Best AYCE Sushi in Montreal
Updated: Sep 2, 2023
When I first came to Montreal, I had been to a couple of all you can eat (AYCE) sushi spots before and I really enjoyed it, but when I tried the AYCE sushi in Montreal I absolutely fell in love. In fact, it’s kind of become a tradition for me to go to AYCE sushi places to celebrate or prior to leaving Montreal to visit home. All this is to say you ABSOLUTELY need to try AYCE sushi in Montreal, particularly from these two spots which I think are the best in the city! So, keep reading to discover my picks for the best AYCE sushi in Montreal!
BRIEF HISTORY OF SUSHI
Before I get to the restaurants, I wanted to talk a little bit about sushi history because I realized I personally didn’t know much about the origins of sushi and its history!
Firstly, did you know that sushi does not originate in Japan but instead originated in China? This may come as a surprise to many people since Japan is of course the sushi capital of the world today! The origins of sushi date back to before the CE, where a dish called narezushi consisting of fermented fish and rich was prepared in China. The fermentation makes sense of course because at the time there was no modern refrigeration techniques so food was often fermented so that it could be preserved for longer periods of time.
The first mention of “sushi” came only ~1000 years later in Japan and the recipe slowly began to change, particularly with the use of rice vinegar for faster fermentation. Fast forward another ~1000 years into the 18th century and sushi exploded in popularity in Japan. For example, in Edo (modern day Tokyo) there were three sushi restaurants in the middle of the 18th century but by the late 18th century there were thousands. At this time they still used preservation techniques utilizing rice vinegar, salt, and soy sauce as well as cooking certain fish.
With the development of modern refrigeration and globalization, sushi exploded into what we think of today which is consuming raw fish. This is a more recent phenomenon than some people may think, coming in the late 20th century. For example, raw salmon was not consumed in Japan until the late 1980s due to parasite risk, but with the import of parasite free salmon from Norway salmon sushi exploded in popularity and is now a common menu item at most sushi restaurants.
With modern-day sushi becoming massively popular in Japan, Japanese immigrants brought this delicious food with them to Canada as early as the 1960s, with the establishment of three sushi restaurants in what is considered Canada’s sushi hub, Vancouver, by 1976. This led to the innovation of sushi in Canada to suit the “Western palette” with the development of the California roll and B.C. roll accompanied with an explosion of popularity of sushi restaurants. In fact, by 2014 there were over 600 sushi restaurants in Vancouver alone.
Nowadays, a specific type of sushi restaurant has also become commonplace in Canada, AYCE sushi. I really love the concept of AYCE as it applies to sushi because there is so many different types of sushi to try and it’s all little bites, so with AYCE sushi you can really try a little bit of everything and discover what you like! It’s can also be a really affordable option compared to higher end sushi restaurants, with most places in Montreal being $36-42 per person on weeknights (about how much you would pay at a restaurant nowadays).
Now that you know a little bit more about the history, let’s dive into my favourite sushi restaurants in Montreal!
THE BEST AYCE SUSHI IN MONTREAL
For me, two restaurants stand above the rest not only in Montreal, but compared to all of the AYCE sushi places I have tried in Canada (and even one in Spain which was pretty terrible). These two spots are K2+ Bistro and Samon Sushi, both of which exceed my expectations in terms of ambiance, service, and of course food.
K2+ BISTRO
There are a lot of factors that go into what makes an amazing AYCE sushi restaurant and I would say K2+ Bistro pretty much checks all the boxes. I personally absolutely love the interior; it really transforms you into another world. It’s also usually busy which makes for a fun bustling environment. This makes sense because it also happens to be in an amazing location, just a 5-minute walk from Concordia University in downtown Montreal. The service at this place is also incredible considering how tight the space is and how few workers they usually have. You’ll constantly see the workers flying around and you’ll be really surprised at how quickly you’ll get your food.
Now to the important stuff… THE FOOD. While I have been to AYCE sushi places that have fish that is not so fresh, or even regular sushi restaurants, K2+ has managed to serve me pretty fresh sushi every time I’ve gone.
In terms of what delicious sushi you should order I always for spicy tune first and foremost, it pretty much never disappoints. For something a bit more interesting though I HIGHLY recommend the smoked salmon nigiri and the Tokyo roll. For the smoked salmon nigiri they bring out the blow torch right in front of you which is a really fun experience and for the Tokyo roll it’s definitely my favourite roll here being super creamy and delicious but not at all heavy.
SAMON
Now if you had asked me what the best AYCE sushi I’ve had is a week ago I would say K2+ bistro and while it still holds a dear place in my heart which is why I mentioned it in this post, Samon is absolutely the best AYCE sushi I’ve had.
Starting off with some non-food factors again, Samon is a very different vibe from K2+ Bistro. Samon is a lot more intimate which can definitely be really nice for a date night or with the family but personally if I were with a group of friends, I would probably prefer the more upbeat vibes at K2+ Bistro. Also, it’s located in Longueuil which can be a bit inaccessible for those without a vehicle. Additionally, Samon is a little more expensive than most AYCE sushi spots so it could be less accessible if you’re on a budget.
In terms of the food though Samon is UNMATCHED, and I personally think well worth the transportation time and premium cost. This place had by far the freshest food I have ever had at an AYCE sushi spot. Amazingly, I thought the quality was comparable to my favourite a la carte sushi restaurants. Not only was the sushi amazing though, all of the dishes were amazing quality like the miso soup, quail eggs, mussels, beef, etc.
Since I went just this past week, I will tell you EXACTLY what you need to order. First of all, again, spicy tuna roll is a must, and I absolutely loved the spicy tuna roll at Samon because it was spicier than most of the ones I have tried. Other sushi I really enjoyed was the eel nigiri, zesty tuna, torched salmon and mango, mini volcano, and salmon teriyaki. These were each bursting savouriness, freshness, and flavour overall!
Two other dishes I would also highly recommend is their donburi which come in these super cute small cups and are so delicious if you enjoy just the fish with rice. Also, the miso cod was amazing! I have heard of miso cod before but never had the pleasure of trying it. If the miso cod at many well-known restaurants is anything like the miso cod at Samon then I absolutely cannot wait to try it!
There you have it guys! A little bit of history and my two favourite AYCE sushi places plus everything you need to order! Let me know if you enjoyed this post on my social media and checkout my other blog posts for more restaurant recommendations, recipes, and other foodie content!
K2+ Bistro: 1468 Crescent St, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2B6
Samon: 1001 Bd de Montarville, Boucherville, QC J4B 6P5
