Episode #217: Satomi Sushi (2nd Visit)

Burnaby South, $$ (Moderately Priced)

After a surprisingly good experience at Kimu last time, Emperor Weng, Kyle and I decided to make a revisit and bring Eugene along with us. We had everything planned out, until all of a sudden, we discovered that it took an hour to transit from SFU to Kimu and that the restaurant closes at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays. Since Kyle and Eugene had evening classes and we wanted to stick with something affordable, we relocated our adventure to Satomi Sushi.

Satomi Sushi is quickly gaining notoriety as a budget-friendly authentic Japanese restaurant near Metrotown. Even at 8:30 p.m., our planned meeting time, the restaurant was still quite busy. Unfortunately for me, Kyle, Eugene, and the emperor experienced an internal GPS malfunction, and they left me sitting alone at my table for half an hour. During this time, one of the waitresses kept peering out the window, wondering where my mates were.

Aburi Tuna Toro Nigiri - A-

Having tried many of the more standard items during my previous visit, I scanned the specials on the walls for something more adventurous to get and came across the Aburi Tuna Toro Nigiri. It scored an A+ for presentation, and the tuna was juicy with a nice, smoky flavour. The fish-to-rice ratio was correct, and the sushi rice was not packed too tightly.

Uni Motoyaki - B+

One special I had never seen before at any restaurant was the Uni Motoyaki (baked sea urchin). The texture of the uni was akin to a cross between masago and pudding. The motoyaki was very savoury, and the addition of sliced onions gave it some zing and some crunch. It tasted slightly heavy, but if you like motoyaki in general, you'll most likely enjoy this one.

Foie Gras Sushi - B+

Next, to ensure that my bill was impressive, I went for the sautéed Foie Gras Sushi ($5). Although there was a bit too much rice, the foie gras had a light crispiness as well as the characteristic, smoky flavour of freshly seared foie gras.

Scat Aburi Roll - A-

Because I'm a fan of all things aburi, I chose the Scat Aburi Roll for my special roll. This roll consisted of prawn tempura and seared spicy scallop. The spicy mayonnaise brought this roll to life, and the crispy, meaty prawn tempura was an excellent contrast to the sweet chopped scallop on top. I was pleasantly surprised at how well-executed this roll was.

Unatama Roll - A-

Another surprisingly well-executed roll was the Unatama Roll, which came with unagi, tamago, and a drizzle of unagi sauce. Both the unagi and tamago were well prepared, and together, they gave the roll a really soft, cake-like texture. 

Takoyaki - A-

With still some stomach room left, I went for the Takoyaki. It was served hot and came with twice the amount of tako as a regular takoyaki. The pillowy interior was balanced nicely by the crispy exterior of each ball.

Even though we stayed a hair past closing time (10 p.m.), the servers were still reasonably accommodating. Both the consistency and quality of the food were better than during my last visit, and I was most pleased with how well the rolls were prepared. With so many specials items for me to try, a third visit might very well be in the plans!