12 Best Japanese Restaurants in Somerville

“José and his crew always serve beautiful, fresh, delicious sushi with innovative flair! The newly designed space is stylish and comfortable.“

“Definitely some of the freshest and tastiest seafood and innovative sushi and asian food I've had in a while, very fresh and tasty!“

“Thank you to Chef Jon for allowing us to pick up a package of frozen dumplings during our visit to Artifact on Memorial Day. Cooked them up tonight and they were delicious, as was the edamame salad!!“

“We catered an event with Nagomi Bento and ordered inarizushi and onigiri. I only got to try the miso negi onigiri because everything went so fast and it was delicious! I also loved working with them as they were responsive, timely, and professional. I would cater from them again and hope to eat at the shop soon!“

“PaPa Sushi is AMAZING! Went here a couple nights ago with some friends. Everything we ordered tasted SO good and so fresh. Service was great, too—never had to ask for waters refilled, and our server even flagged us down when we nearly forgot our takeout. Very calm atmosphere, perfect for relaxing and eating sushi until your heart’s content. They even have a jukebox so you can play your favorite songs. 10/10 would recommend!!“

“Really unique dining experience! It’s like Tapas for Japanese. I loved the skewers. So flavorful!!“

“We come to Boston every 6 months, this restaurant is within walking distance of our hotel and our go to place. Such great food amd amazing service! We love our waiter Robin!“

“Thank you Alan and Lotus Xpress for catering my husband's surprise 50th birthday party. Alan, you were wonderful to work with during the planning process- providing options and tending to all the details. The food was AMAZING! Delicious and a great variety. The day of the event, it was such a relief to have you there- catering to our 75 guests. As the host of the party, it gave me great ease knowing you were tending to the buffet and I was able to relax and tend to the guests! The food made the event. Thank you for helping make the event a success!“

“I loved the beef tataki and spring roll!! I will definitely be going back!“

“We love Mini Soup Dumpling with Pork (6 pieces), Seafood Noodles in Soup, Beef Basil Fried Rice, and Miso Soup today.
We loved the xiaolongbao, seafood noodle soup, nine-story pagoda beef fried rice and miso soup, and will come back to try the others in the future. Thanks!“

“My new go-to spot for late night Chinese food.

Saw these spots popping up around the GBA a couple of months ago. At first glance, I figured it was just another low-tier takeout-focused Chinese joint. But after catching one of their flyers, I decided to give it a shot.

The place seemed fairly new, and the cleanliness was definitely a step up from your average Chinese takeout spot. Their menu is a bit of a mash-up, featuring both Chinese dishes and sushi rolls, but I wasn’t quite ready to roll the dice on sushi from here. I stuck with the classics (Twice cooked pork, shumai, etc), and most things I tried were solid. Prices aren’t exactly a steal, but the portions are generous, and the staff have always been friendly.

Compared to the late-night spots in Chinatown that I used to go to, the real perk of Dumpling Garden is the hassle-free street parking. Sure, the ratings might not be high, but I would still recommend giving them a try.“