From the same folks that own some of our favourite Vancouver Japanese Izakayas, both the downtown Kingyo Restaurant and Kitsilano’s Suika, came Rajio, replacing Pair Bistro last year, just west of Alma on West 10th. Raijo’s room is much smaller that its sister’s spaces, but there’s the same high energy vibe and shouts back and forth from the servers to the bartenders, chefs and customers. We were greeted with “Irashaimase” (welcome)!
We hadn’t been, but it was definitely on the must visit list and then the the Vaneats.ca package came along and we decided time to get to know are not too distant neighbours.
It was warmish the night when we dined, so the front sliding garage door was still open and there were guests on the balcony and inside the near full restaurant as well . It has cooled a bit since then, so they’re keeping the door closed now, and the room has a cozy feel and a menu of dishes that we crave on fall days; ramen is one of our go to’s for keeping warm.
With the $20 Vaneats package, there is more than enough for two.
- Kushikatsu, Rajio’s House SPECIALTY! Chef’s recommendation of 4 deep fried, panko breaded, bite sized skewers + dipping sauce
- Bagna Cauda, fresh veggies with an incredible dipping sauce made from garlic, anchovy, olive oil and sweet Japanese white miso. A refreshing twist on an Italian classic and do not be fooled by the anchovies!
- VANEATS Sashimi Salad, Chef’s omakase sashimi with crisp romaine lettuce tossed in kalamata olive soya dressing topped with tobiko
- Heavenly Ebi Ramen, BRAND NEW! Tender ramen in deep-golden shrimp broth, embellished with slices of cha-shu pork & shrimp infused garlic oil
The sashimi salad came first and while the fish is fresh and the dressing flavourful, it was a bit soupy and we suggest that you ask for lightly dressed when ordering to avoid a dressing overload.
The veggies with Bagna Cauda where plentiful and the dip excellent. I’ve had a thinner version before, but Rajio thickened there’s up with some white miso, giving it a very pleasant creamy texture and the emaulsion stock nicely to the fresh vegetables giving them a good chance of be gobbled up by those who normally shy away.
The panko skewers come with a mainly soy flavoured red wine dip and the skewers themselves were fairly standard, breaded chicken ,pork and lotus root.
Ebi ramen was indeed as described, heavenly. I love properly cooked ramen in a flavourful broth, in this case it’s shrimp-based, and it comes with some pork and shrimp as a bonus.
Great value and a fun space. Good date plan for those beyond first date status since sharing is involved.
