Hanamori Sushi is located in Coquitlam (North Road / Lougheed neighbourhood). It is awkwardly located below an apartment building in the backlane behind Insadong. The restaurant has gone under new management/ owners. The restaurant is tiny with two booths, two tables and a four seater bar area. Despite the friendly service, we were pretty disappointed with all the raving reviews (that led us to this Japanese restaurant).

To reiterate, we were pretty disappointed about this sushi joint in Coquitlam that people were raving about. Some driving 1.5 hours to get to this place for “the best” aburi sushi. Suffice to say we were not mind blown but felt completely underwhelmed.

Aburi Salmon 3 each: Reminds me of the Tiger Eye from Sushi K Kamizato. It has rice and scallops in the center wrapped in salmon then torched. The teriyaki and hot sauce was just unnecessary.

Aburi Jumbo Scallop 3.25 each:  Jumbo is such a loose term when it comes to their “jumbo” scallops. The scallops were lightly torched compared to the other aburi. But I liked that the sauce was lighter.

Aburi Salmon Belly 3.25 each: very standard and neutral in terms of taste and freshness.

Red Dragon Roll 14: 2 pieces of prawn katsu, imitation crabmeat, avocado, seared spicy tuna on top with house special sauce. We found this roll to be overly saucy which completely covers the flavours of the individual ingredient. You can see the Korean influence use of sauce for this sushi roll.

Salmon Oshi 13 (6 pieces): salmon pressed sushi heavily sauced with mayo (but without flavour). The jalapeno was sliced too thick thus making the sushi too spicy and was not torched together with the oshi. Nothing compared to Miku, Minami, Sushi K or even Kai Japanese.

Scallop Oshi 13 (6 pieces): The nigiri oshi had an artificial sweet taste from the mayo. The scallops were dissatisfyingly minced instead of chopped or whole pieced.

Tempera Udon 10: Perhaps the silver lining of this piece was the nicely battered tempura. Light and crispy without being too greasy.

As mentioned, we were not impressed with “the best aburi”. Suffice to say our standards are spoiled by Miku, Minami, Sushi K. But it’s hard to justify a re-visit or a visit for those who have never been when a restaurant misses the mark on so many levels.

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more: What To Eat in Coquitlam & the Tri-Cities | Phnom Phen Chicken Wings | INSTANTPOT TAIWANESE GREEN ONION BEEF ROLLS RECIPE | 牛肉捲餅 | InstantPot Beef Brisket

Hanamori Sushi
URL: na

Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Hours:

Mon 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Tue 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Wed 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Thu 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Fri 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Sat 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Sun Closed

120 – 511 Rochester Ave, Coquitlam, BC V3K 0A2
Phone: (604) 939-2422

Every spring a dusty array of Millennial Pink coats the city with cherry blossoms. While pictures of sakura probably is flooding your Instagram, the truth is the taste of cherry blossoms is even better than their smell. The flowers and leaves of the cherry tree contain a small amount of coumarin that provides a distinctive delicious roasted almond and sweet hay aroma. In Japan, to enjoy the flavour cherry blossoms all year, fresh cherry blossoms are preserved in salt (sakura  no shiozuke 桜の塩漬け), and then used to flavour rice, tea and sweets. Plum vinegar is added to the cherry blossom brine to accentuate the pink hue and fruity taste.

One of my favourite way to enjoy Sakura is in tea. Here are four Sakura-yu teas you should definitely try!

TWG Tea – Always Sakura Tea

Brilliantly blended with notes of wild Rainier cherry and rose blossoms, this marvellous green tea from the Haute Couture Tea Collection® yields an exceptionally fresh and fruity infusion with a subtle floral aftertaste. The delicate sweetness of wild cerise enveloped by lingering notes of romantic floral.

Also for the month of April, the Vancouver TWG Tea Salon & Boutique will also be featuring a special Sakura Tea Set priced at $48 pp featuring Japanese tea-infused savouries and patisseries paired with an extensive selection of exclusive tea blends perfect for spring.

TeaLeaves – Cherry Blossom Tea

Mildly grassy and cherry with notes of hay with a sweet cherry finish. It is high in antioxidants. This Cherry Blossom tea pays an homage to the hanami festivals of Japan and exquisite beauty of the blossoms, our Cherry Blossom Green showcases our artistry in blending through the harmonization of fresh, grassy Japanese Sencha with sweet, candied cherry. Featuring one of Japan’s most popular natural leaf teas, Sencha Fukujyu (“Green Spider Leg”) is known for its refreshing sweet and grassy taste.

TeaForte – Hanami Green Tea

This 2018 Silver Medal at the Global Tea Championship award winner offers a joyous pairing of tart cherries, flowers, and organic green tea. Named for the annual Japanese cherry blossom festival, each cup invites tea lovers around the world to breathe in and appreciate the fleeting beauty of spring flowers in bloom. USDA Organic with flavour notes of cherry with a lightly floral & fruity aroma.

Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms – Sakura Tea

Light and smooth, this Sakura Tea is mildly salty with a floral aftertaste and plum undertones. A transparent pink expands in the cup revealing a flowery aroma with hints of the sea. This tea is made by preserving cherry blossoms in salt and plum vinegar. Its salty taste is common in Japan and the tea is most often used for celebrations and special occasions.

Cherry Blossom Tea Steeping Instructions

1. Heat water to 175˚F.
2. Place tea in cup and pour water over the leaves.
3. Steep for 2-4 minutes.
4. For loose leaf iced teas, use 2 tsp per 8oz glass.

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More: Happy Hour at Trump Hotel Vancouver | TWG Tea Canada | Neverland Tea Salon | Notch 8 at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

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Many people were saddened by the news that Basho Cafe was closing. Instead, Yama Cafe reopened and kept the essence of Basho. Taking over is Chef Yama – a former employee. Most of the original menu and spirit remains. I came here a while ago with a few foodie friends for a little treat.

The menu remains focused on afternoon sweet treats, coffee and tea lattes, rice bowls, salads, bread and soup. Tuna Tataki bowls are still $14 – an expensive option on food choices.

Matcha Latte 4.25: your choice of unsweetened or sweetened.  Afternoon tea cakes, matcha and sesame shortbreads, brownies and mochi muffins are priced between $1 to $3.

Tea Fog Houjicha Latter 4: Unsweetened tastes the best and has a soft fragrant aroma.

Yama is a cute cafe and a good hang out place to catch up with friends. Prices are pretty expensive for the small portions but it is a good alternative to the everyday coffee and croissant pastries.

more: Pallet Coffee Roasters | Platform 7 Coffee

 

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Yama Cafe
URL: https://www.facebook.com/Yama-Cafe-699753386865794/
Cuisine: Japanese, Cafe

Hours:
Mon 9 AM to 4 PM
Tue 9 AM to 4 PM
Wed 9 AM to 4 PM
Thu 9 AM to 4 PM
Fri 9 AM to 4 PM
Sat 11 AM to 4 PM
Sun Closed

2007 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V5L 1T9

Harvest Community Foods (or as I like to refer to Harvest Union) is a local grocer servicing the Chinatown-Strathcona neighbourhood at 243 Union St. The grocery and food shop began is a community project (This Space), in which a public vote determined the use of the site. Harvest also offers an innovative chef-crafted CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares of bi-weekly seasonal farm produce (available year round, multiple weeks or an entire season).

Chef and Partner Gabriella Meyer and Owner Andrea Carlson from Burdock & Co. creates a neighbourly environment that is casual, warm and captures the essence of farm to table dining in a cafe setting.

Harvest  carries local foods and products and offers a delicious, healthy noodle menu filled with a variety of fresh vegetables and meats. The broth is rich and not greasy. You leave filling full but not stuffed. I love the variety of hearty ingredients and the pork shoulder is SO tender!

#29: Ramen with squash, miso broth, nori, scallion, radish, and sesame. It is a vegetarian noodle bowl. But for me, I added some pork shoulder and am ajitama egg to my ramen. Let’s be real here!

#17: Udon with sake kazu chicken, watercress and shitake mushrooms.

Next time, I really need to try their dry noodle #31 with rice noodle and hazelnut, smoked chilli and greens.

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Harvest Community Foods
URL: http://harvestunion.ca
Cuisine: Ramen, Grocery

Hours:

Mon 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Tue 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Wed 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Thu 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Fri 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sat 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sun 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

243 Union St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2Z7
(604) 682-8851