Kinoya Sushi
Kinoya Sushi is a conveniently located restaurant for when you're craving Japanese food at any time of the day.
Offering convenient don buri combos for lunch, more extravagant dishes in the evening and an affordable omakase all day, Kinoya is poised to be a go-to for nearby office workers and show-goers at the Princess of Wales Theatre next door.
Joohee Park and her husband Sung Ho Lim, whom you'll find behind the sushi counter, have taken over the space where Maki My Way used to be before the takeout spot folded.
Doing away with the casual setting and the plethora of plastic containers (thank goodness) its predecessor used to use, Kinoya's vibe is more refined, boasting soy sauce and dressings made from scratch.
Omakase, which costs about $45 per person for a 10-piece meal, is served atop fragrant cyprus wood from Japan with radish, pickles, and wasabi made from the root.
Like all omakases, you'll get an assortment of fish brought in daily and chosen by Lim.
Don't be shy, though: if you're not a fan of certain fish, you can tell the chef about any preferences you might have—no judgement there.
If you like, you can also get your omakase meal with additional appetizers, like a grilled shrimp plate ($15) served with quail egg.
A sashimi don buri is a popular order for either lunch ($14) or dinner ($19), where portions are bigger.
The bowl comes with salmon, tuna, and white fish, with a side of rice and a housemade Korean gochujang sauce on the side in lieu of spicy mayo (you can request that). You can combine all of them together for a poké bowl-type meal.
A serving of lobster tempura ($25) is a fried feast for the eyes. Three ounces of lobster come heavily battered and with an assortment of veggies like broccoli and yams.
There's plenty of sushi options here: the Super Kamikaze ($15) is a hefty half-tuna half-salmon roll.
Regardless the time of day, a visit to Kinoya is guaranteed to satisfy any incessant Japanese food-cravings.
Hector Vasquez