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Shabusen Yakiniku House
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Barbeque Restaurants Korean Japanese, Barbeque, Korean [Edit]
755 Burrard StVancouver, BC V6Z 1X6
Neighbourhood: Downtown
(604) 669-3883
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
99 reviews for Shabusen Yakiniku House
Review Highlights
"Oysters, sashimi, and sumo salad was amazing."
(in 30 reviews)
"The sushi is great too, and is just as fresh."
(in 61 reviews)
"We make reservations well in advance and we come and eat..."
(in 7 reviews)
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99 reviews in English
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Review from Paola C.
Vancouver, BC
2/9/2012
After reading some of the other reviews, I was quite hesitant to dine here last minute as they stated there would probably be long waits. I decided to call before going and asked if it was busy. The guy on the other end just laughed and said that there is lots of room. Maybe because it was lunch time.
My husband and I went for the AYCE + Korean BBQ for $15. The service was really fast and the food was pretty good for an AYCE restaurant. What else can I say? I left satisfied! It was about half full and the service was to an A and the food was dee-lish! -
Review from NY B.
Coquitlam, BC
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Mleh.
Food is ok, little salty here and there.
Service is SLOW--now I get what everyone else means. The server passes you like 3 times and never takes your order sheet.
An 8-piece limit per person on sashimi is a bit... mleh, smart? But not nice.
And no Korean bbq on weekdays?! Seriously?!
So it's either: bbq and super crowded, long waits or no bbq but still long waits.
Though good portions, the price really isn't THAT great--$33 for AYCE for two--and we couldn't even stuff ourselves because the writings on their menus were too scary: "wasting food will be penalized," "leftover sushi rice will be $0.50 each," "1.5 hour limit per table," etc.
Also, my visit was ruined by an obnoxious cashier/server who insisted on cleaning the counter and the fridge for about 5 minutes even after seeing us come in. It was our first time so we were like "what, do we just take a seat anywhere?" and when we were about to the cashier/server yells "just a sec!"
Ok, we get it. Your counter needs more attention than customers.
But please don't scream the names of the dishes and throw them on our table, it's scary.
Other servers, though really slow, were quite friendly.
Accidentally pressed $0 for tip, and the same cashier/server, with the same obnoxious tone, he goes "don't you wanna leave some tip for the server?"
None for you, but yes I will for the other lady server(s) who was quite nice.
Was recommended by a friend, and it's worth checking out, but we will never come back. -
Review from Suie C.
2/3/2012
Lunch is an awesome deal. I believe it's around $14 for the AYCE.
However, they have changed it since the last time I went ( a yr+ ago) and there's a limit on sashimi pieces. I liked it more when it was unlimited sashimi, but...
No biggie. Fill up on other stuff.
Also, MAKE RESERVATIONS if you want to avoid the wait.
Service is hit or miss. -
Review from Karen L.
AYCE at a reasonable price. My boyfriend and I love this place. Sashimi, sushi, maki rolls, tempura, gyoza, Korean barbeque, etc... AYCE!
We came here HUNGRY, and perhaps we ordered more than we can handle. Everything came out so fast, we were taken aback by how much food we actually ordered. But everything was good. Yum!Listed in: Vancouver Eats!
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Review from Allen C.
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Haven't been to Shabusen in a while and their food still stays relatively decent given the amount of traffic coming in and out. I was fortunate enough to have a group make reservations early in the month otherwise it can be a 1 to 1.5 hour wait for a table. The Korean BBQ and sushi all you can eat theme is still a great combination from both cultures.
Overall, satisfying evening, though I wouldn't wait over an hour to get, so make reservations. -
Review from Purdy J.
11/13/2011
For all you can eat sushi, this place is pretty good. Good portion sizes (you don't get a huge chunk of rice with a thin slice of fish... Which I hate since I know they just want to stuff you with rice).
Lots of selection and the additional element of the Korean BBQ where you cook your own meat is fun, adds great flavour to your meal and overall enhances your dining experience.
Service is fast, friendly and efficient. Our teas were always refilled quickly. We had a large group of 12 people and they gave us a private room in the back... It was a little cool and drafty back there but the privacy was great. They didn't even automatically charge the 18% gratuity... They left it to our discretion which I thought was great. Awesome social experience and wonderful for large or small groups.
Reservations recommended as it does get really busy. Prices are great at $15 pp during weekends/holidays and $13pp during the week for lunch. Dinner is double the price. -
Review from Herman E.
11/29/2011
My heart races and my pulse quickens,
Oh how I love thee,
MSG.
Anyone who has read some of my reviews,
You know what my complaint will be.
That about sums it up. They marinate the uncooked stuff with MSG in the sauce.
Again, not my decision to go, but I have to be polite and give way.
The food is OK, and you get to stuff yourself, if that is your goal in eating. Better than Tanpopo. Closer to 2.5 stars. -
Review from Brittany W.
North Vancouver, BC
Updated - 11/29/2011
Back for more AYCE with a friend for a celebration dinner! Our table was full of our orders within minutes - extremely speedy service! The food was good. Try searing the tuna/salmon sashimi on the BBQ - it's delish! I'd recommend going for the lunch over the $25 dinner - cheaper and better to eat heavier meals in the day :)
Listed in: Family Friendly Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/14/2011
An all-you-can-eat Japanese sushi and Korean BBQ restaurant at Burrard near Alberni that offers a… Read more »
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Review from Nick L.
9/29/2011
The AYCE Sushi and Korean BBQ here is a steal. It's reasonably priced and the food just keeps coming. I have been trying things here that I usually wouldn't mostly because I don't know what the english translation for it is.
I've been to Shabusen a number of times for lunch when I was in Vancouver for work. It does get busy at popular lunch times, so it's a good idea to reserve ahead of time or you may have to wait a while!
Took the future wife here for dinner once and it was equally good. The hilarious server had an exact "Russell Peters' asian accent as he berated us for not following his exact ordering system. "Have you eeeeaten here beeeefore? Youuuu only need fill out one form for the two of you.....
Classic! -
Review from Will H.
Vancouver, BC
1/19/2012 3 Check-ins Here
not bad for AUCE. the sashimi is good, but limited to 8 epr person. havent had much of the BBQ but the AUCE menu is good. The rolls are ok cones are a little better. Worth tthe $15 if your starving for sushi. Soncidering fish on rice is gone and robson sushi is horrible they've got it figured out for the most part. The manager last time was doing a very good job to make sure everyone was beeing helped well!
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Review from Scott W.
Vancouver, BC
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
For $12.95 you cant really go wrong for a sushi buffet, right in downtown Vancouver. But this place is based on quantity not quality - however, i do return there often, so they must be doing something right!
I am not a fan of the sashimi's.. but the rolls are decent (most), nigiri is awesome, and many other features are great - considering the value. If you want great quality sushi, go to miku or hapa izikaya! -
Review from gretchen c.
Vancouver, BC
9/14/2011
Shabusen is an all-you-can-eat Japanese sushi place, fused together with an-all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant.
There is a vast selection of all types of sushi to raw plates of meat that can be cooked on the mini-grill located on each table. Each sushi roll can be ordered individually. This option is great just to taste and explore, just in case a certain roll doesn't tickle your taste-bud's fancy, or if you just happen to want to try one of everything.
Popular amongst hungry college students because the quantity of food available and the vast selection definitely makes it worth the price of an all-you-can-eat sushi place. Better quality than most all-you-can-eat sushi places, but obviously still not top-notch quality when it comes to sushi. Shabusen also accommodates large parties of people pretty well.
Good for lunch too, if you want to go back to work in a food coma. There are little tables that are shaped like boats to sit in, which is pretty awesome.
Word of advice: don't go absolutely starving or else your eyes will eat more than your stomach, and stumbling down the stairs on your way out will be a feat and a half because of that "about to give birth to a sushi baby" feeling (true story). -
Review from Nathan B.
6/1/2011 1 photo
The All You Can Eat Sushi and Korean BBQ is an insane deal. So cheap and the food just keeps coming until you need to be wheeled out. All the product is very fresh and tasty and because it is all you can eat, I often find myself trying things that I usually wouldn't.
I have been hitting up Shabusen everytime I go to Vancouver for the past 6 years and it has never disappointed at lunch or dinner. It is consistently great. It does get pretty busy, so be sure to call ahead or you may be out of luck for a table! -
Review from P M.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 8/28/2011
The service has COMPLETELY turned around here and it honestly has made all the difference!
I made a reservation for two today and I was surprised to see that the manager actually remembered us (we haven't been there for at least a year). He asked, "do you guys know how to order?" and before he finished that sentence he said "oh of course you do! And only water too, right? No tea?"
He also came by to check on us a couple of times and ask how everything was.
Our empty plates never stayed on our table more than 2 minutes before being taken away.
Water was refilled right away without us having to ask.
As we were leaving, a couple of the servers made a point to say bye and that we had a nice day.
and even when we came to the front to pay our bill, the manager greeted me by name and was really pleasant!
The food is consistent at a 3.4/4 out of 5. Plus, for $15 on the weekend for AYCE + BBQ, you can't go wrong!
NOTE: for those of you who wrote off Shabusen because of the service, GO BACK!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/26/2011
My 2 stars is not because of the food.
The food is pretty good! You can't really go wrong with AYCE.… Read more »
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Review from Jamak G.
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Two of us go in there for all you can eat at about 1:45 on Sunday. The guy at the door tries to change our mind by telling us that we won't make it since all you can eat ends at 2:15. We decide to wait for a table and try our luck.
At about 2, the guy gives us the order form so we can get started on the order while we are waiting.
After we give him the order form, he FREAKS OUT! "what? Two of you are going to eat 50 pieces of Sushi? You can't finish this (all in a very heavy Chinese accent). We respond by saying that we will pay for the food if we don't finish it. The man is clearly pissed. He moves around the restaurant telling everyone who worked there.
After they bring the food, we notice that they didn't bring everything that we ordered. They kept circling our table. I guess to make sure we eat all the rice.
The food was ok but not worth the crapy service. Probably will never go back.
Btw... The guy who told us this is the man who has a bump on his forehead. If you go there, say hi to him. You can't miss him! -
Review from Justin L.
8/9/2011
Shabusen was A-OK when I was in junior high, gorging myself on all-you-can-eat sushi and Korean BBQ. It never dawned on me to question the proximity of raw meat and raw fish. It's one of those places that you grow out of, though, like baggy jeans and loose T-shirts. At least some people do. Or some people were never into them in the first place.
So, I thought Vancouver had finally outgrown the AYCE pan-Asian bargain eateries when I drove by the other day and saw that Shabusen has been supplanted by a new restaurant. OPENING SOON, the banner reads, and KYO is the name of the replacement -- ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI AND KOREAN BBQ... Hmm, sounds familiar. And dated. -
Review from Dave C.
7/28/2011
Upon the recommendation of natives (well, better said the Canadian Mountie looking dude who checked our passports at the border), Shabusen is the best AYCE sushi spot in downtown Vancouver. Overall, this is a quantity over quality type of place as so many other reviews here noted. Some of the hits were the salmon sushi, spicy hand roll, korean kimchi, and salmon fried rice. Some of the misses were the 1/2 frozen tuna sashimi, yakisoba noodles, and bland tempura.
I can see how the service here is hit or miss, but I found no problem after working 2 or 3 different servers to get what we wanted. Better yet, this place was surprisingly kid friendly given its tighter spacing and busyness. Overall, I can see the buzz behind this AYCE spot and its really a great way to spend $14 or so to get filled up. -
Review from Cody S.
3/18/2011
We came here on a Monday evening for my birthday and I am not disappointed. I was quite surprised that the dining room was completely full and a long line for any table. It was very convenient that our reservation was honoured!
The atmosphere here is great. I really enjoyed the seating arrangement and our table (next to the window on Burrard) was the best I could have asked for.
The food is fantastic. The Korean Barbeque meats were in very small portions, but plentiful. I prefer this to the mounds of meat you might get when you order other places. There is nothing worse than looking at all the raw chicken you have to cook before you can even think of ordering anything else! I love the AYE sashimi....it was fresh and every bit as good as I could have asked for. I really like the choices on the menu. For under 25 bucks, this is the place to go if you are hungry and want a cool experience.
The service was poor. I don't think that the manager had enough staff on hand. It was difficult to get any orders in and our empty dishes were rarely cleared.
Overall, this is a great place. I am excited to come again.Listed in: Japanese Food, My Two Cents…
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Review from Kuishinbo E.
5/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
AYCE limited Japanese menu with sushi for only $13 or add AYCE Korean BBQ for only $15 during M-F lunch and I'm sold.
I'm not sure why they hold the line like a club, but the manager/host does not ask your name for sign in, but rather makes you wait in line in their overcrowded waiting area. Strange. Once seated though, servers are friendly.
Not a true all you can eat because their sashimi is limited to 8pcs per person, but you can just keep ordering nigiri or rolls. Another strange rule of the restaurant is that it's 90 min AYCE, but they close the kitchen at 2:30pm, which means you don't get 90 mins if you're seated after 1:30pm.
Whatever, deal with it! $15 AYCE! -
Review from Robert H.
7/23/2011
I was in Vancouver on for a conference in June 2011. First day of the conference I ate lunch with a co-worker at the Indian restaurant across the hall from Shabusen. While eating at the Indian restaurant, we noticed that Shabusen was packed. Always a good sign for restaurant.
A couple of nights later we decided to eat sushi, and decided to go to that crowded Japanese restaurant. When we got there, it was not so crowded. Most everybody in Vancouver that day at that time was at their favorite sports bar watching the Canucks lose the Bruins in Game 5. Anyway, we were seated quickly, notified of the all-you-can-eat sushi deal, and we decided to give it a shot. I've had all you can sushi, and have been often disappointed. This time it was the right call. The sushi was fresh, tasty, and all you can eat. The Korean bbq was a nice complement to the sushi. From what I have had for sushi in Phoenix, it was as good or better than most places. Anyway, if I find my way back to downtown Vancouver, I will certainly make it back to Shabusen. It was a really good food bargain. -
Review from Doug G.
5/10/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Great for reasonably priced all you can eat sushi . . .
The selection is reasonable, and with tax and tip you are out $15.00 for lunch, which really isn't bad. A lot of menu items are not available on the all you can eat menu - very limited sashimi for instance. But overall it is what it is, and I tend to stop here for lunch a lot. -
Review from J J.
10/18/2011 3 photos
I have to admit, I was a little nervous to go here considering the mixed reviews. Well, they must have improved something because we had the BEST lunch! For just $15/ea. it was all-you-can-eat and very generous portions. We had salmon and tuna sashimi, a spicy tuna hand roll, bowls of chicken, pork, and beef which we roasted over the built-in grill, two heaping portions of kimchi, assorted side dishes, and beer. The sashimi was fresh and delicious, and the service was quick and friendly. Food was brought promptly, including re-orders. We were there on a Saturday afternoon for lunch, and it was very busy but orderly. My only regret is I didn't have room for more. We will definitely be back. This has got to be one of the best lunch deals in in Vancouver - especially considering its location in one of the ritzier parts of town!
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Review from Derek W.
3/22/2011
Tips for enjoying Shabusen:
-The so-so sushi and sashimi is merely garnish for the plates and plates of delicious yakiniku (Japanese BBQ-yourself meat) that you should be ordering.
-Be careful of the occasionally still-frozen sashimi.
-Don't be afraid to wave madly to get an over-worked server if one doesn't come around for ten minutes.
-Make sure you finish all your food! You can usually get away with a few bits here and there, but I suggest ordering in smaller waves.
-Order some salad and get that precious fiber. After eating all that meat, you'll need it - it's nature's broom!
This place isn't fantastic, but it is the only game in town for Yakiniku, so it is worth visiting if you like bbq. -
Review from Yunn A.
1/3/2011
I understand if your restaurant is busy, you set the proper expectations to those waiting...but you don't need to be super rude about it: Ohhh really really busy. SUPER LONG WAIT - basically please leave.
But...we persevered because we were hungry and wanted AYCE sushi and korean bbq.
For lunch at $13 a person, it's a pretty good deal. The BBQ meat is delicious and a lot of the other items on the menu are. The sushi is. . .okay. We didn't eat any of the tuna that came, because it was all frozen in the middle, but the salmon was tasty. We had almost everything on their menu, and all the cooked food is good: the sushi not so much, but it's passable for AYCE.
They need vents over their grills like some better k-bbq places because it just get soooo smokey and oily while you're cooking.
I have to agree with a lot of the comments here...it's a pretty good deal (especially lunch which is significantly cheaper), but it is such an ordeal to dine here and get in, and the service is awful...that you have to REALLY WANT IT. That's probably why I only go once every 3 years. -
Review from Dru C.
12/17/2010 3 photos
This place is good in choices, instead of quality when eating here for AYCE.
The food here is really low quality like most AYCE Sushi places in Vancouver. The food choices here are doubled for the price that you are paying for most AYCE sushi.
The service here is amazing, maybe because they have REALLY REALLY good eye candy. The guys that work there are under my standards, and are very cute. They try to be very attentive with their customers, but they sometimes walk away without noticing.
I love how this is considered the best AYCE Japanese sushi place in the Downtown area of Vancouver. Grab something to eat, head to Granville and party it out!! The best way to have a GREAT night especially in Vancouver!
Good Tips:
Call in 4 hours prior so you do not have to wait, and get VIP treatment.
Order the BBQ items early so you can get cooking.
Their Raddish dish is amazingly good, it is pickled well (Daikon)Listed in: Nihon ryori tabe tai desu ka?
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Review from Sandra T.
Toronto, ON
2/2/2011
Came here for a lunch on a weekday and I left a very happy woman.
AYCE lunch is only $13ish!!!! After spending $10ish on a plate of uninspiring food at Granville Market ... $13 for AYCE - which includes 6 pieces of sashimi per person feels like the best deal EVER!!!! Not sure how this place makes money?!?!?
The sushi is average - not bad. There are not many options to choose from but they don't cheap you by just offering veggie options. They do offer rolls like tuna, salmon, BC, california, tempura.
Tried the spicy tuna cone roll - not very good. For some reason, the fish tasted really fishy.
The sashimi was pretty good. Favourites include the spicy tuna and the spicy salmon, and the plain salmon.
Another huge favourite was the spicy tofu and the agadashi tofu. Deep fried with a yummy batter. SOOOOOOOOOOO good!
One thing to note is that on the ordering sheet, you order by piece. This is the first time I've ever seen this system and I quite like it!
Another thing to note is the AYCE korean bbq option is not offered on weekdays - bummer.
Oh, and another thing is you have to request the ginger. I overheard another table asking for ginger.
Service was average.
The place is pretty nice. I noticed there were booths in the back designed to look like you were sitting in a boat - how cool!!! Wish we could have sat there but I think those tables are reserved for larger parties.
Fantastic deal ... could not ask for more (well, maybe an option for dessert would be nice).Listed in: Buffets/ AYCE!!!
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Review from Sam B.
10/12/2011
Sushi lunch buffet for $13?! It's definitely worth the drive from Seattle!
You don't know sushi until you have their sashimi. You don't know MELT IN YOUR MOUTH SUSHI until you try their sashimi. AND they have a wide variety of rolls and meats to grill!? ...Why...why would you not come here? -
Review from Candace C.
10/19/2010 7 photos
The Skinny: AYCE sushi/sashimi/yakiniku/shabu shabu joint with so-so to mediocre food (2.5) Service: absolutely lackluster service with no redeeming qualities (0), value: albeit the fish is fresh and the price is decent but it's not worth the aggrevation to eat here (1).
So we arrived in Vancouver in the late evening, we were looking for a place to get some decent eats without the wait and fuss. Shabusen was close to the hotel and what the heck! $22 bucks for a AYCE Japanese dinner - I'm in.
After all, it's Shabusen, right? So we get handed a menu to persuse which ended be only the yakiniku/sushi option. We only got to see the shabu shabu menu after we inquired about it. Not to mention the lengthy wait time for basic things like tea, ordering forms and writing utensils. We were also not told how the process works at all. Our waiter put in orders for things which we explicitly asked to be removed from our order.
I'd wanted to get the shabu shabu/sushi menu but my mom wanted to try the yakiniku/sushi menu. Unfortunately there's only one menu choice per table which sucks.
Sashimi slices are nice, thick and generous however the tuna had a distinctly unpleasant fishy flavour what prevented me from placing a second order. The rolls had way too much rice in them with little in the way of filling.
I would suggest ordering the nigiri sushi as I found the hamachi to be quite good. The toro was only okay in my books - the texture was a little too mushy. Again - too much rice to fish ratio.
The cooked items from the kitchen were nothing short of mediocre - the gyoza are clearly from the frozen food aisle, the tempura items were covered in a thick gummy batter, and the teriyaki veggies were boiled then had soy sauce covering them... yuck! The tonkatsu was dry albeit it was still edible unlike the previously mentioned items.
Overall, not a bad deal for a quick meal however the service was so poor that I wouldn't come back here considering the aggrevation. -
Review from Connie C.
3/31/2011
This place used to be WAY better. For all you can eat, though, you're still getting a good deal (went for the Sat lunch $13.95). All you can eat Japanese and Korean bbq. The meats were better in the past. The worst was the service though. It really went downhill, and made the experience pretty unbearable.
We used to go to Shabu every time we went up to Vancouver. After our most recent trip, though, I think we're gonna start looking around for other places. -
Review from Fred F.
5/5/2011
Good value for the money. Nobu it's not, but for a very simple sushi menu, it's pretty good. Good quality salmon and tuna. Liked the spicy tuna cone. Service not that great but servers were very pleasant. No complaints from me for $13.00.
I'd definitely recommend for lunch. -
Review from Angela W.
2/23/2011
Did do some waiting in line. I mean, this place is cracking. Buffets are $13 for lunch- really cheap, so a line is expected.
Service- The hostess and people are for the most part pretty nice or nonchalant... I guess a 3.5 star for service.
Food- definitely a 5 star. There are limitations. For example, each group only gets a 1.5 hour limit in the restaurant, you get charged $0.25 for each uneaten serving of rice from a roll, and there are some limits to how much of i.e. sashimi you can order each round. Besides that, they do have a lot of variety. The meat, especially the beef, was delicious. They have sashimi, meat, rolls, salads, etc.
Ambiance- if you sit in the boats.. it's pretty cool. You have to take off your shoes so going in and out of the boat for restrooms was troublesome. Bathrooms were pretty nasty. -
Review from Lilly T.
10/17/2010
Delicious all you can eat sashimi, sushi and self-grill Korean BBQ. We came here during lunch to an almost packed house, which is saying something. Here, they give you an ordering card and you place the number of pieces you want per item.
The sashimi was fresh and the sushi rolls were done nicely. Other items include chicken teriyaki (which was surprisingly delish because unlike most, the top layer of the chicken was crispy), yakisoba, agadashi tofu, and so much more. Our favorite was the Korean BBQ-- here, they offer chicken, pork and beef (pork & beef are the best!). The spicy tuna hand roll was also really good.It is a great deal at only $13/pp for lunch. I will definitely stop by Shabusen again on my next trip to Vancouver, BC! -
Review from Renee C.
2/27/2011
AYCE dinner ~$22 really hit the spot! With an assortment of ready to BBQ meats and seafood you get an array of the regular spread of AYCE japanese food specials that were fresh and decent.
I was definitetely a happy camper after this meal! -
Review from Eva G.
9/26/2010 3 photos
For when you want quantity over quality. It's $22 pp. It's a mix of Korean/Japanese food, owned by Chinese folks. They use white albacore for their tuna and toro sushi, so don't expect to see dark red pieces of sashimi for tuna. Their paper checklist menu is different from the laminated "official" menu, because it doesn't include choices like the halibut.
Service is appalling, and they don't always give you the amount you request on the checklist. Probably a better experience if you're with a drinking group. -
Review from Quddous B.
Vancouver, BC
1/12/2011
If you're thinking about going here for dinner - Save your money.
At $23 per person for dinner this place is on the pricey side of things
Lunch buffet is not bad at $13 per person
Their sushi is mediocre and they use cheap cuts of meat for the grill.
When you want sushi. Go to a specialized sushi restaurant.
When you want grilled meat. Go to an specialized grilled meat restaurant. -
Review from kiomi k.
7/13/2011
make a reservation. it's always packed.
it was ok cause it was all you can eat so that's pretty cool i guess. but the quality was just ok to me. not great at all.
i guess i would go back if i had to cause it's matthew's favorite place to eat in vancouver.
get the scallops hand roll. the best thing there in my opinion. i ate 3. -
Review from Jenn C.
6/18/2011
It's as good as it gets when you're visiting from Edmonton, but I wouldn't be able to tell you how it compares to other Vancouver AYCE joints.
Made dinner reservations when I was ther!e on a Tuesday night in early May - so glad I did because it was packed and there were people waiting for tables. Got to sit at one of the cool boat tables at the back. Though we did have to flag down the waiters a couple of times, it didn't matter which waiter it was - they were all equally helpful. The AYCE is a decent deal at $23 per person, and the menu, though not completely descriptive, does list what kind of portion size each item is, so there's no need to guess about that. What's nice is that they actually get your order right each time - the little paper menu where you write down what you want comes out with your food so if you want, you can verify that everything that you want is there - a huge contrast to other AYCE's that I've been to where they try to confuse you by bringing out parts of your order at a time and omitting to bring the other part completely. Overall the food came out pretty quickly after ordering. Wasn't hugely impressed with the maki except for the chop chop cone - delicious, but hard to eat as all cones are. The salmon sashimi was delicious - rich and fatty and fresh. The chicken karaage is a fried chicken wing drumlette - pretty tasty. We ate a lot of the Korean bbq meat - one order of meat is quite a bit so just be aware of that. All the ones that we tried - the beef ribs, beef, chicken, pork, and lamb, were all really good - great marinade. The lamb has some weird bones in it but that was perfect for me because I like to gnaw :) For desert, they have something listed as 'jello', and it's actually a coffee-flavoured jello with a thin layer of condensed milk on top - it's pretty tasty even though it looks strange. I would definitely, definitely come back here again. -
Review from Kelsey P.
Vancouver, BC
8/2/2010
Wasn't overly impressed by this place at all. I wanted to like it since I had heard so many good things about it from my friends, but it just wasn't great.
There was too many of us to only allow us to light one of the burners at our table. We requested the other one be lit as well, but we were denied.
The sushi wasn't very good and the gyoza was gross. I pretty much just ate a plate of spring rolls the whole night since the burner was occupied by the other seven people at the table and there was no chance of being able to cook any of the meat for myself.
$20+ for some mediocre springrolls and bad service didn't make me want to come here again anytime soon. Too bad... -
Review from Corstian P.
Vancouver, BC
8/1/2010
So we avoid anything all-you-can-eat like the plague but at the suggestion of some friends we decided to put those reservations aside and give it a try.
Seating 8 of us didn't seam to be a problem however lighting both of our grills did (TIP- If Yakiniku is part of your restaurants name you sure as hell better cater to it). I would have complained if there had actually been someone to complain too.
The meal was sub-par sushi followed by a hope that I could reach the grill on the other table before I overcooked my protein. Honestly nothing stood out as worth the $60+ bill I was left with
A.Y.C.E is just a gimmick as is this restaurants name. -
Review from Carol L.
1/13/2009 7 photos
All you can eat Japanese and Korean food at a fantastic price: $12.95 (Canadian) lunch on weekdays, and $13.50 on weekends. Overall the place was clean, especially for an Asian all you can eat restaurant. The decor felt higher class, considering the prices.
The food? It was definitely all you can eat quality, so it wasn't amazing. Nonetheless, it was still enjoyable and well worth the price! We got there early, and at first the sashimi we had tasted quite frozen. About half an hour later, our sushi tasted much better, but still buffet-quality. The Korean BBQ was also decent but not excellent. The best dishes were some of their Japanese kitchen dishes, specifically their tempura, agedashi tofu, gyoza.
Interestingly, they have a limit to 8 pieces of sashimi per person now (apparently there was no limit before). To order, they give you pieces of paper to fill out. Some items are ordered by the piece, while some are by the dish, as indicated on the order form. For example, the sashimi, nigiri, rolls, tempura, and gyoza are also ordered by the piece. The Korean BBQ, chicken karage, kim chi, and tonkatsu are by the dish.
Overall, the food is pretty decent, some of it quite enjoyable. You can't beat the price though, and it's great for large parties. In the end, it wouldn't be a place I would crave, but a place I wouldn't mind going if my company wanted to go there.
Pictures uploaded.Listed in: Itadakemasu!
