I'm usually very picky when it comes it good sushi. I stopped by Ki-Isu for the first time. I was actually surprised at how good the food was. I tried the miso soup and spicy dragon roll. My friend had a miso soup and the sweet mango roll. Both of enjoyed the food. Location is pretty cute and laid out really well. Would love to come back again read more

The service here was really great! The place is pretty small so it was easy to catch the attention of the friendly staff. The food was pretty average. We ordered: 1. Angry salmon roll - though it had an extra spicy symbol on the menu I felt it was lacking the kick I expected. 2. Krazy dragon roll - this was great. The rolls were saucy, spicy, and packed with flavor 3. Spicy chicken donburri - filling and good portion size. I just felt like the sauce was a little too sweet and wasn't the biggest fan read more

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My go-to neighborhood spot. Best salmon oshi in Yaletown! You can't beat their bento box selection, a lot of food for a great price. Recently remodeled offering a modern vibe. Complimentary green tea and service with a smile. Highly recommend. read more

We ordered two miso soup, Salmon/Avocado roll, California roll, Spicy Salmon roll and Edemame as a Pick up To-Go order. When we arrived home it was a big mess in the carry-out bag. The miso soup had spilt all inside the bag. As a business you want to make sure when the order is "TO-GO" you package accordingly. That is your responsibility. We got home and half the miso soup was gone, our chop-sticks soaking wet and a mess on our hardwood floor. It had been so simple to prevent this. Bag the liquids or at least tape it or elastic band it. The sushi itself was not that great. It was tasteless and bland. I couldn't figure out why the salmon in the salmon roll was a different colour than the salmon in the spicy salmon and salmon/avocado roll? The miso soup (what was left of it) was also stale and just not enough taste and barely any soy. I wouldn't go back. Especially since Vancouver is a sushi city! read more

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I went to this restaurant twice within a month. The first time the experience was pleasant, service was prompt and friendly, the food tastes good, and the price was very reasonable. I ordered lunch special C (beef teriyaki). I would have rated 4 stars for this occasion. I happened to be in the same area again a couple weeks later. Because of the good previous experience, I ate at this restaurant again. This time the experience wasn't as pleasant, the service was still friendly. However, once I sat down and touched the table with my forehands, I felt it was sticky. The table was not wiped thoroughly and the servers were too busy. So I got some napkins and wiped the table myself. I ordered the spicy chicken donburi. it was the right temperature (hot) and the right spicyness. I did not regret ordering it. But when I tasted my friend's sushi from lunch special C (the same one I ordered during the previous visit), I immediately could tell it was not as fresh as last time. So my conclusion is the freshness of the food is not consistent. read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Lunch Special C (beef teriyaki) - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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First time here. Food was amazing. Super delicious. Staff was friendly and patient... not rushed All covid precautions in place. Have a very pleasant lunch read more

I typically come here on Tuesday nights after running with the Van Run meetup sushi run group. I find the service here to be generally good to excellent depending on who is working there on any given night. Compared to other yaletown Japanese restaurants the prices are reasonable and are on the lower end of the range. This is more of a Japanese fusion restaurant with lots of specialty rolls which are heavily sauced. The fish is fresh and i have consistently had good meals here. A solid mid-range sushi restaurant. read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Good sushi but I just ordered the regular rolls. If you order smart you will get a lot for your $. I will be going back to try special rolls. I ordered salmon avocado and dynamite rolls. They were good quality but nothing unique from any other sushi place. read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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My friend and I were planning to eat at a park in Yaletown so we grabbed sushi from Ki-Isu. We got the Dynamite combo and the Ki-isu Combo. The sushi was fresh and tasty and you can wait outside and they'll bring the food out to you if you get takeout. They are also open for dine in now. The only thing was that I didn't know the Ki-isu combo would be so small. It would be good if they could list how many pieces each combo had? read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - two trays of sushi - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I don't think I could've received worse service. Unbelievable. The place isn't very big, I don't know if the waitresses were overwhelmed with to go orders and sit down orders but wow it was bad. I asked for a water and it never arrived. I politely reminded the waitress and she brought one over. Having traveled all day, I was quite parched and quickly drank what she brought. It was not refilled until I requested another water. It took forever to receive my bill and even then the waitress was not friendly. I don't understand. The sushi was decent - very cheap. I would not return based on the service and quality of sushi. read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Tuna roll, dynamite roll, California roll - together in a combo deal - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Incredible sushi! Super delicious, speedy service and well priced. So stoked to have found this gem! Will definitely be eating here again soon!! read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Seriously delicious sushi!! Super fresh and tasty. Great service and decent pricing. Definitely coming back for more! - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

In a sea of sushi restaurants you had better bring your A game every day, and this establishment doesn't. The sashimi recently has been room temperature and sometimes sinewy, the whole place is looking worn and in need of paint and a deep, deep cleaning. Fine for a cheap feed I guess, but no longer for me. read more

This is definitely a place I'm going to keep going back to! Great sushi, they were quick and the prices are amazing! Came with a couple friends, we got a large sake, salmon sashimi, 3 rolls and the total was about $65. It's close to the sky train station as well. Crunch crunch - wow! Must get. That's all I'm going to say. Get the full order, as each piece is quite small. I liked that though, there wasn't a lot of rice. I came here just for the brown rice salmon cake so definitely got that. I'm a little confused why it's called that but the rice isn't brown. Am I missing something? We wanted another one so we asked our server, and she recommended the tuna cake that was similar to the salmon cake. Forget the salmon!! The tuna was so much better!!! And I love salmon more than anything else so really, get the tuna. Our server was really nice and friendly. The only downside is they closed pretty early. It was a Thursday and they closed at 9:15pm. I also don't think there's a way to make a reservation. read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Brown rice salmon cake, and the tuna cake (forgot it's name) - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I'll start off by letting you know that I'm a sushi junkie. I started eating sushi about 35 years ago and I typically eat it at least once per week and often 2 or 3 times a week. I've gone to a countless number of different sushi restaurants. I have several favorites but Ki Ishu is the one I go to most often. There are 4 types (or 4-star ratings) of sushi restaurants ( as per my chart). 1 star is inexpensive, large quantity (lots of rice but thin fish) lower to good quality. 2 star is good quality, quantity, and price. 3 star is great quality, reasonable quantity, and price varies. 4 star is a high-end restaurant with smaller portions, higher prices, and quality is great. I aim for 3 star. I like lots of fresh fish, minimal rice and to pay a reasonable price for it. Ki Ishu is it hands down. Fresh fish that glistens, best rice out of all my favorite places, portions are great and all at a reasonable, if not, great prices. It's not a fancy place but it's clean and the decor is really nice. The service is fabulous. I have had to wait sometimes but that's only when they are busy not because they are ignoring you. They always remember me and my order. Tea is served promptly and hot (unless they are super busy, which is understandable). They have a few tables outside. The bathrooms are ok...clean but very small. My other favorite sushi places are great too but the prices are higher. I often get the Chirashi Bowl which is min 13 good sized pieces of fresh sashimi (menu reads 12) on a big bowl of rice. They always add higher end pieces like Toro (tuna belly), Hamachi (yellowtail), and tako (octopus) or ebi (shrimp raw or cooked). You get a bowl of miso soup and green tea of course...all $19. They have a good selection of "worth it" appies. The salads are unique and fabulous. The rolls are great (not mostly rice) even the rice tastes great. I uploaded a pic. you can't see the rice but it's there :) read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Chirashi Donburi - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I was told this Japanese restaurant is a must try so today I did, and it was definitely worth the try. We ordered the spicy combo, lunch box B and salmon maki with cream cheese. All the items were good and more than sufficient for 2 people. The crocket lunch box was fresh and the croket was crispy and hot. The spicy combo was fresh and great for the price. However, I wish they added more of the spicy sauce in the roll. Salmon maki was good and it was $4.50 with cream cheese. They are not dining in yet, so we did a take out and enjoyed it in a park. I would definitely recommend this restaurant in Yaletown and I'm going back. read more

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a long time ago i have ki isu 4 stars. however i have seen their customer service decline since then. They seem to be understaffed. most recently i ordered take out and it was delayed by about half an hour. also they take very long to take your order or check in on you or even give you tea. they have improved the looks of ki isu but the quality of service has suffered. i wish they understood that the quality matters more than appearance. it used to be my go to place for Sushi but not anymore. read more

I'm surprised to see this quality around this neighborhood. Food was not overpriced and quality was up to the bar. Unfortunately, toro stack is no longer served here and black rice is not available during COVID-19. read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Aburi Tuna Stack - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I was craving sushi and found this place because it was close to where I was downtown. I was very surprised how much i enjoyed the yam & mushroom roll! the other items i got were good too, and they were quick. If you're looking for a quick yummy meal this place is great! read more

Me and my family have been eating here since 2016 and it's 2020 now and we are still in love with this place. Their sushi and lunch & dinner boxes are amazing and their prices are very reasonable! Crunch crunch roll is one of our favourites and the environment is also very cozy. Definitely a 5 star review as 10+ year customer read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

these Korean-owned sushi places are really picking it up! Ordered their signature sushi roll, the Crunch crunch roll, tuna w/ their spicy house sauce, and tempura bits, have to say it's worth a repeat, and def the full roll next time. just trying to watch my weight and ate the 1/2 roll ;) nice typical yaletown decor, a lot of black, and friendly service. even a few patio tables for those who want fresh air or check out the eye candy. read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This place is just ok. The best thing is the location because I like a lot pacific st and it is close to my work. I went for lunch and I noticed the floor was very dirty with wasabi and old food. It didn't make sense to be like that since the restaurant is quite small and was almost empty. I had Beef teriyaki Don ($10) and I tasted ok. The rice comes on the side which I dont really like. i would prefer having the rice with the beef in the same bowl. In my opinion there are better beef teriyaki don in the same area with better price too. My friends also noticed that it was pricey comparing to Umeda, Sushi Maro and Yamato. read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Chicken Teriyaki Don - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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The best. Interesting fusion rolls. Fresh. Delish. One of the only places in Van where you can sit outside and eat sushi.

On a cold and wet Saturday night I met a friend for sushi at Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant. It was a short but wet walk for me, but when I arrived the place was empty! 545 pm on a Saturday night? This seemed to be an ominous sign! My friend arrived a bit later and he was surprised that the place was empty too. He said that when he walks by the place is usually full and the line up is out the door! Being a Sherlock Holmes fan and a student of deductive logic I surmised that Vancouver people are afraid of the rain! Come on people its rain not rocks! Haha Anyways the sushi was excellent! We had a bunch of rolls. I don't know the name of all of the rolls we had, but they were all good (see attached pictures). The ingredients were fresh and tasty! I especially liked the Crunch Crunch Roll... spicy tuna in the middle surrounded by a sea of tempura batter... Yummy! I also liked the toro.... it's an all time fave of mine. It's like eating butter... smooth... The service was excellent! Our waitress was very attentive and our tea cups were never empty! My only tiny complaint.... hmmm... english was not a strong suit here! I asked the waitress twice what roll she was serving us and she repeated it twice but I could not pick up what she said. To save her (or myself) from further embarrassment I gave up asking. Overall, an excellent experience! One I shall repeat in the not too distant future! read more

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We sat at the bar, which I always enjoy as you can watch them make your sushi rolls :) The service was a bit slow as they tried to bring out multiple rolls at the same time and there were quite a few takeout orders at that time. I also wish the menu was a bit more descriptive (I often didn't know whether there would be mayo or sauce in the rolls). We ordered a few rolls and some individual sushi pieces and everything tasted really good. read more

Ki-Isu Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Small little joint that can fill up quickly. Turnover would be a lot quicker but it seemed like all the takeout orders had priority over the diners. Definitely try the aburi toro sushi; though a tad heavy on the mayo, the black rice, tempura and fish combination was amazing. The mango and salmon steak roll was also flavourful and bigger than expected. Skip the toro sashimi and maybe opt for salmon sashimi instead. Very poor quality sashimi unfortunately as the aburi was also toro and tasted amazing. Ours was still a bit frozen in the centre and was likely not defrosted properly. Big hits and big misses but I wouldn't write it off. Note: not sure if it was a coincidence but we came by a few times when the restaurant was supposed to be open to find it closed so maybe try to call ahead read more

Deliciousness! I definitely consider Ki-Isu as one of the better contemporary sushi joints. I highly highly highly recommend the Brown Rice Salmon Cakes, Toro Stack, and California Salad. These were the dishes I enjoyed the most since you wouldn't be able to taste something similar at your typical sushi restaurant. Their rolls are well made with a good fish to rice ratio. I also like how they have black and brown rice ready for substitutions. However, I did try their Hamachi sashimi and found it kinda meh, I was definitely expecting something better from here. One main complaint would be for the inconvenient non-descriptive menus. On their menu, you will find a list of special rolls with names such as "Dancing Dynamite Roll" or "Krazy Dynamite" that you would have no idea what's in it unless specified. It's annoying for the customer to have to ask what it is and probably just as painful for the servers to have to explain every single time. But luckily the service is good and they're always open to answer any questions. read more

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The roll we had was huge. I like the special rice they have. Staff were nice. All the ingredients were fresh. Reasonably priced too. We will be back to try other things on the menu. The only bad thing was the lack of descriptions of most of the rolls in the menu. Ok so we went back...the rolls are too big(in an annoying way). Didn't like the crispy deep fried tempura type batter they put in between the rolls either. read more

I wish I could give 3.5 stars, but I can't, so I'm rounding up. This place is good, better than average, but not "great". It sure was better than I thought it would be as, from the outside, it looks like a little hole-in-the-wall joint. The food was better than I had expected it would be, that's for sure! Hubby and I visited around 1pm for lunch. We were seated right away (I was pleased that a table was available, as the restaurant is super small and most tables were taken), and I noted that the place was clean (the table, chairs and floors. I always take note of this). Hubby and I both ordered lunch specials. The prices were very reasonable and the meals came with various small side dishes: -hubby had some sort of chicken dish over noodles or rice. He said the chicken was delicious, some of the best he's ever had at a Japanese restaurant (that says a lot!). The miso soup was average (mine was cool. I gave mine to my husband. He'll eat/drink anything), as was the small side salad. -I ordered a vegetarian sushi roll meal. The miso soup was so-so (it was tepid), but the little side seaweed salad was okay. The sushi itself was better than average but the avocado in some, although generously portioned, was over-ripe and a tad too mushy, and the carrot-based sushi had a bit too much ginger in it for my taste (this is so subjective, I admit. Others might love this extra ginger zing. All I know is, whenever I've had this type of vegetarian sushi before, it's not had this ginger added). The server was a lovely girl who was very attentive and got our meals right and even brought me extra tea when she saw I finished my initial cup. Very nice! I should note that the ladies at the neighboring table ordered a variety of sushi rolls and they all looked delicious and it was clear that they were enjoying them all. I would definitely return to try more sushi types. And hubby said he'd definitely order his chicken again. read more

Ki-Isu Sushi is becoming one of my favourite places for take out sushi in the Yaletown area. I usually get the Salmon/Tuna Donburi ($14.50) which comes with 4 pieces ea and a healthy portion of rice and sprouts. I find the fish to be of exceptionally fresh quality for the price I pay. The order also comes with a complementary side of miso soup. The staff are also very warm and welcoming. read more

Great location just a block from the Canada Line. Didnt need a reservation on a Saturday night which was nice. Menu really needs to explain what their specialty rolls are. A name like "red bomb" or "ki isu special roll" means nothing to your clientele. Our server was friendly enough and explained all the rolls to us. Also kept our tea topped up quite consistently which was nice. Speaking of the red bomb roll, its cream cheese on the inside with salmon and ikura on top. Not bad flavour wise but they really put too much rice in this roll. I also ordered the california salad which has deep fried california roll in it. I found the dressing to be quite sour and the seaweed that was deep fried to be very soggy. I would highly recommend the toro stack, great flavours and textures. I preferred it over the brown rice salmon cake which didnt look like the pictures I've seen. There was also way too much rice and the flavours were lacking. All in all, decent food at decent prices. Not sure if I'd go out of my way to come here but I happened to be in the area. read more

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Anyone who knows me knows that I am an avid sushi lover have been for 15 years! I am so disappointed to say that my sushi eating days may in fact be over. Having sushi from Ki-isu multiple times over the last couple of weeks, I was impressed with the fresh tasting sockeye salmon and the tasty rolls that they offer. Today however, upon my leisure afternoon, I had more time to sit alone and savour my meal. it was while bring a piece of salmon to my mouth (after already eating half my order of sashimi) that I noticed something weird. At first I thought it was stringy tissue but upon further inspection ... nope... tissue should not move like that... OMG... IT'S A WORM (PARASITE) !!! After unsuccessfully trying to throw up the half order of salmon sashimi and yam avocado roll that I had ordered I have been left feeling sick to my stomach. And then the spiral of thoughts... Did the sushi from two nights ago that I ordered for a dinner partly also have worms and I was just too distraced to notice? What kind of worm is it... oh gawd I don't want to be featured on "Monsters Inside Of Me". Here is hoping that I don't really get sick and that a worm doesn't burrow through my stomach wall! (I know that's unlikely) Now in addition to wasting $15 on a quick take out lunch (that I obviously couldn't finish), I now have to go spend $50 on some probiotics. I am so grossed out! PS: I called the restaurant to let them know they should check their product and the girl who answered said she was so sorry. read more

I'm really beginning to think that I'm a sushi-snob! I settled in on a wimpy sushi combo for some sustenance. I was humming and hawing over the special rolls, but they lacked adequate descriptions on the menu and my adventurous meter was turned to low key. Flavourful and unexpected miso soup arrived-- I didn't know it came with the meal --gotta love that little surprise in the form of tasty broth! The California Roll was on the soggy side but it did have lots of yummy, crunchy roe on it. There was no wild salmon on the menu (as far as I could see) but the salmon nigiri was decent and the tuna was melt in my mouth, which always wins in my books! I was really surprised how much I liked the dynamite roll! Tempura was perfectly crispy and the prawn wasn't dry and overcooked. Even the mayo had the right amount of tang! The looks of the el cheapo take-away special listed on their sandwich board has me thinking I'll be stopping in for some of that action again soon! read more

Ki-Isu is a decent sushi spot in Yaletown. The decor is no frills, and the food is straightforward and reasonably priced. We ordered the salmon, tuna and toro sashimi as well as the negitoro and caterpillar rolls. The sushi was good quality and fresh, although, not as flavorful as it could have been. Service was sketchy, for sure. There was only one server for the whole restaurant and she was frazzled. We had to ask for everything: napkins, dishes, chopsticks, water, soy sauce, and each item was brought out one at a time and painfully slow. I'm not one to usually dock stars for service (unless it is terrible), and this isn't an exception. Three stars for decent sushi. Not bad at all. read more

Visited a few times now and really like it. A small place but worth the wait to get a table. Staff are quick and friendly. You'll find your usual sushi fare but also a few extra surprises like the 'salmon cake'. It's a brown rice mixture layered with avocado salad, something crunchy, and topped with melt in your mouth salmon. It comes in an order of five large pieces and I absolutely love it. They have some visually decadent sushi rolls that will make a sushi purist's blood pressure rise, but it's all so tasty! read more

* Renovating * Passed by today and they are closed with a big sign saying that there will be a 20% discount after they re-open. The work crew looked mighty busy inside doing the renovations. Hopefully it will be a nice reno job, and the food will be the same when they re-open! read more

The sushi has been solid everytime I've come. It's the bf's favourite place so we get takeout here a lot. Our fave is the spicy tuna combo which is a whole lot of spicy goodness. It's not lifechangingly good, but it's never been bad... in fact, I'm craving it right now! Ahhh... THe service is great and super friendly. The only drawback is that sometimes it's insanely hot in there. I feel bad for the cooks with their full-on outfits when it's smokin in here because they're stuck in there for hours. Don't know how they do it. Some fun creative rolls here too, though I usually stick with the boring old faves because Ty is so in love with it! read more

I just don't understand the reviews, maybe it was an off night for these guys. But seeing as how I spent over $20 on mediocre take out sushi, I just can't afford to go back and give them another chance. Ordered Toro Sashimi, Unagi Roll, and the Spicy Tuna Dynamite Roll. Unagi: The roll was very small, falling apart, no flavour. Toro: Decent, not worth the over $10 it cost though. Tuna Dynamite: Again, lack of flavour, small. I got probably 25% less food than I would have normally got in a similar order in most other places, it cost 25% more, and tasted about 25% worse. All that and I had to wait over half an hour for my order to be ready. Argh. read more

To all of the people talking about their "great quality of fresh fish" you do realize that it's farmed salmon here, correct? Food was okay, but I doubt i would ever go back read more

Came here after reading good yelp reviews. I'm a really big fan and will be returning. The outside of the place is non-descript and the inside is somewhat stuffy but otherwise fine. They had some cute artwork on the walls and were playing Bill Evans / Miles Davis which I guess goes well with sushi. They have a standard menu which has all the usual suspects and combos and is reasonably priced and a separate spring menu with some more creative items. Miso soup was standard, california combo was good and reasonably priced. The California roll was good (rice was cooked/seasoned nice), shrimp and salmon sushi were fresh, particularly the shrimp which was really plump and juicy, but the tuna sushi were absolutely fantastic. They have the right proportion of fish to rice and it was some of the fattiest tuna I've had. My dinner partner ordered something called the Healthy Spicy Chicken Ricebowl. This dish was absolutely fantastic and I'll probably be back tomorrow to order it. Its not healthy per-se, but its a rice bowl topped with mixed green salad, mushrooms and bean sprouts sauteed in sesame oil, broiled chicken, and it comes with some korean spicy paste. Its not Japanese by any means but reminds me of this favorite korean dish which is the same thing but with fish instead of chicken and raw vegetables, not cooked. it was absolutely delicious and I can't wait to come back and try it. read more

Delicious, fresh, quick! Very friendly service. My favourite neighbourhood sushi joint! They also deliver after 5:00 pm. read more