When I was a student at UBC, I was a frequent visitor of Rajio. They have a funky vibe, great drink specials and delicious kushikatsu (deep fried skewers). A ton of great memories were created here, so I was really glad to hear that Rajio is back in the somewhat post-pandemic world. I came by this week to try some delicious kushikatsu, indulge in some ice cold beer and eat some delicious Japanese tapas. Check out my full review of Rajio Japanese Public House below!
What is Kushikatsu
Kushikatsu (Kushiage) are skewers of meat and vegetables that are breaded with panko and deep fried to golden crisp. You can then dip it in a delicious communal sauce. It is a local specialty in Osaka and is such a great street food! I am a little leery of using a communal sauce pot these days, but it is the traditional way.
Rajio Japanese Public House – Show Stopping Fruit Drinks
If there is one thing you need to get at Rajio, it is their beautiful fruit drinks. There are two on the menu right now:
- Whole Watermelon Punch
- The Grownup’s Cantaloupe Ice Cream Float
The Whole Watermelon Punch is so refreshing for the summer. It can be made with or without alcohol. The presentation was so on point as well. I love the decorative citrus in rainbow colours on the side.
New to the menu is the The Grownup’s Cantaloupe Ice Cream Float featuring a cantaloupe. Its a creamy cantaloupe juice with vanilla ice cream. It is like the best float you didn’t have growing up.
Rajio Japanese Public House – Kushikatsu Menu
From their signature Kushikatsu menu we got:
- Vegetables: Lotus Root, Shiitake
- Meat and Seafood: Duck, Scallop, Oyster, Jumbo shrimp
- ‘Revolution’: Foie gras, Wagyu menchi, Kurobuta sausage
As is traditional, the kushikatsu is served with a communal dipping sauce. You should only dip each skewer once – no double dipping! Rajio will pour the sauce per table, so if you’re comfortable with each other, go forth and double dip. The vegetables were nice and crisp – I particularly enjoy the lotus root as it was still quite crunchy. The more unique offerings like foie gras and wagyu menchi were also well executed with a ton of flavour.
Rajio Japanese Public House – Tapas Menu
From the tapas menu we got:
- Kimchi Tako Wasabi
- Pork “Shabu Shabu” Dome Salad
- Jumbo Ebimayo
- 3 Kinds of Daily Sashimi
No trip to Rajio is ever complete without ordering a selection of tapas to snack on. The Kimchi Tako Wasabi features raw octopus and pickled wasabi stem marinated in wasabi seasoning. Rajio’s twist is to add some kimchi and housemade kimchi sauce. I love the double spicy kick from this dish. Really makes my mouth water for all the other dishes. However, if your spice tolerance is low to mild I would definitely refrain from ordering this dish as it packs a punch.
The Pork “Shabu Shabu” Dome Salad is an upcoming new menu item. It has a fried egg on top! I adore this salad! The lettuce was fresh and crisp and the creamy sesame dressing went so well with the pork slices. A must order in my book.
If there is ebi mayo on a menu, you can bet I’m ordering it! The Jumbo Ebimayo features jumbo prawn coated in tempura batter and dipped in a chili mayo sauce. The prawn was nice and meaty with a good snap. It was huge! The chili mayo sauce was on point.
The Three Kinds of Sashimi is on their daily fresh sheet and on my visit there was scallop, wild salmon and hamachi. Each piece was cut beautifully with a nice fresh taste. Given that Rajio is part of the same group that Suika, Kingyo and Raisu, it is no surprise that the sashimi was excellent.
Rajio Japanese Public House – Rice and Noodle Menu
- Crab Bibimbap
- Uni-Bonara Udon
The Crab Bibimbap features real crab, crab miso, tobiko, shredded egg crepe, and arugula on bed of rice with a drizzle of crab soy sauce and our signature kushi-katsu sauce. Because of the hot stone bowl the rice gets quite crispy, which I adore.
The Uni-Boanara Udon features udon noodles pan-fried in a rich and creamy sea urchin sauce. topped with real crab, tobiko, thinly sliced egg crepe, and arugula. The sea urchin sauce clings to the udon noodles and gives it such a velvety texture. The ingredients are very rich, however the dish doesn’t feel heavy at all – a must order for me!
Rajio Japanese Public House
Address: 3763 W 10th Ave, Vancouver BC
Telephone: 604-558-1679
Website: https://www.rajiopublichouse.com/