Several redeeming qualities, from affordable prices to a cozy interior, have come together at Boston’s newest restaurant.
Mai, an intimate Japanese-French fusion restaurant, will officially open in the Seaport District on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
With refined small plates, craft cocktails and a curated sake selection, Mai is the third Boston restaurant from NoToro Hospitality Group — the same team behind Matsunori Handroll Bar in Fenway and Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House in Chinatown.
In comparison to its other concepts, owner Kevin Liu told MassLive that Mai is the space where diners can “level up.”
At the same time, the restaurant is aimed at keeping food prices low without sacrificing quality or coming off as being too sophisticated.
“We try to be the best value of food for all,” Liu said. “We never want to go into [the] fine dining area, that’s not for us. We want to be very accessible to everybody.”
Everything on Mai’s menu is cheaper than $35. The menu consists of small and shared plates made with clean and premium ingredients, including Mai’s own Kaluga hybrid caviar for their caviar-topped, tempura-battered chicken nuggets. Other standouts include all-black Karaage (Japanese fried chicken), Japanese Steak Frites and an Eel Foie Gras Handroll.
Liu, who lived in Tokyo for a year, also vouched on behalf of Mai’s authenticity as shown through certain items such as the three-ingredient cabbage salad — which serves as a palate cleanser — and the restaurant’s homemade soy sauce.
“We try to do a homemade touch for everything,” Liu said. “No added preservatives, no MSG, everything should be clean.”
Meanwhile, Mai’s cocktail menu highlights Japanese ingredients including yuzu, matcha and sake. Signature drinks include the Road Less Traveled, Clarified Melon Highball and the Sushi-Rice-Washed Strawberry Negroni. Mocktails and French wines are also on the menu.
Similar to Matsunori, Mai boasts an intimate interior with tables within close proximity to each other. The goal of this roughly 30-person layout is to create a space that fosters genuine conversation.
“You might not necessarily know the person next to you, but just knowing that there [are] people around you, but you still have your own space, I think, is the best feeling,” Liu said. “That’s the kind of atmosphere I’m trying to garner.”
Liu left his career in finance to join the restaurant industry in 2023 when Matsunori Handroll Bar officially opened. He was inspired to make the transition after seeing the rise in interest in Japanese food in Boston, where he’s lived since 2012. Liu first saw this trend develop in New York, where he grew up.
“I think it’s on the rise,” Liu said. “New York’s definitely a more saturated market, [but] I think Boston is finally getting a taste of what true Japanese food should be like, or true fusion.”
Mai will initially be open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. The restaurant plans to extend its hours until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays in the near future. Lunch service is also set to debut in the following weeks.
Mai is located at 31 North Ave., Boston, right next to The Grand.
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AloJapan.com