A very nice hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant worth trying. Besides the familial energy and service, we really enjoyed the different kind of dishes from traditional nigiri, their specialty rolls, especially the sakura flower shaped ikoi roll, and various tasty cooked dishes. They even have fried oysters, which is always a yummy treat, with its tender richness offset by a great crunch and natto roll, which is definitely worth a try at any sushi restaurant. read more

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I like this place. I'm very picky about my sushi. This is a legit Japanese owned restaurant unlike most of the sushi joints in the city. I believe it is family owned also as well. I've only ordered take out. They are always very friendly and polite on the phone. The sushi is very good, good size and properly done. The restaurant itself is quite small, maybe 5 or 6 tables? There is parking in the parking lot shared by other shops. Can't wait to be back............ read more

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Came here to get a nice sushi meal and although its far from where I live, the quality of their sushi rolls and welcoming service (even for take out) would have me coming back for more! For our meal we ordered: Takoyaki - nothing too special about these but there was a nice chunk of octopus in each ball. It was flavourful and one of their few hot dishes on the menu. House Roll - filled to the brim with different ingredients including tuna, salmon, tamagotchi's and imitation crab, this house roll was loved by the family, especially me, the imitation crab lover! Their tamago is something to brag about and even with no sauce on the roll, it had more than enough flavour. Dream Roll - Very similar to the house roll except with prawn tempura, this roll was also filled with tuna, salmon and tamago. Great choice for those who like variety and textures in their roll. Negitoro Roll - nice and fatty toro mixed with negi, one of the rolls I always use to judge a place for their sushi and Ikoi passed with flying colours! Chopped Scallop Roll - quality classic roll here with a good amount of filling and very nicely flavoured rice. It was the perfect rice-fish portion similar to the negitoro. Crispy Roll - spicy tuna with some tempura bits this was probably the most average of our assortment tonight. This roll didnt have too much tuna but the addition of tempura gave it a bit of a soggy crunch. DX Chirashi Don - Beautiful is the best word to describe this bowl. Topped with hamachi, salmon, ika, surf clam, octopus, two types of tuna, uni, tamagotchi's and eel, this chirashi are what I have dreams about. A great assortment of fresh fish and well flavoured sushi rice with little bits of seaweed in between. I LOVED this bowl and at the price, it was more than I could ask for. Overall, we loved this visit to Ikoi and would come all the time if it wasnt in new Westminster. Nevertheless, worth the drive! read more

Cozy little spot, spread out tables and bright. Closed Mondays but was open on New Year Day which was nice. Gyoza came first, crunchier shell then typical soft doughy gyoza I've had. Nice change of pace. California roll will run you $6. Pretty standard, fresh tasting. The dream roll was very tasty, the rice was extremely sticky. Friendly staff and an overall nice experience. The food was neither outstanding nor poor; just a satisfying dinner. read more

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Small Japanese owned restaurant. The menu may be small, but the food is always excellent. I have been patronizing this restaurant for over a decade and it never disappoints. read more

I always wanted to try this place. We came here as a party of 4 on a Saturday night. I would say we waited about 20 mins for a table. The restaurant is super small and yes it was very busy the night we went. Free parking can be found out in the front. We ordered a couple of dishes to share. The sushi here was so so. I didn't find it anything special. Tempura was not crunchy. Chicken karaage was the same as the tempura. The batter tasted a bit off. The unagi nigiri and the salmon nigiri were decent. The spicy salmon was spicy but didn't have that sweetness kick that I am used to. The aburi sushi was the most disappointing. It was not the aburi sushi I am used to. Super sad about that one. Big gaps in prices and quality/taste of food. Service was ok. I guess I can't expect too much for sushi in New West. I don't think I will be back. read more

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During covid, Ikoi Sushi is only open for takeout and only during dinner time. We got their chirashi don, saba battera, shrimp and scallop battera, and their crunch roll to go. The prices are a little bit on the higher side but we were quite impressed with the food quality. The fish was fresh. The little bit of avocado in the shrimp and scallop battera added nice flavour, and I was a fan of the little bit of spice there was in the crunch roll. Overall a great place for sushi in New West and one I would recommend returning to. read more

Ikoi Sushi - Chirashi don, shrimp scallop battera, saba battera, and crunch roll - Japanese Near Me - New Westminster, British Columbia

Very exceptional lady!! She was welcoming wholeheartedly and served us very nice. Got the party tray A and they were made very nicely. I could tell from the sushis that they were exceptionallh made by the japanese owner. Held the sushi with chopstick didnt break down and dipped the sushi into soy sauce and if you go to sushi garden, the sushi would probably break when you held and dipped into soy sauce, but these were well made. Thank you chef for the wonderful sushi and the service. Cheers! Very recommended! read more

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Authentic Japanese food, great quality sushi. Not a ton of selections on the menu though.

Based on the raving reviews I've seen on Yelp, I've been wanting to try this place for years. Today, my boyfriend and I finally ventured into the neighbourhood. It's quite rare to find a sushi place owned by Japanese in Greater Vancouver, so we were both excited to try some items here. We ordered the Tuna Trio, Fire Dragon Roll, Dragon Roll, and Ebi and Hotate Battera. The Tuna Trio was quite underwhelming in terms of flavour, and I found the fish to be slightly warmer than I preferred for sashimi. The Fire Dragon Roll had a nice smoky flavour from the unagi, and my boyfriend liked the slice of lemon on the Ebi Battera. Both rolls we got were quite small, but the taste is definitely better than your usual Sushi Garden varieties (also reflected in the price tag). Service is also quite good for a regular sushi joint. It would make a convenient meal for people living in this neighbourhood, but we probably won't be coming out of our way here anytime soon (especially with Victoria Sushi so close). read more

Ikoi Sushi - (L to R): Tuna Trio, Fire Dragon Roll, Dragon Roll, Ebi and Hotate Battera - Japanese Near Me - New Westminster, British Columbia

Nice small Japanese restaurant that is ran by authentic Japenese owners. I noticed many of the customers who dine seem to be Japanese as well - think that is a good sign! I was really happy to see they have zarusoba in their menu and ordered the Tempura one. It was really great for the warmer weather and refreshing. The dipping sauce was perfectly flavoured and not too salty. The rolls were good as well. Overall a nice little restaurant for lunch or dinner for some standard traditional Japanese dishes. read more

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It's one of the best decisions food with nice service and with beautiful joyful happy environment

This is definitely a hidden gem in New West! The best in town and it may be even better than a lot of Japanese restaurants in other cities. When I rate a restaurant, I always look at the quality of food first. Pricing, presentation of the dishes, ambiance and customer service are secondary. Oh man! The food was so good that I would love to eat more and always want to visit the restaurant again. This restaurant is owned and run by Japanese people. I know some Japanese restaurants in Lower Mainland are running by Korean, Chinese or even other ethnicities. This Japanese restaurant is located in New West. I was surprised that Japanese customers would come out here and eat at this restaurant at this location. We ordered a house roll, clam miso soup, chawanmushi, beef tataki, fried oysters, and deluxe assorted sushi. Their raw fish was very fresh. The seaweed wrapping the sushi was one that I did not have to chew for a long time. Some seaweed are very chewy that my teeth could not separate it. The clam miso soup was full of clams. The restaurant was not stingy on giving out clams. I had clam miso soup elsewhere. There was only a few clams in the soup. The house roll and deluxe assorted sushi were excellent. The house roll was very big but the ingredients did not fall apart. The presentation and the quality of the deluxe assorted sushi were extraordinary that every single piece of the sushi was fresh and tasty. The chef put a little bit of wasabi in each piece of sushi, so the dish did not come with wasabi. Again I always ask people to come and try the food. Don't just read my review. :D I loved chawanmushi. Some chawanmushi at other Japanese restaurants might not be good but they charged a high price. Here they put many ingredients in chawanmushi that every single spoon of chawanmushi was delicious. I am drooling even though I am writing about the food here. I should definitely go back to the restaurant and try other dishes soon. Two last good things I would like to mention were the customer service and parking. The servers were extremely polite and respectful to customers. There is a big parking lot right outside the restaurant that you don't need to worry about parking. If the parking lot is full, you can park on street in the residential area. read more

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Quick delicious & fresh sushi. Staff were very attentive. Asked for the bill and it came real quick. It was great as my biggest pet peeve is when you want to pay and leave and that takes too long. Great value - only $55 for 4 of us. read more

Ikoi Sushi - Dragon roll & Crispy roll - Japanese Near Me - New Westminster, British Columbia

Only been twice, but very good & fresh. Prices are great too. Glad they have Saki because I HAVE to have it when I get sushi. LOL. The pieces are the perfect size for maki, sashimi, nigiri etc. Tempura really good both times; not greasy & the prawns melt in your mouth. My only sushi go to place for New West thus far (been living here for almost 2 years now). I feel like these guys are either under appreciated in the neighbourhood OR everyone is good at keeping this place a secret. :D Happy Eating! Okay originally posted the above in the fall of 2017 & now it's January 2018 & I'm headed to this place tonight again. That is because it rocks. I had to follow up & give them a glowing review because they deserve it. Thank you sushi chefs, owners, servers; you're lovely. Don't change!!! There are a few variations of what I order, but generally I end up getting the same thing every visit so I will say my review only covers about half the menu. I don't typically get any of the salads or desserts so I don't know about those items. But practically everything they have, they 'nail it'. read more

Great authentic sushi restaurant. Small, personalized, friendly, and super heigh quality food. At a very reasonable price. I'll be back soon! I had the lunch bento box and it was perfect. read more

I took a sip udon soup. It had great aroma and perfectly blended broth. I asked a waitress if the chef was from west Japan. As I'm Japanese, I know the differences of broth between western Japan style and eastern Japan style. Answer was yes. They make very authentic broth. Also they recommended to have a sushi with ume (Japanese plum) because they will pickle every summer by themselves. I was so impressed with their effort to provide real Japanese dishes here. read more

A Japanese-run establishment, I heard about this place through a friend of mine who said the prices were a touch higher than the standard places around the N Road area - but significantly better! HAD.TO.TRY. We had an afternoon snack, and shared 3 items here: 2 tamago nigiri (1.25 each), tuna tataki ($8 for 7 pieces), and wild sockeye salmon (half order of 3 pieces for $6), and I thought all dishes were great! First off, I don't normally order tamago (egg), but the sweet egg is made in-house, so KN said we needed to try it! Apparently, most restaurants will order in the egg because its a time-consuming process, but we were impressed that this resto actually made the egg themselves (for a fairly cheaply-priced piece of nigiri too! :) ). It was nice and fluffy, with just enough sweetness. Also, it was sitting on a little pat of rice, which is perfect - too many places would load on too much rice as a filler. The chef did an amazing job of searing the tataki - I've never seen a piece seared that nicely before! A razor thin sear on the outside, it was served with a side of ponzo sauce (mixed with a spiced grated daikon + green onion). Great value for $8. And, while I love salmon sashimi in general, I'm starting to lean towards wild Sockeye salmon these days. Its a deeper red color, and you can really taste the freshness. Also, what impressed me a lot was that the fish was served with a shiso leaf garnish. I don't normally see this at other restaurants, but shiso has such an amazing taste, not to mention usually expensive, I stripped it to eat with the tataki. DELICIOUS. Other things that caught my eye that I really wanted to try, were the clams with sake, umeshiso roll, and the ebi & hotate battera. Will definitely be back. They also cater, but no delivery! :( While they do have a take-out menu, there are a few items that aren't listed there (vs the dine-in menu), such as the tataki and the tuna gomae. There might be others, but ask them if those items can still be done as take out. It seems they also have a string of repeat customers. When we were close to finishing up, a couple showed up and cheerfully greeted them, "Hi! We're back again :) " read more

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The service was amazing, I loved this little mom and pops restaurant! Came in on a cold windy rainy night, the tea was hot and the miso soup was some of the best I've had. The Tuna Tataki was delicious, seared perfectly and melt in your mouth in the centre. The dumplings were really good! Shared the caterpillar roll which was presented beautifully and tasted very fresh. I love any sushi place that uses natural looking ginger, not that pink stuff ;) Wish I had saved room for dessert as it looked tasty! This may become my go to spot in the area. read more

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We started going to Ikoi for the party tray, but saw they had chawanmushi and started coming here for sit down meals as well. Everything we've had there has been delightfully prepared, and we always have to include it in our choices when we want to go out. Apart from the chawanmushi, their tempura is also fried perfectly, and their sushi rice and the fish cuts have never let us down. Highly recommend it read more

Fantastic place we like almost everything, but not everything. Sushi is superb , highly recommend to go to this place

Okay, I've been to Ikoi Sushi, located in the Sapperton area of New Westminster, many times in the past so I'll keep this post relatively light. If you want to read more about Ikoi, take a look at our previous post. Back in October, I was prepping for our Japan trip by eating copious amounts of sushi and sashimi... hence my order here for a bunch of nigiri. Unagi ($2.50), Chopped Scallop ($2.00), Uni ($3.50), Ikura with Quail Egg ($2.50 + $0.50), Sockeye Salmon Aburi ($2.00 + $0.25), Toro Aburi ($2.50 + $0.25). I like how they let you customize your nigiri by adding a quail egg for $0.50 or by turning your regular nigiri into aburi for an extra $0.25. The uni was better than at Sushi S (but still not as good as the one we had in Tokyo). Still, it was creamy and not as strong or salty in flavour. I enjoyed how the ikura (salmon roe) was popping in my mouth and the toro remained buttery even after the sear. Overall, the toro (fatty tuna) was the best of the bunch. I came back for a revisit 6 months later (I know, I know... I'm really backlogged with my blog posts). In any case, I was in the mood for nigiri again so... Clockwise from the top-left: Hamachi ($2.50), Sockeye Salmon ($2.00), Amaebi ($2.50), Toro ($2.50), Tobiko with Quail Egg ($1.75 + $0.50), Unagi ($2.50), Hotate aburi ($2.00 + $0.25), and Tako ($2.00). The nigiri here has a good fish-to-rice ratio and I loved the popping of the tobiko mixed with the creaminess of the quail egg. Both the scallop and the sweet prawn were quite good and packed a bit of a kick from the wasabi underneath the sashimi. My only complaint was that I felt the unagi needed more sauce and wasn't as buttery as I would have preferred. Overall though, the food here is pretty solid. read more

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Bluefin and Sushi Heaven, better watch out, the newest kid on the block is going to make some noise here. Extra star for Japanese-owned, chef's been in business for 20+ years and it shows. Freshness of the sockeye salmon sashimi and tuna tataki outstanding. Even the TT I found a bit too thick for my liking so 7 pieces for $8 you are truly getting value. And if you're an egg tamago connossieur like me, this highly recommended. A generous portion, make perfectly light and fluffy, and not too sweet. Should've ordered another 2 of these suckers. Service also to be commended, easily topped up several times. Accept credit/debit. free parking in this plaza. It's a bit hard to spot off the main road, as it's located on the furthest side. read more

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Solid sushi place, worth noting that servers and chef can speak Japanese. The ingredients are definitely higher quality than sushi California. Nice relaxed atmosphere for those who are looking for more than just eat and dash. Tempura were absolutely wonderful, you can tell that the chef cook them with excellence by the crispy layers and ingredient texture inside the tempura, which is still the star of the show. Not oily at all. Their sushi are good, definitely fresh and sized well. Most sushi place like cali sushi packed lots of rice and ingredients - balance is off. Not this place. Price point is slightly higher for better quality. read more

Reasonable prices for decent quality sushi. Large parking lot that was nearly empty on a Sunday evening. Get the chawanmushi!!! read more

Good quality Sushi. They got great specials for unique pieces. This is one of our regular place we go for good sushi.

It was back to Ikoi Sushi, a fond favourite of ours, for dinner recently, in honour of the daughter's birthday once again, and the dining experience was a total delight. Food and service: as has always been our experience there, the Chef performed his 'magic' with the food preparations and presentations, and service was so friendly and accommodating - here's what we (threesome) ordered, shared, and enjoyed this time: -- spicy agedashi tofu -- ika sugatayaki (sliced, bbq whole squid -- prawns tempura -- assorted sashimi -- roll combo (dynamite, California, and BC (salmon) rolls -- kaki fry (deep-fried oysters) -- chicken yakisoba -- unlimited, hot green tea (provided, at no extra charge). With exception of the yakisoba, these were all dishes we have ordered and enjoyed previously. Nice presentations, and very well-made preparations. The tofu was delicious, so sweet & creamy, with just the right amount of hot & spicy sauce -- daughter and I were looking forward to the squid, and this tender & tasty preparation sure did not disappoint -- Mom sure enjoyed the prawns tempura and deep-fried oysters - they were ordered mostly for her, and the preparations were right on, daughter and I confirmed that with a taste or two -- the rolls were fantastic - thin rice coverings and such tasty, quality ingredients - major yum -- the sashimi was for daughter and I - it was served at the perfect temperature, so fresh-tasting, and much-enjoyed -- the yakisoba was a small touch disappointing - the chicken was tender & juicy, noodles decently cooked, the preparation though was a little oily, and just seemed to lack the flavour we've been used to with yakisoba preparations enjoyed elsewhere (a small negative though, as we didn't leave anything on the plate to return to the kitchen). Once again, our dining experience at Ikoi Sushi proved why it has become such a favourite of ours. It's a small, local neighbourhood, family-owned and operated restaurant, and such nice people have been putting it all together so consistently-well since they opened a few years ago. And good on them for their much-appreciated efforts! read more

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Located near the Royal Columbian Hospital, this hidden gem definitely deserves a lot more recognition! They are Japanese-owned and run, so it's one of the true authentic places in BC that aren't super expensive. The service is excellent - the older lady that generally greets & serves everyone is so friendly and chatty! She will remember you if you go there even a couple of times, and likes to get to know you, as well as your tastes. She also takes a lot of time to ensure you get everything you need, and makes some great dish suggestions. Again, since it's not a high-end restaurant, the quality is a bit more average, but definitely worth the price you pay! read more

GO FOR THE SUSHI. I know they do other things well too (gyoza, best miso soup, agedashi tofu come to mind), but where they shine is the sushi. read more

Japanese owned little restaurant. I love the takawasa here. Everything always fresh. Tamago is made in house. Different selections for sake. Even the hot sake. Great value for chirashi don. I love everything here. Nothing fancy but simple and fresh and delicious. read more

Let's make this simple: Ikoi's chef belongs to a group of Japanese-born chefs that all play golf together. If you go to a restaurant run by any of these guys, you're getting Japanese food that is authentic, especially when it comes to technique. Their restaurants are comprised of many of the best Japanese restaurants that you may already know about, and have high ratings. The ones I'm sure about include Takumi, Nao Sushi, Shima-ya, and Tokachi. The best thing about any Japanese restaurant should be its rice, and Ikoi's rice is consistently excellent. Instead of relying on rolls with stuff on top like mayo and sauces, Ikoi's raw fish offerings rely on consistent preparation and execution. A familiar analog is pasta: if the noodle is bad, then the sauce and its condiments can only do so much to save the overall dish. With sushi, the rice is everything. Outstanding rice is the hallmark for any experienced, well-trained sushi chef. Like its sushi, Ikoi's hot food is also excellent and consistent. Standouts include their teriyaki (which features housemade sauce), tempura, and fried oysters. The chef's wife does most of the serving, and she is always, I repeat, always friendly and hard-working. Ikoi is a clean, well-run Japanese-run restaurant that I hope continues to be patronized by everyone in the Lougheed/New West area. Not since Takumi was on North Road have we had a good Japanese-run sushi bar around here. read more

Japanese-owned place, as someone who lived in Japan and got to try all sorts of good sushi there, I try to find the more authentic places. It's a small, quiet family-owned restaurant with a relaxing vibe, pretty typical of the small sushi shops you see along the street in Japan. The fish is always fresh, and unlike some of the Big Names, they always have some of the more rare ingredients, e.g. uni. Their nigiri are great, the rolls are basic and let the fish and the veggies shine, nothing is smothered in deep-fried crumbs and nasty sauce. They definitely specialize in the classics. Service is always quick, I usually arrive before the scheduled pick-up time and everything is ready, I only had to wait once on a really busy night and the co-owner apologized a dozen times. read more

It's one of my favorite places. They have fresh sashimi and tempura that is nice and light. Don't expect much crazy things in the menu its just a solid authentic Japanese place with excellent friendly service and decent prices. read more

Ikoi Sushi - Sushi box f - Japanese Near Me - New Westminster, British Columbia

Worse service ever!!!!! I brought two of my kids there for dinner, first they don't offer us any high chairs since they have none! my kids(3yo kid) were there playing with the plastic plates when there were absolutely zero customers are around. the server came over shit faced us, madly took out all of out plates as well as the soy sauce and chopsticks. giving us shit for the whole time. apparently they are not baby friendly AT ALL! never ever gonna go to this place again. my kids don't deserve to get shit from this green hair waitress. they are just kids. food is not that great, sashimi are not fresh either. so don't go there if you have kids. read more

This is our favorite Sushi place. Food are fresh and place is clean. Small cozy restaurant that runs by Japanese family. Its our second time to eat here and it's always great. Definitely will keep coming back. Friendly staff and the quality of food is high end. Can't wait to try other dishes on our next visit. read more

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So, I finally tried it and I wasn't disappointed. The fish is extremely fresh. The rice was cooked to perfection and seasoned well. The meal was satisfying, the service was friendly, and the price was reasonable for the great quality. Much better than some other sushi options in the city. This place should get busier very soon. read more

Ikoi Sushi - An assortment of our feast. - Japanese Near Me - New Westminster, British Columbia

I think Ikoi Sushi is one of the best sushi spots in lower mainland for its price/quality. Ordered the deluxe assorted sushi and swapped Tuna for Tobiko with Quail egg for 50c extra. The fish slices are all sweet and fresh. The place itself is in a very quiet spot. The place is run by a Japanese family and decorated simply. I would go back again whenever I need a nice sushi fix. I feel that their standard is such that if they open a second, more high end room/floor and offer an Omakase dinner, I will definitely pay for it. read more

Ikoi Sushi - The hamachi, amaebi, uni, tobiko & quail were the best. - Japanese Near Me - New Westminster, British Columbia

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Came here on a whim because a place nearby was closed, and it was a pleasant surprise. I got takoyaki, some dragon roll, and aburi salmon nigiri. My friend got a tempura yam roll and tempura udon. The takoyaki was deliciously large and very crispy even after a while on the table. The special dragon roll didn't have any fillers, it was just salmon, tuna, unagi and teriyaki sauce which makes it great for its value. The aburi salmon nigiri was a very large slice of salmon and well seared, though a little dry. I had my friend's tempura shrimp and it was very well breaded and fried. Our bill came out to around $35 which we thought was very reasonable. This place exceeded my expectations, the service was excellent as it is family owned, the food came promptly and overall it had a very authentic and cozy atmosphere. read more

Ikoi Sushi - Tempura udon, yam tempura roll, takoyaki, dragon roll - Japanese Near Me - New Westminster, British Columbia

Ikoi #1 in New Westminster. After trying most New West Sushi. This place is the most consistent, always fresh! Service is gracious and prompt. Prices are good as well. read more

The sushi quality is quite good at Ikoi, it is reflective in their prices, which are not cheap. For the small portions though, we feel the value isn't the best. We might come back if in the area, but would not go out of our way. read more