Sushi Bar Kilala

Petit resto japonais comme dans au Japon. Les sushis et les makis sont bons.
La devanture n’invite pas forcément au premier abord mais le service est efficace et la cuisine est bonne. C’est un peu cher mais ça vaut le coup de tester.

I lived in Tokyo for 3 years and now that I am in Canada this is my sushi spot. Great people and truly authentic Japanese food. Let’s face it, if my wife thinks it’s good then it must be.

Simple and delicious sushi!
There is nothing special about the décor here, as others have mentioned, but the service is top notch and there is no better sushi to be found in the city (to be fair, there are places just as good, but you’re probably going to be paying through the nose for it!)
The menu is simple, unassuming, and delicious. They don’t offer many fancy or overloaded rolls like some restaurants do, seeming to stick to doing the basics as best they can, and it shows. I have been eating sushi since I was a child, thanks largely in part to a Japanese step-​grandmother, but I have been wary of tuna for a long time, having been very unimpressed by most places, some of them very high-​end (Tojo, I’m looking at you). The first time I ate at Kilala, though, the tuna hit my tongue with one of the most pleasant flavours I have ever had, ever! I had to order several more pieces since I couldn’t believe how good they were. Simple, but done oh-​so-​well!
I could go on, but the fact that this is now our go-​to for sushi, in a city with a limitless selection… I think that says a lot.

Easily one of my favorite sushi places. Great takeout spot and good for a casual, quick dine-​in. Their sushi is always fresh and is very reasonably priced.

This small restaurant is owned by 2 super sweet couple~ My family orders take out from here almost every week. Thier Fish is very fresh and the amount of vinegar in the rice is just perfect! When uni is in season they were one of the first place to get them (other sushi restaurant gets it 2month later in the area) and it’s one of the best creamy uni I ever had^^
I totally recommend this place for a take out~~~

Authentic sushi in the burnaby heights. Fresh and delicious sashimi and rolls. Expertly made and presented. In sushi crazy vancouver, kilala sparkles like a diamond in the rough. My favorite off the beaten path sushi joint. Owner and chef is actually Japanese, a rarity among Vancouver sushi joints. Have heard the Japanese consulate actually calls Kilala to do catering for them. If its good enough for the consulate it’s good enough for me.

Thank goodness for Kilala. In a city with so many sushi restaurants, you would think it easy to find good sushi but alas it has mostly been a series of disappointments. Perhaps largely because my boyfriend and I are not into the «special», fusion sushi craze. Kilala is a breath of fresh air in a sea of too many over-​sauced, over-​stuffed, and over-​hyped versions of what should really be simple and fresh food.
At Kilala, I appreciate that they let the ingredients speak for themselves. The seafood is fresh, tasty, and handled with care. The sushi rice has the right texture and flavour. Not packed too tight and I appreciate the rice to filling ratio in their rolls. Their nigiri is the best that I have tried so far, so although their prices are just a smidge higher than competitors in the area (I’ve pretty much tried them all), it’s money that is very well spent.
I loved finding a sushi restaurant actually owned by a nice Japanese couple. The menu is limited but you’ll find yourself coming solely for sushi anyway. The ethnic tuna & salmon, and the saba shiso roll are a must and try their battera for a different sushi preparation. I am addicted to their saba nigiri because it’s just the perfect bite for me as is their other nigiri selection (not too big, not too small).
The place itself is small, the décor rather plain but I’m not here for the décor. I’m here for good sushi. Bummed I live in Vancouver but glad my mom lives near the area, so I have a reason to come around and enjoy Kilala.

This is a great neighbourhood sushi bar, the sushi is fresh, very tasty and well priced.
The menu is focused on sushi but does have a selection of main course items such as teriyaki.
The couple that run it are friendly and they also offer a big pot of tea with your meal when you dine in!

legit sushi by the cutest japanese couple.
this place doesnt have the poshest décor or the service of a fine dining establishment — but what they do exceptionally well is sushi.
the product is always fresh and the owners are very nice, if you are in north burnaby and have a hankering for sushi — come here.

Wow an authentic sushi bar in the heights of Burnaby. It really is a jem in the city! Their sushi is amazing and the place is lovely. Owned by a Japanese couple that lived in Vancouver for a couple of years.
This place is nice and small, which is very good. It is quiet and enjoyable. Sitting by the bar is amazing as you talk with the sushi sensei. The chef is very nice and friendly. He likes to listen and talk as well. I love that the fish is very fresh and delicious.
One thing different about this place is that you must order and pay first before sitting down and eat. I didn’t do that as I spoke fluent Japanese and told them that my friend and I would like to try your good sushi for the day.
We had barely wheat tea, and a lot of nigiri sushi. They were perfectly made, the rice was perfectly packed while the rice just melted into your mouth. The fish cuts were well done, but not perfect though. The size portions is not large, neither was it small, it was a perfect mouth size. I believe we ate a lot of nigiri that day. Exploring the night of sushi. The prices for the nigiri was not bad either. It was perfectly priced and just sitting down by the bar, having tea, chatting with the sushi sensei and celebrating a great night with a friend was perfect.
Only thing was that the lighting was terrible as it was office lighting, but screw the décor and the ambiance when you have the most amazing nigiri sushi in Burnaby!
FYI: If you look outside on the left side as you leave, you can see a small influence of a zen garden outside :3

My brother introduced me to Kilala and I was a little hesitant at first. Having glanced over their menu, I noticed their food choices were limited (in contrast to other sushi restaurants).
That being said, Kilala is one of the few traditional sushi bars left in town. My criteria for traditional is simple:
a) Japanese owned and operated.
b) Sticking to the original styles of nigiri sushi as opposed to fusion.
In many places, we notice more and more Japanese fusion-​inspired rolls. Nothing wrong with that, however, if fusion is what you’re looking for, Kilala won’t be your cup of tea.
Quality sushi, decently priced and large proportions are the three prominent attributes I can bestow upon Kilala.
I would highly recommend a visit!

I came here when I first moved to Burnaby Heights — and I remember it was pissing rain out and the chefs and the hostess greeted me with a smile — made my day!
The staff always seem happy and are friendly. The food is quite good.

This is a hole in the wall that I would never have found unless I was walking. It’s at the edge of Burnaby Heights across from the Happy Honda and beside Pizza Hut. So it’s off the main drag. The sushi was very fresh and for the price very good. The couple that owns this restaurant are wonderful people and they had really good sushi combos from just under $ 6. Definitely in the top 3 best sushi spots in Burnaby Heights!

What a gem hidden away up in North Burnaby! This is a very small, family run sushi restaurant in a non-​descript location. I had gathered up a group of 7 friends and family for lunch, and for the ease of ordering I ordered up three sushi platters for our two tables that we pushed together. The chef was super fast in preparing our platters such that those that had to be back to work by a specific time had plenty of time to eat and be on their way. We ordered a variety of rolls and nigiri pieces, both raw, cooked, and veggie, and we were all more than satisfied with the impeccible quality of the fish and other ingredients. And the price can’t be beat — we had a huge amount of food and it came out to around $ 12 per person. $ 12 per person! For excellent, excellent sushi! That is just unbelievable. Highly recommended, well worth the drive if you live in Vancouver.

To be honest, this hole in the wall is nothing special for me. I’ve been in there once, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be going back again.
Food prices were decent — but the selection was not my cup of tea. From what I remember, there wasn’t any cooked food and all sushi and sashimi. Please don’t quote me on that though. I’m all for raw food — but somehow they just didn’t tickle my tongue.

If it weren’t for the other reviews on this handy-​dandy site, I wouldn’t have looked twice at this unassuming sushi bar. Kilala doesn’t look like much, sandwiched between the Pizza Hut and the Dolphin cinemas, just past the cooler, Italian-​Greek part of Burnaby Heights.
They don’t do noodles, tempura, or teriyaki — just sushi and sashimi presented on rustic ceramic plates. As other reviewers noted, you order at the counter and they bring it out to you when it’s ready — table service is minimal. I had to ask for extra plates, and you serve your own tea (free if you’re eating in) from the urn in the corner.
I suck at estimating the amount of sushi I can comfortably eat, so I had lots of leftovers to take home, which were wrapped up expeditiously.
Here’s my run down:
Kilala House Roll — When they say «thick roll» they’re not kidding. It was intimidating huge, stuffed with crabmeat, avocado, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, not to mention the rice and a bit of smoked salmon on top. You really need a knife and fork to cut each round into sections. I was glad I ordered only a half roll.
Oshinko Maki — a normal maki roll with Japanese pickle. Very tart and refreshing, and like the other maki, a bit looser in the assembly than sushi you might be used to. But that’s cool.
Spicy Salmon Maki — They’re not kidding. I added a bit of wasabi paste on top, and yowza! That thing packs some blowback. My nose may have exploded.
Salmon, Tuna and Tekka (Cucumber) Maki — Right up there with the best I’ve had.
Pressed Ebi Sushi — This was interesting. It’s got the shrimp on top, and inside the rice mixture. Again, I added some wasabi paste under the shrimp and whoa back.
Miso Soup — Thank the lord for the one hot thing on the menu because Kilala was freezing cold! Also apparently homemade, not from a mix. Smoooth.
It was pretty busy the whole time we were there, but we scored the four-​person table in the back, and they didn’t seem to mind us lingering. The sushi chef just did his thing while his partner bustled about with a straight face. My only wish was that they maybe turn up the heat just a tidge. Or that I had brought a sweater.

After reading reviews on Kilala from all over and seeing great reviews, I decided to check it out for myself with my friend and girlfriend. Luckily it was just the 3 of us and not our usual group of 6+. Kilala really is quite a small place with their largest table probably only able to seat about 6 people at the most, along with 2 smaller tables that seated 2 and 4 people in addition to the bar.
We arrived about quarter to 6 on a Saturday night and the tables were all taken so we got front row seats at the bar which has chairs for another 4 or 5 people.
As mentioned by others, you first place your order at the cashier and they’ll bring it to you. Prices are very reasonable for what you get, the service is quick and we didn’t have to wait very long for our orders.
The sushi was very good which explains why the Japanese consulate orders from them. I’ve been to a few Japanese run places and this one has been added to my list as one of my top favorites.
My only complaints about Kilala is that the size of the place may make it hard to get a seat so takeout is probably the way to go, and finally, being a little nitpicky here, I found that the rolls were a little loose and came apart easily if you weren’t too careful about it. But having said all that, the quality of the sushi outweighs all of that and I will definitely be back for more whether it be takeout or dine-​in.
I should add, there is free parking around the back, but we weren’t aware of this until after we got inside, and I’m not entirely sure if there is a rear entrance or if you just have to walk around the block to come in the front.

This is a small sushi bar owned and operated by a very nice Japanese couple. They apparently supply the Japanese consulate with sushi on a regular basis. The fish is always very fresh, and prepared well. When you sit for dinner it is amazing the number of people that come and go for take-​out orders. In addition to the Japanese consulate, they clearly have a devoted following among soccer moms rushing home from picking up the kids! I do wish it was closer to downtown though, as it is quite the schlep along Hastings to get out there!