Cafe Kitsune

Simple menu combination (choice of meat + rice/​noodle + salad). Very friendly service. Features brown rice and soba noodle bowl, the salad dressing is freshly prepared. Place is clean and comfortable.

Ah, the old bait and switch.
I’ve eaten here off and on for years. I really like their «build your own bowl» for lunch: pick a starch, protein, and sauce, then they add nice fresh vegetables. If they hadn’t mucked around with their business practices, this review would read very differently.
All of their signage advertises wild salmon. They were serving wild sockeye for the longest time, and it was delicious and bright coral in colour. Last time I was there, they switched to coho they claimed was wild. At first I thought it was chicken because it was white — the wrong colour. Upon insistence, they offered sockeye instead, and switched my order.

This place has changed hands a few times over the last 18 months, but it seems to have kept its original flavor, which is a wholesome, organic and slightly artsy Japanese café.
The menu has been pared down to a few simple, delicious items — rice or soba noodles topped with salmon, beef or chicken and a dressing (such as soy and ginger). It comes piled with a bunch of organic greens and lovely veggies. It’s a healthy and beautiful lunch and I wish I could eat there everyday.
They also offer a selection of green teas, tea lattes and pour over drip coffees.

This is a cute new Japanese eatery near Granville Island. The interior is clean and peaceful. There aren’t an overwhelming number of tables inside, but takeout seems to be a popular option.
Kitsune (fox) specializes in noodle and rice bowls (donburi) made with fresh local produce. The bowls all come to around $ 9 (incl. tax). They offer a 10% student discount (with ID), which is nice. Right now the menu is quite small, though it looks like they occasionally offer weekly specials like udon or gyudon (beef on rice).
Guests can choose between green tea soba noodles or rice as the base of their bowl. Then you pick a protein such as chicken or salmon and a vinaigrette dressing to top it all off. I had the salmon which turned out to be cooked. I was expecting it to be raw since the salad is served cold. No worries. The fish was oily and tasted fine.
A Kitsune noodle bowl actually resembles a Whole Foods-​type salad much more than it does a traditional order of zaru soba. While I was secretly hoping for the latter when placing my order, I was still pleased with my lunch.
Each bowl is topped with some nice julienned vegetables and salad mix. The result is a very health-​conscious and fresh tasting dish. Not the most filling lunch I’ve ever had, but bright and vibrant nonetheless. Each bowl comes with a cup of hojicha tea. A cup of miso would have been a welcomed addition.
If you’re in the mood for a cheap, healthy, and great tasting lunch, give Kitsune a shot!