Tokyo Thyme

In Vancouver, run-of-the-mill sushi joints are a dime a dozen. You can get a satisfying, reasonably healthy meal without spending too much money. There are, however, a few gems that deliver on food, decor, service and price.

When Tokyo Thyme opened several weeks ago, we attempted to visit on a Saturday, but since they open at noon, and we had a prior engagement at one o'clock, we ended up eating elsewhere.

Summer passes quickly, and we finally were able to see what they have to offer.

While not what you would necessarily expect in a Japanese restaurant, the decor evinced an attention to detail that would manifest throughout our evening.

Our server came to our table at least five times just to fill up our water glasses. Given how warm it was outside, we were very thirsty. We were glad, too, for the air conditioning.

half the sushi bar

The special rolls were quite enticing, but we wanted to order off the regular menu for our first visit.

We ordered sesame-free items for our kids and told the server their other allergies. He was very understanding, and the owner/chef even emerged from the kitchen to confirm that the bonito in the udon broth was okay for them.

avocado rolls, tofu rolls, inari roll

chicken udon

We ended up selecting several dishes that we don't remember seeing on other restaurants' menus.

nanbanzuke

The nanbanzuke, a cold salmon dish, was a nice treat on a hot summer day.

 house special sunomono salad

The house special sunomono came rolled in cucumber. The dressing included green and red seaweed.

spicy tofu

The spicy tofu had a delicate flavour that was not overwhelmed with too much spice.

red and white tuna stack (after mixing)

The red and white tuna stack was our favourite; see the photo at the top of our post to see how lovely it looked before we mangled it.

If you haven't noticed already, not only was every single plate and serving dish ceramic, but many were truly beautiful.

house special roll

The house special roll, rather than being some California roll variant, was a simple combination of red tuna, yamaimo (aka mountain potato), and Japanese mint.

History has not been kind to this location. Other restaurants have tried and failed. None, however, has been anywhere near as good as Tokyo Thyme. We expect we'll be doing our part to help keep them in business a long time.