Kyoto House

Kyoto House is a promising AYCE (all you can eat) Japanese restaurant near the corner of Dundas and Bay. Recently, I headed over between classes with some friends. I found later on that indulging in copious amounts of sushi etc. would not bode well for my afternoon class (read: naptime).


From extensive experience, I’ve found that most AYCE joints are hit or miss. I can usually tell fairly quickly if a place is worth the money paid for the meal. I’ve found that AYCE prices range from $12-$18 for lunch, which is relatively pricy compared to a non-AYCE meal. That said, the extra money spent on an AYCE is well worth it when the food is fresh and the selection is diverse.



When it came to value, quality, and selection, Kyoto House passed with flying colours. The lunch buffet is priced at $11.99, which is very affordable compared to other establishments in the city. I was at Mariko near Bloor and Bathurst the other day, where they charge $15.99 for an AYCE that is seriously lacking in quality. Apparently Mariko charged for food that was not eaten, and in an attempt to avoid a tariff I found myself hiding pieces of the salmon roll in napkins... I was later called out on this by the waitress. Awwwwkward.

At Kyoto House, there are 9 kinds of nigiri, 24 kinds of sushi (available in both rolls and hand rolls), and 16 types of cooked food (including the likes of teriyaki chicken, tempura, and udon soup). It got even better when we received the food, which arrived promptly after ordering.




We ordered almost everything from the menu. Perhaps a table favourite was the salmon sushi; the salmon was fresh and had a nice buttery flavour to it.


Both the yam tempura and calamari were delectable; they were lightly battered and came crispy.


I think we ended up ordering 4 more servings of calamari. Ah, the luxury of AYCE!


A good measure of an AYCE’s freshness is the chicken teriyaki. If it arrives hot, that’s a good sign. Also, the quality of chicken is another indicator. I find that the bad AYCE establishments serve cartilaginous and fatty chicken. The chicken teriyaki we received was both piping hot and absent of cartilage. Job well done Kyoto House.


The handrolls were well prepared. The spicy salmon roll was particularly enjoyable; staying true to its name, it packed a nice punch of spicyness.


When I heard it was only $11.99 for the lunch buffet at Kyoto House, I automatically assumed it would be mediocre at best. Given the price, quality, and selection, I have no problem endorsing it as a must-eat destination. Just remember, pace yourself and wear sweatpants or any other elasticized piece of clothing you may have.