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Aoki Sushi is a Japanese restaurant on West Broadway.
The food at Aoki is exactly the same as I remember it the last time I was here a few years ago. Portions are larger than what you'd expect and reasonably priced. They are by no means jumbo but everything seems to be a little bigger than the places I usually frequent.
We ordered a few dishes including salmon and tuna sashimi, dynamite roll, spicy tuna roll and gyoza. The gyoza was watery and barely even pan-fried. The sashimi was good but one of my pieces of tuna sashimi had a bone in it, which is kind of nasty. The spicy tuna roll was just plain bad and was the premixed variety. Maybe I am spoiled and used to fresh chopped tuna with spicy sauce on top.
The ambiance is nothing to write home about and I find the electronic greeting machine a little bit creepy. The service was attentive.
Anyways, the food here is OK but with the plethora of sushi options in Vancouver, I won't be returning anytime soon.
Vegetarianism is a foreign concept in Japan so it's not surprising that there aren't too many vegetarian options at most Japanese restaurants. However, Aoki Sushi seems to have nailed it with a wide variety of rolls including pumpkin, purple yam, tofu, tamago (egg), gomaae and shiitake mushroom, oshinko and cucumber . They also make an awesome avocado roll which has avocado inside and thinly sliced on the outside. A work of art! I haven't tried the fish here but it smells like fresh seafood in the restaurant which is a good sign. The famous Pink Godzilla roll (kiwi and strawberry on a deep fried chicken roll with a variety of sauces) is interesting although I'm not sure all the parts work together. However if you eat them individually it's not bad but at $9.50 it's pretty steep.
Service has been good both times I've gone there and my tea cup was always full. I would definitely come back to this place for the vegetarian menu. Thumbs up.
Been to this place once before and had a good meal so returned recently. A Japanese owned sushi place which is somewhat rare these days. The chef is a bit ecentric as he wears some sort of mask on his head (hair). Only tried the sushi/sashimi and it was very good. Sashimi served in ice plates and salmon was wild. Tuna was soft and very good. Rolls were above average but didn't try any of their fancy rolls. Service was fast and efficient. Ambiance is the only down side with it being more like a cafe than a restaurant. Would go back.
If you've been to other Japanese restaurants like Shiro, Taka, Sonomama or Kibune, then you would know this place is bad. I agree with the previous comment that their karaage is horrendous. The batter was cakey and rubbery, very strange for karaage, and I know karaage is NOT supposed to taste like that. I've been there twice and recently was a huge takeout order. Considering it was almost summer, temperatures outside was about 25 degrees, since they have no a/c, it was warm in the restaurant which should have been a red flag as you cannot handle raw fish if its warm in your restaurant. The time is sits on the counter or in your takeout box before delivery or pickup is crucial isn't it. So I ordered cooked food only. I had to order sashimi for my spouse but while eating it, notice it was a huge thick chunk reminding me of Korean or Vietnamese owned places and not caring for quality over quantity. Still, I cannot stress about the important of fish handling in a sushi restaurant, it is raw for god sakes! I did not enjoy my experience here at all. I went there because it was close to home, but nah next time I'd rather waste gas and drive to Cambie or Cornwall to have fresher sushi that is supposed to. The ambiance here is quite odd, a little sad I felt, so much potential if they just spruce the place up, put in a/c, make proper karaage.
New owners, big fail. Now, the fish isn't fresh, the food has lost its delicate authentic nature, service is quite slow, and I'm starting to feel nauseous after the meal. Unfortunately I pre-bought 2 meal coupons deals, might just toss the second one though because I really don't want to return.
The old family owned place used to be my favourite Japanese restaurant in the city... it's a MAJOR loss that it has changed so drastically.
My husband and I used our deal find coupon today at Aoki Sushi. We've been to a lot of sushi restaurants and I would say this restaurant is better than a lot of the generic Japanese restaurants in Vancouver. My husband is extremely picky when it comes to Japanese cuisine and is a faithful costumer of Toshi on Main for many years so it was hard to get him to try a different Japanese restaurant. Overall he was very happy with the food. I was too. We loved the vegetable gyozas at this Aoki, definitely one of the better ones we've had. The burdock roll was superior! I also ordered a sunshine roll and a BC roll too which were both not bad. This isn't the place for ambience and authentic Japanese feel and decor but If you want solid sushi around the neighborhood, this is the one to go! They are open on Sundays which is good thing too! Will go back again if we're ever in the area.
We were just looking for an upgrade from Kitsilano Sushi, but we really hit the jackpot with this place! I admittedly am no sushi expert but I had the best sushi I've ever had tonight at Aoki. The tuna melted in my mouth. My vegetarian boyfriend loved his rolls as well. I recommended ordering the seasonal sashimi assortment, it was really good and presented in a bowl made of solid ice. And the prices are so reasonable! This place is definitely my new favorite.
Hands down, Aoki Sushi is the place I go to for fresh, good quality sushi. I appreciate their use of wild salmon as well as their friendly and hospitable staff. They are run by a husband and wife team - and I've always been warmly greeted upon arrival and leaving. Excellent value for your dollar. Lots of creative rolls, (Mediterranean Roll contains pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes; the Aoki roll has shrimp, green onion in a mayonnaise sauce, the Caterpillar Roll has unagi, cucumber on the inside and is topped with thinly sliced avocado). I also like their Bento Boxes - Box A has California rolls, beef or chicken terriyaki (no rice, lots of veggies) 3 pieces of nigiri sushi, green salad, miso soup - all for $8.25). Service can be slow during busy times, and the layout is small and a bit cramped, but it more than makes up for ambience with its great food and warm staff.
I had already submitted a review for this restaurant, but it's been under new ownership since June I believe. Since then, I've eaten there twice and it's just not the same as the old Aoki Sushi. It still looks the same and there is the same menu as before but they no longer open for lunch. They also no longer serve the salmon mango roll - one of my old favourites. The food was ok, but nothing special. It was just your run of the mill sushi place and you can go anywhere for that. It seemed to be lacking something in comparison to before. The fish wasn't as flavourful as I remember.
Service was all right. The server was very polite though there was a long wait for the bill and we ended up just going up to the counter. Overall, it was just average and I'm not rushing to go back. I'd probably go only if I were in the area but wouldn't make a special trip. It's time to find another hidden gem sushi place since this is not longer it.
The food here is always consistently good. I recommend the sashimi as it is generously sized. They have some really neat dishes like the Caterpiller Roll and all the sushi classics. We go here often and find the service always prompt and friendly. One of the better sushi places in Vancouver.
I have come to the conclusion that there are only two types of sushi restaurants in vancouver: either really expensive or quite expensive but with excellent quality like Tojo's or Miku on the one hand, and low quality sushi like all-you-can-eat on the other. It is pretty much impossible to find something in between.
I was hoping to find a mid-range sushi place, ie. not stellar, but decent quality sushi at not cheap but still affordable prices, and decided to give Sushi Aoki a try tonight. Let's just say that it was a sorely disappointed experience. Here is why:
The paramount benchmark for any sushi restaurant is the quality of the fish. (It's not whether the chef and staff are japanese, like some of the commenters here like to think. Even though it is nice if they were. By the way, Aoki-san is actually not japanese, for those who seem to be obsessed with a japanese sushi chef.) And on this count, Sushi Aoki failed miserably. One of the commenters said that he used to live near Tsukiji in Tokyo and gave a glowing review of Aoki's fish quality. Well, I can only say that may be he came on a good day or I came on a bad day, but the fish was simply not up to standard.
I only ate nigiri. (If you would like to eat Japanese sushi, try nigiri. However, considering the low quality of most sushi restaurants in vancouver it might be better to just stick with North American sushi, i.e. rolls.) Salmon was probably the only fish that was okay. Tuna, hamachi - my favourite, and tai were not fresh at all. And the worst was saba. It completely destroyed my appetite!
That said, there was a bright spot. At least the rice was warm. Now, to those who think that sushi rice should be cold, think again. Warm rice means that it has recently been mixed and stored properly. Cold rice means it is stale and has been sitting around or in the fridge for a while. Why on earth do you want to eat stale rice?!
In terms of service and decor, nothing spectacular but nothing to really complain about either, hence the neutral 3 star rating.
In conclusion, considering how much i paid, i would have rather paid a bit more and go to Miku or pay less and expect less and go to an all you can eat place. And that is exactly what i plan to do from now on. Good bye, Aoki!
We live in Kits on closer to the water so there are many sushi places on W. 4th that compete for our sushi dollars, but Aoki has got to be the best all around!
It is a further walk for us but way worth it in terms of the food. We ordered the S+T Combo - 4 salmon and 4 tuna nigiri which were delicious, the salmon nigiri were definitly a highlight of the meal - bright, fresh and delicous.
We also ordered an appetizer Tempura, Spicy Tuna roll and a Catepillar roll.
The tempura was good, catepillar roll was nice as well (big roll) but the spicy tuna roll was unreal! Another highlight.
Lastly the service in this place is so nice, the women working are so friendly, true japanese service. You have to love the free appetizer you get as soon as you sit down as well.
Mmmmm with the weather warming up I can't wait to go for a walk up to Aoki for another Spicy Tuna roll and Salmon nigiri....Love it!
First off, let me tell you that I lived a 15 minute walk from the Tsukiji market in Tokyo for 3 years. I know my sushi. While Sushi Aoki may not be trendy or even "nice" inside, it's clean and that's all that matters when you consider the food. All I can say is FRESH AMAZING FISH!!!!! If you want to know the true awesome-factor of this restaurant you need to get away from your California and BC Rolls, and rolls in general (not to say their rolls are bad, far from it), and get into the real stuff. Sushi Aoki has among the best saba (mackerel) and uni (sea urchin) that I've ever had. Their hamachi (yellow tail) is top-notch, and their Aji is delicious. I'll just go out and say it, they have better fish than most places that charge twice the price. If you want to get a taste of what I'm talking about try their Chirashi bowl (the regular is huge!). For 14 bucks you get what you would pay 25 for anywhere else. Their assorted sashimi plates are two-thirds the price of what anywhere else would charge and way better! Why this place doesn't have a line out the door during all their opening hours is beyond me. Aside from fish their raw oysters are incredible (1.85 each?! are you kidding me?!?!) and are a must try. I haven't gotten much in to their hot food as I'm always drawn to their raw stuff but their Prawn Gyoza are great, and their bento boxes are the biggest steal of anywhere in town. Do yourself a favour and go to this sushi restaurant! What is more, ignore any bad reviews you see as the people who wrote them were either disillusioned by bad service (it CAN at times be slow, but it's worth it!) or have absolutely NO IDEA what they are talking about. Just keep in mind, they are no longer open for lunch time. Now what are you waiting for?!
I thought this place would be a wonderful find according to the previous reviews, but the only thing I found that was different was their presentation of food and maybe the sashimi was of better quality. The service was a bit difficult, as they could not speak English very well, but they were kind and accomodating.
Their food is good, but does not grab my attention in terms of distinctiveness. It is fresh, and it's basically any other Japanese-owned Japanese restaurant I know. The saba is recommendable. Their desserts are pretty good as well, I would try those.
Seems to be a popular among the locals. If I was a local, I would come here as well, but not drive an hour to see what the hype is about.
I've only ordered take-out from here a few times, and every time I do, I am never disappointed. My absolute fave is the Pink Godzilla roll. The portion was huge and very well priced at around $7. The fruit/chicken/tuna combination was really unique and quite tasty. The person who said this was awful just doesn't know what "good" tastes like.
We frequented this restaurant several times a year and this past week's experience was a total disappointment. The previous owner/chef has always impressed us with fresh ingredients, creative plating and good service. This time around everything went from an A+ to a poor C. The salmon sashimi came out like a loaf of bread - just sliced and placed on top of a piece of lettuce and not even fanned out. The portion size was like two thirds of what we had before and the worst part was it wasn't even fresh. The rolls came out falling apart and the avocado was not ripe. So from a creamy dreamy texture to hard and tasteless...The chicken teriyaki was again tasteless and just slapped on the plate. There were 6 of us and we ordered quite a bit of food. The dirty dishes started to pile up on top of each other, our teacups were empty, and there wasn't any service at all. Our udon came out missing the egg and chicken and it took a while before the waitress realized the mistake (I kept asking where's the egg and chicken?). If this new owner think he can bank on old repeated customers with poor food and service then he better start thinking hard. We definitely will not go back.
As I just did I went the restaurant without any expectation about interior only for food. But when I entered the restaurant I was impressed by the design of inside. Because even they made interior renovation they didn't change anything exterior. Before sushi aoki was just for good food but now it became even good place for meeting place.
Food is still really good and fresh as before and ambiance became very good. This restaurant became one of the best places for dinner in Vancouver.
I was hungry and I would never go to Posh alone so I stopped by this tiny little Japanese place. The outer look of the place looked a bit aged so set my standards low. I walked in and was greeted by a Japanese voice machine and all the staff. Oh and the place was BUSY. I was seated immediately and was given a menu. Waited 2 minutes and they took my order; BC Roll and Chicken Yakisoba.
A small wait later, my BC Roll was served. First reaction, HOLY GEEZ thats huge! They're about twice as big as your average sushi place and they never skimped on the salmon. While I was at it, ordered some Salmon Sashimi. Yakisoba arrived and was amazed again, just right and not too salty, very close to the best. Salmon sashimi was fresh, and they only serve sockeye salmon, not the cheezy Atlantic.
Overall, one of my Favourite Japanese places. I come from Richmond every now and just to eat there. I always see the sushi chef with the little Pikachu mask, oh did I mention its REAL AUTHENTIC JAPANESE? You can hear them speaking Japanese, not Chinese or Korean. Be a little paitent if you eat though, I can take some time because they're so busy.
Okay, this a long-overdue review, I can't believe I had not written anything about this place yet!
As an avid sushi-eater...I am always on the hunt for sushi joints offering good, innovative/fancy/creative/specialty rolls...I think it is quite the "fad" now.
Ordered a bunch of things - everything was either mediocre or not good/fresh/yucky, esp. the "Pink Godzilla" roll...others may oppose to this, but I thought that this roll was disgusting! FIrst of all, it was MASSIVE and non-appealing. It had basically a chicken teri roll, deep fried, with kiwi and strawberries on top, drizzles with mayo, hot sauce and balsamic vinegarette (?). Although each ingredient may sound/look appealing its own sense, it was a horrible idea to pool all these together. 'Twas definitely a disappointment and will never return.
We ordered an appetizer and some sushi rolls.
Agedashi-tofu was good and I was happy with the portion too.
Highly recommend their Negitoro-roll (Chopped tuna and onions).
Overall, portions are big and good cost performance.
Shop people are very friendly and super nice. Won’t ruin your mood like other places.
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| 4. | Mesa Luna Dine & Dance (63 m) | |
| 5. | Manchester Public Eatery (100 m) |  |
| 6. | 9th Avenue Grill (104 m) | |
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| 10. | Osaka Teppanyaki (187 m) | |
