Tojo's

Tojo's, 71st on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants in 2023, has been a fixture of Japanese fine dining in Vancouver for almost four decades, and chef Hidekazu Tojo, widely credited as the creator of the California roll, still works the sushi counter on West Broadway. Vogue noted that although it is one of the city's oldest sushi restaurants, the menu is the opposite of old guard, with Tojo greeting regulars and inventing new maki most nights.

Omakase, "chef, I'm in your hands," is the house's preferred way in, from a seasonal menu built around local ingredients to the premium Yokozuna and sushi bar sittings. Its spine is Tojo's tuna, wild albacore in his secret marinade, followed by tempura, a grilled course and sushi. Order a la carte and the signature rolls tell the story: the Tojo Maki that pioneered the California roll, the Great BC Roll of barbecued salmon skin, and the Golden Roll wrapped in egg crepe.