whim and I know I'll be back. There were a few quirks about eating here, but the hostess mentioned that this restaurant is new, so maybe they'll work them out. One, they use iphone apps to keep track of their orders, and that's fine if it works, but mine got mixed up. The server brought something I didn't order. It wasn't a problem though, because they let me eat both and comped the mistake. It was all so tasty I cleaned my whole plate. Two, they brought all of the food at once. We got progressively hungrier waiting for our food, which is great, but then the server showed up with soup, salads and entrees all at once. It would have been nice to space it out. But like I said, those are minor things, especially considering how insanely tasty this food is. Please eat here; I want them to succeed so I can come back when I'm in the neighborhood again. Itadakimas!
(4)
Adrian H.
After walking by many times, I finally checked out Itadaki when I was struck at 10pm with a sudden craving for sushi. The sushi pizza, which is an unusual menu item for Boston, was delicious - it had just the right amount of crispiness while avoiding being greasy. I also tried the spicy yellowtail rolls, which were very tasty. The sushi isn't a bargain, but it is very fairly priced given the quality, neighborhood, and ambience. One of the owners was actually working the bar the night I went, and was extremely welcoming and taking good care of everyone there. I was talked out of ordering plain sake and instead had a sake mojito, which turned out to be a great choice. I'd recommend Itadaki both for the food and for the bar / lounge area downstairs which is a welcome respite from the contrived bar scene along Bolyston and Newbury. It'd make a good date spot, as well a good place to bring a group. I'm looking forward to going back to try more of the non-sushi japanese tapas dishes which are supposed to be their specialty; I'll hold out on the the final star until a second visit, but I'm very optimistic.
(4)
Valerie T.
I have never in my life complained about the service at a restaurant until I ate here. I went with my boyfriend and his friend and we were eventually seated on the patio, after waiting 5 minutes for a host to appear. The server was totally inept and at first we laughed about it.. but then my boyfriend's food came out (30 minutes after ordering it - and it was fish and chips.. how long does it take to drop some fries and battered fish?) and the other two sushi entrees were nowhere to be found. On top of that, our server virtually disappeared, so we had no one to ask.. and I desperately needed another glass of wine if I was going to have to deal with such awful service. :) No such luck - 20 minutes after the fish and chips came out, we were able to inquire about the other entrees and were told that they 'only had 2 sushi chefs so ticket times were long'. I wouldn't have been half as annoyed if they hadn't brought out one entree without the other two - and our server never even stopped by to explain ANYTHING. I'm a server at a busy Boston restaurant and I understand things can get wild and crazy, especially when short-staffed - but this was totally unacceptable. The manager ended up comping half the bill after nervously explaining the situation. I don't care how many sushi chefs you have on (which I actually don't even believe was the problem) - the server could have stopped by the table and at least tried to amend the situation. If I had read these reviews before trying this place, i NEVER would have gone. The service is legitimately horrible.
(1)
T L.
The server was nice, but uninformed. We asked for recommendations and she said she's never tried any of the food. The food was pricey, poorly executed and bland. We had the clam chowder, yamakake, ocha-zuke, uni croquettes, and beef tornado wrap. The beef was over-cooked, the Japanese yams were mealy, and the croquettes were luke warm. I'm never going back.
(1)
Kiki G.
I just left Itadaki and had an extremely unsettling experience. I come here frequently with my friends after work but was refused service by several employees. At first, I sat for approximately 15 minutes without being serviced. I was checking emails on my iPad so didn't notice until i looked up and checked the time. I got up and asked one of the bar backs for a drink and he told me "I don't service that area". That's fine I guess, but when I asked who was I was greeted with an attitude and rude response which quickly escalated to the horror of the other patrons surrounding me. Finally the bar back took my menu, stating that he wouldn't be serving me tonight. At this point I'm thoroughly confused. The manager, a young woman walks out and asks what's going on. I explained the situation to her and she responded with, "I just don't understand what's going on" -- but I had just told her. Finally she agreed to make me a drink whereupon she explained that she would have to charge me for the drink first -- WHAT?! Anyways, I accepted her offer, finished my drink and left. I'm not sure if this was racial or if all off the staff at Itadaki was simply remiss of the principals of customer service at that particular time, but I do know that I will never be returning. I did leave a tip, and I'm also leaving this one. Judging someone simply on their appearance is never acceptable.
(1)
Molly W.
Sunday Brunch: Pitcher of red wine sangria (3 stars) Eel bento box (4 stars) Green tea mochi ice cream (3 stars) I really wanted to like this place but it just fell short. The front outdoor patio embraces everything that is Newbury Street--modern and chic with elegant umbrellas and tables perfect for Sunday brunch and people watching. The eel bento box came with just amount of food. It came with eel over rice, miso soup, salad, 1 shumai, 1 egg, 5 edamame, 1 crab stick, and some pickled vegetables. The miso soup was standard. The mixed greens with ginger dressing rather than iceberg lettuce was a nice touch. The eel was tender and flavorful, awesome with the soft white rice. The sides added good variety but were bland on their own. The sangria was also standard, nothing to write about. However, there really wasn't much in it. It barely filled four 1/2 glasses because it was so packed with ice cubes. Our servers were either new and undertrained or inept. They are too laid back and our waitress was terrible on timing our food and bill. One waiter brought drinks from another table to us by acicdent and our waitress brought my ice cream dessert while I was still working on the second half of my bento box. My ice cream was half-melted when I got to it. She also brought our bill within 5 minutes of bringing out the ice cream UNPROMPTED..while I was still munching on my bento box. Hm.. Will I be back again? Eh... It needs to shape up a little in food and lot in service. The location and eel saved it from 2 stars.
(3)
Leanna P.
Service was very slow. Small portions for adequate food.
(2)
Kristen L.
Went for dinner this week. The staff was really friendly and service was great. We ate sushi rolls and they were pretty awesome! I have a few favorite sushi spots and this one is now one of them. Our favorites were the Dragon and Mango rolls. They have a good variety of specialty rolls. I can't speak to any of the sashimi or nigiri, but the rolls were great! I'll definitely be going back.
(5)
S V.
Warmest service on Newbury Street. Great food. Fantastic drinks. Stunning patio.
(5)
David C.
This place was entirely underwhelming. I passed by this restaurant several weeks ago and eagerly anticipated my first dining experience after reading several 5 star reviews on Yelp. After dining here tonight, I have to say that the people who left these 5 star reviews are either employees/relatives of the owner of Itadaki or, at the very least, gastronomic lightweights who have never had good Japanese food. I don't know where to begin, so here's a list of my observations: 1. Space was nice, outdoor patio and 2 levels of indoor seating 2. The menu was extremely limited, and what was on the menu looked like what you would find at any typical fast food japanese takeout counter (teriyaki, tempura, katsu, and several unimpressive sushi rolls). 3. The price was absurd for the quality of food we were being served. I love good Japanese food and have no problem spending money on quality product (Oishii, Oya, Uni at Clio are my favorite sushi places in Boston), but we paid $150 tonight for what resembled supermarket sushi and for katsu and teriyaki that you could probably make better yourself at home. Side note: I ordered a chicken teriyaki (which I generally hate ordering since its such a generic, throwaway dish, but the menu REALLY is that limited). They charged me $21 (for chicken teriyaki?!!) that didn't even come with a side of rice, which I had to pay an extra $3 for... absurd 4. I'm an adventurous eater, but if you're looking for things you've never had before, you won't find any on this menu. What they do have here is generic (westernized?) Japanese cuisine, done poorly and extremely overpriced. Apparently, their menu is set to expand once they fully open up their space and hire additional staff, but if their current menu is any indication of the quality of food to be expected, I advise you let other people be the first guinea pigs. 5. Service was mediocre, nothing to rave or complain about. 6. Basically, if you're looking for good japanese food, there are several better options. You'll get better food, more selection, and certainly more bang for your buck. Even douzo (my local sushi place with comparable price points) is considerably better than this sorry excuse for a Japanese restaurant. Generally, I agree with Yelp contributors on their ratings for most restaurants. However, after being conned into coming here by several overzealous reviews, I can only say that these contributors need to broaden their culinary exposure by trying some authentic Japanese food before spewing such diabetic, undeserved praise onto Itadaki, which is an absolute sham of a Japanese dining experience.
(1)
E M.
Good location. Seems like a good idea with those big scorpion fish bowls but you can tell it's made with the cheapest alcohol around after just one sip.
(2)
Mona N.
Tourist trap. I was walking along Newbury Street for the first time and wanted to grab lunch. There were long lines at a lot of other places and I was super hungry and saw a few empty tables at Itadaki. That should have been a clue. The outdoor seating area was great - perfect spot for people watching on a warm sunny day. That's about it. I ordered the Cape Codder roll (seared scallop, crab meat, asparagus, shiso with spicy mayo) and it was just meh. Too much mayo (I had to scrape it off) and it was missing the shiso. Service was soooo slow and the restaurant wasn't even full. The miso soup had nice seaweed in it but the broth was bland - not enough miso. My green tea mochi ice cream tasted like it had fake green tea flavoring and worse: it was smothered with a watery chocolate sauce. Disappointed with my meal that happened to be in a nice setting. Come here for a drink if you can sit outside. Skip the food unless you're a starving desperate tourist.
(2)
Pam W.
Two words: chewy salmon. Yes, raw chewy salmon! Don't do it. You'll find a better place spinning on one heel and randomly pointing in a direction, any direction.
(1)
Kristen B.
Absolutely terrible service. We were sitting at a table for 20 minutes before we even got a glass of water. Took over an hour and a half to get food with no real apologies or explanations from the waitress. Talked to the manager and all she said is she would try to rush things (after 1.5 hours). Really frustrated with the experience considering that the restaurant was half-empty and it seemed like nobody cared about our service experience.
(1)
Elissa S.
I went to Itadaki last night with a group of friends to celebrate! The drinks were amazing and the bartenders were wonderful. Their drink menu is unique and there is something for everyone. I tried the Plum flower....i definitely recommend it. We also had the japanese strawberry shortcake for dessert. Also delicious. I look forward to dining there soon.
(5)
Sarah N.
I love this place. Their "suicide" spicy tuna is amazing. I've always had good service here and go back once a week.
(5)
Raffaella G.
When there on a Saturday night and got the scorpion bowl. WELL WORTH IT! The scorpion was tasty and strong with fresh lychee and oranges, definately got the job down! We were at the lower level part of the restaurant with the bar had very cool paintings and art on the walls. Found myself back on newbury st sunday afternoon and decided to check if the food was any good. got the brunch special. came with entree (i got the chicken sandwhich that was like a fried chicken cutlet with light sweet sauce on toasted bread) soup salad and dessert. Got seated on the patio had two cocktails and people watched for an hour or so while i enjoyed the food and company of my friends. Servers were friendly and very easily available. Bill came out to only about 20$ for myself and i left full and happy. would go back and try their lunch specials and i would definitely go back and have another scorpion bowl before hitting the town!
(4)
John P.
Went with some friends on a Saturday night. I was blown away by how dead the place was, even when we were there at 7:00--I suppose I now understand why. Service was barely adequate. Our waiter came off very cold and grumpy, and with gratuity added for us, we weren't able to monetarily voice our opinion (look at it this way: the service didn't deserve the 18% tip). He was also incapable of splitting a check, and one of the members of our group had to help him. The food was fine; I had relatively basic sushi rolls (tuna and shrimp tempura) and it was as tasty and boring as I would expect it to be at an all-you-can-eat place, but we paid Newbury street prices for it. Yuck. Though I enjoyed the atmosphere and background music, I won't be coming back.
(2)
Tony S.
Yeah.....rating is down a star because service is slipping faster than a $2 stripper down a fireman's pole. I don't know what is going in with this place. I've have been a regular here since the day they opened, but the last two times I ordered takeout during the day when it was NOT busy, my order got conveniently replaced or lost, requiring me to wait around longer, and causing the other takeout food from other restaurants to cool down. I hope things change for the better soon. I hate downgrading :(
(3)
Khanh P.
I think the one reason for the extra star rating for Itadaki is their overly large scorpion bowls . Otherwise everything else is pretty average. Their menu can be a bit confusing since they have this extensive menu that's long and misleading. They combined all of their serving menus and if you're looking at the brunch items at dinner time you Better look again or else you'll be disappointed if you're settled on a brunch item. I ordered spicy salmon roll , spicy yellowtail roll, itadaki spicy tuna roll (suicidal) , volcano roll and caterpillar roll. With a restaurant as itadaki I expected more options but really it was a basic and limited sushi menu. Sushi was pretty plain to the taste buds and nothing was killer about the suicidal tuna roll. Huge disappointment with the group I was with. They also serve ramen and that wasn't a pretty picture either. Their restaurant overall is a nice place to come with groups to get drinks and enjoy each other companies because a Saturday night at Itadaki couldn't have been deader than ever.
(3)
Kristina Z.
Love that place! We usually come there after 10ish on Friday or Saturday when bartender Ivan is working. Aaaand scorpion ball is always a must! It is good for preface before the club or as a party starter after the dinner. We had sushiboats twice and it was well done. I put 5 starts because I never left that place being disappointed, only positive atmosphere is on!
Very average everything (but I do n't think I've had WOW sushi anywhere in Boston) but giving it an A-OK 3 stars because it has a rather extensive sake menu, as well as Kirin Light, which my dining companion informed me is not available in most restaurants (I'm talking about the light version, not regular Kirin). This place has 3 areas of seating: outdoor, lower level bar, and an upstairs area that you can reach from the lower level. Can't say anything about the upper level because I haven't been up there. Lower level area looks almost like a cafe...that serves alcohol. The restaurant looked like it had a lot of customers, but we realized that everyone was just sitting outside, and we were the only diners who chose indoor seating. Anyway, in addition to the beer, we decided to share a few rolls. Satsuma roll is a sweet potato tempura roll that I found pretty good and a nice contrast from the other fishy rolls at the table. Spicy salmon roll was pretty standard, not very spicy. Spicy tuna roll would be for the spicy lovers. It's topped with this sauce and you can choose 4 spiciness levels. I think we got the 3rd spiciest and it was rather hot. Salmon tartare sushi pizza was an interesting concept, and while it wasn't bad, I don't think I'd get it again. Basically it's a round disk of fried rice (crunchy outside, soft inside) that's topped with different sushi ingredients. I think sashimi should be eaten cold, but the fried rice warmed it up and I did not really appreciate this. Also, the rice looked fine but had a slight burnt taste On the day we came, there was a 20% off order if you mention Back Bay Night Out, and that's kind of the only reason we came here. I don't know if this place would be worth it without that discount.
(3)
Suzanne C.
While I love the location and the ambiance, the whole scenario was disappointing. The hostess was clueless about how to provide gracious directions. When asked where the "ladies room is" she said "so, you want to go to the bathroom?". I'm not kidding. She actually said that. Then, she said, at least four (4) times - "it's downstairs, it's downstairs"...without giving a hint about where the stairs were or how to get there. Need I say more? When I was there, it was a slow period and I was the only table occupied on the front patio. At least five (5) wait staff hovered on the patio while I dined. They hovered and they hovered with nothing to do but stand post waiting for customers. Wouldn't you know, as soon as my wine glass emptied, there was no one to be found. They were there 30 seconds before my need, but not at the appropriate moment. Mind you, I was the ONLY table on the patio. Oh - did I mention, that when I DID find the ladies room, there was no soap to be found. Nothing for washing. And why can't public facilities bother to put a hook on the bathroom stall door? WHY???!!!!! Has anyone EVER met or seen a woman without a purse???!!!! EVER???!!! Why can't these people anticipate the needs of their customers and put a f***ing hook on the back of the door???!! A hook costs $2.95 at the Back Bay Hardware Store. Really??!!! While they're standing around waiting....and waiting...and hovering...and hovering......can't someone run down to the hardware store and buy a fucking hook and put it on the door so women don't have to put their purses on the FLOOR of a public restroom??? Clearly these people are not interested in the comfort and enjoyment of their customers. Their sushi is good but at what a price. There's no human soul there. They treat you like dollar sign and clearly that's all they are interested in. They don't deserve the business. Which is too bad. Cause if they would run their business like they actually gave a sh*t about their customers, then it could be good.
(2)
Ashley S.
Despite the limited reviews, and 3 star rating, stopped here today while shopping on Newbury Street. It was one of the only restaurants that wasn't busy, which should have indicated a red flag right there. The seating outside is very nice. Allows you to people watch ,while also enjoying music from a nearby street performer. The service was OK. Nothing to rave about. Had the calamari seaweed salad as an appetizer. Excellent! Made the mistake of ordering the chicken teriyaki as my entree. The chicken came out very over cooked to the point where I had to send it back. I wasnt asked if I wanted something different nor did the server or manager on duty seem very apologetic. They just brought me out another one, which was much better, but still tasted pretty blah. I guess I should have ordered something more unique, but I was in the mood for a basic dish. This restaurant is just OK. I totally see why it lacks reviews and customers. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone, although I'm sure some of the items on their menu are better than others.
(3)
Emily H.
The food was decent, just nothing that exciting or memorable. We went in on a Saturday night for a date to use a voucher I had purchased for Ramen. Unfortunately, they wouldn't honor the voucher on Saturdays which is unfortunate. Again, the food was ok. We ordered a few rolls and ramen. My main reason for a mediocre review is that they advertise the Ramen both on the voucher and on their signs outside but there are only 2 kinds! Miso and soy - both with only pork option. Super disappointing. More disappointing? The price!!!! $17 for a cereal-sized bowl of RAMEN. Is that a horrible joke? I honestly will never return there because I feel like they're completely ripping people off. It's really unfortunate.
(2)
Dustin M.
I always come here when I'm in Boston. Their Sushi is great, good service, very good fish and a nice variety of choices. Well-presented and prepared. Not the most mind-blowingly greatest Sushi I've ever had but definitely better than most. Non-Sushi items seem to be a bit lacking if you're looking for something else.
(4)
Jinyoung S.
I and my friend had same ramen. But her ramen and mine totally looked different. And the taste was horrible. Her ramen tasted like regular ramen. Mine didn't have any flavor.. I had to let server know and they served me new dish.. Location of restaurant is perfect but People want to have better food than that.
(2)
Stefany W.
Went there for the scorpion bowl and only got a half size cause the waiter was like since there's only two of you, we can only give you the half size which is fine. We thought we could totally finish it and get another one but it was much larger than anticipated. It was pretty good for the value and the amount of alcohol in it. I would consider going back for more and might try some other stuff next time.
(3)
Melody K.
We were attracted to the outdoor seating and obviously the giant hurricane bowl containing an ungodly amount of liquor exhibited by the entrance, got us in the door, or rather, got us onto patio. We wanted to people-watch and drink outside, without sitting in the crowded sports-bar-like outdoor spaces of the other restaurants we passed. This was our mistake, but we ordered a bunch of appetizers during Happy Hour and they ended up being full-priced. For mediocre Japanese small plates, way too pricey. $7 dollars for four shumai is not ok. The Japanese pork sausage and fried potatoes small plate was essentially, mini hot dogs on a bed of french fries. I think the waiter was new and maybe overwhelmed, but usually when people order Happy Hour drinks, it's good to also give them the Happy Hour menu! My margarita, though it had sake in it (is this really necessary?) was surprisingly good- you could taste the tequila and they didn't use a pre-mix to sweeten. So they have the bartender going for them.
(2)
Ngan T.
This review pertains to my most recent visit. I've dined here twice prior to this experience and would have gladly agreed with any of the bad reviews listed below. Howeverrrrrr, I've noticed some recent changes this time around that's made the experience so much better. Gone are the super chill Asian waitresses I'd had so much trouble getting the attention of before. They've been replaced by a power dual who kept our tables cleaned and orders smoothed. My friend and I spent a very pleasant three hours (scorpion bowl) with their help. I've always enjoyed the sushi from here regardless of service. They also have a killer Mac and cheese type dish. The portion is a bit small, but their happy hour menu solves that issue Do the scorpion bowl if you have the time and stomach.
(4)
Christine H.
When this place first opened, my friend and I got together here and had a nice lunch! Now zooming to the present, my boyfriend and I came here a few days ago, and seriously, what happened?! The menu's are falling apart, and have ridiculous restrictions with time and lunch and dinner and it was just so confusing. The sushi was mediocre and nothing special. The service was slow and for the price, I really don't feel like it was worth it, might as well walk down two blocks and go to snappy sushi. Don't think I will be back here.
(2)
Tammy L.
Omu-rice and chicken crepe took over 20 minutes to get to our table for two on a quiet Sunday afternoon. If the food had been mind-blowing, I would have overlooked that. Unfortunately, the food was bland. It's not something you can't make yourself at home for a fraction of the price. To top it off, the server came up to us and asked how we were going while she was texting on her phone. Very professional ha ha ha. I'm going to put a "Never again" stamp on this place and move on.
(1)
Ali L.
I have the bittersweet predicament of having a birthday that falls on Valentine's Day. While I was researching different restaurants to have my birthday dinner at, I wanted to go somewhere that had great drinks since I was turning 22 and my birthday was on a Friday. I chose Itadaki mostly because of the scorpion bowls...they're expensive but GREAT and the only reason I am giving 3 stars rather than 2. Having a Valentine's birthday has taught me to make reservations at least 2 weeks in advance to ensure the restaurant can accommodate a large party. That being said, I made a reservation for 10 people on January 29th for 8pm on February 14th. They called me on Feb. 13th to confirm the reservation and make sure were still planning to come, and I called them the morning of the 14th to change the reservation from 10 people to 12 people. They were totally understanding and ensured that they were able to accommodate my party of 12 for that evening. Here's where things get weird. I arrive at 8:05 and check in with the hostess- she informs me that is will be 10-20 minutes before our table is ready but we could go wait in the bar downstairs until it was ready. After about 10 minutes of awkwardly standing in the bar area because there was nowhere to sit, I saw the woman I am assuming is the manager and told her that I thought the situation was intolerable considering I had the made reservations 2 weeks prior and they had been confirmed twice in the past 48 hours. She replied with "there's nothing we can do, it's Valentine's Day" and left without an apology. After lingering for 15 minutes downstairs we (meaning my party) finally just pulled together 2 high top tables and crammed 12 people around them. After the party next to us left we snagged their table as well. We finally ordered around 8:35pm- 3 scorpion bowls and a whole lot of sushi. The sushi was fine, nothing better than you would find in Chinatown. However, they brought it out in probably the most complicated way possible. 12 people ordering 12 different rolls (at least) and they brought them all out on 2 platters without explaining which one was which...luckily we are all pretty sushi savvy and figured it out but when you're a bunch of college kids splitting the bill, everyone is very particular about eating exactly what they ordered. When the bill came we were a little surprised because they only charged us for 1 of the 3 scorpion bowls. Not sure if it was a mistake or their way of apologizing, but either way we didn't feel bad about not saying anything. TL;DR: Don't trust that your reservation actually exists, even if they confirm it with you. Scorpion bowls are good, everything else is pretty average.
(3)
Shirley L.
My friends and I ate here today for restaurant week. We sat inside for the ac and wanted to check it out. The place was very empty, which was kinda awkward. Server was nice and friendly. She's also very pretty. For appetizers, we started with tuna avocado salad. It was really good and cute the way they plated the dish. They made a little boat out of the avocado skin. Then I had the lobster meat sushi pizza which was interesting because it was a rice ball fried. The outside was crunchy and inside was still soft. The lobster was with mayo and tobiko. Not bad. I also had the beef teriyaki and the beef was a bit overcooked to me. And last for the entree was the dragon maki roll. The Unagi sauce tasted a but weird to me. I've had this roll so many times from so many restaurants, when I ate it here it was an unusual taste. Wasn't too big of a fan. Looked nice though. Lastly was the dessert, I had the Japanese caramel cream. Which looked like a thin layer of flan. It had whip cream on top with some strawberries, blueberries and one raspberry. Pretty good. Overall the restaurant week menu is a very good value compared to their regular dinner menu. There's a Lot of food. You get one app, and to choose 3 diff "entrees" and one dessert. Not the best for sushi, especially being on Newbury. I wouldn't really recommend this place. There are better out there especially since the prices are high(unless you're eating from restaurant week)
(3)
Lizzy S.
Service was great, food was just OK. We sat out on the patio as the weather was nice so I can't really comment on the ambiance of the restaurant.
(3)
Craig S.
Went in for lunch, after a rough morning. Decor is cool modern vibe. Staff on point. For $14 I got a really good deal. Started with 3 Suicide Spicy Tuna rolls which were not that hot but still delivered some heat and taste. Thena side salad with awesome ginger dressing and OK miso soup. Some sort of pickled zucchini covered in soy or something like it ...only thing I did not like. Japanese salted curry edemame which was a nice upgrade from the norm. The best chicken Katsu I have ever had --lightly fried for a perfect crunch but not greasy, moist delicious white meat with a killer sauce. Finally, a little cup of raspberry ...ah flan or creme brule .. whatever it was it tasted like whipped goodness pallet cleanser. Solid deal great meal. I went in pissed and left happy -- sign of a good spot.
(4)
Valerie V.
Hate to give a bad review but with so many other dining options around this area, I feel obligated to be honest and send Yelpers elsewhere. Sushi is average at best--not terrible but nothing you'd write home about. Service was extremely slow and the patio was generally really haphazard and messy. Really hated a salad that we tried---was cold with a raw egg on it! When we told the waitress we disliked it, she wrinkled her nose and agreed with us that it was gros.
(2)
S T.
Always wanted to try Itadaki ever since I saw the construction in the Summer. Finally went on a Thursday night after work and it was a cold day. So, we walked up the stairs and was about to open the door when the hostess almost scared the crap out of me. She popped out of nowhere behind us, outside and greeted us. We were seated near the doorway so when the hostess and waitress opens the second glass door and we get the cold air. We could of moved but ... it wasn't a huge deal. They did go in and out a lot. Even though, we were the only customers there. The menu...the font on the menu is freaking tiny... good example? Arial font size 12. My sister even jokingly told the waiter who's name I believe was Ivan (according to the bill) didn't really respond to her. Really guys your menu font is terrible. Let me remind you, this place claims they're an Izakaya. Okay...I see the drink menu...but your food menu is lacking food or even... fried food and fish. Where's the Yakitori?! Izakaya has Yakitori!? Maybe it was the font, but I can not find Yakitori anywhere! We were there in time for Happy Hour. I ordered the Tokyo Love Story which cost $13 and came with HALF price Dragon sushi which is $5. Ordered Agedashi Tofu, Kara-age, Satsuma (sushi), another order of Sushi which I forgot name of, and two orders of Uni. Unfortunately, they did not have Uni... upsetting since we judge a places sushi based on their Uni. Disappointing. The Agedashi Tofu is delicious, taste just like the way my Mom makes it. The Kara-age was meh...I had better. The Dragon sushi was good. The other sushi and Tokyo Love Story drink was meh...nothing to write home about. In the end, we were not full and un-satisfied. My sister kept saying after we left...that place sucks. After we got our check from our waiter, he vanished and another guy ... maybe the owner? Took our bill. The bill was mis-calculated. We were charged full price for happy hour sushi and our Agedashi was not the one we ordered... the bill was $59 bucks after the correction it was $52. Remember to check your receipt. I would not return to this place. If you have to eat Sushi...I would recommend Umai which is down the street, Snappy Sushi also down the street, Haru at the Prudential, or Samurai on the opposite street. Weird decor... not autehntic Japanese...from first experience. OH ALSO! WHO SERVES JAPANESE TEA IN EUROPEAN TEA CUPS?! REALLY NOW!? But the Green Tea was delicious...coming from a tea bag.
(2)
Mindy L.
My friend and I were walking down Newbury Street last night and were drawn over to Itadaki by the promise of some possibly delicious sushi. We weren't disappointed! The interior is very modern, clean lines, minimalist decorations. We sat on the outside terrace right on Newbury Street which always offers wonderful people watching...Woman walking a dog the size of a pony? Check! We started with the steamed edamame in the shell. Not over or under-cooked. We then shared the Spicy Tuna Maki, the Sweet Potato Tempura and the Rainbow roll. Both the Spicy Tuna (though not very spicy) and the Rainbow rolls were delicious. The Sweet Potato Tempura was slightly undercooked...the potato was just a little too crunchy for 5-star enjoyment. All in all - very enjoyable experience. We were almost enticed to stay for dessert when we were told there is an in-house pastry chef, but decided to save it for next time.
(5)
Chantal G.
My girlfriends and I went to Itadaki for their infamous fish bowl. The "half" fish bowl was HUGE and incredibly potent. For food, we only tried the edamame and it was good, but the other food looked interesting too. As for the atmosphere, it looked like a college hangout-- lots of people pregaming.
(3)
Lor A.
We came here for midday drinks on a Sunday. We had just eaten a huge, late breakfast and were not ready for any further food at that point. I liked the fact that we were still able to be seated at a table outside even though our plan was to just imbibe a bit while people-watching. They could have pulled the "You can't sit at a table if you're not planning to eat" card, but they were cool about us having a few drinks and not ordering food. I guess we didn't look like lightweights and they presumed that we'd drink ourselves into a hearty bill within about an hour or so. Our waitress left the brunch menu for us in case we changed our minds. Being the hollow-legged person that I am, of course I was hungry within about 30 minutes. We ordered a few of the spicy rolls from the brunch menu (tuna and salmon). We didn't order anything too crazy so I cannot comment on the quality of the sushi. What we had was pretty good. My chair seemed unstable, and contrary to popular belief, it was not due to the several drinks I had. The front patio has areas that are not flat, therefore, your chair can (and will) tip a bit. Be sure to plant yourself carefully. I loved the fact that they had wicker baskets for you to place your purse, bags, etc., in. Nice touch. I hate placing my bag on the ground, especially while dining outside. Their chairs are not conducive to slinging your bag over them. Nice atmosphere, friendly non-pushy waitstaff, and music at just the right volume. It was a nice way to spend a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in Bean Town.
(4)
Gigi A.
Not a fan. Service is slooooooooooooow. About an hour to get our order. The white sangria was refreshing though on a hot summer day. The sushi was meh ---I've had much better.
(2)
Joseph W.
Went here for a birthday party. The place was accommodating for the large party and service wasn't speedy or slow - about the pace you would expect for a large party. They also don't charge any cake fees, which is a plus. Some places on newbury don't allow cakes or charge $5 per person! Since we had a large party, we were able to order a lot of different things from the menu. I've had better kara-age chicken elsewhere, but it wasn't bad. The sushi had fish that was of better quality than the average for Boston. Based on the other reviews and my experience there, they don't really stock uni regularly as they were out of it when we were there as well. The waiters weren't that knowledgeable about the menu, but they were friendly and provided good service. All in all, a great place to relax amid the many overly precocious newbury restaurants.
(4)
Jacki H.
Worst service ever. Do not go here. You have been warned.
(1)
Priyanka A.
The location is nice. If weather permits definitely sit outside. I ordered the renkon chips appetizer, which was great and the only reason this review isn't a 2. It was a creative dish and well executed. By contrast, my roll was pretty bad. I got a crazy roll, and it was rolled too "fat," they used too much sauce (I couldn't really taste anything else), and the serving size didn't make up for the seriously run of the mill quality. It's a nice spot for average sushi, but fell slightly below my expectations.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Andrea R.
I had the Itadaki Miso Ramen with spicy miso paste. It had all of the basics: chasu pork, corn, bean sprouts, nori, hard boiled egg and a good amount of noodles. I was not impressed by the miso broth alone, it definitely needed the extra flavor the spicy paste added. The egg was a typical hard boiled egg not soft boiled like most traditional ramen spots. I wouldn't come here again for their ramen but might try their sushi as it looked decent. Good ramen is hard to come by in Boston so for here this place is ok but there are better. I'm spoiled coming from California where they have endless choices that are very good! The service was good other than not getting a refill on water on a warm afternoon sitting outside.
(3)Kárenly N.
Came here for a quick lunch and was excited to try it. I choose to try their signature roll and a Philadelphia roll to compliment it. The Itadaki Spicy Roll had tempura flakes that tasted old but the flavor overall was good. The Philadelphia roll tasted like the cream cheese was old or something. The staff was very friendly though and the place has a great look. I hope that they can step up their food quality though.
(3)Kimberly L.
The most mediocre tasting ramen place in Boston. My boyfriend and I love a good bowl of ramen and were excited to try Itadaki. Boy were we disappointed. First, let's talk ramen. I got a miso based broth and he got a spicy miso broth. Both broths tasted great, but there was hardly any of it in the tiny little bowl. Aside from that, the rest of the meal went downhill for both of us. Dried out pork, hardboiled egg with a gross powdery yolk (ps they only give you half an egg)... The list goes on. Now for the service. Pretty horrible! It was 90 degrees out so I finished my water within 2 minutes of getting it, but it wasn't refilled until close to the end of the meal. My boyfriend ordered a green tea that was also forgotten about until midway through the meal. Everything was slow even and we were hardly checked on even though the restaurant was dead. All of this for the price of $40. Needless to say we are never going back. /endrant
(2)Wilma O.
This is very mediocre, overpriced Japanese food, for such a good spot on Newbury St too, with an outdoor patio and cool bar space! Such a waste. The fare is fairly standard, and the experimental items I've tried have been pretty gross (like the sushi pizza - shudder). Don't get the sushi pizza!!!! I recently got lunch and this is what we tried: - Omurice - my friend liked it, but I feel this is relatively hard to mess up. It was a bit greasy but generally tasted alright. - Salmon teriyaki bento - so boring and blah!! The salmon piece was very meager - about 1/3 of what a place would usually serve. Then it came with standard, blah, not-quite-Japanese items: very fried shumai, cold hard California pieces, seaweed salad. Overall bleh!! Anyways, don't come here unless if you're starving to death on Newbury street or want an outdoor patio. There are better options all around. Note: I may be less strict and veer more towards 3 stars if this place weren't sitting right on Newbury street, where we should be showcasing Bostonian and high quality Japanese food!
(2)Eugene L.
The only place in Boston that makes Japanese Doria!! Doria is a western-influenced Japanese comfort food. It's a rice-and-meat baked casserole w béchamel sauce and cheese, and it's amazing. We went for dinner and it was perfect. The ambiance is nice w warm lighting and curtains that provide a cozier feeling at otherwise central tables. The food was great. Tempura was delicious and lightly breaded. The cream croquette was super creamy. Potstickers were nicely pan-fried. Sushi was well-done. The menu has some harder-to-find dishes on it along with some crazypants things like sushi pizza (which I gladly did not try). Definitely worth visiting!
(5)DJ N.
I can handle a mistake with the food. I lose it when the staff just SUCKS. I ordered uni to start my meal and the waiter somehow forgot to put the order in. I also ordered the shoyu ramen, and that came out without any issue. How was the shoyu? It was OK. It doesn't live up to whatever good things people have said about it. I needed more flavor. I asked for chili or spice and the waiter kept saying that adding something other than chili flakes would make it sour. Really??? Let me decide. He never brought out any additional chili. Boooooo!!! It feels like our waiter had majorly selective hearing. He heard bits and pieces and paid attention to what he wanted. He messed up our order and our bill. I honestly don't know what the potential of this place is, but my experience was not very good. Proceed with caution. #disappointed
(2)Laleh J.
I felt it was just okay. The outdoor seating and live music was nice but the food was otherwise fairly standard.
(3)Vanessa T.
Cute place on Beacon Street. Outdoor space to sit, downstairs bar and inside restaurant. Plenty of space inside and out. Reasonable priced dishes and drinks. Great selection of food and liquor. The staff is friendly and the bartender that works weekends is funny and upbeat. Will be back soon!
(4)Sylvia C.
We sat up at the sushi bar. Place had a relaxing vibe. Server was quick to greet and attentive throughout. We ordered several items to share: Cream Coquettes - well pureed creamy texture - sort of reminds me of fish cakes Fried Oysters - pleasantly plump Spider Maki - generous size topped with eel and spicy mayo sauce Salmon and Octopus Sashimi - decent quality and nicely cut Overall, we were pleased with the quality and service.
(4)Shaina P.
Ramen wasn't on the lunch menu, so I paid $14 + $ for extra pieces of pork. The pork slices were cold (must have been made the day before and not swished with the warm broth?), the egg was cold (and fully boiled, so no nice soft yolk), and the bowl was about the same size as a half-bowl that you can get at Moksa in Central Square for $9. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed.. Just another over-priced restaurant on Newbury delivering sub-par popular food. Not sure I would give it another go at a different time of day.
(2)Lulu A.
we held off from coming bc of the reviews. now we get it. sat at the bar for a quick roll. a cucumber roll. Friday night place is empty. a ton of waitresses congregating. literally like 15 min for the roll?!?! rice, subpar. shape of sushi? I could have rolled better. ordered a 2nd roll (for torture?!) it came quicker but just as bad. 2 stars bc we don't think we got food poisoning (yet...).
(2)Cecille R.
After an exhausting day of shopping on Newbury St. (hey, shopping should be a sport!) I decided to stop here for a super early bite to eat . Not to mention their deals on the chalkboard outside lured me in. Thankfully, there was no crowd since it was about 430p so I got a nice little table to myself in the corner. My waitress made some suggestions and showed me the options for udon bowls. I mentioned the happy hour deals on the food and she said that they were valid with purchase of a drink. So I opted for an udon bowl with shrimp tempura and fishcake, spicy tuna roll and a warm milk with Kahlua and cream. Everything came out pretty quickly. The udon bowl (they were generous with the noodles) hit the spot especially with the cold weather outside and was the perfect portion for one person. Shrimp tempura was plated and perfectly crispy. The spicy tuna roll was good but nothing out of the ordinary and pretty standard. The restaurant comes off kinda swanky but was totally cozy. My server was pretty attentive even though I really didn't need much in terms of service. There is also additional seating downstairs (which is where the restroom is located). This is one of those times where I lucked out being so impulsive with finding a place to eat! I would definitely eat here again!
(4)Elisa C.
Itadaki caught my eye as I walked down a very busy and lively Newbury Street during a Sunday afternoon. The outdoor seats were set up and filled and there was a line working for the next available table. If it was this crowded, it had to be good right? After speaking the hostess, I learned that the indoor seats were only by reservation and outdoor seats were first come first serve (and no leaving names!), so I couldn't stroll off for 10 minutes and expect my place to be held. Nonetheless, being a party of one, I got my table very quickly and the waitress immediately came by with water and a menu. I decided to forgo the lunch specials and went straight to the ramen offerings. There were 4 choices and 2 additional ones that simply added more meat for a few more dollars. I decided go with the Itadaki Shoyu Ramen, a classic noodle bowl that would sum up the quality of the restaurant. My ramen arrived speedily and it was a solid bowl of noodles. Plenty of noodles, half a hardboiled egg, two slices of charsu and naruto, a few pieces of bamboo shoots and plenty of greens. The broth was flavorful but it might have been over salted. The charsu was dry and chewy and the hardboiled egg was overcooked for my liking. Regardless it was a filing and good quality lunch. Overall the meal was barely under $14, which is pricey for a standard bowl of ramen anywhere, but the restaurant is located on Newbury Street so I expected that. I might come back again to try their donkatsu in the near future. Service; 5/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 Food: 3/5 Overall: 4/5
(4)Devon A.
Probably my favorite establishment in the city of Boston. AMAZING scorpion bowls. They are HUGE. Great for a big group of people Japanese themed establishment with some pretty good food items. Decent service and friendly bartenders. It's definitely a spot I visit "regularly"
(5)Lambert P.
We were walking on Newbury and decided to stop and eat here. We had preferred to eat outside and we did until it started to rain so everybody moved inside. I had ordered several rolls and the food was good but wasn't anything out of the ordinary as far as sushi and rolls goes. The service was good though and we had a nice dinner. One thing you can't help but notice are these absolutely huge drinks which people are sharing. I asked one person what was in it and there was a lot of alcohol and the drink is expensive but that's understandable because it's so damn huge. It ended up raining hard so we stayed longer after we were paid up for dinner and stuck around at the bar for a bit and my wife ended up having an espresso.
(3)Ami P.
alright sushi, not the best service. I had the vegetarian doria and nothing great, just rice and cheese on top- tasted kind of like a pizza with rice inside.
(3)Nick M.
AWFUL. I was looking for a different Japanese restaurant to treat my friend to, but unfortunately that one had closed down, and I was forced to bring her here since I didn't do enough planning. It seemed pretty busy, I figured there wasn't too much risk. This place was insulting is the only way I could put it. The service was not up to standard, but the really bad part was just the food itself. I got miso ramen, which was basically this bland soup with clearly no miso in it and instant ramen noodles. No I am not exaggerating, it was like they literally pulled out the noodles from Cup Ramen and threw it in this thing, it was awful. The cherry on top was this garbage cost around $15. My friend got Chicken Karage, which she wasn't satisfied with, at the $9 it cost she got about 7 pieces of chicken on a tiny plate. I feel so terrible I treated her to such an awful meal. I'll never come back.
(1)Kevin P.
I got this for a take-out, so I cannot comment on the service. However the food we ordered was mediocre. The sushi seemed a bit stale, and the portions were very small. Not that I am expecting large portions. Regardless of portions, sushi was not up to par for the price. We didn't order any noodles, or crazy scorpion bowls. Just note this is simply a review of the sushi we ordered: 1. Dragon Roll 2. Rainbow 3. Spicy Tuna 4. Spicy Salmon
(2)Sara M.
I went here for a birthday party after work and we shared a bunch of those huge fishbowls downstairs. It was a fun time. However, I was running errands on a Saturday in the area and decided to stop in for a late lunch/early dinner. It was quite empty and quiet so I sat at the bar. My server was adorably friendly and pleasant. I ordered green tea in a cute teapot, a (too) sweet alcoholic drink, karaage, and chashu miso ramen. I was brought a complimentary fruit salad in a martini glass with a too heavy white dressing; I ended up just picking out the mango, apple, and avocado. The karaage arrived and it wasn't crispy but still tasty with the traditional dipping sauce - good portion and could have been shared. The ramen looked small but ended up being just enough after all the other things I had just eaten. The noodles were springy and chewy, the broth was not too sticky or thick, and the chashu was not stringy. I wish the egg had been soft-boiled but I liked that it was included, along with corn and wakame. The pace of the meal was a bit slow for being so empty but I enjoyed it anyway. The price was a bit higher than I would have liked but...Newbury Street. I will definitely be back for my ramen fix since this is much closer than Pikaichi.
(4)Victoria H.
Tried the salmon sushi pizza... The rice was very heavily battered with a weird grainy texture beneath it. It was definitely oily and very heavy. The overall salmon sashimi placed on top was outstanding and very fresh, but this place still doesn't win me over. My friends tried the ramen. It did not appear to be a winner either, especially with only offering hard-boiled over soft-boiled eggs. (Easy fix, don't you think?!) The decor was a lot nicer than what I expected. The seating is separated by these curtains so you get a sense of privacy (and claustrophobia, lol). Service was great, but it can't win a repeat customer over mediocre food.
(3)Ria S.
I like the variety and experiments of sushi plates this place has.
(4)Tin H.
We were going to local mei noodle on Gloucester at but was closed since September! So we saw this place and give a try ! Great lunch special and I had sweet potato tempura were amazing ! I also had vegetarian Doria also very good ! Will def be back !!
(5)Will G.
The food is absolutely amazing the ppl are great and very down to earth overall a great place great food and even better service bartenders are awesome cooks are great servers are very friendly and the dishes are superb
(5)Judy K.
Food here is alright... Not the best sushi place and def not the place to get Japanese food. I've had some of their basic rolls and it's not so bad. I've also had their basic salad and it literally looked like a teenager tossed it together and put it on her mother's plate. Not impressive. The menu has changed quite a bit and now it has some fancy salads, but those are too expensive and so so so tiny! I wouldn't come here for the food. I come here for the fish bowl. It's the best fish bowl I've ever had and it is GINORMOUS. It has over 40 different types of alcohol and they put lychees in there, which are my favorite part! It soaks up the alcohol, but still sweet like a lychee should be! The drink is super delicious, I feel like I'm not drinking alcohol at all! Those are the drinks you have to be careful of though because you think you're drinking juice, but a few minutes later, you're feeling GREAT haha! Both the blue and the red one is good so don't worry about which one to choose. Half a fishbowl can be good for 2-3 ppl and the full sized is good for 4-5!
(3)Edward L.
I've never seen sushi this dry and stringy in my life. Didn't take long to get a stomach ache. Prices were high, even for Newbury, but made more sense when the dishes came and it was clear how American-sized the portions were. The sushi rice wasn't sushi rice, but the same plain rice that came in a bowl with my sushi, which was confusing in and of itself. Sake selection was huge, though I didn't order any. Cocktails were pricey so I didn't end up ordering one ($13-$14 for a pretty simple drink). I would definitely never return here or recommend it, but I'll assign the restaurant two stars for having prompt, friendly service.
(2)Jenny K.
Itadaki was a little disappointing. The ramen was poor: the broth was nothing near what ramen should be, and the noodles were soggy. Not to mention an eyelash floating in the bowl. The rolls were so-so, but overpriced.
(1)Leyani L.
When i came to Itadaki i mainly stayed in their bar area which is basically located on their basement. The bar was cool. Then i was taken upstairs by the owner just to take a peek at their actual restaurant and that was beautiful. The curtains that devide the tables make it seem very intimate.
(5)Amanda Y.
The place is terrible. I ordered a miso ramen and the ramen was not well cooked. It tasted like stone. In short It's a low-end Japanese restaurant.
(1)Jason A.
Very average sushi.
(2)Dee R.
Absolutely terrible food, service, and price. Extremely expensive for sushi that falls apart, ramen that taste like instant ramen but cost $17, and snotty service. The hostess, who is supposed to welcome you, yelled at us for following her because she wasn't ready, then barely acknowledged us. Can't wait for them to go out of business so something else can open up in its place. Not worth it at all.
(1)Olivia B.
Finally a Izakaya place in Boston! Great selections of small tapa style Japanese food. And they sell Sapporo by the pitcher. Watching the game in there numerous tv's and sipping sapporo draft beef with a yakitori platter.... Thank what I call heaven. There sushi is quite authentic and nice too.
(5)Jing Z.
Ramen was meh.. Ingredients were not too fresh. Downstairs have some kind of smell. We made a mistake and ordered sushi, it was terrible, the lobster meat seems frozen and the tuna was weird. The only plus side is the outdoor settin in the nice summer day.
(2)Lillian C.
It was a nice day out and wait at other places on Newbury were about an hour... We decided to try this place out since there was no wait and we were seated promptly. Service was fast and friendly. I ordered a ramen, but when it came... there was like no broth. It was vey strange... and perhaps not the usual. It seemed like they just forgot to add more water since the broth was extra salty and literally didn't even cover my noodles. The rest of the group enjoyed their food, but I didn't think it was anything special. We also ordered a pitcher of sangria and that was good. However, there are just so many other places I would eat besides here...
(2)Alex C.
I don't know what is wrong with these 5 star comments but I went there to eat today and it was a rip off. $9.50 for 3 PIECES of sashimi?! Are you kidding me?! The sushi is overpriced and there is way better place in Boston where you can eat better and cost less. Also..$3 just for a cup of PEPSI?! Like why don't you just go robe a bank?? The ramen soup was really salty, the service was bad, it took forever for my friends sandwich to come. Furthermore, when we left, the workers just stared at us like they hated us so much. I'm never going back to this place EVER AGAIN!
(1)L F.
On a recent Sunday night I was chilling in Back Bay and had the urgent need to fill my stomach with ramen. Seeing that I was so far far away from my FAVORITE ramen joint my boyfriend and I decided to give Itadaki a try. Although we made a reservation there was no wait for a table. The ambiance is cute: very Japanese. The ramen was pretty average. There wasn't anything about it that blew me away, hence the 3 star rating. I also thought the prices were a bit steep for what we got. I think it was around $14-17 per dish of ramen. We did also order the gyoza which were quite delicious. I'm actually interested to go back for their brunch menu. They seem to have some interesting offerings: red bean filled waffles.
(3)K T.
The yakitori is a good choice. My friends usually get chicken while I like the pork belly and sausage (it's chinese sausage). I think the seasoning they use on the yakitori is a bit too salty for me, though. The entrees are OK, I haven't sampled any sushi yet. I love the Calpico Sake, never thought that was a pairing. I got it with lychee Calpico. Their happy hour deals are nice, especially the oysters. This place is right around the corner from my apt so it's super convenient.
(3)James A.
So made a reservation at 10pm, thinking since they are open until 1am it wouldn't be a problem... It was! They didn't want to honor the res and said they would sit us but made it sound like a major inconvenience. Decided it wasn't worth it so just left. Can't comment on food, just very disappointed!
(1)Ed G.
I eat at Itadaki every time I come to Newbury Street. The menu is robust and creative. The sashimi is always fresh, and I love the outdoor setting. Today I had salmon and roe (Parent and child) on a bed of sushi rice, Oyako Don. Don't forget the glass of wine!
(4)Yale B.
My friends and I were a party of 5 and we rushed in for a quick sushi dinner. We are from New York and have tried many quality sushi restaurants in New York. Itadaki successfully managed to appease our taste buds in the same manner that we have been used to for New York style sushi. The menu had a lot of options and one order just simply not enough. Not to mention, the prices were incredibly reasonable! Everyone got at least two sushi rolls. My friend even tried the noodle bowl which was delicious. The sushi had great flavor and the shrimp tempura was a great amount of crisp. The service was quick and we were able to have a nice meal and chat at the same time because of the calm and soothing ambience. Although there was a party of 6 next to us, there was plenty of space to hear each other and not feel crammed. I would definitely go here again if i were to visit Boston and be around Newbury St.
(4)John G.
Having lived in Japan for a few months I am slightly bias when it comes to reviewing Japanese cuisine. With that said, I have no patience for a place that serves instant ramen noodles in a $13 dish that is advertised as 'ramen'. Not to mention a bland broth of a disturbingly brown color (tasted like saltwater). If the dishes here were priced at $4-6 I would consider giving it two stars, but they're not and so I have no choice but to vilify this establishment. During my weeklong stay in Boston this was by far the worst meal.
(1)Jennifer Y.
My friend purchased a gilt city voucher for ramen and drinks. The restaurant was not very packed on a Thursday evening despite the nice decorations and interior design-it's a nice cozy atmosphere. However, I think our experience could be better. The voucher never stated that we had 2 ramen options to choose from which really caught us by surprise. I decided to get the most expensive ramen for a try BUT we were told that we could only choose 2 bowls! WHAT!? First of all, there wasn't much variety to choose from and secondly, the voucher deal did not specifically state that we could only choose from 2 selections out of the 5 ramen choices that they had. I was quite disappointed. Second of all, our server seemed ambiguous throughout that evening; he didn't seem to know the answer to the questions nor did his answers made any sense so he told us about 4 times he will get back to us after discussing with the manager. He didn't seem like he had the confidence so he relied on his manager but I'd understand if he just started the position (it's not easy). The communication between the server and the managers needs improvement. The manager chimes in and we didn't know who was serving us; the server and/or the manager. I opted to not get the drink so asked them if I could substitute that for a dessert. They said no BUT then they said they will give us a complementary dessert and also a drink. O.o? So basically, I had the option to get a drink + a dessert for free. Seriously, that was really confusing since I just wanted one or the other! I couldn't pass on their offer so I said I'll order a green tea, but later changed my drink order for a iced latte instead. Next thing you know, the server brings over a ice latte AND green tea while I only asked for one!!! Ai yi yi..the server was even more confused and eventually I was drinking an ice latte and green tea. Did the manager hear what I said when she was taking down my order? The ramen was mediocre-the chashu was bland and tasteless. I would probably go to pikachu in Brighton for ramen if I were you.
(2)Ays M.
I think they have one of the best sushi in Boston. They are always nice and the environment is always nice too. I love Itadaki
(5)Meg C.
Really overpriced food, nothing special at all. The waiter was really forgetful and the food wasn't that flavorful. They have a large selection of alcoholic drinks, but unfortunately the drinks we wanted on tap were out. We ordered ramen extra spicy and the waiter dropped it off saying if we wanted more spice he will bring some more hot sauce later. When we did request more, we were told they were out. Why offer it if you ran out? We had to ask three times for water.
(1)Lauren N.
I came here with my boyfriend on a quiet night back in March. To start, we shared a sweet potato tempura roll, which was very good. Then we both got different Ramen bowls, which we both really enjoyed. Because it was a slow night, the service was good, and the food was out quickly. We will definitely be here again when we are back in Boston!
(4)Betty S.
Wow, wow, wow delicious food!!! Welcoming attentive staff and beautiful ambiance. Every item out of the kitchen looked like a piece of art. Every morsel I ate was better then the one before. I can not wait to go back. This is my new favorite restaurant. I plan to bring all my friends and family for a truly special night. Boston Betty!!!
(5)Lily H.
A friend and I decided to give the place a shot for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. We were immediately greeted at the door and seated up stairs. The inside is fancy, the ambiance is nice, and it's what you'd expect from a Newbury St. restaurant. The presentation of the food was beautiful. With that being said, I really wanted to like this place, but the food was just okay. I ordered the spicy yellowtail roll ($8) and for $5 extra it came with soup, salad, and dessert. Btw, their pastry chef is no longer there so we were given tempura fried bananas over a chocolate drizzle by default. My friend ordered Omu rice ($15) which didn't even have any meat or one single pea inside, which was served with a side of soggy fries. The fries actually looked good, golden, and crispy so I asked to try one and when I reached for it, it plopped over. I didn't even bother tasting it. I know Japanese restaurants don't specialize in french fries, but if you're going to serve it, then at least make it decent! On the brighter side, the miso soup and ginger-dressing salad was tasty - if I had eaten just that I'd give the place 5 stars for food. But sadly, we found it to be not worth the value, and a disappointment overall.
(3)Anna T.
This is a good place to go drink and people watch, nothing more. If you eat here you might feel left out of the party that is happening at any number of the better restaurants around you on Newbury St. The service is extra friendly, however.
(2)Trinh N.
I love the food here. Last time I came and got "Dragon Rolls", and it was absolutely much more delicious than many sushi restaurants I've ever tried before. The price was also good for that delicious dish. But the only thing that I didn't like about the restaurant was: its hard to find a waitress whenever I want them. They stand in front of the door, and just go to your table every 10-15 mins. But they were nice tho. Btw, I would be here again.
(4)Tasty Bee Review S.
It was great! Spicy tuna avocado salad was fantastic! Service was fast and very friendly. The host (a young guy) enjoyed talking to customers.
(5)d f.
Bottomline: Friendly but inesperienced service, average expensive Boston prices, poor atmosphere, good food but not great, not particularly enjoyable. Not competitive with other nearby places. Went here for a dinner. The host was not to be found -- had to tap her on the shoulder to get attention even though restaurant was not at capacity or that busy. Took a seat at the sushi bar upstairs. It was a mess and not cleaned up. Even the space next to me took 20 minutes to get cleaned up. Soy sauce was all over the counter surface so had to be careful not to get stains. I needed to remind a server that I would like an opportunity to order food. The sushi chef finally called one over to help me. Food was good, but the experience was bad. Not a fan.
(2)Christine S.
I love this place! Best sushi on Newbury! The fish in their sushi rolls is always fresh and the rice is never hard or old. Unlike a lot of Asian restaurants that serve you ginger dressing on iceberg lettuce, Itadaki's green salad is made with mixed greens and fresh veggies. I love eating here because I know the food is fresh and of good quality. I really like the vibe of this place too, it has a modern sleek design and doesn't feel cramped like some restaurants on Newbury do. The wait staff here is very attentive and friendly. I always enjoy eating here :)
(5)Cristina R.
The Sangria here is lovely. Sitting outside on Newbury on a warm summer night, Itadaki is a wonderful spot to meet up with friends over drinks or have a drink with a date. Note: I emphasize drinking here not eating the food. The food was lackluster to bad with being pricey as the cherry on top. My husband and I ordered the seaweed salad, lamb chops, seared hamachi roll and ocha-zuke between us. The lamb chops were just bad. The meat was tough and tasteless. The salmon on the ocha-zuke was decent but the rice was soaked in fish sauce making the rest of the dish a fishy inedible mess. The seaweed salad was standard but cost twice as much as any other restaurant. All in all, stop in for a drink but utterly skip the food.
(1)Kyoko U.
This place is surprisingly chic in an area that's a lovely European-style brick neighborhood. Great combination if you ask me! My friend and I ate on their patio. Sushi was super fresh (definitely recommend the dragon roll) and they have this huge sake selection, so we had the server recommend one of the sakes. Service was friendly too. Definitely will try to come back.
(5)Justin S.
I also believe that the amount of 5 star, heck even 3 or 4 star reviews of this place must be inflated. My girlfriend and I, like many other people stumbled upon this place as we were strolling around Newbury St. We sat down excited, and left extremely disappointed. 1. Our waiter seemed more like a Gym Membership or Used Car Salesman than a waiter. He would not stop trying to up-sell us on everything. We made the mistake of asking for "2" sparkling waters--he brought us 2 large VOSS bottles ($8 each) which by the way are not on the menu so you have no idea you are about to spend $16 on water. For reference, Morton's, Ruths Chris, Teatro, any other "fine dining" is going to charge you a tops of $6 a bottle....anyhow... 2. Portions... WOW. I ordered the chicken kara-age for starters....there must have been a whopping 1.5 oz of chicken...there. The miso soup was cold, bland and disgusting. When I pointed this out to the waiter he explained to me that they serve "a lot of old people who are salt conscious because of their blood pressure" LOL! Riiiiiight....at a Japanese place... 3. The tables outside teetered like a drunk BU girl leaving Saint. It was simply impossible to eat without the table rocking back and forth--when we asked for some assistance with it we were told "there's nothing we can do." 4. Not that I generally ever mind this; but clearly some of the runners seemed stoned...I couldn't communicate with one because he just looked at me and kept saying "huh??, and then he would pull out his cell phone look at it and ask: what did you need? sorry I am a little out of it." So over all bottom line this place SUCKS. Over priced with pushy-annoying waitstaff, bland food and minuscule 1980's minimalist portions. STAY AWAY.
(1)Mariano D.
*** THE NUMBER OF 5 STAR REVIEWS SEEMS INFLATED. *** "Lemme tell ya' something, ya' suspect. Yeah you. I don't know what your reputation is in this town, but after the sh!t you tried to pull today, you can bet I'll be looking into you." - Ben Affleck, "Good Will Hunting" With that said, I wanted to check this place out for myself ($20 - $30) before bringing my wife there ($75 - $100). The location, decor, and overall vibe are what you would expect to find in this area. The hostesses and waitstaff were friendly and attentive as well. Blah, blah, blah... Looks good... let's get to the food. I ordered a Kirin Ichiban draft ($6), a spicy tuna roll ($8), and a shrimp tempura roll ($9). The menu is very limited, but the waitress mentioned that it would be expanded in the future. I eat sushi ALL THE TIME and can usually get an idea of what a place is all about within a couple of bites. Don't get me wrong, the presentation was quite nice, but I don't eat with my eyes. The beer was cold. The spicy tuna roll wasn't spicy. The shrimp tempura roll was bland. Overall: Meh. Why? Expensive... Bland... Expensive. Ya' suspect.
(2)Matt S.
I've been here twice now and sampled a fair bit of the small menu. The cocktail menu is pretty exciting with plenty of Asian twists on standard drinks : I tried the Lychee dog (Gin with a Lychee liquor) and thought it was great. The Sushi Pizza, their "signature dish" gets points for being fun. The crust is made of deep-fried rice and is topped with salmon. I enjoyed the pairing of textures here but the overall taste of the dish fell a bit short - in the end we preferred the Sushi rolls - the caterpillar roll was tasty (and very pretty to look at!). The sushi plates are rather small (and not cheap!) - unless you're not very hungry, you'll probably need at least 3 plates to serve 2. For dessert, the green tea creme brulee is both inventive and delicious. Likewise, the Earl Grey panna cotta...yum. I usually don't order custards/puddings for dessert but I'd order either one of these again. However, I'd pass on the flourless chocolate cake - it was dry and forgettable. Meh! So all in all, I like Itadaki - it does have some flaws; namely, it is a bit expensive (hello Newbury Street). On the other hand, the chefs seem willing to take an over-done idea (Sushi) and go out on a limb and try some new things to make the menu a bit more exciting. And I like that - I'll definitely be looking forward to see what their expanded menu has on it.
(4)Allen W.
Visited a couple weeks ago which I think was pretty close to when they opened. You could tell there were some issues of a new place. Tried ordering the sushi pizza thing but were told that they didn't have all the ingredients to make it. Granted, this was at like 5:30pm and we were only one of a couple tables there. We ordered four rolls instead and it took awhile to arrive. And to my surprise, each roll came on a separate plate and was individually presented. On a small table for two, four plates was hard to juggle. Seemed really odd for a sushi place -- usually multiple roll orders are plated together .... maybe we weren't supposed to order more than one roll per person (?). The rolls tasted good. They were served with a side of french fried onions which also struck me as odd ... but I enjoyed eating them, so I won't complain. Server was energetic and friendly, but admitted that he doesn't eat sushi. Um, great -- then I won't really trust your recommendations ;-)
(3)Lis H.
I wish this had been great. We came by for lunch on a beautiful day because it had tables open outside. We were seated quickly and ordered, but had no sign of food for nearly half an hour (despite being one of only 3 occupied tables). My date got his food, the chicken teryaki crepe, and it was delicious... however my food took an additional 20 minutes to arrive, long after he'd finished his. My food sounded delicious (the pork katsu sandwich) but turned out to be an incredibly gristly, lukewarm breaded chunk of pork on wonderbread with wilted iceberg and a massive amount of mayo. When we complained about its quality, the server became defensive and argued. We will NOT be returning.
(1)Rob T.
Nice spot for sunday lunch, food was decent, staff were very pleasant.
(4)Leah I.
Boyfriend and I have been watching and waiting for Itadaki to open and we got our chance to go last night. It was a lovely evening so we sat outside on their lovely patio (great for people watching!) Their menu isn't super extensive which is kind of nice as I think sometimes sushi places can be overwhelming with the choices. Boyfriend tried to order the sushi pizza (apparently a house specialty?) but they were out. So, he settled on a Spider roll and a Spicy tuna roll. I ordered the tempura entrée (shrimp and veggies), and we started with edamame. The edamame was fresh and delicious and not too salty - just right! I saw some yummy looking cocktails going by as we snacked but opted out. However, from what I could see they also had a pretty good wine and beer list. Boyfriend's rolls came out and looked wonderful. If you've never had a Spider roll it's certainly something to behold. My tempura followed and also looked fabulous. The food was good (boyfriend was very fond of his sushi rolls, and I had some of the spicy tuna one - awesome!), although I found the tempura batter to be a bit "doughy," which I'm not judging on but thought I'd mention. I prefer it crispy, so maybe it's just me. I was literally picking some of the dough off the veggies because there was so much of it. However the veggies underneath were fresh and tasty. My only real issue with Itadaki was that I had to order a side of rice with my tempura, which I found to be a bit odd since pretty much every place I've ordered a tempura entrée has come with some side of rice. Now, I wouldn't really think anything of it but the entrée alone was $20, and the rice was another $3 ($4 for sushi rice). I think that's a little pricy. Maybe I'm making a big deal out of this, but $23 for 3 shrimp, some veggies and a side of rice is quite a bit, in my opinion. All in all, I'm pretty sure we'll be back. I don't know what the inside looks like but the food was pretty good and no major complaints. They just opened (literally like a week ago) so I'd definitely be willing to go back.
(3)Rosie C.
This place was very disappointing. Ambience. Not so great. The sushi quality was very poor. Even the edamame was gross, how is that possible? It somehow tasted raw and overcooked at the same time. Like flavorless mush. I would rather buy maki from Whole Foods than eat here again. The service was good, waitress was nice.
(2)Cee L.
So after reading the reviews and walking by a few times I took the plunge to eat at itadaki. I believe that some of the reviews that give the restaurant low scores don't seem to take into consideration that (1) the restaurant is not officially open yet, and (2) they admittedly do not have a full menu available until they sort their kinks out. The waitress informed me that they would be having their grand opening in a month or so. Now to the dishes. I was VERY impressed with the will of Allie, our waitress, to find out about the details of the ingredients in our food. I am indian-ish vegetarian (no meat/chicken/fish/eggs, dairy ok) and she e.g. informed me that the Agedashi Tofu was vegan except for the sauce which had fish. She informed me that other vegans enjoyed it with just soy sauce and that I did! It was very fresh, very well prepared Tofu. To accompany my tofu I also ordered a side of sushi rice which Allie suggested I accompany with some nori to roll the rice and dip in some sauces. My potentially boring vegetarian meal turned into a pretty fun meal! This coupled with the avocado-cucumber rolls was great! I also do not understand the issue that some people have raised about prices. It is not cheap bc it is not cheap sushi in a third-class restaurant in Nebraska. We are talking, in my opinion, a fresh new perspective on Japanese food on Newbury street. I did not find the prices any better or worst than other places around and the quality was ten times better than other sushi-like restaurants around Newbury or at this level. My s/o got the spicy tuna rolls and she swore they were the best she has had. The spider rolls she got were very pretty looking and apparently very tasty as well. She also said the Dragon Roll was solid but spicy tuna took the gold. The drinks (saketinis) are quite fun and a nice addition to the typical beer/wine available in Newbury. Having a nice Kirin is a plus. Allie, our waitress, came through again in the dessert area. She dutifully found out which desserts did not have egg. It turned out the only egg-free dessert was the Earl Grey panna cotta that I had heard was amazing... BUT, it had gelatin :( I was glad she informed me about this, however. My s/o and her friend got the creme brûlée and the panna cotta and they raved about it. They said beside the delicious rolls, the desserts were the best. Although they seemed to like the Lychee dog saketinis as well. I think this restaurant deserves a solid 4 to 4.5 stars given that it is still gathering momentum and not "fully open". I think the prices are ok for the area but I wish they were a bit discounted during their trial period (more incentive to try the whole menu). I think Allie, our wonderful waitress pushed this experience to the 5-star range.
(5)Jaleesa H.
A friend and I went by here last night and was blown away ! We literally went for the huge scorpion bowl ( blue is the best ) ! and were so pleased. Food came out in good time and the customer service was over the top ! It's so rare you feel WANTED at a resturant on Newbury. i would highly recommend this place for patio eats , good drinks, and great customer service :)
(5)Tara S.
Stopped by this place last week around 10ish for a few drinks and something light to eat. The menu was limited, but I understand they've just opened and will be adding more soon. I ordered pretty basic fish rolls, one spicy tuna and one spicy himachi. I thought they were fabulous. Much 'fancier' than what you usually get for such a basic roll. the portions were great, and the fish had a super-fresh great flavor. They also included a little stack of tempura crumbs next to the wasabi and ginger, which I loved. We also tried the fruit tart for dessert, and it was fantastic. This place does not outsource their desserts- I asked. They actually have an in-house pastry chef, which is damn near unheard of anywhere other than Finale. You could tell the tart was amazingly fresh- it didn't have that thin layer of unflavored gelatin on top of it to preserve it. All in all, I thought the food was great and the prices were extremely reasonable for the area. We had a great waitress and the food came out faster than I've ever gotten sushi before. I will definitely consider this my go-to for sushi in Back Bay.
(4)Melissa C.
I am a regular at Itadaki. The service as well as the quality of the food is always fantastic. The rising sun, spicy tuna and the volcano are some of my favorite sushi rolls. The spicy tuna comes as hot as you want, they have an in house spicy sauce that gives it a kick yet it tastes delicious. Try the mango mami or geishas kiss as far as cocktails, and they have this HUGE scorpion bowl thats filled with a ton of alcohol and fruit juices- delicious ! I highly suggest this restaurant if you want fresh sushi and great service ! Oh, and the patio is great for people watching !
(5)jenny z.
Service: The service was pretty average -- everyone was nice enough but nothing spectacular. Service: 3 Environment : awful this place always smells like an unclean bathroom, the tables are sticky, and it is perpetually empty. Environment: 1 Food: the portion size is tiny -- tapas size but with an entree price. I got a scorpion bowl the second time I came here -- it was a huge portion for 40 dollars but it was also the a very lack luster scorpion bowl -- very watered down and not enough juice or alcohol. Food : 2
(2)Jessica C.
Stopped to eat here on a hungry whim and I know I'll be back. There were a few quirks about eating here, but the hostess mentioned that this restaurant is new, so maybe they'll work them out. One, they use iphone apps to keep track of their orders, and that's fine if it works, but mine got mixed up. The server brought something I didn't order. It wasn't a problem though, because they let me eat both and comped the mistake. It was all so tasty I cleaned my whole plate. Two, they brought all of the food at once. We got progressively hungrier waiting for our food, which is great, but then the server showed up with soup, salads and entrees all at once. It would have been nice to space it out. But like I said, those are minor things, especially considering how insanely tasty this food is. Please eat here; I want them to succeed so I can come back when I'm in the neighborhood again. Itadakimas!
(4)Adrian H.
After walking by many times, I finally checked out Itadaki when I was struck at 10pm with a sudden craving for sushi. The sushi pizza, which is an unusual menu item for Boston, was delicious - it had just the right amount of crispiness while avoiding being greasy. I also tried the spicy yellowtail rolls, which were very tasty. The sushi isn't a bargain, but it is very fairly priced given the quality, neighborhood, and ambience. One of the owners was actually working the bar the night I went, and was extremely welcoming and taking good care of everyone there. I was talked out of ordering plain sake and instead had a sake mojito, which turned out to be a great choice. I'd recommend Itadaki both for the food and for the bar / lounge area downstairs which is a welcome respite from the contrived bar scene along Bolyston and Newbury. It'd make a good date spot, as well a good place to bring a group. I'm looking forward to going back to try more of the non-sushi japanese tapas dishes which are supposed to be their specialty; I'll hold out on the the final star until a second visit, but I'm very optimistic.
(4)Valerie T.
I have never in my life complained about the service at a restaurant until I ate here. I went with my boyfriend and his friend and we were eventually seated on the patio, after waiting 5 minutes for a host to appear. The server was totally inept and at first we laughed about it.. but then my boyfriend's food came out (30 minutes after ordering it - and it was fish and chips.. how long does it take to drop some fries and battered fish?) and the other two sushi entrees were nowhere to be found. On top of that, our server virtually disappeared, so we had no one to ask.. and I desperately needed another glass of wine if I was going to have to deal with such awful service. :) No such luck - 20 minutes after the fish and chips came out, we were able to inquire about the other entrees and were told that they 'only had 2 sushi chefs so ticket times were long'. I wouldn't have been half as annoyed if they hadn't brought out one entree without the other two - and our server never even stopped by to explain ANYTHING. I'm a server at a busy Boston restaurant and I understand things can get wild and crazy, especially when short-staffed - but this was totally unacceptable. The manager ended up comping half the bill after nervously explaining the situation. I don't care how many sushi chefs you have on (which I actually don't even believe was the problem) - the server could have stopped by the table and at least tried to amend the situation. If I had read these reviews before trying this place, i NEVER would have gone. The service is legitimately horrible.
(1)T L.
The server was nice, but uninformed. We asked for recommendations and she said she's never tried any of the food. The food was pricey, poorly executed and bland. We had the clam chowder, yamakake, ocha-zuke, uni croquettes, and beef tornado wrap. The beef was over-cooked, the Japanese yams were mealy, and the croquettes were luke warm. I'm never going back.
(1)Kiki G.
I just left Itadaki and had an extremely unsettling experience. I come here frequently with my friends after work but was refused service by several employees. At first, I sat for approximately 15 minutes without being serviced. I was checking emails on my iPad so didn't notice until i looked up and checked the time. I got up and asked one of the bar backs for a drink and he told me "I don't service that area". That's fine I guess, but when I asked who was I was greeted with an attitude and rude response which quickly escalated to the horror of the other patrons surrounding me. Finally the bar back took my menu, stating that he wouldn't be serving me tonight. At this point I'm thoroughly confused. The manager, a young woman walks out and asks what's going on. I explained the situation to her and she responded with, "I just don't understand what's going on" -- but I had just told her. Finally she agreed to make me a drink whereupon she explained that she would have to charge me for the drink first -- WHAT?! Anyways, I accepted her offer, finished my drink and left. I'm not sure if this was racial or if all off the staff at Itadaki was simply remiss of the principals of customer service at that particular time, but I do know that I will never be returning. I did leave a tip, and I'm also leaving this one. Judging someone simply on their appearance is never acceptable.
(1)Molly W.
Sunday Brunch: Pitcher of red wine sangria (3 stars) Eel bento box (4 stars) Green tea mochi ice cream (3 stars) I really wanted to like this place but it just fell short. The front outdoor patio embraces everything that is Newbury Street--modern and chic with elegant umbrellas and tables perfect for Sunday brunch and people watching. The eel bento box came with just amount of food. It came with eel over rice, miso soup, salad, 1 shumai, 1 egg, 5 edamame, 1 crab stick, and some pickled vegetables. The miso soup was standard. The mixed greens with ginger dressing rather than iceberg lettuce was a nice touch. The eel was tender and flavorful, awesome with the soft white rice. The sides added good variety but were bland on their own. The sangria was also standard, nothing to write about. However, there really wasn't much in it. It barely filled four 1/2 glasses because it was so packed with ice cubes. Our servers were either new and undertrained or inept. They are too laid back and our waitress was terrible on timing our food and bill. One waiter brought drinks from another table to us by acicdent and our waitress brought my ice cream dessert while I was still working on the second half of my bento box. My ice cream was half-melted when I got to it. She also brought our bill within 5 minutes of bringing out the ice cream UNPROMPTED..while I was still munching on my bento box. Hm.. Will I be back again? Eh... It needs to shape up a little in food and lot in service. The location and eel saved it from 2 stars.
(3)Leanna P.
Service was very slow. Small portions for adequate food.
(2)Kristen L.
Went for dinner this week. The staff was really friendly and service was great. We ate sushi rolls and they were pretty awesome! I have a few favorite sushi spots and this one is now one of them. Our favorites were the Dragon and Mango rolls. They have a good variety of specialty rolls. I can't speak to any of the sashimi or nigiri, but the rolls were great! I'll definitely be going back.
(5)S V.
Warmest service on Newbury Street. Great food. Fantastic drinks. Stunning patio.
(5)David C.
This place was entirely underwhelming. I passed by this restaurant several weeks ago and eagerly anticipated my first dining experience after reading several 5 star reviews on Yelp. After dining here tonight, I have to say that the people who left these 5 star reviews are either employees/relatives of the owner of Itadaki or, at the very least, gastronomic lightweights who have never had good Japanese food. I don't know where to begin, so here's a list of my observations: 1. Space was nice, outdoor patio and 2 levels of indoor seating 2. The menu was extremely limited, and what was on the menu looked like what you would find at any typical fast food japanese takeout counter (teriyaki, tempura, katsu, and several unimpressive sushi rolls). 3. The price was absurd for the quality of food we were being served. I love good Japanese food and have no problem spending money on quality product (Oishii, Oya, Uni at Clio are my favorite sushi places in Boston), but we paid $150 tonight for what resembled supermarket sushi and for katsu and teriyaki that you could probably make better yourself at home. Side note: I ordered a chicken teriyaki (which I generally hate ordering since its such a generic, throwaway dish, but the menu REALLY is that limited). They charged me $21 (for chicken teriyaki?!!) that didn't even come with a side of rice, which I had to pay an extra $3 for... absurd 4. I'm an adventurous eater, but if you're looking for things you've never had before, you won't find any on this menu. What they do have here is generic (westernized?) Japanese cuisine, done poorly and extremely overpriced. Apparently, their menu is set to expand once they fully open up their space and hire additional staff, but if their current menu is any indication of the quality of food to be expected, I advise you let other people be the first guinea pigs. 5. Service was mediocre, nothing to rave or complain about. 6. Basically, if you're looking for good japanese food, there are several better options. You'll get better food, more selection, and certainly more bang for your buck. Even douzo (my local sushi place with comparable price points) is considerably better than this sorry excuse for a Japanese restaurant. Generally, I agree with Yelp contributors on their ratings for most restaurants. However, after being conned into coming here by several overzealous reviews, I can only say that these contributors need to broaden their culinary exposure by trying some authentic Japanese food before spewing such diabetic, undeserved praise onto Itadaki, which is an absolute sham of a Japanese dining experience.
(1)E M.
Good location. Seems like a good idea with those big scorpion fish bowls but you can tell it's made with the cheapest alcohol around after just one sip.
(2)Mona N.
Tourist trap. I was walking along Newbury Street for the first time and wanted to grab lunch. There were long lines at a lot of other places and I was super hungry and saw a few empty tables at Itadaki. That should have been a clue. The outdoor seating area was great - perfect spot for people watching on a warm sunny day. That's about it. I ordered the Cape Codder roll (seared scallop, crab meat, asparagus, shiso with spicy mayo) and it was just meh. Too much mayo (I had to scrape it off) and it was missing the shiso. Service was soooo slow and the restaurant wasn't even full. The miso soup had nice seaweed in it but the broth was bland - not enough miso. My green tea mochi ice cream tasted like it had fake green tea flavoring and worse: it was smothered with a watery chocolate sauce. Disappointed with my meal that happened to be in a nice setting. Come here for a drink if you can sit outside. Skip the food unless you're a starving desperate tourist.
(2)Pam W.
Two words: chewy salmon. Yes, raw chewy salmon! Don't do it. You'll find a better place spinning on one heel and randomly pointing in a direction, any direction.
(1)Kristen B.
Absolutely terrible service. We were sitting at a table for 20 minutes before we even got a glass of water. Took over an hour and a half to get food with no real apologies or explanations from the waitress. Talked to the manager and all she said is she would try to rush things (after 1.5 hours). Really frustrated with the experience considering that the restaurant was half-empty and it seemed like nobody cared about our service experience.
(1)Elissa S.
I went to Itadaki last night with a group of friends to celebrate! The drinks were amazing and the bartenders were wonderful. Their drink menu is unique and there is something for everyone. I tried the Plum flower....i definitely recommend it. We also had the japanese strawberry shortcake for dessert. Also delicious. I look forward to dining there soon.
(5)Sarah N.
I love this place. Their "suicide" spicy tuna is amazing. I've always had good service here and go back once a week.
(5)Raffaella G.
When there on a Saturday night and got the scorpion bowl. WELL WORTH IT! The scorpion was tasty and strong with fresh lychee and oranges, definately got the job down! We were at the lower level part of the restaurant with the bar had very cool paintings and art on the walls. Found myself back on newbury st sunday afternoon and decided to check if the food was any good. got the brunch special. came with entree (i got the chicken sandwhich that was like a fried chicken cutlet with light sweet sauce on toasted bread) soup salad and dessert. Got seated on the patio had two cocktails and people watched for an hour or so while i enjoyed the food and company of my friends. Servers were friendly and very easily available. Bill came out to only about 20$ for myself and i left full and happy. would go back and try their lunch specials and i would definitely go back and have another scorpion bowl before hitting the town!
(4)John P.
Went with some friends on a Saturday night. I was blown away by how dead the place was, even when we were there at 7:00--I suppose I now understand why. Service was barely adequate. Our waiter came off very cold and grumpy, and with gratuity added for us, we weren't able to monetarily voice our opinion (look at it this way: the service didn't deserve the 18% tip). He was also incapable of splitting a check, and one of the members of our group had to help him. The food was fine; I had relatively basic sushi rolls (tuna and shrimp tempura) and it was as tasty and boring as I would expect it to be at an all-you-can-eat place, but we paid Newbury street prices for it. Yuck. Though I enjoyed the atmosphere and background music, I won't be coming back.
(2)Tony S.
Yeah.....rating is down a star because service is slipping faster than a $2 stripper down a fireman's pole. I don't know what is going in with this place. I've have been a regular here since the day they opened, but the last two times I ordered takeout during the day when it was NOT busy, my order got conveniently replaced or lost, requiring me to wait around longer, and causing the other takeout food from other restaurants to cool down. I hope things change for the better soon. I hate downgrading :(
(3)Khanh P.
I think the one reason for the extra star rating for Itadaki is their overly large scorpion bowls . Otherwise everything else is pretty average. Their menu can be a bit confusing since they have this extensive menu that's long and misleading. They combined all of their serving menus and if you're looking at the brunch items at dinner time you Better look again or else you'll be disappointed if you're settled on a brunch item. I ordered spicy salmon roll , spicy yellowtail roll, itadaki spicy tuna roll (suicidal) , volcano roll and caterpillar roll. With a restaurant as itadaki I expected more options but really it was a basic and limited sushi menu. Sushi was pretty plain to the taste buds and nothing was killer about the suicidal tuna roll. Huge disappointment with the group I was with. They also serve ramen and that wasn't a pretty picture either. Their restaurant overall is a nice place to come with groups to get drinks and enjoy each other companies because a Saturday night at Itadaki couldn't have been deader than ever.
(3)Kristina Z.
Love that place! We usually come there after 10ish on Friday or Saturday when bartender Ivan is working. Aaaand scorpion ball is always a must! It is good for preface before the club or as a party starter after the dinner. We had sushiboats twice and it was well done. I put 5 starts because I never left that place being disappointed, only positive atmosphere is on!
(5)Sabrina N.
Their dinner starts at 3 and we arrived luckily around 330 for a late lunch. Service was great since there were only 2 other couples in the restaurant. My fiancé and I ordered their soy sauce based ramen with a mango mami cocktail drink. The ramen was very flavorful however it was a bit salty for my liking. But either than that, I would re order it again but request less salty. The drink was delicious, you'll like it if you are looking for a girly drink where you can't taste the liquor.
(4)Jiyea C.
Very average everything (but I do n't think I've had WOW sushi anywhere in Boston) but giving it an A-OK 3 stars because it has a rather extensive sake menu, as well as Kirin Light, which my dining companion informed me is not available in most restaurants (I'm talking about the light version, not regular Kirin). This place has 3 areas of seating: outdoor, lower level bar, and an upstairs area that you can reach from the lower level. Can't say anything about the upper level because I haven't been up there. Lower level area looks almost like a cafe...that serves alcohol. The restaurant looked like it had a lot of customers, but we realized that everyone was just sitting outside, and we were the only diners who chose indoor seating. Anyway, in addition to the beer, we decided to share a few rolls. Satsuma roll is a sweet potato tempura roll that I found pretty good and a nice contrast from the other fishy rolls at the table. Spicy salmon roll was pretty standard, not very spicy. Spicy tuna roll would be for the spicy lovers. It's topped with this sauce and you can choose 4 spiciness levels. I think we got the 3rd spiciest and it was rather hot. Salmon tartare sushi pizza was an interesting concept, and while it wasn't bad, I don't think I'd get it again. Basically it's a round disk of fried rice (crunchy outside, soft inside) that's topped with different sushi ingredients. I think sashimi should be eaten cold, but the fried rice warmed it up and I did not really appreciate this. Also, the rice looked fine but had a slight burnt taste On the day we came, there was a 20% off order if you mention Back Bay Night Out, and that's kind of the only reason we came here. I don't know if this place would be worth it without that discount.
(3)Suzanne C.
While I love the location and the ambiance, the whole scenario was disappointing. The hostess was clueless about how to provide gracious directions. When asked where the "ladies room is" she said "so, you want to go to the bathroom?". I'm not kidding. She actually said that. Then, she said, at least four (4) times - "it's downstairs, it's downstairs"...without giving a hint about where the stairs were or how to get there. Need I say more? When I was there, it was a slow period and I was the only table occupied on the front patio. At least five (5) wait staff hovered on the patio while I dined. They hovered and they hovered with nothing to do but stand post waiting for customers. Wouldn't you know, as soon as my wine glass emptied, there was no one to be found. They were there 30 seconds before my need, but not at the appropriate moment. Mind you, I was the ONLY table on the patio. Oh - did I mention, that when I DID find the ladies room, there was no soap to be found. Nothing for washing. And why can't public facilities bother to put a hook on the bathroom stall door? WHY???!!!!! Has anyone EVER met or seen a woman without a purse???!!!! EVER???!!! Why can't these people anticipate the needs of their customers and put a f***ing hook on the back of the door???!! A hook costs $2.95 at the Back Bay Hardware Store. Really??!!! While they're standing around waiting....and waiting...and hovering...and hovering......can't someone run down to the hardware store and buy a fucking hook and put it on the door so women don't have to put their purses on the FLOOR of a public restroom??? Clearly these people are not interested in the comfort and enjoyment of their customers. Their sushi is good but at what a price. There's no human soul there. They treat you like dollar sign and clearly that's all they are interested in. They don't deserve the business. Which is too bad. Cause if they would run their business like they actually gave a sh*t about their customers, then it could be good.
(2)Ashley S.
Despite the limited reviews, and 3 star rating, stopped here today while shopping on Newbury Street. It was one of the only restaurants that wasn't busy, which should have indicated a red flag right there. The seating outside is very nice. Allows you to people watch ,while also enjoying music from a nearby street performer. The service was OK. Nothing to rave about. Had the calamari seaweed salad as an appetizer. Excellent! Made the mistake of ordering the chicken teriyaki as my entree. The chicken came out very over cooked to the point where I had to send it back. I wasnt asked if I wanted something different nor did the server or manager on duty seem very apologetic. They just brought me out another one, which was much better, but still tasted pretty blah. I guess I should have ordered something more unique, but I was in the mood for a basic dish. This restaurant is just OK. I totally see why it lacks reviews and customers. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone, although I'm sure some of the items on their menu are better than others.
(3)Emily H.
The food was decent, just nothing that exciting or memorable. We went in on a Saturday night for a date to use a voucher I had purchased for Ramen. Unfortunately, they wouldn't honor the voucher on Saturdays which is unfortunate. Again, the food was ok. We ordered a few rolls and ramen. My main reason for a mediocre review is that they advertise the Ramen both on the voucher and on their signs outside but there are only 2 kinds! Miso and soy - both with only pork option. Super disappointing. More disappointing? The price!!!! $17 for a cereal-sized bowl of RAMEN. Is that a horrible joke? I honestly will never return there because I feel like they're completely ripping people off. It's really unfortunate.
(2)Dustin M.
I always come here when I'm in Boston. Their Sushi is great, good service, very good fish and a nice variety of choices. Well-presented and prepared. Not the most mind-blowingly greatest Sushi I've ever had but definitely better than most. Non-Sushi items seem to be a bit lacking if you're looking for something else.
(4)Jinyoung S.
I and my friend had same ramen. But her ramen and mine totally looked different. And the taste was horrible. Her ramen tasted like regular ramen. Mine didn't have any flavor.. I had to let server know and they served me new dish.. Location of restaurant is perfect but People want to have better food than that.
(2)Stefany W.
Went there for the scorpion bowl and only got a half size cause the waiter was like since there's only two of you, we can only give you the half size which is fine. We thought we could totally finish it and get another one but it was much larger than anticipated. It was pretty good for the value and the amount of alcohol in it. I would consider going back for more and might try some other stuff next time.
(3)Melody K.
We were attracted to the outdoor seating and obviously the giant hurricane bowl containing an ungodly amount of liquor exhibited by the entrance, got us in the door, or rather, got us onto patio. We wanted to people-watch and drink outside, without sitting in the crowded sports-bar-like outdoor spaces of the other restaurants we passed. This was our mistake, but we ordered a bunch of appetizers during Happy Hour and they ended up being full-priced. For mediocre Japanese small plates, way too pricey. $7 dollars for four shumai is not ok. The Japanese pork sausage and fried potatoes small plate was essentially, mini hot dogs on a bed of french fries. I think the waiter was new and maybe overwhelmed, but usually when people order Happy Hour drinks, it's good to also give them the Happy Hour menu! My margarita, though it had sake in it (is this really necessary?) was surprisingly good- you could taste the tequila and they didn't use a pre-mix to sweeten. So they have the bartender going for them.
(2)Ngan T.
This review pertains to my most recent visit. I've dined here twice prior to this experience and would have gladly agreed with any of the bad reviews listed below. Howeverrrrrr, I've noticed some recent changes this time around that's made the experience so much better. Gone are the super chill Asian waitresses I'd had so much trouble getting the attention of before. They've been replaced by a power dual who kept our tables cleaned and orders smoothed. My friend and I spent a very pleasant three hours (scorpion bowl) with their help. I've always enjoyed the sushi from here regardless of service. They also have a killer Mac and cheese type dish. The portion is a bit small, but their happy hour menu solves that issue Do the scorpion bowl if you have the time and stomach.
(4)Christine H.
When this place first opened, my friend and I got together here and had a nice lunch! Now zooming to the present, my boyfriend and I came here a few days ago, and seriously, what happened?! The menu's are falling apart, and have ridiculous restrictions with time and lunch and dinner and it was just so confusing. The sushi was mediocre and nothing special. The service was slow and for the price, I really don't feel like it was worth it, might as well walk down two blocks and go to snappy sushi. Don't think I will be back here.
(2)Tammy L.
Omu-rice and chicken crepe took over 20 minutes to get to our table for two on a quiet Sunday afternoon. If the food had been mind-blowing, I would have overlooked that. Unfortunately, the food was bland. It's not something you can't make yourself at home for a fraction of the price. To top it off, the server came up to us and asked how we were going while she was texting on her phone. Very professional ha ha ha. I'm going to put a "Never again" stamp on this place and move on.
(1)Ali L.
I have the bittersweet predicament of having a birthday that falls on Valentine's Day. While I was researching different restaurants to have my birthday dinner at, I wanted to go somewhere that had great drinks since I was turning 22 and my birthday was on a Friday. I chose Itadaki mostly because of the scorpion bowls...they're expensive but GREAT and the only reason I am giving 3 stars rather than 2. Having a Valentine's birthday has taught me to make reservations at least 2 weeks in advance to ensure the restaurant can accommodate a large party. That being said, I made a reservation for 10 people on January 29th for 8pm on February 14th. They called me on Feb. 13th to confirm the reservation and make sure were still planning to come, and I called them the morning of the 14th to change the reservation from 10 people to 12 people. They were totally understanding and ensured that they were able to accommodate my party of 12 for that evening. Here's where things get weird. I arrive at 8:05 and check in with the hostess- she informs me that is will be 10-20 minutes before our table is ready but we could go wait in the bar downstairs until it was ready. After about 10 minutes of awkwardly standing in the bar area because there was nowhere to sit, I saw the woman I am assuming is the manager and told her that I thought the situation was intolerable considering I had the made reservations 2 weeks prior and they had been confirmed twice in the past 48 hours. She replied with "there's nothing we can do, it's Valentine's Day" and left without an apology. After lingering for 15 minutes downstairs we (meaning my party) finally just pulled together 2 high top tables and crammed 12 people around them. After the party next to us left we snagged their table as well. We finally ordered around 8:35pm- 3 scorpion bowls and a whole lot of sushi. The sushi was fine, nothing better than you would find in Chinatown. However, they brought it out in probably the most complicated way possible. 12 people ordering 12 different rolls (at least) and they brought them all out on 2 platters without explaining which one was which...luckily we are all pretty sushi savvy and figured it out but when you're a bunch of college kids splitting the bill, everyone is very particular about eating exactly what they ordered. When the bill came we were a little surprised because they only charged us for 1 of the 3 scorpion bowls. Not sure if it was a mistake or their way of apologizing, but either way we didn't feel bad about not saying anything. TL;DR: Don't trust that your reservation actually exists, even if they confirm it with you. Scorpion bowls are good, everything else is pretty average.
(3)Shirley L.
My friends and I ate here today for restaurant week. We sat inside for the ac and wanted to check it out. The place was very empty, which was kinda awkward. Server was nice and friendly. She's also very pretty. For appetizers, we started with tuna avocado salad. It was really good and cute the way they plated the dish. They made a little boat out of the avocado skin. Then I had the lobster meat sushi pizza which was interesting because it was a rice ball fried. The outside was crunchy and inside was still soft. The lobster was with mayo and tobiko. Not bad. I also had the beef teriyaki and the beef was a bit overcooked to me. And last for the entree was the dragon maki roll. The Unagi sauce tasted a but weird to me. I've had this roll so many times from so many restaurants, when I ate it here it was an unusual taste. Wasn't too big of a fan. Looked nice though. Lastly was the dessert, I had the Japanese caramel cream. Which looked like a thin layer of flan. It had whip cream on top with some strawberries, blueberries and one raspberry. Pretty good. Overall the restaurant week menu is a very good value compared to their regular dinner menu. There's a Lot of food. You get one app, and to choose 3 diff "entrees" and one dessert. Not the best for sushi, especially being on Newbury. I wouldn't really recommend this place. There are better out there especially since the prices are high(unless you're eating from restaurant week)
(3)Lizzy S.
Service was great, food was just OK. We sat out on the patio as the weather was nice so I can't really comment on the ambiance of the restaurant.
(3)Craig S.
Went in for lunch, after a rough morning. Decor is cool modern vibe. Staff on point. For $14 I got a really good deal. Started with 3 Suicide Spicy Tuna rolls which were not that hot but still delivered some heat and taste. Thena side salad with awesome ginger dressing and OK miso soup. Some sort of pickled zucchini covered in soy or something like it ...only thing I did not like. Japanese salted curry edemame which was a nice upgrade from the norm. The best chicken Katsu I have ever had --lightly fried for a perfect crunch but not greasy, moist delicious white meat with a killer sauce. Finally, a little cup of raspberry ...ah flan or creme brule .. whatever it was it tasted like whipped goodness pallet cleanser. Solid deal great meal. I went in pissed and left happy -- sign of a good spot.
(4)Valerie V.
Hate to give a bad review but with so many other dining options around this area, I feel obligated to be honest and send Yelpers elsewhere. Sushi is average at best--not terrible but nothing you'd write home about. Service was extremely slow and the patio was generally really haphazard and messy. Really hated a salad that we tried---was cold with a raw egg on it! When we told the waitress we disliked it, she wrinkled her nose and agreed with us that it was gros.
(2)S T.
Always wanted to try Itadaki ever since I saw the construction in the Summer. Finally went on a Thursday night after work and it was a cold day. So, we walked up the stairs and was about to open the door when the hostess almost scared the crap out of me. She popped out of nowhere behind us, outside and greeted us. We were seated near the doorway so when the hostess and waitress opens the second glass door and we get the cold air. We could of moved but ... it wasn't a huge deal. They did go in and out a lot. Even though, we were the only customers there. The menu...the font on the menu is freaking tiny... good example? Arial font size 12. My sister even jokingly told the waiter who's name I believe was Ivan (according to the bill) didn't really respond to her. Really guys your menu font is terrible. Let me remind you, this place claims they're an Izakaya. Okay...I see the drink menu...but your food menu is lacking food or even... fried food and fish. Where's the Yakitori?! Izakaya has Yakitori!? Maybe it was the font, but I can not find Yakitori anywhere! We were there in time for Happy Hour. I ordered the Tokyo Love Story which cost $13 and came with HALF price Dragon sushi which is $5. Ordered Agedashi Tofu, Kara-age, Satsuma (sushi), another order of Sushi which I forgot name of, and two orders of Uni. Unfortunately, they did not have Uni... upsetting since we judge a places sushi based on their Uni. Disappointing. The Agedashi Tofu is delicious, taste just like the way my Mom makes it. The Kara-age was meh...I had better. The Dragon sushi was good. The other sushi and Tokyo Love Story drink was meh...nothing to write home about. In the end, we were not full and un-satisfied. My sister kept saying after we left...that place sucks. After we got our check from our waiter, he vanished and another guy ... maybe the owner? Took our bill. The bill was mis-calculated. We were charged full price for happy hour sushi and our Agedashi was not the one we ordered... the bill was $59 bucks after the correction it was $52. Remember to check your receipt. I would not return to this place. If you have to eat Sushi...I would recommend Umai which is down the street, Snappy Sushi also down the street, Haru at the Prudential, or Samurai on the opposite street. Weird decor... not autehntic Japanese...from first experience. OH ALSO! WHO SERVES JAPANESE TEA IN EUROPEAN TEA CUPS?! REALLY NOW!? But the Green Tea was delicious...coming from a tea bag.
(2)Mindy L.
My friend and I were walking down Newbury Street last night and were drawn over to Itadaki by the promise of some possibly delicious sushi. We weren't disappointed! The interior is very modern, clean lines, minimalist decorations. We sat on the outside terrace right on Newbury Street which always offers wonderful people watching...Woman walking a dog the size of a pony? Check! We started with the steamed edamame in the shell. Not over or under-cooked. We then shared the Spicy Tuna Maki, the Sweet Potato Tempura and the Rainbow roll. Both the Spicy Tuna (though not very spicy) and the Rainbow rolls were delicious. The Sweet Potato Tempura was slightly undercooked...the potato was just a little too crunchy for 5-star enjoyment. All in all - very enjoyable experience. We were almost enticed to stay for dessert when we were told there is an in-house pastry chef, but decided to save it for next time.
(5)Chantal G.
My girlfriends and I went to Itadaki for their infamous fish bowl. The "half" fish bowl was HUGE and incredibly potent. For food, we only tried the edamame and it was good, but the other food looked interesting too. As for the atmosphere, it looked like a college hangout-- lots of people pregaming.
(3)Lor A.
We came here for midday drinks on a Sunday. We had just eaten a huge, late breakfast and were not ready for any further food at that point. I liked the fact that we were still able to be seated at a table outside even though our plan was to just imbibe a bit while people-watching. They could have pulled the "You can't sit at a table if you're not planning to eat" card, but they were cool about us having a few drinks and not ordering food. I guess we didn't look like lightweights and they presumed that we'd drink ourselves into a hearty bill within about an hour or so. Our waitress left the brunch menu for us in case we changed our minds. Being the hollow-legged person that I am, of course I was hungry within about 30 minutes. We ordered a few of the spicy rolls from the brunch menu (tuna and salmon). We didn't order anything too crazy so I cannot comment on the quality of the sushi. What we had was pretty good. My chair seemed unstable, and contrary to popular belief, it was not due to the several drinks I had. The front patio has areas that are not flat, therefore, your chair can (and will) tip a bit. Be sure to plant yourself carefully. I loved the fact that they had wicker baskets for you to place your purse, bags, etc., in. Nice touch. I hate placing my bag on the ground, especially while dining outside. Their chairs are not conducive to slinging your bag over them. Nice atmosphere, friendly non-pushy waitstaff, and music at just the right volume. It was a nice way to spend a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in Bean Town.
(4)Gigi A.
Not a fan. Service is slooooooooooooow. About an hour to get our order. The white sangria was refreshing though on a hot summer day. The sushi was meh ---I've had much better.
(2)Joseph W.
Went here for a birthday party. The place was accommodating for the large party and service wasn't speedy or slow - about the pace you would expect for a large party. They also don't charge any cake fees, which is a plus. Some places on newbury don't allow cakes or charge $5 per person! Since we had a large party, we were able to order a lot of different things from the menu. I've had better kara-age chicken elsewhere, but it wasn't bad. The sushi had fish that was of better quality than the average for Boston. Based on the other reviews and my experience there, they don't really stock uni regularly as they were out of it when we were there as well. The waiters weren't that knowledgeable about the menu, but they were friendly and provided good service. All in all, a great place to relax amid the many overly precocious newbury restaurants.
(4)Jacki H.
Worst service ever. Do not go here. You have been warned.
(1)Priyanka A.
The location is nice. If weather permits definitely sit outside. I ordered the renkon chips appetizer, which was great and the only reason this review isn't a 2. It was a creative dish and well executed. By contrast, my roll was pretty bad. I got a crazy roll, and it was rolled too "fat," they used too much sauce (I couldn't really taste anything else), and the serving size didn't make up for the seriously run of the mill quality. It's a nice spot for average sushi, but fell slightly below my expectations.
(3)