Sushi Gen

5210 San Mateo Blvd. NE #B
(505)830-0131
Hours:
Mon – Thur: 11:30 – 2:30, 5 – 9:30
Fri – Sat: 11:30 – 2:30, 5 – 10
Sun: 5 – 9:30
Menu

Sushi Gen is located in an out of the way place and in the same respect, is a pretty unnoticed sushi establishment in Albuquerque. I have been going here for three years, and since that time, I have seen a steady decline in both value and service in this restaurant. What was once one of my favorite sushi restaurants, offering a great all-you-can-eat menu at a good price, has gotten more expensive and does not offer the same atmosphere or service that you can get at a competitors restaurant.

The taste and quality of the food here is the draw, it is very good. The first time I came here I was suprised, especially when you are eating in a sushi restaurant located in a strip mall suite. Some of their great sushi dishes are the Fire California Rolls (tempura, crabmeat, avocado), Salmon Rolls (salmon, cucumber), and Spider Rolls (soft shell crab, cucumber). For a higher or much higher price (see menu) you can get some great specialty sushi dishes like the Crunch Roll (eel, cream cheese, avocado, fish eggs) which taste amazing or the Rainbow Roll which is a long sushi roll topped with shrimp, avocado, salmon, eel, and tuna for $10.95. For the sushi grade connoisseurs out there, the fish here is great so sashimi is always a good choice (salmon, mackerel, and eel are very good choices). The Sushi Gen gets a lot of lunch business here with a $15.95/person all-you-can-eat option. Just make sure to not over do it because what you don’t finish will be charged on top of this base price.

The starter for any entrée here is a small salad and cup of warm miso soup. The small salad consists simply of shredded lettuce tossed in a sweet vinegar dressing. This is followed by the miso soup which is a cup portion of a light wakame seaweed soup with just a small amount of tofu squares. To drink they offer some great beer and sake imports, as well as oyster shooters (raw oysters, sake, and seasoning shots) for those looking to try something different.

Now for the drawbacks in this restaurant. The first one is obvious by the picture, this restaurant is not located within easy view from San Mateo Blvd., unlike its competitor Azuma. The strip does not face the street, so you have to turn into the parking lot before seeing this inconspicuous restaurant. The inside is not stellar, but it is comfortable. The sushi station is located in the dining room where the chefs prepare food behind the glass of a prep station.

The service here has been terrible for me the last two times. In the first instance, it took 5 minutes to be greeted (although workers were passing) and then 10 minutes after I placed my drink order there was nothing, so I left. The second time I went the same thing happened, I was sat at a table during a slow time, only two other tables in the place. The waitress was by the cash register doing nothing but looking around, then had a discussion with another waitress, and finally decided to take the table 7 minutes later. The drinks took a long time again, and there were no refills throughout the meal. Ultimately, the service is the reason I think I will try some of the other sushi restaurants in the area.

Taste:
[rate 7.5]
Service:
[rate 3.5]
Ambiance:
[rate 5]
Overall Reader Rating
[ratings]

Sushi Gen, 9.6 out of 10 based on 5 ratings

Popularity: 36% [?]