Gozen

Everything was great. The staff was very nice and helpful but did seem a bit overwhelmed at times.

Food was great! Two of us ordered the popcorn and Toy Story rolls. Service was not bad, but also not the greatest. Took a few minutes to be acknowledged and then one of our dishes was forgotten so we requested to cancel it. Giving 5 stars because I am feeling a little generous.

Their playing was very aesthetic and the quantities were generous! The takoyaki, cherry blossom roll, and salmon Oyako Gozen were amazing.

A local suggested we check this place out if we liked sushi and boy was I glad we did! You know how you can tell a good Japanese restaurant from a great one? The shoyu! THEY MAKE THEIR OWN SHOYU HERE! This ain't no Kikkoman or Yamasa and I could immediately tell from the first taste. Like a good wine, this had an aroma and aftertaste that you don't get with mass produced shoyu. It was so good by the end of the meal, we were all taking shots out of the shoyu dish. If the owners of Gozen read this: PLEASE SELL YOUR SHOYU BOTTLED FOR YOUR PATRONS! They also use akazu (red vinegar made from sake) instead of rice wine vinegar that adds a level of umami to their sushi rice that is clearly noticeable in a good way (the rice has a reddish pink hue to it). These two ingredients alone easily puts their food on a different level than any other Japanese restaurant.

During this visit, I just wanted to savor the shoyu and ordered Zuke Tuna Don (no ponzu!) which was served on their sushi rice - clean, simple and delicious! My daughter is addicted to their Mango Paradise Roll which surprisingly, contains no fish! Kind of a weird combination of cream cheese, egg and other ingredients topped with mango that is refreshingly sweet yet sour! Rock n' Roll, R & B, and Popcorn Roll were the table favorite. As well as the Toy Story Roll, Magic Tuna Roll and assorted tempura - it was all delicious! The Unagi Flame Roll came en fuego - watch your eyebrows!

We've been to Victoria twice now and both were 3 day adventures. Both trips the family chose to eat here 2 out of the 3 days! This place is my absolute favorite in Victoria. I'm sure there are other great restaurants in the area but we have yet to try them! If I lived here this easily would be my weekly go-to restaurant.

First meal in Victoria and it did not disappoint. The side dishes are really great! I didnt finish the fish balls since I had too much to eat, so the serving size is quite generous. The tempura is also cooked nicely although it's soaked when it's served. I think it's better if there's like something that separates the tempura with the sauce at the bottom so it does not soak.


The servers were friendly and attentive to your needs. So we're satisfied with it.

If you're in Victoria, recommend stopping here if you have craving for Japanese food.

Overall, interesting and fresh sushi - service v slow not due to the server but obviously short of staff. Some people waiting 20 min for bill.

To the menu. Great sake list w reasonable prices. We had two rolls and sashimi. V generous portions and too much for 2. Toy Story and flaming eel were great. V dramatic presentation.

Parking a pain. Either walk, Uber or use public parking. V popular so reservations a must.

Prompt, polite and professional greeting and service. This is possibly the best Japanese restaurant I've been to, honestly. The sake list was long and reasonably priced. I had a miso soup, wakame salad and zuke tuna don. Everything was excellent, including the rice in the don which had a lovely umami flavour. The food was a tad pricey but well worth it. I will definitely return.

All three stars are for the service, which was wonderful. Our server was energetic, super kind, kid friendly, and just all around lovely to have. The food though -- the best I can say is that it was bland and flavorless. Even the kids thought so. We wouldn't come back here, which is really a shame because it's a great location and again, great staff.

The food was tasty and the proper temperature. The service was excellent although getting the machine took longer than expected, but then we were in a hurry to get to a concert, and we should've stated at the beginning that we wanted the bill promptly at the end of eating. The shrimp dumplings were wonderful, and the spicy seafood noodle dish was just spicy enough. The Hakutsuku saki was excellent, but only served cold, but in beautiful little clear cups adorned with tiny Japanese flowers. It was easy to carry on a conversation as the music in the background was very low-key. Everyone around us seemed happy to be there as were the four of us eating together. I would definitely go back.