The Best Sushi in
North America Is Here

Many critics call Vancouver the best sushi city in North America — and one bite explains why. World-class fresh Pacific seafood plus a long-rooted Japanese community means everything from budget sushi sets in tiny spots to chef-driven omakase. Try wild salmon and toro nigiri that melt in your mouth, or the "BC Roll" (grilled salmon and cucumber) invented right here in Vancouver. Prices are noticeably lower and quality higher than inland cities. Small spots in the West End and Robson are where locals actually eat.

Wild salmon from the British Columbia coast is this city's treasure — firmer, deeper orange, and far richer than farmed salmon. Sockeye, coho, and chinook (king) run seasonally. Restaurants serve it charcoal-grilled, seared, cedar-planked (grilled on a cedar board), or as sushi and sashimi. Try candied salmon (sweet smoked salmon) as a snack too. If you come during the catch season (summer to early fall), you'll get the freshest. It's the dish that best tells the city's Pacific-coast roots.

This is the street food that became a Vancouver symbol — a hot dog with Japanese toppings instead of plain ketchup. It started as a tiny downtown cart and grew so popular it has storefronts now. Favorite styles are Terimayo (teriyaki, mayo, seaweed), Oroshi (grated daikon with soy), and Okonomi (okonomiyaki sauce with bonito flakes). A juicy snappy sausage plus salty Japanese umami works in a way you wouldn't expect. A cheap, genuinely-Vancouver street snack.

Richmond, south of Vancouver, has a population that's more than half of Asian descent — and the dim sum here is genuinely on par with Hong Kong. Har gow (shrimp in translucent wrapper), siu mai, dumplings, beef bun, steamed chicken feet in black bean, and boiled shrimp wontons — served from carts or made to order. Alexandra Road, nicknamed "Food Street," and Aberdeen Centre mall are packed with great spots. Go for late-morning weekend yum cha for the real atmosphere. The Canada Line gets you there in about 30 minutes from downtown.

Ever had shrimp so sweet you don't need to dip it in anything? Spot prawns are British Columbia's native sweet shrimp, caught only during a very short window roughly mid-May to late June. Firm, snappy, and cleanly sweet like the ocean itself. During the season there's a Spot Prawn Festival, and seafood restaurants serve them steamed, grilled, or as fresh sashimi. If you're lucky enough to come during the run, don't miss it — locals wait all year for it. Outside the season they're hard to find.

Vancouver has one of the strongest ramen scenes in North America — a stretch of Robson Street has so many ramen shops lined up that locals call it "Ramen Row." Several famous Japanese chains opened their first North American location here. Rich long-simmered tonkotsu pork-bone broth, clear shoyu, and rounded miso. Vancouver's rainy winter is exactly when a steaming bowl of ramen hits best. There can be a line in the evening, but most turn over fast. A warming, budget-friendly meal.

British Columbia is one of Canada's craft-beer capitals, and Vancouver's "Brewery Creek" district on Main Street has a dozen small breweries in a row. Order a flight (a set of small tasting glasses) to try several styles at once — hoppy IPA, hazy, fruit sour, and cold lager. Taprooms are casual and often have a food truck parked outside. Mount Pleasant and East Van are full of breweries where the young crowd hangs out. Great for an evening stop after daytime sightseeing.

Poutine is from Quebec but has become Canada's national dish — hot fries smothered in dark gravy until the cheese curds start to melt but still keep that squeaky chew. Vancouver has west-coast versions with creative toppings, from pulled pork to smoked salmon. The trick is fresh squeaky curds and gravy hot enough to melt them just a little. A great late-night bite after the bars. Start with the plain classic before trying loaded versions.

A no-bake dessert named after the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island — three clear layers: a base of crumbed biscuit with cocoa, coconut, and nuts; a soft yellow buttercream-custard middle; and a thin chocolate top. Very sweet but addictive. It's British Columbia's signature treat, found in cafés and bakeries citywide. Pairs perfectly with black coffee. Small but filling — one to try before you go. Proof that western Canada has a dessert of its own.