Shojo Cambridge

We went to Shojo on a Saturday night and appreciated how late they were open, unfortunately at the time they only had the late night bites menu. The drinks were phenomenal and done so well! We enjoyed the pork belly bao and the ribs, both of which were quite flavorful. The grilled cheese left a lot to be desired and did not feel worth the price at all. But overall we had a good time, and the interiors were really cool, with a very dimly lit, intimate bar vibe. Overall a good spot to stop by into if you're in the area! We will definitely be back to try out their dinner menu.

I've always been a fan of Shōjō when they first opened in Chinatown and this was the first time I got to try out their Cambridge location, which was located in a modern building, with neighboring Asian businesses and HMart is just down the street!The pork belly bao was deliciously tender and juicy and the fresh pickled veggies added the right tingle to the taste buds. The bao itself was soft and fluffy.I was craving the Shojonator and it hit the spot. Definitely get the egg with it! But the Shadowless Fries, with its beef map tofu was the show stealer!I really liked the Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan mural giving the ambiance a modern Kung Fu feel!It wasn't busy for a Thursday lunch so service was quick and friendly.

I haven't tried their other locations yet, but had a positive first impression at this location.We ordered the famous nhau platter ($19), Viet Cajun fried catfish ($20), and the Shojonator burger ($12) with a side of duck fat fries ($5). The food seems to be in smaller portions which would be nice to snack on alongside some drinks.The famous nhau platter had an assortment of dried proteins along with green mango and some peanuts. It was fun being able to try chicken jerky, beef jerky, and dried squid with a seasoning/flavor profile that I do not encounter on a regular basis. However, I felt that the dish overall was a bit underwhelming and the peanuts were a little dry. The Shojonator was tiny but had a really nice char on the patty. The bacon on the burger was dripping with fat and all the flavors complemented each other well. The side of fries was a very large portion and they were satisfyingly crispy, although a little underseasoned and a bit too greasy for me.The Viet Cajun fried catfish had a really umami seasoning to it and the fish paired nicely with the refreshing mango salad. Aside from the massive portion of fries, the prices seem a bit high for the amount of food you get.

I'm conflicted here, honestly. Shojo is pretty rad - they really managed to recapture the wacky, garage-chic decor of the downtown location even though its in the most milquetoast building in Central Square (impressive for the mecca of milquetoast architecture that is Cambridge). The cocktails are also pretty decent! They try some interesting things with some spices with made-up-sounding names and I'm definitely into it.But the food is just so eh. It's like they were going for a fun play on cheap Chinese take-out, but..forgot the play part. And the cheap part. We got some kind of fried sampler that was nearly inedible, just salty and tough. The fried noodles were..I mean, they were lo mein. I'd have a hard time believing they didn't just order delivery on them, dump them out of the styrofoam container and onto a fancy plate.I sort of had this same problem with the Shojo in Downtown, but maybe the charm of it or something kicked it up to a 4. But here in Cambridge, it just didn't work the same.

Asian fusion place with cool vibes. The food and drinks were quite interesting. Everything item could be improved, and given the price point of each item, it was overall slightly disappointing. The seating arrangement made it so that it was hard to interact with the server.Food ordered:-Beef curry mazemen: the flavors were spot on - rich and creamy with a bit of sweetness. It was a pity that the beef was dry and tough.-"Tiger-style" ribs: meat fell right off the bone, and was juicy. The flavoring was a bit too sweet without any particular flavor though.-Beef bao: the pickles were delicious, but otherwise not particularly memorable. It seemed a little overpriced.Drinks ordered:Bai bai mule: refreshing, well-balanced, delicious. I wish I could taste the baijiu a bit more but that's a personal preference.Cold tea for two: comes in a teapot, which is cool, but the drink itself is a bit syrupy, rather than having the pleasant tea flavor coming through.

Decor and service are top notch. I didn't have any cocktails at this location, but anything like the ones in the Chinatown location, can't go wrong.The apps I'm noticing are sometimes meh. They aren't bad, but nothing spectacular.Then the DK Lemongrass chicken dish came to the table. Take a look at the photo, that looks good. And sure tasted good chicken was perfectly cooked and the Lemongrass and crust that was on it works really well! The rice was flavorful, with crispy notes. I wasn't a fan of the Daikin carrot mix, too sour, and also that dipping sauce you see, wasn't for me. First few dabs was ok but I think maybe was fermented or something not something really needed with the dish.Overall good hangout place, pick apps carefully, and seems like dinner dishes are the highlight.

Great music and vibe on the inside for sure!!I only had drinks here so this review is based on that.Its a very unique cocktail menu which i think is a bit more of an acquired taste. I had the cocktail with the whiskey and sesame and I wasn't a big fan.Ended up just asking for a Manhattan which was solid.

I love the other Shojo location so definitely had to try this one when I heard it was opening. I visited here with a few friends. Would definitely get a reservation - the place was poppin when we went on a Saturday evening. Large space inside with fun funky decor. Dark lighting for some ~ vibes ~. The wait staff were all so friendly. Food and drinks were just as great as their other location. Pork bao buns - so yum! The fried rice is always a great go-to as well. I felt like there were a few cocktails that were not there at the menu on the other restaurant. I have 2 vegan friends and they love eating at the Shojo locations because there are lots of vegan friendly items and are well labeled. DEFINITELY will go again!

Food here is fantastic! Solid vegan options, and the menu is well labelled. I had the tofu baos, which were really delicious- tofu was nice and crispy and the bao bread was super soft. The decor inside is also really fun and unique, and the service is quick and friendly. Only reason for not giving 5 stars is that the portion sizes are pretty small, especially for the price.

We came here for brunch on a Subday after being told at Veggie Galaxy there would be a 30 min wait. We really liked it - more below.I don't understand why they don't advertise their brunch more . I would suggest adding one or two veggie dishes for brunch, or maybe one omelette. Considering how many people get turned down in always the same Cambridge spots for brunch, I think people would be happy to come here.Very nice and unique tasting chicken and waffles, edamame dumpling with corn chowder, baos and their famous shadow fries. Only the Cesar salad was too salty - but I guess that's on me - anything with miso and anchovies is bound to be salty. It tasted really good though. Everything else was delicious, so were the mocktails and cocktails. If you like the Asian style food, this is a good brunch alternative to many other impossible to get in to places in Cambridge. Many of which are overhyped anyway. Plus you get Bruce Lee videos and hip hop music