The BC roll is an inside-out sushi roll filled with grilled BC salmon skin, cucumber and sweet sauce, rolled with the rice on the outside. It is one of Vancouver's two Tojo-invented rolls, along with the California roll.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
The BC roll was invented by chef Hidekazu Tojo at Tojo's Restaurant in Vancouver in 1974, alongside the California roll. Tojo developed the inside-out roll format, hiding the seaweed wrap, to make sushi approachable for Western diners who found nori off-putting. The BC roll uses grilled salmon skin with cucumber and a sweet sauce, a tribute to the Pacific salmon that defined British Columbia's food identity.
Common allergens: Gluten, Fish
Tip from the editors. Salmon skin must be very dry before grilling, or it will steam instead of crisp. Pat with paper towels and air-dry 10 minutes before grilling.
Tojo's on West Broadway runs chef Hidekazu Tojo's omakase since 1988, the kitchen credited with inventing the California roll and the BC roll.
Signature: Tojo's omakase, BC roll, Spot prawn nigiri
Order: The omakase at the sushi counter; chef Hidekazu Tojo invented the BC roll here in 1974.
Tip: The omakase counter books two weeks out on OpenTable; the dining room takes shorter notice.
Miku on Granville with a Coal Harbour patio has popularised flame-seared aburi sushi in Vancouver since 2008, sister to Minami room in Yaletown.
Signature: Aburi salmon oshi sushi, Aburi prime ebi oshi, Sashimi tower
Order: The Aburi salmon oshi sushi, the dish that defined Miku and aburi-style sushi in Vancouver.
Tip: Patio bookings on OpenTable need a month for summer Saturdays; lunch walks in. Try Minami in Yaletown if Miku is full.
Sushi Masuda on West 1st Avenue is chef Hirofumi Masuda's small edomae counter since 2018, Michelin-starred in the inaugural 2022 Vancouver guide.
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