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Sea to You Sushi
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Asian Fusion Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion [Edit]
5 Kendall StBrookline, MA 02445
(617) 738-0131
- Nearest Transit:
-
Cypress St @ Kendall St (60)
Cypress St @ Rice St (60)
Cypress St @ Walnut St (60)
- Hours:
Thu-Sat 3 pm - 7 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
Aaron K. said: "Still love the take out option online (cash only deal), good quality sushi at unbeatable price. How does whole foods across the street still do sushi business? 5 stars for the takeout. Have done a couple recent dine in's thanks to…" read more »
53 reviews for Sea to You Sushi
Review Highlights
"By far - a fantastic place to learn how to make sushi."
(in 3 reviews)
"It's a wholesale sushi-grade fish warehouse out by the..."
(in 6 reviews)
"was very funny and knowledgeable."
(in 4 reviews)
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53 reviews in English
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Review from Bill C.
Brookline, MA
9/5/2010
I love this place. Great fresh fish, a terrific owner, and a very accommodating staff. The prices are outstanding and the selection is very strong.
Anybody still buying fish to make sushi at Whole Foods, is making a huge mistake. As far as I'm concerned, it's Sea to Me! -
Review from Lauretta L.
Boston, MA
2/3/2012
A few of us came here after getting a Trubates coupon for the VIP Sushi Platter. We were extremely excited since the Yelp reviews were pretty outstanding.
I feel a bit bad not being able to give more stars, but I have to be honest and hopefully Sea to You Sushi will take my comments as constructive criticism :)
So...first I called and the recording said that orders have to be emailed. I emailed and was able to confirm a date/time. Our group arrived after starving all day, and were disappointed to hear that there was no record of our order for that day, that this had happened a few times before, and that we'd have to wait 30 minutes. Okay fine, these things happen...but if it has happened before then...perhaps make sure it doesn't in the future? Anyway, we waited close to an hour and were sooooooo stoked like kids on xmas morning when the platter was handed over. We dove right in and it was complete SILENCE while we munched away.
I'm not quite sure what to say about the sushi. The rice was not fresh. It was a bit dry and I'm pretty sure sushi rice is supposed to be plump, chewy, and flavored with vinegar. At least that's the sushi I'm used to back in California. The sashimi and ingredients seemed fresh enough, but the flavors were a bit...unmemorable. For half price, it's a good deal, but I would not pay full price for this platter. Although maybe the platters are made better w/o coupon deals.
Anyway, the lady working here was sweet enough to let us eat at the booth even though we had a take out platter. She was also probably stressed trying to finish our platter before the sushi making classes later in the day, so I'm very glad that she didn't turn us away! I also really loved the sushi rolls with yam! First time I've had those and they were amazzzinggg. I love yams.Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 2/3/2012
We are a caterer, not a restaurant ! ~For best tasting… More » -
Review from Michelle T.
Boston, MA
10/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Everything about our class was great. Except it was so far out from the city and a little hard to find!
AND...they took our picture BUT didn't enter us into the photo contest!! We say = that's an automatic foul.
I especially Loved that Sea to You was NOT stingy on the ingredients. There was smoked salmon, regular sashimi salmon (toward the end, they brought it out) and even cooked tuna (although kinda fishy and dry) on top of the regular cucumber, imitation crab meat, etc. as filling.
The instruction was simple, straightforward but a little too much banter at the beginning.
Essentially all you can eat sushi, but at a pretty steep price. I would NOT have done it without the 50% off coupon. We thought the price was just fair with the coupon itself. At full price, definitely not worth it!Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 10/6/2011
Thanks for your review & your opinion definitely counts!… More » -
Review from Siv T.
10/2/2011
Okay, let me start off by saying that there was a little confusion from the start when I had scheduled an appointment to this place. I won't get into great detail but just a side note for all you yelpers out there just make sure that if you are going as a group you fill out 1 form on their website. When I was trying to schedule the appointment for the Sat. afternoon class they sent me an email back saying they were booked. (couldn't take in 2 more people).
This is partially my fault because I had planned on going with another couple and didn't indicate specifically on the form it was going to be a party of 4. (they filled their form ahead of us, while I filled my form out for my bf and I) I clarified on the email but didn't get the okay until I had called them and finally got through much later in the day. It was a minor issue, it wasn't going to stop me from attending.
To my surprise the sushi class was much bigger than I expected. The school itself did feel a little crowded, but not really crowded to the point of discomfort and you're bumping elbows. The instructors (didn't quite get their names) were engaging and had great sense of humors, which definitely took some ease off any first time anxiety.
When it came down to the visual instructions, it was pretty much what one would expect from a beginners class. Quick, (he showed us how to do the basic roll twice) but rather clear. It was pretty cool when the female instructor (assuming his wife) was showing the class how to make jumbo rolls. After the brief instruction we were pretty much left to do our own thing. (to gather our ingredients and roll away). With that said the selection to choose from, you definitely had a good amount of ingredients to come up with different varieties of rolls. (and everything in my bias opinion tasted good).
Although it was a 90 minute class, I honestly have to say we were there for almost the full 2 hours. With the amount of sushi we made as a group I would have to say was more than sufficient. Our group had our own little side corner, kinda away from the rest of the class and we ended up not having a knife to cut our sushi, so the whole entire time we were rolling away, not cutting our sushi, nor eating it.
All in all a positive learning experience. Of course it's a beginner's class so don't expect anything too technical or fancy. I would recommend this class to those who have never rolled sushi before and would like to get a good idea on where to start. I think it's also a popular date idea, as the class was packed full with couples. As far as advanced courses go I would absolutely look forward to taking those as well. :) -
Review from Kittery R.
Kittery, ME
12/12/2011
My friends got some Groupon/Buy with Me promotions with them for take home sushi/sashimi. The platters look beautiful, but their sashimi (especially salmon) smells very very fishy.
This happened everyime time we took out from them. Something is not sanatized properly.
We had to spit out the sashimi while eating and afraid to eat the rest of the stuffs on the platter because of cross contamination. At the end, we microwave and cooked all the fishes so there will be no waste. However, the arrangement and color of the sashimi looks great
I heard from my friend the class was fun.
Update: I do not understand why they say they dont have any fishy sashimi, its hard to believe that a group of 10 -15 people complaining about the fishy smell is fake, since we're all frequent sushi eaters. If it happened one time, I would not written the yelp review. However it happened twice, first itme sometimes in the summer 2011, and the 2nd times was October 2011. Each time we got 3 sashimi/sushi platters. The first time, we had some complains, but we thought it was a one time thing-we just had a bad luck day, but the 2nd times, we heard complains from almost all the guests so we know this is common.Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 12/27/2011
How long did it take to bring platter back to Kittery, ME?… More » -
Review from EL M.
Boston, MA
9/25/2011
I bought a groupon for two for $59.00 for the sushi making class. It was a really great deal when a regular class at full price is $60.00 each person.
The location is pretty nice. Brookline is very nice and fancy and despite not having a parking lot, there was a good amount of street parking to spare.
The actually restaurant was small. Very small. I was quite surprised how small it was really. But when everyone spread out to all the available tables, there was enough room for you to make your delicious sushi creations.
This is only an exception for this particular class, but because there was a party that reserved the time spot after our class. Our class ended up being extremely over booked. It says online that the maximum is about 12 people. I think we had about 23.
So this very small room because CRAMPED.
I went with my boyfriend an another couple. And we had to wait a while to get to the bar in order to get out ingredients. Then we were stuck in a spot behind the counter, in the corner without a knife to cut our sushi.
There were a lot of ingredients. Crab, cucumber, spicy tuna, salmon, smoked salmon, regular tuna. It was a lot to work with, which was a lot of fun. I don't know much about Sushi though, so I was always wondering 'will this taste good together??' So I wish they gave out a paper wither what some sushi has in it to mimic.
We ended up making about 4 rolls each because we were the only people not able to cut our Sushi and eat it like all the others.
The teacher was VERY nice and funny and I'm not sure if it was his wife that was helping or not, but she was very nice and fun too.
We took the C1 beginner's class and in the beginning we were given a sheet on how to make the perfect rice, which was really helpful and answered a good amount of questions.
All in all. I'd really like to go back and take a more accelerated course and just hope that the class isn't over booked that time. -
Review from Margarita Y.
Boston, MA
8/23/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This is for the Sea to You Course 1.
The teacher is very patient and funny. He wasn't too intimidating and after this class I am now able to roll a semi-perfect jumbo roll, a sushi roll, and an inside-out maki. Course 1 just teaches you the basics using mostly cooked ingredients so expect California Rolls, Sweet Potato Roll, and maybe Tuna and Salmon Maki. I heard that Course 2 and 3 are more raw fish so I will definitely want to try that! If we ever have a sushi party or the bf and I want to make our own rolls, this would be the place to go for sushi grade fish. During the class I noticed A LOT of people coming and going buying the fresh fish here.
This is a fun activity to go on a date especially if both persons love sushi. -
Review from Matthew P.
Boston, MA
2/19/2011
I feel very bad for not giving this place five stars. Almost everything about it is five stars. The fish is nice and fresh, the service is friendly, and people seem to really like the classes they offer (I have not taken any).
But oh I just had to buy that Groupon. My friend and I decided to get the big party platter that serves 8 people (I'm obviously trying to succumb to mercury poisoning). It was a good amount of sushi, er... rice. Unfortunately that's what it mostly was, rice. There were tiny pieces of fish stuffed with HUGE amounts of rice. Did i mention there was a lot of rice?
After I was done, eating half my plate was rice that I had picked off. Now this does not mean I don't recommend the place. The fish you can buy whole is sushi grade and cheap. However, the rolls you buy should not be eaten by extreme sushi lovers.
I am definitely a huge fan and highly recommend their fish and other a la cartes!Listed in: SUSHI!!
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Review from paige c.
7/19/2011
this is a fun date
beginners don't each much raw
sixty bucks too much
Woah woah woah WOAH! I thought the fine art of sushi making was restricted only to Japanese MEN. Us women, you see, our hands are too warm for this graceful marital arts type skill. I actually consider myself more a sushi EATING expert, but me and the bf bought the groupon and off we went to break Japanese tradition with all our western whiteness and warm hands
This place gets 4 stars because it is a really unique thing to go do. You learn how to roll, the sushi masters are entertaining, and you get to eat all you want (well, sort of).
I feel a little cruel with my final review being 3 stars... but overall, I just wasn't sure it was worth it--you are mostly paying for the experience.
3 stars because it felt a little boring in the beginning, and I felt a little rushed towards the end. And I might have rather spent my $30 groupon eating sushi instead of making a thousand california rolls. You can learn on your own, there's this great thing called THE INTERNET. But I'm not going to bash the experience too much--it was totally fun and a great way to impress your friends and closer friends!
I'd rather just spend $60 on sushi. And in the class, while I am capable of eating $60 worth of sushi, I did not get that. Why?! Because the beginner class is all veggies and crab sticks. They brought out some raw salmon with a few minutes to go, and I made a couple rolls quick. But once it was gone, too bad for you. Once anything was gone, it was not replenished. There are only so many variations of a california roll can do, and I most certainly can't eat $60 worth of california roll in one sitting. Luckily there were also so soggy sweet potato fries I could throw in for some variation.
Maybe I'm just impatient and would rather eat... More eating, variety, and lower prices--4 stars.
p.s. you get to take home two little boxes of sushi, and its $5 for each additional box.Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 7/23/2011
Woah woah woah WOAH! Having lots of fun rolling sushi… More » -
Review from Ellis C.
Brookline, MA
8/30/2010
This is definitely the worst sushi and worst customer service I've ever experienced.
I have to say I was surprised by the 4.5 rating, until I looked more closely and noticed that most of the high ratings were for the classes, and that people who actually picked up sushi platters were far less generous.
I redeemed my $60 Groupon coupon for the $120 VIP sushi & sashimi platter, for a family celebration. Oops, there was nothing at all to celebrate in the food.
Jamie F's review said that it was like Stop & Shop quality; I actually think that does a disservice to Stop & Shop.
The rice was stale and dry. The salmon & tuna had the kind of texture and luminescent color you see when the fish is badly frozen. The salmon had dry brown edges. Both the tuna and salmon had merged with the rice. The calamari and seaweed salad were lifeless and soggy. The tempura shrimp was dried out. Everything was tasteless.
We only tried a little bit, before we decided that eating any more would be a health hazard. I called the store and asked when the platter was made, and whether the fish had been frozen. The women who answered (and who I had picked the platter up from -- and who acted like an owner or a relative of the owner) just completely lied - said it was fresh and had been made just before I picked it up.
Then she asked if I actually knew what fresh sushi was, and where else I ate Sushi. I mentioned Fugakyu and some others, and she dismissively said that they were "Chinese", racist to start with, and implying that I didn't know what real fresh Japanese sushi was like.
At some point, she suggested I bring the sushi back to show her, so we did. When we arrived, the store was closed, but she was still there. We were unable to show her the sushi platter (which was obviously in our hands), because she refused to open the door, simply repeating that they were closed.
I recommend avoiding this place for sushi. It ruined our family celebration; don't let it ruin yours.Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 1/21/2011
Thanks for your valuable review & sorry to hear you were not… More » -
Review from Jamie F.
8/15/2010
More like Sea ---to Freezer--- to You Sushi.
I recently redeemed my $60 groupon for a VIP 71-piece sushi & sashimi platter (originally priced at $120). No joke, the fish tasted like Stop & Shop quality - discolored, limp and not fresh. The tempura shrimps and sweet potatoes (inside the sushi) were soggy and ice cold. Was there even a point of scheduling a pick-up time?
Also, I have to wonder if the sushi students made this platter since a few roll pieces were sloppy and fell apart.
Lesson learned: stick to ordering sushi platters from Japanese *restaurants* (i.e. Genki Ya or Fugakyu).Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 8/16/2010
First, thanks for your valuable review. Our record… More » -
Review from Eddo K.
Brookline, MA
5/6/2011
This review speaks only about a take out order, and not the classes offered at the restaurant.
Used a Coupme voucher for the following:
Spicy tuna roll
Spicy tuna hand roll
seaweed salad
Although service was good, the fish was not. Definitely tasted like it had thawed a bit too long after a good freeze. The rice was a bit mushy, and like a lot of reviewers are commenting, the rice to fish ratio was high.
I would not recommend this place for take out, but can't speak about the classes.Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 6/4/2011
There was a mix up & you took sushi that our students made!… More » -
Review from Vito M.
Waltham, MA
7/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great place to take an intro class, especially when on special thanks to Groupon. Course 1 was an introduction into making California rolls and jumbo rolls and was a lot of fun. The instructor/owner was upbeat and had a great sense of humor. Definitely worthwhile. Was looking for a little more of a demo when it comes to making the sushi rice, but got some serious practice making 5 rolls during the class. Be prepared to bring some sushi home with you!
Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 7/25/2011
Before this summer passes by, Join us & Enjoy the Ocean… More » -
Review from Susan D.
Germantown, MD
7/25/2011
Attended sushi making class today- who knew it was so easy to make beautiful sushi roll? The instruction was humorous and educational- ate some of the rolls I made and took the rest to go. Fish was fresh and high quality. Walking distance from Brookline Hills T station. Teaches all you need to know to throw a sushi dinner party- and to save yourself lots of $$ by making your own sushi rolls.
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Review from G H.
Boston, MA
This review is about their fish. I've been buying fish there to take home and make my own sushi. The fish is always fresh and very reasonably priced. If you're going to do this, I'd suggest becoming a member to save money on the fish. They only have fish Thursday-Saturday. I found this by showing up on a Tuesday. I was, however, informed by the owner that if I call ahead of time to order fish on one of their off days they will have it for me later that day. This is a testament to their freshness. Just a heads up for you first time buyers and sushi makers, 3/4 of a pound of fish, one cup of rice and some edamame should be just enough for two people.
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Review from ryan v.
Boston, MA
7/8/2010
Easy Sushi!! Eat Sushi!!
A good friend informed me about this place through word-of -mouth at his work. Take a 1-day sushi class all for $30!! I just couldn't pass up this deal so I decided to enroll.
Upon arrival, please use the street parking and not the brick building hospital parking lot since they are known to tow cars. There's plenty of street parking right next to the restaurant. Once you enter the restaurant, please sign-in with Kazu-san and show your coupon/voucher. He will give you a one page note on how to prepare sushi.
Class size are usually kept to about 12 to prevent over crowding at the restaurant. Once everyone has checked-in, Bond-san will begin by introducing himself and his staff, Jo-san and Kazu-san. Bond-san is a very funny man who keeps his lessons entertaining and informative. Every process in making sushi is a very easy step-by-step lesson. Pretty much fool-proof and nobody goes home without learning how to make one good sushi roll or eight.
After the overview and visual lessons, you will begin to make sushi. All the ingredients are already prepared for you and all is left for you to do is gather the ingredients, start making and start eating. Most people are able to complete 5+ or more rolls to take home while eating three while there.
So if you're a sushi afficionado like I am then this is a great place to learn how and what's involved in making sushi. A skill that will last a lifetime.
Now let's eat! Itadakimasu!! -
Review from Steph P.
8/20/2010 1 photo
This review is a little overdue, but here goes.
4 of us went for the sushi class after the groupon of course and had a great time. The instructor was very funny and engaging and really taught us a lot about fish and sushi. The only problem was....the class did not use fish at all. Veggies, shrimp and crabstick were the only players inside the rolls. I was a little disappointed because I don't recall the description saying this on their website.
They also had a little selection of goodies in freezers and fridges and of course sold all of the necessary equipment.
Would maybe go back for the next level if there was another groupon!Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 8/22/2010
Thanks for your valuable comments. From September, we are… More » -
Review from David T.
7/14/2010
Sushi making is one of those things that I have been meaning to do forever but just never got around to. Most classes I have found are too inconvenient or too expensive. Well, after a great 1/2 price deal for Sea to You magically appeared in my email inbox I could not resist. $30 for a class with tons of your own creations to bring home seemed too good to be true; it wasn't.
You start the evening with an interesting lesson from Bond-san explaining the way to tell sushi-grade fish and going over some other ingredients (there is also a note sheet with instructions on how to make sushi rice at home). He is a middle-aged guy with a really funny sense of (Japanese-type) humour. He is like the uncle I wish I had. He does a short demo of how to make the inside-out rolls and then lets you loose on the ingredients to try it for yourself.
Since it was the beginner class there were not too many choices; crabstick, cucumber, carrot, yam, cooked tuna, mini shrimp (I do wish they had avocado for the Cali rolls but considering the price of avocados I could forgive them). This still left enough options to create a few varieties (Apparently the #2 class teaches nigiri and more stuff with raw fish and the #3 class goes into designer/specialty rolls). Jo-san and Kazu-san are walking around throughout the class to help with any questions, and about halfway through, Jo-san teaches how to make jumbo-rolls and the seaweed-out rolls (hers looked much better than mine HAHA). You could make as many rolls as you wanted within the time frame of the class (I ate two there and still brought 4 home).
Regular price is $60/class which would still be worth it but at $30 it was a steal! I definitely plan on going again for a more advanced lesson. So grab a few friends and head to Sea to You Sushi for a perfect night out! C U @ C 2 U :)
Omoshiroi? Hai
Tanoshii? Hai
Oishii? HAI !Listed in: Japanese Food
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Review from Jenny N.
4/18/2010
Have you ever met a Japanese man named Bond? How about a Japanese sushi chef named Bond? Yeah, me neither until I came to my first sushi-making class at Sea to You!
You see, Sea to You is not only a fish market and purveyor of sushi-making ingredients. They also offer a number of beginner classes for sushi enthusiasts on evenings and weekends after the store closes.
Bond led our class (basic maki rolls) and he was quite entertaining as a teacher. I definitely gained some new knowledge about food safety (i.e. vinegar in the sushi rice inhibits bacteria growth on the raw fish) and the #1 tip for making a tight roll ("cat paws"). Actually, I take that back. I think the #1 most useful tip was learning that wrapping your bamboo mat in plastic makes it wayyy easier for you to roll your sushi and also makes for easy clean up.
Anyway, after about 45 min. of talking (plus a demo on how to make California rolls), we were let loose on the self-serve station of maki ingredients and that's when the fun really began. They had set out everything necessary for your basic maki rolls: crab stick, spicy shrimp, sweet potato, Japanese pickle, cucumber, avocado, carrot--even sesame seeds! During the last half hour of the class, they also brought out the spicy tuna, as another option to use in the jumbo maki rolls.
While I had tried to make sushi rolls at home before, they always fell apart and I didn't have great sushi rolling technique. So I was really thrilled that after some practice, I ended up making both the inside out and regular seaweed-on-the-outside rolls. The boy and I actually ended up making 4-5 rolls each. Even after we ate a couple of the end pieces on some of the less attractive rolls, we still ended up with about 8 small takeout containers worth of sushi! Such a great deal (especially if you got a Groupon like we did)!!
There were a number of work tables set up around the room, and with a class of about 15-20 students, it was a tiny bit crowded but still manageable. Highly recommended for a fun date night or group activity :)
You can visit their website to see the class descriptions and register for a class online. -
Review from Vivian C.
9/1/2010 4 photos
Sea to You is located on a quiet corner off of the busy Route 9. 2 hour free parking is a pleasant treat - no feeding of meters are always a plus!
When you enter, you are greeted by a glass case of fresh raw fish in front of you and freezers of ingredients such as BBQ smoked eel $9 for a pack ($7 per pack for 2 or more) and Tamago (sweet egg) $14/$12. If you like, you can also get a bottle of eel sauce for $4.99.
Walk in and by the cash register just beyond the serve yourself bar with sea weed salad, various sizes of fish eggs, and what not there is a menu binder. Turns out some items can only be ordered in advance online and en mass ($20 minimum?) like the bento boxes. The roll menu is pretty small, so I ended up ordering the sole two cooked rolls they had - Dragon Roll $12.95 which is basically California roll topped with a slice of eel apiece, and shrimp tempura roll $8.95 made with pre-fried battered shrimp.
Service here was friendly, but a little tough to understand. I saw my rolls being made before my eyes, but oddly enough, upon consuming them, they reminded me of supermarket sushi with less moist rice. (I'm under the impression that supermarkets over vinegar the rice to keep it from drying out during the holding period.) They were okay, but not especially good. -
Review from Julie R.
2/27/2010
I am a sushi school graduate! I was so excited about this class when I bought the living social deal. Was it worth it..Yes!
The beginning of the class was delayed cause they were waiting for a couple more people, so be on time! The area they explained the handout was very loud with mechanical equipment. The lady apologized it was loud and even though she said would talk louder, I could barely hear her. A microphone would really help.
We switched over to a guy chef for our first roll instruction, a california roll. The sushi chef was very funny and the class got entertaining at that point. After the instruction we were allowed to start making sushi. The ingredients were kept in a cool self service salad bar like area. It was easy to get what you needed then get to work. The selection of fish was spicy tuna and salmon then the fillers of sweet potato, cucumber, tobiko, avocado. Then they provided little take out containers for your creations.
Making maki was easier then I thought. I couldn't believe how beautiful my first roll was. We worked on our own at tables with a few other people. Then we would go up to the area with cutting boards to cut them. Some tips I could give them would to be have sauces at each table, there was only one of each, which made it difficult to get your hands on any as they moved around, even another cutting station since the other was always busy and to make the class a bit smaller. We had around 20 people and the space was cramped.
It was an enjoyable couple of hours. I can see them really succeeding with this class. They also offer a discount on raw fish and supplies for the students. I would certainly go back and get some fish when I have a sushi chef attempt again.Listed in: Seeking Sushi?
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Review from Austin J. A.
Wellesley, MA
3/22/2011 5 photos
From August to December 2010, we went to three sushi classes at Sea To You Sushi School:
= Course 1 - Introduction & Making Maki Roll (seaweed inside / seaweed outside / jumbo roll): basics of sushi preparation and serving
= Course 2 - Making Nigiri & Temaki (hand roll): technique of slicing fish
= Course 3 - Making Designer Roll (Rainbow / Dragon / Caterpillar)
There are two more "classes" after these, but they are really just economical opportunities to make piles of sushi in their kitchen and bring it home with you for half the cost of what it would take to buy it pre-made. I call them "sushi clinics."
The first class had probably ten people in it, and that was the perfect number of students. We learned a lot about safety techniques, and for two people who'd been making vegetarian sushi for more than a decade (AKA us), we learned a ton of practical and official skills that augmented our confidence and sushi preparedness. It also taught us that we were idiots that one time when we bought fresh raw tuna from the meat case at our co-op market and turned it into sushi (and then got sick, and then did it again in case the first time was a fluke). We worked with nori (seaweed) paper, rice, vegetable and cooked-fish fillings, and learned how easy it is to make California Roll and Jumbo Rolls. The audience was comprised of five couples on date-night, doing something new and different together. All the sushi you make in a class, you keep (to take home or to eat on the spot), and between us we had twelve little trays of sushi to take home with us at the end of the night.
The second class taught us how to start working with uncooked fish. I was really pleased that they waited until the second class to do this, because honestly, I was very intimidated by the safety issues surrounding raw fish in nigiri and as sashimi. It was a different teacher this time, and he was no less funny, charming, patient, and informative. I was shocked to be handling the raw fish with confidence by the end of the evening, and our cats were shocked that we would absolutely not share any of the white and red tuna, salmon, crab, or shrimp sushi we had a baker's dozen of when we got home. This class was made up of a few couples, a few pairs of friends, and about fifteen people total. It was a little cramped. The teacher said that this number of people is pretty typical.
The third class is a class that you can take while everyone else in the class is doing the first or second class. It might seem weird, but you don't actually work alongside the other students on the big stainless steel tables. You have your own steel side counter, closer to the fish case, and your own instructor. The problem is that on the night we chose to take Class Three, a platter Groupon was expiring the next day, so the kitchen was in sheer chaos, AND plus a TON of people (more than 20) had signed up for the class. It was cramped, and it started a half hour late. The lecture part was still enjoyable, even though we'd been through it mostly before. By the time it came time to break out into our little side group, we were left in that side counter area alone with no one-on-one tutoring in special rolls for quite some time. Ultimately, we DID get to learn the Rainbow Roll and Dragon Roll, and we even got to work with the special butane torch - totally unexpected, and totally an amazing technique (partially torching the top of the roll means that you get to have both raw AND cooked fish in one bite - crazy good). It was really cramped back there; we shared the space with another couple, and it was so close that I tore my shirt on the fish case because I couldn't move away from it. They did not, unfortunately, teach us the Caterpillar Roll, which was sad. But you know what? We left with fourteen little trays of sushi, we learned cool stuff, and we are now eligible to take their additional classes, which will save us money and be great. We can probably ask these folks to teach us the Caterpillar Roll at one of those aforementioned "sushi clinics," and I'm sure they'd help. There were couples, friends, and even an adorable family (two parents and three kids) who had all chipped in to buy their mom a sushi class for her birthday. Everyone left satisfied.
So, definitely take these classes. But try not to take a class on or near a Groupon expiration day. Also, I feel so happy that I can drive over and pick up some sushi-grade fish (or supplies) when I get a craving or have a party, because it's so satisfying to make it at home when all the ingredients are super fresh, high quality, and safe. There is nowhere else in MA that I'll buy fish for sushi.
These people are awesome. Friendly, kind, knowledgeable. For like fifteen years, they were top-quality sushi fish distributors to a ton of restaurants in New England, and then decided their dream was worth pursuing. Their dream is to teach classes of regular people how to make sushi, and they are living the dream. And I love that!Listed in: Sushi Stars, Bostonishing City
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Review from Joyce K.
Waltham, MA
9/3/2006 ROTD 11/16/2006
I'm going to be nice and let the Yelp community in on a VERY special secret: Sea To You. It's a wholesale sushi-grade fish warehouse out by the docks with an amazingly fresh spread of all things sushi. You can help yourself to the self-serve bar of squid salad, marinated baby octopus, black tobiko, wasabi green tobiko, orange tobiko, salmon roe, seaweed salad, and condiments like eel sauce or spicy sauce. The freezer contains unagi, tamago, and shumai. However, the highlight is, of course, the fresh fish! Sushi grade sushi for $10-30/lb., prices that are well below what any other sushi grade fish retailer like Whole Foods or Porter Exchange sells for. The best part is placing an order and sitting at their one, lonely table and digging in! The decor is pretty dingy with plastic strips hanging from the doors...it is a loading dock after all.
The nigiri is one healthy slab of fish over a tiny knuckle-sized ball of rice like they do back in the motherland. Freshest nigiri of my life! Wonderful maguro, toro and salmon. The fish just melds together with the rice into one creamy morsel. We got a small batch of all the different kinds of roe and topped off our nigiri, maki and seaweed salad making the meal more fun and of course, more delicious!
Their English-speaking skills are sufficient and everyone is very friendly. Joining the email list privies you to special events like toro for a bargain. They'll slice up fish any way you like so you can take it home and serve up your own sushi creations. Free ice to ensure freshness; just bring your own ice box. They're open every day except Sundays from 10am-1pm although they do change their hours frequently depending on the season. You're welcome ;0)Listed in: Yo I'm Azn!, Sushi Slut
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Review from Jimmy H.
Boston, MA
Updated - 9/19/2009
Actually it's open from 10am to 2pm on Saturday.
Items they always carry are :
- Tuna (Red eye, a little waterier than blue fin tuna. appx $14 lbs)
- Salmon($12 lbs)
- White tuna($14 lbs, I think)
- Yellow tail($26 lbs, it's imported and farm raised. That's why it's expensive. But farm raised is fattier than wild one, hence it's extremely flavorful)
- Toro($40 lbs. Never bought one, but I will for special occasion)
- Scallop(I forgot the price. I bought 4 pieces and appx $10)
And all assorted seafood salad. I try to remember what they are next time.
It's really close to WTC silverline stop. So no car? no problem! I went their via T today!Listed in: Turning Japanese... I really…, Shaw's and Stop&Shop ain't…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/4/2008
Store hour has changed.
10am to noon on every Saturday. Read more »
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Review from Michael X.
Boston, MA
11/10/2010
This place was solid. I used the Groupon for the VIP platter and had no issues (I admit I had a little trepidation before picking it up due to the previous negative reviews for the Groupon deal). I picked up the platter just 1 hour after they opened, which means it was definitely fresh, so maybe that helped out.
All in all, the sushi was good, but I'm not sure I'd call it the best I've ever had. Also, the normal prices are a bit too high in my opinion. I may try this place more if I decide to join the "C2U sushi club" with its cheaper deals. -
Review from Niki M.
Boston, MA
4/29/2010
I've been to New Deal Sushi, and sure, it's great and all, but Sea to You is absolutely my favorite by far.
I took a sushi class here, by was of a Living Social deal. My leader was named Bond, which didn't fail to charm and crack me up. The sushi class itself was well-organized, well-attended, and well-run. It was a blast, honestly!
I learned how to make some fancy rolls, and then they let you loose with an ala carte (seemingly endless) supply of sushi ingredients. I must've made about fifteen beautiful rolls (already worth the price of the class and thensome!). The instructors was very knowledgeable and made the experience comfortable for and accessible to even the most novice of the group.
The shop itself is brilliant. Their prices are fantastic, and the variety, I found, was much better than what I experienced at New Deal. If you've got the sushi-making bug, you must check this place out for supplies and even a few ideas of inspiration.
The fish is literally brought from the sea, to you (clever, Bond, clever). It's fresh, easy to work with, and most importantly delicious. Gift someone a sushi class (great for dates and/or collaborative food bonding experiences) or stop by before dazzling your friends with your mad-fresh-fish skillz. -
Review from Tamara P.
Watertown, MA
6/10/2011
i got a deal on buywith me or something like that - they were doing a promotion... i bought the Take-Out deal but i should have looked at the menu first! the take-out selection is TINY.
when I called, 1.5 hr before I wanted to come for a take-out pick-up, they said usually orders are called in 3 hours ahead of time! but they took mine within 1.5 hours but assured me that they will make it right before I come to pick up. when i arrived, the lady took my food out of the fridge!
the quality was so-so... will not go there again :-(
possibly those who took classes there have a different opinion of the place...Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 6/11/2011
Please LOOK closely - we have a "YOUR DREAM COME TRUE ROLL"… More » -
Review from Craig H.
Brookline, MA
9/1/2010
I have been going to Sea to You about twice a week for many months, been a sushi eater for years. The sushi is fresh and delicious, my orders are always right, and I have never had a problem, only great food.
I have never had the experience that Mr. C describes below, more like the experience of the vast majority of others, great people, great sushi at a good price. You should definitely try it for yourself. A neighborhood gem. -
Review from Sara M.
3/31/2010
My friend and I decided to take advantage of the recent Groupon and take a handroll/nigiri class here. It was awesome!
They sit everyone down and go over how to make the rice, show you where the ingredients are, how to make a handroll, and then you get to do it. Mine turned out way overstuffed (I'm a piggy) but really delicious. I love the nori sheets so much that I almost ate them myself. You were allowed to make as many as you wanted within the time they allotted.
The instructor then talked to us about the fish, how to prepare it for cutting, how to cut for nigiri, and then let us try. It is a lot harder than it looks. We received little containers with tuna, salmon, and eel to make the nigiri.
My one complaint is that the fish was cut a little smaller than I am used to at other places. I was a bit disappointed to learn that all the fish was frozen previously.
We had a great time and laughed a lot. I would definitely come back to purchase supplies to make sushi for a party. -
Review from Anna F.
2/8/2010
This review is for the sushi class...
I had never heard of Sea to you before a Living Social Deal for a half price ($30 instead of $60) sushi making class. As a sushi fiend who has mastered making maki and looking for something more challenging, the designer roll class instantly appealed. I was expecting a bit of hands on time and to take a roll or two home...I walked out with six rolls (4 were designer- rainbow, caterpillar, etc), a new friend (the instructor Bond was so much fun), and a place I can trust to be real sushi grade fish! I can't wait to go back and use my 10% off coupon, like a kid in a candy store.... -
Review from momo k.
Medford, MA
11/13/2010
don't know why people say their platter sushi is good. i tried it yesterday b/c i had to use my groupon and 60 for 120 may sound like a great deal, the quality is definately lacking. i've had really good sushi, mediocre, and bad sushi. this place is between bad and mediocre. i think even the chinese buffet serves up better sushi, seriously. not very fresh, no avacado, tasteless.
while the sushi is definately nothing to rave about, i do have to say that they have a pretty friendly staff...this is the only plus....Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 6/4/2011
Many customers come to our shop for "high quality of our… More » -
Review from Karen G.
Allston-Brighton, MA
9/6/2010 4 photos
The people at Sea to You Sushi are extremely friendly and helpful. I ordered the VIP platter and was amazed by the quantity and quality of the sushi. The presentation of the food was beautiful as well. The sushi was very fresh and the white tuna was top notch. We had a great time eating the sushi and will definitely go back again!
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Review from Patrick F.
Boston, MA
1/21/2011
Groupon for the Sushi making class. We talked the instructor into letting use some Tuna which they normally don't do but the quality was lacking. I wouldn't do this again, but for the instruction aspect of the class it was good.
Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 1/21/2011
Hi Patrick, Sorry to hear you were not too happy with tuna.… More » -
Review from Doris W.
8/14/2010
This review is for the sushi classes offered.
We first heard about this place from Groupon when they offered coupons for their sushi making classes. I bought 4 so my boyfriend and I can take 2 classes. I probably should have bought three now that I've taken the first two.
It's a really small market tucked in to a part of Brookline I've never been. It's not far from Brookline High which was an interesting discovery. Street parking is readily available which was a plus. I would like to come back to check out what they offer at the market when I find the time to make the drive down there during their limited hours.
C1 Introduction to sushi and basic maki was the first class we took. Our instructor, Bon (?) was very funny and knowledgeable. I didn't know the store used to supply to high end sushi restaurants outside the Boston area. We learned the importance of food safety and how to choose fish. We were given a sheet on how to make sushi rice. Very helpful! The best part of the class was making and eating the rolls! The fillings were limited (baby shrimp, fried sweet potatoes, avocado, imitation crab, cucumbers). We learned to make two styles of makis and different ways to serve them. This class is highly recommended if you plan to make sushi at home.
We took C2 Nigiri and Temaki last night. This was the class I was most looking forward to because I wanted to learn how to cut fish and form nigiri. The instructor was a female (ack forgot her name already) and she wasn't as enthusiastic as Bon but she had some funny moments. We went straight to making temaki (hand rolls). Hand rolls are super easy to do. You just have to remember not to stuff them a lot. When it finally came down to the nigiri part, this was where I was slightly disappointed. I was hoping each student would be able to cut their own fish to make nigiri. What we ended up doing was each person taking turns slicing a chunk of salmon, tuna, and eel. The pieces were pre-sliced for us to make the nigiri so it was kind of a bummer. Also, I think they should also dived more into detail about the technique of cutting fish. Bon was using the back of his knife to slice, just 2 strokes was all it took to demonstrate. But when people were cutting, they were sawing which was hard to watch! The pre-sliced pieces I got weren't great at all. I was jealous that our neighbors had really nice pieces. Making nigiri isn't hard but it takes a lot of time to get it to how you want them.
All in all, I think it's a great place to learn how to make sushi. I'm contemplating on whether I want to take C3 Designer Rolls, but I might want to experiment on my own based on what I learned the first two classes.Comment from Bon K. of Sea to You Sushi 8/16/2010
Thanks for your valuable review. We will spend more time to… More » -
Review from Michael Y.
Brighton, MA
12/10/2010
I just came back from the class 1 and I am very pleased and will be signing up for class 2! The instructors were very nice and fun, and I made all the sushi that I could eat + lunch tomorrow.
The first class had small cooked shrimp, imitation crab, cucumber, carrots, mushrooms, some kind of cooked beef, sweet potato fries, raw tuna, and a few sauces. The class started at 7 and ended around 9.
The class is a great for dinner, a date, and I would recommend it! -
Review from K. H.
Boston, MA
12/6/2010
A couple of friends and I attended a Sea to You Sushi making class via groupons we purchased online. Well worth the small cost. A very fun activity if you are looking for something different to do. Learn about sushi and make as much as you want to take home. Instructor was very fun. Be advised though, there are different levels of sushi making classes. The first class we attended did not use raw fish. Be prepared to make california and veggie rolls. If you complete that class you can take the next course which includes raw fish, like tuna.
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Review from Lisa S.
Brookline, MA
12/6/2010
I bought a Buy With Me for a deluxe sushi platter. I was a little nervous after reading the other reviews but the platter was delicious and had more than enough sushi for 6 people. The sushi was fresh and beautifully presented and I would definitely go back for more.
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Review from Doris K.
1/17/2007
This place is amazing and stinky at the same time. Like the first reviewer said, it is a loading dock with plastic strips hanging from the doorway. Inside people were crowded around the self-serve bar which I didn't get a chance to try, but I was able to purchase tons of fresh fish which I took home for sashimi. The fish literally melted in my mouth. I personally feel that this place is a great take home place but not the best place to stay there and eat.
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Review from Mark M.
Roslindale, MA
10/14/2010
By far - a fantastic place to learn how to make sushi. Jo was great. I now feel pretty confident I can make simple rolls. I'm looking forward to the next class where we can make more creative looking rolls.
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Review from Jenny L.
New York, NY
7/3/2007
Definitely not five stars. I've been to Sea to You three times now on three consecutive weekends and I have to say I'm a little disappointed, especially after all the hype on various websites. There's not a great selection of fish, and some of the slabs look slightly discolored and post-prime. I've gotten the salmon three times now and the first time was very average, the second time was pretty good, and the third time was even more average than the first. Very inconsistent. I go there mainly for the Maine uni, since I have yet been able to get my hand on the more tasty California variety in bulk. I don't think I'll ever buy fish from Sea to You again, especially when New Deal in Cambridge has fresher produce and a greater selection. To be fair, their cooked baby octopus is quite tasty.
