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.

Super delicious authentic Japanese food. A true gem in Nanaimo!…read more I got a salmon don. The rice was so good- so tasty and fluffy. Some very tasty agedashi tofu and my hubby got a vegetarian curry with potato croquette and veggies. This is his most favorite Japanese dish and we rarely find it on menus. Hurray Bistro Taiyo, we will be back! Ps. We got the special desert: Green tea pudding which was super delicious too, creamy, sweet, and green tea flavored. Yum!

We were vacationing on Vancouver Island and came here for dinner when in Nanaimo. We had made…read morereservations a few weeks prior to our trip and I would highly recommend making a reservation if you plan on coming here. The restaurant was packed and the kitchen was hustling. There were so many beautiful and creative dishes passing by our table all night long; if I lived here, this would definitely become one of my regular places to go. The service was quick and friendly. The food was incredible; really fresh and presented beautifully. We had met up with a neighbour who had moved to the area and we ended up staying until the place closed. It was just a lovely evening overall. I would definitely recommend Nori for delicious Japanese cuisine but be sure to make a reservation!

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE If you've a hankering for Asian…read morecuisine in Nanaimo and there's only one place you could go to, Nori should be one of your top picks! Good food, good service, and in a place with good vibes. === 2. FOOD When dining at lunch, the lunch specials offer incredible value; each option includes 4-piece California roll, small green salad, 2-piece gyoza, 2-piece prawn tempura, a miso soup, and a side dish ("okazu") of the day. Some thoughts: - The portions are decent even if you're hungry! - The prawn tempura (at least today) feel more batter than prawn. - The okazu (at least today) was fried - a fancy spring roll - which is interesting as side dishes in Japan in this context are often fish-based?). - Overall, the food quality is good. Buta Shoga Lunch Special ($22) Shoyu, ginger-marinated pork on rice - a good heart-warming combo as any! Sashimi & Sushi Lunch Special ($23) 6 pieces of sashimi (salmon and tuna) and three pieces of sushi (also salmon and tuna) make this lunch special one of the healthier options on the menu. Chashu Miso Ramen ($18) My little guy loves noodles, even if it comes in piping-hot pork bone broth. Depending on your little one, kids 6 and under in age may need a grown-up to help finish this dish! === 3. SERVICE The place is POPULAR and so be prepared to wait. One the most recent visit during lunch, we were lucky to slide in fairly quickly and the servers were fairly prompt and professional. === 4. ENVIRONMENT It's basic, yet has a modern open-view environment with a view of the bar/kitchen from across the restaurant. It's similar in vibe to its sister restaurant nearby (Horang) but the service is better and diners with small children will find more appealing seating options here. Wheelchairs and baby strollers would fit just fine and your chance at finding a place to park in the shopping complex lot outside is pretty decent!

Wow, the first authentic asian place I encountered in my one week trip from nanaimo to port alberni…read moreto tofino. Run by Japanese people and you can feel the vibe through decorations and manners. After having some fake ramens, we especially enjoyed this place which is almost on par with Vancouver ramen shops. Black garlic oil is delicious as always and the spicy one is not spicy at all. The regular chashu is very tough sadly, but the pork belly one was very tender. I gave this place 5 stars despite the tough chashu since this is the best that you can get in the Nanaimo area. We also had the fried oysters which were yummy but quite expensive.

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

This is one of my all-time favorite and most authentic Japanese restaurants! I've been coming here…read morefor at least 10 years, and they're always consistently excellent. This time, I stopped in for lunch and had the vegetarian bento, it was amazing. My fiancé had a pork ramen, which is also incredible here. The restaurant is small and cozy, so I'd recommend making a reservation if you're coming for dinner, as it does book up. They're always super attentive about my peanut allergy, I've never had any issues, and they don't seem to use peanuts in the kitchen! I've celebrated birthdays here and recommended it to so many friends and family over the years. It's an absolute favorite, and I'll always keep coming back!

If you find yourself on a Rainy day in Nanaimo, you could do worse than sit down to a bowl of Ramen…read morehere. The soup was very flavourful with beautifully chewy noodles and rich broth. The food is really nice here the service is very friendly and prompt. Lots of ample parking on the street, however, if you need to walk a little there is though a charming courtyard.

The best Japanese food I've found in Nanaimo so far, the restaurant is just 3 months old. Good…read moreservice as well.

Four of us had lunch here today. Great food and lovely presentation. Also good value and good…read moreservice. However, the raw salmon sashimi is farmed salmon, and the crab on the menu is imitation crab, which should really be spelled with a "k" if it's fake but it wasn't spelled that way. These details are not listed on the menu. They will serve you wild salmon and real crab if you request it. But that fact also is not mentioned on the menu. The owners really need to list these details in the menu. Customers expect to know the source of their food these days. And rightly so. (I didn't order either salmon or crab, but one of my friends did. She had a conversation with the owner, and apparently was not the first customer to do so.) Still... you will have a good meal and a good experience here! I don't want to knock this business too hard. Just be aware of the salmon and 'crab' issue if food source is a concern to you.

Review: Nana Sushi, Nanaimo…read more Nestled in downtown Nanaimo, Nana Sushi is a cozy gem that serves up comforting Japanese fare with a friendly vibe. I stopped in for a casual meal and left feeling satisfied and warm--especially thanks to their standout udon. The broth was rich and flavorful, the noodles perfectly chewy, and the portion generous enough to make it a go-to comfort dish. While the sushi was solid, it's the udon that stole the show for me. Service was prompt and welcoming, and the atmosphere had a laid-back charm. It's not flashy, but it's the kind of place you return to when you want something reliably tasty and reasonably priced. Located at 14 Victoria Crescent, Nanaimo, BC (250) 591-0755 Visit their website Overall: Pretty good! I'd definitely come back--especially for the udon.

A small little hideaway in the centre of town…read more Small meaning seating for about 20 guest and not all together. It was good sushi and prompt but I also went when it wasn't too busy. The bento box was nice and sashimi was fresh and teriyaki tasty. Tempura crispy and hot. I nice restaurant if you are staying in town and you need to look for it as not on the main drag. Construction of the road should be better once it's done but a good little place for sushi in Nanaimo. Staff were friendly and courteous.

Cute place with really great sushi! Lovely and friendly service and incredible value especially for…read moresuch high quality sushi.

This gem of a sushi restaurant is within walking distance of Ladysmith Marina. Great service and…read moreexcellent sushi/sashimi.

We stopped in this small unassuming restaurant for a couple of rolls to take out, for our lunch…read more They were so good and quite large! Very tasty. I was somewhat surprised with the quality of sushi in the "middle of nowhere"! If we're ever in the area again, we would return.

Small Family-owned Japanese Restaurant [Chemainus BC]…read more Wow! The last review posted was written 5 years ago. They originally offered table service but when Covid hit they only did take out and until now in September 2023 they still only do takeout orders. There are two tables for use in the dining room (good for up to 4 seating each) but there is no dining service available. This is a family-owned business (father-daughter). Friendly daughter who took our orders. We were the first one in when they opened for the day. When we originally came here first on Sunday they were closed. The business is closed on Sundays. Their business hours in Yelp needs updating. Open Mon-Sat 11:00a to 7:00p. I ordered the California Roll Bento Box. What would normally come in a bento box was served in a styrofoam box. It's okay since they are now just take out. Everything was delicious... the beef, salad, tempura except for the California Roll, it was not fresh and the kind you would get premade from a grocery store. The restaurant is located in a small seaside town of Chemainus in the Cowichan Valley in the Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Review #3155

Stopped in for lunch today. We had bento box C. Very impressed with the quality of the food.we…read morewould definitely recommend this one to my friends. It's been a while since we've eaten here. The taste and quality of the food is very good. We were however, disappointed in the service. It was really slow and when we asked for water they brought 1 about 15 minutes later. One bento box came, then about 10 minutes later the other one came. We went there to have lunch together not at different times! Like I said, the food was good

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