Chiba Sushi Restaurant — Restaurant in Victoria

Summary: likely the best delivery place for sushi in the city, seems to have a good kitchen but definitely not the best fish in the city, like some claim in reviews.

Definitely one of the most authentic interiors for a sushi place, it definitely leaves an impression when you go there once.

I haven’t eaten there in person for over half a decade, so I’ll be basing my review on their delivery food. I don’t recall being blown away by my last visit, so they’ve definitely improved in quality.

I ordered their assorted tempura and chef’s special sashimi, which is usually a good indicator of the quality of the restaurant, since it tests their kitchen and their sushi bar.

The tempura was crispy and still hot, indicative of a well-run kitchen. The batter was well-seasoned and perfectly golden, which is a huge leap over other sushi places offering delivery, where I’ve had brown or stuck-together pieces, indicating a bad fry cook or old oil. Not here! My only complaint is that the prawn was less cooked than the vegetables.

As for the sashimi, it came with sockeye salmon, white tuna, tuna belly (toro), hokkigai (surf clam), scallop, octopus, snapper (tai) and some really lovely red tuna. All of it was tasty and perfectly prepared (not cold or frozen, and cleaned properly). Probably the second or third best sashimi in the downtown area, after Nubo and my personal favourite and best in the city, Sen Zushi.

I’ll definitely order from here again, I’m excited to try some of their hot menu...

Not good service.. servers were all running around looking confused but it wasnt even busy? I ordered vegetarian gyoza (which they had a special little insert in the menu about saying "6pc vegetarian gyoza") order came with 4 pieces. I didn't eat any right away as I was waiting to tell them we only got 4. Thank god I didnt as it turned out those were pork gyozas and I am pescatarian! Only found out when I asked about there only being 4. Waitress brought over a menu and pointed to the pork gyoza which come as an order of 4 pieces. I told her that is not what I ordered.. I ordered VEGE AS I AM VEGETARIAN. She then looks at my salmon roll and says "well you are eating fish, you are vegetarian?" SHE TRIED TO JUSTIFY THEM JUST GIVING ME PORK GYOZA WITOUT TELLING ME BY CALLING ME OUT ON EATING SALMON!? Completely unacceptable and disrespectful. If a customer orders a vegetarian food you DO NOT drop off a meat item at the table without announcing it! And you absolutely do not question a customer like that..it doesn't matter if I'm vegetarian, pescatarian or a meat eater! if I order vege give me vege dont fight me on it! Her response was then that they don't have vege gyoza.. ok then tell me that dont just try to sneak me pork gyoza! Also my friend ordered spicy mayo probably 4 times and still never got it... but they still tried to charge her for it on her bill... honestly...

New owners? A new family?

First of all, I want to preference that this is a family run restaurant of new comers. I admire their spirit and if you don't mind food that is not authentic please support them.

Looking at the photos from other patrons I'm not sure I was in the same restaurant. Despite what the menu said.

They seemed more focused on a take out business. After being seated I waited maybe ten or so minutes before my order was taken... then thirty minutes for my chirashi to arrive... which is just rice and sashimi on top.

Okay now about the food. It wasn't authentic Japanese.

The rice suffered from the Goldie-lox effect. Parts had too much vinegar or not enough or was just right. My guess is the rice wasn't mixed enough while adding the vinegar. However the texture was good and consistent.

Now the sashimi. The scallop was the star. It was delicious and I wanted more. Often scallops don't taste as fresh. The rest of the sashimi was fine, it was cut right. However, I found the tomago off. It tasted like a Chinese egg tart. I love Chinese egg tarts but tomago is far from that. This is a sign that the egg was cooked too fast and dashi was not used.

Oh also the wasbi was very watery. I've never seen this before and do not know what to...