Shilla Restaurant
(617) 547-7971
57 JFK St
Cambridge,
MA
02138
42.372
-71.1208
Neighborhood: West Cambridge
Reviews & Ratings for Shilla Restaurant
11 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 11 reviews
Good experience
by trailingbegonia
July 09, 2008
I was there on a week night when there were only about 6 tables full. The service was a bit slow to get started (about 5 minutes for my order drink order to be taken) but it was smooth sailing after that. The waiter was attentive and polite and the food came very fast and it was very good. I was in an out in less than one hour. Although I had a big beer, an appetizer, a main dish and dessert, the bill was only $40. Very reasonable, very good and very inexpensive.
Okay food, Bad service
by hallomamamama
January 10, 2007
They are rascist. They charge white people for extra rice but they don't charge Koreans. They should treat everyone fairly.
- Pros: Food choice
- Cons: Service, prices, discrimination
Avoid is possible
by vorenus
January 01, 2007
My friends and I were in Harvard square and had planned to go to another restaurant but unfortunately it was closed. We saw a sign for Shilla and decided to give it a try. After going into the basement of the same building that holds Staples we found it. We were seated promptly and then ordered, I ordered the chicken cutlet. After maybe 10 minutes we got our main courses. The service is nice and quick but very annoying. Every few minutes a waiter would come to our table to ask us how things were going and take away dirty dishes. The chicken cutlet was average but my friend's chicken teriyaki was bland. The chef had obviously just fried a chicken breast and poured a bottle of teriyaki sauce over it. Later a friend of the waiters came and started talking and laughing very loudly with them. Anyway don't go here if you want good sushi or asian food.
Serviceable Asian fare undermined by lightning-fast, impersonal and inconsistent service.
by Contributor
October 11, 2006
The Scene
The venue has a comfortable Korean deco feel, but the kitchen turns things out too quickly. No sooner are the miso bowls raised to the lips than the main dishes begin to arrive. Prices are comparable to other Korean spots in Boston, but some of the little touches--like the bibim-bap (ground meat, shredded vegetables and fried egg) being tossed tableside--are missing, despite promises on the menu.
The Food
A lot of Korean dishes, some common Japanese items, and a broad selection of sushi and sashimi. So if you're in the Square and have a hankering for kimchi (piquant fermented cabbage), bolgaki (hot spiced beef strips) or bokeum (stir-fried pork in garlic sauce), it's probably your best bet. If you want sushi and sashimi made to order, choose from the sushi menu or sit at the sushi bar; the main dish combo plates appear pre-made and are a little flat.
Excellent Sushi and Japaunese/Korean Cuisine by Jessica R. at InsiderPages
Contributor
July 07, 2005
Located in Harvard Square, Shilla offers affordable and tasty sushi. It's not as cheap as many places you could get sushi but the quality is noticably better.
I can't really speak about the fish because I am a vegan but my boyfriend and friends who are carnivores also love it. For vegetarians I suggest their Avocado-Kanpyo maki (that's avocado and pickled squash!) and their tofu dinner dishes.
Also they have pretty nice decor. The wall are nicely detailed with wooden paneling and screens.
PROS: tasty high quality sushi, harvard square, not too expensive
CONS: sometimes service isn't the best
Just Okay
by fairydust
February 14, 2005
This is not the place to go if you're looking for authentic, quality Korean food. But if you don't have the time or energy to go to some of the better Korean restaurants in Union Square (Somerville) and Boston, Shilla is acceptable. The hostess/manager is not the friendliest and in fact, I am not the only Asian person who has noticed that she is much nicer to non-Asian patrons (i.e. she sucks up to them). The lighting is nice, though.
Excellent Restaurant...
by 성수
November 26, 2004
I am confused by what other people have to say about this restaurant. I have been to it several times, and I have only received excellent food and good service. In Korean restaurants, for service, you just call out what you want to the servers, they'll immediately respond. Just waiting around for something won't get you it. People were very friendly. The food was prepared in almost no time. It was incredible.
With the soup, a rice bowl is given with an array of different small plates of various pickled veggies or roots. They promptly filled up empty plates and always responded when called on.
As for the poor English by the manager (mentioned by another reviewer)? The English was excellent. I will absolutely go there again.
- Pros: good food, good service, fast preparation
Terrible service and sushi
by citisearch1707
September 22, 2004
We had sushi and several Korean dishes at Shilla's. The sushi did not look or smell fresh. When one of us requested to send back one of her sushi orders due it tasting poorly, the waitress began explaining to us that if we send it back, she will have to pay for it. It took us 3 tries to speak to the manager who several times told us not to bother the waitress because she is too busy and reminded us once again that the waitress would have to pay for whatever we sent back. TERRIBLE SERVICE AND BAD SUSHI.
- Cons: , Fish not fresh
Why do the owner still keep the manager?
by professormichael
November 09, 2002
She is the most terrible manager We've ever seen. Finally, we decided not to go again since the last friday dinner as long as she works there. Here is the story. As soon as we got the table, she tried to get order from us even we didn't open the menu. So, we asked her a few questions, and she tried to explain the Korean food in HER OWN English which we didn't understand at all. (Finally, We got some ideas from a patient waiter) The dinner and the service was excellent until she put our bill on the table before we finished eating, and pushed us to go out to get a new table for other customers, and then she chased us to ask WHY WE DID 5% TIPPING. It was amazing experience. I don't know why the owner still keeps her. She hurts the restaurent a lot!!
- Pros: Food, Good wait staff
- Cons: Annoying manager
Where is the service?
by caulfield
September 15, 2002
I went with a Korean friend, so we ordered their "Bi bim bop." I have had better bi bim bop elsewhere, but this one is still good. We went on a Monday afternoon, and there were only 4 tables occupied. Great, I thought to myself, that means we should have really good service. Unfortunately, no. After delivering the entrees, the service never came again, not even to refill our water.
- Pros: conviently located, good atmosphere, large menu
- Cons: service, not a good value
