It's a tough time to be a sushi chef. Lunchtime trade is pumping with the return of office workers to the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs, but produce shortages and price hikes are making it harder than ever to turn a profit.

Sushi staples, such as fresh sashimi, are costing some Japanese restaurants more than double what they did last year. And that's when they can get their hands on them: supply shortages mean orders sometimes arrive with less than half of the fish that were ordered.

For some Japanese restaurants, this has meant passing on a price rise to consumers. A recent report by point-of-sale technology business Square shows the average price of sushi jumped 27 per cent over the past year, from an average of $11.40 to $14.55.

Rieko Sato, from Sydney Japanese restaurant Azuma, says co-owner and head chef Kimitaka Azuma tried to absorb the extra costs for as long as he could.

"The owners have been waiting patiently for prices to go down, and trying to absorb the costs, but by the end of March they hit a wall," Sato says. "They've been really struggling."

At Matsumoto, a small East Brunswick restaurant that specialises in sashimi, owner Alice Chan says she's had to fork out an additional $10 per kilogram of salmon and another $10 per 20 kilogram bag of rice over the last few months.

Global demand for salmon has increased rapidly since the start of the year, due to higher transportation costs and COVID-related labour shortages. Uncertainty drove overseas suppliers to source the fish from Tasmania, increasing export prices by 46 per cent.

Rice prices, on the other hand, are at their highest since May 2020. Experts say global demand for rice soared in response to the war in Ukraine, as traders bet on the starch becoming an alternative for the depleted supply of wheat.

"The prices rose all of a sudden. It was very quick, I'd never seen anything like it before," Chan says. "I thought I could absorb the price, but I just can't do it."

The price of Matsumoto's signature salmon california roll was bumped up from $12 to $14 for six pieces, and entrees came up 10 per cent.

Chan says she's far more worried about growing supply shortages, however.

"Salmon is normally really easy to get. We never really thought about it before," she says. "But now, sometimes we don't even get the stock. It's really hard when we order four salmon and only get half of the order."

Just one fish arrived from a recent 30-kilogram salmon order at Toko in Surry Hills, according to owner Matt Yazbek. He reported shortages and price increases across all Toko's produce, but record-high cattle prices hit the restaurant hardest.

Cattle prices have been rising steadily for more than six months, in part due to ongoing herd shortages that began in the 2019 drought.

Toko, which predominantly sources its meat from NSW cattle farms, also found it difficult to source wagyu beef after recent floods.

While Yazbek elected to raise the price of some menu items, more expensive choices have been dropped altogether. The choice saw a drop in spend per head, but Yazbek says that was preferable to making customers pay more for each item.

"We've been around for 21 years and this has been the biggest spike in prices we've ever seen, over such a short period. Things are completely different this time," Yazbek says. "It's not pretty to see inside of a restaurant right now. It was already difficult for us to make money but this is a whole new challenge. It's nerve-wracking."

RK Tamang, the owner and head chef at RK San at Surry Hills, is remaining optimistic. Rather than raise his prices, he is holding on, "hoping it will settle down".

"The price of every single thing in the restaurant has gone up, from the seafood, to the sparkling water," he says. "I'm working more than 100 hours a week and I'm losing money, but people won't be happy if I put up prices.

"It's very difficult for everyone right now, but honestly I feel lucky. I'm happy, I'm healthy, and I know we can get through this. Eventually everything will come good."

Sushi for every budget

The price of sushi may be on a roll, but there are still plenty of options for every budget.

SYDNEY

Sushi trains remain the most affordable choice for office workers in the CBD, though most have raised their prices by 20-30¢ per plate since the start of the year. One of the cheapest plates can be found at Makoto Sushi Bar (119 Liverpool Street, Sydney, 02 9283 6767, citymakoto.com.au) where they start from just $3.50.

For fresh salmon nigiri, Sushi Hotaru (500 George Street, Sydney, 02 9264 9917, kumiho.com.au) serves up the best value for money, with five pieces for $10.80. Sushi & Nori (201 Sussex Street, Sydney, sushiandnori.com.au) is similarly priced at $11.

On the other end of the spectrum, Gold Class Daruma (77 York Street, Sydney, 02 9262 1190, goldclassdaruma.com.au) has a lunch special for 10 pieces of salmon nigiri for $50. At Nobu (Crown Sydney, Level 2/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo, 02 8871 7171, crownsydney.com.au) a single piece of salmon nigiri will set you back $6.

A salmon and avocado roll is going for an average of $12.80 in the city. The most expensive option can be purchased for $28 at Merivale's Sushi E (252 George Street, Sydney, 2 9114 7314, merivale.com), which is served as an inside out roll, with raw salmon, kizami wasabi, mentaiko mayonnaise and tenkatsu, or fried tempura pieces.

For a more affordable option, you can check out Azuma's (2 Chifley Square, Sydney, 02 9222 9960, azuma.com.au) inside-out salmon and avocado roll for $16, or RK San's (462 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, 02 8960 3131, rksan.com.au) seared salmon roll with cucumber and creamy ponzu for $22.

MELBOURNE

The price of sushi may be on a roll, but there are still plenty of options for every budget.

Sushi trains remain the most affordable choice for office workers in the CBD, though most have raised their prices by 20-30¢ per plate since the start of the year. One of the cheapest plates can be found at Makoto Sushi Bar (211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, 03 9939 2268, citymakoto.com.au) where they start from just $3.50.

For fresh salmon nigiri, Moshi Moshi (79 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, 03 9646 7228, moshimoshi.net.au) serves one of the cheapest, at just $3.50, Sushi Jiro (Corner of Elizabeth and Latrobe Street, Melbourne, 03 9663 6889, sushijiro.com.au) is similarly priced at $3.90.

On the other end of the spectrum, a plate of assorted raw fish nigiri will set you back $70 at Komeyui (181 Ferrars St, South Melbourne, 03 9645 5420, komeyui.com.au). This menu item is served with either five, seven or nine pieces of nigiri, depending on the level of quality desired. At Nobu (Crown Sydney, Level 2/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo, 02 8871 7171, crownsydney.com.au) a single piece of salmon nigiri will set you back $6.

A salmon sushi roll is going for an average of $9.50 in the city. Tsuru (Shop 1/27 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 03 9080 7884, tsurumelbourne.com.au), offers one of the most expensive options, serving up four pieces of aburi, or lightly seared, salmon for $21.

For a more affordable option, you can check out Matsumoto's (48 Lygon st, Brunswick East, Victoria, 03 9380 9288, matsumoto.com.au) aburi salmon sushi for $15, or Kaneda's (Midcity Arcade, 6/200 Bourke St, Melbourne, 03 9193 2196) salmon and avocado roll for $13.50.