The Tamaru Shoten Group (Kingyo, Suika, Raijo) has opened the doors to its newest Vancouver restaurant, Toyokan Bowl.
The popular family of Japanese restaurants is continuing its streak of converting existing but vacated spaces into outposts for each new concept. In this case, Toyokan Bowl occupies 1896 W 1st Ave, which was most recently a location of Robba da Matti, complete with its upstairs "burrata bar."
Robba da Matti closed in early 2024, and by the spring, Tamaru Shoten had the space and got to work transforming it into Toyokan Bowl.
Specifically, Toyokan Bowl is the former upstairs burrata bar space, with the exterior address of 1896 W 1st (the downstairs is 1898). They have added bold splashes of bright colour and all sorts of kitschy Japanese accents along with a bowling motif, but some vestiges of the prior tenant remain, like the Mediterranean-style tiles on the floor.
This is kind of the Tamaru Shoten blueprint; moving quickly into spaces and not tearing things down to the studs. It's a similar feel over at Raisu, which opened at the end of 2016 in what used to Chivana and Takenaka in Gastown in the former Rodney's Oyster Bar.
Toyokan Bowl also happens to be right across the street from one of its siblings, New Fuji.
There is no website as of yet for Toyokan Bowl, however on its Instagram, the new restaurant shares that they offer "authentic sushi bowl style Japanese food," which feature some seafood imported from Japan.
"We offer freshly sourced sea urchin directly from Tsukiji (Japan’s top seafood market)," describe operators on social media.
According to an influencer invited for a visit, the menu ranges from a $150 “Turkey” Uni Bowl or a $58 A5 Miyazaki Wagyu box to $28 salmon bowls.
Toyokan Bowl soft opened on October 2, and is currently operating daily from 4 to 9 p.m. Follow @toyokan_bowl on Instagram.
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