Tanoshi Tei

Tanoshi Bento was full so we were directed to this place, which is adjacent. All owned by the same people, they just have different vibes.
This place is very minimally decorated and was empty when we came in. There are about half a dozen tables along one wall.
They have a limited menu but prices were quite reasonable. I got the Chirashi while my friends got the 3 sushi combo. All these lunch items came with a salad and miso soup. In addition, we tried the octopus appetizer. Free green tea!
1. Octopus appetizer: I thought it was still a bit too chewy. Would have preferred a softer bite.
2. Chirashi: This is a solid dish. They actually have a good amount of various fish, shrimp, scallop, egg toppings on the rice. It’s one of the better ones I’ve had in the area.
3. Sushi combo: It’s a good amount of food for the price. The sushi itself looked standard. I like the fact that they use real wasabi, I think.
4. Mochi ice cream: $ 6 for two pieces. I got the red bean and the green tea. So good.
Overall this place is a good deal. The food is decent, not amazing. The service is friendly.

As I mentioned in my review of Tanoshi Bento next door, I love Japanese food. Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar has been in my sights for months, but needless to say, as a graduate student I have to pinch my pennies a little bit. I went on the website for Tanoshi Bento about a week ago, and noticed that they had opened Tanoshi Tei right next door, serving maki sushi and chirashi. I didn’t know whether they used the same fish or not, but I figured they weren’t going to dilute the brand for the sake of opening another joint. Even though the price was a bit steep, I figured I should check it out for the sake of reconnaissance (I must try the omakase!).
Upon walking in, I was a bit concerned that I was the only one at 12:30 PM. Unlike the other Tanoshi joints, this place has tables rather than a sushi bar. I was a bit disappointed that I wouldn’t get to see them make it, but such is life. As soon as the tea came, however, I stopped worrying. You can always tell how good of a Japanese place it is based on the quality of the green tea. I don’t typically drink much of it, but I was so impressed with the robust flavour that I had probably 3+ glasses of it.
The tea ended up being a good omen for the food. The side salad which comes with the three-​roll combo came out first. I can’t say too much about the veggies, but the dressing was one of the better ones I’ve had with a sushi lunch. I think it was a miso-​soy type dressing and had the perfect amount of tang. I probably could have drank it. The miso soup came next. While it wasn’t the best I’ve had (that honour goes to Zest in Vancouver or Shiros in Seattle), it was certainly good, with the perfect amount of seaweed and tofu. One of the earlier reviewers said it tasted like it was packaged. If it was, they fooled me. As my main dish, I had a Big Eye Tuna Roll, a Spicy Tuna Roll and a King Salmon Roll. All three of which were absolutely delicious. The Big Eye Tuna tasted like it could have been toro, and the butteriness led to a melt in your mouth effect. The Spicy Tuna Roll, while delicious with the perfect amount of flavour, had some spicy mayo on top. I felt it was unnecessary at first, but eventually it grew on me. The King Salmon Roll had some sort of flavouring with it. I should have asked, but my gut instinct was that it was a shiso leaf pureed. Either way, it added to an already amazing flavour. All in all, the fish tasted really fresh, and really good. My total cost was $ 25 after tax and tip.
I chatted with the waitress a bit at the end, and she said that they use the same fish as the omakase operation. You can tell. While it’s too expensive to be a lunch time regular, I will certainly be back. The price is worth it.

i had the chirashi (regular). Rice was not seasoned (not sushi rice). Fish was not cut well and not interesting types of fish (mostly salmon, cheap cuts of tuna, and other inexpensive varieties. There were three pieces of tamago but they were ice cold, and tasted past their prime. Had I ordered the premium chirashi, it would have been the same but with the addition of botan shrimp, ikura and uni. The miso soup did not taste homemade and the salad was not memorable. And, it was expensive for the quality.

Tanoshi Tei was a very quaint sushi restaurant that I came upon after a doctor’s appointment in the area. It was small but yet felt very cozy. The wait staff was very attentive and accommodated my party of four very happily. This is a sushi bar only and do not serve noodles and such. We ordered a premium chirashi (which has VERY fresh fish), a regular chirashi (once again very tasty), a dragon roll and a three roll combination. The spicy scallop was superb, but the seaweed salad was a bit fishy for my taste. The wasabi was made with fresh ground horse radish (unlike a lot of sushi places which use the powdered type). All in all, we were very happy with the food and would recommend anyone to try it out.