Vancouver loves it sushi. You can literally find a sushi place within a couple blocks of where you walk (if not more than one). But very seldom do you find a health conscious sushi restaurant. And I’m not talking about those restaurants that offer brown rice for an addition 75 cents or $1, but restaurants that serves all it’s rolls with organic brown rice, has Ocean wise choices and has a sizeable vegetarian and organic menu. Shizen Ya is this place.

They have two locations, but Liane and I decided to hit up the Hornby street location near the courthouses downtown. Competition must be tough here since within a two block radius you have Guu and Kimono, but this place was packed on our arrival and there were many take out orders.

Liane ordered the Dragon Magic Roll ($12.95) made with grilled salt water eel, organic avocado, wild sockeye salmon, cream cheese, cucumber with drizzled in homemade anago sauce.

I ordered the Triple Attack!! Brown Rice Bowl ($9.95). It’s served with Oceanwise wild sockeye salmon, albacore tuna and spinach on organic brown sushi rice. It was a fair portion and the spinach actually helped to keep you full. The brown rice is a little more softer than traditional white sushi rice. I find people are very put off by the taste of brown rice, but I don’t think that’s the case here. Maybe because it’s sushi rice and therefore has the rice vinegar, the ‘taste’ of brown rice was masked. I don’t mind the taste of brown rice, personally but it’s not something I could make at home since it may be a little too healthy for my husband’s preference.

The service was good and our food came fairly quick – I’m sure they’re used to the busy lunch hour traffic they get from the businesses and courts around them.

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Check out their website and menu (in English) here.

Shizen Ya on Urbanspoon