Munchie Adventure: Tomoya Japanese Restaurant 友居酒屋, Burnaby

Lest we forget those who traded their lives for our peace today. Today is a day to remember and reflect again upon the things I have, because I'm very fortunate to be here-- in a land free of war. This life I have, every day is a blessing. So I wear this poppy to remember those who made it possible.

Restaurant: Tomoya Japanese Restaurant 友居酒屋 (visit their website here)
Location: 6285 Nelson Avenue, Burnaby
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Price range: $10-15 per entree




Date of visit: November 11, 2012
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 3/5
Food variety: 5/5
Food quality: 3/5
Buck worthy? 4/5

My friend came back from Kamloops for the weekend, so we decided to go try this place because I've been wanting to come here for a while =P (Ever since I noticed it when I went to Cattle Cafe next door). Annnnd of course, I'm overly excited, we end up ordering way too much food for two people xD But it was all pretty good! Prices weren't bad either!

We heard their Blossom Roll was good, so we ordered their Special Roll Combo ($9.95) which included miso soup, salad, and a roll. The first to arrive were the miso soups (other one from the other combo I ordered), but they kinda tasted weird. Sweeter than the normal miso soups I've had.

Then came the salad, it was steaming! Weird eh? Turns out it was the fried salmon on top, which was very yummy, but since it was hot, it half-cooked the lettuce it was sitting on xD The sauce on the salmon was kinda bland, wished it was more tangy. Good job for the salmon, not so good for the combination.

Here's our Bossom roll!! Quite pretty, but not as nice as the one I had at Ebisu once upon a time. Liked the flavors though, went well altogether. There was salmon and egg in the middle, and smoked salmon on the outside. In the middle was a seaweed salad with some ikura and sauce. Egg felt a bit too wet after closer inspection =P

Onto the next combo, which was the Happy Choice- L ($10.50) They also have one that is $8.50, but you get to choose 3 items only. This one we can choose 4 =D With no preference, my friend let me choose what to order for this one^^ I chose the takoyaki, which was very freshly made, crispy and hot! Again, the salad on the bottom made no sense to me. Takoyaki was yummy though =)

Then I got the Chopped Scallop Nigiri, because I love chopped scallop =D I have mixed feelings for this one... it was really big and packed full of scallop, but I'm not sure if the scallops were that fresh. No tummy ache afterwards, but still-- a bit skeptical about it.

For roll, I chose their House Roll, and it was decent. The rice was a bit mushy and the imitation crab meat was packed too tightly that it was hard ><" The positioning of the ingredients wasn't even either... I barely had any salmon in my piece *sadface*

Then for the hot stuff, they had a large selection too, I decided upon the Teriyaki Sole Fillet on Rice (there's an option without rice, but who wouldn't want MORE rice? xD). This wasn't the wisest decision because I didn't realize we ordered so much food, and the rice was just too much. The sole was crispy on the outside and moist and flaky on the inside. SOOO GOOOODDD ^^ The rice was well cooked too, but I had no more room in me to stuff more in =P

Last thing we ordered was their Black Sun ($8.99), which seemed like a popular item from online reviews. It's chopped scallop and salmon belly in a mayo sauce with masago topped with black tobiko and a raw quail egg yolk. On the side was a teriyaki + wasabi sauce decorating the plate. I liked it, but after a few more bites, I got sick of it.

After I destroyed it =P

Thank goodness MH still had some room to finish it, or else it would've been a waste! Not as amazing as I thought it'd be, good idea, nice display, but not something I'd like to spend $8.99 on again =P

Overall, I had a good experience, even though the waitress didn't notice our hand waves most of the time, she was quite patient. I asked her for the password for the free WiFi offered at the restaurant multiple times because I just couldn't remember it. . . and she patiently told me again and again =P I ordered some takeout for the family, since I was also craving salmon maki, but had no room for it. Sadly, but the time I got home from work. . . my brother "helped" me digest it all already =(