Back when I was still a full vegetarian (I eat fish now), sushi wasn't a big deal to me. Honestly, it's hard to get excited about sushi when your only options are avocado rolls. So when I first ate one of Genki Ya's unique sushi rolls, I was opened up to a whole new world of appreciation for sushi.
The restaurant has locations in Brookline, Cambridge, and on the cusp of Chinatown (which is where I went). Their menu features a wonderful variety of unique sushi and other Japanese food with helpful pictures of what each item looks like. Every one of the friends and family I've taken has absolutely loved it, but, to me, what makes it special is that it has something for all diners.
The All-Inclusive Sushi
Whether you're vegetarian, vegan, health conscious, or looking for something out of the norm, the sushi menu manages to cover it all. It does this by taking a traditional sushi concept and substituting fish with bananas, mushrooms, and mangos. These unique sushi rolls have really captured my attention. Fruity sushi? What a concept!
Over the course of living in Boston I've managed to try quite a few of these and I've absolutely loved all of them.
The vegetables dragon roll, which is one of my favorites, consists of sweet potato tempura, avocado, mushrooms, and bananas. The banana and avocado create a creamy texture that really compliments the sweet crunchiness of the tempura. Even though it has a sweetness to it, it is still a very savory sushi. But if you are looking for a sweet treat, the fruit roll's juicy mango makes it taste almost like a dessert. Yum!
But the joy of sushi does not end there. Notice the purple rice in the sushi? That's multigrain rice, an option for those of us who like to get the most nutrients out of the grains we eat. It may be a bit daunting in appearance, but I promise that it doesn't overpower the sushi and actually creates a better overall experience that sushi rice can sometimes distract from.
The unique sushi at Genki Ya is so wide in variety that it's easy to find something that will work for you. Bananas and mangos are used in a nice way to either enhance the flavor, or to create a similar experience to if the sushi had fish in it.
If You Want Something More Traditional
If you're not into the whole unique sushi business, no problem. The quality of the food is not so focused on being creative that it forgets about the basics. My boyfriend ordered the shrimp tempura roll and absolutely loved it. I'm not usually a fan of miso soup, but Genki Ya's has a really nice amount of tofu and veggies that I actually found myself enjoying it.
So beyond the unique sushi and overall great food, it actually gets better. Genki Ya is one of the few late night restaurants in Boston. Monday through Saturday it's open until 2 a.m. (11:30 on Sunday). This is because upstairs turns into a bar, but you can still dine downstairs or order take out.
So the next time you have late night drunchies, or find yourself craving Japanese food mix it up and get some unique sushi.