Japanese and Mexican Restaurants (Boston, Cambridge: university, price, floor)

[ThinkingThinking]

What are your favorite Japanese and Mexican restaurants in Massachusetts?
Extra bonus for ones that are located in central or western MA!

[ScituateAl]

La Paloma in Quincy! A friend is doing takeout for us tomorrow night...can't wait!

[Charles22]

This reminds me of 'The Hoffbrau' in Emeryville, CA (the sign indicates: Chinese and Vegetarian food). I never stopped there, but always had a laugh at the signmaker's expense.

[lrfox]

Wasabi in Dartmouth has some of the best sushi for a reasonable price I've had and Umi in Swansea is excellent for their entire menu.

[andrea5150]

I have to second La Paloma in Quincy. It is my favorite place to eat!

[miu]

Minados in Natick on Route 9 is my favorite Japanese buffet restaurant. The dinner offerings are better at lunch. So even though lunches are cheaper in price, I'll only eat there in the evenings.

[Coolhand68]

Ixtapa on Mass Ave in Lexington isn't too bad. It's better than the franchise Mexican places like Border Cafe and Chili's. My only gripe is the small portions, but otherwise they are the closest thing to real Mexican food I can find here in Mass.

[lrfox]

^Ixtapa is a franchise (Ixtapa Mexican Cantina) but it is quite good. It's my favorite of the chains.

[brightdoglover]

There's a Budweiser bar called The Forest Cafe. It's a block up Mass. Ave. from the Cambridge Common/Harvard Square (on the left from the Common). I think it pointedly says "Mexican Food" in the window and has a stuffed lizard displayed. It looks like a dumpola. It has the best Mexican not-red-sauce food in the world- lots of chipolte, fish, no hint of Taco Bell.

[Cart24]

My personal favorites are in Boston. Angela's Cafe in East Boston and Villa Mexico in Beacon Hill (Grampy's Gas Station) for the best Taqueria in the area.

Anglea's Cafe is run by a lady who was a chef in Puebla for 30 years (My favorite region of Mexican food) and makes one of the most complex and delicious Mole Sauces I have ever tasted. It actually takes her two days to make the Mole from scratch, she does not use the paste to start, everything is done completely by hand (60 ingredients)

Villa Mexico is also great for Taco's, Burritos and other quick Taqueria items.

I have heard good things about Taqueria El Amigo in Waltham as well, but have not tried it myself.

Overall though Mexican is not a strong point in Boston, Salvadoran cooking is done much better here if you are looking for Central American, East Boston is filled with great hole in the walls for that type of cuisine.

As far as Japanese is concerned, for sushi you can look at Oiishi, Duozo and Uni for the best in the Boston area.

Non-Sushi Japanese you should check out the Porter Square Exchange on the bottom floor of Leslie University. There is a collection of small Japanese food stands and restaurants that makes up a "Little Japan" in a food court setting. Cafe Mami is my personal favorite, it is a real hidden gem that is frequented by the Japanese community in Boston.

For Ramen, Ken's Ramen in the Super 88 Food Court in Allston is really good.

Last but not least in O-Ya is the Leather District. This is arguably Boston's best restaurant and according to Frank Bruni (Former lead Food critic of the NY Times) it is the best restaurant in the country outside of NYC, and at least top 3 Japanese in the entire country. It is very pricey, but if you want to treat yourself to high end neo-Japanese this is the place to do it. Plus the Sake selection is unmatched in the area.