Sushi/Japanese, Can't Afford O Ya

[ABT]

I'm looking for somewhere to take my husband for a special dinner. We love sitting at the bar/sushi bar, and are hoping to do Japanese. Ideally we'd go to O Ya, but it's more than we're willing to spend. Would love to keep the whole meal at or under $150 including drinks (though not necessarily tax and tip).

Boston or the Western Suburbs, we're very open! We're not locals, just visiting, so I'm at a loss and would appreciate any help...

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O Ya
9 East Street, Boston, MA 02111

[RoyRon]

I second Shiki. About as close as you can get to a true Japanese Izakaya in Boston. I always found their sashimi to be very good and enjoy having the option to try a lot of their other cooked dishes too.

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Shiki
9 Babcock Street, Brookline, MA 02446

[spectra21]

Thanks everyone for the recs and for updating me on the scene. I am intrigued by Shiki, and have heard about Oishii for many years now. I did visit Blue Ginger 2 years ago. It was indeed a nice meal, but not looking for fusion this time around. Will post where I end up going!

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Shiki
9 Babcock Street, Brookline, MA 02446

Blue Ginger
583 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482

[Trumpetguy]

You could also consider Aka Bistro in Lincoln--fantastic sushi bar; I have now been twice and loved it both times. I love O Ya (big time) as well as Uni(Clio) and Aka Bistro can hold its own--not sure, but it might be a little less expensive, but not by a lot ;)

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O Ya
9 East Street, Boston, MA 02111

[tatsu]

Uni and AKA are both Sashimi only, no sushi, AFAIK

[spectra21]

Wanted to revive this thread as well! I am looking for moderately priced, good sushi restaurants, but want to stay in or close to Boston. Don't want to go to a trendy scene, just a comfortable, down-to-earth place for a nice dinner. Also trying to do $150 or less like the original post. Will go to Oga next time I'm in the suburbs so that's already on my list...

Used to enjoy Mr. Sushi in Brookline and Ginza in Brookline/Boston, but this was several years ago. Are these places still good, or there are any other options like it? I cannot afford O Ya this time around, maybe next time.

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Ginza
16 Hudson St, Boston, MA 02111

Ginza Japanese Restaurant
1002 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02446

Mr Sushi
329 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446

[hotoynoodle]

ginza has gone downhill.

fugakyu and douzo are both solid options.

[trueblu]

Oishii in Chestnut Hill is excellent, and you can easily dine within your budget there.

tb

[Spike]

Mr. Sushi was pretty downhill last we tried it, but it's been years. Not sure if they're even still there any more...

[Chicken with a Capon]

I would add Shiki in Brookline to the list. Not specifically sushi, but I have found everything to be very good on my several visits there. They usually have some pretty interesting specials in addition to their menu as well.

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Shiki
9 Babcock Street, Brookline, MA 02446

[barleywino]

in Metrowest you can also try Blue Ginger (Wellesley), if you look past the hype (and the disparagers) you can actually find great versions of gindara kasuzuke (their sake/miso marinated butterfish) and tuna poke on crispy rice cake (ok, more Hawaiian than Japanese, but still excellent, thanks to the rice cake). You can add a couple more dishes (like their unusually tender black pepper lobster) and still come in well under $150. Not a sushi place per se but still some solid fusion cuisine.

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Blue Ginger
583 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482

[rlh]

I like Sushi Island in Wakefield a lot, but think Oishii, Too in Sudbury is consistently more excellent and the omakase there would be within budget and a more special experience - the service is always great as well - and it's MUCH better to sit at the sushi bar at either place.

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Sushi Island
397 Main St, Wakefield, MA 01880

Oishii Too
365 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776

[robertlf]

Really? I've been to Oishii Too a few times and always found it overpriced and average. The original Oishii in Chestnut Hill is better.

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Oishii Too
365 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776

[tatsu]

I've said this before, but it's worth mentioning prior to O Ya, ppl would travel from Boston to Inaho for a special dinner. It's an hour and half drive to Yarmouthport, in Cape Cod.

You could request the Tatami room at Oga, the main room is nice enough, but not very "special". Oga's is technically in Natick, but close enough to Framingham to say so.

Sushi Island is a place that doesn't get a lot of attention here, but it's very very good and I believe better than the various Oishii's. And the sushi bar is the nicest around, it's big, feels somewhat customary to me. It's in Wakefield.

With all of these places (except for O Ya), you will want to call ahead and make sure you get the head chef, and pick a day when the seafood is freshest. I'm not quite sure when that is. In NYC, most of the top places are closed Mondays, because the chefs pretty much work all week and the fish market is closed that day.

A tip I learned at O Ya, some of the nigiri items can be half-portion at half-price. Maybe it's good for a solo expedition, but not much fun for a couple I suppose.

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O Ya
9 East Street, Boston, MA 02111

[barleywino]

for $150 you can probably split 7-10 orders (depending what you order) of sushi/sashimi at O-Ya, which won't fill you up but will give you a good taste of what they have to offer. Alternatively, I'm sure that if you tell them your target budget, they would be happy to put something together for you that fits that price, as is usually the case with sushi places that do omakase (chefs tasting). I think Uni will cost you more than O-Ya for the same amount of fish (unless you go on one of those sale days mentioned by lipoff.)

[lypp]

It definitely won't fill you up. My husband and I went and spend over $400 at O Ya and I went home and ate a peanut butter sandwich b/c I was still hungry. It was good, but I don't really see why it was worth it - especially since I was still hungry. (And for the record, I'm a thin female who doesn't need to eat a ridiculous amount to satisfy myself).'

I've never been to Oishi but people seem to like it.

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O Ya
9 East Street, Boston, MA 02111

[cornFusion]

$400 and you left hungry?????? Did it involve a bottle of vintage claret, or perhaps a champagne? If not, you must be one of those few, fortunate people who can afford a couple of grand on a night out! Hope I get invited next time!

[barleywino]

$400 is 20-30 orders of sushi/sashimi which should be more than enough for 2 people (unless you ordered Kobe beef or lots of booze)

[StriperGuy]

WAY easy to spend $400 on sushi and sake at Oya and leave hungry. Way, way easy.

[barleywino]

way easy to spend $400 anywhere and leave hungry!

[lipoff]

If you can really go to the Western Suburbs, I might try Oga's in Framingham. Very careful ordering at Uni, the sashimi bar next to Clio in the Eliot Hotel could meet your price range (especially on a Monday or Tuesday, when there are Maki Mondays and Sake Bomb Tuesdays --- the latter being a four-course prix fixe). Oishii Too in Sudbury would also let you have the omakase experience and still meet your price range.

Have a wonderful meal!

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Oishii Too
365 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776