Tozen Sushi Bar

We all are aware that there are a tonne of Japanese restaurants in the Lower Mainland.  Most of them are not Japanese-run and many are your typical average neighbourhood spots.  Then you have the upper end of the spectrum where you find predominantly Omakase-focused Japanese restaurants.  Let's not forget about the bigger, great value places such as Sushi Garden, Tentatsu and Nanaimo Sushi.  Those serve a purpose and whether you think they are good or not would be subjective.  In the past 5 years, we've seen another class of Japanese restaurant emerge to fill that gap between really high-end and middle-of-the-road spots.  Sushi Hil is an example where the quality is definitely above-average, but it doesn't reach the level of establishments such as Okeya Kyujiro.  Prices reflect that too.  Another one is Tozen Sushi out on Broadway near Oak Street.  I've been there before, but decided to do a revisit recently.

We got a variety of deluxe and regular items beginning with the Bafun Uni.  Yes, this was the good stuff that comes from Hokkaido.  We much prefer this over local uni due to its more intense sweetness and to me at least, less fishiness (or none at all if it is fresh).  The one served to us was exactly that being creamy and custardy with an intense sweetness.  No need to add anything as this was delicious all by itself.  However, it did include nori strips as a serving vessel.

Onto a more typical item, we had the Assorted Tempura for $17.00.  Considering smaller, less fancy spots charge roughly the same or just a bit under that price, this was a great example of the generally reasonable prices at Tozen.  It was also a good portion size consisting of 2 pieces each of yam, kabocha, green bean, lotus root and prawn.  I found each item to be at its optimal texture while the tempura batter to be fairly thin, crispy and light.  It wasn't too greasy either.  I would've liked to see a bigger dish for the dip as it was far too small.

Going for something also regularly found at most sushi bars, we had the 4 pieces of Tuna Toro.  Although the presentation was a little lacking, the toro itself was excellent.  Each piece was super buttery and soft.  Practically melting in our mouths, the toro had a clean smell and taste (as fresh as flash frozen and then defrosted can get).  We found the brightness of the sea to be present and also a wonderful natural sweetness.

Unlike my previous visit, the Corn Karaage was terrible.  They were in very large pieces, which hindered the deep-frying from making them uniformly crispy.  Rather, the whole thing was soft and doughy with barely any any crunch from the outside.  I did enjoy the pops of sweetness from each corn niblet, but that didn't help things much as the mushiness of each piece was off-putting. 

We moved onto 2 orders of the Bluefin Nigiri Set featuring 1 piece each of negi bluefin, akami, chutoro and otoro.  If I had to compare this to something similar, I've had this at Sushi Hil (where they no longer offer this combo) and the one at Sushi Hil is superior.  With that being said, this particular offering at Tozen was still very good and we were satisfied.  All the different cuts of bluefin were fresh and clean with a nice sheen.  Naturally, the otoro melted in our mouths while the chutoro wasn't far behind.  Nice sweetness on them too.  Akami was meaty of course, but still plenty tender.

Okay, I hate to be so negative, but really, there was no other way to describe the Scallop Motoyaki and the Oyster Motoyaki...  They were awful.  I've never had a motoyaki like this before where the overcooked scallops and oyster were mixed with onions and mushrooms while topped with an inordinate amount of melted cheese.  There was no mayonnaise sauce to be found.   If this was called a gratin, that would've been more accurate.  Not sure why this was prepared in this fashion.  We even let our serve know this.  I've had superior versions at AYCE places, no joke.

Thankfully, our 2 versions of Chawanmushi turned out to be excellent.  We chose the Dungeness Crab & Ikura as well as the Mushroom.  Served hot, the egg was silky, smooth and not watery.  It was tasty too with an impactful sweet smokiness from the dashi and soy.  With the mushroom, it added earthiness and plenty of umami.  As for the crab and ikura, there was brininess, sweetness and a touch of sea.  We really enjoyed this.

Getting back to the deluxe items, we went for the 2 piece Seared Miyazaki A5 Wagyu Nigiri.  Love how they presented it in a box with smoke.  Once the lid was lifted, our senses get the smokiness from sight and smell.  Popping the nigiri into our mouths, the smokiness hit our palate first and then the richness of the beef came next.  With nicely textured sushi, rice, it helped cut the heaviness of the A5.

We ended off our meal with a sneakily delicious Beef Yakiudon.  For $18.00, we felt it was a fair price for the portion size and overall execution of the dish.  Noodles were textured how we would want it to be, tender but with a rebounding chew.  This was also seasoned properly with a certain meatiness with sweetness from the mushrooms and the onions.  They weren't skimping on the ingredients either.  Overall, we enjoyed our visit to Tozen, but the corn karaage and motoyaki were real downers.  It was confusing to us since all of the other dishes were done right and genuinely delicious.  How could they mess up so badly on these as opposed to everything else?

The Good:
- Well-priced for a bit more premium Japanese experience than the usual
- Modern and upscale decor
- On point service

The Bad:
- Corn Karaage and Motoyaki were legitimately terrible
- We informed our server, but no one from management spoke to us

Mauna

As often as I visit Mauna out in Surrey, I don't think I've posted about them in quite some time.  Ironically, prior to this visit, I had eaten then 5 times in the last few months!  Anyways, this post will mostly focus on their new meal sets as well as some new maki sushi rolls.  Of course, I had to get some of the classics as well!  For those who not familiar with Mauna, the chef used to work at Minami and his menu features quality renditions of Aburi Oshi and many other delicious dishes at prices that are truly affordable.

In this economy, it is not easy to find food that features quality ingredients for reasonable prices.  However, their Set Menus for $28.95 include a bounty of dishes that reflect many of the best items on the regular menu.  With a bounty of dishes, the Botan Set includes 6 pcs Sashimi, Chicken Karaage, Miso Tofu Salad, Fried Brussels Sprouts, 3 pcs Aburi Nigiri, 2 pcs Oshi Bites, Mini Poke and Miso Soup.  Yes, the amount of food shown in the picture is an accurate representation.  This is more than enough for one person and worth every penny of the $28.95.  All of their set menus include the same sides, but only rotate 2 of the mains.  In this one, the Chicken Karaage and 6 pcs of Sashimi are the unique dishes.  I've always love the karaage here as it has a flavourful marinade with a nice hit of ginger.  Chicken is tender and juicy too.  Sashimi is fresh and presented in generously-sized slices.

For the Momiji Set, everything is the same except we find a Mini-Chirashi Don and Ika Maruyaki replacing the aforementioned karaage and sashimi.  If you were feeling a little bit more hungry and also wanted more rice, this is the set for you as the chirashi don is essentially the sashimi, but with rice added.  As for the squid, it is grilled beautifully and is completely tender with a nice rebound texture.  

The Sakura Set features Kaisen Soba and 3 pieces of Ebi Fritter in place of the other main items.  As much as I enjoy the seafood with the chewy soba noodles and the crispiness of the ebi fritters, I feel this is the least amount of food in comparison to the 3 set menus.  But I understand the combination as it features much less raw items than the other sets.  Good for those who want cooked food in their combos.

Before I get to the classics, I will discuss the "newer" specialty rolls including the Medford Roll.  It doesn't have anything to do with the town in Oregon, so no reference to the mountains even though there is a mountain of deep fried baby scallops on top of a what is essentially an oversized dynamite roll.  Yes, you will normally find this type of roll at a Korean-run Japanese restaurant.  For the record, I don't mind these types of rolls, it just depends on my mood.

Another large specialty roll is the Hinderer Roll consisting of a deep fried "dynamite-like" roll with a mound of spicy sashimi in the middle.  Since the roll is fried, the centre is slightly warm and has a softer texture.  Outside, the tempura batter is crispy and not greasy.  As for the spicy tuna sashimi, it is slightly sweet with a bite.  Crunchy cucumbers add some texture to this.  For $19.95, this is a considerable amount of food.

So this is the "New" Galaxy Roll and I guess the new part is the crumbled wasabi peas on top.  It adds a crunch that has a mild bite to go with the spicy prawn, hotate and red tuna in the middle while hamachi wrapped around the top.  The roll is almost juicy and eats a bit wet, but the peas do add a textural contrast.  To top it off, we there is some spicy powder for more heat.

Striking in its appearance from the fried lotus root chip on top, the Wataru Roll features real crab, hotate and asparagus in the centre with tuna tartare, slightly seared red tuna and nikiri on the top.  The fluffiness and moisture of the real crab meat is unmistakable while the tuna does the heavy lifting with texture and the spice from the tartare.  It is a bit awkward to get the full lotus root chip in every bite, but when you do, it is crispy and airy.

Onto some classics, we cannot forget about the big daddy of the bunch in the Explosion Roll.  With a good amount of imitation crab, spicy tuna and cucumber, the whole thing is wrapped with tobiko and topped with torched aburi sauce.  Fantastic pops from the tobiko and smoky sweetness from the aburi sauce.  Secondary layers of buttery soft and spicy tuna give this roll extra impact.

We cannot forget about their other "must order" item in the Mauna's Aburi Tart.  Sporting with sushi rice, ripe avocado, spicy tuna, sockeye salmon and seared aburi sauce, this has all of the best things in one package.  Buttery and flavourful with hits of spice and sesame oil, the spicy tuna anchors the dish but gives way to the creamy smokiness of the aburi sauce.  It has a little bit of tang that helps keeps things from being heavy.  Love this dish.

A visit to Mauna isn't complete without ordering their Aburi Oshi.  Two of my favourites are the Wild Salmon Oshi and the Ebi Oshi.  Comparing it to the pioneer of these dishes (Miku/Minami), these ones here at Mauna have more content (as in fish and components) to go with the sushi rice.  Aburi sauce is creamy and tangy without being greasy.  The lime zest on the ebi oshi really adds brightness.

We also go for the Saba Oshi and Hotate Oshi.  If you are a fan of the briny fishiness of mackerel, then the Saba Oshi is for you.  It has just a touch of miso aburi sauce on it.  On the other hand, the scallop oshi has quite a bit of sauce that is slightly spicy.  Since scallop is buttery and sweet yet subtle, the sauce adds some impact.  However, it doesn't overwhelm the delicate scallop though.  The texture of the sushi rice is more on the moist side with an appealing chewiness.  In the end, a visit to Mauna is always a treat since the food is great and affordable.  Definitely a surprise given its location.  Now with the meal sets, there is a wider selection of dishes to share if you have a smaller party.

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

The Good:

- New meal sets offer a great variety of their best items

- Large portions at a reasonable price

- The classic aburi oshi is excellent and much less expensive than other places

The Bad:

- Being a small neighbourhood restaurant, the place gets slammed at times, so you'll have to be patient

Kitano Shokudo

So here we go with another restaurant in Canada's 100 Best Restaurant list in Kitano Shokudo.  From the outside, it wasn't very apparent what we were looking at.  Walking in, you would still be a bit confused with all the eclectic items from DJ equipment with records to a print of Monarch butterflies.  Formerly Otto Bistro, this small Japanese restaurant is run by Chef Hiroshi Kitano.  Sure, the menu features supremely high-quality sashimi that you can also get on top of rice in a chirashi don or maguro (bluefin) don, but there are some fusion dishes that are equally as good.  We stopped by for lunch to see what it was all about.

Starting with the 8-piece Sashimi, we were treated to 2 each of the Bluefin Akami, Ora King Salmon, Hotate and Shima Aji.  It might sound like an easy way of describing the sashimi as excellent, but it really was.  The quality of the fish was top-notch and served at the right temperature.  Cuts were precise and presented in the right size.   I particularly enjoyed the scallop as it was buttery soft and super sweet. 

As if you weren't eating enough bluefin these days (should stop because high-mercury levels), we had the Bluefin Futomaki.  This thing featured a thin layer of soy rice and equal amounts of akami and chutoro.  This thing was stuffed full of bluefin and well, need I really have to say it was delicious?  The picture itself tells the whole story.  Supremely sweet with the taste of the sea and also that classic soft texture with the chutoro being fatty and buttery.  Just a bit of real wasabi and a dab of soy was enough.

We tried 3 of their noodle dishes including the Duck Confit Mazemen.  It featured a massive duck leg that had the crispiest skin.  Nicely salted too.  I thought the duck meat was trending towards the drier side, but it was still quite good and not overly seasoned.  The al dente noodles were great and the combination of dashi and onsen egg made for a smoky, silky and aromatic flavour profile.  The wealth of green onion and red onions wasn't really my thing, but it did add brightness and some sharpness.

The most fusion dish of the bunch was the Mushroom "Pasta" as it combined sauteed mixed mushrooms, butter and chives with an egg yolk.  There was pecorino as well, but we opted for it to be on the side because it can be pretty overwhelming.  This was delicious with the earthiness of the mushrooms and silkiness of the butter.   Extra creaminess was thanks to the free-range egg yolk.  Al dente with a nice bite, the noodles were fully seasoned by the components.  After I added in the pecorino, there was a nutty saltiness which as brightened up by the ample chives.

Our last noodle was the Shoyu Ramen with chicken, clam and fish broth.  Really nice sweetness with certain silkiness from the slow and long cook of the chicken.  I noticed there was quite a bit of umaminess to the broth due to the combination of components.  Once again, the noodles were beautifully chewy and held up until the end.  We found a beautiful runny seasoned egg along with a few slices of medium-rare duck breast.

We ended off our meal with 2 scoops of Sorbet including Passionfruit and Strawberry.  These were really refreshing and quite creamy despite it being all ice.  Flavours were pretty natural-tasting and the sweetness was measured.  Great finish to a solid meal that featured high-quality ingredients that were honoured in their preparation.  Although I've had better in Vancouver, it is still a nice little spot in Montreal that offers delicious eats at a reasonable price.

The Good:

- High-quality and fresh ingredients

- Carefully-prepared

- Quaint

The Bad:

- Enjoyed it, but I've had better though

 

Sushitei Hondoriten

Walking around the Hiroshima Hondori, we were debating where to eat for lunch.  We briefly considered one of the lineups for Okonomiyaki but we didn't have that much time.  Ichiran was another option, but been there, done that.  Finally, we settled on a local chain in Sushitei Hondoriten.  Sure, it isn't the most premier sushi in town, but with limited time, we were not being too picky.  After walking upstairs, we were quickly seated and after perusing the menu, it was pretty simple with a few sushi combos available. 

My daughter decided to go for her usual in the Seafood Chirashi.  This was fully-loaded with tamago, unagi, hamachi, salmon, shima aji, hotate, akami, snow crab, ebi, tako and ikura.  Yes, this was filling and plenty satisfying.  As you can see from the picture, things were fresh with a nice sheen.  Indeed it was as the flavours were clean and sweet.   Tamago on the lighter side and not as layered as we would've liked though.

My son ended up with the Ikura Kobore while I had the Variety Set.  Both were somewhat similar except for a few minor differences.  They both had unagi, ebi, mirugai, tamago, akami, shima aji, chutoro, ika, uni and ikura.  The difference was that the Variety Set had hamachi and salmon while the Ikura Kobore had more ikura.  Again, nicely constructed nigiri featuring clean flavours and textures.

For Viv, she had the Sushi & Tempura Set which included a Clam Red Miso Soup.  This was a rather large bowl and in fact, we all had one.  Nice rich and fermented flavours with plenty of umami without actually being salty.  Didn't get a lot of brininess, but the clams themselves were buttery.  As for the Tempura, the batter was super light and crispy.  Things were cooked just right.

For her sushi plate, she had tamago, ebi, salmon, ikura, unagi, ika, akami and hamachi.   What has said about the nigiri has already been said, but I thought this set was a good value consider it included the soup, tempura and sushi.  Overall, we were satisfied with the sushi we had at Sushitei and it was well-priced too.  Service was a bit hit and miss as we had a hard time getting more tea and water.  Otherwise, this is a good option for those who aren't too picky about their sushi restaurants.

The Good:

- Fresh

- Not expensive

- Easy to get a table

The Bad:

- Service was a bit hit and miss

Mawashizushi KATSU

As much as conveyor belt sushi can be both a gimmick and also a poor experience; that is usually reserved for places in North America.  Sure, you can probably find a decent spot if you are in the know, but for all the ones I've been to locally, they have been "meh".  That can happen in Japan too, but there is a much better chance in finding a good one rather than not.  So we took the short walk from our hotel to Mawashizushi KATSU located in the Yokohama Sky Building.  This place has pretty high ratings for its quality, affordability and great service.  Naturally, there was a lineup when we arrived, but all you have to do is enter your details into the machine at the front, it spits out a ticket and it won't be long until you are seated.  If you want to be right at the bar, make sure you choose that option.

Once seated. each seat has its own water, condiments and touch pad (to order items you don't see coming around on the conveyor belts).  We were a bit hungry and wasted little time in grabbing some dishes.  The trick here is that each plate colour represents different pricing.  They will add up the amount of each dish and then you will be charged accordingly.   Two of the items we had right away was the Salmon Toro and Unagi Nigiri.  Nice amount of fish-to-rice ratio.  Salmon was buttery soft while the unagi was also soft and sweet from the glaze

Since the place was so busy, the conveyor belt was looking rather bare and we snagged whatever we could get our hands on.  That happened to be both the Aburi Toro Sadine and Plum Toro Sardine.  We also had one without plum sauce as well.  These were surprisingly buttery soft and not that fishy.  The sear on top helped activate some of the fats creating a nice aroma. It also lightly crisped up the skin.  There was some salt, hence this didn't need any soy.  Also, the first set of sardine nigiri had some grated daikon and ponzu which added a nice tangy brightness.  Even more tangy and sweet, the plum really had an impact.  I actually enjoyed the plain one the most as I could actually taste the sardine with the fatty belly.

Another item we were able to retrieve from the conveyor belt was the Aburi Engawa.  This was quite the treat and we actually got a few more of these.  Essentially the seared dorsal fin meat on a halibut, this was super buttery with just a bit of rebound.  A touch of lemon salt added the right amount of flavour and acidity.  A must try!  After that, we had some Tamagoyaki and it was decently layered and also relatively fluffy with balanced sweetness.

By now, we were getting a bit impatient with waiting for what we really wanted, so we went to the touch pad and ordered both the Hotate Nigiri and the Hotate Kobashira Gunkan.  These arrive separately on a track adjacent to the conveyor belt.   Both of these were good in their own right.  With the larger scallop, we had more sweetness and a uniform texture.  With the smaller scallops and wrapped in seaweed, we had differing textures and possibly just a bit less sweetness.

Continuing on the theme of ordering things in pairs that are similar, we had the Crab Salad Gunkan and the Snow Crab Gunkan.  Yes, both are "crab" but one was only real.  Believe it or not, I much preferred the imitation crab salad version more.  This is not a surprise to anyone who knows me because I find real crab in sushi is often lost.  The crab salad was creamy and full of salty sweetness.  For the snow crab, it was light, fluffy and mildly briny.  I had to eat this without anything so I would not lose the natural crab flavour. 

Sporting a beautiful colour, the Hamachi Nigiri was as good as it appeared.  It was a nice portion of fish compared to the chewy sushi rice.  Hence, it was impactful with a taste of the sea, sweetness and butteriness.  Very simple but good.  Next, we had the Negitoro which featured a boatload of buttery tuna belly with just a bit of green onion on top.  As the picture shows, not all of it looked like the actual belly, so we had some alternating textures.

We ordered two cooked items as well including the Chicken Karaage and the Geso Karaage.  We found the chicken karaage to be decent with a thin and crispy potato starch coating.  It was lightly seasoned and had a hint of ginger.  As for the squid tentacles, they were more aggressively coated and hence were super crunchy.  Inside, the squid was still bouncy and moist.  This was well-seasoned and with a squeeze of lemon, it was rather addictive.

Two really nice bites were available on the conveyor belt, going around and around.  We finally bit and got the Torched Rosy Seabass and Torched Salmon Toro.  These were two very different pieces of fish, but they had one major thing in common.  They were both extremely buttery and soft.  Due to the torching, the fats were activated being aromatic and flavourful.  Not much needed to be added as the natural flavours were enough.

Normally, I wouldn't order a Shortrib Gunkan, but we ended up trying it anyways (partly because my son loves shortrib).  It was not bad since the shortrib was tender (with a chew) while completely marinated.  Through the touch pad we got the Salmon Sashimi as well.  This was pretty much standard, but still quite good.  The slices were of a good size and the texture was buttery with some bite.  It was mildly sweet.

Finally, we got to dessert and we ended up with Vanilla and Chocolate Soft Serve as well as some Matcha Ice Cream.  These were okay, not as creamy as I would've liked them to be, but they did the trick.  At least they weren't that sweet.  Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Mawashizushi KATSU.  Lots of selection and if you wanted something specific, you can just order it.  Quality is great for the price.  It only cost us $100.00CAD for the 4 of us and we actually ordered multiple dishes of the same item.  Will be back next time we are in Japan!

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Good quality with all things considered
- Efficient operation

The Bad:
- Most of the items you may want will be taken before it gets to you (but you can order it)
- Lineups are a thing here