Tag Archives: okonomiyaki

Kuma Japanese Restaurant

Click to add a blog post for Kuma Japanese Restaurant on Zomato It’s a small restaurant and we got a very small table right in the middle which seemed a bit out of place. It has a old hipsterish feel, not something Sheepie and I are too fond of. It’s it a modern vintage, it’s ok, but when the tables are chipping away and the chairs looks random or picked up from a garage, we’re not into it. There were buckets near the ceiling on the beams and we wondered if the roof was leaking. The washroom was so tiny, it reminded me of ones on a plane. The decor in interesting though. There is a bit of Japanese flavour, and the Japanese staff do wear kimono – though we’re talking about the cheap kind.

idearabbit-kuma1 idearabbit-kuma2idearabbit-kuma6 idearabbit-kuma3I saw on their menu that their okonomiyaki was one of their signature dishes, so I thought I’d try it out. Like with the Clubhouse, the staff warned me that it would be a 30 minute wait. So I ordered an appetizer to keep my stomach happy while waiting. I got the Agedashi Tofu $3.50. The sauce was on the blander side, but good for less sodium intake.
idearabbit-kuma5 I got the Prawn Okonomiyaki $12.95. It was a lot more mushy than I’m used to, though I know that there are these types. It was my first time trying it. It was good, but I think I still prefer the more solid with flour kinds – more like a pizza. There were a bit too much sauce for me which made it too salty – but just my preference.
idearabbit-kuma4Sheepie ordered the Tuna & Salmon Combo $11.95 with 2 tuna nigiri, 2 salmon nigiri, 6 piece tuna roll and 6 piece salmon roll. I tried one salmon nigiri, and it was very good.
The service was great, and if you’re ok with a family kind of restaurant, one of the staff has a baby in a tiny crib by the kitchen. Yes, so you may hear baby crying.
Overall, a decent restaurant.

Second Time

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The tea was water that was tinted a slight yellow. It had no flavour. A bit of disappointment. I’m not sure if I’m recalling it properly, but I think the green tea tells how good the restaurant is. But like they say, never judge a book by it’s cover. idearabbit_kuma6

I ordered Pork Gyoza $3.95 which came with 6 pieces. The shell was fried just right. The sauce was really good. It was authentic Japanese gyoza. idearabbit_kuma7

Sheepie had the Tuna & Salmon Combo $11.95 with Tuna roll, Salmon roll, 2 Tuna nigiri and 2 Salmon nigiri. I had one of the salmon nigiri. To my surprise, underneath the salmon, we both found wasabi on the rice. Yup, another authentic nigiri.

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For my sushi, I had the Negitoro roll $3.50 and Salmon & Avocado roll $4.25. I immediately noticed the freshness of the nori (seaweed), and also the vinegar in the rice. That is good quality.

I was both happy with the gyoza and sushi. Prices are in the average, but the quality is good.

The baby last time that was crying in the crib was crying or making sounds again, but this time on the back of the staff in the kitchen…

Would return again.

 Taste: carrotcarrotcarrotcarrot    Price for Value: carrotcarrotcarrot

Atmosphere:  carrotcarrotcarrot   Service:  carrotcarrotcarrot
Location: carrotcarrotcarrot

Clubhouse Sushi

Clubhouse Sushi on UrbanspoonOne of my friend always loved this place, and I had been there once a long time ago, but that was with a really large group of 20+, and all I can remember is that those individuals that ordered their signature dish – okonomiyaki, never got theirs until everyone else finished their dinner. I recall angry customers and not so positive impression regarding the speed of service.idearabbit_clubhouse_sushi30 idearabbit_clubhouse_sushi31 idearabbit_clubhouse_sushi34

idearabbit-clubhouse5 idearabbit-clubhouse6This time, I went with Sheepie, so I had more time to look around and observe. The restaurant was filled with interesting murals all over their wall. The furniture looked like it was from an old club. I wonder if they intentionally did the interior to look like this, hence the name of the restaurant, or when the took over the old place, they named it Clubhouse because of it’s look and kept it that way. The booth benches have Victorian patterns – not sure where this fits in. Also, as to why their website’s header image is of a person golfing, I have no idea. I don’t get any of this random mixture of things.

idearabbit-clubhouse3Spicy Tuna roll $2.95

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Chicken Yakisoba $8.50

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Yokozuna set $13.95

I ordered the Spicy Tuna roll $2.95 and Chicken Yakisoba $8.50. The roll was good and was with the nori (seaweed) on the outside, unlike most places which has the rice on the outside. So it was bit smaller than your usual Spicy Tuna roll. The yakisoba was also good, but it was super oily, and was dieing of thirst afterwards. Simply, too much salt, soy sauce and MSG. Sheepie ordered the Yokozuna set $13.95. Tea is extra! but only 50 cents.

The restaurant is spacious with good service and prices. If you are paying by card, it’s the old fashioned way and you’ll need to pay at the till. I think I need to go back to try more dishes – perhaps the okonomiyaki :)

Another Time

This time,  I finally ordered their specialty dish, the Okonomiyaki. You are warned at the time of warning that it will take approximately 30 minutes. I acknowledged, but it seemed more than 30 minutes, especially when everyone else was getting their other dishes.

idearabbit-clubhouse22However, the okonomiyaki was pretty good. I ordered the Chicken Okonomiyaki and Tuna Tataki $8.50. The okonomiyaki was pretty filling, and I couldn’t finish it. A woman from Osaka (in the area where Okonomiyaki is from) had a bite of mine and she approved. My friend ordered the squid one, and I actually liked it more. It went well with the sauce and filling better than chicken. My other friend was extremely happy about the food.

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The Tuna Tataki was super soft. Just melted. Sheepie was surprised. I really liked it.

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Sheepie ordered a Tuna Nigiri $1.50 and 2 Salmon Nigiri $1.70 each and a Spciy Tuna Maki $2.95
Service was satisfactory.

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Nicely presented and colourful Wild Salmon Avocado roll $5.25 and Alaska roll $4.95idearabbit_clubhouse_sushi33Negitoro roll and Alaska roll $4.95 with crab meat inside and smoked wild salmon on top.

Return

Sheepie and I returned one weekend, and back again the following weekend with a large group of about 15 or so people. I can’t recall why I was so full….I know I had an event earlier, and I had eaten all day. But feeling a bit bad for not ordering anything, I had Edamame $3.50. Yes, you can buy a frozen bag of Edamame for less, and considering all you have to do is boil and add salt, it’s a bit overpriced.

idearabbit_clubhousesushi5Anyways, service was poor, and the non-complimentary tea was the poor kind. Yellowish with no flavour. Overall, the people at my table didn’t enjoy their dining experience. 1 carrot lost for Service. This wasn’t the first time that the service was lacking.

 Taste: carrotcarrotcarrot     Price for Value: carrotcarrotcarrot

Atmosphere:  carrotcarrotcarrot    Service:  carrotcarrot
Location: carrotcarrot