sen zushi

outstanding sushi and fresh japanese. very friendly and helpful staff. the restaurant underwent changes and making it fancier than before which is nice. it is not stuffy. it was busy and noisy on the last two occasions we went with the family but i prefer a quieter environment. themenuis very large making it hard to choose. however it does not compromise the quality of the excellent sushi is served. the rice is always super fresh and tasty, cooked to perfection. the fish is the freshest and you can see the care put into the sushi and nigiri. i also like the chef recommendations, the starters and the wine was very good. i would recommend sen zushi for families and couples looking for an authentic japanese experience.

good sushi, surprisingly traditional. we chose sen zushi based on several reviews and blogs listing it as victoria's best sushi. made a reservation in advance for a saturday evening. based on reviews, we had incorrectly expected a more contemporary atmosphere. it was very traditional japanese, decor reminiscent of 20 or more years ago, but the food was solid. we were told it was japanese owned and operated. (other reviews note that the sushi chefs trained in japan. only place i've ever been with an anglo female behind the sushi bar, but the results were excellent, just an amusing observation.)

it was crowded when we arrived at 7:30pm, but had cleared out in about 45 minutes. it closes at 9pm, and the kitchen made last call at least 30 minutes in advance, so plan to go early. we were tourists in victoria, but, in general, we were surprised at how early people ate and restaurants closed.

themenuwas not sushi focused, with lots of traditional main courses, appetizers, etc. that said, the sushi was quite good, with a wide variety of options, many contemporary specials. some of our crowd needed some quick calories, so we started with both pork and prawn gyoza (pan fried dumplings), which were excellent. one in our crowd went traditional and had a braised beef donburi dish with egg, she said it was quite good. the rest of us ate sushi, all were pleased. we focused on sockeye salmon, given the region and time of year. traditional nygeri sushi and sashimi were both quite good, larger than the normal pieces we were accustomed to, but who's complaining? a nice variety of rolls, and they volunteered to customize, since i don't like cucumbers. quality of fish was excellent and preparation showed attention to detail.

service was not polished, but trying hard, willing, with a great attitude.

wine list is very limited, but focus was on premium sakes, so we drank the recommended bottle. i'm not experienced enough to provide an informed review, but we enjoyed it.

i would recommend this restaurant without reservation. willing service and sound cooking/food preparation, quality ingredients.

absolutely consistent and sublime. we have eaten here regularly (like once a week) for years. always fabulous. friendly service,menuitems absolutely consistent. favorites: zuka tekka don, vegetarian gyoza, bc roll, yam tempura roll.

authentic as it can be. sen zushi was one of the most authentic sushi place we've ever been in canada. i can say this since i'm from japan:) japanese owner and chef pretty much says it all. there were a lot of original maki's that i've never seen and they were awesome! hugemenuselection, atmosphere very quaint. waitresses were all very freindly and cute too. it's a must go if you're in victoria, you won't be sorry!!

really good food!. i love everything sushi and sashimi on theirmenu:d the atmosphere is amazing (the lighting an decor especially!), the chefs are superb, and the servers are well trained. a bit on the pricy side, but well worth it!

really expensive on fort street. they aren't even downtown and themenuis priced expensive. in short i picked up this girl (i think she is japanese) and wanted to close the deal so took her to 'sen zushi' for lunch. turns out she doesn't like sushi either. she said she doesn't eat it much and eats cooked restaurant meals. still the bill was too high and i didn't even need sen zushi to close the deal with my new friend.

yum!!!. my favourite sushi place in victoria! they have very differentmenufor sushi! it's good to have something interesting. reasonable pricing too! must go again!

the best experience on vancouver island. i've been a regular at sen zushi for several years, and i've never been disappointed. they are serving a fine dinningmenuat a very reasonable price.
and if you are a fan of eel, their unagi bateria is incredible. if you're thinking about going out for sushi in victoria, i wouldn't even consider anywhere else.

one of the best. i personally believe sen zushi is one of the top sushi place in victoria. i love everything about it. theirmenuhas lots of food for people to choose from and most of the time, it is very difficult to choose because everything sounds soo yummy. their sushi is always fresh and taste good!!! my favourite are:
- sunset roll
- katsu don (if you are hungry, any donburi will make you feel soo satified because they are big)
- my favourite ice cream- the black sesame icecream
i don't have a particular favourite sushi because everything is good!!! you'll want to go there many times once you try it the first time :)

the top of its class. sen zushi has always been a popular japanese restaurants among locals, and foreigners (ex japanese, chinese). i have been a loyal sen zushi customer for 3 years, and i was never dissapointed with the quality of food, and service. the kitchen staffs are constantly creating new dishes to put on the special (seasonal menu). for example, the chefs introduce seasonal fresh seafood, new japanese tapas (shrimp dumplings, takoyaki), and other special regional dishes. the decorations resemble the traditional and contemporary japanese culture. although i think the ambience and decorations can be changed as these decorations had remaind the same for three years, the quality of food is just simply amazing.

despite the price of katsu don (pork cutlet rice) changed from $9.00 to $9.95 to $10.95 now, this dish has remained my favorite dish. the pork is cooked perfectly, where other japanese restaurants in vic (shizen, shiki) would always overcook the pork cutlets. the sashimi are very fresh, and the decorations on the sashimi dishes showed the culinary skills of te main sushi chefs. although most people would realize that the sashimi and sashimi combos in shima, osaka or shizen sushi are cheaper, the quality of the sashimi is simply amzaing and well worth the price.

although some patrons think the service is slow and poor, i have nevered expeienced a poor service day and i am always happy with the service. when others see japanese people who like sen, you know this place is the best in victoria.


-----11 aug, 2010-----

great as usual. i agree with the recent post that there is nothing wrong at sen zushi. i beleive the reason why the food was not good during april and may (according to the two previous posts) was that the main chefs were on holiday. i have eaten at this place for 3 years, and mostly i come once or twice a month or once every two months. i do notice food was not so good during april/may for the past 3 years. i have tried about 2/3 of the items on the menu, and themenuis really extensive. i went there yesterday, and the sushi and oysters were great. although the price of sushi is slight more expensive than other sushi places, it is definitely worth the place.

not bad and not fantastic pretty middle of the road for japanese restaurants in vic. it was busy when we went but the service did not suffer cause of it which i loved. themenuwas a little too broad and is the biggest i've seen yet for this type of restaurant. the food itself was good, although the prices tended to be a little high for things like rolls and cones. all-in-all a decent place to go.

a little disappointing.. the exterior of this restaurant led me to believe that i would be traveling back in time to the high-rolling 1980s, when japan was the darling of the asian economies. nintendo, bullet trains, private booths, slippers, and an overvalued yen all came to mind.
upon entering, i was disappointed. no private booths. no slippers. no business men in gray suits sipping sake. nevertheless, the food was okay, but quite greasy. service was good and prompt. themenuwas robust, and i wondered perhaps, if this restaurant isn't trying to be all things japanese to all people.
whatever the case, like contemporary japan, this place could use a thorough overhaul, and some fresh ideas. as the number of japanese restaurants in victoria continues to burgeon, sen zushi could find itself slipping into stagnation if it doesn't adapt to this ever-changing, highly competitive market.

i am a regular, what else can i say? i typically have lunch here once or twice a week and it is the most frequent place i go for dinner. it is good value for the money. is it perfect? i don't think so. every time i go through themenui am hoping to see s