Best of Boston

Three years after it transformed from a small but stellar sashimi bar into a fully realized, bi-level izakaya, this slick spot is still turning out funky riffs on Japanese-inspired plates. Sukiyaki-gravy-covered poutine, a katsu maki roll with Peruvian aji panko, and hamachi with banana and black truffle are among the riffs that just earned executive chef Tony Messina a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast.