SushiMe

The border of the Ottawa neighborhoods of New Edinburgh and Vanier was not exactly known for its sushi, with pubs, restaurants and coffee shops dominating the scene.  Sue Jung, owner/chef of SushiMe, aimed to change all that.  In 2012, she hired Urbanomic Interiors to expand their restaurant into the vacant adjacent unit, more than doubling their seating and adding a bar.  In their review of the updated restaurant, Ottawa Magazine had this to say of the new decor:

The decor is bright and modern with bamboo tables and bar and bamboo-leaf-green walls punctuated by porthole-shaped mirrors. The cheerful atmosphere  and menu do more than embody a verb; they express a lifestyle — one that embraces simplicity, creativity, and good eating.

Capital Dining also had nice things to say about the new look:

Sushime has moved into a former real-estate office quite close to the Vanier Parkway. It’s been painted wasabi-green, to match the chairs, with an accent wall of dark grey, and with warm bamboo-tones on tables and sushi counter…  This is a neighbourhood underserviced in Asian restaurants. I predict Sushime will become a local hero.

 

The restaurant was also reviewed in Le Droit (a French newspaper, a portion of which we have translated):

In Ottawa, the New Edinburgh/Vanier neighborhood recently welcomed a new independent restaurant that should succeed in pulling ahead of the game: SushiMe, on Beechwood road.  The space was occupied for a long time by a video rental store, but those are closing one after another, and this one was no exception.  The restaurant is modest and decorated with ant air of minimalism that one associates with Japanese restaurants.  Shades of apple green and wood grain are soothing to the eye; tables are aligned on the right, twenty spaces or more, while the work counter is on the left.  One small cold counter is where two sushi masters are hard at work, and there is a small kitchen in the back…

Amusingly, the reviews don’t seem to be able to agree on what used to be in the newly-expanded space; was it a real-estate office or a video rental store?  Not that it matters, in the end.  What really matters is the positive reception of the restaurant, and that three years later it is still going strong.  Visit SushiMe in person at 8 Beechwood Ave., Ottawa, or online at sushimeottawa.com.