Shizen Ya

The atmosphere here is so friendly and warm with great servers who don’t let our cups of tea stay empty. The tea was so good and delicately warm.
Definitely recommend the toro belly nigiri! Their brown sushi rice was soft and chewy and the toro was so soft it melted in my mouth.
We also had their udon and the broth tasted clean, though a bit lacking in flavor. The chicken breast was surprisingly flavorful and moist.
Shizenya has been great start to our stay in Canada. :-)

Being from the states… especially far down South from Texas, we don’t get great sushi for a low price. We walked here from our hotel about a block away and saw this cute little place.
OMG to-​die-​for!!! The fish is unbelievably fresh!!! Brown rice was a great touch to stay healthy!
Between me, my husband, mother and 2 year old, we sampled several things from the menu. Beef sukiyaki teriyaki combo, tempura, beef udon, Sakura bloom roll, and both the black sesame and green tea ice creams.
Everything was exceptional!!!
I’m already dreaming of the next visit.

It was delicious and healthy sushi! I ordered the popular rolls on the menu– spicy tuna and spicy salmon rolls! They were simple, but the fish was fresh! Definitely recommend!

Great selection for gluten free, vegans etc. Only issue I had was that we could get white rice in our sushi. Everything was made with brown rice.
Not too bad for the price and service was very attentive. Will be back to try more soon.

Meh. It’s alright.
We went here because we were fresh off the plane and starving for dinner at 8:30. This spot was about a block away from the hotel. Didn’t get to take pics since my internet wasn’t working sadly.
I tried one of their specialty rolls. The Sakura blossom one. It said it came with maple sauce but I didn’t see any. Their gimmick is they use brown rice for all sushi. Well it was edible, on the good side even. But I’d never go out of my way for it.
We also tried the gyoza. Typical gyoza with sweet sauce. They wouldn’t steam them, only fry, so that was disappointing.
Prices are standard. Nothing to drive ten miles for. It’s just… there.

I had a side of brown rice, the 13 piece sashimi set, and the shiawase. The brown rice was delightfully sweet, and the sashimi was fresh and delicious (especially the salmon), but what really made the meal great was the shiawase. It was one of the top 5 best desserts I have ever had and I am already craving it. The texture was great, and it was just the right amount of sweet. All of the waiters/​waitresses were very friendly and we only had to wait about ~2 minutes to be seated. Excellent little restaurant!

First time trying brown rice sushi! It was good, the textured changed a bit going to brown rice. But it was still good. Definitely a good place for people with specific diets.
Spicy salmon roll: 4
Tuna avocado roll: 3.5
Pan fried udon noodle chicken: 5
Pan fried udon noodle beef: 4

Great place for lunch! I don’t know what it is, every time I eat there I feel good afterward. Maybe because they use fresh ingredients and perfect portion for me!(not too much! Might be small for some people) They have good lunch menus and prices are reasonable. Good service and the lady who served us last time was so nice:) I’d definitely go back!

Solid spot for a healthy meal out in the CBD. The sushi rolls are only made with brown rice, which can be pretty crumbly, but makes up for it when you leave feeling like your body is a freaking temple.
The fish is all wild and the avocado is organic, and the atmosphere is completely unpretentious about any of these things. Just wholesome, delicious sushi at a totally reasonable price.
The servers are super friendly, and they don’t charge for the green tea like many other spots downtown.
Rock you lulus or jeans, this is a chill spot for a healthy good time.

We took a little bit of a gamble here and we weren’t sure about the brown rice sushi nor the limited sushi selection but there was something about this tiny little spot that pulled us in. Little that we knew it was the incredible udon soup and perhaps the best beef I’ve ever had that did it for us! Wow… I am still dreaming about it. And the sushi, well, nothing short of deliciousness. As simple as it is, the spicy tuna took the prize for me although the other, more creative rolls were also really good.
I liked the vibrant ambiance and the staff that was super attentive and just really great!

300 hundred people have already said it… this place is incredible! The fish is fresh, fresh, fresh, the udon soup is the best I’ve ever had, and tea options were wonderful! While there is clearly no shortage of Japanese restaurants in Vancouver, I would highly recommend you check this place out.
The place is small, so you may have a short wait, but the staff is friendly and the kitchen moves exceptionally fast! The sushi is unbeatable. The fish is so fresh, the ingredients perfectly prepared, and the brown rice is a lovely touch. The udon bowl was seriously the best I’ve ever had. The beef is mouthwateringly good, with flavorful broth and noodles cooked to perfection. I went back to get it a second day, and I still dream about that dish! Finally… tea! I had both their green tea and the Gobo tea. Both were authentic, and flavorful, definitely worth trying out. I can’t say enough great things about this place.

Delicious and healthy, well deserving of 4 stars. I am usually not fond of brown rice sushi but this place has made me a convert. I usually find that brown rice is too chewy and hard for sushi but here, the rice was soft, moist, with a nutty flavor that paired well with avocado and salmon. Service was excellent. Food came out quickly. Price is reasonable, especially in this neighborhood. Portions seemed small, but I thought it matched the prices and the healthy eating ethos. The menu is extremely vegetarian-​friendly. The curry rice is excellent, one of the best I’ve had in the city.

How did I discover Shizen Ya? I was looking for a quick bite to eat, and came across this little eatery on Hornby. And it is little. Expect to wait for a table during peak hours. The staff themselves are nice and polite.
Now, having said that, let’s move on to the food. I had 3 items, and yes, I eat quite a bit.
1. Sashimi Salad
2. Tuna Maki
3. Some sort of a cherry blossom sushi thingamajig
For me, the sashimi salad was easily the best among all three. There are loads of sashimi in there. And best of all, it’s filled with a variety of sashimi (salmon, tuna, crab, shrimp). Usually other places would just load up a salad sashimi with either tuna, or salmon. We all love sashimi, why discriminate? And the wooden bowl it came in is an Instagramer’s wet dream.
The tuna maki itself was ok. Nothing to should about, just the regular run-​of-​the-​mill maki. But if you want to have a nice simple sushi, go for it. Just don’t expect any wow factor.
The cherry blossom sushi is the odd child. It taste and looks like a pimped up Alaska roll. Between this and the salad sashimi, I would definitely go with the salad.
So there you have it. Definitely a try in my opinion.

I absolutely adore this sushi place due to the fact that everything is organic, fresh and delicious. The service is always fast and friendly. The restaurant itself is quite small so I usually only come by for a late lunch as it’s less busy, but I rarely dine in. If I want to get dinner I call them to order takeout which is usually ready within 15 – 20 minutes. I really love where they are located, but because their restaurant is so small, it isn’t a good place to go during busy hours or with a large group of people. Their West Broadway location is considerably larger and more pleasant to dine in. The reason I’m giving them 5 stars, despite the fact that their restaurant is small, is because the food is of the highest quality and is the healthiest sushi you can get. It’s really delicious. I love this place and I always recommend it to everyone I know.

Ordered the spinach curry — delicious!
Wild salmon gomae — yum!
The veggie roll (forgot what it’s actually called, but it contains fresh avocado, bell peppers, and other veggies) — nom nom nom!
And the quinoa inari — gobble gobble!
Organic veggies and wild caught fish; friendly servers; fast service – I ordered takeout and food came in about 10 – 15 mins, so no complaints! Total for everything was under $ 30 after tax + tip. Far inferior sushi is twice the price in Kerrisdale ugh.
Will definitely be back to Shizen Ya to try more. One of the more exciting sushi menus I’ve seen.

While I do like their choice of organic and high quality healthy ingredients, I can’t say I adored our food.
Tofu steak ($ 10.50) — rather plain, soft tofu slices covered in teriyaki with bites of red pepper… Other versions I’ve had in the past present a caramelized flavor with onions and mushrooms and are typically served hot and simmering on an iron cast skillet. The one at shizen could be so much better!
Veggie Udon ($ 11) veggies, broth made with soy, noodles and tiny diced tofu pieces. Nothin to brag about.
Geisha girls roll ($ 12.50~) nicely presented very tasty and fresh. Of everything we ordered this was the star dish. Definitely something to order.
Pros– nice staff, complimentary tea, brown rice, quick meal, vegetarian options cleared spelled out all over menu.
Cons– plainer tasting, very small place (no seating for more than four), a little dirty on the ground and tables, walls and mirrors had scratches and smudges.

Great popular sushi restaurant, great for vegetarians! I think this is the healthiest sushi place we have been to that serves brown rice and vegan/​vegetarian dishes.
Make sure to make a reservation in advance or you might wait a bit during busy hours. They do get pretty full during dinner time.
We ordered some sashimi’s, gyoza and the popular blossom rolls. The salmon sashimi is a MUST if you’re here, it’s flavorful. I think this place is great for people who wants to eat great healthier sushi’s… maybe not our cup of tea.
Parking: Meter parking!

They have many vegan sushi options. We tried almost all of them. They were all great.
So why not 5 stars? Because they are too popular, resulting in horrible overcrowding and long waits.

Loved it!
I wanted to try it while I worked downtown but always thought, «eh, a bit pricy for lunch.» MY LOSS.
I met a former coworker for dinner and Shizen Ya became a late night snack for us.
I had an organic vegetable roll and a spicy tuna roll. Both came as brown rice.
The vegetable roll was good, nothing against it and I’d order it again — but the spicy tuna roll was sooooo amazing. I wish I had ordered two and skipped the veggies!
I really wish I had eaten here while working in the area, but I’m looking forward to visiting again just because I enjoyed it so much. I wonder if the. Broadway location has a similar standard.

Lunch with my Japanese partner. Comprehensive, almost daunting menu. Fresh, organic vegetables. Seemed like the staff present during our visit were mostly from Japan.
DESSERT: 5.0. Vegan Pumpkin Pudding «Shiawase». Addition of pumpkin to traditional Japanese pudding. Smooth, refreshing, and not-​too-​sweet.
FOOD: 4.0.
— 4.0: Chicken Gyoza. Perfectly done.
— 4.0: Ocean Quartet Sashimi salad: The dressing tasted like Japan.
— 3.5: Organic Tofu Steak lunch combo. Very good, but a bit plain.
BEER: 4.0. Scandal organic lager beer: refreshing. Didn’t have time to test the claim that (despite the alcohol content) it would not produce a hangover.
SERVICE: 4.5. Prompt and friendly.
AMBIANCE: 4.0. Felt like Japan. Medium-​volume modern music similar to «Thievery Corporation». Fan was a little loud when on, but very bearable.