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Traditional Japanese dining served in a contemporary style
Right near the quieter end of the Drive. Walk inside and I swear it belongs in Yaletown or the swankier sides of town. Maybe it's a misfit for the Drive, but who cares?
Service was fabulous. Very friendly and also attentive without being intrusive. The waitress anticipated all our needs.
Let's get to the food. Fantastic! Haven't said this for a long time. Seafood sunomono is not like anything we've ever tried before. Must try. We had a sushi sampler, it was great. No fake crab in the rolls, the real thing. The nigiri was done very, very well (I'd perhaps prefer a little more vinegar in my sushi rice, but nitpicking here). We also had deep fried avocado, triple-mini burgers, saikyo sablefish. What can I say but YUM!
Now about that soba... the waitress mentioned that the chef is actually on a visa from Japan and her family had been soba makers for generations. I'd believe it, this is possibly the best soba ever. The texture is incomparable to anything in town. Or elsewhere. We have been to Tokyo where we tracked down the place that claims to have supplied the royal family for hundreds of years and while wonderful and exquisite, the noodles were not this good. It's pricey, but you have to try this once in your life to know what real fresh hand-made soba should be like.
Be sure to leave room for the dessert, which will not disappoint.
The only downside is perhaps the price. For our group, it came to $50 per person after tax and tips, without drinks. You might be able to do cheaper, but it'd be a trick to get under $30 I think.
Not your every day diner, but this is one of the rare must try places in town. Save it for a special occasion if you must, but do go.
The Other Half and I have been driving by this restaurant occasionally, and every time we say..."gotta try that place". This evening the opportunity coincided with the occasion (anniversary), and we finally got there.
Nice room, open and uncluttered, with several levels. We were seated up on the top level by the sushi bar. Our reservation was for 6:30, and there were not too many tables occupied that early on a Saturday night. Later (9:00 - midnight) there is live music - it was getting busy by the time we left around 8:00. The servers were careful to mention the cover charge that kicks in at 9:00.
Food was very, very good. We had miso soup (standard) and then shared tuna with a sesame dressing, chilled slices of soy-simmered duck breast with mustard, spicy-sesame tuna roll topped with more tuna, assorted sashimi, toro nigiri sushi, and a flask of cold sake. Everything was well-presented, the fish impeccably fresh.
Service was team-style, with the nearest server picking up and delivering dishes. Dishes arrived in a timely fashion, and we didn't ever seem to have to wait too long for anything.
In my opinion, the value was reasonable for the quality of the food, the style of the room and the service. Not an inexpensive place, by any means, but it worked out well for a special occasion. We'll have to go back - there's more to explore on that menu!
Food was not bad. We had lots of food shared among the 4 of us. Ranging from a sunomono salad served in a grapefruit to soba rolled into maki sushi to sashimi to beef ribs that is reminiscent of Chinese/Filipino food. The highlight was their martini’s. They had really good drinks and the list was exhaustive and very unique martini’s that were good although priced a little too high. I would anticipate the rent is not high compared to that of downtown Vancouver or Yaletown hence the $9 per martini and $18 for tuna belly sashimi felt a little exorbitant. We frequent Yaletown often hence am aware that sashimi can be expensive, say @ Blue Water or Sakana or Tojo’s in False Creek area, but on Commercial Drive where good value eats are abundant, it felt a little, I don’t know, strange. The room was nicely decorated with modern décor, chairs and a raised seating area in the back. The entertainment was ok, it was not why we were there so I won’t comment further. Having said all that, the sashimi was fresh, some of the fish items like sablefish and hamachi cheek were excellent. If you patronize thinking you can eat your usual Japanese dishes, it’s not that kind of place, its fancy but it felt like it did not belong. We left hungry after having spent $60 per person. Service was good though, friendly staff that knew the menu and made good recommendations.
Found this place while reading someone's blog. Wow so glad I did!
I was so excited to come here cuz the website looked so tempting!
Came here on a quiet Sunday evening for dinner. Once we stepped in, it's like we're in a totally different part of town. It didn't feel like I was dining on Commercial Dr.
We ordered a bunch of stuff: Organic Green Tea ($3 in a very nice teapot), Miso Soup (nice & hot), Spicy Tuna roll (nicely put together but prefer it with cucumber), Edamame (yum), Crispy Avocado (lovely), Cabbage Roll (creamy), Toro Sushi (fresh) and desserts (delicious!).
Overall, for a satisfying meal, it's gonna cost you $25+/person. But it was all worth it. It's definitely 5x better than Hapa or Guu.
This is lovely place. I will definitely come back here to splurge again. They have live entertainment every night at 9pm. I would like to check that out one day.
Been meaning to try this one for a while, but with all the cheap sushi places around it was never at the top of the list. Glad we finally dropped in though, the food was fantastic, very creative, and worth the extra cost. We had the lobster roll, tuna tataki, tuna gomae, panko portabella, crispy avocado, fried gyoza...all just awesome! Only small complaint would be the miso soup is a bit generic for $3.
Service was good, a lot better than some places on the Drive that take a very laid back approach which can seem indifferent at times.
Low rating on the ambiance as we didn't realize (and weren't given any heads-up) that there would be a live performance (7pm on a Tuesday). The place was almost empty and we were sat in the front area, and halfway through the meal someone jumped on stage and started singing; the volume was too loud for table conversation and we could barely understand the server. I'm all for live shows, but seemed like an odd venue and day/time for it. They could also dim the lights a bit more in the evening.
I had dinner at Lime with a friend on a Tuesday night. Since the restaurant didn't have that many customers on a Tuesday night, there was only one server working. My friend and I ordered drinks and food but the server kept rushing us to order more stuff once we were finished with our drinks. The food wasn't that creative and unique either. Lime is simply another izakaya to me.
I had the opportunity to try Lime a couple weeks ago with the boy. We had walked up and down the Drive in search of some Saturday night munchies and fell in love with the bluesy music flowing out of Lime. (Lime! Not to be confused with its' predecessor / daytime associate Rime, a Turkish restaurant).
Lime serves Japanese tapas and sushi with a twist. We ordered two rounds of drinks, a dynamite roll, a chopped scallop roll, and ebi chili.
We we pleasantly surprised to find a lounge that had a signature cocktail list. Everything from the decor to the place settings to the menus were well thought out and complemented each other; we had mojitos and a peach drink to go with our food and as we munched away on the textural delights of blond tobiko, asparagus, and piping hot tempura shrimp, we enjoyed the sounds of the live ~8-person band playing.
The waitress was very attentive and was always present to offer us more drinks, take more orders, and to offer advice on what to order next.
The price was a little expensive; it cost us about $70 for the above offerings, but we would definately return again. We've already told many friends about Lime!
We called one night for a table 15 minutes prior to going to Lime after finding out about the restaurant. We were told 2 seats by the sushi bar would be reserved just for us. We walked in and were seated after a few minutes, they have very innovative drinks here, we ordered a beef sashimi, it was the best tasting beef sashimi ever! So juicy and tender, it was also beautifully presented in a rose shape form. Next came the salmon sashimi, it was great quality sashimi and very fresh!! The prawn tempura was lightly battered and was very crunchy, it was cooked to perfection! We also ordered the spicy tuna roll, the tuna piece on top of the roll just melts in your mouth and it had the perfect blend of chilli spice in it. We also had the ebi chili which was good but I thought it was too simple, it was light crispy deep fried prawns with eggplants, broccoli and zucchini. We also had the chilled duck breast which was very good! We enjoyed all this as we watched the sushi chefs prepare dishes after dishes by the bar, I was already craving to order more! Great desserts too! I ordered the chocolate cheese cake which was a matcha sponge cake with chocolate, this one is a must try! Sooooo YUMMMY! This place has a great ambiance, live bands playing every night while you dine. Great hidden gem on Commercial Drive!! MUST TRY!
The food was fine - standard sushi fusion affair. I liked the Japanese tapas type idea and it was done fairly well. It was quite pricey for what you got but the quality was fairly good.
What was not good was the service. We were treated terribly. Food was all but thrown on the table. We had to ask several times before getting drinks/ the bill / etc...
We complained and got a very nondescript almost childish response to our concerns.
I went to the restaurant as my friend was actually the live act there that evening and even if he plays there again I will not be back.
I've been to Lime 5 times and tried the Omakase 4 times and have not once been disappointed. I tried the $35, $50 and $75 menu and they are all very good. The one that I recommend the most is the Lobster Omakase for $50 which offers 4 courses of lobster - lobster sashimi, lobster miso, grilled lobster and lobster sushi. Lime's omakase is very comparable to Tojo's, except they only charge half the price! Definitely worth a try.
Was curious after reading some reviews, and being a fan of japanese food I decided to check it out.
FOOD >>> Assorted sashimi was excellent. Was a little disappointed with the lobster roll. Tuna tataki was good. Snow crab roll, pretty much like a california roll, but less flavor. The highlights for me were actually the deserts. We tried the daily special which was a bowl made out of a freshly fried doughnut that contained custard, in which you were supposed to dip fresh fruit and eat. Then we had the chocolate cheese cake, which came with a chocolate mousse, whipping cream and a grean tea sponge cake. Excellent, and definitely filled us right us.
SERVICE >>> Excellent. The waitress was not overly friendly (which really bothers me), came exactly when was needed, since she was always standing by watcing all the tables. Brought everything promptly. We were also seated immediately and treated with respect.
VALUE >>> I was beginning to think we were going to leave hungry after spending nearly 100$ for two people, but the desert saved the dinner. $6 is reasonable for a huge amount of desert that was really excellent. As for the dinner menu, I strongly feel it is overpriced. Therefore I would sooner try other places than return to an overpriced restaurant that I've already tried.
AMBIANCE >>> The music that was being played live was extremely irritating. The tables were nicely set and the light was just the right dimness. My boyfriend said he was a little cold, but I founf the temperature to be pleasant.
Let me just start by saying that I like me some japanese food and I like me some afro-cuban music, but the combination, well...should be thought through very carefully and then dismissed.
That may be a strange way to begin a review of this restaurant, but it was a strange dining experience. I'll say that the food was pretty good, but nothing blew me away and I wasn't left thinking about any particular dish (positive or negative). Let's face it we live in Vancouver and there is an abundance of Japanese Izakaya/sushi out there, and if you're like me you love that about our city. Some of these are amazing, some are bad, but most are pretty decent so what sets this one apart?
Well maybe it was standing beside our table for 4 while we waited for a late leaving table to open up so our group of 5 (we made a reservation for 5) could be properly seated. Not a big deal on its own, in fact the humour was well appreciated...But why seat a group of 5 if you only have 4 chairs and why not bring over an extra chair while we wait? You know one of those extra chairs that were stacked beside the doorway?
When we made the reservations we were told that there'd be live music at 9:30, now I like me some live music as much as the next guy or girl but I'm not a big fan of having a live band play while having dinner with friends. That's just me and that's why we made the reservation for 8:00 figuring that we'd be finishing/finished our entrees by magic time and thus would either sit back and enjoy the show over dessert or bolt quickly if the band blew... not a bad plan no?
Well, the band took the stage early (as we awaited our starters). A talented four piece "afro-cuban" group featuring conga drums and a vibraphones...yes percussion heavy. Japanese, even modern japanese dining and afro-cuban music may seem like a bold mix, eclectic even, some would say evocative, part of the charm of dining on the drive perhaps? but really? really?
The rest of the experience is a bit of a blur, washed away by the driving, pulsating rhythms and crashing crescendos of Jarimba ... music whose beats will follow you home, tuck you in and make breakfast for you the following morning (take that as you may, suffice it to stay...it lingers). But to say that it is a welcome accompaniment to dining with friends who have neither a working knowledge of ASL or wish to communicate to each other via text messaging during a communal meal, would be wrong...very wrong...beatastically wrong.
Now I'm sure you get the picture so I'll wrap this up by saying we were all pleasantly surprised that 1/2 way through our meal the manager/hostess sidled up to us and asked us how we felt about paying the $10 cover charge for the live music we were so not enjoying and but for our late arriving dishes (some of which were not the ones we had actually ordered) we had hoped to miss entirely...best laid plans I guess.
I'll end this by offering 3 pieces of advice to Lime:
1) If you're going to charge cover for an afro-cuban musical extravaganza, maybe let your patrons know this when they make their reservation or at least when they are seated (well maybe when you seat 4/5 of them;
2) there's only so many times your wait staff can apologize to your patrons before everyone just wishes they could rewind the evening decide to take out from Toshi's and enjoy some assaultingly loud afro-cuban beats in the comfort of their own home maybe some sun ra; and
3) assaultingly loud afro-cuban beats and passable japanese cuisine...is something that one should think about...alot...and then dismiss.
Sorry for all the negative, my heart goes out to our waitress as she was pleasant even while overwhelmed by too many tables (which in fairness included a table for 12-14)...maybe the manager/hostess should have given her more of a hand instead of playing doorman/roadie.
We've been to Lime a couple times now, and have enjoyed it each time. It's a great place to go for a drink, and the food is tasty as well.
Both times we went they had the same jazz combo playing, which was quite enjoyable. The decor is also great, and the servers are friendly.
The food is pricy, compared to your average sushi joint, but average this is not. We enjoyed some unique and delicious rolls as well as excellent nigiri.
I would recommend it for anyone looking for a nice place to relax with some friends, enjoy some music, and eat some quality food.
We went to Lime last night for my best friend's birthday.
The service was alright, the decor/ambience was alright, but the food was INCREDIBLE. Everything at was amazingly fresh and delicious.
We will be back soon...for the Toro Stack.
I highly recommend this restaurant. It's definitely one of Vancouver's best comtemporary Japanese dining experiences.
Bringing out-of-town guests to a restaurant I hadn't been to before was a bit chancy, but was well worth the risk.
The look: Lime has a lovely clean look, and even beautiful dishes! The food was very nicely arranged as well. Up near the sushi bar is a TV screen, which is not so great but they shut it off shortly after we got there; I personally dislike TVs in restaurants.
The food: We ordered a combination sushi platter, avocado appy, yam rolls and spicy tuna rolls and shared. Very delicious, indeed, so we ordered extras of two of our favourites for further sharing. My sister, an Albertan, enjoyed herself thoroughly; she never gets such a fresh and yummy treat in the small town she lives in in beef country.
I highly commend Lime to anyone and hope it becomes a very successful restaurant!
This restaurant replaces a popular jazz and live music joint with high-end Japanese dining, but live entertainment still happens late night. We saw frequent peeks from outside but few would walk in. The sushi was fresh and properly sized, and the kitchen food was traditional yet innovative. Sides had to be ordered separately and I didn't like this arrangement, although it probably gives the entrees a more special presentation. Dishes was also on the small side and with sushi and entrees it could easily cost more than $30 per person. In contrast, the plates were oversized; so much so that the table was too small, although the dinerware looked great. Overall, the food rivals other high-end Japanese places around town. Our server tried her hardest to please but didn't know what she was doing. In fact she seemed like she never had authentic Japanese food before. Granted the restaurant is brand new and this is probably just a teething problem. The decor is in the same line as Hapa, and the stepped arrangement is decidedly funky. I would consider this again when looking for this type of food, if not for the odd paring of such food in Commercial.
| 1. | Portuguese Club of Vancouver (2 m) | |
| 2. | Palki Restaurant (4 m) |  |
| 3. | Tio Pepe's (9 m) |  |
| 4. | Taiyo Sushi (32 m) |  |
| 5. | Sweet Cherubim Natural Foods & Restaurant (38 m) |  |
| 6. | Joe's Cafe (41 m) | |
| 7. | Biercraft Tap and Tapas Bar (43 m) | |
| 8. | Tony's Deli (61 m) |  |
| 9. | Pizza Garden (72 m) | |
| 10. | Havana Restaurant (81 m) | |
