I haven't been to Genki in years... The last time I was at the original location, Buckhead was actually fun and the murder rate was at zero. That's how long ago it was. The food was a loose translation of Japanese cuisine... Kinda like some of the girls I hooked up with back in the days. They always seem like a good idea when you're drunk as a fucking monkey... Until you wake up next to it the following day. Getting them out of your place wasn't as simple as sticking 2 fingers down your throat and flushing away the evidence. I associate Genki with the "just graduated college, now I know what real sushi is because Ru San's was so sophmore" crowd. Then Genki busted a nut up in Sandy Springs at the Prado with a douchy rave techno theme thinger... No fucking thanks, I don't want to get a case of the Afflictions. Then about a year ago a third location popped up in Virginia Highlands in the old Everybody's Pizza space. Everybody's was pretty bad but the location is prime real estate with foot traffic and high visibility galore. Every time I pass by it, Genki is almost always empty. Why? What was the reason a sushi joint can't garner mad crazy biz in the heart of Va-Hi? I know these yuppy wannabes in this hood love Harry & Sons and Mali... So, why can't Genki get that same draw. I couldn't resist, I had to find out for myself.
The renovation job was pretty decent. The big seller, of course, is the new garage door contraption in the front where you can drink and dine looking out on to the street. The sushi bar and rest of the space is pretty standard stuff. Let's check out the grub...
Cheese Kari Kari - House made blend of imitation crab, cream cheese, red peppers and scallions, wrapped in a light pastry and served with wasabi cream and sweet soy sauce.
For the love of baby Jesus... Don't fucking look at me, I didn't order this unholy demon spawn... Ms. Piggy at the table did, even after multiple warnings. This could very well be one of the reasons why no one comes here. But I got to admit, it gave me a good laugh and cheered me up. Especially, the "House made blend of imitation crab, cream cheese..." on the menu description. They might as well call it a "Cheese Enema". Took one bite and I had enough but I did like poking at it with the stix, it was squooshee, like my muffin top.
Nigiri Assortment - Actually, didn't look too bad... Until, I spied the Inarizushi (the fried tofu). These lazy fuckers didn't even fill the pouch with the rice, they folded it and wrapped a strip of nori around it! I didn't know if I should laugh out loud or piss my pants.One can only imagine what is going through these Mexicaneses' brain back in the sushi prep area. Fumbling around back there trying to figure out how to stuff rice into a flat piece of tofu. We don't need no stinking pouches! Speaking of rice... Holy shit, there is something amidst up in this piece. It tasted really weird... Like it was days old and over seasoned with not only rice wine vinegar but something else... Fromunda? If that wasn't bad enough, the glob of wasabi was grossly liquidy like they gathered up all the unused bits from other plates to form a mother wasabi ball... That might work with a dough but not with wasabi. But I could not get around this funky rice, so I ate it sashimi style. The sake, hamachi, tako, tai were fine, well as good as it gets here but the maguro had been frozen, thawed, frozen, thawed once too many times, and the unagi was falling apart from sitting out way too long in room temp. Mebbe it was a good thing the eses in the back didn't stuff the inari with rice after all! Domo, er, I mean, gracias el concineros!
Spicy Tuna Roll. Oh, dear... Why do chicks love rolls so much? I mean it's like they are on auto pilot on this stuff. Nothing says freshness to me when you're eating raw fish than spicy tuna roll, made up of hacked up leftover debris on the side of the cutting board and mix in with Sriracha. It's almost as appetizing as a bowl of warm hamster vomit when you break it down to the basics. But the fun doesn't stop there... Remember the funky tasting/smelling sooshee rice? Well, you get double the prize here when they roll that spicy tuna mix inside that rice. The technique was so pitiful, they came out not round but egg shaped and started to unravel itself. You would think they would know how to roll it better because sushi rolls are basically another form of taquitos. Am I wrong?
Genki hasn't changed one bit, awful as the first time... And that was like 10 years ago. At least they're consistent. I tried their house beer which I found out later to be Genesee from upstate NY! Holy shit, we didn't even drink that crud in college, that piss water makes the Beast taste like Hitachino. I couldn't finish it... I know, I committed alcohol abuse. But is it really considered alcohol if it's under 2%? Anyways, I think I know the answer to why this place is empty most of the time... And it isn't because of the competition nearby. Which I would gladly take Ru San's anytime and that is pretty much sad in itself.
No Rating.
1040 North Highland Ave
Atlanta, GA
(404) 853-3315
http://www.genkiatl.com/
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