Richmond’s food scene is constantly evolving, with new spots popping up and others closing their doors.
But amidst the changes, some restaurants manage to persevere by adapting and pivoting to meet the demands of the market.
One such spot is Meet Oyster, which has now undergone a complete rebrand, emerging as Daimanya, a Japanese All You Can Eat (AYCE) Izakaya restaurant.
Meet Oyster first opened in 2022, focusing on a diverse menu of oysters—served raw, baked, fried, or even pressure-cooked.
The restaurant also offered sashimi skewers, aburi oshi, and claypot rice, along with a range of other dishes.
Over the past two years, they experimented with various concepts, from lunch sets and AYCE sukiyaki to individual hot pots and late-night bar service with cocktails and whiskies.
Despite these efforts, nothing seemed to stick, leading the owners to rethink their approach.
On August 7th, the restaurant announced on social media that they had rebranded as Daimanya, with a soft opening the following day.
The new concept completely shifts away from the original oyster focus and embraces the Izakaya-style dining experience.
The AYCE concept remains, but now the menu leans heavily into small plates, offering a more traditional yet elevated Japanese all-you-can-eat experience.
The new menu features a wide array of options, including sashimi (like akami and madai), sushi rolls (such as aburi salmon oshi and mango scallop rolls), hot dishes (like salted egg yolk chicken wings and sake garlic clams), rice and noodles (including wagyu beef fried rice and mentaiko yaki udon), and deep-fried favs like tempura and takoyaki.
They even have an A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Sukiyaki pot you can order for each round.
The pricing reflects the elevated experience, with the standard AYCE price set at $78 on Monday through Thursday after 7 PM, or an early bird price of $68 before 7 PM.
Meet Oyster faced its fair share of struggles, particularly in the online reviews department.
It will be interesting to see how this complete switch to a Japanese AYCE Izakaya restaurant will fare in Richmond’s competitive food scene.
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Address: 4160 No. 3 Rd #140, Richmond, BC V6Y 0C2