Elephant

I've been a fan of Chef Justin Lee (known as Justin Ell as well) since his days at Crowbar.  His eclectic and sometimes vegetable-forward food is heavily influenced by creating flavours by employing fermentation, aging and rendered animal fats.  He had a brief stint at Superflux and then moved into some fancy digs at Miantiao in the Shangri-La.  However, I've always found his food to be accessible with little fuss.  Hence, it was completely out-of-its-natural-element in Downtown.  I was truly pleased to see him head the compact restaurant, Elephant, steps away from another favourite of mine - Straight & Marrow.  It is almost like the prodigal son has returned home.  Now sporting a well-deserved status of being a Michelin-Recommended restaurant, it was a matter of time I had to visit the place.

Beyond the "must-have" Cabbage Bolognese, the Omakase menu is the thing to get here.  You can actually ensure you get the aforementioned dish if you add a supplement.  To start our meal we has some snacks including the roasted Seiglinde Potato with tofu aged in cannellini miso, preserved beans, pickled onion and peanuts.  Essentially a fancy potato salad, this was packed with umami.  Beyond the firm, yet tender potatoes, there was a thick creaminess that had a nice mouth feel.  The crunch from the tangy beans as well as the acidic onions added texture and brightness.

We went from subtle umaminess to absolute flavour bomb with the Rutabaga with dangerous crab seasoning and peanuts.   The first thing to hit was the spice, then I got the aroma of the peanuts and then at the tail end, there was sweet brininess from the crab. Again, umami strikes again where flavours were not reliant on the usual ingredients.  The crunch of the rutabaga was appealing and appetizing.  I could've eaten a whole bowl of this.

Our last snack was the Roasted Radish with Southern Thai curry with fermented spot prawns.  We loved the burst of sweet juices from the turnips upon our first bites.  The curry was full of body and depth.  Once again, fermentation struck again where the richness of the curry was thanks to the excellent balance between spice, sweetness and aromatics.  Similar to the last dish, the brininess from the fermented spot prawns made this curry.

Onto another genius creation by Chef Justin was the Cloudy 2 Kinds of Turnip Soup.  Although there was no dairy in this, it was so rich and creamy thanks to the aged pork fat.  The collagen from the pork fat created a nice silky viscosity as well as offering a meatiness to compliment the sweetness and earthiness of the turnips.  I found the aroma to be intoxicating with every sip as my nose was in direct line with the warm vapours.

On the topic of using animal fats to bring out textures and flavours, we had the Chicories & Daikon with tarragon, apple, walnut and roast beef dressing.  One bite and it was rather obvious we weren't not dealing with olive oil.  The creaminess and fattiness of the dressing was full of body and bite.  It was nicely balanced by the equal parts of acidity and sweetness.  Lots of crunch from the ingredients and hidden underneath, delicious juicy roast nuggets of daikon.

Other than the rutabaga, our favourite dish was the Kohlrabi with smoked pig's head and egg.  This featured tender slices of kohlrabi that still maintained a bite.  The smokiness from the meat was definitely there as well as the creamy fattiness that had been rendered.  Again, full of umami and further amped by the ample amount of clothbound aged cheddar.  With just enough fresh cracked pepper, there was a little bit of cacio e pepe vibes in this dish.

Moving onto the Risotto, it was made with cabbage and potato as well as super aged 5-year toma.  This was expertly prepared where the rice was cooked through while still being chewy.  Furthermore, the risotto spread on the plate evenly.  It was plenty cheesy and rich, but the cabbage did provide interludes of juicy vegetableness.  Now with the aged toma, it was nutty, a bit salty and plenty sharp.  Loved this dish.

For dessert, we were served Preserved and Fermented Peaches with milk and topped with olive oil.  This was whipped and served much like a Melona bar.  Hence it was creamy, sweet and tang with the a "semi-freddo" form of texture.  This was a nice little bite to end a very Chef Justin meal.  His methods of creating flavour are thoughtful and creative.  The food is where it belongs - in a small restaurant on the East Side where it is both accessible and delicious.  Bravo.

The Good:
- One word: Umami
- Well-priced
- No fuss

The Bad:
- Limited space, so make a reso or you will be out-of-luck
- Be patient, it is a one man show in the kitchen, however, Chef Justin Lee is very efficient

Sushi Jin

Much like many other cuisine, Japanese can be good value and also be super expensive.  It all comes down to quality and preparation.  Places like Sushi Garden are accessible to most people and offers up everyday sushi that does the job.  However, for those looking for something more special, these include Tetsu, Masayoshi, Tojo's, Maumi, Stem, Yuwa and Miku/Minami.  I've been to them all, but I've been meaning to try Sushi Jin for quite some time.  Fortunately I made it in before they raised the price of their Omakase by $50.00

Yes, their Omakase is a wallet burning $250.00 now, but with the cost of food and operations skyrocketing, it was only is a matter of time we see increases across the board (if it hasn't happened already).  So to start things off, we were served Steamed Live Abalone (including the innards).  Preparation was simple and was only accompanied by some freshly grated wasabi and salt.  The natural flavours and sweetness was on display as well as the classic abalone texture.

One glance at the Hirame Carpaccio and it was pretty clear that the fish was high quality.  Exhibiting a beautiful sheen, the flounder was firm and sweet.  Topped with some grated ginger and dressed in ponzu and oil, the hirame was complimented but not overshadowed.  Plenty of brightness around that kept things fresh and light.

We were then presented with the Grilled Black Cod served in a sheet of nori.  The cod itself was buttery and sweet with a sake finish.  Texturally, it was perfect being barely cooked all the way through.  As for the nori, it had softened up due to the hot piece of fish.  That made it a bit difficult to eat.  However, a minor detail compared to the deliciousness of the black cod.

Somewhat of a palate cleanser, the Asari no Sumashijiru was so simple and delicate.  It consisted of a broth with scallop, squid and clam.  The flavours were subtle exhibiting the natural sweetness of the seafood.  It was clean and straightforward where the textures were buttery with a bite.

Onto the nigiri course, we had the Shima-Aji which had a fresh snap yet was still buttery in texture.  It was clean, bright and sweet.  Underneath, the rice was chewy while soft at the same time (it was on point).  Next, we had the Kanpachi which was buttery and soft.  It was sweet with an appealing fishiness.  The green onion was bright and offered a good punch.  Oh we were so spoiled by the Bluefin as it had a clean taste and was fatty in texture.  It was aged for 2 weeks, hence there was a definite seafoodiness to it (but it was delicious).  Lightly torched, the Tsubugai (Whelk) was smoky and garnished by a bit of wasabi.  It was lightly chewy with a crunch and natural sweetness.

Oh the deliciousness was only getting started as we were served the Botan Ebi with Hokkaido uni in nori.  This was so intensely sweet due to the ebi and the supremely fresh uni.  Definitely a taste of the sea as well.  The King Salmon Aburi completely melted in my mouth with a fattiness that was both a textural delight and burst of flavour (including the torched smokiness).  If we didn't get enough already, the Hokkaido Uni was such a treat.  It was served ice cold which further enhanced the bright sweetness.  It was creamy and super fresh.  Yah, things just kept getting better with the Hon Maguro no Otoro which was creamy and fatty.  All the flavour from the fat was impactful and memorable.  The salt from the caviar helped balance the sweetness with some saltiness.

What could be any better than combining all of the good stuff into one?  The Luxury Gunkan featured toro, Hokkaido uni, ikura and baby shrimp.  Yah, this was full of seafoody brightness and sweetness.  Naturally, we found layers of flavour and once again, the cold temperature was key.  The temp was equally important with the Anago as it was warm with just enough sauce.  It was soft and moist with a mild salty sweetness.  Wrapped in some crispy nori, the Negitoro Temaki was truly beautiful. The crunch from the nori gave way to fatty tuna that was accented by just enough green onion.  Before headed to dessert, we got the Tamago which was custardy and consistent texturally.  It had a mild mirin sweetness.

So for dessert, we were served the Monaka Matcha Gelato.  Love their version with a wafer shell.  Fits the seafood theme very well.  This was a light, crispy and creamy all in one.  Nice way to end a fantastic meal at Sushi Jin.  The quality of the ingredients was evident and the preparation was excellent.  Sure, it is expensive, but you won't many places with this quality of sushi.   If you have money to burn or you have a special occasion coming up, keep this place in mind.

The Good:
- High quality ingredients
- Prepared properly
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- You need to spend some green here

Stem Japanese Eatery

Not really all that long ago, the only place where you would normally find higher-end eateries was in either Downtown and/or the Westside of Vancouver.  However, with more and more people moving Eastward into the 'burbs, we are no longer stuck with just chain restaurants.  Interestingly enough, it isn't the traditional Western fine-dining that are opening in spots past Boundary Road.  Rather, we see more expensive Asian joints popping up.  Does it have something to do with demographics?  Possibly or maybe the appetite is there for more refined Asian eats.  This is the case with Stem Japanese Eatery setting up shop in South Burnaby.  With the former chef of Zest at the helm, the price point at Stem readily reflects that.

After being open for over half-a-year, we finally made it out with the kids and the grandparents.  We started out with an order of the Sockeye Salmon Sashimi for $20.00.  Yes, $4.00 per piece can be sticker-shock, but similar to the best sushi bars in town, the quality was worth it.  Visually, it was stunning with deep colours.  Each slice was buttery soft while retaining a meatiness and being superbly sweet from start-to-finish.  We got a couple orders of the Onsen Tamago sporting a 64-degree Maple Hill Farm free-range egg, dashi espuma, Koshihikari rice, kale stem & shrimp furikake finished with black truffle oil.  When mixed together, the silky egg and espuma created a velvety base for the chewy rice and crunchy stems.  Flavours were subtle, but that was the point due to the delicate ingredients. 

Neatly plated, the Soba Crab Roll was certainly an interesting concoction.  It consisted of BC dungeness crab surrounded by nori, green soba noodles and then more nori.  On the side, there was a dashi soy broth for dipping.  Texturally, I wasn't sure of the soft-on-soft.  It could've used a crunchy component somewhere (except for the ends).  However, it was still tasty since it had a big chunk of fluffy crab in the middle.  The noodles were a touch soft, but they weren't mushy.  Loved the impactful dashi soy that wasn't salty.  For my son, he had to have the Unagi Tamago Cone (2 of his most favourite things).  Carefully constructed and featuring chewy sushi rice, there was a buttery piece of unagi and a fluffy slice of tamago.  Nothing complex, but texturally on point.

Onto one of our favourite dishes of the meal, the Bio-Dynamic Zucchini Blossom Tempura was perfect.  These large blossoms were stuffed with ebi shinjo and deep fried with tempura batter.  The result was a crunchy exterior giving way to the delicate blossom and the bouncy shrimp paste with shiso.  The plate was finished off with a yuzu aioli drizzle which added a creamy tang.  Another solid dish was the Chilliwack Miso Pork Jowl that was cured for 48 hours with a house blend miso.  It was simply grilled and topped with a granny smith apple salad.  Completing the dish was a roasted rhubarb puree.  Texturally, the pork jowl was on point with a chewy bounciness.  There was definitely the fermented essence of the miso coming through as well as a smokiness from the grilling.  I thought the puree was a great tangy compliment.

Viv's favourite dish was the Grilled Yarrow Meadows Duck marinated with house made shoyu koji.  It was garnished with zucchini ohitashi, soy braised mushroom and burdock kimpura.  The brined duck breast was cooked to a nice medium which ensured that it was moist and tender.  I would've liked the fat to be rendered more, but it was tender and did not get in the way.  In addition to the inherent fermented saltiness, the burdock added an herbal woodsiness while the mushrooms were a nice balance between sweet and salty.  There was also a background hit of truffle oil as well. The solid plates continued with the Garlic Chicken marinated in garlic sweet soy finished with green onion, shiitake and aomori garlic chips.  Although the ingredients were simple, the execution was flawless.  Succulent and super juicy, the chicken thigh pieces were caramelized and full-flavoured.  Plenty of aromatics to go with the classic sweet saltiness.

Another seemingly simple dish was the Miso Cheese Eggplant.  This was basically half an eggplant baked with mozzarella cheese, sweet miso and truffle oil.  You've probably heard it before, but I'll repeat here - plates with simple ingredients (and very few of them) are the hardest to make since there is little room for error.  Consistent with all of the food so far, this was done right.  Cooked through, the eggplant still retained its shape.  It was tender and delicate with the unmistakable rich fermented taste of sweet miso.  They didn't overdo it with the truffle oil either.  Not trying to repeat myself, but the Haida Gwaii Halibut Cheek Age Oroshi was expertly deep fried.  It was flaky with an appealingly chewy bounciness normally found with halibut cheeks.  The cheeks were dressed in a oroshi daikon dashi soy broth which was subtle, yet impactful at the same time.  Combined with a daikon essence, the sweetness of the dashi was only slightly counteracted by the saltiness of the soy.

Based on our server's recommendation, we added the Dashi Omelette.  It was made-to-order with local free-range egg, ichiban dashi, snow crab, local shungiku, wasabi stems and daikon radish.  This was super delicate and fluffy.  Again, flavours were subtle with classic dashi coming through from the bonito and kombu.  Providing a touch of sharpness, the shungiku was liberally strewn throughout.  The only thing I would've liked to see was less moisture as some parts were soggy.  Our last dish was the Hot Udon featuring hand-made noodles from Akita, Japan.  These were slippery and silky, unlike the dense generic packaged type you find at many Japanese restaurants in town.  The soy dashi broth was sweet and full-of-depth with a background smokiness.  Although this wasn't a complex dish, the balance and execution really shone.  That would be the best description for the entire meal in general as things were carefully made and presented.  Prices are definitely on the higher end, but worth it in my opinion.

The Good:
- Carefully-crafted food
- Delicate, but impactful flavours
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Pricey
- For some, the flavours might be too subtle, but that is the intention

Tetsu

If you haven't noticed, there is an inordinate amount of sushi joints in the Lower Mainland.  However, for the longest time, most of them were not very authentic and offered up what could be considered "value sushi".  Hey, we deserve the restaurants that we have!  If that is what people were used to and demanded, then that is what we will get.  As our tastes and knowledge matured over time, more and more authentic sushi joints began to pop up.  Naturally, with the higher quality eats, we also have seen the increase in the pricing.  One of the latest spots to open up is Tetsu on Denman.  We decided to check out their premium omakase menu.

Our first few courses consisted of little appetizers with the Tamago stuffed with Unagi arriving first.  From the looks of it, the thing was legit with defined layers and a healthy dose of diced and sauced unagi in the middle.  One bite and I was in heaven as the warm fluffy well-seasoned egg had a fantastic mouth-feel.  The buttery unagi was a robust addition that was also nicely sweet.  The only minor issue was that the bottom portion of the tamago was a bit overdone (but ever-so-slightly).  Otherwise it was perfect.

Next, we had the Baby Anago or Conger Eel served in a mini-wine glass.  It was slippery and soft with a non-offensive sliminess.  The flavours were subtle, but sweet with a noted hit of sea essence.  Of course the slight brininess and saltiness came through, but it was perfectly balanced with the sweetness.  A simple offering that fit the unique, but tasty criteria.  Our last small appie was the Sea Snail served in broth with snap peas.  This was very similar to conch having a firm chewiness that wasn't tough.  It was sweet with clean flavours.  The broth was very mild and almost bland, but this was intentional not to take away the subtle flavour of the snail.  I thought the peas could've been less cooked though.

Onto the main event, we were presented with a selection of Nigiri that was a piece of art.  It consisted of Bluefin Kamatoro, Shimaji, Butterfish, Hotate, Saba, Seared Spanish Mackerel and Hokkaido Uni.  Oh man, this was top notch featuring the buttery and sweet bluefin that was melt-in-your mouth fatty.  The shimaji had a nice snap and we could really taste the sea.  Featuring a more aggressive rebound, the butterfish was of course buttery, mild and clean-tasting.  Soft and sweet, the scallop was amped up by the wasabi and a bit of ginger.  Firm and appealingly chewy, the saba was fishy in a good way.  Loved the ginger, green onion and wasabi combination.  No other seasoning needed.  The seared mackerel was also buttery and nicely fishy.  Again, the ginger and spice was impactful, yet not overpowering.  As for the sushi rice, it was pretty solid, if not a touch soft in parts.  It was well-seasoned and the ratio of rice-to-fish was perfect.

Onto our Udon course, we got one each of the hot and cold Inaniwa Udon.  Starting with the cold udon, it was served with a dipping sauce consisting of the usual daikon, ginger and green onion.  The thin slippery fresh noodles were chewy and really refreshing.  The light dipping sauce was only sweet and savoury enough to add flavour without being too strong.  For the hot udon, it was served in a aromatic and mild broth that had some brininess.  With the addition of togarashi, it amped up the spice level.  The thin noodles softened in the hot broth, hence, the texture was less chewy and more tender.

Onto dessert got one each of the Green Tea Ice Cream and Red Bean Mochi.  Not a whole lot to say about the ice cream other than it was definitely creamy with a full-bodied matcha flavour.  The house made mochi was fantastic being soft with a pleasant chew.  The red bean was actually not overly sweet so it complimented the mochi without being overbearing.  At the end of the meal, we were pretty pleased with most of the items served.  Quality and craftsmanship was definitely top-notch as there was obvious attention to detail.  However, we weren't really all that full, so it was the classic case of quality over quantity (that seems to be the trend for Japanese food these days).

The Good:
- Quality ingredients
- Careful craftsmanship
- Good service

The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- Quality over quantity (for those who want value)
- Limited seating

Matsuzushi

Generally, it is pretty easy to get a cheap Japanese meal in Vancity.  There are so many "value" spots that serve up big portions and oversized slices of sashimi, one could fill up for less than $10.00 each.  However, we all know this is not the optimum way to enjoy Japanese cuisine and in fact, it upsets many foodies.  For me, there is a time and place for this type of "Japanese food" and I won't be a food snob against it.  By the same token, I do enjoy the occasional authentic experience.  Now that is not as easy to find and even harder is a place that is reasonably-priced.

Well, there is such a place, but it resides in Port Moody.  Great for those in the tri-cities area, but a little out-of-the-way for those Downtown dwellers (I used to be one).  Suggested by Sharon, I visited the place with the $22.00 nigiri Omakase menu in mind.  $22.00?!?!?!  Yes, this is not typo. If you sit at the bar, you will be served piece-by-piece a la Maumi-style.  We sat at a table and received everything at once including mantis shrimp, hamachi, prawn, toro, salmon, ika, ebi, kanpachi, aji, abalone, oyster and negitoro cone. Without going into too much detail, the sushi rice was on point being chewy and mildly-seasoned.  Other than the mantis shrimp, all of the fish and seafood was sweet and appealingly textured including the buttery and bright hamachi.

For my daughter, she was content with an order of the Sockeye Salmon Sashimi.  With a few pieces on one side and a flower design on the other, this was no different than the one we had in our Omakase.  Hence, it was sweet and tender with a firm resistance when eaten.  Simple plate of food, but good due to the fish quality.  My son doesn't eat raw fish, but gladly downs Tamago Nigiri like a champ.  These were house made where it was soft and not dense (like the value premade versions found at non-authentic Japanese restaurants) while lightly sweet.  Combined with the chewy sushi rice, this was  good.

Of course he couldn't dine on tamago only, so we got him a Chicken Teriyaki Donburi.  Loved the simplicity of the dish as there wasn't senseless sprouts or other veggies.  Rather, it was plenty of tender chicken atop chewy rice.  The sauce was not overwhelmingly sweet nor salty where there just enough of it.  Only downside was the chicken skin as it was flabby and fatty.  This was the only thing we didn't like about our meal which means it was pretty solid.  Considering the reasonable pricing for the quality of food, this is a place where you can visit often without breaking the bank.

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing for the quality
- $22 Omakase!
- Friendly couple

The Bad:
- Slow everything because it is only them operating the place

Masayoshi

If you weren't aware already, there are over 600 Japanese restaurants in the Lower Mainland.  So no one can say that it is under-represented.  However, if we look more closely, the bulk of them are not truly authentic.  Yes, we are subjected to the dreaded "value" sushi that is neither carefully made nor consists of high-quality ingredients.  Hey, I'm not being a food snob as I frequent these places because they do give the best bang for the buck.  However, we are seeing some higher-priced authentic sushi bars popping up that focus on quality rather than quantity.  Located on "hipster light" Fraser Street, Masayoshi offers 2 Omakase experiences including the $120.00 Original Creation that requires 3 days advanced reservations.

Joining me for this meal was Emily who happens to be a very picky eater, especially when it comes to sushi.  We began with the Baby Eel Shooter that was sweet and fairly tart.  Everything went down smooth including the silky egg yolk and surprisingly buttery eel.  The brightness of the green onion provided some balance as well as some texture.  Next up was the Firefly Squid Cappuccino with mushroom and burdock broth.  This was smooth, hearty and creamy with hits of strong Earthiness not only from the mushrooms but from the herbal burdock.  The smooth and buttery squid provided little bursts of texture and light sweetness.  Too bad this was so small because it would've been more effective as larger portion.

The Sashimi course consisted of amberjack, murigai and tai.  At first, we were rather dismayed with the fish selection (except for the murigai), but for me at least, it was mitigated by the quality.  Normally, tai (snapper) can be a pretty pedestrian choice at most value sushi restaurants.  Not here though as it was super buttery and fairly sweet.  Emily wasn't as enthused, but for me, it was some of the best tai I've had in Vancouver.  My thick slice of murigai was sweet with a firm bouncy chew.  The amberjack was pretty sweet and buttery as well.

Moving on, we were served the Chawanmushi with edamame, eel, baby scallop, clam, chicken and tobiko.  I enjoyed that it was served at the right temperature as the silkiness of the egg was highlighted.  It was a touch briny and sweet benefiting from the host of ingredients.  The pops of sweetness and added brininess from the roe was also a textural delight. My favourite dish of the meal was the Smoked Salmon atop papaya, arugula, picked lotus root, various nuts and an acidic vinaigrette.  It was served table side covered by glass cloche of smoke.  Hence, when it was removed, our senses were heightened with smokiness.  As for the salmon itself, the smokiness was actually rather light while the texture was buttery.  The powerful vinaigrette added a punch to the dish that actually masked the mild papaya.

Onto our cooked course, we had the Black Cod Kasuyaki with micro turnip and eel sauce.  Interestingly, my piece of cod was larger than the other, hence it was more buttery and flaky.  The other portion was slightly smaller and it ended up to be a few seconds more done.  Whatever the case, it was delicious highlighted by the mild sweetness of the sauce.  The fish itself could've benefited from a touch more salt.  We were then each served our own Soy Milk Hotpot with snapper, mushroom and cabbage.  I'm not a huge fan of soy milk, but the broth was nicely balanced where it was lightly sweet.  This was an interesting dish, but the doneness of the ingredients were solely up to each individual.

The Nigiri course was something we were looking forward to and it looked beautiful on the plate consisting of grunt, aji, bluefin tuna, uni, needlefish, freshwater eel and tamago.  I really enjoyed the grunt as it was sweet and tender with a light chewiness.  The aji was predictably more robust with a fishier essence (hence the ginger and onion condiment).  The bluefin tuna was buttery and only lightly sweet while the uni was silky and intensely sweet.  House-made and unique, I personally wasn't a fan of the dense and sweet tamago.  Interestingly, the sushi rice was on the drier side and crumbly.  Not really our preference either.

For dessert, we were served a slice of orange peel reconstituted with Orange puree gelee.  This was simple, yet deliciously refreshing and natural tasting.  It was totally as if we were eating the slice of orance without the texture.  As for the gelee, it was not particularly smooth, but the robust clumpiness added an appealing texture.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Masayoshi, but it didn't necessarily blow us away.  Considering the price, I guess that may have had something to do with it.  Whatever the case, there were some real gems in the tasting menu though.

The Good:
- Quality ingredients
- Attention to detail
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Sushi rice was a bit dry for our tastes