A Very Sushi Birthday at Kenko Niwa

A friend of mine had her birthday dinner tonight. Anyone who knows me personally, is well aware that I love food and sushi is no exception. When I was asked where to go, I thought Kenko Niwa immediately.  I have been eating sushi since I was a child, mind you I was not nearly as adventurous back then. California rolls, shrimp, tempura and gyoza was about all I would eat back then but those days are long past!

My first experience with Kenko was at their first location on the corner of Arbuthnot and Corydon. Kenko was one of the first sushi restaurants on Corydon Avenue and their first location is stylistically, what I would think of as a "sushi bar". There is an island in the middle of the dining room which is the sushi bar, and you can sit there and chat with the chefs as they expertly prepare the orders. Kenko Niwa is more of a dining experience, the "sushi bar" is tucked away in the corner of the restaurant. There are several sections with tables, a fireplace and even a private tatami room!

There were very few disappointments in this visit,  first was when I heard that ownership had changed. Oh no, what has happened to all my favorites? Have they changed anything? Is this even the same place I fell in love with? All these thoughts flooded through my head as I was told they no longer have a sake menu. My heart dropped, things have changed. I ordered the only cold sake on the menu, Gekkeikan Draft Sake. Luckily Gekkeikan has not disappointed me yet and the first disappointment was alleviated. You probably think I am crazy for fussing over sake, you may be right but we will never know.

I started with the miso soup, a perfect start to a sushi dinner! It was hot with a very delicious and flavorful broth. Bits of tofu and tender seaweed gave it a bit of texture and salty flavor with just the slightest hint of green onion. Soup like this does not last long and it took some effort to take pictures of it before eating it(you have no idea).

The next course was gyoza, a Japanese dumpling filled with pork and steamed. They are often referred to as potstickers in North America. They are usually pan fried after they steam to sear and give them a little texture. Gyozas take me way back, they were one of the things I loved as a kid. My dad would often make them for an appetizer whether we were at home or out sailing about the California coast. These were wonderful and took me back, tender bits of pork with garlic and ginger in the stuffing. The gyoza was nice and crispy on the outside while still being tender, just the way I like it. I also like a little soy sauce and sesame oil and this is what the sauce they provided tasted like.

The next dish was spectacular, called TNT Tempura(Prawns), this is a feast for your eyes until you taste it. From that point, the only feasting is going on in your mouth as you devour every tasty bit. 5 Jumbo pieces of Shrimp Tempura were smothered in a kabayaki sauce and topped with fish roe and sesame seeds. All these neatly built on top of some leafy greens. They were awesome!

On to the nigiri sushi! From right to left, I started of with yellowtail which is always a favorite of mine. Next was Japanese Butterfish which I never had before. It was so soft and light with a buttery texture that melts in your mouth, very nice! The last piece was just a roll of delicious goodness. Fatty Tuna and scallions on top of sushi rice wrapped with seaweed. Very nice and I have never seen it served this way.

Next was the soft shell crab, always a favorite. This one was to be a disappointment. I expected a delicious deep fried, whole soft shell crab. That is how I first had it however that is not what I got. The meat was good but it was small. It was also very crispy and while it was alright, it was not what I expected. I do not think I would order it again:(

On to the grand finale! The final plate was amazing and included a few of my favorites. On the right side, something I order every time, bakudan. This is a spicy tuna roll with crunchy tempura batter and the flavor and textures are always amazing. Of course they were this time too! I still had not had my fill of tuna so I ordered another piece of nigiri! Then, the caterpillar roll...this has some of my favorite ingredients. First and almost foremost is avocado, I love avocado and will not talk about it now. Why? That will turn into a whole new blog! More on that in the future. Barbecued eel is delicious with a slightly sweet and smoky flavor, it is wrapped in rice and topped with mmm...avocado! Then it is drizzled with with kabayaki sauce and sesame seeds. Amazing.

In the end, the night was a great experience for everyone. Everyone had fun, enjoyed the food and tried new things. The service was wonderful. One thing I learned, life is full of changes and while they may suck there is usually some good. Fortunately here, there was a quite a bit of good! So I guess I just need to learn to keep up with the times.

Kenko Niwa
631 Corydon Avenue
Winnipeg, MB
204-452-3656