Jun I understands the essential factor: offer high quality Japanese cuisine. Their talented chef, who uses her passion for culinary art and new trends, and the freshness and delicacy of the food leave no doubt on the reputation of Jun I. The marriage of styles harmonizes with an impressive wine list and a nice variety of saké. In addition, a tasting menu is available so you can sample a little bit of everything. Enjoy a unique experience in a warm and intimate setting at one of the largest Japanese tables in Montreal.
Overall, Jun I is described as a premier sushi destination with exceptionally fresh fish, standout uni and omakase that many reviewers rate as among the best in Montreal. The atmosphere is frequently praised as lively yet intimate, with warm and attentive service that adds to the experience, though a few reviews note slower or uneven pacing at high prices. Many guests highlight creative dishes and careful preparation, such as expertly prepared nigiri, sashimi and seasonal courses, and some call it the best sushi in the city or even Canada. A minority mention that some courses can be over spiced or overly salty and that portions or value may not fully match expectations given the price, while others report consistently excellent quality across the menu. In sum, Jun I is viewed as an impressive, high end sushi experience ideal for special occasions, with caveats about price and occasional service pacing.
We felt a bit forgotten seated at the end of the bar. Maybe short staffed that night? We were not asked about next drinks, water wasn't poured when finished, etc. The creativity & quality of the food we received (chose the 70$ chefs choice) was underwhelming & we expected more from this restaurant relative to what we've heard about it. We were greeted very well, but once seated it felt like we were an inconvenience or an after thought. Our waiter did not provide any context or history about the restaurant & as it was our first time, we thought that might come up, but there was never the opportunity to converse about it. Unfortunately not a great first experience. The martini was excellent however !
Loved this restaurant. My husband & I each took the tasting menu. At first I was hesitant because the first 4 services are served in one plate/bowl for us to share. Quality & taste was good though. Sushi is excellent. Dessert too. We reserved seats at the bar thinking we'd be able to see the chefs prepare (open kitchen) but there is none if that.
Nov 19, 2023
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I’m not a person that ever leaves reviews but JunI was so spectacular I simply had to. Very friendly & attentive waitstaff that know what they’re talking about when asked about the products. They deliver each item with an entire description & breakdown so you’re not left guessing. Highest quality fish & drinks. The chef himself personally comes out to every table to ensure they had a quality experience & to ask about the night. 10/10 spot.
Very friendly & attentive waitstaff that know what they're talking about when asked about the products. Highest quality fish & drinks. The chef himself personally comes out to every table to ensure they had a quality experience. 10/10 spot.
We go here once a month, & love it. Eric is our waiter & always offers a great & friendly experience. The quality of the food is always great, & the ambiance is amazing too. Our go-to place whenever we want to go out for a fancier dinner!
Amazing dining experience. Charles was my waiter, fantastic service, very detail oriented. I had the full omakase, amazing attention to detail for all the dishes, delicate, amazing experience of textures & flavors, nothing was overpowering, & the final plate of sushi was great, generous cuts, great quality.
Every time, Jun I has been stellar. I'm glad the "by the glass" saké list has gotten bigger which allows us to try different things. The portions of the Omakase are very generous. The ingredient quality is bar none & the service was prompt, dedicated & convivial.
I visited once this past summer for lunch & was very disappointed by the quality of the dishes. I returned this fall again for lunch to find out that the quality has improved better but along with high yet pricing. I prefer to pay more fo have excellent quality at Juni. There are many others with poor quality.in Mtl. Juni must maintain the best they can offer.
We ate here last night & overall enjoyed the entire meal. The kitchen staff is very talented & it is obvious in the output. They generally showed better than the front of house. We decided to order the omakase menu as the best way to try the most dishes & get a sense of the restaurant.
Here is the menu we had last night:
Asari kinoko
Palourdes, jus de palourde, tomates, fenouil, pleurottes royales, huile de poireau.
Clams, clam juice, tomatoes, fennel, king oyster mushrooms, leek oil
A fantastic little starter course served with a small bowl of marinated daikon radishes. The clams were perfectly cooked. It seems a bit weird to eat tomatoes this late in the season.
Hotate crudo
Pétoncles kobujime au gin Ungava, betteraves jaunes, vinaigrette au yuzu, huile de coriandre
Ungava gin kobujime scallops, golden beets, yuzu dressing, cilantro oil
This was my wife's favorite course. I loved it too. The scallops were delicious. The flavors complemented each other well. I felt the cilantro was a bit overbearing in the dish. (& yes, I do like cilantro)
Shiromi
Poisson blanc du jour mariné au shio koji, courge musquée, babaganoush d'aubergines asiatiques, myoga
Shio koji marinated white fish of the day, butternut squash, Asian eggplants babaganoush, myoga
I like this dish quite a bit. But I wish the wait staff had explained all the components rather than just dropping it at the table after saying it was white fish with eggplant. The chef is far more poetic in his wording & it would have enhanced the meal to see the eggplant was an Asian version of babaganoush. Reading it today, I now have a better picture of the dish & that would have added to the experience.
Tako
Pieuvre marinée au sel de Kombu & grillée, radicchio, piments shishito, pommes de terre, choux de Bruxelles, suprêmes d'orange, sauce yaki & ail noir
Kombu salt marinated & grilled octopus, radicchio, shishito peppers, potatoes, brussels sprouts, orange supreme, yaki & black garlic sauce
This is another course where the wait staff could have better explained the dish rather than simply drop at the table with only a few words. Black garlic was never mentioned & it is a key ingredient. It was a fantastic use of Fall ingredients. Bravo to the chef.
Omakase de Junichi San
Assortiment de nigiris, sashimis & makis : 15 mcx / personnel
A very nice selection of beautiful seafood presented well. We added uni & were thankful that our main server explained the difference between the taste & textures of the west coast versus east coast uni (oursin) choices. The tempura roll with a sort of salmon tartare on top was out of this world - the kind of dish I would have eaten a second plate of. The hand roll served alongside was incredible too.
I forget all the components of the dessert. Overall it had a very beautiful fall feel to it. The apples & salted caramels were great. My only complaint would have been to have fewer flavors competing for attention by my palate. I like fewer flavors & allow the ones present to shine more brightly. But I am nitpicking.
PROS: great food, beautiful dining room, good staff.
CONS: I mean this as constructive criticism to the dining room manager. The service does not match the quality level of the food. Service was done a bit too fast with plates being brought the second after we finished one course. I hate being rushed through a tasting menu. I want to savor every flavor & relax. I wish they had printed a copy of the omakase menu & left it at the table if the wait staff is unable to describe all the nuances of the dish when presenting it to us. So many descriptions were left out. I also wish the server would pour less when refilling our glasses - but that is a personal preference.
Excellent service. Main dining room needs a refresh. The food was outstanding. Lovely presentation. I enjoy the consistency of service & food quality. Kudos to the Juni team for the hard work & dedication during the pandemic. You should be proud of your accomplishments.
Jun I had a nice ambiance & the cocktails were very well made! The staff was courteous & understood the menu well enough to make good recommendations while being considerate of the prices.
The appetizers were okay, but the real stars of the show were the maki rolls. The fish was high quality & you can tell they took good care in preparing each piece.
The pace that each course was brought was great & it allowed us enough time enjoy each course without having to rush through it!
Overall, a nice experience & would recommend for a date or for some good quality Japanese cuisine.
i have been here twice, but i brought my father who was visiting from California. he & i have been eating sushi since I was a baby in 1994, & my father has been frequenting Morimoto's in Napa for quality rice & fish.
he said that Jun I had some of the best quality nigiri he's had. our server suggested a gorgeous bottle of saké that my father greatly enjoyed (& me too), & the Quebec uni was amazing. I had been looking for quality uni in the city since October 2020, so it was really lovely to get my hands on such a delicious reunion with the flavor.
thank you very much, we loved our visit & as always i will definitely be back. Jun I is by far the best quality for price, with beautiful treatment of the rice, unique fishes, & wonderful staff.
