Episode #225: Sushi Den

Vancouver (Downtown), $ (Budget)

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.

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.

Toro Sashimi - A-

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.

Negihama Roll - B+

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.

Out of Controll - B

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.

Flower Tuna Nigiri - A-

Flower Salmon Nigiri - A-

Ikura Nigiri - B

Uni Nigiri - B+

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. 

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.

Tai Nigiri - B-

Unagi Nigiri - A-

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.

Beef Short Rib Yakiniku - A-

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.

Ten Zaru Soba - B

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.

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...

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.

Episode #216: JOEY Bentall One

Vancouver (Downtown), $$$ (Higher Priced)
www.joeyrestaurants.com/locations/#!/restaurant/237/canada

While Patrick was looking for the perfect venue to celebrate his birthday, one of the first places he considered was his favourite restaurant: Miku. Miku's Blue Sky private dining room, with a spectacular view of Burrard Inlet, was a perfect fit for our group of 22. However, Patrick was informed that we had to spend a minimum of $1,600 (just under $80 a person). That didn't work for us for two precise reasons. One, we were students, and two, not all of us were whales.

Instead, Patrick let the group choose between Cactus Club and JOEY. One key difference between the two restaurants is that JOEY serves sushi and Cactus Club doesn't, so I breathed a huge sigh of relief when JOEY got the popular vote. Also, due to my cultural background, if I am not using chopsticks at a restaurant, then it won't feel right to me.

We were here on a Friday night, and everything from the kitchen to the dining areas and entrances was packed. On the one-page menu was a simple assortment of some Western and some East-meets-West appetizers, burgers, and entrées. As JOEY restaurants are designed to be ideal places for fun gatherings, the drinks menu was much more impressive than the food menu. Unfortunately, Patrick banned me from drinking on this adventure because the last time I drank in front of him, my brain completely went to Narnia. To make up for my loss, I gracefully dealt with the situation by ordering three times as much food as anyone else.

Sushi Cone - B+

Among the first items to arrive at our table was the Sushi Cone, which consisted of tempura prawn, avocado, spicy mayonnaise, tobiko, and a small amount of daikon. The soy wrapper that held the cone together was very light and barely noticeable texture-wise when eaten. The prawn tempura had a nice crunch, but was a bit on the drier side.

Osaka Style Pressed Salmon Sushi - A

As JOEY's main focus is not sushi, I was pleasantly surprised when the Osaka Style Pressed Salmon Oshi ended up being one of the best versions of the popular Aburi Salmon Oshi dish I've ever come across. Topped with thinly sliced serrano peppers, the salmon had a melty, creamy texture and was very rich in flavour. A sprinkle of tempura bits provided some textural contrast to the soft bed of rice underneath. Salmon was also inserted into the rice layer to ensure that both the top and the bottom of each piece of sushi had sufficient flavour. 

Rainbow Roll - A-

From the category of East-meets-West fusion items, the Rainbow Roll came with ahi tuna, salmon, crab meat, avocado, and Sriracha aioli. The crab meat had a flavour akin to that of a tuna egg salad, and despite the appearance of large amounts of rice, the flavours were actually well-balanced. I also enjoyed the light spiciness provided by the drizzle of spicy mayonnaise on top.

Ahi Tuna Club - B+

Feeling a little adventurous, but not wanting to stray too far away from my natural habitat, I went for the Ahi Tuna Club, consisting of ahi tuna (grilled rare), bacon, sweet pepper relish, onion rings, and a toasted sesame bun. It also comes with a side of standard-fare Caesar salad. The best part of the burger was undoubtedly the juicy and smoky ahi tuna. However, I found the crispy onion rings rather hard, and they also made it slightly difficult for me to hold the bun together. Nonetheless, the ingredients created a nice mix of sweet and savoury flavours, and I enjoyed this dish despite the fact that it was not sushi.

Despite how busy the huge restaurant was, there was enough staff on duty, and thus, the service was on point. The fusion-style sushi was also on point and justified the higher prices. However, the food is not particularly filling, so it took me about five slices of birthday cake before I felt full. Even then, I still had the stomach room to go for a few drinks afterward when Patrick lifted my ban. Well, sort of...

Episode #158: Kaide Sushi Bar

Vancouver (Downtown), $$$$ (Luxury)

www.vancouverkaidesushi.com

In addition to some of the most expensive sushi restaurants in Vancouver, Yaletown also offers a few comparatively affordable options for sushi, such as FRESH Japanese Restaurant. I went into Kaide Sushi Bar thinking that it would be one of the more affordable options, but it didn't take me long to realize that this was not the case. The restaurant was also not as small as I had expected, and outside the restaurant was a gorgeous, stunning view of a construction scene.

Kaide Sushi Bar has some of the highest online ratings for any sushi restaurant in Vancouver. It is a sushi bar (as its name suggests), so there was a very limited number of non-sushi, non-sashimi items. The staff are Japanese and the menu exhibits a clear focus on traditional Japanese food, though there were a few innovative fusion-type items as well. The waitress was very friendly, patient and welcoming. Somehow, I noticed that her voice was lower than mine, which made me feel a little self-conscious for some reason...

First to arrive on my table was the Kaide Assorted Sushi, which was beautifully presented and featured nine pieces of fancy nigiri. What else could I ask for?

 Sockeye Salmon Roll (half order) - B+

Tekka Roll (half order) - B+

Kaide Sushi Bar only servers sockeye salmon, and the Sockeye Salmon Roll had an appealing soft texture. The Tekka Roll (tuna) came with a good amount of soft, melty tuna. Freshness was apparent in both types of hosomaki, though there wasn't anything mind-blowing in terms of structure or richness of flavour here.

Hokkigai Nigiri - A-

Uni Nigiri - A

Chopped Scallop Nigiri - A

Unagi Nigiri - A+

Tamago - A-

Lucky for me, the nigiri was a hit. The sushi rice was especially well-prepared and well-seasoned and tasted good by itself. The Hokkigai Nigiri was rather small, but it had a pleasant sweet flavour and an appealing chewiness. The Uni Nigiri was fresh and really melty with a mild, sea-like, savoury flavour. The Chopped Scallop Nigiri featured creamy, sweet scallop, and the conservative amount of sushi rice allowed the nigiri to be easily consumed in one bite (the way it should be). The highlight of the combo was the Unagi Nigiri, which had an irresistible, well-rounded grilled flavour. Yes, this was the best Unagi Nigiri that I have ever eaten. As a bonus, I was also given two pieces of tamago, which were sufficiently sweet with a soft, puffy texture.

Toro Nigiri - A+

Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - A-

Katsuo Nigiri - A-

Butterfish Nigiri - A

Hamachi Nigiri - A

Could it really be? Multiple A+'s in one meal? With the heavenly Toro Nigiri, the answer was a definite yes. The toro looked good and tasted good. It had a marvelous melty texture and was so fatty and juicy that it literally took me to fish heaven. Okay, that sounded a little wrong. Next, the Sockeye Salmon Nigiri came with a generous cut and was soft, but not especially rich. The Katsuo Nigiri (skipjack tuna) had a very distinct flavour that mildly resembled saba. Apart from the green onion on top, I could also taste a slight green onion essence within the fish itself. The Butterfish Nigiri was melty, soft, and buttery with a texture akin to high-quality albacore tuna. Finally, the Hamachi Nigiri was rich and fatty and even came with its own dipping sauce! The sauce was soy-based but had a bit of a vinegary accent to it, which went quite well with the sushi rice. 

Tofino Roll - A-

Special Inari - A

Obviously, I couldn't leave without trying a special roll, so I went for the Tofino Roll, which was named after a small city that I have never been to. The Tofino Roll featured spicy tuna, takuan (pickled daikon), and seared tuna. The tuna on top had a wonderful seared flavour, and the clever use of unseared tuna inside the roll allowed them to sear the tuna on top a bit more for a richer flavour while preserving the juicier texture of tuna sashimi within the roll. The avocado did not disappoint, and the very mild and gentle spiciness emanating from the spicy tuna did not overwhelm any of the ingredients.

The Special Inari came with just one piece and consisted of smoked salmon, ebi, and avocado in a sweet tofu pocket. The smoked salmon was wrapped around the rice to create a richer well-balanced flavour. The inari came with ample moisture and sweetness, and some green onions were added for some extra zing.

It has been quite a while since I have had this many good things to say about a sushi restaurant. Kaide Sushi Bar clearly excels in service, freshness, and execution. Yes, it was quite expensive, and after tax and tips, I ended up paying a total of $50. I have never ever spent $50 on lunch before, but the quality of the food made this a very worthwhile sushi adventure. 

Episode #157: Bay Sushi Cafe

Vancouver (Downtown), $$ (Moderately Priced)
www.baysushicafe.com

Bay Sushi Cafe is one of downtown Vancouver's most popular express sushi establishments, and I went in thinking that cheap prices would be the biggest attraction. This was not the case. There were both rolls and bento boxes over $10, but despite that, there were hardly any free tables left for me to sit at. Since the prices weren't exactly cheap, I got my hopes up for some quality food.

It took me some time to realize that you actually order and pay at the front. This usually means Raymond-taking-so-long-that-the-cashier-and-the-other-people-standing-in-line-get-frustrated time. However, being a polite gentleman, I went over to the menu that was taped to a wall near the front entrance, where I could take as many hours as I wanted to formulate my order.

Paying at the front also meant that I got to see how much of a fatty I was compared to other people. While everyone else was ordering about $10 to $15 of food, my order easily busted the $25 mark. I overheard some of the staff members discussing how to actually put my food onto a tray. They ended up giving me two trays instead.

Miso Soup - B

I received a Miso Soup as part of my Chicken Teriyaki & Sashimi Bento. The Miso Soup came with seaweed, green onion, tofu, and a rather generous helping of salt. There was also quite a bit of miso paste, and for once, I think this Miso Soup actually contains a bit too much miso paste.

Gyoza - B-

Moving on to the bento box itself, the Gyoza had a mild tangy flavour, and the wrapping was so crispy that it bordered on being hard. There wasn't quite enough pork filling to give the Gyoza a well-rounded flavour.

Chicken Teriyaki - C

The Chicken Teriyaki looked very appealing, but it turned out to be the low point of my meal. The chicken tasted bland, and the skin on top was soggy. Did they accidentally drop it into a bucket of water before serving it to me? The rice ended up being decent, though the bean sprouts were unevenly dressed with teriyaki sauce.

Salmon Sashimi - A-

Tuna Sashimi - B-

The sashimi fared slightly better. The Salmon Sashimi was delectable, fresh, and cut to just the right thickness. I also liked how there were four generous pieces of it. The Tuna Sashimi was soft, but it was also slightly watery and mushy. Did they accidentally drop this into a bucket of water too?

Salad - B-

The Salad came with lots of different ingredients, including edamame, shelled sunflower seeds, daikon, and mixed greens. There was not quite enough dressing for the salad, so it tasted a bit dry. However, I did appreciate the variety in this salad, which made it less mundane.

Croquette - A-

Besides the bento, I also had a large croquette, which came with lots of soft potato-based filling. The interior reminded me of a well-executed mashed potato salad, while the exterior had an appealing amount of crispiness. I'm not sure about the squiggly presentation of the dipping sauce, but the Worcestershire sauce and mayonnaise combination did liven up and harmonize well with the croquette.

Dragon Roll - B-

My final item, the Dragon Roll, consisted of two tempura prawns, unagi, avocado, and masago. The flavours went well together (as is typically the case with a Dragon Roll), and I was pleased with the soft, sweet unagi on top and the fresh avocado. Unfortunately, the prawn tempura was severely over-fried, and my teeth did not exactly appreciate the workout from the hard batter.

The staff at the front were friendly and energetic, and there were a considerable number of chefs working on the food. A trend I noticed here was that the food tended to look better than it tasted. All of the food was beautifully and neatly presented, yet texture and taste issues seemed to be rather abundant. I'm pretty sure this place did not get its popularity based on food appearance alone. Was there something that I missed?

Episode #156: Sushi Hiyori

Vancouver (Downtown), $$ (Moderately Priced)
www.hiyorisushi.ca

Writing blog posts was originally not supposed to be hard, but when my computer randomly presents me with the blue screen of death multiple times a day and crashes whenever I click the Start button, things get a little different. It sure is annoying when my computer gets more and more messed up each time it undergoes the evil Windows Updates. I was so exhausted after dealing with my computer's idiotic idiosyncrasies that I slept heavily through pretty much my entire one-hour bus ride to Sushi Hiyori.

Sushi Hiyori is a Chinese-operated sushi restaurant on the south side of downtown Vancouver. I first visited the restaurant a few years ago when the cheap prices were what lured me in. The prices have gone up, and the restaurant looks a little more worn out than it did back then. There was also an ominous microwave situated right next to where I was sitting. However, the Japanese-themed decor and the wooden chairs and tables still made for a cozy atmosphere.

Salmon Sashimi - B+

Tuna Sashimi - A-

Saba Nigiri - B-

Toro Nigiri - C+

Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - B

The Salmon Sashimi was sliced into thick pieces, and although it did not have the richest flavour, it did have a nice smooth texture. The Tuna Sashimi was fresh and soft, but it was served a bit too cold. The sushi rice on the nigiri wasn't exactly the best since it was a bit dry and weak in flavour. The saba was a bit salty, while the toro was not fatty and tasted just like regular tuna, On the plus side, the sockeye salmon had a delectable smooth texture.

Energy Roll - B-

There was a large variety of special rolls on the menu, including a Memory Roll, which I considered getting in hopes of improving my terrible memory. However, it was a vegetarian roll, and since I didn't feel like being a vegetarian for a few minutes, I went for the Energy Roll instead because I desperately needed more energy. This roll was essentially a dynamite roll with fried unagi on top. The flavours of the ingredients worked well together, but the tempura was not crispy and tasted soft and bread-like. The roll tasted like it was microwaved. It also failed to provide me with much energy, as I fell asleep like a log on the bus again right after leaving the restaurant.

Tempura Udon - B-

For my filler, I ordered the Tempura Udon, and thankfully, the tempura was not soaking in the udon broth. The lettuce and broccoli in the udon gave it an unauthentic flair, and the broth was rather weak with insufficient depth of flavour. The tempura was again soft and floury, just like the tempura in the Energy Roll. However, there was a generous amount of tempura, and the underlying ingredients, especially the two prawns, were fresh.

The service was quite friendly, and at one point, the waitress even went around to help a few tables take group photos. The quality of the food had declined somewhat since my previous visit, but the raw fish has remained fresh. Overall, the prices are fair given the quality and the location, though I wouldn't say that this restaurant is a must-visit.

Episode #124: Tsuki Sushi Bar

Vancouver (Downtown), $$$ (Higher Priced)
www.tsukisushibar.ca

In Vancouver, there are rich neighbourhoods and poor neighbourhoods, but Tsuki Sushi Bar is located in one of those few places with a nice amalgam of the rich and the poor. On one side of Abbott St., there is a row of modern-themed, higher-priced restaurants, while on the other side, there is International Village, which is surrounded by people with discoloured hair who like to hoarsely yell at seemingly nothing. These people need more sushi in their lives.

Around 80% of Tsuki Sushi Bar's menu consists of sushi and sashimi. There are a large assortment of special rolls (called "craft rolls" on the menu), which include the Slug. Mmm, slug sushi... However, being the die-hard Aburi sushi fan that I am, I decided to start with the Oshi Sushi Combo, which featured two types of oshi sushi, four types of nigiri, and a salad.

Green Salad - A-

The Green Salad came with assorted greens dressed with a strong, tangy Japanese dressing. There was only a small amount of dressing, but it had enough impact to provide adequate flavour to the entire salad. The addition of daikon and red onion gave the salad a nice zing.

Ebi Oshi Sushi - A-

Salmon Oshi Sushi - A-

Seared Salmon Nigiri - A-

Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - B+

Seared Tuna Nigiri - A-

Tuna Nigiri - A-

Starting with the top-left, the Ebi Oshi Sushi came with some meaty pieces of shrimp, which were dressed with a savoury in-house oshi sauce. Crab meat was inserted into the block of sushi rice to enhance flavour. Next, the Salmon Oshi Sushi was decent with a soft layer of salmon on top and some flavourful seasoned rice on the bottom. The sushi rice could have been packed a little less tightly, but it wasn't far off. Both the Sockeye Salmon Nigiri and the Tuna Nigiri tasted fresh (the tuna a little more so than the salmon). The seared pieces of nigiri were lacking a smoky flavour, but the dab of miso sauce on the salmon and the touch of seaweed paste on the tuna helped liven up the flavours a bit.

Red Heatwave - C

The Red Heatwave is a torched roll that comes with red tuna, cucumber, spicy mayo, green onion, and jalapeño. The pieces of jalapeño, although small, were spicy enough to be used in a daring game. Unfortunately, the jalapeño kept tumbling off the top of the roll, so when I subconsciously put a few bits of the pepper into my mouth, instant death struck my tongue and my throat. It was hard to enjoy the texture of the expensive red tuna due to the copious amounts of cucumber, and there was no way I could tell what the tuna actually tasted like.

Gindara Saikyo - A+

After rinsing my mouth with lots of green tea, I tried the Gindara Saikyo (Garlic Miso Marinated Sable Fish), which turned out to be surprisingly good! It definitely tasted better than it looked. The sable fish was very juicy and silky, and the miso sauce added a delicious sweet edge to the soft, savoury fish. The temperature at which the sable fish was served was just perfect. Who would have thought the best item of the meal would be one of their very few cooked items?

The service was friendly and very attentive from beginning to end. One of the servers even offered me a basket to put my backpack in so that I wouldn't get it dirty by sliding it around on the ground. Most importantly, the servers kept refilling my green tea (which was above average) so that I could wash down the spiciness from the Red Heatwave. As for the sushi, it wasn't the best I've had, but the sushi chefs put substantial effort into constructing and presenting the sushi neatly. 

Episode #119: Kita no Donburi

Vancouver (Downtown), $$ (Moderately Priced)

Kita no Donburi is a very popular place to have lunch for everyone who just happens to be in downtown during lunch hours. The last time I visited Kita no Donburi was a few months ago, when I was working on a group project at SFU's downtown campus. We were only taking a 15-minute break, so I had to order takeout. Although Kita no Donburi is very efficient at preparing food, I took much longer than 15 minutes to return to the meeting. Furthermore, because my lunch set consisted of many separate items, I took up more than my fair share of the table and made loud crunching sounds (with the tempura) while my teammates were discussing the next steps of our project. Of course, I didn't catch anything that was said. I am, without a doubt, an excellent team member.

Since my takeout order ended up being better than I had expected, I decided to make a return visit and order the same lunch set (the Wahoo Shokuya), this time sitting inside the restaurant. Kita no Donburi is almost like a full-service restaurant, but you order and pay at the front counter. There are a lot of donburi rice bowls to choose from, but they also have a page of innovative special rolls. On the other hand, there are neither standard rolls (ex. California Roll, Dynamite Roll, etc.) nor standard nigiri sushi on the menu.

Miso Soup - B-

The Wahoo Shokuya lunch set came with a bowl of Miso Soup, some Aburi Nigiri Sushi, some Tempura, some Sashimi, and a small bowl of Soba (and unfortunately, no wahoo). The Miso Soup came with green onion and seaweed and was visibly watery. I stirred it around as much as I could before taking this photo. Most of the flavour seemed to came from salt rather than miso paste.

Tempura - B+

Next, the all-vegetable Tempura came with one piece each of squash, yam, and purple yam as well as two pieces of sweet potato. I think they were out of lotus root, so they had to replace it with an extra piece of sweet potato instead. The batter was thin but hard in places, while the dipping sauce was tangy with a mirin-like flavour. Whether the dipping sauce went well or not with the tempura was debatable. Each of the pieces had a good amount of moisture, and the flavours of the ingredients were preserved well. The purple yam and the yam were the best of the bunch.

Aburi Saba Nigiri - B-

Aburi Tuna Nigiri - A-

Aburi Salmon Nigiri - B+

The three pieces of Aburi (seared) sushi came in a small bowl. I would have preferred a dish instead, because the bowl made it really hard to pick up the pieces without destroying them. The fish-to-rice ratio was good for all three pieces, but if you are looking for an Aburi flavour, you might be disappointed. The saba (mackerel) in the Aburi Saba Nigiri was rather tough, but not too salty, and the tiny garnish on top was very savoury and tangy (I couldn't quite figure out what it was). The Aburi Tuna Nigiri, dressed with a brushing of unagi sauce, had a nice soft texture. The Aburi Salmon Nigiri was served with sockeye salmon and was deliciously smooth.

Hokkigai Sashimi - B

Ika Sashimi - B+

Tuna Sashimi - B

Sockeye Salmon Sashimi - B+

Salmon Sashimi - B+

The Hokkigai (surf clam) Sashimi had a slightly sweet flavour and was quite chewy. The Ika (squid) Sashimi was cut to the right thickness and had the normal sticky texture for ika. The piece of Tuna Sashimi was ridiculously small (it was smaller than my thumb). It had a soft texture, but had a very slight fishy flavour. Both the Sockeye Salmon Sashimi and the Salmon Sashimi were soft and had smooth textures.

Soba - B+

The Soba consisted of soba noodles, green onion, and seaweed. I was instructed by the server to use the same dipping sauce for the Tempura and the Soba, but I thought the sauce went better with the Soba. The noodles were soft and easy to chew. Like most of the cold soba dishes I've had, the soba was not particularly rich in flavour, so the seaweed was essential in livening up the flavours. If only there was more seaweed...

Hanabi Roll - B+

I still wasn't full, so I asked the server which roll she thought I should try (out of a few rolls that I picked). She then ordered the Hanabi Roll for me, which consisted of salmon, mayonnaise, unagi, avocado, cucumber, red and white onion, masago, tobiko, soft white sauce, aburi sauce, and olive oil. The salmon was baked and went well with the avocado, while the red onion provided a unique, subtle zing. The only issue I had with the roll was that the olive oil made the bottom of the roll a bit soggy. 

The server/cashier was quite attentive, and the food came out really quickly. The whole lunch set only took a little more than five minutes to arrive. A lot of the food is quite innovative, and for the most part, the extra touches worked well. The prices are reasonable compared to nearby restaurants, but I found the portion sizes quite small. Interestingly, the number of calories for each dish is indicated on the menu, which led me to the revelation that I could eat 1,783 calories of food at a time without feeling very full. Uh oh...