We always try to find a Japanese restaurant worth going to during our travels. Ottawa had several options to offer and we chose Genji with its wide variety of traditional as well as unusual offerings. Being open to trying dishes that are outside of the typical roll-nigiri-sashimi playlist (Genji offers all of that too), we decided to experiment. Uni was fantastic, fresh and delicious. Tuna tartare "pizza" made on a thick fried rice crust/patty was unusual yet yummy. An eggplant appetizer was truly decadent. Loved the maple syrup egg sashimi. A shiitake roll was sweet and almost dessert like. Mango icecream and green tea creme brulee had extremely clean and vibrant flavors. All that magic reasonably priced and prepared and presented with love and care by a wonderful chef and staff. Highly recommend! read more

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The food here is mediocre at best and absurdly priced for the quality. Miso soup ($3.50) - extremely bland. Virtually flavourless. Shrimp tempura ($12.50) - good but only three pieces of shrimp and a few veg tempura. Still, it was good enough to give me false hope for the rest of the meal which would then be immediately shattered when my dragon roll arrived. Rainbow dragon roll ($18.50) - TINY (half the size of a regular maki roll) and looked as though it had been constructed by a child. Hotate nigiri ($10) - mediocre. The waitstaff was very friendly, but good service does not make up for that meal. Go elsewhere. read more

This was worth the time it took to get down to the market. Continually checked on by our attentive and of course Asian waitress. Pleasant polite food experience was amazing. It's an experience cooking your own meat and food ... Uber it there and enjoy sake ... I would do that next time and have a few beverages. Completely wonderful night out. read more

Is this in the best 50% of sushi? no Is it even in the top 75%? I don't think so I found this desultory, not a good taste, Agedashi tofu was the worst of my life, with a piece of rotting lettuce as garnish - if the lettuce isn't fresh, better to have no garnish Since I'm throwing out part of the meal instead of finishing it, I really can't give this anything other than one star, and I would not recommend it. Hanabi is far far better. read more

I was happy to stumble across Genji while in town for a business meeting. The sashimi lunch special, which came with miso soup, salad, and a bowl of rice was delicious and filling. The fish was fresh and the cuts of fish were generous. The servers were friendly, polite, and welcoming. All in all a good experience. read more

Genji - Sashimi lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Delivery review: Hungry one night, decided to order some sushi. Ordered the Kaede Sushi Moriawase (12pcs- 6 nigiri, 6 rolls) and beef tataki. This also came with side salad and miso soup. Now, take my review with a grain of salt because delivery will never taste as good as the restaurant. Tastewise, the sushi wasn't exactly fresh. The beef tataki was decent at best. The value wasn't too great either, but it did satisfy my cravings. Food- 2.5/5 Price/Value- 2/5 Would i order delivery again from here? No read more

Genji - Delivery- Kaede Sushi Moriawase (12 pcs) Beef Tataki Side miso soup and salad - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

This is an update from my previous post; I'm restating Genji from a 3/5 to a 4/5 for the following reasons: Food - 4/5: Relative to other sushi restaurants in the downtown and general metropolitan area, you'll be hard-pressed to find better quality sushi than Genji. Having tried numerous dishes on their menu, I have to say their omakase is definitely better than other sushi restaurants within 100 km. The one downside to this is that the price point is quite hefty. While restaurants in Toronto can deliver higher quality for the same price, Genji is definitely the best in my opinion within Ottawa. Service - 4/5: The staff are quite friendly and hardworking. They definitely work hard to make your experience pleasant. Environment - 4/5 - Standard Japanese restaurant. I certainly enjoy the place given its proximity to work and home. read more

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Very good, super-fresh sushi. Excellent service. Open yet cozy, but not overdone decor, and good sound control. What's not to like? Had lovely birthday dinner for my wife here on Saturday, with good friend joining us. Loved everything about it. This restaurant is also suffering, given that it's at the South end of Lisgar, right near Elgin, which is blocked off due to the construction on Elgin. They could use your support. read more

Honestly I'm not sure if I've experienced a slower service before. It's either unstaffed or inefficiency in the kitchen, service was almost non-existent. When we got to the place, it's about half filled so I'm not sure what's the reason for the extremely slow service. I saw frustrations in the face of our neighbours sitting at other tables. You want water or drinks? Ok 15 minutes after you're seated. You want fork to eat your food right away? Ok 10 minutes and everyone else waits for you A group 4? You will be eating at the different times. Your friend finishes her roll and then your roll comes. Food wise, it's not bad maybe 3.5/5, your typical non-authentic Japanese style sushi restaurant, no complain about the food for the price. Honestly unless you absolutely have no choice, find another place because there are a few Japanese restaurants around in the area. read more

I have to say, I ended up at Genji out of desperation. I was staying at the Lord Elgin and was quickly running out of time to grab a bit before closing time and could find few within walking distance that caught my eye. The funny part, though, is that I actually came here four years ago and completely forgot how good it was. Despite being that awful customer who strolls in for dinner 40 minutes before closing time, the service was impeccable. Friendly, helpful, and no indication that they were trying to rush me out. Of course, I was trying to be good by ordering quickly and paying for my bill when the food came, but they insisted that I relax and take my time. Nice touch! The menu is pretty big! More than just your standard sushi selection, you can get lost in the options. I went with the tempura sweet potato roll dotted with a gorgeous berry sauce, the spicy vegetable roll, and the green dragon roll (asparagus, cucumber, enoki mushroom wrapped with avocado). What? I was REALLY hungry! I didn't even notice, but I guess my meal took a little more time than they had hoped to prepare so after about eight minutes, my server brought out a complementary bowl of miso soup. What I loved was that it wasn't apologetic but rather: "Your sushi is almost ready. Here. Have some soup." You can't argue with that! I find Genji sushi consistently has more distinct flavours than other rolls I've had. Each roll is distinct in its own right which makes bouncing in between maki so much more fun and delicious. This is definitely on my list for my next Ottawa visit and probably every single one after that! read more

Genji - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

One of the better sushi places in Ottawa, that's for sure. Don't know if it's the best, I haven't tried enough to really say that, but it's better than Kinki's and Wasabi in the Market. It's downtown, off Elgin street on Lisgar and a bit away from any other restaurant or bar, so you really have to be looking for it to know it's there. Service is good, every time I have been the fish has been fresh (kinda important in a sushi place) and I always order nigiri sushi and not the rolls with mayo, hot sauce, etc, so I really notice when the fish isn't top grade stuff. http://www.genji.ca/reviews.html read more

Genji - an empty restaurant with tables and chairs - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Didn't get a chance to eat food we walked out after over an hour waiting for our order that the waitress forgot to give to the kitchen

Genji is one of the better sushi restaurants in Ottawa. I've never had a bad meal or received poor service. The dishes are beautifully presented, the fish, rice and vegetables are always fresh and flavourful and the menu is extensive. Genji offers many vegetarian options. They are one of the few restaurants that have ume-boshi, a Japanese pickled plum, on the menu. My only "gripe" would be the price. Genji is possibly the most expensive Sushi restaurant in Ottawa. None the less, it's totally worth it. read more

Went here on a recommendation from some friends for a 5-year wedding anniversary celebration. I have to say that I was a little disappointed in the atmosphere... I think I was imagining something more like festival japan or Suisha Gardens but what it lacked in surroundings it made up with fabulous service and great food. My husband got a combo meal for one and I ordered a few rolls and makis a la carte. I tried out the lobster roll. It was good, but wasn't the explosion of flavour I was anticipating. Do try the sushi wine. It was very refreshing! I thought the prices were very comparable to any other Japanese restaurant that I've been to and we'll definitely be going again! read more

This is likely some of the best sushi in the city overall. I still haven't tried everywhere, but it's still really good. We ordered the 2 Person combo for about $65 and added some gyoza to the meal. We really didn't need to. The combo is not small, and as you're working your way through the dishes - like the bizarre but tasty Medusa Tempura - you forget just what is coming next or what's left. We spent a good two hours there and left feeling quite content and with some leftovers. The teriyaki is a large serving of salmon (which we both got, but chicken and beef are also options) and comes with rice and steamed vegetables. Well worth the time and money, fantastic service. read more

Very authentic Japanese cuisine. Intimate atmosphere, with very caring staff. The food is properly done. read more

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This is my hubby and my favorite place to get sushi. It is a little pricier so be prepared to spend a chunk of change. I've seen that they do take out as well but as for the sit in, the waitresses are always attentive and polite. The portions are quite large when it comes to sashimi, nigiri and the rolls. We always get some arrangement of sashimi, a dragon roll, spider roll and some other smatterings. Its definitely on our list of top places to go when we're celebrating though the only downside to any downtown location is parking; it can be difficult to find nearby street parking. read more

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OK - wow. This is good sushi. In Ottawa. Finally. The restaurant is clean and fairly nice, the sushi is fresh, and the service is good. There's no patio, and it's a bit off the beaten path, but it's worth a visit. It's very difficult to find good sushi in Ottawa, and this is almost certainly the best I've had. Hopefully, they'll be able to keep the quality up! read more

A little bit pricy for the amount of food that you receive. I really like this restaurant, the staff are very kind and understanding. I like the atmosphere of the restaurant though the size of it makes the restaurant a little loud. As previously stated the pricing of the food is a little bit much, but the rolls are tight and delicious. Im not actually from Ottawa, I was visiting at the time; but I would defiantly recommend this place as a good place to get sushi, its off the beaten track a little so it feels like a hidden gem more then other places. read more

They served us rotten uni(sea urchin) nigiri, which tasted bitter and rotten. The smell and taste of the uni nigiri really made me think they had kept it for over 1 week. The waitress didn't apologize at all, and didn't take it as a serious issue. And the sushi are all actuality all made with minced salmon.... read more

Genji - Sushi dragon, nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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There are two main things that I appreciate about Genji - they deliver (Fridays and Saturdays only) and they carry sashimi items on their menu that other sushi bars rarely do. They have octopus, butterfish, scallops, sea urchin, and raw sweet shrimp. Some sushi bars in Ottawa will have the first four, but I have yet to find another place that carries sweet shrimp, which, unlike the cooked shrimp you usually find, is raw and very small, and yes, actually sweet-tasting. I first heard about Genji when I came across their menu online. It was a really cold, windy, and icy winter day, and I was craving some sushi but just couldn't make myself go out for it, so I was looking for any place that delivered, and I found Genji. I ordered their Umi Sashimi Moriawase, which is a 20-piece sashimi boat that comes with soup, salad, and rice. The fish was very fresh and tasty, and it came with a really good selection, including the sweet shrimp and butterfish - my favorites. This was actually the first time I tasted sweet shrimp, and though it looked a little strange, it was quite fantastic. The only problems I had with Genji were that the sashimi slices were fairly small, so they weren't very filling, even with 20 pieces and rice to myself, and on top of that, it cost over $30 without tax, delivery charges, or tip. It really satisfied my sushi/sashimi craving, but not so much my hunger. read more

I love this place. I have eaten/ordered out of here many times and I have yet to be disappointed. The price for sushi is comparable to other restaurants of the same quality. Of course you can find less expensive sushi, but it isn't always as good. Either way, the sushi is great at Genji! The staff here have always been friendly and professional. When I am waiting for my take out order, they give me some tea while I wait. The restaurant itself is clean and relatively nicely designed - nothing special. There is no private lot, but there is plenty of street parking available. Sometimes you may have to park a little farther away and walk as the street can get packed quickly on Friday/Saturday night. There is no patio. My only complaint with Genji is the time it takes for service. It is a little on the long side. It isn't a large restaurant, so sometimes I wonder what takes so long. However, while it is a bit long, the wait isn't ridiculous. I can deal with it. I'm new to Ottawa and I understand that it is a bit difficult to find good sushi. This place has great sushi so stop looking. read more

I went with some friends who live nearby and love it. It really is a hidden gem. Turn off Elgin onto Lisgar. Once you think you've gone too far, there you are. Lots of sushi options. Everything we tried was fresh and tasted good. Some trendy hybrids (sushi with seared beef, chicken, sushi pizza, etc.), may scare the purists, but I had a good traditional eel roll as well as a trendy spicy shrimp roll (dynamite?) and found both of them to be very good. The beef wrapped "stampede" ordered by my friend didn't work as well for me, but others claimed to love it. Service was attentive and friendly and a few complimentary appetizers at the beginning of the meal were nice. Prices were not out of line with other sushi restaurants downtown and were, perhaps, a little less. Highly recommended. read more

My husband and I went to Genji Japanese Restaurant a few weeks ago, shortly after we moved to Ottawa. The food was delicious! We ordered the seaweed salad and I had one of the specialist sushi's...I forget which one, but it was so good. It had plenty of sauce with a beautiful design. It was almost too pretty to eat! My husband doesn't love sushi as much as I do, but is a big fan of meat. He loved the grilled meat and the riceless sushi he got. I don't enjoy meat as much as he does, but I must say it was amazing! Two small downsides to this restaurant. The customer service was not great, but I've had worse. I'd also recommend driving if you have access to a car. I'm not sure how close it is to the brown or blue lines, but the only line that is close to where we live that goes somewhat close to the restaurant is green and it was kind of a far walk - not that big of a deal, but it was a little bit on the shady side. read more

Wow factor! Service was absolutely sublime. Went with the whole family, children and all. Everyone was completely satisfied with the taste, portions and quality. Beautiful looking food; as delicious as it looked. Great ambiance. read more

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Yay! I'm a fan. Genji must've been paying attention to all of the yelp reviews. I was there today for lunch and may I say was pleasantly surprised. First, I will start with the service. The service was above par - professional, courteous and quick. Everything from being greeted at the front door all the way through to receiving the bill at the end was smooth and timely (but not rushed if you know what I mean). The food was delicious which I was pretty much expecting based on the reviews I read. I had the Maki Set Special (no substitutions) served with miso soup & salad Maki Set (8 pc California roll, 2 pc Futomaki, 4 pc spicy salmon roll) all for $13. Great value. It was delicious and I must say that the spicy salmon rolls were probably the best I have ever had. Fresh and delightful. Yummy. The restaurant is located on Lisgar street in downtown Ottawa. Not far from the Ottawa Public Library just in between Elgin and Metcalfe street. Maybe not the fanciest Japanese place that I've ever seen but we were sold between the delicious food and the rice paper walls/partitions in between the tables - gave great privacy between people and it felt like we had a ton of privacy. We made reservations for lunch on a Thursday but didn't really need them. Genji wasn't as busy as I had predicted it would be. Probably because the time of year and sub zero temperatures. All in all I would recommend to a friend and I will definitely return in the future for my next sushi craving. read more

This is hands down the best sushi I've ever had, and I've been all over, trust me. The decor is sleek modern, the service is amazing (they refill your green tea at practically every two sips). And the food is simply orgasmic. For one, it's the best vegetarian sushi in existence. Many of the rolls come with a special coulis on top to complement the flavours, and it is sumptuous. I've been here about a dozen times - I go whenever I'm in Ottawa - and it's always been excellent. The service is not uber-quick, but not extremely slow either. The wait is worth it though! Their location is just off Elgin street, a bit South from Laurier on a sidestreet called Lisgar. It's too bad it's a bit tucked away, because I'm sure it prevents them from having a booming business. I'm always worried that they will shut down because often there aren't many occupied tables. The other Japanese restaurants in Ottawa don't hold a candle to Genji - trust me, I lived there for 7 years and sushi is my favourite food. I can't believe I'm the first to review Genji on Yelp! read more

Was there late, ordered rainbow maki ($13) and miso soup($3.5) to go. Back to hotel and was disheartened to find mere 6 small bites in the box. pros: reasonably good maki, fish was fresh. Cons: portion way too small for the price charged. read more

Went here for sushi for our anniversary. The food was a bit pricey then what I'm used to. The rolls were huge and didn't enjoy them as much as I usually would back home. But did like that they offered a free app. I'd probably try this place again just get different sushi read more

Since moving to Ottawa from Toronto, this has been our go-to sushi place ... try to make it out here at least once a month. Fish has always been fresh, and not a single item off the menu has let us down thus far. read more

Had the Genji Appetizer (deep fried wonton with mushroom, shrimp and I think shiso), Unagi wave maki, Sweet potato make, and Red Dragon roll -- I was stuffed!! Other rolls I'd like to try, so I'd go back. Nice presentation and good taste to match. Sushi chefs were Chinese I think, but they a very good job. read more

Best sushi in town! Very creative with dishes. Nice variety for people who don't like sushi as well. Great service as well.

Just found my new favorite sushi spot! Woo Hoo for me! So I ordered the Genji appetizer which was a tempura fried shrimp & seaweed dumplings, which I enjoyed very much. Then proceeded to order way too much sushi for just myself but was convinced at the time that I'd be able to eat all 18 pieces...whaaaatt? Ordered my staple avocado roll with the rice on the outside, the spicy tuna tempura and the sweet potato roll. Needless to say, I brought 6 pieces home already knowing that sushi is never that great the next day but Genji is an exception to the rule. It was still good (to my wonderful surprise). Not sure if I would order the sweet potato one again but it was certainly good enough to try once. Also, someone was kind enough to give me her last piece of the salmon pizza sushi which went into my doggie bag and was delish! Finally, having been to full to order dessert (and truthfully not much of a desert person) I simply HAD to sample a bite of the green tea crème brule....OMG it's all I can think about and can't wait to go back! read more

Pretty much anything is really good there. Sushi are the highest grade I could find in Ottawa but be prepared to pay big time for it. It's $$$ read more

Would you like some salad with your dressing? soup was tasteless, bland sauce. frozen, dry flavourless fish. I'm sorry to the restaurant but it's the worst fish I've had in years. read more

Went there on Sunday night. The menu was expensive compared to most Japanese restaurants in Toronto where we live. Ordered a number of items off of menu including the dinner sets. The food was average - nothing stood out. read more

Clean and nice atmosphere, but the food was average, especially given the cost. Way too much rice on the spicy salmon and spicy tuna- at $8-$9 a roll, should have been much more fish, much less rice. Very underwhelming. read more

Very nice decor and vibe for an intimate evening or date. Very modern design but maintains some traditional japanese elements. Good bar and sake selection. Food, much like downtown, was a little sub-par--so don't come in expecting a Japanese flavour explosion. Recommended if downtown for dinner. They stay open till 10. read more

Genji - Beef and green onion roll - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Sushi is very nice and fresh here. The serve is also very comfortable. Dragon rolls looks beautiful，I really suggest it.

My husband like this place a lot but I don't think this place is worth the money. Honestly there sushi was better than the cheapo sushi at all you can eat but not great as some other sushi resto that is around the same price. Also I didn't like the thick cut sashimi at all, it was too hard to chew for me. read more