1. Sushi quality 3/5
2. Overall food 2/5
3. Experience 2/5
4. Service 3/5
5. Price value 2/5
~Average 2.4
1. The sushi was definitely not bad by any means. Taste-wise, it was a delightful experience. The employees were very keen on drowning the simple ebi tempura hosomaki that I had ordered with sauce, specifically their house sauce in addition to spicy mayonnaise. I refused the second sauce as I was seeing my sushi struggling to stay at the surface of the liquid, but it was in Québec and I am aware of their love for sauce, so that was partly excused. I was thankfully able to order "fresh", and skipped the option to buy from their refrigerator. The sushi made on the spot was much better looking compared to their refrigerated counterpart.
2. The overall selection of food isn't amazing, but pretty good for small-size restaurants. This criterion lost a lot of points due to the refrigerated food, which is very visible upon entering inside. The food there looked very bland and old, and definitely was far from its freshest state.
3. The experience was quite interesting. I'll leave the part where I needed to speak French to order because I nearly switched to English and it got confusing, but the best part was seeing the employees make the rolls. It was like a talent show, but the ones you have in high school or elementary where a few people mess up their act. It wasn't great. I saw my ingredients being dropped on the cutting board, being placed meticulously on top of the roll, then falling again, and finally poorly placed in a fashion that allowed them to stay on the roll. The cutting motions were also off, and there was no rhythm to the dance. Fortunately, the taste was less bland than the act.
4. Average at most. The service wasn't bad, but not exceptional either. The workers were friendly and patient, and fast enough. For a restaurant inside a mall, it got the job done.
5. The food bowls seemed to have the best calorie/dollar ratio, but were still expensive. The "freshly" made rolls however took the cake as the most expensive items on the menu. I made sure to order a cheap and simple roll as it was a first-time experience for a person I brought with me, but even that came to around $13, for just eight pieces. The only addition to the ebi tempura roll was a piece of avocado that took too long to place on top. The other rolls, after Québec's higher tax rates, were all nearing $15-17. Definitely way too expensive for simple mall sushi.
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As I stated in paragraph 5, I was accompanied by a friend that day. That person had never tasted sushi before, and was grouped alongside other haters of the dish that are turned off by the "raw fish". For that reason, I picked the ebi tempura roll as a first experience. I knew that based on what I saw, the choice was safe, and that most people generally do enjoy that roll. It was received pleasantly, and now that person is at least open to the idea of trying more in the future. I was just passing by on a trip and decided to stop at the first sushi restaurant I saw, and Ryu was the one. Lastly, I didn't see any dragon rolls on the menu or other food items that could be related to the restaurant's name, so that was a bit disappointing. A mid-tier experience, but not a bad one. read more