Shojo – Boston Restaurant Review

I visited Shojo’s Chinatown location on a weekday for lunch — this is a great time to visit because there’s hardly anyone else in the restaurant and I can enjoy the same menu as dinner, minus the wait.

Shojo is easily recognizable from its graffiti-inspired artwork on the exterior of the building. Inside, I’m greeted with exposed brick walls, elaborate murals, wooden paneling and tables, and moderately loud hip-hop music. The dining room is a decent size, considering this is in Chinatown. Nearly all seating is high top seating. There is only one single-person bathroom for the entire restaurant.

I chose a table near the windows, next to the street. One of my seats was not clean, with many crumbs and greasy smudges on it. My server was friendly, but it took her a surprisingly long time to stop by my table to take my order. I asked for a Shojonator burger with a side of duck fat fries, and my food arrived quickly thereafter.

If you prefer not to dine-in, Shojo also offers online ordering for pickup or delivery.

The Shojonator is an award-winning burger with a quarter-pound angus beef patty, smoked BBQ sauce, bacon, cheese, and fried shallots on a house-made sesame bao bun. I thought this was a fun take on a traditional burger, and I found it to be very flavorful and tender.

The only downside was that it was a bit messy to eat (what burger isn’t?), with sauce and grease oozing out and sometimes making the bun a bit soggy. Note that the portion size for the burger is on the smaller side, so it’s a good idea to pair it with a side.

The duck fat fries were served with sriracha aioli, and they were delightfully crispy and fresh tasting.

Overall, I think the menu is very creative with interesting food offerings — if I returned, I would love to try the shadowless fries with beef mapo tofu and scallions, kimchi fried rice with sichuan ribeye, or edamame dumplings — but I didn’t find the restaurant to be a comfortable space for dining so I might opt for takeout next time.