SANPACHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT, KITSILANO

I needed a drink today.  It’s been an intense start to my Grad Studies and I needed a good stiff…fruity drink.
I saw the Lychee Mojito on the drinks menu at Ramen Sanpachi and declared that it was the drink for me tonight.

The Lychee mojito had tons of fresh  mint and it was muddled well.  However, I would have liked some more lychee flavour.  Perhaps some lychee pieces!  I believe that it was lychee syrup that they used in this drink.

Regardless, after I got home, I promptly fell asleep.  It was a tough week.  All that cerebral stuff, reflection and hours of academic reading (and trying to remember all the new acronyms) put my brain cells into overdrive and they were screaming for a break.  Perhaps the drink was stronger than I thought.   Rating:  5/6

Because we were the 20th customer that evening, we were eligible for a 20% discount on the izakaya dishes.  So we ordered more than we typically would.  Without the discount, the dinner would have been more expensive than I would be comfortable with for what we got.  But, with discount I felt it was a good price for the meal.  Get there early and you may be one of the lucky 20!

Salmon and Tuna Nigiri.  Rating:  5/6

Gyoza.  I didn’t get any of this because my kids scarfed them down and didn’t offer me any.  I will assume it was very good; otherwise they would have let me have some.

Grilled Black Cod.  I thought the piece of fish on the small side.  It was 20% off though.  Hm.  You can’t screw up black cod and it was yummy.  Don’t think I would want to pay full price though.  Rating:  5/6

Chicken Karaage.  Tender crisply fried chunks of dark meat, served with a lemon wedge.  My girls inhaled this appetizer.   It’s safe to say this dish rated 6/6.  Yet again, nary a bite left for mama.

California Roll.  Rating:  5/6

Cha Shu Shoyu Ramen.  Rating:  5/6

Mine…all mine:  Unagi Dragon Roll.  Rating:  5.5/6

Oh.  My daughters...ages 8 and 4, like clean restaurant restrooms.  They went together and came back exclaiming how nice it was to have a clean washroom.  That's saying something, because they rarely ever tell me that a restroom is exceptionally clean.  I myself didn't see it, but I'll trust them.

The restaurant is kind of hip; in the izakaya style.  Lots of mixed drinks, beer and other alcoholic drinks are available.  I liked the menu options and particularly enjoyed the early bird discount for being one of the first 20 customers that day.

The sushi chefs do their work near the front of the restaurant and the bar is across from them.  The restaurant is long and narrow.  We sat near the back, where there were booths.  It was a casual, kind of relaxing atmosphere.  It wasn't particularly busy for the time of day.  We ate early, around 5:30pm on a Saturday.

Metered Parking is on the street and transit is nearby.

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Q-GO RAMEN

Edamame (comp).  A lovely way to start a ramen meal!

Takoyaki appetizer.  $3.75 for 4 piecees.  Rating:  5/6

Kimchi sidedish.  $2.00  Rating: 5/6

Shio Ramen (tonkatsu broth) with Chasiu, fungus, bamboo, half a boiled egg, beansprouts.  $7.50    It tasted better than it looks.    The fatty pork could have been heated more thoroughly so that the fat wasn’t so white and drabby looking.   I liked the broth.  Good flavour.  Good al dente ramen noodles too.   Good portion of food for the money.   I always order ramen with a side of boiled marinated egg (for $0.50).  They only give you half an egg though.  Rating:  5/6

My deepest apologies for this fuzzy pic.   Bib was having a huge nosebleed during dinner and I was reaching over to stem the flow of blood while I was taking this pic with my iPhone.

Nonplussed, Bib was tucking into her Mini Chasiu don (rice bowl) ($2.50, what a deal!) that was the perfect size for her tiny 4-year-old tummy.  The pork was tender, the sauce was perfect and it was a good deal.

Mini Chasiu don ( rice bowl).    $2.50      Rating:  6/6

We will definitely be heading to Q-Go Ramen again because the kids loved it and the ramen portions were decent.  It is not exactly like Santouka, but it’s not as crowded, there’s ample parking on the streets (metered) and I liked that the sides were cheap so we could order more variety.  Besides, my good ramen buddy, who just happens to be Japanese and is a ramen connoisseur of sorts, recommended this place and he’s bang on about quality, quantity and price point.   I thought Santouka still rocks for broth, flavour and the tender melt-in-your-mouth pork cheeks, but their menu is more limited and it was really uncomfortable sitting there smashed up against the other neighbouring diners.  The kids didn’t seem to appreciate the lovely nuances of the broth at Santouka.  I did; however, how can you argue with the prices at Q-Go?  Santouka ain’t cheap.  You get two bowls of Q-Go ramen for one bowl of Hokkaido Ramen Santouka's Toroniku shio ramen.

To read my post about Santouka click HERE.

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EBISU KAMEI ROYALE

Spicy Tuna Sashimi Appetizer.




This was my favourite dish.  The presentation was gorgeous and the tuna was melt-in-your-mouth delicious with a spicy kick.  I especially like that the hot sauce was not the ubiquitous Rooster Sriracha straight-out-of-the bottle sauce that other Japanese restaurants use.  This one is house-made and has more delicate flavour.  The green onions add a lovely dimension.  The tuna sits on a bed of finely shredded daikon and is surrounded by some salad greens.  It tasted great.  I’d order this again.  Cakebrain’s rating:  6/6


California Roll.  The girls love California rolls.  The rice was flavourful and the surimi was plentiful (a plus in their eyes).   They prefer the shredded surimi like this rather than the stick surimi.            Bib’s rating:  5/6  (she doesn’t always feel like eating sesame seeds or avocado but we do)


Delicious Roll.  I ordinarily don’t order fruit in my sushi, but thought I’d give it a try for once.  This roll has all the making of a California Roll inside PLUS fresh mango.  The outside is topped with ebi and fluorescent-green tobiko.  It was good.  But I’m still not sold on fruit in my sushi.    Cakebrain’s rating:  4/6


Chikuwa Cheese.  My daughters are fishcake fiends.  Bebe especially loves this dish.  It’s her favourite and she orders it every time.  She didn’t even offer a piece to any of us.  The fishcake (chikuwa) is hollow; this allows for the filling of mozzarella cheese inside.  It is then dipped in tempura batter and deep fried.  The resulting textures are multitudinous: crispy, soft, chewy, stretchy and savoury.  Who thought up this idea?  My girls love it!                                             Bebe’s rating:  6/6


Kimchi Beef  Hot Pot.  Stomach ordered this.  He wanted something spicy, brothy and full of veggies.  He got it.  The soup was served in a cast iron bowl resting atop a lovely warmer.  The lit sterno kept the soup bubbly hot practically until he finished eating the whole thing.   He seemed happy and enjoyed it.  He especially liked how plentiful the veggies and tofu were.             Stomach’s rating:  5/6



I have always liked the variety at Ebisu Kamei Royale.  The cooked food is very good.  The sushi is fresh and consistently good.  The menu has many izakaya-type offerings and plenty of pictures.  I would say the menu is probably my favourite of the Japanese restaurants I frequent.

Service is always top-notch at Ebisu.  Your tea cups are rarely empty and the wait staff is friendly and efficient.   Staff have built relationships with regulars as seen in friendly banter the times we have visited.   Quite a few of the waitresses recognize my girls and even remember their names;  proffering comp scoops of  ice cream to them at the end of the meal.  Very kid friendly. 

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HACHIBEI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Agedashi Tofu at Hachibei Restaurant.  5/6

My girls are fishcake fiends.  They particularly like the white kind with the pink spiral in the middle that is flower-like in pattern that floats in udon noodle soup.  Hachibei sells a huge chunk of plain white fishcake as an appetizer.  They didn’t ooh and ahh about it but I suspect that’s because it isn’t pink. 


  The beef udon at Hachibei looks good.  I have never touched any udon noodle soup ever though I seem to post about it quite a bit.  This is because Bebe loves udon noodle soup.  Bib likes rice or dry noodles.  This version at Hachibei was good.  The beef was tender and she gave it a 5/6. 














  



The Teriyaki Chicken box had a good selection of sides.  6/6











The futomaki was huge…and I ordered the full order rather than the half-order.  I always try a Japanese restaurant’s negitoro roll as I consider it a good indicator of the skills of a sushi chef.  It’s my personal litmus test.  Rating:  5/6

Hachibei is a very small restaurant that is frequented by many area residents.  It is Japanese owned and run as far as I can tell…as everyone back there seems to be speaking Japanese (a good sign)!  Another good indicator:  many of the customers are Japanese-speaking.  I always peer at their tables to see what they're ordering because they're usually in the know!

The food is consistent and is more home-style with many teishoku dishes (served with rice and miso soup).  The sushi section is more vast than it was 10 years ago, but doesn’t stray into the fusion.  It’s strictly classic stuff.  You won’t find any “creative” rolls here with mango, cream cheese, drizzled sauces and seared fish.  The sushi is solid though and I was not disappointed.  This is not the place I would come to for sushi though.  I think the teishoku dishes are the forte and would suggest you focus on the cooked fish like the mackerel and black cod I spied on other guests’ tables.   I seem to always want what other diners are eating.  But oh well—live and learn.

The Menu link is HERE.

Meter parking is along the street on 16th.  Parking can be scarce depending on the time of day…but the walk is lovely, so that’s okay. 

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TOKYO THYME

Tokyo Thyme’s Red and White Tuna Stack. YUM!  6/6


Assemble the Tuna stack by mixing the tuna stack (quail egg optional/extra).  Then  create a cone of nori, rice and tuna mixture.  This is so fresh tasting and the crispy nori is delicious!

Combo with nigiri sushi (4/6), California roll (5/6)and beef udon (3.5/6)

Bloody Winter:  5/6
Tuna, masago on top; spicy tuna, yama imo, and shiso inside.  I loved this roll.   The yama imo (mountain yam) gives a crunchy texture.  It is somewhat like jicama.  This specialty roll is not on the regular menu.

Tokyo Thyme is tiny.  It's located right across the street from Point Grey Secondary School.  The storefront is easy to miss. There's meter parking out front and we didn't have a problem at this hour finding a spot. There are two tables of 4 and maybe 4 or 5 tables of 2.   We went early at 5pm on a Friday and there was only one other couple was there.  Service was friendly and great.  I'd like to try some of the other dishes next time.  The appetizers and specialty rolls (not found on the regular menu) are particularly intriguing.

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OYAKO DONBURI

Have you ever come home too tired and uninspired to cook dinner?

That’s me (almost everyday).

This delicious one pot meal is a favourite of my kids and hubby.  I love it too.  It’s savoury and comforting.  Though I’m not Japanese, I’m thinking this might be one of those common weekday meals for the family because it’s so darned easy and economical.

When I came home today, I had all of half an hour to think of and make dinner.  I started my rice cooker and then I whipped out a pot and dumped in the sauce ingredients and brought that to a boil while I sliced onions and the raw chicken.  I dumped the chicken and onions in, lowered the heat and covered the lid for a little while while I cracked the eggs into a bowl.   By the time my daughter had almost finished practicing piano, I was pretty much done with the prep work.

I went down to listen to the last bit of her practicing and we got into another argument about how many times she’s supposed to practice her pieces.  She thinks that playing each piece twice (really fast) is enough; whereas I think that for the money I’m paying for lessons, I’d like her to practice each piece at least 4 times or even more until the icky-sounding parts sound better.  There was a lot of whining, which is high up there on my pet peeves…and a lot of wasting of time while she sighed and threw her little chest out as she pouted.   Since I don’t tolerate whining, there was a stand-off as usual.  Eventually, she relented.   I wonder why I  never acted like this when I practiced when I was younger.  I just did it and kept going at it until the piece of music sounded decent.  I couldn’t stand it if it didn’t sound like music to my ears.  I don’t even recall my mom telling me to go practice.  I just kind of did it.  

Well, by the time she was finished the oyako donburi was ready.   The savoury soy flavoured sauce and tender chicken and egg went down well.  We all forgot about the nit-pickyness of a few minutes ago.  Oyako Donburi tastes like a big hug.

 
OYAKO DONBURI
4 cups cooked rice (Japanese rice preferred)
1 cup chopped chicken meat
1 cup sliced onions
4 large eggs
1 T chopped green onion
Sauce:
2 T sugar
4 T soya sauce
1 T mirin
1/4 t salt
1 t dashinomoto (instant stock mix)
1 cup water
freshly steamed rice to serve.

1. Mix sauce ingredients together and heat in a medium saucepan
   
2. Add chicken or beef and onions to the sauce. Cook until meat is done.
   
3. Add slightly beaten eggs into the sauce mixture. Gently cook on medium heat (do not boil). Once eggs are cooked, turn heat off and let sit for approximately 3 minutes
   
4. Pour the sauce mixture over bowls of hot rice
   
5. Garnish with shredded nori and finely chopped green onions

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MINI SUSHI

miniature sushi cones: so realistic you want to pop them in your mouth!

no, no, no...you can't eat them with a toothpick! It's fake food!

Here's some teeny tiny sushi cones for Bebe's dollhouse. The dolls are "Asian"--well, at least the PLAN toy company thinks they look Asian ( I personally think their hair-styles suck!)--and they have been hankering for some sushi...so along with their Pierre Herme Desserts, they're having some appetizing sushi.

I don't read Japanese so I have no idea what some of the fillings are inside the cones, but from the looks of some, there are fish eggs, fish, veggies, tamago and other such usual goodies. All I can tell is that one has a bamboo theme; another a flower blossom theme (spring?) and from my crappy understanding of asian characters, the other one has something to do with trees (a summer theme?)

This sushi set was one of those "surprise" sets. The salesgirl told me she couldn't guarantee which set I would get inside the box. There was one set with nigiri sushi, another had crab and another had rolls. I actually wanted the set pictured on the box (the nigiri sushi on the wooden tray) but I guess I'm not wholly disappointed with this set. They're quite cute. The sushi set was much cheaper than the Pierre Herme box I bought. This one clocked in at $8.49 CDN



For that price, I could have gotten 3 real-sized, edible sushi cones at my local Japanese restaurant. Ah well, like I said: the dolls have to eat! And BTW, I didn't buy anymore fake food nor do I intend to buy more fake food because now the dollhouse larder is full. They've got hand-made (by me!) FIMO fruits, veggies, hot dogs and burgers along with a fridge full of beverages. I just needed to make sure they had sushi and dessert. I mean, that's all one really needs to eat well in my books.

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