What are your top five sushi spots in Greater Victoria?
That’s the question the MicCHEK Podcast put to a couple of local foodies in a recent edition of the podcast’s popular roundtable segment. Roundtables often feature a panel of local “experts” selecting their favourite things.
In this episode, Robert Kowbel (@thesimmeringpot) and Janine Boom (@besteatsvictoria) joined Joe Perkins to create what they believe are 15 of the top sushi restaurants in Greater Victoria.
Below are the picks and you can listen to the episode here.
Robert Kowbel’s Picks
YuaBistro – 622 Fisgard Street
“So it opened during the pandemic. It used to be a Vietnamese restaurant. They redid the interior and it’s super modern inside with a really fresh menu. I like going there for lunch because they have some fun lunch specials. I think one of the cool things on their menu is something called an Oju box which contains some pressed sushi in a box. It’s a good way to sample some of their items.”
E:Ne – 737 Pandora Avenue
“A great spot for sashimi and I like that you can pair it with all different types of sake. It’s just a really fun overall experience. It’s a little bit on the pricier side I would say but it’s really good quality and they have a good selection.”
Gozen – 1005 Langley Street
“Something that’s quite unique about this place is they use a kind of red vinegar when they make their sushi rice. It gives the rice a very distinct look. They also make their own soy sauce in-house. I also want to highlight one roll called the Toy Story Roll. It’s spicy tuna with tempura and smoked salmon, flame-seared tuna and avocado. It’s a hefty roll.”
Sushi Belmont – 3016 Merchant Way
“I live out in Langford so here’s a Langford pick for everyone. Four pieces of tuna sashimi is $8.50. That’s a great price for tuna. They have big rolls and really good prices.”
Ebizo Sushi – 604 Broughton Street
“It’s more of an intimate vibe but it’s been around for so long. When I first moved to the city in 2005 it was one of the first places I went for sushi. It’s a total institution and I don’t think they’ve changed too much over the years but it’s consistent and definitely a good place to take people if you’re downtown.”
Janine Boom’s Picks
Sen Zushi – 940 Fort Street
“Sen Zushi is definitely my go-to place for a really authentic sushi restaurant experience. Their fish is always really good quality and really fresh. You can get cuts of fish or types of fish that you can’t really get anywhere else. When I go I like to keep it simple. I usually just order sashimi or nigiri so that the taste of that fish can really shine through. Another one of my favourite roles is the Umeshiso roll.”
Nubo – 739 Pandora Avenue
“Nubo does a really great lunch special. All of them are under $20. You can pick your main, which is going to be either sashimi, nigiri or sushi rolls. It also includes tempura prawns and yam, salad, miso soup, and then a couple of rotating side dishes. Every day they’re going to have a new side dish, so you don’t know what you’re going to get but it keeps things exciting. Again, all under 20 dollars and it’s a really hefty, filling lunch.
My Name Is Sushi – 3194 Jacklin Road
“They mainly focus on grab-and-go sushi but they do have an extensive menu you can order from. They also have a couple of dine-in tables. I order a lobster roll which is $20 but it comes with a tempura lobster tail.”
Togo Sushi – 1883 Fort Street
“Their specialty is the sushi burrito. You can pick whatever protein you want inside including chicken, tuna, salmon, or prawn tempura or you can have it in a bowl. It’s a super-hefty size meal. I can really only eat half of it but it’s a flavour bomb and it’s one of my favourites.”
Yokidomo Sushi – 4517 West Saanich Road
“They have a bacon tempura roll here. It’s deep-fried bacon strips, avocado and crab meat in a sushi roll. Usually, I’m pretty authentic when it comes to sushi, but this was pretty good. They obviously have lots of amazing other stuff but this bacon roll, I’ve never seen anyone else do it.”
Joe’s Picks
Victoria Sushi – 176 Wilson Street
“I want a big sushi roll. Don’t give me a little tiny roll, I want some heft to it and these are hefty. My recommendation is the chicken terriyaki roll. I get two of those bad boys and a yam tempura roll and I’m good.”
Fudo – Broadmead Village Shopping Centre
“The chef there used to be a personal chef to the stars. They bring in real high-calibre fish that you can’t get elsewhere. It’s a great spot for the sushi purists.”
Oak Bay Bon Sushi – 1467 Hampshire Road
“At Christmas time I had family out and half the people wanted pizza and the other half wanted sushi and we were in Oak Bay. So we went to Willows Pizza and Bon Sushi. The sushi was really good. Big rolls and very tasty.”
Brentwood Bay Resort – 849 Verdier Avenue
“I know this pick is a bit different but the resort has a really nice restaurant and lounge and they do really good sushi. I’ll never forget one of the rolls I had there. I think it had cut up slices of fine garlic and they appeared to be toasted. Delicious.”
Fujiya – 3624 Shelbourne Street
“I’ll wrap this up with the 15th pick and I think this is the perfect way to end. You’re in a rush. You don’t want to break the bank. You want some sushi. Of course, you’re going to Fujiya. Straight to the back of the store with the stacks of to-go sushi. I usually get a thing of chicken karaage for the road as well.”
Follow MicCHEK on Instagram at @MicCHEKPodcast to hear when the next ten slices will be sampled. As always you can listen to the MicCHEK Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or watch the conversations on the CHEK+ App. You can also view all previous MicCHEK roundtable lists here.
CHEK News
