Japanese Village Restaurant - Victoria

Extremely run down, POOR ventilation, very smokey and greasy from the teppanyaki. The big lady (cashier is extremely rude. It's fine dining price for low quality food, ambiance and experience. The secret sauce is just full of msg and salt to cover up the taste...of their bland food. Definitely would not recommend if you are in Victoria, much better joints to support. Everyone in our party deeply regretted going. Poor service and experience, will never return again.

Whenever I am asked where I would like to celebrate my birthday I always ask to go to Japanese Village. The entertainment is funny, no matter how many times you see it. Even the Canadian Tire oil joke. But for me it is actually the...food I love. There is nothing better than the teriyaki chicken with lots of yummy sauce. I always ask for extra rice with several spoonfuls of steak sauce. I have tried to replicate this 'secret' sauce at home but have never been able to reproduce it. I usually have leftovers which make a super lunch the next day. It's quite the treat.

Three different entrees but all rated very good. Not for people dieting! We enjoyed it. The people who shared our table were friendly and fairly quiet.

The decor and overall feel was outdated, uncomfortable and smelt unpleasant. The food was underwhelming, small portions, basic food that I could have very well prepared at home. Fine dining prices without the dining dining food/experience. Everything was so salty and oily, the taste will...linger in your mouth until morning. Hopefully you get lucky and have an entertaining chef, ours was awkward and seemed like he just didn't want to be there. Unfortunately I will not be back. My first and last time. Save your money and cook at home or spend it on actual quality fine dining.

For the uninitiated, this restaurant seats you at a table wit places that surrounds a grill on which your meal is prepared by the chef. All meals are prepared at the same time, so seating all happens at the same time. In our case...we were a couple, but we were seated with a family of with young children. The food was incredible, the Chef was amazing, but our experience was ruined by having to endure the young children at our table. My advice would be to either go in a large group to have some control over your table partners, or perhaps take steps to avoid our sort of seating arrangement with the staff.