Japanese Village Restaurant in Victoria

734 Broughton St, Victoria, BC V8W 1E1, Canada

★★★★☆
(1261 reviews)
Categories: Japanese restaurant Asian restaurant Japanese steakhouse Restaurant Seafood restaurant Steak house

About

A locally-owned teppanyaki restaurant in the heart of downtown Victoria - Serving Victoria since 1975. Watch your personal chef dazzle you with sleight-of-hand bite-size bits of steak and seafood. Chop, season, sizzle - That's teppan-grill dining at the Japanese Village Restaurant!

Website
japanesevillage.bc.ca
Address
734 Broughton St, Victoria, BC V8W 1E1, Canada
Plus Code
CJFP+G9 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Time Zone
America/Vancouver

Business Hours

Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
3–8:30 PM
Friday
3–9 PM
Saturday
3–9 PM
Sunday
3–8:30 PM

Services

Service options
Takeaway Dine-in Delivery
Highlights
Great tea selection
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance Wheelchair-accessible seating
Offerings
Alcohol Beer Cocktails Coffee Healthy options Private dining room Spirits Vegan options Vegetarian options Wine
Dining options
Lunch Dinner Catering Dessert Seating
Amenities
Bar on site Toilets Wi-Fi Wi-Fi
Atmosphere
Cosy Romantic Upmarket
Crowd
Family friendly Groups LGBTQ+ friendly
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards Credit cards
Children
Good for kids High chairs Kids' menu
Parking
Paid parking lot Paid street parking Parking

Photos

Reviews

4.4
★★★★☆
1261 reviews

Most Mentioned

chef (157) entertaining (73) atmosphere (44) teppanyaki (41) steak sauce (36) party (22) shrimp (17) shogun (7) sesame sauce (6) filet mignon (6)
5 stars
817
4 stars
250
3 stars
87
2 stars
40
1 stars
67
★★★★★
November 25, 2024

A fun place to go if you have a birthday to celebrate. Very kind that they take a photo of the birthday boy and give us the photo in a card. Thank you! 😊

★★★★
October 5, 2024

I remember this being a signature place to visit when coming in from out of town since 2012! I love that they are still here, but they overcooked my filet and forgot the straw i asked for when we were the only table there 🥲 but it was still a pleasant experience with a fun chef.

★★★★★
March 7, 2024

This restaurant is amazing 👏. The atmosphere is fabulous and the chef's go above and beyond making jokes and preparing the food in front of the entire table so that it is a comedic, fun, interactive experience. I highly recommend this place 👌.

★★★★
January 13, 2024

Great entertainment, food and location. We had a group of 6. Fun evening with parking at central library so park and walk across the street. Food and service were good. Only complaint is if you want to visit it’s noisy, busy and a bit smelly from the open cooking. But totally fun experience. Prawns were fabulous! Our adult sons go all the time, so thought we should try it. You need reservations.

★★★★★
December 17, 2023

Food is excellent! Service excellent! Staff super friendly, enviroment is great. It is the first time I go with my kids and they loved the restaurant, they were so impressed, they have a menu for the kids, and they love it!

★★★★★
October 12, 2023

Amazing! Love, love this restaurant! It's literally a dinner and a show. This is Teppanyaki style of cooking. Expect to be here for a minimum of 2hrs. This is a staple to Victoria's downtown core and a must go. Everyone is great from the chefs, the servers and the people you sit with at your table. The steak sauce that is served is top notch.

★★★★★
November 26, 2022

Japanese village is an excellent experience and well worth going to at least once. You will need to book a reservation ahead of time in order to get a seat at the grill. They used to have a dining area that was not at the grill but I believe it is closed since the start of covid. Compared to other steak restaurants the pricing is pretty fair considering the amount of food you get. I love the steak sauce they provide for your rice and steak. I will be continuing to dine at Japanese village and highly recommend it to my friends and family.

★★★★
October 12, 2022

It was a little hard to find the entrance as you have to walk down a set of stairs underground. The prices were reasonable. We know we are partly paying for the experience and the novelty of having the food cooked in front of you. Good place to go with a group of friends as you sit together. If you don’t have a full table you will likely be seated with strangers which can turn out great, bad or neither. We liked the sauces they gave you for the meat and the veggies. The chef was entertaining and lively. Food was good but I wouldn’t say great but like I said, you are going more for the experience. It’s not a place I’d go often but maybe for special occasions of for entertaining groups of friends. Would recommend. I had ordered the 6 oz steak and it was plenty. One of us ordered a side of prawns, 2 sides of mushrooms and scallops and the 3 of us shared them. Be prepared to leave really full.

★★★★★
Local Guide
October 23, 2024

10/10, a very nice dinner and atmosphere. Great food and staff.

★★★★★
Local Guide
October 23, 2024

Always fun! Great food.

★★★
October 23, 2024

We have been to quite a few teppanyaki restaurants including Kobes in Vancouver, and Katanas so we feel like we have a pretty good idea of what was to be expected. No fault of the restaurant but we had a reservation at 8:00PM. We sat and waited with a screaming child next to us and then got seated with them. I am totally understanding of these situations having 4 children myself but I really wasnt impressed it being 8:00PM. This again was no fault of the restaurant. The child was taken out and left which I am thankful for but it kind of killed the vibe! The cook was super sweet and funny. The food was ok, the prawns were my favorite. Other than that it was just ok, not worth the price in my opinion. Drinks were small, never asked if we wanted refills or water. The cook noticed we were looking for the server so he requested she get my son water. Not bad but definitely not worth $165.

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 23, 2024

I love this restaurant, I dont get to eat here as often as Id like. The flavours are incredible and I always enjoy the personality of the chefs that cook right in front of you and your family or friends. Great service, non-rushed atmosphere. Pricier than some places for dinner but great as a special treat.

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 23, 2024

One of the best dinners you can go for in victoria hands down. Thebest service in victoria.

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 23, 2024

Always a favorite for years and years! Wheelchair accessibility: Might want to check. Ive never known any way in except for down a flight of stairs, but would think they have a delivery entrance somewhere. Food : 5/5 |

★★★★★
September 23, 2024

First timer here and loved it, from out of town with some friends. Food was delicious and service was top notch. Definitely be eating here again on my next trip to Victoria.

★★★★★
September 23, 2024

Delicious and fun evening.

★★★
September 23, 2024

Start by waiting 45 minutes uncomfortably with strangers crowded around an empty grill while your cook makes food for a grill nearby. Finally comes over tells a dad joke and cuts some zucchini and onion and grills it for a few a minutes in some vegetable oil. No spices, no garlic, just zucchini and white onion. Then he throws down still frozen tiny grey shrimp. You re party is starving so when he gives you two tiny pieces of shrimp cut in half with some teriyaki sauce on it and some half cooked onions and zucchini you re grateful. That s your appetizer. Now you get a half cooked NY steak or if you upgraded, a very small filet mignon. They grill these for a couple minutes with some butter I m not joking. Now add a few scallops dumped on canola oil with some teriyaki and mayo. Couple more jokes fall flat and you re done. $55. Extremely mediocre with an extra dose of embarrassing interactions.

Local Guide
August 23, 2024

Lackluster for teppanyaki. There was no entertainment value. Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 23, 2024

Great service. Friendly staff. Little experience with everything going on that is fine. worth it for a treat one in a while

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 23, 2024

Always a great time!

★★★★★
August 23, 2024

Delicious food

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 23, 2024

Another great experience with my family at Japanese Village last night. This place holds a special place in my heart as Ive been coming here since I was a kid and enjoying the great food and unique experience. The food was tasty, the chef was fun and the service was delightful especially in catering to special needs of guests . The atmosphere is but secret dinner club being downstairs and away from the noise of the city.

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 23, 2024

A little cooking show that will delight everyone! Appetizing and fun, but a little unexpected that our cook is not Japanese I have nothing against other peoples, but we were a little embarrassed because we went to the Japanese to taste their dishes. However, everything was delicious, thank you! We will come again

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 23, 2024

One of my favorite for a couple decades so fun as well

★★
June 23, 2024

I heard a lot of good things about this place so I went. First of all the chef was very entertaining But the food portion was very small compared to the price. The steak sauce that they put on the rice was extremely salty And the bathroom was absolutely dirty So hopefully they can up their standards

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 23, 2024

A wonderful establishment, I recommend Polite staff, fast service. There are a lot of visitors) We had to wait a little while for a table to become free. The chef prepared an incredibly delicious dinner and even had time to chat with us))) There is also a children s menu

June 23, 2024

Went to Japanese village tonight with my family celebrating my grad. I have always loved this restaurant and thought of it as my favourite. Me and my family were all left extremely disappointed and frustrated. My grandma is in a wheelchair and is quite old. My aunt was sharing food with her since my grandma doesn t eat much. They refused to give us another plate for my grandma to eat on and also refused to give us any clean cups for water. They said that it s more work for the people to wash the dishes. I asked my waitress 3 times for some water and each time she never gave me any. Our waitress never came back to our table to see if we needed anything. Seemed like she was ignoring us on purpose. The table across from us was buying lots of alcohol and they were receiving the best service. Some of our food was raw and not properly cooked. We asked for ice cream after and the ice cream was full of literal ice chunks clearly from it being refrozen. Overall the worst service we ve ever received. Don t plan on going back.

May 23, 2024

Went for family dinner for 6. Use to be our favorite spot for family dinners and large group occasions. Very poor service and inappropriate cook. It has really gone down hill. Time to find a new fav we won t be going back.

★★★★
Local Guide
May 23, 2024

Unfortunately we had bad luck with the cook. You couldnt understand him and he wasnt funny either. But the service was great and the food was delicious. But you can also get this in many other restaurants.

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 23, 2024

Delicious food! Great service and friendly staff. Highly recommend!

★★★★
Local Guide
April 23, 2024

I loved it. Kind of dark. But good food.

April 23, 2024

Do yourself a favor and dont go. Its a complete waste of money now with cooks that wouldnt last a day at McDonalds. We have been regular customers for 15+ years and well thats over. Well happily choose another down town asian option for half the cost and twice the customer service. Good luck Japanese village u wont be around much longer.

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 23, 2024

Best restaurant on the entire island for dinner!!

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 23, 2024

We went to celebrate a birthday party with a friend of mine, the whole family. It was amazing same as always. We ve been coming to this place not so often but afternoon after to keep remember it s always fantastic food great service highly recommended. Kid-friendliness: They have a kids menu to

★★★★
Local Guide
April 23, 2024

Not as good as I remember. Our chef forgot some of the veggies, so served them after the main (?) They are desperately in need of a reno. Still good food, still great for birthdays :) Parking: No lack of parking. Kid-friendliness: Great for fams

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 23, 2024

Food is great. The hostess doing her job but be kind doing it is all we ask.

★★
Local Guide
March 23, 2024

Used to be really good, but kind of over rated now

March 23, 2024

We went to the Japanese Village a few months ago. It was terrible. My food was served room temp and made in the kitchen because I don t eat red meat. All watery. My husband and another person at our table are celiacs and they got served first and were done by the time the cook started the others. The steaks were tough, prawns overdone. So much time in between that everything was like warm. The cook didn t smile, talk or put on any kind of show. Didn t even look at us. It was expensive for the terrible food and bad service. Also a sizeable tip was added. The service was terrible. I didn t write a review because J thought maybe it was just us, but have heard from many that they too said their food was terrible. Used to be so good.

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 23, 2024

Best restaurant ever. Delicious everytime! Kid-friendliness: Kids menu Food : 5/5 |

★★★★
March 23, 2024

Outstanding time, food delicious and entertaining - Chef Andrew is the best!

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 23, 2024

Always great. Beought our 2 year old grand daughter and she loved it.

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 23, 2024

Haven t been for 10 years and just took the whole family! Great food

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 23, 2024

Amazing as always! Thank you. The Black dragon roll was delicious. Vegetarian options: Many wonderful vegetarian options.

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 23, 2024

Awesome food and service. Patrícia who served us was extremely polite and helpful. Food : 5/5

★★★★★
February 23, 2024

Our server was hilarious and so entertaining! Not to mention an amazing chef. Great food and So much fun !!

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 23, 2024

Top notch. What an amazing experience for the first time with our kids. The employees were amazing and the chef was very entertaining,made everyone laugh.

★★★★
February 23, 2024

Had a fantastic time (once again as we are repeating customers). Food and service was excellent! My son and I are celiac and I really appreciated the consideration JV brought to make our experience still awesome. The ONLY issue I took was that they charge an extra $2.50 for each of us for GF sauce yet they omitted serving us the soup due to gluten as well as no salad dressing (just a slice of lemon for the salad). I would expect that these 2 things would negate the cost of the sauce and that they shouldn t charge extra. Not a big deal but just a bit surprising. Dietary restrictions: They were great as 3 people at our table are Celiac but the extra cost of the sauce and the omission of the soup was a bit petty

★★★★★
Local Guide
January 23, 2024

This is my favourite family birthday restaurant! From the entertaining hibachi chefs to the delicious steak sauce, this is a fun experience for the whole family. They are great at adapting to allergy requirements but I wouldnt come here if youre vegetarian. We enjoy every menu item, but have yet to try the wagyu steak. We will keep coming back as long as there is steam in the onion train!

★★★★★
Local Guide
January 23, 2024

Wonderful experience, amazing food and the staff are incredible.

★★★★★
January 23, 2024

Vegetarian options: They have tofu! Dietary restrictions: They have dairy free steak sauce Food : 5/5 |

★★★★★
Local Guide
January 23, 2024

Good food. Fun chef. Nice atmosphere Ive been here many times and am never disappointed

★★★★★
Local Guide
January 23, 2024

Amazing! So so Yummy

★★
January 23, 2024

My wife and I took our two kids here on Jan. 3, 2024. When I received the bill I was quite surprised to see an automatic 18% gratuity added to it. For the amount we spent, this was a little over $25 extra! I asked about it when I paid at the front desk and was told that it is Automatically applied to all bills. Ummm what?? There was nothing on the menu about this policy, and I did not agree with it; however, it was late and the kids were tired and whining so I just paid it so we could get outta there. I just looked on the Japanese Village website and it states that, 18% gratuity added to all bills for groups of 11 or more. So why was this added to our family or four?

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Excellent experience for my daughter 16th birthday everything was just amazing Parking: Excellent

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Having a good chef will turn a good experience here into a great one. Food is always good. A little bit more difficult to chat to everyone though if you have a bigger group

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Vegetarian options: Without meat. Kid-friendliness: The staff are tolerant. Food : 5/5 |

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The food is amazing. The hospitality is amazing. If youre willing to spend a few bucks to have a good time, this is the place to go for dinner Parking: Theres a parking lot beside Japanese village. Theres also some street parking which is free at night

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Went with family. Highly entertaining and good and ample food.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Amazing as always gotta have the sauce on the rice best thing ever !!!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Everything you expect, great personable chef, fresh food, left full & happy

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Don was the best chef ever! He deserves a raise!! Will request to have Don next time dining here

December 23, 2023

I really do enjoy japanese village . But last night may be my last time Im afraid . To start the mens urinal had what looked like an entire main course of vomit and paper towel filled to the brim ... I get it ... its gross ... but you need to deal with that ASAP. Then the waiter apparently didnt hear my order correctly ... even though we had a brief confirmation dialogue ... of course with all the other portions of food on the grill I didnt notice until I was being served the wrong dish... And I received the most meager portion of chicken ... paid over 100 dollars for that experience ... I even tipped $20 . Im chalking it up to a bad night ... but still disappointed.. oh and we need to consider a new steak supplier , just poor quality , taste and texture .. Im really surprised about this .. been dining at JV for years very sad

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Not cheap, but the food is decent and its good entertainment.

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Everything except for the food is decent. They have very friendly service as well as good teipanyaki performance. I am not a fan of sharing a small table with strangers but I guess thats what a budget teppanyaki is like. The food has boring taste though. While only a few very basic and plain seasonings are used, they also only have sesame and ginger sauce available. Mayo sauce + soy sauce really isnt going to taste amazing. I really recommend the restaurant to introduce more house seasonings.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great food great service, reasonable prices! Dietary restrictions: Will accommodate allergies Food : 5/5 |

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Always a great experience... Year after year... they never disappoint extra steak sauce is a must for me!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Its been awhile butt surprised to see price is still good n food delicious...ty

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great food, full meal, very enjoyable.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

What a great place to have a night out with a special someone. Ive been going to JV for almost 20 years. My all time favorite restaurant in Victoria

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I was not impressed with front of house staff who pressured us to order our meals while we were sitting in the waiting area. Admittedly 2 of our party were 10 minutes late in arriving and staff wanted us to send photos of the menu to the late arrivals so that they could place their orders while en route. We dont know why they tried to rush us, as the restaurant was not terribly busy. Our server was not patient at all and unwilling to check ingredients for us when we asked about GF options (see my comments below). The chef was the one bright spot of our experience; he was kind and considerate of the special dietary needs of some of our party. The food was fresh and good-tasting. Prices were pretty hefty, and items that used to be complimentary, such as green tea or an extra bowl of rice with your meal, are now charged. Overall a unsatisfying and disappointing dinner. We were made to feel like an inconvenience, rather than paying customers. Its a shame because I remember good service there in the past. And they had the gall to suggest a gratuity of 15%, 20% and even 25% on the bill. Wont be going back. Dietary restrictions: I dont recommend Japanese Village for those who have celiac disease. They dont have a GF dressing for the included salad, nor any option for the included shabu soup (which contains gluten). They do have GF soy sauce and a GF steak sauce, but they charge you extra for it. Also there is no alternative for the ice cream dessert for those who cant eat dairy.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Very tasty and eventful.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

We went last night for my daughters birthday and everything was excellent. The food was very good and our cook, Andrew, was quite entertaining. He really made our experience enjoyable. I felt bad for the people that shared our table because our group was pretty lively and talkative but I guess thats the chance you take with this style of dining. Everything was very tasty and the dipping sauces were a perfect addition to the meats, rice and shrimps. We brought a birthday cake with us and the staff served it after dinner and sang, played drums and even took a photo of our group which they gave us in a cardboard frame to take home. A very nice evening all around, especially if youre celebrating a special occasion.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Still the best dining deal in Victoria!

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

We enjoyed everything there

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Pretty bad, Besides a good cut of meat, the food was blah. Inexperienced chef, no show except a little Choo Choo display with the onions.... Id expect that with a happy meal for my 5yo. The hostess and front staff were very friendly.

December 23, 2023

Not even half of the showmanship of koby s or some other places I ve been and they are the only place that doesn t have fried rice. And more expensive not worth the money I will never go back.

★★★
December 23, 2023

Amazing

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Amazing dinner, worth it.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Had a wonderful time. The staff were fantastic. It was my first time and I will definitely be back.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Good place to eat and have a nice time Kid-friendliness: The food show is fun

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The chef had fun interaction with us, but there was no fancy knife work. He did the onion train, and that was it! It was a bit disappointing. The food is always great, but for the price, I didnt think it was really worth it this time.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Great place,our chef had quite the humor

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

I had an amazing dinner but the chairs are a little bit uncomfortable I would definitely recommend this restaurant. Kid-friendliness: The cooks are really nice to children especially.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Gilakasla 1st time for some of my family and they thought it was good Just wouldve been nice to be all around the table with the same cook Food

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Ordered a drink, and was asked if I was ok with the price first. Train your staff. Service was poor, steak was terrible for the price.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Food portions were slightly smaller then I hoped. Chef tried to keep us laughing and make the tempanyaki meal a show..

★★
December 23, 2023

for $130 i expected some fire/knife tricks and at the very least the meat could be seasoned, but my boyfriend and i enjoyed the experience

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

We go to Japanese Village about twice a year for special occasions. We absolutely love the experience, and the food is always amazing. Last visit, I had their Wagyu. Its pricey, but it was so amazing. The atmosphere could use a little sprucing up, but overall, we love this place.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Fun meal chef was funny.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Incredible experience!!! Amazing food... Amazing atmosphere. Highly recommend!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Oh my gosh what isnt there to love there! Food is always amazing.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

I have enjoyed going to this restaurant for many years. It is great for special occasions, date night, social outings, or if you just need alot of fun. It has great food, great staff.

★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

(7:30pm reso)Went here for my sons 13th birthday dinner. Was expecting a show with a fire onion tower but we really just got some rude/sarcasm (adult kinda funny) but my young children were confused. Food was OK. Doesn t compare to KOBE in Vancouver whatsoever. Likely won t be back here. Maybe our chef was having an off day or wanted to go home? Won t be back.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Always a fun experience! Food was amazing. Of course there was an onion volcano. But there wasnt any fire..

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Absolutely wonderful food, friendly staff

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Perfection. I have food sensities and they were able to accommodate. Always entertaining chefs and food is consistently great.

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Whats Teppenyaki without any showmanship. Like none, whatsoever. Wish I could give a zero for service. Absolute garbage or they were just racist, one or the other for sure. Weve been here in the past and always as a group of 10-12 every May long weekend for the past few years. Service was always not the greatest but today took the cheese. We were a big group of 12 again. One of friends asked for a new fork and was told to keep theirs as they are running low on forks. Like what restaurant ever says that? Another person asked for some hot sauce to which the response you have to order it. Were like okay just add it and theyre like are you sure. What restaurant does that ! Had to ask for a takeaway box three times before it was brought over and chopsticks to go twice and we gave up and got them from the front. We have an infant with us and they wouldnt give us a spare chair to out the baby seat on and insisted for us to put the baby on the floor. The food was okay but felt so rushed. Pretty much give us your money and get out. Never going back again!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Always good entertainment and excellent food

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great place for an entertaining meal with performing teppanyaki chefs

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Always a great time. We have 20 years of great experiences there.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Amazing food. Definitely pricy but downtown.

December 23, 2023

Bad service, employees were inconsiderate, dont go there if you wanna have a great time

December 23, 2023

Agree with Aman below. Was there last night. No show... cook was not entertaining. Food was average at best. We were here a few years ago, but things have changed now.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Sublime food and had an amazing show. Our cook was very funny and keep us laughing the whole time! Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Best place for a family birthday!

December 23, 2023

Cook completely forgot about my wife s steak. I waited for hers and ate mine cold and then he forgot my shrimp. I think they agreed to cook someone an extra meal on a different table but then gave him ours. It was slower than normal and our cook was not enthusiastic or entertaining at all. Not impressed with the experience and don t think I ll go back to what was my favourite restaurant.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Fantastic time great people

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Love the idea ! Something different and authentic! Looking forward for the next time

★★★★
December 23, 2023

Having food cooked to order in front of u while being entertained is always a treat !

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

My visit turned out to be a phenomenal experience that still brings a smile to my face whenever I reminisce. The atmosphere was inviting and full of positive energy, making every moment enjoyable. The cooks, I must say, were the life of the place! Their humor wasnt just about serving up laughs; it was about creating a connection with everyone present. Sure, they take their fair share of risks, trying to personalize their humor for the different patrons. However, it s important to approach this with an open mind. Their jokes, all in good spirit, are their unique way of adding an extra spark to the whole experience. I felt their efforts were truly dedicated to ensuring we werent just satisfied with the meal but also left the place with a richer experience and maybe a better mood than when we arrived. The establishment clearly values customer experience as much as they do their food, if not more. Indeed, it is no understatement to say this was the best Taranaki experience Ive ever had. This place is a great testament to the vibrant culture and hospitality this region has to offer. Highly recommended for anyone looking to feel the pulse of Taranaki and have an entertaining, good time while at it. Parking: Parking will vary by price recommend 2hours for food. Parking garage is the most affordable across the street if street parking is not available. Kid-friendliness: They have a very affordable kids meal

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Had the best meal here. My kids said it was the best ever, our guests said it was the best ever, and I personally loved it too. Special place.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

I had the teriyaki chicken & steak and it was DELICIOUS. Loved the steak sauce so much we purchased a bottle to take home with us. I also super appreciated that they are nut-free :) will be back very soon!!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The cook for our table was a natural Entertainer and did a great job cooking our steak beautifully rare ( the most important part! ) Everything was delicious. Table service is lacking and I find that to be pretty consistent on each of our visits. Great for keto! Dietary restrictions: Works for keto

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

We have loved Japanese Village it s a family favourite for special occasions. It s great for the whole family. The food is yummy, the drinks are great.

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

We enjoyed a birthday dinner here. The food was just ok, but not amazing. I felt the portions to be quite small and the prices extremely high. I didnt feel like I got value for my money, and I left hungry. The experience is the best part for sure, and my kids loved watching the chef. The service was not great, unfortunately. I finally got my wine about 3/4 of the way through my meal. We sat at the table for approximately 30 mins before we even got water in front of us, and I never did see a pop refill that I was promised. Our server was incredibly slow to remove dirty plates and dishes, and this made for a very cramped dining experience as the food keeps coming from the chef constantly. I wish our server was more attentive, especially since we were only 1 of 4 tables occupying the restaurant. Their birthday song was a nice touch and made our experience enjoyable, but overall, it was a 2 or 3 star experience for me.

December 23, 2023

Been going to Japanese village for ten years and last night may be my last visit Took my family of five for a nice dinner or so I thought. We were seated beside another group of 4 at our grill table. The chef looked like he was skipping science class to be there ( couldn t have been older then 20 ) I tried to give him the benefit of doubt but he only proved my suspicions to be right right out of the gate he started messing up the orders and I couldn t even hear him talk he kept asking questions I think, about our day and how it was going I think. But no one at the table could hear the kid, he was quieter than a church mouse. The group beside us had ordered extra mushrooms. He put them on my kids plate. I ordered the shrimp and steak. He put my shrimp on the lady beside me plate, she told him she did not order shrimp so he took it off her plate of vegetables and put it back on the grill for a few moments well he tried to figure out the orders. He then took the shrimp and placed it on my plate. Everyone at the table gasped and told him that s not food safe as he was playing pass the shrimp with random guests at the table . He then started to get nervous as he could tell we were not impressed. He then didn t do any tricks or jokes he over cooked the steaks, gave my kids the wrong food. My daughter didn t even get her chicken as he forgot to cook it. Another chef brought my daughter s chicken from the back kitchen after we had all ate and waiting on bill. Then to top it all off they charged us like the experience and food was totally normal other tables were watching in disbelief as we paid full price for no show and the wrong food on our plates. I honestly hope that kid rethinks his future as a chef because I will immediately turn the other way if I ever see him there again. I don t think he even apologized to my daughter for forgetting her food. Waste of $200 if ya ask me.

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

No more sushi or tuna tinaki

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Excellent food as always

★★
December 23, 2023

We are from the U.S. and this doesnt taste anything like what we would consider hibachi. None of the same veggies or sauces. So unless you dont want much flavor. Save the money. Parking: The restaurant is located downstairs. Not handicap friendly at all.

December 23, 2023

Food was disgusting and overpriced, their steak was inedible.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

At least twice a year tradition for me, and it never fails. Soooo good. Staff is always friendly and out to entertain!

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

We go regularly to Japanese Village, and its our go to place for our anniversary and family birthdays. The staff are awesome and the chefs and food are phenomenal. Nothing but good to say.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Had an amazing time loved our cook was funny and amazing service recommend going here

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great food and experience with our friends.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Enjoyed watching the food being cooked, lots of fun

★★★★
December 23, 2023

Gotta learn to call ahead ..! Limited seating and popular.. drinks seem low on alcohol.. but food is great ..decent servings ..hard to hear the jokes with the masks .. but gotta keep the covid rules..easy parking next door...we were 20 minutes late got a 36 dollar tag .avoid Robbins lot or be sure to pay for extra time @ 4 bucks an hour.. well worth the visit

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great fun dinner with a show! Everything was delicious.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great meal here! Our table of 8 was greatly entertained by our chef. And the food was tremendous. We havent been to a steakhouse for while since the Ichi Ban in Winnipeg back in the 70s.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Good Japanese Steak House

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Everything was great! I am from our of province and will always remember the great night!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great place for a special occasion, I have been coming here for years, and Im never disappointed.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Amazing as usual!!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Love this place. Have been going for years

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Went to Japanese Village with my family. Its a great place. Been going for over 30 years. The food is excellent and its entertaining when the make it right at the table. My 6 year old grandson loved it.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Seems like there is alot of new staff, but all were great food our chef served for our table, while also entertaining us! They seem short staff so expect a wait (book in advance helps) but the wait is worth it!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Love this Place! Great entertainment, food is amazing! Love the Sesame Steak Sauce!!! Vegetarian options: Tofu Steak option is great!

December 23, 2023

My family has dined here since it first opened in Victoria. Dozens of great meals and memories, however our latest experience was simply the worst ever. We dined on October 14th and were sat at the far back right table, 5pm reservation of 7. The service was very average, the server was very inexperienced and slow with bringing drinks or refilling them. The worst part of the meal was the Chef. It was clear he didn t want to be there as he told us he d rather be at home sleeping, but had to pay the bills. He was very young and had only been cooking for 1.5 years apparently. It was like he was actually trying to do a bad job. The cook top was far too hot as the food was burning. He couldn t get the onion choo choo to steam up either, and his jokes were off colour including if you want to know how old I am, I need a $1,000 tip . For a dinner bill over $600, this experience is unacceptable. This chef ruined a great restaurant for us, it will be a long time before we return.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I had the steak striploin and teriyaki chicken. Delightful!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Charged me for a full bowl of rice even though I asked for half a bowl extra.

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

My family, including my 4-year-old child and my husband who is currently on antibiotics, and I, who have an allergy to alcohol, chose this restaurant for its appealing non-alcoholic beverage options. On this particular visit, I specifically ordered a Chichi from the non-alcoholic section of the menu, making sure to confirm its alcohol-free nature with our server. To our dismay, after consuming the drink, we discovered it contained alcohol. Upon questioning, the server confirmed this, much to our shock and concern!! This incident not only exposed us to health risks but also breached our trust in your establishments ability to cater to specific dietary requirements. I am particularly troubled by the potential implications this could have had on my familys health - my own allergy, my husbands interaction with antibiotics, and the well-being of my young child as three of us all had the drink! It is imperative that staff are adequately trained to understand and communicate the contents of the menu items, especially when it involves allergens or health-related concerns. We would never recommend this restaurant to anyone!

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Delicious!!

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Excellent all food, atmosphere, attention

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Went there for dinner with my partner and we had a great time! The food was fresh and cooked to perfection and the chef was hysterical. The staff waited on us very attentively and I felt very taken care of. We will be back soon with our kids

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Had the Shogun Special tonight, and upgraded to the fillet mignon, with a side of mushrooms. Chef was great, food was amazing, and I left full. Food

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The service and the atmosphere were excellent. The New York steak must ve been a lower grade because it didn t taste that great. The chef did a good job with what he had.

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Its good.. but overpriced for what you get. I understand its an experience But not worth 40 bucks a plate to be honest with the experience. Too overpriced for what youre getting. And the chef wasnt authentic and fumbled the knife and spatula quite a few times. I shouldve just made it myself at home and saved a 100 bucks. (For 2 plates and 2 non alcoholic drinks) Just my opinion on it.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

One of my favorite places to go

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Just go.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Love this place since I was a kid. Still has the magic.

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

Awesome food and our chef was very entertaining. A truely enjoyable night out with friends.

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

Great food and a fun experience

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

This place has been a favorite for years! Never a bad meal here

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Had a great couple of birthday dinners here! Killer steak sauce that you can purchase a bottle of to use at home.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Wow just wow, left full and content.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Great atmosphere and great food

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Always a great experience. Love going here.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Excellent food. A bit gimmicky.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

My favourite restaurant in Victoria. The food quality is just so superior to most restaurants that we keep returning. The cooking show and service is icing on the cake

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

It was great. Nice to socialize with people at our table. Enjoyed the entertainment by the Chef! Food was amazing too. Really loved it!

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

Great Service

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

This is my favorite restaurant in victoria. Andrea that works there is very kind and shes been there since I started going there 10+ years ago. Food is great especially their famous steak sauce!

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Was a decent dinner but not some where I would go more than once a year. Our chef didn t care much for showmanship and the scallops were the best part.

December 23, 2022

Unfortunately we had a training chef. Been going for 30 years and was the worst.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Fun eating experience. Good food.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

I love the Shogun special! My favorite times at this restaurant are when they do tricks with the food they are cooking.. If you get a great chef, you will have a great experience!!