Ki Sushi Restaurant
45 8th Street
New Westminster, BC

Phone: (604) 521-1833
Hours: 11a.m.–9:30p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 11a.m.–10p.m.

Even when I’m in a different part of the Lower Mainland, I gravitate to my dietary staple, fish. If only I was in Japan, I’d find most of it bought from tsukiji market, or caught right from the river and cut up for consumption. If only that was the case out in New Westminster, since it’s by the Fraser River.

Ki Sushi is voted as the best sushi restaurant 14 years in a row by some reader’s choice awards. Of course, that means by mostly locals. After travelling far and wide, just where they rank in the bigger leaderboard is not all that high. Their tuna is mid to lower grade in taste; I could tell by the colour. My recall of what I tasted at Sushi Kashiba (Seattle’s very best) and Fūdo’s when compared to this place told me there’s a huge difference and you get what you pay for, especially when concerning tuna. The BC salmon was far better.

This operation shines with its designer rolls. I have not seen elsewhere in my culinary adventures a spicy oyster roll. The crispy tempura cooked oyster was moist. Add lettuce, slices of avocado and tobiko on top, and my tongue was caressing it all over. The smooth flavour of the fruit sells it!

If I had more time between exploring and hunting for Wild Arms collectables at the one-day Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo, I’d come back for more. Their dinner menu has more options I can take delight in. They have offerings which has the Chinese ethnic part of me wanting to do a Cock-A-Doodle-Doo. Chicken Gizzard and Knee are offered. Yes, you can call me cannibal, but alas, the stuck-up Rooster in me doesn’t care. They even have BBQ Cuttlefish (whole)!

The prices are more than fair depending on the type of fish ordered. Spending $60 or more here will give diners a smorgasbord of delights. Despite the hiccup in my visit, where I found the maki rolls inadequate with uneven slices and the quality tasting prepared for the fast food market than for Japanese emperors, maybe I was slighted. Who knows. I certainly need to revisit to taste the differences between choices of ingredients and preparation for lunch and dinner crowds.

Alas, to ensure I made the 9pm ferry, I had to start the commute back home sooner than later. It also included not managing to hit Krispy Kreme along the route and grabbing a fresh batch of doughnuts for another energy boost. New Westminster is a world all to itself and is worth exploring because of the history specific to this municipality. Three museums occupy the area and at least I know for next time, it’s easy to reach via Skytrain.

3½ Blokes out of 5