Very, very long time lurker and ex-CH here. Thank you all for many insights over the past several years!
I’m hoping that someone can point me in the direction of a good choice for a really excellent, maybe more traditional omakase sushi meal in the Boston area. This is for a special meal to celebrate my daughter’s 16th birthday. She is a huge sushi fan but maybe not entirely adventurous when it comes to more interesting preps, so e.g. O Ya may not be a good choice if it’s as fusion-y as I remember from my last visit there about a decade ago.
Prior to COVID I took her to Cafe Sushi for omakase, which she really loved, and also No Relation, which we found to be somewhat less interesting. I also visited Umami in Cambridge last year and thought that was a somewhat hit or miss meal, perhaps slightly better than what I recall of No Relation, but certainly no Cafe Sushi. Not sure if either of those places have improved of late.
Anyway, probably enough information; I really appreciate any suggestions or guidance here!
I was a big Cafe Sushi fan (as are others here), but, alas, no omakase yet, and, anyway, your daughter has been there. There are other, more omakase-aware posters here than I, and I’ll let them speak up, but let me mention that my best experience in that culinary area last year was this:
They’ve changed their operation since I posted that. Their website is
and it’s a bit confusing, but if you can find a way to contact the owner (Youji) you may be able to get him to arrange a special celebration.
@a_m I think I remember you (another Adam?).In any case welcome and what an auspicious occasion to join us.
I have no specific omakase data points but I wonder if suburban sushi joints might be accommodating? In my home base of Arlington, we still haven’t been to Toraya but I wonder if they would do something special for your daughter. Similarly, Sono Sushi, although Chinese-owned, always does a nice job for special occasions for us, including a beautiful sushi boat on the occasion of my kid’s 1-year birthday party. The guys at the sushi counter seem to enjoy doing showy rolls, etc., which, while pedestrian, might be fun.
Thanks for the reply @digga. My handle back then was “davis_sq_pro” if that rings any bells. (Alas, for better or for worse I’ve long since moved to Melrose, so that name no longer works.)
Interesting idea re: Toraya. I’ll check that out. Unfortunately for my wallet, fancy rolls aren’t going to cut it here; I’ve trained her perhaps a bit too well and she’s tasted the good stuff before
I DO remember your posts and as a fellow former-Somervillian, I feel your pain of being in the burbs.
Someone I just thought of is Sang Lee, a sushi chef who I’ve been following. He runs an omakase bar in Gloucester and he also does private events. Talk about a dent in your wallet. But a private event would probably be memorable for everyone lucky enough to be included.
Oh wow, this is perfect – exactly what I was looking for when I came here. No need for a private event as there will only be four of us dining. Apologies if I wasn’t clear upfront as to what I was looking for; when I said “special meal” I meant special in that we don’t regularly go out for $150+/head dining, and in this case my budget is more or less unlimited. (Although I think it won’t need to go too far unless we decide on O Ya.)
Just wanted to follow up here. We ate at Sushi Sang Lee tonight. It was really, really good! One of the best sushi meals I’ve had in the Boston area. I wish I had some decent photos to share but alas, I was too busy eating and missed the opportunity. Anyway, I highly recommend giving it a shot and I will definitely return myself. Thanks for the recommendation!
