Maiko Sushi — Restaurant in Langford

A hidden gem in Langford!

Blink and you'll miss it: this little sushi restaurant literally shows only a door and one window to the world, tucked away along the side of the City of Langford building on Goldstream Ave. Unless you know it's there( hence this review! )then you'll likely drive on by, and you'd be missing out.

Inside is as authentic a Japanese sushi restaurant as I've had the pleasure of being in - I'd give it 5 stars, but as I haven't actually BEEN to Japan, I can't make that comparison. I'll update my review once I've visited with someone who has, but until then, it's a HIGH 4-star spot.

There are only two staff, the itamae( sushi chef )and the hostess, both of whom appear to be Japanese, if the banter was anything to go by. The itamae was very focused on his work, and the hostess was very focused on her guests: we never wanted for anything, and she perfectly polite in the way that a Japanese hostess should be. It was most refreshing!

The sushi was extremely fresh and well-prepared, with generous portions. No soggy sushi here: every bit was firm, delicious and had the right mix of flavors according to the dish, making it one of the better experiences I've had with Sushi within decent driving distance of Victoria.

The restaurant itself isn't big, with a half-dozen tables and as many seats at the counter. It's well-appointed in traditional Japanese style, with wooden screens and decorations evoking a simple Asian motif. It's bright, clean and relaxing, but not for big parties or loud conversations.

I'll be sure to stop in again the next time I'm in Langford and feeling like sushi, as this was a relaxed, delicious experienced I'm...

This place was amazing. Came on family day with our two young kids. The wait time is long but the chef (and restaurant owner) warns you in advance and lets you decide if you want to continue. We opted to because we could tell his food was going to be high quality. We ordered party tray C (nigiri not pictured but was amazingly delicious and fresh) to make it easier on the chef, and we were all very well fed after coming from a long hike. Our son (4) couldn’t stop eating all the deliciousness, and really grew his love for my favourite, unagi.

This place is very reasonably priced and we will be regulars going forward. Seating is limited so best to order takeout, especially if you don’t want to wait long for your food. If you have patience and want to come for the ambiance, you’ll be able to appreciate the decor and the immaculate cleanliness of a small shop run by one amazing chef.

Come for the atmosphere, great quality and fresh food, and show appreciation and patience for the chef for being an incredibly hardworking shop owner. (I highly recommend you overlook the negative reviews as they are seemingly not very forgiving or understanding of what this gem...

We tried Maiko Sushi once for takeout and won’t be back. First off, the door looked locked so we weren’t even sure it was open. Turns out it was, but we basically had to shoulder our way in as the owner yelled something at us from across the restaurant.

Inside the atmosphere isn’t great. One guy working alone, very abrupt and abrasive. While we waited for him to take our order, a couple of other customers came in and were treated just as unpleasantly. Then he shouted from the back for us to shout our order to him.

He told us it’d be about 35 minutes, so we went out to do something else. Came back, and it still wasn’t ready, it took nearly an hour in total.

The food itself is fine. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing memorable either. Definitely not worth the spirit crushing interaction.

Honestly just go to Sushi-ya up the road on Goldstream Ave instead. Way friendlier, much better energy, and the sushi’s delicious. That’s where we’ll be going...