Festival Japan in Ottawa

Always delicious.

Gyozas were very nice. The Katsu chicken was a bit dry. Great service. No atmosphere

Food was ok. Dumplings were good until Steve stole one. Choose better company I say.

Absolutely amazing, highly recommend!

The old festival Japan had bigger portions nonetheless it s great atmosphere.

Very good place to be and Sam is also very charming Sushi are very fresh Manu from Belgium

Still the best sushi Ive had worldwide.

Amazing sushi and appetizer - service was great! Will go again!

2nd to none in Ottawa. From the moment we walked in the service, food, and ambiance was perfect once again. Will continue to make the drive to dine there.

A gem of a restaurant-lovely staff and good food!

Horrible experience. I went in to get some napkins because my friend had a bloody arm due to a scooter accident and they said they only give napkins to customers. My friend came in with me and showed them his bloody arm and they still said they only give napkins to customers. Cant believe this, have some decency.

I caught the last of the midday lunch and ordered the chefs plate. The selection on the plate was very much like most of the places, tuna, salmon but a few twists. The sushi though was very fresh with good texture. The plate was more than good enough to go back for a repeat. I think though what is really neat about this place is the saki 5 glass tasting menu they do. Some interesting sakis to learn about and cross taste. It s $25 but you would blow way more cracking any one of those bottles at the lcbo, if you could even find them. It may be a dark kind of old fashioned decor in a less than interesting building, but i went in to eat and have a drink: i shall definitely return again.

Fesival Japans food is expensive for just OK food.

Best shrimp tempura of all time. Unique agadashi tofu is excellent. Proper nigiri a la carte. Parking: Typical downtown parking.

Amazing food! Amazing service! The owner is also so kind. I recommend the Dragon sushi, Gyoza, scallops, and shrimp tempura. Food

Ordered kamikaze salmon sushi roll which unfortunately fell apart as soon as you tried to pick it up and had red onion in it which over powered all the other flavors. The tempura was decent. Unfortunately the tataki chicken skewers also had an overwhelming onion flavor and were overcooked. The scallops were beautifully presented but I also found them a bit overcooked for my liking. Overall for $80 worth of food the portions were a bit small and the flavors were not there for me. The service was good and it is in a good location downtown. I did find it surprising that we were the only customers dining for the entire duration of the meal.

I had never been to a Japanese restaurant before, thinking that Japanese food in Canada would not be good, but I ate at this restaurant for the first time the other day. I ordered tempura udon, and the batter on the tempura was crispy, and the udon soup had a Kansai-style light and elegant taste. Its definitely a Japanese flavor. Although the price is not reasonable, I would like to bring my family next time. This is a Japanese restaurant recommended by Japanese people.

This is a very old traditional Japanese restaurant serving authentic sushi and teriyaki series of popular Japanese hot food since late 1980s. Food are still great food the Japanese chef has been there since it was open... this is amazing history!

I love Japanese food and Festival Japan has been my long time fav. for at least 3 good reasons: 1.The beautiful and dedicated hostess greets you with a big smile before you even sit down; 2. Japanese chef, yes chef from Japan makes you the most authetic sushi in town, and 3. Food is always fresh, with fair prices. I had a desert this time, besides my usual order of great sushi, tempera cheesecake. I am glad that I ventured something new, as I am normally not a desert eater. Crispy outside and delicate inside; not too rich nor too sweet, just the way I like it! Find your own delights the next time when you go to Festival Japan, or let the wonderful staff surprise you with a new choice or two. Sit back and enjoy.

My go to sushi place. Made me miss home so much

This is a great place for authentic sushi and sashimi in Ottawa and Gatineau areas.

Festival Japan in Ottawa, despite its unimpressive suburban mall setting and basic IKEA-style decor, offers unexpectedly high-quality Japanese cuisine. The dishes, including specialty items, were fresh, hot, and authentically prepared, showcasing culinary expertise. However, the overall experience didnt match the high price point, with a basic meal costing over $50 before tax and tip. The restaurant could benefit from a cozier atmosphere and more engaging service to justify the costs. While the food was impressive, the lack of ambiance and value makes a return visit unlikely.

We have been patrons of Festival Japan for many years. The sushi was reliably nice, and there were vegetarian options. But the service. Sigh. Slow is okay if there are circumstances and shortages. Not when there are two tables on a Monday. But ambivalence hurts. It felt we weren t cared about.

Had the Sushi, Sashimi platter. It was very good and the portion size was good. My wife had the chicken teriyaki bento box and she liked it. It was nice and quiet in the restaurant.

Tried the Waygu beef oh my it melts in your mouth. As usual the tempura veggies are amazing. Tomorrow I m going for teriyaki steak

Pricey but good quality food and beautiful dining area

Service was good. I ordered miso soup and shrimp/ veggie tempura was good as well but the sushi was not unfortunately. I ordered a spicy salmon roll which I had to forfeit after one bite. The dynamite role was edible but not fantastic either. I think the restaurant has suffered due to Covid so I may try again when it gets busier.

Had a few rolls, outstanding. Lots of meat, less rice filler. Spicy salmon roll was chunk salmon not minced. Delicious!

Pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food vs. the price. Will come here again for the sushi and sashimi.

Jazzworks Jam, third Thursday evening, each month. Great music, food and drinks!

Great food at good prices. Just wish the waitress was a bit more attentive.

Their spring rolls that come with the dish was delicious. The katsu was a little dry and chewy, but decent. The rice was definitely very old as it was all stiff and basically had become rice cake . There wasn t much curry sauce to mix and cover all the meal. The sauce itself was good.

Me and my girlfriend wanted to try new restaurants downtown and we came across Festival Japan, the bento box menu on the window looked very promising and good. We ended having both the karaage bento box and it surely did not disappoint. We were greeted by the chef, he was very nice and kind, offered us to sit down and gave us a glass of water. He was also very funny :) The thing that blew us away was the atmosphere of the restaurant, through the music and style it certainly left us in awe. The food was very good, but the spring rolls in the bento box felt a bit out of place. All in all, the customer service, food and location was great. We are very excited to come back to sit down and eat when the lockdown is over.

Ordered the katsu and tuna tartare for takeout and it was delicious. Large portions, well packaged, and the tuna tartare is absolutely to die for. Excited to try the rest of the menu in-house when dining reopens. One for the books that s for sure!

Definitely one of the top sushi places around downtown, and I have tried many of them. Friendly staff, skilled chef and quality food

My favorite sushi spot for take out during Covid. Tasty sushi and salmon tartare

Chicken teriyaki was burnt and fried cutlet was stored in a bowl covered in sauce which with takeout made the cutlet soggy and not crispy.

There are other much better Japanese restaurants around.

Ive been eating at this restaurant for the last ten years. When Im in town for work I either enjoy a seat in their restaurant or order for pick up. The atmosphere inside is quiet and yet inviting but its their food that draws me back each time. Everything is soo freshly prepared and tastes so darn good. I know a Philadelphia Roll isnt anything special but to find one is rare and they make it just right.

The sushi are warm. The sushi dont stick together they all fall appart. They dont taste good not fresh at all. Also very expensive for the quality. Go elsewhere.

Always great quality!

The best sushis Ive ever had. They are sooo fresh, the rice is nothing like what you usually find in all you can eat buffets. The dragon roll is to die for. A bit pricey, but worth every penny.

Possibly the worst sushi I had for the price. All the nigiri were doused in wasabi and had terrible cuts of fish on them. The chef has the knife skills of a 7 year old. The bento tasted like something youd find at a Chinese buffet.

Great service, amazing and fresh sushi. Prices are decent. Will definitely be back. Thanks

Great food and excellent service

If your looking for 1970, you found it with todays prices. One server running around doing her best.

Less busy when i went. Nice food taste although it was a little bit smaller quantity

A quiet suup establishment. Food always excellent. Love to take visitors to this place.

This place deserves to be a lot more popular. The amount of care that goes into food preparation is out of this world. Go there and you will be well taken care of. When you order Una-Don there you get more barbecue eel than rice. When you order a simple philadelphia roll you get a roll in which 30% is salmon. They do not cut corners in food. Try their ramen too. Its really good. Theres only one place that can compete with Festival Japan. This place is Yuzu No Hana (in Toronto and it is more expensive and more upscale). However, Festival Japan still follows the same path of food quality.

Presentation is excellent, taste and quality is normal

Such great food!

Pricey but had an authentic feel. The sushi was artistic.

Good food

Excellent and affordable meals. Try the bentos (beef, salmon, vegetarian, etc.) which will fill you up without emptying your pocket.

It was ready 30 minutes after the time they quoted us, but it was tasty (once we got it)

Great Quality, Service and discussion.

Always solid food and service

I usually love sushi, but this place was bad. The sushi was hard to chew, and did not seem very fresh. This is the first time in my life I had to spit out my food. They really need to improve their quality.

Love it. One of the better sushis un Ottawa. No Toro sashimi to be had but thats not unforeseen. Only widely available on the west coast unfortunately. Great sushi and a nice if somewhat spendy spot for a business lunch

The new sushi box are the best, good price and nice volume.

Great portion sizes, taste and atmosphere! Definitely recommend the soft-shell crab and Chicken Katsu!

I had the chicken teriyaki special. I enjoyed it.

Good maki rolls. It came to about $60 for 2 people and we brought a few pieces home. We ordered a few rolls, miso soups and tea. I like to think Im a good eater. Note: miso soup and tea is not automatic like most sushi places but needs to be ordered explicitly.

I made a reservation, they didnt acknowledge it. Luckily we got seats anyways. They put us in the curtained off booth. They did not take our order on time. They did not bring our food on time. Took about 1 hour 15 minutes to get food. All other patrons got their food, paid, and left. Even parties bigger than our 4. I ordered a sizzling dish which was cold. They took off 10% as a gesture. But they didnt even give us a reason why we were ignored. I dont recommend going here for lunch time. I dont think they can handle the pressure. Ill try a dinner service to see if they are better, but not anytime soon.

Very Bad, Customer Service. Restaurant is dark and dirty. Never returning and waste of my money!

Dandy

very unpleasant place, A group of 11 people stopped by during a visit to Ottawa, but were refused entry, let alone a greeting. The explanation was this. He said that he couldnt come if he didnt make a reservation, and that it didnt matter as long as he could sit and wait for a while. (At the time, there were customers sitting at two tables inside.) However, the customer behind me went in and sat down without a reservation. I couldnt tell if the food was delicious or not, but this place was so unfair and unprofessional that I dont want to know in the future.

Kamakaze rolls, so good, this restaurant should be a Japanese territory.

Love it here! We drive from over an hour away to eat here!

Love the food and the entertaining chefs! Always a blast.

Great food, bad staff, asked how fresh the fish was, got told by the server its a Japanese restaurant, i inquired if the fish is fresh again, got told that it is fresh and that if i dont believe him, i can leave while laughing, asked if there was a manager, told me there was none. Kept talking for a bit to clear what i was asking about, he ended the conversation by dont ask stupid questions. The visit was today at 6:30 pm

It s the better sushi s I never eat.

Went for their lunch menu with friends, got the Vegetarian Lunch Bento box and a drink. Good experience overall, would recommend. Here are the pros and cons: -Food is good -Vegetarian/vegan options available -Nice decor, good ambiance -Service was quick and efficient but sparse, waiter didnt bother us but was also hard to get a hold of -They ran out of spring rolls, gave me extra tempura instead to compensate -Sushi rolls fell apart when picked up with chopsticks -Decent price, only cost me $26 after tip

Really enjoyed their food and service is amazing and quick!

Good sushi and I recommend it even though sometimes the service is a bit slow

Great authentic Japanese food. Delicious sushi and Tempura.

It is a wonderful quirky place: think of post war occupied Japan and the introduction of exhuberant American culture to reserved and traditional Japanese ritual. The owners clearly love Western music, circa 1950s to 60s. One can often enjoy all manner of jazz and lounge music - sometimes live bands- while sampling a fine array of sushi, tempura, bento boxes and miso soups. Wine, beer and cocktails are offered but I always go for the hot sake. Private tatami rooms are available. Often it is fun just to see the other regulars who come in; those who like the unconventionality of it all.

Great dining with authentic Japanese cuisine. Very reasonable price. Highly recommended.

tasty food, super quick service, staff are friendly and attentive. Great spot for lunch

Tasty vegetarian sushi rolls and excellent service

Average food, not very busy.

Had a lunch Benton box. Very good meal! I hope to visit again

Good food. Timely service

Cute little place, made a reservation and didnt need to. They were very accommodating to my request to have many different small plates served all at once, and the food tasted very fresh. When I asked for extra ginger, they gave me tonnes! Lovely

Great service and food!

Great services

Was aiight

Food is delicious and everyone (staff) is very polite. Bathrooms could be cleaner (toilet paper on floor, counters soaked, etc),... I have been here a handful of times. When it is busy they do have a tendency to give the wrong order but no matter what you get its delicious... Just went recently and we were only people in the whole restaurant. We waited a very long time for service (20+ minutes just for drinks)... Was not happy about that. Overall, we do not have many Japanese restaurants...which is why I am giving this restaurant a 4.

Ive been to Festival Japan twice in the past year and both times the service has been poor. It took close to 40 minutes to get my meal, despite the fact that during the most recent visit, I arrived well before the lunch rush. Drink selection is limited. Prices are average.

Nice quiet meal - delicious

Found a plastic wrapper in my soup

Great service and good food.

Shrimp tempura was amazing

good for if you want sushi.

Great sushi. Fast service.

Served rotten food.

Good food, friendly staff. Service a little slow but all in all, a very nice experience. Would return again.

Fantastic food! Great service and awesome atmosphere :)

Great sushi! Had a steak special which was delicious! Value was good on the steak special. Had some other side dishes as well, but they were very expensive for what we got. Overall, a good experience and Ill be back.

I love love love this place as an ex Vancouverite Its as good if not better than the coast.Sushi chef is kind of grumpy which adds to the atmosphere

The food was good. The fish was fresh.

Wonderful food, friendly staff and cozy environment ! These folks get an A + for all of their service !

Good price and sushi were good.

Great ramen

Awesome food. Very Japanese experience.

Grear

My husband and I come to this restaurant once in a while to get some sushi. Although the sushi is great quality and one of the better choices in the area - I must say that it is pretty expensive. That would be the main issue I have with it. I also ordered their steak and rice dish - not impressive at all.

Sushi was good, but teriyaki was awful. Steak was uncooked and stone cold in the middle, so I had to take it home to cook it. Also incredibly expensive for the small portions. Would not recommend

Great food. Good service

I remember coming here years ago with friends. We had a private room, a sushi boat, and an amazing time. It was right when I started eating sushi and was a big part of why I love the food so much. Having just moved back to Ottawa I was excited to try it again almost 10 years later! And I would have loved to have tried it... But we spent 10 minutes in the empty restaurant and saw no one. We could hear someone but never found them. It was thoroughly disappointing. We had to leave without ever seeing a single employee. We ended up having a great dinner somewhere else.

Great food and a fun music night.

Decent quality but over price

Gluten free - The first sushi restaurant in Ottawa that Ive been to that has gluten free soy sauce and is prepared to answer your questions. I had an avocado role, shared an Ume plate, and had the grilled salmon. All were very good. The service was friendly but could have been a little quicker but overall I really enjoyed the experience.

The services is ok, the food is horrible. The worst tempura, sushi and sashimi I ever had. Not worth the price. I came once last year it was good, must changed chef or owner.

Great food. Great service. Nice Japanese waitress served me and a charming chef with a twinkle in his eye. The rainbow roll had fresh and thick fish and the gyoza was crispy and delicious. A hidden gem

Oringinally rated a 5, used to be my favorite sushi spot in particular. I used to order kamikaze rolls and other apps here all the time after work but I think sushi chefs/menu has changed. Its more expensive with poorer quality. Used to be my favourite spot but the last few times have been crappy and the tuna even kinda gross. Will likely not return until/unless quality returns.

Overall awful experience. The miso soup was handmade but really basic, Tomo, Orchid Sushi and Kyotos are better, as they have one or two more ingredients. The price tag doesnt justify the quality of the soup. The sushi is nothing but average, and $14 for a rainbow roll that doesnt blow my mind is a waste of money. Id get sushi at Bento for this price that would taste better. Come on. I dont know what you did to the soy sauce either but it was extra salty, and quite frankly it gave me a headache. I would suggest that you switch to another brand with less sodium, and if its homemade, go easy on the salt. Last but not least, we had to wait 30 minutes for our sushi to finally get to our table. The waiter giggled when we told him my girlfriend and I had to switch plates because he didnt take the order properly. Not funny dude, one of us could have had an allergy or an intolerance. He also never refilled our glasses. $30 for an average miso soup and average sushi is a rip off. This is the Wasabi syndrome, youre making people pay for a quality thats tremendously lacking. We only came because Orchid Sushi was closed due to a power outage. We will not come back again.

Shrimp tempura was really good. Sushi was Okay not too thrilled.

Second time here in a few years. Still as good and the ambiance is amazing! A little pricey though.

Always an excellent experience, Samantha and her team have never been anything less than warm, welcoming and excellent hosts. Thank you so much for a great time!

I was at Festival Japan tonight. As always the food is excellent and the service is great. Highly recommended

Jazz music and Japanese food make such an amazing combination. Kirk MacDonald quintet was otherworldly during the evening. Loved the Chasyu Ramen and Sapporo beer!

Great sushi

Rice for their sushi was horrible. I couldnt eat it. The rest of their food was ok but for the price totally not worth it. Service was good.

Can be a bit expensive, depending on what you order. I think its best to go with a decent sized group and order some dishes to share to get the most value.

The hot pop is terrible, there is no soup but seaweed with water.

A warm and personal greeting from the hostess/owner Samantha set the mood for the friendly service and a warm atmosphere that followed. The food is outstanding and the sushi fresh. The smell of the dishes being served to the tables around peaked our anticipation for our meal which was carefully cooked to perfection. We have come here almost on a weekly basis since and have never had even so much as an over cooked piece of broccoli.

Good food, good service, good facilities, but rather pricey.

Great place to sit and watch sushi being created. Wonderful staff and big seafood options on menu.

Delicious teriyaki steak and chicken! Service was fast and efficient. Restaurant was clean and friendly, thank you Samantha!

A great place for sushi

Good food. Expensive beer $9 tall boy

Tap Water Hot pot, nothing expect tap water! No taste, no sauce.

Pretty good Japanese food. The dumplings and sushi were great, the teriyaki chicken was okay. Good spot overall.

Their bento box is the best

Good service, good food.

Quite expensive but the food was very tasty

Tempura boxes, service + ambiance

delicious food and ambiance!

Not bad at all!!

Website menu versus in store menu grossly different prices. Not cool, but inline with the rest of Ottawas ridiculous food prices.

Food was very good!

I was there on a Tuesday at lunch hour. For clarity, it was a pretty tame lunch crowd... Far from packed. Sat with a menu for half an hour without being spoken to or even given a glass of water. Walked out and the waitress didnt even try to stop me.

Terrible. No one greeted us when we walked in and we were told to sit at a tiny table but the dinning room had plenty of seats. Waitress was unwilling for service, dropped us a menu and came back 30 minutes later with water. Food quality was not on par with the prices, sushi and sashimi was at most the average level in Ottawa. Japanese hot pot here was served as a pot filled with boilling tap water. Not recommended.

Good food. Gluten free soya sauce option!

Delicious assorted sashimi dish!

Food is always cooked well and the quality is consistent at every visit. The ramen dish is extremely salty, but tastes so good. Be sure to drink lots of water after. The other dishes are not salty and enjoyable as you would expect.

Nov 16, 2017 lunch - bad experience with the Ume combo. The squid is slimy and hard. The fish is warm and does not taste fresh. Wasabi not consistently allocated per item, sometimes there is too much and it hurts and sometimes there is too little. Only one type of tea offered. Time for the place to step up their game.

Its alright. We dont have many good Japanese food in Ottawa. This place is above average quality, but of course it came with a price, literally.

Food was a bit expensive but decent enough. Service was average as well.

Festival of Japan is a nice and cozy environment. On the Jazzy night there was good music and the food was very tasty. The staff are very friendly and make you feel welcoming. I will come back with my family any time

I have been coming here for years and it never disappoints.