Restaurant: Gari Japanese Restaurant, Brookline, MA

The Gari Japanese Restaurant is one of many Sushi restaurants within about a 3 block stretch on Harvard Ave in Coolidge Corner, Brookline. It's a very small and cozy space with a nice atmosphere. The restaurant is usually rather quiet, which makes it a great spot for dates.

Salmon, white tuna, tuna

The nigiri sushi here is pretty good, though the pieces are a little too big to be eaten in one bite. I was forced to violate the cardinal rule of sushi eating and ate in two bites, in order to avoid choking. (The plus side to the larger pieces is, of course, that the sushi is rather affordable for the amount that you get.)

Warm sake (large)

The drinks are fairly standard--green tea, assortment of sake. We ordered a "large" carafe of warm sake, which came piping hot and warmed us despite the cold night. The large carafe isn't actually that large, but is the standard "large" size for the sushi restaurants that I've been to in the area.

Geisha maki, scorpion maki.

There was also a nice selection of maki (sushi rolls) here. We ended up ordering the geisha maki and the scorpion maki.

The geisha maki was a very interesting roll and was rather lovely, though the taste was not the best. The maki is wrapped in pink soy paper instead of nori (seaweed). The "kimchi sauce" on this maki didn't actually taste like kimchi; it's most likely cho-gochujang, which is a vinegared korean red pepper sauce. The scorpion maki was a pretty standard offering, but didn't have any stand out characteristics.

Overall, Gari is a great place to go for a quiet romantic dinner or for small groups. The food is good and the pricing is very fair for the quality and taste.

Gari
187 Harvard St
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 277-2999
http://garifusionbrookline.com

Price: $$

Taste: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5

Value: 4/5

HHR Rating:  Cozy, cute restaurant.