Since I moved to Vancouver downtown, I’ve been a fan of this place. Good food, super cheap, and fast service. However, as more and more affordable sushi places came out, and this place got older, dirtier and prices went up (only by like half a dollar though), I went less and less. Now I rarely go.

The food is ok for the price. The Vegetarian Teriyaki Box is for only $5.95. Yes, a whole bento box for less than $6. It includes Teriyaki Tofu (2 pieces) on top of rice, 4 tempura with sauce, 6 piece California rolls, salad, a slice of orange, and miso soup. Yes…it’s still hard to believe that you can get all that for under $6 right? I mean, if I were to make all that myself, it would certainly cost more than $6, not to mention the time it’d take!

I wished I could take photos of the interior of this place, but it’s kind of hard to secretly, lol. The curtains leading to the hallway for the bathroom is really nasty. It’s darkened, as if it’s never been washed (very likely it hasn’t). It’s ripped and looks like you’re entering a garbage dump. Certainly not the kind of thing you want to see while dining there. If that’s what the customers can see, imagine what it’s like behind in the kitchen!

I haven’t gotten food poisoning from here, though my Mom once said she felt a little weird afterward. Nevertheless, it’s not really a good feeling when you dine there, so when I do eat from Jako, I usually take out.

The service depends on who’s looking after you. If it’s the lady, she doesn’t really speak much English, and doesn’t put any effort to get any kind of efficient communication. But I’ve been going there for so many years that I’m used to it. The man on the other hand is super friendly. He’ll usually say hello or thank you along with my name. He really smiles from ear to ear, to the point that you’d think he’s up to something…lol. It has creeped some of my friends out, but I’m ok with it.

Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box $6.50 (please do not rate on the presentation, as this was a take out, and I placed them onto the plates/bowls at home). It’s not the greatest quality, but it is filling. The miso soup only has like 2 tiny cubes of tofu. Seems like they changed the miso container for take outs from styrofoam to all plastic. I’m not sure if the one I had was just faulty, but I couldn’t get to open it and kept burning my fingers as the lid kept going deeper and deeper into the cup.

If you’re having a big group of friends over and you want a lot of sushi, then this place is good. The 22 pieces with miso soup is a great deal and very filling, for only $5.95. There are 6 combos, so a nice selection to choose from.

The Vegetarian Teriyaki Box $6.50 with Tofu Teriyaki, Miso soup, Yam roll (8 pieces), Tempura, Salad with fruit and Rice.

Last Time

I was craving some Negitoro, so I ordered just that from Jako. Wrong decision. Yes, they are cheap, but their quality is mediocre. From the first bite, I could tell the tuna was not fresh. It had a fishy taste – a bad fishy taste. I kept eating it, drowning it in more soy sauce to mask the taste, but the final piece, I had to spit it all out because it was so disgusting. I was glad I was at home so I could do this without embarrassing myself. It’s so close and convenient, but I must tell myself, do not make the same mistake again!

Food Taste:      Price for Value:

Atmosphere:

Service: (lady)     man)
Location: