GEIDŌ — Restaurant in New York

I had this place bookmarked for over a year before my friend suggested it to me out of the blue. Fun place for decent fish. If you're looking to escape the questionable AYCE places in Bensonhurst, but aren't willing to pay a premium, then this would be your joint.

Kitschy restaurant, if there ever was one. I can't even start with the carpet situation; the scribbles on the wall, however, brought me back to Takeshita Street in Tokyo. The whole place is an interesting conversation starter.

On my 2nd visit, it was New Year's Eve, and since Geido doesn't take reservations, I knew we were in for a wait. I believe we waited a little over 45 minutes for a table of 11. During that time, the host, who was armed with a positive vibe and the cutest dimples ever, was very friendly and engaging. He kept us updated and reassured us that he would try his best to get us seated ASAP. I was very impressed by how he handled himself, considering Geido always has a crowd standing in the black 'room' outside the main restaurant space. I'm going to warn you that it isn't fun to stand in this awkward, unlighted & unheated black hole during the winter.

When our bones warmed up, we split the table up so the two halves could share dishes. I was impressed by the fact that Japanese chefs worked the counter. Usually, that means the standards for cuts on the fish and the freshness of the fish can be vouched for. I immediately ordered the uni, but when it arrived, I was disappointed by the color and taste; instead of the familiar bright yellow, I got a dark tinted piece. I was glad that we only ordered a pop each.

The rest of the food included various dishes like the spicy salmon salad, sushi rolls- both regular and specialty, udon and rice dishes with tonkatsu(breaded pork). The Obama roll, dubbed a specialty, was an abomination. I didn't know what I was eating because it was shaped like a tempura football. All I got was the fried batter and very little fish. I failed to see why it was even named that as it bore no resemblance to anything that reminded me of our President. The other half of the group also ordered it, and I could see that theirs had more fish within.

As I looked over the bill, which was laughable since my math is atrocious, I noticed there was a dish that was unaccounted for on both ends of the table. I notified the waitress, and she was hesitant to credit the sushi plate. She said that no one stopped her when it was placed on our table, but both sides were 100% sure that we didn't even eat it. After some back and forth, she finally acquiesced and removed it from the total. It was a minor hitch, but I could see her seething below the surface.

Though it was an average place for food, the casual, but vibrant environment does entice one to return. For fun, not...

We take visitors to Geido whenever we want them to have a fun, uniquely local experience that also happens to have terrific Japanese food. Geido is a lively, family-friendly place, making it great for younger visitors who like Japanese food, or who like trying new things. The sushi is very good, but the real novelty here, and the things I think they do best, are the izakaya-style plates, which are not usually served in sushi restaurants. I would call this more of an izakaya that has great sushi. DO NOT MISS the okonomiyaki, which is not a very common item on menus in the city. It's a wacky pancake stuffed with veggies and sometimes shrimp, and covered in various sauces and dancing bonito flakes. I have never gone wrong ordering from their copious selection of specials, written on a big whiteboard, which hangs over the main, art-covered wall. Last time we went, we ordered the shrimp stuffed tempura shishito peppers. I could have eaten an entire plate with a glass of sake as my dinner. At the end of our meal, we asked for pens, and the teens happily signed their names, took a picture, and promptly posted it, along with pictures of the big plate of sushi and the okonomiyaki. We all had a great time, and it made us really happy to see that we were able to successfully entertain and feed two 16 year old girls. We have brought our Japanese friends, our younger cousins from Italy, American family... Everyone has a good time and enjoys the food...

I Pulled up to GEIDŌ A Local sushi spot out in Brooklyn. Real lowkey from the outside, but once you step in, the vibe is clean. Warm lighting, good energy, staff locked in. Me and the boo were in the mood for some sushi

We sat down, looked at the menu and I seen that royal chicken katsu on Google and instantly knew it was gonna hit. I ain't even hesitate.

When it came out? Bruh. Perfect crust, juicy inside, sauce was sweet with a lil umami on the back end. 8.9 easy. It was crispy in all the right ways you could hear the crunch when I bit in. That alone set the tone.

Then we hit the rolls kept it classic. Salmon avocado roll? 8.5. Fish was fresh, avocado was clean, and the rice wasn’t soggy. Just solid.

Tuna avocado came next that was a 7.9. It was solid, but it ain’t touch the salmon. It needed a lil more tuna

The California roll was what you’d expect — nothing wild, but they made it right. Fresh crab mix, rolled tight, no complaints.

Now that veggie roll? Nah. I tried to give it a chance, but soon as I bit into it I was like why does this taste like Thousand Island? That’s a 6.1. I ain’t finish it.

Overall? GEIDŌ’s a solid move if you’re in Flatbush. The katsu’s worth pulling up for alone. Rolls are fresh, vibe is mellow, service is quick.

Next time, I’m doubling up on the chicken and skipping the veggie rolls. Would I come back here again absolutely 5...