Deli Nippon

I really wanted to love this tiny mom and pop sushi joint, but it was not to be. Our tempura was simultaneously burnt and soggy, and my udon soup had a disproportionate amount of onion in it. The miso soup had an unfamiliar fishy and smoky flavour, but that could be a matter of taste.

This is one of the neighbourhood places I drop in when I am hungry and cant be bothered to cook.
It’s super hole in the wall, as most things along Kingsway are. But they are Japanese (plus for a sushi restaurant), they are cheap (plus) AND they use recyclable containers.
I have never had the ramen, but reading all the reviews on Unilocal I’ll have to give it a shot.
The sushi is always fresh. I tend to only eat the vegetarian stuff anyway when I’m out and I’ve never had a bad experience here.

This place has mediocre food but still I can’t help but love it. A lot.
During my last visit my sister and I were feeling snacky so we decided to share a ramen. The owner (it’s a one-​man operation) split it into two generous servings. We *love* this man. He is so peaceful, kind and hospitable.
A side story though, because apparently it happens a lot:
While I was eating a dude popped his head into the restaurant, asked the owner if he wanted his windows cleaned (he politely declined) and then squeegey guy flung dirty water all over the storefront windows and smudged it around. Talk about blackmail. The owner said that this man does it all the time. I asked him if he wanted to call the police but he said no and that he didn’t think it would help. I got on my phone and popped my head out the door to see if he was still there. He was, and he was soliciting the business next door. He looked me in the eye and I glared at him, moving back inside. Then… my phone died. Argh. I would have told him off myself but he disappeared after that. If I see him again… I don’t know. I don’t like seeing anyone bully anyone – and especially not my favourite hard working Japanese man. Seriously, there’s something about him that just makes me want to take care of him!

Felt a tinge to nibble and stumbled into this place in me n my sisters neighbourhood! Sure glad we did :) We had barley tea, sashimi and split a house roll. Tea was really good and brought me back to happy times while travelling. The man who served us was so sweet! It was such a nice relaxing atmosphere and I really appreciated pictures of the menu items on the wall so I could really see what to order. I have heard rumors that their ramen is very good and I am stoked to try that next time and I’ll be sure to bring my appetite with me!

We actually enjoyed this place which reminded me of the neighbourhood ramen shops in Tokyo near my parents place. Simple dashi with noodles and chicken based. The Hiyashi ramen was good. Which we had on our second visit. Quite the contrast to the more trendy noodle places. I think the average consumer would find it hard to enjoy this place, but if you really know your ramen and or lived in Tokyo, you’ll know what I mean.

* I was a bad boy — I read reviews outside of Unilocal and believed them! *
I read about this spot in several spots online where people said it had the best ramen in all of Vancouver. I checked Unilocal but there was nothing and figured I just had to give it a try for myself.
I’m guessing either they are terribly inconsistent and I caught them on a bad night, or I should only rely on Unilocal and no other online sources for my dining tips. Hm…
Had the charshu miso ramen with a side of gyoza. The charshu, corn, and bamboo were all cold to the touch. Yuck! The charshu was really thinly sliced, and kind of hard (probably because it was so cold!).
The broth itself was lukewarm (probably cooled off rather quickly from putting in the cold items), and tasted as if they may be using some of those instant ramen powders to flavour the broth. Ugh!!! The noodles were decent consistency. But this was a VERY disappointing ramen overall.
The side of gyoza were nothing special. I would not be surprised if I learned they get these frozen and then just quickly prepared them.
Overall a VERY disappointing experience and I will not be going back. I will also be more questioning about things I read outside of Unilocal!
(Shame on me for reading food tips elsewhere, eh?)
Unilocal, will you take me back after I have been unfaithful? I learned from my mistake of seeing other online food reviews!