🇨🇦 Japanese Buffet Will Always Be the "White Moonlight" in My Heart

Restaurant name: Kinkaku/Jinzakaya Addresses: 217 King St W, Kitchener, ON N2G 1B1 75 King St S unit 53, Waterloo, ON N2J 1P2 (There are two locations with the same menu) Price: $39.99 per person for dinner, $26.99 for lunch 💰 Even after leaving Waterloo, I still go back to eat here every once in a while. Honestly, the first time I tried it, I was blown away! I thought to myself, "If a Japanese buffet in Waterloo is already this good, how amazing must Toronto’s be?" But unexpectedly, this turned out to be the peak—since then, I’ve never found another place that wowed me as much. (Other spots like are good too, but this one is simply YYDS! 🐮) There are so many dishes I want to recommend that they’re all tied for first place. I suggest ordering a little bit of everything! 📜 Big Hand Roll: I always order 3-4 every time I come. It’s filled with eel, avocado, salmon, tempura crunch, and a small amount of rice—so generous! The salmon and eel are thick and fatty, with sashimi as the main ingredient and very little rice. It’s even on the lunch menu, which is super worth it! 🍣 Spanish Shrimp: So delicious! 🦐 Butter-sautéed soft onions infuse the plump, bouncy shrimp with their aroma, topped with a sprinkle of cheese powder. I always order at least three plates! Carpaccio: Their seasoning is incredible—this shines through in many dishes. The carpaccio sauce here is really unique, tangy and refreshing, cutting through the richness of the sashimi. I order this more than regular sashimi. 🥩 Grilled Pork Cheek (bottom right of the cover photo): Everyone must try this! The pork cheek is crispy on the outside, tender inside, and when dipped in that green sauce, it’s unbelievably good! 🐷 Steamed Egg: They use a special-tasting Japanese soy sauce, making it the best Japanese steamed egg I’ve ever had! 🥚 Again, I highly recommend trying a little bit of everything. They also have Korean-style stir-fried squid, grilled fish cakes, fried chicken cartilage, teppanyaki beef, inari sushi, and more—all with unique twists! If you’re passing through Waterloo, you have to give this place a try! Sometimes, revisiting a restaurant is partly because you love the food, and partly because eating there brings back memories of a certain time in your past. ❤️ #Toronto #TorontoLife #JapaneseFood #Waterloo #LivingInToronto #Canada #CanadianFood #TorontoFood #TorontoFoodie