Author: Chad_Webb

When Kimono first opened, I went there for lunch with a coworker and couldn't find anything wrong - my meal was great, service was quick and prices were very affordable. I went back there solo another time for another meal and it was still pretty...good; no complaints. A week ago I took a friend there for lunch and was not disappointed again. Although it was very busy at 1 pm for the bustling lunch crowd, we were served very quickly, immediately with menus & hot tea and our meals came shortly after we ordered them. My friend craved a hot bowl of soba noodles in broth with fried chicken pieces and I wanted a bento box of California rolls, teriyaki beef with sauce on rice, a salad, deep fried chicken wings, and a wedge of orange for a light dessert. Despite a full restaurant, our lunches came very quickly and there was nothing wrong with any of the food. My chicken wings were crisp and tasty, the hot shredded teriyaki beef with sauce on rice was really delicious and I was impressed with the dressing on the chilled salad which was so good, I wished I had the recipe. I mean I am not much of a salad eater, but I couldn't stop eating this salad just for the dressing over crisp chilled lettuce. California rolls were the standard California rolls like you get in any Japanese restaurant and I was so full from eating the other items in my bento box that I took most of them home at the end. I remember the last time I went there solo, I had a huge plate of beef yakisoba (shredded beef with noodles & shredded veggies) and it was wonderful. I don't understand why Canadians complain so much about Japanese restaurants when so much work is involved preparing each food type in a bento box and the cost is so little. Just think of the amount of work preparing each type of food in a bento box and you would appreciate the cost. If you were in Japan, the same bento box you get for $12.99 would more than likely cost $100. I think Vancouverites take the large numbers of Japanese restaurants too much for granted and complain too much when they should appreciate that we have them, and at affordable costs. I really have not had a bad experience at any Japanese restaurants in Vancouver - Japanese foods seem to be very similar at most Japanese restaurants - I mean a California roll at one restaurant looks and tastes very much like ones at other Japanese restaurants. I have no complaints; just appreciation that we have so many great Japanese restaurants in town and they are so affordable.