Marulilu sounds almost like a song out of The Beatles vinyl album. But it’s actually a small Japanese café in the Mount Pleasant area. We stumbled across Marulilu Cafe Japanese Restaurant one day after church at Tenth Church. It is on West Broadway off Cambie near La Taqueria. Marulilu Japanese reminds me a lot of Moii Crepes in Kitsilano and Cafe L’Orangerie in Marpole.
The menu is uniquely strange and specializes in Japanese / Canadian style comfort food – home like with Ome Rich (omelette rice with cheese), oyako donburi, Japanese style breakfast with nikujaga, rice and tofu with natto beans (fermented from soya beans and salt), Okonomiyaki, royal milk tea, etc. You can also find Western products like waffles, eggs benny, toasted bagels, etc.
The variety at this friendly restaurant is ridiculous. The chalk boards are filled and it is all too hard to make a decisions, especially if you are indecisive. You are spend hours (ok, maybe a little exaggerated)
Royal Milk Tea
I was expecting velvety richness and kick of caffeine like those in Hong Kong or the ones that comes from a bottle in Kirin Special Double Royal Milk Tea (麒麟午后红茶). Although tasty, this milk tea lacked some serious flavours.
Japanese Style Breakfast
Comes with rice, scrambled eggs, small piece of salmon, miso soup and your choice of either 1. tofu 2. Natto
If you are expecting a lot of flavours to wow you, this isn’t the place. The focus is simplicity and homey. Low sodium and low calories.
As for Natto – you either love it or hate it. Slimy and sticky spider-web texture.
Comes with sesame oil and bean paste so you can mix it up yourself.
Ome Rice with Cheese
A blank of egg gently cooked blankets the individually cheese smothered rice. Drizzled with some ketchup for added flavours. There aren’t any meat inside. I would prefer some chorizo but I guess this is woudln`t the Japanese way?
Overall this quaint little 6 tabled Marulilu café is a unique experience and offers a simpler, lighter choice to brunch. Ingredients are fresh and good quality but I find it lacked some seasoning.
I hear the okonomiyaki are pretty tasty. Perhaps one day I will return when I run out of ideas for lunch.
Marulilu Cafe Japanese Restaurant
Cuisine: Japanese, Breakfast & Brunch, Cafes
Hours
Mon 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tue 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wed 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thu 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Fri 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sat 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sun 8:30 am – 6:00 pm
451 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1R4
(604) 568-4211
