We walked in here and the place was empty which made us very skeptical of the rating. There was not a lot of staffing (as with most businesses these days) and we originally thought service was slow. After our food came out we realized that everything was oversized and delicately arranged. The flavours were excellent. Presentation was excellent. I still could not believe that this gem was empty. Warning to everyone like us that order as if you’re at an all you can eat, the portions are massive. We ordered 3 rolls and a seaweed salad for two people and we took half the rolls as take away. Highly recommend this place. I learned an important lesson about judging a book by its cover.
I always go to Goen if I'm near the farmer's market or after. The food that I tried here is always so fresh and amazingly delicious. In particular, the sushi rolls are 2 sizes bigger than other sushi restaurants. It is unbelievably high quality. I'm not a person to leave a review, but this place is like a hidden gem. I want everyone to try their food. I want to proceed trying the food, and one day try every food at Goen.
I got the Goen boat. The salmon and tuna were not fresh - visually, and from taste. The fish was shiny and mushy, and the tuna in particular was heavily oxidized by its dark grey colour. Some of the salmon sashimi was marinated in teriyaki style sauce, which did not taste good.When I went up to the chef and told her the feedback, she insisted that the fish was fresh and that this is the right way to serve the fish. Because of food safety concerns, we did not finish the dish. We paid full price for it ($49 plus tax).Maybe they were having an off day, but I didn’t expect them to blatantly ignore our feedback like that. So despite the high reviews for this place, I did not have a good experience here.
I came here for lunch with my wife. We were not impressed by the restaurant's lack of interior decor but didn't think much of it as we thought perhaps the food would make up for our experience. We saw the pictures posted by previous customers and were looking forward to a nice meal. But we were disappointed.We ordered the Goen boat and assorted spicy rolls. I was disturbed to find a hair in my salad bowl after I finished the salad. The salmon sashimi was not fresh. The torched white fish sashimi was wet, flaky, and half cooked. Our spicy rolls had very little fish content and consisted mainly of tempura bits. We were in for further disappointments.This is a Korean establishment. I have had wonderful experiences at Korean owned Japanese restaurants before. But not this one. As we were dining, a Korean family came in and sat behind us. My wife is fluent in Korean and overheard the waitress tell the Korean diners that they would be served the "fresh" salmon. Additionally, the Korean family was given tempura appetizers "on the house." I firmly believe that all customers should be given equal treatment and I will not be returning to this restaurant.
Came here for dinner and EVERYTHING was fabulous!! The service from the two gentleman was superb. What really stood out was the amazing food. Mom and I ordered a maki combo and seafood udon.The fish was fresh and expertly wrapped with only a thin layer of rice. The seafood udon hit the spot on a cold winter's evening, and the broth tasted like it took hours to prepare.I will be returning to this restaurant when I head back to Waterloo in 3 weeks. Service, food, ambiance: everything was perfect! Thank you :)
Best maki in town! Highly recommended, fresh and delicious meals. The staff is super friendly and the atmosphere is very calming and welcoming :)Must Try: Kelsey Roll
We used to love this place when it was Yumiyaki, but the change of ownership accompanied a decline in service. Specifically, they don't answer their phone, and they have NEVER (in over a year) set up any kind of message on their voicemail. Not even a "we're sorry we can't answer the phone right now." We want to like this place, we really do, but I just spent a half hour trying to reach someone. I had a time set to try every 3 minutes. This is at least the 5th or 6th time I have spent this long trying to get through to someone before giving up. So, unfortunately for Goen, Ken's Sushi is now our go-to place. They always pick up the phone - even if they have to immediately put me on hold - and they are unfailingly cheerful and polite.
Really delicious family run sushi spot. Everything is fresh and beautifully made. They have a lot of interesting house rolls and plenty of veggie options!
I love Goen! The sushi is fresh and delicious and the owners are fantastic.
My daughter ordered all the food I can't pronounce and it was delicious. A great overall experience and the staff were very nice. We will definitely return.