Love this place! Located a bit further from the universities but if it were closer, I'd definitely…read morego a lot more often. Healthy alternatives for students during exam season, when most end up eating out meal after meal. Poké here is both relatively healthy and delicious. Fresh ingredients and not too much grease/salt-- a comfortably filling, yet light meal that won't give you food coma :3 Would recommend, especially for students ~

Came here for their buy one get one free grand opening special with a few of my friends and we were…read morepleasantly surprised by the great quality of food offered here. Environment: The restaurant is located at the King/University plaza, where there are ample of parking space and really convenient for those taking the bus as well. The restaurant itself is clean, well lit, and has a few seats. It's best to come in a group of 4 of fewer if you plan on dining here. The decor seems to be going for a "bathroom chic" as described by my friend -- "4 stars - delicious food, feels like I'm in a bathroom"! Lol. It's mainly because of the tiles on the wall and the uncomfortable seats. Food: The BOGO special only allowed us to order from their special bowls so we tried the Big Umami (salmon + tuna) and the one with the Duck. Quantity wise the bowl seems to be good value given that it normally costs $15 per bowl. They put a generous amount of toppings on top of the rice and the flavour was good and the fish sashimi was quite fresh. Definitely no watery/soggy texture! The food also looks damn good with lots of colours, which not only is super appetizing but also so Insta worthy!! Service: Basically fast food McDonald like ordering, no table service. When we were lining up they got someone to hand us the big cardboard menu and explained to us how the ordering works. However...they somehow managed to messed up the order. I got the Big Umami with rice and only one of them had rice while the other one was mixed greens :( definitely a little too healthy for me.....

Just created my own bowl, it was the best poke bowl I've had since being in Hawaii! Mahalo!read more

From the owner: Now Open! Build your own signature Poké bowl. read more

We ordered takeout from the Hungry Ninja. The online order system instructs you to send a text…read moremessage with particular ordering instructions, which is fine for me as I have worked in food service before, but I can imagine that people unaccustomed to working in the food service industry could find this challenging. I received a confirmation text, and when I arrived the food was ready - earlier than scheduled even which is a bonus. We had intended to use downtown Guelph gift vouchers we recently received as a gift. As a business listed under the Downtown Guelph Business Association directory, they should be willing and able to accept them as they are valid as cash or cheques. They get deposited the same as a cheque into their bank, as it says on both the voucher AND the Downtown Guelph Business Association website. We arrived to pick up our order and were told that the owner does not want to accept these vouchers. The cashier had been told before that they are not willing to accept then. We insisted that they should take them as they are valid as cash or cheque at any downtown business, but apparently the owner does not want to deal with the hassle. The cashier phoned the owner who immediately told them "no, we won't take them" and hung up. We then offered to pay by credit card with Apple Pay since we had not brought our wallets. We were told it was an additional $2, and they don't have tap. We ended up leaving with nothing, and the food went to waste. It is hugely disappointing as someone who tries to support local businesses to be turned away because they don't want to deal with vouchers from their own local business association. It is a service offered by the community to ensure the economic stability of the downtown core, and to see it discarded by a local business is very disheartening. It is also disappointing that they would rather see food go to waste than accept a voucher. Very dissatisfied with the lack of commitment to the community and complete lack of customer service on the part of the owner.

So poke bowls are one of my favourite things to eat, and this place definitely didn't disappoint…read more It was delicious. But not only that, the service was super friendly and the decor was cute. I went around 3pm in a Friday and it was absolutely dead. But that definitely had nothing to do with it being bad food. I appreciated all of the many fish options for the bowls and all the great topping options! I will definitely go back for more poke and to try a sushi burrito! I went back a second time to try their rolls (aka sushi burritos). I tried the ninja bomb roll with ninja sauce and it was very good. They also have decent miso soup! Still have yet to disappoint

Jinzakaya and Kinka Izakaya are Waterloo staples - 5 years ago, I savoured every chance I got to…read moreeat at these restaurants! Still amazing AYCE spots, but I'm probably just not built to take full advantage of the massive menu here. We came around lunch time and ordered the dinner menu, since there are a couple cannot-be-missed dishes that aren't on the lunch menu. Their strength compared to other AYCE restaurants is definitely their non-sushi options - the carpaccio, skewers, grilled shrimp, steamed egg, and beef roll with enoki mushroom are some of my favourites. I think the only thing that gives me pause is the price tag - $40.99 is a lot, especially for a student. You would have to really stuff yourself to make that value worth it. I do wish they had a couple of the chef favourites on the lunch menu so that people trying to have a cheaper meal could also try those items. Overall, it's probably still the best AYCE sushi in Waterloo. The quality is great and the dishes are tasty. Service was also pretty good, they have you write your order on a paper. I think one or two items were missed but we had no issue with following up on them.

Jinzakaya has loads of options to choose from on their all you can eat menu. There's a large…read morevariety of sushi and sashimi and their fish tastes fresh. They also provide pretty thick slices of fish. The service was amazing we had a very nice waitress who was nice and really attentive. The interior of the restaurant is decorated very well. Overall this a very good spot for sushi.

I absolutely love this spot...it's my go-to when I'm craving a solid sushi bowl. I usually skip the…read moreburrito and stick with the bowl because, honestly, you get way more bang for your buck. I always build my own bowl, and the beef portion? Always on point. Tender, well-seasoned, and they never hold back. I really like that they let you go half-and-half on the base...rice, soba noodles, greens, however you want to mix it. The sauces are legit too...flavourful, not overpowering, and they pull the whole bowl together. And let me tell you, the portion size is wild. I almost always end up splitting it into two meals. If you're hungry and want real flavour and value, this is the spot. Rating: 5 out of 5

This is our fave poke spot in the city! Everything always tastes great and the portion is super…read moregenerous. There's a decent amount of the salmon and all the ingredients go so well with each other! Staff is so welcoming and food is served quick too!

Parking - street parking Service - great…read more How to order - counter service This is such a cute little cafe that has a lot of local souvenirs for purchase and a small breakfast / lunch menu. This is a seat yourself cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered a half ham sandwich (it is actually a half of a sandwich) and a blueberry scone. The sandwich was nicely toasted. The scone was a good size and very very moist. I would come back again for their scones! Their chai latte is a mild chai - not too strong on the spices which makes it so yum!

This is such a cute little hidden gem outside of Waterloo. We spontaneously decided to stop by for…read morea weekend cafe brunch. We shared "The Egger" and a croissant and each got a warm drink. The sandwich was so good, and I typically avoid eggs! The scone was huge and they brought it out warm. It was a little too sweet and cakey for my taste though. The cafe drinks were just okay. I love that you can play little card games while you wait for your food. It's also fun to peruse the board games/gift shop.

love this place ! the sushi roll was incredible. the torched salmon was so good, the crabmeat…read morewasn't too creamy, the wasabi was good, I just wish they had pickled ginger instead of the normal kind. staff was super friendly and kind and sweet. I wish they had more space to be dine-in as being take out only is a bit of pain but alas the sushi is good so I can't complain. I had a pre-made roll so the salmon wasnt like super freshly torched but it still tasted really good.

What was life pre-COVID 19? Do I even remember what eating at a restaurant was like? Does it…read morematter? Nope. Did I just find a brand new favourite sushi place? YEP! My partner and I decided to celebrate the end of our quarantine period by ordering some take-out from Roll Roll. The call was quick and easy and pick up was extremely sanitary. I waited outside for the patrons before me to complete their order, and the hostess took time to sanitize everything before I entered. I didn't need to touch anything besides the platter, and the sanitized debit machine. Now...the sushi...my goodness!! We ordered the small combo platter. While a bit more expensive than other places, I absolutely LOVE their spin on sushi. I believe they included: -The Bruce Roll which was crab meat,cucumber inside torched salmon & jalapeno on top (Super tasty!) -Roll Roll Roll - Shrimp Tempura, cucumber, avocado inside, spicy crabmeat on top (This was my favourite!) -California roll and some salmon sushi and a few bites of sashimi Overall, the platter was presented beautifully with some cute accents of dried fruit and greens and it was filling for the 2 of us. If you are looking for a great local spot for some take-out during your social isolation, roll on into ROLL ROLL!

Always a tasty choice, with lots of variety. Quick counter service with a small dining room…read more Punches above its weight for value for money.

Wish the James location didn't close but all of the food in good. Poke is customizable which is…read morenice and amount of toppings very generous

I want to start off by saying I'm rooting for the Odd Duck, which recently was recognized by the…read moreMichelin guide (and well deserved)! My four star rating is just that I think they're really good, but they could be great. The staff is wonderful, both personable and knowledgable about the menu and ready to ask questions if they don't know the answers. The restaurant itself is charming too - you have a small store at the front and then pass by an open kitchen before being seated in a comfortable dining area. I was with a group of 4: my husband, and then another couple he's friends with that I was meeting for the first time. We were told that we should consider 2 dishes per person, and 6-8 for a group like ours with the intention of sharing. I love the chance to get to try many different things, so sharing seemed like the way to go. With that said, some of these dishes were much more challenging to share than others. We got the fried oyster mushrooms (easy to share), eggplant (easy), leek (difficult), roots (medium), duck (medium), crab & shrimp (hard), and mushroom main (easy). To this point, I would suggest going as a couple or with a friend you're quite comfortable with as the dishes feel easiest shared between 2 and not as large of a group. Minor, I know, but still worth mentioning. The food itself was delicious. Stand outs to me were their mushroom dishes (both fried and the main), crab & shrimp, and caramel apple dessert. I loved these for being incredibly thoughtful dishes, wherein the star of the dish was never minimized, and other elements brought in textural surprises or nuanced tastes to compliment what was being featured. The only thing we had that I felt was a miss was the seasonal pumpkin dessert, and for having had 9 dishes with only 1 being a bit lackluster means to me that Odd Duck has 5 star potential! The things that brought this to a four were the pacing, cutlery, and challenges sharing after it had been suggested we do so. With so many plates, I acknowledge the challenge but sometimes it felt like we were waiting quite a bit of time for the next bite of food. While the staff was attentive and refreshed our plates and silverware multiple times, there were a few dishes (leeks, and duck come to mind) that I wish we would have had a sharper knife. Knowing that we planned to share everything, I also wish that we'd been armed with that sharper knife to help divvy everything up accordingly. With that said, I would absolutely return to the Odd Duck. I love that they use fresh, seasonal ingredients and do a great job with them. I hope that when I return some of the things that made them a four have been easily remedied and the experience is a true five stars!

Not the nicest location (across the Kitchener bus terminal, in the plaza by the convenience store),…read morebut the venue inside is nice (simple and industrial). My friend recommended this place. They change the menu every two weeks or so (and she may or may not have tried each menu change...). There was four of us, and we got 10 dishes to share, as well as the cheese sampler. The service was good, and they brought out two at a time so we could savour it all. We started with the cheese sampler which came with two local cheeses, and a nice strawberry sauce, and their homemade crackers. (See pictures for the menu we had that night) The carrots came with a tasty sauce. The turnip dish was nice, but for me the mushrooms were the star of this dish. I didn't find the tuna fishy, and the lime crema paired well, as well as the sesame tuile (cracker). The scallop may seem overpriced at $30 for just one, but it was perfectly cooked (the knife just glided its way down), and big enough to share among the four of us. Certain parts of the beef were more cooked than others, but had a nice tasty sear. They didn't ask how we liked it cooked and came medium rare to medium (I usually order rare). The blueberry and peppercorn jus paired nicely with it. The lentil salad may have been one of my favourites. It tasted like it had lemongrass in it (which is one of my favourite flavours) and a convincing way to introduce lentils to those who may not be a fan. The bok choy was presented nicely and the mint paired well with it. I especially liked the rice paper chip. The gnocchi had a nice chew to it, and I liked the basil and sour cherry sauce. We finished off with their gluten free chocolate cake, and the mousse. They were both tasty, but if I had to choose again, it would be the mousse. The cake is soft and the (hibiscus & licorice root coconut) ice cream happily reminded me of coconut sago. The mousse is a bit misleading, as it's nothing like you would expect: not a soft creamy dessert, but instead ice cream with a hard ruby/dark chocolate coating on the outside. The chocolate coating is a bit hard to break, but tasty once you do. If the menu remained the same I would reorder: the turnip dish, scallop, lentil salad, gnocchi, and tuna. Menu looks a bit pricey, however they don't charge gratuity, as they pay a thriving wage. Would definitely come again.