Sushi @ Temple Records
Sushi restaurant · Downtown ·
Omakase sushi, curated vinyl, and intimate subterranean vibes
Omakase sushi, curated vinyl, and intimate subterranean vibes
"Hidden in a narrow, Tokyo-modeled record bar, this spot quietly turns out some of the city’s top sushi while wrapping you in an authentic vinyl-bar vibe." - Megan Spurrell, Arati Menon
"Sushi @ Temple Records has ruined most other sushi spots for us. Walking into the basement space underneath the vinyl bar feels a bit like visiting your cool friend’s older sister’s apartment as a teenager. The brick walls are covered with colorful murals, and a tightly curated soundtrack plays deep cuts from the bar’s collection upstairs. What you should order is a moriawase set (preferably the kan shiromi with torched sea bream and fluke), the spicy tuna maki roll made with sesame oil and not a drop of mayo, the owan bowl with silken sesame-studded tofu topped with boba-like salmon roe, and of course as much nigiri as you can put down. The food menu changes with the tides, but the Brooklyn Kura Blue Door sake is a constant, and refreshing, way to rinse down all that raw fish." - tanya edwards, jonathan smith
"You could spend a perfectly lovely evening at Temple Records, a cocktail bar and vinyl listening lounge Downtown, without realizing that some of the best sushi in Boston is just beneath your feet. Surprise, surprise. It’s fun to eat fish while listening to deep cut vinyl (the bar and restaurant share a record collection). But we’d come here even if the playlist were exclusively nu metal. The fish is just that good. Order a moriawase set (preferably the kan shiromi with torched sea bream and fluke), the owan bowl with silken sesame-studded tofu topped with boba-like salmon roe, and of course as much nigiri as you can put down. The food menu changes depending on what’s fresh, but the Brooklyn Kura Blue Door sake is a constant, and refreshing, way to rinse down all that raw fish. photo credit: Joe St. Pierre photo credit: Joe St. Pierre photo credit: Joe St. Pierre photo credit: Joe St. Pierre photo credit: Joe St. Pierre Pause Unmute Food Rundown Nigiri Every piece of nigiri we’ve ordered here has been exceptional, particularly the chu-toro (medium fatty bluefin tuna), kanpachi (amberjack), and the creamy live scallop. The tamago is soft and sweet as well, if you’re into Japanese egg omelets (you should be). photo credit: Joe St. Pierre Spicy Tuna Maki Roll This is the best spicy tuna roll we’ve ever had. Period. The first thing you’ll notice is the complete lack of mayonnaise. But then you bite into it and the sesame oil hits the back of your nose and the tangy, umami rich shichimi kicks in, and you’ll wonder why people ever put mayo in spicy tuna rolls in the first place. Owan Like the rest of the line-up, this section of the menu devoted to small bowls of warm tofu or soups made with dashi broth changes frequently. We scooped up a bowl filled with ikura, sesame, and silken, almost flan-like tofu flavored with dashi and topped with scallions and bonito shavings." - Tanya Edwards
"Sushi @ Temple Records has ruined most other sushi spots for us (aside from the ones on this guide, of course). Walking into the basement space underneath the vinyl bar feels a bit like visiting your cool friend’s older sister’s apartment as a teenager. The brick walls are covered with colorful murals, and a tightly curated soundtrack plays deep cuts from the bar’s collection upstairs. What you should order is a moriawase set (preferably the kan shiromi with torched sea bream and fluke), the spicy tuna maki roll made with sesame oil and not a drop of mayo, the owan bowl with silken sesame-studded tofu topped with boba-like salmon roe, and of course as much nigiri as you can put down. The food menu changes with the tides, but the Brooklyn Kura Blue Door sake is a constant, and refreshing, way to rinse down all that raw fish." - tanya edwards
"Sushi At Temple Records has ruined most other sushi spots for us. Walking into the basement space underneath the vinyl bar feels a bit like visiting your cool older sister’s apartment as a teenager. The brick walls are covered with colorful murals, and a tightly curated soundtrack plays deep cuts from the bar’s collection upstairs. What you should order is a moriawase set (preferably the kan shiromi with torched sea bream and fluke), the spicy tuna maki roll made with sesame oil and not a drop of mayo, the owan bowl with silken sesame-studded tofu topped with boba-like salmon roe, and, of course as much nigiri as you can put down. The food menu changes with the tides, but the Brooklyn Kura Blue Door sake is a constant, and refreshing, way to rinse down all that raw fish." - dan secatore, tanya edwards
