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Top Sushi in Vancouver


DutchMuse

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I'm visiting Vancouver this week from NYC. Can you recommend some great sushi places for me? Staying at the Sutton Place Hotel.

Tojo is a safe bet - not more than 10 min. drive from Sutton. Tsunami on Robson is also a fun place to have some "raw feed". Last resort in Vancouver is to go to a local fish market, get som tuna, salmon and urchin - from there Pacific Ocean is the limit :) Have fun in Vancouver!!!

Chef Suave

www.pacificrimgrille.com

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A five minute cab ride over the Burrard Bridge will land you at the counter of Sado San at Octopus's Garden on Cornwall Avenue. Fresh, lively, and a terrific host--and at about half the cost of Tojo. This is our neighbourhood sushi bar, but it stacks up well to the 400 others now available across the city.

Edited by jamiemaw (log)

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Walking distance: (closest to farthest)

- Tsunami sushi (has revolving sushi boat; small boats chained together floating in water with two or three dishes on each)

1025 Robson St (on Robson, between Burrard & Thurlow)

(604) 687-8744

- Kamei Royale (extensive menu, great chawan mushi)

1030 Georgia Street West (on Burrard, between Georgia & Alberni)

(604) 687-8588

- Samurai sushi (locals favorite; great price) --- about 6 blocks away from Sutton

1108 Davie Street (on Davie, between Thurlow & Bute)

(604) 609-0078

Still walking distance, other Japanese cuisine worthwhile to try if you're tired of sushi:

- Guu Kuimonoya (Japanese Tapas, $4-$9, definitely locals favorite!)

838 Thurlow Street Open 5:30p - late

(604) 685-8817

- Guu Garlic on Robson (Japanese Tapas, locals favorite, different menu with above)

1698 Robson Street Open 5:30p - late

(604) 685-8678

- Kintaro Ramen Noodle (hand-made noodle in miso broth)

788 Denman Street (on Denman and Robson)

(604) 682-7568 Open 12 - 5

(during weekday, come early to avoid lunch hour/long queue)

Driving distance:

- Toshi Japanese Restaurant (awesome selection, great price, locals favorite)

181 East 16th Ave (on East 16th and Main Street) Only open from 5 - 11p

(604) 874-5173

- Shiro Japanese Restaurant (locals favorite; great selection)

3096 Cambie Street (on Cambie & West 14th Ave)

(604) 874-0027

Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food. --Michael Levine, nutrition researcher

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A five minute cab ride over the Burrard Bridge will land you at the counter of Sado San at Octopus's Garden on Cornwall Avenue. Fresh, lively, and a terrific host--and at about half the cost of Tojo. This is our neighbourhood sushi bar, but it stacks up well to the 400 others now available across the city.

Oh yes! How could I forget about Octopus Garden. :biggrin:

1995 Cornwall Avenue - (604) 734-8971

<br>

Dragon roll is one of my favorite :wub:

<br>

gallery_31494_1381_190010.jpg

Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food. --Michael Levine, nutrition researcher

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A five minute cab ride over the Burrard Bridge will land you at the counter of Sado San at Octopus's Garden on Cornwall Avenue. Fresh, lively, and a terrific host--and at about half the cost of Tojo. This is our neighbourhood sushi bar, but it stacks up well to the 400 others now available across the city.

Oh yes! How could I forget about Octopus Garden. :biggrin:

1995 Cornwall Avenue - (604) 734-8971

<br>

Dragon roll is one of my favorite :wub:

<br>

gallery_31494_1381_190010.jpg

What a great presentation, so cute! :smile:

"If cookin' with tabasco makes me white trash, I don't wanna be recycled."

courtesy of jsolomon

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You might what to visit

Yoshi's, Octopus Garden or Wabi Sabi.

http://www.where2eat.ca/restaurants/yoshi_restaurant.php

http://www.sushibarwabisabi.com

Here are just some pictures from my last visit to Yoshi’s, since I am too lazy to find the review I wrote for myself.

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Damm it I am getting hungry again. :raz:

Edited by D90 (log)
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In addition to all the suggestions that have already been proffered, I'll add Yuji's Japanese Tapas (click) to the mix. It's located in Kitsilano, just a quick cab ride straight down Burrard Street from the Sutton Place Hotel and across the Burrard Street bridge. Here's a link to their menu as well as a link to my comments on a past meal at Yuji's.

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

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One of the more traditional sushi bars downtown is Sakae. It is located on the corner of Thurlow and Alberni in the same basement as Aki robata and the Brazilian restaurant. Sakae offers some fo the freshest fish downtown in a traditional presentation. You will find many of the other sushi bars to be a bit more focused on rolls that mix multiple items into a single roll with a funky name. If that is what you like, then a discount place on Davie called Kadoya probably is the best one downtown. It has a Chinese chef, but the Canadian style mixed rolls are creative and fresh. Just wouldn't go for the nigiri there.

And just for completeness here is a link to the budget sushi thread: Budget sushi

Enjoy!

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My Votes:

For Casual Fair:

- Toshi's on Main Street and 16th

- Octopus Garden on Cornwall just off the burrard bridge

- Shiro Japanese Restaurant (on Cambie & West 14th Ave)

For more fine dining fair:

- Yoshi's on Denman

- Sakae (Downtown by Thurlow and Alberni)

For non-sushi

- Kintaro (Amazing Ramen - Denman)

- Shiro Bay Chopstick Cafe - Izikaya (Yaletown - I think it's on Hamilton Street by Nelson?)

- Guu - Izikaya - (Robson and Thurlow)

- Modern Club - Okonomyaki - (Dunbar Street by 16th)

"There are two things every chef needs in the kitchen: fish sauce and duck fat" - Tony Minichiello

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in addition to the octopus garden, guu with garlic and others that have already been mentioned, i'll throw in chiyoda as well. it's more of a traditional sushi and robata place but it's done very well. lunchtime sees it full of japanese businessmen and all summer long, it's filled with busloads of japanese tourists.

chiyoda

200-1050 Alberni, Vancouver

(604) 688-5050

Quentina

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in addition to the octopus garden, guu with garlic and others that have already been mentioned, i'll throw in chiyoda as well.  it's more of a traditional sushi and robata place but it's done very well.  lunchtime sees it full of japanese businessmen and all summer long, it's filled with busloads of japanese tourists. 

chiyoda

200-1050 Alberni, Vancouver

(604) 688-5050

Oh yeah - they have a great lunch. Succulent grilled mackeral lunch set for something like $10. Warning though - your breath smells like you've been licking a dolphin for the rest of the afternoon.

Edited by canucklehead (log)
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In addition to all these great suggestions I would add Shota Sushi Bar in Kerrisdale. It's a smaller restaurant with great rolls. It would be a bit of a trek for you (a 20 minute drive) but if you feel like exploring outside of the downtown core, it would take you to a different more residential Vancouver neighbourhood. There are shops and lots of coffee houses and sushi restaurants (most of them not half as good)

Enjoy your sushi explorations!

http://www.shotasushi.com/

Edited by tarteausucre (log)

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^ You meant Kits right?  For a moment, I thought there was competition for Ajisai in Kerrisdale.

There is :raz: this one is on 41st and Yew (Kerrisdale). I really like Ajisai too, good quality stuff in a small venue.

"There are two things every chef needs in the kitchen: fish sauce and duck fat" - Tony Minichiello

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Tsunami as mentioned is laughable-and that's being polite about it-avoid at all costs. :laugh:

My cousin worked at Tsunami in the 90's and Rick Shroeder would come in and be the Big Star. He would had out two dollar bills at the end of the evening to the staff - and they would say "Thanks Rikster!".

Food may not be so great - but try handing out toonies and see what happens.

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Re: Kerrisdale joints, which one is the one that's hidden away sort of behind the London Drugs - Ajisai, Shota, or something different? We stopped in there a few months back on a friend's recommendation and loved it. Some really neat dished on the menu, including all the stuff with "mountain potato".

Jenn

"She's not that kind of a girl, Booger!"

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Hanako in Guildford, not close to downtown, but it seems this is a family spot opened up by the former chef of the Canada Place Japanese restaurant that recently shut its doors. Anybody been? I've heard one good recommendation for it.

Edited by mtigges (log)
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Re: Kerrisdale joints, which one is the one that's hidden away sort of behind the London Drugs - Ajisai, Shota, or something different? We stopped in there a few months back on a friend's recommendation and loved it. Some really neat dished on the menu, including all the stuff with "mountain potato".

That's Ajisai. The sashimi is very fresh there, and I love what they do with mountain potato. :smile:

I also second the recommendations for Yuji's (I like the things on the fresh sheet much more than the regular menu, though), and Octopus Garden. I haven't been to Wabi Sabi in two years, but it was great when I went. (As a bonus, I think Wabi Sabi has one of the nicest rooms in the city.)

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Whatever you do DON'T go to Tsunami sushi. To do so would invite bitter disappointment. It is so mediocre when compared to the other suggestions in this thread.

Ajisai is truly out of your way but it is a very good sushi restaurant. The room however is extremely challenging - it is tiny and there is always a line-up. Depending on the time of your flight back to NYC, it might be worth a stop for lunch on your way to the airport.

Another option, but again, not downtown is Zen at McDonald and 16th Avenue. I prefer the sushi at Ajisai but like the room at Zen much better. The service at Zen has been superlative.

Please let us know where you end up and what you thought.

Cheers,

Karole

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There's a Tojo's thread here

Tsunami as mentioned is laughable-and that's being polite about it-avoid at all costs. :laugh:

Close to downtown is a favourite of mine

Very inventive - read lines: Tojo - Tsunami - Fish Market; laughable, well, yes especially for aspiring sushi editor in waiting.

You are The One, right?

May the tobiko be with you!

Chef Suave

PS- do you sign your >critique< or you just write whatever and hide in the park?

Best of all

Chef Suave

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