Sushi K Kamizato

Suite 2105 - 2850 Shaughnessy Street

Port Coquitlam, BC

 

I really have to thank all the local food bloggers as they are my source on finding new restaurants. On one particular blog, I read about a newly opened Japanese restaurant located in Poco and was intrigued by their menu. So, I gathered up my sis, my bro-in-law and W to check it out!

 

It's a rather small restaurant seating only about 20-25 people. Reservations are highly recommended if you have a large party. 

 

Spinach Gomae

Fresh spinach leaves tossed in a light soy sauce and sprinkled with crushed sesame seeds

We started off with the spinach gomae. This didn't look like a typical gomae! Rather than blanched spinach, the greens here were left uncooked and  lightly tossed in a soy sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. I quite liked this version as it wasn't very heavy.

Ocean Wiser

Raw ebi (shrimp), salmon belly, cucumbers, topped with salmon and avocado and drizzled with black sesame, green onions and their special sauce

This was one of their creative rolls. Even though it was busy-looking, the whole package was well made and it was really tasty! The shrimp was a little lost amidst the other fillings though. I'm not sure what their special sauce was but it tasted like a really light soy sauce. I'm actually quite fond of the way they do their rolls because it's easy to pick up and eat and they are not slathered with sauces that overwhelm the ingredients. Some places have ginormous rolls that are cut really thin so everything falls apart when you pick up. These were well made and everything was fresh.

House Roll

Imitation crab meat, salmon, tuna topped with a zesty mayo sauce that has been torched

I am so accustomed to house rolls being these massive rolls with everything but the kitchen sink stuffed inside. This one surprised me a bit but in a good way haha. For one, it's small enough to pop the whole thing in my mouth (which, to me, seems to be more traditional) and two, there was just a thin layer of mayo on top which provided the right amount of flavour and kick to the roll. 

Tako Wasabi

Marinated chopped octopus and wasabi stems(?)

Halfway through the meal, the lady of the restaurant bestowed upon us a complimentary appetizer!! She apologized and said that this was to make up for the long wait of our dishes as it was a pretty busy night in the kitchen. I didn't think the food took that long to come out but anyway, that was such a lovely gesture! I have never tried tako wasabi before because I was always quite scared of the strong, nasal-clearing, tear-inducing Japanese horseradish. I am glad to say that I tried this and now I love it (at least Sushi K Kamizato's version)! The wasabi still gave me a strong kick in the face/mouth but it was mixed together with the chopped octopus, pickled stems and another sauce so altogether it was very YUM-O!

Saba Battera

Mackeral pressed sushi with shiso leaf in the middle and topped with ginger and green onions

Next came the saba battera. This was my least favourite sushi out of the meal. I thought the rice was kind of dry and the overall flavour was subtle. The shiso leaves and the ginger/green onions helped temper the mackeral which can be salty and fishy. However, their saba wasn't very fishy or salty so that was good.

Tiger Eyes

A ball of sushi rice wrapped with marinated salmon that's lightly seared and then topped with chopped scallop and tobiko mixed with mayo

This special little package is not on their menu but it should be!!! I saw this from the food blog I read and it was offered as a "special of the day" but it was not offered on the night that I went. I asked the lady of the restaurant if they still offered Tiger Eyes and she was so shocked that I knew about it! LOL! She even asked me how I knew about it and I told her I read about it on the Internet and I wanted to try. She looked so thankful and appreciative. I was actually quite touched!

As the description suggests, this sushi is one package full of deliciousness! The salmon was coated with just enough marinade that it dídn't make the sushi all soggy and overwhelm the delicate scallop. I thought this was very unique.

Sushi Combo

(L-R) Tuna, Salmon, Hamachi (yellowtail?), Ebi (shrimp), Ika (squid), Tako (octopus), Hotate (scallop)

The nigiri sushi were well made and the fish seemed very fresh. I liked how they really put some thought into the sushi like adding a shiso leaf underneath the squid and torching the scallop and brushing it with some lime juice. Usually, sushi combos have your run-of-the-mill salmon, tuna and shrimp. But here, they included pricier items like the squid and scallop. I like this kind of variety.

With Dynamite Roll and California Roll (4 pieces each)

These 2 rolls were kind of ordinary but, again, I liked how they were small and easy to eat.

BC Roll

BBQ-ed salmon skin and cucumbers, drizzled with a tangy and sweet sauce

Man oh man, I don't think I have raved about a BC roll before! Often times BC rolls are an afterthought and, for me, are ordered as a cheap sushi filler. But this one! The salmon skin was crisp and still warm, and there was a good ratio between skin and meat! I don't know...maybe it's just me...I thought that this was the best BC roll I have ever eaten in a long time.

Chicken Teriyaki Don

With shredded carrots and cabbage

By the time this rice bowl came, I was stuffed so I didn't try any of this. From its appearance though, it looked pretty bland. There doesn't seem to be enough sauce on the chicken and the rice to provide colour and flavour. To me, it just seemed like a sad looking teriyaki-don.

Complimentary ice-cream (mango and green tea mix)

At the end of the meal, we were also given complimentary dessert in the form of ice-cream! Not too fond of it though because the mango was too sweet which overpowered the green tea part. And the green tea ice-cream was not very strong in the first place anyway. I love a good strong matcha/green tea ice-cream! Nonetheless, it was free and I appreciated a sweet treat to finish off the night.

I would recommend Sushi K Kamizato, not only for its food, but also because of the service and attitude of the people working at this restaurant. They are passionate about their food and they make everyone feel welcomed. At one point, the sushi chef even came over to say hi and ask us about the food! They were so gracious and grateful to all their customers. Definitely a cozy and lovely sushi place that I would go back again :)