I must admit, even though I only live a few blocks away from Kilala Sushi Bar, I’ve only recently discovered this hidden gem.
This small hole-in-the-wall is run by a husband and wife team. The husband is the sushi chef and the wife serves the food.
Be prepared to wait for food as it’s just one chef, but the food is worth the wait. Everything is meticulously prepared and carefully presented.
Although the variety was limited in my opinion for an “assorted” platter, the pieces of sashimi were fresh, expertly cut and had a nice sheen to them. T had no complaints about the taste.
I know the star of this dish is the seafood (and it is fresh and delicious), but the sushi rice is what I want to highlight. The rice is slightly warm and cooked perfectly. It was absolutely one of the best versions of sushi rice I’ve had outside of Japan, and I can’t wait to try their other don offerings!
The sauce is not too spicy, and it doesn’t taste like the typical Korean-Japanese run restaurant spicy sauces which is heavy on the sesame oil and gochujang.
Futomaki is one of my favourite rolls, and my favourite place for them is at the now closed Satomi Sushi. Although the version here isn’t nearly as good, it’s pretty darn close!
The size of the futomaki here is enormous! I usually get a half portion because the full size is enough for dinner for me.
In full disclosure, I’m actually not a fan of unagi! But, this battera has convinced me that I’ve just been eating lesser unagi this whole time. The battera here is so delicious! The rice is packed just enough so it doesn’t fall apart, but is not too pressed so that it ends up being gummy. The unagi is perfectly torched and full of delicious caramelized flavour.
One of the items that Kilala is famous for is their ultra generous Uni Nigiri. T and I came here specifically for this and it did not disappoint. The Uni was fresh and positively piled on top. Look at how the end piece is about to fall over because it’s so top heavy!
Look at how generous the portion is! For the price and freshness it honestly can’t be beat. I think this is the best deal for uni (aside from buying a tray yourself!)
Kilala Sushi Bar is officially my new favourite Japanese restaurant. It’s a pity I haven’t been by sooner, but ever since I “discovered” this gem, I’ve been back multiple times – in fact T and I were already planning our next trip during dinner!
