Top 21 Best Japanese Food Near Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver has one of the best Japanese dining scenes in North America. Japanese restaurants hold five of the city's eleven Michelin-starred restaurants for 2026, and the range runs from five-seat omakase counters to bustling udon shops and waterfront aburi sushi.

This guide picks the 21 best Japanese restaurants in Metro Vancouver right now, with what each does best, what to order and how to book. Since most of the top spots are small counters, booking ahead matters more for Japanese food than for almost any other cuisine here.

Looking for another cuisine? Browse our full guide to the best restaurants in Vancouver by cuisine.

How We Chose These Japanese Restaurants

We started with the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver, which lists more Japanese restaurants than any other cuisine. We added recognition from the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, Canada's 100 Best and Opinionated About Dining, plus each restaurant's own published information.

We chose a mix of formats and budgets: five Michelin-starred counters, two Bib Gourmand picks for value, and three Michelin-recommended favourites. The Michelin Guide covers only the City of Vancouver, so the picks are concentrated there.

Best Japanese Restaurants in Vancouver at a Glance

#	Restaurant	Area	Best for	Price
1	Masayoshi	Fraserhood	Classic omakase	$$
2	Sushi Masuda	Downtown	Ultra-intimate counter	$$
3	Sushi Hyun	West End	Luxury omakase	$$
4	Okeya Kyujiro	Yaletown	Celebrations	$$
5	Sumibiyaki Arashi	Mount Pleasant	Yakitori omakase	$$
6	Sushi Hil	Main Street	Value omakase	$
7	Motonobu Udon	East Hastings	Noodles and cheap eats	$
8	Miku	Waterfront	Views and groups	$$
9	Tetsu Sushi Bar	West End	Traditional sushi	$$
10	Tojo's	Fairview, Vancouver	A Vancouver sushi institution	$$
11	Sushi Bar Maumi	West End, Vancouver	Intimate omakase	$$
12	Sushi Jin	Downtown, Vancouver	Omakase downtown	$$
13	Yuwa Japanese Cuisine	West Side	Kaiseki and sake	$$
14	Kishimoto Japanese Kitchen	Commercial Drive, Vancouver	Pressed sushi on the Drive	$
15	Dosanko	Japantown, Vancouver	Japanese home cooking	$
16	Oku Izakaya	Gastown, Vancouver	Izakaya small plates	$
17	Toshi Sushi	Mount Pleasant, Vancouver	Neighbourhood sushi	$
18	Tom Sushi	West End, Vancouver	Sushi on Davie	$
19	Hello Nori	West End, Vancouver	Hand rolls	$
20	Sushi Mahana	Lower Lonsdale, North Vancouver	Sushi on the North Shore	$$
21	Stem Japanese Eatery	Metrotown area, Burnaby	Seasonal Japanese	$

Top 21 Best Japanese Restaurants Near Vancouver, BC

1. Masayoshi – Fraserhood

Chef Masayoshi Baba trained in Japan and spent about a decade at Tojo's before opening this Fraser Street counter. It has held a Michelin star every year since the guide arrived in 2022.

What to order: The sushi bar omakase, about 20 courses.

Why it made the list: The longest-running Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in the city.

Address: 4376 Fraser St | Price: $$

2. Sushi Masuda – Downtown

Vancouver-born chef Yoji Masuda trained in Tokyo's Ginza district. His roughly five-seat counter, hidden inside another business, won a Michelin star and the Young Chef Award in its first year.

What to order: The roughly 20-course omakase.

Why it made the list: One of the most exclusive sushi seats in Canada.

Address: 1066 W Hastings St | Price: $$

3. Sushi Hyun – West End

Chef Juhyun Lee's West End counter earned a Michelin star in 2025, and Lee won the MICHELIN Young Chef Award the same year. Michelin praised the luxury that runs through every element of the meal.

What to order: The omakase with a sake pairing.

Why it made the list: Lavish ingredients and subtle Korean touches.

Address: 795 Jervis St | Price: $$

4. Okeya Kyujiro – Yaletown

A theatrical, roughly 25-course omakase served at a U-shaped counter, inspired by chef Takuya Matsuda's love of Cirque du Soleil. Michelin-starred since 2023.

What to order: The single omakase menu, mostly sushi.

Why it made the list: The most show-stopping sushi experience in Vancouver.

Address: 1038 Mainland St | Price: $$

5. Sumibiyaki Arashi – Mount Pleasant

Chef Pete Ho grills a multi-course omakase over binchotan charcoal at a 14-seat counter. Michelin says he brought a new gold standard of yakitori to Vancouver.

What to order: Chicken skewers across many cuts, plus seafood starters.

Why it made the list: The only Michelin-starred yakitori in the city.

Address: 363 E Broadway | Price: $$

6. Sushi Hil – Main Street

Chef Hilary Nguy's bright Main Street room holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and won Best Sushi and Gold for Best Japanese at the 2026 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.

What to order: Omakase, otoro and chawanmushi.

Why it made the list: Star-level sushi at a moderate price.

Address: 3330 Main St | Price: $

7. Motonobu Udon – East Hastings

Chef Shin Iwamoto makes Sanuki-style udon by hand and cuts it to order, served in a delicate, umami-rich dashi. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

What to order: Niku toji udon or spicy tantan udon.

Why it made the list: The best-value Michelin meal on the list.

Address: 3501 E Hastings St | Price: $

8. Miku – Waterfront

Miku introduced aburi (flame-seared) sushi to Vancouver in 2008. Its waterfront room next to Canada Place is Michelin Recommended.

What to order: Aburi salmon oshi sushi and miso sablefish.

Why it made the list: The best place to try aburi, with harbour views.

Address: 200 Granville St | Price: $$

9. Tetsu Sushi Bar – West End

Chef Satoshi Makise's roughly 12-seat Denman Street bar has been serving authentic omakase since 2017. It is Michelin Recommended and ranked by Opinionated About Dining.

What to order: Aged goldeneye snapper and squid with yuzu.

Why it made the list: Purist sushi without the hype.

Address: 775 Denman St | Price: $$

10. Tojo's – Fairview, Vancouver

Chef Hidekazu Tojo's landmark restaurant; he is widely credited with creating the California roll.

What to order: Omakase at the sushi bar.

Why it made the list: Inducted into the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards Hall of Fame in 2026.

Address: 1133 W Broadway | Price: $$

11. Sushi Bar Maumi – West End, Vancouver

A small omakase counter on Robson Street.

What to order: The omakase.

Why it made the list: Recommended by the Michelin Guide Vancouver.

Address: 1668 Robson St | Price: $$

12. Sushi Jin – Downtown, Vancouver

An omakase sushi counter downtown.

What to order: The omakase.

Why it made the list: Vancouver Magazine Best Upscale Japanese honourable mention, 2024.

Address: 750 Nelson St | Price: $$

13. Yuwa Japanese Cuisine – West Side

Chef Masahiro Omori, from Chiba, cooks classic regional Japanese food, and co-owner Iori Kataoka runs one of the city's best sake programs. Michelin Recommended.

What to order: The kaiseki course (book seven days ahead).

Why it made the list: Refined kaiseki and sake on the West Side.

Address: 2775 W 16th Ave | Price: $$

14. Kishimoto Japanese Kitchen – Commercial Drive, Vancouver

A popular Japanese kitchen on Commercial Drive, best known for sushi.

What to order: Oshi (pressed) sushi.

Why it made the list: A 2026 Vancouver Magazine finalist for Best Japanese and Best Sushi.

Address: 2054 Commercial Dr | Price: $

15. Dosanko – Japantown, Vancouver

A Japantown restaurant whose name nods to Hokkaido, serving Japanese home-style dishes.

What to order: Ask about the seasonal specials.

Why it made the list: A 2026 Vancouver Magazine Best Japanese finalist.

Address: 566 Powell St | Price: $

16. Oku Izakaya – Gastown, Vancouver

A Gastown izakaya and bar.

What to order: Shared small plates with sake.

Why it made the list: A Vancouver Magazine Best Japanese finalist in 2026.

Address: 2 Water St | Price: $

17. Toshi Sushi – Mount Pleasant, Vancouver

A small, long-running sushi spot just off Main Street.

What to order: Nigiri and rolls.

Why it made the list: A 2026 Readers' Choice Best Sushi finalist.

Address: 181 E 16th Ave | Price: $

18. Tom Sushi – West End, Vancouver

A West End sushi restaurant on Davie Street.

What to order: Nigiri and rolls.

Why it made the list: A 2026 Readers' Choice Best Sushi finalist.

Address: 1175 Davie St | Price: $

19. Hello Nori – West End, Vancouver

A counter-service hand roll bar on Robson Street.

What to order: A set of temaki hand rolls.

Why it made the list: A 2026 Readers' Choice Best Sushi finalist.

Address: 1165 Robson St | Price: $

20. Sushi Mahana – Lower Lonsdale, North Vancouver

A Lower Lonsdale sushi restaurant.

What to order: Nigiri or omakase.

Why it made the list: Vancouver Magazine Best Upscale Japanese honourable mention, 2024.

Address: 175 W 3rd St | Price: $$

21. Stem Japanese Eatery – Metrotown area, Burnaby

A seasonal Japanese restaurant near Metrotown.

What to order: The mini omakase.

Why it made the list: Vancouver Magazine Best Japanese Bronze, 2023.

Address: 5205 Rumble St | Price: $

Japanese Dishes to Know Before You Go

• Omakase: a chef-chosen sequence of courses, usually sushi.
• Edomae sushi: a Tokyo style where fish is cured, marinated or aged.
• Aburi: sushi lightly seared with a flame; Vancouver is famous for it.
• Yakitori: skewered chicken grilled over charcoal.
• Kaiseki: a seasonal, multi-course Japanese meal.
• Sanuki udon: thick, chewy wheat noodles from Kagawa.
• Chawanmushi: a savoury steamed egg custard.

Where to Find Japanese Food in Metro Vancouver

Fraserhood

Home to Masayoshi.

Downtown

Home to Sushi Masuda.

West End

Home to Sushi Hyun and Tetsu Sushi Bar.

Yaletown

Home to Okeya Kyujiro.

Mount Pleasant

Home to Sumibiyaki Arashi.

Main Street

Home to Sushi Hil.

East Hastings

Home to Motonobu Udon.

Waterfront

Home to Miku.

Fairview, Vancouver

Home to Tojo's.

West End, Vancouver

Home to Sushi Bar Maumi, Tom Sushi and Hello Nori.

Downtown, Vancouver

Home to Sushi Jin.

West Side

Home to Yuwa Japanese Cuisine.

Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Home to Kishimoto Japanese Kitchen.

Japantown, Vancouver

Home to Dosanko.

Gastown, Vancouver

Home to Oku Izakaya.

Mount Pleasant, Vancouver

Home to Toshi Sushi.

Lower Lonsdale, North Vancouver

Home to Sushi Mahana.

Metrotown area, Burnaby

Home to Stem Japanese Eatery.

Tips for Eating Japanese Food in Vancouver

• Book omakase: Omakase counters often need reservations weeks ahead.
• Sit at the bar: Watch the chefs work at the sushi bar.
• Go for lunch: Lunch sets are often better value.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Japanese restaurant in Vancouver?

Masayoshi, Sushi Masuda, Sushi Hyun, Okeya Kyujiro and Sumibiyaki Arashi all hold Michelin stars for 2026.

How many Michelin-starred Japanese restaurants are in Vancouver?

Five in the 2026 guide.

Where can I get affordable Michelin-recognised Japanese food?

Sushi Hil and Motonobu Udon, both Bib Gourmand.

How much does omakase cost in Vancouver?

Top counters typically range from about $175 to over $300 per person before drinks.

Where did aburi sushi start in Vancouver?

Miku introduced it in 2008.

Is there Michelin-starred yakitori in Vancouver?

Yes, Sumibiyaki Arashi.

Do I need reservations?

For omakase counters, yes, well in advance.

Where can I find kaiseki in Vancouver?

Yuwa offers a kaiseki course with advance notice.

Explore More Vancouver Food Guides

Hungry for more? See our complete guide to the best restaurants in Vancouver by cuisine, covering 69 cuisines across Metro Vancouver, or browse all restaurants on Vancouver Page.