Three of us decided to try Fugakyu, on Beacon Street near Coolidge Corner tonight. This newly-remodeled Japanese restaurant is at the site of the old 1280, which was vacant for at least two years. We started with an appetizer of baked thinly-sliced salmon and tofu with herbs (mostly tarragon), which was interesting, but probably not something that I would try again. The obligatory miso soup was nothing special, but the house salad (which was not inexpensive, incidentally) had a large assortment of exotic greens, and was much more interesting than the usual iceberg lettuce and pale pink tomatoes. I was not terribly hungry, so I just had some tuna and yellowtail sushi for dinner. The tuna was good, and the yellowtail was the best that I've had in a long time. I believe that a portion of either cost four or five dollars. We also ordered shrimp tempura and chicken teriyaki. The tempura was very fine, particularly some of the shrimp that had unusual coatings such as almonds. The teriyaki chicken was rather dried out, and the sauce was sweet and salty. The accompanying vegetables were very good (thinly sliced Brussel sprouts, miniature carrots, and some pearl onions). Including a couple of sodas, the bill, including tip, came to seventy-two dollars. This is the most expensive Japanese restaurant that I've found in the Boston area, and also perhaps the most spacious and elegant. At these prices I expect the restaurant to encounter some resistance among those who equate ethnic foods with inexpensive meals. On the other hand, the restaurant seems to already be drawing a lot of Asians, and the late hours (I think that they are open until after midnight) will undoubtedly work to their advantage.--Rob
Boston, MA