Was in Waterloo to grab lunch and randomly ended up discovering Ken Sushi House. The restaurant itself is simple and cozy, making it a comfortable place to sit down and catch up with friends. Service was friendly, and the food came out at a good pace even though it got a bit busy during our visit. We ordered a few items to share. The hwe dup bap (sashimi rice bowl) had fresh sashimi over rice with vegetables, it was light, refreshing, and a good choice if you're not looking for something too heavy. The chirashi bowl came with a nice assortment of sashimi and generous portions. The fish tasted fresh and there was a good variety. We also tried the salmon avocado roll, which was a classic, simple combination done well, and the spicy salmon roll, which had a mild kick and good texture overall. Overall, this was a solid spot for fresh sushi with good portion sizes, especially if you're looking for a casual place to eat in Waterloo. read more

Ken Sushi - spicy salmon roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I visited Ken Sushi House late one night in November 2025 with my partner while we were in the middle of a show at the Maxwell. It was already quite late (around 8:30 p.m.), and most nearby sushi spots--like Exclamation Waterloo and Oka Sushi--were closed, so we were grateful that Ken Sushi House was still open and within walking distance. We ordered the small sushi boat ($60 for 40 pieces). Overall, we enjoyed it, but as someone who's had a lot of sushi, I wouldn't say it was particularly impressive or memorable. The quality was decent, though it felt a bit pricey for what was served. That said, the experience was still pleasant thanks to the very friendly staff, which made us feel welcome despite the late hour. The restaurant itself felt a little dated and could benefit from some renovations, but it was a solid, reliable option when choices were limited late at night. read more

Ken Sushi - Small sushi boat (60 CAD) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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My favourite à la carte sushi spot in Waterloo! The sushi was fresh and nothing tasted too fishy or old. Great place to go with friends to split a sushi boat or roll. Wasn't too crowded when I went but I presume it gets busier around lunch or dinner but they had ample seating. read more

Ken Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I recently visited Ken Sushi in Waterloo, and unfortunately the experience was very mixed. Before going, we called to confirm they were still accepting customers since it was close to closing time, and they told us it was fine. However, when we arrived, the atmosphere felt unwelcoming--especially from the staff preparing the food, who seemed visibly annoyed. We were mainly there so the kids could enjoy some sushi, as the rest of us aren't big fans. The service didn't help the situation. The staff came across as rude, and we were pressured into ordering more food because it was near closing time. While we agreed just to avoid conflict, it didn't feel appropriate. The most concerning issue happened with the bill. The server added a 25% tip without informing us, and we only noticed after we got home while splitting the bill. By then it was too late to go back, but that left a very bad impression. That said, I do want to mention that the food itself was really, really good. It's unfortunate that such a strong kitchen was paired with such a disappointing service experience. read more

Very relaxing environment; waitresses were nice and polite and bright, food was very good quality read more

Ken Sushi - Sushi boat - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

They have good food, great service, & affordable pricing. Quality for the price is good. We all had soup and sushi rolls

Excellent food and friendly vibe. Everything we ordered was good. Service seemed a bit rushed and they did forget a sushi roll that we ordered. read more

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Dropped in on move day for a final family meal before leaving the kid at UW for his first year. Did not disappoint. We got the love boat and some apps all very good very fast and with attentive but not overbearing service. They have these cool call buttons on the table you press them to get your servers attention. All the fish was very fresh very tasty. Many pieces seemed more tender and less rubbery compared to other cheaper places. Seems like this place is super popular the waitress said she expects to get busy later and their were many post it notes near the front door for confirmed reservations later that evening. read more

Ken Sushi - Love boat 40 pieces. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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We were a party of 9, and the restaurant was very accommodating and seated us in a private room that was really pleasant and had good seating. The bathrooms are really clean and I was impressed as they had tooth picks and many amenities. You should definitely order many appetizers and share them with your table. I personally ordered the 10 piece sashimi platter, where the chef chooses the sashimi options, and the wonton soup. The soup was amazing. There were all types of mushrooms, and they went really well with the delicious wontons. I would definitely get this again. Friends also ordered the miso soup and absolutely adored it, so I'm sure that's also worth a try. The sashimi was good, but I was a bit disappointed as the options were very basic. Seeing that the chef would choose the sashimi types, I thought this would be more exciting and I would be served adventurous sashimi as I have in other restaurants. However, these were very basic sashimi options and this is probably a set menu. Which confuses me on why they don't list the sashimi types on the menu instead to be transparent that this is nothing adventurous. read more

Ken Sushi - 10 piece Sashimi platter (Chef's pick) Wonton Soup - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

DO NOT GO. Sushi is overpriced the host was pushing us to pay for more food the entire time. And the biggest grievance was that they were selling a "wagyu" sushi roll. $25 mind you per roll. IT WAS PASTRAMI. (Look at the picture as reference)It was so obviously pastrami in the way it tasted, the uniform coloring through the whole piece of meat. Even the ends were black and seasoned like a pastrami. There is not a doubt in my mind that we were played for a fool. The roll was advertised as torched wagyu. It was literally cold pastrami. I don't even know how little you must care to not even try to pass it off as actual meat. Other than that, the other rolls were alright and were the correct type of fish at the very least. Reader I urge you to reconsider choosing this restaurant. read more

Ken Sushi - "Wagyu" (Pastrami) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Amazing sushi! Very fresh & excellent flavours and combinations...great service as well! Its a la carte and can add up...but well worth it read more

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I normally don't order sushi often. I'm gluten-free (not by choice) and am always afraid of a bad reaction. But we wanted to go all out on NYE this year and get sushi and wings. It took a lot of menu checking to get everything on my wish list, but the special rolls here really caught my eye, and I was overjoyed to see they have one with lobster! This was my full order: Philadelphia Roll Great Canadian Roll (10 pcs) Boiled Tiger Shrimp (Ebi) Sushi (2pcs) Western California Roll (6 pcs) Kani Mayonnaise Roll (6 pcs) Spicy Crab Roll (6 pcs) Boston Roll (10 pcs) Some of the rolls, like the Boston, were new to me, but all tasted very fresh and good. The smoked salmon in the Philadelphia roll was especially delicious. There was enough sushi for me to snack on for three days. I would definitely order from them again. I take away a star because of two things. Because of covid, I wanted to order online. Their site went through Uber Eats to do this, and I didn't notice until after, but the price of every single roll was higher this way. The receipt on the bag said $65, but I ended up paying $80. I could've ordered another roll...or two for that. So, I feel like I got ripped off. Next time, I'll go and place the order in store or call it in. The restaurant was also very stingy with the soy sauce. I can't eat it due to the gluten, so I was lucky I use coconut aminos or Tamari at home. There were only two tiny plastic solo cups of sauce for all those rolls. If I hadn't been using my own and that's all I'd gotten, I would've been pretty upset. The inside of the restaurant was busy. That speaks to the quality of the food. And it was decorated in red, my favourite colour. Very pretty and cozy inside. The staff was friendly and wished me a Happy New Year. All in all, a great sushi experience. I will be ordering from them again. read more

My favourite place to grab lunch in the area hands down. The sushi is great, the lunch specials are incredibly value, and the service is also consistently good. I wouldn't go for dinner or on the weekends because of how much more expensive it is, but for a regular lunch you won't go over 20$ for a great meal! read more

Ken Sushi - Chirashi lunch - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Pros: - Great sashimi and appetizers - love the presentation, especially the sushi boats - pretty quick service despite it is always busy - great variety of selections for both food and drinks Con: - the sushi rolls were not bad for the most part, but I think they are mid tier for the price. The sashimis are definitely more worth to put your money on read more

Ken Sushi - Sushi boat - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Menu had a wide variety of options to choose from which I liked. Unfortunately the wait time to be served sushi was very long, but the service was good and food tasted okay. Despite the restaurant being quite busy getting a seat didn't take long. read more

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Anyone craving sushi? Ken Sushi House, Waterloo ON Kens is one of the best sushi places in Waterloo! The sushi and sashimi served is fresh, delicious and satisfying It is quite pricy but as you can see we enjoyed ourselves #1 Love Boat If you can't decide between sushi, rolls or sashimi then get this combo. It is perfect for 2-3 people and has a combination of fresh tuna, salmon, crab meat, butterfish and more #2 Spicy Roll Set If you like spice, then this set is perfect for one or even two people! There is spicy salmon, tuna and the special dynamite roll It is one of my personal favorites #3 Matsu Sushi Looking for more sushi or still hungry? Add on top of that this combination of another 13 pieces of sushi, california rolls and spicy salmon rolls The California rolls are good for those who prefer something more mild. #4 Beef Sashimi This dish is also another personal favorite. The sauce was sweet and sour, which went perfectly with the beef. For sashimi lovers, this is a must try Overall, we love this place and frequent it at-least once a month. Anyone in the KW region who has not tried it yet is missing out read more

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good food & atmosphere - most comparable sushi spot in waterloo to gta ones & pretty spacious. tried the dinner bento for a bit of everything & it was super filling! portions are amazing, enough for 2 meals tbh. read more

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The sushi quality here is fantastic, always my go to spot in Waterloo. The fish is very fresh, and the staff are very nice. Additionally, the restaurants interior is beautiful, as you can see the chefs preparing the sushi while being in a great atmosphere! read more

Ken Sushi - Salmon Lover Sushi Combo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I came here for lunch during the weekend and it was busy-ish but we were still able to get seated quickly. Ken sushi is pretty close to campus, and would be quite convenient for UW students. The sushi is pretty good here! I didn't expect too much from sushi in Waterloo but I was pleasantly surprised. I wish they had this place when I used to go to UW! read more

Ken Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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I love this place. Hands down the best sushi a la carte in kw. This is a small restaurant tucked on Philip street. Right beside Balzac's, it's a clean and fresh restaurant that never fails to amaze my taste buds. Currently the parking lot is under construction so you'll need to go up the ramp to the residential parking and find a spot, go down the stairs to get to the restaurant. Because it is in a student area, it gets busy.... very quickly. I always come down around the 5pm mark and never have issues finding a seat. Sushi is fresh. They have uni during the winter months. Service is slightly slow - the waitresses like to talk a lot to each other, but the food makes it worth it. Top things to try : Ken's roll is a large roll mesh of everything. Tuna, shrimp, salmon, egg, cucumber.... all wrapped in a roll that won't fit in your mouth drizzled with unagi sauce. Chirashi bowl is really good as well. They have these pickled veggies that are crunchy and sweet to accompany the fish. My friend loves the fire roll - if you're into the fried rolls and cream cheese. I can't say enough about how good it is. It leaves me speechless. One thing for sure is that the food is consistently good. read more

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My all-time favourite sushi spot in Waterloo! If you're looking for a casual lunch or dinner, Ken Sushi is the perfect place. Some of my go to sushi rolls include: blue jays, snow white, russian roulette, black dragon, and red dragon. Honestly, you can never go wrong with any of their rolls. Their service is great and turnaround time is pretty fast. It can get busy during lunch hours and in the evenings - wait time can be anywhere from 15 - 30 mins. They've recently renovated their space and it's much bigger! Embrace the culinary taste of Japanese cuisine at Ken Sushi! read more

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My new go-to spot for sushi in the Loo! I've been here several times and I've returned once again as I heard they recently decided to open on Sundays. There was a bit of a wait for a table but I believe they're expanding to the unit next door where Balzac's used to be so the wait time will hopefully be reduced in the future. For this visit, I went with my family to try out their lunch combos. I ordered the sashimi set which came with a bowl of hot rice and miso soup. The set came with assorted sashimi including salmon belly, white tuna and albacore tuna. The cuts were thick and tasted very fresh. For around $15 it is a bit pricey but I found the price was worth it for the quality. Service was quick and friendly as well. Definitely check this place out if you're looking to grab lunch near campus. I'll be back again for more! read more

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Delicious sushi. It's a place you can tell that they're extremely passionate about the quality of their food read more

Ken Sushi - Salmon combo, veggie gyoza and some yam and avocado rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Waterloo needs more sushi restaurants like Ken. Very deep menu, the staff are very helpful and the sushi is fresh and delicious.

Ken's Sushi is open of the few NON AYCE (A la carte) sushi restaurants you can get in the KW area esp close to campus and it's quite good! Fairly busy usually but we were seated quickly. Came here Friday night with a group of 6 so we ordered the titantic. Food was fresh, and pretty good quality. We got to sample sashimi, and a variety of roles and I enjoyed all of them! Though we finished it, some of my friends werent very full and wanted more food after lol but I'm sure it will fill the average person!! Quite expensive as it was +$30 per person for not that many pieces since they included service charge and tip already for us. The reason why it's 3 stars is because the lady serving us was very rude and kept rushing us. We were just looking at the menu (after ordering with a different waitress) and she rudely asked us if we can order already since everyone arrived. When we explained we ordered she told us to "put the menus down then". She was only more polite when she was asking us to pay, but even then talked to us like we couldn't understand English. Apparently we just unlucky and service is usually much nicer but read more

Ken Sushi - The Titanic - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Either my standards are higher than I thought they were, I went on a REALLY bad day, or this place is somewhat...overrated? Went there with a friend for a late lunch and was seated at a table. I asked if we could move to a booth since the place was pretty empty at that time, but was told pretty curtly that those were for groups of 3 and up. Ok, cool. I ordered the Ken Special, seeing the rave reviews here on the quality of the sushi and sashimi. I was very, very, very disappointed. The sashimi pieces were tiny (smaller than the portions at the university!!!) and the fish on top of the sushi were extremely thin as well. The california roll was just tasteless. For the price they charge it was not worth it at all! I was also anticipating the high level of service that was supposed to be here. Nope. The lady serving us didn't smile at all when taking our orders and I did not feel welcome or at home whatsoever. Also, the minute our plates were empty, she appeared to ask if we would like the bill. Why, thank you. Oh right. Did I mention that they wanted to charge me a dollar for extra ginger? I have not been to a single other restaurant where they did that. At least the teacup was cute. read more

Ken Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Came here for a weekend dinner as we were craving sushi. We ordered a variety of dishes from the boats and overall enjoyed the quality of the sashimi and sushi. The service was a bit on the slower side as it was quite busy and it took us almost half an hour to receive our order. Overall if you are in the Waterloo area you should definitely visit this restaurant if you want sushi. read more

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Phenomenal fresh sushi for a decent price at Waterloo! My go to place whenever I'm craving sushi. The staff was very welcoming and friendly. Absolutely delightful experience! read more

Ken Sushi - Love Boat (40pcs) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I've been here a couple times. I really like it. The sushi is great. The rice is done well. And it seems that they take extra care and making the presentation wonderful. You'll definitely want to take pictures. The staff is also very friendly. It's also very fun to sit at the chef's table. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Around Waterloo, I'd say this is one of the better sushi places. Fish is fresh each time. Service for takeout was quite slow though, but they are nice & friendly so... I got the Take sushi (dinner takeout). 9 pieces of sushi + 6 california roll pieces. Nothing terrible about it except I personally didn't like that they gave squid and surf clam. Everything else was good. Friend got the Hae Dup Bap (dinner takeout)... a solid amount of fish was given. But, the ratio of lettuce+rice to fish was not sufficient (too little rice.... unless you don't like rice lol). Hot sauce was good. read more

Ken Sushi - Take Sushi for takeout - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

They have a rich verity of selections in the menu.... with few interesting new names which we don't commonly come across in other Sushi restaurants. The place is really packed, even during weekday lunch hours!! Service is moderate, maybe a little below average. I had MT. Fiji Roll, it looked awesome, but have to give it only 3 star for taste and quality. Maybe I'll have to try few other items from the menus before I can rate food quality overall. read more

Ken Sushi - MT. Fiji Roll.... Yam tempura on top of mayo crab, salmon and avocado roll (deep fried). Looks awesome, but 3 star for taste and quality - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Ken sushi is by far my favourite sushi place near campus. It isn't all you can eat like a lot of places in Waterloo so the quality is a lot better and it ends up being about the same price as all you can eat for a dinner. I got the Waterloo boat with 2 friends and we were all full by the end of it. It was really good and had a nice mix of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. read more

Ken Sushi - Waterloo boat - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I used to love this restaurant but I wouldn't recommend it anymore. We stood at the front for a baffling 15+ minutes in full view of dozens of empty tables. Many other diners were doing the same, all of us wondering aloud what was going on. This was an annoying start to the dinner but I figured if the food was still good, I could handle it. My sushi was sad, fishy and somewhere around the Loblaws level of quality. Don't think I'll be back until they sort things out, for both food quality and service. read more

For a long time, I found it hard to place Ken Sushi on the same level as Kinkaku Izakaya. But Ken Sushi has won me over, and I can't think of a better place for traditional sushi in the Waterloo area. First, the atmosphere is great. On most nights, Ken himself will be working behind the sushi bar, creating immaculate sushi plates. The service is friendly. The fish is fresh, and the salmon/butterfish tastes especially great. Their takeout boxes are beautiful, and a pleasant sight for any study party. I think the Dinner Specials at Ken are the best value: the Hovic Dinner Special in particular is great for a hungry night. Protip: you can swap out the california roll for a more interesting roll, at the price difference of rolls. I recommend the Yam Roll. read more

Ken Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Delicious, good service, clean, on time, my guess didn't want cucumbers on her sushi, they prepared it without it, very accommodating, always asking if we were ok . read more

Went with my parents for lunch today, and it was mediocrely busy - the family sized tables were full except for the sushi bar. We asked how long it would take for a family table and the server said around 20 minutes, so we decided to sit at the bar (even though one table ended up clearing out within 10 minutes). While we were there looking at the menu, they typically have lunch specials which we were looking at, but because today was a civic holiday, we were only informed that they were not being offered just before we were about to order. We still got the appetizer assorted sushi, dragon roll sushi combo, and a veggie pan fried udon. The sushi was made fresh and really we liked the sauce that came with the dragon rolls. The udon was also quite tasty, although a bit heavy on the sauce. The servers were quick to refill our tea multiple times. read more

Ken Sushi - Dragon Roll Combo (Red, Green, and Black Dragon Rolls) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Ken Sushi is my favourite sushi place in town. I love their lunch specials. This is a place my family and I tend to visit regularly and I highly recommend. read more

Ken Sushi is as good as it gets for Japanese food in KW Area (NON AYCE). The fish is absolutely fresh, the ambiance is lovely, the service and chefs are DELIGHTFUL, and the food is GREAT!! I literally got obsessed with the pumpkin candy they were giving our around October, and i went to grab one (or two... or three) candies and the chef was like WHY ARE YOU TAKING SO MUCH, and then dumped a handful of the candies into my hand!! I was so happy - what a nice and generous restaurant :) Here's my breakdown of the food Chicken teriyaki bento ... very standard... vegetables are little bit on the greasy side but still really good Salmon teriyaki bento - salmon is kinda rlly small once you take off the skin, but very tasty Chirashi Don - this one was kind of overpriced... should have opted for sashimi and a bowl of rice The __ __ Bap with vegetables and diced sashimi - this one was WAY overprriced. It was more expensive than chirashi, the fish was smaller. the only difference is they give you korean hot pepper sauce and lettuce Salmon Lover's - this one IS AWESOME. so much variety for my favourite type of fish (can you tell I come here a lot) Waterloo Combo !! This one is also super fun with family and friends :) you can't go wrong with special rolls and tempura Seafood Udon - pretty typical Overall... definitely come here for the sushi, sashimi, and maki. Everything else is still pretty good, but damn the freshness of the fish really stands out YAY KEN SUSHI!!!!! read more

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For the fact that we are in Waterloo, this wasn't too bad for what it was. I can see how they may be more well known for their rolls however trying out their sashimi dishes and it is not necessarily the best in the GTA. However cannot compete to GTA since we come to accept Waterloo is too far from the GTA for same expectations but just drawing some comparisons that, as a result, this isn't that bad. Very close to UW Plaza and it's right under a residence building. Lots of students come here. read more

The best place for sushi in Waterloo! Dine-in service is always amazing, and I recently tried takeout and it was delicious as well! read more

Ken Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario