Tasting Journey #25 - Sushi Bella

Sushi Bella
2059 W. 4th Ave.
Vancouver, BC
604-734-4990
www.sushibella.com


WOHOOO~~~~~~ This marks the completion of my restaurant goal!!!!!!! Yay!


West 4th has changed so much in the last few years.  So many new restaurants and chic shops have opened up recently that it is impossible to keep track and try them all.  Among them is Sushi Bella, a new fusion Japanese restaurant located in the heart of Kitsilano.

I first heard about Sushi Bella from Asmin, a colleague of mine who oftentimes buys lunch from the neighbourhood.  The sushi looked delicious, but in a city abundant in Japanese restaurants, the sushi could very well be just another ordinary roll of rice and seafood.  Then, one day, as a committed subscriber to group deals (Groupon, Living Social, Indulge Living...etc. You name it and I've got it), I saw that Sushi Bella was offering a $30 deal for the price of $15.  Considering that it is located in my vicinity, and also still trying to reach my restaurant goal at the time, I bought one.  The next day, I told Aldin about the deal, and he said that since it's so close to work, we might as well get one to share for lunch sometime.  Good idea. That "sometime" was this past Friday.

Sushi Bella from the outside, looked like a western-style restaurant;  door and walls painted in green, no bold advertisement, and only a small window that showed a dimly lit interior.  From the inside, the deco was classic and clean.  Bamboo deco's served as dividers for sectioning, and brown furniture portrayed a very zen, calming style.  Like most local Japanese bistro's, there's an open bar that displayed fresh seafood.

With $30 to spend, we ordered Chicken Katsu, BC roll, Bella roll, and their special roll of the day.  Though I didn't really fancy fried chicken, and though I don't really fish skin of any sort (for those that don't live in BC, BC roll is pretty much grilled salmon skin wrapped in rice & seaweed), I didn't mind it since there were 2 other rolls to indulge myself on.  Given that we are at Bella Sushi, it only makes the most logical sense to try their Bella Roll - real crab meat, red beets, topped with tuna and salmon.  It was awesome.  The special roll of the day was also delicious.  I don't remember the exact content, but it had some sort of tuna tataki on the top, and shrimp tempura on the inside.  The dishes were all beautifully arranged...something that seems to portray a part of Japanese culture where presentation is equally, if not more, important.  And to further cater to a western audience, they also provided the option to serve sushi with brown rice.

I've only had one encountering with sushi in brown rice.  It was not pleasant.  Brown rice tend to stay solitude giving it a grainy texture to the bite, let alone the stiffness.  Though a healthier selection, if I were to eat something, I'd rather enjoy it.  Given that Aldin is all about being healthy ^^, as a compromise, we proceeded with the Special on brown, and the other two on white.  To my pleasant surprise, the brown rice offered at Sushi Bella tasted quite similar to the white.  Though it was still fairly grainy, it was not stiff.  Though I still prefer the sweetness offered with white rice, I didn't mind it.

Comparing to all the other fancy restaurants on W. 4th, I wouldn't rank it as a notable one in the neighbourhood.  However, given that there are not many good Japanese sushi on W. 4th, it undoubtedly is one of the better sushi places that offered quality and atmosphere.  If you have a craving for Japanese, and do not want to go somewhere far, I would sure recommend Sushi Bella.