Kinkaku Izakaya

After arriving at five o'clock, the five of us had to wait for 15 minutes even though there was an empty setup table outside. When we entered, we found that there was only one extra stool because it was very crowded. We asked to add a table, but the server said that they did not allow it in the store. I don’t know if it is a mandatory requirement in the store to add a table. Although the big table inside is for two people, five people squeezed into the small table. Before entering, the server mentioned whether there is a 12% or 15% service fee, but because I need to pay this Will there be no service if the money is gone? Less than an hour after eating, the staff told us that we were going to last call. Everyone was confused. The time was up before we even started? After they checked again and again, they told us that they had misjudged the table and the time. Don't you feel it? Isn't it outrageous that the last call was made just 40 minutes after the start? In the end, even if the time has not yet arrived, they repeatedly told us that we would be charged extra. Did we reach the time? I really don’t understand. There was a little girl at the front desk. I really felt that her attitude was very good when I walked in. I felt like I was really targeted by them.completely different from Jinzakaya service.

Lunch menu was good but still all-you-can-eat quality, a couple items were missed in our initial order. The soju options were great!

Food was good quality, the only thing is the variety of selections on the all you can eat menu is a bit lacking. I would likley pick some where else to go next time.

Service of mediocre food was fast, friendly and very obliging. Restaurant is insanely noisy and very hectic.

Really loved how the food turned out. They were quick to arrive and were absolutely delicious. The staff were also attentive, friendly, and accommodating. Would love to come back soon!

Service was not welcoming, there are many cameras that watch you eat as there is an extra charge for not finishing food. I was told off for putting a few bones into a tissue, when there was no actual food inside. They will be pushing you to leave on time and with 4 people there was a mandatory 15% tip, which came out to be quite the charge. Food was ok and there is currently loads of construction outside.

Not only is this one of our most favourite places to go, we had the pleasure of a recent interaction with the manager Jin.

We ordered Uber Eats, and for the first time in years of perfect service, we had out first issue!

I spoke with the manager and she was BEYOND respectful, apologetic, and even indicated where it went "wrong", taking ownership of the mistake. She then went above and beyond what most restaurants these days are even willing to think of going.

This interaction has insured our loyalty to this business for life

In a world where customer service is literally dying, kinkaku Izakaya knows exactly what to do. More restaurants need to take a page out of their book!

Really impressive sushi at this price point, plus all the salads, hot appetizers, and mains were great - will definitely be out go-to sushi spot in KW

Nice portions, good service. Liked the green dragon roll and the big hand roll.
A bit pricier than typical ayce sushi restaurants and more strict to 90 mins max at a store plus incorporate a 15% tip in your bill. Normally this will be a warning sign but the staff looked happy and helpful.

The place was so busy they gave us a limited seating for 1 hour which is alright as they are pretty quick to bring the orders.
Their Sushi is great esp.the mango one. I love shrimps but their shrimp is a bit disappointing.
Good luck finding a parking spot within 200 meters.

Definitely doesn't taste as good as it used to be, I just picked this up as take out and I'm pretty sad the flavor didn't deliver.

Writing this review as I have went here 3 times. The food is top quality and you won't be disappointed in that aspect. However, the service when they are busy is absolutely terrible. We order about 4 rounds in total and they forgot like 30% of each order. We weren't even full and they weren't giving the important (sashimi and sushi) dishes. After an hour they were asking us to do a last call when they barely gave food from the previous round. Their attitude was clear that they wanted us to leave asap to clear room. They forgot half our last order and we lest unsatisfied. Very disappointed

This restaurant used to be one of the best sushi places, but they don’t seem to care about their customers during the pandemic. With the rise in prices, automatic 15% tip, their service is terrific compare to the cost. They don’t allow reservation for group that are less than 4 people. Often time you will wait 30 minutes outside, just to find out there is another 45 minutes of wait time. They don’t care about the line order in front of their reception either, they only care about whoever talks to the reception first. If you don’t actively try to talk to the reception, you will never get seated. For me, someone who is more introverted, I only develop anxiety trying to find out who is waiting for a table, who is here for pickup, and who is waiting to talk to the reception. It is not uncommon here to arrive earlier but get seated later than someone else without a reservation.

Perhaps, it is due to being busy, but I think it is just a lack of care. I have been to many other places, which is much busier than Kinkaku but with a much more enjoyable experience. Reading the reviews, they even had 1 hour limited seating which is unheard of for a all-you-can-eat restaurant. I’d much rather take the drive to 168, for a slightly cheaper and much more enjoyable service.

Kinkaku is a remarkably great and consistent experience. Their sushi is top notch, but absolutely do not sleep on their kitchen items. If anything, they are the best part. Specifically, make sure you try their Korean squid, and anything with steak in it. Also, their desserts are absolutely incredible and are not to be missed. They are also amazingly fast, sometimes you get your orders within literally 2 minutes of placing them. Worth the price!

3yrs ago: Really great ayce spot! Fresh sashimi, had unique items in their menu.awesome service!

Recent edit to add: been back recently and although food was still delish, didnt get to enjoy it as much because they've been super strict on your time at the table - felt super rushed out. You're given 90mins but not our fault that they took us in late, YET still had to be out at the 90min mark from our reservation even though we had less time =$

I’ve gotten sushi here many times and noticed that progressively the quality got worse and worse. I ordered sushi rolls yesterday and felt the salmon rolls were gone bad and tasted old. I spit them out and the rest are in the container thrown out whole. All night till early morning my stomach hurt so bad that I couldn’t sleep. I was extremely gassy and had pain in my upper abdomen and was super nauseous.

The only reason I didn’t go to the hospital was because the wait times are insane. I called and talked to the employee about the situation and about the possible case of food poisoning. I was told to go to the hospital to get tests done to prove it was their sushi even though I didn’t eat anything else. It’s understandable that they need proof but that’s why customer reviews are a thing + again didn’t wanna spend all night at the hospital just to cry and come back home. Anyways, completely understand their situation but this was the last time I’ll ever get sushi from here.

Also, i super dislike how they add so much bits to the sushi rolls. Completely kills the vibes.

Upfront pricing and time. All precautions in place and followed. Wonderful menu with many options. Cooked and seasoned well. Service was prompt and kind. Free parking on street.

The best sushi experience I have ever had. All the food and sushi we ordered tasted amazing, great presentation. The service was also excellent, friendly server, very fast bringing us our food and clearing table, refilled water many times throughout meal, gave us extra napkins throughout meal. Will definitely be coming back to this restaurant!

Amazing food! The Sushi was so wonderful, fresh and tasty! A 5 stars for sure.will be back to this estate for sure.

Strange attitude from the staff, they want to force us to pay tip and its included already in the bill; so they way how they ask for the tip is really rude.

I didn't get pictures because I forgot my phone that day but it was delicious and well worth it. Service was also great!

Good quality but I am not fan of Kinkaku due to many reasons. They do not accept reservation which is totally not understandable. It's just wasting time. They don't have tablet ordering which I believe is a must for AYCE sushi since it allows you to estimate how much you want to order at real-time. Their price jacked up after the province enforced the capacity to be 10 ppl in the restaurant which was understandable. But after province relaxed this constraint, they continue to charge people the same inflated price on top of mandatory %15 tip. I prefer to tip based on the level of service I receive and not a fix amount. Anyway, I like the quality of sushi here but these factors make me to go to other places every week and avoid Kinkaku. Hope it helps.

Been coming here for several years. My top sushi place in KW. Strongly recommend their takeout special of 3 maki rolls of your choice plus soup and salad for only $15. If you can afford their AYCE, it is SO worth it.

Kinkaku Izakaya has been one of my favorite restaurants in Kitchener since it opened.service has always been amazing, along with the fact that the food is just spectacular. All the fish is amazingly fresh and delicious. If you want something other then fish they have plenty of delectable beef dishes too. 9.5 out of 10 easily.

This is a nice but small Japanese AYCE restaurant. Food quality is good and they have special dishes that other restaurants are not offering. Service is really good. The only down size was that they only allow 90 minutes dining and push alot for your final order and clearing table to make you go. With the price they are charging, I think they should allow at least another 15 minutes. My impression was good but was spoiled at the end of the dining. Besides, they built in tips onto your bill without getting your permission. Overall taking the consideration of food quality, I can only give them 4 stars.

Its one of the best places in KW. The sushi is great and the quality is top notch. However I wish they had any lactose free desert offering.

Had to leave a good review after seeing a ridiculous review where someone complained about the little amount of time to order and dine in? Seriously what are you doing going to the most busiest sushi place in KW and expecting 2 hours to waste time deciding what you want? People go here to have a quick sushi lunch or dinner and leave right away, THATS why its always lined up. Also dont be complaining about their dessert if you are going for lunch (most items are only available for dinner menu), who even has dessert for lunch? The sushi is very filling and their small desserts they provide after a dinner meal is sufficient enough, and sometimes im even too full to order it (but when i do the deep fried mars bar is amazing!). This is literally my favourite all you can eat sushi in KW and has been for years, i tried almost all of the others in the area and nothing tops the sushi quality.

The most amazing sushi restaurant we've ever been to. Yes, it is pricey but every single item we had was superior to any other place. Our waitress was super friendly and the service was speedy. Try it out when you have a special occasion and want to splurge.

Me and my wife went there this evening. I have nothing to say but one word "EXCELLENT". We had a good time and my wife really love it. We'll come back soon, for sure.

I had such an amazing day with my God parents anniversary. We came in at a group and our server named Thanh went beyond and above for us. She recommended which items are good. This is our second time we came here but this time, for some reasons, we feel so much more fun and enjoyable. The food is always amazing and the eggplant my favorite dish is the best among all sushi restaurant that I have been trying so far.

It's so yummy and the staff are wonderful. But the price is so expensive! I prefer to go to a different sushi place with a decent price.

They are the best ayce japanese sushi place and also the most expensive one. Trust me their sashimi is worth your money. They also have okonomiyaki for ayce!

Uber Eats takeout experience.

I've had better sushi at Ye's AYCE and also just grabbing pre-made sushi at Superstore. Which says something, given the reputation of this restaurant. I'm not sure if they just don't care about takeout orders, if this was an off night or what.

Waited about an hour to receive my order, was so disappointed when it arrived.

I ordered:
- Spicy Salmon Roll
- Spicy Crabmeat Roll
- Black Dragon Roll
- Takoyaki, Dumplings and Deep Fried Tofu **These items were good but not the reason I order from a highly rated sushi place.

This is the first sushi order I've ever received without ginger. Not sure why it was omitted, didn't ask for it to be left out.

It doesn't state anywhere that the rolls are "spicy crispy" rolls. I was expecting to receive spicy salmon and spicy crabmeat, not a roll filled 50% with tempura bits and a touch of spicy mayo. I was also surprised to see the crabmeat roll prepared like this. Every other place I've ordered from flakes the crab meat and mixes it with spicy mayo. Overall very disappointing and dry.

Black dragon roll was disappointing in size for $15.

Was originally going to order from Ken Sushi House and honestly, I should have. Hell, I could have ordered from Yo Sushi and been less disappointed. I regret placing this order and won't be ordering from Kinkaku again.

As always, absolutely stellar food, service, and ambiance. Great service (never had to wait to reorder another round) and the food is just SO good. For an all-you-can-eat place, the food has no business being this amazingly good. The beef teriyaki is actually a decent cut of steak, for cryin out loud! That's the best way I can describe it: it's all you can eat Japanese food but of the quality of a 4-star restaurant. Ebimayo and Korean squid squad in the house

We as a family and our friends love eating at Izakaya as it's a good place for AYCE sushi.
The two stars rating is for the frustration me, my wife and my son just had after calling them trying to make a reservation because it's my son's birthday. They turned me down because we are a family of three and they don't accept reservations for less than four. My son chose to celebrate his birthday at this place but no, unfortunately we cannot.
I called sushi stars and they accepted the reservation right away. Thanks Sushi stars for making my son's birthday the best.

I would have easily given this establishment a 5-star review as this is my friend's favorite sushi restaurant in the area. I was hard press to say no to "Kinkaku Izakaya" as my friend was really wanting to go to this restaurant to celebrate. Their prices are a bit steep at $39.99 per adult PLUS a mandatory gratuity of 15%. Their service was not the greatest. We kept hollering at the server to get our orders in especially since the seating limit is only 90 mins. What disappointed us the most was that they limited one 'melona bar' per customer and they didn't even have any to serve us. They offered us a discounted price if we paid cash: $1 off per customer. They're stealing from the government by pocketing sales and still charging taxes.

Salmon and Eel were both very good! But the service was pretty bad (frequently outright forgetting dishes) and the rest of the food was not great - low quality chicken, weirdly chunky teriyaki, crusty tempura, etc. Highly recommend the Salmon Carpaccio - can't go wrong with the Salmon here!

I'm not sure what happened, this used to be my favorite spoot for sushi in kitchener. But both last time I've ordered sushi has been reallllly bad. First of all the service over the phone is really bad. And the sushi is just not the same. I'm pretty sure I'll never order from here again.

Best sushi in the KW area! Can't wait to go back for another all you can eat experience. Plus they always accommodate gluten and dairy free requests.

Used to go here once a week for lunch or dinner. Used to be the best AYCE sushi place especially for apps, but tried it recently a few times and it had gone down a lot. The fish isnt as fresh and as well the apps.

Prices have gone up like crazy, to the point where it’s not justifiable.

Rather spend the same money at a quality sushi place like Ken’s. Spend $60 on the love boat which can feed 2 people to the point of feeling like you ate a buffet or 3 people if you wanna just be full.

Their menu is decent, but I've been to other sushi restaurants with a lot more choices. Their carpaccio was what took me over.it was soooooo delicious! Words cannot explain, the acidic sauce, thinly sliced sashimi and bits of deep fired garlic on top.it just melts in my mouth. I love it! Nothing to complain about the other items that I also ordered.

Great food, quick and friendly service! Yes, it is pricey but the quality is very high and worth it. It is a very busy place so you will have to arrive early to get a table. It is a small place so be prepared to feel a little bit cramped but it's nothing that good food and good atmosphere can't fix!

Always really good service and the food is amazing. Felt safe dining there when they opened in the brief period between province-wide lockdowns - tables are spaced apart and there a plastic barrier in between all tables as well. All staff wear masks and keep their distance as much as possible.

This is by far the best sushi I have had in my entire life. Better than ye's, sushi stars, 168 sushi. You name it. They beat it! The owners daughter, young Asian girl is always extremely friendly and nice with us and they have always made us feel welcome.

Even now in March 2021 after reopening for done in, limit of 10 ppl in, they always treat you like kings and we love the quality. We were getting huge trays of takeout which is now cheaper than to dine in, $49 per person for dine in dinner (temporary price) but there is nothing like the experience of being in the restaurant. I do miss the intense noise when it was super packed and the Asian anime style music.

Plates always quickly taken once empty, glass always refilled, server comes around very often asking if everything is good and if you'd like something else.

The sushi portions are very tasty and nicely decorated. We tried a variety of different things but we mainly love sushi and sashimi so we go nuts with salmon. This place holds a special place in mine and my wife's heart, we wish this business booming success and many many years of profitable and happy sushi making. Please never forget your roots and how customers love your amazing customer service!

If it's 1 thing I would PLEASE Ask. Please replace the phone put front for orders and reservations. It is painfully hard to hear the person on the line. Super quiet and distant.

The food was very good. Excellent selection. I'm here for the food so I'll give them high marks for that. The food quality is far higher than any other AYCE sushi and the price is about the same. For example, the nigiri at other restaurants comes with a lot of rice and a tiny slice of fish however, at kinkaku it's the opposite.

Amazing sushi, tapas and service. Love coming here for a great date night and love the takeout available. Best sushi in KW!

Instagram ID: anjav3

Food/Drinks:
- Desserts to try are Deep Fried Mars Bars (for chocolate loves) as well as their Coconut ice cream which isn’t always available but it’s so delicious!
- For appetizers you can’t go wrong with Shrimp tempura. It’s always served piping hot and fresh
- Izakaya roll is the best roll they have on their menu, it definitely it a must try! We order that every single time. Even though it has eel and tuna in it, it doesn’t taste or smell fishy at all. It’s packed with so many flavors and the tempura shrimp adds the perfect amount of crunchy-ness
- The Deep fried scallops are done perfectly. Never under or over cooked, always a pleasure to start the meal with
- Beef teriyaki as you can see in the video is always served hot and fresh. The teriyaki flavor is the perfect consistency so it sticks to the meat and isn’t runny

Other Comments:
- The ambiance of the restaurant suits the food that is being served as well at the culture that the food derives from
- Seating is a bit cramped but despite that I still find it intimate enough when eating with your partner or friend
- The restaurant is always clean and the service is always friendly
- I love the personal touch of being greeted when we are being shown to our table, it makes us feel welcomed
- Overall our favourite local sushi restaurant. The best quality of food in all of Kitchener-Waterloo

Instagram ID: anjav3

150$ order, asking for 8 chopsticks and 8 ginger for a big family. Getting 1 ginger and 6 chopsticks and few missing sets of rolls.

Tina you are amazing.
I placed an order and realized there is a dietary restriction.
I called and Tina was very helpful, very caring and genuine. Changed out a roll and provided gluten free soy sauce. Thank you!

Came here on a Thursday afternoon and ordered takeout. We ordered the Gold Bento Box, Green Dragon Roll, and the Maki Set (18 rolls of spicy salmon).
Bento- steak teriyaki was soft and full of flavour, tempura was light and crispy, dumplings were good but not a highlight, the maki (California rolls) good as well but not a highlight.
Green Dragon- not my go-to roll but it's my girlfriend's favourite. It was tasty with the shrimp tempura being properly fried.
Spicy Salmon- properly balanced and not overpowered with spicy sauce. The salmon chunks were larger than most places and the crispy tempura was used a texture garnish as opposed to a filler.

I will definitely return for AYCE when lockdowns are lifted. I normally stick to a la carte sushi places but I think this place has potential to outshine most AYCE places I've been to.

Best Sushi place in town. I still drive all the way from Oakville to eat at this place regularly. Amazing experience every single time.

The food here is awesome! I used to go here with my brother and never had an issue. The service is friendly and the food is pretty quick.
Only issue is the line and that you most likely gotta wait, if you wanna book a table I believe you have to have a group of 6+, which is tough because I don’t most of the time. Usually go with one or two people.
Other than that, I’d say check it out!

One of the best Sushi restaurants in Ontario! Whether it be sashimi or maki rolls everything is made to perfection. The service is excellent. A guaranteed repeat

This isn't your typical asain all-you-can eat. The ingredients and portions speak of high-end izakayas, the likes of which I've hitherto only found in Montréal.

The selection is amazing, and there's no limit on how many times you can order the more expensive dishes.

You do pay for it - our dinner came out to be $40 a plate after tax and tip, but we left stuffed and satisfied with everything we ate.

Excellent food, and good service. Definitely good for a nice night out. Do try the Karaage.

Overall great experience. The wait time wasn't bad, the service was quick and professional. Food was great, but the sizes were very inconsistent lol. Some dishes were tiny, and others (deep fried chicken) were large and chunky. Sound level was ok. All you can eat was good, especially since the menu selection was pretty big. I'd recommend it, especially for you sashimi lovers out there!

Best AYCE sushi in KW. The beef teriyaki is also amazing, good quality and so tender—not chewy and tough like most places. Servers are very kind and attentive and always ask if you want to order more.

Pleasing atmosphere, delicious food. Not an extensive menu but good quality. Only downside is that you're not able to make reservations unless you have at least 6 people.

Easily the best AYCE sushi place in KW, with lots of good cooked options as well. Do not expect a typical Izakaya format though. The owners originally intended it to be an Izakaya but later shifted to an AYCE sushi model due to underperformance. This was unfortunate in my view, since the quality of their food was excellent, but KW just doesn't seem to have sufficient demand to suppport non-sushi Japanese restaurants other than ramen yet. Definetely worth a visit, though the wait can be long, especially on weekends.

This is probably the best ayce sushi restaurant in KW. Food is fresh and great quality. Decent selection with a nice atmosphere. Make a reservation if you can, this place gets busy and stays busy.

Having eaten at many other all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants in KW, I expected the focus to be on quantity not quality but Kinkaku Izayaka provided both. Definitely our new favourite sushi spot! We waited about 40 minutes before being seated at 7 pm on a Friday night. Our server was friendly and very helpful, making recommendations that were spot on. The crab and cheese wontons were cooked to perfection. The sushi consisted of well selected fish with good colour and good flavour. I find the caliber of avocado to be something that can make or break a sushi restaurant experience and the avocado used at Kinkaku Izayaka was ripe and delicious. The restaurant was a bit loud and the waiting area is awkward but overall it was a great experience. We finished the meal off with a wonderful deep fried Mars bar:)

I've personally love sushi rolls and this place is the Best Sushi place I've every tried. Besides their rolls EVERYTHING is amazing. You can reserve a table if you have 8+ but other then that it's a pretty quickly moving wait line. They'll take pictures of your group if you ask. The experience is amazing. A must try.

In terms of Japanese AYCE, Kinkaku consistently delivers above average quality dishes, at breakneck speeds even during peak times.which is all the time. Expect to wait at line no matter what time of day you arrive. Reservations are only made for large groups (5/6+), and there is usually a time limit for your stay regardless.

The lunch menu does not include sashimi, and a few choice entrees, but otherwise are fairly similar, for a lower price. Dinner menu has everything that the lunch menu has, and more.

The space inside is a little crowded, but warm and lively, as you'd expect from an Izakaya style restaurant. Alcohol is served here, including sake, yuzu cocktails, and import beers.

Ultimately, Kinkaku is usually the favourite Japanese AYCE location for Waterloo/Kitchener, and for fair reason. The lines can be daunting, but once you're in, you can expect to happily eat your fill.

Excellent food, excellent service. Yes it gets busy and yes there are waits - that comes with the fact that the food is excellent and they've kept quantity and quality in check by not overscaling. If you want no lineups and fast food type wait times then there are plenty of mediocre AYCE places for that, but this place is worth the wait:)

This place is a really great ayce. Food is prepared very quickly. Everything tastes fresh. If you want to go for lunch, make sure to be there by 11: 45 am at the latest otherwise you'll be in line.

The food is fresh and prepared well, but the store is too small and noisy. There is always line, need to wait at least 30 mins. The prices are expensive even though it is crowded.

While some may dock the restaurant stars for the line, I don't feel it's fair to fault Kinkaku Izakaya for being popular. The staff are always polite, the food is delicious, and the variety leaves little to be desired. With that said, it's no wonder this is widely considered one of the best sushi places in the region!

For first-timers, it's best to keep AYCE etiquette in mind: Don't over-order or you may face a reasonable fee for wasted food. The servers are attentive, so don't be afraid to order smaller portions more frequently.

Best place in Kitchener/Waterloo for all you can eat sushi. They have options that you don’t usually find at AYCE places, such as takoyaki and karaagi. Sashimi and sushi is also super fresh and delicious.

Food is always amazing and service is always fast. I'd recommend always trying to get a reservation before going (you need a minimum of 6 people for reservation) or the wait time is too long.