Sakura Days Japan Fair (VanDusen Botanical Gardens) - Vancouver, BC

Just this long weekend is the Sakura Days Japan Fair at the VanDusen Botanical Gardens, which celebrates Japanese culture and heritage.  "Sakura" is actually in reference to the Japanese cherry blossom, a Japanese icon and symbol of spring.  Several of Vancouver's leading Japan-Canada business associations created this unique festival and when the Hungry Piglets found out that Japanese food was also being showcased, we quickly hightailed it over to the gardens for a taste.

There are a variety of activities happening today from taiko drumming, dancing, sake tasting, all the way to...

Calligraphy and music...

Dressing up in the traditional yukata...

Anime?  LOL

The cherry blossoms are in bloom...  So beautiful...  What else was there?  Food, of course!  What did the Piglets try out?

Zipang Sushi

Takoyaki Balls (6) - $5

Pretty good for mixing in a plastic pail with an industrial mixer!  Large pieces of octopus and the center is not too runny (which I can't stand!).  Toasted really well on the outside and there's a good helping of bonito flakes and sweet/salty takoyaki sauce on top.  There's a reason why this place had such a long lineup even before noon.

Zakkushi Charcoal Grill

Chicken Yakitori (4 skewers) - $5

Nicely grilled - it has a nice charcoal taste that is just faint enough to be enjoyable and the sauce is sweet but not too much so.  The chicken is tender and still moist despite being grilled.  These guys know their way around a charcoal grill my friends.  My only qualm was that my skewers came from beneath a table...  they were grilling in front of me but the server took my skewers out from beneath a counter and they were only slightly warm.  I guess the grilling in front of you is just for show...

 

Ramen Jinya

Bowl of Ramen with pop - $6 (added an egg for $1)

Egg was slightly undercooked in the middle but somehow it tasted good that way.  The broth was thick with lots of flavor, I thought a bit salty but Mr. Piglet really enjoyed it.  The pork needed to be a bit more tender as the meat portion a bit on the tough side for pork in soup and the fat was super chewy.  The noodles were a bit odd, not your traditional ramen and if I had the choice, I probably would've chosen a different noodle.  For a food stand in the middle of a botanical garden, it was ok.

Great entertainment + beautiful gardens + variety of activities + perfectly partially sunny day + a slew of food vendors = satisfied Piglets.  We'll definitely come back next year and recommend you go as well!


Pros:

• Variety of food vendors and activities
• Beautiful setting with plenty of walking that can be done
• Lots of different activities

Cons:

• Cash only
• Limited tables and chairs (but lots of field space if you don't mind sitting on grass)

More details can be found at: http://www.vandusengarden.org/