Toronto Foodies' Guide to Waterloo's Best Eats

🍣 Japanese Cuisine 1️⃣ Watami Sushi 📍 14 King St N, Waterloo ⭐ Waterloo's #1 Sushi Spot Must-Try Rolls: Ice & Fire Roll (Spicy tuna + crispy tempura) Baked Scallop Roll (Creamy, torched perfection) Watami on King (Signature dragon roll) Hidden Gem: Their udon (both soup and yaki) rivals downtown Toronto spots Why Go?: Fresh fish, student-friendly prices ($25-35/person) 2️⃣ Kinkaku Izakaya 📍 217 King St W, Kitchener 🎌 Top-Tier AYCE ($38 dinner) Best For: Date nights (moody lighting + premium sashimi) Pro Tip: Order the miso black cod (usually an upcharge elsewhere) 3️⃣ Jinzakaya 📍 75 King St S, Waterloo 🔥 Kinkaku's Sister Restaurant Can't-Miss: Pork jowl (buta bara) with citrus ponzu Bonus: Late-night menu until 11PM 4️⃣ Sushi Stars 📍 450 King St E, Kitchener 🍢 Unique Offerings: Japanese-Korean fusion (try the spicy pork belly skewers) FYI: Kinkaku = Jinzakaya > Sushi Stars in quality 🍜 Chinese Comfort Food 5️⃣ Lanzhou Noodles 📍 150 University Ave W, Waterloo 🍜 Northern Chinese Classics: Hand-pulled noodles (watch the chef work!) Late-night lamb skewers ($2.50 each) 6️⃣ Jue Wei 99 Duck 📍 330 Phillip St, Waterloo 🦆 Taste of Home: Spicy duck neck (just like China's street food) Pro Move: Pair with Tsingtao beer 🍗 Korean Fried Chicken 7️⃣ Kim's Kitchen 📍 258 King St N, Waterloo 🍗 UW Student Favorite: Half-and-half fried chicken (soy garlic + spicy) Portion Warning: Large combo feeds 3 🍲 Hot Pot Controversy 8️⃣ Friends Chinese Cuisine 📍 1508 King St E, Kitchener ⚠️ Love-It-or-Hate-It: Northerners Beware: Super light broths (no mala option) Rules: Don't touch the induction stove! Silver Lining: Excellent fish balls 📍 Map It Out All spots within 15min drive of UW campus #WaterlooEats #UWFoodie #TorontoFoodGuide #StudentBudgetEats