Review Octopus's Garden Restaurant

Brittney Yoo

This place is primo! I come here for the omakase menu, they have two price points and the photos attached to this review are from the $200 menu. There are about 3-4 other plates I forgot to take photos of, as well as a desert, so you definitely leave here filled to your hearts content. The omakase menu varies as well, but will always have a sashimi and nigiri platter. This restaurant has been around for ages, I remember my first visit here 20 years ago! The servers are so lovely and informative. A must for any sushi lover. I love Octopus Garden 🐙

Alice Van Ngo

Where do I even begin? The entire experience from booking the reservation to the complimentary sparkling sake (the Chef’s gift to wish my cousin a happy wedding) was absolutely amazing. The restaurant ambience is unique with great attention to detail in the decor. Very comfortable seating, extensive menu with several specials. We had tai tempura and the uni jewelry box (imported from Hokkaido - so sweet!!) to start as appetizers. I had the Art Sashimi (requested fish like himachi, kanpachi, shima-aji, Maguro and much more) which was beautifully arranged and so delicious. For dessert we had the cheesecake and strawberry daifuku. The waiting staff were incredibly attentive and timely with our orders. Our table also ordered a bottle of the Sansui Daiginjo sake which was pleasantly smooth and warming. Highly recommended! The only issue is that parking is difficult to find but there are parking garages/lots 5-8mins walk from the restaurant.

Grace Zheng

Wonderful dining experience! We got our own little room with lots of privacy. Lots of selections and all the ingredients were very fresh. Worth a visit especially for a special occasion!

ZY Ong

Excellent Japanese food. Most authentic in Vancouver thus far. We were really lucky to have been able to get a table as walk-ins. Granted it was a Monday evening but they are usually booked up a month in advance. Looking forward to coming back!

Yimi Mao

An incredible experience here; High-quality ingredients, everything is delicious and well plating. Visit the restaurant alone, and they provided me with a cozy private room with friendly service. I’ll come back soon👍

Khanh Ngo

Had the omakase here on my first visit to Vancouver and the restaurant didn’t disappoint at all! The selection of dishes is fantastic, the sake was amazing, but above all was the top-notched hospitality exhibited by all the staff. We even got a special treat at the end by the owner. Will definitely be back!

Agnes Yu

We had a wonderful omakase dinner experience in a private room at Octopus Garden! Every dish was delicious and well prepared. The seafood, in particular the sushi and sashimi, were very fresh and sweet. We even got dessert and shooter on the house as we were celebrating a birthday! Highly recommended if you've never given this restaurant a try!

Sonny N

Food was delicious. Tried the unagi shooter, usukuruzi, nigri. And blue fin tuna dish. Got pricey but enjoyed the meal. Service was also excellent.

Susan Murtaza

Great spot for authentic Sushi.Not impressed that they charge for tea, I guess this was ok, the main thing was real fish and quality ingredients.

Double1111.626

Food and quality are pretty good but super pricey!!! Don’t think I would go back again but it was not bad. I think I rather go to Raisu or Suika than this one tho

Phuong Le

A very expensive run down place. Food was good but no worth the price they charge. I took my family of 4 for dinner and the bill was over $400. Keep your money and go elsewhere that's more hi class to spend that amount.

Derek

the owner/chef is always so passionate about perfecting the food that he serves, always a super happy experience coming here. Top quality nigiri and uni shooters everytime!

Matthew Tong

Had $100 Omakase, poor service, extremely slow food, quality was mediocre, grilled fish was bad, dessert was just matcha ice cream, expected higher quality, bluefin tuna sashimi was from different parts of fish, was not fresh, sub-par. Had stomach ache and feeling nauseous shortly after leaving, gave 8% tip due to sub-par service, was chased after to pay $5 more because 10% tip was apparently minimum. Would not come back. Expected much better quality food, faster food, and exceptional service. tl;dr: not fresh, slow food, bad service, sub-par omakaze do not come

Claire Ren

The fish is not fresh at all and the rice is too hard They spend all their money on room decorations. Gross. I don't know how can they get above 4.0

Nomnomnom

○great service/ and yes you can make reservations! ○excellent food/ one of my favorite Japanese restaurant ○my go to dishes are foie gras nigiri and botanebi nigiri (deep fry the heads) ○price is definitely a lot higher than other Japanese restaurants but worth it/ alot of unique dishes ○special events/ date night kind of place ○very small so I'd don't think it's suitable for babies or strollers ○free parking out front depend on the time ○would I go back? Definitely

Nosh And Nibble

One-liner: $100 guarantees you a a quality of culinary skill seldom found in Vancouver, a promise of leaving the restaurant full, and an tasting experience offered by few other Japanese restaurants Highlight: Seafood Tray Estimated price per person: $125 Would I go back? Yes. Check out my blog post for the full review!

F

According to a few online reviews, Octopus Garden is supposedly among the best places for omakase in Vancouver. We decided to go with the $100 omakase at the bar. Overall, there was a variety of different dishes but it wasn’t what we were expecting. Uni, mountain potato, quail egg, and wasabi. We were instructed to mix it all up and then shoot it! This wasn’t really for me — everything was all slimey together, which I think was the point, but I don’t think I enjoy shooting slimy things that much.

Beeboobeeboo

Very disappointing dinner at Octopus Garden. We got 2 of the $100 omakaze set menu. The entire dinner took more than 2 hours. For most of the time we were just waiting food. Menu includes: Uni shooter Tri appy- deep fried brie, deep fried fish roe+shrimp, seaweed 3pc blue fin tuna sushi Sashimi 1pc of each - wild salmon, herring fish, blue fin tuna, hamachi, tako, 1 fish that taste like tai (entire with bones) Baked fish fillet (taste super fishy and its nothing compare to black cod) Hatsutake soup (mushroom soup, super salty) Fish bone soup (yes, soup again? Super fishy) Salad with a piece of deep fried fish+ avocado At the end with a piece of foie gras+tiny piece of mango.. Then, that was it. A "sesame" creme brulee was served. It tasted disgusting... This was the second time I eat at Octopus Garden but their quality of food have dramatically dropped. I will not return again. I would rather go elsewhere like Raisu or Maumi Sushi if I planned to spend some money.

Simon B.

Always wanted to try it so wifey and I went last night. Gotta say some of the freshest fish we have had and the quality of the rice of the nigiri, hands down the best quality. It's a bit pricy but worth it to spoil yourself... sometimes 😋

#evelyneats

For my parent’s anniversary and before they flew back to Calgary, we went to check out this moderately traditional Japanese restaurant located in Kits on Cornwall: Octopus’ Garden. It’s a little bit eclectic inside and VERY small: they have about 6 seats at the sushi bar (which unfortunately, you can’t actually watch the chefs make the sushi – a little disappointing), and I would say overall about 8 tables ranging from 2 – 4 seats each. Reservations are DEFINITELY recommended – we barely made it in without reserving. They often have all seats reserved and do not save any seats for walk-ins.

Patrick Cheng

Be prepared for a restaurant that focuses on servicing our Chinese overlords!! Our service was forgotten to slave money spending Chinese patrons. Very disappointed with my service tonight. Our food was absolutely delicious, but the shoddy service we received will have us never visiting again. One of our orders was completely missed AND the servers did not even confirm our orders at all. I think the amount I thanked them amounted to more words than they spoke to us. As an insult to injury, they asked why we didn't tip them with their atrocious service. I usually don't bother with reviews, but this was by far the most infuriating experience I had. The food was kind of expensive, but that's beside the matter.

Jennie

I am really disappointed in the quality and service. I've been to a lot of Japanese restaurants in Vancouver and in Japan and this isn't a good Japanese place. A lot of our food didn't come and the tempura batter is so thick. The fish is not that fresh. The sukiyaki was overcooked the beef was like rubber. I told them but did nothing. We were sitting in the room. Nobody came assist us. I had to go outside to order all night...we remind them about the orders at least 5+ times. This is not up to Japanese standard.. thought Japan is all about QC. Not them I guess. Really should look back and think of what good food and service is...a huge disappointment.

BrianLee

Very disappointed. New-age Japanese bar atmosphere. Mediocore service. Underwhelming and unimpressive dishes. Despite very exotic menu options with Uni and Foie Gras, the taste and quality of the foods fall short. The Uni Shooter was overwhelmed with soy sauce and other ingredients that didn't compliment the freshness of the sea urchin. Uni Udon was $28 for overcooked Uni with parmesan cheese; it lacked flavor for what seemed like less than half a serving of instant noodles. Foie Gras shooter is the only thing I would recommend if I had to recommend this place. It's an interesting take on sushi, but I also wouldn't say it's a must try. Service was amateur. Spilled half our Sake and didn't offer any replacements. Waitress was unsure of how to place food on the table. Atmosphere is the most interesting thing about this place. With Japanese Whiskey bottles placed around the store, they would better serve their customers advertising as a bar rather than a restaurant. At the price range of $40+ person I would not recommend this place for dining. It is highly overpriced for very bland food that is parading itself as something special.

Horhor2001

Extremely disappointed due to the glowing reviews. Food quality and presentation average but way over priced. Quality of uni was not up to par. Service rushed and the servers seem to be disorientated as drinks were missed and appetizers came at the end of the meal. The only plus was the fole gras sushi, will not return.

Angela

Although it is a little pricy, the quality and service is excellent. I love the uni shooter and the foie gras sushi. The ebi sashimi was excellent as well. Definitely gonna try again.

Chicas

I absolutely love the quality and taste of food here. You pay for what you get since the price is a lot higher than other Japanese restaurant and the portions are a lot smaller. One of the best Japanese restaurants I ever dine at. Of course my complaint is the price. Two of us dined there and the bill was over $140 and we both were still hungry

NOMSS

Octopus Garden Vancouver is a small Japanese restaurant run by sushi Chef Sada on 1995 Cornwall Ave. A quick search for the best Japanese restaurants in Vancouver probably may queue you a list with Octopus Garden on it. We’ve came several times to enjoy their collection of bluefin of o-toro and chu-toro a la carte. Tonight we came here for their omakase menu which requires pre-order.

Domo Is Craving...

Back with another blog today and its another sushi place! By now, you all probably know i have a thing or two for sushi places. This restaurant is located near kits beach and it's right on Cornwall. There's free parking around the area, mostly residential parking. They also have meter parking right in front of the restaurant.

Nick Chang

Just had an amazing dinner at Octopus Garden. It was my wife's birthday and I made reservations after hearing from a fellow foodie friend that this was their go to Japanese restaurant. The restaurant did not disappoint. The wait staff was friendly and very helpful. We had to wait 5 mins for our table, but they seated us in a really cute undercover seating area that included chairs and a TV. We started with a free appetizer from the kitchen, monkfish liver, which was probably the best I have had in Vancouver to date. The Uni shooter was fun and a must get the first time at the restaurant. The standouts of the night were the o-toro blue fin tuna and hamachi. I have been to Japan multiple times and have had some very good sushi, this place is definitely comparable. The second stand out would have to be the seared Waygu beef hot plate which included tempura onion rings and rice. Prior to deciding if I wanted to splurge on the beef I verified with the waitress if it was authentic waygu from Japan, which she confirmed. For those of you that are into details it's from the Kagoshima prefecture area in Kyushu. At a hefty price tag of $70, it was an indulgence worth every penny. It has been 6 years since eating wagyu in Tokyo and it lived up to those lofty expectations. We have been to almost all the well known Japanese restaurants in Vancouver and this one was the best so far. We will be back, for the great atmosphere, the helpful wait staff and above all their dedication to the quality of their food. We haven't been so satisfied after a meal in Vancouver in a while.

SophiaEats

For my birthday dinner I wanted to have some good Japanese Omakase in Vancouver area. Omakase literally means to entrust, so that when you order Omakase, you are entrusting the chef who will choose the freshest fish and ingredients for your special meal. It seemed like Octopus Garden has one of the most high-rated restaurants that offer quality omakase so J and I decided to give it a try. Octopus Garden requires 24-hour notice & reservation for their special omakase so make sure to call them in before dining in.

Marv Wang

Had the omakase, the food are really great, the variation of each set are great. the taste of the food are definitely above average. but at the same time not extra memorable. but definitely looks interesting and props to the decoration and presentation of the food :D love it, all are very picture worthy presentation. all the ingredients are also very good quality thus making a great selection of food too :D Would definitely recommend the place, the omakase's price are also very reasonable. and overall experience was really great :D you'll not be dissapointed.

Raymond's Sushi Adventures

'Sada's Own' Nomu Uni Shooter consisted of sea urchin, mountain potato, quail egg, and wasabi in a small glass of dashi broth, mirin, and rice. You're supposed to mix all of the ingredients together and then consume the whole thing in one gulp. The result is a highly pleasant savoury smoothness from the uni and quail egg, which blends perfectly with the broth.

Dennisthefoodie

I’ve always been scared of going to Octopus’ Garden in Kits because I thought it was high-end and kind of expensive. But how times have changed. I remember back in the early/mid 90s going to Dario’s La Piazza and paying more than $60 for a meal for two, and thinking, “My god, we’ve hit this threshold…we won’t be doing this that often…” Turns out that nowadays, $60 for two (especially including drinks) is getting harder and harder to do! So with that in mind, places like Chambar and Octopus’ Garden really aren’t that expensive, depending on how you order. And the quality makes it worth it. We went here for Wicca’s birthday, but at times it felt like my birthday! 😀

Taste Trekkers

Octopus Garden’s focus is on à la carte nigiri sushi. Whilst it offers an array of the usual suspects of salmon, hamachi, etc. (all very, very tasty), an unusual option co-exists on this restaurant’s menu: the foie gras nigiri. Although its price tag is predictably one of the highest on the menu, its flavor more than exceeds the equally high expectations associated with same. The foie gras is buttery and rich, but not heavy, looking quite unassuming on the rice (which is also well made, you can practically taste each plump grain in your mouth), and – at the risk of sounding cheesy – melts in your mouth. The sliver of sweet, fresh mango on top cuts through just enough of the richness without stealing the show. Far too often, many a restaurant would slap on ‘foie gras’ on its menu in an attempt to raise its calibre, but execution of same doesn’t always succeed. I am most happy to report that Octopus Garden raises the bar in the quintessential world of Japanese cuisine by reigning in a tr

Miss A

As much as I LOVE sushi made by Koreans for their fusion twist and extraordinary creative artwork along with their fabulous house made sauces, I am also a huge fan of the perfectly cut sashimi, clean and simple for their natural favours. And here at Octopus' Garden in my opinion is as authentic as it gets!!! I had been looking very forward to dine out here with two beautiful people whom also share the love of good sushi, so we walked in with H.U.G.E expectations. I was WOWED from the very second I step foot inside, it felt so homey and cosy very welcoming as if you had just walked in someone's house in Japan!!! The name Octopus' Garden was named after a song by The Beatles as owner/Master Chief Sada san is a huge fan of The Beatles. Some of the names on the menu such as The Yellow Submarine was inspired by The Beatles. For those of you that heart sushi as much as I do, Octopus' Garden is a MUST try!!! It was both visually satisfying to the eyes and orally satisfying to my palate. I say you have NOT tried EXCELLENT sushi until you've tried The Octopus' Garden!!! It is comparable to Tojo's but I feel the Octopus' Garden has less hype however the food does the talking here!!! http://www.octopusgardensada.com/index.html

Sky In The Pie

Quality fish - slow expedition - cold rice. I came to Octopus Garden with high expectations, but came away relatively disappointed. Although the quality of the sashimi was very high, the food took very long to arrive with long gaps between dishes. It took over 40 minutes for our first dishes to arrive. Also, the bowls of rice that we ordered came stone cold and somewhat stale - dry and hard, like it had been sitting out for too long. Combined with the quite high pricing and small portions (especially for some of the sashimi), I would say that I prefer other places like Sushi Hachi or Tokachi for good quality sushi.

NAL33

Very disappointing ! I had heard great things about this restaurant . My expectations were not even close to being met . The prices are high and the service was not good . We ordered a few items all of which were ok but not great and then orders a few more items . An hour we still did not have found 2 of our meal . We asked three times if our good was on its way . The first time they said 5 mins and then when it finally arrived , half of it was still missing . Our server apologized but given how long it took I would have expected then to waive the charges for the last item . With plenty of great Japanese restaurants in Vancouver , I will not be returning to the octopus' garden again .

David Gibbons

Where to begin? For me, Octopus' Garden is quite simply the very best that Vancouver sushi has to offer. Owner and sushi chef, Sada is one of the best in the business. He comes highly trained, loves his work, and shares that love with his customers. The rice here is the best I've had: slightly sweet, perfectly al dente, and draped with beautiful cuts of sashimi. The best Nigiri in Vancouver. Where Sada excels though is with his hot dishes. Australian lamb that melts in your mouth, Kobe Wagyu donburi that reminds you why Wagyu is the best in the world, seasonal cheeks (Bluefin, Kampachi, King White) that make a table treat, and brilliant rolls and built simply with the best ingredients available make Octopus one of Vancouver's gems. Like at Miku and Tojo, expect to spend some money here. A two person omakase with some sake will push $300, but it could also be the best sushi of your life. Make sure to try his Uni Shooter (mixed with rice, quail egg, mountain potato, and other little treats). The little appetizer should be world famous. Honestly, I can't say enough. Don't"t be fooled by his small itemized menu. Sada can make you what you want if you ask, but when a sushi chef has so many tricks, how could they all possibly be written down? Tremendous every time.

Beeblow

One of my favorites. Whenever I come here I love to order nigiri. They have a really great assortment of things you may not find at other places. Try the waru if they have it. Gintoro is also amazing! I'm not a fan of sea urchin, but my husband always get the uni shooters and says it's delicious. If you are someone who likes cheap, low quality sushi - this place is not for you. You might pay a bit more than other places but it's really worth it. Reservations recommended.

Rodney.daughtrey

Bluefin tuna is NOT sustainable, and Octopus' Garden serves it -- do not eat here!. Octopus' Garden serves bluefin tuna -- this is absolutely unacceptable, given the fact that bluefin tuna are nearly extinct from overfishing. Make a statement and take your business somewhere else!

Cioccolato

Elegant & Authentic Sushi. Octopus' Garden is definitely my favourite sushi restaurant in Vancouver. Their Sushi is what you call the "real" Japanese Sushi. (trust me, i'm Japanese.) I've tried many other sushi restaurants around Kitsilano/Downtown and was always disappointed, they typically serve gigantic sized cheap sushi, and the chefs aren't even Japanese.. But Octopus' Garden isn't a typical sushi place you'll find in Vancouver. The ingredients are so fresh, the size of their Sushi is just perfect (I mean, sushi is meant to be bite-sized. You know you're not eating a Japanese sushi if your sushi/rolls require 2,3 bites). I know everyone has a different preference for their sushi, and Octopus Garden is indeed a little more expensive than other sushi restaurants in town but in my opinion the food here is worth the price. I recommend this restaurant for those of you who are willing to try an authentic JAPANESE sushi.

Sandra Joey Lee

Super duper. Awesome customer service :) shoota the manager gave us an octopus chopsticks holder from japan

Ethan C

Hmmm.... For the price of the menu, guess they can do a better job on a Fri on not letting their customer wait with no food 4 1/2 hr

P.miller

Terrible food. Just dined there tonight before the fireworks. Had high hopes as my sister told me about the place and recommended it to me. We were one of two tables there, which surprised me a little since its fireworks night and most places in kits are packed w ppl. We had the prawn tempura - probably the only decent dish we had all night, salmon belly - not fresh and unseasoned, the grilled mackerel - tasteless, the ikura and uni nigiri sushi - not fresh and portion is smaller than most Japanese restaurants. Asked the waitress for a tempura sauce to go with some of my sushi because everything was so tasteless, she brought back the same tempura sauce she had taken into the kitchen from our table earlier, what???? For $66 (for two ppl), I definitely expected higher quality.

VanFoodie

Bluefin Tunas are the best. I disagree with the west-side yuppie on serving endangered food. I LOVE tuna, it's only endangered because large corporations like Mitsubishi are hoarding frozen stocks. It's not the restaurants and much less the diners who are responsible. Beef is delicious too, but you don't see those guys going into extinction - granted they are farmed rather than wild.

Iris Chen

Japa Pho --> yum. My favourite is the Japa Pho, which is a bowl of noodles in flavourful stock. Only available at lunch

Reeder

Bluefin tuna...seriously?. Okay so the food here is REALLY good. But one thing that really bothered me is the fact they serve BLUE FIN TUNA. Not only are they endangered.. they're not properly protected. They are in bigger threat than Rhinos, elephants, etc. Every-time you eat BlueFin tuna, it's the equivalent of chopping up a rhino for YOUR indulgence. Honestly.. One of the biggest, majestic, BEAUTIFUL fish in the world becoming extinct due to greed and gluttony of people is just.. sad. I personally LOVE eating fish but we Vancouverites need to be more responsible and support clean,sustainable fish industry. example watch " end of the line" video on youtube, anywhere. If I can get ONE person to stop killing endangered species. I'm much satisfied than a luxurious meal.

Seafoody

Very awsome food and place!!!. I went to this place with my wife and kids this February weekend. Chef's character was so friendly and every fish and sushi was enough to make my kids so happy!! I don't care to pay 100-150bucks for each visit here. I promise I will go again.

Stuff99

Omakse? Yes Please!. Had the pleasure of meeting Chef Sada-San and tried his Omakse menu for $60. My dinner was delightful and it's a must for all Japanese food lovers. The evening was eventful and I would highly recommend it to all. You can really tell he puts a lot of heart, care and love for his food. I've already added Octopus Garden to my many other favorite Japanese restaurants in Vancouver (Tokyo Thyme, Kishimoto Japanese Kitchen and Nakamura) to my list. I will definitely visit this restaurant again for its famous Omakse. I ordered the $65 option. No pics because I was too busy soaking up the atmosphere and eating.

Denman On Dining

Octopus's OMGarden. This could be a really short review as quite frankly this place is perfection. I had read about it on "Follow Me Foodie" so I was pretty keen to try it for myself. And wow, what a delight! From the charming and efficient wait staff to the beautifully presented food and saki. They add that little je nais se quas to everything they present. The Saki comes on a heating platform, the Sashimi is garnished with a light seawood salad. And, they plate everything on ice. This is a place that elevates the whole sushi experience, where the food is the star and we are presented and then humbled buy it's beauty. All I can add is these people show a great respect for seafood and their other food products as well as the clients. I say treat yourself and a friend to a beautiful experience. I give them an A+ for perfection!

Purdey

This place is very cozy and small. I love the little octopus chopsticks holders they have. The theme and decor us great. I found the food to be good but the price is very steep.sone of their rolls were $25. Overall it was good, but won't be coming often because the price point is too high. Overall experience: Thumbs up.

Halei

Top notch sushi!. Came here for a 'friends" birthday. It is a very nice and stylish place, it had that "beatles" theme, yellow submarine roll etc. The service was very friendly and professional, the food was very good, we ordered the yellow submarine, the tataki and other sushi dishes, like I said all very good. It is on the pricey side though, not a sushi joint you go to once a week, more like a special occasion place. There was 4 of us and to be honest we were still hungry when we left, but like I said the food is very good and you can tell they use quality (high grade fish etc.) ingredients and presented very nice. All in all I would reccoment Octopus Garden......but bring you wallet!

Hitting The Sauce

Fantastic meal!. I love the fisherman's plate - chopped up raw tuna and tempura bits in a pyramid shape and on top of rice. The plate of tuna and salmon sashimi was silky smooth. And the various rolls were ordered (chopped scallop, tuna, soft-shell crab, avocado and bean) all tasty and well-prepared. Service was attentive.

JRO

One of my favorites. Every time I am in Kits I go there. I have never been disappointed. Sada is very nice and always has a smile on his face.

Foodie Girlie

Uni Shots!!!. Best uni shots and I never get disappointed by the quality of food. Fresh Ingredients and service is always great. Highly recommended

Foodie

Amazing sushi. Best kept secret in YVR. Amazing sushi. Best kept secret in yvr. Sockeye salmon, lobster roll, and cod were fabulous. The presentation was just unbelievable. It made the food all th emuch better!

Food Critic

Best Japanese. No matter how many Japanese restaurants I try I always come back to octopus garden. if you can really appreciate good food and Quality then you've come to the right place. It can take a little while for some dishes to arrive but be patient its always so worth it. And if your looking for something off the menu the owner Sada he's very good like that he can prepare almost anything..... Most talented sushi chef ever :) 5stars

Aron Bjornson

Wow. Wow. Wow. An unbelievable culinary experience. Sada always has something special up his sleeve. Trust him. You won't be dissapointed.

DoubleBites

As a sushi addict, I feel like it is my mission to try all the Japanese Restaurants in Lower Mainland. I just love the feeling when I find a new hidden gem and share it with people....on this day, I finally got to try Octopus’ Garden in Kitsilano. I am sure a lot of you have already been here or at least heard of this place because it is pretty famous for good quality Japanese Restaurant. I really don’t know what held me back from trying this restaurant until now...Overall, Octopus’ Garden was definitely one of the nicer Japanese Restaurants in Lower Mainland for authentic Japanese cuisine. After visiting this restaurant, I was asked from many of my friends whether it would be one of my top five restaurant for Sushi. It is hard to say...

Ivancouver604

Not going back here – a bit pricey for the dishes they serve!

J At Vanbrosia.com

... insanely crisp (and a touch hard) rice galette; very creamy foie, strong foie flavor; you need to be really generous in slathering the foie on the rice galettes to use up all the foie; or ask for more galettes...

J At Vanbrosia.com

... Sada-san's signature tamago - the perfect Japanese style omelette; undefeated in my books...

J At Vanbrosia.com

... Lobster sashimi... incredibly fresh lobster meat, oh-so-crisp; flavor of lobster not as strong as when cooked though; for once, the roe paired wonderfully w the sashimi and wasn't just there to decorate...

J At Vanbrosia.com

...the fallback here is the hot pan kept heating up the steak and over cooks it if you don't eat quickly. If you eat too quickly though, you're not enjoying the experience, so as Sada-san suggested, which we foolishly ignored, get the Wagyu Iron show

J At Vanbrosia.com

... chirashi sushi... another OMG moment; I don't remember having raw seafood fresher than tonight...

Maggi Mei

After having the place recommended to me, and seeing plenty of pictures online; I was tempted and knew I needed to make a trip out here myself. The recommendation came highly from a Japanese friend (not the one dinning with us tonight). He declared the place as easily one of his favourite sushi places in Vancouver. This despite it being second only to “Tojo’s” in the “Upscale Sushi category” of “Vancouver magazine”. He finds them superior. He prefers “Octopus Garden” with its non traditional offerings along with the classics. As it is hard nowadays just to find authentic Japanese sushi and sashimi done simple and clean. I am such a person who prefers the fusion rolls and the hybrids of east meets west. Though he stands firm that here their sushi is as authentic as it gets. A possible reason why I didn’t enjoy my visit as much. He also threw in the bonus fact that this is Steven Segal’s favourite sushi place when in town. Concluding that no one can really argue with Steven Segal. Though

Roger Z

Octopus Garden is a solid place for high-quality and authentic Japanese eats. Definitely come for the excellent quality of the raw seafood!

Peaches

The restaurant does not cheap out on quality and aim to provide you delicious and high quality food for the price they charge.

Fiopo

We were treated to a selection of seven different kinds of fish, a scallop, some sea urchin, and of course octopus. The first two slices of fish were a duo of albacore and ahi tuna. The albacore outshone the ahi with a fatty richness that I suspected was because the chef gave us a piece of albacore toro.

Kitty Bling

I used my handy googling skills and found a small Japanese restaurant in Kitsilano called Octopus' Garden. The food was amazing and the chef Sada san was so friendly. He offered us some free sake and shochu. His dishes are very creative. I loved the uni shooter.

Every Day Is A Food Day

It's a bit on the pricier side, but the quality is excellent. Overall, very satisfied!

FinestDish.com

Fresh ingredients and thoughtful executions are what I am looking for. Tucked in a quiet spot off to the side of Kitsilano lies Octopus Garden, which could be one such restaurant. With foie gras and wagyu nigiri, who can resist? (Not I)

Flo

The Omakase is a hit or miss with every customer. I love all kinds of seafood and sashimi and don’t have any major dislikes so i enjoyed it. If you do have any specific preferences you should tell the waitress before ordering. What I don’t understand is why this meal took 3 hours of my life away from me. Honestly, if a meal were to take 3 hours it better be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.

Pekopeko

...balance between fun, fresh dishes with authenticity, the room is a place where the locals don’t want too many people to know about – just in case it becomes even harder to get a table for dinner.

Jess W.

Up next was one of my favourite dishes of the evening, the Nomu Uni Shooter – sea urchin, dashi, grated Japanese yam, quail egg & wasabi

Mary

I absolutely loved the Uni Nigiri here. I usually am very put off by the taste and smell, but the one here had almost no after taste. Definitely give this one a shot if you're not an uni fan, it might change your mind!

Rex Lin

There is a cute wooden boat right in the middle of the store. (I was fortunate to be sit there as well!! Woo Hoo, time to go out and get me some Sashimi)

Moo Mi

For anyone looking to try out Octopus Garden, I would highly recommend getting the omakase menu. Since the pricing here is on the higher end, it would give you a much better value than ordering the dishes individually. P and I thought it would take some time to go back but we ended up going back a month after our first visit. Just make sure you prepare your stomach and wallet.

Gracecheung604

Met up with some friends who just moved into Kits and tried out Octopus Garden for the very first time. I cannot believe I haven't been here before...the quaintest little bistro, staffed with Japanese waitresses and chefs...truly authentic. Ahhh...in case

Peter

On of the places my Iaido sensei - Inoue Hironori likes to go is Octopus Garden. Actually, let's go back in time a few years. Before he was my Iaido sensei, he was just "Hiro", one of the founding members of the Vancouver Japanese Sword Appreciation Club.

MePlusFood

Octopus Garden is a small, but nicely decorated restaurant in Vancouver. We didn’t make any reservations, but were seated almost right away. After looking at the rather limited menu, we decided on the following items: Agedashi Tofu, Oh! Sashimi Garden Salad, Octopus Nigiri Sampler, and Tuna & Salmon Sashimi. The Agedashi Tofu arrived first. Freshly deep-fried in little cubes, the tofu was nice and crispy. The sauce was pretty flavourful too. Tuna & Salmon Sashimi plate was really small. It was thinly sliced and beautifully presented, but the portion size did not really justify the price. My favourite dish was the Oh! Sashimi Garden Salad. It came with generous amount of sashimi (almost the same amount as the Tuna & Salmon Sashimi plate). The dressing was really refreshing. I was pleasantly surprised by it. Lastly, we were presented with the Nigiri Sampler. The fish were very fresh, however I did find the presentation a little sloppy. I particularly en

Victoria

So I really, really like Octopus Garden in Kitsilano (on Cornwall) for sushi. Why? First of all, Sado-san, the chef and owner. He has a great sense of humour, is excellent and what he does (of course), and always has a big s

FollowMeFoodie

Octopus Garden worked its magic better than Ursala from The Little Mermaid. Traditional omakase is authentic and a must try here!

KimHo

In a sort of un-finished business, I visited to Octopus' Garden for... Omakase!

Tom_edo

I have only been to Octopus' Garden once before and all I can remember is that this place was good but dam expensive. I had a friend in from the UK on the weekend and he wanted to have some good sushi. I decided to go to Octopus' Garden to

Deeeelish

I am absolutely in LOVE with Octopus Garden in Kitsilano area. I went there for DOV and I was so impressed. I had sake there.. it was this tasting thing.. ew i hate sake. :( This was the dessert, moshi moshi roll. so cute! it's chocolate and banana and wh

Kitsilano.ca

Once upon a time, Kitsilano was Ground Zero for the hippie life in Vancouver. Its property values have largely changed that, but some of the old ideology still lives on, especially in restaurants like this, where a fine hand with seafood is combined with

Review Octopus's Garden Restaurant - Vancouver