Every once in awhile I come across a plate of food that leaves me utterly speechless in its beauty and taste. My experience with Orizumé was exactly that. I felt as if I was back in Japan enjoying a luxury omakase. The attention to detail that Master Sushi Chef Hiroshi gives to each piece of nigiri and the careful placement of all the accouterments made each box a work of art. Orizumé truly has the most luxurious sushi takeout in Vancouver.
Packaging and Pick Up
Packaging is so important and Orizumé really takes it to the next level. The sushi box was made of sturdy imitation wood. The chopsticks they provide are not your average disposable chopsticks – they are heavier and tapered. In addition, everything was wrapped in a gorgeous purple gauze fabric to ensure easy transportation.
They are currently operating out of a defunct restaurant kitchen at 820 Homer Street. You must place a preorder online and set the time for pickup according to the availability on their website. Pick up was seamless and easy.
Traditional Nigiri Sushi Assortment
To get a good sampling of what Orizumé has to offer the first box I got was the – Traditional Nigiri Sushi for 2 ($95.00). This order includes 8 nigiri sushi (2 pieces each). My box contained the following:
- Matsukawa Flounder (Hokkaido, Japan) with anchovy and seagrape
- Tiger Prawn (BC) with egg yolk powder
- Cuttlefish with flying fish roe, Nishiki sesame, and Calamansi
- Soy marinated Longtail Tuna (Nagasaki, Japan) with Sansho seed
- Blue Fin Tuna Belly (Nagasaki, Japan) with nori seaweed sauce and chive
- Cured Gizzard Shad (Saga, Japan) with shiso flower and konbu kelp
- Sea Water Conger Eel (Northern Japan) with Sansho leaf
- Japanese egg omelette
Each piece was outstanding and every ingredient had a reason for being there. The rice was the perfect texture and flavour. It didn’t overwhelm the fish. My personal favourites: Blue Fin Tuna Belly, Japanese egg omelette, cuttlefish and Tiger prawn. Please note that selection does change according to what is available, but I’m positive that whichever combination you get it will be spectacular.
Bara Chirashi
This box of Bara Chirashi ($55.00) might look different than your average sashimi bowl in Vancouver. This style involves “scattered” ingredients on top of sushi rice. It is one of my favourite dishes and not commonly found in Vancouver. I had a great rendition of this dish at Morimoto in Las Vegas and I was so glad to see this on offer at Orizumé. The misconception is that reject end pieces of fish make up this dish, however each piece of sashimi was of high quality. Each piece of fish was fresh and had a lovely sheen. In particular, the briniess
Overall I was blown away by the sushi from Orizumé. Eating each piece made me feel as if I was back in Japan. The ordering process was seamless and the pick up process was equally as easy. There is plenty of parking in front of the pick up location (820 Homer Street). I definitely want to try their Orizumé Box and Extreme Nigiri Sushi next time! You need to try this luxurious sushi takeout today!
