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.

Benkei on Robson - Yummy Ramen!!!

Name: Benkei Ramen
Address: 1741 Robson St, Vancouver BC (robson and denman ish visited, other locations also)
Cuisine: ramen, some appys (gyoza, onigiri, etc)
Price point: budget, combos <$10
Website: none but it's coming
Hours: Monday-Sunday 11:00am - 8:00pm ish (closed in the middle)
My experience:
What more do you want? Unless you are on the Atkins/South Beach/Dr. Bernstein diet, this is a place for yummy noodles, warm broth and salty love! This triforce of ramen that is Robson and Denman rocks!! And Benkei does it very well.
My order usually includes an order of gyoza, shrimp mostly, sometimes pork....very good! It's about $3.50, and they are just right, nothing groundbreaking but better than the ones at Robson Sushi..ugh....
My ramen of choice is most often the Shio plus an egg and menma (crunchy low calorie bamboo) or corn (depends on my mood). I love the saltiness, warm soup and the aldente but chewy noodles! The taste of pork comes through very well and the comforting salty broth makes one forget about the likely rainy day outside. The miso ramen is just as pleasing, rich and salty as well but it really depends on what you want. Since spicy food makes me sweat and feel really uncomfortable, I usually avoid this, but many love this dish nonetheless.
They also provide the usual complementary green tea and water as well as garlic and chili to season your soup accordingly. Trust me, I garlic it up in a major way....

They also have punch cards, and for frequent diners, this is a good thing! Again, Japanese servers and cooks yelling greetings and thank yous, typical of the west end, make you feel like you are downtown Tokyo and not Vancouver!
This is about $7.00, and I usually add an egg and something else, about 50 cents each. Definitely affordable carbs and comfort! It can get busy, but nothing like Kintaro, and it's cheaper! The pork is yummy, nothing like the fatty Kintaro servings, but I may live a smidgen longer!!
Servers are more than friendly, and the Japanese girls remind me of what my mummy was like once-upon-a-time!


Reasons to visit: Good value, comfort noodles, friendly service, free green tea, quick in-and-out dining, , close to my home ;), clean, simple, great for solo dining.
Reasons not to visit: Low carb diet you are on (Yoda speak) and they don't much accomodate that, if you are scared of young Japanese yelling friendly hello's(you should avoid the west end ASAP), it's hot out, and warm noodles will overwhelm you, you don't like salty, savory pork and broth and finally, you suck with chopsticks!
Extras: cute place, love it a lot and frequent it weekly!!