AIYAOHNO CAFE

30-425 Carrall Street, Vancouver

Tel:

Web: http://www.aiyaohno.com/

Instagram @aiyaohno.cafe

Advice: Closed Siunday.

With it’s focus on Japanese healthy eats this tiny café is situated between Gastown and Chinatown and this is where you can find their Takeout window. It’s all about breakfast, lunch and in between here as they offer up dishes that are vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian. You can also visit to eat inside if you Instagram dm them in advance.

Almost everything is made in house by this husband and wife team, in addition to their bento boxes, and ramen they also offer a full line of espresso based beverages and refreshing juices, smoothies and tea drinks.

I have visited a couple of times and loved Coconut Curry Miso Ramen, with the kale noodles and the most delicious coconut miso broth. The Pescatarian Bento box was another great lunch offering with seasonal fish (salmon and sablefish), side dishes, pickles with miso soup; this is a fantastic and creative lunch bento.

The Smoked Sablefish Sandwich with smoked local BC sablefish, fresh salad, pickled vegetables, comes on house-made coconut brioche and it’s good just as the Torched King Salmon Roll -wild BC king salmon from Bella Coola, salad, greens gomae, and is very tasty.

I loved the Mango Matcha Smoothie with mango and banana topped with a shot of matcha, which could also be your healthy dessert if need be. Continuing on the beverage side of things; although both very different, the Yuzu Ginger Ale – sweetened fresh ginger juice with in-house made yuzu; and the Salted Sakura Latte with espresso infused with japanese salt preserved cherry blossoms, were very good.

This is a hidden gem worth your going out of the way to find.

Review by: Richard Wolak