Japanese Gourmet Restaurant Menu

  • Appetizers
  • Soup And Salad
  • Dinner
  • Maki Sushi
  • Desserts

Healthy Meal suggestions for Japanese Gourmet Restaurant

  • Appetizers
  • Soup And Salad
  • Dinner
  • Maki Sushi
  • Desserts

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  • Amber N.

    Kudos to Japanese Gourmet for being open for lunch!! I have found in Seattle that most sushi places are not open for lunch on Sunday. Their food is fantastic and very reasonably priced. Their location is fantastic. I have been here twice and both times this place is practically empty which is a suprise given their location, price and food. I will absolutely go here again!

    (4)
  • Dawn A.

    Fairly average tasting sushi that is a few dollars overpriced. We liked the cherry blossom roll the best. Nice location and decor.

    (3)
  • Joe R.

    Price is meh ok. Too expensive if you park you car in a garage($$$). Service is a little dodgy at lunch hour. The yakisoba is pretty good, but the teriyaki wasnt mixed in very well. My bento was pretty good nice tempura, nice cali rolls, katsu seemed a little cheap, miso good-how can u screw up miso?. The smoked salmon roll i forget the name was very good! Of course it was- im in seattle, you gotta eat smoked salmon!

    (3)
  • Jasmine M.

    I started getting take-away from here 10 years ago when I was working in the market. There's a a rather surly lady who's been working here probably longer then that. However I have to give her credit for being consistent. I ventured in this past Saturday night in hopes of vanguishing the yearning for sushi I was experiencing. My hopes were not dashed. Two large hot sakes, fresh and crispy tempura shrimp and veggies, spicy tuna maki, a good size dragon roll and a dynamite roll later and I was sated. I noticed that they've remodeled, though I don't know how recent as I haven't been here in at least 2 years. Also the sushi arrived in less time then I remember getting my miso soup.

    (4)
  • Henry y.

    I haven't been to Sushi Gourmet for 2 years and I was close by so I decided to go check it out. It was one of my lunch joints, when I was working downtown. Of all the spicy scallop rolls I had, they made the best. Unfortunately it's fallen a bit short this time. They've also remodeled. It's got a urban, warm modern vibe now, looks a bit like other higher end Japanese restaurants like Wasbi Bistro or Saitos. Simple modern design mixing in darkly stained wood, with glass and metal. Sushi and food is average, but the decor is a cut above with it's modern ambiance. Their happy hour is a good deal, from 3:00 to 6:00. Good selection of sushi for $2.50 for 2 pieces of nigiri and $3.50 for rolls. Limited selection, but you get the basics a very good deal and with it's new atmosphere, not a bad place to be seen at.

    (4)
  • Rich M.

    Really great sushi, decent prices, nice presentation, and great wait staff!! Highly recommended if you want a quiet place to chat while eating... quiet and out of the way!

    (4)
  • Margaux j.

    I have had take out from this place three times now and this last time was definitely better than the previous times. I wouldn't go out of my way to get sushi here, there are many better places, but it is quite convenient and for that I am grateful to have a sushi restaurant that is pretty good close - it beats the prepackaged sushi from the deli hands down! The pricing is fair and I never have to wait - it seems like they must make my roll within a minute of me calling it in. The wasabi was good and strong too - which I find important when eating sushi. Some wasabi seems weak, I'm not sure why but it's disappointing.

    (3)
  • Ann C.

    So, they didn't have geoduck. But, $4 for two pieces of amaebi and two tummies full of sushi with a large Kirin for less than $20 total, I gotta give you a nod.

    (2)
  • Seattle Y.

    They have some interesting rolls that I've never seen before. In terms of tasty goodness, I recommend the Cherry Blossom roll. Overall, price is about right.

    (4)
  • Ted M.

    I liked this place a lot. Good vegetable udon, and many vegetarian types of sushi offerings. Great atmosphere and service.

    (4)
  • John V.

    I've eaten here three times, every time with my daughter, several times with my wife. Service is very good, decor is pleasant, and the food is fairly generic Japanese. The Teriyaki I had tonight was not so tender, my wife's salmon was good. Conveniently near Pike Place Market.

    (3)
  • Walter E.

    Great lunch specials but nothing that made me want to hurry back. Legend has it they have a great happy hour...

    (3)
  • rachael d.

    The Sushi itself was ok, but not worth the 45minutes it took to get it. The fish was only adequate and the rice wasn't sticky at all so the roles promptly fell apart when trying to pick them up. I went on a lunch break and walked into an empty place (with very nice decor), thinking it wouldn't take too long to get my order. What the waitress failed to inform me of is the tour of 22 people coming in 15 minutes later that they were making the orders for already. One plus was they at least they gave me some soup after watching me sit there for 30 minutes. When I asked for more than 2 soy sauce packets I got one extra. I am willing to give this place another shot because the tour guide was being so pushy, but only for happy hour when I can have a drink while I wait.

    (2)
  • Sarah B.

    Good sushi, great happy hour. Like many things in Belltown, happy hour is the best time to get a cheap drink and cheap food. Especially good when the drink and food are usually expensive outside that time frame. The sushi here is decent. Tasty, good quality, but nothing amazing. Just a good meal. Nice sake choices and at half price a bottle, worth trying all the types! Great staff who are quick and friendly. And friendly atmosphere, cozy, minimalist and other nice patrons. Just a good experience.

    (4)
  • Dennis D.

    Great little place. Sushi was okay. Fish was cut a bit thin. We ordered the dinner combo for 4 people and it was plenty of food. It was a like getting all types of Japanese food in four courses. Good value.

    (3)
  • Kaitlyn M.

    Being from Dallas and loving Sushi, but hardly ever getting to experience REALLY fresh sushi, Seattle is like perfection. I was craving Japanese and I ended up at Japanese Gourmet and was extremely happy with the sushi (first time trying yellow tail and eel, which melted in my mouth), and just damn happy to be in the Pacific Northwest. I would totally go back, if given the chance.

    (4)
  • Marina K.

    The selection of rolls was not great and they were very average in presentation. The worst was that we went for happy hour and both of us came away with our stomaches totally destroyed the next day. I was really disappointed because we thought it being so close to all the fresh seafood of Pikes' market that it couldn't go wrong. Would rather spend a decent amount on quality sushi then get happy hour or any other food at this restaurant.

    (1)
  • Annalisa S.

    This quaint and simply delicious restaurant introduced me to the amazing taste of sushi. The tastes are so well-balanced: delicate yet flavorful, and the prices are very reasonable. This may be one of the best-kept sushi secrets in Seattle. The first time I ate there I was on my very first date in college, which made for an interesting time, as I had no idea how to successfully eat sushi without letting half of it fall out of my mouth. I had plenty of experience with chopsticks, but not with sushi. However, I don't believe my Spanish date knew much more than I, so hopefully I didn't embarrass myself too badly. Fortunately the restaurant's smaller size didn't expose me to too many other customers. And the date continued successfully :) This is a wonderful find--go check it out!

    (5)
  • Nate K.

    This small sushi place just north of Pike's Place boast some of the best sushi Seattle has to offer - sure its not the flashiest place, but who cares when you have great rolls.

    (5)
  • Keith R.

    I always have a great time here. Maverick is great fun, and knows how to serve it up. I usually order from the Happy Hour menu, and most of the items are good, but a few are a bit sub-par. I took two friends here and we ate till we were full, each had 3 saki, and only spent $25 per person. The Happy Hour rolls are full size (10-12 pieces) and range from $3.50-$6.00. Nice retreat from busy Pike's. Their portions on the Nigiri are quite large.

    (4)
  • Richard Y.

    katsu donburi is usually a little bland... but this was just ridiculous.

    (3)
  • mandy m.

    its not entirely japanese, nor is it gourmet, but the bento is good and decently priced. couple it with a large sapporo.

    (4)
  • Dennis D.

    GREAT place. Seriously. I stopped in for lunch, and ordered the lunch house bento. It was Monday, so it was a crunchy california roll with gyoza, and other items. (Each day of the week has a different lunch bento box.) I sat at the bar, and the itamae (sushi chef) was VERY friendly and personable. He was in the process of skillfully peeling and cutting cucumber, which was very interesting to watch. Having ordered a Large hot sake, he was generous enough to provide me with a sample cucumber salad topped with fried salmon skin. Now, normally I'm not a fan of salmon, and especially not a fan of fish skin... but THIS WAS DELICIOUS. Seriously, it was flavorful, crispy and complimented the cucumber quite well. It was topped with a drizzle of teriyaki(or hoisin?) sauce, and a sprinkling of sesame. Always being up for trying new things, I have to say I was VERY surprised and pleased. The bento was great too. The cali roll was well made, and rolled in a thin coating of panko. The gyoza was deep-fried (which isn't normal, but it was still quite good), and it came with a single fried spring roll. The rice was a fried rice, with egg. Tasty (though I couldn't finish it all). There was also an additional cucumber slice salad included in the bento, but having so enjoyed the other, I couldn't finish it all. The only thing I'd change would be to have white rice instead of fried, and pan-seared gyoza instead of deep fried. Everything was VERY good, but there did seem to be a lot of fried stuffs in that particular bento. Overall, it was a great experience with well prepared food, a good location, and VERY friendly staff, and a VERY GOOD price. I HIGHLY recommend a visit, I definitely will be returning.

    (5)
  • Ashlynn B.

    My husband and I came here to eat while we were in Seattle celebrating our first anniversary. My husband said he had come here before and thoroughly enjoyed it, so why not come again? The inside was kinda tight and small, but nice and quaint. We say at the sushi bar; my favorite spot at any sushi place! My husband and I ordered sushi as well as vegetable tempura. The sushi was 7.5 out of 10. After eating most of my food the sushi maker hands us a small place of a special sushi roll (4 pieces). I kinda laughed hysterically as I wondered "oh how kind! How am I gonna it this into my stomach without throwing up, or going into a food coma...." I only was able to eat one piece, but it was pretty good. My only downside to this place; the waitress was kinda rude... She would just go "yeah" in a rude tone whenever she would reply to something. It seemed like she was having a bad day.

    (4)
  • Ute L.

    A quiet oasis just next to Pike Place market, without lines and they have AC. Affordable lunch specials, friendly and fast service, cold sapporo beer... nothing wrong with that. My Cali roll was quite good, as was my nigiri selection. Prices are surprisingly low considering the location.

    (4)
  • Gee L.

    We went here out of desperation. I needed some rice to cure my upset stomach. I was willing to have about anything. So we got sushi, gyoza, and rice. Also some green tea. The owner was there, very hospitable. The sushi included some tendon? in the salmon so it was inedible. The California roll was okay. The miso soup was okay. The gyoza were as good as any we have had. The rice was awesome. The prices were good. I think if you are looking for more than white rice and gyoza, you can do better. Especially in this neighborhood. You should check out the plastic food in the weird display out front, though.

    (3)
  • Jen C.

    I came here with friends and Seattle is known for their seafood so why not come here. I tried their grilled king salmon and it came with soup, rice, and sunomono. The food wasn't that great. The salmon was really dry and not moist. It was disappointing. Even the rice was dry. Service was alright. The restaurant isn't that large but they can accommodate a large group. I don't think you should come here if you want good quality seafood. The food is just ok.

    (3)
  • Carl B.

    Katsu Don and Saba Sushi is very good. Friendly and fast service. I will definitely come back here.

    (5)
  • Grace H.

    I was visiting Pike Place Market, and walked by this place. I peeped in, it seems full. I noticed the staffs either speak Mandarin or Cantonese, I know that it is run by Chinese and not Japanese. No offense, some great Japanese restaurant are ran by non-Japanese. The judgment will be on the food and service and not on their race/nationalities. I ordered a Sushi Combo, and my companion ordered a Bento Deluxe. Both comes with Salad and Miso Soup. The salad is of decent size but with very little dressing. My Sushi is OK but nothing outstanding. Ditto with the bento box. The restaurant actually has a patio at the back, when I was there, no one was sitting outside. I believe the patio is part of the residential building because you can see other resident's bike there. It turns out to be the best thing there. Dining out in open air in a summer night is great.

    (3)
  • Rob L.

    The best deal in town and always fresh. Have been here on different days and the daily bento box served during lunch always has a great variety of items

    (5)
  • Michelle B.

    Great food, nice environment, friendly Chefs, reasonable prices! Will be back when I am back in town.

    (5)
  • Jonie N.

    I came here for dinner with my bf because we had a Living Social deal to use. I didn't have high expectations, but I was still let down. The service was pretty poor - no waters until after ordering our food, waited over half hour for our food, and just overall not a friendly experience. As for the food - it was just okay. We ordered three rolls and they were fresh and average sized, but none of them were memorable. Also, two of our rolls were marked as "spicy" on the menu, but we didn't taste a hint of spice in our sushi at all. Slow service, so-so sushi - that pretty much sums up my experience at Japanese Gourmet. I definitely prefer getting better tasting, bigger (and cheaper) sushi for happy hour at another Japanese restaurant just a few blocks away. I really wanted to like this place, but sadly it just didn't deliver.

    (2)
  • Cynthia L.

    With a name like Japanese Gourmet, my lunch today could have been amazing, or tragic kingdom. I am still coughing and wheezing like Muttley, so I think my choice of Kimchee Udon soup was what determined if I was going to like it here. First, there wasn't any seating instruction (wait to be seated, sit here, there, anywhere) so I just sat down. There was only a handful of people, but the place still seemed busy. It didn't feel overly comfortable sitting in there; I felt weirdly...I dunno...exposed or something. The front door was open out to the market, which doesn't bother me, but it still seemed off. The crowd seemed a perfect hybrid for Pike Place Market; touristy and business-y from business lunchers. The $9 lunch portion of Kimchee Udon was really big; I didn't finish it, even. A surprisingly pleasant broth, appropriate amount of udon noodles, a healthy amount of kimchee, enoki mushrooms, seaweed, green onions and LOTS of fish balls (warning: 2 of the fish balls had meat inside of them. If you don't eat red meat, you've been warned.) Would I feel comfortable getting sushi here? You would think with all that lovely fresh fish from the Market I would say, "Heck YEAH" but only time will tell. I'm definitely going back for that udon (sans meaty fishballs.) That's what she said.

    (3)
  • Bishan C.

    Nice environment and good food:) but sometimes it seemed like there's only one waitress running around in the whole restaurant...

    (4)
  • David M.

    Not fantastic, not terrible. Definitely a good spot to relax on a lazy weekday afternoon. I wouldn't dig it if it were crowded. Prices are a bit higher than the quality warrants. I got a chirashi bowl and the tomago was literally frozen in the middle. Boo.

    (3)
  • Ninette C.

    This is a nice, basic Japanese restaurant. Everything here is pretty traditional and basic. My friend and I had the Friday bento box. The highlight was the salmon teriyaki. It also came with rice, a California roll, sushi and tempura. At $9.75, this was A-ok. I wouldn't go out of my way to come down here but it's better than fast food sushi for a similar price.

    (3)
  • Priscilla I.

    Sushi chef made he pink volcano amd spicy tuna roll for us and it was amazing! Pretty simple rolls, but he made them delicious. Fish is super fresh and the yellowtail collar was savory. Kind of hidden place but well deserves a visit for some great sushi.

    (5)
  • Gerribee L.

    I always like to come here whenever I'm in Seattle. It's the closest Japanese cuisine in Pikes market. However, the staff was snobby. I came here with one friend and her baby. The lady was seating us in a table for two in the corner but there are no other customers besides us. So we asked for the table for four with a bench. she didn't offer child seat meaning they probably doesn't have any. Food is ok.

    (3)
  • Nik B.

    I recall that I've been here a couple of years ago and wasn't really satisfied. However I tried it again recently - and it was the same. Service was friendly and I was seated directly at the bar opposing the chef. I decided for a variety of sushis and maki rolls, that were each prepared individually for me. But even though it wasn't that convincing. Maybe it's the quality of the fish, maybe something different. It wasn't reaching my expectations, based on many sushis bars around the globe (including Japan). Three stars for an "ok" lunch experience.

    (3)
  • Nicka T.

    Came here on Labor Day weekend. Everything else at pike place was crowded so we came here. Food is acceptable. We walked in here and no one greeted us. Whatever. Ordered iced tea, they ran out, asked to wait 5 mins. Whatever no problem were waiting for food anyway. I asked for sugar when I ordered tea. Asked again, and I didn't get any at all lol. Food and service are blah. Will not be coming back.

    (2)
  • Kico A.

    Stopped here before going to the market and I was not impressed. The food seems rushed and the waitresses seemed overwhelmed it took them 20 min to get our check, even after asking them 4 times. Come here only if you don't have anything else to do.

    (3)
  • John A.

    Tried this place while looking for affordable dining and wasn't that impressed. The best thing about this restaurant is the prices, during happy hour there are several sushi options that are 5-6 dollars, which is great. The waitresses were nice and made sure that water was constantly refilled and checked to make sure everything was going well. The ambience of the restaurant was nice as well, making for a pleasant environment to eat in. But the sushi rolls were disappointing, they were very small and the sashimi tasted bland. On the other hand, the appetizers I tried tasted a lot better.

    (3)
  • Dan P.

    Great sushi! One of Seattle's finest! And in a great worldwide known location - pike place market. During happy hour - great prices and quality. Have the crispy salmon skin hand roll - with warm house sake or cold Kirin (large of course).

    (4)
  • Wesley E.

    Downtown hidden gem.

    (5)
  • Craig R.

    I think one sentence can sum Japanese Gourmet up well. A passable Japanese restaurant, but nothing extraordinary. The ups: -The location is great if you live near Pike's Place Market (easy to walk into and out of) -The prices are on par with most of the other local places, the happy hour also provides some decent discounts if you can make it before 6 -The staff has been kind, quick, and my orders have always been right when I've come -The presentation of the food is quite nice (see pictures) The downs: -There's nothing particularly special about it, everything is just ok. Not that this is an up or a down, but I found it funny that I can speak Chinese with the wait staff, but the sushi chef's speak Japanese. Just a silly little tidbit, something that is very common in other Japanese restaurants in the US as well.

    (3)
  • Jessica B.

    Stopped here for dinner after work in downtown Seattle. First impression was that it was uncomfortably warm inside the restaurant; it seemed to be cooled only by an oscillating fan (which sadly did not turn far enough to point at my table). I ordered the 7-piece Nigiri with Seattle Roll special, which came with a miso soup. The sushi seemed to take a while to be delivered, and when it was, I was rather disappointed at the size of the Seattle Roll--it was a half-sheet roll and the pieces were very small in diameter. The individual rolls from the sushi menu appeared to be bigger, and I was a bit annoyed I wasn't notified I was getting a tiny one. (Yelpers, be warned!) The sushi itself was decent, though; I thought the thickness of the seafood slices on the nigiri was fairly generous. Since I was still hungry after the sushi plate, I decided to order something else that would be less expensively filling, and ordered the pork Katsudon, which was really very good and seemed to come out faster than the sushi did. I thought it was a generous portion of both rice and meat, and I enjoyed the flavor combination of the other toppings. I actually enjoyed that much more than the sushi plate I didn't have a problem with service; the waitresses were attentive and responded quickly to eye contact. But because I basically ended up ordering two dinners, it ended up a bit pricier than I had originally planned. Based on my experience, I would recommend them for the Japanese comfort foods and dinners, but maybe not so much for the sushi, unless you just get some nigiri or something as a side for your dinner.

    (3)
  • Travis M.

    Better experience than most reviews indicated, so 5 stars. Groupon brought us here - friendly service, and sushi as good as anywhere else (not necessarily special) - some good special rolls (Rocket and Cherry Blossom)

    (5)
  • Blake S.

    Good location and nice simple decor and ambience. Best thing here is the price. The food itself was ok, not great but not terrible.

    (3)
  • Chelsea J.

    Three stars is right on for Japanese Gourmet. The name is nondescript but I suppose it lets people know what type of food they serve. Restaurant is simply decorated but nice enough. My friend and I had the Google deal to use so we had $50 worth of food to order. We had the bottle of nigori ($11), gyoza ($6.75 for 6), the katsudon chicken bowl ($11), the cherry blossom roll ($15), and salad with slabs of tuna ($10) and green tea ice cream ($4). The nigori was good and I liked the gyoza and katsudon bowl. The sushi roll was not that great and neither was the salad, sadly. The service was nice and our tea was refilled regularly. I'm glad we checked them out. I might come back for a quick bite but probably wouldn't order sushi again. I'd stick to the items from the kitchen.

    (3)
  • Boun K.

    Went to Pike Market on my lunch break to pick up some broccolini. That's when hunger struck. I spotted this place called "Japanese Gourmet Restaurant". I'm always looking to try new sushi spots, so I decided to come in and sit at the bar. I ordered JUST SUSHI. I noticed almost all of the negative reviews for this place are from items on the menu that are NOT SUSHI. The sushi was fresh and high quality. I ordered a pair of salmon, halibut and yellowtail sushi pieces. They were great. Not too chewy, not too soft. The sushi chef was also very kind and recommended I try the Firecracker Roll, which was good too. In conclusion, if you're looking for quality sushi, I definitely recommend checking this place out. I think that if they changed the name "Japanese Gourmet Restaurant" to something more sushi related, this place would have a higher yelp review and people would expect less from their Japanese Gourmet dishes.

    (4)
  • Jolorene G.

    I bow with respect to those chefs that take their jobs as an art form. They not only make food presentable and delicious. They do things carefully and don't try to rush the process. Yes, nowadays we want things to be speedy and get to our tables fast. But if you can encounter a real 'chef' who cares about what they do and how they do it. You are in for a treat. Service (ie. Servers, wait staff) may not always be hospitable and there may lack a language barrier. Everything shows in the quality of the food. And thats a enough of a reason for me to return here. The happy hour prices are reasonable. They don't lacl quality whatsoever. So give them a chance and you will have an experience similar to mine. ENJOY!

    (4)
  • Cassandra C.

    I come to Seattle with some regularity, have been for the last 10 years or so. I got off the plane at SeaTac ,got delayed, delayed, delayed and finally took my traveling partner down to the Market, she'd never been before. We wanted "sushi" and were sort of on a budget. This place is across from Post St. Alley. It looked like some good bento-y type plates of food, under $10ish. So we went for it. It happened to be HH! We got chicken skewers for like $4? $4.50? And I got some kind of spicy roll with cream cheese (Miami, it was called) in tempura. Pretty tasty! My bill out the door for a roll, skewers and a Coke was $14. Now the reason I deducted a few stars...we were sort of abandoned. Our server was put out when we asked for the check (we had to wave her over) and when we asked to split the check (it was just a table of 2 and they weren't busy by any stretch of the imagination). Especially since this was for work, we wanted our receipts to make sense for expense reports. So that was annoying. But they have a super cute patio, if I were back in town and near the market, I'd go there again.

    (3)
  • CherryIcee S.

    I thought this place is overpriced. I came in after flipping through the little table outside the door with menus, i saw the prices and they were reasonable so I came in with two other colleagues. We are not from this area, came for a conference and late at night we don't really know where to go. First thing after we sat down, we noticed the prices are like 2x more than what we saw outside (the menus sitting outside by the sidewalk). We were surprised but since we didn't know where to go, we decided to just stay here and have dinner (it was close to 9:00pm). I've had a lot great japanese food, so the food here was disappointing. On the chalk board inside you can see prices for weekday, which is much cheaper than weekend prices. If they are the same dish and similar portions, why the HUGE price difference?

    (2)
  • Brian L.

    The food is average. Very long wait from order to serving - today it took more than 30 minutes. Prime location right next to the Pike Place Market. I would go to another place because of the very long wait.

    (2)
  • Davvona B.

    Food was okay. Service is the worst. I came here one 1/31/13 and was dismayed completely. Our food was okay, not very satisfied. I had the Medusa Roll and 10 different sashimis. I think you could get better quality sushi someplace else in Seattle for the same price. Sushi and Sashimis were.. meh. Towards the end of dinner, our server handed our bill. At the moment we had enough cash for the food but no money left over for tips so my boyfriend had to run to the car real quick to grab some cash while I stayed seated. A couple minutes later our server comes to the table and counts the money right in front of me. Obviously we weren't ready yet so I thought it was rude that she just came to our table to make sure we paid the right amount in cash. She then proceeded to say "WHAT ABOUT TIP?". I was so appalled. I told her my boyfriend went to the car to go get it because that's why I'm still sitting here. I am a server myself, so I understand what it's like to be a server and try to bring up the best service but I would NEVER ask a customer for tip. That is just not classy and it's just rude. Definitely telling my friends to avoid this place, not coming here ever again.

    (1)
  • April J.

    This is a great spot next to Pikes Market. A little posh in it's decor but not over the top. Relaxing enough that you can take your time to eat and talk with the rest of your party. The rolls are very well executed with none or very little sauce. There is nothing worse then getting a good looking fish drowned with sauce. I suggest the Panda and the Pikes Market rolls. The Panda comes as a 6 piece and Pikes Market as a 4 piece. Both were very fresh with just the right combination of rice, nori and fish. One item that I'll need to try on my return is one of the veggie stir fry plate. The table next to us ordered it. The aroma was insane and the veggies very fresh.

    (4)
  • J K.

    Okay, here we go. The 95th Seattle Japanese restaurant review... It's a basic Japanese joint. No frills. The menu is normal, in a good way. I think it's operated by non-Japanese but whatev. Their happy hour is a good selection of food and drink. Good service. Hard chairs. I wish they had more items on the menu, but this is a common wish for mine: ramen, onigiri, takoyaki, curry, okonomiyaki, etc. The waitress randomly gave us a 20% off coupon for our next visit, and then, for no discernible reason, applied one of these coupons to our current bill. Wow! That was cool of them. And please, if you are in charge of sushi at a restaurant, please put the nori on the outside... please, I beg you. I'm so tired of this. First it was just the California roll, and now it has been applied to ALL rolls. It's like an anti-seaweed movement has swept across our nation, leaving in its wake a wave of crappy, nori-less sushi.

    (3)
  • Andrew S.

    Great Oyako Donburi! After randomly looking for a place to eat and everything being closed or near closed around Pikes Market, me and a friend found this place per recommendation by a local that was walking into his apartment. Service was fast and the decor of the restaurant was very modern and clean. The staff was very friendly and was able to handle our slow ordering. Prices were not bad all.

    (4)
  • Tori H.

    great service very friendly chef good fish

    (4)
  • Andrew L.

    Well here I am again, with the perfect amount of food in my stomach; ready to plan the next trip again. I love coming here, they always have the simple delights, in a truly gourmet manner. This restaurant is hip looking, with a nicely updated interior, clean and with proper lighting for a nice night out, or just a relaxing date night, it just works in all ways. It's just a nice relaxing place to visit and eat. On this particular visit, two sushi rolls were on my mind, both were to be spicy indulgences. It didn't disappoint, for those who like kick in their food, it was delicious, without burning your face off. My server is quite frankly one of the best in customer service and always with a smile. She recommended a special spicy roll, which you can ask her for next time you visit; it was a spicy tuna, but with some serious heat. It was covered in a house made spicy mayo, which really sets off the dish. I know I should write more, but it was so relaxing; there are only a few words which need to be said. My recommendation is, go and enjoy!

    (5)
  • Honest-a-bliss R.

    Ate here yesterday. Had a Sashimi platter (chef's choice of fresh fish) and seared scallops. It was good. Not incredible, but pretty good and better than i expected. There are no incredible values here, but its also not too pricey. The best sushi in Seattle is prob west seattle and japantown (though maybe you'll get lucky on 2nd ave in belltown). outside of that, this was a nice surprise for the pike place market and hopefully they're using fresh fish straight from the market.

    (3)
  • Corey G.

    This is a place I like for sentimental reasons. I've gone here with some of the special people in my life, and we've always had a good time here. The staff is always nice, and how could you not like the location (it's off of a hilly avenue near the Market). This is one of the first sushi places I went to when I first visited Seattle years ago. This is where I was introduced to cream cheese in a sushi roll. Yes, if I talked to some of my Japanese friends I'd imagine they'd say this is blasphemous and totally an Americanized touch. I'm all for traditionalism, but I (and my spare tire) must admit an attraction for it. During our last visit, one of the rolls which caught my eye was a sweet potato sushi. So, have I missed the sweet potato craze, or what? Seems like sweet potatoes are everywhere: mashed, fries, wine....(I kid on the latter). But yeah, the sweet potato crackhead in me had to order some in an entranced robot voice. - So I had to order a plate - Wait for it to be placed in front of me - Look side to side at the table (with beady eyes & curled eyebrow), and - Then cradle it in my arms (because I liked it, and had to defend it from any stay chopsticks). Oh, and you have to love any sushi place which doesn't explicitly contain the words "sushi" in their name.

    (4)
  • Tim L.

    It's Japanese food you would expect to get in an area that sees a lot of tourist traffic. It is quality food although not necessarily the best you can find. I noticed it is yet another Japanese restaurant that is non-Japanese run, however it certainly is one of the better ones. The flow of patrons in and out is smooth and steady and as a result the wait for a table has always been very minimal. Staff are friendly with the typical "Moshi Moshi" greeting upon entering. The sushi was all very decent with the proprotion of rice kept to a minimum in most of their rolls.

    (3)
  • Jeff C.

    If I could give this place 3.5 stars I would. I've been here twice, once a long time ago. I returned with a cou ple friends because we found a coupon for $75 off minimum purchase of $150 and we knew we could easily eat and drink a $150 worth between the three of us. I consider myself somewhat of a Guru on sushi places int the greater Seattle area but wouldn't describe myself as a Sushi Snob. I forgot how big this place is despite not looking big from the street. Downside is, it has somewhat of a 'cave' feel to it. And to make matters worse, I'm not sure what kind of lighting they are using (didn't look like florescent) but it has a somewhat dingy feel to it. Some tweaking of the lighting in this place would do wonders. But it isn't that bad. This place is "solid" but not exceptional. Good traditional Japanese food, sushi, sashimi with a bit of creativity on some of the appetizers and rolls. The appetizers were hit and miss though. The scallops were fresh and not overly seasoned. They honey prawns were, well, small and too much honey sauce. But nothing terrible. The more mainstream Japanese food, sushi, sashimi was very good, not the best in Seattle but respectable. Service was a bit slow as they looked understaffed for the amount of business (I suspect the new coupon is what did it and they didn't expect so much business.) Prices here are pricey, but probably not out of line with downtown Seattle sushi prices.

    (4)
  • Yen D.

    The ambience, customer service and food here is great! I loved the interior designing of the burgundy wall with black mirrors and the wall with the silver framed pictures of Japan. Wendy, our waitress did an excellent job of filling our water and green tea as well as keeping us company. I had the honey shrimp, scallops on lemon slices, pumpkin fried rice with bacon, calamari and sukiyaki. The honey shrimp was covered in a light honey sauce over tomato slices. Scallops had a nice touch of crispy tempura soba and seaweed. I really liked the pumpkin fried rice. They apparently use a chinese squash for it; the bacon added a touch of saltiness to make me happy :-) What I really liked was the sukiyaki. It was served kanto style with enoki mushrooms, konnyaku noodles, firm tofu. It had the perfect balance between sweetness and saltiness. I loved it when the waitress brought us over the raw egg to dip in. Sugoi!! Ended the night with green tea and mango mochi covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup as well as matcha ice cream in an apple bowl with whipped cream and chocolate. Though the presentation could have been improved, dessert was decent.

    (4)
  • Sandy L.

    Great location and service. Food came in very slow although the restaurant wasn't busy on Saturday night. Average food, sushi tastes like those in Sushi Land while other hot entree tastes like chinese food. Price is good, but they charged us in a sneaky way. We came in a big group last night the server mentioned she would give us all 20% off although seperate check. However, it ended up waving us 18% group graduity but added back 20% off discount? (hey it should be the other way around elsewhere!). This way gave them bigger tab than doing it correctly. What really annoyed me is the server gave everyone 20% off card for next visit after the dinner like popcorn...sigh, obvioulsy they position themselves to compete on price rather than quality...

    (3)
  • Nerick M.

    This is one place that could be hard to miss, if you're not looking. Yes, it's another great gem in the city, hidden in Pike Place near Post Alley. The service is very friendly and attentive, and they'll offer advice on what's good. The atmosphere is low-key and nicely decorated. The food is what this place is about. The sushi and other entrees are all delicious. The price is a little high for some items, but I think they're worth it. The presentation is very nice and aesthetically pleasing. Be sure to check this place out for happy hour, if you're looking to get great sushi at a pretty good price. After that, you can go for a walk around Pike Place.

    (4)
  • Sirio B.

    Looking for decent Japanese food in the heart of Seattle? Well, this is probably the only sit down place you will find in the area, and thankfully it doesn't suck. Its on a hill smack dab in the middle of Pikes Place. Great food, good service and atmosphere. Prices are a little on the above average side but the quality is good. I really enjoy the generous tempura udon and the mackerel sushi(which is really good here). Great place to go if you're not in a hurry. As a bonus note, check out their tiny bathrooms!

    (4)
  • Maggie L.

    My husband and I have been here 3 times now and this is my 1st review for this place. Here are my experiences: 1st time: We were there for happy hour and the fish was so fresh and delicious. A roll to try is Cheery Blossom, it's absolutely to die for. Service was pretty good so we decided that we'd come back again. 2nd time: Enjoying the nice farmer's market at Pike's Place and got hungry so we went back for lunch. We decided to go for all cooked items and it was OK .... nothing to jump off our seats for. 3rd time: Found an amazing coupon at restaurant.com ... so we go back again. When we got there the server was so nice and we decided to sit at the bar as well. We looked at the menu, ordered 2 items (server was so nice) then I surrendered my coupon ... after that service went down the drain quicker then you can flush a toilet. The only person the was nice after that was the sushi chef he also became our server and took our other food order. This time we ordered Spanish Mackerel ... my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Cherry Blossom roll ... stick to what's good right!?!? Omakase (Chef's Choice) sashimi plate ... OMG for some reason the fish tastes extra delicious this time. That salmon was SO FATTTTTTYYY!!! After all this I'm not sure if we're going back. The food was amazing but the service was so poor just because of a coupon. Isn't the point in advertising and coupons is to increase business?? We came didn't we? My husband was very put off and to lose business over bad service instead of bad food is pretty sad.

    (2)
  • Jeff S.

    After a long day's flight from Chicago and struggling to find downtown (ripoff) parking, and then a stroll through the Fish Market, we stumbled on the JG restaurant. Turned out to be great. Quick service, excellent food. The youngest and I had a sushi combo with a California roll, and the wife and oldest had tempura and salmon. And in the middle of a touristy mess of an area, the price was extremely reasonable. Definitely recommend.

    (4)
  • Lee L.

    Just ate there tonight after a few years. The location is great. The decor nice. Clean. Modern. The female server was very pushy with wanting to sell alchohol. I had to tell her "no- than-you" 3 times to her glass of wine pitch. The male server was very new so I can't fault him too much for not understanding the menu. My biggest gripe is their vegetarian menu. Yes, I know that Japanese food is not vegetarian. But if you say that it's veggie, it should not come with miso soup and tentsuyu made with fish based dashi. Eating fish is NOT vegetarian. Also the sunomono had shrimp in it! The server even insisted that it was vegetarian! Ha! Anyway, I ordered the veggie tempura, which I liked, light and flavorful even without using the fish based tentsuyu. My dining partners who are not vegetarian thought their food was okay to good. The tempura with zarusoba was served with a raw quail egg. We couldn't figure out if it was meant to be eaten or just a garnish. Heh... Their prices are reasonable and they have a happy hour. The food is hot and cooked to order. Can't go wrong with that. If you like American style Japanese food, you will like Japanese Gourmet Restaurant.

    (2)
  • Tracy N.

    Wandered in after we grew tired and cold from Pike Place Market. Great lunch deals that alternate daily! That is for SURE the BEST thing to get on the menu. Do not venture elsewhere. The staff are Chinese (speaking), The rice was a tad bit too overcooked for my liking. And portions weren't fantastic but it was alright....Definitely STICK TO THE LUNCH BENTO!

    (3)
  • Izzy H.

    I wouldn't come here for the sushi. Its pretty expensive, and really not all that great. I usually get the yasaiitame, which I thoroughly enjoyed. All the other food is decent, and the prices aren't half bad. Service is decent, better when they are slow, more harried when its a little busy. I love their little glass display outside of their entrance: it has those little plastic replicas of their dishes. That sure brings me back... But really, this restaurant isn't all that memorable. The food is okay, the decor while nice is okay. The rolls are okay. The sushi is okay. The service is okay. Everything is really just....okay. :( And that isn't okay with me.

    (3)
  • Brian B.

    Ah service was slow and not friendly stood at the door forever before someone came to seat you. The inside was nice. Sushi was dry (I know I don't get it). This is at Pike Place and the fish was mediocre at best. Can't the walk out front and purchase fresh tastier fish. Overpriced even with the Groupon.

    (2)
  • ira g.

    I went to Japanese Gourmet Restaurant with my fiancee, and we enjoyed the atmosphere there. The food was really affordable, they have happy hour from 3 - 6pm. The food was not bad at all. We had Salmon Teriyaki and Katsu Don *(Chicken)....We also had couple of sushi rolls - California and Seattle Roll, which in my opinion is not even close to the yummy goodness of Umi or Wasabi Bistro's sushi Rolls. The best part was probably Miso Soup. I love their miso over there. If they asked me to go again - I'd probably spend my 10 bucks at the Crepe place at Pike Place Market..

    (3)
  • Ian M.

    Japanese Gourmet seems--as its boring-yet-functional name might imply--a perfectly serviceable Japanese restaurant. Based on my visit there, there's nothing to particularly love or hate about it. It's a steady ship sailing through its channel. Service seems personable without going all the way into "friendly" territory, which is fine. Pleasant but not artificially saccharine. It seems appropriately Japanese. I hope I'm not an asshole for saying that, though I'll get over it if you think so. Interesting about the menu at Japanese gourmet is the lunch bento, and that its contents depend on what day of the week you visit. It's not a bad deal at $9.50. On Thursdays, when I went, the bento selection is miso soup (every day), a spicy salmon roll, fish (and vegetables) tempura, pumpkin shrimp fried rice, and "salad" (every day). I complemented this with a two-piece hamachi nigiri ($5.50), which blew the value proposition, but screw it, I thought; it's Thursday and I want a little bit of sushi. The hamachi was delighful, although $5.50 for a two-piece nigiri may be a tough sell at lunchtime when I know Japonessa is just down the street, and also does very good sushi at a good price during their basically-all-day happy hour. But still, no regrets, and apparently, this is a much better deal at happy hour (3-6), which might be worth checking out at some point. The bento was a little less consistent. Miso soup was tasty and hit the spot. The salad was relatively nondescript; I can't recall what was even in it. I did not like it as much as the spinach-and-ginger-dressing salad that I recall coming with Japonessa's bento. The salmon roll was fine, not remarkable, but fine. The fried rice--although not mentioned anywhere on the menu--contained little bits of pork all throughout, which disqualified it for me. Yes, I know fried rice often has some sort of porcine product in it, and that's fine if I know about it, which I didn't here, so I offered my rice to my dining companion, who I'm glad to say took me up on my offer, since I hate to waste food like that. In return, she offered me her sweet potato tempura, which she doesn't care for, but which I thought was pretty tasty, so, voila, mutual benefit. The saving grace was the fish tempura. It was just right. Battered just right and fried just right--not oily--the fish was flaky, moist, and delicious. We learned it was bass upon asking about it. Happily, the tempura fish is offered a lunch itself ($9.75) served with miso soup. Huzzah! I will definitely consider this when I return to Japanese Gourmet, which I intend to at some point, especially on a day when I'm craving udon. They serve it, and it looks like it'd be a good place to cozy up with some big slurpy noodles.

    (3)
  • Stefanie H.

    Not too shabby! The service was a little slow, but the sushi was pretty delish. I loved their specialty rolls! It was a little spendy, but I thought it was worth it. Good location right in Pike Place Market...even if it's a little hidden. I would go back if we were in the area.

    (3)
  • Jamie W.

    We randomly found this place while walking around Pike's Market. All in all, it's solidly average when it comes to Japanese food. My friend had a sushi roll that was fried like tempura. She said it was good. We both had miso soup, which was probably the best part of the meal. Of course, we were freezing; so anything hot would have tasted great. I had one of the veggie noodle dishes. It wasn't bad but, as other reviewers noted, tasted like generic Chinese food - slick noodles, a few veggies, and some pieces of fried tofu. Location is the most attractive part of this restaurant. If you're looking for a quick, innocuous meal, this is the place for you. The servers are extremely attentive - to the point that the minute I put down my chopsticks, a server asked to take my plate away. The restaurant wasn't full, so I'm not sure what the rush was. There's a thin line between being attentive and being pushy - I'm just saying...

    (3)
  • Kristen A.

    Japanese Gourmet is super yummy. Very authentic Japanese food as well. I order take-out lunch from them at least once a week. Sometimes I do the delicious bento box special and other times I order from the menu. I have never been disappointed with anything I've had. The seabass is amazing and the gyoza is the best in the city. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I know what I'm having for lunch today!

    (4)
  • Eugene H.

    Although the decor does nothing to amplify the feeling that you're in Japan, the food certainly does. It brings a tasteful flavour which serves as a welcome addition to the myriad of Japanese restaurants that serve wholly generic selections, and deftly avoids the moniker of being "Just another sushi place" The food presents itself to the table as simple, and seductively delectable treats that suspend your disbelief. Yes, the food is as palatable as it looks, and doesn't make you feel heavy afterwards. My friends were considering capping the evening off with some bubble tea because of it. Even asking out one of the Waitresses to join us as well. We had difficulty finding faults with the place, but we'll be going again for sure.

    (4)
  • Farman B.

    Good Food, Great Price! A I always make a quick stop there when craving sushi.

    (5)
  • Mac F.

    Since I wrote a review of Japanese Gourmet in Dec. 2010, it appears that the ownership has changed. The food is still acceptable (though on the decline), but what has really changed is the service. They are less attentive; no tea or water, unless you ask, surly with nary a smile; slow to deliver food and worse, they did not know how to account for a coupon presented (tried to charge us the full price, twice!). We'll not be frequenting this place any longer.

    (3)
  • J K.

    I'm going to have to agree with the masses here, and give Japanese Gourmet 3-stars. The food was okay. The drinks were okay. The service, okay. Everything was just fine, but nothing special. I came here for a work lunch. We're a ragtag group of software nerds, and found ourselves at a table close to the kitchen. A table which they threw together on our arrival, despite a reservation. They had a variety of lunch options including a daily bento box. We ordered some sushi to start. No complaints, it was good. I cannot recommend the tonkatsu (fried pork), beyond dry and ick. The yakisoba looked tasty and so did the bento box and the salmon dish. This restaurant is fine if you need somewhere to go in the area, but it's not a destination.

    (3)
  • Neko I.

    I don't know how this place still stays open. My BF and I got hungry walking around the Market early evening, we decided to go for a light meal, and ordered off of Happy Hour menu. The Tuna rolls -- OMG!! I've never seen the such tuna rolls EVER before. The tuna in the middle was the size of toothpick! I was actually amazed by the chef who managed to cut Tuna into such a small/skinny/thin piece! Another disappointment was the Tuna Nigiri. Again, the Tuna was SO thin and you can see through the rice underneath it. Unbelievable but applaud to the skill of slicing it! We ordered Tempura assortment, batter was soaked in oil. Terrible! made me feel like not wanting to eat Tempura ever again. and lastly, the service was very Poor, slow even though there were 2-3 tables to serve in a whole restaurant at the time. Did we get poor service because we ordered off of Happy Hour menu? I really don't want people going here to eat and think that these are real Japanese food because it's totally NOT. I did not meet any Japanese staff, including the chef here either. Don't waste your money and go spend somewhere else. There are way better restaurants out there. I don't even want to give a star.

    (1)
  • DeAnne E.

    I did not like this restaurant at all. Such a tourist trap. I only had an hour lunch. I walked in and the host tried to give me a table. I let her know that I wanted to place an order to go. After I said that, she gave me a stink eye and the smile went away. I didn't know ordering things to go was a bad thing. The food took forever to prepare. I know now if I want Japanese food with happier employees then I better stay in international district.

    (1)
  • Amy L.

    Been to this restaurant multiple times. Love the food and service is great. After coming here a few times, the waitress recognized us and was always very friendly. Their sukiyaki and miso glazed fish is amazing. Love it.

    (4)
  • Alana E.

    Stopped by Japanese Gourmet while staying at Penione Nichols down the street - was looking for a place where I could grab some good sushi at the sushi bar without having to deal with a super-trendy overpriced place with annoying people. I found it with this place -- the staff is very friendly and the sushi is fresh and they make it fast. highly reccomended if you're looking for a chill place to grab a few rolls!

    (4)
  • Mandy C.

    I hit this place up for some Japanese food after work that isn't of the Teriyaki-joint variety and was happy to find that they have a Happy Hour from 3-6, I believe. My dining companion & I were quite satisfied with the HH menu offerings and had plenty of food for cheap! We had a couple rolls (spicy crab roll & shrimp tempura), edamame, calamari rings & age gyoza. All of which were tasty, hit the spot, and got us to our movie at Regal Meridian at 6:45. I've been here since I was a young kid playing tourist with my family before I moved here and they've 'poshed' it up with new, modern furnishings but it's still got the same small sushi bar feel and it's not loud or ruckus-y like other places for HH. It's an easy place for decent Japanese food right downtown without the need to go to the ID for some cheap eats.

    (3)
  • Seb B.

    Very good Sushis freshly made from the chef. The service was very good and fast. Also the location, just near Pike Place market, is very convenient to have lunch or dinner after walking to the market.

    (5)
  • David Z.

    We tried this place on a whim after walking around Pike Place Market for a while and it was surprisingly good. I had a bento box lunch which came with a great seaweed/cucumber salad, along with 3 pcs of good sushi, miso soup, chicken katsu and a yakisoba dish. My wife had a few pieces of sushi and liked them all. We both walked away feeling full and happy, and the whole lunch for the three of us (including our daughter) was $30. Not bad at all.

    (4)
  • Rosie W.

    It's a little suspicious to see frozen fish get delivered right through the restaurant when they are steps away from the freshest seafood in the world. The service was really nice. We used a restaurant.com certificate so the price was right.

    (3)
  • Matt D.

    Fresh sushi and excellent, friendly service.

    (4)
  • Logan B.

    This place had the typical modern-posh style of asian restaurants in Belltown/Downtown. The food was solid, though not the best. The Saba (mackerel) was fresh and flavorful but overpriced for the cut. The pork in my Katsu Don was reasonable but a bit tough. The waitress put in the minimal required effort, coming through only just at moments I was getting disappointed in her. I can't say any one thing was particularly bad, but nothing was good enough to motivate me to return. I'd much rather go to Fuji Sushi or Maneki in the ID.

    (3)
  • Rosa H.

    I am a fan of this joint. I used to work around the corner and get their lunch specials every week. Great bento box, amazing fish tempura and great maki rolls. The service is really friendly, the decor is nice (good lighting) and the prices are reasonable. I really like their happy hour too. My husband and I went here for lunch and came out full, didn't finish our meal and paid 25 dollars for the entire meal. Highly recommended.

    (4)
  • Wendy L.

    I'm so astonished with the freshest of the sushi! First of all, when i went in- I was greeted by the headchef, Leon- whom recommended the Oishii Maki, one of his receipe! After trying one maki or roll, I was highly convinced to try more! One roll after another... from Las Vegas to the Pike place market roll! The quality is definitely there, and the pricing is well! I highly recommended this restaurant!

    (5)
  • George P.

    The only reason they didn't get 5 is that they were a bit slow on the service. Everyone was friendly and the food was very good - a great value at happy hour. Definitely will return and would recommend.

    (4)
  • Charlie C.

    Okay for "cooked" sushi...Not recommended if you like fresh raw sashimi/sushi.

    (2)
  • wes y.

    Go for their happy hour which is from 3-6pm. 1/2 priced sushi and really good prices on wine & beer. $2.50 for a glass of wine and $2.50 for beers as well. Sit up at the sushi bar and watch them make your food. The sushi chefs are friendly and fun to talk with.

    (4)
  • Diana M.

    Two words: Agedashi Tofu. Not being a tofu fan, I wasn't sure what to expect...man, was I surprised and delighted at the deliciousness going on in my mouth! Yummy! Also, I'm not a huge miso soup fan either (it's the tofu thing again), but damn, that was good too! As for the sushi, all of it was good, though not absolutely outstanding. I had spicy tuna and a boston maki, the boyfriend had an 8 or 10 piece special. The chef sent out a california roll that actually had real crab meat in it as a freebie, which was a surprise and tasty delight! We arrived late on a Sunday night (not the best night for sushi, mind you) and the boyfriend had some "issues" later that night. However, it could have been a dozen OTHER things as well (hell, we'd been to Bite of Seattle earlier in the day, so who knows!) Overall, we enjoyed it. Service was great considering the late hour we arrived. The sushi was good (mine was, anyway) and the price was decent. We'd probably go back in a pinch.

    (4)
  • JacnDan P.

    I eat here quite a bit because it's somewhat close to work. Lunch is pretty crowded and in the summer they have a cute outdoor patio. Service is prompt, but not overly friendly... they get the job done, though. If you want a reasonably priced, quick sushi lunch, this is a great place. My favorite is the California roll w/ 5 pieces of Sushi. It's pretty huge, so I would recommend splitting it and a bowl of edamame...which is always perfectly cooked.

    (3)
  • Me H.

    I forget the name of what I ordered for lunch but it was grilled chicken with sweet onions and mushrooms over rice, it was good but way too sweet for me. The spicy tuna roll I shared fell apart before I could get it to my mouth. The roll was tasty but messy, I like my spicy tuna rolls spicy and TIGHT, not all loose and sloppy. The place was clean and sleek and warm from the sun that was shinning in the window. The service was abrupt and hurried. I did notice they had sushi happy hour from 3:00 to 6:00 pm which I might have to check out for the happy hour price I could handle some loose and sloppy rolls.

    (3)
  • Kristen T.

    The only good things about this place are that they are open later than most places (but more on that later) & the location is great. So, with that said, everything else was a buzzkill on my vacation. We walked in around 8:15 when everything else was closed & were given a seat, quickly. Then before we got a chance to look at the drinks menu, we were asked if we wanted water, and only water, quickly. We looked through the menu & after ordering just 2 soups & 1 roll the waitress asked if that was enough because "the kitchen is closed so you can't have any more"... We got the food really quickly, there was no check-up to see how we liked it, just a quick drop off of a bill & acting like we weren't supposed to be there that late, like it was an inconvenience to them having their "open" sign on. Some other people even tried walking in at 8:30 & they told them "sorry, closed", even though the open light was still on. They had no manners at all, & to top it off--the waitress neglected to charge us for the soup (SWEET)--but then she demanded that we add that $5 into the tip (SNEAKY WAY OF GETTING CASH UNDER THE TABLE). I did put $5 on the tip, but only $5, so that lady can suck it. The end.

    (2)
  • Wrr A.

    One of the best places for sushi for *lunch* in the area. Nice sized nigiri portions and a large selection of rolls. Small space is well utilized for the largest amount of tables without being uncomfortably close to your neighbor. If ordering sushi for the table, plan on being there a full hour.

    (4)
  • Kevin X N.

    I wasn't necessarily very impressed with this place. First off we walked in and the waitress took forever to take our order. She decided that whatever her conversation on her cell phone she was having was a bit more important. After our order was taken, it took about 45 minutes to anything to come out, we had ordered: Toro - which looked like toro I've never seen before. If its suppose to be one of the best parts, this one wasn't that good at all. Sashimi Platter - All in all it was alright. I love yellowtail and it was good, Snapper was alright although im not that big of a fan, and the yellow tail was pretty standard to me. It wasn't the best , but it wasn't the worst either. The service makes me want to give it a lower score, but oh well.

    (3)
  • Jerry M.

    I was impressed. Very fresh food and friendly staff.

    (4)
  • Andee D.

    Mmmm, I found this little resturant on my way to the market. And was pleasantly surprised. It could be that I just moved from Florida and I am not used to having fresh sushi all the time. But this was pretty decent sushi. The sushi chef was speedy and very friendly. I enjoyed my lunch.

    (4)
  • Rachel P.

    The place was empty when we came in at 6:30 on a Saturday night, which tends to be a bad sign, but we thought we'd give it a shot. I got the tempura udon soup, and my friend got beef on rice. Both dishes were fine, but nothing to write home about. My tempura was a bit greasy. The restaurant was very clean, the server was attentive, and the restrooms were clean and well-maintained. If this were in another place, it would get 3 stars from me - but because it's in Seattle, where there's so many fantastic Japanese places, it only gets 2.

    (2)
  • Maria C.

    Went to this restaurant after walking around the market for a bit. My husband wanted to get out of the market for lunch, and it is a good thing we did! The food was good - nothing mind blowing but it was good for us and great for the price! Perhaps we were still in sticker shock over food at the restaurants in the market, but most lunch entrees were around $9-10 here and you get a large amount of food. The big thing for us is that we brought our toddler (who was starving and angry). They had highchairs and brought her food out a little before ours without even asking (we have learned that is invaluable, time to cool and cut up noodles/chicken before our entrees come out makes us happy campers). They were really nice to our daughter and to us, and we appreciate that. Plus she really loved the yakisoba :) I'm sure there are some phenomenal sushi restaurants in Seattle, but this one was perfect for what we wanted and needed at that moment!

    (4)
  • Caitlin H.

    The restaurant was fairly empty when my mom and I arrived for dinner at about 6:00 on a Sunday night. Her teriyaki chicken was rubbery and practically flavorless. I ordered a California roll (topped with tempura crunch flakes) and a volcano roll. I received an "okay" California roll that was nearly ruined by the stale crunch on top, and a pink volcano roll. Subtle difference from the name of what I ordered; not a subtle difference in the rolls. I had to wait about 20 minutes for the actual volcano roll to come out, with no updates on what was taking so long. We were served by two waitresses, one of whom was very friendly; the other, not so much. The stale crunch here was enough to make me not recommend this restaurant; the 20-minute wait for the roll I actually ordered was just the icing on the cake.

    (1)
  • Danny V.

    Location in Pikes Market is very convenient for anyone that is in the area. -- Store front is not very obvious so you kind of have to already know it's there before you just "stumble upon" it. The vegetarian selection isn't huge for those who are veg only but it is varied enough that you can get a good fill on the options they have. Look for the green leaf in the menu. Service is always great and the servers are always very friendly (5 stars are for them!). Fresh green tea here is always a good way to start their meals and it's always hot and ready for you to enjoy. Whenever you're in the market and have a craving for Japanese, definitely don't miss this place.

    (5)
  • Jacqueline D.

    Terrible! Undercooked salmon (and I don't mean sushi!), and cold vegetables. Waitress saw it sitting on the edge of my table for 20 minutes but said nothing.

    (1)
  • Kate D.

    This place has some darn good sushi. I haven't had a whole lot of variety just because I like what I get so much that I don't usually venture to get anything else. I've had their: pink volcano (favorite), spicy tuna, California and a few of their specials. The bento boxes are always delish, and a great price for what you get, although when I decided to become pescatarian I had to stop getting most of them because of the meat in the gyozas, etc. Non-the-less, I've always had an enjoyable experience here. If you sit up at the bar and you are having your meal alone, the sushi chef usually strikes up a nice conversation and always gives me a little treat in addition to my order. How sweet is that?!

    (5)
  • Eric A.

    Had a lunch special bento today. It had tempura fish, pumpkin shrimp fried rice, teriyaki sushi roll, romaine lettuce salad and miso. Miso was good, the tempura fish was the best and was perfectly breaded, seasoned and cooked. The pumpkin shrimp fried rice was okay, there were very few shrimp and they were tiny. The teriyaki roll was good but very small and the salad was okay. Service was fast and a bit pushy but that's okay they were busy. The atmosphere is nice inside and very clean. The price was about $10 for the bento. Overall price, taste and atmosphere makes this a decent place to eat but not my first choice. We unfortunately spotted a coackroach running on the wall and when we pointed it out to the staff they didn't do anything. This would have been a 4 star review but I dinged a star over this.

    (3)
  • Xavi R.

    nice location next to the market, wanted some sushi so we walked in, asked few questions to the waitress, she didnt answer our questions correctly n repeatedly sayin the same shit over n over again with a bitter beer face so we left. wouldve been nice to answer questions with smiles n try to understand what we were asking instead of im right ur wrong attitude. she reminded me of the village kid in the movie Platoon who kept smiling but that was his "look" so he got shot.

    (2)
  • Susan F.

    I'd say this was really two and half stars, but definitely not three, so there ya go. The story of how we ended up here is tedious, but we did, late in the afternoon on a weekday. We were the only people in the place. Service was good but the sushi was dry and flavorless. I don't think it's possible that this fish was cut to order, it came out too fast and as I said, it was dry. It was as though it had been in the fridge unwrapped, waiting to be plopped onto some rice. The California roll slices that came with the sushi assortment special were pretty tasty, but I think it's hard to mess this up. Same with the Miso. My daughter ordered a special roll of some kind and was surprised to find that it had a spicy sauce on it, since it didn't say that on the description. It wasn't that spicy so she ate it anyway, I tried a bite and it was okay, your standard tempura roll with salmon and such on it, buried in sauce. The flavors weren't entirely harmonious and I couldn't put my finger on it. My son in law ordered a roll and some Udon and seemed very happy with both. I didn't taste them so I can't really comment.

    (2)
  • S V.

    Pretty generic spot. Nothing special nor nothing terrible. Service was alright too. I just felt there are so many better places than here when it comes to sushi.

    (2)
  • Lily S.

    HEART. We've come here on more than one occasion - a few times for lunch and once for dinner - where we pretty much ordered every kind of sushi on the planet (ok, the menu) and paid a whopping $50 for 2 people - who really really love sushi. So there's that. Besides the occasional funky smell from days of yore (is that stale cigarette smoke I smell?), I dig this place - I've never had bad service, my food is consistently good, and it's reasonably priced. So yes, I will keep coming back!

    (4)
  • Jennifer Y.

    We ended up here after searching for an open restaurant at around 9:30pm near Pike Place Market. Why does everything around here seem to close so early?? We wanted some steaming hot bowls of noodles, so this was kinda our only option. But the Nepalese restaurant next door smelled sooooo good too... Mmmm, those aromas made my mouth water as I began to hallucinate about eating some curry and rice. Where's all the food on the menu?? They have only sushi, udon, and donburi? We were kinda hoping they'd have curry (thanks, Nepalese restaurant next door), but that was too much to ask for, I guess :/ And how did our bill end up totaling $71 (food+tax+tip) for three people?? I ordered tempura udon, and it was quite bland. It was literally like five strands of noodles in a bowl of hot water, a ton of green onions, and seaweed. The tempura was mostly a thick coat of batter. I can't believe they charged such much for this shit. Bleeech, easily the most disappointing and forgettable meal of my weekend. We were the only customers in the restaurant. The only time another human being stepped foot into this establishment during our meal was to ask for directions.

    (1)
  • Elyse M.

    I decided to write a review about two hours later when I said to a friend, "oh I am sad," in regard to my lunch. I spent $20 on a few poor quality cuts of fish and a pile of crunchy, sour vegetable matter on a bed of disappointing rice. The chirashi bowl was flat out not good and I really wanted some sashimi. I am sad.

    (2)
  • Deidre B.

    Now, I have to say, this was seriously one of my FAVORITE restaurants to frequent for my lunch hour, however, one day...just ONE ruined it for me and I haven't been back since. I finished my meal luckily but it still creeps me out. I know they say the health department allows so many discrepancies and still deems a place "safe" however, seeing roaches just roaming freely while eating is not my idea of sanitary. That is truly the first time I have seen a roach outside of the zoo..and either way you look at it...GROSS. I brought it to the attention of the waitress after watching it crawl for a while on the wall and feeling my skin react. She proceeded to kill it quietly and asked if I wanted her to bring me anything else. WHAT??!! (Insert profanities here) NO! I needed to get out, I didn't even ask for a discount or my money back...although thinking back on it now, I should have. And also maybe reported them to the health department. Other than that, the food was delicious. lol

    (1)
  • David M.

    The short and sweet is that their cheap rolls are worth the cheap prices but their pricier rolls are a flop. They have a decent HH ($2 for 2 pieces of sushi and cheaper 2-$5 rolls). If you're here on a Groupon remember that it is for DINNER.

    (3)
  • Corey O.

    This place is really great. Wonderful attentive service. Very fresh fish and not too expensive.

    (5)
  • Monali P.

    This is another one of my lunch spots mid week when I want to attempt being healthy.Good miso soup, decent veggies (steamed) and a good deal on the lunch bento box! I can't say I go there for sushi, yet I'm partial to the veggie and tofu dish. Plus, service is tops. Every time I go in there to take out, the women there tell me to sit down and offer me tea or water and are all smiles.

    (3)
  • Nikelle R.

    Keep on walking. We have WAY better sushi in seattle! First of all the sushi was okay . Nothing gourmet about it. The steak was dry and chewy. Yuck. Our server was nice. Here's my rant. The owner refused to honor my 30 Groupon. She said we could only use it at dinner. I showed her the email from groupon stating this error and that our our groupon would be honored. She refused! Told us we had to pay dinner price! I said no and told her to take off 15 for the amount I paid for the groupon. I 50 dollar lunch is cray. (Includes tip on full amount, no need to punish the server.) The owner was so rude my hubs was afraid she would do something to our food. Nothing Gourmet but the price.

    (1)
  • Victoria K.

    Food: 4.5 Service: 4 Price: 4.5 stars The sushi was great, however the California roll was just blah. I got the sushi combination which came with one piece of sushi of each: Salmon, Albacore, Tuna, Yellowtail, snapper, makarel, and shrimp, plus a seattle roll which i substituted a Cali roll for, which I now regret. $14 not bad, tho it is really not a lot of food, but for the quality sushi i would say that it is a pretty good deal. Nice place in Pike Place. Also have bentos during the week for only $9.50

    (4)
  • Cynthia K.

    the food was surprisingly good- I wasn't expecting much since the review was pretty bad. the only thing I would say is that the waitress was busy talking to another waitress to notice me waiving at her when I needed the check. also, I saw another waitress cleaning her leg with a wet-nap while sitting down folding the napkins- VERY UNPROFESSIONAL.

    (3)
  • Garynpiper L.

    I was craving some Sake (salmon) Nigiri and walked by during early happy hour. The service was average but missed a few key elements--no one offered me water! I ordered the aforementioned Nigiri (standard), Chicken Kara-age (excellent!), and Seattle Roll (subpar). It was not a packed house and my sushi came out long after I was completely done eating my Karaage. Overall my experience was below average. Happy hour pricing was equal to conveyor sushi, but so was the food and service. I won't go back.

    (2)
  • Eman R.

    Stopped at this location shortly after arriving in town. It was very convenient, the service was great, and nice selection of food. The bento boxes have a good range of components. Recommend this place if out shopping or walking around Pike Place Market.

    (4)
  • Evan G.

    Really cute place. The sushi boats in the front window are really pretty funny. I had a vegetarian udon noodle dish and my boyfriend had some ebi nigiri. It was pretty good. We went here on a whim and out of convince for dinner. A couple proposed while we were there, so the experience was even more fun.

    (4)
  • Bassdrop M.

    Cute little place right off the touristy Pike's area that we decided to stop at after walking the town. The waitress was nice but couldn't resist to hustle us a bit. I ordered a beer then she left without taking the rest of the party's order, came back with 3 beers that she tried to up sell. We declined and stuck to the one beer and water. She then hustled the sushi special which was the avocado roll, we where planning on ordering that anyway but she definitely sold us on it again. We got the roll and the avocado was a bit brown. I went to use the restroom and noticed the chef pulling out avocado rolls from a tupperware! I'm sure it was made that morning but still a bit surprising. The steak was intensely chewy and there was nothing gourmet about that beef.

    (3)
  • Terrell E.

    Damn. I really wanted to like this place better than I did. The staff is great and I've actually had two amazing experiences here because of them. However, there is much better sushi nearby. The fish quality is fine, but much below Umi, Japonessa, Wasabi or the like. The menu is expectant - not imaginative whatsoever. The consistency is probably the only real problem; I've had really good sushi at times and then moderate at others. I have a super high-standard for sushi and I cannot, in good conscience, recommend people go here for fish. Story: The staff though is pretty spectacular. My friend and I went here about 30 mins before close one night - not thinking about it. The sushi was good (or we were drunk), and since we were the only two guests left the chefs took turns giving us tastes of inventions that they were thinking about introducing to the menu. They were all ferociously good, but I've haven't seen them added to the available options. After that, they locked the door and the staff pushed a few tables together and brought out their family-style meal. They coerced us into staying and eating with them. The food was ridiculous - BBQ tuna/yellowtail, dry seasoned duck and special handmade noodles shipped in from Japan. If their menu was the food that the staff dined on - this place would be something special. Japanese comfort food. Sigh - Japanese Gourmet...you break my heart.

    (3)
  • Daren D.

    "I'm skimming over the directory near the Stewart House... I've now found the location of Japanese Gourmet.... I'm walking towards Japanese Gourmet... I've---" --found it! I had a good vibe walking in; will it last? I liked how the male server seated me away from the noisy group of ladies: "They're a bit noisy, how's this side? (thanks, lol)." I felt comfortable with him; cool; can't say the same with the lady, unfortunately. She always seemed hesitant approaching me (which I noticed, of course), smiled little (if at all), and didn't seem friendly enough to me. Was it my eye? Bad day? Who knows... oh well... So, I ordered the Cherry Blossom Roll and Vegetarian Tempura Roll. Tasted like fresh fish, tasty, and the tempura was well-made. Wanna make me happy? I LOVE any sort of veggie tempura! They were really good, and looked awesome (picture). Put that in front of me and it's as good---as---done. I liked the format. Mahogany cloth napkins, slick black chopsticks. Oh, and even low sodium soysauce. Sweet design theme, it was cool hearing the japanese customers, and I would go back for more.

    (4)
  • Jack F.

    [Original Visit: Nov. 28, 2008] I still have fond memories of Japanese Gourmet Restaurant ("JGR") even though my only visit was 2 1/2 months ago. My scribbled napkin is now lost and my descriptions rely principally on my old photos. But then again, it's not the food that you're coming for; it's a sushi chef by the name of "Maverick" that you need to find. As I recall, Maverick was a Hawaiian native who trained for a few years in Japan and has over a decade of experience along the Pacific coast. Even if I misheard his life story, it doesn't change the fact that Maverick was as enthusiastic and approachable as he was skilled and knowledgeable - all while being humble. He breached language and cultural barriers that still confine American diners to the stereotypical sushi bar, which is often stern and ritualistic. We talked about the proper amount of wasabi when serving nigiri; specifically, the current trend of omitting wasabi because too many people kept returning plates. He answered inquiries about the origins of his inventory. He shared his preference for the sweet and buttery Japanese scallops over the meatier diver scallops. I pointed out, and he apologized for, the bland and slightly-stale sushi rice. He, in turn, shared with me the secret of using lemon juice to extend the cooked sushi rice's flavor and shelf-life. Whether out of fear or ignorance, we, Americans, submit order forms without any knowledge of what is fresh or flavorful. In turn, sushi chefs scorn us for drowning sushi in brownish-green muck and our timid palates. But sushi bars ought not be this way. Trevor Corson, author of "The Zen of the Fish: The Story of Sushi, From Samurai to Supermarket," remarked that in Japan, the neighborhood sushi bar was filled with , "chatter, trusting relationships, lack of menus and reasonable prices ... the chef, like a good bartender, knew everyone by name and bantered with his customers while he worked." As for the sushi, I have no real complaints except that it was good but not superior. You can see from my photographs the fish's quality by its firmness and the chef's generosity by the thickness and size of each fish. For the best bargain, go to JGR during its daily happy hours from 3pm to 6pm. Nigiri are $2.75 for two pieces and maki sushi rolls, which is the best bargain, start at $3.50. When I last spoke to Maverick, he worked Thursdays. Recommend reading: (1) Trevor Corson's "Sushi for Two" (see nytimes.com/2007/07/15/o… ) (2) Freedom News Service's "Four Chefs Weigh in on Sushi-Bar Do's and Don'ts" (see eastvalleytribune.com/st… ).

    (4)
  • Evita-Marie R.

    My boyfriend & I ended up here on a day when our favorite sushi place (Japonessa) was closed. We ordered a bento and a roll to share. The food was mediocre at best, and the portions are small in comparison to most sushi places in seattle. For the cost and quality, it was not worth it and I would make the extra effort to going somewhere else away from touristy pike place.

    (2)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street, Validated
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Japanese Gourmet Restaurant

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