Kamei Royale hosted its grand opening celebration on June 23rd at its new location at 1066 West Hastings Street, a few blocks down from where it was before on West Georgia. Their grand opening party treated VIP guests and local foodies to an evening of Japanese entertainment and sampling of its menu. Sushi, oysters, bite-sized appetizers on crackers, wine, and Sapporo beer were served while guests waited on the entertainment.

Servers and hosts were dressed up for the occasional – men in suits and ladies in traditional Japanese kimonos. Along with an opening speech, entertainment included taiko drumming, a Japanese lion dancing, a blue fin tuna cutting demo, and a traditional Japanese musical performance. We stayed for the blue fin tuna cutting demo – from my understanding the tuna was well over 100 lbs – that’s a lot of tuna!

A well-lit and spacious location, this new Kamei Royale restaurant offers diners both a sense of contemporary/modern dining experience and traditional Japanese dining in its fusion of decor. For over 4 decades, Kamei Royale has been a staple in downtown Vancouver – a popular go-to for Japanese lunch and dinner for locals and tourists. With the new location, hopefully they will be able to attract a new financial district crowd that’s looking for a place to hang out for dinner and drinks after a long day of work or to take clients for lunch or dinner.

Kamei Royale is currently opened for lunch and will begin dinner service in July. It now offers a revamped premium menu of fresh Japanese cuisine and ample selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. More info on Kamei Royale: http://www.kameiroyale.com/