Sakabayashi Sushi Tavern by SUSHIRO — Restaurant in Boston

Sakabayashi bills itself as a "modern izakaya". The traditional Japanese-style beer hall with grilled meats and appetizers becomes elevated as a more upscale establishment with a variety of sake, gastronomic reinventions of both Japanese dishes (e.g. nigiri sushi) and new inventions dishes (e.g mentaiko cabbage), alongside classics (e.g. tempura).

Since I wanted to try a variety of items, I decided to order the appetizers, small bites, and sushi. I did this tapas-style, ordering one or two items apiece over the course of my meal.

I first ordered the Unagi Lovers Trio ($12) from their seasonal spring menu. This came with 3 pieces of cooked freshwater eel over rice, nigirizushi-style. Each piece arrived topped with a different garnish. The first, with cucumber salad with mustard, provided a nice texture contrast. I didn't taste the mustard much since I absent-mindedly added wasabi. The second, with tofu cream, possessed a refreshing spritz of lemon zest at the rear of the palate, cutting the richness of the unagi. The third, with monkfish liver and butter, tasted creamy. Its savoriness cut the unagi in a different manner. I initially thought the toppings were superfluous, but they all do make the unagi less fishy at the end so the palate doesn't get overwhelmed.

Secondly, I ordered the Hearty Unagi Ochazuke ($12). This came with a bowl of rice, shredded perilla leaf (or sesame leaf), a small rolled omelette, a piece of unagi, and a small container of "tea" to pour into the bowl (hence the name ochazuke, ocha being tea). Most household renditions of ochazuke will literally use tea. This, however, combined tea with ... something ... that turned it into almost a matcha green tea chicken stock, savory and salty but with the flavor of green tea clearly present. The perilla leaves provides bright, almost minty herbal contrast.

Thirdly, I ordered the Lightly Fried Bonito Tataki Sushi ($8). This had 2 pieces of bonito fish, prepared tataki style rather than completely raw (well, it's still 90% raw, just with the outer edges seared) and served over rice, nigirizushi-style. The garlic chips adorning the fish tasted nice, but masked their flavor a bit.

Fourthly, I ordered the Aji Fry ($8). This had 2 pieces of butterflied small whitefish (not as small as a sardine, butterflied each was like the size of 2 credit cards). This arrived piping hot, straight from the fryer. It was mild and flaky, with nary a hint of fishiness. The accompanying garnish was even more exemplary. Rather than tartar sauce, it was basically a Japanese egg salad. Imagine the richness from mayo made from egg yolk (like kewpie) rather than the sad American mayo made from egg whites, but even more concentrated. I would be willing to buy that garnish alone spread atop some bread.

Lastly, I ordered the Furikake Caesar Salad ($8). It was lightly dressed, but had generous amounts of parmesan. That gave it the sort of creaminess similar to that of a wedge salad where one tastes mostly the salad, and the dressing is used as a liquid emulsifier rather than the primary flavor producer. I don't normally like Caesar salad; this is my first exception.

By the end, I felt quite stuffed. I thoroughly enjoyed Sakabayashi's gastronomic offerings. No other izakaya in the vicinity does this sort of experimentation. It may not be traditional, and it may not be the 3 Michelin star omakase sushi place everyone wants to go to and say they had "proper Japanese food), but this represents the sort of culinary innovation that I normally read about (with some skepticism) in food magazines and...

Food Review: Sakabayashi – 665 Boylston St, Boston, MA 🇯🇵🍣

If you're craving elegant Japanese cuisine in the heart of Boston, Sakabayashi is the spot to check out! We indulged in their $78 dinner course, and it was well worth every penny. From delicate flavors to thoughtful plating, this spot knows how to make every bite count.

Dinner Course Rundown:

The amuse bouche was salmon and prosciutto sush press. I've never had basil pesto on sushi before what a treat!

Assorted Appetizers – A beautiful selection of six small bites. My favorite was the potato salad, creamy and comforting with a slight Japanese twist.

Wakame Miso Soup – Light, warming, and a great start to the meal.

Chef’s Special Seafood Carpaccio – A standout! The fish was fresh and tender, drizzled with a citrusy sauce that made each bite sing.

Crispy Spicy Tuna Roll – Our pick for the hot dish. Flavorful, crunchy, and a fun fusion twist on a classic roll.

Hand Roll – We chose the spicy tuna (because we are such suckers for it!) one—delicious and fresh with the perfect balance of rich and sharp.

Nigiri Selection – Seven pieces, including seared otoro, uni gunkan (not my favorite I've had better uni!), ikura, and scallop. The Heavenly Seared Otoro lived up to its name.

Catalana Dessert – A sweet, smooth finish that resembled a Japanese crème brûlée. Light but indulgent.

A La Carte Must-Tries:

Salmon Carpaccio ($14) – With your choice of wasabi or carpaccio sauce—fresh, buttery, and tangy.

Tuna Tsukune (Grilled Tuna Meatballs) ($8) – Juicy and satisfying, perfect with a dab of mayo or miso glaze. These were a 10/10. You have to get these when you come.

Tuna Tartare with Bread($9) – Clean, bold flavors with a perfect textural balance. Very shareable!

Ambiance: 8/10 Wooden booths give it a warm, intimate vibe while still feeling modern and relaxed.

Affordability (for Boston sushi): 7/10 While it’s not a budget spot, the quality matches the price—especially for a multi-course meal or if you’re used to sushi pricing in Boston.

They even have locations in Japan, so you know it’s legit.

Final Score: 9/10 Great for a date night, a special dinner, or just treating yourself to top-tier Japanese flavors. Highly recommend the dinner course if you want to taste a bit...

I’ll definitely update this review if I get a chance to go again and have a different experience, but for now unfortunately I feel like my experience only merits 2 stars.

The food was tasty- the fish was fresh. REAL WASABI :) :) (unfortunately not quite enough wasabi for each of us)

I went with four friends and the five of us each got the gold set. Unfortunately, we were disappointed when it came to the last piece, the most coveted otoro, which had an unpleasant and tough sinew/tendon through it. We all ate the piece in confusion, wondering why this was the case and ended our otherwise tasty combo on a bad note. Also, four out of the five gold sets had scallop instead of Tsubugai, which was definitely a mistake on their part and was odd. (But didn’t mention it to the staff)

The service was where things fell short. List of all things that went wrong. ignored when we walked in for several minutes (despite us having a reservation) waiter came over to gave us our water, and asked if there’s anything we needed… we asked if they had menus and they said oops sorry we forgot had to remind the waiter three times that we ordered the katsuo carpaccio. the salmon one came instead. the correct one finally came at the very end of the meal potato salad was also forgotten about until the very end of the meal, had to remind 2x constantly being rudely interrupted by the waiter (his style was a little on the loud side, but I get that haha)

The worst was when the potato salad came. It looked so beautiful, and even before we got to appreciate it (let alone take a photo) the waiter grabs it, tosses it down, and slices it in half with the spoon for us, and says you can “eat around it if you don’t like the center (?) which was some egg thing.” this was such a weird thing to say. The photo of the below was how he left the dish for us.

I know it’s not meant to be a fancy restaurant, but we felt really disrespected during the meal (albeit not...