Genki Ya is everything and more than what I imagined and hoped it to be. This is the American Idol Star of Sushi! I felt like I was all three judges and I must give Genki Ya the Golden Ticket! (Or, is it the yellow form or pass? I don't know. I don't even watch the show.) I spent the whole day last Friday, scouring the Internetz looking for good sushi at a moderate price in the area. I've been to most places in Boston, Medford, Somerville area. Normally, I would just go to Snappy. (Shino's Sushi Express as I have always known it.) But, I just felt that I need to try some place new. The whole day, I had been battling back and forth with myself on deciding on which sushi restaurant to go. I narrowed it down to three places and I'm happy to say that I made the best choice possible. The restaurant is excellent. Sushi is spell-bindingly delicious. Each piece of sushi was crafted with perfection. Each bite tasted like magic bursting in your mouth. (That's what she said!) Upon ordering what my boyfriend and I did, we just couldn't concentrate on what to order. It was a conspiracy. There is no way that we could've ordered EVERYTHING from the menu. We'd have this place shut down in no time. We ordered five rolls and an appetizer, all of which came at a respectable amount of time. Not waiting too long, or suspiciously too quickly. During wait time, I had to wash my hands. The ladies' bathroom has a lot to say about its establishment, let me tell you. Please, and this is no rhetorical question, how many other restaurants have you been that has SOFT 2-PLY? I could have been imagining it, but the TP was so soft, that it may just be comfortable enough to sleep on. It's almost the holidays. It makes a great gift. (This is an organic restaurant, I wonder if the toilet paper is made organically, too? I wouldn't been at all surprised.) After I washed my hands, the train of sushi came right out. It was food porn at first sight. Each bite was incredible. The deliciousness was contagious. The tuna -- it was practically red butter. The Fashion Roll -- better than the original creators of the Newbury Fashion Roll. So incredibly FRESH. Spider Roll -- my mind stopped right there. For everything that we order, I was like a deer in headlights. It was orgasmic. I'm not being hyperbolic. It made me moan and scream a little in this quiet, tiny restaurant. I ended our date night with Red Bean ice cream tempura. It's how every date should end. So, please Yelpers. Give your tastebuds the chance to understand what it's missing. Because, I need more. And, I need it BAD! read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

My girlfriend gets mad at me for ordering too much food whenever we go out for sushi, so that's why we usually go to Minado. However, I convinced her we needed to try the new Genki Ya that was a mere 5 minutes from out house in Cambridge. We went to the one in Brookline for my birthday in September, but hadn't been back because, frankly, Brookline is a pain in the ass to drive to and Whole Foods / Porter Exchange / Arlington sushi seems a lot more convenient after a full day of working with kids. We arrived around 6:30pm and only three tables were occupied. I was expecting it to be a lot busier, but I guess people in Cambridge haven't gotten the Genki Ya memo yet. They did some takeout while we were there, but it was pretty calm the entire time we were there. Once we were seated, the waitress quickly came to take our drink orders and we asked for the shumai appetizer to offset our hunger pangs. It arrived and we wolfed down the delicious pillows of shrimp in 30 seconds flat. We were kind of disappointed by the small portion size (6 small dumplings), especially for the price ($6.95). When we were done, we both agreed that we could have eaten another plate no problem. In less than 10 minutes, our main meal arrived. We ordered three rolls - the Super Dragon Roll (Eel and Avocado on top of an inside-out sweet potato tempura roll), the Alaskan Roll (inside-out maki roll with King Salmon, avocado, and cucumber), and the Spicy Tuna with Avocado Roll (a spicy tuna roll with avocado). The Super Dragon Roll was orgasmic and, by far, the best bite of food we ate. The oiliness of sweet/salty eel went perfectly with the slightly crispy sweet potato and the avocado made the mouth-feel extra luxurious. Eel, sweet potatoes, and avocados: is there any better combination? The Alaskan Roll was pretty basic, but the big hunks of fresh salmon and well-seasoned sushi rice made it a high quality roll and set it apart from salmon-avocado rolls from Whole Foods that have been sitting in the case for hours. The spicy tuna roll was the least fabulous of the three rolls, but it was still satisfactory. The tuna was kind of like tuna paste and the spiciness was not really noticeable. I probably won't order it again and it was the first roll we ate so we could save the superior rolls for last. My girlfriend and I went Dutch on the bill and we each paid about $26 after tip. Service was good and fast, though we felt rushed at times, particularly when our waitress gave us our bill about 10 seconds after we finished our meal. We will definitely be back, but we'll probably take-out more often than we eat there. read more

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My wife and I came here with 2 friends for Sat lunch. I bough 2 of those $25 for $50 coupons to spend here. The price on the special makis are good, but the price on rice plates are way to high. We ordered a sashimi plate and 6 different makis made of regular rice (they offer brown rice for sushi, for us, that's just not right) so we can get to the $100 mark. Sashimi are good thick slices and taste fresh. All the makis are very decent, although we think they put bit too much vinegar into the rice (check out the photo I took). read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Ordered delivery through Seamless. It arrived sooner than the estimate said and the sushi was great! Recently had a bad experience with a sushi order from another restaurant, so I was a little hesitant and nervous about this, but will definitely order from here again! Sushi tasted fresh, the sashimi was thick and delicious, and I loved the luxury roll. Place isn't cheap, but the food is quality, so worth it every now and then :-). read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Salmon sashimi — 1 order = 4 slices (delivery) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Great ambiance, quality sushi, and fast service. A great date spot to grab dinner and go for a walk near Fresh Pond. Definitely try the caterpillar roll, its amazing. This place is so unique because of its wide variety of specialty vegetarian rolls as well. The menu is lengthy and the variety keeps everyone happy. Perhaps a bigger spot or a more convenient location would make this place perfect. read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Warm cup of sake, A sour kick to the tongue; Wrapped in heat's embrace. I was blessed to visit Genki-Ya with my friend who is half-Japanese and highly educated in the cuisine that belongs to that side of her family. She introduced me to warm sake, which hit in two punches: tartness mixed with that alcoholic kick you get from vodka. We picked the wrong season in which to drink this. This sake is the perfect beverage to warm you up in the dead of winter. Seeing that it is summer, I guess we were following the Korean tradition of eating/drinking warm things during warm weather. Get here for the lunch special! Three rolls for $14.50. I highly recommend the Crazy Roll. The Spicy Seafood Roll is also very good. The pieces are quite small and the texture is kind of like canned tuna, but overall it's very flavorful. My friend and I happy with it. The Color Vegetable Roll was...interesting. Get it if you're feeling adventurous. We didn't hate it, but we mostly felt confused each time we put a piece in our mouth. read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Agedashi Tofu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Genki Ya is about as middle of the road as you can get with a sushi joint. price is middling, atmosphere is middling, quality is middling. I used to eat here a lot when I worked in the area; it's a doable option in a pinch, but I highly recommend going somewhere else if you can. read more

Two things I have no self-control over: sushi, and deals. Those two don't often go hand in hand (you're just asking for food poisoning, no?), so when Yelp offered the $25 for $50 at Genki Ya, I had to jump on it! We came on a busy Saturday night, the place was tight, but we were seated after about a 10 min wait. The SUSHI.. mmmm.. it was delicious and the portions were generous. I've never seen scallops so big in their spicy scallop roll before (pictured). It was difficult to eat, but delicious. Some of the other reviews were complaining about how gigantic the slices of sashimi were, and while I agree, I rather get MORE fish for my money and break it down myself, than to get not as much - but that's just the cheap fish-crazy person in me speaking. Cons: I think it's on the expensive side for sushi, and I def don't need the organic/brown rice thing, but the quality of the food is great. My other problem is just how loud and crowded the place was. Some lady two tables away was completely flipping out at the manager, and that made the conversation totally awkward. I bought a second coupon.. so I'll be back, but probably not on a Saturday night! More: check out the 3 rolls for $13 cash special! Plus another 10% off if you order online. You get salad, soup, and 3 rolls - check out the photo, they don't skimp on the fish. I will be ordering this a lot. read more

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I've always been a fan of the Brookline location, and the Yelp deal gave me the chance to try out the Cambridge location at a discount. So, I took a friend with me and we ordered $53 worth of sushi. First things first - the parking lot is hellish to drive through. We turned into the Trader Joe's entrance instead of the entrance leading to the other half of the shopping center. Because the lot is so poorly structured, we ended up sitting in stop and go traffic, waiting for other customers to back out of their parking spots following their Trader Joe's/CVS/Dunkin Donuts venture. It took us a good 7-8 minutes to navigate the parking lot to where we needed to be, due to pedestrian and auto traffic. This is the main reason why my review isn't 5 stars (besides the little things below). We happened to go during lu-dinner (the period between lunch and dinner), an off time when we were the only customers in the restaurant for a good 40 minutes. (Another group joined, but far enough away from us that we couldn't discern their conversation.) My friend and I were certainly indecisive for awhile, shouting out random rolls and trying to figure out whether or not we'd already ordered a particular fish. Luckily, our waitress was attentive and was able to pick out the five appetizers/rolles we settled on: - Seaweed salad appetizer - Sashimi appetizer - Tuna Tartare appetizer - Super Dragon Roll - Salmon Avocado Roll Of course, we couldn't have sushi without hot green tea, so we got ourselves a cup, too. We hadn't expected the portions to be as large as they were when the food arrived, at least not for the sashimi and seaweed salad appetizers. We could have ordered the sashimi as a meal, given how generous the portions of fish were. The seaweed salad was definitely too much for one person (and maybe even two people), but it was fresh and delicious. We devoured the tuna tartare, as it was typical appetizer size. The size of the rolls was what we expected. I enjoyed the extra sweet potato that came in the Super Dragon Roll, although the flavor of the roll was typical to that of unagi sauce. The salmon avocado roll was nothing out of the ordinary. All in all, the sushi was as advertised - fresh and organic. I would come back here again, most likely during an off-shopping period or a weeknight after work hours. read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Birthday platter of sushi (for 12) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

NEVER AGAIN I ordered delivery through the Yelp eat24 app. About ten minutes before the expected time of delivery, I peeked out the window and saw a guy waving in the street, so I headed downstairs as he simultaneously rang the bell. He handed me the food and said "I called you three times," which was weird because I didn't get any calls and I told him this.. Then he ASKED me for a tip, I said I would tip in the app.. he said I can't do that, but I can note my tip on the receipt and sign it and they'd add at the restaurant, so I said sure and added the tip. I found out after that you can request to add tip after in the app, he was just a pushy jerk. As soon as I handed it back to him he aggressively attacked me for "giving him the wrong number," which I explained to him I wouldn't do, this would serve no beneficial purpose for me, I've ordered from them many times before with no issue receiving a call, and he didn't even ring the bell until i was on my way down the stairs! He proceeded to yell and tell me to shut up, f-word you, called me a liar insisting I gave the wrong phone number and said, "you people always waste my time." I get that people have bad days, but this was entirely unacceptable. There's no excuse for customer service this bad. AND FYI: eat24 gives drivers a relay number to protect customers, so there was probably an issue with the relay process. I will never spend money at Genki Ya again. read more

I love their sushi. The location is super convenient to stop by and pick up a to go order or sit in for lunch/dinner. Plenty of parking. The only thing that I can't find online is their full menu because I order different items so I can try new things every time. read more

I used to live around the corner from this place and ended up there several times for lunch/ snack/ early dinner. It's a solid no-frills lunch option for the area with great lunch specials. Wait service is fast. Good value for money, given the sushi quality is pretty reasonable for the prices. Not a gourmet or fancy place, so if you've the right expectations you won't be disappointed. Never ordered delivery, so can't speak to it's quality. read more

Odd location (strip mall near a busy road) but, good sushi and a cute restaurant. They have a pretty good lunch deal M-F but, generally speaking this isn't cheap sushi. Genki Ya has a large catering menu and I've been at the restaurant a few times as they're assembling the platters - they look amazing! read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Sweet potato roll, avocado and cucumber roll. Yum! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I love Genki Ya! They have such a fun assortment of sushi rolls. I am a huge fan of the volcano, double spicy tuna roll, and naruto. I've pretty much tried all the rolls and loved them all. They have 3 choices of rice- white, brown, and multigrain. Spicy tuna with multigrain rice is amazing. They also get bonus points for delivering to my work. The sushi shows up fresh and properly packaged. Now I want sushi! read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - There is a shrimp tempura roll underneath the deliciousness that is tempura flakes, spicy mayo, scallops, mushrooms, and tobiko. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I work around the corner from here, solid lunch option for the area. They have great lunch specials. 2 rolls for $13 or 3 for $17. Lunch comes with a salad and miso soup as well. Wait staff knows that nearly everyone is on their lunch break, so the service is fast and they don't bore you with small talk. Can usually get in an out of here in a solid 30. Although if you don't time it right, it fills up fast. Place is small, so. read more

Update: over a year later and we never got a refund.

This place is just okay, I give the food 3.5 stars. I've been here a few times for lunch and dinner. They offer great specials for both. The nigiri is usually fresh, and of generous portion. However, the makis could be improved, the shrimp tempura maki usually isn't cooked thoroughly enough, the batter is usually 'soggy,' and the shrimp has a fishy taste (indicating lack of freshness). Will never order that again. The rice used in the makis are a bit 'mushy' (sorry couldn't think of a better term) signifying the rice was over saturated with water while steaming. Additionally, the fish to rice ratio isn't adequate. Sushi making is a skill and an art. The service receives 4 stars. The few times i've been here, I've always had great service. This place does not compare to O Ya, Toraya, Oiishi, or Fuji. read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Nigiri (tuna and salmon) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

We have ordered sushi from Genki Ya a few times now, and have enjoyed it every time. The delivery came in about 15-20 min, and the sushi was fresh and beautifully put together. They had some really fun rolls that were well thought-out, as well as some more traditional options. My favorites are the smooth roll (cream cheese and tempura'd sweet potato) and the torched yellowtail nigiri (lightly cooked yellowtail, lemon and flying fish roe on top of rice), though almost everything was delicious. The tempura rolls are very lightly fried, producing some really beautiful results. If you like sushi, you will be plenty satisfied with Genki Ya. read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Our sushi order from Genki Ya at the end of Dec 2013 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Genki Ya gets a solid 3 stars. It used to be 4 star for me, but lately the sushi menu has changed and its more focused on cream cheese and fried sushi and thats not my jam. Keep it simple, stupid. No but seriously, the quality of the fish is usually pretty good, but I am unimpressed with the special roll selection and typically just stick to the basic makis and nigiri. I really just need Fish Market to deliver :D read more

Veryyyy annoyed with my order tonight, and lately. I second, third, and fourth the comments regarding delivery. Its SO slow. i know route 16 can be a nightmare but i feel like they should plan that into their delivery estimates if its during rush hour! Took an hour and a half for me to get my food tonight. On top of that, and the main reason im writing tonight, is because i ordered the vegetable gyoza, like i always do. One happened to split open and THIS is what i see! It looks like pork to me. i spit it out and immediately call them to let them know. The lady who answered the phone continued to tell me i was wrong and not to worry that it was not pork. The green gyoza are vegetarian, multiple times she said "the green pork ones are vegetable only" which makes no sense. i dont know if she didn't know how to explain it or if genuinely they were pork. I was informed that the food company they use for the dumplings provides green for veggie and white for meat. Which is fine, except there is something that LOOKS like pork in mine. i could be wrong. But ive eaten meat in my life before and i know what it looks and tastes like and this does not taste or look like a vegetable. i was very disappointed (especially because i buy from them all the time) that they did not offer to refund me or offer a future credit because of the dissatisfaction and continually just told me i was wrong. I could be wrong/crazy/whatever, but i would have at least appreciate the decency of them hearing me out. i DONT like just being told im wrong and its fine, 7 times over on the phone when they can't even see what im looking at!! very rude. id really love someone from Genki ya to tell me what im looking at is a vegetable. I would genuinely love to be proved wrong so i dont feel like i just ate meat for the first time in 6 years. If it is some weird sort of meat looking vegetable i will tuck my tail between my legs and delete my review and give a good one, but this looks like pork ... see photo Even outside of this issue, ive had issues with them saying it would take 20 mins (when i was picking up an order) to add a green tea ice cream to my order... its ice cream. Can't you just scoop it and charge me for the 'side' order separately within like... 4 minutes? 20 mins seemed insane, not good customer service, and lost a change to make an additional sale. And outside of all of that... the time it takes to deliver alone is a waste of ... well, my time. read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - Vegetable dumplings had this in them. It looks like pork to me.Id love for Genki ya to reach out to me and explain what this is if it isnt - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I don't even know where to begin with this horrendous customer service experience. First of all, when I originally called, I needed a minute to double check the name of the roll and the woman who answered couldn't wait 30 seconds while i pulled the menu up online. She impatiently said, "do you want to call back when you're ready?!" I have been in the restaurant industry for 10 years. I was ready, but I needed a few seconds to make sure I ordered it correctly for my mom. Then, I went to order sake. Online, there was only one option. She tells me there is more than one. I ask her which kinds. I used to work in the wine industry, as well, so I wanted to make sure to get a good one! She tells me to look online. I explain to her again that it only shows one online. She names them and I ask her the difference between them. She huffs and puffs, is talking to her coworkers in another language and laughing, and giving me attitude. I tell her that she doesn't need to be rude, I just wanna know the difference in price or style. She finally tells me the prices. Fast forward, she was rude to my mom when she went in to pick it up. We're eating our food, delicious per usual. I open my yaki sobu and it's udon instead. I know it doesn't sound like a huge deal, but I'm autistic and I'm very particular about texture. I specifically made sure to say the thin noodles because the udon noodles are thick and remind me of worms and I gag when I eat them. I call back and explain the situation and ask if I can come back and just switch out the meals. She starts going on about how she read the order back to me and how I said udon. I'm explaining to her that I know I said thin noodles because I HATE UDON. The whole time she is condescending and rude. I will never go back to a genki ya. I put up with the horrible service at first because the food is so good and I love supporting hardworking immigrants. Not anymore. read more

1 star for extremely poor delivery. Took them more than an hour to deliver 2 sets of sushi + 1 appetizer and it is not the first time. Delivery guy hardly spoke any English, called 3 times, obviously wanted me to pick up in the street. He finally made it to the front door, didn't say sorry or anything and not even thanks for the 2 bucks I left him (on top of the delivery fee). Generally good sushi but next time I'll go and pick it up myself or eat in. read more

Kids loved the rolls, and The fish was very fresh. I had the chirashi, and the presentation was great. The kids had tempura rolls, and said they loved it. read more

How to Fill Your Gourd With Outrageously Good Sushi for Under $10: 1) Go to http://www.genkiyasushi.com/ 2) Note the address of the Cambridge location. 3) Check for your zip code in the delivery area. Is it there? Good, ignore it. It's a $1.95 charge and abysmally inconsistent. 4) Click the Order Online link. 5) Scan the left column. Ignore the impulse to click anything other than "2 or 3 roll special - CASH ONLY." Click that. 6) Steal cash from SO/mom/housemate/me. Remember: you only need $10. 7) Go back to your order. Select any two rolls in the drop down menus. Might I suggest a Tuna-Avo (fat is important) and a Sweet Potato Tempura roll (fat is important, part 2)? I just did. 8) Ignore the impulse to opt for either brown or multi-grain rice. Both carry a 50c surcharge. 9) Click "Add to Order." 10) Go back to that left column. Mouse-punch "Free or 10% Off Coupons" 11) Oh, hey "10% off for ordering online," I didn't see you there. Click it. 12) Think of the time you plan on finishing your neighboring Trader Joe's run, and Check Out. Put that time in for the Later Pickup. 13) Arrive on time and take away two bursting rolls, a side salad and two hefty servings of mild but decent miso. Your bill will be $9.63. Pay with stolen $10. Who said 13 was unlucky? read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - 3 Roll Cash Only Special - $13 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Such a fun restaurant style. The sushi is really good and the dining experience is fun with your own little booth and call button. Great spot for a group dinner read more

I concede that I might have been a bit swept up in my love of having discovered a decent sushi place that delivered, and thus a bit prone to exaggeration when I initially wrote my glowing review(s) of Genki Ya. But I also am open to the fact that they have gone downhill. And I'm not even talking about the janky pickled ginger, punchless wasabi, and fairly tasteless fish. I'm talking customer service. The last number of times I've ordered from there - and you can check my order history online; we're talking LOTS-O-ORDERS - I've had my food, after a long wait, delivered with notable errors and cranky delivery boys. Let's take last night, for example: My boyfriend calls and is met with a non-English speaker who yells at him to order online. Sushi ordered at 8:30pm, arrives at 9:45pm. [note: we live approximately 5 miles from the restaurant.] Delivery boy tells me how much the order costs, conveniently rounding up the total I've already seen on the online receipt (that factors in the $2 delivery fee, mind you) from $31 to $33. $40 handed over. Please give me $5 back. He snots, $2 won't even pay for gas. It's 9:30, I'm hungry, I'm pissed off, and now I'm covered in snot-shame. Fine, I say, give me $4 back. He thumbs through his bills, glaring at me. I open my green bag to find missing avocado in my tuna roll and none of the requested soy sauce packets. *** I know we've all got to make a living but COME ON. Your sushi is fine, Genki Ya, but your customer service is deplorable. I'm sticking to Super Fusion from now on, and I suggest all you Yelpers out there follow suit. read more

Bad Service. Gross Food. Depressing Atmosphere. Bathroom. That sums up a night at Genki Ya, the worse place for sushi in the Boston-area. My night started with the waiter (avoid him, he has glasses) rudely forcing my date and I to sit at this tiny corner table, where my head was like 1/4 inch away from the fire alarm. One wrong move and I think my nostrils would have set off the alarm. Mind you, there was literally no one else in the restaurant since everyone else had apparently got the memo that this place sucked. The waiter could have sat us at a table with more leg room, but clearing four dishes was probably too much work. In a way I sympathize, since he was probably depressed by the fact he had to serve this putrid sushi. With good food I can overlook poor service, but this sushi was Shaw's/Stop N Shop quality, which is to say not fit for even a prisoner convicted of a violent crime. I should have known strip-mall sushi near a Dunkin Donuts had no chance to be good. In the end, I paid for my sins of my poor decision by spending the rest of my night with Mr. Charmin. I might have lost 5 lbs, which turned out the be only positive thing about dining at Genki Ya. read more

The ubiquitous Chinese-owned Chinese operated sushi joint that is quickly becoming a well-recognized chain in Massachusetts. The brand and marketing appeal of Genki Ya is that the food that is prepared and served is "organic." Call me skeptical, but "certified organic" by who? Stevie Wonder? I've seen many knock-off products in Chinatowns across the U.S. (Prado, Louise Vuitton, Burbelly to name a few), and based on that ignorant observation I can safely assume with a high degree of confidence that most of the products offered at Genki Ya are not really "organic." That being said, I still like the place. The products prepared and served are undifferentiated, but who cares? Thus far the "assembly line" product and overall customer service has been consistent. I can only speak for the Cambridge and Brookline locations. As the Genki Ya Empire expands, the money keeps rolling in. My guess is that most of Genki Ya's customers are not drawn to "sushi/sashimi" offerings but their makimonos...rice rolls typically drizzled in spicy mayo or having something fried inside of them. YUM. What I love listening to are the folks in the restaurant that talk about how healthy Japanese food is...especially as they gobble down their spicy tuna rolls (extra spicy mayo!) and their shrimp tempura rolls (more extra spicy mayo please!), and fried soft shell crab...uh, can someone please let these people know that what they're eating is the equivalent of eating three Big Macs? read more

Genki Ya - All Natural & Organic Sushi Restaurant - brand new Cambridge location It's impressive how fast this restaurant opened its doors for business. The Brookline location doesn't deliver to this area, so my husband and I are especially excited for its existence. There's no wait for a table yet, but I'm sure there will be as soon as people find out about their yummy sushi. What I would order again (with brown rice for an additional $0.50): * Crazy Roll * Spicy White Tuna Roll * Spicy Yellowtail Roll * Spider Roll (we ordered it with soft shell crab instead of shrimp tempura) * Organic Salad (My husband hates salad and even HE likes it! And I can't get enough of the house ginger dressing!) * Miso Soup What I may or may not order again: * Rainbow Roll - a bit boring What I probably wouldn't order again: * Salmon Torch Roll - cooked salmon was just ok; I don't know if they torch it in front of you if you dine in, and maybe that's the appeal Other details: * Food: incredibly fresh and flavorful; sushi rolls are made with large chunks of fish, not minced fish like some other places; decent portions; good value for the quality and quantity of sushi * Restaurant: very clean and new; relatively small; pleasant decor * Service: very good (though my experience was limited - we've only done takeout so far) * Parking: free lot with spacious parking spots * Location: same strip mall as TD Bank, a liquor store, T-Mobile, and Chipotle; near CVS, Trader Joe's, and Dunkin' Donuts; across the street from Whole Foods; 5 minute walk from Alewife Station (Red Line T) * Online orders: as of 5/23/2010 their website isn't set up for this Cambridge location, but they will give you the 10% discount off $25 or more if you call in your order and mention the offer. There is also a great maki special deal. And they deliver! We can't wait to go back and try some other rolls. If you like sushi, you should definitely check out Genki Ya in Cambridge. You won't regret it. read more

Delivery guy yelled at me several times, because I'd forgotten my wallet in my mad dash to go downstairs to pick up the food. When I came back and decided not to tip him because of the stressy yelling, he yelled more and wouldn't leave until I tipped him. Super stressful experience for some very ordinary sushi. Too rude for my business anymore. read more

My darling purchased the Yelp Deal that this place was offering not too long ago, and, honestly, it was worth it. We showed up there around quarter of five, after a lazy rainy Sunday spent at the nice, quiet library. We knew that we were early for a traditional dinner time rush, and were hoping that that fact would play to our favor. It did. When we walked in there was only one other table occupied, and they sat us about as far from that table as they could. A fact that I really liked because I am, at times, very antisocial, if forced. We were then handed the uber glossy hardcover menus and left to gawk at the yumminess of the sushi that would soon be ours. The waitress gave us a good amount of time to peruse the selections, but we were overloaded with choice and needed more time. During that time, another couple came in and were seated at the third table away from us. Not an egregious thing, until the girl opened her mouth and I instantly knew she was of the 'I think I know all when it comes to sushi' type. This was not Genki Ya's fault, but it was still annoying as all-get-out, and I am sorry that this restaurant attracts those type of people. If you think you might be one of those people, I would like to give you a tidbit of advice here: No one cares that you can pronounce the terms nigiri and hamachi correctly, we can do that too and we can even pronounce unagi correctly. So there is really no need for you to talk that loudly in such a small restaurant. I can assure you that the waitstaff are not hard of hearing and are not impressed. The boy and I ended up ordering an app each. He then ordered the "Triple Spicy" (at least I think that is what it was called). The "Triple Spicy" had a roll each of spicy tuna, salmon, and yellowtail. It also came with miso soup and was around $19 if I remember correctly. Not that bad of a deal if you think about it. I ordered the "Boston Flower" and the "Wild Tuna", and both of these were delicious. The "Boston Flower" contained salmon, shrimp, flying fish roe, cucumber, and "green vegetable" (seriously, that is what was listed on the menu). The "Wild Tuna" was just that and nothing more. By the time we had finished our entrees, the place was packed and we noticed that there were a few other patrons using the Yelp Deal. I did notice that the waitstaff were very strict on how the Yelp Deal would be applied to each check, even going so far as to tell a table that was across the way that since there were three of them there would be two checks (one of the two people using the Yelp Deal, and one for the third person). I thought this kind of odd, but, hey, to each their own. We ordered red bean ice cream for dessert, because the boy had never ever had it before and I thought that was criminal. It was delicious and the boy fell in love with it. Also, when we were waiting for our dessert, a family was seated at one of the larger tables by the door: a man, his wife, and their two young girls (approx. 6 and 8). They were looking at the menus for maybe 45 seconds, when the 6-ish year old yelled, "Daddy I want the caterpillar roll!". Pure awesome. I normally do not like kids, but that one I totally approve of. Anyway, the whole experience was very good and the quality of the sushi itself was amazing; hands down one of the best spicy salmon rolls I have ever had, and I wasn't even the one that ordered it! The taste on a whole was very fresh and not at all salty. Not that non-organic sushi is salty, it is just that this sushi had a cleaner taste to it. I highly recommend this place. However, if you are wondering why it is four and not five stars, I did feel very rushed toward the end and our normal waitress (who was excellent) disappeared and was replaced by a far more bossy and "I am going to pressure you to leave by taking everything I can away from your table" type waitress. She seemed super perturbed when I ordered the ice cream which is baffling because, hey, we are spending more money in your establishment, lady, not loitering. Overall though, it was very very good. read more

Genki Ya - Cambridge - The Boston Flower Roll. Delicious! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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This place is my go to spot for sushi, because they do have pretty damn good sushi. But the customer service, man listen. It's awful, like I get it we all have bad days, but son COME ON. It appears that every time I go here the people have an attitude. Go here for the sushi not the people. read more

SO happy this little spot is so close to us. Even happier that they deliver within 5 miles! YES! Fresh organic sushi, veggies and wines---what else can you ask for? They even let you choose your types of rice, white, brown or multigrain! We had the Spicy Crab Tempura Roll...beautiful to look at and even more beautiful as it hits your tongue. The traditional Philadelphia roll delivered and I can't tell you how fresh and good the edamame tasted. Service was excellent. They even treated us to a little tapioca dessert at the end of our meal. They have lunch specials every day and they also cater. You can pick up big platters of sushi for your party at very reasonable prices. We're thinking that we may end up doing that for one of our next shindigs! We're very pleased to have such a great little sushi spot (and organic!!!!) so close to home! read more

I was so excited to see that Genki Ya had opened right over by the Whole Foods I stop at on the way home from work I think I shrieked out loud to myself. Genki Ya, the organic sushi place so far away was now on my way home. I already had dinner plans than night though, so I decided I would be back soon for some of my favorite sushi. I ended up ordering takeout a couple days later online, and was surprised to see that they have two roll sushi specials at dinner time. Yes please...I decided to get a spicy tuna and a crazy roll, subbing brown rice to feel a little healthy. I picked it up, and for $11 I ended up with two rolls, miso soup and a salad. Everything was so good! I will definitely be eating sushi more, since I had yet to find my go to take out place. Until Genki Ya showed up on my side of the river that is... read more

Horrible customer service, so we probably won't return. And it had been our go-to for sushi too :( I went in, a bit after the lunch rush, with my double stroller. No one helped with the door (I was clearly struggling). Once I was in, no one offered me a table or menu for take out and I stood there for 5 minutes trying to catch someone's attention. It was not busy, there was really no excuse. So I left and got lunch across the street at Whole Foods. read more

This is definitely my new go-to sushi spot. But by go-to it will have to be delivery because they have coupons and deals online that make eating in here silly price comparison wise! And this place is actually pretty nice inside, and definitely air conditioned which right now feels extra good. Real, live bamboo plants decorate this small sushi spot, but I printed out the coupon deals online to bring with me since it didn't state online at all that you couldn't use for dining in, and they wouldn't take them! Why is it that you will let me save money when you have to spend more money on to go packaging and driving a car for delivery? It makes no sense at all. But the deals online are definitely the way to go. If you spend $25 you can get an order of free edamame (which is $6 btw, kinda pricey!) or a free spicy tuna or california roll! And the other deal they have online is you can choose any two or any three sushi rolls from a list of a ton with miso and salad for either $10 or $13! BUT these deals are only good for delivery, so until they change their policy, which I hope they will since I like eating out more than delivery, I will only order delivery for now on. Back to the food. Their fish is awesome. Organic sushi is the way to go. It was so fresh and both Matt J and my friend Sarah loved their sushi. I got the spider roll which was very tasty but a little hard to eat since they were thinner wider rolls, and Sarah loved her Shrimp tempura roll and we both wanted to marry that eel sauce that they poured on our rolls. Mmmmmm. Matt J. loved every sushi piece he had. The california roll was perfect and the fresh pieces of salmon and tuna and everything was just great. Very refreshing, and his combos of three rolls and Miso for $20 is pretty amazing for organic sushi I think. And man, having a sip of his Miso made me jealous I didn't have my own bowl! Probably some of the best Miso I've had. $3 a bowl so a little pricey if it isn't include with your combo or that awesome online deal, but so so worth it. Maybe I should order delivery to my office right now? Just so that I can use those coupons they denied me in the restaurant? ha ha Mmmmm sushi! read more

Excellent nabeyaki udon. Crisp fried tempura shrimp, plenty of vegetables with loads of chicken and noodles. Hand rolls are all excellent as is sashimi - fresh, not frozen. Entrees are on the pricey side starting upwards of $15. Quick and pleasant service with a decent sake and beer selection. read more

Ordered Take Out last night on a whim after a Trader Joe's run, and maybe a trip to the SavMor while I waited :) I WISH I had known about the online ordering deal and coupons! Holy Bazeesus, I spend $45 on 3 rolls when I could have gotten an amazing online deal of 3 rolls for $15 with sides. But you live, you learn. The girl at the counter was very nice and helpful. She suggested 2-3 rolls PER PERSON. I like to eat, but I shared 3 rolls with my boyfriend and I am unsure how anyone could eat 3 rolls by themselves. I think the serving sized on the special rolls may be bigger than the non-special ones. Or maybe I was just particularly wimpy that night. Anyway....The menu has pictures which i find helpful being a relatively recent Sushi convert. I ordered the Alligator Roll, the Double Spicy Tuna roll, and the Dragon roll. My favorite, by FAR was the Alligator Roll. DELICIOUS! Crunchy, tasty, saucy goodness in my mouth. The dragon roll was quite good with eel in the top and also had a nice sauce. The Double spicy tuna was not my favorite...wouldn't get that one again. I just had the take-out last night and am already contemplating my next trip so it must have been good, right? I will definitely be back, and next time i will order online and use the online 10% coupon so it will be cheaper!!! read more

This is my favorite (though most expensive) sushi place in the Boston area. They actually use organic ingredients (except fish, which many people don't know can't be organically certified) and you can taste the difference. I LOVE the miso soup, the veggie gyoza, the veggie spring rolls, and the Super Dragon Roll is my favorite roll of all time. We get delivery a lot, which is so convenient since driving to Alewife in the evening can be awful. The restaurant itself is decent, though I really think they should fix the front so that it looks more like it's open. The weird tinted windows make it appear closed at night. The service is fast and attentive, but not hovering. It's pricey, but definitely worth it. read more

I was so excited when I heard that another location of Genki Ya will be moving closer to my work. That means I can get sushi on the way home! One afternoon, I was craving sushi, but was starving so I needed to get my fix quick. I almost stopped at Whole Foods when I remembered that this place was just across the street. It was around 1:30p on a random Tuesday, but the place was pretty busy. From men in suits to solo diners, I saw quite a range. But bottom line is that everyone seemed to be enjoying their meals. This restaurant would work well for a first date, business meeting, or small group get-together. It definitely feels more spacious than the other location although it is still pretty small. I got one of their Sushi lunch specials which cost me less than $12. It came with soup, salad, and fruit (a slice of orange) as well as 5 pieces of sushi, and 4 pieces EACH of salmon roll and tuna roll. I thought it was quite a bargain. As others mentioned, the service was great! The lady who took my takeout order led me to a nice seat at the sushi bar and gave me a tall glass of ice cold water as I waited. It was fun to watch the sushi chefs work their magic and I particularly enjoyed hearing them speak Chinese! (I always chuckle to myself inside when I know what people are saying, but they don't necessarily know I can understand them.) As for my hunger and the time it took for my takeout to be ready, let's just say I was really impressed. Days of Our Lives was on the flat screen above the bar and I only sat through one commercial cycle before the waitress handed me my bright green bag of organic sushi goodness to go! As sad as I was to miss what was going to happen to Brady (the last time I watched this soap was probably 15 years ago so I didn't even know he was still a character on the show!), my belly was very happy with the record time in preparing my fresh sushi. Even though I had a commute from Cambridge to Stoneham on a hot day, the fish was still fresh when I arrived home. The fish melted in my mouth and I was disappointed when I ate my last piece. I was shocked to see the HUGE container of miso soup, which was delicious by the way. Overall, I love this new location as much as the original. The fact that you can order online and get 10% off is really appealing too! I have a feeling that I will be stopping by this place quite frequently on the way home from now on. read more