We finally had to find out what all the hype was about!…read more We kept seeing this Japanese restaurant get top ratings and heard it was really popular in Nanaimo, so we decided to try it for ourselves. Was it actually worth all the hype? We ordered the Sora Omakase Sashimi (8 types, chef's choice) along with a few other special rolls, and the sashimi was the real star of the show. The fish was incredibly fresh and generously thick-cut, with a great variety of premium sashimi. We were impressed by the creativity, generous portions, and presentation. Compared to other sushi places we've tried in the city, the quality and attention to detail here really made a difference. The prices are a bit higher than some other restaurants on the island, but after tasting the food, we thought the quality made it worth it. If you love sashimi, we especially recommend trying their sashimi options. There are plenty of premium choices. The restaurant itself has a modern-chic atmosphere, and it was BUSY. We saw a mix of locals, visitors, and a steady stream of takeout orders. Despite the crowd, our food came out surprisingly quickly, and the quality stayed top-notch. Whether you want a casual sushi night for two or a place to celebrate with a group, the menu has enough variety to please everyone. We came in wondering if the hype was real, and left understanding exactly why it's so popular. Honestly, Nori deserves the 5 stars from us. We're not the Michelin Guide, but we can definitely see why people are talking about it. Food: 5/5 Must Try! Service: 5/5 Kids: 4/5 Presentation: 4/5 Parking: 3/5 Tips: * Reservations are highly recommended. * Walk-ins are accepted, but be prepared for a potentially long wait during busy times. * The menu is extensive, so take your time deciding. * Great option for everything from date night to group celebrations. Would I Return: Yes ‍

Great service and the food is excellent. Our best meal in the 5 days we were on Vancr Island.read more

Before ending our camping trip, we stopped by this cute Japanese restaurant before our ferry. The…read morerestaurant is very spacious and clean with modern decor. There wasn't a lineup when we got there, so we were seated right away. Their menu has lots of options of different rolls, udon, sashimi etc. Because it was lunch time, we ordered some bento box. I ordered bento box A with California roll for my daughter, and chicken udon for myself. My hubby ordered some sushi taco, and a Ubuild bento box. The food came pretty slow, which was strange. There wasn't a lot of customers when we got there. The bento boxes were pretty fresh with good portion. The sushi taco was a little yummy, however, the deep fried seaweed is on the greasy side with lots of batter. I was a little disappointed with the chicken udon, it was pretty standard and the chicken was pretty soggy. However, nothing beats a hot bowl of soup in a rainy day. Overall, we still enjoyed our meal. Not sure if I will go back, but I'm glad we got to experience it.

This was our second time eating here, we had mid expectations. We ordered two bento boxes to share…read more The deep fried components tasted like old fryer oil. Which was 90% of the bento box. When we told the waitress we didn't like it she took it away and just brought us our bill without offering us anything else. There was no discount or compensation. We left hungry and sad.

Quick service, great food and reasonable prices. Perfect for healthy take out if you're on the go…read moreand in the area

Fresh delicious sushi with quick and friendly service. It's a quaint storefront that's more catered…read morefor takeout. I love their party trays, it's good quality and quantity for the price you pay. I'm not a fan of yam rolls and they've been quite accommodating in allowing changes to the rolls in their party trays (as long as it was of equal or lesser value). Their chirashi don is also one of my favorites, simple but packed with delicious sashimi on top. Ordering online doesn't always work, but they often offer 10% off online orders! Love this new place, I keep coming back!!

Very ,very disappointed, waited an hour, tasteless broth, one tiny blob of pork that was mostly…read morefat, we were excited to try but we won't recommend or go back. Total waste of money

Stopped by for a late lunch/early dinner and was surprised they had quite a few people inside…read more There's actually quite a bit of seating. With booths for two and tables for larger groups. We were seated after a short wait, as there was only one server. They were friendly and attentive. They have quite a bit of ramen options ranging from tonkotsu to curry ramen. I went with the basic tonkotsu ramen and added an egg. I wanted to be able to taste the broth without anything extra. My aunt got their seafood ramen (Nagasaki champon). I was quite surprised by the portion and toppings for each. There was plenty of noodles. The pieces of pork were large and I liked the variety of toppings. The seafood one had soooo much seafood ( small shrimp, larger ones, squid, and mussels) and had plenty of veggies. Both ramens were quite filling. Typically I don't drink all the ramen broth due to it being too salty or rich, but I found their broth had just the right balance. It was flavourful and rich, but not overly in either. Although at first I thought the price was a bit high, the quality and quantity justify it. Overall, it was a great meal to end our day on the island. I'll definitely be a returning customer.

The staff is fast and welcoming…read more We ordered edamame, avocado maki, veggie sumono salad, yam tempura and tofu don bowl. The serving sizes were great. We had tons of leftovers. Downsides: Both times we've been the table size is hilariously small. Like a polly pocket sized table. Not ideal for more than 1. I also had a mild allergic reaction after dining. So worth noting for the sake of safety. Despite ordering all veg. Fish definitely was on a knife or a cutting board somewhere. As a regular veg sushi orderer this is always a risk, but only the second time it's happened to me.

Nice little Japanese place in Nanaimo. I've been coming to Nanaimo for work in the past few months…read moreand have tried a couple Japanese places. This one is definitely one of my favourite. The lunch bentos are great value! The food is made well. And the service is great. Food comes fairly quickly. Definitely come here for lunch.

The absolute most horrible food. The seafood yakisoba noodles were canned seafood. There was not…read moreone fresh piece of seafood. The salmon sashimi still had skin on it (you'd think a sushi restaurant would know how to cut fish) the chicken teriyaki was mostly old battered pieces of chicken the size of a dime and dry (barely any teriyaki sauce) frozen spring rolls (I'm pretty sure from Costco) the tuna tataki salad was dry (no dressing and uncooked vermicelli noodles. I can't believe I paid $80 for food we barely touched. we just paid and left without a word and will never return. My partner is on point for saying that he wouldn't even feed that food to a dog. It's beyond me how that place is still open. It was a huge sign that at dinner rush there was no one in there.

Everything we have had is really good. Monkey brains and vegetarian rolls are perfect when in the…read moremood for avocado.

HORABLE A 83 MIN WAIT THE FOOD WASN'T EVEN GOOD! When I picked up my order (I had gotten coffee…read morefrom McDonald's well I was waiting ) he said where did you get that I told him and he said PUT IT IN THE TRASH! NO OUTSIDE FOOD! He literally took it and threw it out! 1 star

Seafood Yakisoba was good, but not over the top…read more Service was very good as usual./Washrooms are bright and spotless. I've had better lunches from this place on many occasions over the last year.

Absolutely delicious sushi - the rice and fish were both so soft, fresh and well-seasoned. The…read moreservice was excellent and prompt and the chef and servers were polite, friendly and efficient. I've eaten a lot of sushi in my day, and Bistro Taiyo was by far one of the best!

Went here for dinner last week, the bistro is small but comfortable. We didn't have a reservation…read moreso we were invited to take two of the four seats at the "bar". No problem! We ordered 4 different rolls between us, tea, and a melon soda. Easily top 3 in the area, cemented by the fact that it's within walking distance from our house. This will be our new go-to for sushi. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was chill and welcoming.

New management has made the right changes ... Great mix of Asian cuisines !!!!…read more The sushi is fresh and tasty ... Though the Wasbi was a bit weak for my taste... The wild salmon is fresh and on point... Good cuts and a great serving size We also had some of the Korean dishes ... Bibimbap was delicious , crunchy rice and nice spice! I recommend the red octopus for the adventurous "spicy baby tako karaage" very tasty and super tender ... We had 3 orders! All in all a great experience ! Ps : beer offerings are a bit brief ...

Went for lunch, food took a bit long and the quality of food was not on par with pricing…read more I have had that type of quality sushi before, but the price was much lower. As always, my price/quality/quantity ratio plays a big role in how much I enjoy food. There are probably better sushi places out there for the price. Although some locals I spoke with say that the all you can eat is good...

Jake was the sweetest I dropped my ice cream and he gave me and my friend new ones! THANK YOU…read moreJAKE!!!!

They were very rude and messed up our order multiple times and told two little kids to get out…read morebecause they were standing near where you pick up your food zero out of 10 do not recommend if you wanna have a nice time