Ebisu

Meal time: Saturday 7:00 pm

I've been here about three times and so far, so good. Parking is on the streets but I believe they have a back lot. This place used to be Hooters and I remember because I once got a $45 parking ticket here so this area does hold a lot of bad memories for me. Admittedly, I initially liked this place cause they had pretty waitresses but I now go more for the food ha ha.

tuna tataki supreme ~ $8.50
this dish was a really good starter but I think that the tuna tataki at Cactus Club tastes way better. Kinda strange considering this is a Japanese joint.

prawn & cheese gyoza ~ $5.85
the dish also comes with guacamole and some tortilla chips. Filled with yummy gooey cheese-ness, but unfortunately, there were only 6 pieces.


kinoko mushrooms ~ $4.80
after clogging my arteries, i figure i needed some veggies. Kinoko means mushroom in Japanese so we got the mushroom mushrooms. This dish looked a lot better in the picture but it was alright. It comes with two shittake mushrooms and a bunch of enoki mushrooms and you can dip it into the ponzu sauce on the side.

colossal cheese yakitori ~ $5.50
after i had my veggie fix, i decided to go back for some artery-clogging action and when they say colossal, they are not kidding. In the end, it's a chicken skewer with cheese melted on top. It's one of those dishes that taste awesome when you first taste it and then it kind of loses its appeal thereafter but still good.

pacific tuna whirl ~ $6.95
deep fried tuna on top of chopped scallop, avocado and tobiko. Pretty good cause i like chopped scallop rolls.

mentaiko yakiudon ~ $8.50
i had this with the kimchi add-on and it was very good and was not overly spicy. wish i got this dish earlier cause i was feeling really full by the time this dish came along.

creme brulee cheesecake ~ $6.50
This cake was absolutely delicious and a great way to top off the evening. Although I was quite full from dinner, it was so good that I wanted to order two.

Four times visited and four times left satisfied (food-wise). Service was fast but inconsistent. I'm normally not one to complain about getting my food quickly but getting 4 dishes at once is a little too fast especially if one (the mushrooms) is roasting over a fire. It just means we have to eat that dish first while the others liked the melted cheese skewer become cold. Also, if you want tea (a standard in Japanese restaurants), you have to pay for it... but that's ok cause I like water.

One last thing - they do NOT do separate bills. I mean, we had a party of 18 and we are paying an automatic 15% gratuity, so I'd expect something as simple as separate bills to not be an issue. And in the end, despite rounding up, our group was short $30. If you come with a large group and want separate bills, either:
1) come late so you can order at a different time from the rest of the group, or
2) say you don't knew the rest of your table, but they don't mind your presence since nothing brings strangers closer together than food.

So in the end, despite the shortcomings above, I still like the place cause I like the food and I think it's of great value. And the waitresses? Sorry ladies, but you lose your hotness when you say we're short $30 at the end of the night =/


Ebisu on Robson
827 Bute Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 3Y4
Tel: (604) 689-8266
Fax: (604) 689-8335
http://www.ebisu.ca/ebisu_robson