We were looking for some eats in downtown Vancouver, and decided to visit Hello Nori on Robson. This was after learning that they currently have two promotions running in celebration of their 5 year anniversary.
The first, a special set menu only available from March 1st to the 15th. The other, the ability to sign up for a $10 gift card for dine-in at any Hello Nori location.
Our visit also coincided with Happy Hour, so we were able to take advantage of that as well. For this we looked to drinks. A 5oz glass of their house sake is $10 from 2:30-5:30pm Monday to Thursday, and every night 9:30pm to close.
We had enough time for two servings of their over-poured sake. Poured into a shot glass and pooled in a traditional square wooden box. Admittedly, I had trouble drinking out of the latter, and most of it ended up on my face and shirt. Produced in Japan, specifically and exclusively for Hello Nori service, we found it the perfect compliment to our meal below.
Our $55 set menu was 6 courses and it included sashimi, hand rolls, and dessert. The first course was five pieces of sashimi. King Salmon 2pc, Hamachi 2pc, and Scallop 1pc. This was a beautiful and fresh start, really allowing you to taste and understand the quality of their sourced seafood.
Its accompanying dish is a plate of appetizers that did equally well to showcase the kitchen’s skill with Japanese Pickle, Kale Goma-ae, Cold Chawan Mushi, and Wagyu Daikon. Admittedly mashed spinach is not a texture I desire, so pasted on the ball of it sitting on a delicate fried lotus root chip. The chilled steamed egg custard had a lovely texture that went down easy. I enjoyed the bite of wagyu and the chunks of softened daikon that ate like a stew. Although, I thought it a waste of quality beef to have it waterlogged in broth, instead of grilled with a smokey char to best make out the quality of the premium beef.
Our second course re-introduced us to their hand rolls, now wrapped in their own branded sheet of seaweed. I thought this such a smart idea considering that new handroll concepts have popped up in Vancouver’s restaurant scene. Therefore this really cements them as the originators of the trend.
Our first hand roll was Mikan Dai Hand Roll Orange Sauce Blash. Premium, farmed Japanese red seabream in an orange sauce for a pop of flavour.
Our third course and second hand roll was the fatty tuna Torotaku Hand Roll. The lush texture of the tuna really came across in this.
The Truffle Lobster Tail Hand Roll was fragrant and buttery, a real luscious treat.
And the fifth course and last hand roll was the Wagyu Beef Teriyaki Hand Roll that ate like a handheld rice bowl. Equal parts meat and rice, accented with a dip into soy.
And our meal ended with three balls of Mochi Ice Cream. You had a choice between matcha, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, and salted caramel. Chewy mochi skin surrounded a solid ball of ice cream. This was a fun end and a sweet one to wash the palate with.
In short, this was an amazing meal and worth checking out, considering the discounts and limited time only availability.
Hello Nori
1165 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1B5
(604) 564-9595
hellonori.com
