The service is great the sushi is amazing if you love sushi this is the place to go !
(5)
Charles T.
Not very good service, food is ok , but not fresh like other restrant neat little Tokyo ,
(1)
Rosemary T.
Nah, this place is all hype. I really looking forward here, but there's nothing special here at all. The sushi quality is good, but not to the point that I would pay $100 per person for it. For four people, our bill was around $400, and none of us were even full. All of their sushi menu are a la cart and does not have a price on it, so there's no way to check what they charge you for. The wait is also super long by 5:15, so if you're not here by 5:00, be prepare to wait for at least 1 hour. Tip: There are better sushi places out there that doesn't break your wallet.
(3)
Karl K.
thank you for wasting an hour of my time. if you say the wait is 45 minutes but come back in 30, and i do, don't freaking say i didn't answer and bump me to the back of the line. if you don't want people to leave, say so. and don't bump people to the back of the line when they return like you asked. wtf!!! you're damn right this is a rant. i freaking hate it when people waste my time.
(1)
H L.
And I'm 537! Ever since I was but a wee sapling I've always dreamed of being Numero 537! Big, fresh, fat and moist slices of freshly-killed fish. With plum wine to kill. 'Nuff said. Absolutely splendid.
(5)
J. J.
Enough has been said about this place; you can't go wrong here if you don't mind the wait, especially around lunch time. My lunch favorite: the Sushi Deluxe ($15) combo plate for some of the freshest, melt-in-your-mouth bites this side of Tokyo.
(5)
Pamela S.
I've been here a couple times during the typical mid-week lunch-rush and I really love it. Usually I get the "lunch special" (i.e., "sashimi lunch special"). It's very good: excellent fish quality, generous lunch-size portions, and a great price for what you're getting ($15?). What I don't like: (1.) parking - though the restaurant validates, you still have to pay (2.) the wait - although, in all fairness, it's not that insane... i think i waited about 20 minutes both times (3.) service - even though they are very polite, they make you feel like you have to rush through your lunch; i don't particularly appreciate that =\
(4)
Jeannie K.
I've been 10+ times so I can't give it 2 stars (which, for me, means I wouldn't go back as opposed to 3 stars which means I wouldn't object)... but I won't go back. The lunch menu is a good deal. You get a LOT of food for $15. The dinner - best bang for the buck on the menu is sashimi deluxe with an order of sushi rice on the side. I haven't had cooked food here, and if I go back, that is what I will get. The hamachi collar looks pretty awesome, and it's hard to mess up such an oily fish anyway. Small parking lot, ~$2 with validation.
(3)
Mel Z.
Sushi Gen is probably one of the most traditional Japanese sushi places I have been to in Little Tokyo/LA. They basically serve only what is fresh that day and do not mask the nigiri with to much unnecessary flavor. If you sit at the sushi bar they expect you to know what you are doing. Eating here reminds me of eating sushi in Japan. If you are not an experience sushi eater than don't sit at the bar... and if you do, please don't be that guy! You know what I mean =0) Only bad thing is that this place is ALWAYS packed for lunch and dinner!!.. and can be very expensive... but I highly recommend it.
(5)
A C.
Sushi Gen, though ownership had changed hand, still maintains the quality it had. As a downtowner, I go there often and have tried virtually everything on or not on the menu. It has some of the best Sushi close to real Japanese sushi.
(5)
Matthew R.
Freshest fish this side of the water! Oh man, I think this is the best sushi I've ever had. I sat @ the bar, which has a four order per person minimum and does not have the full dinner menu available, but who needs it when you have sushi this good. The presentation is somewhat pedestrian, but the friendly sushi chef's are very personable and entertaining. It's a bit pricey, but not the priciest out there. I spent about $100 per person, and that was with only two alcoholic drinks per person. The Japanese Red Snapper was something I will always remember! There are a few parking spaces in the plaza, otherwise, park down the street at the Little Tokyo Plaza parking (about $4).
(5)
Sherry L.
Spending $75 on sushi for lunch? Yeah, it happens. But this is SO worth it. I had a total of 20 pieces and 1 roll (uni). So it's actually really good value. The fish was as fresh as you can get.. I had tamago, uni, amaebi, hamachi, salmon, shima aji, scallop, anago, and a bunch of others. This is some of the best sushi I've had in California.
(5)
Mikey R.
I was looking for a delicious sushi place for my 30th birthday and am so glad we came here. Service was great. All the fish was super fresh. Definitely coming back!
(4)
Darsha W.
This is absolutely one of my most favorite places to go for sushi. I originally read about Sushi Gen in the LA Times a few years ago in the food section. I felt like I had discovered my secret go to place for sushi. I had NO IDEA how famous and popular this place is. The quality of the fish is outstanding, fresh and tasty....never, never fishy or foul. I usually do not sit at the Sushi Bar and have table service. The servers are 100% Japanese. They do an adequate job taking orders and bringing food to your table. In addition to the sushi I can recommend any type of tempura you like. The shrimps are large and taste delicious. If you order a Sushi-Combo Dinner you will get a side dish of some of the best seaweed salads I have ever had! (Well I have not had that many seaweed salads....but here at Sushi Gen it is out of this World!) Sometimes if we are going to the Music Center or Disney Hall for a show we order food and pick it up before and have a truly special meal before the show.
(4)
Huan L.
best sushi restaurant that's not on the west side. they are so busy (lunch and dinner) that they turn over a tremendous amount of fish which means you always get fresh stuff. go early or be prepared to wait.
(4)
Jay K.
A long time favorite, known for quality and taste. PROS: The freshest fish, the best taste, a real traditional restaurant w/ real sushi chefs. CONS: Busy (always a wait), Service is not very friendly (2 stars), parking is tough. Expensive. Recommendations: Chirashi Thumbs up (Karate Kid II style)
(4)
John H.
I'm not sure why this place gets all the buzz. I consider myself a sushi snob and I only care about one thing when I go to a sushi place, the quality of fish. My wife and I tried the omakase and I'd have to say, for the price they charge, I'd rather go to a high-end sushi place. The quality is not BAD, but it's not worth the price or the wait. My toro (fatty tuna) was a particularly bad cut and had a lot of gristle. Overall, there are too many sushi places in Little Tokyo that I prefer to go before Sushi Gen.
(3)
Linda T.
one of the best sushi place ive been to! hamachi, tuna, aji, saba, uni, salmon, unagi! all so fresh and delicious! love sitting at the bar and just ordering piece by piece! unagi was warm, meaty and crispy! tuna melted in my mouth! everything was delicious! good friendly service too
(5)
Picabo S.
Wonderful. The freshest and the best sashimi I've had in LA so far. Not cheap but definitely worth every penny you pay. Little Tokyo is the place to be.
(4)
Chrissy E.
Delicious! And only a 5 minute wait (which I hear is good). I ordered white fish something for an appetizer and the sushi deluxe. I tried a few things that I've never had before and everything was tasty. Including the complementary miso soup. I'm glad that I finally made it here and was completely satisfied.
(5)
Nancy X.
Sigh :( I feel really lame for not liking this place, but I gotta be honest. Maybe it's because I don't live near Little Tokyo? Maybe it's because my palate isn't refined enough? Or maybe it's just cause this place is kinda overhyped... Came here for lunch at 10:30 am, because I heard that's how you do it to avoid the lines. And damn, were they right! We were 5th in line, but by the time Sushi Gen opened at 11:15 (oh yeah, Yelp, Sushi Gen opens at 11:15, it even says so on their website, so I dunno why Yelp says 11 am....) there were a good 30+ people in line. That made me excited, because I was like, damn this place must be good if people wanna take their lunch breaks early to wait in line. We were seated quickly, and the waiters and waitresses were SUPER attentive, taking our order right away, bringing us water, bringing our food quickly, pointing out the bathroom, etc. We got the sashimi lunch special (which was on everyone's table) and the sashimi/tempura lunch special. Both were $15, which was very reasonable. They came with miso soup, pickled vegetables, tofu, and a big bowl of rice. The soup and tofu was yummy. The tuna belly was buttery and delicious. The grilled salmon, not so much. The octopus, tuna, whitefish, and yellowtail (i think) were okay. The spicy tuna was pretty good, and so was this weird salty brown preserved eel in the upper lefthand corner (they're all plated the same). The non-spicy tuna mix was DISGUSTING! and so was the other thing on the left side of the plate. You know, you see the pictures. It's those 2 slices of unidentifiable white/translucent stuff with a sauce on it. I think it was just sliced konjac....It was not yummy. The tempura was...okay. It was not crispy and light like tempura I've had at other places like Maki and Sushi, Chiba, etc. It was weirdly doughy and the shrimp inside was overcooked :( Definitely a nice atmosphere with super sweet people, but all in all, I'd much rather just go to Maki and Sushi, where I can get the delicious sashimi and rolls I want at a decent price. It was worth a try, though.
(3)
Bailey Z.
$15 sashimi lunch special FTW! This popular lunch spot is well-known for their sashimi lunch special, which definitely lived up to the hype. It comes with miso soup, soft tofu, pickled vegetables, and a large bowl of rice. The plate itself consists of several different varieties of fish including three types of tuna, yellowtail, squid, crab, cooked salmon, fermented fish, amongst others I couldn't recognize. I've had my share of expensive sushi and the sashimi here is right up there. The tuna and yellowtail were the best of the lot; the thick cut slices were melt-in-your-mouth buttery. I also loved the fresh crab. Everything was delicious, even the wasabi tasted better here. Other menu items that looked good were the kumamoto oysters and the uni. Make it a priority to come for lunch if you get the chance. I guess it's not really a secret that it's the best sashimi lunch in town anymore. Parking can be annoying, but validation drops the price to a couple of bucks.
(5)
Steve M.
My wife and I arrived at 5:35, we got the LAST table and the sushi bar was full. We're talking a room with 75+ table seating... they open at 5:30. The waitress was friendly and succinct with our order, which I like. Now the food... we ordered the sushi deluxe and a couple of rolls. We were in sushi heaven. We are regular customers here, but finally decided to let ya all know. Yep I'm a fan.
(5)
Daniel P.
Everything is fresh here and there are many different types of fish to choose from. After dining here, I can't eat sushi/sashimi anywhere else unless its AYCE. prices at the table are very reasonable. For two, getting two entrees, such as sushi deluxe and sashimi deluxe, with a drink and everything included will run around $90. At the bar, things can get real pricey and can easily reach $250 for two people. Well, that's because I always get the specialty items and omakase for a few rounds. Chefs are talented and they are fun to chat with. Be prepared to wait up to an hour if you come at dinner time.
(5)
Nathan W.
Almost 2000 reviews doesn't lie. This sushi spot offers great quality at a very reasonable price. Gets very crowded so make reservations early. Great service and I enjoy sitting at the bar and watching the chefs make the sushi. One of my favorite sushi spots.
(5)
Howard C.
Very fresh and so, so good! Sat at the very crowded bar, as I was solo. Quickly ordered and was served almost immediately with sashimi. Hamachi belly was so buttery and decadent. Ordered a second serving! You can get more "platter" type options in the dining room but the bar is efficient and very enjoyable. Pricy but worth every penny!
(5)
Stephen C.
This place is one of the better sushi places in little Tokyo. There's always a crowd at dinner.
(4)
H W.
One of the top 5 authentic sushi restaurant in la for the price, place can get crowded but it's def worth the wait. My lady and I come here every other week to have good sushi and sake. Great place for a date night
(5)
Chrissy K.
I had my first Sushi experience here and wouldn't have had it anywhere else. Came here for my Birthday dinner and we didn't have to wait because we had reservations. Spent around $400, but worth it! Fresh!
(5)
HP M.
Fish is very fresh - but warning, only go here if you like genuine authentic healthy no grease Japanese sushi. Unadventurous americans - you will NOT find a Philadelphia or "crazy roll" on the menu.
(4)
Tracie L.
Was craving sushi and heard about the awesome $15 lunch deal at Sushi Gen from many friends. My bf took me here and all I gotta say is CRAVINGS BEYOND SATISFIED END OF STORY. Coming from OC there wasn't too much traffic we arrived around 10:45AM and there was already a long line out the door. The restaurant is located in the Honda Plaza, validated parking is $3 for 2 hours, but if you're like us and feel like exploring little tokyo more and walking a bit to the japanese american museum then parking is $9 for all day which isn't bad. The anticipation and hunger standing in line was killing me as we waited til 11:30 for Sushi Gen to open! The restaurant is big yet small at the same time. It's big in the sense that there are 2 huge kitchens (makes sense w/ the amount of ppl they gotta feed). The inside makes me feel like I'm in Japan. The sushi bar seating is really clean and there are about 8 chefs working that section. There weren't too many tables which is why the restaurant is a bit small, hence the long lines. The service was really fast here, but not pushy. The waitresses were really friendly and helped us on deciding what to order since it was our first time. FYI the a la carte sushi/sashimi menu has no pricing you gotta ask for it. Right when we sat down we were given miso soup, pickled cabbage appetizer, and some sort of marinated tofu. THE TOFU WAS SOOOO SOOO GOOD! Tastes very house made and fresh. $15 Sashimi Lunch Special - Had to order this since it's their most raved about/popular menu item. Definitely best $15 you'll ever spend! There were thick cuts of sashimi along w/ other mixtures like spicy tuna, a piece of baked salmon terriyaki, jello, and some sort of marinated fish in brown sauce. The tuna was delish and very tender. My bf said it was comparable to the sushi places he had in Hawaii which were really good $18 salmon terriyaki combo - comes w/ a sashimi appetizer! BEST LUNCH COMBO EVER!! Where can you go that gives you a big nice piece of grilled salmon terriyaki w/ potato salad, cabage salad, miso soup, rice AND SASHIMI APPETIZER!? I honestly think this was better than the $15 sashimi lunch special. The terriyaki sauce was great, not overly sweet (but make sure you ask to put the sauces on the side like I did or else your meal will come out drenched in sauce) They do use thousand island dressing for the salad which I didn't really care for. The potato salad was creamy and gooooood. The sashimi appetizer came w/ yellowtail, seaweed, and tuna which were the same big thick cuts as the $15 sashimi lunch special. A LA CARTE SUSHI: Halibut - was about $9 for 2 pieces. The cuts of sushi were perfect. If you've ever watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Netflix you'll love Sushi Gen. The rice here is made just like in the documentary!! Omg best white rice I have ever eaten. Normally the rice that comes w/ the nigiri is either too dry, flavorless, or I don't care for it. However at sushi gen the rice is beyond perfect. The halibut tasted great w/ ponzu & wasabi sauce Fresh Water Eel - I think this was around $8 for 2 pieces. By far the best Eel I've had. Almost wish I had ordered their Eel lunch bowl after eating this. There were nice big thick cuts of eel atop the rice. The sauce was not overpowering either and the nigiri wasn't drenched in sauce which is a good thing. The eel was tender and meaty. Definitely worth the drive up here to try the sushi. FYI my bf & I noticed after we were done eating (bout 12pm) that there wasn't too long of a line anymore. So if you don't feel like coming really early and waiting around, just come around 12ish :)
(4)
Maria P.
Food is spectacular. Gourmet sushi that should have a 4 diamond rating like the ones in Beverly Hills. The lines are long but worth it. Just be careful when you're at the sushi bar because there are no prices on anything, you can get sticker shocked when you get the bill. We spent $200 on just 2 of us because we couldn't stop ordering. It was worth it but it would be nice if we knew how much the items are before we order.
(4)
Dom C.
Best sushi spot in Little Tokyo! They have good quality sushi. But I always go for the Sashimi and I've never been disappointed. Everything just melts in your mouth. Yummy! :D The lines can be a bit long sometimes and they will not seat you until your whole party has arrived.
(5)
Claudia C.
Sushi Gen is the place where I first realized that I loved Sushi. I remember my dad chatting with the sushi chef and asking for a recommendation and the sushi chef plopped down two pieces of engawa that were lightly salted and sprinkled with lemon juice. I was familiar with sushi but had never had halibut fin before. I took a bite of that chewy but crisp slice of fish and I swear my whole universe stopped. I think that was the exact moment I realized how much i loved food as well. Claudibee the foodie was born! Fast forward 8 years, I was super excited to return to my childhood go-to sushi joint. And sidenote: for some reason, my dad and I never went back to Sushi Gen after my foodie birthday (I think we began exploring new sushi places?). My friend and I went 30 min before it opened to avoid the ridiculous lines and were promptly seated. I let me friend do the ordering (with the exception of engawa and kanpachi) and he chose sweet shrimp and yellowtail, hamachi collar, a beef dish, and salmon skin salad. MY THOUGHTS ++ ENGAWA: i was hoping for an epiphany again but no fireworks this time. :( ++ The sushi was better than average and nicely cut. However, I feel that there are many sushi joints out there that have similar good quality fish without the long wait and have better quality fish for the same price. ++ the beef teriyaki (and other dishes) was (were) expensive and average. Why!? Perhaps my palate has matured over the years (or maybe my friend's choice in dishes isn't my cup of tea), but Sushi Gen no longer possesses that WOW factor it did for me in the past. Anyways, Sushi Gen is one of those sushi places where you must go at least once if you're a sushi lover. If I end up there again, I probably wasn't the one who suggested going there. I hate waiting in lines for food. :T BUT DO TRY THE ENGAWA!! Ask them to lemon and salt it. I hope your foodie universe stops the way it did for me! :D
(3)
Henry O.
By far the best sushi you can get in Los Angeles. I know this is a pretty strong statement, but jeez, this place knows how to serve their food. Sushi Gen is always crowded whether you come for lunch or dinner. For dinner, I would recommend making reservations possibly two to three days earlier. I haven't came here for lunch but I've been told you can wait to get seated a bit easier. The lunch specials are a bit cheaper if you want to experience this restaurant without having to spend too much. I brought a friend here who is also a sushi fanatic and we decided to sit at the bar. The chef greeted us and we chose all our favorites ranging from the simple cut of Tuna to Uni to Toro. Omg... The quality and the freshness of the fish was amazing. The amount of love and dedication that goes into every cut of the fish is noticeable when you put the food in your mouth. When you order the Sweet Shrimp, you have an option to deep fry the head or use the head for miso soup. Since the restaurant is located in the complex, you can go ahead and park in their parking lot. I believe they validate as well. Sushi Gen is my all time favorite sushi spot in Los Angeles. I personally believe Sushi Gen is the closest sushi and sashimi you can compare to Japan.
(5)
Stephen C.
Best sushi place i have ever been to. The sushi is so fresh and everything is expertly prepared. I dont think there is a single thing on their menu that isnt well done. The toro is unbelieveable. Everyone who eats here gets spoiled and cant eat sushi or sashimi anywhere else. Im surprised anyone can give less that 5 stars for food here. There are long lines but how is that the restaurant's fault?
(5)
Winnie L.
came back again last night. i didn't learn my lesson the first time: Sashimi Dinner is too big for me to defeat. I walked out holding my stomach and back like I was preggers. Last night, i ordered the Sashimi Dinner again and afterwards, I wanted to give birth to the biggest turd-monster as soon as i got home. Next time I'm gonna order the Sashimi (not Sashimi Dinner) at dinner time, and save the $5 for other delicacies instead of shoving the tempura + miso soup + sunomono + rice down my throat. Bulimia is no good if i don't like to throw up.
(4)
Wesley C.
There's a crowd outside for a reason. They don't take reservations because they don't need it. With the amount of fish they serve everyday, the fish will always be fresh. Do yourself a favor and sit at the bar. Don't hesitate to ask your sushi man what that guy over there is eating. It's a factory, come in, order and enjoy the product. No nonsense sushi and the quality is top notch.
(5)
Jennifer K.
I've been on roll with sushi lately... a sushi roll. Heh. I'll start with the best of the best. Sushi Gen has almost 2000 reviews (1994 as of November 10, 2013) and an average rating of 4.5 stars. That's f-ing amazing. Walked in on a Thursday night around 5:30pm with a friend and found that there was no wait. Score! We were seated in a quiet corner and given menus by the host. Having had looked through the Yelp photos millions of times beforehand, I already knew what I wanted to order: uni nigiri (market price) and the sashimi dinner ($26). My friend opted for the chicken teriyaki dinner ($20), and we shared the albacore tataki appetizer ($15). ... it was all amazing. The albacore tataki was the perfect dish to start our meal. There are no words to describe it besides "delicious." It came on top of a bed of mixed greens and drizzled with a bit of ponzu (?) sauce. Yes. Yes. Yes. Shortly afterwards came my sashimi dinner. Oh my lord. Melt-in-your-mouth. So, so fresh. I wanted to cry, and I would have... but my tears would have spilled onto my plate and ruined the fish. Plus, I had already my wasabi + ginger + soy sauce concoction ready to go. The tempura that came with my dinner was perfectly crisp and provided a nice crunchy texture that complimented the sashimi. YUM. Then there was the uni. Wowie. I might have shed a tear when I took the first bite, but I made sure not to let the droplet anywhere near my meal. TOO GOOD. Being the gluttonous fatty that I am, I also ate some of my friend's chicken teriyaki. I kid you not, it was the BEST chicken teriyaki that I've ever had. I'm not even usually that big of a fan, but damn. I was blown away. The dinner proved to be too much and I ended up not being able to finish the last fifth of my sashimi, so I took it to-go. You can't waste this stuff. Total came out to around $85 for the albacore tataki, sashimi dinner, uni nigiri, chicken teriyaki dinner, and a large Sapporo. Not bad! But seriously... is this place even real, or was it all just a dream? Guess I'll have to find out by visiting again!
(5)
Stephen C.
Worst sushi ever. Imprecise cuts of mediocre fish atop even more mediocre rice. The wasabi is also very grey and pastey. Sushi omakase is served 2 pieces at a time which to purists is not the proper way because the fish sits on the plate for too long. I requested that the chef not serve it this way and he promptly ignored my request. He also deliberately ignored another request to not serve any salmon roe. The Amaebi was slimy pungent and not live harvested. The toro (chu and o) were also incredibly awful. We ended up cutting omakase short due to these sushi atrocities. We will never be back.
(1)
PJ L.
This place is fantastic! Freshest sashimi and delicious handrolls make this easily the best sushi experience I have had in a while. Ordered fatty tuna, yellowtail belly, albacore sashimi. You can taste the high quality of the sashimi with each bite. Also ordered 2 handrolls, eel avocado roll and the spicy tuna roll. Again, you can taste the quality of the ingredients in preparing the handrolls. Overall, the price and wait to be seated is worth it. I will definitely be coming back here.
(5)
Michelle M.
It's okay. I went on a date there because I fell for all the hoop- la that I've heard about it... Over priced - long wait - rude servers - and annoying to find parking .. Overall, c+---- wasn't impressed
(3)
Luby H.
Good sushi and fresh fish, but easily not the best in the area. Came here with my family with a reservation on a Friday night, but somehow still waited over an hour to be seated. After the long wait, we ordered around 6 different dinner sets including the sashimi dinner, teriyaki dinner, uni dinner, chirashi deluxe, and other side items such as the fish chin, California rolls, and sweet shrimp sashimi. I personally was not too fond of our waitress. After ordering a decent amount for a family, we told her that she didn't give us enough rice, in which she doubted us, and started counting the number of rice bowls on our table (note: each dinner set comes with a bowl of rice), then pointed to my baby cousin and said he had that extra bowl of rice when really that was an extra bowl we had asked for the baby and put rice into it. Really?! Come on, how much can cooked rice be? After we explained, she reluctantly brought out snore howl of white rice for us, but the overall experience just wasn't very pleasant. I got for myself the sweet shrimp sashimi and the sashimi dinner, in which I didn't entirely love. For $26, the sashimi dinner did not offer enough fresh fish pieces, but instead, around half of the tray was filled with cooked seaweed, a chunk of spicy tuna and another chunk of some other ground fish mush. If I asked for sashimi dinner, I really am not expecting blobs of minced fish on my plate. The sweet shrimp sashimi on the other hand was just ok. It didn't taste that fresh and the shrimp was a lot smaller compared to what other Japanese restaurants normally serve you. We asked for our shrimp heads to be cooked into a soup, and that soup was probably my favorite part of the entire dinner. Since we were celebrating my uncles bday, we received a big scoop of free green tea ice cream which was nice. Overall, the bill for our family came out to $406 with tips, which was why I expected more out of the service instead of witnessing accusation and rice counting. Oh, and I wasn't happy about the fact that they charge $1 extra for each tiny plate of ginger upon not giving you any with the sashimi or rolls. Really?! It just seemed like they were way too calculative rather than customer service focused.
(3)
Andrea W.
My favorite go-to restaurant in Little Tokyo. The sushi is fresh and delicious. There is always a line outside of the door. This place is more traditional Japanese so it will not have a lot of speciality rolls that Americans tend to order.
(5)
Samuel L.
Finally had a chance to come here. I would first like to say that the parking is horrendous during peak hours so plan ahead. 3 bucks for parking or you can look for street parking. First impressions were great. We were greeted as we entered and then seated once there was space available. We got seated and decided to order the sashimi deluxe and tempura dinner Food: Sashimi deluxe- the fish was super fresh and was a great deal for the price we paid. Loved all the variety and balance of everything. Tempura- Light and not oily. Crisp and came with a side of sashimi. Was very filling. Service: - The wait staff was super friendly and the lady was more than consistent in checking up on us. - environment was clean and not too loud. bustling but not loud. Overall: Everything was super great and I really don't have anything to complain about except for the parking. This might not be the best sushi in the world but its one of the few very solid and very fresh locations around the la county area. FIVE STARS: Great service. Fresh fish. Decent price.
(5)
Anhtuan T.
Hmmm what hasn't been said in the last 1900 or so reviews? So to re-iterate, sashimi platter = BOMB
(5)
Mamie J.
The boyfriend and I are a fan of this place. Sushi Gen is an excellent choice for beautifully crafted dishes and extremely fresh fish. I am the ultimate critic on sashimi, but I have to say this place gets 5/5 for its tender fish that feels like butter when you bite into it. The sashimi deluxe was definitely the highlight our meal. We were taken right on time for our reservation. I would definitely recommend having one, as there were MANY people waiting. Service was prompt and we were checked on just enough during our meal. I saw everyone from couples, families, groups, and business people here. Great place for quality traditional Japanese food -- I'll definitely be back!
(5)
Tony L.
I hate your lines Sushi Gen, but your Sashimi is damn good!! I was not sure what to expect when I was waiting outside with the other 20 customers but it was definitely worth the wait. If you are a fan of Sushi or Sashimi, the best deal in town is Sushi Gens Sashimi lunch special for $15. You get a total of 12 different items of all varieties on a plate along with miso soup, bowl of rice, and tofu. The sashimi is so fresh and so delicious that it practically melts in your mouth. The parking is $2 with validation for under 2 hours but if you come for lunch the parking lot gets a little crowded.
(5)
Paul C.
Overrated. So we ordered the salmon, tuna and yellowtail belly (standard 2 piece per order). About $10 per. It had this slimy texture. Not good at all...I'm close to actually calling it terrible. Hama the next block up is MUCH better, unfortunately, it was closed today.
(2)
Long T.
Met up with some friends here during a business trip to L.A. as part of my Super Fantastic Happy Fun Time L.A. Sushi Tour. Rumor had it that this place was pretty dy-no-mite as the wait apparently pretty long for the food here. Thanks to my fellow yelpers who waited while I was stuck on the 110 and then after taking a wrong turn down E. 22nd Street instead of E 2nd street... (BIG difference), I finally made it to the J-Town eatery. I got the Freshwater Eel Sashimi Dinner and I was satisfied with my meal. All in all a very good and popular J-town sushi dinner restaurant with many cooked entrees. It is in the medium price range as far as LA sushi goes...
(4)
Christine T.
Made a reservation! Glad I did! Half an hour beige people were lining up at the door. Had the sashimi lunch, great deal for only $15!! Very fresh and great quick service.
(4)
Tisha C.
I initially called for a reservation the day of, and for a Saturday night they were booked which I expected. We put our name down. (Tables are a longer wait than the sushi bar and the menu is limited at the sushi bar which was fine by us.) We ordered till our hearts content and we kept it coming. I have been going to Sushi Gen ever since I was in my teens and they never disappoint. The sushi is fresh and generously cut. THE MUST HAVE is the Japanese Trout which we ordered a triple order of and it was divine! The shishito peppers are my fave, and NO soy sauce, love that. I'm not big on the soy sauce. In fact, I can live without it. We devoured our sushi like Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. This is one of the top sushi restaurants in Los Angeles. I promise you.
(5)
Ben R.
Eaten here for the first time today and i had to say that I am impress. I recommend anyone who hate to wait in a long line to go there early. The restaurant open for dinner at 5.30 PM, We got there at about 6 and there were already a line forming infront of the restaurant. We had to wait for about twenty minutes, but it was worth the wait. I had an Unagi dinner set with a couple orders of Toro. I got to say that the quality of the food here is exceptional!!! I would be coming back again!!! The price of the food is not expensive for what it is!!! Totally Worth it for Sushi Fan.
(4)
Martin T.
Best value: sashimi set lunch/dinner
(4)
Massiel S.
I wish I would have started yelping a long time ago so you all can see how often a person that NEVER EVER liked seafood comes to this place! :P I strongly disliked anything from the ocean. This placed changed my views by far. I almost always eat at the sushi bar too so I'm eating the fishiest fish! Salmon sushi is delicious! I always ask for no wasabi since they add some in between the rice and fish. Tuna and yellowtail are just as good too! Another fav is the toro! YUM! It just dissolves in your mouth! I usually always get salmon hand skin rolls, soo good! I've tried their teriyaki sashimi plate too! It's good! They give you a little bit of everything in my opinion! I don't like waiting in line too long when I come here. I've seen tons of people wait for this and I don't blame them! It's delicious! The chefs know what they're doing, the service is also nice and the ambiance is always good. Try the raw stuff, I did, and now I'm a sucker!
(5)
Joyce L.
There are few things in life I am willing to wait in line for; many of these things are food related. If you go to Sushi Gen for the famous $15 sashimi lunch special, you WILL have to wait-- either at the front of the line like I did (getting there 45 minutes before opening) or at the back of the ~30 person line (if you get there 15 minutes before opening).* Sushi Gen is a great bang for your buck. A huge plate of extremely fresh sashimi beautifully presented for $15? Verdict: I would wait in line again. Minus 1 star because the service was rather brusque, and a few pieces of fish were slightly raggedy and sinewy. *Note to the group that tried to cut the line when I was there: YOU ARE TERRIBLE PEOPLE.
(4)
Kenny G.
Decided to try this place because my friends recommended it. Had the Sashimi dinner as everyone else did. I really like the quality of fish they served. But to be honest, I have had better. The dinner came with tempura which was not great. The miso soup and side dishes was pretty good. Also had the yellow tail collar, that was really good as well. The tempura may have been an off day LOL. I didn't come here for the tempura. I can for the sushi.. Hehehehe. I'll dine here again!
(4)
Christian S.
One of the absolute best Sushi restaurants in Los Angeles. Yellowtail belly is out of this world.
(5)
Stephanie T.
I love their lunch special..such a great price ( $15) for the amount of food and the fish is fresh as well. I just wish they have the special on weekends..
(4)
N M.
I believe this describes Sushi Gen best.. 完全ã«ä¸€ã¤ã®ã“ã¨ã‚’ã‚„ã£ã¦ Kanzen ni hitotsu no koto o yatte "doing one thing perfectly" in Japanese
(5)
Mike P.
Lord this is good sushi, definitely the best I have had in LA. You are going to pay for quality but don't be fooled, these prices aren't that much higher than what you will get less than a mile away at other places. The attention to detail in all of their food is evident is the consistent cuts of fish, the temperature of the sashimi and the professional demeanor of the waiting staff. The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the parking. I didn't have three bucks and after dropping 100$ on food the staff wouldn't charge me an extra 3$ so I wouldn't have to cross the street and get money out of an ATM. That was a bit ridiculous and honestly is the reason I haven't been back. But I cant give this place three stars because the food was too good. Experience raw fish the way it should be, and bring some cash for parking please.
(4)
Oulie T.
Love love love. $15 Sashimi Lunch Special. There is an abundance of vibrantly hued fresh fish arranged on my plate and I haven't the slightest clue as to what species I am consuming but this fact doesn't bother me. There are the usual identifiables like tuna and salmon but there are a few undeciferables on my plate that pique my curiosity as to what names they could be identified by. Whatever they are they are tasty. I wouldn't know where to go to get this high quality fish for this price. It's an amazing deal, and the large gathering of people waiting outside for a table will attest to this fact. Don't be discouraged to dine here if you are afraid of a wait as it goes very fast. There were many people in business attire dining on their lunch hour here. Sushi Gen is well skilled in getting it's patrons in and out. Service wasn't lacking either. I enjoyed being served by an adorable old grandma aged japanese woman. She looked like she was going to topple over at any moment. She was so tiny and fragile but she was on top of it. Our food came out efficiently; drinks, then soup, then the sashimi. Quick courteous service. Sushi Gen, I love you.
(5)
Monica T.
Sushi Gen according to my super picky Taiwanese girlfriend is one of the most authentic sushi places she has found in the states. From my own experience, it is the best sushi place I have had ever had.
(5)
Xxxx W.
Arrived like 20 mins before lunch service, there was already a queue. The seafood was good quality. Will come back again
(3)
Helen O.
My niece took me for a B-DAY dinner at Sushi Gen, and I ordered the dinner combo plate and it was very FRESH and delish, too bad my niece is a Palian vegan so she happen to just Sake Bomb and got pretty jack'd up like a lush , luckily we had a short wait compare to most of the people that got there after us, service was really nice and I hope to be going back .
(4)
Electric E.
3 star validated. came here for dinner after several years. Same ol Same ol. People are rushing. table is tight. Sashimi dinner is good. Uni dinner is not bad, but you need TWO people who love uni to finish it. It's also a good place to watch high end execs be with hookers...err i mean models. ahahaah
(3)
Amie T.
DON'T EAT HERE!!!!!! If I can give this place negative stars, I would. After standing in line in the heat for the restaurant to open, they refused to let me order food to go because it's summer. They have no posting about this retarded rule anywhere!!! In addition, a woman who was in line ahead of me, nearly passed out from the heat and they wouldn't even give her a glass of water!!!! This shows how shitty their customer service is and I refuse to spend my money on an establishment that won't even help someone who needed water. THIS PLACE CAN GO TO HELL.
(1)
Giulio Cesare G.
i was referred this place by many people, some japanese, so i went with high expectations but the food was just a 3 stars, and considering the price is high give a 2. the place is nice, japanese-looking and cozy. but when it came to the fish... it's just average. the monkfish liver and the japanese snapper were good, the halibut was hard, chewy and tasteless, as you don't even find in the cheapest sushi places.
(2)
Victoria N.
The sashimi here is melt in your mouth delicious. We were visiting in town and our friends decided to take us here and I'm sure glad they did! We both ordered the sashimi deluxe, akimo pate and lots of uni!! All I can say is wow! Everything was so fresh and delicious. The sashimi delux included an assortment of generous cuts of fish such as salmon, tuna, ebi, tamago, and much more. The uni we ordered was especially fresh and sweet. Not fishy or smelly at all. I'm drooling thinking about how tasty everything was. The wait was a little more than an hour but I am sure glad we waited. Totally worth it! The place is small, but clean and service was good. Overall, we averaged about $50 a person with plenty of food and drinks.
(5)
Fullson C.
This review is for their service. My friends and I went to this place for dinner because we heard about the great reviews about their food. We went there, gave them our name, and waited just inside the restaurant entrance to be called. We waited for 30 minutes and still were not called, which is fine because good food is worth waiting for. We waited for another 15 minutes and eventually asked the host, whose name was Brian, I think, about the approximate wait time. That was when we found out he actually scratched off our name because apparently he called our name and no one answered. There were 3 pairs of ears in my party and we were standing right in front of him the entire time. I find it hard to believe that no one noticed when we were called. That's fine, because he got us a table in about 5 minutes and someone finally led us in. Now while I was waiting I had a grande iced chai tea latte in my hand, and I did not realize that they have a no-external-drinks policy, and when I sat down at my table I had literally one sip left in my plastic cup. All of a sudden Brian ran over, reached out for my chai tea latte, and says: "You can't have that in here. Can I take it?" I don't know what kind of employment training he had, but that was unacceptably rude for Japanese standards, and I honestly expected more from a famous Japanese restaurant owned by Japanese people. Needless to say that spoiled my mood for the entire night. The food itself was alright. I had better sushi at a random Kaitensushi place in Osaka. The female Japanese server for our table was extremely polite and nice though. This restaurant just needs to screen those people they place at the door. Base on this experience I don't ever plan on returning to this place.
(1)
Eric F.
There's certainly no doubt that the fish quality here is exceptional after the thousands of positive reviews and a first-hand run through of the variety of sushi. My friend and I were able to get a couple seats at the bar fairly quickly and I enjoyed most of the items including the sake, maguro, toro, aji, shellfish, uni, etc. The rice quality was indeed very good though I wish they used freshly ground wasabi given the prices. Which leads me to my main gripe: the quality here is great, but I've been to enough places around LA and other areas that offer comparable if not better sushi for less and in a more comfortable atmosphere. I left spending way more than I would've liked considering how hungry I still was by the end. Worth at least one try if you've never been, but I won't be back again.
(3)
Kevin C.
This isn't so much a review as it is a commentary. Yes, the $15 dollar weekday sashimi lunch special (that you can only get at non-sushi-bar-tables) is a ridiculous deal, and yes the quality is fan-flipping-tastic, and yes the service is an endearing example of Japanese efficiency and politeness. But you already knew all this. What my main question is why there are always so many people able to take off at least 2 hours (counting in wait time and eating time) during a weekday lunch period to eat here? WTH. I am a health professional and often have weekdays off rather than weekends. But what about the rest of the working world? What job allows you to have so much time off during lunch to wait in the 30-45 min line during the week day? Bizarre. Anyways, off my soap box now. Come eat here. The 2 hour parking validation for 2 dollars should be enough time to wait in line and eat.
(5)
Kevin J.
Such an enjoyable dinner at Sushi Gen! Lots of seating, but the place was packed for dinner time! Happy my friend and I came early, as when we finished, there was a tiny crowd waiting outside for seats. Lucky for us, being a group of two, it didn't take us long to get sushi bar seats! Win... The place is really lively, yet despite the loads of people, the sushi chefs are pretty attentive to the customers and make your sushi soon after you order. The fish quality is very fresh, and the textures are quite nice. The sushi rice was also well made. The dab of wasabi under the fish and the other toppings for some of the orders went well with our nigiri. My favorites were the tuna (all of them), uni, salmon, and scallop. The yellowtail fin was quite chewy, and was very tough to eat. (Not something I was used to.) I also ordered both the Spanish mackerel and the Japanese mackerel to check out the differences. Apart from slight differences in texture, nothing much else. After the dinner, I felt like it was a wasted comparison as they were both good - but in the end, I just ordered lots of mackerel... My main gripe with the place was the amount we paid. Not so much about how much, as we ordered quite a bit. But rather, I was really annoyed that we had no idea how much every order of nigiri cost when we ordered them! The paper slip with all the options had no pricing, and our receipt didn't even break it down for us! Such a trap... Be very weary the next time you come here, and order selectively. Otherwise you'll end up paying an arm and a leg, while not feeling full after the dinner. You've been advised and warned! Hope you enjoy the sushi!
(4)
Ren L.
Excellent excellent excellent quality of fish! The best traditional sushi I've had in LA. Come here for the nigiri, sashimi, and simple maki. However, fans of complex, high-calorie sushi rolls won't be dissapointed either.
(5)
Ahrianna L.
I've had better sushi.
(2)
Michael L.
Waited over an hour to get seated, was hyped as this place has the best rating in J-town/ Little Tokyo area. Once seated the waitress was very prompt if not a bit too pushy for us to order. Tried the Deluxe Sushi dinner and had cold tofu appetizer. Portions were ok, however other then the fatty tuna the sushi included was nothing special. Since u was not full yet i added orders from the sushi bar for yellow tail and spicy tuna handrolls. These tasted surprisingly better then the dinner set for some reason. Maybe you get better fish from the bar then at a table? For the price and wait time there are several better or comparable options in the area in my opinion.
(3)
Henan J.
Food-the sushi is probably the freshest and most satisfying you will find in Little Tokyo...which says alot! The sashimi melts on your tongue and the entire menu is one that intrigues you and makes you want to try the new fare Decor-the look and feel of the restaurant is very welcoming. You could be there on a date-a guys night out-a sushi diner after a long day at work-this place is versatile. Service-It felt like i had 3 people waiting on our table at all times, dropping off food, filling glasses, picking up empty plates, asking if everything was to our liking...I was happily surprised.
(5)
Antranig K.
I've been on a mission over the past few years to try as many sushi places as possible in the LA area. I've been to all kinds. Sushi Gen was a spot I used to frequent years ago as a law summer intern nearby at federal court. The judge had introduced us to it one day when he took us out for lunch - I still remember how it blew me away as it was my first time eating "good" sushi/maki/etc. - being from the east coast sushi is not as prevalent, readily available and high quality as the west coast. It hurt my wallet that day but left an impression on me. After I moved back here about 6+ years ago, I started going back recently - and I've been to many other places since as well. Sushi Gen is good, but I still prefer Chiba. Chiba's fish is too good, preparation too perfect, atmosphere too welcoming, and overall experience too stellar for anyone to supplant them yet - but I still have a few places to hit up... but it's pretty much over in terms of trying to find a better place. Sushi Gen put up a valiant effort over my last 3-4 visits there, but it just doesn't compare. Sushi Gen positives - good fish and good attention from sushi bar chefs Sushi Gen negatives - way too expensive, not "top quality" fish and small portions, a bit stuffy and snobby clientele I'd say top 5 in LA, but not the best
(4)
Sarah H.
Pretty much one of the best sashimi spots in all of Los Angeles. The sashimi lunch special is to die for. Each piece literally melts in your mouth.
(5)
Rebecca S.
Giant clam, sushi deluxe, spicy tuna and salmon skin roll. Get it all. So amazing, pricey-but will go back for an authentic Japanese meal. You'll definitely wait at least 30 mins for a table, but the line is absolutely worth it. Go go go!
(5)
Marisol M.
I love the Sashimi lunch specials. It's so good, people have to come early to line up about half hour before it actually opens. They will only let certain amount of people in. Certainly worth the wait!
(4)
Perer O.
Hands down the best sushi out there! This place is a must for anyone who likes sushi. Me and my wife just let the sushi chef make whatever he felt like and it was phenomenal! This place is a staple and a standard setter for the rest of our lives. Unfortunately I don't think we will be able to find any other sushi restaurants in the near future that match this places expertise. Clearly if you read all the reviews and compare ratings this place stands out in all of LA. Its not a coincidence.
(5)
Candace C.
The Skinny: although the appys and side dishes are not up to snuff, the sashimi deluxe is phenomenal in terms of the freshness of their product (3.5) service: despite the rather draconian reservation policy, service is prompt - our waitress didn't hold out on her opinion with regards to how to order which ended up saving us money.(4) value: totally worth it if you are there for sashimi.... Maybe not so much with other food. (3.5 star bump up to 4 starred review.) Just to warn you... This place is a zoo. Literally you have people lining out the door to get into this small downtown LA sushi joint past 9 pm on weekend nights. Reservations are highly recommended and FYI they are draconian when it comes to this. Your entire party must be present to be seated and if you miss your reservation time? You are totally s.o.l., my friend. Your table is gone. Free parking in this area is difficult in this area therefore we were relegated to park in the restaurant's parking lot for $3. (Just tell the dude manning the parking lot you are going to Sushi Gen and he'll give you the discount. No proof of purchase necessary.) Did I forget to mention that they have signs prohibiting cellphone use and reserve the right to refuse service? Consider yourself warned. So after all these rules, is it worth it? Yes and no. With the edge leaning towards "yes". When our waitress dropped off the menu, it was initially very confusing. There is 2 laminated menus - one which is purely appetizers and another with truncated appetizers and entree list. To add to the confusion there is also a paper a la carte sushi/sashimi menu which has no prices listed. Confused yet? Hell yeah. Our waitress sensed our confusion and wrote in the prices for us on the paper menu. We wanted to get some good toro without breaking the bank. Our waitress was great and told us as we were planning on getting the sashimi deluxe ($35), there was a great deal of tuna there. Perhaps we wanted to get the platter first and see if we wanted to add something later? That was a great suggestion and we were happy she told us this. We added an order of assorted tempura, chicken karaage, and salmon skin salad. We ended up passing on the set dinners because we weren't necessarily keen on the miso soup (can make this at home) or sunomono (hubs is not a fan) and rice (filler). We saw others order this and they certainly looked like a good size, quality and value. The serving size of the uni dinner is rather large (although it appeared like the sashimi was prepackaged and simply unwrapped and put on a plate...just saying). Let just start by saying... The side dishes we ordered were not good. The karaage was formed into these rather thick balls of meat. It was rather odd texturally to have some mushy half cooked batter in the center of this concoction. Errrrr...definitely not my cup of tea and cannot recommend this to anyone. Tempura was only okay. Although the shrimp was plentiful, the batter was too spongy and overly moist. Not something I would order again. The salmon skin salad was not what I was expecting. It consisted of just some crisped up salmon skin sprinkled on top of some mixed greens -undressed. It really needed some sort of dressing to tie it all together. So why the above star rating you ask? The sashimi deluxe platter. Okay okay. The way that the fish was cut isn't perhaps the best method. It didn't necessarily quite melt in your mouth in quite the way it ought to. But there is no denying the freshness of the product. Plus the serving size was exceptionally generous. The platter was lined with several slices of chu toro, small amount otoro, maguro, negi toro and spicy tuna. Yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, octopus, calamari, red snapper, and mackerel. Fried slice of salmon, egg, soy marinated fish and crab. Yeah... This is all on the sashimi deluxe platter. For $35, this is a ridiculous bargain considering the quantity and quality of product. I wish I could comment on the sushi items however we were quite full by this point. All in all, considering everything all together, this place should be rated 3.5 stars. I wouldn't get anything but the raw fish items and skip all the side dishes. Make reservations and get there early.
(4)
Sehyung K.
Only if i can get guaranteed seating, i would go here every day. Absolute best sushi in DTLA. Typically sit at the bar for lunch since there is shorter wait... but if you do, you can't get the daily bento lunch. But omakase dinner is amazing.
(5)
Ziqian G.
Waiting time is a little bit too long. Food is so good!
(4)
L H.
YUM YUM YUM! Sushi-Gen is a small hidden spot in Lil Tokyo DTLA, but with FRESH seafood everytime we go. We usually order: Live Shrimp, Abacore Sashimi, SPICY TUNA HAND ROLL, and Red Snapper! This is the sishi spot if you love fresh sushi! Planning to go to Sushi-Gen? expect 20min to 30min wait until you'll be seated. It's always pack! BUT well worth it!
(5)
Nej C.
Fresh fish - plain and simple and good. However, this was one of the most lackluster Omakase experiences I've ever had. My best friend and I weren't served any particularly unique types of fish and the atmosphere was very rush people in and rush them out. I've been having Omakase at a different sushi restaurant about once a month for almost a year with my best friend and this was a very "eh" kind of experience. I did enjoy that we got a good amount of fresh fish and it was well crafted, but the itamae didn't seem to put too much concern into the order in which our sushi was given. I wanted to give 3.5 stars, but Yelp won't let me and 4 wouldn't quite feel right. So I'll go with A-Okay.
(3)
Elaine C.
Love the sashimi here, and the chicken teriyaki! MUST MUST try this place. It's an OG sushi restaurant. The service is pretty prompt, except for the seating-- if you go during the main lunch and dinner times be prepared to wait an 30-60mins on avg. Everytime I've been i've never been disappointed. I prefer to sit at the tables vs sushi bar- you can order hot food at the tables. Sushi bar is limited to only sushi/sashimi items. The quality of the fish is not comparable- I would have to say the best so far in LA. The bill can run a bit high but you get what you're paying for. That's some Damn great sushi!! haha Quality vs Quantity- I heart this place very much.
(5)
Jimmy K.
Best sushi house in little tokyo! I would order a sake and enjoy most of sushi at the bar. Also try ordering fresh scallop half sashimi half barbeque
(5)
Ty C.
Top notch! Get in line its worth the wait!
(5)
Natalie M.
GREAT sushi in Little Tokyo. if you like seaweed salad def order here. also the crab hand roll was outstanding, warm, buttery, crisp nori that snaps and melts in your mouth. Gets super crowded. I like to go right when it opens at 5p!
(5)
Crystal K.
The love sushi gen. The staff is nice. The fish is always fresh and the prices are awesome. You have to order the toro and uni if you want a party in your mouth. The Toro literally melts in your mouth. The sashimi plate at lunch is only $15 and you get sooooo much food.
(5)
holly l.
My son and I went for sushi there this week. We go to Little Tokyo about twice week for sushi and always see a long line. We decided to try it and we waited for about forty five minutes to get in. I got the sashimi platter and my son got two spicy tuna rolls. The sushi was good... nothing great and the miso soup was alright. The best thing was the tofu. We will stick to our regular sushi place that is better sushi and not such a long wait.
(3)
Sparkle T.
Now this is what I call sushi! Clean, well made, fresh and full of flavor. The line is dreadful but everybody wants what's good. Just place your order to go if your in a hurry. This is high quality delicious sushi. Portions are good. Sashimi lunch is everything!!
(5)
Jeff T.
This place is always crowded but I don't get the appeal. They give you tiny plates of meat so you have to keep ordering. I much prefer Oo-Kook on Rosemead for good kbbq in SGV.
(3)
Tiffany L.
People go crazy over this place, but to be honest.. I think it's a little overrated. I mean yes, the sashimi is good, but I wouldn't say it's the best that I've had. For the price you pay, however, it's definitely worth it. With $15, you get a good variety of sashimi and everything comes out super fast. We waited for about an hour or so, but we finished all our food within 20 minutes. If you're looking for some out-of-this-world yummy sashimi, this isn't it. But if you want good quality sashimi at a reasonable price... COME TO SUSHI GEN! Keep in mind though that this isn't the best place to come if you're in a rush, seeing as the waiting time is usually at least an hour.
(4)
Junglist S.
Good sushi, great deal.
(4)
Shih L.
Horrible service. My mother waited in line for lunch and told the guy for a party of 2. I was outside and came in 30 secs after. When the guy saw me, He continued to give the seats to everyone else...then asked us to share a big table with another group. Never again will I come back. Sushi gen you just lost another customer.
(1)
Qing L.
1. Taste: very fresh and quantity sea food:5 2. Service: I have been here so many times, yesterday the service was terrible. I ordered 2 Monk Fish liver, but they only brought me 1 and charged for 2 orders( it was not that busy). I ordered a sashimi L but they gave me a Templa L. I asked them that I didn't order Templa L, the staff told me that was Sashimi L. When I check the bill it stated Templa L. Obviously they staff was okeydoke me. 1 star 3. Hygiene: pretty clean 4 4. Environment: small parking limited spots but that is how a downtown should be like: 4.5 So I give it a 3 star rating
(3)
Julie C.
Hands down my favorite sushi spot in Little Tokyo, nonetheless DTLA. Sugarfish and all the other sushi joints are nowhere near in comparison to this place. Everything you order is super fresh and the ratio of meat to rice is perfect! They are very generous with the meat portion. My personal favorites: 1) Best scallops I've ever had 2) Toro 3) Uni 4) Unagi 5) Spanish Mackerel 6) Sweet Shrimp 7) Hamachi 8) Red Snapper soup is to die for
(5)
Nadine U.
Food: Everyone comes here for the lunch specials. My friends and I all got the sashimi lunch special for $17. I thought this was priced very reasonably. The set includes rice, miso soup, tofu, and a whole plate of sashimi! The sashimi was very fresh and tasty and I actually really liked the tofu side they give you. Overall the set was very filling and worth the price. Service: I was surprised they were able to sit us at a table after just 5 minutes despite the long line. I think most people wanted to sit by the bar. The servers were all nice and the food came out fast!
(4)
Lauren Y.
Delicious. I've been to a lot of upper-scale sushi restaurants, and Gen can fight with the best of them. The day I visited everything was high-quality and authentic Japanese. Wasabi was freshly made and the fish tasted like it was caught that day. I found out that the amaebi I ate was shipped in that day, and I could definitely taste it. I highly recommend this restaurant. Delicious oysters, sushi, sashimi, and green tea. Very authentic.
(5)
Robert L.
Total cost dinner for 2 $250 pre tip . Parking $3 . Total experience worth every penny . I do consider this one of the best sushi places if not the best In the area . Kazu the sushi cook is very good and vocal about what should not be eaten with out soy sauce as he should be . This dinner was a gift from a friend and it was welcomed first time in a long while since I have been treated so well in a restaurant . Fresh is the only word that comes to mind as I savored every bit .
(5)
Tim F.
I went during the $17 lunch deal. I'm not a big fan of Tuna. You can "imaGen" my dismay when I found that tuna was the main part of the dish, until... The Bad The spicy tuna and the orange mess with onions in it. These were the worst of the plate, but they tasted alright (6/10). I also didn't like the octopus/squid (4/10). The salmon was dry (5/10). The Good: Everything else. There was 2 sets of tuna (fat and lean) and they were both DELICIOUS! Yellowtail is always bland to me, but this had a good texture and was NOT DRY. It's so cheap too! $17 for a bunch of fish, rice, and miso soup? I totally am a fan. At Sushi Gen, just plug me in and I'll start whirring
(5)
John C.
When I went, it was a really good day for tuna. Anything tuna tasted crazy delicious. The freshness of their fish is definitely something. However. Minus one star, because it is overpriced, the wait is insanely long, and their parking lot is always full. Minus another star, because the sides that came with the sushi combo were really really really bad. I left my meal a little unsatisfied, a little unfulfilled.
(3)
Lina S.
If I didn't get mercury poisoning I would eat here everyday.
(5)
Kevin T.
No sushi lunch special in LA beats sushi gen. Recently, sushi gen increased most (or all) of the lunch items by $2, but this remains the best lunch deal in LA. For $18, you get a plate of nicely decorated sashimi, miso soup, rice, and tofu. The fish is fresh and tender, and comes with a nice variety. The wait can be long, but if you have time to burn and find yourself in LA, look no further and stop by!
(5)
Jennifer L.
My absolute favorite sushi restaurant!!! I always come for the Sashimi lunch special $15, but they raised it now to $17.
(5)
James S.
Nothing less than awesome. Sushi at its finest.
(5)
Bin H.
FRESH Sashimi, but their Chirashi Bowl is losing its swag! Not sure why their Chirashi Bowls get worse every time I dine here. I strategize and get there just in time to get seated within 10 minutes, so I never had to wait too long. Their servers are nice, dishes come out relatively fast, but not sure why I keep getting disappointed with their Chirashi Bowls. Perhaps I'll just order the Sashimi plate from now on?
(4)
Audrey W.
My mom is a sushi connoisseur. And she is not afraid to tell the sushi chef when it's anything less than good. So naturally, it's nerve wracking to take her out to sushi places that will meet her high standards. Even some of the elite places in New York City didn't meet her satisfaction. Then comes along Sushi Gen. Of course you can tell from my rating that I like it but does she?.... wait for it.... for the price, indeed. They serve really fresh sashimi where the sashimi deluxe is $45 for a platter that can easily feed 2-3. It's not the best place in LA but it definitely one that has great quality without breaking the bank.
(5)
Les L.
The sashimi lunch special is what brings everyone to Sushi Gen at lunch time. Before the doors even open, people line up outside to guarantee themselves a spot at the first seating. Take note, it's the sashimi lunch and not the sushi lunch that you want. Truth be told, I was much more impressed by it the first time I ate it than any successive time, but it is a very good value, especially if you like tuna. The meal is essentially a portrait of tuna...Raw slices of sashimi, mixed with hot sauce for spicy, braised in soy and dashi for katsuo no kakuni. The entire plate is an extraordinary amount of food. And it comes with rice and miso soup!
(4)
Jennifer L.
Classic hole-in-the-wall in a dingy plaza right off of 2nd street that caters to some of the FRESHEST sushi around LA! I've gotten the toro sushi, and chirashi bowl on my previous visits to Sushi Gen. The toro was amazingly buttery and smooth, and the chirashi bowl was assorted with a great variety of fish (with the yellowtail being my favorite) - and was very filling. I always ask for my chirashi with just yellowtail & salmon, to avoid getting the other cheaper things on it, but all ingredients here were just so fresh & delicious that I happily scarfed each piece down. Next time I'll have to brave up and try to wait in the giant line for its ever-so-famous lunch special! The only down-side is the incredible wait (the lunch special is so popular that people line up from 10a.m. on, hoping to get in around noon...). Other than that, it is pricey but you definitely get what you pay for - fresh sashimi and the sushi chefs that know how to do sushi right!
(4)
Forrest D.
No longer even near the best sushi I've eaten, it's still very good for the price though not worth the wait. There are a number of neighborhood places with better sushi though. An excellent place to try good sushi and start a journey towards the upper tier restaurants in the Westside and the Valley.
(4)
Mina H.
delicious. nuff said.
(5)
Starving Student P.
Yes, the $15 Sashimi Platter is of amazing value. However, if you want the best of what Sushi Gen offers, dine at the Sushi Bar as most people are completely missing out on as they primarily go for the sashimi platter mainly due to the price. They have fish that's considered traditional in Japan yet uncommon in the US such as Engawa (Halibut Fin), Aji (Spanish Mackerel) and Kohada (Gizzard Shad). The best thing to order that will make you drool on the table is O-Toro (Very Fatty Tuna)! The Non-$15 Sashimi Platter Blog Review: themetropolitanlounge.bl…
(5)
Diana H.
Ain't nobody dope as Sushi Gen dressed so fresh so clean (So fresh and so good good) Outkast sums it up pretty well here. No fuss sushi bar with super fresh high quality fish. What's not to love? Make sure to sit at the sushi bar even though there might be a long wait and no wait for the tables. The wait is worth it!!! I made this mistake the first time I went and the sushi was a bit warm by the time it got to our table. Needless to say, I wasn't too thrilled. The next time I sat at the sushi bar and the sushi was 100x better.
(5)
Bryan K.
With 600+ reviews and 4.5 stars what else more needs to be said about this place? Fresh fish, a great place, always crowded. In Honda Plaza in Japantown. It'll run you about $100 a head, but what do you expect for great sushi?
(5)
Gary I.
This place is definitely a true sushi place. It's been here for more than 30 years. The sushi is fresh and the service is great. The trouble with this place is that the parking sucks and there's a long wait time. The sweet shrimp was delicious and we had the tails deep fried. AMAZING!! I had sea urchin once and it was disgusting. My co worker recommended their sea urchin to me so I decided to try it and it was delicious. The texture was gooey but it was unusually sweet and very tasty. If you want real Japanese sushi, send your friends here.
(4)
Brandon W.
I love sushi lets start there... this is my favorite sushi bar in Southern California, if not my favorite sushi bar period. The quality is always top notch. The service is always excellent. This is the one place where I will splurge and get mostly sashimi and skip the nigiri. The fish here is second to none. This is also one of the few places where I will eat omakase. I have never left here without a fully belly and a smile on my face.
(5)
Matthew T.
I've been here so many times now to have their sashimi deluxe and all times have been just delicious. Yellowtail collar was awesome! And I was surprisingly full from just the sashimi deluxe and yellowtail collar. The sashimi deluxe is the perfect size for two. Also, wow, how can I not talk about their lunch special where for $15 you can get a sashimi lunch combo with many of the items they have during dinner. It isn't quite as big but you still get a lot of sashimi thats fresh for a price that can't be beat anywhere. The only thing keeping Sushi-Gen from being a five-star restaurant is the wait. It's hard to get a table but if you're calling ahead for the lunch special you can be in and out with take-out in 10 minutes flat.
(4)
Kendra V.
The sushi is hands down 5 stars. I couldn't complain about even if I tried mega hard. Their sushi marinade/brine is top quality. You won't taste a single fishy fishness in any piece and the marinade/brine makes the sushi extremely tender and buttery (all sushi is placed in a brine or marinade if you did not know. It is what distinguishes ok sushi from superior sushi.) I took a star off because the tempura is sadly not up to sniff to the same level of quality as their fish. It is very oily tasting and the pieces I received were soggy on the bottom. That's never happened to me for any tempura I've ever ordered in my life so that was very disappointing. So if you are ordering one of their dinner combos skip the one with the tempura added and just do straight up sushi or sashimi combo. Good sushi alone doesn't cause the crazy stupid lines this place has every. single. day. So what causes this you might ask? It's the insanely cheap combo prices for the equally insane quality of sushi you get and for the insane amount they give you for that price plus extras they give you on top of everything. 20 to 30 bucks for what you see in the pictures. Ya it's nuts. It's the American sushi portion we've all dreamed about with a McDonalds price and French Laundry quality.
(4)
Jen X.
i think they named this place after me but got the spelling wrong. last night at dinner here i said, "this is the only place i ever want to eat sushi from now on'. i will seriously throw a shit fit if anybody tries to make me eat at another sushi restaurant. going by the customer recommendations we tried the toro, yellow tail belly and some others. the toro was so good we ordered another round and i told the table, 'are you ready for me to have another mouth orgasm?' the fish here is so fresh it's the kind that makes you close your eyes, chew slowly and make happy noises. our waitress was great and a little sassy in a fun way, when i ordered natto her eyes got big and she asked if i liked natto. i told her i loved natto and she brought me my little dish of fermented sticky soy beans with a smile. luckily i will be living in the neighborhood so i can have sushi gen whenever i want. the prices are very very good especially for the quality, 3 of us ate and drank and were past full for a little over $100. arigato sushi gen
(5)
Tabitha C.
Review is only for lunch, make sure you get there at the very least 30 minute before lunch even begins. The line will start very soon after, definitely worth the wait. The waitress's are use to the lunch crowd, so expect them to push you along as soon as you sit down, probably have at most 5 minutes to decide what you want before they come asking for your order. Their sashimi lunch special ($15) is the most affordable sushi plate I've ever had and the quality can't be beat. Soup and rice is included with their lunch special along with a pickled vegetable medley dish. I was full after everything. They have items on the menu, but its hard for me to stray from the sashimi lunch special. I just wanted to add to their raving lunch review.
(5)
Ken M.
Nothing to say that hasn't already been said. Great fish, great service and really not too pricey. There is a reason it's so popular and they don't take reservations, the chef/owner gets the best fish, and as far as I can tell, has gotten the best fish for decades.
(5)
Min S.
I have been to Sushi gen few times and ate at the bar. I could see that they only use high quality fish and they have been selling a lot. I mean A LOT. I have been very much impressed about their quality of fish and the number of chefs working on supposedly-not-busy-weekdays(8 chefs for Tuesday night... wow. ) This time I went to Sushi gen for lunch sashimi ($15) and it had about 7kinds of fishes including toro.ytail.crabmeat.spicy tuna.squid.salmon braised. salmon teriyaki. seaweed. I loved them all, but I wished they serve them with vinegared rice. (not plain white rice) I think that is more appetizing and tastes much better. Nothing to complain and will be back definitely!
(4)
Sid H.
Sashimi lunch special..get there at least 20 minutes before they open!! Parking sucks here!!! I usually just walk from the gold line.
(5)
X R.
Sushi-Gen is legit. When I take the train up from SD, sometimes my gf and I will stop in here for a quick sushi fix in Little Tokyo. Such a random little spot in that little strip mall with a bunch of Japanese restaurants surrounding but this place stands out. Even the lot attendant makes the mistake of asking if we're going to Sushi-Gen and then corrects himself. Fish is always super fresh and tasty. Usually pretty crowded with a short wait. Love the uni w quail egg. A lot of times we'll look over to the people next to us and have sudden urges to order whatever it is wondering, "How do I even order that?!"
(5)
Regina H.
Everyone comes here for the sashimi lunch special and for good reason! People start lining up even before it opens. For $15, the special is a steal and will definitely fill you up. In addition to the sashimi (which is very fresh), you get a bowl of soup, salad, and rice. Even if you're not coming for the lunch specials, the food is well worth the price! FYI, your whole party must be present for you to be seated!
(5)
Cheryl N.
I think this is the first time I couldn't wait to write a yelp review. After a 45 minute wait (since I tried to reserve at last minute and was unsuccessful), we finally sat down! We tried a lot of sushi but my favorites were fatty tuna, albacore, and yellowtail. What made them so delicious was the unexpected feeling of pure sushi satisfaction upon entering my mouth and slowly chewing. All were very fresh, so tasty I didn't use soy sauce at all, and the rice was perfection. This was the first time I felt the fish and rice really complimented each other. I really didn't know sushi, good sushi, until eating here and now I'm addicted! Too bad they ran out of yellowtail collar and yellowtail belly sushi and our waitress switched our order on the fatty tuna and albacore but that was ok. We ordered another fatty tuna and the second time around was even better! I didn't see the prices for the sushi, didn't really want to look too. For the quantity and quality of it, it wouldn't matter anyway. Next time I'll make reservations, and early, so I can't miss out on the yellowtail collar and belly. I can't wait to come back here again! Btw, no cell phones and laptops here. You wouldn't think of using them anyway, the sushi is that good!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Cindy J.
The service is great the sushi is amazing if you love sushi this is the place to go !
(5)Charles T.
Not very good service, food is ok , but not fresh like other restrant neat little Tokyo ,
(1)Rosemary T.
Nah, this place is all hype. I really looking forward here, but there's nothing special here at all. The sushi quality is good, but not to the point that I would pay $100 per person for it. For four people, our bill was around $400, and none of us were even full. All of their sushi menu are a la cart and does not have a price on it, so there's no way to check what they charge you for. The wait is also super long by 5:15, so if you're not here by 5:00, be prepare to wait for at least 1 hour. Tip: There are better sushi places out there that doesn't break your wallet.
(3)Karl K.
thank you for wasting an hour of my time. if you say the wait is 45 minutes but come back in 30, and i do, don't freaking say i didn't answer and bump me to the back of the line. if you don't want people to leave, say so. and don't bump people to the back of the line when they return like you asked. wtf!!! you're damn right this is a rant. i freaking hate it when people waste my time.
(1)H L.
And I'm 537! Ever since I was but a wee sapling I've always dreamed of being Numero 537! Big, fresh, fat and moist slices of freshly-killed fish. With plum wine to kill. 'Nuff said. Absolutely splendid.
(5)J. J.
Enough has been said about this place; you can't go wrong here if you don't mind the wait, especially around lunch time. My lunch favorite: the Sushi Deluxe ($15) combo plate for some of the freshest, melt-in-your-mouth bites this side of Tokyo.
(5)Pamela S.
I've been here a couple times during the typical mid-week lunch-rush and I really love it. Usually I get the "lunch special" (i.e., "sashimi lunch special"). It's very good: excellent fish quality, generous lunch-size portions, and a great price for what you're getting ($15?). What I don't like: (1.) parking - though the restaurant validates, you still have to pay (2.) the wait - although, in all fairness, it's not that insane... i think i waited about 20 minutes both times (3.) service - even though they are very polite, they make you feel like you have to rush through your lunch; i don't particularly appreciate that =\
(4)Jeannie K.
I've been 10+ times so I can't give it 2 stars (which, for me, means I wouldn't go back as opposed to 3 stars which means I wouldn't object)... but I won't go back. The lunch menu is a good deal. You get a LOT of food for $15. The dinner - best bang for the buck on the menu is sashimi deluxe with an order of sushi rice on the side. I haven't had cooked food here, and if I go back, that is what I will get. The hamachi collar looks pretty awesome, and it's hard to mess up such an oily fish anyway. Small parking lot, ~$2 with validation.
(3)Mel Z.
Sushi Gen is probably one of the most traditional Japanese sushi places I have been to in Little Tokyo/LA. They basically serve only what is fresh that day and do not mask the nigiri with to much unnecessary flavor. If you sit at the sushi bar they expect you to know what you are doing. Eating here reminds me of eating sushi in Japan. If you are not an experience sushi eater than don't sit at the bar... and if you do, please don't be that guy! You know what I mean =0) Only bad thing is that this place is ALWAYS packed for lunch and dinner!!.. and can be very expensive... but I highly recommend it.
(5)A C.
Sushi Gen, though ownership had changed hand, still maintains the quality it had. As a downtowner, I go there often and have tried virtually everything on or not on the menu. It has some of the best Sushi close to real Japanese sushi.
(5)Matthew R.
Freshest fish this side of the water! Oh man, I think this is the best sushi I've ever had. I sat @ the bar, which has a four order per person minimum and does not have the full dinner menu available, but who needs it when you have sushi this good. The presentation is somewhat pedestrian, but the friendly sushi chef's are very personable and entertaining. It's a bit pricey, but not the priciest out there. I spent about $100 per person, and that was with only two alcoholic drinks per person. The Japanese Red Snapper was something I will always remember! There are a few parking spaces in the plaza, otherwise, park down the street at the Little Tokyo Plaza parking (about $4).
(5)Sherry L.
Spending $75 on sushi for lunch? Yeah, it happens. But this is SO worth it. I had a total of 20 pieces and 1 roll (uni). So it's actually really good value. The fish was as fresh as you can get.. I had tamago, uni, amaebi, hamachi, salmon, shima aji, scallop, anago, and a bunch of others. This is some of the best sushi I've had in California.
(5)Mikey R.
I was looking for a delicious sushi place for my 30th birthday and am so glad we came here. Service was great. All the fish was super fresh. Definitely coming back!
(4)Darsha W.
This is absolutely one of my most favorite places to go for sushi. I originally read about Sushi Gen in the LA Times a few years ago in the food section. I felt like I had discovered my secret go to place for sushi. I had NO IDEA how famous and popular this place is. The quality of the fish is outstanding, fresh and tasty....never, never fishy or foul. I usually do not sit at the Sushi Bar and have table service. The servers are 100% Japanese. They do an adequate job taking orders and bringing food to your table. In addition to the sushi I can recommend any type of tempura you like. The shrimps are large and taste delicious. If you order a Sushi-Combo Dinner you will get a side dish of some of the best seaweed salads I have ever had! (Well I have not had that many seaweed salads....but here at Sushi Gen it is out of this World!) Sometimes if we are going to the Music Center or Disney Hall for a show we order food and pick it up before and have a truly special meal before the show.
(4)Huan L.
best sushi restaurant that's not on the west side. they are so busy (lunch and dinner) that they turn over a tremendous amount of fish which means you always get fresh stuff. go early or be prepared to wait.
(4)Jay K.
A long time favorite, known for quality and taste. PROS: The freshest fish, the best taste, a real traditional restaurant w/ real sushi chefs. CONS: Busy (always a wait), Service is not very friendly (2 stars), parking is tough. Expensive. Recommendations: Chirashi Thumbs up (Karate Kid II style)
(4)John H.
I'm not sure why this place gets all the buzz. I consider myself a sushi snob and I only care about one thing when I go to a sushi place, the quality of fish. My wife and I tried the omakase and I'd have to say, for the price they charge, I'd rather go to a high-end sushi place. The quality is not BAD, but it's not worth the price or the wait. My toro (fatty tuna) was a particularly bad cut and had a lot of gristle. Overall, there are too many sushi places in Little Tokyo that I prefer to go before Sushi Gen.
(3)Linda T.
one of the best sushi place ive been to! hamachi, tuna, aji, saba, uni, salmon, unagi! all so fresh and delicious! love sitting at the bar and just ordering piece by piece! unagi was warm, meaty and crispy! tuna melted in my mouth! everything was delicious! good friendly service too
(5)Picabo S.
Wonderful. The freshest and the best sashimi I've had in LA so far. Not cheap but definitely worth every penny you pay. Little Tokyo is the place to be.
(4)Chrissy E.
Delicious! And only a 5 minute wait (which I hear is good). I ordered white fish something for an appetizer and the sushi deluxe. I tried a few things that I've never had before and everything was tasty. Including the complementary miso soup. I'm glad that I finally made it here and was completely satisfied.
(5)Nancy X.
Sigh :( I feel really lame for not liking this place, but I gotta be honest. Maybe it's because I don't live near Little Tokyo? Maybe it's because my palate isn't refined enough? Or maybe it's just cause this place is kinda overhyped... Came here for lunch at 10:30 am, because I heard that's how you do it to avoid the lines. And damn, were they right! We were 5th in line, but by the time Sushi Gen opened at 11:15 (oh yeah, Yelp, Sushi Gen opens at 11:15, it even says so on their website, so I dunno why Yelp says 11 am....) there were a good 30+ people in line. That made me excited, because I was like, damn this place must be good if people wanna take their lunch breaks early to wait in line. We were seated quickly, and the waiters and waitresses were SUPER attentive, taking our order right away, bringing us water, bringing our food quickly, pointing out the bathroom, etc. We got the sashimi lunch special (which was on everyone's table) and the sashimi/tempura lunch special. Both were $15, which was very reasonable. They came with miso soup, pickled vegetables, tofu, and a big bowl of rice. The soup and tofu was yummy. The tuna belly was buttery and delicious. The grilled salmon, not so much. The octopus, tuna, whitefish, and yellowtail (i think) were okay. The spicy tuna was pretty good, and so was this weird salty brown preserved eel in the upper lefthand corner (they're all plated the same). The non-spicy tuna mix was DISGUSTING! and so was the other thing on the left side of the plate. You know, you see the pictures. It's those 2 slices of unidentifiable white/translucent stuff with a sauce on it. I think it was just sliced konjac....It was not yummy. The tempura was...okay. It was not crispy and light like tempura I've had at other places like Maki and Sushi, Chiba, etc. It was weirdly doughy and the shrimp inside was overcooked :( Definitely a nice atmosphere with super sweet people, but all in all, I'd much rather just go to Maki and Sushi, where I can get the delicious sashimi and rolls I want at a decent price. It was worth a try, though.
(3)Bailey Z.
$15 sashimi lunch special FTW! This popular lunch spot is well-known for their sashimi lunch special, which definitely lived up to the hype. It comes with miso soup, soft tofu, pickled vegetables, and a large bowl of rice. The plate itself consists of several different varieties of fish including three types of tuna, yellowtail, squid, crab, cooked salmon, fermented fish, amongst others I couldn't recognize. I've had my share of expensive sushi and the sashimi here is right up there. The tuna and yellowtail were the best of the lot; the thick cut slices were melt-in-your-mouth buttery. I also loved the fresh crab. Everything was delicious, even the wasabi tasted better here. Other menu items that looked good were the kumamoto oysters and the uni. Make it a priority to come for lunch if you get the chance. I guess it's not really a secret that it's the best sashimi lunch in town anymore. Parking can be annoying, but validation drops the price to a couple of bucks.
(5)Steve M.
My wife and I arrived at 5:35, we got the LAST table and the sushi bar was full. We're talking a room with 75+ table seating... they open at 5:30. The waitress was friendly and succinct with our order, which I like. Now the food... we ordered the sushi deluxe and a couple of rolls. We were in sushi heaven. We are regular customers here, but finally decided to let ya all know. Yep I'm a fan.
(5)Daniel P.
Everything is fresh here and there are many different types of fish to choose from. After dining here, I can't eat sushi/sashimi anywhere else unless its AYCE. prices at the table are very reasonable. For two, getting two entrees, such as sushi deluxe and sashimi deluxe, with a drink and everything included will run around $90. At the bar, things can get real pricey and can easily reach $250 for two people. Well, that's because I always get the specialty items and omakase for a few rounds. Chefs are talented and they are fun to chat with. Be prepared to wait up to an hour if you come at dinner time.
(5)Nathan W.
Almost 2000 reviews doesn't lie. This sushi spot offers great quality at a very reasonable price. Gets very crowded so make reservations early. Great service and I enjoy sitting at the bar and watching the chefs make the sushi. One of my favorite sushi spots.
(5)Howard C.
Very fresh and so, so good! Sat at the very crowded bar, as I was solo. Quickly ordered and was served almost immediately with sashimi. Hamachi belly was so buttery and decadent. Ordered a second serving! You can get more "platter" type options in the dining room but the bar is efficient and very enjoyable. Pricy but worth every penny!
(5)Stephen C.
This place is one of the better sushi places in little Tokyo. There's always a crowd at dinner.
(4)H W.
One of the top 5 authentic sushi restaurant in la for the price, place can get crowded but it's def worth the wait. My lady and I come here every other week to have good sushi and sake. Great place for a date night
(5)Chrissy K.
I had my first Sushi experience here and wouldn't have had it anywhere else. Came here for my Birthday dinner and we didn't have to wait because we had reservations. Spent around $400, but worth it! Fresh!
(5)HP M.
Fish is very fresh - but warning, only go here if you like genuine authentic healthy no grease Japanese sushi. Unadventurous americans - you will NOT find a Philadelphia or "crazy roll" on the menu.
(4)Tracie L.
Was craving sushi and heard about the awesome $15 lunch deal at Sushi Gen from many friends. My bf took me here and all I gotta say is CRAVINGS BEYOND SATISFIED END OF STORY. Coming from OC there wasn't too much traffic we arrived around 10:45AM and there was already a long line out the door. The restaurant is located in the Honda Plaza, validated parking is $3 for 2 hours, but if you're like us and feel like exploring little tokyo more and walking a bit to the japanese american museum then parking is $9 for all day which isn't bad. The anticipation and hunger standing in line was killing me as we waited til 11:30 for Sushi Gen to open! The restaurant is big yet small at the same time. It's big in the sense that there are 2 huge kitchens (makes sense w/ the amount of ppl they gotta feed). The inside makes me feel like I'm in Japan. The sushi bar seating is really clean and there are about 8 chefs working that section. There weren't too many tables which is why the restaurant is a bit small, hence the long lines. The service was really fast here, but not pushy. The waitresses were really friendly and helped us on deciding what to order since it was our first time. FYI the a la carte sushi/sashimi menu has no pricing you gotta ask for it. Right when we sat down we were given miso soup, pickled cabbage appetizer, and some sort of marinated tofu. THE TOFU WAS SOOOO SOOO GOOD! Tastes very house made and fresh. $15 Sashimi Lunch Special - Had to order this since it's their most raved about/popular menu item. Definitely best $15 you'll ever spend! There were thick cuts of sashimi along w/ other mixtures like spicy tuna, a piece of baked salmon terriyaki, jello, and some sort of marinated fish in brown sauce. The tuna was delish and very tender. My bf said it was comparable to the sushi places he had in Hawaii which were really good $18 salmon terriyaki combo - comes w/ a sashimi appetizer! BEST LUNCH COMBO EVER!! Where can you go that gives you a big nice piece of grilled salmon terriyaki w/ potato salad, cabage salad, miso soup, rice AND SASHIMI APPETIZER!? I honestly think this was better than the $15 sashimi lunch special. The terriyaki sauce was great, not overly sweet (but make sure you ask to put the sauces on the side like I did or else your meal will come out drenched in sauce) They do use thousand island dressing for the salad which I didn't really care for. The potato salad was creamy and gooooood. The sashimi appetizer came w/ yellowtail, seaweed, and tuna which were the same big thick cuts as the $15 sashimi lunch special. A LA CARTE SUSHI: Halibut - was about $9 for 2 pieces. The cuts of sushi were perfect. If you've ever watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Netflix you'll love Sushi Gen. The rice here is made just like in the documentary!! Omg best white rice I have ever eaten. Normally the rice that comes w/ the nigiri is either too dry, flavorless, or I don't care for it. However at sushi gen the rice is beyond perfect. The halibut tasted great w/ ponzu & wasabi sauce Fresh Water Eel - I think this was around $8 for 2 pieces. By far the best Eel I've had. Almost wish I had ordered their Eel lunch bowl after eating this. There were nice big thick cuts of eel atop the rice. The sauce was not overpowering either and the nigiri wasn't drenched in sauce which is a good thing. The eel was tender and meaty. Definitely worth the drive up here to try the sushi. FYI my bf & I noticed after we were done eating (bout 12pm) that there wasn't too long of a line anymore. So if you don't feel like coming really early and waiting around, just come around 12ish :)
(4)Maria P.
Food is spectacular. Gourmet sushi that should have a 4 diamond rating like the ones in Beverly Hills. The lines are long but worth it. Just be careful when you're at the sushi bar because there are no prices on anything, you can get sticker shocked when you get the bill. We spent $200 on just 2 of us because we couldn't stop ordering. It was worth it but it would be nice if we knew how much the items are before we order.
(4)Dom C.
Best sushi spot in Little Tokyo! They have good quality sushi. But I always go for the Sashimi and I've never been disappointed. Everything just melts in your mouth. Yummy! :D The lines can be a bit long sometimes and they will not seat you until your whole party has arrived.
(5)Claudia C.
Sushi Gen is the place where I first realized that I loved Sushi. I remember my dad chatting with the sushi chef and asking for a recommendation and the sushi chef plopped down two pieces of engawa that were lightly salted and sprinkled with lemon juice. I was familiar with sushi but had never had halibut fin before. I took a bite of that chewy but crisp slice of fish and I swear my whole universe stopped. I think that was the exact moment I realized how much i loved food as well. Claudibee the foodie was born! Fast forward 8 years, I was super excited to return to my childhood go-to sushi joint. And sidenote: for some reason, my dad and I never went back to Sushi Gen after my foodie birthday (I think we began exploring new sushi places?). My friend and I went 30 min before it opened to avoid the ridiculous lines and were promptly seated. I let me friend do the ordering (with the exception of engawa and kanpachi) and he chose sweet shrimp and yellowtail, hamachi collar, a beef dish, and salmon skin salad. MY THOUGHTS ++ ENGAWA: i was hoping for an epiphany again but no fireworks this time. :( ++ The sushi was better than average and nicely cut. However, I feel that there are many sushi joints out there that have similar good quality fish without the long wait and have better quality fish for the same price. ++ the beef teriyaki (and other dishes) was (were) expensive and average. Why!? Perhaps my palate has matured over the years (or maybe my friend's choice in dishes isn't my cup of tea), but Sushi Gen no longer possesses that WOW factor it did for me in the past. Anyways, Sushi Gen is one of those sushi places where you must go at least once if you're a sushi lover. If I end up there again, I probably wasn't the one who suggested going there. I hate waiting in lines for food. :T BUT DO TRY THE ENGAWA!! Ask them to lemon and salt it. I hope your foodie universe stops the way it did for me! :D
(3)Henry O.
By far the best sushi you can get in Los Angeles. I know this is a pretty strong statement, but jeez, this place knows how to serve their food. Sushi Gen is always crowded whether you come for lunch or dinner. For dinner, I would recommend making reservations possibly two to three days earlier. I haven't came here for lunch but I've been told you can wait to get seated a bit easier. The lunch specials are a bit cheaper if you want to experience this restaurant without having to spend too much. I brought a friend here who is also a sushi fanatic and we decided to sit at the bar. The chef greeted us and we chose all our favorites ranging from the simple cut of Tuna to Uni to Toro. Omg... The quality and the freshness of the fish was amazing. The amount of love and dedication that goes into every cut of the fish is noticeable when you put the food in your mouth. When you order the Sweet Shrimp, you have an option to deep fry the head or use the head for miso soup. Since the restaurant is located in the complex, you can go ahead and park in their parking lot. I believe they validate as well. Sushi Gen is my all time favorite sushi spot in Los Angeles. I personally believe Sushi Gen is the closest sushi and sashimi you can compare to Japan.
(5)Stephen C.
Best sushi place i have ever been to. The sushi is so fresh and everything is expertly prepared. I dont think there is a single thing on their menu that isnt well done. The toro is unbelieveable. Everyone who eats here gets spoiled and cant eat sushi or sashimi anywhere else. Im surprised anyone can give less that 5 stars for food here. There are long lines but how is that the restaurant's fault?
(5)Winnie L.
came back again last night. i didn't learn my lesson the first time: Sashimi Dinner is too big for me to defeat. I walked out holding my stomach and back like I was preggers. Last night, i ordered the Sashimi Dinner again and afterwards, I wanted to give birth to the biggest turd-monster as soon as i got home. Next time I'm gonna order the Sashimi (not Sashimi Dinner) at dinner time, and save the $5 for other delicacies instead of shoving the tempura + miso soup + sunomono + rice down my throat. Bulimia is no good if i don't like to throw up.
(4)Wesley C.
There's a crowd outside for a reason. They don't take reservations because they don't need it. With the amount of fish they serve everyday, the fish will always be fresh. Do yourself a favor and sit at the bar. Don't hesitate to ask your sushi man what that guy over there is eating. It's a factory, come in, order and enjoy the product. No nonsense sushi and the quality is top notch.
(5)Jennifer K.
I've been on roll with sushi lately... a sushi roll. Heh. I'll start with the best of the best. Sushi Gen has almost 2000 reviews (1994 as of November 10, 2013) and an average rating of 4.5 stars. That's f-ing amazing. Walked in on a Thursday night around 5:30pm with a friend and found that there was no wait. Score! We were seated in a quiet corner and given menus by the host. Having had looked through the Yelp photos millions of times beforehand, I already knew what I wanted to order: uni nigiri (market price) and the sashimi dinner ($26). My friend opted for the chicken teriyaki dinner ($20), and we shared the albacore tataki appetizer ($15). ... it was all amazing. The albacore tataki was the perfect dish to start our meal. There are no words to describe it besides "delicious." It came on top of a bed of mixed greens and drizzled with a bit of ponzu (?) sauce. Yes. Yes. Yes. Shortly afterwards came my sashimi dinner. Oh my lord. Melt-in-your-mouth. So, so fresh. I wanted to cry, and I would have... but my tears would have spilled onto my plate and ruined the fish. Plus, I had already my wasabi + ginger + soy sauce concoction ready to go. The tempura that came with my dinner was perfectly crisp and provided a nice crunchy texture that complimented the sashimi. YUM. Then there was the uni. Wowie. I might have shed a tear when I took the first bite, but I made sure not to let the droplet anywhere near my meal. TOO GOOD. Being the gluttonous fatty that I am, I also ate some of my friend's chicken teriyaki. I kid you not, it was the BEST chicken teriyaki that I've ever had. I'm not even usually that big of a fan, but damn. I was blown away. The dinner proved to be too much and I ended up not being able to finish the last fifth of my sashimi, so I took it to-go. You can't waste this stuff. Total came out to around $85 for the albacore tataki, sashimi dinner, uni nigiri, chicken teriyaki dinner, and a large Sapporo. Not bad! But seriously... is this place even real, or was it all just a dream? Guess I'll have to find out by visiting again!
(5)Stephen C.
Worst sushi ever. Imprecise cuts of mediocre fish atop even more mediocre rice. The wasabi is also very grey and pastey. Sushi omakase is served 2 pieces at a time which to purists is not the proper way because the fish sits on the plate for too long. I requested that the chef not serve it this way and he promptly ignored my request. He also deliberately ignored another request to not serve any salmon roe. The Amaebi was slimy pungent and not live harvested. The toro (chu and o) were also incredibly awful. We ended up cutting omakase short due to these sushi atrocities. We will never be back.
(1)PJ L.
This place is fantastic! Freshest sashimi and delicious handrolls make this easily the best sushi experience I have had in a while. Ordered fatty tuna, yellowtail belly, albacore sashimi. You can taste the high quality of the sashimi with each bite. Also ordered 2 handrolls, eel avocado roll and the spicy tuna roll. Again, you can taste the quality of the ingredients in preparing the handrolls. Overall, the price and wait to be seated is worth it. I will definitely be coming back here.
(5)Michelle M.
It's okay. I went on a date there because I fell for all the hoop- la that I've heard about it... Over priced - long wait - rude servers - and annoying to find parking .. Overall, c+---- wasn't impressed
(3)Luby H.
Good sushi and fresh fish, but easily not the best in the area. Came here with my family with a reservation on a Friday night, but somehow still waited over an hour to be seated. After the long wait, we ordered around 6 different dinner sets including the sashimi dinner, teriyaki dinner, uni dinner, chirashi deluxe, and other side items such as the fish chin, California rolls, and sweet shrimp sashimi. I personally was not too fond of our waitress. After ordering a decent amount for a family, we told her that she didn't give us enough rice, in which she doubted us, and started counting the number of rice bowls on our table (note: each dinner set comes with a bowl of rice), then pointed to my baby cousin and said he had that extra bowl of rice when really that was an extra bowl we had asked for the baby and put rice into it. Really?! Come on, how much can cooked rice be? After we explained, she reluctantly brought out snore howl of white rice for us, but the overall experience just wasn't very pleasant. I got for myself the sweet shrimp sashimi and the sashimi dinner, in which I didn't entirely love. For $26, the sashimi dinner did not offer enough fresh fish pieces, but instead, around half of the tray was filled with cooked seaweed, a chunk of spicy tuna and another chunk of some other ground fish mush. If I asked for sashimi dinner, I really am not expecting blobs of minced fish on my plate. The sweet shrimp sashimi on the other hand was just ok. It didn't taste that fresh and the shrimp was a lot smaller compared to what other Japanese restaurants normally serve you. We asked for our shrimp heads to be cooked into a soup, and that soup was probably my favorite part of the entire dinner. Since we were celebrating my uncles bday, we received a big scoop of free green tea ice cream which was nice. Overall, the bill for our family came out to $406 with tips, which was why I expected more out of the service instead of witnessing accusation and rice counting. Oh, and I wasn't happy about the fact that they charge $1 extra for each tiny plate of ginger upon not giving you any with the sashimi or rolls. Really?! It just seemed like they were way too calculative rather than customer service focused.
(3)Andrea W.
My favorite go-to restaurant in Little Tokyo. The sushi is fresh and delicious. There is always a line outside of the door. This place is more traditional Japanese so it will not have a lot of speciality rolls that Americans tend to order.
(5)Samuel L.
Finally had a chance to come here. I would first like to say that the parking is horrendous during peak hours so plan ahead. 3 bucks for parking or you can look for street parking. First impressions were great. We were greeted as we entered and then seated once there was space available. We got seated and decided to order the sashimi deluxe and tempura dinner Food: Sashimi deluxe- the fish was super fresh and was a great deal for the price we paid. Loved all the variety and balance of everything. Tempura- Light and not oily. Crisp and came with a side of sashimi. Was very filling. Service: - The wait staff was super friendly and the lady was more than consistent in checking up on us. - environment was clean and not too loud. bustling but not loud. Overall: Everything was super great and I really don't have anything to complain about except for the parking. This might not be the best sushi in the world but its one of the few very solid and very fresh locations around the la county area. FIVE STARS: Great service. Fresh fish. Decent price.
(5)Anhtuan T.
Hmmm what hasn't been said in the last 1900 or so reviews? So to re-iterate, sashimi platter = BOMB
(5)Mamie J.
The boyfriend and I are a fan of this place. Sushi Gen is an excellent choice for beautifully crafted dishes and extremely fresh fish. I am the ultimate critic on sashimi, but I have to say this place gets 5/5 for its tender fish that feels like butter when you bite into it. The sashimi deluxe was definitely the highlight our meal. We were taken right on time for our reservation. I would definitely recommend having one, as there were MANY people waiting. Service was prompt and we were checked on just enough during our meal. I saw everyone from couples, families, groups, and business people here. Great place for quality traditional Japanese food -- I'll definitely be back!
(5)Tony L.
I hate your lines Sushi Gen, but your Sashimi is damn good!! I was not sure what to expect when I was waiting outside with the other 20 customers but it was definitely worth the wait. If you are a fan of Sushi or Sashimi, the best deal in town is Sushi Gens Sashimi lunch special for $15. You get a total of 12 different items of all varieties on a plate along with miso soup, bowl of rice, and tofu. The sashimi is so fresh and so delicious that it practically melts in your mouth. The parking is $2 with validation for under 2 hours but if you come for lunch the parking lot gets a little crowded.
(5)Paul C.
Overrated. So we ordered the salmon, tuna and yellowtail belly (standard 2 piece per order). About $10 per. It had this slimy texture. Not good at all...I'm close to actually calling it terrible. Hama the next block up is MUCH better, unfortunately, it was closed today.
(2)Long T.
Met up with some friends here during a business trip to L.A. as part of my Super Fantastic Happy Fun Time L.A. Sushi Tour. Rumor had it that this place was pretty dy-no-mite as the wait apparently pretty long for the food here. Thanks to my fellow yelpers who waited while I was stuck on the 110 and then after taking a wrong turn down E. 22nd Street instead of E 2nd street... (BIG difference), I finally made it to the J-Town eatery. I got the Freshwater Eel Sashimi Dinner and I was satisfied with my meal. All in all a very good and popular J-town sushi dinner restaurant with many cooked entrees. It is in the medium price range as far as LA sushi goes...
(4)Christine T.
Made a reservation! Glad I did! Half an hour beige people were lining up at the door. Had the sashimi lunch, great deal for only $15!! Very fresh and great quick service.
(4)Tisha C.
I initially called for a reservation the day of, and for a Saturday night they were booked which I expected. We put our name down. (Tables are a longer wait than the sushi bar and the menu is limited at the sushi bar which was fine by us.) We ordered till our hearts content and we kept it coming. I have been going to Sushi Gen ever since I was in my teens and they never disappoint. The sushi is fresh and generously cut. THE MUST HAVE is the Japanese Trout which we ordered a triple order of and it was divine! The shishito peppers are my fave, and NO soy sauce, love that. I'm not big on the soy sauce. In fact, I can live without it. We devoured our sushi like Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. This is one of the top sushi restaurants in Los Angeles. I promise you.
(5)Ben R.
Eaten here for the first time today and i had to say that I am impress. I recommend anyone who hate to wait in a long line to go there early. The restaurant open for dinner at 5.30 PM, We got there at about 6 and there were already a line forming infront of the restaurant. We had to wait for about twenty minutes, but it was worth the wait. I had an Unagi dinner set with a couple orders of Toro. I got to say that the quality of the food here is exceptional!!! I would be coming back again!!! The price of the food is not expensive for what it is!!! Totally Worth it for Sushi Fan.
(4)Martin T.
Best value: sashimi set lunch/dinner
(4)Massiel S.
I wish I would have started yelping a long time ago so you all can see how often a person that NEVER EVER liked seafood comes to this place! :P I strongly disliked anything from the ocean. This placed changed my views by far. I almost always eat at the sushi bar too so I'm eating the fishiest fish! Salmon sushi is delicious! I always ask for no wasabi since they add some in between the rice and fish. Tuna and yellowtail are just as good too! Another fav is the toro! YUM! It just dissolves in your mouth! I usually always get salmon hand skin rolls, soo good! I've tried their teriyaki sashimi plate too! It's good! They give you a little bit of everything in my opinion! I don't like waiting in line too long when I come here. I've seen tons of people wait for this and I don't blame them! It's delicious! The chefs know what they're doing, the service is also nice and the ambiance is always good. Try the raw stuff, I did, and now I'm a sucker!
(5)Joyce L.
There are few things in life I am willing to wait in line for; many of these things are food related. If you go to Sushi Gen for the famous $15 sashimi lunch special, you WILL have to wait-- either at the front of the line like I did (getting there 45 minutes before opening) or at the back of the ~30 person line (if you get there 15 minutes before opening).* Sushi Gen is a great bang for your buck. A huge plate of extremely fresh sashimi beautifully presented for $15? Verdict: I would wait in line again. Minus 1 star because the service was rather brusque, and a few pieces of fish were slightly raggedy and sinewy. *Note to the group that tried to cut the line when I was there: YOU ARE TERRIBLE PEOPLE.
(4)Kenny G.
Decided to try this place because my friends recommended it. Had the Sashimi dinner as everyone else did. I really like the quality of fish they served. But to be honest, I have had better. The dinner came with tempura which was not great. The miso soup and side dishes was pretty good. Also had the yellow tail collar, that was really good as well. The tempura may have been an off day LOL. I didn't come here for the tempura. I can for the sushi.. Hehehehe. I'll dine here again!
(4)Christian S.
One of the absolute best Sushi restaurants in Los Angeles. Yellowtail belly is out of this world.
(5)Stephanie T.
I love their lunch special..such a great price ( $15) for the amount of food and the fish is fresh as well. I just wish they have the special on weekends..
(4)N M.
I believe this describes Sushi Gen best.. 完全ã«ä¸€ã¤ã®ã“ã¨ã‚’ã‚„ã£ã¦ Kanzen ni hitotsu no koto o yatte "doing one thing perfectly" in Japanese
(5)Mike P.
Lord this is good sushi, definitely the best I have had in LA. You are going to pay for quality but don't be fooled, these prices aren't that much higher than what you will get less than a mile away at other places. The attention to detail in all of their food is evident is the consistent cuts of fish, the temperature of the sashimi and the professional demeanor of the waiting staff. The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the parking. I didn't have three bucks and after dropping 100$ on food the staff wouldn't charge me an extra 3$ so I wouldn't have to cross the street and get money out of an ATM. That was a bit ridiculous and honestly is the reason I haven't been back. But I cant give this place three stars because the food was too good. Experience raw fish the way it should be, and bring some cash for parking please.
(4)Oulie T.
Love love love. $15 Sashimi Lunch Special. There is an abundance of vibrantly hued fresh fish arranged on my plate and I haven't the slightest clue as to what species I am consuming but this fact doesn't bother me. There are the usual identifiables like tuna and salmon but there are a few undeciferables on my plate that pique my curiosity as to what names they could be identified by. Whatever they are they are tasty. I wouldn't know where to go to get this high quality fish for this price. It's an amazing deal, and the large gathering of people waiting outside for a table will attest to this fact. Don't be discouraged to dine here if you are afraid of a wait as it goes very fast. There were many people in business attire dining on their lunch hour here. Sushi Gen is well skilled in getting it's patrons in and out. Service wasn't lacking either. I enjoyed being served by an adorable old grandma aged japanese woman. She looked like she was going to topple over at any moment. She was so tiny and fragile but she was on top of it. Our food came out efficiently; drinks, then soup, then the sashimi. Quick courteous service. Sushi Gen, I love you.
(5)Monica T.
Sushi Gen according to my super picky Taiwanese girlfriend is one of the most authentic sushi places she has found in the states. From my own experience, it is the best sushi place I have had ever had.
(5)Xxxx W.
Arrived like 20 mins before lunch service, there was already a queue. The seafood was good quality. Will come back again
(3)Helen O.
My niece took me for a B-DAY dinner at Sushi Gen, and I ordered the dinner combo plate and it was very FRESH and delish, too bad my niece is a Palian vegan so she happen to just Sake Bomb and got pretty jack'd up like a lush , luckily we had a short wait compare to most of the people that got there after us, service was really nice and I hope to be going back .
(4)Electric E.
3 star validated. came here for dinner after several years. Same ol Same ol. People are rushing. table is tight. Sashimi dinner is good. Uni dinner is not bad, but you need TWO people who love uni to finish it. It's also a good place to watch high end execs be with hookers...err i mean models. ahahaah
(3)Amie T.
DON'T EAT HERE!!!!!! If I can give this place negative stars, I would. After standing in line in the heat for the restaurant to open, they refused to let me order food to go because it's summer. They have no posting about this retarded rule anywhere!!! In addition, a woman who was in line ahead of me, nearly passed out from the heat and they wouldn't even give her a glass of water!!!! This shows how shitty their customer service is and I refuse to spend my money on an establishment that won't even help someone who needed water. THIS PLACE CAN GO TO HELL.
(1)Giulio Cesare G.
i was referred this place by many people, some japanese, so i went with high expectations but the food was just a 3 stars, and considering the price is high give a 2. the place is nice, japanese-looking and cozy. but when it came to the fish... it's just average. the monkfish liver and the japanese snapper were good, the halibut was hard, chewy and tasteless, as you don't even find in the cheapest sushi places.
(2)Victoria N.
The sashimi here is melt in your mouth delicious. We were visiting in town and our friends decided to take us here and I'm sure glad they did! We both ordered the sashimi deluxe, akimo pate and lots of uni!! All I can say is wow! Everything was so fresh and delicious. The sashimi delux included an assortment of generous cuts of fish such as salmon, tuna, ebi, tamago, and much more. The uni we ordered was especially fresh and sweet. Not fishy or smelly at all. I'm drooling thinking about how tasty everything was. The wait was a little more than an hour but I am sure glad we waited. Totally worth it! The place is small, but clean and service was good. Overall, we averaged about $50 a person with plenty of food and drinks.
(5)Fullson C.
This review is for their service. My friends and I went to this place for dinner because we heard about the great reviews about their food. We went there, gave them our name, and waited just inside the restaurant entrance to be called. We waited for 30 minutes and still were not called, which is fine because good food is worth waiting for. We waited for another 15 minutes and eventually asked the host, whose name was Brian, I think, about the approximate wait time. That was when we found out he actually scratched off our name because apparently he called our name and no one answered. There were 3 pairs of ears in my party and we were standing right in front of him the entire time. I find it hard to believe that no one noticed when we were called. That's fine, because he got us a table in about 5 minutes and someone finally led us in. Now while I was waiting I had a grande iced chai tea latte in my hand, and I did not realize that they have a no-external-drinks policy, and when I sat down at my table I had literally one sip left in my plastic cup. All of a sudden Brian ran over, reached out for my chai tea latte, and says: "You can't have that in here. Can I take it?" I don't know what kind of employment training he had, but that was unacceptably rude for Japanese standards, and I honestly expected more from a famous Japanese restaurant owned by Japanese people. Needless to say that spoiled my mood for the entire night. The food itself was alright. I had better sushi at a random Kaitensushi place in Osaka. The female Japanese server for our table was extremely polite and nice though. This restaurant just needs to screen those people they place at the door. Base on this experience I don't ever plan on returning to this place.
(1)Eric F.
There's certainly no doubt that the fish quality here is exceptional after the thousands of positive reviews and a first-hand run through of the variety of sushi. My friend and I were able to get a couple seats at the bar fairly quickly and I enjoyed most of the items including the sake, maguro, toro, aji, shellfish, uni, etc. The rice quality was indeed very good though I wish they used freshly ground wasabi given the prices. Which leads me to my main gripe: the quality here is great, but I've been to enough places around LA and other areas that offer comparable if not better sushi for less and in a more comfortable atmosphere. I left spending way more than I would've liked considering how hungry I still was by the end. Worth at least one try if you've never been, but I won't be back again.
(3)Kevin C.
This isn't so much a review as it is a commentary. Yes, the $15 dollar weekday sashimi lunch special (that you can only get at non-sushi-bar-tables) is a ridiculous deal, and yes the quality is fan-flipping-tastic, and yes the service is an endearing example of Japanese efficiency and politeness. But you already knew all this. What my main question is why there are always so many people able to take off at least 2 hours (counting in wait time and eating time) during a weekday lunch period to eat here? WTH. I am a health professional and often have weekdays off rather than weekends. But what about the rest of the working world? What job allows you to have so much time off during lunch to wait in the 30-45 min line during the week day? Bizarre. Anyways, off my soap box now. Come eat here. The 2 hour parking validation for 2 dollars should be enough time to wait in line and eat.
(5)Kevin J.
Such an enjoyable dinner at Sushi Gen! Lots of seating, but the place was packed for dinner time! Happy my friend and I came early, as when we finished, there was a tiny crowd waiting outside for seats. Lucky for us, being a group of two, it didn't take us long to get sushi bar seats! Win... The place is really lively, yet despite the loads of people, the sushi chefs are pretty attentive to the customers and make your sushi soon after you order. The fish quality is very fresh, and the textures are quite nice. The sushi rice was also well made. The dab of wasabi under the fish and the other toppings for some of the orders went well with our nigiri. My favorites were the tuna (all of them), uni, salmon, and scallop. The yellowtail fin was quite chewy, and was very tough to eat. (Not something I was used to.) I also ordered both the Spanish mackerel and the Japanese mackerel to check out the differences. Apart from slight differences in texture, nothing much else. After the dinner, I felt like it was a wasted comparison as they were both good - but in the end, I just ordered lots of mackerel... My main gripe with the place was the amount we paid. Not so much about how much, as we ordered quite a bit. But rather, I was really annoyed that we had no idea how much every order of nigiri cost when we ordered them! The paper slip with all the options had no pricing, and our receipt didn't even break it down for us! Such a trap... Be very weary the next time you come here, and order selectively. Otherwise you'll end up paying an arm and a leg, while not feeling full after the dinner. You've been advised and warned! Hope you enjoy the sushi!
(4)Ren L.
Excellent excellent excellent quality of fish! The best traditional sushi I've had in LA. Come here for the nigiri, sashimi, and simple maki. However, fans of complex, high-calorie sushi rolls won't be dissapointed either.
(5)Ahrianna L.
I've had better sushi.
(2)Michael L.
Waited over an hour to get seated, was hyped as this place has the best rating in J-town/ Little Tokyo area. Once seated the waitress was very prompt if not a bit too pushy for us to order. Tried the Deluxe Sushi dinner and had cold tofu appetizer. Portions were ok, however other then the fatty tuna the sushi included was nothing special. Since u was not full yet i added orders from the sushi bar for yellow tail and spicy tuna handrolls. These tasted surprisingly better then the dinner set for some reason. Maybe you get better fish from the bar then at a table? For the price and wait time there are several better or comparable options in the area in my opinion.
(3)Henan J.
Food-the sushi is probably the freshest and most satisfying you will find in Little Tokyo...which says alot! The sashimi melts on your tongue and the entire menu is one that intrigues you and makes you want to try the new fare Decor-the look and feel of the restaurant is very welcoming. You could be there on a date-a guys night out-a sushi diner after a long day at work-this place is versatile. Service-It felt like i had 3 people waiting on our table at all times, dropping off food, filling glasses, picking up empty plates, asking if everything was to our liking...I was happily surprised.
(5)Antranig K.
I've been on a mission over the past few years to try as many sushi places as possible in the LA area. I've been to all kinds. Sushi Gen was a spot I used to frequent years ago as a law summer intern nearby at federal court. The judge had introduced us to it one day when he took us out for lunch - I still remember how it blew me away as it was my first time eating "good" sushi/maki/etc. - being from the east coast sushi is not as prevalent, readily available and high quality as the west coast. It hurt my wallet that day but left an impression on me. After I moved back here about 6+ years ago, I started going back recently - and I've been to many other places since as well. Sushi Gen is good, but I still prefer Chiba. Chiba's fish is too good, preparation too perfect, atmosphere too welcoming, and overall experience too stellar for anyone to supplant them yet - but I still have a few places to hit up... but it's pretty much over in terms of trying to find a better place. Sushi Gen put up a valiant effort over my last 3-4 visits there, but it just doesn't compare. Sushi Gen positives - good fish and good attention from sushi bar chefs Sushi Gen negatives - way too expensive, not "top quality" fish and small portions, a bit stuffy and snobby clientele I'd say top 5 in LA, but not the best
(4)Sarah H.
Pretty much one of the best sashimi spots in all of Los Angeles. The sashimi lunch special is to die for. Each piece literally melts in your mouth.
(5)Rebecca S.
Giant clam, sushi deluxe, spicy tuna and salmon skin roll. Get it all. So amazing, pricey-but will go back for an authentic Japanese meal. You'll definitely wait at least 30 mins for a table, but the line is absolutely worth it. Go go go!
(5)Marisol M.
I love the Sashimi lunch specials. It's so good, people have to come early to line up about half hour before it actually opens. They will only let certain amount of people in. Certainly worth the wait!
(4)Perer O.
Hands down the best sushi out there! This place is a must for anyone who likes sushi. Me and my wife just let the sushi chef make whatever he felt like and it was phenomenal! This place is a staple and a standard setter for the rest of our lives. Unfortunately I don't think we will be able to find any other sushi restaurants in the near future that match this places expertise. Clearly if you read all the reviews and compare ratings this place stands out in all of LA. Its not a coincidence.
(5)Candace C.
The Skinny: although the appys and side dishes are not up to snuff, the sashimi deluxe is phenomenal in terms of the freshness of their product (3.5) service: despite the rather draconian reservation policy, service is prompt - our waitress didn't hold out on her opinion with regards to how to order which ended up saving us money.(4) value: totally worth it if you are there for sashimi.... Maybe not so much with other food. (3.5 star bump up to 4 starred review.) Just to warn you... This place is a zoo. Literally you have people lining out the door to get into this small downtown LA sushi joint past 9 pm on weekend nights. Reservations are highly recommended and FYI they are draconian when it comes to this. Your entire party must be present to be seated and if you miss your reservation time? You are totally s.o.l., my friend. Your table is gone. Free parking in this area is difficult in this area therefore we were relegated to park in the restaurant's parking lot for $3. (Just tell the dude manning the parking lot you are going to Sushi Gen and he'll give you the discount. No proof of purchase necessary.) Did I forget to mention that they have signs prohibiting cellphone use and reserve the right to refuse service? Consider yourself warned. So after all these rules, is it worth it? Yes and no. With the edge leaning towards "yes". When our waitress dropped off the menu, it was initially very confusing. There is 2 laminated menus - one which is purely appetizers and another with truncated appetizers and entree list. To add to the confusion there is also a paper a la carte sushi/sashimi menu which has no prices listed. Confused yet? Hell yeah. Our waitress sensed our confusion and wrote in the prices for us on the paper menu. We wanted to get some good toro without breaking the bank. Our waitress was great and told us as we were planning on getting the sashimi deluxe ($35), there was a great deal of tuna there. Perhaps we wanted to get the platter first and see if we wanted to add something later? That was a great suggestion and we were happy she told us this. We added an order of assorted tempura, chicken karaage, and salmon skin salad. We ended up passing on the set dinners because we weren't necessarily keen on the miso soup (can make this at home) or sunomono (hubs is not a fan) and rice (filler). We saw others order this and they certainly looked like a good size, quality and value. The serving size of the uni dinner is rather large (although it appeared like the sashimi was prepackaged and simply unwrapped and put on a plate...just saying). Let just start by saying... The side dishes we ordered were not good. The karaage was formed into these rather thick balls of meat. It was rather odd texturally to have some mushy half cooked batter in the center of this concoction. Errrrr...definitely not my cup of tea and cannot recommend this to anyone. Tempura was only okay. Although the shrimp was plentiful, the batter was too spongy and overly moist. Not something I would order again. The salmon skin salad was not what I was expecting. It consisted of just some crisped up salmon skin sprinkled on top of some mixed greens -undressed. It really needed some sort of dressing to tie it all together. So why the above star rating you ask? The sashimi deluxe platter. Okay okay. The way that the fish was cut isn't perhaps the best method. It didn't necessarily quite melt in your mouth in quite the way it ought to. But there is no denying the freshness of the product. Plus the serving size was exceptionally generous. The platter was lined with several slices of chu toro, small amount otoro, maguro, negi toro and spicy tuna. Yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, octopus, calamari, red snapper, and mackerel. Fried slice of salmon, egg, soy marinated fish and crab. Yeah... This is all on the sashimi deluxe platter. For $35, this is a ridiculous bargain considering the quantity and quality of product. I wish I could comment on the sushi items however we were quite full by this point. All in all, considering everything all together, this place should be rated 3.5 stars. I wouldn't get anything but the raw fish items and skip all the side dishes. Make reservations and get there early.
(4)Sehyung K.
Only if i can get guaranteed seating, i would go here every day. Absolute best sushi in DTLA. Typically sit at the bar for lunch since there is shorter wait... but if you do, you can't get the daily bento lunch. But omakase dinner is amazing.
(5)Ziqian G.
Waiting time is a little bit too long. Food is so good!
(4)L H.
YUM YUM YUM! Sushi-Gen is a small hidden spot in Lil Tokyo DTLA, but with FRESH seafood everytime we go. We usually order: Live Shrimp, Abacore Sashimi, SPICY TUNA HAND ROLL, and Red Snapper! This is the sishi spot if you love fresh sushi! Planning to go to Sushi-Gen? expect 20min to 30min wait until you'll be seated. It's always pack! BUT well worth it!
(5)Nej C.
Fresh fish - plain and simple and good. However, this was one of the most lackluster Omakase experiences I've ever had. My best friend and I weren't served any particularly unique types of fish and the atmosphere was very rush people in and rush them out. I've been having Omakase at a different sushi restaurant about once a month for almost a year with my best friend and this was a very "eh" kind of experience. I did enjoy that we got a good amount of fresh fish and it was well crafted, but the itamae didn't seem to put too much concern into the order in which our sushi was given. I wanted to give 3.5 stars, but Yelp won't let me and 4 wouldn't quite feel right. So I'll go with A-Okay.
(3)Elaine C.
Love the sashimi here, and the chicken teriyaki! MUST MUST try this place. It's an OG sushi restaurant. The service is pretty prompt, except for the seating-- if you go during the main lunch and dinner times be prepared to wait an 30-60mins on avg. Everytime I've been i've never been disappointed. I prefer to sit at the tables vs sushi bar- you can order hot food at the tables. Sushi bar is limited to only sushi/sashimi items. The quality of the fish is not comparable- I would have to say the best so far in LA. The bill can run a bit high but you get what you're paying for. That's some Damn great sushi!! haha Quality vs Quantity- I heart this place very much.
(5)Jimmy K.
Best sushi house in little tokyo! I would order a sake and enjoy most of sushi at the bar. Also try ordering fresh scallop half sashimi half barbeque
(5)Ty C.
Top notch! Get in line its worth the wait!
(5)Natalie M.
GREAT sushi in Little Tokyo. if you like seaweed salad def order here. also the crab hand roll was outstanding, warm, buttery, crisp nori that snaps and melts in your mouth. Gets super crowded. I like to go right when it opens at 5p!
(5)Crystal K.
The love sushi gen. The staff is nice. The fish is always fresh and the prices are awesome. You have to order the toro and uni if you want a party in your mouth. The Toro literally melts in your mouth. The sashimi plate at lunch is only $15 and you get sooooo much food.
(5)holly l.
My son and I went for sushi there this week. We go to Little Tokyo about twice week for sushi and always see a long line. We decided to try it and we waited for about forty five minutes to get in. I got the sashimi platter and my son got two spicy tuna rolls. The sushi was good... nothing great and the miso soup was alright. The best thing was the tofu. We will stick to our regular sushi place that is better sushi and not such a long wait.
(3)Sparkle T.
Now this is what I call sushi! Clean, well made, fresh and full of flavor. The line is dreadful but everybody wants what's good. Just place your order to go if your in a hurry. This is high quality delicious sushi. Portions are good. Sashimi lunch is everything!!
(5)Jeff T.
This place is always crowded but I don't get the appeal. They give you tiny plates of meat so you have to keep ordering. I much prefer Oo-Kook on Rosemead for good kbbq in SGV.
(3)Tiffany L.
People go crazy over this place, but to be honest.. I think it's a little overrated. I mean yes, the sashimi is good, but I wouldn't say it's the best that I've had. For the price you pay, however, it's definitely worth it. With $15, you get a good variety of sashimi and everything comes out super fast. We waited for about an hour or so, but we finished all our food within 20 minutes. If you're looking for some out-of-this-world yummy sashimi, this isn't it. But if you want good quality sashimi at a reasonable price... COME TO SUSHI GEN! Keep in mind though that this isn't the best place to come if you're in a rush, seeing as the waiting time is usually at least an hour.
(4)Junglist S.
Good sushi, great deal.
(4)Shih L.
Horrible service. My mother waited in line for lunch and told the guy for a party of 2. I was outside and came in 30 secs after. When the guy saw me, He continued to give the seats to everyone else...then asked us to share a big table with another group. Never again will I come back. Sushi gen you just lost another customer.
(1)Qing L.
1. Taste: very fresh and quantity sea food:5 2. Service: I have been here so many times, yesterday the service was terrible. I ordered 2 Monk Fish liver, but they only brought me 1 and charged for 2 orders( it was not that busy). I ordered a sashimi L but they gave me a Templa L. I asked them that I didn't order Templa L, the staff told me that was Sashimi L. When I check the bill it stated Templa L. Obviously they staff was okeydoke me. 1 star 3. Hygiene: pretty clean 4 4. Environment: small parking limited spots but that is how a downtown should be like: 4.5 So I give it a 3 star rating
(3)Julie C.
Hands down my favorite sushi spot in Little Tokyo, nonetheless DTLA. Sugarfish and all the other sushi joints are nowhere near in comparison to this place. Everything you order is super fresh and the ratio of meat to rice is perfect! They are very generous with the meat portion. My personal favorites: 1) Best scallops I've ever had 2) Toro 3) Uni 4) Unagi 5) Spanish Mackerel 6) Sweet Shrimp 7) Hamachi 8) Red Snapper soup is to die for
(5)Nadine U.
Food: Everyone comes here for the lunch specials. My friends and I all got the sashimi lunch special for $17. I thought this was priced very reasonably. The set includes rice, miso soup, tofu, and a whole plate of sashimi! The sashimi was very fresh and tasty and I actually really liked the tofu side they give you. Overall the set was very filling and worth the price. Service: I was surprised they were able to sit us at a table after just 5 minutes despite the long line. I think most people wanted to sit by the bar. The servers were all nice and the food came out fast!
(4)Lauren Y.
Delicious. I've been to a lot of upper-scale sushi restaurants, and Gen can fight with the best of them. The day I visited everything was high-quality and authentic Japanese. Wasabi was freshly made and the fish tasted like it was caught that day. I found out that the amaebi I ate was shipped in that day, and I could definitely taste it. I highly recommend this restaurant. Delicious oysters, sushi, sashimi, and green tea. Very authentic.
(5)Robert L.
Total cost dinner for 2 $250 pre tip . Parking $3 . Total experience worth every penny . I do consider this one of the best sushi places if not the best In the area . Kazu the sushi cook is very good and vocal about what should not be eaten with out soy sauce as he should be . This dinner was a gift from a friend and it was welcomed first time in a long while since I have been treated so well in a restaurant . Fresh is the only word that comes to mind as I savored every bit .
(5)Tim F.
I went during the $17 lunch deal. I'm not a big fan of Tuna. You can "imaGen" my dismay when I found that tuna was the main part of the dish, until... The Bad The spicy tuna and the orange mess with onions in it. These were the worst of the plate, but they tasted alright (6/10). I also didn't like the octopus/squid (4/10). The salmon was dry (5/10). The Good: Everything else. There was 2 sets of tuna (fat and lean) and they were both DELICIOUS! Yellowtail is always bland to me, but this had a good texture and was NOT DRY. It's so cheap too! $17 for a bunch of fish, rice, and miso soup? I totally am a fan. At Sushi Gen, just plug me in and I'll start whirring
(5)John C.
When I went, it was a really good day for tuna. Anything tuna tasted crazy delicious. The freshness of their fish is definitely something. However. Minus one star, because it is overpriced, the wait is insanely long, and their parking lot is always full. Minus another star, because the sides that came with the sushi combo were really really really bad. I left my meal a little unsatisfied, a little unfulfilled.
(3)Lina S.
If I didn't get mercury poisoning I would eat here everyday.
(5)Kevin T.
No sushi lunch special in LA beats sushi gen. Recently, sushi gen increased most (or all) of the lunch items by $2, but this remains the best lunch deal in LA. For $18, you get a plate of nicely decorated sashimi, miso soup, rice, and tofu. The fish is fresh and tender, and comes with a nice variety. The wait can be long, but if you have time to burn and find yourself in LA, look no further and stop by!
(5)Jennifer L.
My absolute favorite sushi restaurant!!! I always come for the Sashimi lunch special $15, but they raised it now to $17.
(5)James S.
Nothing less than awesome. Sushi at its finest.
(5)Bin H.
FRESH Sashimi, but their Chirashi Bowl is losing its swag! Not sure why their Chirashi Bowls get worse every time I dine here. I strategize and get there just in time to get seated within 10 minutes, so I never had to wait too long. Their servers are nice, dishes come out relatively fast, but not sure why I keep getting disappointed with their Chirashi Bowls. Perhaps I'll just order the Sashimi plate from now on?
(4)Audrey W.
My mom is a sushi connoisseur. And she is not afraid to tell the sushi chef when it's anything less than good. So naturally, it's nerve wracking to take her out to sushi places that will meet her high standards. Even some of the elite places in New York City didn't meet her satisfaction. Then comes along Sushi Gen. Of course you can tell from my rating that I like it but does she?.... wait for it.... for the price, indeed. They serve really fresh sashimi where the sashimi deluxe is $45 for a platter that can easily feed 2-3. It's not the best place in LA but it definitely one that has great quality without breaking the bank.
(5)Les L.
The sashimi lunch special is what brings everyone to Sushi Gen at lunch time. Before the doors even open, people line up outside to guarantee themselves a spot at the first seating. Take note, it's the sashimi lunch and not the sushi lunch that you want. Truth be told, I was much more impressed by it the first time I ate it than any successive time, but it is a very good value, especially if you like tuna. The meal is essentially a portrait of tuna...Raw slices of sashimi, mixed with hot sauce for spicy, braised in soy and dashi for katsuo no kakuni. The entire plate is an extraordinary amount of food. And it comes with rice and miso soup!
(4)Jennifer L.
Classic hole-in-the-wall in a dingy plaza right off of 2nd street that caters to some of the FRESHEST sushi around LA! I've gotten the toro sushi, and chirashi bowl on my previous visits to Sushi Gen. The toro was amazingly buttery and smooth, and the chirashi bowl was assorted with a great variety of fish (with the yellowtail being my favorite) - and was very filling. I always ask for my chirashi with just yellowtail & salmon, to avoid getting the other cheaper things on it, but all ingredients here were just so fresh & delicious that I happily scarfed each piece down. Next time I'll have to brave up and try to wait in the giant line for its ever-so-famous lunch special! The only down-side is the incredible wait (the lunch special is so popular that people line up from 10a.m. on, hoping to get in around noon...). Other than that, it is pricey but you definitely get what you pay for - fresh sashimi and the sushi chefs that know how to do sushi right!
(4)Forrest D.
No longer even near the best sushi I've eaten, it's still very good for the price though not worth the wait. There are a number of neighborhood places with better sushi though. An excellent place to try good sushi and start a journey towards the upper tier restaurants in the Westside and the Valley.
(4)Mina H.
delicious. nuff said.
(5)Starving Student P.
Yes, the $15 Sashimi Platter is of amazing value. However, if you want the best of what Sushi Gen offers, dine at the Sushi Bar as most people are completely missing out on as they primarily go for the sashimi platter mainly due to the price. They have fish that's considered traditional in Japan yet uncommon in the US such as Engawa (Halibut Fin), Aji (Spanish Mackerel) and Kohada (Gizzard Shad). The best thing to order that will make you drool on the table is O-Toro (Very Fatty Tuna)! The Non-$15 Sashimi Platter Blog Review: themetropolitanlounge.bl…
(5)Diana H.
Ain't nobody dope as Sushi Gen dressed so fresh so clean (So fresh and so good good) Outkast sums it up pretty well here. No fuss sushi bar with super fresh high quality fish. What's not to love? Make sure to sit at the sushi bar even though there might be a long wait and no wait for the tables. The wait is worth it!!! I made this mistake the first time I went and the sushi was a bit warm by the time it got to our table. Needless to say, I wasn't too thrilled. The next time I sat at the sushi bar and the sushi was 100x better.
(5)Bryan K.
With 600+ reviews and 4.5 stars what else more needs to be said about this place? Fresh fish, a great place, always crowded. In Honda Plaza in Japantown. It'll run you about $100 a head, but what do you expect for great sushi?
(5)Gary I.
This place is definitely a true sushi place. It's been here for more than 30 years. The sushi is fresh and the service is great. The trouble with this place is that the parking sucks and there's a long wait time. The sweet shrimp was delicious and we had the tails deep fried. AMAZING!! I had sea urchin once and it was disgusting. My co worker recommended their sea urchin to me so I decided to try it and it was delicious. The texture was gooey but it was unusually sweet and very tasty. If you want real Japanese sushi, send your friends here.
(4)Brandon W.
I love sushi lets start there... this is my favorite sushi bar in Southern California, if not my favorite sushi bar period. The quality is always top notch. The service is always excellent. This is the one place where I will splurge and get mostly sashimi and skip the nigiri. The fish here is second to none. This is also one of the few places where I will eat omakase. I have never left here without a fully belly and a smile on my face.
(5)Matthew T.
I've been here so many times now to have their sashimi deluxe and all times have been just delicious. Yellowtail collar was awesome! And I was surprisingly full from just the sashimi deluxe and yellowtail collar. The sashimi deluxe is the perfect size for two. Also, wow, how can I not talk about their lunch special where for $15 you can get a sashimi lunch combo with many of the items they have during dinner. It isn't quite as big but you still get a lot of sashimi thats fresh for a price that can't be beat anywhere. The only thing keeping Sushi-Gen from being a five-star restaurant is the wait. It's hard to get a table but if you're calling ahead for the lunch special you can be in and out with take-out in 10 minutes flat.
(4)Kendra V.
The sushi is hands down 5 stars. I couldn't complain about even if I tried mega hard. Their sushi marinade/brine is top quality. You won't taste a single fishy fishness in any piece and the marinade/brine makes the sushi extremely tender and buttery (all sushi is placed in a brine or marinade if you did not know. It is what distinguishes ok sushi from superior sushi.) I took a star off because the tempura is sadly not up to sniff to the same level of quality as their fish. It is very oily tasting and the pieces I received were soggy on the bottom. That's never happened to me for any tempura I've ever ordered in my life so that was very disappointing. So if you are ordering one of their dinner combos skip the one with the tempura added and just do straight up sushi or sashimi combo. Good sushi alone doesn't cause the crazy stupid lines this place has every. single. day. So what causes this you might ask? It's the insanely cheap combo prices for the equally insane quality of sushi you get and for the insane amount they give you for that price plus extras they give you on top of everything. 20 to 30 bucks for what you see in the pictures. Ya it's nuts. It's the American sushi portion we've all dreamed about with a McDonalds price and French Laundry quality.
(4)Jen X.
i think they named this place after me but got the spelling wrong. last night at dinner here i said, "this is the only place i ever want to eat sushi from now on'. i will seriously throw a shit fit if anybody tries to make me eat at another sushi restaurant. going by the customer recommendations we tried the toro, yellow tail belly and some others. the toro was so good we ordered another round and i told the table, 'are you ready for me to have another mouth orgasm?' the fish here is so fresh it's the kind that makes you close your eyes, chew slowly and make happy noises. our waitress was great and a little sassy in a fun way, when i ordered natto her eyes got big and she asked if i liked natto. i told her i loved natto and she brought me my little dish of fermented sticky soy beans with a smile. luckily i will be living in the neighborhood so i can have sushi gen whenever i want. the prices are very very good especially for the quality, 3 of us ate and drank and were past full for a little over $100. arigato sushi gen
(5)Tabitha C.
Review is only for lunch, make sure you get there at the very least 30 minute before lunch even begins. The line will start very soon after, definitely worth the wait. The waitress's are use to the lunch crowd, so expect them to push you along as soon as you sit down, probably have at most 5 minutes to decide what you want before they come asking for your order. Their sashimi lunch special ($15) is the most affordable sushi plate I've ever had and the quality can't be beat. Soup and rice is included with their lunch special along with a pickled vegetable medley dish. I was full after everything. They have items on the menu, but its hard for me to stray from the sashimi lunch special. I just wanted to add to their raving lunch review.
(5)Ken M.
Nothing to say that hasn't already been said. Great fish, great service and really not too pricey. There is a reason it's so popular and they don't take reservations, the chef/owner gets the best fish, and as far as I can tell, has gotten the best fish for decades.
(5)Min S.
I have been to Sushi gen few times and ate at the bar. I could see that they only use high quality fish and they have been selling a lot. I mean A LOT. I have been very much impressed about their quality of fish and the number of chefs working on supposedly-not-busy-weekdays(8 chefs for Tuesday night... wow. ) This time I went to Sushi gen for lunch sashimi ($15) and it had about 7kinds of fishes including toro.ytail.crabmeat.spicy tuna.squid.salmon braised. salmon teriyaki. seaweed. I loved them all, but I wished they serve them with vinegared rice. (not plain white rice) I think that is more appetizing and tastes much better. Nothing to complain and will be back definitely!
(4)Sid H.
Sashimi lunch special..get there at least 20 minutes before they open!! Parking sucks here!!! I usually just walk from the gold line.
(5)X R.
Sushi-Gen is legit. When I take the train up from SD, sometimes my gf and I will stop in here for a quick sushi fix in Little Tokyo. Such a random little spot in that little strip mall with a bunch of Japanese restaurants surrounding but this place stands out. Even the lot attendant makes the mistake of asking if we're going to Sushi-Gen and then corrects himself. Fish is always super fresh and tasty. Usually pretty crowded with a short wait. Love the uni w quail egg. A lot of times we'll look over to the people next to us and have sudden urges to order whatever it is wondering, "How do I even order that?!"
(5)Regina H.
Everyone comes here for the sashimi lunch special and for good reason! People start lining up even before it opens. For $15, the special is a steal and will definitely fill you up. In addition to the sashimi (which is very fresh), you get a bowl of soup, salad, and rice. Even if you're not coming for the lunch specials, the food is well worth the price! FYI, your whole party must be present for you to be seated!
(5)Cheryl N.
I think this is the first time I couldn't wait to write a yelp review. After a 45 minute wait (since I tried to reserve at last minute and was unsuccessful), we finally sat down! We tried a lot of sushi but my favorites were fatty tuna, albacore, and yellowtail. What made them so delicious was the unexpected feeling of pure sushi satisfaction upon entering my mouth and slowly chewing. All were very fresh, so tasty I didn't use soy sauce at all, and the rice was perfection. This was the first time I felt the fish and rice really complimented each other. I really didn't know sushi, good sushi, until eating here and now I'm addicted! Too bad they ran out of yellowtail collar and yellowtail belly sushi and our waitress switched our order on the fatty tuna and albacore but that was ok. We ordered another fatty tuna and the second time around was even better! I didn't see the prices for the sushi, didn't really want to look too. For the quantity and quality of it, it wouldn't matter anyway. Next time I'll make reservations, and early, so I can't miss out on the yellowtail collar and belly. I can't wait to come back here again! Btw, no cell phones and laptops here. You wouldn't think of using them anyway, the sushi is that good!
(5)