Daimanya — Restaurant in Richmond

Daimanya (Meet Oyster) Unit 150-4160 No 3 Road, Richmond

#allyoucaneat #AYCE #japanese #sashimi #sushi #izakaya #richmond

The signage says Meet Oyster if you do not read Chinese. I asked the manager why the name difference and he said it’s because this name is tied to their business and liquor license.

The location is right by the Aberdeen Centre Skytrain station so very convenient. The restaurant is at the end of the strip mall. Keep going to the end. There are 4 reserved parking in front of the restaurant. There are other eateries there and not sure if you get towed so only park in the designated parking.

The restaurant is nicely decorated inside. It is not a big restaurant, about 6 tables for 4-6 patrons, 1- 2 person table and 2 party rooms which seat 6-10 people. It’s 2 hours for AYCE even for the party room. Highly recommend making reservations, I don’t think they have room for walk ins.

Our server was very patient in explaining the menu and sizing of each sections.

The food is all you can eat, no a la carte items. We were there for Early Bird Friday night at $78 each.

There were three items that are specialty one order only, so for 2 persons, we can choose 2 out of 3. A5 Wagyu Shabu Shabu Seafood hotpot Deep fried Lobster Tail

Since we didn’t want to get filled up too fast, we both chose lobster tails.. they were small 2-3 inch tails. We did notice on other tables, the Wagyu Shabu Shabu and the seafood hotpot was filled with veggies, soup and tofu, etc.. very filling.

The sashimi was very fresh. We only ordered items we don’t normally eat at other restaurants and it came fast. We also tried the hand cones, Beef Tataki, Tuna Tataki, some sort of marinated abalone.

The hot food was impressive.. items that you would want to try at other Izikaya restaurants but it’s all included here.

We had: Lamb chops - took a while to get there but nicely seasoned, flavourful not gamey, and good size bites. Sake Garlic Butter Clams - we love the broth, and about 1/2 lb per serving. Chicken Wings - crispy skin with juicy flavour full meet inside. One Bite Beef Cubes - dark saucy flavours and beef was tender. Crab ball - we thought it will be like the crab balls from Chinese banquet but it’s more of a mashed potato croquettes with the crab claw tip as handle, very tasty but the texture was a surprise. Grilled squid - so good Fois Gras on toast - so decadent Oyster and Scallops Motoyaki - large size and quite rich with the butter and mayo sauce. Garlic Ribs - full of garlic, and good bites Deep Fried Oysters - large size and lightly dipped in batter, so good! Black Truffle Fries - my hubby wanted to try it and it didn’t disappoint. Perfectly crunchy and full of flavour. Seafood Chawanmushi Snow Crab Roe Miso Chawanmushi

We could have ordered more as the price is not cheap here, but we couldn’t eat like we were in our 20s. We were so full, we had to cancel our tempura orders We were also served Ice cream popsicle as a sweet finish.

I saved the menu of items we ordered, looks like we barely touched the menu at all.

We are glad we gave this place a try. Pricing was high, the value is there, the taste and preparation of the food was excellent. They also have Birthday special but need total of 4 people and birthday...

We arrived early for our reservation, hoping for a calm, relaxing dinner, but instead, we were seated in a dark, cramped corner of the restaurant, as if we’d been placed in timeout. The vinyl banquette seating looked like it had survived a small fire, with burn marks giving it that "lived-in" charm. To add to the ambiance, the table next to us was occupied by what can only be described as a small herd of rowdy children, whose energy made the entire table shake every few minutes. At one point, I honestly wondered if we were about to be served food or if an earthquake drill was part of the experience.

The service, while well-meaning, was a bit much. Every three minutes, a server appeared to rearrange our dishes like they were curating a fine art gallery—only to take away the pieces we hadn’t even finished yet. By the time I reached for my glass of water, I half-expected someone to swoop in and pour it for me.

We also witnessed the table turnover in real-time—so fast, in fact, that the lemon Lysol they use to "clean" the tables hadn’t even dried before the next party was seated. And while the table was wiped down in a hurry, they clearly neglected to wipe down the entire surface, leaving behind streaks of Lysol and an uncleaned island for the water and soya sauce. At that point, I wasn’t sure if we should continue eating.

Now, onto the food. The sashimi? Fresh and served on a bed of ice, which, frankly, was the most exciting part of the evening. The mango scallop roll was a pleasant surprise—like a burst of sunshine after the storm of greasy dishes covering half the menu. We really needed something acidic to cut through the grease, and that roll did the job beautifully.

But oh, the deep-fried items... Where do I begin? The lobster—served to us by the owner after it was removed from the menu due to market issues (was this a secret menu item or an attempt at a guilt trip?)—was over-battered and completely devoid of any lobster flavor. The deep-fried soft shell crab, on the other hand, was a soggy disaster. The batter looked like it had been dunked in oil so old it should’ve been labeled “vintage.” The oil was so dark, I’d have tossed it out ages ago.

As for the oysters in the motoyaki... They came in large, impressive-looking shells, but the oysters themselves were rubbery and had a scent that could only be described as “beach at low tide.” Not the kind of beach getaway I had in mind.

And then there was the hot pot. Limited to one option per table, we chose the wagyu for overall value, but the greasiness left us uninterested in anything else.

Overall, while the fresh sashimi and mango scallop roll were winners, the greasy, overcooked dishes, uncomfortable seating, and hyperactive service made it feel more like an obstacle course than a relaxing meal.

At $78 per person for the early bird special, I can only recommend this place if you're in the mood for fresh sashimi and don’t mind feeling like you're part of a never-ending...

Heard about this restaurant through word of mouth and wanted to try it out. This restaurant is hidden in the back of a plaza and they're currently doing construction so it's a bit hard to find the entrance. It is very easy to miss. It is quite a small restaurant with 2 private rooms and 7 tables.

The waitresses did not explain the menu that well and you can only order the Wagyu Sukiyaki/Hot Pot once. Other items you can order as much as you want but the catch is you can only order as many as the guests you have with you. So if there's 2 people dining you can only order 2 of a single item and it would come with 2-4 pieces. We only got to the 2nd round of ordering when they started to cut down on items we ordered. Some didn't even come at all. Servers were extremely slow and the wait for food to come out took about 15-25mins. By the time you finish your first round you only have maybe 1 hr left of your 2 hr time limit.

The portion sizes are quite small. Sashimi is thinly sliced served over ice. Nigiri is thinly sliced. It may sound appealing of a premium seafood AYCE but most items on the menu are deep fried. I was excited to try the Oyster Motoyaki but the order was cancelled because the owner (Will) has said we "ordered" too much for 2 people. We also ordered different nigiri but only received 2 kinds of nigiri for our second order. Some items were either flavourless or salty. Please do not try the soft shell crab as when I took a bit it tasted like foul sea water. Wagyu Sukiyaki was nice and tender. It tasted soft and tender. It was enjoyable but you only get 2 pieces per person. For dessert you get a choice of ice cream bar (melona or kirkland almond).

Overall, I would not recommend this place. You may go ahead and try it out just to get it off your list. So it may seem appealing as the influencers say but you will not get your moneys worth. I paid $88/pp on a Saturday evening. I did not get to eat $88...