[Durrann]

Sorry for creating a thread if you guys have already talked about it
but


Just curious Im planning to go Tojo's

any feedback on what to get? what dress code? would be much appreciated

celebrating anniversary

Thanks

[mpr]

if you haven't gone to tojo's, then the chef's set menu. $100/ person and wait for the surprises.

dress code is casual.

[unit]

60/80/110 omakase.

[6793026]

it's just business casual. i have been there a few times and if you expect all you can eat shit ... good luck.
I must have had a post somewhere anyhoo.
they do you have set menu BUT as someone said before, you do have the opportunity to just say, 70 dollars a head or 100 etc.

i went with 120 per head and we had like 8 courses. TINY TINY portions but at the end, we were so freaking full.

Chicken wings, tiny sashimi, "tojo's california roll', they indiviaul packaged fish soup is really good. can't explain it.. but it was memorable my friend had to order it again.

it's quite a fun place to go if u are loaded with money, u'll see some hockey players from time to time. also, u wont' be using any soya sauce... show the respect and just taste the food on how they really taste... definitely not all u can eat quality.

to tell you the truth, as an anniversay. i would go somewhere. you can tell them u want to make it special and you should make yoru own menu. just call them ebfore hand, you want to have a personalized menu and tell the chef to make something, you buck will go further (depending which nice place you go).

tojo's is good but not really an romantic setting and they won't treat you like royality..

[Z3guy]

get ready for some wicked food! I think their Toro is second to none, melts in your mouth like butter...if in season try their sea urchin stew....yum!

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^


how would u guys compare miku with tojo>???



anybody been to miku???

http://www.mikurestaurant.com/

[Senna4ever]

get ready for some wicked food! I think their Toro is second to none, melts in your mouth like butter...if in season try their sea urchin stew....yum!
How can Tojo's toro be second to none, when most of the decent Japanese owned restaurants in Vancouver all order from the same suppliers? It's all marketing. :)

Tojo's isn't the most romantic place you'll ever go to. It's more for business dinners, IMHO. The food is good, but I think there are other places that have a better atmosphere like the aforementioned Miku, Zest, etc.

[xmisstrinh]

Miku is the best japanese restaurant i've ever been to

^


how would u guys compare miku with tojo>???



anybody been to miku???

http://www.mikurestaurant.com/

[phunky.FOB]

^


how would u guys compare miku with tojo>???



anybody been to miku???

http://www.mikurestaurant.com/

Yes I have. I went to there dine out. its really good.

[ilvtofu]

Anyone tried Zen, I work next to it and it's a really small place on w10th but has some awards outside

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

in terms of food, tojo or miku?


as someone mentioned already, seems miku has a better atmosphere




its odd these two high end japanese restaurant does not have any super exotic fish.


blue fin tuna etc etc...

[6793026]

How can Tojo's toro be second to none, when most of the decent Japanese owned restaurants in Vancouver all order from the same suppliers? It's all marketing. :)


yes it might come from the same distribution but places like richmond sushi buys the lowest grade where tojo's buys decent and better sushi grade fish. You will never see the cheap ass salmon you eat at richmond sushi being served at tojos. It's not marketing, it really comes down to a better sushi grade.

[unit]

in terms of food, tojo or miku?


as someone mentioned already, seems miku has a better atmosphere




its odd these two high end japanese restaurant does not have any super exotic fish.


blue fin tuna etc etc...

tojos has bluefin, whatchu talkin bout willis :confused:

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^


really? damn them

its not listed on their website dinner menu nor lunch menu

[Z3guy]

How can Tojo's toro be second to none, when most of the decent Japanese owned restaurants in Vancouver all order from the same suppliers? It's all marketing. :)

Tojo's isn't the most romantic place you'll ever go to. It's more for business dinners, IMHO. The food is good, but I think there are other places that have a better atmosphere like the aforementioned Miku, Zest, etc.

your rationale is like saying how can a Aston Martin be better than a Ford, when the both use Bosch as a main supplier. Have you been to Tojos?

I guess Gotham or Hys steak is the same as getting a steak from Denny's...they all buy from the same supplier.

[Zyzz]

Anyone tried Zen, I work next to it and it's a really small place on w10th but has some awards outside

the one on west vancouver?

imo its the worst restaurant I had ever been in. I was fooled by the exterior. The interior looks even worse than AYCE restuarants. The wood and other materials are cheap. The plates, cups, and menu's are made of cheap materials as well.

Not to mention their waitress do not have any manners at all. Their food is crap (srs), portions are extremely small. I spent about $300 (just on food!) on a dinner date with a girl and not even she was full, and once again the food is gross. Avoid at all costs.

It is totally unacceptable for them to charge this kind of price (which is on par with morton /gotham ). At least they have good interiors and services.

[Obsideon]

How can Tojo's toro be second to none, when most of the decent Japanese owned restaurants in Vancouver all order from the same suppliers? It's all marketing. :)

Tojo's isn't the most romantic place you'll ever go to. It's more for business dinners, IMHO. The food is good, but I think there are other places that have a better atmosphere like the aforementioned Miku, Zest, etc.

Read my mind haha I guess being or having been IN the business actually helps. ;)
Miku is not that romantic, they are more posh looking. Zest is nice, I also shamelessly recommend Kamei Royale (for more privacy/romantic) hehe...

yes it might come from the same distribution but places like richmond sushi buys the lowest grade where tojo's buys decent and better sushi grade fish. You will never see the cheap ass salmon you eat at richmond sushi being served at tojos. It's not marketing, it really comes down to a better sushi grade.

If you read Senna's entire post, he did mention that "most of the decent Japanese owned restaurants", why would you toss Richmond Sushi into the mix?
Richmond Sushi is Chinese owned, and you actually consider them a "decent" Japanese restaurant?... umm, no comment.
If you must know, Ebisu & Kamei Royale also order the EXACT same quality as Tojo's. Except Tojo stamps his automatic-instant-price-boosting name on it therefore your mentality is adjusted to think it's pure awesome simply because you paid triple the amount and "the man himself" cut the same slab of fish for you. :rolleyes:

[BinsentoW]

Richmond Sushi is Chinese owned, and you actually consider them a "decent" Japanese restaurant?... umm, no comment.

Is ebisu chinese owned? Not trying to talk shit about it, because I go there often and love the food there. Just wondering, because I thought it was.

[Culverin]

Whoa guys, let's take a step back here.
We're throwing a lot of analogies around and I don't think it's helping anybody get informed.

Here are 3 distinct properties:


Cut (back or belly?)
Grade (Yes, there are different grades, but I don't know what they are called.)
Fish Species (Wild Sockey vs the gross farmed orange slimey stuff. Both could be "select" grade.)
The restaurant's treatment is the final dimension.



Do they serve you the end bits?
How fresh is it?
Are they cutting it properly against the grain? Or do they have some cheap untrained chinese hands doing the cutting?
Heck, if they knife is sharp? Are you bruising or sawing the fish tissue.
Storage temperature and moisture level. Freezer burned fish? Ick.
Storage isolation so conflicting flavors don't merge.


You guys seem to be blurring the line between these.



Allow me to sort you guys out?

How can Tojo's toro be second to none, when most of the decent Japanese owned restaurants in Vancouver all order from the same suppliers? It's all marketing.
Reason 1 through 4, pick one? :rolleyes:


yes it might come from the same distribution but places like richmond sushi buys the lowest grade where tojo's buys decent and better sushi grade fish. You will never see the cheap ass salmon you eat at richmond sushi being served at tojos. It's not marketing, it really comes down to a better sushi grade.
Fish Species: Farmed Atlantic vs Wild Sockey


If you must know, Ebisu & Kamei Royale also order the EXACT same quality as Tojo's. Except Tojo stamps his automatic-instant-price-boosting name on it therefore your mentality is adjusted to think it's pure awesome simply because you paid triple the amount and "the man himself" cut the same slab of fish for you.
Obsideon, I mean no offense, just trying to help the other guys out here...
Grade = Same
But any of the other factors I listed can and probably differ.

[Anakin]

in terms of food, tojo or miku?

as someone mentioned already, seems miku has a better atmosphere

its odd these two high end japanese restaurant does not have any super exotic fish.

blue fin tuna etc etc...

tojo pushes local ingredients from what i remember

[Obsideon]

Is ebisu chinese owned? Not trying to talk shit about it, because I go there often and love the food there. Just wondering, because I thought it was.

Japanese owned with roots going back 40+ years starting in Yokohama. Ebisu is the same owner as Kamei Royale, one of the oldest (turning 35 years old!), authentic, traditional Japanese restaurants in Vancouver.

Thanks for asking though, it's always good to clear the air of any misconceptions ;)

Culverin: No offense taken. I know exactly where you are coming from. I just didn't go into as much detail as you have. :)
I believe all good chefs should have their own knife sets that are kept razor sharp. Specifically all our sushi chefs were trained and have worked many years in Japan before coming over to work for us.

[RFlush]

Japanese owned with roots going back 40+ years starting in Yokohama. Ebisu is the same owner as Kamei Royale, one of the oldest (turning 35 years old!), authentic, traditional Japanese restaurants in Vancouver.

I remember like 6 years ago I went to Kamei Royale on Broadway at Broadway Plaza for their all you can eat. It was the same trash as Richmond Sushi. Generic buffet style where you go up and get your own food etc.

Is that authentic, traditional Japanese?

[Obsideon]

It was way more than 6 years ago I believe. I remember when we changed over to 'keep with the fad' we were also one of the best, if not the best AYCE in Vancouver, but because we were serving higher quality and higher grade food with more professional (and freakin' expensive) Japanese chefs it was difficult to sustain and make profit and potential was very limited so we had to discontinue the AYCE. A year or so after we switched back to authentic, traditional dining.

Wakaru? :)

Oh and no, it was never "Buffet get-your-own-food style" lol!

[TRDood]

I can say the Kamei on Broadway is probably the best lunch sushi restaurant in the area. I never got to try the AYCE though, don't really want to anyway. The $9.99 three dish combo was a very good deal! It even included mango/green tea ice cream... until the menu changed.

I used to work in the area and I would go there 2-3 times a week for lunch.

[Z3guy]

Japanese owned with roots going back 40+ years starting in Yokohama. Ebisu is the same owner as Kamei Royale, one of the oldest (turning 35 years old!), authentic, traditional Japanese restaurants in Vancouver.

Thanks for asking though, it's always good to clear the air of any misconceptions ;)

Culverin: No offense taken. I know exactly where you are coming from. I just didn't go into as much detail as you have. :)
I believe all good chefs should have their own knife sets that are kept razor sharp. Specifically all our sushi chefs were trained and have worked many years in Japan before coming over to work for us.

Nice back pedal buddy! Culverin owned you.....and you work in the restaurant biz? I'll remember never to go to your restaurant......

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

one thing i'd like to make a comment on is Ebisu's sashmi platter seems to be lacking a bit. The salmon is rather HUGE and fatty, those farmed orange ones, to me it taste pretty disgusting. The tuna was rather large too, its more like korean style sashimi like sushi town etc


Thats one category im hoping it'd get improved...otherwise i love Ebisu dont me wrong and deon :thumbsup: , a loyal customer thats for sure.


The reason i brought this up was because one time i brought a couple family friends and they did not enjoyed the sashimi too much, but everything else was very well done.


just my 2 cents

[RFlush]

It was way more than 6 years ago I believe. I remember when we changed over to 'keep with the fad' we were also one of the best, if not the best AYCE in Vancouver, but because we were serving higher quality and higher grade food with more professional (and freakin' expensive) Japanese chefs it was difficult to sustain and make profit and potential was very limited so we had to discontinue the AYCE. A year or so after we switched back to authentic, traditional dining.

Wakaru? :)

Oh and no, it was never "Buffet get-your-own-food style" lol!

I remember we had to get our own miso soup and sashimi slices and it wasn't even that good. Granted I am no food critic, but it tasted no different than Richmond Sushi or any other AYCE.

Also, doesn't Ebisu serve fusion sushi. Is that authentic and traditional?

[6793026]

Japanese owned with roots going back 40+ years starting in Yokohama. Ebisu is the same owner as Kamei Royale, one of the oldest (turning 35 years old!), authentic, traditional Japanese restaurants in Vancouver.

Thanks for asking though, it's always good to clear the air of any misconceptions ;)

Culverin: No offense taken. I know exactly where you are coming from. I just didn't go into as much detail as you have. :)
I believe all good chefs should have their own knife sets that are kept razor sharp. Specifically all our sushi chefs were trained and have worked many years in Japan before coming over to work for us.

wow, so much fail on this. Saying having jap chefs with great knives skills, is that suppose to give it more value in saying it's Jap owned? haahhah

I have been to Ebisu lots of time and while the quality ain't best of the best, the way it's presented, the special 'spin', the sauces and alcohol menu makes me want to go there instead of the AYCE places.

If after reading Culverin's post, Obsideon still feels Ebisu serves the same grade, quality, cuts, type, species of sushi as Tojo's, i really don't know what to say.

[Spoon]

I'll remember never to go to your restaurant......

I'm sharing the same sentiment now that I know Ebisu belongs in the same group as Kamei Royale.

And to defend their product with words like these:
I remember when we changed over to 'keep with the fad' we were also one of the best, if not the best AYCE in Vancouver.

Just admit your mistakes and move on. I don't know if it's improved since way back when, but the food was junk regardless of how you try to spin it.

[Obsideon]

Nice back pedal buddy! Culverin owned you.....and you work in the restaurant biz? I'll remember never to go to your restaurant......

Back pedal? :confused: Culverin elaborated in detail on the same perspective as me.

one thing i'd like to make a comment on is Ebisu's sashmi platter seems to be lacking a bit. The salmon is rather HUGE and fatty, those farmed orange ones, to me it taste pretty disgusting. The tuna was rather large too, its more like korean style sashimi like sushi town etc
Thats one category im hoping it'd get improved...otherwise i love Ebisu dont me wrong and deon :thumbsup: , a loyal customer thats for sure.
The reason i brought this up was because one time i brought a couple family friends and they did not enjoyed the sashimi too much, but everything else was very well done.

I will definitely take a note of that right away! Thanks for the constructive feedback! Always appreciate it! See you soon bud! :thumbsup:

I remember we had to get our own miso soup and sashimi slices and it wasn't even that good. Granted I am no food critic, but it tasted no different than Richmond Sushi or any other AYCE.

Also, doesn't Ebisu serve fusion sushi. Is that authentic and traditional?

RFlush, once again, No. Not for 1 day has it ever been self-serve. I'm not sure if you are mistaking it for another restaurant...
When did I ever mention that Ebisu is authentic or traditional? Hence it was re-branded EBISU and not Kamei. Completely different direction, aiming for unique fusion dishes in an Asian-resto-lounge atmosphere. Point is that we still have the same chefs that have been trained in Japan to prepare and cut the fish.

wow, so much fail on this. Saying having jap chefs with great knives skills, is that suppose to give it more value in saying it's Jap owned? haahhah

I have been to Ebisu lots of time and while the quality ain't best of the best, the way it's presented, the special 'spin', the sauces and alcohol menu makes me want to go there instead of the AYCE places.

If after reading Culverin's post, Obsideon still feels Ebisu serves the same grade, quality, cuts, type, species of sushi as Tojo's, i really don't know what to say.

I don't know if my grammar is way off or you are just percieving my sentence wrong lol ... but what I said was "All good chefs should have their own set of sharp knives" ... and then I just made a small note that all our chefs each have a set. How do you lump that statement together with another and form another opinion entirely?

Tojo is great at marketing. Everyone in the industry knows about it.
Infact quite a few of our chefs have actually worked with Tojo himself.
I admit I know there will obviously be some detail differences here and there, but if you still feel that you need to justify paying 3x more for the same cut of fish then props to you, I'm too poor :(
Thank you for your support and constructive critisicm is important!

I'm sharing the same sentiment now that I know Ebisu belongs in the same group as Kamei Royale.
Just admit your mistakes and move on. I don't know if it's improved since way back when, but the food was junk regardless of how you try to spin it.

Kamei Royale-AYCE was almost a decade ago. We live and learn :p
It wasn't a mistake, we were even featured in The Province as being one of the top AYCE at the time.
I am not biased. I am comfortable to tell you if a competing restaurant is infact GOOD.
Guu (Thurlow) has great food whenever I go and I actually go there frequently afterwork, good friends with the chef. :)

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

I think there is no need to drag Ebisu into this, as they have many different branches plus Kamei Royale is aiming to achieve a totally different dining experience than ebsiu

Ebisu is not your traditional japanese cuisine, its like a lounge with modern japanese food in mind and fuzion it together



compare apples to apples guys

[Anakin]

how many of you have actually been to japan? i would say anywhere that makes rolls cannot be considered traditional japanese

ebisu is clearly not traditional japanese, it's an izakaya (IE a drinking place with food, it just happens to be good pub food)

[Culverin]

Hey guys,
I didn't make my post to trash on Obsideon and Ebisu. I just wanted to help sort out some confusion that seemed to be floating around this thread.


My qualifications? None really.
I'm just a really picky foodie.

Admittedly, I've never been to Ebisu, it's been on my to-do list ever since I finally decided to start posting on RS.
How can I be a full-fledged RSer if I haven't gone to Ebisu right?



... doesn't Ebisu serve fusion sushi. Is that authentic and traditional?
Authentic doesn't have to be traditional.

Authentic = Whatever "a peoples" eat in their native land, this includes junk food and pub food. I would say even the junk food @ Daiso is authentic.
Traditional = Whatever their ancestors ate, including the method in which it is prepared.

As long as I'm not eating the "sweet and sour chicken balls" equivalent white washed japanese cuisine while being marketed as "authentic" and "traditional", I'm pretty happy.
I don't really care the origin of the recipe I'm eating as long as it's good.
I think there's a fine line between dedicated foodie and food elitist.


Japanese owned with roots going back 40+ years starting in Yokohama. Ebisu is the same owner as Kamei Royale, one of the oldest (turning 35 years old!),

authentic, traditional Japanese restaurants in Vancouver.
Authentic is good.
I've got a huuuge long rant about non-Japanese people doing sushi, but let's save that for another time.
Maybe after post my rant after yet another person brings Samurai Sushi to a potluck.


As for Japanese owned. Yes, it makes a difference too.
Japanese owned/operated means a couple things for me.


Japanese training and heritage means they KNOW what good sushi SHOULD be like.

Imagine trying to design a race car without:



Understanding the basics of how a car should handle and behave. (Chinese and Viet people don't have a sushi background at all! Nothing even close!).
Having proper training from somebody who's has designed successfully designed a car.

I know this is going to come off sounding racist, but the Japanese people I know are intrinsically neurotic, they take a lot of pride in their work. This translates beautifully in the restaurant industry, especially delicate food prep like sushi.


wow, so much fail on this. Saying having jap chefs with great knives skills, is that suppose to give it more value in saying it's Jap owned? haahhah

The actual quote was this:
I believe all good chefs should have their own knife sets that are kept razor sharp.
Bingo!
It matters to a lot. A chef's knives are his primary tool.
Maintenance in your primary tool is a very accurate reflection of how much care a chef puts into his work.

As a sushi chef, if you aren't attentive enough to know you're working with a dull knife, or care enough to do something about it, I don't want you anywhere near my sushi.

Sushi isn't like other foods, you don't cook sushi, you prep it to let the pure unadulterated ingredients shine through.
With something like that, I demand attentiveness and pride from my chef.
hahahaha, ok, now I'm beginning to sound like an elitist.


I've never really worked in the industry, but even for home cooks, it shows.
People that don't live for food will end up using dull knives and just leave it be.
My foodie friends all own at least a Shun, Wusthoff or Global if not something better.

My own steps went something like this:
Wusthoff Classic > Global > Japanese Hand Forged Gyuto



I think Obsideon just made some very general statements:
japanese owned = good
sharp knives = a caring chef

Sounds like he assumed everybody would be able to connect the dots.
You needn't burn the guy just cause you can't.

[ilvtofu]

LOL I'm so sick of hearing the negativity around "non japanese" sushi chefs I wish I could be genetically superior with japanese sushi handling skills rooted in the blood that flows in me

Ugh I wanna be able to slice sashimi

[LiquidTurbo]

I come into this thread expecting to read about Tojos and I get talk about Ebisu. LOL.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^

same i want to know more about tojos damn it

[LiquidTurbo]

Let's get this thread back on track. So who's actually been to Tojo's here? Worth the money?
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[bcrdukes]

No more chit chat about Ebisu. There is an entire thread dedicated to them.

This thread is about Tojo's. May I kindly request everybody to stay on topic, please and thank you.

[unit]

tojos was really good last time i went 2-3 yrs ago.
worth trying considering a lot of the dishes are pretty original.

but obviously its not a value pick, so it wont really be worth the 150+ you spend after everything if your expectations are insanely high.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

$150 + for a person or two, either way i better expect it to be god like, like tender juicy pussy in my mouth. Now thats money :thumbsup:

[unit]

for one person.
average meal will cost 100, but u can easily spend more.
add a few drinks, hst, and a 20% tip and you're pretty up there.

[LiquidTurbo]

On No Reservations Vancouver, Anthony Bourdain had real wasabi made from root. That looked amazing. 100 per person is quite the expensive meal though. May be too rich for my blood.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Death2Theft]

100$ per person sushi isn't that head and heels above 50 or even 30$ per person meal.
For 100$ a head with no booze i'd rather hit up a french restaurant.
But if you want to throw money around to impress people then by all means go to Tojo's.

[Blinky]

I wouldn't go to Tojo's for sushi.

I went maybe 5-6 years ago and ordered omakase. It was wonderful - delicate, unique preparations according to what was fresh and available. There was no sushi included. This in my mind is good. I'm going for the creativity.

I last went about two years ago. Ordered omakase again. It didn't wow me, and there was a sushi course. Don't get me wrong, some of the sushi presentation was well executed - a wafer-thin egg wrap comes to mind - but none of the dishes we had that night really stood out to the point I'd remember them today.

Personally, I wouldn't make Tojo's my choice if I want to have a nice dinner out. There are too many other options in Vancouver.

[6793026]

I hope to put this in a way everyone can understand. Tojo's is like fine dining but for jap restaurant.

Surf and turf dinner at chain restaurant would be for say 25 dollars, you just can't compare the prices from that to say.. West or Le crocodile in which you'll get the same "beef and seafood" but it'll cost you 45 dollars.

Is it worth it to get porterhouse for 50 dollars? is it worth getting unique sushi at tojo's? is it worth it to eat fine dining when you can have shark fin soup, abalone and feed table of 10 instead and have 8 courses and even red bean soup for dessert. People and usually a lot the non foodies might no see why it's worth so much going to Tojos. just my 2 cents

[SlySi]

I frequent Tojo's twice a year.
Usually taking a customer or a customer taking me out.
Its a great place to burn business expenses.

I do enjoy Tojo's though.
Tojo himself is a great person. Sit at the bar. Say hi to him and he will chat with you.
Half the time I have no clue what hes saying, but a great guy nevertheless.
All of his staffs love working for him. Unlike many other trashy, mini skirt driven restaurants. Tojo's restaurant has class.
He takes great effort when prepping food. You clearly see his passion and art when you're sitting at the bar.
The quality of food is bar none.
I love Sake. Tojo's has an excellent sake list. And if you can afford it, ask for the sake thats not listed on the menu.
Can't recall what I had last time, but the bottle did run me $110.00
If you are a sake fan, it was simply fabulous.

I love the fact that Tojo does not recommend sushi or sashimi with soya sauce. Nothing drives me more insane than watching people drown their food in soya sauce.


Comparing to Miku.
Thats tough.
Miku deserves their own thread. Another stellar restaurant.

[JayDaMan]

that place is sooo good fuck i would go there everyday if i had the money lmfao

[LiquidTurbo]

Miku? Or Tojos.
Gotta say, love Miku's website. Very very slick. Tojo's has reputation and marketing on its side though.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

I frequent Tojo's twice a year.
Usually taking a customer or a customer taking me out.
Its a great place to burn business expenses.

I do enjoy Tojo's though.
Tojo himself is a great person. Sit at the bar. Say hi to him and he will chat with you.
Half the time I have no clue what hes saying, but a great guy nevertheless.
All of his staffs love working for him. Unlike many other trashy, mini skirt driven restaurants. Tojo's restaurant has class.
He takes great effort when prepping food. You clearly see his passion and art when you're sitting at the bar.
The quality of food is bar none.
I love Sake. Tojo's has an excellent sake list. And if you can afford it, ask for the sake thats not listed on the menu.
Can't recall what I had last time, but the bottle did run me $110.00
If you are a sake fan, it was simply fabulous.

I love the fact that Tojo does not recommend sushi or sashimi with soya sauce. Nothing drives me more insane than watching people drown their food in soya sauce.


Comparing to Miku.
Thats tough.
Miku deserves their own thread. Another stellar restaurant.


i wish i was as lucky as you

lol
:D

[observer]

Miku's torched salmon is nice, but not keen on all the izakaya style yelling. Tojo has private rooms and offers a more comfortable environment for chatting, service I find a little patronizing, and haven't found a killer dish making me wanting to go back yet.

However, if I want to focus on food alone, I personally think the otoro at Sushi Hachi is the best fish I have tasted in Vancouver. Too bad they are always crowded (reservation a must, only husband and wife working) and it's rather smoky inside. They make killer unagi though.

My ideal Japanese restaurant would be Zest's setting, Sushi Hachi's fish, Dan Cafe's hot dishes.

[turbomelon]

Imo Tojo's used to be amazing back at their old location.. but since they've moved the quality has gone down and all of the menu items just don't taste quite as good as they used to be. Its decent japanese fare, but even for 'fine dining' it falls well short of my expectations.

I agree with observer, just didn't want to tell too many people lest it become even more difficult to make reservations at sushi hachi. The Otoro, sashimi and unagi there is the tops hands down.

[Senna4ever]

yes it might come from the same distribution but places like richmond sushi buys the lowest grade where tojo's buys decent and better sushi grade fish. You will never see the cheap ass salmon you eat at richmond sushi being served at tojos. It's not marketing, it really comes down to a better sushi grade.

your rationale is like saying how can a Aston Martin be better than a Ford, when the both use Bosch as a main supplier. Have you been to Tojos?

I guess Gotham or Hys steak is the same as getting a steak from Denny's...they all buy from the same supplier.
Decent restaurants will order from good suppliers like Angel Seafoods, Central Boeki, Hi-To, etc. Those suppliers do not sell low grade fish! If they do, they will give you a choice. Any Japanese restaurant who wants to serve good sashimi/sushi will only order from them. If all you have is speculation of how the Japanese restaurant industry works in Vancouver, please do not comment.

Granted, wild caught fish do have variations in fat content. Sometimes the tuna isn't as fatty as it should be, so any chef worth his/her salt will not serve that tuna...maybe mixed in with spicy sauce to serve as spicy tuna sashimi, but never by itself. This of course, will tend to add to the overall overhead costs so most cheaper places will not do it and serve the not so fatty tuna anyway. To me, it was a matter of pride to not serve crappy food, but a majority of people will not notice.

[observer]

I agree with observer, just didn't want to tell too many people lest it become even more difficult to make reservations at sushi hachi. The Otoro, sashimi and unagi there is the tops hands down.

Was at Sushi Hachi again last night, even their Chutoro was pretty good.

[Z3guy]

Decent restaurants will order from good suppliers like Angel Seafoods, Central Boeki, Hi-To, etc. Those suppliers do not sell low grade fish! If they do, they will give you a choice. Any Japanese restaurant who wants to serve good sashimi/sushi will only order from them. If all you have is speculation of how the Japanese restaurant industry works in Vancouver, please do not comment.

Granted, wild caught fish do have variations in fat content. Sometimes the tuna isn't as fatty as it should be, so any chef worth his/her salt will not serve that tuna...maybe mixed in with spicy sauce to serve as spicy tuna sashimi, but never by itself. This of course, will tend to add to the overall overhead costs so most cheaper places will not do it and serve the not so fatty tuna anyway. To me, it was a matter of pride to not serve crappy food, but a majority of people will not notice.

You should take your own advice and stop commenting....the hole you are digging is getting deeper.....

[Culverin]

What hole?

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

Imo Tojo's used to be amazing back at their old location.. but since they've moved the quality has gone down and all of the menu items just don't taste quite as good as they used to be. Its decent japanese fare, but even for 'fine dining' it falls well short of my expectations.

I agree with observer, just didn't want to tell too many people lest it become even more difficult to make reservations at sushi hachi. The Otoro, sashimi and unagi there is the tops hands down.

honestly the otoro at suhi hachi blows, Hanako's Otoro > sushi hachi otoro any given day

[Spoon]

honestly the otoro at suhi hachi blows, Hanako's Otoro > sushi hachi otoro any given day

The last time I ordered otoro at sushi hachi, they served me the odds and ends. I was not impressed considering the price. :(

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

indeed, yet someone mentions its one of the best in vancouver...which shocks me quite a bit

[Jer3]

I'm a Sushi Hachi fan but I have to agree. I spent over 60 myself including otoro and it was disappointing. It can't be compared to otoro served in Japan.
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[Mugen EvOlutioN]

at least i know i aint the only one who is crazy
:D

[Culverin]

honestly the otoro at suhi hachi blows, Hanako's Otoro > sushi hachi otoro any given day

Wow, I've never even heard of the place.

I haven't had a good sushi meal in forever. Should I be going there?

[Senna4ever]

You should take your own advice and stop commenting....the hole you are digging is getting deeper.....

Err, what?

[Jer3]

Wow, I've never even heard of the place.

I haven't had a good sushi meal in forever. Should I be going there?

yeah i recommend sushi hachi. its still my #1 place to go followed by ajisai. its one of the few places to carry kohada in vancouver which is my favorite :thumbsup: the rest of the items like the maguro, shimaaji and aji were all fresh the times i went before also.

[Jer3]

You should take your own advice and stop commenting....the hole you are digging is getting deeper.....

i'm not sure what your trying to get at. your trying to argue against someone that has worked in the industry (senna) so...i don't think your opinion is valid unless you somehow have the credentials either the same or better. i mean, its already explained that the fish are coming from the same suppliers and that tojo's "like omg amazing otoro" can be had at other places for a fraction of the price. the premium paid at tojo's is just the hype factor talking.

[Culverin]

Hahahaha, I meant Hanako, never heard of it. But I guess that's cause it's in Surrey. :rolleyes:

I've tried going to sushi hachi a couple times.
They are either closed, full, or booked up for the evening.

[bcrdukes]

Err, what?

I was thinking the same exact thing. :lol

[Jer3]

Hahahaha, I meant Hanako, never heard of it. But I guess that's cause it's in Surrey. :rolleyes:

I've tried going to sushi hachi a couple times.
They are either closed, full, or booked up for the evening.

oh my mistake. i haven't been to hanako either but keep hearing about it. i saw a picture of their daily specials sheet and i was impressed by the rarer items found on there. i'll probably go there in the future to try it out to see what all the hype is about :p

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

Wow, I've never even heard of the place.

I haven't had a good sushi meal in forever. Should I be going there?

the place is more home feeling than some fancy well decorated restaurant


BUT their fish is very fresh, and some rare items on the menu. Definitely worth the try


their Otoro is money, way better than sushi hachi

[Liquid_o2]

Hanako is very good.

The quality of the ingredients are high and they carry quite a few items that cannot be found in most typical sushi restaurants.

The restaurant is pretty basic in terms of decoration, but the prices are pretty reasonable for the freshness of the food.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^

amen to that

i used to hate it due to the cheap/home feeling ambience..


but after trying out some of their specialty fish and so on..i was impressed
:thumbsup:

[aznrsx1979]

I was thinking the same exact thing. :lol

Same here. I can't take a persons post seriously when they think that the Glowbal chain of restaurants has great food.

[unit]

^

amen to that

i used to hate it due to the cheap/home feeling ambience..


but after trying out some of their specialty fish and so on..i was impressed
:thumbsup:

I don't find the decor to be bad. Its nothing special or modern but its pretty decent for what it is. Also I like how its a single chef sort of thing. Watching him prep dishes is pretty cool.
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[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^

well the home made menu and self drawn pictures didnt impress me at all. in fact i felt it was cheap..but oh well the foods speak for itself

[Obsideon]

LOL at the hole digging comment ... :lol

Anyways, anyone recommend a place I can dine at that also serves fresh Sanma (Pike Mackerel) Sashimi? Does Sushi Hachi or any of the above mentioned places have it?

[Jer3]

LOL at the hole digging comment ... :lol

Anyways, anyone recommend a place I can dine at that also serves fresh Sanma (Pike Mackerel) Sashimi? Does Sushi Hachi or any of the above mentioned places have it?

ajisai did have sanma sashimi/nigiri. it was a seasonal item though. from what i remember, sanma season was around summertime so it might not be available anymore.