Top Sushi restaurants in Surfers Paradise, Australia

Average quality food. Small and squishy environment. Rude front of house staff.
I had decided to come here for a quick and easy dinner while on holiday with family and because it was close by to where we are staying. I noticed on the menu “Egg Salad Roll” and I LOVE the egg salad sushi rolls. Considering back home they don’t make the egg salad roll anymore, I ordered 2 along with other items. The man who was taking my order seemed quite rude and didn’t say much. When I received my order I noticed that I received the incorrect order. I returned. I explained to the same man what I originally ordered vs what I received. He didn’t want to listen to me and told me “No you said you wanted rah rah rah” so I started getting a little agitated and made it clear that I knew what I wanted. He then asked me “So do you want another egg salad roll?” and I replied “yes please”. He then tried to charge me for it. I said “If that’s how you’re going to be about a $4.40 sushi roll, I’ll have a refund and will go somewhere else”…..He proceeded to take my order over to his little packing station, took out some rolls and replaced them with an egg salad roll then gave me $1 change. After calculating my original total for the items I actually requested, I should have received $5.40 refund from what I paid but got $1 instead. I couldn’t be arsed arguing with this stubborn human of a being any longer and so I just left.

BEFORE ANY OF THIS HAPPENED……while I was waiting in line, the man in front of me was paying for his food and accidentally gave the worker more money than what his total was. The worker looked quite sly about it until the customer corrected him and said “I gave you the wrong change”. The worker knew damn well what he would have done if the customer didn’t notice. Absolutely disgusted.

Very stale Crispy fried tempura crisps on chicken and cucumber roll - these were hard and stale. (Probably cooked the day before)

Found a bone in my salmon sushi roll.
Despite telling them, no apologies or offer for replacement.

Would not recommend.

Quite standard average Japanese comfort food. Ordered teriyaki chicken don, spicy chicken don, chicken karrage udon and prawns tempura udon. Each bowl individually prepared - I can see the chef preparing the food. So it’s fresh and hot.

Nice staff.

I ordered 14 pieces of mixed sashimi for 35$. And it came with tiny pieces of sashimi. the person who took the order was sooo rude and gave only 2 soy sauce and when we try to take 2 more and he was try to charge.

I will never go to that place again.

Situated in the Cavill alley next to Hilton hotel, this sushi train was very good. Food, service, price was all good and reasonable. Would recommend.

A friend and I always visit Surfers Paradise every year for a getaway. This time around, it was my friend's birthday, and Yamagen was recommended by his colleague at work.

Food:

We had the following dishes.

SUSHI & SASHIMI PLATTER / $45
Chef's selection of seasonal sashimi & nigiri (12pc)
SASHIMI TACOS / $24
Salmon, wasabi salsa & tuna, mustard soy, yuzu avocado, warm sushi rice, nori, watermelon radish, house spicy mayo
GYOZA / $20
House-made & pan-fried wagyu beef, miso mustard
SOFT-SHELL CRAB / $22
Soft-shell crab, cucumber, tobiko, wasabi mayonnaise
SALMON AVOCADO / $20
Tobiko, shiso

All the food was great! not complaint with the dishes at all.

Service:

On 06/10/23, we were served by a very polite waitress who guided us on picking dishes on the menu and recommended a great cocktail for our last drink.Very happy!!!

Atmosphere:

The ambiance was great due to the fit-out sparking a great authentic Japanese experience.

Would I go back to Yamagen? YES
Why? Because I'd like to try more food on the Menu.

Attached : Some images

Nice interior designs and great customer service. However, their foods quality isn’t great as expected. Sashimi was not fresh enough, the way they cooked the tooth fish wasted the fish.

We had an incredible experience & wonderful meal here tonight!!! All the dishes were delicately plated with well balanced flavour profiles 👍🏼👌🏼 My all time favourites were the Urimaki rolls and especially the dessert, Mt Fuji Apple - it’s an absolute must try 🤤 The cocktails were really amazing as well - courtesy of the excellent Mixologists 🍹 A big shout out to Samson our waiter and to Cameron - your service was second to none & it was an absolute pleasure to have you serve us, and help make my Daughter’s birthday celebrations a memorable one 🥰 You guys are an absolute asset to Yamagen 🙌🏼

It was a really warm place here. We had birthday dinner here last month for my husband. Just a small note on my booking information, but all staffs kept that in mind! He got the blessings right after we checked in. He got a little pudding with a candle as a surprise! Truly thank you for doing that. It was so friendly and impressive. Regards

Came from Sydney for the weekend, Cameron & Sam were our waiters they were so lovely and their customer service was AMAZING they recommended some of their favourite dishes & drinks which they were right were amazing!! Food was amazing and drinks were even better! Will be back!! Thank you Sam & Cameron especially for the amazing experience you gave us!!!!

During my stay at the QT, I decided to treat myself to a meal at Yamagen. The evening was quiet, making it easy to secure a reservation. However, upon arrival, the host seemed a bit distracted, possibly by his phone, which slightly marred the initial impression. But once I was seated, the ambiance and service quickly made up for that fleeting moment.

Choosing the Sakura Fizz Mocktail was a delightful decision, where the blend of Lyre’s London dry pink spirit, fresh yuzu, cherry blossom syrup, and other ingredients harmonized into a sweet but balanced concoction.

One minor setback was the unavailability of tasting menus for solo diners, which I found a tad disappointing. But, my chosen dishes didn’t let that feeling linger for long. The Aburi Tasting Set showcased fresh ingredients with impeccable presentation; the salmon, scallop, and kingfish each leaving a unique, delightful taste.

Continuing the journey, the thinly sliced Kingfish Ceviche was a dance of flavors, perfectly balancing the subtle tang of lime zest with the crunchy toasted almonds. The Truffle Wagyu Tartare was a bold choice, both in flavor and texture. The MS6+ wagyu was delectable, although the ao nori potato crisps posed a bit of a messy challenge.

To conclude, the Passionfruit & Coconut Panna Cotta was an exploration into a unique fruity realm, reminiscent of a "corgis" flavor palette. Venturing into this dessert was the right call, as it offered a refreshing divergence from past dessert experiences here.

Having dined at Yamagen before, this experience only deepens my fondness for the place. It strikes the right balance, whether you're in for a celebration, a casual outing, or a formal dinner. Without hesitation, I'd recommend Yamagen for a splendid Japanese culinary experience on the Gold Coast.

This is a superb restaurant. The food was extremely delicious, the staff extremely professional, helpful and knowledgeable. The atmosphere was wonderful. A more expensive restaurant for that special occasion.

Food was really decent. Sashimi was fresh and tasty, and the cooked items were really well done. Interesting and innovative items on the menu too. Highly recommend the beef skewer with wasabi butter.

What a great experience. Very friendly. Perfect idea for those who like to see their food before they order.

Having walked around to determine what to eat on September 23, 2018, my wife and I decided to have sushi here. Sushis were reasonably priced and we got what we paid for. Green tea was charged at AUD1 per cup!

Enjoyed our experience. The okonomiyaki was really lovely, fresh and a good portion size. The service was okay and we enjoyed the sushi we had. There was a lot of sushi, but not a wide range
The best idea, is to purchase off the menu. That way you can watch them prepare your food and eat it fresh. The Gyoza was quite nice too. It’s a short walk from Cavill Ave tram station. Cross the road in the beach direction and walk underneath and through the building. .