I've been to Wasabiya quite a few times. I wouldn't say I frequent the place. It's very popular and sometimes hard to get a seat in the small establishment unless you reserve ahead of time, and when the urge for sushi strikes I want it now. Most recently Whiskey I treated ourselves last Thursday.
There is good reason why this small sushi joint is always bustling. Every single time I've dined there the quality and freshness of the ingredients is superb. The consistency is one of many reasons why locals flood to Wasabiya. The friendly, casual-but-not-too-casual service and atmosphere is another. With just a handful of tables and seats for about six people at the bar, one could almost imagine being in a small side-entrance sushi den somewhere in Japan.
What brings me back time and time again however, is one of the most refreshing delicious dishes I have ever had the pleasure to consume. The popular, almost legendary smoked salmon salad. Cold smoked wild salmon artfully wrapped around bundles of cool cucumber and crisp daikon radish, then served in the middle of a bowl surrounded by an ample amount of house made ginger dressing. Oh my god, the dressing! A culinary masterpiece, I have tried to deconstruct the flavour components in my mouth while savoring this concoction, but never satisfactorily. It's the very exemplification of Umami.
I start with the salad, then after consuming the perfect portion, I reserve the dressing as to not waste a single dab of it. When the sushi rolls arrive I use the dressing as a sauce for the sushi. I'm not the only one either, the servers are never surprised when stop them from taking my salad bowl away. When it come to maki, I have a few favourites, but I tend to mix it up depending on my mood. Highly recommended are the Umeshisho roll (Shiso leaf with plum and cucumber) and the salmon skin roll (I'm a fan of these when done well, which they do here, and not at all a fan when done poorly). Also of notable mention are the pacific roll (it's got cream cheese in it which i understand isn't for everyone and strays from traditional, but I really dig it) and the spider roll (soft shell crab).
I love sitting at the sushi bar at Japanese restaurants, but especially here at Wasabiya. Chef and owner Takahiro Matsuzawa works with focused precision and occasional warm banter with customers while preparing what looks to be a landslide of both dine-in and take-out orders. The raw fish and other items in the clear display refrigerator always look to be of upmost quality and freshness and adds to the tantalizing experience.
I'm sure I'll return to Wasabiya many times to come, and although I slightly hesitate to share this post for fear of making the busy cafe ever more popular, it deserves all the praise.
-Cheers, and bon appetit,
D
8.5/10
(10s are a fabled score and while i almost gave it a 9, I don't want to convey that there is no room for improvement.)
I can not disagree with anything that Chef D has said above. Wasabiya is by far my favorite sushi establishment on the north island.
For myself I also started with the Salmon Salad. It is worth mentioning here that you will not see me order Salmon very often, normally speaking I find it a strong fish that I am not always a fan of, although I am constantly striving to try it when done well.
Wasabiya does it well.
As with Chef D I reserved the sauce from my salad for my upcoming rolls. I also ordered the Gyoza for us to share. It is not one of Chef D's favorite things but I can not seem to go for sushi without having a few of the little dumplings.
When the maki came, I had a spicy red tuna roll, Lobster chop roll, Cucumber roll and the local favorite the Campbell River Roll.
Campbell River Roll is a combination of lobster and Salmon and Dungeness crab. I can not think of anything more indicative to the small town that we live in on the water.
Wasabiya never dissapoints. I love a place that I know the food will be of a certain quality all the time but still pleases like it was the first time I was tasting it all.
Wasabiya pushes the limits away from the traditional with rolls like the above mentioned Pacific and Campbell River Roll, but keeps to the traditional with tiny details like putting wasabi in the cucumber roll. This is very traditional and I feel a very nice touch.
I cant say a bad thing about our dinner on Thursday and I look forward to going back again. There is a seafood ramen I am dying to try.
8.5/10 small loss of points as the restaurant is very hot and the washrooms are limited.
Cheers and Bon Appetit
- Whiskey G
SPICY TUNA TOP LEFT, LOBSTER CHOP BOTTOM LEFT and
CUCUMBER ROLL TOP RIGHT
CAMPBELL RIVER ROLL
THE BEAUTIFUL SALMON SALAD
There is good reason why this small sushi joint is always bustling. Every single time I've dined there the quality and freshness of the ingredients is superb. The consistency is one of many reasons why locals flood to Wasabiya. The friendly, casual-but-not-too-casual service and atmosphere is another. With just a handful of tables and seats for about six people at the bar, one could almost imagine being in a small side-entrance sushi den somewhere in Japan.
What brings me back time and time again however, is one of the most refreshing delicious dishes I have ever had the pleasure to consume. The popular, almost legendary smoked salmon salad. Cold smoked wild salmon artfully wrapped around bundles of cool cucumber and crisp daikon radish, then served in the middle of a bowl surrounded by an ample amount of house made ginger dressing. Oh my god, the dressing! A culinary masterpiece, I have tried to deconstruct the flavour components in my mouth while savoring this concoction, but never satisfactorily. It's the very exemplification of Umami.
I start with the salad, then after consuming the perfect portion, I reserve the dressing as to not waste a single dab of it. When the sushi rolls arrive I use the dressing as a sauce for the sushi. I'm not the only one either, the servers are never surprised when stop them from taking my salad bowl away. When it come to maki, I have a few favourites, but I tend to mix it up depending on my mood. Highly recommended are the Umeshisho roll (Shiso leaf with plum and cucumber) and the salmon skin roll (I'm a fan of these when done well, which they do here, and not at all a fan when done poorly). Also of notable mention are the pacific roll (it's got cream cheese in it which i understand isn't for everyone and strays from traditional, but I really dig it) and the spider roll (soft shell crab).
I love sitting at the sushi bar at Japanese restaurants, but especially here at Wasabiya. Chef and owner Takahiro Matsuzawa works with focused precision and occasional warm banter with customers while preparing what looks to be a landslide of both dine-in and take-out orders. The raw fish and other items in the clear display refrigerator always look to be of upmost quality and freshness and adds to the tantalizing experience.
I'm sure I'll return to Wasabiya many times to come, and although I slightly hesitate to share this post for fear of making the busy cafe ever more popular, it deserves all the praise.
-Cheers, and bon appetit,
D
8.5/10
(10s are a fabled score and while i almost gave it a 9, I don't want to convey that there is no room for improvement.)
I can not disagree with anything that Chef D has said above. Wasabiya is by far my favorite sushi establishment on the north island.
For myself I also started with the Salmon Salad. It is worth mentioning here that you will not see me order Salmon very often, normally speaking I find it a strong fish that I am not always a fan of, although I am constantly striving to try it when done well.
Wasabiya does it well.
As with Chef D I reserved the sauce from my salad for my upcoming rolls. I also ordered the Gyoza for us to share. It is not one of Chef D's favorite things but I can not seem to go for sushi without having a few of the little dumplings.
When the maki came, I had a spicy red tuna roll, Lobster chop roll, Cucumber roll and the local favorite the Campbell River Roll.
Campbell River Roll is a combination of lobster and Salmon and Dungeness crab. I can not think of anything more indicative to the small town that we live in on the water.
Wasabiya never dissapoints. I love a place that I know the food will be of a certain quality all the time but still pleases like it was the first time I was tasting it all.
Wasabiya pushes the limits away from the traditional with rolls like the above mentioned Pacific and Campbell River Roll, but keeps to the traditional with tiny details like putting wasabi in the cucumber roll. This is very traditional and I feel a very nice touch.
I cant say a bad thing about our dinner on Thursday and I look forward to going back again. There is a seafood ramen I am dying to try.
8.5/10 small loss of points as the restaurant is very hot and the washrooms are limited.
Cheers and Bon Appetit
- Whiskey G
CUCUMBER ROLL TOP RIGHT
THE BEAUTIFUL SALMON SALAD
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