Sushi Ichi — Restaurant in Parksville

Wish I took a photo of the chicken teriyaki! It was pure garbage. The plate was not sizzling, and it was not hot at all; the sauce was soupy, the portion was stingy and worst of all the chicken and sauce tasted off, and I almost never send food back. This was actually inedible so I told her kindly that I just can't eat this please take it back so she apologized and took it back. I had maybe two bites & just couldn't do it. When the bill arrived I noticed I was being charged for it so I reluctantly paid since I didn't wanna make a scene over 13 dollars in front of my children. I did ask when I was paying and she said sorry the manager said he can't take it off the bill which is the moment I realized the person has no clue how a business is supposed to handle a situation like that. If you really want to run your business that way fine! we don't mind spending our money elsewhere. I look at the 13$ as a fee I paid for finding out what this establishment is focused on and hopefully this can help others make informed choices about where to go the next time they want to go out for Japanese food in Parksville. Luckily there are many other choices. Thank you for your kindness and smile (can't remember her name). Our waitress was kind and friendly but that is just not enough for us to go back there ever again. Funny thing is we ate there less than two weeks ago so you'd think they can calculate loss and profits and make a sound decision in a moment like that with regular customers. Whatever.... My loss!...

This is by far the worst sushi I've ever had. The rolls are sloppy, the rice is not cooked properly & they throw in a whole bunch of random things that shouldn't be in sushi. It's utterly disgusting & everything has a vinegar taste to it. It's such a disgrace to sushi it makes me sick. This place should go out of business or start making food that is actually edible. I spent a lot of money only to be terribly disappointed. This is not how sushi should look or taste. I went to bite into my avocado & cucumber roll & it felt like biting into a rock. The decor and overall environment of the restaurant is dark & dingy. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, not even my worst enemy.

P.S. The prawn in the sushi is so mushy and gross. Definitely could give you food poisoning I already feel sick. The deep fried philadelphia roll had no cream cheese in it & the batter it was fried in is disgusting. The rice they used is not even the proper sushi rice!!! All the food leaves a bad taste...

I hadn’t been to Sushi Ichi since I last lived in town 14 years ago. Back then, it was my family’s go-to spot — a place we associated with reliably good meals and warm memories. Unfortunately, my recent visit left me disappointed and honestly a bit heartbroken.

The vegetables were nearly inedible stringy, tough, and more like insoluble fiber than actual food. The pork was rubbery and overcooked, lacking any flavor or texture worth savoring. Even the rice, which should be a staple highlight at a Japanese restaurant, was completely unseasoned and bland.

It’s sad to see how far this place has fallen. What was once a favorite local gem now feels like a shadow of its former self. I truly hope they can turn things around, but for now, I won’t...