Vancouver, BC
Late in the winter, W and I met up with a friend to catch up and chat for a bit. After seeing lots of colourful and pretty pictures of their meals, I suggested heading to Shishinori to try out their rice bowls.
The eatery was actually a small shop with a limited number of tables and an "order-at-the-counter" type of self-service. Definitely a place for a quick and healthy bite.
Wild Salmon Paradise Bowl ($12)
We perused the menu for a bit as we found their options to be quite attractive! Our indecisiveness acted up again! W finally decided on the Wild Salmon Paradise Bowl. Beautifully plated with plenty of different colours, the bowl (well, more like a plate) had a bed of brown rice topped with thinly sliced wild salmon sashimi, a side of spring mix veggies, and half of a hard-boiled egg. It was also drizzled with a sweet soy vinaigrette. W opted for a combo which came with a cup of loose leaf tea and a bowl of miso soup (or dessert if you choose not to have the soup).
I found the portions to be just right for me but for W, a meat and potatoes kind of guy, it was a little lacking. But hey, it's supposed to be a healthy meal so no oversized portions here!
Hawaii Ahi Poke Bowl ($12) - choice of spicy, shoyu, or wasabi
Still reminiscing over my Hawaiian holiday, I immediately went for the Ahi Poke Bowl. I loved loved LOVED this rice bowl! The sweet shoyu sauce with the Ahi tuna cubes and chewy brown rice was a delicious combination! The fresh green veggies and raspberries added a vibrant element to the bowl.
Wild Salmon Cheese Bake Rice ($11)
Our friend chose one of the hot meals which was the Wild Salmon Cheese Bake. Brown rice was topped with salmon and a slice of melted processed cheese on top. It came in a tiny, cute, rustic casserole dish, flanked by a bowl of miso soup and spring mix salad with hard boiled egg on each side.
Even though they used processed cheese instead of real cheese for the baked rice, I thought it was acceptable because the creaminess of the processed cheese helped moisten the salmon and rice underneath while the saltiness seasoned the ingredients underneath.
Matcha Parfait ($6.70)
After such healthy and lean dishes, we needed some dessert to balance out the meal! I was enticed by the Matcha Parfait because I love anything matcha. Starting from the bottom, the tall cup had layers of coffee jelly, corn flakes, chocolate soft serve ice cream, whipped cream, berries, green tea soft serve ice cream. a sour key soother candy, mini marshmallows, a green tea cookie, a cookie straw and dollop of whipped cream on top for good measure! Whew! This sure satisfied my sweet tooth but I was disappointed with the amount of matcha-ness in the parfait. I was hoping for more matcha goodness.
Matcha Ice Cream Float ($4.30)
On the other hand, my friend's matcha ice cream float had more matcha flavours than my parfait! With green tea soft serve ice cream immersed in strong matcha tea and topped with a green tea cookie, her cup was significantly amped up with matcha flavours. I liked this one more because when mixed together, the float was not too sweet. It was a nice balance between the sweet (the ice cream) and the healthy (the unsweetened matcha tea). Full of antioxidants that's for sure!
With such pretty plate presentations, healthy and balanced options, and my favourite matcha desserts on the menu, Shishinori would be a good place for quick, casual Japanese eats any time of the day!
No comments:
Post a Comment