The Best Japanese Food in Vancouver

If there’s a default food for me (and many Vancouverites) – it’s sushi. Chinese-owned Japanese restaurants are a dime a dozen, found in every corner of the GVRD, but there are a small handful that stand above the rest; Nikkyu is one of them.

From the outside, Nikkyu is rather unassuming, and that doesn’t change past the doors either. Wooden tables and chairs are clustered tightly in the small dining hall, allowing for easy (though slightly public) conversations and access to the attentive staff.

The food, like the restaurant itself, is a simple affair, but an enjoyable one. Withing minutes of ordering, dishes started rolling in. While each entree was presented well, it was the tuna dishes that stood out the most from common fare. The soft textures of the negitoro sashimi ($1/pc) melted in my mouth, while the green onions in the negitoro and spicy tuna rolls ($3.85) gave a nice kick to the staple. The spider ($9.50) and rainbow rolls ($8.50), while competent, were a bit too familiar; I’d had the same formula elsewhere.

If you’re looking for an authentic or innovative Japanese experience, Nikkyu isn’t your place, but if you’re with a small group looking for familiar flavours, fresh tuna, and quality service, I recommend it.

For more photos from Nikkyu, visit the Flickr set.

It’s been a long time coming, but ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yum! Vancouver, the blog dedicated to reviewing the best food in Vancouver.

With me on the inaugural meal was the ever-talented Ami Sanyal from Ami Sanyal Photography. Looking for some post-photo grub, we stopped at the large sign reading “the best sushi in Kerrisdale” centred atop Shota’s doors.

Inside, we found a warm dining hall with strong nods to traditional Japanese decor. Greeted curtly, we were guided to the back of the room to a private section divided from the main by fusuma.

The menu, though a little pricey, promised a wide range of Japanese favourites, as well as a handful of delicacies exclusive to Shota, such as the Yew Street Roll (tamago, unagi and cucumber topped with avocado and sesame). Following the recommendation of our waitress, I settled for the restaurant-favourite Dragon Roll and one of the daily specials, the BC Tower.

The Dragon Roll (seven pieces for $10.95) was the first to arrive; the blend of prawn tempura and cucumber topped with grilled eel, avocado, masago and lightly drizzled unagi sauce meshed incredibly well together. The mellow flavours from the tempura and the avocado were lifted by sweet and salty accents from the garnish. Extremely well balanced and understandably one of the more popular dishes at Shota.

The BC Tower (two pieces for $4.95) was the more curious of the two entrees, but shared similarities to the Dragon Roll in both taste and quality. At the centre of each tower was an ultra-rich slice of fried salmon skin rolled with fresh cucumber, organic baby greens and avocado. To top it off, tobiko, unagi sauce, and mayonaise were swirled on the dish and each tower was crowned with a plume of katsuobushi. A delectable concoction; again incredibly well-balanced, with salty and sweet undertones lifting the more dominant mellow flavours.

In closing, it was an honour to kick off this blog at Shota Sushi & Grill. Though a bit on the expensive side, I left Shota sated and eager to return. With premium ingredients, gorgeous presentation, and a taste to match, I’d be hard pressed not to recommend this restaurant. A special thank you to Maggie Hon, Shota’s director, for helping me clear up the ingredients in the BC Tower for this review; quick and kind, if Maggie’s in the room, I’m confident your experience will be that much better.