Where to Buy Sashimi Grade Fish in Hong Kong: Shops and Online Suppliers

Making sashimi at home starts with one decision: buying fish that is actually meant to be eaten raw. In Hong Kong you can get it from premium supermarkets, Japanese grocers and specialist online suppliers. What matters is not the label but how the fish has been handled.

What to know first. "Sashimi grade" is a sales term, not a legal standard. Buy fish sold for raw eating from a licensed seller. city'super is the easiest shop; specialist online suppliers offer frozen shellfish with free delivery from about HKD 500. Hong Kong bans seafood from ten Japanese prefectures, including Tokyo, so check origin.

What "sashimi grade" really means

No official grade defines "sashimi grade" or "sushi grade". What makes fish safe to eat raw is the supplier's handling: a good cold chain, known origin, health certificates on import, and, for many fish, freezing to kill parasites. The industry benchmark is freezing at -20°C for seven days, or -35°C until solid and then held. A supplier who can tell you the origin, how the fish was frozen and its use-by date is more trustworthy than one who simply prints the label.

Supermarkets

city'super, with branches including ifc mall, Times Square and Harbour City, stocks fish sold for raw eating. A 300g block of sashimi-grade salmon has been reported around HKD 180, and its sashimi assortments run from HKD 368 for five kinds. It is the easiest one-stop shop for a home sushi night.

Don Don Donki prepares sashimi in store, with three-kind platters from about HKD 90, and its store at 118 Nathan Road trades 24 hours. AEON has sashimi trays around HKD 80 to 120. Ready-sliced trays are a good shortcut if you do not want to cut fish yourself. See supermarket sushi compared.

Online suppliers

Specialist online suppliers sell frozen sashimi-grade seafood, often shellfish from Hokkaido and Aomori. Hokkaido 7S scallops, for example, have been listed around HKD 432 for 500g, with free delivery from about HKD 500 and a lead time of roughly three business days. Order ahead of a party rather than on the day.

Questions to ask any seller: Where is this fish from? Was it frozen, and how? When does it need to be eaten by? Is it sold for raw consumption? Can you show your permit? Clear answers are the best sign of a good supplier.

Buy only from licensed sellers

In Hong Kong, sushi and sashimi are restricted foods. Shops that sell them need a permit from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, and the same applies to online sellers of pre-packaged sushi and sashimi. Be wary of informal sellers on social media or messaging apps who cannot show a permit.

Check the origin

Since 24 August 2023, Hong Kong has banned the import and supply of seafood, sea salt and seaweed from Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, including products processed or packed there. Hokkaido and Aomori are not on the list. All other Japanese seafood is radiation-tested before sale; up to April 2026, none of 140,038 samples was above the safe limit. See Japanese seafood sourcing and food safety.

What to buy

For beginners, salmon is the most forgiving fish to slice; farmed salmon on formulated feed is generally treated as low-risk for parasites. Tuna is another good choice. Scallops are easy because they need little cutting. Avoid wild fish that has not been frozen by the supplier. See our sushi and sashimi fish guide, salmon versus salmon belly and hotate raw versus seared.

Getting it home and preparing it

Buy fish last, carry it in an insulated bag, and refrigerate at 0°C to 4°C within thirty minutes. Defrost frozen fish in the fridge, never on the counter. Use separate boards and knives for raw fish, and slice it just before serving. See how to slice sashimi at home, sushi tools and knives for beginners and how to store sushi and sashimi safely.

Do not rely on your home freezer. Most home freezers cannot hold the temperatures suppliers use to kill parasites. Buy fish already treated by the supplier. Pregnant women, young children, older adults and anyone immunocompromised should avoid raw fish altogether. See is it safe to eat raw fish.

Common questions

Where can I buy sashimi grade fish in Hong Kong?

city'super for shops, Don Don Donki and AEON for ready-sliced trays, and specialist online suppliers for frozen shellfish.

Can I eat supermarket salmon raw?

Only if it is sold for raw consumption. Fish sold for cooking may not have been handled to that standard.

Is Japanese fish in Hong Kong safe?

Fish from ten banned prefectures cannot be imported, and other Japanese seafood is radiation-tested before sale.

What else do I need?

Rice, nori and seasonings. See Japanese grocery shopping and the home sushi party plan.

Compiled by our editorial team from supermarket and supplier listings, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department licensing guidance, Centre for Food Safety information, a Legislative Council written reply dated 29 April 2026, and US FDA parasite-destruction requirements as published in regulatory summaries, retrieved September 2026. Prices and stock change often. We have no commercial relationship with any seller. General information only, not medical advice.