KI CAFE || This Manga-Themed Cafe Serves Up Tasty Omurice in a Whimsical Setting
I could sit here for days immersing myself in all the manga at this cozy cafe.
Located in Burnaby just a short drive from Metrotown, Ki Cafe is a brunch spot I discovered last weekend when I had a few hours free to enjoy some time alone on a Saturday afternoon. Since I live downtown, I don’t head out to Burnaby often, and I know there have been quite a few popular new restaurants popping up, so I have a lot of catching up to do in the Burnaby food scene.
A vintage piano set against a greenery wall
Thankfully, I arrived just before the lunch rush and managed to grab a small table underneath a large decorative tree by the entrance. The chilly February breeze poured in along with the warm sunlight. A large vintage piano stands to the left of the entrance against a lush green wall. If you’re an anime fan, you’re in for a treat. As you step into the cafe you’re treated to a full wall display of anime figures, and if you walk further down towards the back of the cafe, a floor to ceiling row of bookshelves presents a treasure trove of manga titles.
A full wall of manga
Anime fans would love this space
The right way to enjoy Ki Cafe’s curated setting is to order a tasty omurice and drink set, and then browse through the manga wall while waiting for your food, and then settle in to enjoy your meal with your favourite manga.
I got the roasted black sesame black tea to satisfy my sesame cravings, along with the popular original omurice (other options include curry and demiglace omurice). If you’ve never had omurice, it stands for omelette rice, and it’s a popular Japanese dish that brings together a western omelette with Japanese-style fried rice. Now that sounds like a tasty creation, doesn’t it?
The way omurice is presented in some restaurants is quite theatrical. They would place the plate on the table with the egg omelette resting on top of a bowl of rice, and then they would take a knife and slice the egg omelette down the middle. The key is to have the inside of the egg omelette remain lightly cooked so it’s the texture of runny scrambled eggs. When you mix this with the tomato fried rice, it’s truly a heavenly creation for a cold, winter day to satisfy your carb cravings.
Roasted Black Sesame Milk Tea
Original Omurice
The egg omelette of this omurice was done just right so that the egg is still slightly runny and not overcooked. The tomato fried rice was to my liking, since it’s a bit moist and chewy, with the taste of sweet tomato and texture of diced onions and small cubes of meat. What would have made the texture of this omurice even better would have been to have an option to add one more egg so that there is a higher ratio of lightly scrambled eggs to the outer thin, fried layer. Now that would have been perfect.
Baked cheese tarts
After polishing my milk tea and the omurice (which came with a small side salad), I contemplated having a baked cheese tart, since that seemed to be the popular dessert item at the cafe, but I was already at the threshold of overstuffing myself and so I refrained from it this time. I’ll have to come back to try it, and maybe at that time I could also try other cakes on the menu like the Russian Honey Cake and Matcha Roll Cake.
I’ll have to wait for another sunny Saturday to make the drive out to Burnaby, but I’m sure it’ll be worth it.
Trinket hanging from the tree above my seat
Will this be your next brunch spot?
Photos by Florence Leung
