Gen

Went on a casual date night here and I’m so glad we stumbled upon it. I live just a few blocks away, but in the 8 months I’ve lived in the neighborhood, I never really noticed this place. I’d become tired of Masaki (on Fulton) and their inconsistent quality and was so happy I found another Japanese restaurant nearby. The rolls are excellent and taste very fresh. I also had the miso glazed salmon which was cooked perfectly as well. The prices are very reasonable and I’ll definitely be coming back.

I have been eating at Gen since it opened and I don’t think I have ever gotten anything I haven’t loved. Particular faves include their sweet simmered pork belly, seaweed salad (who knew seaweed could be so great?). Their prices are reasonable for both the food and for beer. Service can be a little slow if you go at particularly popular times. Lunch menu is limited.

Great service our waitress was attentive, even though she forgot my hot sake order, the vegetable soba was delicious. We ordered the pork cutlet and the red ale beer was sweet, I rarely go for sweet beers but this one was great. Coming back for HH.

I am a fan of this place, best sushi I have ever tasted and I have been to many, many sushi restaurants in NYC, Cali and New Jersey. Something about their rice that makes the fish melt in your mouth. They also have sake and beer specials during the week. I really like this place.

Came around 3 on Sunday. They didn’t have the regular menu which included the sashimi combo I wanted (avoiding rice at the moment) so I ordered the wild rice chirashi. It came with a soup or salad. I got the miso soup which was ok. The chirashi came on a beautifully arranged wooden tray with a big bowl of the wild rice topped off with sashimi, I think about 7 – 8 pieces that included salmon, tuna, fish roe, shrimp and others. It also included, edamame, a small bowl of ceviche-​type fish with tomatoea, and two slices of egg tart — type thing (not good with remembering all the Japanese names).
Overall, very good for the price $ 14.50. I skipped the rice and edamame so can’t attest to it but the rest was very good. -.5 star for the extra warm temp inside. I know it’s supposed to be winter but it was 60s today! Also, the water was refilled promptly but no free hot tea so another -.5.

–1 star for lousy service from basically all the male waiters
Very good rolls
Nigiri was meh

Ordered delivery, food arrived after 80 minutes. No one pick up phone or call back.

My go-​to Japanese restaurant in the neighborhood. Very friendly staff and quality fresh sushi. Even their take out is nicely packed. Very professional service.

Came here on a whim and so glad we did! It’s my new favorite sushi place and I’ll definitely be a new regular here.
The ‘Melting in your mouth’ roll does exactly that! and the grilled salmon in green tea broth is well portioned and delightful. The specialty dessert, a japanese yam mousse, was creamy yet light. mmmmm
The most authentic japanese experience I’ve had– even the wasabi was freshly ground!

My boyfriend and I came here last night because we were looking for a Japanese restaurant in the area. We came across this one and were very pleased with our meal. We started off with the octopus dumplings (delicious), he had the dragon sushi and I had the beef with vegetables. Oh and the miso soup! …best one I’ve ever had.
All in all the food was good and i’ll definitely come back again… As a matter of fact, I might just order from them tonight. I can totally eat this two nights in a row.

By far the greatest Japanese spot in the area, perhaps even in all Brooklyn.
We stumbled upon this place a few weeks back and I’ve now been three times in a month. The food is so good and the menu is quite expansive I want to try everything at least once. So far i’ve not been disappointed. The place itself is welcoming and intimate. The staff are unendingly friendly, there is a fantastic garden space and the food is fantastic.
There is a pork belly dish that comes in a warm broth, and the pork bell is so tender that it literally melts in your mouth. I have never had anything so delicious for such a sensational price. Their sashimi is always fresh and proportions are generous. Their miso soup is on point and … well, i’m starving just thinking about it.

Best sushi I’ve had in a while. I had the umeshisho (plum and leaf) and sweet potato tempura/​tofu vegetarian options, along with the Godzilla roll. Everything was perfect, the rice temperature, crunchy factor, and the taste of the fish. They even brought me some miso soup which was delicious — not too strong on the miso! Staff are so friendly and attentive, feels like I’m in Japan! Will be back…

3.5 stars We had the funky wild rice chirashi and the avocado nuta. The chirashi set we got came with miso soup or salad and I chose the salad. All the veggies in it were rotten so the entire salad was inedible. The avocado nuta was only OK. The dressing was really good but they only gave about a spoonful of it. The tofu was straight from the box and store bought which was nothing special and they could have put in a little more effort to drain the excess water out of it but the avocado was pretty fresh. The chirashi set we got was a huge portion and came with tomago, the chirashi with a nice variety of fish, a small cooked fish with onions and fish and then another side dish of potato salad and edamame. The chirashi was a little different since it was served with wild rice. The fish was fresh but I didn’t like that it was served with some white tuna which generally gives me a stomach ache. Overall this was a nice place but certain items could have been more fresh.

Best Japanese and sushi place in Brooklyn around Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Ft Greene, Clinton Hill, etc area.
If you’re looking for fusion Japanese or Asian, you’ve come to the wrong place. This is more of a «purist» or classical/​customary menu in re Japanese cuisine. Some might hate it but more often than not, Asian cuisines are best kept separate. How often do you find killer Pad Thai (Thai) or Moo Shoo Pork (Chinese) at a Japanese place, or vice versa? You shouldn’t. It’s one of the few bastions of cuisine that should more often than not stay orthodox and be cooked by skilled chefs or dare I say chefs of the race in question. Not very PC, but there is a difference when Japanese cook Japanese, Chinese cook Chinese, et al. More often than not it matters.
With that being said, Gen’s main owner and chef is Japanese and he knows what he’s doing. If you want good and fresh authentic Japanese food, then this is your place. While Curry Rice may not seem to be an authentic dish, it’s a staple of Japan due to Indian influence from years ago. It’s kind of like Mac and Cheese in Japan. While I’m only half-​Japanese and grew up in NY, I know a little about Japanese culture due to visits and family. Curry Rice was a staple of my family and is ubiquitous in Japan. While my Mom’s has different veggies and toppings on her version, Gen’s is excellent and I highly recommend it-​total comfort food.
The rolls come in large portions and everything is fresh and excellent. There are some «Americanized» Japanese dishes like Chicken Teriyaki, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Theirs is very good. Everything I’ve had from the gyoza, to edamame, to the negimaki is excellent. I’ve had terrible Japnese appetizers from other Asian restaurants. When seemingly simple appetizers come to you overlooked, dry or like the wilted and soggy edamame I had recently from an Asian fusion place (my mistake), you realize it matters where the food is sourced and who cooks it sometimes. Not that I’m against it all the time. But if you know where I’m coming from you’ll understand and know what I mean.
Anyway, Gen is a gem to Brooklyn and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed unless you’re looking for Godzilla Maniac or Justin Beiber rolls. Please.

I love this place! Great happy hour deal, good sake selection, fresh delicious sushi!

The food is much better than I expected, the rice plate is traditional Japanese style, and it tasted great, Sushi was pretty good too, but the sushi rice is little bit loose. I saw other people order the curry rice, that also looked so delicious, I’m gonna try that next time.~! More over, their green tea ice cream was fantastic, it has both green tea and palm’s tastes. Plus, décor and service were nice, So, it is an excellent Japanese restaurant.

Living outside of NYC (and Japan for that matter) for most of the year, it’s often difficult for me to find good Japanese Ramen. I stopped into Gen randomly on a cold day to finally sate my craving.
The interior is charming and pleasing to the eye. Japanese aesthetics abound, and I personally love the look of simplicity, cleanliness, and no-​fuss.
I must say that their bowl of veggie ramen hit the spot. While I normally prefer a miso base, their vegetable one was quite pleasant. The taste of the broth, along with the hearty tofu slices and greens, all made for a palette of flavors that were layered really well. With each spoonful (and chopstick-​full), I discovered yet another flavor that wasn’t present in the initial bites. I was so pumped! The noodles are quite good, but I was mindful of the fact that the bowl was only 11 bucks. Still, the noodles are a good value for that price.
I basically left the restaurant full, warmed, and ready to tackle the biting wind that was terrorizing the outdoors that day. It’s a solid spot if you’re looking for a good bowl of ramen.

If you love sushi, you can’t really do any better than Gen. I’ve been coming here regularly since I moved to the neighborhood a year ago, and I’ve yet to find better tasting sushi in Brooklyn.
The restaurant itself is pretty funky. The walls look like they were painted by an aging hippie some time in the 90s, and the radio is perpetually turned to some station playing a bizarre mix of pop and slow «coffee house» jams. But if you can soldier through that, the food is outstanding, and the wait staff is always very nice.

I absolutely love the weekend brunch here. Came here a few months ago for a friend’s birthday and returned for Father’s Day (came close to closing and there was nobody but us). Love the sets they offered. The wild rice chirashi is definitely my favorite. Service was great too. Always refilling our waters/​teas. They even gave my father a glass of plum wine on the house. Really nice gesture of them.
Going to be my go to spot whenever I am craving comfort food in Brooklyn.

Gen is one of those sushi experiences where you sit there and say this is better than good sushi, and that Gen’s sushi might be the best sushi I’ve ever had.
The soft white rice, the perfect proportioned pieces with flavorful and delightful fish, a crisp and flavorful ginger salad, raw octopus with pickled seaweed and cucumber, seared tuna belly with a deep grilled flavor, salmon and asparagus a perfect pair, tender yellow tail and very fresh scallion, delightful miso soup (which was complimentary for our roll taking longer than expected), and a wonderfully long sake list to peruse.
They even apparently have outdoor garden seating.
Gen is beyond good.

A standout Japanese restaurant in Prospect Heights, this place appears like any other… however, I’ve decided to come twice to give you an assessment of both their lunch and dinner service. A quick short and sweet «Great sushi, great appetizers and great service!» just won’t do…
I ordered the chicken katsu dinner the first time through and it hit the spot. The chicken was breaded and fried perfectly, and the complimentary soup/​salad were prepared as-​expected.
For lunch, I had the takoyaki as an appetizer and shrimp tempura udon. Once again, the tempura was batter and fried well and the takoyaki came out just as how I’ve imagined it at other top notch japanese establishments in the city… topped the bonito flakes waving from the heat emanating below.
The presentation was what sets itself apart along with the décor from other sushi restaurants in BK… on par with other Manhattan counterparts, but nothing to knock your socks off, which is why this place is deserving of 4-​stars. If you happen to be in this side of Prospect Park, check it out.

I completely agree with Peter D. the décor, the service and the atmosphere for this restaurant was certain a pleasantry but somehow their sushi just didn’t hit the ballpark. However, with such fierce competition, I’m not sure if this is a restaurant that I would want to come back to again.
I came here with my cousin on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and we both ordered their lunch special. For $ 10, my lunch included two basic rolls and either a miso or salad –I opted for their miso.
Their miso was fantastic. I could actually taste the bonito essence simmered in my miso soup and immediately, I knew they didn’t skim on quality. However, when my sushi came around, I was a bit disappointed as there was hardly any seafood added to my roll. I was mainly eating rice!
All in all, their quality was outstanding but since I feel they have skimped on their seafood (a huge no-​no in my book) I can’t help but feel I was not getting full service.
To be fair, I would still recommend this restaurant since it is an added addition to the neighborhood, but would I travel here again just to check it out. The answer is simple — no.