I was recommended this place by a friend. Went with high expectation but left with disappointment. We ordered the nigiri special plate of the day and the fish wasn’t even that fresh. The street noodle is too salty to our palette. The food is definitely overpriced given its portion. This is really not that impressive, to be honest, knowing it is claimed to be a fancier flashier Japanese restaurant. The waiter was friendly but the service is slow. The vibe of the space is cool. But probably won’t go again.
Richard Person
Everything, from the sushi to the cooked food to the interesting drinks and desserts was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cameron B
Some of the better sushi I’ve ever had! Unique ambience that made the most of an awkward space. Staff was friendly and engaging. I’ll definitely go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cynthia Richey
The Golden Gai in Bakery Square has a truly unique vibe—stylish, cozy, and welcoming from the moment we walked through the door. We enjoyed chatting with our wonderful bartender Liz, had the chance to talk with the chefs, and were especially impressed with our server, Hiroki. His thoughtful recommendations and clear passion for what the restaurant offers added so much to the experience. The cocktails were outstanding—we tried the Ryujin and the Fu Dog, both beautifully crafted. We started with the gyoza, which were truly next level, followed by delicate Madai nigiri sushi. For our entrées, we chose the chashu fried rice and the grilled wagyu with potatoes—both excellent. To finish, the soy brownie dessert is an absolute must. We each ordered our own and were very glad we didn’t have to share. The pacing of the meal was perfect, allowing us to savor every course without feeling rushed. Golden Gai is a hidden gem that I would highly recommend. And while you’re there, give yourself extra time to explore Bakery Square—it’s a vibrant spot with shops, outdoor spaces, and other great restaurants that make the whole experience even more special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Morgan
Was greeted by Colleen who was so sweet and was impressed by the food and ambience. Will be back!
Molly Mykich
We had a great experience here on a Friday night! The food and cocktails were delicious and the fish was great quality. Our server was excellent, very attentive and went over the menu thoroughly. Everything in the restaurant feels super curated, down to the ceramic sake glasses. The place has a moody, intimate vibe which we loved. Since it’s bar seating it is more suited to couples. Will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ed Ma
Meh expensive food. Coconut curry cocktail tastes like sour curry. I wanted to try something I would never make at home. The flavor just didn’t work. Yellowfin crudo was fishy and tasted like keylime?? Golden roll ramen bouillabaisse and wagyu were meh. It took 20 minutes for dishes to arrive 1 at a time. Thank goodness the cod miso was very good. Serving sizes were more tapas portions, even at $32-36 per dish. Service was the best part of the experience. Michael gave us free champagne for my bday.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Will Shuck
We had a great experience here. The food was fresh, well-prepared, and beautifully presented — everything we ordered was delicious. The wait staff was friendly and attentive throughout the evening, checking in regularly and making sure we had everything we needed.
Even when the sushi bar got a bit backed up, they were quick to apologize for the delay and kept us updated, which we really appreciated. It’s clear they care about both the quality of their food and the customer experience.
We’ll definitely be back — this place is a new favorite!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Will
We had a great experience here. The food was fresh, well-prepared, and beautifully presented — everything we ordered was delicious. The wait staff was friendly and attentive throughout the evening, checking in regularly and making sure we had everything we needed. Even when the sushi bar got a bit backed up, they were quick to apologize for the delay and kept us updated, which we really appreciated. It's clear they care about both the quality of their food and the customer experience. We'll definitely be back — this place is a new favorite!
Paige Reis
Sad they stopped doing the sushi boxes to go, they were much better than the inside dining
Loved the atmosphere, we sat at the bar type seating where you can see the food prepped! So yummy
Alex
Service was not good despite there not being many people there, had to ask for water and ginger constantly. Rolls were also too thick with too much fish
Marla
Food was excellent. It took ten minutes for anyone to come over and introduce us as our server and take our drink order, and at that point we had already decided on drinks and food. There were one or two times when dishes were set on the high ledge in front of us and it was unclear whether they were ours, since no one said anything to us; the restaurant is not loud so surely we would hear them. We had to ask to clarify if it was meant for us or for a server to take to someone else. Maybe that's obvious to the employees but not to first-timers!
jeffrey
It was way overpriced.. I'm not one that typically concerns myself with cost as most places deliver on cost vs. quality.. but this place was extremely overpriced.. similar to gi-Jin.. I didn't realize it was part of the same group.
Magee
10/10 food was incredible, vibes were immaculate and service top noth. No complaints, will be back
I was recommended this place by a friend. Went with high expectation but left with disappointment. We ordered the nigiri special plate of the day and the fish wasn’t even that fresh. The street noodle is too salty to our palette. The food is definitely overpriced given its portion. This is really not that impressive, to be honest, knowing it is claimed to be a fancier flashier Japanese restaurant. The waiter was friendly but the service is slow. The vibe of the space is cool. But probably won’t go again.
Everything, from the sushi to the cooked food to the interesting drinks and desserts was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Some of the better sushi I’ve ever had! Unique ambience that made the most of an awkward space. Staff was friendly and engaging. I’ll definitely go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Golden Gai in Bakery Square has a truly unique vibe—stylish, cozy, and welcoming from the moment we walked through the door. We enjoyed chatting with our wonderful bartender Liz, had the chance to talk with the chefs, and were especially impressed with our server, Hiroki. His thoughtful recommendations and clear passion for what the restaurant offers added so much to the experience.
The cocktails were outstanding—we tried the Ryujin and the Fu Dog, both beautifully crafted. We started with the gyoza, which were truly next level, followed by delicate Madai nigiri sushi. For our entrées, we chose the chashu fried rice and the grilled wagyu with potatoes—both excellent. To finish, the soy brownie dessert is an absolute must. We each ordered our own and were very glad we didn’t have to share.
The pacing of the meal was perfect, allowing us to savor every course without feeling rushed. Golden Gai is a hidden gem that I would highly recommend. And while you’re there, give yourself extra time to explore Bakery Square—it’s a vibrant spot with shops, outdoor spaces, and other great restaurants that make the whole experience even more special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Was greeted by Colleen who was so sweet and was impressed by the food and ambience. Will be back!
We had a great experience here on a Friday night! The food and cocktails were delicious and the fish was great quality. Our server was excellent, very attentive and went over the menu thoroughly. Everything in the restaurant feels super curated, down to the ceramic sake glasses. The place has a moody, intimate vibe which we loved. Since it’s bar seating it is more suited to couples. Will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Meh expensive food. Coconut curry cocktail tastes like sour curry. I wanted to try something I would never make at home. The flavor just didn’t work. Yellowfin crudo was fishy and tasted like keylime?? Golden roll ramen bouillabaisse and wagyu were meh. It took 20 minutes for dishes to arrive 1 at a time. Thank goodness the cod miso was very good. Serving sizes were more tapas portions, even at $32-36 per dish. Service was the best part of the experience. Michael gave us free champagne for my bday.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
We had a great experience here. The food was fresh, well-prepared, and beautifully presented — everything we ordered was delicious. The wait staff was friendly and attentive throughout the evening, checking in regularly and making sure we had everything we needed.
Even when the sushi bar got a bit backed up, they were quick to apologize for the delay and kept us updated, which we really appreciated. It’s clear they care about both the quality of their food and the customer experience.
We’ll definitely be back — this place is a new favorite!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a great experience here. The food was fresh, well-prepared, and beautifully presented — everything we ordered was delicious. The wait staff was friendly and attentive throughout the evening, checking in regularly and making sure we had everything we needed. Even when the sushi bar got a bit backed up, they were quick to apologize for the delay and kept us updated, which we really appreciated. It's clear they care about both the quality of their food and the customer experience. We'll definitely be back — this place is a new favorite!
Sad they stopped doing the sushi boxes to go, they were much better than the inside dining
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Loved the atmosphere, we sat at the bar type seating where you can see the food prepped! So yummy
Service was not good despite there not being many people there, had to ask for water and ginger constantly. Rolls were also too thick with too much fish
Food was excellent. It took ten minutes for anyone to come over and introduce us as our server and take our drink order, and at that point we had already decided on drinks and food. There were one or two times when dishes were set on the high ledge in front of us and it was unclear whether they were ours, since no one said anything to us; the restaurant is not loud so surely we would hear them. We had to ask to clarify if it was meant for us or for a server to take to someone else. Maybe that's obvious to the employees but not to first-timers!
It was way overpriced.. I'm not one that typically concerns myself with cost as most places deliver on cost vs. quality.. but this place was extremely overpriced.. similar to gi-Jin.. I didn't realize it was part of the same group.
10/10 food was incredible, vibes were immaculate and service top noth. No complaints, will be back
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