Foodists

Ajisai Sushi

My favorite place to worship raw fish in Vancouver is Ajisai Sushi. Thanks to Lisa’s mighty recommendation, I found a place that regularly brings in fresh saba (mackerel) and aji (horse mackerel) and makes what is easily the best deluxe chirashi I’ve ever had. (Similiar to a great fresh unagi–grilled freshwater eel–don I had in Kyoto 12 years ago, the rice wasn’t left unadorned. Finely chopped seaweed, roasted sesame seeds and minced shiitake mushrooms are mixed into the rice before a generous array of mixed sashimi, grilled unagi and tamago and placed on top.) Busy with local shoppers and Japanese speakers (always a good sign), I recently enjoyed a lovely lunch of saba shiso (mackerel with o-ba leaf), negitoro (raw chopped tuna belly and green onion) and una kyu (unagi with cucumber). It was so incredibly good I just had to share it with you. Located near the Kerrisdale London Drugs, there’s free underground parking and they’re closed on Mondays and New Year’s week. 604.266.1428, 2081 West 42nd Street, Vancouver (across from the drop-in medical clinic).