Shizen Sushi, Downtown Victoria

Shizen Sushi has a good reputation for Japanese in Victoria. Myself and my friend spoke to the owner of the local newsagents on Government after our meal and told us if Jo is cooking, it's always great.

I'm guessing Jo has been in session the last two Wednesdays I've been in. The first time I had the BC rolls and a couple of Tuna Nigiri. The BC rolls are a mix of smoked salmon skins, real Dungeness crab and avocado. They have this delightfully sweet yet savoury taste, with a little texture mash up of crunchy from the skins and smooth from the avocado. The Nigiri was a plump cut of fish, with lots of texture in the mouth and a burst of flavour. The meat is cold but not chilled so that you can't taste it.

So, I wanted to go again and headed in there with my good friend. I ordered the BC rolls again, along with a Katsu Don. This pairing is pretty much my go to Sushi combo. The rolls didn't disappoint. Again artfully made and balanced in the flavours. The Katsu Don was a big bowl of rice, topped with breaded pork cutlet, pre-sliced and smothered in a fried egg. This didn't amaze me as much as the sushi. The egg was just too much, and the breading was a little soggy from it. The meat tasted good, and the rice cooked just right. It filled me up, but was not as good as other places in town.

My friend raved about the fried yam rolls she had, saying they were pretty much the best ever. She also had the spicy tuna rolls, which were also declared a massive hit.

One oddity on the menu is they advertise Shark Fin nigiri. This is, I was told, the imitation shark fin, made from the shark fin melon. Which is good, as I was a bit uncomfortable eating in a place that has the real thing... a wasteful harvesting of the shark, for a meat that I'm told only tastes of what it is cooked in. The shark fin melon has much the same stringy consistency and also soaks up the flavour. So you can happily eat shark fin salad and sushi without maiming a shark and letting it die on the bottom of the ocean, the rest of the carcass unused, the animal in excessive pain. Of course, hooking fish up from the sea suffocating them and then slicing them up for food could be argued to be morally wrong as well, but at least the whole animal is used, and a more of the fishing is sustainable.

The restaurant itself is a good size, with a higher level with individual two person tables and 3 or four large booths. The lower level features the sushi bar and a few more four person seating tables. There's little fuss or decoration inside, and two large windows provide the necessary lighting. Simple and effective. Our server was great, keeping us topped up in green tea and water, and otherwise getting the job down with no issues.

I'd definitely go back again for the rolls. Next time, if Jo is on, I may try some more nigiri cuts and see if they can beat out Ebizo for the best in town.