Koto Izakaya Sushi & Robata

May 25, 2014May 25, 2014Leave a comment

Chopped Scallop Roll People keep talking about how amazing Koto Izakaya is for their value, so I finally decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I didn’t try their late-night menu, which is when people usually go there since the food is imposingly really cheap. For their regular dinner menu, I didn’t find the prices to be a super good value. Average priced, but the quality isn’t superb. First, we had the Chopped Scallop Roll. It was filled with a lot of chopped scallop and topped with tons of tobiko and sesame seeds. The rice to filling ratio was pretty decent also. Toro Nigiri Next, we got some Toro Nigiri. This was actually pretty decent. However, I wouldn’t say the sashimi was packed on the rice too well. It was quite sloppy. The toro sashimi itself was very fatty and fresh though. Pretty good for the price you pay. Mentaiko Udon The Mentaiko Udon was a huge disappointment. It was simply udon with mentaiko on top. That wasn’t the real problem though. The problem was the mentaiko were all clumped together. It’s like they bought these cheap mentaiko that came in a paste or something and hadn’t treated it so they would split up. So at points, you would be eating a huge clump of mentaiko and it would be really salty. Lastly, we chose two specialty rolls. Koto doesn’t have a website so I couldn’t find their menu names. The one in the front was a roll topped with salmon sashimi, avocado, and massago. It also came with a spicy sauce, so no soy sauce was needed. Behind, we had a roll filled essentially like a dynamite roll, with deep fried prawns, and topped with unagi, avocado, orange and black tobiko. These were both pretty decent, but just as specialty rolls are usually, they were much more pricey. Overall, I thought Koto was just average. I guess it would a much better value for late-night, but I have yet to try. Don’t expect much service here though. It’s pretty slow and you have to wave your hand furiously to be noticed. They literally walk by you without looking. There’s also limited parking, so that might be a problem if it’s really packed.

Suika (Revisit #3)

May 24, 20141 Comment

Suika Mojito (watermelon)

Suika Snackbar reminds me of Guu, and is also always packed. We had our girls catch-up dinner here and the food didn’t disappoint. We got a pitcher of the Suika Mojito, which is basically watermelon flavoured. Super refreshing and delicious!

Corn Kakiage – organic corn niblets fried with cilantro batter, soy sauce, and butter

We started off with the Corn Kakiage, which was basically pieces of corn that had been battered up and deep fried. It was seasoned with a soy sauce and butter. Everyone enjoyed this! You get a nice crunchy batter on the outside, but the corn is still soft inside.

Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki – with home made chili oil on a bed of sliced onion topped with scallions

Next, we had the Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki. I found the portions to be a bit small, but regardless, it was still extremely fresh with a great texture. It came with a home made chili oil and was placed on top of sliced onions.

Aburi “Shime-Saba” Sushi – seared cured mackerel prsesed sushi served with mustard soy dressing

We also got two dishes of their sushi. Well, they actually only offer two types on their menu. First, was the Aburi “Shime-Saba” Sushi. Essentially, seared saba or mackerel, and this was done as a pressed sushi. Seared meant that it had been lightly torched. It came with a mustard soy dressing, so no extra soy sauce was needed. The fish was fresh and the dressing was extremely flavourful. Sometimes I find that saba has a fishy taste, but the dressing covers that up.

Aburi Toro Battera – lightly seared pressed fatty tuna sushi with avocado, shiso, sesame seeds topped with home made soy dressing & seaweed sauce

The second sushi we ordered was the Aburi Toro Battera, and this was my favourite. Since it was toro, the tuna was so fatty. With the tuna being seared, the tuna’s fatty oils came up so it was extremely smooth in the mouth. Again, it was pressed in a box shaped, and came with a home made soy dressing and seaweed sauce. This time, I didn’t find that the sauce was too overwhelming, so you could taste the freshness of the fish.

Dynamic Steak – “W” Lbs Beef Rib Steak with Wasabi, Soy & Garlic Sauce

Lastly, M suggested we try the Dynamic Steak. It was priced at $38, so I initially felt like it was quite pricey. However, when I saw the steak, I was in awe. It was humongous piece of steak! On the menu, it states that it is “W” Lbs – not exactly sure what that means. I don’t think this picture does it justice. The Rib Eye was enormous! The inside is cooked perfectly to medium-rare, so some of my friends who like their steak well-done were grossed out by how pink it was inside. I, on the other hand, loved the juiciness of the steak and thought it was excellent. I’m surprised they could handle cooking such a huge piece of steak. It was dressed with a wasabi, soy & garlic sauce, which gave it a Japanese flare.

Matcha Brulee – Frozen Matcha Creme Brulee with Fresh Whipped Cream & Red Bean Sauce

Lastly, I had to get my all time favourite dessert from Suika – the Matcha Brulee. It’s basically “frozen” matcha creme brulee, so it almost tastes like you’re eating matcha ice cream. Topped with some whipped ream and a bit of red bean sauce, this was the perfect way to end our meal! Always a fun time at Suika!

Takumi Japanese Restaurant

May 22, 2014Leave a comment

Burdock Root Salad

Located on West 10th, I feel like Takumi is a bit of a hidden gem. I probably would’ve never known about this Japanese restaurant until K suggested we go try. It’s Japanese owned and offers authentic Japanese cuisine. After ordering, we were given a complimentary appetizer. It was a Burdock Root Salad, which I absolutely loved. It was nicely seasoned with some sesames, and had a great crunch to it.

Sockeye Salmon and Albacore Tuna Sashimi

Next, we ordered some sashimi. We chose Sockeye Salmon and Albacore Tuna. Each order came with 5 pieces. They were sliced at a good thickness and was very fresh. I did find that their sashimi was a bit pricey though, but it was well worth it.

Tuna Tataki

Another appetizer we ordered was the Tuna Tataki. The tuna was very fresh and lightly seared on the sides. The dish was topped with carrot, ginger, green onion and the Chef’s original Yuzu sauce.

Takumi’s House Special, Chopped Scallop Roll, Natto Maki

And then came our rolls. In the front were K’s favourite Natto Maki. Behind, we have Takumi’s House Special. This was filled with salmon, tuna, crab, egg, tobiko & avocado. It was then topped with more tobiko. These were huge rolls and they definitely didn’t cheap out on the fillings. I really liked this roll! Also, we ordered my favourite Chopped Scallop. Also very fresh and filled with lots of scallops.

Yaki-Udon

Lastly, we got the Yaki-Udon. We had it without pork since K is vegetarian. It was filled with lots of veggies and very flavourful. I wouldn’t say it’s the best though. My favourite is still the one at Guu.

Overall, Takumi offers authentic Japanese food with high quality ingredients. Prices are higher than average, but around the same as any high quality authentic Japanese restaurant. Since they are in the Point Grey area, it also makes sense to price it higher. Will definitely return if I’m in that area again!

Charcoal Sushi & BBQ (Revisit #2)

May 18, 2014May 22, 2014Leave a comment

Sockeye Salmon Sashimi

Finally, we can get down to my Vancouver posts! I’m literally 5 months behind now…but I’m sure I can catch up quite quickly! Got home after a 14 hour flight and ended up passing out on my bed while waiting for my dad to come home from work. He woke me up and off we went to have some Japanese food that I had been missing for so long. We ended up at Charcoal, which was packed as usual. First, we got the Sockeye Salmon Sashimi. I was actually a bit disappointed with this. I found that the salmon was still sort of frozen and hadn’t been defrosted yet. It was still fresh and had a great texture, but it seemed to lack preparation. It’s also quite pricey for 4 pieces.

Chopped Scallop Roll and Dynamite Roll

I had been craving my Chopped Scallop Roll for the 4 months away. This did not disappoint me, and it was filled with lots of scallop. Dad got the Dynamite Roll, which was typical. Nothing too special, but filled with a good amount of fillings and a nice balance of rice.

Tokyo Roll

Lastly, we got one of the specialty rolls. We chose the Tokyo Roll, which was extremely colourful. It was filled with prawn tempura, cucumber slices, and tobiko. On top, it was layered with salmon sashimi and a nice mayo and spicy sauce. The best part about these rolls is you don’t need to use soy sauce, since it’s designed to be just eaten on its own.

I was honestly falling asleep from jet lag during dinner, but it was definitely a prime example of good Richmond sushi! Charcoal never disappoints!

Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki – Lafayette Paris

January 28, 2014Leave a comment

Galeries Lafayette is seriously one of the most beautiful department stores I have seen! It’s an upscale department store selling luxury brands like no other. I swear they have colours and styles that I’ve never seen in Vancouver, because…well you’re in Paris… Anyways, the cool thing about these luxury department stores is that most of them have a floor dedicated to food. And if you think it’s like a food court, think again. It’s like luxury food court! They have sections of food products like chocolate, candy, cookies, but they also have an area with luxury cooked food and pastries. Prices are quite expensive, but just imagine yourself at Thomas Haas or Thierry, and it’ll make you feel more like at home… Wandering through all the gourmet stalls, my eyes caught Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki!

It was interesting because I didn’t expect to see a Japanese patisserie shop in Paris. You need to remember that I’ve been away from Vancouver for some time now, and my green tea craving was really kicking in… When I saw Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki serving all these Japanese flavours, I felt like I was home again! They specialize in macarons and cakes, but with a Japanese twist. Matcha flavoured macarons? YES! I’ve always wanted the Vancouver dessert shops to make that flavour… I chose the Matcha and Redbean Cake, which is a cake with alternating layers of green tea, cream, and red bean. It’s then topped with some matcha powder and a matcha flavoured macaron! I absolutely loved this! The layers gave the cake so much texture. Some of it was crunchy, as they used something similar to rice krispies, and the red bean also gave it another texture. This pastry stall is a must try! If you enjoy Asian flavours, this will be perfect for you. They also specialize in macarons and chocolates with very interesting flavours! If only they were less pricey, I would’ve tried so many others!

I believe they also have their own boutique in Paris, but Lafayette is great as you can try other gourmet restaurants while you are there!

Restaurante Japones Wok – Barcelona

January 10, 2014December 10, 2014Leave a comment

I guess my Asian food craving continued, as a few days later, my friends and I decided to go to an all you can eat Japanese restaurant called Japones Wok near Arc de Triomf. It seems that this metro station area has a lot of Asian food. Anyways, for lunch, you can have all you can eat for 9.50 euros. Not bad, considering you’re in Spain. However, the little trick is that you must order a drink as well. And their drinks cost at least 2 euros, even for a bottle of water. You end up paying over 10 euros for your meal because of that. And to think that all you can eat places in Richmond are bad sometimes….well yea, let’s just be grateful for that. At Restaurante Japones Wok, which is considered a very good Japanese restaurant in Barcelona, it really isn’t just Japanese food. You get a mix of Japanese and Chinese food. I haven’t really seen any Japanese locals in Barcelona for the four months I stayed, but learned that most Japanese restaurants are operated by Chinese. So here we have some Chow Mein, Fried Rice, Calamari, Beef Stir Fry, Assorted Grilled Seafood, Seaweed Salad, Gyoza and Sushi. There’s actually a lot to choose from, and they even have a section of dim sum… For sushi, there actually isn’t a lot to choose from, and each piece is very dainty and small. I almost feel embarrassed if I take more than two of each as they don’t put out a lot each time. The fish is definitely not as fresh as the ones in Vancouver, but they are bearable.

What I liked about this place was they also have all you can eat teppanyaki. That’s something that wouldn’t be as common. You choose a variety of seafood, meet, kebabs, and vegetables and place it on a plate. Then you line up, and the chef will grill your items right in front of you. Pretty cool, and the seafood here is quite fresh. I also ordered steak, but I have learned that their steak in Spain is basically a thin slice of beef. It almost reminds me of pork because it is so thin, and after grilling it, it becomes super tough. Not juicy like the ones back at home.

But if you’re looking for some Asian food, give Japones Wok a try. It won’t be authentic, but it can satisfy your cravings in the meantime. Also, they have a variety of candies and gummies along their buffet too! Yes…I ended up eating a lot candy instead…

Vancuver Food Cart Festival 2013

October 10, 2013Leave a comment

Ever since I left for Europe, I have been traveling so much or so busy with school that I have totally neglected this blog. I feel terrible and now that I have finally settled down and won’t be traveling as frequently, I am going to promise that I post at least once a week or more frequently! I am already more than a month behind, hence I am still posting about Vancouver food I ate before I left…

Anyways, in August, I finally went to the Vancouver Food Cart Festival by Olympic Village. I had wanted to go the previous year, but because they only operate on Sundays from around end of June to end of August, I never was able to attend due to my work schedule on Sundays. Every Sunday, over 20 food cart vendors meet at this area along with other craft food, art, and community vendors. There’s music and also kids activities, so perfect for some family fun. I was here, obviously because of food! There were many that I could find right in the hot spots of downtown, but also some that I had never heard of.

Mogu Japanese Street Eats

First up, we decided to try Mogu Japanese Street Eats. I always see this when I go shopping in downtown, but have never came to try it. They are also featured at the Richmond Summer Night Market this year, so it is actually quite easy to try it. I did find that the pricing is quite high for a burger, but to be honest, most of the food trucks price their food relatively high.

Pork Miso Katsu – breaded deep fried pork cutlet, housemade red miso sauce, Asian hot mustard coleslaw

We got the Pork Miso Katsu Menu, so it also came with two pieces of Chicken Karage and a small drink. People have raved that Mogu has one of the best Chicken Karage, and I did enjoy it a lot. It is sweet and spicy because it comes with a house made sweet chili sauce. Definitely enjoyed it and I would put it as one of my top favourites for chicken karage.

This was the Pork Miso Katsu Burger, and the pork was cooked tender and moist. The bread was also soft and the sauce really made the burger stand out. I didn’t necessarily taste much miso flavour, but you could get the Asian feel to the burger.

PazzaRella

Next, we tried PazzaRella which is famous for the Napoletana Wood Fired Pizza. It takes a little while since they actually make the pizza on spot and fire it in the oven. Pretty cool and one pizza will fill you up. So it’s best to share it with a friend if you want to try other food at the festival.

Prosciutto Pizza

We got 2 Prosciutto Pizzas to share between four, and it was more than enough. They are around $11 each, so you can imagine they are quite large. Extremely thin crust and easy to bite and topped with fresh tomato sauce, arugula and prosciutto. I did find that they burnt the edges a bit, so it was a little bitter tasting at the edges, but other than that, it was fine.

Dougie Dog Diner

Dougie Dog Diner seemed to be a crowd pleaser, so E decided to try it as well. They are famous for their innovative hot dogs and they also have their own root beer. Apparently they were on Dragon’s Den, so I thought that was pretty neat.

Charlie Mac Dog – bacon, Mac and cheese, melted cheddar

E got the Charlie Mac Dog which is loaded with mac and cheese and topped with more cheese. He thought that it was alright, but definitely not worth the price though. It’s something you can make at home if you really want to.

Overall, the Vancouver Food Cart Festival is pretty nice if you want to have a collection of food cart vendors in one area. However, to be honest, it’s hard to try every food cart because each item on the menu is fairly large. It’s basically one whole meal, and it’s also quite hard to share the food. There was also an entrance fee, but you got a discount if you went in a large family. Cool place to check out, but probably just once a year. Parking was also extremely difficult to find, and was mostly paid parking.

Toyotomi

September 7, 2013Leave a comment

Salmon Sashimi

I’m currently in Barcelona, so I’m super behind on my blog, so let me finish blogging some of the food back at home in Vancouver. Before I left, I basically tried to eat as much Asian food as I could as I knew I would miss it. Japanese is my favourite, so my mom suggested we try Toyotomi for lunch. We had gone there a few years ago, but now that they have changed it to hot pot, just a sushi lunch menu was offered. When we got there on a Saturday afternoon, there was literally no one. We ordered some Salmon Sashimi, and it came on the ice cubes, just like the ones you get during hot pot. It was fresh and each piece was cut thickly, but not to the extent of Banzai’s enormous portions.

Duo Dynamite Roll – imitation crab meat, cucumber, avocado, w/ spicy tuna and crispy, Maple Roll – special spicy tuna topped with crispy and salmon sashimi, Chopped Scallop Roll

We also got some rolls, and they all came together on a wooden plate. They seem to present their food in an appealing way compared to many other sushi restaurants. The roll in the front was the Maple Roll. It had spicy tuna inside, and was topped with salmon sashimi, masago, and some crispy flakes and green onion. It was full of sauce and you didn’t need to use any soy sauce for it. This one was one of my favourites. The Duo Dynamite Roll was a typical dynamite roll but with two tempuras in it. The portion was quite large, but was quite typical. Last, the Chopped Scallop Roll was just okay for me. I did like that they had black sesame on it, since that makes it a little more deluxe, but I felt like there was too much rice on it, so the texture didn’t taste quite good.

Beef Sashimi

We also got some Beef Sashimi and I believe this was only under $5 which was a steal because the dish was huge. There were tons of beef sashimi in it and they sliced it fairly large. The sauce was quite acidic, but it was really good at the same time. This is a must order.

Chicken Teriyaki Don

Lastly, we got the Chicken Teriyaki Don. It came sizzling in a clay pot and was a very larger portion. Tons of rice, but also a lot of chicken and teriyaki sauce. It also came with some ripped up seaweed. It was flavourful with all the onions in it.

Overall, we were quite pleased with the food. The food also isn’t that expensive, and you will get really full from it. Sort of awkward that there was only one other table of diners the whole time we were there and it’s already a weekend. I guess people usually just come here for the hot pot!