Episode #35: Sakura Sushi

Richmond, $$ (Moderately Priced)
www.sakurasushi.ca

I have heard great stories about Sakura Sushi, an authentic Japanese restaurant near Richmond Centre, for a while now, but I have always put off visiting it due to its rather unsightly appearance from the exterior. From the outside, it looked like an old Chinese meat shop who relied on its regulars to stay in business and could not afford any upgrades whatsoever. Take out the word "sushi" from all of the signs and "sushi restaurant" would be one of the last things to cross my mind with this image:

Walking inside, I found myself in a half-occupied small dining area (seating about a dozen people) with very simple, modest decor. The cooking staff and waiting staff all conversed to each other in Japanese and I had no clue what they were talking about (I don't really know Japanese), but they seemed to be having a good time. One of the servers greeted me in a friendly manner and I proceeded to look through the menu and at the signs around the restaurant to decide on what to order. Behind me was a sign that said "Eel is nutritious and a lot of vitamins." Well, I guess I'll have eel then.

Miso Soup - A-

I was started with a complimentary Miso Soup, which was well-balanced and leaning towards the milder side. It was garnished with green onions and tofu and I liked how it was not too salty.

Next, I had the Appetizer Sashimi, which came with 3 pieces of tuna and 2 pieces of salmon.

Tuna Sashimi - A

Salmon Sashimi - A-

The Tuna Sashimi was very fresh and sufficiently soft. Taste-wise, it was excellent without being fishy or excessively salty. Now, what's up with the ridiculously small pieces of salmon sashimi? It's hard to come up with compliments while experiencing a negative surprise, but at least it was fresh wild sockeye salmon. It packed quite a bit of flavour and had a nice, smooth texture. (I tried.)

What the Hell Roll - A-

I don't know how this roll got its name, but here's my theory: The staff came up with an excellent idea for a new special roll but needed to decide on a name. They couldn't come up with any good names and someone in frustration yelled "What the hell!" Then, someone responded with "Oh, that's a great name!" I don't know ... or maybe they just liked hearing customers say "what the hell."

The What the Hell Roll consisted of unagi on top, salmon and avocado. The unagi was tastefully grilled and was coated with a rich, savoury teriyaki sauce. The salmon had a soft, smooth texture and had enough flavour to be noticed underneath the stronger unagi. The avocado used in the roll was very fresh. I don't really have any complaints other than wishing that the roll was served a little warmer.

At this point, my phone battery died (even though it was at 62%). What the hell! Fortunately, the server gave me permission to switch tables and helped me move my food so that I could charge my phone in a nearby outlet while eating.

Yakitori - B-

The Yakitori consisted of two skewers with leeks and tender chicken. I'm not sure if there were more leeks or chicken. It needed more of a grilled taste and I found the consistency of the sauce to be too thick. (This is observable from the photo above.)

Unagi Cheese Nigiri - A+

Aburi Toro Nigiri - A-

The Unagi Cheese Nigiri was a good example of clever culinary innovation. The small amount of cheese used on top of the unagi worked very well to accentuate the flavours of the unagi, creating an excellent warm, grilled and appetizing burst of flavour. The Aburi Toro Nigiri was successfully seared with soft, melty toro on top of a bed of soft sushi rice. There was just a little too much rice under the toro, preventing the nigiri from achieving the optimal fish-to-rice ratio.

I wasn't really full after my initial order, so I decided to get one more item - the Dynamite Roll.

Dynamite Roll - B

The tempura prawn in the Dynamite Roll was fried with a high-quality oil, so it was not excessively greasy. The prawn was served warm, while the surrounding rice was cooler. The rice was just a tad mushy (it was rolled with too much force) and the vinegar was a bit strong, making it stand out.

I kind of expected Sakura Sushi to be a budget restaurant (based on its appearance) but it didn't take me long to realize that this was not the case at all. What sets Sakura Sushi apart from other sushi restaurants (aside from the fact that it's authentic) is the consistent use of high quality ingredients. The quantity of food itself hardly justifies the price, but I guess they've tried to remedy this by offering a coupon on their website (www.sakurasushi.ca) as well as stamp cards. Too bad I didn't know about this beforehand! What the hell!

Episode #34: Sushimoto

Burnaby North, $$$ (Higher Priced)

My fourth "Sushi-a-thon" took place at Sushimoto, a small Japanese restaurant located right beside Holdom Station. Now, if you weren't specifically looking for the restaurant, you would most likely pass by it without even noticing it was there. Despite all this, it is popular among those who are looking for a convenient take-out, and it sets a high standard for aburi sushi (seared sushi) in Burnaby. I have been a regular at Sushimoto for a while and I'll admit that for a long time, I've thought that the restaurant was run by Japanese people until I heard the staff converse in Korean. Perhaps there might be a Japanese mastermind behind all the unique dishes Sushimoto has to offer.

Sushimoto has a wide assortment of spicy items, while there is a limited selection of hot food items. Years ago, walking into the restaurant for the first time, one of the first things I noticed was that there was a display of Japanese figurines beneath the sushi bar, though I'm not the kind of guy who would know which game/show the figurines came from. The restaurant has a very high ceiling and the sushi bar is elevated compared to the dining area, which makes for a less intimate experience. In addition, the reflective lighting made my task of taking photos very inconvenient (I tried my best). In either case, the servers were well-mannered, and even though there weren't enough customers to warrant them remaining in the dining area, I found the service to be more than acceptable during both of my visits.

1st visit:

On my first visit (September 30), I ordered the Daily Assorted Sashimi, which came with 2 pieces each of salmon, tuna, tai and hokkigai.

Tuna Sashimi - A-

Salmon Sashimi - A

Hokkigai Sashimi - A-

Tai Sashimi - A

Overall, the sashimi was very fresh and well-executed. The Tuna Sashimi was neatly cut and exhibited a mild, salty flavour with no fishiness. It melted in my mouth, though I wish it had just a little more flavour. On the other hand, the Salmon Sashimi was rich in flavour and had a nice, smooth sheen. The Hokkigai Sashimi had the right amount of chewiness and was remarkably large. My favourite was the Tai Sashimi, which was cut thin enough to avoid excessive chewiness. It had the perfect delicate, sweet flavour and combined with a smooth texture, it was irresistible. 

BBQ Tuna Roll - A-

The BBQ Tuna Roll consisted of a California roll base, seared spicy tuna, spicy mayonnaise and green onion (negi). The pieces were on the smaller side, but the presentation was exquisite. I found the roll to be quite spicy (perhaps a little too spicy), but I liked how the spicy sauce (which had a sweet tinge to it) complemented the soft crab meat and accentuated the smoky flavour of the roll.

Tempura Udon - A-

The Tempura Udon came with an appetizing, soft, thinly-sliced aburaage (fried soybean), two tempura prawns, one piece of narutomaki and some seaweed and green onion. The aburaage absorbed the moisture and flavour from the udon broth, which itself was on the stronger side. The slight but noticeable hint of mirin brought an extra dimension of flavour to the soup and made it taste more authentic. The prawns had an appealing, chewy texture though the batter was rather greasy (and soaked in the soup). The udon noodles had the right chewiness and had an even thickness throughout.

2nd visit:

Aburi Salmon Belly Steak Nigiri - A

Aburi Toro Steak Nigiri - B

Aburi Tai Belly Kabayaki Nigiri - A

The sushi rice was soft and well-crafted and they nailed the fish-to-rice ratio on all three pieces of nigiri. (You have the option to ask for more rice under the nigiri at no additional charge.) The Aburi Salmon Belly Steak Nigiri was served with unagi sauce with a dab of spicy sauce, which gave it a mildly spicy aftertaste. It had a melty, smooth texture and was absolutely delicious. The Aburi Toro Steak Nigiri looked promising but unfortunately, it was overdone and the fish was cooked almost all the way through. It also needed more of a smoky flavour. The Aburi Tai Belly Kabayaki Nigiri tastes a bit like unagi, with a savoury, rich sauce covering a delightably soft piece of grilled tai.

Las Vegas Roll - A

The Las Vegas Roll consisted of a dynamite roll base, seared spicy tuna on top, green onion, spicy mayonnaise and spicy sauce. This roll was moderately spicy and the tempura batter inside contributed a light crunch. The prawn contained a delicate sweet flavour and was noticeably soft. The tuna on top had a flaky texture - I wished it was a little softer.

Oyster Motoyaki - A-

The Oyster Motoyaki was made with misonnaise (miso paste + mayonnaise). The miso paste and the mayonnaise each accentuated the other and made for a rich, smooth and creamy custard. There was a small, whole oyster in each of the cups and the taste of the oyster was somewhat moderated by the more powerful custard. Sesame seeds were sprinkled on top for added flavour, while the motoyaki could use a little less oil.

Virtually all of the food was consistently well-executed and demonstrated thoughtful presentation and taste. The prices are well-justified and reasonable in my opinion, though the smaller portions explains the "higher priced" rating. In my three years of being a regular at Sushimoto, I have yet to experience a definitive miss in either the food or the service there. Well, if I ever decide to try 10-pin bowling for the first time at the bowling place next to it, I'll be sure to stop by Sushimoto for sushi afterward (as long as time permits!).

Episode #33: Gami Sushi

Richmond, $$ (Moderately Priced)

Every time I look at a map of Richmond, I always assume that the area south of Granville Ave. is largely a residential neighborhood with little to offer in terms of food and shopping. After going there several times to inspect the area, I realized that there are plazas everywhere! You can find everything from sushi restaurants to Safeway and Shopper's Drug Mart in there. Not to mention that there are 4 Subway restaurants among these plazas. The plaza on No. 3 Rd. and Williams Rd. seemed to be one of the newer plazas at first glance, and just a little over a month ago, Gami Sushi, a Korean-operated Japanese restaurant, had its grand opening there.

I walked into the restaurant to find clean, modern decor accompanied by soft jazz in the background. The restaurant seems small, but actually has a seating capacity of around 40 guests. Despite their size limitations, they try to replicate an upscale Japanese restaurant, and their menu contains many unique items such as Coconut Crunch Salmon, Snapper Tempura Salad and the Super Lobster Roll. The Super Lobster Roll ($19.95) had a rather lofty price tag, so I had the less-pricey Oh GAMI Roll ($13.95) and the Lobster Motoyaki ($7.95) instead. I still get my lobster and it's an extra item for only $2 more.

Lobster Motoyaki - A-

The Lobster Motoyaki consisted of lobster coated with a layer of cheese over a bed of finely chopped baby bok choy and spinach. The dish itself isn't very large, but there was a significant amount of lobster in the motoyaki, and the rich taste of the cheese went well with the lobster.

Oh GAMI Roll - B+

The Oh GAMI Roll consisted of 2 tempura prawns, cucumber, crab meat, seared unagi, salmon, tuna, chopped scallop, avocado, 3 kinds of tobiko and sauce. Oh Gami! That's a lot of ingredients! I liked how they made the roll into 10 pieces instead of making each piece colossal to accommodate all the ingredients. The first thing I noticed as I bit into the roll was the delightful light crunch coming from the batter of the shrimp, which I thought was just a tad overdone. The crab meat was rich in taste and went well with the unagi sauce and mayonnaise, which worked together to create a smooth, melty texture. It would be nice if there was more of a seared taste for the various seafood on top of the roll.

Wild Salmon Nigiri - B-

Toro Nigiri - B

Tai Nigiri - A-

There was a bit too much rice compared to the amount of fish for the nigiri (it isn't supposed to be a game of how much rice you can stuff under the fish). The Wild Salmon Nigiri had a rather blunt taste (it tasted a little metallic to me) but had a soft texture. The Toro Nigiri was somehow softer on one side than the other. The best of all was the Tai Nigiri. It was generous in terms of portion size, and it was cut almost as thick as the toro but it was juicy and not tough. It also had a prominent mild, sweet flavour and tasted the freshest out of the three.

By Richmond standards (where prices are slightly higher than other suburban areas in Greater Vancouver), I found the prices to be quite reasonable for what I received. The quality of service was on par with the quality of the food, and I quite enjoyed my stay in the comfortable setting of the restaurant away from the busy city action. I then proceeded to continue my quest of sleeping on the bus, the Skytrain and the West Coast Express all in the same day. For SFU students, it's that time of the year ...