Japanese

Omakase at Tomo is a reservation-only experience, and unlike a typical sushi dinner where you order freely, the omakase follows a slow, chef-led progression. You’re presented with the full menu upfront, so you know exactly what’s coming, but the pacing is deliberate — each piece is prepared and served one at a time.

Tomo is located right in the heart of Ottawa’s ByWard Market on Clarence Street. As expected for this area, there is no dedicated parking, so you’ll need to rely on street parking or nearby paid lots. Finding a spot is not always easy, especially during peak hours. If you’re driving, plan extra time.

Sapporo Sushi is a well-established sushi restaurant located on Carling Avenue in Ottawa. One of the immediate advantages of dining here is convenience — parking is available in the back, which makes it far less stressful than many sushi spots where street parking is the only option.

Shinka Sushi Bar is a high-end sushi restaurant tucked away in what can only be described as an industrial-type plaza. It’s not surrounded by other trendy restaurants or obvious nightlife spots. In fact, when you first pull in, you might genuinely question whether you’ve arrived at the right place. The setting feels more like a business park than a dining destination.

Located on Merivale Road in Ottawa, Gyubee is a Japanese BBQ (yakiniku) restaurant where you order unlimited plates of raw meat, grill them yourself at the table, and enjoy as much as you can within the two-hour limit.

Shinka Sushi Bar is known for its high-quality fish and beautifully presented dishes — and that much definitely held true. I visited for their omakase experience, which offers a multi-course, chef-curated tasting menu at a fixed price. The ingredients were premium, the flavours were solid, and the presentation was consistently elegant. Unfortunately, the experience as a whole left a lot to be desired.

Sushi-ro is a quiet and cozy spot in Ottawa’s Hintonburg neighbourhood. It has a warm, relaxed atmosphere that makes it a nice choice for a casual sushi night. The restaurant is quite small, with limited seating — about four or five small tables — so it isn’t the type of place you’d come to with a large group. The intimate size, however, does add to its charm.