Not too expensive and great food. We love the salmon tempura roll which is essentially a roll dipped lightly in tempura and fried. Not great for delivery though because not as crispy after 20 minutes. My only complaint is the rice consistency. I feel like it's a bit too compact and stiff for sushi rice. Personal preference. Casual and good service but the the fresh pond location can be a bit cold in the winter with the door blowing open. read more

We placed an order at 6pm and were told it would be ready at 710. It now will not be delivered until at least 825. It is ridiculous for food to take 2.5 hours for to go. Especially when there are tons of sushi options in Boston. read more

My brother and I were craving for some sushi so we decided to go to this place to see how this place delivers since I heard that Brookline has a good portfolio of Japanese restaurants. We went here for dinner, and we ordered two big sushi dishes to share. These dishes were: King Salmon Tempura Roll - King salmon, asparagus, flying fish roe deep-fried. Has 6 pieces. Makimono Combo - Consists of Tuna roll, king salmon roll, spicy tuna roll, California roll, shrimp tempura roll. 24 Pieces. Comes with Miso Soup. We also ordered an additional bowl of Miso Soup, which is an additional $3.00, which we thought was kind of overpriced. The Miso Soup was pretty good, nice and warm, but I thought it was lacking in tofu and Wakame (an edible seaweed typically found in Miso soup). If they added a little more tofu and Wakame, it could have been a great Miso Soup. The King Salmon Tempura Roll was pretty good, I liked the crispy tempura, the warm salmon inside, and the cooked asparagus. However, it was a little messy to eat because one piece fell apart as I placed it on my plate. The sushi chefs could have wrapped the roll more tightly, but it was not a big problem. As for the Makimono Combo, I thought the salmon rolls and California rolls were just decent. Wasabi had a decent kick, and made the rolls tastier. The Gari (pickled ginger) also made those rolls tastier. I did enjoy eating the tuna, spicy tuna rolls and the shrimp tempura rolls. They were probably the tastiest sushi I had in the restaurant so far. As for service, I thought it was okay, not too stellar. However, the two waitresses were nice and cute, and their niceness and sincerity reminded me a little bit like Cathay Pacific flight attendants. I also liked the small charm and atmosphere. I don't really understand the high average rating for this place. Overall, I think the dishes are really pricey during dinner, and it would probably not be my first choice to get good Japanese food in terms sushi or non-sushi dishes. Although I thought the sushi was pretty good, it's not really great sushi. However, this place is not a bad choice to splurge a good amount of money on some decent and tasty sushi with the charm and atmosphere of a small restaurant. read more

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Mhmm! One yelper said she didn't like the bamboo wall but I loved it ha! Anyways, The service was excellent! And so was the sushi! Fresh, fast, priced "well"? (Let's face it, all sushi is expensive) We ordered the Alligator roll, torch salmon roll, and a multigrain roll to try. I did NOT like the multigrain but hey, might be your thing. Glad I tried it. Lastly dessert, we asked for Red Bean ice cream but didn't realize it was fried ice cream. I was expecting like a Mochi ice cream but nope... it was hard and kinda tasteless. I wouldn't get it again. Sushi good, service good, easy meter parking read more

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I went to Genki Ya this weekend and ordered some salmon and scallop sashimi, uni nigiri and a Super Dragon roll. The sashimi was a generous portion and very fresh. The Super Dragon roll had a perfect balance of eel and fried sweet potato. I definitely recommend this place! read more

This review is for delivery only: Genki Ya saved my butt during a long night of studying at HSPH! I ordered 6 rolls and Eat24 estimated 45-90 minutes of wait time -- I got a call right after 45 minutes and my order was already in the lobby! Also it was so tasty. My study buddy and I shared the Caterpillar, Spider, Rainbow, Beef Negima, Salmon Torch, and Super Dragon (yeah, for 2 people...) and it was all so good. It seriously felt like the elixir of life as I was slaving away in the basement study rooms on campus. The sushi rolls put everything into perspective and told me that everything was going to be ok. Thanks for that, Genki Ya! read more

I was an avid sushi hater, until I ate at Genki Ya. I ordered the Sweetie roll (mango, avocado, sweet potato and multi grain rice) and it was phenomenal. Definitely going to be a regular here. read more

Genki Ya - Sweetie roll and multi-grain rice triple combo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

So, it was a little weird when I arrived. No one greeted me, I seated myself, and I got my own menu from the stack they had sitting on the sushi bar counter. It was my first time ever going to this place, so I'm not sure if this it how it is, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but it didn't seem like this should be the type of service you'd get at a dine-in restaurant. However, I sat at the sushi bar, and waited about 15 minutes before anyone approached me to take my order. I had the Spicy King Crab Tempura Roll, the roll was decent, and only took about 10 minutes to prepare, and came to $13.95 after tax. As far as the atmosphere goes, it's a small place, maybe 10 tables and the bar area. It seems to be a very family oriented spot. Street parking is free after 8 p.m. on weekends, they don't have designated parking for the restaurant. Overall I give the food a 4, but because of the service my overall rating for this establishment is a 3. read more

We got there around 6:30 on Friday evening. Soon after we sat down, there was a line at the door; it was crowded. We got Genki Ichiban as appetizer. It was pretty good, although it didn't look quite like the picture. Fried seaweed gave crunchiness which went well with soft spicy tuna. But if you don't eat it fast enough the seaweed gets soggy :( Sushi-sashimi combo was a decent sized with variety of fish. Pretty good Nabeyaki udon was mediocre. I just wanted some broth because it was cold out. Broth didn't have much flavor and chicken was overcooked. If i want good udon I'd go somewhere else next time. But their sushi and rolls are definitely worth the visit read more

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Lunch special delivery through Eat24. Three maki special with spicy tuna, yellowtail avocado, and white tuna avocado rolls. Came with a side of salad and miso soup. Timely and friendly delivery. The soup was actually very good with deep flavors which was a nice bonus. read more

Genki Ya - Lunch special three rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I deeply believe the owner has great feng-shui layout in its design and also named the restaurant as "genki" ( meaning high spirit in Japanese). After looking at great reviews about this sushi restaurant, I personally had to give it a try. It is run by Chinese, which I don't have any problem since they are very good at providing American-style Asian foods. They do understand what the majority want in terms of sushi after reading some raging reviews. I ordered sushi special during lunch hour. It was plenty. The miso soup was tasty and not too salty but salad was okay. (dressing was a bit fish-y). The tuna and salmon rolls were okay, even I couldn't tell the difference between them and those of Trader Joe's. However, sashimi were better. Overall, their reasonable price range attract customers,methinks. My next table customer ordered some "fried udon noodle" and it was so American-Chinese style. Now I am confused, could we call the restaurants as "Japanese" foods if they sell sushi and raw fish? I have to ask Morimoto!! read more

Genki Ya - sushi special - Sushi Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I've never had a bad experience with sushi until I ate here! What a disappointment it was to all 3 of us! The staff was not polite and very cold..not welcoming at all..Our waitress walked up and said "you ready?" I responded with yes..she said "what do you want?" Ummm...I felt like saying am I bothering you by being here? One of the dishes we ordered is the grilled seafood deluxe which is listed as one of their specialties...We almost threw up and I actually had to spit it out into my napkin...there was so much sand in it..the spider roll had a couple rolls that had a gooey center..I'm not sure exactly what it was but I've been ordering spider rolls for years and have never had that experience...it smelled very...very fishy and I'm thinking it was not cooked enough so the batter plus raw crab...I had to spit that out as well...I know we will NEVER be going there again! I still get grossed out thinking about the experience and am afraid it has put a bad taste in our mouths about sushi in more ways then one! Hi Jason, I appreciate your response to my review and your offer for a discount. I'm happy to hear you will work with the staff to help improve their service. I'm sure it will help make your Brookline location much more successful. We won't be returning but again, thank you for the offer. read more

I'm sitting here in another restaurant in the West coast but I am dreaming of the East Coast sushi that left the best memories of my sushi experience - that place is called GENKI YA - BROOKLINE. I miss you and your masterpiece sushi work - the chefs, the service, the LOVELY WORK that you do every single sushi roll - TASTY, ABUNDANT IN FISH MEAT, -------I MEAN, REAL FRESH THICK FISH MEAT --- YOU ARE THE REAL DEAL. And I will never - ever - ever - trade you for any sushi place. You have a special place in my heart. When I set foot again in the east coast - you are the first destination when I arrive from the airport!!!!!!! read more

Food is good, but customer service is very disappointing. I placed online order and paid ahead on Sunday, one of the items was not available and when I picked up I was told would be processed and I would receive in 2 days. Wednesday I call and I'm told it will be done then, Today 4 days later, I still have not been refunded. Definitely won't recommend ordering from them again. Last phone call I requested a call back when supervisor actually gets around to processing my refund and was hung up on by the restaurant. I don't usually write reviews but feel I've been more than understanding and get a different story each time I call for why the refund hasn't been completed. Very disappointing customer service. read more

Don't let the dingy/tacky bambo decor in the window deter you from trying this place out. Yes, I'm guilty for judging a book by it's cover, but hey, you can't be too careful when it comes to sushi! Anyway, enough about that. Genki Ya is simply amazing. Service was great. The restaurant is a little small, but the sushi is totally worth it. Also, you know they don't play around when they provide you with chop sticks you don't have to break apart. Baller. I highly recommend the double spicy tuna roll and the tuna nigiri. and the sweet potato tempura roll. and the spicy yellowtail roll :) Will definitely be back for more sushi date nights ^_^ read more

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This is my go to delivery place for sushi. I am pretty particular about the sushi I eat (I'm from California, we don't mess around with sushi). But Genki Ya is an affordable and good quality sushi. I normally get the Super Dragon, which is a sweet potato tempura center topped with unagi, avocado and eel sauce. The spicy tuna is good, but I wished it was spicier. Lastly, the price point is great for what you get. I recommend this as good, inexpensive sushi to all my friends and everyone has been impressed. Delivery note: they are very quick with delivery so major plus for all you grubhubbers and foodler feigns. read more

Genki Ya - Super Dragon roll and spicy tuna (delivery) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

For most of the past 15 years, I have had one restaurant that I loved for sushi. I won't name names, but it's on Beacon St. THEN I tried Genki Ya about 6 years ago, and things changed. I had found the only other sushi that could compete. This place may not be as fancy, but their actual sushi (the fish) is outstanding. "Fresh" is the word that comes to mind when you have a bite of Genki Ya sushi. The actual restaurant is small to medium in size. It's ideal for a casual lunch, perhaps dinner, and definitely take-out. The service has always been good. It's really the sushi that shines though. You must try it! read more

Another Chinese run sushi place that is a hit or miss. Sometimes the food is very good and sometimes it is not. Could be cleaner and it always smells inside. Really strong sushi vinegar smell that is just overwhelming. Ones in a while you find a small Japanese place and a hint of sushi vinegar inside makes you even more hungry. Not the case here. The smell is so strong that it is simply disgusting. There are flies closer to the window area... It is ok to grab a quick lunch, but I can't really recommend it as a sushi restaurant. read more

I really wanted to love this place but it just seems average. Maybe I don't know the proper way to judge sushi, but it was good. Nothing too great nothing bad. I got the spicy scallop roll (which wasn't spicy in the least) a fruit roll (the best part of my meal), and an Alaska roll that was just okay. The scallop roll was good don't get me wrong. But I ordered a SPICY scallop roll, and frankly there's nothing on or in this roll that would make it spicy. The fruit roll was fantastic! So sweet! I was iffy on ordering it because wrapping fruit with rice just didn't seem right, but it's GREAT. The Alaska roll, again, like I said, was average. I might order again from this place, it's the best sushi I've had in Boston so far, but still not what I'm used to from the west coast. The delivery was good. I ordered at 3:25 and was here by 4:25 which seems average for delivery speed around here. read more

My favorite sushi restaurant in Boston! I could seriously eat at genki all the time. I've been here many times and have gotten take-out once. The place is really tiny so I wouldn't recommend it for groups bigger than 4, but it has a nice ambience. It does get really busy around dinner time, I think the most i've had to wait is probably 20 minutes. I LOVE their specialty rolls, I always have to order one even though they're a little pricier. The specialty rolls I've tried are the Luxury Roll, Torched Salmon Roll, and the Rich Salmon Roll, and I've honestly loved all of them, especially because they don't try to skimp on the fish by overloading with rice. Last time I went I took my parents and they really liked it! Even my mom (who's vegetarian and not the biggest fan of sushi) ordered the sweet potato tempura roll, liked it and said she would order it again. I got take out from them once and it was just as good and very timely - my food was delivered within 45 min to an hour, as it had said on the website. Everything was super fresh and tasted just as it does at the restaurant. I HIGHLY recommend genki, whether it be for take out or dine in! read more

Genki Ya - Torched Salmon Roll and Luxury Roll! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I enjoyed my nigiri sushi and shumai, which were served on pretty plates by a pleasant waitress. The menu is extensive. read more

Small sushi restaurants like this are the reason why sushi is so good. Other places in Boston that are larger don't have good service, and you can tell the fish isn't as fresh as at Genki Ya. I've been going to this place for YEARS, and I am so happy they didn't close during the peak of the pandemic read more

I really enjoyed the sushi here! Service was fast and efficient as well. I'm always trying to find new places for sushi and I know this place will be in my regular picks. read more

FRESH UNI always, big portions and worth every penny! When ordering sashimi there will be 4 pieces and sushi will be 2 pieces. Either way, they cut larger than average pieces great customer service, great location, great fresh sushi read more

Ambience: N/A - delivery Service: Food was delivered within reasonable timeframe. Food: I ordered a plethora of different rolls and pieces of sushi. The fixings were all there, soy sauce, ginger, wasabi, etc...I though the rolls were decent and the pieces of sushi good quality compared to the price. Overall Rating: This restaurant earns 3 out of 5 stars. This spot was average to me. I was not overly impressed with the sushi but I was not disappointed either. I would recommend this spot to those trying to fulfill a sushi craving. Also, even though I did not dine in at this restaurant, I pass it all of the time and it does look nice. read more

Great sushi, if you live in the Brookline/Allston area this place is a must! Had the makimoto combo, shumai and avocado salad and did not disappoint. read more

This restaurant is literally the best restaurant in the world!!!!!!!!!! It has the best food, service and many more things that are great. My favorite kinds are are salmon nigiri, rich salmon roll, the dumplings are amazing and many more. If I could recommend any restaurant ever, it would be Genki ya! We love genki ya and hope it stays in business forever!!!!!! read more

Great prices and delicious food. My favorite is the spicy yellowtail with spicy Mayo on the side. Their pick up times can be a bit slow, so I recommend placing your order on the earlier side. However, there is always good service and you can't beat the price. read more

I should've turned around and left when I realized that this sushi joint is owned and operated by Chinese ppl. But after waking in the freezing cold weather, I decided to eat here. Wrong decision. Food tasted bad. And it was very expensive too. Never again! read more

Best sushi restaurant in town! Small, cozy and nice decor. Very large menu and various options, especially for vegetarians like myself! I ordered the AAC (avacado, asparagus, and cucumber) and it was delicious! The miso soup was good as well, beautifully garnished with veggies. I can't wait to come here again! read more

Genki Ya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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This place definitely deserves a glowing review. The in-person dining experience is great, but I want to take a moment and call out the excellent delivery service. These guys really go the extra mile and deliver the food directly to your door in a timely and efficient manner. And of course, the sushi is delicious and the quality is outstanding. It's easily my favorite sushi place in town! read more

Soooo ya....growing up, I would have NEVER imagined that I would someday say that I eat raw fish and I actually like it. I mean, my parents served us up the same thing almost everyday for dinner as a kid: fried pork chops, mashed potatoes (real one's that I had to friggin' peel), a veggie and biscuits. No offense mom, but "blah". So when a really great guy I know took me out for my legit first sushi experience, I was a little worried. But after that first experience I was convinced....raw fish isn't so bad! But THEN, he took me here. And WOW!!! Don't get me wrong, I don't know squat about sushi. And I won't pretend like I do. But just watching them put together those little sushi rolls was a pretty good show. And of course, we sat right smack in front of the counter where they were making it so that I could salivate everytime they "innocently" put a fresh plate of something new up on the ledge in front of me. It's like sushi torture if there is such a thing. But not long after we ordered, we got our own dishes of deliciousness. And after one bite, I am hooked on this place! I don't know what it is that they put in their sushi to make it crunch like that, but I don't really care. It was AWESOME! They could have told me later that it was human bone fragments and I likely wouldn't have flinched. I'm a little girl...but I can put down some food and I proved it by stuffing myself to ridiculousness. read more

Delicious sushi with generous pieces of fish, a nice calming dine-in environment (when there are no kiddies around, anyways), and reasonable prices. Have dined in and gotten take out, and both were much better than the myriad of competing Brookline sushi joints. Lunch special deals are awesome, as mentioned multiple times on here already. Hiked a mile today just to get the 3 maki roll combo (22 to 24 big pieces of maki - see pic) with salad and miso soup for $12!! ...would've been double that at regular prices or anywhere else. There is a variety of 20 rolls to select from for the maki lunch special, all of which sound delicious. I was surprised that the place was packed on Monday considering there were no diners there on a Saturday. The miso soup stands out to me as it has enoki mushrooms in there which I love! It was also piping hot even after my long walk home. Sadly lunch specials are weekdays and non-holidays only, which means I'll probably never be able to get it again. Only concern I have - as with another previous reviewer - the miso soup is served for takeout in a styrofoam cup and it is boiling hot. Not sure how safe that is. read more

Genki Ya - 3 roll combo - delicious and an amazing deal! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I was immediately impressed by the freshness of the sashimi, but these pieces were HUGE. We looked and listened behind the sushi counter and saw - ah, they're not Japanese. They're Chinese. We've all heard about how Japanese sushi is an art, and even though I've never learned about it or had any kind of training, there's a significant difference in the sushi when it's served by Japanese sushi chefs. And even though we got a great value with the size of the sashimi pieces, it didn't feel as authentic as I'd like. And the deeper we went into the meal, the more I realized this place is like a fast-food, Costco-style sushi dining experience. Don't get me wrong - everything tasted great, the sushi was extremely fresh and the prices were reasonable. But the experience itself was far from what you might expect at a sushi restaurant. First of all, our server asked us if we were ready to order before giving us our menus. Then when we had our menus, he took quite a while to get back to us. Our dishes were brought out extremely quickly, and our entrees came while we were still working on our appetizer, and soon our table was full of plates of all sizes, and it was overwhelming. Looking around the room on that Friday night, we saw that it was packed, and we got the feeling that they just wanted to get us out ASAP so they could seat the next couple. They confirmed this suspicion when they brought us our check before offering us dessert and even before we asked for the check! Granted, maybe they don't have a dessert menu (the check came with a mini dessert with tiny tapioca balls, a dollop of green tea ice cream and red beans), but it felt like they were kindly telling us to get the hell out. As for the food, their menu relies heavily on their creative rolls -- a little too much, I say, considering that they pride themselves in the freshness of their sushi. But at "Boston's only organic and all-natural" sushi restaurant, I recommend that you at least try the sashimi to taste the fish on its own without the heavy mayo sauce, vinegar, or whatever else in the rolls that hides the taste of the fish. I have no complaints about the decor of the restaurant. It's low-key, simple, casual - exactly how I imagine a moderately-priced sushi restaurant would look. So overall, I do recommend this restaurant and gladly give it four stars. But for a more authentic experience, I highly recommend Shiki, Oishii or Oga in Natick (haven't tried Fugakyu yet). read more

You dirty Mass-holes! Thinking you know good sushi. Meh! Go to Manhattan or Los Angeles and eat some GOOD sushi. Serious. The problem isn't access to fresh fish; it's the chef's ability to choose and cut the fish. I've been all over this town looking for the best (try Takara in Newton if you want something good), and I have been thoroughly disappointed . I'm originally from Los Angeles and spoiled when it comes to tasty raw fish (snob alert!). That being said this place has some decent picks. The good: - Delivery! Always pretty quick, and I don't think they've messed any of my orders up. - Their organic salad; dressing is awesome. - Sunny State Roll - Spicy Scallop Roll - The service. The bad: - 95% of the fish --- salmon, tuna, eel, shrimp - nasty fishy aftertaste - The usual abortions appearing on sushi menus - Philadelphia Roll, Honey Roll --- somethings do not belong in maki (e.g. cream cheese, mango, etc) - The prices. I guess calling something "organic" makes it more expensive. If you're looking to impress avoid Genki-ya... read more

I cannot be the only one who always over orders sushi. I mean ALWAYS. The only rare exceptions are when I go out to eat with someone else and they restrain me. But, alas, I was ordering Genki Ya to my apartment to be enjoyed with a bottle of wine. To be honest I had a really crappy day. I wanted comfort food but didn't want to cook. Somehow I settled on sushi. Yes, comfort food is normally mac n cheese or chicken parm... but today I wanted sushi. Foodler suggested Genki Ya and I said ooooooookay. Here's the run down of my over-order: + Free spicy tuna roll for ordering $25 worth of food. It was good, but still just a typical spicy tuna roll + Sweet Potato roll - one of my FAVORITE rolls. Theirs was perfect. Light crisp on the outside and perfectly soft (yet firm) on the inside. Mmmmmmm + Caterpillar roll - a new favorite of mine that I've ordered at a few places now. This was the best ever. The avacado on the outside was insanely smooth and thin sliced. It tasted sinfully good. But then you keep biting through the... wait, is that brown rice? mmmmmm.... and you get to the eel. I swear it melted in my mouth. Best. Eel. Ever. + Spicy Scallop roll. I don't know if I can put into words how good this was. AH. The scallops had the texture of butter and visually contrasted with my multigrain purple rice. First time I've ever had scallop sushi but it will not be my last. Overall it was some of the best sushi I ever had. They were later than the Foodler estimate by 5 minutes, which I considered great for Marathon Monday. Yes, I paid about $30 but I barely finished a third of it. I have lunch for tomorrow with a friend alllll packed up and looking fantastic. read more

Terrible service. Staff is very rude and unaccommodating. Sushi is just okay. Would not recommend.

Cozy atmosphere, fresh, well-cut fish, inventive rolls, tender rice and very nice people. We really enjoyed Genki Ya. Now some of these rolls are just over the top. We laughed at the picture of volcano roll, buried under a pile of tempura ash, and the rolls filled with seemingly every kind of topping. We settled on the sushi dinner with 10 nigiri and maki, as well as two specialty rolls. The nigiri were extremely generous cuts, but too big to fit comfortably in my mouth. I read a good sushi chef will look at the size of your mouth when you sit down at the bar and cut his fish accordingly, but we weren't sitting at the bar so I suppose that was our fault. All the maki was great, but my favorite was the spicy scallop. I love hotate, but ordering it can be a gamble. I've had some bad, fishy, chewy scallops, and even worse, sometimes the restaurant serves them cooked. This hotate was sublime and silky, nicely augmented with a hint of spiciness and crunch. They finished us off with the complimentary house dessert: a bit of tapioca pudding with a speck each of red bean, green tea and some other ice cream. Perfect for me, as I just want a taste of sweetness after dinner. Genki Ya's thing is "organic," and you can buy organic Japanese products as well as order your sushi with brown or multigrain rice. We're just looking for some lovely, delicious sushi, though, and Genki Ya delivers on that front. read more

The sushi is fresh but they serve ESCOLAR instead of tuna. Both my friend and I had the same reaction to this--unpleasant leakage which you can find explained here http://www.thekitchn.com/use-caution-when-eating-escola-66602. Other than that, we had a pleasant lunch. Escolar doe not look exactly like tuna--similar, but not the same and does not have much flavor. Beware--do not eat Escolar. read more

And here I thought Fugakyu took the top slot in my Brookline sushi heart. Fair enough, it's akin to comparing the conservative, older sister who likes to wear a lot of cashmere cardigans to the slightly more low-key sister who's more a t-shirt and jeans kinda gal. Where Fugakyu is much larger and slightly more expensive, Genki Ya offers a cute, low-key vibe (somehow, it feels like you're om nomming in a zen bamboo forest), fresh sushi, specials that make your wallet smile (2 rolls for $11?! Sign me up, arigatou) from ear to ear, and friendly waitstaff that rounds out a great visit to satisfy your everyday, anytime sushi craving. I ordered my regulars -- spicy tuna roll and eel and avocado -- simple rolls, but they nailed it on both. Can't wait to go back to try some of their more creative rolls. read more