My experience with omakase in Vancouver has been limited. I’ve tried Matsuzushi in Port Moody (famous for their $30 omakase!), and Sushi Bar Maumi in the Downtown West End.
I’ve heard many good things about the omakase experience at the Lobby Lounge RawBar inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim, so I decided to give it a try to see if it lives up to all the recommendations.
The Chef’s Nigiri Omakase Experience is only available at the sushi bar, but on my visit I was able to eat it at a high top.
The meal started off with a traditional miso soup. This has to be one of the best miso soups I’ve ever had. It was like the brewed the essence of the ocean into this soup. There was a generous serving of seaweed and tofu included.
Following the miso soup, we had a small appetizer akin to a tuna poke. It was a nice way to start the meal, but I felt that there was just a little too much pickled jalapeño in the dish. It overwhelmed all the other components of the poke.
Every piece was perfectly prepared. The sardine was pickled and was similar to saba in texture and flavour. The snow crab was sweet and it was so satisfying biting into a large piece of crab without all the work of peeling the shell off. The lobster was fresh and meaty and the sauce had a slight citrus taste that worked well the lobster. The favourite of the set for me was the Aburi Scallop Nigiri. The scallop was large, fresh and sweet and the torched mayo didn’t overwhelm the delicateness of the scallop at all. The Wagyu Nigiri was melt in the mouth tender and the sauce added a nice smokiness.
This row of nigiri was less luxurious, but still very good and very fresh. The standout for me was the Wild Salmon Nigiri and the Steelhead Salmon Nigiri. The wild salmon had a firm texture and a strong fresh salmon flavour. The Steelhead salmon was smooth and buttery and melted in my mouth.
At this point I was getting pretty stuffed, but we ended the meal with a temaki hand roll. I think if I had to nitpick, this would be the weakest portion of my meal. I think that our server forgot about the hand roll, so it was sitting at the bar for awhile, and when it was served to me, the nori was already soggy. However, I really enjoyed the aburi salmon and the shiso in this roll and it was still a great end to a meal.
I was blown away by my meal here. Every component of this experience was perfectly executed. Every piece of nigiri was crafted with precision using the freshest ingredients. The service was impeccable and the ambiance was relaxing and it was a lovely environment to enjoy a casual lunch while having a catch up with a good friend.
From the first sip of soup, I was already planning my next visit back. I highly recommend you make a reservation for their special BC Spot Prawn Long Board Omakase Experience!