Kiu is still in it's soft opening phase so there is definitely a good chance for more surprises in the future but here is my experience from today's visit:
First off, the location is perfect. Set in the heart of the developing Downtown Markham, Kiu is located on the second floor in the Cineplex Markham VIP building. While the view may not be gorgeous, the decor certainly is. A modern open concept vibe and a gorgeous bar and sushi bar giving off that high end feel.
The staff are friendly and ready to help. Throughout our visit, they consistently offer to refill our tea, answer any and all questions and the chefs are just as friendly while they are preparing the food. This restaurant boasts an assortment of cooked small dishes as well as pre-set sushi and sashimi sets (but the prices are quite steep for the quantity/quality in my opinion).
We ordered the assorted pressed sushi ($20), Tuna Carpaccio, bone marrow and the dessert (3 rice cakes/dango). Overall, the food was pretty good (I know there are mixed reviews on this). I feel that the carpaccio we had was a bit too bland. The sushi was good in my opinion - nothing disappointing or outstanding. The dessert was brilliantly plated and I don't know what I was expecting from a $9 dessert (knowing it was dango) but I was pretty satisfied (though may have preferred a slightly larger size in terms of dangos). The miso bone marrow is sweet...so while it was cooked to perfection and presented nicely, I would have preferred a more savoury flavor.
I will definitely be coming back to check out the omakase menu and keep in mind everyone, this is still their soft opening phase. I'm looking forward to seeing if there are any changes later on.