I have gone here for over a year and always enjoyed the carry out. Today - I ordered the same rolls and the bill was higher. When I asked, I was told the prices increased, even though the menu has not online. This is poor service to increase prices and not inform the customers.
(2)
Kevin T.
Stopped in for lunch, but unlike several previous visits, the lunch special just didn't look that great (it usually does), so I passed. Instead, I ordered the Tuna burger and an order of the Spicy California roll (to share). When it arrived, the sandwich was not what I had expected. I expected a Tuna fillet, but instead received a sort of ground up tuna patty on a bun. Now it did taste good, but like sausage where you really don't know what it's made of, I would have preferred the real thing. The Spicy California roll was a big disappointment. Rolls of the typical fare, but drowned with a huge splat of what basically tasted like mildly spiced thousand island dressing. Yuck. I tried to wipe as much of it off the sushi rolls as possible. No one else at the table wanted to try it. 2 stars today. A big drop from previous visits. Next time I get a taste for Asian on this part of Ann Arbor, I'll head elsewhere (nearby) where there are several good Thai, Korean and Japanese eateries.
(2)
Melissah L.
I convinced a friend to meet me here instead of our usual sushi spot because I was going to Pure Barre before dinner, which is only a few doors down from Godaiko. I've been to Godaiko once before, and that was a pretty solid sushi experience. Like the other Yelpers mentioned, prices here are a little steep for sushi in Ann Arbor. In my opinion, there is some better sushi to be had downtown, but the tradeoff is that those restaurants are overrun with students (aka more casual vibe) and parking is so much tougher! I ordered a miso soup and an ocean roll, and my friend got spicy salmon and a shrimp tempura roll. All of the food was fine. The miso soup is way overpriced at $3.50 per bowl, but to be fair it was a much larger serving than I usually get at Japanese restaurants. I think it could have used some shitaake mushrooms or a little something extra. The sushi rice was decent, although the fish to rice ratio was a little off (too much rice). Also, next time I would order the Ocean roll without the masago, as it was a little on the salty side. Overall, I would definitely be open to coming back and trying other dishes here just for the sheer convenience of the location! Worth a try!
(3)
DNR F.
I used to eat there a lot, things change. So we have all heard the story of the worst service you have ever had right? It just so happens that this was mine... Went in and was asked to wait for a table even though there were 4 open. After 10 minutes they sat us in the worst table in the place where we spent the next 20 minutes waiting for someone to take our order. We were seated and got water, that is it. Mind you this table was between the entrance to the kitchen and the sushi bar so waiters/waitresses were walking past our table constantly yet no one even noticed we were there. Eventually hunger got the best of us and we left swearing we would never return. Thanks for nothing.
(1)
Jennifer E.
Went to celebrate a friends birthday last week. I think this restaurant is under new ownership, because the menu and the quality of sushi has gone down significantly. The menu barely has any resemblance anymore to Japanese food. Now it is a weird American interpretation of generic Asian food. The sushi we ordered was poorly made; crumbling when picked up. The worst, however, was the sashimi which was so poorly cut giant, thick, slabs of raw fish that you would have to gnaw at in order to eat. Totally unappetizing and totally devoid of the Japanese aesthetic. Will not be returning.
(1)
Lauren P.
My friend and I happened upon Godaiko when the Korean restaurant a few stores down was closed. Godaiko is pricy, but the food is great. I had the scallop dinner, which included a huge salad (with some of the best ginger dressing I've ever consumed in a Japanese restaurant), miso soup (I can say the same for the soup, truly the best I've had at a Japanese restaurant), 6 or 7 HUGE, perfectly cooked scallops, broccoli and carrots... If I was in the mood for a solid shellfish meal with a Japanese flair, I'd come back to Godaiko.
(4)
Mathias B.
I ordered the vegetarian plate which came with a tempura asparagus roll and an avocado asparagus roll. It also came with miso soup and a side salad. First, the salad was nice and light with soft, slightly bland dressing that sat very well. Not as big a fan of the taste of the miso soup. It didn't sit as well in my stomach. The tempura roll was wonderful and a good deal for what it cost. Nice unique taste, I was definitely a fan. The avocado roll was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. Overall it was good, just not noteworthy. Finally we had split a tempura onion rings which seemed like a nice americanization of Japanese food and we're pretty flavorful if you don't means a little grease. I would return but wouldn't go out of my way for their sushi.
(3)
Lylian D.
I do not like their sushi rolls, burgers, or udon, but they always have some great lunch specials daily. I've gone on Sundays and they've had a 4 course meal for $10. Curry soup, house salad, fried calamari, and tuna steak with curry rice. Everything was okay. The tuna was overcooked and needed more seasoning. It's a good deal for the amount of food that you get. Try the lunch specials! It's a good idea to call before you go and ask what are the lunch specials for the day to gage if it's worth the visit.
(3)
Hollee D.
Our friends and I always meet here for our sushi craving. They have great specials and the Gadaiko roll kicks butt! The service has always been great with friendly staff. I hope it continues to stay that way. You won't be disappointed!
(5)
Ann D.
My family and I just ate at Godaiko. We ordered miso soup, sushi rolls, tempura, and lettuce wraps. Miso soup was warmish and had too much miso. Tempura batter was too greasy and batter was too thick. I tasted like Drake's batter for fish. The worst part was the sushi. Not fresh, brown avocado, too much mayo, veggies not cut properly. Sushi chef seemed very lazy. We didn't finish most of it. Fine, bad food and wasted $75, not big deal right? WRONG!!! When we got home all four of us had to run to the toilet!!! Stay away!!!! The grocery store has better sushi.
(1)
Kate P.
I went to Godaiko a few weeks ago with one of my best-friends. The layout of the restaurant was very open. They had bar and regular seating. The sushi here is fine. Although I found it to be a little over priced for the quality. I was a little disappointed that you had to order miso soup and a salad separately. Most sushi restaurants have those items come with the order.
(3)
Wasim Q.
Another reviewer said it best: "Mall sushi at New York prices." This place is simply not worth your money. Although some of the rolls are fairly creative in their ingredients (lobster, etc.), the execution is horrible. Rice is soggy, roll sizes are very tiny, and they're not rolled very tightly at all. Everything just has the quality of a $4 roll you get at the mall--which is fine if you're paying just $4--but here, the prices are nearly 3 times that (except for the daily special, the one roll which is a somewhat decent buy). Ambiance is nice, but has a TGI Friday's feel to it, with a giant bar in the middle of the seating area.
(1)
Susan W.
We purposely dined long after the football game so we were not surprised at the handful of diners. Turns out it might be the disconnect between the appearance and the taste of the food. I submitted photos so you can see everything was pleasant to the eye. Not one of the three dishes had significant ( and I am being generous with that word) flavor. Ann Arbor also doesn't seem receptive to diners that prefer soy wrap over seaweed but that didn't affect my rating as I had called and knew they didn't have soy before i arrived. The online ratings were all over the place but I was hungry for sushi and we didn't want to go back near campus. I do want to say that the customer service from the hostess who took my calls and seated us on arrival and our server Haw L. was very attentive.
(2)
Christopher F.
My real review is a 4.5, based on previous reviews, I am not sure if I just got lucky or they stepped up their game for restaurant week. We decided to come here for dinner for restaurant week. The first course blew me away, it was a seaweed salad with a wonderful slightly spicy ponzu sauce topped with fresh Tuna. These were nice sizes of tuna, if that is their normal serving it is quite a deal. Our second course we tried the shrimp spring roll and my wife tried their house special roll for restaurant week. It was a roll loaded with chopped tuna, in a jalapeno ceviche type sauce with fresh tuna on top. It was like eating Japanese and Peruvian ceviche all in one bite. The entrees were spectacular my mom ordered a pork tonkatsu served over red curry. I thought this was a very good combination and the pork was nice and tender. My wife and I ordered the lobster shrimp stir fry. The lobster comes served in its shell with the tail lightly fried, it was absolutely wonderful. The shrimp were the large tiger variety, very good as well. If what, I had during restaurant week, I would love to come back here, I was more intrigued by their cooked offerings than their sushi. Also, have to mention a drink we had a lychee infused sake, really good, and I love the way the drink was served.
(4)
Tony D.
Just tried sushi bar, I'm speechless. As soon as I saw the plate of fillet-sized nigiri placed in front of me, my heart sank. It's okay if they don't have a Japanese sushi chef, it's okay if obviously the fish in this landlocked suburban location won't be the freshest, but good god at least try to make the nigiri look like what they're supposed to! Look for the photo I'll try to post on here, picture itself explains enough. Taste wise it's like if you bought the "sashimi-grade" fillet of fish at the supermarket, washed it, and slapped it on a clump of "sushi rice" that crumbles when you try to lift the 2 ton piece with chopsticks. I felt like I needed a fork and knife to just cut the slab to make it possible to even eat without resorting to gnawing on it like a caveman.
(1)
Annette J.
Godaiko has kind of lost the plot a bit, I think. I don't know. It's not quite my first choice in town anymore but if I'm in the area I'll go. Such was the case a few weeks ago when my mom and I had run to Briarwood and wanted to grab lunch before hopping on 94 to our next errand. She wanted sushi and it was out of our way to go anywhere else so we went here. It was good but it wasn't GREAT. They still have that massive lunch bento box (which is what I ordered along with some rolls to split with my mom) but it's all just kind of all right.. The sushi was fresh, which is most important, but kind of bland, even the spicy tuna which had very little kick to it (if any at all). Tempura is kind of hard to mess up as long as it's right out of the fryer so this one was pretty good. The chicken teryiyaki was moist but not very flavorful (I'd take more sauce?). They've also raised the prices quite a bit over the last few years and they don't really match the quality. Portions are generous but I'd rather have smaller bites with more flavor. They also added a lot more "non-sushi" items which is where I think they went a little wrong. Stick to what you used to do so well--sushi, udon, some apps, a few hot dishes and that's it. No need for a huge menu. Ditch the burgers and all those superfluous extras. Service is so nice. Our waitress was awesome and the big spacious booths are also welcoming. But the experience is a far cry from the awesome times I had just a few years ago.
(3)
Andrea R.
Best sushi in Ann Arbor. The restaurant is clean, the parking is easy and the food is great. My kids swear that they have the best edamame. I didn't know that edamame could he either good or bad but I will go with what the under 9 set has to say. The sushi is terrific and fresh.
(5)
Kevin T.
Stopped in for lunch, but unlike several previous visits, the lunch special just didn't look that great (it usually does), so I passed. Instead, I ordered the Tuna burger and an order of the Spicy California roll (to share). When it arrived, the sandwich was not what I had expected. I expected a Tuna fillet, but instead received a sort of ground up tuna patty on a bun. Now it did taste good, but like sausage where you really don't know what it's made of, I would have preferred the real thing. The Spicy California roll was a big disappointment. Rolls of the typical fare, but drowned with a huge splat of what basically tasted like mildly spiced thousand island dressing. Yuck. I tried to wipe as much of it off the sushi rolls as possible. No one else at the table wanted to try it. 2 stars today. A big drop from previous visits. Next time I get a taste for Asian on this part of Ann Arbor, I'll head elsewhere (nearby) where there are several good Thai, Korean and Japanese eateries.
(2)
Melissah L.
I convinced a friend to meet me here instead of our usual sushi spot because I was going to Pure Barre before dinner, which is only a few doors down from Godaiko. I've been to Godaiko once before, and that was a pretty solid sushi experience. Like the other Yelpers mentioned, prices here are a little steep for sushi in Ann Arbor. In my opinion, there is some better sushi to be had downtown, but the tradeoff is that those restaurants are overrun with students (aka more casual vibe) and parking is so much tougher! I ordered a miso soup and an ocean roll, and my friend got spicy salmon and a shrimp tempura roll. All of the food was fine. The miso soup is way overpriced at $3.50 per bowl, but to be fair it was a much larger serving than I usually get at Japanese restaurants. I think it could have used some shitaake mushrooms or a little something extra. The sushi rice was decent, although the fish to rice ratio was a little off (too much rice). Also, next time I would order the Ocean roll without the masago, as it was a little on the salty side. Overall, I would definitely be open to coming back and trying other dishes here just for the sheer convenience of the location! Worth a try!
(3)
DNR F.
I used to eat there a lot, things change. So we have all heard the story of the worst service you have ever had right? It just so happens that this was mine... Went in and was asked to wait for a table even though there were 4 open. After 10 minutes they sat us in the worst table in the place where we spent the next 20 minutes waiting for someone to take our order. We were seated and got water, that is it. Mind you this table was between the entrance to the kitchen and the sushi bar so waiters/waitresses were walking past our table constantly yet no one even noticed we were there. Eventually hunger got the best of us and we left swearing we would never return. Thanks for nothing.
(1)
Jennifer E.
Went to celebrate a friends birthday last week. I think this restaurant is under new ownership, because the menu and the quality of sushi has gone down significantly. The menu barely has any resemblance anymore to Japanese food. Now it is a weird American interpretation of generic Asian food. The sushi we ordered was poorly made; crumbling when picked up. The worst, however, was the sashimi which was so poorly cut giant, thick, slabs of raw fish that you would have to gnaw at in order to eat. Totally unappetizing and totally devoid of the Japanese aesthetic. Will not be returning.
(1)
Lauren P.
My friend and I happened upon Godaiko when the Korean restaurant a few stores down was closed. Godaiko is pricy, but the food is great. I had the scallop dinner, which included a huge salad (with some of the best ginger dressing I've ever consumed in a Japanese restaurant), miso soup (I can say the same for the soup, truly the best I've had at a Japanese restaurant), 6 or 7 HUGE, perfectly cooked scallops, broccoli and carrots... If I was in the mood for a solid shellfish meal with a Japanese flair, I'd come back to Godaiko.
(4)
Colleen Z.
Very strange dinner this evening. Our sushi had very little taste. How does eel have no taste? Another strange thing. When we arrived the sushi chef was behind the counter working so we decided to sit at the counter. Once the chef completed making a couple of rolls, he went in the back and never came back. Our sushi was delivered from behind us so it must have come from the kitchen. We thought it a bit odd that our sushi chef was gone and that the beautiful seafood in front of us was not used to make our sushi. Weird.
(2)
Mathias B.
I ordered the vegetarian plate which came with a tempura asparagus roll and an avocado asparagus roll. It also came with miso soup and a side salad. First, the salad was nice and light with soft, slightly bland dressing that sat very well. Not as big a fan of the taste of the miso soup. It didn't sit as well in my stomach. The tempura roll was wonderful and a good deal for what it cost. Nice unique taste, I was definitely a fan. The avocado roll was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. Overall it was good, just not noteworthy. Finally we had split a tempura onion rings which seemed like a nice americanization of Japanese food and we're pretty flavorful if you don't means a little grease. I would return but wouldn't go out of my way for their sushi.
(3)
Lylian D.
I do not like their sushi rolls, burgers, or udon, but they always have some great lunch specials daily. I've gone on Sundays and they've had a 4 course meal for $10. Curry soup, house salad, fried calamari, and tuna steak with curry rice. Everything was okay. The tuna was overcooked and needed more seasoning. It's a good deal for the amount of food that you get. Try the lunch specials! It's a good idea to call before you go and ask what are the lunch specials for the day to gage if it's worth the visit.
(3)
Hollee D.
Our friends and I always meet here for our sushi craving. They have great specials and the Gadaiko roll kicks butt! The service has always been great with friendly staff. I hope it continues to stay that way. You won't be disappointed!
(5)
Ann D.
My family and I just ate at Godaiko. We ordered miso soup, sushi rolls, tempura, and lettuce wraps. Miso soup was warmish and had too much miso. Tempura batter was too greasy and batter was too thick. I tasted like Drake's batter for fish. The worst part was the sushi. Not fresh, brown avocado, too much mayo, veggies not cut properly. Sushi chef seemed very lazy. We didn't finish most of it. Fine, bad food and wasted $75, not big deal right? WRONG!!! When we got home all four of us had to run to the toilet!!! Stay away!!!! The grocery store has better sushi.
(1)
Kate P.
I went to Godaiko a few weeks ago with one of my best-friends. The layout of the restaurant was very open. They had bar and regular seating. The sushi here is fine. Although I found it to be a little over priced for the quality. I was a little disappointed that you had to order miso soup and a salad separately. Most sushi restaurants have those items come with the order.
(3)
Susan W.
We purposely dined long after the football game so we were not surprised at the handful of diners. Turns out it might be the disconnect between the appearance and the taste of the food. I submitted photos so you can see everything was pleasant to the eye. Not one of the three dishes had significant ( and I am being generous with that word) flavor. Ann Arbor also doesn't seem receptive to diners that prefer soy wrap over seaweed but that didn't affect my rating as I had called and knew they didn't have soy before i arrived. The online ratings were all over the place but I was hungry for sushi and we didn't want to go back near campus. I do want to say that the customer service from the hostess who took my calls and seated us on arrival and our server Haw L. was very attentive.
(2)
Rory P.
Thought it was pretty bland, to be honest. I enjoyed the sushi at Kroger more. The rolls are also pretty small for the price. The bartender makes a strong drink at least (went on a Friday night).
(2)
Marcus C.
Great service and great food! Has a real Japanese feel on the inside, it was very nicely decorated. I often stop by to grab the spicy beef udon... So good..
(5)
N C.
Godaiko is the best Japanese restaurant in Ann Arbor. Dinner is good, but the real secret is the "lunch special". For 10 bucks, you get 4 courses including soup, sushi, and two others. The exact dishes change from day to day and you can take a peek at today's selection when you enter. The atmosphere is really nice - especially since the renovation. Godaiko has earned a spot on our regular restaurant rotation and is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.
This place is definitely my go to Japanese spot. Although you can catch them on a off day it rarely happens. Some of my faves are their spicy California rolls, salmon bagel roll, yakisoba and Kobe steak...might be one of the best steaks I've ever had honestly, the Kobe is a bit pricey though.
(5)
Nikki L.
I'll say don't eat anything here. I used to be a regular customer both here and the grocery next door. But one experience tells me that I will never come back to here. One time I purchased a bag of rice from the grocery, when I got home, I realized the rice is spoiled and had a really bad smell. I brought the rice back to the grocery, the cashier told me it has been product problem. So they let me return it with my receipt. However, 2 days later, I went to Godaiko and had my lunch, they served the rice that had exactly the same smell with the rice I returned. Apparently Godaiko used returned stuff from the grocery and make their food since they are basically under same management. This experience makes me cant trust the restaurant anymore. The grocery has a lot of expired stuff every time I go shopping, I am just afraid that Godaiko would keep using the expired or spoiled food to make business.
(1)
Ia K.
I used to go there for dinner pretty often a few years ago, enjoyed their rolls. I went there for lunch recently, thinking it'd have similar experience. What happened? Their sushi are too big and tastless, rolls are salty, and salads are nothing but salty and greasy dressing. I was really disappointed. I wish they had kept previous menu and quality.
(2)
Rory P.
Thought it was pretty bland, to be honest. I enjoyed the sushi at Kroger more. The rolls are also pretty small for the price. The bartender makes a strong drink at least (went on a Friday night).
(2)
Marcus C.
Great service and great food! Has a real Japanese feel on the inside, it was very nicely decorated. I often stop by to grab the spicy beef udon... So good..
(5)
Yvonne S.
If a restaurant is serving fusion food, then don't label it as Japanese especially if people working behind the sushi bar weren't Japanese either. I wonder who this brilliant person was that suggested "Hey! Let's put burgers on the menu! We'll call it Kobe burgers to make them sound Japanese!" By the way, the beef in their burger was HORRIBLE! (Yes, we ordered it for the magical "Kobe" experience.) Besides the burger, we also got two rolls that were not impressive for the price tag.
(1)
katie W.
Best atmosphere for sushi that I've found in Ann Arbor! It's very pricey, but every day they have a "buy one get one free" roll which balances out the price (if you like that roll). I've never been disappointed with my meal and I've been there roughly 10 times.
(4)
andi c.
i'm surprised at some of the negative reviews - i have certainly had much better sushi, but this is by far the best i've had here in ann arbor. yes, its rather expensive, and the portions are enormous, but i've never had any complaints about the quality of seafood, the presentation, or the service. the tempura udon is also amazing. i wouldn't recommend going here for a quick, cheap sushi fix - better off going to sushi town or totoro for that - but for a nice dinner out, i think this is the best place to go.
(4)
Jen K.
Consistently good sushi (excellent compared to everything in Ann Arbor). When I used to live in Ann Arbor, I worked really close to Godaiko, and it was a place we got lunch regularly. They have the most beautiful caterpillar rolls. For a location that is not so close to any major body of salt water, the fish tasted incredibly fresh. If I'm back in A2 with a hankering for some sushi and I don't happen to be on campus, then Godaiko will be the place to go!
(4)
Michael S.
The most reliable sushi bar in town with a wide range of other choices as well. Nice decor and reasonable prices make it a good change from the standard campus area standbys for sushi.
(5)
Colleen Z.
Very strange dinner this evening. Our sushi had very little taste. How does eel have no taste? Another strange thing. When we arrived the sushi chef was behind the counter working so we decided to sit at the counter. Once the chef completed making a couple of rolls, he went in the back and never came back. Our sushi was delivered from behind us so it must have come from the kitchen. We thought it a bit odd that our sushi chef was gone and that the beautiful seafood in front of us was not used to make our sushi. Weird.
(2)
Christopher F.
My real review is a 4.5, based on previous reviews, I am not sure if I just got lucky or they stepped up their game for restaurant week. We decided to come here for dinner for restaurant week. The first course blew me away, it was a seaweed salad with a wonderful slightly spicy ponzu sauce topped with fresh Tuna. These were nice sizes of tuna, if that is their normal serving it is quite a deal. Our second course we tried the shrimp spring roll and my wife tried their house special roll for restaurant week. It was a roll loaded with chopped tuna, in a jalapeno ceviche type sauce with fresh tuna on top. It was like eating Japanese and Peruvian ceviche all in one bite. The entrees were spectacular my mom ordered a pork tonkatsu served over red curry. I thought this was a very good combination and the pork was nice and tender. My wife and I ordered the lobster shrimp stir fry. The lobster comes served in its shell with the tail lightly fried, it was absolutely wonderful. The shrimp were the large tiger variety, very good as well. If what, I had during restaurant week, I would love to come back here, I was more intrigued by their cooked offerings than their sushi. Also, have to mention a drink we had a lychee infused sake, really good, and I love the way the drink was served.
(4)
Tony D.
Just tried sushi bar, I'm speechless. As soon as I saw the plate of fillet-sized nigiri placed in front of me, my heart sank. It's okay if they don't have a Japanese sushi chef, it's okay if obviously the fish in this landlocked suburban location won't be the freshest, but good god at least try to make the nigiri look like what they're supposed to! Look for the photo I'll try to post on here, picture itself explains enough. Taste wise it's like if you bought the "sashimi-grade" fillet of fish at the supermarket, washed it, and slapped it on a clump of "sushi rice" that crumbles when you try to lift the 2 ton piece with chopsticks. I felt like I needed a fork and knife to just cut the slab to make it possible to even eat without resorting to gnawing on it like a caveman.
(1)
Annette J.
Godaiko has kind of lost the plot a bit, I think. I don't know. It's not quite my first choice in town anymore but if I'm in the area I'll go. Such was the case a few weeks ago when my mom and I had run to Briarwood and wanted to grab lunch before hopping on 94 to our next errand. She wanted sushi and it was out of our way to go anywhere else so we went here. It was good but it wasn't GREAT. They still have that massive lunch bento box (which is what I ordered along with some rolls to split with my mom) but it's all just kind of all right.. The sushi was fresh, which is most important, but kind of bland, even the spicy tuna which had very little kick to it (if any at all). Tempura is kind of hard to mess up as long as it's right out of the fryer so this one was pretty good. The chicken teryiyaki was moist but not very flavorful (I'd take more sauce?). They've also raised the prices quite a bit over the last few years and they don't really match the quality. Portions are generous but I'd rather have smaller bites with more flavor. They also added a lot more "non-sushi" items which is where I think they went a little wrong. Stick to what you used to do so well--sushi, udon, some apps, a few hot dishes and that's it. No need for a huge menu. Ditch the burgers and all those superfluous extras. Service is so nice. Our waitress was awesome and the big spacious booths are also welcoming. But the experience is a far cry from the awesome times I had just a few years ago.
(3)
Heidi W.
I have gone here for over a year and always enjoyed the carry out. Today - I ordered the same rolls and the bill was higher. When I asked, I was told the prices increased, even though the menu has not online. This is poor service to increase prices and not inform the customers.
(2)
Andrea R.
Best sushi in Ann Arbor. The restaurant is clean, the parking is easy and the food is great. My kids swear that they have the best edamame. I didn't know that edamame could he either good or bad but I will go with what the under 9 set has to say. The sushi is terrific and fresh.
This place is definitely my go to Japanese spot. Although you can catch them on a off day it rarely happens. Some of my faves are their spicy California rolls, salmon bagel roll, yakisoba and Kobe steak...might be one of the best steaks I've ever had honestly, the Kobe is a bit pricey though.
(5)
Merle F.
My favorite Japanese place in AA. I have never had any problems with service. The wait staff is generally friendly and have always taken care of me in a timely manner. Their sushi is well done (I've had the chirashi, tekka don, and various nigiri). Their kitchen dishes are also pretty good (the only one I've been disappointed in is their curry). They have an excellent daily lunch special which has been different every time I've gone. It generally includes a heartier soup (aka not miso), a roll (not always but often California), and 2 kitchen dishes for around $10.
(5)
Nikki L.
I'll say don't eat anything here. I used to be a regular customer both here and the grocery next door. But one experience tells me that I will never come back to here. One time I purchased a bag of rice from the grocery, when I got home, I realized the rice is spoiled and had a really bad smell. I brought the rice back to the grocery, the cashier told me it has been product problem. So they let me return it with my receipt. However, 2 days later, I went to Godaiko and had my lunch, they served the rice that had exactly the same smell with the rice I returned. Apparently Godaiko used returned stuff from the grocery and make their food since they are basically under same management. This experience makes me cant trust the restaurant anymore. The grocery has a lot of expired stuff every time I go shopping, I am just afraid that Godaiko would keep using the expired or spoiled food to make business.
(1)
Jessica R.
This was our first time at Godaiko. We went with a Travelzoo voucher that bought us $70 worth of food for $35. With tax and tip, we spent closer to $55. So, bottom line, was the food worth that $55? No. It was okay food, but overpriced. The food: We ordered many things: - Chicken lettuce wraps (quite decent, nice portion) - Tuna tacos (delicious, drool-worthy, but a small portion for a normally priced meal OR a normal portion for a very overpriced appetizer)(I believe, in terms of their menu, it was the latter) - Paul's Big Roll (all of the unexpected foods, like pine nuts, were great... but the crab was SO mayo-y) - Salmon fusion (tasty... I mean, it IS fried) - Spicy tuna (eh... we've had a LOT better, and a lot less expensive. also, very mayo-y) - Eel Avocado (again.. eh, especially for the price) - Cheesecake tempura (fascinating, glad we tried it, never need to eat it again) So, all in all, the food was okay. Not wildly impressive, not disappointing, but okay. It was just expensive. A simple roll, like eel avocado, would be almost 8 bucks. I could understand if special rolls were that much (they were often in the $13 range), but I mean, come on, we're not in NYC here. Ultimately, we were debating 2 or 3 stars for this review. We went with 2 because of (a) the price, and (b) the lack of fresh, special rolls. I was also surprised that their special rolls seemed to rarely include straight-up fish. For the most part it was shellfish (crab, shrimp), and otherwise it would be spicy or tempura fried. So it was hard to find, say, a fresh, healthy roll with plain fish if you also wanted it to be a little crazy (i.e. the special rolls). Places like Sushi.com are a LOT better about this. The atmosphere: Nice and/or strange. There's a corner for everything--sushi bar, private rooms, sit-down restaurant, bar, lounge, cafeteria-style. Very mish-mash. Overall, though, fine. I felt comfortable there with the tall ceilings and openness. The service: The service was really good. Our waitress was patient with us as we took 15 minutes to plot out what to order (so as to use our voucher wisely), kept our water filled, and gave us no trouble with the voucher. This was a surprise to me, as any time I've had a Groupon or some such voucher, it's been a mess.
(2)
Katie B.
Probably the best sushi in town. Buuuut, it's expensive and the service is really slow (in an almost empty restaurant, our lunch took 1.75 hours!)
(3)
N C.
Godaiko is the best Japanese restaurant in Ann Arbor. Dinner is good, but the real secret is the "lunch special". For 10 bucks, you get 4 courses including soup, sushi, and two others. The exact dishes change from day to day and you can take a peek at today's selection when you enter. The atmosphere is really nice - especially since the renovation. Godaiko has earned a spot on our regular restaurant rotation and is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.
(5)
Shannon C.
Yep, Godaiko sushi is expensive. Yep, staff can be a bit unattentive. Yep, even with the recent remodel it isn't that 'cool'. However, Godaiko has the most fantastic lunch deal in Ann Arbor ever. Walk in during lunch hours, notice the 4 dishes on the counter top. Ask the host/hostess to describe the lunch special. Order it and enjoy - all for less than $10! The lunch special changes every day and always includes a soup that is usually incredible along with 3 other dishes that I've never seen repeat. On another note - Wednesday's are Spider Roll 'buy one get one free' days! The Spider Rolls at Godaiko are really really good. So, avoid the priceyness and go for lunch or on a Wed and enjoy every bite.
(4)
Caroline H.
So I have been to Godaiko in the past many times, and it's really a hit or miss. I went there yesterday for lunch with my friend and decided to split the $10 special, since it was recommended by one of the reviewers. It looked good, but it was awful. It was the worse sushi I had, there were 4 different plants, two rolls, soup and chicken fried rice. One roll was deep fried and inside was chicken, spinach and CHEESE, now I wondered why there was cheese in it... EEW, especially when you think of sushi, you don't think of cheese, I mean I like cheese, but not in my sushi! The next roll was salmon with california roll, first bite I took, I told me friend, its really fishy, or am I wrong, she took one bite and wanted to spit it out. I am surprised I didn't get food poisening. I love sushi and I know what good fresh sushi/fish is suppose to taste like, and its NEVER suppose to be FISHY. My fried rice was cold, and now will never return to Godaiko again.
(1)
Mark E.
My favorite Japanese place in Ann Arbor. They done a nice job with the interior (including a complete remodel last year.) Considering it is in a strip mall, it is really quite nice on the inside. I've always had good food here, but to me the big find here is the lunch specials: typically a multi-course Japanese lunch including soup (not miso), rolls, and other goodies. A lot of great food for $10.
(4)
Ray L.
4.5 to be exact. My second favorite sushi-restaurant in A2. They have awesome roll specials. This used to be my go-to place until I discovered Yotsuba. I'd still come here though for their awesome specials. Excellent sushi quality here.
(4)
Theresa F.
This is the best sushi place we have found in AA. I know that is not saying much (since we all have to admit this is not the best place for sushi), but that aside their food is actually quite tasty and is prepared well. We chatted it up with the bartender our first time there, who was quite obviously a bit OCD, and he testified that this was the cleanest establishment he had ever worked. I'll take it! They have great roll and drink specials every day of the week--two for the price of one. Mondays and Thursdays are our favorite, Monday with Sapparo beer and spicy tuna rolls, and Thursday with Guinness and spicy California rolls. Yum.
(4)
Stephanie C.
Was not impressed with this restaurant. Only went here because it was the only one close by that was open and they had a parking lot. I ordered take out, a simple tuna roll and a shrimp tempura udon. When I went in, I had to wait 5-10 minutes for a hostess to even greet me. It was pretty clear that many waiters, chefs, and waitresses saw me, but no one acknowledged me or apologized for the wait. When the hostess finally came, she was talking rapidly on the phone (probably taking an order) When I told her I had pick up, she tried to take my credit card without telling me the price of my order. (that seemed VERY odd). Finally I asked her directly, "how much is my order?" And she fumbled around trying to find my receipt and with her credit card machine. It took at least a couple of minutes and at least another waitress to help her out. Maybe she was new, forgiveable. They were kind as I waited patiently. I looked around and the restaurant was probably about 1/3 full, and didn't seem too busy. When I got home, I found out disappointingly that my take out bag had no chopsticks or napkins, and no soy sauce. My tuna roll seemed to be packed in a hurry. And I agree with many other reviewers, they were definitely overpriced. I WAS impressed, however, with the udon. The broth tasted flavorful and was better than expected. If you go, order the shrimp tempura udon. The rolls are overpriced and not worth it.
(2)
mariah c.
What a bummer. I don't know if it's new management or ownership over the last few years, but the atmosphere is very confused (blaring teen pop at dinnertime), the menu has been changed up and looks like it was designed by someone who throws tons of fonts and pictures together for Coney menus, and the sushi I had the last time I was in was just not worth the price. Goodby Godaiko, it was good while it lasted.
(2)
Ana D.
Tasty food but very small portions. Expensive place. Noisy not for kids though. Issues with food prep and when complained to manager, acted very rudely and haughtily! Embarrassing experience for amount spent.
(1)
Rod T.
"Best sushi place in all of Ann Arbor !nuff said"
(5)
Tess S.
I work in the same complex so I decided to order some sushi for takeout the other day. The restaurant's atmosphere seemed nice, I'm guessing this is where their steep roll prices come from. However, I must admit the sushi was spectacular. Had I not gotten the buy one get one free roll I would say the prices are too much, especially for takeout, but (Monday being but one get one free spicy tuna and salmon) I got 3 rolls for $24 which is reasonable. I'm looking forward to trying for of their sushi (and other food) in the near future, as long as its from the daily specials that is.
(4)
Ray S.
My wife and I have been dinning at Godaiko for 10+ years. With the explosion of Japanese restaurants in Ann Arbor during this time, they have remained one of the most trusted and reliable over the years. That said, I can't say they have the best Japanese food compared to the others, but it is good enough to leave happy and return again and again. For Sushi, I have no issue other than maybe too much mayo in the California rolls. It is always fresh, presented nicely and priced OK (some speciality rolls are maybe priced too high). I do recommend Godaiko if Sushi is your primary goal. I am not a fan of their chicken, especially the teriyaki chicken. I cannot put my finger on it, but I have tried it multiple times (via Bento boxes) and it never fails to fail me. Tempura is heavy on the batter compared to other locations within the city limits. It is good and, at worst, you can always remove some of the batter before eating (Can't believe I just said that!). On this last visit, I decided to be adventurous with their lunch menu and ordered their Kobe Burger with bacon and special wasabi sauce. I asked that the burger be cook medium well and stressed the importance on not having an over-cooked burger. They failed on this part and I did not finish it at all. I blamed myself for going outside the safe zone. I'm sticking to the sushi when visiting Godaiko, and I'm still coming back!
(3)
Rob D.
Our last few experiences with Godaiko have been negative...this one was downright ridiculous. We ordered a few rolls for carry out and were told it would be 15 minutes. We showed up at 15 minutes and the order was not ready. 10 minutes later and it still wasn't ready, so we asked where our order was and found out they hadn't even started making the rolls yet. 10-15 minutes later they called us up and started bagging out order. There were no apologies, no free rolls, nothing. We got home and the rolls were so poorly made they were almost not edible. After this latest poor experience we will not be patrons again.
(1)
Ron W.
I have dined at the Godiako a few different times, and really liked the atmosphere and food very much. There sushi is above average, and this was confirmed by two friends of mine from Nagoya-shi that went with me. However, they said the sushi at the Godaiko was rather pricey when compared to similar quality they had while in New York. The second time I was there, I tried the shabu-shabu, and it was rather expensive at $35.00. I have enjoyed this dish while in Japan, and it was rather inexpensive. However, it was fantastic experience for my cousin, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try it.
(4)
Brian G.
Enjoyed lunch. Very clean, attractive decor, very fresh sushi lunch with miso soup.
(4)
Elle S.
Best sushi in Ann Arbor! Good as a sit down place, but I usually got take out. The specialty rolls are worth the extra $$. The service wasn't always the best, but they were really friendly! Just a lot of new people in my experience. Try the Godaiko roll!
(4)
Geri B.
Love godaiko First sushi restaurant when I moved to ann arbor 10 yrs ago. Never been disappointed.
(5)
Liz M.
One wouldn't expect much from a restaurant in a strip mall, let alone a sushi joint...but don't let that dissuade you. This is one of our favorite family hangouts. I think it's the best sushi in Ann Arbor. It has a great menu, the staff is very friendly and there is never much of a wait. The kids love it, be sure to ask for the kid's chopsticks. I especially love that my kids will inhale a seaweed salad, entire bowl of edamame, miso soup and tuna rolls! My favorite is the spicy thai roll. Delicious! I also like the udon soups, when I'm not in the mood for sushi, but everyone else it, this is a great option. Sushi is always a bit pricey, so we don't indulge here as often as we would like, but always worth it when we do. Also, one last note, they have a great private room with shoji sliding doors and you sit on pillows. Really fun! I have had a few parties here and it was great! Don't fear the strip mall!!
(4)
Yena J.
Shockingly, this restaurant's service is worse than it's food. My father and I ate here ordering more than $150 dollars of sushi/sashimi (which were awful btw) and when we asked for boxes for leftover sushi, the manager was trying to charge us 2.00 for extra ginger. It's really stupid on their part because wanting to put extraneous charges on people's bills will just lose them business. It's extremely unprofessional and they need to realize that customer service is super important when running a restaurant. duh! Plus, if the place offers brown rice sushi, you know the place is very fake.
(1)
Elliot S.
This is one of the nicer Japanese restaurants in AA in regards to ambiance. Unfortunately for Godaiko, I judge a restaurant based on food and not decor. The sushi was subpar, especially for the price tag. I'm an eater and love sushi, but had no problem leaving half of my sushi on my plate when I left. I know that we are in the Midwest so the fish won't be that fresh, but I'd rather eat grocery store sushi than Godaiko.
(2)
Richard F.
They have nice voluminous lunch specials and even have tatami rooms for large groups. The sushi was fine as were the teriyaki dishes. I liked the big soups including the nabeyaki udon. I ordered the tempura once, and it came out a little cold, but I was in a large group making the delivery of this sensitive dish a little difficult. I'll have to try this again when I am not in a large group. I wouldn't call this truly authentic Japanese as some other places are more ethnically accurate, but the food has been good and the service very responsible.
(4)
Julie M.
My fave sushi joint in town. Love the spicy shrimp tempura roll, the spicy california - and the tempura asparagus is fantastic! Edamame is always done perfectly, and I have always received excellent service. Love the buy one get one daily deals. Super clean, friendly - the staff was sooo nice and helpful to my mom who is a sushi newb.
(4)
Jonas L.
If all you care about is quantity and size, and you absolutely do not care about price, then Godaiko would be the perfect place for you. For the rest of us who do not have such bizarre preferences, Godaiko is absolutely terrible in terms of both quality of food, service, and value. To echo others, "mall sushi at [outrageous] prices". First bad sign: the prices. Whereas a simple tuna roll would cost around $4 at a mediocre sushi place around Michigan campus, the same thing would be nearly double the price at Godaiko. This place clearly fancies itself to be a fancy fusion-type restaurant, which is for suckers anyway, and charges that kind of prices. Most ridiculous of all, a cup of tea, a basic amenity at nearly every other place, costs $2.25. That is simply unacceptable. Second bad sign: all the fish slices are already cut, at enormous sizes. This deficiency is actually an indicator of several flaws. Most obviously, being pre-cut means that the fish slices have more time to oxidize, and thus taste worse. Sure enough, everything I had tasted of, well, nothing. The supposed fatty yellowtail is not fatty at all, and did not taste like yellowtail, or any other fish, at all. Less obviously, the sizes of the fish slices are inappropriate, for sashimi and maki. There is such a thing as too much fish. In rolls, the balance between rice and fish is simply not right. In sashimi pieces, the enormous size means that they are extremely difficult to be finished in one bite, as they should be. I suppose a customer who has no knowledge of sushi whatsoever would be happy to see huge fish slices, but if you are not that ignoramous, then you'd know this is another bad sign. Finally, the fact that fish slices are pre-cut calls into question the skills of people behind the counter. When I was there, the people behind the counter are extremely young and clearly lacked proper training. I would not be surprised if they did not know how to slice fish into correct sizes (especially since no one else at the restaurant apparent does). The sushi you get are work of amateurs. At least people who make supermarket sushi have plenty of practice opportunities to hone their craft. Third bad sign: the service is inattentive, and more premium seems to be placed on servers looking cool for the atmosphere. I would rant more, but I think the points on price and quality are sufficient reasons for you to never, ever go.
(1)
Annalisa B.
My favorite Japanese food spot in Ann arbor. Excellent lunch menu, but I miss their famous lunch special-creative bento box with soup that was incredible!
(4)
Carlos O.
Waitress did not acknowledge me! This was very annoying. I wanna eat too!!!!
(3)
Chelsea M.
We tried out Godaiko as our last sushi meal out before we left the A2 area. The sushi turned out to be pretty good, I can't say it was anything that outstanding, but the udon noodle bowl was darn tasty. We stopped in on a Monday and were able to get our spicy tuna rolls buy one get one free. It as disappointing we weren't able to purchase one spicy tuna and the free one (same priced roll) be a spicy salmon but the spicy tuna tasted good. We also ordered the hot spicy california roll . Our friend order the beef udon noodle bowl- it was excellent. If I make it back to Godaiko I'll be ordering one of the noddle bowls over the sushi.
(3)
Ruben L.
Best Sushi in Ann Arbor bar none. This place is great. Considering sushi is so expensive, it's great that they have buy one get on free rolls everyday (specific roll varies from day to day). My sister and I used to go on Wed. when they had spider rolls on special. Everything here is great (foodwise). There has only been one instance when the service was bad, and it was REAL bad. That it the only reason why I took away a star. Lunch is a pretty hot deal too. For about 10-12 bucks you get 4-5 dishes (usually a sushi roll, soup, entree like shrimp teriyaki or tempura) and a dessert. Sometimes they give you more, sometimes it's less, it all depends on the day. Whenever I'm in A2, I make a concerted effort to come here for sushi.
(4)
Mary Y.
I've been to most of the Sushi places in A2, and Godaiko never disappoints. The other night, I had a dream about sushi and somehow ended up here. It's pricy, but yummy. There are scads of special rolls, and they will make you anything you want. I was in need of a tuna avocado combo, without spice the other night, and they kindly obliged. It seems to me that the portions are huge here, as we had a 9x13 platter of tons of rolls for 3 people, and still managed to clean it up. My friends even had dessert when they were done!
(4)
Roman K.
This is a great sushi place. It is never too busy and the sushi is spot on! It is a little on the pricey side for certain rolls but they have a good selection overall. I have never had a problem with the staff and everyone is very friendly. If you are looking for a local sushi place they have great specials on a daily basis. The best one is the Godaiko Roll on Saturday nights for half off.
(4)
Andrea M.
Godaiko is tied for #2 in my top 3 of sushi in A2. What I LOVE about Godaiko that I cannot find elsewhere is the single pieces that are decadent- the lobster, clam, and other single pieces that are hand crafted to perfection (except for the size). I'd say if you are looking for SPECIALTY sushi, then this is the place. I loved the sweetness of the lobster sushi, but I have to say I wish the pieces were half the size. It's nice that they give you almost an entire claw's worth of lobster in one piece, but I could barely cram the thing in my mouth. That part was not enjoyable. I like to actually have room to chew. That is my only negative comment on them, which is size of portions is too big for most people (even a guy's) mouths. You won't find a lot of ambiance here either, as Godaiko is a chain, but overall it's nice enough. If you want a more intimate ambiance, go to Miki downtown. The prices are also higher, but worth it, just like Miki (see my other review). If you want cheaper sushi that is still excellent, check out Yatsuba (see my other review). I was impressed by Godaiko's HUGE selection of booze. I would say if you have a large party of people, even 20 people or so, they should be able to put tables together to accommodate you right in the dining room area. With all that alcohol and great sushi, you'll have one hell of a party. Have fun!
(4)
david W.
Japanese fusion restaurant. I've always found the sushi to be high quality. It is more expensive than other places, however the size of the pieces are larger. So in a sense, you get what you pay for. The daily lunch special is always changing and I've always enjoyed it. The spicey edomome app is great, and they are the only restaurant I've found to serve it. Non seafood meals have always been excellent. I do usually hot them up on Mondays for the buy one get one spicy salmon roll, under 10 for 16 huge pieces is a great deal. Lastly they always have a buy one get one beer special that I always take advantage of. I'm not sure why so many people are against this place.
(4)
Sarah G.
Great food, decent service! Nothing that stands out in my mind as particularly fantastic, but I would definitely recommend it for a nice dinner out. Fresh sushi, wonderful udon, and excellent filet mignon.
(4)
Jenny S.
Mmmm..... love the food, and do not eat fish. Amazingly, I have found many things on the menu - teriyaki chicken, vegi tempura, great burgers.
(5)
Alice C.
good sushi, good service, nice atmosphere. problems: expensive. also, we were there at the end of the night and there were several male staff members standing behind the sushi counter. i guess they were bored b/c they just sat there and stared at us. they also openly ogled several women who walked by the counter on the way to the bathroom. like you could see the dotted line between the staff member's eyes leading to the cleavage. kinda unprofesh.
(3)
James P.
Good sushi, but overpriced. The remodel makes it a bit too dim in the main dining area. Lots of different rolls on the menu, and a wide variety of non-sushi entrees, such as Kobe beef rib-eye, and whole eel, which is tasty. When we were here last, the service was not paced very well, and food arrived more quickly than we could eat it. The rolls tend to be too loose, and too similar in execution, but the individual sushi pieces are good and well-cut. For dessert, try the ice-cream sampler - three scoops of different flavors in a bowl. Red bean, green tea, ginger, mango sorbet are all good.
(3)
Tyler B.
I'm no sushi connoisseur, so I'll leave the food reviews to the other capable yelpers here. I enjoyed everything I had. I do know booze however, and they had a sopporo and sake special when I was there and whew! was it awesome. What I really like about Godaiko is the atmosphere. We had a party of 6 and had reserved one of the little side rooms with sliding doors where you sit on the floor. So fancy! I felt like real VIP, all quartered off from the rabble. A beautiful, private dining experience. The service was good and the price seemed reasonable. If I thought I could get this kind of experience out of a sushi joint every time, I'm sure I'd seek it out more.
(4)
Jenn V.
I go to Godaiko strictly for their "buy one, get one free" rolls (they have a different one every day). And they also have beer specials daily. The sushi is better than some of the cheap and sloppy campus places such as Sadako and etc. They seem pretty on par with Yotsuba, but not nearly as good as Miki. I think they made the place look pretty good for being in a strip mall-- gotta give them props for that. The music is ALWAYS great-- whatever station they keep it on totally relaxes me. Their service can be touch and go. We have had nights where you can't get a drink refill or the dishes cleared from your table, and then nights where they are attentive. We went tonight and we had a GREAT server!! Yea, they are pricey for what you get (I even think Miki's is cheaper!), but the "buy one, get one free" makes up for that. Thursday nights are Spicy California, and it's great to get 4 rolls and walk out paying like a $15 bill for 2 people (of course, add to that our drinks and teryaki chicken).
(4)
John B.
Great place. I've been going here for about 10 years and is the best in Ann Arbor!
(5)
Josh W.
I was VERY disappointed after hearing so many review about this place. I think half of Ann Arbor has NO idea what good sushi really is. I have so many complaints I am just going to put them in bullets. *Very poor service, had to continue to ask to get tea and water refills. Never got any service with out having to ask someone when walking by. *WAY over priced. Both the traditional Miso and Ginger salad were over $3 each! OVER $3 for MISO SOUP! I have eaten at excellent sushi joints where these are almost considered part of the meal and maybe cost $1.50. *Poor sushi presentation. Sushi foremost is about the art of the food. These rolls were the art of a very amateur chef. I sushi chef at my local Krogers makes more beautiful rolls. This place caters to people who have no idea what they are getting in a over priced atmosphere. Typical Ann Arbor.
(1)
Parisa K.
Godaiko is a bit pricier than the sushi restaurants closer to campus, but it's got a great menu and a wonderful atmosphere. There was a time when, without a doubt, I'd give this place 5 stars. Now I feel like it only deserves 4 because there are several GREAT sushi options in Ann Arbor. I first became a fan of this place when I was still a vegetarian. They have a large variety of vegetable sushi rolls, including a tempura asparagus roll that is incredibly tasty. In addition, their house salad is large and more than just lettuce and ginger dressing (pine nuts, carrots, etc.). It may be my favorite house salad. They also had this vegetable curry udon that was to do for. It was definitely large enough to split, even with three people if you are also getting sushi. I speak in the past tense because I'm not sure it is on the menu anymore. They changed their menu one time, and it was gone from either the lunch or dinner, but on the other one. The waiter said we could order it for the meal where it was on the menu, but not for the other one, which was weird. I mean if you have the ingredients for it, why does it matter what time of day it is. While the udon was good, we just stopped ordering it. So now I'm not sure if it's still around or not. I definitely have craved it from time to time and hope I can have it again sometime. Anyway, aside from the vegetarian items, there is an extensive sushi menu. Lots of nigiri as well as traditional rolls and inventive rolls. I absolutely LOVE the wild roll (I believe it's the current name, again changes over time blur my memories). Just look on the menu for the one with shrimp tempura, crab, spicy sauce and chili sauce. It's epic. Aside from sushi, there are other dishes they offer, but I've never veered away from sushi, except for the vegetable curry udon. I'm sure the other stuff is good, but I wouldn't know. Anyway, Godaiko is a great experience. It's fun and fine sushi dining. It's further from campus than Sadako or Sushi.Come, and the menu is a bit pricier, but it's definitely a pleasant retreat every sushi lover should take once in a while.
(4)
Carmen K.
I haven't dined here for ages b/c we've enjoyed the Yotsuba sushi more and their discount coupons from the Clipper Magazine. Recently, we decided to try it out again for the heck of it. The updated remodelling brought a little more to the ambiance; lighting was dimmer which made it more romantic, bar in the front more inviting but there was no one sitting there at the time, and the enclosed glass wine cellar in the back was kind of cool. They gave us complimentary tempura ice cream for the birthday boy. They have a sushi roll special (50% off) based on the day of the week including weekends. I thought the rolls were okay, udon was just okay, but really enjoyed the sashimi we ordered, very tasty. I have a newly found respect for this restaurant and wouldn't mind trying it out again. I'd like to sit at the sushi bar next time.
(4)
Stacey D.
We were at the Asian grocery store and decided to stop by Godaiko for an early dinner. We had the salmon burger and sushi special (buy 1 roll, get one 1 free). I think it was called spicy shrimp or something to that effect. The salmon burger was fantastic with actual filets of salmon (rather than reconstituted salmon meat mixed with "stuff"), the sushi special was a fantastic deal. Service, was good, the ambiance was nice, if a bit over air conditioned. Definitely would return.
(4)
Mitch R.
Have been going here for many years, and though there have been a few ups and downs, the food there is spot-on and I'm a renewed fan. The sushi is great, the gyoza is phenom, the steaks are tasty - etc etc - it's good stuff, for sure! I should also say that the service is very friendly, and awesome with kids. This is the third time in two months I've taken my two little ones there, and the waitstaff knew just how to handle it. KUDOS to the staff and the chefs...I'll keep coming back for more!
(4)
Amy W.
the food was sloppily made, as well as unbelievably overpriced. the wait staff was inattentive, plan on making your drink last the whole meal, you will not get another one.
(1)
Tess S.
I work in the same complex so I decided to order some sushi for takeout the other day. The restaurant's atmosphere seemed nice, I'm guessing this is where their steep roll prices come from. However, I must admit the sushi was spectacular. Had I not gotten the buy one get one free roll I would say the prices are too much, especially for takeout, but (Monday being but one get one free spicy tuna and salmon) I got 3 rolls for $24 which is reasonable. I'm looking forward to trying for of their sushi (and other food) in the near future, as long as its from the daily specials that is.
(4)
Ray S.
My wife and I have been dinning at Godaiko for 10+ years. With the explosion of Japanese restaurants in Ann Arbor during this time, they have remained one of the most trusted and reliable over the years. That said, I can't say they have the best Japanese food compared to the others, but it is good enough to leave happy and return again and again. For Sushi, I have no issue other than maybe too much mayo in the California rolls. It is always fresh, presented nicely and priced OK (some speciality rolls are maybe priced too high). I do recommend Godaiko if Sushi is your primary goal. I am not a fan of their chicken, especially the teriyaki chicken. I cannot put my finger on it, but I have tried it multiple times (via Bento boxes) and it never fails to fail me. Tempura is heavy on the batter compared to other locations within the city limits. It is good and, at worst, you can always remove some of the batter before eating (Can't believe I just said that!). On this last visit, I decided to be adventurous with their lunch menu and ordered their Kobe Burger with bacon and special wasabi sauce. I asked that the burger be cook medium well and stressed the importance on not having an over-cooked burger. They failed on this part and I did not finish it at all. I blamed myself for going outside the safe zone. I'm sticking to the sushi when visiting Godaiko, and I'm still coming back!
(3)
Ia K.
I used to go there for dinner pretty often a few years ago, enjoyed their rolls. I went there for lunch recently, thinking it'd have similar experience. What happened? Their sushi are too big and tastless, rolls are salty, and salads are nothing but salty and greasy dressing. I was really disappointed. I wish they had kept previous menu and quality.
(2)
Jessica R.
This was our first time at Godaiko. We went with a Travelzoo voucher that bought us $70 worth of food for $35. With tax and tip, we spent closer to $55. So, bottom line, was the food worth that $55? No. It was okay food, but overpriced. The food: We ordered many things: - Chicken lettuce wraps (quite decent, nice portion) - Tuna tacos (delicious, drool-worthy, but a small portion for a normally priced meal OR a normal portion for a very overpriced appetizer)(I believe, in terms of their menu, it was the latter) - Paul's Big Roll (all of the unexpected foods, like pine nuts, were great... but the crab was SO mayo-y) - Salmon fusion (tasty... I mean, it IS fried) - Spicy tuna (eh... we've had a LOT better, and a lot less expensive. also, very mayo-y) - Eel Avocado (again.. eh, especially for the price) - Cheesecake tempura (fascinating, glad we tried it, never need to eat it again) So, all in all, the food was okay. Not wildly impressive, not disappointing, but okay. It was just expensive. A simple roll, like eel avocado, would be almost 8 bucks. I could understand if special rolls were that much (they were often in the $13 range), but I mean, come on, we're not in NYC here. Ultimately, we were debating 2 or 3 stars for this review. We went with 2 because of (a) the price, and (b) the lack of fresh, special rolls. I was also surprised that their special rolls seemed to rarely include straight-up fish. For the most part it was shellfish (crab, shrimp), and otherwise it would be spicy or tempura fried. So it was hard to find, say, a fresh, healthy roll with plain fish if you also wanted it to be a little crazy (i.e. the special rolls). Places like Sushi.com are a LOT better about this. The atmosphere: Nice and/or strange. There's a corner for everything--sushi bar, private rooms, sit-down restaurant, bar, lounge, cafeteria-style. Very mish-mash. Overall, though, fine. I felt comfortable there with the tall ceilings and openness. The service: The service was really good. Our waitress was patient with us as we took 15 minutes to plot out what to order (so as to use our voucher wisely), kept our water filled, and gave us no trouble with the voucher. This was a surprise to me, as any time I've had a Groupon or some such voucher, it's been a mess.
(2)
Katie B.
Probably the best sushi in town. Buuuut, it's expensive and the service is really slow (in an almost empty restaurant, our lunch took 1.75 hours!)
(3)
Rob D.
Our last few experiences with Godaiko have been negative...this one was downright ridiculous. We ordered a few rolls for carry out and were told it would be 15 minutes. We showed up at 15 minutes and the order was not ready. 10 minutes later and it still wasn't ready, so we asked where our order was and found out they hadn't even started making the rolls yet. 10-15 minutes later they called us up and started bagging out order. There were no apologies, no free rolls, nothing. We got home and the rolls were so poorly made they were almost not edible. After this latest poor experience we will not be patrons again.
(1)
Ron W.
I have dined at the Godiako a few different times, and really liked the atmosphere and food very much. There sushi is above average, and this was confirmed by two friends of mine from Nagoya-shi that went with me. However, they said the sushi at the Godaiko was rather pricey when compared to similar quality they had while in New York. The second time I was there, I tried the shabu-shabu, and it was rather expensive at $35.00. I have enjoyed this dish while in Japan, and it was rather inexpensive. However, it was fantastic experience for my cousin, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try it.
(4)
Brian G.
Enjoyed lunch. Very clean, attractive decor, very fresh sushi lunch with miso soup.
(4)
Elle S.
Best sushi in Ann Arbor! Good as a sit down place, but I usually got take out. The specialty rolls are worth the extra $$. The service wasn't always the best, but they were really friendly! Just a lot of new people in my experience. Try the Godaiko roll!
(4)
Geri B.
Love godaiko First sushi restaurant when I moved to ann arbor 10 yrs ago. Never been disappointed.
(5)
Liz M.
One wouldn't expect much from a restaurant in a strip mall, let alone a sushi joint...but don't let that dissuade you. This is one of our favorite family hangouts. I think it's the best sushi in Ann Arbor. It has a great menu, the staff is very friendly and there is never much of a wait. The kids love it, be sure to ask for the kid's chopsticks. I especially love that my kids will inhale a seaweed salad, entire bowl of edamame, miso soup and tuna rolls! My favorite is the spicy thai roll. Delicious! I also like the udon soups, when I'm not in the mood for sushi, but everyone else it, this is a great option. Sushi is always a bit pricey, so we don't indulge here as often as we would like, but always worth it when we do. Also, one last note, they have a great private room with shoji sliding doors and you sit on pillows. Really fun! I have had a few parties here and it was great! Don't fear the strip mall!!
(4)
Yena J.
Shockingly, this restaurant's service is worse than it's food. My father and I ate here ordering more than $150 dollars of sushi/sashimi (which were awful btw) and when we asked for boxes for leftover sushi, the manager was trying to charge us 2.00 for extra ginger. It's really stupid on their part because wanting to put extraneous charges on people's bills will just lose them business. It's extremely unprofessional and they need to realize that customer service is super important when running a restaurant. duh! Plus, if the place offers brown rice sushi, you know the place is very fake.
(1)
Elliot S.
This is one of the nicer Japanese restaurants in AA in regards to ambiance. Unfortunately for Godaiko, I judge a restaurant based on food and not decor. The sushi was subpar, especially for the price tag. I'm an eater and love sushi, but had no problem leaving half of my sushi on my plate when I left. I know that we are in the Midwest so the fish won't be that fresh, but I'd rather eat grocery store sushi than Godaiko.
(2)
Richard F.
They have nice voluminous lunch specials and even have tatami rooms for large groups. The sushi was fine as were the teriyaki dishes. I liked the big soups including the nabeyaki udon. I ordered the tempura once, and it came out a little cold, but I was in a large group making the delivery of this sensitive dish a little difficult. I'll have to try this again when I am not in a large group. I wouldn't call this truly authentic Japanese as some other places are more ethnically accurate, but the food has been good and the service very responsible.
(4)
Julie M.
My fave sushi joint in town. Love the spicy shrimp tempura roll, the spicy california - and the tempura asparagus is fantastic! Edamame is always done perfectly, and I have always received excellent service. Love the buy one get one daily deals. Super clean, friendly - the staff was sooo nice and helpful to my mom who is a sushi newb.
(4)
david W.
Japanese fusion restaurant. I've always found the sushi to be high quality. It is more expensive than other places, however the size of the pieces are larger. So in a sense, you get what you pay for. The daily lunch special is always changing and I've always enjoyed it. The spicey edomome app is great, and they are the only restaurant I've found to serve it. Non seafood meals have always been excellent. I do usually hot them up on Mondays for the buy one get one spicy salmon roll, under 10 for 16 huge pieces is a great deal. Lastly they always have a buy one get one beer special that I always take advantage of. I'm not sure why so many people are against this place.
(4)
Sarah G.
Great food, decent service! Nothing that stands out in my mind as particularly fantastic, but I would definitely recommend it for a nice dinner out. Fresh sushi, wonderful udon, and excellent filet mignon.
(4)
Jenny S.
Mmmm..... love the food, and do not eat fish. Amazingly, I have found many things on the menu - teriyaki chicken, vegi tempura, great burgers.
(5)
Alice C.
good sushi, good service, nice atmosphere. problems: expensive. also, we were there at the end of the night and there were several male staff members standing behind the sushi counter. i guess they were bored b/c they just sat there and stared at us. they also openly ogled several women who walked by the counter on the way to the bathroom. like you could see the dotted line between the staff member's eyes leading to the cleavage. kinda unprofesh.
(3)
James P.
Good sushi, but overpriced. The remodel makes it a bit too dim in the main dining area. Lots of different rolls on the menu, and a wide variety of non-sushi entrees, such as Kobe beef rib-eye, and whole eel, which is tasty. When we were here last, the service was not paced very well, and food arrived more quickly than we could eat it. The rolls tend to be too loose, and too similar in execution, but the individual sushi pieces are good and well-cut. For dessert, try the ice-cream sampler - three scoops of different flavors in a bowl. Red bean, green tea, ginger, mango sorbet are all good.
(3)
Tyler B.
I'm no sushi connoisseur, so I'll leave the food reviews to the other capable yelpers here. I enjoyed everything I had. I do know booze however, and they had a sopporo and sake special when I was there and whew! was it awesome. What I really like about Godaiko is the atmosphere. We had a party of 6 and had reserved one of the little side rooms with sliding doors where you sit on the floor. So fancy! I felt like real VIP, all quartered off from the rabble. A beautiful, private dining experience. The service was good and the price seemed reasonable. If I thought I could get this kind of experience out of a sushi joint every time, I'm sure I'd seek it out more.
(4)
Jenn V.
I go to Godaiko strictly for their "buy one, get one free" rolls (they have a different one every day). And they also have beer specials daily. The sushi is better than some of the cheap and sloppy campus places such as Sadako and etc. They seem pretty on par with Yotsuba, but not nearly as good as Miki. I think they made the place look pretty good for being in a strip mall-- gotta give them props for that. The music is ALWAYS great-- whatever station they keep it on totally relaxes me. Their service can be touch and go. We have had nights where you can't get a drink refill or the dishes cleared from your table, and then nights where they are attentive. We went tonight and we had a GREAT server!! Yea, they are pricey for what you get (I even think Miki's is cheaper!), but the "buy one, get one free" makes up for that. Thursday nights are Spicy California, and it's great to get 4 rolls and walk out paying like a $15 bill for 2 people (of course, add to that our drinks and teryaki chicken).
(4)
Parisa K.
Godaiko is a bit pricier than the sushi restaurants closer to campus, but it's got a great menu and a wonderful atmosphere. There was a time when, without a doubt, I'd give this place 5 stars. Now I feel like it only deserves 4 because there are several GREAT sushi options in Ann Arbor. I first became a fan of this place when I was still a vegetarian. They have a large variety of vegetable sushi rolls, including a tempura asparagus roll that is incredibly tasty. In addition, their house salad is large and more than just lettuce and ginger dressing (pine nuts, carrots, etc.). It may be my favorite house salad. They also had this vegetable curry udon that was to do for. It was definitely large enough to split, even with three people if you are also getting sushi. I speak in the past tense because I'm not sure it is on the menu anymore. They changed their menu one time, and it was gone from either the lunch or dinner, but on the other one. The waiter said we could order it for the meal where it was on the menu, but not for the other one, which was weird. I mean if you have the ingredients for it, why does it matter what time of day it is. While the udon was good, we just stopped ordering it. So now I'm not sure if it's still around or not. I definitely have craved it from time to time and hope I can have it again sometime. Anyway, aside from the vegetarian items, there is an extensive sushi menu. Lots of nigiri as well as traditional rolls and inventive rolls. I absolutely LOVE the wild roll (I believe it's the current name, again changes over time blur my memories). Just look on the menu for the one with shrimp tempura, crab, spicy sauce and chili sauce. It's epic. Aside from sushi, there are other dishes they offer, but I've never veered away from sushi, except for the vegetable curry udon. I'm sure the other stuff is good, but I wouldn't know. Anyway, Godaiko is a great experience. It's fun and fine sushi dining. It's further from campus than Sadako or Sushi.Come, and the menu is a bit pricier, but it's definitely a pleasant retreat every sushi lover should take once in a while.
(4)
Jonas L.
If all you care about is quantity and size, and you absolutely do not care about price, then Godaiko would be the perfect place for you. For the rest of us who do not have such bizarre preferences, Godaiko is absolutely terrible in terms of both quality of food, service, and value. To echo others, "mall sushi at [outrageous] prices". First bad sign: the prices. Whereas a simple tuna roll would cost around $4 at a mediocre sushi place around Michigan campus, the same thing would be nearly double the price at Godaiko. This place clearly fancies itself to be a fancy fusion-type restaurant, which is for suckers anyway, and charges that kind of prices. Most ridiculous of all, a cup of tea, a basic amenity at nearly every other place, costs $2.25. That is simply unacceptable. Second bad sign: all the fish slices are already cut, at enormous sizes. This deficiency is actually an indicator of several flaws. Most obviously, being pre-cut means that the fish slices have more time to oxidize, and thus taste worse. Sure enough, everything I had tasted of, well, nothing. The supposed fatty yellowtail is not fatty at all, and did not taste like yellowtail, or any other fish, at all. Less obviously, the sizes of the fish slices are inappropriate, for sashimi and maki. There is such a thing as too much fish. In rolls, the balance between rice and fish is simply not right. In sashimi pieces, the enormous size means that they are extremely difficult to be finished in one bite, as they should be. I suppose a customer who has no knowledge of sushi whatsoever would be happy to see huge fish slices, but if you are not that ignoramous, then you'd know this is another bad sign. Finally, the fact that fish slices are pre-cut calls into question the skills of people behind the counter. When I was there, the people behind the counter are extremely young and clearly lacked proper training. I would not be surprised if they did not know how to slice fish into correct sizes (especially since no one else at the restaurant apparent does). The sushi you get are work of amateurs. At least people who make supermarket sushi have plenty of practice opportunities to hone their craft. Third bad sign: the service is inattentive, and more premium seems to be placed on servers looking cool for the atmosphere. I would rant more, but I think the points on price and quality are sufficient reasons for you to never, ever go.
(1)
Annalisa B.
My favorite Japanese food spot in Ann arbor. Excellent lunch menu, but I miss their famous lunch special-creative bento box with soup that was incredible!
(4)
Carlos O.
Waitress did not acknowledge me! This was very annoying. I wanna eat too!!!!
(3)
Chelsea M.
We tried out Godaiko as our last sushi meal out before we left the A2 area. The sushi turned out to be pretty good, I can't say it was anything that outstanding, but the udon noodle bowl was darn tasty. We stopped in on a Monday and were able to get our spicy tuna rolls buy one get one free. It as disappointing we weren't able to purchase one spicy tuna and the free one (same priced roll) be a spicy salmon but the spicy tuna tasted good. We also ordered the hot spicy california roll . Our friend order the beef udon noodle bowl- it was excellent. If I make it back to Godaiko I'll be ordering one of the noddle bowls over the sushi.
(3)
Ruben L.
Best Sushi in Ann Arbor bar none. This place is great. Considering sushi is so expensive, it's great that they have buy one get on free rolls everyday (specific roll varies from day to day). My sister and I used to go on Wed. when they had spider rolls on special. Everything here is great (foodwise). There has only been one instance when the service was bad, and it was REAL bad. That it the only reason why I took away a star. Lunch is a pretty hot deal too. For about 10-12 bucks you get 4-5 dishes (usually a sushi roll, soup, entree like shrimp teriyaki or tempura) and a dessert. Sometimes they give you more, sometimes it's less, it all depends on the day. Whenever I'm in A2, I make a concerted effort to come here for sushi.
(4)
Mary Y.
I've been to most of the Sushi places in A2, and Godaiko never disappoints. The other night, I had a dream about sushi and somehow ended up here. It's pricy, but yummy. There are scads of special rolls, and they will make you anything you want. I was in need of a tuna avocado combo, without spice the other night, and they kindly obliged. It seems to me that the portions are huge here, as we had a 9x13 platter of tons of rolls for 3 people, and still managed to clean it up. My friends even had dessert when they were done!
(4)
Roman K.
This is a great sushi place. It is never too busy and the sushi is spot on! It is a little on the pricey side for certain rolls but they have a good selection overall. I have never had a problem with the staff and everyone is very friendly. If you are looking for a local sushi place they have great specials on a daily basis. The best one is the Godaiko Roll on Saturday nights for half off.
(4)
Andrea M.
Godaiko is tied for #2 in my top 3 of sushi in A2. What I LOVE about Godaiko that I cannot find elsewhere is the single pieces that are decadent- the lobster, clam, and other single pieces that are hand crafted to perfection (except for the size). I'd say if you are looking for SPECIALTY sushi, then this is the place. I loved the sweetness of the lobster sushi, but I have to say I wish the pieces were half the size. It's nice that they give you almost an entire claw's worth of lobster in one piece, but I could barely cram the thing in my mouth. That part was not enjoyable. I like to actually have room to chew. That is my only negative comment on them, which is size of portions is too big for most people (even a guy's) mouths. You won't find a lot of ambiance here either, as Godaiko is a chain, but overall it's nice enough. If you want a more intimate ambiance, go to Miki downtown. The prices are also higher, but worth it, just like Miki (see my other review). If you want cheaper sushi that is still excellent, check out Yatsuba (see my other review). I was impressed by Godaiko's HUGE selection of booze. I would say if you have a large party of people, even 20 people or so, they should be able to put tables together to accommodate you right in the dining room area. With all that alcohol and great sushi, you'll have one hell of a party. Have fun!
(4)
Wasim Q.
Another reviewer said it best: "Mall sushi at New York prices." This place is simply not worth your money. Although some of the rolls are fairly creative in their ingredients (lobster, etc.), the execution is horrible. Rice is soggy, roll sizes are very tiny, and they're not rolled very tightly at all. Everything just has the quality of a $4 roll you get at the mall--which is fine if you're paying just $4--but here, the prices are nearly 3 times that (except for the daily special, the one roll which is a somewhat decent buy). Ambiance is nice, but has a TGI Friday's feel to it, with a giant bar in the middle of the seating area.
(1)
Stephanie C.
Was not impressed with this restaurant. Only went here because it was the only one close by that was open and they had a parking lot. I ordered take out, a simple tuna roll and a shrimp tempura udon. When I went in, I had to wait 5-10 minutes for a hostess to even greet me. It was pretty clear that many waiters, chefs, and waitresses saw me, but no one acknowledged me or apologized for the wait. When the hostess finally came, she was talking rapidly on the phone (probably taking an order) When I told her I had pick up, she tried to take my credit card without telling me the price of my order. (that seemed VERY odd). Finally I asked her directly, "how much is my order?" And she fumbled around trying to find my receipt and with her credit card machine. It took at least a couple of minutes and at least another waitress to help her out. Maybe she was new, forgiveable. They were kind as I waited patiently. I looked around and the restaurant was probably about 1/3 full, and didn't seem too busy. When I got home, I found out disappointingly that my take out bag had no chopsticks or napkins, and no soy sauce. My tuna roll seemed to be packed in a hurry. And I agree with many other reviewers, they were definitely overpriced. I WAS impressed, however, with the udon. The broth tasted flavorful and was better than expected. If you go, order the shrimp tempura udon. The rolls are overpriced and not worth it.
(2)
mariah c.
What a bummer. I don't know if it's new management or ownership over the last few years, but the atmosphere is very confused (blaring teen pop at dinnertime), the menu has been changed up and looks like it was designed by someone who throws tons of fonts and pictures together for Coney menus, and the sushi I had the last time I was in was just not worth the price. Goodby Godaiko, it was good while it lasted.
(2)
Ana D.
Tasty food but very small portions. Expensive place. Noisy not for kids though. Issues with food prep and when complained to manager, acted very rudely and haughtily! Embarrassing experience for amount spent.
(1)
Rod T.
"Best sushi place in all of Ann Arbor !nuff said"
(5)
Carmen K.
I haven't dined here for ages b/c we've enjoyed the Yotsuba sushi more and their discount coupons from the Clipper Magazine. Recently, we decided to try it out again for the heck of it. The updated remodelling brought a little more to the ambiance; lighting was dimmer which made it more romantic, bar in the front more inviting but there was no one sitting there at the time, and the enclosed glass wine cellar in the back was kind of cool. They gave us complimentary tempura ice cream for the birthday boy. They have a sushi roll special (50% off) based on the day of the week including weekends. I thought the rolls were okay, udon was just okay, but really enjoyed the sashimi we ordered, very tasty. I have a newly found respect for this restaurant and wouldn't mind trying it out again. I'd like to sit at the sushi bar next time.
(4)
Stacey D.
We were at the Asian grocery store and decided to stop by Godaiko for an early dinner. We had the salmon burger and sushi special (buy 1 roll, get one 1 free). I think it was called spicy shrimp or something to that effect. The salmon burger was fantastic with actual filets of salmon (rather than reconstituted salmon meat mixed with "stuff"), the sushi special was a fantastic deal. Service, was good, the ambiance was nice, if a bit over air conditioned. Definitely would return.
(4)
John B.
Great place. I've been going here for about 10 years and is the best in Ann Arbor!
(5)
Josh W.
I was VERY disappointed after hearing so many review about this place. I think half of Ann Arbor has NO idea what good sushi really is. I have so many complaints I am just going to put them in bullets. *Very poor service, had to continue to ask to get tea and water refills. Never got any service with out having to ask someone when walking by. *WAY over priced. Both the traditional Miso and Ginger salad were over $3 each! OVER $3 for MISO SOUP! I have eaten at excellent sushi joints where these are almost considered part of the meal and maybe cost $1.50. *Poor sushi presentation. Sushi foremost is about the art of the food. These rolls were the art of a very amateur chef. I sushi chef at my local Krogers makes more beautiful rolls. This place caters to people who have no idea what they are getting in a over priced atmosphere. Typical Ann Arbor.
(1)
Mitch R.
Have been going here for many years, and though there have been a few ups and downs, the food there is spot-on and I'm a renewed fan. The sushi is great, the gyoza is phenom, the steaks are tasty - etc etc - it's good stuff, for sure! I should also say that the service is very friendly, and awesome with kids. This is the third time in two months I've taken my two little ones there, and the waitstaff knew just how to handle it. KUDOS to the staff and the chefs...I'll keep coming back for more!
(4)
Shannon C.
Yep, Godaiko sushi is expensive. Yep, staff can be a bit unattentive. Yep, even with the recent remodel it isn't that 'cool'. However, Godaiko has the most fantastic lunch deal in Ann Arbor ever. Walk in during lunch hours, notice the 4 dishes on the counter top. Ask the host/hostess to describe the lunch special. Order it and enjoy - all for less than $10! The lunch special changes every day and always includes a soup that is usually incredible along with 3 other dishes that I've never seen repeat. On another note - Wednesday's are Spider Roll 'buy one get one free' days! The Spider Rolls at Godaiko are really really good. So, avoid the priceyness and go for lunch or on a Wed and enjoy every bite.
(4)
Caroline H.
So I have been to Godaiko in the past many times, and it's really a hit or miss. I went there yesterday for lunch with my friend and decided to split the $10 special, since it was recommended by one of the reviewers. It looked good, but it was awful. It was the worse sushi I had, there were 4 different plants, two rolls, soup and chicken fried rice. One roll was deep fried and inside was chicken, spinach and CHEESE, now I wondered why there was cheese in it... EEW, especially when you think of sushi, you don't think of cheese, I mean I like cheese, but not in my sushi! The next roll was salmon with california roll, first bite I took, I told me friend, its really fishy, or am I wrong, she took one bite and wanted to spit it out. I am surprised I didn't get food poisening. I love sushi and I know what good fresh sushi/fish is suppose to taste like, and its NEVER suppose to be FISHY. My fried rice was cold, and now will never return to Godaiko again.
(1)
Mark E.
My favorite Japanese place in Ann Arbor. They done a nice job with the interior (including a complete remodel last year.) Considering it is in a strip mall, it is really quite nice on the inside. I've always had good food here, but to me the big find here is the lunch specials: typically a multi-course Japanese lunch including soup (not miso), rolls, and other goodies. A lot of great food for $10.
(4)
Ray L.
4.5 to be exact. My second favorite sushi-restaurant in A2. They have awesome roll specials. This used to be my go-to place until I discovered Yotsuba. I'd still come here though for their awesome specials. Excellent sushi quality here.
(4)
Theresa F.
This is the best sushi place we have found in AA. I know that is not saying much (since we all have to admit this is not the best place for sushi), but that aside their food is actually quite tasty and is prepared well. We chatted it up with the bartender our first time there, who was quite obviously a bit OCD, and he testified that this was the cleanest establishment he had ever worked. I'll take it! They have great roll and drink specials every day of the week--two for the price of one. Mondays and Thursdays are our favorite, Monday with Sapparo beer and spicy tuna rolls, and Thursday with Guinness and spicy California rolls. Yum.
(4)
Yvonne S.
If a restaurant is serving fusion food, then don't label it as Japanese especially if people working behind the sushi bar weren't Japanese either. I wonder who this brilliant person was that suggested "Hey! Let's put burgers on the menu! We'll call it Kobe burgers to make them sound Japanese!" By the way, the beef in their burger was HORRIBLE! (Yes, we ordered it for the magical "Kobe" experience.) Besides the burger, we also got two rolls that were not impressive for the price tag.
(1)
katie W.
Best atmosphere for sushi that I've found in Ann Arbor! It's very pricey, but every day they have a "buy one get one free" roll which balances out the price (if you like that roll). I've never been disappointed with my meal and I've been there roughly 10 times.
(4)
andi c.
i'm surprised at some of the negative reviews - i have certainly had much better sushi, but this is by far the best i've had here in ann arbor. yes, its rather expensive, and the portions are enormous, but i've never had any complaints about the quality of seafood, the presentation, or the service. the tempura udon is also amazing. i wouldn't recommend going here for a quick, cheap sushi fix - better off going to sushi town or totoro for that - but for a nice dinner out, i think this is the best place to go.
(4)
Merle F.
My favorite Japanese place in AA. I have never had any problems with service. The wait staff is generally friendly and have always taken care of me in a timely manner. Their sushi is well done (I've had the chirashi, tekka don, and various nigiri). Their kitchen dishes are also pretty good (the only one I've been disappointed in is their curry). They have an excellent daily lunch special which has been different every time I've gone. It generally includes a heartier soup (aka not miso), a roll (not always but often California), and 2 kitchen dishes for around $10.
(5)
Jen K.
Consistently good sushi (excellent compared to everything in Ann Arbor). When I used to live in Ann Arbor, I worked really close to Godaiko, and it was a place we got lunch regularly. They have the most beautiful caterpillar rolls. For a location that is not so close to any major body of salt water, the fish tasted incredibly fresh. If I'm back in A2 with a hankering for some sushi and I don't happen to be on campus, then Godaiko will be the place to go!
(4)
Michael S.
The most reliable sushi bar in town with a wide range of other choices as well. Nice decor and reasonable prices make it a good change from the standard campus area standbys for sushi.
(5)
Amy W.
the food was sloppily made, as well as unbelievably overpriced. the wait staff was inattentive, plan on making your drink last the whole meal, you will not get another one.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Heidi W.
I have gone here for over a year and always enjoyed the carry out. Today - I ordered the same rolls and the bill was higher. When I asked, I was told the prices increased, even though the menu has not online. This is poor service to increase prices and not inform the customers.
(2)Kevin T.
Stopped in for lunch, but unlike several previous visits, the lunch special just didn't look that great (it usually does), so I passed. Instead, I ordered the Tuna burger and an order of the Spicy California roll (to share). When it arrived, the sandwich was not what I had expected. I expected a Tuna fillet, but instead received a sort of ground up tuna patty on a bun. Now it did taste good, but like sausage where you really don't know what it's made of, I would have preferred the real thing. The Spicy California roll was a big disappointment. Rolls of the typical fare, but drowned with a huge splat of what basically tasted like mildly spiced thousand island dressing. Yuck. I tried to wipe as much of it off the sushi rolls as possible. No one else at the table wanted to try it. 2 stars today. A big drop from previous visits. Next time I get a taste for Asian on this part of Ann Arbor, I'll head elsewhere (nearby) where there are several good Thai, Korean and Japanese eateries.
(2)Melissah L.
I convinced a friend to meet me here instead of our usual sushi spot because I was going to Pure Barre before dinner, which is only a few doors down from Godaiko. I've been to Godaiko once before, and that was a pretty solid sushi experience. Like the other Yelpers mentioned, prices here are a little steep for sushi in Ann Arbor. In my opinion, there is some better sushi to be had downtown, but the tradeoff is that those restaurants are overrun with students (aka more casual vibe) and parking is so much tougher! I ordered a miso soup and an ocean roll, and my friend got spicy salmon and a shrimp tempura roll. All of the food was fine. The miso soup is way overpriced at $3.50 per bowl, but to be fair it was a much larger serving than I usually get at Japanese restaurants. I think it could have used some shitaake mushrooms or a little something extra. The sushi rice was decent, although the fish to rice ratio was a little off (too much rice). Also, next time I would order the Ocean roll without the masago, as it was a little on the salty side. Overall, I would definitely be open to coming back and trying other dishes here just for the sheer convenience of the location! Worth a try!
(3)DNR F.
I used to eat there a lot, things change. So we have all heard the story of the worst service you have ever had right? It just so happens that this was mine... Went in and was asked to wait for a table even though there were 4 open. After 10 minutes they sat us in the worst table in the place where we spent the next 20 minutes waiting for someone to take our order. We were seated and got water, that is it. Mind you this table was between the entrance to the kitchen and the sushi bar so waiters/waitresses were walking past our table constantly yet no one even noticed we were there. Eventually hunger got the best of us and we left swearing we would never return. Thanks for nothing.
(1)Jennifer E.
Went to celebrate a friends birthday last week. I think this restaurant is under new ownership, because the menu and the quality of sushi has gone down significantly. The menu barely has any resemblance anymore to Japanese food. Now it is a weird American interpretation of generic Asian food. The sushi we ordered was poorly made; crumbling when picked up. The worst, however, was the sashimi which was so poorly cut giant, thick, slabs of raw fish that you would have to gnaw at in order to eat. Totally unappetizing and totally devoid of the Japanese aesthetic. Will not be returning.
(1)Lauren P.
My friend and I happened upon Godaiko when the Korean restaurant a few stores down was closed. Godaiko is pricy, but the food is great. I had the scallop dinner, which included a huge salad (with some of the best ginger dressing I've ever consumed in a Japanese restaurant), miso soup (I can say the same for the soup, truly the best I've had at a Japanese restaurant), 6 or 7 HUGE, perfectly cooked scallops, broccoli and carrots... If I was in the mood for a solid shellfish meal with a Japanese flair, I'd come back to Godaiko.
(4)Mathias B.
I ordered the vegetarian plate which came with a tempura asparagus roll and an avocado asparagus roll. It also came with miso soup and a side salad. First, the salad was nice and light with soft, slightly bland dressing that sat very well. Not as big a fan of the taste of the miso soup. It didn't sit as well in my stomach. The tempura roll was wonderful and a good deal for what it cost. Nice unique taste, I was definitely a fan. The avocado roll was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. Overall it was good, just not noteworthy. Finally we had split a tempura onion rings which seemed like a nice americanization of Japanese food and we're pretty flavorful if you don't means a little grease. I would return but wouldn't go out of my way for their sushi.
(3)Lylian D.
I do not like their sushi rolls, burgers, or udon, but they always have some great lunch specials daily. I've gone on Sundays and they've had a 4 course meal for $10. Curry soup, house salad, fried calamari, and tuna steak with curry rice. Everything was okay. The tuna was overcooked and needed more seasoning. It's a good deal for the amount of food that you get. Try the lunch specials! It's a good idea to call before you go and ask what are the lunch specials for the day to gage if it's worth the visit.
(3)Hollee D.
Our friends and I always meet here for our sushi craving. They have great specials and the Gadaiko roll kicks butt! The service has always been great with friendly staff. I hope it continues to stay that way. You won't be disappointed!
(5)Ann D.
My family and I just ate at Godaiko. We ordered miso soup, sushi rolls, tempura, and lettuce wraps. Miso soup was warmish and had too much miso. Tempura batter was too greasy and batter was too thick. I tasted like Drake's batter for fish. The worst part was the sushi. Not fresh, brown avocado, too much mayo, veggies not cut properly. Sushi chef seemed very lazy. We didn't finish most of it. Fine, bad food and wasted $75, not big deal right? WRONG!!! When we got home all four of us had to run to the toilet!!! Stay away!!!! The grocery store has better sushi.
(1)Kate P.
I went to Godaiko a few weeks ago with one of my best-friends. The layout of the restaurant was very open. They had bar and regular seating. The sushi here is fine. Although I found it to be a little over priced for the quality. I was a little disappointed that you had to order miso soup and a salad separately. Most sushi restaurants have those items come with the order.
(3)Wasim Q.
Another reviewer said it best: "Mall sushi at New York prices." This place is simply not worth your money. Although some of the rolls are fairly creative in their ingredients (lobster, etc.), the execution is horrible. Rice is soggy, roll sizes are very tiny, and they're not rolled very tightly at all. Everything just has the quality of a $4 roll you get at the mall--which is fine if you're paying just $4--but here, the prices are nearly 3 times that (except for the daily special, the one roll which is a somewhat decent buy). Ambiance is nice, but has a TGI Friday's feel to it, with a giant bar in the middle of the seating area.
(1)Susan W.
We purposely dined long after the football game so we were not surprised at the handful of diners. Turns out it might be the disconnect between the appearance and the taste of the food. I submitted photos so you can see everything was pleasant to the eye. Not one of the three dishes had significant ( and I am being generous with that word) flavor. Ann Arbor also doesn't seem receptive to diners that prefer soy wrap over seaweed but that didn't affect my rating as I had called and knew they didn't have soy before i arrived. The online ratings were all over the place but I was hungry for sushi and we didn't want to go back near campus. I do want to say that the customer service from the hostess who took my calls and seated us on arrival and our server Haw L. was very attentive.
(2)Christopher F.
My real review is a 4.5, based on previous reviews, I am not sure if I just got lucky or they stepped up their game for restaurant week. We decided to come here for dinner for restaurant week. The first course blew me away, it was a seaweed salad with a wonderful slightly spicy ponzu sauce topped with fresh Tuna. These were nice sizes of tuna, if that is their normal serving it is quite a deal. Our second course we tried the shrimp spring roll and my wife tried their house special roll for restaurant week. It was a roll loaded with chopped tuna, in a jalapeno ceviche type sauce with fresh tuna on top. It was like eating Japanese and Peruvian ceviche all in one bite. The entrees were spectacular my mom ordered a pork tonkatsu served over red curry. I thought this was a very good combination and the pork was nice and tender. My wife and I ordered the lobster shrimp stir fry. The lobster comes served in its shell with the tail lightly fried, it was absolutely wonderful. The shrimp were the large tiger variety, very good as well. If what, I had during restaurant week, I would love to come back here, I was more intrigued by their cooked offerings than their sushi. Also, have to mention a drink we had a lychee infused sake, really good, and I love the way the drink was served.
(4)Tony D.
Just tried sushi bar, I'm speechless. As soon as I saw the plate of fillet-sized nigiri placed in front of me, my heart sank. It's okay if they don't have a Japanese sushi chef, it's okay if obviously the fish in this landlocked suburban location won't be the freshest, but good god at least try to make the nigiri look like what they're supposed to! Look for the photo I'll try to post on here, picture itself explains enough. Taste wise it's like if you bought the "sashimi-grade" fillet of fish at the supermarket, washed it, and slapped it on a clump of "sushi rice" that crumbles when you try to lift the 2 ton piece with chopsticks. I felt like I needed a fork and knife to just cut the slab to make it possible to even eat without resorting to gnawing on it like a caveman.
(1)Annette J.
Godaiko has kind of lost the plot a bit, I think. I don't know. It's not quite my first choice in town anymore but if I'm in the area I'll go. Such was the case a few weeks ago when my mom and I had run to Briarwood and wanted to grab lunch before hopping on 94 to our next errand. She wanted sushi and it was out of our way to go anywhere else so we went here. It was good but it wasn't GREAT. They still have that massive lunch bento box (which is what I ordered along with some rolls to split with my mom) but it's all just kind of all right.. The sushi was fresh, which is most important, but kind of bland, even the spicy tuna which had very little kick to it (if any at all). Tempura is kind of hard to mess up as long as it's right out of the fryer so this one was pretty good. The chicken teryiyaki was moist but not very flavorful (I'd take more sauce?). They've also raised the prices quite a bit over the last few years and they don't really match the quality. Portions are generous but I'd rather have smaller bites with more flavor. They also added a lot more "non-sushi" items which is where I think they went a little wrong. Stick to what you used to do so well--sushi, udon, some apps, a few hot dishes and that's it. No need for a huge menu. Ditch the burgers and all those superfluous extras. Service is so nice. Our waitress was awesome and the big spacious booths are also welcoming. But the experience is a far cry from the awesome times I had just a few years ago.
(3)Andrea R.
Best sushi in Ann Arbor. The restaurant is clean, the parking is easy and the food is great. My kids swear that they have the best edamame. I didn't know that edamame could he either good or bad but I will go with what the under 9 set has to say. The sushi is terrific and fresh.
(5)Kevin T.
Stopped in for lunch, but unlike several previous visits, the lunch special just didn't look that great (it usually does), so I passed. Instead, I ordered the Tuna burger and an order of the Spicy California roll (to share). When it arrived, the sandwich was not what I had expected. I expected a Tuna fillet, but instead received a sort of ground up tuna patty on a bun. Now it did taste good, but like sausage where you really don't know what it's made of, I would have preferred the real thing. The Spicy California roll was a big disappointment. Rolls of the typical fare, but drowned with a huge splat of what basically tasted like mildly spiced thousand island dressing. Yuck. I tried to wipe as much of it off the sushi rolls as possible. No one else at the table wanted to try it. 2 stars today. A big drop from previous visits. Next time I get a taste for Asian on this part of Ann Arbor, I'll head elsewhere (nearby) where there are several good Thai, Korean and Japanese eateries.
(2)Melissah L.
I convinced a friend to meet me here instead of our usual sushi spot because I was going to Pure Barre before dinner, which is only a few doors down from Godaiko. I've been to Godaiko once before, and that was a pretty solid sushi experience. Like the other Yelpers mentioned, prices here are a little steep for sushi in Ann Arbor. In my opinion, there is some better sushi to be had downtown, but the tradeoff is that those restaurants are overrun with students (aka more casual vibe) and parking is so much tougher! I ordered a miso soup and an ocean roll, and my friend got spicy salmon and a shrimp tempura roll. All of the food was fine. The miso soup is way overpriced at $3.50 per bowl, but to be fair it was a much larger serving than I usually get at Japanese restaurants. I think it could have used some shitaake mushrooms or a little something extra. The sushi rice was decent, although the fish to rice ratio was a little off (too much rice). Also, next time I would order the Ocean roll without the masago, as it was a little on the salty side. Overall, I would definitely be open to coming back and trying other dishes here just for the sheer convenience of the location! Worth a try!
(3)DNR F.
I used to eat there a lot, things change. So we have all heard the story of the worst service you have ever had right? It just so happens that this was mine... Went in and was asked to wait for a table even though there were 4 open. After 10 minutes they sat us in the worst table in the place where we spent the next 20 minutes waiting for someone to take our order. We were seated and got water, that is it. Mind you this table was between the entrance to the kitchen and the sushi bar so waiters/waitresses were walking past our table constantly yet no one even noticed we were there. Eventually hunger got the best of us and we left swearing we would never return. Thanks for nothing.
(1)Jennifer E.
Went to celebrate a friends birthday last week. I think this restaurant is under new ownership, because the menu and the quality of sushi has gone down significantly. The menu barely has any resemblance anymore to Japanese food. Now it is a weird American interpretation of generic Asian food. The sushi we ordered was poorly made; crumbling when picked up. The worst, however, was the sashimi which was so poorly cut giant, thick, slabs of raw fish that you would have to gnaw at in order to eat. Totally unappetizing and totally devoid of the Japanese aesthetic. Will not be returning.
(1)Lauren P.
My friend and I happened upon Godaiko when the Korean restaurant a few stores down was closed. Godaiko is pricy, but the food is great. I had the scallop dinner, which included a huge salad (with some of the best ginger dressing I've ever consumed in a Japanese restaurant), miso soup (I can say the same for the soup, truly the best I've had at a Japanese restaurant), 6 or 7 HUGE, perfectly cooked scallops, broccoli and carrots... If I was in the mood for a solid shellfish meal with a Japanese flair, I'd come back to Godaiko.
(4)Colleen Z.
Very strange dinner this evening. Our sushi had very little taste. How does eel have no taste? Another strange thing. When we arrived the sushi chef was behind the counter working so we decided to sit at the counter. Once the chef completed making a couple of rolls, he went in the back and never came back. Our sushi was delivered from behind us so it must have come from the kitchen. We thought it a bit odd that our sushi chef was gone and that the beautiful seafood in front of us was not used to make our sushi. Weird.
(2)Mathias B.
I ordered the vegetarian plate which came with a tempura asparagus roll and an avocado asparagus roll. It also came with miso soup and a side salad. First, the salad was nice and light with soft, slightly bland dressing that sat very well. Not as big a fan of the taste of the miso soup. It didn't sit as well in my stomach. The tempura roll was wonderful and a good deal for what it cost. Nice unique taste, I was definitely a fan. The avocado roll was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. Overall it was good, just not noteworthy. Finally we had split a tempura onion rings which seemed like a nice americanization of Japanese food and we're pretty flavorful if you don't means a little grease. I would return but wouldn't go out of my way for their sushi.
(3)Lylian D.
I do not like their sushi rolls, burgers, or udon, but they always have some great lunch specials daily. I've gone on Sundays and they've had a 4 course meal for $10. Curry soup, house salad, fried calamari, and tuna steak with curry rice. Everything was okay. The tuna was overcooked and needed more seasoning. It's a good deal for the amount of food that you get. Try the lunch specials! It's a good idea to call before you go and ask what are the lunch specials for the day to gage if it's worth the visit.
(3)Hollee D.
Our friends and I always meet here for our sushi craving. They have great specials and the Gadaiko roll kicks butt! The service has always been great with friendly staff. I hope it continues to stay that way. You won't be disappointed!
(5)Ann D.
My family and I just ate at Godaiko. We ordered miso soup, sushi rolls, tempura, and lettuce wraps. Miso soup was warmish and had too much miso. Tempura batter was too greasy and batter was too thick. I tasted like Drake's batter for fish. The worst part was the sushi. Not fresh, brown avocado, too much mayo, veggies not cut properly. Sushi chef seemed very lazy. We didn't finish most of it. Fine, bad food and wasted $75, not big deal right? WRONG!!! When we got home all four of us had to run to the toilet!!! Stay away!!!! The grocery store has better sushi.
(1)Kate P.
I went to Godaiko a few weeks ago with one of my best-friends. The layout of the restaurant was very open. They had bar and regular seating. The sushi here is fine. Although I found it to be a little over priced for the quality. I was a little disappointed that you had to order miso soup and a salad separately. Most sushi restaurants have those items come with the order.
(3)Susan W.
We purposely dined long after the football game so we were not surprised at the handful of diners. Turns out it might be the disconnect between the appearance and the taste of the food. I submitted photos so you can see everything was pleasant to the eye. Not one of the three dishes had significant ( and I am being generous with that word) flavor. Ann Arbor also doesn't seem receptive to diners that prefer soy wrap over seaweed but that didn't affect my rating as I had called and knew they didn't have soy before i arrived. The online ratings were all over the place but I was hungry for sushi and we didn't want to go back near campus. I do want to say that the customer service from the hostess who took my calls and seated us on arrival and our server Haw L. was very attentive.
(2)Rory P.
Thought it was pretty bland, to be honest. I enjoyed the sushi at Kroger more. The rolls are also pretty small for the price. The bartender makes a strong drink at least (went on a Friday night).
(2)Marcus C.
Great service and great food! Has a real Japanese feel on the inside, it was very nicely decorated. I often stop by to grab the spicy beef udon... So good..
(5)N C.
Godaiko is the best Japanese restaurant in Ann Arbor. Dinner is good, but the real secret is the "lunch special". For 10 bucks, you get 4 courses including soup, sushi, and two others. The exact dishes change from day to day and you can take a peek at today's selection when you enter. The atmosphere is really nice - especially since the renovation. Godaiko has earned a spot on our regular restaurant rotation and is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.
(5)Michelle C.
I came here 3 times in the last 6 months- once for lunch, once to sit the bar on a weeknight, and once on a Friday night with a large party in their private room. Food: The quality of food is good, but I'm not a fan of a Japanese restaurant that will still charges $4.50 for miso soup when you've ordered $30 of sushi... Edamame was over-salted on 2 occasions. Service: I would have given this restaurant 3.5 stars but the service brought it down significantly. I've had a server reach in front of me in the private party room- so close to my face that her armpit was in my face the ENTIRE time she was handing out 6 peoples' entrees. My "um... excuse me" didn't stop her. She could very well have come in the room, walked around and serve everyone individually like another server was doing, but she insisted on reaching in front of me. Multiple times. No apologies, no 'excuse me's, nothing. Just picked me to annoy and reach in front of. Her arm touched my face several times, but maybe her personal space radius is in millimeters. Then I informed her that we ordered eel and avocado, not eel and asparagus roll- since my fiancé doesn't eat asparagus. She insisted that we said asparagus (ok fine. Let's say that I did) and didn't respond to my 3 requests to have a new roll made. Finally, on my fourth time asking "We would like an eel and avocado role please so that my fiancé can eat it", she said "I can take away the eel and asparagus, but you'll have to pay for a new eel and avocado". ?!?! They have daily buy 1 get 1 free special rolls. Of these, the godaiko roll is one of the better ones.
(2)Chester C.
This place is definitely my go to Japanese spot. Although you can catch them on a off day it rarely happens. Some of my faves are their spicy California rolls, salmon bagel roll, yakisoba and Kobe steak...might be one of the best steaks I've ever had honestly, the Kobe is a bit pricey though.
(5)Nikki L.
I'll say don't eat anything here. I used to be a regular customer both here and the grocery next door. But one experience tells me that I will never come back to here. One time I purchased a bag of rice from the grocery, when I got home, I realized the rice is spoiled and had a really bad smell. I brought the rice back to the grocery, the cashier told me it has been product problem. So they let me return it with my receipt. However, 2 days later, I went to Godaiko and had my lunch, they served the rice that had exactly the same smell with the rice I returned. Apparently Godaiko used returned stuff from the grocery and make their food since they are basically under same management. This experience makes me cant trust the restaurant anymore. The grocery has a lot of expired stuff every time I go shopping, I am just afraid that Godaiko would keep using the expired or spoiled food to make business.
(1)Ia K.
I used to go there for dinner pretty often a few years ago, enjoyed their rolls. I went there for lunch recently, thinking it'd have similar experience. What happened? Their sushi are too big and tastless, rolls are salty, and salads are nothing but salty and greasy dressing. I was really disappointed. I wish they had kept previous menu and quality.
(2)Rory P.
Thought it was pretty bland, to be honest. I enjoyed the sushi at Kroger more. The rolls are also pretty small for the price. The bartender makes a strong drink at least (went on a Friday night).
(2)Marcus C.
Great service and great food! Has a real Japanese feel on the inside, it was very nicely decorated. I often stop by to grab the spicy beef udon... So good..
(5)Yvonne S.
If a restaurant is serving fusion food, then don't label it as Japanese especially if people working behind the sushi bar weren't Japanese either. I wonder who this brilliant person was that suggested "Hey! Let's put burgers on the menu! We'll call it Kobe burgers to make them sound Japanese!" By the way, the beef in their burger was HORRIBLE! (Yes, we ordered it for the magical "Kobe" experience.) Besides the burger, we also got two rolls that were not impressive for the price tag.
(1)katie W.
Best atmosphere for sushi that I've found in Ann Arbor! It's very pricey, but every day they have a "buy one get one free" roll which balances out the price (if you like that roll). I've never been disappointed with my meal and I've been there roughly 10 times.
(4)andi c.
i'm surprised at some of the negative reviews - i have certainly had much better sushi, but this is by far the best i've had here in ann arbor. yes, its rather expensive, and the portions are enormous, but i've never had any complaints about the quality of seafood, the presentation, or the service. the tempura udon is also amazing. i wouldn't recommend going here for a quick, cheap sushi fix - better off going to sushi town or totoro for that - but for a nice dinner out, i think this is the best place to go.
(4)Jen K.
Consistently good sushi (excellent compared to everything in Ann Arbor). When I used to live in Ann Arbor, I worked really close to Godaiko, and it was a place we got lunch regularly. They have the most beautiful caterpillar rolls. For a location that is not so close to any major body of salt water, the fish tasted incredibly fresh. If I'm back in A2 with a hankering for some sushi and I don't happen to be on campus, then Godaiko will be the place to go!
(4)Michael S.
The most reliable sushi bar in town with a wide range of other choices as well. Nice decor and reasonable prices make it a good change from the standard campus area standbys for sushi.
(5)Colleen Z.
Very strange dinner this evening. Our sushi had very little taste. How does eel have no taste? Another strange thing. When we arrived the sushi chef was behind the counter working so we decided to sit at the counter. Once the chef completed making a couple of rolls, he went in the back and never came back. Our sushi was delivered from behind us so it must have come from the kitchen. We thought it a bit odd that our sushi chef was gone and that the beautiful seafood in front of us was not used to make our sushi. Weird.
(2)Christopher F.
My real review is a 4.5, based on previous reviews, I am not sure if I just got lucky or they stepped up their game for restaurant week. We decided to come here for dinner for restaurant week. The first course blew me away, it was a seaweed salad with a wonderful slightly spicy ponzu sauce topped with fresh Tuna. These were nice sizes of tuna, if that is their normal serving it is quite a deal. Our second course we tried the shrimp spring roll and my wife tried their house special roll for restaurant week. It was a roll loaded with chopped tuna, in a jalapeno ceviche type sauce with fresh tuna on top. It was like eating Japanese and Peruvian ceviche all in one bite. The entrees were spectacular my mom ordered a pork tonkatsu served over red curry. I thought this was a very good combination and the pork was nice and tender. My wife and I ordered the lobster shrimp stir fry. The lobster comes served in its shell with the tail lightly fried, it was absolutely wonderful. The shrimp were the large tiger variety, very good as well. If what, I had during restaurant week, I would love to come back here, I was more intrigued by their cooked offerings than their sushi. Also, have to mention a drink we had a lychee infused sake, really good, and I love the way the drink was served.
(4)Tony D.
Just tried sushi bar, I'm speechless. As soon as I saw the plate of fillet-sized nigiri placed in front of me, my heart sank. It's okay if they don't have a Japanese sushi chef, it's okay if obviously the fish in this landlocked suburban location won't be the freshest, but good god at least try to make the nigiri look like what they're supposed to! Look for the photo I'll try to post on here, picture itself explains enough. Taste wise it's like if you bought the "sashimi-grade" fillet of fish at the supermarket, washed it, and slapped it on a clump of "sushi rice" that crumbles when you try to lift the 2 ton piece with chopsticks. I felt like I needed a fork and knife to just cut the slab to make it possible to even eat without resorting to gnawing on it like a caveman.
(1)Annette J.
Godaiko has kind of lost the plot a bit, I think. I don't know. It's not quite my first choice in town anymore but if I'm in the area I'll go. Such was the case a few weeks ago when my mom and I had run to Briarwood and wanted to grab lunch before hopping on 94 to our next errand. She wanted sushi and it was out of our way to go anywhere else so we went here. It was good but it wasn't GREAT. They still have that massive lunch bento box (which is what I ordered along with some rolls to split with my mom) but it's all just kind of all right.. The sushi was fresh, which is most important, but kind of bland, even the spicy tuna which had very little kick to it (if any at all). Tempura is kind of hard to mess up as long as it's right out of the fryer so this one was pretty good. The chicken teryiyaki was moist but not very flavorful (I'd take more sauce?). They've also raised the prices quite a bit over the last few years and they don't really match the quality. Portions are generous but I'd rather have smaller bites with more flavor. They also added a lot more "non-sushi" items which is where I think they went a little wrong. Stick to what you used to do so well--sushi, udon, some apps, a few hot dishes and that's it. No need for a huge menu. Ditch the burgers and all those superfluous extras. Service is so nice. Our waitress was awesome and the big spacious booths are also welcoming. But the experience is a far cry from the awesome times I had just a few years ago.
(3)Heidi W.
I have gone here for over a year and always enjoyed the carry out. Today - I ordered the same rolls and the bill was higher. When I asked, I was told the prices increased, even though the menu has not online. This is poor service to increase prices and not inform the customers.
(2)Andrea R.
Best sushi in Ann Arbor. The restaurant is clean, the parking is easy and the food is great. My kids swear that they have the best edamame. I didn't know that edamame could he either good or bad but I will go with what the under 9 set has to say. The sushi is terrific and fresh.
(5)Michelle C.
I came here 3 times in the last 6 months- once for lunch, once to sit the bar on a weeknight, and once on a Friday night with a large party in their private room. Food: The quality of food is good, but I'm not a fan of a Japanese restaurant that will still charges $4.50 for miso soup when you've ordered $30 of sushi... Edamame was over-salted on 2 occasions. Service: I would have given this restaurant 3.5 stars but the service brought it down significantly. I've had a server reach in front of me in the private party room- so close to my face that her armpit was in my face the ENTIRE time she was handing out 6 peoples' entrees. My "um... excuse me" didn't stop her. She could very well have come in the room, walked around and serve everyone individually like another server was doing, but she insisted on reaching in front of me. Multiple times. No apologies, no 'excuse me's, nothing. Just picked me to annoy and reach in front of. Her arm touched my face several times, but maybe her personal space radius is in millimeters. Then I informed her that we ordered eel and avocado, not eel and asparagus roll- since my fiancé doesn't eat asparagus. She insisted that we said asparagus (ok fine. Let's say that I did) and didn't respond to my 3 requests to have a new roll made. Finally, on my fourth time asking "We would like an eel and avocado role please so that my fiancé can eat it", she said "I can take away the eel and asparagus, but you'll have to pay for a new eel and avocado". ?!?! They have daily buy 1 get 1 free special rolls. Of these, the godaiko roll is one of the better ones.
(2)Chester C.
This place is definitely my go to Japanese spot. Although you can catch them on a off day it rarely happens. Some of my faves are their spicy California rolls, salmon bagel roll, yakisoba and Kobe steak...might be one of the best steaks I've ever had honestly, the Kobe is a bit pricey though.
(5)Merle F.
My favorite Japanese place in AA. I have never had any problems with service. The wait staff is generally friendly and have always taken care of me in a timely manner. Their sushi is well done (I've had the chirashi, tekka don, and various nigiri). Their kitchen dishes are also pretty good (the only one I've been disappointed in is their curry). They have an excellent daily lunch special which has been different every time I've gone. It generally includes a heartier soup (aka not miso), a roll (not always but often California), and 2 kitchen dishes for around $10.
(5)Nikki L.
I'll say don't eat anything here. I used to be a regular customer both here and the grocery next door. But one experience tells me that I will never come back to here. One time I purchased a bag of rice from the grocery, when I got home, I realized the rice is spoiled and had a really bad smell. I brought the rice back to the grocery, the cashier told me it has been product problem. So they let me return it with my receipt. However, 2 days later, I went to Godaiko and had my lunch, they served the rice that had exactly the same smell with the rice I returned. Apparently Godaiko used returned stuff from the grocery and make their food since they are basically under same management. This experience makes me cant trust the restaurant anymore. The grocery has a lot of expired stuff every time I go shopping, I am just afraid that Godaiko would keep using the expired or spoiled food to make business.
(1)Jessica R.
This was our first time at Godaiko. We went with a Travelzoo voucher that bought us $70 worth of food for $35. With tax and tip, we spent closer to $55. So, bottom line, was the food worth that $55? No. It was okay food, but overpriced. The food: We ordered many things: - Chicken lettuce wraps (quite decent, nice portion) - Tuna tacos (delicious, drool-worthy, but a small portion for a normally priced meal OR a normal portion for a very overpriced appetizer)(I believe, in terms of their menu, it was the latter) - Paul's Big Roll (all of the unexpected foods, like pine nuts, were great... but the crab was SO mayo-y) - Salmon fusion (tasty... I mean, it IS fried) - Spicy tuna (eh... we've had a LOT better, and a lot less expensive. also, very mayo-y) - Eel Avocado (again.. eh, especially for the price) - Cheesecake tempura (fascinating, glad we tried it, never need to eat it again) So, all in all, the food was okay. Not wildly impressive, not disappointing, but okay. It was just expensive. A simple roll, like eel avocado, would be almost 8 bucks. I could understand if special rolls were that much (they were often in the $13 range), but I mean, come on, we're not in NYC here. Ultimately, we were debating 2 or 3 stars for this review. We went with 2 because of (a) the price, and (b) the lack of fresh, special rolls. I was also surprised that their special rolls seemed to rarely include straight-up fish. For the most part it was shellfish (crab, shrimp), and otherwise it would be spicy or tempura fried. So it was hard to find, say, a fresh, healthy roll with plain fish if you also wanted it to be a little crazy (i.e. the special rolls). Places like Sushi.com are a LOT better about this. The atmosphere: Nice and/or strange. There's a corner for everything--sushi bar, private rooms, sit-down restaurant, bar, lounge, cafeteria-style. Very mish-mash. Overall, though, fine. I felt comfortable there with the tall ceilings and openness. The service: The service was really good. Our waitress was patient with us as we took 15 minutes to plot out what to order (so as to use our voucher wisely), kept our water filled, and gave us no trouble with the voucher. This was a surprise to me, as any time I've had a Groupon or some such voucher, it's been a mess.
(2)Katie B.
Probably the best sushi in town. Buuuut, it's expensive and the service is really slow (in an almost empty restaurant, our lunch took 1.75 hours!)
(3)N C.
Godaiko is the best Japanese restaurant in Ann Arbor. Dinner is good, but the real secret is the "lunch special". For 10 bucks, you get 4 courses including soup, sushi, and two others. The exact dishes change from day to day and you can take a peek at today's selection when you enter. The atmosphere is really nice - especially since the renovation. Godaiko has earned a spot on our regular restaurant rotation and is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.
(5)Shannon C.
Yep, Godaiko sushi is expensive. Yep, staff can be a bit unattentive. Yep, even with the recent remodel it isn't that 'cool'. However, Godaiko has the most fantastic lunch deal in Ann Arbor ever. Walk in during lunch hours, notice the 4 dishes on the counter top. Ask the host/hostess to describe the lunch special. Order it and enjoy - all for less than $10! The lunch special changes every day and always includes a soup that is usually incredible along with 3 other dishes that I've never seen repeat. On another note - Wednesday's are Spider Roll 'buy one get one free' days! The Spider Rolls at Godaiko are really really good. So, avoid the priceyness and go for lunch or on a Wed and enjoy every bite.
(4)Caroline H.
So I have been to Godaiko in the past many times, and it's really a hit or miss. I went there yesterday for lunch with my friend and decided to split the $10 special, since it was recommended by one of the reviewers. It looked good, but it was awful. It was the worse sushi I had, there were 4 different plants, two rolls, soup and chicken fried rice. One roll was deep fried and inside was chicken, spinach and CHEESE, now I wondered why there was cheese in it... EEW, especially when you think of sushi, you don't think of cheese, I mean I like cheese, but not in my sushi! The next roll was salmon with california roll, first bite I took, I told me friend, its really fishy, or am I wrong, she took one bite and wanted to spit it out. I am surprised I didn't get food poisening. I love sushi and I know what good fresh sushi/fish is suppose to taste like, and its NEVER suppose to be FISHY. My fried rice was cold, and now will never return to Godaiko again.
(1)Mark E.
My favorite Japanese place in Ann Arbor. They done a nice job with the interior (including a complete remodel last year.) Considering it is in a strip mall, it is really quite nice on the inside. I've always had good food here, but to me the big find here is the lunch specials: typically a multi-course Japanese lunch including soup (not miso), rolls, and other goodies. A lot of great food for $10.
(4)Ray L.
4.5 to be exact. My second favorite sushi-restaurant in A2. They have awesome roll specials. This used to be my go-to place until I discovered Yotsuba. I'd still come here though for their awesome specials. Excellent sushi quality here.
(4)Theresa F.
This is the best sushi place we have found in AA. I know that is not saying much (since we all have to admit this is not the best place for sushi), but that aside their food is actually quite tasty and is prepared well. We chatted it up with the bartender our first time there, who was quite obviously a bit OCD, and he testified that this was the cleanest establishment he had ever worked. I'll take it! They have great roll and drink specials every day of the week--two for the price of one. Mondays and Thursdays are our favorite, Monday with Sapparo beer and spicy tuna rolls, and Thursday with Guinness and spicy California rolls. Yum.
(4)Stephanie C.
Was not impressed with this restaurant. Only went here because it was the only one close by that was open and they had a parking lot. I ordered take out, a simple tuna roll and a shrimp tempura udon. When I went in, I had to wait 5-10 minutes for a hostess to even greet me. It was pretty clear that many waiters, chefs, and waitresses saw me, but no one acknowledged me or apologized for the wait. When the hostess finally came, she was talking rapidly on the phone (probably taking an order) When I told her I had pick up, she tried to take my credit card without telling me the price of my order. (that seemed VERY odd). Finally I asked her directly, "how much is my order?" And she fumbled around trying to find my receipt and with her credit card machine. It took at least a couple of minutes and at least another waitress to help her out. Maybe she was new, forgiveable. They were kind as I waited patiently. I looked around and the restaurant was probably about 1/3 full, and didn't seem too busy. When I got home, I found out disappointingly that my take out bag had no chopsticks or napkins, and no soy sauce. My tuna roll seemed to be packed in a hurry. And I agree with many other reviewers, they were definitely overpriced. I WAS impressed, however, with the udon. The broth tasted flavorful and was better than expected. If you go, order the shrimp tempura udon. The rolls are overpriced and not worth it.
(2)mariah c.
What a bummer. I don't know if it's new management or ownership over the last few years, but the atmosphere is very confused (blaring teen pop at dinnertime), the menu has been changed up and looks like it was designed by someone who throws tons of fonts and pictures together for Coney menus, and the sushi I had the last time I was in was just not worth the price. Goodby Godaiko, it was good while it lasted.
(2)Ana D.
Tasty food but very small portions. Expensive place. Noisy not for kids though. Issues with food prep and when complained to manager, acted very rudely and haughtily! Embarrassing experience for amount spent.
(1)Rod T.
"Best sushi place in all of Ann Arbor !nuff said"
(5)Tess S.
I work in the same complex so I decided to order some sushi for takeout the other day. The restaurant's atmosphere seemed nice, I'm guessing this is where their steep roll prices come from. However, I must admit the sushi was spectacular. Had I not gotten the buy one get one free roll I would say the prices are too much, especially for takeout, but (Monday being but one get one free spicy tuna and salmon) I got 3 rolls for $24 which is reasonable. I'm looking forward to trying for of their sushi (and other food) in the near future, as long as its from the daily specials that is.
(4)Ray S.
My wife and I have been dinning at Godaiko for 10+ years. With the explosion of Japanese restaurants in Ann Arbor during this time, they have remained one of the most trusted and reliable over the years. That said, I can't say they have the best Japanese food compared to the others, but it is good enough to leave happy and return again and again. For Sushi, I have no issue other than maybe too much mayo in the California rolls. It is always fresh, presented nicely and priced OK (some speciality rolls are maybe priced too high). I do recommend Godaiko if Sushi is your primary goal. I am not a fan of their chicken, especially the teriyaki chicken. I cannot put my finger on it, but I have tried it multiple times (via Bento boxes) and it never fails to fail me. Tempura is heavy on the batter compared to other locations within the city limits. It is good and, at worst, you can always remove some of the batter before eating (Can't believe I just said that!). On this last visit, I decided to be adventurous with their lunch menu and ordered their Kobe Burger with bacon and special wasabi sauce. I asked that the burger be cook medium well and stressed the importance on not having an over-cooked burger. They failed on this part and I did not finish it at all. I blamed myself for going outside the safe zone. I'm sticking to the sushi when visiting Godaiko, and I'm still coming back!
(3)Rob D.
Our last few experiences with Godaiko have been negative...this one was downright ridiculous. We ordered a few rolls for carry out and were told it would be 15 minutes. We showed up at 15 minutes and the order was not ready. 10 minutes later and it still wasn't ready, so we asked where our order was and found out they hadn't even started making the rolls yet. 10-15 minutes later they called us up and started bagging out order. There were no apologies, no free rolls, nothing. We got home and the rolls were so poorly made they were almost not edible. After this latest poor experience we will not be patrons again.
(1)Ron W.
I have dined at the Godiako a few different times, and really liked the atmosphere and food very much. There sushi is above average, and this was confirmed by two friends of mine from Nagoya-shi that went with me. However, they said the sushi at the Godaiko was rather pricey when compared to similar quality they had while in New York. The second time I was there, I tried the shabu-shabu, and it was rather expensive at $35.00. I have enjoyed this dish while in Japan, and it was rather inexpensive. However, it was fantastic experience for my cousin, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try it.
(4)Brian G.
Enjoyed lunch. Very clean, attractive decor, very fresh sushi lunch with miso soup.
(4)Elle S.
Best sushi in Ann Arbor! Good as a sit down place, but I usually got take out. The specialty rolls are worth the extra $$. The service wasn't always the best, but they were really friendly! Just a lot of new people in my experience. Try the Godaiko roll!
(4)Geri B.
Love godaiko First sushi restaurant when I moved to ann arbor 10 yrs ago. Never been disappointed.
(5)Liz M.
One wouldn't expect much from a restaurant in a strip mall, let alone a sushi joint...but don't let that dissuade you. This is one of our favorite family hangouts. I think it's the best sushi in Ann Arbor. It has a great menu, the staff is very friendly and there is never much of a wait. The kids love it, be sure to ask for the kid's chopsticks. I especially love that my kids will inhale a seaweed salad, entire bowl of edamame, miso soup and tuna rolls! My favorite is the spicy thai roll. Delicious! I also like the udon soups, when I'm not in the mood for sushi, but everyone else it, this is a great option. Sushi is always a bit pricey, so we don't indulge here as often as we would like, but always worth it when we do. Also, one last note, they have a great private room with shoji sliding doors and you sit on pillows. Really fun! I have had a few parties here and it was great! Don't fear the strip mall!!
(4)Yena J.
Shockingly, this restaurant's service is worse than it's food. My father and I ate here ordering more than $150 dollars of sushi/sashimi (which were awful btw) and when we asked for boxes for leftover sushi, the manager was trying to charge us 2.00 for extra ginger. It's really stupid on their part because wanting to put extraneous charges on people's bills will just lose them business. It's extremely unprofessional and they need to realize that customer service is super important when running a restaurant. duh! Plus, if the place offers brown rice sushi, you know the place is very fake.
(1)Elliot S.
This is one of the nicer Japanese restaurants in AA in regards to ambiance. Unfortunately for Godaiko, I judge a restaurant based on food and not decor. The sushi was subpar, especially for the price tag. I'm an eater and love sushi, but had no problem leaving half of my sushi on my plate when I left. I know that we are in the Midwest so the fish won't be that fresh, but I'd rather eat grocery store sushi than Godaiko.
(2)Richard F.
They have nice voluminous lunch specials and even have tatami rooms for large groups. The sushi was fine as were the teriyaki dishes. I liked the big soups including the nabeyaki udon. I ordered the tempura once, and it came out a little cold, but I was in a large group making the delivery of this sensitive dish a little difficult. I'll have to try this again when I am not in a large group. I wouldn't call this truly authentic Japanese as some other places are more ethnically accurate, but the food has been good and the service very responsible.
(4)Julie M.
My fave sushi joint in town. Love the spicy shrimp tempura roll, the spicy california - and the tempura asparagus is fantastic! Edamame is always done perfectly, and I have always received excellent service. Love the buy one get one daily deals. Super clean, friendly - the staff was sooo nice and helpful to my mom who is a sushi newb.
(4)Jonas L.
If all you care about is quantity and size, and you absolutely do not care about price, then Godaiko would be the perfect place for you. For the rest of us who do not have such bizarre preferences, Godaiko is absolutely terrible in terms of both quality of food, service, and value. To echo others, "mall sushi at [outrageous] prices". First bad sign: the prices. Whereas a simple tuna roll would cost around $4 at a mediocre sushi place around Michigan campus, the same thing would be nearly double the price at Godaiko. This place clearly fancies itself to be a fancy fusion-type restaurant, which is for suckers anyway, and charges that kind of prices. Most ridiculous of all, a cup of tea, a basic amenity at nearly every other place, costs $2.25. That is simply unacceptable. Second bad sign: all the fish slices are already cut, at enormous sizes. This deficiency is actually an indicator of several flaws. Most obviously, being pre-cut means that the fish slices have more time to oxidize, and thus taste worse. Sure enough, everything I had tasted of, well, nothing. The supposed fatty yellowtail is not fatty at all, and did not taste like yellowtail, or any other fish, at all. Less obviously, the sizes of the fish slices are inappropriate, for sashimi and maki. There is such a thing as too much fish. In rolls, the balance between rice and fish is simply not right. In sashimi pieces, the enormous size means that they are extremely difficult to be finished in one bite, as they should be. I suppose a customer who has no knowledge of sushi whatsoever would be happy to see huge fish slices, but if you are not that ignoramous, then you'd know this is another bad sign. Finally, the fact that fish slices are pre-cut calls into question the skills of people behind the counter. When I was there, the people behind the counter are extremely young and clearly lacked proper training. I would not be surprised if they did not know how to slice fish into correct sizes (especially since no one else at the restaurant apparent does). The sushi you get are work of amateurs. At least people who make supermarket sushi have plenty of practice opportunities to hone their craft. Third bad sign: the service is inattentive, and more premium seems to be placed on servers looking cool for the atmosphere. I would rant more, but I think the points on price and quality are sufficient reasons for you to never, ever go.
(1)Annalisa B.
My favorite Japanese food spot in Ann arbor. Excellent lunch menu, but I miss their famous lunch special-creative bento box with soup that was incredible!
(4)Carlos O.
Waitress did not acknowledge me! This was very annoying. I wanna eat too!!!!
(3)Chelsea M.
We tried out Godaiko as our last sushi meal out before we left the A2 area. The sushi turned out to be pretty good, I can't say it was anything that outstanding, but the udon noodle bowl was darn tasty. We stopped in on a Monday and were able to get our spicy tuna rolls buy one get one free. It as disappointing we weren't able to purchase one spicy tuna and the free one (same priced roll) be a spicy salmon but the spicy tuna tasted good. We also ordered the hot spicy california roll . Our friend order the beef udon noodle bowl- it was excellent. If I make it back to Godaiko I'll be ordering one of the noddle bowls over the sushi.
(3)Ruben L.
Best Sushi in Ann Arbor bar none. This place is great. Considering sushi is so expensive, it's great that they have buy one get on free rolls everyday (specific roll varies from day to day). My sister and I used to go on Wed. when they had spider rolls on special. Everything here is great (foodwise). There has only been one instance when the service was bad, and it was REAL bad. That it the only reason why I took away a star. Lunch is a pretty hot deal too. For about 10-12 bucks you get 4-5 dishes (usually a sushi roll, soup, entree like shrimp teriyaki or tempura) and a dessert. Sometimes they give you more, sometimes it's less, it all depends on the day. Whenever I'm in A2, I make a concerted effort to come here for sushi.
(4)Mary Y.
I've been to most of the Sushi places in A2, and Godaiko never disappoints. The other night, I had a dream about sushi and somehow ended up here. It's pricy, but yummy. There are scads of special rolls, and they will make you anything you want. I was in need of a tuna avocado combo, without spice the other night, and they kindly obliged. It seems to me that the portions are huge here, as we had a 9x13 platter of tons of rolls for 3 people, and still managed to clean it up. My friends even had dessert when they were done!
(4)Roman K.
This is a great sushi place. It is never too busy and the sushi is spot on! It is a little on the pricey side for certain rolls but they have a good selection overall. I have never had a problem with the staff and everyone is very friendly. If you are looking for a local sushi place they have great specials on a daily basis. The best one is the Godaiko Roll on Saturday nights for half off.
(4)Andrea M.
Godaiko is tied for #2 in my top 3 of sushi in A2. What I LOVE about Godaiko that I cannot find elsewhere is the single pieces that are decadent- the lobster, clam, and other single pieces that are hand crafted to perfection (except for the size). I'd say if you are looking for SPECIALTY sushi, then this is the place. I loved the sweetness of the lobster sushi, but I have to say I wish the pieces were half the size. It's nice that they give you almost an entire claw's worth of lobster in one piece, but I could barely cram the thing in my mouth. That part was not enjoyable. I like to actually have room to chew. That is my only negative comment on them, which is size of portions is too big for most people (even a guy's) mouths. You won't find a lot of ambiance here either, as Godaiko is a chain, but overall it's nice enough. If you want a more intimate ambiance, go to Miki downtown. The prices are also higher, but worth it, just like Miki (see my other review). If you want cheaper sushi that is still excellent, check out Yatsuba (see my other review). I was impressed by Godaiko's HUGE selection of booze. I would say if you have a large party of people, even 20 people or so, they should be able to put tables together to accommodate you right in the dining room area. With all that alcohol and great sushi, you'll have one hell of a party. Have fun!
(4)david W.
Japanese fusion restaurant. I've always found the sushi to be high quality. It is more expensive than other places, however the size of the pieces are larger. So in a sense, you get what you pay for. The daily lunch special is always changing and I've always enjoyed it. The spicey edomome app is great, and they are the only restaurant I've found to serve it. Non seafood meals have always been excellent. I do usually hot them up on Mondays for the buy one get one spicy salmon roll, under 10 for 16 huge pieces is a great deal. Lastly they always have a buy one get one beer special that I always take advantage of. I'm not sure why so many people are against this place.
(4)Sarah G.
Great food, decent service! Nothing that stands out in my mind as particularly fantastic, but I would definitely recommend it for a nice dinner out. Fresh sushi, wonderful udon, and excellent filet mignon.
(4)Jenny S.
Mmmm..... love the food, and do not eat fish. Amazingly, I have found many things on the menu - teriyaki chicken, vegi tempura, great burgers.
(5)Alice C.
good sushi, good service, nice atmosphere. problems: expensive. also, we were there at the end of the night and there were several male staff members standing behind the sushi counter. i guess they were bored b/c they just sat there and stared at us. they also openly ogled several women who walked by the counter on the way to the bathroom. like you could see the dotted line between the staff member's eyes leading to the cleavage. kinda unprofesh.
(3)James P.
Good sushi, but overpriced. The remodel makes it a bit too dim in the main dining area. Lots of different rolls on the menu, and a wide variety of non-sushi entrees, such as Kobe beef rib-eye, and whole eel, which is tasty. When we were here last, the service was not paced very well, and food arrived more quickly than we could eat it. The rolls tend to be too loose, and too similar in execution, but the individual sushi pieces are good and well-cut. For dessert, try the ice-cream sampler - three scoops of different flavors in a bowl. Red bean, green tea, ginger, mango sorbet are all good.
(3)Tyler B.
I'm no sushi connoisseur, so I'll leave the food reviews to the other capable yelpers here. I enjoyed everything I had. I do know booze however, and they had a sopporo and sake special when I was there and whew! was it awesome. What I really like about Godaiko is the atmosphere. We had a party of 6 and had reserved one of the little side rooms with sliding doors where you sit on the floor. So fancy! I felt like real VIP, all quartered off from the rabble. A beautiful, private dining experience. The service was good and the price seemed reasonable. If I thought I could get this kind of experience out of a sushi joint every time, I'm sure I'd seek it out more.
(4)Jenn V.
I go to Godaiko strictly for their "buy one, get one free" rolls (they have a different one every day). And they also have beer specials daily. The sushi is better than some of the cheap and sloppy campus places such as Sadako and etc. They seem pretty on par with Yotsuba, but not nearly as good as Miki. I think they made the place look pretty good for being in a strip mall-- gotta give them props for that. The music is ALWAYS great-- whatever station they keep it on totally relaxes me. Their service can be touch and go. We have had nights where you can't get a drink refill or the dishes cleared from your table, and then nights where they are attentive. We went tonight and we had a GREAT server!! Yea, they are pricey for what you get (I even think Miki's is cheaper!), but the "buy one, get one free" makes up for that. Thursday nights are Spicy California, and it's great to get 4 rolls and walk out paying like a $15 bill for 2 people (of course, add to that our drinks and teryaki chicken).
(4)John B.
Great place. I've been going here for about 10 years and is the best in Ann Arbor!
(5)Josh W.
I was VERY disappointed after hearing so many review about this place. I think half of Ann Arbor has NO idea what good sushi really is. I have so many complaints I am just going to put them in bullets. *Very poor service, had to continue to ask to get tea and water refills. Never got any service with out having to ask someone when walking by. *WAY over priced. Both the traditional Miso and Ginger salad were over $3 each! OVER $3 for MISO SOUP! I have eaten at excellent sushi joints where these are almost considered part of the meal and maybe cost $1.50. *Poor sushi presentation. Sushi foremost is about the art of the food. These rolls were the art of a very amateur chef. I sushi chef at my local Krogers makes more beautiful rolls. This place caters to people who have no idea what they are getting in a over priced atmosphere. Typical Ann Arbor.
(1)Parisa K.
Godaiko is a bit pricier than the sushi restaurants closer to campus, but it's got a great menu and a wonderful atmosphere. There was a time when, without a doubt, I'd give this place 5 stars. Now I feel like it only deserves 4 because there are several GREAT sushi options in Ann Arbor. I first became a fan of this place when I was still a vegetarian. They have a large variety of vegetable sushi rolls, including a tempura asparagus roll that is incredibly tasty. In addition, their house salad is large and more than just lettuce and ginger dressing (pine nuts, carrots, etc.). It may be my favorite house salad. They also had this vegetable curry udon that was to do for. It was definitely large enough to split, even with three people if you are also getting sushi. I speak in the past tense because I'm not sure it is on the menu anymore. They changed their menu one time, and it was gone from either the lunch or dinner, but on the other one. The waiter said we could order it for the meal where it was on the menu, but not for the other one, which was weird. I mean if you have the ingredients for it, why does it matter what time of day it is. While the udon was good, we just stopped ordering it. So now I'm not sure if it's still around or not. I definitely have craved it from time to time and hope I can have it again sometime. Anyway, aside from the vegetarian items, there is an extensive sushi menu. Lots of nigiri as well as traditional rolls and inventive rolls. I absolutely LOVE the wild roll (I believe it's the current name, again changes over time blur my memories). Just look on the menu for the one with shrimp tempura, crab, spicy sauce and chili sauce. It's epic. Aside from sushi, there are other dishes they offer, but I've never veered away from sushi, except for the vegetable curry udon. I'm sure the other stuff is good, but I wouldn't know. Anyway, Godaiko is a great experience. It's fun and fine sushi dining. It's further from campus than Sadako or Sushi.Come, and the menu is a bit pricier, but it's definitely a pleasant retreat every sushi lover should take once in a while.
(4)Carmen K.
I haven't dined here for ages b/c we've enjoyed the Yotsuba sushi more and their discount coupons from the Clipper Magazine. Recently, we decided to try it out again for the heck of it. The updated remodelling brought a little more to the ambiance; lighting was dimmer which made it more romantic, bar in the front more inviting but there was no one sitting there at the time, and the enclosed glass wine cellar in the back was kind of cool. They gave us complimentary tempura ice cream for the birthday boy. They have a sushi roll special (50% off) based on the day of the week including weekends. I thought the rolls were okay, udon was just okay, but really enjoyed the sashimi we ordered, very tasty. I have a newly found respect for this restaurant and wouldn't mind trying it out again. I'd like to sit at the sushi bar next time.
(4)Stacey D.
We were at the Asian grocery store and decided to stop by Godaiko for an early dinner. We had the salmon burger and sushi special (buy 1 roll, get one 1 free). I think it was called spicy shrimp or something to that effect. The salmon burger was fantastic with actual filets of salmon (rather than reconstituted salmon meat mixed with "stuff"), the sushi special was a fantastic deal. Service, was good, the ambiance was nice, if a bit over air conditioned. Definitely would return.
(4)Mitch R.
Have been going here for many years, and though there have been a few ups and downs, the food there is spot-on and I'm a renewed fan. The sushi is great, the gyoza is phenom, the steaks are tasty - etc etc - it's good stuff, for sure! I should also say that the service is very friendly, and awesome with kids. This is the third time in two months I've taken my two little ones there, and the waitstaff knew just how to handle it. KUDOS to the staff and the chefs...I'll keep coming back for more!
(4)Amy W.
the food was sloppily made, as well as unbelievably overpriced. the wait staff was inattentive, plan on making your drink last the whole meal, you will not get another one.
(1)Tess S.
I work in the same complex so I decided to order some sushi for takeout the other day. The restaurant's atmosphere seemed nice, I'm guessing this is where their steep roll prices come from. However, I must admit the sushi was spectacular. Had I not gotten the buy one get one free roll I would say the prices are too much, especially for takeout, but (Monday being but one get one free spicy tuna and salmon) I got 3 rolls for $24 which is reasonable. I'm looking forward to trying for of their sushi (and other food) in the near future, as long as its from the daily specials that is.
(4)Ray S.
My wife and I have been dinning at Godaiko for 10+ years. With the explosion of Japanese restaurants in Ann Arbor during this time, they have remained one of the most trusted and reliable over the years. That said, I can't say they have the best Japanese food compared to the others, but it is good enough to leave happy and return again and again. For Sushi, I have no issue other than maybe too much mayo in the California rolls. It is always fresh, presented nicely and priced OK (some speciality rolls are maybe priced too high). I do recommend Godaiko if Sushi is your primary goal. I am not a fan of their chicken, especially the teriyaki chicken. I cannot put my finger on it, but I have tried it multiple times (via Bento boxes) and it never fails to fail me. Tempura is heavy on the batter compared to other locations within the city limits. It is good and, at worst, you can always remove some of the batter before eating (Can't believe I just said that!). On this last visit, I decided to be adventurous with their lunch menu and ordered their Kobe Burger with bacon and special wasabi sauce. I asked that the burger be cook medium well and stressed the importance on not having an over-cooked burger. They failed on this part and I did not finish it at all. I blamed myself for going outside the safe zone. I'm sticking to the sushi when visiting Godaiko, and I'm still coming back!
(3)Ia K.
I used to go there for dinner pretty often a few years ago, enjoyed their rolls. I went there for lunch recently, thinking it'd have similar experience. What happened? Their sushi are too big and tastless, rolls are salty, and salads are nothing but salty and greasy dressing. I was really disappointed. I wish they had kept previous menu and quality.
(2)Jessica R.
This was our first time at Godaiko. We went with a Travelzoo voucher that bought us $70 worth of food for $35. With tax and tip, we spent closer to $55. So, bottom line, was the food worth that $55? No. It was okay food, but overpriced. The food: We ordered many things: - Chicken lettuce wraps (quite decent, nice portion) - Tuna tacos (delicious, drool-worthy, but a small portion for a normally priced meal OR a normal portion for a very overpriced appetizer)(I believe, in terms of their menu, it was the latter) - Paul's Big Roll (all of the unexpected foods, like pine nuts, were great... but the crab was SO mayo-y) - Salmon fusion (tasty... I mean, it IS fried) - Spicy tuna (eh... we've had a LOT better, and a lot less expensive. also, very mayo-y) - Eel Avocado (again.. eh, especially for the price) - Cheesecake tempura (fascinating, glad we tried it, never need to eat it again) So, all in all, the food was okay. Not wildly impressive, not disappointing, but okay. It was just expensive. A simple roll, like eel avocado, would be almost 8 bucks. I could understand if special rolls were that much (they were often in the $13 range), but I mean, come on, we're not in NYC here. Ultimately, we were debating 2 or 3 stars for this review. We went with 2 because of (a) the price, and (b) the lack of fresh, special rolls. I was also surprised that their special rolls seemed to rarely include straight-up fish. For the most part it was shellfish (crab, shrimp), and otherwise it would be spicy or tempura fried. So it was hard to find, say, a fresh, healthy roll with plain fish if you also wanted it to be a little crazy (i.e. the special rolls). Places like Sushi.com are a LOT better about this. The atmosphere: Nice and/or strange. There's a corner for everything--sushi bar, private rooms, sit-down restaurant, bar, lounge, cafeteria-style. Very mish-mash. Overall, though, fine. I felt comfortable there with the tall ceilings and openness. The service: The service was really good. Our waitress was patient with us as we took 15 minutes to plot out what to order (so as to use our voucher wisely), kept our water filled, and gave us no trouble with the voucher. This was a surprise to me, as any time I've had a Groupon or some such voucher, it's been a mess.
(2)Katie B.
Probably the best sushi in town. Buuuut, it's expensive and the service is really slow (in an almost empty restaurant, our lunch took 1.75 hours!)
(3)Rob D.
Our last few experiences with Godaiko have been negative...this one was downright ridiculous. We ordered a few rolls for carry out and were told it would be 15 minutes. We showed up at 15 minutes and the order was not ready. 10 minutes later and it still wasn't ready, so we asked where our order was and found out they hadn't even started making the rolls yet. 10-15 minutes later they called us up and started bagging out order. There were no apologies, no free rolls, nothing. We got home and the rolls were so poorly made they were almost not edible. After this latest poor experience we will not be patrons again.
(1)Ron W.
I have dined at the Godiako a few different times, and really liked the atmosphere and food very much. There sushi is above average, and this was confirmed by two friends of mine from Nagoya-shi that went with me. However, they said the sushi at the Godaiko was rather pricey when compared to similar quality they had while in New York. The second time I was there, I tried the shabu-shabu, and it was rather expensive at $35.00. I have enjoyed this dish while in Japan, and it was rather inexpensive. However, it was fantastic experience for my cousin, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try it.
(4)Brian G.
Enjoyed lunch. Very clean, attractive decor, very fresh sushi lunch with miso soup.
(4)Elle S.
Best sushi in Ann Arbor! Good as a sit down place, but I usually got take out. The specialty rolls are worth the extra $$. The service wasn't always the best, but they were really friendly! Just a lot of new people in my experience. Try the Godaiko roll!
(4)Geri B.
Love godaiko First sushi restaurant when I moved to ann arbor 10 yrs ago. Never been disappointed.
(5)Liz M.
One wouldn't expect much from a restaurant in a strip mall, let alone a sushi joint...but don't let that dissuade you. This is one of our favorite family hangouts. I think it's the best sushi in Ann Arbor. It has a great menu, the staff is very friendly and there is never much of a wait. The kids love it, be sure to ask for the kid's chopsticks. I especially love that my kids will inhale a seaweed salad, entire bowl of edamame, miso soup and tuna rolls! My favorite is the spicy thai roll. Delicious! I also like the udon soups, when I'm not in the mood for sushi, but everyone else it, this is a great option. Sushi is always a bit pricey, so we don't indulge here as often as we would like, but always worth it when we do. Also, one last note, they have a great private room with shoji sliding doors and you sit on pillows. Really fun! I have had a few parties here and it was great! Don't fear the strip mall!!
(4)Yena J.
Shockingly, this restaurant's service is worse than it's food. My father and I ate here ordering more than $150 dollars of sushi/sashimi (which were awful btw) and when we asked for boxes for leftover sushi, the manager was trying to charge us 2.00 for extra ginger. It's really stupid on their part because wanting to put extraneous charges on people's bills will just lose them business. It's extremely unprofessional and they need to realize that customer service is super important when running a restaurant. duh! Plus, if the place offers brown rice sushi, you know the place is very fake.
(1)Elliot S.
This is one of the nicer Japanese restaurants in AA in regards to ambiance. Unfortunately for Godaiko, I judge a restaurant based on food and not decor. The sushi was subpar, especially for the price tag. I'm an eater and love sushi, but had no problem leaving half of my sushi on my plate when I left. I know that we are in the Midwest so the fish won't be that fresh, but I'd rather eat grocery store sushi than Godaiko.
(2)Richard F.
They have nice voluminous lunch specials and even have tatami rooms for large groups. The sushi was fine as were the teriyaki dishes. I liked the big soups including the nabeyaki udon. I ordered the tempura once, and it came out a little cold, but I was in a large group making the delivery of this sensitive dish a little difficult. I'll have to try this again when I am not in a large group. I wouldn't call this truly authentic Japanese as some other places are more ethnically accurate, but the food has been good and the service very responsible.
(4)Julie M.
My fave sushi joint in town. Love the spicy shrimp tempura roll, the spicy california - and the tempura asparagus is fantastic! Edamame is always done perfectly, and I have always received excellent service. Love the buy one get one daily deals. Super clean, friendly - the staff was sooo nice and helpful to my mom who is a sushi newb.
(4)david W.
Japanese fusion restaurant. I've always found the sushi to be high quality. It is more expensive than other places, however the size of the pieces are larger. So in a sense, you get what you pay for. The daily lunch special is always changing and I've always enjoyed it. The spicey edomome app is great, and they are the only restaurant I've found to serve it. Non seafood meals have always been excellent. I do usually hot them up on Mondays for the buy one get one spicy salmon roll, under 10 for 16 huge pieces is a great deal. Lastly they always have a buy one get one beer special that I always take advantage of. I'm not sure why so many people are against this place.
(4)Sarah G.
Great food, decent service! Nothing that stands out in my mind as particularly fantastic, but I would definitely recommend it for a nice dinner out. Fresh sushi, wonderful udon, and excellent filet mignon.
(4)Jenny S.
Mmmm..... love the food, and do not eat fish. Amazingly, I have found many things on the menu - teriyaki chicken, vegi tempura, great burgers.
(5)Alice C.
good sushi, good service, nice atmosphere. problems: expensive. also, we were there at the end of the night and there were several male staff members standing behind the sushi counter. i guess they were bored b/c they just sat there and stared at us. they also openly ogled several women who walked by the counter on the way to the bathroom. like you could see the dotted line between the staff member's eyes leading to the cleavage. kinda unprofesh.
(3)James P.
Good sushi, but overpriced. The remodel makes it a bit too dim in the main dining area. Lots of different rolls on the menu, and a wide variety of non-sushi entrees, such as Kobe beef rib-eye, and whole eel, which is tasty. When we were here last, the service was not paced very well, and food arrived more quickly than we could eat it. The rolls tend to be too loose, and too similar in execution, but the individual sushi pieces are good and well-cut. For dessert, try the ice-cream sampler - three scoops of different flavors in a bowl. Red bean, green tea, ginger, mango sorbet are all good.
(3)Tyler B.
I'm no sushi connoisseur, so I'll leave the food reviews to the other capable yelpers here. I enjoyed everything I had. I do know booze however, and they had a sopporo and sake special when I was there and whew! was it awesome. What I really like about Godaiko is the atmosphere. We had a party of 6 and had reserved one of the little side rooms with sliding doors where you sit on the floor. So fancy! I felt like real VIP, all quartered off from the rabble. A beautiful, private dining experience. The service was good and the price seemed reasonable. If I thought I could get this kind of experience out of a sushi joint every time, I'm sure I'd seek it out more.
(4)Jenn V.
I go to Godaiko strictly for their "buy one, get one free" rolls (they have a different one every day). And they also have beer specials daily. The sushi is better than some of the cheap and sloppy campus places such as Sadako and etc. They seem pretty on par with Yotsuba, but not nearly as good as Miki. I think they made the place look pretty good for being in a strip mall-- gotta give them props for that. The music is ALWAYS great-- whatever station they keep it on totally relaxes me. Their service can be touch and go. We have had nights where you can't get a drink refill or the dishes cleared from your table, and then nights where they are attentive. We went tonight and we had a GREAT server!! Yea, they are pricey for what you get (I even think Miki's is cheaper!), but the "buy one, get one free" makes up for that. Thursday nights are Spicy California, and it's great to get 4 rolls and walk out paying like a $15 bill for 2 people (of course, add to that our drinks and teryaki chicken).
(4)Parisa K.
Godaiko is a bit pricier than the sushi restaurants closer to campus, but it's got a great menu and a wonderful atmosphere. There was a time when, without a doubt, I'd give this place 5 stars. Now I feel like it only deserves 4 because there are several GREAT sushi options in Ann Arbor. I first became a fan of this place when I was still a vegetarian. They have a large variety of vegetable sushi rolls, including a tempura asparagus roll that is incredibly tasty. In addition, their house salad is large and more than just lettuce and ginger dressing (pine nuts, carrots, etc.). It may be my favorite house salad. They also had this vegetable curry udon that was to do for. It was definitely large enough to split, even with three people if you are also getting sushi. I speak in the past tense because I'm not sure it is on the menu anymore. They changed their menu one time, and it was gone from either the lunch or dinner, but on the other one. The waiter said we could order it for the meal where it was on the menu, but not for the other one, which was weird. I mean if you have the ingredients for it, why does it matter what time of day it is. While the udon was good, we just stopped ordering it. So now I'm not sure if it's still around or not. I definitely have craved it from time to time and hope I can have it again sometime. Anyway, aside from the vegetarian items, there is an extensive sushi menu. Lots of nigiri as well as traditional rolls and inventive rolls. I absolutely LOVE the wild roll (I believe it's the current name, again changes over time blur my memories). Just look on the menu for the one with shrimp tempura, crab, spicy sauce and chili sauce. It's epic. Aside from sushi, there are other dishes they offer, but I've never veered away from sushi, except for the vegetable curry udon. I'm sure the other stuff is good, but I wouldn't know. Anyway, Godaiko is a great experience. It's fun and fine sushi dining. It's further from campus than Sadako or Sushi.Come, and the menu is a bit pricier, but it's definitely a pleasant retreat every sushi lover should take once in a while.
(4)Jonas L.
If all you care about is quantity and size, and you absolutely do not care about price, then Godaiko would be the perfect place for you. For the rest of us who do not have such bizarre preferences, Godaiko is absolutely terrible in terms of both quality of food, service, and value. To echo others, "mall sushi at [outrageous] prices". First bad sign: the prices. Whereas a simple tuna roll would cost around $4 at a mediocre sushi place around Michigan campus, the same thing would be nearly double the price at Godaiko. This place clearly fancies itself to be a fancy fusion-type restaurant, which is for suckers anyway, and charges that kind of prices. Most ridiculous of all, a cup of tea, a basic amenity at nearly every other place, costs $2.25. That is simply unacceptable. Second bad sign: all the fish slices are already cut, at enormous sizes. This deficiency is actually an indicator of several flaws. Most obviously, being pre-cut means that the fish slices have more time to oxidize, and thus taste worse. Sure enough, everything I had tasted of, well, nothing. The supposed fatty yellowtail is not fatty at all, and did not taste like yellowtail, or any other fish, at all. Less obviously, the sizes of the fish slices are inappropriate, for sashimi and maki. There is such a thing as too much fish. In rolls, the balance between rice and fish is simply not right. In sashimi pieces, the enormous size means that they are extremely difficult to be finished in one bite, as they should be. I suppose a customer who has no knowledge of sushi whatsoever would be happy to see huge fish slices, but if you are not that ignoramous, then you'd know this is another bad sign. Finally, the fact that fish slices are pre-cut calls into question the skills of people behind the counter. When I was there, the people behind the counter are extremely young and clearly lacked proper training. I would not be surprised if they did not know how to slice fish into correct sizes (especially since no one else at the restaurant apparent does). The sushi you get are work of amateurs. At least people who make supermarket sushi have plenty of practice opportunities to hone their craft. Third bad sign: the service is inattentive, and more premium seems to be placed on servers looking cool for the atmosphere. I would rant more, but I think the points on price and quality are sufficient reasons for you to never, ever go.
(1)Annalisa B.
My favorite Japanese food spot in Ann arbor. Excellent lunch menu, but I miss their famous lunch special-creative bento box with soup that was incredible!
(4)Carlos O.
Waitress did not acknowledge me! This was very annoying. I wanna eat too!!!!
(3)Chelsea M.
We tried out Godaiko as our last sushi meal out before we left the A2 area. The sushi turned out to be pretty good, I can't say it was anything that outstanding, but the udon noodle bowl was darn tasty. We stopped in on a Monday and were able to get our spicy tuna rolls buy one get one free. It as disappointing we weren't able to purchase one spicy tuna and the free one (same priced roll) be a spicy salmon but the spicy tuna tasted good. We also ordered the hot spicy california roll . Our friend order the beef udon noodle bowl- it was excellent. If I make it back to Godaiko I'll be ordering one of the noddle bowls over the sushi.
(3)Ruben L.
Best Sushi in Ann Arbor bar none. This place is great. Considering sushi is so expensive, it's great that they have buy one get on free rolls everyday (specific roll varies from day to day). My sister and I used to go on Wed. when they had spider rolls on special. Everything here is great (foodwise). There has only been one instance when the service was bad, and it was REAL bad. That it the only reason why I took away a star. Lunch is a pretty hot deal too. For about 10-12 bucks you get 4-5 dishes (usually a sushi roll, soup, entree like shrimp teriyaki or tempura) and a dessert. Sometimes they give you more, sometimes it's less, it all depends on the day. Whenever I'm in A2, I make a concerted effort to come here for sushi.
(4)Mary Y.
I've been to most of the Sushi places in A2, and Godaiko never disappoints. The other night, I had a dream about sushi and somehow ended up here. It's pricy, but yummy. There are scads of special rolls, and they will make you anything you want. I was in need of a tuna avocado combo, without spice the other night, and they kindly obliged. It seems to me that the portions are huge here, as we had a 9x13 platter of tons of rolls for 3 people, and still managed to clean it up. My friends even had dessert when they were done!
(4)Roman K.
This is a great sushi place. It is never too busy and the sushi is spot on! It is a little on the pricey side for certain rolls but they have a good selection overall. I have never had a problem with the staff and everyone is very friendly. If you are looking for a local sushi place they have great specials on a daily basis. The best one is the Godaiko Roll on Saturday nights for half off.
(4)Andrea M.
Godaiko is tied for #2 in my top 3 of sushi in A2. What I LOVE about Godaiko that I cannot find elsewhere is the single pieces that are decadent- the lobster, clam, and other single pieces that are hand crafted to perfection (except for the size). I'd say if you are looking for SPECIALTY sushi, then this is the place. I loved the sweetness of the lobster sushi, but I have to say I wish the pieces were half the size. It's nice that they give you almost an entire claw's worth of lobster in one piece, but I could barely cram the thing in my mouth. That part was not enjoyable. I like to actually have room to chew. That is my only negative comment on them, which is size of portions is too big for most people (even a guy's) mouths. You won't find a lot of ambiance here either, as Godaiko is a chain, but overall it's nice enough. If you want a more intimate ambiance, go to Miki downtown. The prices are also higher, but worth it, just like Miki (see my other review). If you want cheaper sushi that is still excellent, check out Yatsuba (see my other review). I was impressed by Godaiko's HUGE selection of booze. I would say if you have a large party of people, even 20 people or so, they should be able to put tables together to accommodate you right in the dining room area. With all that alcohol and great sushi, you'll have one hell of a party. Have fun!
(4)Wasim Q.
Another reviewer said it best: "Mall sushi at New York prices." This place is simply not worth your money. Although some of the rolls are fairly creative in their ingredients (lobster, etc.), the execution is horrible. Rice is soggy, roll sizes are very tiny, and they're not rolled very tightly at all. Everything just has the quality of a $4 roll you get at the mall--which is fine if you're paying just $4--but here, the prices are nearly 3 times that (except for the daily special, the one roll which is a somewhat decent buy). Ambiance is nice, but has a TGI Friday's feel to it, with a giant bar in the middle of the seating area.
(1)Stephanie C.
Was not impressed with this restaurant. Only went here because it was the only one close by that was open and they had a parking lot. I ordered take out, a simple tuna roll and a shrimp tempura udon. When I went in, I had to wait 5-10 minutes for a hostess to even greet me. It was pretty clear that many waiters, chefs, and waitresses saw me, but no one acknowledged me or apologized for the wait. When the hostess finally came, she was talking rapidly on the phone (probably taking an order) When I told her I had pick up, she tried to take my credit card without telling me the price of my order. (that seemed VERY odd). Finally I asked her directly, "how much is my order?" And she fumbled around trying to find my receipt and with her credit card machine. It took at least a couple of minutes and at least another waitress to help her out. Maybe she was new, forgiveable. They were kind as I waited patiently. I looked around and the restaurant was probably about 1/3 full, and didn't seem too busy. When I got home, I found out disappointingly that my take out bag had no chopsticks or napkins, and no soy sauce. My tuna roll seemed to be packed in a hurry. And I agree with many other reviewers, they were definitely overpriced. I WAS impressed, however, with the udon. The broth tasted flavorful and was better than expected. If you go, order the shrimp tempura udon. The rolls are overpriced and not worth it.
(2)mariah c.
What a bummer. I don't know if it's new management or ownership over the last few years, but the atmosphere is very confused (blaring teen pop at dinnertime), the menu has been changed up and looks like it was designed by someone who throws tons of fonts and pictures together for Coney menus, and the sushi I had the last time I was in was just not worth the price. Goodby Godaiko, it was good while it lasted.
(2)Ana D.
Tasty food but very small portions. Expensive place. Noisy not for kids though. Issues with food prep and when complained to manager, acted very rudely and haughtily! Embarrassing experience for amount spent.
(1)Rod T.
"Best sushi place in all of Ann Arbor !nuff said"
(5)Carmen K.
I haven't dined here for ages b/c we've enjoyed the Yotsuba sushi more and their discount coupons from the Clipper Magazine. Recently, we decided to try it out again for the heck of it. The updated remodelling brought a little more to the ambiance; lighting was dimmer which made it more romantic, bar in the front more inviting but there was no one sitting there at the time, and the enclosed glass wine cellar in the back was kind of cool. They gave us complimentary tempura ice cream for the birthday boy. They have a sushi roll special (50% off) based on the day of the week including weekends. I thought the rolls were okay, udon was just okay, but really enjoyed the sashimi we ordered, very tasty. I have a newly found respect for this restaurant and wouldn't mind trying it out again. I'd like to sit at the sushi bar next time.
(4)Stacey D.
We were at the Asian grocery store and decided to stop by Godaiko for an early dinner. We had the salmon burger and sushi special (buy 1 roll, get one 1 free). I think it was called spicy shrimp or something to that effect. The salmon burger was fantastic with actual filets of salmon (rather than reconstituted salmon meat mixed with "stuff"), the sushi special was a fantastic deal. Service, was good, the ambiance was nice, if a bit over air conditioned. Definitely would return.
(4)John B.
Great place. I've been going here for about 10 years and is the best in Ann Arbor!
(5)Josh W.
I was VERY disappointed after hearing so many review about this place. I think half of Ann Arbor has NO idea what good sushi really is. I have so many complaints I am just going to put them in bullets. *Very poor service, had to continue to ask to get tea and water refills. Never got any service with out having to ask someone when walking by. *WAY over priced. Both the traditional Miso and Ginger salad were over $3 each! OVER $3 for MISO SOUP! I have eaten at excellent sushi joints where these are almost considered part of the meal and maybe cost $1.50. *Poor sushi presentation. Sushi foremost is about the art of the food. These rolls were the art of a very amateur chef. I sushi chef at my local Krogers makes more beautiful rolls. This place caters to people who have no idea what they are getting in a over priced atmosphere. Typical Ann Arbor.
(1)Mitch R.
Have been going here for many years, and though there have been a few ups and downs, the food there is spot-on and I'm a renewed fan. The sushi is great, the gyoza is phenom, the steaks are tasty - etc etc - it's good stuff, for sure! I should also say that the service is very friendly, and awesome with kids. This is the third time in two months I've taken my two little ones there, and the waitstaff knew just how to handle it. KUDOS to the staff and the chefs...I'll keep coming back for more!
(4)Shannon C.
Yep, Godaiko sushi is expensive. Yep, staff can be a bit unattentive. Yep, even with the recent remodel it isn't that 'cool'. However, Godaiko has the most fantastic lunch deal in Ann Arbor ever. Walk in during lunch hours, notice the 4 dishes on the counter top. Ask the host/hostess to describe the lunch special. Order it and enjoy - all for less than $10! The lunch special changes every day and always includes a soup that is usually incredible along with 3 other dishes that I've never seen repeat. On another note - Wednesday's are Spider Roll 'buy one get one free' days! The Spider Rolls at Godaiko are really really good. So, avoid the priceyness and go for lunch or on a Wed and enjoy every bite.
(4)Caroline H.
So I have been to Godaiko in the past many times, and it's really a hit or miss. I went there yesterday for lunch with my friend and decided to split the $10 special, since it was recommended by one of the reviewers. It looked good, but it was awful. It was the worse sushi I had, there were 4 different plants, two rolls, soup and chicken fried rice. One roll was deep fried and inside was chicken, spinach and CHEESE, now I wondered why there was cheese in it... EEW, especially when you think of sushi, you don't think of cheese, I mean I like cheese, but not in my sushi! The next roll was salmon with california roll, first bite I took, I told me friend, its really fishy, or am I wrong, she took one bite and wanted to spit it out. I am surprised I didn't get food poisening. I love sushi and I know what good fresh sushi/fish is suppose to taste like, and its NEVER suppose to be FISHY. My fried rice was cold, and now will never return to Godaiko again.
(1)Mark E.
My favorite Japanese place in Ann Arbor. They done a nice job with the interior (including a complete remodel last year.) Considering it is in a strip mall, it is really quite nice on the inside. I've always had good food here, but to me the big find here is the lunch specials: typically a multi-course Japanese lunch including soup (not miso), rolls, and other goodies. A lot of great food for $10.
(4)Ray L.
4.5 to be exact. My second favorite sushi-restaurant in A2. They have awesome roll specials. This used to be my go-to place until I discovered Yotsuba. I'd still come here though for their awesome specials. Excellent sushi quality here.
(4)Theresa F.
This is the best sushi place we have found in AA. I know that is not saying much (since we all have to admit this is not the best place for sushi), but that aside their food is actually quite tasty and is prepared well. We chatted it up with the bartender our first time there, who was quite obviously a bit OCD, and he testified that this was the cleanest establishment he had ever worked. I'll take it! They have great roll and drink specials every day of the week--two for the price of one. Mondays and Thursdays are our favorite, Monday with Sapparo beer and spicy tuna rolls, and Thursday with Guinness and spicy California rolls. Yum.
(4)Yvonne S.
If a restaurant is serving fusion food, then don't label it as Japanese especially if people working behind the sushi bar weren't Japanese either. I wonder who this brilliant person was that suggested "Hey! Let's put burgers on the menu! We'll call it Kobe burgers to make them sound Japanese!" By the way, the beef in their burger was HORRIBLE! (Yes, we ordered it for the magical "Kobe" experience.) Besides the burger, we also got two rolls that were not impressive for the price tag.
(1)katie W.
Best atmosphere for sushi that I've found in Ann Arbor! It's very pricey, but every day they have a "buy one get one free" roll which balances out the price (if you like that roll). I've never been disappointed with my meal and I've been there roughly 10 times.
(4)andi c.
i'm surprised at some of the negative reviews - i have certainly had much better sushi, but this is by far the best i've had here in ann arbor. yes, its rather expensive, and the portions are enormous, but i've never had any complaints about the quality of seafood, the presentation, or the service. the tempura udon is also amazing. i wouldn't recommend going here for a quick, cheap sushi fix - better off going to sushi town or totoro for that - but for a nice dinner out, i think this is the best place to go.
(4)Merle F.
My favorite Japanese place in AA. I have never had any problems with service. The wait staff is generally friendly and have always taken care of me in a timely manner. Their sushi is well done (I've had the chirashi, tekka don, and various nigiri). Their kitchen dishes are also pretty good (the only one I've been disappointed in is their curry). They have an excellent daily lunch special which has been different every time I've gone. It generally includes a heartier soup (aka not miso), a roll (not always but often California), and 2 kitchen dishes for around $10.
(5)Jen K.
Consistently good sushi (excellent compared to everything in Ann Arbor). When I used to live in Ann Arbor, I worked really close to Godaiko, and it was a place we got lunch regularly. They have the most beautiful caterpillar rolls. For a location that is not so close to any major body of salt water, the fish tasted incredibly fresh. If I'm back in A2 with a hankering for some sushi and I don't happen to be on campus, then Godaiko will be the place to go!
(4)Michael S.
The most reliable sushi bar in town with a wide range of other choices as well. Nice decor and reasonable prices make it a good change from the standard campus area standbys for sushi.
(5)Amy W.
the food was sloppily made, as well as unbelievably overpriced. the wait staff was inattentive, plan on making your drink last the whole meal, you will not get another one.
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