This place has been around for YEARS, and when i say years i mean since i was a kid!!! Back in the days when I didn’t know what Japanese food was, i would wonder ‘what is this place?’ Over the years although Hastings isn’t what it use to be, currently looking run down, this place is still alive. I finally came here for the first time and even though it looks like a dump from the outside and no significant signs to show that it was actually open, we took a leap of faith and tried to open the front door. BEHOLD, it opened! They were packed! It was so packed that apparently we didn’t get to sit in one of those fancy booths! We couldn’t even sit at the bar as they had ‘reserved’ signs. We had to sit in the random seats that were located right by the entry way. I think the next time reservations would be nice. Looks like there is a consistent stream of customers that have been frequenting this establishment for years! Almost everyone who left would make convo with the sushi chefs before leaving. What a great environment to be in, so much that i want to be a frequent! The food was delicious and fresh. If i had to break it down i would say that the sashimi was an excellent choice. There was enough variety, nicely presented, and very very fresh! The tuna was my fave and i ate all of it. The amaebi so sweet i wish my cholesterol wasn’t so high otherwise i would have eaten the whole thing. The negitoro roll, let me tell you. The butteriest of rolls that the next time i come I’m going to order 2. The nabeyaki udon was only ok, i probably wouldn’t order it again. Next time I’m going for the curry. I like how the food options are a mix of comfort and sophisticated. Can’t wait to come back!

THIS PLACE SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN! It was empty, but the server was in a traditional kimono and this place I recall from over a decade ago - had excellent food, facilities, and service. The server was could not care less about the food questions one of my friend asked in both Japanese and English. The chefs were standing around and one yelled over the answers. Really? There's no the but a very drunk guy sitting at the food prep station and you cannot come over and talk to us about what's fresh? (Something the server ought to have known - and cared about enough to go over and ask you). To your credit, you overheard us asking her and her not giving a hoot, and so you yelled over the answers. It's little things like this that can make or break a restaurant (we don't want an experience that we can get in our home living room or kitchen) But, oh, wait - there's more..not only was the cooked food favourless, but half-way through the sashimi, I felt a rumble in my belly - I ran to the washroom without a second to spare, only to discover, after the fact, that there was no toilet paper. Then, making bad truly horrible, the toilet would not flush. I tried to discreetly get to the other-gender washroom, but one of my companions was in there having the same experience! To top it all off, when I told a kitchen person about the toilet not flushing, and that there was no t.p, I went and sat down again to whether the other 2 friends were eating, and she came over and asked me to "show her" what wasn't working!!!!!! I continued to have extreme stomach duress for the rest of the evening UGH - Health Inspection!

I have been going to this place since I moved to Vancouver in 1992. It had the freshest sashimi in town- literally fresh off the boat. And the service was super great and the lineups were long and worth it. Now, because it is off the beaten trail, not west side, not down town or off Main Street, it doesnt get the crazy lineups or recognition that is used to have. The sashimi quality is buttery smooth and worth going to eat such as the tuna and salmon. The service continues to be super great. BUT the udon is bland, the fish to rice ratio in the rolls are more like 1:2, tons more rice than fish. And the sushi rice was not as it once was...marinated. so, if you feel like sashimi this is your place. We had the bbq saba... it was memorable, it had my picky eater son actually say that it was really good. It was smokey, it had the saba saltiness and a lingering taste of a little taste of teriyaki, if i had to name all the flavours in one bite. Rolls, no. Fish definitely yes! Noodles meh-no. Service super great. Oh the atmosphere is shoes off if you sit in a booth or standard tablr seating -you get to keep your shoes one. This is an old establishment that has history and tradition.

EXPENSIVE and SLOW Went there with the family. 3 Adults, 2 Children. Walked in at 6:30 pm. By 7:30pm only two of the adults had their food. The kids were getting cranky and we had to rely on Netflix on our phones to keep them from going out of control. Went and asked the server where it was and at 7:30 she said the chef was about to start making the order. I mean, he already made some of the order for the adults, why not for the kids? The kids were so hungry they finished in 15 minutes and we just had to leave. The tab for 5 of us (with 2 kids)? $200 plus tax and tip. Even though the kids had simple rolls like cucumber, oshinko (pickle) and yam. Maybe they overcharged us, I don't know, with two extremely cranky kids there was no way to sit and check. This place is overpriced and gimmicky (the servers wear kimonos - which is unusual), but the carpet is old, service is so slow and its too expensive. There are other options in the area, not sure why you could ever consider this. A dinner should not take 90 minutes, of which 75 is just sitting and waiting for food to show up.

We used to go to this restaurant almost monthly, but a recently terrible experience has made any future visits impossible to stomach. Upon receiving a plate of almost frozen tuna nigiri, we sent it back. They returned with another plate of fish that was just as cold. We decided we would just stick with the salmon nigiri we had ordered and told them not to bother bringing us another replacement. The chef then came to the table personally to argue with us over the temperature of the fish. He said that because it had sit at our table long enough it was now the proper temperature (we we're ready to pay the bill at this point). He also contended that because he cut the second set of sushi from a different part of the fish it was impossible for it to be as cold as the first. We had trouble following his logic and was astounded that this restaurant saw fit to argue with us about four pieces of nigiri on a $100 bill which we still had to wait another 15 minutes for while they decided what to do about this apparent insult to their chef. Pretty embarrassing, for them.

Love this place. From outside it looks like the kind of place that will change one's oil, rotate one's tires and fix those squeaky brakes, but I was astonished to find that inside, just past the dry-cleaner chic of the entryway, there is a respectable Japanese restaurant with all the menu items you would expect at truly decent prices. And the service was fantastic, it was amazing. Part of our orders got screwed up, it was taken care if so quickly (and disarmingly) we barely noticed. This is one of those places I love, with individual rooms -- and btw I should mention: no shoes allowed inside -- and these booths are a little roomier than average, so you and your friends or date(s) or whatever can choose to dwell in your own little universe if you so desire.

If you are looking for a authentic Japanese restaurant and you want to feel like you are in Japan, you should come to Koko, the restaurant building is just like those one in Japan. Starting from the very sensible and friendly staffs follow by the yummy food Sushi is in right sizes, rather than those Western infused sushi with big chuck of rice, fish are fresh. Tempura are crispy and crunchy with the juice veggie inside. The chicken teriyaki has a hint of smoky flavor and it is very juicy. The best dish is the cucumber salad, you will be amazed by the sushi chef’s knife skills and this dish is perfect for someone who is looking for gluten free or Vegan. Love it !
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$60–70

I was curious about the good reviews people were writing on this Google map review. In my opinion, this place is overpriced. I expected much better quality and presentation tbh. the only good dish was the koko maki. sashimi was average at best, spider roll was disappointing. they didn’t even have japanese beer and offers tiger beer. I would not go back. I should have left when I saw the menu - poor cover with blurry text which made it hard to make out, and the vast, too vast of a menu? it seems like they were desperately trying to diversify and expand their menu so much to meet as many customers’ needs as possible, clouding their ability to specialize in something. I’ll need to try out other nearby sushi places to compare.

I have heard a lot of good reviews about Koko, so tried it out for a quick lunch and had a small Salmon Sashimi and a real crab California roll. The Sashimi was very small in both single portion size and quantity of pieces for the price charged, the quality was okay. The California roll with real crab was deceiving as it was a rather large portioned roll, but the ingredients was mostly rice with a small piece of avocado, and such a tiny portion of crab that it was difficult to see it-in the rice, but thankfully there was a couple droplets of roe to show you that it was an ingredient!! Very disappointing that the establishment is operating off of years in business and not the continuance of a quality product!!

Haven't been to KoKo for quite a while and once again I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. KoKo was my very first introduction to sushi in the 80s and though I've wander d far and wide and tried many hip and otherwise places tonight I remembered why I enjoyed this spot right in my neighborhood. Real sushi prepared and served by Japanese staff who know what it should be about. The very antithesis of what I call the "bulk sushi" phenomenon which seems so popular where quantity triumphs over quality and flavour. No more for me.... I will return to KoKo on a regular basis for excellent flavour, quality and care in preparation and presentation. Try the cucumber crab salad roll. Fantastic.

This family owned restaurant takes pride in the quality of ingredients and craftsmanship of the chef. The fish is fresh, the rolls are expertly. The Yam Tempura rolls is simply revelatory as the tan is freshly fried and still slightly warm. Highly recommend the BC roll, toro nigiri, spicy tuna roll, and chicken karaage. The tatami rooms are a unique touch that makes group dining feel very special. Best spot for sushi in Vancouver as far I’m concerned.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$20–30
Recommended dishes
Chicken Karaage, Yam - Tempura Roll

I went there in Sept this year. Drove past daily says since 1982 I believe. Must be good. Nope. Ordered dynamite rule hmm rice dry too bad. California rule hmm rice dry and tasteless. We were hoping for so much more. Tempura was 1/3 of a pepper too big and too much tempura. The prawn tempura was good. Beef tarayaki was too sweet. I was wishing that I had had more rice and less beef tarayaki too sweet. Believe it or not I will go back. Maybe it was an off night. Will give benefit of dought. If this is what you want then go an enjoy .
Food: 3
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 4

I ordered the vegetable yaki udon to go. When I got home I realized they had given me one with meat in it by accident, so I went back to return it and ask for a vegetarian one. The waitress said it would take a while since they were quite busy which was fine, but then she came back around 9 minutes later with my new veggie one which seemed a bit suspicious. When I got home I opened it and found little bits of meat still in the noodles... so they basically just took the meat out and gave it back to me like that... if you're vegetarian/vegan be careful eating here, or just don't.

One of the worst Sushi restaurants I've every been too. Read reviews of the freshness of the fish, however nothing stood out. The Soba noodle dish had paper in the bowl. When they sent a replacement, the taste was simply bland. They displayed a beautiful bowl of noodles and seafood, however when we inquired, the statement received is this dish is only served during the summer. Recommendation: Take away the display until summer begins. Small portions, over-priced sushi, and too aggressive on the wasabi between the fish and rice. Very disappointed.

There was 3 of us. We ordered a lot of food, and a lot of alcohol. Food was extremely fresh. Service was very polite, and friendly. It was quite busy. Especially for only 2 servers, (from what I could see), and only one sushi chef. Food did take a lil while to get to our table. I would've given 5 stars, if food had arrived, even 5 minutes sooner than it did. But regardless, it was still worth the wait. Definitely coming back here again, VERY SOON. KANPAI ! ! ! .
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–60

We went at lunch and Koko was quite full. Unfortunately that meant we waited close to an hour for our food (2pcs nigiri, 1x roll, 1x udon, 1x curry). The fish were fresh and lovely, however the cooked foods were subpar for the price. My friend's curry was so thick and salty she couldn't eat it even with rice; we found chunks of curry paste as if the kitchen hadn't melted the premade curry cubes fully. My udon broth was super bland but the tempura was great. I recommend sticking to sushi and tempura here.

Food is delicious, portions are just right for medium to small eaters. But unfortunately service quality was enough to drop 2 stars for me. We ordered sushi tempera and soba but didn’t get informed that they missed placing the soba order until 40min in when we followed up, no tea refill the entire time. There were about 4 big groups and 2 small tables with 3 servers yet somehow chaos reigned. It’s unfortunate. This place could really be awesome if the service quality is more on point.

Small portions for the price. Was served tuna that was frozen so I sent it back. They didn't think I was looking and sent back the same frozen pieces. Then proceeded to argue with me about what temperature sushi should be served (I am not an expert, but it should not be frozen!). Reading the other reviews it seems I am not the first one to experience this. I hear that they do a decent lunch service but at dinner they phone it in. Makes sense to me, the place was dead at 6 PM

Overpriced. I like the booths though. Some waiters where very kind and friendly. One was useless. If you dont care about price and want a good environment then its good quality. If you just want good sushi/japanese food and are ok with take out or sitting a small but cozy restaurant id recommend GINGER down the street. Its MUCH cheaper and the same quality. You get more sashimi of the same quality for 14-15$ as compared to theirs for 22-23.

One of the best authentic Japanese restaurants still around. Traditional sushi preparation by longtime chef Kuni. High quality, good prices. Very good lunch specials. Koko maki is the best house roll you can find anywhere. No farmed salmon here.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$20–30
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Recommended dishes
Koko Maki House Special Roll, Lunch Combo

The place I go for sushi! I've been eating here for over 30 years. Great family owned and operated business, super friendly. The quality is also to notch. I love the decor also, I can sit at the bar or have a private booth. I hope they stay forever because I will always eat here! Thank you Koji, Fusaku, Kuni and everyone else who makes my visits so enjoyable. (Sorry about the spelling of the names if I got it wrong)

Great sushi and great atmosphere. It's a little more expensive than most sushi places in Vancouver but its because tastes much better. Its sushi served Japanese rather than Canadian style so no inside out rolls, so bento B box, party boat, etc. Also has traditional looking booths with lots of room and attentive staff. They seem to have been there for a while and I hope they stick around. I will definitely be back!

This is closer to a Japanese sushi than it is an American sushi which is more main stream here in North America for it's heavy taste and saucier seasoning. The taste didn't bother me too much, except the chicken kara age which feels a bit well done. However this is a mid price range Japanese restaurant and I think I'm just more comfortable getting sushi from other places with a lower price point.

Been the best in Vancouver since I dont know how long. I've been going since 1999 myself. Jumbo Dynamite Roll that cant be counterfeited by anyone in the industry. It's not a cheap spot but the quality itself speaks to next level. Not a posh new era Sushi restaurant but it dont matter cause Kuni and his family make the best and fish for the good items.

Everything is note perfect, from the private rooms to the hot wash cloths. All food excellent, favourites being saba negiri and hand rolled BC and California cones. The uni negiri has 3 segments of sea urchin in each piece. Agedashi tofu crisp. This is officially one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in YVR. (Only bad thing is the elevator music.)

The best sushi in town. I’ve been going there since I was a kid in the early 1980’s when the current owner’s father ran the place. Actually, my family used to go to his old restaurant further west in Hastings closer to Main St before the current location! Very fresh ingredients, and high quality seaweed means you’re not fighting to chew your sushi.

Great service, great sushi! We had a table of 5 on a Thursday evening and food arrived in reasonable time. Dinner came to about $50 to 60 per person. There was no parking for the restaurant but there was plenty of street parking right in front of the restaurant.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–60

This an authentic Japanese restaurant with tatami rooms , kimono robed servers with perfect presentation and the seafood is always amazingly fresh. I have been a customer at this Second generation family run business since the eighties . The food at Koko cannot be beat for freshness and quality , give it a try they will not disappoint.

One of the original and best Japanese restaurants in Vancouver. Authentic Japanese food comparable to that in Japan.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$20–30
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Jumbo Dynamite Roll, Koko Maki House Special Roll, Lunch Combo

This is a authentic family run restaurant for the last 40 years. The food is reliably good and prices are better than most. The place needs a good overhaul but just look past that and enjoy the food
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–40
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

Amazing quality and preparation!! Amazing ... you have to try this place! Doesn't look that great from the street, but has everything you need inside. The chef's are amazing and they make the perfect thin rice sushi rolls with plenty of the good stuff. The sashimi is one of the freshest and tastiest you'll find in the city!!!

Awkward place. Servers, sushi chef, regular customers(?)... Everything makes me fleel so awkward. They have good seafood. The food from the kitchen isn't very good though. We ordered chicken karaage, but we got chicken wings...as you see in the picture, that is not chicken karaage...I would only order sushi or sashimi.

The food is made very well but the service leaves much to be desired. After being sat, we waited forever to order and once we did, the food came sporadically - my mother got some of hers then I got some of mine about 10 minutes later. It made for an uncomfortable lunch.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch

The hot food is decent but the sashimi is very good.the odour in the restaurant can be a little musty as this venue has been here since the 1980's.the Sushi Chefs are very good but the restaurant could us an update fresh paint new floors etc I will continue to be a regular customer looking for changes

It is baffling to me that some other local sushi places are often much busier than Koko. There is a little bit of a cost premium but the quality of food at Koko far surpasses anything I've had in the area. Happy to come back frequently. Sashimi cuts in particular are very high quality.

This place is amazing!!!! Real hidden gem for sushi the best quality ingredients I've ever noticed for any sushi place in my entire life Kokos knows what they are doing and are a master of there craft This place is worth every cent of your money Nothing but respect for kokos

Overpriced and not good. Service is slow. Tried overcharging us for sashimi and I caught her and she fixed it. I noticed that they also overcharged us for a couple other items but only noticed it after I left. Not good. Place is dirty. Would not come back here.

One of the best Japanese restaurants in the city, and its been a family business forever. Best to sit at the bar and chat with the chef's, very enjoyable and you always get the best quality. For large groups there are semi-private booths that feel very cozy.

The highest quality sushi! I’ve been coming here for years and it is by far the tastiest sushi I’ve ever had! Unreal sashimi portions and delicious rolls! Worth the price and you won’t be disappointed!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner

It’s fine if a restaurant’s decor is outdated and you’re transported back in time, but it’s not fine when the sushi chef isn’t wearing a mask and you’re transported to pre-Covid times when it’s clearly not. Why not keep your paying customers safe?

The best sushi you can get around, tastes authentic and the atmosphere is all around nice. The staff are nice and you get good service. Sitting at the sushi bar you can talk to the sushi chefs or even the other customers. Overall it's a nice time.

This place has the best sushi in town! From the outside it looks old and run down but the inside is clean and nice! Very fresh quality food. Portions are kinda small but the prices and decent for what you get. I will definitely be back!

I love this place, one of my favourite restaurants in town. The staff is all really nice and the food is always good. The booths are so cute. I mean this place isn't super glamourous but it is delicious and to me that is what counts!

Great quality and good sized servings.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$20–30
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Assorted Seafood Sashimi, Miso Soup

Restaurant has really good service with great food! One of my favourites! I have gone to this place for years now and it has always been a good experience! If you want some good sushi, this is a pretty good place to go!! …

Best Sushi in Vancouver! Sushi made by Real Japanese chef is worth the try. Cozy and Service is always upbeat with a super smile! Also You can use private room!!!!! Good peeps, Good Sushi go here, You will not be disappointed!

Been going to Kokos for 40 years. The quality of their food is 12 out of 10. Fresh, good portion size (other sushi restaurants give farmed salmon and small sizes) with wild salmon, always fresh product. Highly recommended.

KoKo’s is the best sushi in Vancouver. My family has been dining here since the 90’s and we are so grateful for the amazing dinners we’ve had over the years.
Service
Dine in
Price per person
$40–50

Very slow service new waitress didn't know much about menu my food was dry and burnt and no sauce on it so hard to eat. Left me still hungry. My friend waited forever for his meal. Won't be going back.

This place has been around for a few years now. It's onenof a very few select places in Vancouver where the chefs are Japanese. It's the best Sashimi in Vancouver, their rolls are amazing too!

Assorted sushi plate was delicious, fish was tender and tasty. Hostess / server that wears kimono is a fun statement. Doesn't look great from outside, but it really opens up once inside.

One of the best longest running authentic Japanese places around. Used to go here in the 80s and now the grandson took over. Still amazing quality sushi. Best to eat at the sushi bar.

Sashimi and sushi items are good. Fried items are ok. Pork is overcooked in both the curry cutlet and the ramen. Nothing special about the ramen. Cost is at a premium.

Very fresh and great tasting sushi
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$50–60
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Japanese owners and very delicious, traditional food! Local gem ‼️ The best Chirashi Don in Vancouver.. period
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner

It was my first time here. The restaurant was bigger than I expected. The food was great, my lunch special was perfect. My hubby loves his sashimi don too.

Koko is a Vancouver institution for Japanese food, particularly specialty sushi. Sit at the bar and enjoy watching the chefs prepare food in front of you.

Although the fish was generally good, the sushi rice was undercooked or not enough water. The uni we had was not fresh. The tempura batter was amazing.

Very spacious very beautiful restaurant food excellent quick prepare ration the service is excellent staff is very friendly hope to there once again

By far the best sushi ive had in this city at this price point. Everything was fresh and delicious. Great customer service too. Highly recommend it

Authentic Japanese sushi. The fish was fresh and everything tasted really good. The portions are small for the price, but I would eat there again.

The OG of sushi restaurants in Vancouver! Good service, awesome food. Definitely recommend the Kamikaze Chicken, and the jumbo Dynamite Roll!

Simply the best sushi place in Vancouver. Maybe even Canada. U need to have the tuna belly, ikura, and the black cod. Heaven in your mouth.

Most authentic Japanese dining in town. Real sit down rooms and friendly service. Good, traditional Japanese offerings and good portions.

Service is always amazing. The sushi always tastes so fresh. Great atmosphere with authentic tatami rooms. Also very recently renovated.

This is the place for traditional Japanese food. Everything is fresh and simple. The miso soup is to die for. Service is reasonable.

This gem of a place is one of the only authentically Japanese sushi in town and the quality of sushi is excellent! Highly recommend!

This place has amazing sushi! Quality and portions are top notch. I've been eating here for 35years and its never disappointed!!!!!

Quality of hot dishes varies each time i go. Sashimi and sushi always amazing! Actual Japanese Sushi chefs gard to find now a days.

This restaurant had the best unagi sushi I've ever had! The chef is very friendly and easy to talk to if you're sitting at the bar.

One of the best Japanese restaurants in Vancouver. I come here as a special occasion or for a really good treat for out of towners

A family favourite, the Koko Deluxe roll and the Jumbo Dynamite roll are to die for. Really good fish quality, and sockeye salmon!

Hands down the best dynamite roll I've ever had. Best chicken Katsu as well!!!!!! My family has been coming here for 30 years!!!

Best tasting and presentation in town. Every time is consistent and extremely friendly staff! Unagi is best in North America!

Sushi was good, atomosphere was nice. Place was a bit dumpy. Given dirty tea glass, and prices for basic sushi was expensive.

Fresh and traditional. You can taste the difference in their sushi than other places. The best sushi in Vancouver hands down!

Friendly staff and tasty food. Lots of veggie options and tried to adapt the dishes I ordered to accommodate my vegan diet.

Food is top shelf! Especially the Unagi. Decor is a little run down and dated. The only reason they don't get five stars.

Ordered a chicken teriyaki bowl and it barely had any meat and just one tiny piece of broccoli. It was like $15.

Amazing restaurant! We have been going here since are kids were babies - now we come back with our grandkids!

This is hands down the best sushi I’ve had in Vancouver. It’s been around since ‘82, that says something.

Love this place! Amazing family run restaurant of several generations! Great food. Great service!

Always enjoyable dining. I always tried to make an effort stop there when I'm in the neighborhood

The staff are great and the food is delicious. This is a place for truly authentic Japanese food.

Better sushi at the supermarket. Small portions, fish too cold and high prices for low quality.

Will drive over an hour to get here if I have to and know many people who would! Amazing sushi!

Best sushi ever. Great place for fresh pieces of sashimi. Make sure to get the Godzilla cone!

In a city full of great sushi, Koko has the best traditional sushi I have had in Vancouver.

Authentic Japanese restaurant. Fresh seafood. Pricier because of the fresh ingredients.

Family run restaurant, been here for many years. Love their Koko Deluxe maki.

The Ramen for the price was terrible I cant believe how expensive it was.

Very pricey + small portions + average quality = disappointed customer.

In my opinion, the best sushi restaurant in Vancouver. Amazing spot!

Great food like they've always had. Could use a decor update though

Best sushi I have ever had. The highest quality fish. Amazing food.

Traditional sushi. Great service and everything tastes very fresh.

Best value for sushi in the city...rice is always top notch.

Literally some of the worst sushi I've ever had. Dont go.

Been going here all my life - best sushi in vancouver!

Was super mediocre and overpriced. Terrible ambiance.