Pagu - Cambridge MA

We had a reservation at Pagu for 2 at 8:00 p.m. We arrived a little early and were going to just enjoy a drink at the bar but the hostess was able to seat us right away. We opted to sit at the chef's counter (we don't mind sitting side by side and we always love seeing the staff cooking). 

To start our evening we ordered cocktails along with a few small dishes. The first dish was the oyster shooter. The shooter is a little intimidating at first but it wasn't actually too much liquid. A very refreshing start. Next was our favorite charcuterie.... Jamon Iberico de Bellota (acorn fed, 36 month aged ham). Greg loves anchovies so we ordered Pan Con Tomate with Boquerones (fresh anchovies). The Jamon was delicious as always and the portion size was generous. The anchovies were a delicious couple of bites. Our waitress came by and asked if we'd like to try a glass of Sherry (they were offering a promotion to try Sherry to anyone who ordered Jamon). We said sure we'll try it! I ended up liking the Sherry but Greg didn't. I felt it had a strong alcohol scent and yet a subtle earthy taste. Greg felt it tasted like he was licking a piece of wood lol! 

After a little while we ordered the rest of our meal. For drinks we opted for the Sake flight. The exciting part of our tasting was the locally made Sake (that we previously enjoyed at the Tasting Counter). Otherwise the Sake was a let down it was very basic Sake's that you can buy at any store. We chose the steak tartare, brussel sprouts, octopus, and fried rice. The steak tartare was served with potato chips and was good although it was a little on the bland side. The brussel sprouts were amazing! I usually like my brussel sprouts to have more color on them from being roasted but these were so flavorful and we both loved them. The octopus dish was surprising! On one hand the octopus was cooked perfectly and in the mojo rojo sauce it was delicious. My 2nd bite included the fresh herbs especially the mint and it was outrageously good. Savory, bright, and tender - perfect. We liked it so much we ordered a 2nd one. The fried rice was very good. The addition of Taiwanese sausage reminded us of our friends moms fried rice which is our favorite ever!  

At this point we knew we over ate so we skipped dessert and asked for the check. The staff thanked us for coming and we walked back to the parking garage. We both agreed that we enjoyed the meal and would return.