Sushi Ryu Japanese restaurant — Restaurant in Nanaimo

The takeout experience with this place was so horrible that it is depressing. 9$ item was left out; 40 minutes instead of 20 minutes wait as indicated online; packaging could be better; food is mediocre and expensive.

Drove 30 minutes to eat here because of the high rating on the google review. I ordered at 6 pm on the website and was asked to wait for 20 minutes. Went in the store at 6:21 PM and was told to wait 10 more minutes. I’m so tired and hungry but food was still not ready another 15 minutes later. Asked the server why it is taking so long. Was told 2 dishes were still not done. Finally got food @6:40pm. It is worth mentioning that food is poorly packaged. We ordered a sushi pizza which is too big for the regular paper bag so it was put side way in a bag. I was also told to hold the bag with the opening facing the side rather than up. However, there is a small box in the bag too. When I went into the car, the small box slipped out of the bag, and fell onto the ground and cracked open. Here goes my $8. Drove another 30 minutes to the place I stayed but only found out the real crab California roll was not in the bag. Really? I waited 40 minutes and they still managed to forget one dish?? Called the restaurant afterwards and was given 2 options - either having a real crab California roll “on the house” next time I go (come on! It’s not ON THE HOUSE if I already PAID) or have refund on my card if I physically show up in the store (I’m only a visitor here at Nanaimo for an overnight trip. I really don’t think it’s worth it driving another hour for 9$). As a restaurant, this type of mistake should never happens to begin with. I read more of the lower rating reviews on the google review just now and it seems like this happens a lot. Please try harder. Also, ebi mayo I ordered tasted and looked like tempera with mayo. Ebi fry and tempera are not...

Mixed Feelings on First Visit (Saturday, May 3): Great Service, but Food and Communication Need Work

I visited sushi ryu for the first time on Saturday, May 3, 2025, just stopping by for a takeout dinner. I placed a fairly large order — around $167 (close to $170) — for three people. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t fully meet expectations.

When we got home, I noticed that the premium sea food tempura I ordered (about $28–$29) was missing. I had ordered both a premium and an assorted tempura, but only the assorted one was in the bag. I called the restaurant at least 20 times to try and resolve the issue, but no one answered, and their voicemail box was full — extremely frustrating with no way to address the problem unless I drove back.

Food-wise: • Tempura: Overly greasy — more than what’s normal for deep-fried food. The oiliness lingered in the mouth and really threw off the flavor. • Chicken dishes: Solid. The chicken and sauce were well-prepared and flavorful — one of the better parts of the meal. • Tonkotsu ramen: Just okay. The broth was on the salty side and didn’t leave a lasting impression. • Sushi: Underwhelming. Not bad, but not the kind of sushi I’d come back for.

On a brighter note, the service when I ordered was excellent. The staff member who helped me was kind, gave helpful suggestions, and was very patient and welcoming with my toddler. That warm customer service really stood out.

In summary: • 👍 Friendly, helpful staff • 👎 Greasy food, missing item, and unreachable contact • ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Three stars — mainly because of the great service

Hopefully, with improvements in kitchen consistency and communication, sushi ryu can live up to...

We were both extremely disappointed in our service here, and do not plan to return. Don’t get me wrong, the food was actually delicious! Our waitress was cold, snobby, and rude: she did not refill or offer to refill our drinks, didn’t check in how our food was at all, and didn’t even talk or make eye contact when she brought our food to our table? Literally dumped it on our table without a word while looking away and walked off without a word? It was the strangest behaviour I’ve seen from a waitress, as if she couldn’t be less interested to be there. Another table, I noticed was having the same treatment and waiting for a long time to pay their bill, while the waitress was yet again standing around chatting, gossiping, and laughing with coworkers - paying legitimately no attention to her customers. I felt for them, because we were bothered too.. we spent around $70 and it felt a bit of a waste. The restaurant was not busy at all.. in fact quite empty, noticeably overly staffed with waitresses standing around seemingly bored. I don’t know if she was having a bad day or this is how she always is. I work in customer service and I’m truly incredibly patient and understanding as I know how hard it can be.. but this was atrocious service. Do better please.. the only time she was able to pretend to be even slightly interested was when it came time to pay, but it was too late for a tip. There’s many other sushi restaurants in town to enjoy and be treated like a human being. The owner needs to reevaluate and perhaps retrain select...