Securing a reservation at Sumibiyaki Arashi is about to become even more challenging. The intimate 14-seat omakase restaurant located at 363 East Broadway in Vancouver has been named Canada's "Best New Restaurant" by the team behind the Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list.
Reservations at this highly sought-after establishment are accepted on the first day of each month at 9 a.m. or noon for the following month, and these spaces typically vanish within seconds. The omakase experience is priced at $175 per person. Notably, the restaurant was also one of five local venues added to the 2025 Michelin Guide for Vancouver.
Recognition and Rankings
Jacob Richler, founder of the Canada's 100 Best lists in 2015, is well aware of the difficulty in securing a seat at this Michelin-starred eatery. "I was lucky enough to eat there last summer, and I've just booked my return visit," he notes, emphasizing the need for advance planning.
While Sumibiyaki Arashi tops the ranking of best new restaurants nationwide, two other Vancouver hotspots join it on that list: June on Cambie at No. 4 and Chez Celine at No. 10. The list of recently opened establishments also includes restaurants in Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax (Tribute at No. 9).
On the larger 100-best ranking, British Columbia is represented by 18 restaurants, including several on Vancouver Island. The top-ranked restaurant in Vancouver is AnnaLena, followed by Kissa Tanto at No. 15, Sumibiyaki Arashi at No. 17, and former No. 1 spot Published on Main at No. 20.
Full List of B.C. Restaurants in the Top 100
- Baan Lao in Richmond at No. 24
- Le Crocodile by Rob Feenie at No. 26
- June at No. 29
- Burdock & Co. at No. 33
- St. Lawrence at No. 40
- Boulevard at No. 59
- Chez Celine at No. 60
- Botanist at No. 64
- Bacchus at No. 67
- Pluvio in Ucluelet at No. 69
- Elem at No. 80
- Pilgrimme in Galiano at No. 84
- The Fish Man in Richmond at No. 90
- Kavita at No. 96
Methodology and New Features
Richler explains the rigorous process behind the rankings: "There are a lot of painstaking processes required to convert the expert opinions of our 160 judges into point scores — and a ranked list that encapsulates the best of the Canadian dining scene. We think our methodology works extremely well and we are always excited to see the results."
The annual ranking is designed to be a "snapshot of the best dining over the year," according to Richler, and it evolves constantly. "The 2026 list features 29 restaurants in the top 100 that were not on the list last year," he notes. "Twenty-one are completely new to the list, 16 of those are new — opened since November 2024."
Acknowledging the impact of the cost of living on dining budgets, this year's list introduces a pricing guide for each restaurant. "In an acknowledgement that dining out is an expensive sport," Richler explains. Additionally, a new category called C100B Recommends has been added to this year's Canada's 100 Best Restaurants.
