If you're looking to have sushi in a somewhat classy place with decent ambiance and good service, then Wasabi is your best bet in the Market.

1. Location: At the Market...doesn't get any better than that.

2. Interior/Exterior: Neither super nice or ugly, somewhere in the middle. Half decent but not mind boggling.

3. Facilities and service: You can get take-out. Service is quite good, the... more

The food was normal, nothing to remark on.

But their service was a horror show. No only did you have to wait a long long long time for any service, there was not enough staff so some of the dirty tables were left uncleaned after clients left.

When the bartender ran out of clean glasses, he ran to a table, grabbed two dirty glasses from the uncleaned mess, rinsed them and made drinks in them.

Very good japanese restaurant in Ottawa. Even serve uni, which is rare in ottawa. Great menu with various options!

Amazing edamame. The herbed miso butter version was delicious. I also really liked the house "sushi wine," a light crisp white designed to pair with sushi. One thing that I really appreciated was that the waitress asked if I wanted the green bottle (low sodium) soy sauce and got me one from another table. I don't know how she read my mind but that was exactly what I wanted. Sashimi appetizer... more

Went there once, for a dinner. Ordered some rolls which came very fast. When I tasted them I understood why: the rolls were dry and it was obvious they had not been made especially for my order, but earlier in the day. They were cold and dry, and didn't really appreciate the taste. Other than that, the restaurant looks good and can fool you into thinking they have good food. But as long as I'm... more

Nice looking place. We suspect our waitress was new, she had no idea how to explain anything on the menu. Everything we asked, she had to go ask someone else. The highlight of the meal for me was the warm watercress salad appetizer. It was perfect - delicious amount of crispy stem and wilted leaves with delicious garlicky/gingery soy sauce dressing. Really amazing. The two others with me got... more

This is the best sushi and sashimi in town. Ottawa has gone toward all-you-can eat but Wasabi stands out as a beacon of excellent food with an interesting and innovative menu.

Their tataki selection is excellent. Try the Gyuu Tataki or the Tataki Trio.

I love their sashimi - Ika is excellent as is all their fish. Good fish is difficult to get this far inland but Wasabi seems to always have... more

Solid sushi restaurant. I believe that there are better sushi restaurants in Ottawa, but unless you are a snob you will not be disappointed.

The space is open and spacious. I have been to many restaurants (not just sushi) where they have done their best to cram the number of people they can fit into a space. Wasabi can easily accommodate a larger party (8+) without creating a jammed... more

The best sushi in Ottawa for sure. It has variety in the menu, its a confortable place to eat, the sushi is fresh, and delicious. I highly recomend to go to wasabi it was so good that I go twice. The two days that I was there I went to Wasabi. Its a very good place to eat. I think its the best sushi I have ever eat.

Omg

I think is the best sushi I have ever taste its fresh its cheap it has variety etc its a place to have a great time wasabi is the best sushi restaurant in ottAwa

Good sushi, ok service

This is one of my go-to sushi places as I love their tuna tartare and wine selection. The service has not always been consistently good but the food is. It is located in the market which can sometimes be very busy. Overall, very good.

It's located in a touristy part of town and prices reflect that. The place has pretentions of being an upscale japanese restaurant, but I wasn't convinced that there were any japanese chefs or servers. Not that it really matters, but it helps with the guise of authenticity.

I went in cuz the reviews seemed decent and it was nearby. The food is alright and service is ok. The restaurant was... more

Good sushi

Good quality sushi at a reasonnable cost. The owner is very kind and he gives a lot of information on Ottawa sightseeing. I definitively recommend it.

Go with the Bento

I've been to this restaurant on a few occasions. The bento box is definitely the best. The sushi is good and fresh. They usually have good beer specials and the wine list is quite good for a sushi restaurant. A lot of famous people go to this restaurant when they're in town for hockey games or concerts, but I still... more

Better than most

Wasabi offers an inventive sushi menu, and the fish is always very fresh. They have Sapporo ( brewed in Canada) and Asahi Extra Dry (Japan) on draught, as well as a full sake menu.

Average sushis

ok...wasabi as a restaurant name = lazy marketing hehe
Sushis were good. I've tasted better, but I've tasted much worst.

Wow! mouth watering lunch

This was my first time at Wasabi & I was very pleased with the service, the food was excellent - I had the Kusiyaki which is a combination of seafood served on skewers-there was shrimp, scallops & salmon which melted in your mouth - soup was served with that also a salad & rice - I highly recommend it -... more

The owners and staff are what makes Wasabi the best

My husband John and I have been dining at Wasabi's since the day they opened approximately 12 years ago. The brothers, Arthur, Tim and Ken along with their staff have always made us feel like friends, and the quality of the food is unsurpassed!! We dine at Wasabi's sometimes 2 to 3 times a week with family, friends and colleagues.... more

The only sushi place in the Ottawa area I can compare this to--because I haven't been to many--is Haru in Gatineau. And Wasabi is much better than Haru.

Atmosphere-wise, it's spacious and has what appears to be quite a large bar. The menu is impressive and for first-timers like me when I went, it might be overwhelming. Thankfully I was with someone who had been there before, and who knew which... more

Light lunch

Ordered off the lunch menu miso soup was very good. The lunch was very good as well and the portion size was perfect will eat supper next time back!

This morning my husband and I both said "Never ever again," and we were talking about Wasabi. I'll start at the end: We both got sick.

We're both big sushi fans and have enjoyed sushi at the place above Lapointe, Ken's and a bunch of other places around Ottawa, so we wanted to try Wasabi. It was huge I side and nicely decorated -- but that's about where it stopped. It was practically empty in... more

Never a disappointment here

On two previous trips to Ottawa a few years ago, we had good experiences at Wasabi and we looked forward to returning on our most recent visit to the downtown area.
The menu offers a very extensive list of authentic Japanese cuisine, including a wide variety of sushi and sashimi. Besides good wines, a diverse selection of Japanese beers and... more

Outstanding value at lunch time

I am a regular customer at Wasabi for lunch time by myself or for business lunch. I always take the sashimi lunch. The quality price ratio is outstanding. For less than 16 $ (before taxes and services) you get 10 sashimi, 3 excellent dumplings, miso soup, salad and rice. The sashimi are very tasty. Other people having lunch with me... more

SO Good, We Went Twice

Looks are deceiving: this is a popular but fairly ordinary-looking Japanese restaurant, but some of the dishes we had were extraordinary! All the fish, raw and cooked, was very fresh and absolutely delicious! Some dishes were unusual. Hamachi Three Ways: grilled collar; hamachi taco, a crepe wrapped around grilled fish, avocado, tomato, lettuce and yummy sauce; and hamachi in citrus-y... more

Good but lacking something

My husband and I went out for dinner after a movie and it was very festive in the Bytowne Market because it was the day before Canada Day and lots of tourists were out and about. We looked for a patio that was at a restaurant other than a pub. We like sushi so tried out Wasabi.
The service was... more

Really first class experience! I went for the beef teriyaki and a speciality roll, both of which were superb. Great service from our two waitresses as well. For drinks, we had a jug of sake. The glasses had a small piece of carved cucumber inside, which enhanced the flavour nicely. First time I'd seen this done and I'm sold. The restaurant is situated in the heart of the Byward Market district... more

Our sushi spot

We're frequent diners of wasabi. One of our favourite family dining spot. Kids enjoy the noodles and tempura, and the sushi is very fresh and tasty! The appetizers are also very diverse and we enjoyed trying different appetizers every time we dine there. Highly recommended!

Old, gristle-laden fish and an oblivious manager...Just NO

Wonderful waitress who really did care about us and our experience...completely blown away by the horrible, old, gristle-laden, dry fish and response from her manager who proclaimed us wrong "but the customer is always right'. SO horrible we had to go somewhere else just to have dinner and get the taste out of our mouths.

Just don't bother

When a "sushi" restaurant doesn't do it right, it's bad. Tough albacore. Gristle in the albacore, tuna, and snapper. The sushi boat had food that ignored the allergies that I clearly discussed with them (crab stick made with paprika). Inedible salmon in Canada - shocking. I never even got to the rice. The snapper had the texture of mirugai. At... more

Better than Kinki

Not inexpensive, but a good sushi place here at Wasabi. The combination boats are old school, but contain good quality offerings.

great bento

Food is excellent and authentic.
Great gyosa and sashimi.
Very positive experience for the whole family.

Good service, fast and friendly!

Expensive

During Winterlude weekend in February, it was very difficult to find a restaurant at 5:30 pm that didn't need a reservation. But this place had some empty tables and compared to the other noisy joints in the Byward Market, relatively peaceful until 7:30 pm. Then it was full, with a lineup ending outside in the bitter cold. It plays great... more

A favorite restaurant

Wasabi is one of our favorite restaurants in Ottawa. The sushi is excellent (all other dishes we've tried have been great too) and the service is superior. We always sit at the bar and watch a bit of the sushi being made while listening to the jazz music they play, which makes for great ambiance!

Katsu Don dish is awesome

I have eaten at Wasabi quite a few times on my lunch break and truly love their "Katsu Don" dish which is a breaded piece of pork on a bed of rice with fried onions, and egg. It truly takes me back to my glory days of teaching ESL in Japan.

Waited 45 minutes for take out

I work in the building and luckily have a 1 hour lunch break.
I ordered a the UDON NOODLE SOUP with chicken. After 45 minutes I gave up waiting for my food, and left the restaurant through the mall. A server chased me down and gave me my soup.
When I opened the soup it was lukewarm, the chicken was... more

Best quality sushi in Ottawa

I have been to this restaurant a number of times. Sushi is my favorite food and this is the best in Town. The fish is of very high quality and the portions are a good size. The hosts are great but service can occasionally be a bit slow. The atmosphere is great and they play good jazz music with occasional... more

Best sushi in Ottawa

My wife and I have only been here once, but will be returning very soon. The sushi here is the best that we've had in the city. I had a Bento Box...incredible. Great flavours and a pretty good value. This will feed the hungriest person in your group. My wife had the Spezza rolls and enjoyed the taste but found... more

Best sushi in Ottawa so far

Sushi places in Ottawa are popping up like crazy lately, mostly all you can eat places. These places are for sure making sushi more affordable as, in Ottawa at least, sushi isn't cheap.
While sushi may be getting cheaper, it isn't necessarily getting better.
So, at least for us, when we want to treat ourselves to a 'good' sushi meal,... more

A great restaurant let down by slow service

This restaurant has great food and a very extensive menu. Everything we have eaten here has been great but last time we were there our experience was not so good. It was let down by the service, which was very poor. We waited a long time for our orders to be taken and a further 45 minutes before our meal... more

New Year's in the Byward

This was by far the BEST sushi and sashimi my girlfriend and I have ever had and both of us have been to numerous places all over the world(including Japan). The service was great, the fish was EXCELLENT!!!! I tried octopus for the first time and it was great. Do not be turned away by the prices, if you want... more

Its hard finding good Japanese restaurants, and I happen to live a building away from this one.

I have been to Wasabi over 40 times. Birthdays, business lunches, sushi bar, etc... and it has always been great.

Things I like:

- Sake: more options than you could need. From not so expensive ones (20-25 for a small bottle) to 100+

- Music: Good volume, not annoying. They play jazz almost... more

Would go again! Very nice restaurant

My husband and I randomly chose this restaurant for an early dinner as we walked by. We were the only ones in the restaurant so we had the full attention of both waitresses, one of whom humored us by taking a bunch of photos - even moving the table over - until we got a good one! Both servers were... more

A dissapoointing dinner at Wasabi. The sushi was OKAY, nothing special about it. It's not as good as sushi in Toronto and not worth the price. It was comparable to cafeteria take-out sushi box at the mall :( what happen, Wasabi?! I remember it was better before...

Following the sad dinner, I found the service to be disappointing as well. Even though the waitress asked to refill my glass with... more

Excellent but expensive

This is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Ottawa. It is expensive but worth every penny. It is located in the ByWard Market area, on Clarence St. The decor and ambiance are lovely. The service is excellent. You should make a reservation if you are planning on going there.

Not bad, not bad

Was in the mood for sushi with some girlfriends and ended up at Wasabi in the Byward Market - our server was adorable and very sweet. The menu was huge so it took us a while to order; it took a while considering the restaurant wasn't too busy. Our food was pretty good, but pretty over priced (especially for a... more

Always excellent

Not an Ottawa resident, but do visit Wasabi each time I'm in town. I've always had great, timely service, always been treated well by the wait staff, and the food has always been excellent. The gyoza are always spot-on; never over-done, never greasy, and definitely never deep-fried (which I've been forced to endure at some "Japanese" restos). For a non-coastal... more

One bad day

Wasabi has been our favourite place in Ottawa for sushi and sashimi for years. Excellent value, especially at lunch, fresh fish and (usually) good, friendly service. Not today. Slow to take our order, and then, after a 45 minute wait, they brought the wrong dish, necessitating yet more waiting. Undercooked and unsightly ball of rice. When my wife complained, the... more

Slow and expensive

Dinner took over an hour to arrive at the table, which they claimed was because of the chicken terriyaki, but it doesn't take that long to cook chicken. When it finally arrived it was overcooked and very tough. It was also the worst chicken terriyaki I've had. Whereas the sushi was fresh but not much for what you pay for... more

Perfect for the Sashimi fan

This restuarant was by far one of our favourites on our ten day trip accross Canada and the USA!!
Stopped in one evening while taking a stroll along the Ottawa streets. We stayed at the Fairmont. I was craving sashimi and they had a perfect platter just for me.
We had our blind little jack russell terrier with us. He... more

best sushi

loved the Sushi boat, spring rolls and dumplings....very enjoyable top notch sush.outdoor eating available, in byward market, came highly recommendedi

Last time

Chose this restaurant during a visit to Ottawa because had had a previously good experience with a friend 3yrs ago. Either things have deteriorated or, lacking the company, I was more aware of the flaws.
1. I was forgotten long enough that I was about to leave. It was lunch and not very busy.
2. The food was terrible. The... more

A solid choice

With nearly 200 restaurants vying for your attention within walking distance of the market place it is hard to know which one should get your business. With outdoor seating, attentive staff, beer on tap (not just bottles) and decent food we were quite happy with Wasabi. The best of three asian restaurants we visited on Clarence St.

A very good place for Sushi

I have tried this sushi bar 4 times to date .I was waiting to write a review , since I went with friend , wife and alone .
This sushi place is big , and if you want to benefit of tips from the chef , stay into the sushi bar . Service will be faster and you will have... more

Best sushi in town always

this is our sushi place we have tried other place but we always come back here for the food, the service and the atmoshère. We are always welcome by such great smiles and sushi are amazing fresh and tasty. Bravo !

Great sushi, good prices, great service

Went with the family. 3 kids, 4,6 and 10. Excellent food. The sushi rolls are creative and fresh, the specialty rolls are outstanding. Service was really attentive and food arrived quickly. The kids shared a tempura udon, and beef noodles, both excellent as well. We'll go back for sure.

Really good food, sushi and much more

Good food, attentive service, lots of variety, fairly priced...what more is there to say? Sit at the sushi bar for a friendly, educational experience if you are new to sushi.

Fresh

In sushi restaurants, it is imperative that the fish is fresh. Went to Wasabi for the first time with a colleague who goes there on a regular basis. We had the sashimi lunch special which was very fresh. I now understand why he goes there on a weekly basis. Very good sashimi

OK I guess

Very dirty inside as we were taken to our table. The carpet on the stairs...disgusting! After all, this is a Sushi place, and one would expect absolute cleanliness. We acually sat at the sushi bar and had a big selection of sushi, sashimi, and a few other dishes like the Gyoza which was fantastic! all in all the food was... more

Excellent all around

Really great sushi and staff are nice and efficient. Personal attention by the owner all adds to the great setting, ambiance, decor and food!

Delicious sushi negiri

I ordered the salmon and the yellowtail; both absolutely delicious. I ordered a couple of rolls as well and they were ok but not outstanding (spicy tuna too spicy for me) . Will definitely go back next chance I get.

Wasabi...never had better sushi

we love Wasabi, eat in or take out, hands down the best sushi i've ever had, anywhere... and we LOVE sushi! really, fresh.... can't wait to go back!

Great place to have Sushi. The sushi boat come with a great selection, and the bento box is a cool meal, but I do prefer the Sushi over all.

Average sushi at reasonable prices

Service: Average.
Decor: Similar to any sushi restaurant
Food: I'm a bit picky with my sushi. The sushi here was mediocre. It was fresh but there was too much water content in the sushi as if it has been frozen at one point or left in a moist container. The tempura was not as good as an average restaurant in... more

The freshest sushi in Ottawa

In recent years Ottawa has become favoured with a wide variety of excellent restaurants. However, sushi is something that still tends to be a risky proposition in this City so far from the ocean. Wasabi has solved that problem for us. A great selection of fresh sashimi and sushi is always available. The lunch menu is an especially good bargain,... more

Good place for sushi

We made no reservations, but were able to get our preferred seats upon arrival on a Friday night. We were quickly seated at the sushi bar. We both enjoy watching the chef make the sushi. The place was fairly busy. Nice ambiance to the place.
We ordered california, tempura, cowboy rolls and eel maki. All were really good. As good... more

It was amazing

The service was amazing, they were so nice and they even sat us at a table that the new kids on the block and backstreet boys sat at. The food was amazing, you need to like sushi to go there. The atmosphere was nice, they had a patio that we sat by. The best thing was the service and I... more

Meh, I've experienced better really sums it up. I got the sushi and sashimi plate. It was mediocre. I really have doubts as to how fresh the fish was too. So I spent the 2 hours after dinner worrying about whether or not I am going to get food poisoning in Canada. It may be my paranoia however I do think that Ottawa may not be the best place for Japanese food - judging by some of the other... more

The decent sushi choices are few and far between in Ottawa. You have the all you can eat places which is horrendous or the sushi restaurants which are slightly better than horrendous.

I had a chance to drop in to Wasabi recently and it was ok sushi for anywhere which means it's good for Ottawa! There seems to be a serious lack of decent Asian places in town.

We ordered spider, unagi, spicy... more

In a choice between Kinki and Wasabi for lunch, I rank Wasabi slightly higher.

Sushi is consistently fresh and well presented. Bento box lunches have a good variety.

Usually has a busy enough lunch trade to indicate nothing dodgy going on in the kitchen Staff is personable and professional.

Downside - prices are fair for the region but they don't do coupons like Kinki does.

After a long day and a disappointing meal at another Byward Market restaurant the night before we decided on Wasabi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar.

Great place to go if you don't have reservations at any of the areas other well rated restaurants.

Large menu, good service and a decent meal.

There do not seem to be good sushi options in Ottawa. This place, however, was the exception. I had the Jungle roll which was the best unique roll I have ever had. The Jungle roll has banana, mango and avocado. The jungle roll went very well with their special spicy salmon roll (or any other spicy roll I would imagine).

Update: I just tried Sushi Umi and it takes the prize of best sushi in... more

We stumbled on Wasabi on a stroll through the market and we were so glad we did! Somewhat slow service due to how busy it was, but worth the wait. Salmon dinner (maki and sushi plate) was fresh and tasty. Vegetarian bento was excellent. Came with a superb miso soup, smoky garlicky watercress, an innovative seaweed and shitake stuffed maki, agedashi tofu perfectly executed mmmmmm..... The garden... more

Sushi in the market is really a bust.

This place has been around for a long time and because of its location, it really draws in the tourists but then reality sets in.

Just poor quality food, ingredients. Portions are large but you really don't want to finish it. Large dining space but your craving won't be satisfied.

Found the menu selection to be more limited and more expensive than other Japanese places I've been to, but it's in a hot location and is a large and nice atmosphere, so go in as if you're paying for the whole experience, buy a bottle of wine, and enjoy yourself.

We did just this, and splurged on the delicious (and expensive) Sushi boat for two. This is about $64 and has a large arrangement of... more

I have been to Wasabi twice and both times enjoyed myself immensely. Traveling can be a solitary trek at times and Wasabi is comfort. You can dress nice or down, go alone order a wonderful martini and feast on fresh-mouth-watering sushi. When going to Ottawa I always look forward to going to Wasabi.

Having lived in Japan for a couple years I can easily call this the best Japanese restaurant in Ottawa, hands down. In fact, it's one of my favorite places to eat anywhere in the city. I've eaten here probably 20-30 times in my life.

The owner is always present, doting over and attending to customers. He really makes every effort to make people feel comfortable. The staff at this Japanese... more

Wasabi is cute place in the market area, often a lunchtime favourite for nearby downtown office workers. The decor and atmosphere is inviting particularly during the evening dinner hours, when its not as bustling and hectic.

The food is decent, though not outstanding. The Maguro, Salmoe Roe, and Sawara good sushi selections. But be careful of the Orangle clam or Tri Maki unless you have a very... more

It is unfortunate that not everyone has had the experience I have had with Wasabi. This is 'the' place I go with my best friend for Sushi. I have had birthday dinners there and even took a Japanese student that was visiting Canada there...and we all loved it. It can be pricey, but with most Asian dining experiences, the more people you have and the more food you share the better the overall... more

I can't remember having had such a bad dining experience in Ottawa. First, we have to wait for our table in a narrow busing area - not a very considerate way to start. Small stuff, yes, I know, but with that one small detail my intuition was right on. It was all downhill from there. Second, an endless wait for service that was c@!%!y and absentminded. I get tired very quickly of... more

Decent sushi and great market location. The...

Decent sushi and great market location. The service is great and the sushi selection impressive.

Just unbelievable food, service and atmosphere.

Wasabi

The Wasabi restaurant has every quality that you would expect of a traditional Japanese restaurant. The atmosphere is calm and soothing, the service is polite and efficient, and the food is delicious and beautifully arranged.

When you first enter the restaurant from the street, you are greeted with a beautiful waterfall. As you enter the restaurant itself, the decor suggests a modern style... more