New addition to my fine-ish dining Vancouver Dine Out Festival review because I do think it's important to showcase and promote upscale restaurants trying to go one step beyond, especially in the lowest period of the year for the food industry in general.
Today on the chopping block: Torake Japanese Cuisine
The Restaurant: Located quite a bit out of the way deep in South Richmond Torake is probably one of the more hidden location in Vancouver for upscale Sushi. The philosophy of the restaurant focuses on local products and interpreting Japanese cuisine trough ingredients originating mainly in British Columbia
The Accolades: Top 50 Japanese Restaurants in Canada 2023
The Price: 5/10 120 Dollars which is by default a failure for the parameters of the Dine Out Festival but also the whole dining experience was extremely confused on the price front
The Service: 4/10 Excellent when working as intended, unfortunately a deeply confusing dining experience that would be unforgivable from a strip mall sushi places, let alone somewhere with the ambition to refer to themselves as fine dining.
Also the least comfortable sushi bar seat I've ever experienced, genuinely malls have better seats
Let me take you on a baffling and annoying journey:
There is 4 Menu Option Listed Online
Dine Out: 65 Dollars
Tasting Menu: 88 Dollars
Premium Omakase: 120 Dollars
Executive Omakase: 180 Dollars
Seasonal Menu: 148 Dollars
After booking the Dine Out menu online I receive a call telling me it's unavailable. Arriving onl location there is no Trace of the 88 Dollar Menu anywhere. I ask about the Executive Menu and am told it's not available at the moment. Then I'm told the Seasonal Menu will not be available till Monday. Premium Omakase it is! (I guess). But it's not over! I am offered the Upgrade on my menu with Caviar and Uni dishes but no mention is made to me about a Sake Tasting. The diner to my right is offered the Sake Tasting, but no mention of menu upgrades. The diner to my left is offered neither (at this point I was pauing attention because I was annoyed). Deeply confusing
The Menu: 7/10
1st Course 7/10
Sashimi of the Day, specifically Saba, Hamachi, Hotate. Served with Freshly Grated Wasabi and House Made Soy Sauce. Solid as a sashimi offer but nothing special
2nd Course 8/10
Aburi King Salmon with Spinach Puree and Salmon Skin Crisps. This was special. Makes use of Vancouver Ingredients to the maximum extent, the taste was excellent and the Salmon Skin Crisps where an ingenious idea for texture and adding som zingyness
3rd Course 8.5/10
Tempura Fried Scallops, Roasted Carrots, Kombu Celery and a Shellfish Emulsion. This is a genuinely interesting dish, the Shellfish Emulsion has just enough zinginess brought by infused oil and ponzu to make it a pop of flavour in every bite while also remaining a great base each bite can play along. The Tempura on the Scallops is perfect. I am by no means an expert but I have enjoyed the texture and flavor more than I've enjoyed many dishes in Tokyo and Kyoto during my visits to Japan. The roasted carrots and carrot mousse are an interesting addition and offer a more round and earthy counterpoint. Finally the Kombu Celery provides a more acidic and sour bit that complete the flavour palette. Interesting and probably the standout of the night.
4th Course 6/10
Chawamushi with Snow Crab, Mushrooms and Black Truffle Infusion. A bit too much, it tastes interesting but the flavors are too "big" so to speak. The egg base of the dish and the snow crab are flavors that whisper but the black truffle truly screams. There is very little nuanced to it, each bite tastes the same as the previous which i did not appreciate in the dish with the most individual bites of the service
5th Course, Nigiri Selection: 7/10
(Assume they are if nothing else excellently prepared and offering a good balance of fish to rice to wasabi and that the Chef is if nothing else a masterful craftsman. These are scored based on my enjoyment and will contribute all to 1 final score for the Nigiri Selection)
1) Madai 7/10
2) Shima-Aji 7.5/10
3) Chu-Toro 7/10
4) Otoro 6.5/10 (mostly just uniteresting)
5) Amaebi 6.5/10 (same as above)
6) Aburi Hirame 8.5/10 (standout bite)
7) Uni 7.5/10
8) Foie Gras 6/10 (you really needed to do something extra for me to fall in love with Foie Gras Nigiri)
6th Course 7/10
Tamago Brúlée. A fun bite but something I've had before and this was the lesser interpretation of the idea
Dessert: 5/10
Strawberry Matcha Tiramisù. Served with very hard strawberry meringue and allegedly strawberry compote. Does not really work for me. Tries to innovate on tiramisù and manages to make it both less interesting and less flavorful. The compote being borderline a fraudulent listing on the menu might be a blessing in disguise as it makes the quantity smaller and more manageable.
Overall: 5.5/10 indefensible for the journey. Barely excusable for the price. If you feel like having casual dining quality Japanese food, with the pomp of fine dining but the location of an out of the way strip mall this if for you. Otherwise save your time, Sushi Bar Shu (Golden Plate), and Okeya's brunch (1 Michelin Star) or even the hyper affordable Sushi Hill (top 50 Japanese in Canada) Offer comparable experiences and are leagues above.
Closest point of comparison is Sushi Bar Maumi which is leagues above and actually accessible by car and transit right in downtown
by Groomgdill