Tojo’s Restaurant debuts special omakase offerings for cherry blossom season

Chef Hidekazu Tojo unveils two Sakura-inspired offerings

Photos by Leila Kwok

Just as maple syrup season commences in Ontario, Vancouver is also getting ready to celebrate the coming of a new season with the relatively short, but always majestic blooming of cherry tree blossoms just around the corner.

To commemorate the occasion, Tojo’s Restaurant chef Hidekazu Tojo recently unveiled a pair of unique experiences that aim to highlight the new bounty of B.C.’s seasonal ingredients while paying homage to the time-honoured Japanese tradition of sakura season. 

The first is the Sakura Gozen Omakase experience, which features seven seafood-forward courses that range from sashimi (red tuna, bluefin toro, wild Pacific salmon, Tai snapper) to awabi (fresh Japanese abalone, shitake, morel, broccoli, awabi reduction), to gindara (Canadian sablefish, shio koji marinade, braised daikon, fuki miso, asparagus, pickled cherry blossom garnish), and more. 

If you’re looking to celebrate sakura season with a little more luxury, the Tojo’s Ultimate Omakase experience is likely the way to go. In addition to sashimi, awabi, and sushi courses, the Ultimate Omakase also features courses such as namagaki oysters and miyazaki wagyu steak. 

Tojo’s Restaurant is open Mondays through Thursdays from 4:30 to 10 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Reservations can be made online.