Sushi MAHANA Rings in 2024 with Traditional Ōmisoka and Oshogatsu Feasts
Enjoy elegant Omakase dinners featuring distinctive dishes and rituals to welcome the new year
In Japanese culture, marking the arrival of the new year with special foods and rituals is an important way to set the stage for growth and prosperity. North Vancouver’s acclaimed Sushi MAHANA will honour those traditions with two special dinner offerings as January begins: a New Year’s Eve Ōmisoka Dinner (December 31, 2023) and Oshogatsu New Year Feasts (January 3 to 6, 2024).
The Ōmisoka and Oshogatsu menus created by Head Chef Hiroshi Hoshiko and Sous Chefs Rika “Ghinn” Ginnaga and Bryce Morris will build on Sushi MAHANA’s renowned omakase dinner experience featuring Kyushu-style sushi — artfully using a variety of components to enhance the flavours in the fish — with distinctive components traditional to Japanese New Year’s celebrations that reflect the culinary excellence, symbolic meaning, and spirit of togetherness of the treasured meals.
Ōmisoka Dinner
Taking place over two seatings on Sunday, December 31, Sushi MAHANA’s New Year’s Eve Ōmisoka Dinner will honour the Japanese custom of marking the last day of the year with a special meal and the century-long tradition of slurping a bowl of noodles. The toshikoshi (year-end) soba noodles, traditionally eaten as the temple bells ring at midnight, will be served at the end of the Ōmisoka dinner’s omakase sushi courses instead of the usual miso soup.
Additionally, the Ōmisoka dinner will include a course of awabi (abalone), which is often eaten on special occasions, served with a snowy sauce made from snow crab and egg white. Guests will also enjoy traditional O-toso, a sake that has been specially prepared by steeping a mixture of herbs in it for several hours and served in lacquered sake cups. The Japanese kanji characters for “toso” means “to slaughter the evil spirits”. By drinking O-toso, one can fend off illness and invite good health.
Oshogatsu Feast
As 2024 kicks off, Sushi MAHANA will introduce its New Year Oshogatsu Feasts. Offered from Wednesday, January 3, to Saturday, January 6, 2024, Oshogatsu translates to ”the first three days of the new year” and is considered Japan’s most important holiday.
Setting the tone for the joyous evenings, the Oshogatsu dinners will follow tradition by starting with a welcome O-toso sake drink, making a symbolic toast of gratitude for the past year and the shared hope for the one about to unfold. The Oshogatsu menu includes items like kazunoko (herring roe), representing blessings with the promise of new beginnings and the joy of children, kuromame (black soybeans) signifying good health and energy, and ko-haku namasu (pickled daikon and carrot), root vegetables that mean “to put down roots.”
“We have had such a tremendous first year bringing our unique and modern omakase experience to North Vancouver. It will be our honour to mark the end of 2023 and the start of 2024 with our cherished guests and share in our Japanese New Year’s traditions,” said Sushi MAHANA Owner Yuki Aida. “These feasts will be a delight for the senses and a beautiful way to welcome the new year in the spirit of good fortune, health, and togetherness.”
RESERVATIONS
Sushi MAHANA’s Ōmisoka Dinner, offered December 31, 2023, and Oshogatsu New Year Feasts, offered January 3 to 6, 2024, at the restaurant’s regular 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. dining hours, are both priced at $250 per person, plus tax and gratuity. To secure your seat at one or both of these special celebratory dinner events, book through the restaurant’s website at sushimahana.com.
For the latest news and event info from Sushi MAHANA, follow @sushimahana on Instagram, or /SushiMahana on Facebook.
ABOUT SUSHI MAHANA | Located blocks from the waterfront in North Vancouver’s Lower Lonsdale, Sushi MAHANA is an unparalleled fine-dining restaurant opened in January 2023 by owner Yuki Aida. With a commitment to the true essence of Japanese Sushi culture, Sushi MAHANA offers unique Kyushu-style sushi using premium Japanese seafood, fishes from the Salish Sea and local ingredients to emphasize the harmony of flavour in every dish. Head Chef Hiroshi Hoshiko, along with Sous Chefs Rika “Ghinn” Ginnaga and Bryce Morris, leads the omakase service, meticulously crafting each course in front of guests as part of a personalized and immersive experience, presented in a serene and elegant modern dining space and paired with a rich off-menu selection of sake. Sustainability takes centre stage at Sushi MAHANA, where diligently sourced local and imported ingredients are expertly showcased via a menu that evolves with the seasons, making every meal a singular and unforgettable experience. | sushimahana.com | Instagram: @sushimahana | Facebook: /SushiMAHANA
HOURS: Wednesday – Sunday, seatings for omakase dinner at 5:30 and 8:00 p.m.
LOCATION: 175 3rd Street W, North Vancouver, B.C., V7M 0G5 | 604-227-5270
