After years of dining at Irori, eat-in, takeout, whatever it is, it's definitely the best. We have tried other Japanese/sushi restaurants in Vancouver (if we happen to be in another part of town or it's "Terrible Tuesday" when Irori is closed, we experience various degrees of disappointment, such as: the mango is obviously canned, the Agedashi tofu is something other than the smooth as silk Irori Agedashi, the tempura is oily/heavy... there's always something that leaves us wondering why we bother eating anywhere else when we want sushi. Some favourites: mango-avocado roll, tempura yam roll, Agedashi tofu, veggie tempura, sunomono, even the miso soup is better than most! Always fresh, always tasty, always reasonably priced, always friendly, welcoming service. Irori has been our favourite in Vancouver for over 7 years now and we plan to continue enjoying the delights of Irori for years to come. read more

What can I say, another sushi spot in Vancouver and another spot that does the job. Irori is not pretentious but does a very good job at satisfying customers. It can be argued that sushi shouldn't be cut this thick, but then again I'm really not complaining. Regular spots in Vancouver usually concentrate on rolls but Irori, for me, did a much better job at nigiri. The produce is fresh and perfectly presented. Maybe I didn't choose the right rolls, but Irori will be a good spot for when I'm back in the neighborhood! read more

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Stopped by here on my break for a late lunch. I've walked past here many times but decided to stop in today. I was surprised at how nice the decor was inside, looked fancy, there isn't big tables for groups but it's a nice intimate setting. I decided to get a miso soup, california roll, salmon avocado roll and negitoro roll. The miso soup was seasoned really well and had lots of tofu which I liked. The california roll was really good, the crab was mixed well. The fish here are extremely fresh! The salmon in the salmon avocado roll was a beautiful red color and tasted so amazing. The negitoro roll was good as well. I packed the rest to finish later since I didn't have much time to eat. It's nice and quiet inside and they play jazz music, the staff are nice and helpful. Definitely will return! read more

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This sushi place is not located in the city centre & it is actually quite a bit of drive from where I live. But it is well worth the trip for the gourmet I enjoyed :)* I came here because I saw the positive reviews from somewhere (I think is Google or may be Urban Spoon..) When I checked out Yelp, I find it strange coz the reviews are either 1 star or 5 stars (includes the hidden ones)... kinda extreme. To me, Irori (unusual name) is all good from the décor, furniture, set-up, service, food & taste, price and the ambience is the way I like. The only comment I had is the front door & the store name is a bit too subtle imo. Well that's personal feeling, not critical. Would I come here again? U bet! read more

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This little sushi joint is definitely a hidden gem in kits. Our friends took us here on a long weekend Monday night. This place wasn't overly crowded. We had reservations, but I suspect that it wouldn't be hard to get a spot even without. The four of us ordered 5 special rolls. They were all super fresh and delicious. I was definitely impressed with some of the unexpected combinations of ingredients in a roll and they surprisingly all worked nicely together. read more

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Yes a fiver with this decor, quality, pricing in this Stoney area, why not. Almost in a japanese garden with bamboo sprouting fr everywhere, like a Kingyo but not Izakaya. Still primarily a sushi eatery with nicer Martha Stewart-like pillows and comffy chairs on the outside and benches along the wall. Ordered their House Roll, a 2-bites per mouthful, with salmon, spicy tuna, fried prawn, cucumber and avocado. Quite good. Just $7.75 albeit 5 pieces. Wrapped in some diazo white radish. But I did enjoy the old fashioned Cali roll, 8pcs for just $3.50, sweet artificial crab meat, yummy. read more

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My new favorite sushi place! Ever since Yuji's on 4th closed, I was looking for a good sushi restaurant in Kitsilano. I think I found it. The place has nice modern decor. I had goma-ae, gyoza, salmon, tuna and saba sashimi. Everything was fresh and delicious, saba was awesome! Great service too. I'm coming back soon! read more

Irori Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Visited at lunch on Saturday. Nice interior with bamboo, Japanese art prints and throw pillows on the wood seats. Ordered tuna and salmon sashimi, nicely presented and fresh. Chicken udon for the kid, she liked. I tried to order the katsu don but they were out so settled for the terriyaki chicken and rice which came with miso soup. This was good but wouldn't order again. Service was good but the one girl was stretched a bit covering all the tables though she handled well. Washrooms were as equally nice and clean as the rest of the restaurant. Lots of free street parking in the area. Sort of turn on the review, would say 3.5 stars for quality and price and 4 for the lovely decor so have rounded up to 4* (: read more

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Amazing sushi, phenomenal atmosphere, and great service. We stopped in here for a quick dinner and were so thrilled with our experience. We had the sushi & sashimi boat which had a great little selection and beautiful presentation. The sunrise roll was really refreshing and the house roll was interesting and delicious. Highly recommend both of those rolls for first timers. read more

Irori Sushi - Sunrise Roll - mango, cucumber, salmon inside! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Today was my first visit, they are only a few blocks away but I've never stopped in. I read the Yelp reviews and decided to give them a try, I ordered a Dragon Roll and Goma Ae, both were very fresh and really tasty. The peanut sauce was nice and thick and not the runny kind you get in too many places, and the spinach was just right. The Dragon roll looked great and tasted even better. They don't give you the red dyed ginger that sooo many places use. Prices seemed reasonable for good quality, fresh sushi. Service was excellent. I will definitely go back again and try more. read more

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Let me qualify my review a bit here. I have been a sushi chef since 2005 and attended a brief culinary certificate program at the California Sushi Academy. While I may not be the best chef on the block, I've learned a thing or two working in the industry. I hope this review will help those considering dining at this fine establishment. Sushi restaurants are different in nature from a lot of other restaurant experiences because you have the opportunity to interact with the chef and gain his opinion about their wares. As a result there are a few test questions that I like to ask when I go to a new sushi bar: First, I ask whether they make Tamago (Chicken Egg omelet) in house; Second, I ask about the Uni (Sea Urchin Roe); Third, I ask them about what their favorite roll is. The Tamago Test I ask this question first because of my training at the California Sushi Academy. Most sushi bars do not have the luxury of having a nearby fish market along with a network of fish purveyors looking out for fish worthy of their bar (in other words not everyone can be Jiro). As a result, most of sushi bars rely on a few major trading companies to deliver their fish (Mutual Trading Company and Nishimoto are a few of the big names back in the States - and I suspect up here in Canada as well). I leave for another day the issue of reliance and whether Vancouver should take a locavore perspective when it comes to food. Although I understand that there is a lovely market in Granville Island, I generally presume that most bars operate under the major distributor model when it comes to fish. As a result, I presume that most bars more or less are offered more or less the same grade of fish. At best a sushi bar can rotate the fish it gets from the distributors and may choose grade "A" over "B" when filling out their order sheet. Other than that there is little that bars may do in terms of fish quality. Tamago is different: it requires a steady hand and some training to properly create. The recipe, when made in house, varies according to the taste of the chef. Some may use water; others dashi. Some may go for a more sweet omelet and add mirin, others may just stick with sugar. In other words in a world where bars are at the mercy of their purveyors Tamago is one of the few toppings that the chef has control over. As a result, you can get a good taste for the restaurant by trying their Tamago. So my first question for the chef at Irori: do you make your Tamago? No. The Uni Test Uni and I have a bit of a history. You see I am half-Japanese and as a lad was interested in that part of "my" culture. I remember reading a video game magazine where they interviewed the president of Nintendo and asked him what his favorite thing to eat was, his answer: Uni. Curious I wanted to try it and finally had the chance to a few years later at a Las Vegas sushi bar. It was awful. It looked like a pale orange tongue, had the texture of a cold slimy booger, and had a stale taste. I could not understand how anyone could enjoy such a thing and stayed away from it for many years. This is when I learned a valuable lesson: bad uni is awful, good uni is fantastic. The adage that "bad uni is better than no uni at all" does not apply. You see Uni is the gonads of sea urchin, an algae grazing echinoderm. It's taste will vary according to the diet and water quality of its habitat. The best tends to be a vibrant orange hue with a silky soft texture. The best way to describe the flavor would be the best tasting sea water you've ever had. All in all it should be a pleasant experience like an ocean breeze. My second question: Do you have Uni? Yes. Where is it from? Right here in B.C. I had to try it, nothing like getting a taste for the locals than trying some local urchin. It was great the chef sold me great urchin and gained my trust. The Roll Test While I was in school my sempai (teacher) made me do at least 10 kappa maki (cucumber rolls) everyday. He analogized it to the way a musician practices by doing scales. Facially kappa maki are simple rolls - and you would conclude that they would be easy to make. This is not true primarily because of they are made with the nori (seaweed) on the outside and have a small portion. Rolled properly the nori will overlap - no rice sticking out and coming undone when you pick it up. The cucumber will be properly in the center and if the chef dares it will have the proper amount of wasabi on it. Furthermore the rolls will be cut into six even pieces (no steps!). That being said I've begun to move away from this standard. Now I have become less interested on the technical expertise of the chef and just want to see what they like so I ask: What is your favorite roll? The house roll is pretty good. And he was right. In summary - food quality: B; Service: C+; ambience: B; Price: B+ read more

I love the tempura here and the sushi is always very fresh. The sunomuno is also really good . If you are looking for Teriyaki this might not be the best place which is why it is not 5 stars. read more

COULD IT BE??? A sushi joint that offers fresh and delicious sushi at a super reasonable price, with a nice, inviting atmosphere... MY DREAM SUSHI TRIFECTA HAS ARRIVED!!! Pinch me.... read more

This isn't the best sushi, but generally not too bad. I was however very disappointed by the yam roll - was served with an avocado centre, wrapped in rice, with strips of yam tempura on top, and the yam was not cooked enough, actually a bit crunchy still. The avocado was not mentioned on the menu, and I was not a fan of the texture. Also quite small portions for the non-sushi menu items. Not a huge amount of sushi options around, so I will be back, as the regular rolls were fine, but i wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it. read more

This is my go-to place for a light sushi meal as their portions are relatively small. My favourites are their sunrise roll, dragon roll and unagi don. I don't eat much sashimi but everyone who I have taken here tells me that their sashimis are very fresh. They are also nicely plated when they come. They have a clean store front/interior and are conveniently opened on Sundays (when some sushi restaurants are closed). Driving is convenient (for those who don't live near here) - there are plenty of free street parking on Alma street. On top of the food and convenient location, their service is also exceptional. I am greeted every time I come and the servers are always polite and friendly. I will definitely suggest this place to everyone looking for something light and craving some fresh sashimis. read more

A cut above the usual sushi barns of the westside, Inori has a decided aspiration to poshness, from the classical music on the Bose speakers to the flat-black uniform policy for its staff. For the most part, they succeed: fish is generously sliced and fresh, with the tempura being particular light and crispy compared to the sodden mess of most re-fried versions. But ohhh the service - indifferent at best, hostile as typical. I've given them three tries now: I let order mistakes go, I've sat ignored at a table for 15 mins without a menu during slightly busy lunches, and today I had to clarify my order three times for someone far too inattentive to care about what I wanted to eat. Sorry, but with the warm bluster of Hitoe only two blocks away, I'll pass on this artificial formality of Inori. They're as staid as a black frock coat of a conductor. Maybe that's why they're always listening to Beethoven. Note: despite the name, and the 'whelp wanted' notices in Japanese -- the staff is primarily Korean. I tried switching to Japanese when my order in English, which I repeateded three times, had still been written down incorrectly. The waitress was demonstratively upset with me for doing so. Ooops. Well, never coming back is a universal message. read more

Excellent. Very very nice fish, good ginger (not the over sweet pink junk), reasonable but not cheap prices, and a nice atmosphere. Our table had a tuna and salmon combo, tataki nigiri, and a California roll. Despite the simple order, everything was SO tasty. If you are looking for a nice traditional sushi place, this is it. Here, iki, and the Eatery are my picks in kits. read more

Was heading to an event at UBC, but didn't realize that food wouldn't be provided until we were already en route. Made a quick detour to Irori since it was still on the way from where we were and had fair reviews. Please bear in mind for this review that it had to be a pretty quick in & out meal (e.g. we paid right after ordering). We ordered a handful of nigiri (hamachi, tamago, tuna), the salmon maki, tuna gomae, and an eggy quail negitoro to be experimental. It wasn't too busy so they were kind enough to prepare it for us quickly, knowing that we were in a rush. Enjoyed all of the food, but the eggy quail negitoro was too mushy for me - probably would've enjoyed it more if the rice used had more texture. Overall, good experience and regret that it was rather rushed. Hoping to come back for a proper sit down dinner where kitchen is not pressured for time :) I suspect the rating will jump up in that case. read more

Lovely! Such attentive service. The rolls were well made, and the ambience is relaxing. The perfect first date spot! read more

Irori Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Came here for a birthday with family. Everyone seemed satisfied with the food - I had the "sashimi tower" which was really just a square of sushi rice with a (nice) assortment of tuna, salmon, ebi, urchin, tuna belly, and some other stuff I couldn't identify. The meal itself wasn't filling, but it was good quality and tasty. The main problem I had with this place: It took over 30 mins for me to get my dish. Others at the table were nearly finishing up before I got my food (I encouraged them to start without me, as I figured my dish would come "any minute"). The staff didn't seem to notice/care that everyone was served except for me. I was quite annoyed about that. So good food, small portions, bad service. read more

Ok, first off, it's point grey (ish) so high expectations all around. be 4 star or better venue or close down. Inside of restaurant, looks cozy, maybe seats 30 or so people. That table for two on the back wall next to the restroom I would avoid for obvious reasons. waited about 10 minutes for "water" after ordering "water" which came in three very different glasses, one of them was a plastic tumbler showing scuffs. Kinda wondered if it was the staff's "bring your stuff from home week" bleh! the waitress hadn't been trained to deal with corkage (patrons who bring in their own wine) she got back to us with the corkage fee ($15) and brought an ice chiller, the wine glasses all matched which was uh...surprising :) I don't blame the server at all, she should have been thoroughly trained by the manager head host ect. Staff seemed kinda overwhelmed and the restaurant had maybe 15 people total. We drew the short straw apparently and the waitress serving us was only on her 3rd day. Actually felt bad for her as she had not been trained on the menu and I had to ask for clarification on sushi 101 stuff, eg "what kind of crab is in this role, a) fake krab, 2. canned processed crab c) dungeness crab (higher end than a) or 2.) PS. canned processed crab sucks in sushi, bite into a roll that contains it and you can feel the brine it was in leak out of the flesh right into your tastebuds, totally destroys the dining experience. This place did not come off like a spot you go for authentic quality japanese food more a drop in spot for sushi rookies or those that got lulled into a false sense of quality by the businesses like the artisan bakery nearby. not going back unless my 5 other "go to places" suddenly burn down or ban me for my reviews when they lose their sushi game :) read more

Arrived on sat at 5pm... The rolls were well prepared and very good... Unfortunately, the speed of delivery to the table was unbelievably slow. There were 2 chefs and 3 occupied tables. It took 30 mins for the first rolls to come out. We finished them and waited another 10 mins for the second. All in all with 3 rounds of rolls it took 90mins. I know this because I had to move the car as the street parking is only 1 hour. All rolls were ordered at the beginning. Perhaps this place would be a good option if you ordered it for delivery to your house (do they do that?) but I got the sense that this speed with the norm. Certainly the servers didn't indicate that what was going on was usual. I suggest you avoid. read more

Got take out from here a couple weeks ago. Food was ready when they said it would be. It was pretty tasty but i ended up spending over $20 on two rolls (I guess they were specialty rolls) Tasty but pricey. I can't comment on the service read more

This restaurant is wonderful. Very nice atmosphere and friendly staff. The sushi is beautiful and delicious. read more

Irori Sushi - My meal- yam roll and vegetable roll. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Excellent spot! My fav. Best orders: Sashimi salads, dragon rolls, teriyaki beef rolls, prawn tempura, shrimp and crab nigiri read more

BEST SUSHI PLACE In VANCOUVER. The fish is so fresh and top quality. I love the gomae and spicy tuna and salmon sashimi. The chef is truly a great sushi chef. The inside is clean and modern. However we usually pick up! This is our weekly sushi stop! Just love it! read more

Our fav sushi place in Kits! We've tried many other places and this one just knows what sushi is!

It is very refreshing to have a quality Sushi restaurant in the neighbourhood. A definite cut above the usual low-end Sushi restaurants that dot the area. We found many of the dishes had unique touches and everything we tried was well prepared. The prices were very reasonable. read more

This place had so much promise. That was until my husband and I went to eat there with some friend's of ours. Their service is absolutely horrendous. I can't believe that this place is still in business if the service is this bad. We barely got any food and were left there with VERY little attention for 2 hours. We kept on politely asking for the status of our food and they kept on saying that it was "coming soon". After 2 hours we find out that our food hadn't even been started yet. I don't know what the owner/sushi chef was doing from behind the counter but he didn't acknowledge the mistake or even apologize. He didn't even look at our faces. They still made us pay for drinks and took a meager $5 off. We just paid and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. I am sure the food that everyone is raving about is good but I never got a chance to taste it. The service was awful and we will never go again. Go in at your own risk you might not get served. read more

Average - extra star goes to great service and decor. Spicy tuna combo was not spicy. Sashimi salad was okay. Might be good for the area, but overall average. read more

Irori has a lot to offer from great decor and stylish menus to great food. We have visited three times. We opt for free parking on Alma street and it's a very short walk to Irori. The decor of Irori is very clean and modern looking. We've never had to wait for a table, however, we haven't always received the best service here. On two out of our three visits to Irori, we were waiting so long to get service that I really wanted to get up and leave. The place is not that big, maybe 10 tables and there were only 2-3 other full tables at the time. I could be totally off the mark here, but it gave me the vibe that I would have received better service if I had been Asian...and that's probably me being hungry and tired of waiting when it seemed unnecessary. That's the only reason I didn't give them five stars. If I was rating them based on service alone, I would likely give them two stars. On our last visit, we were actually laughing because the service was so terrible. Our drinks finally came after our food arrived. The food deserves a 5. I enjoy their chicken Katsu as well as their dynamite rolls. The Katsu comes with a crisp coating and tender chicken, topped with a savory sauce. Served with salad and rice. The carrot ginger dressing on the salad is yummy and it is always appreciated when rice is included. For the rolls: this is my new standard for rolls. Freshness oozes from the rolls and they use real crab. The price is very reasonable for the portion size and quality. read more

Towa Young sushi DT r.i.p. a few years back but this new place has stolen my heart. The rolls are perfect... the oyster motoyaki is super tasty. Nice ambience -- I just hope it doesnt become so busy that I can't get a table. read more

My friend lives close to the area, therefore, this is our go to place to eat. Sushi is reasonably priced for the area. I stuck to my basic avocado and cucumber roll. It is clean but there isn't a stellar ambiance. We were served in a timely manner. read more

This is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Vancouver, and for the money it's maybe one of the best in the city. It's not that expensive, but at the same time you'll find cheaper prices elsewhere but for lesser quality. The chef/owner is passionate about his business and if he's not there it doesn't open. He's a perfectionist for serving consistently great food. Once in a while the service is a bit slow, but only when it's busy, but I've always found it very friendly. read more

This is a good choice if you are looking for a light meal with incredible flavour. Living close to the area I've wanted I try this place for awhile. We ordered The Dragon Roll, House Roll and Dynamite Roll, with each roll we got was 5 pieces. It wasn't a heavy meal but had great flavour. I found it to be a bit pricey for what we got, but glad we tried this place out! The service was very friendly, and every table was taken by the time we left. read more

I have to say that this was such a disappointing place. I wish there was a way I could give them a negative star. The service in this place is absolutely awful! Four of us went to eat there on a Friday night and we waited there for 2 hours without being served our food. Thank goodness we ordered before the other members of our group came to dinner because we might have not gotten served at all! The waitresses barely came to check up on us and then they brought out some edamame which was "on the house". After 2 hours, our food hadn't even been started yet. The owner/sushi chef was behind the sushi counter for 2 hours and no food was coming out. We had them cancel our order but they still made us pay for the drinks and took $5 off (after we put up a stink about the bill and service). The owner didn't even look up and apologize. He just had his waitresses deal with us. Reading the reviews of this place, I am sure the food is good but I have no idea since I was never served. Other tables in the restaurant were getting restless too as they were not getting their food. I hope more of them write reviews because the reviews of this place talk about the food but the service is awful. On principle, I will never go here again and I will tell everyone how awful their service is. read more

They were utterly dumbfounded by gluten-free concept (regular soy has lots of hive-inducing, stomach-churning wheat). Mediocre sushi for the price. read more

Terribly disappointed. Ordered $140 of sushi for 4 people and there was probably enough for two and half. The quality isn't up to high end prices, and the quantity and service are sorely lacking. Skip it, go to Yujis on Alma for amazing sushi with better service and prices. Had to give it one star to post this but would give it none if I could. read more

Love this place. Excellent sushi, great atmosphere. Everything is made to precision and quality. Highly recommended. read more

This is going to be a pretty terrible review, because i don't exactly remember what I ordered - oops! I mean well, I remember we got Tempura, but that's pretty much it. The verdict however was that the food was very good, and the price was right. The atmosphere is relaxing - the decor though... A little odd read more