Tag Archives: Japanese cuisine

Sushi Aria

Sushi Aria Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - ZomatoSheepie and I came for dinner at this Korean-run sushi restaurant. The interior was slick, modern and clean. Nice ambience and spacious between the tables.

idearabbit_sushi_aria1 idearabbit_sushi_aria2 idearabbit_sushi_aria3idearabbit_sushiaria7I ordered the Negitoro roll $2.95 (of course!). Disappointingly, the rice was a bit dry. The roll was bigger than the usual maki size, but having more of the dry rice wasn’t a better thing.

idearabbit_sushiaria9I also had the Salmon Oshi Sushi $10.25. Again, there were lots of rice, so it was filling. The taste however was not quite as rich as the one from Miku/Minami that I love so much. Also, the green accent were green peppers, not jalapeno.

idearabbit_sushiaria8Sheepie ordered the Assorted Sushi Combo $12.95. It was the first time that I had seen the combo with a deep fried prawn head. Sheepie wasn’t a fan of that as he isn’t too thrilled with heads on plates, but I thought it was very Asian, and added a exquisite touch to the plate. It certainly looked good for the price. I had the Salmon nigiri but the salmon was too thick and chewy, not to mention again – bulky rice.

idearabbit_sushiaria10At the end, for complimentary service, we got a cup of pink cotton candy! I felt like a kid again! It definitely left an impression on me. :D

Back for Lunch

Despite the rice issue last time, we decided to host our Sushi Meetup at the restaurant. We had about 30 people join, and having only 3 booths was quite tight! It’s not the restaurant’s fault. They were told it was going to be 20, and only notified of the extra customers the morning of.

Each table got a complimentary salad to start our lunch.

idearabbit_sushi_aria6I ordered the Negitoro $2.95 again to give it another chance. This time, it was the regular small, skinny rolls. It was pretty good.

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I also had the Tuna Tataki $6.25 (6 pieces), which was presented very beautifully. The tuna was soft and melted in my mouth. The shaved red beets, greens and just enough ponzu sauce was excellent. I would definitely order this again.

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The person across ordered the Fantastic Crunch Roll. Yup, there’s definitely going to be some crunching there.

idearabbit_sushi_aria9My friend ordered the Assorted Sushi $12.75 which came very last. He was getting impatient, but when it arrived, he was pretty satisfied.

idearabbit_sushi_aria7At the end, we were once again surprised by some complimentary ice cream with white mochi!! They were sprinkled with kinako, (roasted soybean flour) and syrup. Wow. It was amazing! The crispy-on-the-outside, yet chewy-on-the-inside mochi were still quite warm which was a great contrast to the cold, smooth ice cream.

The service from time to time was a bit slow, or weird (like not giving us the right number of spoons for the dessert), and when we asked for more, they wanted to give us forks, and then brought huge spoons instead.

Will love to return again! :D

 

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Sushi S

Sushi S Japanese Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - ZomatoSix of us went to Sushi S for dinner on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was medium sized, but had lots of spaces between the tables to make it spacious. They had a huge projector screen in the middle playing some basketball games.

The menu is quite extensive, so it took a while for everyone to decide.

idearabbit_sushi-s1idearabbit_sushi-s11idearabbit_sushi-s10 idearabbit_sushi-s9I liked seeing that they point out that they use smaller portions of rice. Yup, bigger isn’t necessary better. If you’re wanting to fill yourself up, then it might be desirable, but having too much rice will take the flavour from the neta (fish) away.

idearabbit_sushi-s3I ordered a Negitoro Roll $3.80, Ikura $2.20, Masago $1.30, Wild Salmon $2.20 and Tamago $1.10 nigiri. All were very fresh and good quality.

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Sheepie ordered the Assorted Sashimi (16 pieces) $15.40 which includes 3 pieces of salmon, tuna, tako, hokigai and amaebi with one tai in a flower arrangement. The presentation was pretty and the fish were nice and fresh.

idearabbit_sushi-s4He also ordered the Spicy Scallop $4.40 roll to share. It wasn’t spicy at all. Personally, when it comes to spicy rolls, I prefer when the spicy sauce is mixed in with the content. I’m not a fan when the sauce is poured all over the rolls. The sauce becomes way to overpowering and masks everything else. However, the roll was still good.

The others ordered other dishes that were presented with articulation, and looked tasty.

idearabbit_sushi-s5Deluxe Assorted Sushi Combo $19.80 includes twelve pieces of the chef’s choice of nigiris and half-order of tuna and salmon roll.

idearabbit_sushi-s6 Tuna Tataki Salad Sashimi (8 pieces) $13.20 has seared albacore tuna with black pepper and in ponzu sauce. I think this dish was way too expensive.

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One friend ordered the Ankimo $4.00 which is monkfish liver that is rubbed with salt and rinsed with sake, then rolled into a cylinder and steamed. It was the first time I tried one, so it was interesting how smooth is was. Nicely presented.

Service was ok, although one did comment it was a bit slow. The food was fresh and points for presentation. Some dishes are a bit pricey. But overall a good experience and would return.

 

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Sushi Garden (2nd location)

Sushi Garden Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - ZomatoSheepie had talked about the one right across Metrotown, but it always had a long lineup, and it seemed like a hole in the wall restaurant. I was excited to see a new one open up just east of the original location along Kingsway.

The place had plenty of free parking space on the side. The restaurant was open and spacious. Obviously, it was new and clean.

idearabbit_sushigarden_second6idearabbit_sushigarden_second1idearabbit_sushigarden_second2idearabbit_sushigarden_second5Tako Yaki $3.95 Really good. Hot, slightly crispy on the outside, and soft inside.

idearabbit_sushigarden_second3Negitoro roll $2.95 Decent roll for a pretty good price.

idearabbit_sushigarden_second4Sushi/Sashimi Combo $9.95 The fish were fresh and looked appetizing. Not sure where the chunky thick sashimi comes from. It seems most prominent here in North America where the restaurants are run by non-Japanese. There are different thickness and cutting techniques, but the hira-zukuri cut is the standard cut for most sashimi, such as for tuna, salmon, and kingfish. Typically they are 10 mm (3⁄8 in) thick – not 1 inch! Not sure if the ‘bigger is better’ mindset plays a roll (and thinner slices require more skill), but it’s one of the reasons why I don’t like sashimi in North America. It just becomes this big blob. Not to mention harder to eat, unless you’ve got a big bite. This isn’t Sushi Garden’s fault, but thought I’d bring up my pet peeve with the sashimi.

Roll Combo $5.95 We took this out after our meal for a potluck we were headed to. People seemed to enjoy the rolls.

The price is quite affordable, while not losing out on quality or quantity. The place quickly filled up with a line up.

The following month, we returned with a group of 15 people. We tried making reservations over the phone, but apparently, since they are so busy, they don’t take any. We got there about 10 minutes early, but the lineup was already about 20 people. Also, they informed us that groups of 10 or more would be charged 18% gratuity. Things didn’t work out, and we all went to Oyama Sushi nearby instead.

Taste: carrotcarrotcarrot    Price for Value: carrotcarrotcarrot

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