Sushi, Anyone?

by: Mike Salvatore

I eat out a lot. Sometimes restaurants are the only place my fiancée and I can go to escape the busy residence/apartment atmospheres.

I would like to share some of the things I’ve tasted around KW with the EBC community. Let’s face it: There’s more out there than Twice the Deal, Chopsticks, Wimpy’s and Crabby Joe’s.
Another thing to face: Restaurant reviews one at a time are boring.

Today we’re going to talk about sushi.

I’ve eaten at six sushi restaurants in Kitchener/Waterloo, and three of them are worth visiting.

Your contenders:
Niko Niko Roll & Sushi – 20 King E, Kitchener, ON
Ye’s Sushi – 103 King Street West, Kitchener, ON
Taka Japanese Restaurant – 270 Bleams Road, Kitchener, ON
Sakura Island – 255 King Street North, Waterloo, ON
Sora Japanese Restaurant – 1500 Weber Street East, Kitchener, ON
Seoul Soul – 20-170 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON

If you’re going out for sushi in KW you should expect to pay around $10 for a lunch special or $15 for a dinner, with the exception of Ye’s which is $13 (lunch) and $20 (dinner).

Niko Niko Roll & Sushi: best maki
I wrote about Niko Niko for the Voice last semester, and it’s still worth your time. Their rolls (maki) are the best I’ve had, and the chef does his best to make the food look as aesthetically pleasing as possible. The dragon roll looks like a dragon! If you like maki, go to Niko Niko.

Ye’s Sushi: the “all-rounder”
Ye’s (pronounced “yep’s”) opened last June and I was there on opening day with my fiancée, Jeremiah Nahwegabow and PJ Wong. If you want to try a lot of different things, go to Ye’s. It’s all you can eat, and your food is made to order. Each item you get isn’t as high quality as other sushi restaurants, but if diversity is what you crave, this is your place. You can even bring non-sushi lovers along with you (strange ones, these) to enjoy several of their chicken, beef and vegetable alternatives. If you’re new to sushi, go to Ye’s and try lots of things.

Sakura Island: nice decorations
Expect to pay lots
Sakura Island was highly recommended to me by a friend. I went only once (I confess), and I didn’t find it to be that spectacular. The restaurant is decorated beautifully, but I found the portions to be sub-par (we had to go out for dinner after eating at Sakura Island) and the price to be not-so-representative of what we received. Don’t bother going.

Taka Japanese Restaurant: best sushi
I found Taka through the “Treasures” coupon book that EBC is selling. When I went the chef and waitresses were incredibly nice and personable. Mary and I got to sit in a nicely decorated booth with a curtain. These things meant nothing compared to the incredible sushi that we were served. By sushi, I mean a little ball of rice with a slab of fish on top. I could take up my word limit describing how good this food was, but really you should go for yourself to see.

Sora Japanese Restaurant: the angry Japanese lady
I keep giving Sora chances because it’s so close to the school. The sushi is decent and you get a fair amount for what you pay for, but when you go you have to deal with angry Japanese lady, and that’s not fun at all. I don’t know why she doesn’t like me or anyone I go with, but she’s pretty rude every time I go. One time a friend of mine forgot her wallet there. It wasn’t a good thing at all. Don’t bother going.

Seoul Soul: blends in with the rest
There isn’t anything bad about Seoul Soul, but there isn’t anything spectacular about it either. If you’re in the neighborhood and you have a sushi craving, by all means go and enjoy yourself, but don’t go out of your way to get there.