A little authentic taste of Japan - Furusato

There's definitely an over-abundance of sushi restaurants in Montreal, ranging from the very bad to the very posh, but in comparison, the Japanese population here is teeny tiny. So, as you can imagine, actual Japanese-owned and run restaurants are relatively few as well. That isn't to say that non-Japanese operated sushi restaurants are bad, per se - in fact, some of the most popular Japanese restaurants in Montreal aren't run by Japanese people. But sometimes, you just want some no-frills, authentic Japanese cuisine. And where can you go for that? Why, Furusato, of course.

Japan Trip Day 6 - Nara and Osaka

Wow, so I never finished documenting on Japan trip. Day 6 was the last day we spent touring around Japan, since Day 7 consisted of a hectic running around, trying to get to the airport on time for our flight. But more on that later.

Japan Trip Day 3 - Daiwa sushi and Akihabara

Day 3 in Japan, and we head over to Akihabara, also known as the otaku (geek) haven. This place is full of stores that sell anime and game-related merchandise, as well as electronics and duty-free goods. But before that, we stop by the Tsukiji fish market for some deliciously fresh sushi!

Japan Trip Day 1 - Tokyo (Tsukiji fish market, Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku)

I know that this blog is traditionally used to blog about food, but I'm going to be including bits about my vacation and about my experience in Japan, too, as a reference for people planning on visiting Japan in the future, or people just interested in Japanese culture. Think of it as a mini travel journal, if you will. I didn't do any research on restaurants and such before going, because I knew we wouldn't have time to go looking for restaurants and would have to make do with what we came across. Also, we spoke minimal broken Japanese,  It made for a pretty interesting trip!

Without further ado, here's the first day of our week-long trip!

Ryu, I choose you! Tapas attack! It's super effective!

I'm pretty sure I've used the 'I choose you' joke already, but whatevs. Pokemon is classic, yo.

Ryu is a tapas-inspired Japanese fusion restaurant located in Outrement, conveniently situated on Laurier. Their menu consists mainly of small, appetizer-like dishes of both the hot and cold variety, as well as a selection of maki rolls. 

Takara - the treasure of Japanese restaurants?

Takara is upscale Japanese restaurant located on the upper floors of les Cours Mont-Royal shopping complex. It also has a more accessible entrance located on De la Montagne street. With a trained Japanese chef behind the sushi counter, Takara is recognized as one of the more authentic of the better-known Japanese restaurants in Montreal.

Ossu! Sushi Yasu!

So now that we've seen the trendy fusion-style sushi, let's check out the other side of the coin. Traditional sushi restaurants tend to be modest-looking restaurants with simple decoration and a humble old Japanese man behind the sushi bar, shouting an 'Irrashaimase!' to you as you walk in the door. That, my friends, is what Sushi Yasu is all about.

There, at Sata Sushi, sat a carousel horse.

With the introduction of sushi to the Western market came the inception of a new style of sushi, known as fusion-style sushi. In contrast to the humbler traditional-style sushi, chefs that make fusion sushi are constantly looking for ways to create bolder and more innovative sushi, often adding ingredients that normally aren't paired with raw fish, such as fruits. Such is the case with Sata sushi, a caucasian-run fusion sushi restaurant in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

The Ginza of AYCE sushi.

If Montreal's all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants were shopping districts in Japan, then Ginza would be... well... Ginza. Ginza is a very small and inconspicuous restaurant situated on the busy street of St-Denis. Despite its small stature, it is still relatively well-decorated, and serves some of the better AYCE sushi I've had to date. And believe me, I've had my share.

Luck is a come-a at Raku Izakaya! *runs away*

Raku Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant run by a Chinese man who worked in Japan as a chef situated on Taschereau in Brossard. The focus of the restaurant is actually more on the cooked 'bar' foods, and less on the sushi, but the restaurant still has a decent sushi menu to meet the needs of all the sushi-addicts out there.

Snazzy sushi at Sakura Garden

Sakura is a classy Japanese restaurant situated on De la Montangue street, right in the heart of Montreal. The waiters and waitresses (and, I believe, the owner) are all Japanese, which is, sadly, a rare occurance in the Montreal sushi scene. The restaurant ahs a very zen and authentic feel to it. The food here is fresh and tasty,  the service friendly and accommodating, and the atmosphere is romantic, so it is an ideal restaurant for special occasions.