Tag Archives: Yaletown

Bistro Sakana

Situated in the trendy part of Yaletown, Bistro Sakana is a up-scale Japanese restaurant. It has a very nice calming atmosphere with candles on each table. The music was playing a bit too loud which I’m always annoyed with. I hate raising my voice and trying hard to hear what the other person is saying.

I had seen the Aburi Hako Zushi (torched box sushi) and knew that I would order that for sure. I got the Sockeye Jalapeno Aburi $14 which had wild sockeye salmon layered with sushi rice and flame seared with their spicy mayo sauce and jalapeno peppers on top. I am a huge fan of Miku’s salmon aburi, but this was a good competition. I really liked it – lots.

The Pork Gyoza $7.50 was satisfactory, but WAY OVERPRICED. Totally not worth $8. Though I guess the price comes with dining at a higher-end restaurant.

Sockeye Jalepeno Aburi $14

Sheepie ordered the Mango Roll $7.00 (left) which was quite sad. It was really small and falling apart. It wasn’t flavourful at all. Another overpriced item. The Salmon Roll $3.75, Tuna Nigiri $2.00 and Salmon Nigiri $2.25 seemed well prepared. I had the Salmon Nigiri, and it was really good.

The tables against the walls were a bit tight and would have liked a little more room between the tables. There was one time when the server picked up Sheepie’s tea cup to fill up and she almost elbowed the other customer at the next table. She didn’t even notice though. But other than that, the service was great.

It was a nice restaurant, but some dishes way overpriced for quantity and quality. I would definitely like to come back for more Aburi, but will have to explore other dishes on the side next time.

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Honjin in Yaletown

When I first moved to Vancouver 8 years ago, I thought Honjin was an above average sushi restaurant. However, I’m not sure if it’s because I was student back then and my budget was low forcing me to go to really cheap places that this place seemed nice, or that it’s become a bit worn down over the years, or that I’ve become more critical after blogging restaurants and experiencing places like Miku and Oru that I find this place not as high on the list as I remember.

It’s still decent though, although I must say that for a Yaletown restaurant with Bistro Sakana and Minami in the neighbourhood, this place is more on the ‘casual’ side.

The patio was full on a sunny summer weekday evening. My dad was in town, so we went for some good sushi. Inside was a lot quieter with only a third of the tables occupied. Still, the servers were always bustling around

I ordered the Negitoro Roll $3.75, 2 Salmon nigiri $1.75 each, 1 Tamago nigiri, Chawan-mushi (steamed egg custard) $4.95. The size of the nigiris were small, which is more authentic and not only easier to eat, but makes it a delightful eating experience in both flavour and texture. (not like those super big and thick ones you get at some places). The Chawan-mushi was lightly flavoured and reminded me of the ones that my grandmother used to make. I recall someone telling me that it was difficult to make it properly, and I only order when I know that I’m at a fairly good Japanese restaurant.

Our server was patient as my dad was insistant on where and how our photo should be taken as he showed her the camera. Later on, we ordered another roll, the Chopped Scallop roll $4.95 which we shared.

Overall, it was a good dining experience. The food was very good and the server was very helpful. The dish bins in the middle (behind our table) and by the wall is a unsightly presence, but otherwise, very good.

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Good Wolfe

I met up with 2 of my friends for brunch on a Sunday. We originally planned to go to Sakana Bistro, but were disappointed to find that they were closed.

The inside has a slightly hipster-ish look, with a vintage but modern flavour – a perfect place to catch up with your friends. Our server was very friendly, but was quite busy with all the tables occupied. Because I was busy looking at the gifts that were given to me, we didn’t get a chance to look at the menu, and every time the server came back, we hadn’t decided…so after a while, he forgot about us…lol.

I ordered the Egg Benedict with Breakfast Sausage $12. The food took a while, but it was superb! The egg was poached perfectly. The hash browns were a bit too burnt, but tasted really good with a mix of green onions. It had 2 pieces of strawberries and a slice of orange. And of course, the water in the glass bottle which I love. I had a bite of my friends’ dishes, and they were both good.

Despite not being able to try out Bistro Sakana, Good Wolfe surprised me with excellent food. The price wasn’t way too expensive either. I would definitely recommend, and would like to return again!

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