- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Hapa Umi
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
909 W Cordova StVancouver, BC V6C 3L5
Neighbourhood: Downtown
(604) 420-4272
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
waisik m. said: "Catch the happy hour and it's very reasonable, given the high quality. Portions are small but the taste makes up for it. .Stick with the BBQ meat which is what they're famous for. Rice bowls are decent too. Service was very good.…" read more »
30 reviews for Hapa Umi
Review Highlights
-
"...bentos included tuna and beef tataki which were both tasty." In 3 reviews -
"Sashimi salad and bento box were delish." In 2 reviews -
"The sashimi was very fresh and well prepared." In 3 reviews
Loading...
30 reviews in English
-
Review from Lianne M.
Riley Park, Vancouver, BC
12/28/2011
Have been trying to find a nice sushi spot to take out-of-towners to, and now I've found it! The food, ambience & service was excellent. Miku cannot compare on any of these levels.
Can't remember the name of the grilled salmon with cream cheese but it was amazing. Our waitress had done an internship at a sake "brewery" & gave us a brief education when it came to the sake flight we ordered. Loved em all.
It was a quiet night, Dec 23, so we chatted a bit with the waitress and then when it came time for dessert, she brought us a complimentary piece of pie and housemade ice cream (super yum) from the kitchen staff.
It's not cheap, but good sushi never is. We had the sake flight for $18, sashimi platter, salmon dish mentioned above, and calamari. We were very satisfied - bill came to $104 plus tip. -
Review from TheHungryNomad E.
3/1/2012
I've been a big fan of the Hapa restaurants ever since the first opened up years ago in front of my house on Robson street. In fact back then I split my time between Hapa Izakaya and Guu with Garlic on Robson. I love both Hapa Izakayas (Robson and Yaletown locations) and was excited to hear that another Izakaya was opening close to my office on West Cordova making it an optimal location for a work lunch.
On the wettest, coldest, rainiest/snowiest day I made my way down to Hapa Umi wanting nothing more than something to warm me up. The venue is very clean and modern. In fact the Hapas are commonly referred to as the Japanese version of Cactus Club. Same service, similar clientele, just different food. The food was good although I myself prefer the other two locations. Perhaps it was the lunch menu but I was not a big fan of the Tempura Udon as it lacked in flavour. The sushi and my friend's Udon dish were both good; however nothing that good to merit the price. Overall, it is a nice location for a work lunch if you are willing to spend more than the average for lunch. However, overall if I had to choose I would stick to the other Hapas preferring their menu and ambiance over Hapa Umi. -
Review from Annie M.
Vancouver, BC
Modern and upscale Japanese restaurant in downtown (Howe St & West Cordova St). I know this is a prime location and not expect cheap menu at all. In addition, meter parking is expensive too.
The interior was fancy - lacquer boxes and lighting. However, the food quality was not impressive at all for the cost. Nice lounge with TV. I suppose that's what I'm paying for at this
downtown location - fancy over quality.
The service was great and the waiter was so attentive and friendly.
We started with tofu salad - fresh but tasteless. Ahi tuna - very nice plate and presentation but a bit fishy.
Chopped scallops cones were ok. We ordered California roll, however, it came in Ebi roll. We didn't bother to ask the waiter for changes.
The" Salisbury" Steak - Pork and beef steak, ume emulsion was quite small in nice presentation.
The ling cod was quite thin and smoked instead of poached.
White Sesame Panna Cotta with Black sesame ice cream - The worst dessert I had in Japanese restaurant. It was so powdery and we only had a spoon then put it aside.
Chocolate Mousse Roll Cake - the mousse wasn't smooth. -
Review from Amanda L.
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Overall my experience was good, but it could have been better.
They were not allowing reservations so we winged it and ended up facing the decision to wait a long time or sit at the sushi bar. Having just flown in from Alberta we went with the fast option and sat at the sushi bar. I immediately regretted the choice since I don't eat meat and ended up with a birds eye view of all the raw fish, and the severe lack of food safe practices.
I got to watch my vegetarian roll be made on the same unwashed cutting board with the same unwashed hands and knife that assembled and cut multiple kinds of raw and cooked meats. There were traces of meats in the little bins they had their vegetables in but I was so hungry I forced myself to look away and just suck it up and not send my food back. I later saw them just rinsing off (yes, rinsing not washing) plates in a dirty sink because they had ran out of clean dishes. The cloth used to wipe down the knife and cutting board was so covered in food and sauces it looked like it had been in use all day. Bleh, not what I wanna see in a fancy restaurant. I know this is how most restaurants operate but when customers have a full on view of all cooking areas you gotta follow higher standards then this.
I am however still gonna give them 3 stars because the vegetarian roll was very good and I loved their polenta fries, they had a nice Japanese twist! There servers were also very friendly even though I was in a notably bad mood and didn't really want to be out in public at the time.
I would go back for the food if given the opportunity but there is absolutely no way I would sit at the sushi bar again. -
Review from Quan H.
1/9/2012
I love Japanese culture and Japanese food, so I will make an effort to try most places, even if they have negative reviews. Luckily, I had a $30 for $60 worth of food coupon.
I made reservations online, so the wait line was no problem at all. However, the table we were seated at (4 people) was awkwardly facing the entrance, so it felt like we were the receptionists or something.
This is a tapas place, so you order small plates to share (think Guu; Zakkushi).
Kaiware = radish sprouts
1. Salmon Salsa Battera - torched sockeye salmon, cream cheese, tomato salsa, mayo - sprinkled with thin nori; torched. 6 pieces nigiri type.
We wanted to try this because it said "torched." We're all big fans of aburi (torched) sashimi like toro, so maybe it couldn't be bad. I wish they torched it a bit more, as I could barely taste the smokiness, but the salsa, cheese, and mayo sauce combo was surprisingly good.
2. Tuna takaki - 7-spiced albacore tuna
Based on other places I've tried tuna takaki, I found the sauce here rather bland. I was expecting the tang from a ponzu sauce or something, but this was just bland. And maybe they're just looking out for us and don't want us to get mercury poisoning; very few thin slices for $$.
3. Fanny Bay Tempura Oysters
This was pretty good. The pickled veggies contrasted well with the shellfish.
4. Kakuni & scallop - soy-braised pork belly & seared scallop. 2 medium sized scallops & 4 squares of pork meat.
When it came to the table, we all stared at it for quite a while (not exaggerating). The pork belly were cut in cubes like the Chinese braised pork meat (http://www.heatandkniv...), and tasted quite similarly.
5. Shortrib lettuce wrap
This Korean-inspired dish came with the meat swimming in its sauce, on a bed of deep-fried rice noodles, 6 butterhead lettuce leaves, pickled lotus roots, and a sweet chili sauce. This dish was good; got a little messy because of the meat sauce, but the flavors balanced out quite nicely. Also, the sweet chili sauce is not overpoweringly spicy, as even my friend who finds pepper too spicy could handle it.
6. Ebimayo cone - tempura prawn, avocado, chili mayo
One order of cones is two cones, so we had two orders. It was a mutual agreement that the cone was a hit. I loved that the spiciness wasn't just addition of chili sauce but instead incorporated into the mayo.
6 dishes resulted in ~$100 not including tip. With the coupon, we paid ~$60. It's nice to come try the dishes, but don't expect to get full unless you're willing to dish out a lot. The ambiance is good for dates, and the view is good (right at the waterfront), so the high price is expected. However, with that money, I can get just as tasty, if not better, food and be satisfied without feeling sorry about my wallet. Guu is a cheaper alternative, with more choices, if you enjoy the small tapas.
Btw, we went to McDonalds afterwards. And I don't even like McDonalds. -
Review from Ellen L.
Updated - 1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is my second visit to Hapa Umi and very likely my last. I'm more than willing to drop some loonies on top notch nomming (once in a while of course...), but frankly I don't think Hapa Umi's food is worth its price tag.
Got the Fanny Bay Tempura Oysters ($11) again. What happened to the size of them oysters man? Maximal batter; minimal oyster. Sad face.
Sablefish Yuanzuke ($15) was a re-order too. Fish not as tender as last time, possibly an indicator of being overcooked. Marinate not as intense and less sweet.
The Polenta Fries ($8) - the size of the individual fry is smaller compared to my last visit. Unlike the size decrease of the oysters, I thought this improved the dish because it added more crunchiness.
From the fresh sheet, Salmon Salsa Battera ($14) was rrrrrreally good! See, if more of Hapa Umi's food had this WOW factor, I'd be a repeat customer. Salmon was torched to a wonderful smokiness, and complemented well with the cream cheese. On paper it sounds like generic smoked salmon + cream cheese, but just something about how it's put together - WOW!
Chicken Karaage ($12) was rrrrrreally grosssssssssssssssssssssssssss! Oily, greasy, fatty, blech. The cilantro dipping was weird.
If you like sushi, lots of great choices in Vancouver. If you like izakaya food, ALSO lots of great choices in Vancouver. Sorry Hapa Umi, I've definitely experienced better.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/11/2011
Hmm, I guess I'm just not that big a fan of these Japanese tapa places. I never leave feeling like… Read more »
-
-
Review from Jeff F.
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
What a woeful tale of divide for this review... we got a great deal on a Social Shopper (like others... $30 for $60... liquids included in this one). Not being cheapos by nature, we went a ways past the $60 to see what this place has to offer....
We started with a glass each of ume-shu (we loves the plum wine!), and decided... what the heck... let's get the more expensive one (mostly because we finished a bottle of the Takara a while ago ourselves...). It was very very nice.... worth the extra $$$ over the Takara (but of course... it's still at restaurant pricing). Definitely a try if you're here kind of thing.
Onward to food... we started with a little bit of sushi each... the fiance is a cone-addict, so spicy chopped scallop for her, and for me... they had on the fresh sheet a Seoul Roll... beef tataki (think sashimi here) with kimchi and spicy chili sauce. The fiance found the nori was nicely heated up (something she wishes EVERY cone serving place would do), and the scallops were fresh and tasty. Mine was... well, in her words... HOT! For me... there was a nice heat to it... both kimchi and the spicy sauce lending their work there. She only had one piece, I finished the rest (I didn't try hers... because me and seafood aren't such great friends).
Mains... we tried a few plates on this one too... beef short rib lettuce wraps, and one of our personal fav's (and no one has made it better in my opinion than the two of us when we made some to bring to a xmas party dinner for my co-workers). Both dishes were.... meh. They were ok... but nothing blowing my socks off. And really... I wanted to like the place. The decor, the ambiance... (and the point I'll get to later...) were nice.... the food just wasn't backing it up.
Ok... to desert.... Not my thing, but the fiance loves the sweets (me... I'd rather just order some more savoury). We ordered the Umi Cannoli. Umm... I'm guessing deconstruction was en vogue on this one... because I've had cannoli... locally, many different cities, and even in Italy (but no... not yet in Sicily... I have yet to fix that miss yet), and what I was served was in no way a cannoli. It was a few wafers with paste on it, and some sliced strawberries. There was a sour cream sorbet / ice cream on the side, and misc. chopped fruits on the plate as well too. The sour cream thing was pretty good and the berries were nice, but the cannoli part was a let down (sigh... like most of the rest of the food).
I guess if I'm looking for an upscale sushi place not quite at Tojo's standards or pricing, but higher than 90% of the rest of the joints... then Hapa Umi would do well where it's sitting.... now... on to the kicker.
The service was.... PHENOMENAL! Attentive but non-obtrusive.... handy with everything... quick with the food, and the clearing, but NEVER in a way that got in the way. Between the hostess seating us... the server serving, the bus person assisting in many ways... this was really a lesson that other restaurants should take note and maybe train a little or at least observe here to see how it really should be done.
So... at the end of all this.... would I go back. Not really. At the prices (if I hadn't the 1/2 thing) it really wasn't worth it for the food. I loved the service, but I'm going out to eat, so I'd better love the food.... and I didn't. The bill before the discount hit around $90 for the two of us... and really... at 1/2 that, I'd have been ok with it.... maybe the kind of place that I'd go for someone else's birthday or something. But at $90... nope. I could go to many other restaurants and get better food for that price in many genre's.
If I could get the fiance's permission to post the final picture I took of the meal (and that doesn't have much of a chance of happening)... you'd have seen a very sad, disappointed face... hoping for so much more... but receiving so little food satisfaction.... and if you haven't been reading my reviews before... the fiance is Japanese, and sooooo wanted this place to be a nice 'go-to' place for us. *sigh* we continue to search..... -
Review from Sheryl D.
12/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I don't know why we didn't learn our lesson from Hapa Izakaya in Kits. This place was more expensive, probably because of its waterfront location in Gastown.
Long story short...if you have to go to Wendy's after a $105 bill (with tip, taxes and 3 alcoholic drinks) because a Baconator is more satisfying, it's not good. As with their Kits location, the food was bloody expensive and ridiculously mediocre.
Lobster mango roll - $18.50 deep fried all around, slathered with mayo, mango nowhere to be found. Heritage Angus beef - $15 for about 7-8 pieces of sliced steak, again poorly drenched in a soy sauce concoction. Edamame Ricotta Ravioli - 5 tiny little pieces. Do you folks know how fucking cheap edamame and flour is?! The truffle oil was a nice touch but that was about it.
Take your money to Chill Winston if you're wanting the ambience. Take your money to Guu if you want the food. Take your money to Cioppinos or Araxi if you want to spend well AND eat well. In fact, just kinda take your money anywhere else but their chains, unless you're wanting to impress a date with light, pricey tapas in the hopes of getting laid. The only thing worth the money last night were our well-made drinks. So yeah, maybe it's a great date place, except hope your date's a cheap drunk or plan to empty your TFSA. -
Review from Beverly W.
Vancouver, BC
I have to say that I do like the service at Hapa Umi. I get a nice welcome by the maitre d' at the entrance. The servers are nice and get the job done.
On my last visit to Hapa Umit, I had the Umi roll and california rolls (real crab meat!) and they were okay. The Fanny Bay tempura oysters were so soft..it melts in your mouth! It was a very nice dish. I did enjoy the short rib lettuce rib but the sauce was a bit too strong so I recommend putting just a little in the wrap.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/4/2011
We visited Hapa Umi with the $30 for $60 voucher from Living Social.
Service: Our server was… Read more »
-
-
Review from Erin W.
Vancouver, BC
12/17/2011
I read the reviews while I was already in the restaurant waiting for my friends, and I'm glad I didn't check them out before or I'd have been scared off! We had a really good experience, but people aren't wrong when they say it's a lot of money.
There were 4 of us, we had 2 bottles of wine, 1 little bottle of plum wine, 3 beers, 2 desserts and 9 items off the menu, and it came to about $90 each with tax/tip included. The service was very good, it did take some time but that was part of the experience.
What I liked was that I believe our menu choices came in a logical order, not the order they were made, which I appreciated. The sashimi and the oysters were excellent, my friends liked the pasta (not my thing, but they enjoyed it), and the polenta fries were quite clever. The lobster roll wasn't worth the money in my opinion (the lobster was lost with all the other ingredients involved).
It's a nice option for a nigh out t if you're with a group looking for a special night OR you're with someone who's taking care of the bill;) -
Review from BR G.
Burnaby, BC
1/8/2012
Trendy sushi tapas joint. It's cool, it's hip, and it has the ambience of a Joey's. That could be a good or bad thing, but I suppose it fits the downtown cool vibe, if you know what I mean.
The food? It was ok. Definitely not bad, but did not have the "wow" factor. Presentation was definitely nice, but this waterfront restaurant lacked the true romantic feel of the high-end restaurant it was trying to emulate.
What we had: spicy tuna cone, tuna tataki (best thing we had), fanny bay oysters, saba sushi, the sablefish entree, and chocolate melting cake w/ deep fried banana for dessert. The bill came out to approximately $80 after tax & tip (we had a $60 livingsocial voucher that was applied after the total).
Service was friendly and quite swift. The restaurant is not the largest as we could hear every word of the conversations next to us, and I could smell the pungent perfume of the girl at the next table. Not really romantic if you ask me. A place to hang with friends? Perhaps not for the price tag. It's true that the portions are small and won't really fill you, but it's "that" kind of place so you are reading this you have been warned. If you are on a tight budget, or have a huge hankering then I would pass.
Only complaint: dessert really sucked. It looked nice, but didn't flow. That's the only way I can describe it. Tasted like a Dr. Oetter lava cake with melted vanilla ice cream on the side with some bad looking tempura bananas. I've had WAY better.
TIP: There is an EasyPark lot right across the street @ 900 W Cordova and they have $7 evening (6pm onwards) and weekend flat rates, which is good for downtown. -
Review from Chris C.
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
A friend took me here for lunch yesterday. We both had the Daily Bento Box which was very interesting. First you get to select between 2-3 "entrees" for your bento box, then when it arrives you actually get "two" bento boxes stacked on top of each other with 8-9 dishes neatly arranged inside.
Overall the restaurant looked like a lot of fun with a nice view; I'd come back for lunch or a sake after work. The main drawback for me is that Miku is closer to my office and I think they have better food for not much more money. -
Review from Kasimir K.
Vancouver, BC
11/16/2011
My wife and another couple recently visited for lunch and had a great experience. We took our Livingsocial coupon and each had the daily bento. The seafood and all the food items in the bento were delicious and the quantity was on the larger side. We had 2 salmon skewer and 2 ling cod bento. The bentos included tuna and beef tataki which were both tasty. The attention to detail and the flavours were spot-on. We also ordered the polenta fries (this place is big on fusion) and the yuzu tart we had were both great.
Nice views and good service. I would definitely go back for lunch but perhaps not dinner since I think the lunch prices were good value in comparison. -
Review from Theresa W.
Vancouver, BC
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I remember when I first moved to Vancouver, and Hapa Izakaya on Robson was all the rage. So when Hapa Umi came out, husband and I decided we would have a date night in a sort of nostalgic way. It certainly helped that this place has a beautiful layout inside and we had a great view of the courtyards at the waterfront.
Our server was very nice but didn't seem in the best of moods. Probably a stressful day? She looked even more annoyed when we asked for refills on our drink, and sometimes she forgot so we had to ask whoever was dropping off our food. But aside from that, the food at Hapa Umi is fantastic.
Our menu:
- negitoro maki: made delicious with the addition of green onions
- fanny bay tempura oysters: as per several suggestions on yelp, we ordered this and were not disappointed. They are delicious and the sauce on them adds that little extra oomph!
- sablefish yuanzuke: I have never had a sablefish I didn't like, so this was no exception. The flavouring for the fish is very good, but the cold bok choy threw me off.
- shortrib lettuce wrap: a winner of the night. The braised shortribs came shredded up, juicy and full of flavour. The lettuce wrapping was fun, and the full combination of the beef, lotus root, crispy egg noodles, and the hot sauce is a match made in heaven!
- kakuni and scallop: this fell a bit flat for me, since the total portions on the plate were significantly smaller than expected. Three quarter-sized pieces of pork belly for two scallops was pretty hard to split up. The searing on the scallops was done well, and the beets were good.
The dessert menu can't be found online but they average $9 to $10 in price. Overall, our meal came out to about $75, a reasonable price for our meal since we both came out full and happy. I knocked it down one star because of the service, but I still think it's a good place for a date night, girls night, or a nice family outing.
Easily accessible via Skytrain at Waterfront station - you can get to the restaurant without having to go outside at all if you go through the mall. -
Review from Allen W.
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice little restaurant over near the waterfront area -- unfortunately, it's a little hard to find due to limited signage.
Only open for a few months, the restaurant is quickly adapting to user feedback. It seems many were initially frustrated with the menu when it opened as it was more entree-focused than other Hapa locations. Our server informed us that they realized the confusion and changed the menu to a similar concept now as with other Hapa restaurants.
We had the shashimi salad (very fresh), pressed smoked salmon sushi, fish and chips, and kimchi hot pot rice (yum!). -
Review from Matt R.
Vancouver, BC
2/3/2012
Decent quality sushi, but the food and service do not match the price paid. Nice ambiance though, but wouldn't come again when there are so many other great Japanese places nearby (Guu or Miku, for example)
-
Review from Betty L.
4/16/2011
I honestly didn't have high expectations from Hapa Umi because my experience with Hapa Izakaya wasn't really memorable and only realized afterwards they were only open for a month or so. Still my friend and I decided to go there for dinner on a Friday night.
We walked into a really nice modern, sleek looking, spacious restaurant. So the look is definitely more upscale than its counterpart. Since it wasn't that busy we got a lot of attention from our server. He was really nice, informative, and also cute. More importantly he wanted our feedback on the food, so he can pass the suggestions and comments back to the chef and if necessary improve on the dishes.
There aren't that many items on the menu. The sake list in a way is more extensive than the menu. The server said they reduced the amount of items on the menu, in hopes to focus on making a selective good dishes. In a way, this approach worked. We enjoyed the following dishes:
1)Tempura style Fanny Bay oyster- OMG, it was soooo good!! The batter was light and non-greasy. The three oysters were quite big. I loved the vinigrette and pickled shallots that came with it because it helped reduced the heaviness of the oysters. I could eat another order of it by myself.
2)Lobster Tempura Roll- Those rolls were huge. I like the idea of combining the deep frying aspect of tempura with sushi roll styel. Once again, it was light and non-greasy. There lots of lobster in each roll yet it didn't overshadow the mangos nor the asparagus. It's a good combo!!
3)Octopus Carpaccio-It was marinated with green tea but I couldn't really taste it. Nevertheless, it tasted really fresh and the octopus wasn't chewy. Love the liveliness of the citrus vinigrette.
4)Ahi Tuna Sashimi-Very fresh!! Presentation lovely. Too bad there weren't enough shredded daikon at the bottom.
The presentation of each dish was very appealing. I loved eating those edible flowers. In the end, we had a wonderful time at Hapa Umi. I guess fine dining in Vancouver ain't cheap because we paid $200 for the meal. For such a good, well thought out meal, it's worth spluring at Hapa Umi. -
Review from Raffy E.
Vancouver, BC
4/12/2011
Hapa Izakaya is one of my favorite restaurants in Vancouver, so my dining experience at Hapa Umi was definitely accompanied by reasonably high expectations. While there were some stand-out dishes, my night was met with more disappointment than appeasement, although I can most certainly attribute much of that to this being the restaurant's first month of operation.
The highlights of the evening's meal were the sous vide soy-glazed chicken and the tempura oysters. Both were delicious and rich and had great texture, balancing both crunchy and tender evenly. The yuzu mashed potato dish we got as a side was a great compliment as well. The desserts we tried--peach ice cream mochi and Japanese-style cheesecake with strawberries--were freakin' awesome too.
The disappointments were the lamb and sablefish dishes, and the special rice side dish. The lamb was pretty mediocre (with possibly the truffle-laced potato mash granting it a little unique twist, but that's kind of like making an NBA MVP play on a high school basketball team.) The sablefish was somewhat bland, and the special rice dish (which sounded great in the menu) was little more than the standard bowl of Japanese fried rice I've gotten at other places.
The service was excellent. Our server was very well informed of the menu and had some great suggestions as well as provided interesting conversation. Definitely no problems there. The interior design was neat and posh, if a bit expected so nothing new and exciting in that department.
Overall it was underwhelming but with a handful of promising plates. I'm not quite sure at this point if the blandness of some of the dishes is related to the restaurant's proximity to the convention center (maybe they're trying to cater to a wider audience?), but I'm hoping that the issues are more due to the restaurant's newness. Once they settle in and hit their groove, I'd love to give this place another try. Right now it's more like 3 1/2 stars. -
Review from David S.
North Vancouver, BC
4/13/2011
One of the worst experiences in a restaurant I've ever had. Sat down at 730PM for dinner with a group of 8. Service was very slow, didn't get first appetizer until 9PM. Waitress was no where to be seen half the night. We complained to the manager, who actually told us to "mind our tone". Totally arrogant staff at this restaurant. Location is brutal, restaurant was empty all night. Makes for a very poor dinner experience with no atmosphere in a horrible location. Might as well have been in the food court downstairs.
Positive: Food was really good, but it's hard to look past that with the service our group received.
Will not be back. -
Review from Lisa T.
9/29/2011
i bought the living social coupon for a 3 course meal. my friend and i went to try it out. i had high hopes b/c i had such great experiences with hapa izakaya.
in a word: awesome. my friend and i shared everything. we had the beef tataki and oysters, the beef steak and salmon skewers, and raspberry tart and warm chocolate cake w/ banana tempura and ice cream. everything was flavourful and tastes/textures accompanied each other well. it was a tuesday night so it wasn't very busy. our server was friendly and gave me space and time to catch up with my friend, without putting on the disappearing act.
if it weren't for the coupon, it would have been quite the expensive dinner for us. the coupon made it well worth it. however, i was looking at the regular menu and i would definitely look into coming back to try some dishes i saw there. -
Review from julie l.
North Vancouver, BC
12/29/2011
This is a great place to be at !!
The service is fabulous, the food is just to die for! I used to go to Happa Izakaya but this place is much nicer to be at (same owners)!
Value: Expensive for the small portion you get (but they are sooo good)
Ambiance: Very classy /sexy/hip -
Review from Suiki S.
Vancouver, BC
4/13/2011 2 photos
I met up with some friends for a birthday lunch at Hapa Umi, the newest concept restaurant by Justin Ault of the Hapa Izakaya Group. Do not confuse Hapa Umi with Hapa Izakaya- this latest upscale and ultra chic restaurant serves refined Japanese cuisine with an European twist. The decor is modern, sophisticated and sleek with a beautiful view of the water - furnished with a sushi bar, cocktail lounge and a private dining room.
We arrived at 12:30 pm and the restaurant was filled with the corporate crowd discussing business over lunch. We were quickly seated and greeted with excellent service. Hapa Umi's lunch menu is small but well-tailored featuring Hapa's Award-Winning Ocean Wise Chowder , Quality Sashimi, Sushi, Maki Special, Chicken Katsu Don, Tofu Katsu Don and Daily Bento Box. Their grown-up menu reflects on the quality of their ingredients - emphasizing on sustainable Ocean Wise seafood and local organic ingredients.
For Lunch, we had
Daily Bento Box ($19) - Beer Battered Halibut with potato salad, crab appetizer, tuna rolls, takikomi gohan and miso soup. The quality and taste of the halibut was excellent although the meat was a little dry. The tuna rolls was average. I really enjoyed the Takikomi gohan - rice with a twist seasoned with soy sauce along with mushrooms, bamboo shoots, burdock root and vegetables.
Kaisen Don ($18) - Assorted Sashimi on sushi rice. This is a fancy chirashi don with Uni, Toro, Sockeye Salmon, Tuna, Albacore Tuna, Hamachi, Salmon roe and Tamago. The sashimi was very fresh and well prepared. I especially enjoyed the Uni - it was sweet and rich; also the Toro - it was very fatty and buttery.
Overall, I enjoyed my lunch experience at Hapa Umi. Although pricing is a little bit above average, the quality of the food is more superior and it translates well into their refined and sophisticated menu.
Food - 4 stars ( based on Lunch)
Ambiance - 4 stars
Décor - 4 stars
Service - 4 stars
Value - 4 stars ( based on Lunch) -
Review from Will H.
Vancouver, BC
11/16/2011
I took my mom here for her birthday not knowing what to expect. Risky I know, but it was between the seaplane in coal harbour and my office so I thought sure. I've tried hapa izykawa on robson and loved it so I thought it was a good try.....
Thankfully I was right! Its a higher end hapa (there are a few hapas) but it was hard to tell other than the location and service. The food was similar and the prices were maybe a few dollars more per plate. Either way My mom loved it! the sushi roll was awesome and holly you have to try the lettuce wrap whatever it was.. sOOO delish! also similar to the pork belly lettuce wraps at izikawa but i think even better! the smoked salmon was ok but then again I prefer raw salmon to cooked so that was my badd...
I highly recommend this place if your trying to impress a date, mom, etc who likes japanes fusion... cheers hapa ur a great part of vans culinary prowess! -
Review from Nicole B.
Vancouver, BC
5/16/2011
I don't know what Hapa Izakaya was thinking when they drafted their menu for this place. Limited selection, ridiculously overpriced, and mediocre sushi. I definitely would NOT go back. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is because the service was decent. I spent over $35 on two less than mediocre 6 piece rolls and a small plate of tataki (not including tax & tip) and left hungry.
-
Review from James C.
Richmond, BC
9/5/2011
Good food, bit pricy. Loud restaurant, ok service. Think of it as Japanese style Caucasian west coast food.
-
Review from Ashley S.
Vancouver, BC
1/9/2012
I was excited to try the latest in the Hapa series of restaurants, being a fan of the Isakayas in Kits and Yaletown. When I made my reservation, I requested a quiet table, as my boyfriend and I were having a long-awaited date night out. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were led to a table in the lounge, surrounded by televisions. NOT what I had envisioned when I made the quiet table request. I asked our server if we could be moved to a table in the dining room. Quite some time later, she came by and told us that there was nothing available, but that we could sit at the bar if we wanted something quiet. The food was very good, as expected, though the value wasn't all that great. The service was very mediocre. In all, it was a disappointing night out, and I will not be rushing back.
-
Review from Evanna F.
Vancouver, BC
4/7/2011 3 photos
A new Hapa closer to my office! Yay! Great location overlooking the waterfront. We sat by the window and soaked in the beautiful view while enjoying everything we ordered. The presentation was so nice I had to take pictures. Sashimi salad and bento box were delish! And the toro sashimi... I think that was the best toro sashimi I've ever eaten! Service was great. Can't wait to make a dinner visit!
-
Review from Austin S.
Vancouver, BC
11/17/2011
We had a great meal there.. The service was good, friendly and helpful server. The food was very tasty but like many reviewers mentioned, the portions were small which you would expect from this type of restaurant. Overall we enjoyed it and will go back (one day) ;)
-
Review from JJ L.
Vancouver, BC
10/29/2011
I purchased the living social voucher here for a 3 course meal. I frequent Hapa Izakya, so wanted to try the new location. We had beef tataki and oysters, chicken teriyaki, and raspberry tart and warm chocolate cake w/ banana tempura and ice cream. The food was very, very tasty. The service was excellent. Our waiter was very attentive and very quick. Granted, the place was pretty dead and I'm not sure how they survive with that location, but I guess it gets busy later at night with people drinking. The voucher made it worth it, but looking at the original pricing, I don't think i would come back because I wouldn't say it was the best I have ever had.
-
Review from psylocke r.
Langley, BC
7/24/2011
I'm addicted to Groupons. When this great offer for a three course meal at Hapa Umi came up, I couldn't resist. I wondered if they would be able to put together a decent gluten free option for me. Boy, did they ever! It turned out to be one of the best meals I've ever had!! Hapa Umi has a great location, down by the waterfront. Their menu is upscale Japanese. I love the decor of the sushi bar inside, and our patio table outside had amazing views. With a quick word to the chef, the waitress informed me that they had a gluten free 3 course meal to offer me without any issue. The first course was a delicious salad with salmon, so tasty. The entree course was a halibut dish with vegetables, melt in your mouth delicious, and the dessert...the dessert...so amazing. It was a collection of sorbets and gelatos, the best I've had outside of Italy. All three courses were beautifully presented on the plate. Now, I'm not one for shi shi poo poo restaurants that make a huge dent in your wallet and still leave you hungry. This is not one of those restaurants. The food is fantastic, and both my husband and I were full when we left. A must-try on your list!
