Sakurabana (Boston)

Boston is a great city to walk around in, but it seems like almost all the food joints near downtown and the waterside are either Irish pubs, or are clearly aimed at tourists. Not that it's really surprising as no-one actually lives in the Financial District, but after an hour of casual strolling, I finally found a place where I was happy to have my dinner. 

This happened to be a Japanese restaurant (rather than anything serving American fare), and ultimately I was content with my choice, if not particularly ecstatic. 

Sakurabana

The indecisiveness in deciding on where to eat much have transferred into indecisiveness on what to eat. I was having trouble making up my mind and took the easy option of trying a bit of everything by ordering the bento box.

My first impressions of the food weren't great; the requisite miso soup was fairly flavourless and lacking in substance. The bento box itself was thankfully an improvement.

Salad

The salad was your usual mix of uninspiring greens, but the carrot puree on top added a nice kick of flavour and texture. The fried dumplings that they served in the box were unnecessary in my opinion.

Fried Dumplings

The skin was tough and doughy, and the filling was a mediocre mix of pork and prawn. The bean sprouts lay in an unappetising mess on the bottom. 

You can choose two dishes yourself for the box, and I was lucky enough that my choices ended up being relatively tasty.

Bento Box with Sashimi and Chicken Katsu

The sashimi was fresh, although I wouldn't recommend using the sweet oyster sauce they served with it. The chicken katsu was perhaps on the salty side (nothing that a mouthful of rice can't fix), but at least it was tender. 

I'm sure there are much better places to eat in Boston, but if you don't want to be in an Irish pub, and/or in a crowd of tourists, your options are limited. Sakurabana is a quiet, cosy restaurant with passable food and friendly service. I'll do my research next time though and track down a place that serves good food. 

Sakurabana

57 Broad St, Boston, MA

Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-230pm, Dinner Sat, Mon-Thu 5pm-930pm, Fri 5pm-10pm