KiBo Restaurant and Lounge

Very unpleasant experience from start to finish! On trying to make a reservation using a prix fixe coupon ‘Dinner for 4′ and letting the restaurant know that our 4^th party might not be able to make it, I was told that I could not have a reservation and that I should get a refund! Frustrated and vaguely insulted by the senselessness of the conversation but not wanting to rearrange our evening on the day of, my husband, in a separate intervention agreed to working things out with our server once there. On arrival, with our 4^th party not able to make it as previously noted, we were unceremoniously seated with a stack of menus and again told the ‘Dinner for 4′ could not be honoured as 4 «BODIES» were needed to validate the coupon. Incensed, I asked if we should perhaps drag a homeless person in from the street to fulfill the ‘BODY COUNT’ and would have left then and there if it had not been the case that this venue was chosen for its proximity to the theatre where we had tickets for a show after our meal. Following this very unpleasant exchange, the offer was made of a ‘Dinner for 2′ with a surcharge to add on an extra portion for our 3^rd person. So, to add insult to injury not only did we not get what we had paid for but we had to pay extra for what we did not get (with the Dinner for 2 different than that of our previously purchased Dinner for 4)!! The service was largely inattentive: menus sat on the table halfway into the meal, we were not offered a beverage service and again halfway through the meal on having to ask if they had tea were promptly told that there was a charge for it. Empty dishes were not removed from the table until held up in the air as the server was passing by; apparently busy in an empty restaurant; ours being the only table. The food itself was not anything Obaasan would entertain as authentic or fitting for guests; the miso soup unremarkable, the salmon tartare (where was the salmon?) greasy and tasteless, shortribs cold, dry and tough and the sushi block reminiscent of day-​old stuff sold at grocery store takeout counters. The sole dish having any veracity was the udon having just the right bite and citrus twang to offset the seafood and salty smoke of the bacon bits. We would do a dishonour to Japanese culture, artistry and the food we love to ever, ever consider this horrible restaurant again.

Ambiance lovely minus the two tv screens at the bar
Quiet in the early part of the night, gets a little busier later (Saturday)
Menu has variety — I had Assorted seafood with signature miso sauce for $ 12 (there were mini scallops and miniature shrimp (dried) with rice. Nothing else. No vegetables except for one slice of mushroom — weird. Bowl was extremely hot throughout meal and half empty. Came to $ 15 with tip. Waste of money.
Service was attentive and good — although I was told I could take home my meal it was going to be so filling and big — not true for two of us
Food presentation was lovely for other items ie. sushi, cold soba on shredded ice etc.
DJ played 5 seconds and then stopped — probably testing sound (around 8:30pm)
Groups of 10 or more — automatic 20% tip on bill

Really not a good value, even with the groupon. Mussels were decent but everything else was poorly executed with cheap ingredients. Funniest dish was the vegetable tempura — $ 9 for 4 pieces, one of which was a piece of tempura lettuce.

Came here for a group party and the service was all over the place. Food was given to the wrong people, things that were ordered came half an hour later and things put on the wrong bills. This is even after they took orders under people’s names.
Food was mediocre at best. Aburi had no flavour and tasted like rice. Chicken was soggy, and fried rice was burnt.
Wouldn’t recommend coming. Food and service left a lot to be desired.

Kibo Japanese restaurant on Hamilton.
Amazing dishes with flavors that will amaze you. Sablefish with grilled veggies unique charred BBQ flavor. Hilton roll with a mild spicy /​tangy sauce that will make you want to lick the dish. We are definitely going back to try more items on the menu. Can hardly wait.

Great food. We were there early, so it was quiet. Great tempura.

The food was good especially their special sushi rolls. The patio was very spacious. Servers could use a bit more authenticity and friendliness.

The only reason it has one star is because their chicken wings are amazingly good (and its only $ 6 per dozen during happy hour 5−630pm).
Zero stars for professionalism for both kitchen staff and management there. We ordered the volcano rolls which has tuna inside — which are blocks of tuna that are hard; does not look anything like the menu and tasted like you got it from a sushi to go place. The worst is that there was tuna BONES, yes bones inside our volcano roll. And off course like any other customers, we are concerned, so we let our waitress know — she was apologetic and will advise the manager and they will replace with a new one, they said.
Then 5 minutes later the «new/​replacement» roll came out and guess what its still the same one but re-​plated. The kitchen did NOT make a new one but they just transferred it to another plate. We knew because the food is cold and I personally poked the hard tuna with my chopstick and the mark on the tuna is still there. I was shocked! We told the waitress again, and she said its miscommunication because the chef is japanese and unable to speak english, but thats also a lie because I can hear the chef talking english fine from where I am sitting.
So what they did is replace it with a different item on the menu instead.
Manager didn’t even come by to apologize. Will not come back unless its happy hours and only for their chicken wing. Don’t buy the groupon because food is overpriced anyways.

It’s been over a year since I first tried KiBo Restaurant and Lounge. This time I went during a weekday happy hour when all the nearby Yaletown restaurants were basically dead — which means you can expect dedicated service instead of harried servers rushing around a busy restaurants.
So, service at KiBo was ace — even though we were also using a Groupon. Beautiful day out, not too hot, so we sat on the patio instead of the lounge-​like interior which hadn’t been dimmed and lit for after-​sundown service since it was still broad daylight out.
Chicken Karaage ($ 7) Deep fried chicken wings
— Ten wings for $ 4 during happy hour.
— Reasonably sized wings (not the super-​small ones you sometimes get at wing places).
— Moderately thick and fun-​crispy batter on the wings, but not really tasty on their own. If they were seasoned, it didn’t stand out particularly.
We were offered hot sauce for the wings but declined. I think the wings needed something, though.
— Came piping hot but I recommend against eating them right away when they are too hot, as you are focussing too much on the heat to really savour whatever flavour they have.
Ika Sugatayaki ($ 11) Whole BBQ marinated squid in our signature sauce
— Still as good as I remembered it.
— Citrusy dip provided is not really necessary since there is a lovely grilled flavour mingled with the seared-​on sweet sauce.
— Comes pre-​sliced, but some slices not fully cut through, so picking up one could end up pulling the neighbouring two slices as well.
Oysters ($ 1 each during happy hour, minimum order of 3)
Japanese Short Ribs ($ 7) BBQ short ribs marinated in a signature sauce
— Done in the same way as the squid and just as delicious.
— Really thinly cut (about 3 mm thick?) ribs.
— Really too cling-​to-​the-​bone to get all of the meat unless you use your fingers.
Kibo Roll ($ 14) Avocado and cucumber topped with sliced seared tuna and salmon with Kibo sauce
Mango Roll ($ 13) Prawn, avocado, smoked salmon and basil with mango on top
Volcano Roll ($ 12) Deep fried roll with spicy tuna and avocado
Sushi was okay. Something about them felt strangely plain to me, and for that reason they also felt overpriced by about 50%.
Our order (plus one more makizushi roll I can’t remember at the moment, but probably the California Dream) came out to $ 80.85 after tax and tip. After factoring in a $ 11-​for-​$ 30-​value Groupon, it was still around $ 20 per person before tip, which is acceptable for dinner.
After taking into account the fact that you are in a swanky Yaletown location, KiBo prices are okay. Still, go during happy hour if you can for more reasonable pricing. If you are a heavier eater or especially hungry, go to somewhere like Sushiholic or Sushiville instead to get more sheer quantity for your money. Otherwise you may still walk away hungry.

Call me cheap, but I only go if (a) it’s happy hour time (ends at 6pm), or (b) if someone has a groupon.
Their happy hour items are definitely worth it. They have a pitcher of sapporo for $ 15 (is it just me or did it used to be only $ 10???), dozen karaage for $ 6.
On their regular menu, I love their beef carpaccio ($ 9 for a large plate of deliciousness), udon, stone bowl rice, and their assorted sushi set (seared nigiri).
The down side is that other than those items, I think the rest of the menu is overpriced. Their «special maki» is really nothing «special» and not worth the $ 13. I can tell you right now what’s so special — avocado, seaweed, rice, and sashimi. I was expecting more flavor, but they taste only like a slightly enhanced version of a $ 4.75 maki you get at sushi garden.
DISCLAIMER: I’ve never tried the Volcano roll, but I have heard good things. If you want to experience their «specialness», maybe try that.
The place looks cool, usually not that busy, good for groups. It it weren’t for the lack of options that I think are worth the price, I would be going there regularly. It’s such a shame, cus it’s such a convenient location for me.

I got a groupon deal so ended up getting a good deal. Anyway, classy looking place. Good fast service, and the food was great. We loved it. It is relateively reasonably priced. Not super cheap but even for the average person, somewhat affordable. i noticed a lot of good happy hour deals as well, so I think I will definitely check this place out again during that time for some good deals!

I came here for a birthday party and we were seated right by the entrance in their «lounge» area which was right across the bar. It was a little weird because it is completely separated from the dining area however I would say a good place for a small party! I didn’t have anything to eat but I do recommend their drinks, I had the Toyko. Our server was super friendly and even introduced herself to me as I was the first to arrive.

Came here on a late Thursday evening with a party of 10. We were seated quickly on their patio which was nice. It was really quiet so getting a table wasn’t difficult. We ordered a bunch of food and drinks to share. The service was ok, I mean, there was only 2 tables including us so I can’t imagine slow service. Food was not up to par. Everything seemed very bland. They seemed to be sold out of a lot of things when we tried to order, which is odd. I asked the server for their specials and he didn’t seem to know what was on the menu.
I think the price is a bit expensive for the quality you are getting. There’s definitely much better options for food in yaletown.

3.5 Stars
KiBo is a bit expensive (albeit it IS in Yaletown) and honestly, the price isn’t very well justified by the quality and taste of the food. We actually used their groupon ($ 15 for $ 30) and managed to order 4 lights as a light snack after work when we went. Without the groupon though, it would have been way too expensive.
I felt like the food here was almost like hapa izakaya’s but served with a bit more class since the plating was pretty nice. I honestly like hapa more but a few of the dishes stood out for me at KiBo.
Their salmon tartare was really interesting because they give you deep fried Japanese mint leaves to put the salmon on, rather than the classic chip or cracker/​bread. I found this pretty unique but we both thought that the leaves were too oily.
The sushi was overpriced and not really worth it while the deep fried mint leave spicy tuna dish was interesting as well. Our favourite dish was the dobin seafood pot, which came in a nice Japanese teapot. It’s basically a seafood broth with various pieces of seafood and mushrooms inside.
Anyways, we might come back for their Happy Hour since it’s priced very reasonably and the service is pretty good. We actually sat on the patio since it was such a nice day! KiBo is fairly close to the skytrain station but it’s not the most accessible restaurant in Yaletown (took us a while to get there).

My friend used a groupon for this place — $ 15 for 30. For the value of the groupon, I liked it. For regular price, probably not. The happy hour menu is something I might come back for though (not allowed to use groupon with this menu).
Sat outside on a beautiful day — some tables are wobbly but we had our choice of seating. The washrooms inside are very clean and sparkly. We got four items to meet our $ 30 limit. We were not full but that’s expected!
Salmon tartare — good mixture, nice crunch with the Japanese mint tempura chips, but made it a bit oily
Yam tempura roll — at $ 6 regular price, very overpriced for an average roll. Would not get again
Mint leaf wrapped around salmon and fried — interesting creation. More of the tempura fried mint leaves. The salmon inside was like salmon cake mixture. Not bad but again had an oily feeling
Soup that comes in a teapot — $ 9.50, came steaming hot and with two cute cups to drink it in. The broth was delicious and you can fish out the seafood inside. Came with enoki mushroom, Chinese mushroom, a piece of salmon, three tiny scallops, and two shrimp. Tasty!
Service was pretty good but nothing extremely notable, I would say. Water was refilled once.
I would come back for their happy hour menu — maybe :)

Bought the $ 30 of food for $ 15 Groupon about a little while ago and I was really looking forward to finally trying this place.
Called almost a week a head of time to make sure they were open tonight (a Monday) and was told no problem. I was instructed to come after 630pm when the happy hour was over and my Groupon would be accepted no problem.
Walk over the the restaurant at about 7pm. It was closed. Not only that, there was mail and bills slipped under the front door and there were no bottles in the bar area…
Midnight move? Very disappointing. I wish Groupon had a better screening process for shady establishments like these.

Cheap food and cheaper drinks! Plus we got a great deal on groupon. Service was good but it would have been better if the waitress knew what was the ingredients for some of the drink specials.

I visited this place again last Tuesday and had a pretty good experience. This place had improved quite a bit since I was there last time. Thet started making «jar» cocktails and they are only $ 5 each?! I had never seen this price tag in Yaletown.
Ordered a Tokyo jar and it was delish! The $ 0.25 karaage wings are also pretty nicely done; they were straight up salt & pepper with Asian seasoning (they weren’t swimming in a puddle of low-​quality sauce like wings from other places). Wings were actually pretty meaty.
Atmosphere was also pretty nice and serving staff were pretty well presented.
Over all if you are looking for a inexpensive place to have some wings and fancy drinks this is the place for you.

More of a cool place for drinks if you want the fancy décor, good L-​shared bar at front for candy-​watching action.
Typical hard-​to-​find parking in Yaletown, even tougher w/​its back-​in diagonal.

Our Chinese dining crew veered east to try the newly opened Japanese fusion restaurant in Yaletown, offering a more vibrant, lounge feel to dining.
To start off, one of the highlights was the marinated sablefish cooked and presented just nicely. The beautiful looking sashimi set was chopped too big and more style than substance. We generally found the cocktails lackluster and devoid of strong taste or punch.
I enjoyed the volcano roll with the a fried outer shell, but the other sushi rolls (Hamilton, caterpillar, Philadelphia, and mango) were just okay and fairly standard. I dug into the scrumptious deep fried fish cake stuffed with chikuwa cheese. The ebi bacon prawn skewer was a tad disappointing but still tasty.
The standard offering of the aburi sushi set looked great and was well prepared yet lacked a certain depth of flavour. The grilled KiBo beef steak was very good, well-​cooked and delectable compared to the bland yet spiced filled rack of lamb chops. An intriguing highlight was the special seafood dobin broth soup served in a teapot with cups.
It was a mildly satisfying yet slightly offbeat meal from KiBo as I’m sure they continue to refine their menu and taste. It will be a difficult task to set themselves apart in the Yaletown Hamilton Street alley. Hopefully, they’ll grow and evolve their dining.