Shishinori Japanese Eatery

When Shishinori first opened its doors on Cambie Street back in the winter of 2014, manager Niki Wang recalls that things got off to a slightly rough start. “At first, it was so slow,” she says. “There were no restaurants around us. No cafés. No pizza. Just us. We didn't really know what to do. So we started having our staff make samples, and giving them to people outside. People tried them, liked them, and suddenly lots of people started coming in.”

Luckily, after those first few months, the gambit paid off. That initial trickle of customers became a torrent, and today Shishinori serves Vancouverites a unique selection of Japanese fusion cuisine, including poke bowls, sashimi and Japanese-style sub sandwiches.

The best part? All of their menu items are made with authentic and healthy ingredients. “We really wanted to make healthy food,” Niki says. “This neighbourhood especially, they like things that are healthy. So the idea was to serve them by making healthy food, that was also Japanese fusion food.”