Burnaby’s Ki Cafe serves up delicious treats with a side of manga

Tucked away across the street from the Royal Oak Skytrain station is Ki Cafe, one of the most unique cafes in Burnaby. With plenty of tasty drinks, desserts, food, and manga to read, this is a must-visit cafe for Burnaby residents.

Walking into Ki Cafe feels like you’re being transported to a different world. Not only are there loads of plants everywhere (and plenty of Bulbasaur statues if those count as plants), but there is also a giant tree in the centre of the cafe as well, making for some very whimsical scenery.

Alongside the counter where you order is a small hallway with one wall covered in bookshelves. From the ceiling to the floor there are different mangas that you’re allowed to take and read in the cafe.

If the manga and the atmosphere isn’t enough to draw you in, the food will definitely will. Ki Cafe specializes in Japanese-inspired breakfast, comfort food, and yummy desserts. For breakfast, we would recommend you order the Shimeji Garden Toast or the Okonomiyaki Waffle. The Shimeji Garden Toast comes with roasted oyster and shimeji mushrooms, tossed arugula, yuzu tapenade, house-made miso mayonnaise, onsen egg, all on top of focaccia toast. The waffle on the other hand is a savoury waffle, based on the Japanese street food of the safe name. It has a cabbage and egg base, with Okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, bonito flakes, green onion, seaweed and ginger.

Perhaps the most delicious item on Ki Cafe’s menu is the different selections of omurice. For those unfamiliar with omurice, it’s a Japanese omelette made with fried rice. Ki Cafe serves their omurice with ur choice of a curry sauce, demiglace sauce, or with a side of chicken karaage.

Currently, Ki Cafe is serving cherry blossom-themed drinks and desserts to welcome spring. We would recommend ordering the Sakura Milk Frappe which was very refreshing and surprisingly not overly sweet, and the Sakura Cheese Tart which tasted just like a mini cheesecake.

Just like the short-lived nature of cherry blossoms, these cherry blossom-themed desserts will only be available for a limited time so be sure to grab them while they’re still here.

Ki Cafe

Address: 6888 Royal Oak Ave Unit #105, Burnaby