Greatness at Genki-Ya – Brookline

Genki-Ya is the well-rounded guy you love to hate. His sushi rolls are huge, but they’re pure compact muscle with no fillers to speak of, and he makes sure you get your money’s worth. But he’s also a saint…just ask him. He offers a menu of diverse talents and is always up for a random romp. He works out to impress himself, not others, and he’s organic all the way. Fugakyu was my fort for fabulous sushi before I discovered Genki-Ya, and I fear that Fugakyu may now be forsaken.

The Rich Salmon Roll is a bulging pec: a thick, well-oxygenated pink fast-twitch fiber with a few stripes of envy-provoking green. The skillfully-shaved salmon hugs the top of the roll and pleases the eyes with aesthetic quality, not just brute bulk.

He is classically handsome, much like the Spider Roll. A tried-and-true reliable option, guaranteed to please the palate with its top-notch soft-shelled crab. He is a favorite that never gets old. He even adds intrigue with a side of creep-crab legs protruding from each end, and he is always a mouthful and sometimes hard to stomach.

The one issue with my forget-Fugakyu guy is in his friend Volcano Roll. Behind every prized man, there is that BFF you tolerate, part of a package deal. With several Freudian complexes, this roll tries to live up to the high bar his friend sets but ultimately falls short. The light crunchies with a tincture of mayo instead of the usually gooey cheese, shitake with some seared scallops supplanting the usual tons of fake crab just didn’t do it for me. It tried too hard fit the organic theme instead of letting its true colors shine through. Sushi so sloppy it requires a spoon? No thanks. Honestly, this roll was tasty, but he could work on attaining his friend’s effortless polish.

My continued nostalgia regarding the past year has caused me to start basing reviews on my close friends. In case you haven’t guessed, this one could only be Vish. Hey Vish, this review is, (like all things, always) about you.

Witty barbs aside, Genki-Ya really does resemble Vish. Genki-Ya sometimes takes itself too seriously, but is always down to try new things (even “fashionable” earmuffs), as evidenced by the extensive menu selections. Creative yet always down to goof off, his love-hate qualities are obvious, and the price for his friendship is beyond fair. He doesn’t ask for much, and when you crave his company, he’ll deliver when you call. So move over Fugakyu, there’s a new guy in my town…