Vancouver is blessed with countless great sushi restaurants, both cheap-and-cheerful and luxurious and exotic. In fact, talk to any ex-Vancouverite who's moved back east, and they'll tell you good sushi is what they miss the most! Vancouver has so many sushi spots that we can't list them all here (see our restaurant search directory for a full listing) so we've reduced them down to the Top-5. These aren't your run-of-the-mill, all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants that pump out mediocre California Rolls and sashimi -- far from it -- expect to see things on the menu you have never seen before. Technically, these restaurants serve more than just sushi -- can you say 'okonomiyaki'!?! -- so brave the waters and dive in.Toshi's
181 East 16th Avenue
Phone: 604.874.5173
Sure it's small, but gadzooks is it good. The house roll alone (avocado on the outside? Wha!?!) is worth waiting in line for. The fish is fresh, the decor is minimal and the experience is one-of-a-kind. A menu full of interesting and flavourful items blends everyone's favourites with some options worth pushing your limits for.
Shiro
3096 Cambie Street
Phone: 604.874.0027
A chorus of voices welcomes you when you enter the front door of Shiro, making you feel right at home in this family-run spot. Generous helpings of premium sushi are found here everyday - sit at the bar where the action is and commune with the jovial chefs. Try the chopped scallop roll - it's a must!
The Eatery
3431 West Broadway
Phone: 604.738.5298
One thing the Eatery does not strive to be is ordinary. Funky, dark and full of intriguing pop art, the restaurant is often packed with young Kitsilano residents taking a break from their studies at UBC. The kitchen takes traditional sushi and gives it a personal, not to mention postmodern, flair - there's more than just dynamite rolls here!
The Clubhouse
255 West 2nd Avenue
Phone: 604.879.8998
Eclectic is the best way to describe the Clubhouse. One look at the menu (or should we say 'menus'?) and you will quickly discover that this popular spot offers more than just sushi: okonomiyaki (psst-it's a cross between a pizza and a pancake), kimchi, udon and mixed mushrooms are highlights. Order a 'holy maki' and don't be surprised when your entire roll comes deep-fried with a tasty dipping sauce. While you grab another jug of beer from their wide selection, take a look around you - why does this restaurant have a golf theme? With portions this big, nobody questions why.
Hachi Hana
1426 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604.990.0081
It is worth making the trek to the North Shore for this local favourite. When items as basic as miso soup and spicy tuna cones have diners raving, you know the place must be good. Sure, you could find cheaper sushi elsewhere but c'mon, we're talking about raw fish here - is it a crime to make sure it is fresh? Hachi Hana can do no wrong with their like tuna tataki (slightly seared) and wild salmon sashimi.
