Maruyama

Where did I eat?

Maruyama at 3383 Rupert Street in Vancouver.

What do they specialize in?

Japanese food and omakase nigiri.

What was the vibe?

Modern, small, clean.

What did I eat?

I was invited to a special tasting menu by ChineseBites to sample some of their best seafood offerings.

Omakase Nigiri

• One of Maruyama’s specialties is the omakase nigiri menu item where the chef prepares a selection of fresh nigiri that is constantly changing.
• The first nigiri plate we had was octopus, red tuna, yellowfin seabream, and horse mackerel.
• I love red tuna and don’t get to eat it often so I was excited to be able to eat this nigiri.
• I like how they really take the extra time to present everything in such a beautiful way here.

Omakase Nigiri

• This platter had red seabream, flounder, sockeye salmon, and yellowtail.
• Once again every piece was executed to perfection and everything.
• My favourite on this plate was the yellowtail because of its buttery indulgent flavour.

Omakase Nigiri

• The farmed bluefin tuna otoro and salmon toro were my favourites of the night and one of the most memorable things I have eaten in a long time.
• The texture is unbelievably tender and smooth and they both had a wonderful fatty, rich, taste.

Cold Udon

• Maruyama makes their own fresh udon noodles and it really makes a positive difference in taste and texture.
• At the tasting we were served with a cold savoury broth and customizable toppings, which were all delicious.
• I would highly recommend trying the udon here. I can’t think of anywhere in Vancouver that does it better.

Assorted Tempura

• The tempura was one of the few things I didn’t care for at the tasting.
• The batter was soggy and not crisp and light like I would have liked
• I would recommend sticking to noodles and sushi here

Disclosure: I did not pay for my meal

Final Thoughts?

The nigiri and udon here are pretty special and this place stands out amongst most of the standard Japanese restaurants around Vancouver.