What an incredible little poke/bento box that is quick and affordable! There is very limited seating here, which makes it really feel like you're in Japan. The menu isn't too expansive, instead offering a few dishes at high quality. I ordered the Gyo Gyo En Bento Box (I had to, the dish had the restaurant's name in it!). It included large chunks of salmon poke, tuna salad, pickled cabbage, curry, imitation crab salad and seaweed - what a deal! Portions were generous and taste was delicious. Our party also ordered a shoyu ramen and salmon poke bowl and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal. Service was excellent as well. I'm tempted to come back here the follow day just to try something different! read more

Gyo Gyo En - GYO GYO EN BENTO - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The food is good. The portions apparently have commitment issues! Gyo Gyo En is tiny. A handful of small tables, some counter seating, and not much room to spare. It's definitely cozy, though "cozy" is doing some work here. I tried the Creamy Wagyu Ramen and the Premium Bara-Chirashi Bento. The ramen was good, with the creamy broth doing most of the heavy lifting. Rich, flavorful, and enjoyable all the way through. It never got overly heavy or tiring; although, given the portion size, it may simply not have been given enough time to wear out its welcome. The noodles were pleasantly soft, held onto the broth nicely, and kept their texture until the end. Nothing particularly memorable about the noodles themselves, they understood their assignment: transport broth to mouth. The Wagyu was tender and cooked well. My only complaint? There wasn't enough of it. A recurring theme, as it turns out. The chirashi was also good. The salmon was the standout; fresh and easily my favorite part of the bento. The octopus was noticeably firmer and chewier than I'm used to, bordering on too tough, though not enough to ruin it. I was also a little disappointed to see packaged wasabi. With a premium chirashi, I was hoping for something better. And again: the portion was small. The prices are a little high, but being next to Amazon means I came prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for was the portion apparently being optimized for cloud storage! Good food, minimal footprint. read more

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Passed this place as I was walking to the Seattle Convention Center to pick up my badge for PAX West and decided to drop in on my way back. It was a little early for dinner so I beat the evening rush, and was the only person in the tiny shop. The girl behind the counter was incredibly nice and welcoming, and eager to share recommendations. I decided to get the "legendary Japanese curry," the Area 206 Curry, which is described as follows: "After 6 hours of cooking... the finest Japanese curry is here. Wagyu, beef, Kurobuta pork, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, house blended spices mix, honey, whipping cream, and more. Served with rice, pickles, and 356° Ra-Yu." Specifically, I went with the J.F.C. + Area 206 Curry, which is the curry served with Japanese fried chicken (karaage). The curry definitely had a unique, rich flavor that set it apart from other Japanese curries I've had. I wanted to keep eating it. But the only problem for me was that if the karaage wasn't in it, the serving of ground beef in the curry felt very slight and a little on the stingy side and wouldn't have been satisfying on its own. Diners should be able to order this curry and feel like they're getting a full meal without having to pay the additional six dollars for the J.F.C. version. But again, this meal was absolutely delicious and had me tempted to just come back here for every meal while I was in Seattle, especially since it was a short walk from my hotel and easy to get to on foot. The interior has a lot of Showa-era-inspired, 80s posters and album covers on the walls, and they had a great citypop playlist playing while I was eating. It's a cozy little spot that I'd love to return to one day on another trip to Seattle. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Area 206 Curry - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I was a little unimpressed with the curry given how much it's hyped up by themselves and other reviews. The quantity was not very large and was pretty one note. It was very thick and salty like advertised but there were no vegetables (e.g. potato) in the curry - it just had some ground meat. This combination is priced like a full dish but doesn't really feel like one to me. The chicken was just okay as well. Some friends of mine got bentos and they didn't even finish the curry, which is not a great sign - I enjoyed it more than them. I will say the fish looked pretty good and I wish I got a bento to try it. read more

Gyo Gyo En - JFC (Japanese Fried Chicken) Curry - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We were wandering around downtown Seattle looking for somewhere to get an early dinner and we decided on Gyo Gyo Yen. It is a tiny restaurant, but we were able to grab one of the two tables that could accommodate our party of 4. There is plenty of charm in this spot though between the chandelier made from empty sake bottles, the Japanese magazine cutouts and figurines on the walls, and the empty whiskey bottles in the front window. We grabbed a menu and ordered at the cashier. The food: Premium Bara-Chirashi Bento - all sorts of goodies that I don't normally see in an order of Chirashi. Ours came with uni and a sweet shrimp! I usually see the head deep fried until crispy, but can't complain too much here. Creamy Wagyu Ramen - definitely creamy and meaty. I could have used some more noodles. Katsu Curry Donburi - I liked the taste of this, but something about katsu buried in sauce just feels wrong. Maybe if it was served on the side, it could preserve the texture of the katsu better. My family scores: Brendan - 4.0 Charlotte - 4.0 Shanying - 4.0 Winston - 4.0 read more

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I went after reading the reviews but was a bit underwhelmed. My Gyo Gyo En Bento had REALLY DELISH SAUCES & I enjoyed eating the fish but the curry was SUPER SPICY!!! Maybe I'm a wimp?! My hubby ate it for me. We also got the Salmon Bara Chirashi Bento which was just fine, nothing extraordinary. Service is great here & I like the oldies posters (it's like I'm a kid again in Japan. I had forgotten what these celebrities looked like when they were younger!) I think this is a good place to go to when u need something quick. But with the high price point I probably won't come back. read more

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Nice resemblance of an izakaya in Japan. The storefront is mainly catered towards takeout. The food was very fresh and came out with a good portion size. Pricing is good for the quality and amount of food given. I've been to three of these sister restaurants and they're all excellent. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love their Salmon Bara Chirashi Bento--it's delicious, well-presented, and very satisfying. Also, it's a cozy space for a quick lunch. Definitely coming back! read more

Gyo Gyo En - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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After a very long day of site seeing a few friends and I were looking for dinner close to our hotels that was unique to Seattle and filling. We found this place on Google Maps and decided to give it a try. It's a cute Japanese bar style space, with a few tables inside. The seating area is definitely a little cramped and can fill up during rush hour. This place had folks coming in for takeout and dining so we know it was going to be that good. You can order via QR code at your table and they bring it you. I got a beef cold noodles, friends of mine a chirashi bowl, hand roll and miso soup. Everything was absolutely delicious! We are so glad we discovered it. 10/10! read more

Gyo Gyo En - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Bummed that I didn't get to try their specialty fish due to getting off work late, but dang, this place is pretty bomb, fresh sushi, the curry here.. amazing, felt like a hidden gem coming here, satisfied my cravings! Service is great to the lovely young lady there! Very small inside so seatings might be a lil difficult but don't let that stop you from ordering delicious seafood and curry! read more

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Really enjoyed our meal here. I was captivated by the beautiful design of the chirashi. I ordered the bluefin bara chirashi bento. Beautiful presentation, fish was fresh and tasted very traditional. I picked up a tuna mayo onigiri at the counter and I prefer it over the ones you get at the grocery or the XL sized ones. Onigiris are soft, flavorful and the right ratio of rice to filling with no crazy sauces or 10 ingredients piled into it. My friend got the curry and it was very flavorful. This is the type of Japanese food I grew up with and enjoy it a lot! Service was kind and fast. 10/10 will come back and try out all the items of the menu. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Premium Bara Chirashi Bento - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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SO GOOD! I tried the premium chirashi bowl, and I was so happy. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. My favorite was the sweet shrimp in the middle. I would have this again. Unfortunately it's a little pricey, but for fresh sweet shrimp and uni, it's reasonable. Service was okay. Nothing too special. She took my order. I approached the drinks, and she basically told me to move away and not get too close. How am I supposed to see what's available? For the ambiance, it's nicely decorated, high ceiling. Largest table was for 4. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Was looking for a spot for a solo dinner while I was in Seattle at a Conference, and Gyo Gyo En was walkable from the hotel...what I didn't expect was the cool Japanese-style restaurant vibe that made me think I probably should have ordered in rather than asking for takeout. It's a very small/narrow restaurant with more of a bar-like set-up, Japanese old school pictures hung up, and a cool chandelier made of empty sake bottles above. Food-wise I ended up getting the Gyo Gyo En bento, which had a bit of everything - different kinds of poke, crab mix, and their curry. This was actually a good move considering it was pretty cold, and the curry warmed me up, while also getting to try their fish. The marination/sauces in the poke were delicious, and I preferred it to more typical ponzu/shoyu-based sauce, as it was more creamy with a sweet nutty flavor. Overall a cool, casual spot with unique menu offerings - definitely worth a try! read more

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This joint may be easy to miss because it's so small but it's one of those lowkey joints that makes you stop and wonder. They offer a variety of lunch/dinner options from bento boxes to ramen to poke bowls and you can even walk out with a handheld snack. I ordered the ramen and my partner got the area 206 curry. They have limited indoor seating and good service. If you're looking for japanese food, give them a try! read more

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Oiishi. Delicious. Ordered the Premium Bara Chirashi Bento. It was delicious, and good quality fish was used to create it. Maguro, ama ebi, salmon, tako, ikura, uni, takuan and a lot more were added on the bed of sushi rice. We were hungry so we also ordered Shoyu Ramen. Delicious. The broth was basic and the noodles were cooked to perfection. Small thin chewy noodles were used. Loved it. Portions here are a little on the small side. But the food is made with precision and quality. Love it! read more

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Gyo Gyo En really delivers with delicious food and fast prep times for take-out. I got the Creamy Salmon Noodle Bowl, I really enjoyed it. The noodles were seasoned and the sauce was quite nice! I really liked that they separated out the sauce from the noodles for take-out. The noodles were a little hard to mix since they were drier; but I was able to get them stirred eventually. I also felt like the portion size was really nice! I got this for lunch and I actually had trouble finishing the whole thing. If you're looking for a quick meal in SLU I'd definitely recommend this place. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Creamy Salmon Noodle Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came back to Gyo Gyo En on a Friday night and they were sold out of the Osaka Style Katsu Curry, which is a special. I asked what I should get instead and was recommended either the JFC Curry or the curry with Pork Cha-siu. I got the Area 206 Curry with Pork Cha-siu (+$5.00). Was pretty good, the curry is great. But wish it came with more pork. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Area 206 Curry with Pork Cha-siu - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Didn't have much expectations coming in here initially but was pleasantly surprised! The inside was small but was well decorated and everything was positioned well for what was available. The gentleman taking our order was so nice! Very read to serve! I ended up getting a chicken curry even though this place is primarily known for poké dishes. But it was good! The curry had the classic Japanese flavor that I love and everything fit together. I ate it right up. I definitely recommend if you want a pleasant experience! read more

Gyo Gyo En - Premium Bara Chirashi Bento and Area 206 Curry - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I stumbled across this place recently after craving Japanese but not necessarily wanting sushi. And wow, oh wow, I'm glad I did. This is the most authentic Japanese place I've been to, outside of Japan itself! The hole-in-the-wall vibe, high-top limited seating (room for 10-15 diners), and order via QR code reminded me of Tokyo. We got seated right away and got super excited seeing they sold Suntory (last time we had this vodka seltzer was in Osaka). Nostalgia! For dinner, we got the Aburi "Spicy Miso" Salmon Bowl and "Osaka Style" Chicken Katsu Curry Ramen...we couldn't stop raving about both. Filling and fresh, they hit the spot. So happy to have discovered this hidden gem. Cozy, affordable, tasty, and authentic...you won me over, Gyo Gyo En! read more

Gyo Gyo En - beer chandelier - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I had a craving for sushi after work and decided to place an order online for the premium bara chirashi bowl. I was very disappointed in the bowl. It did not feel premium at all. It had a limited amount of poor cuts of fish and the sushi rice was awful. The texture was off, it tasted really sour, and did not emulate what sushi rice is supposed to be at all. For the price I paid this was not worth it at all. Outside of the chirashi bowl, I thought the cashier was nice. I will say this is more of takeout place than a place you'd want to go for drinks after work as the place was very small with limited seating. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Premium Bara Chirashi Bento - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place is delicious. I love the food here so, so much. We came here before, but this time got the salmon/tuna poké bento and the pork bowl (I forget what they're called). Both were *amazing*. Texture of the pork-- so tender without being just fatty. Texture of the salmon-- exactly what I want. The tuna was a little stringier than I'd prefer but overall still tasty. The curry was a little spicier than I thought it would be! but also excellent and we might get that by itself next time. And I like me some crab salad. For the review, I'm a little mixed. While the food is amazing, the space is... not. It's evident this place used to be a pick-up spot for like, coffee or ice cream or something, because the seating is so tall and tight. They told us to sit at the hallway seating instead of a table presumably because they wanted to save the table for a 3-4 party, but I constantly felt like I was going to fall off my chair. When they gave us water, the glasses were clearly unrinsed- there were soap suds in and outside of the cup. :( It would be helpful if the hallway seating had some hooks under the table for bags, because we basically had nowhere to put anything without it being in the way (of either people walking by to the bathroom, or our food if we had it on the counter). So overall, I'd probably give it a 5* for food, and I would be happy to eat it again. But I'd recommend taking it to go rather than eating in because the seating situation is kind of terrible. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Bento SO GOOD - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Ordered take out from this place and absolutely enjoyed the meal. The Salmon Bara Chirashi Bento is well packaged and reminds me of bento boxes in Japan. The salmon and shrimp tasted fresh. There were also cooked salmon in the box, which could make it a little dry. I mixed the soy sauce and wasabi and poured some over the rice which makes it less dry. There were only two people working, and there is a little wait to be greeted. The place is small but cozy. I would return to try the ramen. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Salmon Bara Chirashi Bento - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Gyo Gyo En, sister restaurant to Rondo/Hi Life/Tamari Bar, seems to be mainly a takeout location. It's a pretty small space, somehow fitting seating for 17 in an exceptionally cramped area. When this place is full, I can't see there being much standing room. Ordering is done via QR code at each table. JFC Curry ($18) - Firstly, the portion size seems smaller than what's served at the sister restaurants. It's basically a small metal saucer, with a bowl shaped mound of rice, a ladle of curry, and five pieces of karaage-esque fried chicken. The chicken is awful. It's especially oily and is soft and flabby throughout with no crust whatsoever. It seems like it was fried yesterday, refrigerated, and then microwaved for service. I'd compare it to frozen breaded chicken chunks that are microwaved instead of fried. Considering that the Area 206 curry by itself is $12, I'm paying $6 for five pieces of terrible "fried" chicken. Totally not worth it. I feel like the ratio of ingredients in the curry is also off. I think they drizzle the same amount of spicy rayu on top, but combine it with less curry, resulting in a mixture that is extremely salty and more spicy than at the other locations. This covers up a lot of the curry flavor. While salty, it's still extremely umami and nutty, and has a good amount of tender beef chunks mixed in. There are also crushed nuts mixed throughout, giving a crunch, unlike the chicken. The rice is medium grain. It's cooked perfectly, so I have no complaints about that (although, as always, I prefer short grain with Japanese curry). (3/5) Gyo Gyo En combines a subpar curry ratio with terrible fried chicken. I don't think I'd visit again. The sister locations on Capitol Hill are way better and seem to give better portions for the price. Bathrooms - Single unisex room behind the curtains. Hard to get to because there isn't much room behind the 6 counter seats in the hallway. read more

Gyo Gyo En - JFC Curry - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love this group of food establishments (they also have a branch called HI-LIFE on Bainbridge Island, Tamari Bar, and Rondo - I think they are in the same family) that serves the most unique, authentic, aesthetic, Japanese bowls and bentos. I got the Salmon Poke Bowl ($20 + tax for Traditional Style). The salmon in the PNW cannot be beat. The poke came in large, fresh, giants chunks and was lightly marinated in sesame oil. The crab salad and seaweed salad were A+ too. I opted for no rice because I didn't want to get sleepy, but I bet it's even better with rice. Yes, the price is a tad higher than your average poke bowl, but they quality and craft speak for the higher price. This branch is a tiny store in central SLU. Omg, they are POPPIN at lunch time so pro tip, order ahead if you're in a rush. Amazon employees be hungray. The staff are super super nice :) read more

Gyo Gyo En - Salmon Poke Bowl ($20 + Tax) - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The restaurant is small with limited seating. We came on a Friday night and were lucky to still find a few open seats. They had a variety of food options, and everything we ordered was tasty. The poke bowls had generous cuts of salmon, which was a pleasant surprise. Service was fast and friendly, making the overall experience even better. A nice spot for a casual and satisfying meal. read more

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This is mainly a grab and go spot, but there is some seating. It was cozy, but it is tight. Keep that in mind if you like a lot of space. The food is super fresh. My favorite part of the bento was definitely the poke! I would get a poke bowl again. The fish was so fresh and high quality. There was a nice bite to it. The other elements were a bit salty once I started eating all of it. A fresh plain vegetable or a pickled vegetable could go well to break up the salt factor. The service was great! I felt attended to well. read more

Gyo Gyo En - GYO GYO EN BENTO - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ordered the signature curry Katsu and the scallop poke. The curry was very flavorful; however, I wasn't a fan of the poke at all - the aioli was too salty and heavy, and I couldn't even eat more than half of it because of it. Super nice staff at the restaurant. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This shop is mostly takeout only, with delicious bento options. Identical in quality to Tamari Bar. Love all their restaurants! They do not always have uni, so best to call to check. read more

Got some nice poke here this summer while I was visiting Seattle! I liked the freshness of the fish and also the staff was friendly helping me decide what I wanted. Really small interior, but feels nice and cozy. I got salmon poke and it was really good all around. I got here around I'd say like 11:30 and starting at 12, there were so many people with a huge rush that the line was literally going out the door. So perhaps you should either 1) order ahead online or 2) try to avoid the busy times! Overall, great poke spot, very authentic too. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Poke - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This review is for takeout only. I loved the packaging and felt like this was decently priced. I ordered the Salmon Bara Chirashi Bento. This was perfect for a picnic in Seattle! The sweet shrimp was the star of the bento. As other reviews said, the salmon flakes were in fact dry. Overall, I'd recommend for takeout/doordash! read more

Gyo Gyo En - Love this packaging! Salmon Bara Chirashi Bento - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Like their sister spots Tamari Bar and Rondo better! Nice to have in the area, but the lunch bento serving was much smaller than at Rondo, and it was difficult to get the rice from the poke mixed into the rice for the curry. Poke seasoning was really overpowering and too salty read more

Gyo Gyo En - Bento - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

- Hidden gem with authentic Japanese food - We were going to a concert close by, so we decided to check out this place since it has a high rating. To my surprise, the store is quite small and probably only has less than 15 seats. I believe it's mostly for takeout. I enjoyed the decor as it's somewhat nostalgic with all the ancient Japanese poster/decor from the 90s. We got the gyo gyo en bento for $24 and the Hotate creamy butter corn ramen for $19. Hubby's bento came right away, and it had a ton of rice. There wasn't a lot of curry, but he didn't finish it as he ran out of rice (yup, I was confused). I tried the curry and it was delicious. It wasn't spicy even though they mixed in some spicy sauce. We waited for a long time for my ramen as there was an issue with the grill, but it was worth the wait as it's super flavorful and they gave me a soft boiled egg on the house. I finished all the soup, which I rarely do. It was one of the best ramen that I've had in the US, beats Kitsuki ramen or Santouka ramen easily too. Though it's more pricey. We'd definitely come back to try other food if we are in the area again. read more

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Interesting place. You got to try if not yet. I placed a remote order specifying an allergy. They called me to verify and confirm and offered a substitute. It's nice to see the effort. The Salmon Poke Bowl was the most popular and I just picked that. I was very impressed mostly by the complexity and layers of flavors and texture. The "356 Ra-Yu" sauce added just a bit spicy kick to make it interesting. There were generous salmon and many other ingredients. Overall, very satisfying and delicious lunch. It is really just a hole in the wall eatery with one front person and one back. The wall was lined with their own brand of Sake, but I really doubt people would treat this like a restaurant with friends and drinks. It's more a good place to go when you are by yourself and want a good meal. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Street sign - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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DAYUM! This is some bomb ass food fr. I've been disappointed kind of by the Seattle food scene. It's a lot better than the place I used to live in but IMO compared to other metros it's a SEA (hah!) of stuff that's perfectly acceptable but not knock your socks off. Gyo Gyo En is (IMO) in the yum category! The location was hard to find but the interior was such a cute, cozy, and compact setup that felt distinctly like it definitely was not supposed to be in Seattle (a good thing). They serve both takeout and dinein. Upon entering, my small party was greeted with a kind question of which we'd like to choose. I appreciated the friendliness of the cashier and the speed at which my order was delivered. It is pricey compared to other places though! read more

Gyo Gyo En - Chirashi bowl - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Gyo Gyo En is definitely one of my favorite spots when I'm in town for work. The poke bowl is always a go-to for me--fresh, flavorful, and just hits the spot every time. On my latest visit, I tried the salmon bento box, and it was massive! There was so much food, which was a pleasant surprise. The salmon was cooked perfectly, and the assortment of sides made it a filling meal. The portion size alone makes it great for lunch or dinner if you want something hearty. The atmosphere is relaxed and cozy. Inside are only a few small tables. Definitely recommend giving it a try if you're craving good poke or bento! read more

Gyo Gyo En - Salmon Salmon Paradise Bento Box - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Got the salmon bara chirashi bowl. Was pretty good but not the best fish I ever had. Normally I don't like salmon but this was good. Seating is extremely limited. You order from your phone and they bring the food right to you. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Salmon Bara Chirashi Bento - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Searched for poke and this came up highly rated. The Aloha-Chirashi Bowl looked pretty, so i ordered that: $24. This has spam, tuna, salmon, hotate, cucumber, tobiko, egg, ikura and I replaced the rice with salad. I haven't had raw hotate salmon before and I didn't particularly care for it! The portion is a little small for the price, but there is a lot of fish piled on. The rest of the flavors were good, although the spam was pretty salty. It probably didn't help that I saved it until the end and ate it by itself! Imitation crab salad was very creamy and delicious, maybe the best I've ever had! The butter corn ramen looked amaing, but alas, trying to cut down on carbs! Good luck trying to get a seat. The entire place seats 16! Hostess was very nice and accommodating. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Aloha-Chirashi Bowl which is spam, tuna, salmon, hotate, cucumber, tobiko, egg, ikura and I replaced the rice with salad. - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Gyo Gyo En has such a cute and distinctly Japanese vibe, with anime music playing in the background that adds to the atmosphere. They were super busy with takeout orders, but there are a few seats inside if you want to dine in. We tried the salmon chirashi, which was beautifully presented. The only downside was that the cooked salmon was a bit dry, but overall, the box was still great. The salmon chowder, on the other hand, was absolutely delightful!! especially with the chili oil adding an extra kick. Definitely a spot worth checking out if you're in the area! read more

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Wow amazing lunch. Got the salmon chirashi bara bento. Beautifully presented and actually quite yummy. Filled me up too. Loved the sweet shrimp. I ordered online and super easy pick up. read more

Gyo Gyo En - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Authentic Japanese cuisine experience. Cute small poke place with freshest seafood and great Japanese beer experience. Very friendly and helpful staff. read more

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