For great value I can recommend Yamato Sushi, on Davie at Seymour. On that same block, Jako is also decent, better chance of getting a seat.

Ah, but I completely forgot, going beyond value, my best sushi recommendation would be Iki on Broadway at MacDonald. Great brown rice sushi.

Hibiki Sushi @ Mascrop and Willingdon… it’s in Burnaby not Van but still great sushi, also good place for business lunching

For special occasions, I LOVE Tojo’s or Blue Water Cafe…

But otherwise, if you can go at a less busy time, The Eatery is always fun and delicious

I’ve been in search of the best brown rice sushi recently. So far…Iki at Broadway and MacDonald is a contender. Mazuya Sushi (2355 Burrard) was excellent and good value (better for take-out than dining in, though) The Eatery is great, too (and word is they’ll be getting brown rice in October).

I have heard that Hiroshi’s (3720 Oak) is fantastic but have yet to go (they have lame hours…only until 8pm weekdays and closed weekends).

Kamei Royal

Miku if you want something a little different (lighly seared “aburi-zushi”), Miko on Robson is also top-notch. If you’ve never been to Octopus Garden in Kits you should check that out too.

The best I’ve had so far within my price range is Kadoya Sushi on Davie between Burrard and Thurlow. Just to give you an idea, I didn’t like sushi until I tried some there, at which point I realized that I like sushi, just not mediocre sushi.

Shiosai if you’re ever in east Van.

http://www.fiveloaves.ca/2009/06/06/shiosai-sushi-bar-vancouver/

I like Toshi’s on 16th off Main.

Agree with Dan! Me love Kadoya on Davies… creative rolls for affordable pricing.

shiro.

My mom’s – but sorry it’s only for family, friends and neighbours.

My favourite restaurant in Surrey is closed so I’m still looking.

I second Octopus Garden. There’s Tojo’s of course, AND Toyo Shushi. For unconventional sushi, there’s also Hiroshi’s Sushi Creations.

Bistro Sakana in Yaletown does everything exceptionally well, and in particular their avocado rolls are the best I’ve ever tasted. Shin Ju on Broadway and Hemlock does very good rolls for a very good price – the best value rolls I’ve found in Vancouver – though their raw nigiri is never quite as good as it should be. And yeah, Eatery is fun and often delicious – but because it’s mostly non-traditional stuff, it’s not a place I’d go if I was dying for sushi.

For cozy atmosphere and super friendly service I love Oysi Oysi on Alberni. Not the most perfect sushi in Vancouver but always fresh and tasty and the people can’t be beat. Here is my Yelp review: http://bit.ly/THebP

Toshi is good on Main and 16th, but they don’t reservations and the place is pretty tiny. Sushi Garden, across from Metrotown in Burnaby, is quite good too. Very fresh fish at a reasonable price.

Tanpopo. It’s on Denman and Davie I believe, cheap and All You Can Eat!

There’s a little tiny hole-in-the-wall place near Pender and Richards that I always liked. It’s called Spin Roll sushi I think. It’s cheap, it’s good, and the rolls are the perfect size such that you can eat them in one bit and not make a huge mess.

Not quite Vancouver, but close enough. Osaka Today in Richmond (Blundell Centre, Blundell/2 Road). Fantastic, fresh, beautifully presented. Even the vegetarian options are mind-blowing. Also, Osaka Today is a Noodle House, and has a master noodle chef onsite. Yum!

i don’t like sushi, but Sushi Town in burnaby (hastings near fell) has great teriyaki and apparently the spicy tuna sashimi is delish.

For cheap cheap cheap – Tomokazu (sp) on Spruce and Broadway – $9.95 AYCE lunch and $12.95 AYCE late night dinner. The $2.50 beers help too.

Lately, it’s been Clubhouse on 2nd – try their Holy Makis! http://yumorama.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-clubhouse-vancouver-bc.html

For nostalgias’ sake, I’ve always loved Van-Ya in Vancouver (Harold at Kingsway, I believe).

miku on coal harbour is pretty good. their aburi sushi is awesome!

Ajisai Sushi Bar in Kerrisdale, between west 41st and 42nd. Authentic Japanese. Small place and usually busy.

Zipang on Main.

Sushi Cafe on Seymour and Georgia. (restaurant quality, order at the counter prices)

But warning about Ocean wise Restaurants. The restaurant itself gets approved by Oceanwise for their attempts to reduce the ammount of unsustainable items on their menus. But, the seafood itself isn’t necessarily sustainable. I’ve seen tiger prawns and farmed salmon (for example) which both have terrible ecological impacts being sold in Oceanwise Restaurants. It actually concerns me that the Oceanwise program is creating consumer confusion.

When choosing seafood at Sushi restaurants, always consult the Seachoice Canada sushi guide, found at:
http://fish.gshaw.ca/files/asset/file/163/SC_sushi_card_web.pdf

It is hard to beat Sushiyama on Broadway just east of Kingsway.

Shiro on Cambie for fresh basic sushi and japanese food
Kadoya on Davie with their mindboggling long list of fusion sushi
Zipang on Main is my regular place to go to
Sushiyama on Broadway (across from Kingsgate Mall)
Dan in Kits is a hidden gem
Tenhachi, oddly located in the Shaughnessy Village Hotel, does good home-cook style japanese food

Ocean Wise is a program of committed progression – partners have to commit to initial removal of unsustainable items in order to join and then a continuous removal/replacement to ultimately obtaining a clean menu.

The sustainable seafood movement is consumer-driven – it is a bottom up industry (the opposite to most). What you and I demand to see on our plates, is what fishers are going out to catch.

The Ocean Wise program is based on promoting the sustainable options – the best choice the consumer can make. Approved items will have the Ocean Wise logo displayed on the menu and this allows you as the consumer to use your buying power to influence the industry.

Diners buying Ocean Wise menu options leads to restaurants demanding sustainable fish from their suppliers. Restaurants quickly see conscientious consumers are now buying the sustainable option.. so why keep the unsustainable on the menu? Diners see positive choices, avoid the unapproved ones and the restaurants don’t find it worth their while to have the unsustainable options. This influence results in the seafood suppliers changing their stock priorities and ultimately trickle down to the fisher/farmer and their practices.

Ocean Wise restaurants to support – Miku (Downtown) and Zen Japanese (West Van) and delicious!

I’m a big fan of shabusen on Granville for lunch, all you can eat and korean bbq. I recently went to sushiyama on kingsway just off main, and that was fantastic great fresh fish. The wild salmon sashimi was basically an entire fish, it was awesome.

I like Temaki Sushi on Broadway

Iris: FYI, Tomokazu has been closed on several occasions for health code violations. They found rat feces, they had baskets of cooked tempura on the floor, and the dishwasher was nowhere near spec, among other problems.

Like Cam C, I really like Miko and Octopus’ Garden.

Octopus has a great, very creative chef who’ll surprise you with his innovations… “looks like sushi, tastes like pizza!” how can you beat that??

Sushi Garden on Kingsway in Burnaby. Always busy, despite at least a half-dozen other sushi places within a five-minute walk. There’s a reason. Nothing too exotic, but excellent quality, large portions, and great prices. Our favourite since it opened early this decade.

If the lineup’s too long, Yakko Sushi half a block east is quite good too.

These are where the Japanese go, but ALWAYS go to one where the chef is the owner and they are Japanese.

Dan (Broadway and Larch)
Hoshi’s at the Sandbar (Granville Island)
Shiro (Cambie)
Shima-ya (40th and Victoria)

PS Best day to go to a Sushi Restaurant is on Tuesday Wednesday! Fish market is closed on Sunday’s so no fresh fish on Monday so most good Japanese restaurants are closed on Monday’s.

I have to agree with @gregeh above: Yamato and Jako are two of my favorites in town, though I also frequent Osaka on Burrard & Pacific because I life close, the staff is friendly, the sushi is usually fresh and it’s always cheap. $3.75 beer doesn’t hurt either.

It used to be AjiTaro (No 3 Road, Richmond) but they don’t open lunchtimes

Maruwa Sushi (Coppersmith Place) is closest to me, excellent food but gets very crowded at lunchtime – go early or book first

But if you want real crab (avoid that coloured pollock substitute at all costs) go to Thrifty Foods – take out only but they will make to order

Sushi Han (No 2 Road at Blundell) was my first choice but I have not been recently

ASA!!! in Kerrisdale has great specialty roles – my favourite.

@ The oceanwise comments:

Oceanwise restaurants have oceanwise OPTIONS. You have to choose them yourself, and they are marked on the menu. Farmed salmon is okay as long as it has been farmed in North America closed net style. Open net is a no-no.

Choose the items marked by symbols: going to an Oceanwise restaurant is still supporting their choice with your wallet, so even if you don’t choose as such (but please do ) you’re supporting their business choice.

Sushi Mart on Robson and… Cardero? and Shizen Ya on Spruce and Broadway.

I urge you to be Ocean wise!