Judy's Bay

Delectable, fresh take on Japanese food in a cozy intimate setting. Our drinks were lovely, and both the menu staples and specials were delicious. We particularly enjoyed the lobster roe pasta and skate wing. We will surely be coming back for a future date night!

Oyster mushrooms and monkfish katsu were delicious. We are pescatarian and vegetarian and there were many options for us.

A very lovely fusion Japanese bistro in Cambridge - with good atmosphere, cheerful service, and yummy food. Would really recommend the lobster roe pasta which is amazingly yummy. Tables around us all ordered the dish so definitely a signature! Also loved their seared scallop and oyster mushroom. Definitely a great place to treat yourself, or enjoy a good time with friends after a long tiring week!

Give it all five stars for the amazing atmosphere, food, and service. The lobster roe pasta is a must try. I also like the sashimi bowl very much. Uni is so fresh and tasty! Seaweed is provided so you can eat it in multiple ways. Matcha Fizz and yuzu sake are my favorite drinks. Mochi dessert is also special! Will visit again.

TLDR: I would not recommend eating here. I don't write reviews but this was genuinely such a rough experience that I must. First, the food is small and expensive. Second, somehow most of the dishes we had were devoid of flavor. We ordered the monkfish katsu, a tuna sashimi (a special) the miso soup with crab, mussels, and a yuzu basque cheesecake (also a special). The gochujang sauce with the mussels was good, but everything ranged from meh to actually bad. The cheesecake in particular was so bad it was almost the first dish I have ever sent back in my entire life. It was grainy, flavorless and the entire top surface had a 3mm layer of char (I do know that basque cheesecake is burnt, but this was too much and unpleasant). Please stop making this dish. Drinks are good. The sake flight and mocktail I got were really nice. Plus the vibe and atmosphere of the place is cute and cozy. If you just want to drink that could be fun, but if you're hungry go somewhere else. Service very much had the vibe of trying to rush us out even though we had spent about an hour at the table, but no staff were unpleasant.

Husband & wife take on a modern izakaya featuring fresh New England ingredients. Come here if you're looking for a menu curated with tender loving care and a rotation of fresh seasonal seafood and veggies. Also - come for the sake selection! Started with a very refreshing and generous sesame salad topped with a very well balanced sesame dressing (I hope they start bottling and selling this dressing - I would totally buy a bottle home and serve with all my raw veggies). Great way to start a meal and whet the appetite! We then had the seasonal special bittermelon salad with tomatoes and onsen egg. Tasted like the bittermelon and tomatoes were fresh picked! Chilled bittermelon salads are my favorite during the summer, and this was a delicious combination of flavors and textures. Another special we tried was a seared tuna over rice served with nori. Loved the DIY handrolls experience and the richness of the tuna. Pork dumplings were a hit of nostalgia. Clearly wrapped with love and fatty pork. So satisfying. Then the spices started to kick in with the gochujang butter mussels! The sauce is so good you will need to order a bowl of medium grain rice to go with it - you will not regret it. The miso ribs must be a signature dish. They're slow cooked to perfection with a touch of sweetness and a load of umami! Fall off the bone type of magic, which I also recommend with a bowl of rice. So happy with the seared oyster mushrooms + caulilni. Large portion, and just like how momma used to make at home, except with an additional fragrant seared flavor. Lobster roe pasta made me unintentionally moan with delight. The richness of the flavors and the perfect consistency and bounce of the pasta was too much for my mouth to handle, and I'm pretty sure I did a happy dance in my seat. We tried both the desserts, which I'm glad we did, because I can't choose which one I like better. The strawberry tapioca pudding is just the right creaminess bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. And I loved the chewiness of the homemade mochi in our black sesame sundae. Shoutout to the friendly staff that took care of us during our meal. Really appreciated all the plants in our dining area, such a comforting touch. Will be back for dinner again very soon!

Whether you’re local or visiting from out of town, Judy’s Bay is a must-go on your list. I’m from DC and told my sister I wanted to eat lobster but somewhere and something unique to Boston, and she brought me here in September. Just went for the second time Thanksgiving Friday because there’s nothing like it in DC and I kept thinking about it, and it somehow was even better than the first time?? I’m sure every time we go, it’ll top the last visit and continue to blow our minds. It’s run by the kindest owner-chef couple and you can tell they work so hard and really care about the dishes they put out and the people who work with them. Service: 10/10. Marie was our server the first time, she is the sweetest person ever and really connected with our group. She remembered us and we were so happy to see each other, it’s such a nice feeling to come to a place that’s familiar. Food comes out perfect and efficiently. Reservations: Recommend making a reservation if you can as it’s a more boutique-sized place, but we were able to snag a table the second time as a walk-in. Street parking on a quieter more residential-heavy street. What we got first visit, shared among 3 people: Seared Scallops: 10/10, scallops were clearly fresh and sweet, perfect sear. Temaki Sushi: 10/10, yes it’s a single temaki, but it’s so full of the seafood option you choose. We got the scallop and it was so creamy and sweet. Sushi Bowl: Beyond 10/10, this is not one of those bowls where there’s more rice than seafood. Absolutely crammed with juicy sweet lobster and scallops, and everyone gets to make their own little temaki with the nori squares. Haven’t seen this anywhere else, and this plus the pasta dish put this place on my forever favourites list. Sake Chicken: 9.5/10, delicious, tender, flavourful, and we finished it all, but I think through no fault of its own, gets outshined by the next dish. Lobster Roe Pasta w/ Fresh Lobster: Beyond 10/10, treat yourself and spring for the added fresh lobster. This pasta is absolutely unmatched in the depth of its seafoody umami flavour. It somehow manages to be both rich and creamy, but not heavy or oily at all. The sweetness of the fresh lobster (you get massive tender claw meat) balances the umami of the roe, and the little bits of watercress really cut through the richness. This dish alone is worth a visit here. Kinako Mochi: 10/10, they make their own mochi in-house from whole grain glutinous rice, and it’s got the most satisfying texture and a subtle nutty sweetness of its own under the kinako. Literally inspired me to go home and get brown glutinous rice to make it myself because nowhere in DC has this. Ice Cream Sundae, Black Sesame: 10/10, perfect for sharing and has more of that homemade mochi. What we got second visit, shared amongst 4 people: Seafood Trio: 10/10, this is the updated version of the sushi bowl from before, and it added fresh uni to the scallops and sushi. Absolutely incredible and beautiful as well. Lobster Fried Rice: 10/10, huge pieces of sweet lobster and a perfect amount to share and satisfy 4 people. Mushroom Tofu Stirfry: 10/10, full of umami flavour and mixes well with the fried rice or eaten on its own! Lobster Roe Pasta w/ Fresh Lobster: you know we had to get it again! Crispy Salmon Belly: 10/10, it sounds so simple, but the light sauce they have over it is delicious and it’s perfectly cooked and tender. Same desserts as last time because they’re winners.

I tried this restaurant today and loved it. The fish and octopus were super fresh so I highly recommend trying anything with seafood in it. We also had a mushroom tofu dish, a couple of salads, and the strawberry tapioca dish and everything was so flavorful. A plus is the space which was really pretty and in such a nice location. I am glad to have discovered this gem of a restaurant and am definitely coming back!