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New Gastown Japanese Restaurant: Kozakura

August 26, 2016 by foodgressing 2 Comments

A newly opened Gastown Japanese restaurant is Kozakura, a 25 seat eatery serving sophisticated Japanese food. Located at 280 Carrall Street, Kozakura is the new culinary concept by Chef William Robitaille who also ran the Italian-themed Notturno in that same space. At Kozakura, you won’t find sushi on the menu. It’s all about Kappo-style, meaning the customers can sit across the chef and watch as he prepares the food. The chef de cuisine is Keith Allison (formerly of Guu) who is half-Japanese/half-Canadian and trained in Japan. I recently visited Kozakura with five other food bloggers (Foodology, Drunkennoms, Vie a Maggi, Picky Diner) on a regular, non-media sponsored outing.

Rustic Look

The interior of Kozakura certainly has got quite a rustic feel with the use of reclaimed wood. There is numerous seating around the bar for customers to watch Chef Allison as he prepares the dishes.

What We Tried

For dinner, we ordered the following (thanks to Nosh & Nibble for the recap):

Honjitsu no Osashimi | Daily Sashimi selection (large: $25 + $5)
Onsentamago Ohitashi ($6)
Sunomono ($8)
Tako no Yawarakani ($12)
Aigamo Sumiso ($9)
Sake Kasu Salmon ($10)
Madai Sakamushi ($12)
Sanshou Steak ($12)
Yuzu Miso Buta Niku ($10)
Anago Dashi Chazuke ($10)

In general, I thought that Kozakura served up some very simple yet sophisticated dishes. However, the meal was largely unmemorable. If you asked me to name something that had a wow factor, I couldn’t really think of one. Although sharing was encouraged, the portions were just to small to be shared for three people (which is what we did). For two people, maybe. And although we ordered 2 orders of 9 dishes and 1 large sashimi platter to share between 6 people, I still left hungry. Perhaps our approach to ordering what just wrong and we didn’t order enough of the filling items. My bill came out to be around $40 (without an alcoholic drink). Either way, I’d say that you need to buck up some money for a meal at Kozakura or leave hungry. Nevertheless, here are a few of my comments on the dishes we had.

To start, we had a daily sashimi selection. We paid $5 extra dollars to ensure that we had enough for each person since we were a group of 6. The kitchen also accommodated our large group by slicing the sashimi into 6 pieces. Great, clean tasting sashimi where the pieces were lustrous and glistening.

The Onsentamago Ohitashi is a more a traditional Japanese dish with a poached onsen egg, snap peas and dashi soy. This slow-cooked egg had a soft and silky egg whites and a yolk that looked uncooked appearance-wise but was in fact firm. I just couldn’t bring myself to appreciate this dish which I wouldn’t recommend by the way. To fully enjoy this dish I think, you should have it on your own and drink up all the soup blended with the egg yolk. At $6, I would pass.

The Sunomono was a dish that I had forgotten about. Other than it had a refreshing taste, I had to review the menu to remember that it had crab, mozuku (seaweed), sliced cucumber, and tosazu vinegar.

The Tako no Yawarakani (sous vide octopus, smoked ponzu, mizuna) was priced at $12 – the most expensive small plate we had. Portions were just so small but I appreciated that the octopus had just the right texture by not being overly chewy.

The Aigomo Sumiso was sweet soy cooked duck breast, sumiso and flowering chives. It was a bit lackluster in terms of presentation but the duck was nicely tender with a mix of sweet and savoury flavour.

The Sake Kasu Salmon was one of my favourite dishes of the evening. It was $10 for just this small fillet, but the fish was cooked perfectly: moist and flaky. I quite enjoyed the sake aftertaste.

The Madai Sakamushi (steamed seabream with seared skin, boy choy, and thick soy dashi) was a very simple and delicate dish.

The Anago Dashi Chazuke was one of the more filling dishes because it had rice! I can’t remember the last time where I welcomed rice closer to the end of meal (no wait, here). The eel on top of the rice should have been the main focus, but at that point, I was so tired of the small plates that I just focused on getting more rice. The food was presented in a lovely ceramic bowl and I enjoyed the broth which had a nice umami taste.

The Yuzu Miso Buta Niku with sous vide pork loin, yuzu miso paste and apricot glaze wasn’t very memorable.

The Sanshou Steak had tender ribeye slices and had a tingly flavour from the peppercorns.

Service

Our server was friendly but I was quite disappointed in that we were charged 18% gratuity. This was not mentioned on menu and we were really the only customers at the restaurant during our visit. We joked that we should have sat in smaller groups at different tables.

Overall Impression

All in all, Kozakura failed to impress me with their dishes. The food didn’t taste bad just too simple for me to remember much of it really. I can’t say that I’m a connoisseur of sophisticated Japanese cuisine. But what I can say is that I left hungry and I won’t be back nor would I recommend the place. Rating: 2.5/5

Website: www.kozakuragastown.ca

Newly Opened: Maruyama in East Vancouver

August 7, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Calling all sushi lovers! The newly opened Maruyama offers a traditional omakase (chef’s choice) sushi experience with “fresh” fish flown in from Japan. Opened just three months ago, Maruyama replaced the old Kimura location at 3883 Rupert Street in East Vancouver.

The restaurant is chef-owned and operated by Yoshiya Maruyama, formerly of the Blue Water Cafe and Raw bar. I recently read a New York Times article on the hallmarks of a good sushi bar. One of the characteristics is a sushi chef that “works quickly and fluidly, without being flashy, and exudes an aura of authority.” Based on my observations, I believe this aptly describes Chef Maruyama and his working style.

Maruyama shares the same supplier as other local popular Japanese restaurants, Miku and Minami, and the newly opened Kamei Royale. Because of that, foodies should feel confident that they are getting some quality fish.

What We Tried

At the media event, we indulged in an omakase nigiri tasting as well as house specials like the premium homemade udon. Photos of the menu can be downloaded here. Here is a list of what we tried:

Hamo with Ume Sauce
Tako (Octopus)
Red Tuna (Bigeye)
Renkodai (Yellow Seabream)
Aji (Horse Mackerel)
Madai (Red Seabream)
Engawa (Flounder)
Alaska Sockeye
Hamachi (Japanese Yellowtail)
Salmon Toro (Norwegian Steelhead)
Bluefin Tuna Otoro (farmed)
Homemade House Special Cold Udon
Ankimo (Monkfish Liver)
Hotate (Japanese Scallop)
Soft Shell Crab Tempura
Anago (Sea eel) Tempura
Ebi (Prawn) tempura
Ikura (Salmon roe)
Takowasa (Raw octopus with wasabi)

To start, we had the Hamo with Ume Sauce, also known as the conger eel. It was my first time eating conger eel and I did a bit of research to learn more. It’s a white-meat fish that is a specialty of Kyoto and it is particularly popular during the summer due to its mild and light flavours. The ume sauce, which is tart and salty, is what gives it more taste. The smell is essentially neutral; it does have soft and fluffy texture as it is not raw but cooked.

Next came a beautiful assortment of nigiri on a platter: Tako (octopus), Red tuna (Big Eye), Renkodai (Yellowfin Seabream) and Aji (Horse Mackerel). The rice was on point: around body-temperature warm and not overly tangy or sweet. You could pretty much feel each grain of rice. The tako was tender and not rubbery while the red tuna was meaty and had a mild delicate taste.

Our next platter had some luscious pieces of Madai (Red Seabream), Engawa (Flounder), Alaska sockeye and Hamachi (Japanese Yellowtail). The Alaska sockeye had deep-red flesh and a rich and flavourful taste. The Hamachi was very luscious, buttery and had a bit of a tangy taste.

Another nigiri platter had a mix of Salmon Toro (Norwegian steelhead) and farmed Bluefin Tuna Otoro. The Salmon Toro – the fattier portion of the belly – was deep-red, tender and delicious. The pale pink one was the very prized Bluefin Tuna Otoro which is farmed from Mexico.

As many people already know, Bluefin Tuna is an endangered species and has been for many years now. I won’t go into the ethics of it all as I feel that is a personal decision on whether to consume any unsustainable fish even the farmed version. As for me, I can say that I was Netflix-educated through the documentary “Sushi: The Global Catch” and would recommend others to watch it.

The Soft Shell Tempura Crab were nicely crispy on the outside with moist delicate flesh on the inside.

The Homemade House Special Cold Udon came with assorted toppings like green onion, seaweed, mushrooms, egg and sesame base sauce.

The broth itself was cold, but very rich, flavourful and had an umami taste.

The premium homemade udon were wonderfully chewy and bouncy. A very nice summer eat since it is cold.

The Ankimo (Monkfish liver) has got a bit of a creamy decadence to it though still maintaining its metallic taste. Hotate (Japanese Scallop) was tender with a subtle sweetness.

The Ikura (Salmon Roe) were absolute beauties! I was mesmerized by their translucent, glistening and bright orange appearance. Their rich and salty flavor bursts in your mouth as you eat them.

On the right was the Takowasa (Raw octopus with wasabi). Definitely sinus-clearing from the strong wasabi flavour.

To finish off a fantastic meal, we had a refreshing scoop of green tea ice cream.

Overall Impression of Maruyama

All in all, I quite enjoyed the casual yet still very refined dining experience at Maruyama. The dishes were a like beautiful artistic performance by Chef Maruyama. Rating: 4.5/5

Website: http://www.maruyamavancouver.com/

Suika Snack Bar: A Contemporary Izakaya

July 20, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Suika is popular Japanese eatery that has been serving some delicious izakaya for many years now. Suika is sister restaurant to Kingo Izakaya in the West End and the newly opened Raisu in Kitsilano. The atmosphere is fun, inviting where people can enjoy themselves over good food and drinks. And it’s pretty much busy all the time, so don’t be surprised if you need to wait.

I went to Suika back in 2012 when they had a $15 for $30 Groupon. Going through my archives, I pulled together a throwback photo collage of what my husband and I had for dinner. Unfortunately, I don’t recollect exactly what we ate but after some research and clever deducing I figured we had the oxtail ramen, the pumpkin crème brûlée, steak with potatoe wedges, assorted sushi and a salad. To finish off the dinner, complimentary frozen grapes were given. From what I recall, the standouts were the oxtail ramen which had a rich and flavourful broth. I also remember enjoying the pumpkin crème brûlée.

Most recently, I went for lunch at Suika and ordered items that were on special for two weeks.

To start, there was a nice salad with a tangy dressing.

My entree was the Suika Style Pork Saute ($13.80). The grilled pork loin was succulent and I very much enjoyed the rich crab miso butter sauce which was sweet and savoury. The potatoes slices were tender and had nicely soaked up the miso sauce.

The sides were rice, miso soup, and Japanese pickles. They didn’t give me a spoon so I had to call the server to give me one. I wanted to scoop up all the miso butter sauce into my rice because it was so good.

Finally, there was the watermelon panna cotta ($4.20) which was topped with honeydew jelly and chocolate chip. The panna cotta was wonderfully creamy and had a wonderful watermelon flavour. I mixed it all up with the honeydew jelly and it was delicious. Simple and perfect for the summer.

The chocolate chips were a fun textural contrast.

Overall Impression of Suika

Lots of great tasting izakaya at Suika. There are still a lot of dishes to try and I’m excited to visit again soon. Rating: 4.5/5

Website: Suika-snackbar.com

Shizenya: Brown Rice Rolls, Oceanwise, Organic

June 9, 2016 by foodgressing 1 Comment

Shizenya is a unique Japanese restaurant in Vancouver because they serve healthier and more natural Japanese food. In fact, Shizenya is the first natural food Japanese restaurant chain in North America that serves sushi with only brown rice and organic vegetables. They have two locations in Vancouver: one in Downtown on Hornby and one on West Broadway. I have been to the Downtown location several times over the last few years and here is a review of my experiences.

Natural Food Menu

The food at Shizenya is made with healthier ingredients such as brown rice rolls, non-oil teriyaki, organic green salads, quinoa cones, whole wheat tempura, and non-oil teriyaki. They also use Ocean Wise seafood which is great support for sustainability. Shizenya’s menu is fully available on their website.

What I Tried

Here are the items that I have tried at Shizenya:

Beef Teriyaki combo ($9.95)
Dragon Magic Roll ($13.95)
Sushi and Udon combo ($10.45)

My first visit to Shizenya was in 2011 on a lunch outing with my friend. At that time, I had the beef teriyaki combo with sukiyaki beef, organic vegetable, teriyaki sauce, brown rice, spinach gomae, and organic salad. I was so impressed with the fact that the dish was not very salty compared to the beef teriyakis I had elsewhere. The brown rice really made me feel like I was eating healthier sushi.

Recently, I tried the Dragon Magic Roll which had 10 pieces of wild sockeye salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, organic brown sushi rice, grilled salt water eel(anago) and organic avocado on top sauce. While everything tasted fresh and delicious, I was disappointed that the roll did not have an “S” shape like what I had seen on their website and on other people’s Instagram. I was hoping to post a photo of its neat presentation on my Instagram, but unfortunately I was given an average looking sushi roll dish.

On another occasion, I had the Sushi and Udon combo which had chicken breast, vegetable udon noodle soup, dynamite roll, salmon roll and organic salad.

The portions of chicken were generous and I enjoyed the light soup.

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF SHIZENYA

Love the MSG-free, additive-free, organic, natural and healthy Japanese food at Shizenya. Prompt and friendly service. Definitely recommend. Rating: 4.5/5

To see my review of Shizenya on West Broadway, click here.

Website: http://shizenya.ca/

Aburi-style Cuisine at Miku Restaurant

June 7, 2016 by foodgressing 2 Comments

Someone recently asked me for Japanese restaurant suggestions for out-of-town guests and I immediately named Miku and sister restaurant Minami as go-to-places. When it comes to Japanese restaurants in Vancouver, I would consider them to be at the top. Known for innovative Aburi-style (sear-torched sushi), the chefs at Miku combine traditional Japanese flavours with West Coast influences to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience. I went to Miku for lunch several months ago and here is my overdue review of the dining experience.

Trendy & Beautiful

I’m a huge fan of Miku’s casual, trendy and energetic ambiance. To go along with this one-of-a-kind dining experience is a one-of-a-kind dining location. Miku is located along the Burrard Inlet next to Canada Place which means you can enjoy breathtaking waterfront meals during your meal. In my opinion, one of the best spots to sit at Miku is at the sushi bar because you can watch the sushi chefs at work.

What We Tried

For lunch, my husband and I ordered the following items:

Aburi sushi selection ($22)
Aburi chirashi tart ($22)
Pan seared scallops and prawns ($24.50)

It was so much fun watching the searing of the sushi. I managed to capture the process in the video below:

First, a light direct sear brings out the natural flavours of the fish. Then, signature sauces are applied for additional flavours. The Aburi sushi selection is a must-try at Miku and 8 sushi pieces. The flavours are just amazing and the sushi is just soft and smooth.

The Aburi chirashi tart is a culinary masterpiece. It is made up of layers of sushi rice, spicy tuna, avocado, sockeye salmon, Miku sauce, flame seared and topped with prawn, scallop, tobiko and ikura. Flavourful, beautifully presented and exclusive for lunch.

The Oceanwise pan seared scallops and prawns came on a sizzling skillet and was so much YUM! It came with a beautiful mix of sugar snap peas, baby bok choy, kinpira-gobo, romaine lettuce, radish, yuzu-herb puttanesca, and soy glazed organic brown rice. I loved how the scallops were juicy, meaty and tender.

Overall Impression of Miku

Needless to say, I’m loved dining at Miku. Amazing flavours, beautiful presentation and oh-so-good. Service was first-class. Rating: 5/5

Website: mikurestaurant.com

Kamei Baru: Oysters, Tapas, Fusion Seafood

May 11, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

At Kamei Baru, it’s about delicious oysters, interesting tapas, and fusion seafood. Located at 990 Smithe and underneath the Scotiabank Theatre, Kamei Baru is by the Kamei Group who also owns other Kamei and Ebisu restaurants. I tried Kamei Baru twice lately and this review is based on those experiences.

Kamei Baru Menu

Kamei Baru’s menu is extensive and includes seafood, ramen, curry, sushi, oysters, salads, steampots, and more. They serve lunch, dinner and Happy Hour. Reservations can be made via Opentable. Their full menu is available online.

Nautical-Inspired Decor

Kamei Baru’s interior is adorned with vintage nautical decor. The restaurant resembles more like a sports bar than a Japanese Iyakaya. It is spacious with cozy banquettes, booth seating and even a few high top tables outside. Furthermore, they have a full bar and several flatscreen TVs making them a fitting place to enjoy drinks and food while watching sports.

What I Tried

Here are the following items that I have tried at Kamei Baru over the two visits:

Royal Miyagi oysters (Happy Hour Special, $0.99 each)
Lobster motoyaki ($12.95)
Lobster miso chower Pot Pie ($12.95)
Chicken karaage ($6.95 for 4 pieces)
Real crab and scallop croquette ($10.95)

Fellow food blogger, David, was the one who introduced me to Kamei Baru. We went there during Happy Hour one day and enjoyed a dozen Royal Miyagi oysters and the lobster motoyaki. The flavour profile of Royal Miyagi is mild, sweet, melon-like and slightly creamy. The lobster motoyaki involves baking lobster pieces in mayo, white mushrooms, and spinach. I found it to be pretty good – creamy, oily and flavourful.

On a different visit with my family, I went for a fried-food fix. We had the real crab and scallop croquette which was absolutely scrumptious! The breading on the outside was light and crispy. The interior was real crab meat and scallop with Bechamel sauce and it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Chicken karaage (marinated boneless chicken in sake, soy sauce and deep fried) was very enjoyable. The pieces were fried perfectly with tender, juicy chicken on the inside.

It had been a while since I visited A la Mode on Granville Island for some seafood pot pie. So, I decided to try the lobster miso chowder pot pie. The crust was buttery, flaky and delicious. The lobster chowder had a nice flavour but seemed a bit too watery.

Overall Impression

Kamei Baru has a nice sports bar atmosphere. All the items I tried were generally good but the crab and scallop croquette was my favourite. Service was fine and generally attentive. Their menu has so many items that I’d be interested to try more of what they offer. Rating: 3.5/5

Website: www.kameibaru990.com

Sakura-Inspired Eats at Shizenya

March 19, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

It’s cherry blossom season again in Vancouver! What an incredibly beautiful time in our city with cherry blossoms popping up in full force. I felt inspired for some sakura-inspired eats and immediately thought of Shizenya‘s Sakura Blossom Roll. Shizenya has two locations in Vancouver: one in Downtown and one on West Broadway. I had been to the Downtown one years ago, but never to the West Broadway location. My husband and I visited Shizenya on West Broadway for a late lunch last week.

Natural Food Menu

Shizenya is the first natural food Japanese restaurant chain in North America which serves sushi with only brown rice and organic vegetable. Their menu includes Japanese food with healthier ingredients such as brown rice rolls, non-oil teriyaki, organic green salads, quinoa cones, whole wheat tempura, and non-oil teriyaki. They also use Oceanwise seafood which is great for sustainability. Their menu is fully available on their website.

What We Tried

We ordered the Sakura Blossom Roll ($13.95 for 10 pieces). It had fresh real crab with mayonnaise, spicy albacore tuna, wild sockeye salmon, cucumber, organic avocado, organic brown sushi rice. The sauce was a creamy maple sauce with mayonnaise base. The rolls were arranged to mimic the sakura petals. The seafood tasted moist, fresh and delicious and maple sauce was sweet. This was very good. I would order it again.

We also had the beef teriyaki combo ($9.95) with sukiyaki beef, teriyaki sauce, organic brown rice, spinach gomaae, and organic salad. Tender beef and a sweet teriyaki sauce – the flavours went all went together. It was a hit with me.

Prices at Shizenya are a bit higher than a conventional Japanese eatery in Vancouver due to the higher quality ingredients. For lunch, I would need a few rolls plus the lunch combo in order to be fully satisfied.

Overall Impression of Shizenya

I loved the creative, healthy, fresh eats from Shizenya- nothing too heavy or greasy. Service was friendly. I’d definitely recommend giving them a try. Rating: 4.5/5

Website: http://shizenya.ca/

SPAGHeTEI: Authentic Japanese Style Spaghetti

November 11, 2015 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: I was invited to SPAGHeTEI for a complimentary meal. All opinions are my own.

The West End is abundant with ramen restaurants, but one Japanese restaurant serves up a different and delicious style of noodles. SPAGHeTEI offers authentic Japanese-style spaghetti with Japanese flavours like miso and soy sauce. Last week, I was invited to SPAGHeTEI to try out some of their dishes and learn more about their story.

Since 1975

SPAGHeTEI on Robson has been serving Vancouverites for over two years and is SPAGHeTEI’s second restaurant. The original SPAGHeTEI is still operating in Aomori, Japan and has been serving up Japanese-style spaghetti since 1975.

The interior of the SPAGHeTEI has lovely wooden finishes with Japanese caligraphy on the wall. There is a mix of dining tables and leather banquette seating.

SPAGHeTEI Menu

SPAGHeTEI’s tantalizing menu includes 12 signature spaghetti dishes including clam, egg and shrimp, and chicken peperoncino to name a few. For side orders, they have stir fried scallop with garlic butter and pork chili oil bread. Dessert options include crème brûlée and powder snow milk syrup. SPAGHeTEI also offers a wide range of wines for a perfect pairing to your pasta dish.

There is a weekday happy hour special from 11:30 am to 2:30pm where their popular dishes are only $9.80 plus additional discounts on drinks and desserts. This makes them an affordable lunch option in Downtown Vancouver. One thing to note is that they are closed on Tuesdays.

What I Tried

To start off, I tried the vibrantly colored green garlic bread which is complimentary with the meal. The French bread was nicely toasted, sweet, crispy and had just the right amount of garlic flavour. The lovely green colour certainly made me do a double-take and was due to the garlic pesto, spinach and parsley.

The next item was a side order of meat sauce bread. The sauce was in hot chili oil and wonderfully flavourful. It had the right amount of spice to tickle the taste buds and went well on French bread.

At SPAGHeTEI, you do not eat the pasta with chopsticks but rather a fork and spoon. So, be prepared to twirl your noodles in your spoon. I exercised my twirl-in-spoon skills on two of SPAGHeTEI’s signature dishes: Barayaki and Mentaiko. The Barayaki consists of pan fried beef and onions with Barayaki Sauce. The pasta was al dente while the beef were in nice thin slices and fried perfectly. The Barayaki sauce is similar to Teriyaki sauce and gave the dish the right amount of sweetness. The flavour is original to Aomori, Japan where SPAGHeTEI comes from.

Mentaiko came with mentaiko (marinated roe of pollock and cod), shrimp and mushrooms topped with dried seaweed. The mentaiko gave the dish a fun “pop” of texture with a spicy and salty taste. The size of the shrimp was decent as well. The Mentaiko was an overall lighter, more savoury dish compared to the Barayaki.

To finish off the delicious pasta meal, I had the matcha powder snow. Refreshing and sweet, it is a mix of matcha powder with shaved ice made from frozen milk.

Coupon for Foodgressing Readers

As Foodgressing readers, you can get 10% off any spaghetti during dinner in November. Just bookmark my blog post and present this coupon on your smartphone to redeem the offer. Be sure to share this deal with friends and co-workers to take advantage of the deal.

Overall Impression of SPAGHeTEI

My dining experience at SPAGHeTEI was very enjoyable and I was impressed with the different layers of flavour from the Japanese-inspired pasta dishes. The happy hour pricing of $9.80 for their popular dishes makes it very affordable. The dishes have decent portions for an individual but if you have a group it would be fun to share several pasta dishes. I loved the Barayaki – a definite must-have at SPAGHeTEI! Rating: 4.5/5

Website: www.spaghetei.com
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter

Taste of Yaletown: Minami

October 27, 2015 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Hey everyone! I’m back from vacation just in time for the final days of Taste of Yaletown 2015. I had previously posted about the delicious eats from Minami from the media preview. Last night, I went with a friend to Minami again and indulged in their delicious Taste of Yaletown dishes (at our own cost). In this post, I will review the amazing eats from Minami’s $45 Taste of Yaletown dinner menu.

Minami Appetizer Trio

The dinner started with a trio of appetizers including the aburi sushi sampler, market citrus salad, and brome lake duck confit drumette.

The aburi sushi sampler featured Minami’s signature salmon oshi sushi and ebi oshi sushi prepared using the flame-seared technique. I have always been a fan of their salmon oshi sushi and its melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

The market citrus salad with shaved fennel, lolla rosa, roasted pine nuts, Aburi grapes, radish, and honey-balsamic vinaigrette was very refreshing. The citrus taste was just right and not overwhelming. The brome lake duck confit drumette had a wonderfully crispy exterior and had a subtly sweet flavour from the fruit compote. I appreciated that the meat fell off the bone easily.

Surf & Turf

From the media preview, I could not get enough of the sakekasu-saikyo miso baked sablefish. Sablefish meat has a rich and sweet flavour itself, but the marinated Japanese eggplant, watercress and shoga-wasabi relish gave the dish even more layers of flavour. The Fraser Valley Pork Duo consisted of soy braised pork cheek and crispy kakuni pork belly with Aburi corn-red bell pepper salsa, maple miso Asahi black glaze, and rapini. Both the pork belly and pork cheek were very tender and tasty, but the delicious sablefish still had me lingering for more.

Dessert

To finish off this fantastic meal, we had the mixed berry sakekasu bar. It was a miso pecan-walnut crumble with vanilla-sakekasu and rhubarb-ume ice cream and salted caramel sauce. I loved the complex flavours of the dessert with the fruitiness, vanilla, caramel and citrus tang.

Service

I found the service at Minami to be excellent. Our server was friendly, attentive and explained all of our dishes. There were other circulating servers who kept our water glasses full.

Overall Impression of Minami’s Taste of Yaletown Menu

Minami had some mouthwatering dishes for Taste of Yaletown. I would highly recommend their Taste of Yaletown menu which is a terrific deal for $45. Taste of Yaletown ends on October 29th, so if you have not had a chance to go to Minami or other participating restaurants, here is your last chance to do so! To see the Taste of Yaletown menus, go here. Rating: 5/5

Website: minamirestaurant.com
Facebook: @minamirestaurant
Twitter: @MinamiYaletown
Instagram: @aburirestaurants

Taste of Yaletown Preview Part 1: Minami

October 10, 2015 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I was invited to a media preview for Minami.

Have you got your reservations for the 11th annual Taste of Yaletown yet? It is happening next week from October 15 – 29. This year, there are 26 restaurants participating showcasing creativity and diversity from chefs in their menu combinations, which will be offered at set prices of $25, $35, $45. I attended a Taste of Yaletown preview this week where we sampled delectable dishes from two of Yaletown’s finest restaurants, Minami and The Greek. In Part 1 of this two-part post, I will give you a sneak peak as to what is in store for Minami.

Chocolate To Start

The Taste of Yaletown preview kicked off with some delicious chocolate tasting at XOXOLAT. Did you know that you can get a chocolate shoe?

Minami

After some chocolate tasting, our first restaurant stop was Minami, which is famous for their creative take on Japanese cuisine. This year, they will be having three different Taste of Yaletown menus including a $25 lunch menu, a $35 vegetarian dinner menu, and a $45 regular dinner menu.

Tantalizing eats for the Taste of Yaletown lunch menu include the Minami signature aburi-style sushi, aburi bincho, minami chopped salad, ebi fritter, and kurobuta and kobe meatball.

Minami’s aburi-style sushi sampler is a must-try from their Taste of Yaletown dinner menu.

An exciting appetizer from their dinner menu is the brome lake duck confit drumette with seasonal fruit compote, frisee, and Cabernet vinegar.

I personally loved the sakekasu-saiyo miso baked sablefish with marinated Japanese eggplant, watercress, and shoga-wasabi relish. The Fraser Valley pork duo with soy braised pork cheek, crispy kakuni pork belly were wonderfully tender pieces.

Vegetarians will love the delicate and delicious soy paper quinoa-avocado roll.

The kaiso salad with baby frisee, umami soy vinaigrette, and lotus root chip was wonderfully refreshing.

For dessert, there was the structurally impressive mixed berry sakekasu bar. This included a miso pecan-walnut crumble, vanilla-sakekasu and rhubarb-ume ice cream with salted caramel sauce.

Minami’s three tantalizing Taste of Yaletown menus can be found here.

Make Your Reservations for Taste of Yaletown

As you see, there are some amazing eats offered during Taste of Yaletown. For more information on Taste of Yaletown and the participating restaurant menus, visit their website. Remember to tag your social media shares with the official Taste of Yaletown hastag: #TOY2015. Bon Appétit! You can read more about Part 2 of the media preview here, The Greek by Anatoli, here.

Rustic Look

What We Tried

Service

Overall Impression

What We Tried

Overall Impression of Maruyama

Overall Impression of Suika

Natural Food Menu

What I Tried

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF SHIZENYA

Trendy & Beautiful

What We Tried

Overall Impression of Miku

Kamei Baru Menu

Nautical-Inspired Decor

What I Tried

Overall Impression

Natural Food Menu

What We Tried

Overall Impression of Shizenya

Since 1975

SPAGHeTEI Menu

What I Tried

Coupon for Foodgressing Readers

Overall Impression of SPAGHeTEI

Minami Appetizer Trio

Surf & Turf

Dessert

Service

Overall Impression of Minami’s Taste of Yaletown Menu

Chocolate To Start

Minami

Make Your Reservations for Taste of Yaletown

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