Aburi To-Go combines the skills of chefs from Gyoza Bar and Minami for fresh and frozen Japanese dishes and foods to go
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Aburi To-Go
Where: 1112 Mainland St., Vancouver
When: Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Info: 604-685-8080. aburitogo.com
The pandemic’s thrown up a lot of thorns but a rose among them is Aburi To-Go, a Japanese deli with ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods that appeared in the space that used to be the private room at the svelte Minami restaurant in Yaletown.
The pandemic pretty much wiped out private gatherings, so the Aburi Group — which includes Minami, Miku, Gyoza Bar in Vancouver and four more Japanese restaurants in Toronto — thought of this more-useful purpose for the space.
At Aburi To–Go, you can pick up homestyle Japanese foods created by chefs from the Group — Alan Ferrer from Minami and Woo Jin Kim from Gyoza Bar. Hidekazu Kobatake leads the team.
Some dishes or aspects of dishes are nearly identical to ones in the restaurants. The ramen is the same as you’d find at Gyoza Bar and the baked miso salmon is no different than at Minami, although the vegetable sides have been very much simplified.
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The shelves are stocked with packaged read-to-eat food including salads, sandwiches, sushi and bentos; frozen meal kits in the freezer are designed for quick cooking by boiling in a bag or frying. Some fresh bottled sauces from the restaurants have several uses as dressings, umami enhancers, marinades and sauces.
“We’re doing better than expected,” says Kazuya Matsuoka, director of operations for Aburi Group. “People say they’ve been looking for something like this and Yaletown locals are really enjoying it. It’s a unique new style of Japanese grocery store.”
The chefs have made preparations as easy as possible. The fresh ramen, for example, was a challenging balance of simplicity and maintaining optimum textures for the noodles and other ingredients so they precooked the noodles just to the point where it needs less than a minute in boiling water.
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I tried the fresh pork tonkatsu ramen and, for $9.80, what a great meal. At Gyoza bar, a similar dish would be $14.50. The ramen is also sold as a frozen kit for four people for $38.
The Shake Ramen Salad ($9.50) comesin a clear container with layerings of veggies and ramen noodles. Unload into a bowl and shake ‘er up. Very nice!
I tried that frozen miso marinated salmon, an excellent deal at $12 for two servings. The salmon package needed a quick defrost in a hot water bath, then 12 minutes in a hot oven. The accompanying mix of cabbage, tofu and red peppers can be stir-fried from frozen. The salmon is excellent, but the veggies were bland and needed a lift from one of their sauces or soy or hoisin sauce from your pantry.
When I visited late one afternoon they’d sold out of sushi. So be aware, the sushi shelf is stocked only at peak times for the sake of freshness.
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“The cold affects the quality of rice,” Matsuoka says. “We are still figuring out the best times.” The sushi isn’t as varied as at the restaurants nor does it include the signature aburi sushi. Expect maki rolls, simple nigiris and sashimi.
The frozen gyoza is from Gyoza Bar. It goes from the package straight to the frying pan with a bit of oil for crisping and some water to steam.
Other prepped meals include Japanese curries, tuna poke, chicken teriyaki, kakuni pork belly, pork tonkatsu, breaded prawn fry, and beef yakiniku as well as frozen sashimi-quality seafood.
While most items are very well-priced, you can fork out a fortune for Wagyu rib-eye. It’s A5 quality Wagyu beef — the best grade of this premium product. I spied a fat-streaked $996.41 Wagyu rib-eye but it wasn’t there for long, apparently. A woman bought it to cook for her boyfriend.
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“She asked me how to break it down,” says Matsuoka. “I told her to how to cut it into three parts for steaks and for thinner slices for yakiniku or shabu shabu or for braising. She came back the next week and showed me pictures. We’re surprised, we sell quite a bit but mostly steaks for special occasions.”
The steaks are about $350 for 20 ounces.
As for seafood, the Aburi group of restaurants, with its buying power, is in talks with Japanese fishers to get direct, frozen-at-sea shipments, bypassing fish markets.
“We want to pick the fish ourselves based on quality,” says Matsuoka.
Desserts by Minami pastry chef Nikki Tam — including hojicha mango panna cotta and a green tea opera cake billed as “Aburi’s most sought-after dessert” —are no different than what you’d get at the restaurant, minus the fancy plating.
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The store is allowed off-sales of alcohol with the purchase of food and carries a selection of hard-to-find Japanese beverages like Coedo beers, Hitachino Nest red ale, yuzu citrus wine, flavoured sparkling sakes and a shiso-infused sochu.
Aburi To-Go has been a hit and the company’s preparing to launch more, starting with one at Gyoza Bar restaurant.
Aburi Restaurants Canada owner Seigo Nakamura has named three of his restaurants after daughters — Miku and Minami in Vancouver and Hana in Toronto. He’s got three sons as well, so will there be restaurants named after them?
“He has to open more. Eventually,” says Matsuoka.
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Lee Man, the Chinese Restaurant Awards judging chair, has picked four newcomers who have been game changers for their vision and courage during adversity. This kicks off the 2021 Critics’ Choice Awards season which returns on Nov. 16.
“They have something unique to say. They’ve become more of themselves, pouring their souls into their food to show love and hospitality in a very personal way,” says Man of the restaurants’ performances during the pandemic. “Their resolve has strengthened, their visions have become clearer and their hearts, somehow, have become more determined,”
The Critics’ Choice Game Changers Awards go to the following.
Chef’s Choice Cuisine, 955 West Broadway: “Produces classic dishes from Hong Kong and Guangdong that even diners of the post World War 2 generation may not have seen in decades, such as Gold Coin Chicken.”
iDen and Quan Ju De, 2808 Cambie St.: “Regarded by many as the absolute standard bearer of Peking duck.”
Old Bird, 3950 Main St.: “Reflects an urbane sophistication that one could find in Old Shanghai’s side streets, Hong Kong’s SoHo District or Taipei’s glittering Xinyi District.”
Uncle’s Snack Shop, 8180 Westminster Highway, Richmond: “The sense of youthful playfulness and energy is underscored with sharp cooking, well thought out flavours and a deep knowledge of traditional Asian techniques.”
Source: vancouversun.com
