I’ve been fortunate to eat sushi all across the United States. This little gem tucked off Island Highway is one of the best I have experienced. I sat at the bar and had a great conversation with the sushi chef/owner. I told him what I liked and let him do his magic. I was not disappointed. The monkey brains appetizer was one of the most creative bites of food I have had in a long time. I highly recommend!
Jackie Q.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Sooke, Canada
I love this restaurant! High quality food, distinctive tasting and reasonably priced. Add the friendly greeting as you walk in and it makes a great experience. This will be a frequent stop for me on my way through Nanaimo.
Lola H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Nanaimo, Canada
My daughter is on a sushi kick these days so on our«Girls Day» she chose Dami because she likes the sign(she is 5 so sometimes that’s how we choose). We shared: Tuna Tataki — tasty tuna but we are a saucy family so would have loved more ponzu Prawn Tempura — tasty but not much different than anywhere else Philadelphia Roll — awesome. My daughter ate all but one of the pieces Dynamite Roll — also good but nothing unique We will be back as it has been a reliably good sushi restaurant.
Shelley K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Vancouver, Canada
Great sushi dishes and a few delicious options for non-sushi eaters. Customer service was also top notch!
Samantha R.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Richmond Hill, Canada
Any place that will kill a monkey so some sicko can eat it’s brains is not a place where I will spend my money! Give your head a shake and eat real food, not some trendy ‘delicacy’. Too disgusting,
Eugene W.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Nanaimo, Canada
Excellent sushi — good quality, great price! Highly recommended.
Adam F.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Port Alberni, Canada
I’m going to pile on more praise for Dami: It was ! Get the Monkey Brains if you have taste-buds.
Silja J.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Victoria, Canada
Our search for good sushi continues… Which brought us to Dami… and it was good. I love the use of sauces, and obviously fresh local crab. My husband loves the lame supermarket, imported, frozen crab… So he wasn’t as keen about the fishiness of it… The fisherman in me rejoiced! The sashimi had the most beautiful presentation I have ever seen at a sushi restaurant.
C K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Kent, WA
Came to this restaurant based on Unilocal & glad we did! Had to try the«monkey brains» just for the name! It was delicious — still trying to figure out how they did the avocado without making it greasy — so light & crispy — tempura style. Hubby had the salmon roe & tobiko sushi and we shared some tempura & sushi roll. Everything was fresh & service was excellent! We’d recommend to others who happen to be in the area. Prices are reasonable.
Dawn A.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Los Angeles, CA
I agree five stars. Visiting from Los Angeles and everything was yummy and reasonably priced
Marina M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Montreal, Canada
Service was really good. Food was good. They went out of their way to change a few things up due to some food intolerances I have, without even asking them to, which I found to be a really sweet gesture. Thank you for a good night Dami sushi! :)
Colleen H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Vancouver, Canada
What?! this is a strip mall location but it is seriously high class dining(with strip mall prices). SOGOOD. Gluten Free? No problem! They brought us gluten free soy sauce and bent over backwards to accommodate each dish. I’ve never seen this in years of living in Vancouver… Then, the chef sent out an amuse-bouche for each person in the restaurant, REAL crab cakes, that were unbelievable. So good. And they were plated as if in a fine dining restaurant, with some little bugles arranged like palm trees in a spicy/sweet mayonnaise pond. Adorable and delicious. If you are driving through Nanaimo, this is the best place to stop!
Yihua C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Vancouver, Canada
Food taste great. Price is fair
Aakash G.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Stanford, CA
Wanted to let anyone else living in or visiting Nanaimo(sadly not well covered by Unilocal), this place is great! We have not had 5 huge pieces of salmon sashimi for $ 6 in a long time. The bento boxes were also a terrific deal. The cooked and uncooked food is of very high quality. We especially love the tuna up here in Vancouver area, totally different than the states — a whiter, more fatty quality than the lean red cuts we are used to eating. When you put great quality, traditional sushi together with great prices, you have a fantastic place. Add on incredibly nice service, and it gets into the 5 star realm. We have eaten at many restaurants in Nanaimo, and this is one of the best — regardless of cuisine type. If you like sushi, get over here.
Tailend C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Vancouver, Canada
3.5−4 stars, it’s fresh, friendly, clean and pretty tasty. All in all decent value and I have returned a couple times as it is closer and more convenient than my favourite place north of town. Worth the stop.
Sarah N.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
As I ate the unagi I was transported to a splashing river in the mountains of Japan. No really, I can’t believe how good the sushi is here. The mackerel and toro were perfect; all the nigiri was fresh fresh fresh(!!) on a Sunday evening. The Dami roll is pure decadence and the monkey brains appy is just plain GOOD. This is a serious gem for Nanaimo — finally a sushi restaurant worth talking about!
John B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Vancouver, Canada
Fantastic place to have sushi. Have it here or take it home. Reasonable prices and great quality. Located behind north town centre it is convenient when your short on time. Great selection of rolls as well as bento boxes for lunch.
Carol P.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Duvall, WA
Nanaimo… run, don’t walk to Dami Sushi! This place is top notch… highest quality, great menu… so impressed to find this place, in an old Taco Time no less… what a great surprise. Try the Crazy Roll, it was fabulous…
Shilo C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Port Alberni, Canada
For years, I never ventured away from california rolls and the occasional veggie tempura, then a family friend took me to Dami for my first real sushi experience. I had everything from miso soup(so simple, and so delicious!) to gyoza(oh WOW), the monkey brains(which are an addiction once you’ve had them, a house specialty, and my favourite thing on the menu without a doubt), and then finished it all off with their Love platter, which was the perfect way to introduce me to such a delicious cultural experience. The service at Dami was the best I’ve had from a restaurant in a long, long time. The food was perfection, not a single complaint could ever be made about a single bite I took that night. And with such fair prices for such top quality, it’s easy to know that I’ll be treating myself there every couple of weeks for years to come!
Lucinda C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Vancouver, Canada
I can’t emphasize at how fresh the fish is. I had a big feast at the restaurant. The restaurant is just off the highway and tucked away in a plaza. The place was not overly busy but they had a people coming in and out throughout the evening. I had tuna & salmon sashimi, spicy tuna roll and a kamakazi roll. In Japan, apparently sushi rolls are not dipped in soy sauce as the sushi is eaten for its flavour. You can tell how fresh the fish is by its odour(should not have a fishy odour) and the texture. the sushi had no odour, and the texture was firm, like what fresh fish should be. The best part about the experience was that on Tuesday nights, hot sake was $ 2. Eat up and drink up everyone. This is place great.