Vancouver's Best Japanese Restaurants

Snack on a variety of sushi, including salmon motoyaki, a signature roll with chopped wild sockeye, steelhead trout, avocado, cucumber and warm motoyaki sauce. Miso soup is a good bet for a cold night, and braised local octopus is a simple delight. Local salmon and steelhead figure largely on the menu.

With views of Vancouver Harbor, Miku could coast on its looks alone, but this reliable spot instead offers high-quality dishes without the sticker shock. This is a kitchen that deliciously fuses elements of French and Italian cuisine into the well-known Japanese canon. Impeccable seafood is paired with elevated sauces for memorable results. 

Sushi omakases can be serious affairs that cost as much as a ticket to Tokyo, but this little counter by chef Maumi Ozaki is a refreshingly affordable alternative. Nigiri is delivered with rapid-fire progression. Ozaki uses wasabi minimally and dresses fish with little more than a quick brush of nikiri. Dinner is over in under an hour. 

Yuwa's chic interior may lean European, but just one bite of Chef Masahiro Omori's creations and you'll be firmly planted in Japan. This is not fusion cuisine; instead, the chef adheres to the classics. External influences may not come into play, but freshness does—the menu shifts daily to take advantage of the best products available.

Chef Masayoshi Baba brings Japan's luxurious, jewel-box sushi counters to Vancouver with this eponymous restaurant.  Chef Baba lets British Columbia's bounty guide this omakase, spotlighting locally sourced fish in his Edomae-style nigiri. It's one hit after the next.