In the Media

From feature articles and reviews to videos and documentaries, Tojo’s has been highlighted across a variety of platforms celebrating our commitment to exceptional Japanese cuisine and memorable dining experiences. Explore the stories and coverage that showcase our philosophy, our team, and the moments that make dining at Tojo’s truly special.

 

Film

The Chef and the Daruma, Telus Originals

Video

Where to eat in Canada, Expedia

How the California Roll was Invented, Insider Food

Hidekazu Tojo- Sushi Chef, SIGMA Canada

HistorEATS with Suzanne Barr, Bokeh Studios

S1.E5 Vancouver, Beyond the Arc with Danny Green

Tojo’s: Innovative Sushi and Japanese Fare in Vancouver, Bon Appetit

S4.E3 Vancouver, No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain

Press

Fear & Love-ins in Vancouver, Loaded

BC Inventor of the California Roll going strong after more than 50 years, This is BC - Global News

The myth, the man, the singular Tojo-san, NUVO Magazine

Hidekazu Tojo, Roll with the punches, Montecristo Magazine

All Aboard for a California roll in the Arctic, Japan Times

Books

50 States, 1,000 Eats, National Geographic

1000 Places to see before you die, Patricia Schultz

Chef Tojo

Chef Tojo has received a long list of awards and accolades throughout his culinary career and has earned respect as a Master Chef for his extraordinary ability to prepare Japanese cuisine.

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In 2016, the Japanese government honoured Chef Tojo as a Goodwill Ambassador for Japanese Cuisine, distinguishing him as belonging to the top tier of Japanese chefs in the world.

Chef Tojo gained his culinary skills and knowledge while working in a Ryotei, a high-class traditional Japanese restaurant in Osaka in his early twenties.  Even then, he was passionate about experimenting with flavours and cooking methods, and creating new dishes.  Although he showed real promise in the kitchen, Tojo felt limited by the strict traditions of Japanese culinary culture and jumped at the opportunity to move to Canada and settled in Vancouver, in 1971. 

He was the first to introduce Omakase to Vancouver’s culinary scene and is the creator of countless dishes and techniques that are ubiquitous today. Among the most influential is the “Inside out” Tojo Roll, which is now universally known as the “California Roll.”

Also among Tojo’s creations are the BC Roll (using barbecued salmon skin), Rainbow Roll, Golden Roll (a delicate roll wrapped in egg crepe) and Spider Roll. Chef Tojo was also the first to use smoked salmon in Japanese cuisine.