FuGaKyu Japanese Cuisine

The food and the ambience is great. But the staff could be a little more helpful. My host was a trainee and seemed a little lost. Instead of helping us or trying to get help from someone experienced, his answer to everything was «I dont know».
Overall, definitely worth a try.

1 Slowly, wait more than half hour for our dinner
2 Not fresh
3 Pricey
The only one star is for service
Not recommend

No longer a fan, portion shrunk while prices skyrocketed

My co worker recommended this place for me, claiming that it has the best sushi in Boston area. The interior is nice, and it was very clean and quiet inside. The food was good but doesnt really go with the price tag. The service was bad. We waited for 20 min and nobody came to our table, we have to call someone to come to our table and she called another the guy to wait the table. The place were pretty empty when we came, I have no idea why it took him so long. I think they forgot about us since our table were way back. Another mystery since we past many empty tables just to sit very far away.

I’m going to start off this review by admitting that I am a sushi snob… there. I said it.
So, we were told that this was one of the only sushi places in Boston that has a Japanese chef. «Yay», I thought, «it will be similar to the high quality sushi I get in my home base, Torrance», as we called ahead to make reservations.
I’ll do the Pros first, as there are few:
1. Cute building, we got a nice little room with sliding rice paper doors. The interior was overall quite charming– not quite authentic Japanese, but the nod to Japanese design wasn’t lost on us.
2. Our server was a very kind older Japanese woman, that tried to take really good care of us. When we told her why we were there she looked sad, and let us know that all of the chefs in the kitchen were Chinese– the one Japanese chef that once worked there had moved on. Oh. But we were already there.
Cons:
1. The menu really lacks authentic Japanese dishes. Foie gras? Seriously? Duck?! Bacon?! No. It took me awhile to wade through the junk. Duck is mainly eaten by Chinese & Vietnamese people.
2. We ordered the fatty tuna sashimi which was 19 $ dollars for 3 pieces. Pricey, yes. But typically when I order that, I get some amazingly buttery tuna that melts in my mouth and it’s worth the price. However, this didn’t happen. The tuna was still frozen, fishy, and far from fresh. I choked the first piece down and instantly regretted it.
3. The fried softshell crab was okay, despite it’s looks. The house hot sake they served us was given to us cold. :/​
4. My husband LOVES octopus (tako), he says it wasn’t very good and gives it a 3.5 out of a 5. For the price they were charging it should have been a 5.
All in all large bottles of house sake, sashimi (fatty tuna, yellowtail, salmon and octopus, all 3 pieces each) soft shell crab and (fake) crab sunomono= 118. I wouldn’t complain if the fish was any good, but it was sub-​par and the fatty tuna was AWFUL. Maybe the average white Bostonian doesn’t know this, but hardly anyone working there, and nobody in the kitchen is actually Japanese! That was the first, and last time we will ever visit this place.

I used to love this place but it really isn’t as good as it used to be. Now it’s just run of the mill, not very exciting Japanese and expensive to boot. Has there been a change in ownership/​management in the past few years?

Cute space, solid meal.
They have a wide variety of options for regular and vegetarians alike.
We order gyoza (pork and veggie only), tskuemono (pickled veggies that I adore), and 7 rolls for 5 people.
I had the garden maki. I appreciated the effort to make something a bit off the beaten path, and the number of options for veg in general. But I would probably try another roll next time.
As for everyone else, not only were they stuffed, they were incredibly satisfied.

FuGaKyu used to be a lot… a lot… a lot better!
Last week, my bf and I went to the restaurant since I was craving for some good sushis. Thought that FuGaKyu was going to impress me like the first time, which was 6 years ago), but boy, I was wrong! The foods were so so. We were not very impressed at all! Overall, I would say, the foods are overpriced though the service was still good.
Come here for biz lunch is good because you might get a private room and good services but don’t come here for your own pleasure.

Great meal, great service, wonderfully relaxing atmosphere.
Can’t think of a single negative from this experience. What a great restaurant. Very nice selection of vegetarian sushi. Excellent gyoza. The rice was clearly amazing. Impeccable service. Well laid out sake menu for a neophyte like me.
The whole family loved it.

Average to below average and way overpriced for quality.
Fugaku was my first sushi experience back in 2000 and I just ordered again last night after a decade of being away. Result: they have fallen very far.
I ordered $ 130 in sushi. Delivery took 1 hour 30 mins despite an estimated delivery if 45 – 60 mins.
Fish was old, perhaps as much as five days.
None of the sushi was even that good.
The menu was limited.
The fish lacked flavor.
The only good piece was the spider crab roll which was actually shrimp, and not crab.
Unfortunately, I won’t be back to the restaurant that delivered the most amazing sushi 16 years ago.

It’s a really nice looking place with two floors, sliding doors for extra privacy and lots of tables for large groups. The food here is on the expensive size but the quality and portion makes up for it.
I got the white fish curry with the green tea cake as the dessert. The fish is pretty good and it wasn’t over cooked. The curry comes in a gravy boat that you can pour onto your rice.
The fried rice is really big in portion. It comes in a big pot and you can eat right out of it.
The dessert was decent. Next time I would get the mochi ice cream in replace the green tea cake. I thought it would taste like the Lady M. green tea cake but it wasn’t the same. The matcha flavor is there but the taste of the cake itself was completely different. I tried my friends mochi ice cream and that’s definitely the winner.
The service here is awesome. Our waitress is super nice and friendly. I would definitely recommend this place.

Excellent sashimi. I sat at the sushi bar. Presentation was top notch. Got some courtesy samples while I waited. I had the Green Tea/​Red Bean ice cream. So good. I can’t say enough good stuff about this place. Wasn’t that expensive

Going here forever, love this clean happy places they have beautifully arranged traditional Japanese style. Service is excellent including price –worth it. Think of this more like a lunch time eatery if I was in Japan not formal but just a superb.

4 stars because my waiter was just way 2 busy for us. But overall I love the place. My first time. But I know good places when I get to one. Call me picky. But the food was great. Best teriyaki salmon I’ve had in a while cooked to perfection I shall say! Got my rice really late into the meal Cus again Waiter was busy. But she was very nice and patient with explaining what everything in the sushi was. They took care of my shellfish allergy no problem! Next time I would love to dine In a. Private room but u may need to do a reservation for those. Overall the smoked salmon sushi was amazing my waiter was able to substitute the crap sticks with pineapple. Absolutely going and back would send all my friends there. we all love sushi and salmon.

I’ve been here about three times and must say, their kitchen food is really good! Yes, this is a sushi joint but I’m not a sushi girl, my boyfriend is and according to him its fantastic! So coming here is a win-​win for us. I love their salted salmon fried rice and spicy seafood salad. The atmosphere is really nice too!

I have been here multiple times with my family, but before this week, the last time was in July. I have to say, the food is consistently good and the sushi of high quality. If that’s what you’re looking for, then definitely keep this on your list.
To echo a number of other reviews, though, it seems like the prices have gone sky high and the portions grown even smaller. The sushi rolls we ordered only had 4 pieces, rather than the 6 I’m accustomed to. The tempura appetizer portions were incredibly skimpy, too.
I will be taking my sushi business elsewhere in the future.

Disclaimer: This is probably more a review for myself than for other people, essentially reminding myself that I should come back since I was able to try out so many rolls and apps that I can’t remember exactly what I got — I just know it was great!
I had an awesome experience here! The sushi was fresh and tasty and the service was very attentive. Never were my glasses empty and there was a constant flow of deliciousness whether it was appetizers, rolls, or dessert. Everything was awesome start to finish.
I’d definitely check it out again, if I find myself in the Brookline area.

If you’re looking to spend a small fortune and then buy another dinner an hour later go here.
If you’re normal, AVOID!!! We ordered a miso soup, side of brown rice (aka a scoop), one california handroll, and an avo roll (5 tiny pieces).
Paid $ 33!!!
Literally walking to the grocery store right now to buy another meal. Sux.

Good food. Level of service was very poor today. We had expected much better service. Perhaps the inexperience of the wait staff might be the reason. However, if one is less experienced one should get some help and/​or supervision.

+ request a special «private bambu room» for added fun! (Not actually that private though and people can def. hear you.
+ delicious food, fresh& fun
+ spacious and cozy all at the same time
+ friendly staff, ask them for tips
+ cool cocktails (see what I did there?)
+ T accessible easily!
— street parking only
— $$$ …but you knew that already
Came on a week night and the place was pretty empty! Lots of staff just hangingout near the front and we had lots of check ins to see how we were doing through the night. Drinks: good selection of wines, beers and fun drinks. Tried the Peach Bellini (3 small scoops of sherbert thrown in) makes it an awesome girly drink and the mojito made with Japanese mint leaves gives the traditional one a different spin, more dry? Bubbly? Either way I liked it… good for those who don’t want something too sweet.
Got the spicy sweafood salad per others’ recommendation and it’s truly scruptious! It’s savory, crunchy, refreshing and def. has a kick that won’t really hit until a few bites in. That being said, for $ 7.50 it’s also not very big, but quality over quantity here! Then got the rainbow roll $ 15 which was very good and fresh, but again… seemed small for the price compared to other places. Prok katsu $ 21 came with miso soup an choice of side – GO SPINACH UDON!!! It’s so good! It’s tastes nothing like spinach if that’s your worry and actually has more of a seseame oil (not paste!) taste to it which was tame and balances out the katsu’s strong dipping sauce. I liked tht they left the sauce on the side so I could put as little or lot as I wanted. 2 small plates and 1 entre is pretty good for 2 – 3 people I’d say… I was stuffed!

The ambience here reminds me of a Japanese movie. Once you walk in, there’s an elegant little koi pond that adds an amazing touch to the décor. Their seating is fun. When available, you have the option to choose. My favorite seating area is the ones with the doors. (Can’t recall the name of the area) I can choose to sit traditional style!
They have an extensive sushi menu which I absolutely love. I’ve never seen such a vast selection before! The quality is outstanding. They also serve other traditional meals, such as katsu and teriyaki. I always order the chicken or fish option. They serve a version of hot pot also. They have a great drink menu as well. Desserts are an absolute must, the mochi and tempura ice cream are my go to.
Service is decent. Although there are times I come here and it’s pretty sluggish. Prices are a bit on the higher end, but hey you’re in Brookline, isn’t that expected? (I’m eager to try the location in Lynnfield; hoping it’s comparable and has the same resemblance!)

So i have read alot of reviews before having dinner at this restaurant and I must say alot of them if not most are incorrect but a review is based off of experience so here is mine…
First off my party of 8 were running late so the restaurant still held my reservation for over an hour .
Secondly the accommodations for a child was great, not your typical hotdog and mac and cheese, hamburger kids meal. the kids menu had a spin on the selections like a hamburger but instead in a Maki or sushi roll form. I would recommend children over 8 for this restaurant.
Thirdly the service was fantastic very patient and not pushy to get us in and out. I can’t stand some places where the rush you to eat and leave. We had a private room with the traditional sliding door and semi floor seating very private which was fantastic. For the wine selections one of my favorite Tarrazes malbec and oyster bay pino noir that made my night. I would recommend for a party of 8 a platter of just different types of Maki and etc. Overall my experience was fantastic and would go for another round.

I had a very mixed experience here. The architecture and decorations were gorgeous and made me feel like I was in Japan. As a larger party, we reserved a private room and got to have a table with a sliding door that instantly made it private. What a great idea! We felt like it was just us in the restaurant. I got a cocktail (peach sorbet) and it was delicious. It actually had sorbet at the bottom that was delicious as a dessert.
However, the sushi left me unimpressed. I had the spicy crab and the eel roll. Both were so overstuffed with things inside that it was an overwhelming flavor. Way too stuffed. I’d much prefer something inside with interesting sauces or raw fish wrapped around the outside. Maybe it’s a personal preference but to me, the sushi just didn’t seem overly interesting. And it was expensive which didn’t help.

Came to FuGaKyu for a friend’s birthday party. Given the large number of diners (12) the reservation was in one of the private rooms. Knowing that we had to remove our shoes to enter the private room ahead of time came in handy when choosing an outfit and the applicable shoes. The only part that I didn’t like about this was that, other areas of the restaurant don’t have the same no shoe rule… so if you have to go to the bathroom eleven times as I did (damn saki), then you either have to put your shoes on every time you go… or pull a Britney and go to the bathroom in socks. I confess, I pulled a Britney. Whatever. You would too. I had socks on.
Ordered a variety of stuff… including a salad (fresh avocado was amazing), fried dumplings (also amazing), and a huge sushi boat. I tried several different kinds of sushi, but at this point, I had a few too many saki bombs (no, our server did not condone us doing saki bombs… but we did them anyway) and I could have been eating the table linen and been satisfied.
(That’s not true… I would have given the table linen two stars. Maybe.)
The sushi was delish — especially the spicy tuna which is always my fave. The sweet potato one was interesting… I prefer my sushi to actually be sushi… but for the veg folks out there, the sweet potato one is good.
Our server was adorable and so sweet. She put up with our birthday party-​time antics with grace and patience.
The bill was insane ($ 178 on Sapporo alone — told you we had a good time)…but we had such fun and enjoyed the food, so it was worth it.

Based on what I got, this place is a scam. I did not order sushi or sashimi — so no matter who fresh the fish, how delicious they are — I will never know cuz I AM NEVER COMING BACK.
I ordered some kind of salmon appetizer which was two thin pieces of sliced salmon half-​assed torched to the point where the salmon was better left alone either raw or fully baked and it was sitting on top of a brown tangled ball of crab meat and other items. It tasted ok but not great and mostly I think it tasted ok because of the sweet mayo in there not because the fish or crab was good. My baby who likes salmon so much actually refused to touch the salmon… which says something about how un-​salmon like this was.
Then I got my seafood nabeyaki udon. Seriously guys. It was a hot pot of udon noodles sitting in broth with one sliced calamari, two tiny clams, one egg, and two probably rockfish or tilapia fillet that was as bland as possible. Oh and two tempura shrimp which I didn’t touch after second bite. Want to know what baby and I ended up eating most of? Noodles. And a side order of plain rice I asked. I felt completely devoid of nutrition. It was the saddest nabeyaki udon I have had in history.
Then the bill came and my sadness turned to fury. $ 10 for the two mayo balls and $ 22 for the udon. $ 22 dollars! Last time I paid that much for noodles there were mermaids singing on top of the carrot flower pieces floating in my broth and I couldn’t see the noodles because the surface was completely covered in gold-​crusted meats of many exotic creatures. Ok I exaggerate but you get the point. The point is I am perfectly willing to pay an obscene price for a piece of raw fish if it is made by Jiro or someone of that caliber. But for this miserable bowl of noodle soup? Never again.

Came here with a Unilocal Elite Gold friend for lunch. It was pretty quiet that day, so getting a seat wasn’t a problem. For some reason, when I see the décor and dining area in general, I think of FuGaKyu as the Disneyland of Japanese restaurants around this city. It’s just got this amusement park feel to it.
The spicy tuna roll was not bad, with the rice being the right temperature and the tuna fairly tasty. I’ve had toro here in the past and it’s decent, though I’ve had better elsewhere. It’s not as fatty and tender as it should be.
The tenzaru combination is a favorite of mine and this one has acceptable quality but above-​average quantity. The tempura was nicely fried and plentiful. The soba was a tad too soft, but otherwise good. The dipping sauce was well-​balanced so it went well with the noodles. I went on the wild side and mixed the soba with a raw quail egg. It gave the noodles a richer and more velvety taste to it.
(thanks, Santi)

My family and I came here for a pre-​wedding celebration dinner with our bride. We got a private room, which we were promptly escorted to upon arrival. Service was very friendly and patient with us as we were ordering for 8 people.
Everything tasted fresh and everyone enjoyed their sushi rolls. The staff were also kind enough to oblige in my cousin and I sneaking off and pre-​paying for the bill so that the bride would not try to.
We will definitely be back in the future.

Last day of rotations calls for a celebratory lunch at Fugakyu.
The good:
+ Fugakyu goes all out in terms of emanating a Japanese restaurant. It’s fancy. The restaurant host/​greeter is decked out in a suit. It’s the first place in Boston I’ve seen to have «zaisu” — Japanese chairs with no legs but with the normal back of a chair (google that).
+They have individual rooms that can cater to large groups, though they lack air circulation and it does gets hot.
+They have kaiten sushi (conveyor belt sushi)! Though it’s probably not cheap.
Recs:
++Lunch bentos $ 11 are the bomb. «House special Japanese hamburg» was excellent– it’s a Japanese version of a hamburger patty topped with tonkatsu sauce (tangy/​sweet). Included is miso soup, salad, a side of either rice/​fried rice/​sauteed udon/​steamed vegetable, AND a second side of either shumai/​gyoza/​chicken or beef kushiyaki (meat on a skewer)/edamame.
++For an additional $ 5, you can upgrade to the fugakyu bento that includes sashimi and a roll.

yummy, yummy. I definitely love this place and really like that it offers plenty more variety than your run-​of-​the-​mill sushi spot. They’ve got hot pot, noodle dishes, small skewers, way more choices on tempura & katsu (bonus points for offering salmon katsu! usually only available in pork or chicken) and plenty of cocktail options.
Mostly, I like that they have such an extensive menu, which is usually a bad thing, but the quality is consistently good here despite the variety. This lets you really customize your meal and get exactly what you want off the appetizers, sushi menu, etc.
It’s pricey compared to Mr. Sushi for example, but the quality is there to back it up. I highly recommend it!

Been coming here since the night it first opened and it’s always been delicious! I love their authentic options.
We got the ika tobbiko ae with quail egg, which is no longer on their menu, but it’s delicious. It’s squid (ika), cut up in small pieces and then covered in flying fish roe (tobikko) with a quail egg on the side. Our waitress knew exactly what I was talking about when asking for it. And, having a nice and knowledgeable waitress at a restaurant is a huge plus!
The great thing about Fugakyu is that you can order their chirasi, fish boat, sashimi combo etc. and not be disappointed that it’s not authentic sushi. (Worst thing on sushi is cream cheese, mayo etc. You won’t get that here unless you specifically order it)
For dessert we had delicious green tea ice cream, red bean ice cream, and the green tea crêpe. All phenomenal.
Transportation: C green line + buses of Coolidge corner.
Parking: across the street

I have been here a few times and this review will be short a sweet.
I would suggest going here with lots of friends. You can request the private room and order some sushi boats and just hang out. It’s definitely the best way to go! They also have regular booths that are private as well which just makes the experience a little fun.
I have never had anything I didn’t enjoy. I would suggest the mushroom soup, I really enjoyed it! The only thing that was a little strange for a big group situation was the sushi boats came with only 2 miso soups — we had 10 people so that was awkward!

mein erstes Sushi Erlebnis im Jahr 2004 — Danke Philip!