Japanese restaurant | Renfrew-Collingwood Community News

BY JULIE CHENG

It’s been almost two years since I started working from home due to COVID safety measures. I miss the cycle commute to my downtown office, a good chat with my coworkers and all the usual lunch-hour eateries.

Now Zoom fatigue and work isolation are getting to me. For my mental health, I try to get some sun and exercise with a walk around the Renfrew Ravine. I also go out for a lunch treat once in a while.

These are my favourite restaurants within walking distance. In addition to delicious food, they have kind and friendly staff.

Kopitiam_Malaysia_Chicken_Curry_Laksa — _{Kopitiam Malaysia’s chicken curry laksa is a favourite lunch go-to while on a break from the home office. Photos by Julie Cheng}

Kopitiam_Malaysia_Tofu — _{The Penang tofu at Kopitiam Malaysia is a family favourite.}

Kopitiam Malaysia
3885 Rupert Street and East 23rd
604-566-9898
kopitiammalaysia.ca
The name of this Malaysian restaurant has changed (they are no longer part of the Penang Delight franchise), but the wonderful flavours of my favourites remain the same – chicken curry laksa, mee goreng and sambal green beans. Check out their weekday lunch special.

Kopitiam_Malaysia_Mee_Goreng — _{I love the sweet-and-sour flavours of the mee goreng from Kopitiam Malaysia.}

Basil_Garden_Chicken_Pho — _{Basil Garden’s free-range chicken pho is a Vietnamese take on chicken noodle soup and just as comforting.}

Basil_Garden_Spring_Roll_Pork_Vermicelli_Bowl — _{Basil Garden’s vermicelli bowl with pork skewers and spring rolls is packed with flavour.}

Basil Garden
2889 East Broadway and Renfrew
604-871-9998
basilgarden.ca
The hike down and then up the hill to Basil Garden is well worth it for me. All their pho is wonderful. I discovered their free-range chicken pho to be just as flavourful – I ask for no skin as a healthier option. Also healthy are their vermicelli bowls and salad rolls. It gets busy at lunch so go early or late.

Basil_Garden_Salad_Rolls_Prawn_Tofu — _{Try Basil Garden’s healthy prawn or marinated tofu salad rolls with peanut sauce.}

Dami Sushi and Korean Restaurant
3280 East 22nd Avenue and Rupert
604-431-8887
damisushikorean.ca
This restaurant has been going strong since opening in Renfrew-Collingwood in January 2021. I agree with Paul Reid, in his Taking out in RC review, that the pork in the Gamja-Tang hot pot “is of the melt-in-your-mouth variety” – just like the bone broths my grandma used to make. My favourites are the bibimbap and japchae.

Dami_Sushi_Korean_Pork_Bone_Soup — _{The pork in Dami Sushi and Korean Restaurant’s Gamja-Tang hot pot melts in your mouth.}

Kimu Japanese Cuisine
4441 Boundary Road and East 29th
604-563-0722
kimujapanesecuisine.com
Another bit of a hike from home, Kimu has long been a reliable lunch and dinner spot. In addition to delectable sushi, they have a good grill – I love their teriyaki meals. There’s even more reason to stop there now with Masala Meats next door.

Kimu_Japanese_Cuisine_Ramen — _{The ramen from Kimu Japanese Cuisine is sure to warm you up on a winter’s day.}

iSushi
3883 Rupert Street
604-336-6553
isushi3883.wixsite.com/isushi
iSushi opened despite the pandemic and quickly pivoted to become a busy takeout spot. I like to dine in to enjoy the tea and the food fresh from the kitchen. You can choose from a variety of sushi and rice bowls to make your own lunch special, but I invariably order a healthy house salad and sashimi.

iSushi_Lunch_Special_Teriyaki_Bowl_Sushi_Udon — _{iSushi’s lunch special lets you choose from a variety of dishes.}

Miss Siam Food Truck
Broadway Tech Centre (Renfrew and Hebb)
Check location and time at misssiam.ca or @streetfoodapp
facebook.com/MissSiamFood/
The Miss Siam food truck is my go-to for street Thai food in this neighbourhood. Usually found Mondays and Wednesdays at the Renfrew and Hebb, kitty corner to the Renfrew SkyTrain station, Miss Siam is well worth the trek down and up the hill. Read about their tasty offerings in this Eating Out review.

Miss Siam's pad Thai and green mango salad are weekly staples for many local workers. — ^{Miss Siam’s pad Thai and green mango salad are weekly staples for many local workers.}

4441 Boundary Road, Vancouver
Phone: 604-563-0722
Open every day 11 am – 9:30 pm

BY PAUL REID

Sushi Miga’s Party Tray A (a mere $22) along with a few side dishes, left the accomplice and I more than well satisfied. Photo by Paul Reid

Greetings food fans. I want to tell you this month about the good folks and food I found down at Sushi Miga, the object of my accomplice and I’s latest gastronomic investigation.

First, so we can get a vision, do you know where the north end of Joyce street curls around into Boundary? Where James St. Café used to be for so many years? It’s in there. Remember, with ample parking to the north?

It’s nice. There’s a nice new sushi bar in the back; a familiar yet revamped layout with some new décor. My favourite is the new liquor licence and the ice cold genuine Asahi draft on tap at a mere $4.90 a pint. That alone is worth the trip. But folks, there’s more.

My accomplice and I ordered Party Tray A (44 pieces of tuna, salmon, kappa, California, spicy tuna, yam and dynamite rolls – $22); prawn and vegetable tempura ($5); gyoza ($5); and miso soup ($1.50).

How often can two people dine on healthy, delicious, visually appealing, tongue-tantalizing, stomach-filling goodness (including that cold Asahi draft beer) for under $40, and still have some to take home for a snack later? With Sushi Miga now in our ’hood, the answer is every day.

Now about the good folks, let’s start with Simon Kang – proud new father of Sushi Miga – who knows that he is not alone in Vancouver when it comes to sushi restaurants. “Apparently there are twice as many sushi restaurants in Vancouver than Los Angeles, and they have 10 times the population!” Simon says.

So how will he set Sushi Miga apart? One thing will be the addition of Korean fare to the menu. This will coincide with the arrival of Sushi Miga’s new chef, a master of Japanese and Korean cuisine, who joined the team in June 2014.

One of the current chefs is Simon’s old-time friend. We’re talking high-school chums, serving in the Korean military together, 40-year-strong type of friendship. It was his encouragement paired with Simon’s background in restaurant supplies that brought Sushi Miga to life.

Sushi Miga is already involved in our community’s awesome spirit with a generous donation to Graham Bruce Elementary’s recent fundraiser. “I want Sushi Miga to be a cornerstone of this community over time. We may not be the largest or the fanciest restaurant, but we want to provide fresh quality food to the community, in good amounts, at fair prices.”

But don’t just listen to me or Simon. Taste for yourself. Not just Sushi Miga either, but all fine eateries across this fine community. Bon appetite!

Renfrew-Collingwood Community News

News stories from the Renfrew-Collingwood community in East Vancouver

Tag Archives: Japanese restaurant

Eating Out in RC: Zoom fatigue? Favourite lunch breaks away from the home office

Eating Out in RC: Sushi Miga

Share this:

Share this: