If you're like me and you frequently drive down 124 Street you've probably noticed the signage for a new Japanese restaurant opening up on the corner of 124th & 107 Avenue. Japanese is one of my go-to cuisines when I'm dining out, so you bet I stopped by for lunch last week!

Washoku Bistro - 10702 124 Street - Edmonton AB

Walking into Washoku I didn't realize just how big of a space the restaurant occupied. Semi-private rooms line the side of the restaurant, there's a space for a larger group, and multiple smaller tables occupy the main seating area.

The lunch menu features a variety of bento boxes, maki, teriyaki, and Korean favourites like bulgogi and bibimbap. After placing our order, we each received a complimentary bowl of hot miso soup with tofu bits and wakame seaweed. While it isn't expected, I always appreciate when Japanese restaurants give you a hot bowl of soup to enjoy while waiting for the rest of your meal!

Green tea is a must for my boyfriend when we're out for Japanese. Restaurants typically bring a pot of green tea to the table, but we found it amusing when he was served a green tea bag in a dainty cup. It was the most peculiar thing and something we are always going to remember about Washoku.

Half of the lunch menu is dedicated to 7 different sushi rolls. The rolls themselves are priced between $10.90-$13.90, but if you add $3 you can upgrade to a Lunch Roll Combo, which gives you a side salad and lunch sized classic udon noodle soup to go with your maki. It's a pretty good deal if you ask me!

You would think that a 'lunch sized' udon noodle soup would be fairly a plain, small portion, but it's quite the contrary. The piping hot bowl of noodle soup is decently sized, and garnished with tamago (egg omelet), imitation crab, bean curd, green onion, and bits of tempura in the mix. The flavourful soup leaned on the slightly sweeter side, and the noodles had a perfect chewiness to them.

In each combo the roll is divided into 8 pieces, and I was honestly surprised to see how big the pieces were! You definitely get a great value out of the lunch roll combo. To go with my soup and salad, I chose the Crispy Crunch roll made with tempura shrimp, imitation crab meat, cucumber, avocado, spicy salmon, and tempura bits. The roll was presented on a mixture of nitsume (eel sauce) and sriracha mayo, giving the roll an extra punch of flavour. I enjoyed the extra spicy kick from the salmon and it paired well with the rest of the ingredients.

From the sushi bar my boyfriend ordered the Sashimi & Roll Bento ($15.90) which comes with the chef's choice of 7 pieces of sashimi, 4 pieces each of spicy salmon roll and california roll, 3 pieces of tempura, and a side salad. Just like the lunch roll combo it was a substantial portion of food for a great price. The sashimi in the bento was a mix of salmon, tuna, tilapia and surf clam, with each piece being thickly sliced. The salmon had a nice fatty texture, and all the sashimi was very fresh. The mixed salad and sushi rolls were fairly standard, with the spicy salmon being our favorite of the two rolls due it's kick of heat. The tempura batter was light, and each piece wasn't too oily - Gordon even decided it was the best tempura he's ever had.

There's only one other option for Japanese food along 124 Street, so Washoku Bistro is a welcome addition to this area of the city. The service was attentive and the food arrived quickly to our table, making Washoku a great option for a quick, filling lunch. Food quality was great, and as an added bonus you get good value out of your meal for the price. If you're looking for a new downtown lunch option, give Washoku a shot!

There’s a new player in the ramen game here in town. Anyone remember the time when there was no good ramen in Edmonton? It wasn’t too long ago…and now it feels like more restaurants are offering the bowls of hearty noodle soup on their menus.

Ninja Club – 10324 82 Avenue – Edmonton AB

Right in the heart of Old Strathcona is a small Japanese restaurant, opened three weeks ago, owned by a couple from Japan. After a tip off by Linda & Twyla, I knew I had to stop by and see what they had to offer! I was pretty excited upon hearing that bowls of ramen are available for just $10.


Pickled Egg
The restaurant has taken over the space previously occupied by Two Rooms Café, and I showed up with a healthy appetite for lunch this past Thursday. Ninja Club wasn’t very busy for lunch hour and one of the owners said it has been quite slow since opening. But shortly after we were seated a group of Japanese girls came in to eat and I felt like it was a sign of good things to come.

The first page of the menu focused on the different types of ramen available (shoyu, miso, kimuchi, tantan), so it seems like they are trying to market that as their specialty. On the ramen menu each bowl is comprised of the standard broth, noodles, some form of protein and bean sprouts. There are add-ons of a boiled egg, chicken, beef, pork, and corn available at a price of $1 each. My friend Diane and I each ordered our own bowls and wanted to try out their selection of sushi as well. After all, we were in it for the authentic Japanese meal experience!

Diane ordered the Shoyu Ramen ($10), which always features a soy sauce based broth. This bowl at Ninja Club comes garnished with char siu (BBQ pork belly), green onion, spinach, bean sprouts and two squares of roasted nori. The bowl came steaming hot to the table and looked pretty promising! The broth was clear and the flavour was satisfying, but it lacked depth. We were looking for the umami that we usually find in ramen broths, and unfortunately it wasn’t there. Don’t get me wrong, the soup was still great to accompany every bite in the bowl. The egg noodles were of the average thickness and had that elastic bite to them, keeping their texture throughout the entire bowl. Fairly satisfying for the $10 price tag.

I opted for the Kimuchi Ramen ($12 - how cute is their spelling?!) with a side of pickled boiled egg ($1.50, above). This bowl of ramen was served with some spicy ground pork, kimchi, char siu, Japanese chili oil and the typical green onion, bean sprouts, spinach and nori. The broth in this bowl is a miso soup and one sip revealed the complexity in flavour that was lacking in the shoyu bowl. The miso and spicy oil added depth and additional dimensions of flavour that I quite enjoyed, and like the first bowl, these noodles retained their elastic bite to the end of the bowl. Now about that egg - the pickled version of the boiled egg is not advertised on the menu, but is available if you know to ask for it! According to the owner the egg is marinated in a mix of Japanese spices, but I could mostly taste a savoury soy sauce with each bite. The yolk was a bit overcooked and not oozy the way I like it, but it was not overcooked to the point where the yolk was solid. Overall, it was a good bowl of ramen. My only big complaint for both bowls would be the char siu - it's very lean and lacking in flavour. The owners are working to improve it, as they were unsure of what Edmonton was ready for!

Of course we had to try out their sushi as well since they were advertising their 'ausentic' (so cute!) sushi made with fresh fish daily! We chose to go with the Marina Plate ($16) which features 8 pieces of nigiri chosen by the sushi chef. The nigiri were presented beautifully on a plate shaped like a fish, and they included an extra avocado nigiri for us on the house. The selection chosen for us was: salmon (2x), tuna, mackerel, squid, avocado, scallop, red snapper, and unagi (BBQ eel). The rice was well seasoned, soft and the perfect size to hold the large pieces of seafood. We found the tuna and mackerel to be quite fishy tasting, moreso than usual. Otherwise the other pieces were good, but nothing extraordinary. However, I will say that I typically am a huge fan of red snapper and leave eel alone, but I would take this unagi nigiri over the red snapper anyday. It was fantastic.

In conversation with one of the owners, the broth for the ramen is made in house, but the noodles are brought in from elsewhere. She did assure me that the noodles come in fresh and not dried, and they're quite pleased with the manufacturer that they are ordering from, and the ramen noodles that day made me pretty happy too. If you're in the mood for some ramen, definitely give them a try. It may take a bit longer to work out the kinks and improve the char siu, but you get a pretty solid bowl for $10-$12. As for the sushi it is pretty standard, but the prices are quite attractive. Rolls are priced in the range of $6.50-$16, nigiri combo plates range $12-$16, and bento boxes are $10. The menu is small, but it covers a wide enough range that there should be something for everyone. Give them a try and let me know what you think!


Edmonton is a cold, snowy city for the majority of the year. During the winter months I'm always looking for ways to warm up from the cold, and nothing is more comforting to me than a bowl of steaming noodle soup. I'm going to be highlighting some of my favourite noodle soups in the city, and I'd love for you to share yours with me so I can try them too. Follow along with #YEGNoodleSoups and let the fun begin!

As I have said in the past, it's really hard to find good sushi in this city. A while back my friends and I were downtown and craving sushi. Hoping to find a hidden gem, we checked out a little spot right off of Jasper Avenue.

I Love Sushi - 10106 105 Avenue - Edmonton AB

Kara-Age Tofu ($5.50)
There have been multiple times where I've driven down Jasper Avenue and spotted this little family-run restaurant. The sign is just too cute (for reference, the 'o' in love is a heart instead), and I've been told it's a go-to place for many people downtown given it's convenient location and affordability.

To start off any Japanese meal I usually go with Beef Tataki (small, $9.95) as an appetizer. The beef slices were sliced thinly and served with onions, seaweed and radish for garnish. Unfortunately the ponzu sauce was too sweet for my liking, and I felt that the tataki was pretty underwhelming, considering the price for the amount of food on the plate.

My boyfriend chose to try the Stir Fried Teriyaki Chicken with Vegetables ($12.75), one of their set dinner options. All of the set dinner dishes come with a serving of miso soup, house salad, and rice, so the whole meal is a pretty good deal. The chicken was well cooked and moist, and with all the components considered together, the portion was very filling.

I was in the mood for some warm soup that evening, and chose to try out the Tempura Udon ($9.25). The noodle soup came steaming to the table and the tempura was fried to a beautiful golden yellow. The tempura wasn't overly oily and the sauce was savoury and slightly sweet as expected. Unfortunately the udon was a different story. I found the broth to be quite bland and lacking in flavour, as it didn't have the umami I expect from a dashi stock. The udon noodles were also overcooked and much softer than desired.

Friends we dined with ordered some fresh fish options like the Chirashi Don ($14, above), in which the fish was fairly fresh and was a good price for the portion size. Although I Love Sushi has a great downtown location and very affordable prices for Japanese cuisine, it really isn't a restaurant that I would look forward to returning to. There were some hits and misses that evening, so this restaurant may be good if you're in the area and in need of a quick fix, but don't expect to have your minds blown by high quality fish.

Three weeks ago I was flipping through the Chinese newspaper and saw some pictures of sushi with "50% OFF" written right next to it. So naturally I had to figure out what was going on, 'cause I'm ok with half price sushi anytime, anywhere.

Kabuki Sushi & Grill - 5431 Gateway Boulevard - Edmonton AB

Kabuki first appeared in Edmonton as a restaurant on 109 Street in the university area. I was surprised to find out that Kabuki offers franchising opportunities, and I believe this led to the south location opening. Walking in to the restaurant, you'll find that the space is quite small. There's a handful of tables and a few tatami style rooms which can accommodate larger groups. The decor is simple and different specials are posted along the walls, while a decorative cherry blossom tree stands in the middle of the space.

In the Chinese newspaper Kabuki was advertising 50% off their Love Boat on Tuesday evenings. My sister and I went in for dinner at 6PM and were surprised to see that the restaurant was fairly empty, given the allure of the advertisement! The Love Boat on the menu is typically $39.99 and intended for 2 people, which was perfect for our situation. As described on the menu, the Love Boat comes with 6 nigiri (tuna, salmon, shrimp), a California Roll, the Edmonton Roll (prawn tempura, spicy tuna, crab), and assorted tempura.

After placing our order, we were each offered complimentary miso soup. The miso soup wasn't overly salty, and had a decent amount of tofu and seaweed. When the boat arrived at our table, we thought to ourselves that it didn't seem like a big portion and we would be needing to order more food afterwards. But let me tell you, the miso soup they give you really makes the rice expand in your stomach, so you're more than set with just the boat for your meal.

Overall, the sushi was good. The quality is there but it's not amazing. What I found interesting was the fake crab meat they were using. It was very finely shredded, almost perfectly mimicking the texture of real crab meat. Neat stuff. The tempura was golden and crisp, with the shrimp and vegetables cooked well. The Love Boat is great if you're just craving sushi and want a quick fix, as nothing is fancy about it. I surely would not pay the regular price for it as it wouldn't be worth it for what you get. But $20 for 2 people? Why not? Give them a visit on a Tuesday night and let me know what you think!

Sushi places are popping up all over the city! It's almost like the restaurant gods heard my complaints and sent an influx of them into the Edmonton food scene. One of the latest places to open is Sushi Sugoi, and rumour has it that it is owned by an ex-Mikado employee. Oooh. Ok, no gossip.

Sushi Sugoi - 2874 Calgary Trail - Edmonton AB

From the outside it is quite evident that this restaurant has taken over a previous Outback Steakhouse location, as evidenced by the white siding and green roofing. But when you step inside there are no traces of evidence that a steakhouse used to occupy the building. Extensive renovations have been made to give it a modern, upscale feel. A double-sided fireplace sits in the middle of the restaurant and a brightly lit commercial Urban Cultivator sits behind the sushi bar.

On a Wednesday night I found some time for a long-overdue dinner with friends. It didn't take much convincing to get them to agree to sushi dinner, but we found ourselves having a hard time deciding what to eat. The dinner menu at Sushi Sugoi is quite extensive, but I think that just means that there's something for everyone. We started off our dinner with the Beef Tataki ($10), which is always a must-have for me when I eat Japanese. The version here is garnished with green onion, seaweed, grated radish and red onions. The ponzu wasn't overly salty and gave the tender beef slices nice flavour. My only concern was with the small portion size, as there were 8 thin slices on the plate.

In an attempt to have some vegetables with dinner we ordered the Smoked Duck Salad ($10): smoked duck breast glazed with orange teriyaki dressing. A bed of iceberg lettuce set the base and was topped with arugula, onions, radish and alfalfa sprouts. A few thin slices (5) of duck breast made it into the dish alongside fresh orange wedges. While the duck breast had a nice smoky flavour, I was disappointed by the small amount and felt there should have been more since it was the selling point of the salad. The lettuce at the bottom also imparted a strange flavour to the dish, making it almost off-putting. On the upside? At least the orange slices were sweet.

We were all feeling sushi rolls that night and ordered a couple to try out. The Dynamite Roll ($13) is always a classic, and Sushi Sugoi's is a combination of shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, chop chop, tobiko, hot sauce, and spicy mayo. There typically isn't scallop in a dynamite roll, and I liked that it comprised a quarter of the ingredients rolled inside of the rice.

Next up was one of Sugoi's specialty rolls - the White Snow Mountain Roll ($15): lettuce, crab meat, avocado, crunch, chopped scallop, tobiko, cream cheese sauce. The plating for the roll was nice but I really wish they would have put it on a different coloured plate to make it pop! This roll for me was pretty disappointing. Based on the description I had anticipated for there to be crab, but it ended up being imitation crab meat! There was little sauce and only a tiny chunk of scallop atop the roll so it really lacked flavour, which is pretty unfortunate given that it's one of their special rolls.

Our last order was the Hardcore Roll ($16), aptly named given the presentation. Spicy tuna, spicy seasoned salmon, cucumber, tobiko, Thai chili, hot sauce, and sichimi were rolled with a soy bean wrapper. There was so much detail in the presentation, and this was my favourite dish of the night for both looks and taste. Each piece packed lots of heat (thanks to the Bird’s Eye Chili!), but I found that the cucumber helped to tone it down. The salmon was cooked while the tuna remained raw, and there were lots of different textures in the roll.

With another Japanese restaurant on the map for southern Edmonton, Sushi Sugoi is a nice addition. Most of the items on the menu are standard for Japanese restaurants so there isn't anything that stands out for me aside from some of their specialty fish and maki rolls. If anything, I would return to try out their Sugoi Ocean Platter, which looks beautiful, or the truffle infused sashimi, but the maki wasn't memorable for me. All the ingredients used are fresh and the prices are on par or a tad more expensive than other Japanese establishments around the city. It's nice to have another option for Japanese, but I still prefer some of the other restaurants here in Edmonton.

For about a week now I've had a crazy craving for sushi. But if you know Edmonton, good sushi can be hard to find. In the summer my boyfriend and I visited B-Bim-Baab and noticed that their lounge was being converted into something new. Our server informed us that the restaurant was planning to open up a Japanese restaurant in the space. So last Saturday I met with a friend to try out Kenko, the name of the space that opened up inside the lounge. Unfortunately, the restaurant wasn't open for lunch so I was not able to fulfill that craving.

Kenko Japanese Cuisine - 9543 42 Avenue - Edmonton AB

Fast forward about a week, and the craving became so bad that it was time to brave the cold temperatures and falling snow for some sushi. Kenko can be a little hard to find as they have no signage up outside of the building, but when you see B Bim Baab you'll know you're in the right place. A friend and I arrived at about 7:30 on a Friday night and the parking lot was full. Seemed like everyone else was craving sushi just like we were. When we stepped inside, the Korean side of the restaurant was practically empty while all the patrons seemed to be seated inside Kenko.

Browsing the menu was no easy task. It's a little overwhelming as there are lots of options. About half the menu is dedicated to maki (like Japonais Bistro), so that was what we decided to stick with when ordering. There are many interesting combinations, but many of the rolls have the same base ingredients: avocado, cucumber and imitation crab stick. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but those ingredients were prevalent enough for me to take notice.

To start off our meal we ordered the Beef Tataki ($15.95): seared beef, green onion & sliced onion served with goma shabu and ponzu sauce. When the plate arrived at the table I was shocked at how large of a portion we were given. The beef was sliced extremely thin, onions were topped with tobiko (my fave!) and the ponzu sauce was drizzled onto the dish tableside. The ponzu sauce was quite unique, in that it was sweet and tangy. The sweetness was unlike any ponzu sauce I've ever had in the past and I quite enjoyed it. The accompanying sesame sauce was also a nice touch, complementing the tender beef very well.

The first roll brought to the table was the Volcano Roll ($17.50, 8 pcs): avocado, tempura eel roll topped with chopped squid, tobiko spicy mayo sauce, special sauce and tempura crumbs. It sure looked like a volcano. This roll actually reminded me of the Love Crunch roll at Japonais Bistro due to the presence of panko. Each piece was a mix of sweet and spicy, and each bite had a certain creaminess to it. I loved the extra crunch from the crumbs and definitely recommend this one.

Next to our table was the Master Roll ($15.95, 8 pcs): chopped scallop, cucumber, mayo, tobiko roll, topped with baked spicy mayo scallop, masago, furikake and special sauce. Surprisingly, it was very similar in sweet and spicy flavour to the volcano roll, but the crunch was replaced with chewy bits of scallop on top of each piece. Each bite was creamy with crunchiness from the cucumber and delightful pops of tobiko.

Last up was the Kawasaki ($13.95, 5 pcs): grilled salmon skin, yamagobo, avocado, cucumber, green onion, bonito flakes, sesame seeds and special sauce, wrapped with pickled radish crepe. I was actually quite excited for this roll since it would be different with the radish wrapping all the ingredients together. Unfortunately there was a hint of burnt tasting fish skin and otherwise it was pretty bland. In retrospect I probably should have gone for the White House Roll, which has many different types of seafood wrapped in a radish crepe. Next time!

Overall, the meal at Kenko was wonderful. It was a busy night in the space, and despite having only two sushi chefs and one server the food was delicious and we didn't have to wait too long. Our server was very pleasant and efficient, allowing us to be in and out of the restaurant in under 1.5 hours. One thing I really enjoyed about the meal was the plating done with every dish. The chefs here put in a lot of effort, and it is clearly reflected in the food quality. Prices are on par or a little more expensive compared with most Japanese sushi restaurants in Edmonton, but I'm willing to pay the higher prices for better food. It's definitely a hidden gem on the south side of Edmonton - check them out if you're ever in the area!

All you can eat (AYCE) sushi that is good is so hard to find in this city. Actually scratch that, good sushi is hard to find in this city. Edmonton is surrounded by fields with no large bodies of water nearby so it's hard to get fresh fish. And if you get fresh fish, it's going to be expensive. So a while back when friends were telling me they went for all you can eat sushi in Edmonton, I had to try it out for myself.

Sushi Garden Japanese Restaurant - 10401 Mayfield Road - Edmonton AB

Located in the west end of Edmonton, Sushi Garden is a large restaurant kind of tucked away from the main road. My boyfriend and I decided to drop by for a quick lunch to see what their all you can eat menu was about.

We entered the restaurant on a Thursday around noon to find the place just about empty. A huge restaurant with tons of tables and only one had other patrons seated and ordering food! We ended up being seated close to the kitchen and were provided with an AYCE menu right as we sat down.


Salmon Pizza
AYCE at lunch runs from 11:00-3:00 pm, costing $15.99 per adult and $10.99 per child (aged 3-10) from Monday to Thursday. Weekends and holidays have a $2 surcharge added to the individualized price. For the dinner AYCE, adults cost $24.99 and children cost $16.99 with the same $2 charge on weekends as well.


Agadeshi Tofu
Looking through the menu it seemed like there were lots of choices available to order. Different sections on the menu indicated that they did have a wide variety of dishes available: Soup & Salad, Sushi Rolls, Sushi Pizza, Hand Rolls, Vegetarian Sushi, Nigiri, Tempura, Appetizers, Stir Fry, Teriyaki and Noodles in Soup. However, I felt that everything was very repetitive. The same combinations were available in rolls and hand cones (for example, California, spicy salmon, volcano, spicy tuna, etc.). The greatest variety available was in the selection of cooked foods - everything sounded great, but I don't go to AYCE sushi so that I can eat cooked food. And I think a majority of people would tend to agree.


Nigiri
For lunch AYCE, Sushi Garden does not offer any sashimi on the menu. None! I was surprised as other places will often offer it but limit the quantity that can be ordered at lunch. So we had no choice but to order nigiri for raw fish, but had to force ourselves to consume the rice that came with it. And as I mentioned, there wasn't much variety within the sushi section so we ended up ordering quite a few items off the cooked food menu.


Assorted Sushi
The food at Sushi Garden is alright, but if I'm going to have AYCE I expect to be able to eat the fish I want and not have to order a ton of cooked side dishes to fill the void in my stomach. The sushi available to order was very typical and boring, and I didn't even feel excited to order anything. By my standards, the AYCE menu is pretty poor and makes Edmonton's all you can eat options look pretty bad. The upside? The lunch menu is cheap if you're looking to fill up on a variety of cooked Japanese dishes. For me, I'm going to save my money and appetite for better AYCE options outside of the city - be it Sumo Sumo or out in Vancouver. Otherwise, I would much rather pay more money to sit down and have quality sushi a la carte at another Japanese Restaurant in Edmonton. The dinner AYCE may be a different experience, but I can't say the lunch menu exactly gave me a reason to check out the dinner menu.

Once upon a time, my friend Ray would always taunt me on Instagram with pictures of a Japanese style Bibim Bap. Thickly sliced sashimi atop of rice with gochujang paste - who could resist? When I found out it was available at a restaurant in the Ellerslie area of the city, I had to make a visit to check it out.

Kami - 2915 Ellwood Drive SW - Edmonton AB

Kami is tucked away in a new strip mall, hidden away behind other buildings so that it is hard to see from the road. The space is quite small, with seating available for about 8 people, so it's moreso meant to be a take-out sushi establishment.

On the particular day of my visit, my family decided to dine in since the place was empty. We were offered the choice to sit wherever we wanted, and promptly received tea, plates and utensils before we ordered. I learned that the man up at the counter and woman serving us were actually the owners of the restaurant, and they happened to be Korean. Sorry folks, not authentic Japanese sushi.

After ordering our food, we saw the owner working away rolling up maki and slicing fish for sashimi. Except we waited, and waited, and waited some more until our first order came to the table 40 minutes after we ordered. The wait was ridiculous. Although it appeared the restaurant was quiet and empty, they had a ton of phone in take out orders that they were rushing to complete before we even got our food. It was pretty misleading, and I really wished they would have told us something with regards to the wait time for our food.

Wait time aside, the first roll to come to our table was the Sea of Fire roll ($15.20), consisting of cucumber, lettuce, and salmon, wrapped in an inside out roll, and topped with a cooked fatty salmon and lightly scorched with a flame. The piece of salmon further topped with a squirt of Sriracha, and doused in wasabi mayo and a sprinkling of tobiko. Talk about complicated. But in all honesty, its so good! The spicy kick from the sauces is toned down by the neutral tastes in the roll, and you get a taste of the BBQ from the charred rice.

We ordered three additional rolls, which all came to the table in a platter: The Fantastic Roll ($11.50) - mayo, fresh salmon, fish roe, crab, cucumber, avocado, Dynamite Roll ($10.40) - mayo, shrimp, spicy scallop, fish roe, cucumber, avocado, and Red Kami Roll ($8.50) - fish roe, mayo, egg omelet, sweet pepper, cucumber, avocado, crab. Each roll was pretty typical, tasting they way they had been described, and unfortunately none of them really stood out to me. But the rice wasn't mushy, and the rolls held together really well. And of course I have to give Kami some points for presentation - look at how they plate everything!

Next to the table was the elusive dish that Ray always teased me with: the BiBimBap Special with Spicy Fresh Sashimi ($9.40). Basically, the dish consisted of a bed of rice, then a layer of thinly sliced red and green cabbage, and finally topped with cucumber, egg, tobiko, and chunks of raw tuna and salmon. Topped with some gochujang sauce and all mixed together, it was pretty good. I wish there was a bit more fish in there though, as the ratio of veggies & rice to fish was a bit overwhelming.

Last but not least, I had to order their Udon Soup Special ($9.40). The bowl of noodle soup came out piping hot, but was unfortunately underwhelming since the broth lacked any depth of flavour. The fish cake, egg, imitation crab and shrimp fell short and didn't add much to the dish, so I would stay away from this one!

If I were in the Ellerslie area and was craving sushi, I would return to Kami, since the sushi is fresh and you get what you pay for. Would I go out of my way just to have the sushi? Probably not. With long wait times dining in, I suggest calling ahead and making a take-out order if you're interested. They have a variety of rolls available and sometimes you just have a craving for raw ingredients stuffed inside a tube of rice. Well, at least I have those cravings from time to time. I do have to mention something that caught my eye though - they have a lunch combo advertised for just over $6. I may go back to check it out just to see how much value you get at lunch time!