Vancouverites, get ready to welcome a new gem in downtown!
Takenaka, the beloved Japanese bento box truck and onigiri cafe, is setting up a new shop in a historic Gastown on Powell Street.
The Takenaka team told Noms Magazine it will be a concept that revolves around uni (sea urchin).
They will be taking over the unit once home to Rodney’s Oyster House which closed up after 10 years of operation at the end of 2023.
For many locals, Takenaka is a name that resonates with Japanese cuisine lovers across Vancouver.
Takenaka is a Japanese food truck that first started 4 years ago.
It was created to introduce delicious bento boxes on the go by Chef & Owner Shogo Takenaka and Sous-chef Daiki Ishikawa.
These chefs are part of the Tamaru Shoten Group, which is behind popular award-winning Japanese izakayas and restaurants like Kingyo, Raisu, Suika, and Rajio.
Back in March 2023, the Takenaka team opened their first storefront location inside East Vancouver’s COHO Commissary, selling onigiri, breakfast and lunch sets and their bentos.
After the success of their truck and onigiri cafe, they’re now ready to bring something new to Gastown.
According to the Takenaka team, the new shop will be called Takenaka Uni Bar and function like a Japanese-style bar.
For now, they were only able to tease to Noms Magazine that they will offer a variety of uni dishes and alcoholic drinks.
Considering that their sister restaurant, Raisu, has been playing around with an omakase uni menu for 2 years, it is most likely some of those items will make an appearance.
That menu consisted of items like real crab and ikura served on top of rice in a sizzling hot stone bowl, uni shooter, uni tofu, and more.
The Uni Bar will be opening in mid-May and will be a great addition to the area as the city looks to revitalize Gastown this summer by making it pedestrian-only for July & August.
We’ll keep you up to date once the exact grand opening date is released!
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Address: 52 Powell St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1E7