tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71840189488127387512024-02-19T00:34:25.344-08:00Raymond's Sushi AdventuresRaymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-36206175926631326152018-04-30T21:08:00.003-07:002018-04-30T21:11:52.541-07:00Episode #241: Jiro Sushi & Ramen<i>Vancouver (Northeast), $$ (Moderately Priced)</i><br />
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Besides "Have you been to Tojo's?", one other question I get asked a lot is "Have you been to Jiro's sushi restaurant? The really famous one in Japan?" While trying Sukiyabashi Jiro is on my bucket list, I am quite the procrastinator when it comes to making travel plans. Reservations at Sukibayashi Jiro are typically made at least 6 months in advance. Unfortunately, by the time I confirmed my travel dates to Japan, there were less than 6 weeks before departure. Not only were seats at Sukiyabashi Jiro long gone, but so were the seats at pretty much every other Michelin-starred restaurant in Japan. Not wanting to give up my dreams of eating sushi, I looked around for a close substitute and found Jiro Sushi & Ramen.</div>
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Jiro Sushi & Ramen is a new Chinese-operated Japanese restaurant with a clean interior featuring marbled tables and slim wooden chairs. Opening the menu, I found a good assortment of special rolls and an array of moderately priced items. There were also some cheaper options in terms of rolls and nigiri.<br />
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<b>Kung Fu Roll - C+</b><br />
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One thing I lack in life is martial arts skills, so to make up for this deficiency, I went for the Kung Fu Roll, which consisted of spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, salmon, seared tuna, grilled veggies, tempura oba, onions, masago, and orange. With its bright gold and red colours, the roll looked perfect for a Chinese New Year celebration. The spicy tuna inside the roll was pleasantly soft, and the orange slices were juicy and sweet (even though they weren't really part of the roll). Unfortunately, the obnoxious amount of hot chili sauce obscured the flavours of virtually everything else, and the roll was quite rice-heavy.</div>
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<b>Tai Nigiri - B-</b><br />
<b>Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - B-</b><br />
<b>Toro Nigiri - B</b><br />
<b>Unagi Nigiri - B- </b><br />
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The Tai Nigiri was not too chewy, but not too flavourful either. The Sockeye Salmon Nigiri came with moderately fresh sockeye salmon, while the Toro Nigiri was soft and neatly constructed. The Unagi Nigiri, at $1.45 a piece, was the cheapest unagi nigiri I have come across in all of Greater Vancouver. It fared alright, though the thin cut dampened its impact. The sushi rice was also quite tightly packed and prevented me from enjoying the softer textures of the toppings.<br />
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<b>Chicken & Scallop Teriyaki - B+</b><br />
<b>Tempura - B+</b><br />
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The Chicken & Scallop Teriyaki came with an option to add $2 for a few pieces of tempura. The teriyaki was the best-executed dish of the whole dinner, with juicy chicken and sweet scallops. If anything, the scallops could've been a little less well done. The tempura came with 2 prawns and 3 pieces of sweet potato. The batter could've used a little more crispiness, but the tempura was rich in flavour. The frying oil used to prepare the tempura was not overused.</div>
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The service during my visit was adequately friendly. However, my overall impression of the restaurant was that nothing truly stood out. Although there were no absolute blunders, my dinner lacked a dish enticing enough for me to come back for more. If I were looking for budget sushi, there are also cheaper options in the area. Will Jiro Sushi & Ramen find a way to captivate hearts like the famed Sukiyabashi Jiro in Japan?</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/jiro-sushi-ramen-hastings-sunrise-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Jiro Sushi & Ramen, Hastings-Sunrise and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Jiro Sushi & Ramen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18530743/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-25091755451927617432018-03-29T14:22:00.000-07:002018-03-29T14:22:32.074-07:00Episode #240: Sushia<i>Burnaby North, $$ (Moderately Priced)</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.sushiarestaurant.com/" target="_blank">www.sushiarestaurant.com</a></i><br />
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Even though I don't TA at SFU anymore, I've still continued the tradition of bringing sushi trays into my office every so often and sharing them with my office mates. Just to keep things interesting, I try not to bring the same trays over and over again, but there are only so many places that are close enough to SFU that the sushi doesn't get cold on the ride there.<br />
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Production Station is only a 10-minute bus ride from SFU, but the previous sushi restaurant at the station, Sushi Kaku, was so dead and uninviting that I had second thoughts about going in. For the record, I don't have second thoughts about bussing home from a party at 3 a.m. from one side of GVRD to the other, so that says much about the restaurant. The new sushi restaurant at Production Station, Sushia, looks a lot more inviting, and I strolled in to see if it was a worthy candidate for my party tray adventures at the office.<br />
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Sushia is a Chinese-operated restaurant that seats about 25. The prices were rather reasonable, and business appeared to be healthy, with a steady stream of take-out orders and eat-in diners. The menu is quite large for a restaurant of this size, with a good assortment of appetizers, special rolls, rice/noodle bowls, nigiri, sashimi, and the new, trendy favourite—oshi sushi.</div>
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<b>Ocean Roll - B-</b></div>
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The Ocean Roll consisted of prawn tempura, cucumber, avocado, imitation crab meat, and tobiko. It came in small but neatly constructed pieces, and the sauces (spicy mayo and unagi sauce) provided ample flavour to the roll despite the roll being slightly rice-heavy. The tempura batter, however, was really hard, and the rice vinegar was too strong, interfering with the sweetness of the imitation crab meat on top.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Salmon Sashimi - B+</b></div>
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<b>Tuna Sashimi - C+</b></div>
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<b>Tai Sashimi - A-</b></div>
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The Appetizer Sashimi, which came with 2 pieces of salmon, 2 pieces of tuna, and 1 piece of tai, was also presented neatly, with a small salad underneath. The salmon was pleasantly buttery and smooth, and the tai (snapper) was fresh with a delectable, sweet flavour. I also liked how the tai was not tough at all. However, I did not like the tuna, which was not soft at all and inexplicably dry. <b> </b></div>
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<b>Unagi Oshi - B-</b></div>
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I wanted to try the Toro Oshi, but since they ran out of toro, I opted for the Unagi Oshi instead, which was the lunch special of the day (a $2 discount off the regular price). I was initially puzzled as to why there would be a random slice of lemon on my plate, but as soon as I bit into the oshi, I could see why. The unagi was overdone (with some burnt parts), and the lemon was required to give the unagi its necessary juiciness. At least the rice was not too tightly packed, and the creamy avocado inside prevented the rice from feeling too dry.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Amaebi Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Hotate Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Saba Nigiri - C</b></div>
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The Amaebi Nigiri did not disappoint, with deliciously sweet and creamy shrimp that had a light chew and a good rebound. The Hotate Nigiri (scallop) was moderately fresh, with a slight overage of rice underneath. However, the one piece that really disappointed was the Saba Nigiri, which was so dry and salty that it might as well have been labelled Dried Anchovy Nigiri. <b> </b></div>
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I experienced friendly service during my visit, but the food was very hit and miss. They are able to stock fresh seafood and have some appealing menu items, but the consistency will have to improve before this restaurant can attract the vast population of students commuting to SFU. In the meantime, I'm sticking with my top picks on Hastings (Take, Kilala, and Osaka) for my party trays.<br />
<br />Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-56810964455994453682018-03-20T17:19:00.001-07:002018-03-20T17:19:48.014-07:00Episode #239: Sushi Bar 5517<i>Sechelt, $$$ (Higher Priced)</i><br />
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It turns out that going to Sunshine Coast is not a sure-fire way to evade Metro Vancouver's heat waves. After a short uphill hike from the coast to Sunnycrest Mall, I felt like a penguin dying of dehydration in a hot desert. Maybe I'm just not as fit as I should be. Either way, I ended up engaging in the one sport you can keep doing without getting hot—swimming—in order to burn off some of the calories from lunch.<br />
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Located in the core of Sechelt, Sushi Bar 5517 is a Korean-operated sushi restaurant peculiarly named after its street number. Whereas Sushi Bar Nagomi has an attractive interior, Sushi Bar 5517 has an attractive exterior and looks like it would fit perfectly in a ski resort. The menu is a modern one with creative appetizers and an abundance of special rolls that have spicy mayonnaise in them.<br />
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<b>Tuna Goma-ae - A</b></div>
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Having had an excellent tuna poke dish at Sushi Bar Nagomi, I decided to order something similar at Sushi Bar 5517—the Tuna Goma-ae. The fact that sake was listed as one of the ingredients made it all the more attractive to me. Although the sake was only very faintly noticeable, this goma-ae did not disappoint. The tuna was very fresh, and the soy sauce dressing had a slight but appealing tanginess.</div>
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<b>Toro Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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<b>Unagi Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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<b>Amaebi Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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The rice in the nigiri was packed a little too tightly, but overall, the nigiri was still decent. The toro was moderately soft and had a nice creamy flavour. The unagi (eel) was soft and smoky and came in a generous cut. The Amaebi Nigiri (spot prawn) was a little weak in flavour due to an overage of rice, but the prawn had an enjoyable light chew.</div>
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<b>Lollipop Scallop - B</b></div>
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One appetizer that looked particularly interesting on the menu was the Lollipop Scallop, which consisted of deep-fried scallop wrapped in zucchini and eggplant with spicy mayonnaise. The very juicy vegetables were the best part of this dish. However, the dish needed a bit more teriyaki sauce, and the scallops were overdone. If they replaced the scallop with more zucchini, this might have been an excellent Lollipop Zucchini dish.</div>
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<b>Tornado Roll - A-</b></div>
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The Tornado Roll came with 2 tempura prawns, avocado, cucumber, tuna, salmon, sweet spicy mayonnaise, and BBQ sauce. This was a small but neatly constructed roll. Excellent soft tuna and pleasantly sweet sockeye salmon complemented the crispy tempura prawns inside. The sauces were a bit on the sweeter side, but the conservative drizzle of spicy mayonnaise did not overwhelm any of the flavours.</div>
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Overall, the food was enjoyable, and the prices were reasonable given the food quality and the location of the restaurant. However, the service was rather poor. My tea was not refilled at any point during my visit, and when I got up to pay the bill and leave, the waitress just looked at me without saying anything. I felt unwanted and unwelcome at the restaurant. It is too bad that the service ruined what would otherwise have been a solid experience at Sushi Bar 5517.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/sechelt-bc/sushi-bar-5517-sechelt" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Sushi Bar 5517, Sechelt and other Restaurants in Sechelt"><img alt="Sushi Bar 5517 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16645981/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-65919565830433253502018-03-13T12:13:00.001-07:002018-03-13T12:13:36.762-07:00Episode #238: Sushi Bar Nagomi<i>Gibsons, $$$$ (Luxury)</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.sushibarnagomi.com/" target="_blank">www.sushibarnagomi.com</a></i><br />
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While a four-hour bus ride to the east can take me to Harrison Hot Springs, a four-hour bus ride to the west can take me to Sunshine Coast, a perfect destination when hot weather is in the forecast. Wanting to save my appetite, I left the house early in the morning without having eaten breakfast, hoping to grab my first bite at Sushi Bar Nagomi.<br />
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However, a stalled vehicle delaying my ferry by over an hour was not exactly part of my itinerary. By the time the ferry actually departed, I had already explored every nook and cranny of it. I wasn't that hungry, but I was so bored that I decided to order a Pirate Pak from the White Spot onboard since I had never had one before. Trying to be polite, I actually asked them, "are adults allowed to order Pirate Paks?" Yes, I heard a few chuckles around me, and yes, I resorted to food for entertainment.<br />
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Just over five hours after I left home, I finally arrived at Sushi Bar Nagomi, a quaint sushi restaurant built inside a house in downtown Gibsons. Run by a Japanese chef (Chef Hiro), the restaurant served a mainly traditional Japanese menu with mainly nigiri, sashimi, donburi, teishoku sets, sushi rolls, and appetizers, among other things.<br />
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The restaurant's name, Nagomi, has two meanings in Japanese: authentic taste and cozy. It easily fulfilled both of these. I wanted to take my time at the restaurant, but because of the delayed ferry, I arrived only 45 minutes before they closed at the end of lunch service. I hastily picked a few things from the menu and made sure not to order so much that I'd be keeping the staff behind due to my slow eating and blogging process.</div>
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<b>Sesame Tuna Poke - A+</b></div>
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The Sesame Tuna Poke came in a surprisingly small portion considering that it was $9.50. However, it was also so surprisingly well-executed that I would have paid double the price for it. The diced, marinated tuna was extremely fresh and soft, and the wasabi mayonnaise applied in conservative amounts gave it the perfect amount of kick. Complementing the excellent smooth finish of the tuna was a small helping of fresh, creamy avocado. A tangy, refreshing light soy sauce brought all the ingredients together and made this one of the best appetizers I have ever had.</div>
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<b>Hiroll - B</b></div>
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Named after Chef Hiro, the Hiroll consisted of wild salmon, bay scallops, a tempura prawn, avocado and mayonnaise all wrapped in a soy sheet. The soy sheet provided an egg-like flavour with a fluffy texture. The ingredients were fresh and were a delight when eaten individually, but flavours were getting lost in the mix. I couldn't actually taste the tempura prawn without taking the roll apart.</div>
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<b>Saba Nigiri - A</b></div>
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<b>Wild Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Toro Nigiri - A</b></div>
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The nigiri, for the most part, beat my expectations. The Saba Nigiri was soft and not too salty, and the rice was well made and flavoured. The salmon exhibited some flawed cutting and did not taste as fresh as the other pieces. However, the Toro Nigiri was very creamy and buttery and was soft enough to melt in my mouth.</div>
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Overall, I highly enjoyed my rather short experience at Sushi Bar Nagomi. The service was very friendly, and they did their best not to rush me even though it was time for them to close up. Most of the food was very well-prepared, and Sushi Bar Nagomi stacks up to the authentic places I've been to in Metro Vancouver. I will most likely make a return visit the next time I come to Sunshine Coast to escape the hot weather.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/gibsons-bc/sushi-bar-nagomi-gibsons" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Sushi Bar Nagomi, Gibsons and other Restaurants in Gibsons"><img alt="Sushi Bar Nagomi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16645789/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-66793457309224478732018-02-13T06:12:00.000-08:002018-02-13T06:12:00.182-08:00Episode #237: Sushi Fu<i>Port Coquitlam, $ (Budget)</i><br />
<i><a href="https://www.sushifu.ca/" target="_blank">www.sushifu.ca</a></i><br />
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One restaurant in Port Coquitlam I have wanted to visit for a long time is Sushi K Kamizato. My dad and I visit Port Coquitlam for leisurely purposes every so often, sometimes to try out new sushi restaurants. Unfortunately, my dad works most evenings, and Sushi K Kamizato is only open for evenings. In order to satisfy my Aburi cravings on this particular occasion, we went to Sushi Fu, one of the newest additions to Port Coquitlam's constantly evolving sushi scene.<br />
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Sushi Fu is Chinese-operated and features a large, budget-friendly menu with a special that allows diners to choose 3 items (from a select list) + a bowl of miso soup for $8.50. The interior was cleanly and comfortably decorated for the most part, except for the oddly coloured walls, which were green enough for me to camouflage some wasabi without anyone noticing. Don't worry, I'm more well-behaved than that.<br />
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<b>Salmon Sashimi - A-</b></div>
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<b>Tai Sashimi - B+</b></div>
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<b>Tuna Sashimi - A</b></div>
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Starting off with the Appetizer Sashimi, the salmon was soft and buttery with an excellent smooth texture. The tai was slightly tough but came with ample flavour. The tuna was the freshest, with a wonderful soft texture and a rich, non-fishy flavour.</div>
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<b>Appetizer Tempura - B</b></div>
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The Appetizer Tempura came with two prawns and one piece each of sweet potato, carrot, and yam. The batter was average and a bit heavy in places. The prawns were juicy though a bit thin, and the vegetables retained good flavour and moisture. </div>
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<b>Seared Salmon Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Seared Toro Nigiri - A</b></div>
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<b>Seared Saba Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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The seared nigiri was surprisingly well-executed. A thin layer of mayonnaise applied to each piece of nigiri really helped bring out a smoky flavour, and this was supported by a sprinkle of aromatic sesame seeds. I highly enjoyed the freshness of the salmon and the very juicy toro. The saba, besides being cut a bit too thick, was also deliciously juicy. This was one of the dishes that would make me alter my response to "excellent" instead of just "good" when asked how my food is.</div>
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<b>Hawawii Roll - B</b></div>
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Since my eyes tend to gravitate towards oddly spelled things on a menu, I naturally went for the Hawawii Roll. Perhaps they were trying to replicate the very relaxing experience of playing on a Wii in Hawaii in a sushi roll rather than making a typo (although really, who actually does that on vacation?). This roll, with prawn tempura, cucumber, avocado, imitation crab, mango and fish roe, came in large, neatly constructed pieces. The roll was visually appealing, although I thought the sweetness of the mango sauce wasn't a good pairing for the savoury prawn tempura. The prawn, however, was meaty and delicious.</div>
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Overall, I was more than satisfied with my visit to Sushi Fu, especially given the affordable pricing. The service was also very friendly during my visit. If it weren't for the fact that Port Coquitlam isn't the most convenient for me to transit to, I can see this being a place I would visit regularly.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/sushi-fu-port-coquitlam" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Sushi Fu, Port Coquitlam and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Sushi Fu Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18445315/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-43157537585736390992018-02-06T21:41:00.000-08:002018-02-06T21:43:20.492-08:00Episode #236: Kitami Japanese Restaurant<i>Harrison Hot Springs, $$$ (Higher Priced)</i><br />
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After having lunch at Yukiya Sushi, I decided it was time for some exercise in order to burn off some of those calories. By exercise, I meant going to a hot springs pool and doing absolutely nothing for an entire hour. That moment was perhaps the healthiest I felt the entire month. By the time I got out of the pool, I felt like I had burned enough calories to resume my eating adventures once again.<br />
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Just a few steps from the core of Harrison Hot Springs is Kitami Japanese Restaurant, serving diners who wish to have sushi in a slightly more refined setting. However, the restaurant had about as much life as an abandoned mine shaft. All the private rooms were closed off, and it took almost two minutes before someone even noticed that I had walked into the dining area.<br />
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The menu was not expansive but featured most of the typical traditional Japanese dishes. The combos helped to offset the higher prices. I would soon learn that the portion sizes were quite big too, as the waitress showed genuine concern when I placed my order, which consisted of only a bowl of udon and a sushi combo.</div>
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<b>Ebi Tempura Udon - B</b></div>
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The Ebi Tempura Udon came in a large bowl with two large prawns and some appropriately firm udon noodles. The prawns had a good snap, but they did not taste particularly fresh and were coated rather heavily with batter.<br />
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<b>Moriawase (Assorted Nigiri)</b></div>
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To keep the bill reasonable, I went for the Moriawase combo, which came with 7 pieces of nigiri, a tuna roll, and a bowl of miso soup.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Miso Soup - B+</b></div>
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The Miso Soup came with the usual green onions and a unique mix of radish and carrot. This was good for enhancing the flavour of the soup, but I thought they could've lightened up a bit on the radish and carrot so that we can enjoy the soup itself more.</div>
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<b>Ebi Nigiri - C</b></div>
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<b>Unagi Nigiri - B+ </b></div>
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The Ebi Nigiri tasted strangely sour and came with too much wasabi. I guess the moral of the story is... avoid Ebi Nigiri in Harrison Hot Springs! The Unagi Nigiri, on the other hand, had a pleasantly soft texture and came with rice that was not packed too tightly, although slightly dry.</div>
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<b>Tuna Roll - B+</b></div>
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The Tuna Roll was neatly constructed and came with wasabi inside. The tuna had a soft texture, though it was weak in flavour. This is $5 if ordered separately.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Tuna Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - B</b></div>
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<b>Tako Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Hokkigai Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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<b>Tobiko Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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Onto the top row, the Tuna Nigiri was soft but came with mushy rice. The Sockeye Salmon Nigiri had an interesting smoked salmon flavour, while the Tako Nigiri was rather chewy. The plum sauce on the tako and the wasabi inside created a strange mix of flavours. The Hokkigai Nigiri surprisingly came with two thin pieces of hokkigai, which worked to produce a rich sweetness, while the Tobiko Nigiri was perfectly bite-sized with an enjoyable bubbly texture. </div>
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I found the service friendlier at Yukiya Sushi, although the quality of the food between the two restaurants was similar. With slightly higher prices at Yukiya Sushi, I cannot definitively say which is the better choice out of the two restaurants. However, I can say that both meals were very filling, and I had to do slightly more exercise the next day to burn off those calories. Well, "slightly more" just meant actually walking around instead of sitting in a tub. </div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/harrison-hot-springs-bc/kitami-japanese-restaurant-harrison-hot-springs" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Kitami Japanese Restaurant, Harrison Hot Springs and other Restaurants in Harrison Hot Springs"><img alt="Kitami Japanese Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16645321/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-55784436044848602502018-02-02T03:37:00.002-08:002018-02-02T03:37:59.548-08:00Episode #235: Yukiya Sushi<i>Harrison Hot Springs, $$$$ (Luxury)</i><br />
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What do I do on a fine, sunny day with no commitments? Bussing to faraway places has always been one of my favourite pastimes, so I took the opportunity to research the farthest eastward I can bus and still make it back home on the same day. It turns out that I can bus all the way to Harrison Hot Springs. 4.5 hours of travel time to get there? No problem. Well, except for the fact that I used my phone so much along the way that I ended up at Harrison Hot Springs with 5% left on the battery... whoops.<br />
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Harrison Hot Springs is home to two sushi restaurants: Yukiya Sushi and Kitami Japanese Restaurant. Yukiya is the more casual of the two, with basic wooden tables and a mix of folding and non-folding chairs. I heard both Chinese and Korean spoken among the staff.<br />
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Fortunately, the staff were very friendly, and they made every effort to replenish my phone battery. With that, I no longer had to worry about relying on my camera for the time and the sun for the direction. I enjoyed the gorgeous view of the mountains behind Harrison Lake as I waited for my food to arrive.<br />
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<b>Dragon Roll - B-</b></div>
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First to come was the Dragon Roll, which featured prawn tempura, imitation crab meat, BBQ eel, and avocado. At $19, this was quite expensive by Vancouver standards, but in Harrison Hot Springs, your choices for sushi are limited. The prawn tempura was pleasantly crispy, and the imitation crab meat had a nice sweetness to it. However, the avocado was not sufficiently ripe, and the unagi was not as smoky and soft as it should've been. The vinegar on the sushi rice was slightly heavy.</div>
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<b>Chicken Teriyaki & Sashimi Bento</b></div>
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I did not expect the Chicken Teriyaki & Sashimi Bento ($19) to be particularly filling, and nothing could've prepared me for how the sashimi was presented. Never would I have expected an overflowing salad stuffed with what looked like a million different pieces of sashimi. This might have been more aptly named the Chicken Teriyaki & Giant Sashimi Salad Bento.<br />
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<b>Salad - C+</b></div>
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The Salad was a cabbage-based salad with a few slices of carrot inside. It was dressed with a sweet and tangy apple vinaigrette. Better flavour pairings were possible, as the acidity of the vinaigrette made it taste like something had gone bad.<br />
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<b>Chicken Teriyaki - B+</b></div>
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The Chicken Teriyaki was spiced and tender, and the black pepper sprinkled on the rice made it more flavourful. The chicken tasted like it came out of a western restaurant rather than a Japanese one, but it was decently prepared nonetheless.</div>
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<b>Gyoza - B-</b></div>
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The two pieces of Gyoza were served at an appropriately hot temperature and primarily filled with cabbage and pork. The interior was very juicy but a tad mushy. Meanwhile, the exterior had sufficient crispiness, but parts of it tasted floury. </div>
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<b>Scallop Sashimi - B+</b></div>
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<b>Tai Sashimi - A-</b></div>
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<b>Hokkigai Sashimi - B-</b></div>
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<b>Tuna Sashimi - B</b></div>
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<b>Salmon Sashimi - A-</b></div>
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<b>Ebi Sashimi - C</b></div>
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The Sashimi was assorted in terms of both variety and levels of freshness. At the top of the freshness scale was the tai (snapper), which was surprisingly soft with a delicious sweet flavour, and the salmon, which was vibrantly fresh and buttery. At the bottom was the ebi, which was rather dry and flavourless.</div>
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Overall, my experience was not far from what I had expected. The food quality was not great, but I suppose it was passable. Prices were very high compared to what can be found in Vancouver, but that applies to most of Harrison Hot Springs due to higher transportation costs and lower competition.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/harrison-hot-springs-bc/yukiya-sushi-harrison-hot-springs" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Yukiya Sushi, Harrison Hot Springs and other Restaurants in Harrison Hot Springs"><img alt="Yukiya Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16646835/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-56450800985570802902018-01-20T06:25:00.001-08:002018-01-22T05:18:33.955-08:00Episode #234: Hon Sushi<i>Burnaby South, $$ (Moderately Priced)</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.honsushibc.com/" target="_blank">www.honsushibc.com</a></i><br />
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For the longest time, I did not have any data on my phone. While this meant rejuvenating, undisturbed naps on the bus and $15/month phone bills, there were also some drawbacks. I sometimes had to rely on the power of luck and random guessing to locate things, and meeting up with friends I had forgotten to get the numbers of sometimes turned into a nightmare. However, what really brought things to light was this one time I went to a restaurant with no Wi-Fi to enjoy some XLBs with my family when all of a sudden, I opened Snapchat to see an hourglass next to a three-digit streak. My world was about to fall apart.<br />
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I immediately dropped the XLB I was holding, ran out to the street, and then stood outside each restaurant to see if it had free Wi-Fi I could borrow for just one minute. Pedestrians were watching me with concerned looks on their faces. Fortunately, I managed to save said streak, and after a few awkward moments with my parents, I finished my dinner in peace. To prevent this from ever happening again, I went to Metrotown, got a data plan, and proceeded to nearby Hon Sushi to celebrate my victory against the no-data life.<br />
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Hon Sushi is a large Korean-Japanese fusion restaurant located on Kingsway near Old Orchard Shopping Centre. The dining room was not the only thing that was large. The menu was so big that it took me a good 10 minutes just to read through it. There were 3 pages of Korean dishes, and they even served the large Korean hot plates with toppings along the circumference of the plate (the kind found at Ta Bom).<br />
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<b>Takoyaki - A</b></div>
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My lunch started off with a very delicious serving of Takoyaki (octopus balls). The balls were not very large, but they were soft and pillowy with an excellent crispy exterior. Inside each ball was a flavourful piece of octopus with just the right amount of chew. On top were well-balanced drizzles of sweet takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise.</div>
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<b>Chopped Scallop Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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<b>Unagi Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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<b>Tuna Nigiri - B</b></div>
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<b>Salmon Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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The rice in the Chopped Scallop Nigiri was a bit too tightly packed and under-flavoured (as with the rest of the nigiri), but the sweet scallop on top tasted fresh. The unagi had a smoky flavour and was amply dressed, while the tuna exhibited a decent soft texture. The salmon was pleasantly buttery and fresh.</div>
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<b>Aburi Tuna Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Aburi Salmon Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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The Aburi Tuna Nigiri lacked flavour and was a little over-seared. The rice here needed more flavour as well. However, the Aburi Salmon Nigiri had a delicious, smoky flavour, and the juiciness of the salmon was preserved through the searing.</div>
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<b>Angel Roll - C</b></div>
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Hoping to end my meal with a heavenly roll, I chose the Angel Roll, which came with tempura prawn, imitation crab, scallop, cucumber, avocado, and cheese. The concept was promising, but the execution was flawed. The scallops were over-seared (and thus hard), while the crab meat ended up being mushy. The mushy crab meat was paired with mushy rice. The cheese was not melted into the roll properly, and the scallops kept falling off the roll. It was as if an angel constructed the roll after consuming 24 shots of vodka. The only thing this roll had going for it was the prawn tempura... after being pulled apart from the roll.</div>
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Service was not a problem during my visit, but the sushi rice clearly needed improvement. The one item that I had without any sushi rice (the Takoyaki) was very well executed. I did not try any of the Korean menu items, but perhaps (and hopefully) they are a little more angelic than the Japanese dishes.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/hon-sushi-1-south-burnaby-burnaby" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Hon Sushi, South Burnaby and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Hon Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18217598/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-67239552798383652502018-01-15T09:24:00.000-08:002018-01-31T08:09:34.173-08:00Episode #233: Mika Sushi<i>Coquitlam, $$ (Moderately Priced)</i><br />
<i><a href="https://mymikasushi.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">www.mymikasushi.wordpress.com</a></i><br />
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Many of the restaurants on Austin Ave. in Coquitlam fall under one of two categories: extremely crowded with frequent lineups or barely alive. I've seen, on many occasions, cases where two restaurants with lineups of over an hour each surround a restaurant that is barely a quarter occupied.<br />
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Recently, Mika Sushi replaced the second location of Nao Sushi, whose main location in Burnaby is popular for its authentic Japanese dishes. Nao's Coquitlam branch was firmly in the first category when it opened, but it wasn't long before the hype died and empty tables abounded (my guess would be consistency issues, which I experienced in both locations). After a bout of cost-cutting measures and rude service (based on online reviews), Nao's Coquitlam branch closed its doors, and Mika Sushi took over.<br />
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Mika Sushi is Korean-operated but retains many elements of Nao Sushi. The signage features the same colours, and both the menu and the interior decor are virtually the same. They even retained Nao Sushi's lack of customers. The atmosphere was rather quiet when I stepped in. However, with Katie as my dining partner, there is no such thing as peace and quiet.<br />
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<b>Wild Sockeye Salmon Sashimi - B+</b></div>
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We started dinner off with Katie's favourite Japanese food—sockeye salmon sashimi. Although the cutting was a little sloppy (and strange), the salmon tasted fresh. That being said, the texture of the salmon could've been smoother.<br />
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<b>Aji Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Engawa Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Seared Toro Nigiri - A</b></div>
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Next up was a appealingly presented plate of nigiri. The Aji Nigiri (horse mackerel) came with a slight overdose of green onion, but was smooth and fresh. The rice was packed appropriately. The Engawa Nigiri (flounder fin) also had an excellent smooth texture and a mild but discernible sweet flavour. Interestingly, they thought that one piece of flounder fin per nigiri was not enough value, so they stacked two pieces on top of each other. The Seared Toro Nigiri, one of Nao Sushi's best items, turned out excellently here as well. It was juicy and seared just the right amount.</div>
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<b>Dragon Roll - A-</b></div>
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Another hit of the night was the Dragon Roll, an eel roll topped with avocado. The eel was pleasantly soft and savoury, and the avocado was dressed with a creamy mixture of wasabi mayo and unagi sauce. The sweet flavours complemented each other. The roll was a bit rice heavy, but this was barely noticeable because there was sufficient flavour.<br />
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<b>Atlantic Roll - B-</b></div>
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Our other roll was the Atlantic Roll, which came with avocado, masago, salmon, and a citrus-based vinaigrette. The avocado inside was appropriately soft and creamy. However, this time, the roll was noticeably rice-heavy, and the vinaigrette on top was much too acidic to work with the rest of the roll.<br />
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<b>Chicken Teriyaki - B</b></div>
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For our filler, we had the Chicken Teriyaki, which was initially savoury with a nice thin layer of crispy chicken skin. However, there was too much teriyaki sauce, and it wasn't long before things started to turn soggy. Some pieces of chicken were noticeably tougher than others.</div>
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We experienced friendly service throughout our visit. The food was modestly priced, but not cheap enough to attract diners based on just value (Mika Sushi is surrounded by budget-friendly restaurants). Like Nao Sushi in its prime days, the nigiri was solid, with the other food a little less consistent. Although Mika Sushi is decent overall, it will have to offer more in order to become a restaurant people will line up for.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/restaurants/coquitlam/coquitlam/mika-sushi-16709868" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Mika Sushi, Coquitlam and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Mika Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16709868/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-63700061182183343272018-01-11T04:16:00.000-08:002018-01-11T06:19:41.484-08:00Episode #232: Yui Japanese Bistro<i>Vancouver (West End), $$ (Moderately Priced)</i><br />
<i><a href="http://eatatyui.com/" target="_blank">www.eatatyui.com</a></i><br />
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Aburi sushi made by former chefs from Miku and Minami? For cheaper prices? Yes, please!<br />
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Ever since I first tasted Miku's Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi more than 6 years ago (holy crap, I'm getting old), I've been looking for other places where I can also enjoy good Aburi sushi accompanied by less hefty price tags. After all, I'm not a small eater, and a trip to Miku means at least $80 out the wallet before I'm somewhat full. Yui seemed like the perfect place when I wasn't feeling quite as fancy. I got the help of Vancouver foodie Jeanne (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pop.of.rouge/" target="_blank">@popofrouge</a>) to try out their lunch service.<br />
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Situated among a sea of office towers, the Chinese-operated Yui was expectedly busy during lunch on a weekday. The only spots available for us were at the sushi bar, right in front of the Aburi station. What an excellent view! Well, for everyone except me.<br />
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Normally, food enthusiasts highly enjoy sitting where they can observe, eat the food as soon as it's made, and engage in friendly conversation with the chef. However, my brain is literally wired to do only one thing at a time. If I try to take notes and talk at the same time, I will actually start spewing out gibberish. Thankfully, I think the chef clued in and focussed on making his sushi instead.<br />
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<b>Chicken Chashu - A-</b></div>
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The Chicken Chashu looked like an interesting way to start my lunch. It came with soft-stew free-range chicken, accompanied by amakuchi (sweet) soy sauce and a side of grain mustard. The chicken was sliced somewhat like pork chashu but in much thicker pieces. It was lightly grilled, very tender, and savoury with help from the sweet soy.</div>
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<b>Aburi Ebi Oshi - A-</b></div>
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Closely mirroring Miku's version, the Aburi Ebi Oshi ($11) was dressed with lime zest and creamy oshi sauce. It had a vibrant citrusy tint and a good amount of creaminess, but tasted slightly rice-heavy. </div>
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<b>Aburi Saba Oshi - A-</b></div>
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The Aburi Saba Oshi ($11) came with miso oshi sauce and a light sprinkling of seaweed. The saba was not excessively salty, and the miso sauce helped generate a delicious, savoury flavour. However, I thought that the saba itself could've been seared a little less, which would give it a softer texture.<br />
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<b>Yui Plate</b></div>
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Next, I went for the lunch plate that contained the greatest variety, which happened to be the Yui Plate. At $11, it's not a bang for the buck, but it's a relatively cost-effective way to sample the highlights at Yui.</div>
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<b>Aburi Tuna Nigiri - A</b></div>
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<b>Aburi Ebi Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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<b>Aburi Salmon Oshi - A</b></div>
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The Aburi Tuna Nigiri was delightfully fresh with a soft texture. The miso glaze and scallions were a perfect complement to the tuna. The Aburi Ebi Nigiri was dressed with a dab of pesto sauce and could have used a little more moisture. The Aburi Salmon Oshi was delectably creamy with an excellent smoky flavour. The jalapeño slices would work even better if they were thinner.</div>
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<b>Dynamite Roll - B+</b></div>
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The roll that accompanied the Yui Plate was the Dynamite Roll. The sweet imitation crab meat went well with the creamy avocado. The prawn tempura was crispy, but the batter was hard in places. </div>
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Overall, we had an enjoyable experience at Yui. We experienced no problems with the service. The food isn't exactly Miku, but it comes reasonably close given the lower prices. The difference was mainly in the sushi rice, where Miku's has a smoother texture and is more flavourful. In either case, Yui works as a good casual alternative to Miku for a quick meal... unless it's so busy that a line-up starts to form.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/yui-japanese-bistro-coal-harbour-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Yui Japanese Bistro, Coal Harbour and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Yui Japanese Bistro Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18501055/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-56389248531251010352017-10-21T05:03:00.000-07:002017-10-21T05:03:27.644-07:00Episode #231: Ebisu on Broadway<i>Vancouver (Northwest), $$$ (Higher Priced)</i><br />
<a href="http://www.ebisu.ca/broadway/" target="_blank"><i>www.ebisu.ca/broadway</i></a><br />
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There are two things I love about Ebisu: sushi boats and relatively cheap drinks. Ebisu's ability to accommodate large groups and its extensive menu (with items in different price ranges) makes it perfect for larger gatherings. Since my own home is not exactly fit for partying in, I frequently refer to the two Vancouver Ebisu locations as my party homes.<br />
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To celebrate the end of another exciting semester of TAing, I held an end-of-semester sushi adventure with fellow TAs Angus, Anya, Chris, Jeff and Maria. We were only able to make it for lunch, so we kept the relatively cheap drinks to a minimum. Most importantly, I had to ensure that I wasn't giving everything an A+. We focussed on enjoying our appetizers, rolls, and boats.<br />
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<b>Miso Soup - A-</b></div>
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My first item to arrive was the Miso Soup from my BBQ Unagi & Roll Boat. The Miso Soup contained tofu, green onion, and seaweed. It was light and well-balanced.<br />
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<b>BBQ Unagi & Roll Boat</b></div>
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The BBQ Unagi & Roll Boat came with two half rolls, a small unagi don, chicken karaage, assorted tempura, and two orange slices. For $13.95, the value was certainly there.</div>
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<b>Dynamite Roll - B+</b></div>
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A combination of crunchy prawn tempura, crunchy cucumber, and sweet creamy mayonnaise made the Dynamite Roll a delight. The pieces were also a good size.</div>
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<b>California Roll - B</b></div>
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The California Roll was standard fare. The avocado slices were on the larger side, and the imitation crab was sufficiently sweet.<br />
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<b>Unagi Don - A-</b></div>
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The Unagi Don comes with three pieces of soft unagi, which had an aromatic smokiness. The seaweed on top provided extra flavour to the don and complemented the steamed rice.<br />
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<b>Chicken Karaage - B+</b></div>
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The Chicken Karaage came with tender, crispy chicken. However, I thought that some spices would help liven up the flavour.<br />
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<b>Assorted Tempura - B+</b></div>
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Next up, the Assorted Tempura came with two prawns and one piece each of kabocha, yam and carrot. The prawns were meaty, juicy, and crispy, though slightly oily. The kabocha was slightly mushy, while the yam and carrot were a good balance of sweet and savoury flavours.<br />
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<b>Orange Slices - C</b></div>
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The only real flop of the boat was the Orange Slices. Cut into small, easily manageable pieces, the Orange Slices were juicy, but they were some of the sourest orange slices I have ever had. They may as well have been lemon slices. (Yes, I did write down notes on my orange slices, and yes, everyone was eagerly waiting for this moment.)<br />
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Besides the sushi boats, one other great deal on the lunch menu was the 3 for $12.99 lunch special, where you can choose 3 items from a select list of around 50 items (plus a miso soup, steamed rice, or soft drink) for just $12.99. Since my appetite does not wake up until late afternoon, I opted for just one item from the list (for $4.99).<br />
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<b>BC Blazer (half order) - A-</b></div>
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Among the most deluxe items featured in the special was the BC Blazer, a roll with seared salmon, bonito flakes, and green onion on top of a California roll. This is a roll I would come to order again on subsequent visits. Overall, the roll had a rich, creamy, sweet flavour and was a pleasant amalgamation of soft textures. The green onion and bonito flakes on top of the roll provided a small amount of crunch for textural contrast.<br />
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<b>Salad - B+</b> </div>
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Somehow, in the midst of my note-taking, I ended up jacking someone's Salad to try myself. With copious amounts of vinaigrette dressing, the lettuce-based Salad was delectably creamy and savoury.<br />
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<b>Mentaiko Yaki Udon - A</b></div>
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The Mentaiko Yaki Udon was a hidden gem in the menu that I would probably never have come across had Chris not offered to split it with me. The rich, savoury udon noodles had just the right amount of firmness, while a mildly detectable spiciness brings the dish to life. The creamy roe has a pleasant bubbly texture and works wonderfully against the udon noodles. The best part of this yakiudon is how it doesn't have the charred, greasy flavour of most yakiudon dishes but still packs plenty of flavour.</div>
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Overall, the staff was friendly and accommodating. Unlike the Robson location, which can get pricey during prime dinner hours, the Broadway location offers reasonably price food at any hour of the day. There are lunch specials, happy hour specials, and dinner boats that are a good deal if you have at least two people in your group and can eat a fair amount. The drinks are also slightly cheaper at the Broadway location. That being said, the Robson location has its own advantages too (to be discussed in a future episode).</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/ebisu-fairview-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Ebisu, Fairview and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Ebisu Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16617710/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-36046151485122160572017-10-05T05:48:00.002-07:002017-10-05T06:00:03.146-07:00Episode #230: Richmond Sushi<i>Richmond, $$$ (Higher Priced)</i><br />
<a href="http://topgungroup.com/restaurants/richmond-sushi/" target="_blank"><i>www.topgungroup.com/restaurants/richmond-sushi</i></a><br />
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My first experience with Richmond Sushi was when Patrick invited me and 16 of his other friends to a huge all-you-can-eat (AYCE) dinner. The main objective of the dinner was to have a showdown between Patrick and I to see who could eat more. Needless to say, with all the socializing and record-keeping going on, the environment was not very conducive for blogging. However, after dying from the amount of food I ate at the dinner, I decided that dying just once wasn't manly enough, so I went back, the very next day, to try as many items as I could and die a second time.<br />
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Richmond Sushi is a very large but busy Japanese restaurant located in Union Square (slightly north of Aberdeen Centre). It is said to be one of the best Japanese AYCE restaurants in Greater Vancouver. Their menu is extensive compared to other Japanese AYCE restaurants. As such, they have a slightly higher price point ($26.95 for the regular dinner menu), though not as high as Shabusen and Kyo, which also serve Korean BBQ. To maximize the number of items I could try, I went for the deluxe AYCE dinner ($37.95).<br />
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<b>Gomaae - B-</b></div>
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<b>Ebi Sunomono - B-</b></div>
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To start my meal healthily with some veggies, I went for the Gomaae and the Ebi Sunomono. The Gomaae came with thick peanut sauce, which I thought could've been more evenly spread. A light touch of savouriness was mixed in with the sweetness. The Ebi Sunomono was strong and acidic and came with a single somewhat sweet shrimp. </div>
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<b>Beef Tataki - C+</b></div>
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The Beef Tataki was cut into super thin slices and dressed in ponzu sauce. The beef had little flavour, which was drowned out by the ponzu sauce. </div>
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<b>Sockeye Salmon Sashimi - B-</b></div>
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<b>Hamachi Sashimi - B+</b></div>
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<b>Tuna Sashimi - B-</b></div>
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<b>Hokkigai Sashimi - B-</b></div>
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<b>Salmon Sashimi - B</b></div>
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<b>Tai Sashimi - B</b></div>
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<b>Geoduck Sashimi - B</b></div>
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<b>Amaebi Sashimi - B</b></div>
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There was a consistently moderate level of freshness across the sashimi. The best piece in my little sashimi platter was the hamachi, which was smooth, very soft, and not fishy. However, the tuna itself was slightly fishy and cut a little too thick, while the hokkigai lacked flavour. The Atlantic salmon was soft and marbly, though also a bit weak in flavour.</div>
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<b>Tuna Tataki - C+</b></div>
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<b>Sockeye Salmon Tataki - B-</b></div>
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The light ponzu sauce used to accompany the tataki did not overwhelm it. I enjoyed the soft textures of the fish, although there was a lack of seared flavour.</div>
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<b>Inari Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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<b>Atlantic Salmon Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Torched Salmon Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Unagi Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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The bean curd in the Inari Nigiri was delectably sweet, with sufficient moisture inside the bean curd pocket. For the other pieces of nigiri, the rice was quite sticky and packed a little too tightly. The Atlantic salmon here had the same pleasant marbly texture as the Atlantic Salmon Sashimi above. The Torched Salmon Nigiri lacked a torched flavour, while with the Unagi Nigiri, there was way too much rice given the amount of unagi provided.</div>
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<b>Lobster Delight - B+</b></div>
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<b>Tuna Chop Chop - B</b></div>
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<b>XO Tuna - B+</b></div>
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<b>Scallop Pearl - B</b></div>
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Going along with the tradition of turning every imaginable food into sushi, Richmond Sushi serves an assortment of sushi sundaes. If you've ever wondered what a sushi roll would taste like with 10 times the usual amount of filling, this is it. The results were not disappointing. The sweet imitation lobster in the Lobster Delight was delightfully creamy and soft and was a good complement to the kappa roll at the bottom. The Tuna Chop Chop and the Scallop Pearl were slightly weak in flavour, while the XO Tuna was quite spicy.</div>
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<b>Salmon Avocado Roll - B</b></div>
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<b>Top Gun Roll - B</b></div>
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<b>Dynamite Roll - C+</b></div>
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The Salmon Avocado Roll came with cream cheese and resembled a Philadelphia roll. The creamy textures of the salmon, the avocado, and the cream cheese worked together. The Top Gun Roll (lettuce, cucumber, tempura bits, imitation crab) was also decent. Enhanced by a light drizzle of teriyaki sauce, the crunchy textures of the lettuce and tempura bits were a good contrast to the softer, sweeter imitation crab. The Dynamite Roll was sloppily constructed and a tad dry.</div>
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<b>Salmon Tempura - B-</b></div>
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<b>Prawn Tempura - B+</b></div>
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<b>Yam Tempura - B+</b></div>
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The tempura generally exhibited good moisture preservation. However, some sauce or seasoning would've been nice for the Salmon Tempura, which tasted rather plain. The Prawn Tempura was wonderfully crispy and juicy. Interestingly, the Prawn Tempura was an entire letter grade better than the Prawn Tempura I had with Patrick the previous night (does bringing a notebook help?). The Yam Tempura was slightly greasy, but the thinly sliced yam was deliciously sweet.</div>
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<b>Spring Roll - B-</b></div>
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<b>Deep Fried Shrimp Bomb - A-</b></div>
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<b>Fried Scallop - B-</b></div>
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<b>Chicken Karaage - B+</b></div>
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Continuing down the fried region of the menu, the Spring Roll was crunchy, though the filling was nearly identical to that of a Chinese dumpling. The Deep Fried Shrimp Bomb was indeed bomb, and the sweet chili sauce brought it to life. The bombs lose their crispiness quite quickly, so it is wise to consume them quickly. The Fried Scallop contained sufficient moisture, but much of the sweetness of the scallop was lost in the frying process. The Chicken Karaage was juicy and garnished with an appropriate amount of spices.</div>
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<b>Black Cod - B</b></div>
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<b>Salmon Belly - B+</b></div>
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<b>Chicken Drumstick - B</b></div>
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The Black Cod was sweet with a gingery touch, though it could've been a little softer with more of a grilled flavour. The random bit of cod on top was an interesting garnish. The Salmon Belly reminded me of BBQ Salmon Kama—creamy and juicy with a delicious smoked flavour. The Chicken Drumstick was quite standard fare. It was sufficiently moist, but slightly plain.<br />
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<b>Chicken Brochette - C+</b></div>
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<b>Beef Short Rib - C+</b></div>
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One common mistake seen in many Japanese AYCE restaurants is overcooking the grilled food. Here, both the Chicken Brochette and the Beef Short Rib were overcooked and ended up quite chewy. However, the Beef Short Rib had a decent smoky flavour.<br />
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<b>Oyster Motoyaki - C+</b></div>
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<b>Seafood Motoyaki - B-</b></div>
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The oyster in the Oyster Motoyaki was quite juicy, but the mayonnaise was quite heavy. The motoyaki ended up very oily in general. The Seafood Motoyaki consisted of mainly salmon (chopped and soft in texture) and ebi. The herbs sprinkled on top alleviate the heavy feel of the motoyaki somewhat. </div>
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<b>Flaming Lava Chicken - B-</b></div>
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<b>New York Steak on Skewer - B-</b></div>
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The Flaming Lava Chicken was dressed in ketchup and turned out a lot less spicy than expected. The chicken meat could've been smoother in texture. The New York Steak on Skewer was lightly spiced, and despite its thick appearance, it wasn't too tough to chew.</div>
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<b>Chicken Udon - C+</b></div>
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<b>Seafood Fried Rice - C</b></div>
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<b>Vegetable Yakisoba - C</b></div>
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After trying the 40 items above, it was time to conclude my feast in style with 3 fillers. Unfortunately, the fillers were not very well-prepared, which made the task of finishing them all the more challenging. In the Chicken Udon, the noodles were too soft, and the chicken was slightly soggy. The Seafood Fried Rice tasted more like Bland Sticky Rice, and the scallops and shrimp were overdone. The Vegetable Yakisoba was dry and also tasted dreadfully plain. The one saving grace here was that all of the fillers came in small, manageable portions.</div>
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<b>Coconut Pudding - B</b></div>
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<b>Mango Pudding - B+</b></div>
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Finally, the pudding came in neat, square-shaped cuts. The Coconut Pudding had a pleasantly sweet flavour, though it felt slightly powdery around the edges. The Mango Pudding was the better tasting of the two, with an easily discernible mango flavour. Despite the appearance of bits of jelly inside, the "jelly" had exactly the same texture as the pudding itself.</div>
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I enjoyed friendly, timely service during my visit, although during my dinner with Patrick, it was apparent that tables that order large quantities receive less service. This was not preventable given the number of people we had. Overall, I found the food generally above the standard for Japanese AYCE restaurants in Vancouver. Although the food was not exactly first-class, Richmond Sushi is one of the restaurants I would recommend if you must have AYCE sushi in Greater Vancouver.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/richmond-sushi-central-richmond" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Richmond Sushi, Central Richmond and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Richmond Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16618256/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-13907418978268238002017-09-20T05:27:00.000-07:002017-09-20T05:27:07.573-07:00Episode #229: Hong Sushi<i>Burnaby North, $ (Budget)</i><br />
<i><a href="http://hongsushi.ca/index.html" target="_blank">www.hongsushi.ca</a></i><br />
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The first restaurant that I ventured to after I had become bored of SFU's campus food was Sushi Town. At that time, I was aware that Hong Sushi was even closer to campus than Sushi Town. However, I ended up going to Sushi Town because it seemed the more popular of the two, and more importantly, I was too lazy to cross the street prior to eating. Hong Sushi ended up in my list of restaurants I wanted to try but forgot to, until Jeff from my office mentioned how he used to regularly order their very cheap and filling combo: 18 pieces of sushi + miso soup for just $6.95 (now $7.95).<br />
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Thus, the two of us went to Hong Sushi during one of our lunch breaks to try out their $6.95 combo among other things. Hong Sushi is Chinese-operated, and although it is rather small in physical space, its menu is not small at all. There were enough appetizers and special rolls to give me a hard time deciding how to construct my ultimate tasting experience.<br />
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One notable thing about Hong Sushi is that they serve everything on foam dishes, which complements their budget-friendly focus. Another notable thing about the restaurant is that you order using tablets (there's one at each table). Given the low volume of dine-in customers, I'm not sure if the tablets really contribute to improving the restaurant's efficiency. However, they are great if you find human interaction terrifying and are mortally afraid of actually having to talk to a server.<br />
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<b>Salmon Roll - B</b></div>
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<b>California Roll - B+</b></div>
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<b>Yam Roll - B</b></div>
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The $6.95 combo comes with a Salmon Roll, a California Roll, a Yam Roll, and a bowl of miso soup (not pictured). The rolls turned out better than I had expected. The California Roll featured sweet imitation crab, while the lightly fried tempura yam in the Yam Roll had a decent amount of crispiness. The Salmon Roll came with fresh, buttery salmon, although we thought the sushi rice could have been a little more flavourful. All three rolls were neatly constructed and came in rather large portions. </div>
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<b>Salmon Sashimi - A-</b></div>
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<b>Toro Sashimi - B-</b></div>
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Next up, the Salmon Sashimi was creamy and buttery and came in neatly cut, generous slices. I also liked how the pieces were not too thickly sliced. The toro did not fare as well, as it was slightly fishy and not especially melty. </div>
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<b>Appetizer Tempura - B</b></div>
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The Appetizer Tempura came with one prawn and one piece each of kabocha, zucchini, sweet potato, and carrot. Some of the vegetable tempura was well-prepared and turned out savoury and juicy. However, the batter tended to be quite thick.<br />
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<b>Scorpion Roll - B+</b></div>
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Next, we had the Scorpion Roll, a massive roll with deep-fried prawn, spicy tuna, salmon, cucumber, imitation crab meat, soft shell crab tempura, and masago. Despite their colossal size, the individual pieces actually held together quite well. The soft shell crab was remarkably well-prepared and contributed a nice crispiness to the roll. The spicy zing from the spicy tuna also went well with the other savoury ingredients in the roll.<br />
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<b>Chopped Scallop Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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<b>Unagi Nigiri - B</b></div>
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<b>Saba Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Tai Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Hotate Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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After our large roll, I was presented with some rather large nigiri. The nigiri were more about size than quality. The sushi rice was dry and too tightly packed. However, some of the toppings were decent. The chopped scallop had a pleasant, creamy sweetness, while the unagi was soft and dressed with ample sweet unagi sauce. The saba was too salty and not smooth in texture, while the tai and hotate lacked flavour. </div>
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The service was very minimal, as the server seemed to expect us to interact with the tablets more than himself. However, the food was decent given the budget prices. Hong Sushi is not a place I would frequent, but it is a place I can fall back on if I ever felt the need for a change of taste from the other budget sushi restaurants on Hastings. </div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/hong-sushi-north-burnaby" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Hong Sushi, North Burnaby and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Hong Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16619563/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-67925780743500401492017-08-31T05:34:00.000-07:002017-08-31T05:34:32.200-07:00Episode #228: Sushi Hub<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Vancouver (Southwest), $$ (Moderately Priced)</i></div>
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I probably would have never found out about Sushi Hub had they not followed me on Instagram. Located on one of the less busier parts of Main Street, the restaurant makes it quite obvious that its feature dish is Aburi sushi. As soon as I returned the follow, half of my Instagram feed was filled with delicious-looking photos of fusion sushi from Sushi Hub. I took this as a sign that Instagram was persuading me to try the restaurant and got Tamsen to join me for lunch. </div>
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The restaurant is not very large, but the dining area appeared clean and in order. I suppose word about this restaurant had not really spread, as it was not packed even during peak lunch hours. As such, we had a comfortable amount of room at our table.<br />
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<b>Miso Soup - A-</b></div>
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Since we ordered an Aburi Box, we were entitled to one miso soup. However, they were nice enough to give us two. Served hot, the Miso Soup came with green onion and bean curd and was well-balanced.</div>
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<b>Edamame - B+</b></div>
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The daily special that came with the Aburi Box was a small serving of edamame. These were salted and tasted fresh with sufficient moisture.</div>
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<b>Salmon Sashimi - A-</b></div>
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<b>Tuna Sashimi - B+</b></div>
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Next up, the Salmon Sashimi was buttery and creamy with a pleasantly smooth texture. The slices were not particularly large, but the cutting was on point. The Tuna Sashimi was very soft and refreshing.</div>
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<b>Aburi Box</b></div>
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There was some peculiar pricing going on, as the Aburi Box ($11.50), which contained 3 pieces of Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi, cost less than an order of 6 pieces of Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi ($12.50). Since it was lunch time, it didn't make much sense to get an order of Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi, so we opted for the Aburi Box.<br />
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<b>Salad - B-</b></div>
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The Salad was comprised of mixed greens and came with rather little vinaigrette. Although this made the Salad slightly too dry, perhaps this was a good thing because the vinaigrette was oddly salty.<br />
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<b>Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi - B</b></div>
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The main feature, the Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi, came with thinly sliced pieces of seared salmon, which were graced with huge, honking slices of jalapeño. Although the seared salmon had a nice smoky flavour, the jalapeño was quite overpowering and brought death and havoc to our poor tongues. I also found the oshi slightly rice-heavy.</div>
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<b>Teriyaki Beef - B+</b></div>
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The Teriyaki Beef was sweet and helped bring our tongues back to life. The beef was tender, though sliced thickly in some places. The steamed rice underneath was well-prepared.</div>
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<b>Tempura - B+</b></div>
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With a light layer of crispy batter, the Tempura was one of the better items in the box. There were 2 juicy prawns along with 3 small pieces of yam. The prawns were excellent, though the yam could have used a little more moisture.</div>
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<b>Volcano Hub - B+</b></div>
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Of course, our visit wouldn't be complete without trying one of the hubs (their code name for special rolls). I wanted to go for the Barbie Hub (for obvious reasons), but I couldn't convince Tamsen that having asparagus in a roll works if done right, so we went for the Volcano Hub instead. With crab meat, avocado, chopped scallop, spicy mayonnaise, and sweet sauce, the Volcano Hub came with some really soft scallops. The roll was quite sweet with a delectable, cheesy layer on top.<br />
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Overall, the service was reasonably friendly, and the food was reasonably consistent. However, the food didn't exactly have the wow factor suggested by the restaurant's Instagram photos. With average prices and slightly above average food, Sushi Hub would have to do more to perfect its Aburi sushi before attracting crowds.<br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/sushi-hub-riley-park-little-mountain-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Sushi Hub, Riley Park & Little Mountain and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Sushi Hub Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16628371/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-7989912045070707362017-07-28T04:16:00.001-07:002017-07-28T04:26:43.470-07:00Episode #227: Sushi Mania<i>Vancouver (Northeast), $ (Budget)</i><br />
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I am usually quite good with numbers, but recently, that hasn't been the case. This time, not only did I miscalculate the amount of time it would take for me to get to Sushi Mania on Main St., but I also bussed down to 32nd Ave. instead of 23rd Ave. Getting stuck in a traffic jam did not exactly help. After doing a few facepalms, I had to frantically speed walk to the restaurant so that I would not miss any sushi photo opportunities. I ended up being 30 minutes late to my own dinner, but thankfully, Gee, Pat, and Jaden were patient enough, and none of the food landed on the table yet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERa6oPLo6tskE89EDFLleAEI5gunEf5e3mUL6Dd32BWhYJ12wM6WQ4PrvhVGMJr1KBxhevkEwJv4VOdD-yQrkNAqzLLxEDcEw-KK1RtlRVf9eH1i2To3eU6I0b_PYNSarL_gwDGldMEGF/s1600/IMG_2486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERa6oPLo6tskE89EDFLleAEI5gunEf5e3mUL6Dd32BWhYJ12wM6WQ4PrvhVGMJr1KBxhevkEwJv4VOdD-yQrkNAqzLLxEDcEw-KK1RtlRVf9eH1i2To3eU6I0b_PYNSarL_gwDGldMEGF/s400/IMG_2486.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sushi Mania has a reputation for being affordable and decent as well as having a good variety of dishes. Indeed, we found many intriguing appetizers and special rolls, and much of the food that whizzed by us looked appealing. However, we agreed to keep the dinner light, as dinners with me are almost always followed by a visit to a dessert shop. The restaurant was quite busy, and we found the seating a little tight, but bearable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTE7y_zxBiQ9k5WAXYcFUKJEH_WWyYOb9kLrgoLwoYLf2zUbx4_LS1lMhfbfa_z4Km-mRM9Zp_7FShcSwovfBcbFSyLqd7fwiZqDNIpwAFE50eHlcU66YaTiImD15M6mNHrBck8Js4k3sM/s1600/IMG_2487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="1600" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTE7y_zxBiQ9k5WAXYcFUKJEH_WWyYOb9kLrgoLwoYLf2zUbx4_LS1lMhfbfa_z4Km-mRM9Zp_7FShcSwovfBcbFSyLqd7fwiZqDNIpwAFE50eHlcU66YaTiImD15M6mNHrBck8Js4k3sM/s400/IMG_2487.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Spicy Salmon Nuggets - A</b></div>
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After having a very good version of this from Ki Isu, I was looking forward to trying the same dish here. These delectable salmon nuggets were no disappointment. The salmon inside was very juicy, and the batter had just the right amount of crispiness. The spicy mayonnaise complemented the nuggets without overwhelming them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZEg8CJURGymcC7J9piExJC24o-cJ7kRpa7rGOHRSv5IoAx3yLGHZ-OdVXMfvvKmJXe1xfBlSjTrkC04wrnQHyooJ_6f3OaHeLKvqj2fKFNZaF27HJN7FKKt6v0AwyhlIEWzI5shEoTVg/s1600/IMG_2490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZEg8CJURGymcC7J9piExJC24o-cJ7kRpa7rGOHRSv5IoAx3yLGHZ-OdVXMfvvKmJXe1xfBlSjTrkC04wrnQHyooJ_6f3OaHeLKvqj2fKFNZaF27HJN7FKKt6v0AwyhlIEWzI5shEoTVg/s400/IMG_2490.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Sushi Pizza - A-</b></div>
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Next, we had the Sushi Pizza, which came with salmon, tuna, crab meat, and avocado. The fish was fresh with smooth, appealing textures, while the crispy rice at the bottom was not hard. We also enjoyed the sweet imitation crab, but thought there could have been a bit more of it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnewmHo3IxPaTHxYw3o6LkZbLPWgTFuMolngC5fwLKruJkPZ6clk41qxOFQzbqDm_7dgThUtalmzPtWXpW9IiMeBK8TCEvEybG0NRDRX-YId2_aWEPW4oN11AConPss2tbxZc8ExP0EIw/s1600/IMG_2492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnewmHo3IxPaTHxYw3o6LkZbLPWgTFuMolngC5fwLKruJkPZ6clk41qxOFQzbqDm_7dgThUtalmzPtWXpW9IiMeBK8TCEvEybG0NRDRX-YId2_aWEPW4oN11AConPss2tbxZc8ExP0EIw/s400/IMG_2492.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Crunchy Munchy Roll - B</b></div>
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While we were musing over the menu, one of us spotted something very cool-looking, and we were determined to order it before we even fully knew what it was. This turned out to be the Crunchy Munchy Roll, with spicy tuna, cucumber, and yam tempura bits. There wasn't a lot of spicy tuna, so the tuna provided little flavour to the roll. What produced most of the flavour were the yam tempura bits on top. These were crunchy and went well with the accompanying drizzle of spicy mayonnaise.</div>
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<b>Black Dragon Roll - A-</b></div>
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Our next roll of choice was the Black Dragon Roll, which came with crab meat, avocado, cucumber, and seared unagi. The roll came in small pieces, but was neatly constructed. The searing of the unagi created a wonderful smokiness, which was easily the highlight of the roll.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_17YU2C6dmyrshlfqjw0uzWBFqbR66ogZ5tnGEWE3bkgi9tfDIvkkfny2iRWICar-TTcNcsZC11JrfXqhkmy4XkXRxSBucNi_MyDTmDl-nCqXPH-L2wlFY-0d5-rtXhlQS9YZH6n5NHOg/s1600/IMG_2498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_17YU2C6dmyrshlfqjw0uzWBFqbR66ogZ5tnGEWE3bkgi9tfDIvkkfny2iRWICar-TTcNcsZC11JrfXqhkmy4XkXRxSBucNi_MyDTmDl-nCqXPH-L2wlFY-0d5-rtXhlQS9YZH6n5NHOg/s400/IMG_2498.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Mania Roll - A-</b></div>
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The Mania Roll consisted of crab meat, avocado, cucumber, and seared chopped scallop. Once again small but neatly constructed, this roll came with excellently seared scallops. The soft textures of the scallop and the sweet crab meat were a delight.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgep5fN-arZo1sr8i8N136QEGUg6yRn8mC8qzrHMr_hZjy-zZtyb6n2q80z4FDLxDpN1mjZJIe8z9ygIZlo6QS1c_FgHlu337pX2FXRunc-oSZkMi9U7dusA_wS-UdF_7pdeqXQbkRKGXTs/s1600/IMG_2504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1600" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgep5fN-arZo1sr8i8N136QEGUg6yRn8mC8qzrHMr_hZjy-zZtyb6n2q80z4FDLxDpN1mjZJIe8z9ygIZlo6QS1c_FgHlu337pX2FXRunc-oSZkMi9U7dusA_wS-UdF_7pdeqXQbkRKGXTs/s400/IMG_2504.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Hokkigai Sashimi - A-</b></div>
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<b>Salmon Sashimi - B+</b></div>
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<b>Saba Sashimi - B-</b></div>
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<b>Tuna Sashimi - B</b></div>
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<b>Tai Sashimi - B+</b></div>
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<b>Tako Sashimi - B</b></div>
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For some odd reason, our Assorted Sashimi arrived towards the end of our meal. The hokkigai tasted the freshest and had a nice sweet flavour. The salmon and tai also tasted fresh. The tuna and tako were slightly less fresh, and the saba was rather chewy and salty.</div>
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Even though the restaurant was packed the whole time we were there, we received friendly service. Most of the food exceeded our expectations, especially after considering the price. If this place was a little more convenient to bus to from SFU, I would be a regular. </div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/sushi-mania-riley-park-little-mountain" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Sushi Mania, Riley Park & Little Mountain and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Sushi Mania Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16626690/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-51476036891103037042017-07-17T23:58:00.003-07:002017-07-18T00:03:35.796-07:00Episode #226: Kimu Japanese Cuisine (2nd Visit)<i>Vancouver (Southeast), $ (Budget)</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.kimucuisine.com/" target="_blank">www.kimucuisine.com</a></i><br />
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Every semester, I try to organize a sushi meet-up so the TAs in my office can meet and get to know each other. This time, however, my attempts to organize were more or less a fail. Despite drawing a huge availability schedule that spanned our chalkboard and personally bugging each TA to fill out the schedule, more than half of the TAs ended up cancelling hours before the dinner for various reasons. Somehow, 15 confirmed guests became 7, and plus-ones almost outnumbered TAs that actually share the office with me. Nonetheless, the dinner went on with Andrea, Angus, Anya, Ashton, Patrick, and Sean in attendance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7ckm6IbnrnKDWkmIIbxLUH30Ai2Bh5TMevJe9FAODp8PlZhNOEGzFIhXZPdrhvMudP48CEWQrRaelctO2wlTnClPIYdOAyTN5ZCukZGvmuEHrGB56II84TWGVMTdDE2jTFdswMb0rRHo/s1600/IMG_2468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7ckm6IbnrnKDWkmIIbxLUH30Ai2Bh5TMevJe9FAODp8PlZhNOEGzFIhXZPdrhvMudP48CEWQrRaelctO2wlTnClPIYdOAyTN5ZCukZGvmuEHrGB56II84TWGVMTdDE2jTFdswMb0rRHo/s400/IMG_2468.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Even though the restaurant still displays a "Grand Opening" sign, it has actually been open for many months. It has been gaining popularity, and now, it is one of my go-to places for casual group dinners. Their menu features a great assortment of fusion dishes, most of which are Instagram-worthy.<br />
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As is usual for dinners with me, no ordering took place until around 45 minutes after we had sat down at our table, by which point the restaurant began to get busy and the service became sparse. We placed all our orders at the same time, but for some reason, my food came way later than anyone else's.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlTKbAlQ2mq0NA8aOc6x4CV_gcAw0JMcrtYjgwj9msvCCC1EPSIhKXzEGpKOdWNoDElPGuo-ET71VqQX-eCkUWZqPJEAOOW8Xq1Z59dD5d88rLizPaijA_llLuZw0neh2fmciwyxDec-g/s1600/IMG_2470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlTKbAlQ2mq0NA8aOc6x4CV_gcAw0JMcrtYjgwj9msvCCC1EPSIhKXzEGpKOdWNoDElPGuo-ET71VqQX-eCkUWZqPJEAOOW8Xq1Z59dD5d88rLizPaijA_llLuZw0neh2fmciwyxDec-g/s400/IMG_2470.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Belly King Roll - B+</b></div>
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After awkwardly staring at my friends enjoying their food for a very long time (some of them were already finished), my Belly King Roll finally arrived. This roll came with avocado, negitoro, seared sake toro (salmon belly), jalapeño, capers, garlic chips, balsamic reduction, and pesto olive sauce. Despite its small size, the roll was very successful texture-wise, especially with the smooth and soft seared salmon. I thought the salmon could've used a bit more smokiness though.<br />
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<b>Spicy Crunch Roll - B+</b></div>
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Since Sean was with us, we got the obligatory Spicy Crunch Roll. A deep-fried California roll topped with spicy tuna, tobiko, tempura flakes, spicy house sauce, and BBQ sauce, the Spicy Crunch Roll packed a lot of flavour, and it was nice that the batter was not too hard. The spicy tuna had a delectable, soft texture, but it was slightly overwhelmed by the aggressive use of chili sauce.<br />
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<b>Beef Gomae - B</b></div>
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Next, I had the Beef Gomae simply because I'd never seen the dish at any other restaurant before. It was essentially beef sashimi accompanied by gomae. The beef was tender and went well with the sweet gomae sauce, but the tangy ponzu sauce on the bottom complemented neither the beef nor the gomae. I had to let the ponzu sauce drip down before each bite.<br />
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<b>Rainbow Sushi Pizza - B+</b></div>
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In honour of one of our guests, who really likes colourful things, I ordered the Rainbow Sushi Pizza, which came with crab meat, salmon, tuna, ebi, hamachi, tai, unagi, tobiko, BBQ eel, and wasabi mayonnaise. The crispy layer of rice at the bottom was slightly overdone, but the mixture of creamy sauces and smooth cuts of fish worked well. The tai and unagi were the highlights among the seafood.<br />
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<b>Hamachi Toro Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Madai Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Shima-Aji Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Uni Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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Ordering my nigiri turned out to be quite laughable for my entire table because they had run out of most of the more expensive types of nigiri. After having my order rejected again and again (feels bad), I finally ended up with the nigiri above. The nigiri was fresh and came in generous cuts. The delicate sweetness of the shima-aji and the smooth texture of the madai were highlights. There wasn't a lot of uni in the Uni Nigiri, but it still had a nice, creamy texture.</div>
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While the service was a little sparse as we came at prime dinner time on a Saturday, it was at least friendly. Once again, I enjoyed the innovation and the consistency in execution. I can foresee more adventures to Kimu, as there are still many creative dishes that I haven't tried yet, such as the Dontoro Bites, the Volcano Eggplant Seafood Yaki, and the Honeymoon Roll. Okay, maybe that last one will have to wait...<br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/kimu-japanese-cuisine-renfrew-collingwood-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about KIMU Japanese Cuisine, Renfrew-Collingwood and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="KIMU Japanese Cuisine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18377365/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-90513980122790115772017-07-14T20:02:00.000-07:002017-07-14T20:18:42.541-07:00Episode #225: Sushi Den<i>Vancouver (Downtown), $ (Budget)</i><br />
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While waiting for our movie to start, Puzzlefighter and I were in Chinatown looking for Japanese eats. Puzzlefighter likes fancy nigiri even more than I do, but when we eat together, we always end up ordering insane amounts of food. One time, the two of us went to MYST and ended up paying more than $90 for dinner. I literally have no idea how we ended up in that predicament. It's not like we're particularly big guys. This time, since both of us were quite hungry, we went to Sushi Den to keep the bill within reason.<br />
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Sushi Den is a moderately large Japanese restaurant located near International Village. It is quite popular due to its cheap pricing and decent assortment of menu items. Unfortunately, this meant that there was no way that Puzzlefighter and I were getting out of there while still able to walk properly.<br />
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<b>Toro Sashimi - A-</b></div>
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The Toro Sashimi was just $9 for 6 pieces, and we were pleased with the freshness. The toro was smooth and buttery, and it came in generous slices. Some of the pieces were noticeably softer than others.<br />
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<b>Negihama Roll - B+</b></div>
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Next up, the Negihama Roll (chopped yellowtail with green onion) was neatly wrapped. The green onion gave off a nice zing and a slight crunch, while the seaweed was not too chewy. However, the flavour of the hamachi was not particularly rich.</div>
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<b>Out of Controll - B</b></div>
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Since we went out of control on the ordering, we thought it would be fitting to get the Out of Controll, a special roll with "lots of stuff." We found salmon, tuna, tamago, and sockeye inside the roll, which was dressed with spicy mayonnaise and coleslaw dressing. Although it did seem like the chef went a little out of control, the fish was fresh, and the roll was very large and filling. We found the roll a little rice-heavy, which weakened the flavours of the fish.</div>
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<b>Flower Tuna Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Flower Salmon Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Ikura Nigiri - B</b></div>
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<b>Uni Nigiri - B+</b></div>
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Of course, we had to try both types of flower nigiri, which was essentially sashimi wrapped around masago and cucumber (no rice). The Flower Tuna Nigiri came with really soft and fresh tuna, while the Flower Salmon Nigiri contained fresh, buttery salmon. We felt that the cucumber was just there for visual appeal, as it didn't really match the flavour or texture of the fish. </div>
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The Ikura Nigiri came in huge portions, and the creamy flavours of the uni and avocado worked well together in the Uni Nigiri. The seaweed wrapping was a little tough though, which made it hard to eat the nigiri neatly.</div>
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<b>Tai Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Unagi Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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The Tai Nigiri (snapper) was not tough, but came with a little too much sushi rice, which overwhelmed the flavour of the tai. The Unagi Nigiri, on the other hand, was really juicy and meaty. The unagi had an excellent smoked flavour.</div>
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<b>Beef Short Rib Yakiniku - A-</b></div>
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The Beef Short Rib Yakiniku is a fun dish where you can grill your own short ribs on a small tabletop grill. Since I didn't want to set the restaurant on fire, I let Puzzlefighter do most of the grilling. When done correctly, the short ribs have a nice charred flavour. The mild marinade did not overpower the ribs, and the meat was not tough due to the thin cuts.</div>
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<b>Ten Zaru Soba - B</b></div>
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After all the food above, we decided to get a filler to really hit it home. The Ten Zaru Soba came with 5 pieces of tempura (two prawns and one piece each of yam, sweet potato, and kabocha). We found the tempura quite greasy, but sufficiently juicy and crispy. The cold soba was refreshing, and the green onion and sesame seeds livened up the dipping sauce. We quite enjoyed the soba until Puzzlefighter found a slight error.</div>
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Yes, there was a stray udon noodle in the soba! While the udon noodle didn't really bother us, we thought they ought to be just a little more careful, in case other things slipped into their food...</div>
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Overall, the food was decent given the prices, and the service was friendly and adequate. Although the atmosphere isn't particularly fancy, it is a place where you can get a good variety of food for budget prices. Despite the amount of food we ordered, our bill was only slightly over $60 altogether.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/sushi-den-downtown" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Sushi Den, Downtown and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Sushi Den Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16626621/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-46808433433400335892017-07-07T22:04:00.000-07:002017-07-07T22:04:34.731-07:00Episode #224: Kisoya<i>Port Coquitlam, $$ (Moderately Priced)</i><br />
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I've always been confident that I knew about all the sushi restaurants within a 15-minute drive from my place, until Linda managed to come up with one that had completely slipped from my radar. After I got through a few moments of utter shock and horror, we agreed to have lunch at Kisoya.<br />
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Kisoya is a rather large (yes, I don't know how I missed it) Korean-operated Japanese restaurant located in the north part of Port Coquitlam. It is one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in Port Coquitlam and features an extensive menu with a wide array of special rolls. However, there is no modern Japanese fusion on the menu, so you won't find any Aburi-type sushi here.<br />
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<b>Crabmeat Mushroom Salad - B+</b></div>
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One thing on the menu that caught my eye was the Crabmeat Mushroom Salad. On the menu, it looked like an imitation crab sundae topped with colourful berries for decoration. Most of all, it was served in a wine glass, and I don't pass up things served in wine glasses. The berries didn't make it into the final product, but there was an abundance of sweet crab meat. It erred on the drier side, and a little more mayonnaise might have helped.</div>
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<b>Power of Love Roll - A-</b></div>
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Since sushi is always a good way to experience things, I decided to get the Power of Love Roll. This roll came with unagi, deep-fried salmon, cucumber, avocado, tobiko, and unagi sauce. With crispy deep-fried salmon on top and crispy unagi inside, this roll was a good mix of flavours. </div>
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<b>Spicy Chicken Box</b></div>
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When choosing lunch boxes, I always like to choose the box with the least vegetables, the most meat, and the most special items possible. This led us to the Spicy Chicken Box.</div>
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<b>Miso Soup - B+</b></div>
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The Spicy Chicken Box came with a Miso Soup. The consistency was on the thinner side, but there was sufficient miso paste to give the soup a rich flavour.</div>
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<b>Ebi Mayo - C+</b></div>
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The Ebi Mayo was made with panko batter and dressed with a mix of mustard and mayonnaise. The batter was slightly hard, and the prawns were noticeably overdone.</div>
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<b>Washington Roll - B+</b></div>
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Next up, the Washington Roll consisted of crab meat, cucumber, avocado, fresh salmon, wasabi and peanut sauce. Like the Power of Love Roll, the ingredients in the Washington Roll worked well together. The salmon and avocado topping created a nice creamy texture, and the wasabi provided a subtle hit of spiciness to the roll. </div>
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<b>Salad - B+</b></div>
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Dressed with a tangy vinaigrette, the lettuce-based salad was fresh and sufficiently flavoured.</div>
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<b>Spicy Chicken Teriyaki - B+</b></div>
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The Spicy Chicken Teriyaki came with tender chicken and savoury bean sprouts underneath. The chicken had a pleasant grilled flavour, though parts of it were a bit oily. The spicy sauce was quite spicy, but not overwhelmingly so.</div>
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<b>Prawn Tempura - A</b></div>
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<b>Yam Tempura - B+</b></div>
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<b>Sweet Potato Tempura - B</b></div>
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Without a doubt, the best part of the lunch box was the Prawn Tempura, which came with crispy, juicy prawns that had a nice snap to them. Interestingly, the batter on the yam and sweet potato was considerably thicker.</div>
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Overall, considering that this was a restaurant that I had never even heard of, the quality of the food surpassed my expectations. However, the service was a little sparse even though we were pretty much the only ones in the restaurant. The atmosphere ended up rather quiet as a result, but then again, once you wander east of Coquitlam, bustling sushi restaurants are like sunny November days in Vancouver.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/kisoya-port-coquitlam" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Kisoya, Port Coquitlam and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Kisoya Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16622278/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-440564007175838272017-07-05T23:52:00.001-07:002017-07-05T23:52:11.832-07:00Episode #223: Shizen Ya<i>Vancouver (Northwest), $$$ (Higher Priced)</i><br />
<i><a href="http://shizenya.ca/" target="_blank">www.shizenya.ca</a></i><br />
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After dying a little on the inside from our UBC sushi crawl, <a href="http://www.vancitynoms.com/" target="_blank">Vancity Noms</a> and I decided to take things a little easier for our next sushi adventure. That took us to Shizen Ya, a small restaurant chain with two locations in Vancouver, where we planned to have a light lunch.<br />
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Shizen Ya is the Whole Foods of the sushi restaurant world. Everything about the restaurant screams healthy and organic. There is a large vegetarian menu, as well as many gluten-free options. Their food contains no additives in addition to being MSG-free, and they use organic brown rice for all of their sushi. They also make the prices high just to give you that real Whole Foods experience. Since Vancity Noms is an avid fan of Whole Foods, this was the perfect sushi restaurant for her.<br />
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<b>Chicken Udon & Sushi Combo</b></div>
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Our "light" lunch quickly turned into a feast in which our table was completely jam-packed with food. I couldn't resist getting the Chicken Udon & Sushi Combo, which was only $10.95, but I also wanted to try loads of other stuff. I ended up having to balance plates and menus on my legs in order to clear the table barely enough for some food photography. Unfortunately, this is a regular occurrence with me.</div>
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<b>Organic Salad - B+</b></div>
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The Organic Salad was an assortment of fresh greens accompanied by lots of dressing. The dressing was rather acidic and had a slight alcoholic zing to it. Mmm...<br />
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<b>Salmon Roll - A-</b></div>
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<b>Dynamite Roll - B+</b></div>
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I never thought I would like brown rice in my sushi, but Shizen Ya managed to make it work. The chopped sockeye salmon was super soft and created a nice, creamy texture. The seaweed was also easy to chew. The Dynamite Roll came with creamy avocado and juicy tempura prawn. The batter on the prawn was slightly hard, but the flavours worked well together.</div>
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<b>Chicken Breast Udon Noodle Soup - B</b></div>
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The main filler of the combo, the Chicken Breast Udon Noodle Soup, came with white chicken meat and thick udon noodles. The broth was on the richer side, while the udon noodles tasted like standard fare. I thought it could have been tastier had they lightly grilled the chicken.<br />
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<b>Toro Tataki Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Wild Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Albacore Tuna Nigiri - A</b></div>
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After the Sushi & Udon combo, I had three pieces of nigiri that really blew my expectations. The Toro Tataki Nigiri was only seared very slightly, but had an extremely soft, melty texture. The texture was also perfect with the Wild Sockeye Salmon Nigiri. The Albacore Tuna Nigiri came with a thick slice of extremely fresh tuna, and the organic brown rice was packed just loosely enough to complement the soft, delicate textures of the fish. </div>
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<b>Spicy Salmon Roll - A-</b></div>
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Next up, the Spicy Salmon Roll came with the same soft and fresh sockeye salmon and a decent helping of creamy avocado. The spicy sauce was used conservatively and did not overwhelm any of the ingredients in the roll. </div>
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<b>Natural Bomber Roll - B+</b></div>
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Finally, just to blow up my stomach size a few more notches, I went for the Natural Bomber Roll, which consisted of tiger prawn "whole wheat" tempura, fresh real crab, mayonnaise, cucumber, organic spring mix lettuce, organic avocado, and creamy bomber sauce. The crab meat was pleasantly soft and tasted somewhat like the Brunswick canned sardines I regularly eat as 4 a.m. snacks. The prawn tempura was a little hard, but the abundance of fresh, tasty avocado and the richness of the mayonnaise-based creamy bomber sauce made up for it.</div>
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Service was not a problem despite how busy the restaurant got. Overall, I was quite impressed by the very fresh seafood and their ability to make me like brown rice. The fresh organic avocado was also a delight and a factor of success in many of the dishes. The excellent food here gave me a sudden urge to blow a whole paycheque at Whole Foods, but fortunately, I was deterred by how full I was. Maybe some other day, Vancity Noms...</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/shizen-ya-fairview" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Shizen Ya, Fairview and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Shizen Ya Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16625868/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-86141660142951325522017-07-04T18:34:00.004-07:002017-07-04T18:35:52.205-07:00Episode #222: The Grand UBC Sushi Crawl (Part Two)After waking up from <a href="http://www.vancitynoms.com/" target="_blank">Vancity Noms</a>' class and having an epic piano-off in the library (where we got a little too loud), the two of us were somewhat ready to resume our grand sushi crawl at UBC's Vancouver campus. I say "somewhat" because Vancity Noms was still somewhat full from eating way too much at the first stop of our crawl, and I felt like I had consumed way too much soy sauce. Whereas others would be burnt out from doing such a crawl, I was soy sauced out. However, the time was ticking, and if we didn't make our move, the sushi places would have started closing.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #f6b26b;">The Seven Sushi Places on UBC's Vancouver Campus</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li>Honour Roll</li>
<li>Suga Japanese & Korean Restaurant</li>
<li>Mio Japan</li>
<li>Bento Sushi</li>
<li>Miyamae</li>
<li>Togo Sushi</li>
<li>One More Sushi</li>
</ul>
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This post will cover the last three.<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;"><b>Miyamae</b></span></div>
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The whole time I had been exploring UBC, I never knew that there was an entire underground Asian food court at University Village. When I first saw it, I was quick to suggest to Vancity Noms that we should do a food crawl featuring all the stalls in the Asian food court, but quickly retracted the idea after realizing all the unfortunate things that would happen to my health if I did that. Not to mention that I would also be doomed if what happened during the Grand SFU Sushi Crawl were to happen again...</div>
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Miyamae serves a variety of bento boxes, which range from $6.95 to $11.95. I went for one of the higher-end ones since I had an unagi craving at the time.</div>
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<b>Miso Soup - B-</b></div>
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The Miso Soup came with adequate miso paste, some seaweed, and some tofu. Although it was rich in miso flavour, it was also quite salty.</div>
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<b>Dynamite Roll - C</b></div>
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If anyone were to make sushi that did not look appealing to me, this was about as close as one could get. The Dynamite Roll featured crunchy tempura prawn and a somewhat decent filling, but the sight of the rice made me go "Uh oh..." It was not only soggy and mushy, but there was also too much of it.</div>
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<b>Slice of Orange - A</b></div>
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<b>Salad - C+</b></div>
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<b>Unagi Don - B</b></div>
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The one thing they did nail was the Slice of Orange. Although it wasn't exactly the prettiest slice of orange ever, it was one of the sweetest and juiciest slices of orange I have ever had. The Salad consisted mainly of lettuce, and I wasn't fond of the vinaigrette dressing, which tasted strangely like soy sauce. The Unagi Don came with very soft, but somewhat fatty unagi. The unagi sauce was sweet, and the don was sizable enough to be a good filler. </div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;"><b>Togo Sushi</b></span></div>
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After I'd finished the bento box, Vancity Noms suddenly had to leave, so I was left to make the long, perilous journey from University Village to Wesbrook Village in the dark all by myself. I decided to walk there in order to burn a few extra calories. I made my way through various hazards, which included trees with branches, students playing soccer, and eerily quiet residential areas, before arriving at Togo Sushi 15 minutes before they closed at 8 p.m. I was lucky enough to be the last customer whose order they took.</div>
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Togo Sushi is a small fast food chain with locations scattered across Metro Vancouver. I've always considered it to be the best of Metro Vancouver's fast food sushi joints, and I was hoping for no disappointment here. </div>
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<b>Seared Salmon Roll - B+</b></div>
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The Seared Salmon Roll was a new addition to the menu, and it was fairly well executed. It had a nice, smoked flavour that was accompanied by a good helping of spicy mayonnaise. The imitation crab meat was sweet, and the textures were on point. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChh9QEgwaNOu9dEdOHtCX6lqUNM6Uh2g9WN2DjAi7PBS33II_O1rB3SzApezSPYAk3YPIyH09HswZJuF5bScyzDISs8LrcknSqgZIEoSln5aYGyRu8wT-1FymKGG9k_qnwBsXNvkryu-H/s1600/IMG_2191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1017" data-original-width="1600" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChh9QEgwaNOu9dEdOHtCX6lqUNM6Uh2g9WN2DjAi7PBS33II_O1rB3SzApezSPYAk3YPIyH09HswZJuF5bScyzDISs8LrcknSqgZIEoSln5aYGyRu8wT-1FymKGG9k_qnwBsXNvkryu-H/s400/IMG_2191.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Inari Nigiri - B</b></div>
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<b>Salmon Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>Toro Nigiri - C+</b></div>
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On the other side of the plate, the Inari Nigiri had a nice, sweet flavour and tasted somewhat eggy. The salmon in the Salmon Nigiri was creamy, but weak in flavour. The rice was a bit too tightly packed, but at least the fish-to-rice ratio was correct. Finally, the toro was soft, but tasted quite fishy. Throughout my visits to Togo Sushi, I've found that tuna is consistently one of their weaknesses. </div>
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Nonetheless, what I had at Togo Sushi was good enough to be the highlight of my entire crawl. I'd originally planned to try the sushi at the nearby Save-On-Foods as well, but once I saw that they served exactly the same sushi as <a href="http://www.raymondsushi.com/2017/03/episode-218-grand-sfu-sushi-crawl.html" target="_blank">Nesters Market at SFU</a>, I ran away as quickly as I could.<br />
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I had just one more sushi place left...<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;"><b>One More Sushi</b></span><br />
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By the time I walked all the way back to University Village, everything was dark and deserted, with signs of life few and far between. I walked into One More Sushi at 9:30 p.m., just half an hour before closing time, and I was their only customer.<br />
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If you are looking for something you can legitimately call a sushi restaurant at UBC, One More Sushi is the place. It was a large restaurant that resembled a Chinese diner more than a Japanese restaurant. The menu items were quite pricey, but the special that day allowed me to order a California Roll for half price. Even though I was stuffed, one simply does not say "no" to discounts on sushi.<br />
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<b>California Roll - B-</b></div>
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The California Roll came with an abundance of sweet crab meat. However, there wasn't really enough mayonnaise inside, so things ended up a bit dry.</div>
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<b>BBQ Black Cod - B</b></div>
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The BBQ Black Cod was served as a small filet along with some of the most teeth-exercising vegetables out there. There was some sweetness and some smokiness, but the cod could have been juicier.</div>
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<b>Hotate Nigiri - B</b></div>
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<b>Toro Nigiri - B</b></div>
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The hotate (scallop) was sweet and soft as expected, while the toro was fresh with a nice, melty texture. While the neta (the seafood on top) was above average, the sushi rice was mediocre as it was too tightly packed.</div>
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<b>Mango Tuna Roll - B-</b></div>
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The Mango Tuna Roll came with fresh mango and some not-so-fresh tuna. The tuna was slightly fishy, and it was not very soft either. The roll was quite small, and at $8.50, it was very pricey for what it was.</div>
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After consuming 66 pieces of sushi (amidst other things) and getting both carbed out and soy sauced out (never again...), I can now present to you UBC's seven sushi vendors from best to worst:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Togo Sushi</li>
<li>Honour Roll</li>
<li>One More Sushi</li>
<li>Mio Japan</li>
<li>Miyamae</li>
<li>Bento Sushi</li>
<li>Suga Japanese & Korean Restaurant</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/one-more-sushi-ubc" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about One More Sushi, UBC and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="One More Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16619497/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-272990569509372412017-06-05T04:31:00.001-07:002017-07-06T12:21:00.634-07:00Episode #221: The Grand UBC Sushi Crawl (Part One)Since the Grand SFU Sushi Crawl was totally not a traumatizing experience, I thought it would be a great idea to do a Grand UBC Sushi Crawl as well. With seven places to visit instead of five, I knew this crawl would require that much more endurance and careful planning. Using my good judgment, I got <a href="http://www.vancitynoms.com/" target="_blank">Vancity Noms</a>, who managed to finish exactly zero pieces of sushi last time, to help me on this adventure.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #f6b26b;">The Seven Sushi Places on UBC's Vancouver Campus</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li>Honour Roll</li>
<li>Suga Japanese & Korean Restaurant</li>
<li>Mio Japan</li>
<li>Bento Sushi</li>
<li>Miyamae</li>
<li>Togo Sushi</li>
<li>One More Sushi</li>
</ul>
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This post will cover the first four.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Honour Roll</span></b><br />
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Our meeting place was Honour Roll, located in the centre of the AMS Student Nest. My morning idiocy took no breaks, and I spent several minutes messaging Vancity Noms to ask her where the Nest was while I was standing right in front of it. An all caps explosion ensued...<br />
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Back in the days of the old Student Union Building (SUB), the sushi stall was originally named Honour Roll. The name changed to Peko Peko when the new SUB opened, but has now reverted back to Honour Roll. Featuring a good range of slightly pricey pre-made rolls, we hoped that the sushi was honour roll–worthy.<br />
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<b>Miso Soup - B</b></div>
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Since I badly needed something to drink after all the energy expended on finding the Nest, I went for the Miso Soup. It came with green onion and tofu and had a well-balanced flavour. However, the pieces of tofu were awkwardly coarse, as if they had been accidentally left to dry for a few minutes.<br />
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<b>Real Crab California Roll - B-</b></div>
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Coming in six generous pieces was the Real Crab California Roll. We found it slightly dry, and it could've done better with a little more mayonnaise.<br />
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<b>Smoked Salmon Roll - B</b></div>
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One of the more decent rolls that we had was the Smoked Salmon Roll. The smoked salmon was strong and rich in flavour and went well with the avocado. However, there was a small bit of saltiness intrinsic to the roll, which meant that the roll did not pair well with soy sauce.<br />
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<b>Salmon Roll - C+</b></div>
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Next, we had the Salmon Roll, which was a bit too tightly packed. The salmon also had little flavour.<br />
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<b>Avocado Roll - B</b></div>
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One thing I thought I'd never eat in my life was the Avocado Roll. I used to hate avocado as a kid. I would pluck every piece of avocado out of my sushi and then stare evilly at the avocado mound I had just created, thinking of ways to destroy the mound. However, since Vancity Noms ordered this roll, I took the plunge and had one piece. It tasted surprisingly decent, and the level of creaminess was just right.<br />
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Our overall impressions of Honour Roll were quite positive. Although the sushi was pre-made, it was superior to pretty much everything available at SFU. I was unable to stop Vancity Noms from eating loads of the sushi at Honour Roll. After she had consumed about 20 pieces of sushi, I had legitimate reasons to be concerned about how we were going to get through the rest of our crawl.<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;"><b>Suga Japanese & Korean Restaurant</b></span><br />
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Our next place to try was Suga Japanese & Korean Restaurant. For years, I had been wanting to come to this place for their 5 items for $25 lunch special, a lunch special that sadly disappeared off the menu by the time I finally made it to the restaurant. Unfortunately, this also meant that I would not be able to convince Vancity Noms not to order her super filling Tuna Sashimi Don...<br />
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Meanwhile, since I had to eat at four different places for lunch, I tried to keep the food quantity reasonable by ordering only one plate of food.<br />
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<b>Tuna Sashimi - C</b></div>
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<b>Salmon Sashimi - B+</b></div>
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We were off to a great start with the highly questionable Tuna Sashimi. It was not too fishy, but it was also not soft at all and tasted slightly cooked. The Salmon Sashimi fared much better. It had a smooth texture and was creamy and reasonably fresh.<br />
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<b>Chopped Scallop Nigiri - C+</b></div>
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<b>Toro Nigiri - C-</b></div>
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Next, I enjoyed some questionable nigiri. The Chopped Scallop Nigiri was not rolled properly (as evident in the photo) and was remarkably dry. There was also not much scallop inside. The Toro Nigiri came with way too much rice and way too little toro, making the whole thing taste bland like plain congee. Never again...<br />
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<b>Una Q - C</b></div>
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The Una Q was a roll with a eel and cucumber. There was so little unagi that Sauce Q would've been a much more appropriate name for the roll. The cucumber inside was fresh and crunchy though, so I'll give them credit for that.<br />
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Suga Japanese & Korean Restaurant seems to be a particularly bad case of being stingy on the pricier ingredients and then trying to make up for it by giving you more of the cheaper ingredients. I'm not big on portion sizes at all, but for me, this was unacceptable. It didn't help that our server was clearly unenthusiastic throughout our visit.<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;"><b>Mio Japan</b></span><br />
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Located just steps away from Suga Japanese & Korean Restaurant is Mio Japan, a popular teriyaki place that also serves nigiri, sushi rolls, and sashimi. Vancity Noms was done at this point, but she remained a good sport and watched me as I devoured unreasonable amounts of sushi while taking forever to write down my notes.<br />
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Knowing that Mio Japan's specialty was teriyaki, I wanted to go for both the teriyaki and the sushi, but without help, I could only choose one or the other. Since I had to stay true to the name of my blog, I went for the Dynamite Combo.<br />
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<b>Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - C+</b></div>
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<b>Dynamite Roll - B-</b></div>
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The Dynamite Combo came with three pieces of Sockeye Salmon Nigiri and a Dynamite Roll. The sockeye salmon was moderately fresh, and the rice was not too tightly packed, but WTF was up with those cuts? Did they just cut the salmon sashimi style and then placed it on top of the sushi rice?? No, just no...<br />
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Moving on, the Dynamite Roll, although it came with only one prawn, was savoury with a nice creaminess coming from the avocado. The sushi rice was just a touch dry.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Bento Sushi</span></b><br />
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Since Vancity Noms had class later in the day, we ventured back towards the middle of the campus and found ourselves at Bento Sushi, a part of the mini food court at the David Lam Management Research Centre (beside the Sauder School of Business). As we were still in prime lunch hours, the entire food court was very busy.<br />
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In the display refrigerator was an assortment of pre-made sushi combos, each costing about $10. Feeling like a samurai after having wolfed down two meals' worth of sushi, I went for the Cali-Samurai Combo.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Tuna Nigiri - C</b></div>
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<b>Salmon Nigiri - C</b></div>
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<b>Ebi Nigiri - B-</b></div>
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<b>California Roll - C</b></div>
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Unfortunately, the sushi ended up being very expensive for the quality. The sushi rice in the nigiri was so tightly packed that it was actually somewhat hard to chew through. The tuna in the Tuna Nigiri was rather mushy and tasted like mashed wet paper. The Salmon Nigiri was not flavourful, though the Ebi Nigiri was at least noticeably sweet. The California Roll came with creamy avocado but was very rice heavy, and the imitation crab stick was either weak in flavour or simply got lost in the sea of rice (or both).<br />
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After finishing the Cali-Samurai Combo, Vancity Noms had class to go to, and I needed a break from all the soy sauce I was consuming. With nothing good to do in the meantime, I crashed one of Vancity Noms' classes and wished upon my lucky sushi stars that I wouldn't be called to participate. It worked. Perhaps the fact that I fell asleep in the middle of the class helped.<br />
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Click <a href="http://www.raymondsushi.com/2017/07/episode-222-grand-ubc-sushi-crawl-part.html" target="">here</a> for Part Two of the Grand UBC Sushi Crawl!<br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/suga-sushi-ubc" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Suga Sushi, UBC and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Suga Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16619360/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-17567174250785600332017-05-28T17:53:00.001-07:002017-05-28T17:53:41.917-07:00Episode #220: Torafuku<i>Vancouver (Northeast), $$$ (Higher Priced)</i><br />
<i><a href="http://torafuku.ca/" target="_blank">www.torafuku.ca</a></i><br />
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For a long time, I've known about Torafuku, the Asian fusion restaurant known for its quirkily named menu items. There's the Eat Yo Veggies, the Get in My Belly, the Magic Mushrooms, the Finding Dory, the Poke Her, and many more. Dine Out Vancouver presented a great opportunity for me to finally try Torafuku, but there was one caveat: the dishes had to be shared between two people. Since my only free day was Chinese New Year's Eve, finding someone to go with me proved almost impossible. I thought about calling in to ask what would happen if I have no friends, but fortunately, at the last moment, Lara came to the rescue.<br />
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The restaurant was packed when we arrived, with the reverberant walls and windows, things got quite loud inside. Since there isn't really a designated waiting area, everyone waiting for a seat just crowded around the door. Luckily, we had a reservation, so it wasn't long before we got a table.<br />
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<b>Garlic Butter Popcorn - A-</b></div>
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While waiting for our orders to arrive, we received a generous, complimentary offering of Garlic Butter Popcorn. The garlic butter gave the popcorn a unique flavour, which both of us enjoyed.</div>
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<b>Kickass Rice 3.0 - B+</b></div>
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Kicking off our entrées was the Kickass Rice 3.0, a roll with torched pork belly, furikake, cucumber, avocado, red shiso, miso mayonnaise, and Torafuku spicy sauce. I got a kick out of the fatty, tender pork, and the sauces provided a moderately spicy kick. However, the toppings, when combined, created a pizza-like flavour that obscured the pork. The kickass factor was just moderate with this one.<br />
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<b>Calamari 2.0 - A-</b></div>
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The Calamari 2.0 consisted of crispy squid, brussel sprouts, local mushrooms, compressed apples, nero aioli, and angry tiger sauce (whatever that meant). It was spicy, and I liked how the batter on the squid was not hard. However, Lara found it a little oily, and I found the squid slightly weak in flavour. The juicy mushrooms that accompanied the calamari were truly kickass though.<br />
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<b>(FOB) Fresh Off the Boat - A-</b></div>
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To celebrate our inner FOB, we chose the Fresh Off the Boat, a laksa with crab, scallops, prawns, clams, salmon, market veggies, and flaky puff pastry. Despite the name, the seafood tasted very Western to me with all the black pepper and spices on top. However, the laksa was creamy and hearty, and the scallops were very soft and juicy. The pastry tasted a lot like a cracker and could've been a little softer.</div>
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<b>Magic Stick - A</b></div>
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The Magic Stick, our first dessert, featured strong, sweet chocolate ganache with a crispy layer feuilletine at the bottom. The texture was the true highlight here. On the side were a mix of berries and some condensed milk ice cream.</div>
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<b>Milk and Cookie - A-</b></div>
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Our other dessert, the Milk and Cookie, was a vanilla panna cotta accompanied by a stick of black sesame shortbread. The shortbread was pleasantly sweet, while the panna cotta tasted fruity due to the addition of raspberry jam on top.</div>
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We found the service on point, and overall, the food was creative in a successful way. The prices are a little steep given the portion sizes and the location of the restaurant, but people come here for the innovation, or in my case, for the amusingly named dishes.</div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/torafuku-strathcona-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Torafuku, Strathcona and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Torafuku Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16708829/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-50503419103877747002017-04-30T23:58:00.000-07:002017-05-01T00:04:27.295-07:00Episode #219: Minami Restaurant (2nd Visit)<i>Vancouver (Yaletown), $$$$ (Luxury)</i><br />
<a href="http://www.minamirestaurant.com/" target="_blank"><i>www.minamirestaurant.com</i></a><br />
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As soon as the restaurant lineup for Dine Out Vancouver was released, I scoured the website to see if there were any new sushi restaurants I could try. Disappointingly, there were none. Since I have a tendency to dislike foods that are not typically consumed using chopsticks, I chose to stick with sushi. Lara was my dining companion that day, and having heard that she had never been to either Miku or Minami, we decided to head over to Minami for dinner (Miku was not participating in Dine Out).<br />
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Located on the tiny street of very posh and wallet-unfriendly restaurants in the middle of Yaletown, Minami is one of the five restaurants on the street that serve Japanese fusion (the others being Kibo, Kuma, Sushi Maro, and Bistro Sakana). Even though we went on a Tuesday, the restaurant was predictably busy. Nonetheless, the service remained efficient, and the timing of our food was on point.<br />
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<b>Market Beets and Citrus - A-</b></div>
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First on our table was the Market Beets and Citrus, which came with grapefruit, Okanagan goat cheese mousse, wild baby arugula, basil pesto, yuzu marmalade, and soy balsamic reduction. We found the grapefruit soft and delectable, and it went well with the pesto sauce. The beets also had a pleasantly soft chew, with a texture akin to very juicy carrots.</div>
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<b>Aburi Hamachi Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Hamachi Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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<b>Hokkaido Scallop Nigiri with Mentaiko - A+</b></div>
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<b>Minami Roll - A-</b></div>
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<b>Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi - A</b></div>
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<b>Aburi Ebi Oshi Sushi - A</b></div>
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Next up was a plate featuring some of Minami's signature sushi offerings, with two pieces of Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi, arguably their most notorious item. Each piece of sushi was garnished with carefully chosen ingredients, and the texture of the sushi rice was essentially perfect. The highlight here was the Hokkaido Scallop Nigiri, where the creaminess and sweetness of the scallop was beyond that of any scallop nigiri I have ever had. The Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi and Aburi Ebi Oshi Sushi felt slightly drier than usual, but were otherwise carefully prepared.</div>
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<b>Coconut Poached Half Lobster Tail - A-</b></div>
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<b>Miso Sakekasu Baked Sablefish - A+</b></div>
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For my entrée, I had the Surf, which came with the Coconut Poached Half Lobster Tail and the Miso Sakekasu Baked Sablefish. The lobster tail came with tender meat and a sweet, buttery sauce that complemented the sweetness of the lobster meat. However, it was quite difficult to get the meat out of the shell. While I luckily managed to slide the meat out of my lobster tail in one piece, Lara had to laboriously scoop the meat out of the shell bit by bit. The Miso Sakekasu Baked Sablefish was executed to near perfection, with crispy skin and a melt-in-your-mouth burst of savoury flavours.<br />
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<b>Sesame Soy Glazed Obie Braiser - A-</b></div>
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Lara had the Surf & Turf for her entrée, which came with an Obie Braiser (braised Alberta beef) and the same Coconut Poached Half Lobster Tail above. The wasabi sauce applied on the beef gave it a strong spicy kick. The beef was slightly tougher on the outside, but very soft and succulent on the inside.</div>
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<b>Hojicha Mousse - A+</b></div>
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The dessert for the Dine Out dinner menu was the Hojicha Mousse. The mousse was very soft and had a prominent green tea flavour. The garnishes on the side included white chocolate shortbread, ginger crumble, raspberry coulis, two blackberries, two raspberries, two blueberries, and a black stripe of some mysterious sauce that tasted mysteriously bland. The highlight (and what persuaded me to give out an A+) was the half teaspoon of very rich and sweet green tea on top of the mousse that brought life and vigour to this dessert. It's too bad that there wasn't more of it, as I would have loved a thick, sweet and syrupy drink. Okay, on second thought, maybe that might not be such a good idea...<br />
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The service was professional throughout our stay, and the food was unsurprisingly well-executed. Despite the slight hiccup on the Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi, their signature dish, the mastery displayed in some of the other dishes made up for it. The innovation and the excellent attention to detail made this an enjoyable dinner for both of us. </div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/minami-restaurant-yaletown-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Minami Restaurant, Yaletown and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Minami Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16626187/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-41719433200533668642017-03-16T07:43:00.000-07:002017-03-16T12:04:48.687-07:00Episode #218: The Grand SFU Sushi CrawlContrary to popular belief, I'm actually very tolerant of crappy sushi. If you present to me a plate of sushi that is worth a C in one hand and a juicy, freshly smoked burger from a fancy restaurant in the other hand, I'd pick the sushi perhaps 8 out of 10 times. I often indulge in some delicious freezer burnt sushi on campus during my breaks and after my classes.<br />
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As an SFU student, one question that I often get asked is "What's the best place for sushi on campus?" For years, I never had a very good response to that question because I had not tried all the sushi places on campus. It was time to settle the matter once and for all. With five different places to go through on SFU's Burnaby campus, I enlisted the help of food blogger <a href="http://www.vancitynoms.com/" target="_blank">Vancity Noms</a> because she can really eat... or so I thought.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #f6b26b;">The Five Sushi Places on SFU's Burnaby Campus</span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li>SFU Dining Hall</li>
<li>Nesters Market</li>
<li>Spicy Stone</li>
<li>Ichibankan Express</li>
<li>Mackenzie Café</li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;"><b>SFU Dining Hall</b></span></div>
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We chose to start our crawl at the Dining Hall to avoid having the good stuff run out. During lunch hours, it costs only $8.95 plus tax to enter the hall for an all-you-can-eat buffet, which is an excellent deal if quality is not your utmost concern. There is pizza, sushi, veggies, vegan food, chicken or beef (depending on the day), fried goodies, desserts, and more.<br />
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Those who know me well will know that my brain does not exactly function in the morning and early afternoon. It didn't take long for disaster to strike. After taking 15 minutes to figure out where the plates were even stored, I looked at a tub of strawberry jam, pointed at it, and exclaimed, "OMG they have ice cream here!" Unfortunately, Vancity Noms developed such a bad stomachache from laughing so hard that she became unable to consume anything other than tea. We were off to a great start—one of us was down before we even started.<br />
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<b>Salmon and Avocado Roll - B</b></div>
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As soon as the clock struck 11:30 a.m., the chefs started rolling out the sushi, and the sushi of the day was the Salmon and Avocado Roll. It consisted of soft, flaky salmon accented by a dash of herby spiciness. The rice could have been more flavourful, but this was already much better than what I had expected. I have been told that the rolls are pre-made, but they do not taste like something that just came out of the fridge. </div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;"><b>Nesters Market</b></span></div>
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Our next stop was Nesters Market, which was all the way on the other side of campus. I would often come here after my late evening lectures for some of their pre-made dinner bowls, many of which are decent compared to the other available food choices in the area. However, I have never tried their sushi before.<br />
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<b>California Roll Combo</b></div>
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Having downed two entrees and six pieces of sushi at the dining hall, I had to choose wisely to avoid stuffing myself and subsequently failing the crawl. I chose the California Roll Combo so I could sample three different types of sushi in one box. Meanwhile, Vancity Noms was still dying from her stomachache and could not eat anything. Who needs martial arts when you have your non-functioning brain to use as a lethal weapon?<br />
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<b>California Roll - F</b></div>
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<b>Vegetable Salad Roll - C-</b></div>
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<b>Spicy California Roll - C-</b></div>
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The second disaster of the day struck when my mouth met with the horrors of this roll combo. The pudding-like texture of the rice made the California Roll the most disgusting sushi roll I have ever had. The sushi rice tasted like it had been tossed into a high-speed blender and pulverized for five minutes before being wrapped around the roll. The California Roll also came with some dainty portions of bland crab meat, while the Vegetable Salad Roll contained bits of bell pepper for a nice unauthentic touch. The spiciness of the Spicy California Roll helped mask the blandness of the crab meat just slightly.</div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;"><b>Spicy Stone</b></span></div>
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Just steps away from Nesters Market lies Spicy Stone, a restaurant I used to visit almost exclusively while at SFU due to its low prices. I suppose not all good things last forever, because they eventually raised their prices significantly to more closely match what their neighbours were charging. With the new poke bar at SFU, I have been going to Spicy Stone much less than I used to, although the cashier-server still recognizes me and continues to give me great service.</div>
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<b>California Roll - B-</b></div>
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<b>Dynamite Roll - C+</b></div>
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Unless you order your sushi as part of a bento box, you will most likely be told to get your sushi from the display refrigerator. Such was the case with my California Roll and Dynamite Roll. However, these rolls still tasted decent. With the California Roll, the imitation crab meat was sweet, and you could actually discern the individual strands of crab meat, unlike with the California Roll from Nesters Market. The Dynamite Roll was larger and more filling, but Spicy Stone's weak tempura skills were evident here.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Ichibankan Express</span></b></div>
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Ichibankan Express is currently the only restaurant at SFU that focuses on sushi. However, like Spicy Stone, the rolls typically come from the display refrigerator. The sushi at Ichibankan is not cheap either, and despite the word "Express" in its name, the restaurant actually has one of the slowest kitchens on campus. Nonetheless, I'm still a frequent patron since I don't really have much of a choice when I'm on campus and am craving something more than a standard California or Dynamite roll.</div>
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<b>Negitoro Roll - C+</b></div>
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The Negitoro contained slightly fishy tuna that was somewhat balanced out by the green onion. The rice was tightly packed, which made the roll quite chewy.</div>
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<b>California Roll - C</b></div>
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I guess the moral of the story is that you can only expect so much from refrigerated pre-made sushi. The California Roll ended up strangely bland due to the lack of mayonnaise in the crab meat. The roll was also not very neatly constructed and fell apart very easily.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Mackenzie Café</span></b></div>
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Our final destination was Mackenzie Café, which operates much like a small-scale food court with choices ranging from Subway to poutine to Asian stir-fried rice. Once again, the sushi was stored in a display refrigerator, and once again, it was quite pricey. I opted for a 5-piece Dynamite roll because it looked the most colourful and appealing.<br />
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<b>Dynamite Roll - C</b></div>
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At $6.19, this roll was very expensive for the quality, but at least they put two deep-fried prawns inside. The crab meat had a nice pleasant creaminess to it, while the sauces were thick and had an interesting gluey consistency.</div>
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Vancity Noms ended up fasting the entire 10 hours of the crawl (I'm not sure how she did it), but evidently, she didn't really miss out on much. Towards the end of the crawl, I was so stuffed and sick from consuming unreasonable quantities of soy sauce that I desperately advertised free sushi to my Snapchat friends. However, they either were not on campus or commented on how unappetizing my sushi looked. I sure have some wonderful, appreciative friends. </div>
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And finally, after developing mild PTSD from campus sushi for a few days, I can now present to you SFU's five sushi vendors from best to worst:</div>
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<ul>
<li>SFU Dining Hall</li>
<li>Spicy Stone</li>
<li>Ichibankan Express</li>
<li>Mackenzie Café</li>
<li>Nesters Market</li>
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Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7184018948812738751.post-51535427166692461382017-02-28T23:53:00.000-08:002017-02-28T23:53:41.801-08:00Episode #217: Satomi Sushi (2nd Visit)<i>Burnaby South, $$ (Moderately Priced)</i><br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<b>Aburi Tuna Toro Nigiri - A-</b></div>
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Having tried many of the more standard items during my <a href="http://www.raymondsushi.com/2016/08/episode-187-satomi-sushi.html" target="_blank">previous visit</a>, 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.</div>
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<b>Uni Motoyaki - B+</b></div>
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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.</div>
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<b>Foie Gras Sushi - B+</b></div>
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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.<br />
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<b>Scat Aburi Roll - A-</b></div>
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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.</div>
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<b>Unatama Roll - A-</b></div>
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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. </div>
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<b>Takoyaki - A-</b></div>
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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.</div>
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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! </div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/satomi-sushi-central-burnaby-burnaby" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Satomi Sushi, Central Burnaby and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Satomi Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18335955/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> Raymond Zenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969489336607117618noreply@blogger.com0