Rating /

Occasionally, in order to seek out good food, you have to search in the most unlikely of places. Ki Sushi in New Westminster is right across the street from the Skytrain station — not where you’d expect to find a decent Sushi restaurant.

(Top to bottom: 1. The standard operating sushi apparatus. 2. An assortment of Nigiri Sushi: Tamago, Salmon and Toro.)

Ki Sushi appear to share the same parking lot, as well as the same owners as a Chinese Restaurant called Dragon Palace next door. Not the most promising sign. As we walked in, we were immediately greeted by a large indoor pond with a few lonely fish swimming about. The dining room was bustling with activity as servers scrambled to deliver dishes to tables and pack up takeout orders.

We were seated in a corner, in a semi-private booth with simulated Shoji screen doors. Inside the booth, the carpet covered banquettes were unvacuumed; paint was peeling on the walls. But clearly this was a local favourite as patrons chatted happily with servers as well as with other patrons.

Case and I decided to try out an assortment of Nigiri sushi: Tamago, Saba (Mackeral), Toro (Tuna Bellly), Salmon, Tobiko (Fish Roe), Uni (Sea Urchin) and a Spider (Soft Shell Crab) Roll.

Top to bottom: 1. Spider Roll aka Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab. 2. The best things come in pairs: Tobiko, Uni and Saba.)

The sushi was surprisingly fresh; it caught us off guard. The Tamago was soft and fluffy, the Saba (Mackeral) had a nice texture, and the Uni was noticeably fresh with a nutty finish. The Toro (Tuna Belly), was well prepared and buttery soft. Even the spider roll was nicely done: gently deep fried and appropriately seasoned.

The kicker is the price. Our meal was only $39 including taxes and tips. The Toro and Uni in particular were a fantastic value at $1.45 and $2.25 a piece respectively (they’re easily $1 more per piece anywhere else). Service was slow and spotty, and the ambience is pretty ghetto — so be prepared to slum it out a bit. But for taste and value, Ki Sushi was a pleasant surprise.

Perfect for: good sushi at a good price, if you happen to accidentally get off the New Westminster stop on the Skytrain.

The Details

31 8th Street, New Westminster
604.521.1833
kisushi.ca

Tags: 4 star, japanese, New Westminster, sushi