Sushi Mura

February 22, 2016February 21, 20162 Comments

We drive on Oak pretty much everyday going to and from work, and Sushi Mura is one of the restaurants that we pass by. Finally, I suggested to S that we should check it out on our way home. The interior and menu reminds me of Sushi Garden so I have a feeling they might be owned by the same people. Even by 6pm, the place was already filled but we luckily got a seat right away.

Chirashi Don

I decided to try their Chirashi Don because it was only for a low price of $10.95. The don came with an assortment of sashimi, including regular salmon, wild salmon, tuna, toro, tuna tataki, ebi, tamago, and hokkigai.

I was surprised with the amount of sashimi I got (around 3 pieces of each). However, you can tell from the picture that the knife skills were quite poor so many of the fish did not have any clean cuts. The sashimi was surprisingly quite fresh for the price though. The rice was not very good as it was served too warm and a bit mushy. However, I can’t complain for the price.

Special Mango Roll

S got the Special Mango Roll for $6.95 which was filled with mango, cucumber, avocado and topped with slices of mango and pineapple sauce. Price was good for the portion but quality was terrible! The rice was warm and mushy and mangoes were too tart. There was no texture to this roll at all.

Chicken Teriyaki Roll

S also got the Chicken Teriyaki Roll. The rice here looked slightly better but S still said it was quite average.

Overall, we were slightly disappointed with the quality at Sushi Mura. The prices are cheap but the quality is not there. Food came out so fast it was astonishing. There were many students eating dinner here after school and I can see why it is attractive for the students with the low prices and large portions.

Pros:
– Low prices and large portions
– Sashimi is pretty fresh

Cons:
– Sushi rice is very poorly made
– Knife skills are poor and sushi is poorly constructed

Price Range: $10-15/person

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 2.5 Service: 2 Ambiance: 2.5 Parking: 2 Overall: 2.5

Taka’s Sushi

December 4, 2015December 4, 2015Leave a comment

With all the rave on Instagram about one of the best sushi restaurants in White Rock, I made it an excuse to go by on our way to Castle Fun Park. Plus, we hadn’t checked out the pier by White Rock in ages… Anyways, Taka’s Sushi is probably one of the smallest sushi shops I’ve been to. It fits probably around 10-12 diners only, and I’ve heard of the ridiculous waits for this shop. However, we arrived on a chilly Saturday at around 12:00pm and we were able to get a seat right away.

When we first entered, the host (not sure if he’s the owner) greeted us in Mandarin and S and I were automatically sort of confused. I had read that the place is Chinese owned but that the chef was trained in Japan and the wife is Japanese, but I still didn’t expect them to greet me in Mandarin. We soon realized that basically all the diners are Chinese-speaking… I swear these people drive all the way from Richmond and Vancouver to come eat here… Anyways, the interior although small is detailed with expensive decor. The chairs are suede and the chinaware they provide you with are top notch. Even the napkin was thicker than usual and had gold detailing and customized for Taka.

Aburi Nigiri: Sea Scallop, Atlantic Salmon Toro, Albacore Toro, Flounder Fringe, Blue Fin O-Toro

After looking at the menu for a few minutes, the host approached us and asked if we wanted any recommendations. I’m always down to hear what they have to say, so I agreed. However, I noticed that he kept selling to me all the expensive items… He kept convincing me to get sashimi and the most expensive nigiris and rolls on the menu. To be honest, I felt slightly uncomfortable since I knew the prices were rather high, but I wasn’t ready to dish out a $100 lunch.

I ended up choosing the aburi nigiris that were more affordable with one exception: the Blue Fin O-Toro which was a whooping $6.75! The presentation was beautiful, but to be brutally honest, I didn’t think they blew my mind. The sea scallops and the flounder fringe were my favourite though. The flounder fringe completely melted in my mouth! However, the salmon toro, albacore toro and the $7 blue fin o-toro were way overseared. I felt like it was a waste of the fish and perhaps I should have ordered the non-aburi nigiris. And to be honest, I felt that all the sauces on top overpowered the fish and you couldn’t even really taste whether it was fresh or not.

Mango Roll, Crunchy BC

Since S is not a big fan of raw fish, he chose two rolls, one being the Mango Roll, which was filled with mango, lettuce, salmon avocado, and masago and rolled in a soybean sheet and topped with crunchy pistachio bits. This was actually quite good with the mangoes being extremely ripe so you really tasted the sweetness of the mango. However, it was also very expensive at $8 for 5 pieces.

The Crunchy Roll had roasted salmon skin, spring onion, lettuce, yamagobo, masago, and sesame seeds, and topped with unagi sauce. I thought this was just average and tasted similar to a BC Roll, but costed $7.

Handsome Roll

Lastly, we got the Handsome Roll, which the host kept recommending, but it was also the most expensive, being $13. It was filled with spicy prawn and cucumber inside, crawfish tail, salmon, bbq eel on top with crunchy flakes, spicy sauce, unagi sauce, green onions and sesame seeds. As S does not enjoy spicy foods, we asked to have the spicy sauce removed. I enjoyed the crunchy flakes which gave the roll an interesting texture, but again, it didn’t blow my mind for the price I paid.

Overall, Taka’s is great if you enjoy your sushi with expensive ingredients like wagyu beef, lobster tail, and foie gras, but for someone like me who enjoys the taste of fresh seafood, it really wasn’t for me. Plus, the prices per piece can reach $7 which I find a little ridiculous even though the ingredient is expensive. And although I found service to be attentive, I found it to be pushy at times with the host trying to get me to order all the expensive items. At least that was how I felt. Otherwise, I guess this place could be a nice place to go if you’re in White Rock and you enjoy aburi sushi.

Pros:
– Dishes are nicely presented
– Fish is fresh

Cons:
– Very expensive sushi
– Service felt a bit pushy

Price Range: $30-50

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 3 Service: 2.5 Ambiance: 3 Parking: 3 Overall: 3

Momo Sushi (Robson)

November 30, 2015November 29, 2015Leave a comment

Since we were in downtown, I suggested we try something new. A bit of Googling got us settled at Momo Sushi which is down on Robson Street past the shops. Apparently there are tons of Momo Sushi shops around downtown.

The interior is simple and relatively clean. When we arrived, there were still many seats open, but closer to dinner time, the place was all packed.

Chicken Teriyaki Roll, Yam Roll, California Roll

I knew we were here for “good value” sushi so I wasn’t expecting much here given the lower prices. S chose a variety of his usual rolls and when the plates came we were surprised how large the portions were! He was beyond full at the end and it didn’t cost us much.

Spicy Combo (Spicy Tuna Roll and Spicy Chopped Scallop Roll) and Negitoro Roll

For myself, I chose their Spicy Combo and added a side of Negitoro Roll since I thought I would still be hungry… Guessed wrong since I could barely finish my plate. The chopped scallop roll had chopped scallop inside the roll but also piled on top. You could make two rolls with the amount of scallop they put… The only thing that I wasn’t fond of was that cheap spicy sauce they used. But I can’t complain given the prices I paid. The fish was also surprisingly quite fresh!

Overall, S and I left the restaurant happy that we had a good deal and were pleasantly full. Don’t expect authentic sushi here, but I found that the rolls were decently executed and fish appeared fresh. When I want cheap sushi without sacrificing too much quality, I’ll be returning to Momo!

Pros:
– Reasonable prices
– Large portions

Cons:
– Not your authentic Japanese restaurant
– Very busy during prime hours

Price Range: $10-15

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 3.5 Service: 2.5 Ambiance: 2 Parking: 2.5 Overall: 3

Bone Sushi

October 20, 2015Leave a comment

Tucked away at the corner of Empire Center next to a sex shop is Bone Sushi. It’s an odd location, so I’ve always kept it as an option in the back of my mind. They offer both eat in and take out and are operated by Chinese.

The interior is extremely colourful with pictures of their dishes plastered all over the walls. They are known for their creative rolls and many say they are decently priced for the quality of the sushi.

You can also enter Bone Sushi from the inside of the Empire Centre mall. Limited seating, but it wasn’t very busy during our visit as we went quite early. Still, we decided to just grab take out.

Beef Teriyaki Roll

Even though they are known for their creative rolls, S and I opted for the more typical stuff. S got the Beef Teriyaki Roll, which were decent sized and had a good amount of filling to rice ratio. He did find that the beef was a bit hard to chew for some.

Sushi Combo B + California Roll

S also got the California Roll which again was nicely made. I decided to go for Sushi Combo B which had a roll of Salmon and Tuna Maki as well as Tuna and Salmon Nigiris. I thought the sashimi was fresh and the rolls were constructed well. A decent price at $7.50 for my combo.

Overall, I wouldn’t mind coming here again for take out or even dine in. Service was pretty friendly too.

Pros:
– Fresh and well-constructed
– Reasonable price

Cons:
– Odd location

Price Range: $10-20

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 3 Service: 3 Ambiance: 3 Parking: 3 Overall: 3

Hashi Sushi

September 5, 2015September 4, 2015Leave a comment

I’m always up for trying out new sushi spots in Richmond, so since we were heading to East Richmond, I suggested we try Hashi Sushi. Located on Jacombs Road, it is hidden within all the offices around this area. I can imagine this being a great place to get take out if you work around here.

The interior is very clean and spacious. When we arrived, there weren’t many diners. It seems that many people don’t know about this spot.

Salmon, Toro, Octopus Nigiri, Chopped Scallop Roll, Negitoro Roll

I decided to order a few nigiris and rolls. The fish was very fresh and the nigiris were very well priced at under $2 for most. The rolls were decent and had a good amount of filling. I did find that the rice was a little hard for my liking.

Yam Tempura Roll, Beef Terriyaki Roll

S got the Yam Tempura Roll and Beef Teriyaki Roll. Rolls were a good size, but what we both realized was that the rolls were not rolled tight enough. Our fillings easily fell out since the seaweed wasn’t sealed properly.

Overall, I thought Hashi Sushi was average. The fish was fresh and prices were reasonable. Unfortunately, the execution of the sushi wasn’t as good since the rolls easily fell apart. Service is just average, but our tea cups were always filled. Not bad.

Pros:
– Reasonable prices
– Decent eats and fresh fish

Cons:
– Rolls fell apart really easily

Price Range: $10-15

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 2.5 Service: 2.5 Ambiance: 2.5 Parking: 3 Overall: 2.5

Sushi by Yuji

August 23, 2015August 25, 20153 Comments

Sushi by Yuji pictures have been showing up all over my Instagram, so I decided it was time to give it a try. Located on Kingsway between Victoria and Nanaimo, this little sushi shop is a hidden gem.

The place will fit probably only around 20 people and is run by chef Yuji himself and two waitresses. Simple, casual decor but not cramped. Service is a bit slow though because Yuji prepares basically everything by himself.

Seaweed Salad

We started off with some Seaweed Salad, which we were a bit disappointed with. Since we knew the place was supposed to be pretty authentic, we thought the seaweed salad wouldn’t be the ones that you get at the supermarket. Turns out it’s just that typical stuff. Flavourwise, it was well seasoned and the seaweed was crunchy.

Wild Sockeye Salmon Sashimi

For salmon sashimi, they only sell Wild Sockeye Salmon here, so we ordered it anyways and it came with 9 pieces of sashimi. This was cut nicely and the fish was very fresh. The size were a little on the smaller size though (I feel like this picture makes them appear larger).

Toro (Tuna Belly) Sashimi

We also got an order of the Toro Sashimi. This had 5 pieces and the tuna belly was extremely fatty and melted in your mouth. However, I was disappointed with some of the pieces since they weren’t cut properly. It was sort of like broken?

Toro (Tuna Belly) Nigiri

We also all had the Toro Nigiri which is a must order! Melt in your mouth sushi! So delicious! I also like how they already put wasabi inside. Oh and be sure to order this early, since most people will order this here. When we tried to put in a second order later in the evening, they were already sold out.

Tobiko with Egg, Negitoro with Egg x2, Negitoro Gunkan

What I really came here for were because I saw those pretty pictures of the gunkan. The Tobiko with Egg comes as your regular tobiko gunkan but topped with a raw quail egg. This tasted delicious! I remember trying this at another restaurant and not liking it, but I think it was because the quail egg wasn’t very fresh. This was completely different and absolutely delicious. Crunchy and creaminess in your mouth at the same time. The Negitoro with Egg is the same concept and was also delicious and a must order. If you are not a fan of the raw eggs, then you can get them without as well for 50 cents less.

Tobiko with Egg, Negitoro with Egg, Mentaiko with Ika Gunkan

We got a few more of those after but K also tried the Mentaiko with Ika, which was on their daily special board. Mentaiko is marinated roe from pollock and cod, so some may find it fishy while others enjoy it. I thought it was interesting that they paired it with squid. K said it was pretty good.

Chopped Scallop Gunkan

We all had the Chopped Scallop Gunkan, which had big juicy scallops and the mayonnaise sauce wasn’t too overwhelming.

Tako (Octopus), Hamachi (Yellow Tail) Nigiri

The Tako Nigiri came with a bit of marinade sauce and the octopus was extremely tender and fresh. One of the best I’ve had. E and my dad enjoyed their Hamachi Nigiri which they also commented as being very fresh.

Aji (Spanish Mackeral) Nigiri

E got the Aji Nigiri which had part of the skin attached to it but he didn’t mind it. It seemed like he quite enjoyed this as well.

Yuji Roll & Salmon Toro (Salmon Belly) Nigiri

I also got the Salmon Toro Nigiri, which the belly of the salmon. This was super smooth and creamy! I actually almost enjoyed this more than the regular salmon. We shared the Yuji Roll, which comes with a variety of fillings including tuna, salmon, and shrimp. Everyone enjoyed this roll.

House Roll

Last but not least, we finished off with the House Roll, which we ordered the full order. You can also get half an order. This again was filled with an assortment of fish. Although you know it’s probably the ends of the sashimi, it was still very fresh and perfect for those who love sashimi.

Dinner ends off with a complimentary bag of Pocky for each guest. How cute! Overall, I was extremely happy with Sushi by Yuji. If you love traditional nigiris and fresh sashimi, this is the place to be. They barely have any cooked items here though, so don’t be expecting any of that. You also won’t find any of those creative rolls with tons of sauces on. Prices are a bit higher than most Japanese restaurant but are on par with Japanese owned restaurants. You may end up spending a bit more since they don’t really have those filler dishes, but rather just mostly sushi. Although service was a bit slow, it was very friendly and Yuji even waved and thanked us as we left the restaurant. Small things like this makes a difference. I’ll be back again soon!

Pros:
– Fresh sashimi and well-executed sushi
– Reasonable prices for authentic Japanese food

Cons:
– Wait for food to arrive is a bit slow due to only one chef

Price Range: $20-30

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4.5 Service: 3 Ambiance: 2 Parking: 4 Overall: 4

Sushi House (revisit)

August 11, 2015August 10, 2015Leave a comment

Sushi House has been around for many years, and I realized the last time I visited and blogged about the restaurant was over 3 years ago! Looking for something quick to eat in Richmond, I suggested we give Sushi House a revisit.

Spicy Tuna Combo

I realized that they have some combos and they are quite well valued! My Spicy Tuna Combo was only $8.50 and consisted of the Spicy Tuna Roll, Negitoro Roll, Tuna, Salmon, and Ebi Nigiri.

All the rolls were pretty well executed and quite fresh.

Very reasonably priced for the amount of food I got. I was beyond full after finishing my plate.

California Roll, Dynamite Roll

S went for his favourite classics and got the California Roll and Dynamite Roll. He said they were well constructed and quite delicious.

Pros:
– Very reasonably priced
– Well constructed and fairly fresh sushi

Cons:
– Fairly small spot so can get packed quickly

Price Range: $10-15

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 3.5 Service: 3 Ambiance: 2.5 Parking: 3 Overall: 3

Masa Japanese Restaurant

August 8, 2015August 7, 20152 Comments

Kaneda closed down a few months ago, and everyone at work was pretty happy except for StevieD. When we found that the new restaurant, Masa, took over the spot, most of us were pretty skeptical about it since we thought that it would probably be the same management team. Since your restaurant choices at lunch start to limit after you’ve tried most of the ones around work, I suggested that we should go give it a try. StevieD and E joined me on this adventure. Masa is located above Mac’s convenience store and next to Joey’s on Broadway.

When we visited, it had literally opened for less than a week or so.

We immediately noticed some changes. They kept the section dividers, but it seems like they have done some renovation on the seats and decor. The cutlery has also all changed and it looked pretty upscale, with your own tray and all. Management has also changed to what seems like a Korean owner and staff. Goodbye to the weird old school music they used to play; they now play more upbeat music.

Sushi Course

The menu has also changed quite a lot, and we all noticed that the prices were much higher than the previous Kaneda. It’s not unreasonable, but you can tell that they are trying to be a more upscale Japanese restaurant. During lunch, they have their so called “lunch courses”. All lunch courses are served with miso soup, 3 side dishes and a “special deep fry”. My 3 side dishes and special deep fry never came, but at the time I wasn’t sure if mine came with it, so I didn’t want to make a nuisance. Looking back at the menu now, my course should have came with those dishes. Well, at least my Miso Soup came… This one had lots of kelp but no tofu.

Anyways, I chose the Sushi Course, and your first choice is between a Sunomono or Salad. I chose the Sunomono, which was nicely presented and had a slice of cucumber, cherry tomato, julienne carrots, and alfalfa. The second dish was a choice of tempura or yakitori. I chose the Yakitori and it turned out to be chicken. This was pretty good with two skewers with two big chunks of meat. Nothing too special with the sauce though

Chef Special Sushi 8 pcs Roll & Nigiri

And then the wait began… We soon realized that everyone’s sushi dishes were not arriving. It was already 45 minutes into our lunch, and we were getting impatient since we wanted to get back to work. They should know that most people coming in for lunch work around the area and need quick lunch services. Well, finally after letting our server know that our food still hasn’t come yet, our sushi arrived. Mine was part of my lunch course and it had 8 pieces. Four pieces were California Rolls and the other four pieces were nigiris that the chef chose to make. This included Salmon, Tuna, Ebi, and a Smoked Salmon Oshi. The fish was much more fresh compared to Kaneda, but it didn’t blow my mind. I would be happy eating at Sushi Van for a similar or cheaper price.

Chicken Yaki Udon

E got the Chicken Yaki Udon which came with vegetables and chicken. This was quite a large plate, but I thought it lacked in ingredients. From the looks of it, it looked like it didn’t have much sauce as well. Nonetheless, E said it was okay.

Tamago Roll

E also got the Tamago Roll. This also took 45 minutes to arrive. Seems like they only have one sushi chef? But seriously…this shouldn’t take long.

Best Top 3 Roll Combo

StevieD got the Best Top 3 Roll Combo. This included California Roll, Dynamite Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll. It was presented quite nicely and StevieD commented that they were pretty good, but he had to eat all of this in 15 minutes. He also commented that it was quite pricey for similar quality to Sushi Van.

Overall, we were quite disappointed with Masa. It’s not that the food was terrible, but it also wasn’t above average. I’m hoping that the slow service was because they just opened, but if they don’t figure that out, then they are going to have angry customers leaving. StevieD for one has already banned the restaurant it seems… I may give it another try in a few months, but with so many other options around town, it may not be for a while that I return.

Pros:
– Decent eats
– Ambiance has been upgraded compared to previous owners

Cons:
– Service was extremely slow (perhaps they just opened)
– Slightly pricey for the quality of food

Price Range: $10-20

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 2.5 Service: 2 Ambiance: 3 Parking: 3 Overall: 2.5

Every Day is a Food Day

Tag: Sushi

Sushi Mura

Taka’s Sushi

Momo Sushi (Robson)

Bone Sushi

Hashi Sushi

Sushi by Yuji

Sushi House (revisit)

Masa Japanese Restaurant