Ebi Sushi — Restaurant in Somerville

First off. The place looks amazing on the inside. Clean, luxurious decor. From the outside, it looks pretty normal. Not too fancy. The staff are neatly dressed. We were well greeted. Friendly.

The menu is beautiful. The pictures are well taken and makes you want to eat everything. Not much of a drinker but the bar selection looked good. Went with 4 friends and 3 got the LYCHEE MARTINI which they all said tasted heavenly. Could've chugged a pitcher without much thought.

Food presentation was nice. Only complaint is that it didn't come out exactly like the menu picture. Sushi tasted good. Expected nothing less. We had : the oyster with ikura. Torched tuna (loved the fire under stone). Sashimi (albacore tuna w miso... good & king salmon...didn't taste much difference from regular salmon other than less fat). Sashimi came out super cold which I commend them for quality control and I should've waited a few minutes before consuming. But couldn't resist.

Tasty Maki (fun mix of fishes). Volcano maki (this was great all over. Looks n taste).

Seafood ceviche (like a salad with sashimi.) Fresh and filled with color.

Cheesy seafood torched in clam shell. (Forgot menu name). It looked good but was too creamy for our taste. We had to splash lemon all over to cut it but wasn't quite enough.

Also, we ordered seared wagyu beef. (Our least favorite dish. From picture, it was like a thin beef pancake. Loved the tomato bunny tho (went on easter). Nice touch. The beef had a splash of sauce which helped the flavor but the beef tasted way too fatty. Tasted like pure fat and no meat. Probably would've like the teriyaki version with rice more. The meat was soft and easy to break apart which makes it easy for sharing. But for $35, not worth it.

We got the pork steamed bun. That was good. Tho overall pricing was quite a punch. I know sushi isn't cheap but these prices are definitely more on hotel restaurant price. It's brookline so wasn't too surprised but not somewhere I would go on the regular.

Fried gyoza was what expected. Tasty and crispy. Tho the dipping sauce was in the smallest dish ever. Could barely dip the tip of the dumpling.

Waitress was nice and quick with everything. She got all the orders correct which I think is great. There were some moments where I felt like she was disappointed because we didn't order more. I might be too observant but had to point it out. Some customers might feel uncomfortable about it.

Overall, I do recommend this place. Do be prepared for a higher tab because most dishes are $10-30+ for appetizers...

My partner and I visited Ebi for the second time yesterday. In this review, I will provide some details from both our first visit a few weeks ago, and our second visit.

On our first visit, we stopped by to put our name on the waitlist, and indicated we would be running a quick errand and returning. We did just that, and we were first on the list when we got back. (This was perhaps different from their normal waitlist operations, as we may have been at the top for a while, but they didn't take us off just because we weren't ready when they were.) We were seated quickly upon returning, and ordered the pork belly buns and a few different sushi rolls. I really enjoyed the buns, and we both enjoyed the sushi, though we found that while the presentation was very nice, the actual quality of the sushi wasn't our favorite. We did like that there was a moderate range of fun options to try, however, such as egg rolls and plum rolls, in addition to the normal fish-based options. The service we received was pretty good, and our food came out quickly.

On our second visit, we got the takoyaki appetizer, which we both thought was pretty good but not excellent. We got a few other sushi dishes which we liked, but weren't very impressed by. The service was extremely slow, and we were left waiting for a long period of time without any real communication by the waitress.

We left our second visit feeling like overall, it was slightly above average the first visit, and moderately below average the second time. We weren't generally impressed by the quality of the food, so we won't be returning in a hurry. That said, when we do, we're planning to try the kitchen dishes, in hopes that they...

From the moment we walked into EBI Sushi, we knew we were in for something special. The atmosphere is a blend of warmth and energy of a cozy city hotspot. It was busy but never chaotic, just the kind of buzz you want on a memorable date night.

Let’s talk food. The Japanese pork curry was mind-blowing, rich, deeply flavorful, and perfectly balanced. Truly an explosive flavor experience. The A5 steak was nothing short of phenomenal, melting in your mouth with every bite. We also tried a variety of sushi, the Tiger roll, octopus, salmon roe, and salmon belly, each one fresh, clean, and expertly prepared.

The service was just as impressive as the food. Warm, friendly, and attentive from start to finish. What stood out most was seeing the owner, Jose, involved at every level. From greeting guests to ensuring the kitchen ran flawlessly, his presence and passion were unmistakable. He even took time to personally check in during the night, adding a level of care that most places simply don’t offer.

A good friend of mine, Jose Orellana, introduced me to this place and I'm grateful he did. The entire experience left a strong impression and created a genuine sense of wanting more.

I also want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to the owner, Jose, on the upcoming move to a new location. Your passion, consistency, and the strength of your team are what made EBI Sushi unforgettable.

Wishing you much success in the next chapter....