Ken Sushi

We came here for lunch on a Tuesday and ordered the salmon lover bento ($22) which also came with…read moremiso soup, the watami on king roll ($18) and the rice paper roll ($12). The salmon was fresh and we loved the uniqueness of the rice paper rolls, however I was a bit disappointed at it only coming with 4 pieces. The service was quick and friendly and we loved the atmosphere and ambiance of the restaurant. Definitely a great spot to check out in Uptown, though a bit more pricey than some other sushi spots.

Went with a Japanese co-worker to try this place. I felt like I was stepping into a restaurant in…read moreNagoya or Tokyo. Very authentic experience. They even greeted my co-worker in Japanese. But fear not, their English is perfect as well! The menu itself is very straight-forward. Appetizers and sushi rolls, some nigiri, and a modest selection of entrees. We started with appetizers - chicken karaage and gindara (grilled miso black cod). Both were delicious! First time I had tried gindara - would absolutely get that again. For my entree, I ordered their katsu don, which is a deep fried pork cutlet served over mixed rice with veggies and fried egg with a dashi sauce. Very good! We split a couple of pots of green tea for drinks. The tea had a wonderful subtle flavor. For dessert, we tried red bean pancakes with vanilla ice cream. So good! The service was very good, and I found the price very reasonable. Would absolutely try this one again!

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Jinzakaya

3.9(37 reviews)

1.6 km

Food was amazing, fun to try lots of different things. Pretty expensive for an AYCE but the food is…read moreso good so it's worth it for a special occasion. Service was insanely fast, ambience was casual and fast.

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.

Restaurant interior

KitKat bar.

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Kinkaku Izakaya

4.0(363 reviews)

4.3 km

My BF is an alum of UWaterloo and said this was his favorite spot while he was there, so it was a…read moremust-stop on our trip. And I can see why it was his favorite. Love the vibes, very casual, and the server was really friendly too. She was super enthusiastic when our group requested sake bombs. This was my first time going to an AYCE izakaya, and it made me wish there was one where I live. The highlight was definitely the beef teriyaki - comes out sizzling hot. The chicken teriyaki felt sad in comparison lol. Sushi was pretty good quality as well. Melona bars to top off the night! Would come back here always if I was in the area.

Let me state up front that the food is great. It's fresh and there's a good selection…read more My reason for giving 3 stars is the choice of seating and the service. We went as a group of 7 with a reservation. For some reason, instead of seating a larger group at the stand alone (but combinable tables) at the front of the restaurant, they decided to sit us at a booth that holds six with the +1 in a chair in the pathway to the bathroom. Ordering food is done on 2 pieces of paper - one for sushi and one for all the other food. Unlike many other AYCE restaurants, there is no description of the food and there's no iPad to see a photo of what you might be ordering. It makes it very difficult to select, and the waiters are really not around to ask questions. They wanted all 7 of us to use the single paper. I explained to the waiter that I wasn't at a restaurant to do math and add up all the pieces and orders and go person by person. Could we possibly get a second set of papers so we could split the table into 2 groups? Yes, but with great difficulty. The food started to come. Overall, very fast from paper to food. So, where did they put the food? Right in front of me as one if the people sitting at the end. They would place plate after plate in front of me. Often with no explanation of what food it was. Apparently, it is the person at the end of the table's job to announce the food and identify the person(s) who it belongs to. So, with the number of dishes ordered, there was little opportunity for me to eat. There was also no place for me to place my food on the table in front of me. It was beyond frustrating. Along the way, they began forgetting to deliver food that was ordered and they began delivering food we did not order. I believe the restaurant should have placed us at the tables at the front of the restaurant. All large groups would benefit front this and all would be able to enjoy the food.

Sushi

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Dessert - kit kat ice cream bar

Asakusa

3.4(25 reviews)

0.1 km

the tonkatsu is top notch. portions are generous. friendly staff. not too busy either…read more you get options for noodles and the menu is straightforward

Came to Waterloo for the first time to visit family. They reccomended this spot, and I wish they…read morehadn't. The restaurant was empty and dingy. The server had a lot of trouble taking our order, and mispronounced the names of the menu items. Also, they were out of some of the items we ordered. Chicken Karage: Surprised by how juicy the meat was. The coating was just alright, but the chicken was good. Sukiyaki Beef Don: Bad. The egg was stringy and somehow dry. The miso soup was bland. Worst of all, the sukiyaki was doused in sauce and was too salty.

Chicken Karage

Mapo tofu with rice

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Tonkotsu - Shoyu Ramen :-)

Taste Of Seoul

3.9(8 reviews)

3.9 km

I used to go to this place quite regularly because I can walk there from my home, and the food was…read moregood and fresh. The last couple of times I had very bad experiences, including a bug in my food. At this point, I am not going back.

The location of this restaurant was really hard to find. If you're driving by you can easily miss…read moreit. It's not a standalone location, rather a building with multiple other stores inside. The bibimbap was pretty good. They gave a hearty amount of beef and purple rice. There was also an abundant amount of veggies such as spinach, cucumbers, carrot and kale. The sauces were nice and savoury although the red sauce was not spicy enough. It was great that they put the sauces in separate containers so you could pour them to your own liking. The salmon bbq roll on the other hand wasn't up to par. The rice was not regular sushi grade rice and there wasn't that much filling on the inside. The prices were a bit expensive on Uber ($15.99 for bibimbap), however there was an ongoing promo of if you spend $20+ you would receive the salmon roll for free. We ended up eating at their onsite patio and it was a pretty good experience. The staff were super friendly. Overall, would come again but just call on the phone to order instead of ordering off Uber to save a couple bucks.

Front

Dining

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Order area

Mac's Sushi

5.0(2 reviews)

2.8 km

For the last 5 years I regularly go to Mac's Sushi. During busy seasons, no time to shop for best…read moregroceries, and I phone them ahead - to pick up a fresh, healthy meal. They are always upbeat and helpful. Sometimes I eat there, in the food court. Colleen

An amazing place to order a part tray of sushi. Even though they don't have a vegetarian tray, they…read moremake a special tray with extra things such as fried tofu and extra sushi pieces. Would definitely order again

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The Poké Box

4.3(84 reviews)

1.0 km

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.....

BEST POKE BOWL EVER! If you never had a poke bowl, it is basically a bowl of sashimi (sushi)…read moretoppings topped with Rice or veggies. DELICIOUS. Perfect amount of topping, rice and sauce. And if u want more than one kind of dressing, just let them know! I ordered the Big Umami Bowl with white rice. The rice was soft but firm, not too hot not too cold. Perfect texture. Sashimi flavourful and saucy. Avocado perfectly ripped. FYI: If you love taking pictures, The restaurant is aesthetically pleasing. And!!!! They provide some picture booth accessories you can choose from to make your pictures even cuter!!! :) Overall 10-10!! Every bite is PERFECTO IN MY MOUTH!

Cute (but small) seating

Big umami - swapped the tuna for tempura shrimp

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Lava Blaze

T&T Supermarket

4.0(14 reviews)

1.2 km

This supermarket has all sorts of Asian groceries, was pleasantly surprised to find everything I…read moreneeded. Staff was also friendly here in helping me find things. Also, everything is reasonably priced, especially the foreign candy section and milk.

Review on the Bakery section…read more I visited to pick up some HK wintermelon red bean pastry and Portuguese tarts. The HK wintermelon red bean pastry is made with oil and cake flour, it has layers but is quite dense. The filling is minimal. Caution, have a beverage if you are eating it, it seemed on the drier side for me. Portuguese tarts were in the cold refrigerator, no fresh tarts. Must be trucked from a GTA location, sorry not going to buy tarts that aren't fresh.

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Suki Sushi

3.0(17 reviews)

2.2 km

I came here twice, the first time I had the Japanese curry chicken which was unmemorable (and…read moreprobably a bit small for the price). The second time I split a Hinata sushi/sashimi boat with a friend. The rolls were sizable and tasted good but was otherwise pretty standard spider roll. The sushi was of average thickness and the rice held together (mostly). The sashimi was good for the most part but the tuna sashimi was soggy. Service is good here if you come during a normal meal time. If you come near closing at 10pm (like we did) it's hard to get their attention because all the staff sit together and eat dinner in the dining area (we just wanted the bill). They have lots of seats, but seem to prefer seating people in the more private booths. The booths aren't actually as private as they appear because there are no walls between booths so sound travels freely out of the booth in all directions. 5197461566 is the wifi password.

Used to love this place but now that the older chef and older female server don't seem to be around…read moreanymore, it's going downhill. We repeated three times during our order no tobiko or roe and we ended up with it on ALL our rolls. We ordered about 6 rolls... AND it took almost 45 minutes to make it! Longer wait than ever before. The chef seemed busy chatting with a friend... The server forgot stuff we asked for. It's just going downhill. I used to come every week but I'm going to be looking for a new place.

Hinata sushi/sashimi boat

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13 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Jennifer A.

0

1

0

10 years ago

Excellent sushi, probably one of the best in Waterloo! Everything is super fresh and absolutely delicious. Pretty decently priced considering other locations, but is well worth it if you feel it is on the higher end. The rolls were thick and well made, and the sashimi was delicious and fresh. Did takeout and everything was ready for me in 10 minutes, which is the quickest takeout I have had at any sushi location. Absolutely recommend to anyone considering it! read more

Daniel T.

191

32

44

7 years ago

Ken sushi has become my gold standard for a solid sushi place. Although its not the cheapest, it's also not super pricey. Expect to pay around $20-30 for a meal. I usually get chirashi or one of their speciality maki rolls. The best roll is definitely the snow white roll and runner ups are the black dragon roll and spider roll. read more

Anson W.

1

11

9

7 years ago

One of the nicer sushi places in town. It isn't AYCE, but the quality is much greater! I tried the beef sashimi and the quality was very amazing, very tender, almost melts in your mouth. Also tried the sushi and sashimi, and it is just amazing. A definite must try for sushi lovers in the Waterloo area! read more

Mary M.

0

1

0

10 years ago

Delicious food, great service. The presentation of the food was thoughtfully put together and the California rolls were super delicious! Would definitely recommend read more

megan r.

0

1

0

6 years ago

I downloaded Yelp just to write them a review because the employees are the sweetest people you'll meet and the sushi is amazing. Definitely would recommend! read more

Dirk D.

0

2

0

6 years ago

I've been going here since they opened and they consistently provide the best service, food, and quality in town. You rule Ken team! Thanks for everything! read more

Kristin K.

0

1

0

5 years ago

My absolute favourite sushi spot in Waterloo! Such fresh and delicious food. Very friendly staff! I always look forward to coming to Ken's.

Sue G.

0

1

0

10 years ago

First time trying Ken Sushi, very impressed. Good quality, large portions, very tasty and clean restaurant. Would definitely recommend it

Melly H.

0

5

0

9 years ago

This is by far the freshest and most delicious Sushi in all of KW! Service excellent and pricing very fair!

Tu N.

0

2

0

9 years ago

This is about the best you can get in the Waterloo-Kitchener area.

Lynn C.

0

3

0

9 years ago

Great sushi. Love it. Fresh, delicious and beautiful.

Trang T.

79

28

913

6 years ago

Great spot for quality rolls and attentive service!

Kelly K.

481

9

7

9 years ago

One of my favourite sushi places in Waterloo!

Ken Sushi - sushi - Updated October 2026

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People who viewed Ken Sushi also viewed

Kinkaku Izakaya

4.0

(363 reviews)

My BF is an alum of UWaterloo and said this was his favorite spot while he was there, so it was a…read moremust-stop on our trip. And I can see why it was his favorite. Love the vibes, very casual, and the server was really friendly too. She was super enthusiastic when our group requested sake bombs. This was my first time going to an AYCE izakaya, and it made me wish there was one where I live. The highlight was definitely the beef teriyaki - comes out sizzling hot. The chicken teriyaki felt sad in comparison lol. Sushi was pretty good quality as well. Melona bars to top off the night! Would come back here always if I was in the area.

Let me state up front that the food is great. It's fresh and there's a good selection…read more My reason for giving 3 stars is the choice of seating and the service. We went as a group of 7 with a reservation. For some reason, instead of seating a larger group at the stand alone (but combinable tables) at the front of the restaurant, they decided to sit us at a booth that holds six with the +1 in a chair in the pathway to the bathroom. Ordering food is done on 2 pieces of paper - one for sushi and one for all the other food. Unlike many other AYCE restaurants, there is no description of the food and there's no iPad to see a photo of what you might be ordering. It makes it very difficult to select, and the waiters are really not around to ask questions. They wanted all 7 of us to use the single paper. I explained to the waiter that I wasn't at a restaurant to do math and add up all the pieces and orders and go person by person. Could we possibly get a second set of papers so we could split the table into 2 groups? Yes, but with great difficulty. The food started to come. Overall, very fast from paper to food. So, where did they put the food? Right in front of me as one if the people sitting at the end. They would place plate after plate in front of me. Often with no explanation of what food it was. Apparently, it is the person at the end of the table's job to announce the food and identify the person(s) who it belongs to. So, with the number of dishes ordered, there was little opportunity for me to eat. There was also no place for me to place my food on the table in front of me. It was beyond frustrating. Along the way, they began forgetting to deliver food that was ordered and they began delivering food we did not order. I believe the restaurant should have placed us at the tables at the front of the restaurant. All large groups would benefit front this and all would be able to enjoy the food.

Watami Sushi & Sake Bar

4.0

(100 reviews)

We came here for lunch on a Tuesday and ordered the salmon lover bento ($22) which also came with…read moremiso soup, the watami on king roll ($18) and the rice paper roll ($12). The salmon was fresh and we loved the uniqueness of the rice paper rolls, however I was a bit disappointed at it only coming with 4 pieces. The service was quick and friendly and we loved the atmosphere and ambiance of the restaurant. Definitely a great spot to check out in Uptown, though a bit more pricey than some other sushi spots.

Went with a Japanese co-worker to try this place. I felt like I was stepping into a restaurant in…read moreNagoya or Tokyo. Very authentic experience. They even greeted my co-worker in Japanese. But fear not, their English is perfect as well! The menu itself is very straight-forward. Appetizers and sushi rolls, some nigiri, and a modest selection of entrees. We started with appetizers - chicken karaage and gindara (grilled miso black cod). Both were delicious! First time I had tried gindara - would absolutely get that again. For my entree, I ordered their katsu don, which is a deep fried pork cutlet served over mixed rice with veggies and fried egg with a dashi sauce. Very good! We split a couple of pots of green tea for drinks. The tea had a wonderful subtle flavor. For dessert, we tried red bean pancakes with vanilla ice cream. So good! The service was very good, and I found the price very reasonable. Would absolutely try this one again!

Jinzakaya

3.9

(37 reviews)

Food was amazing, fun to try lots of different things. Pretty expensive for an AYCE but the food is…read moreso good so it's worth it for a special occasion. Service was insanely fast, ambience was casual and fast.

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.

Ikiru Sushi

4.3

(16 reviews)

They do TAKE-OUT ONLY as it's just the Japanese couple that owns the shop that runs everything…read more First of all, my expectations for sushi in Fergus was quite low because I was uncertain about their ability to source fresh fish and their prices are higher than your typical sushi joint in the GTA/Toronto area.... BUT WAS I WRONG. Although the prices were higher, it made up for it with the HUMONGOUS portions and surprisingly fresh fish!! We've tried a variety of their specialty rolls and dinner sets. I'd personally skip out on their tuna sashimi, but everything else we've had so far was delicious! I recommend calling in advance to place your order (usually takes ~20min to prepare). The owner has always been pleasant and packs our order nicely. Definitely our favourite spot to get take-out food in Fergus :)

Who would have known that a sushi spot in Fergus would be one of my all time favourites! Just maybe…read more15-20 minutes drive outside Guelph but to me it's worth the drive out. I typically order the sushi boat: Momo Combo and you can taste the freshness in the sushi pieces and sashimi. This boat typically serves 2 people. Service was a little bit slower the last time I went but usually they're really friendly. Absolutely love having Nicki as our server because she always remembers us and our orders. She works very efficiently and always served us with a smile. As for the interior of the restaurant, it could use a bit of work/renovations to make it feel more like a Japanese restaurant. It kinda gives off a western vibe. They took away some tables/chairs so there's limited seating now. Due to this reason, we sometimes call in to reserve a table during weekends and peak times, and to pre-order our sushi boat before arriving. This way our meal is ready when we arrive and we also don't have to wait for a table!

Samura Sushi

3.7

(27 reviews)

I've been to this place quite a few times, as I work near by…read more The lunch bentos are a good deal, but the quality of them are a bit to be desired when it comes to the sushi. I've gotten the katsudon a couple times too, and it's a good meal. Comes with miso soup and salad. Which, the salad is basically a leaf of lettuce with a bit of odd carrot dressing. The all you can eat is as you would expect it. It's nothing to write home about. The quantity of the sushi definitely outweighs the quality, that's for sure. The interior is quite small, but it's cozy. There's a couple back areas for larger groups. I want to sit there one of these days. All in all, it's worth it's price, but make sure you go with a good group of friends to keep you entertained while you wait. It does get busy!

We were pleasantly surprised with our entire experience here. The food was made fresh and tasted…read moreawesome. The service was friendly and prompt. The restaurant itself could use a little loving, but the rest of the experience here was good. We'd come back again. We did ayce dinner on a Sunday they may have raised prices from what other reviewers said, it was $27.99/person which is also their holiday prices. I'd go back for lunch - at $14.99 you can't go wrong! One thing that I really appreciated was that they weren't stingy with flavours on portions. Check it out if you're looking for sushi in guelph!

Gordon Sushi House

4.8

(6 reviews)

I've only ordered this home but it has always been a hit. The fish is fresh, the rice is well made,…read moreand it always looks presentable. It's not an all you can eat so you know you're getting solid quality for price.

Great sushi and fair prices! For Guelph, this is a great spot when you're craving Japanese. Rolls…read morehave good amount of fish and staff are really friendly. Keep in mind it's takeout only :)

Suki Sushi

3.0

(17 reviews)

I came here twice, the first time I had the Japanese curry chicken which was unmemorable (and…read moreprobably a bit small for the price). The second time I split a Hinata sushi/sashimi boat with a friend. The rolls were sizable and tasted good but was otherwise pretty standard spider roll. The sushi was of average thickness and the rice held together (mostly). The sashimi was good for the most part but the tuna sashimi was soggy. Service is good here if you come during a normal meal time. If you come near closing at 10pm (like we did) it's hard to get their attention because all the staff sit together and eat dinner in the dining area (we just wanted the bill). They have lots of seats, but seem to prefer seating people in the more private booths. The booths aren't actually as private as they appear because there are no walls between booths so sound travels freely out of the booth in all directions. 5197461566 is the wifi password.

Used to love this place but now that the older chef and older female server don't seem to be around…read moreanymore, it's going downhill. We repeated three times during our order no tobiko or roe and we ended up with it on ALL our rolls. We ordered about 6 rolls... AND it took almost 45 minutes to make it! Longer wait than ever before. The chef seemed busy chatting with a friend... The server forgot stuff we asked for. It's just going downhill. I used to come every week but I'm going to be looking for a new place.

Hanami Izakaya

4.0

(43 reviews)

The food was so amazing and the staff? Even better! Also the anime stickers on the wall really add…read moreto the vibe! They made a mistake saying 2 adults 2 seniors but it was supposed to be 1 adult and 2 seniors but they fixed it even before we complained! And we couldn't finish and they said " don't worry about it have a happy new year" then talked about how they liked a certain dessert and those staff were so nice and was a great experience! Would definitely come back when in town!

Good experience overall. My son & I stumbled upon this place while driving around looking for…read moresomewhere to eat with decent ratings (I would give it a mid four... 4.5 to be exact... we need some intermediate marking options Yelp!). Here's why: PROS: Location - off a main road, easy to find, parking is free Menu options - Good selection of items Taste & Presentation of food - Very good... food was tasty (with the exception of the Pad Thai in my opinion) and the seafood was fresh. Portions were good too. Service - Very attentive, quick and professional staff; conversation toward the end made them even better! Value - Price for all you can eat was very reasonable, worth it if you ask me! CONS: Ambiance - Floor was slippery (literally the entire floor surface, as though it had buildup of substance, it was odd.). Also the seating and general look of the place is quite old & outdated. IN SUMMARY: Overall ambiance is a factor in deciding on a restaurant, but is more important to me for a special occasion or on date night. When I dine out, taste, service and value are what mean the most to me. As for this restaurant, I would for sure go back! It's a great little local spot. As I upload the pics I'm also getting hungry again and that's always a good sign!!!

Mr. Kim's Sushi & Rolls

4.9

(7 reviews)

Every time I go there the service is quick, the workers are so very polite, and the food is very…read morevery delicious! there's vegetarian options and also an option to add teriyaki or spicy mayo to the order and they're both very yummy :)) I accidentally went in 10 minutes till closing and they didn't have to, but they still made me some avocado rolls and were very sweet about it, absolutely lovely place and I will go back again! I'm hoping to again on Friday for my lunch break

The prices in the window are higher than what is shown on their website. That aside, it's nice to…read morehave sushi choices in Stratford.

Lin Hai Sushi

3.7

(27 reviews)