Kuroshio Sushi Express (1011 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-623-3388) serves take-out sushi rolls at rock bottom prices. They’re located at the corner of Granville and Nelson in downtown Vancouver, right in the middle of the Granville street entertainment and night-club district. The restaurant is open late: until 3:00am every day.

Enjoy a “sushi burrito” for just $1.88 – it makes a great late-night snack after dancing all evening at the club. Pictured below is the Chopped Scallop California Combo ($6.50 including tax). They also offer sashimi ($6.00), nigiri sushi ($1 to $2 per piece), miso soup ($0.50), ebi sunomono salad ($2.75) and various other sushi combinations.

Chopped scallop roll and California roll sushi

Maruchu Japanese BBQ Dining (2065 – 4580 #3 Road, Richmond, BC, Canada, phone 604-214-3770) offers an authentic Japanese version of the popular Korean BBQ style dinner, where you are given marinated meats and cook them yourself at a grill at your table. If you’ve tried Korean BBQ before you’ll find the Japanese style quite similar, but perhaps a bit less spicy. Reservations are recommended, as the restaurant is quite small and gets full on weekends. Price per person is in the $20-30 range, depending on how hungry you are!

A plate of raw meat that is marinated and topped with sesame seeds and green onion.

A plate of marinated meat before we cooked it on the BBQ at the table.

The BBQ in action!

Ezogiku Noodle Cafe (270 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604-685-9466) serves bowls of hot, steaming Japanese ramen noodle soup. A bowl of ramen soup costs around $7.25 plus tax, and you can also order some appetizers such as pan fried gyoza dumplings. I enjoyed the Kimchi Ramen (pictured below), which featured the traditional Korean spicy cabbage as well as barbecued pork.

Ezogiku Noodle Cafe is located near the Vancouver main library downtown, as well as BC Place Stadium, home of the BC Lions Football team. It’s also a short walk from GM Place Stadium, home of the Vancouver Canucks hockey team. The restaurant is within easy walking distance of hotels such as the Rosedale on Robson, Westin Grand, and the Hampton Inn and Suites.

Kimchi ramen noodle soup

The interior of Ezogiku Noodle Cafe on Robson.