After visiting PK’s family in NH for the holidays, I wanted to check out some thrift stores (hoping to add more crap to my collections of way too many things). When we were at one thrift, we realized we needed some food (and drinks). We saw the sign for Shio, and decided to give it a shot. Being an urban food snob, my expectations were low.
I was wrong…
We ordered 2 Mai Tais, chirashi, and one of their fancy rolls. The Mai Tais was pretty good. They weren’t close to as good as the old Spring Blossom quality, but they were pretty much on par with Green Tea (which is well above average for Boston restaurants).
The sashimi was really fresh and delicious. The cuts were a good size and the price was right. (I think the chirashi was $12 during lunch and it came with 12 pieces.)
So, if you are anywhere near Portsmouth, and are craving sushi, you should definitely check it out.
Japanese, NH, NewHampshire, Sushi
Japanese, New Hampshire, NH, Sushi
As we walked in, we heard the dance music, and both of us were ready to walk out since a crappy Eurotrash Sushi atmosphere is not our thing.
We decided to stay, and were seated at the sushi bar. We ordered Spicy Scallop Chips ($9.75), Red Spider Roll ($16.20), Spicy Tuna Roll ($6.95), and Yellowtail Belly Sashimi ($10). While the presentation was very nice, most of the dishes were just average. This place is certainly no Oishii (even though their prices are about the same). The best dishes were the Spicy Scallop Chips and the Yellowtail Belly Sashimi, but, again, they did not even compare to Oishii in Chestnut Hill.
And, to bring this meal from mediocre to crappy, when we were almost done eating, one of the sushi chefs accidentally knocked one of the sushi mats off the bar. It fell and knocked a full beer on PK and all over what remained of our food. The guy who knocked it over was very apologetic. We cleaned up the mess with the help of our neighbors’ napkins. Our waitress saw us soaking up the mess and was immediately very apologetic, and she got the manager. The manager seemed not to be concerned and offered us another plate of what was in front of us. Since we were full, we declined. He then saw the issue done and was about to walk away so I stopped him and requested another glass of beer since PK’s beer was all over her clothes and our food. Our waitress brought her another bottle and, again was apologetic. While I think our waitress was fantastic, the manager’s reaction was terrible, and was less than what I would expect from a hole in the wall, not an overpriced Sushi place.
Verdict: Very disappointing!
Boston, Japanese, Uncategorized
After an unsuccessful trip to Tacos Lupita (they were closed on Labor Day), PK and I decided to check out Café Mami at the Porter Exchange Building. This is another one of the too many restaurants that have been on my list for a few years.
Even though many people have recommended that I try one of their hamburger meat dishes, the pictures on the menu made me think that chicken was a better option. I had the Tatsuta Curry with a fried egg on top (boneless fried chicken in a Japanese curry; $8.50). The meal came with a basic iceberg lettuce salad and miso soup (with no tofu). The curry sauce was good, but I wanted more spice. However, this was the best Japanese curry that I have had in Boston. (The best was in LA and the worst was somewhere in Quincy.) PK had the Wafu Cutlet Set (deep fried chicken with daikon oroshi and ponzu sauce; $8.00). Both PK and I liked this dish, but we found it to be quite bland when compared to my curry. (What were we expecting when the main flavor was ponzu sauce?)
Verdict: While I really enjoyed the meal (and the price), I don’t think that I will go back there anytime soon. If I lived closer, I could see myself stopping in to get food to go since, when given a choice, I would rather not sit at one of their two crowded tables, which there is usually a wait for during peak hours.
Cambridge, Japanese
One of the toughest things about eating for cheap in Allston is that there are way too many good choices. On Saturday, PK and I decided to try Sumi.
We ordered the Grilled Baby Octopus ($2.65):
Grilled Squid (forgot the price, but it was under $3):
Grilled Lamb ($3.95):
Rice Ball Glazed with Egg Sauce ($2.35):
Grilled Sweet Onions ($1.95):
Everything was delicious and perfectly grilled. The seafood skewers were all just slightly charred on the edges to give a little crunch. The best dish was the Baby Octopus. The Rice Balls reminded me my favorite part of an Ok Dol Bibimap (the crunchy rice stuck to the side of the stone pot).
Verdict: For under $15, this was an amazing meal. I am looking forward to going back in the very near future and trying their grilled scallops and shrimps.
Allston, Cheap, Japanese
