Daikanyama

I used to love this place and still do order from here. I just wish if their Avacado is not ripe then they would just not serve it. The last 3 times I got Avacado maki rolls, the Avacado was hard and I ended up throwing it away!

Nice presentation and good food but very small portions and RIDICULOUSLY overpriced at lunch. Nothing special at about the specials.

I don’t know if I am just spoiled from sushi restaurants on the west coast, but so far my experiences with sushi in MA have not come close to my expectations.
The sushi was fine. Nothing great, but also not bad. I did, literally, laugh when they placed the sushi in front of us. I was shocked at how small the rolls were! You definitely don’t get what you pay for. Again, the food itself was very mediocre and the prices seemed a little ridiculous for what you got. We had 3 rolls, paying about $ 70 and had to go to the grocery store after to get a «real» dinner for my fiancé, who is on the slimmer side. Won’t be going again.

I was really hoping this place would be great, but it just okay. I ordered it as take out.
I ordered the Daikanyama Maki and Black Forest Maki. I asked if it’s generally enough for 1 person for dinner. The Daikanyama comes with 4 pieces — there said there were 4 large pieces. They forgot to mention its large relative to the other pieces they offer. There wasn’t much rice, which is generally good, but it was missing some texture. They told me on the phone the Black Forest was 8 pieces, but was actually only 6 (small) pieces. You can tell how small the pieces are based on the size of the small container. Enough for lunch, but not enough for dinner.
I checked the food when I got to the car and knew I would still be hungry after this small portion and went back in and ordered the steamed shumai. Disappointing. 6 tiny pieces filled with something mushy.
Skipping it next time.

So I’ve been to this place twice and have mixed feelings. The first time I went the sushi selection seemed to be larger and everything I got was delicious. If I had just written a review back then it would have been 5 stars. The first time I went it was really crowded but the hostess was really sweet and said there were 2 seats at the bar and if we didn’t mind squishing a little we could sit there. That worked out great. I dont remember the name of the sushi we had but it was all really delicious.
Now the second time. They renovated the place and it looks gorgeous. All modern and fresh looking. But for some reason the menu selection seemed to be smaller and it also didn’t have that much diversity. The quality of the fish was still good but I did not enjoy it as much.
Still good sushi but if you’re looking for a wide variety of choices I would venture somewhere else. They mostly had tuna and salmon, none of the specialty fish I’m used to seeing at the other sushi restaurants I go to.
As always never take my word on it and go see for yourself.

Incredible Sushi, customer service, and ambiance. Really some of the best sushi I’ve had in the area.

Loved the sushi! Innovative selection, great customer service, and beautiful new décor! I’ve only had better sushi once, and it was on the west coast.

One of my favorite sushi places. Went there before the construction and after. Happy to report the food didn’t suffer in quality with the expansion. A bit on the pricy side though.

So kind of the reason I am giving this place four stars is because it is my sisters favorite place. I honestly think there is better food out there and if she didn’t like it this would be three stars.
I have been here twice, once I got takeout and the other time I ate inside. The sushi and stuff is pretty good but I think for a hungry person you would have to order a little extra. I also was looking online and I thought the prices were kind of funny.
The food was very filling when you got full meals. I liked it but I just can’t eat that heavy of a meal or a tiny meal. They did a good job making the food and bringing it out fast when I was eating there. I know I will be eating there many more times but it has okay food.

My husband and I went here for dinner last night and were not too impressed. The sushi was Ok, but it was very expensive. Each roll is ~$ 13, which i wouldn’t complain about if the quality of the rolls and appetizers were spectacular. Overall, very average ambiance, sushi. and customer service. I don’t think that we will be back.

SO, this place has good sushi and spicy chicken ramen soup but what it doesn’t have is customer service or any ambiance. On a sale of 1 to 10 the customer service is a 1. I have been here more than a handful of times because I live and work in Lexington and every time I walk in hopeful I walk out disappointed. If you order ANYTHING from the menu they do not accommodate modification-​ever. Secondly, they are cold, rude and unfriendly.
The décor is also nicely done, but there is no atmosphere. You don’t want to take children here and you certainly cant bring a loud group. It feels sterile and everyone is so quiet. This may be a place to go for a break up dinner so whoever is being dumped wont feel capable of shouting.
Because there are limited Asian restaurants in Lexington they get a lot of business, but I am done. I found Dabin, over on Muzzey Street and its undiscovered and wonderful. Their Bim Bim Bam rocks!

Dined there last night, my husband and I got food poisoning from one or both of our maki rolls. 2 stars instead of one because the renovations/​décor is beautiful and our waitress was wonderful. Just beware. $ 120 down the toilet, literally.

So, I know about the sister restaurant at the Chestnut Hill Mall and have always wondered about this restaurant as I often drive by the Lexington one. Finally, after the renovation was completed, I was excited about trying it out.
Here’s the deal, you are really just paying for the ambiance and décor. Yes, the food is okay and is authentic enough, but honestly, I wouldn’t come here unless someone else was paying. I was dying for tempura or nabeyaki udon and thought they had a lunch special on those items. I was mistaken, and it was $ 18 for tempura udon and $ 23 for nabeyaki udon. That seemed a little outrageous to me, so I ordered the cheaper of the two. While the tempura was spot on and the broth tasted like what I expected except for some missing scallions (?), the portion size was extremely disappointing. I got two shrimp and three vegetables (broccoli, sweet potato, and squash). After drinking every last drop of the broth, I decided to order a spicy tuna roll and green tea because I was still hungry. The spicy tuna roll had scallions on it which I don’t think pair well together. The little cup for my green tea was cute but really too small as my tea became too strong — it was a tea bag.
It seems like the restaurant tries to go the extra mile to make things nice such as the little cute cup for the green tea, the chopsticks holder, and the bamboo basket for the tempura. Even so, I feel like the restaurant somehow misses the mark as the tea cup was too small, and I found the bamboo basket somewhat flimsy and cumbersome to deal with. For me, when I eat out, I care more about the food quality and value.
Regarding service, I would give them 5 stars for that. My waitress and the other waiter who came by to refill my water and tea did an excellent job.
Also, I did find the environment comfortable and relaxing. I was able to get some work reading done while I was there.

The Mr., Lil One, and I checked out Daikanyama for the second time, on a Saturday afternoon, mainly to check out their lunch specials which they generously offer on Saturdays in addition to the weekdays!
We both ordered the Daikanyama Special, which was basically like a very fancy bento box in terms of variety. According to the menu, the special changes daily, but it’s possible that they keep the bento style and just change the components. The special that day included shrimp and vegetable tempura; a teriyaki mix of chicken, salmon, and shrimp; tuna and salmon sashimi; pickled vegetables; fruit; and a bowl of white rice. The meal also came with miso soup and salad. The miso soup and salad were very tasty and enjoyable. When our meals came out, we were stunned by the beautiful presentation! The photos don’t do it justice. I have to admit that as I finished up the last few bites, I thought I needed to order a maki roll or something, but when I actually finished, I was comfortably full. I believe the establishment is Chinese-​owned and operated, but everything still tasted authentic. The Mr. prefers tuna and I prefer salmon, so I suggested that he give me his salmon and I give him my tuna, but I decided to be adventurous and keep the tuna. The tuna quality was so good that I actually enjoyed it!
The interior has a tranquil, modern, and serene feel to it that made the meal very enjoyable. We noticed during this visit that they expanded the interior, which definitely improved the space. The update really opened up the dining room and likely allowed for additional seating. We had the corner table by the window which gave us ample room to keep all of Lil One’s gear. She even had some crawling room between the table and window when we finished our meal and were waiting for check. Great overall experience — already thinking of the next time we can return!

Daikanyama has earned my business several times over, and we can’t stop going back for more. The quality of the sushi is very high; I have never found a bad item on the menu. They just completed a remodel that looks very classy.
Come here for a high quality meal and comfortable, refined atmosphere. The management is also very friendly to regular customers and I hope they stay here for a long time.

Good food but not a lot of selection. We wanted fried noodles but I guess they said they couldn’t do it tonight. We just ordered some apps and sushi.

Delicious sushi. Fresh, creative rolls with beautiful presentation. Easily among the best sushi I’ve had. Even the standard salad that comes with the meal at most sushi restaurants was extra fresh and tasty. Décor is sleek and upscale, I felt a little underdressed in jeans and sneakers. Service was attentive. Not cheap, but… what do you expect for good sushi?
We arrived at 5:45 on a Saturday without a reservation and we’re lucky we did — 30 minutes later and I don’t think we would have gotten a table.

I like it here. On the two times I’ve been here, we are the only non-​Asian people in the restaurant. I don’t know if that’s good or bad?
The food is good. I like their sushi. The staff is attentive and sweet. The prices are reasonable. It’s a good place to go. I hate the parking situation though.

Delicious. Absolutely one of the best sushi in the Greater Boston area. Definitely don’t go in expecting a cheap sushi joint — this place is legit and places emphasis in the art of sushi, referencing how Japanese sushi chefs would put care into their creations. And although their maki rolls are impressive and looks gorgeous, my review will be tailored more on sashimi and nigri, a more common staple in Japanese culture. Let me break it down into the points that matter, based on the Daikanyama Platter we ordered (33+ assorted pieces):
1) Rice. Room temperature, with a perfect blend of stickiness and form. Lightly seasoned with vinegar, they do sushi rice justice. In addition, their nigiri (raw fish on pieces of rice) are not overly heavy and is a perfect portion.
2) Fish. For the nigiri, they are thinly cut, which is a good thing as nigiri should be eaten with one bite anyways and complements the modest portion of rice underneath. For sashimi, they are generous portions, professional cut. All of the fish were extremely fresh, and depending on what type of fish, was prepared in near perfection. The salmon sashimi for example was creamy (in a good way), sweet and tender. The fish, which was slightly chilled, could have been more fresh by being lowered a few more degrees into room temperature. The more common cold sashimi you find in most other places, on the contrary, is NOT good — that means the fish has been frozen and was just recently defrosted, and can ruin the experience for diners more inclined to true Japanese preparation.
3) Condiments. The wasabi was good — I don’t have a particular taste to differentiate quality wasabi against store-​bought, but I believe they use real wasabi vs horseradish of the more generic sushi stores. However, what was real impressive was the fact they put a dab of wasabi in between the fish and the rice on the nigiri. Genius — this is the way they’re supposed to be prepared and is a staple step in Japan. However, this was one of the first places in America that I’ve noticed that this was done — trust me, it makes a pleasant difference. The soy sauce was also very delicious — not a standard run-​of-​the-​mill soy sauce you can buy in bulk but that of the more expensive variety.
Overall, the experience was great. The restaurant is also very beautiful, decked out in traditional Japanese themes like a tranquil waterfall window by the inside entrance, wooden soup bowls, and an overall peaceful ambiance. Plus, they give you complimentary edamame — bold move!

Sushi or Pizza?
That’s like choosing your favorite dog! (My family does not have kids)…
Lexington clearly knows that making such a decision is 100% impossible, which is why this sushi restaurant is right next door to Upper Crust Pizza!
I went in solely for sushi because I don’t have a «sweet tooth» I have a «sushi tooth» and let’s just say, my tooth was EXTREMELY satisfied!
I ordered Anago, Unagi & Salmon Skin Handrolls, along with grilled Hamachi Kama and a sashimi dinner! Even NEMO would have chowed down! The Hamachi Kama was HUGE and the hand rolls were tasty too (however not as generous as my sushi loves in LA)… The sashimi was also on point, tasting extremely fresh!
Others in my party ordered some sushi rolls and they were equally as happy! They put the rolls on their pizza, ha!
So why minus one star? Well, they could only do 2 salmon skin handrolls (I initially ordered 4) and what they gave me was a bit burnt… Of course I ate them though, no food goes left wasted for me! That’s probably the only reason why a star was taken off, because the service was great, the décor was classic and those hamachi kamas… Ohhhhhh those hamachi kamas!