ma soba

We came in to have lunch and we were starving. We ordered real fast and when we saw the food we could not believe they were that little. We had to order more, The food is OK, but the portion is too small. The price is too high for that little portion. However, we like the location and it's clean

Pros: Location

Cons: Price

Posted 05/04/09

My girlfriend and I went to Ma Soba on a cold Wednesday night. She loves sushi but I have been avoiding it. That said the food was excellent. As I said it was a cold night and thankfully we were seated in a warm spot away from the windows. The waitress was very friendly and did not make me feel awkward because I didn't have a clue what to order. She was very helpful and made sugestions after we made a few initial choices. We ordered the Dinamite appetizer. Although I didn't know what it was it sounded different. For dinner we ordered a California roll (so that my girlfriend could compare it to others she's had), Rainbow roll (raw fish), Volcano Roll (baked roll with dinamite on top) and one other that I forget the name. For fun we ordered sea urchin sushi as well. The fish was very fresh, not fishy tasting at all. The rolls were tight, the fish was firm and quite a bit more flavorful than I expected. The only down side was that the dinamite appetizer arrived just about the same time as the rolls. Overall the meal was a positive experience, I would recommend this restaurant to my friends and I would eat here again.

Pros: Service, fresh food

Posted 01/14/09

One of my friends recommended me this sushi place, so she brought me here Saturday night, and I feel like I wanted to write this review and recommend this to everyone else too. The restaurant itself is very nice, which also includes the atmosphere and music, and they've got good service too. Most importantly, I love their special rolls. They've got some of their own unique special sushi rolls you can't find anywhere else. This sushi place fits for you if you're really looking for fresh fish and good sushi rolls. I had a great experience here. I really like here and recommend everybody to try.

Pros: fresh sushi, good service

Cons: waiting line

Posted 11/17/08

i have not been to the place itself but the delivery is unbelievably horrifying. i placed an order at 830 on a sunday night. i called at 9 15 asking if they had my number etc and they were like it should be there, ,it is on it's way. no kidding. it's on it's way it's only been 45 minutes on a sunday night. so then i call back at 10 pm when im STILL waiting for this food and i ask them do i get some kind of compensation for soggy sushi and cold dumplings> and they said they do not give discounts (after being put on hold while listening to faint cantonese in the background. terrible experience. if this is Ma Soba management reading this, please get some new people in charge. jesus christ.

Pros: cool menu

Cons: terrible management

Posted 08/02/08

On July 15th I was celebrating my 30th anniversary and had in mind to take my wife, sons, their wives, my mother and sister to Ma Soba. I chose Ma Soba because of the reviews and ratings I saw online and because it was relatively close to the Blue Man Group show which was next in the agenda. I made my reservation for 6PM and explained to the person taking the reservation that this was an important event in my family. I trusted everything would be OK. First the server took forever to come to our table and ask if we needed anything despite the fact we were one of the largest tables that night (10 people), I literally had to get out of my seat to ask for help because waiter after waiter they kept passing by our table and never offered help. Finally someone came up (Name was stated as "Goeun" in the bill) and asked if we needed anything. We had nothing! Finally she took our order for appetizers and drinks and again I had to get up and ask about our service since no one came to bring the stuff we asked for. When I got up I then saw some movement and conversation among the wait staff and our miso soup arrived and the drinks. Needless to say the miso soup was cold and the beers warm. It took forever to serve the food and sushi boat and finally when it came the sushi did not feel or taste fresh. All of this without the customary smiles and hospitalities one expects when waited on in a nice restaurant. Finally we were whacked with a 18% mandatory tip which did not allow us to show how displeased we were. What should have been a perfect night was ruined. Today I took the time to call the restaurant and apparently spoke with Yun (Manager?) and Lina (Owner?). Both offered apologies and asked us to come back so they could provide better service. I thought they were kidding. They did not offer anything complimentary or any refund. I was appalled! Never again!

Pros: Located downtown

Cons: Service, sushi quality, lack of empathy by management,

Posted 07/30/08

They used basmati rice instead of sushi rice, and it was clear they didn't even bother adding rice vinegar to it! Ridiculous, who do they think they're fooling! On the other hand, f I was only rating the sashimi, I'd give it 3 stars... Needless to say, trying to cut corners by using cheap long-grain rice is unacceptable, never again.

Pros: Atmosphere

Cons: Food, service, rice

Posted 06/21/08

I consider myself as a pundit when it comes to Japanese cuisine. Tonight was my first time at Ma Soba and let's just say after paying $100 for just food for 2 people, I was horrendously letdown. Service between average and a tad below average. Portions are small for the price but apparently Ma Soba thought they could make it up by piling each roll up with rice. Restaurant had both mango and avacado but refused to make mango-avacado roll on the spot for a first-time vegetarian guest. Sweet shrimp hand roll had two pieces of shrimp and more rice than a rice ball plus the seaweed tasted rubbery and old. Uni was not fresh at all. The pieces of sushi were cut unevenly. Overall, there's no real skill in sushi preparation. If you're looking for great and authentic sushi bar offerings, do not waste your time here. Even if money is not an issue for you, you should not squander your pretty pennies here. It's just not worth it. FYI, the soy sauce is extremely salty and the wasabi tasted like the kind made with powder. Edamame comes in a small wooden basket that is only good for max 2 people --- if you're only interested in about 12 edamame each. I'm disappointed with the quality of the food. I don't mind the price, but for the price I paid, I felt like I was not getting my money's worth in both quality and quantity. The one thing that I could not complain about was the miso soup. DO NOT order the vegetable dumplings, it's just not worth while. Most importantly, the Baked Lobster Roll tonight tasted not like lobster at all but crawfish. I don't know how Ma Soba made it to the top 10!

Pros: Ambience

Cons: The food!

Posted 12/20/07

Look, I love Ginza. I LOVE Fugakyu. But there was something just impeccable about the sushi I had last night that i actually felt compelled to write a review. This was, by far, the freshest raw fish I've ever eaten...and I've done my share of sushi joints in Boston. I must say I wasn't a huge fan of the combinations of ingredients in the specialty rolls, but oh my LORD, the fish was DELICIOUS. My white tuna just melted in my mouth; the salmon was so buttery I almost went to heaven, and the veggies were fresh. What a treat!!!

Pros: Freshest seasfood in Boston; great cheap price

Cons: Initial slow service (for a Tuesday); all the food came out at once

Posted 12/18/07

Amazing sushi. Nice resturant and great service. A little on the expensive side, but definately worth it!

Posted 11/30/07

We have been here 3 times. Each time we have tried different maki orders. Here some of our favorites:

ROCK & ROLL -Tobiko, Spicy Tuna, Baked Scallop, Gobo, & Cucumber;
T.N.T. ROLL- Shrimp Tempura, Tobiko, Special Sauce, & Cali.Roll;
NINJA ROLL - Albacore Tempura, Crab, Tobiko, & Avocado;
BAKED SPICY LOBSTER ROLL - Baked Spicy Lobster, Tobiko, Cali.Roll;
DISCO SHRIMP ROLL - Baked Shrimp, Tobiko, Scallop, Spicy Crab, & Avocado;

Pros: Huge variety of creative sushi

Cons: Can get pricy if not careful

Posted 09/23/07

Let me say a couple of things before: This is my first review but many others will follow. I like reading the reviews here but the people seems to forget that there are 5 different rate to choose from, not only one star or 5...
(Sorry for any grammatical mistake, I am Italian).
OK, I went to this place last Friday, I reserved (I recommend doing it) and we were promptly seated immediately. The place is nice but definitely NOT romantic at all, who said it is...sorry guys you have no idea what is a romantic place...This is way to bright, and the table (all in one room) are too much close to each other to be romantic, you end specking with the table next to you...and listening...
The food is good, I can not complain about it.
But overall I found the price way to high, bottles of wine almost start at 28$, for nothing special and I ended pay 100$ for two, eating a mixed tempura, 6 California rolls, and a mixed sushi and sashimi, with a bottle of France risling (I don?t remember how to spell it) that was nothing special at all. 70$ could be a fear price.

Posted 08/26/07

I had a great dining experience here. Great food and atmosphere. Although we had to wait for a table it was worth it. parking is a plus too!

Posted 08/08/07

I'm new to Boston. but I've been to enough to know that this has to be one of the best! Everything from the appetizers to the sake exceeded my expectations. I'm not a fan of big restaurant, preferring the smaller one that have the owner's exclusive attention, but is the exception to that rule. Great decor, very friendly environment and service, and best of all, a great menu. I went with a couple of friends and let them order and there wasn't one dish I didn't absolutely love. Great!

Posted 06/15/07

i can't say this is the best sushi i've had in boston, but it's good enough, and the prices are low, considering the address. great lunch specials.

Posted 03/31/07

I read all these great reviews on citysearch about how great this Sushi is. Honestly not good Sushi at all. I live in Quincy and there are two local sushi restaurant that smoke this place. I went here a week before Christmas in 2006, there was almost nobody in the restaurant. If you are a avid sushi eater, this is not the place.

Posted 01/21/07

We went to Ma Soba after hearing Rave reviews and reading about how it was rated Best Sushi Restaurant in Boston (2006). We walked in and there was only one other couple seated in the restaurant. We figured it must be because it was a Monday night. Anyway, the sushi selection is pretty extensive, and the sushi is quite yummy, especially the baked rolls i.e. the volcano roll.

My only complaint is the service. The service absolutely sucked. In fact the service was so bad, it prompted me to get off my lazy a&%, join city search, just so I could write a review for this restaurant. The waitress we had acted as though she was doing us an enormous favor by acknowledging us, let alone taking our order or getting our food. And when I suggested to my husband in front of her that perhaps we should order dessert, she actually expressed her annoyance IN FRONT OF US!!!

I feel so much better now that I have expressed my opinion. If you dont mind crappy service, the food is good, so you should try it out.

Pros: Sushi

Cons: Service

Posted 01/10/07

Concerning the sushi: fresh fish served in pretty standard nigiri, maki, and temaki options. One of the better sushi places Boston. Other menu items range from amazing to so-so. I find the atmosphere very calm and relaxing, and this a great place for a date. In the summer, they open up the sliding glass panels for a a great airy dining experinece, although the occasional homeless guy wandering past and demaning spare change or a spring roll can be annoying, but who can blame them? I want to ask people for some sushi when walking past. oh, and the sesame chicken is amazing!

Pros: food and indoor atmosphere

Cons: homelessness

Posted 11/21/06

The restaurant has little atmosphere but you go there for the food!!! cheap wine list, great choice of fresh sushi and a large list of other entrees for people who dont like sushi!

Posted 11/19/06

i dont know how ma soba got such high ratings. i tried this place a year ago in summer 2005 when the rating was higher than its current 9.4. It was TERRIBLE. The place is clean and their menu had the usual sushi/entree choice. However, the quality is terrible. The noodles (udon, soba) were not cooked well nor was the soup base very tasty. The sushi fish was not as fresh as claimed in these reviews. There are many other better choices in boston like Fugakyu, Oishii, Ginza. This place is certainly nothing special and I dont know how they got connections to have such high ratings on citysearch. a disappointment.

Posted 11/11/06

We ordered sushi from there after trying to branch out from Zen. One huge benefit was that they do sushi + a little Korean + a little pan-Asian, so everyone was happy. I got the sashimi deluxe which was great though a little on the expensive side for the portions. Probably some of the best sushi I've ever had though. I also got the kalbi which was good and moderately priced (though on a huge bed of broccoli which I couldn't finish for the life of me).

Unfortunately they don't deliver to Back Bay, which is annoying + unadvertised. I had to beg and since it was a $500 order they demurred. I think I'd go with them in the future for sushi, if it weren't for that fact.

Posted 11/07/06

Went to Ma Soba on Saturday night - wasn't overly busy, but the food was excellent!! The only drawback was that they do not serve liquor, beer and wine only. There was a large selection of sushi, including dinners, rolls, and individual servings. Service was quick and friendly.

Posted 07/31/06

This place is great. Ma Soba do have outstanding sushi. The lunch combo is incredible as well. "Don't take my word for it - go and see for yourself!"

Pros: fresh sushi good price

Posted 07/18/06

This place is great. By far my favorite sushi joint in Boston. Real close to the MGH Red Line stop and not far at all from North Station, this place offers a classy dining experience you'll be sure to enjoy. Don't take my word for it - go and see for yourself!

Pros: Food, service

Cons: No parking (But who cares about that anyway? Take the freaking T)

Posted 07/13/06

They have OK miso soup(not salty enough). Teriyaki beef is kind of "chewy". The size of the combo is not that big. But they do have GREAT sashimi!! Very fresh and yummy!!

Posted 07/10/06

My co-workers and I only ever get the lunchbox combo, which is chock full of yumminess. The usual salad, white rice, miso, as well as two or three entrees (sesame chicken, teriyaki, or a variety of maki). The sushi and maki are glorious -- really gorgeous cuts of fish and very fresh vegetables. Lunch time service isn't too bad.

Pros: Sushi

Cons: Price

Posted 06/12/06

The ambience, quality, and price were really good. Especially the maki rolls were fantastic and very creative. The sashimi also came in thick cuts. The price was quite good.

Pros: Ambience, Freshness, Price

Cons: Crowded

Posted 05/27/06

Saw this on citysearch and wanted to try it out, and am very disappointed. We made reservation, but no table was assigned to us, and there are only a few people seated, and the receptionist took us to a small table, so I asked her that I preferred a bigger table, and she made a face expressing disgust or something like it's really hard to comply, and it took several looks exchanged between she and the manager, and we finally got seated. It took half an hour for the food to come, and they all tasted very average. The rice tasted like damp jasmine rice instead calrose rice, and the baked rolls are just california rolls with special meat on top. For that kind of price, I thought I would taste better food, not some food that are not well made and fell apart easily.

Pros: can't think of any

Cons: service not good, food is average

Posted 05/22/06

We arrived after 8pm on a Saturday night. Our server finally acknowledged us after 10 minutes and took our drink order. We asked for an order of sushi for an appetizer and he told us it would be served with the meal because it would take 20 minutes, because it was busy, we told him to just get the drinks. So another 10 minutes went by and we never got our drinks, but the server did fill 2-3 tables water glasses. Finally another 5-10 minutes went by (now 20 minutes, still no drinks served or order taken) and we got up and left as we were leaving he told us our drinks were on the way. We said no thanks. Never in my life had I had such horrible service. I know it was a busy, Saturday night but at least bring us our drinks. We will never go back.

Pros: Wouldn't Know, We Walked , Out!

Cons: Service, Service, Service

Posted 04/29/06

The maki rolls are okay. Price is expensive. The service is absolutely the worst I've ever seen. Will not go back.

Posted 03/31/06

Great sushi, great atmosphere, great value. The quality of sushi was great for the most part. The nigiri could have been better, but I would go back in a second. The rolls were fantastic and I recommend trying a baked roll. It may be different, but we tryed the Disco Shrimp role and it was fantastic. Great place to take a date, it's expensive enough so you don't look cheap, but it won't break the bank.

Pros: Baked Rolls, Atmosphere

Cons: Nigiri Sushi, Service

Posted 02/07/06

good sushi selection, quiet atmosphere, affordable lunch and dinner combo specials

Posted 01/12/06

I went with a group for a birthday party. We were pleasantly surprised and all my friends, first-time Ma Soba-ers, really loved it. We ordered two sushi boats and specialty rolls. Service was impeccable, staff incredibly nice/friendly. I failed to mention that it was our friend's birthdays but staff figured it out, all came out with two bowls of coconut and green-tea ice cream, singing Happy Birthday. What incredibly rare service! The sushi was unbelievably fresh and variety resulted in a harmonic balance of freshness+flavor+texture, that pleased even the most finicky of pallets. I highly recommend Ma Soba for large parties who order sushi boats; it's the best way to enjoy the variety of rolls in an affordable manner. They really offer something for everyone, even one of my friends who doesn't eat raw fish got a good fill of delicious non-fish rolls.

Pros: Impeccable Service, Superb Sushi Variety , Fresh Fish Selection

Posted 11/25/05

I've eaten at ma soba many times and absolutely love the variety of options. You can get all types of Asian cuisine at one location. Loved the Sushi!

Posted 11/03/05

Who put 9.9? I never knew so much rice was needed to make sushi. Where's the Fish? Rolls were OK, but I didn't understand the concept of the "Baked Rolls". Aren't we supposed to eat cold, raw fish? Try the Korean food. Thought it was a sushi/japanese place, but it turned out to be an "all asian" kind of place. s

Pros: good location, good decor, good service

Posted 10/31/05

I don't know why I went there for an hour of driving.....but nice service.

Posted 08/14/05

great lunch specials, quiet environment, rarely busy, parking can be a problem

Posted 03/08/05

it was really superb, i can higly recommend it; it was a nice evening with nice people.

Posted 02/15/05