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Category: Sushi Bars [Edit]
1414 Commercial DrVancouver, BC V5L
Neighbourhoods: Grandview-Woodlands, The Drive
(604) 568-3632
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
15 reviews for Sake Maki
All Reviews
Sake Maki
6/22/2010
I love this place. It's great bang for the buck really. It's probably about normal in the price range as far as sushi restaurants in Vancouver go. True, the chef's special rolls come in at $8-$9, but frankly, the ones I've tried are delicious and worth it. They are HUGE. My BF and I shared 2 different ones with an appetizer tempura (it's my guilty pleasure at sushi places) and he also had a real crab california roll, and we were both stuffed. And my man can eat all day. He's rarely full.
As for the service, agreed, in the beginning it was pretty hit and miss (more miss than hit), but i feel that they've increased the quality of their service. The girls they have are attentive and we get our meals quickly. I usually don't expect much in the way of service when I'm not paying much money for food, but that being said, I don't think they deserve the lashing they have received.
Keep in mind you are not going to a Michelin star-rated sushi restaurant, it's still just one of the 487 million in this city. I personally think it's one of the better ones in terms of quality of food, portion size to cost ratio, and atmosphere of the place (in other words, it's not a stark white, fluorescent lit space, nor is it overly 'japanese kitschy'.)
If you are in the neighbourhood and you feel like sushi, it's one of your better choices.
Sake Maki
7/27/2010
I almost left here thinking that I had found a new decent sushi restaurant. Almost.
I onlu popped in for a really quick bite, as I remembered a pal mentioning their name and thought it might be worth a try because I needed to be at an appointment on the same block within the half hour.
I ordered a negitoro roll (add spicy sauce) and 2 pieces of wild salmon and they showed up almost instantly - I quickly wiped off the weird mayo-y pink "spicy sauce" and popped a piece in my mouth and it wasn't bad. The salmon nigiri tasted ok as well.
However, as I ate the last piece of the negitoro my teeth crunched down on a huge piece of bone, and my stomach instantly turned. I also noticed that the salmon was watery, like it was frozen and thawed quickly. But the real revolting aspect was the metallic, coppery flavour of poor quality tuna that filled my mouth afterward- I had to cram3 pieces of cinnamon gum into my mouth to make it go away.
Never again. *Shudder*
Sake Maki
6/6/2010
This is yet another average sushi place in Vancouver. I'm beginning to seriously question these reviews of sushi places. It seems that if the fish is fresh that gets you 4 stars. This place is cozy though the paper stuck to the walls of 4yos praising the restaurant feels pretty lame. The service is dreadful - the owner seemed to be in the place and was talking to folks but the girl who waited on us seemed to have little sense of the dining experience and we felt treated a bit like an assembly line even though there were only 4 other people in the place.
The sushi was tasty but nothing special. We stuck to rolls and nigiri. I'm confused by the fact that you cannot seem to get a red tuna sushi in Vancouver - not sure why but every time I order tuna I get white belly tuna - even when specifically asking for red. Also no Uni, no Hirame, the selection was pretty basic.
Would I go here again - nope, still looking for better than average sushi in Vancouver.
Sake Maki
5/6/2010
Love this place.. though I agree with the reviewer who said 8.95 feels like a ripoff. It does... and most places do that, serving special chef's rolls at 8-9$ each, why? I think it's just something they've seen others do and it worked, so others just copy it.. It seems more about presentation than expensive ingredients. And it seems some rolls should be worth more than others.
In any case, this place doesn't look like your typical sushi spot, it looks Greek on the outside, with white and blue trim. It probably used to be Greek before... anyway I calculated that it takes $200 to try all the chef's rolls... slowly and steadily, I will do it. I had dynamite and negitoro with something on top. Really juicy and good. I had takeout so I can't comment on service... no patio, though. Try it out!
Listed in: Supremest of Sushi's
Sake Maki
3/26/2010
The sushi is good but the service is atrocious. I have had to wait over 40 minutes for my order to arrive every time I have visited this place.
I came here with some girlfriends for an early dinner once and by the time our food arrived we were drunk because we had made it through 4 rounds of cocktails.
Sake Maki
1/10/2010
Ordered the crunch roll, and the fuji roll off of the chef's recommendation. The crunch roll is primarily a californa roll (I think) with mango and coconut on top. Sweet and crunch - very unique and its a pretty good pairing. The Fuji roll is a spicy salmon roll with some extra stuff on top (can't remember exactly what). Also got a spicy tuna roll which was good.
The chef recommendations were 8.95 each and the spicy tuna roll was 3.49, with the total bill coming to $22 and change for two of us. It was delicious and cheap. A definitely plus in my books. However, don't expect superior service. During the entire meal, the servers didn't look happy to be there at all, shoving plates and trying to turn tables quickly. We were fortunate enough to get a table as soon as we entered, but there was quickly a small line up at the door. The restaurant is fairly small and cramped too.
I'm completely willing to over looking the poor service and cramped space for the sushi! Will definitely go back and try some other things.
Listed in: Japanese Galore
Sake Maki
4/17/2010
Off the beaten path of Commercial drive which seem to be chock full of middle eastern food lies this sushi gem. Had a yummy dinner here. Appetizer tempura, a couple specialty rolls, spicy tuna roll, sake and a few beers. The bill was reasonable considering the amount of alcohol that we ordered. The serving size was good, we even ended up not finishing out food.. what! That never happens! I was pretty sad for a good hour thinking about all the starving people out there not being able to eat this yummy sushi. Politically incorrect? Maybe. Coming back here to eat next time? Yes.
Sake Maki
2/7/2010
Well I can't say this is the greatest place nor can I say that they have the best sushi in Vancouver. It's a very cozy atmosphere - very small inside. The prices were decent - some being over priced of course. The chef's specials were all $8.95 and I believed it to be a complete rip off. Mind you, they look really fancy, but it doesn't mean that they deserve the price.
I had their lunch special (2 items for $6.50). Their dynamite roll was decent - better than the regular ones I would have. Their beef teriyaki was nothing special. I also ordered a princess roll (chef's special) which consisted of wakame seaweed and chopped salmon, and a side dish of spicy salmon sashimi. As much as I like to eat spicy sashimi, I didn't want my salmon sashimi to be soaked in spicy mayo. It didn't feel right eating it - you know? In addition, for $8.50 I only got a small little plate of sashimi which probably only had 4 slices. That was really not worth it!
By the sounds of it, the owners are mandarin speaking so it's definitely not authentic Japanese food. I've had better - and I doubt that I'll be coming back here.
Sake Maki
5/27/2009
Sake Maki (They have various Sake cocktails, I've only tried the Sake mojito)
Best on the Drive and they deliver in the evening!
It's actually a mix of Chinese and Japanese food (so that can helpful if you're with people who don't necessarily want to be eating raw fish)
but these chefs are really careful with the QUALITY of the sashimi they put out which seems to be a rare find in this city
Look to spend about $8 - 20 on a meal (they have combos for lunch and dinner but you HAVE to order at least one of the Chef's creations - you get 8 pcs and it's not overloaded with sushi rice..you actually taste the filing and toppings)
Sake Maki
6/1/2009
Two of us were stuffed and the bill only came to $33. What???
That's right, yummy, filling sushi, for about $7.95/specialty roll that doesn't short-change you on the fish. The Hamachi tasted the best, and I wanted to try everything. Be prepared to seriously flag the servers if you want something, ANYTHING. I mean, literally, you should bring a flag. They love to just let you sit there.
Open late, OK atmosphere, right on The Drive.
Sake Maki
11/19/2008
1 photo
Without a doubt the best sushi restaurant in East Vancouver. Somehow fresher, tastier, and more filling than anything else, Saki Maki boasts many regulars, despite the fact that it only opened up like 5 months ago. The food here is decadent, rich and fancy with things like real crab, caviar, and mango. Very classy ambiance on the inside, with blue simplistic patterns and clean new furniture.
Crunchy as it should be, and soft when it needs to be, Saki Maki serves about 20 different kinds of $8 specialty rolls, concocted by the chefs and good enough to make other sushi taste like hamburgers. The service is good, perhaps because of the confidence in what's being served.
Beware of the dessert roll though, I don't think people in Japan actually put grapes, coconut and cream cheese in with their rice and seaweed.
Sake Maki
12/24/2009
Came here with 3 other sushi snobs tonight and we all loved it. Really fresh, great cuts of fish, fantastic prices. We ate sashimi and specialty rolls (and one order of agedashi tofu) 'til we were stuffed and it came to $59 for 4 people. Really well prepared rolls and great service. The big plate of toro was only $9.95. Just unbelievable compared to sushi elsewhere, especially any place outside Vancouver.
Sake Maki
9/3/2009
Maybe we didn't try the $8 for a 8 piece specialty rolls (which seemed pretty steep compared to the rest of the menu), but we were a tad underwhelmed given the raving 5 star reviews here (why we stopped by tonight). We wanted to try at least one of the specialty rolls as all the reviews here recommended them, but they were only listed outside the restaurant and not on the menus, and we didn't feel like running outside to examine the choices.
The food we did get was very good, filling, and great value but the service is the main reason for the 3 stars. It was busy/full all night, and we were prepared to have to wait for service but this was very... uneasy.
Our waiter was literally running around (if you've been- it's very small which made us nervous) here and, incredibly, incredibly crazy flustered, and disorganized. He kept apologizing every time he got to our table (taking long on the tea, forgetting to take our order, food taking long, visa machine not working, etc.) All night I heard him apologize to all the tables around us, it seems like there were a few food mix ups, dishes that never arrived, billed incorrectly, slow, etc. I was really surprised. The food came out in an odd order, or rather, exactly in the order we ordered. All my food arrived first, and then my boyfriend's arrived. I had to stop eating halfway otherwise I would be all done before he even got his first dish. (We overheard this also happened to a table next to us. They ended up cancelling the other person's order because the other person had already finished eating.)
The decor was a little curious but very nice, tasteful. Japanese themed murals, sleek dark brown wood tables and chairs. The remaining blue and white trim/doors/windows, columns, and brick arches however reveals its Greek past. It has the makings of a very pleasant atmosphere. The atmosphere tonight however was just dizzying, waiters yelling at each other (not in that exciting fun Guu way), people bumping into my chair, and someone sprinting next to me in a small little space. It's set like a chiller, and more pleasant and quaint sit down version of Sushi Garden on Kingsway, but somehow it's more frantic.
I would give this place a try again absolutely, but maybe at lunch when it it's quieter. Food is good, prices are decent, just maybe needs to be more efficient and handle busier periods? It's an okay place, but I think not really a "WOW! 5 stars! Perfect!" place right now - compelling me to write my first Yelp review finally.
Sake Maki
10/4/2009
No question this place has good food. My favourite dish is the appetizer prawns with mango - great dish to share while you're waiting for the rest. I've been here several times and have not been disappointed with the food, however sometimes the service is spotty and as noted by a previous reviewer, one person running frantically around looking after all the tables is too much. One time, when I was there on my own, my order was completely forgotten while three sets of later arriving diners ate before me. The server was too busy for me to flag her down. Finally another employee of the restaurant asked me what I'd ordered. The original server gave me a brief apology but there was no effort made to hurry things up or even give me a little something to smooth over the mixup while I continued to wait for food some 45 minutes after I was first seated. I left without leaving a tip which is not like me. I was disappointed that they didn't care enough to try and make me feel better given the mistake; even a more sincere apology would have helped.
Sake Maki
9/15/2009
Popped into Saki Maki yesterday for a quick lunch with my husband. I'd been wanting to try The Drive's newest sushi joint for several months now and it seemed like the perfect opportunity. I was delighted to see quite a few interesting lunch combinations for just $6.50 and even a 'Pick any 2" section for the same price. The portions were obviously smaller than some of the other places nearby, but I'd heard the quality was great. I definitely wasn't disappointed in the taste of all the items we ordered. Everything was nicely prepared and served beautifully. my Won Ton Soup was especially nice as was the deep fried Tuna Roll my husband ordered from the specials board. It would have been a perfectly nice experience with great food and pleasant service had it not been for the fact that I waited almost 45 minutes for my food! Forty Five minutes! And I ordered soup! Not much was offered in way of explanation for this. My husband was completely finished eating before I'd been served and couldn't really enjoy his meal as he'd like to because he was worried about me. I'll definitely give this place another shot, but I might just call my order in from desk before I arrive and take it to go.
