Shibuyatei Japanese Restaurant

The food was good. However, the interaction was uncomfortable. I went with my family, including my grandmother who is in her 90s and does not eat a lot, and we were told that “this is serious food, not a cheap date.” We wanted to share meals as we were not very hungry but originally planned to get some beers and ice cream. I ordered our meals and was told each person had to order a meal if we wanted to sit at the table since he has to make a profit. I was so stunned that we ordered food to go as that was acceptable to him. As good as the food was, we should have left. As a side note, only one table was occupied so it was not a space issue and no one came in during the 25 minutes we were there…sitting at the table.

Kind of a weird place. Pork, shrimp, and scallop dumplings were all delicious and crispy, but the Japanese chef is eccentric to say the least. My SO and I got two dumpling combos, and I asked for the pork dumplings on a separate plate, since I don't eat pork. He says no" and I was going to just accept it & leave it at that

My boyfriend and I were the only ones in the shop and we had a lovely conversation with the owner/chef and his experience in Tokyo and his passion for using high quality ingredients instead of relying on MSG - the food was authentic and tasted yummy. We ordered the Special Set (Larmen + pork gyoza) and the chichen-don (teriyaki chicken with rice) and came to a total of $26.50 (without tips).

This restaurant is a gem. The food was delicious and perfectly cooked. The gyoza were better than anything I’ve had in Japan. The owner is lovely and passionate about his craft. Take the time to say hello. He is lovely and so is his food.

I visited this place for lunch for the first time with my 5 year old son, waited 15 minutes to place an order, ordered a Ramen set $20 which comes with a regular size of Ramen and a small size of Curry rice, thought the portion would be perfect for us. Owner told me right away that I was not allowed to share the set, and if everyone was cheap like me how he could make money, he also mentioned that this restaurant was not a cheap deli place. I looked around and felt funny about his comment, as most of the deli places are much cleaner than this. I told him it was my first time here and I was not aware of the rule which he could have just explained it without making any comment and accusation. My son was too hungry to leave at this point so I changed my order to a regular size of ramen and a regular size of curry rice just to comply with the rule. Ramen was below average, soup was too salty, noodles were undercooked, chashu meat was too solid to bite/chew and tasted like it was straight out of the freezer. Curry was too salty as well, came with five tiny pieces of chicken. I didn’t enjoy the experience at all, would not recommend to anyone. There are two better Ramen places in the same neighborhood with better service, better quality of food and much cleaner environment!

I have never written a review before but this place merits it. This is a real hole-in-the-wall with very few tables and just one man running the show. The menu claims everything is homemade and I don't doubt it - it really feels like you are getting a home-cooked meal prepared by someone's grandpa. If you want a good meal, and aren't too concerned about customer service (although I personally found the cook to be friendly) or the physical appearance of the place, eat here. The food will not disappoint you.

No fancy interior, no background music. But it has an experienced and opinionated Japanese chef and offers hot Japanese dishes made only on order. Curry rice is not like ordinary curry. The curry is dark brown in colour and tastes authentic which reminds me of my dining experience in a curry speciality treetop restaurant in Hokkaido. Giff don (deep fried chicken rice) is well made. This restaurant is definitely a gem in the Richmond Costco neighborhood. Recurrent visit is sure.

Absolutely fantastic! Our meal was so delicious and fresh. Everything made in-house. Do not miss the Gyoza! The curry was some of the best I've ever had.The owner/chef is delightful to talk with as well --- he'll tell you some stories if you're interested.Don't come in a hurry -- plan on spending some quality time for your meal as it is all prepared fresh by the chef upon your order.The restaurant is small with limited seating...

A single chef cooks all the dishes. Quality of food is great, service was good. Due to one chef wait times can be a bit longer, I do recommend to try this restaurant and support local.