Aburi To-Go: Elevated specialty grocery shop to open in Vancouver

Aburi Restaurants Canada is at it again with fresh offerings for fans of its incredible Japanese fare. This time, it’s got a brand new concept for us — an Aburi To-Go store.

Located at 1112 Mainland Street in Yaletown (next to much-loved sister spot Minami) Aburi To-Go is a specialty grocery shop that offers customers an elevated and thoughtfully curated selection of Japanese-West Coast cuisine, both ready-to-eat and ready-to-make options will be available.

• See also: 
  • New tavern slated to open in Fraser Valley golf course clubhouse (PHOTOS)
  • 6 new Vancouver must-try restaurants to check out soon
  • A running list of 190+ patios in Vancouver to visit (MAP)

This new concept is the first of its kind in Canada for the group, and it has taken over the 1,000-sq-ft space previously used as Minami’s Blue Ocean private room.

The room has been transformed to become a one-stop-shop for chef-made, grab-and-go bites, housemade bottled condiments and grocery items, frozen offerings, family and individual meal kits, and snacks and beverages imported from Japan.

Folks will be delighted to see Aburi To-Go’s shelves lined with their favourite products like Gyoza Bar’s mouthwatering Umami Sauce, Spicy Miso Sauce, and other original recipes developed and prepared in-house.

Dessert lovers can look forward to stocking up on pints of house-churned ice cream and sorbets, castella cakes, panna cotta, and what might be one of the most exciting offerings — a personal portion of the brand’s signature Green Tea Opera cake.

“Despite the challenges we’ve faced this past year, we continue to look and move forward by innovating and bringing new Aburi experiences to Canada,” explains Seigo Nakamura, Founder and CEO of Aburi Restaurants Canada.

“I am proud of my dedicated team for bringing our Aburi To-Go vision to life; a place for people to pick up their favourite Aburi meals, housemade desserts, one-of-a-kind plate ware from Japan, and so much more. We hope this will be the first of many Aburi To-Go locations to come.”

The Aburi team ensured Hideki Kimura’s “Dancing Ise Lobsters” mural remained as a fixture in the space.

The room was designed to fuse Japanese artistic tradition with modern touches like the neon sign reading “A Beautiful Wave” — the English translation of Minami.

From sandwiches to sushi, to beer and even Japanese plate ware, Aburi To-Go is sure to be a hit for those looking to get quality eats for a special occasion or just a delicious meal to enjoy at home or a nearby beach or park.

Curbside pickup and delivery via UberEats will also be launching in the coming weeks.

You can check out Aburi To-Go daily from 11:30 am to 8 pm once it officially launches on Wednesday, May 26.

The concept has separate street access so you won’t need to enter Minami to get your goods. Folks who stroll by in the meantime might just find it open if they are lucky.

Aburi To-G0

Address: 1112 Mainland Street, Vancouver (next to Minami)

Instagram