Came here for a Valentine's with my husband for their $88 dinner omakase. I'd say it's around 3.5-4 stars. The good: -the simpler nigiri are really worth it at this price point - you're getting bluefin and hotate from Nagasaki in an omakase under $100 -definitely a sufficient amount of food to make you full with a good mix of cooked and raw dishes -service is fairly attentive -grilled fish with cucumber sauce was really tasty and the skin was rendered down to a nice crisp -really enjoyed the homemade miso and persimmon ice creams for dessert. Some critiques: -I can tell they were trying to be creative with some of the flavour combinations, but they didn't really work. I didn't like the turbot in dashi which was on the bland side, the mackerel with sesame was overly rich, the anago tempura had a really heavy sauce with shiso flowers which were completely eclipsed by the sauce -the service could have been more polished. One of the servers kept offering different supplements which felt like they were continually trying to upsell us. The way the seating was arranged made it difficult to eat from the corner bar seat and they weren't on the ball with changing tableware, or would ask us about the next course a few times -I think the owners are Chinese, which isn't a deterrent, but the staff kept switching between English, Cantonese and mandarin when speaking with us which was interesting lol -execution on some of the components like the sushi rice and ginger could've been better - the rice kept falling apart when I tried to pick it up and the pickled ginger was predominantly sweet. The tempura shiso stuffed with uni wasn't the best pairing either All in all, I think Itosugi is a great value if you've got a hankering for higher quality fish at a reasonable price point. Just temper your expectations accordingly and it's a good option for an inexpensive omakase. read more

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Saw this pop up on social media, and had to try their $88 dinner omakase. Be sure to make a reservation online as the restaurant is quite small. Our reservation was for 6pm for 2 people and we got seated right away with hot tea. Service was attentive. The courses were tasty and we enjoyed chatting with the sushi chef. My favorite dishes were the tempura zucchini blossom with matcha salt, the cooked fish with crispy skin, and all the nigiri sushi (esp the chutoro). The BC uni sushi was also very tasty and fresh. We did have to wait a while for the baked unagi so that was a little disappointing. However, the experience overall was nice for date night! Ice-cream also tasted delicious at the end. read more

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This was our first experience at Itosugi for their dinner Omakase menu. We were served fresh seasonal seafood and sushi which differs slightly from their website dinner menu. It was still delicious and filling nonetheless and very affordable at $88/pp. There are set dinner times so the chefs can serve everyone and the place is exceptionally small and cozy. At most it seats 12 people in the entire restaurant so you must make reservations. The chefs are young but experienced and you are practically in the kitchen with them which is an interesting experience. Overall the menu was good but don't expect your high end cuts of fish for this price. The value is definitely there so I highly recommend if you're looking for something more affordable and hungry for Omakase. read more

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Came here for the $88 omakase dinner before they raised their price. Street parking is free after 6pm right in front. Seating wise there is one two person table and a bar area that seated 5 people. I found that seating 5 people on the bar on the long side is a bit tight and it really affects the placement of the plating. Where they placed my cup of tea directly affected my ability to pick up the sushi from the serving plate. I felt the ingredients used were exceptional. As I remember the fish were all from Japan. After the first few plates, one of the chinese servers promoted two crabs from Hokkaido. We were told the usual market price was around $80 but they had a special pricing and offered it to us for $50. She told us the crab has lots of crab roe so we decided to give it a try. When receiving the crab they also offered us gloves and scissors to use. The meat was quite sweet, but I didn't find much roe in the crab and it was a bit cumbersome to dissect the crab for meat compared to a dungeness crab. While my wife and I were having our crab the chef started making and serving the nigiri's. We felt a bit rushed to finish with the crab. After the crab they took away the shells and gave us wet naps to clean our hands before we started our nigiri's. My wife and I both agreed that the shari could have some improvements, it was a falling apart as well. Later on they served uni we had an option to upgrade to Hokkaido uni for $12 which we opted for. The chef was very generous with the uni, it was very sweet and creamy, if I wasn't so full at the end I definitely would have ordered another one, two or maybe three pieces. Another piece we really enjoyed was the final piece of nigiri, I think the chef said it was big eyed fish. For dessert they had some interesting flavours, it was miso and persimmon. Definitely would come again if I'm craving for some decent omakase at a very reasonable price. I would rate it 3.5 stars read more

Itosugi Kappo Cuisine - Hokkaido uni - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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This was my first omakase experience and it was lit! The restaurant is small and cozy. There are ~7 seats at the bar and 2 table seating. We went for the 8:30pm seating and there were only 6 customers in total including my party of 2. The chef and staff started our dinner with 5 warm dishes. Out of these 5, the uni tempura and Canary Rockfish Matsukasa Yaki were my favorites. The uni has a strong and sweet flavor it was amazing. The rockfish skin was fried by pouring hot oil over it and it has such a nice crunch while the fish itself is still soft. Next we had 8 nigiri/handroll and the chef was at the bar putting together the nigiri for us. Most of these were really good but I absolutely loved the Humpback shrimp nigiri. The chef explained that these shrimps are from Powell River BC. They were so sweet and I can't believe I have never heard of them. We finished off with ice cream and miso soup. What I really appreciate is that the chef uses both local, and traditional Japanese seasonal ingredients to create the menu. This not only helps bring the cost down, but also utilize the freshest ingredients. I highly recommend this place to all sushi lover. I had a great meal and it was such a theatrical experience. The only downside is, we (two women) were still a bit hungry after dinner so if you're someone that eats a lot, you may not be full after this. read more

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Came here for dinner and it was fantastic! Chef was nice and answered any questions we had. I loved that he used local BC ingredients and seafood. The food was tasty, fresh, and prepared a la minute. Service was great. Seating is cozy but it's what's expected of an omakse. Great for the price point. I would say the only thing is I feel like not everyone will be full at the end of the meal. My gf and I were ok so we didn't need to add more to our meal (although we certainly could have eaten a bit more), but others did and I can see why. I also feel like they would benefit from having beverages other than tea, but I also understand that their kitchen is small so there's no space for a bar. I personally am sensitive to caffeine so I can't have too much tea. I would have happily splurged on a different drink. Absolutely would come again. 10/10 fantastic! read more

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Amazing and filling omakase experience with high quality ingredients and display. I especially loved the tuna and scallop. Each ceramic piece is special, with fresh grated wasabi. It came out to around 120 CAD with tip. read more

Fantastic omakase place - they ONLY do omakase and I hesitate to write a review because it already takes forever to book a slot to eat here. They only have 6-7 bar seats. It's a terrific deal. It is super intimate - one man show and the chef prepares your sushi right in front of you. He is talking to you and you feel like part of a family of everyone eating together. Amazing experience. They are also super accommodating - I brought my wife who doesn't eat raw fish and prefers no wasabi and they prepared wagyu and other alternatives. I give them full credit for giving us an awesome lunch date despite that! Everything is super fresh and the fish esp the tuna is to die for. It just melts in your mouth. Knowing that this is local fish is even better. The Chawanmushi and seaweed scallop soup is to die for. Probably the finest I've ever had. This is the kind of place that makes it worth living here. read more

Itosugi Kappo Cuisine - Chawanmushi - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Holy shit this guy deserves the world. First omakase experience for me and my gf and ho dam was it good. The sushi chef and his mom I believe run the whole shop by themselves from serving, cooking, and dish washing so respect to them for that. Meanwhile my ass can barely make dinner for 1 without making a mess. Highlights were everything, no dish was mid but favs def the uni, unagi, and ama ebi. Pacing was better than me in the bedroom. Very intimate space so feel free to chat with the chef. He's self taught and has way motivation than I did before I took physics. Cut approved, there's a McDonalds nearby to fill up if you're a fatass like me. read more

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Chef Albert chooses incredibly fresh, high quality ingredients and adds intricate details to every presentation. We enjoyed the intimate setting, and Chef's humor is a bonus. 5/5 would recommend! read more

Itosugi Kappo Cuisine - 16 Course Omakase Dinner - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

What an awesome and amazing omakase meal at Itosugi. There were only 7 people around at the sushi bar so service was attentive. What makes this omakase apart from other omakase in town is their focus on local Canadian seafood and the sushi chef pride itself and very proud of that...a pioneer in the making. Although the sushi chef didn't cut the many varieties of fish in front of us, he did put together each piece of nigiri meticulously in front of the guests - 8 very fresh and unique Canadian fish plus one extra in total. Since the focus is Canadian fish, there are a few unique fish served unlike other omakase that serve the typical fish from Japan. Since the seafood is local, the value for the omakase is excellent. We had uni, Nova Scotian blue fin tuna, spot prawn, crab, sea eel plus more, all for $85. The restaurant doesn't have a liquor license which is excellent as we were able to bring in our own craft spirit to enjoy with the meal. To top it off, the atmosphere was causal and communicable. Chefs and parties all had great conversations throughout the evening. Overall, a memorable experience. read more

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Came here for lunch on a Saturday. We had a difficult time make reservations as their phone lines were often busy and their was no availability to leave a voicemail as their voicemail box was full. We had the lunch omakase for $45. The vegetable sunomono tasted like vegetables that had been marinated in soba broth. The sea cucumber was not bad but ours had a little sand in it which is to be expected. The pieces of nigiri sushi were nothing special. We didn't like that every piece of sushi had quite a lot of soy sauce or some kind of sauce already layered in the nigiris. The rice also fell apart really easily. They all ended up tasting the same. My favourite piece was the broiled black cod. The skin was super crispy and the fish tasted really fatty and smoky. Very delicious. Overall: I'm very impressed by the price as it is very cheap for omakase. The restaurant itself is very small. My advice would be to keep your expectations low while visiting. read more

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Watch Chef Alfred Chan - he is a rising star and is on his way to create undoubtedly one of Vancouver's best Omakase. Passionate and entrepreneurial - Chef Alfred brings to this neighborhood an understated Omakase restaurant hidden in the Kitsilano district. Menu prices are reasonable, we tried their 10-course Dinner Omakase for $78. Lunch Omakase is also offered (sushi only) for $45. All dishes are on point and up to par, but what brings the BAM to the experience are Chef Alfred's dishes - delicate, flavorful, with good balancing of flavors and textures. My favorites are Chef Alfred's Chawanmushi, Duck Breast and Scallop. They are oh - so - good! The seating is intimate and comfortable with 6 seats around the sushi table. The restaurant can accommodate up to 10-12 in total. Service is friendly an don point by Miko. We are a fan of Itosugi and will be back! read more

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Run by two dedicated chef. First time dining here and I enjoyed every course served for the lunch Omakase, priced at $45 per person. However, Omakase experience varies from place to place and could even vary each meal as it's up to the chef to impress us from taste to presentation and sequencing of each course. I always love the Omakase part of the dining experience in which we are completely left in the hands of the chef. Like a decisive date, our Chefs choose what to serve us and in their preferred order. Also, I enjoy looking forward to the Omakase experience where each menu item is usually elegantly and artistically prepared, using the finest ingredients available, and beautifully presented like a surprise gift. Chef here chose the ingredients very well, sourcing fish from Nova Scotia and local places in Canada. All seafood served were fresh and delicious. It may be nicer if the chef would showcase themselves more and add to the artistic presentation of each course. We were eating at the bar and I did wish our chef could prepare each menu item in front of us to enhance the omakase experience. Saw other yelpers' photos of Chef Alfred and Andrew preparing the dishes at the bar. Hope they can work out cooking arrangements and return to preparing each course at the bar next time. I had excellent company and got wrapped up in our catching up. Therefore, soon forgot about missing the chef as I enjoyed the sake...lol~ My company completed my Omakase experience by bringing a sparkling sake! I am a lucky girl ;) No time to take photos as I enjoyed each course with sake lol~ It's always a happy meal when there's good company and good drinks :) Highly recommended to bring your own sake to complement your meal if you like sake. Great company, lovely conversations plus pairing sake and nigiri sushi made for a lovely lunch Omakase experience! read more

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One of my top omakase ever! I don't think there's a better deal out there, considering the quality of the food and their cheap lunch price. Albert is so knowledgeable and shared his expertise with us the whole time. It's a 1 man show! The vibe was pretty relaxed which I loved. This is definitely one of those places that you must book sushi bar for since you won't get to interact with Alfred otherwise, and it will be a totally different experience. Every piece came out amazing and the miso ice cream at the end was the perfect finisher. I can't recommend this place more, especially if this is your first omakase! read more

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This was actually my first time trying omakase! The lunch omakase is $45 which is such a steal! They opened about 5 months ago. The restaurant is run by 2 young chefs. It's super small and only has 9 seats. They source all their fish locally which is apparently really hard to do. I don't have anything to compare this experience to but every bite was delicious and it was great watching everything prepared in front of you. Some of my favourites were the bluefin otoro, albacore tuna tataki, pacific mackerel and roasted sablefish. read more

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My first omakase and this was cheaper than others. Everything was really good but the 1st option which was like an appetizer. The service was nice and friendly, always got refilled on tea in-between food. The place was nice and reserved. The photos attached are in order of what was served. 10/10 would recommend to go read more

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Highly recommend Itosugi, $88 CAD for dinner omakase. Great cooked dishes and wonderful nigiri. Nigiri is made in front of you at the bar while the plates are cooked in the kitchen. Very intimate setting, 8 person bar with two, two person tables. Don't think you will find any better value omakase in Canada. Great service from chef and staff as well. I will be back! read more

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Went for their Omakase dinner 2 weeks ago with my wife. We've been here a few times before and noticed this time that the price had increased from $88 to $98. Quality of food ingredients was generally good. However the size of each serving has shrunken, particularly the nigiri sushi. Rice is same size, but the fish is thinner and hotate (scallop) is small. My main dislike this time was when they offered their special that night of Hokkaido crab, for $40 plus another $20 to remove the crab meat and roe from the crab. The Chinese server wrongly advertised that the chef would make three different courses from the crab. In the end, all we got was just the crab meat and roe piled up, without anything special. There was not going to be another 2 courses. The owner/chef did not even explain for the discrepancy. We felt a bit scammed. I don't need to pay $20 more for someone to pick out the crab meat for us. Don't think we're going back again. The owner /chef really needs to review their business practice as it's pretty competitive out there. read more

A different omakase experience combining seafood of the Pacific Northwest with a western Japanese preparation approach I like the intimacy of the restaurant as it's opened on a reservation basis, but personally, I wouldn't recommend a visit I feel as though this omakase lacked connection between us and the chef, making the experience unmemorable. Nothing really stood out to me about this omakase sadly The novelty of omakase is having the chef prepare the sushi in front of you, while creating an unforgettable experience through audience engagement. This wasn't the case at itosugi The sushi was prepared on the side, in the kitchen, far from the sushi bar and the only time the chef spoke to us was when he came over to serve the next nigiri piece. The fish itself was mediocre at best, and the best piece was definitely the yellowtail add-on served at the end. We weren't presented with a menu of our meal either, so I wasn't exactly sure what we were getting. And I'm pretty sure the chef served us less than what's normally offered as well. Keep in mind that this is just my experience, and it may be different for your visit! read more

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I had the omakase, which was a fair price in the city. It is expensive, but worth it based on the quality of fish used. The service was attentive and continually refilled our tea. Seating is very limited, and reservations are required. I made a comment about how nice the plates were, to wh the sushi chef said he brought back from his travels in Asia read more

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Wow! What an intimate and amazing omakase experience that is well worth the price. For only $78 per person, we got an 8 course meal that was delicious and oh so fresh. Reservations ahead of time a must and we were all seated at the bar for the 8pm seating (3 groups of 2). The chefs and server were extremely welcoming and it definitely shows that they care about their craft. They use a lot of local Canadian seafood which was interesting to see and they had quite a lot of unique dishes such as their chawanmushi and the ice cream dessert with vinegar (which was delicious despite the initial sounds of flavour combination). A very unique dining experience in Vancouver that I would wholeheartedly recommend! read more

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Great omakase with a very affordable price. Staffs are friendly and chef made some special adjustment for guest with allergies. Love the small Japanese decorations and dinning wares. It's a cute place to dine with friends. read more

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The service was immaculate the sushi chef explained everything well before I ate it. The inside of the restaurant was cozy and warm. The hamachi nigiri was my favourite and the tuna. I highly recommended. I went alone for the lunch Omakase only cost me $55 with tax. read more

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I want to keep this restaurant as a secret BUT.. I want them to last for years so that I can dine here again. Introducing ~1 year old Itosugi Kappo Cuisine. Small restaurant with maybe 11 seats. Omakase was very intimate. Chef in front of you introducing his delicious artistic creations. Delicate balance of seafood , rice, a touch of sauce and/or pickle . What did he spray on our bowl? Service : Excellent read more

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What a treat! Two passionate chefs doing what they love and bringing local fresh seafood to the Vancouver foodie community. We tried one of two of their set dinner menus this time, being the sushi omakase. Prepared by chef Andrew, remember to sit by the sushi bar and enjoy the experience, curated and changing regularly as the inventory and seasonal items come and go. For the night we were treated to delicious goods, such as blue fin tuna (akami, chu-toro and o-toro), uni, ikura, and halibut. They are new to the foodie scene and let's give them a warm welcome and a hungry stomach! Itadakimasu! read more

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I am so happy to have come to this affordable, most tasty, chef's choice dining experience for lunch. The sushi was fresh and delicious! I would definitely go back when Im in Vancouver again, and try dinner next time. read more

We came here to try the lunch omakase ($45) which is offered between 11:45am-2:30pm. Itosugi is a small restaurant with bar seating for 6 people and a few smaller tables as well. Reservations are recommended. There is free street parking nearby. For the lunch omakase, there were 11 dishes including 5 nigiri pieces and miso soup. Each piece/dish is presented one by one and a short description is given with each dish. I found a good variety of textures and flavours and especially enjoyed the geoduck and blue fin tuna nigiri. You won't necessarily feel full after the meal but it was nice to try out the different dishes! read more

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It was my girlfriend's first time trying omakase and she really enjoyed the experience. She was not a big fan of sashimi, so I prepared her with salmon a month in advance to ease her into the texture. You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words, well I could've wrote a whole book with her facial expressions. We were seated promptly with green tea and plates that were brought back from Japan. Dish after dish, it just kept getting better and better. Our favorite dish has to be the unagi, rockfish & eggplant, and the chawanmushi. The staff is very attentive, kind, and hard working. The area is very cozy and it feels very family oriented, which I personally loved. If you are visiting Vancouver I would 1000% recommend this place to anyone that's willing to get out of their comfort zone or just wants to enjoy quality fish! Just make sure you make reservations ahead of time and come with an empty stomach. read more

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at first, the reviews about this place was really high. It seemed like a great deal and worth the price. However after our experience there, It was different. The nigiri was not fresh, cut till really thin till the fish was falling apart. It was very disappointing to see what was served to us. The dishes before our nigiri was great. It was delicious and unique. However the nigiri was a different story. What's most disappointing was seeing other customers ordering more nigiri for additional price, and seeing the quality and quantity was a lot better. I understand the price is low compared to other omakase but it was just a disappointment. I wish we were able to see the fishes cut in front of us as well instead in the back kitchen, but it's a personal expectations. The chef is very nice and kind. Overall, I find myself going to regular sushi places instead. read more

Itosugi Kappo Cuisine - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

New omakase restaurant in Vancouver! Love how the two young sushi chefs sources all the ingredients locally, while offering affordable and fresh quality food! Can't wait to try their tasting menu next time! read more

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The service and level of accommodation were really amazing after the lastest experiences with the restaurant. Really appreciated the friendly hospitality. Food was a value play for the price point, but the food and quality of ingredients were not at the same level as most top-tier kaiseki / omakase restaurants. Not all dishes were prepared and delivered at the same level. However, some were a nice surprise. It seems to be a restaurant still evolving and finding its way. It seemed to attract a much younger student crowd, likely due to the close proximity to the nearby university. It's a warm, simple space, and it was fun almost feeling like you were eating in a working kitchen, with preparations happening in the open, more industrial looking kitchen space adjacent to the sushi bar. I still noticed a small fly around the sushi bar, as well as a dark blade of hair that remained on the sushi bar for the duratikn of the entire meal, but nobody noticed to clean it. Also, an unfortunate trust buster for a sushi restaurant was that they seemed to be storing an unwrapped frozen cut salmon in their floor box freezer behind the sushi bar. It didn't appear to be very sanitary practice. read more

My husband and I celebrated my daughter's 17th birthday with an omakase feast at Itosugi Kappo last week. I have not tasted fish this fresh since I lived in Japan. A series of delicious dishes featuring locally sourced fishes, including wonderfully flavourful BC ocean perch (which we had never tried) in two preparations. Everything was prepared and served with great care. Thank you, Chef Alfred and team, for a wonderful evening. We shall return! read more

Delicious and affordable omakase lunch experience. I was sad when the last course was served but happily ordered a few more pieces a la carte. Will definitely be back. read more

Every dish at this place was DELICIOUS! They use top notch ingredients and prepare every dish so thoughtfully and creatively. I would love to eat here every day. The chefs are super humble, hard working, and clearly so passionate about what they do. I loved that the chefs told us the list of ingredients that were in each dish and how they prepared each component. I also loved that it was a quiet, intimate environment. It was a lovely experience overall. read more

Food was extraordinarily good, very fresh and creative. Service was excellent. Although the restaurant is small with limited seatings but it was not crammed, very comfortable, very clean and not at all pretentious. Will visit again soon. read more