It doesn't make sense that Montreal sushi is so bad in comparison to Vancouver. Many people say that Vancouver has better sushi because the fish is freshly caught off the coast. I don't know what kind of fish you can catch off the West Coast, but the fish isn't going from the water to the restaurant in a short enough amount of time for it to make any material difference. Regardless of where it is caught, sushi-grade seafood is flash frozen (or so the internet tells me) and could sit frozen for a while until it ends up on your plate. All that to say, why does Vancouver seem to have better sushi than Montreal if both can in theory get access to the same grade of seafood? I'm going to leave it at that, because the only other explanations are the quality and experience of the chefs and Vancouver's proximity to Japan in comparison to Montreal...I don't know if talking about that is racist, so I'll just leave it out.
There are a handful of sushi restaurants on the Top 50 list. The highest rated one is Miku at #5, but I'm saving that one for my birthday. I'm going to go with the Omakase option, which apparently is a Japanese phrase meaning "I'll leave it to you!" It will be 100% chef's choice, and comes with a high price tag. Not really the best spot for a random Friday evening dinner.
Near the midpoint of the list is Kaide Sushi, located in Yaletown. We walked there, and it is pretty far down Richard Street. About 3 blocks further, and we'd be knee-deep in False Creek. There isn't much else in the area besides some sleepy condo buildings. I think that fits the criteria of being a "hidden gem."
We were greeted and seated by a lovely waitress. I wish I had asked for her name, so I could directly praise her on here. I don't often start a review off by talking about the staff, but in this case I'll do it now before I forget. She was extremely friendly and appropriately chatty. She asked us where we were from and what we thought about the food in Vancouver, and she made great recommendations of what we should order which didn't disappoint. She was petite and Asian. I don't know what other details I can put out there to identify her, but she was wonderful.
By the time 52 weeks of this culinary adventure are over, I will have learned the lesson that when consuming sashimi, I need to start writing down what I am served. This is the second time that we've had fantastic sashimi and I didn't bother to note what was on the plate. The menus usually say something like "Sashimi Platter," and you get whatever is available. Therefore, I couldn't rely on the menu to remind me. In the pictures there are some obvious ones like shrimp, scallop, tuna, salmon and uni that can be easily identified by some distinguishing characteristics. Looking back at the picture of the Kaide Supreme Sashimi there are two different pieces of white fish that I can't figure out. In any case, it was all delicious. Each piece had a distinctly different texture and taste, and there was not too much of any particular type. I've ordered sashimi platters and received filet mignon-sized steaks of raw fish. No one wants to feel like they need a fork and knife to eat sashimi. Kaide's sashimi was delicate and beautifully sliced into perfect little bites. Evidently you can't be picky when ordering a "mystery platter" like this, and you really shouldn't be. The chefs know what they're doing, and they'll give you their very best. Having said that, try to slip in a word about getting uni. We've had it before Kaide, and the waitress warned us that it was a very unique texture. It is sort of tough on the outside, but its butter in the inside and melts in your mouth.
Following the sashimi, we had the Roll Combo: the 501 roll, half a California roll, and half a Manhattan roll. It was 13 pieces in total. The 501 roll had 3 kinds of fish (salmon, crab and tuna I believe), and 3 kinds of vegetables (cucumber, avocado and asparagus). Surprisingly, the texture of asparagus works in sushi. The roll was a little large for my liking. I prefer to not look like a squirrel when I'm chewing sushi. The California roll was traditional with crab, avocado and cucumber. This was the first time I've had a Manhattan roll, with salmon, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese. All three were delicious. I rarely think much of sushi rice, but Kaide's had a light texture and flavour that made me notice it. It incorporated well with the other fresh ingredients, and wasn't just a starchy filler or a binder.
We were still a little hungry after those rolls, and we spent about 15 minutes arguing about what we should order next. We had settled on the Venus, but asked the waitress what she would recommend. I can't seem to find the roll on the menu Kaide has posted on their website. The waitress mentioned that they do not have a deep fryer on site, so they don't do tempura. Instead they put cornflakes in this particular roll to make it crunchy. Sounds strange right? It totally works! The texture isn't quite the same as tempura and neither is the flavour, but this was our favourite roll. It also had avocado and shrimp in it, but the crunch was the star of the show. This is a must-order next time we go.
It is rare that we don't order dessert, but I've never been to a sushi place that had memorable dessert. We skipped dessert at Kaide in favour of Thierry on Alberni (review to come soon). I'm tempted to give Kaide the title of our "Go-To Sushi Place." The price point was very reasonable for the quality of sushi. The rolls didn't cost that much more than Sushi Shop's crap-in-a-box. Everything was prepared in front of us (we sat at the bar) and tasted fresh and light. It is sort of a hole in the wall but once you find it you're going to wish you skipped lunch and breakfast and you'll want to spend the evening.
THE STATS - Out of 10
Taste: 8.5 - Everything was so yummy! Even after getting your fill, you're going to be craving more, and anticipating the next time you go there.
Creativity: 7 - Most of the rolls were very traditional, and you would surely find something like a California roll at any sushi restaurant. I bumped up the creativity score because of the way they get around not having a deep fryer with the Corn Flakes. Sometimes weird works.
Service: 8 - Our waitress was absolutely wonderful. She was perky and friendly, without being overbearing and obnoxious. She was a genuinely sweet girl, who was quick to deliver our orders, and wasn't shy to make recommendations. Overall, service was speedy and effective.
Bang for your buck: 8 - The reality is that seafood is expensive. Sashimi-grade seafood is even more expensive. You're eating pretty much everything raw, except for maybe the shrimp and the rice. It has to be good quality ingredients. For what you're getting, the price is very reasonable.
Overall experience: 8.5 - It was a great casual Friday night dinner.
Would I go back? Yes. I would go back every Friday for the rest of my earthly days if I could.
Who would I recommend it to? Adults, any group size, casual occasions. It's not a very romantic spot, and it doesn't pretend to be. Don't take your wife here for your anniversary, but do take her here to give her a break from the kitchen. I don't know anyone who makes home-made sushi on a remotely regular basis, so it's always a nice treat. It's not the place for your picky friends; either you're a sushi person or you're not. The space is not huge, but tables are well spaced and can accommodate big-ish groups (6-8 people). Going with a big group is very different from going as a couple, because you could order 1-2 different rolls per person, and share the variety. It did feel like a very lively place, so go get a bunch of friend together and order a few beers and saki!
For what occasion? Casual. Group birthday celebrations, regular Friday night get-together, that type of thing.
It was better than: Montreal sushi.
It wasn't as good as: TBD - we're going to Miku in a few weeks, so we'll see.
Expect: Fast service and a great variety of traditional and unique menu items. Also expect to not immediately find the place. If you think you've passed it, keep walking. You'll eventually find it.
Top 50 Worthy? It's solid sushi, and I got the impression that it is consistently amazing. I have no hesitation in labelling them as a Top 50 restaurant.
Near the midpoint of the list is Kaide Sushi, located in Yaletown. We walked there, and it is pretty far down Richard Street. About 3 blocks further, and we'd be knee-deep in False Creek. There isn't much else in the area besides some sleepy condo buildings. I think that fits the criteria of being a "hidden gem."
We were greeted and seated by a lovely waitress. I wish I had asked for her name, so I could directly praise her on here. I don't often start a review off by talking about the staff, but in this case I'll do it now before I forget. She was extremely friendly and appropriately chatty. She asked us where we were from and what we thought about the food in Vancouver, and she made great recommendations of what we should order which didn't disappoint. She was petite and Asian. I don't know what other details I can put out there to identify her, but she was wonderful.
By the time 52 weeks of this culinary adventure are over, I will have learned the lesson that when consuming sashimi, I need to start writing down what I am served. This is the second time that we've had fantastic sashimi and I didn't bother to note what was on the plate. The menus usually say something like "Sashimi Platter," and you get whatever is available. Therefore, I couldn't rely on the menu to remind me. In the pictures there are some obvious ones like shrimp, scallop, tuna, salmon and uni that can be easily identified by some distinguishing characteristics. Looking back at the picture of the Kaide Supreme Sashimi there are two different pieces of white fish that I can't figure out. In any case, it was all delicious. Each piece had a distinctly different texture and taste, and there was not too much of any particular type. I've ordered sashimi platters and received filet mignon-sized steaks of raw fish. No one wants to feel like they need a fork and knife to eat sashimi. Kaide's sashimi was delicate and beautifully sliced into perfect little bites. Evidently you can't be picky when ordering a "mystery platter" like this, and you really shouldn't be. The chefs know what they're doing, and they'll give you their very best. Having said that, try to slip in a word about getting uni. We've had it before Kaide, and the waitress warned us that it was a very unique texture. It is sort of tough on the outside, but its butter in the inside and melts in your mouth.
Following the sashimi, we had the Roll Combo: the 501 roll, half a California roll, and half a Manhattan roll. It was 13 pieces in total. The 501 roll had 3 kinds of fish (salmon, crab and tuna I believe), and 3 kinds of vegetables (cucumber, avocado and asparagus). Surprisingly, the texture of asparagus works in sushi. The roll was a little large for my liking. I prefer to not look like a squirrel when I'm chewing sushi. The California roll was traditional with crab, avocado and cucumber. This was the first time I've had a Manhattan roll, with salmon, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese. All three were delicious. I rarely think much of sushi rice, but Kaide's had a light texture and flavour that made me notice it. It incorporated well with the other fresh ingredients, and wasn't just a starchy filler or a binder.
We were still a little hungry after those rolls, and we spent about 15 minutes arguing about what we should order next. We had settled on the Venus, but asked the waitress what she would recommend. I can't seem to find the roll on the menu Kaide has posted on their website. The waitress mentioned that they do not have a deep fryer on site, so they don't do tempura. Instead they put cornflakes in this particular roll to make it crunchy. Sounds strange right? It totally works! The texture isn't quite the same as tempura and neither is the flavour, but this was our favourite roll. It also had avocado and shrimp in it, but the crunch was the star of the show. This is a must-order next time we go.
It is rare that we don't order dessert, but I've never been to a sushi place that had memorable dessert. We skipped dessert at Kaide in favour of Thierry on Alberni (review to come soon). I'm tempted to give Kaide the title of our "Go-To Sushi Place." The price point was very reasonable for the quality of sushi. The rolls didn't cost that much more than Sushi Shop's crap-in-a-box. Everything was prepared in front of us (we sat at the bar) and tasted fresh and light. It is sort of a hole in the wall but once you find it you're going to wish you skipped lunch and breakfast and you'll want to spend the evening.
 |
| The Supreme Sashimi Platter! |
 |
| The Roll Combo |
 |
| Yes, those are cornflakes and really big tiger prawns. |
Taste: 8.5 - Everything was so yummy! Even after getting your fill, you're going to be craving more, and anticipating the next time you go there.
Creativity: 7 - Most of the rolls were very traditional, and you would surely find something like a California roll at any sushi restaurant. I bumped up the creativity score because of the way they get around not having a deep fryer with the Corn Flakes. Sometimes weird works.
Service: 8 - Our waitress was absolutely wonderful. She was perky and friendly, without being overbearing and obnoxious. She was a genuinely sweet girl, who was quick to deliver our orders, and wasn't shy to make recommendations. Overall, service was speedy and effective.
Bang for your buck: 8 - The reality is that seafood is expensive. Sashimi-grade seafood is even more expensive. You're eating pretty much everything raw, except for maybe the shrimp and the rice. It has to be good quality ingredients. For what you're getting, the price is very reasonable.
Overall experience: 8.5 - It was a great casual Friday night dinner.
Would I go back? Yes. I would go back every Friday for the rest of my earthly days if I could.
Who would I recommend it to? Adults, any group size, casual occasions. It's not a very romantic spot, and it doesn't pretend to be. Don't take your wife here for your anniversary, but do take her here to give her a break from the kitchen. I don't know anyone who makes home-made sushi on a remotely regular basis, so it's always a nice treat. It's not the place for your picky friends; either you're a sushi person or you're not. The space is not huge, but tables are well spaced and can accommodate big-ish groups (6-8 people). Going with a big group is very different from going as a couple, because you could order 1-2 different rolls per person, and share the variety. It did feel like a very lively place, so go get a bunch of friend together and order a few beers and saki!
For what occasion? Casual. Group birthday celebrations, regular Friday night get-together, that type of thing.
It was better than: Montreal sushi.
It wasn't as good as: TBD - we're going to Miku in a few weeks, so we'll see.
Expect: Fast service and a great variety of traditional and unique menu items. Also expect to not immediately find the place. If you think you've passed it, keep walking. You'll eventually find it.
Top 50 Worthy? It's solid sushi, and I got the impression that it is consistently amazing. I have no hesitation in labelling them as a Top 50 restaurant.
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