Tetsu Sushi Bar

We booked the sushi bar so we can observe the chef preparing the dish. Overall an enjoyable dining experience. Service is quite good given the limited seating spaces. Food overall good. Nigiri is fresh. The bluefin tuna is okay. The uni, monkfish liver and needlefish nigiri are the best in the nigiri sushi menu. About two hours dining time for omakase.

Tetsu Sushi gave me one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. From the moment I walked in, the team made me feel genuinely welcomed and cared for. Every dish was a perfect blend of innovation, flavour, and freshness, and the presentation was so beautiful that it felt like art on a plate. What truly made the night unforgettable was how the staff went above and beyond for my birthday. They paid attention to every detail and made the whole experience feel warm, special, and personal. It’s rare to find a place where the quality is this high and yet it still feels like home. If you love nigiri or simply want a memorable night out, you need to visit Tetsu Sushi. This place is a gem and I can’t wait to go back.

The name 哲 (Tetsu) has been carried in the names of Chef Satoshi’s family. Hence the name of the restaurant. Opened in 2017, housing 12 seats, this place gained steadfast popularity receiving notable awards and accolades. “While we may only welcome a few guests each day, we find great joy in the dinner experiences created with you. - Thank you for so warmly embracing Tetsu.” Much love, CHEF SATOSHI MAKISE Comments from the author 100/10 - GO!!!

Absolutely stunning. Very Japanese in the impeccable and precise service and the food was fresh and creative. So impressed with every bite. Can’t wait to go back next time I am in Vancouver. Fish selection you often don’t see on a menu.

Well-established and great reputation, haven’t been to Tetsu for 10+ years but came back for our anniversary, and the food still slaps. What I really appreciate is the constant innovation by Chef Satoshi. Many new flavour combos that read as intelligent and refined, utilizing simple but high quality ingredients. Standouts were the ebi dashi miso soup (I could breathe in the aroma allllll day), abalone with abalone liver sauce (I could bathe in that sauce), and the squid nigiri (SO tendy and soft and fresh). Loved the brûléed top of the finishing tamago, and the dessert! It was mostly milky tasting with a hint of coffee, so subtle yet brilliant. I was too full by this point but I still ate it all 😇 Service is always top notch, it’s Japanese omakase. The little Godzilla figures were also super cute and we took them home. If you’re looking for something special and you love inventive omakase, come here. Very few seats available so book in advance.

We just had one of the best dining experiences of our lives. The ambiance, the incredible customer service, and all of the courses were absolute perfection! This meal and the experience was worth every penny. Thank you Tetsu.

Tetsu never goes wrong! Been here multiple times and it’s my go-to omakase place in Vancouver. Chef is friendly and he shares restaurants in Japan with us when we tell him we going to Fukuoka soon. :)

Probably one of my favorite omakase places I've tried thus far, and totally worth the price. I would recommend sitting at the bar counter, as if allows you to talk to the sushi chef and see their performance. I really enjoyed the rice (was a bit warmer than most places, as the master wanted), and the fish they used were most unique and very tasty. The progression of the omakase was well balanced and thoughtful. I really enjoyed their pickled ginger and pickled apples. The service was definitely on par with the food, as they were very attentive and helpful throughout the meal with selections and choices. Definitely ask the sushi chef what else they have in their stock that may not be included in the menu. My only issue I have is that I'd wish the tamago dashi yaki was just plainly given with more dashi flavor. Although I did appreciate the brulee, I found the tamago dashi yaki a bit too sweet. Overall, highly recommended, and will come back again.

SUSHI BAR MAUMI We had the pleasure to dine at the newly reopened @sushi_bar_maumi_vancouver last night and it did not disappoint. Being a self proclaimed sushi-enthusiast, Sushi Bar Maumi met and exceeded my expectations. I had heard of this place being a bit of a hidden gem when they were still at their original location. But it was always too out of the way for me to make the trip. Now that they've moved onto Robson St, it will definitely become a staple in my restaurant rotation. First of all, this Omakase is definitely a bang for your buck. The Omakase course is 13 pieces for $135/person, with the option of adding more pieces at the end of your meal. This price point for the location and quality of ingredients absolutely blew me away. Chef Ozaki was really able to bring out the flavours of each fish to perfection. Nothing tasted "fishy", every piece of nigiri we had was the perfect balance of rice, acidity, and umami. If you're a fan of Edomae style sushi this place will be your new go-to. The dinner was a 2.5hr experience as the restaurant is run only by Chef Ozaki and his partner (I assume). With a total of 17 seats, be prepared for a bit of a slower experience. I definitely did not mind it as it gave us time to really digest the flavours of each piece as we worked our way through the menu. There is also only one hostess who takes drink orders and other requests so please be patient if you do decide to dine here; expect a longer wait time than usual. You will also not be served soy sauce or wasabi on the side as each piece is already seasoned with flavours that will highlight the texture and flavour of the seafood. If you don't think you'll be a fan of this factor than this may not be the spot for you. But if you're looking to try a new Omakase spot that offer amazing quality sushi, great value, and an immersive but intimate experience, then I would 100% reccomend this place. 10/10 ‍9/10 $$$ ($135/person, $7-15/additional piece) Sushi Bar Maumi | 1668 Robson St, Vancouver

First off, we visited Tetsu sushi bar back in May 2022. After hearing many good things about them and seeing them on so many foodie groups, we decided to give them a try. We made a reservation and originally we wanted to try out their Omakase experience, however, at the time of our booking, they did not offer Omakase, so we opted for à la cart. Unfortunately, overall, I feel that the Sushi here has missed the mark with us. From the quality to the value, we feel that the price they charge was not justified by what was served. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than willing to open up my wallet for a good quality sushi meal and have done so many times in the past. To begin, we had the eel tamago appetizer, and to our surprise, the egg had went off and had a rancid smell. We then ordered a series of sushi pieces, including scallop, salmon, Hamachi, mirugai, ikura, anago and the bluefin tuna trio (akami, chu-toro and ootoro). The sushi pieces were smaller than standard I would say and while the fish was fresh, there was nothing that made it standout. We finally concluded the meal with the foie gras and negitoro don, again, everything was on point but for $50+ it was merely 4-5 bites. Overall we weren't wowed by our experience. Perhaps we should waited until they offered omakase again.

Enjoyed the service and the ambience at this place. It was a great experience overall. Tried the Omakase menu at the bar tables, and it met my expectations. Sashimi and sushi were delicious and fresh, and we had the coffee pudding for dessert, which was good for the finish. A bit on the pricier side but it would be a good choice for a first-time Omakase experience.

I made a reservation in advance to sit at the sushi bar for omakase - highly recommended, as this is a small sushi restaurant with 3 seats at the bar and a few tables. I felt right at home as soon as I entered the restaurant, as I was greeted in Japanese by the hostess/waitresses. The menu was described to me in Japanese, and I could hear the staff all speaking it too! Loved that. The omakase starts in order of seating - the reservation was at 8pm, but the other 2 guests showed up a little later, so their omakase was a few pieces behind me throughout our meal. I felt a little bad as this meant that the chef had to handle the timing between me and the other 2 guests, but he handled it very well! At the sushi bar, you get to see all the fish being cut and prepared into nigiri, which is always fun to watch. The view is a little impeded by dishes and equipment stacked in front, but you can still see most of the action. During my visit, there were 2 chefs at the bar, but one of them was making sushi for a la carte orders, while the other was focused on the omakase courses. For my omakase, I had the option of upgrading the final uni nigiri to a Female snow crab with bafun uni for $40, so I did just that. What a delight! If you have this option, definitely go for it. The crab is so soft, and it comes with a lot of ikura, too, which I love! And the uni is so creamyyy. Loved it. I think, if I were to compare with other omakase experiences I've had, I would have enjoyed a more interactive experience with the chef. I spoke with the chef a little bit, but he didn't seem to want to talk, so I felt like I was disturbing him. And it would have been okay with me to wait a few minutes for the other 2 guests to catch up so that we were on the same menu items.. I think it would have felt more cohesive of a dinner experience that way. But these are just nit-picky things that ultimately didn't affect my dinner experience. High quality sushi, paced in a relaxed way, with very reasonable prices. Would come back!

Food was mediocre, it was not filling but that's how small fancy Japanese restaurants are. I thought it was over priced including their French wine, i've honestly had better authentic sushi at similar places like this. Per person the meal is $100 as we got their around 10 course meal and their French wine we got was $90. If they provided DESSERT at the end of our meal would have been a lot better as I was expecting and hoping that they would give dessert at least! Especially because all the michelin star restaurants "fancy restaurants" I have been to always provided dessert at the end of the meal. The server was good as she made effort & explaining to us what each dish was (which is how it should be). I honestly wouldn't come here again but it was definitely a good experience. The ambiance could have put more effort, at the same time I understand that less is more - this place is seating for only 12, quite small. Good place for a business meeting to talk since it's quiet in here! I wouldn't come here again and bring my family & friends. However, the company I was with my partner and his parents - the fact that it was just us at the restaurant after the two ladies left felt like VIP since we were the only ones there.

Great service! Food is good but slightly overpriced for a lacarte. Omakase may be better option than a lacarte here.

Recommendation: Yes 9/10 for Experience & Ambiance: 10/10 for Service: 9/10 for Food: Final thoughts: Overall I will say dining

One of my favorite places for top notch Japanese food in Vancouver. They're pricey but I would def go back because the taste, the craft and the presentation is all worth it. Especially taste-wise. I love their foie gras blue fin tuna nigiri, the BEST I've had, definitely a must try! And the udon noodle there is absolutely delicious as well. I was surprised by how plain it looks but honestly it's became one of my favorite noodle soups.

Omakase is definitely not my favourite Japanese dining style. In my opinion, it's expensive and often I feel unsatiated. This is my second time to Tetsu. The first time was probably 2-3 years ago and from what I remember, it wasn't that great. I decided to give them a second chance tonight since my sister and my friends raved about it. We just came back from Tetsu and after paying $300 for three people, we did not feel full nor satisfied. There is a mandatory minimum charge of $70 per person (which I don't mind paying) but honestly, I did not feel like the quality was up to standard. The omakase was alright, I guess. I didn't feel like there was one fish that wowed me. If I was to choose a favourite, it would be the Japanese uni. I also tried their fish miso soup (which was not on the menu) but the server was nice enough to ask the kitchen to make it for me. Unfortunately, it was nothing special. We also had the Ebi Zukushi Aburi roll and I didn't like it. I guess I didn't like the shiso paste and homemade sauce. Service was excellent. There was one server and she only had to cater to us and a couple sitting at the bar. With a plethora of Japanese food in our city, I might try other places before revisiting this restaurant.

Incredible thank you ! We went to the Tetsu for the first time for a special birthday dinner and it didn't disappoint. This was the best sushi dinner I've ever had. Japanese uni was a highlight and all the other fish flown in from japan. The smoked king salmon was incredible. From foie gras to wagyu to the fine sake selection the luxury continued. Ended the meal with cold housemade soba noodles with dipping sauce. Service was gracious and professional. We will absolutely return for another special occasion. Oh make a reservation there is only one table and the sushi bar available as per social distancing protocols and a small space to start with.

We got the uni+ikura don, bluefin tuna set (3 pieces), and miso cod. I liked their chuutoro a lot but their ootoro had a sharp fishy aftertaste that made it worse than the chuutoro. Otherwise the restaurant is solid. The uni is rich with umami, not at all bitter, but I would say that this is bare minimum at this price point. The miso cod is a dish that is made the same almost everywhere and I don't think they did it better. Definitely a $$$$ restaurant instead of a $$ restaurant. $50 per person would not nearly be enough. Realistically $100+ per person.

We ordered takeout today for a treat - OMG it was delicious!!! Expensive, but woah, so GOOD! We ordered the premium nigiri for 2 (20 pieces for $150, but they gave us 2 bonus pieces of umaki, their egg roll appie with eel), and their kanpachi tataki (10 pcs for $25). Honestly, it was exquisite. We paired it with sake from Niigata, it was a fabulous treat, and I am well aware how lucky I am to be able to have this.

First time trying Omakase and wow what an experience. You can tell the chef is very particular on the freshness of the fish. The chef was able to incorporate secret ingredients like lemon zest and others to amplify the taste of each individual fish. I love it so much that I have booked my next reservation already.

Fool me once, shame on you... The experience was a big disappointment not coming close to living up to the price. All Omakase experiences are not equal and this was on the lower end of the spectrum. The sushi was poorly constructed falling apart on the plate and in my hand when trying to eat it. The rice seemed very undercooked as well. Fish slices were extremely small, the quality and selection of what was served was underwhelming, and their Otoro was a poor cut with stringy texture. They had to cook it in Aburi style probably because it was not good enough to eat raw. I paid an extra $30 for an upgraded special piece of uni that was garbage. It was served in a bowl wet, runny, and mushy falling apart on top of a small mound of poorly seasoned and improperly cooked rice. I knew I should have cancelled the dish based on earlier impressions. Other pieces were also cooked, over seasoned, or just off in taste. The meal looked big enough on paper. I was glad to just get it finished. The very young chefs engaged in a bare minimum manner and lacked skills and style, making it a blah experience. The three seat sushi bar is small and you do feel blocked from seeing the preparation in front of you. Yet you are still too close the chefs that hardly acknowledge you from entrance the finish. The best part and most entertaining part of the night was a small tank of live pet crabs next to the sushi bar. That was about all that really interested me. The servers were actually friendly and efficient so that was the only other highlight for me after the pet crabs. The other bonus was a larger table was behind the sushi bar and the guest spoke very loud and the noise behind you as you are was a bit annoying too. In the end it was about as expensive as the other top Omakase experiences in town or in the country, yet it was like being served in a restaurant of inexperienced high school and college kids. Don't plan to return.

Very small and traditional Japanese sushi restaurant. Fresh and delicious. Come early.

Small sushi bar that serves omakase. Been wanting to go to this place for a long time. The place is only big enough for 10-12 people to fit. Each pieces were unique in its taste. The staff were great and attentive . Definitely worth it.

Arguably the best Omakase restaurant in Vancouver. Yes you will pay a high price but in return you get one of the best food experiences around. The chefs are very knowledgeable and nice as are the servers, describing each dish in detail. Our dinner was $185 each but worth every penny.

My favourite omakase spot in Vancouver. I have dined here twice and both visits were impeccable. The care and craft that the chefs put into the food is incredible. The menu changes daily and the fish is incredibly fresh and divine. Some of the new-to-us fishes that we had yesterday were the "houbou" (a gurnard/white fish), "nodoguro" (black throat seaparch) and the "kinmedai" (golden eye snapper). The omakase meal was comprised of 4 seasonal appetizers (their unagi in tamago creation is so damn tasty), 15 pieces of negiri sushi, a half roll (we got a negitori roll with oshinko), dessert, and the best miso soup I've ever had. If you order sake, you get to choose your own cute cup to drink from. Our server was lovely. It's a very small restaurant so make sure you make reservations. This place is perfect for a special occasion. A definite must for those who appreciate fine sushi.

My first omakase experience and I was not disappointed. Everything was very fresh. My favourite piece was probably the spanish makarel

Tetsu is a small place, so it is best to reserve a table in advance if you plan to come here, especially on weekends. There was a good selection of fish (from Japan and locally) and I appreciated that the menu had items at different price points, so you can try out different things. I enjoyed the meal but thought that some of the fish did leave that slightly "fishy" taste in your mouth. One other thing I noticed is that rice in the nigiri pieces seemed a little on the al dente side - usually I am used to having the rice be a little softer.

Had Edomae nigiri omakase with Aky-san and it was amazing! Sit at the bar. Trust the chef. Enjoy an amazing meal! Definitely make a reservation to guarantee a seat at the bar. I flew to Vancouver just to try this restaurant and I will be back!

Second time in Vancouver, fourth sushi joint we've been too. Stopped by here for lunch on a cold rainy Sunday, got a table immediately even though the place is really small. Simple and clean decor. Good size menu when you include the white board. The food is the best I've had in Vancouver so far and possibly the best sushi I've had in North America. First time trying aburi sushi and it blew my away. I can't find anything to complain about, I'll be back next time I'm in Van.

Ahhhhh finally Vancouver! Some good good Japanese! Love tetsu sushi bar and after just one visit this little gem became my go to spot for sushi. They have a little bit of everything that you would want if you are super into nigiri and fancy things as I am totally into. One of the only restos in Vancouver where you can fine baifun uni all year round and shirako. This resto def has the best foie Gras nigiri hands down. There's a regular menu, and a special board that has all the specials. The head chef cane from Kiriri in Richmond... and most of the staff is Japanese. Very authentic and fish quality here is amazing. Do get the white fish carpaccio, all the different types of toros aburi and not, chopped scallop, sunomonos, and whatever else they have on special. Nodoguro is also a good fish if they have it, as well as blue fin tuna with New Brunswick Caviar. Those are some of my faves just to name a few!!!!!

It's a small and cozy shop, can hold about 12 - 15 people. We made reservations for omakase for their last seating at 9:30pm so it was pretty quiet, just us and another table. Service was great, I reminded them about dietary restrictions and the hostess confirmed with the chef immediately. Presentation of the food is nice and each piece of nigiri is seasoned nicely. Good amount of food with the appetizers and 14 pieces of nigiri, I left feeling full and happy.

One of the better ones in Vancouver. They have Jikon sake (one of my favourite) on the drink list. Omakase is great except for anago which is too soggy, but chef prefers it this way. I have nothing to say.

Had an amazing experience at this authentic sushi place. Closest thing I've tried to sushi in Japan and very fresh ingredients. Service was excellent and sake selection very good.

Another Japanese restaurant on the Denman/Robson corridor. This one does serve more than your average sushi rolls and udon bowls. I tried the Hamachi Yu-An (no meal), Tako Wasabi and the Chirashi Don Set from the lunch menu. All in all, things were pretty good. My fish was the right level of salty even with the soy and sake marinade, albeit the fish was slightly on the dryer side. Fish was not exactly big enough for a "solo meal" but if you have other things, it's not too bad. Tako Wasabi was heavy on the wasabi punch just the way I like it. Several pieces of largely cut pieces of Octopus mingled with diced fresh wasabi. I didn't actually try the Chirashi Don Set but my date said it was ok. A nice selection of fresh seafood on top of rice and a small bowl of plain udon (for those that can't decide between rice or noodles). I was pleasantly surprised to see Omakase on the menu. I will definitely need to come back to check that out. Slightly pricy but I'd justify eating this over a bowl of expensive ramen any day. Welcome addition to the block.

My 2nd time having my birthday dinner here. Ordered the premium omakase and additional order of Negitoro hand cone. Food and service were just awesome!! Do not come earlier than your reservation time though, there isnt much room for you to actually wait for your table to be ready.

I am a big fan of Tetsu. I have visited Tetsu many times since my first review and I have yet to be disappointed. The food is meticulously prepared and executed. Ingredients used are top-notch, imported from Japan, and served at their ideal state. Consistently superb quality of food and experience. From time to time, Tetsu also offers some rare Japanese delicacies. Order the cod sperm sac nigiri if you are feeling adventurous! Price has gone up a little since it first opened, but it is still fair for what you get in return. You will not feel ripped off after paying the bill. Absolutely "still" my favorite sushi restaurant in Vancouver. The 5-star ratings are well-deserved.

Great fish at great pricing and fantastic service! Tried to make day of reservations at Sushi Bar Mauimi, but it was booked for a week in advance. Since we were just tourists in this beautiful city, we decided to move onto the next: Tetsu Sushi Bar. I found it on yelp, and the most recent review left by Traci C. - though brief - caught my eye, due to the mention of Hokkaido uni and foie gras. Opted to go for the omakase without the otsumami, udon and dessert, because we wanted to try as much fish as we could. At $58 CAD ($40ish USD), we thought this was a steal compared to what we pay back home for more mediocre fish. Omakase for 2 please! Only disappointment was that we ended up at a table instead of the bar (I absolutely HATE omakase at a table, there is no interaction with the itamae, which is half the experience- how can the itamae get a feel for what you like/dislike?). Out comes the tray of sushi. There was hirame, Spanish mackerel, Japanese mackerel, sea bream, amberjack, otoro and Hokkaido uni. The sea bream and amberjack were great - the itamae's knife skills were really on point, because these pieces were not overly thick and chewy, but sliced just right. The kama toro was melt-in-your-mouth delicious (of course). But the Hokkaido uni? It was good, but I've had better elsewhere: the texture was super delicate, but i could barely detect the sweet and slightly salty flavor of the uni. It might have been my taste buds, because my wife said it tasted delicious. We wanted more fish! Out came the nodoguro, king salmon, and Hokkaido scallop nigiri. All were great, but the nodoguro was amazing! Never had this fish before in Japan or in California. Then came the last piece, so we ordered the foie gras aburi. Mind.blown. My eyes rolled back into my skull, and I had to check my pants because I was in bliss. My only gripes about this restaurant is that its too small, bar seating is only limited to 4 people and the rice for the nigiri broke off too easily when held by my fingers. All these things can be easily overlooked when your chomping down on that foie gras aburi! Kanpai!!

Came here with friends from out of town based on suggestions from local foodies. Our reservation was not accomodated on time, so minus 1 star for that. We had to wait about 20-30 mins for our table, and the server did not offer anything for the wait. Overall: my favourite bites were the mackeral sushi, hokkaido uni, the uni ikara shooters, the foie gras sushi, and crudo dish with mini jalapenos. Quality is amazing, service can be improved. Make reservations, this is a tiny spot!

After looking through a handful of sushi spots on yelp, we finally settled for Tetsu. It is a very small location with limited seating. We didn't have a reservation but were seated right away. Their dinner menu now was a lot smaller than the menu we saw on their yelp images from a year ago. They also had a white board with a massive list of their fresh fishes and specials. Our server had great knowledge and was super polite. We ordered just a BUNCH of nigiri and OH MY GOSH IT WAS ALLLL SO AMAZING. Such melt in your mouth type of sushi. Everything was already well seasoned so there was no soy sauce on the side for you, not that you needed it anyway. I'm from Washington so it's hard to find such nice quality melty in your mouth type sushi like this at such a low price. Ended the meal with their fresh mochi strawberry daifuku and it was such a nice texture. Our bill came out to 167CAD which converts to 129USD, which is so freaking cheap for everything we got!! Definitely coming back here every time we come to Vancouver.

Absolutely the best sushi I've ever had! Great location, private (only 13 seats), authentic with a helpful and accommodating staff. We started with the miso soup and seaweed salad with crab then moved to share three rolls: real crab roll, ocean special and salmon zukushi aburi roll. The miso soup was seasoned just right, warm and inviting. The salad was a mix of sweet vinegar with crunchy cucumber and seaweed and sweet crab chunks. The three sushi rolls were amazing! So good in fact, we asked for a fourth (of anything) the staff would recommend. We were served an ebu zukushi aburi (prawn roll) with shiso paste. Mind. Blown. (drops mic, walks off stage.) If you can get a reservation here this is one place you'll not want to miss.

3.5 stars. I put Tetsu in the same category as other small japanese owned sushi restaurants that serves higher quality sushi/sashimi. So this rating is not comparing with big piece sushi joints. The price is naturally more expensive than sushi joints as the quality of fish is higher. What you can expect here is a higher quality fish. The rice is done properly with a good consistency. I had the chirashi don set for lunch. The udon was good like most upper scale places that can do it well. I thought it was a nice touch to serve the tenaksu (tempura flakes) on the side instead of soaking it in. What I found off about this place was the cut of the fish. It didn't enhance it to make me feel the sweet flavours like other places I've tried. It's missing the umami. Overall it was good. However, as it's downtown and rent is expensive it is a little more expensive then other restaurants in the same scale. Adding to how hard it is to get to and it's super small, I probably won't be initiating to go back.

I wanted to check out after seeing glowing reviews. It is very small restaurant with few seating availability; reservation recommended. Being party of two, we ordered 7 piece premium omakase and 5 piece premium omakase. We finished large sake while waiting for our food, meaning service was slow. The restaurant could hold maximum ~13 customers; with 2 sushi men and kitchen staff in the back, I expect faster service. The course starts with 3 appetizers that was ok, nothing special. Portions are one bite. At this stage, I dropped my expectations as I knew I was going to be disappointed. After awhile, the premium sushi plates came out. Server went through the fish lists. They were out of Japanese uni so they added extra pieces. Dish was beautifully plated. Looked great and fresh, but taste was just little above average. For their high price point, I expected much better taste and freshness. Then it went downhill from here. Udon was tasteless. Ice cream was just something you can buy from T&T. The washroom is in the back and you can see part of the kitchen and their dish washing station. There was a large fish stuck in dirty bucket that I should not have seen. Bill came out to be ~$170 for two. We were still hungry. Had to go to another restaurant for 2nd dinner. For the price, I expected better food, faster service (The term between each "course"). They need much improvement with authenticity and cleanliness, especially the back area which customer can see while walking to the washroom. To me, it almost seemed like tourist trap...

Very down to earth, simple but rich in quality. They really directed their focus on quality and customer service, and trimmed out all the unnecessary, sometimes unwanted, bourgeoisie-ness that alot of other omakase comes with. Price is lower than what I expected considering the ingridients and freshness.

Small (15 seats) non-descript location. Friendly greeting. Don't come early unless you don't mind waiting outside as this restaurant is small. Premier omakase was well timed and beautifully presented. Most of the sushi was delicious. Very much enjoyed the uni and blue fin, of course. I don't eat mochi and appreciated the alternate coffee custard. Different options for omakase to suit your budget. Main server was excellent. But unsure if the second server was a trainee but I could not understand her explanations and her knowledge was limited - super polite and friendly though. Upon being greeted, I had to repeat what I said before she "got it". Would I return? Maybe. I would come in to eat solo at the small 3 seat bar. But prefer the quality, service and interior of Sushi Jin.

Really fresh and authentic sushi for a decent price. I ordered the Chirashi don lunch set that included the 1/2 udon. They even set the tempura flakes on the side so that they wouldn't become soggy, which I found to be a nice, thoughtful touch. The service was pretty good, especially considering there was only one person staffing. The restaurant itself is small and has a cozy atmosphere. Overall, really enjoyable and authentic sushi experience.

Got an omikase here when I was celebrating my friend's birthday. Everything was great until I tried the uni. It was rotten and I found it was unacceptable when I was paying the $100 price range. Other than that, nothing stood out for me. I guess other people had better luck on their sushi.

After reading all the great reviews here, we decided to give tetsu sushi a try to splurge on some good sushi. Seeing the one star of my review, you can probably tell I'm disappointed. In fact greatly disappointed, and here's why: 1. Going there we know it's a small shop, which is fine. A small shop can be cozy and charming. It's a shop of about a few tables and 3 seats at the counter. I hate to say, it's the most uncomfortable seating I have had in a restaurant, its cramp and dark. The decor is old, if they want to keep it simple, at least freshen up with new paint. The chairs are so uncomfortable. The atmosphere and environment are just less than desirable. 2. We didn't order from the omakase menu, we ordered from their white board menu as well as the physical menu. At that time all of the other customers were ordering the omakase menu, which there were altogether including us 9 customers. Funny enough, all other customers got their food way ahead of us even for those who ordered after us. Probably 20 mins into ordering, we got our 7 pieces sashimi. Then at about 1 hour into ordering, who got the items we ordered. During the time of waiting, all the omakase customers got all of their food. Even a telephone order take out which was placed during our wait was ready. I sort of got the feeling that they got all omakase items ready before the a la carte order. In all honesty, the wait was excessive and unnecessary. 3. Food was good but not exceptional. We were ready to splurge on the meal, and in return expect really good food like those mentioned on Yelp. Nothing spectacular, and they are very stinky on the portion. I'm not comparing them to sushi garden, having frequent Japan often, the portion of fish to rice at this place got to be the smallest I have ever had. The 2 of us spent $200, and left needing to get a bowl of ramen after. 4. Service was okay. The servers were friendly, and tried to converse with the customers from time to time. But the slow service really made the meal quite frustrating. We really wanted the experience to be great but unfortunately it was a disappointing one. I have no plan to return, and itll be hard for me to bring any guests there to a restaurant with such ambience and slow service.

Informative and knowledgeable staff always explain the head Cher's hard work well! We love all the sushi they recommended. Must try if you want to be surprised by diffeeent variety of seafood.

If it's new and sushi, Im there ;) Very fresh toro sashimi and unique, incredible tamago with cooked unagu inside, like a roll. Chirashi also very fresh, a small bowl of udon to boot. Not as pricey since that's what I expect for this quality.. Where the Thai restaurant used to be.

Consistently good, value-priced omakaze. Since it opened, the sushi has been swimmingly fresh, and the staff so friendly and welcoming. My favourite is ordering the Umaki unagi tamago hot appetiser, fresh uni and toros, and ending it off with the cold soba with onions, radish and yummy soup.

We've been good all week! Working hard, paying our bills, being courteous to fellow drivers in traffic, saying lots of Please and Thank You... so we decided to treat ourselves on a Sunday night. We went for an omakase at one of our favourite downtown restaurants: Tetsu Sushi Bar! We've been here a few times and we will always go omakase... there's just too many fresh fish options out there and I'm not educated enough to know what's good and what's not... I'll trust the chef to feed me with his good stuff! Hahaha... The first tray we were treated to was the 4 appies tray! Super delish.... Let me see, there's octopus, king salmon, tamago, and a corn based pudding... I know I thought it was a bit weird too... but all the dishes were really good! Next came the sushi platter... Our waitress was super sweet and soft spoken so I could not hear and understand her well. I can't for the life of me tell you all the different fishes I consumed. All I can say is the sushi is all hand made... with craftsmen like care and attention to detail... They are almost pieces of art rather than delish treats! Next we had a beautiful udon dish... the noodles are not like the udon noodles you boil up from Safeway. The noodles are much more delicate and smooth. The broth is rich but not obscene. It's a very tasty dish. For desert they gave us a choice of a strawberry mochi, mango sorbet, or black sesame ice cream... I choose the ice cream! Yummy! Dinner is always good here! The restaurant is tiny. It only has a seating capacity of 15 people. It's intimate! Nice to know that this type of restaurant does not appeal to the loud American farm belt tourist! If you're looking for something special give Tetsu Sushi Bar a try. You won't be disappointed!

Good sushi by Japanese staff. Obviously not cheap. Obviously superior. Obviously all our Chinese friends come here to satisfy their love for everything Japanese. I have had the chef's sushi several times and it is always perfect. The rice, the fish and the presentation is top notch. What I also like is how they try to bring in new, different and surprise items to keep things fresh, but never compromise on quality. Don't come here expecting Spicy Tuna Stanley Park Roll or some similar crap. Their premises are small and the place is a little run-down, but given how expensive it already is then I prefer this to a newer place or a renovation that makes the sushi become even more expensive. The owner knows his art and it is always a pleasure dining there. He is a classy guy and I wish his team and he well.

The hole in the wall, friendly, clean, sushi restaurant you've always dreamed of having at the end of your block. Attention to detail in the food and service is exceptional- and done with casual authenticity (no snooty stuffiness here folks). I had the omakase, which I'd recommend, to get a better idea of the entire menu and to showcase what the talented chefs are capable of. I intended to return frequently, and will explore the rest of the daily changing , fresh, a la carte menu of seafood in the various roles and nigiri. Yum yum.

I enjoyed my dinner very much and will be back next time I'm in town! Ordered: Omakase w/ Premium Sushi Set First Course: 4 kinds of appetizer Sperm roe - definitely needed the ponzu! Beef - very bland Mushrooms & Tofu - Interesting like tofu mixed with taro. Yummmmmmmmmmmy mushrooms Squid - Yum Second Course: Daily Special Nigri Sushi The two that stood out the most were the spicy hotate & smoked maeda; salivating just thinking about it. I had it served peice by peice because the best way to enjoy each nigri was to eat immediately after the chef place on your plate; hence, no pics for this course. Third Course: Inaniwa Udon served hot or cold. I ordered hot and from a glance, it looked like a fusion bowl of pho, but it was not. This hot bowl soothes the soul on a rainy night like tonight!! The broth was delicate with a one two punch in your mouth! Fourth Course: Dessert Strawberry mochi w/ red bean paste - Alright In addition, I also ordered: Kani Salad - Dungeness crab, cucumber, and Japanese Mayo 5 pieces of local uni sashimi

The best sushi on Bc. Period! great service as well as the quality of food. Can only sit up to 9-10 people so for sure you will need to make reservations.

One of the best authentic Omakase in Vancouver and it's decently priced. $70 gets you the premium Omakase set and you will feel full after. The fish are fresh and they always have blue fin tuna and Uni. You have to make reservations in advance and they do book up quick. Service is attentive and good.

I was in town visiting and decided to come here for dinner one night. Make sure to make reservations in advance, especially for the sushi bar since the place is super tiny. We were able to get seats at the bar. All the servers here and the sushi chef were super duper nice! We did the omakase as well as some of the special items on the board. I won't go into detail with the specific pieces we ate, but I felt the quality of the fish was great for the price. Sure, I've had better sushi elsewhere, but for this price and the service, you can't go wrong. I like how it's small and unassuming. More like a word of mouth place. Definitely give it a try if you are looking for some won't break the bank sushi. Also pay attention to the specials and don't just order the omakase. I recommend getting 1 omakase to share and getting a la carte.