sake maki: social shopper goodness

im always looking for deals on social shopper that aren't too far away and was super excited when i saw one for my favourite food, sushi, and it was IN vancouver. what i didnt realize was that west broadway is actually far from home but my family made a trip out there anyways where we got $60 worth of food for $30. using the social shopper, sake maki was a good deal because we ate A LOT but if it wasnt for the social shopper, they still have some pretty good deals. i dont remember the details but there were combos where you pick a special roll and two others from a list of sashimi, rolls and appetizers for ~ $15 which is pretty good considering the special rolls are $8.95 by themselves. anyways we got that special while using the social shopper so it was like deals on top of deals. the sauces are a bit salty but other than that, solid japanese! 

tuna and avocado w/yuzu ($11.95): good fish, too much salty yuzu sauce

3.75/5

salmon belly tataki ($9.95): again good fish, but its masked under all that sauce and garlic

3.5/5

grilled eggplant w/garlic ($5.95): tasty but expensive and small portioned.

3.5/5

dynamite roll ($3.95): pretty good! lots of prawn and not too much rice

4/5

fuji roll (part of $15 combo): spicy salmon topped with seared salmon: very yummy, i love westernized special rolls :P

4.5/5

agadashi tofu (part of $15 combo): probably the worst of the night...tofu was hard and batter was too thick and i think agadashi tofu should be served IN the sauce

2/5

chicken kaarage (part of $15 combo): surprisingly good! the portion was pretty small but chicken was fried up nicely and i love when kaarage is pieces and not wings

3.5/5

deef fried banana ($5.95): not the most amazing but satisfied the dessert craving

2.75/5 

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

bluefin: asian buffet with a side of sketchy washrooms

one of the best thing about driving down to seattle is the buffet choices that they have there. from asian cuisine to casino buffets, there is more choice than vancouver. i read about bluefin on a different food blog and brought my family there to try it. this was at least 2 years ago (sorry!) but from what i remember it was not anything amazing. very mediocre food but i love asian food, even the cheap food court kind, so i was more than satisfied. ALSO this place had the sketchiest washrooms i'd ever seen. you take some sort of elevator to them thats all old and creaky then they are disgusting...maybe that's changed now but...here's some pictures to feed those eyes! 

first plate: some tempura, sushi, deep fried chicken wings (i remember them being good but it might just be the picture tricking me), nigiri, spareribs, choy, pork chop and more veggies 

second plate: more tempura, chow mein, nigiri, and sushi (not much choice)

close up of second plate

desserts: mini cakes (not homemade), strawberry liquid?, fruit and jello

cakes close up: i love ALL cake

more cakes, cream puff and cheesecake

liu's taiwanese restaurant: magic sauce

liu's is conveniently located right next to supermarket 2000 in a some mall complex in richmond but it is one of me and my mom's favourite saturday lunch places. its usually pretty empty so the food comes quickly but it sure is delicious. their best thing there is this sauce that they pour over most of their fried items be it the pork chops or chicken leg. its amazing and difficult to describe so i'll just tell you GO TRY IT! 

stewed beef with noodle ($7.75): their soup is very good with the right amount of spicy, the noodles are cooked to a good consistency and their beef is not very fat = a good bowl of noodles

deep fried pork chop ($5.75): you see that sauce, thats the best stuff ever

onion pancake with sliced beef roll ($5.95): the pancake is a bit oily making the entire thing heavy

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