Makoto Japanese Restaurant

Reviews

• Issie C.

  star star star star star_border 22 July 2026

  This small Japanese restaurant is operated by its Japanese owner who runs the sushi bar and the tables. I heard that his wife is the chef who runs the kitchen in the back. One weekday lunch time the restaurant was full with only 4 seats left. After seated ourselves, behind the counter the owner asked us with a smile to help ourselves with either water or hot tea.
  
  My friend and I ordered the same thing: lunch bento box with sashimi, one with teriyaki chicken and one with beef. It comes with miso soup and a bowl of rice. The miso soup had a good quantity of seaweed and tofu, and the soup had a good proportion of miso content. When the bento box arrived, everything looked fresh. Not only did it come with green salad but also potato salad, which both were very fresh. The teriyaki chicken and the tempura (2 shrimps, 4 pieces of vegetables) were well cooked. The skin was crispy and not soggy. The sashimi was very fresh also. Having the slice of orange was a nice finish. My friend finished everything while I had to pack up the rice which I was only able to have 2 bites, majority of the chicken and a piece of tempura. The packing process was also self helped from getting the box to packing. It was understandable that the owner was by himself in the front.
  
  For the quality of food, I would go again and try their à la carte next time.

• Jonny M.

  star star star star_border star_border 20 July 2026

  We were planning to check out STEM one evening for dinner but the wait time was insane. We decided to try Makoto Japanese Restaurant next door which is small and run by a Japanese couple.
  
  The inside has 6 tables (20 seats) and three stools at the sushi bar. The husband runs the front and does the sushi/sashimi while the wife cooks in the back. Water and tea is self serve by the counter. Best way to order is go up to the front (where the machine is) and put your order in. Second time we came, he got us to write down our order and came back to tell us "I can't read Korean". Couldn't tell if he was joking or being serious. Too funny but I can see why people may not enjoy the service here.
  
  Menu is split into appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, sushi donburi, soup & salad, maki sushi, special rolls, combos, a la carte (tempura/teriyaki/donburi), agemono and noodles. The lunch specials (12:00pm to 3:00pm) looked very reasonable. There's also several specials up on the daily chalkboards along with sake imported from Japan.
  
  Trip #1
  We dropped in on a Wednesday evening (around 7:30pm).
  - Toro sashimi ($10.50 for 6) - these were fresh and had a great buttery texture. Shiso leaf underneath was a nice touch. Very reasonable for the quality. B says it's the best value for toro in Vancouver.
  - Tamago, saba, hamachi and salmon nigiri - all were $2.00/piece except for the hamachi ($3.00). Tamago was solid; a tad sweeter than normal but soft, creamy texture. Saba was fantastic! Wanted to order 10 more. Salmon and hamachi were fresh. Good fish to rice ratio.
  - Negitoro roll ($3.50) and chopped scallop roll ($4.50) - liked the negitoro more than the chopped scallop.
  - Chicken katsu special ($12.95) - this was one of their specials for the day. It came with rice and lettuce; pretty authentic! Sauce was slightly salty for my taste buds. Katsu was lightly fried but meat was tender and moist inside.
  
  Trip #2
  We dropped in on a Friday evening (around 7:00pm) and snagged a table for four.
  - Agedashi tofu ($4.50) - deep fried tofu. Lightly fried, touch of crispiness and not overly sauced.
  - Yakitori ($6.00 for 2) - chicken skewers. Good quality and liked how they didn't overdo it with the sauce.
  - Nigiri - this time around we got four saba ($2.00 each), tamago ($2.00), tai ($2.00) and uni ($3.50). Definitely order a few when you go. Always well done and some of the cheapest nigiri we've seen around.
  - Negitoro roll ($3.50) - my favourite of the maki rolls we ordered.
  - Spicy salmon roll ($4.50) and chopped scallop roll ($4.50) - standard stuff. Spicy salmon sauce had a slight kick to it.
  - Mentaiko udon ($10.00) - one of the kitchen specials. Udon had an elastic, chewy bite. The sliced squid pieces and mentaiko (spicy cod roe) were fresh.
  - Tonkatsu ($13.00) - breaded pork cutlet with a side of salad, potato and dipping sauce. Not sure what happened but the tonkatsu was terrible; dry and bland. The dipping sauce couldn't save it. Even the salad tasted a bit funky. Only decent thing on this dish was the potato salad.
  
  If we're in the area, we'll be back for their saba roll. 3.5 stars.

• Fontaine M.

  star star star star star 19 July 2026

  This is definitely a hidden gem run by a Japanese family. There aren't many tables 9 tables of 2 which can otherwise be converted to groups. They always have a board telling you what the fresh fish of the day from Japan is.  The owner is extremely helpful and hardworking.  The only issue is probably the service may be slightly slow when they're busy because he does everything himself at the front. (Including cutting sashimi!) most people that come here are regulars.
  
  The menu is conventional Japanese. Nothing really outstanding but he always makes me feel like I came into a little Japanese place with the true Japanese spirit. Love to support local businesses like this.

• KaiLi L.

  star star star star star 10 July 2026

  I highly highly highly recommend the "Saba" here. Saba roll is hands down the best I've had in lower mainland. If you are a Saba fan, you must try this! If they are out of Saba roll, try the aburi Saba, paired with shiso ponzu sauce is to die for... must must try if you are a Saba fan! I can't emphasize more!
  Now I need to add another NEW favourite! They have the best agedashi tofu! MUST TRY! it's perfectly balanced with sauce, crispy skin and tenderness of the tofu!

• David G.

  star star star star star_border 7 July 2026

  Note - closed Oct 15-31, 2018 for vacation. Authentic Japanese food, the sushi chef and his wife (who cooks hot food in the back) run the place.
  
  The food is good and fresh and we come quite often. Lots of daily specials.
  
  Be warned that the sushi chef has quite a gruff attitude sometimes, and I saw him tell a young family with kids (in advance) to make sure their kids didn't cause a disturbance - the cute little girls were just sitting quietly, however their parents were shocked with his statement and the whole family got up and left.  I think he's a nice guy, but his sense of humour may get lost in his attitude sometimes.