09/21/09

Guess ANYONE can open a sushi place these days...

by Ngotorious

Since I won;t ever want to waste my time with this place, I won't waste much time writing a review. I'll make this short and to the point.

For the same quality of sushi, you are better getting a cheap bite at Sushi Land.

Basically, Japanese Gourmet is Sushi Land MINUS the conveyor belt, color coded pricing dishes, low prices, good service (yes, even a mainstream conveyor belt "sushi" place has better service...which says quite a lot)

One thing that Japanese Gourmet and Sushi Land have in common is interior tackiness and same quality. But I'd rather go to Sushi Land.

If you want great sushi, head over to Nishino, Ototo, Mashiko and Mineki. If you want good sushi, go to Aoki Umi, Wasabi Bistro, Shiro and Kisaku.

• Pros: Somewhat fresh seafood
• Cons: Service, food & ambience

05/03/09

Ultimate Sushi @ Pike Place Market

by cutepretty

I went there for lunch. Their lunch special (Bento) is really good and only costs 8 dollars. It has grilled Salmon, fried shrimp, tempura, sushi roll and salad.

Besides, I also ordered their secret $1 promotion: Fish roll. Amazing price with delicious food. No wonder they are located in Pike Place Market for 20 years!!!

• Pros: Fresh seafood, VERY NICE PRICE, good location

02/12/09

Save your wallet...skip it.

by belltownglitz

I can clearly see why there are both extremely good and extremely bad reviews for this place.

The first group of people are ones who don't have a standard for fine sushi and would typically eat anything in front of them...the kind that thinks orange chicken is fine Chinese cuisine. The second group are the ones either inclined with what they eat or have had terrible experiences with the place. First of all, the name Japanese Gourmet is a very generic name that serves better for a traditional home-cooked Japanese food joint than what this place is suppose to serve up.

This place consists of the typical Japanese sushi, sashimi, miso soups, noodle dishes, specials that one would find in the many sushi bars/lounges that are in abundant in downtown Seattle these days.

The food here isn't one bit impressive. Presentation is bland. Taste is mediocre. However, their choice of seafood is not bad considering that they are within the close proximity of Pike Place Market.

They've also got a decent happy hour menu but once again, it's nothing to brag about.

I've had the opportunity to eat here twice. Once by myself and the second time with a group of friends.

The first time I thought the food was rather mediocre. The second time, I didn't noticed because I was too drunk. I guess being drunk helped me forget how mediocre and tasteless the food actually is.

Anyway, if you're into exploring the sushi scene here in Seattle, I suggest you might want to venture elsewhere. Seattle has way too many places for decent sushi that you don't have to settle for places that aren't really worth your money such as Japanese Gourmet. Happy eating!

• Pros: Fresh seafood. Quiet.
• Cons: Mediocre food. Food takes a while even on less busy day

02/07/09

Good Sushi and Sashimi

by Longfellar

I can't understand the complaints--although they are from a couple of years ago.I have eaten dinner and lunch here a number of times(always with some sushi and sashimi), and recently got some take-out sushi and it has always been good. In fact the wait for the take-out was almost 30mins, and I thought that was a good sign. A little pricey but the food is worth it.

08/01/08

don't let the generic name fool you!

by eepah

If you go on a Wednesday or Thursday, sit at the bar and let Chef Wilson amaze you! My friend and I stumbled upon this place while searching desperately for any downtown Pho restaurant open after 6pm. (I mean, WTH?) This place was closing up, but Wilson invited us in and made us a very special selection of sashimi and a signature roll. The seared albacore was the best sashimi I've ever had in my entire LIFE! It's the kind of restaurant experience you wish you could have every time you dine out. I live in this neighborhood, and they made us feel like not just neighbors but honored guests. (Even sent us home with some "samples" :D)

• Pros: like-home atmosphere, great service, stellar sashimi
• Cons: parking impossible, tourists likely to be a problem in summer

06/22/08

There are other worthy sushi places around Seattle

by ginzaXgirl

I work in the downtown Seattle area and live on the Eastside. After I get off from work, I am usually very hungry and hesitant to wait to go home and cook. As a result, I find myself dining out everyday for my dinner fix. One day after work, I decided to try something new and explore more closely some of the dining joints offered at the Pike Place Market area. Being a lover of sushi, I found Japanese Gourmet. Upon entering, there werent that many people but the interior was nice. The waitress sat me down and after a quick moment, I began ordering. As the food arrived, I was very anxious to dig in. To my surprise, the rolls were very loose and this was a pet peeve for me. To pick up your rolls and have them fall apart on you is quite annoying. Simple things such as miso soup, they couldnt get right. IT WAS COLD! The tempura was ok. I told the waitress that my miso soup was cold and she apologized but kind of glared at me as if she thought I was making this up. I was going to order some more food to-go for my husband at home but decided it wasn't worth it and I'd rather grab him some McDonalds compared to what I had that day. I wasn't impressed by this place and won't give it a second chance. There are other fine sushi places in and around Seattle and no one should have to ever settle for this place. This place just doesnt hold it. Come here if you dont care about food presentation and preparation.

• Pros: nice atmosphere
• Cons: lackluster food

12/28/07

There are many places in Seattle to get good sushi...this is not one of them

by zippy73

This was my second visit to this restaurant and definitely my last.

Although I had an unsatisfactory experience on my last visit, I decided

to give it another try even though I remembered that

the sushi is not of the quality I have had at other restaurants.

When my order did not seem to be what I requested, I questioned

the sushi chef who proceeded to yell at me, then went to the hostess

talking loudly and pointing at me.

This made for a very uncomfortable dining experience.

I told the hostess everything was fine just to calm the situation.

However, after eating a fish bone in the sushi, I had had enough.

This restaurant makes my list of one of the worst dining experiences

I have had in Seattle.

04/13/07

cozy, classy, convenient

by bmaki

My husband and I enjoy this restaurant. We eat here frequently and always receive good to great service, so I am surprised/perplexed by some of the other negative reviews. The food is delicious and meals come with wonderful hot tea, and, of course, miso soup and salad. The lunch specials ($7.25) and 3-6PM half-price sushi/drinks happy hour are terrific bargains. Dinners are pricier ($15), but still quite reasonable, with generous portions (we usually cannot eat everything, but we do anyway, of course). The place is smallish, with very nice decor which contribute to a cozy/special experience. Not necessarily romantic, but stylish/classy. When you can eat lunch at a nice restaurant with real dishes or at a food court with styrofoam for the same price, why not go for the more pleasant/relaxing atmosphere of this restaurant? I love introducing my friends and coworkers to this place; they are always happy to discover it. Specific dishes we always order: sukiyaki, salmon teriyaki, california roll and veggie roll, veggie tempura, spinach ohitashi.

• Pros: lunch specials, happy hour with half price sushi, beautiful decor
• Cons: none

12/06/06

Great all around

by ktk11

I work at an office near this restaurant, so I often eat there during lunch. I highly recommend the house bento, this selection varies every weekday. I think the food is great, best food for the bucks, only 7.25, the sitting is comfortable, beautiful design, . I sometimes bring friends to eat there on Saturdays during happy hour when the sushi and drinks are exclusively low-priced. Another great selection would be the Udons, they have the best soup base out of all the other competition. I highly recommended this restaurant.

• Pros: Food

11/19/06

Spoiled Tuna

by mfateev

We've got spoiled tuna in our order which smelled and tasted awful. Unfortunately my wife noticed it too late after she had eaten a piece. We complained to a waiter and all she had done was taking the cost of an uneaten piece of the bill. So we not only had not received any apologies but had to pay for the eaten spoiled piece. Other types of sushi were tasteless and low quality.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: Spoiled Food