How time flies, it only seemed yesterday I was in Victoria watching Billy Elliott the musical and struggling to find a pre-theatre dinner venue. Now Victoria has the hottest ticket in town, Hamilton and the Nova Complex with a dazzling plethora of dining options. I went to check out one of the top options there recently: Sticks ‘n’ Sushi Victoria.
The first thing that caught my attention was actually their ultra user-friendly menu. Every food item is presented in slick, photographic format on the menu, so you know exactly what you are getting. The friendliness was extended to their server team who were faultless to a tee and spoke in an extremely personable manner; plus you can’t go wrong with putting handsome staff in t-shirts that say “I will make you come (back)”.
We were recommended to try a Saba mackerel which is only supplied to Sticks ‘n’ Sushi and the 3 Michelin-starred The Araki in London. Apart from the melt-in-your-mouth texture, the taste was stronger and more flavoursome than the classic mackerel options.
Next, we went for the Perfect Day set menu, which had various highlights from the menu. Edamame with salt and lemon is always a great way to get your appetite going along with some Japanese beer. They even have their own creations including Sushi ‘n’ Biiru white, which is organic white beer brewed with yuzu.
The set menu has a pleasing mixture of hot and chilled dishes, so the restaurant doesn’t suffer from the seasonal shunning of sushi restaurants in the cold winter months. Crab croquettes even though petite in size had gratifying pieces of briny-tasting crab meat.
The yakitori sticks were all satisfyingly winsome, no doubt the use of a teriyaki glaze made these dishes addictively tasting. The spongy nature of the chicken meatballs meant it actually tasted best with the rich flavours soaked deep within. Whilst, the salmon was carefully prepared to ensure it wasn’t overcooked.
Seared salmon tataki was outrageously fresh and also well-flavoured and garnished with kizami wasabi, daikon, cress, and ponzu. The nigiri with salmon, tuna, and avocado was perfectly shaped so that the focus was on the raw fish or vegetables and had only a small dollop of rice. I see rice paper rolls more with Vietnamese dishes, but they have a tasty version here with duck and Goma.
Matcha cake
The surprising thing is all the dishes individually looked stunning yet not particularly substantial, so it’s very easy to over-order; however, it does end up being very filling by the end of the night. Even if you don’t have a ticket for Hamilton, there is no excuse to not make a trip to Sticks ‘n’ Sushi in Victoria.
baldwin@townfish.com