Restaurants

Hoshi Sushi at The Sandbar Is a Hidden Gem for Omakase

Chef Hoshi brings the heat with his traditional Japanese-meets-Pacific Northwest cuisine.

By Dani Wright /

I’ve spent my fair share of time on Granville Island. As a former Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts student, I made my island rounds back in 2020—and yet somehow I never tried Hoshi Sushi at The Sandbar until now

Though The Sandbar is absolutely a lauded restaurant in its own right, Hoshi Sushi is a separate entity that occupies a small bar within; sort of like an exclusive restaurant-within-a-restaurant situation. Chef Hoshi who helms his namesake sushi bar is a legend in his own right, too: after training for 10 years in Japan he earned his master sushi chef title (including a whole year learning how to perfect rice), and now that he calls Vancouver home he has taken his honed traditional methods and combined them with B.C. seafood. The result is a fantastic yet straightforward presentation of sushi. Frills aren’t necessary here, because the technique and fresh ingredients speak for themselves.

Though chef Hoshi presents omakase in the traditional way (as in, each nigiri presented individually) you can also enjoy your sushi like I did, and opt for a platter-style presentation. For me, this worked better because I am a slow eater—but your milage may vary and chef Hoshi lets you take the reigns in this sense, while he takes the wheel in terms of every delicious bite to follow.

The procession of dishes started strong with unagi tamago sushi, a rice-free combination I’d never had before but truly blew me away. Delicate in texture (almost fluffy) and subtly sweet, this dish felt like the ideal introduction to chef Hoshi’s skills. And frankly, this mashup I never knew I wanted—but am now craving regularly.

The tuna tataki was prepared with the same amount of care—its precision cuts and even searing made this a standout version of one of my go-to dishes (look at how thinly it’s sliced!).

Prawn and avocado tempura came out smoking hot and unbelievably crunchy, a fabulous counterpoint to the sashimi that followed: a platter of incredibly fresh bluefin tuna, scallop, hamachi, sockeye and more.

Grilled Hamachi kama was another standout of the night. The contrast between the charred exterior and the melt-in-your-mouth flakey interior was outstanding. Plus, though I am and will always remain a lover of condiments, this dish in particular needed nothing else to shine.

The final course was the showstopper of the night: the nigiri platter. I’m a sucker for nigiri in general, and chef Hoshi did not disappoint. Chunegitoro and uni captured my heart on first glance, but the sockeye, scallop, ebi, bluefin and hamachi were just as delicious. Though the fish was a study of absolute perfection in knife skills and freshness, it was the rice here that stole the show. A little sweet, a little tangy and just salty enough, I could eat bowl after bowl of this rice on its own.

Though you don’t have to order omakase, it is available with advanced booking. There are three price-based options: $90, $100 and $150, but like all good omakase it’s also all also contingent on what’s in season and what’s freshest. When you opt for omakase at Hoshi you’re getting a minimum of six courses, but you can have up to eight—so arrive hungry.

Hoshi Sushi at The Sandbar
1535 Johnston Street