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    Takenaka

    4.3 (115 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese
    Open 8:00 am - 3:30 pm

    Takenaka Photos

    Business Info

    TAKENAKA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Takenaka

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    Reviews With Photos

    Uni menu
    Kristene S.

    LOVED this place so much!! Reminded me of dining in Japan. It's a pretty small restaurant and looks somewhat unassuming from the outside, but the food is delicious. They have a lot of options but I opted for the special set which comes with your choice of onigiri (different varieties have different upcharges). The special set came with a large onigiri, chicken karaage, 2 small sides, salad, and miso soup. Everything was so tasty- I loved the karaage! I think the sides rotate but ours came with the tamago and matcha soba- both were excellent. Onigiri was large and really filling! All the bento components came in their own adorable Japanese dish ware. I got their Takenaka soda (calpico and blue earl grey tea) and highly recommend that. Service was friendly and pretty quick! Our party of 4 was seated within a few minutes for lunch. You order at the counter, get a number and can leave when you're done eating. Street parking was easy. I'll be back!

    Bob P.

    Super Japanese restaurant in Vancouver. Went here given the Yelp reviews and were not disappointed. Literally feels like you are in Japan. The food is so unique. Will definitely come back the next time we are in town.

    Cam H.

    So glad I discovered this place during our short visit to Vancouver. What a gem! I also loved that they open as early as 8am, which made it perfect for grabbing a delicious breakfast before heading to the airport. The onigiri here are easily some of the best I've had. The tuna tartare onigiri was silky and rich, with just the right amount of seasoning to balance the freshness of the fish. The eel with egg yolk was another standout. The eel was tender, slightly sweet from the glaze, and the creamy yolk gave it such a decadent texture. The spam and egg onigiri was pure comfort food, with the savory, salty spam paired perfectly with fluffy egg and warm rice. However, the soba noodles were a little underwhelming for me. When I mixed all the toppings together, the foam ruined the entire dish. Overall, such a special spot. Simple, high-quality ingredients, perfectly executed, and packed with flavor. I'd absolutely come back next time I'm in Vancouver! They also have some lunch sets too that looked super cute, I need to try that next time. Good service. You must make a reservation though, they're quite busy.

    Bluefin Tuna Toro Temaki
    Denise T.

    I really wanted to love this spot after having a wonderful time at the Gastown Uni Bar location. Service is good, typical of payment upon ordering, which fits the cafe vibe. I opted for: * bluefin temaki handroll: 4/5 solid amount of filling, $7 is reasonable I suppose * uni ramen: 3/5 I had high hopes and usually love uni. The broth was rich and had the savoury nuttiness of uni, but something about it didn't sit right with me. There seemed to be a distinct taste of pickled bamboo shoots in the broth... don't get me wrong I actually love bamboo shoots as a topping but the lingering taste in every sip of soup was a bit off-putting. Other toppings were prepared well with a juicy chunk of kakuni (5/5 if you don't mind fatty meat cuts), poached chicken, but the egg was a huge disappointment. It was sour and had a funky aftertaste... All in all, uni ramen might be a hit or miss even if you're a ramen & uni enjoyer like myself. Rice balls shouldn't let you down though! Would visit Takenaka again, but will stick to less experimental flavours.

    Hours of business
    Kathy

    Right now, they have the MEGA size for ramen and curry don! One dish is good for up to 3-5 people. Between 5 we tried to eat both. Still a bit left over. The curry was really flavourful, just like in japan, BUT BIGGER. Hamburg, tempura, karaage chicken, 3 sliced eggs, salad, on top of hokkaido rice! was so good! The mega ramen has a very creamy bone broth, a mountain of ramen noodles, pork belly, a bit of chicken, 3 whole marinated eggs, bamboo shoots, and some blanched greens. Service was great, attentive and hospitable. Location is a bit out the way, but it's very cozy and well lit inside.

    Queenie L.

    This is the tuna don set and I loved it!! I loved how the tuna tasted. I love that there is also unlimited miso soup refills! Id definitely be back to try their other dishes too. Only warning about this dish is that it comes with pounded yam which is an interesting texture - a little bit slimey which I was not used to. This yam was also in the green tea soba side dish which I was not a huge fan of.

    chicken kaarage mini don -$12
    Cally Y.

    this is definitely a quality over quantity type of place. i got the chicken kaarage mini don ($12). the chicken was really crispy and juicy, but otherwise the bowl was a letdown. in the picture it looks big but this don was the size of the ones you have at dim sum restaurants. lowkey the toppings fell out cus the bowl was too small. rice was also hard and didn't taste fresh, felt like it was microwaved. service was good though, and the interior is very cozy!

    Emily T.

    Loved this little gem of a restaurant! Their food is really tasty and we were grateful that parking was always pretty easy to find. Service is friendly but can get pretty busy if you come during peak hours. Ambiance is pretty casual. You get seated, review the menu and then order at the counter and pay. They bring the food to your table. I got the wagyu beef hamburg and curry rice which was delicious. As well as the black cod onigiri (it usually comes with ikura, but I asked for no ikura since I'm currently pregnant). My husband got their chirashi bowl and some onigiri and really enjoyed his meal. We liked this spot so much we came back before leaving Vancouver to get some onigiri to take on the road for our drive back into Seattle!

    Natto onigiri combo, iced hojicha latte
    Dana S.

    Interesting place hidden away in an industrial area. It's on the second floor of the building and it seemed like stairs are the only way to get up, although there are picnic tables outside (these are not considered dine-in, so if you want to eat outside you have to get takeout). The specialty here is onigiri and they have about 12 varieties available by the piece or in various set meals. The staff were polite but the person who took my order was confounded by my request to order the onigiri takeout combo (onigiri, omelet, pickles, and chicken karaage) without the chicken, and it took some back and forth to convince them to let me order it. I wanted that specific combination of items, just no chicken, and saw no other way to order it on the menu, and was offering to pay the regular price. In the end I was able to get my combo sans chicken. The food was very good and was worth the slight haggle. I got the natto onigiri which was pretty substantial with lots of natto. I also really liked their miso soup. I'm not a fan of plain bland miso soup but I liked theirs because it included lots of onion and greens and actually tasted very rich. The iced hojicha latte was also pretty good. I would be interested in coming back and dining in, but I would make a reservation since all the tables were full when I arrived. They do take walk-ins and will let you wait for a table, but a reservation seems safer.

    Natalie T.

    The food was okay, nothing special, but what really ruined the experience was how the staff handled a simple request. After spending over $300 on our meal and tipping 20%, we asked for a bag to take our leftover ramen to-go. They insisted on charging us 25 cents for it--after we had already paid and swiped our card. We politely asked for an exception considering the bill, but instead of any courtesy or understanding, three separate servers came over just to argue with us about it. One even asked, "Do you have anything to carry it with?" as if anyone brings their own bag to a restaurant to carry out noodles! It's honestly ridiculous. Is this the norm here? Nickel-and-diming guests over 25 cents after a $300+ meal is laughable and completely unprofessional. We won't be coming back.

    Side menu
    Naly S.

    I LOVE Uni! I'm so happy I got to stop by for lunch. You definitely need to make a reservation or you'll be waiting for a long long time. We didn't make a reservation cause we assumed going when they opened we'd have a shot. We still had to be out on a waiting list for about 45-50 minutes. The wait was fine, they have a few benches outside to sit at while you wait for a text that your place in line is up next. They have a menu of the day, where you choose through many options to build your platter, or they have a preset Uni combo. We found the menu of the day a little overwhelming to remember all the details, so we both did an Uni platter and boy were we not disappointed. There was soooo many dishes I wasn't expecting . Uni onigiri, chirashi, mushroom salad, Uni udon, matcha uni soba- all were so flavorful and decadent and melt in your mouth tasty. Would love to relive the taste of this restaurant again. The matcha was delicious also! The seating is a little sparse in there, it's an industrial building converted to a small cafe. So it may be a bit difficult for large groups. Highly recommend if you love uni

    Bara chirashi bowl
    Ken D.

    I'm going to be honest.. I thought the chirashi bowl was really mid compared to what I've had so far in Canada. I was pretty disappointed because I've heard so much hype about this place. The prices are super affordable and it isn't too busy either. The "set" was totally bang for your buck. It came with a variety of "chefs choice" udon and your choice of onigiri. The Onigiri here is what everybody comes for so I'd definitely recommend that if you're coming for the first time. You're better off getting a chirashi bowl at Raisu by paying just a little more. Now I don't want to give this rating a 3/5 because I haven't tried all their onigiri yet and their service was so friendly. The design of this place is simple and chill. You order your food at the cashier, get your number, grab your own water and wait for your food to be brought out. I really like this casual but trying to be a high end dining vibes.

    Yuze W.

    Very good but I think also very pricey as well. It's not a bad choice for sure, but if you want to be full full, you can't, you need to have something else than just this. Quality is very good there's no doubt for that. Premium but food is not enough. Not enough service but also ask for a lot tips lol

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    Page 1 of 3

    Takenaka Reviews in Other Languages

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    Miku

    Miku

    4.4(2.6k reviews)
    2.9 kmDowntown
    $$$

    Who gave this spot anything less than 5 stars? I just want to talk lol. Seriously, were we…read moreexperiencing the same meal. Steep as it is, I decided I wanted a "quick little sushi lunch with a view", and a quick little sushi lunch with a few is exactly what I received. Although I don't recommend it, I walked right in from the street, no reservation, and was seated at the bar (in pretty casual street clothes I may add). I enjoyed a premium sake flight (which was fine...just fine), an old fashioned served with the perfect accompanying dark chocolate, and a good amount of sushi including their signature aburi style sushi in flight form and nigiri tuna flight (bluefin, chutoro, otoro). After visiting Japan last December, I'm a bit of an otoro snob but I have to hand it to them, all three of these cuts were perfect. The accompanying rice, perfection. The quality of the fish, divine. The view was the cherry on top of this experience. This will certainly be a spot I revisit next time I'm in Vancouver.

    3.5 stars if I could…read more Excellent service from the staff. They were attentive, checked in periodically and very professional. Michelin starred quality in their service by how they explained the menu, brought out the food, came back around to refill waters. Just top notch service and elegantly so. The food was good but not of value. Their lunch set was a good introductory to what they offer. I enjoyed the food for its flavours and presentation but I thought that it was a bit overpriced. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful, fresh and definitely elevated, but it was $50 for 10pcs of sushi, 2 appetizer sized samples of their appetizer or entree dishes, and miso soup (which we did not get and didn't realize till much later in the day). If you're wanting an upscale experience (and portion) of good quality food or wanting to impress other parties, then this is a nice spot. For regular eats, it's a bit too luxurious to be a casual thing in my opinion. The ambiance is nice and calm. They have a patio, which has a meh view overlooking the harbor, but beware of a breezy day. It will catch a bit of a wind tunnel. They have heaters and blankets but the heaters don't really reach unless you're sitting next to it.

    Photos
    Miku - Inside the restaurant

    Inside the restaurant

    Miku - Spicy edamame (CAD $8)

    Spicy edamame (CAD $8)

    Miku - Little emperor (CAD $10) and Aka miso old fashioned (CAD $24)

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    Little emperor (CAD $10) and Aka miso old fashioned (CAD $24)

    Guu with Garlic - Fish carpaccio

    Guu with Garlic

    4.3(1.1k reviews)
    4.4 kmWest End
    $$

    A coworker and I went to this place (thanks to Yelp reviews)…read more Really good and fresh fish. Super friendly staff

    Maybe it's an American thing to linger and enjoy a dining experience. To stay longer than needed to…read moresoak up the ambiance and give a good moment some extra time for memories. But in other parts of the world the meal is what's important and so is a quick turn around. Guu with Garlic reminded me a lot of the Izakaya restaurants I found under the train lines of Tokyo in many ways, including the amount of time it felt right to stay. The food came out quick, the servers took orders quicker, and the alcohol came out chilled and as nice contrast to the hot food. Looking around and you see the hand written menu on blackboard surfaces on the walls and this feeling of authenticity. The heat of the flames from the kitchen can be felt and seen if you sit at the bar. And the flavors just hit all the right notes. Starting with appetizers, a section izakayas shine at, the first dish we got was their scallop and mayo pizza. With a crispy crunch on the bottom and crust, this reminds you of the flavors of a baked volcano roll or scallop roll you can find in almost any North American sushi restaurant. Just like that dish, it's important to eat it while it's still hot so it doesn't get gross and 느끼 에. Then came the yellowtail tuna "tempura" pieces. Thick pieces of yellowtail tuna flash fried for just the right crisp on the outside with slight pink of the fish inside. It is meaty without being oily or fatty. Great bite. The beef tongue after was interesting. From the color of the sauce it accompanies it you would think it would be heavy in flavor but it is actually light and citrusy. A good cut into the richer tones of the beef tongue. The yaki udon was one of the best I ever had. It was smokey without being overpowering. The beef was thin and tender and balanced well with the mushrooms it also came with. The udon noodles stayed bouncy and chewy which I didn't expect from being grilled. Very tasty and highly recommend this dish. For our final bite we shared a hot stone bowl of their pork and cabbage rice. With the hot stone bowl constantly cooking even after this dish arrived it was imperative to stir the ingredients together constantly for the first two minutes. It allowed for the runny egg to meld with the rice and the crispy texture of some ingredients was a nice bonus. All in all, I loved eating here and if my appetite was bigger I would've tried more on their menu. A solid place to eat with a great atmosphere, if you're looking for delicious food that won't take too much of your time but still lingers in your memories you have to check out Guu with Garlic.

    Photos
    Guu with Garlic - Same decor as 20+yrs ago when this was our go-to place for drinks & snacks!!

    Same decor as 20+yrs ago when this was our go-to place for drinks & snacks!!

    Guu with Garlic - Una-Meshi

    Una-Meshi

    Guu with Garlic - The delicious individual bite of their yellowfin tuna tempura

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    The delicious individual bite of their yellowfin tuna tempura

    Saku

    Saku

    4.5(521 reviews)
    4.3 kmWest End
    $$

    Eating at Saku has totally reset my katsu scale because this is far and away the best katsu I've…read morehad. They make their own panko and the chicken katsu was cooked perfectly. It was so light and crispy and the chicken was tender and juicy. Saku's katsu was so good that when I think about the katsus I've had is the past at other places I realize now they were just decent katsu. Other highlights here are their house made sesame dressing - so good. They sliced the cabbage salad so thin that in combination with the sesame dressing it was a great combo. I usually don't like that much raw cabbage but I ate every bit of it. The ambience is airy and cool. The staff were really great and asked us about any allergies. We'd walked by this place before and seen a line out the door. Now we know why.

    I came back for dinner. Had the Rosu nabe this time (last time I had the regular Rosu)…read more The pork katsu comes served in a (super hot) cast iron dish with a nabe broth with onions and eggs cracked into it. Still comes with a little side of pickles, and unlimited rice, cabbage, and miso soup. No katsu sauce. The katsu was fried to perfection. Juicy, tender, cant complain. But since they serve it in a broth, it does get soggy really quick. Still good, but after a few minutes its just soggy. The broth is nice with rice; comforting kind of meal. The unlimited rice/soup/cabbage is just icing on the cake. My dining partner had the Kake udon (pretty good, noodles good texture and slightly smaller strands than most places) and Menchi Cheese side - basically a pork meatball with cheese and deep fried katsu-style, served with katsu sauce. This was excellent. My original review still stands. Excellent katsu, plus they have the consistency and reliability. $28-30/meal and its plenty of food for 1, especially with unlimited cabbage/rice/soup. Restaurant is nice and comfortable, good spacing and not cramped. Easy recommend. 5/5.

    Photos
    Saku - Inside

    Inside

    Saku - Zenbu set with refillable soup, rice and salad

    Zenbu set with refillable soup, rice and salad

    Saku - Zenbu katsu

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    Zenbu katsu

    Okeya Kyujiro

    Okeya Kyujiro

    4.8(41 reviews)
    3.2 kmYaletown, Downtown

    I made a reservation at Okeya Kyujiro for my partner's 40th birthday, and he had the best time…read more Honestly, it was one of the most memorable omakase experiences I've had in Vancouver. Okeya Kyujiro is a Michelin one-star theatrical omakase restaurant, and when they say theatrical, they mean it! From the moment you're welcomed by smiling ushers in kimono to the closing tea ceremony, every movement feels intentional, precise, and elevated. The ambiance is serene and anticipatory. At the start, guests sit in silence as a black screen conceals the chefs. You see their shadows moving behind it. A bell rings, the screen lifts, and the performance begins. Dinner is a 25+ course experience priced at $325 per person. It's undeniably a splurge, but for a milestone celebration, it feels justified. The menu is seafood-forward, with many ingredients flown in from Japan. Each ingredient is presented before preparation, then carefully assembled and served directly from chef to guest. Courses arrive one by one, never rushed. The service team moves seamlessly in the background, refilling water and attending to drinks (available as an add-on) without disrupting the flow. The finale is a matcha ceremony, whisked in front of you with the same quiet precision that defines the evening. When the final sip is taken, the bell chimes once more, the chefs and staff bow, and the screens close. It was a beautifully choreographed dining experience, perfect for marking a special moment, and one I'd gladly return to for the next celebration.

    Service was really amazing with servers explaining each dish and drinks were always topped off…read more Food was good, but maybe this isn't quite my style of omakase compared to the other ones I've tried. This is a more theatrical style so expect louder music and a more theatrical experience (eg one of the servers played the flute for the guests celebrating birthdays). I prefer a more intimidate and interactive style of omakase where you can talk with the chefs. This lunch also felt a little fast in terms of progression of the meal. Some of the dishes were very tasty while others didn't wow us. With drinks, we were quite full despite some reviews saying portion is on the smaller size. Our total was around $500 with drinks for 2 people. A really good experience for omakase, especially if you are looking for a unique experience though not my favourite one I've tried.

    Photos
    Okeya Kyujiro - Inside the waiting area before being taken to your seat.

    Inside the waiting area before being taken to your seat.

    Okeya Kyujiro - Lychee jelly w/ brown sugar syrup, ginger icecream monaka, crown melon + japanese orange

    Lychee jelly w/ brown sugar syrup, ginger icecream monaka, crown melon + japanese orange

    Okeya Kyujiro - A5 wagyu sukiyaki

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    A5 wagyu sukiyaki

    Guu Original Thurlow - Pumpkin croquette

    Guu Original Thurlow

    4.1(838 reviews)
    3.7 kmDowntown, West End
    $$

    Restaurant is very small so reservations (thru open table) is high recommended!…read more Street parking in downtown area is crazy, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to make your resos Staff is very nice, we were running late and calledI to see if we can push back our reservation 15 mins and they did. My daughter spilled water and the staff was very kind about it, I felt so bad! Food is amazing, everything has its unique flavor and texture. All is so good is all I can say!! We had left over fried rice and ate it next morning cold but was still so delicious!! Love that you can order the sashimi combo (choose 3) and get a little of everything. We got spot prawn, salmon and yellow tail... so so so good Restaurant is very small so it does feel crowded and can get very noisy. We went with 2 younger kids and they weren't bothered. The booth seats are high so no boosters are needed. Food is so good!! The only complaint is noise level/ crowded space but it can't be helped since it's a small shop and the food is totally worth it

    I came here for dinner on a weeknight with two foodie friends of mine. Said friends lived in Japan…read morefor over a decade and they've dined here often in the past, saying it's very "authentic" Izakaya and it reminds them of their past life in Japan (which they miss a lot). Me, I know nothing about Izakaya or what is or isn't authentic Japanese cuisine, so this review is coming from someone with zero knowledge or expectation of any specific foods or experiences. Despite it being a weeknight, the place was packed. It was good that we had a reservation. There was a couple in line before me and they were walk-ins, and there were no available seats for them. I noted how small this place was, and crowded, with the tables close together and a long bar with a counter and barstools there (also close together). Our reserved table was right by the front door - literally, - so every time the door opened, we got a gust of cold air (and it was a cold February night when we were there). I kept my coat on. Truth be known, I was not very comfortable. Also, it was loud. Very loud. I like how the staff shout Japanese greetings to diners whenever they enter but between the frequent shouts and the sheer volume of chatter from all the diners, all sitting close together in close proximity, it was kinda hard to hear what my friends were saying during our dinner. That said, the environment was super vibrant and, again, my friends said this was very typical of an Izakaya in Japan. Food-wise, I have no idea what my friends ordered. The menu was primarily available by way of a QR code and I had no idea what the dishes were, so I deferred to my friends' knowledge. But I can attest that all the dishes were DELICIOUS. We had some sort of Japanese street food "pancakes" (they were wonderful). We had some sort of stirfry beef with noodles (amazing). We had two types of sashimi (omg both were so fresh and so so good!). We had a few other dishes that I can't recall, but I remember I loved them. So.... the food here was GREAT. Service was also attentive which I hadn't expected, being as busy as the restaurant was. I really liked this place but I'll probably go back in the summertime when the weather is nicer as I was cold there, and I'd dine at an off-time, when the volume wasn't so loud. (I'm too old for the loudness!).

    Photos
    Guu Original Thurlow
    Guu Original Thurlow - Fried pork belly

    Fried pork belly

    Guu Original Thurlow - Eel with rice

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    Eel with rice

    Hello Nori

    Hello Nori

    4.5(323 reviews)
    3.8 kmWest End
    $$

    This is a good spot to grab a bite and take a break from shopping on Robson. It's very spacious…read moreinside with modern aesthetics and the hostess was welcoming. Every guest is seated around the bar where they can watch the rolls being made fresh. Upon being seated you place your order by marking a piece of paper. We started off with cocktails: kaiju en neguroni and peach pafekuto and they were both refreshing. We each ordered a few rolls and my fave is the unagi hand roll. The unagi was flame-torched right in front of me. Prices are on the expensive side with small portions, but everything tasted fresh.

    Hello Nori was our last lunch before checking out and heading to the airport, and it was such a…read moresolid way to end the trip. We picked up the 16-piece Premium Cut Rolls (toro, yellowtail, scallop, and truffle lobster), and the quality really showed in the taste. Everything was clean, fresh, and well-balanced -- no heavy sauces, no distractions, just really good fish. The toro was rich and smooth, the scallop was buttery, and the truffle lobster added a nice depth without overpowering the roll. Pickup was quick and seamless, and the food was packaged well for eating on the go before a flight. Portions are standard, but the flavor and quality are absolutely the highlight here. If you care more about how sushi tastes than flashy extras, Hello Nori is a great choice. Would happily come back next time.

    Photos
    Hello Nori  - Interiors - seating area

    Interiors - seating area

    Hello Nori  - Salmon oshi ($8) and ebi oshi ($8)

    Salmon oshi ($8) and ebi oshi ($8)

    Hello Nori  - Wagyu handroll

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    Wagyu handroll

    Shizen Ya

    Shizen Ya

    4.3(615 reviews)
    3.6 kmDowntown
    $$

    Fresh, Beautiful, and Consistently Great! ​I returned to…read moreShizenya after a while, and it reminded me why I love this place. Even on a Thursday night, the restaurant was nearly full, which speaks to its popularity. ​I ordered the Tako Sunomono and the Premium Chirashi Don. ​Tako Sunomono: The octopus was perfectly tender and the vinegar dressing was refreshing--exactly what I needed to wash away the fatigue of the day. ​Premium Chirashi Don: The presentation was stunning and immediately worked up my appetite. Every piece of seafood was incredibly fresh and of high quality. You can really taste the difference here. ​If you're looking for healthy, fresh, and beautifully presented Japanese cuisine, Shizenya is a must-visit. Highly recommended!

    This was my favorite meal of our entire trip to Vancouver. The decor is small and intimate. They…read moredid offer us a highchair and did wipe down the inside of the chair but the outside was fairly dirty so my toddler opted for a regular chair. Children utensils provided which was very much appreciated. Restroom in the back was clean. The food was fresh and delicious. SAKURA BLOSSOM ROLL - brown rice - comes with a lot and delicious UNI TEMAKI (2pc) - my husband and I each had one. very refreshing with the uni and the brown rice. SOCKEYE SALMON SASHIMI- very fresh and thick slices. I had one piece - good. MENTAIKO YAKI UDON - My favorite food item from our entire trip. Omg. I can sit there all day long and just eat this. I always order this when I see it on the menu and some places really don't do a good job. VEGETABLE UDON SOUP - for our toddler

    Photos
    Shizen Ya - Inside the restaurant

    Inside the restaurant

    Shizen Ya - Sockeye salmon sashimi 5 piece

    Sockeye salmon sashimi 5 piece

    Shizen Ya - View of restaurant

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    View of restaurant

    Takenaka - japanese - Updated May 2026

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