Cafe Mami — Restaurant in Cambridge

This cafe is part of the mall's "food court" and eating here was a really strange experience. As a first-time customer, I was quite confused with what to do or where to wait. It turns out that you first get in line and order, but you aren't seated right away. The idea is that you'll be seated around the time that the food is ready, as a way to minimize how long you're sitting there. I can respect the reasons for that, but it definitely isn't my preferred style of dining. Apparently, several of the spots in the food court operate in the same way, including the adjacent ramen place, though I haven't tried it yet.

Pictured are the saba miso set (bottom) and chicken tatsuta set (top). I love fish and usually opt for salmon, but I was convinced to try the mackerel, a "traditional Japanese favorite" (according to the menu). The mackerel had a few bones but was fine. There was quite a lot of sauce, which I was glad to use as a topping for my rice. However, the salad was pretty bland and uneventful, and I was just a little confused by the potato. It was okay, but I had just never seen that combination in Japanese cuisine before.

I didn't finish all the food - not necessarily because the portions were that large, but just because it wasn't that tasty to me. I think I may have been more interested in the salmon veggie don instead.

The dishes here aren't very expensive, but I'd probably opt for a different option instead of trying the food here again. While I understand the reason for it, I didn't love feeling rushed out of there, which definitely colored my perception...

Delicious food for a cheap price. If you are around the area, it is a great place to grab food for lunch or even dinner. A huge plus is that there is parking and does not cost an arm or a leg. Here's the breakdown:

Atmosphere: So I'm gonna go pretty lenient on this place, because it's technically in a tiny food court kind of thing. There are not a lot of seating, so you might have to wait for a seat and might have to even share a table with someone (it's really not that bad, trust me). You can also see the cooks making the food in the back...you can literally see them pounding on a beef patty to make the Hamburg.

Food: The curry awesome..although I would probably prefer Go! Go! Curry! in H-Mart. The one thing I come here for is the salad that comes with the entree. It is a pretty basic sauce, but I LOVE it! I normally don't even like salad, but damn I always keep coming back for it. Also, if you like green tea (not jasmine) I would recommend their green tea smoothie. It is the BOMB.

Service: What can I say? Their literally two steps away from you. Whatever you need you can just raise your pinky and they will be there to help you.

Overall: Cheap but delicious food. Definitely recommended for lunch and even dinner. Try the hamburg or the...

Losing a loyal customer in me. Consistently for weeks now closing before advertised time. Never willing to accommodate customers. Tells you 9pm for close online and when you ask in restaurant the waitress will tell you 8:30. Today I got there at 8:18 after driving for an hour and they closed again with people eating there. I get it. Self care is important at retail and restaurant. Been there done that. And I have supported the restaurant for years during Covid and everything. But this is not how you treat your customers when they have been with you for this long and tries to tip well and order a lot every time with friends or by myself. But with care comes with responsibility. A good counter example is Yume Wo Katare. They sometimes close “on a whim” too but they would make every effort to notify their customers, whether it’s on their instagram page or by updating their hours on Google for business. What cafe mami is doing is unacceptable. It’s been consistent for weeks now. And their lack of empathy with customers is astounding. For now, ittoku right down the hall will be getting my business. What a shame because I always love the food and have been...