About Sushi J
The little Kitimat counter the world noticed
Our story: 7+ years in City Centre, a local-ingredients-only rule, and a soy sauce tradition that made national headlines.
Since Day One
7+ years of doing sushi the chef's way
Sushi J — the first and best sushi place in Kitimat — has served the community from City Centre for more than seven years.
From the beginning, the approach has been simple and uncompromising: local ingredients only, and sushi seasoned by the chef to be enjoyed exactly as served. It is a traditional way of working — the seasoning is part of the craft, not an afterthought left to the table.
That philosophy made Sushi J famous well beyond Kitimat, but the restaurant itself hasn't changed: a welcoming counter in the upper mall area of City Centre, serving lunch and dinner at prices that make sushi an everyday pleasure.
The Story Everyone Talked About
The soy sauce policy that went viral
Ask for extra soy sauce at Sushi J and you'll be politely declined — and there's a good reason. Each piece of sushi is seasoned by the chef to be enjoyed as served, with soy sauce provided in the traditional amount. Drowning it would undo the balance the chef built into it.
The policy — together with our local-ingredients-only rule — was featured in The Guardian, CTV News and Yahoo Canada, and the story travelled around the world. Visitors now make the trip to Kitimat, some travelling for hours, to experience it first-hand.
We take it as the compliment it is: sushi worth travelling for, made the traditional way.
As featured in
What We Stand For
Three rules, never broken
Local ingredients only
Every dish starts with local ingredients — the policy that helped make Sushi J's name across Canada.
Seasoned as served
The chef seasons each piece so it can be enjoyed exactly as it arrives, with soy sauce in the traditional amount.
Sushi for every day
An inexpensive price level, takeout and delivery, and reservations by phone — quality without the occasion required.
Kitimat first
Seven-plus years in City Centre, feeding the town that made us — and welcoming everyone who travels to find us.