Sushi Gen — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I genuinely feel sad writing this review, but after what happened last night, I feel like I should just let everyone know of the shadiness that is this restaurant. Let me prefix by saying that I live around the area and I come here at least once a month. I have had no issues with them in the past, however the past 2 times I've been seated at the bar and it has been meh the first time, but last night it was horrible.

Being at the bar means you're telling the chef exactly what you want. Me and my friend were rattling off our orders of sushi and the chef would sometimes get the wrong fish (granted he was in his 70s and we wanted to be gracious and not cause any issues, so we were OK with since we wanted to try a variety), but what was really off putting was we had ordered Fatty Tuna 2x and it still hadn't come out while all our other sushi had. We had thought they were saving that for last, but when that proved to be an incorrect theory, we asked for it the 3rd time. Finally, we got our order. When we finished, we received a bill of $300 for 2 people (40 pieces of sushi aka 20 orders); when we got the bill, we asked for an itemized copy as we wanted to see the breakdown. I had written in my notes as the chef gave us our orders what exactly we ate as I wanted to keep record of what I ate as well as for frame of reference because I knew in my gut that they may overcharge us for me saying Fatty Tuna 3 times. They finally gave us our first and only order of Tuna.

I was correct. First off, the itemized bill is a handwritten piece of paper from the chef in Japanese that I couldn't read, I had to ask one of the bus boys to help me read it as all the waitresses were giving so much attitude. I asked for the manager to explain the situation as when the bus boy helped, it was determined they charged us $80 for Fatty Tuna which I knew that meant they overcharged us. The manager was of no help, being extremely rude and dismissing my concerns as well as telling me to talk to the chef. I felt like I was being cornered into paying this overcharge as they weren't listening to why I was disputing. Finally, they took off $10, which felt like a slap in the face since I know they were still overcharging us.

At this point, it was tiring to have to explain it again while the manager and chef are raising their voices telling you that you're wrong and that we got our orders of the Fatty Tuna. I am so hyperaware as that is my favorite fish, I know that it did not happen. Being gaslit by this restaurant into overpaying honestly was so exhausting, I just wanted to pay and leave. As we're leaving, we also overhear the persons next to us sending their sushi back because it was not what they ordered.

I think that the chef keeps getting orders wrong but is not being accountable for it, and the customers are paying for these mistakes. They don't give you an itemized bill if you sit at the bar unless you as so I highly encourage everyone to be aware of what they order, what they're getting, and what they're being charged. So, I am letting this restaurant go as far away from my life as possible. I will not be going back or recommending anyone to go back here. Super disappointing experience and I left feeling so taken...

Probably the best sashimi in town. Good value in the lunch/dinner combos and specials, but not in the a la carte menu.

Parking is a pain here, as the little plaza it is located in had lots of high traffic stores for the small amount of parking available, but there's always other places to park (paid parking) in Little Tokyo so it's not that bad.

Be prepared to wait. We came at 11:05 am on a Tuesday, 5 minutes after opening, and they were already full seated at both the tables and the bar, but had 4 groups already on the waitlist. We were told it would be about 40 minutes, but since everyone was just sat, it was just short of an hour. Similarly I saw a small takeout order start when we got there that took about 40 minutes to be ready. There's a big spike in orders upon opening, so unless you're here before opening by a bit (I'd say like 10 minutes?), consider doing takeout (call ahead of time). Otherwise you play the waiting game.

Also should note they don't take your phone number so you must wait there physically, and they don't add you to the waitlist until your whole party is here. Quite a strict policy.

Service people are very nice and friendly though.

Ordered a normal lunch chirashi, a sashimi lunch special, a small tempura (off a la carte), and a chicken karaage (also off a la carte).

Chirashi was really good. Fish and rice were good, but obviously since there is a deluxe version, the fish isn't the most expensive ones. The miso soup included is very good. Surprisingly good actually, very well seasoned, not too salty and not undersalted.

Sashimi lunch was very big, a variety of very fresh fish, both raw and cooked. The plain white rice is.... pretty damn good. I wouldn't mind just eating pure rice if it was always this good. Miso soup also included.

Small order tempura - tasted god, and not oily, but for 6 pieces $12 is a bit too much to pay. It did come with two shrimp, so not only veggies.

Chicken karaage - one of the best I've had in terms of a balance between crisp-ness, flavour (just right to me, but might be a but light for others), and almost no oil taste, which makes it easy to digest. Only problem that for $8 it's 4 pieces.... Considering there's pretty good karaage at Little Tokyo across the street for for less price and at least double the portion, only order if you're feeling special.

Overall, Avery nice experience outside of the long wait (which to be fair is very long). Their reputation is well deserved, even if it's a...

Gabe's recommendation 🫶 and I can see why this place was packed!

Sashimi Deluxe 9.88/10- this was absolutely incredible! Each piece was perfectly cut with such precision and had this amazing buttery texture that just melted in your mouth. They gave us such a great selection of different fish, some prepared raw and others lightly cooked, which really showcased their skill and attention to detail. You could taste the freshness in every single bite and the quality was clearly top-notch. The presentation was beautiful too - everything looked so clean and expertly prepared.

Toro 10/10- this was pure perfection! I normally don't like tuna at all but this toro completely changed my perspective. The marbling was absolutely stunning and it had this incredible rich, buttery flavor that was unlike anything I've ever tasted. It literally dissolved on my tongue and had this amazing creamy texture that was so luxurious. The fat content was perfect and you could tell this was premium grade fish. I'm honestly shocked I loved it this much since regular tuna is usually not my thing, but this toro was on a completely different level.

Assorted Sushi Rolls 7.34/10- the fish quality was really good and super fresh, but I honestly prefer actual rolls over this style. There was way too much rice for my liking - I wish they had less rice proportionally. However, having the sashimi on top definitely made it a lot better and elevated the whole experience. The fish-to-rice ratio just wasn't ideal for me personally.

We also got sake which was the perfect combo with the sushi, although it was a bit strong! The sake really complemented the fish flavors and cleansed the palate between different pieces. It definitely enhanced the whole dining experience.

This is definitely very high quality sushi and I totally understand why it was so packed when we went. You can tell they really focus on traditional preparation and use premium ingredients throughout.

The only bad part was honestly the service. We requested spicy mayo and were literally told to go across the street in a pretty rude manner because they're traditional and don't have it. I get that they want to stay authentic, but the way they said it was unnecessarily harsh. A simple "we don't carry spicy mayo as we focus on traditional preparations" would have been so much better than basically telling us to leave and go somewhere else. The food quality is incredible but the attitude definitely left a sour taste.

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