Ginko

I went here today with good expectation and new experience from other city. Atmosphere inside this restaurant was good and to me it feels like a cosy pub type inside in my opinion. When I looked at a menu and see the price of nigiri it was higher than average japanese restaurant so i asked the wait staff and see if they are using blue fin tuna instead of yellow fin tuna cause of price but she told me they use yellow fin tuna (yellow fin tuna cost lower than blue fin tuna and restaurant they use yellow fin tuna price the tuna nigiri no more than $ 3 but here was $ 5 (As example if yellow fin tuna comes $ 14.95 per pound than blue fin tuna comes $ 18.95 per pound) and also sometimes supply companies gives blue fin tuna even when restaurant orders yellow fin tuna cause they sometimes they have over stock and needs that to be used so they hand over blue fin tuna to restaurant with the same price of yellow fin tuna). The guy who looks like either owner or manager I asked him whether Tuna roll or Salmon roll comes as hosomaki which is rice on inside and nori seaweed on outside but he doesn’t know about it so i had to explain to him and he told me rice comes out outside but when we received both rolls, it came as rice on inside and it was no difference than any other place’s tuna roll and salmon roll (price is $ 7 for salmon roll and $ 8 for tuna roll which I think it’s over priced). 3 Special rolls that we got taste good and I was happy beside their ginko roll which has tuna and salmon and yellowtail and avocado and cucumber and radish sprout rapped with raddish. The reason i didn’t like about ginko roll was stuff that put inside for tuna was either co treated tuna (a lot cheaper than regualr fresh loin tuna) which is normally used for mixed stuff such as spicy tuna or they used fresh tuna but chopped into really small pieces. Salmon i am pretty sure they use scottish salmon which is best you can get normally from supply companies (alaskan salmon is normally available during summer season). Quality they have is good but not good as the price they charge you for. i spent over $ 160 just for food and i won’t lie about i came out from restaurant with full stomach but somewhere in my mind i felt like i been cheated for what i paid. Lastly if you are either owner or manager of a Sushi Restaurant you should know basic stuff of Sushi.

Have since had better view as I’ve seen more of what Cleveland sushi restaurants offer.

Happy hour is AMAZING to check out all the great (cold AKA premium) sake tastes at $ 2 a bamboo cup plus of course discounted simple rolls.

A 5-​star review indicates a restaurant is «As good as it gets!» and I think Ginko qualifies — A sushi restaurant in Cleveland can’t get any better than this.
Start with the décor as you walk down a flight from street level below Dante’s and enter a small room dominated by the sushi bar. The funky colored tiles, padded bar seat and Japanese TV shows or movies playing on the TV monitor. There also used to be an old Centipede arcade game but it was on its last legs (get it?) and when we showed up Thursday it was gone.
Then there’s the drink menu — full of sakes, beers and an interesting range of cocktails. For instance, I had a drink in which midori was the main ingredient — something you aren’t going to see at a BW3.
And then comes the sushi — the menu has a great range of fresh fish that are perfectly cut by Chef Taishi Noma and his team with the appropriate dab of wasabi, Japanese relish, etc. But here’s what puts Ginko over the top for a fish lover like me – they always have a long list of fish specials not on the menu (or any other menu around here). On Thursday, I was able to try Grouper as sushi for the first time.
Alas, I can’t make this a weekly trip as there is a price to be paid for top-​notch chefs and top-​notch ingredients. Jeannene and I had a total of 12 pieces of nigiri sushi and two cocktails and the price to be paid that night came to $ 86 before tip.

The most amazing sushi I’ve ever had. Better then the rest! Highly recommended. Try the Spicy Tuna and the Ginko Roll! They don’t put cream cheese in anything, but it doesn’t need it. This is real sushi the freshest most wonderful I’ve ever had.

Sit at the bar and watch all the prep! We didn’t have a reservation & were able to walk right in. The place is very small. We had 6 rolls and two drinks and a dessert and bill was around $ 80. Some of the rolls were over priced. The jumbo shrimp roll was the best sushi I have ever had. Ambiance is on point. We will be back

Recently moved here from Chicago, and after searching for sushi in this city we tried Ginko based on the suggestions of fellow Unilocalers and others. Sadly disappointed.
As i do with most new places, I order the baseline items for pure comparison — and as a first round we ordered a tuna role, yellowtail and scallion and one of their special roles. What we got in return was rice rolled up in seaweed with a sliver (and i’m not exaggerating) of fish in each roll. Sure, some will say we should’ve started off with the speciality rolls rather than the basic boring rolls. However, we had enough rice to decide we didn’t need to try anything else — 3 very small rolls, 2 beers and $ 55 later, we packed up and went to another nearby place for another drink and appetizer. Subpar, very overpriced sushi.
Cleveland, you deserve better.

Best sushi in Cleveland. Very fresh and very authentic for a Japanese sushi experience. Manager is nice, but service is awful slow. I used to eat here once, often twice a week when traveling weekly for a project. I had to stop coming because the service was so slow it took up too large of a chunk of my night. To some degree, I think this was due to preparing quality food, but too often I would see the waitress just chatting up guests and forget that other people were in the restaurant. On occasion, I have been served the wrong roll (salmon instead of the toro which I was still charged for), didn’t receive my appetizers until almost done with sushi, and then never received my drink I ordered. The phone doesn’t work in the evening so you can’t order to-​go either (even ordering in person at the restaurant for to-​go takes a long time — might as well eat there if you’re putting in the time to wait).
But alas… despite all the unfortunate experiences I’ve had there, I still think this place deserves 4 stars. It’s so fresh and delicious. Definitely the best fish you’ll find in all of Ohio. I seriously debate Ginko or elsewhere for dinner whenever I’m in town for work. Unfortunately, Ginko keeps losing the battle. Although after writing this review and reminiscing about all the tasty memories I have there, I may just suck it up and make my way back.

Dear Ginko, I love you. Sincerely, Steph.
But really guys– the love letters aside, this place is the bomb if your hungry for some authentic sushi meats.
This restaurant is located in the basement of Dante. Just to the right of Dante there’s a small sign and a magical staircase that basically leads to Japan. Read Ginko.
You walk into this place and it bursts color. (What does that even mean? I can’t think of how else to describe) The focal point is the u-​shaped sushi bar that probably holds about 30 people. Animé is playing on the tv. There’s a tray of Japanese candies at the back. «Where am I right now!!!»
So then Quentin, the manager, will give you the low down on drinks and specials. This guy knows what he’s talking about! Listen to him! He’s always recommending the most amazing nigiri, chef’s specialty, etc. Best part is that he will let you know how to eat it. «Don’t put soy sauce on that.» «Eat the head of the fish; it’s the best part» etc. My personal opinion– the fatty tuna is always a win.
If you’re looking for less adventurous fare, their sushi rolls are amazing. Try the foie and eel roll… It’s like butter. Also, I know it sounds cliché, but their shrimp tempura is one of my favorite foods on the planet. It’s rolled up with asparagus! Weird, but oh so good.
My only complaint– no cell service, so I always forget to check in on Unilocal.;) Ginko, I had to try so hard to find something negative to say about you!

5+ stars, easily.
The service, food, and ambience is far superior to any sushi restaurant I’ve ever been to. And I have a suspicion that this will hold true for a long time… even when my trip to Tokyo finally comes around.
I’m quite familar with the in-​state variety of fish usually served in Ohio restaurants… with that same variety usually present in most chain restaurants nationwide. You will find none of that nonsense here. I’m 98.5% sure I can’t enjoy sushi ever again unless it’s from Ginko or a restaurant of the same excellence.
Please try the 6 course meal. It was phenomenal.
I will definitely come back. No matter how far away I end up from Cleveland.

I’m going to skip the sushi review (if you’ve made it this far you should already know that the sushi is better than any you’ll find in Cleveland) and go straight to dessert. The green tea cheesecake is a must order. Perfect texture to the cheesecake itself, with the strawberry sorbet on top adding just the right amount of tart and sweetness. I highly recommend it.

I’ve got good news and bad news.
Good news: Ginko is a little bit better than a Conde Naste’s 2015 Gold Awarded 3-​Star Michelin rated Sushi restaurant with a 1-​month waiting list in Tokyo Japan.
Bad news? I had to spend $ 230 dollars on dinner in Tokyo to figure that out.
— Jay Zarkovacki

THE BEST!!! In Ohio!!!
I’m not going to any Japanese sushi restaurant anymore.
You must go if you wanna try Real Japanese sushi!!!

First and foremost, some of the freshest sushi I have ever had and I have eaten A LOT of sushi.
Last night was my first time trying Ginko based on my friend’s recommendation. In case you haven’t heard, the head chef reserves a handful of seats at the sushi bar in front of him where you essentially are served a tasting menu until you can’t breathe. There happened to be two spots available at the bar, and after speaking with the manager we occupied those seats for the rest of the night :)
EVERYTHING the chef put in front of us was unbelievable. Just an excellent selection of sushi. We must of looked like complete morons giving the chef thumbs up every time he presented us with something new, but we didn’t care. The food was outstanding and so was the sake selection. Again, this option is only available if you are sitting at the bar in front of the head chef.
Keep in mind that this place is all about the real sushi, if you’re into the whole westernized maki dishes with fried shrimp and covered in wasabi mayo Ginko might not be what you’re looking for.
The experience we had yesterday is known as the ‘chef’s table’ and you will pay a hefty fee for it. Next time I am in the mood for sushi I will try the food of the regular menu just to see how good it is but after last night I have very high expectations!

Highly recommend the Unagi and Foie Gras. I was not a sushi fan until I tried Ginko. Since I never liked sushi much, I was not familiar with how/​what to order, but the waitress was very helpful.
The room is small, but it’s neat watching the chefs prepare the food behind the bar.

Finally I feel brave enough to write this review. I say this because I wanted to love Ginko. Why? Because 1) sushi has been my favorite meal since I was youngster and 2) Ginko trees are my favorite and 3) everyone else talks to highly of it. Well, I was extremely underwhelmed by what I experienced.
Let me set the scene… I had already been to Fat Cats earlier in the day, and had a horrific meal there (yes, it’s been reviewed). So, we arrived at Ginko for a 9:30pm meal. From what I can recall we ended up ordering a two rolls (negi hamachi and spicy tuna) and then otsukuri (hamachi, sake, and shiro maguro). My overall reaction to the meal was that yes, it was fresh and tasty but not mind blowing-​ly so. It is just as good as Pacific East. In fact, I would say Pacific East is preferable since it is slightly cheaper, more substantial sizes, and more elbow room. In the end though… EH. I would go again, perhaps at a lunch time, but really I’m not going to rush back.
I will say that the setting was definitely quaint, which appeals to me typically. Most of the seating was at the bar, and then booth tables around the walls. But the bar seating doesn’t work well if you’re a woman with a large purse. So ladies, make sure you grab a crossbody before going here!

It took us three years and rave reviews from a lot of our friends to convince us to come back here.
The six course chef’s tasting menu is $ 79 per person. It’s six very small courses that are perfect for one person. Considering the prices of everything else, it’s the best deal, by far. Sharing is welcome! Basically, it’s 2 tasting-​sized appetizers, four nigiri, the otsukuri omakase (~ 10 pieces of sushi), miso soup, and a choice of dessert. We ordered this with no wasabi. The dishes were very creative, the sushi was fresh and expertly made. Very much a place for special occasions.
Takes reservations, but the place is tiny and you need to reserve far in advance. We were able to get a reservation for 5:30 pm calling a week in advance.

Ginko, the sister sushi restaurant of Dante, has never disappointed me. I can’t think of any other sushi bars that can even compete with Ginko. It’s been months since I had last been there – I forgot how great it is. When my boyfriend and I arrived, the place was PACKED. We had never seen it so crowded. It was a full house. I’m glad to see it is doing well.
Starting with cocktails. You’re only choice is the shiso martini. Literally the only choice. It’s a bit sweet. It’s a bit minty. It’s all delicious. It’s one of the best cocktails I have ever had.
Stay away from the cherry slinger. I repeat: stay away from the cherry slinger.
On to appetizers. I would recommend the spicy scallop chips (a scallop and tobiko mixture served on top of pringles with avocado) and a tartar (served with a quail egg).
Stay away from the maine lobster I repeat: stay away from the maine lobster.
They had the otoro on special that night, which is the highest grade of underbelly tuna. It was absolutely divine. It was like butter – melted right in your mouth.
The only roll you absolutely must order here is the jumbo shrimp tempura. It is the best roll I have ever had. It’s a giant deep fried roll of goodness. Bonus points for the presentation. The rolls are wrapped in pink, green, or yellow soy paper.
Only negatives of the night? We ordered the royal crap roll and instead received the soft shell crab roll. Also, they serve traditional mochi instead of mochi ice cream. I didn’t totally enjoy either, but it was cool to try traditional mochi.
Other positives? Server was friendly and knowledgeable; service was quick and efficient.

Probably the best sushi I’ve ever had in Cleveland. This place is tiny but has really cool atmosphere. Service was also great and prompt.
I had Otoro sashimi and their ginko roll, which had salmon, hamachi, tuna, avocado along with other stuff I can’t remember, and it was wrapped in daikon, which by the was amazing!
I’m happy I finally tried this place out, and definitely adding it to my go-​to sushi place in Cleveland!
Knocking a star off for a lack of parking lot, (but it’s in Tremont so maybe it is expected) plus $ 6 valet service. Otherwise, you should def check this place out if you love sushi!

Advice first:
Make a reservation. This place is small and books up fast
Don’t expect to have a social dinner with more than 6 – 7 people. This is for small groups.
The hot pot was like nails on a chalkboard for my siblings and me… not sure why.
Expect to pay a lot for what you get — it’s a truly unique experience. And be adventurous!
My husband and I come here often and always think of it for really special occasions (it was our last Cleveland meal before we got married). And for good reason — the staff is wonderful and it’s always an experience. There are specials every night — we always order at least one — and NOTHING disappoints! Shiso Martinis, miso soups and the chocolate Purin with mango dessert are our only go-​tos and all three are phenomenal. I recommend this place to people who love to try new things!