Uchida Eatery in Victoria

The food is less than our expectation. But we do like the flavour.

This is a Japanese restaurant. I love to eat.

The best! Fresh and sustainable sea food.

Omg this place is a gem! Amazing service, super nice staff, and best of all stellar food. Order your food THEN sit down. Dont sit at a tbame while your colleague or partner orders. No no. Theres a sign which says to order first. If you ignore the sign you will be told (rightfully)

One of the best!

Fantastic!!!!!

Amazing food in beautiful surroundings. Staff was very accommodating for gluten free, I had many options and there was even gf soy sauce :)

chose this place to eat because of the curtain and wooden door. atmosphere and vibe is yumyumyum. however i got a tuna zuke don and it was just yum. i would recommend another dish.

Small place, but mighty in taste. Ive been going to Uchida for a long time, and although not as often as I should, the quality throughout the years have not dropped. The freshness and flavours in every bite is worth every dollar for what you order, and its not expensive. A very homey, quiet place that offers scrumptious meals made with love and pride from the chefs.

So good! Nice staff and delicious food. Chill little cafe vibes. Good pricing.

Best restaurant in Victoria. Hands down winner.

Really good, fresh Japanese food. Highly recommend!

My lunch here was one of the greatest meals I have ever eaten. The restaurant is open for lunch only and the decor reflects comfort not opulence. Amazing experience. Ridiculously cheap for the quality.

Having been to Japan this place is as close as you can get to authentic on this side of the puddle. Superb and tasty menu. Excellent service and very very reasonable prices. The mackerel is fantastic, and any Donburi is as well. But my favourite, if on the menu, is the negitoro. It can be tricky to find, but is worth it. And don t expect to get a table anywhere around noon!

I could eat here everyday. The daily local veggie side is a must.

Great service, great vibe, and probably the best donburi Ive ever had. The grilled mackarel was also amazing. Highly recommend. Dietary restrictions: They will make it gluten free and provide tamari if youre celiac

Easily one of the best restaurants I ve been to.

This Japanese spot is a hidden gem. It is open during lunch only. I ordered my food in advance the night before. There is limited tables available (I believe 3?). When I arrived to pickup my order, there was one unoccupied table so they accommodated my order for dine-in instead of take-out. My assorted sashimi don was well-preserved and tasty. I will come back again!

The best fish in town. Uchida Eatery is truly the epitome of a hole in the wall find. Every time I have visited here, I am always greeted by the same singular man serving up perhaps the best raw fish I ve had in my life. Uchida has given me a glimpse of what authentic Japanese donburi might be - to my impression, this is authentic as it gets. Everything I have had here has blown me away - the freshest of fish with unbelievable presentation, with a wide variety of fresh ingredients. The man who runs the place often changes the menu on a daily basis according to what s freshest that he finds at the market - how refreshingly authentic and reliable. He truly knows what he s doing. Even the mackerel - most difficult to serve raw convincingly - was nuanced in preparation and has always been amazing. Not to mention the Hako Salmon Sushi. Wow. Do not miss out on this place. My new favorite spot in ALL of Victoria! True hidden gem.

Hands down the best rice bowls in the city.

Every each of ingredients are so fresh and locally sourced. As I am from Japan, I guarantee this is the spot to have an authentic Japanese meal. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. Thank you for your hard work and wonderful meal!

This is an authentic shokudo food. You should not compare to a pricey omakase, but you can expect comfort and satisfactory meal. The grilled sockeye collar and the mackerel were wonderful. We are happy to try this place during our visit. The only complain that I have was the rice, which could be better.

Super delicious and fresh.

Freshest sushi I ve had since I left Japan. Perfect lunch spot and convenient walking distance from my hotel. Highly recommend!!

We love this place. Currently only order for pick up. Such a hidden gem! Fish is so fresh! They use fresh ingredient and locally source organic veggies. We order once a week!

One of the best lunches in Victoria. The grilled mackerel is simple and amazingly good, and most other items are also great. Currently all food is take-away, served in compostable packaging.

what a delicious meal I had today. everything was so fresh and tasty! the grilled rockfish was next level, lovely talk with the Chef!

Very fresh. Made with care.

I recently picked up some food from Uchida, and I have to say - their Japanese cuisine truly lives up to the hype! I was blown away by the quality of the food. Every dish was crafted with such care and precision, and the flavors were just fantastic. I especially loved the Grilled Mackerel - it was cooked perfectly and seasoned just right. And the assorted Sashimi Don was incredibly fresh and tasty, with vibrant colors and delicate flavors. Overall, I highly recommend Uchida for anyone who loves Japanese food or is just looking for some excellent takeout. The chef clearly takes a lot of pride in their work, and it really shows in every single dish they prepare. I wouldnt hesitate to order from them again!

Authentic Japanese Bento. All the sashimi pieces in the assorted sashimi don were great, but the marinated salmon was exceptionally phenomenal.

Exceptionally delicious and fresh. Order the night before for a stellar take out lunch. Perfect if you ve got a busy day of meetings or if you re just visiting and are looking for a healthy picnic to enjoy while touring around our fine city.

As of 7/8/23 you have to order online the day before. Uchida s location is tucked back into a collection of stores just past a bug museum. The location looks closed, but after a knock on the door our food was ready in 2 min. All made solo by the owner. It was remarkably fresh and simple. A beautiful and simple lunch made with quality ingredients.

This is a great Japanese takeout restaurant. Only available for lunch. You order online and it s super quick (~15 mins wait). There is only one vegetarian option and it s Todays Veggie Dish which is small and more like a side. The fish don is so fresh and comes with egg, lettuce and rice. Cute little spot and then you can sit outside by the harbour to eat.

Delicious!

Always so delicious! I absolutely love coming here. I can t wait for when they open for dine-in again one day to get the full experience.

Sushi was so fresh! We got the tuna and the salmon. The portions were perfect for lunch, I would 1000% reccomend this for anyone

Authentic and Exceptional Japanese Fare. This is a very small, limited hours, take-out only (for now) experience. Reminds me of the small, hidden, restaurants in Japan. Very fresh, well portioned, and wonderfully tastes. The menu is limited so if you want a broader selection Sen Sushi on Fort would be my other choice. But Uchida is a gem and has become my go-to place to take me back to Japan.

Tremendously tasty sashimi! Loved the salmon & mackerel, but it was the grilled rockfish that stole the show for me. Very fresh, well prepared, ready exactly for the ordered time. Worth ordering a day ahead!

Spectacular sashimi don, almost as good as in Japan. Just need to order ahead online the night before to ensure you get your order. No dine in or in person takeout orders. Last minute online orders are likely to run out of most choices.

Wow! What a way to start off our Victoria trip!! Extremely fresh and delicious. Have to go back again and hopefully we can get an order of the salmon pressed sushi since we were too late in placing an order =)

So good! So tasty! Great for a picnic.

This is the best restaurant in Victoria. The owner is also the nicest guy ever!

A must visit hidden gem for any authentic Japanese food lovers!

Absolutely delicious, definitely one of my top 3 Japanese spots. The first time I went was a few years ago when they still had indoor and you had to get there about fifteen minutes before they opened if you wanted to have the whole scope of the menu as an option. Now you definitely want to order online at least a few hours before they open. Definitely recommend if your willing to order online and pickup.

Sweet local spot for your sashimi / Japanese food crave. Pick-up only. Place your order the night before to avoid late lunch! I ordered my food for 12h05pm the night before after 7pm and it was ready on time. Friendly chef / owner.

Day before online order only Worth the price; very fresh and filling (eventho it looked small)

This was hands down our favorite and best find in Victoria. We ordered a tuna and salmon lunch, and picked it up the next day to eat at Philips brewery. Since they are not doing dine in currently, you have to order the lunch the night before online at ~7PM, and then pick it up the next afternoon. We actually got a little lost looking for it, but loved the experience searching for it. The food itself was fantastic - loved the shredded egg, thought that was pretty unique touch, and the sashimi was fresh, thick and just all around amazing. Would recommend this place to anyone!

The greatest place to eat! Not only was it delicious but it was also a unique moment that made our day, experiencing the kindness of the chef, discovering unexpected new tasteful dishes. Our deepest thanks to the chef for it all!

Amazing little tucked away spot. Delicious food and wonderful presentation.

Yasu is an amazing chef and I love how the fine ingredients are picked from local, sustainable sources. Takeout is still the only option and ordering is online only done in advance. I couldnt grade atmosphere since dining is not an option but the entrées are made with lots of care and love. Menu does change periodically so keep an eye out for variety. Today I lucked out with chicken curry and onsen eggs. Ive always heard about onsen eggs but not locally so it was a delight to drink some. Do we even have an onsen in Victoria? If theres a legit Japanese one sprouting out somewhere here, let me know because I am game for that! Parking: Broughton Street parkade is your best bet for hour free parking. Otherwise subject to standard street parking rates. Kid-friendliness: Its adjacent to the Victoria Bug Zoo so kid-friendly amenities nearby! Wheelchair accessibility: Not currently applicable since it take out only but from the looks of it, the restaurant itself doesnt look wheelchair accessible.

They know how to cook rice! Chicken Teriyaki was the best I ve had

Best Sushi in Victoria by far, and some of the best Ive ever had in general

If you miss the pre-COViD uchida and have avoided supporting them or leave a low star rating because there is no dine-in option you are missing out on this gem. I was a long time customer who had his early dates (with my now wife) here.. always loved going there for their dine-in experience. I am guilty of not going in the last couple years because of not wanting to takeout the amazing food in portable packaging. I ran into the chef socially in the last couple months and kept saying I ll see you soon .. but today I really pushed myself in using their online ordering system and picking up takeout for a car date with my wife. The number of times I kept saying wow as I sat in my car holding the paper box it s astounding how much care and love the chef puts into this food. For it to taste this good even in a portable form.. I am embarrassed now to feel that I was waiting for them to resume dine-in to go support this amazing eatery. Please experience Uchida and let this chef express this talents. As of this review in Nov 2022, you do you have to order online and pickup at their door. Trust me, it s not the same takeout food you are used to. I ate every grain of rice, not to waste a single element of the meal made personally for me.

The best Japanese food outside of Japan. Forget sushi. Everything here is fresh, cooked with such diligence and care, you can taste it. Prices are still reasonable for the quality. I always recommend the grilled mackerel and one of the dons. The Negitoro Don sells wicked fast, probably because it s everyone s favourite. I liked the restaurant when it was a low key lunch place before the pandemic, but Yasu Uchida is still doing a fantastic job. I could eat here everyday.

Good

This place serves delicious Japanese food. There is a daily special that goes with their usual menu. My favourite is their negitoro bowl. Everything is super fresh and tasty. Arrive early to get the best selection and avoid the wait. Seating is limited as the venue is quite small. The staff is very friendly.

Clean, simple, perfectly executed Japanese food. Absolutely delicious! So thrilled that they are open for dinner time pickups now (unfortunate that that s due to the pandemic and lack of lunch crowd...but I hope ya ll keep supporting this wonderful restaurant by ordering takeout!)

I have missed Uchida for lunch since COVID started - and finally got around to ordering pick up for dinner on Wednesday. I brought my own bag as requested and took my tuna sashimi, salmon sashimi and grilled miso sake rockfish home for a feast (yes all for me :) - OMG. SO good. I realized that I should have gotten the don as I love the rice as well, but completely gapped on it. Didnt matter, the fish was fresh - and delicious. I ate everything including the garnish (delicious greens btw). Sorry it took so long to come back - will be ordering as often as I can if I get to you before youre sold out! THANK YOU for amazing, fresh food.

Hands down best Japanese food in town.

You pay premium prices for average food with TINY portions. Pickles tasted extremely bizarre. Don t be fooled by the limited quantities, it s not selling out because it s popular, it s selling out because they barely make any each day.

The best Japanese restaurant I ve ever had during the time I spent in Vancouver and Victoria. The price is pretty good, too. Will come back in future.

Uchida Eatery is a local, quality, authentic Japanese cuisine eating experience. The hours are limited and the dishes are select. You come here for a breathtaking dip into Japanese culture. A must experience.

Still no dine-in option now :( also a lot of delicious menu were gone. Now most of them are the fresh sashimi (or don). I miss the Uchida before the pandemic

Great sushi, prompt response.

Wow! Absolutely delicious fresh sushi and miso soup. The price is reasonable and the portion sizes are perfect. The perfect workday lunch. I will be back! I really appreciate how easy the website was to order from and pickup.

Its just like small local restaurant in Japan. I arrived around 11:40, Some menus were sold-out & it was fulled with customers. I recommend to go earlier if you want to order specific menu! I ordered Tunadon and Miso soup, Tunadon was very fresh! But Miso soup was just basic miso soup....... Still it was perfect for light healthy lunch!

I went here with my sister doing research beforehand. Because it s quite popular it s best to be there before they open or a little after. We were first in, and about 10 mins after sitting down they had sold out 1 of 4 main dishes already. That said the food was very simple and very very good, the fish they used was absolutely delicious. We enjoyed our experience here, I highly recommend planning a visit into your schedule!

Amazing food and super friendly staff. The Tuna Don is my favourite. Always prepared fresh and fast. Miso soup is also always fresh and hot. They only open for lunch and depending on the day or can be pretty busy. Be prepared to feel like you are in Japan! You will have the staff in the open kitchen speaking Japanese and working very efficiently with almost no noise! Amazing!

In normal times I would hesitate to leave a positive review for this place as it is already so busy, it is difficult to get in. They used to open at 11 with a lineup out the door and start selling out of items at 11:30. By 1PM they were basically sold out. But, times are difficult right now with COVID and here we are. They are open for lunch, but gone are the long lines and items selling out. That said, they are doing an amazing job of adapting and their great food is now take-out only. Cant recommend this place enough. It is simply amazing.

Probably the best sushi Ive ever had. Cute place, awesome team!

Traditional. Unpretentious. Precision. Fresh. The reviews speak volumes. A lovely hidden gem in Victoria. Order early as they sell out quick!

Real japonese food. Simplicity and caracter. The place is a haiku.

Everything I have tried so far is really good. You can taste the ingredients are fresh! I think the food is reasonably priced for the quality and the work to make it.

Amazing place. Excellent food and great ambiance. The place to eat lunch at. Get there early... They might be out of what you crave!

Nice price with really fresh fish. The portion size is great for breakfast and I like the coziness of the restaurant.

amazing rice and salmon!!!

Delicious, authentic, local. Perfect.

Very nice staff and the food is fresh. But the portion sizes are rather small for the price, they re busy and only open 3 hours a day and often simply run out of food if you arrive after 1pm! It shouldn t be that hard to plan and stock enough food? Not open on any government holidays or weekends.

Completely mind blowing to have such a decent Japanese restaurant in town! The only chief take care of everything and that s why they open 3 hours on weekdays only. It s the real Japanese eatery that Japanese would go for daily lunch with super decent price. Strongly recommended is BBQ mackerel, with crispy fish skin and melting fat. Freshness of the fish is really easy to tell when you have the first bite. Menu is short but they also have a variable daily special menu with a LOT kinds of new dishes which will never make regular customers feel bored. Be there as early as possible most of the dishes are limited in amounts and few of them will run out in 10 minutes after opening.

Even though I m not a big fan of raw fish, the other food at this place is so amazing! I ve been to here twice, this time I ordered the grilled mackerel and it really surprised me. It was crispy outside and really juicy and soft inside, the flavor was good too! Would highly recommend this place, and I will definitely come back again!

Salmon Don and chicken teriyaki don were very good! If you plan on coming, you should definitely CALL FIRST and place your order over the phone and tell them what time you will arrive. That will guarantee you get the food you want. My plan is usually call between 11-11:30, arrive at 1:10pm. The line ups are usually low at this time because they are sold out of everything good.

Amazing food! So yummy :)

Staff was exactly the bright and cheerful doting type of service I so thoroughly enjoyed while on business travel in Asia. Not common in North America (especially in the US), and it was a delightful change of service compared to so many other rude non-customer focused service Ive experienced. In asian cultures, the customer is king - you will feel this way here at Uchida.

Ordered their last side special (Rockfish collars) at 15 minutes after opening. They were out of salmon and mackerel sushi at this point as well. That should tell you how fresh and great the food is. The special was generously portioned (cold ramen chicken teriyaki with vegetables). My party also ordered the miso soup which was alright, and the tuna don was delicious.

The best authentic japanese food

It was delicious and affordable. I went there with a japanese family and they all enjoyed it a lot. No wonder it is always crowded at lunch.

great place.

frozen mackerel, teriyaki overcooked, and did not give our full order....

Very good jap.restaurant. Dishes seem to change and can be sold out. They taste very delicious! Also very nice and friendly staff.

Honestly thought it would be more flavorful. Maybe my Canadian palette is to blame, but I found the food bland. Presentation was nice. Miso soup was delicious

This was like a mom and pop little restaurant in Japan. They dont have a big menu but they make everything to perfection.

Food is good, but not super good. But the grilled Mackerel is wonderful. The most sad part is the speed. We ordered two bowls and one grilled mackerel, and it took us almost 40mins

A must visit gem that is tucked away from the main Street. Consists of a small open kitchen a food prepared homestyle. Dishes are taken off the menu as the ingredients run out. Reasonably priced and tasty.

Excellent and very authentic.

Amazing food, masterfully prepared! Get here early if you want any hope of trying the daily specials.

A fantastic Japanese cuisine restaurant. Really reminds me of my time in Kyoto. Seasonal dishes, prepared well. A little expensive, but totally worth it. I would eat anything prepared here.

Nice experience, will come again!

We had a grilled mackerel, a salmon don and a negitoro don. Everything was outstanding and i was able to feel they use the highest-quality ingredients. They deserve to have this much high rating! Thanks for amazing dishes!

So good, definitely need to get there early if you want any sushi before it runs out.

Great limited service but authentic place for Japanese food but be warned you need to get there early. They sell out most days Limited menu but not your typical Americanized sushi fare.

Do you like the texture of melted butter? Now its a is a fish. Its going in your mouth. Yes its melting. Yes its that good. Come here.

Amazing food! Expect a lineup and limited seating, but well worth the wait.

This place is a hidden gem in Victoria. It only opens on weekdays 11am-2pm, I believe. BUT, the food is most likely sold out by noon. One time I went there right after the store opened and by the time I finished eating my food, some items in the menu were already sold out. So make sure that you go there early as the food has a very limited quantity. Besides that, this place offers the most authentic Japanese food with a reasonable price. The staff and the owner are very nice and polite.

Best Japanese eatery in town, bar none. Uchida-San makes lovely meals, and always a fantastic special to tempt the palate. Get there quick, otherwise you may be out of luck at this great joint.

Great little Japanese lunch spot! Get here early to catch a seat and enjoy the don bowls or other delicacies. One of a kind!

By far my favorite restaurant in Victoria. Unfortunately theyre only open for lunch, but definitely worth the wait. I have never had a bad meal at this place. The only issue I have with this place are customers who think it necessary to save a seat for themselves when they are at the end of the line and the people infront of them havent even ordered yet.

F**k the food is great here (Baka-umai). the pin on google doesnt drop to the correct location id suggest sorting that out so people dont miss out on the food here.

Very clean and healthy food - Japanese.

Get lunch spot

First time visitor. The food was delicious. Negitoro don Don was excellent. One of my side dishes took a long time to come out but was excellent; it was Grilled Salmon for $6.50. Minimal prep went into it (fins still on the skin and bones throughout) but the flavour and freshness were superb and obvious - you got a lot more than a standard serving of salmon for the price too. It is definitely the hidden gem I have heard about for years.

These guys are only open 4 hours per day during the work week. If you ever find yourself in downtown Victoria at those hours, it would be a good idea to stop in for some healthy Japanese eats. Love the brown rice!

Fresh and fantastic

Not quite sure why people rate this place so high. First time visitor, went there within 25 minutes after they opened, thinking to be able to beat the crowds. It was pretty empty at that time, I was the only one ordering, and other than me there were about 5 groups (less than 10 people in total) all seated, eating or waiting. Went for Today s special, though it would be served quickly and the taste should be guaranteed. Felt a bit surprised that Today s special doesn t come with rice. So ordered brown rice. Waited 25 minutes before I got served, after at least 3 people who ordered way after me got their meals first. The portion is really small, the main dish is a small cut of rock fish in soy sauce along with two small pieces of tofu and a chunk of half-boiled poorly peeled tasteless turnip Side dishes are a little bit of pickled veggies and s boiled egg. The fish itself was over-cooked. Hard and dry and no taste inside. The turnip was non edible as, I guess it was just there for decoration and for making the dish look bigger? Egg has no taste either. It was really disappointing to pay $15 for the quality of the special. It did not remind me of Japanese cuisine at all. So far it ranks the bottom of all Japanese restaurants I have tried in Victoria.

This place is truly exceptional. I ve got a feeling that they are not doing this for money. If they were, they would have had longer business hours. I love Japanese food and been to Japan more than 10 times. I can surely say that the chef here does his best to make great food. Staffers are really nice too.

Food and staff are exceptional.

Amazing food made fresh every morning and served until its sold out but hurry in to get some when they open, lineup can be long and food does get sold out.

Got here early to get a seat. Also discovered that dishes can sell out fast like the negitoro don I ordered. Everything was fresh and tasty. Also had sushi, fried chicken wings, and chicken chashu and enjoyed it all. As a Victorian who now lives in Toronto I wish something like this existed near my office!

Awesome counter service place specializing in traditional Japanese small plates and donburri.

Its only for two hours, but its still crowded. I think the food is very fresh and the waiter is very friendly. They will explain to you if there is anything you dont understand in the menu. Its very good place with your best friends.

lovely service staff, been here multiple times and it never disappoints - be sure to keep an eye on heir facebook page for the daily specials! food takes a bit of time to come out but it s all very fresh, quality ingredients

Friendly service and amazing, and fresh food. Come early though as many popular dishes sell out fast.

Local ingredients, cooked with care.

Amazing donburi and very fresh fish

Takes a little while for your food to come up, which is because everything is carefully assembled with care, and they are busy every lunch hour; so have patience. The food tastes delicious and the service there is always polite and friendly. Specials sell out quickly, so be there early if you want to catch it.

One of my favorite places to eat in Victoria.

Real Japanese food.

Tuna, fish is good taste with reasonable price. The chicken is less attractive compare with tuna.

The food here is amazing. The prices are reasonable, and the amount of food that you get for the money is great. There are only two downsides: 1) Their open hours are kind of restrictive only for lunch Tuesday - Friday 2) It is well known that the food is fantastic so there are lines daily. But as long as you are willing to wait I have no complaints.

Like beautiful art on your plate...well thought out, incredibly fresh, beautifully presented, delicate flavours and reasonably priced. They sell out so get there early for lunch!

Unbelievable quality. Vitctoriq is privilieged to have a chef and the quality of service as we get at Uchida.

Enjoyed it. Will definitely have to visit again !

Great small resturant great food

We arrived around 12:30 to find all of the tables taken but one and no line which was great. Do not make the mistake of claiming a table first and then ordering at the counter or you will be asked not to do that the next time you visit. It seems that they only stock so much of each item and the menu was being sold out quickly when we were there including the sushi rice and sashimi so it is best to arrive earlier than later. The food was amazing and the wait was short. The staff was very friendly.

A limited menu that focuses on high quality lunches. Not a sushi place. Only open for lunch Monday to Friday.

Best Japanese food in Victoria

Awesome sushi! Super fresh salmon! Definitely coming here again the next time I visit Victoria.

Nice little place. Only been once but looking forward to going back. They have a small but comprehensive menu consisting of donburi bowls and a few side dishes, so you can put together what you want. Simple, high quality food and a pleasant vibe.