Home cooking · Galleria Supermarket · Nov 3, 2026

My First Homemade Sashimi: A Korean-Japanese Dinner from Galleria for Under $50

Disclosure. I paid for everything myself, used a public store coupon, and this post isn't sponsored.

Part 1: Before

How it started

After the raw oysters and salmon sashimi at Nome last weekend, I couldn't stop thinking about it. So on Nov 3, when I stopped at Galleria Supermarket, the Korean grocery at 865 York Mills Rd in Toronto, and saw sushi- and sashimi-grade salmon on sale, I couldn't resist. I've never made sashimi before. This is my first time, and I'm excited.

The Galleria Supermarket storefront on York Mills Rd — Galleria Supermarket, 865 York Mills Rd.

The plan

A Korean-Japanese dinner at home: my own salmon sashimi, plus mandu (Korean dumplings, like gyoza), gimbap (Korean rolls, like maki) and japchae. Step one is sharpening my knife.

What I bought

Sushi and sashimi grade whole salmon fillet, 1.695 lb at $17.98/lb ($30.48)
Galleria gimbap ($5.99)
Galleria vegetable japchae, glass noodles with spinach, carrot, onion and peppers ($7.49)
Pyunghwa beef dumplings, 650 g ($7.98, $1.01 off)

After a $4 coupon, the total came to $47.94 for a full dinner, salmon included.

A tray of sushi and sashimi grade whole salmon fillet with a price label of $30.48 — The sushi and sashimi grade salmon fillet, 1.695 lb for $30.48.

A packaged Galleria gimbap roll priced at $5.99 — Galleria gimbap, $5.99.

A container of Galleria vegetable japchae priced at $7.49 — Vegetable japchae, $7.49.

A 650 g bag of Pyunghwa beef dumplings — Pyunghwa beef dumplings, 650 g.

How to get the salmon coupon

Galleria posted a $4-off coupon on its Instagram, @galleriasupermarket, for a pack of the sushi-grade whole salmon fillet. You have to be a Galleria member and follow them on Instagram, KakaoTalk or WeChat, and it's one coupon per member. I just showed my membership and the Instagram post at the till. It runs Oct 23 to Nov 5, 2026.

The in-store sign offering $4 off the sushi and sashimi grade whole salmon fillet, valid Oct 23 to Nov 5 — The sign at the fish counter.

Galleria's Instagram coupon for $4 off the whole salmon fillet, members only, one per member — The coupon on Galleria's Instagram.

Part 2: After

Making sashimi for the first time

First job: the knife. I took my chef's knife to the whetstone until it was ready for raw fish. Then I laid the whole salmon fillet out on the board, cut it into long blocks, and trimmed off the darker skin-side strip. From there I sliced the blocks into sashimi pieces and laid them out in two rows on a dark tray, with lemon wedges and a little pile of diced red onion.

A chef's knife held up next to a whetstone on the kitchen counter — Sharpening the knife first.

The whole salmon fillet laid out on a wooden cutting board — The whole fillet on the board.

The salmon cut into long pieces, with the darker skin-side strip in the middle — Cutting it up and trimming the darker strip.

Long salmon blocks on the board with a few sliced sashimi pieces beside them — Long blocks, ready to slice.

The sashimi turned out good, but there was just too much. I didn't realize how much a 1.7 lb fillet gives you. The leftovers won't go to waste, though: tomorrow they become a salmon ceviche.

Homemade salmon sashimi in two rows on a dark tray with lemon wedges and diced red onion — My first homemade sashimi.

Leftover bonus: salmon ceviche

I packed the leftover salmon into a mason jar with spiced vinegar, some frozen cooked shrimp, diced red onion, lemon slices and red chili, and it's going in the fridge for tomorrow.

A mason jar packed with salmon, diced red onion, lemon slices, shrimp and red chili — The ceviche jar, ready for the fridge.

The rest of the spread

The Pyunghwa beef mandu went into the pan until the bottoms were golden and crispy. The Galleria gimbap came sliced into thick rounds packed with crab stick, egg, pickled radish, carrot and cucumber. The vegetable japchae was a big plate of glass noodles with spinach, mushrooms, onion and a bit of red pepper.

Pan-fried beef mandu with golden crispy bottoms on a plate — Pan-fried mandu.

Thick rounds of gimbap on a white plate, filled with crab stick, egg, pickled radish, carrot and cucumber — The gimbap, sliced.

A plate of japchae glass noodles with spinach, mushrooms, onion and red pepper — The japchae.

The dumplings were light on flavour, more on the Korean side, but still fine.

The japchae was great as usual. Galleria makes great japchae, very authentic, which is what you'd hope for from a Korean supermarket. The gimbap was a little hard for my liking, since it's made ahead and pre-packaged, but it's great value at $5.99.

The home experience

A home experience has tremendous value. For under $50 we got a lot more food for the money, plus leftovers for tomorrow. The only catch: I have to do the dishes.

The health side

Raw salmon feels fresh and light, and since it isn't cooked, it keeps heat-sensitive nutrients like delicate vitamins and healthy fats intact. There is a catch. Raw fish can carry bacteria and other microorganisms, so there's always some risk. Buy fish sold as sushi or sashimi grade from a place you trust, keep it cold, and eat it the day you buy it. If you're pregnant, older or have a weakened immune system, think twice about raw fish.

This isn't medical advice, and we're not telling you to follow any diet or nutrition plan. We're just telling it like it is from our own meal.

Verdict

Worth it. My first homemade sashimi came out good, the japchae was the star of the sides, and the whole spread cost $47.94 with enough left over for tomorrow's salmon ceviche. The dumplings were a bit light and the gimbap a bit firm, but for the money and the fun of making it myself, it's a win.

Value: 4 out of 5