Kazuhan

*Restaurant is now closed*

Several days after this year's version of Snowmageddon, it was snowing again pretty heavily.  Well, that didn't prevent Jackie and I from our visit to Kazuhan in Richmond along Alexandra Road (where all the restaurants are!).  We were here for their Gold AYCE menu for $59.00.  In addition to various Japanese dishes and sushi, the main focus of the menu is yakiniku or Japanese BBQ.  We ended up ordering practically everything to get a good overview.

Before we got to the food, we were quite impressed with the selection of Sauces on a ledge at our table.  We ended up trying a few of them and the Spicy Miso went quite well with the meats with a balanced saltiness and heat.  I also liked the Fruity sauce as it provided a nice counterbalance and sweetness.  It looked cool, but the Ume sauce lacked impact.  The Kazuhan sauce was their house sweet soy dip and it would be good for those who just wanted something defaultish.  One item wasn't even a sauce, rather, it was BBQ Powder which you would see with some skewers at other places.

Onto some small dishes, we had the Miso Soup, Japanese Tofu, Seaweed Salad, Avocado Salad, Vinegar Eggplant, Sour Cucumber, Tako Wasabi, Kimchi and Edamame.  Nothing out of the ordinary here and in reality, they were decent.  I thought the tako wasabi was pretty good with tender nuggets of octopus that weren't chewy.  Japanese tofu was quite smooth while the cucumbers were crunchy and tangy.  I wasn't a huge fan of the kimchi as it was a bit sour.

Onto some of the Japanese dishes, we had the Smelt Karaage, Teriyaki Chicken Rice, Curry Beef Rice, Ebi Tempura, Gyoza, Chicken Karaage, Takoyaki, Tonkatsu, Chicken Wings, Salt & Pepper Corn and Squid. For AYCE, these were acceptable with the tonkatsu and the corn as the highlights.  I found the thick pork cutlet to be tender and not dry while the outside crispy.  The corn ribs were plump with plenty of seasoning.  Crispy with a nice snap, the ebi tempura was also good.  I also enjoyed the soft and fluffy takoyaki as well as the fried smelt.

We also got a selection of sushi that included Salmon, Ebi and Roast Beef Oshi.  These were pretty decent, especially for AYCE.  The mayo sauce on top was flavourful and not greasy with the one for the ebi having some brightness.  There was some decent charring on the top with the roast beef one being more robust in flavour.  I found the sushi rice to be decent as well with a chewiness bordering more on the drier side.  In addition, we had the Kimchi Beef Roll and Beef Teriyaki Roll that were okay.  I'm not a huge fan of fully-cooked rolls, but I did like the kimchi on top that added some tang and spice.

Onto the meats, we had Kazuhan Steak, AAA Sirloin, Beef Plate, Short Rib, Beef Finger Meat, Chicken Leg, Chicken Heart, Pork Neck and Shrimp. For an AYCE, we thought the meat quality was quite good.  We especially enjoyed the beef finger meat and short rib.  They were fatty and had a pleasant bite to them.  Nice meat flavour too.  The other cuts of beef were also good with the sirloin being the most tender (without the fat of the beef plate).  Chicken was well-marinated and charred up well while the pork neck had its usual bouncy fatty texture.

For an extra $5.68, you could add a side of Sukiyaki in a hot pot.  This was jammed-packed with Napa cabbage, mushrooms, fish tofu, crab stick, sea urchin fish ball, mushroom and beef plate in a sukiyaki broth.  This slowly cooked on the side and was a nice break from the BBQ Meats.  Was very comforting and warm especially on a snowy night.  The fatty meat was good compliment as it added depth to the broth as well as being tender once cooked-through.

To end things off, we were served some Neapolitan Ice Cream.  Nothing mind-blowing, but it was decently creamy and not icy.  This was what we needed after dining on hot meats off the grill and more hot things from the sukiyaki.  Overall, for an AYCE, Kazuhan offers up a wide selection of dishes and meats (for our Gold menu). The meat quality is good and the rest of the dishes are more-than-acceptable.  Nice selection of sauces and the decor is pretty.  Would come back.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Wide selection of things to choose from
- Good meat quality
- Decent dishes for AYCE

The Bad:
- Naturally, it is AYCE, so have reasonable expectations
- Nice to have a parking lot, but it gets full real quickly

Gyubee Japanese Grill

Call it the power of suggestion.  Since we were staying at the Marriott Courtyard adjacent to the Byward Market, we had walked past Gyubee Japanese Grill quite a few times.  It got us thinking that we might just go there for dinner.  In fact, our room faced the restaurant, so every time I looked out the window, it was right there staring at me.  Costanza looked at the menu and suggested we just go have their AYCE dinner.  Okay fine, we put our name on the Yelp waitlist and patiently waited for our turn.  Seems like some others didn't do that and were turned away at the door.

Now the fact it is called a "Japanese Grill" is a loose interpretation of the cuisine.  Let's just say it was more Korean BBQ than Japanese grill.  No matter to us though since we only care if it tastes good or not!  Yes, we got a selection of Banchan as well as the usual romaine lettuce for wrapping our BBQ meats.  I quite enjoyed the bean sprouts as they were crunchy while the kimchi was a little one note.  Cold tofu was good being smooth and the cabbage salad was topped with kewpie dressing.

Onto the meats, the first set we got included also some of our favourites in the Miso Pork Belly and Sweet Soy Marinated Short Rib.  Since these were fatty and also marinated, they cooked up with plenty of char and aroma.  We found the meat quality to be quite good where the meat was well-marbled.  Hence, the result was thin slices of tender meat that cooked up quickly.

We also had the Kurobuta Sausage, Squid, Black Pepper Kalbi and a plate of both Chicken Cartilage and Chicken Thigh.  Surprisingly, we really enjoyed the sausage as it was meaty and firm, yet juicy and flavourful at the same time.  The best item in this selection was the black pepper kalbi as it was meaty and tender with lots of bite from the black pepper.  For me, I love chicken cartilage, so I got more of it after we finished this round.

Next set of dishes came pretty fast and they included Pineapple, Corn, Miso Beef Brisket, Shrimp, Prime Kalbi, Pork Belly and Thick Cut Pork Belly.  Yes, we got another black pepper kalbi as well, so good!  As for this batch, the buttery corn was yummy while the pineapple acted as a nice refresher.  Naturally, the fatty pork belly was delicious, if not sinful.  Brisket was a touch on the chewier side but it had good beefy flavour.

Onto 2 very different items in the Sake Steamed Clams and the Salmon.  They were presented in small tin bowls with tin foil over the top.  So it effectively steamed the items when placed on the grill.  We were given instructions as to how long we should cook it for.  The result was some pretty tender and moist salmon.  However, the clams were the main attraction.  They were plump with the essence of sake.

So we needed to get some veggies into the meal too right?  Well I've already discussed the pineapple and the corn, so won't comment on that any further.  We also had Oyster Mushrooms, Zucchini and Enoki Mushrooms.  Nothing unusual with the oyster mushrooms and zucchini but the enoki were bathed in a bit of butter and when they were cooked through, they were pretty tasty.

To compliment our meals, we got some starches including the Cold Noodle and Bibimbap. If we weren't convinced this was more of a Korean BBQ, then these would confirm this.  I found the cold noodle to be serviceable with chewy noodles while the bibimbap was alright.  Naturally, it didn't have all of the usual ingredients, but it did have beef, sprouts, egg and gochujang.  We mainly used this to fill our lettuce with the BBQ meats.  You could also get plain rice too, but at least this could be eaten by itself.

At the very end of the meal, we had dessert and honestly, the Crème Brûlée was shockingly good.  Beyond the torched hard shell, the custard was creamy and rich while purposefully sweet.  Then we could also choose any flavour of Melona and have that too.  What a refreshing way to end this satisfying BBQ meal.  Sure, it is still $38.00 for dinner, but we thought we got good value considering the selection and quality of the meats.  Furthermore, the service was pretty on point and efficient.  Wish there was one of these closer to me.

The Good:

- Nice selection of quality meats

- Efficient and friendly service

- They change the grilling grate often

The Bad:

- Can feel a bit rushed as all of the items come out at once, but there is a time limit (which is reasonable)

- Front door needs to be fixed as it slams really hard and loud (not good if you are sitting near it)

Alley 16

If you really don't pay attention to the Northeast corner of Cambie & 16th, you might not have noticed Alley 16 (the newish Japanese BBQ restaurant).  I think this location used to be a hot pot place and naturally, the conversion to individual BBQ wasn't a stretch.  They have predominantly bar seating, but also have a few booths as well as a private room near the front of the place.  Decor is simple, but elegant.  Right at the front of the door, there is what looks like a ionizer to remove the BBQ smell from your clothes.

Yet, if that isn't enough, they also have a bank of lockers right behind it.  This way, you can store your jackets and also any other personal items that you do not want to desecrate with the smells from the individual BBQs.  However, I didn't notice too much in the way of smoke nor significant smelliness from the BBQ.  But they do take this seriously and I really appreciate not smelling like the restaurant when I leave.

Onto the food, we weren't super hungry, so we didn't indulge in some of their meat platters (maybe next time).  We did start with something small as an appie in the Tako Wasabi served with nori sheets.  Although not as deluxe as some of the other appies, this was quite good.  The flavours were on point with the sting of wasabi, sweet tangy crunch of the pickles and the sweetness of the octopus.

Onto the BBQ items, we had the Zhu Personal Set consisting of A5 Wagyu, short rib, rib finger, chuck flap, flank, pork jowl, shiso chicken, mushroom and zucchini.  This was the mid-priced set at $55.00 being sandwiched in between $38.00 and $88.00 sets.  The highlight of this set of course was the buttery and melt-in-our-mouths A5 Wagyu.  Beyond that, the pork jowl was bouncy and tender.  Short rib was fatty and delicious and the shiso chicken was tender with beautiful herbaceousness.

We tacked on the Alley Cut Boneless Short Rib as well.  This was a decently-sized piece of meat that was well-marbled and partially sliced.  It was cooked in one piece and later cut into smaller slices so that it could cook more evenly.  Once cooked, it was classic short rib with a strong beef flavour due to the fat.  With some charring, it was nutty and meaty.  There was a chew, but not enough to make it hard to eat. 

To get a bit more veggie into the meal, we also got the Corn, which was a great thing to grill.  The caramelization and char only helped bring out the natural sweetness of the corn.  It activated the sugars and it was delicious.  The personal BBQs were powerful enough to char the meats without burning them.  As mentioned, the smells were kept to a minimum and they have all kinds of methods to keep your clothes from being affected.  Very thoughtful.  Although we only got a taste of what Alley 16 is about, it was good enough for me to plan a return visit.  Those meat platters look epic and high quality too.

The Good:
- Quality ingredients
- Attentive service
- They do a good job keeping your clothes from smelling

The Bad:
- If you are a big eater, it can get pricey
- Not the best place for a big group

 

Q Shi Q Japanese BBQ

*Restaurant is closed*

Let's face it.  Meat-on-a-stick is an outstanding way to eat.  Think of it, there is meat and the portability aspect seals the deal for me.  However, when it comes to the Japanese version (kushi), there is not a huge selection of restaurants that serve it exclusively.  Zakkushi is the most well-known in Vancity, but there is a new player in town in the growing Olympic Village district.  With a huge communal table and some interesting creations, we find Q Shi Q offering up skewered meat in a hip  dining space.  I was invited to do a menu tasting where I enlisted the help of Emily and her Mijune-like eating abilities.

We started off strong with the Lobster Kushi with yuza anticucho sauce.  Consisting of a whole lobster tail sliced in half, it was seasoned just enough that the saltiness did not overwhelm the natural sweetness of the meat.  As for the meat itself, it was just barely cooked which meant it was buttery with an appealing chewy bounce texture.  Although the sauce was slightly spicy, it didn't hinder the natural flavours.  Next up was the Grilled Ezo Abalone where the meat was sliced for quick searing.  That was achieved where the abalone was just done as there was a firm rebound and crunch.  It was mildly seasoned with wasabi-tomatillo so that the true taste of the brininess and sweetness came through.

Continuing on with the high-quality ingredients, we moved onto the Snake River Farms Wagyu Striploin which were beautifully prepared.  The fat was properly activated where the meat was cooked through without being overdone.  Hence, the beef ate buttery and tender while still exhibiting an appealing chew.  I found it to be aggressively seasoned with a shallot karashi vinaigrette, but not to the point where it was too salty or tart.  Back to seafood, the Chilean Sea Bass with yuzu miso and shiso arrived next. It was a bit dry in spots, yet ultimately, it was buttery soft as a whole.  There was a subtle char and smokiness that was dominated by the bright shiso and tartness of the yuzu.

Another reason I was at Q Shi Q was to try their entry in the Poutine Challenge - the Kushi Q-Tine consisting of grilled foie gras (regularly with only one), cheese curd infused korokke skewer finished with a duck & dashi gravy.  I gotta say this was pretty tasty as the buttery foie was expertly prepared where the natural fattiness and seared smokiness came through with each bite.  As for the korokke, they were crispy and ooey gooey inside.  I thought the gravy brought everything together with a richness from the duck fat with only a minimal amount of salt.  Underneath, there was a wood ear mushroom that was appealingly tart that helped cut through all the richness.

Back to the seafood, we were served the Grilled King Crab Merus with Japanese "bearnaise".  Once again, Chef Hiro prepared this perfectly where the crab was barely cooked through.  Hence it was fluffy and retained moisture that afforded sweet and naturally salty flavours.  With just the right amount of sauce, it helped add both creaminess and acidity to the crab.  Nicely charred, the Ton Toro exhibited an appealing porkiness accented by the citrusy and slightly spicy yuzu kosho.  Since it was also just cooked through, the meat was still juicy while exhibiting the classic rebound tender chewiness.  Since pork jowl is well-marbled with fat, there was a nice aroma in terms of smell and taste as well.

Presented together, we sampled the Brome Lake Duck Breast and 48-Hour Pork Belly next.  Sporting multiple slits, the duck breast was still able to retain moisture that kept it tender with a firm, but appetizing chew.  The skin was rendered enough with some crispiness.  Once again, the yuzu kosho provided a little of everything including acidity, saltiness and spice.  It didn't overwhelm the duck though.  Cured and then braised, the pork belly was meaty with only enough fat for full-bodied flavour and texture.  Although not exactly buttery due to the lack of fat, the pork was still tender enough with a seared salty crust on the outside.  With all this meat, I guess we weren't surprised to find the Tofu Dengaku show up at our table.  It was decent with a well-seared and smoky exterior that gave way to a medium-firm tofu interior.  There was more than enough sweet miso on top for full effect.

Hey, if we were taking a short break from meat, why not continue with the Kale Gomaae? Although a bit soggy, the kale was tender with a chew.  It was pretty tasty as every part of it was seasoned with a salty and sweet sesame dressing.  As much as it was tasty, we could've done with less.  Whatever, I still dusted this off happily.  Something that I didn't expect to be impressive was the Zosui made with chicken broth rice soup and shimeji mushrooms.  Tender and slightly fluffy, the rice sat in a rich broth that featured an umaminess afforded by the ample mushrooms.  In addition, the tempura bits added an almost fried garlic essence to the dish.  I wanted to keep eating it despite being pretty full at this point.

Heck, we didn't stop though continuing with the Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs) dressed with oishii and yuzu miso.  Texturally, these were tender with a nice char on the outside.  For us, we felt they were a bit too soft, devoid of meatiness.  There wasn't a lack of seasoning though where I preferred the oishii with a blend that hit all the flavour notes.  Maintaining the poultry theme, we were served Chicken Karaage with a side of Japanese curry sauce.  Being soy-curry marinated, the chicken itself had plenty of punch on its own.  In fact, I didn't really even need the sauce.  The meat was succulent while the skin was rendered and crispy.  This was a well-executed version.

Buttery and a bit rare in the middle, the plump Haida Gwaii Scallops were carefully grilled.  Although some might consider them undercooked, I thought that any more heat would've rendered them chewy.  Moreover, it wasn't as if there wasn't any caramelization on the exterior as a result.  These were naturally sweet where the soy, aonori and bonito flakes added the necessary salty elements.  Although expectedly not as tender as the Wagyu, the Angus Ribeye was good in its own right.  Prepared medium-rare and dressed with soy-karashi, there a good amount of umaminess going on with the skewer.  Although a bit past medium-rare, the meat was still plenty succulent.

Something definitely interesting was their interpretation of Fish n' Chips.  These consisting of local cod wrapped with potato threads and deep-fried.  As a result of the cooking process, the end parts of the fish were a little dry, but the middle remained moist.  On the outside, the potato strings were crispy and not greasy.  Everything was brought together by the tangy and crunchy (from the pickles) white miso tartar.  Staying with fish, we had the Wild Coho Salmon topped with grated daikon and ponzu.  Since it is their style to cook the fish through, it wasn't particularly soft nor tender (yet it wasn't dry either).  I liked how it wasn't overdressed so that I could actually taste the fish.

Of course we weren't getting out of there without some offal. Hence we went for the Beef Tongue simply dressed with salt and lemon.  Since the tongue was thinly sliced, it wasn't as chewy as it could've been.  Usually, non-stewed tongue can be awfully tough to eat.  The mild amount of seasoning allowed the meat flavour and fats to come through.  We didn't ask for the Charred Chicken Hearts, but they figured since we ate almost everything on the menu, we should eat that too.  Cooked just enough, the hearts were tender with a certain meatiness.  They were finished with oishii sauce and sansho which covered all the flavours including some spice, acidity and saltiness.

With all the impressively prepared kushi, we were a bit disappointed with our last one.  At first, the Inside Out Cordon Bleu sounded intriguing.  However, it didn't really work as the outer bacon wrap was not charred enough.  Hence it was chewy and fatty.  On the positive side, the chicken meat was not overdone while the spicy cheese fondue sauce was mild flavoured and generally pleasant.

For dessert, we had the only 2 that were offered.  The Matcha Latte Tiramisu looked promising, however it turned out to be rather dry and overly mild-tasting.  When combined with the red bean, things improved with more sweetness and moisture.  Our last item of this epic meal was the unbaked Citrus Cheesecake with yuzu marmalade.  I thought the cheesecake was fairly creamy while not overly dense.  It was pretty darn sweet though due to the marmalade.  If I isolated the cheesecake without the marmalade, it was much better with only light acidity.  Alright, since we ate practically everything on the menu, I am confident to say that the majority (around 80%) of the items are well-executed and tasty.  We will be back on our own dime.

*All food and beverages excluding gratuities was complimentary*

The Good:
- The large majority of the skewers were on point
- The non-skewer dishes we tried were pretty good too
- Proteins were prepared properly

The Bad:
- Desserts are not their strong point
- Not a huge fan of the chicken meatballs
- Can get pricey