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Genki: CWPR Restaurant Week

I love a good restaurant week. A chance to try something new for as little as $15 for an entire meal? Sign me up!

Naturally, I was extremely excited to learn that CWPR Restaurant Week was coming back this year! I love this particular restaurant week for a couple of reasons: Most of the participating restaurants are some of my favorite eateries in town, it’s put on by the geniuses at the CWPR office, and the deals are actually worth leaving your house for.

CWPR Restaurant Week runs from June 22-29 and features prix-fixe menus for $15, $25, and $35.

Choosing a place from this list of restaurants really is hard, but I finally decided on Genki Noodles & Sushi. I went to the Virginia Highlands location, which was a wise choice because they have not one but two adorable patios and complimentary valet.

We started off with a couple of cocktails. Ninja juice for the hubs, Shiso Naughty for me. I liked that the drinks were refreshing and not overly sweet. We also ordered tuna tataki as our appetizer. It wasn't part of the CWPR menu, but it looked too good to pass up.

The dinner menu during CWPR Restaurant Week features a three-course menu for $35. For the first course, you get a choice of ginger salad, miso soup, or portabella mushroom, and I highly recommend the latter. The hubs and I shared the ginger salad and the ‘bella, which comes over a bed of crispy spinach and sweet soy sauce, which I am still drooling over today.

You get lots of choices for the second course: A number of noodle bowls, sushi rolls, or chicken and beef dishes. We went with the rainbow roll, which was perfection, and the genkatsu — thin slices of beef stuffed with cheese and katsu fried. It was ridiculous. It’s served with rice and a delicious, thick sauce.

And for dessert, you get a choice Japanese Napoleon or tempura fried Oreos. Obviously, we had both. I absolutely loved the Napoleon: House-made wanton chips layered with whipped cream and strawberries. It wasn't too sweet and was the perfect ending to our meal.

THE VERDICT: Next time you’re in VaHi, pop on over to Genki for a quick cocktail or a full meal. If you’re not a big fan of sushi, do try their noodle bowls (I love the beef, spinach and mushroom one or the Unatama Don). Afterwards, you’re walking distance from rows upon rows of bars, shops, and a delectable gelato place, so who knows where the night will take you (especially after a couple of Shiso Naughtys!).