Being coeliac it has been a long lost dream that I would ever taste tempura, teriyaki, gyoza and tofu agadashi ever again. Alas, dreams do come true! I cannot explain the joy it brings me sitting down at Iki, staring at the menu and knowing that I can eat almost everything on that menu. It's like I don't even have coeliac when I'm there. I can eat everything I once thought I would never eat again. Not only is most of the food gluten free, it all tastes amazing. It's so amazing I cannot fathom why there aren't more restaurants that provide gluten free Japanese food (other than the typical sushi rolls and edamame, without soy sauce). All that's left to say is thank you Iki, I love you.
Before I left for Asia, Grayson and I stumbled upon this lovely Japanese restaurant in West Vancouver. The interior was spacious and had bright decor speckled throughout to add some light to the room. I thought their menu was sleek…. And quite extensive. Our meal came with a bowl of miso soup. I found this one to be interesting because it included pieces of carrot, onion, soybeans and chickpeas in it.
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It was Sunday evening, and both Drunken Master and I had separately had busy days filled with much food and wine. We weren’t particularly hungry, but for whatever reason felt compelled to meet up for a late night dinner. We agreed to go somewhere close to both our places that served lighter fare, and wound up settling on Iki Japanese Bistro at Broadway and MacDonald. We actually had a bit of a misunderstanding by text message prior to meeting, in which both of us sent the other a text saying “I’m here!” even though we were both standing in what we thought was the restaurant we were meeting up in. Whoops! Luckily the other restaurant was nearby, and Drunken Master quickly rectified the situation. Iki is a small restaurant with about a dozen tables, and a more upscale vibe than your typical sushi restaurant. This is also reflected in the price as most items are about a dollar more than you would find at your regular hole in the wall. Not a bad trade off though. The restaurant was about a quarter full when we got there around 9 PM, and there was only one waitress working. Despite this, service was great throughout the entire meal. We began by ordering a California Roll and their Crunchy Roll featuring tuna, salmon, crab, cucumber, and avacado, rolled in tempura crisp. The sushi rice was minimal and properly seasoned, although some of it came falling off the rolls. The california roll was your regular culprit, being sweet and creamy, and the crunchy roll was also fine with fresh fish. Neither Drunken Master or I were fans of the tempura crisps sprinkled on top of the roll though. We were expecting sprinkled panko crumbs, but for some reason whatever they were had the taste and consistency of dry overcooked rice. Both Drunken Master and I were in a noodle mood, and so I decided to get the Laksa Udon Noodle Soup. The broth was light, but still quite flavourful be
The food is delicious and a step above in quality from most affordable sushi restaurants in Vancouver. The veggie bento box C is perhaps the best in the city. I never have grilled tofu like that and the portions are generous. They have veggie miso soup but you have to request it. Also this is one of the few sushi joints I've seen them wiping down the chairs, walls, etc. my elbows don't stick to the tables. It's the little things. Also they speak fluent Japanese!
Good when they get it right. Good food, and lunch boxes are great value. the contents seem to be inconsistent though. one week you get steamed broccoli with sesame sauce, the next week raw broccoli without any sauce. one week extra salad, the next tofu with rubbery mushrooms (I didn't even order the tofu box...). at least they can't mess up a yam roll.
Not bad, but avoid the udon. I've eaten here about three times, and noticed something weird... Both of the times I ordered sushi+rolls, and both times the sushi was good (nothing mindblowing, but still better than average) while the roll was bad. I figure someone experienced makes the sushi while the newbie makes the rolls...
Anyways, I went there for the third time tonight and ordered the tempura udon. It was, shall I say, quite icky. The noodles were weak and overcooked, and the broth tasted like pho. I recommend that you avoid ordering udon from this place. Otherwise, a good eat.
Our favourite neighborhood sushi. This is me and my partner's go-to place for sushi. We eat here all the time! We find that the service is better at the one on 4th, but both are fine. The sushi is great (in particular try the yammy roll) and the restaurant has a really nice ambiance. The pad thai is yummy but not traditional - it's kind of the 'fast food' of thai food. The one annoying thing about Iki is that they charge for tea, which is very unusual for a sushi restaurant in Vancouver. However the quality is consistently good and I highly recommend it.
Consistently good. We have been to Iki a number of times and never had a bad experience. Though not exactly authentic, the sushi is consistently tasty and there are some more creative rolls to choose from. The yam fries are delicious and the food is good value. The use of brown rice makes it slightly healthier without harming the taste. The service is somewhat apathetic but adequate enough for the price.
Fresh and fast!. I'm really impressed with Iki. Delivery sushi can have so many spots where it can fail, but I didn't really find anything wrong here. My edamame was crisp, my tsunomono was huge, my appetizer tempura was crispy and not in the least bit greasy. They have the really sweet and juicy yellow ginger that I like, too. I got some california rolls and an avocado roll - nothing fancy but it was very tasty. I wasn't exactly paying attention to whether the nori was perfectly sealed up to tell the truth, because I'm just so happy to get good food delivered fast. They said 45 minutes (I called around 4:30) and it took about 15.
When I go out to eat, I am certainly a bit pickier about presentation, but this was high end service and quality delivered food in my opinion. I haven't really been fond of brown rice sushi until now. So thanks, Iki! I'm a happy customer.
Had lunch at Iki today, and enjoyed the food very much. The decor was lovely, but the service was pretty indifferent. They were friendly enough, but it was if they were just going through the motions. I can't imagine how they keep up with a full house.
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Best "Sushi" Ever?. My sushi experience is probably like most native Vancouverites, BC rolls, California rolls, sashimi and occasionally something exotic, but usually the standard fair. Now, we haven't been to Tojo's who is apparently the king of flair in the local sushi scene, but I can't imagine his food is better or more innovative than what we had at Iki.
Having recently gone vegetarian I thought sushi was off the menu, but Iki has changed that sentiment, completely. This was not only the best sushi ever, this was one of our best meals ever.
Like I said I've gone veg so that was the reason for trying Iki, the selection of veg sushi is plentiful and creative. Even calling it sushi might not be accurate. We had three brown rice rolls and a plate of Gyoza, all of which displayed little in Japanese flavours. Fusion would be the best way to describe what we had, as the dishes showed French, Italian and Middle Eastern influences. The Herb Gyoza was sauteed in thyme, rosemary and garlic infused olive oil. The Avalanche Roll was a work of visual and culinary art as it really looked like a snowy mountain cascade of purple yam fries, cream cheese and avocado with miso hollandaise sauce. The real kicker though was the Crunchy Artichoke Roll which consisted of marinated artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and cream cheese rolled in roasted pumpkin and coriander seeds, then sauteed and plated with the garnish, which was what really topped it off, cumin seeds and pickled ginger, which I wanted a jar of to take home. The Italian inspired Teppan roll of pesto, tomato and cream cheese with olive oil and balsamic soy, was less inspired but still a nice change of pace.
Service was pleasant and efficient. The music was alternately wonderful and awful. The atmosphere is slightly cramped but nicely lit. The bill was $55 and that included a bottle of Sake, tremendous value.
Three of the four dishes we had were from the Specials menu, so I don't know if they'll be there next time, but we will be back very soon, so hopefully they will, but I am sure whatever is offered it will be just as brilliant.
during greek day 2011 , the joyce homies and i made an impromptu decision to head to kitsilano to enjoy the festival. we walked far too much and thus, we decided to head to a nice restaurant to rest during the evening. jackson suggested iki restaurant due to it's unique taste and so we agreed. iki japanese bistro 2756 West Broadway Vancouver, BC V6K 2G4 (604) 731-4771 View Larger Map i have always passed by iki restaurant as i frequently take the 99b bus but i have never thought anything much about iki sushi bistro. i found the place beautifully decorated with intricate lighting and displays. the service was too slow though. we waited so long for a sushi dish but i guess good things are worth waiting for, right?
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