Suika

suh-weeeet ka - my new fave izakaya...right behind Guu :)

Food:

Tuna takaki - Gently and perfectly seared.  I quite enjoyed the accompaniment of the homemade chili oil as it definitely boosted the dish's pizzazz factor!

Sashimi 'Shake' salad - This was initially brought to the table in a glass canister, then shaken vigorously for a few seconds by the server, and served on a plate.  I like the unique 'shake' aspect of the salad for it really ensures that it has been thoroughly dressed. Served with the fresh sashimi of the day, this is a guaranteed starter to any Suika meal!

Negitoro Battera - I love press (box) sushi. Love the regular circular pieces of sushi too but there's just something about the rectangular shape of sushi that makes is just a little more visually..and well, in taste as well (of course).  The tuna belly was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Kakuni Bibimbap - Stewed pork belly, sweet dried shrimp, scallions on rice served in a hot hot hot (!) stone bowl and mixed well upon arrival by server. Most def. one of the favourites of the night. Really enjoyed the tender adequate pieces of pork belly and the fiery smokiness from the concoction altogether. Yum!

Tako Karaage - the last dish that was ordered and also meant to be a 'filler' item.  The meaning of 'tako' totally bypassed me as I had pictured, and expected, ika (squid) karaage.  Tako (octopus) is a lot more chewier in texture and imo, less favourable.  Still, the batter was enjoyable but we could've done without it.

 (Mini) Pumpkin Creme Brulee - A seasonal feature (and one of the reasons for my return visit here! Stay tuned for an upcoming Return of the Pumpkin Hunt post!).  Most creme brulees are usually custard-y in texture. This was a little less so, perhaps due to the the freshness of the pumpkin? Still all-around solid. It wasn't too sweet and a great ending to our fabulous meal!

Drinks:

Another reason why I praise Suika so much is for their wonderful alcoholic (and non-alcoholic creations). Their Fresh Ginger Ale is exxxcellent! So thirst quenching with just the perfect proportions of club soda and fresh ginger and what other ingredients it may be comprised of.  Their Suika Soda (vodka, fresh watermelon puree, calpico, soda, lime) was also very satisfying.  Reason number 2 for my visit here was to try their Neo Caesar - a twist on the original Caesar cocktail but with kimchi! Definitely a hit.  Hope to see it on their permanent menu!


Service:

Nice, genuine service but service was a little hard to flag down as it was super busy

Value:

Our bill was a little over $70 for the 2 of us which actually isn't too bad for an izakaya! Prices are a little more affordable than their sibling restaurant, Kingyo, which I liked.

Ambience:

Quite the 'happenin' place-to-be (think typical izakaya ambience) with wooden chairs, tables, pillars all around, an open kitchen, a spacious bar, a party room in the back (I heard it's quite the show when a birthday takes place here).  They've got quite a nicely-equipped washroom too with mouthwash, tooth picks, and other handy washroom necessities!

Overall: 8.5/10

Yay: Come here for great Japanese 'bar style' (izakaya) offerings - food and drinks - and a definite grand ol' time!

Nay: Be sure to make resos, especially towards the end of the week - highly recommended!

**Interesting fact:  'Suika' means 'watermelon' in Japanese. Also, Suika is a sibling restaurant to the popular Kingyo, located in Downtown Vancouver (although I prefer Suika more) 

Guu Garden

a Guuuuuu'd lunch (box)!

Food:

Kobe beef burger bento

As the latest newcomer added to the ever-so-loved Guu chain of restaurants in Metro Vancouver, Guu Garden certainly did not disappoint.  Recently, I have read that they now offer very reasonable priced lunch specials including rice burger bento boxes priced at $10 each!

On this day, I opted for the Kobe Beef Rice Burger Bento while my dining companion went for the equally-as-sound-appealing Tuna Cutlet Rice Burger Bento.  Each bento box consisted of the following:

- shrimp and avocado Salad (lightly dressed in a light creamy, tangy, vinagarette dressing with a mild wasabi kick, spring greens) * i enjoyed this 'side' the most

-tempura green beans (green beans in a lightly coated tempura batter and deep fried) *could've been crispier and better accompanied with a side of mayo (doesn't come with it, I asked for it)

-miso soup (with pieces of tofu puff and seaweed) *second favourite side

Tuna Cutlet with tartar sauce bento

-sweet radish (white radish marinated in a semi-sweet soy sauce) *it was ok, a good palate cleanser perhaps? lol

As for the main events...*drum roll please*...lol the rice burgers were superb! They were both excellent and very filling! The Kobe beef was perfectly seasoned and cooked, topped with fine, shredded pieces of cabbage and teriyaki sauce.  The tuna cutlet was nicely battered and crispy, though a littttle bit dry.  Both rice buns were nicely executed and pan fried (?)

We also ordered a half order of their Salmon Oshi Sushi - 3 pieces of 'box' pressed sushi (very similar to the sushi they serve at Miku - can anybody say 'yum'?). The pieces here were a tad bigger but were equally as delicious.  The salmon was immaculately seared and seasoned, topped with a fine load of ponzu-sauced strands of daikon and topped with a thin wedge of lime. 

Strawberry Season ($5.50) - consisted of Cassis and strawberry puree. The ratio of each constituent was perfect and it served as a real nice refresher for a mid-day beverage :)

Happiness in a glass...

Service:

Polite and friendly - though it may be hard to convey your food/drink requests as there is a language barrier with most of the staff here

Value:

$10 for lunch box bentos - 2 thumbs up!

Ambience:

This location is definitely a lot more spacious than the Thurlow and Robson locations.  And as we all know, 'lunch time Guu' is a lot more different than 'dinnertime Guu' on the noise spectrum. 

Overall: 8.1/10

Yay: Great lunch specials, bigger dining space, salmon oshi sushi

Nay: Downtown - parking

Aki Japanese Restaurant

triple S is the best (Sushi-Sake-Sablefish)

Food:

Zaru soba - cold buckwheat noodles served with a sweet soy sauce, a quail egg and green onion garnish.  Tasty, refreshing and healthy.  At first, I thought you were supposed to crack the quail egg on top of the noodles (I swear I saw that somewhere on a blog), but later the waitress explained that the quail egg was actually supposed to be cracked into the sauce, mixed with the green onions (and wasabi, if you wish) and then you dip the noodles in.

Chicken Tsukune - Two skewers of beautifully grilled, marinated mince chicken meat (meatball texture) but flattened (see photo).  These were delicious - served hot and the flavours were bang-on (with strong teriyaki flavours)

Spicy Tuna & Spicy Chopped Roll - Fresh fish, good proportion of rice to ingredients - typical and satisfying!

** Grilled Black Cod ** - This was basically the impetus of our visit to Aki: the grilled sablefish/black cod.  At $11 a piece, not only is it a steal but is probably the best valued sablefish in the city! Thanks to this wonderfuly recommendation by a fellow friend/d.c of mine, we ordered a sablefish each, lol!  It was delicate, flaky, flavourful, moist, perfectly grilled, and hot.  The portion size was also very reasonable.  It was served with a slice of lemon and grated radish.  My d.c had also requested for these sweet asian pickles that were great accompaniments to the cod!

Service:

Super friendly and genuinely warm


Value:

Standard prices at a Japanese restaurant though the $11 grilled black cod ups it up a few notches on the value factor!


Ambience:

Quite bustling on a Thursday night with predominant Japanese customers! It's also like sitting in a huge wooden house, with wooden booths, with an open sushi/robata bar...


Overall: 8/10

Yay: Authentic, Japanese owned and operated, warm service, popular for robata (charcoal grilled items), black cod...great lunch specials!

Nay: Downtown - parking, also a little hidden perhaps (on Thurlow right next to the McDonalds, located downstairs where Samba Brazillian Steakhouse is)

**Interesting fact:  They have been in operation for 47 years and counting...!

Zest Japanese Cuisine

peace and serenity coupled with sushi and sake...ahhh true bliss

Food:

Dishes that were devoured:

Wakame Sunonomo: Seaweed and cucumber dressed in a light, tangy and uber refreshing vinegarette. The wakame was chopped up differently here and Scoe described it as tasting so fresh, it tasted as if it was just harvested from the ocean, right behind the restaurant, lol.

Spinach Gomae: Lightly dressed in an "original blend of saiyo miso and sesame paste", foodmatik appetizer staple

Tuna and Salmon Sashimi: Sockeye salmon and albacore salmon - freshness at its best

Tuna Takaki Salad: a generous amount of nicely-seared tuna sitting below a bed of fresh greens with a delicious miso-type dressing with a strong wasabi kick! Loved the dressing.

Tuna Amigos Roll: My favourite of the rolls - a Zest original spicy tuna roll with a homemade miso-based spicy sauce.  Coated in crispy flakes of tempura batter throughout - spicy, crunchy, soft flavours all in one roll!

Soba Crab Rolls:  Most unique rolls of the night. Buckwheat noodles and crabmeat wrapped in seaweed and deep-fried, served with a sauce similar tasting to tempura sauce.  Loved the uniqueness, crunchiness and distinct appearance to the roll, disliked the semi-tasteless aspect of it

Crunchy Ebi Avocado Roll? (cannot recall actual name): Listed on specials menu.  Nicely-battered and deep-fried ebi (prawn) roll and topped off with slices of avocado.  One can never go wrong with this combination!

Special Honey Pork Roll? (cannot recall actual name): Listed on specials menu. Honey-marinated pork roll with slices of mango (or egg) on top (can't believe I don't remember! :( ). The roll itself was ok - I like fusion but definitely think that pork and sushi should not be paired together, lol

Service:

Pleasantly warm and genuinely friendly service

Value:

Prices are on the higher end, but still more affordable than restaurants of similar calibre - e.g, Tojo's, Miku

Ambience:

Loved the serene and elegant ambience coupled with dim lighting and tables fancily clad in white table cloth, good thing we made reservations as we were seated in a very spacious corner window booth :)

Overall: 8/10

Yay:  Come here for fine, modern Japanese cuisine,  warm and genuine service, quiet neighbourhood, parking in back,

Nay:  Higher-end Japanese cuisine = $$

Benkei Ramen

slurrrrrrp slurrrrp...gulp!

Food:

Onigiri

Everything we ordered here was beyond satisfying.  As a first timer here at this location (Main St./E. 5th Ave), the standards were up to par, if not better.  Between my dining companion and I, we shared an order of their Onigiri - a sticky-rice ball sort of thing with bits of 'chasu' (pork) molded into a triangular shape with a piece of seaweed as the base.  We also shared an order of their Pork Gyoza, which was very fresh-tasting - I especially liked the thin gyoza skin. 

Chilled Ramen

For my lunch entree, I had the Akaoni Ramen - a spicy miso-based pork bone broth.  It was quite rich in taste, wasn't too spicy, had a light miso taste with a hint of garlic flavour.  The ramen was cooked just right with alongside it plenty of bamboo shoots, green onions and minced pork.  I really enjoyed it and have only ever tried the Akaoni.  I give the Akaoni three thumbs up!

Akaoni (Spicy Miso) Ramen

Luckily for me, my dining companion decided to order their Chilled Ramen (regular).  As usual, I was having extreme difficulty deciding whether to try the Chilled Ramen or, have my usual Akaoni Ramen.  All went well.  Of course, I was able to (more than) sample my d.c's Chilled Ramen and quite thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was basically a soup-less bowl of ramen, topped with an abundance of ingredients including: julienned cucumbers, boiled prawn, sliced mushrooms, red ginger, julienned strips of imitation crab meat, shredded pieces of fried egg and boiled pieces of pork.  Of course, there had to be some sort of liquid flavouring: sweet soy sauce.  It was very refreshing, and I thought that all the ingredients meshed well with one another.  Downside is that it's only available in the summer :(

Service:

Friendly, polite and prompt!

Value:

$7.80 for the Akaoni Ramen. $2.50 for the Onigiri.  Reasonable pricing, I believe.

Ambience:

Don't expect the Guu-type izakaya experience here - this is your typical sit-down, eat and leave ramen joint (albeit they do have a tv installed here).

Overall: 8.2/10

Yay:  They've got 3 locations, with one more coming soon.  Imho, this location is more favourable to the one on Robson for the quality of their food and location-wise (parking).  Benkei is also my number 1 go-to ramen joint out of the ones I've been to - Kintaro, Motomachi Shokudo, and Menya (worst one).  Prices are reasonable and you even get a stamp card for every bowl of ramen purchase! :)

Nay:  Limited seating.  Seats aren't the most comfortable either (wooden squared stools).  Not ideal for big groups.



Posted by: J

Dream Sushi

where sushi fantasies come true...

Food:

Top: Dream Roll
Bottom: Ocean Dragon Roll

Similar to Kadoya on Denman and Sake Maki on Commercial Dr., the menu and pictures look awfully familiar (with a few name changes here and there).  I enjoy both Kadoya and Sake Maki for their innovative fusion rolls (though I enjoy Kadoya less so because they tend to use more rice in their rolls).  Regardless, we found ourselves at another fusion-roll sushi joint and was uber excited to see what was in store for us!

Crunch Roll

After perusing the menu for an unusually longer period of time, we finally decided on the Ocean Dragon Roll and the Peking Duck Roll (which were both listed on the white board as 'specials'), the Dream Roll, and the Crunch Roll.  All rolls were equally exceptional (seriously).  The ratio of the rice was perfect.  The coconut sprinkles on top of the Crunch Roll was a nice topper.  All the ingredients in the Ocean Dragon roll blended so well together.  The Peking Duck Roll was nicely executed - with a fine amount of duck, topped with a nice crispy duck skin (although ideally, I would've liked the fat underneath the skin removed).  The hoisin sauce and onions added nice touches to the overall taste.

Peking Duck Roll

For appies, we opted for the usual Spinach Gomae (which Scoe thought was only ok - spinach was a lil too overcooked), while the Wakame was more drenched (as we would like it to be).  The Spicy Tuna Sashimi was ok - Kadoya & Sake Maki's versions are more saucier, but same ingredients.  We also tried out the Hamachi Sashimi (which was supposedly "fresh from Japan").  It indeed, tasted very fresh.  I would order it again.



Service:

Ok - we had to ask a couple of times for more tea, extra sauce, etc.  But they were pretty friendly.

Value:

$8.95 per Chef's speciality roll, $12.95 for the hamachi sashimi (9 pieces or so)

Ambience:

Similar to Kadoya, here you'll find rectangular sheets of coloured paper with all sorts of comments and suggestions left by customers taped to the walls.  The blue walls created a sort-of kindergarten classroom environment; I felt comfortable here, lol.  The restaurant isn't very big - with approx. 10 tables.

Overall: 7.9/10

Yay: Yummy, creative, nicely-fused fusion rolls - where else could you find a Peking Duck Roll? They've also got great lunch specials

Nay: $8.95 may be a bit hefty of a price for some, limited seating, not authentically Japanese (nor do they claim to be) - not a nay for us per se, but it might be for others






Posted by: J

Sushi Town

My kinda town...(with "VALUE" written allllll over it!)

I frequent Sushi Town at least once every 2-3 weeks just to get my bi/tri-weekly Alaska/Awesome roll/Spicy Tuna Sashimi fix.  Their sashimi and sushi is amazingly fresh and so worth the value.  On this night, we visited the newest location in North Vancouver.  I like this location more for its spaciousness, less crowded/busy-ness and it also has more comfortable seating. 


Food:

Alaska Roll - Best Alaska Roll you'll ever have. No need to look further.  Avocadoes is the predominant ingredient in this roll, slab on a piece of salmon sashimi, with a miso sauce drizzled all over it and you got yourself the best tasting $3.95 roll you'll find anywhere.  Trust me.  I haven't met a single soul who does not like it!

Awesome Roll - The name says it all.  This roll is truly awesome.  Here you'll have a California roll with cooked salmon on top, adorned with bonito flakes and drizzled with a seemingly spicy-mayo sauce

Spicy Tuna Sashimi - Picture a heaping portion of nicely-cubed pieces of tuna sashimi, marinated in a korean spicy sauce, Sriracha, and sesame oil sauce mixture, and topped with finely cut fresh cucumbers and onions...and you got yourself the best spicy sashimi ever.  This is the most refreshing bang-for-your-buck sashimi dish ever!

Chicken Katsu - Generous amount of nicely-breaded chicken breast with a side of perfectly cooked rice, and a green salad with the accompaniment of a miso dressing...fantastic!

Service:

S...l...o...w. Not the friendliest either. Expect to have to wave the server down 3-4 times to ask for extra napkins/remind them about your order/etc...

Value:

Hands down, best value in Greater Vancouver when it comes to good, quality, FRESH sushi at a price that will definitely not break the bank.  $4.95 for a (heaping!) half-order of spicy tuna sashimi that is big enough to feed 3 people. $7.95 for a massive chicken katsu entree. $1.60 for a huge piece of unagi negiri....seriously, you cannot complain :)

Ambience:

No chefs/servers yelling to'and'fro.  No music playing.  No loud "Bonzai!" toasts here, either.  Just a room full of hungry, sushi-go'ers looking to get the best valued sushi & sashimi in town!

Overall: 9/10

Yay:  Come for the fresh and cheap sushi and sashimi! That's all you'll ever need in life :)

Nay:  Don't expect good, hospitable service here.

Guu Sushi

Guu Sushi still guu'd....(and a lot more tame!)

Food:

If you weren't aware, all Guu locations offered varied menus.  This location is unique in the sense that it serves sushi (hence, the name).  Though, the menu isn't as extensive as the others, it was good enough.  Overall, the quality of the food was pretty consistent with the other locations.

We started off with Guu staple - the Pumpkin Croquette.  This is essentially a huge ball of pumpkin, filled with a boiled egg, coated with bread crumbs, deep fried and garnished with seemingly crispy squash peels, and finally topped with some special sauce that tastes a lot like a thousand island dressing!  Mushy, sweet and oh-so-delicious - we devoured the thing with no regrets.

Next, we had the Assorted Oden - a Japanese 'hot pot' dish with various ingredients.  Ours consisted of fish cakes, a deep fried tofu ball, squid cakes and a stuffed rice cake.  All tasted good, except for the stuffed rice cake which was very gooey (and not chewy as expected).  For our 'filler' item, we opted for a carb-y dish (of course) and had the Yaki Udon.  My dining companion thought the portion size was a little small, but I thought it was just right.  The flavours were just right, especially with the bonito and nori flakes piled atop.  From the 'specials' menu, we picked out the Grilled Whole Squid with Chili Mayo.  It was grilled to perfection and not overcooked (which was the most important part).  The mayo accompaniment only served as a bonus :)

Well, a visit to Guu Sushi would not be complete without trying out their sushi.  The most appetizing-sounding roll was the 'Aberdeen Roll' (named after their location in Aberdeen Centre) and indeed, it was.  It was a tuna and avocado roll, topped with unagi with a sweet mango sauce drizzled on top.  I also liked the fact that it was bite-size, not too big and not too small.

Finally, the meal came to an end but not without indulging ourselves in a Guu'd Sundae.  We got to choose 2 of the 3 ice cream flavours - mango, green tea, and black sesame.  We opted for the latter 2.  The ice cream came atop corn flakes and 3 sticks of Pocky.  Oh, and of course a nice whirl of whip cream!  It was delicious but would've been even better with red bean ice cream and mochi (which I seriously should've suggested).

Service:

Friendly, polite and prompt. Wouldn't have expected anything less!

Value:

Bill totaled $55 including tax & tip.

Ambience:

This Guu location is a lot more tame (in terms of the noise level) than the Downtown locations, which could perhaps be a good thing.  The servers/chefs are still shouting to each other to and fro, but not to the extent as the other Guus.  A lot more spacious too. For the claustrophobics, this location is the ideal Guu for you!

Overall: 8.0/10

Yay: Yummy tapas and sushi, a lot more roomier than the other locations and it is located in a mall so you can walk off the calories later!

Nay: Smaller menu - more focus on sushi.  Even the sashimi selection isn't very big, and for those wanting the loud, rowdy atmosphere typical of the other Guu locations - this location is not for you!

Toratatsu Japanese Tapas Bistro (CLOSED)

Tora-tora-Toratatsu!

Toratatsu is one of many izakaya joints in Vancouver specializing in 'tapas' dishes, all the while serving up tasty cocktails and sake admist a vibrant and hip atmosphere.  It has been in operation for a few years now and is a sibling restaurant to the old Shiru-Bay Chopstick Cafe (Yaletown), which closed down a few years ago.  It's a nice deviant from the usual Guus, Hapas, etc. with a more spacious environment (than Guu) and a better value (than Hapa).

Food:

On this night, I arrived with a party of 4.  We ordered quite a variety and abundance of food.  Thought it'd best to summarize in note form:

Ebi Chili Mayo  - their most popular dish, huge plump tiger prawns wrapped in excellent batter coating

Cheese Tofu -  a super unique tofu made of creamy mascarpone cheese...it tastes pretty much guilt-free since it's tofu-based but contradicting at the same time given its similarity to the taste of devonshire cream! my favourite of the night

Ishiyaki Risotto - served in a hot stone bowl, another one of their specialities - risotto with seared scallops, mushrooms and Iwanori seaweed - a little salty but definitely tasty

Cold Ramen Salad - generous portion and very refreshing, a little too drenched though

Sashimi Platter - oysters, albacore tuna and sockeye sashimi (choice of any 3), it was ok - sashimi wasn't extremely fresh though

Power Roll - bbq eel & cream cheese filled... and seared on top - lovely!

Creamy Crab Croquette - nicely battered and tasty filling! one of their daily specials

Value:

Typical izakaya prices

Service:

Attentive and polite, although language could be a bit of a barrier with some of the servers

Ambience:

We visited on a rainy Monday night, so restaurant was about 30% full - but otherwise on weekends, it's pretty bustlin'!

Overall: 7.8/10

Yay: Nice alternative to the Guus & Hapas, etc!

Nay: Sashimi isn't tooo fresh, parking, not ideal for groups of 15+

Guu Original

Guu is ggguuuuuuu-reat!!!...

Location: Vancouver (Downtown)

Food:

Guu is one of my top 5 restaurants (only been to the ones on Robson & Thurlow) and I've have never had a disappointing experience there. Ever. It is definitely my favourite of all izakayas.

We had the Grilled Beef Tongue, Kimchi Fried Rice, Seared Salmon Carpaccio, Baked Oysters and Fresh Squid Tofu Salad with Spicy Cod Roe and Wasabi Mayonnaise Sauce.  The salad was a bit drenched (with the dressing), but it tasted ok.  Everything else was superb - esp. the Kimchi Fried Rice (my favourite!) Although a bit too oily, their fried rice is probably the best I've ever had.  My dining companion also had an additional mini appy known as Oden - assorted ingredients in a light, soy-flavoured broth. This time, she only opted for a deep fried fish cake (in the broth).

Drinks: Had the Cherry Brossum (Cherry Blossum - the "r" sound does not exist in the Japanese language). It was refreshing and comprised of Peach Snapps, strawberry (puree?) and a carbonated beverage known as Ramune.

Service:

Prompt and polite. Very welcoming.

Value:

Good and best value of all izakayas.

Ambience:

Super high on the noise factor - almost seems like there's a party in there every night.  You'll be greeted as you enter and leave, and have chefs/servers constantly shouting out orders - all in all, a super fun place to be for kicks, laughter, and food!

Overall: 9/10

Yay: Excellent Japanese tapas, hip hop happenin' place, polite and welcoming service

Nay: It's small and quite cramped, wait could take a while, not ideal for groups larger than 4+, perhaps not ideal for a romantic dinner/date

** Interesting Fact: They have 3 other locations as well!

Posted by: J

Mazuya Sushi

Maaad for Mazuya...

Location: Vancouver (Kitsilano)

Food:

This is one of our regular hole-in-the-wall sushi joints that offer, you guessed it, special rolls :)

We first started off with a Sashimi Salad.  This was perhaps the biggest let-down of the night as it came with only a handful of greens (you would expect at least 3 handfuls!) and a few pieces of sashimi.  At $7.95, we felt this wasn't worth it at all, and immediately made a mental note not to order it again.  We also had an order of Spicy Tuna and Spicy Sashimi to start.  Saucy, fresh and soothing to the palate, there were no complaints there.

The specialty rolls that we opted on this day were the: Mazuya Roll (unagi, avocado, cucumber, seaweed salad), Temptation Roll (mango, avocado, yam tempura, coconut shaving), Burrard Roll (prawn tempura, avocado, cucumber and spicy tuna) and Mango Roll (real crab meat, avocado, mango).  All were outstanding as usual, and filled with ample, fresh and tasty ingredients.

Service:

Friendly, although this seems to be a mom & pop operated joint.  Our food arrived in a timely manner, but, then again we were the only ones there at the time.  If you're expecting to come with a larger group, be prepared to wait a big longer for your food.

Value: 

At about $8-$10 (on average) for each special roll, I can't say it's too much of a steal, but it is on par with the price of other special rolls, that you would find elsewhere.

Ambience:

It's a little hole-in-the-wall, so don't expect much.  They do, however, offer cute, colourful pieces of paper as a means for customers to express their thoughts and opinions - you can list your favourite item, offer suggestions and even draw a cute picture of yourself! You can then clip them onto the string that's mounted to the mall.

Overall: 8/10

Yay: A wonderful little sushi joint that offers creative, innovative sushi rolls.  It doesn't seem to be too busy (during the times that we've gone), making it a great go-to spot if you're definitely wanting alone time and away from a noisy ambience.

Nay: You won't find "authentic" fare here and as stated above, it is probably not ideal for large groups.




Posted by: J

Akari Japanese Restaurant

Location: Coquitlam

Food:

We started off with a Spinach Gomae. It held its own, however, it did not have the same great peanut-y texture as many other Japanese restaurants such as Kiku (Burnaby). Next came the Spicy Tuna Sashimi. This was great – although not “to die for” (as I’ve read from other reviews.) However it was easily the best dish of the night - loaded with a tasty dressing and sprinkled with sesame seeds – this was definitely a knight in shining armour since it saved this restaurant’s review (you will see why as you continue reading). It is also important to note that most sashimi dishes from other restaurants do not include a salad, whereas this restaurant did. In fact, it came atop a nice spinach salad. (You can’t go wrong with extra greens!)
Next in line was the Marinated Beef Salad. Now let me tell you, there was definitely no hurry for this dish to budge the line. The beef was the best part of this dish as it was nicely marinated and tender. The salad was mediocre. What kind of restaurant uses iceberg lettuce for a salad? There is absolutely no elegance in using iceberg lettuce. The dressing for this salad had a slight zing to it and almost tantalized my taste buds… almost! The Salmon Sashimi was fresh, which is always a plus!

Then came the rolls. These rolls were the biggest rolls I’ve ever seen in my life. They were HUGE! I guess this Korean-run, Japanese restaurant had watched too many Godzilla movies and decided to make their rolls specific for Godzilla himself. (Please see J’s p.o.v below for our thoughts on Godzilla type-sized rolls!) If you like gigantic rolls, then this is your place. If you are like me and prefer bite-size rolls then this is not a place for you. The first roll we had was the Green Field Roll. This was basically a California roll with cream cheese, topped with kiwi and showered with yogurt sauce. Sounds appealing but there was so much cream cheese that I had to remove some. The Pizza Roll was the best since it was bite-sized, very tasty, and baked like a pizza! It came dressed in mozzarella cheese with little cubelets of red pepper. This was the best roll and along with the spicy tuna sashimi, it may have saved this restaurant from a verbal massacre. The Butterfly Roll we had was just too big. Overall, the flavours were there , but they were just too big for my liking. Had the rolls been smaller, I’m sure the rolls would’ve been dynamite!

Service:
Nice and efficient!

Value:
$10 - $20 price range. The rolls are relatively cheap considering their ginormous size (but that’s only if you prefer huge rolls.)

Ambience:
Awesome! Authentic-like even though it is Korean-run. I love the Japanese atmosphere. From the private rooms to the fountain with the bridge (see picture), it was a nice ambience indeed. Plus, it was clean!

Overall: 7.5/10
All in all, this is a very solid Japanese restaurant. Due to my low tolerance level for gigantic sushi rolls, 7.5/10 would’ve been way too high of a rating if it weren’t for my 2 knights in shining armour ie., the Spicy Tuna Sashimi & Pizza Roll. Thank you to my knights :)


Posted by: Scoe


*J's perspective: I agree with the 7.5 rating Scoe gave to Akari. Akari was pretty much overall, a solid restaurant taking all things into consideration - food, service, ambience, etc...EXCEPT for certain rolls that were just too darn big (and unappetizing!) We are avid "special rolls" (atypical sushi rolls) hunters and have tried lots of different special rolls at various Jap. restaurants. We love the fusion between ingredients-that-you-would-never-think-of inserted into a maki roll (e.g cream cheese, kiwi, mango, papaya) or even different types of sauces drizzled on (black sesame sauce, chili mayo), but there are certain ones that just go overboard with the size and amount of ingredients they put in! (e.g the Butterfly Roll here at Akari.)