Kazami Japanese Restaurant is a newly opened Japanese restaurant on the West End. It replaces Hato Popo which was one of the few remaining Japanese all-you-can-eat restaurants in Vancouver.
The inside has been renovated and the space is quite open and inviting. I decided to come by for lunch because they are currently having a 20% off promotion for their grand opening. Prior to coming here I’ve seen a few photos on Instagram and the sashimi dishes looked very beautiful and fresh.
Unfortunately, this lunch would turn out to be a very style over substance.
This was a standard BBQ ika. If I were to be nit picky the bbq flavour wasn’t very strong and there was no mayo. The presentation was beautiful.
Because of all the beautiful photos I saw of their sashimi on Instagram, I decided to go with their Chirashi Don. When it was first presented, I was very impressed. The sashimi had a nice sheen and the flower decorations really added to the overall look of the dish. However, the taste left much to be desired.
The salmon, surf clam and octopus were extremely fishy tasting. The ebi and tuna had no flavour. It was very odd to be eating an ebi and knowing what ebi should taste like but not tasting anything.
The sushi rice was abysmal. The vinegar ratio was acceptable, but the rice was cold and clumpy.
The dishes presented were beautiful. You can tell there is care and attention paid to each dish, however, as beautiful as the food is, the taste is what is most important and this is where they fall flat.
The service was great – my tea was constantly refilled and the staff seemed eager to do a good job.
The restaurant is still new so they may have some kinks to work out, but for the price and the level of quality there are many other great Japanese restaurants around.