Oshi Nori Yaletown

Nothing quite gets my dopamine pinging like discovering something new. It’s why I adore travel and also trying new restaurants. I’ve been trying quite a few new places lately, but I wanted to tell you a little about the one I was at last night.

First a quick back story: to pay my bills, for the last 12ish years, I’ve been an instructor at BCIT. I teach a course called Social Media Marketing Essentials, and I basically teach how to market your business using social media. We get a lot of International students, and many of them have been from Latin American countries. A few years back, in pre-pan days, I had a lovely Brazilian student named Priscilla. She and her husband, Paulo, were opening up a little waffle stand in Lonsdale Quay.

Fast forward to today: Priscilla and Paulo have just opened up their fourth restaurant in Vancouver. This adorable Brazilian couple (with three kids and three dogs, no less, when do they sleep?) own Craffles (Lonsdale Quay), Sharkeys (which they took over, it was already open), Craffles in Yaletown (bigger, more extended menu, big lines for brunch every weekend), and now, they’ve opened a Japanese Handroll place in the heart of Yaletown, Oshi Nori.

Yeah, you read that right. Brazilians opening up a Japanese Handroll Restaurant.

The space at 1055 Mainland used to be a barber shop, so the renovation, that took 9 moths, was extreme. It’s narrow and cozy, lots of exposed wood slats and polished concrete. There’s just the one U-shaped bar that seats 25 people. It’s dinner and a show: you get to watch your sushi being made, and maybe also flirt with the cute stranger sitting opposite you?

I went last night with my BFF Farzana, and we went early because I like to take photos and video and I don’t like to do that in a packed restaurant. They’ve been open 2 weeks, and by the time we left, they were packed and there were people waiting outside.

Full confession: j’adore sushi, but I’ve never been to a handroll sushi place before. This was my first time.

It almost feels like Mexican food, but sushi. The handroll is similar to a burrito, and the original sushi is like nigiri, but with a “taco shell” of a nori. You get a fresh, crispy nori sheet that crackles when you bite into it, filled with warm rice, and then rolled up with whatever fillings you like: cold fish obviously, but Priscilla herself doesn’t eat meat, so there are plenty of veg options as well. For me, the mushroom roll was my fave. They also do a house tamago (egg) that was way more umami and less sweet than ones I’ve had before.

There are also hints of opulence, as would befit a Yaletown address, like truffle salt on the edamame, and an avocado truffle roll which was stupid good. If you’re feeling particularly decadent, and you eat meat, you’ll want the A5 Wagu Original Roll. It’s wagu beef torched, and then topped with tobiko, scallions, and gold flakes.

I also tried a couple of the cocktails, both of which were lychee-themed. The Cherry Blossom was my fave, and it makes for a pretty instagram as well.

What I loved about the experience was, first and foremost, the service. I feel like Japanese restaurants are elite when it comes to service, and Oshi Nori is no exception. You’re greeted with a warm towel, and your water glass will never be empty. The chef watches you, and once you’ve finished one roll, the next one is loaded onto the slate plate on the top of the bar. I love this feeling of being so connected to the chef as well. It’s an experience you seldom get in a restaurant, and one I cherish as someone who’s curious about food and asks a lot of questions.

Secondly, I loved the texture of the sushi. Much of the time, sushi just has one texture, mostly soft. Handrolls deliver multiple textures: soft and crunchy. If you’re a big texture person like me, I highly recommend the ebi roll that contains a tempura shrimp. Texture on top of texture.

Finally, I love that it’s small bites. You can drop by for a snack, a couple of rolls, on your way home or on your way somewhere else, or if you’re hungry, order more.

I know I’ll be back, especially for the matcha creme brulee, which I sadly did not have enough stomach to try.

So, can a couple of Brazilians open up a Japanese restaurant? Heck yeah they can!

 Oshi Nori
1055 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5P9