We've been longtime supporters of Shinka Sushi, ordering takeout regularly throughout COVID after discovering them at their original Laurier location. We always said we'd make it in for omakase one day, and it was absolutely worth the wait. The food was exceptional from start to finish. Every course was beautifully presented, incredibly fresh, and thoughtfully prepared. You can really tell how much care goes into every bite. The service made the experience even more memorable. We chose the second level Omakase experience, which gives you five courses. Totally worth it. My husband and I just talked about going back to try all the different levels of it because that was some of the best sushi and sashimi I have ever had. Down to the miso soup, everything was amazing. Brian was so warm, welcoming, and attentive all evening. He worked alongside another wonderful server whose beautiful name I unfortunately can't remember, but together they created such a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. The cocktails were also outstanding. Joel, the bartender, made what may have been the best cocktail I've had in a while: the AO Martini. I lost count of how many I ordered ! My husband loved his tequila cocktail as well, which I believe was called the Smashsuika. To top it all off, Chef John and his team surprised us with a complimentary bottle of sake to celebrate my husband's birthday month. It was such a thoughtful gesture and speaks volumes about the hospitality and generosity of the team. Shinka has been one of our favourite restaurants in Ottawa for years, and after finally experiencing the omakase in person, we already can't wait to come back. Thank you to the entire team for such an unforgettable evening. read more

See all

We usually get takeout from Shinka but decided to dine in for Valentine's Day. It's such a intriguing contrast from where you walk in and it's basically a huge sushi factory banging out take out orders, to walking into the nicely decorated dine in area. It feels a bit like a speakeasy. We usually order à la carte and get different rolls but this time we decided to go for the omakase tasting menu. For the à la carte, I would give them 5/5. For the tasting menu, maybe 4/5. We got the cheapest tasting menu and everything was very delicious. However, there was no variety. It was almost all salmon and tuna with different topping that repeated like truffle oil. While delicious, this is nothing like a true omakase that focuses on seasonal ingredients or sitting at a sushi bar. We had a great time and good service, but I think I prefer the à la carte! read more

See all

Excellent food loved the presentation is so great the waitress who served explain us how the food menu because its our first time The only thing my concern is to put a hook to put our bag while in the washroom overall its excellent food. read more

ordered the Tsunami Maki and Butterfly Maki. enjoyed both. butterfly had great texture and flavor, the tsunami roll was a bit more plain but had great tuna. each roll only had 5 pieces which was a bit of a let down but each piece is well sized. ordered for take out read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - butterfly Maki, tsunami maki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Our favourite in Ottawa, the only really good sushi in town that we would recommend to friends from Toronto. Pics aren't great, sorry but the family got to the boxes before I could pull my camera out. One note: I always regret it when I don't include the salmon carpaccio in my order, it's the best. If you're looking for value, the poke bowls are amazing too. read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - New style sashimi dish - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

amazing ambiance, amazing service, amazing staff and big shout out to Joel and Gia! love love Shinka and highly recommend! must book in advance to dine in however take out great too! read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - Best martini!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Note that as of April 2022, Shinka has temporarily relocated to 250 City Centre Ave (Bay 232) due to a fire at their permanent Laurier Ave location. They are only doing pickup and delivery while at this temporary location. I am uncertain how long they will be at this location. I got some rolls through UberEats and they were delicious!! UberEats had some buy one get one free offers for Shinka, which I took advantage of. I got their Dynamite rolls (usually $12.75 for 6 pieces, but due to the BOGO offer, I got 12 pieces for that price) and their California rolls (usually $9.25 for 6 pieces, but I got 12 pieces for that price). The rolls were big and with minimal rice, mostly filling. I love rolls like this. They were well wrapped and held together nicely. The Dynamite rolls had tempura shrimp, tempura sweet potato, and asparagus. The California rolls had imitation crab, cucumber, avocado, tamago (omelet), and masago (fish roe). My only 2 complaints would be that the tempura shrimp was not crispy, but that might be due to the time it took for delivery, and rice could have used a bit more rice vinegar to give it more flavour. Other than that, the rolls were fantastic. I had forgotten to add the comment "no sesame seeds" on UberEats, and realized this immediately after I submitted the order. I called the restaurant right away and told them about the situation. The person answering the phone said she would make a note of it. I am happy to report that my order did not have any sesame seeds! Hurray!! The regular prices are quite high, in my opinion, so I'm happy I got to try Shinka with the BOGO deals. I was very pleased with my meal for $22, and my rating is for what I got at that price. Had I paid $44 for it though, I would have felt it was overpriced. Even with inflation and rising prices, I feel that $44 for 24 pieces of maki that don't even contain raw fish to be rather spendy, but others may be of a different opinion. read more

See all

Best vegan sushi I have had! No fishy taste, amazing flavours and a great variety to choose from. I love that they use asparagus. Very clean. I went in once for pick up and everyone was in their groove at their super clean stations! It was very busy however I didn't have to wait too long and the service was excellent. I normally order for delivery and everything always comes freshly made. A bit pricey but it's a nice treat once in a while :) Highly recommend. read more

See all

I'd say it's as authentic as Japanese food gets in Ottawa! My taste buds have been spoiled by all the yummy food in the GTA, I never found a Japanese restaurant in Ottawa that was on point until I came across Shinka... THIS IS THE PLACE if you're looking for Omakase & authentic Japanese sushi! Highly recommend read more

See all

The food is fresh and absolutely delicious, presented with intention and care. I tend to get the hamachi a lot, never disappoints.

One of the better take out spots for sushi in Ottawa. They only do take out can't speak to the service but the timing I ordered for was delivered accordingly. Good variety of choices of fish that you typically don't see at other spots in the city. My favorite is the kanpachi for fish. Sushi rice was well seasoned. Other places tend to be less flavored. Only disappointment I had was with the otoro sashimi. It ended being chewier than I usually have had. read more

We're usually an ayce sushi kind of family. My husband likes quantity over quality haha. But for my 31st pandemic birthday with an 8 month old, we decided to splurge on a night in with some good quality sushi. Our first order was an Omakase 150 and an order of calamari. They had a special on at the time and we got carpaccio for free. The calamari was cooked so well! Wish we could have eaten it fresh cooked but even taken home, it was still so delicious. The fish was just so fresh. You can taste the quality of the fish. They definitely don't skimp on the fish portions. We loved it so much that we put in another order during one of their community delivery dates. We ordered a bunch of rolls this time. They were still pretty good. We got a set of rolls for free as a gift for sharing on social media (part of their loyalty program). I didn't enjoy the rolls as much, except for the rainbow roll, where there pieces of fish on top. They tasted like regular rolls so they weren't as exciting. I think just having the rolls masked the quality of the fish. It could have also been because I had the omakase 150 first haha. So next time, I think I'll order pieces with more fish exposed, like sashimi or the nigiri. read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - 6 set of rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

Since I'm expecting, I've been avoiding sushi, but the husband and I both had cravings for it and we thought we'd make the trip downtown for takeout and treat ourselves to Shinka for our anniversary. My husband ordered the kamikaze (salmon, crab stick, tempura, masago), Philadelphia (smoked salmon and cream cheese), and spicy salmon rolls with green onion and masago. All were wrapped in seaweed and had rice, sesame seeds, cucumber, and avocado. The kamikaze and spicy salmon rolls also had spicy mayo, which was inside the rolls instead of drizzled on top like some places do. They were each an order of 6 rolls and he scarfed them all down. He loved them all and even posted them on his Instagram, which he never does lol I felt bad about making a bunch of special requests because I'm pregnant and also have gestational diabetes, but I had messaged them on Instagram ahead of time to see if they could accommodate and they didn't have any issues and even said I could make a custom order if what I wanted wasn't on the menu. So awesome! My husband got wasabi and ginger in his box and I didn't for some reason, but there was more than enough for both of us to share. I'm not usually a fan of cooked sushi, but I figured I'd there was a place to get it, Shinka would be it. I generally tried to pick rolls that didn't have too much rice and the photos on their ordering page helped. I got the Shanghai imperial, and mushroom rolls. When ordering, there's a text box for each item to add special instructions, which was super convenient, so I asked for all of them to be separated from the raw fish and no tobiko, which they did. The Shanghai had tempura soft-shell crab, cucumber, tempura (flakes), tobiko, sesame seeds, teriyaki sauce, and spicy mayo. I asked for no tempura flakes or tobiko and just a little of the teriyaki sauce. They obliged, and actually I don't think they really added any teriyaki at all, which I was totally fine with. I wish there was more spicy mayo since I didn't really taste it, but it was still great. The soft-shell crab wasn't too fishy tasting at all. The imperial roll had roasted freshwater eel, tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, spicy mayo, and soya glaze. I asked for just a little of the glaze, which they also obliged. I asked for it to be wrapped in a soy bean wrap with no rice and salad mix only to cut down on the white rice, but it came with the seaweed and rice anyway. It was definitely still one of the better unagi rolls I've had, especially since it wasn't drenched in sauce. I thought I'd get a veggie roll as well, but I don't know, I feel like just cucumber wrapped in rice is a waste of money lol, so I got a fancier one from their vegan menu - the lightly fried mushroom roll with 3 different kinds of mushroom, vegan teriyaki, and truffle oil. Like the others, I asked for just a little of teriyaki to cut down on some of the sugar. It was more fried than not, and I was a little disappointed that I didn't really taste the truffle oil, but it was pretty tasty, nice, firmer texture from the mushroom, and I'd probably get it again. I'd use the excuse that I'm pregnant for the reason for ordering more, but I'm honestly just a big, greedy eater, so no excuses here. I also got spicy lobster gunkan (comes with 2) and agedashi tofu. Overall, I think they were light-handed with the spicy mayo because I didn't really taste it in this one, either, but it's okay, I wasn't going to complain with the generous amount of lobster they gave. The agedashi tofu also had a ton of bonito flakes the way I like it, and the ginger soya sauce came on the side to pour on top myself so that it wouldn't be soggy by the time we got home. I had to eat it all in intervals so that my blood sugar wouldn't go through the roof. It was tough to stop myself from eating it all in one shot like my husband did - I easily could have! Thank you Shinka for letting me have sushi during this pregnancy! Can't wait to come back for the o-toro, uni, salmon belly aburi, hotate shiso, unagi foie gras, wagyu nigiri.... read more

See all

Alrighty, reading reviews and looking at their fancy boxes on social media made me super excited to try this place out. We placed an order through Uber eats and came in a decent time. They had this maki deluxe special for 2-3 people it says. But we were 3 we ordered an additional 2 rolls and for a lunch meal didn't satisfy I found the rolls not wow! Even regular rolls like dynamite came with sweet potato which didn't impress! Lots of use of asparagus.. doesn't work well with sushi! Honestly I was expecting better taste and quality. I will give this place another chance. Not order their maki special and pick rolls on my own maybe I will have a better experience. The packaging though was nice.. read more

See all

This is a restaurant that is on the pricy end, but the rolls are really exceptional. The range of rolls are really remarkable, with many many many different options for vegetarian folk. if you have a vegan or vegetarian friend, this is the place to go with the most extensive, but delicious for people with no dietary restrictions as well. Would recommend you go here! The take out boxes are very cute too and make you feel special and cool when eating from them. read more

I came here for dinner by myself while on vacation and was seated right away. Since I was dining solo, I opted for the sushi bar and ordered the Shanghai roll, Dragon Eyes roll, and New Style Sashimi. Everything was delicious and the salmon was SO fresh (I thought I heard Thursdays was when they get their fish in which was the day I went). I don't usually order hot sake but it really hit the spot on such a cold night, especially coming from California and not being used to snow. This was one of the best meals I had in Ottawa and I would definitely come back. read more

See all

Shinka Sushi was one of the best meals I had while in Ottawa. I ordered takeout, and there was not much wait time. The servers were also very nice. I ordered a California Roll ($7.50) and a Philadelphia Roll ($8.50), and the rolls were very large. I was surprised how large the rolls were, and I found them filling and good. It was not the best sushi I've had, but it was perfectly respectable. read more

It's easy to miss from the road, but this small restaurant is a gem and easily my most favorite sushi and sashimi place...not in Ottawa, not in Ontario, but all of Canada!! WOW! Great food, meets phenomenal food artists and even better personalities! Once you've been here once, you too will go out of your way to get back! 05/07/18 - back again for my third time. I have to get to this place every time I am in Ottawa. There's no better place than this!!! read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - Just one of the many phenomenal dishes I've enjoyed here tonight. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I had sushi here twice, once I had takeout and the second time I sat in. I went on a Wednesday night: the restaurant was calm and quiet with 5-6 other guests. The service was decent, so was the wait time for the food. The sushi itself isn't the best, but it's not bad. I would even give it a 3.5! They aren't very creative with their menu and the sushis tasted as expected, not extraordinarily good but delicious enough. I do note that their fish is quite fresh and that's always appreciated. I think it was a bit overpriced for what it is, but everything is overpriced in Ottawa. read more

See all

Great sushi, but fairly overpriced for the amount that you get. Sashimi was fresh and presentation was on point. The tempura was really crisp and one of the rolls had a touch of lime (from the display) that made the flavour really pop. Service was friendly and attentive. If you're looking for higher quality sushi then this is a decent option in Ottawa! read more

See all

Small little hidden sushi bar close to Parliament Hill. We had the medium sized sashimi platter and assorted 6 piece sushi along with warm sake on a cold Ottawa night. Service was courteous but a tad slow due to business of the night but food was good for ottawa, a town sorely lacking in good sushi. Prices are comparable to higher end sushi places we've been to in major cities but my only issue is the sashimi was served on a bed of ice instead of a plate or geta. If you're not a fast eater the sashimi will start to freeze, which ruins the taste and texture. read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - Mid sized sashimi platter served on bed of ice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

Love the sushi at this restaurant. I discovered this little gem quite a few years ago before they renovated: it seems to keep getting better in every way. The atmosphere is modern and stylish, this sushi is fresh and delusions, and the staff are lovely. There are two gentlemen who have been there from the beginning and they take great pride in what they do. My favourite roll at this particular sushi restaurant actually have very little to do with fish. It's an interesting alternative to traditional maki: tempura chicken teriyaki with avocado (usually comes with lettuce but they allow the avocado substitution). It is absolutely amazing! I so enjoy many other rolls, particularly those involving salmon, and the side dishes are all quite excellent as well. My only disappointment would be that the seaweed salad seems a bit small. The restaurant also offers an interesting desert roll complete with crisped rice and fruit - it's actually pretty good. Located downtown, parking can be tricky, but it's worth it. It's within walking distance of many main bus routes, and the Rideau centre. read more

Service and food are good, but the pricing needs to be adjusted. You can easily go through $60-80/person and still not be full. read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

It is a hidden gem for sushi lovers Found this restaurant from Yelp, read a few reviews and attracted by the photos posted by other reviewers. Went there with a few friends and enjoy a great sushi dinner. We order dragon eyes, tempura sashimi (tuna), tuna tataki and other maki and rolls. Finished with sushi delight as desert. Everyone enjoyed the food and the beautiful presentation! If you like sushi, do miss this one while you are at Ottawa. read more

See all

Disclaimer: This review my opinion based on a Friday evening visit for a party of two where we each had Shinka's 20 piece 'Deluxe' combo plus a seaweed salad. Overall: - Shinka tries to reimagine staple Japanese dishes with a new twist. - I'll give them points for effort but at the end of the day portion sizes (for the price) and some bland dishes left us disappointed. Location: - Small size restaurant with limited seating so can fill up fast. - When near capacity, restaurant is overly loud. - It's downtown Ottawa so plenty of parking restrictions can apply. - If on the weekend, don't forget you can park at World Exchange for free. Service: - On the plus side it was fast. - On the negative side, we had our next dishes brought out before we were finished our the previous ones which caused us to have to juggle plates on our table. Food: - Green tea is quite good. - Looks like they add some sesame oil to their soy sauce which adds a bit of flabour - Seaweed salad is nice with cucumber and crab stick. - New style sashimi was disappointingly bland with small portions despite their efforts to spruce it up with toppings. - Laurier roll was also, unfortunately bland and overly small (it's noted as a 6 piece roll but in reality is a 4 piece roll with thinner pieces) - Samurai roll, despite having overly small slices (it's an 8 piece roll but should be a 6 piece), was actually quite tasty and the presentation was nice. Value: - Due to the small portions, at almost a $100 after tax for two people I shouldn't be leaving the restaurant hungry. The value alone would likely keep me from going back as you can get a lot more for your money at other Japanese restaurants in the city, though to be fair they would also be more traditional menu items. If I were to leave some suggestions for Shinka it would be to increase their portion sizes (i.e. at least double the thickness of their pieces for their combo's) and manage their service a little bit better. read more

Thir server went above and beyond! He told us about off-the-menu items that he thought we would like and catered to our requests! The sushi was so great that I still drop by weekly around 3pm to get their 50% lunch boxes. The restaurant is very busy so be sure to book in advance! read more

Came with friends for lunch. Rolls were fresh but not out of the ordinary, although service was friendly and fast. Next time I'll try other menu items and gauge the quality! read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - Fresh sushi, but not spectacular. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

It is a nicely decorated sushi gem. It's hard to find good sushi in Ottawa but this place is awesome. Great service and fresh and tasty sushi. Definitely going back. read more

See all

Went there with my friends last week. It's a small restaurant and took a bit to find it but definitely worth it. Service was great, our server was friendly and helpful. Food was delicious, easily the best sushi place we've been to, definitely going to come back. read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - Got a lot of sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

This is the best sushi place I've been to. Incredible service (above and beyond) and delicious food. We ended up ordering 3 extra dishes after we finished the first round just because it was so good. And the waiter allowed us to modify the ingredients in the roll slightly to accommodate a preference. TRY THIS PLACE. You will be happy you did. read more

See all

I was visiting from out of country and stopped in here after reading some of the reviews here, thinking it would be a solid sushi joint choice. Unfortunately, that was not the case. A word on the ambiance - the restaurant is really tiny and the vibe it (I assume) tries to put on is that of something modern by 90s standards (think neon lights and clubby music). It threw me off because the lights and the mood doesn't reflect the poor quality and choice in furniture. It felt awkward and like they were trying too hard. On the food - the chefs working there are not traditional sushi chefs. Neither one of the preps knew what a chirashi bowl is and wouldn't even bother googling it when I said it's a staple in many sushi restaurants. If you don't know something, educate yourselves - this is your choice in work and employment, take pride. I ended up getting few nigiris and a sashimi sampler. They gave me raw scallops, which I discovered I did not like, personal preference I suppose, few slices of yellowtail, which was their "special", and salmon. The place lacks selection for sure - not much to go off of the fish choices, not even ikura, and the presentation was lacking the special Japanese touches of nonchalance and elegance. I wouldn't recommend this place nor would I go back. The server was lovely however and apologetic for not knowing anything about sushi. So I give it 2 stars. read more

When we first came upon this place, it honestly looked closed from the outside. There were no customers and it was really dark. We were pleasantly surprised when we found out that it was actually open. Then sushi and entrées were really good--we ordered a miso soup, gyoza, and house salad. All were quite satisfying. The sushi was really fresh and tasted great. Definitely met our expectations. The only real issue with this place is that it's pretty dark inside. The staff were nice and the prices were fair (a bit on the pricier side for a small amount but nothing ridiculous). read more

See all

Truly a spectacular dining experience. This place is Ottawa's best kept secret. I've been back so many times I've probably tried everything on the menu and it was all spectacular. One of my most favourite things to do is go in and simply let my server decide what to bring me based on what the chef feels like making. It's always an amazing experience and has allowed me to try things I normally would have been reluctant to try. I cannot express how amazing the food is here. If you like sushi, this is the ONLY place in ottawa you should consider. With regards to pricing, it has always been extremely reasonable. Because it is intimate in size the service is always flawless. They never leave you unattended or wanting anything, but do so while respecting your privacy. I can not recommend a restaurant or business more. You will be blown away by the flavours experienced here. read more

I have to give New Generation Sushi full marks for their amazing rolls and super awesome staff. My favourites are the Kamekazi, Montreal and Teriyaki rolls, although all of their food is fresh and tasty. It is not an AYCE, but their prices are fair and their quality is well worth what you pay. The restaurant is fairly cozy, so if you want a place to sit you should reserve your table in advance. If you are looking for a quick bite to eat, after 3pm their pre-made take-out boxes are 50% off. Their restaurant is always clean and they have created a very pleasant atmosphere for themselves. If you are ever looking for sushi in Downtown Ottawa, you are doing yourself a disservice if you do not check this place out. read more

New Generation Sushi is the finest sushi restaurant in Ottawa. Their restaurant is newly renovated which gives the impression of a new modern and minimalistic feel. On Thursday night, I went to enjoy Bluefin Tuna Sashimi and Wagyu Beef. It was amazing, very fresh and delicate. The Chef is dedicated in serving his customers only fresh and quality fish. The staff is amazing and accommodates to our needs and makes the experience amazing. I recommend this restaurant for those who enjoy the quality of food. read more

See all

Well prepared sushi at reasonable prices. This restaurant has a welcoming atmosphere to enjoy some of the best sushi in Ottawa. Would recommend to all to try. read more

See all

Great sushi. I have tried sushi restaurants in many in cities around the world and this is the best in Ottawa. The owner really cares about is clients. read more

The best sushi in Ottawa. It is a small space that is often hard to get a seat in. It is modern and minimalist without being cold. I really like their signature roll, the 'New Generation Roll' but outside of that it is pretty standard. Better than what else I have found in the city but not outstanding. The fried ice cream is also a standout read more

This is a Jem. Owner is amazing and food is delicious. Sushi fish is high grade. Try sashimi tempura read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - Sashimi tempura - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I stopped in here with my sister and a friend for a quick bite to eat before an event. We only had 20 minutes to eat, and the staff was not only friendly but very accomodating! We were in and out within 20 minutes and the sushi was GREAT (I had the dynamite rolls - in the middle)! We sat at the bar and watched as the itamae's prepared our selections while cracking jokes with us. Overall, this was a great experience and I will definitely be back again soon! read more

Shinka Sushi Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario