Raymond’s Sushi Adventures: Episode #230: Richmond Sushi

My first expertise with Richmond Sushi was when Patrick invited me and 16 of his different mates to an enormous all-you-can-eat (AYCE) dinner. The primary goal of the dinner was to have a showdown between Patrick and I to see who may eat extra. Evidently, with all of the socializing and record-keeping happening, the setting was not very conducive for running a blog. Nevertheless, after dying from the quantity of meals I ate on the dinner, I made a decision that dying simply as soon as wasn’t manly sufficient, so I went again, the very subsequent day, to attempt as many gadgets as I may and die a second time.

Richmond Sushi is a really giant however busy Japanese restaurant situated in Union Sq. (barely north of Aberdeen Centre). It’s stated to be among the best Japanese AYCE eating places in Better Vancouver. Their menu is intensive in comparison with different Japanese AYCE eating places. As such, they’ve a barely greater worth level ($26.95 for the common dinner menu), although not as excessive as Shabusen and Kyo, which additionally serve Korean BBQ. To maximise the variety of gadgets I may attempt, I went for the deluxe AYCE dinner ($37.95).

Gomaae – B-

Ebi Sunomono – B-

To begin my meal healthily with some veggies, I went for the Gomaae and the Ebi Sunomono. The Gomaae got here with thick peanut sauce, which I believed may’ve been extra evenly unfold. A light-weight contact of savouriness was blended in with the sweetness. The Ebi Sunomono was robust and acidic and got here with a single considerably candy shrimp. 

Beef Tataki – C+

The Beef Tataki was reduce into tremendous skinny slices and wearing ponzu sauce. The meat had little flavour, which was drowned out by the ponzu sauce. 

Sockeye Salmon Sashimi – B-

Hamachi Sashimi – B+

Tuna Sashimi – B-

Hokkigai Sashimi – B-

Salmon Sashimi – B

Tai Sashimi – B

Geoduck Sashimi – B

Amaebi Sashimi – B

There was a constantly reasonable degree of freshness throughout the sashimi. The very best piece in my little sashimi platter was the hamachi, which was easy, very tender, and never fishy. Nevertheless, the tuna itself was barely fishy and reduce just a little too thick, whereas the hokkigai lacked flavour. The Atlantic salmon was tender and marbly, although additionally a bit weak in flavour.

Tuna Tataki – C+

Sockeye Salmon Tataki – B-

The sunshine ponzu sauce used to accompany the tataki didn’t overwhelm it. I loved the tender textures of the fish, though there was an absence of seared flavour.

Inari Nigiri – B+

Atlantic Salmon Nigiri – B-

Torched Salmon Nigiri – B-

Unagi Nigiri – B-

The bean curd within the Inari Nigiri was delectably candy, with adequate moisture contained in the bean curd pocket. For the opposite items of nigiri, the rice was fairly sticky and packed just a little too tightly. The Atlantic salmon right here had the identical nice marbly texture because the Atlantic Salmon Sashimi above. The Torched Salmon Nigiri lacked a torched flavour, whereas with the Unagi Nigiri, there was means an excessive amount of rice given the quantity of unagi offered.

Lobster Delight – B+

Tuna Chop Chop – B

XO Tuna – B+

Scallop Pearl – B

Going together with the custom of turning each possible meals into sushi, Richmond Sushi serves an assortment of sushi sundaes. If you happen to’ve ever questioned what a sushi roll would style like with 10 occasions the same old quantity of filling, that is it. The outcomes weren’t disappointing. The candy imitation lobster within the Lobster Delight was delightfully creamy and tender and was a superb complement to the kappa roll on the backside. The Tuna Chop Chop and the Scallop Pearl had been barely weak in flavour, whereas the XO Tuna was fairly spicy.

Salmon Avocado Roll – B

High Gun Roll – B

Dynamite Roll – C+

The Salmon Avocado Roll got here with cream cheese and resembled a Philadelphia roll. The creamy textures of the salmon, the avocado, and the cream cheese labored collectively. The High Gun Roll (lettuce, cucumber, tempura bits, imitation crab) was additionally first rate. Enhanced by a light-weight drizzle of teriyaki sauce, the crunchy textures of the lettuce and tempura bits had been a superb distinction to the softer, sweeter imitation crab. The Dynamite Roll was sloppily constructed and a tad dry.

Salmon Tempura – B-

Prawn Tempura – B+

Yam Tempura – B+

The tempura typically exhibited good moisture preservation. Nevertheless, some sauce or seasoning would’ve been good for the Salmon Tempura, which tasted reasonably plain. The Prawn Tempura was splendidly crispy and juicy. Curiously, the Prawn Tempura was a complete letter grade higher than the Prawn Tempura I had with Patrick the earlier night time (does bringing a pocket book assist?). The Yam Tempura was barely greasy, however the thinly sliced yam was deliciously candy.

Spring Roll – B-

Deep Fried Shrimp Bomb – A-

Fried Scallop – B-

Rooster Karaage – B+

Persevering with down the fried area of the menu, the Spring Roll was crunchy, although the filling was practically similar to that of a Chinese language dumpling. The Deep Fried Shrimp Bomb was certainly bomb, and the candy chili sauce introduced it to life. The bombs lose their crispiness fairly rapidly, so it’s clever to eat them rapidly. The Fried Scallop contained adequate moisture, however a lot of the sweetness of the scallop was misplaced within the frying course of. The Rooster Karaage was juicy and garnished with an applicable quantity of spices.

Black Cod – B

Salmon Stomach – B+

Rooster Drumstick – B

The Black Cod was candy with a gingery contact, although it may’ve been just a little softer with extra of a grilled flavour. The random little bit of cod on prime was an attention-grabbing garnish. The Salmon Stomach jogged my memory of BBQ Salmon Kama—creamy and juicy with a scrumptious smoked flavour. The Rooster Drumstick was fairly normal fare. It was sufficiently moist, however barely plain.

Rooster Brochette – C+

Beef Brief Rib – C+

One frequent mistake seen in lots of Japanese AYCE eating places is overcooking the grilled meals. Right here, each the Rooster Brochette and the Beef Brief Rib had been overcooked and ended up fairly chewy. Nevertheless, the Beef Brief Rib had a good smoky flavour.

Oyster Motoyaki – C+

Seafood Motoyaki – B-

The oyster within the Oyster Motoyaki was fairly juicy, however the mayonnaise was fairly heavy. The motoyaki ended up very oily typically. The Seafood Motoyaki consisted of primarily salmon (chopped and tender in texture) and ebi. The herbs sprinkled on prime alleviate the heavy really feel of the motoyaki considerably. 

Flaming Lava Rooster – B-

New York Steak on Skewer – B-

The Flaming Lava Rooster was wearing ketchup and turned out rather a lot much less spicy than anticipated. The rooster meat may’ve been smoother in texture. The New York Steak on Skewer was evenly spiced, and regardless of its thick look, it wasn’t too robust to chew.

Rooster Udon – C+

Seafood Fried Rice – C

Vegetable Yakisoba – C

After making an attempt the 40 gadgets above, it was time to conclude my feast in model with 3 fillers. Sadly, the fillers weren’t very well-prepared, which made the duty of ending all of them the tougher. Within the Rooster Udon, the noodles had been too tender, and the rooster was barely soggy. The Seafood Fried Rice tasted extra like Bland Sticky Rice, and the scallops and shrimp had been overdone. The Vegetable Yakisoba was dry and in addition tasted dreadfully plain. The one saving grace right here was that all the fillers got here in small, manageable parts.

Coconut Pudding – B

Mango Pudding – B+

Lastly, the pudding got here in neat, square-shaped cuts. The Coconut Pudding had a pleasantly candy flavour, although it felt barely powdery across the edges. The Mango Pudding was the higher tasting of the 2, with an simply discernible mango flavour. Regardless of the looks of bits of jelly inside, the “jelly” had precisely the identical texture because the pudding itself.

I loved pleasant, well timed service throughout my go to, though throughout my dinner with Patrick, it was obvious that tables that order giant portions obtain much less service. This was not preventable given the variety of individuals we had. Total, I discovered the meals typically above the usual for Japanese AYCE eating places in Vancouver. Though the meals was not precisely first-class, Richmond Sushi is likely one of the eating places I might suggest when you should have AYCE sushi in Better Vancouver.