We dropped into Minami for happy hour and were seated immediately. We ordered from the happy hour menu for a quick snack before dinner plans: Brussels sprouts were the surprise standout: crisped edges, a nice caramelized finish, and enough seasoning to keep each bite interesting. The oshi sampler (their signature pressed sushi) looked tidy and well-composed, and the textures were clean, though the flavors didn't quite pop the way I'd hoped. The roll we ordered was fine, nothing to write home about. Happy hour pricing makes this an accessible way to try Minami's menu. That said, I left feeling like I'd rather spend more for items not on the happy hour menu. read more

Minami - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Mixed bag. Some dishes like the Hamachi Crudo was quite good. So was the chicken & foie gras gyoza which was an interesting take. However, everything else was not great. The wagyu carpaccio had so much sauce and stuff that you couldn't taste the meat anymore. The tuna had a very "fishy" taste, the kind you get when you've left it out too long and it's not fresh. Dessert was average though the ice cream & sorbet were very good, with nice flavours. Service was also mixed. Not bad but also could definitely have been better. The server we had was difficult to get his attention when needed. Restaurant itself is nicely decorated, but gets quite noisy when full. read more

I'm not a big eater, but I do wish the portions here were a bit larger! My friend and I shared the 3-piece aburi salmon, 3-piece aburi tuna, a salmon & chutoro don, and the Brussels sprouts. We thought it would be enough, but even our waitress joked that she'd still be hungry with that order haha! The sushi was fresh, and we especially enjoyed the aburi salmon. However, the aburi tuna didn't seem very seared, if at all. The salmon & chutoro don was excellent, it was super fresh, and the salmon had that vibrant orange color you get from wild-caught fish. The Brussels sprouts made for a nice starter too. I made our reservation on OpenTable and appreciated being able to adjust it by 15-minute intervals due to the terrible rainy traffic. Just a heads-up that they charge extra for ponzu sauce. Service was friendly and patient, and the restaurant itself is beautifully decorated. read more

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A friend from Toronto was in town, so we decided to splurge and have dinner at Minami. We ordered several different items on the menu to share, and literally all of it was very fresh and high quality. If you have the budget for it and don't mind spending for excellent food, service, and atmosphere, I'd recommend Minami read more

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We had some lovely dinners in Vancouver, but our group all agreed that this was our favorite. Situated in Yaletown (quite a happening place), it was a short Lyft ride from our hotel. The food was...chef's kiss. We had rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. All was perfectly prepared. The wait staff was attentive, even though the restaurant was packed. We have a member in our group who can't eat gluten and they could make almost everything gluten free. read more

Minami - Some of the sashimi we had. Loved the presentation. - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Food - as a sushi lover who eats sushi all around the world, the Oshi here is decently average. The fish itself is good but the rice to fish ratio is a little off for me, would prefer another layer of fish for this block of rice. Got the wagyu don plus premium set- average wagyu. The duck confit was average, ebi in the fried ebi was a good quality shrimp so it was a pleasant surprise. The matcha opera cake was also a pleasant surprise- layer of Matcha, moose with red bean paste, followed by chocolate, mousse and crispy chocolate layer. Overall, Food is average 3 star. Service - our server Ryan was amazing super attentive to our needs, friendly, patient, needs a raise. Had a better time thanks to Ryan! Ambiance - cozy mood lighting read more

Minami - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Dare I say I've enjoyed the couple of experiences I've had at Minami more than Miku? Minami is fabulous, love the slightly more casual/comfortable atmosphere with delicious food. Our server was fabulous and very friendly. The menu has a great balance between meat/fish and veggie options. Some specific standouts were the miso mashed potatoes, the wagyu, and the mixed sushi roll set! I've thoroughly enjoyed every dining experience I've had here and look forward to coming back. read more

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Absolutely loved my experience at Minami! What a fantastic sister restaurant of Miku.The food was incredible, especially the oshi sushi! We got the champagne roll and the ebi oshi and the salmon oshi and they were so gooood! Delicious Great vibes and ambiance; it's the perfect spot if you want high-quality Japanese cuisine. The staff were friendly and attentive! If you're a fan of great food and great vibes, go go go to Minami! You won't be disappointed. read more

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Solid restaurant with good and affordable food. I tried their deluxe nigiri set which consisted of 8 pieces of nigiri (which included uni and other premium cuts of fish) and 6 pieces of tekka maki. Each cut of the fish was fresh. The uni was fresh too but not as sweet. The only thing wrong with the nigiri was that the rice was falling apart. Friendly service and attentive staff. Overall a good experience. read more

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Just realized I never wrote a review for Minami after been there a few times. Well, this trip to Vancouver, we revisited Minami, this time for their Happy Hour. We ordered the Brussel sprout with bacon, 3 different Oshi (salmon, ebi, and hotate), Champagne roll, yellowtail & otoro sashimi, and a couple of drinks. Minami is as good as we remembered it. Nice atmosphere, friendly service, great food and drinks. It will continue to be on our list of restaurants to visit when we are in town. read more

We ordered uni shooters, unagi nigiri, aburri , assorted nigiri, and sake flight. Everything was extremely salty except for the unagi nigiri. This is a sister restaurant of Miku which was why we wanted it but it truly did not deliver on food. Sushi should not be this salty and I don't know who was in charge that night but their seasoning is very off. Our waitress was extremely nice and attentive so we tipped her extra instead of ordering more. We left still hungry but didn't want to eat anything else salty at that point. read more

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This place was recommended by so many people and it did not disappoint. I wanted to try a variety of items so the waiter recommended the premium platter. Some of the fishes were imported from Japan. The quality and flavor were amazing. The waiter was so friendly and I loved how she explained everything. It wasn't really busy during lunch it was easy to get a table. It was a little bit on the pricier side but so worth it. I ended my lunch with the panna cotta and it was an explosion of tropical flavors. read more

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Minami is a higher end, trendy restauraunt which came highly recommended to us by friends. We arrived early for our reservation and they kindly checked to see if they could seat us early. The hostess staff was very kind and professional. They checked my coat so I didn't have to fumble with it on my chair which was nice. Our server was very nice and helpful. He was also very attentive so we did not have to try to waive him down at any point of our meal. We ordered the oysters and Brussel sprout chips for our appetizers and the oysters were of course very fresh and my husband and son really enjoyed them. The Togarashi Lemon Pepper Brussel Sprout Chips were really good. It was flavored really well and were nice and crisped up. Great starters. My husband and I ordered the Deluxe sashimi platter and my son ordered the A5 wagyu steak. Yes, my son has expensive taste. But the benefit is he always let's me take a taste of his food. If you want to try a luscious steak, OMG you gotta try this once in your life. It's so good. The sashimi platter was a perfect selection. The three types of tuna: Maguro, Chuu Toro, and Oo Toro. Basically they are three different grades of fattiness of tuna. They also had Hamachi (yellowtail), Aji, scallop, and raw glass shrimp with a garnish of a fried shrimp head. It was a beautiful selection and presentation. For dessert we have the Cassis Mont Blanc Cheesecake. It was so luscious and very balanced between sweet and tart. A definite go to for dessert here. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We will definitely come back next time we are in Vancouver! Thank you very much! ありがとうございました。Thank you for the wonderful meal! ごちそうさまでした! read more

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Came here with a group of coworkers and everything they came out was delicious. The service was excellent and when I'm back in Vancouver, I will definitely be visiting again! read more

Our family of 7 stopped by Minami for dinner on a Monday night earlier this month and had some excellent food! Our server was amazing and led us through all elements of the menu and made some great suggestions to keep us well-fed, as well as keeping us super aware of cross-contamination possibilities for the dietary restrictions for our group. The main reason one star is docked is because the portion sizes are pretty small for the amount paid; more on that later. We got a bunch of things to share, and the parents loved the goma-ae and the pressed sushi the best. My husband and I loved the flavor of the ebi oshi best; the yuzu sauce that came with it really elevated those bites, enough that we ordered another round. Chicken nanban was just alright, and the aburi octopus was a bit tough, but the two rolls we sampled were also delicious and the desserts we tried were super refreshing and not too sweet. One person in our group is allergic to seafood but luckily there's enough on the menu that he can eat; we ordered him the 8oz ribeye and he not only enjoyed the steak but also raved about the vegetables that came with it. However, it was truly sad to see the nickel-sized portion of mashed potatoes he was given. I don't have a picture of it, but we were all shocked that that was how much mashed potatoes were on the plate. Our server was super apologetic about it and we ended up ordering a full side of the mashed potatoes anyway, but the skimpiness of that portion size didn't leave a great impression. However the rest of the meal was solid enough that I would recommend Minami to anyone looking to try aburi-style sushi for the first time! read more

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Pretty solid sushi spot but not the best I've had. Still very good quality. I did really enjoy the seared sushi. The rolls were decent. Very romantic atmosphere here, definitely perfect for a date night. It was calm and quiet inside too. Excellent service. Our waitress was very sweet and personable. She was a great conversationalist. read more

Minami - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Fantastic food and an even better experience! We absolutely loved the Aburi Salmon Sushi. It was one of the best I've had. The Uni Shooter was jaw-dropping, an absolute must try. Our waitress, Sayaka, was incredibly helpful and professional, making our visit even more enjoyable. This place exceeded our expectations, but one recommendation would be to refine the décor and lighting to better reflect a true Japanese ambiance. We initially had a Saturday reservation but canceled after seeing interior photos, as the atmosphere didn't feel as authentic as we'd hoped. Adding more Japanese ornaments and thoughtful lighting could elevate the experience and make it feel less like a standard restaurant and more like a true Japanese dining experience. That said, the food alone makes Minami worth visiting! read more

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Great spot for sushi! They also have a to-go/convenience store option right next to their restaurant where they have onigiri, dons and sushi to go at a really decent price Would go if i need a quick bite or get lunch back at the office read more

Quite a refined experience to dine here. The menu is less extensive than the Miku menu, their sister restaurant. A bit expensive but worth it for a beautiful selection of aburi sushi. It's a great location in Yaletown. read more

I arrived in Vancouver and chose this place for lunch. It was just before 12 pm and there were empty seats inside the restaurant. I didn't have a reservation but seated immediately. The atmosphere inside the restaurant seems nice. I ordered Minami zen. I forgot to take a picture of the sushi because I took it home. I wasn't what I expected but the staff was a very nice. I would like to try something else next time. read more

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A return visit 10 years later and although I didnt expect too much since there is such amazing sushi in Vancouver and I've had a negative experience from Miku's take out, theres a reason this is one of the top must visit restaurants in the city. Our server, Adrian, came and checked on us frequently, refilling water and making polite conversation as well. The food came quite quickly as we asked them to serve whatever was ready first and we were treated to a variety of hot dishes, appies and sushi. We ordered: Oshi Aburi Trio - saba, salmon and ebi all seared with a perfectly flavoured block of rice beneath. Each of these are a little bit oily and filling but just one piece is the perfect amount. Red Wave Roll and Champagne Roll were all very well constructed with quality ingredients and aesthetically pleasing. My favourite of the two was the champagne roll as the Red Wave had some intense wasabi as a garnish. Kaisen Soba - soba noodles in a tangy sauce with assorted seafood. Was quite oily on the bottom but very flavourful. An appropriate amount of shrimp and scallops in this dish but not as good as I had remembered. Nanban Chicken, Brussel Sprout Chips and Squid Katsu - of these three hot and fried dishes, the one that stood out the most was the squid katsu. Coming out looking more like tofu than squid, the panko breading was perfectly crispy while the squid itself was anything but chewy. The brussel sprouts were quite oily and salty while the chicken was good. Assorted Nigiri - really enjoyed our small selection of nigiri including the bluefin tuna, Hotate, Hamachi and otoro Overall, a good experience here at Minami tonight with prices that don't seem as high now that all of Vancouver is expensive. read more

Service here was quick and helpful. I really enjoyed starting the meal with a miso soup. It's not your average miso soup and actually had great flavor. I also really loved the sushi roll options. The place was pretty full but never loud or overwhelming. read more

Minami - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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No happy hour, sad day, but they have lunch menu until 5PM, so that's that. Food was great (highly recommend the oishi? Combos) and our waitress was so kind! I forgot her name (Risa?) as she left after her shift when it turned from lunch to dinner (we got there at 4:45). The guy waiter we got after didn't even know that the petit green tea opera cake was included in my set smh. Ambiance was great and completely empty before 5. I recommend making a resy if you're coming after 6 but you're good if it's before then. Parking with meter outside available. read more

Overall food quality has gone down. Sashimi cuts are thin and tasteless. Portions and ambience are totally not worth it. There are now way better options around downtown that provide higher value and better service. read more

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Minami is a must-visit whenever we're in Vancouver, especially for the Aburri Oshi. We have two little ones so the last few times we've stopped by, we order takeout and eat back in our hotel room. But this time we decided to dine in and the staff was very welcoming and kid friendly. We ordered the bluefin tuna sampler, which was excellent, along with the chicken karaage. The staff were friendly, attentive, and welcoming. Overall, the quality is consistently high, and you truly can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Highly recommended. Side note, we just found out that the Aburri Market next door is under the same umbrella, so anytime we need a sushi fix we can just run in and out for a quick bite! read more

This place is a must go! Easy reservations via open table. We got here early and was seated within 10min. Deco inside is pretty cool, with open kitchen it was noisy or didn't smell of food. Akane was our server and was AH-MAZING. She was full of recommendations, happy to accommodate our substitution request on food items and just SO friendly. She was just very easy to work with. Everything was cooked to perfection. Oshi was spot on, the sauce they use is just yum. Bluefin tarte to my surprise was so flavorful, I could have just eaten that. Fish was definitely fresh as you could taste the freshness in the Nigiri. Sabon noodles has my heart filled with garlic and veggies was yummy. We requested veggies and salmon and they were able to accommodated and the sauces paired very well. Everyone who works here were super friendly. Place is very clean given how busy they are but they manage to get everything cleaned up pretty quickly. Can't wait to be back here next time. read more

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The restaurant is really nice and spacious. All our dishes were really good. The staff are friendly and service was excellent . The salmon aburi is the best. The blue fin special roll was really delicious too. We had the soba noodles which was good but a bit too spicy. The ebi fritters were delicious too. The prices are not cheap but the quality is superb. It was by bday dinner and we got a nice surprise at the end. It was much appreciated. Definitely will go back. read more

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Disappointed in the service here. There were several times where I saw the workers looked at our table but walked away and ignored us. I had to flag a worker down for us to finally get the check. Food tasted the same as Miku (sister restaurant), but go to Miku instead because the service there is way better. read more

Food: 4/5 - Ocean Roll: Yum! I enjoyed this one a lot, especially the fresh cucumber in the middle - Salmon Oshi Roll: What they're famous for! I liked this and the jalapeño on top added a fun kick. However, I'm not sure I would choose this over a classic sushi roll. The fish was extremely thin, albeit delicious; and the ratio of fish to rice seemed off. I felt like I wanted more salmon and less rice. Service: 5/5 Our server was extremely welcoming and friendly. They checked in on us several times and we never had to ask for a water refill. Ambiance: 4/5 It was a bit loud, I couldn't hear my dining partner very well. Otherwise, the restaurant itself was large and spacious. read more

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Food - fresh melt in your mouth sushi and sashimi, beautifully presented on cute plates Service - polite but somewhat cold and dare I say, a bit stuck up....especially when they heard we weren't going to order drinks....but was there mainly for food. The front staff were super nice and accommodating. They tried their best to seat us despite our lack of a reservation. The set menu is worth the time and money, we recommend it. Surprisingly, we also enjoyed the giant tender short ribs. Would definitely come back and hope they continue to have the set menu for us to have a complete experience. read more

Minami - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The food was amazing. We had not heard of "pressed" sushi before and it was our favorite thing. The umami flavors of the salmon and I think it's torched mayo were unbelievable. read more

Minami - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Sunday night dinner here comprised of brussel sprout chips, aburi beef carpaccio & aburi salmon oshi. The carpaccio was quite tender & the salmon was smoky & buttery. Great to experience the aburi cooking technique that put this restaurant on the map, but overall, a decent dining experience with nothing extraordinary that would have me coming back. read more

Minami - Aburi salmon oshi - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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What I received was very good and the service was good. I ordered this selection which was listed under Sushi and Sashimi Selections, expecting a dinner with a champagne roll, a Salmon Oishi (pressed roll) and a few pieces of Nigiri. They served me a single slice of a champagne roll and a single slice of oishi. This could be only an appetizer! I had to go next door to get more food. read more

Minami - Here's the Description of the Sushi Selection I ordered. - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The food is fantastic! Our server, Kim, was lovely! 10/10. Can't say enough good things about this restaurant. One thing they could work on is the portion consistency. I always get the sablefish lunch. Sometimes they skimp on the rice... read more

Minami - Sablefish lunch - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Minami sets an exceptional standard and well deserving of 5 stars. I believe Minami sets the bar high for Japanese restaurants in Vancouver in terms of food, service and ambiance. They use great ingredients and serve excellent tasting sushi. I love Japanese cuisine and visited many Japanese restaurants -- I think their aburi sushi is truly the best in town. The texture and the rice is perfect - delivers a melts in your mouth + fresh goodness feeling :) Purely nom nom nom :) Their team of experienced servers who are more than attentive and friendly, also deserves 5 stars for knowing the menu well and carries conversation skills on how to recommend drinks based on observing customers likes/dislikes. What makes a dining experience even more excellent is when servers know the story behind their dishes. For example, I learned that Minami's aburi sushi is just as good as their sister restaurant, Miku because Miku's founder was actually the pioneer CEO who brought the aburi sushi concept to Vancouver from Japan when he moved here over a decade ago. Great ambiance, stylish decor, relaxing atmosphere plus yummy foods and awesome service marks this Yaletown location on the top of my sushi places for dining in Vancouver. They have comfy booth for dining in a group or one can head to the patio area to dine alone outside too. I found their patio seating more private for conversations and very refreshing on a cool breezy sunny day. When lucky, you may even find cute birds chirping away in the trees. They are open 12-3pm for lunch and happy hour is from 3-6pm. During happy hour, their special sake (aburi ginjo) made especially for Minami and their famous dessert (green tea opera) are both available for a discounted price. Both items are highly recommended in addition to sushi options. Some sushi items such as bluefin tuna rolls are only available during lunch and it's convenient to dine alone here because they offer half orders here. Truly enjoyed every dish I ordered here and my top favorite items would be their Aburi Ginjo sake, Oshi sampler sushi, and ebi fritters. Their green tea opera dessert is made with amazing care and would be a great way to finish your meal. All in all, they deserve 5 stars for keeping food quality and delicious taste consistent and a high service level each time we visit. read more

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My fiancé and I have come to Vancouver, from Seattle, for 3 years now and we always make sure to come to Minami for dinner. This year we came back twice in one weekend! The salmon oshi is our favorite. The unagi nigiri is some of the best we have ever had. The chicken karage was so tender and delicious. The service is fantastic, always very attentive and conversational. We came back two nights in a row and our waitress from the first night made time to say hi even though she wasn't covering our table on the second night. We can't wait to come back during our next visit! read more

The waiter is really kind. Food thoughts are in the photo captions It looks great inside but at the front it has a weird smell Had a party of 6 and table was easy to find read more

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Quite possibly the best sushi ever! Had both of their lunch rolls. Not once. Not twice. But three orders. It was that good.

I really enjoyed Minami! It was easier for us to get reservations for 4 than it was for 5. The service was super good - waitress was super attentive and kept checking in on us and recommended us some delicious food. We got the brussel sprouts appetizer which I highly recommend! After we got the set and it was delicious and so fresh. It's very modern, stylish and slightly darker lit so made it feel more intimate. The aburi sushi is so good and I love the taste. read more

Minami - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Minami sure put the "happy" in Happy Mother's Day with its 3-course Minami Zen ($45), featuring: (1) Signature Dish (choice of Redband Steelhead, Aburi Chicken, Aburi Butler Steak) with Miso Baked Tofu Salad, Ebi Fritters, and Miso Soup (2) Aburi Oshi Trio and Classic Nigiri - Hamachi, Chutoro, Scallop, Salmon, Saba, Ebi (3) Lychee Panna Cotta Dessert (exclusively for Mother's Day!) SERVICE - Right off the bat, we were impressed with the service. Small gestures like providing the menu to my mom first and having a Mother's Day card ready on the table were positive indicators of what was to come. Our server, Hannah, and the kitchen also kindly did what they could to accommodate our low sodium restrictions, such as providing low sodium soy sauce and not brushing the oshi and nigiri with additional sauce. Although there was some delay with our main course, the other courses followed promptly and Hannah checked in with us throughout the service. She was very pleasant to chat with. FOOD - Every course was presented beautifully as a feast for the eyes. The panna cotta in particular was stunningly intricate with its tuille garnish and spoon sized sorbet. It tasted light and refreshing, being a great palate cleanser for the courses before. As per usual, the oshi and nigiri were a hit - the fish was fatty, buttery, and smooth, with just the right amount of wasabi to tingle the tastebuds. My only feedback would be for the main course, which was a tad salty for our liking. My sister also thought the ebi fritter could have more of a crunch, but we both agreed that the steak was cooked very well. AMBIANCE - Minami has a sophisticated and more intimate vibe with its plush seating, dim lighting, and gorgeous carp mural. It has both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a waiting area. read more

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