Tucked away in a mall in Porter Square is a small taste of Japan. The mall, otherwise known as the Exchange Building, contains about 7 small Japanese food stalls serving traditional Japanese foods (udon soup, sushi and other tasty bites), a sit-down fully-enclosed restaurant called Blue Fin, a Japanese mini-supermarket and additional retail space selling items and cosmetics imported from Japan.

RESTAURANTS

There are several restaurants that simply open into the hall. In each restaurant, there are a few tables and folding metal chairs to seat maybe 15 people or so at a time. The menus are clearly posted and you can easily comparison shop. Most menus are accompanied by pictures of the menu item so you know exactly what you will get. There is sushi, noodle soups, rice dishes, curry, donburi, ramen and all other types of Japanese specialties. The menus are limited at each stall and the prices are reasonable to cheap. The quality varies. The restaurants are very clean, but not spotless. Most of the small restaurants take cash only but there is an ATM in the mall.

One stall sells the tapioca ice tea that I hear is all the rage in Japan. There are large tapioca balls floating in flavored ice tea. I couldn't even bring myself to try the free sample, but if that is your thing, this is probably one of the few places to try it.

Blue Fin is the one fully-enclosed restaurant in the mall. It has the most comprehensive menu, so we usually choose to eat at this restaurant. The menu includes all the favorites, seaweed salad, edamame, yakitori, salmon, sushi, and noodle dishes. However, most customers come for the "giant sushi set." You can order sushi in bulk (at least 25 pieces) and the restaurant charges less than $1 per piece of nigiri. The pieces are fairly small and appear to be thrown together sometimes, but the deal is still a good one. The quality of the food and the level of service varies, but is always acceptable and sometimes surprisingly good.

The owners of Blue Fin have not put a lot of thought into the decor. The walls are white and there are some Japanese and American decorations. There is a sushi bar with some seating. Blue Fin has a liquor license and they take credit cards.

SUPERMARKET

Kotobukya sells all types of Japanese food from fresh fruits, vegetables and fish, to frozen food and grocery goods. There are all kinds of interesting candies and snacks. The packaging for some of the food items are beautiful. You can get some sushi supplies here. We usually leave with the fixings for Udon soup - frozen udon noodles, soup that comes concentrated in a bottle and some dried seaweed. We improvise the rest of the ingredients at home. This is probably not how they do it in Japan, but it works for us. The staff of the supermarket is very helpful in interpreting labels and assembling ingredients.

SHOPPING

Tokai is one retail store sells many imported items from Japan. There are paper lanterns, kimonos, chopsticks, Hello Kitty items, pottery, beautiful paper items, fans, cards, screens and many other items. There are many things available for only a few dollars and prices are great.

Kotobukya, the supermarket described above, also sells utilitarian goods, dishes, rice cookers, chopsticks among other things. They sell Japanese magazines and have video rentals.

There is also an open stand selling Shishedo cosmetics.

The mall also has a Gap (isn't there something in the Constitution that states that every American mall must have a Gap?)

CUSTOMERS

Cambridge, being home to Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and many other universities is home to thousands of students. The cheap prices bring them to this mall. As you would also expect, many Japanese also frequent this area. This mall is completely family-friendly and there are always many children running around. None of the restaurants have a children's menu, but the food is cheap and you can find something for most children.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The Porter Square Mall is located in Porter Square, a vibrant residential and retail neighborhood of Cambridge. Outside of the mall, there are many shops lining the street selling fancy paper, used clothes, expensive clothes, home decor and books. There are also all types of ethnic and inexpensive restaurants. Beware though, many shops close at 6. If you want to shop, go before you eat.

GETTING THERE

The Exchange Building is located at 1815 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. There is FREE parking behind the mall, a true rarity in Cambridge. There is also street parking with meters. The Porter Square stop on the red line of the T (Boston's mass transit) is a few blocks away.




HUNGRY FOR MORE? TRY THESE BOSTON-AREA RESTAURANTS:

BOSTON: Radius; Caffe Vitoria; Excelsior; Jacob Wirth; Cottonwood Cafe; Imperial Seafood House.

BROOKLINE: Mr. Sushi; Fugakyu; Takeshima; Tsunami; Anna's Taqueria; Zaftigs Delicatessen; Bangkok Bistro; Golden Temple.

NEWTON: Appetito; India Paradise; Blue Ribbon Barbeque; Ice Cream Works; Baker's Best; Bill’s Pizzeria; Cafe Nicolas; Union Street; O’Hara’s; Yeradi’s; Johnny’s Luchonette.

CAMBRIDGE: S&S Restaurant; Jasper White’s Summer Shack.

WEST ROXBURY: Cafe Misono.

BRIGHTON: Tasca.

ESSEX: Woodman’s.

SAUGUS: Kowloon.

CHAIN RESTAURANTS: Not Your Average Joe’s; Bertucci’s; Legal Sea Foods; Cheesecake Factory; Rainforest Cafe; Fire & Ice; Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse; Friendly’s.

COFFEE, BAGELS AND DONUTS: Bruegger’s Bagels; Finagle a Bagel; Dunkin Donuts.







Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime