Hato Popo

The first thing that caught our eyes was the 99cent nigiri sign and cheap ramen, so my boyfriend and I decided to give it a shot. We eat out around 4 times a week (various cultural and ethnic food), but often have Japanese cuisine.
To start with the nigiri, the size was average and presentation was good, however the fish lacked flavour and texture.
The ramen looked and tasted cheap. The broth was not rich and the meat and egg included tasted old; it was one of the most unpleasant ramen we’ve ever had.
All their side plates tasted like nothing. Literally, tasted like nothing. (I dare you to try the carrot that’s served as a side on one of the rice dishes)
If you’re looking for a lot of cheap nigiri this might be your spot, otherwise we’d definitely recommend going elsewhere.

My wife and I decided to check this place out after seeing a friend on facebook liking someone’s review on it. A little background… I’m a quantity over quality type of eater and my wife is from Osaka, the food capital of Japan.
So, walked to this place from the skytrain and it looks like it’s some tiny restaurant tucked in along Robson surrounded by many Korean and Japanese restaurants. Hato Popo… sounds pretty strange, but my wife said Hato means pigeon and Popo is the sound pigeon makes. Alright, it passed the name test… since many «Japanese sushi» restaurants around town have ethnic non-​Japanese names (usually they’re actually Chinese). We went in and immediately we noticed that they were Chinese… or Cantonese to be precise… normally a red flag (pun intended), but we should try this place out anyways.
Description of the interior… the décor is nice and it’s roomy. It has the stereotypical Japanese decoration, wood furnishing, art works, bamboo plants, etc. Not bad, but the chairs were fake bamboo/​wood… so it felt kinda cheap, but expensive décor usually equates to expensive meal… so really no complaints. The restaurant has about a dozen tables, mostly for a group of 4, so it’s a good size place.
The key portion of the review… the food. The 99 cents sushi… that consisted for anything that’s listed as «Sushi» on the menu. Whether initially just $ 0.99 or $ 3.99, they’re all just a buck each. I can’t remember what my wife ordered, but I ordered a pair of scallop rolls, uni roll, salmon nigiri, toro nigiri, and the house roll. Unfortunately, they gave me ikura rolls by mistake, but they immediately rectified that.
For portions… they are very generous. Normally when I get the ikura or uni… I just get a smaller scoop… but at Hato Popo, they literally gave a large tablespoon of the stuffs. The sea urchin didn’t have a strong fishy flavour and the fisheggs were not too salty. +1 in my books. For the salmon nigiri… very tasty as the fish was fresh and not frozen. For the toro, it had a very nice texture, almost that melt in your mouth type feeling. Some places just give regular tuna, still frozen and then claim it’s «toro». As for the house roll, I don’t really remember… not bad, but I was more focused on other parts of my meal. I would say the quality is about similar to what you expect at Sushi Nanaimo… another place with very decent rolls.
The rice used is actually Japanese rice. The way it’s prepared, very soft… but not mushy; not warm, but not cold like as if it’s been left out. The nori (seaweed) has been well integrated… not being too dry where you have to tear it, or with too much moisture. Not quite perfect compared to restaurants in Japan, but much better than many sushi bars around town.
My wife on the other hand noticed something a bit odd… that it wasn’t flavourful enough. I think the restaurant doesn’t use enough sushi sake or vinegar… so it does tastes a bit bland.
All in all… I give this 4 stars… although more accurately it would be something like 3.75÷5. It tastes pretty good… much better than many of the overpriced options around town. The sushi is really cheap too, setting us back $ 30 after taxes and tip. The amount almost reminding me of those kaiten-​zushi in Osaka. While we’re probably not gonna make it a destination establishment, we wouldn’t mind dropping by again if we’re nearby and have a hankering for some sushi… so we’re probably gonna go again… and so should you.

Came here after biking around the seawall with a friend.
We were both broke and the 99 cent sign seemed super attractive.
Well…
For 99 cent sushi it was not bad.
I honestly don’t know what to say about this place.
99 cent sushi guys. I believe that says it all…
It’s not like I was expecting something crazy good.
Everything was just OK, exactly what I was expecting.
Not sure if I’d come again but this place is definitely not bad.

My favourite sushi place ever! Why?
*Really fresh fish! Nice sushi!
*Great deals — any 3 items for $ 9.99 with miso soup!
*The host/​server is always friendly and quick service!
Love it

From the outside, the large $ 0.99 nigiri sushi sign plastered over the windows was the first thing that caught my eye about this place.
I was curious so I checked out the menu in the window, and decided to stop in for lunch. Once inside, the interior is notably well decorated to evoke a rustic Japanese restaurant feel.
I like to try bento boxes at lunch time because you can usually get a good variety of items to try for a reasonable combo price. There were 7 choices of bento boxes here; all come with miso soup, green salad, and rice. What I picked was Box E: Gyoza, Tonkatsu, Chicken Karaage, Tempura.
The food was decent overall, but the Gyoza had a kind of hard dry shell (very unlike the Gyoza at most other places) and the Tonkatsu was a little rubbery tasting. Other than that, the other items were actually quite good.
For under $ 7 (before tax & tips), this bento is great value for decent taste.
I’ll be back to try some of that $ 0.99 nigiri sushi next time!

Very good food, had dancing eel and rainbow rolls — both are excellent quality. Fast and pleasant service. Prices are very affordable!

Saw a sign for $ 0.99 nigiri and wandered in for a snack. Rice was gluey and too warm. For $ 0.99 the nigiri was decent but you really get what you pay for. Fish wasn’t cut properly. I wouldn’t return.

Average food, average service. Good prices but you get what you pay for !! With all the dynamite JP restaurants in Vancouver and especially downtown. This place will need to step up big time or risk being another relic of Robson street

Noticed this (Chinese — run…) Japanese restaurant newly opened near me (since May they stated). Popped in to get some takeout since they have a 20% off menu opening special.
Ordered 3 rolls for $ 10 (after the 20% off):
Chopped scallop roll: very fresh scallops, just the right amount of mayo so the flavour doesn’t overwhelm the seafood. Unfortunately there was an eyelash in the rice. ³⁄₅ for this roll.
Negitoro roll: their maki are big! The surface area of a toonie! This roll was also quite fresh and the amount of green onion balanced. This roll probably had the least amount of rice. ⁴⁄₅
Spicy salmon roll: a weirdly sweet spicy sauce, plus far too much rice packed around this roll and a less than satisfactory ratio of salmon to rice. I really didn’t like the flavors. ²⁄₅
Their rolls are on the larger side, however the rice is far too gummy/​tacky, with the barely cooked core visible, so I suspect they aren’t keeping the rice cooked closed for at least another 10mins after it clicks off and then mixing in the sushi vinegar while fanning the rice to keep the grains distinct.
Overall Hoto Popo is good value, reasonably fresh but average quality sushi, about what to expect for a non Japanese run establishment. There is cooked food on the menu as well. There are some good deals for lunch bento boxes starting at $ 6.95 and a «pick 3 for $ 10 plus miso and salad» lunch deal.

Newer sushi place on the Robson strip. Prices are reasonable and the food tastes great, but the best part is the service from the female owner who was friendly from the start. The interior is also cozy and adds an authentic feel.

Great option for Japanese good on Robson. I really like their lunch specials and grand opening discount promo. With better quality sushi and sashimi than a lot of places around, or even towards Davie St.