Shiro Sushi is my new neighbourhood sushi joint and it’s fairly awesome, so I’m surprised it doesn’t make an appearance on the ‘best Vancouver sushi‘ list. It sits unobtrusively in a little strip mall at 3096 Cambie Street and you wouldn’t think much to enter it, but the act of passing under the doorway curtain encourages a round of hellos and smiles from every single staff member who can see the door.

Fish is always fresh and the hot dishes are easily as good as the sushi. On my most recent visit I was trying to decide which I liked better; the crunchy slices of the BBQ salmon skin appy or the oily goodness of the BBQ salmon belly. In fact, we had ordered the salmon belly and they were out, so the salmon skin was suggested with an encouraging smile and an accompany wise Japanese nod when the suggestion was heartily taken. More research is definitely needed before a BBQ salmon champion is declared.

Must be summer because along with the salmon belly they were also out of my standard order Asahi. That turned out to be a stroke of amazing luck because instead our waitress suggested I might like the Asahi Black, a “Munich-style” dark beer. A woman after my own heart! I LOVE this beer and the regular old Asahi is getting ousted.

We were having a bit of a discussion but even in the busy restaurant we weren’t encouraged to leave. The cheque was brought promptly with smiles all around (and pocky!) and we were left with as much time as we liked to finish chatting.

degan