One of the only sushi options in GIG’s Terminal 2
Gendai sits in Terminal 2 and fills a gap at Galeão: it’s basically the airport’s go-to Japanese/sushi chain. Info is thin on exact gate location, so plan a few extra minutes to track it down if you’re leaving on an international departure from T2. The vibe is mall-chain sushi more than special-occasion dining, and the overall rating hovers around 3 out of 5, so set expectations accordingly.
You’re looking at standard chain pricing: think mid-range, not budget, with sushi combos and hot dishes usually landing in the R$40–R$90 band at similar Gendai outlets in Rio. That puts it above a quick pastry and below the sit-down steakhouses elsewhere in GIG. It’s post-security in Terminal 2, so you don’t have to budget extra time for passport or screening once you sit down with a tray of rolls.
Menu style at other Gendai branches leans hard into Brazilian-Japanese comfort: California rolls, salmon-heavy combos, yakisoba, temaki cones, and occasional hot items like chicken dishes. Expect something similar here at GIG, not omakase or chef’s-menu territory. If you just want salmon rolls and miso before a GRU or LIS flight out of T2, it does the job; if you care deeply about fish quality and knife work, this probably isn’t your sushi night.
The 3-star reputation matters: reviews across Gendai outlets in Rio tend to complain when food sits too long under the heat lamps or when peak times slow service past 25–30 minutes. With limited specific feedback from GIG’s Terminal 2 location, assume the usual chain consistency: decent if you hit it at off-hours, rougher during big evening departure banks.
Practical tip: if your boarding pass shows a late-night long-haul from Terminal 2, eat at Gendai before the 22:00–23:30 rush, so you’re not waiting on a sushi combo when your flight to Europe or São Paulo is already boarding.