Where To Find Great Veggie Sushi In Montreal

I'm not a vegetarian. Yet.

When it comes to my relationship with food, what started as eccentric (read: tedious) pickiness has evolved into eating habits that closely resemble a meat-free diet. Compared to a decade ago, I'm much more conscious of the ethical and environmental impact made by the things we choose to eat -- and I'm sure a lot of other people feel the same way.

Luckily, Montreal is not short on incredible vegetarian (and vegan!) eateries, as well as large veggie-friendly sections of grocery stores. I fully credit easy access to awesome meatless ingredients for my transition away from the stuff.

Some of our local vegetarian restaurants are so good, they could easily go toe-to-toe with any non-veggie counterpart, and very likely come out as the tastier option. This is particularly true when it comes to the city's non-fish, non-meat, and even non-dairy sushi restaurants. Stay with me! Once you are at peace with forfeiting seafood for a meal, you will be ridiculously impressed with how good a shrimp-less hosomaki can be.

Keep on scrolling to see a list of places I trust for veggie sushi :)

OHANA SUSHI (330 MONT ROYAL EAST)

When Ohana opened down the street from our place, I was so pumped. Gorgeous-looking veggie sushi was a mere ten minute walk away! Ohana is aiming for elevated, stylized, Momo-esque (more on Momo later) offerings and, for the most part, the restaurant hits the mark. They boast a looong list of rolls, each of which is creative and high quality. My favorite is the Eclipse (I'd never tried black rice before this place) -- I would very happily order three servings of this roll alone and call it dinner :)

SUSHI MOMO (3609 ST. DENIS)

Sushi Momo is the undisputed MVP of vegan sushi in Montreal. In fact, I'm pretty damn confident that their offerings are more inventive and taste better than many traditional sushi places in the city. Momo's flavor profiles are insane. Each roll has its own personality and is brimming with flavor. They don't skimp on the quality of their ingredients (which explains why many rolls cost upward of $10). 

TBH, their delivery system is kind of annoying, so I recommend phoning in a pick-up order instead. That being said, there is zero chance you'll regret choosing Momo over any other sushi place around. My absolutely favorites are Mangue Patate, Momo, and Patate Jalapeño -- these three ALWAYS make the cut when we're ordering. 

ROULEAU PLUS ROULEAUX (816 ST. ZOTIQUE EAST)

From the outset, Rouleau Plus Rouleaux seems like a random choice. Definitely not a strictly-veggie spot. But of all the conventional sushi places in town, this one has the most extensive list of interesting vegetarian choices. Rouleau is ridiculously accessible! Fast, inexpensive, super satisfying. (Real talk: I order from here the most of ANY restaurant. Even Domino's.) 

I'll just go ahead and list all my favorite rolls, putting a * beside the ones that get ordered every single time I eat from here. It goes: avocado hosomaki* (theirs is made is huge chunks of fresh avo), omelet hosomaki (for Josh), Eda Maki*, Exotic Veggie Futomaki* (with soy paper), Wakame Futomaki, Deluxe Veggie Futomaki (no sun-dried tomato), Dragon Veggie Futomaki.

If you're feeling wacky, grab yourself a dessert roll. Also, make sure to splurge on soy paper (instead of nori) wherever you can. You'll be happy you did :)

JONES CAFE / SATA SUSHI (3349 ONTARIO ST. EAST)

Last Thursday, I found out Mimi & Jones opened a sister-location called Jones Café that serves vegan sushi. Ten minutes later, I was ordering five rolls to share with Josh for dinner. Super impressed with how many ingredients are incorporated into a single roll, some of which are pretty unusual for this cuisine (like sumac and agave). It makes me beyond happy to support up-and-coming local restaurants -- I wouldn't hesitate to give Jones Café another shot ASAP.

SOBA SUSHI (5227 SHERBROOKE WEST)

Soba & Sushi Bar is another non-veggie restaurant. Frankly, I might brush past this place today, had I not lived across the street for two years. Back then, in 2011, I'd grab take-out from Soba WEEKLY, then proceed to eat it in bed while watching 30 Rock DVDs. (I'm a class act.) They don't have a ton of veggie options, but the ones they do make manage to branch out beyond cheap variations of cucumber and carrot.

The Asia (#204) is my favorite roll ever ever ever -- the decently-sized chunk of sweet potato stays crispy and the avocado is creamy, creating a near-perfect combination of flavor and texture. The Hawaiian (#218) is great, too. Unless you're vegan, don't skip the spicy mayo :)

*

Bloom Sushi is next on my list -- I've heard only excellent things about them! Did I miss one of your favorite spots for veggie sushi?

Image credit (top): Brit + Co

Image credit (restaurants): Ohana Sushi, Momo Sushi, Rouleau Plus Rouleaux, Jones Cafe/Sata Sushi, Soba Sushi