Sushi by Yuji: fresh nigiri in Vancouver
Sushi by Yuji is a small Japanese restaurant in Vancouver specializing in traditional Japanese sushi and specialties. They focus more on conventional sushi and fresh fish than fusion rolls with different sauces.
This review is based on an in-dining experience back in April.
Interior
So the interior of Sushi by Yuji is quite cozy. With covid, they also had to space out the dining tables so there were limited seating. You have the option to sit at the bar to see the chef slice the fish, but all of the spots technically required a reservation.
We sat in the small 2-seat table to the left of the wall.
Food
We ordered a variety of different sushi and Japanese dishes.
Deluxe assorted sushi combo ($20)
This combo comes with 9 pieces of nigiri and a negitoro (chopped tuna with green onion) roll. The nigiri we had was salmon, tuna, saba, hamachi, toro (fatty tuna), negitoro, chopped scallop and ikura (fish eggs).
The fish was very fresh, thick cuts and a great balance with the rice ratio. Every piece was delicious and felt like it was handled with great care.
This combo in general has a great variety and depending on when you go, the assorted sushi will be different so you may not get the same pieces of nigiri as this photo.
Nigiri selection ($1.50-4)
We also order a selection of nigiris. You order each individually and they range from $1.50 – $4 per piece.
We ordered 2 hamachi, tuna toro and salmon toro, and amaebi (sweet prawn). We also ordered additional ikura and negitoro nigiris with a quails egg on top.
My favourite of the day is usually toro, but I was blown away by the taste of the hamachi nigiri. Hamachi is not a nigiri I usually order or prefer, but I read numerous reviews that highlighted their hamachi so I decided to give it a try. It tasted so sweet and fatty, just like toro!
Pan-fried wild salmon cheeks ($6)
Pan fried cheeks are the special of the day and we could choose from kanpachi, hamachi or wild salmon. We select the wild salmon because it comes in 2 pieces.
They cook it with sesame seeds and a soy sauce/miso base and it’s delicious! Soft flake salmon but you do have to use your chopsticks and pick at it as there are lots of little bones and it’s not an easy-to-eat fillet.
Final thoughts
Loewe’s rating: โญโญโญโญ
We spent around $70 for 2 people at Sushi by Yuji but we had a very enjoyable time. My boyfriend loves nigiri and traditional sushi and we both thought the quality of the fish was very good. It was also a very authentic restaurant since the owners are Japanese and the inside is a very traditional mom and pop’s ambiance.
I did not see any type of special set menu or omakase option so you’ll have to know what you want when you come in here. Prices are reasonable for the quality of food but this is not a cheap and fast sushi place. Definitely a must-try for nigiri fanatics or if you are a fan of traditional sushi and Japanese dishes.
Sincerely, Loewe