| It was 25 years ago when I was first introduced | | | | Vancouver, Canada, has more sushi restaurants |
| to sushi, and it was love at first taste. I've been a | | | | than any other city. Part of the explanation might |
| sushi addict ever since. Back in 1981, I was in | | | | be the fact that Vancouver has the largest Asian |
| grade 11 living with my parents in Vancouver, | | | | immigrant population in North America, and it is a |
| Canada. That Christmas for the holidays, I went | | | | very popular tourist destination for tourists from |
| out to Irvine, California, to visit with my cousin | | | | all over Asia. Many of Vancouver's immigrants |
| and his wife, who were studying at UC-Irvine. I | | | | seek self-employment, and open restaurants, |
| recall my cousin asking if I had ever tried sushi. I | | | | many of which cater to the sushi market which is |
| had no idea what on earth he was talking about. | | | | ever-growing. The Vancouver suburb of Richmond |
| He explained that it was a Japanese delicacy, | | | | has a population exceeding 100,000, and the vast |
| whereby raw fish was beautifully prepared usually | | | | majority of its residents are made up of Asian |
| on beds of rice, and presented by sushi chefs in | | | | immigrants that came to Canada over the past |
| what could best be described as a culinary art | | | | two decades. Richmond probably has the greatest |
| form. Having grown up in Vancouver, which was | | | | density of Asian restaurants to be found |
| back then more of a colonial outpost than an | | | | anywhere outside of Asia, with every strip mall |
| international cosmopolitan center, I had never | | | | and shopping center sporting several competing |
| heard the term sushi. But I was keen to try. So | | | | eating establishments. Of course sushi is an |
| for lunch, my cousin took me to a local Irvine | | | | integral part of the Richmond restaurant business, |
| sushi bar (whose name I no longer recall), and I've | | | | and diners can find everything from $5 lunch |
| been a sushi fan ever since. | | | | stops, to $20 sushi buffet dinner |
| I recall it being a completely new experience, | | | | mega-restaurants. |
| although one today that everyone accepts as | | | | Vancouver's lower mainland (which has a |
| common place. You walk into the sushi bar, and | | | | population of some 2 million) is also the world's |
| the sushi chefs behind the bar yell out Japanese | | | | undisputed capital for all-you-can-eat sushi |
| words of welcome, and it seems like the person | | | | restaurants. Given Vancouver's fame for its |
| you're with is a regular and knows the chefs and | | | | abundance of fresh seafood due to its Pacific |
| the menu as old friends. | | | | Ocean location, the city's sushi restaurants have |
| The sushi scene has much evolved in North | | | | become world famous for trying to outdo each |
| America, and today, almost everyone has heard | | | | other by offering superb quality all-you-can-eat |
| of sushi and tried it, and millions have become | | | | sushi, at the best prices to be found anywhere on |
| sushi addicts like me. Of course there are people | | | | the planet. Quality sushi in Vancouver is priced at |
| who can't bring themselves to accepting the idea | | | | a fraction of what one would pay in Japan, and |
| of eating raw fish, possibly out of fear of catching | | | | many Japanese tourists marvel at Vancouver's |
| a disease from the un-cooked food. But this fear | | | | huge selection of quality sushi restaurants. Some |
| is unfounded, as millions of people consume sushi | | | | say Vancouver's sushi offering meets and |
| each year in North America, and the incidents of | | | | exceeds that found in Japan, certainly in terms of |
| sushi-related food-poisoning are negligible. | | | | price! Very few people in Japan can afford to eat |
| Sushi has become wildly popular in metropolitan | | | | sushi other than for a special occasion. However, |
| centers with diverse cultural interests, specially | | | | sushi is so affordable in Vancouver that residents |
| those with sizeable Asian communities, and those | | | | and tourists alike can eat it on a regular basis, |
| that are popular with Asian tourists. As such, | | | | without breaking the bank! In the past decade, |
| Sushi restaurants are concentrated up and down | | | | the price of eating sushi in Vancouver has |
| the west coast of North America with sushi bars | | | | tumbled, with sushi restaurants literally on every |
| being easy to find on most street corners in Los | | | | street corner, and the fierce competition has |
| Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and | | | | driven the cost of a quality all-you-can-eat sushi |
| Vancouver. Over the past quarter century since | | | | dinner down to the $CAD 15-20 range. An |
| its arrival in North America, the sushi dining | | | | all-you-can-eat sushi dinner for two, with alcoholic |
| experience has made a significant change in a | | | | drinks can easily be had for less than $CAD 50, |
| number of key markets, which has broadened its | | | | which is half what one would pay at a North |
| appeal. The development of the all-you-can-eat | | | | American a la carte sushi bar, and probably one |
| sushi buffet has changed the way many people | | | | quarter what one would pay for a comparable |
| have come to know sushi. | | | | meal in Japan! |
| Initially, the sushi dinning experience was only for | | | | In the United States, the greatest density of |
| the well-healed. The raw seafood ingredients that | | | | all-you-can-eat sushi buffets is found not in Los |
| make up the basics of the sushi menu include | | | | Angeles, San Francisco, or Miami, but in Las Vegas |
| tuna, salmon, shrimp, scallops, eel, mackerel, squid, | | | | of all places. Las Vegas is famous for taking what |
| shark-fin, abalone, and red snapper. It is | | | | is famous elsewhere, and relocating it to Sin City |
| imperative that the raw seafood be properly | | | | and making it bigger and better. And sushi is no |
| cleaned, stored and prepared, and in most | | | | exception! Most of the major casino buffets offer |
| markets (even on the west coast) these raw | | | | sushi in one form or another on their daily menus. |
| ingredients are costly when compared to other | | | | However, the city's best all-you-can-eat sushi is |
| foods. Therefore, the cost of eating sushi has | | | | found at the biggest casino buffets including those |
| historically been expensive. Sushi bar eating is | | | | at Mandalay Bay, Belagio, Paris, Aladdin, Rio and |
| typically marketed in an a la carte fashion | | | | the Hilton. For non-casino buffets, try Todai, which |
| whereby the diner pays for each piece of sushi | | | | is located in the Desert Passage Mall at Aladdin. |
| individually. Although a simple tuna roll chopped into | | | | Todai offers a superb all-you-can-eat sushi buffet, |
| three or four pieces might costs two or three | | | | which like the casino buffets, also includes |
| dollars, a more extravagant serving such a piece | | | | all-you-can-eat Alaska King Crab legs. As a bonus, |
| of eel or shark-fin sushi can easily cost $4 to $6 | | | | Todai also offers many Japanese sushi delicacies |
| or more, depending on the restaurant. It is easy | | | | not offered at the casinos, but is priced at |
| to spend $100 for a nice sushi dinner for two at | | | | approximately $30 US, whereas the casino |
| an a la carte sushi bar, and this is well out of | | | | buffets are slightly loss costly priced in the |
| reach for many diners. | | | | $20-$25 range. No matter how you slice it, or no |
| The sushi dining business model changed over the | | | | matter how you pick it up with your chop sticks, |
| past decade. Some clever restaurant operators | | | | sushi is considerably more expensive in Las Vegas |
| saw a new opportunity to make the sushi dining | | | | than what you'd pay in Vancouver! |
| experience more of a mass-market business | | | | Of course other cities like Los Angeles, San |
| opportunity, instead of a dining experience only | | | | Francisco, San Diego, Miami, and others have their |
| for the rich. They devised a way to | | | | fair share of all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants too. |
| mass-produce sushi, purchasing ingredients in bulk, | | | | But probably the best sushi in the United States is |
| training and employing sushi chefs in high-volume | | | | found in Honolulu, Hawaii. The reason being that |
| sushi kitchens, where a team of 5 to 15 skilled | | | | Hawaii is but several hours flying time away from |
| sushi chefs work non-stop creating sushi dishes in | | | | Japan, and it is wildly popular as a tourist |
| large capacity settings, where such restaurants | | | | destination for many Japanese. Hawaii also has a |
| can typically serve several hundred diners per | | | | sizeable Japanese immigrant community and has |
| night. It was this business model that devised the | | | | ready access to exotic and fresh seafood, all the |
| rotating conveyer belt, where the sushi plates are | | | | necessary ingredients for a thriving sushi |
| placed on the belt and cycled through the | | | | restaurant culture! |
| restaurant so diners can hand-pick their desired | | | | Dollar for dollar, there is no place in the world that |
| sushi right off the belt at their table side. | | | | can compete with Vancouver, Canada, for |
| However, the key marketing concept borne from | | | | offering diners superb all-you-can-eat sushi, at |
| this model was the single price, all-you-can-eat | | | | bargain prices! So much so, one Vancouver |
| sushi buffet concept, where the diner pays a flat | | | | entrepreneur has opened a website completely |
| price for all the sushi he or she can consume | | | | devoted to the North American all-you-can-eat |
| during a single seating, typically capped at two | | | | sushi scene. The website provides a forum where |
| hours by most sushi buffet restaurants. Most | | | | all-you-can-eat sushi fans can rate and provide |
| major cities in North America will have an | | | | their own reviews of local sushi buffets. |
| all-you-can-eat sushi buffet restaurant, although | | | | Happy sushi eating, and if you know of an |
| they are predominantly situated on the west | | | | excellent sushi buffet, be sure to tell everyone in |
| coast. | | | | the forum! |
| Outside of Japan, without a doubt, the city of | | | | |