The rolls here are the star of the show. The ramen was okay. The inside area is very nice, but the outside area is only okay.

Despite the very positive reviews which piqued my interest in this restaurant, my dinner experience was not very pleasant. I received the wrong order, I ordered the pork onigiri and got tofu instead. Although my egg allergy was respected, what if I had been allergic to tofu (I'm not). After realizing the mixup with my order, I brought it to the waiters attention only to be reassured that it was indeed pork. However, upon closer inspection, it was very obviously tofu. I was very excited for their cocktails, and unfortunately, they were all out of every single one. The restaurant seemed very disorganized, maybe going through a transition. Which is fine, but try to make it work better with your customers. My original order was eventually received and was given to me on the house, but by the time that I had gotten my meal, my sister had already finished hers, so we just took it to go. When I finally got to eat it, it was really good, but it would've been better if I had received it initially. read more

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Gen Japanese restaurant here in Brooklyn is making some really good and really affordable Japanese food! Leaving midtown Manhattan this Sunday, after seeing a Broadway matinee show we headed back to Brooklyn for dinner. We all felt like sushi, so we went to Gen. This small, quiet place seemed perfect to eat and talk. Us four almost ordered everything on the menu and it came out of the kitchen quickly. Here's the rub: When I go to an Indian, Thai, Mexican, Chinese, or any ethnic restaurant I feel very comfortable seeing the Indigenous people who come from these regions doing the preparation and cooking. It's just self-identification and cultural that they have their (own) cuisine down pat. This is logic not disparity. That being said, I didn't see any Japanese people here at Gen. The food was actually good; but the temperatures of all of our food and drinks were way off. This miso soup was luke warm, the sushi could have been 10° cooler and on and on. This should not be the case, especially with raw fish and other raw foods. I know what Anthony Bourdain said about sushi on a Sunday or Monday, "Don't Go". I believe he retracted that statement later on when he was getting so much blow back about this, but I believe he was right. Would I come back here - Sure! But ya gotta know it will be a Tuesday thru Saturday. read more

After some conversing I quickly found out the waiters had previous experience working in Midtown Manhattan - they have top notch service and I've dined Michelin star before so trust me when I tell you service was superb. The food was excellent! I love their seaweed salad can't get it anywhere else, the fungi appetizer is great for mushroom lovers Also had the nagiri salmon roe -yum and spicy salmon roll with miso dressing- highly recommend the miso topping instead of old plain spicy mayo read more

Gen - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Had an excellent dinner Friday night. The wine selection was breif but the sake list was large. We ordered a french sparkling white. The server managed to make a make shift wine chiller when asked. The edamamae was typical. The uni shashimi was on the nightly special list and a must have. My mango roll was delicious with a generous portion of fresh avacado on top. The sushi was fresh and delicious. read more

Gen - Edamame uni shashimi 3 rolls - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This place is really good. Been around for a while. Everything was good. Really liked the Miso Cod. I was surprised it's not busier. Trad Room down the street is super busy but this place has way better food. Service was excellent too. We had an older Japanese woman and she withstood all my awkward wisecracks. Super clean and serene. I'll be back for sure. read more

Some of the best sashimi I have EVER had! Dessert sake flight: Yuzu was the best, plum was okay, strawberry was a tad too sweet. Kara age: Perfectly crispy and with the lemon? Phew. Otoro sashimi: Amazingly fresh. Omakase: Reasonably priced - everything was so fresh and delicious. None of us enjoyed the mackerel. The tuna and the salmon were top tier. The waiter was very nice about making sure we had enough water! It was one of those obnoxiously hot summer days and we were seated outside under the fans. read more

Gen - Dessert sake flight (strawberry, plum, yuzu) - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Came in for a casual dinner with a few friends on a Tuesday evening -- no reservation needed, and we were seated immediately! Their vegetarian option (the Yasai Soba) was filling, nutritious, and very tasty -- a win in my book for a place with only a few vegetarian options. Definitely recommend for anyone in the neighborhood looking for a spot that can deal with various dietary restrictions! read more

Gen - Yasai Soba - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The food here is really good! The sashimi is fresh, curry katsu and nabeyaki udon (forgot to take a photo) is fantastic as well! I recommend all the foods, especially the omakase. There was a nice, cozy vibe to the place. Our server was very attentive and my friends and I had a great time here. We would love to be back! read more

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My wife and I went to New York for our 2021 summer vacation. My brother-in-law and his new wife live there so it was inevitable we would find our way to Brooklyn. My brother's new bride is a Japanese national so we kept begging her to take us somewhere as authentic as possible. She said GEN had food that is genuinely authentic to Japan. Not all the dishes but some; specifically the marinated octopus. I won't lie the marinated octopus was a very polarizing flavor profile. We went all out and ordered udon noodles with egg and shrimp, seaweed salad, Agedashi tofu, pork katsu, these fried chicken things, a tempura medley, and the star of the show - buta kakuni (slow cooked pork belly). The entire meal was spectacular. What more is there to say? read more

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Everything on the menu is divine! Truly couldn't recommend this place enough. They have so many vegetarian options and I love that they do tofu katsu! read more

Gen - Gen Veg Futomaki and Sweet Pumpkin roll and Tamago egg Nigiri too! - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I really enjoyed my experience at this place.  My daughter, Fiancee, and I were seated in less than 5 minutes.  I believe this place to be a bargain with the amount of food you are given.  I would say it is great for kids as well since they essentially eat for free (my daughter is 3 and essentially just ate what we gave her, she was not charged).  While we were there a line steadily formed out side and I thought "oh no...NYC has finally found out about this place".  By the time we finished eating there was a line out the door and down the block lol.  I guess our timing was impeccable. read more

So, we used to absolutely love Gen. It used to be a go to for excellent Japanese food and staff. I am pretty particular, my Japanese American other half is extremely particular and it passed muster. Over the past few years, however, things have slipped. Gone is the Japanese wait staff that was fluent not only in Japanese, but Japanese food as well. The staff behind the counter is still really good, but they have dropped the ball out front. One of my absolute favorite things about combining Fall and Winter weather with Japanese food is oden. It's, for those who are not familiar, a hotpot dish served with a variety of things, my favorite being seafood oden. It is perfect as the weather turns cool. I just went in and asked if they had it, as I did not see it on the menu, and I wanted to be sure. The waitress looked at me for five seconds with a blank stare, and then asked."what is that?" I said thank you turned around for another spot. It's too bad, a go to spot has now turned into an afterthought, and I will go farther to get the food and atmosphere that I want. read more

Favorite place in the neighborhood. Ayako is a gem and their tempura udon is the best on a cold night.

Decided to give this place a try after yelp review and sad to say that I am very disappointed. After paying $48 dollars, all I received was very small portion of food that has very fishy smell to it. I was expecting fresh sushi based on reviews I read, but what I got was cheaply made sushi. The godzilla roll was made without any care it seemed and looked worse than basic maki that you could get from other restaurants. Just leaving my honest review here, but hope other people's experience is better than mine. read more

Gen - Godzilla and Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I have been going to Gen for 15 years. I used to take my daughters when they were little. The food and the warm service kept us going back time after time. I recently went with my girlfriend and her family and was horrified to be asked to leave the table after an hour. The hostess said people were waiting which was a lie. I'm so disappointed and will never come back. Rude and disrespectful. read more

get the sushi! really fresh sushi but smaller rolls that had a lot of rice. have had better curry but still pretty yummy. quite large portions for noodle dishes! also comes out super hot have daily specials that i would recommend looking at super accommodating but a bit slow. gave our party of 5 free beer for our wait and two bowls of edamame. really can't get over how kind they were with serving us our food authentic green tea for their dessert too. appreciate them knowing there are 5 of us and gave us 5 spoons and forks for our shared dessert i asked for a box for the soba and they took my bowl to the back to pack up. it took quite some time to return but they came back with separated bowls for the noodles and soup base which was super appreciated except i left it behind which i was quite upset about especially for their efforts :( would come back for their good food and great service honestly read more

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Great hot soba and dashi with tempura on a cold night. Attentive staff and cozy vibe as well!

This place will greet you until 11pm if you are looking for a light fare on a Saturday. Welcoming vibe here. Their cozy atmosphere is great for a solo dinner or if you are in a group. I was seated right away since it wasn't crowded. Attentive and helpful staff. I based all my choices after exchanging ideas with the waiter. Their drink menu mainly consisted of wines and sake. I ventured out and chose the Earl Grey Umeshu under the plum wine section. Very good. Not overly sweet, served over ice. Thoroughly enjoyed the Godzilla roll (shrimp tempura, eel and avocado). It was good enough for one person without being overly full. Overall solid meal. Impressed with this place. I could see myself coming back here to try out more dishes. read more

Gen - Godzilla roll + Earl Grey Umeshu - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Came here with friends! It's like a whole in a wall sort of place but there's also more seating in the back. When the day turned darker they turned down the lights and made it into a great romantic space. I really enjoyed everything here! We had sushi, udon, and soba noodles. Their seaweed salad is different from most Japanese sushi places I've been to but it had a tasty dressing (miso). The broth for both noodles were delicious! Their dragon sushi roll is my favorite especially if you like eel and avocado. Bringing friends back for more tasty adventures in the future. They appreciate cash but do accept credit! read more

My friends and I enjoyed our food so much we forgot to take photos! I got the eel don - my first time eating it and oh my god do not underestimate the simplicity of this dish. The eel is so rich and savory but a light texture. We also had top quality sushi and the freshest seaweed salad you can't even dream of. The seaweed selection was unique if you're used to store bought / western seaweed salad. The soba noodles tasted handmade and the greens special tasted like it was made with tremendous care. read more

Gen - My friend eating sushi - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I overheard a conversation between a waitress and what seemed like the manager in which the waitress was saying that there was a male staffmember who was harassing the female staff (asking them to sit on his lap) and things like that. The manager was ignoring her, and she was expressing that girls kept quitting, and would continue to quit, until this one replaceable man was fired. The manager was not taking her complaint seriously at all, and I felt so sad for her and the other women that work here. I would not have come to eat here if I knew that management allowed this kind of work culture, and I will not come to eat here again, I will also tell my friends and family not to eat here. Shame. read more

This is ThePandaPhotographer This is one of my best and top choices to visit and eat in NYC. I was just visiting there for an event they were having and my Japanese friends were also intending this event. The food and sake are always so good. My friend Dj Tek knows that Gen is one top choice and when he told me about an event, I made a decision to shoot. No one pays for me to shoot for the photos. These are my personal work for editorial usages or if the owner in the future will like to have them. But the food, oh my panda is so good " love the way they make the agedashi tofu. Tues is bottleless sake and I might go tonight for one last visit read more

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Food was delicious and fresh. Came out fast. The server was very accommodating and kind. We sat outside and there were some bees which was a little tough, but no ones fault. And I think it's pretty overpriced, but we might return if in the neighborhood. read more

Tried and true Japanese sushi bar with Japanese beer on draft, neighborhoody and usually quiet (when I go, early and during the week). I usually order a piece of broiled salmon over rice and a side of greens, like Japanese style broccoli. Very satisfying and reasonably priced. read more

Honestly some of the best sushi I've ever had coming from this lovely unassuming place. Definitely a snug spot so better for smaller groups. Came here on my birthday for some great food and saki! They definitely have a good range of sakis, both on the fruity and drier side, so we were able to try a couple. Our server was extremely friendly and provided us with great recs (also got me a complimentary tea drink for my birthday!). We started out with a nice spread of apps- edamame, eringi steak, tonkatsu, and an octopus (?) dish that was the true MVP. I will say I am not a big mushroom person but the eringi steak was so well prepared and seasoned that I couldn't stop snacking on it. As a main, I got an eel roll as well as one of their specialty fire rolls which I would highly recommend anyone coming in to get the special for the day- great to have something they specifically prepared for guests on that day. Highly recommend anyone who loves sushi and the authentic experience to come by! read more

Gen - Edamame! - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This is one of my favorite sushi places in Brooklyn. The fish is fresh, the miso is flavorful and the staff is generous. The first time I came I got miso and two rolls. They were all fantastic. I've also ordered delivery from here. Every time I come it's consistent with its quality of food. I would recommend this place to anyone. I'll likely order from them again this week! read more

I like Gen. I like the layout, the vibe, the je ne sais quoi, if you will (I won't). I like the service, the $9 two-roll lunch special, and the fact that they don't grind/mix the spicy tuna beforehand for the rolls my lady insists on ordering. Unfortunately, I've found the fish to be just A-OK. Perhaps I've been spoiled by my local, favorite sushi spot (Ki), but I find the fish just isn't quite as fresh and flavorful, the rolls are a bit too rice-heavy, and that I never really crave any of Gen's offerings. It's absolutely a solid spot to have in the 'hood, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

Living outside of NYC (and Japan for that matter) for most of the year, it's often difficult for me to find good Japanese Ramen. I stopped into Gen randomly on a cold day to finally sate my craving. The interior is charming and pleasing to the eye. Japanese aesthetics abound, and I personally love the look of simplicity, cleanliness, and no-fuss. I must say that their bowl of veggie ramen hit the spot. While I normally prefer a miso base, their vegetable one was quite pleasant. The taste of the broth, along with the hearty tofu slices and greens, all made for a palette of flavors that were layered really well. With each spoonful (and chopstick-full), I discovered yet another flavor that wasn't present in the initial bites. I was so pumped! The noodles are quite good, but I was mindful of the fact that the bowl was only 11 bucks. Still, the noodles are a good value for that price. I basically left the restaurant full, warmed, and ready to tackle the biting wind that was terrorizing the outdoors that day. It's a solid spot if you're looking for a good bowl of ramen. read more

Gen - Simple and cute décor. - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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FUNKY, WILD CHIRASHIi- love the name and ordered it right quick yesterday for brunch on ever burgeoning Washington(code for gentrifying) cause that;s what it is.. Gen is a funky spot full of cute design chachkis and also busy at 2PM on a Saturday, always a good sign. $14.50 gets you a platter of deconstructed chirashi- over nutty brown rice. The fish was fresh and on point. A seaweed salad was tasty as was edamame and nice potato salad A salad or miso soup comes with and this authentic Japanese spot really makes it;s mark on Washington.. Head over to Joyce bakery on Vanderbilt for some sweets apres sushi! read more

Gen - Funky wild chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I am a long-time customer of Gen--since it opened--and the food is still good. But it seems there is new management, and an irritating new front-of-house manager, and the vibe is not what it once was, which is what made it special. read more

Food was fantastic, drinks were delicious, service was friendly and the atmosphere is casual.

Very disappointed. I ordered online and my credit card was charged, and order accepted. 40 minutes later I received an email saying the order was canceled, with no explanation. The email provided me with the phone number of the restaurant, but after repeated tries, no one answers the phone. read more

The best agedashi tofu I've ever had. It comes in 4 crispy fried tofu with dashi. We also tried the tempura udon and wow, what a huge portion. Fresh ingredients and really great fries tempura, would definitely recommend. read more

Some of the best sushi I've ever had! Cozy atmosphere, friendly wait-staff. The unique woodwork around the bar area is a beautiful touch.

I completely agree with Peter D. the decor, the service and the atmosphere for this restaurant was certain a pleasantry but somehow their sushi just didn't hit the ballpark. However, with such fierce competition, I'm not sure if this is a restaurant that I would want to come back to again. I came here with my cousin on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and we both ordered their lunch special. For $10, my lunch included two basic rolls and either a miso or salad --I opted for their miso. Their miso was fantastic. I could actually taste the bonito essence simmered in my miso soup and immediately, I knew they didn't skim on quality. However, when my sushi came around, I was a bit disappointed as there was hardly any seafood added to my roll. I was mainly eating rice!! All in all, their quality was outstanding but since I feel they have skimped on their seafood (a huge no-no in my book) I can't help but feel I was not getting full service. To be fair, I would still recommend this restaurant since it is an added addition to the neighborhood, but would I travel here again just to check it out. The answer is simple -- no. read more

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A nice and relaxed sushi spot. Great patio in the rear if the weather complies. The atmosphere is genuine and inviting. Tried the two meat-free special rolls, and they were both damn tasty. Can tell every part was carefully brought to a delicious level. While they were both good, I didn't feel like it was worth the price tag. The sweet pumpkin roll was essentially a sweet potato roll you could get from allot of places, with a nice sauce ontop. The other plant options for rolls seemed nice but nothing out the ordinary.. This however is my own problem, I really enjoy sushi but it was developed for fish //_- It would be nice to try the noodles next time, definitely the stir fry BUT will take my sushi cravings somewhere else. Great for a small intimate group or a date, has a mellow and leisurely vibe for sure.. I imagine the tea is also delicious. Will be back Gen! read more

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I mean, five stars is the highest rating here, but in my books they're a 10!! This place embodies the meaning of a "hidden gem". These days it's hard to find a restaurant with staff that actually cares when you have a request. Not only are all the fish amazingly fresh, they also have lots of other non-sushi and seasonal dishes to choose from. And did I mention the sake selection?! I want to go back there already just thinking and writing about it! read more

Gen - Omakase, well what's left of it... - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This place is getting worse. Assume it's the higher demand post-lockdowns. Friday night, Just got our food delivered. Sushi rolls are small. Chicken teriyaki is small and doesn't come with rice (?!?!), a strange foreign looking vegetable tempura, akin to old shoe leather found on a deserted street. No soy sauce. $76 for food we'll struggle to get down. Not good. read more

The smaller omikase (~$25) for 7 pieces was a pretty good deal, and quality fish. Cute little space that definitely serves as a solid local, neighborhood sushi joint. read more