Tag Archives: Japanese Food

01.08.25
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Sushi on Shelbourne in Saanich, BC. The Choices and Construction Woes

Screenshot 2025-01-07 at 10.16.44 PM

Once upon a time, the price of take out sushi at Fujiya’s grocery store in Victoria, BC was the best in town. Those were the pre-pandemic years and before Saanich’s Shelbourne Street Improvement Project ripped the road apart. As a result, plenty of nearby businesses saw less traffic and one casualty is this grocery store deciding it’s time to raise their prices! Even after the job is more or less done, I saw no price reduction as life resumes in 2025. Most of that block is patched up, but there’s still construction that’s become a barrier as people drive through.

I can understand the need to mark up their products to make up for lost venues, but will every supporter of this local operation want to continue even after the construction is done? While I can drive straight down Shelbourne to Sushi Island, I can get my basic two favourite rolls for about 2/3rds of the price than the $9 average price I’m seeing most trays marked as. And as for how often I’ve seen tuna and salmon rolls offered, it’s been seldom. It’s doubtful that I’m showing up at the wrong time.

When I’ve spotted three other fast food options where I can buy sushi along this street corridor, the choices are finally better, but not necessarily competitive. I hate to admit that Walmart’s plates are relatively tasty. Price-wise, it’s about the same as Fujiya’s, and while the big box operation doesn’t have tuna on the menu, it seems they have a supplier for all the salmon they love to regularly offer. They’re farmed fish rather than wildly caught, and when I’m lazy to head to other operations, I’ll grab a plate just to satisfy that itch my tastebuds want for raw fish.

Sushi MagoThankfully, Sushi Island (where people can get the best value) is across the street. As for Sushi Mago, they’re a stone’s throw away from where I live, and I can walk down to grab something and go home. A drive makes it quicker. Although this operation’s offerings are pricier than the other two, but not as super tasty (Island wins hands down), it’s a price I’m willing to pay for the convenience.

08.24.22
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When It’s Time to Return to Parks Kitchen

20220724_140815606 Trounce Alley
Victoria, BC

Hours: Weds to Sun 11:30am to 9pm.
Phone: (778) 265-2227

ES: Park’s Kitchen reinvented itself many years ago. The last time I’ve been there, this restaurant was a Japanese only restaurant but these days (even prior to the pandemic), they expanded their menu to include Korean, and I think that’s a good thing! The only downside is that their Japanese selection isn’t as varied anymore.

I’ve been meaning to return here, but every time I walk through Trounce Alley, it’s en route to Quazar’s Arcade to play video games rather than for a bite. I’ve often been tempted in because of the daily specials, but alas, I’m meeting up with other pals. After hanging out with Don at the said place and challenging each other to Street Fighter and other intensive battle games, we worked up an appetite!

DK: Let’s see now–I’ve got a notepad open, a photo of Park’s lunch special for inspiration, a refreshing glass of ice water–all the elements required to knock off another barn-burning blokepost.

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01.12.22
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A New Ramen Player in Town, and It’s All Arashi

20220111_1426402950 Douglas St Unit 222
Victoria, BC

Hours: Tues to Sun 11:30am to 8:30pm
Phone: (778) 922-2950
Website: www.ramenarashivictoria.com

Sugoi! Victoria ni atarashī totemo oishii rāmen-ya ga arimasu yo. As for whether that’s grammatically correct, I think I got my statement right and insert a pun for good measure.

Ramen Arashi is a diner that opened over the holidays. I’ve been keeping tabs on when they’d open since they’ve been making noise mid last year on the social media front. They’re not competing in the busy downtown area, and I think they’re likely to carve a niche in Burnside. They’re located a few blocks south of Mayfair Mall and I’d visit this operation in a heartbeat. Their bone broth has a nice additional peppercorn flavour.

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12.15.21
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One Visit Isn’t Enough for Ghost Ramen

20211027_183151Ghost Ramen
1609 Store St
Victoria, BC

Hours: Weds to Sat 11:30am – 10pm
Phone: (250) 590-9821
Website: ghostramen.ca

DK: We were primed from the minute we sat down. This was not just any ramen joint. Not just any noodles. No, this ramen was the result of worldwide wanderlusting and the serendipitous discovery of handmade noodles in a small island city. I haven’t a clue what sort of noodles other ramen joints in town use, but the story we heard at tableside certainly made Ghost Ramen sound unique. 

The noodle recipe comes from former engineer, accountant and filmmaker turned restaurateur Greg Masuda. He operates a shop in Courtenay and noodles are shipped from there to Victoria. After trying ramen all over the world, Ghost Ramen co-owner Jason Chan says Greg’s noodles are some of the best he’s ever had. So, like I said, Ed and I were primed to feel like we were about to eat something special.

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10.22.21
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[Interview] The Mission Behind Tanagokoro: A Culinary Portrait

BushwickFilmFest I Home Plays with the Feature Film, Come Back Anytime

Location: Online
Date: Sunday, October 24, 2021
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Price: $15 – Buy Now

Long time readers of this blog will know that I love sushi. After watching Tanagokoro: A Culinary Portrait, I don’t think I can look at many local Japanese restaurants the same ever again. The practice of Ikejime is not everywhere and this short documentary really extols the virtue of what it means to be an ethical chef. That is, to harvest the food in a way that won’t stress the product so that you’ll get the best flavour hitting those taste buds. In this work’s case, it’s all about how to best catch that fish, keep it alive and slaughter it before hitting the dinner table.

Victoria Fistes and Masashi Nozaki are both the directors and producers of this work. They produced an excellent look at the man who’s trying to revolutionize an industry, one country at a time. Victoria is a filmmaker who has worked on commercials, short films and documentaries. She’s best known for “Being Ernest,” which shares the experiences of a young blind boy. More recently, she has worked as an Assistant Producer on the documentary “Misha and The Wolves“ and as a Production Assistant on “The Reason I Jump” which won the Sundance Audience Award in 2020.

Masashi has an immense passion for culturally connecting Japan and the world. He is a producer/director who provides consultation to national companies and collaborates locally on projects with creators.

I had a chance to correspond with the team about this work:

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04.14.21
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The Oni Way to Ed’s Heart is with Rice Balls

20210331_165259Oni-Oni
585 Johnson St
Victoria, BC

Hours: Tues-Sun 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Phone: (778) 432-0664

Yes, I make no bones about it, I love rice balls. A long time ago, a Chinese-style variant included a deep-fried type where the gooey cheese interior made for all the difference. This was before I discovered Onigiri, a healthier Japanese snacking version to which I’ve never looked back in my switch.

Oni-Oni is a satellite operation of Sakura Sushi and is a place I’ll definitely return to when I need my sweet rice vinegar fix! They have fifteen flavours of onigiri to choose from! Not all of them are always available, but if you call ahead, it’s possible to get what you want made to order. Eating one is not enough, and for a hearty individual like me, I can eat up to four of them in one go. These bites are like snacks, and aren’t the huge ones people sometimes see in anime. They’re about the same size as the ones bought at Fujiya’s on Shelbourne. Plus, this store has Okashi and Nomimono too!

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