Here’s How I Host a Family - Friendly Sushi Dinner:

Written by Dietitian & Mom: Elis Halenko

If you know me, you know I’m all about making ordinary moments feel a little more magical and meaningful. A few weekends ago, we hosted a belated Mother’s Day celebration for myself and my lovely mother-in-law. She eats gluten free and I thought, what better way to celebrate than with a family-style sushi night?

Now, before you panic at the thought of raw fish and toddlers in the same sentence, don’t worry. We kept it fun, relaxed, and most importantly, kid-friendly. Ella’s been out for sushi before and I knew she’d love a california or veggie roll… might I add, she’s very fond of soy sauce, so we just monitor that she doesn’t drink the whole soy sauce dish!

The Decor: Coastal and Resourceful

Before my mother-in-law (or “MIL”) came over, I kicked off the day by shopping my house for appropriate decor for our sushi dinner. There was one rule for the dinner and that was I wanted to use what I already had at home… Social media and online ads may make you feel like you need to shop for a new table set everytime you host but I am a realistic and minimalist and that doesn’t work for me!

I leaned into a coastal theme with shells we collected from the beach, a few small vases with tea lights, a fish-shaped serving platter, and shell-shaped dipping dishes. Bamboo chopsticks added a casual, thoughtful touch. The table felt cohesive and inviting without any pressure to over-style it.

Maybe Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel will see this post and send me a box, because in this case, I could make some room…

Sourcing the Fish:

What “Sushi Grade” Really Means & How to Shop at a Fish Market

When in doubt, ask your friends/family for their preferred places to shop for the best ingredients.

I moved into a new neighborhood last May and haven’t had a chance to visit a fish market yet. It just so happens that one of my good friends, Jillian, who also happens to be a chef, lives in my neighbourhood so I asked her about any local fish market recommendations where I could score some good sushi grade fish.

One of the most important parts of making sushi at home is sourcing fresh, safe fish.If you’re new to this, “sushi grade” isn’t an official certification but rather a term used by trusted fishmongers to describe fish that’s been handled with extra care to ensure it’s safe to eat raw.

Sushi-grade fish is caught quickly, bled upon capture, gutted soon after, and iced thoroughly. Known parasitic fish, such as salmon, should be frozen at 0°F for 7 days or flash-frozen at -35°F for 15 hours.

Jillian had some great recommendations and it turned out, I actually had a fish market a 7 min walk away from our house! While this market supplies to restaurants they are also open to the public, and I was very excited to check them out.

Before visiting the market, I gave them a call a few days in advance to make sure they had what I needed. Fish doesn’t stay fresh forever and I also wasn’t sure how quickly their supply sold out so I wanted to make sure I reserved some fresh tuna and salmon for our dinner party (read: Type A). Turns out, this was a good idea because they were getting a fresh delivery of tuna the day I wanted to pick up the fish. I had no idea how much to get to serve 4 adults, so I let them guide me…

Costs:

If you never bought sushi grade fish before, tuna is about 3x more expensive than salmon. I paid about $40 CAD (in Toronto) for the tuna and only $15 CAD for the salmon.

The Day of The Party:

Check out this short reel I put together of our event!

I did some simple food prep before MIL came over. This included prepping and cooking all my veggies (asparagus and sweet potatoes), I also pre made the sushi rice and seasoned the crab and made the tempura batter.

When MIL came over, we started the day by making some homemade floral arrangements (not shown sorry!) although they were a beautiful assortment of thriving peonies and greenery and some other stuff that looked pretty but I have no idea what they were. This was a belated mothers day festivity afterall, so flowers seemed important… what gal doesn’t love flowers?

About 1 hour before our scheduled dinner, I started cutting the sushi grade fish and assembling the rolls. The finished rolls were left out at room temperature but the fish was always chilled before assembly (keeping things food safe).

The Family-Friendly Sushi Menu: Something for Everyone!

We kept the menu simple but exciting. I wanted the kids to feel included, so we made sure there were rolls with familiar textures and mild flavours. Here’s what we served:

The Perfect Sushi Rice (makes about 8-10 rolls):

2 cups, sushi rice

Sushi rice dressing:

1/3 cup of rice vinegar

3 Tbsp of white sugar

1 tsp of salt

Instructions:

Make sushi rice according to package instructions. Combine all sushi rice dressing ingredients together. After cooking, pour the sushi dressing ingredients on top of the cooked rice, scoop hot rice onto a baking sheet to quicken the cooling process, spreading the rice out evenly and letting it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before assembling sushi.

Kid-Friendly Rolls

• Yam, asparagus, tempura shrimp, and avocado

• Crab and mayo roll

• Classic cucumber and avocado

A Little more Adult Family Favourites

• Horseradish crab with avocado (made by mixing fresh minced horseradish root with mayo)

• Spicy salmon with avocado (a creamy blend of mayo and sriracha)

• Spicy tuna with avocado (same sauce as the salmon version, just as good)

We also made a refreshing mango salad with mango, avocado, cucumber, green onion, and cilantro. It was seasoned with a little maple syrup, flaky salt, and fresh lime juice. Light, sweet, a little tangy—it balanced the richness of the rolls perfectly.

Sushi night might sound complicated, but it’s completely doable with a bit of prep and a relaxed mindset. Plus, it’s such a fun way to bring everyone together. Whether you’re celebrating something special like Mother’s Day or just looking for a way to switch up your weeknight routine, I highly recommend trying it.

I have a feeling there’s another themed dinner night coming soon. Stay tuned!