Gambas Japanese & French Restaurant

First off, this is what I consider a mini review (albeit a detailed one) as I only stopped in for a happy hour nibble & drink but there will certainly be a follow up review of this solid neighborhood joint.
Picture it: Belltown, 6pm on a Thursday. The evening chill is setting in, I’m on my way home from a 5 hour shopping spree, my feet are twinging & I need a cocktail. A quick check for a nearby happy hour (thanks GoTime!) & affordable sushi is what settles it for me.
Enter Gambas. Some mention the sketchiness of the location but, meh, this is my ‘hood so I’m oblivious. Inside the restaurant is cozy, warm, & aesthetically pleasing with great mood lighting. A quick review of the rather large happy hour menu of apps, hot items from the kitchen, sashimi, nigiri, sake, wine & beer, & 4 different cocktail options lead me to order the sashimi plate, shrimp tempura roll, & a ginger cosmo.
The drink arrived before my food (it’s the small things that count) & while tasty with pleasant, not overpowering ginger flavor & a hint of sweetness, was just a teensy bit weak for my tastes but I do like my cocktails strong. 1^st on the table was my tempura roll dressed in a drizzle of slightly sweet reduced soy sauce. I have to say this was my favorite item; a great portioned roll that you can manage pieces in one bite without the dreaded hamster cheek & still large enough to be wholly satisfying. The shrimp tempura inside was WONDERFUL; I tend to find most middle of the road sushi joints (like Gambas) think of shrimp as an afterthought & serve either mealy or overcooked product. Not here; the shrimp was sweet, warm, & perfectly soft without being too raw. My sashimi plate was good without being great. The white fish (can’t remember what kind) was decent in an appeasing way, my albacore was mushy & lacking any real tuna-​y oomph I enjoy when I do partake of the less sustainable fish, & my salmon was fantastically buttery & meaty (my fave pieces on the plate). Will probably skip this next time & just order salmon nigiri. My bill totaled $ 15.95 & I finished fully sated & quenched.
I did absolutely appreciate the good service provided by my waitress; she was friendly, prompt, & even helpful when I asked about a Unilocal check-​in offer that had apparently expired as they no longer accept these offers nor Groupon, LivingSocial, etc discounts. My only minor & not as minor complaints: she didn’t take my empty plate away while I was enjoying my other meal item AND two very visibly drunk ladies walked in near the end of my dinner (slurring heavily, hiccuping, twice didn’t know what restaurant they were in, likely to fall out of their chairs) & the waitress took care to point out their drink menu. Sorry, really off putting to me when a server/​establishment is willing to over serve.
All in all, this place has good service & a friendly vibe, solid menu items for that «got a sushi craving but don’t need Shiro’s or J’s» fix, & not so damn busy to be a turn off for this weekday drinker. I will definitely be back to try more!

We were so excited to finally check this place out on Saturday night. Got all ready, set out, got there, and they were closed… We checked and double checked the hours posted online, and on a paper posted in their window saying their hours had changed, but everything said they should have been open at 10:30 on a Saturday.
A huge bummer, very frustrating, and we were starving. We went over to Local 360 instead to try that out and had the best happy hour of our lives. Maybe I should give Gambas two stars to thank them for helping us end up there…

Went on a Sunday evening around 7pm.
Parking: off street — we got lucky and found a spot right across the street, but don’t know if that’s always the case.
Ambiance: Dark, hip-​looking joint, slightly sketchy as we had a view of the park across the street and a cop car parked in front. Music was a little loud for my taste — had to shout across the table (and we were the only ones in the restaurant). I don’t know if it’s just me, but the table also seemed a little wide — I had to lean in to talk across the table.
Service: Waitress was nice, a bit on the chatty side — I just wanted to order my food, not get a history lesson on the neighborhood
Food: The lobster salad was so-​so — the greens were quite bitter but the chunks of grilled lobster were excellent. The 2 non-​raw sushi rolls and both were good — the rice had a nice texture and flavor. The mussel appetizer was THE BOMB! They had an amazing mixture of sauces on top. Will definitely order that again if we go. We shared the red snapper which was on the salty side, but passable. For dessert were tried the tiramisu which tasted a little boozy, but the mango mochi ice cream was good (although you can get it at most asian grocery stores for half the price)
Recommendation: Ehhh, so-​so, may go again if they have another coupon deal, but otherwise I’d look elsewhere.

My wife and I dropped by Gambas tonight for dinner during happy hour. I’m actually surprised at the number of sub par updates I’ve seen over the past 6 months or so. We had an excellent experience this evening:
–Super cheap drinks during happy hour
–Very attentive and kind wait staff
–The edamame was very tasty and so was the gyoza
–We had a couple of sushi rolls that were all excellent (especially for less than 4 bucks a piece)
We will definitely be back for another visit and highly recommend others to check it out during happy hour.

Where do I start…
$ 12 for this water down well Manhattan? Or $ 9 fancy name that tastes like AMF? U gotta be kidding me…
We ended up with $ 75 bill for such below average food…
We should have gone to wasabi or somewhere else decent at least I would be getting the real quality of $ 75 food $ 75
First try… for sure would be the only try…

I had a terrible experience here! Do not waste your time and money at this restaurant!
After getting seated at their empty restaurant during prime time dinner hours, I got absolutely no service. No menu, no water, nothing.
One staff member talked on the phone for the entire time, the other looked at my table from behind the kitchen and did nothing.
I left after 15 min of zero interaction. I am pissed since I paid $ 25 for an online coupon that I could not use because I didn’t get any service! Absurd.

I hate to write a bad review for anyone, but I did not enjoy my experience at Gambas.
It was New Year’s Eve, and we were making plans for dinner. We made a reservation through Open Table, and we also happened to have a
coupon. I understand that it was New Year’s Eve, but that isn’t a great excuse for bad service.
When we arrived, they did not have a table reserved for us. We waited for 7 or 10 minutes while they scrambled around trying to figure out how to seat us. First they seated us at a table, then a couple minutes later asked us to move to seats at the bar. Not a good start.
When I presented my coupon to the waitress before ordering, the owner/​manager overheard me and interrupted to tell me that we couldn’t use it. He explained that it was New Year’s Eve, their biggest night of the year. I’m still not sure how that negated the coupon, but there wasn’t much I could do about it – I was hungry and didn’t want to cause a huge fuss at a busy restaurant. However, I assure you that I checked the fine print multiple times to make sure that there were no restrictions against using the coupon on a holiday or at certain times or on certain days. According to the coupon, we were well in the clear. That was perhaps the most frustrating part.
Unfortunately, the beginning of our experience colored my perception of the rest of our meal. I was not especially impressed by the drinks or food. We had some gyoza, some sushi rolls, and some other Asian-​fusion style dishes that were good but not great. And perhaps because I was expecting to save a little cash to begin with, I thought that the prices were a little… pricey. The food and drink service was also frenzied and erratic, which doesn’t make for a relaxed dining experience.
Like I said, I hate to give a bad review, but I can’t help it. I had a really terrible experience here. They get an extra star because there was nothing especially wrong with the food.

I’m sorry to even have to come back and give a mediocre update.
Since our first time to Gambas we have been back 2 – 3 more times and each time I’ve left more and more disappointed. Why? The food and the freshness I raved about before just isn’t there! We keep ordering the Poki Tuna and each time it is served differently (without the roe) and less fresh. We took an out of town business associate there last week and noticed the tuna in our poki tuna was kind of brown! I stopped eating it however, my finance finished ours and lets say was not a happy camper later that evening. I felt Gambas sushi no longer tastes as fresh and leaves my mouth watering for more like our fist visit. It’s not a horrible restaurant but after giving it several chances in case we keep getting an off night, we’ve decided to not revisit again.
Note: It is also very noticeable that each time we go, we seem to be the only one in the place. Maybe by chance 1 other party will come in, but not usually.

I enjoyed my second meal from Gambas today, my first one in its dining room. (Yes, folks, they deliver within one mile of their Belltown location!) The space is dark and cozy, with room for maybe 30 diners at tables, and 10 more at the sushi bar.
At lunch they have ramen, and the tonkatsu rivals that of my favorite noodle shop, for only $ 6 (they also offer udon and curry for this price at lunch) — that is very cheap for a downtown lunch.
Everything I’ve sampled from the menu has been delicious — top-​notch preparation and ingredients. My choices have all been traditional Japanese fare, but I am excited by several of the French-​influenced mains.
I noticed a sign for cheap sushi and $ 2 beer at happy hour — that’ll probably motivate my next visit.

Happy Hours: 5−7pm & 11pm-​1am
Happy Hour Menu:
Friend wanted to get some happy hour food and we landed at Gambas. After you get startled by the door slamming behind you, you’ll be present with a small and dark eating area.
I ended up ordering the spicy california roll ($ 3.50 /​8 pieces), shrimp tempura roll ($ ⁴⁄₆ pieces), gyoza ($ 3.5 /​6 pieces… I think), and tempura a la carte ($ 4). Nothing blew my mind away, but nor did it disappoint.
Parking: just got to find street parking, good luck!

we went there for valentines day 2011 and they had a very good special for the day. a salad, a mussle appetizer, a steak entrée, a tilapia entrée, dessert, and 2 glasses of champagne for $ 50. so the price was amazing…
the portions were good, the food was OK. everything was just a little bit too salty for my taste.

The worst sushi I’ve ever had, I’d prefer plastic containers from the grocery. The striped sea bass smelled like old fish and was mushy, I just ate a few hours ago and I’m still worried I might get ill. I sent back the second piece and they still charged me for it.
My friend had the lamb shank and enjoyed that but if you’re going to serve sushi, you better know what you’re doing.

How do I describe this restaurant?
Japanese? Not really.
French? Certainly not.
American? Ding! Ding! DING! We have a winner…
Allow me to explain. Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on simplicity in preparation to maximize the natural flavors and taste of the fish. Dashi, miso, and soy sauce are typically used which are low in fat but high in salt. Fresh quality cuts of sashimi should melt in your mouth and send you to nirvana. Gambas, a «Japanese» restaurant, obviously lost this mentality.
That said, HOLY MAYONNAISE BATMAN! Or since this place claims to be French, shall I saw aioli? In a word, gross. In a sentence, if you are looking for flavorful unadulterated sushi/​sashimi, avoid this place at all costs.
My friend and I ordered the Sushi Sandwich and Gambas roll. Both drenched in Gambas special spicy sauce which is code for about a ½ cup of heavy mayonnaise sauce slathered over every bite. There was so much of this crap on every nook and cranny of the that it was borderline unedible. It was hard to tell that there was even yellowtail, ahi or albacore present in the dish.
We also had the salmon collar, which was acceptable. However on the menu it described the dish as broiled, yet it came to the table deep fried. What ever happened to truth in advertising?
Something else that bugged me was their «Kahlua Crème Brulee». We didn’t order it, yet on the menu it was spelled «Cahula»:…hmm.
I should have seen the warning signs earlier when I asked one of the Japanese servers what he liked or what he recommends and he couldn’t respond other than, «I don’t know, I don’t eat here…»
I think that describes this place in a nutshell.

Ugh, the happy hour nigiri sushi was small and not a «holy crap the texture and flavor is amazing so I don’t care!» kind of small. Just little bit of rice, small piece of fish. SAD.
The waiter seemed pretty nice, but it weirded me out how empty it was in the restaurant. They had at least 3 – 4 people on staff, and I’m pretty sure I was the only customer in there. Not a good sign!
The sushi was fine, it was just… not that great a deal, considering the amount of food I got for some okay tiny pieces of sushi.
After spending about $ 15 on sushi and a glass of wine, I ended up leaving unsatisfied. For $ 20 elsewhere I was able to get enough delicious nigiri to satisfy both my hunger and my sushi craving. I kind of regretted going to Gambas first, because I would have much rather just ordered more at the other spot…

While I live really close to Gambas, I usually avoid it because of Kelly’s next door. Kelly’s is hands down the worst place in Belltown, and maybe even Seattle. I can’t walk by without being hassled, so I usually just avoid that side of the street.
I decided to go to Gambas today to check out their lunch specials, but they’re all about $ 10 – 12 and came with stuff we didn’t want, so we just ordered three rolls and split them. We ordered one California roll, one Philadelphia roll, and one spicy tuna — all of which were $ 5 for eight pieces. We also ordered miso soup, which were $ 2 each, and brown rice hot tea for $ 1 each.
I didn’t really like the miso soup — I swear they put cream in it or something to where it tasted off. The brown rice green tea was strong and good though and the rolls were a decent size for the price, not as big as Umi’s, but bigger than Sushi Wave’s. The fish was fresh, and the spicy tuna was perfect. The service was also pretty good with frequent tea refills but we did have to wait about twenty minutes for the sushi to be made.
I’ll definitely come here again though, or I’ll at least take advantage of their free delivery to avoid Kelly’s.

It’s basically an above-​average traditional Japanese (American-​style) restaurant with some French menu items (like escargot). It’s small and in an odd part of Belltown, so it doesn’t seem inviting, but once inside, I felt comfy.
I would put this in the category of semi-​nice, traditional Japanese restaurant. The menu didn’t stray too far away from sushi, gyoza, etc. So I ordered a chef’s choice handroll which was delish. Escargot was nice. Gyoza had a special something. Well worth checking out.

Hurry! You only have until April to get fresh mirugai (geoduck), and then you have to wait until September. It’s $ 3.50 per-​piece nigiri (although, you have to order two… so a 65 order), which was worth it to me. Then again, i like me some giant sand-​phallus.
HURRY UP!
Anyway. I came back to Gambas, not only for their $ 1-​per-​piece nigiri Happy Hour (certain kinds, like tobiko gunkan, maguro, sake, etc) because, despite its Belltown location, I consider it Belltown’s «black sheep». It is not the Wasabi Bistro with the «happy hour nigiri platter» or the same list of tempura-​fried-​everything that i am so g.d. sick of, where i can not find a seat, where every drunken sparkly-​topped drunken clubber is competing for the attention of a sushi chef that may not even speak a lick of Japanese.
I called from my car on my way from school to find out if Mercer was a decent exit from 1 – 5 to take, and the young lady on the phone reminded me of the cross streets without sounding interrupted or put-​upon. I showed up with my 500-​ton backpack, stuffed with chemistry homework. Upon arrival, she warmly remembered me and my name from the one time i came here awhile ago. It wasn’t crowded (around 5 on a Thursday), but i noticed one couple brought their little baldy 6-​month-​old baby to eat with them (how amazing is THAT?). Regulars come here too, not just throngs of people coming down off a drinking binge.
They have an online menu, but you should really see it for yourself in person because i don’t think the website is updated. I need to go back to try the entrees such as the escargot and foie gras, because they are not the typical styles. What i tried this round:
— Happy hour nigiri: $ 1each tobiko gunkan. Crunchy, fresh, and sweet! Not stinky like it can sometimes be. I love this stuff!
— Happy h. mackerel (saba) nigiri: $ 1.50 each. Only got one because i like it a little more oily or stinky. Maybe i am used to the conveyor-​belt stuff, which isn’t so fresh. So i guess that means Gambas’ saba is not stinky-​poo mackerel. Sad-​face-​Joy, Happy-​face-​You?
–Happy h. ika nigiri: $ 1.50 each. I usually NEVER order raw squid as nigiri because it tastes like warm, sticky glue. But i was curious, like a 4^th grader in art class all over again. I ordered more! This was delicious! No gluey taste at all! I LOVED it!
–Happy h. unagi: $ 1 each (or $ 1.50…i forget). I love the unagi here. That’s all.
— i also ordered soft shell crab on the app. menu. It comes over a salad, which makes you think, «Oh, another tiny salad with a boogar-​sized fried crab leg.» No… the chef who runs this place made this crab the best way i have ever had it. I don’t want molting blue crab buried in a «spider roll». I want to taste it! I liked the plain salad beneath it. Just a little citrus dressing so i could munch on it after my crab and me had our business. Because when it’s time for the two of you to get down, you don’t want a big-​ass salad getting in the way. After you do the deed, the salad is refreshing to nibble on. And the crab was not fried like a Double Down KFC nightmare, ok? This was delicate!
I got full and it was too bad because i wanted more. I did not want to resent my food though, so i left the rest of my curiosities for the next visit. I don’t bother with happy hour rolls, really. I like the $ 2 sake, and will be beside myself when they get their liquor license.
They are a little hard to find…3^rd Avenue and off of Lenora. It’s close to that awkward split in the road from the monorail off of 5^th Ave. Anyways… like i said, you only have until the end of April to have youself some geoduck.
And they are not open on Sundays. So do not try takin yo’ mama there for mama’s day.
*joy
p. s. they totally did not mind me breaking out my chemistry homework here. There is not a lot of room at Gambas, so do not expect long corridors like Umi or giant, private booths like a lot of Korean restaurants, but hospitality provides room in other ways.

dont you wish Unilocal had «half» and «quarter» star ratings, like Star Search?
Gambas, i give you 3.5 stars, but am rounding up.
Found this place on a saturday night as i was walking toward the space needle. it had a sidewalk sign that said «STOP! $ 1 SUSHI».
so i stopped, even though i wasn’t hungry and ordered «snack» sushi:
miso soup (was okay… and why did she give me a spoon?)
2 tekka maki
negihama
2 pcs of ebi (during HH, nigiri are 1 pc servings instead of 2)
friend had tempura appetizer, and 8oz of cold hakusturu sake (not the ginjo, the other, longer named one).
they used slices of tuna for the tekka, instead of the scraps. i appreciate. i think they were 2 or 3 bux per order.
definitely used scraps for the negihama… but i suppose that’s what the green onions were made to offset, but for some reason was $ 4.25.
sushi rice was good on the nigiri and rolls. maybe too much rice and wasabi on the nigiri, but still good.
tempura looked good and crispy.
overall, i liked the presentation of the food; even though our orders weren’t expensive, they were still visually pleasing. sake was brought out in a small glass wine decanter and bucket of ice.
also, my friend forgot his sunglasses at our table, and the employees were willing to wait after hours for him to retrieve them. good job!

The $ 1 Nigiri during HH and all Saturday is tough to beat– as are the $ 3 spicy tuna/​spicy salmon rolls or handrolls. The Rolls are huge– 8 good size pieces for $ 3. We stuck to sushi so can’t speak to the other food on the menu. Although I did give it a good read and I couldn’t find anything remotely French on the menu.
Fish seemed fresh and the restaurant was clean and nice enough.
Main beef was the service. Older lady was the only server they had working on a Saturday night at 7:30 and she was overwhelmed. She also moves extremely slowly… It took forever for her to come around with water and we watched our food sit on the sushi bar until she happened to see it and then bring it to our table.
Sushi chefs are nice guys. Really friendly and have some good skills.
My other beef was the fact they only allow one refill on Sodas. Who does that any more?
Are they scared I’m going to drink 3 or 4 refills and cost them an extra 25 cents? It pissed me off to have older server lady come around for the refill and say– «only one more refill ok?»…
Uh– no. It’s not ok. I’m thirsty and trying to avoid alcohol– just give me another coke and charge me an extra 25 cents!
Overall– food was ok. I’d stop by again if in the area and during HH.

I’ve passed by this place a million times and considered it, but was very skeptical about eating from a french/​sushi place directly next to Kelly’s, our local depository of human shame and sadness. But a friend of mine suggested it, and pointed out how fun it could be to watch the patrons stand outside and do their shameful rituals.
I went during happy hour on Friday, which I recommend doing because it’s cheap as hell and pretty much awesome (4 – 7)
The sushi is fresh and tasty, I especially like their spicy tuna, tuna and mayo are for sandwiches not sushi.
Oh, and I’m completely ignoring the French aspects of this place, don’t care.