Pagu — Restaurant in Cambridge

We absolutely loved having our wedding at Pagu! From the start, the chef and owner Tracy was incredibly responsive and she got back to us right away when we inquired about hosting our wedding at the restaurant. She shared a detailed event order with sample dishes and estimated charges, which really helped us get the ball rolling with our planning.

When we were able to visit Boston (we're based out of state), Tracy personally gave us our initial walkthrough. The combination of the restaurant’s cozy interior and beautiful, spacious outdoor patio made Pagu the perfect venue for our 100-guest celebration.

One of the biggest reasons we wanted a restaurant wedding was the food, and Pagu absolutely delivered! Amanda and Chris T. took great care of us during our food and drink tastings, and everything was truly fantastic. The string beans, chicken katsu, miso cod, and wagyu beef were standout dishes. Our guests couldn’t stop raving about them! Tracy’s custom hot honey biscuits were also a huge hit as a late-night snack, and both the double chocolate and strawberry cakes were delicious crowd-pleasers. Like many couples, we barely had time to eat during the whirlwind of the day, but we were so happy that Pagu prepared a to-go bag of all of our food and it was all still incredibly delicious, even the next day!

As the big day approached, the team answered all our questions promptly and worked closely with us to rearrange the table layout so everyone could be seated comfortably. We held our rehearsal at the venue the day before, and Amanda was incredibly helpful in coordinating everyone and making sure we all felt confident and prepared for the ceremony. The Pagu team also went above and beyond to accommodate our last-minute requests (including pickleback shots and matcha cookie favors), which was deeply appreciated.

Everything went off without a hitch on the actual wedding day. The transitions between ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner were all totally seamless, thanks to the coordination of Amanda, Chris, and Winson; it was clear that they are all seasoned pros at running a wedding, which helped us relax and enjoy the day worry-free! We can’t recommend Pagu highly enough for a wedding or special event! The food, the space, and, most importantly, the people made our day unforgettable and exceeded all expectations. We were incredibly impressed with the whole team throughout the entire process. There were so many thoughtful touches and interactions that happened throughout the planning and on the day itself. If you're considering a restaurant wedding, you won’t regret...

With friends in town who love Asian food, I was between here and Myers + Chang (as small plates are my favorite way to try a bunch of different things). I had already been to Myers + Chang so we decided to try something new.

Made a reservation for 8:30 and we got there a little early and were seated by 8:40. My friends got cocktails (Sanguina Y Tonic) which they enjoyed but I was here for the food.

SETTING: Very dimly-lit (as you will see from the pictures below) but vibrant setting. Really cool bar with the bartenders in aprons. Lots of high-top tables that are pretty close together. There is also a counter where people can sit and watch the kitchen.

FOOD: I'll list everything we got in order of what I would recommend. I realize we got mostly fried food but fried food is good.

Tempura Brussels Sprouts - Brussels sprouts, either pan-fried or deep-fried, are always a must. The hot sauce and aioli were delicious too. The best thing we ate.

Squid Ink Bao - A unique take on a bao bun but it's pitch black (due to squid ink) with a fried oyster on it. Definitely a small bite but a very delicious one.

Cedar Campfire Black Cod - This fish melted in our mouths. The portion size was quite small for $23 but damn it was good. The seaweed salad wasn't really a value-add to the dish.

Fried Goat Cheese - Covered in pistachios and on top of arugula and beets, this was a delicious salad. The richness of the fried outer portion helped offset the tartness of the goat cheese within.

Cheesy Wafflato - A thin waffle with cheesy and caramelized shallots. Tasted pretty good but given the description, I wish they were bigger and oozed more cheese. Could have been better.

Curry Crab Croquetas - I am candidly not a big croqueta fan so I am biased here but these were just meh. Nothing special compared to the other things we ordered.

PRICE: Definitely on the more expensive side for the portion size but I was very happy with the meal.

Probably won't be back soon but definitely a good option for Asian small...

I didn't have very high expectations going in because fusion food typically has been pretty subpar. Unfortunately Pagu failed to meet my already low expectations. The food wasn't bad per se, but the dishes we got were just very hit or miss. The flavors also weren't exactly authentic Japanese nor Spanish as far as I could tell. Moreover, I would say this place is a $$$ price rating; don't be expecting to be full off of one or two dishes.

As for the food itself, starting off with the positives, the Squid Ink Oyster Bao was delicious. The oyster was tender and well seasoned, complemented by the squid-ink bao (though the flavor was light in the bao itself).

The Salmon Sashimi was absolutely top notch. Juicy, tender, and full of flavor, this dish was definitely the standout of the night.

The Island Creek Oyster Shooter was a simple oyster shooter with a ginger twist, which worked well together. The Chilled Steamed Littlenecks were just okay though; fun but nothing standout.

Onto the negatives. The Lobster Roll, while adventurous, failed to leave an impact with its unique blend of pear and lobster. I did like the lobster, but the brioche was a little too hard and the odd flavors did little to salvage the roll. I think the lobster was the only redeeming factor here.

The Steamed Halibut was really quite dreadful. It was a slab of steamed fish that was just okay if you ate some of the tender parts, but most of it was dry, tough, and flavorless. The vegetable pairings of bok choy and enoki weren't exactly fresh and the plating really could have been better (I tried really hard to take a flattering photo of this dish, to no avail.) Unimpressive would be an understatement for this dish.

Overall, the quality was inconsistent, especially for the price range, and I would be...