Sushi Bella, which opened doors in Kits this August (the original location is in North Van) seems to be doing well so far. Though new restaurants tend to be popular at the start, I have a feeling that Sushi Bella will continue to thrive, especially with its prime digs at 2059 West 4th Ave—smack dab in the heart of the shopping district. I have been to Sushi Bella twice now, once for dinner and once for lunch, and it’s a great place to get your fill of Japanese fusion.
The first time I visited, I ordered the Crispy Crab Cake starter with prawn and creamy roasted garlic aioli. As someone who is a big fan of crab cakes, I’m inclined to try them whenever I spot them on the menu. For any other crab cake lovers out there, I would recommend the Sushi Bella crab cakes. (Crab cake glamor shots after the jump)
For any other crab cake lovers out there, I would recommend the Sushi Bella crab cakes.
As for the sushi, all rolls I’ve tried were ordered off the Bella Rolls section of the menu. I started off with what turned out to be my favourite – the Crazy California Roll – deep fried with crazy sauce, followed by the Crunchy Go-Go Roll (Double prawns, yam tempura, avocado, crunchy flake, chili mayo), which was also a treat. If you enjoy tempura sushi in particular, I would highly recommend this roll. I followed up on this by tasting the Rainbow Roll with tuna, salmon, ebi & avocado on top of a California roll.
Rainbow Roll with tuna, salmon, ebi & avocado on top of a California roll
Since I am partial to any sushi roll that contains cream cheese, I also went for the Love-Me-Tender-Roll with smoked salmon, crab mix, cream cheese, salmon and cucumber. Then I went for the Caterpillar Roll (deep fried unagi, cream cheese and avocado) which scored points for actually resembling the critter.
Caterpillar Roll (deep fried unagi, cream cheese and avocado)
My second visit to Sushi Bella, I once again ordered the Crazy California Roll (because it is just so darn good, which should tell you all you need to know) and tried three different prawn tempura rolls – The Drunken Tiger Roll, Gangster Roll, and Dynamite Roll – not only do they have funky names, but they were all very tasty.
The restaurant itself is a clean, quaint spot, decorated with a lotus flower here and there. I particularly enjoy the turquoise decor Sushi Bella has made its signature aesthetic.
Sushi Bella’s signature turquoise caught my fancy.
The service is well-paced, but best of all is the pricing. I’ve been to take-out sushi places that cost about the same, or more, without the benefits of a sit-down restaurant. So, next time skip the take out and enjoy some fabulous sushi with a little more atmosphere at a very good price.
Did I already mention I was into the Crazy California Roll? I did? That’s crazy.
Sushi Bella (Kitsilano): 2059 West 4th Ave., 604-734-4990, Sushibella.com
Last modified: November 1, 2011
I love restaurant reviews that read like advertisements for the restaurant. GillieD are you an owner of this place?
I like way the review captures the taste of the sushi and the feel of the restaurant with interesting details. Clearly worth a try!
Hey FrankKenStein. Gillian is not affiliated with Sushi Bella in any way. She’s a Kits diner with an opinion. She chose to eat there twice on her own dime. Thanks for checking on that. We’re all for transparency.
Twice for a dime trumps 4 times for a quarter any day. Sounds better than a deal with groupon. lol. But seriously, I understand. But if I owned a place and was writing an advertorial this is how it might read. Complete with a photo of the owners posing proudly.