Tetsu Sushi Bar

SUSHI BAR MAUMI

We had the pleasure to dine at the newly reopened @sushi_bar_maumi_vancouver last night and it did not disappoint.

Being a self proclaimed sushi-enthusiast, Sushi Bar Maumi met and exceeded my expectations. I had heard of this place being a bit of a hidden gem when they were still at their original location. But it was always too out of the way for me to make the trip. Now that they've moved onto Robson St, it will definitely become a staple in my restaurant rotation.

First of all, this Omakase is definitely a bang for your buck. The Omakase course is 13 pieces for $135/person, with the option of adding more pieces at the end of your meal. This price point for the location and quality of ingredients absolutely blew me away.

Chef Ozaki was really able to bring out the flavours of each fish to perfection. Nothing tasted "fishy", every piece of nigiri we had was the perfect balance of rice, acidity, and umami. If you're a fan of Edomae style sushi this place will be your new go-to.

The dinner was a 2.5hr experience as the restaurant is run only by Chef Ozaki and his partner (I assume). With a total of 17 seats, be prepared for a bit of a slower experience. I definitely did not mind it as it gave us time to really digest the flavours of each piece as we worked our way through the menu. There is also only one hostess who takes drink orders and other requests so please be patient if you do decide to dine here; expect a longer wait time than usual.

You will also not be served soy sauce or wasabi on the side as each piece is already seasoned with flavours that will highlight the texture and flavour of the seafood. If you don't think you'll be a fan of this factor than this may not be the spot for you. But if you're looking to try a new Omakase spot that offer amazing quality sushi, great value, and an immersive but intimate experience, then I would 100% reccomend this place.

10/10
‍9/10
$$$ ($135/person, $7-15/additional piece)
Sushi Bar Maumi | 1668 Robson St, Vancouver

First off, we visited Tetsu sushi bar back in May 2022. After hearing many good things about them and seeing them on so many foodie groups, we decided to give them a try. We made a reservation and originally we wanted to try out their Omakase experience, however, at the time of our booking, they did not offer Omakase, so we opted for à la cart.

Unfortunately, overall, I feel that the Sushi here has missed the mark with us. From the quality to the value, we feel that the price they charge was not justified by what was served. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than willing to open up my wallet for a good quality sushi meal and have done so many times in the past.

To begin, we had the eel tamago appetizer, and to our surprise, the egg had went off and had a rancid smell. We then ordered a series of sushi pieces, including scallop, salmon, Hamachi, mirugai, ikura, anago and the bluefin tuna trio (akami, chu-toro and ootoro). The sushi pieces were smaller than standard I would say and while the fish was fresh, there was nothing that made it standout.

We finally concluded the meal with the foie gras and negitoro don, again, everything was on point but for $50+ it was merely 4-5 bites.

Overall we weren't wowed by our experience. Perhaps we should waited until they offered omakase again.

Enjoyed the service and the ambience at this place. It was a great experience overall.
Tried the Omakase menu at the bar tables, and it met my expectations.
Sashimi and sushi were delicious and fresh, and we had the coffee pudding for dessert, which was good for the finish.
A bit on the pricier side but it would be a good choice for a first-time Omakase experience.

I made a reservation in advance to sit at the sushi bar for omakase - highly recommended, as this is a small sushi restaurant with 3 seats at the bar and a few tables.

I felt right at home as soon as I entered the restaurant, as I was greeted in Japanese by the hostess/waitresses. The menu was described to me in Japanese, and I could hear the staff all speaking it too! Loved that.

The omakase starts in order of seating - the reservation was at 8pm, but the other 2 guests showed up a little later, so their omakase was a few pieces behind me throughout our meal. I felt a little bad as this meant that the chef had to handle the timing between me and the other 2 guests, but he handled it very well!

At the sushi bar, you get to see all the fish being cut and prepared into nigiri, which is always fun to watch. The view is a little impeded by dishes and equipment stacked in front, but you can still see most of the action. During my visit, there were 2 chefs at the bar, but one of them was making sushi for a la carte orders, while the other was focused on the omakase courses.

For my omakase, I had the option of upgrading the final uni nigiri to a Female snow crab with bafun uni for $40, so I did just that. What a delight! If you have this option, definitely go for it. The crab is so soft, and it comes with a lot of ikura, too, which I love! And the uni is so creamyyy. Loved it.

I think, if I were to compare with other omakase experiences I've had, I would have enjoyed a more interactive experience with the chef. I spoke with the chef a little bit, but he didn't seem to want to talk, so I felt like I was disturbing him. And it would have been okay with me to wait a few minutes for the other 2 guests to catch up so that we were on the same menu items.. I think it would have felt more cohesive of a dinner experience that way. But these are just nit-picky things that ultimately didn't affect my dinner experience.

High quality sushi, paced in a relaxed way, with very reasonable prices. Would come back!

Food was mediocre, it was not filling but that's how small fancy Japanese restaurants are. I thought it was over priced including their French wine, i've honestly had better authentic sushi at similar places like this. Per person the meal is $100 as we got their around 10 course meal and their French wine we got was $90. If they provided DESSERT at the end of our meal would have been a lot better as I was expecting and hoping that they would give dessert at least! Especially because all the michelin star restaurants "fancy restaurants" I have been to always provided dessert at the end of the meal. The server was good as she made effort & explaining to us what each dish was (which is how it should be). I honestly wouldn't come here again but it was definitely a good experience. The ambiance could have put more effort, at the same time I understand that less is more - this place is seating for only 12, quite small. Good place for a business meeting to talk since it's quiet in here! I wouldn't come here again and bring my family & friends. However, the company I was with my partner and his parents - the fact that it was just us at the restaurant after the two ladies left felt like VIP since we were the only ones there.

Great service!
Food is good but slightly overpriced for a lacarte.
Omakase may be better option than a lacarte here.

Recommendation: Yes

9/10 for Experience & Ambiance:



10/10 for Service:



9/10 for Food:


Final thoughts:
Overall I will say dining

One of my favorite places for top notch Japanese food in Vancouver. They're pricey but I would def go back because the taste, the craft and the presentation is all worth it. Especially taste-wise.
I love their foie gras blue fin tuna nigiri, the BEST I've had, definitely a must try!
And the udon noodle there is absolutely delicious as well. I was surprised by how plain it looks but honestly it's became one of my favorite noodle soups.

Omakase is definitely not my favourite Japanese dining style. In my opinion, it's expensive and often I feel unsatiated. This is my second time to Tetsu. The first time was probably 2-3 years ago and from what I remember, it wasn't that great. I decided to give them a second chance tonight since my sister and my friends raved about it.

We just came back from Tetsu and after paying $300 for three people, we did not feel full nor satisfied. There is a mandatory minimum charge of $70 per person (which I don't mind paying) but honestly, I did not feel like the quality was up to standard.

The omakase was alright, I guess. I didn't feel like there was one fish that wowed me. If I was to choose a favourite, it would be the Japanese uni. I also tried their fish miso soup (which was not on the menu) but the server was nice enough to ask the kitchen to make it for me. Unfortunately, it was nothing special. We also had the Ebi Zukushi Aburi roll and I didn't like it. I guess I didn't like the shiso paste and homemade sauce.

Service was excellent. There was one server and she only had to cater to us and a couple sitting at the bar.

With a plethora of Japanese food in our city, I might try other places before revisiting this restaurant.

Incredible thank you ! We went to the Tetsu for the first time for a special birthday dinner and it didn't disappoint. This was the best sushi dinner I've ever had. Japanese uni was a highlight and all the other fish flown in from japan. The smoked king salmon was incredible. From foie gras to wagyu to the fine sake selection the luxury continued. Ended the meal with cold housemade soba noodles with dipping sauce. Service was gracious and professional.
We will absolutely return for another special occasion.
Oh make a reservation there is only one table and the sushi bar available as per social distancing protocols and a small space to start with.