Honjin Sushi Japanese Restaurant (dinehere.ca link, 138 Davie Street, phone (604) 688-8808) is a popular place in Vancouver’s downtown Yaletown neighborhood for excellent sushi, teriyaki, tempura, and other delicious Japanese items. It’s located near False Creek in the same complex as the Roundhouse community centre. The menu is a-la-carte, large, and varied, with a wide selection of everything from ebi gyoza (dumpling with prawn, $9.50), to the assorted sashimi (pictured below, $11.95), and the assorted sushi (pictured below at bottom, $10.95). If you’re feeling adventurous, be sure to try one of their specialty rolls such as the Sunshine Roll (which is topped with mango), or the Yaletown Maki (a prawn tempura roll wrapped with sliced raw seafood).

Sonomama Japanese Restaurant (web site, 980 Granville St., Vancouver, phone 604-662-3770) is a relatively new addition to downtown’s Granville Street strip, amidst the nightclubs and fast food restaurants near the corner of Granville and Nelson. A lot of care has obviously gone into the design and decor of this restaurant: it’s an ultra-modern and stylish room with huge vaulted ceilings, a glowing wrap-around sushi bar, tables and a few comfortable booths. For best value, be sure to try items from the combination menu, such as one of the sushi combinations ($10 to $13) or the Chirashi and Udon combo ($12.95). Chirashi-don (pictured below) is a bowl filled with rice and topped with fresh seafood, and the combo also came with a bowl of hot udon-noodle soup.

Update (Jan 1, 2008): Sonomama has closed and there is a new Indian restaurant there now.

Samurai Japanese Restaurant (more photos, 1108 Davie St. Vancouver, Phone 604-609-0078) is a cozy and very busy restaurant located in Vancouver’s downtown core. It serves yummy Japanese food at reasonable prices. My “Combination C” came with a variety of sushi and sashimi (pictured below) as well as Teriyaki, Tempura, miso soup, and rice. My meal came to $13.73 including tax.