Apart from “Have you ever been to Tojo’s?”, one different query I get requested so much is “Have you ever been to Jiro’s sushi restaurant? The actually well-known one in Japan?” Whereas attempting Sukiyabashi Jiro is on my bucket listing, I’m fairly the procrastinator with regards to making journey plans. Reservations at Sukibayashi Jiro are usually made not less than 6 months upfront. Sadly, by the point I confirmed my journey dates to Japan, there have been lower than 6 weeks earlier than departure. Not solely had been seats at Sukiyabashi Jiro lengthy gone, however so had been the seats at just about each different Michelin-starred restaurant in Japan. Not wanting to surrender my desires of consuming sushi, I regarded round for a detailed substitute and located Jiro Sushi & Ramen.
Jiro Sushi & Ramen is a brand new Chinese language-operated Japanese restaurant with a clear inside that includes marbled tables and slim wood chairs. Opening the menu, I discovered a superb assortment of particular rolls and an array of reasonably priced objects. There have been additionally some cheaper choices by way of rolls and nigiri.
One factor I lack in life is martial arts expertise, so to make up for this deficiency, I went for the Kung Fu Roll, which consisted of spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, salmon, seared tuna, grilled veggies, tempura oba, onions, masago, and orange. With its vivid gold and crimson colors, the roll regarded excellent for a Chinese language New 12 months celebration. The spicy tuna contained in the roll was pleasantly tender, and the orange slices had been juicy and candy (though they weren’t actually a part of the roll). Sadly, the obnoxious quantity of scorching chili sauce obscured the flavours of just about every part else, and the roll was fairly rice-heavy.
Tai Nigiri – B-
Sockeye Salmon Nigiri – B-
Toro Nigiri – B
Unagi Nigiri – B-
The Tai Nigiri was not too chewy, however not too flavourful both. The Sockeye Salmon Nigiri got here with reasonably recent sockeye salmon, whereas the Toro Nigiri was tender and neatly constructed. The Unagi Nigiri, at $1.45 a chunk, was the most affordable unagi nigiri I’ve come throughout in all of Higher Vancouver. It fared alright, although the skinny lower dampened its impression. The sushi rice was additionally fairly tightly packed and prevented me from having fun with the softer textures of the toppings.
Tempura – B+
The Hen & Scallop Teriyaki got here with an choice so as to add $2 for a number of items of tempura. The teriyaki was the best-executed dish of the entire dinner, with juicy hen and candy scallops. If something, the scallops may’ve been rather less nicely executed. The tempura got here with 2 prawns and three items of candy potato. The batter may’ve used a little bit extra crispiness, however the tempura was wealthy in flavour. The frying oil used to organize the tempura was not overused.
The service throughout my go to was adequately pleasant. Nevertheless, my general impression of the restaurant was that nothing really stood out. Though there have been no absolute blunders, my dinner lacked a dish attractive sufficient for me to come back again for extra. If I had been on the lookout for price range sushi, there are additionally cheaper choices within the space. Will Jiro Sushi & Ramen discover a solution to captivate hearts just like the famed Sukiyabashi Jiro in Japan?
