Cancel

Open app

Search

Joya Sushi

3.9 (45 reviews)
Open • 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Joya Sushi Photos

Business Info

JOYA SUSHI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Casual
Good for kids
Good for groups

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Joya Sushi

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Teri-Su-Ma sushi and roll
Anna A.

From the outside this place looks very inconspicuous. I had passed by it so many times when leaving McMaster and going to Fortinos, but I never really paid any attention to it. I had a few friends mention it to me and I finally decided to give in. I actually really like this place! The inside is medium-sized and has the expected sushi place decor. It looks a bit run-down, but the food definitely makes up for it. I came here with a few friends and we all ordered different things. I was STARVING, so I decided to get the chicken teriyaki in the Teri-Su-Ma dinner set. It came with a 6-piece roll and 5 pieces of sushi. I asked if it was possible to get the spicy salmon for my roll and our waitress said it was absolutely no problem. I got excited at that point...no extra charge? Great! The chicken teriyaki plate was so much bigger than I had expected it to be. It was so delicious. I love their sauce. The sushi and the roll were also really good. I finished my entire meal and was SO full, but happily full. This place is right by McMaster University, which is a perfect location and it was plenty of parking. The prices are decent and the service is great. Most of all, the food is great. I will most definitely be back while I'm in Hamilton!

Hair ):):):):):):
Lo C.

): I was really excited to come here after all the excellent reviews and thought I finally found my go to a la carte restaurant for Hamilton. Walking in on a Tuesday night was relatively quiet, we were the 3rd and biggest table to be in at 7:30PM. The menu is relatively small but has all the staples of teriyaki, udon, and sushi. Spoiler alert: I found a hair in one of the sushi. We only found it because my mom doesn't like to eat raw fish and instead likes to eat the little rice balls underneath it and leave the remaining fish on top for me to eat. So when she flipped off the fish .................................. yah, I lost my appetite after that. The waiters and manager were all very attentive, refilled our teas and came to check in every so often. The miso soup was sooooooooooooooooooo salty omg & there was no ingredients inside besides the green onion (where's my tofu and seaweed at?!). They also like to sprinkle sesame seeds on each dish with a very heavy hand. My family shared: - small sashimi and sushi boat: not bad .. except for the hair and that they gave us the cheapest fish on the market and I found several scales ): - 2 nabeyaki udon: it was okie dokie but they only gave you cheap fish slices and a whole lot of udon - teriyaki chicken: the sauce was laid on really thick and much too sweet; we actually left most of it on the plate and couldn't even take it to go - spicy chicken: my boyfriend ate this and he really enjoyed it We found the hair towards the end of our meal so by then we were ready to get up and go. Perhaps it was a bad day but damn - no thank you, ever again. A good sushi place that I've recently meandered into is Sushi on Fennell - give them a look if you're craving your sushi fix.

Outside of Joya Sushi, view from the left
Kristy N.

I'm a regular here as it's 5 minutes from where I live. Although the outer appearance seems as though it's abandoned for years, this place truly represents the phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover". This place is owned by a family and nicely decorated on the inside. There is always a complimentary miso soup and salad with delicious handmade dressing to go with your meal. There was a complimentary scoop of green tea ice cream back in 2013, but they don't serve that anymore. Many of the waitresses are students while the husband and wife prepares the food. The quality of their food is delicious as it is not an AYCE place. Most of the time, their fish was fresh and thawed to a perfect amount. However, there was one time, where I had salmon sashimi and my entire salmon was filled with ice. This is really rare, I'm assuming it's because this was during the coldest months of the year They also serve regular dishes such as Jap-Chae and Bibimbap. All the things I have listed are around $10. If you want, they have sushi rolls as well that are large and come in pieces of 6 or 8.

The inside of the restaurant
Zechen M.

Ordered the Maki lunch. It comes with miso soup and a salad. You get a lot of food for what you pay but the food isn't fantastic. Service is pretty good.

2011/11/25
French C.

Glad to be the first to share my review so lets put a good word for the friendly owners. Small cosy restaurant with at most 12 tables. Not exactly where I would bring a date for dinner but for lunch this gets the job done right. The menu is a mix of Japanese and Korean style dishes, but sushi is the main item. Nothing out of the ordinary on the maki and sushi selection, but a handful of exotic rolls may catch your attention if not for the daily lunch specials @ $8.

2 classic spicy tuna rolls, pretty tasty

I went there for lunch, had 2 spicy tuna rolls(it was in classic rolls menu) and edamame. They sushi was pretty tasty(reasonable price, $5.95 each roll); same thing for the edamame. They also serve miso soup and salad before your meal, which is nice. Overall, it was great, I'd definitely go back there.

Red dragon

See all

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ella N.
469
54
1

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Lo C.
118
564
457

10 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Heidi Y.
122
17
3

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of French C.
0
191
183

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Judy W.
188
605
3197

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Luis C.
51
22
15

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Beware! One server did not have a MASK on and they didn't take our name for Covid contact tracing as MANDATED by the government...

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

The service was unlike anything I've had. Wrote. They didn't give us plates. The manager was super nice but worst sushi I've ever had

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Expensive! Our bill for 2 came out to $80. Cuts were sloppy, Tuna tasted old. Other Japanese dishes were good.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Never had a bad experience with this restaurant. The service is always fantastic. The food never disappoints.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Rob Y.
2
96
0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Would definitely recommend august 8 over this! Sushi did not taste fresh & was low quality. Would not return

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Excellent sushi as well as soups and Korean bbq items. No all you can eat, but lunch and dinner specials are well priced.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Mich W.
37
46
9

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Nice and fresh food there! The sushi dish is much better the all you can eat one! But shortcomings are not many choice there.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Never disappointed here. Get the Hwae Dap Bap - a sashimi salad once a week. Freshest fish for Japanese in the city

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 2

Verify this business for free

People searched for Sushi Bars 585 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

August 8 - California roll has sesame seeds.

August 8

(136 reviews)

$$

I haven't been in years but I always loved this place amazing sushi and other things.read more

When I did a staycation in Hamilton in February 2020, I remember passing by an August 8 restaurant…read more It has a handful of locations that offer all-you-can-eat sushi. Last month, I was back in Hamilton for a mini staycation. I needed dinner. I looked on my Uber Eats app and saw that this August 8 had a number of BOGO items. I had to get in on the deals. I ordered the following items: - Avocado salad - California roll - BOGO - Sticky rice (3) - Salmon sashimi (3) - Steamed sponge cake (4) - BOGO I drove over to the eatery to pick up my order. It's located in a tiny plaza with limited parking. I managed to snag the only parking spot available. I had to careful back in, as there was a car parked illegally in the parking lane. It's the downside to fetching or heading over here to dine. The parking situation is atrocious and downright dangerous. More on that in a bit. I headed to the counter and got the nicest young man. I let him know that I had an Uber Eats order and stated my name. He found my order and handed a bag over to me. I thanked him and left the eatery. There were a handful of students hanging around outside. One of the guys was sweet to open and hold the door for me. Kindness isn't completely dead. It was a nice touch. The downside was that the woman who parked illegally parked in the fire lane didn't bother doing a check behind her and decided to back up. I don't get why she needed to back up, but she nearly backed into me. I was not impressed. I actually managed to get out of the way and had a good look at her from the passenger side of her car. I let her know through some arm gestures that she needed to be careful and that she nearly ran over me. My gestures did have words accompanying them. I can't state them here. They weren't pleasant words that I use regularly. I got to my car and safely placed my food in it. I then drove back to the hotel room to chow down. The food was yummy on the whole. I will break things down: Avocado salad The miso dressing was flavourful. The avocado slices were delicate and were starting to turn brown. The veggies were fresh, but I didn't love the iceberg lettuce. I'd skip getting this salad. California rolls Excellent! The filling was warm, which was different. I loved them. The fake crab, avocado, and julienned cucumbers were so good. They did have black sesame seeds around them. Sticky rice (3) It was a bit weird seeing white paper wrapped around each bundle of sticky rice with its own leaf wrapping. I felt that it was a waste of paper. The bundles had more white pepper than necessary. The filling was generous, with small chunks of pork. I ate one each day. They heat up nicely. Salmon sashimi (3) The best! Each piece melted in my mouth. You don't need to chew much. The sashimi was super fresh. Steamed sponge cake (4) I am a huge fan of traditional steamed sponge cake. There was a twist with the version here. You get dainty triangles with layers of sponge cake. I'm not sure what separated each layer, but this cake was subtly sweet and still warm. I loved it so much. I want to return and get some more food. I'd avoid the avocado salad. The parking situation makes me want to fetch food from a different August 8, though. Maybe I should try coming during lunchtime when I'm in the area and see if parking is better. (442)

Sushi Masayuki - Tuna with pickled radish (Torotaku)

Sushi Masayuki

(79 reviews)

$$

We tried this place for the first time today. Excellent…read moresushi, fresh and tasty. Employees are super friendly. We will come back for sure.

My wife took me to Sushi Masayuki for lunch for my 46th birthday. We've been here numerous times…read morefor dinner since they opened, but this was the first time for lunch. For some additional context, my wife is Japanese, and having been to Japan numerous times over the years, it's hard not to compare the quality of fresh fish to what we have available here.  This is one of the reasons why we've kept coming back to this restaurant, because it's on par with what you would get at an excellent sushi restaurant in Japan. For our meal, we both ordered the Masayuki Tasting Sushi Lunch. The meal started off with 3 types of tempura (shrimp, okura and pumpkin), along with an egg with eel in the middle called "umaki". There was also braised eggplant in a dashi broth.  Each of these dishes were exceptional quality.  I especially love the braised eggplant since we've had this as an appetizer on previous visits.  The second dish we had was octopus with "yuzu kosho", which is a paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt.  We were also served sashimi pieces which included greater amberjack and tuna.  The sashimi essentially melts in your mouth and you can taste the quality of fish since the flavours are prominent.  In addition to the fish, the dish was presented with shiso (perilla leaf), wakame, radish, shaved daikon, and shaved Indian carrot as part of the presentation.   The third dish was a set of nigiri, which was served one at a time as you eat them.  This dish contained sea bass, salmon, tuna, scallop, Japanese Spanish mackerel, and amberjack.  As was with the sashimi, you can tell the fish is high quality since each piece is buttery and melts in your mouth.  This was also the first time I've had Japanese Spanish mackerel, and it was absolutely delicious. The dish was also served with a side of miso soup which has a very nice flavour while not being overly strong.  The fourth dish in the set were rolls which consisted of tuna with pickled radish. My wife explained that tuna and pickled radish (torotaku) are put together in a way to melt the fish in your mouth, plus provide the crunch with the radish. When we were speaking with Chef Masayuki, he mentioned that umaki and torotaku were unique to this particular lunch set, and not something you'd see on a regular menu. Finally, for dessert, we were served green tea ice cream with a sesame senbei on top, along with green tea cheese cake. Both the ice cream and cheese cake were amazing. Neither of them had a lingering aftertaste like you'd get with a cheaper quality of green tea. This is something I'm extremely picky about, and was extremely satisfied with.  When speaking with our waitress, she mentioned that both the sesame senbei and green tea cheese cake are made in-house - which you can absolutely tell due to the quality and overall flavour.  As with previous visits, we walked away quite full and extremely satisfied with our meal.

Joya Sushi - sushi - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...