Golden Gai

Hi Yelpers! The name is perfect because I feel like I found a golden egg within a 6 minute walk from my front door. This place is so cute and cozy! It's very unassuming from the outside but when you walk in it's literally the prettiest place . They have gorgeous mural on the wall that I couldn't take my eyes off of. We were greeted by Maya L. and she was also our server . Literally the sweetest person EVER! I was SO hungry and per usual my eyes were bigger than my stomach but whatever lol. The menu is extensive but not overwhelming. Yo guys know me, I'm definitely going to drink my calories first. I was torn between two choices but I went with the server recommendation (it smacked so hard) I ordered the Golden Gai margarita which is a house favorite and I can see why lol. For starters we had the edamame and the Chicken Karaage. The edamame was absolutely delicious but the chicken....... I have to take a deep breath because the waaaaay that this was the BEST 9.00$ I've ever spent! This chicken y'all .... It was so crispy, so flavorful and soooo juicy! Oh and it was steaming hot throughout my ENTIRE meal! I will be going back for that alone but let's talk about the sushi. I ordered the Tuna on Fire roll , the Crispy Munchie roll and the Red Lake roll. 100/10 would recommend. Everything was extremely fresh and well prepared! The tuna was buttery and soft and practically melted in my mouth. I didn't talk much because I was too busy doing my happy dance in my seat. I noticed that there was an area in front of where everything is prepared that had low seating and I didn't venture over to see if you could watch the chefs prepare everything. If you cannot see them, I think that would be an excellent idea. Anywho, I loved everything . It's perfect for a quiet date night or just a bite to eat. I had a very unrushed and tasty meal. I highly recommend giving this place a try! My total came out to 93.00 w/o tip and 123.00 after tip! Stop by and say hello! I'm sure they'll be delighted to see you!

Each roll was about $18 starting. They were both quality and tasty! The Star Boy, with seaweed salad, fried shrimp, fresh salmon, and tempura chips, was a perfect, and unexpected combination. It was the best sushi delivery I've had! And just look at the picture of the roll on the left, it's STACKED!!

The sushi was great here. I got the king roll and Mexican roll. The king roll is just wow. They put so many toppings like fried garlic pieces and crunchy tempura batter. The Mexican roll was fine. Probably didn't need as much lime as I put on it, but it was still good. The hand roll tasted fresh. I came during happy hour so drinks were $5/each.It was empty when we went inside but it's a nice spot. There's TVs and music playing. Service was pretty fast. I'd probably come back to try the other menu items.

We stumbled upon this place on cinco de mayo for their $5 marg specials. The margaritas were tiny and tasted like orange juice though. I got the house salad to start, which was fresh and a good size. I also got the salmon on fire roll and red lake roll, which were both big and tasty. Not the freshest sushi in my opinion but got the job done! My brother also got the chicken teriyaki, which was tasty too and a big portion. The spicy salmon maki was also big and a good bang for your buck. Overall there were some kinks (service was quick but had to be flagged down, they didn't know which table the orders were going to, no low sodium soy sauce). However the portions were big. The specialty rolls were a bit expensive, but everything was tasty for a non-Asian owned sushi restaurant.

This place is amazing. I ordered teriyaki chicken, tempura , dragon roll and Miso soup. Everything was exquisitely made and delicious. I would definitely recommend this place.

I'm with the most recent reviewer, NBT E.. This restaurant is fantastic! I don't understand their complaints. The food was fresh, tasty, and beautifully presented. I wish I had thought to take a picture as the rolls were colorful and bright! Brandon (Brendan?) was our server. He was super cool, knowledgeable about the menu, and provided excellent recommendations. The entire space, especially the rest rooms, was spotlessly clean. The space itself had awesome urban pictures, flowed nicely, and choices of seating, eg high-tops, low tops, bar, chef-side. Each low side table had a "stand" you could hang your purse, jacket etc on. Thoughtful decorations like these told me how welcome I was.I have nothing but the highest recommendations for Golden Gai. Already looking forward to our next trip back! :-)Ignore the naysayers & try it yourself!

Went to support a local business, was a bit disappointed. They were originally AYCE, but noticed on their social media that they were only going A La Carte for dine-in. Server told us they were restructuring, so still decided to give it a try.Overall, really pricey for what you're getting. Appetizers were probably the best part (edamame + takoyaki). Rice for rolls tasted dry and not seasoned with enough vinegar. Also for $18-$20 rolls, the portion of fish is very small. I was super surprised, but still finished anyway because we were one of 3 tables for two hours. During that time, 2 tables came in and left.Hopefully this place does better, but don't think I'll be returning based on food quality alone.

Great rolls. Staff is very chill and accommodating. One of my go to places for sushi.

I was honestly a little hesitant to try the place given some of the poor reviews from when they first opened, but we live in the neighborhood and try to support local businesses as much as we can, so we decided to give it a try. I think it's safe to say that they've worked the kinks out because we had a really great meal here and will definitely be making a return trip.First, the interior is really nice. Clean and modern with plenty of seating and some cool artwork on the walls. Overall it felt very comfortable and welcoming. We got a seat right by the window and service was friendly and quick. We drank our fair share of their $5 margs (such a good deal) which were tasty, well made and not what you'd expect from such an inexpensive drink. I hope they keep this special going as it's one of the best drink specials I've seen at a restaurant in recent memory.We ordered the spicy edamame to start and it was delicious and very spicy. We then did 4 different specialty rolls - we had the Golden Fuji, Tuna on Fire, Kiss of a Rose, and the Crispy Munchie - and while it was more food than 2 people needed, we ate every last bit of it. Each one was flavorful, fresh and topped with some really tasty sauces. I hope this place sticks around as it seems like they've turned things around and are a really nice addition to 18th street. We'll be back for sure!

Great meal. You get a choice of traditional sushi or sushi with a fresh veggies (Mexican) twist. Everything was super fresh. I noticed some people complaining about the margaritas. Personally I like the small $5 margaritas. It allows me to switch to something else without committing to a $15 highball glass all at once. Makes the meal more enjoyable.