Roka (Cambridge, MA) Out of Business?

[TwistyCreek]

I was recently in Cambridge, MA and noticed that Roka (on Mass Ave near
Harvard) is closed. No signs to indicate a new location or anything.

Anyone have any info? (Just the end of a good run? Lost their lease?
Etc.?)

[Dan Logcher]

Post by TwistyCreek
I was recently in Cambridge, MA and noticed that Roka (on Mass Ave near
Harvard) is closed. No signs to indicate a new location or anything.
Anyone have any info? (Just the end of a good run? Lost their lease?
Etc.?)

A good run? I don't think so. I had two dissapointing meals there.
There's another sushi bar just down the road as you enter Harvard, and
that one seemed to have a good enough of business.

[George Orwell]

Post by Dan Logcher
A good run? I don't think so. I had two dissapointing meals there.
There's another sushi bar just down the road as you enter Harvard, and
that one seemed to have a good enough of business.

I don't know how many itamae worked at Roka over the years, but Roka
must have been there for over 15 years, maybe more than 20. Isn't that
a good run for a restaurant? I know they opened that mini-Roka across
from the Hynes center on Boylston in '98 or so and that was pretty bad.
Maybe Camb Roka went downhill with that?

The next sushi place towards Harvard is Cafe Sushi, but they opened up
several years after Roka. There are a few more sushi places around the
Square but I haven't tried any of them in years.

Shilla is a Korean - Japanese place that was originally next to Grendel's Den
but had to relocate. I haven't eaten at the new place. There was ALWAYS
an ethnic (Korean or Japanese, I guess) crowd when I went there, which I
took as some sort of endorsement.

[Walter Rhee]

x-no-archive: yes

Post by George Orwell

Post by Dan Logcher
A good run? I don't think so. I had two dissapointing meals there.
There's another sushi bar just down the road as you enter Harvard, and
that one seemed to have a good enough of business.

-Competition is getting more keen since customers are more sushi savvy
than many years ago.

Post by George Orwell
I don't know how many itamae worked at Roka over the years, but Roka
must have been there for over 15 years, maybe more than 20. Isn't that
a good run for a restaurant? I know they opened that mini-Roka across
from the Hynes center on Boylston in '98 or so and that was pretty bad.
Maybe Camb Roka went downhill with that?

-Indentured sushi chefs and "sushi chefs" tend to move on when they are
capable of operating their own place financially and technique wise.
New England area is an open territory for such ventures. Bona fide
native Japanese sushi chefs regard New England as Timbuktu and avoid
this area.

Post by George Orwell
Shilla is a Korean - Japanese place that was originally next to Grendel's Den
but had to relocate. I haven't eaten at the new place. There was ALWAYS
an ethnic (Korean or Japanese, I guess) crowd when I went there, which I
took as some sort of endorsement.

-They were looking for a sushi chef last week in the local Korean
newspaper. YMMV, but my opinion is, Koreans go to Shilla by default of
easy access by foot. When I was in Cambridge and wanted Korean food, I
go there with the attitude of "Oh well, this will do".


Bon Gusto,

Walter Rhee