Vancouver’s top-quality — and inexpensive — sushi

This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to Vancouver

Vancouverites are very proud of their sushi. And their reverence is not unfounded. There are more than 600 sushi spots in the city, according to tourist information centre Destination Vancouver. There’s also a weighty rumour that the California roll was invented not in California, but on Vancouver’s West Broadway by Hidekazu Tojo, whose namesake restaurant, Tojo’s, is one of the most upscale offerings. 

The history of the city’s Japanese-Canadian community stretches back to the 1880s, when many Japanese immigrants settled in an area on Powell Street (Paueru-gai in Japanese). Called Japantown, this once-flourishing settlement now exists mostly as a historical memory. Those who lived there had their property seized and auctioned off by the Canadian government during the second world war, when more than 90 per cent of Japanese-Canadians were forced into internment camps. Those in British Columbia were not allowed to return to Vancouver until 1949. 

This bitter history has been countered by generations of resilience as Japanese-Canadians have built back what was taken from them. Today, only a few institutions remain in Paueru-gai but Japanese culture is embedded throughout the city — and its residents wholeheartedly embrace Japanese food as a staple of everyday life. 

There are certainly gourmet omakase experiences to be had here, but what makes Vancouver special is the abundance of high-quality, inventive sushi at an affordable price. It’s a slow feast of miso soup, free-flowing green tea, and several rolls of your choice at independent, family-run restaurants, all usually for less than C$20 ($14.25/£11.25). 

Carp Sushi + Bowl 

2516 Prince Edward Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 4T3

• Good for: Fresh, homemade food 

• Not so good for: Sushi purists 

• FYI: One block away is “Dude Chilling Park”, a sign installation by artist Viktor Briestensky in Guelph Park that started as a prank and has since become a beloved city icon 

• Opening times: Monday to Friday, 11.30am-8pm 

• Prices: Spicy salmon poke bowl combo, from C$15.50 ($11/£8.80); cucumber, shiso and plum maki, C$4 ($3/£2.30)

• Website; Directions

This little restaurant run by Yuki Matsumura gets its name from his hometown baseball team, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (which explains the cute cartoon baseball players, caps and jerseys that are dotted around). “I like making people happy, to see the smiles,” says the chef-owner, who is perfectly poised to do so from his open kitchen. 

Every detail feels thoughtful. Matsumura, who opened Carp nine years ago, describes himself as “not a typical Japanese guy”. He brings inspiration from his travels and all the restaurants he has worked in to his menu. His first job at 16, as a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant in Japan, has led to the restaurant’s truffle mashed potatoes and tuna macaroni. Carp’s poke sauce, a gentle mixture of gojuchang and sesame, was perfected over a two-week trip to Hawaii. It’s best enjoyed with a bowl of raw salmon: I recommend adding a combo, so you can have a bowl of miso soup and try the kale gomae. 

And, of course, there’s sushi. You could get a traditional spicy tuna roll and do no wrong, but I’d opt for something like the Hawaiian-Five: spicy tuna, avocado and mango, sprinkled with tiny, crunchy rice cracker balls. Or the tuna tataki roll, seared at the top and dotted with prawn sauce. Palate cleanse with something light, like the cucumber, shiso and plum maki. And if there’s still room, a scoop of yuzu ice cream. 

Ahi Sushi 

2821 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6K 2G6

• Good for: Value. You can have miso soup and three items on the menu for C$15.95

• Not so good for: Indecisive eaters — the Ahi Combo has 98 options 

• FYI: Kitsilano is a lovely neighbourhood to explore. Grab a coffee from the independent Cafe Lokal, desserts from Thomas Haas Patisserie, and take in the sea from Volunteer Park

• Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, 11.30am-9.30pm

• Prices: Ahi Combo, C$15.95; salmon, tuna or mackerel nigiri, C$2.75 per piece

• Website; Directions

The thing about a city with more than 600 sushi restaurants is that everyone seems to have a neighbourhood favourite that they insist is the best. The criteria should include value, speedy service and fresh ingredients. Complimentary, regularly topped-up cups of green tea are also ideal. Ahi checks all these boxes. While the decor is sparse, the staff are exceptionally friendly. 

Choosing from the 98 Ahi Combo options can be daunting. I’d recommend a range — something like the veggie sunomono (a cold rice noodle salad — a delicate balance of sweet and sour), paired with a salmon avocado roll and a teriyaki chicken donburi. You can also order individual pieces of nigiri or branch out to one of Ahi’s wackier rolls, like the king salmon: avocado, cucumber and salmon inside, wrapped in more salmon on the outside, then topped with fish eggs and drizzled in spicy sauce. You can’t really go wrong. 

Fujiya 

912 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC V5L 3J8

• Good for: Quantity — you can sample all the sushi you’ve ever wanted to try here

• Not so good for: Finding a seat during the lunch rush (it’s filled with regulars)

• FYI: Once you’re here, you’re within walking distance of a slew of the city’s best craft breweries

• Opening times: Daily, 10.30am-6pm 

• Prices: “Special order” sushi box, C$12.95

• Website; Directions

Fujiya is something of a Vancouver institution, started by Shigeru Hirai and his wife in 1977 as the successor to their restaurant Maneki — one of the city’s first Japanese restaurants. Today manager Megan Matsuda is the third generation of the family to be in the business. The flagship location on Clark Drive, in East Vancouver, is quite an impressive operation, churning out about 2,000 boxes of sushi a day with the aid of human staff and sushi robots brought over from Japan. (Fujiya also has locations downtown and in Richmond.)

Nominally a grocery store, Fujiya also has a dining area that consists of a few metal tables and countertops, which do just fine if you manage to secure a seat (an unlikely feat during lunch hour). Another diner at my table, Izumi, told me the vibe is reminiscent of Japanese supermarket basements, where copious amounts of sushi are ready-made for takeaway. The greatest obstacle is choice: from combination sushi boxes to salmon box sets with rice, Japanese curry and the generous “sashimi package”. 

I started my feast with miso soup then, in the spirit of trying new things, went for a ready-made “special order” sushi box. It came with one piece each of salmon and cucumber maki, and seven pieces of nigiri, including unagi (barbecued freshwater eel), ika (squid), tamago (sweet egg) and ikura (salmon roe). As we ate, Izumi beckoned to a trio of women — her mother and two visitors from Kumamoto — to ask their verdict. The salmon roll received universal signs of approval: many nods and a thumbs-up. 

Green Leaf Sushi 

117 W 1st Street, North Vancouver, BC V7M 1B1 and two other locations

• Good for: Sushi that isn’t raw fish 

• Not so good for: The very hungry. One order of aburi gets you six pieces and is likely to leave you wanting more

• FYI: If you’re staying downtown, you can visit North Vancouver by taking a 12-minute ferry journey via the SeaBus, which runs from Waterfront station across the Burrard Inlet. (And once in North Van, do make time to visit the area’s Polygon Gallery, Helicon Bookshop and Earnest Ice Cream too.) Green Leaf also has locations in Kitsilano and Burnaby

• Opening times: Daily, 11am-9pm 

• Prices: Sockeye salmon oshi, C$14 

• Website; Directions

This quintessentially Vancouver sushi spot is famous for its many variations of aburi oshi. I have been hard pressed to find people who don’t like the combination of sushi rice and fish that is covered in (secret, I am told) sauce and torched over, giving it a gently charred flavour. Even those averse to raw fish might come around. When more high-end restaurants introduced this type of sushi to their menu, Green Leaf earned its reputation as the place to enjoy it for about half the price. 

The sockeye salmon oshi — topped with a little slice of jalapeño to give it a kick — is the signature item, according to server Yuha, who is originally from Shiba. Aburi oshi is not as popular in Japan, she explained, though she has come to love it since moving to Vancouver. In fact, the boundaries of what you consider sushi might be tested by this restaurant, which is otherwise tame and cosy in appearance: exposed brick, tiled floors, food served on wooden planks. Braised pork belly is combined with green onion and yuzu to make cha-shu oshi. Another option is basil tiger-prawn oshi, which brings together unlikely elements: basil pesto, Parmesan cheese, black olives and tiger prawn. The results are rich and bite-sized. 

Sashimiya 

1348 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1W5

• Good for: Adventurous eaters. The sashimi platters and bowls of chirashi (sushi rice “scattered” with ingredients) are piled with different types of seafood — rarely found so conveniently and at these prices 

• Not so good for: Rainy days; there is no indoor seating

• FYI: Sunset Beach is a 10-minute walk away and a perfect spot to eat your takeaway food

• Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday, 11am-8pm 

• Prices: Salmon aburi roll, C$9.25; small sashimi plate, C$23.95 

• Website; Directions

The concept at Sashimiya is simple: high-quality, restaurant-grade sushi and sashimi at takeaway prices. Taka Omi, a sushi chef for over 25 years, opened the shop with his wife Kaori in 2020 — a pandemic project that was prompted by his time working at the Pacific Rim Hotel’s Raw Bar, where he opened the city’s first sushi spot to be awarded an OceanWise sustainability certification. 

Taka says he is at Sashimiya “anytime, always” to advise on what to order or how to make your own sushi using the sashimi blocks, sushi rice, and bamboo mats that he also sells. Advice is certainly helpful here, where the fridges overflow with colourful sashimi plates and abundant bowls of chirashi. I opted for a small sashimi plate featuring the chef’s choice of the day: three slices each of tuna, octopus, salmon, cured mackerel and yellowtail (all sourced from fishers he has close relationships with, primarily across British Columbia as well as Japan, New Zealand and Hawaii). 

Taka’s own creation is the salmon aburi, a cucumber and avocado roll topped with a layer of spicy salmon and torched over with a sauce that combines “the best miso from Japan” with local honey from the Main Street Honey Shoppe (he gets through about 10 litres a week). The result is not too spicy, not too sweet, with the surface texture of a masterfully toasted marshmallow. 

Ahi Sushi 

2821 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6K 2G6

• Good for: Value. You can have miso soup and three items on the menu for C$15.95

• Not so good for: Indecisive eaters — the Ahi Combo has 98 options 

• FYI: Kitsilano is a lovely neighbourhood to explore. Grab a coffee from the independent Cafe Lokal, desserts from Thomas Haas Patisserie, and take in the sea from Volunteer Park

• Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, 11.30am-9.30pm

• Prices: Ahi Combo, C$15.95; salmon, tuna or mackerel nigiri, C$2.75 per piece

• Website; Directions

The thing about a city with more than 600 sushi restaurants is that everyone seems to have a neighbourhood favourite that they insist is the best. The criteria should include value, speedy service and fresh ingredients. Complimentary, regularly topped-up cups of green tea are also ideal. Ahi checks all these boxes. While the decor is sparse, the staff are exceptionally friendly. 

Choosing from the 98 Ahi Combo options can be daunting. I’d recommend a range — something like the veggie sunomono (a cold rice noodle salad — a delicate balance of sweet and sour), paired with a salmon avocado roll and a teriyaki chicken donburi. You can also order individual pieces of nigiri or branch out to one of Ahi’s wackier rolls, like the king salmon: avocado, cucumber and salmon inside, wrapped in more salmon on the outside, then topped with fish eggs and drizzled in spicy sauce. You can’t really go wrong. 

Do you have any recommendations for reasonably priced, great-quality sushi in Vancouver? Tell us in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter

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