A Modern Guide to the Timeless Types of Sushi
What Counts as Sushi? Rice First, Then Style
Sushi begins with rice. Not just any rice, but warm grains seasoned with vinegar, sugar, and salt. The balance of these three ingredients creates the quiet heartbeat of every piece. At RYU, this rice is treated with the same respect as fish. It’s pressed with intention. Served at body temperature. Never rushed.
When you lift a piece of nigiri, you taste a moment of precision. The rice holds just long enough to meet your chopsticks. The fish folds against it like silk on skin. That harmony is sushi in its purest form.
Sushi, at its core, is about balance. Between texture and temperature. Between the hands that shape it and the sea that gave it life. Once you learn to recognize that beat, you start to see the different types of sushi not as separate dishes but as variations of one idea; simplicity elevated.
When you’re ready to taste that beat, start with nigiri. Let the meal evolve like a slow conversation.
Classic Styles at a Glance
The world of sushi is shaped by texture, structure, and touch. Each style carries a story, starting from street-side Tokyo counters to omakase bars like RYU. Here’s a look at the popular types of sushi and how they move across the plate.
Nigiri: Hand-pressed rice topped with fish, often brushed with soy or a whisper of citrus. At RYU, the nigiri flight is a quiet exhibition of craftsmanship, from Ora King salmon to Bluefin toro.
Maki: Rolled sushi wrapped in nori. Inside, rice cradles fish, vegetables, or both. Classic maki, like salmon or cucumber, keeps the focus on the purity of taste.
Uramaki: A Western adaptation where the rice sits outside the nori. The Rainbow or Dragon rolls on RYU’s menu are artful examples, layered with avocado, torched albacore, and basil mayo.
Temaki: A cone-shaped handroll wrapped in crisp nori. Each one feels personal, folded, and eaten by hand.
Gunkan: Known as “battleship sushi.” A small oval of rice wrapped in seaweed and filled with ingredients that need structure, like uni or ikura.
Chirashi: A bowl of seasoned rice topped with sashimi, vegetables, or roe. Loose, generous, and often eaten with a spoon.
Inari: Sweet tofu pockets filled with sushi rice. A gentle contrast to raw fish dishes.
Oshizushi: Pressed sushi from Osaka. Layers of rice and fish shaped in a wooden mold. Precise and beautiful.
Each style invites a different way of eating. A different rhythm. A different pause.
Nigiri: Fish Over Hand-Pressed Rice
Nigiri sits at the center of RYU’s craft. It’s where tradition meets instinct. No sauces layered to hide imperfections. No heavy garnishes. Just clean cuts of fish over carefully formed rice.
Each piece tells its own story:
Ebi Nigiri: Sweet shrimp served with a delicate glaze. The body holds firm, the tail softens on the tongue.
Ora King Salmon Nigiri: Torched to a light char, finished with miso sabayon and jalapeño. The heat wakes the oils, turning each bite into a slow bloom of smoke and citrus.
Chutoro Nigiri: Medium-fatty tuna, marbled like velvet. Often paired with fresh wasabi or a brush of soy. It melts before you notice it’s gone.
Uni Gunkan Nigiri: Sea urchin held in a nori cradle. Creamy, saline, and bright. Like tasting the edge of the ocean at dusk.
Toro Experience: A sequence of Akami, Chutoro, and Otoro. Three textures of Bluefin tuna. One clean progression of depth and richness.
Nigiri is where RYU’s chefs work quietly, hands steady, movements unspoken. Each placement of fish, each brush of nikiri sauce, carries intention.
Rolls Explained
Rolls are where tradition meets play. They’re the most recognizable of all types of sushi rolls. Cylinders of rice, seaweed, and fillings that can range from minimal to extravagant.
Hosomaki
Slim rolls with a single filling. Cucumber, salmon, or tuna. Simple, balanced, and light. RYU’s salmon maki is a soft entry point: cold fish, warm rice, crisp nori.
Futomaki
Thick rolls that hold several fillings at once. Vegetables, egg, fish. They offer contrast with every bite.
Uramaki
Rice on the outside, designed to appeal to the Western palate. RYU’s Maki Arc-En-Ciel (Rainbow) layers tuna, salmon, cucumber, and tempura under soy and rice paper. Basil mayo gives a subtle warmth.
Temaki
Handrolls shaped like cones. At RYU, the Salmon Taco Handroll brings avocado, micro coriander, and jalapeño into one edible sculpture. The crisp seaweed crackles before the rice softens against it.
Western Classics: California, Spicy Tuna, Rainbow, Dragon
Modern sushi culture owes much to the West’s fascination with fusion. The popular types of sushi rolls found in Montréal mirror this global influence.
California Roll: Crab, avocado, and cucumber. Mild, creamy, and nostalgic.
Spicy Tuna Roll: Raw tuna mixed with chili and mayo. The heat lingers, balanced by cold rice.
Rainbow Roll: Layers of fresh fish over a California base. At RYU, it’s reimagined with tuna, salmon, and soy paper for an airy finish.
Dragon Roll: Shrimp tempura, avocado, and unagi sauce. The name reflects the curve of the roll when plated.
These classics are refined rather than reinvented at RYU. Familiar, but dressed in precision.
Bowls and Pressed Styles
Not every type of sushi needs to be rolled. Some are layered, others scattered, and some pressed into quiet perfection.
Chirashi: Sushi rice topped with slices of sashimi, seasonal vegetables, and roe. At RYU, the Toyosu selection turns Chirashi into an art form. Fish flown from Japan, each piece draped over seasoned rice that still holds warmth.
Oshizushi: Pressed sushi built in layers. Imagine rice and fish set in a mold, compacted, then sliced into clean rectangles. Every bite feels architectural, like the structure of flavor itself.
Both styles show a more relaxed side of sushi. Less ceremony, more flow.
Popular Fish for Sushi
The types of sushi fish define the entire experience. Each carries a different texture, fat level, and flavor tone.
Tuna (Maguro): Deep red and clean. Akami for lean, Chutoro for marbled, Otoro for rich and buttery. The Toro Experience at RYU captures this full range in one elegant flight.
Salmon (Sake): Smooth and sweet with subtle oils. Ora King salmon offers the highest quality. Its light char and yuzu miso bring depth.
Yellowtail (Hamachi): Firm and mild with a whisper of citrus. Best served raw in thin cuts. The Hamachi Jalapeño sashimi at RYU pairs it with ponzu for brightness.
Shrimp (Ebi): Cooked, sweet, slightly crisp. A gentle counterpoint to the raw menu.
Freshwater Eel (Unagi): Glazed, smoky, served warm. Though not always present at RYU, it remains a beloved comfort in Japanese cuisine.
Sea Urchin (Uni): Creamy and briny. Served as Gunkan or atop rice. It’s the sea, distilled.
Scallop (Hotate): Silky, tender, almost translucent. A whisper of sweetness that lingers.
Each fish changes with temperature, cut, and care.
Sushi vs Sashimi
Sashimi is often mistaken for sushi. It’s not.
Sashimi is simply sliced fish. No rice. No vinegar. No shaping.
Sushi, by definition, must include vinegared rice. That’s the foundation.
Sashimi has its own stage with RYU. Plates of Ora King salmon or Hamachi arrive arranged like water flowing across ceramic. No sauces hide their color. Only the quiet balance of texture and temperature.
Sashimi celebrates the ingredient. Sushi celebrates the harmony between rice and sea.
How to Order Like a Pro
Sushi isn’t a race. It’s a sequence. The order you eat in matters.
Start light.
Move toward rich.
End clean.
Begin with white fish or shellfish, like Hamachi or scallop.
Move to tuna and salmon for body and fat.
Finish with uni or caviar for depth.
Avoid drowning pieces in soy. The chef seasons each piece for balance. A small dip, fish side down, is enough.
Between bites, sip sake or sparkling water to reset your palate.
If you sit at the counter, let the chef guide you. Omakase means “I leave it up to you.”
What to Try at RYU
The menu at RYU reads like a gallery. Each plate a study in light, shadow, and flavor.
Nigiri Flight: Choose six, twelve, or eighteen pieces. Each one shows a different rhythm between rice and fish. The Toyosu selection brings rare catches flown directly from Japan.
Hosomaki: Clean and minimal. Salmon, cucumber, or shiitake wrapped tightly in nori. Each roll is cut with precision so the rice stays intact.
Temaki Handrolls: Try the Spicy Tuna + Tempura Crab Handroll. Crunch meets heat. Or the Baked Crab Handroll with a warm, creamy center.
Chirashi Bowl: A curated selection of sashimi over seasoned rice. The flavor deepens as the rice cools, turning every bite into a small meditation.
Pair your meal with sake or wine from RYU’s carefully composed list. Each pour is chosen to complement the natural sweetness of fish.
Every dish is designed to slow you down. To bring your focus back to the small, perfect act of eating.
FAQs
Is all sushi raw?
No. Some sushi, like ebi or unagi, is cooked. Others are seared or torched for depth.
Does RYU have vegetarian options?
Yes. The Kale Slaw, Umi No Salad, and avocado or shiitake maki are vegetarian.
Is sushi safe to eat raw?
At RYU, fish is sourced with strict standards and handled under controlled conditions. Freshness and safety are part of the ritual.
Any gluten-aware options?
RYU uses soy and sauces containing wheat, but requests can be made for adjustments where possible.
The Quiet Between Chopsticks
The last piece rests where your fingers meet the grain of wood.
Soy cools on porcelain. Someone laughs from across the counter, low and brief, like a spark before the hush. Outside, Peel Street or Griffintown doesn’t slow for anyone.
Inside, you do.
The world keeps rushing, but your pulse forgets to follow.
RYU | Peel & Griffintown
Sushi. Sake. Stillness.
ryusushi.ca