Mama Izumi and I went on a Foodie Adventure recently and had the pleasure of dining at Raisu Restaurant in the heart of Kitsilano, where all of our foodie desires were satiated with their authentic Japanese cuisine.
I have been eating sushi since I was I was a little girl and they have the freshest, most delicious sashimi I’ve ever had. We shared the Raisu Lunch Meal Special.
You can choose 2 out of these 4 items:
Chef’s choice of sashimi (3 kinds), deep fried dishes (2 kinds), today’s meat dish, and today’s grilled fish.
Their lunch special also includes rice, miso soup, small dish, homemade pickles and salad.
We also feasted on their Bluefin Tuna Deluxe Seafood Bowl. And although we were stuffed full of yuminess we ordered their Yuzu Parfiat and Souffle Cheesecake for dessert.
Mama and I highly recommend Raisu to fans of sushi, sashimi, and Japanese food!
I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the people behind Raisu. I had the opportunity to interview their Assistant Manager, Yumi Takeshita.
Exclusive Interview with Raisu’s Assistant Manager
M: When did Raisu first open for business? Who is the founder?
Y: Raisu opened on July 2, 2016 as a sister restaurant to Kingyo Izukaya, Suika Snackbar, and Rajio Public House. All 4 restaurants are under the Tamaru Shoten Marketing Corp umbrella.
Minoru Tamaru began Kingyo about 10 years ago because he wanted to introduce people in Vancouver to Izakaya culture and provide authentic Japanese meals.
Inspiration for Opening Raisu and Providing Authentic Japanese Cuisine
M: What was Minoru’s inspiration for Raisu? Is he the sole owner or does he have business partners?
Y: Yes, he is doing this business by himself. Raisu’s concept is 80’s Japanese culture and Teishoku (balanced meal set).
M: Yumi, where are you originally from? If you moved to Vancouver, why did you move here?
Y: I am from Japan and I hoped to live abroad when I there. I had heard Vancouver is the best city to live and I was interested what the Japanese culture was like here too.
M: What did you do prior to working at Raisu?
Y: I worked for 8 years at Coca-Cola bottlers in Fukuoka prefecture, in Japan. I was sales person, sales office administrator and HR. When I came here in Vancouver, I worked at JAPADOG as a manager, and went to college, worked as an accountant at an agency for Japanese students who want to study in Canada.
Then now I am working at Raisu. I have been working here 3 years and I am assistant manager fortunately since April. All my job experiences are now with food.
M: If you were in a different industry, did you enjoy your former career?
Y: Yes, absolutely. I enjoyed working every occasion. There are a lot of good things to know and learn. If it does not relate between each industry, I can find relations and there is no waste time that I have experienced.
Is University Important for Future Business Owners?
M: Did you go to university? If so, what did you study? Which university did you attend? Would you advise others to pursue a degree before opening their own business?
Y: Yes, I graduated Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka, Japan, and I earned a Bachelor of Law Degree.
I might recommend to pursue, but if they have clear future vision, that is no need to. However it is very worth time to pursue something and make friends before doing business. I think it is very important at that term.
M: Do you have any interest to own your own business?
Y: Yes I do, but I need to learn about business more, so I start working at Raisu.
Yumi’s Philosophy
M: Do you have a philosophy in life or famous quote you would like to share with everyone?
Y: Live everyday happily, that makes your future happy!
This is my philosophy to live but I am not sure there is similar quote in English.
MILESTONES
Raisu just celebrated it’s 5 Year Anniversary July 2nd 2021.
Go in to congratulate them in person at 2340 West 4th Street or learn more about Raisu visit their website. You also have the option to order online and follow them on Instagram.
