Sen Zushi - Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Victoria — Restaurant in Victoria

The short summary: You must eat here! It's gonna get marked here as a higher end Japanese/sushi restaurant. Don't confuse this with a 4-star local hole in the wall! I'm also going to be quite picky because at this level, it deserves it. We arrived before opening and there was already a line up! Fortunately there is more space inside that it appears. Everything was really neat, nicely done up with the right vibe. Even the salt pile by the entry. It's not a pure sushi restuarant so it does have plenty of other options as well. Ordered a variety of stuff. The tempura was really well done, one of the best I've had in the province and a cut above most Japanese places here. The gomae was not your usual spinach and I would strongly prefer this over the spinach as the sauce for this was also done right. The sushi was all very neatly cut, good attention to detail. I must higlight the mackerel nigiri (I don't think it was the usual cut of saba). Hands down the best I've had outside of Japan. They had enough ginger to almost mask the fishy flavour without being over powering. It's still not my favourite and I normally would not eat this. I might reconsider it for Sen Zushi. (In Japan, it's a different story, I would definitely order again). I'm giving marks off because the rice wasn't perfect, and also the fish balance on the nigiri was off. The fish was too large so it took a couple of chews before you get through to the rice. As I said, I'm just being nitpicky here as it is so good. Highly recommended. Definitely must go, I would say this is one of the best I've had in...

Came here for take-out twice. Unfortunately I was disappointed both times.

Sen Zushi seemed to have great reviews and also seems like a popular spot with a loyal customer base. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful and the service workers were nothing but lovely upon pickup… but regretfully I was disappointed with my take-out order on both occasions.

The first time we ordered some nigiri and maki… rice portions are huge compared to the fish provided, and the fish just didn’t feel fresh. The nigiri was a “long” cut but actually quite thin I found, and unfortunately most selections were bland. The fish just didn’t seem fresh at all.

Assuming bad luck I gave this place another shot and we ordered a take-out nigiri platter. Immediately upon opening I was greeted with a pungent “fishy” smell - not the best impression for freshness. Again, the nigiri felt less fresh and the cuts seemed to be less than standard in quality… maybe it’s because it’s the take-out special so they use their old/less-premium fish, but I was not appreciative of paying for what seems to be subpar ingredients. The only portion I somewhat liked was the salmon maki, and even then the rice proportions were theatrical in how big they were compared to the minimal fish. I admit it felt like I was being ripped off a bit.

While I understand dining in might be a different experience, unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend dining here with the wealth of other good sushi spots a walk away at the same (if not...

Sen Zushi has been a long-time favourite of mine. They have a large variety of Japanese food on offer and do not skimp on quality.

The sushi here is fantastic, in my opinion. The sushi rice is nicely seasoned and the fish is well handled. I think their nigiri is a testament to this, and that the chirashi don is a worthwhile splurge.

For further reccomendations... the croquettes, grilled fish, seafood yaki udon, and tempura are all delicious. The first two remind me of my time in Japan! I also highly suggest the lunch bento boxes. They provide a good variety of options in one meal, and are filling without leaving you with that uncomfortable "too full" feeling.

I think Sen Zushi is fairly priced given its quality and variety of options. You can easily eat a meal here for $20 a person, though you can expect to pay closer to $30-50 each if you plan to get your fill of quality nigiri and sushi. Add another $20 each if doing drinks and dessert. Sen Zushi is definitely not the cheapest sushi spot in Victoria, but if cheap is what you are after, then there are plenty of lesser-quality sushi spots around the city to fit the bill.

I highly reccomend taking a picture of the special board when you walk in. It changes from time to time based on what ingredients are available. There is often rotating seasonal fish for nigiri and sashimi, unique dishes, and some great desserts. I loved the...