Vancouver chef Takayuki Omi creates sushi plates with the eye of a painter
The celebrated culinary artist just opened Sashimiya, a specialty shop that makes sashimi-grade seafood accessible to home cooks
Sushi is simple, but achieving simplicity is difficult, says chef Takayuki Omi, co-owner of the new Sashimiya specialty seafood shop in Vancouver. Photo by Mark Yuen
VANCOUVER’S TAKAYUKI OMI may be best known for the artistry, precision, and skill he brought to Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Lobby Lounge and RawBar, where he was executive sushi chef for nearly a decade. Whether he’s preparing hamachi (Japanese amberjack), ikura (salmon roe), madai (an type of sea bream considered iconic in Japanese cuisine), or local uni (sea urchin), he sees himself as a painter, creating plates of pure beauty out of the simplest of ingredients.
Now, the Tokyo native has a place to call his own. Sashimiya is a new speciality Japanese-seafood shop that he runs with his wife, Kaori, at 1348 Hornby Street. Sharing the art of sushi with people is the realization of a long-time dream for Omi, a goal that was accelerated once he began teaching sushi-making classes several years ago.
It’s not easy for individuals to source sustainable sashimi-grade fish in Vancouver; most of what is available is reserved for the wholesale market. Omi has long-standing relationships with many of the top seafood markets and fish mongers in Japan, which he visited regularly pre-pandemic. He also sources fish from New Zealand and Ocean Wise seafood from local waters.
While he has dedicated his professional life to sushi, it wasn’t his first culinary love.
“When I was growing up, I really enjoyed making dessert for my family,” Omi tells Stir. “My mom was a dance teacher, and she operated a dance studio out of our home. She would often invite her friends for dance lessons and that was the time when I made my dessert for them. My mom taught me how to cook, and my father always encouraged me to cook for the family.”
Sashimiya co-owner Takayuki Omi loves the liveliness and creativity of being behind a sushi bar. Photo by Mark Yuen
Alongside his penchant for making sweet treats, he recalls eating sushi and sashimi as a child, the history, spectacle, and experience of the culinary style fuelling his desire to pursue it as a career. Omi trained in Shizuoka before eventually making his way to Canada, first to Toronto, where he launched his career with Fairmont hotels.
Working in a small kitchen facing a wall was never for him. He has always loved the liveliness and creativity that accompany being behind a sushi bar.
“The sushi bar is active and is about having a conversation and engaging with my customers,” Omi says. “It’s like being a bartender; it’s a fun place to work. I get instantaneous feedback from my guests, and that’s what makes me excited about making great food.
“Sushi is the most simple food ever—it’s just a slice of fish—but simplicity is difficult to achieve,” he adds. “I compare myself to a painter because I look at the fish as colour and texture as I assemble my plate. The plate is my canvas, and the fish is my paint. When I make a sashimi plate, I think of the combination of the colours, the placement, and the final arrangement like how a painting is created. The sushi we present to our guests is ultimately about removing all the unnecessary elements to reveal the true meaning and taste of each ingredient.”
Photos by Mark Yuen
Sashimiya carries grab-and-go sushi, sashimi platters, chirashi bowls, and other items, while Omi will also personally slice fish to people’s liking, whether it be for nigiri, sashimi, poke, or handrolls. There are Japanese goods and goodies, such as Koshihikari and Kagayaki premium rice, nori, miso, soy sauce, furikake (a rice seasoning), instant ramen, Kewpie Mayonnaise, Japanese cookies and candies, Pocky, and more.
For Vancouverites seeking to make their own sushi, Omi recommends using high-quality ingredients across the board, not just in terms of fish and seafood but also vinegar and rice
“Sashimiya is about making all sushi ingredients accessible to our customers wanting to create sushi at home,” he says. “We are a small shop, but we stock the most premium products carefully selected by my wife and myself. The store is a gallery of our favourite selections.”
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