A lot of Eat the Strip readers have written to us about good sushi joints recently.

Going through correspondence, it seemed like a no-brainer to hit up a sushi spot this weekend. But the question remained: which one?

Nearby Sapporo Sushi has a reputation of being a quiet juggernaut; an unassuming spot that serves excellent sushi in the west-end. We recently got word that the former chef of the beloved Suisha Gardens, which closed last year, has opened his own sushi spot in Orleans—we suspect we’ll be at both very soon.

But on this sunny Saturday, we chose to go to Sushi 29, a takeout restaurant with excellent Google reviews operating out of a strip mall in Blackburn Hamlet.

Lin opened Sushi 29 around three years ago, but has worked as a sushi chef since 2007, when he began working in the food industry in Toronto. Eventually, he moved to Ottawa and got a job at Sushi Kan, an east-end sushi restaurant with two locations. He lost his job during the pandemic and decided to start his own shop.

The takeout-only restaurant is located between a physiotherapy clinic and a financial services company’s office. Lin chatted with me as he sliced a cut of salmon. He told me he hopes to open a sit-down location someday, but the limited inventory in Ottawa has been difficult to navigate.

We purchased the 40-piece tray, which at just $48 plus taxes, was an excellent price. Turns out both me and Danielle, my partner and co-writer of this blog, had enough for two meals. The portions were excellent, too.

Danielle’s enjoyed the futomaki rolls, with their spicy filling and the pickled ginger served alongside. My uncontested favourite was the maki roll. The tempura shrimp served with fresh chunks of avocado and salty nori seaweed made me very happy indeed. The sushi kept well in the fridge until the evening, including the rice, which didn’t get clumpy.

The nigiri also served a special mention. Sliced portions of raw fish were immaculately served on top of rice. Both tasted fresh and paired well with the accompanying wasabi.

We’ll certainly be going back for more.