Wake Up Canada Review - Tojos Japanese Restaurant - Vancouver, British Columbia.
Photo's and Review By: Andru Valpy
Tojo's Restaurant
1133 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6H1J1
Tel: (604) 872-8050 Vancouver, BC V6H1J1
Neighbourhood: Fairview
http://www.tojos.com
http://www.tojos.com
- Cuisine: Japanese, Pacific, Sushi
- Price: $$$$ ($45.00 or more)
- Aimless & Andy Rating: ***** (out of 5).
- Reservations: Suggested.
- Features: Fine Dining, Group Dining, Omakase.
According to Urbanspoon.com, the city of Vancouver has a total amount of 633 listed Japanese restaurants.
But out of those 633, there is only one that has consistently been number one on the list of Vancouver Magazines "Best Japanese Award" every year since 1988.
That award, goes to Tojo's.
Chef Tojo has been actively involved in Japanese cooking for a total of 42 years having started at the age of 18 in Osaka Japan.
After a fast 3 years of apprenticeship in Osaka, Tojo took his art over-seas to the City of Vancouver, where his journeys in Canadian Sushi began.
His work has taken him to places like The Martha Stewart Cooking Show in 2004, NBC's "The Today Show" with Katie Couric, The Fairmont Dubai grand opening (where he was the Guest Chef in "Tojo on One") and L.A where he has been a guest chef.
When I meet Tojo in person, I could instantly tell that the excitement he may have had at the age of 18, is still in his blood.
His art, is his passion.
For a lot of people, sushi is a quick healthy way to satisfy a craving, or take a date for that new sense of excitement.
But what many people may not realize, is that there is certainly an art that comes with sushi making. Those that have eaten at Tojo's will tell you, that his work is certainly art, and Tojo is the creative artist.
While there, I had a chance to trust Tojo to Omakase.
And I was not disappointed.
Omakase in Japanese culture means one entrusts the Chef to arrange a meal for his guests.
At Tojo's, Omakase features a combination of both hot and cold dishes which:
Most likely because it was served in Canada's seafood capital, British Columbia.
It was presented beautifully on ice.
Chilled, smooth, sprinkled with green onions and a matching green leaf to compliment the dish, my meal was off to a great start.
I was wondering how something so delicious could be beat.
I was then presented with a beautiful order of crab, presented in it's bright and colourful pink and orange shell. It was detailed with bright yellow flower petals, and made to perfection. The colour combination matched with the refreshing taste of the fresh sea crab was certainly pleasing to the taste buds.
Next, a sampling of what I believe was shiitake mushrooms.
To be honest, I was pleasantly distracted by Chef Tojo presenting the dish to me that I forgot what the exact name of it was. (ED Note: The name of the dish was not available at time of publishing).
Rest, assured. This tantalizing treat was fully appreciated. It was also new to me. I'm glad I tried it.
As this meal was the first in what we hope will be many for The Aimless & Andy Team, Chef Tojo felt it right to celebrate.
To do so, he presented us with the 2010 Celebration Roll, a roll exclusive to Tojo's.
This roll was created to capture the spirit of the 2010 Olympic Games which were held in Vancouver earlier this year.
It consisted of crab, pineapple and asparagus inside and blended with tuna, salmon, red snapper, spinach, and egg on top.
This was the first time I had ever heard of pineapple being used in a roll of sushi, and I can honestly say...It was amazing.
Complete with Olympic themed trimmings, beautifully crafted rolls and Chef Tojo's signature in blueberry sauce, this roll was thoroughly enjoyed and one that I will be coming back for again.
There are truly no real words that come to mind when describing this original piece. Other than flavorful, sweet, and for sure "tasty".
A personal suggestion would be to go and try it for yourself to find out what I am referring to.
I can certainly tell you that there will be celebration cravings that will most likely follow my visit. I hope to come back and do it again soon to satisfy them.
While enjoying our meal, I had to chance to see Chef Tojo present his Northern Light Roll
This roll was artistic in itself and upon review it is understood where the name came from.
This specialty roll, is filled nicely with wild prawn tempura, avacado, seasonal fruit and rolled in a cucumber crepe.
This dish was inspired by the Canadian Northern Lights, and yes. It shows.
The next item was a treat for me, as Chef Tojo surprised me with a form of BBQ dish that was presented and wrapped gift-like in a form of cooking paper.
I almost ate the paper...
When I unwrapped the serving and sampled the barbecued roll, I was once again impressed with Chef Tojos recommendation and his personal creativity. The roll was paired with asparagus and what appeared to be mushrooms.
The taste was superb!
My final sampling was personally presented and made for the occasion as well.
It was a Temakizushi roll which consisted of tempura prawn, avocado, and glazed with Chef Tojo's special sauce. I made a point to tell Chef Tojo that it was certainly delicious.
While finishing my meal, I had the opportunity to talk to a pair of regulars (turned friends!) who have been visiting Chef Tojo for 25 years religiously.
They told me the stories about those who have come through the doors of Tojo's throughout the the years of its operation.
It was also told to me that many artists, celebrities, and musicians grace Chef Tojo with their company on a somewhat frequent basis.
This list includes entertainment industry figures, musicians, celebrities, and even politicians from all over the world.
In fact, I learned that record label Sony Music found Chef Tojo's food to be so wonderful that they brought their international teams together under Tojo's roof during visits to Vancouver.
After having eaten there myself, I can see why. It only makes sense!
So the next time you are in Vancouver, and you are looking for just the right place to satisfy that sushi craving...why not head down to 1133 W. Broadway and visit Chef Tojo yourself.
Make sure you tell him Andru-San sent you!
Additional photographs will be made available in our Face-book Fan Page soon!
Until next time, take care!
-Av
(ED Note: A heartfelt thanks goes out to Chef Tojo and staff for arranging our visit, and for treating us to a wonderful evening and warm hospitality. ありがとう)
But what many people may not realize, is that there is certainly an art that comes with sushi making. Those that have eaten at Tojo's will tell you, that his work is certainly art, and Tojo is the creative artist.
While there, I had a chance to trust Tojo to Omakase.
And I was not disappointed.
Omakase in Japanese culture means one entrusts the Chef to arrange a meal for his guests.
At Tojo's, Omakase features a combination of both hot and cold dishes which:"embodies the essence of Tojo's culinary, and reflects the blessed environment of the region that bestows us with some of the finest ingredients in the world". - Tojo's Menu.My meal started off with, Tojo's Tuna, which was probably the freshest of the popular appetizer I have ever had.
Most likely because it was served in Canada's seafood capital, British Columbia.
It was presented beautifully on ice.
Chilled, smooth, sprinkled with green onions and a matching green leaf to compliment the dish, my meal was off to a great start.
I was wondering how something so delicious could be beat.
To be honest, I was pleasantly distracted by Chef Tojo presenting the dish to me that I forgot what the exact name of it was. (ED Note: The name of the dish was not available at time of publishing).
Rest, assured. This tantalizing treat was fully appreciated. It was also new to me. I'm glad I tried it.
As this meal was the first in what we hope will be many for The Aimless & Andy Team, Chef Tojo felt it right to celebrate.
To do so, he presented us with the 2010 Celebration Roll, a roll exclusive to Tojo's.
This was the first time I had ever heard of pineapple being used in a roll of sushi, and I can honestly say...It was amazing.
Complete with Olympic themed trimmings, beautifully crafted rolls and Chef Tojo's signature in blueberry sauce, this roll was thoroughly enjoyed and one that I will be coming back for again.
There are truly no real words that come to mind when describing this original piece. Other than flavorful, sweet, and for sure "tasty".
A personal suggestion would be to go and try it for yourself to find out what I am referring to.
I can certainly tell you that there will be celebration cravings that will most likely follow my visit. I hope to come back and do it again soon to satisfy them.
While enjoying our meal, I had to chance to see Chef Tojo present his Northern Light Roll
This roll was artistic in itself and upon review it is understood where the name came from.
This specialty roll, is filled nicely with wild prawn tempura, avacado, seasonal fruit and rolled in a cucumber crepe.
This dish was inspired by the Canadian Northern Lights, and yes. It shows.
I almost ate the paper...
When I unwrapped the serving and sampled the barbecued roll, I was once again impressed with Chef Tojos recommendation and his personal creativity. The roll was paired with asparagus and what appeared to be mushrooms.
The taste was superb!
My final sampling was personally presented and made for the occasion as well.
It was a Temakizushi roll which consisted of tempura prawn, avocado, and glazed with Chef Tojo's special sauce. I made a point to tell Chef Tojo that it was certainly delicious.
While finishing my meal, I had the opportunity to talk to a pair of regulars (turned friends!) who have been visiting Chef Tojo for 25 years religiously.
They told me the stories about those who have come through the doors of Tojo's throughout the the years of its operation.
This list includes entertainment industry figures, musicians, celebrities, and even politicians from all over the world.
In fact, I learned that record label Sony Music found Chef Tojo's food to be so wonderful that they brought their international teams together under Tojo's roof during visits to Vancouver.
After having eaten there myself, I can see why. It only makes sense!
So the next time you are in Vancouver, and you are looking for just the right place to satisfy that sushi craving...why not head down to 1133 W. Broadway and visit Chef Tojo yourself.
Make sure you tell him Andru-San sent you!
Additional photographs will be made available in our Face-book Fan Page soon!
Until next time, take care!
-Av
(ED Note: A heartfelt thanks goes out to Chef Tojo and staff for arranging our visit, and for treating us to a wonderful evening and warm hospitality. ありがとう)
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