1. Sushi quality 4/5
2. Overall food 4/5
3. Experience 4/5
4. Service 5/5
5. Price value 5/5
~Average 4.4
1. The sushi is amazing. The consistency with how it's rolled is impressive, especially considering the staff can change seasonally, with a lot of the staff being high school students. The rice is put using a machine specifically designed for it, and although I am leaning towards doing everything by hand as a preference, it does compensate for any inconsistencies that could be a result of the changing staff and different experience levels. The rolls are generally kept simple, with a few specialty house rolls. Both are executed greatly, and use some of the freshest ingredients. Access to local fish and seafood also means that the quality standard is kept high. The use of cucumbers in many of their rolls works beautifully, whereas I've seen it being a failing element in many other restaurants. The sashimi is great and not sliced thin, the portions are good, and their flower-shaped wasabi is gorgeous, not to mention delicious.
2. The seafood is astounding. Everything else is great too. Tempura doesn't leave you with an aftertaste of cardboard, an issue I've seen in many other places. The menu isn't small, but definitely not large either. It never changes much, but for a restaurant in such a small town, that's just perfect. The main focus of the restaurant is their sushi, however it does have a nice selection of Japanese food, and considers itself a Japanese restaurant more than a sushi-only restaurant. I did have a taste at pretty much everything on the menu over the years, and I have to say the food is definitely up there in terms of quality. I wasn't a huge fan of their ramen though. It didn't have anything special to it, and was rather bland. The green tea is free and unlimited with the purchase of any meal, and that is a major plus for a green tea addict such as myself. The tea quality is also very good. The dessert selection is wonderful, and... GREEN TEA ICE CREAM. I reckon it was better a few years ago but it definitely still holds up, and well it's ice cream, with green tea. I fear for the restaurants that do not offer this marvelous joy.
3. The restaurant refurbished a house into a traditional looking (to a pretty good extent) Japanese experience. The music isn't Japanese, and can be sometimes a bit loud, but the multitude of rooms offers nice privacy when dining in groups. Interestingly, you will be given oshibori (hot towels) before eating. This custom is not only very traditional, but something that wouldn't be expected at first of a restaurant located on the coast of nothingness in New Brunswick. A lot of ornaments are made of bamboo or directly reflect traditional Japanese culture, and chopstick rests are provided as well. The restaurant is Japanese owned, and has been around since 2005. It is believed by many to be the best sushi restaurant in New Brunswick, and while I have yet to try the rest in that region, it is a fair assumption to say that they are probably right.
4. The service is astounding. It is fairly difficult to eat there without a reservation, and even those do have to be called early, especially since the restaurant itself is closed on Monday and Tuesday, but it's all worth it. The staff is incredibly nice, as typical of most folks from the coast, and are very kid-friendly. The staff can accommodate to English speakers, and speaks a few basic Japanese sentences and greetings to help immerse you into the culture. Quick and efficient, and very kind workers. I have never had a bad meal at Mitchan Sushi.
5. The restaurant doesn't offer the cheapest prices, and has no competition in hundreds of kilometers, but doesn't offer ridiculously expensive meals. It is a fancier restaurant, but nothing close to higher-end prices. Most menu items will be between 6-15 CAD. If the prices are still too much, especially if you are a glutton like I am when it comes to sushi, feel free to drop by the local grocery store, IGA/Co-op/Sobeys/Whatever the name is since it keeps changing. They recently opened up a venue in the grocery store, where they sell packaged take-out boxes of sushi for cheaper. The quality is the same, and on that level it's nearly impossible to get similar at grocery stores, where they'll usually offer a no-name-like brand instead. It's also open on Monday and Tuesday, so really you could spend every day eating either there or at the main location.
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I had to start somewhere, and it was only fair that I started with my hometown's province-famous sushi restaurant, Mitchan Sushi. It may seem pretentious to use it as my standard, but it's by no means a bad restaurant, and definitely holds up its title. From the many other restaurants that I will be reviewing (many of which I've already eaten at), rare are the ones that surpass this hidden gem of the Acadian Peninsula. I always return there. It saddens me to know that it took me years before even liking sushi, a favorite now. read more