Toratatsu- A Taste of Tokyo in Vancouver

Following a disappointing dinner at Cibo Trattoria which did not live up to its hype as enRoute magazine's 2009 Best New Restaurant in Canada, we set out to eat what Vancouver does best... Japanese tapas and seafood.

Located on Denham amongst other quaint Japanese izakayas and ramen restaurants, Toratatsu is a little taste of Tokyo in Vancouver, BC.

There are many isakayas within the area to choose from: Guu, Hapa, Kingyo to name a good few... but we decided upon Toratatsu on the recommendation of my brother, a local Vancouverite.

And this time, we were not disappointed one bit...

Sapporo to start...


Aburi Shime Saba- House cured mackerel seared at your table with a blowtorch!









A touch of lemon on the mackerel...


Fresh and Sweet Spot Prawn Sashimi






Kakuni- Slow braised pork belly in a sweet soy reduction with baby bok choy and hard boiled egg.


Beef Tataki Carpaccio- Seared beef sashimi Carpaccio with fine shaved red onion salad

Cheese Tofu- Creamy mascarpone tofu, toasted almonds, fresh strawberries, and a touch of honey, served with baguette. Surprisingly pleasant and refreshing!


Ishiyaki Risotto- Risotto of seared scallops, mushrooms, Iwanori seaweed served in a hot stone bowl.


A cook comes tableside to mix the risotto...


Dragon Roll- Prawn and avocado with salmon caviar topped with tobiko.


And again... blowtorched!







After you finish the Spot Prawn Sashimi... they take away the heads and then deep-fry them for a second round course...


Tarako Kimchi Udon- described as a "Japanese style pasta", it is udon noodle with cod roe sauce and kimchi.


Highly entertaining dinner... highly intriguing ingredients... highly highly recommended!