Sumibiyaki Arashi

Long live Sumibiyaki Arashi. Chef Pete Ho is a gangster. He is an elite athlete. He is a force. This was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. There's a card when you sit down for your omakase that encourages you to enjoy the experience with all five senses. And you have to. From the calming aesthetic and ambiance, to the charcoal smells, to the focused faces, to vibing music, to the mouth watering first bite and to the last - its all just an experience you have to be present for in and take in. My standouts were the oyster add-on, the chicken steak, the noodles, chicken heart, the artery, the wings, the broth and every other dish put in front of me. It was over two years ago that another chef recommended I look out for Sumibiyaki Arashi. I got to try Pete's popups while he and his team diligently built the restaurant, and navigated having a charcoal grill up front and center for patrons to see. It was worth two years of waiting for it to open its doors. It was worth two months of waiting for my reservation date. It was worth the two (and a bit) hours of sitting in the restaurant. Book when you can, whenever you can - you will want to experience this place at least once in your life. Long live Sumibiyaki Arashi.

My husband and I enjoyed the meal here. Every single piece of food or dish tasted excellent. The chef paid attention to the details such as flavours, texture, quality, presentation, and smell. Each dish was very impressive. Four servers would serve the customers at the same time. Each of them would explain to customers what the dish was and what ingredients were included. All of the servers were very polite and friendly. Each person cost $175. I would say it was worth the price as customers could get to try so many dishes. Just look at the photos I took. Each dish looked small but when eating everything, customers must be full at the end of the meal. I was like “eyes are bigger than my stomach.” 😆 I would recommend others to come. It’s great to dine in here if you are celebrating someone’s birthday or any special occasions.

It was a Seventeen items course. Menu items does change based on season's best produce. At the time we visit (Mid October), we had Sea urchin on pan seared scallop + pickled cherry tomato with arugula Robata Skewered {Chicken tender, thigh, heart} Wagyu slice on rice with shishito pepper, coddled quail egg and fine minced chive Skewered drumstick Pickeled Apple and ginger crisp Tori Paitan (1st extract) Fried tofu skewer with micro sliced scallion, arugula and roasted shizo and sesame Shishito pepper Chawanmushi with red crab and yuzu peel Chicken knee Chicken wing de-boned Tsukune with egg drizzle Onsen Tamago on minced chicken rice Chicken soup (2nd extract) Dessert (Pear --> Muscat Grape --> Yaki Imo) All prepared to perfection. Over the course of 2 hours and 10 minutes, everything was grilled and plated in front of you. Serves slow, good stuff takes time. But in the end you'll be full for sure, cause it's a lot of food. On a scale of 1 to 10 1 being under salted 5 being perfect 10 being over salted Chef is able to constantly land on a 5 to 6 - Right on the dot or marginally over salt a little Salt brings out the freshness of the ingredient, all packed with flavor, done with precision, nothing over salted. And I really like the charcoal fragrant on chicken! Good luck getting a reservation though! Initially I was planning to visit in JULY for my wife's BDay. Missed the chance 3 times and had to come mid week October. That's how hard it is to reserve. Staff was caring and friendly. Try your very best to reserve on your special occasion's month. We only had about 3 ~ 5 minutes to make a reservation at 9am. But it's definitely worth every penny of that $175 per person.

The quality of the food is superb. Dining pace was impeccable. Everything was fresh and cooked just right. However, every dish was very heavily salted except for the dessert. Seasoning was not the greatest if you aren’t into sweet and salty food. Service is awesome and the atmosphere is cozy but lively enough.

Finally got to try Chef Pete and his first brick & mortar here in Vancouver. If you’re looking for an intimate, personable and extraordinary culinary experience - this is a must try. Yes the average spend may be higher than usual but the memory honestly lasts forever. Who knew you can use so much a chicken to create a full omakase experience. Can’t wait to go back next month for the special menu.

My partner and I saved up to book this restaurant for our 5 year anniversary after hearing amazing things about their omakase experience. Reservations are notoriously hard to get, and at $175 per person, we were really looking forward to an unforgettable evening. The food was fantastic and cooked to perfection. Every course showcased incredible technique and flavour, and you could tell the ingredients were top quality. We even ordered additional wing tip skewers which became my favourite item of the night. That said, the service left a lot to be desired. From the start we noticed clear favouritism toward guests who seemed to be friends with the chef and/or staff. We were seated beside a couple celebrating a birthday, and the server, who seemed to know them, offered complimentary champagne, which was a nice gesture. However when it came to us, she only asked what kind of water we would like while we decided on drinks and didn't engage with us beyond that. No small talk, no questions about what brought us to the restaurant etc., which made the experience feel distant and neglected. It was also obvious that some plates received more generous portions going to the chef’s friends. For example, the first dish was abalone topped with uni. While it was being prepared in front of us all, there were clearly more uni placed on the friends' plates than ours. The chef spent most of the evening interacting with them and only briefly checked in with us once asking how the food was so far. Later I overheard him mentioning that he was happy to reconnect with old friends, which is understandable, but it highlighted the uneven hospitality. Overall, the food is amazing and worth trying at least once, but the lack of attentiveness and skewed favouritism in service we experienced made the evening less enjoyable than we had hoped. We likely experienced a one-off situation, but as guests who had saved up for this hard to reserve restaurant, it was disappointing and disheartening to feel overlooked. Because of this, we do not plan to return. Great food, but fell short on hospitality.

Sumibiyaki looks unassuming from the outside, but step in and you’ll find a beautifully designed space with inviting vibes. The food is top notch and the chicken is grilled to perfection. The service is impeccable and every detail feels well thought of. Easily a 5-star experience. If you don’t get a reservation right away, keep trying - it’ll be worth it!

Sumibiyaki Arashi is the real deal. Booking a spot is a mission, but it pays off big time! We were first-timers for this style of food and were seriously amazed by every smoky bite. It was an unforgettable dinner and an easy five stars. The ultimate flex? The washroom has a bidet. You just know a place is legit when that's a feature. We can't wait to come back!

So. Good. Heavenly to be honest. The restaurant is small, but all seats are counter seats so you can see Chef Ho do his thing the entire dinner. The menu is set but there are few items you could add. Majority of the items were fish or chicken focused. And I'm pleasantly surprised by every bite of the perfectly grilled chicken and veggies. The taste of charcoal grilled food just hits different. Go try it if you can, reservations filled up pretty much immediately after booking is open. Good luck!

My husband and I enjoyed the meal here. Every single piece of food or dish tasted excellent. The chef paid attention to the details such as flavours, texture, quality, presentation, and smell. Each dish was very impressive. Four servers would serve the customers at the same time. Each of them would explain to customers what the dish was and what ingredients were included. All of the servers were very polite and friendly. Each person cost $175. I would say it was worth the price as customers could get to try so many dishes. Just look at the photos I took. Each dish looked small but when eating everything, customers must be full at the end of the meal. I was like "eyes are bigger than my stomach." I would recommend others to come. It's great to dine in here if you are celebrating someone's birthday or any special occasions.

Ambiance: intimate, cozy space for 14. Top notch service. Food: Chef Pete ho knows exactly what he's doing and every item in this omakase was cooked perfectly. I feel like I had every part of the chicken LOL prices are going up to $175 July 1st! Incredible experience overall, highly recommend

Delicious food, great service, wonderful bubbly, was absolutely stuffed. It's well worth the cost. Menu is always changing so I won't go into a ton of detail in regards to each course pictured in this review but if you're wanting to try something new/ refreshing experience in this city, look no further.