The last time I had a meal this perfect was at Rob Feenie’s Lumiere in 2007. Well, Vancouver has a new culinary star – a little restaurant in Yaletown with a difficult-to-pronounce name. Okeya Kyujiro. If you say it three times it starts to roll off the tongue easily. And say it you should. In fact, if I could I would climb the highest mountain and shout it out for the world to hear! This restaurant is sublime.
Sushi master Takuya Matsuda remembers helping in the family kitchen at an early age. His passion for the culinary arts led him to open Okeya Kyujiro in Montreal in 2021, a unique omakase experience inspired by the theatrics of Cirque du Soleil. The following year, he expanded to Vancouver, where the restaurant earned a Michelin star in 2023. As of 2024 this extraordinary dining experience is also available in Toronto.
Okeya Kyujiro does everything in a meticulous way. You are ushered in to a small waiting area as the hostesses, clad in silk kimonos, escort each set of guests to their assigned seat. The room is dimly lit; you are seated in comfortable chairs at a counter around a sushi bar. There are black blinds drawn, and pleasant music, building the suspense. Your place setting hints at the flawless execution of the gastronomic adventure that awaits with a tiny vase of flowers, a cute little lantern and a pottery plate with a set of chopsticks resting on the hashi-makura (chopstick pillow).
Suddenly, the lights dim, and an inspiring musical piece plays while one of the members sings along. A show of gratitude for life and all the good things the earth provides. Then the dark blinds rise and the lights shine on the preparation area. Now I can clearly see 14 guests seated around the U-shaped counter. We are introduced to 4 chefs who will be preparing our 25-course omikase experience.
Let the games begin.
Each course was delectable. Small morsels of sublime flavour placed in front of you with colour commentary by our lovely servers who were also ensuring that beverages were flowing freely. It was poetry in motion as we watched each chef expertly execute every detail of their creations. Just wow!
One chef held up a trumpet fish so that all could see how odd the creature was. Then we watched as he deftly prepared it with a knife selected from a collection displayed on the wall. It was long and sheathed like a samurai sword!
Fresh fish is imported from Japan and all over the world to bring these exquisite flavours to Vancouver. Throughout the meal, several other fish and different Japanese ingredients were displayed for the guests. The experience was very theatrical and the 4 chefs worked around each other seamlessly – without a bump or a “whoops” or an “excuse me”. Almost like a dance.
In typical Japanese fashion, we were presented with delectable, bite-sized samples of everything from blue fin tuna, sea bass, mackerel, lobster and shrimp to wagyu beef, salt water eel, tamago and even a small bowl of ramen. 25 courses – including a refreshing dessert to finish.
During the 2-hour experience, one of the lovely ladies played “Happy Birthday” on a flute. Another gave us an abbreviated version of the Japanese tea ceremony as we were served some matcha tea at the end of our meal.
Our dessert was monaka, an ice cream sandwich made with thin, crisp mochi wafers and yuzu ice cream; It’s served alongside nerikiri, a traditional dessert made from white bean paste. We also have a piece of crown melon and Japanese grape. A perfect way to finish a delectable meal!
I have been to Japan. Loved it. This restaurant made me forget I was in Canada for a couple of hours as everything was authentic and as close to Omotenashi (the Japanese philosophy of hospitality) as you can possibly get – even IN Japan.
However, this is a restaurant you go to once in a blue moon, if not once in a lifetime. There are 2 sittings (5:45 & 8:15 pm) for a maximum of 16 guests. Thus, the price tag is high – $325 per person (not including drinks, tax or tips). Our bottle of sake, which was exquisite, was $130. A pot of green tea that we ordered near the end of the meal was $14. So, reserve this experience for that special birthday, anniversary or other momentous celebration.
Okeya Kyujiro is open for brunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday. You can reserve through OPENTABLE.
You are required to arrive 10 minutes before your reservation time as the presentation starts precisely on time – like the Japanese bullet train – Shinkansen.
Okeya Kyujiro Vancouver is the first 10/10 we have awarded to the 6 Vancouver Michelin Star Restaurants we have visited.
In fact, if we could give it 11/10, we would!
OKEYA KYUJIRO
1038 Mainland St Vancouver
BC V6B 2T4
778 999 1038
info@kyujiro.ca
Instagram okeyakyujiro
You may enjoy reading about the other restaurants on our Michelin-starred journey:
Lars (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Kissa Tanto (Vancouver, BC)
Wild Honey (London, England)
St Lawrence (Vancouver, BC)
Cranes (Washington, DC)
AnnaLena (Vancouver, BC)
Masayoshi (Vancouver, BC)
Published on Main (Vancouver, BC)
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