Akira Restaurant – The only good sushi in Kingston (that I’ve found)
Kingston sushi sucks. Plain and simple. I try not to be a sushi racist. I don’t care if it is made by Koreans (Asha, Take, Sushi-Ya) or the Chinese (Sakura). But generally, it is overpriced, has a horrible rice:fish ratio (R:F ratio is ever so important), and is underwhelming. Some of it is plain bad and some of it is just unremarkable for the price.
Then there is Akira. One of my senior residents told me about this place. It is really good. And I don’t feel the need to qualify that statement. It isn’t just good sushi for Kingston, it is just plain good. Not as good as some of the stuff I get in Calgary or in Toronto, but still good.
It is in the middle of nowhere (up by John Counter and John A MacDonald) and in a shady strip mall. Don’t let the outside looks deceive you: the interior is quite spacious and modern. It is much better than TaKe, Asha, and Sushi-Ya’s interior. Based upon the significant amount of Korean food on the menu, I am going to guess that it is run by Koreans.
First: the Love Boat for 2 ($36.95). A bit pricey but you do get a lot of fish. It would stuff 2 people but would modestly satisfy 3. I think what you get varies from day to day but what we got here was a six-piece California Roll (I know, these are just filler but they were actually made pretty well), and a six-piece tempura roll. We also got 3 sashimi pieces each of red tuna, salmon, butter fish, and red snapper. Then we got 12 pieces of nigiri, with 2 of salmon, red tuna, red snapper, some sort of white fish, prawn (steamed), and unagi.
A close-up of the California Roll. I hate California Rolls as much as the next person but observe the impressive R:F (rice to fish ratio). Very low! Furthermore, look at the detailing of the cucumber: pre-sliced instead of a solid block. This is an impressive California Roll indeed!
I like how the Tuna Nigiri has gold flakes. I can’t taste the difference but is a nice touch. The nigiri in particular has an impressive R:F ratio.
This is the Spicy Tuna roll for $6.95. A good R:F ratio but a bit too much tempura flakes. Not the best I’ve had but certainly not a bad deal for that price.
This is the sushi and sashimi combination for 1 ($18.95). Too much food for 1 person but too little for 2. Similar to the love boat but just fewer pieces. Again, there is butterfish (yesssss I love butterfish) and gold flakes on the tuna.
Overall, this is the best sushi place in Kingston. People are telling me Discover Japan is good too so I will have to check it out. Until then… Akira stands high above the others. Sushi-Ya? You mean… Sushi-Nah!
Akira Restaurant, Suite 6, Aberfoyle Road, Kingston, ON, (613)-767-7664, no website available.
sorry…the sashimi was turning bad when I visited. They gave me cooked white tuna when it was close to expiring. it’s a terrible place for sushi. the tuna is off colour.
Sorry that you had a bad experience there. I haven’t been for a few months and it is very possible that it may have changed. May I recommend Sima? I’ve been there 5x now in the last 3 months and I’ve been satisfied each time.
My review is here.
I think you’ve mixed up between Akira and Sima Sush. I am a regular customer at Akira.I probably visit the restaurant at least once a week. So far, I have NEVER EVER seen them serve cooked white tuna. Also I’ve never had any issues with the freshness or the quality of the fish they serve. Today, I tried Sima Sushi for the first time… They served seared white tuna and fish that was not cut properly. The fish wasn’t fresh at all and it was disappointing. Trust me… I am Japanese and I know how proper sushi and sashimi should look and taste like.
Great review!
I’ll have to give it a shot next time I’m in Kingston. The last place I had sushi was at Asha and I received terrible service – the worst. I waited almost 40 minutes for my food, and once it arrived I didn’t see my server again; I had an empty drink, empty plate, and I was trying to get more food since it was ‘all you can eat’ but to no avail. I walked out after about two hours of waiting and was never given the last course of my meal.