I arrived in Vancouver on a Saturday night, met up with my dad, went straight for the Listel Hotel (1300 Robson st.), which is quite the gem, and walked up Robson in search of some great sushi spot. After walking by Korean BBQ, Ramen counters, and packed sushi Zagat rated restaurants, we settled for a generic but cute all you can eat sushi spot. Ok ok, we have them in O-ttown too, but something about a happy hour sushi buffet in Vancouver and starting our trip on a full stomach appealed to us.
There aren't many things I enjoy deep fried and battered, but yam tempura is one of them. This one however, was too greasy, drippy even, and had that Bart rubs Homer's burger on the wall at Krusty's which turns it see-through and ok's it as being fatty enough kind of quality to it. The spinach salad pictured on top was delicious with it's peanut flavored sauce, but could have come in a larger format that a table spoons worth in a dipping bowl.
The sashimi was fresh tasting (don't be fooled by the oversaturation in this picture, I edited on the fly.)
The nigiri had too much rice, which is common for buffets, but alas, filling and fresh tasting enough for a late night meal.
The maki was plain despite it's pretty appearance.
And the scallops looked disgusting baked in a dish of creamy sauce and cheddar. I wasn't about to commit hara-kiri with this lactose and fat injection.
Overall, we left full and underwhelmed. The buffet served it's purpose, we had tons of fish on the cheap, but it was so not memorable I didn't jot down it's name. If you're walking up past 1300 on Robson and you see a sweet looking buffet open late on a Saturday night with not many people inside, it's probably worth skipping. The menu was small, but at least the Japanese plum wine was plentiful.
What about a salad dressing you say? The delicious flavoring of the Mexican rice only needs a dab of spicy salsa, ever so conveniently placed where any other Mickey D's would keep the ketchup, in pumps!
