Genji Japanese Restaurant

The old Genji is caput and the chef bought it and is now called Kingyo. They managed to downgrade the sushi to average but kept the same prices. They also managed to hire not only homely looking watri, but dress em up like Jap housewives. Bring back the hottie young Asian guys! They are better, quicker, efficient and make suggestions. Did I mention they’re also hot?
Needless to say I’m not going back; I hear Shiroi Hanna is good but we’ll have to see!

Seriously? I have not been impressed with the quality of sushi here in Philadelphia other than Morimoto’s, but that’s too expensive for a regular outing.
I agree with Pug P. Don’t eat sushi in Philly. People. I hate to be mean, but you need to get out more. Experience CHEAPER and FRESHER sushi with better service than Genji. This restaurant would be an embarrassment in many other cities.
However, if you haven’t experienced much sushi in your life, this would be a good starter if you have money to blow. It hasn’t caused any diarrhea yet. But I ain’t giving it a second chance.

Toro! Toro! Toro! I don’t know what the exact grade of the market-​price toro cut of tuna was, but it melted like butter on my tongue. $ 9 for a single piece of toro nigiri is steep, but maybe the price was high that day. It was worth it.
I also got freshwater eel (unagi) nigiri, and a spider roll (I am a sucker for soft shell crab). All were delicious and I still had room for the green tea ice cream at the end. I wasn’t expecting such a good dessert, but it came with assorted fruit and was the perfect ending to my lunchtime meal.
The service was pleasant and not quite as needy as nearby Moshi Moshi, but still pleasant. This could become a regular sushi haunt for me, if only to eat tuna and try all the ice cream flavors.

I was in town for a medical conference and this restaurant happened to be within walking distance from my hotel. Since I don’t particularly like eating alone, I was just gonna go in and grab some food to-​go, but as it wasn’t too crowded, and I was starving, I ended up just sitting at the sushi bar.
The food itself was alright. I wanted a combination dinner (sushi and teriyaki beef), and I must have misread the menu, because my sushi dish came with six california rolls on top of seven pieces of sushi. Talk about overkill! I ended up taking the beef back to my hotel for snacking later.
The service was splendid — not too intrusive, yet attentive. I was even asked if I wanted my two dishes to come out at the same time. It’s a bit unnecessary, but an appreciated gesture nonetheless!
One thing I wanted to point out is that they have signs all over that says no talking on the cell phone while at the dinner table! Now as that is rule that I abide by anyway at home, it wasn’t a big deal, but I really needed to call my girlfriend (the sushi expert) to ask what I just got myself into by ordering nigiri! Alas, my iPhone saved the day as I looked up that info at the table without technically breaking the rules. :-p
Towards the end of dinner when I was about to leave, I struck up a conversation with the server/​owner and she was quite friendly and talkative. She asked if I needed more rice to take with my doggie bag, and when I asked if there was a post office nearby so I can go pick up some stamps, she gave me two to save me some time and trouble!
If I’m ever back in the area, I’ll definitely drop by to say hi.

Apparently this has place has recently been rechristened Kingyo, but the sign and the chopstick holders all still say Genji on it.
Anyway, I was in the mood for some homestyle Japanese food today and had noticed the other day that their katsudon was only $ 8. (Which would be slightly overpriced in Japan, but is downright cheap here). I walked in and was greeted by the smiling itamae with a hardy «Irasshaimase.» Score. The sushi chef is actually Japanese and so are at least a couple of the staff. The décor was exactly what you’d want in a Japanese restaurant and the whole place was very clean.
I sat at the bar, so I kind of felt like I should order sushi but stuck with my gut and ordered the katsudon. It tasted exactly like katsudon should. In this city, that’s a compliment. It wasn’t the most amazing katsudon I’ve ever had, but it didn’t taste like the weak stuff Moshi Moshi threw at me a couple weeks ago.
The staff was attentive and the itamae was chatty and friendly without being intrusive. It’s obvious that he has cultivated a good relationship with some of the customers, as he apparently treated the woman next to me to a glass of sake. I plan on going back for some sushi and sake.

I was in town on business, and I had to have my Sushi fix.
Gengi hit the mark pretty well. Authentic Japanese sushi, with real interesting cuts of fish.
Madai tai, a variety of Red Snapper with very red skin and a slightly firmer texture was an exceptional treat.
Fois Gras sushi was another surprise and tasted very good.
Engowa was awesome, any place that serves Engowa has got to be real Japanese.
The rest of my meal was pretty standard but done well and I enjoyed it very much. Being from Los angeles, the sushi capitol of the world, I did not have high expectations from Philly Sushi. But Gengi was great and I would go back anytime I am in town.

I ate here recently with a good friend from high school whom I was visiting in downtown Philly, and even though neither of us had ever eaten at Genji before, we were both very satisfied. Service was good; our waiter made sure we had everything we needed and came by often to offer us refills on water, but more importantly, the sushi was good. I’m picky about my sushi and get very excited when I come across a place that has good sushi. Plus, the prices weren’t so bad either. I would definitely go back to Genji next time I’m downtown and bring some friends along as well.

Good selection of various vegetable rolls and other vegetarian options at good prices. Nice dining area and great service.

So far, the best sushi I’ve had in Philly (haven’t been to vic’s yet.) FRESH, delicious and friendly. I went with a small group of people, and we shared a lot of sushi plus saki. I good variety of rolls. Nothing too out-​there different. All in all it’s a standard sushi place, but done right.

The fish is indeed, always, always fresh and delicious. The prices are very high — and the preparation is old-​school (no creamy crunchy over-​suaced Americano rolls here!). If you want quality fresh fish — this is a good place to get it.
Genji has been around for-​ever — I went to the old University City location back in 1991 – 1993 before the owner (killed himself?) died.
The present location on Sansom is the «new place» — and it, too has been here for-​eh-​ver.
Meanwhile — service. If you are a regular (which I am, sadly, not) you will be treated well. If, like me, you fly solo and sit at the bar — you may well be ignored.
I favor Shiroi Hana these days which has both old-​school hand-​rolls and nigiri as well as a few «new-​fangled» gourmet-​rolls.
But Genji is a great placed for the sushi loving purist who seeks a wide variety of fish. They had the most delicious Madai (Japanese Pink Snapper) and Kanpachi (baby yellowtail).
A good safe (fresh=safe) bet.

I have been coming here for years, and like the carpet, I am also showing some wear. Grin. I will admit I have a mild addiction to the tuna citrus tartare/​salad. Its a simple prep of tuna, avacado and citrus served in halved orange/​tangerine. Sigh, love. Service has always been decent, expecially the spritely older fella whose name escapes me. On a down note, they often run out of their sakes, bummer. I fully appreciate that it could be out of their hands…

so we really wanted to go to raw. it was too crowded, so we settled on genji.
it’s good. the sushi is fresh, and it’s pretty tasty. it’s pricey. it shouldn’t be this pricey.
the décor needs refreshing (look at the carpet and chandelier).
oh, i miss cheap good sushi.

Much like a grab bag at an old comic book convention from the 1980’s, you never know what you’ll get from Genji. My over all impression is that it runs on some past, glorious days when it really kicked ass. Don’t get me wrong, the food is good and the sushi is over all good [for Philadelphia] but the prices are really exorbitant and the service can be down right shitty. If it were for me speaking Japanese and lending myself friendly to the sushi chef behind the counter, I think I’d go elsewhere. Food wise? Four stars. Overall experience? Three.

JJ, where are thou???
Everyone who did not have sushi at the bar with JJ, I feel so sorry for you.
JJ retired. And this is what costs you the 5^th star, Genji’s! Take that! How could you possibly let this legend of sushi preparation go. sniff.
So here is the disclaimer: 4 stars for Omakase, which is still pretty good, 3 for everything else.
JJ, I miss your «Ohhh, I know this man…» and your one and only special Uni Unagi handroll …

Don’t eat sushi in Philadelphia. If you insist, Genji is a good bet.

i know that the reviews for this restaurant are all over the place, but i have to say that i really liked it. As a vegetarian, going to a sushi restaurant can prove difficult, but i really like their veggie options. the cooked squash rolls were especially good, and the nori was very fresh, as were the vegetables.
My boyfriend is a total sushi snob, and he was raving about the place. Most notable was his near-​enlightenment experience while eating uni, which is what the restaurant is most known for… and he tells me that they lived up to the reputation.
The only reason that I am not giving it four stars is that the service, while charming and kind, was INSANELY slow. So if you are planning to go here, make sure you have a good chunk of time.

This is a cute little sushi place. Not too expensive, not the cheapest place in the city. Not the best sushi, not the worst. It’s pretty standard, although they try to be slightly fancy. As other reviewers have mentioned, the Tuna Citron salad is pretty good. I’m sort of indifferent to this place, though. I much prefer Zento in Olde City.

Been here twice: First time w/​a reservation and second without.
If you have a reservation, you will be seated in the dining area, past the sushi bar, and up the ramp. If you don’t have one, then you are forced to go up the stairs and into that dining area.
Have to agree with Aaron, the décor is really lacking… maybe they were going for a minimlist look? Haha, something about staring @ brick walls just doesn’t cut it for me?
Anyho, I had the age tofu appetizer and it was okay. Then I had the vegetable tempura udon (was going through a vegetarian kick). The broth was light and tasty! Yummy!
In the end, I wouldn’t spend that much money there, especially when you can get the same somewhere else for a much better and friendly price…

I really liked Genji. The atmosphere is really first-​class. It’s light and airy in a way that makes you want Japanese food and tiny glasses of Saki. I always liked the Genji sushi served at Whole Foods, it is fresh and succulent with just the right texture to the rice and the right color in the fish. At the restaurant it was even better. The presentation was lovely, and with sushi, I think that’s a huge part of it. I enjoyed the Tuna Citron salad that Michelle mentioned, because it married some of my very favorite flavors. And yum sashimi!

Cozy décor, this place has both a sushi bar and regular seating area.
For appetizers, had the Tuna Citron Salad (avocado, tuna served with miso-​orange dressing in a hollowed orange) and Foi Grois sushi. The tangy salad really got my stomach going. The foi grois was fatty and rich.
For entrees, tried the Northern Exposure Roll (grilled salmon, avocado, salmon roe wrapped in soybean sheet) and the genji Special Bento. The roll had only 4 pieces.*sigh*. The bento is worth the $ 25 though since it comes with six items (salmon, beef katsu, tempura, buckwheat noodles, eel, shot of sake).
Authenic and great service… one star off for price and small portions.