Best Creative Japanese Restaurants in Downtown

We took my mom to Golden Gai for her birthday. She loved it and had a great time. We were happy to find the foods that we loved so much in Japan earlier this year. The shrimp tempura was our favorite. The shrimp were huge and we loved the sauce that went with them. So flavorful! We also really enjoyed the gyoza (dumplings), spicy tuna roll and udon noodles with chicken. While we were dining, we were talking about the dishes we had and asking questions about things that were slightly different. The sushi chef heard us and told us more about the food and why it was done the way they do it. It was very interesting and he seemed like a great guy. There were so many good dishes and drinks on the menu that we’ll definitely be back to try more things.

We ate at Gi Jin on January 2, 2025. My wife had the salad which she said was excellent and I had the Miso soup with a mildly salty flavor. We shared a platter which was anrtistically arranged and tasty with a large variation of culinary experiences. We both got the California Hand Rolls (crab, avocado, cucumber, radish, and Furikake). I will say that I could not taste any crab within the hand roll. The service people were excellent. The service people were knowledgeable and accommodating for any dietary modification and attentive.

My first time trying sushi in general because I am allergic to shellfish and have a bad response to Tuna. OUSTANDING experience! Worth every penny and we will be back.