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Jae's Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
520 Columbus Ave(between Claremont Park & Worcester St)
Boston, MA 02118
Neighborhood: South End
(617) 421-9405
- Nearest Transit:
-
Tremont St @ Worcester St (43)
Tremont St @ W Concord St (43)
Tremont St @ Rutland Sq (43)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 11 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
85 reviews for Jae's Cafe
Review Highlights
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"We ordered the Spicy Tofu Pad Thai (highly recommended." In 14 reviews -
"I'd definitely do take-out from here." In 12 reviews -
"highly recommend the Hae Dup Bap:a bowl of brown rice..." In 3 reviews
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85 reviews in English
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Review from C DO T.
Boston, MA
3/12/2012
Review is for a Saturday lunch; dinner reviews look hit or miss, but lunch is the way to go.
Decor: like a summer cabin, this place is decked out in wood everywhere and has a comfortable feel to it. Contemporary jazz playing in the background offset with the sound of flowing water from the huge tropical fish tank. It was too cold to sit outside, but they have a little adjoining patio area.
Service: waiter was friendly and chatted a bit, but didn't linger too long as to be weird. We were one of 4 tables, so it wasn't extremely busy. But good service is always appreciated and bad service (N/A in this review!) is always remembered.
Food: good food, even better price! They have their lunch special running Monday - Saturday for about $10-14. I was skeptical. Something was wrong. Are we still in the South End? And the special comes with soup, you say?
Go with the hot & sour soup. I chose miso soup = serious food envy. Sushi & sashimi were good but not great - but for the price, am I even allowed to complain? When the bill came out, it was so cheap I felt like I got away with something.
And I did - the upbeat jazz put a spring in my step for the rest of the day. -
Review from Cami F.
Boston, MA
4/23/2012
Jaes is a great spot in Boston for cheaper sushi that is still good quality. They also offer Thai cuisine options which makes this great when you are with friends who don't like sushi. They make a great Pad Thai and a good variety of rolls. Service is a little slow, would recommend take out rather than eating in.
They apparently have a new late night/tapas menu that I am very intrigued to try! -
Review from Jess M.
Boston, MA
4/21/2012
I've been here twice in a week because it's close to a friend's house and we're total sucker for eel/avocado rolls. The sushi is pretty good but for the size, it's way overpriced. I guess it follows form of the south end, but they shouldn't be charging 6.50 for a spicy tuna roll that's moderately sized.
Quick for pick up though, so I recommend it if you're having a night in and it's close by. -
Review from George S.
Boston, MA
2/13/2012
Disappointing. Generally uninspired and just not a place you should go to if you want a good meal.
Every aspect of the meal left room for improvement - my wife's drink tasted soapy, my 'meat' dumplings tasted like they were out of a microwave, my sushi and my wife's sushi was bland and small. The plates were aztec? Some food came from a mystery basement. The waiter was disinterested and dull, and unenthusiastic about the menu. We left thinking it was one of the worst $85 dollars we spent in Boston.
My wife and I would have offered suggestions to the owners but it's clear they don't give a sheet. This place will be closed within a year if capitalism works.
I'm saving my 1stars for the real bottom of the barrel, so a 2 is generous here. -
Review from Jace M.
Boston, MA
5/4/2012
We had a great experience at Jaes. Amy was great!!!!!! It was a beautiful evening but with good Sushi, drinks, and good conversation how could you go wrong..
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Review from Bee M.
Boston, MA
10/10/2011
Wasn't expecting an Asian restaurant by the name "jae's" but was pleasantly surprised by the food! Pan sear salmon was delish! For dessert try the mango passion fruit sorbet covered in white chocolate shell!! Yummy
Service was odd, server checked ID for alcohol after drinks were finished. He also was stumbling over words. But great effort! Everything came out as ordered. Can't really complain! Will def come back -
Review from Ty D.
Boston, MA
9/6/2011
Jae's is right around the corner from me, but for some reason I rarely try it. Recently a friend mentioned that they have the most amazing carrot cake (strange for an Asian restaurant, I know) and so I had to go back again to check it out.
I ordered a chicken dish that had been on the menu in the past but had since disappeared. The waiter at first wasn't familiar with it and so I said I would gladly have something else on the menu. To his great credit he went to check with the manager and let me know that they could, in fact, accommodate the request. Excellent.
The chicken unfortunately was dry and chewy, but the veggies that accompanied it were outstanding. Fresh and crisp and really buttery. They were amazing.
The carrot cake was indeed outstanding and memorable. While eating it I remember wondering whether I could order a whole cake from them to serve at home for parties, it was that good.
The waiter was exceptionally nice and conversational, but a little absent minded. We ended up sitting around for a while, waiting for the check. We had requested our food to be wrapped to take with us, but he forgot to do it. We should have inquired further but decided to just leave it.
Overall not a bad experience, but not the best experience. The exceptional veggies and dessert make it overall a rosy experience, I guess.Comment from Shun C. of Jae's Cafe 9/8/2011
Hello Ty, I'm glad that you like our carrot cake and… More » -
Review from Tina S.
Boston, MA
3/19/2012
I have been going to Jae's for over 6 years and they are the gold standard. The service is always great. My favorites that I order time and again are: chicken satay with peanut sauce app, Jae's Tidbits (this is the works appetizer - spring rolls, shrimp and cherry tomato kebabs, chicken teriyaki, ribs, salad greens, vegie tempura, shumai, fried calamari), Mango Chicken (that sauce is da bomb! and the mangoes and veggies are always fresh), Chicken & Shrimp Pad Thai (the best ), Chicken Rad Nar, Paradise Chicken, and General Gao. The drinks are also good. The place can get a bit cramped and tables are close to each other so don't plan on private conversations.
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Review from Valerie V.
Boston, MA
5/18/2011
Jae's is near where I live so I've eaten here many times and also gotten take out. I usually get sushi and its always very fresh. I mainly stick with sashimi or nigiri but I will say that they are lacking in very creative rolls if thats what you're in to. Other people I have dined with have tried the Chicken Teriyaki and the sauce was really amazing.
During the week between 5-8pm you get a free appetizer with the purchase of $10 worth of booze. But you have to sit downstairs in the bar to get this deal FYI.
Overall its a solid neighborhood spot to get some sushi. I do think their prices should be a little lower than they are. It always feels like everything is priced a few dollars more than it should be. -
Review from Gavin R.
Branford, CT
3/1/2011
The one on Columbus is not nearly as good as it used to be.
Restaurants have a good run, and then they get sold to someone who thinks they can run one and then they die a long and slow death................. -
Review from Kevin L.
11/25/2009
Identity crisis much? I can't possibly be the only one thrown off by the pan-East Asian dishes offered by Jae's, can I? I can't help but be immediately skeptical of any place that offers mandoo (ostensibly Korean) next to edamame (obviously Japanese) and Szechuan wings (which, last I checked, were named after a province in China).
When the boy told me that we were meeting up with an old acquaintance here and sent me the Yelp biz link, I thought to myself, "Self, we're in for a rough time tonight. There will be drinks. With heavy pours." Yay for self-fulfilling prophecies. And a basement bar. Seriously.
So here's the awesome: their nabeyaki udon is some of the better udon I've had. It's a ridiculously enormous portion for one person, although that makes sense, since it's priced at roughly one and a half bowls elsewhere. But it's filled with all sorts of veggie goodness, clams, and a side serving of two huge tender tempura shrimp.
My beef: they don't seem to have shichimi togarashi seasoning. Either that, or they weren't familiar with my description of a red, flaky, spicy Japanese seasoning since I couldn't remember the name of it offhand. If you're going to make a pass at serving cuisine from Korea, China, -and- Japan... you could at least carry on the semblance of legitimacy by having their native condiments on hand.
Oh Jae's. So close, yet so far.Listed in: Eats in Boston, Date Night in Boston
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Review from erica c.
Boston, MA
11/7/2006
How has it taken me three years to go to a Jae's? Well after having been there, I can see that I have not been missing out on some great secret....
It is a fine lunch option, but clearly nothing to yelp home about.
I did enjoy my spicy tuna roll and seaweed salad.....
And the waiter was really adorable, but the only one in the dining room and he was running around like a madman!!...
I felt bad but at the same time had to wait longer than I wanted for some attention....hunger and waiting make Erica a not so friendly little girl.....
Overall it was good and I would probably go back because it is quick and convenient.....but the whole time I was day dreaming about brown sugar cafe.....mmmmmmmm -
Review from Cequesta K.
Boston, MA
1/26/2011
Yummy (and surprisingly strong) cocktails+ FREE (fresh!) rolls of sushi+ nice, chill atmosphere= the PERFECT happy hour spot!
I'm holding off on the 4th star ONLY because I'm speaking on my first experience here, but I'm sure I'll kick it up another notch (literally) when I go back! -
Review from Me B. M.
Reading, MA
11/11/2008
Kinda surprised this place is still open. Maybe because some of the menu really is not available at many places in Boston.
For what it does, the food is just OK. And the prices are really really high for it. And I always leave hungry. -
Review from Kirs P.
Jamaica Plain, MA
9/22/2006
Thank god for Seiyo, because now I don't have to go to Jae's for over-priced, mediocre sushi. When it was the only fish in the pond, Jae's was okay, but now the South End suddenly has sushi options all over the place, and there is no reason to go here anymore.
Jae's isn't awful, but it just isn't fab either. However, they do make a pretty tasty rasberry gimlet.Listed in: Your Unofficial Guide to the…
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Review from Michaela B.
Somerville, MA
5/31/2009
I came here because I had a gift card and thought I'd take my friend to dinner before hitting DMB at Fenway. Although I didn't pay, I still felt it wasn't worth using the damn gift card. I feel bad for my friend who spent 50 bucks.
Anyways... the outdoor seating was OK... nice beautiful evening. That's about the only positive. I ordered a beer and my friend ordered a raspberry mojito. When they came out, my friends drink looked amazing.... with fresh raspberry seeds floating around, it seemed yummy. It wasn't. The color was gorgeous, but when I tasted it... I didn't get one once of raspberry... all I really got was watered down booze! How is it possible?? So we just shrugged it off.
For an app was ordered calamari. It was pretty good... batter was super light, the potion was nice, and the dipping sauce was sweet. That's what the 1 star is for.
For an entree, I ordered the spicy steamers (keep in mind was an APPETIZER) and my friend ordered beef with asparagus. My steamers arrived cold and had SUPER, mouth melting peppers in it (I can handle some heat... but this was way too much)... very BLAH. The rice was dried on the top... as if it sat in the bowl for a while waiting to be taken to a table. My friends beef with asparagus tasted like beef drenched in canned gravy. I do admit the meat was pretty tender. It definatly wasn't worth 13$.
When the bill came, the waiter charged me for a "Dinner Entree" of steamers... for an additional 7$!!! Which basically meant that he added the crappy bowl of rice to make a "meal". Total bullshit.
I won't be there again. -
Review from Gen M.
Cambridge, MA
11/17/2008
Jae's is a chain and this particular location has slow and confused waiters. I agree with Richard V -- the food is over inflated and the taste is mediocre.
I think its cuisine makes it seem like the token lunch place for co-workers or business meetings - safe enough, foofy enough, overpriced enough with a pinch of unnecessarily complicated presentation. It's useless. -
Review from Anna W.
4/14/2009
I was quite disappointed at this Jae's -- especially since I like their Beacon Street location so much!
Right off the bat, I was rubbed the wrong way. We walked up to the restaurant and couldn't even tell that it was the right location. When you look inside, all you see is a takeout counter. There were no tables, chairs, or diners. We were like, "Hmm... how the hell do you get inside?" We walked around the corner, saw the dining room, and realized that the room was not visible from the front door, so we walked BACK to the front and finally entered.
There is another dining room downstairs, but it was a slow night, so it wasn't open. Instead, we were seated in the upper level dining room. The lighting is way too bright for a restaurant IMO. Our server also had a hard time understanding English (not her fault, I understand, but there were others there who spoke perfect English, but they were not waiting on us unfortunately). Our server messed up a few times -- she only brought us one Miso soup, and we asked for two. She misspoke about how many pieces of sushi were in the meal, and even thought I ordered beef and noodles, I got beef and *brown rice* instead. I have no idea how that happened, but since I didn't feel like re-ordering, I just ate it.
Getting the wrong food totally ruined my experience there. I am bummed. From now on, I will know better. I will only go to the Beacon Street location.
(oh, the reason we even went to this one was because we had a gift certificate from http://restaurant.com and for some reason, this was the only Jae's location that accepted it -- now I know why!) -
Review from Jason B.
Updated - 4/13/2010
This just in: Jae's downstairs chill bar/lounge, with a couple of plasmas, is almost always empty on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday nights.
For every 10 dollars you spend at the bar from 5 - 8 pm on those nights (also Wednesdays, but I hear that's when the regulars are there) you get a free appetizer...
...and I'm not talking a tiny app either, I mean a decent sized plate. So for the two or three drinks you'd already spend, get some decent food! Plus the beer prices are EXCELLENT. Every bottle under 4, except the 22 oz Sapporo which is 6.75. Lots of value here, people. I smell a Yelp event!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/10/2009
I've been here a few times and have not had any of the horrific experiences that some of the… Read more »
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Review from Crystal S.
Washington, DC
2/8/2009
Worst South End food experience I've ever had.
sake bombs - check
boat of sushi - check
slow service - check
dishonest (and/or bad) service* - check
*I want to clarify before you get all up in my grill about making accusations, but due to the amount of food ordered for our table, I asked to have my dish canceled and the waiter jokes that it's not possible but then says very straight faced, that it's totally do-able and he will cancel the order. 20 minutes later a tofu bibimbap arrives in front of me. I turn, confused. The waiter says that it "will not be on the bill, but we didn't have anything to do with it." Dude, I said I didn't want it because I was full yo and it sits there for the remainder of the meal. When the bill comes, it's on the bill. Now, don't tell me a) you canceled my order and then b) it's not on the bill and then somehow it's miraculously on the bill. I didn't argue it though, I just had them stick it in a doggy bag.
Seriously though, it didn't look appetizing when they placed it in front of me and then when I took it home, I opened it up, warmed some and then took a bite and ran to my boyfriend in the other room and announced, "Honey, it's bad bibimbap!" Words he's never heard me utter in three years.
It's pretty sad when their food doesn't even taste good to a drunk girl. -
Review from Bip V.
Shrewsbury, MA
9/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
one awesome place for some real good sushi , sashimi. great ambience. not too pricey. good portions of food and most definitely dont miss Pad Thai. its absolutely amazing. you can always wash it down with Sapporo.
only negative , is to find a parking spot. -
Review from Dan G.
11/3/2010
I will be honest, I am not a fan of northernish asian cuisine. At. All. Some coworkers got me to agree to go for lunch and I am glad we did. I looked at the menu and decided to get the bolgaki bento box lunch for $10.
So, you get a soup (miso or hot n sour), a small salad (was delicious) a scoop of brown or white rice, a few litle dumplings and then the entree. I have to say, all of it was pretty darn good. I am a fan of the bolgaki and I am really glad I got it.
The beef was very very tender and deliciously sweet yet savory. The hot and sour soup was one of the best I have had yet. It was spicy enough to make me sweat, but not over spicy so that I couldn't eat it (which I have had too). The brown rice was a little dry but it was still pretty good.
Overall, it was pretty good and I would go back. eeek! -
Review from Maritza M.
Springfield, VA
7/12/2006
Good for take out...only been once to actually eat dinner.
I only get pure basics here..miso soup, spicy tuna suchi and chicken friend rice. And I only get it take out.
It's good for days when I don't feel like making dinner....and the dinner entre portions are big enough to last for another meal. -
Review from Elena A.
Queens, NY
3/25/2009
It's sad that this is the one of the few Korean restaurants in the Boston area. I've gone here mostly for the korean foods that they have - most of it is ok, but not worth the price that they charge. I mostly went there because a friend had given me a gift card as a thank-you for pet-sitting. The hot stone bibimbap was good, but honestly, it's a bit hard to mess that up (although if you do, that's just sad)
Overall this place is decent but not worth repeat visits. So sad that Boston has no good korean food anywhere. -
Review from Steve s.
MA
1/5/2007
live close by Jaes in the South End and have often wondered why I do not go more often. First, I enjoy the downstairs part of the restaurant. Its quieter and never crowded(not that I am unfriendly).
The Hot and sour soup is excellent, because quite frankly it is both. The seaweed salad was good, and I felt good about myself for eating it, which allowed me to eat dessert afterwards.
I had sushi afterwards. Sushi is a radical departure for me, but it has grown on me lately. Most sushi places are just that, but Jaes as an array of Asian inspired cuisine, so people like I used to be can also eat well -
Review from Adeline A.
Boston, MA
4/21/2010 2 photos
Hidden Gem! The sushi at Jae's South End is THE BEST. Yes, I just went there. Thick cuts of the finest, freshest sushi served by the best sushi chefs in a great atmosphere at the sushi bar or in the bar downstairs.
Order any maki roll, any sushi and you can't go wrong. I am so jealous of the people who live in South End who have access to Jae's everyday. They deliver to the south end and back bay!
The Pad Thai (chicken & shrimp, veggie, tofu, beef, whatever your taste is) IS TO DIE FOR. One bite and you will see the nay-sayers on here don't know what they're talking about!
General Gao's chicken is also one of my favorites, along with the Kalbi, and mango chicken. If you're picky they have delicious rice/noodle dishes that will appease you! Yum all around! Compliments to the chefs!
Although I will concede that the prices can get steep, trust me, it is WORTH IT.
The bartenders are always very warm and friendly, and the atmosphere is great for a date or a relaxing time at the sushi bar. I recommend calling ahead and making a reservation ahead of time since it can get busy on friday or saturday nights.
I don't understand how anyone could write a bad review on Jae's in the South End. Obviously their tastebuds are dead! Viva la Jae's! Go for the sushi!!!!! Happy Dining. -
Review from Matthew D.
San Francisco, CA
7/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
So, to start, I'm definitely not as down on Jae's as a lot of the other reviewers here. It's part of our regular rotation in the South End and serves consistently good (not great) sushi/asian.
To be fair, the food is not great. The sushi is (in my experience) always fresh but not necessarily imaginative, and even the typical offerings don't seem as well prepared as in other restaurants around the city.
For me, this place is really more about the location (very convenient to almost anything in the South End) and the street-seating, which is just lovely on a cooler summer night. If you are going for the food alone, you might be a bit disappointed, but if you are going for the entire package (be sure to sit outside), this place is a good add to your rotation. -
Review from Dee W.
3/11/2007 6 photos
I have only been to the bar (which was downstairs and a bit to the side) and let me just say how awesome Sarenna is - and her martinis are really something out of this world. She's so friendly and her customer service skills make this place A+++
We tried the pomengranate martini - not bad at all, the grape-tini smelled like Japanese bubble gum - yum and really yummy, I fell a little in love with the grapefruit martini, while my sister really liked their sourpatch kid martini and cran-tini.
Service was really great - there was an annoyance in the bar, but nothing that Sarenna didn't handle which was much appreciated. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back and trying the food.
EDIT: We came back here to watch the Bulls and Celtics game since my sister said that it'd probably wouldn't be too busy and people wouldn't give us too much trouble for the two of us wearing Bulls jerseys (I had an old school BJ Armstrong jersey and she had on Hinrich's jersey)
Our bartender - Kalek - made us these amazing sangria which was yummy - we sat at the bar and also enjoyed food - we had huge appetites so we tried the crab cake, spring rolls, and beef mandoo as our appetizers. Crab cake was really delicious, spring rolls were really good - my sister said that the beef mandoo was a hit or miss (and the vegetarian ones are better) - tonight, it was alright.
For our appetizers, we got the house dragon maki, I had the boneless duck entree and my sister had the Makimoto combo. The house dragon maki was amazing and my duck was so good - it also had the snow pea pods, baby corn, and mushrooms. My sister's makimoto combo included a California roll, spicy tuna - yum, and futomaki which neither of us really liked.
EDIT: Food and drink pictures are up now.Listed in: Boston
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Review from Deanna D.
8/21/2009
I've been to a many times since its near my office but the more I go the more I worst its gotten. The service has always been friendly but never fast. The restaurant itself is cute and I love the outdoor seating option.
Now on to the food:
Seafood Pancake- Big and dry are the only 2 words that come to mind. No flavor + no sauce= bland.
Vegetable Spring Roll- Not worth the $7.95
Chicken & Shrimp Pad Thai- Delicious! Only thing that I have consistently enjoyed.
Mango Chicken- OK but nothing great.
Hae Dup Bap which is rice, vegetables, tuna, salmon, white fish & octopus--You really can't screw this up since its raw fish on rice. The fish is always fresh so overall its good but a huge portion and gets boring after a few bites.
The worst part of Jae's tends to be the high prices for the low quality and flavorless food. The cocktails are also overpriced so that a real buzz kill.
Bottom line= There are far better choices for dining in the South End especially for the money you spend at Jae's.Listed in: The South End: Hot & Not
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Review from Jason L.
11/6/2009
File this one into the generic asian fusion restaurant of Boston. Just by looking at the menu, I was lowering my expectations. They tried to have every type of Asian food there, which is a recipe for disaster.
I had some type of thai fried rice, and shrimp tempura. (both average)
I also tried my friend's korean sliced beef, which was downright inedible. I can't believe she finished it. Overpriced. Ok service/decor. Bar with sports games on.
Best compliment I can give to Jae's? Uh there's a small patio outside.
Food (4/10)
Atmosphere (4/5)
Service (4/5)
Value (1/5) -
Review from Jenn Y.
Cambridge, MA
8/14/2009
Extraordinarily mediocre food at silly prices. The fried rice was super oily, the edamame bland. I am always wary of these asian "fusion" places, or in this case, asian mishmash potluck, as the food is never authentic and rarely tasty. Jae falls square in both categories.
The best part was the bottled beer. Check please. -
Review from David B.
Andover, MA
10/14/2008
Passable Rad Nar with nicely-crunchy "Chinese broccoli" though actual Thai people might find the thin fried noodle option to be a little odd as this dish is ordinarily served with wide boiled rice noodle. Glass of Spanish Garnacha was oxidized and old, but was replaced with a glass from a new bottle. Elusive server. Companion's sake glass had a big chip in it.
Quelle average. Interesting menu, though, and might be worth another chance. -
Review from Richard V.
Boston, MA
11/13/2008
Jae's does decent Asian at over-inflated prices. The spicy tofu pad thai is just pad thai with red pepper flakes dumped on it, the stir-fry with broccoli is average and crispy pad thai is overly-sweetened.
Jae's does not feel compelled to honor prices printed on their menu online or sitting inside their door on take-out menus -- all entrees are several dollars more than posted.
In the South End food this mediocre needs to be a deal to compete, and Jae's is certainly not that. -
Review from Kate M.
Boston, MA
5/23/2008
Sadly, I can only give this place 3 stars due to the quality of fish. We ordered 3 different rolls, the shumai, and tiger eyes (grilled squid with smoked salmon) which was totally gross. We did enjoy the "orange roll" and the bottle of prosecco. The desserts were delicious as well. We went on a Monday night, so maybe that isn't their best day for freshness?
I want to give HUGE props however to the waiter. He was the bomb. Great service and super sweet. -
Review from Kyle H.
Boston, MA
7/18/2010 1 Check-in Here
Mediocre.
Went here for dinner tonight, just because we needed dinner and it was in the area. The sushi was fine (emphasis on this: FINE, not good), the service was spotty to say the best.
Granted, we did get there rather late, and they were probably prepping to close, but we were being rushed out of the restaurant by our server practically before our food was even brought to us. The waiter actually brought the check over immediately after serving us our food. Tacky.
I get that you want to close and go home on a Sunday night, but for serious, get it together. I'd probably stick to ordering out from them.
I go here to get sushi in a pinch. -
Review from Marcus C.
Boston, MA
5/5/2010
What an interesting concept!
All different kinds of Asian foods, a ginormous fish tank and mis-matched art on the walls! Plus, a basketball game on the television and a Starbucks coffee bar when you walk in? Neat!
I was really excited that Jae's had the potential to quench both my Thai and Japanese cravings, but upon trying several sushi rolls (the red sox roll and the futomaki in particular), I decided it won't do the trick when my raw fish hankerings strike.
The mango chicken was fine, but the sauce was a bit too thick for my taste. Nevertheless, I'll probably return, thanks to proximity and convenience. -
Review from Tricia N.
Boston, MA
1/11/2008
I cannot say enough good things about Jae's! I had a private party there back in September. My friends and family are still talking about the food. We reserved the downstairs bar area and the food was served buffet style. The Pad Thai and the Mango Chicken were absolutely amazing! We also ordered a sushi boat, which was also a big hit.
The staff were very professional throughout the whole planning process. We forgot to add dessert to the menu & they were so kind to add a cake at the last minute!
Only negative - the downstairs bar area is a little small. There was not enough seating for our entire party (~30 people) to sit all at once. Not a problem at all for our group, but could be an issue with older guests. -
Review from Haley M.
Boston, MA
8/21/2009
Trying to write a review for this place is giving me a headache. I used to go to Jae's all the time with my family when I was younger. I remember having very interesting dishes, with scallops and other seafood and unique sauces and vegetables I'd never eaten before. Somehow, all that's changed. Their menu today is pretty standard if you rolled a Thai, Korean and Japanese place together: Pad Thai, Bi Bim Bap, sushi & noodles. Gone are the true "fusion" dishes. The place itself has so much potential to be cute, but it looks like they gave up on the design altogether, stuck somewhere between modern, retro and a boring Chinese joint.
My boyfriend lives close by, so we always get take out from here. I get sushi 90% of the time, and that's always been pretty good. Some nights are off, but for the most part I can't complain. He gets the chicken teriyaki which I've tried and personally, I think it's gross. The chicken is like pressed sawdust and the vegetables have butter on them, I know they do. But he seems to like it just fine. I've had the Bi Bim Bap which was pretty good, but some of their other dishes are totally sub-par, like the Paradise chicken which is coated in a sugar sauce and leaves much to be desired.
Dining room service is always slow, but very friendly. I can't complain too much since it makes for fast and good take out on nights we don't want to cook. But I just always wish they would step it up more in every area. -
Review from Savannah B.
8/20/2011
I was visiting the area and looking for a place to have an appetizer and glass of wine after a long day. I was very happy to find a quiet patio in this GREAT neighbourhood. They have a reasonable, not extensive, but good wine list and the seaweed salad was top notch (I have had many sub-par at supposedly good restaurants). I heard other people around me complimenting the food as they dined and saw many locals dash in and out for take out.
Totally worth checking out if you are looking for something nearby but feel stuck. -
Review from Purvi R.
Boston, MA
12/11/2008
One of mine and the bf's favorite places to go!! Especially since it is so close to my place. The reason for our undying love: BI BIM BOP. Not only is it exceedingly fun to say, their tofu Bi Bim Bop is deeeelicious. Here is a secret tip: ask for the spicy basil sauce on the side and drizzle some on.
One other reason we love this place - KIMCHEEEEEE...they make some tasty and spicy kimchee here. Also good to throw some of that on the Bi Bim Bop.
Bf has gotten the Korean BBQ ribs and he thought they were pretty good too.
Would be 5 stars if it wasn't kind of pricey, but for a unique dish that is as good as the ol' Bi, we'll pay anything.Listed in: Places I'll go back to, no…, My Neighborhood
