Tatsu is a tiny Japanese bistro located on “The Drive” in Vancouver. We stopped by one weekend for lunch and managed to squish into a table near the window. We started out with the Lunch Bento with Chicken Teriyaki ($12.95). It’s not a bad bento box given the variety of items that you get: California roll, fried gyoza, tempura, chicken teriyaki, and salad.
Disclaimer: I haven't been to the actual restaurant itself; this review is based strictly on the food that I've got via delivery/takeout.
My mom had her birthday recently and she specifically told me that she wanted to eat sushi rolls, the fancy kind with seafood and avocado (which I'm actually allergic to, but who cares, I'm not a huge fan of sushi anyways). Being a completely home-bound recluse who doesn't go more than 5 blocks out of the house, I had to resort to ordering takeout. I decided to try out Tatsu Japanese Bistro, which is a Japanese place located on Commercial Drive. I ordered three of their special sushi rolls: Prosciutto, Bull's, and Lobster. I also got some food for myself, including their Kushiyaki Platter, Teriyaki Chicken, and Loco Moco. Although I can't say anything about the ambience or service, the food that I had received from delivery was quite solid. Their prices were also fairly reasonable. All in all, a decent place for some Japanese fare.
Kushiyaki Platter, 6 pcs ($13.95):
3.5/5
This came with two skewers each of chicken, shrimp, and bacon scallop. My favourite was actually the chicken, which was tender, juicy, and very flavourful. The shrimp was a bit on the bland side. The bacon had a nice smoky flavour, although the scallop was (as expected), quite small.
Teriyaki Chicken ($9.95):
3.5/5
I was a bit disappointed to see that the chicken didn't come with any skin. The meat was still tasty however, being tender and juicy, with a nice smoky grilled flavour. It was a tad on the bland side however
Loco Moco ($9.95):
3.5/5
This consisted of either a beef or pork patty (I picked pork) on rice, and is served with rice, a fried egg, veggies, and sauce. The patty was quite tender and juicy, and had a nice flavour. The egg was slightly runny in the middle. I did find the sauce to be a tad tangy however.
Prosciutto Special Roll ($11.50):
N/A
This came with mango, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese and prosciutto. I didn't have this since I'm allergic to avocado; my mom quite enjoyed it though (she loves prosciutto).
Bull's Special Roll ($11.95):
N/A
This came with ebi tempura, teriyaki beef, crab, cucumber, lettuce, and tempura crisps. I actually wanted to try this roll, but unfortunately it does come also with avocado (though not listed in the description). But my mom really enjoyed it; this was actually her favourite of the three rolls.
Lobster Special Roll ($15.95):
N/A
This came with barbecue lobster meat, asparagus, avocado and cucumber. Again, I wasn't able to try this roll, but this was actually my mom's least favourite of the three. The lobster meat that they give you is apparently from the claw, which most people don't like.
Summary:
Food: 3.5/5
Price: 4/5
Service: N/A
Overall: 3.5/5
Recommendations: Kushiyaki Platter, Bull's Special Roll
I only tried one dish which was a takeaway salmon roll. It was slightly spicy, but it was really nice nonetheless. Would definitely visit the actual place.
They were quite busy on a weekday night. Noticed quite a few people doing takeout orders as well. Service was good and the food was pretty tasty.
Negitoro roll was nothing special, but still tasted good. Although, their negitoro was a bit more expensive than other places I've tried and I don't think it was that much better to be priced higher. Chopped scallop roll had too much cucumber in it for my liking. The chopped scallop in it was tasty though. Also tried the garlic tai roll. It was interesting in that it had crab with tai wrapped around it and was immersed in sauce. I was afraid the sauce would be too strong, but it actually wasn't considering how much there was. The tempura udon I actually didn't try. I only had some of the tempura pieces which was really yummy. I did notice the udon came with enoki mushrooms but they weren't already cooked yet, which I thought was odd. So we just immersed it in the soup right away. I guess it was for presentation which was nice. Pretty much all their presentation of food was pretty. The other thing we tried was the salmon don. They only use wild sockeye salmon here. This don was good and filling. My boyfriend asked for spicy sauce on the side which was a $1. Even the sauce was presented nicely with sesame seeds and a lemon slice. Overall, pretty good food and portions weren't too bad. I saw on the table beside us, they ordered a roll combo. It looked massive and would definitely fill me up. I wouldn't mind coming back here to try more things especially since it's in the neighbourhood.
I was in the area so decided to try this place for some sushi. It's a small place, but service and food is great! Servers are friendly. Sashimi is fresh.
This place is amazing!! Greatest selection, quality and presentation of their lunch and dinner boxes. Especially for the price you can't go wrong. Great spot
Raymond's Sushi Adventures
+4
After munching on the fried amaebi head, I had the Sunset Roll, which consisted of a California roll topped with torched mozzarella, assorted chopped BBQ seafood, and three seemingly misplaced blueberries. It was colourful and elegantly presented with a good interplay of flavours. Flavour-wise, it shared many similarities with
使用有機食材的日式餐館
Tatsu '龍'這家日式餐館於2012年在溫哥華的Commercial Drive開業,如果你想吃真正日本傳統美食的話,這家店肯定不能滿足你的要求,因為餐館是由韓國人經營的日式Fusion菜。但店家另一賣點是使用有機食材和Ocean Wise的海產。所謂Ocean Wise概括在挑選食材時要考慮食用可持續性海產來保護海洋生態,例如食用飼養魚類是可持續性海鮮的一種。在店家菜單裡凡菜名旁邊有一個小小的圓圈裡面有一條魚,這就是Ocean Wise的標誌,表明這個菜是環保的選擇,目前在大溫參加這個項目的餐廳和公司有上千個。參加Ocean Wise的餐館只需在餐單上保持一定比例的環保海鮮,吃什麼海鮮才符合環保概念呢?鮑魚和三文魚最好吃養殖的;吃野生三文魚則要看季節。而店家的另一賣點使用有機食材主要是蔬菜、雞蛋、糙米和黑米。
店家地方不大而裝修却充滿活力,店面半開放式的大窗安放著一張吧枱,食客可以面向街景享用餐點,別有風味,而牆壁上的抽象掛畫也讓人耳目一新啊!餐具使用了韓國人傳統的金屬筷子和水杯,比起日式用完即棄的木筷環保得多。餐點價錢不算貴但亦不是太便宜,至於米飯除了白飯外還有糙米和黑米供顧客選擇,此外店家一律使用價錢較高的野生三文魚奉客,連醬油也採用不含穀膠(麥麩) Gluten free和低鈉的健康品牌
Salmon Teriyaki Bento $13.95 ~ 這份便當包括Miso, Green Salad, California Roll, Gyoza, Tempura, Pan fried vegetable, Fruit, Teriyaki wild salmon
Tatsu Special Bento $16.95 ~ 這份便當非常豐富份量也大,包括Miso, Sunomono Salad, Sashimi, Nigiri, Dynamite Roll, Half Udon, Fruit, Chicken or Beef Teriyaki
Tatsu Japanese Bistro is a tiny little restaurant located on the infamous Commercial Drive in East Vancouver. It is a modern twist on Japanese cuisine though I believe the place is operated by Koreans.
The ambiance is great as it's a very clean and well lit place. Seating is extremely limited inside the restaurant but it does offer a small 'patio seating'. The restaurant will seat at most 15 people. Again, everything is modern and is aesthetically pleasing though prepare to get cozy with other patrons around you.
We arrived around 5:30PM on a weeknight and the place was already full. We were told the wait would be around 15 mins so the wait staff took our names down and we walked around The Drive. When we came back, our table was just about ready and we sat down. We were offered tea and water in addition to our menus. The menus was pretty big considering the size of the restaurant so we decided to try some of your favourites as well as some new and different items.
We ordered the Beef Yaki Udon, Tempura Platter, and Eggplant Seafood Yaki. The dishes came out quickly (about 10 mins for the first dish and 15 mins for everything). All the dishes presented very well and were very generous with portions. The Beef Yaki Udon came with thinly sliced beef, vegetables, and a nice orange to clean your palette after eating it. Everything tasted great and the food came out hot. The Tempura Platter was nicely battered and fried. The oil used to fry the tempura must have been new because this was one of the cleaner tasting tempuras we have had. It came with prawns, string bean, broccoli, yam, eggplant, and roasted peppers. The Eggplant Seafood Yaki was absolutely amazing. Everything from presentation to taste was spot on. It was served on a shell but it was filled with various seafood items (salmon, prawn, scallop, etc.) and had a cheesy/mayo crust on top that was melted. This was the crowning dish for us. Everything up to this point was great but this eggplant dish was PHENOMENAL. There was a side of strawberry that was a nice touch after the heavy eggplant dish.
Service was good throughout. Again, the restaurant is very small so the staff on hand is always ready to help out and refill your drinks as necessary.
In a nutshell, this place provides a great choice for a modern twist on Japanese cuisine. Everything tasted fresh and the quality was certainly there. Presentation was also top notch. The only downside is that you'll likely have to wait during peak hours and that you'll be cozy with your fellow diners. However, this is hardly a negative considering the vast amount of positives this restaurant provides.
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P.S. Did I say try the Eggplant Seafood Yaki? Because if that message got lost above, make sure you do yourself a favour and try it!
Dreaming In Foie Gras
+4.5
November 23, 2015 · by ThatShanghaiGirl · No idea why but I started having this huge sushi craving friday night, and I finally got to goo! I decided to try out Tatsu on Commercial since I’ve heard some great things. My conclusion is that they were all true! Service was great, and everything tasted fresh.
Amazing presentation and amazing food! Had their Salmon Sashimi and Spicy Dragon roll...beautiful presentation!!! Tasted so good! Very good customer service too....really enjoyed my dining experience today! Thank you Tatsu...it was a long day! The tea, the food, the service, really hit the spot!
Friendly service- really fresh sushi.
Lovely presentation.
Huge menu including bento box lunch specials and pictures.
Inexpensive - don't be fooled . This is good quality and value.
Best Sushi Joint on the Drive. The FRESH sashimi is what keeps us coming back. Beautiful presentation, delicious flavours. Attentive servers. We've enjoyed every visit.
Fresh sashimi. I would recommend trying the salmon and tuna sashimi, crunchy roll and crab roll all delicious! the service is a bit slow but the food is so worth the wait! :)
Will be back for sure!. Wasn't expect much when we go in and we all left with a happy tummy. sashimi was fresh. we loved all of our dishes.
The best sushi place ever!. So, I tried this place walk by commercial rd and I found this decent nice place which were packed of people. I tried proccitto roll and it was just amazing. It was rolled with thinly cut proccitto ham with tasty matching suace and their salmon sashimi was FRESH FRESH. I would absolutely recommand Tatsu! Try their Tuna tataki salad!
The only thing I would prefer is if the restaurant was bigger but other than that, the food was absolutely amazingggggg! I ordered a mango avocado roll with black rice and the flavor was so heavenly! It is the best sushi I've ever had. The best part was that you could substitute white rice for brown OR black! On top of that, the servers were extremely polite. They even apologized for the long wait even though it was only five minutes. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Creative food, good presentation and the taste were all fantastic! Definitely go back:)!
It's a small modern style japanese restaurant that nothing looks outstanding when you see from the outside. However, when it comes to food it's a different story. Fresh ingredients, inventive, beautiful presentation of each dish and not over priced like many other places shows that this place actually care about the food.
Nice place for dinner. Had plans near Commercial so came here for dinner.
Service was great and helpful, the food I had, Seafood Yakiudon and Volcano Roll were nicely made and delicious.
Would definitely come back to try some of the other menu items.
Beautiful presention.... The presentation is a amazing and clearly a lot of care goes into it. I LOVE that they only sell wild salmon.
Just one thing, I ordered saba (mackerel) which looked lovely but tasted like butane or whatever torch they must have used to blacken it, so sadly I couldn't keep eating it. Better they skip the torch! Otherwise a great place.
Great meal !. I had the Teriyaki Chicken Bento Box and it was just great. Presentation was bang-on ! Maybe they knew because I had a camera on the table ! Anyways, it was great and I's go back. My wife had the Beef Udon and said it was the best in Vancouver she's ever had !
Please check out www.vancouverburgers.com for the best burgers in Vancouver !
I love Tatsu. Loved the Saba,
except the waitress thought i ordered salmon : ( so i only got one piece
oh, well, i'll be back.....
something very original about the flavours, and the garnishes were a delightful adornment. everything is very nicely done.
Best. sushi. ever.. I'm really picky when it comes to sushi and tatsu has won the spot of my favourite. the seafood is fresh and sustainable, the prices are very reasonable and the menu is huge. everything i've eaten here has been delicious and with great presentation. five stars.
- this is the best sushi in Vancouver-- hands down. All the plates that I have tried are phenomenal-- and are visual works of art. No other restaurant in town can even comes close to the freshness of these dishes. If you want some amazing sushi, and a truly friendly experience-- try Tatsu.
Fresh well prepared fish. This place offer organic spring mix, brown rice, black rice, low sodium soy sauce and most importantly offer sustainable fish menus. Delicious, friendly staff, good atmosphere, decent price.
Out of all the million sushi restaurants crammed on Commercial Drive, Tatsu is the most delicious, cleanest, cutest sushi restaurant. The atmosphere is beautifully modern, the waitresses are friendly/attentive, and even the sushi chefs greeted me with a loud chant lol. I had the beed yakisoba which was creamier and more flavourful (maybe because of the fish flakes?) than other places I've tried so far, which kind of tasted like how I would imagine a Japanese pasta to be. Great Japanese fusion restaurant, try it.
Just incredible!! I'm not one to give 5 stars but it's hard to fault this great spot. We had a group of 4 and after being tempted by pretty much the whole menu settled on 3 apps and 3 rolls. The eggplant dish was a big surprise - tender fried eggplant topped with some seafood morsels and mozzarella cheese was amazing. (not to mention the unique presentation). There was a wide variety of unique rolls each one delicious and tender - especially scallops and lobster.
The server noted they have only been open a couple of months, but word is sure to spread about this spot. Our reservation was already put to good use
Fairly decent quality and taste for commercial drive sushi. Will prob be back again. Service is good and staff are very attentive
Absolutely gorgeous Japanese food. Luckily I live just down the street!
Excellent!. I don't normally write reviews but this place is really excellent!
The service was quite impeccable and the food was really fresh and delicious. I also loved that things were reasonably priced.
I am going back for sure!
Amazing sushi !!!!!!!. Sushi is my favorite cuisine and I've tried quite a lot of sushi restaurants in town.
I found this newly opened place on Commercial dr. just two weeks ago.
After my second visit to here, it's already my favorite place to go. :D
the overall atmosphere is neat n clean, nothing really special, but staffs are kind & knowledgeable.
My friend and I ordered Chirashi Don and a few special rolls at first. When it came, we couldn't resist to take photos of them before we actually ruined the perfect presentation. wow!
super fresh sushi, very crispy airy tempura, all the fruit & veg. garnish, perfectly cooked rice... wow!! again.
Try their chirashi don & special rolls which I had.
It amused my eyes and it's amazingly delicious too.
Now, I want to taste every single menu they have :0
But look how beautiful you make everything in the world.
Even boring items like California Rolls and Tempura present like pieces of art. How can I feel anything but love. ou say "let's spice up our date; you always want to do your Tataki salmon style, let's try it tuna style tonight". The seared tuna with the sweet and hot sauce took pleasurable senses to a higher level.
This place boasts of fusion Japanese dishes and similar to Kishimoto, the food is not only a treat for your bellies but a feast for the eyes as well. Out of the long list of specialty rolls, we went with the Spicy Dragon Roll ($11.50) to start. This had shrimp tempura and avocado topped with unagi, spicy tuna and tobiko. The Sunset Roll ($9.50) is essentially a california roll but topped with seared mozzarella and assorted chopped barbeque seafood. This is a must try here, it's very nice. In front, we have the Crunch Shrimp Roll ($7.95), which is a dynamite roll coated with tempura flakes. Behind is the Scallop Tataki Roll ($7.95), consisting of a california roll with tataki scallop and green onions on top. Here we have the Fish and Chips Roll ($7.50) in front and the Caterpillar Roll ($8.50) behind. The fish and chips roll has deep fried tai with cucumber, and is coated with tempura flakes. The caterpillar roll consists of unagi and cucumber, with avocado both inside and on top of the roll. The Deep Fried California Roll ($4.95) was nice and crispy, and was especially tasty with the sauces. As for sashimi, we ordered Salmon ($13.95/9 pieces) and Toro ($13.95/8 pieces). Two thumbs up! We also had the Seafood Salad ($12.50), which was surprisingly okay accompanied with the bit of fruit. Just your basic Prawn Tempura ($7.95). Last was the Chicken Yakiudon ($8.95). The noodles were cooked perfectly and the dish had just the right about of flavour. Everything we ordered was pretty solid, but the only thing I would note is that the waiting duration between each dish was a bit long, especially for hungry individuals like ourselves. Other than that, this place is a must visit for sushi lovers!
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