Takenaka Uni Bar on Robson had me questioning why I don't eat sushi every day Everyone on YouTube has been talking about this spot... so I had to see if it lives up to the hype The verdict? Yeah... it does. The fish? BUTTERY. fresh. melt-in-your-mouth perfection. You can tell immediately -- this is Vancouver-level sushi. And if you know, you know... the seafood here just hits different. Salmon = insanely fresh, rich, and silky Rice = perfectly seasoned (subtle, balanced, never overpowering) Presentation = clean, minimal, all about letting the fish shine What I really love? It's not trying to be trendy or flashy. No gimmicks -- just proper, high-quality sushi done right. Exactly what you want when you're downtown and craving something reliable but still hits. Service was quick, relaxed, and no fuss -- ideal for a casual lunch or a lowkey dinner. Final thoughts: If you're on Robson and need a sushi fix, this is one of those quietly solid gems that never misses. Not overhyped... just consistently good. read more

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Takenaka Uni Bar was hands down one of the best meals of our entire Vancouver trip. If it were up to me, we would've gone here every single day. My partner and I ordered the Takenaka omakase course and it was unreal -- genuinely one of those meals you don't stop thinking about after. I love uni, and this absolutely delivered. There was both American and Japanese uni, and everything tasted incredibly fresh, rich, and deeply umami in the best way possible. The staff were amazing and so friendly, and the restaurant itself had the perfect vibe -- intimate, intentional, and special without feeling stuffy. This was the one place I marked as a MUST GO on our itinerary, and it exceeded every expectation. Do not skip this spot if you're in Vancouver. read more

Takenaka Uni Bar - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Delicious, fresh seafood and huge variety of menu options, it's almost overwhelming! There's something for everyone. Loved the range of uni dishes, wish they had one page to consolidate them all for easier ordering since it's the focus of the restaurant. Friendly staff but very long wait to order, for food to arrive, and for the bill to come. read more

Takenaka Uni Bar - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

It was our last day (and last meal) in Vancouver after an amazing visit. I went on yelp to look for a good Japanese restaurant. Since they had 4-1/2 stars, we decided to check it out. It was quite a walk, but we thought it would be worth it. To be honest, I was very confused by the "Recommended" menu. I asked a few questions, but the server had a heavy accent and I couldn't understand her. I ordered the Chicken Karaage, and my husband ordered the Daily Combo. I started to get nervous because we waited a long time for the food to arrive. We had to catch an Uber back to our hotel to retrieve our luggage and then get to the airport to catch our flight home. We must've waited a good 20 minutes. I finally asked the server if she could check on our food and told her that we had a flight to catch. She brought our food a few minutes later. The Miso Soup and Salad were really good. The Chicken Karaage was full of fat. The small daily dish was an oyster on top of a bed of something. My husband tasted it, and he said it wasn't good. I didn't even bother to taste it. He got sashimi, which he liked. Unfortunately, we were both very disappointed. It's a very traditional Japanese restaurant, and we aren't used to this type of food. We also felt that the prices were high compared to all of the other restaurants we visited while in Vancouver. If you like traditional Japanese, I'm sure you'll love it. I, personally, would never eat here again. read more

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We went for a big blowout lunch on the weekend. The food was quite good. We ordered a lot of dishes over 2 hours, and I didn't remember to take all the photos. We splurged for the Japanese uni selection in every dish except one, and honestly, unless you are having it in its own, it is not worth the money if it is just another element in the dish. This is because the amount you get is so small, the flavour is lost with everything else in the dish. So yeah, if you want to splurge, do it for something where the uni is the entire point of the dish, so you can actually taste it. The seasonal/local selection is no slouch, so go for it! We also had their cocktails and they were excellent. The service was very friendly and we had a great time. read more

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I really enjoy coming here! This is my 3rd time to this Takenaka location, but probably 6th or 7th time to all Takenakas (including their original location near Clark Drive). All the food is always so good when I come! This time, with 3 other friends, we tried their viral MEGA Curry set. This was supposed to feed 3 portions, and it gave us enough for 4! We also ordered the dry pork ribs with yuzu dipping sauce as an appetizer which was very delicious too. Takenaka's curry was an excellent blend of sweet and savoury. There was a lot of depth in the sauce, and it went together well with all the deep fried items. My favourites were the pork katsu, hamburg, and chicken karaage. The salad was also bright and tasty! Will definitely be back! read more

Takenaka Uni Bar - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

If you love uni, you must come to Takenaka Uni Bar! My wife took me here for my birthday, and there was not a single bite that I didn't love. We opted to order the Uni Comparison Course. It was $195 for 2ppl and it comes with cocktails. It's a really good deal for what you get. We also added uni toast and it came with a generous portion of uni and ikura on top. Topped on toasted bread, this bite was absolute heaven. The course started with a matcha uni noodles. It was chilled and very refreshing. All the sashimi and oysters tasted super fresh and great quality. The sushi rice in the egg roll was nicely seasoned. The chawanmushi was very soft, custardy, and sweet with loads of seafood. The lobster tail was meaty and tender. The only thing we couldn't finish was the fries. We definitely left very full. The last course before dessert was the star of the show. It was a bowl of rice topped with different types of uni, with a cured egg and lots of ikura. This bowl in Japan alone would probably cost $40-50 USD. Highly recommend. I will definitely be back. read more

My friend recommended me this place and I absolutely loved it! We came at around 9pm, and this place had a relaxing vibe. I wished I had more capacity to try more of their items since many things looked interesting! I tried their seasonal uni matcha soba, japan uni chawanmushi! I loved both of these items! You can definitely taste the difference between the seasonal uni and the japan uni, but I personally think the seasonal uni was good enough. The uni matcha soba was such an interesting concept and it was very refreshing! The uni chawanmushi was smooth and the umami was great and comforting! My friend also got the lobster ramen, which had a rich broth and said it was filling and delicious! Definitely need to revisit when I'm in the area again!! read more

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I loved my dining experience here so much - the food was amazing and the service was great as well. Takenaka Uni Bar is located in Gastown, it's such a nice area to walk around before or after your meal! We ordered the Uni Comparison Mini Bowl Teishoku and the Bluefin Toro and Uni Bowl Teishoku. The uni here is sooo delicious, it was definitely the standout. We ordered the bowls Teishoku because of all the offerings it came with! We got 6pc sashimi, soba, salad, miso soup, wasabi cucumbers, and 2pc tamago with the teishoku set. Everything was so tasty and I was stuffed after finishing the whole meal. The Teishoku set was worth it for the added $25 imo because of the variety of other things it came with. I wish we got to try the Uni Comparison Course to share between us two - I'll definitely get that next time! Must try spot especially for their uni - so buttery and melts in your mouth!! read more

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Saw this restaurant from one of the sister restaurant in Toyokan Plaza. We love Toyokan Bowl, so we want to try their other restaurant. Reservation: via opentable Parking: pay street parking 10am-6pm $4.50 per hr, 6pm-10pm $4 per hr Restaurant: men and women restrooms Wow, so many different choice of food. Anything you can think of. We ordered all small appetizers or ala carte: Beef tongue - chewy Japanese uni matcha soba - so refreshing Lobster and chips or fries- love it Hamburger steak - nice Negitoro bomb - ok Uni comparison bowl - good Grilled black cod - a bit too oily Orion beer Yuzu orange lemonade- too sweet Overall food is good. Service is great. read more

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10/10 experience. The restaurant feels so cozy. The staff is so friendly. If you're celebrating a special occasion, they'll take a polaroid for you with their camera. I love how they present each dish. The food was so good. I highly recommend the lobster ramen. It's even shareable if you want to be able to try other dishes too. I got the uni colada. It tasted like it had alcohol but I didn't feel any buzz. If you love Uni, you have to try this place! read more

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Must try!!!! Kid friendly for those traveling with kiddos. They were so kind when we asked more napkins and forks since baby was making a mess Kids combo was so cute presented in a boat. Plenty of food to choose from if you have a picky eater. My husband and I shared the Uni comparison course. I was so happy they had mocktails since we don't drink. The yuzu orange lemonade and takenaka soda were both refreshing and delicious. Generous with the amount of uni you get! The highlights for me were the uni with oysters, uni roll, uni comparison bowl and dessert was divine. Bonus for the birthday dessert and they even took a Polaroid pic too! read more

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This is my 2nd time here and I loved EVERYTHING. Everything from the flavours to the presentation and service was a solid 10/10. The seafood was super fresh and all their bowls are luxious with top notch toppings. 2 floors. My top 2 picks: - Japan Uni Bluefin Tuna Toro-Taku Sushi ($12/each): soo much flavour and texture jam-packed into this small bite. There are some finely diced crunchy (radish?) that goes so well with the creamy toro & uni. Kinda pricy for one piece, but I really enjoyed it. It also comes with a cute mini squeeze bottle syringe thing filled with soy sauce, but I didn't need it at all - it'd be too salty. - Yuzu Kosho Yellowtail Carpaccio ($19): I'm just a huge fan of Hamachi and always order it, so this was naturally a fave for me. The subtle yuzu sauce was so good and refreshing. Topped with crunchy aromatic garlic chips and some tobiko. Other dishes I tried: -Japan Uni and Beef Yuk-hoe ($15): Like a raw beef tartare with green onions, uni, quail egg. Mix together and eat with seaweed. Tad bit salty, but really good mix of ingredients. -Bluefin Tuna Toro Temaki Sushi ($7/ea): Seaweed hand roll - seaweed comes in a platic wrap so you have to unpackage and roll yourself. It's quite a fun tactile experience. Toro was amazing quality, but that's the only filling inside. -Coffee Float ($7.50): they use earnest ice cream! There's a lot of ice in the drink, so it dilutes the coffee quite fast. Pretty good for a light drink, but I'd pass if you want a strong coffee drink. -Spot Prawn Rice Bowl (limited): Not sure how long spot prawns are on the menu for, but this was amazing. Small spot prawns line the bowl, even under the leaf (I counted at least 30-40 prawns). Super sweet, not fishy at all. Lots of pay parking nearby ($2ish/hr) - I used PayByPhone app. read more

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Tried their lunch menu combo which comes with a choice of a ramen and a plain onigiri I chose the uni ramen and upgraded my onigiri to a spicy salmon mayo onigiri we also ordered a small order of local uni The soup base of the uni ramen was quite mild to my preference. Cant taste much of the uni. But the ramen texture was very well done to my preferred texture The onigiri was of quite a decent size given that it is part of a lunch combo. I personally prefer local uni because of the slightly sweeter taste compared to hokkaido uni. Uni was very fresh and served with both seaweed and perilla leaves which enhance the flavor is different ways It was not too busy when we went and service was very attentive too. recommend read more

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I have known Takenaka since they offer variety of take out sushi plate at shared kitchen. Their Chirashi plate was so good and not sure how many times I ordered from there. They opened own restaurant while ago, finally I had a chance to visit here. What we ordered: Chicken Karaage Uni sauce - Portion was bigger than we expected. Uni sauce was very rich and flavorful. Karaage was crispy and juicy. Deep fried oyster - Very decent Deep fried oyster. I like Uni sauce on aside. Pork cheek -This dish was great, Pork cheek was so tender, juicy and delicious. There were radish on the top which matched with fatty pork cheek. Delicious. Uni and wagyu nigiri (ingredient from Japan) - Uni was very good, Wagyu was just ok, I expected a bit more tender. Torotaku sushi onigiri - Another great dish. Torotaku was chopped toro and Daikon radish mixed together and put on the top of Sushi rice onigiri. Very unique and flavorful. Luxury Deluxe sushi bowl - This dish was just ok. I feel a bit overpriced for these ingredients. but, Uni and Ikura were tasted great. Overall, I really enjoyed visiting Takenaka restaurant. Some dishes were hit and miss, but, Their sushi plate presentation was great and some dishes were stand out. I will visit for sure and we can enjoy here both small or large group. read more

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Visited yesterday for a lunch with coworkers and we were all already planning our next visits (plural, yes) to Takenaka not even an hour after our meal. I was eyeing down the uni + real crab meat upgrade for the onigiri but was slightly disappointed about the lack of uni taste in the filling. On the other hand, the real crab was sweet and meaty so it made up for it. To be fair, I do think Takenakana amounts to way more than their humungous rice balls. I enjoyed the sashimi dish and the oyster+veg poached in broth very much. Matcha soba might come off a bit adventurous to some with its raw egg + grated yam, which lends it a slimy texture, but I'm a big fan of the combo. Fresh fish, hunky onigiris, tasty sides, super hospitable staff. 5/5 !!! They even prepared a panna cotta dessert + candle for our little celebration and took a polaroid photo for us. Uni ramen awaits, new ramen review coming in a few weeks My last words: Mousse de Uni, I'm not sure where the uni was but that dessert was the best bite if a bite ever bit. read more

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I came here with a friend and we both loved everything we got. My friend is vegan and our server was knowledgeable about all the ingredients in each item. In the end there were several items my friend could choose from and she got a salad and 2 onigiris. I got 2 onigiris, the uni matcha soba and a miso soup. We both got drinks as well and by the end we were happily full. The drinks were great but I did find mine to be a bit on the sweeter side. The restaurant gave us a complimentary dessert as it was a birthday celebration. This was a nice surprise. I would definitely go back to try more items from their menu. The items I did try were excellent and honestly I'd be happy reordering the same items if I had to. read more

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This was an overwhelmingly phenomenal meal and I think about it all the time. I don't think I've ever been to another place that serves you a do with several types of uni, and the sashimi/uni platter is such a good deal for the amount of high quality seafood you get. The oysters were the size of my palm. Go. Go. Go. But reserve ahead of time because it actually fills up here. read more

We shared: 1. Uni Comparison Bowl - uni from British Columbia AND Hokkaido, ikura, Paitan Ramen - chicken and pork chashu and broth 2. Uni Matcha Soba - uni, matcha, soba, Japanese yam, quail egg with dashi 3. Uni Chawanmushi - steamed egg custard, uni, ikura, shiso 4. Negitoro Bomb - chopped tuna, natto, okura, quail egg, takowasa, garlic chips, takuan, Japanese yam Starting with uni matcha soba and Negitoro Bomb. I really liked the flavor and texture of the whole soba dish. Flavor of Negitoro Bomb was complex and good but I personally couldn't enjoy the sliminess. Chawanmushi always comes in a small cup but you want a bigger cup of this comforting dish. I loved my uni comparison bowl and my friend his paitan Ramen. Service was good. Interior design is beautiful. read more

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We loved everything about our meal from service being friendly and listening to the ambiance of Japanese being spoken by staff. We ordered sashimi, onigiri, hand rolls and more. The food tasted great. read more

Service was a bit slow to start - stood by the entrance for a while before being greeted and seated/having to flag down for service. I wish we had more time to do the omakase which seemed like a really good deal but we opted for a la carte. Maybe we chose the wrong dishes but the negitoro was really the highlight - flavourful and not too heavy. The fried chicken (not pictured) was so crunchy and juicy. It really is one of the more memorable fried chickens I've had but the uni mayo sauce was a bit strange. The scallop prosciutto was very salty and the flavours didn't taste very balanced. The scallops were definitely overpowered. I really enjoyed my scallop and crab bowl. That was tasty with the ikura. The other one was a bit disappointing (~$38). We preferred the seafood to be whole and not presented the way it was mixed together. The seafood was also all at the top which left a lot of rice leftover. Overall, it was an okay meal. If I come back, I would opt for the omakase instead. read more

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We were blown away by this restaurant during our trip to Vancouver. Customer service is excellent and we got the omakase course and was so full even before the course ended ! Its such a good deal for 2 ppl and you will actually leave full! My fiance is obsessed with uni so.. he couldnt stop raving abt this spot. It is located in a shady area so just keep ur eyes peeled of your surroundings and you should be good ! read more

Takenaka Uni Bar - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I went here for the uni bar. Was not disappointed. 5 course meal with mostly uni. Onigiri, soba, udon, sashimi and salad. Everything was fresh and high quality. A unique experience. The service and ambiance were great. Our table was kind of sticky, didn't like that so much otherwise everything was good. Would recommend! read more

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Overall, the food was really tasty and the service was good, but I don't think the set menu that we ordered is worth its price of $42 since it was mainly composed of ingredients that felt like they found whatever they had in their pantry and put it together. I would have preferred more fish, or if they would let us know there was only one fish dish, so then I would order the sashimi instead. The onigiri, on the other hand, was to die for. The uni & real king crab one was mediocre, with not much taste of uni and crab, but the spicy salmon mayo was so amazing that we ordered extras to go. Be sure to eat them fresh as the seaweed will become all soggy after. The yuzu clam ramen was pretty good, with a refreshing yuzu taste to contrast the rich broth. A bit on the saltier side. The drinks were refreshing - but be careful; the uni colado's mango foam tastes like taro. So if you're one of the few people who hates taro (aka me), then I wouldn't recommend it. Overall, it was a good experience but I would order other stuff if I come again. read more

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lots of small plate items so you can get a variety of flavors. my favorite was the hamburg steak--so juicy!! matcha soba was very unique. it's also very cozy inside read more

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(Updating review to add pics since the review somehow took them off) the presentation of the dishes were neat read more

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Uni bar did not disappoint. All the uni was fresh, wagyu was amazing and the drinks were awesome. Great spot to meet up with friends, have some drinks and eat some great food. read more

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When we visit BC, we want something extraordinary (aka indulging dining experience). Takenaka is an establishment who delivers the great dining experience well beyond our expectations. We came here to celebrate son's 19th birthday. He was not a huge fan of uni (sea urchin) until we tried uni sashimi here. Fresh uni's sweet yet in-depth flavor... I regret we did not order a large one instead of a small plate! We ordered some other small plates such as hotate prosciutto carpaccio, Japanese omelet (with yuzu, daikon, and ikura), beef and uni nigiri, and uni and ikura temaki, along with well-crafted cocktails. We almost skip "shi-me" (closing dish - us Japanese often eat noodle or rice dish before call it a day), but decided to go with Yuzu clam ramen - it was astoundingly delicious! Seafood-salt base soup was very comforting. I was all impressed with this place - no dish or drink disappointing us. Staff was also excellent - they all seem very enthusiastic and are friendly, but not overly attentive. Since we returned to Seattle, I have been spreading the word about this place - this is one of the must-try restaurants when you are in Vancouver. My son is already asking me when we are going back (lol) - soon, I hope! read more

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The food here is fantastic and the service is great. It's really cozy and warm when you enter. I ordered a LOT of stuff. The quail egg small bite is really nice and easy on the palette. Cant remember the full name, but it was hotate something (appetizer) basically like a scallop carpaccio, this was really good and super refreshing and light. Scallop was very fresh and clean flavor. I had a side of miso soup as well and that was a nice savory prep to the Uni Chawanmushi, which was really silky/smooth and such a buttery umami flavor. The sashimi platter was fantastic, everything was super fresh. Oysters were divine and the uni looked and tasted perfect. 10/10 would 1000% go back again. I celebrated my birthday (late) here and they even took our photo with a polaroid camera. Shoutout to all our servers and the chef, what a meal/experience. read more

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Staying near Gastown, we decided to check out Takenaka Uni Bar and went with the tasting menu. Way too many tempting options to choose from otherwise. $168 CAD (~$125 USD) for two got us six uni-centric courses, and the cold noodles stole the show. The server was super sweet, though it took a bit to get water and place orders. We definitely preferred the Japanese uni (it was more flavorful). Cozy spot, fun tasting menu. Service: 8/10 Seating: 9/10 Food: 8/10 Drinks: 5/10 read more

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Amazing place with a HUGE menu and great service. Great atmosphere as well - a multi level kind of structure. They specialize in Uni and onigiri but they have lots of teishoku, sashimi, curries, some ramen, and lots of izakaya like items. The menu is literally multiple pages! It's not a sushi or sushi roll place though. The teishoku set I had was fantastic. The sashimi was great, really fresh and I loved the roe added to each piece. Loved the sockeye salmon too. The Uni soba was really well done - great presentation, the flavours blend together silky smooth. The other small dishes were on point too. Miso soup - most people don't care about the miso soup but the one they have here is fantastic. It's hearty and has daikons in it. It's above average. I also loved the onigiri. Very well done. Tried my wife's ramen. The soup flavour js rich and fantastic. I'm definitely coming back!! read more

Probably one of the only spots in town to have uni incorporated into most dishes. You have an option to get Hokkaido Uni or BC Uni. Both in my opinion were good. They have a ton of options to satisfy your uni craving including the UNI ramen. ( I recommend it ) The service was great and the restaurant had an intimate ambiance to it. Plenty of parkades and street parking if you get lucky. It's worth a visit! read more

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There's nothing to not love about Takenaka - the East Georgia location or the Powell Street one. Wonderful option to grab and go the onigiris when in the gastown area - cheap, cheerful, fresh AND delicious rice with the perfect chew. I've yet to try their uni menu for a seated dining experience and will have to report back! read more

We scored a last minute reservation on a Tue for lunch. It was a about a 20 mins walk from the Robson area thru Gastown to get here. The vibe here is casual, modern, and warm. Service was equally warm and friendly. For the two of us, we shared a lobster uni ramen lunch set that came with a side salad and onigiri, which we opted for the spam & egg upgrade. We also ordered the hotate sashimi, and the waygu uni sushi, which was recommended to us by our waitress; she seeme particularly passionate about the waygu uni sushi, so even though it's on the pricey sice (CAD$17 at time of writing of this review), we had to get it. And she was right! The waygu uni was delicious! ....well worth what we paid. The lobster uni ramen was very good as well; note that the lobster meet is cooked tempura-style and placed via a skewers on top of the ramen, similar to how shrimp tempura might be placed on top of a bowl of noodles. The amount of food we ordered was just right for the two of us. We enjoyed this delightful meal! read more

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We had an immaculate experience here from start to finish. The ambiance was very cozy with the lighting and the service was wonderful the entire time. For a party of three, we ordered the Takenaka Luxury Seafood Platter in the small size, Uni Toast for each of us, Japanese Curry Poutine, and Uni Wagyu Nigiri. I must say that the Uni Wagyu Nigiri was so delicious that we had to order seconds for all three of us. It just melted in your mouth....The Japanese Curry Poutine was also pretty good as well! As for the cocktails, I enjoyed the Uni Colada. The flavor was not too strong, and it was pretty enjoyable. I definitely tasted more mango in the foam than uni. The Takenaka Mojito was actually good too. However, I think that the house made Lychee Sake is a must try! Parking in Gastown can be a bit difficult, so we ended up parking in a parking structure that was a few minutes walking distance. read more

Takenaka Uni Bar - Small seafood platter, uni wagyu nigiri - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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It's the first uni bar in Vancouver. This location is upscale. The food tasted fresh & delicious. Loved the presentation. Great for date nights. I think it's a decent place to go for special occasions but not everyday as the price adds up. -Omakase set for 2 $168: 2 drinks, fresh sashimi platter, 3 chef selected appetizers, deluxe seafood bowl, miso soup & dessert -Uni Chawanmushi $12 -Uni Matcha Soba $6 -Lobster & Chips $28 -Lobster Uni Ramen $38 -DIY BBQ Wagyu Skirt $21 -Matcha Panna Cotta $8 read more

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Food was unlike any other Japanese restaurant! Food and service were fantastic. I made reservations for 6:15pm on a Saturday but the restaurant was able to accommodate my party arriving early at 5:15pm. The host warned us the kitchen is really busy and food may be a longer wait than usual, but the wait was not long at all! I would highly recommend the Onigiri Obanzi Set and Uni and Beef Yuk-hoe! read more

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My favourite restaurant in Vancouver for a good reason, delicious food and lovely customer service. Their japanese lunch set is my go to order as it comes with a choice of onigiri, fresh sashimi, miso soup, salad, matcha soba noodles with uni & chefs feature dish. Their ambiance of the uni bar is dimly lit & perfect for a date! The ramen broth was creamy and delicious, definitely well made. read more

Takenaka Uni Bar - japanese lunch set - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Everything about this place is spot on. Love that you can choose between local or imported uni--both are incredibly fresh and delicious. Great service and a nice, relaxing ambiance make it a fantastic dining experience. read more

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A day trip from Seattle to Vancouver lead us to this cute little place. Server was very friendly and helpful explaining the menu. We ordered the omakase set for 2 and a couple more items since we have 3 people. The food was good overall but we enjoyed the sashimi and uni more. Would have love to try the lunch combo set next time. read more

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