First taste of sushi near a COASTLINE and damn was it good. I'm not sure if the fish being organic had anything to do with that, but no matter. It's just tragic I didn't bring my camera .... I didn't care so much for the interior of the restaurant, just too bright for my taste. The sashimi is what sets Genki Ya apart from any other I've had. Not only is the sweet raw fish really fresh but the slices are HUGE. You get 6 pieces, 3 types of fish for 9.95 and 2 of them laid next to each other would almost cover the palm of my hand. It is a bit of an ordeal to try and pick the them up at times but no complaints from me. I got to savor the sunset roll and the healthy ichiban roll. As far as the first is concerned, there are a number of places that serve this same item - shrimp tempura roll covered with spicy tuna. Yes they do have this at a number of sushi joints but here it's excellent. Another elite reviewer put it best when she described the spicy tuna here - the right amount of spice and not an overload of mayo. The healthy ichiban is one of those items where simple is good. In this reviewer's opinion, you'll enjoy the fish and avocado more if you ask em to 86 the cream cheese but that's just my preference. An excellent value also. One important thing to note about the maki here is the emphasis on the FISH - they don't use small portions and they don't cover it in an inch-thick layer of rice. There's enough to hold everything intact and that's it. There are a variety of other unique items here (Genki Ichiban, dessert rolls to name a few) and my only regrets are that I ate WAY too much ..... in one sitting and didn't get anything listed above to go. Definitely worth the trip from wherever you are in Boston - if I can spend an hour makin my way here from Porter Square, what's your excuse? read more

Insanely good. I wasn't sure how to feel about sweet potato tempura rolls, but wow, are they a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. The standards (for me, anyway) are good as well, the tuna cucumber rolls, cucumber rolls, avocado rolls, etc. The fruit rolls are an interesting way to finish the meal (if you're not stuffed already as I usually am), with mango, banana, and avocado. Best of all, everything's organic! Delivery is fast as well, and I would order from here everyday if it were feasible. Genki ya offers good sushi for a reasonable price read more

Ok, so, the (ex) wife and I hit up the place the day it opened. They gave us free chopsticks. I was impressed. Am I that simple? In a word, Yes. I'm a bit of a sushi-junkie, having lived all over the east coast and west coast, and you can tell when the stuff is fresh and prepared carefully. I nearly fell in love at this place. Scratch all the organic stuff (brown rice kills the delicacy of the fish!) and stop and consider the portions... excellent. What's that Mr. Sushi? You've got Maki Envy? Sounds like a personal problem. Stop and watch them slice and prepare your sashimi.. careful cuts, precise, and never out in the air for more than a few seconds. Everything goes back to the safety of the fridge/coldbox when not in use... that's right, fishies, it's a dangerous world out there! Only gripe (and it's tiny!) is the beer selection. Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo aren't the extent of sushi-bar beer. Add Anchor Steam. Add maybe a lighter IPA like Longhammer. Gimme something to look forward to when the meal is done. Parting shot -- Chirachi. Always let the chef choose and you will walk away deliciously content, but not overstuffed. That's how sashimi is supposed to be. read more

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

Wait! Before you start throwing tomatoes and used heads of lettuce at me, know that I really wanted to like Genki Ya and that I'm still willing to give it another chance. My experience may have been tainted since I got takeout after about 6 months of reading rave reviews on Yelp and hearing the same thing from my co-worker. I went with a few people including said co-worker to get some take out and eat it in the theater before watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Maybe the sushi on screen didn't match the sushi i was looking at in dim lighting, but I think it was mostly the dried out rice. Genki ya, be ready for my return! read more

Wow, this place was fantastic. I was really excited to try Genki Ya based on the previous reviews and I was not disappointed. I went tonight, a Wednesday night around 6:30pm. The whole time we were there, the little restaurant was full but it didn't look like there was a wait. The menu is like a children's picture book, with a hard cover, not many pages, and big, bright, appetizing pictures of all of the apps, sushi and entrees. My sister, who is not a fan of sushi, was very pleased with her beef teriyaki. My mom and I tried the organic spring rolls to start, a standard fresh spring roll that you find in a lot of Asian restaurants around, but the shrimp inside was really fresh and really made the roll. For dinner we shared the makimono combo (24 pieces of Tuna, king salmon, spicy tuna, california, shrimp tempura) and a rainbow roll, which made for a filling, fantastic meal. Genki Ya has really fresh, really good fish for their sushi. What really sets them apart is the freshness of the fish, the fact that everything is organic (I think), and the prices are very reasonable. They also push their brown rice and multigrain rice, which is a different approach to sushi than the standard white sushi rice. We had all of our rolls with multigrain rice, which added a different texture and taste than we're used to, but was very good. I'm almost ready to go back right now, I will definitely be back in the very near future. read more

I really can't fathom the positive reviews for this place. I walk in and there is hardly anyone in the place on a Sunday night and they had creepy New Age music cranking, several times it turned off and I found myself begging for them to keep it off. The sashimi, even though cut in huge pieces, was utterly tasteless and strangely cut, not smoothly cut, see next sentence. The sushi roll was poorly cut, seawood coming apart. And the smoked salmon was cut strangely, not crisply, poorly cut and tasted like bland artifical crab legs, really not good. The white rice was sticky and bland, not fresh, fluffy Japanese rice with sesame seeds or some such nice touch. Yes, they messed up the white rice. The edamame was wrapped and steamed in some plastic thing which the waitress had to peel off, strange. I have eaten here before and not been blown away but really was horrified this time, won't eat here again. Now, the last thing was that the sushi chefs and the waitresses were Chinese. The idea of Chinese people running a sushi place outside of China, and not Japanese, is horrifying and, too me, it really makes a difference for a sushi place, authenticity, ambiance, quality, service, everything, rip away, but its just my opinion. I don't think Chinese can do sushi, I'm sorry. There were five sushi chefs, two waiters and apparently five or six family members, drivers? just hanging around, sitting at the sushi bar, everyone is on their mobile phones, bringing the ambiance down in a major way. To top it off, outrageously expensive. I'm not sure if the place has changed owners in the six months since I've been but there you have it... read more

This is THE only place in Brookline that I order sushi from. I order take out. I eat in. Anything and everything I can do to get Genki Ya in my mouth. Organic, all-natural sushi is the food to eat. Not only does it taste delicious, but you know it isn't slowly poisoning you. I think the shrimp tempura is delicious, and the california roll, and the volcano roll, the Philadelphia roll. ALL OF THE ABOVE! The delivery is great, very efficient. My roommate and I order it at least once a week between the two of us. yes, Yes, YES. read more

I'm mostly writing to push back against some of the incredibly good reviews on the delivery front. Although I hadn't had Genki Ya before, a friend suggested it. My order took a little over two hours to arrive, which is frankly just too long. I know that you're expected to wait a little bit, but wow. I tried calling and the woman on the telephone told me (at both one hour in and 90 minutes in) "it'll be 15 minutes, the driver is already on the way." I seriously hope I didn't eat sushi that was sitting in some dude's Subaru for an hour... read more

I love sushi and anything organic. Organic Sushi - woohoo! I tried a few different rolls. The fruit roll (banana, mango and avocado) was a creative combo and basically a light dessert. The sweet potato roll was awesome. I heart sweet potatoes! I ordered a tuna avocado roll - my custom fave, and it did not disappoint. And I got to try the super dragon roll -which had eel, avocado and sweet potato. Different and delish! Service was outstanding. Our waitress was so sweet and checked on us frequently to clear away plates and see what else we'd like to order. Definitely my new favorite sushi place! read more

Had the Volcano roll, spider roll, alligator roll, and scorpion roll, and a can of beer. $64 It was expensive. And the food is just okay. Not impressed. They dont have free miso soup, and their hot green tea costs $2.50. Maybe I should be lowering my standard for sushi in Boston, because I have yet to find a casual sushi place in Boston that I find satisfying. read more

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

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

Genki Ya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Genki Ya is the kind of place that you pass everyday, tell yourself to it check out tomorrow, and never do. It's located about a mile away from the "heart" of Coolidge Corner, so it's not the most popular sushi spot. But oh, it is one of the best. And if you've walked by their green bamboo-covered windows without any solid plan to visit, make that plan right now. I was very impressed by not only their selection, but the way they laid out their menus. Sushi is often a surprise... you never know if you're going to get the huge spiky boat that looks like a dragon, or the pile of tempura that doesn't look like a roll at all (can you say Volcano Roll?). Not at Genki Ya. They have a full-color multi-page layout describing everything they have and showing you exactly how wonderful it's going to look. The interior is very nice, well lit and seating a'plenty. It's hard to tell from the outside because their window display consists of bamboo leaves, but it's a very pleasant atmosphere inside. The service is great, the wait staff was very attentive and polite. Our food came out super-fast and was very, very good. Aside from the typical shrimp tempura rolls, they play around a bit with their offerings... For example, I ordered a roll that was made up of mango, avocado, banana, cream cheese and brown rice. There's also a sweet potato tempura roll that I was eyeing, but I think if I had any more sushi I would have exploded into a cloud of confetti. read more

Solid sushi/Japanese food spot in Coolidge Corner. I really like how their menu is full of pictures so you can see what the rolls and entrees look like. This last time we went we got four rolls to try: they were all well made and we really enjoyed the super dragon roll with the sweet potato inside but were unimpressed with the spicy tuna tempura roll. Overall though the restaurant has a nice interior and there is a wide selection of rolls, with some interesting combinations. read more

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I really wanted to like this place but was made sick on a Sunday night. I like the "fresh" and organic theme but also know that Sunday is not the best day for sushi considering most of the fish arrives on Wednesday in resturaunts. Brookline has probably 5 different sushi resturaunts in this price range. Regardsless, I tried it and despite being a bit expensive as most quality sushi is, I was content with what I had. Two hours later I scratched off my list of places to frequent. Gari, Super Fusion, or Fugayku are better bets. read more

Okay, okay. I know what you're thinking. Is this *really* where you can find the cheapest and best sushi in the Boston area? Yes. It is. And here is why. For starters, this may be the most colorful and brightly lit sushi restaurant I have ever stepped foot inside of. The windows are covered with enormous sticks of bright green bamboo - which I love because I don't like people staring at me while I am eating through a window. Their menu is enormous. Literally. Each lengthy, delicious description is accompanied by a bright, beautiful photo of a sushi roll that needs to be in my mouth. My friend and I settled on a few different rolls, some shumai (i know I am not spelling it right), and some edamame. For the most part, everything was priced on par with other sushi places except the edamame which was about $2 more, but really, when you're eating sushi rolls this good, does that extra $2 matter? No. And if it does, don't get the edamame. My favorite of the rolls was the Sweet Potato Tempura roll which was served to us warm. This is my favorite sushi roll and Genki Ya makes the best version. Their Philadelphia roll was also delicious as were the Snow Crab California Roll and the Alaska Roll. So fresh and so great. The waitstaff was attentive and adorable. They took time to answer questions and we had a few different people checking on us making sure we had everything we needed. Everything they serve is all natural/organic and you have a choice of making it with white or brown rice. There are endless choices and sushi possibilities here. read more

What an excellent place for my 100th review! Yes, it's all about the sushi with Genki Ya but the first thing I noticed was the crisp cleanness of their tap beer. It's obvious that these guys pay the extra few bucks to have their tap lines professionally cleaned and that should be noted. Well done! This may be the best place in town to get an Asahi on tap. Consistent with other reviews, the sushi at Genki Ya is excellent. We had a few different sushi rolls but the one that really stood out was the Crazy Roll. It consisted of shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, tobiko and spicy mayo. It was crazy good! Add a few slices of sashimi and a few good beers and you've got yourself a fine dining experience. read more

I've dined in once. That was alright - kind of expensive. But i LOVE their delivery special. 3 rolls, miso soup, and a side salad for $13. They give you 10% off for ordering online and it's only like $2 for delivery. BEST DEAL. Always very fresh. It is very filling (8 pieces per roll) - which nearly never happens with sushi unless you pay a fortune. Delivery is rather prompt - about 30 minutes. How can you go wrong with that? read more

Perhaps not the best place to go on a date but more like a casual sushi place to dine at. We went on a friday night and it was pretty busy. We were seated almost immediately. The service is what you would expect from a mediocre sushi place. I personally liked their sushi's but for the price point, there are better ones out there. My major complaint was how watery the Saki was. I honestly think that that they dilute it so that you order more and more. read more

Genki Ya has recently become my go-to place for sushi after my previous favorite had gone out of business (Minato). When I first discovered Genki Ya I got that wonderful feeling that only comes when you know that you have found a new sanctuary to get that rolled raw fish that everyone craves. Several months ago I would easily have given 5 stars. I should preface by saying that I have only had take-out, and cannot speak for eating there. The place is small with bamboo decor and seems lovely, I'm just not a dine-in sushi guy. I have never had an issue having to wait longer than told when picking up but I will say that it is a little annoying that you have to walk to the back of the restaurant where the register is to get your order, I feel like I'm barging through those that are eating there. The Pros: By far the best unique pro is that you can order online. This is critical when there are big orders, as everyone has experienced order confusion before and knows the potential ramifications. I give the owner props for this and the video and info posted on yelp, it's about time more restaurants enter the 21st century. Also, the regular maki rolls (don't know about the fancy ones, I am too poor to order them) are cut into 8 pieces each. The 8 piece cuts are substantially better than 6 piece cuts which most places use. Not a big deal but you feel like you are getting more and the meal lasts longer. It also prevents embarassing moments for when you are eating with those who lack common sense and try and get two bites from one piece of maki and the piece falls apart. Seriously, who doesn't know that one piece of maki should be eaten whole? The last and most important pro - I have never had an issue with the quality of the fish. The fish is always delicious and the quality of everything else seems good as well, granted I have never tried the brown or grain rice options (and I'm not quite sure why anyone would, maybe it's just me). The Cons: Aside from the take out register being in the back of the restaurant, my only food/service complaint is with the rice. One time I ordered take out and the rice seemed grainy. A later time the rice once again seemed grainy, although much less than the first. The curve ball was recently when the rice in some of my maki was grainy and the rice in others was not at all, in the same order (confusing because I assume the rice came from the same batch). Using my brilliant deductive reasoning I think maybe they are not properly covering the rice that is out so the rice on top may be grainy and the rice below is perfectly fine? I really have no idea, but I will say that this has only happened a few times and the rice is usually fine. Up until now, Genki Ya would still have 5 stars. The main reason why I have given them 3 stars - recent price increases. I realize that their costs may go up and prices increase from time to time, but they both increased prices and eliminated their 10% online discount (substituting some rewards program which cannot be used on the order you are ordering), which is a double whammy for me. Price has a lot to do with my sushi choices because like many, I have little money and a taste for raw fish that refuses to go away. As of months ago, you could get 3 maki rolls with a salad and soup as a special and after taxes and with the 10% discount it came to $12.52. This price, and the qualty of the fish, exceeded the other options in the area and was the main reason why Genki Ya became my go-to sushi place. Now the same special is $15.52. While this is still failry inexpensive for sushi, many other places also have specials and the $3 difference is significant. I feel as though I now have to find a new sushi place that has quality fish and is inexpensive, just when I thought I had a relationship with Genki Ya. read more

OMG! When my friend and fellow Yelper, Joanne, suggested this place for dinner, I was so excited. I had read great reviews on Yelp and wanted to join the masses of people who have tried the sushi here. I had high expectations so was bracing myself to be disappointed, but it was the complete opposite. I totally agree with the other reviewers who have come before me and have given this place 5 stars. This is definitely a place that any sushi lover needs to try! Sushi is the last meal I want before I die, and Genki Ya is one of maybe 3 sushi restaurants in the greater Boston area that I would request my final meal from. And considering I've only tried 3 of their maki in one visit, that's a pretty bold statement. The Genki Ichiban, spider roll, and super dragon roll were all phenomenal -- huge and almost too pretty to eat! For those who are novices or rely on pictures to guide their choices, you'll love Genki Ya's menu which features color photos of most of their selections. The only catch is that this place is tiny so make sure you make reservations. We went on a Tuesday night and there were no free tables. read more

Wow! I was really impressed with Genki Ya. I was hesitant at first to go there, as I have been a long time Mr. Sushi fan and the prices seemed a little steep. It was worth every penny, and it turns out the prices are reasonable for what you are getting! I'm not talking about only all-natural and organic, but simply the quality (and quantity) of the food! The place is small, and you are practically on top of the people at the table next to you. It is very bright and clean inside which is nice. The menu is fantastic. Bright color pictures of your menu options so you always know what you're getting. The menu has a wide variety of choices, too. I'm a vegetarian, so I only indulged in the veggie options, all of which were fantastic. It was nice to have more options than your typical cucumber or avocado rolls. Here's what we had: the garden roll ($5.75), the color vegetables roll ($6.95), sweet potato tempura roll ($5.25), and the fruit roll ($5.75). The color vegetables roll came with 6 pieces of the big sushi (the ones that are 2 inches or so across). All the others came with EIGHT pieces each of normal size maki rolls, rather than the standard 6 pieces you get at other places. So actually, the price is reasonable for what you are getting because you're getting 33% more sushi! Surprisingly, the fruit roll worked well. I thought I should be eating it for dessert almost, with the mango and banana in there, but it was really tasty and a good step away from the normal flavors. **note to my fellow vegetarians** if you have the sweet potato tempura rolls, make sure you get it without the sauce on top -- it's not vegetarian! one of the waitresses here gives me the hookup and lets me know when there are secret non-veggie things that might be deceiving. All of the food was really fresh and full of flavor. They also get bonus points for presentation -- it was really cleanly laid out on the rectangular white plates. They offer brown rice or multi-grain rice for $.50 more per roll - we tried each of them, but I couldn't tell that big of a difference between that and regular sushi rice. I will definitely go back here, as the myth of it being overpriced was completely busted once I actually experienced it for myself. The food was so great too, that even if were a bit overpriced, I would still go back. Definitely try this place at least once! read more

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

Truthfully, I can't believe I have not written a review for this place yet. It's really fabulous sushi, and the prices (truly) are not that bad. It's a sushi place, for quality stuff you're going to shell out a couple of bucks. My boyfriend and I come here and without beer and four rolls between us we usually walk away with a $50 price tag. Truthfully though, it's worth it. The amount of sushi alone is intense compared to most places. First: the snow crab tempura roll is wonderful and you literally get 10-12 pieces. A great deal for the $12 you're paying for it. In that vein, all the sushi is delicious. And it's organic, what more could you ask for? The wait staff is delightful. This place is less than half a block from my house, so I go there often. They are always incredibly attentive and give me a warm welcome every time I come in. If we decide we're going to eat sushi it's understood we're going to Genki Ya. To be truthful I had the worst experience at Nori when I first moved to Brookline so I was kind of happy to see it go. Genki Ya was a welcome new neighbor. It is small, but it's intimate! I would rather be in a cute, comfy restaurant over a huge, music blaring, waiter ignoring place any day. I say take a group, you may be close to the next table over but who cares?! Share some sake! Make new friends! In conclusion: I adore Genki Ya. read more

I LOVE GETTING DELIVERY FROM THIS PLACE! The 3 rolls for $13 (cash only) deal is so freakin' wonderful. The delivery charge is only 2 bucks...so it is a better deal for me to sit at home on my bum and have the food delivered than actually jump on the green line and get it myself. It is just seriously so much food, especially when you do the 3rolls4$13 deal x2. They give you quarts of miso soup!! Also, when you spend over $25 you get free spicy tuna roll or edamame! I feel like such a glutton when I am finished eating. I have yet to finish it all in one setting too! Usual rolls: sweet potato tempura, avocado-asparagus-cucumber, alaskan salmon, and crazy roll (minus the mayo). Oh and PLEASE TIP YOUR DELIVERY PERSON WELL! read more

It's hard for me to review a sushi place when I don't eat seafood and have never stepped foot in this establishment but on the veggie sushi delivery front Genki Ya can't be beat. Even though I don't touch seafood I have a slight obsession with veggie sushi to the point where I crave the stuff on a weekly basis. Most places offer a very limited menu of veggie options that are super bland and boring but Genki Ya has quite a few options that are all delicious (favorite is the veggie delight roll). To make things even better you can select brown rice with any roll which is amazing. I personally prefer brown rice sushi for health and flavor reasons and it's so nice to see it offered as a menu option. Delivery is super fast and through Grub Hub its only a ten dollar minimum with a small delivery fee (2 bucks if I remember correctly). Looking forward to my next order with Genki Ya! read more

Lunch! Eat lunch here! For $12 you get soup, salad, 3 rolls (about 18 pieces), and a little dessert sampler. You can get brown rice for a little extra. This is an awesome deal, and really good Sushi. Don't drink the green tea - it's crack. read more

Came here with a sushi craving last week. I've actually been ordering via foodler from here for the past few months, and have really enjoyed their food. Well, for my first time here, I was quite impressed. It was definitely nicer than I thought it would be. The service was pretty sweet. I love the variety of sushi available, in particular the ones with sweet potato, banana, mango, and cream cheese. These usually taste more like dessert than a legitimate meal to me, so I end up ordering an extra dish of sushi for the betsubara. For the regular meal, I usually end up with something that has salmon, since that's usually what I enjoy most. The different sushi we (my friend and I) ordered was really fresh and light. At the end we were offered a complimentary dessert, but we were too stuffed to accept it. We'll have to come back to try it out sometime though. read more

Fastest sushi ever. The food almost came out in as much time as it took me to write this sentence. Come here if you want really good, speedy sushi with a great selection of creative rolls that incorporate ingredients like banana, sweet potato, mushrooms, and mango. We ordered the salmon torch roll (torched salmon, spicy crab, spicy mayo), the spicy king crab tempura roll (self explanatory), and the double spicy tuna roll. The spicy king crab and double spicy tuna were both delicious, well-rolled, and creative. The salmon torch roll looked like it was wrapped in a tongue, which I found a little disconcerting. Otherwise, the restaurant has limited seating and slightly dark/depressing ambience. Fun facts: -Their menu has lots of glossy pictures and sort of looks like a children's storybook. -Their chopsticks are not disposable and are conveniently monogrammed with their URL for the tech savy kleptomaniacs out there. -I'm 80% sure the bamboo in the window is fake - just sayin'. read more

great great tasting sushi! They have really creative rolls (so many ingredients in each of the ones I got, like the dragon roll... banana?! yum!) and the fish and ingredients were so so fresh! everyone there seemed really friendly, we got take out so I can't comment on actual service but I'm guessing it would probably be quite good (hence the 4 rather than 5 stars for now...) compared to a lot of other Brookline sushi places this seems like great quality sushi at a reasonable price! read more

So good! They have so many options for rolls! It's really hard to find good sushi for reasonable prices in Boston, so I was really happy about Genki Ya. It is kind of small, so I'm not sure if there is usually a wait (I went with three friends around 8pm and we were able to be seated right away). We ordered the sunny roll, genki ichiban, and makimono combo and all three were delicious! I think the sunny roll was my favorite because it's just so flavorful. The makimono combo was great too because it had four or five different rolls (4 pieces for most of the rolls in the combo). I think the combo also comes with miso soup, which was also really delicious! I don't think I've had decent miso soup at any sushi place I've been to so far in Boston. Overall, really satisfied with my visit here and hoping to go more often! read more

This is my go-to sushi take out place. I've never eaten in, but I have been to pick up orders. It's very cramped. I always feel in the way when I have to wait on my takeaway order, but I've never had to wait for very long. It'd be interesting to eat in someday, especially at the sushi bar- I'd love to see everything being made. The sushi is great. I always get a rainbow roll and a spicy tuna roll. Sometimes I get some pork gyoza on the side. It's a bit pricy, so I try not to order that often, but I'd rather pay more for good, organic sushi than buy some crappy roll from Shaw's that's been sitting in a cooler all day. Plus it's convenient to pick up, so I save a few dollars doing that. Fast, delicious, convenient. I probably won't ever order sushi from anywhere else as long as I live in Brookline. read more

One of my favorite sushi spots in Boston. I used to leave very close to this location and would go once a week. The fish is always very fresh. I believe they use organic ingredients when possible if that interests you. They also have a few different rice options. I've tried the multigrain - definitely a non-traditional offering but it was fun to sample. Definitely recommend this place if you're on the market for some good sushi at a reasonable price point! read more

I went here for dinner for the first time last night as my husband and I were looking for an alternative to Fugakyu. The clear star of the meal was the Genki Ichiban, an appetizer of fried seaweed wrapped around rice topped with spicy tuna. This dish had it all -- great crunch from the seaweed and a great mix of flavors. We had the sashimi appetizer which was two each of salmon, tuna, and yellowtail. All the sashimi was fresh and delicious although the portions perhaps not as generous as Fugakyu. We also enjoyed the Genki Vegetable Maki which had the strange combo of mushroom tempura, banana, sweet potato and cream cheese. However, it all worked! It was palate pleasing and something new, which was exactly what I was looking for. I still think that the place for creative sushi is Oishii in Chestnut Hill, but this place still had great variety without the ridiculously long wait. I appreciated that this place was quieter than Fugakyu, and the wait staff were very polite and attentive. We called for a reservation for 2 people around 5 pm for 7 pm on a Friday night. When we arrived, the place was almost empty but half the tables were for reservations. By 7:30 pm, the place was packed. It probably has 6 or 7 tables along with at least a dozen seats at the sushi bar. read more

I've lived five minutes from Genki Ya for two years now and had never even knew it existed until I heard rave reviews about it from someone I met at a concert. I love sushi, but hate fish and I have had trouble finding places that have a variety of vegetarian options. I decided to check out Genki Ya, and when I saw their menu I think I died and went to vegetarian sushi heaven. Not only do they have all different combinations of vegetarian sushi, but it is also the best sushi I've ever had. I got the "honey roll" and a plain avocado roll, with the multigrain rice. Life changing. read more

Great sushi experience! I had heard good things about this restaurant and so I brought a friend to try it out. The atmosphere, food and service were great. The fish was very fresh and I was surprised at how quickly the food arrived. The restaurant is cozy and the waitstaff are friendly and efficient. In particular, our waiter was excellent. He managed to keep my glass full the entire time and did so without me even noticing. He was also very knowledgeable about the food and helped my indecisive friend pick something to eat. I will definitely be going back! read more

My favorite Sushi place. Beware, it can be hard to get seated. It is a relatively small place, not a hole in the wall, but pretty small. All of the ingredients are always fresh and high quality. It is not the cheapest sushi place. Price-wise, it is on par with FuGaKuy. Their delivery service is great if you live relatively close. read more

If you want to feel rushed come here after the dinner rush. My friends and I swung by here a tad past 9 for dinner. We ordered appetizers, sushi and entree. The food here was OK except for the Beef Teriyaki dinner. It tasted like it was nuked - totally no grilled flavor in it. It was absolutely bland meat. It certainly didn't take that long to come out to justify that it was grilled. It wasn't even the last dish that came out. It came out before the the spicy king crab tempura roll, catepillar roll, and hotate kaiyaki. It was a sigh of relief that it came out after the sashimi! They were very speedy in clearing dishes. It took less than a minute for an empty or partly empty dish to disappear from the table. About fifteen minutes before they close (10pm), a server brought over the bill and asked us to pay but take our time eating. Then the manager came snooping to see if the check is ready to be paid. Then another server asked if we were done eating when taking the bill. All this happened while there was still 5 mins till 10. Why are you serving us dining in if you are basically going to kick us out before your marked closing time? Really, just have your last hour as take out and delivery so you don't piss off customers that are just trying to enjoy a meal. Your last hour of service dwindles to zilch as the clock ticks closer to 10. read more

I love sushi and am all for organics so I got a teeny bit giddy every time I walked by Genki Ya to see their eye-catching window bamboo (I think) decor alongside a "coming soon" sign. I've only gotten delivery and I've been meaning to check out their actual restaurant (seems like they have pretty good lunch specials), but the lackluster sushi has not encouraged me to dine in. They offer a number of vegan options which incorporate a larger variety of fruits and vegetables than I've seen elsewhere - a welcomed change. I was a little shocked at the $4.45 sticker price of their cucumber roll (verryyy basic, just cucumber, rice, and seaweed), as that's double the price of many other sushi places (granted it's not organic but that wouldn't even explain). So the actual food...The sushi rice was not as flavorful as I think it should be and not as sticky as it needs to be for pieces to stay together. I judge sushi largely on quality of rice and how well rolls are rolled, so seeing how loose and sparse the rice was upon arrival was disappointing. The veggies of the Garden Roll were extremely fresh and delicious, but the overall roll was bland to me. The sweet potato tempura roll, one of my absolute favorites, was total mush, therefore total yuck. On the menu it says the miso soup has mushrooms, but it actually came sans shrooms plus tofu pieces. Meh. Hopefully these issues will be worked out as the chefs become more comfortable in their new restaurant. I'll keep Genki Ya on the backburner for a place to come back to, but it's not one I'm really itching to make an immediate return. Returning will be me trying to make myself like it as I really want to support the organic/veg-friendly movement as much as possible yet restaurants aren't supposed to drive their customers to delude themselves into their food. Sigh. read more