Celebrate International Sushi Day with These Vancouver Restaurants
The Japanese community in Vancouver was one of the first in North American to introduce sushi to Western palates, and now, sushi restaurants are about as common as coffee shops. Visitors would be hard-pressed to walk a block or two in any direction and not wander past one. In fact, at last count, there were over 600 sushi spots in Metro Vancouver. Thanks to an engaged Japanese community, access to top-quality fish and seafood, and ever-growing popularity for Japanese cuisine, Vancouver is considered to have some of the best sushi outside of Japan, and has been dubbed the “sushi capital of North America”.
Whether dine-in or take out, traditional menus or West Coast twists on classics, sushi in Vancouver is an experience not to miss. While it’s hard to go wrong with any restaurant choice, for International Sushi Day (June 18) here are four of our favourites that are currently open for take-out and/or dine-in.
COAST – Open for Dine-In, Take-Out & Delivery
This is where fresh British Columbia seafood dazzles! Diners can enjoy an array of sushi, and also accompany those rolls with rich chowder, succulent shellfish, and colossal seafood towers. This is some of BC’s best seafood and true West Coast dining.
Miku – Open for Dine-in, Take-Out & Delivery
Miku pioneered the introduction aburi-sushi, a technique which uses flame-searing on bamboo charcoal, to the city’s sushi scene in 2008. The heat creates new textures and enhances the natural flavour of the sushi, giving a well-balanced, buttery piece of sushi that melts in your mouth. Executive Corporate Chef Kazuya Matsuoka and Executive Chef Kazuhiro Hayashi combine traditional Japanese flavours and techniques with local, west coast elements and Ocean Wise seafood to create a truly unique dining experience.
Tojo’s – Open for Dine-in, Take-Out & Delivery
Tojo’s is a must-visit for the serious sushi connoisseur. When Master Chef Hidekazu Tojo moved to Vancouver nearly 50 years ago, he quickly discovered Western people were hesitant to try sushi that was wrapped in seaweed, so he decided to make the roll inside out, hiding the seaweed underneath rice – thus was born the now-ubiquitous California Roll! Chef Tojo then developed the B.C. Roll, made with barbecued salmon and cucumber. If ‘kampai’ is also your thing, the sake bar makes up the most extensive sake list in the city, along with great cocktails for those who prefer softer drinks.
Yokohama Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar – Open for Take-Out & Delivery
Established in 1970, in the very heart of Fisherman’s Wharf in Richmond, Yokohama focuses on age-old traditional Japanese food, with an emphasis on the natural flavour of fresh ingredients. This off-the-beaten-track restaurant provides all the classic sushi roll options, alongside inventive house creations, such as the O’Toro Roll, made with prawn tempura, otoro tuna and black caviar, and the Canuck Roll with salmon tempura, spicy tuna, avocado and a spicy house sauce.
Nothing beats time well-spent in your favourite restaurant. For a lot of us, it’s been one of the hardest parts of staying home. And it’s been even harder on our beloved, incredible culinary scene. Now, with safety measures in place, it’s time to get back to the table and let Vancouver restaurants know just how much we’ve missed them!
To come back to flavour and discover more of Vancouver’s newly re-opened restaurants, head to our restaurant page, where you can sort restaurants by Cusine and Category, including “Open for Dine-In” and “Take Out/Delivery Available”.