Samurai Sushi on Davie

Name: Samurai Sushi
Address: 1108 Davie Street Vancouver, BC (davie and thurlow ish visited,)
Cuisine: sushi, some appys (gyoza, onigiri, etc), japanese, lunch, dinner, take-out
Price point: budget, combos <$10
Website: http://www.samuraisushi.ca/
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:00 am-midnight. Friday and Saturday 11:00am-1:00 am
My experience:
So, I love sushi!! Growing up in Alberta, I accepted mediocre sushi, at expensive prices, because that was what was available. Though better quality has popped up, it just doesn't compare to the volume and freshness and quality that Vancouver has to offer. Whenever I visit edmonton. the family usually only frequents Mikado and Kyoto, or we buy our own fish and have a good dinner (thanks to having a Japanese mummy). Or we settle for T&T. Since I am still job hunting, budget lunches are my current shtick That, along with a good caesar, cheap martinis at Wild Garlic and cheap breakfast. Or we settle for T&T. Since I am still searching for solid employment, budget lunches are my current shtick That, along with a good caesar, cheap martinis at Wild Garlic and cheap breakfasts are my loves. My recent solo dining too me to Samurai after disappointing lunches at Kisha Poppo and Robson Sushi.
What is great about Samurai is that it's small, quick and solid. Cheap lunches, good staples and friendly service make this place a favorite. I often go with some sort of box and a take-out order for later. Also, the abundance of free newspapers in Vancouver provide a less than lonely experience.

So with my iphone in hand, I decided to check out yet another west end sushi joint.
This particular adventure, I ordered a box consisting of Teriyaki chicken, California rolls, agedashi tofu, a salad, tempura and miso soup. While none of these are ground breaking, it all tasted really good. I also had a sunomono salad which I always enjoy.
The salad was nothing special, as they are usually nothing but lettuce and some sesame dressing. It was good. The miso soup was average, but I just love this as a starter in my meals, so it did the job well.
The agedashi tofu and tempura were not greasy at all, and were above average. The chicken had a good sauce, and the meat itself was not dry!
The rice was solid as well. All in all, this will be a frequent rotation in my lunches, as it is by some great bakeries for desert. I recommend this place for a quality cheap lunch, solo or with friends. Recently, I have also tried the Oyako don which is a favorite dish of mine and some sashimi which is well priced for quality.


Reasons to visit: Inexpensive lunch, good solid quality, reliable dishes, friendly staff and good for solo dining or with friends. Fast take-out and a website with their menu.

Reasons not to visit: You don't like japanese food, parking can be difficult, and at peak hours, it may be difficult to get a table.

lunch @ Sushi Mart

from the website
Name: Sushi Mart
Address: 1668 Robson Street Vancouver BC (robson and bidwell ish)
Cuisine: sushi, beer, some appys (sunomono, goma ae, edamame etc)
Price point: budget, combos <$10
Website: www.sushimart.com
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11:30am-8:00pm (closed Mondays)

My experience:

Living in the West End is spectacular! When I first moved here last year, I lucked out discovering this area of town. I wanted to live downtown, near a beach or two, tennis courts, grocery stores and a good sushi place or two. Oh and a Starbucks but really, that could be anywhere!!
So fast forward to my random move to pretty much the corner of Robson and Denman...need I say more??? Also, since I am still hunting for a consistent day job, I have many free lunches, and I (unlike many) love to dine solo. And since I know very few people in the city, that works out for me ust fine!!!
This particular adventure takes place only a block or so away. Oh Sushi Mart. Next to the new designer ramen place which I have yet to frequent!!! And across from Whole Foods' Capers so I can treat myself to an organic cocoa ball of yummy or carrot cake or something granola like that!!
This is simplicity done well. Young and super friendly Japanese workers who are always happy to see you and converse with you no matter how broken your Japanese is (since my mummy is Japanese, I have a handful of words I can say...it lasts me 5ish minutes).
If you stay, complementary green tea and miso soup is yours, if not, well you just get ridiculously inexpensive and fresh yumminess (I also like to make up words)!! The inside is clean, simple and basic, one long table on one side, less than 20 seats, and the cashier, sushi chefs and menu on the other. They also have a fresh sheet showing what beautiful fishies died recently to fill your tummy.
Being from Alberta, sockeye salmon sashimi was only a dream. Not here!! Oh is it ever good, and way too affordable! I've eaten almost everything on the menu, but have only taken the pictures for this post of Chirachi (I only recently decided to record my culinary experiences). I love love love good sushi rice, fresh sashimi, those marinated mushroom garnishes, daikon, and everything else in this bowl. It's a great size, and the fish are cut nice and plump! The tamago is good too and there is lots of fish roe too, which I love (although they always get stuck in my teeth). No matter! If only there were slices of avocado in this bowl....just because I love them with rice!!
This place can get busy at lunch for those on-the-go-day-job-type people who want a quick lunch so take out is a good option. On a nice day, there is ample scenic people watching spots in the area!! There is online ordering as well, and as an aspiring foodie, restaurants with good websites, and twitter updates on catches of the day, are just "on point"(Guy Fieri reference).
There's not much in the way of warm food, other than miso soup and edamame (which takes a long time) and I always feel guilty for ordering it when I can walk to Homa Market next door and steam some myself.

The Shrimp sunomono is also nice and the plump ebi is just right!!
For rolls, I usually stick to anything with the aforementioned avocado or masago, I'm told the unagi is good too! The combos rock too, lots of sushi for more than reasonable cash, they also have Japanese beer and the usual soda. Hmmmmm what more to say...........love it! Go there now, unless it's Monday because they are closed....like today :(

Reasons to visit: Good value, fresh sushi, friendly service, free miso soup, quick in-and-out dining, party trays to enhance your popularity at your next dinner party, close to my home ;), clean, simple, great for solo dining.
Reasons not to visit: You don't like sushi, craving more warm or fried Japanese food (tempura, teriyaki meats etc.), it's a recession and your kraft dinner is calling your name...
Extras: cute place, love it a lot and frequent it weekly!!

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