Quality Japanese food in Steveston and other Steveston, Canada Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Ichiro

This is a restaurant that opened up in late 2006 to a very positive reception. It's about time that an authentic Japanese restaurant opened up, especially considering Steveston's Japanese heritage!

Ichiro delivers on many levels. It has fresh, high quality Japanese food beautifully presented with many unique spins on old favourites. The interior is tasteful and well spaced out. Servers are friendly and efficient. Prices are fair. It's always busy, especially with the Japanese, which is definitely a good sign. A nice bonus is that it stays open until 10pm, which for Steveston, is practically unheard of.

Favorite Dish: I like ordering à la carte when at Japanese restaurants, and Ichiro's excellent for this because they have so many options, so just experiment and order a bunch of things and have fun with it.

The Steveston agedashi tofu comes as 4 pieces in a bowl. Each piece has a cube of tofu with pieces of fresh asparagus, crab meat, and salmon wrapped in nori (toasted seaweed) and deep fried in a light batter then served in a brothy sauce. I highly recommend it.

The oshinko maki (Japanese pickle roll) is very fresh - the pickle's very crispy.

I also really like their gomaae - cold cooked spinach in a sesame sauce.

The BBQ pike mackerel was decent, but not a favourite of mine. I liked the way it was prepared (skin/tail on, filleted down the middle, marinated in a sweet sauce and BBQ'ed skin side down), but I think I'll order a more luxurious fish the next time around, otherwise, this tasted like a very large sardine.

Leave a Comment

Theme: Japanese/Sushi
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 604-277-1150
Address: 12011 2nd Avenue #110, Richmond
Directions: Located on the south-west corner of 2nd Avenue and Chatham Street in Steveston village.

Restaurant Name: Tapenade

As you might have gathered, Steveston is famous for casual seafood and more specifically, fish & chips. However, if this kind of cuisine scene has left you scratching your head for other options, be happy to know that Tapenade is just around the corner!

Tapenade is a wonderful Spanish tapas restaurant near Steveston Landing. They opened in 2003 and have been providing Steveston with a more urban bistro scene. If you're looking for a casual lunch or dinner, but something a bit more upscale than most other restaurants in town, Tapenade would be my recommendation.

I first went to Tapenade with my Dad in July of 2005. We went for lunch and sat on their large outside deck. Note that Tapenade also has indoor seating. The interior looks really nice - like a warm Meditteranean environment. Interesting tidbit - their interior decorated was done by the same person who has done some of the top Mediterranean restaurants in Vancouver!

Anyhow, Tapenade has brunch, lunch and dinner menus, although I've only been for lunch. While they do have a large variety of tapas, they also have lunch and dinner entrées.

The prices here are very reasonable, considering that the service is friendly and very effifient.

Favorite Dish: My Dad and I first shared a half litre of their house Chiléan white. We were served a homemade sweet orange bread which was fantastic!

I then ordered the Prawns Provençal which was the lunch special of the day. It had 5 local jumbo prawns (the kind that look and taste like miniature lobsters!), sautéed with fresh garlic tomatoes, capers, white wine and herbs-de-provençe. It was served with a mixed green salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was honestly one of the best prawn dishes I've ever had!

My Dad ended up having their Italian panini, which unlike some restaurants where the paninis are made from huge portions of bread, the Tapenade paninis were made from homemade toasted baguette - it looked very manageable to eat, and not over the top. My dad, who enjoys the best of gourmet cuisine, loved it!

For dessert, I had their apple crepe which is something I don't normally order if "toffee cake" or "creme brulée" is on the men, but the fact that the apples were sauteed with honey and cinnamon, and then served with vanilla ice cream... it just sounded so good to me! That's exactly what I ordered, and it didn't disappoint!

Leave a Comment

Theme: Other
Comparison: about average

Phone: (604) 275-5182
Address: 3711 Bayview Street, Richmond
Directions: Located on the north side of Bayview Street, north of Steveston Landing, east of Second Avenue in Steveston.
Website: www.tapenade.ca
Other Contact: info@tapenade.ca

Restaurant Name: PaJo's Fish & Chips

The coolest little take-out fish n chip shop you'll ever set your eyes on. PaJo's (started by partners Pat and Joanne) has been a part of the Steveston fish 'n chip dining scene since the 1980's. They're located on a wharf on the Fraser River, between the public, commercial and government fishing wharves.

The fish n chips are prepared the traditional British style. The fish - whether you choose halibut, cod, or salmon is lightly breaded and deep fried. The fish is then served on top of a pile of home cut fries (complete with potato skin) and is served in a newspaper cone. Malt and white vinegar is available, as is ketchup, tartar sauce... and if you're from the UK, you'll probably appreciate the fact that they serve mushy peas! Of course, if you're not interested in deep fried seafood, they also serve hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken strips, etc.

Health food this ain't, but when it comes to fish 'n chips on the water (complete with fishing boat traffic and seagulls stalking you for your food), nothing beats PaJo's.

Favorite Dish: The halibut and chips.

Leave a Comment

Theme: Other
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 604-272-1588
Directions: At the foot of Third Avenue and Bayview Street... on the water by the government docks.
Website: www.pajos.com

Restaurant Name: Kari House

Last year new development went up on prime Steveston waterfront, opening up spaces to house new restaurants and boutiques. I've been spending so much time away from home in recent months that I haven't been witnessing these changes. Sometime within the month, Steveston's first and only Malaysian restaurant, Kari House, opened, and I had no idea! Steveston - home of fish 'n chips and 4 Greek restaurants, had a Malaysian restaurant? Since when?

Lucky for us, this restaurant is literally down the road. Finally, Steveston's starting to adopt some of the tasty and flavourful Asian cuisine that the rest of Richmond and Vancouver savours. Certainly, Steveston always had Japanese and Chinese options, but never south-east Asian delicacies such as Malaysian food!

We decided to order this food for pick-up, so I never got to enjoy the full sit-down experience, but there's always next time!

Favorite Dish: Kari House serves very fresh, flavourful and spicy Malaysian food. My mom was expecting something similar to westernized Chinese food, but was quite pleasantly surprised to taste these treats! My dad (who had been to Malaysia), whose passion is tasty, ethnic cuisine, was in heaven.

My family shared the following for dinner in October of 2004:

Roti Canai ($2.95) - 2 pieces of Mayasian flaky bread served with curry sauce. I found this similar to Indian naan bread, except it was lighter, less buttery and more flavourful.

Malaysian Satay ($7.95) - 4 skewers of grilled marinated chicken with peanut sauce. This is no different than chicken satays I eat in local Thai restaurants.

Chicken with Cashew Nuts ($9.95) - Boneless chicken pieces with cashew nuts and vegetables, stir-fried with whole red chili peppers to make this one very spicy dish!

Curry Mixed Vegetables ($9.95) - Mixed vegetables with curry sauce and coconut milk. The vegetables seemed to be a blend of green cabbage, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, among others.

Mee Goreng ($9.95) - Pan fried noodles with ground peanuts, egg, and dried onion on top. It had a very sweet tamarind flavour. We decided to order the beef mee goreng, but we could have also chosen chicken, pork, prawns or vegetarian.

All together this came to a little over $40. All prices in Canadian dollars of course. Not a bad way to feed a family of four on a Thursday night!

Leave a Comment

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: less expensive than average

Phone: (604) 275-5274
Address: 130-3900 Bayview Street, Richmond
Directions: Located behinds the Blenz Coffee shop on the south side of Bayview Street between 1st Avenue and No 1 Rd in Steveston.
Website: www.karihouse.com

Restaurant Name: Kisamo's Greek Taverna

A good friend of mine once said about Greek cooking, "You know the food is good when you can taste the garlic the next day!" And Kisamo's is one of those places! Excellent authentic Greek food run by a Greek couple.

My parents would always order from Kisamos whenever we felt like Greek take-out. I think I only ate inside of Kisamos once. There's a heavy Mediterranian Greek theme which is very cute, but be warned, the restaurant is tiny so it only takes a few full tables before the place feels very crowded.

Favorite Dish: We'd always order the calamari for an appetizer. For our main meal, we'd get a souvlaki dinner for about $9. It included a bed of rice, 2 roast potatos, 4 pieces of toasted pita bread, a generous heap of tzasiki sauce, a quality Greek salad, a skewer of lamb, chicken, pork or beef souvlaki... and one spicy pickled chili pepper!

Leave a Comment

Theme: Other
Comparison: less expensive than average

Phone: 604-277-5626
Address: 3420 Moncton Street, Richmond
Directions: On the south side of Moncton Street just east of Third Avenue in Steveston Village.

Restaurant Name: Sockeye City Grill

Located at Steveston Landing overlooking the fishing boats on the river, if you're looking for a casual, family-friendly seafood restaurant with a view, this one takes the cake. Prices have increased since I frequented this restaurant earlier in the decade, but it's still a good restaurant when you're craving fish n' chips, seafood pasta, or oyster burgers.

Favorite Dish: I recently had their fish n' chips, but I cheated - I swapped the chips for seafood chowder. When you order fish n' chips, you can order wild BC cod, halibut, salmon, or even prawns, but the pricing varies accordingly - halibut being the most expensive; cod, the cheapest. I ordered the small portion (1 piece) of salmon which was battered lightly and cooked perfectly. They serve it all on a large glass plate shaped like a fish, and you also get a hefty dollop of creamy coleslaw with raisins in it. Price is approximately $10 a plate, give or take a few dollars.

Leave a Comment

Theme: Seafood
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 604-275-4347
Address: 3800 Bayview Street #108, Richmond
Directions: Located at the very southern foot of Second Avenue on the western side of Steveston Landing (facing the water).
Website: http://sockeyecity.com
Other Contact: sockeyecity@telus.net

Restaurant Name: Shady Island Bar & Grill

This restaurant is all about location and atmosphere. It has that sea shanty theme going with a real fishing boat dangling from the rafters, but the patio's a great place to be. Shady Island Bar & Grill is a casual seafood restaurant - we'd often come here for brunch on special occasions. It has the feeling that it caters to tourists more than locals, but every time I've eaten here, I've had good service and good food.

Favorite Dish: I had the seafood gratinée when I last visited. It had pieces of halibut, scallops and prawns sautéed in a cream sauce with Swiss cheese melted on top. Quite delicious! Similar to the French dish, "Coquilles St-Jacques". However, I find their strength is in their west coast seafood dishes (ie: shellfish, salmon, halibut, etc).

Leave a Comment

Theme: Seafood
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Directions: The heart of Steveston Landing at the southern foot of Second Avenue..

Restaurant Name: Steveston Cannery Cafe

Back in the early 1980's, my uncle opened up "Cannery Row Cafe" which was the first restaurant of its kind in Steveston at the time. It featured a custom-made sandwich bar, an espresso bar (before espresso drinks were remotely popular), fresh baked desserts, as well as hot entrees for breakfast and lunch. It became an immediate hit in Steveston when it opened, and is still frequently visited today. They're open daily from 7am until 4pm.

Favorite Dish: The Manhattan clam chowder here used to be award-winning back in the 80's. If they're still using the same recipe, then it's still good. It's a tomato-base soup made with fresh potatos, celery, bacon, and clams.

Everyone seemed to love the muffins at the cafe - the two most popular muffins are blueberry bran and coconut oatmeal. All the muffins are baked daily in the back kitchen.

If you're a fan of freshly baked pies, there's always at least one there. Strawberry rhubarb, blueberry, and apple were just some that you'd see.

I think my favourite foot items were the tuna melts. It would be made with two kaiser buns covered in tuna salad and edam cheese. They were then broiled until hot throughout, and served with fries or salad.

Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: about average

Address: 3711 Moncton Street
Directions: Located on the north side of Moncton Street between First Ave and Second Ave.

Restaurant Name: La Tandoor

La Tandoor is a small hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant located in the heart of Steveston village. It's your typical Indian restaurant, serving curries, rogan josh, lamb vindaloo, and various vegetarian dishes. On Canada Day, they sometimes grill chicken and Indian delicacies from a BBQ on the sidewalk. While I've never eaten inside this restaurant, my family would frequently order take-out from them whenever we craved Indian food.

Steveston trivia: My grandparents used to own Island Cleaners, a dry cleaning business, which was located in the very building that La Tandoor now uses. I have childhood memories of visiting them in this building, which makes it a bit strange for me to see a restaurant there now.

Favorite Dish: I was always a fan of their butter chicken, especially when you eat it with their naan bread.

Leave a Comment

Theme: Indian

Phone: 604-204-0077
Address: 3651 Moncton St #120, Richmond
Directions: On the north side of Moncton Street, east of 2nd Avenue, right next to Marine Garage.

Restaurant Name: Charthouse Restaurant

Just don't bother. While this is definitely one of the most impressive views of the waterfront in Steveston, I wish I could say the same thing for the interior or the food.

The Charthouse is located on the second floor of the Steveston Landing and looks over the wharf and the Fraser River, hence the nice views.

The menu features a selection of local seafood as well as non-local seafood... and steak, and pasta, and souvlaki, etc. However, I was never truly inspired by their food - very bland. It's like one of those restaurants on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares where they're trying to cater to everybody by having a million things on the menu, but they do none of it well. It's also a bit strange that they're a seafood restaurant overlooking the water (and fresh seafood being sold from fishing boats no less), but they're using canned crab and shrimp - it's that kind of place, which is a shame. And not only that, but they're charging way too much for what's very uninspiring food.


Leave a Comment

Theme: Seafood
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 604-271-7000
Address: 3866 Bayview St. #200, Richmond BC
Directions: Upstairs from the Blue Canoe restaurant at Steveston Landing.
Website: www.charthouse.ca
Other Contact: dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=215