Location: #204-403 North Rd, Coquitlam, BC V3K 3V9
Phone: (604) 917-0260
Hours: 7 days a week, 11:30am – 12:00am
Hints:
- Hard to find parking space
- Romantic ambiance
- Serves alcohol
- Specialty rolls
- Daily Specials
Sushi Elephant
I was introduced to Sushi Elephant by a few friends awhile back, but had never been really on my mind until last week. I got home from work, not wanting to cook dinner. And it was only my dad and I, so I decided to take the dad out for dinner. After browsing off Urbanspoon, it came across my mind there was Sushi Elephant. So, we decided to try it out.
Lobby @ Sushi Elephant
It was a Thursday evening, and was rather quiet as we walked in at around 6:30pm. I was surprised to see this place be transformed to what used to be a Japanese supermarket/restaurant, to being so trendy and so turquoise. My initial impression was that I’m out at sea.
Interior @ Sushi Elephant
Each table were almost separated by these wall dividers. At first, it was quite awkward. But, I slowly got used to it.
Miso Soup
All combos come with a miso soup, and because we only ordered one combo, we only shared one miso soup. It looked awkward, but if that’s their way of serving then be it awkward. Especially that was not the only thing we ordered. The miso soup was hot and not too overwhelming in taste.
Energy Roll
The “Energy Roll” was part of their daily special menu. It was unagi, spicy tuna, avocado, crab mix and masago drizzled with their special sauce. It wasn’t bad at all,but for $8, I expected more pieces. It seems that Sushi Elephant is targeted to more of a high-end sushi restaurant but with the extensive menu, it certainly does not feel like it.
We also ordered the calamari roll, which was a deep fried calamari, crab mix and avocado with special sauce and chopped scallop on top. But for some odd reason, the picture was never saved. Interesting enough, it just magically disappeared. The specialty rolls were rather similar in flavour.
Sushi and Sashimi Combo
Sashimi
And last, we ordered a sushi and sashimi combo. For $14, this wasn’t bad. There were 6 pieces of sashimi and 6 pieces of sushi. The tuna out performed the salmon, it was both flavourful and tasty. The salmon was a little disappointing, as they didn’t use sockeye. I would’ve rated this an A. And I was expecting different types of sashimi, but it came with only tuna and salmon. The nigiri’s were firm. I believe the best way to test if a Japanese restaurant is truly Japanese, you just have to try out its nigiri.
Complimentary dessert
To end off the evening, complimentary watermelon bits were served.
The Bill
The bill came to under $33 for 2. It’s not exactly your cheap sushi joint, however, I think Sushi Elephant lacks quality for the price it charges. The portions are decent, but in the mid-price range that it charges for Sushi, I had higher expectations for quality food. The ambiance is decent if you like the colour turquoise, don’t go if you don’t like the colour. The service needs improvement. There were 3 sushi chefs, and only one was working. The restaurant was only occupied by a few tables when we were dining, so I expected fast and prompt service. But, I had to wave over to the waiters a few times as they were minding their own business. However, the staff were very friendly. And in case you want Sushi late at night, this place is open till midnight! So this is definitely a plus.
