I eat here about 2 or 3 times a week. It's about 5mins from my place and it has some of the most authentic Japanese food you can get for under $10.

It gets crowded on weekends so be prepared to wait.

Nothing here sucks so feel free to pick a dish and try it out.

My personal favourite is the Spicy Chicken Karaage.

My sister kept raving to me about this place so I decided to try it with my boyfriend when we were in the area one day. It was pretty easy to find, as well as parking. I ordered the deep fried chicken teriyaki donburi. It was different for sure...it had large purple/greenish leaves all over the rice (didn't care too much for the taste), large portions of chicken and rice. I couldn't finish it so I just ate the chicken and left about 1/3 of the rice. My boyfriend ordered the sashimi bento. His comments were that it was good, but that it was comparable to other Japanese restaurants we've eaten at. We also got the potato croquettte...it came with a sauce that tasted like Lea&Perrins sauce. It was okay but kind of pricy. I wouldn't order it again. For tea, we had to flag down the waitresses...the place wasn't that busy but they weren't that attentive. To get the bill, we had to wait 10 minutes too. For 2 ppl, bill came to about $28. I probably wouldn't go there again because there are other places in Burnaby that I prefer. Ambience...there's none to speak of. But what do you expect for a retirement home? It's just a place for some home-cooked style comfort food, I guess.

Mrs. C and I were cruising in BBY and we decided to make a return trip to HG. The place hadn't changed much since last visit. It was pretty basic in the dining hall, but everything was clean including the nearby w/c. Service was great, and they had lots of daily specials to choose from. I was tempted to get the famous 2 mackerels with rice and salad, but instead I went for the deep fried breaded salmon (also with salad) with a couple of potato croquets on the side instead of rice. My beloved dining companion had the tempura cod and prawns with rice and salad. All the food was terrific, except that my salmon was a little overdone. As for value it was cheap and we both ate well for 20 bucks. In Japanese, "genki" means (among other things) "strong". I would say this place is still going genki.

Based on reviews here, The Other Half and I searched out this place for lunch a while ago. Finding it to start with is an adventure itself...! But worth it, keep looking until you find it.

Once there and seated, the menu had many, many options. Set lunches vary from day to day. Their bento lunches sell out (we missed them, we were later in the lunchtime) Anything to do with raw fish goes very quickly, apparently.

No problem. I had spicy kaarage chicken on rice with miso soup, the OH had a teriyaki-chicken-don on rice with miso soup. I think, as far as I can recall, the total bill for two was under $20. Rice was perfect, of course, and refills of the tea could be had if you flagged someone down. Miso soup was OK, teriyaki-don was excellent, spicy kaarage was awesome!

Washrooms are down the hall, and very clean. Ambiance, as noted in previous reviews, is cafeteria-style. Service is very perfunctory, but quite adequate. They are always busy, so this is understandable.

Recommended....? Absolutely!!

Hi Genki is located in a japanese manor, so its not visually seen or known for mainstream eaters. There is always a lineup for lunch so arrive early and expect to wait! But its worth it! :)

Once you walk in, they will display some of their specials, so while you wait you can see what you may want to order. Most of their items are like "bento boxes".. but on plates. But meaning it comes with either tempura salmon, potato crockets, tonkatsu, breaded oysters.. and served with rice, soup and some veggies. for about $6-7 its a good deal for lunch!

They also have regular menu items, their tempura is very good value as you can get 2 prawn, 3 veggie for about $4. and you can get really fresh salmon sashimi for about $1 piece. it's smaller slices, but you can taste the difference! I really love their eggplant cooked in the style like agedashi with bonito flakes! for like $4! That is a Must-Try if you like eggplants!! :)

Everything is very authentic in their food and service! Everyone is Japanese, even the cooks! (Most Japanese restaurants are runned by chinese or koreans nowadays and if they are japanese, its expensive places!)

The ambience is very casual, almost feels like you're eating in a cafeteria, but if you don't mind the setting and just want good food then this is the place to be! :)

Cafeteria like setting in a sterile enviroment. I did not see any value in the foods. When an unspectacular California roll cost $4.95 I deducted a value point. Free underground parking was a big bonus with all the snow on the ground. But then again there is no above ground parking. Restroom very clean.

My family went to Japan on holiday and became addicted to tonkatsu, a breaded and fried pork cutlet. By far our favourite way to eat this is in a "donburi", a bowl of hot rice topped with cooked egg, soy sauce, onions and the marvellous tonkatsu. When we got back home to Burnaby, my cravings for "katsudon" became overpowering. Enter Hi Genki!

Since discovering this restaurant's charms in June, we've become regular customers. The staff are polite and friendly, and very patient as I try out my Japanese on them. I never feel like I'm being given less attention for being non-Japanese, as sometimes happens in other restaurants. The atmosphere, as others have mentioned, is clean and comfortable though you never forget you're in the cafeteria of a seniors' home. However, once the food arrives (and it's always quick, piping hot and marvellously inexpensive) you forget the surroundings. This is great Japanese home-style cooking, with hot rice, miso soup and a lovely variety of fish and meat dishes. Portion sizes are generous; I can never finish all my rice! The daily specials rotate often and there are even sample plates near the entrance, just like you'd find in any restaurant in Japan. (Note their samples are real, not made of plastic...) Their udon gets my teen daughter's seal of approval, and best of all, their katsudon takes me right back to the katsuya in Tokyo... it's addictive. おいしいよ！

Food is very well-prepared and presented. We ordered a hot pot and a bento box with sashimi. Every component of the meals is fresh and tasty. Service is polite and pleasant. As others have commented, this isn't a typical restaurant; it's more like a cafeteria - bright and clean, also very spacious and the armchairs are comfortable. Highly recommended for a casual meal.

sooo delicious... i am definately coming back for the curry again.. and maybe try something else next time...

went this passed weekend as my fiance and i.. plus two other friends wanted to check out the farmer's market sale..

sooooooooo delicious ! i know where to eat next time my car is being serviced at teamworks .. lol

Just had dinner last night at Hi Genki to visit a relative who lives there and had the BEST dinner we've had there thus far.

The food was fantastic. I ordered the oyako don while many others ordered various curries and other more traditional dishes. Everything tasted wonderful. Their oyako don is the best I've had in the lower mainland! We also ordered a few desserts (green tea ice cream, banana tempera, and another more traditional japanese dessert). Everything was delicious!

The service was truly outstanding. Our waitress was so kind to my fiance's grandmother and great aunt. It was definately so helpful that she spoke Japanese to clearly communicate the menu's with them. Our waitress was also very attentive to when we needed something or when we wanted to order even after the listed kitchen closing time.

The ambiance has improved since we last visited. It looks like they've updated a few of the tables and I think I even noticed a fresh coat of paint.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this little Japanese cafeteria to anyone looking for some tasty and authentic japanese cuisine.