Wednesday, October 10, 2007

California Roll invented in ..Vancouver?

Tojo's is among one of the more famous restaurants in Vancouver. When they talk about the best sushi, many various sources would name Tojo as the top contender. Well if it that good, I have to try it! My friend also told me the California roll was created by Tojo.. I am so intrigued

The restaurant is situated on W Broadway with very minimal decoration and signs outside. Walking inside, the restaurant is very classy and upscale. There is a bar where Tojo and his fellow sushi chefs are hard at work. The restaurant was extremely busy and we didn't make a reservation so they asked us to sit at the bar. We obliged, although I wish I sat at the booths to get a better feel of the ambience.

The service was extremely top notch. We were like fresh palettes ready and willing to try anything and everything (except the omasake. we aren't made of money now). We ordered the Tojo Roll (cali roll), Northern Light Roll, Spider Roll, Golden Rolls, beef terriyaki, sablefish, and also 4 different cones (not pictured below) they were geoduck/shrimp/crab, lobster, eel, and dynamite.

The Northern light Roll is wild prawn tempura, avocado and seasonal fruit rolled in a cucumber crepe (14), the spider roll is deep-fried soft shell crab, asparagus and avocado rolled in a cucumber crepe (14), golden roll is crab, scallop, salmon, and sweet shrimp rolled in an egg crepe (24) and the tojo roll was 12 dollars. The hand cones ranged from 7-8.5

They were all amazingly delicious! The beef terriyaki was more like steak than the normal ones from japanese restaurants. The sablefish (27) was soooo good. It was cooked perfectly with amazing marinade. yummmm.

The tojo roll tasted like a normal cali roll, except with fresher ingredients. All the rolls had a ton of filling and they were all fresh and tasty. Even though my friend insist the cali roll was created here, I have read other sources that it originated in California (which would make sense) created by some sushi chef in 1970 in a place called Little Tokyo.

Even though we sat at the bar, we were never once ignored and they came over to check on us many many times. This place was very delicious and if you have the money, it is definitely a place to try. I have some friends who have friends that know Tojo and they told me he is actually extremely arrogant and an ass or smth. Like one time he was was sayin how the restaurant was opened using his pocket money and that the money was just crap change . and when my friends' friend worked there, he got really small tip like he got paid 8-9/hour and got 15 dollar tip. but I don't know, sushi restaurants get crap tip (from exp) but then again Tojo's is diff and probably have a bigger tip. ehhh.. this is just what I've heard

Tojo's on Urbanspoon