- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
J's Tomodachi Sushi
Rating Details »
Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
201 Massachusetts Ave(between Clearway St & Norway St)
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 236-1464
- Nearest Transit:
-
Symphony (Green)
Massachusetts Ave (Orange)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- None
20 reviews for J's Tomodachi Sushi
J's Tomodachi Sushi is a great small-scale neighborhood sushi restaurant. Its menu offerings aren't as extravagant as those of other, more pricey, establishments, but it does offer a decent variety of Japanese cuisine. Its menu includes sushi (maki and nigiri), sashimi, salads, and rice and noodle dishes as well as combination plates for lunch. And most importantly for a neighborhood-type of restaurant, the prices are very affordable and I consider them a bargain for what you get.
THE GOOD: Sushi and sashimi that are good quality at an affordable price. My girlfriend and I eat here almost every week. I usually have a cup of miso soup ($1.95), the yellow-tail and scallion hoso maki ($3.95), and a couple orders each of tuna and salmon sashimi ($3.00 each for three pieces).
THE BAD: Overall, I can't really front on anything I have ever ordered at J's. There was a small bone in a salmon hoso maki that I ordered once and when I brought it to the server's attention, she apologized and notified the manager who sent out a complimentary calamari salad with his apologies as well. I felt that was adequate. Also, the first two small tables behind the screen directly in front of the door can get a bit chilly with people coming and going now that the weather has started to change. Other than that, I have to say that I've always had a positive experience at J's.
I think that J's offers good sushi at an affordable price and I encourage people who would like to eat sushi more frequently, but don't want to spend $15.00 for a maki roll, to try this restaurant. I hope whoever reads this finds my review helpful. Thanks. -M-
I heart sushi and I have had some very good sushi in Boston so I was a little disappointed in Js. Living in the area I was thrilled to see a sushi bar opening, and waited with baited breath to try it. However, when it opened it was not getting such good reviews on here so I passed and saved my sushi love for other establishments. Seeing the more recent rave reviews I decided to grab me some lunch today and well, I have a mixed review.
It is excellent value. $10 for soup, sushi, a little rice and salad - not bad. The miso soup is pretty tasty, and the sushi was OK, but I just felt it was not all that. Good for the price, but there is a reason why I am happy spending the bux on raw fish. I would come back for lunch, but I would save my sushi marathon for when I'm feeling more flush and go elsewhere
I'd come here any day over Symphony Sushi and I live on the same street as SS. I've been to J's three times now and have been pleasantly surprised each time. It's not mind-blowing sushi, but it also doesn't claim to be. It's decent, very affordable (wuttup lunch specials), and clean. And all you can drink green tea.
And since I always try the bathrooms on for size, you can rest assured that I've been in there and I've approved.
This place is absolutely solid for a quick lunch when I'm willing to spend more but feel better about not eating Taco Bell. I just don't understand why they make Taco Bell so good...
There's something about sushi that seems to draw the hip, young and trendy college crowd. Sushi is foreign and exotic: a strange delicacy to the average American student. The trendy group and those who genuinely love a good sushi roll should check out the new installment in town.
Conveniently located right off campus, across Massachusetts Ave. from the Christian Science Center, J's Tomodachi Sushi offers palatable rolls at student-friendly prices. Although the restaurant opened this April Fool's Day, it's is no joke.
Modestly nestled underneath a large, concrete apartment building, the interior of the restaurant provides a young, modern contrast to its surroundings.
The chairs placed at the tables of the small yet comfy seating area appear to be of a new-age design, which is reflected by the contemporary art that hangs from the walls.
One of the more notable characteristics of the menu at J's is the pricing: nearly all of the items fall under $10.
When first entering the restaurant, the atmosphere immediately gives a young and fresh impression. However, subtle hints of the restaurant's Japanese heritage are apparent.
J's does not feel like it is meant to reflect the culture of Japan's feudal Tokugawa period. Instead, patrons sense more of the Japanese culture this generation knows - a boisterous, youthful and lively one.
Beneath the colorful overhead lamps, and next to a traditional Japanese painting, is a typical sushi bar, where several guests can sit to watch the quick and dexterous sushi chefs prepare meals.
At the tables, menus are already placed so patrons may look over the respectable, but not overwhelming, selection of items.
Ordering is done either directly with the wait-staff or via a slip of paper where patrons are asked to mark what they would like.
It can be surprisingly difficult to locate an item of choice on this slip, but servers do a commendable job, including constant and prompt refills of the complimentary hot green tea.
Shumai ($3.50) is a decent appetizer consisting of six steamed shrimp dumplings, and not a bad dish to share while awaiting the meal, and the price seems fair enough.
The Spicy Shrimp Tempura Rolls ($7.95), a main course, were presented neatly, in a way that was tempting both to the eyes and the palate. The five big rolls of sushi contain tempura shrimp, crabstick, cucumber, avocado, lettuce, tobiko and a spicy sauce. Displayed in a neat row, the rolls were placed carefully and deliberately. All but one roll was put together deftly, with the lone outlier only partially unrolling.
The sushi dish was full of flavor and delivered a desirable contrast of salty sea shrimp and spicy sauce, not to mention the potent ginger and sinus-clearing wasabi offered on the side, which could only add to any sushi lover's experience.
A waitress at J's, said the restaurant's appeal comes from the fresh quality fish and the reasonable prices.
This appeal has drawn mostly local college students, but she said they have had more and more professional business people visiting J's during their lunch breaks.
J's has a direct appeal with nearby college youths due to its great location, student-friendly prices and later hours (for those with the late-night sushi munchies). Those who tend to hop over to Symphony Sushi to satisfy a sashimi temptation might want to try the new competition in town.
I was really excited when I saw a sushi restaurant was opening in this area- Symphony Sushi was getting a little over-done. It took me a while to actually go- but when my fellow yelper suggested it I was so excited. For lunch, the prices are very reasonable- and I absolutely love the ginger dressing on the house salad. Sushi, Miso Soup and Edamame were nothing special- but the small, quaint restaurant makes a great stop for a quick, light lunch with friends. I've been there twice now- and every time I feel like we just catch the last table available. So be prepared to wait for a table during busy times.
My boyfriend, an avid green tea fan, could not get enough of the FREE green tea here- and I have to agree, it was pretty awesome. Ask for a cup of ice and it also makes some delicious iced tea.
Good location, decent maki, bad sashimi! My boyfriend and I couldn't understand how a piece of tuna could look so unappetizing.
Their beef donburi is pretty tasty and I like that they give you green tea that actually tastes like green tea. It's a clean establishment and a good alternative to Symphony Sushi.
As other reviewers have alluded to, J's Tomodachi Sushi is not going to wow you with decorative beauty or opulence when you walk in. You probably wouldn't take an important client or a first date here, but when you work across the street and need a weekly sushi fix that could put you in debt at most other places, this is the place for you!
I think it is important to base reviews in reality and I never had any delusions that this little sushi restaurant on Mass Ave was going to rival O ya or have live tanks and images of cherry blossoms projected on the walls, like Fugakyu. When I went the first time, I was expecting decent sushi and hoping for equally decent prices. After relying on the sushi at Whole Foods for the past couple of years, it was so refreshing to sit and enjoy sushi in a civilized manner rather than fussing with messy packets of wasabi and soy sauce. The fact that the sushi was as good and equally priced was a bonus!
In fact, Whole Foods never gave me green tea, salad and miso soup to go with my $10.00 sushi fix, but J's does for the same price. The miso is really good, even if it doesn't come in a wooden bowl as one review mentioned. The sushi is fresh tasting, prepared well and served in a very clean, friendly environment. The menu won't require much review, it is very basic but it was no more basic than Osushi, where you will pay an arm and a leg for slow, snooty service and sub par food. Overall, I have been very pleased with my two experiences and have every intention of returning!
I've been checking everytime I walk by J's Tomodachi to see if they're open. They finally are and I had a great experience there.
I went with three girlfriends for lunch; three of us got rolls while another friend got the lunch special. All our food was so good, and cheap!! Veggie rolls are $3 or $4, and the lunch special that comes with miso soup, rice, and a salad with yummy ginger dressing is only $10. You can't really go wrong. The menu is pretty typical, but everything tastes good so I'm fine with that. We also got a seaweed salad that was served with a generous serving of fish roe and a great dressing.
The service was fine, and we loved the complimentary green tea. The dishes and cups were really nice contemporary ceramic wear that felt good to hold in your hand. There are maybe 10 tables and a sushi bar in the back. I liked the intimate feel.
I will definitely be returning for some freshly-made rolls, cheap prices, and friendly service.
Great price , great sushi. Only downside, they do not use brown rice like the nearby snappy sushi.
I've been waiting for this place to open for quite a while, so when I saw the sign last night saying they'd open today, I made it a point to stop by.
Stopped by for lunch. The location smelled of fresh paint and lacquer. It was clean, but then again it's opening day. The dishware reminded me of IKEA for some reason...
The server was sweet, but obviously inexperienced. She sat me (I came alone) in a table for 4. Granted, there aren't many smaller tables. However, it was strange how she kept serving everything on the other side of the table. My main meal, for example, she served it in the center of the table. It was a bit strange.
As for the food, I ordered a salmon donburi. It was ok. Nothing very special. It came with miso, which I thought was a little too salty. The salmon was fresh, but the rice tasted a bit off. The seaweed salad on the side was good. I wasn't a fan of the tsukemono, but I've never been a fan of Japanese pickled vegetables. I really thought the carrots were fresh baby carrots... but not quite... very salty pickled carrots. Meh, I don't understand the concept of tsukemono I suppose. The pieces of (imitation?) crab meat were decent.
The menu offered standard sushi, sashimi, edamame, and donburi bowls. It'd be great if they offered onigiri though
Overall, I might stop by again if I'm on a tight schedule and have a sushi craving that Whole Foods can't do better on. Or maybe I'll stop by in a week or two and check if there were any improvements/changes.
I think this establishment has potential. Their sushi was decent and their attention was extravagant.. although I was the only person in the restaurant. Everyone was very kind to me and their prices were nice. I truly hope they get significantly more business so I can rate them on a day where I wasn't the only person not making money in the room.
The complimentary green tea is a plus but on a hot day like today (90 degrees out) it's kind of useless.
i would highly suggest they extend their menu and carry other things like Udon Noodle Soup and Fresh Rolls (two of my favorite things in the world.)
Other than that, I think they're pretty decent.
J's Tomodachi doesn't boast extravagance. J's fits a niche. If you want over the top, go to Fugakyu in Brookline, but if you want simple and tasty, J's can give you just that.
The staff is very friendly and generous with the green tea, which is getting harder and harder to find at no charge these days. Their house salad rocks. They take the simple blend of lettuce with ginger dressing and add sweet, creamy avocado and a couple cherry tomatoes. It really makes a difference too.
I haven't tried their fancy rolls, but I do enjoy the yellowtail with scallion and salmon with avocado.
To sum it all up, if you are a fan of fresh fish sushi and don't go to J's expecting fancy sauces and toppings like mango and coconut, you'll do just fine.
Grabbed some takeout last night. The order was ready in 10 minutes and was exactly what we wanted. Fresh, delicious, the spicy rolls were nice and spicy, everything tasted wonderful, and it was given with a smile, what else could I want? Oh yeah, really awesomely priced. Will be back, for sure!
J's Tomodachi is all right.
There isn't much to say about the place. The sushi is fair, the donburi comes in a plate instead of a bowl, miso soup comes in a plastic bowl with a spoon (instead of the traditional wooden bowls 99.999% of Japanese places use), and there really isn't much charm about the place save for the old-school JPop music playing over the PA, a lot of which sounds like anime theme songs from the 90's.
Also, I'm not too impressed with the new server who just appeared last week. I don't know where she's from, but any establishment that hires servers who make me repeat my order 4 times get a minus star from me :S
The sushi here is extremely average. It's hard to imagine a more average sushi experience, really. The rolls aren't boring, but they aren't exciting. The food isn't bad, but it isn't great. I went during opening week, and the staff was VERY friendly and seemed legitimately happy to serve us. If you have something against Symphony Sushi, this is an acceptable budget substitute. But if you're in the area and have a sushi craving... you should probably just go to Symphony.
I was really excited to check this place out when it opened up.
I had a great experience here. It was very very fast (less than 5 minutes to get my food), and the sushi was great for the price. Everything was really inexpensive and the people there were super friendly. It was very clean and I'd definitely go there again for a quick bite.
Finally! Sushi thats affordable AND convinient. I've been waiting for this place to open all winter, and when it finally did, there were no bells and whistles. Just an "open" sign on the door.
I cant say that I've tried every kind of sushi in the world, or have been to a ton of sushi restuarants, but the sushi here was very VERY fresh. For a newbie, I appreciate that they have descriptions of everything on the menu (just incase you forget exactly what is in a California roll!) The experience has made me feel really comfortable about going outside of my Sushi Comfort Zone.
Their lunch special cant be beat! $9.95 got me 2 spicy rolls (one salmon, one tuna), miso soup, salad, and green tea. Great option for those who want good quality fish without breaking the bank. Like I said, they dont really advertise, but I recommend going out of your way and finding this place!
Despite decent Yelp reviews, I really wasn't impressed. Although the complimentary green tea was nice, the sushi was chewy and just not very good. The prices weren't bad, but definitely too expensive for the quality of the sushi. I'd much rather pay a little bit more for delicious food at Symphony Sushi, which is just a couple blocks away.
I agree with what has mostly been said in the previous views. The place is clean and well-lit. I've been here a couple times now, I would say the sushi is really good, very consistent and fresh. The spicy rolls are definitely a notch up on the spicy scale than most other places. Prices are about average for sushi. Not a bad little place in the neighborhood.
Selection is very small, waitresses still pretty inexperienced (the one I had told me it was her first day, so I'll give her slack for her slowness in getting us water, tea, soysauce, and our check). Overall though, $3-$4 for the cheaper plain rolls, and about $8-$10 for the nicer ones. Not great, but not bad either.
