A Revamped Genki Pulls Into Kaneohe

Sushi enthusiasts have been on an express route to dining heaven at Windward Oahu’s revamped Genki Sushi, where a double-rail delivery system presents all your favorites in no time. BODIE COLLINS PHOTO

Dedicated to following through on its vision to offer “better sushi today,” Genki Sushi continues to enhance the quality of each menu item it serves, starting with the innovation and convenience offered at its newly renovated Windward City Shopping Center location.

Reopened for three months now, the revamped Kaneohe branch falls in line with the company’s efforts to continually raise its standard of excellence. “We are committed to improving the quality in everything we do, from the speed in which we deliver our food, the taste of our sushi and the freshness of the produce we use, to the level of our service and the atmosphere in our restaurants,” says Mary Hansen, chief administrative officer for Genki Sushi USA.

The Japan-based sushi chain — which first came to the Islands in 1992 and now has 13 locations statewide — has done just that on the Windward side, introducing its state-of-the-art Express System that delivers sushi directly to your table in lightning-like speed via bullet trains and F-1 race cars.

“Customer service is very important, and our commitment is showcased in the $1.8-million investment and renovation that offers two double-rail delivery systems to our Kaneohe customers,” adds Hansen.

Joining the Ala Moana and Waikele shops, the Kaneohe branch is the third location to offer the Express System. This newest installment, however, features the most technologically advanced and light-weight touch-screen panels for ease of ordering four menu items at a time.

While the shop has undergone a complete renovation, diners still may count on enjoying the same great favorites they’ve known and loved for years. Best-sellers such as fire-torched Ultimate Trio ($5) of nigiri-style salmon, hamachi and ahi slathered in garlic mayo, spicy and unagi sauces, as well as Rainbow Roll ($5) with crab, cucumber, avocado, ahi and salmon, continue to fly off the kaiten-style conveyor belts that weave throughout the eatery.

In addition to its tried-and-true staples, Genki Sushi Kaneohe also brings new flavors into the mix with a slew of store specials diners won’t find at any other location.

Tempura-battered Ahi Katsu ($5), for instance, is both tender and juicy — and ever so comforting when drizzled with nori and creamy sauce. Another special, Spicy String Bean ($5), presents perfectly fried string bean sushi topped with spicy ahi and sweet unagi sauce.

As patrons are helped by a staff of friendly servers and sushi experts, they’ll enjoy other perks of the renovation — an ultra streamlined interior décor scheme with textured walls and cozy, modern-gray booths. The new-and-improved eatery now accommodates 109 guests, as opposed to the 70 seats it offered when it first opened in 2000. That means more customers may sit back, relax and dive into must-haves, from crispy Soft Shell Crab ($5) with creamy mayo sauce, to gunkan-style Ikura ($5) sushi.

Just as Genki Sushi has done throughout its hundreds of locations internationally, the company never stops striving to do what it takes to present “great sushi” and something for everyone in Kaneohe and all of its island branches. “Making small changes and continuing to improve everything we do is based on our vision of better sushi today. Genki will continue to evolve to provide better sushi today,” says Hansen.

Genki Sushi

Windward City Shopping Center
45-480 Kaneohe Bay Drive, Kaneohe (and eight other locations on Oahu)
247-9595
Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. (hours vary by location)
genkisushiusa.com