Episode #127: Sushi House (Maple Ridge)

Maple Ridge, $$ (Moderately Priced)

Having an afternoon to spare, I decided to go on a sushi adventure with my dad rather than catch up in my classes. Neither of us had a restaurant in mind, so we just went around town randomly to see if we would pass by a seemingly good sushi restaurant that I had not reviewed yet. About half an hour into our trip, we passed by Sushi House and decided to dine there since we saw a police officer ordering takeout. Police officers must have refined taste buds, right?

The restaurant is not large, but there was a good assortment of items on the menu. Furthermore, the food appeared to be affordable, with the exception of the sashimi, which was slightly higher priced.

(menu - click to enlarge)

 Chicken Teriyaki - B

Of course, we ordered my dad's favourite food - Chicken Teriyaki. The chicken was moderately tender, albeit a touch dry. The chicken meat itself was of average quality. The addition of copious amounts of sesame oil helped to enhance flavours, and the steamed rice was above average. 

Miso Soup - C+

The Chicken Teriyaki came with a Miso Soup, which contained a good amount of green onions and tofu. Unfortunately, the Miso Soup was one of the saltiest I have ever encountered.

Wild Salmon Sashimi - A-

The Wild Sashimi was the only type of sashimi that did not appear to be higher priced to me. Sashimi is one of those foods where more expensive does not necessarily mean better (if it's cheaper, more people will order it, allowing the restaurant to get fresher supplies of fish). Here, the Wild Salmon Sashimi displayed neat cutting skills and was fresh. It also had a nice smooth texture.

Prawn Tempura - B

Yam Tempura - C-

The Appetizer Tempura contained two prawns and two pieces of yam, which made it easy for my dad and I to share, Oh wait, they threw in an extra piece of yam, making it three pieces of yam! The prawns were quite skinny but had a decent savoury flavour. The yam, on the other hand, was horrible. Why couldn't we get one more prawn instead? The batter was very thick and hard, and the yam itself was as thin as a potato chip. My teeth cried a little on the inside while trying to break it down.

Aburi Nigiri - C+

As Aburi sushi is one of my basic needs for survival, I ordered the Aburi Nigiri (seared tuna). Unfortunately, it wasn't very well executed as the searing was overdone, making the fish dry and rather tasteless.

Tiger Roll - B+

Since I was still as hungry as a tiger, I had the Tiger Roll all to myself (my dad is not the biggest fan of sushi rolls, so it worked out fine). This large roll came with seared eel, salmon, ebi, prawn tempura, salmon, crab meat, cucumber, and avocado. There was quite a bit of mayonnaise smothered over the roll, but it helped harmonize the flavours of the prawn tempura and the avocado. With regard to the toppings, the ebi was slightly chewy, the unagi was sweet but a bit bony, and the salmon was smooth and buttery. The spicy mayonnaise gave the roll a subtle spicy kick.

The restaurant was rather quiet, and for most of our meal, we were the only diners in the restaurant. However, the server was very nice and friendly during our visit. Food-wise, it is quite apparent that Sushi House's strength lies in raw fish and sushi rolls, not cooked food. Perhaps that's why the restaurant's name is Sushi House, not Cooked Food House.