Aka Tom Bo (Lonsdale, North Vancouver, BC)

We were running some errands in on the North Shore recently, and got the grumblies. Since M used to live along the Lonsdale corridor, we searched around looking for some familiar eats. Since it was a Sunday, a few of our "usual" joints were closed (ahem, Hachi Hana. And we're still sad that Okra has closed up. Does anyone know where Joe has gone?).

We drove around for a while before succumbing to hunger-rage (the point where we *almost* don't give what we eat, so long as we get to eat!) and deciding on Aka Tom-Bo on Lonsdale at 8th Street. The place used to be a "pizza and sushi" restaurant prior to the current management taking over, and to be honest, we've rarely had a dine-in meal at Aka Tom-Bo. There used to be a ridiculously inexpensive party platter, which if we picked up and paid in cash, would cost us a little over $18, and would feed both of us for a solid two meals, plus a light lunch for myself.

The good times have passed, however, and although the current management offered the same "grandfathered" deal to us for a while, we felt kind of bad and stopped ordering our special deal. It was time to try the dine-in experience!


A lot has changed from when we used to frequent Tom Bo. For one, pizza is no longer served! Another is that there are a seemingly endless selection of specialty rolls, many of which contain cream cheese. As we're not fans of cream cheese in sushi (kind of defeats the our purpose of eating sushi - we choose this fare when we feel like something "light"), we opted for an assorted sashimi and a lunch special which included a miso soup.

The miso soup was nothing special; although some people would say "WTF with the spoon in the miso soup!". :p Us, we just removed the soupspoon from the bowl and sipped from the bowl.


The assorted sashimi included 12 mouthwatering pieces, 2 each of salmon, tuna, saba, tako, tai and toro with a garnish of tobiko. All the fish were fresh and flavourful For $13.99, the assorted sashimi could be a little expensive to some, but the quality is what you are paying for here. And there is no "cheapie filler" of hokkigai here - just tako and yummy fresh fish. We would order this again.



The lunch special we ordered included three pieces of the ocean garden roll, and a whole dynamite roll and unagi-avocado roll. This plate, along with the miso soup came to $7.99. The ocean garden roll is essentially a California roll and salmon held within a thin sheath of carefully trimmed cucumber. It is delicious and refreshing.

The tempura prawn in the dynamite roll could have been a little hotter, but flavour-wise, satisfied our deep-fried food craving. The bbq eel and avocado roll was garnished with toasted sesame seeds. The roll didn't require a dunk in wasabi soy sauce; it was flavourful enough on its own.

Overall, we enjoyed dining in at Aka Tom-Bo. Since the chances of us getting take-out from there is close to nil as we live across the water, that's a good thing! A plus is that Aka Tom-Bo is open on Sundays whereas other places (like the beloved Hachi Hana) is closed. Ahhh, the North Shore (the city where merchants make too much money and close on Sundays), you gotta love it.

Aka Tom-Bo also offers rolls that are prepared with soy paper instead of nori, and a variety of combos and bento boxes. On weekdays, the restaurant is packed with business people and health care workers from the nearby offices and Lions Gate Hospital. With a deal or two and a large menu, Aka Tom Bo is sure to satisfy any appetite.

Aka Tom-Bo
751 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver BC
P: 604-929-9999

Burgoo (Lonsdale, North Vancouver, BC)

I've had this post on the back burner for the longest time. So long, in fact, that the restaurant has changed its seasonal menu (we went in the earlier part of this year).

We were on the North Shore running some errands - I believe we were picking up Ms car, as he does not drive if he's been drinking. And if he's been watching the hockey game at a friends house or pub/bar, he's been drinking. Drink responsibly, people! However, there have been times (once, maybe twice!) that we've enjoyed visiting with Ms family so much, or that we've enjoyed the afternoon / day so much that we've been on the Highway 1 off ramp heading for home when we collectively scream, "D'oh! We forgot [Ms] car!" Yes kids, perhaps the Yum-O-Rama team is getting a little forgetful in our old age... :p

Burgoo is at the foot of Lonsdale, within walking distance from the Lonsdale Quay, and also has three other locations in Vancouver: one in Kitsilano, and one on Main. To see my friend HK / HHs post on Burgoo on Main, please click here. It was only that I read her post that I remembered that I had to blog about my experience at Burgoo!

It was one of those weeks after the Olympics where it started to get gradually colder and cloudier. We just wanted something warm and to relax a bit! The mead was on special that night - a warmed sweet red wine. We ordered one of each while we looked through the menu; one was a sweeter version with apple notes, and the other was a spicier (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) version that went well with our appetizer - the Fonduemental.


I've written before about how M created a monster when he introduced me to cheese. In fact, I've wanted to visit Burgoo for a long time just because they have fondue.  The Fondumental is a cheese fondue created with gruyere and emmenthal cheeses. It was served with chunks of red apple (gala I believe?), red grapes, grape tomatoes, and crusty bread. Since the bread was neutral and the fruits were sweet, I was really missing something salty to dip in the fondue. Some gherkin pickles or briny olives would have been really nice. Even if I had to pay a couple bucks to add those on, it would have been perfect. That being said, $13 for a shared appetizer, we felt, was moderate value.

This next dish is no longer on their menu. The Goulash was part of the winter menu and is a stew consisting of beef, onions, carrots, celery and tomato served over gnocchi. It really hit the spot. It was warming and comforting. We were glad that we saved some crusty bread from the fondue as the several pieces of gnocchi were far and few between (there were about 8 knobs of potato dumpling in the entire dish, which was sad, as they were really good!). The portion, aside from the limited number of gnocchi was perfect. We shared everything that night (as we usually do) but I could definitely picture myself finishing this up and not being overly full, nor still peckish after the meal.

I also had my eye on the Beef Bourguignon - yes I know, a fondue and two stews does not exactly make for exciting photos but it was comforting to the heart and tummy! The beef bourguignon was accompanied by mashed potatoes. I found the stew to be hearty yet not too rich. Chunks of beef, button mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes and red wine made up the stew. We finished every morsel of our dinner that night, and returned home with contented bellies.

We even remembered to pick up Ms car!

Dinner came to $65 with tax and tip and we'd return again for a meal again.

Burgoo (Lonsdale)
3 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver BC
P: 604-904-0933