Rajio Japanese Public House

Before I came here I didn’t know that it was under the same restaurant group as Suika. Although there are some similarities, the menu is a bit different. I had heard much about their deep fried skewers and was looking forward to trying them. The skewers were not bad but I think because it is fried, I got sick of the taste very quickly. The breading was nice and it almost seems like it was baked and not fried so it was super greasy or anything like that.
I also tried the oysters which were tasty but I am a sucker for oysters. The aburi sushi was ok but the rice kept falling apart so it was a bit of a struggle for us. Especially since our chop stick skills aren’t great to begin with.
I liked the watermelon fruit punch. Wish they have it at Suika.
Overall, a good atmosphere to check out but if you are looking for some tasty skewers, I’d suggest Zakkushi instead.

Great atmosphere, great food and great staff. Rajio is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit for a late night snack and drink. Their usual menu is not as appealing to me but their seasonal menu always manage to attract my attention.
Rajio provides a great selection of both traditional and exotic Japanese tapas which go perfectly with drinks they offer. Although the prices for slightly on the high side their energetic staff up for it and leaves you almost feeling bad to just leave the average tip.

The food simply can’t compare to Guu, Shirakiwa or other Japanese restaurants with similar price ranges. The interior is really cute though, think neon lights Japanese cartoon characters etc. It was a refreshing change to the usual décor of Japanese restaurants. Food was good, but not delicate. However I’m willing to give it another shot.

Awesome atmosphere, good food, and relatively cheap to boot! The staff is really cool.

This place gets pretty busy at dinner time so be sure to make reservations ahead of time if you don’t want to wait long for a table.
Snazzy décor inside, with a wall of cute cartoon character lamps.
I loved their famous fruit punch in a hollowed-​out mini watermelon; it was refreshingly delicious!
The Osaka style skewers we had were really tiny, so at $ 2 each, I felt they were a little overpriced.
The deep fried chicken karaage was alright, but not particularly special.
Get the seafood bombshells, they are the bomb! Crunchy & filled with various types of seafood, they make for an interesting appetizer.
The miso ramen has a rich & flavourful taste, thick & full-​bodied. For an izakaya place, their ramen is quite outstanding!
Overall, a great place with a nice authentic Japanese izakaya atmosphere & delicious bites.

Vanities used to have packages to try some popular dishes for a set price and rajio was one of their destinations! An izakaya like suika and kingyo, rajio focused on small happy sized dishes but are known for their skewers. Since I’m not a huge fan of fried foods, i actually loved the other dishes my favourite being the chirashi sushi with plenty of fresh sashimi and tamago for a great price! Their veggie dip was also amazing and my parents who don’t eat fresh veggies gobbled them all up! And of course, their short ribs were fall off the bone tender, sashimi salad was fresh and the battera was great!

Saw pictures of the fresh fruit punch and that’s mainly what I came here for. It looks cute but doesn’t taste as good as I expected. Ordered a bunch of skewers but I didn’t like the deep fried idea, and the oysters were not very fresh. When I made reservation, I mentioned it’s my friend’s birthday and they offered dessert for my friend at the end! We chose Matcha Tiramisu and it was really good!
Overall, food is okay and relatively cheaper than Suika. However, I think its sister restaurants Suika and Kingyo has better location, food and service.

A very popular restaurant! We were luckily able to be seated because we came early, but lots of people that came at dinner time without reservations had to be turned away due to lack of available seating.
The food is so unique and delicious, making this one of the best sushi restaurants I’ve been to in Vancouver so far. However, for more traditional sushi or for people who eat a lot, this is probably a poor choice. One downside is that the prices were quite expensive due to small serving sizes, and it ended up costing $ 30 per person to be decently full. The service was quite good as well. Overall, a nice experience and would recommend!

Came in here late on a Saturday night after watching my fiancé play hockey at UBC. The restaurant was busy but we were able to get a table for three of us. Our server was really nice and attentive. She checked on us regularly and made sure our drinks were never empty.
The highlight for me is that they have Kushi Katsu on their menu! I had these deep fried skewers when I was in Osaka and loved them. I’m glad they have introduced it here at Rajio.
We tried a variety of skewers which were all good. The batter isn’t as light as the ones I’ve had in Japan but they were still good. The anchovy edamame was delicious!
The restaurant isn’t very big so it can get busy during peak dinner time.
I’m looking forward to coming back to try some of their other menu items.

I come here all the time because they have such tasty food. The abundance of free parking spots around the area is also a bonus.
My favourite dishes there are their squid karaage, Saba aburi sushi and corn kakiage. My favourite drink there is their kids lemonade. The lemonade has goji berries infused in it and is slightly carbonated — a cup of goodness! Their skewers are unique as I’ve never had a skewer like what they serve at other izakayas. However, I think they’re just average fried veggies/​meat on a stick. They’re good to try if it’s your first time there. I usually just skip on the skewers and get their other dishes!
They fill up fast. I’ve walked in a couple of times and got rejected because they were full. So make sure to reserve ahead if you would like to secure seats.

I love this place. Super friendly staff, and always great food. Try their puddings and almond tofu! My favourite is their steak but make sure you go with lots of people as it’s very big!

Came here 3 days ago, a Saturday, for dinner. It was my first time here and from the looks of it, definitely make reservations. It’s a rather tiny spot, no air con, so it does get hot and stuffy on a warm summer day.
Ordered the famous fruit punch in the watermelon (non rum version), aburi toro, shrimp miso ramen, lobster ceviche, and some sort of salad in a jar.
The famous fruit punch in the watermelon tastes so damn good and is so refreshing in the heat. It was difficult for me not to finish it in a few gulps. The miso ramen is as heavenly as it is described. Just the noodles itself were so tasty own its own. The toppings were also very delicious. Highly recommended.
The lobster ceviche was pretty good, all the ingredients seems to go well with one another. The salad in a jar sort of reminds me of the ceviche, but if I were to choose, go with the ceviche. I found the toro aburi was a bit mushy and would break apart as soon as I try to pick it up with my chopsticks, but still good.
Service appears to be a hit or miss. Most of the servers were very nice and friendly, but one appeared to have a bit of an attitude in her voice as if she was tired of just dealing with people in general.
Overall, including service, ambience, and food, I will have to give it 3 stars. I wouldn’t mind coming back, but given that it’s so far out of the way for me, unfortunately it won’t be anytime soon.

Came here two times and they were out of a few things. So either go there earlier or book the items when making reservation.

It’s quiet in here, someone turn up the Rajio!
For my second visit, I continue to be impressed. The Kingyo group has done a good job of giving each restaurant its own identity and vibe. The specialty here is the Kushikatsu (lightly battered and fried skewers of veg, meat, or fish). And they warn you many times, only dip once!
As with its sister restaurants, definitely peruse the fresh sheet before you dive into the standard menu.

I was delighted when I found out that Rajio is run by the same people who own Suika. We stopped by on a Saturday night t around 11pm, and waited for about 10 minutes outside-​and got in without a reservation!
We had the signature watermelon drink-it’s pricey, and it was pretty bland, I think because the watermelon itself wasn’t ripe enough. We also had the salmon ikura carbonara and The KFC which were great, and the kakuni hot stone bibimbap, which was too salty for our liking. Service was fast. I really enjoyed their food, but at that pricing, I found that the serving portion was small, and that the place was a little too cramped. It’s good food, but I’d visit Suika instead– the menu’s about the same, and it’s comfier.

We got here on a Friday night without reservations. The place was packed.
We were told the wait was going to be 15min so we just waited in our car.
20min passed… It was still packed with several groups still ahead of us waiting to be be seated.
We waited another 20min or so and we finally got a table.
At this point our meal was off to a bad start. We weren’t too happy.
Thankfully the food was good and it came pretty fast.
Here’s what we ordered:
–random assortment of kushi yaki (scallop, mochi, oyster, asparagus, beef, chicken, pork, lotus roots): they were all pretty good. The oyster and mochi were my favourites.
–deep fried corn: a bit salty but still yummy
–hamachi battera sushi: fresh fish and very yummy
–uni and ikura carbonara: couldn’t taste the uni but it tasted great.
We’ll return in the not so distance future, but with a reservation.

The space is small so you will definitely want to make reservations! I really like the quirky décor of Rajio. The staff is friendly, but I found the service extremely slow. I had the Vaneats dining package which consisted of deep-​fried assorted skewers and dip, veggies and dip, sashimi salad, a shrimp-​based ramen and the watermelon drink. The Vaneats package did not include the drink (package was $ 20 and the drink was $ 12).
The deep fried skewers weren’t warm, and more chewy than crispy. I wasn’t too pleased about that. It came with a sweet-​and-​salty ‘sauce’ in a jar (labelled ‘one dip one life’. We were instructed to only dip the skewers into the jar once… do they reuse all the sauce that’s left over, I wonder?
The veggies and dip sound like a rip-​off almost, but let me tell you, that dip is FANTASTIC. How do I begin to describe it? Buttery, garlicy, warm! Mmm. Don’t be shy to ask for more if you run out.
Sashimi salad took a bit of warming-​up to. The pieces of tuna and salmon are very very small and fishy-​tasting. I liked the salad’s vinegar sauce, but this is a very light dish with no outstanding qualities.
The ramen had slices of meat, in addition to small bits of dried shrimp. The broth was ok, and the noodles were alright as well, I have had much better, heartier bowls from restaurants downtown.
Lastly, the watermelon drink is worth trying out for your first time, and perhaps only one time. Super refreshing, and you can dig out watermelon with a spoon after you’ve drunk all the juice. There are also slices of grapefruit, orange and lime.
Again, the service was too slow. Kingyo’s service is super on-​point.

five star autumn evening.
If you have a kid or two come at 5:30, so you can dine with ease. There’s more than enough room and the room hasn’t filled out yet.
Why was tonight great?
a) freshness
b) umami
c) hot ribs
d) perfect pour draft sapporo
e) oysters in delectable sauce
f) great tunes
g) less than $ 60 incl tip
everything came out perfectly, in perfect timing and with grace. What to order:
a) oysters
b) sweet and sour ribs
c) kushi trio including lotus root, eggplant and pork.
d) soba meshi
e) toro avocado aburi
f) one draft beer
this was one great evening…
g

I came to Rajio for a friends birthday party. Before this, I had never heard of Rajio or that there was a restaurant that served kushi-​katsu.
Kushi-​katsu is most famous from Osaka. This is where I first had it. The idea is that you order skewers with different food on them — veggies, meat or seafood — which is then battered and deep fried. When the food comes to the table, their is a communal dipping sauce you would use. Therefore, double dipping is a big no no!!!
Rajio had quite a few tables inside and two out on the patio. Luckily, they took reservations as our group was 16 people.
There were 3 cocktails served that were interesting. Each had a «kids» version (which was non-​alcoholic) and the regular one with the alcohol. I ordered the ‘Rumonade’. You can taste that there was some rum put in it. I’d order this again, but maybe the non-​alcoholic version.
We had a slight misunderstanding for our Kushi-​katsu order — it was given to the other side of the table. Hence, the reason why I’m giving this place 3 stars. Luckily they were understanding and put in a reorder for us for what did not come. Unfortunately, I personally found the dipping sauce to be on the salty side, especially after the first few skewers.
The other dishes on the menu was good, but I found some of the portions to be too small.
I don’t think I would go out of my way to come back here, unless it was for a special occasion.

Herausragende essenserfahrung… hier wird das moderne Japankonzept von a-​z durchgezogen. .lauter japanpop… die Kellnerinen sprechen nur schlecht englisch…90% japaner im laden… perfekt!!!
Die Küche ist modern interpretiert und recht wild… alles was wir hatten war gut bis sehr gut… frisch…lecker abgeschmeckt. .toll angerichtet! !!

I had the hindsight of making a reservation a week early, which really served useful as the restaurant was busy and almost full when we arrived at 6. Families and young adults were already feasting on all sides of the room, the people happily munching away at their food.
After being greeted semi-​enthusiastically by the two waiters, we were quickly ushered into our seats and were presented with the menu. The menu itself was in the style of a pamphlet, full of bright colours and funky lettering. I thought that it matched the restaurant’s atmosphere well, in which everything appeared trendy and definitely Japanese.
Our orders came incredibly fast– not that I’m complaining! It just felt as though my friend and I had barely spoken two sentences before the first dish arrived, the beautiful carpaccio laid out like a sparkling row of jewels. It was bright and citrusy. The only down part was that the fish was lost among a sea of sauces.
Our second dish arrived with the same breakneck pace. The Bang-​Bang chicken, while interesting-​sounding, was lacklustre and not memorable. The same with the fried skewers that came afterwards. The sushi was pretty yummy and just as refreshing as the carpaccio, but it wasn’t groundbreaking. I’ve had better sushi in my life.
The tea came in a small metal pot and refills were accepted by eager hands. Service was quick but sometimes confusing, as they weren’t completely fluent in English. This restaurant is alright– a solid B. Not bad, but not amazing. Come for a casual night out with a few friends, or just a lovely dinner for one!