By Ryan Petersen (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: May 9, 2012
1105-20631 Fraser Hwy, Langley
604.530.3511
Hours: Mon to Fri: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sat and Sun: 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Tues: closed
Cost: $15 and under
With appetite and bemused friend in tow, I hit the trail to find delicious and affordable eats. This week takes me out to Langley as I try the much talked about sushi emporium, Maru. I do not know, dear readers, what it is that makes North Americans so addicted to the strip mall set-up, but again I find my purveyor of Nippon-style delicacies smack dab between a Weight Watchers and a Laundromat. How charming. But not to worry, the clever owners of Maru have taken the guesswork out of distinguishing between their establishment and the surrounding merchants by plastering large pictures of fish and sushi on their windows.
After making certain that we had not wandered into the dietitian’s facility, we were greeted with a friendly hello and the wonderful surroundings of quintessential Japan, at least as far as the Western eye is concerned. The establishment was decorated with small plants and trees and plenty of traditional artwork. The seating arrangement was split between private booths on the outer edge of the restaurant to smaller booths centred in the middle. Both outer and inner booths were done in light pine wood. The overall effect created a somewhat busy yet cozy atmosphere for diners.
With a quick glance over the menu—and considering the unseasonably cool weather we have been having—my friend and I decided upon Miso Soup (a warm savoury soup made with fermented soy paste and garnished with green onion and tofu—much more delicious than it sounds) to start. We decided to follow the Miso Soup with Agedashi Tofu (deep fried tofu), Hamachi Yaki (fried yellowtail), Spicy Crispy Tuna Roll (deep fried spicy tuna roll) and the Sexy Roll (because when a restaurant goes to the trouble of naming a roll that, you eat it).
My only qualm with this wonderful eatery was that the appetizers came out after the main rolls and the delicious miso soup did not come out at all. The soup was missed, but my friend and I were too busy sampling the delicious rolls to bother ourselves with it much.
The Agedashi Tofu was delicious, and enormous, in both serving size and proportion. I had to perform some chopstick scissors action just to pick up a piece. The silken tofu was luscious in a crispy skin and well worth running the risk of garnering any disproving looks from servers for using my chopsticks is such a fashion.
The rolls were wonderful. The Spicy Crispy Tuna Roll had a great spicy taste that paired well with the tuna’s mellow delicate flavour – and who doesn’t like things deep fried? The Sexy Roll was my favourite of the two. It was loaded with salmon, avocado, smoked eel and dressed in a tangy teriyaki sauce. Since salmon and avocado offer such a smooth and creamy flavour, they are a perfect match, but the eel brought a depth of flavour with its smoky, fatty nature that was complemented by the tangy teriyaki. But the piece that garnered both of our attention and praise was the Hamachi Yaki. The grilled fish was delicate with a crisp flesh and an amazing flavour when dipped in the sweet lemon sauce that accompanied it.
The service was friendly, the atmosphere pleasant, the food delicious and prices below $15. Even taking into consideration that lost soup, I would more than happily go back to Maru in Langley for another meal. Incidentally, having fogotten a camera I drew a picture of my friend and myself at the restaurant enjoying some lovely sushi. I hope you enjoy it. Take care, dear readers.
