Sushi by Yuji

2252 Kingway
Vancouver, BC

W and I both love well-made, traditional nigiri sushi. We are always on the lookout for sushi places that make good, fresh, authentic nigiri sushi. When I spotted some appetizing photos of sushi made by, well, Yuji, I knew I had to give it a try.

Marinated Tuna

W and I whetted our palate with 2 starters. We had the marinated tuna which was tuna sashimi slices dressed in a pungent wasabi sauce and sprinkled with crushed sesame. One has to like wasabi in order to enjoy this appetizer. I am finally starting to like wasabi so I thought it was not bad, but the horseradish was a little overpowering.

Spinach Gomaae

The spinach gomaae was done just right though. Coated with a lightly sweetened soy sauce and sprinkled liberally with crushed sesame seeds, it was simple, light and yummy.

Gunkan Sushi - Chopped Scallop, Tobiko

Yes, I am relatively still a noob when it comes to Japanese food terms. That night I learned from W that the sushi with the seaweed wrapped around the rice and filling is actually called Gunkan sushi! We both had the tobiko gunkan sushi while I added a chopped scallop one as well. The chopped scallop had a naturally sweet flesh and when mixed with the mayonnaise and tobiko, it was buttery and indulgent. One of the better chopped scallop sushi I've had in a while!  

Gunkan Sushi - Tuna Carpaccio

Another gunkan sushi that W wanted to try was the Tuna Carpaccio. There was a slice of tuna spread on top of the rice and seaweed and then topped with minced green onions, salt and pepper, and a splash of olive oil. I wasn't too fond of this combination so I didn't try it. W said he liked it though.

Nigiri Sushi - Wild Sockeye Salmon, Hamachi (Yellow Tail)

As for nigiri sushi, we had the wild sockeye salmon and hamachi. We also had other types but I forgot to document them with photography =___=" I can tell you one thing though, the nigiri sushi were spot on and were delicious! The size was just right, the rice was seasoned well, and the fish was fresh (you can tell by that lovely sheen on the flesh!).

Sushi by Yuji is a hidden gem. Its unassuming exterior on a busy main thoroughfare will have many pass by without batting an eye. Although this place is a little on the pricier side, it's already got a few followers. It's a small place too; reservations recommended!

RockCreek Seafood & Spirits

4300 Fremont Avenue North
Seattle, WA

During the Easter long weekend holiday, W and I went down to Seattle for a short trip and also to celebrate a friend's birthday. Since the birthday gal and her husband lived in Seattle, they knew all the cool and popular places to go. They took us and a whole bunch of friends to dinner at RockCreek Seafood & Spirits, a restaurant that does small sharing plates of pacific northwest cuisine.

Since there were about a dozen of us, we got to have the private party room upstairs. It was a really nice room with skylights and a window that opened to the dining area below.

Oyster Shooter ($9) - sake, ginger, ikura, shiso leaf

To get the party started, we all had an oyster shooter! I'm not a big fan of sake so I did not actually "shoot" it down. However, I thought the salty, briny oyster went quite well with the cold and sweet sake. Having a fresh shucked oyster with a chiffonade shiso leaf was a first and I loved the combination! It made the whole package a lot more fragrant.

Poached Albacore Tuna ($13) - shaved fennel, chickpeas, celery, lemon-anchovy vinaigrette, soft boiled egg

After the shooters, the sharing plates began rolling in. This salad was absolutely delicious! I just wanted to eat the whole bowl myself! The savoury vinaigrette was light and just enough to coat the greens. The chickpeas and tuna chunks lent a meaty texture to the salad while the creamy soft boiled egg melded all the components together.

Barbecued Alaskan Octopus ($14) - fingerling potatoes, olives, cannellini beans, arugula, olive aioli

The barbecued octopus was also another dish that wowed all of us. Sometimes, cooked octopus can be quite chewy and unforgiving to eat. However, this one was cooked just right. It was soft and tender but with hints of crisp edges from being grilled. YUM! The beans and potatoes, though seeming odd co-stars with the octopus, was actually yummy on its own due to the olive aioli.

Barron Point Manila Clams ($14) - Mexican chorizo, coriander, sherry, chickpeas, grilled bread

The clams did not give me as big of an impact as the salad and octopus did, mainly because I sort of knew what flavours to expect from the description. Still, it was a yummy bowl of steamed clams! The sauce was the kind you'd want to mop up with some soft bread :)

Baked Barron Point Oysters 'Brock-a-Fella' ($13) - Nueske's bacon, shallot, thyme, tamarind butter

Next came the baked oysters. As the name suggested, this one was a play on Oysters Rockefeller (though I'm not sure in what way). The bacon gave the oysters a nice smokey aroma while the shallots and butter kept the oyster nice and juicy.

Pastis Baked Oysters ($12) - toasted fennel, garlic, shallot, parsley, lemon, pastis butter

The second type came with a mixture of fennel, garlic, shallot, and parsley butter spread baked on top of the oyster. Compared to the 'Brock-a-fella', this one was a little drier but nonetheless fragrant and savoury.

Hawaiian Tombo Tuna Tartare ($15) - anchovy, lemon, horseradish, quail egg, pickled shallot, rye cracker

I loved the presentation of the tuna tartare! It was so pretty that I was sad to see it all mixed up with with the raw quail egg! I would have liked something a little more sturdier than the rye crisp to go with the chopped tuna though. It was hard to scoop up the mixture with such a thin piece of cracker.

Oysters on half shell 

We just cannot have enough oysters! A dozen of freshly shucked oysters arrived. Simple and clean tasting. Good thing W does not like oysters; I was able to take his share!

Wild Mexican Prawns 'St. Helena' ($15) - garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon, McEwen & Sons grits

A delicious take on the traditional shrimp and grits. The prawns were large and meaty, and cooked to the right doneness. I actually prefer a lot of sauce to go with grits so this one was right up my alley. I swear, all the entree-type dishes were so good that I could eat them all by myself instead sharing them like how they're supposed to haha!

Stewed Halibut, oyster mushrooms

This halibut dish and the grilled pork cheeks were not the regulars on the menu, hence I was not able to get the correct name and description. The umami flavours from the oyster mushrooms and sauce made the silky fish even more flavourful. A bowl of rice to soak up the sauce would have been awesome!

Grilled Pork Cheeks - fennel, salsa verde sauce

The pork cheeks were tender and easy to eat; definitely not an ounce overcooked. The grilled fennel, along with the salsa verde added a nice herbal touch. This was another well-executed dish.

I was really glad that we made the trek down to Seattle or else we wouldn't have got to try out this awesome restaurant! Big thanks to W's friends for bringing us there!!

Sanpoutei Ramen

160 - 4328 No. 3 Road
Richmond, BC

Earlier in the year, there was a huge hype on social media regarding a new ramen restaurant opening up in Richmond. Every time I opened up facebook, there was always someone posting photos of steaming hot bowls of ramen. Finally, I couldn't resist the temptation and dragged W with me to go try out Sanpoutei Ramen.

The restaurant opened up not too long ago but I, along with dozens and dozens of other people, waited for over an hour just to try this new ramen place! My goodness, the power of social media!

Deep Fried Spring Chicken with Oroshi Yuzu Ponzu Sauce

Since we waited for an hour, our anticipation and our hunger gradually rose higher and higher. Aside from a bowl of ramen each, we ordered a plate of kaarage as an appetizer. There were several flavours and toppings for their kaarage. We went for the grated daikon and tangy citrus soy option. The fried chicken pieces were meaty and juicy while the battered exterior was only slightly crunchy due to the sauce. The chicken was a little greasy but it was still yummy though!

Tori Ramen

Sanpoutei Ramen actually specializes in chicken broth ramen. The mouthfeel of the soup is more sticky, with a thicker viscosity, due to the collagen in the chicken bones. Due to that viscosity and an oily layer on top, both W and I were not very fond of it. In fact, W thought there wasn't much depth of flavour to the soup and liked my miso broth more. However, the lightly torched fatty pork belly cha siu was right up his alley while I picked out the long strips of fat =__=

Tori x Miso Ramen

I chose the miso version of the chicken broth. It came with a ton of vegetables which helped break up the stickiness of the soup. Also, Sanpoutei's ramen noodles were not the typical round and curly, or thin and straight noodles. Their's were flatter and a little wider...sort of like flat udon noodle. Some may like it but it's not my preferred noodle of choice.

After that night's dinner, it has solidified the ramen preferences of W and I even more. We definitely like tonkotsu ramen much more!

Miku

70 - 200 Granville Street

Vancouver, BC

I admit, I'm actually not that very romantic of a person. For our wedding anniversary, W and I didn't really know what to do to celebrate ^__^;; Since we had talked for a long time about trying Miku, we decided to have our anniversary dinner there.

Shiso Mojito - shochu, fresh lime, shiso leaf

I started off with a refreshing and bubbly Mojito. Instead of mint, it was muddled with fragrant shiso leaves. I love the smell and taste of shiso, so this simple cocktail was just right for my palate.

Kaiso Seaweed Salad - nutrigreens garm organic baby greens, cucumber, campari tomato, radish, avocado, crunchy arare, spicy sesame-ponzu vinaigrette

All the ingredients in the salad went well together and I especially liked the crunchy lotus root slices. Lucky for me, W doesn't like lotus roots so I got to eat them all haha... This was definitely a salad I could finish all by myself!

Aburi Beef Carpaccio - sterling silver AAA short rib, tamari horseradish creme fraiche, 64 degree organic egg, jalapeno-garlic ponzu, organic baby greens

Although this version was tasty, I liked the traditional Italian style beef carpaccio with Parmesan cheese and capers more.

Miku Roll - salmon, crab, uni, cucumber, rolled in tobiko, Miku sauce

Originally, I chose this roll because there was uni (sea urchin) inside. However, when it came, we noticed something was amiss. We weren't quite sure what was different until at the end of the meal I finally figured it out. The uni was missing!!! On the bill, it also stated that there was no uni inside the roll so they automatically deducted $2 off. I was kind of miffed about that because our server totally did not let us know that uni was unavailable that day. She could have let us know at the beginning and asked if we wanted to change our order but none of that happened. When we inquired about the bill it was then that she told us uni was not in season so the restaurant did not have any. WELL! If we had known earlier then we would have changed our order! It felt like I had been duped!! /End rant

Salmon Oshi Sushi - pressed BC wild sockeye salmon, jalapeno, Miku sauce

The obligatory order for every first time Miku customer, the salmon oshi sushi. I thought the torched Miku sauce was what made it tasty, otherwise I actually wasn't too wowed by it.

Premium Aburi Nigiri - chef's selection of feature nigiri, lightly flame seared Aburi style, each paired with our house made sauce

I was, however, impressed with their aburi nigiri sushi though! Plated and presented very beautifully, each piece of sushi was like a work of art! Each piece had a different sauce and different topping which made each one a unique experience.

Ebi Fritter - white tiger prawns, herb-beer battered, sweet chili aioli, soy-balsamic reduction, chili powder

Not feeling too full, we added a last minute dish to our table. With several large, meaty prawns, the "ebi mayo" (as it would have been traditionally called) did the trick in filling up the remaining space in our tummies. I just wasn't too fond of the Caesar salad that was paired with the prawns though. Since there was already a creamy aioli on the prawn fritters, I would have liked something lighter and fresh on the greens.

Maple-miso Ice Cream

We finished off the night with a bowl of ice cream to share. Looking at the flavour options on the menu, the maple-miso jumped right out at me! Chocolate, strawberry....so boring! LOL...maple miso sounded so intriguing! More sweet than salty, the miso taste didn't really shine through but the ice cream was still good nonetheless.

Even though I wasn't floored or wowed by every dish that we ordered, Miku is still a great place to go for special occasions. To me, the aburi sushi is a must-try and one of the reasons why Miku is so recommended for their high-end, high-quality nigiri sushi. At last, W and I got to check this one off our list!

Las Vegas 2015 - Day 4

Before we left for Las Vegas, one of my aunts raved about the awesome buffet at Caesar's Palace and recommended that we pay a visit. So, on our last day, we dropped by for their lunch buffet!

W and I did not really walk around inside the hotel/casino portion of Caesar's Palace back in 2012 so I had no idea what the buffet area looked like before. I definitely think they have completely renovated and redesigned the buffet and dining area fairly recently though. 

It looked brand spanking new with modern and clean lines. There were beautiful and unique light fixtures and chandeliers, modern looking tables, chairs, and privacy screens all throughout the room. I just loved the entire space!

I walked through the whole buffet line once to size up the selections first. Since there were so many items, I had to decide which ones were worthy of putting in mouth! I only have so much room in my stomach after being sick the previous day! I didn't want to eat anything that would trigger my upset stomach again, so I thought the bowls of Korean Ginseng chicken broth, congee (rice porridge), and oatmeal would be a good starter to get my stomach going. On my plate were also some shrimp cocktail, bacon, sausage and eggs (just caught the end of the breakfast shift!), some roasted veggies, and sushi. To wash it down, we had coffee, orange juice and watermelon juice that came in a cute clear bottle!

When I saw the dessert section, I just couldn't hold my excitement in!! I immediately turned into a giddy school girl! LOL... I was just totally in awe of their variety and placement of the sweet goodies! With the dessert counters placed as a square shape, I think I walked around the perimeter multiple times just taking in the sights and smells! I finally decided on a glutinous rice ball in ginger syrup (I admit, the cute sake cup attracted me first), creme brulee, a green tea chocolate cake, a homemade vanilla marshmallow square, and a double chocolate peanut butter cookie.

After a nice leisurely lunch, I was quite hesitant to leave :( The decor was so pretty, atmosphere was relaxed, there were endless enticing food and drinks... Before leaving, I did a last walk-through and took photos to remind me of this wonderful buffet experience!

Chicken and waffle (cones!)

Bottles of freshly pressed juices (carrot, orange, watermelon)

Airline Chicken (it was really called Airline Chicken! I have no idea why, I did not try it... It looked super cute in the little tin casserole dishes though)

Charcuterie board and a vast selection of bread and rolls

Enormous cheese platter!

Hot and sour soup, and congee with a variety of toppings

BBQ duck, BBQ pork (char siu) and other Chinese stir-fries

One half of the dining area had a modern/contemporary glass theme going on (which was where we sat) and the other half had a west coast-earthy vibe since there was an extensive use of wood as its decor. Loved both sides of the dining area! The Buffet at Wynn and the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar's Place are strong contenders in my book. I think I might have to visit both of them the next time I head to Vegas in order to determine a winner ;)

Las Vegas 2015 - Day 3

Originally, W and I had planned a day of shopping (or window shopping) at the Fashion Show Mall and the Premium Outlets after lunch. 

I guess Bobby Flay wasn't the only celebrity chef restaurant that we visited during this trip! We stopped by Gordon Ramsay's BURGR inside the Miracle Mile of Planet Hollywood and since we arrived before the bustling lunch crowd, we got a table right away. Yay!

Ginger ale and unsweetened iced tea

Time and time again, I order the iced tea thinking it was the sweetened version that we get in Canada. I always forget that iced tea in the States literally is "ice + brewed tea"; no sugar, no sweetness. I tried to like it, but I just can't shake my Canadian-ized iced tea taste buds. Should have ordered the Ginger Ale like W did!

Kale Granny-Apple Caesar Salad - parmigiano-reggiano cheese, mini herb-garlic crouton

I felt like we needed some greens to counter the burger and fries that we were going to have. With the addition of crisp sweet apples and super good, kale, this version of the Caesar salad was not bad. Just like a typical Caesar salad but with some non-traditional co-stars.

Chantrelle Burger - chantrelle mushrooms, arugula, figgy-onion jam

We short-listed a couple of burgers on the menu and after some deliberation, we went for the Chantrelle Burger which has, of course, chantrelle mushrooms, a sweet fig and onion jam, and a handful of fresh arugula leaves. Since the burger patty was made to order, there was the option to select the doneness of the meat. We went for medium rare and it came just that, reddish-pink in the middle with a nicely browned exterior. Overall, the taste of the burger was nicely balanced. There was the savoury beef patty, the sweet fig-onion jam, and the bitter arugula. However, I thought the beef wasn't as juicy or fatty as I had expected. Hence, when eaten with the thick brioche bun, it actually became kind of dry.

Truffle Parmesan Fries - hand cut fries, truffle parmesan, truffle salt, truffle aioli

We can't have burger without fries! The Truffle Parmesan version has a liberal sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and an enticing aroma of truffle oil and truffle salt. Dipped in the truffle aioli, it was an explosion of earthy, umami-ness! Not a big fan of the short stubby fries but they were crispy, fresh, and hot so that satisfied me just fine.

The entrance was pretty cool, very eye-catching indeed!

Now, in the beginning, I said that we were originally going to go (window) shopping after lunch. I said "originally" because there was a change of plans :( Both W and I came down with a terrible case of nausea and upset stomachs. It wasn't because of the food from Burgr...I think it was from the tuna melt sandwich we had the day before. It probably sat in the car too long when went to Valley of Fire State Park and turned bad (even though it tasted fine when we ate it!). We ended up heading back to the hotel to nap for the rest of the afternoon.

By dinner time, W was feeling better but my stomach was still giving me a hard time. I wanted some comforting Asian food but I didn't want to venture too far away. And since we had tickets to go see the Blue Man Group later that night, we decided to go to Dragon Noodle inside Monte Carlo for dinner. If it wasn't because of my upset stomach, I wouldn't have settled for expensive, mediocre, Americanized Chinese food =P But at that moment, some wonton soup comforted my sick body.

Luckily, the quirky and humourous Blue Man Group took my mind off the stomach pains and I was able to enjoy the rest of the night :)

Las Vegas 2015 - Day 2 [Part 2]

I've been wanting to dine at a celebrity chef's restaurant in Las Vegas for a long time now. Sure, it could be the hype and the "famous people" allure, but it's something on my to-do list that I have to check off! I decided to try Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill because I've never tried Southwestern cuisine before and this seemed like a nice palatial adventure for W and I.

We made reservations for 7pm and we were seated quite promptly. The atmosphere was fairly casual but service was still at fine dining standards.

Complimentary bread basket - sour dough, cranberry walnut, jalapeno corn bread muffins

After we put in our orders, we were given a bread basket with 3 kinds of bread. We both thought the corn bread was the most outstanding selection while the other 2 were ok, just ordinary.

Blue Corn Pancake - Barbequed duck, habanero chile, star anise sauce

W and I both ordered an appetizer to start. Of course, following our usual dining protocol, we switched plates halfway so we could try both dishes. The blue corn pancake sort of looked like a Peking duck wrap meets Mexican taco, southwestern style. The duck was shredded into tender morsels and drenched in a sweet and spicy sauce. There were a lot of filling and sauce so I thought it needed more pancake to balance out the flavours and texture.

Tiger Shrimp + Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale - corn, cilantro sauce

The shrimp and corn tamale was, by far, the most delicious dish of the entire meal! There was a perfect medley of spiciness, sweetness from the corn, and savouriness from the garlic and cilantro sauce. The shrimp was cooked perfectly which has just the right snap to the meat and when eaten with the soft corn tamale, everything just melded together!! This was so so good!!

Coffee Rubbed Filet Mignon - Mushroom-Ancho chile sauce

I apologize because I don't even remember if this was the filet mignon! I just remember there was a coffee rub on the steak and it had the same sweet and spicy sauce as the pork tenderloin that we also ordered as our entrée. The steak was tender and it was super flavourful from the rub and the sauce but because there was nothing else on the plate, it got a bit boring eating the same thing fork after fork.

New Mexican Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin - Bourbon-Ancho chile sauce, sweet potato tamale with crushed pecan butter

The pork tenderloin was cooked to a medium doneness but it seems like the middle was still a too rare. Hence, it was a little tough to chew through. The sweet potato tamale was good with the nutty, creamy butter but we thought it wasn't as good as the roasted garlic corn tamale from the appetizer.

Churros - dusted with cinnamon sugar, star anise dark chocolate dipping sauce, coconut dulce de leche dipping sauce

Ok, I had to end this dinner on a high note. Even though this plate of churros was $11, it really hit my craving and sweet spot. A crisp and sweet exterior and a soft, fluffy center...the churros were already delicious on its own without the dipping sauces. YUM!

*Still, I knew that for $11 I could get 11 churros at Costo =___=

The other thing on my to-do list on this trip was to see the new pedestrian promenade across from Caesar's Palace. The Linq and the new ferris wheel, The High Roller, was revealed in 2014, 2 years after my last visit. With both sides of the promenade filled with bars, restaurants and shops, and the brightly lit High Roller as the backdrop, it's a nice place to take a stroll at night.

W and I weren't big fans of the glitzy nightlife so we headed back to the hotel to get rested for our planned activity the next day: shopping!!