Mini Japan — Restaurant in Quesnel

Jan 12,2024. -26 Celsius outside, upon entering the establishment was greeted with no heat. Little electric heaters were being used to try and keep customers warm. That wasn’t the only thing cold. I ordered a Bento Box and the edamame was frozen, the tempura was cold( the yam tempura wasn’t even cooked inside), the gyoza was cold. The salad did not have any dressing, was just shredded lettuce. When the teriyaki chicken came out( which was part of my meal) it was 4 little pieces of chicken on a bed of rice with lettuce underneath it, when normally this is sautéed cabbage with onion and a whole chicken breast. I did tell the waitress about the cold food and she went and told the manager. I am not one to complain about anything and didn’t want to make a big deal. I was not looking for any hand out or discount for the meal and absolutely don’t make it a habit to seek out discounts when I go to a restaurant. The waitress told me it was on the house and a few minutes later brought over a dynamite roll and said that this was complimentary. I didn’t want additional food but she insisted and put it in a take away container. When we went to pay we were charged for the full order AND the “complimentary “ dynamite roll!!! My boyfriend ordered a ramen bowl that was basically something he could have bought from a gas station and made himself! Nothing but pre-made noodles and broth with a bit of meat. We came to this restaurant earlier this year and had amazing food and experience, but believe ownership has changed as the staff were not the same. We absolutely will not be coming...

Well, as of January, 2024, my review has changed. Dropped from 4 star to 2 stars. I ordered a dynamite roll and a California roll. The dynamite roll is so large now and thinly cut that it has zero structural integrity. Good luck actually getting it from your dish to the soy sauce before it completely falls apart. The prawn inside was so small that It may have well had none. I figured my California roll would be better, as it was a normal roll size. Nope! Even that sucker was rolled so poorly that the roll opened up the moment I picked it up off of the dish! My wife ordered the Crazy Girl roll, which is basically a deep fried Dynamite roll. Again, the prawn was tiny!! The deep fried batter was too thick and under cooked as well. This dough dominated the flavor and ended up tasting like a raw dough roll, dipped in soya sauce. And once again, we didn't get the extra wasabi we ordered, even though the waitress assured us that, yes, it was in the bag. So disappointed. We've been enjoying sushi all over B.C., the U.S. and Asia for the last 30 years or more, so you know we aren't new to this cuisine. Also, our 2 orders of Beef Don Bury were almost cold and needed to be reheated, even though we picked up the order right when it was being bagged and only had to drive about 5 minutes to home. Going to be a pretty desperate day when we decide to try...

Being someone who lived in Japan I have high expectations for Japanese food, and Mini Japan just brings a total uniqueness to all of their dishes.

I’m an adventurous eater, so I’m always ordering something new on their menu every time I go, and the last five times I’ve gone I’ve never been disappointed. You have to try their Gioza, which tastes like the very best Taiwanese salty peppery chicken; The sushi pizza with its separate sauces is so incredible; the monkey brain (which I know sounds scary!) is delicious, and all of their sushi rolls are filling and tasty.

This isn’t the place to go if you’re looking for hyper traditional sushi, but if you like a little flare and fusion in your food, you can’t do any better. This will be my mainstay...