kinkaku izakaya

waterloo has some hidden sushi places. i would rate kinkaku one of the top spots for sushi in waterloo.

make sure to get there early cause there is usually a wait time, but i lucked out with no wait time. it’s an ayce place but kinda expensive. it’s worth it though .

we got a variety like godzilla roll, ebimayo, cruch dragon roll, iazkaya roll etc.

everything was fresh. i loved the spanish style pan fried shrimp with the grilled onions. had a lot of flavour.

their service was fast and all the tables have a time limit of 90mins. one thing to keep in mind is you cannot waste food here or else they will remind you and charge you wastage fee.

overall great customer service, ambience and quality.

would definitely come back.

kinakaku izakaya opened its doors a month ago and we chanced upon it while driving through downtown kitchener . an izakaya is a type of japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. they are casual places for after-work drinking. “izakaya” entered the english language by 1987.it is a compound word consisting of “ i ” ( to stay ) and “ sakaya ” ( sake shop ), indicating that izakaya originated from sake shops that allowed customers to sit on the premises to drink. an izakaya is basically a tapas restaurant, mea

the food was good, as expected (with one exception). the service was also good. the handicapped washroom was well executed and the price was comparable to sushi places in toronto. we were here for ace lunch. unlike what you would expect the handrolls and nigiri were not overly loaded with rice. yes, the amount of fish per sushi was small but so was the ball of rice. all in all a decent lunch. here is where they fail miserably: california roll. we order this roll everywhere we go not only because we like it but because it is a good barometer of the skill of the chef. the sad part about this is that it was a skillfully executed roll. the layer of rice was very thin, there was ample crab and avocado but... the failure was the cucumber. instead of the usual crisp crunch of a cool cut of cucumber what i go was a tree like cluster of julienned cucumber skins. please refer to the picture. there was not a shred of cucumber meat anywhere to be found. the resulting sensation was not at all palatable. the skins completely ruined the texture profile of the dish and i could only think that they had some peels they wanted to get rid of so they unloaded them on us. i will go back there again if i am ever in kitchener but i will return any california roll that comes to me looking like this.

#fun

one of the better ‘all you can eat’ in the area. they serve different kinds of japanese foods and they’re all taste ok. their hand rolls and cheese dumpling are must orders.

ambience is perfect, food is very good, only downside is long wait time, overall fantastic restaurant. certainly if you have the time, try it out.

this is hands down the best sushi restaraunt i have been to, even beats places in toronto. first, dont let the price scare you. its about 4 to 5 dollars more per person than other choices in kw but more than worth it. the shashimi was very fresh, rolls well put together with great flavour combos, delicious desert options. the service was excellent, scott was our waitor and he did an amazing job.

for kw this is good ayce sushi. but we will not be returning it is not worth the wait or price or the ridiculous pricing requirements they have on kids! even on weeknights we have had to wait an average of 45mins to over an hour for a table. they do not take reservations for under 6 people. my ratings for this place used to be higher but with the transfer of ownership we have noticed a decline in the service and some other areas. we have noticed some menu changes after the ownership switched hands, for example there is one thing that really stood out- in terms of kids pricing, their requirements is for you to be under 12 years of age and have to be under the height of 42 inches. my sister is 11 and she is 59inches and she is considered to be on the shorter side in her class. so this height requirement seems to be a little unreasonable. when asked why there is a height requirement, the girl at the front desk told us rudely because the taller you are, the more you eat. this seems like a far stretch especially since my sister is only 80 pounds. i think it would make a little more sense to have it by weight requirement instead of height? (and yes they measure your height! ) kids pricing really should just be based on age in my opinion. it almost feels like we were being punished for having a taller sibling. and if you have a newborn, who is purely breastfed, according to their pricing you will be charged $4.99+tax for just bringing the baby to the restaurant!

i would rate this place lower if i could. the sushi is acceptable but not worth the wait or price. this place tops the list as having the the rudest service i have ever experienced. we will never be returning.

went there ytd at around 5:45 ?? and we had to wait 20 mins to get a table !! its crazy !! but the food is actually pretty good ~ i saw that they had a cheese strawberry roll ... at first i just order it for fun ... but its actually pretty good :) i love that they had butter corn and the fried...

best sushi in kw that i have had, quite expensive (but worth it) compared to other all you can eat and also extremely busy. carpaccio is excellent, fish quality is consistently better than other places and their sides are delicious (korean squid, mushrooms). overall very good

kinkaku izakaya was my first ever experience at an all you can eat sushi place. after a very long time i had an exceptional dining experience where quality of food and service were of great standards.
the wait staff were fun and hard working at the same time. we were a party of 5 and upon arrival we got a table which was a bit tight. so we asked for a booth, to which the server replied that the people already seated there may take another 20 mins. at that time we were so hungry that we decided to stick to our table.
our server was persistent and wouldn't give up till we were seated comfortably in the booth we'd asked for earlier.
rightly so after 20 mins we got the booth we wanted and realized it was well worth the wait to be seated comfortably rather than shrugging shoulders with one another.
the service was prompt and efficient from the time we placed the order.
i highly recommend:
1. salmon carpaccio
2. ebimayo(tiger shrimp)
3. short ribs
4. grilled pork cheek
5. spicy salmon roll

we were eating like crazy and by the end of it we ended our feast with green tea ice cream, creme brûlée and fried mars bars.

i urge every foodie with a japanese palate to please try them and you will be amazed on how awesome the food is at kinkaku izakaya.

great job team. i'll be back soon.

the wait for this place on a friday dinner time is long. expect to be waiting an hour at least or more, but the wait is worth it. once you're seared, food comes hastily and is well prepared. he staff are helpful and friendly. definitely would recommend this place, and its one of the better sushi place in town.

service: kind and helpful
atmosphere: busy and lively

food: fresh and delightful

would return? yes

was on the look out for a new sushi place outside of our usual place and was recommended this one by a friend. they said it was the best all you can eat sushi in the kitchener/waterloo and they were not wrong.

now there is a time limit on how long you have to eat; we had an hour and forty five minutes to eat. i have heard and read that this is one of the major issues people have with this place, but honestly who needs more than that to enjoy their dinner? if you are looking for a place to lounge then this isn't going to be your place anyway.

we were greeted by friendly staff and after a short wait were shown to a seat. the establishment was sparsely decorated, with soft lighting, which suited the place well. the tables are close together and you can hear most other tables, but that becomes dull background noise quickly. there is an open kitchen where you can see everything being made and the staff is buzzing from table to table, making sure everyone gets the most out of their time. 

if it was your first time at kinakaku izakaya or even your first time eating sushi the people there are very helpful. they inquired right away with what we are feeling like and provide some insight into the menu. they were also quick to point out some unique options on their menu. the karaage (fried chicken thighs) with it's spicy dipping sauce deserves special note, as they were tender and juicy. 

i would definitely recommend any of the signature rolls as they are like the standard rolls with just a little something extra. actually on the note of the rolls and sushi i have to say these were the best tasting i have ever had and while most places pack on the rice kinkaku uses it just as a serving device. oh and for dessert deep fried mars bar. they are so good. so good.

overall the meal was great but was a bit on the pricey side. best sushi? yes, but not that much better than most other places in the ktichener/waterloo. i would recommend everyone try it and hey if someone is visiting and is big into sushi then bring them here.

absolutely fantastic sushi restaurant. all the ingredients are fresh and the food tastes fantastic.

however beware the every rising price, it is highly outrageous and the overwhelmingly rude comments regarding tips are ever present.