180 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

^ Exactly. They have never shown him dead in any photos yet. He'll likely just retire at the same complex that Hitler, Hoffa and Elvis live at.

[Baro]

Don't forget big foot.

maybe you guys will find them all!


.. at a tupac concert of course.

[Photogirl]

I had lunch here on Friday, and although the prices seemed reasonable for the quality of the food, I found the atmosphere to be lacking. The restaurant is a very large open space that hasn't been divided properly to allow for any kind of privacy between tables. They've made an attempt by placing some plants throughout, but some dividers (like they use at Azuma) would have been nice.

As far as service goes, I think they are trying, but have kind of missed the boat (or the train in this case!). Hopefully because this is a fairly new restaurant they are just learning and will quickly improve...otherwise, I'm afraid to say, they may suffer the same fate as a lot of other restaurants in this city.

[Holden West]

Free, all-you-can-eat sushi, today only, in Metchosin.



...sorry!




"Hmm...I'd hit it!"

[duvaroo]

I believe Yokohama has all you can eat sushi on Tuesday nights. We were there a few months back and the food was pretty good, but the service was beyond bad. We sat there for 45 minutes before we even got a menu. It ended up being about a three hour adventure by the time our food finally came and we ate. But since were with a crowd of friends it wasn't that bad.
But if you're in a hurry...I wouldn't recommend it.

[Caramia]

I've always enjoyed Sen Zushi on Fort street, and also that little Sushi to Go place on Yates next to the Odeon. Sen Zushi is nice for a sit down dinner. The place on Yates street is fast yummy and cheap. With decent sized servings too!

[Holden West]

Mrs. West and I were craving sushi one afternoon recently. Kaz on Store street had just closed for lunch so we thought we'd try Sushi Rock Cafe on Pandora and Government instead.

When I first heard about the concept for this place I was excited. I was told it was going to be a new type of restaurant the kind this city hasn't seen before.

We sat up by the sushi train and the two cooks behind the train refused to make eye contact with us, let alone engage us in some of the trademark social banter sushi bars are famous for. The cooks were young male and female caucasians for what it's worth. After an uncomfortable few minutes we asked the pleasant hostess if we could sit at a table. Now I had a chance to closely examine the decor or lack of it. It manages to look barren and cluttered simultaneously. Random, cheap knick-knacks are hung everywhere and generic rock music plays in the background. I guess they were trying for some sort of Asian Hard Rock Cafe vibe. I don't need extra fancy (I love Foo Hong's decor!) but this place just seemed a little sad.

We ordered tuna, salmon and tempura veggies. I thought it was alright but my dining partner (who is a sushi connoisseur) thought it was average at best. The portions were slim and the price wasn't cheap.

There are cheaper sushi joints, and there are more attractive places and there are places with better food and better value. Although I really wanted to like Sushi Rock Cafe, I'm afraid there's not much I can recommend about this place.

[Ms. B. Havin]

Thanks for the review, Holden.

Next time you're in the Cook Street Village area, try the sushi at the McKenzie Street Food Court (just off Cook St., east of). It's the food court that also has King Thai, Cafe Fantastico, and the African place -- sorry, it has been a long week, and my verbal memory gets bad when stressed: I can't even think of the country** right now! My bad...

Forgot the name of the sushi place, too, but they have some of the best rice, a good selection of sushi creations (including all sorts of rolls & cones), and make the sushi while you watch. And their eye contact is pretty good, too! Reasonably priced, too.

**Wait! correction, it just came to me: Ethiopia. Phew, not completely senile yet...

[gumgum]

^Yes! That food court is always a good bet for good homemade tasting food. Just bring cash, because none have them have entered the 21st century and discovered a debit machine.

[duvaroo]

I think my favourite place for cheap take-out sushi is Fujiya on Shelbourne. For $10 you can get enough great sushi for two people, and in the summer they have some outdoor seats, as long as you don't mind sitting next to a fairly busy road!

[Holden West]

^Yeah, that's the one opposite Shelbourne plaza. Recommended. Great variety of takeout made fresh right there. Good selection of Japanese grocery items, too.

[Holden West]

Mrs. West and I decided to try Kaz on Store St. for dinner. We sat up at the sushi bar and had a fantastic meal and were entertained by the chef (who is also one of the new owners). Our waitress wasn't quite up to par but the service was adequate. The sunomono salad was excellent. Good portion and excellent flavour. I had the bento box--very tasty. Reasonable prices considering the quality. I would highly recommend it and would like to try Kaz for lunch as well.

[Holden West]

Next stop was Yoshi Sushi in the Gateway Village centre behind T&C. Good food, service and value. I'd recommend it. The decor is clean and tasteful if a tad dated--the interior is virtually unchanged since the shopping centre opened in the late 80s.

[duvaroo]

We went to Yokohama last night for all you can eat sushi. It's the second time a group of us has gone, and for the second time the service was terrible!

We had reservations so you think they'd be prepared for a group of 12, but not so much. The server wasn't writing anything down and consequently, forgot most of the orders we gave her. I waited over an hour for a bowl of Miso soup. In the end, most of my dinner didn't arrive (we were there for more than 2 hours), and I had to cough up $22 for a bowl of soup, some tofu and two rolls. A friend of mine had to reorder her food three times before it finally got to the table!

You'd think by now, someone in this city would have a decent all you can eat sushi place! I can't wait for it to happen.

[Holden West]

"All you can eat sushi" is a phrase I'm extremely wary of. Like "discount lawyer" or "chiropractor on probation".

[G-Man]

There used to be one at Douglas and Hillside.

[Holden West]

We tried the venerable Japanese Village Friday night. Foregoing the booths, we sat up at the sushi bar where the action is. Unlike our dismal experience at the Sushi Rock Cafe, the chefs were hilarious--engaging and funny, dispensing first-rate sushi along with quips and one-liners. The service was excellent--glasses were topped up and dishes taken away quickly and discreetly. Mrs. West is a die-hard Yoshi Sushi fan but after the Village's entertaining evening even she admits she's a convert.

We tried a variety of dishes and all were great. Tuna tataki we found was reasonably priced and fantastic. Melt-in-your-mouth seared tuna in a ponzu sauce. Not the cheapest meal around but JV is worth every penny.

[julienne]

"All you can eat sushi" is a phrase I'm extremely wary of. Like "discount lawyer" or "chiropractor on probation".

That's very funny.

[yodsaker]

"All you can eat sushi" is a phrase I'm extremely wary of. Like "discount lawyer" or "chiropractor on probation".

"Luxury condo"?

[martini]

The pinnacle for me was Fuku further north on Douglas, which was AYCE but not buffet. I don't even want to think about the amount of agedashi I consumed in that place. It closed down in... 2000? 2001? It's still sushi, but I don't think they do AYCE. The best part is that you paid extra for anything you ordered but didn't eat.

Mine too! Oh the memories and literally rolling out of there every Tuesday.
If they did close, it was for a brief period after Tony the owner died. It was already renamed Chikara Sushi. The new owners have kept up the place, but AYCE never returned. Too labour intensive for the family.