Monday, Aug 23 - Confessions of a Sushi addict

Alaska and Salmon & Avocado Roll from Bay Sushi Cafe

I have completely gone over the edge on sushi now.  I knew I was in trouble last week when the girls behind the counter at Bay Sushi recognised me and knew my order.  Over the past couple of weeks, I have had sushi as often as I have been downtown which is half the time.  I cannot seem to get enough.  I always order the Lunch Special #1 to go at Bay.  It's become my default go to because of the proximity.  Lately, possibly because of the rotation and the days I'm downtown, I have had Spicy Tuna each time.  I went off special today, shocking!  That's how I knew I had gone over the edge.  In fact, I blame the HST.

You see, when I first got back from Holiday and I went for sushi, the HST was newly added to my bill.  It pushed my lunch, which had be precariously teetering under 7$ to notably over 7$. At first, I was rather ticked off but sucked it up whilst I wait for the legislation to review the annoying, undemocratic tax for the next 5 years.  I was certainly not going to forego sushi in the meantime and it took me a while to find the one I liked.  So much to the chagrin of anti HST campaigners, I found my lunch time range spreading beyond the 7$ mark and today ordered more.   

Sushi in Vancouver is as ubiquitous as Starbucks in Seattle.  You have to be discerning on the lower end of the scale and try them out or read my recommendations.  I have two favourites in the downtown core: Bay Sushi and Excellent Sushi.  Neither are uber classical and both have their quirks but they are affordable with good quality ingredients and turnover.  I would not go near the ones on Dunsmuir, East of Seymour, blech.  Bay Sushi offers more 'raw fish' whereas Excellent Sushi's lunch staples are the beginner friendly rolls like Dynamite or California. Bay Sushi uses far less rice but so much filling that the rolls don't always close up.  Excellent Sushi is on the stodgy side for rice usage per roll but on the price range, Excellent has everyone in the downtown core beat.

On the other end of the scale, you can revel in the top end because the competition is so fierce and the expectations high.  Ahhhh Sushi haven!