After having dinner at Ohuyuka which did not satisfy my sushi cravings, we had to make a trip to Kingsway Sushi on the following evening. Kingsway Sushi is a part of the Top Gun group and I try to avoid the restaurant if I can make it to Richmond Sushi. The reason I prefer Richmond Sushi more is because of their slightly larger menu and better tasting food.
As for the interior, Kingsway Sushi is a large restaurant. There are private rooms to accommodate large parties, spacious seating arrangements, and most tables are sectioned off with wooden divider walls. With regards to the food, Kingsway Sushi is an All You Can Eat Japanese restaurant. There are three different menus which include deluxe, regular and a late night. We always go for the deluxe because of the ability to order mirugai, hamachi and amaebi.
DELUXE $33.50 CHILDREN (5-9) $15.95 || ADULT $25.50 CHILDREN (5-9) $12.95
LATE NIGHT $14.95 CHILDREN (5-9) $9.95
EBI SUNOMONO AND MISO SOUP.
The ebi sunomono includes perfectly cooked noodles which are neither too soft nor hard. Moreover, there is a perfect level of tart and sweet. As for the miso soup, it includes nothing but miso and hot water. I was surprised because on previous visits here, there are usually pieces of tofu and green onion. But regardless, there is a mild miso flavour and the soup does not taste salty.
TUNA, HAMACHI, MIRUGAI, SABA, SALMON, HOKKIGAI AND AMAEBI SASHIMI.
Beginning with the tuna, the sashimi tastes fresh and the middle portion is served which provides a bit of flavour. Following, the hamachi is as fresh as the sashimi can get. The hamachi exhibits that nice dark burgundy color and the quality is better than many Japanese restaurants' I have been (including Japanese operated!). Continuing along, the mirugai has a snappy soft crunch and the inner portion is served. The inside is a bit gooey as well as cheaper, so we ended up poaching the mirugai to bring out the flavour LOL. I rather satay… but not like a had a choice because, despite considering to order a teriyaki and cooking the sashimi on hot plate.
Further on, the saba includes a touch of green onion which cuts the natural fishy and saltiness. I like how the saba is bite sized too and appreciate the addition of green onion because many Japanese restaurants forget or do not bother with it. As for the salmon, the sashimi tastes fresh and fatty. Moving on, the hokkigai has a light mild sweetness and a soft crunch. Last up, the large amaebi tastes fresh and slightly sweet.
EBI, SALMON, TUNA, TAMAGO, TAKO AND UNI NIGIRI.
The ebi and tamago are generic as always, so no complaints there. In addition, both the salmon along with the tuna tastes fresh. However, the tako tastes a bit dry and perhaps has been sitting around for too long. As for the unagi, it tastes chewy as well as rubbery. Some Japanese restaurants use "expensive" unagi which comes in single packages, but the ones here taste like they are from bulk. The unagi is a poor quality, tastes rubbery and chewy. But meh, why complain? It is an AYCE restaurant and the sashimi tastes fresh!
AVOCADO ROLL.
The slices of avocado taste fresh, ripe and not mushy one bit. I like ordering avocado instead of california rolls too because it is healthier.
PRAWN AND SALMON TEMPURA.
The prawn tempura exhibits a really thick batter and does not taste flaky like Richmond Sushi's. But despite the thick batter, the tempura is not over deep fried and the prawn has a nice snap. As for the salmon tempura, this is from our second order. The batter is flakier, tastier, and surprisingly the salmon does not taste dry. The salmon could have tasted more moist but hey, no complaints at an AYCE restaurant especially when other restaurants that serve a la carte have drier salmon tempura!
BEEF TATAKI AND BEEF SASHIMI.
The beef tataki tastes more tart because of the ponzu and the sashimi tastes more sweet. Both orders of beef taste fresh and the meat tastes tender. We prefer the beef sashimi over the tataki too.
BLACK COD AND HAMACHI CHEEK.
The black cod has a touch of sweetness, melts in the mouth, and has a light buttery barbecued flavour. As for the hamachi cheeks, the meat taste tender and naturally salty.
SMELT AND OYSTER MOTOYAKI.
The smelt lacks that nice crispy exterior and tastes naturally salty, but is served hot. Sometimes the smelt is perfect but other times it is only average. With regards to the oyster motoyaki, there is a light tartness and is not heavy on the mayonnaise. The restaurant also uses small canned oysters and the canned flavour is not overwhelming.GARLIC BUTTER MUSSELS AND BEEF UDON.
The mussels have a light butteriness and a rich garlicky flavour, while not tasting rubbery. As for the beef udon, there is a mild udon broth and two pieces of tender shredded beef.
BEEF SHORT RIBS AND NEW YORK STEAK ON SKEWER.
The LA short ribs taste tender and have a slightly sweet marinade. As for the New York Steak, the meat tastes dry and is what one would expect at an AYCE. We did not order these but meh.
BAKED TAPIOCA PEARL PUDDING.
The desserts at Kingsway Sushi are pretty good! The tapioca pudding tastes soft and there is a nice light mango flavour, along with black sesame at the bottom. Sometimes there are inconsistencies though, such as a dry tapioca or practically no black sesame.
MANGO PUDDING.
Ending dinner with the highlight, is the mango pudding! The mango pudding has a mild sweetness, a rich mango flavour, and includes chunks of mango jello. I actually like Top Gun's mango pudding a lot. Does anyone know if the restaurant uses real mango too? Sometimes I see tiny shreds of mango fibre and think it is a possibility, but I doubt it for an AYCE. I would not be surprised if they do though.
Overall, I come to Kingsway Sushi for the avocado rolls, fresh sashimi and mango pudding, not the cooked items. The restaurant may also only be desirable for those who like hamachi, mirugai and amaebi too. However, I still think Kingsway Sushi is better than Tomokazu and Kaneda on West Broadway.
- Fresh sashimi (3.5/5)
- Service is friendly
- PDA makes the food come out fast
- Unlimited hamachi, mirugai and amaebi for those who like them
NEGATIVES
- Deluxe menu may not be a bang for your buck
- Cooked items can be good, average or mediocre
- Service may not exist depending on who is working
- Pepsi always tastes like sweetened water, it is pretty bad
LITTLE THINGS
- Post on Richmond Sushi [here]
Food: 2.5/5
Service: 2.5/5
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