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When it comes to bragging about food, Vancouverites love to boast about sushi.

Sure, Vancouver has plentiful options for food but when visitors ask what the city’s most iconic cuisine might be, sushi is always one of the top answers. And what’s not to love? Vancouver has some of the top sushi chefs outside of Japan and some of the freshest seafood around, whether sourced locally or from famous fish markets across the sea.

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The Vancouver Sun’s restaurant writer, Mia Stainsby, has been there, tried that and visited some of the city’s best sushi restaurants, with the reviews to prove it.

So we’ve compiled a selection of her Japanese restaurant reviews that we’ve published over the past few years to help you decide where to go next time you’re craving sushi.

This roundup includes several years of sushi-containing posts from our resident restaurant expert. Information such as hours and menu items may not be up to date, so please check with individual eateries for additional details. We’ve also included the original publication date of each review, along with the original link so you can read the full article.

To get a sense of how Mia makes her picks, read her piece on how to find the best sushi and her travel blog from 2010 when she visited Tokyo.

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Sushi Mahana

Where: 175 Third St. West, North Vancouver

Sushi Mahana recently took home the Silver in Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant Awards and it’s obvious why. This isn’t your grab-to-go sushi tray meal; it’s an experience from top to bottom, with kitchen staff that have served some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Read the full Sushi Mahana review, originally published Feb. 22, 2023.

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Sushi Hil

Where: 3330 Main St., Vancouver

Sushi Hil is a bright, welcoming space in Mount Pleasant that will please anyone. “The sashimi, nigiri and rolled sushi that I tried didn’t disappoint — the seafood is fresh, clean and oceany,” says Mia.

Read the full Sushi Hil review, originally published Dec. 14, 2022.

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Okeya Kyujiro

Where: 1038 Mainland St/, Vancouver

Dining at Okeya Kyujiro is more like enjoying a live performance than it is visiting a restaurant. “You enter at the appointed time through a very discreet entrance and are seated in a darkened room at a U-shaped counter. The music builds anticipation, like a Cirque du Soleil performance about to begin. Behind black screens, you see shadowy figures. Then Matsuda begins a throaty, musical incantation in Japanese,” writes Mia.

Read the full Okeya Kyujiro review, originally published March 14, 2023.

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Tetsu Sushi Bar

Where: 775 Denman St., Vancouver

At the time of Mia’s visit, the drinks menu was nothing to sing about but she called Tetsu Sushi Bar “a gem in the sushi department.” The restaurant sources its seafood from the famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, for dishes such as Aburi (flame-torched) prawn sushi and a BBQ unagi maki roll that Mia said was delicious.

Read the full Tetsu Sushi Bar review, originally published Oct. 11, 2017.

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Sushi Bar Shu

Where: 8099 Granville St., Vancouver

This is the place for “sushi purists,” according to Mia. The omakase-only restaurant offers two seatings, with Mia recommending a seat at the bar “where you can witness the chefs’ reverence for fish and their hand ballet as they assemble onigiri sushi.”

Read the full Sushi Bar Shu review, originally published Sept. 17, 2019.

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Itosugi Kappo Cuisine

Where: 3648 West Broadway, Vancouver

At Itosugi, “the sushi changes constantly, depending on what’s available, and cooked dishes change monthly. The restaurant uses local seafood rather than importing Japanese as it keeps food costs down and (owner Alfred) Chan haunts farmers markets for local ingredients to buy in smaller quantities.”

Read the full Itosugi Kappo Cuisine review, originally published Oct. 18, 2022.

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Sushi Bar Maumi

Where: 1668 Robson St., Vancouver

Chef and owner Maumi Ozaki is “a sushi whisperer with hands flying in balletic moves, slicing, scoring with a long-blade knife, scooping rice, shaping rice, placing fish on rice, lightly brushing on sauce, sprinkling salt and clapping hands before moving back to the rice. If he stops to think, fingers drum on the counter.”

Read the full Itosugi Sushi Bar Maumi review, originally published May 25, 2016.

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Masayoshi

Where: 4376 Fraser St., Vancouver

At the time of Mia’s 2016 review, she found that there was a growing buzz around Masayoshi, despite issues that had dogged it during its first year. “There’s no denying the food quality and its artful presentation,” she wrote. But it appears things have changed, as the restaurant now boasts a Michelin-starred Omakase experience.

Read the full Masayoshi review, originally published Aug. 31, 2016.

What’s your favourite Metro Vancouver sushi place? Let us know in the comments!

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