I always choose to go eat at places close to home (Richmond, BC) when I don’t want to cook or just want a fast meal nearby. This sushi restaurant has never really caught my attention, other than the fact that it used to be another sushi restaurant that went by a different name. That day, I went with my mom because we initially wanted to have dinner at Master Hung BBQ Restaurant but they were closed because it was a Wednesday. Considering our options around that area, I suggested that we try Kiriri beside Master Hung, as they have high ratings. As we walked in, I was a little surprised at how ambient the place was compared to their signage.

I flipped through their menu, I was sure it is operated by Japanese people. Besides their usual menu, they also have a seasonal menu right by the sushi bar, attended by two sushi chefs. We decided to try their live amaebi (sweet shrimp) sushi on the seasonal menu. One of the servers even took the whole menu (white board) to our table so we can read it.

The amaebi sushi was extremely fresh and had an incomparable texture with its non live counterpart. It had a wonderful sweet flavour and a good bite. The portion of the shrimp and rice was also nicely balanced. I asked our server for some suggestions, and she suggested the Great Negitoro in the rolls section. It was like a normal negitoro sushi except they have added diced takuwan (yellow picked daikon), wrapped with pink soy paper, and two of the pieces were topped with more tuna filling. I liked the combination of the takuwan and the negitoro as the textures of soft and crunchy worked quite well. We also noticed that the rice was cooked well as we could still taste the individual grains and the texture was just right.

I am going to be quite honest here, I think the items are very expensive considering its location and portions. Moreover, my mom and I were just too lazy to cook dinner that day, so we weren’t looking for something spectacular. Undoubtedly, the quality of the ingredients are very high. Looking at the prices, I decided to go for something a little cheaper and more familiar, the dynamite roll. The shrimp tempura was crispy and had a fresh taste, it also had fresh lettuce and cucumber. It was a delicious dynamite roll.

The nigiri sushi we ordered includes the same shrimp heads deep-fried. These were super crunchy, the whole thing including the shell and everything can be eaten because they were so dried and crisp. The insides were also very tasty – for those who like to suck on them, it’s a bonus.

I wanted to try the Saikyo Yaki, it is a black cod fillet, marinated with saikyo miso then grilled. Saikyo miso is a naturally sweet miso, traditionally made in the Kyoto or the Kansai area of Japan. When I lived in Kyoto for a short period, I learned a little bit of history about this miso. Saikyo miso is a type of miso made with (white) rice instead of other grains, it is more expensive than regular varieties. That is why Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, where the nobles and rich lived is famous for Saikyo miso. I don’t know the whole piece of history of this, but I learned from an elderly Japanese lady from Kyoto. I just thought it was an interesting story to share . 🙂 Anyways, back to the black cod. The fish was incredibly tender and rich, and the miso taste was very mild, which didn’t overpower the taste of the fish. It was served with some daikon oroshi and a slice of pickled lotus root. The portion, again wasn’t big. The fish was about three-quarters of my hand (and my hand, my friends, isn’t big).

Summing up, I think Kiriri is a great Japanese restaurant serving up high quality and exceptional sushi. The servers were also very attentive. It was nice and quite inside. The prices are in the high range and its portions are a bit small. Kiriri is very close to home and I would love to visit more often but the prices are keeping me away. It would be a good place to spoil yourself once in a while.

Con­clu­sion:

Ambi­ence: 3/5
Food: 3.5/5
Ser­vice: 4/5
Value: 2.5/5