The food is amazing! I am really glad that I booked this restaurant. It is quite affordable for omakase :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Krystal Chan
I dined at their original location last year and was excited to come back to try their new location, but was very disappointed this time around. The owners no longer enforce the rules on the website to help create a relaxing and enjoyable atomsphere. It was loud and unpleasant. Only 4/17 ppl showed up in time (including us), and the omakase started late as we had to wait for the other customers to arrive. My aori ika (squid) was too chewy to eat and my Anago was served to me with a piece of bone - 2/13 of the dishes were unacceptable. I brought it up with the waitress, to which she told me that the fish is like that. To add, there was a fly in the restaurant. I was very disappointed and would not recommmend anyone to come if they are looking for a quality and enjoyable experience.
Lisa Bandura
Had a wonderful experience here! Food was incredible, great service and small & intimate room.Will definitely be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jinwoo Roh
Very good quality omakase with a great atmosphere. Family-run by a kind couple from Japan.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
S Tan
The sushi was very high quality and the food prep right in front of you is performance art. No complaints about the food. However, with sixteen or seventeen people and only one chef, the pace of dinner was extremely slow. It was two and a half hours with one piece coming out every 11 minutes. Which is excruciatingly slow. If you come here, don't come hungry or you'll be sorry. Also, for something so pricey, I was surprised that we got paper napkins rather than cloth ones.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Sishbf Lz
The sushi nigiris were just excellent. They also have high quality tuna, the chu-toro and o-toro just melt in your mouth. Chef was quiet but highly skilled, definitely worth a try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Bryan
There are 17 people on the table.17 people being served by one chef and his wife. Extremely poor service. Very slow pace.You can imagine one person serving 17 people.This is not a true omakase experience. Chef is just too busy making 13 sushis for 17 people.. in my opinion, the chef is too greedy..
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Judy T
Phenomenal hospitality and food from our friendly chef. New location is much more spacious. Sushi was just as good as before.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Jayde Jiang
Had an excellent dinner at here. All the fish are so fresh! Will definitely visit again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Steve L
I had quite a mixed experience here. It was my first time visiting since they were on Davie. To my surprise, it was still just the husband and wife duo, only now the Robson location can seat 16 people. You can imagine how busy the chef is, which impacts interaction, pace, and feels a bit robotic. All in all, there's value to be had here since it's an affordable option and provides a beautiful chic environment.
Atmosphere and the exclusive feel of the place is the standout piece. We ordered the Omakase set ($135pp) the sake flight. ($15pp), a bottle of sake ($60), additional pieces of nigiri (taira-gai, and tamago) and dessert at the end. For the price, and being a Michelin guide restaurant it’s decent. It’s comparable to a standard sushi bar in Japan (lived there for a while) in terms of food quality and taste.The GOOD: seafood was fresh and generally well prepared. The okami-san was friendly and was attentive, explaining where and how to access the online menu. Relatively good value for omakase in downtown core. My guests were stuck in traffic and after letting them know they were nice to serve their pieces after they arrived. Rice was prepared well and at body temperature. Additional nigiri rice can be requested if you want a bit more food. The dessert (matcha cheesecake) was decadent and rich, yet not overpowering. Selection of sake in the flight of 3 had good contrast and variation and was a good deal at $15pp. Remember, you're here for sushi, so there is going to be limited selection of hot foods. Since they can focus at what their good at, the overall sushi experience is excellent (minus one major caveat covered under the bad).The OKAY: the preparation of the 13 types of nigiri was surprisingly spartan. Aburi or oshi-zushi would have been a simple addition or variation to some of the pieces. For example, they had 2 types of uni (sea urchin) back-to-back which could have been spaced out for contrast. Furthermore, as many other reviewers have mentioned, the taisho (chef) was professional but didn’t take much time to elaborate on the various types of fish (IE: what’s so special about each and how they are prepared?) personally I don’t care as much since I just want good food, but some people come for the experience. Green tea is not included and costs $5 per pot. Even though I tried making conversation with the taisho, he didn’t really pick up on it.The BAD: powdered wasabi, and using too much of it. Makes me wonder if the chef is tasting his food. I had to remove it from the pieces that were possible because the powdered stuff is way too pungent for the delicate fish being served. For this price point, using real grated wasabi would not only be a great touch, but also kind of expected. The amount needed wouldn't have added too much cost; or simply charge for it as an option. Finally, since this place is paid-reservation only through Tock, it is not well explained and I noticed another couple asking questions about it. According to Tock's website, the reservation fee should be deducted from the bill total, but it wasn’t, causing some confusion. Not really the restaurant's fault, but could be made more clear. The reservation fee was refunded directly via Tock a few hours later.Omakase menu items and some notes:BOTAN EBI - fresh and tender, wasabi too pungentKINME DAI - goodKATSUO - slightly fishy, well marinated and good amount of gingerSURUME IKA - very fresh and bouncyHONMAGURO ZUKE - well doneNAMA HOTATE - my favourite, sweet and plumpMURASAKI UNI FROM JAPAN - ok, colour a bit off and slight bitterness. Wasabi was removed before eatingBAFUN UNI FROM JAPAN - really good and creamy, sweet and nice orange colour. Wasabi was removed before eatingHONMAGURO CHU-TORO - buttery, excellentSHIMAAJI - nice glaze, freshHONMAGURO O-TORO - good but had huge piece of connective tissue thereSABA - very fishy (as expected) could have used some lemon or gingerANAGO - below average, boiled and not enough tareTaira gai - thinly sliced, firm but tenderTamago: temperature too cold, but tasted ok. Would have been nicer if left to room temperature.Dessert: matcha cheesecake - this one was really good! Nice amount of sweetness and bitterness with real creamSummary: The omakase set is good value but nothing extraordinary. Atmosphere is exclusive and intimate, but the human interactions could have been enhanced with more omotenashi (hospitality). Great choice of sake with updated menus online. Overall good
Always the best quality fish made by a sushi master and now in an amazing location.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Foodie Vancouver
This cozy little restaurant is a hidden gem, but it comes with limited seating. It's advisable to secure your reservation ahead of time. Their culinary offering revolves around an exquisite tasting menu, which tends to deliver reliably good flavors, although they may lean towards the conventional side at times. You may find the seating arrangement to be somewhat tight.
Aaron T.
My two friends and I finally got to try Sushi Bar Maumi when they were still tucked away on Davie Street. PSA that they have just opened back up on Robson street across from the Whole Foods since the end of October.This establishment recently got a "Michelin Recommended" nod in the first round of Michelin noms for Vancouver, and it is well deserved! It's nice how the price hasn't gone up because of that, but instead due to changing ingredients and adding more pieces to the set omakaze.Before the move:The QUITE COMPACT restaurant is run by a courteous husband and wife team and they only host two seatings a night at 6:00pm and 7:45pm sharp for a maximum of 8-9 guests. **please be aware that this has since upgraded to 17 guests and one seating from 6pm to 8:30pm!!**If you come late, they will start without you, or worse, you might not be able to order additional nigiri.They only serve Omakaze style here, and if you're not familiar with it, it's a more upscale sushi experience where the chef is tasked with surprising you with the best cuts of fresh fish that they can offer and serving each piece to you one by one like a culinary art piece. Fish choices are typically more unique and exotic and pieces are best eaten immediately and in one bite. Sometimes I do two bites, but this time I ate each piece as one and it was amazing. No pressure to follow suit, but you may see some people using their hands to pop the sushi in their mouths when you go to these places, which I was told in New York to be the traditional way, but that's only recommended at Omakaze type places.The Omakaze consists of 11 pieces of sushi and a miso soup (left, middle). (You'll see 10 down below because I ate the scallop one before I remembered to take a photo).At the end of the meal, I ordered 5 more additional nigiri (right) to cap off the yummy meal. I'd say I'm quite happy with the picks I chose, since my friend and I are more adventurous with our food and from observing what other people chose.There is an extensive seasonal fresh sheet that lists out what additional fish are available, and what they do that I like here is they hand you an electronic notepad to write your order on. Talk about efficiency!If my memory serves me correctly, the cost of this Omakaze used to be $70-80 pre pandemic/inflation, and that was considered a steal for this kind of sushi bar experience.The omakaze at the new location now is $135 for 13 pcs + miso soupThat being said, the Sushi Bar Maumi experience is still on the cheaper end as far as examples of Vancouver omakazes go (with some being $150-300+), and you do get the taste and quality you would expect for shelling out more for sushi. VERY VERY GOOD bang for your buck here, especially with the extensive additional nigiri list for the most adventurous foodie.But with this now going above $100, it'll be a special occasion thing for me too. I think this experience ranks quite high in terms of the Omakazes I've tried, maybe because the intrinsic taste of the fish was made so clear and effective without the need for additional sauces or garnishes.Highlights were the Aji, Honmaguro ChuToro and Bafun Uni.
Juan Carlos Suarez
Just finished a memorable Omakase! Nigiris we’re amazingly good and delicately prepared.They have a pictures/video rule in their confirmation but unfortunately they do not enforce it… and we had to endure an annoying older couple from Orange County on their phones the whole dinner… photo, video, text… repeat… I don’t think the lady ever even saw live what she was eating, all though her screen.What a way to waste an experience. And annoying for everyone else… I hope Maumi decides to enforce his rules so others can enjoy the experience, then it will be 5 stars, but for now only 4.
The food is amazing! I am really glad that I booked this restaurant. It is quite affordable for omakase :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
I dined at their original location last year and was excited to come back to try their new location, but was very disappointed this time around. The owners no longer enforce the rules on the website to help create a relaxing and enjoyable atomsphere. It was loud and unpleasant. Only 4/17 ppl showed up in time (including us), and the omakase started late as we had to wait for the other customers to arrive. My aori ika (squid) was too chewy to eat and my Anago was served to me with a piece of bone - 2/13 of the dishes were unacceptable. I brought it up with the waitress, to which she told me that the fish is like that. To add, there was a fly in the restaurant. I was very disappointed and would not recommmend anyone to come if they are looking for a quality and enjoyable experience.
Had a wonderful experience here! Food was incredible, great service and small & intimate room.Will definitely be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very good quality omakase with a great atmosphere. Family-run by a kind couple from Japan.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The sushi was very high quality and the food prep right in front of you is performance art. No complaints about the food. However, with sixteen or seventeen people and only one chef, the pace of dinner was extremely slow. It was two and a half hours with one piece coming out every 11 minutes. Which is excruciatingly slow. If you come here, don't come hungry or you'll be sorry. Also, for something so pricey, I was surprised that we got paper napkins rather than cloth ones.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
The sushi nigiris were just excellent. They also have high quality tuna, the chu-toro and o-toro just melt in your mouth. Chef was quiet but highly skilled, definitely worth a try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
There are 17 people on the table.17 people being served by one chef and his wife. Extremely poor service. Very slow pace.You can imagine one person serving 17 people.This is not a true omakase experience. Chef is just too busy making 13 sushis for 17 people.. in my opinion, the chef is too greedy..
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Phenomenal hospitality and food from our friendly chef. New location is much more spacious. Sushi was just as good as before.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Had an excellent dinner at here. All the fish are so fresh! Will definitely visit again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
I had quite a mixed experience here. It was my first time visiting since they were on Davie. To my surprise, it was still just the husband and wife duo, only now the Robson location can seat 16 people. You can imagine how busy the chef is, which impacts interaction, pace, and feels a bit robotic. All in all, there's value to be had here since it's an affordable option and provides a beautiful chic environment.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Restaurantji Recommends
Atmosphere and the exclusive feel of the place is the standout piece. We ordered the Omakase set ($135pp) the sake flight. ($15pp), a bottle of sake ($60), additional pieces of nigiri (taira-gai, and tamago) and dessert at the end. For the price, and being a Michelin guide restaurant it’s decent. It’s comparable to a standard sushi bar in Japan (lived there for a while) in terms of food quality and taste.The GOOD: seafood was fresh and generally well prepared. The okami-san was friendly and was attentive, explaining where and how to access the online menu. Relatively good value for omakase in downtown core. My guests were stuck in traffic and after letting them know they were nice to serve their pieces after they arrived. Rice was prepared well and at body temperature. Additional nigiri rice can be requested if you want a bit more food. The dessert (matcha cheesecake) was decadent and rich, yet not overpowering. Selection of sake in the flight of 3 had good contrast and variation and was a good deal at $15pp. Remember, you're here for sushi, so there is going to be limited selection of hot foods. Since they can focus at what their good at, the overall sushi experience is excellent (minus one major caveat covered under the bad).The OKAY: the preparation of the 13 types of nigiri was surprisingly spartan. Aburi or oshi-zushi would have been a simple addition or variation to some of the pieces. For example, they had 2 types of uni (sea urchin) back-to-back which could have been spaced out for contrast. Furthermore, as many other reviewers have mentioned, the taisho (chef) was professional but didn’t take much time to elaborate on the various types of fish (IE: what’s so special about each and how they are prepared?) personally I don’t care as much since I just want good food, but some people come for the experience. Green tea is not included and costs $5 per pot. Even though I tried making conversation with the taisho, he didn’t really pick up on it.The BAD: powdered wasabi, and using too much of it. Makes me wonder if the chef is tasting his food. I had to remove it from the pieces that were possible because the powdered stuff is way too pungent for the delicate fish being served. For this price point, using real grated wasabi would not only be a great touch, but also kind of expected. The amount needed wouldn't have added too much cost; or simply charge for it as an option. Finally, since this place is paid-reservation only through Tock, it is not well explained and I noticed another couple asking questions about it. According to Tock's website, the reservation fee should be deducted from the bill total, but it wasn’t, causing some confusion. Not really the restaurant's fault, but could be made more clear. The reservation fee was refunded directly via Tock a few hours later.Omakase menu items and some notes:BOTAN EBI - fresh and tender, wasabi too pungentKINME DAI - goodKATSUO - slightly fishy, well marinated and good amount of gingerSURUME IKA - very fresh and bouncyHONMAGURO ZUKE - well doneNAMA HOTATE - my favourite, sweet and plumpMURASAKI UNI FROM JAPAN - ok, colour a bit off and slight bitterness. Wasabi was removed before eatingBAFUN UNI FROM JAPAN - really good and creamy, sweet and nice orange colour. Wasabi was removed before eatingHONMAGURO CHU-TORO - buttery, excellentSHIMAAJI - nice glaze, freshHONMAGURO O-TORO - good but had huge piece of connective tissue thereSABA - very fishy (as expected) could have used some lemon or gingerANAGO - below average, boiled and not enough tareTaira gai - thinly sliced, firm but tenderTamago: temperature too cold, but tasted ok. Would have been nicer if left to room temperature.Dessert: matcha cheesecake - this one was really good! Nice amount of sweetness and bitterness with real creamSummary: The omakase set is good value but nothing extraordinary. Atmosphere is exclusive and intimate, but the human interactions could have been enhanced with more omotenashi (hospitality). Great choice of sake with updated menus online. Overall good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Miso Soup & Bafun Nigrini, Omakase
Always the best quality fish made by a sushi master and now in an amazing location.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
This cozy little restaurant is a hidden gem, but it comes with limited seating. It's advisable to secure your reservation ahead of time. Their culinary offering revolves around an exquisite tasting menu, which tends to deliver reliably good flavors, although they may lean towards the conventional side at times. You may find the seating arrangement to be somewhat tight.
My two friends and I finally got to try Sushi Bar Maumi when they were still tucked away on Davie Street. PSA that they have just opened back up on Robson street across from the Whole Foods since the end of October.This establishment recently got a "Michelin Recommended" nod in the first round of Michelin noms for Vancouver, and it is well deserved! It's nice how the price hasn't gone up because of that, but instead due to changing ingredients and adding more pieces to the set omakaze.Before the move:The QUITE COMPACT restaurant is run by a courteous husband and wife team and they only host two seatings a night at 6:00pm and 7:45pm sharp for a maximum of 8-9 guests. **please be aware that this has since upgraded to 17 guests and one seating from 6pm to 8:30pm!!**If you come late, they will start without you, or worse, you might not be able to order additional nigiri.They only serve Omakaze style here, and if you're not familiar with it, it's a more upscale sushi experience where the chef is tasked with surprising you with the best cuts of fresh fish that they can offer and serving each piece to you one by one like a culinary art piece. Fish choices are typically more unique and exotic and pieces are best eaten immediately and in one bite. Sometimes I do two bites, but this time I ate each piece as one and it was amazing. No pressure to follow suit, but you may see some people using their hands to pop the sushi in their mouths when you go to these places, which I was told in New York to be the traditional way, but that's only recommended at Omakaze type places.The Omakaze consists of 11 pieces of sushi and a miso soup (left, middle). (You'll see 10 down below because I ate the scallop one before I remembered to take a photo).At the end of the meal, I ordered 5 more additional nigiri (right) to cap off the yummy meal. I'd say I'm quite happy with the picks I chose, since my friend and I are more adventurous with our food and from observing what other people chose.There is an extensive seasonal fresh sheet that lists out what additional fish are available, and what they do that I like here is they hand you an electronic notepad to write your order on. Talk about efficiency!If my memory serves me correctly, the cost of this Omakaze used to be $70-80 pre pandemic/inflation, and that was considered a steal for this kind of sushi bar experience.The omakaze at the new location now is $135 for 13 pcs + miso soupThat being said, the Sushi Bar Maumi experience is still on the cheaper end as far as examples of Vancouver omakazes go (with some being $150-300+), and you do get the taste and quality you would expect for shelling out more for sushi. VERY VERY GOOD bang for your buck here, especially with the extensive additional nigiri list for the most adventurous foodie.But with this now going above $100, it'll be a special occasion thing for me too. I think this experience ranks quite high in terms of the Omakazes I've tried, maybe because the intrinsic taste of the fish was made so clear and effective without the need for additional sauces or garnishes.Highlights were the Aji, Honmaguro ChuToro and Bafun Uni.
Just finished a memorable Omakase! Nigiris we’re amazingly good and delicately prepared.They have a pictures/video rule in their confirmation but unfortunately they do not enforce it… and we had to endure an annoying older couple from Orange County on their phones the whole dinner… photo, video, text… repeat… I don’t think the lady ever even saw live what she was eating, all though her screen.What a way to waste an experience. And annoying for everyone else… I hope Maumi decides to enforce his rules so others can enjoy the experience, then it will be 5 stars, but for now only 4.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5