Fujiya – Vancouver BC

It was one of those cold November evenings, the wind screaming and the rain falling from the sky as if God himself had pulled the plug on his bathtub. The kind of day where you just want to sit down, relax, and eat some delicious sushi from that take-out place that you have heard so many good things about but have somehow never tried. This was my Tuesday, as my friend and I decided to drive down so that I could try Fujiya sushi for myself and see what all the hype was about. Fujiya is a small chain of Japanese markets situated on the west coast of Canada, which I am lucky enough to live fairly near.

The journey to Fujiya involves a bit of a tough turn into a cramped and busy parking lot, but these obstacles did not dissuade us in the quest for delicious sushi. We found a spot, walked in, and were greeted by the sight of sushi boxed and lined up at the back of the store as chefs prepared more to meet demand. It was about 7pm on a Wednesday, and the place was quite busy, which is essential for pre-made take out sushi as it ensures freshness. I snagged the combination roll, which included tuna, salmon, cucumber and California roll, and the spicy California roll. My friend decided on the spicy tuna roll and spicy California roll. My dinner came in at $9.20 plus tax, which is very good for Victoria, which is notorious for high food prices.

Now, to the rolls! Could they stand up to the high expectations that I had built up by my friends? Well, the combination rolls were quite delicious, and very simple, which is a bonus for me. Sushi, to me, is a very simple dish, and in this simplicity lies its beauty as each flavor is balanced against the other. The tuna, salmon, and cucumber roll were all refreshing and tasty, and the California roll was a treat even though it came with imitation crab instead of the real deal. The rolls had just the right amount of soy sauce, ginger and wasabi to accentuate the flavors, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying each roll. The spicy California roll was yummy as well, though perhaps not quite as spicy as the name would lead you to believe.

My friend quite enjoyed his rolls as well, and I snagged one of his spicy tuna rolls which was a treat since I am a huge fan of sushi, especially raw and pure. My friend described it as simple but with fresh rice, good quality tuna, and a decent price.

The only real problem that we had with the sushi was that it was not properly cut. It looked like the chefs may have been rushing a bit to meet demand, and unfortunately that lead to rolls being stuck together. Luckily, my friend and I are not picky and are of the position that presentation for take-out sushi is not nearly as big a deal as for a sit-down restaurant. One other slight negative is the parking, which is off a very busy street and can be hard to get in and out of.

Now, to value. I ended my meal almost uncomfortably full, and on further trips I may simply grab a combination roll and call it a day. While everything was good, the combination roll was the only one that really stood out for me. 4.75 for 12 pieces of sushi is as good of a deal as you can find in Victoria (to my knowledge), and it offered a nice mix of flavors which would satisfy my hunger.

My friend, who lives quite close to Fujiya, offered a quick tip: if it’s not busy, grab sushi that is closest to the chefs as it is the freshest. Apparently it is all usually very fresh, but during slow periods the rice can get a little stale. He had one more tip: if you go near closing time, there’s sometimes a chance to snag sushi at half price!

All in all, I would rate Fujiya as 8/10 for taste, and 9/10 for value. It was all around a great experience, and I would definitely try it again in the future.

Warren Ransom

I have always been fascinated by the creation and culture of different foods, particularly sushi and sashimi in the modern era of Japanese cuisine. I am a classically trained chef and sushi connoisseur, also having operated a food service company and enjoy investigating and experimenting with food around the world.