Kiwami Japanese Restaurant - Richmond, BC

Yet another long bike ride to Richmond, Steveston in particular and I'm STARVING.  Wanted something a bit lighter so burgers and BBQ were off the menu.  What else is left?  Mr. Piglet cues me onto a small Japanese restaurant located atop one of the multi-level complexes in Steveston.  It's small, non-descript and goes unnoticed for the most part - Mr. Piglet wanted to avoid the all-you-can-eat trap and just happened to stumble on this mom-and-pops shop one uneventful day.  I love these kinds of places so long as the food is good....

It's a Japanese husband and wife duo: husband does all of the cooking in the open concept kitchen while the wife is hostess, server and cashier.  We receive a super friendly greeting upon entering and are quickly seated at the window.  Just a few tables and a bare interior - not a lot of people sitting inside but they do plenty of take out orders as we sit.  Mr. Piglet and I decide to play it a little differently today and stick to the Specials Menu - what the chef recommends for the day.  It's handwritten on a piece of notepad paper and after receiving some translations, we make a few decisions and wait...

Mozuku - $3.50

It's like the cold noodle salad appy called sunomono - cold noodles in a citrus-based dressing - except in this  case, there are no cold noodles.  Instead, the noodle-like threads are mozuku, an edible seaweed found mainly in Okinawa.  It's cold, refreshing and the tastes a bit earthy which matches really well with the citrusy dressing.

Ankimo - $9.00

Monkfish liver

Ever since I had this a few weeks ago at another Japanese restaurant, I'd been hankering for another taste and Mr. Piglet wanted to try it out.  It's again soft but cool and marinated lightly in a light soy sake (?) dressing.  It's got a thicker texture and more liver flavors but still good.  Mr. Piglet is happy he was able to try this dish and I was happy to eat it!

Tuna and Salmon Sashimi - $8.25

Really one of the staples of our Japanese meals and why?  Well, the tuna was just melt in your melt but do you see that wild salmon sashimi???  LOOK!  So good...  nothing like it...

Chicken Karaage - $6.00

Real pieces of chicken that looks to be dipped in cornstarch and then deep-fried.  It's not as crispy as Mr. Piglet thought it would be and a bit on the greasier side but he still liked the taste.  The chicken was still super moist on the inside and there was the faint scent of seasonings.  Subtle but lovely.

Uni - $3.50 each

Sea urchin

Oh so smooth...  It's not for everyone and I can't really put my finger on it but when I ate this uni, it tasted like the ocean.  Light, a bit salty and cool...  

Spider Roll - $12.00

Mr. Piglet's request because he saw another table ordering it - looks nice on the plate, no?  Nicely rolled without being too compact or too loose.  Spider crab is nicely fried but the thing that I love about this roll is the yellow tobiko it's rolled in - the fish eggs just give this roll that salt and crunchy texture that I really enjoyed.  A bit on the pricey side for a spider roll though.  

Overall, we loved the service and ambiance of this place.  Calm, collected and inviting - our cups were never empty and the smiles never stopped.  The food ranged from ok to very good and the fact that it's a small hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pops run joint that makes the entire experience that much more endearing.  If you're in the area and looking for a quiet meal made with care, then give Kiwami a try.  Bon appetite!


Pros:

• Tasty food and a great specials menu
• Friendly service
• Free street parking available
• Great location - right across the street from the Steveston Wharf

Cons:

• On the pricier side
• Menu is very limited and not a lot of original offerings