Sushi Bar Maumi

Sushi Bar Maumi sits on Robson Street in central Vancouver, a counter-only room built around Edo-style nigiri. Chef Maumi Ozaki, who has worked sushi for 33 years, prepares every piece himself; his wife runs the front of house, and the two operate the restaurant together.

The format is a single 17-seat seating, with nigiri served one piece at a time directly over a counter made from Yoshino cypress. After the main nigiri course, guests can order additional pieces from a separate menu. The kitchen uses fresh wasabi from Izu, Shizuoka, nori sourced from Tsukiji in Tokyo, a house-made soy sauce recipe, and miso soup built from dashi and roasted fish bones prepared just before service. More than 30 sake labels are offered alongside shochu and whiskey.

Service runs for dinner Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus a Sunday lunch sitting from noon to 2:30pm; the restaurant is closed Wednesday and Thursday. Reservations are taken by phone at (604) 609-2286, and walk-ins are also accepted. Pricing sits at the top end of the scale (tier 4, luxury), reflecting the focus on imported Japanese fish and ingredients sourced specifically for the counter.

The restaurant describes its approach as deliberately low on explanation, with the chef letting the nigiri and sake speak for themselves rather than narrating each course. Diners should confirm current pricing and any deposit or cancellation policy directly with the restaurant before booking.