Location: 103 King St West, Kitchener, Ontario
Website: n/a
Specialty: all you can eat "sushi"
Service: craptacular
Food: would you like some rice with that mayonnaise?
Thumbs up?: NOOO.
The location we visited was right in sketchy downtown Kitchener, however there another location near Conestoga Mall in Waterloo. Upon entering the restaurant, it was apparent that we probably weren't going to be getting authentic Japanese cuisine, as all the staff were Chinese and Vietnamese. Given the demographics of the staff, we'll leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions about the service. Despite all of this, we were starving, so we decided to give it a try.
The dinner buffet was about $20.00 per person, and the time limit for eating there was 2 hours. Any leftover pieces of sushi incurs an additional $1.00 charge per piece. We ordered a variety of specialty rolls (which were all just some variation of the typical California roll), as well as some hand rolls. We couldn't tell which rolls were which when they arrived... primarily because all of them were mostly rice and mayonnaise. They were also crammed onto one plate which made handling the sushi a bit difficult.
For the most part the sushi was sub-par. The nori was stuffed with a high percentage of rice, which makes you wonder how much your $20 is being spent on fish. The nori was also tough and chewy which suggests it hadn't been made to order. There isn't much to add regarding the food, just don't expect much in terms of seafood when you order your sushi.
Seating was a bit uncomfortable as with most asian restaurants. The focus of cramming as many people in for maximum profit out weighed offering a relaxing atmostphere/experience.
2 comments:
Don't base your judgements on this chain from just the one place.
Everyone knows not to go to the Conestoga one, the Kitchener location is smaller, meaning faster service and better food. They had just renovated last time we went, plenty of space and lighting.
Ignoring the differences between locations, they offer a good meal for a decent price. Lunch is a very affordable $15, still all-you-can-eat with most of the menu available. There's really no reason to go for dinner if you're not getting mostly sashimi. That's why it costs more, because you have the option to avoid the heavy rice dishes (like the hand rolls) and get the most seafood for your money.
I don't see what the servers being chinese have to do with anything but the chefs do a fine job. And as for having one big plate, it's to avoid having a million little dishes on the table. If you can't handle it, ask for a fork.
Stuff I'd recommend:
- All their sashimi is usually good
- Spicy crispy salmon or tuna roll
- Spicy salmon sushi
- BBQ eel sushi
- Flying fish roe and crab roll
- Tempura shrimp roll
- Tempura tofu
- Chicken skewer
- Salmon teriyaki
Don't get the "pizzas" (they're these odd baked rice cakes with tons of mayo and a bit of fish on top). And the "specialty" rolls tend to be huge and uninteresting. Stick to the standard menu.
This place is a favorite for most of my friends. Top on our list for sure.
I disagree. If you're on a university/college budget fill yourself, but if you prefer quality don't go.
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