Author Archives: Ed Sum

04.02.25
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[Vancouver, BC] Only The Best. Tojo’s Restaurant Exceeds Expectations!

Tojo's Restaurant's Head Chef1133 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Phone: (604) 872-8050
Menu: tojos.com

Tojo’s Restaurant is world renowned for a simple reason. This is the place where its head chef (and owner) not only invented the California roll but also has a philosophy that anyone who sees the documentary, The Chef and the Daruma (movie review), might want to adapt. He’s a person I’ve always admired ever since I saw him on morning news television on Global Vancouver with Simi Sara showing how he crafts particular Japanese dishes. Back then, I didn’t know about the life behind the camera, but it intrigued me. After seeing the 2024 film, my appreciation has only grown.

Over time, this restaurant became world-renowned because of the amazing range of food he can prepare. He’s also a licensed fugu chef, so if there’s the means to import this blowfish in, I’m there! But with other dishes prepared by him or one of his chefs he’s trained, I probably couldn’t tell the difference. There’ll be a time when he’ll retire and the people he’s taught will take over.

He’s a gentle soul who is great to talk to. He’s like the Mr. Rogers of Vancouver! I was in town for Fan Expo and this time; I made the point of setting aside time to visit this restaurant! It’s honestly not that far from the downtown core, but to get there means either taking the taxi or public transit. The former can get you there, and the latter, is about eight blocks away from the major routes. I visited this operation twice because the experience was amazing! The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is perfect. And there’s a slight chance of seeing someone famous dining here. I should advise that you first check with management if it’s okay to approach their table.

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03.05.25
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In Vancouver for Fan Expo and Their Partnership with GRETA Bar & Arcade Games

Greta Sports Bar than Nerd50 W Cordova St
Vancouver, BC 

Hours: 4 p.m.–2 a.m. daily
Phone: (604) 423-3081
Menu: gretabar.com

GRETA Bar YVR is more of a sports bar than an arcade for video game enthusiasts to hang out in. And when this franchise type operation has outlets in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, I’m sure the population of geeks is higher, and hopefully there’s a lot more space to play other electronic games too! When Fan Expo Vancouver selected this place to host an after-party of sorts, the business which opened in 2022 better be able to hold a ton of people. When this the convention had sold out attendance on Saturday, packing in over 10,000 people, the ticketed party most likely attracted 2-3% of that number.

Three comic book artists took part in the Comics Xplosion and as for where that took place, even I struggled to figure out where this operation can set up a safe space for them to draw. The mezzanine would be the best area when I was here before the event. It ran on February 22, with Benjamin Su, Dave McCaig and Mike Rooth drawing anything they could think of. Afterwards, the artwork was auctioned off. Although I wasn’t around at the start (was dining elsewhere), I managed to get here in time to see how the last hour went.

But to give the establishment a proper assessment, I went in a Thursday for a bite, because I was already in the area, and returned Friday to play some video games. The promotion for a free hour’s worth of unlimited gameplay to anyone showing their convention badge convinced me to return. While I got a lot of tickets because of one game, none of the swag at the redemption booth interested me. Unlike the prizes one can find at a normal arcade, this one is more about marketing this establishment with the t-shirts, lanywards and caps.

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01.08.25
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Sushi on Shelbourne in Saanich, BC. The Choices and Construction Woes

Screenshot 2025-01-07 at 10.16.44 PM

Once upon a time, the price of take out sushi at Fujiya’s grocery store in Victoria, BC was the best in town. Those were the pre-pandemic years and before Saanich’s Shelbourne Street Improvement Project ripped the road apart. As a result, plenty of nearby businesses saw less traffic and one casualty is this grocery store deciding it’s time to raise their prices! Even after the job is more or less done, I saw no price reduction as life resumes in 2025. Most of that block is patched up, but there’s still construction that’s become a barrier as people drive through.

I can understand the need to mark up their products to make up for lost venues, but will every supporter of this local operation want to continue even after the construction is done? While I can drive straight down Shelbourne to Sushi Island, I can get my basic two favourite rolls for about 2/3rds of the price than the $9 average price I’m seeing most trays marked as. And as for how often I’ve seen tuna and salmon rolls offered, it’s been seldom. It’s doubtful that I’m showing up at the wrong time.

When I’ve spotted three other fast food options where I can buy sushi along this street corridor, the choices are finally better, but not necessarily competitive. I hate to admit that Walmart’s plates are relatively tasty. Price-wise, it’s about the same as Fujiya’s, and while the big box operation doesn’t have tuna on the menu, it seems they have a supplier for all the salmon they love to regularly offer. They’re farmed fish rather than wildly caught, and when I’m lazy to head to other operations, I’ll grab a plate just to satisfy that itch my tastebuds want for raw fish.

Sushi MagoThankfully, Sushi Island (where people can get the best value) is across the street. As for Sushi Mago, they’re a stone’s throw away from where I live, and I can walk down to grab something and go home. A drive makes it quicker. Although this operation’s offerings are pricier than the other two, but not as super tasty (Island wins hands down), it’s a price I’m willing to pay for the convenience.

12.04.24
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A Lil’ Taste of Philly at Serena’s Pizzeria and Hoagies

menu766 Fort St
Victoria, BC

Hours: 11 am to 9pm daily
Website: https://www.serenas.ca/
Phone: (778) 433-9696

Throughout my search for a proper Philly Cheesesteak outside the City of Brotherly Love, my quest is not over. Even though Serena’s Pizzeria and Hoagies certainly deliver in taste, the best greasy spoon diner style I had was while making a stop in South Lake Tahoe. If I remember right, I ate at Little Philly Cheesesteaks, and it was so sloppy, slippery and oh so good left an impression. Sadly, they closed a long time ago.

But the further away one gets from the State that gave rise to this sandwich, any operation’s claim needs to be tested against those memories. What I sampled warmed me all over. On the chilly day my buddy and I visited, we were searching for crispy fried chicken and found the advertising for House of Chicken, misleading. The offerings may have been for Doordash delivery rather than in-house. Although we looked at the menu, we were not in the mood for Pakistani style food and opted to leave.

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12.04.24
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Clash of the Cookbooks on ROKU Channel! Who’s Hungry For Grandma’s Recipe?

Clash of the Cookbooks PosterDebuting Dec 6, 2024 on Roku Channel

Join comedian Phoebe Robinson and cookbook author and culinary historian Max Miller as they put cookbook-obsessed chefs to the test with legendary cookbook-inspired challenges. Cookbooks are the cornerstone of how the average person has learned to cook for hundreds of years, testing the technical and creative skills of home cooks.

In this competition, chefs from across the country take recipes from the page to the plate by cooking from history’s greatest and the world’s toughest cookbooks.

6 Episodes make up season one, and if you’re looking to find the secret ingredient to help spice up your dish, this show is worth catching!

About The Roku Channel

Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free ad-supported streaming television on Roku, and features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 on-demand movies and programs, more than 400 live linear television channels, and premium subscription offerings in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners and features a growing library of Roku Originals.

11.06.24
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Sometimes Finding The One Japanese Place to Regularly Hit Isn’t All That “Yoshi”

20240929_124317Gateway Village
771 Vernon Ave
Victoria, BC

Hours: 12:00pm to 8:00pm Daily
Phone: (250) 475-3900
Menu: yoshisushi.ca

ES: In anime, “Yoshi” (where the I is silent) can mean, let’s do it, but in truth, it means excellence, and as a fixture in Victoria for such a long time, I’m sort of inclined to agree Yoshi Sushi is a great place to give your taste buds a treat. Had I truly wanted to go crazy, I could’ve gone for the massive platter of sashimi on my birthday to really experience all the wonders, but to be honest blowfish wasn’t on the menu and what’s offered are the safe staples.

The exception is with a soft shell crab roll, which when properly still warm, can do wonders to excite the taste buds. Or should I say the baos?

DK: My experience with the Japanese language pretty much begins and ends with doing flashcards with my roommate in the TRU dorms before tossing rotten vegetables into the parking lot from our balcony. Don’t know if he ever passed that test, but we did make room in the fridge for more eggs and bacon for our roommates to “borrow.” 

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