Niwa Restaurant — Restaurant in Vancouver

I chose this restaurant for my last dinner in Vancouver before being away for a few months — hoping for a memorable, elevated experience. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a major disappointment across multiple fronts.

To be fair, the appetizer started off well. The tomato was refreshing, the eggplant had a nice texture, and the jelly added a unique and enjoyable touch. But everything after that quickly fell apart.

The octopus tentacles were badly overcooked — dry, rubbery, and almost entirely burnt at the ends. It wasn’t just unpleasant; it was nearly inedible. Half the portion had to be left untouched. For a restaurant that presents itself as refined, this level of execution is unacceptable.

Then came the Wagyu beef rice bowl, which was overly salty. From a Chinese palate, the rice was too soft and almost soggy. Despite the portion not being large, the three of us couldn’t bring ourselves to finish it — not because we were full, but because the flavors and textures were simply off.

On top of the food issues, the environment was just as disappointing. The restaurant was uncomfortably hot, with no air conditioning in sight — only a fan running in a corner. My husband was visibly sweating throughout the meal. It’s hard to enjoy fine dining when you’re physically uncomfortable the entire time.

We did share our feedback with the server, and to their credit, they were polite and attentive. They offered us some local farm melon as a kind gesture. The service and sake selection were the few highlights of the evening.

That said, service alone can’t make up for poor food and an overheated dining room. This dinner was supposed to be a special send-off, but instead, I left...

I honestly have a lot to say about this place. I went because of the good Google reviews, but this was probably the first time in my life I truly felt my money was wasted at a restaurant. The menu had an omakase option, so I naturally assumed it was Japanese — but there wasn’t a single Japanese dish. After the main course (duck, which already smelled unpleasant), they brought out rice, which was confusing enough. But what came with it was basically a Chinese-style tomato and scrambled egg dish — with the tomato skins still on! I had to ask myself: what cuisine is this restaurant even supposed to be? Overall the food felt like random small sides served one after another, with tiny portions. Bread was $5 for a single slice, and for two people the bill came out to over $200. The experience was disappointing from the start. There’s no sign outside, just a random blue circle, so it took forever to even find the place. The server wore a loose long-sleeve shirt that brushed against the plates while serving — very unprofessional. Utensils were placed directly on the bare table with no napkins, which felt unhygienic. On top of that, the server’s voice was so quiet, I couldn’t even understand the explanation of the dishes. From beginning to end, everything was underwhelming and frustrating. This is definitely a place I will remember as somewhere I never want to return to. Honestly, I can’t understand how it has so many positive reviews — maybe from friends, or from people who have never actually tried proper omakase or...

The food taste ok some dishes is really good but, Honestly, I’m not even sure if this qualifies as a true omakase. It felt more like a tasting menu or a standard course meal.

Yes, it’s labeled as omakase, but the overall setup is quite different from the traditional format. Unlike most places that accept limited seatings per time slot, here they just keep rotating tables. When you order omakase, a server brings out each dish with some explanation—but that’s about it.

And in our case, our server had a soft voice, seemed unsure of the menu, and gave vague answers whenever we asked questions. She kept saying they’d "check and get back," but never actually followed through.

We were a party of two, ordered the 2-person omakase with a bottle of wine, and with tip the total came to around $400. Honestly, for that price, it reminded me of what I paid at Black+Blue for wagyu & Kobe steak with wine.

The dishes? Mostly pickled or seasonal local veggies, veggie noodles, cabbage, potato, Japanese curry & rice, and a cherry dessert. The only standout was the Golden Eagle fish course. Overall, definitely overpriced.

If you're going to spend that much, I’d recommend just paying a bit more and going to a proper omakase spot like Sushi Masuda or Junzushi. This place? I’m...