It’s a tale as old as Vancouver food blogger time. I’d driven or walked past Sushi Bar Kilala (listed as Kilala Sushi Bar in some places) dozens of times since moving to the area years ago. The truth is that North Burnaby in general, and Burnaby Heights in particular, has a lot of sushi restaurants. So, when I see this little spot next to an acupuncture and herbal medicine place, I don’t give it much thought. Maybe I should have. Because it’s really good.
Outside of this pandemic, we’ve always been interested in trying new restaurants. And we’re constantly exploring new places to eat in our own backyard. Because Sushi Bar Kilala is smaller with more limited seating, we spent more time at other sushi restaurants. Now that we’re doing more takeout, though, we decided to give them a try.
We ordered based on an old menu that we knew had outdated pricing. And then I forgot to grab a new takeout menu when I went to pick up my order. Oops! So, please accept my apologies for not including the prices for each individual item described below. The total order came to just under $50, including tax, before tip. I appreciated that although we ordered a la carte, Sushi Bar Kilala put everything together in a beautiful sushi tray. Nice touch!
Battera and Nigiri Sushi
Saba Battera (mackerel pressed sushi) – Battera is similar to oshizushi (pressed sushi). You could technically argue it’s a roll, since they make one big piece that they then slice into smaller pieces, but it eats more like a piece of nigiri sushi. In any case, I’ve come to enjoy saba more and more. This was delightful and not too fishy.
Uni Nigiri (sea urchin) – Both the texture and flavor of sea urchin is an acquired taste. It’s very soft with a “melt in your mouth” consistency, like foie gras, with just as much of a fatty mouthfeel. Uni tastes like the ocean, you could say, and it’s clear that Sushi Bar Kilala sources high quality seafood for their sushi.
Hotategai Nigiri (scallop) – Broadly speaking, I’ve been partial to chopped scallop rolls and chopped scallop nigiri for quite some time. But, when I really want to treat myself, I get the “whole” sushi variety shown here. Clean, fresh, and just a little bit sweet. Very good.
Maki Sushi (Rolls)
Negitoro Roll (fatty tuna with green onion) – When you like the the regular simple tuna roll but want to kick it up a notch, get the negitoro. It’s often a better piece of fish (though it’s minced up) and the green onion adds a dash of complexity. Still a small, simple roll that satisfies. I’ll probably get the negihama next time to compare. It’s the same idea, but with hamachi (yellowtail).
Kilala House Roll – This is similar to your typical futomaki, but “inside out” like a California roll and topped with a slice of smoked salmon. It’s your “everything but the kitchen sink” kind of sushi roll with tuna, salmon, imitation crab, tamago (egg), avocado, and masago (fish roe). A half-roll comes as four mega-sized pieces. I probably wouldn’t order this again, as it’s too large to eat like a normal person.
Dynamite Roll (prawn tempura) – Not exactly reinventing the wheel with this popular cooked sushi roll. Even so, the execution in terms of overall flavor is certainly solid and it’s one of the better dynamite rolls I’ve had.
BC Roll (salmon skin) – Depending on where you go in Vancouver, restaurants take a slightly different approach to the ubiquitous BC roll. Most places go a bit bigger in size and fill it more with actual salmon skin. The version at Sushi Bar Kilala is about California roll-sized. And instead of BBQ salmon skin, it’s almost more like candied salmon or drier smoked salmon pieces.
A Hidden Gem for High Quality Sushi
I’m really glad we gave this place a shot. The menu definitely leans more toward the traditional and you won’t find too many cooked items from the kitchen. The slightly higher prices are justified given the quality ingredients. They’re old school in their approach and know what they’re doing. We will one-hundred-percent be back soon.
Sushi Bar Kilala is located at 4749 Hastings Street in Burnaby, BC. They’re open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm for lunch, and 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm for dinner. Kilala Sushi is closed on Sunday and Monday. They’re takeout only, given the current public health orders. Indoor seating (when available again) is fairly limited anyway.
For more Burnaby sushi options, check out my recent review of Takara Sushi on Canada Way. Rather stick to Hastings Street in Burnaby Heights? No problem! Kazu Japanese and Osaka Sushi are solid options too. If you prefer more of the modern fancy rolls, then Sushi UOmo is your best bet in the neighborhood.
Yum! Excellent review!