black dragon sushi: simple rolls and...fries?

summer of 2013 (almost a year ago...whoops) my friends and i decided to try black dragon sushi on kingsway since we love our sushi rolls and their menu seemed to be filled with them!

we started off with some staples that we always order:

salmon roll ($2.50) - not bad, the salmon inside wasnt extremely chopped up but rice was bland. 

2.75/5

california roll ($3.50) - haphazardly put together and bland..not very good.

2.5/5

salmon avocado roll ($3.95) - pretty full but again, rice was not good. texture and taste were poor. 

2.75/5

agadashi tofu ($3.95) - fried nice and crispy, served hot but not enough sauce. 

3.25/5

chicken kaarage ($4.95) - this was the strangest chicken kaarage i ever got at a japanese restaurant...it was like chinese deep fried chicken skin with french fries...i dont even know what to say...

1/5

maple roll ($7.25) - crab meat, cucumber and avocado topped with salmon and some mayo: this was not bad for a special roll with the price of only 8 bucks.

3/5

yam tempura roll ($3.50)

spicy salmon roll ($3.50)

for both of them, same comments as above. the filling is not bad since they dont skimp out but the rice is not very tasty. 

3/5 for both 

salmon tataki ($10.95) - this was alright as well but again, not enough sauce and didnt have too much flavour other than just the salmon.

3/5

overall, the food is fine but bland with hard/tasteless rice and there is nothing special about but the prices are quite decent. i would return to try more special rolls but would not make a special trip out of it. definition of mediocre 

2.75/5 

let's roll custom sushi (richmond): special rolls your way!

as you've probably noticed, i love sushi. ABSOLUTE LOVE and a shame to japanese culture, i love americanized rolls with deep fried and thick heavy sauces. and imitation crab meat. let's roll custom sushi bar is a shop on robson that i have been dying to try and was super excited when they opened one at lansdowne mall in richmond just because i go to richmond so much more often. 

the concept is simple, you pay $7.99 and you choose your toppings, rice and filling just like subway! it was delicious and actually very fresh fish as well. this is more than enough to fill one person and my mom and i actually shared this one! 

custom roll ($7.99): mixed grain rice, avocado, mango, spicy salmon and prawn tempura topped with crab meat, garlic chips and spicy mayo sauce - this place is perfect because you can fill it with your favourite fillings and top it with the perfect toppings. no creative rolls in sushi restaurants are PERFECT and here, you can jam it with everything that you love. not only that but their sauces/rice are very delicious and they also skimp on what they give you. 

4.75/5

sushi gallery: best sushi near UBC

 i always crave sushi as it is my favourite food, but i find the stuff at UBC and the village not appetizing at all especially for the expensive prices. 

therefore, since UBC is on the west side, it is not short on cheap and delicious food that come with a short bus ride (especially the quick 99). so i decided to travel a bit to sushi gallery after reading good reviews online for the good food and cheap prices.

their menu is very extensive with many rolls, combos and boxes and it actually took me FOREVER to decide what to eat. 

i ended up getting both the spicy dynamite roll and spicy salmon roll both with brown rice (although i only asked for one roll since the price was charged per roll, they gave it to me for both and did not charge me more). 

spicy dynamite roll ($3.95) - although not on the menu of rolls, i saw it as a part of the combos and the restaurant was extremely nice about basically customizing anything. this was SUPER spicy but very delicious. filled with prawn tempura and crabmeat, it was huge. 

4/5

spicy salmon roll ($3.50 + 50c for brown rice) - again not on the menu but they had no problem creating it for me. same spicy sauces and again a huge portion for a super cheap price. the only thing was that the brown rice made it a little bit mushy and a bit TOO spicy so it was a bit one noted. 

4/5

nonetheless, i would return again and again because i only paid $8 for 2 meals worth of food. i would like to try some of the special rolls one day and the staff there are extremely accommodating! they offer miso soup and green tea if you eat in and even to have while waiting for your food. 

if you want sushi near UBC, GONOW!

sushi garden: all rolls look the same!

ahh sushi garden, one of those places where you it is clearly quantity over quality but the quality is good enough that you keep going. i dont go too often but when i do, i always notice how similar the rolls look. all stuffed with cucumbers and avocado then topped with bright orange tobiko. anyways, these take out boxes were from a LONG TIME AGO (yes again) and the rolls are good for the price that you pay. that huge dynamite roll there will only set you back about 4 bucks and you dont get the feeling of "im eating super cheap food so i'll probably be sick tomorrow". whats not pictured here that i LOVE is the alaska roll (difficult for takeout) where theres an avocado roll topped with salmon sashimi and covered in this tangy garlic sauce. DELICIOUS and pretty heavy but worth trying. 

house roll (sorry for the crap photo $4.50): filled with some raw fish, crab meat and tamago
very good price since it was HUGE

3.95/5

 spider roll ($6.50): soft shell crab roll - since it was take out, i cant really complain but the crab wasnt the crispiest

3.5/5

 dynamite roll ($3.95): prawn tempura (THERES 2!) + loads of cucumbers (just like all the other rolls) again, very good price for the portion.

3.75/5

chicken katsu roll ($3.95): one of my favourite rolls from sushi garden because i dont see it at other places. the sauce is a bit tangy and its pretty packed with meat

3.85/5

chopped scallop roll ($3.75): again, cheap but i didnt try it

my lone salmon nigiri ($1): i need some raw fish! 

3.5/5

charcoal: special rolls!

charcoal used to be my family go to special occasions japanese restaurant. their prices are pretty high but their food is actually good. they have a bunch of special rolls that are pricey but delicious. they also have a whole bunch of hot food items like stone bowl rices, udon and even korean bbq if that's what you're craving! havent been there in a while but its on my list of places to return to but for now, enjoy some pictures from multiple visits! 

lotus roll: some fish assortment wrapped in cucumber, like it a lot because it was so refreshing

tried the short ribs korean bbq: nothing amazing 

charcoal roll: prawn tempura, spicy tuna, avocado ropped with salmon and sauces (I THINK)

yakiudon: a bit greasy but delicious 

tempura that comes with nabeyaki udon: very normal

nabeyaki udon: noodles are nice and al dente