Tojo’s

Tojo's has been serving Japanese food in Vancouver for almost four decades, and its chef is part of the city's food history. Hidekazu Tojo was born in Kagoshima in 1950, trained in Osaka from 1968 at a ryotei restaurant called Ohnoya, became a chef at an Osaka sushi restaurant in 1971 and came to Vancouver in August 1971, where he first worked at Maneki, whose owner had sponsored his move to Canada. He opened Tojo's in October 1988 and moved it in 2007 to a custom-designed space on West Broadway, a few blocks east of the original site.

Tojo is credited with creating the California roll. Many diners in early Vancouver were wary of raw fish and seaweed, so he rolled sushi inside out, with rice on the outside, and used non-traditional fillings. He first called it Tojo-maki; the new name came from its popularity with visitors from Los Angeles. He is also credited with the BC roll. In 2016 Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries named him a goodwill ambassador for Japanese cuisine, one of only 13 chefs outside Japan to receive the title. He was inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame in 2006 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Vancouver Magazine in 2009.

Omakase, which roughly means leaving it to the chef, is the way to eat here. The seasonal omakase menus use local and organic ingredients and combine classic Japanese technique with West Coast flavours. Tojo himself is still often found behind the sushi counter in the evenings, and sitting there is the best way to watch the chef at work and talk about what is being served.

This is a special-occasion restaurant, suited to couples and small groups who want a long dinner and are happy to put the menu in the chef's hands. Reservations are taken through OpenTable; book ahead, especially for counter seats. The restaurant opens in the evening from 5pm, and opening days and last seating times are shown on its website, so check before you book.

Tojo's also offers takeaway, with orders placed online by 3:30pm for pick-up from 4:30pm. The restaurant is at 1133 West Broadway.