Douzo has a full liquor license and more of the atmosphere of a bar with food than vice versa. The wine list is well supplied with crisp whites that have some chance with Asian food, and there are some very unusual imported sake options as well.
One member of our party had decided Douzo catered to yuppies, and predicted yuppie desserts like crème brûlée and cheesecake. Sure enough, Douzo has both, along with tempura ice cream and the usual three or four Japanese-restaurant desserts. For the record, the crème brûlée ($7.95) is classic, with only a hint of the promised mandarin-orange flavor, and topped with four perfect raspberries and two chocolate sails.
We found the service excellent, even a little brisk. We may have scandalized the waitress with the amount of food we ordered. Even so, this is not the most expensive dining destination around. A drinking crowd could run up quite a tab, however.
Douzo, 131 Dartmouth Street, Boston | 11:30 am–1 am | AE, DC, DI, MC, VI | full bar | Valet parking on weekends only | Sidewalk-level access to some tables; most down several steps | 617.859.8886
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Robert Nadeau: RobtNadeau@aol.com