Om Nom

For those who don’t know Japadog personally let me introduce you. Started in 2005 by a mad scientist (or one smart businessman) Japadog took the streets of Vancouver by storm and quickly became the phenomenon it is today. The opening of it’s second cart on Burrard and Pender brings me personally one step closer to this yummy hot dog variation as it’s now dangerously close to work. To be more blunt, it’s a Japanese take on hot dogs and it’s stupidly yummy.

Now were do I start, the fact that you could spend 30 minutes in line during lunch for a hot dog? or the fact that if you so chose, you can have fish in a tube covered in wesabe mayo? and why should you spend six plus dollars on a hot dog?

The selection varies depending on what cart you venture to, and in this case I’ll be reviewing the Burrard and Pender location since I’ve had most of their hot dogs. Personally my favorite hot dog is the Korokke dog ($6.00). Served on top of the all beef sausage is mash potatoes, cabbage, Japanese mayo and Korokke sauce. Other than the traditional all beef sausage other menu items include different types of dogs.

Korokke Dog

The Okonomi dog ($6.25) is a Kurobuta pork sausage smothered in cabbage, Bonito flakes, Japanese mayo and Okonomi sauce. When I had this it was pretty good but they seemed to have been in a rush and the Kurobuta pork was kinda slimy in an non-cooked kind of way.

The Terimayo is their supposed top seller that breaks it down to the basics. Meat, bun, shredded seaweed with teriyaki and Japanese mayo.

The Sakana ($6.25) is a fish sausage (Gyoniku) topped with tuna, Japanese mayo, soy sauce, and mixed orangic leaves. Overall this was pretty tasty but for me it’s a try once kind of dog.

So that’s Japadog, friendly service, mile long lineups during lunch and a tasty alternative to Vancouver’s street meat scene. If you live in Vancouver and haven’t had a Japadog I’d highly suggest you try it right away. If you’re visiting the city put this on you’re must do list. That way when you watch a travel show featuring Vancouver you can then point at the TV and yell “I’ve been there!” in turn making your friends jealous and you will be the master of the universe and everything in it.

The Good:
Imaginative menu
Unique style
Friendly staff

The bad
Kind of pricey
The lineups at lunch

Japadog
Burrard and Pender Vancouver BC
www.japadog.com

For the past two years Little Tokyo’s Sushi has been my default sushi restaurant in Burnaby. Maybe it’s because it’s the closest or maybe it’s because they offer great tasting Sushi at a decent price. But with a handful of sushi restaurants within walking distance I’ll find myself coming back time after time.

Little Tokyo’s Sushi sticks to a basic menu and doesn’t stray off into the wild out reaches of Sushi Land that some restaurants may venture off to and for that you are rewarded with consistently good eats. So to go into deep descriptions of what they offer won’t be necessary, all I can say is that I haven’t been disappointed yet. They offer great lunch/dinner combos and group meals with a bonus of free delivery for those who chose to stay home. This I guess brings me to the restaurant itself and the decor that can only be described as “a hockey based theme from the era of the Vancouver Canucks’ 1994 playoff run”. What truly makes Little Tokyo’s Sushi stick out in my mind is that the chef’s are friendly, they remember who you are and will always greet you with a smile.

Overall I can’t find anything bad to say about Little Tokyo’s Sushi. It’s kind of a hidden gem actually. Rarely is it busy and it offers everything I expect when I feel like a quiet low key Sushi adventure after a tiring day at work.

The Good:
Quality food
Friendly staff
Free delivery

The Bad:
For some people the lack of exotic food options.

Little Tokyo’s Sushi
3978 Hastings Street Burnaby BC
(604) 473-7900

In Vancouver you can count on two things, a Starbucks on every corner and a Japanese restaurant right next to the Starbucks. I’m not one to complain of this fact, my morning Americano helps start off my day and my constant craving for Sushi is only a few blocks away from being subdued.

Toyotomi Japanese Restaurant is located in Burnaby. Seating is somewhat limited so on the weekend prepare to wait in line but on any given week day you should be able to sit down right away.

On the menu is a wide variety of items that litter the typical Sushi restaurant menu and a handful of unique rolls that take up namesakes of various locations around the Lower Mainland. The Q.E. Park Roll, the Stanley Park Roll and the Hastings Roll are some of their creations and offer new creativity and change from the usual California Roll blandness.

Menu items are average in price, rolls can range from $2.00 for a simple Tuna Roll to $9.00 for a New York Roll. The portion sizes are quite average so after a few rolls and an appetizer or two will usually fill me up. All rolls are topped with sesame seeds, masago, green onion, mayo and their house sauce which also adds to the impressive plating presentation.

The Q.E. Roll at Toyotomi

During my recent trip I tried out the Q.E. Park Roll ($7.56) which contains prawn tempura, cucumber, avocado with tuna tempura on top. The rice was sticky enough to hold the roll together and it is tightly rolled so it’s contents don’t fall out. Overall I’m not a big fan of tempura as the batter sometimes overwhelms me but Toyotomi’s does it right and it makes for an impressive roll.

I know it might sound a bit foolish and closed minded but I like to judge a sushi place by their Unagi Nigiri. I’ve found the lower quality places will have more bones in the Unagi and the piece will be dried out. Toyotomi’s Grilled Unagi Nigiri ($2.26) is perfectly done and their sauce is quite tasty. My only disappointment so far is their Pumpkin Tempura. I was hoping for more flavor so it didn’t hit the spot.

Service is fairly quick, empty dishes disappear within minutes, the wait staff ensure that your tea is topped up at all times and are very friendly.

So if the Sushi craving hits and you’re in the Burnaby Heights area I can highly suggest going to Toyotomi Japanese Restaurant. With their extensive menu you’re bound to find anything you’re tummy is growling for.

The Good:
High quality food
Unique rolls
Wide variety of menu items. (Octopus Sashimi anyone?)

The Bad:
Pumpkin tempura was disappointing
Some rolls can get expensive.

Toyotomi Japanese Restaurant
4121 Hastings Street Burnaby BC
Telephone: 604-676-1506