Sushi to go is best right from the chef’s hand; sitting in a fridge, rice gets hard and changes texture, while the fish can get too cold and lose its succulence. While the prepared sushi boxes at Shaws or Whole Foods are fine, neither will make you forget an omakase outing at Umami in North Cambridge.
The premade lunchtime to-go boxes at Cafe Sushi Shoten, though, are boss-level fresh and meticulously prepared, with no trace of detriment whether you come in at 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.
They have to be: Dine-in service at Cafe Sushi ended during the Covid shutdown – thus the addition of “shoten” to the name, which in Japanese simply means “store.” This is no longer a cafe, apart from a few uninviting window seats to perch on; when you go to the James Beard nominated eatery, the former dining area and sushi bar are gone, walled off.
For dinner you can do pickup or delivery; the lunchtime menu is for walk-in pickup only – no delivery, no ordering online.
In the new configuration, you enter through a different door, go up the stairs and into a small space with kiosk counter, an open fridge with your sushi to-go boxes and another with beverages that include cold sake, soju and Asian beers.
What makes Cafe Sushi so special has always been the curation and freshness of its fish. In terms of fresh and quality cuts, it’s apex tier, up there with Umami and O’Ya. And as much as the menu offers sushi staples, there are some fruits de mer you don’t find in the Whole Foods boxes or O’Ya, for that matter – take the European sea bass, sea bream or house-cured tuna, flavors and textures to try beside the typical hamachi and sake.
What’s in the case at lunchtime seems to mirror the old dine-in lunch menu, including the salmon box: two pieces of silky lean salmon, two meaty, torched bellies and a spicy salmon maki roll. More fun is the sushi sampler, four pieces of assorted nigiri and a plump shrimp tempura roll, and my favorite: the spicy California roll combo that comes with tuna and salmon nigiri. I normally steer away from Cali rolls because they are so basic, with no sexy sizzle, but Shoten’s version in texture, quality and that added zing becomes a reason to go.
For sashimi fans there’s a donburi bowl, and for those who go meat free, a vegetarian combo box. There are assorted appetizers and sides – miso soup, edamame, seaweed salad, and more on the dinner menu, which also looks pretty similar to the way it was pre-Covid, includes your basic slate of nigiri, sashimi, donburi, bento boxes and special sushi meal boxes, including one for kids.
I’m more than motivated to try a Shoten dinner; given that the orders are made at the time they are placed rather than in advance, it’s reasonable to expect a small bounce in quality and culinary experience that is already Mount Fuji high.
Will there ever be a return to dining in at Cafe Sushi? Hard to tell, easy to hope for and most definitely something diners of fine fish in the raw would cheer for.
Cafe Sushi Shoten, 1105 Massachusetts Ave., Mid-Cambridge
Cambridge writer Tom Meek’s reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in WBUR’s The ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
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