 I
recently heard that there are over a hundred Japanese restaurants in the
Richmond area. Whether or not this is true, it is surely the case that
Richmond's large Asian population creates a big demand for sushi, and this means
that there are an incredible number of such restaurants, some that serve even
very exotic, "fusion" creations that combine ingredients such as cream
cheese and mango in their rolls.
But, along with the exotic kinds of sushi, you'll
also find restaurants such as Sui Sha Ya that serve the most recognizable and
mainstream kinds of sushi in an "All You Can Eat" format. Sui Sha Ya
is a successful Vancouver sushi chain that has locations in many places throughout the
Lower Mainland, including West Broadway (101-1401 W Broadway, 604-733-8886), Metrotown (236-4820 Kingsway, 604-433-7881), Coquitlam (120-2991 Lougheed Hwy, 604-942-7036), Richmond (221-5300 No. 3 Rd, 604-279-8708).
Of all their locations, I like the Richmond one
the best, mainly because its interior has a rather dark, rich wooden theme that
is accented with super bright mini halogen lights that are right above the
tables. It's the perfect environment to consume endless amounts of finely
prepared sushi creations such as the ones pictured above.
I have been generally quite pleased with the
quality of the sushi at Shi Sha Ya. My friend's parents visiting from Asia
complained that "this is not real sushi", and I agree that the dishes
may not be as faithfully prepared in the Japanese tradition as you would find at
some of the more serious, upscale restaurants. But "all you can eat"
sushi has set a standard of its own here in Vancouver, where it combines some of
the sophistication and taste of Japanese food with a Westernized take on quality
and quantity.
At lunch, the sushi buffet is approximately $10,
and at dinner it is $20. This is pretty much average pricing for Vancouver all you can
eat sushi restaurants, and I consider it to be a good deal if you enjoy eating a
lot. I'd definitely go back here again with a big crowd of my pro-sushi friends.
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Negitoro roll and assorted
maki
Negitoro is the pinkish colour fish in
the photo. It is deliciously soft tuna belly.
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Baked Seafood Motoyaki Assorted
seafood is baked in a half-oyster shell with onion and a rich mayonnaise
sauce.
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Assorted maki sushi |
Reviewed by: Geoff Peters
Last reviewed: Dec. 12, 2004
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