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Sushi

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Mauna Sushi is serving up Aburi Oshi in Surrey and it’s great to have more options in the area. Sean Ma is behind Mauna Sushi and has worked at Minami, Wasabi, and his own catering company prior to starting Sushi Mauna.

They are currently open for take out and delivery, but once the pandemic restrictions ease up, dine in will resume. Best to double check and give them a call. In the meantime, they are ready for you for your next party, picnic, or potluck.

Right now, they have 10% off takeout orders and free Mauna Aburi Tart if you order Tray D, E, F, G, H or the Aburi tray for a limited time only.

Taste Test

The Tray D features Salmon Oshi, Ebi Oshi, Saba Oshi, Explosion Roll and Hawaiian Roll. A good assortment of items in this tray and it is their most popular tray on the menu. Great item for get togethers with many people.

Mauna Aburi Tart is good for an individual person or if you are keen, you can share it with another person to have a taste. Good flavours and I like the crunchy bits from the fried tempura.

Tamago Maki, Avocado Maki, and Cucumber Maki for our little toddler. It’s solid and our daughter ate them up.

Final Thoughts

It’s great to have aburi oshi in this area a few minutes away from Guildford Town Centre, so you don’t have to travel all the way to Downtown Vancouver for it. Prices are very fair and affordable too.

Address:
14839 108 Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 1W2

Website:
https://maunasushi.ca/

Sushi Tree Restaurant just opened in Henderson Place Mall in Coquitlam. They are specifically located between the library and the north side of Henderson Mall near the parkade entrance. It is quick serve, so there are no tables inside. Just order at the counter and grab your order. As the inari are made ahead of time, there isn’t a wait unless you’re getting the other rice bowls or salads on the menu.

They specialize in Inari, Japanese sushi with rice and ingredients inside of tofu pocket. It’s very affordable as each piece is around $2.65.

Menu

The most popular item is their Inari and the turnover is very high, so you’re guaranteed fresh inari that aren’t sitting around. I haven’t seen anyone order the cup bab, salad, or rolls yet, but it’s a good affordable option too.

Taste Test

We grabbed 6 inari per adult and it was really filling, but we enjoyed the variety. It’s makes for a nice lunch or something to bring to a picnic or a friend’s place. The size of each inari was a good portion size. The ratio of the rice and topping are very great too.

Of all the inari, our favourites were – spam, teriyaki beef, spicy pork, cooked tuna, and unagi. If you want kid-friendly inari, we recommend the egg and the cooked tuna.

Just grab a bunch and you won’t be disappointed.

Final Thoughts

We do recommend them as it’s a good potion, tasty, and affordable. It gave us Japanese vibes even thought the inari do have Korean influences.

Address:
1163 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, BC

Website: https://sushi-tree-mordern-izakaya-restaurants.business.site/

I’ve passed by Toyo Sushi so many times last year and it always seemed to be closed. I was on Instagram the other month and I saw one of my followers going and I had to check it out for myself as it’s right in my neighbourhood.

Reservations

I would highly recommend getting reservations, not because it will be really full as this place is still under the radar. Some people have said their hours of operation is unreliable, so best to make reservations to ensure they are open on the day and time you’re planning to dine.

Bar Seating

The space is a decent size, but bar seating is best if you’re in a small group. Watching the chef prepare your meal is the best. The chef isn’t very chatty, but I always appreciate all the hard work of seeing the meal come to life.

Sashimi Omakase

The sashimi omakase starts at $70 and it is essentially a sashimi platter. We expected the chef to serve it piece by piece as we sat at the bar like at other sushi bars around town. We were the only people at the restaurant, so we watched him make the whole platter and then present it to us.

When we went there, our sashimi omakase had 7 different sashimi and 14 pieces in total. The chef didn’t explain what sashimi was on the plate, but the server told us quickly. I tried my best to remember the names, but some of them looked very similar, so sorry if I accidentally misnamed any.

The sashimi omakase was a great way to try the freshest cuts of sashimi decided by the chef. My favourites were the blue fin otoro and scallop.

Hotate – Scallop
Bluefin Tuna
Aji – Horse Mackerel
Madai – Snapper
Shima Aji – Striped Jack
Bluefin – O Toro
Chopped Hamachi and negi with fresh ginger
Fish is deep-fried and then can be eaten whole

Sushi Omakase

The sushi omakase has 10 pieces of nigiri on a platter and it starts at $60. It was similar types of fish in the sashimi omakase. At first it does seem steep of a price, but the quality is there. The negitoro, ikura, otoro, and scallop were outstanding. The other types of fish were good, but it wasn’t my personal favourite.

Ikura – Salted Salmon Roe
Negitoro
Shima Aji – Striped Jack
Madai – Snapper
Hotate – Scallop
Blue Fin O-Toro
I can’t remember what this one was.
Madai – Snapper
Aji – Horse Mackerel
Bluefin Tuna

Unagi Nigiri

We ordered these both after the omakase because my husband judges a Japanese restaurant based on how they make unagi nigiri. This was really good! Very soft, tender, and packed full of flavour. Highly recommended.

Tamago Nigiri

Another item that my husband judges is the tamago. The side of tamago was thick and had a good balance of sweet and savoury to it. Highly recommended as well.

Kushi Katsu

These are deep fried and battered skewers. There is scallop and prawn in one skewer, chicken on another and then salmon on another. It comes with a dipping sauce too. These were decent. Since the meal we had was very clean and not too oily, this was the only fried dish we got beside the fried fish from the sashimi omakase.

Final Thoughts

The quality is definitely the best in Burnaby. It’s a great little hidden gem in The Heights, but it isn’t cheap. You are really paying for the quality. My husband and I spent just under $200 after tax and tip here. We had to try the omakase, so that why it’s pretty steep. Next time, we will probably skip the omakase and go with our tried and true favourite items.

Address:
3978 Hastings St, Burnaby, BC

Website:
https://www.toyosushi.ca

Sushi Maro is a a Japanese restaurant in Yaletown just steps from Yaletown Station. I came here for a quickie lunch with a friend as we’re never been here before.

There’s a lot of other Japanese restaurants around here but this is more of a casual low key restaurant mostly attracting people who work close by that want a decently priced quick lunch.

Interior

There are a lot of tables for 2’s and 4’s inside. As it was lunch hour, the space filled up quickly. You can make reservations if you want to be guaranteed a seat. They also do pick up and delivery too.

Lunch Menu

Miso Soup

If you order any lunch combos, they all come with miso soup. Pretty standard miso soup and nothing interesting.

Lunch Bento C

This has crispy chicken served on top of rice, salad, California Roll, and then tuna and salmon sashimi. It’s a good amount of food for lunch and you get a bit of everything. It’s not fancy but it fulfills the sushi and sashimi cravings.

All of the items in this bento box is standard. Nothing really stands out just like the miso soup.

Quick Lunch C

My friend got the quick lunch C Combo and it comes with 3 pieces of Sashimi of tuna and salmon, 2 nigiri sushi, and it was supposed to be a California roll, but she upgraded it for salmon and avocado roll for a few dollars more.

Final Thoughts

I like their cuts of sashimi and it was fresh tasting. If you’re looking for a quick sushi lunch that isn’t too expensive in the Yaletown area, this is a good option.

Address:
1168 Mainland St #101, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://sushimaro.com/new

Ajisai Sushi Bar is a very popular Japanese restaurant in Kerrisdale and popular among the locals and visitors. I haven’t been here before and my aunt was in town, so we all went to go give it a try.

For a weekday, it was pretty busy with a line up even at 7pm. There were plenty of large groups. Looks like everyone else was craving sushi too. We waited about 20 minutes for a bar seating for 4 people.

There is free underground parking at London Drugs,

Interior

The space is not very large, so it’s hard to fit very large groups here. Best to call ahead to see if there are line ups as they don’t take reservations.

Menu

Drinks

They have a few different sake options on the menu that go well with sushi. Beer and wine is on the menu too. If you’re not into alcoholic drinks, they have pop or you can stick with water and tea.

Seafood Salad

At first, this looked like a super weird salad with corn flakes on top. This has assorted greens, tako, ebi, salmon and tuna as the seafood. It is dressed in a light ponzu sauce I think. The corn flakes added a nice crunchy texture surprisingly.

Gomae

This has spinach marinated with sesame paste. A small portion that you cna pick at before the rest of the dishes arrive.

Uni Nigiri

Uni is sea urchin and it’s in season. You can have it as sashimi or nigiri but we option with nigiri. As it is in season, it is very fresh and has a natural sweetness to it. Highly recommended.

Bluefin Tuna Nigiri

We saw this on their Chef Recommendation so we had to get it. It was melt in your mouth fatty. Very good!

Hotate Nigiri

Hotate is scallop and they had this fresh on the menu.

Tako Nigiri and Ebi Nigiri

These were on the regular menu and it was pretty solid. Tender and not chewy at all.

Ika Shiso Rolls

This roll has squid and shiso leaf. Shiso is used in Japanese cuisine and it has an interesting taste that is herbal-like.

Unagi Avocado Roll

It comes with 8 pieces as an inside out roll with the rice on the exterior and seaweed inside. It was good as the creaminess of the avocado and meatiness of the eel pair well.

BBQ Unagi

They have a small amount of BBQ items on the menu but the eel was very delicious with a sweet glaze on top. It comes with 2 pieces but isn’t too large.

BBQ Gindara

The BBQ black cod had a slight char on the edge of the cod but very fatty and falls apart. Do watch out for little bones.

Assorted Sashimi

This has tuna, salmon, hokki, octopus, and white fish. It’s not the large but the quality of the cuts were good.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the sushi here is good but expensive compared to some other places around town. The staff are very diligent about refilling tea which is good

Address:
2081 W 42nd Ave, Vancouver, BC

Green Leaf Cafe opened their second location in Burnaby and it’s good they finally opened right by Lougheed Mall so there are more food options in the area. They are a Japanese and Korean fusion restaurant that takes the best of both cuisines. I came here with the family for lunch to check it out.

Interior

The space is large and it can get quite busy on weekends, so a reservation is best to ensure your whole party gets seated with no waits.

Menu

Crispy Chicken Karaage

The chicken is deep-fried and seasoned with a soy garlic sauce and served with a garlic mayo. It comes in 5, 10 or 15 pieces in an order. It was really delicious, well seasoned and also very moist inside.

Grilled Miso Mackerel

It has the grilled mackerel with a housemade miso sauce on top of grilled onions and served with rice on the side. It was average and all the sauces clashed with the natural saltiness of the mackerel.

Aburi Tuna Salad

In this big salad is flame seared tuna, greens, garlic chips, and yuzu ponzu dressing. Good and refreshing.

Salmon Oshi

Salmon Oshi is quite popular here. There are double layers of Atlantic salmon, oshi sauce and topped with a Jalapeno. The sauce is flame seared so it give it a nice texture and flavour. What I found with their version is that the rice is quite oily, so it falls apart easily.

Scallop Oshi

The Scallop Oshi has scallop, fish eggs, oishi sauce and topped with cracked pepper. I felt the same feeling about these too. It was just too oily and also fell apart.

Tornado Omelette

The tornado rice is beautiful. It has a sweet and savoury demiglace sauce or you can choose the Jalapeno creamy sauce. It looked beautiful, but it was average as it was just rice and eggs.

Uni Bibimbab

This has mushrooms, onions, fresh local sea urchin, house-made seasoned seaweed sauce on top of rice. It looked nice but it was ok.

Mentaiko Creamy Linguine

This has linguine covered in a Jalapeno creamy cod roe sauce with prawns. It is also topped with more cod roe on top. Pretty good tasting.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a good

Address:
9604 Cameron St, Burnaby, BC 

Website:
https://www.greenleafcafebc.ca/

Wasabi Robson is the newest sushi restaurant to open up in Downtown Vancouver at the Vancouver Public Library. I saw them on Instagram and wanted to make a visit as they make a few aburi-style sushi items on the menu as well as more affordable items like bento box sets, curry and udon. They seem to cater those who want a quick meal and those who want a bit more of an indulgence like aburi at lower prices.

Interior

They take reservations after 3pm, so I made one for my group of friends. The restaurant is half seating and half kitchen. The traffic fluctuated through the night but if you are in a larger group, reservations are best.

They are fairly new and have some kinks to work out. Service was very mediocre, so we were rarely given tea until we asked and also they didn’t clear the dishes or give us the bill. Also the abundance of fruit flies were very bothersome.

Menu

Crown Tart

The Crown Tart is made with scallop, wild salmon, tuna, avocado, sushi rice, and aburi sauce. Then topped with lemon slices and shrimp. It’s a good size and very delicious. You can have it by yourself or share with the table.

Wild Salmon Aburi Oshi

This comes with 6 pieces per order and it has flame-seared wild salmon sushi with their signature aburi sauce on top with a piece of jalapeño.

Saba Aburi Oshi

This has flame-seared mackerel sushi with their signature sauce on top. The saba is a salty mackerel that is always very delicious in aburi form. The sauce on top is different than the other aburi items.

Ebi Aburi Oshi

This has flame-seared shrimp sushi with their signature sauce on top. Another delicious item.

Gyoza

It comes with 5 pieces but we asked them to make it 6 pieces and added a dollar extra so it would be easier for the table to split as we were a party of 6. It was good but it would have been nice is there was some sauce or dip to go along with it like ponzu sauce.

Salmon Avocado Roll

This uses wild salmon and avocado rolled up in sushi rice. Perfectly ripe avocados and good quality wild salmon.

Final Thoughts

If you want a good inexpensive simple meal, the bento boxes are the way to go as they are just over $10. Good for a quick cheap lunch. For this visit, I went more the aburi items and they were good for the price.  The only things that bothered me were the service and cleanliness. Those are the two things they should really work on.

Their hours are limited as they aren’t open weekends and close early into the evenings on weekdays.

Address:
202-345 Robson St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.wasabirobson.com/

Matsuzushi is a hidden gem in Port Moody serving up $25 Omakase, which is a Japanese term meaning “I’ll leave it up to you”. I was intrigued by a lot of people posting up pictures of this great deal, so I decided to take a few of my friends to check out Matsuzushi. There is lots of parking outside on the street and around the corner.

Interior

There are about 5 tables inside and bar seating as well. It is best to make reservations just in case they are busy for that particular day. The best experience is by the bar where you can see the meal being prepped right in front of you and also you get more attentive service.

The restaurant is a 2 person operation, so service does suffer because of it. It literally is a mom and pop shop. I don’t mind inattentive service as long as there is good value for what you pay for. Others can get bothered by the service.

Menu

$25 Omakase

For $25 per person, you get 11 nigiri, 1 temaki cone and a miso soup. As there were 4 of us, they put all the items in a box to share. As we were not sitting by the bar, we were not told which nigiri was which. We had to rely on our fish detection skills to figure out what was what. Good thing all of us are sushi lovers, so it wasn’t a problem at all.

Our favourite of the night (not because we could identify them) were, toro, uni, tuna, salmon, and Tai.

Final Thoughts

Overall, solid omakase for only $25 and most people who come here order this set. We were all full by the end of the meal and didn’t have to order anything else.

Address:
130 Saint Johns Street, Port Moody, BC

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Blazing Sushi recently opened up in the International Village Food Court by Stadium Skytrain in Vancouver. My friend told me about them serving up food court aburi-style sushi and that got me very curious how it can compare to the other places in town. Aburi-style is flame seared sushi, which was popularized by Miku and Minami.

Menu

They have other rolls and sushi burritos on the menu, but my eyes were fixated on their blow torched sushi combo with salad. The prices were good and under $10.

Making the Sushi

They lay out the sushi and add special mayo-based sauces on top in a zig-zag pattern until it is fully covered.

Then they take the blow-torch and make it sizzle and pop. Then they finish it off with some chili flakes.

Blow-torched Sushi and Salad

8 pieces of the torched sushi and salad for $8.80 is not bad at all. There is a lot of romaine salad with potato and crab salad with 2 pieces of egg.

On the left is the shrimp and on the right is the salmon. It is made up of a block of sushi rice and a layer of shrimp or salmon with torched sauce.

Shrimp

The shrimp version is interesting as it seems to remind me of a pizza with oregano or basil seasoning.

Salmon

The salmon was better and I liked the addition of the chilli flakes for added spice. I preferred the sauce on this one.

Final Thoughts

It’s interesting to see this style of sushi in a food court, but will do. It’s a stripped down version of what you’re used to.

We Rate Blazing Sushi

Address:
88 W Pender St, Vancouver

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/blazingsushi.canada/

Kitchen by Yugo is located on Denman and Robson specializing in French and Japanese Fusion cuisine. I’ve heard lots about this place and I decided to come with a friend for lunch as it’s interesting how they will marry these two types of cuisines together.

Interior

The interior is nice with seating mostly on the left side and a kitchen and bar on the other.

Lunch Menu

Fish Miso Soup

This was the soup of the day and it was delicious, It has a piece of scallop and fish on the rim of the bowl. The miso soup had good depth of flavour. Highly recommended.

Pressed Aburi

This is pressed sushi with chef’s choice of assorted flame seared fish. It comes with 6 pieces and some fried veggie chips. My friend thought it was meh when you compare it to the other places in town that make similar aburi sushi.

House Bento

The house bento comes with 4 small dishes and served with rice. This seems to be quite popular item to order as you get to try a variety of items.

The items are:

  • Grilled Salmon with miso
  • Cauliflower Karaage
  • Tuna Tataki
  • Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Lardons and Onions

The flavours of the bento box is more on the Japanese side beside. The salmon was delicate and the miso paste on top paired well. Usually I see this combination on black cod, but salmon was good too.

The roasted brussel sprouts were more on the heavier side taking on the French influences. Tasty but was a bit of the odd dish out as the others were more delicate in flavours.

The tuna tataki was great. Nicely seared on all sides with some veggies and ponzu sauce.

The deep-fried cauliflower was a nice touch to compliment the meal with added textures and crunch.

Final Thoughts

Being to pull off French and Japanese fusion is pretty hard and I applaud the chefs for finding the balance as the styles are very different. Japanese is simple and delicate where French is most heavy and rich. Somewhat polar opposites.

We Rate Kitchen By Yugo

Address:
792 Denman St, Vancouver

Website:
http://restaurantyugo.com/

Sushi Bar Maumi is located on Davie Street in Vancouver and specializes in nigiri sushi for his omakase menu. Reservations are required, so they will not take walk-ins. Omakase is $75 per person and if you want to order more, you can do so after the 10 pieces.

They try to give customers an authentic and memorable sushi bar experience. Since there are only 2 seatings per evening with 10 seats each. There are a few rules you need to follow in order to have a good time with other guests. Make sure you read their website in it’s entirety.

It’s definitely not cheap, but it’s an experience watching Chef Maumi Ozaki create each piece of nigiri and eating such delicious simple flavours. Just make sure you follow his rules.

Green Tea

As we sat down for our 6pm seating, we were given a pot of green tea to sip on through out our meal. Since I am a tea guzzler, they did refill everyone’s pots during the evening.

Suzuki – Japanese Sea Bass

The first piece was suzuki nigiri, which is a Japanese Sea Bass. It has a good mouthfeel and chef puts a brush of sauce on top for added flavour.

Surume Ika – Japanese Flying Squid

Ika is usually tough, but the chef cuts it slightly with a criss-cross to break apart the connective tissue. The sauce that is brushed on top collects in these slots and holds a good amount of flavour.

Aji – Japanese Horse Mackerel

The flesh is more pinkish compared to the others. It is topped with ginger and scallions. It has a delicate and sweet flavour.

Kuruma Ebi – Japanese Tiger Prawn

One of the more expensive nigiri at Maumi, if you want more, it will cost you $18 per piece. The head is removed to be used in the miso soup later in the evening. It is sweet and full of umami taste.

Shima Aji – Stripped Jack

The flesh is more white and milder in flavour. Still a good piece of nigiri.

Hokkaido Bafun Uni – Sea Urchin

The uni is harvested at peak season and it topped with a small bit of ginger. The uni is sweet, briny, and creamy.

Miso Soup

Up next was miso soup made with the prawn heads. It came pipping hot, but very delicious soup which was so warming.

Nama Hotate – Fresh Scallop

The scallop was sliced thinly and draped on top of the sushi rice. Fresh, subtly sweet and has a soft texture.

Medium Fatty Bluefin Tuna marinated in special soy sauce

This was a joy to eat. So damn good!

Saba – Mackerel

One of my favourites as it has firm flesh and its rich and fatty with yummy flavours.

Anago – BBQ Sea Eel

This was the last item of our omakase was the anago. It was nice an hot covered in this delicious sauce.

Hon Maguro O-Toro – Fatty Bluefin Tuna

Almost everyone ordered this at the end. It will cost you $12 per piece but you have to try it once. It’s really good and it melts in your mouth.

Sanma – Pike Mackerel

We ordered this because everyone else did as well. They seem to know what they were ordering, so we followed along. It was fatty and rich similar to saba. This is served with ginger and scallions on top.

Ikura – Salmon Roe

This is like little dragon balls. The roe are salty and it’s fun to pop them in your mouth.

Tamago

This is handmade egg omelette with fish, prawns, mountain potato and dashi. It had a sweet finish to the taste and served cold.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun experience to eat at a sushi bar served by Chef Maumi Ozaki. The food is great, but we did have to order a few more pieces after the omakase to get full. You have to be a fan of nigiri to fully enjoy the experience. One person dining just ate the fish on top and left all their rice. Our bill between us was over $200, so you need to be here for a special occasion.

We Rate Sushi Bar Maumi:

Address:
1226 Bute St, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.sushibarmaumi.ca/

Taste of Yaletown is back for it’s 13th year, a popular community-based event that invites the public to try a variety of dishes from 26 restaurants in the Yaletown area from now till October 27th. Chefs create a 3 course menu themed around pairing and sharing at prices of $25, $35, and $45.

Hapa Izakaya is participating again with a $25 set menu where you can choose 3 different dishes. They specialize in modern Japanese cuisine and all their dishes are easily sharable. It’s a fun spot to hang out with friends and have a few bites and drinks.

First Course

Beef Tataki

The AAA beef slices are thin and lightly seared. It is topped with soy barbecue sauce, garlic chips, onion, and green onions.

Ahi Tuna Yukke

This has ahi tuna tartare, quail egg, pine nuts, shiso, and crispy seaweed for wrapping. The tuna is very fresh and delicious when mixed with the quail egg.

Agebidashi Vegetables

This dish has eggplant, shishito peppers and daikon radish in a soy-mirin vegan dashi.

Second Course

Chicken Nanban

fried chicken thigh, daikon tartar sauce

Crispy Panko-Fried Scallops

fried scallops, jalapeno mango mayo, lotus root chips

 

Foil Grilled Tofu and Mushrooms

The mushrooms and tofu is marinated in vegan dashi with yuzu cooked in foil.

Third Course

Hambagu Steak

This dish has ground AAA Angus beef, minced daikon, ponzu, shiso, and garlic chips on a skillet. The steak was so juicy that when I just into it, the juices just shot out from the inside.

Aburi Saba Sushi

This dish has 8 pieces of the torched pressed mackerel sushi with sansho pepper. One of my favourite items.

Vegetable Poke Bowl

This bowl has avocado, beets, butternut squash, inari tofu strips, sweet soy dressing, and sushi rice. It was an interesting dish for those who love vegetables. A good option for vegetarians who still want to enjoy the menu.

Drinks

Drinks aren’t included in the set menu, but it’s a good addition to the meal. Some of the drink we had with our meal were:

  • Virgin Hello Kitty: Strawberry purée, Calpico, soda
  • Enter the Dragon: Bacardi Oakheart, dragon fruit, agave syrup, lime, ginger beer
  • Large Sake
  • Red Dragons

Final Thoughts

If you’re coming here with a few friends, I would suggest getting a few of the set menus and ordering different dishes to share with everyone. The choices on the menu caters to those who are vegetarians and those who aren’t. I like Hapa Izakaya for a good night out on the town with friends.

We Rate Hapa Izakaya

Address:
1193 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Website:
http://hapaizakaya.com/

It’s been 3 years since my last visit to Rajio Japanese Public House and I remember a lot of great nights here but I’m glad I’ve come back for more of their Osaka-style dishes.

Interior

The interior is fun and gives you a mix of traditional and modern feels. The space isn’t very large, but there are a decent number of tables.

Rajio’s Famous Fruit Punch

Their cute punch is served in a fresh watermelon or pineapple. Great for the Summer or what you need a smile on your face.

You cab have it with alcohol or without to customize your experience.

Beer

My favourite beverage to pair with Japanese food is beer as it helps cut the grease off some fried items. Plus, I love how light and refreshing it is.

Craft Ginger Ale

They have their original ginger ale recipe with freshly grated ginger, lime, lemon, and sweet brown sugar. It’s definitely different than the ginger ale at the stores since it has an extra kick of ginger balanced by the brown sugar.

Super Rib Steak

This $38 hug 2lb beef rib steak comes with sharp wasabi and a garlic soy sauce. I’ve always ordered their huge steaks before and they are a joy to eat. It is best to be shared among the table. Super tender and medium rare.

Modern Yaki

This is a featured dish, so it’s not on their permanent menu. It is a combination of Osaka Okonomiyaki and Yakisoba. I liked the concept, but the execution wasn’t ideal. As the dish cooled off, the okonomiyaki portion of it peeled off from the yakisoba hiding underneath. It was also quite rich and heavy compared to some other items that we had.

“Uni Bonara” Sea Urchin Carbonara

This was delicious item with the creamy udon paired with the fresh uni and the ikura. I enjoyed it and it was a good twist on an udon dish.

Y Mommy’s Assorted Oden

I love oden as it’s a warm bowl of comfort. There were so many items in this bowl with a bit of karashi, which is a spicy mustard. Put a little bit in as it really transforms the broth. Add more if you love the stingy wasabi-like feeling.

Chef’s Choice Sashimi

You can choose between 7 or 9 different types of sashimi chosen by the chef. It changes seasonally, but you can always ask ahead what you’ll get.

Hot Stone Crab Bibimbap

In the hot stone bibimbap bowl, there is snowcrab, crab miso, ikura, julienned omelet, shiso and scallions with a drizzle of their original sauce and a bit of ginger.

Kushikatsu

These skewers are Rajio’s signature skewers from Osaka. We got an assorted set with a mix of veggies and meat. One of my favourites are the shiitake mushroom, lotus root and eggplant.

Aburi Shime-Saba Sushi

There is delicious cured mackerel with Hokkaido kelp and vinegar is lightly seared and drizzled with a sesame mustard soy. Delicious and I love the taste of mackerel.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the atmosphere at Rajio is lively and fun. The food at Rajio is solid except for a few small misses in certain dishes.

We Rate Rajio:

Address:
3763 W. 10th Ave.
Vancouver, BC

Facebook:
http://www.rajiopublichouse.com/

Rajio Public House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Yui Japanese Bistro is launching new items on their menu this month and we were invited to give these items a try. I love dining here as its like a secret hidden gem in Downtown. They hide inside a business building on West Georgia Street and Bute Street. Chefs Reg and Ping are the faces behind these awesome creations and they put their own creative twist to each dish.

Yui Tart

The Yui Tart is made with layers of tuna with garlic dill sauce, salmon flakes, chef special sauce, tempura bites, imitation crab meat, cucumber, flying fish roe, and of course it’s torched on top. The dill stands out in this dish but it matches well with the salmon and tuna. Plus, anything with the torched sauce it magical.

Tai Oshi

This has tai, sesame leaf, crispy shiitake, red pepper thread, and the Chef special spicy sauce. I really enjoyed it as it has just enough to slightly tingle the tongue, not that spicy at all. The ingredients meld amazingly.

Smoke salmon delight

This roll has tuna, chopped jalapeño, avocado, smoke salmon, wasabi mayo, mango salsa, and alfalfa sprout. The jalapeño and the mango salsa counteract and essentially cancel each other out. It was a decent roll, but I felt like it was a bit basic compared to the flavour profile of the other dishes here.

Aburi tuna nigiri

They start off by searing the tuna on a super hot grill. Then they slice it up super thin, then top it off with wasabi and pickle sweet onion on top. A good combination of the ingredients, simple but really helps the tuna shine.

Aburi tai

This nigiri has tai and then topped with a strawberry salsa on top. I thought it was ok as I didn’t like the sweetness from the strawberry. I don’t really like savoury food with any sweetness.

Salmon Oshi

This is a staple item on the menu and it’s a must order item. Highly recommended as the salmon, special sauce, pepper and jalapeño melt in your mouth. Best thing ever.

Final Thoughts

Their menu is expanding and it’s great to see that. The food is great and I love the cozy atmosphere. It reminds me of dining in Japan as they have great hidden restaurants in random parts of the city.

We Rate Yui Japanese Bistro

Address:
1185 W Georgia St, Unit 102, Vancouver

Website:
http://eatatyui.com/

Yui Japanese Bistro Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Yui Japanese Bistro recently opened in Downtown Vancouver and is a hidden gem tucked away in a business building. They pride themselves of making aburi sushi at affordable prices.  Yui is located on the first floor. The restaurant is pretty small, so go for dinner earlier in the evening. They are open daily from 11am – 8pm except Sunday. I came with Dee for a visit at 7pm and there was a wait of about 20 minutes.

Tea

Before the meal begins, they bring over cups of tea. You can also ask for a small pot of tea.

Aburi Oshi

My favourite spot is at the bar, so you can see all the action of them putting each dish together.

They have 3 kinds on their menu – ebi, saba and salmon. Each sushi is torched with charcoal.

Salmon Aburi Oshi

They use sockeye salmon on top of the sushi and one embedded inside the rice. They apply the house-made sauce and then torched for added flavour. It is then topped with pepper and a jalapeno. So delicious and made to perfection. Also it’s only $10.25, which is very affordable.

Ebi Aburi Oshi

A block of rice topped with Shrimp, ume sauce and lime zest. The lime was a very interesting addition to the pressed rolls to bring more freshness and liven the flavour. The flame really transforms that ume sauce to add some smokiness.

Saba Aburi Oshi

It is topped with mackerel, shiso, and a miso sauce. The charcoal flame also lightly kisses the mackerel and miso sauce. Delicious as well.

Karai Rice Bowl

Bincho toro, okra, spicy kimchi cabbage, amakuchi soy, and some greens sits on top of white rice. You mix it all together with the soy and it makes a great dish for lunch. Very healthy too.

Salmon Carpaccio

The salmon carpaccio is beautifully cut and they use sockeye salmon.

Each order has 5 pieces and then its torched with some charcoal. They then top it off with some decadent garnish and sauce.

It was all really good and we just wanted more. hahaha. There are some black dried olives on top that balanced nicely.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I loved my experience at Yui Japanese Bistro. This small restaurant is bursting with flavour and it’s very affordable compared to some other places out there in Vancouver. I’ll be back!

We Rate Yui Japanese Bistro

Address:
1185 W Georgia St, Unit 102, Vancouver

Website:
http://eatatyui.com/

Yui Japanese Bistro Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

ryuu-1

Ryuu Japanese Kitchen is your place for sushi and Japanese food at McArthur Glen Designer Outlet. There’s a handful of dining options in this outlet, but you’ll only find sushi and a few other dishes here unless you travel further to Richmond city centre or Downtown Vancouver.

I came here as a guest of McArthur Glen Designer Outlet to try out a few items off Ryuu Japanese Kitchen’s menu.

Interior

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The interior is large for small to large groups. It wasn’t too busy when we went. The interior is very clean and modern.

Drinks

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Asahi beer is on tap. It is light and citrusy and pairs well with Japanese food. We got a large pitcher to share amongst the group and poured our individual glasses.

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They have hot and cold sake for those who enjoy it.

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Food

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Philly Roll has crab meat, avocado, cream cheese and topped with salmon and mayo. Anything with salmon and avocado excites me.

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Dragon Roll has avocado, shrimp tempura and topped with sauce, BBQ eel and tobiko. A decent roll to have with your meal.

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Takoyako is a ball-shaped snack filled with a small piece of cooked octopus inside. It is topped with mayo, seaweed, garnish and takoyaki sauce. It comes with 8 pieces to an order.

Overall, the items we tried were decent. Pretty standard sushi rolls compared to some other Japanese restaurants out there in Vancouver.

We Rate Ryuu Japanese Kitchen3rated

Address:
1000-7899 Templeton Station Road, Richmond

Website:
http://www.ryuujapanesekitchen.com/

Ryuu Japanese Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

kilala-1

Kilala has been in the North Burnaby neighbourhood for about 10 years now. After all that time, I finally came here for a visit with M. It is a small sushi bar, so it can get pretty busy around dinner time. The outside of the shop may not look like much but their sushi is delicious.

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They started us off with some tea and even gave us a whole pot of it so we could refill it ourselves.

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We started off with some nigiri to see how it compares to other places.

Tamago was nothing like other restaurants. I loved the layers of the egg and how it towered over the ball of sushi rice. M loved it and i think its so far his favourite tamago.

Hokkaido Scallop Nigiri was really fresh and the pieces of scallop were very plump.

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Next was the Unagi Battera with eel on top of pressed sushi rice. I love the car on the unagi and its so flavourful. It’s a pricey item to order, but its so good.

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Look at that. So So good!

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Toro Sashimi comes with 7 pieces and it is nice and fatty. The chef really knows his stuff.

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Assorted Nigiri comes with 14 pieces of sushi – 1/2 tekka maki, 1/2 kappa maki, and 8 nigiri selections from the chef. There is a little wasabi hidden under the sashimi, so watch out.

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All of the nigiri were pretty delicious. My favourite were the tamago and saba. All the others were pretty standard.

Overall, it’s a nice hidden gem in North Burnaby for good Japanese sushi. The prices can be high for some items, but the quality is here. You won’t find too wide a selection for cooked food. It is mostly sushi rolls and raw items.

We Rate Kilala4rated

Address:
4749 Hastings Street, Burnaby

Kilala Sushi Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

hachibei-11

Hachibei is a little hidden Japanese restaurant in South Cambie. I’ve been craving to try new places in town and I stumbled upon Hachibei. It was highly recommended by a few friends and I am a sucker for small authentic Japanese restaurants.

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The space isn’t very large, but make reservations if you have a large group. Since it was only myself and 2 others, we took a chance.

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Cold Sake comes in really cute glassware. The jug has a hold in the centre for putting ice in there so it stays nice and cold. The sake cups were very nice and seemed quite fragile.

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Salmon Sashimi comes with 8 pieces and they use wild sockeye salmon. That colour is just beautiful and had a nice taste.

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Ebi Sunomono was a good size with 2 pieces of shrimp. It came in a small bowl but it wasn’t too small. Nice flavour and served cold. Refreshing for a hot summers day.

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Steamed clam with sake was their special for the day and ti comes with a delicious broth and 6 pieces of clams. Very delicious broth and nice big clams.

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Chicken Karaage was crisp on the outside and flavourful. It came out a bit hot, so you want to cool it down before eating.

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Deep-Fried Shishamo is smelt served with a creamy mayo sauce. Crisp on the outside and pretty delicious.

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Battera is pickled mackerel sushi pressed into a rectangular shape. It seemed like there was ginger on top of the pickled mackerel too.

Chopped Scallop Roll had large chunks of scallops and tobiko inside. Very fresh and delicious.

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Deep fried Oyster comes with salad and mashed potatoes on the plate. The 5 pieces of oysters were crisp on the outside and creamy in the centre. Very delicious and a good size.

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It is also served with miso soup, rice, and pickled vegetables.A good wholesome meal for 1 person or can be shared among the group.

A nice accompaniment with the meal to balance out the deep-fried oysteres.

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Overall, the food was great and was at a good price. The food was fresh and very delicious. I would come here again.

We Rate Hachibei4rated

Address:
778 West 16th Avenue, Vancouver

Hachibei Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato