Stem Japanese Eatery in Burnaby

First of all, this is for our take-out experience, not dine-in. We need to order for Sunday night and since Stem was nearby our house, we would like to try their take outs. When we called at 5:05pm, we were told that the take-out usually takes 1 to 2 hours to be ready... and since we had dine-in experience there before, wed like to go ahead with our order which was told to be ready at 6:30pm! We ordered the Premium Sushi Plate for two which includes 10 kinds of sushi x 2pcs each and 1 roll and is priced at $123! one beef curry rice and one mall roll. When we finally received the sushi plate, all items are incredibly small. 20 tiny pieces plus one tiny roll in one take out box for $123.... the fish quality is not bad, but all these little sushi plate for $123 for one order? and we were only 50% full after all the sushi. This is the most overpriced sushi item weve ever ordered and definitely dont understand why it takes a restaurant 1 to 2 hours to make it.... If the restaurant is more focusing on dine-in experience and quality, then you shouldnt offer take-out services. If you do, you should definitely reconsider the price and time spending on making it. Will not try again or recommend it to anyone for take-outs.

Happy that I had my first omakase from Stem. It was a pleasant experience with various dishes and sushi in Stem style. Nice and kind staff and cozy vibes made us feel comfy during the course.

We loved to visit this restaurant once our birthdays or anniversary and usually they are pretty good. But tonight I m very disappointed! We ordered our staub gohan from very beginning because we know it take 20-30mins to cook it. But I think our staub gohan went to someone s table! I was very upset when the server come to tell me they are forgot to cook it!? Need wait another 20mins! No way to let us wait for that long since we already siting there eating other dishes for 30-40 mins. Quality control need to be improved! Also the customer service needs to be improved too as my opinion! Not too happy for our anniversary dinner!

The most Japanese restaurant I ever went in Vancouver, including the vibe and service. The ice cream is impressive, but if you have Japan imported uni that would be perfect, bc uni has a fishy taste

A really cute cozy restaurant with good Japanese food!!Deserts were my absolute favorites even though I usually not really into sweets! miso cheesecake, yum!!

Best Japanese restaurant in Vancouver! Dashimaki Tamago and Tomato ohitashi are amazing!! Also Staff are very polite and friendly!

Highly recommended, dine in ordered 8pcs Chef Omakase Nigiri, and Bluefin Tuna, the texture of the fish is amazing, so fresh, this restaurant can competed to other restaurant in Vancouver downtown, cant find other one in Burnaby city. PS. The Bluefin Tuna came with 5pcs, the photo captured after I took one pcs.

Just few blocks away from my home. Come here often. For me the best in Burnaby!

One of the top 5 Japanese restaurants in lower mainland. Highly recommend making reservations ahead of time, and if youre trying full omakase, book with 24 hours notice. Or do mini omakase with no notice. The sashimi here is high quality and fresh. Everything is prepared with such care and attention. Service was excellent, very attentive, always watching to see if were ready for next course at our pace.

Authentic Japanese food from one of Canadas top ranking chefs! Creative dishes, each bite is a taste sensation made with the freshest ingredients. Design is exquisite and the server informed us of the nuances of each dish. Chef Katagiri and his team never fail to Wow. Try his perfectly paired wines. Simple decor is traditional. A Vancouver treasure!!

Very good food and very good service. Also very authentically Japanese.

I had the mini omakase and everything was super delicious especially the last course wagyu soup rice, the smokiness was just right and wasn t overpowering.I think it s very worth it for $88. I can t wait to go back again!!

Service here is great but the food is only ok.

Best Japanese food in town! Staff are all very friendly and kind. Chefs are dedicated to their culinary crafts and skills. A true hidden gem.

Top shelf Japanese cuisine.

Disappointing Service Despite Great Food I had a great experience at this restaurant last year, so I decided to make a reservation to celebrate my birthday dinner here. Unfortunately, this visit was a huge disappointment due to the terrible service. We ordered two duck breast dishes, clearly pointing them out on the menu to our waitress. When the food arrived, we noticed that we were served a completely different fish dish. We immediately pointed this out to the same waitress who took our order, and her response was unbelievably dismissive: Oh its not what you ordered? But you can still eat it right? This response was incredibly disrespectful, condescending, and unprofessional. We were left with no choice but to eat the dish we did not order. On top of that, they even charged us for the incorrect dish. The food was excellent as always, and the host was kind, but the way the waitress handled the situation ruined our experience. If offered, I had no problem waiting a few extra minutes for the correct dish, but that was not even an option. I hope the service improves, until then I cannot recommend this restaurant as highly as I once did.

5/5 no drama

Tried their tasting menu. Everything was nicely curated. They deserve a Michelin star (guess Burnaby is excluded from Michelin at the moment). Can t wait to try their a la cart items next time.

awesome, dinner, great flavours the tasting me u was delicious, small unimposing restaurant on the outside, lovely and elegant on the inside, wonderful experience strongly recommend

Worth to try

A chance find, We had been at an event and looked for a place nearby for a quick bite to eat with friends. Turned out to be a bit higher end than we expected. They had a spot for us and were extremely nice. We tried a cross section of the less adventurous more familiar fare. It was excellent. Really enjoyed it. Nice friendly. A place for a special visit rather than our casual visit. Which turned out quite special.

Exemplary service, magnificent food. A gem.

We have traveled all over the world in search of hidden gems like this. Located in Burnaby, this izakaya truly hit our mark. From the heartwarming service to the exceptional quality of ingredients and techniques, we were truly transported to our happy place. Throughout our many limitless travels to Japan of nearly 6 months out of the year for over a decade, we have finally found a diamond in a ruff abroad. Their superb suimono that exceeds the levels of upscale ryokans for only $4 bucks? Out of the question. Daily specials from locally sourced ingredients such as zucchini blossoms stuffed with ebi shinjo to obanzai selections which were thoughtfully prepared and portioned were truly sensational. Their Kamo Tsukemen is to die for. We will definitely become their loyal patrons for many years to come!

Make sure you try the small dish, it is an art for the presentation.

Honestly low-key shocked that this place doesnt have a higher rating. We had a variety of small dishes, roles, cones, and the nigiri omakase. each round was more delightful than the last, with the omakase as the piece de resistance. at $75 for 8 its not cheap, but all the fish is imported from Tokyo and absolutely excellent quality. The service was also excellent, Ayumi was attentive and knowledgeable, and she made sure we felt well taken care of. P.s. they have koshihikari rice beer which is EXCELLENT, definitely worth trying. I will absolutely be back for more.

Came here with a small group of friends, servers were so kind, attentive and careful. One of our party has a fish allergy and they went above and beyond to make sure the food he ordered was safe to eat. We had a great time and the food was great and no allergen contamination! Wagyu Tataki Salad, Sablefish and Miso Cheese Eggplant were the favourites of the evening. Dietary restrictions: Fish allergy

5/10/2024 update - I was craving the sable fish collar with miso glaze. With big disappointment, even the menu has the same description the actual dish is not sable fish collar. I enquired about it and the (male) waiter explained that they reduced the portion and adjusted the price. With shrinkation these days, it seems this is inevitable. However my disappointment is about the (male) waiter s response - they no longer use sable fish collar and they presented a dish that s not consistent with description. With my various visits to Japan, Japanese are very true to the quality, presentation and description of their dishes. Very disappointed. Also our next table spoke so loud that s very insensitive to other diners. Overall tonight s dining experience is far from excellence. 1st visit - An amazing dining experience. Very authentic - satisfying my craving while not able to visit Japan. The hot dishes are sooooo good that we are willing to forgo sashimi. The sable fish collar, grilled duck breast, soft shell crab and truffle aioli hand cone, and the matcha dessert are my favourites. Already planning to come back next month to try out the omakase. My new favorite Japanese restaurant in town. Totally love it. 2nd visit - Didn t visit for awhile and tonight we visited again. Consistent great quality of food and attentive service. Very satisfying with great value. Will continue to visit regularly. Highly recommend.

Meals are delicious and fresh The service is very good

First off, I want to start by saying this was one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in the area and I have recommended it to others many times. I made reservations a couple weeks ahead of time and got a reservation for 8:15pm for Valentines Day. We arrived for our reservation right on time and our table was not ready. It took about 5mins to get us seated but thats not a big deal. As we were seated I noticed that we were given the regular a la carte menu and we were not offered the Valentines set menu. We ordered some Sake to start and my girlfriend ordered a cocktail as well. The server came to take our order and I asked about the 6 course Mini Omakase and he apologized that it was sold out for the night so I ordered a bunch of other items from the a la menu including the Chefs choice 8pc Nigiri Omakase. Sadly, the Uni shooters were not available either. After a few minutes he returned to our table to apologize again because he stated that they had no more rice (NO MORE RICE?!) for any sushi at all so I changed to 3 kinds of sashimi instead. The Sake arrived shortly after and along came some of the food. A few dishes arrived and still no sight of the cocktail so we asked the server and he had forgotten about the cocktail altogether. All of the food we ordered was elegantly presented and everything tasted very good but the service was almost non existent. Its Valentines Day and if you need to know ahead of time if we preferred the special Valentines Day menu, why not offer or ask when I made the reservation over the phone 2 weeks prior? If you have a reservation coming in and you are running out of sushi rice already wouldnt you try to make some more before they arrived or at the very least, let the guests know upon arrival that there is no more rice in house to be cooked if thats the case. I dont like making bad google reviews but on a special day like Valentines Day and paying $440 after tip for 2 people, Im definitely not a happy customer and dont know when Ill be dining here again.

Food is just ok. Their service is not worth their price

Great food! Really pricey but worth it. About 9-20 for just a piece of nigiri to give an idea.

This is the best Japanese food in Burnaby hands down. Probably the best I ve had in Canada period. Exceptional service, food, atmosphere, and drinks. Awesome sake menu. Exciting features and special events. Very pricey but worth it. Make it a special date. I adore this place.

Fresh ingredients and seasonal menu, what a beautiful place to enjoy the chefs creation. Do make reservations since this place is packed all the time. The omakase is the way to go, make sure to make your reservation early and enjoy the ride. Food

I went to STEM Japanese Eatery December 27, 2023. I couldn t find the Japanese food I was dreaming of in Vancouver, so I was thinking of going to Japan someday. Today, I got my wish. Thank you for giving me a great experience thanks to all of STEM Japanese Eatery staff. I also asked wife to express her gratitude for letting me experience a place I wouldn t be embarrassed to introduce to my clients. Happy New Year

Came here for dinner after it was recommended by a coworker, and ordered the grilled sablefish, duck tsukemen, obanzai appetizer platter, nigiri and temaki. The food was amazing and beautifully presented as expected - however, it was on the pricey side for 2 people. Still a great dining experience overall, make sure to make a reservation in advance!

Delicious above average sushi. Everything was beautifully plated. The texture of the noodles for the duck tsukemen was firm and chewy in a good way and just like in Japan but the portion of the noodles could have been a bit more. The Ozoumi Mochi soup was delicious with nice smoky flavour and chewy, stretchy mochi. The 8 piece Chef s Omakase flight of Nigiri was a great way to sample different fish . The desserts were delicious. We tried the miso caramel cheesecake which tasted exactly as described like salted caramel only with miso. The sake ice cream had lots of sake flavour and was very unique. Everything was very tasty but I would just say the food overall had less finesse than other similar establishments for the same price point.

Was my first time here and it was amazing. It was a traditional Japanese restaurant, lots of seating, very cute. Food was not over the top, traditional with a twist. I thought it was was a fun and tasty take on Japanese cuisine. Staff was friendly, food was awesome, highly recommend

Wonderful Omakase experience Kid-friendliness: Kids menu provided with lots of choice Food : 5/5 |

Beautiful dinner at a wonderful restaurant. What a night.

Yummy dinner! Neat and small eating venue. With grand service, and big menu and complex flavors. Nothing we didnt like. If I have to find something to contribute i would say some dishes, mainly miso ones, are a but salty to my raste; for Oden broth, I would personally prefer to have more a bit more watery and lighter soup (more water, same amount of seasonings) -its a bit thick and strong instead of refreshing for a soup. Again, these are just my personal taste. Overall, we enjoyed all dishes.

Excellent food in an unassuming setting - this place is a gem. Great customer service too.

A sweet cozy hidden gem in Burnaby. The food was amazing and the staff offer top notch friendly service. Definitely will return!

We always get the bento boxes and they re a decent size. But this time, we wanted to try something different so inquired about the Staub Gohan. They replied back saying it s $34 for 2-3 people. So we placed the order and picked up. When we got home, it turned out to be just the one container with rice and salmon. There was a lot of rice, but still would only feed 1.5 of us, based on the one bento per person size. As for the salmon, that portion was barely even enough for one person super disappointed. And it was undercooked too. To add to that, we emailed back Stem to clarify if they really meant for 2-3 people or maybe we were missing a box? And they did not even bother to reply back. Very disappointed.

This is the best Japanese food in Burnaby bar none. The staff is attentive and sweet, while the ambiance is cozy and quaint. For appetizers I ve only tried the Dashi Maki Tamago, Chawan Mushi and Uni Shooter. I recommend the Karaage chicken and Agedashi Tofu for people who aren t as adventurous. As for mains, go with either the Duck or Salmon Staub Gohan. If you aren t in the mood for rice then the Beef Cheeks or Koji Duck is the way to go. The Sushi and Sashimi selection is absolutely delicious, while the Omakase is thoroughly planned out with great precision & execution.

Great place, great food, great service. We had the full Omakase course. They serve genuine and delicate Japanese food with a great twist blending in local ingredients. We will definitely be coming back!

I came here twice ! I would definitely recommend the duck tsukemen! My favorite dish here. The rest of the specials and dishes are good too ! Their nigiri is more on the traditional side,they dont do any searing to engawa. Their hojicha creme brulee was fantastic! Not overly sweet just right. I hope to try their omakase another time !

Highly recommend. Fresh local ingredients. Amazing craftsmanship. Divine taste. Friendly staff.

You can enjoy delicious food and drinks that combine Japanese and local ingredients. They always provided fun times and I was able to spend happy time with my children. I want to come again.

Good but prices

Not your typical Japanese restaurant as far as choices and menu items. Most of the ever present dishes in every place are prepared and presented in a more elevated and sophisticated way and there are many other dishes that you will not find in another place. A bit on the expensive side but the best things most are that way

This place was amazing! We loved all of food items that we tried and enjoyed so much until we are filled up with goodness! +plus I really loved the choice of dishes in this place (they were all unique and beautiful!!!)

We had the mini set dinner. It was a great experience, and the food was both beautiful and delicious. Staff was very attentive. All in all, I would suggest trying this place if you like Japanese food and want to experience some finer dining.

The Omakase course was really good, and they changed their menu to pair with seasonal ingredients, so there is always something different on with the menu. Omakase is only available on set days. Deposit is required for Omakase. The food and presentation were really good. Everything was delicious. Servers explained all the dishes. Its one of my favorite restaurants.

One of my fav Japanese restauraunts!

Kid-friendliness: There is kids menu Food

Super expensive food.

I had heard about Stem and hadnt got the chance to go until recently. I found Stem to have a very clean atmosphere, reasonable service. Food prices can add up but I found whatever I tried to be quite tasty and well prepared. I may change my food rating in the future if I go for another visit and try a bit more of the menu.

Came here with my father and we ordered a variety of dishes. Our waitress was nice but it all went out of the window when it came to the bill. A guy who didn t serve us came to take payment and as my father adjusted tip to 15% and said thank you, the guy did not say anything. Instead he walked to our waitress, who stood besides me and said they didn t give 18%. She proceeded to also not acknowledge us until the chefs did. It is unacceptable for staff to decide what tip they deserve and then choose how to act according to the tip. Unbelievable & disgusting. Our bill for two was $250 as well.

The 8 piece nigiri was amazing.

Overall...pricy (not worth by comparing the fine dinning experiences we had in Japan - I just came back from Japan few days ago)...we did not get the chance to try the omakase dinner and our options are based on what we ordered from their menu only. The sashimi (omakase) 2x7 kinds are the most cheapest types fish chosen by the chief so it is not worth for 95 dollars (one dish). The jaw dish was not fresh and fishery even they were marinated heavily and the beef dish was a bid dry and fiber-ish, so not sure if they used wagyu beef as they mentioned on the menu. It was busy during our dinning but it was not such busy to be ignored totally.

Portion was small and a bit pricey, but the greentea tiramisu was good!

Average food and over price

Best Japanese in town!

Would it be wrong to go again later tonight? .Amazing choices available. Best food I have had this year.

Great food and loved all the local ingredients. Service was very quick and we felt very taken care of.

Once again top notch food and service. Try the Omakase dinner. It s worth it! My wife and I choose to go with the nigiri option rather than the rice bowl option-too much food.

Had a great experience here tonight. It was my first time coming here, and I really liked everything about it. I wish I had gotten our servers name but she was very very good, just the right amount of everything youd want in a server. Will definitely come back!

Over priced for sure. Don t order the lamb. We tried a many dishes and every thing was underwhelming. I wouldn t recommend this place to anyone.

One of the best restaurants I ever had the pleasure to eat

Overall experience was great. Food is excellent and quality top notch.

I am a repeat customer here. Not sure if you call this place an authentic Japanese restaurant from Japanese person s POV, but food is always good! While I always enjoy their food ( desserts are also yummy), atmosphere, cute dishes and service, I had a bad experience tonight with one of their servers. This server told me that the bill does not include tip after I paid w/ my card, insinuating I don t know or didn t leave any, when I left cash on the table right in front of her, I was taken aback and felt insulted. I told her I left my tip on the table. She did not even apologize and she took (almost like grabbing) the money even before we left the table. Up until then everything was perfect she basically ruined my dining experience at STEM. I hope my tip went to other wonderful servers and not her

Kid-friendliness: The childrens menu is very good!

The culinary experience of a lifetime. If you have any pallet, this will be one of the best meals you have in your life. I am so happy to have this experience. Thank you STEM!

We love Stem!

Absolute best. The use of local seasonal ingredients and very much other fine ones too compiled with outstanding execution balancing flavour with texture all the way through to dessert. You will not find this ANYWHERE else in Vancouver. You leave feeling fresh and your body feels so good with true noiroshment. I often leave many dinners in the city feeling sick from conventional ingredients, including low quality garlic, onion and spices which have me up all night with bloating and reflux. I always leave Stem feeling light and very much sound asleep! Amazing drink selection and absolutely the best staff who do no more than work constantly to make sure you feel hospitable. They love and care about what they do. Ignore the negative reviews. This place is a symphony. Thank you!

Average Japanese food at best. Their gohan dishes were below average. Ambiance was great however. Probably will not come back.

Best japanese food ever

The service was great and the place was intimate. I was disappointed in the quality of the scallop, as I had expected better

Ate here last weekend, I didnt get a chance to thank our chefs and server properly. We had the omakase menu and it was fantastic. The presentation was excellent, and the choices of local seasonal ingredients fit the mood for a drizzly fall day. Favourites were the Muku-Zuke course sashimi and the Kabocha Squash Goma Tofu.

Had high hopes, so easily disappointed by just ok experience, not really any wow moments. Stand out dish was the wagyu with uni top. Crab salad was not well balanced - bitter radish shoots masked any crab appeal. Grilled shoyu koji duck plated on mashed pumpkin was an odd choice, texturally. Tasted ok, separately but didnt quite work for me together. Cute decor. Aesthetic vibe and professional service. Overall, not worth it for the $$$. Vegetarian options: Limited selection. Miso cheese eggplant - ok in small doses, but saltier over time. Mushroom salad - underwhelming, lacked acidity balance. Dashi inari... like a regular inari but 2x$

This is my favourite non-Vancouver restaurant. Yes it is pricey, but you know that going in (if $ is a concern go somewhere else). They food is very good and so is the service. A great Japanese and Hawaiian fusion restaurant.

Truly authentic Japanese food. Service was great. They had to move our reservation date and gave us 10% Off the bill. Friendly and quiet place. Perfect for dates or family dinners.

Good authentic Japanese food. Fresh seasonal ingredients from BC and flown in from Japan. Good hearty flavors. Omakase on Tuesday and Thursday. Get reservations.

All around AMAZING!!!

We love to dine in and also do take out bentos and nigiri sets from Stem. Food is always delicious!

Horrendously overpriced. Not sure how they have the rating that they do for what it is. The tsukemen was $22 and only came with 3 measly pieces of duck. Some of the seafood on the nigiri was not fresh. At this price point you are better off going to Miku where freshness is guaranteed.

Food was unique and tasty, we had 2 ducks dishes and both were cooked well. It was finished off with a refreshing dessert that had many textures - mochi, jelly, ice cream to name just a few. The service was friendly and attentive, answering the many questions we had about ingredients. Atmosphere was wonderful. It had Hawaiian music in the background with decor to match. We love Hawaii so it was nice to feel like we were there even it was a chilly night out. Thank you for a wonderful first visit experience, we will be back to try things we didnt get to!

This was such a treat. Place is on Rumble st. Loads of street parking. Japanese Hawaiian Fusion done right! We were 7 people, each dish and over service was high value and flavor.

I d been wanting to try Stem Japanese Eatery for ages so I was super excited when my husband and I got to join a group of people from Lower Mainland Eats for dinner at Stem Japanese Eatery. The dishes here were so elegantly presented. Presentation, flavors and service were all very impressive. Featured here: Soba Crab Roll Miso Cheese Eggplant Sweet Potato Tempura Local Duck Tsuke Men Grilled Yuzu Soy Marinated Wild Sockeye Salmon Chawan Mushi Obanzai Grilled Shoyu Koji Local Duck Breast Grilled Miso BC Sablefish Collar Renkon Hotate Shinjo Hasami - Age Matcha Tiramisu Only the first 5 dishes on this list belonged to us. The remaining dishes belonged to other people but everyone at the table was kind enough to allow us all to take photos of each others food! My husband enjoyed his Duck Tsuke Men. He said the meat was tender and flavorful. Miso Cheese Eggplant was amazing! We both loved this dish sooo much. Sweet Potato Tempura also blew us away. It was incredibly crispy, didnt feel greasy and was accompanied by an amazing truffle aioli. We have been disappointed a number of times in the past when we ordered or purchased truffle foods and didnt taste any truffle in it. The truffle flavor in this aioli was very prominent so we were very happy with it. The Sockeye Salmon dish was cooked and served in a Staub Cocotte which was a cast iron dish, slightly smaller than an average sized Dutch oven. I loved how piping hot this dish was. It was great for warming the belly plus the Ikura (salmon caviar) really added another dimension of texture and flavor to the dish. The sensation of the Ikura popping in my mouth was similar to the feeling I get when I bite down on boba poppers, and I love boba poppers! Soba Crab Roll was the one dish that was just OK for us. It was more impressive visually than it was when we popped it into our mouths. There was nothing wrong with it, but it just didnt really excite us either. When my cup was empty I asked for more hot water, so our server refilled my cup. I was impressed when she came around later in the evening and refilled it again, without me having to ask this time. Many other restaurants will only refill if/when I ask, or else...they dont even refill at all. Service: Excellent Parking: Free parking on the street Location: 5205 Rumble St., Burnaby, BC

I have been to most of the highest rated and acclaimed restaurants in the Vancouver area and Stem is no contest my favourite. Everything on the menus is always great and service is always friendly.

We have been to Stem several times, and first time we have called in advance and preordered the omakase options, which we loved so much, I think based on what we get, it s great value(in Vancouver). The most recent time we brought a Japanese friend with us to come give it a try, and she said it s the most authentic Japanese food she has ever had in Vancouver. So food is definitely 10/10. However it s very pricey. If you are coming for a regular dinner, to be full you will probably have to pay $100 after tips. I will recommend coming here for omakase. Food I recommend from their regular menu: The Soba crab roll: instead of rice, they fried a special kind of noodles and put it inside the roll. I love it, I can have 10 of these. Sashimi : wow their sashimi is so fresh. I really love Otoro, it melted inside my mouth. Duck noodle: if you want something not just fill your teeth gap, this is it!! It taste so good, I love the way they deal with the ducks. Dessert: all of their desserts are so worth trying, Matcha tiramisu is so special. Miso cheesecake is not for everyone. And the Sobet, loved it. Overall, if you want to impress someone and show you have good taste for food, you should bring them here.

It was excellent... Probably the top 3 Japanese restaurant in BC.

Amazing fresh and seasonal ingredients. One of the best Japanese restaurants in the greater Vancouver area that is doing very interesting things with local ingredients.

Had omakase dinner. Yes.it was expensive but all omakases are expensive and they are actually less then most. The meal was super good! The dessert part was just so so.

Wagyu bento with uni is must try item it delicious .

I had a wonderful omakase experience at Stem. The food was wonderful. The only critique I had was a couple of the dishes were kinda similar...I wouldve want some more diversity. We paid extra $8 for the 3pc nigiri and I loved it! Would definitely come back again.

Best Omakase in whole metro Vancouver!! The quality is better than regular menu!!

Carefully crafted and expertly executed Japanese food. Definitely worth the price of admission.

The best Japanese restaurant in Vancouver. Amazing bluefin tuna!

One of hidden gems in Burnaby! I would totally recommend this Japanese eatery to anyone. The portion/price is on point - probably even on cheaper side. The sable fish collar dish was so flavourful - a must try. The wagyu tataki is also great; it has the right amount of sauce and beautiful plating. The pork jowl is awesome - recommended. The service was also very welcoming, pleasant and attentive as I usually expected at a Japanese restaurant. I didn t mind giving 20% tip, which didn t happen often because service is pretty average at most places. I will definitely come back again to try other dishes.

Exquisite and beautifully plated cuisine. Had probably one of the best (Japanese ) meals of my life. Definitely not cheap, but great for the ambience and a special occasion. The flavours are very unique, and they use local and Japanese ingredients. Also did takeout from here, and food was still delicious.

Phenomenal food and service. What a hidden gem! Every dish was fresh and completely unique. Elevated compared to your usual Japanese fare in Burnaby. A wide array of tasty appetizers and the drinks hit the spot too. Highly recommend!! We will be back.

Pricy however worthy.

The chef is originally from zest restaurant. The guy is very talented. He has a range of price points which is interesting. This sort of fits the local neighborhood but also caters to those who consider this a destination restaurant. Most likely this is the third. Best, Japanese restaurant in Vancouver. The first and second being yuwa restaurant masayoshi restaurant. Both of those are interchangeable as number one in number two. Please note that they like playing Hawaiian music because the co-owner happens to like Hawaiian music. :-)

Amazing... you gotta eat here :-)

We took the conscious decision to go with only items in the seasonal menu, no sushi or sashimi. None of the dishes we ordered Ive had before and for the most part were hit or miss. The tampura fiddleheads with matcha salt was fantastic. The uni shooter on the other hand, I found the texture a little odd and you lose the taste of the delicate uni. Service was excellent, you get to choose you sake cup which is fun. Interior is cozy but small, reservations are highly recommended seeing as they get quite busy. Not many other solid dining options in the area. Highly recommend. Edit: recent visit was excellent, the experience only got better. 5/5

Wow

Small potions but high quality food. Weve got 7 or 8 dishes for 2ppl and we barely got full. P.S. my fav is the stove rice, must try! Edited on March 2022: Ive tried the Wagyu bento, Karaage bento and Meat lover bento and they were soooo good. My fav is Karaage bento because I got good amount of both vegetables and meats with well seasoned. Karaage was juicy and all the sides are just amazing. I would say the koji wagyu steaks(with the mushrooms on bottom) were too salty in my opinion, but I am totally satisfied!

Stem Japanese Eatery is a hidden gem in the neighborhood! Foods are tasty and fresh. We ordered a pot of organic green tea and a cup of matcha. I liked the green tea more than the matcha. The pot of green tea came with a lot of tea leaf (u get more than u paid)! But its a bit too strong for me though. We ordered two omakase, one uni shooter, one soft shell crab hand roll, one chawanmushi, one wagyu salad and a braised pork dish. Since the dishes are so delicated, we (2 persons)still feel hungry after spending $200 (tax & tips not included). Anyway, worth to try. Reserve your seat ahead.

Food is good but the portions are small and pricey. I tried their omakase two years ago but their prices have almost doubled since then Not sure if it s worth it anymore but the à la carte menu has some pretty good options and the service and atmosphere was nice.

Great high end Japanese restaurant in a non-flashy neighbourhood. All the ingredients are high end and reflected in their pricing. As is with the Japanese, service was excellent and presentation of food top notch. This isnt your usual $15 dollar ramen place or $15 dollar Sushi Garden. Expect a nice paced dinner with smaller portions, but exquisite food. Great place for a special occasion.

Excellent service, great atmosphere, nice sake, great omakaze. Kids also loved it!

We went here on a chance. We read some of the reviews and thought what the heck. There were some reservations, like what is a Japanese restaurant of this caliber doing in Burnaby, let alone South Burnaby, away from the crowd. But dont know until you try. We were surprised at the size it is relatively small but the space is used efficiently, especially during these times. Precautions were in place to give a pleasant dining experience. Our vaccination cards were scanned prior to seating; to be expected. We made reservations for the the Omaske menu and it was good, very good. We paired it with both the wine and sake tasting menus as well. The selection of sake was also very good, it was surprising that different producing areas could taste dramatically different despite using three similar ingredients; tasty. The wine selections were good as well. The main reason for this was to experience different sake & wine that would never be tried before individually. Now the food. It was pure Japanese cuisine, not sushi or sashimi; although they do have it on their main menu. This was creations using fresh fish, vegetables and other ingredients that were gorgeous to look at but tasted incredible. One dish that stood out was the cauliflower tofu, yes cauliflower. Another was a dashi broth with somen, this was surprisingly flavourful despite the simplicity. And the duck breast was very tasty. Overall the meal was excellent. My only complaint is the sheer volume of dishes in the tasting menu; 29. Yes you read correctly, 29 items. In fact there was so much food that the last course, their signature rice, was not touched but taken home. And then there was dessert. Overall an excellent dining experience, which took 2½ hrs, from a restaurant that looks simple but its far from it. If you would love a unique dining experience you should try their Omasake menu.

Amazing! Well balanced and inventive dishes. I love the use of seasonal ingredients, staff are friendly, attentive and helpful. (Crazy good timing too) Must try the duck tsukemen its to die for

STEM Japanese Eatery is an experience one must try. The care and attention put on the food is simply exceptional.

The best Japanese Izakaya kappo in Vancouver.

unique delicate and delicious food good service

Came here for omakase. Will try the a la carte next time.

Traditional Japanese food

Fantastic Japanese restaurant! Very authentic and the food is delicious.

Phenomenal food and service for the entire night. The place is a bit on the smaller side, but if you re able to get a table (and willing to spend a little), you re in for a great meal. The duck, matcha salted eel tempura and the fish collar are standouts for the night. Highly recommend for anyone in the area, or anyone in Vancouver willing to drive out a bit. Thanks Stem team!

First time at Stem, will come back for more.

One of my favorite restaurants, and usually one of our top 5 places to go for a special dinner . A bit on the pricier side but the quality and service are top notch. Menu changes for the season and new specials are unique. Imported Sashimi (many from Japan) and unique and tasty. Deciding on what to try can be a challenge, so we usually end up overeating!

The worst service ever seen. No recommend, just avoid.

This is easily one of the best dining experiences Ive had in years. I cant say enough good about it, so I wont. Do yourself a favor, see for yourself.

Love it , will definitely come back again .

Used to love this place but lately is very difficult to make a reservation. Call more than 5 times all went to voice mail and no one called back.

The restaurant is located near Metro Town, so the transportation is not very convenient, but the taste is at the same level as the high-quality Japanese food youll find in Japan. Although the price is not cheap, it is recommended for those who miss Japanese food in Vancouver. The staff are also Japanese and you can order in Japanese. (^^)

Id say this should have an extra dollar sign from Google from 3 to 4. The decor was spot on and the food was phenomenal! Everything we had tasted good but the tamago really stood out, probably the best thing Ive tasted in a while. The only thing holding me back from a 5 star is the cocktails we had were pretty small considering price and not as unique and creative as the dishes. Try the tamago or the Zucchini blooms!

Fancy high quality Japanese food. Everything was delicious tasting. Do wish the price is more affordable for the portions though. (Only cause it is so delicious, I would like to frequent more often, instead of once in a while as a special meal).

Wonderful experience, Yummy food, professional and friendly staff, they explain the details for every dishes. Definitely will come back again. Recommended.

Very fresh ingredients and exquisite products. Will come again next time

Great eatery! Very busy. Make reservations.

Highly Satisfied

Great Omakase!

This is one of the best sushi restaurants in the lower mainland. Love their changing seasonal menu and such great staff.

Underrated quality Japanese spot with fresh high quality ingredients! Some of the best karaage I ve tried.

Amazing

The Chef s special nigiri was amazing. Pork jowl and eggplants were freaking delicious too!! Fresh ingredients!

Temporarily closed for summer vacation from August 1st to 17th 2022 but not reflected on google map. A kindly reminder for anyone who wanna go during this period.

Delicious. Pricey but delicious. Excellent service, good environment. You get what you pay for, food was top notch.

Our visit here started with a tasting flight of the sake. I recommend sampling the plum and Berry ones and accompanying them with the chefs choice of starter. Dishes were fresh and flavorful. Would come again

Very unique Japanese restaurant. Lots of interesting flavours and ingredients. Great experiencning new taste, though not all are tasty... I think sashimi needs to be served first (food with more delicate flavours) then serve heavier flavour items... Good service. Good ambiance. Expensive. Lots of parking around. Will be back.

This restaurant is a hidden gem and has a unique menu much different from other same old same old Japanese restaurants. The place is packed every night and dont come without a reservation. Best to check out the menu on its website to have a basic idea of what to order before coming as its extensive.

The best Japanese Omakase Kaiseki in metro vancouver. Fresh ingredient from local and Japan. Well balanced ingredients and sauce. If you love Japanese food gotta try here.

STEM Omakase, one of the best culinary experiences in Vancouver. My partner and I came here for our anniversary and reserved an omakase meal which resulted in a culinary tasting adventure of 24 tiny dishes that had some of the interesting flavours that mixed Japanese cuisine with local west coast ingredients. Flavours I questioned were executed flawlessly. I would highly recommend reserving the omakase and any reservation ahead of time. Thank you to the STEM team for a fantastic evening and one of the best culinary experiences Ive ever had. We look forward to visiting again.

Disappointing experience and less than exciting food for this small establishment. I went here on my lunch break once and had to wait because they didnt make my food until I arrived to pick it up. Another time with family I had to wait over 30 minutes for a table but were told only bar seats were available without a reservation which books a table for 2 hours. Remember to book if you want to eat here or be turned away from the prideful hosts holding half the restaurant to reservations ! Unbelievable. I will not recommend this to others without having to sit at the bar and eat the whole time or be turned away from empty tables being held for hours lol Learn to service at busy hours or be honest with customers rather than pretend that your reservation system makes no sense. The pricing is not reflective of their poor service.

Awesome food and excellent service

STEM Omakase has good value for money and looks good. The menu is different every time I go, so you must make a reservation in advance to eat omakase!

Fantastic food, service and overall experience. A hidden Gem in Burnaby.

Delicious dishes and great service, the servers were very attentive. Kid friendly options, and some izakaya style dishes. Hawaiian theme was quirky. Kid-friendliness: Kid friendly menu available.

Amazing service and FOOD and sake :)

If you want high quality Japanese food, and not just of the sushi variety, this place is for you. Theyre a small restaurant though and are always full, so make a reservation if you can. They have a much smaller sushi/nigiri/sashimi menu than a typical Japanese place so make sure you check the menu before you come. Their sweet potato fries are probably the best thing on the menu - its like they sprinkled crack on it. Once here, be prepared to spend a LOT or to leave hungry. The portions are definitely a lot smaller than youd expect. Most appetizers are bite sized and barely suitable to share with another person. For the price youd think thered be quite a bit, but you will be sorely mistaken. Think $9 for a single piece of nigiri, $1/piece of agedashi tofu, or $21 for 4 single-bite appetizers. For a dinner with 3 people, we spent $200 before tip, including 2 beers + 1 small sake, and 2 of us went home and made an instant ramen.

Its likely the best Japanese restaurant in town for non-raw Japanese foods. Good selections in the manu. Its in a older building and the deco in is also aged. Service is very good and fast. Seasonal dishes are always my choices. It is usually busy and you better make reservations early.

Maybe my expectations were too high but wasn t very impressed with the taste of the dishes we picked. Also didn t find it to be worth the price :/ Can find better Japanese restaurants downtown but if you live nearby it s worth a try.

After reading so many positive reviews, My expectation was quite high. I was scared that I m setting myself for a disappointment but boy I was wrong. I m quite picky about sashimi and nigiri and the quality at Stem restaurant is unmatched anywhere in Canada. The restaurant is pricier end but so worth it for those who is looking for good quality fish. I will definitely return here. Cons: price :) especially for wagyu steak.

Very nice ambience and extraordinary service. Very high quality food. Its a very special and genuine place. I went there with some friends who are into drinking and like Izakaya style food. Personally, thats not my go to, however I can appreciate the effort everyone put at this place to provide a good service and awesome experience. Its a bit overpriced for me, but its good for special occasions.

Overall a good experience. The effort the chefs put into their sauces and garnishes is higher than other Japanese restaurants. Just a bit pricey though.

What an amazing hidden gem in Burnaby! Fantastic vibe with great music in background to enhance the ambience. We had 4 of the Sake flights and each was handpicked and unique! Such a cool way to have a try of different flavors and compliment your Omakase experience! By far favorite was the squid Nigiri, spring rolls and Miso cheesecake! Beats any Omakase Ive experienced in Van so far including Tojo (sorry). Thank you for a fantastic dinner!

bad reservation experience...

All the food is mediocre, eggplant is a little salty and not impressed. The sushi rice is too dry and taste like it has been in the fridge for too long. I thought it was brown rice at first but after examination it was just white rice, please use it for fried rice not for sushi. I wasn t full but I don t want to order more since all the dishes are disappointing. If I m paying 74 dollars per person I expect more than this.

Fantastic food, service and atmosphere.

It is a very detailed Japan restaurant, all the food is very fresh, the fish jaw is super delicious, it is really match with miso, the duck cold noodles recommended by the clerk is really refreshing, the duck meat is very tender and delicious. The environment is very clean. Every shelf and cabinet is very clean. The semi-open kitchen is also very clean. I can t find so where is mess. The server are very kind and the service is very good. I will definitely come back next time!!! The first experience was very good, and I liked the restaurant very much.

Such a gem! Incredible flavors and beautiful food are always in store for us when we visit this delightful place

MUST try

This was a lovely experience. The hostess spoke Japanese (shes been in Canada for five years) so I was able to practice my limited language skills with her. The restaurant decor is Japan by way of Hawaii (or vice versa), which surprised me. The food was delicious, inventive, and quite different from your run-of-the-mill Japanese restaurant. Its in a nothing-special location in Burnaby, so it was also a surprise that the restaurant was of such good quality. I would heartily recommend it for a special occasion dinner. One fun note I was telling my family about my recent trip to Japan, and how much I loved trying barracuda and shiso flowers ... and lo and behold, there were shiso flowers as a garnish, and barracuda was one of the sushi omakase offerings. I was so delighted! Id though no shisho flowers for me, until the next trip to Japan, but I was wrong. Thanks, STEM!