They have a regular menu for typical sushi items but also off the menu, they have premium items as well as a chefs choice omakase style experience. We opted to do the tasting of 10 pieces per person and was surprised at how each item had a premium ingredient on it. The pieces of toro, foie gras and wagyu were so big, it could have equalled 2 regular pieces at another restaurant. Needless to say we left super stuffed! My only wish is that they had a sushi counter experience instead of having a few pieces prepared at once (they don't offer to sit at the counter). When each piece is freshly prepared and eaten, the seaweed doesn't get soggy while you're eating the other pieces. I also feel like the presentation could use some work to make it feel more like an elevated experience to suit the premium ingredients. Our meal totaled about $350 with taxes and tip, which was a bit unexpected seeing as restaurant didn't have much of an ambiance. Each "course" actually ended up being counted separately so in the future I would ask them to skip the ones I didn't like. read more

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I don't think you can even call this sushi at all. This has to be the worst experience ever. My stomach is still suffering from it. So we choose this place because we saw a fellow yelp elite friend recommend it and decided to try it out as we were near by. We ordered the sashimi boat, the udon and the unagi roll. The sashimi was horribly cut and the salmon was pretty much mush. There were random seaweed bits and sesame seeds on random pieces of fish (It definetly wasn't suppose to be there). There was also a piece of wasabi stuck and wrapped inside a ginger piece in the middle of the pile. The ginger also tasted stale and lacked the spicy ginger taste. As for the fish, the surf clam was so thoroughly washed it had no taste at all. Same with the amebi shrimp, it wasn't sweet like it was suppose to. You had to chew it down for the sweetness to come from the inside. The salmon was so horribly cut, it was left with a bone in it and my boyfriend found out only because he bit into and it stabbed into the top of his mouth. It was the worst experience ever. I can say we are definitely not returning and would not reccomend this to anyone else. If you are thinking about trying this place, don't. You have been warned! read more

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This hidden gem was hands down the best chef omakase I've ever had. It started off with a huge uni hand roll (almost double the size of a normal hand roll), following by a number of sushi from Japan. The experience was definitely uni-que. Almost every other sushi had uni in it. It had the traditional sushi, along with some creative creations made by the chef. The freshness of the fish and quality was amazing. You're definitely getting bang for your buck. At the end of the meal, my friend and I had the opportunity to speak to the owners & this was truely an experience you need to try if you're in the area. read more

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Straight to the point. Service is sh*t. Hot entree were sh*t. However the sushi is surprisingly fresh. We had order a few special. Uni handroll, giant clam, o toro, waygu beef, nagi toro w/ egg and spotted pawn. All sushi were really fresh. However service was slow and also the sushi chef served us with something that heavy flavour first. All 2 stars are only for the freshness of sushi. I went back the second time and order omasake and it was pure sushi which was something I asked for. This time it's was a disappointment. Hand roll fell apart. Almost all sushi the chef put uni on top. Good for uni lover but it over powers other ingredients. For example the chef put Hokkaido scallop, mince toro and uni.. sounds fancy but it's too much flavour going on. I can't even taste then the toro and scallop. At last the knife skills of the chef definitely needs improvement. Wasted those fresh beautiful ingredients. read more

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5 stars now!!! Uni shrimp sushi is mind blasting!!!! Uni toro hand roll ?? U know you want it!! Uni scallop toro sushi u better hop on an uber and get over here. It's good its damn good. read more

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Love the place! Especially their uni (sea urchin) hand roll and uni on shrimp nigiri. Their portion is huge and every hand roll you eat, will have the fish until the end which is very rare for a reasonably price sushi shop. Our for sure go to is their uni hand roll. Their sashimi platter is large too so if you love sashimi, it's a great option. If you like quail egg they have a sushi with raw quail egg on top of minced fish, which is amazing as well. Definitely best bang for the buck for uni sushi, so if you like uni, definitely go! read more

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Wouldn't expect that quality presented simply by looking from out of the restaurant, came here for a late lunch and it was empty (3:00PM) I had this place bookmarked long enough and wanted to check it out since doing so. Restaurant looks like every other sushi joint in the city within the pricing level maybe slightly more dated. Walked in the server asked us if we wanted anything to drink and if we have been here before. After a brief run down on the popular items we decided on Uni-Ikura handroll - this was amazing and stuffed with uni, I hated uni based on the fact that I thought even when fresh it had that disgusting fishy taste. Negritoro handroll - this was also very fresh and stuffed to the point where they give you another seaweed sheet to prevent spillage lol. Johnny Roll - I found this one nothing too special but it was above average comparing it to other restaurants with a similar roll... and it was huge. Kokyo B or 2 don't remember lol - I'm definitely going to order this again along with the hand rolls next time as it was pretty fire. It would've been pretty standard as well but it had a smidge of uni in the roll that just carried the other flavours so well. Service was OK. I mean Mrs.Johnny was helpful with the menu but other than that and refilling our drinks she was in the back chitchatting with Johnny. Nothing that would taint this review though price point was pretty average to other a la carte sushi restaurants but the quality made it worth the trip (I came from Markham) read more

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This place is in the middle of nowhere! Park at the Valu Village close by, it's probably more convenient. I used to see Johnny pretty frequently back when he was in his downtown core location, and I'm glad he's still around. He has really high quality product for the price point he gives -- his uni ikura temaki is legitimately such a steal for the price, heaped to the max with dollops of pristine sea urchin. Don't expect incredible omakase-tier experiences with luscious pearls of balanced Shari. You're paying like half the price for similar quality fish though. Go if you enjoy the flavours and don't need the whole experience anymore. If you're happy with great tasting seafood for much more affordable prices, Kokyo is the place to be. A good bonus is that this new location is much cleaner compared to the last location, and the plates are nicer too. Highly recommended! read more

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Wanted to try out a new sushi place and decided to place an order for delivery here. The delivery came a lot faster than expected, which was fantastic. On the other hand, the food just tasted awful. I got the Red Dragon Roll A and oh my goodness, the avocado tasted like Vaseline. The food tasted far from fresh and I had no idea what I was eating at some point. The rolls were also soggy and it looked like they tried to stuff the rolls, container with soy sauce, and ginger/wasabi into the smallest box they had. If you never tried sushi before, please do not come here as you'll be disappointed and maybe traumatized. read more

Kokyo Japanese Restaurant - Soggy Red Dragon Roll A (Takeout) - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The worst and rudest experience EVER. Food was mediocre at best. Yes, service here is usually non-existent, but after today, we will never return. We got there a little after 6:30, but food didn't arrive until closer to 8. No apology, nothing. On to the food, frozen cuts of sashimi and mediocre hot dishes. The sushi chef still needs a lot of training. Now the service, the waitress, who I presume to be the owner is ALWAYS pushy about the omakase. We didn't fall for that this time. As we're ordering, she constantly would interrupt us and tell us what we should or shouldn't order, to the point of even pretty much ordering for us. Wait time was really long, too! We finally got our food, and each time when we called her over or asked for something, we were met with a long face. It almost always felt she loathed being there serving us. This is YOUR restaurant, so apppreciate your customers. Our table got the bill, and suddenly noticed we were charged for something that never came out. Instead of handling it with tact, she instantly became defensive and accused my friends of having bad memories and then continued to point over to the table next to us and said something about them being regulars and knowing the prices. Was she implying we couldn't pay? Rude. I was offended and confronted her. Without trying to defuse the situation or apologize, she continued to kiss her teeth, accused us of not remembering what we ordered and then the sushi chef shouted across the room yelling he's 100% sure he made the sushi. Super professional, right? I kept on insisting she was in the WRONG, but she would just raise her voice with eyes wide open and said "What? Now what do you want?. If you can't handle criticism or complaints professionally, please get out of this business. It's people like these that quite frankly, gives mainland Chinese people the bad reputation. Please stay away. read more

I live in the area, so I really wanted this place to be good. The prices are reasonable, and the venue is nicely decorated inside, but I've ordered takeout/delivery here 3 times over the last year, and all three have been terrible. The fish was rubbery, fishy smelling, and poorly cut into overly long, thick strips. Maybe it's better on location, but for takeout and delivery, I've stopped ordering from here. There are much better places for sushi in Toronto. read more

This is officially my favourite Japanese place lol. It's a little gem in the middle of a kinda sketchy area, you wouldn't even consider this place nor does it look like anything special around the area. I love uni and if you do too, come here for the handrolll..... just look at my pics! They literally stuff the hand roll with uni, ikura and avocado. The taste of uni just drowns your mouth. I also think it's quite reasonable.. very reasonable. Other places is probably worth like $20, especially if you're in downtown core. I also LOVE their Kokyo roll. Again it has uni so I guess I'm biased but the flavours go so well together. Their noodles are alright and their sashimi is always so fresh. Come down if you're by the area!! Worth a try. read more

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Fast delivery. Generous portions. Food... not very good... Was desperate for delivered dinner and settled for Kokyo. Food came surprisingly fast. I ordered the salmon teriyaki which came with rice, stir-fry vegetables, a salad and miso soup. It was a lot of food but it wasn't very good food. I probably won't come back. Lol. read more

Kokyo Japanese Restaurant - Salmon teriyaki with rice and stir-fry vegetables - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I was extremely disappointed with their food and service. I ordered the Nabayaki Soba Noodles (with broth, seafood medley, and shrimp tempura) and what I got on delivery instead was fried soba noodles, no broth, and with what i asume was chicken or maybe pork! (I do not eat meat so i couldn't eat this at all)--I couldn't believe it. This was so far from what i had ordered I was flabbergasted and frustrated (already really hungry) when I called them just asking for an explanation as to why this mistake had happened. But before I could get a sentence in they became defensive and began shouting that I had "told" them i wanted "yaki noodles with chicken" i very calmly explained that wasn't possible since i ordered through a third party delivery service and it said clearly on the receipt I did not order that (which is why i was sure the third party did not get it wrong). I spoke to two of their staff, going back and forth, by this time i was stressed, tired, and hungry, i began to cry and they just got even more defensive and never admitted to a mistake and kept insisting I had called and changed my order. It was unbelievable! I have never experienced such inconsiderate and rude service in my life. I will never order from them again and i warn anyone else from doing so as well. It was an awful experience. On top of it all the one thing they did get right (veggie spring rolls) were sad, little (small and thin like a pinky finger) and flavour-less. The least enjoyable meal i've ever had. The absolute worst. If i could rate them less than 1 star I would. read more

This place was a decent find since my boyfriend and I were in the area and looking for some sushi. We had called to make sure they were able to take us since we were getting there around 8pm. The lady on the other line wasnt too happy or energetic from the sounds of it, but still let us make the reservation. I had read many reviews saying the service wasnt on par with the food. But the photos really sold me in on this place. There was so many selections of fish and seafood from this menu. When we arrived, there was only one server which I assumed to be the lady who took the phone call, and the tone in her voice was exactly the same as on the phone; she was nor happy or energetic despite having customers. I can honestly say through the whole service she kept conversation to a minimum but was knowledge and initiative about what I wanted to order. As the food arrives the combo set miso soup and salad comes first but the soup tasted watered down since flavour wasnt as strong. The salad was ok but the bowl didnt yield any room for mixing the salad with the dressing. (but I wasnt here for a soup and salad, I was more interested in the sushi part). When the sushi arrives (we had ordered the sushi combo B set, the Toro roll and the shrimp sushi which wasnt on the menu but she told us the price of) it was all plated together, but was still somewhat separated. The sushi was superb and we loved it all, but the rolls with the combo set was skimping on the rice a bit. Overall the I gave it 4 stars since the food here is really amazing, good quality, and plenty of selections. But where it still lacks is the service, since servers are the face of the restaurant, and she clearly needs some improvement. Literally walked out of the restaurant as she failed to smile or glance as us nicely, but seemingly smiled as she conversed with a mandarin speaking table. read more

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Kokyo offers everything from chicken teriyaki to omakase and somehow manages to do it all well. Since moving here from Yonge /Wellesley, it's gotten even better. And like before, you are only paying for the food here and not the décor, cutlery or marketing. 100% hype free and what Anthony Bourdain would call "an honest good place to eat." read more

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We visited on a Saturday night and they were pretty much a full house and because of that they really struggled to serve out orders. We tried their udon which was probably the best thing we tried here. The broth was quite tasty. Roll wise, we got their veggie salmon wrap roll, negi-toro roll and their rock and roll. The fish didn't seem the freshest but taste was OK. If you're considering coming here, make sure you're in good company for some long conversations and not too hungry to start or you might be hangry before the food arrives! read more

Found this place for a Shogatsu meal on New Years Day 2021. We enjoyed a really delicious Japanese meal! Everything was tasty, and the price was fine. It's not our neighbourhood but was worth the trip. Here's to our one day at a time new year! read more

I went in for the tasting menu with my girlfriend and was quite surprised to see the portions with generous and the fish was fresh. the server was also very friendly and asked if we had spoke certain languages to accommodate us instead of just English which I found thoughtful. overall the experience was memorable and I would come again. Definitely try the uni handroll! read more

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Came here around 8pm on Sunday night for dinner and the restaurant was really quiet; we were one of two tables. Service was kind of slow considering how quiet it was. Tea wasn't served to us until order was placed. We ordered the uni hand rolls which were bomb and to be honest, I would only come here mainly for the hand rolls. We also had spotted shrimp sashimi, o-toro sashimi, and a small platter of sashimi to share. This place is definitely a good bang for your buck. Restaurant is a small dainty place own and run solely by a couple. They have a wide selection on their menu including some premium qualities such as different types of tuna bellies, shrimps, salmon roe, etc. One downfall for us is the trek to get here because it's super out of the way and we wish that they could have served us tea right when we sat down. Nonetheless, we will be back for the hand rolls! read more

We had best Uni hand roll last night. We will be back to try again! Don't expacting too much on the food presentation. The araverge of the price and food amount made it worth to trip down. (we came from mississauga) read more

First off, i have had sushi in a lot of places, including in Japan on several occasions. The sushi and sashimi here are on par with some of the best places I've been to. They use real banana leaf decorations and the rice is properly proportioned. The salmon is buttery and delicious and the rolls are beautiful and textured. We came here on New Year's Eve and this is probably why the service was a bit....curt. It wasn't slow or bad, per se. it's just that the entire operation is one couple. One man creates and one woman services 15 tables! They even finish off your meal with sliced oranges (which I think I is more of a Chinese tradition?) I will be back and recommend Kokyo read more

Owner is very friendly, introduced every dishes to us. Love the Uni !!! Best uni but the price is very reasonable. Not a very big restaurant but the food is super satisfied. Must try uni hand-roll～will introduce to frds for sure~ read more

Kokyo Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Fair price with the quality and taste. Staff was so nice and explained the sequence of sushi to take for each plate. Recommend sea urchin hand roll and otoro sushi and negitoro hand roll. They serves with real wasabi! read more

We'll drive through snowstorm for their sushi! Kokyo is my family's Friday night tradition. After working our way through the local japanese restaurants, we found Kokyo's new location is just within reach, and now head up there every week to get our fix! While we always pick up and have yet to eat in the restaurant, the atmosphere is noticeably warm, quiet, and comforting. The miso soup is always fresh and ready to prepare us for the meal to come, and with favourites like the sashi roll and salmon sashimi, we are always impressed and satisfied. In the Fall of 2017 their quality did seem to take a short dip, but we were happy to return a few weeks later to the Kokyo we love and enjoy! If you visited around this time, give it another shot! Not to be missed! read more

This is my favourite a la carte sushi restaurant. It was my favourite when they were located at Yonge and Alexander and I've followed them to their current location. Forget about AYCE sushi, this is the place to spend a little $ to get fresh and delicious fish. Highly recommended is the special named after the owner himself - Johnny Special Roll. read more

Kokyo Japanese Restaurant - Mmmmm... - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Bad service, over priced, and the old lady only wants you to order those "special and more expensive items "!

I get the feeling that some of these reviews were meant for the previous establishment, Yamasaki, and not the current one (at the listed address) because the food left much to be desired. The space definitely looked more professional than Yamasaki, but it also meant it didn't feel as homey. Average waiting time after ordering for food was fine. Service was minimal but it got the job done. The fish were definitely not fresh and some tasted like they were barely thawed from the freezer. Rolls were messy and fell apart easily. If you're looking for finesse, stay away from this place. The food was palatable and the portions were alright, but I could very easily pay the same amount for much better quality food and service elsewhere. Wheelchair-kinda-friendly simply because of the tight space. read more

The quality here has really been hit or miss. We have had some good experiences, but the last few times have all been pretty sub-par. Today we ordered a sushi boat and a roll. The fish for the sushi wasn't great - like it was still a tiny bit frozen. Also the ratio of rice to fish was way off (barely any rice). The roll was super sloppy, didn't really hold together at all, and again with barely any rice. They also seem really understaffed? Whenever we get take out, the order is never ready when they say it will be. Today we waited almost 20 min longer than what they said it would take. read more

Whew! Thought they'd closed. Just moved. I would've been apoplectic if this gem had been yet another casualty of condo sprawl. Worth the pilgrimage. The Johnny Special Roll is great, as are the uni and toro. read more

We were really upset when we found out that Johnny had closed his restaurant at Yonge & Alexander (another condo development), so we were ecstatic to hear that he had reopened. Although the new location isn't exactly close to our home in East York, it was definitely worth the drive for a special occasion dinner. The new place is smaller inside, but the food and portions were exactly as before. Johnny makes the BEST spicy tuna hand roll we've ever had, and we've had a lot. From NYC, to Chicago to Montreal, Kokyo Sushi delivers some of the freshest fish around. The portions are very generous, and some of the special fish he brings in is better than the highest priced Sushi bars in Toronto. My 5 star rating is probably a little skewed because I'm happy and full from just finishing our first dinner from the new place, but it's certainly a 4 star experience consistently. I only wish he was closer to home. I'm really looking forward to our next house party so we can order a couple of party trays! read more

Prices are doubled from usual sushi places. I remember when this place was Yamasaki. Buffet all you can eat and reasonable a la cart option . So sad. read more

We have been to this restaurant about 4 times. This is my youngest son's favorite restaurant. All the rolls we have ordered were delicious and fresh. The bento boxes were fine and reasonably priced, but not as good as the rolls. read more

Kokyo looks like the usual North American Japanese sushi place, but you do can find something that's not usual like the Wagyu sushi, blue fin toro sushi and the Uni nigiri which is a sea urchin handroll with the fish eggs. It becomes quite expensive if you order from the special menu and ask the owner what is fresh today. I went with 4 of my friend. The dining experience is just so satisfied. Average 50+ per person before tips. Their owner has a good seafood supplier, so the portion is good and the price is so dam good compare with the toro steak and sea urchin we usually can buy from the Japanese supermarket. Everything is just not like fantastic, but just so satisfied. If anyone going next time, remember ask for the special menu and it must be different experience than eating the usual NA dynamite roll... Lol read more

Kokyo Japanese Restaurant - Mackerel sushi and Forget The Name sushi. - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Great little restaurant. It looks like your usual mom and pop shop - and it is run by a mom and pop. But you'll quickly notice what is different - the menu has speciality fish and even Uni and Wagyu beef. The rice was always the proper temperature. There is nice pieces of fish. There is a good combination of seaweed and other ingredients. The more expensive fish includes blue tuna and tastes great - maybe it is not just stuck in the fridge? I saw that there are a few regulars. Many of them come from a distance and know the owners relatively well. The reviews that were surprised at the quality are correct. The timeliness was good. The decor was fine. It's just the odd location. Great place and I hope they succeed! I'll be back for sure. read more

This tiny hidden gem is well worth the money! If you like higher end sushi, definitely give this place a try! Johnny guarantees the generousity of the portions and the freshness of the fish. Make sure you call in a head of time to make reservations, since the restaurant is quite small. My favourite piece was the uni hand roll, $10 is very reasonable considering the size of it. Tried a few of the special menu fish and they're all worth the price. Averages about $50-$120 per person depending on how much you eat. I would definitely come back more often if the drive was shorter! read more

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This is my favourite sushi restaurant in Toronto and the only place that has wagu beef

I came here for takeout and it wasn't very good at all. The soup and salad were fine, but the sushi was poor quality and the salmon actually tasted off. It's unfortunate since I really want there to be a good sushi place in the neighbourhood (hell, I'll even settle for an OK place) but I guess it isn't going to happen. There are quite a few glowing reviews, so maybe it was an off day? Maybe this is a better place to eat in than take out? read more

Owner couples are super nice, sashimi are very fresh, superb! Definitely will come back with other friends!

Worst sushi ever. The waitress just pushed you to order their "Omakase", which is $100 for 10pieces. Compared to Yasu, Shoushin or Zen, this restaurant is really overpriced. And she will give you an annoyed face if you are not ordering the most expensive option. The sashimi platter is not fresh. Some of the sashimi is cooked, which is a sign of not fresh. But the uni handroll is good taste for $10 dollar per piece. I would never go this place again. read more