Review Mutsuki-an

Andrea

Lovely little local sushi joint. I had the spicy mix dinner and added a spicy scallop nigiri, because other reviewers mentioned portion size was small. It was too much to finish. The cucumber and noodle salad in vinegar dressing was light and refreshing. Miso soup was elevated from your standard miso with two types of tofu. And the edamame and wild rice salad was nutty and unique. Fish was outstanding. The soybean wrap hand rolls were particularly great. Price was on point, I think the combos are a great deal considering everything that is included.

Kristi Stolte

Friendly staff. Great menu and the food was fantastic. Excellent quality for the price. Would come again.

Jerusha Chua

I really like this place :) My friend and I came just as they opened on Saturday morning and got great service. The waiter was very friendly and attentive. I ordered the Mutsuki-An lunch, which came with a number of small dishes. I liked the variety and I got to try some of everything without getting too full. This place is a little on the pricer side but I think it's worth it because it serves more traditional style Japanese food rather than some of the more westernized restaurants in Victoria. Come here if this is what you're looking for.

Fabulous Finds

The quality of food at this restaurant is outstanding. We have been visiting Mutsuki- An since they opened in the old location which I am told was around 15 years ago. At this new location (10 years ago) it is larger and spacious so you do not feel penned in. Nice sized tables. Attentive staff. I ordered the lunch menu which allows you to choose an additional 3 small items. All of the items are presented with such care and attention. It is noticeable. Delicious flavours. My friend ordered the spicy meal plan. All was well received. A special place with a calming atmosphere.

T

Excellent sushi & service. Ordered take out and was ready quicky. Good prices and large quantities (salmon Sashmi bowls). Friendly staff

Aidan Knight

Quality of ingredients is very high. The seasoned rice is a standout for me, great consistency and perfectly seasoned. Everything we eat here tastes good, is comparable in price to other places in Victoria. And they are a small restaurant that really has good customer service. One of my top recommendations outside Downtown Victoria for visitors to eat at.

S A

I love this little ‘moms and pops’ place. I do very much appreciate the wonderfully fresh, always very high quality sushi. This is not one of those cheap fill your belly places, and I am thankful for that. This is truly Japanese sushi which is rare in Victoria. The price is absolutely worth it because you know that this small family really cares about the food they serve. A true treasure in Victoria.

Pete Patterson

Had dinner there last night. Great food, and even stuff that our 6 year old loved. It’s a family run business and holds that charm. Excellent saki selection and the Donburi bowls were tasty and good portions. Thanks for the great dining experience.

Blake Campanella

Setting feels modern and relaxed. Service was great, with waitstaff being very kind and polite. Food was all good, had nothing to complain about, and a reasonable price to boot. Only thing I wish they had was a smaller meat dish, as the smallest beef dish was about $20 for a don. All in all, would definately go back.

April Holland

This is our must-go sushi place in Victoria anytime we are in town. It’s so fresh and delicious!

Joerg Haas

Excellent food and very polite staff. I had the Sushi Dinner and enjoyed it a lot.

stephen kagan

An excellent family owned restaurant. There is not a big variety of sushi but their rice is noticeably some of the best I've ever had. Usually I get the combo plates and am very happy. Service is very good and friendly. Prices are on the high side. Get there early as they sometimes run out of rice.

Clark Everetts

The salmon was sublime! Very high quality fish and other ingredients. I see why this restaurant has been in operation for twenty years; they really have their hearts in what they're doing. We had lunch on a whim, and made sure to come back another day for dinner. Seating available for only about 15(?) people, so for dinner, reservations are a good idea. This restaurant is one thing that makes a return trip to Vancouver Island a necessity.

James

Worth a visit. We used to come every few months, now not so much anymore. The prices are getting up there, and service is slow. On our last visit I had a prawn platter, and it was really disappointing from a pricing point of view. Basically one scoop of white sushi rice, a few prawns (4?), and a couple vegetables, for $18! And it was a cold dish.

Liz Miller

Always fresh! They are a super nice family and always kind and accommodating. If you know you want to go for dinner order ahead. Because they focus on fresh if they sell out of ingredients they will close early but if they know you are coming and your order it will be there for you. I often order their trays for parties and they look and taste fantastic.

Rob Fisher

Very cute Japanese restaurant. Service was impeccable. Food was very good indeed. Tried a variety of sushi and everything was well prepared, fresh and delicious. It’s a touch on the pricey side but the quality is excellent.

Lynn Rose-Okikan

Crazy expensive, poor service. We live very close by and really appreciate high-quality food. But this place is just missing on so many levels. Some of their food is nice and clean, but it shouldn’t cost $80 for two people (pre-tip) for a very light lunch (no alcohol either). I wish they would broaden the menu and get their pricing a little more realistic, because I don’t see how they can remain open. The place is usually not very busy when I have been there, and the food takes a very long time to arrive. I think we all know the service is just weird, which can be overlooked if the other elements are working. And no thank you, I don’t want lettuce in my tuna sashimi. When deep pockets complain about pricing, you know something is really way out of whack. I could eat Japanese food for lunch nearly every day of the week, but it’s like this restaurant isn’t serving meals. I wish they would amend their business plan and update their menu. One other thing – the last time I was there, there was a young kid making it a lot of noise in the kitchen. Really unpleasant atmosphere when the place is trying to be so Zen.

Ehahaha

Overall very good. Some of the best tuna tataki I've ever had. Dumplings were nice-looking but underwhelming. Sushi was very good. Not so much food per portion (more like a tapas-style Japanese restaurant), so don't go in too hungry.

Blue Lobster Foodie

During my family’s recent vacation on Vancouver Island, we visited the University of Victoria, where my wife spent part of her undergraduate studies. We made it down to Cadboro Bay to explore the beautifully updated Cadboro-Gyro Park in Saanich and found ourselves in need of lunch. Our son, the sushi monster, wanted to have sushi, and his sushi monster parents were happy to oblige.

Amy L

You can taste the quality and the care put into every ingredient.. We ordered a 50 pc rolls platter, and it was amazing. Well worth the visit, especially if you are looking for food quality that doesn't compare to other places in town. Read up on the story and you will know why.

CL

Great sushi, but only if you have time. We walked into Mutsuki-An at lunch time to find 1 other table occupied. We wanted to try the sushi, so ordered a party platter. It did take a while to arrive, but we did have 7 different rolls coming. Imagine walking into someone's home kitchen unannounced, ordering lunch and waiting for them to prepare it. It took about that long, but maybe they had to cook the rice. Anyway, it was worth the wait. Rice was well cooked and seasoned. I think the quality is above most places I've tried, but so is the price. I would definitely return for a special occasion, if I had the time.

Mark Hanson

Sushi was just fine, but severely overpriced. We visited Mutsuki An right before they closed for lunch, and got a Salmon and Avocado Roll with an order of Inari for take out. The sushi was good, but the Salmon and Avocado roll was $8.50! I'd expect this item to be $6 at the most posh of sushi restaurants, and $5 at a good value. I think the only person I could recommend this to is someone at the beach, who wants sushi, and has more expendable income than they know what to do with. Like I said, sushi was good, but I could never recommend Mutsuki An to anyone knowing all the other good, reasonable options for sushi in town. If you're in Cadboro Bay, the Thai place next door is a much better option for a meal nearby.

Krista

Excellent! Best sushi in Victoria! Always so fresh

Take Out Queen

Easily the best sushi in the Victoria area. We come here frequently for take out and always have great service and great food. They have the best spicy tuna roll and I always enjoy their miso soup. Happy to have this restaurant in Cadboro Bay village.

Food-snob

This place is the best!!! .... This place is the best!!! Never again will I eat sushi ANYWHERE else in Victoria. Sushi starts with rice, and they have it down to a science. Too often good fish is paired with subpar rice. Mutsuki an combines both for a winning combination. Have read some reviews about poor service and the restaurant reaching it's 'maximum limit'. Having never experienced either of these faults, I can't really comment. The service is exceptional as is the food. Tea is perfect, atmosphere and aptitude. I will return and I would recommend this sushi spot ahead of ALL others.

Ake

Front Of House. Man, I really really like Mutsuki-An. Carefully prepared and beautifully selected fish, and I think they have some of the best rice in the province. But I went there today, to the new location, and had a bizarre experience. We were looking for a table for 2 (It's Wednesday at 7pm) and we're told that we should have called ahead for a reservation. Which is fair enough, restaurants get busy. So we grab a take out menu and notice that the donburi's aren't on it, and they tell us they're dine in only now (used to pick these up once or twice a month on my bike back home). So we order 3 rolls of negitoro and salmon/avocado: "It'll be ready at 8pm" Writing a complaint on Urbanspoon is a super passive aggressive way of saying "Sorry, but that's not acceptable." I appreciate slow local food and that you make genuinely great dishes, but unless you are butchering the fish live and cooking the rice from scratch - you are operating a 16 seat restaurant (with 6 seats open) and I want to pay you to eat your delicious food. An hourlong wait for 3 rolls of sushi is baffling. We left because we had things to do and it left a bad taste after being loyal customers for many years. I wouldn't recommend take out from this location anymore, sadly.

Opportunities

Call ahead. I had the same experience tonight as the last reviewer. I arrived at 6:45 p.m. to see the sign outside their entrance saying their food was sold out - sorry. Hmmm.....maybe the food is great, by my advice would be to call ahead first.

Thomas T

They just opened in Cadboro Bay Village and have to say its not that planned out. They had a closed sign at 6pm saying all their food was sold out! They won't last long there with that kinda system.

Robert

Konichiwa. This is the place to go for authentic Japanese service. The menu is limited by their kitchen but it is still a very nice place to dine and feel at peace. Located close to Oak Bay High, and Oak Bay Rec. Find the time to acquaint yourself to this family run business for your own peace of mind.

International Foodie

Great place. Every time I catch this place open I feel blessed. The food is excellent, same with the tea, and atmosphere. Everything is so fresh and tastes like the food was touched by an angel. The Japanese curry is to die for and I always hope to time it when she has a batch made, and you can never go wrong with the tuna. I love this place!

Monique Genton

A treasure. Was a pleasure to find this little gem. Beautiful food, nicely presented, kind staff. Will definitely come back. Costs just a little more than the average but it's worth it.

FeedMe

Great food. Mutsuki-An is great. The workers are super friendly and welcoming. The food is pricier than the other two Japanese restaurants in Oak Bay, but it's worth it because the quality is much better!

Denis Li

Friendly, family run place. Very fresh and great Japanese food, though choices are limited in comparison to other bigger restaurants. Also, prices are a little bit expensive, but the owner put fresh, top quality ingredients. I love these kinds of family run, hole in the wall restaurants. It feels great to be treated as VIP by the owner and servers.

Michael Stevulak

Great Japanese food. Run by a warm and welcoming family. Impeccably clean. Everything I have tried has been excellent. Best green tea in town.

Stephen Cartmel-Kolt

Fresh, friendly, and healthy. The lovely ladies of Mutsuki-An provide healthy and fresh sushi at reasonable prices. Hands down the best spicy tuna roll and miso-soup in town. Try the soybean dumplings for something different and tasty. Ann, Marie, and Naomi are gracious and friendly hosts.

Tom S.

Good Food, Owner Run. Our favorite Sushi takeout. You can always tell a great restaurant if the staff look like they own the place. It must be the smallest restaurant in Victoria, but then that is part of the appeal, they have right sized the place for what they can manage. Get there early, they often post a sign saying they have reached capacity by 6 or 6:30

Nukebomb

Hands down the BEST sushi in town! This family run restaurant offers the best of everything! Go for the Tuna and Avocado Donburi and you will be hooked for life!

Brian Chapman

Get in early to enjoy some of the best sushi in Victoria.

Scott Leslie

Can't believe I just found this place. Apparently it's been there for years. A friend from UVic took me for dinner one evening, it was very quiet and we got great service (apparently lunch can be a bit more hectic.) As far as I know this is authentic Japanese cooking, the giyoza's are a family recipe and delicious as was the sushi. It's not cheap, but not too expensive either, definitely will go back, best sushi in that neck of the woods, out by Oak Bay.

Jen

Fresh, classic sushi in the heart of Cadboro Bay Mutsuki-An has long been on my radar as possibly the best sushi in town! They recently relocated from Oak Bay (next to the high school) to Cadboro Bay village. The decor is bright and decorated with tasteful, modern art. The hardwood floors and birch tables complete the clean, spacious feel. The menu is slightly larger than it was during my last visit to the old location, possibly reflecting the larger kitchen area in the new location. They still focus on sushi, serving no tempura. Like their previous location they have maintained the small restaurant size as well as minimal hours. They still only seat a handful of tables, and their hours are pretty minimal, closing Sundays, Mondays and quite early in the evenings. They have also maintained their commitment to the excellent quality that only fresh and local ingredients provides. I really respect k

Ed Sum

The salmon was decent, likely veined, but I think the eel stole the show. I did appreciate how well rolled my morsels were, and the cooks nicely balanced the amount of rice to the fish. I could hardly taste the starch in the rice...In the end no matter what my grumblings or praises may be, it’s still early days. Moving to a different location you are sometimes going to find little things to nitpick over (okay, it’s me), but I’m still holding out to see what their business is like over the fall and winter months. Hopefully they are kept afloat by hungry UVic students.

Dmg

I haven't been at Matsuki-An for a while. Just outside Victoria, this is one of the best Japanese restaurants at lunch time. Perhaps the best. Matsuki-An follows the Japanese tradition that a meal starts in our eyes. Every dish is beautifully presented. W

Eating In Vancouver

A popular local sushi joint, Mutsuki-An focuses on healthy items. Therefore, deep-fried food is not on the menu — yes that means no tempura! You'll want to make sure you order the...

Review Mutsuki-an - Victoria