Vancouver offers such a diverse range of Japanese food that comes in all shapes and forms. We’ve already covered our favourite ramen restaurants in downtown Vancouver but would like to shout out some of the best restaurants for delicious tonkatsu, sushi, izakayas and more Japanese food all conveniently located in downtown Vancouver.
Saku
If you’ve been past Saku in downtown Vancouver and always see a huge queue waiting outside, there’s a good reason for it. Saku is the best Japanese restaurants for delicious tonkatsu – Japanese pork cutlets breaded and deep fried – served with shredded cabbage, rice, miso soup, pickles and teriyaki sauce. The pork is super crispy while juicy and tender on the inside and they offer different cuts of pork like loin and fillet. They have a delicious sesame dressing to go with the cabbage (that you can refill during your meal) which we recommend drenching on the salad. It is honestly some of the best tonkatsu we’ve had, and having been there a handful of times the quality is always consistent. Service is quick, but the queue builds up during peak times so try to go outside those times or put your name on the wait list while you explore explore the West End. They’ll text you when your table is ready.
Location: 1588 Robson St, Vancouver
Hello Nori
The iconic Hello Nori is located smack bang in the middle of downtown on Robson St and specializes in hand rolls. All rolls are made to order in a bar counter-style service where it’s made in front you, and its the crispy, high quality nori (seaweed) that is the star. Within the hand rolls are packed with fresh ingredients from your typical sushi options like tuna, salmon, crab and much more. We particularly enjoyed the Bluefin Tuna and Toro which you can find in their set menu as well as a la carte, and the Salmon Aburi Oshi Sushi was also delicious. If you’re looking for sushi but want a unique experience, visit Hello Nori in downtown Vancouver for some of the best Japanese sushi hand rolls.
Location: 1165 Robson Street, Vancouver
Minami
Minami is the sister restaurant to the renowned Miku, known as one of the best Japanese restaurants in Vancouver and famous for their delicious Aburi (flame-seared) sushi. We haven’t had a chance to visit Miku but have tried Minami, which is located in Yaletown and offers an upscale Japanese vibe with a modern twist. For appetizers we had the Bluefin Tuna Tartare which deliciously combined tuna, seaweed, rice crisps, and avocado with a wasabi fratche and avo puree making for a creamy and umami filled bite every time. This was paired with the Kombu Squid Katsu which came with a delicious yuzu aioili that elevated and went well with the crispy squid. For sushi, we got the the Nigiri Selection which was a bit underwhelming for the price as well as the Salmon Aburi Oshi sushi. The Aburi is definitely a stand out as well and one of our first times trying it since being in Vancouver. Flame seared Salmon on rice with a delicious sauce with a bit of spice, I highly recommend it. Service here was great and overall Minami is an ideal restaurant to take the family, loved ones or friends for a special occasion.
Location: 1118 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Guu with Garlic
If you’re looking for an izakaya, then Guu is a great choice with multiple locations in downtown Vancouver. We’ve visited Guu with Garlic on Robson St and it was an enjoyable experience. We really enjoyed the sukiyaki which comes in a mini hotpot as well as the ceviche. Most of their menu are in the form of appetizers and small plates which are great for sharing with friends or family and they have an extensive drinks menu. This is a great option if you’re visiting nearby English Bay or Stanley Park, it can get busy though so try an reserve a table beforehand.
Location: 1698 Robson Street, Vancouver
Tendon Kohaku
Tendon Kohaku is similar to Saku but specializes in tempura donburi, crispy tempura served over rice. We’ve had the Ebi Tendon as well as the Katsu Curry Udon and both were delicious. The tempura is the real star as expected, crispy, well battered and perfectly paired with a tempura sauce. The Katsu Curry Udon had a nice kick to it and was definitely a solid katsu curry. The pork katsu was decent but would not never top the one you can get from Saku. Overall still a great choice if you’re craving tempura donburi and are hanging around the middle of downtown and near Granville St.
Location: 840 Howe St, Vancouver
Okami Sushi
One of the relatively newer sushi restaurants, Okami Sushi is tucked away on Bute St near Davie. It’s a small and quaint restaurant serving your sushi staples. We enjoyed the Aburi Set A, Combo Set 3 and Takoyaki which gave us a generous mix of aburi sushi, nigiri and rolls. While the food is great, service is quite slow and it’s quite popular for takeaway orders on a Friday night so try to go early or call ahead to order.
Location: 1226 Bute St, Vancouver
That summarizes our picks for the best Japanese food in downtown Vancouver covering a range of restaurants that serve tonkatsu, sushi as well as izakayas. There are still a tonne of Japanese restaurants in Vancouver that we didn’t cover but these were the stand outs. If you have any recommendations for us, let us know below and we’ll be sure to check it out.
For more food reviews and recommendations in Vancouver check out our Food Blog!
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