Pikaichi is closing... for now

It seems I’m a bit behind on Boston ramen news. I went to Pikaichi for lunch on Friday and found out that they are closing on Sunday, December 17th. 😢 They announced the closing on their Facebook page and website just before Thanksgiving. Apparently the landlord raised the rent significantly and owner Taka Akatsu decided that he could no longer stay at the Super 88 location.

"We recently received a notice of a major rent increase from the landlord. After careful consideration, we have discovered that we won’t be able to sustain our business with the increased rent."

Taka-san and his wife, Ritsuko-san, opened Pikaichi in March 2011 after selling Café Mami in Porter Square to Carlos Garcia (who now also co-owns Ittoku, Wafu-Ya, and Yume Ga Aru Kara) and buying Ken's Ramen House from Ken Kojima. Pikaichi's menu has gone through a few changes over the years but the ramen has remained largely the same and their prices have remained comparatively low for Boston ramen, making it a popular spot for college students and homesick Japanese expats. They're also the only ramenya in Boston to have free parking which has made it a lot easier for people to come from all over to the area to eat there.

In an era in which Japanese restaurants in the US have largely dispensed with yelling「 いっらしゃいませ !  」 ("irrashaimase"), the standard greeting at all businesses in Japan, Pikaichi brought that tradition back and requires all staff to learn some basic ramenya Japanese to communicate with each other about how many customers are in the house and what dishes have been ordered and entered into the POS system. Although the layout of the space is more like a restaurant than a ramenya, the friend who first recommended Pikaichi to me told me that she felt like she had stepped into Japan for the brief time she was there. Their staff are uncharacteristically welcoming and cheerful compared with the bored indifference of waitstaff at many other Boston area Asian restaurants. Long-time employees know the regular customers if not by name, then definitely by face, although they work hard to make everyone feel welcome.

Staff told me that the hope is to reopen at another location within a few months but no word on where. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a restaurant opening that went smoothly – construction and permitting issues can cause delays – so I expect it will be a while before we can have Pikaichi ramen and curry again.

Pikaichi's farewell message to customers

If you’re able to stop by before the last day, keep in mind that wait times are likely to be longer than usual. Make sure to put your name on the list that is on the clipboard just inside the door. I’ve been going for lunch at 1pm with friends for a while and we usually don’t have much of a wait but yesterday we waited for quite a while. The staff told me they have been very busy since the closing was announced. If you can afford it, please consider tipping generously. The closing was completely unexpected so many staff may not have any idea what they will be doing for work during the closure, which comes just before the holidays. Some of them are long-time employees of Pikaichi.

Pikaichi's hours for the last 2 weeks at Allston location

Pikaichi's last day will be Sunday, December 17th, serving lunch only from 11:30am - 4:00pm. You can follow them on Facebook or check their website for updates on the new location.

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Related Posts

• Pikaichi: A Taste of Japan in Allston
• Delivery day @ Pikaichi
• Closed Japanese Businesses

All Yume Wo Katare Coverage

October 11, 2012 11:27pm
Trial run for friends & family

Yume Wo Katare turns five today!! For their fifth anniversary they opened an udon shop, Yume Ga Arukara. おめでとう! Omedetō!

I thought I'd collect all my coverage in one place for Yume fans. 😊

• September 14, 2012: YumeWoKatare is the new ramen restaurant in Porter Sq.
• October 10, 2012: Yume Wo Katare opening any day now 
• October 12, 2012: Yume Wo Katare opens today @ 6pm! 
• October 12, 2012: Noodle Machine! 
• October 13, 2012: Yume Wo Katare Opening!
• October 14, 2012: Yume Wo Katare reopens on Tuesday
• October 15, 2012: Everything you need to know about Yume Wo Katare 
• October 16, 2012: Bananas @ Yume Wo Katare
• October 17, 2012: Night 3 @ Yume Wo Katare: The craziness continues
• October 17, 2012: Yume Wo Katare runner-up in NY Street Ramen Contest!!!
• October 18, 2012: Yume Wo Katare original Yelp review 
• October 18, 2012: Night 4 @ Yume Wo Katare: Still crazy 
• October 18, 2012: Night 5 @ Yume Wo Katare: Less crazy
• October 19, 2012: The Original Yume Wo Katare 
• October 20, 2012: Night 6 @ Yume Wo Katare: Craziness in the rain 
• December 11, 2012: Yume Wo Katare has fancy new chopsticks 
• December 13, 2012: Yume Wo Katare v. Sapporo Ramen: Apples & Oranges 
• May 7, 2013: Yume Wo Katare CD release May 19th / Rion & Shingo 
• August 20, 2013: Reopenings: Miso Market, Yume Wo Katare
• August 30, 2013: Inside the redecorated Yume Wo Katare 
• March 10, 2014: Coming soon: New ramen pop-up coming to Yume Wo Katare 

Delivery day @ Pikaichi

Pikaichi's ramen broth. You can see chicken, onions, and kombu floating on top.

Finally! I get to write about ramen again! Yesterday was a great day for ramen because it was on the cool side and blustery so I headed to Pikaichi in Allston for lunch. I've never been there on delivery day before and got to see the delivery guys wheel in two massive stacks of ramen from Sun Noodle's New Jersey factory. Sun makes these noodles exclusively for Pikaichi. They are not the same as noodles you can find in stores, although Pikaichi does sell their noodles uncooked if you want to make your own at home.

There is another stack behind this.

When I asked the staff if it was okay if I took a picture of the delivery they asked their boss and I finally got to meet owner, Taka Akatsu. He invited me into the kitchen to check out the broth which they make from chicken, pork, onions, kombu and other ingredients. Taka-san said that making the broth is tricky because the chickens they get are always a little bit different. They may look the same but the meat and bones vary which affects the flavor. They do use some Ajinomoto (MSG), but just a little bit to boost the flavor. Otherwise, he said the taste would be flat. The mistake some places make is in using too much. I told him that I feel like their ramen is the most consistent I've had in Boston, different chickens or not.

It's a very, very large pot.

Commonwealth Avenue used to be Ramen Row for a little while with Inaka and Totto Ramen down the street but Inaka closed with no explanation either early this year or late last year (I first noticed at the end of January). I wasn't surprised. I went three times and found their ramen either lacking in flavor or with flavors that were off. It just missed the mark for me. They did have some very loyal fans but when I went with a large group reaction was mixed, even among the Japanese folks. Also, although some people reported that the owner was from Osaka, he wasn't some gruff old ramen master, he was a Taiwanese Japanese American BU grad who had been born in Osaka. I never found out who was in the kitchen making the ramen and if the chef had been trained in Japan. The owner was always working as host when I went. I was not surprised they found it hard to compete with Pikaichi, which has both better food (in my opinion) and a better location (closer to the T and with a lot of traffic due to the grocery store). After Totto Ramen opened last year I was planning to check it out after they'd had a few months to settle into a routine but their Yelp reviews continue to be wildly uneven and I've heard from friends how expensive it is so I haven't been motivated to go. No need to stand in line for overpriced ramen when I can just plan to go to Pikaichi during hours when there are no lines. Their prices still remain the most reasonable in the city and Pikachi continues to be my favorite ramen in Boston, though I do like Yume Wo Katare and Snappy Ramen as well.

See also: Pikaichi: A Taste of Japan in Allston

The Japanese are coming! Three Japanese chains to open in Boston this year

I really haven't been staying on top of the Japanese food scene much. It didn't actually seem like there was a whole lot going on anyway, although I've known for some time that Santouka Ramen was coming to Harvard Square. Eater seems to be on top of it though so if you want news, check here. They are reporting a February 11th opening. One of my friends wanted to know if I'd be first in line but frankly it's too damn cold this winter!

I heard tonight that Beard Papa's (Wikipedia), a Japanese cream puff chain, is returning to Boston! I went to their Faneuil Hall location once years ago and it seems they used to have a store in the North End as well but they'll be located in Chinatown this time. You can get updates on their Facebook page. Word in the Japanese community is that they will open in February.

Then there's Kyoto-based Japanese coffee chain, Ogawa Coffee. I hadn't heard of it, but apparently it's a big deal. See the Globe's: Ogawa Coffee planning to make US debut in Boston which reports they will open in Downtown Crossing. The Globe says they'll be the first Japanese coffee chain to open in the US and their reasoning for opening in Boston over New York City is interesting. One reason being that Boston and Kyoto are sister cities. No rumors of an opening date yet.

Totto Ramen opening soon in Allston

Photo courtesy Pete Lazar (aka CrazyPete)

My first hint that Totto Ramen from NYC was coming was when a friend texted me the photo to the left. He wrote "(Not the van…) :0" under the photo, but it made no sense and I got distracted and forgot to ask him why he was texting me a photo of a sketchy white van outside Inaka where he'd told me he was. When we met up for dinner later in the week he asked me if I saw the photo of the white van. At that point I'd completely forgotten about it and said no, you never sent me that. After finding the photo and zooming in I discovered I'd missed the most important part of the photo - the new Totto Ramen sign!

3/18/14

I didn't think Totto would open soon because the first time I went by in March there was a months-old layer of dust on everything and they hadn't started renovations.

3/18/14

When I went by three weeks later it looked much the same except for a few ladders, additional tables and chairs, and some shelves.

4/10/14

Then I saw that they were hiring. It seems they decided not to renovate. When I stopped by tonight it was too dark to take pictures but they look like they could open any day now. There were tables with flowers on them and it's all cleaned up. Unfortunately, no sign indicating an opening date, hours, or a menu. Some quick research turned up Boston Restaurant Talk reporting an opening date of Saturday, May 3rd. This is great news for those who love ramen but don't or can't eat pork. Totto's ramen broth is chicken-based and pork-free.

So, it seems that Camberville and Allston are battling it out to be the ramen capital of Boston. Who will win? It'll be interesting to see where Santouka Ramen lands. They might jump into the fray or they might decide these areas are too saturated with ramen and opt for another neighborhood.

Cambridge and Somerville have four Japanese-owned ramenyas, though two are the same business.

Davis Square

Snappy Ramen, 420 Highland Ave.

Owner: veteran restauranteur Kazu Aotani

Porter Square

Sapporo Ramen's original location, 1815 Mass Ave.

Owners: Manabu Ito and Taiji Mineo

Yume Wo Katare, 1923 Mass Ave.

Owner: Tsuyoshi Nishioka

Central Square

Sapporo Ramen's second location inside H Mart, 581 Mass Ave.

Owners: Manabu Ito and Taiji Mineo in partnership with José Garcia of Ebi Sushi

In Allston, if you get out at the Packard's Corner stop on the B Green Line, you'll find three ramenyas on Brighton Ave. Pikaichi and Totto are Japanese-owned. Inaka is owned by a Taiwanese-Japanese-American. 

Pikaichi, 1 Brighton Ave. 

Owners: Taka & Ritsuko Akatsu

Inaka, 72 Brighton Ave.

Owner: Jim Chen

Totto Ramen, 169 Brighton Ave.

Owner: Ryuichi "Bobby" Munekata (5/4/14: I'm actually no longer sure who owns the Allston Totto. Eater reported that the person behind the restaurant is Nghi Nguyen, a former lawyer.)

H Mart Japanese groceries

I made it back to H Mart tonight around 8pm to check out the grocery side. I take back what I've said about Ebisuya not needing to be worried about H Mart. It's been a long time since I went to the Burlington H Mart but my impression is that Cambridge has a much larger selection of Japanese groceries than I saw at Burlington. The only advantages Ebisuya has are proximity to 93 and the Saturday Japanese school, free parking, native Japanese-speaking staff (actually, I don't know whether H Mart has Japanese staff but I would think the likelihood is low), pre-made Japanese food (bento, onigiri, etc.), and a shopping experience that doesn't feel like a roller derby. I really hope that H Mart Cambridge won't drive them out of business since they're the last remaining exclusively Japanese store in the area.

Personally I'll continue to shop at Ebisuya and Reliable because I don't like a stressful shopping experience. Going through H Mart tonight was a lot like going to Market Basket in Somerville, although less rude.

I didn't take a very close look at the produce. I saw gobo and nagaimo that looked fine (the gobo was reasonably priced but my friend thought the nagaimo was expensive). We also spotted very mouldy Driscoll strawberries as soon as we entered the grocery side. They were on top of the stack - kind of surprised they didn't pull it since it was impossible to miss.

I didn't make a careful study of prices but most things seemed reasonable. Their snack selection seemed to be about on par with what you'd find at Hong Kong Supermarket (formerly Super 88) in Allston.

The store was packed but I think a lot of people may have just been window shopping because the lines at the checkouts were not as bad as what I saw on Wednesday.

Some surprises:

• more natto than I can recall seeing in my entire life
• a very large Spam selection
• a large matcha selection (compared to other local stores)
• a lot of mochi ice cream (I don't think I managed to get pictures of all of them - they had multiple brands)
• a wider variety of American groceries than I was expecting (perhaps they're hoping to compete with Whole Foods and Shaws)

I took as many pictures of the Japanese groceries & products as I could with a few other random photos like Spam. There was a lot of fresh & frozen raw meat but that section was too mobbed to get photos. I also didn't bother with photos of rice cookers and other kitchen and household products.  A lot of them are hanging above your head so don't forget to look up. I didn't intentionally take any photos of Korean groceries. I know very little about Korean food so I have no comments. Photos begin here.

Over at Sapporo & Go Go Curry ramen & curry were entirely sold out as was much of the sushi menu. Paris Baguette also looked very well picked over. I did talk to José Garcia (partner in Sapporo Central) when I had dinner at Ebi Sushi tonight and he said they're going to figure that out. Sapporo and Go Go Curry's hours are officially 11am to 9pm. I'm going to guess tomorrow may be worse. If you want to go, go early.

4/26/14: I completely forgot to talk about parking last night. I got really lucky that seconds after I pulled in to Lot 5 and was wondering what to do because it looked full, a woman was walking to her car and waved indicating she was leaving. While I waited for her and her husband to put their child and groceries in the car, she came back and handed me her parking slip that she'd paid for until 9pm! I just love random acts of kindness. By the time I left though things were craaaazy in the parking lot. I tried to offer my space to someone in the same way the shopper before me had but somewhere in a crazy shuffle of 6 cars he disappeared, possibly because someone had come from the other side to steal the spot I was vacating.  I can't stress enough that if you can leave your car at home, you'll definitely want to do that.

See also: H Mart Cambridge is finally open!

H Mart Cambridge is finally open!

H Mart Cambridge Grand Opening

Much to my surprise, H Mart Cambridge opened on schedule today. It's been a long wait for H Mart fans and people waiting to try Sapporo Ramen's new Central Square menu and Go Go Curry. The rain may have kept some people away but when I got there around 1pm, it was a madhouse.

This line wraps around the corner

Things are pretty disorganized on the Sapporo/Go Go Curry side - there is only one cashier for both so you have to stand in the epicly long line* whether you're ordering ramen, curry, or grabbing take-out sushi. I'm told that the cashier is provided by H Mart so hopefully they'll figure out that doesn't work at all. (Update 4/28/14: H Mart has added an additional cashier although if you go at peak times the line is still long. I'm told that those buying only take out sushi can skip the line.) Oddly enough Paris Baguette had 2 dedicated cashiers & registers though they weren't always there. When I got to the front of the line at Paris Baguette, one cashier wandered away briefly.
* (The line was not as epic as Yume Wo Katare's often is, but it was longer than Sapporo Porter's usually is.)

I didn't have time to stay for lunch or fight the crowds to explore the grocery store so I just took a few pictures, bought a pumpkin cream cheese pastry at Paris Baguette (which sadly, isn't that great) and left. I think it'll be a while until I get there to try Go Go Curry and Sapporo's new menu. Next time I'll have to try the fake Cronut™.

Imitation Cronut™

Grocery store

I was surprised that parking wasn't as hard as I expected although I may have just gotten lucky. I found an open spot on Bishop Allen Drive as soon as I crossed Norfolk Street and one empty parking space in the lot. When I left there were several empty spaces in the lot and on the street. If people don't stay long then there will be turnover in spaces, although if you can leave your car at home and take the T that's probably better, especially on weekends. You definitely don't want to drive there on Mondays before 6pm when the Central Square Farmers Market takes over most of Lot 5 (May - November). You can also try Lot 4 at the corner of Bishop Allen and Essex Street but it's really small as is H Mart's private parking lot off Essex Street. There's also Lot 6 near Columbia Street. Note that all pay-by-space parking lots in Central Square require you to pay until 10pm. Meters have to be paid through 6pm.

H Mart's grocery store hours are 7am to midnight but I don't believe the food court will have the same hours. Sapporo and Go Go opened at 11am today, although I don't know if that will be their opening time every day. Neither Go Go Curry nor Paris Baguette have updated their websites with info on the Cambridge location and Sapporo doesn't have a web presence so I couldn't look up the hours. Paris Baguette also serves coffee and other drinks so they may be open all day. (Update 4/25/14: José Garcia of Sapporo Central told me that Sapporo and Go Go Curry's hours are 11am to 9pm daily.  I've heard that both have been running out of food early though hopefully they'll sort that out soon.)

Update 5/8/14: I'm told that Sapporo will be reconfiguring their kitchen to make room for another broth pot so hopefully they won't be out as early as they have been since the opening. That will unfortunately result in no more tempura for the maki.

Did anyone get to eat there today? How was it?

Photos from today begin here.

Update 4/25/14: I made it back to explore the grocery store.

H Mart grand opening date in doubt

Update 5/6/14: H Mart Japanese groceries

Update 4/25/14: I was wrong. They opened on schedule.

Grocery store - 4/8/14

I knew I should have waited before I posted the grand opening date. One of my sources tells me that H Mart hasn't even begun the inspection process and given that they're still not finish installing things, it doesn't seem likely they can even begin to schedule inspections for another couple of weeks. It usually takes several rounds to pass inspections so I'm thinking an opening in May or June is more likely. As you can see from these photos taken on Tuesday and Saturday, they've made some progress, but there's still much more to do.

Grocery store - 4/12/14

H Mart grand opening on April 23rd

Update 5/6/14: H Mart Cambridge is finally open! & H Mart Japanese groceries

Update 4/13/14: They've put up a banner announcing the grand opening, but I think it's doubtful they'll open on schedule.

Paris Baguette

Thanks to reader RiceWalker for alerting me to the fact that H Mart has announced their grand opening for Wednesday, April 23rd. I'm a little surprised because I was there yesterday and while they've made significant progress since my last visit it seems like they still have a lot of work to do before they can start the inspection process.

This is great news for H Mart fans who are tired of driving out to Burlington, but very bad news for all the independently-owned Korean grocery stores in Cambridge and Somerville (and possibly for Ebisuya, but I hope not). Reliable Market in Union Square has a major advantage over Lotte (Central Square) and J&K Han A Rum Oriental Market (North Cambridge) since they have free and hassle-free parking, but not being on a train line they may find it hard to compete with H Mart. On the other hand, if you're driving, Central Square is already a nightmare to park in so H Mart may primarily attract people who are taking the T.

Food court

Mass Ave. entrance

Photos: H Mart's Progress

Update 5/6/14: H Mart Cambridge is finally open! & H Mart Japanese groceries

Mass Ave. entrance

I went to H Mart last week to check on their progress but discovered after I got there that I'd forgotten my camera! I managed to make it back there today. All three signs (they have three entrances) were up last week, although I don't know when they went up.

Don't let the shiny exteriors fool you though. You won't be eating curry and ramen there any time soon. At the end of January they told the Cambridge Chronicle that they planned to open in April, but with April just two weeks away, I don't see that happening. There are construction materials everywhere, wires dangling from the ceiling, and the floors and walls aren't finished. They have a lot more work to do before they can even begin the lengthy inspection process.

When I texted a picture of the interior to a friend last week he commented that maybe they wouldn't open until next year. The store has been plagued with delays so anything is possible. The Globe first reported that H Mart had signed the lease on the old Harvest Co-op space in June 2012. At one point H Mart was optimistically projecting a February 2013 opening, but it was apparently delayed due to power issues with the building. Then they were saying late fall 2013. Then they told the vendors they could move into their spaces in January 2014. Now here we are in March with their last projected opening date next month. Perhaps I should start a pool? When do you think H Mart will open? Leave a comment with month, date, and year!

Food court

Grocery store

Grocery store

Essex St. entrance

Lot 5 entrance

Coming soon: New ramen pop-up coming to Yume Wo Katare

Update 3/18/14: Apparently I missed this when I checked Pop Ramen's Facebook page the other day. Their Culinary Team is listed as Jorgen "Walker" Peterson, who has been apprenticing with Tsuyoshi Nishioka, chef/ower of Yume Wo Katare, and Matt Chaves.

One of my friends just told me that Yume Wo Katare will be joining the pop-up game. Beginning Sunday, March 30th, they'll be hosting a micro pop-up called Pop Ramen, which will serve a vegetarian miso ramen (although pork will be available as an add-on!). This is a ticketed event. Tickets go on sale at Yume Wo Katare this Saturday, March 15th, at 5pm. You'll want to hurry over and get your tickets as they're only selling 54 bowls on opening day! (Update 3/15/14 7:20pm: I was at Yume Wo Katare a little while ago and tickets were still available.) They think the second Pop Ramen event will be on Sunday, April 13th.

Per Yume Wo Katare's Facebook:

"The base bowl will be $10 and includes: soup, noodles, moyashi (bean sprouts), yakinori (seaweed), negi (green onions), ninniku (garlic), spicy chili sauce, and an ajitama (seasoned soft boiled egg). A ~3oz portion of seasoned pork will be available for $1 extra."

Sadly, due to allergies I won't be able to try it, but I'm curious to hear what people think, so let me know if you go!


Date & Time
Random Sunday afternoons
11am - 2pm

Location
Yume Wo Katare

1923 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02140

Tickets
$10 for the base vegetarian bowl + $1 for pork
Tickets are necessary and may be purchased at Yume Wo Katare. You do not need to wait in Yume Wo Katare's epic line to purchase. Check Pop Ramen's Facebook page for details on when tickets are available. Check Yume Wo Katare's Facebook page for their hours.

Cash only

H Mart construction chugging along but no opening in sight

Update 5/6/14: H Mart Cambridge is finally open! & H Mart Japanese groceries

Today I was shown some interior photos of H Mart (which unfortunately I don't have permission to post). Although they've put up signs for Sapporo Ramen and Go Go Curry, equipment has yet to be unwrapped and installed and the food vendor stalls still look more or less like a construction zone. Counters and flooring have yet to be installed. I suppose they could complete construction this month and get inspected in April but at this rate I'll be surprised if they're open before summer.

Santouka Ramen event @ Itadaki, March 3-5

My friend just alerted me to this ramen event that Itadaki is hosting in a few weeks. From Monday, March 3rd until Wednesday March 5th, they'll be serving Santouka Ramen's Shio Ramen. 200 bowls will be available per day from 4pm-9pm and Itadaki will not accept reservations (they usually do). Price is $10 (+ tax & tip).

Santouka Ramen is a global ramen chain that serves Hokkaido style ramen. Our nearest Santouka is at Mitsuwa in Edgewater, NJ. The first restaurant opened in 1988 in Asahikawa, Hokkaido after the founder, Hitoshi Hatanaka, watched Tampopo then went out and had some mediocre ramen and figured he could do better.

Itadaki is located at 269 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116 between Hynes & Copley on the Green Line.

H Mart Cambridge barely making progress

Update 5/6/14: H Mart Cambridge is finally open! & H Mart Japanese groceries

H Mart's storefront

I was in Central Square the other day so I went by H Mart to see how they were doing. They've taken out the front windows and doors, but it's just boarded up with wood now. At the rear entrance they've put up signs saying they are "coming soon" but I peered inside and it looks like they've made very little progress since I last checked in mid-November. Although the vendors were notified last year that they would be able to move into their stalls in January, I don't see that happening. The walls and floors are not finished at all - it still looks very much like a construction site, not a store. I found it odd that both times I visited (during the daytime on weekdays) no one was working on the space. Sadly, I anticipate it will be months before they open and we can get a taste of Sapporo Central and Go Go Curry.

Coming soon?

See also: Ittoku Update / Sapporo Ramen coming to Central Square @ H Mart

H Mart Update: 2014

Update 5/6/14: H Mart Cambridge is finally open! & H Mart Japanese groceries

Future home of H Mart Central Square

Folks hoping to eat ramen (and other Japanese food) in Central Square next month will have to wait a little longer. Although news outlets reported during the summer that they would open in November or December, a source told me that H Mart tenants received email a few weeks ago saying they would be allowed to move into their stalls in January. However, as you can see from these photos I took today, they're nowhere near ready to open. H Mart has been plagued with delays, so I'll be very surprised if they hit that date (I think they were first hoping to open in the fall of 2012). I suppose it's possible they could complete construction by next month or January but then they still have to pass their inspections which can be a lengthy process. The entire facility - the grocery store and the food concessions - have to pass before they can open. I'm thinking spring 2014...

Grocery store area

Food concession area

See also: Ittoku Update / Sapporo Ramen coming to Central Square @ H Mart

First Look: Ittoku!

Ittoku!, which I believe is Boston's first traditional izakaya, quietly opened last Wednesday for a soft opening. They were open until Saturday then closed yesterday to prepare for their grand opening tonight. From here on they should be open daily. Ittoku is a joint venture between Kentaro Suzuki (known to all by his nickname Chiki-san), a former sushi chef at Ebi Sushi, Carlos Garcia, owner of Café Mami and Ittyo, and Manabu Ito and Taiji Mineo, co-owners of Sapporo Ramen.

I made it there today for the first time to take some pictures and eat! I just wanted to get some details up since people have been asking me for a long time when Ittoku would open. I'll write about the food in more detail after I have a chance to go a few times. Check out more photos in the Ittoku! gallery. There are currently some not great photos of the menu (it was difficult to photograph because of the glare), but I should have jpegs in a few days. Update 11/14/13: Menu is here.

Hours
For now they'll be open seven days a week from 5pm to 11pm (that's when the kitchen closes). The bar may stay open until midnight some days (possibly only weekends). They're still trying to decide. They hope to open for lunch next year.

Seating

There is a large main dining area which includes the sushi bar where there are only 4 seats. Another area has a 4-seat yakitori bar and some additional tables. The bar is in a separate room and seats 6 at the counter and a few more at tables. There are 2 TVs in the bar. The restaurant's official capacity is 98 but Chiki-san said they currently have just over 80 seats. I also saw a couple of high chairs.

Parking
Update 11/12/13: Chiki-san has informed me that they have valet parking for $1! If you want to self-park, read on.

When I first told a friend about Ittoku's location, he told me that the parking situation there was terrible. I was really concerned about parking but I went over there twice today and didn't have any trouble, although the first time was at lunchtime and the second time was around 4:30pm. One of my friends arrived around 5:30pm and also report no trouble parking on Warren St.

Ittoku is located at 1414 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton near the intersection of Comm Ave. and Warren/Kelton St. (the street has different names on either side of Comm Ave.).  There's actually a surprising amount of free parking near the intersection. Some of it is 2 hours Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm which means it's unlimited in the evening and on weekends. Some of the free parking has no restrictions.

• Your best bet for parking is likely to be on Warren St. if you're heading towards Comm Ave. (the other side is resident only). After you pass the Brighton Marine Health Center you'll want to look for parking between there and the corner. 
• There are a few spaces on Kelton St. heading away from Comm Ave.
• There are a few spaces on the Comm Ave. access road between the corner of the intersection and the restaurant. 
• There is free unrestricted parking on the other side of Comm Ave. from Ittoku on the access road, but when I drove by in the afternoon it was full. I failed to notice what it was like in the evening. You have to drive down to Allston St. to enter. 
• There are also a few spaces on Comm Ave. in front of Subwa/Cozmo Market/Harry's Bar & Grill but you have to drive up to Summit Ave. to enter. 

If you fail to find parking in any of these spots, keep driving. There is some unrestricted free parking in front Brookline Liquor Mart just before Scottfield Rd. Metered parking begins at the Joshua Tree after you pass Redford St. and continues past the intersection of Comm Ave. and Harvard Ave., although at that point you'll be walking pretty far. Meters are in effect from Monday through Saturday 8am - 6pm. Please note that on Sundays and holidays, resident parking is not enforced & meters are free.

T
The closest T stop is Warren Street Station on the Green B Line.

Bacon & Enoki - $3.50

Yakitori
I had previously written that Sho Inoue, former yakitori chef at Yakitori Zai, had accepted a job at Ittoku. Unfortunately, Inoue-san's plans changed and he returned to Japan, so there's another Japanese chef (and a Latino chef) manning the grills. My bacon & enoki was delicious and I also got to try a friend's order of chicken meatballs (tasty teriyaki sauce) and another friend's order of chicken gizzards (apparently I'm not a fan). They have a traditional Japanese grill which they seem to be using mainly for the meats and a back up gas grill on which I saw veggies and yaki onigiri.

Gyukotsu Ramen minus scallions & garlic - $8

Ramen
I forgot to mention that Ittoku's single ramen offering, Gyukotsu Ramen, is exclusive to their menu (it's not served at Sapporo) and they are serving it this week. I wanted to try the ramen tonight but I got distracted by the Kaisen Don. I saw some other customers get ramen and they looked like smaller portions, which makes sense, given that this is an izakaya. I just wanted to mention it since some people may be expecting Pikaichi or Sapporo-sized bowls.

Kaisen Don - $12

My Meal
I ordered the Kaisen Don (a medium size chirashi ) which was very good - the scallops were outstanding (Update 11/12/13: Chiki-san told me today that scallops will not usually be part of the Kaisen Don. More on this in a later post), one skewer of Bacon & Enoki which was fatty and delicious, and a couple of pieces of tamagoyaki on the house, which is one of my favorite foods. The tamagoyaki is probably the best I've had in Boston. In addition to the yakitori mentioned above, I also got a piece of Anago Oshizushi (delicious) and some Kinoko Butter Itame (mushrooms fried in butter) which was awesome and very, very buttery. Usually this sort of dish is best eaten with beer or sake. My friends seemed happy with their food and we were already discussing what we want to try next time!

Opening Pains
Like any new restaurant, Ittoku still has some stuff to sort out. Their menu is extensive but I heard that some items aren't available yet. They have several dessert options but this week only ice cream is available. My friends and I are eagerly awaiting the Waffles à la mode - Belgian waffles, flan (Japanese purin), and ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce.

They forgot to order low sodium soy sauce so that won't be in until next week. I also suggested gluten-free soy sauce so hopefully they'll have that as well.

The servers did a great job of keeping green tea and water topped off, but when it came time to pay, we had trouble getting their attention to get our bills and then to have them picked up again. They seem fully staffed, but at times the servers seemed confused about where they should be and what they should be doing or who should be doing what. I'm sure that will all get ironed out in the next month as they learn to work together as a team.

By the time I left at 7pm, the restaurant was almost full, although the bar had only a few patrons. Chances are you'll need reservations on weekends and most certainly for large parties, which they can easily accommodate in the main dining room.

I have a long list of stuff I want to try so I can't wait to go back!

Information
I just noticed that Yelp has their name wrong (probably due to their Facebook page name) - they are doing business as Ittoku and style the business name as ITTOKU! Google Maps inexplicably places them in Weston, though I reported it, so hopefully that will get fixed soon. Here is the right info.

Ittoku
1414 Commonwealth Avenue (the bar is at 1418 Comm Ave. - Update 12/10/13: Last time I went they were using 1418 as the main entrance, probably to keep the cold air out of the main dining room.)
Brighton/Boston, MA 02135
Tel: (617) 396-8420

Ittoku! is open!

Update 11/11/13: First Look: Ittoku!

It seems that I failed to see an email from Chiki-san (Kentaro Suzuki), co-owner of Ittoku!, letting me know that they had their soft opening on Saturday last Wednesday then closed on Sunday to prepare for a grand opening tomorrow. Unfortunately, I don't have their hours, but I'll post them when I do. Update 11/11/13: For now they'll be open seven days a week from 5pm to 11pm (that's when the kitchen closes). The bar may stay open until midnight some days (possibly only weekends). They're still trying to decide. They hope to open for lunch next year.

I did get to look over the menu last month. The offerings are extensive and include:

• izakaya-style dishes (starting at $2.50), many that I've not seen on other Japanese restaurant menus
• yakitori, including bacon-wrapped options - I'm looking forward to trying the bacon & enoki ($1.50 - $14.50)
• sushi (including oshizushi) & sashimi
• and assorted comfort food like okonomiyaki, yaki onigiri (grilled onigiri), omusoba, and three types of ochazuke

Ramen lovers will be sad to hear they reduced their ramen offering to just one - Gyukotsu Ramen, a beef broth ramen for $8 (I had seen three options on a previous version of the menu).

Prices look very reasonable and I'm looking forward to eating my way through the menu!

Ittoku! is located at 1414 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton.

Closed Japanese Businesses

This post is a work in progress. Am I missing something? Let me know at keiko dot in dot boston [at] gmail dot com!
Last updated: 5/15/18

Former home of Miso Market

Well, it's pretty sad that I have to write this post but with the closings of two Japanese grocery stores, one restaurant, and one cafe in the past 6 months, I decided I should list them separately in case people wonder what happened to them. I've also listed a few businesses that closed years ago that I still hear people talk about. I will update this post as needed.


FOOD
Grocery Stores | Restaurants | Other Japanese Food Businesses

SHOPPING & SERVICES
Books | Hair Stylists
 

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Grocery Stores

Japan Village Mart | 200 Washington St., Brookline, MA - Brookline Village | Yelp

Closed spring 2013.

Kotobukiya Japanese Market | 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA - Porter Exchange 

Closed in May 2009. Former employees of Kotobukiya now run Ebisuya, the only exclusively Japanese grocery store in New England that I'm aware of. 

Miso Market | 1963 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA - Porter Square | Yelp

Closed August 2013.

Yoshinoya | 36 Prospect St., Cambridge, MA - Central Square | Yelp

Closed May 2007.

Restaurants

Ken's Ramen House | 1 Brighton Ave., Boston, MA - Allston/Packard's Corner | Yelp

Closed January 2011. Interesting rumor on Eater that a new somewhat related Ken's Ramen is coming to Providence. It seems they already put up a website.

Pikaichi | 1 Brighton Ave., Boston, MA - Allston/Packard's Corner | Yelp
Closed December 2017. In 2011 Pikaichi bought Ken's Ramen House and moved into the space they occupied at the grocery store formerly known as the Super 88. Due to the landlord wanting to drastically raise their rent in 2017, they decided to close their Allston location and relocate. They reopened at 123 Boston Ave. in Medford, MA in April 2018.

Shiro Japanese Restaurant | 3 Gates Pond Rd., Berlin, MA 01503 | Yelp
Closed September 2013. They posted to Facebook post on 9/19/13 saying they were closed until further notice for renovations. On 12/24/13 they posted to Facebook saying they were still working on their renovations, but as far as I saw, they never reopened.

Snappy Sushi / Snappy Ramen |  | Yelp
Closed 11/19/17. Technically this isn't a total closing but a relocation, however since they're in a new location under a new name I thought I would list it here. The restaurant formerly known as Snappy Sushi and renamed in August 2013 to Snappy Ramen has moved to the other side of Davis Square and reopened with a new menu as Snappy Kitchen at 234 Elm Street. There is also a Snappy Sushi location on Newbury St. in Boston that remains open.

Sushi Island | 397 Main St., ‎Wakefield, MA | Yelp
According to a note on their website, Sushi Island closed on 8/25/13. The Aokis hope to open a new restaurant in a new location.
Update 1/11/14: The Aoki's are hoping to working on opening their new restaurant, Junji Fine Japanese Cuisine in Marblehead.

Yakitori Zai | 315 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA - South End | Yelp
Closed summer 2013.

Other Japanese Food Businesses

Japonaise Bakery
1032 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA - Allston/Packard's Corner | Yelp

Closed summer 2013.
1815 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140 - Porter Exchange | Yelp
Closed 3/17/15. Unclear if closure is temporary. Summer 2015 - Confirmed closure is permanent.
The Brookline, MA location is still open.

Mochi Kitchen
Somerville, MA | Yelp
Closed March 2015.
The Boston Globe: Mochi made-to-order!

Books

Sasuga Japanese Bookstore | 7 Upland Rd., Cambridge, MA - Porter Square
Brick and mortar store closed 2004, online store closed 2010.

Hair Stylists

Kanoko Hair for Women @ Fernanda's Beauty Salon | 75 Bow St., Somerville, MA 02143 - Union Square
Closed 10/27/14.

See my Directory of Greater Boston Japanese Businesses & Organizations for a partial list of businesses and organizations that are still open.