Fresh, in-store-made sushi is something I can’t find at my local Costco in Edmonton, Canada. That’s why I was excited to discover Kirkland Signature Sushi at the Costco in Maui and immediately picked up a few trays to try. I sampled a variety of sushi, including spicy tuna rolls, spicy crab rolls, California rolls, nigiri, and maki. Keep reading to see whether Costco’s freshly made sushi lived up to my expectations and how it compares to other sushi I’ve had.
Location in Store
This sushi is located in the refrigerated pre-made meal section of Costco near the Kirkland Signature Crab Cakes and the Kirkland Signature Salmon Milano with Basil Pesto Butter. The item numbers are 10216 for the party platter, 16747 for the spicy crab and 16814 for the spicy tuna.
Taste
Spicy tuna roll
The flavor is mild and the heat is fairly mild too, though it builds a bit over time. The tuna is tasty and not fishy and the combination of tuna, avacado, cucumber and spicy mayo. I found it slightly rice-heavy, but not too bad.
Spicy crab roll
The first thing I noticed was the saltiness from the crab. That’s the main flavor. The heat isn’t that noticeable at first, but builds to a moderate level of heat. The crab is slightly fishy, but I always find that with crab. The avocado, cucumber and mayo complement the crab nicely. Again, it’s a bit rice-heavy.
California roll
I noticed the flavor of the sesame seeds right away. I found the crab a bit less fishy than in the spicy crab roll – maybe because there’s less of it. I’ve had lots of California rolls over the years and thought this was a good one.
Nigiri
- The rice was chewy and slightly sweet. It’s quite dense.
- Salmon – The fish was extremely mild. It didn’t have much flavor, but was very satisfying and enjoyable.
- Ahi – The fish almost melted in my mouth. Again, it was quite mild, but had a bit more flavor than the salmon. It had a unique, slightly fishy flavor.
- A’u – The fish was a bit chewier and tasted a bit like a more mild version of the ahi (similar unique fishy flavor)
Maki
I found these rolls a bit rice-heavy. There’s a salmon one and an ahi one. The fish tastes the same as in the nigiri.
When I’m saying things are rice-heavy, it might be more the wrap the sushi is in.
I was really excited to try this sushi. It looked very appetizing and it wasn’t cheap, so I had pretty high hopes for it. It delivered. I live in a city that’s not exactly known for its sushi, but I eat sushi at least a few times per year and this is as good as any I’ve had in a restaurant recently. It was a really fun take-home meal on our recent trip to Hawaii and offered reasonable value compared to eating at a restaurant.
Cost
The sushi at Costco isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s still more affordable than ordering sushi at most restaurants. The platter featuring California rolls, nigiri, and maki costs $34.83 USD.
The spicy crab roll tray costs $13.67 USD, while the spicy tuna roll tray is priced at $14.10 USD. The nigiri and maki party platter is definitely the most expensive option, but that’s not surprising since nigiri is typically the priciest type of sushi at restaurants as well due to the generous portions of fresh fish.
Convenience
All three sushi trays were packaged on the same day we purchased them and had a best-before date that was two days later. I recommend eating the sushi as soon as possible for the best quality, and I wouldn’t recommend freezing it.
Each tray comes with plenty of ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi. While this sushi would make a great appetizer, we enjoyed it as dinner and found it to be very filling. We were all completely full by the end of the meal!
Nutrition
Calories
Costco wouldn’t provide the nutrition information when I asked, stating that it was proprietary. Because of that, I had to do some research online. I can’t guarantee these nutrition facts are completely accurate, but they should provide a reasonable estimate.
A 125-gram serving of spicy tuna rolls typically contains about 223 calories, eight grams of fat, 27 grams of carbohydrates, and 10 grams of protein. A 125-gram serving of spicy crab rolls contains approximately 240 calories, 11 grams of fat, 25 grams of carbohydrates, and six grams of protein.
Eight California rolls generally contain around 375 calories, 15 grams of fat, 50 grams of carbohydrates, and 11 grams of protein. The nigiri and maki are typically lower in calories. A single piece of nigiri usually contains between 40 and 65 calories, while maki can range from about 150 to 350 calories per six-piece serving, depending on the ingredients used.
Ingredients
I really appreciate that Costco appears to use fresh fish and crab in its sushi. That’s definitely a big positive and helps the sushi taste fresher and more authentic.
One downside is that the sushi still contains a number of processed ingredients, including food coloring, artificial flavors, and hydrogenated corn syrup. The Costco sushi contains fish, shellfish, egg, milk, sesame, soy, and wheat.
It may also contain peanuts, tree nuts, and crustaceans since it is produced in a facility that handles these allergens. As with any raw seafood product, consuming sushi carries a risk of foodborne illness. I recommend keeping it properly refrigerated and eating it as soon as possible rather than letting it sit out or become warm.
Scoring
Taste: 9/10
Cost: 7/10
Convenience: 10/10
Nutrition: Unknown exact nutrition facts but I don’t love that there are still quite a few unhealthy ingredients in the sushi.
Overall
Give it a try!
This was a fun, reasonably priced meal that our whole family enjoyed! If you’re a sushi fan, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this fresh Kirkland Signature sushi made right in Costco. It’s a convenient way to satisfy a sushi craving without paying restaurant prices.
No it’s not.
Fresh!
It’s cheaper!
Have you tried the Costco Kirkland Signature Sushi? What did you think of it?
Please note that this review was not paid for or sponsored by any third party. This product was purchased by Costcuisine for the purpose of producing this review. The opinions in this review are strictly those of Costcuisine. Costcuisine is not affiliated with Costco or any of its suppliers. In the event that Costcuisine receives compensation for a post from the manufacturer of a product or some other third party, the arrangement will be clearly disclosed (including where the manufacturer of a product provides Costcuisine with a free sample of the product).
