Bao Down Gastropub & Raw Bar (Olympic Village)

I've referred to Bao Down's service before in my post on the Flying Pig. It's great to finally see how it works at the restaurant itself. But first, the decor. It had a nice rustic yet industrial look to it. Raw.

I especially liked the reclaimed wood, but it makes me think of this article about burgled barn wood because of interior design trends.

We started with 2 dozen oysters (they were $1 each during happy hour). They were very well shucked. I only got one piece of shell in the dozen that I ate. We especially liked the jalapeno ginger sauce that came with it. The Joyce Point ones were the best in our opinion. At least we *think* they're "Joyce Point" because the server who brought us the oysters didn't know what they were. It was only later, when the bartender / oyster shuck-er walked by and heard me talk about it that he pointed out what they were. This happened the second time we visited the restaurant as well. No one knows what they're serving except for the bartender / oyster shuck-er.

Of course we had to try their baos. Mini baos were $4 each during happy hour. We tried one of each flavour (from left): Bao Chicka Bao Bao, Vevo, and YVR. Our favourite was the Bao Chicka Bao Bao because it had some texture in it and the lemongrass flavour was prominent. The Vevo and YVR weren't that great because they had no texture at all. It was mush in a bun, but the flavour was good. I especially liked the peanut flavour in the Vevo.

Wings were half price and we chose the Spicy Thai flavour. They were well fried and the sauce was well balanced, though not spicy at all.

We liked the Bao Chicka Bao Bao so much we ordered one more for each of us. Unfortunately, the inexperienced server (referred to above) brought it to the wrong table and we waited quite a long time before following up with another server (who was serving the table next to us). She asked if we were sure it didn't come and then told us it will come soon. I then saw her approach the inexperienced server to tell him he brought the baos to the wrong table.

Overall, the food was good. The service was so-so. Our first server (the bartender) was quite attentive and knowledgeable. But then he kind of disappeared after we ordered the last two baos and the place got a little busier. It would have been more professional if he told us, "Hey, it's getting busy and I'm going to get behind the bar now. So and so will now be your server." We had no idea who to flag down when we wanted to order more food.

The staff need to communicate with each other better, or find a way to educate everyone. When the server brought us our oysters without knowing what they were, it was unprofessional. He was obviously not as well trained since he brought our food to the wrong table too. We later overheard him bringing more food to the table next to us, food they are sure they didn't order.

We will likely only return during happy hour (which we have done already) and recommend that people visit during happy hour as well. It's not as busy so they'll serve you better.

Manna Sushi

We went to Manna Sushi because it was close by and my parents said good things about it. The decor was subtle and nice, but not quite the rustic style of a Japanese-run restaurant. That was the first hint it's not Japanese-run.

We started with the Angry Jalepeno which wasn't angry at all. There was barely any spicy taste to it. It was uninspiring and sad looking.

Next, B ordered the Assorted Aburi Nigiri combo because it's always nice to have the chef choose their best stuff to present to you. Not here, apparently. All the nigiri look the same and there were a lot of common fish on the dish. It was hard to discern what each piece was because they were drenched in sauce.

Of course, B has to order Tako Sashimi. As you can see, the knife cuts were not great. It's not the worst we've had, and at least it's not slimy.

Lately we've been on an Ika Karage (sic) binge (ever since Yuji's), so we decided to try it here. Ika Karage is a misnomer. They should really call it calamari, because that's what it is, substitute the mayo instead of the tzatziki. The texture of the squid itself was tough and the breading was so oily it was nauseating.

I ordered a bunch of different nigiri's. The chopped scallop was bigger than expected, but the ikura was sadly lacking (look at how flat it is) and very fishy, like it's been sitting in its juices for a long while. The ika was very tough and the amaebi were sadly too tiny. I don't remember much about the hotate but I do recall the Saba was over pickled. It was like I was transported to a Swedish restaurant. The Toro was fishy and not that creamy and the negitoro was fine.

Overall, the experience was not worth recommending or returning. We would prefer walking those few extra blocks to Hime than to come back here.

Clubhouse Japanese Restaurant

We were craving Japanese food so we thought it was about time we tried the restaurants in our new hood.

First we stopped at Toko, because Google said it was a Japanese Restaurant and it was heavily advertising their Asahi. After we walked in, I noticed the decor seemed more Chinese than Japanese. Lo and behold we looked at the menu, and saw wonton, chow mein, and a bunch of Chinese dishes. We left.

Then we thought we should try the yakitori place down the road because we walked by it once. The host greeted us, asked us how many (2), and said wait a moment. He proceeds to walk around the restaurant and then grab two menus and set them on a table. Then he walks around the restaurant some more, serves a couple dishes, and tells us to wait 5 more minutes. It struck me as odd until B heard the host say something about happy hour ending soon to a couple patrons. So basically, he didn't want to seat us until 6pm, when regular dinner begins. Why didn't he just say so? Or just seat us and wait until 6pm to take our order? We left.

Finally we thought maybe we should try the Clubhouse since we drive by it all the time and it looks pretty cool from the outside. We walked in, and it strikes me as one of those restaurants on Restaurant Impossible that used to be good and then everyone just gave up trying to make it better.

We started with the Assorted Sashimi. We didn't expect it to be good, but we didn't think it could be this bad either. The knife cuts were noticeably sloppy, the tuna was still frozen, and the salmon had no taste at all. 

The Sweet Jane vegetable tempera roll was better than the sashimi but not that great. The rice was overcooked and soggy, the seaweed was tough, and he yam tempera was undercooked and had a bit of crunch to it still.

Next we had the Chicken Yaki Soba. It tastes like ketchup. B said he's had bad food and he keeps eating it, very rare does he not want to eat something and this was the dish.

The Squid okonomiyaki came smelling like it was burnt-and not because of the smoky fish flakes on top. It tasted a little burnt too, and soggy, and generally had very little texture. We found four squid rings in total. If the chef would only chop them up and divide it evenly throughout the pancake, it would have more texture and we wouldn't notice how little squid there is.

The only redeeming factor was that the owner came to pick up the dishes and saw that we didn't finish the okonomiyaki and asked if we didn't like it. We told her it was bad and she offered to refund us. We didn't want to be those customers who complain to get free stuff, because then our complaints won't be taken seriously. She thanked us for our feedback so we decided to tell her how bad EVERYTHING was. She seems to take it all seriously so I appreciated that. We probably won't return, but I appreciate the effort.

Hime Sushi

We wanted to try Hime since it was on our way home.

First we had the Deluxe Sashimi, it says there's 20 pieces, but we're pretty sure there were more. The sashimi were good. The uni was a little stale, but still better than most. The Saba was especially good, had a bit of lemon, and not fishy at all. The Tako was prepared well- well sliced. The rest was normal.

Next we had the Toro Battera, which was good. We loved the Jalepeno on top. I thought the rice was kind of dense and the overall bite was not melty enough.

We also got the Aburi Sushi Combo. It came with one of Toro, Tuna, Salmon, Sockeye, Saba, and Chopped Scallop. The chopped scallop was REALLY good, that was the only thing that melted in my mouth. It was creamy and fresh. Everything else was also very good. There was a nice balance of smokiness and creaminess from the sauce.

Of course, no sushi place visit is complete without the usual J & B Club roll (slalom and cream cheese) and nigiris. The great thing about the roll was that you can actually choose between salmon, tuna and ebi. It was well balanced, with a good amount of cream cheese, and you can still feel the texture of the salmon. The nigiris were also very good. The ikura was served at the perfect temperature and popped in your mouth. The seaweed was still crispy. The unagi was well seasoned and well cooked. LOVED.

I would definitely return and recommend. The service was great-professional and quick.

Sushiyama

We were craving sushi and Sushiyama was on our way home so we stopped in to try a restaurant that had a 4.0 rating on Zomato.

  

Run by Koreans, the decor and atmosphere was quite bland and functional. The tabletops were a bit sticky. Nothing really echoing a Japanese run restaurant at all.

Having a special board was neat and let's you know what's fresh and in season. It makes life a lot easier by limiting what you order, given the extensive menu.

B hasn't had tonkatsu in what seems like a lifetime, so he immediately knew what he wanted. The tonkatsu was good, exactly what he wanted. It was a little on he tough side, but the flavour and crispness was all there. It came with miso, rice and salad.

I ordered a bunch of nigiri sushi. Above, from bottom to top, we have Hamachi Toro, Toro, and Shima Aji. The Hamachi Toro was a pleasant surprise. It was very velvety fatty and not fishy at all, with a hint of lemon. The Toro was not as fatty as expected. The texture tasted very much like normal Tuna, but at least it wasn't fishy. The Shima Aji had very good mouth feel, a bit of crunch and tastes not at all overwhelming like mackerel normally tastes.

From bottom to top again, we have the uni, ikura, and unagi. The uni was the fourth nigiri on the dish that I ate. I think I made a tactical mistake. I should have eaten it first because the seaweed sat for too long and became very chewy. The uni itself was fresh and well prepared - it wasn't too fishy or overly mushy. It was creamy but still had a bit of texture. The seaweed on the ikura was similarly tough, and the salmon roe itself was not as fresh as I'd hope. It didn't "pop" in my mouth and had a stronger fish taste than normal. Lastly the unagi was okay. It wasn't extraordinary, the sauce was fine. I don't hate it, but I was hoping for a melt in my mouth kind of experience, so I was left a little disappointed.

B had the Hokkigai and the Torigai. The Hokkigai was fine. The Torigai was a little bit chewy. They were acceptable; nothing exceptional.

Of course B had to order the Tako Sashimi. It was also just fine. It wasn't mushy or fishy - like some places that don't prepare them well. But it wasn't exceptional either. It was a little on the chewy side. It didn't have the nice crunch that good Tako has. Although the slices were thin, they were a bit uneven - indicative of some poor knife skills.

Lastly, of course we always try the Salmon Sashimi, although I'm not sure why anymore. This salmon was so bland I kind of left feeling like I don't like salmon anymore. Also, the pieces on the left were colder than the pieces on the right, and left my teeth a bit numb. They weren't terrible, but they were so underwhelming, I was a bit angry about it.

Overall, I think Sushiyama has the 4.0 rating because of the price. Some of the fresh nigiri were good, but it didn't make up for the underwhelming nature of everything else. I left the establishment feeling a little nauseated, so I likely won't return. B would recommend it if you're looking for cheap sushi, especially cheap nigiri. I personally would rather pay a little more money for better quality food. The service was prompt and friendly, but sometimes that's just not enough.

Sushi Loku

Went to Sushi Loku with a few friends on Tuesday. For a Tuesday, the place was quite busy - luckily, we'd called ahead of time.

When we arrived, I was a bit turned off by the worn out benches and the weird smell. But my worry was for naught.

We were really early, so we ordered the Killer Tuna Tacos to start. It was daunting to eat at first, because I was afraid it would be messy - and it wasn't really "bite size" either. But because it was served fresh, the chips were still crispy and you were able to just bite off each portion without making too big of a mess. They were seasoned well with the vinegar balancing the creaminess of the tuna.

After our friends arrived, we ordered the Tuna & Salmon Sashimi, Philadelphia Roll, and Loku's Aburi nigiri collection.

I always love places that allow you to order the mixed Tuna & Salmon Sashimi platter instead of one order of each. I could eat four pieces of sashimi, not eight, and I'd like to have both. The sashimi was well treated, though Sushi Bella's sashimi were double the size.

As usual, B needs his cream cheese fix. The Philadelphia roll was solid - the Salmon was a little unevenly sliced and the roll itself was a little big, but overall, it was tasty as usual.

Last came the Aburi nigiri - it literally came last. It's a little difficult to make because you have to sear eight different types of fish, whereas if you ordered a single type of Aburi, it's quick. Our dinner companions were still eating by the time this dish arrived, so it wasn't too slow. It was just slow for us because we had finished all our dishes already. The fish was well treated and the season on each one balanced perfectly.

Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner at Sushi Loku and would definitely return in the future. It's wonderful to find another sushi place in our neighbourhood.