Sam's Sushi — Restaurant in Area G (Mid-Oceanside)

Hello,

I don’t know what the hype is about Sam’s Sushi Restaurant. Firstly, as you drive up the atmosphere is uninviting it feels like a ghost town with barely any vehicles and you think “should I even go here?” I thought I would give it a try. Bad mistake…

Secondly, the menu is extremely limited; usually most ‘Japanese’ sushi restaurant menus are loaded with multiple pages of selection. The prices were horrendous! I get it, prices have gone up on everything! Trust me, I know, I’m a resident of Vancouver so I would know but $8 for a dynamite roll on the Island that’s highway robbery! Ok, I thought of seeing how it was, when the dish came to my table - my goodness the roll pieces were the size of a nickel in diameter, a miniature smear of avocado and not a fresh prawn with a thick low quality tempura batter and nothing else! ( where were all the other components of a dynamite roll?) Just google an image and see what should be in that roll, this restaurant does their own style to cut back on costs but still increased the price. So really I was paying for a tempura batter wrapped in rice. Utterly disappointing! How could you charge a customer for that quality of food served and not to mention the size of the portion. I left hungry needless to say. (I did not just order one roll fyi)

Thirdly, the soy sauce was low grade it was extremely dark and bitter which was an indication of not a true Japanese standard. Once again, having had sushi for 20+ years across Canada I would say this was the worse! Also, to add insult to the ludicrous prices when the rolls were dropped at my table table I looked at the amount of wasabi paste that was given and couldn’t believe it, it was a small swear for like 3 pieces of sushi; talk about being cheap.

I’m not here to hate, but providing honest truth about service and quality for what a customer is forced to pay to eat at Sam’s Restaurant. People leaving posts about this restaurant are commenting about the atmosphere and authentic Japanese ambience but remember people, just like marketing a sushi restaurant can buy props from Amazon for example and decorate a business and call it Japanese - don’t be fooled!

Thank you Sam’s Restaurant for your service but as you can tell I was disappointed. Sadly, I will not be returning, nor would I ever recommend your restaurant to family, friends, colleagues, or even strangers. I would be embarrassing myself.

I sure management will comment back trying to apologize for the experience but, I regret to inform you the...

If you're looking for a sushi experience that combines outstanding quality, fresh ingredients, and impeccable service, look no further than Sam's Sushi in Qualicum Beach. This gem of a restaurant exceeds expectations in every way.

From the moment you walk through the door, you’re welcomed with a warm, inviting atmosphere. The staff is friendly and kind. Dine in and take out are both available. Whatever you are in the mood for, Sam's Sushi has got you covered. The sushi at Sam's is nothing short of exceptional. Each roll is a masterpiece — beautifully presented with perfectly seasoned rice and the freshest fish you can imagine. My wife and I have been a fan of every roll that I have tried [and at this point I have tried most of them]!

I would recommend calling ahead as their hours can vary. Also, sometimes they are not offering dine in and only take out [for example recently there was a sign-up saying Fridays are takeout only], but this can be remedied with a simple phone call!

My wife and I are from out of town and make the effort to get a meal from Sam's Sushi every time we are in the area and always enjoy it immensely! Highly...

We were here 2 nights ago but have coming to this restaurant for about 5 or 6 years now every time we come to this area of Vancouver Island (we’re from Edmonton).

This appears to be a family run business and the establishment is relatively small in an odd location (no where near the tourist strips) but it’s quite easy to get in and out of with plenty of parking.

On our last visit we had 9 dishes that came to $113 (pretax). If you eat sushi regularly, you’ll realize this is very affordable but more importantly the food is very good. The sashimi is very fresh, the rolls had great flavour without being inundated with rice or gimmicky sauces). The chef recommended Amaebi (spotted shrimp) which we’ve never had before and it was very good (great recommendation - arigato).

The decor was simple but you’re not there for the decor. If you want great, affordable sushi, go to Sam’s Sushi and support a...