Kura Japanese Restaurant

3.5 star rating
14 reviews Rating Details

Category: Japanese  [Edit]

4300 Kingsway
Unit #2

Burnaby, BC V5H 1Z8
Neighbourhood: Metrotown
(604) 451-3331
Price Range:
$$
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
Yes
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take Away:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wi-Fi:
No
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Noise Level:
Average
Has TV:
No
Caters:
No
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14 reviews in English

  • Review from Amy T.

    Vancouver, BC

    4.0 star rating
    5/3/2011

    Wow, how did 3 girls eat $290 worth of food and alcohol?  Maybe ordering that 2nd dish of live uni and multiple bottles of alcohol *hic, wasn't a good idea...

    Nevertheless, we had a great time and a fantastic meal.  The stand out items on the menu were the live uni, which were super fresh and the soup with saki, which warmed and satisfied my tummy.

    I would definitely come back for a meal, but will watch what I am ordering next time.

  • Review from Shannon B.

    Vancouver, BC

    3.0 star rating
    11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here

    Stopped in for dinner. Ordered an assortment of usual items that I like to base whether I will return to a japanese restaurant.

    Oysters motoyaki were delish although a bit sandy. Wild salmon sashimi as fresh as it gets. Spicy tuna rolls also wonderful. Chicken teriyaki wasn't so great, sauce was burnt and chicken very fatty.

    I would say that is it safest to stick to rolls and sashimi at Kura.

  • Review from Annie M.

    • 17 friends
    • 241 reviews

    Vancouver, BC

    2.0 star rating
    9/29/2011 6 photos 1 Check-in Here

    I went there for dinner coz the other Japanese restaurant (Sushi Garden) had long line up, that's why we went to Kura to try.

    I heard there is running by a Japanese, in fact, I am quite disappointed w/their sushi and sashimi.  May be the location at there have no other good Japanese restaurant, but, I didn't like it at all.

    Beef sashimi was good and fresh.
    Prawns sashimi were so small
    Fish sashimi selection very limited:
    Salmon - they didn't have sockeye any wild salmon
    Yellow Tail - it was fishy and not fresh.
    Ika - it also fishy
    Bonito - it wasn't taste strong and liked freeze for long time.
    Sushi were fine but not impressed!!
    Tempura was ok
    The house special roll - Canucks roll was presentable and good.

  • Review from Joyce P.

    • 21 friends
    • 72 reviews

    Vancouver, BC

    3.0 star rating
    1/18/2011

    I've been driving by this place for the past 17  years and have never paid much attention to it.   In search of a healthy dinner tonight we came upon this place.  My friend said it was good so in we went.

    It was their 17 year anniversary and they had a special list of sushi that was on special.

    I'm always a little apprehensive to try new sushi places because I can be quite picky about it but turns out there was nothing to be afraid of.

    While I would still choose Toshi's over this place, the fish was fresh, the rice done BETTER than Toshi's, nice and chewy and not mushy and seasoned well.  It was definitely not a 'bigger is better' sushi joint.  We also ordered amaebi sashimi and it was very sweet and fresh and the fried heads were awesome.

    The pictures in the menu don't really do the food justice, it looks very homemade and unfortunately tonight I didn't try any of the cooked dishes.  

    I was inclined to give this place 4 stars but the service was very lack-luster.  The servers were sweet but not the smartest cookies.  Sorry.  We had to ask for a plate to eat on more than twice, it was hard to get their attention, nobody came to refill our tea and we had to ask about our orders.  I hoped it was because we were seated in a secluded corner and not all patrons was subjected to this.

    However, now that I know of another decent sushi joint by my house, I will gladly go next time for good reasonably priced meal.

  • Review from Kristina C.

    Vancouver, BC

    3.0 star rating
    4/4/2011

    I've passed this restaurant so many times but have never tried it until recently. Inside the restaurant there is almost an industrial feel to the decor, with high ceilings and exposed heating ducts and vents and dark concrete walls: not the typical ambiance you would expect in a Japanese restaurant.

    The menu is quite thick, with lots of choices of appetizers, sushi and sashimi, noodles, rice bowls, and set dinners. I was almost about to order the chicken teriyaki meal that comes with a full serving of chicken teriyaki, tempura, agedashi tofu, sunomono, miso soup, and rice, but I conceded that it was probably way too much food for me. I just ordered the chicken teriyaki, which is served with miso soup and a bowl of rice for $9.95. My friend ordered oyako don and we split an order of gyozas.

    The gyozas were very tasty but were not pan fried for as long as I typically like, so the skin was not very crispy. My chicken teriyaki was surprisingly not served with a side of bean sprouts as the majority of Japanese restaurants do. It was just chicken, a carrot, and broccoli.

    Overall, the food was satisfactory, but not the best Japanese food I've ever eaten. The service was very friendly and our tea cups were refilled often without us having to ask. I would come back again if I'm craving Japanese food and I'm in the area.

  • Review from Melody P.

    Seattle, WA

    USA
    4.0 star rating
    9/27/2010 7 photos

    I am very happy about the food here, especially the beef sashimi since I've never had beef sashimi in Seattle other than rare steak :-P

    The shrimp sashimi is highly recommended. It was really fresh and the shrimp was really sweet! The best part was the deep fried shrimp heads. So crispy!

    I was happy with the service in this restaurant. All the servers were really polite and gave us the quick respond.

  • Review from Tim L.

    Astoria, NY

    USA
    5.0 star rating
    10/1/2008 2 photos

    One of the few truly authentic Japanese owned and operated restaurants in the Metro Vancouver area, the chef Tsunahito Ueno prepares some of the best sushi & sashimi with extremely fine ingredients.

    The space is small and cozy with high ceilings and black painted surfaces punctuated by the contrasting wood tables.  This gives it a very minimalist feel that has you focusing on the food.

    Their first location is actually in Tokyo, Japan and this location has been here for over 15 years.

    The pricing is extremely reasonable and while you are not getting an AYCE bargain, you are getting a bargain for high quality sushi and very reasonable prices.

  • Review from Claudia L.

    • 171 friends
    • 224 reviews

    Burnaby, BC

    4.0 star rating
    1/1/2009

    Yay: Hands down best sashimi I've had yet. Hospitable Japanese owner and chefs offering fresh, authentic cuisine.
    Nay: Food deserves 5 stars but it was a wait of a life time.
    Tip: Enjoy Kura's food without being ticked off by going during non-peak hours.

    Food: Large variety of sashimi: salmon, sea urchin, abalone and even black cod. Made to order like it was fresh out of the sea (maybe that's why it took so damn long: catch the fish, kill it, clean it, slice it...*rolls eyes*).

    Service: Waitresses seemed confused slash useless. The chef had to leave his station to help clean tables. Cred to the chef though (old Japanese guy). After we complained about our table being empty of food for an hour, he brought us a plate of free goodies and apologized incessantly in his Arnold Swarcheneggerish accent (very cute).

    Atmosphere: High, bare ceilings with modernish yet family-friendly atmosphere.

  • Review from Barry M.

    Burnaby, BC

    2.0 star rating
    7/31/2009 1 Check-in Here

    Kura was having a bad day today.

    Friday lunch we were behind a few large tables so we expected a bit of a wait.  45 minutes later asking where our miso soups were and told that it was busy and it was going to be late and wait.  15-20 after that we asked again and the waitress had lost our order and was apologetic.  They brought some food for me but it was the wrong thing, but I took it anyway just so I could eat.

    It was almost 2 hours before we were able to get away and back to work.  It reach the point of sillyness where our table neighbors were asking us "Did you guys order like really weird stuff?  Where is your food??"     "Um, no, just salmon and tuna sashimi and a bento box :("

    Another friend there we ran into didn't get miso soup he ordered, so it wasn't just us that day.

  • Review from Adelina W.

    • 17 friends
    • 149 reviews

    Richmond, BC

    2.0 star rating
    1/10/2010

    The spicy tuna roll was not spicy at all. It was tuna rolled up with some sort of Tabasco based spicy sauce - completely unappetizing. We tried their special rolls: tokyo roll, rainbow roll and kyoto roll, but they weren't any different than most.

    We also tried their sashimi which was pretty decent.  The highlight of the meal was the yaki soba and spinach gomae. Very tasty. Otherwise the sushi was okay nothing special.

  • Review from Andrew C.

    • 22 friends
    • 19 reviews

    Vancouver, BC

    3.0 star rating
    9/15/2009

    Me and the coworkers went to Kura for Happy Hours last Friday, well it was not really Happy Hours but it was an excuse for some hot Sumo Sake!  We started with everything fresh from the sea.  It was my first time but I was very impress with the Sashimi especially the Uni, sea urchin and all kind of sushi.

    After drinking with the coworkers and the owner and then the coworkers again, it was time for us to go.

    Very authentic decor but one thing that really bothered me was serveral mini flies, we had to get rid them ourselves, maybe its time for them to invest in one of those florescent lamp...

  • Review from Jerome L.

    • 21 friends
    • 19 reviews

    Mountain View, CA

    USA
    4.0 star rating
    9/8/2010

    Authentic Japanese owned sushi restaurant. Good food and reasonable price. Fresh Aji sashimi is good and they deep fry the bones and tail for  another taste. The combo dinners are a lot of food for the price. I have been eating here for more than 14 years.

  • Review from Alex P.

    • 4 friends
    • 54 reviews

    Foster City, CA

    USA
    4.0 star rating
    7/14/2010

    This place really deserves more than the 3 stars it's currently averaging.  Went on a Tuesday night at 8, was half empty.  Service was prompt and friendly.  Ordered a deluxe sashimi platter and a new canuck roll, along with a tall Asahi.  Pulled out a newspaper and settled in for a long wait (as indicated by previous posters).  But I was denied -- my food appeared promptly (nay, quickly!) and it was excellent.  The sashimi was extremely fresh and tasty, and the selection was artfully arranged.  The roll was mediocre, but it was just there to fill me up anyway so I'm not too bitter (minus 3 stars!  Okay, just kidding).

    This place has a nice ambience and an extensive selection.  It's not cheap (I spent $44 just for myself on the above mentioned items) but it was very satisfying.  I would return.

  • Review from Nadine N.

    • 200 friends
    • 725 reviews

    Vancouver, BC

    3.0 star rating
    11/8/2008

    When we first arrived at Kura everything was great. We were seated right away and we quickly placed our order. The waitress brought us water as we'd asked right away. The hamachi sashimi we ordered came out rather quickly. It was pretty good, but not exceptional. The Tokyo roll came out just as we were finishing the sashimi. The roll was generous in size. That's when we noticed the service started to go down hill. They didn't clear our empty plates. No water refills. Next out was some agedashi, which was really good. Then they brought black cod, which was a bit fishy. The hamachi kama came out last and was probably the best thing we'd ordered. By this time our table was completely covered with empty dishes. All the tables around us were similarly filled with dishes from other customers who had come and gone. We sat around for a good 15 minutes after we were done eating and finally had to flag down our waitress for the bill. Overall, the food was decent, but the service kind of ruined the experience. The servers were very nice, but over worked.

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