168 Sushi Buffet — Restaurant in Vaughan

This was one of the worst buffet experiences I’ve had in Toronto and giving it 1 star is honestly the highest I can justify.

To begin with, we weren’t even given wasabi when seated. For a place that markets itself as a sushi buffet, failing to offer wasabi without request is already a red flag. What made it worse was how difficult it was to get the attention of a server to ask for basic things like this.

The sashimi quality was really bad. The surf clam (hokkigai) was extremely dry—like it had been sitting in a fridge for days—and the red snapper (tai) was sliced so thin that it lacked any proper texture. It didn’t taste fresh either, and overall gave off the impression of cheap, low-effort preparation.

The takoyaki was another major letdown. It was oddly shaped, tasteless, and just poorly made—definitely not something I’d expect from a Japanese-style buffet. We also encountered several ordering issues: for instance, we ordered bulgogi and stir-fried vegetables using the tablet, but the dishes served looked completely different from the images shown. The stir-fried vegetables even included meat, which wasn’t in the photo at all.

And then came the charge for leftover food. Despite explaining that the only reason we didn’t finish some items was because of poor quality, we were still told to pay an extra fee.

We had ordered octopus sashimi during our first round, but left a few slices because it didn’t taste fresh. About 20-30 minutes later, we decided to give it another shot, thinking the second batch might be better. We couldn’t finish it again for the same reason. At checkout, the server used this second order to justify the extra charge, claiming that if it was truly a quality issue, we shouldn’t have ordered it again. But how would we know for sure unless we tried again? The logic here was just absurd.

When we raised the issue about how thin the red snapper was sliced, the server replied, “It’s always like that here.” But as first-time customers, how are we supposed to know that your standard has always been this low? If I complain about the sashimi being dry or watery, I’m comparing it to the quality I’ve had elsewhere—which, frankly, is far better. Just because your regulars don't complain doesn't mean your food is acceptable. Everyone has different tastes, and dismissing feedback just because “no one else said anything” is an awful way to treat customers.

For two people, our final bill including tax and the $3 penalty charge came to $100.55. At that price point—or even less—there are plenty of far better Japanese or Asian buffets in Toronto that offer both superior quality and respectful service. This was our first and definitely last time visiting 168 Sushi.

Also, I’d like to apologize for not being able to provide more photos. I usually don’t write Google reviews and don’t have the habit of taking pictures of my food. The one photo I did take was originally meant to be shared privately with a friend, just to show how the food served at 168 Sushi looked noticeably different from what was shown on the ordering tablet. The two dishes in the photo were supposed to be stir-fried vegetables and bulgogi. The tablet clearly showed a picture of the restaurant’s version of bulgogi, yet what we received looked nothing like it—and throughout the entire meal, I never even saw a single piece of broccoli, which was shown in the photo. At the time, I honestly wasn’t planning to post a public review, but after the whole experience, I felt that future customers...

First of all, I was served raw chicken and when I told the server, I didn’t even get an apology, just a dirty look and asked me if I wanted to reorder. Whatever, it’s my first time here and I’m not going to let one unprofessional staff ruin the experience for me. I’ll let it slide.

A bit later on, we asked for the bill at 9:30, knowing that the restaurant closes at 10 as to help them speed up the process of closing for the day. As soon as we asked, a girl in glasses rudely tells us “we’re going to charge you for all the leftovers” WHILE we’re still eating. We then explained to her that we’re still eating and if they want us to pay later then so be it. While we’re finishing our food, every single of the waitresses started circling us, giving us dirty looks, and whispering to each other. Just disgusting behaviour… I don’t care if you need to go home at 10:00 pm sharp, if your hours are open until 10:00 then customers should be able to eat until 10:00. You going home right on time doesn’t take priority over paying customers eating at your restaurant. Get that in your heads.

I was furious and wanted to complain to the manager about the raw chicken after this ordeal, but the same girl with glasses gave me attitude and a sarcastic tone that their company policy isn’t responsible?? I asked to speak to a manager and she said yeah okay I’ll tell the manager, I then asked if the manager is even here and she said “nope I think they’re gone already”. Just unbelievable how some people have jobs in service but think it’s acceptable to behave like that.

While we were paying our bill we were $5 short for 15% tip (honestly didn’t even want to tip at all), and then once again another waitress complained and said it was a MANDATORY 15% even though it said “suggested tip”. I googled this and unless it was written in the menu somewhere, you cannot force customers to give a certain amount of tip. So on top of all this they swindle us for more money for horrible and disgusting service. Just unbelievable. Night was literally ruined by these horrible, rude, and disgusting staff.

Never coming back, thanks for the worst experience I’ve ever had at a sushi restaurant.

Edit - just scanned through a few reviews and realizing a lot of people feel the same way - great food but horrible service. I feel bad for the chefs in the back working hard, so honestly the owner/manager needs to fire the entire service team and rehire in my opinion. I can’t imagine how many customers they lose because of these rude and...

Unacceptable Behavior Towards a Loyal Customer

I have been a loyal customer of Sushi 168 for almost 10 years and have never had any issues until today. I ordered sushi, sashimi, and shrimp tempura for pickup. When I got home and opened the bag, I realized that there was no soy sauce or wasabi. I immediately called the restaurant to inform them, as I cannot eat sushi and sashimi without them.

To my surprise, they insisted that they had given me two bags and that the missing items were in the second bag. However, in reality, I only received one bag. They refused to believe me until I suggested that they check their security cameras. Only then did they finally agree to provide the missing items and asked me to come back to pick them up.

It takes me 15-20 minutes to drive to the restaurant one way, and if I were to take the bus, it would be up to an hour round trip. Despite the inconvenience, I drove back to pick up the soy sauce and wasabi. Upon arrival, I asked to speak with the manager. The employee I spoke to falsely claimed to be the manager, even though I know who the actual manager is. It was clear she did not want me to escalate the issue.

I explained that due to their mistake, I had wasted 35 minutes of my time and gas, and my shrimp tempura had gone cold. As compensation, she offered me a $2 coupon for my next visit—an insulting amount given the circumstances. If I had taken the bus, I would have spent $3.35 on transportation alone, not to mention my wasted time. When I asked if they could at least offer a canned drink instead of the $2 coupon, she simply said, “No.”

I left with my soy sauce and wasabi but no proper compensation for their mistake.

To the management: This experience has left me extremely disappointed. You can verify my long-standing loyalty by checking my phone number in your system. The behavior of your staff was unacceptable—especially the fact that an employee lied about being the manager. If I do not receive proper compensation, I will not be returning to...