Shojo to Bring “Pan-Asian Tapas” to Chinatown

Shojo will open in Boston by July 1 at 11 Tyler Street. (Photo courtesy of Shojo)

As soon as July 1, Chinatown will gain a newcomer in Shojo, an Asian tapas spot from the team behind China Pearl. Located at 11 Tyler Street (just below China Pearl), the restaurant won’t offer your standard Chinatown fare—while co-owner Brian Moy says to expect dim sum appetizers, peking duck and whole suckling pigs, there will also more modernized fare like kimchi butter and champagne-poached lobster, and sea conch ceviche with sesame oil. “The concept is taking traditional Asian dishes, deconstructing them, and then sourcing different ingredients from what typically goes into an Asian dish,” Moy says.

Moy has spent the past 12 years as GM and owner of China Pearl, but says that he’s worked in Chinese restaurants for two decades. Shojo is the first of what he hopes will be several spots (located both in and outside of Chinatown) to show a different side of Asian cuisine. “All the restaurants in Chinatown have specialty courses, but all the restaurants largely serve the same food,” Moy says. “We wanted to serve food that you can’t get anywhere else in Chinatown.”

In addition to the fare above, Moy says there will be extensive cocktail and sake menus, plus a focus on traditional Asian liqueurs and beers.

With the success of similarly-constructed restaurants like East by Northeast, Myers + Chang, and more recently Moksa (despite its tepid reviews), it seems like Shojo will fit right in— and as much as we love hitting up Gourmet Dumpling House and Peach Farm, it’s great to have some alternatives in the neighborhood.

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