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Real People. Real Reviews.®
Category: Sushi Bars [Edit]
616 Davie StMon-Fri 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
Sat-Sun 12:30 pm - 10:30 pm
I gotta say, I'm a fan.
This is great food at an even GREATER price. If you're looking for a fancy restaurant with some cool vibe, this is definitely not the place for you. But if you're looking for a tiny, cozy, hole-in-the-wall, take-out, or for good food that won't kill your wallet, this IS the jackpot.
Lunch specials for 3 rolls plus soup and salad is $5.95, and bento boxes with soup and salad start at $6.45. Even one of these is incredibly filling; I've never been able to finish my food and have taken it home. The service is almost TOO good, was actually almost borderline annoying. It's a tiny restaurant with just one waitress, and she's always come around asking if we're done, taking away plates or filling waters. But I'm not complaining... Looking forward to my next visit!!!
Yes... I know what you are going to tell me: "What ?! A Japanese restaurant... AGAIN !??!"....
Well yeah... that's the thing with the nice weather: I crave sushis !!!
So the other night, we were going to see a dance show from a friend (SchreibeStuck.... was awesome !!!!... but not the subject of this review.... :-) )
We didn't have time to eat before going there and had 30 minutes to spare. So we went to grab a quick bite.
On the opposite sidewalk, there was three (yes... three!!) sushi restaurant. So we went into the one that sounded the most inviting, grabbed the last free little table and order a few rolls and some shrimp gyoza.
Everything arrived pretty quickly... and it was really good !!!! We were very pleasantly surprised, as we chose the restaurant totally out of luck, never heard about it before and were just expecting a quick, not be remembered meal.
The gyoza were super fresh and very well done, and the rolls as well. the quality of the fish and the composition was spot on.
Obviously it's not the fanciest of the sushi restaurants in town, but they definitely have their basics rights and they have very good products.
I will definitely go back !
So all in all, we had this awesome night out, without the girls..... all the way until we came out of the dance piece.... and realized that our motorcycle was towed away !!
What's wrong with this city ?!?!?!?!? Shouldn't they encourage motorcycles usage over cars (as any sensible city around the world ?!?!).... But anyway, that's once again not part of this review ! (^-^)
Itasakimasu !
Yamato sushi is my go to for quick, cheap sushi when I'm coming home late from work. The food is decent quality and has a good taste. There is nothing amazing about the food but it is great for the price.
I suggest getting take out since the restaurant is quite small and can become very busy. Even better, phone in and order, then you don't have to wait!
I usually order the spicy tuna roll, dynamite roll and/or some nigiri. The nigiri as a pretty good size portion and so are the rolls. Try it out.
Love this place!! Tiny little hole-in-the-wall sushi joint that has a sweet bento box for just the right price...
I know that most of the menu is cheap and delicious, however, try some of their specialty rolls... They are the best, and not that much more.
Highly recommended!
....Since the first day I've eaten here....which is not that long ago...I've become addicted to sushi. Yes I'm an addict now because of this place! I don't come here every single day. Maybe once every 2 days at least haha but wow this place...something about it.
It looks like a little hole in the wall but their rolls are SO good. The way their rice is seasoned and the texture...WOW it's just right. This is now my favourite sushi joint. I crave sushi all the time because I yearn for that same satisfaction. I am trying to find another place that makes it the same way because I live near Richmond and don't want to drive all the way out to downtown all the time but still no luck. I think that's why I go out of my way just to come here. Nothing seems to do it now. What I thought were my fave sushi restaurants are no where near as good as this place.
Did I ever mention it's DIRT cheap here?? I always buy the Sushi Special B which is a BC Roll, Salmon Maki and Yam Roll which comes with a miso and green salad for $5.95! I just went to Daimasu last night in station square and for something similar it was about $11-$12 WTF?! The rolls were smaller too and their rice was more sour - ECK. Sour rice is one of my pet peeves with Sushi. It drives me crazy when they use too much vinegar in the rice. It ruins the taste of the whole dish. If you ever plan to visit Yamato even for take out you must try their sushi at least. What I've tried here which are very good value and would recommend is their sushi specials, bento box combos, chopped scallop roll, california roll, tuna tataki, chicken karage and tuna maki. We tried the Oyako Don once. It was not that bad. Could of used a bit more of sauce but it was okay. Not great. I haven't tried any else yet because I haven't gotten sick of eating the same things which is surprising. Usually i'd like to change up my choices from time to time to try new things but I'm very content and happy with the same dishes.
For me and my girlfriend we usually spend about $15-$20 bucks total for our dinner which leaves us STUFFED with leftovers. It's insane. If you find a better place with same or better quality or prices then please do let me know because I think this place is unbeatable. I wish their restaurant was bigger and equipped with washrooms but that's fine because I think everyone comes here solely for the food. There's usually a line up when I go so try to avoid going at 12pm or around 5-7pm. Fortunately they have a high turn over of customers due to their fast service so getting a table doesn't take that long.
Quick, cheap, and the staff is courteous. The sushi is average, but decent for the price. A good place to go to if you're looking for affordable, dependable eats.
Fast, cheap and pretty good sushi -I'm not too adventurous, so stick to California Rolls, Dynamite rolls, Ebi and Salmon.
I always order take out which is ready quickly and always fresh. I will keep coming back.
Molly
Sushi rolls arrived in like 3 minutes from order time.
I LOVE when food comes earlier than expected. Surprises are fun :)
Good quick sushi that's good value.
Recommendation: Get takeout. It's pretty cramped here.
I was hungry after an awesome Yelp Night.... and then I couldn't decide what to eat.. but saw the sign that said $ 4.95 chicken/beef/pork teriyaki.... and having heard good things about this place.. I was in.
got it to takeout and very impressed that it was still hot til I got home after a long chat with a good friend.
It was a big portion, with lots of sauce... the rice was a little over-sticky and although the chicken was tender, there seemed to be a lot of skin-only pieces.... for a late late dinner,, it filled me up. I probably wouldn't go back for their teriyaki but will try their sushi at least once.
I checked Yamato out a couple times over the last week, lured in by their $5.50 three-roll, salad, and miso combo. I had been there in the summer and was impressed by their fun "exotic" rolls, cheap prices, and cute tiny space. If you're a smaller person, like me, you can even take home half your lunch and save it for dinner! It goes a long way for a little.
This time the place delivered pretty good sushi in good sized pieces that were still small enough to pop in my mouth. The downsides to the food were that the Nori was unpleasantly chewy, and the rolls fell apart, but at that price, how can I quibble? Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see the sushi chefs wearing gloves, unlike my summer experience with the place.
What brought their rating down for me, was that the room and the service were cold as ice. I had to keep my bulky coat on because the front door was always ajar. That's understandable because it's a small place with a lot of entering and exiting, but it was the service that truly chilled me. The female server who "helped" me both times this week offered minimal help, and didn't so much as crack a smile. The eat-up-and-get-out vibe outweighs Yamatos benefits.
There are enough places around this city that offer cheap, good sushi, and are happy to do it. Next time I'm taking my business elsewhere.
The sushi is good and fresh, but phoning in an order for take-out is messed up. The people who take the orders there now are new, and they can't communicate clearly over the phone. The chef is the same, but the front staff are new, and not nearly as 'with it' as the past staff. The chef got really mad at them when I went to pick up my order, and they were rude to me when clearly they were the ones who made a mistake. Frustrating, as the food it good. Hope they sort it out soon.
Great quality for the price you pay. This is a quick stop sushi joint, so don't expect a great ambiance or the undivided attention from the servers here. You come for cheap, good, fast sushi. Open to 10:30 every night is a big plus.
I sat at the small counter next to the sushi chefs that were making the fastest rolls and hot items I have ever seen. This place was going 100% busting orders out at the 5 O'clock rush.
I was next to the cash machine and once had to move a tad so the cashier could hand the customer the CC machine to enter a pin#. No problem, I realized this was a small, crazy environment and was part of the experience for me.
Many orders were to-go and there was a never ending stream of customers. My tuna and unagi nigiri was very good at $12 for 10 pieces. No alcohol was offered here, I was feeling a Sapporo :) Looks like the Irish bar a couple blocks away will fulfill this need.
One funny thing I noticed was that the string of sushi places in this area all offered a "24 Piece sushi ensemble for $6-$7" That must be the big thing here.
Listed in: Sushi List
I don't know about you guys, but part of the seduction of Yelp was for me to find out which place had that special sauce.. It would, I donno, make me feel more complete about enjoying my visit there. Well, this one has it. My friend had turned me onto spicy tuna rolls, and these ones here are my favourite - they don't have that strong, aggressive spicy taste that is achieved easily and unoriginally in other places. Their flavour is sweet and spicy at the same time, and unlike any other place. I think they are cooked a little, because they taste kind of crunchy and warm, in a good way. Make sure to ask for their special spicy sauce to go with it - it's a kind of chili sauce. It's nice and mild, with a sweet taste. This roll goes for about $3.50.
That's good. That's great. But here's what bugs me. My friend and I are here what... once a week? Yeah, that sounds about right... And we always have to ask for the special sauce!! I'm sure some of the people could've remembered us by now... I'm assuming this is to save money, but it is quite irritating. It should come with it.
The place is always full of regulars - people love the food. Come here with 3 people, max, and with 3 you'll probably be sitting at their little bar. Tables are pretty much 2 people max. I tried their dragon roll too, and it's very good, but too expensive for a weekly routine for me - 8$.
Listed in: Supremest of Sushi's
I have nothing good to say about this place. It's a classic Chinese-run sushi place which subs quantity and price for any kind of taste or quality. the rolls are pumped up with lots of rice and mayo and the fish is not of a decent quality at all.
It's a hole in the wall, so there's no time to dawdle, but even so the service is abrupt. Here are my two stories: I walked in when it was empty one day and tried to sit at a table--they refused to let me sit at a two table though I was the only customer (I am 6'6"--the bar and stools don't quite fit). I ended up sitting at the bar.
I forgot and went back in a few weeks later--this time it was busy so I sat at the bar in the end seat. When I was 2/3 of the way through my meal, they tried to get me to move to a table so that a group of 4 could sit together at the bar!! I refused.
I really liked this place when it was Excellent Sushi but I will never go there again. Thoroughly mediocre food and worse service.
I found this place by accident. I parked in front it and needed change for the meter. While most places decline to give change, they didn't. So I order from them after I ran my errands. What a happy discovery. Cheap but fantastic and big sushi! I am usually super full after two rolls. Must try the Canuck roll! The place is very tiny for sit down meal, but great for take out.
The cost to benefit ratio here is excellent. Yes, there is a lot of better sushi to be had in Vancouver, but none at this price.
And, yes, there is a lot of cheap sushi to be had in Vancouver ... but this is the best cheap sushi I've had thus far.
I'm going to get a party tray for my next party- 37 pieces for 25 bucks. That's worth a try.
There are so many sushi places to choose from on Davies. We actually started at another sushi resturaunt and left b/c it wasn't good.
From the looks of this place you would think the food would not be all that great. The place is small; barely any seating and cramped, so not exactly good for large groups. But the food and price was great. The fish was fresh and melt in your mouth good. The rolls that we got were super cheap; if you got the same rolls in the states they would have cost probably triple the price. The one down side is you can't get alcohol here, but the sushi is so good you could probably get it to-go.
The previous reviews of Yamato have been spot on. It's definitely not a place to sit and chat, especially during the lunch time rush.
Unfortunately, I can't comment on the freshness of their seafood offerings as I only ever order their vegetarian combinations.
Needless to say, they have to be commended for their price to volume ratio. $6.00 or so for 24 fat pieces of tasty sushi and miso soup? No complaints here!
Didn't expect much from this place until gf brought me here one night. They had the best udon! They mistook my order and brought me chicken udon instead of seafood udon, so we had them bring seafood to put in our udon. That was a hassle but it was great tasting exp. nevertheless. Place is waaaay to tiny though. Good taste compared to price. Waitresses need to be quicker and nicer though.
It's no Tojo's or anything high end, but it's fresh, huge and cheap. Big rolls, but not Samurai big. Tiny place, lost in a sea of little restaurants, but the spicy rolls are awesome and maki combos soooo worth it. I like budget sushi with quality sprinkled on top! Definitely will return.
For the price, this is by far the best quality sushi I've found downtown. Try any of the specialty rolls- Cannuck, Scallop Magma, or Dragon and you won't be disappointed. The staff is always friendly and very quick to get the food out. The only drawbacks are the ultra small size of the restaurant as well as the lack of parking (which is near impossible to find in the area on weekend nights).
cheap good sushi that made my stomach happy...
couldn't ask for more...except quality...but hey it's still pretty good.
An inexpensive non-Japanese owned sushi bar with very fresh product. An 18 piece set with miso soup and salad is priced at a reasonable $5.50! When you need a budget sushi fix, this is the place to go! (I much prefer it over similar places nearby like Samurai and Kadoya.)
Listed in: Vancouver Japanese Food, Something fishy (hopefully…
I'd agree with the other viewers regarding Yamato Sushi. The sushi was quite good and the price was right. I've been to quite a few sushi joints on Robson Street and have paid much more for a similar experience. I actually liked the service and food here better. The place is very small, so try to go at off hours or without a large group. I bet they can only fit about 8 people at a time. I ordered a few pieces of Sake, Shrimp Tempura roll and a Miso soup. Yummi.. with great helpful service. I'll be back for sure!
Yamato is a top spot sushi joint. The service is quick, the food is good and both are consistent. The restaurant is very small and so inadvisable to come with a large group. This is not the place for a long, drawn out meal. More like a quick stop in, gobble some sashimi and waddle out full of fishy goodness.
well.. here's the deal...
it shouldn't bother me so much that this place is chinese-run (and possibly owned?) -- but it does.
nor should it bother me so much that this place offers some of the worst customer service i've seen -- but it does.
so even though the sushi is actually quite good
(read: decently consistent, with freshness being hit or miss - aka: chewy vs melt-in-mouth)
... and an AMAZING VALUE
(read: size of cuts + number of pieces vs pocketbook damage)
... i don't know how i really feel about place. it is good for take-out, no doubt. but for those who want to enjoy a comfortable meal without feeling like your food is being shoved into your face so that you can finish and get out of there... eh, yeah, don't come here.
our own experience was OK, no rude snubs or anything like that, but next to me was a girl who ordered some food for a quick bite and also takeout.
they proceeded to hem and haw when she sat down to eat her food because some customers were waiting for the seat. why the attitude? she ordered food! she should be able to sit down at the counter and eat it while she waits for her takeout order.. no?
even if she's only one person, and even if you have a part of 3 outside who will bring you more money compared to her. obviously this customer thought enough of the food to make two meals out of it by ordering take out as well -- so cut her some slack?
way too rude for my tastes.
Neighborhood: West End
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: West End
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