Masayoshi

Poor quality ingredients, almost had a food poisoning there :(

We found this place on Unilocal when looking for sushi for dinner somewhere not too far from home. It’s a cute little place on the pricey side. The service was excellent and the food was good, but nothing really stood out. Everything was fresh and we were full from the smoked salmon salad, sashimi and some nigiri.

Great presentation & one of the best Japanese restos in van overall.
Rumor has it the chef here came from Tojo’s. If this is true, he’s definitely flourished his creativity and it shows in the restaurants presentation & quality of food.
TOJOS: I went to Tojo’s once. Spent $ 550, and was completely unsatisfied with the food, and the service. It was very over priced, and fish temperature was off IMO.
But at Masayoshi, I had a great intimate experience. I am surprised it wasn’t more packed. (But I’d rather it not be)
I got the table omakase (hot dishes & nigiri). It felt very traditional, not so «Hollywood» like Tojo’s.
Here’s my rating for the dishes I tried in my omakase. U must check out my pics to understand!
Sashimi plate — ⁵⁄₅
Amazing selection of delicate fishes. Had some baby squid, fresh sockeye salmon and shrimp. Delicate & refreshing flavors. Great way to start my meal
Chuwanmushi — ⁵⁄₅
Not even a fan of chuwanmushi, but this one was out of this world!!! Perfect balance of flavors, not too salty or bland. And the seafood inside was steamed to perfection! It looked so perfect, like a Japanese melon.
King Crab — 4.5÷5
Delicious and presented very nicely. Refreshing flavors, good.
Fresh Soup — ⁴⁄₅
Presentation is sexy & fun if you are on a date. It is good, but flavor isn’t super wow. Just good clean soup.
Miso Black Cod — ⁵⁄₅
Best I’ve had in van! Now I know sable fish is super popular in van, but I’m not so much of a fan because it’s just soooooo buttery. It’s really easy to over salt a fish like black cod or sable fish, but Masayoshi’s was on point!!! I finished this so fast. Great complementing flavors. Ikura was a nice touch
Nigiri Plate — 3.5
The fish is fresh, but I didn’t like how there was a bit too much rice. The fish was also a bit big for my liking. I also received this table side, and much rather prefer to eat nigiri at the bar. Maybe I will rate this better when I sit at the bar. None the less, it doesn’t change that this is still one of the best places I’ve had in Van, as they do carry a variety of really nice fishes.
Dessert — 3
Wasnt my favorite, but for those who don’t have much of a sweet tooth this was nice. Was more on the bitter side of matcha.
Overall I had a great experience here and can’t wait to come back for omakase at the bar!

This is without question, the best sushi spot in Vancouver.
The truth is, Vancouver sushi kind of sucks. Most locals think its great, but they really love spicy mayo and shrimp tempura and california rolls. Vancouver, despite its reputation, actually has a horrific sushi scene. Anyone who has spent time in L.A., Vegas, New York, Toronto, or Tokyo, and is serious about sushi would agree. There isn’t a serious omakase spot in the city… until Masayoshi arrived.
This isn’t quite as good as the elite places in the aforementioned cities, but it’s not far off. If you are looking for a true, one piece at a time, authentic omakase with a real sushi chef, this is the real deal in Vancouver. Yes, it’s pricey, but relative to the product being served it is very reasonable. My wife and I had a great meal here and will be back often. Sit at the bar and let the chef work.

Had the omakase today … AMAZING. Masa-​san and staff were extremely nice and attentive. We will be back soon!

Hmmm… how should I put it.
It’s good but then… but also alright only.
Loved:
The different fish.
The chawamushi
The atmosphere
Comped a bottle of sake for the mishap
Disliked:
The non English speaking servers. Messed up on our resos.
Price
3.5 hours… way too long for a meal for me.

Set menu created by the chef for $ 100 per person, you can call or email ahead of time for dietary restrictions which is great. We had two pregnant women who ate no raw shell fish, as well as a gluten, dairy and egg allergy in our group and the chef was able to accommodate everyone with ease. Very nice that they didn’t make a fuss or even seem hassled by changing the menu for a few people in the party.
The food was delicious, the fish is flown in from Japan according to the waiter. It was a four course meal followed by dessert.
At first I was a bit worried because the portion sizes seems on the small side but by the end of the meal everyone was stuffed and chose not to add more sushi to the meal.
My favourite was the nigiri sushi dish and dessert :) the fish was so fresh and the chef added just the right amount of wasabi. The dessert was a matcha jelly with fresh fruit, not too sweet so you can fully taste and appreciate the matcha. Make sure you scope all the way down to the bottom to taste the matcha paste! Not a place I’d got to for dinner every week obviously at $ 100 a person but would consider going again for a special occasion! The restaurant is very tiny so be sure to make reservations!

Amazing sushi. Must try the chefs omakase. Every piece of sushi is explained (what is is and where it is from) and most do not require any soya sauce. I have been to many Japanese sushi restaurants in Japan and this is a very good contender. Very authentic. The chef is creative, makes every dish, and has a high attention to detail. Definitely a must try!

Authentic Japanese, exquisite experience! The quality of the food and service are consistent each time visited. The creativity and passion for food are clearly reflected in the dishes created by self-​effacing Chef Masayoshi. Each bite of smoked salmon salad, one of my favorites, offered a well-​balanced taste of tenderness (salmon), crunchiness with a hinted sour note (apple), slightly sweet moist papaya, and mild bitter herbs.
Dashi, another favorite of mine, is made in a playful, surprising way by using a coffee siphon, amusing customers every time. The clear broth made from dry shiitake, kelp, bonito and sardine was incredible and tasty that even cleansed my palate for the next dish.
Black cod was amazing and exquisitely presented in an artistic way that showcased the chef’s creativity and culinary skill. It was even decorated with gold leaf dust and crispy lotus root chip. Fish was cooked to perfection that effortlessly melted in my mouth. Blue fin tuna nigiri was deliciously tender as always that summed up the overall enjoyable experience.

Very imtimate and cosy sushi restaurant.
It’s one of the most authentic sushi restaurant in Vancouver.
We ordered omakase sushi this time. In omakase, the sushi chef will serve fresh made sushi one by one :) The quality of the sushi is superb, it is very comparable to a fresh sushi in Japan. The uni was the best uni I’ve ever had, tamago was really really smooth, ikura was comparable with the good Ikura I had back in Japan, the smoked salmon was very different from the one I usually eat.
The service is good too. Both servers and chefs are friendly and polite. The server is very knowledgable about sake, and explained it very well.
We ordered 2 6oz of sake and 2 omakase, and it was about 206cad in total. It’s on pricier side but it’s good for special occasion.
Things to note about:
–There are only 1 sushi chef, kitchen chef and 2 servers so it takes time for food to be served. (We arrived at around 6:30, and we went home around 8:30~9). I think it’s ok if you don’t have anything planned out after dinner and you’re not too hungry. Probably it’s good for romantic occasion. While we were waiting for food, servers chatted with us time to time, which was very nice.
–There are only few seats so reservation is definitely recommended

The best sushi in Vancouver, every piece blew my mind, this guy is a
master, but he is also very friendly.
Go when you have some time to spend, because he makes one piece at a time.
Michelin stars on the way!!!

Food is good and service is ok, very very slow and very very expensive.
Food is really fresh and Japanese style serving at the counter.
The fish is great and daily flew in…

I live on the same block and was so excited when It opened, finally a Sushi restaurant on Fraser.
After seeing the menu, I was disappointed as the prices looked really high. After trying the place for the first time tonight I can say that the food is worth every penny– simply amazing.
And that’s the problem.
I wanted more food, so I ordered more. I was more than happy to pay for the price of this amazing stuff– but they just wouldn’t serve me. They took my second order, very politely, but I waited… And waited… And waited.
After 30+ minutes I explained to our waiter that my three year old son needs to sleep soon– he expressed his sorrow. Thanks, but food please ;)???
10 minutes later we got our smoked salmon salad. We waited that long for a salad. The waiter apologized for the delay, saying it’s busy and they only have one chef working.
Don’t get me wrong, that was one of the best salads I’ve ever had– ever. But to wait that long?!
I thought, give it another go. I asked for five pieces of Nigiri– just five. I waited, and waited, and waited.
Other people were getting their food and drinks, but just not us. I decided to give them another ten minutes. Fifteen minutes later I asked the waiter if the chef even started the — count them — five pieces of Nigiri. The answer was no.
I cancelled the order and we left hungry and disappointed.
Maybe they were busy, maybe certain clients get priority there (Western or Asian businessmen). Or maybe I’m being paranoid.
Either way, we were welcomed into a restaurant that charges a high premium for great food– but they were unable to serve it to us in less than an hour. Pretty sad.
I might try the place again, but I’ll ask if we’ll be able to get all our food in under an hour.
I’m so annoyed.

A hidden gem on Fraser Street. It’s a bit too posh for the neighbourhood though…
The sushi was excellent, and the side dishes were delicious. I had an octopus salad with wasabi that was so refreshing.
Next time, I’m going to try their omakase dinner, which you have to preorder two days before.
Highly recommended for high-​end sushi lovers!

Well this was a great experience. The restaurant is small and cosy (twenty seats total), Masa-​san is extremely welcoming. The Omakase started off with some very fresh sashimi, most of it from Japan. The Uni Chawanmushi was fantastic. Smooth, silky and full of flavor. The unagi was perfect. Just the right sweetness and richness. The sable fish was a little salty but nicely finished with Ikura. And the «DIY» dashi was a real surprise. And the tamago? Simply superb. Very much like a custard, just the way it should be!
The service was extremely attentive and friendly.
A couple of things they can improve. Need real napkins, not paper. A slightly bigger wine and sake list.

I am scoring two stars to signify we will probably never return. The competence and friendliness of the server increased my score from 1 to 2 stars actually.
A tasty little squid appetizer scored the second point.
The food is absolutely fresh but the prices tend to be slightly ridiculous. This is Vancouver, not Chicago — we are sushi central, so freshness and choice of ingredients cannot alone explain the price premium. I suspect that the prices have simply migrated from the chef’s previous restaurant, but paying extra for nigiri and über small temaki won’t be well received. Shiro on Cambie is a few minutes away (and their California roll uses at lest double the amount of real crab), and Kaide on Pacific will still be our go-​to haunts for freshness and flavour.
Some more points — no chef greeting on departure (seems to be an widespread tradition and
we miss it). And being able to order a Chawanmushi, told it would take a little longer to prepare (we knew)…then being informed it wasn’t available? This item comes recommended — and at 6 pm on a Saturday night it should be available!
We left somewhat hungry.

We were a party of three and visited during the first week it was open. We were the second seated table in the restaurant. We found the menu options to be sparse. While the service started off promising it soon faltered. The ‘single’ server was very polite but service was incredibly slow. It took two full hours to complete our meal which only included three items per person. We were asked if we wanted all our items on one plate, we said yes. All of our items came separately and about 15 min apart. People who came in for take-​out received their food before us. We asked to cancel our last roll as we were frustrated with the amount of time it took and the server complied but they charged us for it regardless. As I was paying up our cancelled roll was ready and prepared in a take out container.
I will admit we found a few of our items to be very good but the rest were on par with other good sushi bars but at much higher prices. The music is dreadful, it sounded like an out of tune violin being played over and over and over… for two hours! This score is based in our overall dining experience. Another table next to us also seemed to be having the same experience.
My recommendations, hire more staff, change the music and lower your prices.

I was really excited for this place, being that there is a void of sushi around Fraser. Hopefully this review will find them and they can correct what was going wrong. Prices were high but somewhat justifiable for many of the items but some things didn’t make sense to cost what they do. Secondly the service was bad, we didn’t get menus for about 15 minutes we asked twice, but the server forgot, then he ignored us in order to do table service miso soup. Thirdly, the music was awful some scratching screaming bird with violins on loop. Lastly the food, the rice was under seasoned and really hot, also our order had a 15 minute gap between dishes.
But what made me give 2 stars instead of 3 is that after we ordered the chef personally brought out a small little salad and said here you go and smiled, we thought «hey complimentary salad, cool!» but as my girlfriend lifted the lid off the salad and had her chop sticks in it the server ran over snatched the salad and said oh not for you… So if you are deciding to go here take the rest of the reviews with a grain of salt many of them are Tojo groupies. Save yourself some money and go to sushi by Yuji on kingsway, Shiro on Cambie, or Shim-​Ya on Victoria.

What an experience! The food is clean and made from the soul. My friend and I were the first 2 in the restaurant and we opted for a table, thinking we didn’t want to be a distraction. We quickly moved to the suhi bar and I’m glad we did. Masa-​san was a bit interactive but he was clearly focused on the food and it was great to watch his skill in action.
We opted for the omakase. I recommend calling ahead if you do omakase because there are currently 2 people working, Tomo-​san in the front and Masa-​san behind the sushi bar. They both previously worked at a famous high-​end Japanese restaurant in Vancouver that starts with a T and ends in ojos. Do not expect fast food if it’s busy because 1 man is making food for everyone. Relax and relish in the delicious food, the relaxing atmosphere, and the barely audible traditional Japanese music. Refreshing.
My pictures display our experience. It was all amazing, the flavours were just right and very clean. The tuna steak was certainly one of the highlights, wow. The tamago was hands down the best I’ve had, it had great texture and light flavour of caramel. Of course the fish was excellent and the tuna toro is like butter. The dashi in the bowl of tofu and seaweed was incredibly clean, clear and refreshing.
Omakse for 2 including 1 Kirin and the dashi. $ 205 plus tip. And my tip is make a reservation and try the omakase. Just not on Sunday, they’re closed on Sunday.
Domo arigato, Tomo-​san and Masa-​san.

Masayoshi is a wonderful new sushi restaurant in Vancouver’s Mountain View district (Fraser street).
The décor is somewhat sparse (water-​finish concrete floors and wooden table tops) but it is really quite cozy nonetheless (read, less than 20 seats, about 7 of which are at the sushi bar), however the décor is secondary because this place is all about the food, which on my first visit was nothing short of fantastic.
The waiter explained that they focus on nothing but the highest quality ingredients… and freshly sourced ingredients at that. One example on my first visit was «sushi grade halibut cheek» which I had in the form of nigiri. The waiter explained that it is delivered daily.
I started with two appetizers: a tako wasabi salad (squid leg in a wasabi root marinade) and a light green salad, both of which were very tasty and nicely presented.
It was a bit of a rainy evening so I also had a miso soup. Normally I wouldn’t mention something as simple as miso… but even the miso soup was wonderfully prepared.
When the waiter arrived with my sushi plate (I chose one roll and six pieces of nigiri) he described the uniqueness of each piece, in terms of how they prepare each piece with special care. And then he explained that the chef «requested» that I should be careful as I handle the pieces with my chopsticks because they are delicate. He then offered that instead of me using chopsticks, that he could bring a special hand towel to wash my fingertips with, so that I might eat my sushi with my fingers… I was up for that! I will also try to post a photo of the totally awesome little contraption they have designed for holding a wet napkin… just so that you can clean your fingertips between delicate bites of their succulent sushi.
Prices are higher than the run-​of-​the-​mill sushi places we have come to expect in Vancouver. Masayoshi is «dinner only» and the food was — as I have already noted — exceptional on my first visit. My overall feeling is that the prices were appropriate for what is a special sushi restaurant.
Here is my one big complaint… the paper napkin that was provided was the cheapest version of a paper napkin know to man. It disintegrated in my hand into a tiny little mess of cellulose fibre and dust.
There is no question that I will be frequenting this special place again and again.