Watami Sushi

Going down by a star because they have disappeared!
I have no idea whether they moved or have gone out of business… but they are no longer at the location listed… instead there is some new noodle house… :S
Just thought everyone should know.

This place is amazing! First off, the prices are very reasonable. We were visiting from California and we were surprised at how cheap the sushi was, and it tasted great. I had salmon sashimi and I loved it. My friend had rolls and sashimi and loved it as well. This place was so great that we came back the next day. The staff was very nice, and they even let me use the restaurant phone because I had forgotten my cell at the hotel. Great place!

I’ve been here several times and I’m very much on the fence about this place. To be honest, it’s probably a 2.5-star rating.
I used to go here often and get the sushi special, which is your choice of 3 rolls (they give you 30 to pick from) and a miso soup for 5.95 $, or a little bit more if you want brown rice, which I always do. I got to be one of their regulars I guess and the waitress would recognize me and always know what I wanted. Then I stopped going for a little while and when I came back, there was a new waitress and everything had gone downhill.
Last week I came here with a group of four people and got the same sushi special, which was the same as it always it — not great, but not bad either, and definitely what you’d expect for the price. A friend and I also split the order of spring rolls and they were yummy. Apparently the sunomono was far too vinegar-​y though. And I find that they overload on rice and it always falls off in my soy sauce.
When we finished our meal, we waited for a VERY long time for the checks. After 20 minutes, someone finally came by to take away the dishes and we asked for them, and it was again a very long time before we got them. Annoying, especially because they used to be pretty fast at lunch time.
One thing that didn’t change was the music. It’s absolutely awful. A mix of Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne, and Disney songs sung by pop singers and no Disney characters. They need to change that aspect ASAP.
Bottom line: The sushi special is pretty good, but most of the other things really aren’t worth it. Especially with everything else that’s in the area.

the portions and price are right-​on. the reason i wouldn’t want to return to this place, though, is the godawful christmas lights! they play a short loop of christmas songs. this was in september, even! it was almost enough to drive a girl insane.

I work close by & eat here about once a week.
Pluses:
HUGE selection and fast service. They do NOT over use rice & it is CHEAP!
One HUGE MINUS: the music selection is limited to about 10 songs on repeat. I have no idea how the staff put up with it.
I swear to god after hearing Madonna’s god-​awful rendition of ‘Dont cry for me Argentina’ for the 38^th time I wanted to puncture my own ear drums.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Music /​Sushi — not a good combo. I’ve actually asked them to turn off the music on previous visits…

I was craving Sushi today and since I was in the area and like to try new places i figured I would stop in here. After today’s experience I doubt that I will go there again with all the other options within a 2 minute walk.
I ordered the daily combo which included tempura, chicken teriyaki, salad, fruit and 6 pcs California Roll. Normally I am not a tempura fan but that was probably the most edible food in my box. Maybe that’s a bit harsh but my experience did not start out good and may have clouded my judgment on other items.
I was greeted when I went in so that was good but when I got the complimentary tea it was stone COLD. Yes, my hot tea was cold. In my head I figured I could live with that. I don’t mind cold tea on occasion. A few minutes later my Bento Box arrived. I went for the chicken teriyaki first, it’s just the way I eat. One section at a time lol. Anyway, my chicken was cold as was the rice. Now I was not impressed. I always leave my rolls for last. Not sure why, just the way I roll lol! So in between the teriyaki and the rolls, there was the tempura (yam, prawn and zucchini??) which was surprisingly good, salad that is just that, salad and the fruit which consisted of one piece of orange. Now for my favourite part of any box experience, the California Roll and what a complete let down. They fell apart, weren’t fully covered with rice and didn’t taste so good.
Essentially my lunch was very anticlimactic. On the good side, the service wasn’t too bad and the price worked at $ 6.95.

I walk by this place everyday on my way home. Three rolls and miso soup for $ 5.95 is pretty tough to resist.
Have taken out the special and have eaten at the restaurant (shared the special and a couple of other things).
The special rolls are a bit sloppy (a few fell apart when i tried to pick them up), but very tasty, definitely worth the very very inexpensive prices.
The other non-​discounted rolls were delicious, but not really worth the step up from the $ 5.95 special
Happy to see a restaurant in this spot that will likely stick (not that we really needed another sushi place on this block, there’s already a few).

I’ve had my share of cheap sushi in Vancouver, and a lot of times, its hard to find a place that will give you large portions and decent sushi. This place is exactly what I was looking for. For the price I paid, the portions I received, and the friendly service, this place is exactly what a poor student like myself needs.
Their combos (now my usual):
$ 5.95 for 18 pieces of sushi and miso soup (their Sushi Special) or $ 6.95 for one of their bento boxes. On top of that, they also include options for vegetarians. Note: their combos are all day long.
The only thing that could be improved upon is the cleanliness of the place. Its not terribly unclean, but, like many cheap, Asian restaurants, they can definitely improve. And o yea, the parking… but then again every store on West Broadway has the expensive and limited street parking issue.