A large caricature of chef Jordan Kim, owner of the eponymous Jordan Sushi in Central Lonsdale, greets diners at the entrance to the restaurant.
The rendering is sort of like a highly stylized, two-dimensional bobblehead that is not, in my very recently informed opinion, congruous with what the chef is trying to accomplish inside his stylishly appointed room. Kim’s menu is thoughtful, you see, and at times artfully creative, and is priced in a way to position itself as a premium offering.
I visited Jordan Sushi on a quiet Tuesday evening with my frequent dining partner Gil. As we entered the restaurant we immediately clocked Kim sitting in the far corner of the room, working on a laptop.
Only one other table, a deuce with two whispering patrons, was occupied and so the warm welcome we received from the team of young sushi chefs at the other end of the restaurant echoed through the room.
We had our pick of tables and were approached within seconds by the sole front-of-house staff member working the room. Gil and I ordered a chilled bottle of Jinro Chamisul Soju to sip as we delved into the extensive and ambitious menu.
The restaurant broadly organizes its fare with a distinct and descriptive taxonomy that patrons of Bene Sushi in West Vancouver might recognize; indeed, chef Kim helmed that kitchen prior to opening Jordan Sushi and has clearly imported his approach to this new venture.
Patrons can choose from novel menu categories such as Exotic Rolled Sushi, Fried Sushi Rolls, Flamed Sushi Rolls, an eclectic grouping of Korean and internationally-inspired dishes called Jordan Fusion, as well as more common fare including nigiri, maki and crowd-pleasing starters like Gomae, Tempura, and Sunomono Salad.
Gil and I share in common the perspective that no matter how far a sushi restaurant’s dishes push the boundaries of creativity, the true proof of its salt lies in its sashimi, those delicate morsels of unaltered raw fish that represent the freshest of what the kitchen has to offer and do not hide behind fussy seasonings, sauces, or other culinary sophistry.
To that end, we asked our server for the promising-sounding, $50 Chef’s Special Sashimi. She told us that while this was an excellent choice, she regrettably couldn’t accommodate the request as it is a dish available by pre-order only due to the complexity and diversity of its contents.
Now look, I’m not typically a self-important rabble-rouser and I certainly respect the policies a restaurant puts in place to ensure the quality of its food, but given the relative quietness of the evening and the fact that the menu doesn’t mention the pre-order requirement, my stance on this response was slightly less laissez-faire than it would normally be.
Accordingly, Gil boldly, but politely, approached chef Kim on our behalf and asked if an exception could be made for us. With the easy, disarming smile of a seasoned restaurant professional, Jordan Sushi’s namesake assented and, with dramatic flair, rolled up his sleeves and stepped into the kitchen to work his magic.
And what an intoxicating, practiced magic it proved to be, the dish arriving a few moments later bearing some of the freshest, most exquisite fish I have consumed on Lonsdale Avenue.
Toro, hamachi, sockeye, scallop, blue fin belly, white tuna (the name given to the sometimes maligned escolar, a fish whose flesh contains a certain wax ester that doesn’t always agree with the human digestive system, but seems to cause me no ill), and a wonderful calamari salad were among the immaculately fresh items on the plate, along with pale pickled ginger, lemon and mounds of spicy wasabi.
Each piece of fish was mildly flavoured, beautifully understated, and perfectly representative of its species, exactly what just-plucked-from-the-sea sashimi should be. My only criticism, and it is a relatively minor one in light of how good this fish tasted, is that the morsels were cut too large, their cumbersome size starkly contrasting the delicate, subtle nature of their flavour.
With the quality of Jordan Sushi’s ingredients firmly established, we decided to venture farther afield, ordering the Italian-style red snapper from the Fusion menu.
The dish was a hit, with its delicate morsels of barely cooked, ultra-fresh snapper that were bathed in a thin, light and tart olive oil and vinegar sauce. Al dente grilled bell peppers and lightly caramelized slivers of garlic added depth of flavour and Mediterranean notes. Another dish, the Unagi Flame Roll, was a dramatic showpiece, set ablaze tableside with a brulée torch.
The dish flamed and sizzled for a couple of minutes, providing better ambiance than any candle ever could, but we ultimately concluded that this particular item, essentially a California roll topped with baked, fresh water eel and steeped in rum for fire fuel, was more style than substance. The rum didn’t completely burn off and so the bottom portion of the roll was soaked in bracing, bitter alcohol that eclipsed the delicate flavours of crab, avocado and eel.
Our meal, including the soju and two bottles of Kirin beer, was $120 before gratuity. Jordan Sushi is located at 1564 Lonsdale Ave. 604-988-2616. jordansushi.com
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. He can be reached via email at hungryontheshore@gmail.com.
