Sandwiched between Subway and Taco Bell in the West Vail strip mall, Gohan-Ya is like an island of taste in a fast-food flood. That may have been by design, given the sushi, rice and noodle dishes the intimate restaurant serves with the flair of owner Kazui Osaki’s home island of Japan.
A spinoff of Osaki’s high-end sushi bar in Vail Village, the reasonably priced Gohan-Ya makes an excellent alternative to burgers and pizza during the annual Vail Lacrosse Shootout (June 28-July 6), or pretty much any time you may be craving some flavor-filled nutrition in the high country.
Beef, chicken, vegetables, tofu and the same sushi-grade fish that makes its way to the cafeteria-style restaurant from the uptown eatery are spiced up in traditional Japanese sauces and served over rice and noodles for less than 10 bucks a bowl. Sushi rolls are also available for eat-in or carry-out, but you’ll have to take a seat if you want to wash it down with sake or a Japanese beer.
Get there: Open until 8 p.m., Monday-Saturday, at 2121 N. Frontage Road, West Vail, 970-476-7570.
