Strip-T's | Watertown

 

rice "tots" ($13) - blue crab, battleship curry, nori 

Von Trap Helles Lager - Stowe, Vermont

okonomiyaki ($10) hot + sour squash, pickled ginger, lomo

Pinner Throwback IPA - Brevard, North Carolina

duck oyakadon ($20)  - egg, turnip, kimchi, hots, rice  

smoked miso ramen ($15) - chashu pork, menma, soy egg, greens, scallion

wild mushroom donburi ($18) - bean sprouts, bok choy, rice

cheesecake ($7) - raspberry jam, graham cracker crumble, mint

Strip T's had its heyday comeback in 2012 when Chef Tim Maslow returned home after several years in the kitchen at NYC's famed Momofuku; ready to up the ante incorporating Asian flavors, imaginative new dishes, and a dinner menu to his Dad's neighborhood lunch joint. Soon enough, the unassuming Watertown diner received rave reviews including tons of local praise and national recognition. 

These days, it feels like Strip T's is quietly doing their thing. On a recent Saturday night the counter is empty and a few tables slurp noodles and dive into rice bowls alongside our four-top. The food is still mesmerizing. We go for the wildly inventive starters - rice tots and okonomiyaki - and are handsomely rewarded. The battleship curry in the former is dazzling, not to mention the plating is a work of art; and the latter, a hot and sour fluffy squash pancake drizzled in luscious Asian sauces is unexpectedly brilliant.

The ramen is a bowl of rich, hearty, umami laden comfort thanks to the smoked miso broth and tender char-siu pork, and we loved the nontraditional add-in of collard greens. Both the wild mushroom donburi and duck oyakadon rice bowls are met with praise. And that beautiful cheesecake dessert is pretty much perfect. Our waiter is easy going and personable while his service remains polished and extremely knowledgeable. If you haven't had a chance to visit yet, or are looking for an excuse to get back, now's the time! Parking on School Street is ample and free. 

Strip-T's
93 School Street
Watertown, MA 02472