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In Japanese

Tendon Kohaku in North Burnaby: Review

Tendon Kohaku has opened their second location in North America in North Burnaby inside Madison Centre (106-1901 Rosser Avenue). They have taken over the location of Vancity Credit Union’s previous location before relocating to The Amazing Brentwood.

Their first location is on Howe Street (190-840 Howe Street) in Downtown Vancouver, but it is definitely needed in Burnaby. They are best known for their tempura bowls that have captured diners hearts.

We heard that they were opening for their soft launch with a limited menu, so we decided to check it out for lunch.

Interior

The space is really nice and bigger than I initially thought. A great design and we felt very comfortable. All staff are wearing masks and there is hand sanitizer being offered. There aren’t plexiglass walls dividing up tables, so some are and some aren’t comfortable with that. Personal preferences.

Menu

During the soft opening, they don’t have the seafood tendon, vegetable tendon, chawanmushi, kabocha salad, chicken wings, tomato iiko, and kohaku refresher.

Once they full open, the whole menu should be available.

Hokkaido Milk Tea

The drink container is so damn cute. The Hokkaido Milk Tea is freshly brewed with 100% organic black tea. It’s a solid milk tea, but there is no option to customize ice or sweetness.

Kohaku Banana Milk

This drink is made with 100% organic milk and my husband loves it. I personally didn’t because I just personally don’t like bananas.

Tuna Tataki

The tuna is gently seared and paired with a citrus sauce and some greens on the side. It was good but I wish there were a few more pieces.

Kohaku Tendon

This is the best selling item here as it has a bit of everything. Inside the bowl is rice, Kohaku Tendon sauce, 2 prawns, 1 chicken, 1 squid, 1 baby corn, 2 French beans, 1 shiitake mushroom, 1 kabocha pumkin, and 1 soft fried egg. All tendon bowls is served with pickled ginger and miso soup.

I really enjoyed this and the exterior stayed crisp and the interior was tender. The egg was perfect. Highly recommended.

Anago Tendon

This is the chef recommended item as it has rice, Kohaku Tendon sauce, 1 Anago (Eel Fish), 2 prawns, 1 chicken, 2 French beans, 1 Shiitake mushroom, 1 lotus root, and 1 soft fried egg. It also comes with miso soup and gingered pickles. He absolutely loved it!

Japanese Strawberry Cheesecake

This is their Japanese soft cheesecake served with housemade strawberry coulis. I love how it comes with a little pink shovel. Its very soft and fluffy. A touch sweet.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we really enjoyed Kohaku Tendon in Burnaby. The staff were fantastic and the food was solid. We sat in the booth area and wasn’t too close to other groups.

I also love how if you can’t finish your drink, you can take it to go.

Address:
106-1901 Rosser Avenue, Burnaby

Website:
http://www.kohakutendon.com/

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In Japanese

Mauna Sushi: Aburi Oshi and Sushi Rolls in Surrey

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/

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In Coquitlam

Sushi Tree: Inari Bar in Henderson Mall, Coquitlam

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/

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In Fusion

Food Affare: Red Seal Chef creates dishes with Italian, Korean and Japanese Influences

There’s a lot of small businesses popping up all over Instagram. I usually decline, but my friends highly recommended the different Food Affare dishes.

Leah of Food Affare is a Red Seal Certified Chef with up to date food safe certifications. All the dishes are created in her home, but I felt safe knowing she has extensive knowledge in the food industry. She started in the hotel industry specializing in Italian cuisine, but a few years ago, she took a step back to focus on balancing family life. She continued working as a chef in the school system, but itching to do something more her style.

With the pandemic, she got the chance to experiment with creating new dishes for friends and family. They nudged her to get Food Affare going and that how it was born.

Menu

How to Order and Pick Up

You can contact them via Direct Message on Instagram or email foodaffare@gmail.com. Then you let them know your details, order, and pick up date.

They do require an e-transfer ahead of the pick up.

Their pick up is Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Richmond near No 5 Road and Steveston.

Mushroom Ravioli

It is on Buerre Noisette with blistered tomatoes, parmesan petals, reduced wine couli, fried capers and olive oil. It’s a pretty solid ravioli dish. Love love love the mushrooms.

Mentaiko Kimchi Udon

The dish has pork belly, onsen egg, and topped with Katsuboshi and scallions. That onsen egg was so good. It adds extra creaminess to the udon.

Slowly Simmered Classic Beef Bolognese

I really enjoyed this dish a lot. So classic but executed very well. It is topped with shaved Regianno in Rigatoni pasta al dente. Great portion size too.

If you have kids, this will be a smash hit with them. My little kid enjoyed it a lot.

Final Thoughts

I would recommend eating it right when you get home for maximum enjoyment when the dish is warm and doesn’t need to be reheated. We had 3 dishes and we enjoyed them a lot. You can tell she doesn’t cut corners at all. Everything is fresh and very flavourful.

The prices are very fair, so it’s you are close to No 5 and Steveston, definitely check them out.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/foodaffare/

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In British Columbia

Takenaka Food Truck: Japanese Izakaya on Wheels in Vancouver

Takenaka Food Truck has hit the road serving up Japanese Izakaya in Vancouver. If you love places like Suika, Rajio, Kingyo, or Raisu, you’ll also love Takenaka Food Truck.

They have been very very popular since they just opened, so be prepared for a bit of a line up, but it’s worth it. Takenaka Food Truck is usually located outside a brewery on Fridays to Sundays. It is always best to follow them on Instagram to see where they will be next.

We were invited to check out a few items from their food truck menu.

Menu

Chicken Karaage

The crispy chicken karaage is mixed with their special spice mixture. It was beautifully fried, so it had a nice crisp exterior. The chicken was very tender and full of flavour.

Ebimayo

The ebimayo is made with large plump tiger prawns in a rich and creamy Japanese chilli mayo. We felt like there was a bit too much batter to it, so it took a way from the prawns.

Snow Crab Roll

This roll has snow crab meat, avocado, and tobiko wrapped in rice and seaweed. It was a solid roll and you can really taste the quality.

Wagyu Shabu Shabu Udon

This bowl of comforting udon has thinly sliced boiled beef, radish sprouts. seasoned boiled egg, yuzu zest, Sanuki udon noodle, and their original udon broth. It was a pretty good bowl of udon and that wagyu is really soft and tender.

Wagyu Foie Gras Aburi Nigiri

This has a slice of wagyu nigiri topped with foie gras, truffle salt, and SANSHO sauce. It was so damn good! It was fatty and so tasty that it just melt in your mouth.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we find this is a fantastic option for Japanese Izakaya if you’re ever at a brewery or special event. The food is fantastic and pairs so well with beer. Highly recommend you check it out.

Best to go early before the large rush arrives so you aren’t waiting in line for too long.

Website:
https://takenakavancouver.com/menus/menu-food-truck/

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In Japanese

Kinton Ramen: Now Open in Vancouver (UBC)

Kinton Ramen is a Canadian chain of Japanese Ramen, which originated in Toronto. We actually went to Kinton Ramen in Toronto a few years ago and their ramen didn’t disappoint, so we were excited to try it out again.

Founded by Toronto’s Kinka Family in 2012, Kinton Ramen has earned critical acclaim for its chef-driven Japanese ramen dishes, which feature rich and flavourful broth paired with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Kinton Ramen’s new venture at UBC will be the first West Coast outpost for the celebrated ramen chain, which now boasts more than 20 locations around the world in Canada, Japan and the U.S. The restaurant has received numerous industry awards for its signature take on Japanese ramen – including a Platinum award in the ‘Best Asian’ category at the 2019 Toronto Star Reader’s Choice Awards – and has been voted ‘Toronto’s Best Ramen’ by readers of NOW Magazine for six consecutive years.

They are currently in soft opening mode.

Patio

Kinton Ramen at UBC is a sit down restaurant and because of the whole Covid-19 pandemic, only the patio was open when we were dining here.

Keeping you Safe

In accordance with current public health recommendations, Kinton Ramen has incorporated a number of new safety protocols into its day-to-day operations in order to protect restaurant staff and guests. While the eatery is usually known for its communal-style seating and energetic atmosphere, seating options have been reduced both indoors and outdoors to allow for physical distancing between diners. Additionally, all staff will be subject to pre-shift health screenings, must wear with PPE while interacting with guests, and will sanitize high-touch surfaces and common areas throughout the restaurant on a frequent basis.

Pork Miso

This has soybean paste, pork, corn, garlic oil, and scallions. We customized it with thin noodles, and then added an egg and seaweed.

The broth was very delicious and rice. There are a good amount of toppings included in the bowl. The cha shu was cooked nicely. We did feel the thin noodles were a bit on the soft side, so next time, we would want to ask for firmer noodles.

Veg Original

This has sea salt, fried bean curd, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, corn, onion ginger oil, and scallions. We customized it with thin noodles, and added on cheese, which came on the side. The broth was very nice, but we did feel the same about the noodles how they were a bit soft.

They have 4 different vegetarian ramens on the menu, which is a specialty just to this location. It’s great that there are so many options.

Karaage

We also got a side of ramen to accompany the meal. It has lemon and a garlic mayo. It was fried really nicely with crisp skin. The meat was also very tender.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is deep fried octopus balls with tonkatsu sauce, mayo, bonito flakes, and aonori. This was really good and it’s so good to have takoyaki again. It has a nice thin crisp exterior and very savoury on the inside.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s an amazing option for those at UBC at the centre of the campus. They do also have alcohol and dessert on the menu if you want more than just the savoury items. The prices are definitely very reasonable and won’t break the bank for a university student.

Address:
6111 University Blvd #102, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.kintonramen.com/

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In Japanese

Raisu: Japanese Lunch Sets and Kids Meal in Vancouver

Raisu is a Japanese Izakaya in Vancouver and their sister restaurants are Kingyo, Suika, and Rajio. They specialize in Teishouku, which is Japanese for pre-set meals. It’s usually chef’s selection of items with miso soup and a bowl of rice.

We usually go to Raisu for dinner, but this was our first time having lunch at Raisu. They actually have some amazing lunch meals and kid sets available for dine-in.

We were invited to check out their lunch offerings at Raisu.

Patio

They have a patio and we always enjoy dining in this area. It is covered with a roof and there are fans to keep you cool.

Dining Room

They socially distance all the guests so eating indoors is comfortable and safe. Staff were all wearing masks too.

Menu

Kids Set $15

The kid sets are meant for children under 12 years old. You get a bit of everything to keep those picky eaters eating.

When we dined here, our Kids Set came with:

  • Chicken karaage
  • Ebiten with tartar sauce
  • Japanese omelet
  • Salad
  • Meatball with miso demiglace sauce
  • Grilled Veggies (bean, pepper, and corn)
  • Miso soup
  • Dessert (Japanese Lemon Cheesecake, but changes seasonally)
  • Drink ( Choice of orange juice, Calpico water, or Calpico soda)
  • Small Kid snack (Koala Bear cookies)

This is a really fun meal and a lot of adults wished they could have it too. It’s a good selection of fresh veggies, fried food, and treats. It was all good especially that Japanese Lemon Cheesecake. It was a pleasant surprise.

Lunch Meal Special $24

On the menu, you choose 2 items from these 4 available choices:

  • Chef’s choice sashimi (3 kinds)
  • Deep fried food (2 kinds)
  • Today’s meat dish
  • Today’s grilled fish

The set comes with rice, miso soup, small dish, pickles and salad.

The Chef’s choice sashimi was salmon, tuna and scallop served in a bowl with radish threads, seaweed, sprouts, and tobiko. Very fresh and good quality.

The grilled fish available today was salmon and mackerel served with lemon, minced daikon, and sauce. Mackerel is generally has lots of bones, a touch dry but very buttery in taste. If you don’t like picking bones out, this may not be the dish for you.

The meat dish today was beef steak served with green and mushroom. It was a touch overdone for our liking.

The deep fried food was a jumbo scallop with snow crab, and a 100% wagyu croquette. Solid dishes with the use of panko.

The small dish of the day was braised melon. It’s tasty but a touch on the salty side if you eat it by itself. It’s best eaten with rice to really enjoy this.

The salad, rice, and miso soup complete the meal. A filling lunch and you can’t so wrong with this. Very enjoyable.

Yuzu Lemonade

This is light and refreshing with carbonation and hints of sweet yuzu. Drinks aren’t included in the set, but it’s a nice accompaniment to the meal especially on a hot summers day.

Raisu Punch

This has Calipico, kiwi, pineapple, and aloe juice. we got this omitted with the kiwi because of personal allergies. It’s also a very light and refreshing drink to pair with the meal. It is a bit sweeter than the yuzu lemonade but it has more flavours going on.

Yuzu Parfait

Highly recommended even if you’re super full. Dessert is a separate stomach right? This has RAISU original yuzu gelato, yuzu rare cheese cake sponge cake, and yuzu cream on top. The yuzu gelato is really good and brings this whole dessert together.

Final Thoughts

The lunch sets for kids and adults are fantastic and fun. It’s a good way to try a bit of everything they have to offer. You definitely want to see what is on their daily special menu as it can rotate daily.

Don’t forget to end you meal with the Yuzu Parfait as we absolutely adored it.

Address:
2340 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.raisu.ca/

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In Commercial Drive / Grandview

Kawaii Salads: Japanese Salads and Sweets Delivered in Vancouver

Kawaii Salads in Vancouver specializes in Japanese salads in jars. Layered salads in jars isn’t a new concept and was very trendy on Instagram and Pinterest a few years ago. What makes them stand out is their pairing of ingredients and their homemade salad dressings.

Behind Kawaii Salads is Keiko and Yasuyo who created these Japanese salads in jars because couldn’t find Japanese-style salad dressings to pair with their salads. They use fresh high quality ingredients that might even convert salad haters. Their ultimate goal is to offer flexible work hours to women who are looking for opportunities to get back into the workforce. I love how they are making our community that much better.

We were invited to try out their different salads.

Pick up and Delivery

You can order pick up at the Coho Commissary on East Georgia in Vancouver. When you get there, just call and they will bring out your order.

If you opt for delivery, they have partnered up with Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Skip the Dishes. You just need to be in the delivery zone.

What’s in the Jar?

You’ll find these items inside:

  • Mixed greens
  • Your choice of protein (chicken or tofu)
  • Veggies
  • Toppings
  • Beans
  • Grains
  • Dressing (Pink Beet-licious, Popey the Green, Sunny Carroty, Sesame Street, and yuzu sweet)

More specifically, it has carrots, red cabbage, quinoa, cucumber, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, edamame, corn, broccoli, mixed greens, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. These items could potentially change from season to season.

The salads dressings are Japanese-style, homemade, vegan and made with all-natural ingredients. 

Vegan Salad (Tofu)

The vegan salad with the fried tofu has chickpeas, quinoa, cucumber, bell peppers, carrot, red cabbage, green onion, cilantro, corn, edamame, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and mix greens. It is paired with their Pink Beet-licious dressing.

The salad is best poured into a large bowl and mixed up. I put them in really big bowl and I was surprised at the portion size. You can eat it by yourself and be really really full or share among the table.

Protein Salad (Chicken)

The protein salad with chicken has chickpeas, quinoa, cucumber, bell peppers, carrot, red cabbage, green onion, cilantro, corn, edamame, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and mix greens. It is paired with their Sesame Street dressing.

This dressing was very good! My favourite of the two just because I really love sesame flavours. The combination of textures and flavours worked very well.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking to get back to a healthy diet, Kawaii Salads might spark that habit. For me, I’ve been eating way too much fried chicken and sweets during the pandemic that I really miss salad now. The prices are fair and you can do pick up or delivery in Vancouver.

If you do have a sweet tooth, Kawaii Salads also sell cookies and brownies too. They are Japanese flavoured and also less sweet.

Website:
https://www.kawaiisalad.ca/

Address:
1370 E Georgia St, Vancouver, BC

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In Commercial Drive / Grandview

Takenaka: Family-Sized Japanese Bento Boxes Delivered in Vancouver

Takenaka Vancouver specializes in Japanese Bento Boxes to go. They craft these beautiful boxes using a combination of fresh local and Japanese ingredients. It’s not easy opening up a business during this pandemic, but these take out bento boxes are perfect for this time of year. With more picnics and get togethers during phase 3, these are a great way to feed small to large groups. They also have plans of launching their food truck and catering services soon too.

Owner and Chef Shogo Takenaka has spent the last 15 years at Kingyo Izakaya and Raisu showcasing his culinary talent. Both locations are known for their ornate bento boxes.

We were invited to try out their popular Family-sized bento boxes.

Pick Up and Delivery

You can order pick up at the Coho Commissary on East Georgia in Vancouver. When you get there, just call and they will bring out your order.

If you opt for delivery, they have partnered up with Uber Eats, Door Dash, Ordereze and Fantuan. You just need to be in the delivery zone.

Family-Size Deluxe Seafood Bowl

This is their stunning deluxe seafood bowl that serves 4-6 people. It comes on their bed of original sushi rice mix topped with sashimi, seafood cubes, egg, ikura, veggies, and spot prawns or uni depending on the season. They provide soy sauce and wasabi to go with the big bowl. It’s more like a sushi pizza or a platter. It is then topped with gold flakes for some extra bling.

I love how they use seasonal seafood to keep this as fresh as possible. They do recommend bring a cooler if you are travelling long distances to make sure it stays cool.

There is a lot of rice so you have to make sure you don’t grab too much sashimi and leave all the rice. It’s all about the ratio. This bento is definitely filling and you will want the soy sauce and wasabi to add a bit more flavour the dish.

If you don’t want want to go deluxe with the seafood, there is also the Family-size Seafood Bara Chirashi which is cheaper.

Family-Size TAKENAKA Special A La Carte Set

If you want more cooked items instead of raw seafood, this family-size TAKENAKA special A La Carte set is a great option. This also is great for sharing with 4-6 people. Chef chooses what goes in it and it’s usually a sampler of items from their menu.

Our set had these items and may change:

  • Chicken karaage
  • Ebi mayo
  • Sashimi Salad
  • Omakase Aburi Sushi
  • Pickled vegetables
  • Ramen eggs

If you wait too long, the karaage and the ebi mayo will go limp because of the moisture in the box. We put it in the oven to reheat and it did the trick. I thought this set was a great way to try the different items on the menu and it’s quite affordable.

This box was eaten up very quickly and our favourite items of it was the chicken karaage and ebi mayo. Can’t go wrong with fried goodness.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t have such a large group of people to feed, they have smaller bento boxes and salads as well. I really enjoyed these family-sized options as we are always with immediate family, so sharing food isn’t a concern as we see each other daily. Everything is very fresh and made to order.

Address:
1370 E Georgia St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://takenakavancouver.com/

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In curbside pickup

[Sneak Peek] Tojo’s Restaurant: Mother’s Day Temaki Party Sets

It’s almost Mother’s Day and there are many exciting meals and kits created by local Vancouver restaurants. One of them is Tojo’s Mother’s Day Temaki Party Sets. They are available for pre-order now until May 8th, 2020 for pickup on May 10th from 12-4PM.

We got a nice little sneak peek to give these their Temaki Party sets a try.

Temaki Party – Classic Set (For 2)

This set includes everything you need to make your favourite temaki (handrolls) at home. It features their selection of the finest local and imported seafood and fresh seasonal vegetables. It’s a great way to unleash your creativity and invent your own rolls, or follow the recipe ideas included.

This is aimed for 2 diners, where they can make 7-10 rolls each. You can definitely stretch this meal and have more people.

The Classic Set includes:

  • Albacore Tuna with Ume (pickled plum)
  • Negitoro (tuna belly and scallions)
  • Wild Pacific Salmon
  • Unagi (Barbequed Eel)
  • Hotate (Hokkaido Scallop)
  • Ebi (Wild Jumbo prawn)
  • Ikura (Salmon Roe)
  • Tobiko (Japanese Flying fish Roe)
  • Tamago
  • Cucumber
  • Avocado
  • Asparagus spears
  • Bell pepper
  • Canola flower
  • Wasabi
  • House pickled ginger
  • Tojo’s special sauce
  • Seasoned Sushi Rice
  • Nori

Final Thoughts

The quality of the ingredients are really fresh and the sushi rice is superb. It’s a very fun dinner activity and we were all trying to find out who at the dinner table could create the best temaki handroll. The ladies at the table did win and the men did not fare so well. hahaha.

My personal favourite combination was the Albacore Tuna with Ume and avocado rolled up in the cone.

Love the interactivity of the meal and highly recommended. Make sure you pre-order before Mother’s Day.

Address:
1133 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://tojos.com/

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In curbside pickup

Tojo’s at Home: Take Out and Delivery in Vancouver

Tojo’s is back with a new menu which focuses on takeout and prepare at home meals. With the Covid-19 pandemic, they really have to work hard to pivot their business to offer fresh and delicious meals to their customers while maintaining social distance.

Their main focus is to provide comforting, healthy and flavourful dishes using locally sourced ingredients. They have always stuck to this motto and it shows with their new offerings.

They offer curbside pickup and complimentary delivery to Vancouver addresses with a minimum order. If you do decided to pick up, they offer a nice complimentary side dish for all takeout orders.

Complimentary Side Dish

You can choose between miso soup, sunomono salad or potato salad with your order. We tried the miso soup and potato salad for our meal and its a nice accompaniment especially for the bento bowls.

Spring Vegetable Roll

This roll uses fresh organic vegetables, beautifully topped with Nanohana and pickled cherry blossom. It’s really nice and fits the season perfectly as the cherry blossoms are blooming right now for a short amount of time.

The ingredients are very fresh and provides a nice crunchy texture to this item.

Battera Sushi

Their newest items it the Battera Sushi Box sushi topped with either house smoked Canadian Sablefish, Salmon or Mackerel and pickled kombu. I was very impressed by strong flavours of the fish and it worked well with the amount of rice. I was skeptical at first, but it worked well. You can eat it right away when you get home. It does stay good for 2-3 days in the fridge.

The Battera Sushi depicted in our pictures are a different size and was part of a media sample to try a few different sushi items.

Tako Chirashi Bowl

The tako chirashi bowl features thinly sliced Pacific Octopus, and masago smelt roe with organic greens, wakame salad, seasonal veggies served over sushi rice. It is accompanied with a soy balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

It is a beautiful bowl and the seasonal ingredients are very fresh. The octopus is a touch chewy, but thats pretty typical of octopus.

Soy Ginger Sablefish

There are a few items on the menu where you can prepare at home. One of those items is their Soy Ginger Sablefish. This is Tojo’s famous Canadian Sablefish marinated in soy ginger honey. It’s so nice and tender that it melts in your mouth. Make sure you serve this over rice as it’s a perfect pairing. You can also pair this with steamed, sautéed or baked veggies.

If you don’t eat this right away, this can be stored for 12 months in freezer.

Final Thoughts

It’s great to see Tojo’s is back with different dining options with this pandemic. Their new items like the Bento Bowls and Battera sushi are more affordable option. I really love the marinated seafood in the pouches as it tastes so good and you just pop it in the oven to cook.

Address:
1133 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Tojo’s at Home Website:
https://my-site-100695.square.site/

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In Japanese

Masayoshi: Takeaway and Staff Meal Program

Masayoshi is back and offering their new takeaway and staff meal program. It’s been a while since our last visit which was for Valentines Day in 2016. It was a memorable meal and always great for a special occasion.

Since the restaurant industry is really suffering because of Covid-19, I really wanted to support them anyway I could. Plus, the takeaway menu looks very good and is a decent price.

My husband actually took the initiative to put in an order on their website at 8am (he even set a calendar reminder so he wouldn’t forget). Some items sell out very quickly, so you have to act fast before its gone. He bought a bunch of items so we could have a date night at home. Since we can’t go outside to dine, we bring the food home.

Staff Meal Program

Chef Masayoshi has joined the “Staff Meal” program initiated by Say Mercy, another local restaurant. This program offers exceptional value to customers on certain dishes and it’s a great opportunity to give back to those in need.

There is automatic $2 donation per Staff Meal order at checkout (as Shipping) for the Vancouver Food Bank. The items that are listed as a staff meal is already a good price, so adding the $2 on top is a good way to help those who need it.

How to Order

Make sure to follow them on social media just in case any information has changed.

Shabu Shabu Salad 豚しゃぶサラダ　おろしポン酢

This salad has pork, Chinese cabbage, daikon radish, ponzu, sesame and green onion. I love all the items in this salad. It doesn’t look like much but it is good.

Salmon Kasujiru サッカイサーモンの粕汁

The Salmon Kasujiru is a soup made with sake kasu or sake lees, a by-product of sake making. The sake kasu is full of savory taste and the salmon and vegetables also bring out the flavor of the broth. There is also wild sockeye salmon, deep fried tofu, green onion, burdock roots and carrots. This dish was ok, but not my favourite.

Edomae Chirashi

This is the most popular item on the menu and it gets sold out quickly. I’ve heard anywhere from 5 -30 mins and it’s gone. It’s stunning, so how could you not want a bite of this dish. It is topped with an assortment of marinated fish and seafood on a bed of sushi rice.

I really wanted to like this dish more, but I thought there could have been a little bit more sashimi. Their photo on the website just looks so good and lush. I clearly eat with my eyes. I just felt there was a bit too much rice.

Soboro Don 三色そぼろ丼

This is this new donburi on the takeaway menu. It is a classic Japanese comfort food and Chef Masa made his version with minced beef, shrimp, eggs, and topped with 2 pieces of shrimp and ikura over a warm steamed rice. There is a limited quantity per day. At first we weren’t sure about this dish, but once we popped this into the microwave for a short amount of time, it tasted a lot better. Very filling.

Pork Belly Kakuni 角煮

The kakuni takes a whole day to prepare, so you get the melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. It’s definitely a labour of love. The tender soy-glazed pork belly is great with a bowl of rice. When we got home, we made sure to pop this in the microwave to reheat it. Yum. Really delicious. Even the shredded cabbage dunked in its juices is good too.

Buri Yellowtail Teriyaki

This yellowtail is amazing. My husband usually hates cooked fish, but he said this is one of the best cooked fish dishes he’s ever had. We made sure to put this into the microwave to reheat, but wow, we both really enjoyed it.

The yellowtail is cooked really well and the flavour really penetrates deep into the flesh.

Final Thoughts

It was nice to have a taste of Masayoshi at home. They do have many more items on their menu that we didn’t order. They seem to be a hit once they opened up for takeout orders.

It’s a nice treat to have some really good Japanese food at home. We absolutely loved the kakuni and Buri Yellowtail Teriyaki.

Address:
4376 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.masayoshi.ca/

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In Coquitlam

Katsuya: Japanese Pork Cutlet in Metro Vancouver

Katsuya is a chain out of Toronto that specializes in Japanese Pork Cutlet. A lot of these katsu restaurants have been popping up all over Metro Vancouver. They have 5 locations in total, 4 in Toronto and then 1 in Coquitlam.

They have an extensive menu of katsu with different cuts of pork and a wide range of sauce combinations. We didn’t want to drive all the way to Downtown Vancouver for our go to spot, so we decided to check out Katsuya for lunch.

Interior

The space is quite large but at peak times, it’s pretty busy for lunch and dinner. We came right at 12pm and there were still a few spots left. By 12:40, the place had a little bit of a wait.

Kids

We were surprised they are very kid friendly. There are high chairs for kids and in the women’s washroom, there is a very nice changing table.

Pickles

You get some pickled spicy cabbage before the meal begins.

Miso Soup

The miso soup arrives before the meal too. It was decent miso soup, but nothing too interesting. It is unlimited, so if you want more, you need to flag a server down. When its busy, it might take a little while too.

Cheese Crabmeat Croquette

We started off by sharing the cheese crabmeat croquette which comes with a good amount of pieces and the size is quite large. Each croquette is stuffed with cheese and is dripping with sauce. It looks quite nice.

When it arrives at the table, it’s really crispy and piping hot. It was good but I was looking for a bit more cheese inside.

Carbonara Katsu

We got the carbonara katsu with pork tender. They drench the katsu with their special carbonara sauce made to order using fresh cream, shrimp, squid, bacon, and vegetables. It’s a different take on the classic katsu with curry.

The carbonara was ok, but was a bit odd to have so much seafood in the sauce. We would have preferred a good simple cheesy carbonara sauce without the seafood.

The katsu is large and filled us up so quickly that we could barely finish it. There is unlimited miso soup and cabbage on the side. The dish was good, but it is pricy.

Brick Cheese Katsu

The Brick Cheese Katsu is stuffed with premium brick mozzarella cheese which is wrapped inside with pork loin. There are only a limited quality available per day. When it comes out, the brick cheese is warm. It still has a cheesy pull to it when you bite into it, but it cools down quickly.

Final Thoughts

A lot of people will wonder, how does this compare to Saku in Vancouver. It’s different and Katsuya is a bit fusion and has fun with their sauce combinations. I find the quality of katsu at Saku is higher but portions to be a bit smaller. Katsuya is much superior than Daeji.

Also, even though the miso soup and cabbage is unlimited, you need to ask. They won’t take the initiative to ask you if you would like more.

If you don’t want to travel far for katsu, Katsuya is a good option in Coquitlam. There are still lots of items on the menu we didn’t try.

Address:
555 Clarke Rd #8, Coquitlam, BC 

Website:
https://katsuya.ca/

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Poccoro’s House by Marulilu Cafe: Japanese Eatery in Vancouver

Poccoro’s House is the sister restaurant of Marulilu Cafe, which is also in Vancouver. They specialize in Yoshoku cuisine, which is Japanese food with a Western influence. So, that means dishes like omu-rice, curry rice, and beef stew. We’ve been to Marulilu Cafe before, so we decided to go to Poccoro’s House for lunch.

Interior

The space is quite small, so there are very few tables. When we went on a weekend about 12:30, it wasn’t too busy at all. If you’re in a large group, this might not work out so well. Groups of 2’s and 4’s fit easier.

Menu

Saba no Shio yaki

This has salt grilled mackerel with brown rice, potato salad, wafu Japanese Salad, and miso soup. This is a pretty nice Japanese style breakfast, but we felt there could have been more saba and less rice.

The saba was lightly salted and we mean very very lightly salted. There could have been more taste to it.

Roast Beef Don

This has slices of roast beef and raw egg yolk on top of rice. served with salad and miso soup. I had high hopes for this dish but the roast beef slices were not as tender as I thought. It was a bit tough and thick. There was quite a bit of rice as well too. The salad and the miso soup was a good addition to the meal.

Karaage Don

This has deep fried chicken on top of rice and served with Wafu Japanese radish, and miso soup. My friend wished there was more karaage as she wasn’t full at all after eating this.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think the food concept is awesome, but the taste fell short of expectations. It’s a good addition to the neighbourhood as more options are needed. The portions could be a bit bigger for the price you pay.

We did get a very homey feel for the food but the taste didn’t impress us this time.

Address:
630 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC

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In All You Can Eat

Shin Ka Gyuu: All You Can Eat Japanese Sukiyaki in Vancouver

Shin Ka Gyuu is an all you can eat Japanese sukiyaki restaurant in Vancouver and they are in their soft opening phase. Sukiyaki is a pot of meat and veggies slowly simmered in a broth.

They opened in the old Joey’s near Broadway and Granville. Vancouver doesn’t have a dedicated sukiyaki restaurant since Posh closed down their locations years ago.

They have $78 and $58 menus to choose from. The big difference is the addition of the wagyu beef short plate and prime boneless chuck flap (AAA+).

We were invited to check out the space before their grand opening.

Interior

The space is very nice and large. It can seat small to large groups easily. The decor is very modern, bright and filled with velvet green chairs as well as booths.

$78 Menu

$58 Menu

Drink Menu

Asahi

They have been beer on tap. I personally prefer a nice cold crisp beer like Asahi to go with a meal like this.

Lychee Soda

This has lychee juice, mint, lime, simple syrup and soda. We ordered two rounds of this drink for our table and we found it to be inconsistent. The first round wasn’t very good, but the next one was really good and vibrant.

Appetizers

All the appetizers are the same for the $58 and $78 menu. There are 6 different types of appetizers, 3 types of sashimi, and 4 sushi rolls. Also, unlimited pop.

The six appetizers presented first at the table are tako wasabi, seaweed salad, jellyfish and imitation shark fin salad, tuna avocado gomae salad, tofu salad, and cucumber salad. It’s a nice medley that comes, but they were all very average in taste. I did enjoy the tuna avocado gomae salad a lot.

Tako Wasabi
Seaweed Salad
Tuna Avocado Gomae Salad
Tofu Salad
Cucumber Salad
Jellyfish and imitation shark fin salad

Sashimi

The sashimi is stunning once it arrives to the table. It is beautifully set up. The quality was decent, but the tuna was a touch frozen, and there was a bone in the salmon sashimi.

Amebi Sweet Prawn
Atlantic Salmon
Salmon Belly
Albacore Tuna

Sushi

There are 4 types of sushi – Salmon Aburi Oshi Sushi, Ebi Aburi Oshi Sushi, Ka Gyuu Roll, and Tuna Tuna Tuna Roll.

The sushi rolls are very great value as the oshi is unlimited. The quality is pretty good and where else are you going to get unlimited oshi sushi? These are great to fill up on. It’s not Miku quality, but it still passable.

Salmon Aburi Oshi Sushi
Ebi Aburi Oshi Sushi

Sukiyaki

The sukiyaki broth was a tad on the salty side when it came out. As the night progressed, it did get saltier and saltier as it got concentrated. At first, they added more broth to replenish the ones that evaporated, but closer to the end, we asked them to add water into our pot instead.

Meats

For both menus, you get the pork belly, beef chuck eye roll, lamb shoulder, and beef short plate. With the $78 menu, you get the added wagyu beef short plate and prime boneless chuck flap (AAA+).

There was supposed to be 6 meats, but there was only 5 available. Not sure what happened to the lamb shoulder but maybe they were out.

Of all the meats, my favourites were the wagyu beef short plate and prime boneless chuck flap (AAA+), which is only part of the $78 menu. They are nicer cuts, but as the night went on, we did find the quality to start to diminish as there were more and more fatty pieces.

Wagyu Beef Short Plate
Prime Boneless Chuck Flap (AAA+)
Pork Belly
Beef Short Plate
Beef Chuck Eye Roll

Veggies

There is a bar for veggies for you to grab yourself. There are items like broccoli, carrot, baby cabbage, king oyster mushroom, shiitake mushroom, enoki mushroom, and winter melon. The quality looked and tasted good.

There are items like tofu and yam noodle that you need to order from the staff.

Sauce

As you begin the sukiyaki, they give you ponzu sauce, grated radish, sesame paste, and eggs to mix together.

Dessert

The menu had 6 different desserts available, but when we went, the bingsu wasn’t available. Even with 5 selection of dessert, none of them really stood out. It’s hard to go wrong with ice cream like black sesame and matcha. None of the desserts are house made, so it’s all purchased from other suppliers.

Tofu Cheesecake
Caramel Pudding
Catalana
Matcha Ice Cream
Black Sesame Ice Cream

Final Thoughts

There are definitely a lot of kinks they need to work out before their grand opening in a few weeks. Service was definitely a big issue as the staff are still new and trying to figure out the flow of a dinner service. There were gaps in when the food arrived, so if you’re hungry, there might be a delay. When the food does arrive, it is stunning especially the sashimi platter.

As for the food, it’s good but we felt it was inconsistent as the slices of meat that we got became fattier and fattier as the night went on. I did like the variety of appetizers, but there were minor issues with some dishes.

I would wait a little bit before coming here for All You Can Eat Sukiyaki.

Address:
1428 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC

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Kaneko Hannosuke: Japanese Tempura Bowls in Vancouver

Kaneko Hannosuke is a popular Japanese restaurant known for their rice bowls topped with tempura like conger eel, shrimp, squid, and soft boiled egg. They pride themselves of using fresh ingredients and all bowls are made to order.

I just came back from Japan a few months ago and Kaneko Hannosuke was on my list, but with a baby in tow, it was hard to come here for lunch. Fortunately, they just opened it’s first Canadian location in Vancouver.

It’s surprisingly one of the only dedicated tempura bowl places in Vancouver. I am quite surprised, but glad it’s adding diversity to Vancouver as we have a lot of sushi restaurants already. Time for some tempura!

Interior

The interior is a decent size, but its really packed right now as it just opened. I came here on a weekday lunch and arrived 15 minutes early to ensure a seat. The restaurant didn’t fully fill up till around noon, then there was a line forming outside.

Babies

For babies, there are booster seats available as well as plastic cups with water, bowl, and a spoon that Kaneko Hannosuke provides. It was good that we didn’t have to bring our own booster seat.

There is also a smaller tendon bowl on the menu for kids too, but I wouldn’t recommend it for smaller kids like our little one who is 11 months old and she threw up after cause it was too oily. Totally my own fault cause she’s not ready for the tempura life yet.

Menu

How to Eat Tendon

At the table, there are instruction on how to eat tendon. Here is a summary:

  1. Take a big bite of the conger eel and shrimp topped with their sauce
  2. Taste the rice with the sauce
  3. Halfway through the bowl, break the soft egg and mix with the rice for a smoother texture
  4. There is spicy powder on the side if you choose to add it to your dish. black bean tea and side dishes are served to relieve fullness.

Premium Tempura Bowl

This bowl has conger eel, shrimp, assorted seafood tempura, soft boiled egg, seaweed, green bean, special sauce, and rice. For a North American appetite, this sounds like a big bowl, but in reality, it isn’t.

The bowl is actually thick and raised, so it looks like there is a lot.

If it’s your first time here, you gotta go with the premium as the conger eel tempura is very famous.

My husband came here twice already and he noted that the consistency of the conger ell tempura can be a hit or miss. One of his friends got a weird super boney piece which wasn’t enjoyable. Luckily, for him both of his premium tempura bowls had good cut of conger eel.

Special Tempura Bowl

This has the white fish, shrimp, assorted seafood tempura, soft boiled egg, seaweed, green bean, special sauce, and rice. This isn’t as big but still very enjoyable. The difference is the white fish. I enjoyed the sauces and followed the steps to maximize my enjoyability.

I did find that some pieces of tempura were crisp and some others were soggy depending on how much sauce it is covered in.

Tempura Bowl for Kid

The tempura bowl for a kid is the smallest, but has the key ingredients like shrimp, pumpkin, soft boiled egg, seaweed, and green bean tempura over rice. This is a good size for older kids. It was too oily for my 11 month, who eats everything.

Matcha Ice cream

We ended the lunch sharing a scoop of matcha ice cream to break the oiliness of the dishes. It was decent, but not that great of a matcha ice cream. Not very strong at all.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s great that tendon is now in Vancouver as it’s different than any other tempura bowl you can find in the city. Expectation are definitely high for this place as it’s a International chain from Japan. How does this compare to tendon in Japan? Definitely similar as it wasn’t the best tendon ever. It was ok for what it was.

We found there was issue with service as we were overcharged on our bill. They charged us for 4 tempura bowls when we got 3. Good thing I checked the bill as I thought our bill was really high. Another thing with service is that if you have a large group, your bowls will come at different time and sometimes there will be a large gap in when the bowls arrive. So, maybe one person bowls arrive and then 5 minutes later the rest arrive.

There is also consistency with the tempura as well. Some items overcooked, or the cuts of conger eel aren’t good.

As they just recently opened, I am sure they are working on tweaking the little issues as they go. Will I got back? High chance as it’s really the only place to get a selection of Tempura bowls. It’s not something I’ll have often, but when I’m craving it, I’ll come here again.

Address:
1725 Robson St, Vancouver, BC

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[Sneak Peek] AFURI Ramen + Dumpling in Richmond: Review

AFURI Ramen + Dumpling is a popular ramen spot in Japan known for their yuzu shio ramen. They have officially opened their first Canadian location in Richmond near Lansdowne. I’m really excited to see it opening up in Vancouver as I completely missed it in Japan, but I did buy the instant noodle cups.

Expect to see line ups here at Afuri and hopefully the experience stays consistent as they have brought up staff from their Portland location to help with the launch. They use the same techniques in their cooking similar to their central kitchen at the foot of Afuri mountain.

We were invited for a media sneak preview to give you guys an inside look before they open on January 7, 2020.

Interior

The interior is nice, large and spacious. Very high ceilings as well.

Menu

The ramen and gyozas are all made fresh by hand everyday. You’ll find ramen, rice bowls, gyozas, and small plates on the menu.

There are also alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Ordering

To order, you have to use the kiosk machines like in Japan. It’s very nice to see all the menu and customization options on the screen. You can even sub your noodles for gluten-free noodles.

You can pay right at the machine too with debit or credit. Yes, they also take cash. I know some people will probably hate using these machines. My parents wouldn’t like it.

Table Numbers

Once you’re order is almost done at the kiosk, you need to input your table number so they know where to bring the food over to you.

Homemade Gingerale

This has fresh ginger syrup and it’s not too intense. Nice and refreshing to go with their menu.

Yuzu Limeade

This drink is made with fresh limes juice and a splash of yuzu. This was pretty tart and isn’t as subtle like the Homemade Gingerale.

Buta Gyoza

An order comes with 8 pieces and it’s nicely pan fried. Inside the gyoza are pork, green onion, ginger, garlic, cabbage, sesame oil, and so. I enjoyed it and its a great item to share among the table.

Karaage

This has marinated fried chicken thigh, yuzu kosho egg salad, fried shishito pepper, and lemon. We really enjoyed this small plate. It was really crisp and moist. Tons of flavour from the marination too.

Kakuni Pork Bun

In the bun is kakuni pork, sweet chili soy sauce, green onion, cucumber, and pickled ginger. A solid choice for a bun. The meat is tender and delicious but we did notice that the consistency of the buns were off. One Kakuni Pork Bun had a thick slab of pork and the second one we got was much thinner. Hopefully they correct this when they open their doors.

Soft Shell Crab Bun

In the steamed bun is soft shell crab, spicy mayo, kimchi, and cucumber. This was really really good! The crab has a lot of flavour and the kimchi works so well in this dish. Highly recommended.

Yuzu Shio

Their signature ramen has shio tare, chicken broth, yuzu, bamboo, egg, chashu pork, endive, fried garlic, and nori. The broth is pretty light and there is the yuzu tang in the broth which is they are best known for.

It wasn’t my personal favourite as I felt it was pretty bland and too light. According to my other friend, it is very very consistent with the location in Portland.

Tonkotsu shio

This has shio tare, pork broth, chashu pork, egg, black garlic oil, green onion, pickled ginger, kikurage mushroom, and sesame. We found it quite fatty at the top of the bowl and pretty bland. It didn’t leave a good feeling in our mouths.

The best part of the dish was the chashu pork.

Yuzu Tsuyu Tsukemen

Tsukemen is dipping noodles, so you dip the cold noodles in the concentrated broth. This dish also has chashu pork, egg, bamboo, yuzu juice, endive, green onion, nori, and yuzu soy tsuyu.

This was a pretty good dish compared to the other 2 we had. It is much saltier but you get the tart yuzu, the spices, and the depth of flavour.

Extra Side

You can order extra side to your ramen for an additional cost if you want a bit more to your dish. We tried a bit of everything but the chashu is the best.

Final Thoughts

It’s always great to have more well-known Ramen shops in Metro Vancouver. There is already a lot but it opens our palettes to the different varieties of ramen out there. It’s not all the same and each place has their unique twist. For Afuri, it’s that yuzu touch to their broth.

We did find many hits and misses, but we are pretty picky ramen eaters and have our personal preferences. We really enjoyed the gyoza and small plates a lot more than the ramen.

Address:
140-7971 Alderbridge Way, Richmond, BC

Website:
https://www.afuriramen.com/

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ZenPop Japan: Ramen Subscription Box Review

ZenPop Japan is a Japanese Subscription Box Service from Osaka, Japan. They have 4 different types of subscription boxes:

  • Ramen – 7 bowls of authentic Japanese noodles
  • Sweets – 15 different kinds of weird and wonderful Japanese sweets
  • Ramen + Sweets Mix – 2 bowls of noodles and 6 – 7 sweet and savoury snacks
  • Stationery – 10 kawaii and high-quality stationery products from Japan’s top brands

When ZenPop Japan approached me to review their subscription box service, I knew I wanted to check out their box dedicated to ramen. I am all about the ramen life.

Pricing

The plan starts at $27 USD with free international shipping. It’s pretty good that shipping is included as other subscription box services charge for that extra. With 7 ramen inside the pack, it is just under $4 USD per noodle.

It is more expensive than what you would find in a grocery store, but depending on where you live, Japanese ramen noodles may be hard to find. Plus, it’s exciting to try something new that you wouldn’t normally pick up.

Ramen Pack

The box I got was for October 2019 and the theme was Southern Japan. There were 3 varieties of Tonkotsu, which is from Fukuoka. Then 2 bows of Chanpon, a regional dish of Nagasaki, and then one from Osaka.

CupStar Tonkotsu Ramen

From the packaging, I wasn’t expecting much but this was one of my favourites. It has onion, garlic and ginger with the rich pork bone broth. It has a depth of flavour which I really enjoyed. There is also diced pork bits, roasted sesame seeds, scallions, and wood ear mushroom for added flavour and texture. I would definitely get this again if I saw it in a store.

Maru-uma Tonkotsu Ramen

This was surprisingly good. You get the aroma of the pork bone and veggie extracts when it’s cooking. The toppings – wood ear mushroom, sesame seeds, scallions, and red pickled ginger was very enjoyable.

Hyoubanya Koku Tonkotsu

The broth is light flavoured compared to the other ones in this package. It is topped with chashu bits and scallions. You can even make a boiled egg and add it into the bowl.

It was a decent ramen, but not my favourites as I personally prefer richer broths.

Men Dining Chanpon

This is a Chinese inspired noodle dish from Nagasaki prefecture in Kyushu. The noodles are smooth and in the rich soup with white and black pepper. There are also bits of cabbage, kamaboko, and wood ear mushroom. It was decent, but hard for an instant noodle to recreate the felling of this dish.

Seimen Yasai Chanpon

The noodles have a different texture that is soft and chewy. Just make sure not to overcook this instant noodle. The broth has pork, chicken and seafood so it’s unique. You’ll also find toppings like cabbage, onions, scallions, snap peas, carrots, squid, kamaboko, and wood ear mushrooms. To enhance the taste, they suggest adding a few drops of spicy sesame oil if you have any.

Sugo Negi Miso Ramen

This is the most popular ramen from the Sugomen collections. They have a special process of making the noodles and it’s not fried like other ramen noodles on the market. The noodles has a nice texture but the broth wasn’t my favourite as I generally tend to not love miso based ramen broths. Just a personal preference as I find it too salty.

Okonomiyaki Sauce Yakisoba

This was fun to try out as it was different than all the ramen in the pack. Very fancy packaging and way to prepare this. It’s a dry noodle, so you need to pour out the water after the noodles cook. Then all the sauce and toppings go into it.

It definitely had the aroma of okonomiyaki with the ginger and cabbage pieces.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was an adventure going through all the noodles. 7 ramen was perfect for the month. The subscription boxes aren’t for everyone, but its great for those who are instant noodle fanatics who don’t have a good amount of selection in their local grocery store.

Where I live, I have tons of ramen options, but they don’t carry all the instant ramen from Japan. ZenPop was a great way to discover some new styles and brands. Instructions were easy to follow and made for a quick meal.

Now, I’m ready for my Japan trip, which is just a few days away.

Website:
https://zenpop.jp/

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