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Overall rating
422 reviews
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- Will K.Vancouver, Canada2226Oct 3, 2010
I have searched for truly good sushi in Vancouver, a place where sushi joints are plenty and competitive. Japanese food here should be one of the best outside Japan. There should be at least one that can surpass my expectations. I still have not found the one.
Personal Yelp Ajisai rate: 3.75 out of 5.
This sushi bar is located in beautiful Kerrisdale. Likewise good sushi joints, Ajisai is small and a little bit hidden in a plaza, giving it a sense of "secret place to be discovered".
I did not had to wait outside to have a seat. There were people but it was not full. I was greeted by the Japanese staff into a seat on the sushi counter. Place is very clean and decor simple and not flashy.
Got myself a combination of nigiri sushi, some simple and some as shown in the chef recommendations (written on a piece of paper near the counter).
Veredict: Very well prepared nigiri sushi. Ingredients were truly fresh and mouth watering. Execution was as expected from an experienced sushi chef. The dish looked straight from a culinary journal. Cuts were uniform (for the nigiri) and the rice was firm and moist and thus not cracky. Rice was as sushi rice should be.
A big plus in Ajisai is that they serve sushi that is rather hard to find and appreciated by sushi lovers. For example, this is one of the few places that had Japanese Tako (octopuss), fresh saba (mackerel, almost always served cured, not raw), fresh katsuo (bonito fish), and the ruby of the sea: BLUE FIN TUNA (true maguro)!! Order these to impress your friends and become a sushi connoisseur.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS ONE BIG SLUMP: Out of the 7 nigiri sushi, TWO had a small fishbone inside. Most strangely, one was on the egg (tamago) nigiri sushi (o_O;). If it was an upscale sushi restaurant, it would be just unforgivable. Luckily, there was none in the maguro.
For the service, I can say it is good. Cons: they do not serve free tea and refills as some good sushi bars in Japan usually do. Also, be careful, because they do not accept debit cards! Not carrying credit cards that day, I felt a cold sweat running through my brow as I looked for enough bills and change for the tip.
Prices are very reasonable. Each nigiri piece ranges from 1.75 to 3 CADs, while the more exotic ones can go up to 4 CADs per piece. Rolls and combos are well priced.
Personal conclusion: Quite good sushi, hard to find ingredients, but by all means NOT perfect. If I need to quickly fill my sushi fix, I would go somewhere nearer and a little bit cheaper. I would come back only if I craved blue fin tuna sushi and raw mackerel.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Siu C.BC, Canada02Jun 28, 2024
Great selection and fresh sashimi. Arrive early to avoid waits!!
Friendly staff, excellent service :)Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 1 - Jun 27, 20241 check-in
This restaurant must be doing well since they expanded with another little place called Ajisai To Go.
I have to say that the green tea was really good and the waiter was very attentive. Sushi was on the pricier side and portions small, but they were tasty and elegantly presented.
Place is not huge with only four tables and a small bar to sit. Sitting at the bar gives you a nice view of the chef's making the sushi, and you can see that they take pride in their work. Service is fast, polite, and attentive. Parking is metered side street.
Great for singles or couples, not great for groups. They don't take reservations and you only get seated if all your party is there.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Jul 27, 2023
Came here on a Wednesday evening around 6:30p and there is already a waiting list. The place is rather small and they won't seat you until your whole party is there. Luckily we waited around the benches just outside.
There is street parking or underground parking for London Drugs.
Waited around 20-30 minutes for the seating and we were at the Sushi bar.
Menu is an URL Code or you can look at their take out menu (there is a slight difference).
We ordered:
Jelly fish - very interesting and refreshing
Special Assorted Sashimi - very fresh fish and yummy
Unagi Battera pressed sushi - very juicy unagi pieces on top of a large roll
2 Fresh Hotate - the scallop is large, thick, and fresh
Hamchi Kama - grilled to perfection
Totally recommend this place. Lots of take out orders.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - 2388943958Oct 19, 2022Updated review
The quality and simplicity of ajisai never fails to impress me with reasonably priced rolls that are encompassed with perfectly textured and flavoured rice and impeccably fresh fish. Their rolls are not the special rolls topped with sauce and frills but are well constructed and generously filled.
I ordered the:
Ika Ume Roll - squid and a little bit of plum with shiso (i believe) and not often seen on other menus, this little maki was so tasty as I love Ika and the touch of sourness brightens the whole roll.
Toro Taku - fatty tuna belly with a little bit of pickled veggies, I LOVED THIS...buttery but not fishy, the pickle is what makes the roll feel light but satisfying.
Overall, I now know to stick to their maki rolls for a delicious and delicate bite. Pro tip: I ordered take out a couple hours before they opened for dinner to secure a 5PM pick up and was surprised with a 5% discount for the meal!Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 4Oh no 0Jan 29, 2021Previous reviewReturned for another sushi feast and again, extremely pleased with their sushi! Today, we got their deluxe chirashi which had some of the best hamachi I had ever had on top of a huge bowl of sushi rice. Also, got the west coast combo, house roll, and negitoro roll again and just as good as last time!
We tried out some of their nigiri tonight and were very pleased with their fresh scallop, uni, hamachi and toro. Although the prices were a bit higher than I expected but thats what you get with high quality products!
Finally, I tried to be adventurous and tried the toro taku which was toro with pickled veg which was not as amazing as it sounded as we still preferred negitoro more. We also got the aka with plum and I loved the combination! It was a little bit sour and I love the texture of Ika so I really enjoyed this roll!
Overall, I will continue to come here for some great sushi although I would stick to the regular chirashi, not deluxe.Oct 1, 2020Previous reviewEven during COVID, and as take out, the sushi here is still phenomenal. We got quite an assortment with the pacific combo, west coast combo, house roll, crispy hot tuna roll and negator roll PLUS a chirashi don. Although this didn't seem like a lot, it was a LOT and the prices for their rolls are more than reasonable! The west coast combo was my favourite especially because of the shrimp and scallop roll which was the perfect combo of creaminess and snappy shrimp. Their fish in ALL of their rolls are extremely fresh and the rice is expertly vinegared.
Our family really enjoyed the house roll as well which I recommend despite the higher price tag. The chirashi also had little bits of ginger in it with some wonderful slices of sashimi on top and again, this was delicious!
Finally, we use the negitoro roll as an indicator of whether a sushi place is any good and tonight, they proved their excellence with a delectable bite of fresh toro, thin layer of rice and near perfect bite.
Overall, I will be returning soon...and you should go too.Mar 19, 2019Previous reviewI love this place, they have some of the freshest sushi around with amazing tasting rice and reasonable prices! Mom and I came and we got the chirashi lunch special. The rice was vinegared perfection with two pieces of salmon, tuna, tamago and tako plus another piece of ebi and ika. These were all thick slices and very fresh and good quality! We also ordered a house roll and a chopped scallop roll. The house roll was a great combination of flavours and the little bit of red tuna in the middle really gave it a pop. The chopped scallop also had a minimal amount of mayo and plenty of scallop. Both rolls were not heavy on the rice and very much enjoyed by both me and my mom.
Overall, this place remains one of the best sushi places in the city.Apr 15, 2017Previous reviewFor a late birthday lunch, my mom and I made our way to kerrisdale on a sunny afternoon and although the wait for a table was long, the delicious and fresh rolls, nigiri and sashimi was more than worth it.
We tried their lunch bento that came with half a california roll, half a BC roll and spicy tuna sashimi with sushi rice. This was a great deal with the amount of sashimi you get and their rolls were well constructed, contained fresh fish and the rice was flavoured perfectly! The sashimi was one of the best i've had with WHOLE chunks of tuna in a slightly spicy and authentic Japanese style spicy. The BC roll was a surprise hit with just a little bit of salmon skin but a nice large piece of well grilled salmon flesh. The california roll was very light as well with minimal mayo in the roll itself.
Next, we tried their dynamite roll which had a little bit too much rice but contained ebi, crunch flakes, cucumber, avocado, spicy mayo and masago. I did enjoy this roll too but at around $5, I expected there to be a little bit more filling.
Finally, we also decided to try some nigiri being the negi hamachi, negitoro, and spicy chopped scallop. Again, rice to fish ratios were on point and the chopped fish were fresh and tasted like it was straight from the sea. We decided to try the quail egg on top of the negi hamachi and although an interesting combination, I didn't think this was necessary as the hamachi alone was wonderful.
Overall, I continue to love this little sushi shop and recommend it for an authentic Japanese experience.Feb 9, 2016Previous reviewCame here for a Tuesday lunch and although it wasn't a cheap eat, it was definitely delicious and i'm already awaiting a return!
The fish is extremely fresh and their sushi rolls were wonderful! We ordered half tuna and half salmon sashimi and both were melt in my mouth delicious. We also got the combo that included a california roll, shrimp and scallop roll as well as a tuna and avocado roll. All three were rolled very precisely and the best part, they had the perfect rice to filling ratio. The sushi rice was also flavoured wonderfully being vinegary and tangy but not overly so. Lastly, the fish inside was flavourful without being too overpowering leading to a light but delicious meal! - Nov 18, 2022
This sushi place in Kerrisdale feels super authentic and the food tasted so fresh! There's not a lot of seating inside and they do get pretty busy, but it seems that a lot of customers are just getting take out so the wait wasn't long.
They have a huge selection on their menu and it was very hard to choose. I ended up ordering the salmon ikura bowl and it was perfect :) They have so many options with different combinations of seafood for their bowls which I don't see a lot elsewhere. The only menu complaint is they don't seem to have any cocktail options. Drinks are pretty limited to sake and beer.
Overall a delightful experience and I will definitely visit again!Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0 - El Rey R.Vancouver, Canada3091131Oct 12, 2023
Worst customer service ever. The old granny (obasong) enjoy charging customer extra ginger when you had environmental friendly customer who don't want chopsticks and napkins. A little customer care wouldn't do it at all. Looking at her showing attitudes towards every customer just disgust me all time. When my food ready, not even bother inform me. Rather I look closely at the receipt sat on top of my togo box. It's very idiotic service tat when customer waiting outside for their togo and you just ignore it. Worst Japanese style service ever.
Anyone plan go there eat just needs be aware this old granny grumpy bad attitude !Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - 123932082Mar 17, 2023Updated review
Things have changed a lot since covid ! Came by for lunch and they only offer a lunch menu with specials during the lunch dining time. Can't order off the main menu but kids apparently can. The server made sure to tell us each person had to order a lunch special. Seems like there is a minimum spend in place? They don't take reservations so there's usually a wait of 20 min or more. We tried the Sashimi lunch set, assorted sushi set, unagi don and gindara. Sashimi and nigiri really fresh tasting and gindara was so tender. Really enjoyed my lunch experience as good quality good but I think this is more of a take out place for me now.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Aug 4, 2019Previous reviewBack at this local sushi restaurant for lunch this time and the the food is still amazing. Fresh and big portions of fish on nigiri and great combos at lunch. Love the kids menu. Only problem is this place is tiny with only 4-5 tables and a sushi bar and the wait gets too long. They need a bigger location! Great for take out.
July 2019
Lunch time stillest enquires a huge wait but it's worth it. Updated menu selections for summer. Tried the lobster dynamite, gindara. Also house roll, ebi sunomono, special assorted sushi and assorted sashimi. It's mainly nigiri and sushi only. Service gets slow when it's busy. See you next time.Aug 16, 2018Previous reviewBack at this local sushi restaurant for lunch this time and the the food is still amazing. Fresh and big portions of fish on nigiri and great combos at lunch. Love the kids menu. Only problem is this place is tiny with only 4-5 tables and a sushi bar and the wait gets too long. They need a bigger location! Great for take out.
Apr 23, 2017Previous reviewThis is one of my favorite sushi places in Vancouver. I have eaten had dinner here before and it is always packed. It's a small intimate authentic Japanese restaurant that specializes only in sushi and appetizers. There don't have noodles or over cooked items. Today I ordered takeout, several Party platters and combos, special sashimi and sockeye salmon sashimi. This place remains true to its reputation and the quality is fresh and authentic sushi. Be sure to try this place and beware of line ups as it gets busy.
- Kelly N.Vancouver, Canada7179361Sep 27, 2023Updated review
They have the in my opinion rude and disrespectful rule not seating guests until everyone has arrived in a group.
It's far better to set a time limit for each table instead.
Regardless how good the sushi is, it's a big turn off.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Dec 6, 2022Previous reviewUsed to be our favourite sushi place but the service is just horrible. The female servers seem so inexperienced more like ESL students than professional servers. Completely understaffed.
Silly policy of not seating customers until everyone has arrived when we were ready to order everything. - Dec 9, 2022Updated review
Came here for dinner last night. So glad they've had dine in since the summer now. Yeh! Sushi never tastes as good at home as when they make it and serve it to you immediately. Love their daily fresh sheet that they post on Facebook so I can know what they have on special.
We are blessed in Vancouver to have what feels like over a hundred sushi places. We've tried everything from Minami, Miku, Kishimoto, Raisu etc and this is where our heart remains. I spend way more at the first three and are never quite satisfied at that price point, nor do I feel like I get my money's worth. My eyes don't need to feast but my taste buds do. The value here is amazing for the quality you're getting. No frills. You're not going to get a decorative display with edible flowers or they do some knife chopping skills to do a carrot rose or whatever. What you will get is tasty fresh fish on well prepared sushi rice. Their chirashi rice also has pickled yellow radish and mushrooms and it's just not plain ole sushi rice.
Been coming since they opened in 2004 and out of all the places we've taken tons of friends, this one is always the one people ask to come back to.Helpful 6Thanks 1Love this 3Oh no 0Jun 27, 2012Previous reviewThe wait sucks because the place is so small, but get over it because the food is well worth the wait! When I lived in the area I tried to come at least once a week or once every 2 weeks, but now I moved I come maybe once every few months.
I really can't fault this place besides the size of the business. Yes the place is small, but other than that the service is outstanding and friendly, and the food is awesome. They don't do tempura here so don't be disappointed when you don't see it anywhere on the menu. It's a simple good ole fish joint and that's what it revolves around. I love everything here and I recommend the place to all my friends. I have one friend who comes to town once or twice a year and she has to eat here at least once per visit.
The sashimi is always fresh and everything is made when you order it. Nothing sits around getting soggy on you. So yes you might wait a bit to get your food but you're guaranteed that it's just been made. I love their marinated black cod (sablefish) and it takes a while because they just threw it in the oven after receiving your order. Their seafood salad is great with corn flakes (yes, corn flakes!). I also love their ankimo (monkfish liver) and can eat it all day long. Their chirashi rice is the best I've had in Vancouver - it can't be beat.
This place is authentically Japanese through and through. Every person working there is Japanese. Everything is made just for you after you've ordered it. It's tucked away behind London Drugs and yet everyone still knows this place enough for it to always have a waitlist, so that speaks volumes about its reputation. Love this place!
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