Episode #228: Sushi Hub

Vancouver (Southwest), $$ (Moderately Priced)

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. 

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.

Miso Soup - A-

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.

Edamame - B+

The daily special that came with the Aburi Box was a small serving of edamame. These were salted and tasted fresh with sufficient moisture.

Salmon Sashimi - A-

Tuna Sashimi - B+

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.

Aburi Box

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.

Salad - B-

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.

Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi - B

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.

Teriyaki Beef - B+

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.

Tempura - B+

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.

Volcano Hub - B+

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.

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.

Episode #201: Ikura Japanese Restaurant

Vancouver (Southwest), $$ (Moderately Priced)
www.ikurajapanese.com

I haven't been inside a haunted house for nearly 10 years, so I felt a slight tinge of apprehension when Tamsen suggested that I go through the Hallow Nights haunted house at EXIT with him. I tend to not be a screamer, but scaring me is a very trivial task. All you have to do is sneak a cucumber beside me, and I'll end up jumping five feet into the air. (Okay, maybe it's not quite that easy, but you get the point.) Of course, going into the haunted house meant having some sushi beforehand, because even if things were to go very wrong, my sushi would be there to help guide me through.

Our sushi restaurant of choice was Ikura Japanese Restaurant, a Chinese-operated Japanese restaurant in the busy part of Marpole. The restaurant looks bigger from the outside than the inside, but that's not to say that the dining area was small. However, what was indeed large was the number of choices on the menu. Not only were there four pages of special rolls to choose from, but there was also a 3-items-for-$10.99 special that spanned multiple pages. It's always nice to have a variety of options, but for me, it's like asking me to choose one wife out of 200 potential candidates. I would end up being a 199-timer. Surely enough, the waitress had to make at least three trips to our table before we were ready to order.

Miso Soup - B-

Our $10.99 special came with a Miso Soup. The Miso Soup contained very small amounts of green onion, seaweed, and tofu. It was thin in consistency and lacking in miso paste, but the broth still had adequate flavour.

Deep-Fried Oyster Roll - B-

Salmon Sashimi - A-

Tuna Sashimi - B

Curious to see what "sushified" deep-fried oysters would taste like, we chose the Deep Fried Oyster Roll as part of our three-item special. The Deep-Fried Oyster Roll ended up tasting quite heavy, and some pieces lacked crunch. That being said, the creamy avocado and the oyster indeed worked together. 

Our two other items were the Salmon Sashimi and the Tuna Sashimi. The Salmon Sashimi was fresh and had a pleasant, buttery flavour. The Tuna Sashimi received some unclean cutting, but was not fishy. Both types of sashimi came in generous portions. 

Black Angel Roll - B

While combing through the vast assortment of special rolls, I noticed that several of them used strawberry sauce, something that I have never seen used in a roll before. At first glance, this roll looks horrendously rice-heavy, but half of what's on top of the roll is imitation crab meat lightly dressed with strawberry sauce. This gave the crab meat a slightly sweeter flavour. Inside the roll was a harmonious mix of creamy avocado and prawn tempura. However, attention to detail was slightly lacking here, as one of the pieces contained a nice dose of prawn shell.

Chopped Scallop Nigiri - B-

Toro Nigiri - B

With the Chopped Scallop Nigiri, the scallop-to-rice ratio was a little off, making it hard to taste the sweetness of the scallops. However, I liked how the rice was not packed too tightly with the Toro Nigiri. The toro was soft, though not that easily distinguishable from regular tuna.

Champagne Roll - A-

Since neither Tamsen nor I are drinkers, we decided to satisfy our cravings the sushi way with the Champagne Roll, a deep-fried non-alcoholic roll with tuna, salmon, avocado, tamago, tobiko, unagi sauce, and spicy mayonnaise. This roll was a success. It featured very soft fried tuna and salmon, in addition to a well-executed, crispy outer layer. I really enjoyed the mix of creamy and sweet flavours from the avocado and the tamago, as well as the slight kick from the spicy mayonnaise.

Overall, we found both the service and the food to be decent for a restaurant in this price range. I wouldn't mind coming again to try out more of their endless selection of special rolls. And with that, we were headed off for a round of bubble tea before our haunted house adventure, after which I had to stuff myself with dessert. My day ended up with a nice, relaxing sugar crash.

Episode #198: Applause Japanese Restaurant

Vancouver (Southwest), $$$ (Higher Priced)
www.applauserestaurant.ca

Tamsen and I were back at it with the escape games, and this time, we planned to solve multiple escape rooms back to back. Of course, we needed our fuel. Now, Tamsen likes bubble tea just as much as I like sushi, so somehow, we had to fit an epic sushi adventure and bubble tea all into our stomachs in one go. It was a miracle that I did not collapse on the floor with an epic food coma. Hopefully, I burned off at least 5,000 calories with each escape game.

Applause Japanese Restaurant is a moderately sized sushi restaurant located in a small row of stores near the south end of Oak Street. It's not hard to find, but neither is it easy to find. I had to keep my face glued to the window while riding the 17 bus in order to not miss it, and... well... Tamsen just walked the wrong way when trying to get to the restaurant. I think I got a decent suntan by the time he arrived.

Inside, we found that it was moderately busy on a weekday for lunch. There is a good variety of items on the menu, including some appetizers that were not commonplace dishes. The servers were welcoming and friendly, although they were a little forgetful at times. When I wanted a spoon for my Miso Soup, I had to ask three separate times before successfully receiving said spoon. As Tamsen remarked, "the third time's the charm."

Miso Soup - A-

The Miso Soup, featuring seaweed, green onion, and tofu, featured well-balanced flavours. The consistency was slightly on the thinner side.

Sockeye Salmon Sashimi - B+

Tuna Sashimi - B

The cutting on the Appetizer Sashimi was a little flawed, and many of the pieces had ragged edges. The sockeye salmon tasted fresh, but the texture was not especially smooth. Freshness was not as apparent in the Tuna Sashimi. On the plus side, the sashimi came in rather generous slices. 

Scallop Sushi Combo

Next, Tamsen had the Scallop Sushi Combo, which came with a House Salad, a Yasai Croquette (vegetable croquette), three pieces of nigiri (salmon, tai, tuna), and a Chopped Scallop Roll. Since I had ordered my own nigiri, I tried some of everything besides the nigiri.

House Salad - B+

The House Salad was featured mainly lettuce and tomato and was quite refreshing. It came with a tangy, citrusy vinaigrette and had ample moisture. 

Yasai Croquette - A

The highlight of our meal was the Yasai Croquette, which contained corn, peas, and carrot. The crispy panko batter had just the right amount of crunch and was not hard. The filling inside was very soft and savoury and was an excellent contrast to the crispy exterior. 

Chopped Scallop Roll - B+

The Chopped Scallop Roll was also largely successful. The mayonnaise brought the flavours together well, and the sesame seeds accentuated the roll nicely. If anything, the roll would be better with a little less rice.

Saba Nigiri - C-

Unagi Nigiri - B

Unfortunately, the Saba Nigiri was quite disgusting. The saba was all mushy and tasted like it had been through a hurricane and then left to lie in a puddle for days. Not even the zing from the green onion and ginger was able to remotely save it. The Unagi Nigiri fared better with some soft unagi and sweet unagi sauce. There was still an overage of rice, and the rice was packed too tightly.

Enoki Gyuu Maki - A-

The Enoki Gyuu Maki (enoki mushrooms wrapped in beef) was a well-executed appetizer that came with savoury, teriyaki-like beef. The sesame seeds did wonders to the maki. The beef was not tough, and the enoki mushrooms absorbed the teriyaki flavour nicely.

Yakitori - B

Our other cooked appetizer, the Yakitori (BBQ chicken skewers), came with a generous amount of flavourful, tender chicken. However, the chicken ended up a little soggy.

Red Dragon Roll - B-

By the time we were both starting to feel full (uh oh), the Red Dragon Roll came. This roll consisted of salmon, avocado, and shrimp tempura. We both thought the roll was a little pricey at $9.25 for 5 pieces, but at least each piece was quite large. The sockeye salmon on top was tasty, but some of the ingredients inside were a little soggy. The tempura batter was also a little harder than expected.

The service remained prompt and friendly throughout our meal. The food was above average compared to other sushi restaurants in the area, though the consistency can be improved. Overall, we enjoyed our visit largely due to the unique, well-executed appetizers. 

Episode #194: Sushi Wow

Vancouver (Southwest), $$ (Moderately Priced)

Recently, Tamsen invited me to do a real-life escape game with him. I was once an avid fan of online escape games, but having not played an escape game in more than a year, my skills had gotten rusty. Of course, that wasn't going to faze me. I promptly started playing six hours of escape games every day for a week to re-train myself and even lost sleep doing so. It felt just like I was cramming for a final exam. On the day of the escapade, I ended up with only three hours of sleep and could barely text in proper words, let alone sentences. Everything felt just right. Except that just before we did our escape game, I needed to indulge in my secret formula for getting ready for anything—sushi.

I first spotted Sushi Wow when Tamsen and I last had sushi in Marpole, which was at the now-closed Risty's. Sushi Wow is a small but seemingly popular Korean-operated restaurant serving a wide assortment of special rolls. They also have several affordable bento boxes for lunch, but those weren't exactly easy to share (I have a bad habit of wanting to try everyone's food), so we refrained from ordering those.

Salmon Sashimi - B+

Tuna Sashimi - B+

Our lunch started with an order of Salmon and Tuna Sashimi. Given that the restaurant is not authentic and seemingly budget-friendly, the pieces were smaller than expected. The salmon had a nice smooth texture, but not a rich buttery flavour. The tuna tasted fresh, yet it could be softer. Tamsen, having been to Sushi Wow multiple times, noted that the sashimi is often served too cold and occasionally has frost in it. This time, our sashimi was indeed cold, but not to a point where it was problematic.

Mango Tango - B+

The Mango Tango roll consisted of prawn tempura, crab meat, avocado, mango, crunchy potato sticks, and honey mustard. The prawn tempura was savoury and worked well with the mango like a couple gracefully dancing a tango. The sweet crab meat inside largely offset the weakly flavoured sushi rice.

Granville Roll - B

Named after the street the restaurant is located on, the Granville Roll came with prawn tempura, avocado, cucumber, chopped shrimp, tobiko, teriyaki sauce, and mayonnaise. I liked the creamy mix of mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce, while the cucumber and prawn tempura were both quite crunchy. The bland sushi rice was slightly more evident in this roll.

Okonomiyaki - B-

Looking for a cooked item to try out, I saw the $4.95 Okonomiyaki on the menu and suggested that we ordered it. What could go wrong with the cheapest okonomiyaki I have ever seen? I suppose that at $4.95, they stack the pieces for you so that you think there's more than there really is. Also, I suppose that they won't make it taste like a proper okonomiyaki, or they risk putting others out of business. Thick and crispy on the outside, this particular Okonomiyaki tasted like a cross between Chinese radish cake and spring rolls. It actually tasted okay to me, but just completely not what you would expect.

The service was attentive, but not very friendly. A smile would have helped. However, the food was decent given the price, and I also liked how there was such a large selection of items to choose from. After we were done, we bulked ourselves up with some bubble tea and headed over to our escape game at E-Exit. As expected, Tamsen did most of the problem-solving (and got us out), while I just ran around in circles working up a sweat. I am obviously an excellent teammate to have.

Episode #182: Kerrisdale Nakamura

Vancouver (Southwest), $$$$ (Luxury)
www.kerrisdalenakamurajc.com

At last, my new camera has made its way to my gracious presence. Just to see how it would fare at taking photos of food, I had a plan to visit Tokyo Thyme and order some photogenic dishes. I was highly ecstatic at the thought of capturing stunning food photos to wow my dear readers (that includes you!) and walked across the quaint streets of Kerrisdale like a kid who had just eaten a bathtub of gummy worms. Unfortunately, things weren't meant to be, as Tokyo Thyme decided to spice up my hunger by taking a surprise four-day break. Since I was too famished to bus to a new location, I walked around to scout for a legitimate-looking sushi restaurant, and the first one I came across was Kerrisdale Nakamura.

Kerrisdale Nakamura is an authentic Japanese restaurant that specializes in traditional Japanese cuisine. It features a small but elegant dining space with wooden tables and leather chairs. I felt like a classy person just by being inside the restaurant. Plopping my camera on the table, I proceeded to engage in the daunting process of planning out the precise combination of dishes I wanted for dinner. However, after staring at the menu for nearly 15 minutes, I gave up and just went with the Tasting Course Dinner. I had faith that they would know what they're good at better than I would.

Goma-ae - A-

The Goma-ae was a solid start to the dinner. It featured tender baby spinach, and the sesame sauce was nicely spread out throughout the spinach for a consistent sweet flavour.

Tai Sashimi - A

Tako Sashimi - A

Tuna Sashimi - A+

Sockeye Salmon Sashimi - C+

This assorted plate of some of the most miniature slices of sashimi I have ever seen was successful for the most part. The Tai Sashimi had a very smooth texture and a well-rounded, delicate, sweet flavour. The Tako Sashimi had just the right amount of chewiness and tasted fresh. The Tuna Sashimi was extremely fresh and took my soul for a brief trip to fish heaven. My trip was abruptly interrupted by the Sockeye Salmon Sashimi, which was a surprising blunder as it tasted rather fishy.

Assorted Tempura - B+

The next course, the Assorted Tempura, came with two prawns and one piece each of sweet potato, eggplant, kabocha, and green bean. The tempura was perfectly matched with a dipping sauce that contained finely grated daikon and ginger. The prawns were the best of the bunch as they were plump and juicy, while the weaker pieces were the eggplant and the kabocha. The batter was applied in the right amount, but it would benefit from being a bit flakier and less hard.

Baked Shrimp and Scallop with Mayonnaise - A-

Presented adorably in a scallop shell, the Baked Shrimp and Scallop with Mayonnaise came with remarkably soft scallops and juicy baby shrimp. It featured a prominent egg flavour and felt lighter than a motoyaki.

Real Crab Sunomono - B+

Not too long after experiencing the case of the minuscule sashimi, I came face to face with the case of the smallest sunomono I have ever seen. Inside the sunomono were lots of finely sliced cucumber, some kelp, and some real crab. The crab meat was soft and silky, while the vinegar was quite acidic and too sour for my liking. It did not exactly complement any of the ingredients.

Chicken Teriyaki - B+

Next, the Chicken Teriyaki was well-dressed with a nice homemade feel. They were not the most succulent pieces of chicken, but they were still tender. I would have enjoyed the chicken more if it had more of a grilled flavour.

Tuna Nigiri - B+

Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - C+

Hokkigai Nigiri - B

Ebi Nigiri - C+

Tamago Nigiri - B+

Finally, we have arrived at the last course of the Tasting Course Dinner. Imagine my surprise when I bite into the nigiri and find out that the sushi rice is... bland?? They got the texture right and everything, but seriously? Did they accidentally run out of sushi vinegar? Oh, the horror... 

Rice aside, the tuna was fresh and melty, and the hokkigai had an appealingly chewy texture. The sockeye salmon lacked a definite fresh taste, while the sweet ebi was accentuated by some intriguingly dry and mushy sushi rice. My favourite of the bunch was the Tamago Nigiri, which came with sweet, fluffy, cake-like tamago and was quite enjoyable.

Ankimo - B-

After all seven courses of the tasting meal, I was still not full, so I went for the Ankimo (monkfish liver), a classic Japanese delicacy. The ankimo itself was decent and exhibited a nice smooth texture. Unfortunately, the cutting skills were not exactly on point, as more than half of the pieces fell apart when I tried to pick them up. It was as if the chef's knife broke and he suddenly had to use scissors to finish the task. I also wasn't particularly fond of the strong ponzu dressing, which completely overwhelmed the ankimo.

The Japanese waitress was professional and provided friendly service to every table. My dinner started off on a high note but ended with multiple mishaps towards the end. Given the price point, the quality of the food fell short of my expectations. However, diners who are not very detail-oriented may still have a very enjoyable experience here, as the restaurant does a remarkably good job of giving the illusion that it is a very high-end place. Hardly anything says high-end better than tiny portion sizes and high prices, right?

Episode #171: Kyuzo Japanese Restaurant

Vancouver (Southwest), $$$$ (Luxury)
www.facebook.com/kyuzovancouver

Ever since I started going to university and receiving my U-Passes, I've been exploring Vancouver bit by bit along with my sushi adventures. It's been almost five years since then, and I've gone from not being able to find downtown on a map of Vancouver to knowing what every major street in Vancouver looks like. Lately, I started running out of places to visit, so I decided to spend an afternoon at Langara College because I pretty much have no life. Everyone there was having a blast. The students outside were having an epic sword tournament, and the students inside were making artistic masterpieces or going on YouTube. On the other hand, while trying to find the new on-campus sushi place, I got lost in what looked like a huge paint factory...

After finding my way out of Langara, I walked over to Kyuzo Japanese Restaurant, a new, upscale, Chinese-operated Japanese restaurant. The walk there was longer than I had anticipated, so I entered the restaurant totally exhausted and a little sweaty, which totally made for a brilliant first impression. Another thing that I did not anticipate was the high prices and the high number of fusion items that piqued my interest, so I ended up following my heart's desires, which resulted in a rather nasty bill. That being said, the dining space was elegant and the service was professional.

If you order any skewers, you will be presented with the black cup above to hold your empty/finished skewers. Do not pour your tea into this cup like I did! When the waitress saw what I was doing, she frantically rushed over to stop me. Oops... This was mostly my fault for not paying attention to my surroundings.

Salmon Nigiri - B+

Tuna Toro Nigiri - A-

First up was the nigiri, which was not mindblowing but reasonably prepared. The salmon came with a thick, neat cut and a nice buttery flavour, but it was slightly dry. The toro also came in a generous cut and was soft, though not exactly melty. The sushi rice was decent. 

Ebi Mayo - C+

Next, the Ebi Mayo came with spicy mayonnaise and tough, overdone shrimp. There was very little crispiness, but I felt like I was eating the shrimps with the shells left on. The flavours worked, but the textures did not. Now, let's take a look at the salad to the right. Why is there a big, honking piece of random broccoli in there?? Did they run out of green salad? I think they took the term "liberty" a little too far.

Foie Gras Nigiri - A+

Whatever happened with the previous dish, they made up for it with this $6 piece of Foie Gras Nigiri. The foie gras was very juicy with lightly crispy edges and was dressed with a light coating of truffle oil. This was not just delectable, but it also worked as a mood booster and an embarrassment forgetter for me.

Salmon Oshi - A-

The Salmon Oshi was a decent attempt at mimicking Miku's famous Salmon Oshi Sushi. This won't be mistaken for Miku's version, but the creamy sauce on top was savoury, and the jalapeño provided just the right amount of spiciness. They also added salmon inside for enhanced flavour, though the rice around it was a little too tightly packed.

Gyutan Kushiyaki - A-

The Gyutan Kushiyaki (grilled beef tongue skewers) came with a good amount of seasoning and a nice helping of black pepper. There was sufficient moisture in the beef tongue, but it was slightly tougher than Zakkushi's version. 

Parmesan Beef Roll - B+

The Parmesan Beef Roll came with prawn tempura, beef carpaccio, truffle oil, and parmesan cheese. The tender, thin slices of beef on top were very savoury when combined with the truffle oil and cheese, and as a whole, the roll felt a little too heavy. Inside the roll, the sweet, creamy avocado worked well with the meaty prawn.

The service was above average and more professional than the service I have received at any other Chinese-operated restaurant. If you enjoy fusion Japanese food, an upscale vibe, and high prices, then this may be a good place for you to visit. This ranks among my most expensive sushi adventures, at a total of $68 including tips. That's $68 I could have used to buy other fancy sushi and nigiri...