Sushi help!

[xoxohh]

Arriving from Los Angeles next week. We are staying at the Westin Bayshore, but have a car. I would your ideas on the best sushi experience. Money is not an object. Thanks.

[LotusRapper]

Another one I'd recommend is Kura in Burnaby, on Kingsway about 2 blocks west of Willingdon Ave.:

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181027...

It'd be about 20-25 mins or so drive from downtown, straight down Kingsway. They have their original outlet in Japan.

[waver]

So I've never been to Tojo but when a Japanese friend (who takes her fish seriously) recently told me she a) had excellent sushi there and b) paid over $450 for two without drinks I realized I probably never will. Others might take that advice differently. Go for it!
Same friend recommends Miku very highly, so that is on my list. Nice for lunch too apparently.

[ck1234]

I agree about Tojo's. It was one of the best meals of my life. I didn't pay (and wouldn't), but I will never forget the meal. I enjoyed it more than Morimoto's in New York and I expected Morimoto's to blow my Tojo's dinner out of the water, but it didn't. Just my opinion though.

Tojo's was my fave restaurant ever, until "Animal" in LA. I am still waiting to top that one.

[waylman]

There are a few places in Vancouver to consider:
Blue Water Cafe - not strictly a sushi restaurant but the sushi they do put out is incredible. Expensive.
Octopus Garden - Small place but really excellent sushi.Expensive.
Tojo's - The most famous sushi place in town...overpriced in my opinion but still very good. Very expensive.
Ajisai - this is a bit of a drive from downtown but worth it. Ajisai is an old school sushi bar...no cooked items that I can recall. Very fresh. Only downfall is the room itself isn't great. Moderately priced.

[elyse1985]

My favourite place for Sushi in Vancouver will always be The Eatery. It is a totally crazy, kitchsy, busy place with unforgettable and unique sushi. Totally one of a kind. They don't take reservations so be prepared to wait but the prices are good too.
http://www.theeatery.ca/

[fmed]

Solid recs, waylman. I'm liking Miku these days too. Japanese Kitchen/Clove/formerly-Lime is my neighbourhood favourite.

-----
Miku Restaurant
1055 West Hastings, Vancouver, BC V6E 2E9, CA

[grayelf]

Since you have a car, Sushi Hachi in Richmond would be my re, if you can get a reso. I like Ajisai too, though they don't have a deep fryer per waylman and with no resos you will wait unless you go very early. You might also be interested in this place whose itamae/owner apparently has quite a pedigree (I have not been yet): http://foodosophy.wordpress.com/2010/...

[fmed]

I highly recommend Kimura. It is so out of the way in East Van that I don't usually recommend it to visitors...but I really should. It's very good.

[grayelf]

Google maps says 20 mins but sends you on Kingsway. I'd go through Gastown (Water Street/Powell/Dundas and then south up Renfrew myself).

Here's a link to a thread on Kimura with background on the chef: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/705001

A recent thread on "best" sushi in Vancouver: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/708033

Another thought is Dan in Kitsilano: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7296...

But I don't know anything about sushi in LA :-).

[fmed]

They have very good sushi in LA.

[grayelf]

Thanks, fmed. I just twigged the OP was from LA and wondered if that should make a difference to our recs.

[LotusRapper]

I'll recommend Ajisai, in the Kerrisdale neighborhood of Vancouver: They're one of my perennial favorites.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/180029/restaurant/Kerrisdale/Ajisai-Sushi-Bar-Vancouver

http://www.vanmag.com/restaurant/Ajis...

But they are closed on Mondays and (still) don't take reservations, which is why we haven't been there for quite some time with a toddler in tow.