Itami Sushi

I don't know if this is a Victoria thing, but I absolutely love how the "default tuna sashimi" is white albacore tuna, not the conventional red bluefin tuna! Anyway, before I go into detail with my tuna bias, Itami Sushi is an excellent sushi stop in downtown Victoria. Thickly sliced sashimi and reasonably priced...Just the way I like it!

Normally I am not a fan of tuna because most restaurants serves the red sashimi from bluefin tuna, which is usually lacking in taste as it is generally from the cheapest, low-fat cut. However, Itami serves the more unconventional type of tuna for its tuna sashimi: the white meat from albacore tuna. The vast difference between the bluefin and the albacore tunas are that the latter has more fat so it has more flavor. As a salmon fan, the biggest plus for me is that because of the higher fatty content, albacore tuna tastes like salmon with the texture of a tuna sashimi!

Okay, sorry for the long rant about my tuna bias, but my point is that it's awesome that Itami serves the better tuna than the convention. However, whether you are as ridiculous as I am with the tuna issue, you will definitely have a good sushi experience here at Itami!

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tl;dr version:
1) Albacore tuna for the win!
2) Reasonably priced and thick sashimi pieces

Great service from the staff. There were about 3-4 girls working so we were never waiting too long for anything.

The restaurant has a beautiful theme, spacious, clean and modern.

We ordered a sashimi platter and two pressed sushi's. Sashimi was pretty fresh but the pressed sushi was just standard.

Definitively on the pricier side compared to the sushi you can get in Vancouver but it satisfied our sushi craving.

Probably won't come out of our way to eat here but if you're in the neighbourhood it's worth a quick bite or two.

NEW MENU, NEW LOOK wonderful service. Amazing new sushi creators! I really enjoyed ordering and talking with the staff. The place has totally improved with new menu and surroundings!

This restaurant gave the wrong order to our SKIP THE DISHES driver ($19 worth of food) Our driver returned to the restaurant to get the right order, but they didn't have it! It wasn't even prepared. (OR, they gave our $100+ food order to another delivery person!! *insert super red angry face!*

They wouldn't compensate us for their lack of care & attention to our delivery order!! If there was a 0 star option, THIS PLACE WOULD GET IT!

Pretty good deals on bento boxes. During the lunch hour they have several different types of bento boxes on special. Each basic bento is 9.95 and they have daily specials for bento boxes and they are 8.95 which is a great deal! You don't get very much meat and you don't get what's usually in a bento box. It came with teriyaki chicken and onion, a salad, a bowl of rice with this sauce on it and this little deep fried sweet desert and miso soup. Will def be back the prices are really good and I would like to try their sushi and sashimi. Nice inside with nice decor

i asked for a mojito and saw the waitress put half a shot of whiskey, table spoon of sugar and can of ginger ale... also saw her taking tempura sauce from a used plate and putting it on a new order. the service was terrible and i highly don't recommend. very over priced as well.

Two of us stopped in for a quick lunch. We each had miso soup and shared two rolls -- the spicy and the eel/avocado. Everything was great. Someday we'll have to come for a bigger meal. The decor is very nice too, which was a plus, and service was efficient and friendly.

The service is so slow. I am still waiting for my just one roll sushi....... so disappointed... the waiters are not around much... need customers attention.....

I thought I was ignored by the waitress. Waited for over 20 minutes before I got the food.

I go for dinner here everyone once and awhile and this place never fails to deliver. I really like the atmosphere: clean cozy and inviting. The wait staff are generally quite diligent and always offer to top off my green tea. I would definitely recommend.