It seems like Stephen and I just got married yesterday (he may disagree haha), and yet here we are at the 5 year mark. Half a decade, 11 countries visited, 2 cars, 1 condo, 1 house, 1 cat farewell and 1 amazing Alivia. I almost feel like a real adult. This year’s celebrations are still unknown (wine and Animal Crossing?), but last year’s dinner at Yukashi was one to remember. I never planned to have over a year of backlogged blog posts, but they sure do come in handy during a pandemic.

Atmosphere: Yukashi is a small Japanese restaurant located in Davisville specializing in Omakase. The dining room had a handful of tables and 8 counter seats with a view to the open kitchen, Chef Daisuke Izutsu masterful cooking and arteful plating. Stephen and I didn’t talk much during our 3 hour meal because we were too busy watching each plate come to life. I always love being able to interact (ie. silently watch) with chefs and the experience at Yukashi was delightful, especially with how intricate and beautifully plated the main courses were. Decor in the dining room was simple with wood details. Floating shelves in the kitchen displayed the restaurant’s collection of unique serving platters. Dinner was peaceful at a relaxed slow pace, perfect for any celebration or special occasion.

Service: Sitting at the chef’s table we were served directly by Chef Izutsu. Each course was introduced in detail and it was a pleasure watching Chef Izutsu work. Next to us was a solo diner and a family of four with two middle school aged kids celebrating their dad’s birthday. Chef Izutsu asked the young boy to help him grate fresh wasabi and jokingly checked in on his process before our first course arrived. If available, I would highly recommend getting a seat at the bar.

Food: Chef Izutsu has been cooking in Toronto for almost 2 decades from his first restaurant Kaiseki Sakura to pioneering izakaya culture at Don Don to Chef de Cuisine at Kasa Moto in Yorkville. He opened Yukashi in 2018 with a simple omakase menu, 4 ($75) or 9 ($150) courses, and a special Yukashi option ($300) with limited availability. A la carte is also available featuring dishes served in the omakase meals.

Stephen and I both chose the 9 course dinner. He was driving and I’m not a lightweight, so no sake pairing for us but I did get a glass to sip on. The menu laid out each course with simple titles like “meat dish” and “tempura dish”, hiding the complexity of ingredients and unexpected combinations of flavours to come. We truly were in Chef Izutsu’s hands and they served a parade of inventive dishes with foundations in classic Japanese flavours and cooking techniques.

Our meal started with deep fried black sesame tofu with a light fish sauce and topped with yuzu zest and wasabi. The dish was pleasantly sweet, nutty and with a variety of textures. Next was a chawanmushi (steamed egg) with clam dumpling green tea sauce and salted sakura. An interesting dish but not the strongest of the night. Next was the sashimi course, and one of my favourites. Gorgeously plated bites of fish on a round marble platter with an assortment of garnishes for each diner to explore and experiment with. The fish served was toro, smoked yellowtail and red snapper. That smoked yellowtail was so bomb, i’m salivating reliving that rich smoky flavour. Stephen and I seriously contemplated how to replicate the smoking process at home. One of my favourite dishes at Don Don Izakaya is their smoked fish as well.

This was followed by pure bliss, a very delectable bite of foie gras, uni and wagyu torched tableside. Half a shiso leaf was served alongside to help tame the richness. This was Stephen’s favourite course of the nine and we still had 4 more to go. The harvest platter was stunning and assembled with an assortment of seasonal vegetables and seafood. It was daunting to figure out where to start. Some elements jumped off the platter, but my favourite part was actually the sauces, distinct and well seasoned.

The meat dish was slices of duck breast with a soft egg yolk served on sakura rice. Another decadent dish and better on paper than in the bowl. I found this one a little heavy on the salt. At this point, we had been too spoiled by the previous courses. Tempura was next, two pieces of a maki roll in a light, flakey batter with a piece of deep fried fish skin. A nice bite and the right portion size.

My second favourite course of the night was the rice course, just rice with ikura and seaweed in a dashi broth. Simple, but so comforting with the right amount of umami and warmth, the perfect way to wrap up a meal. This is the kind of bowl I crave often. For dessert we each had a slice of muskmelon. From rind to centre, the melon had a perfectly consistent ripe texture, was bursting with juice and so sweet. Arguably the best melon I’ve ever had and can now fully understand why they cost hundreds of dollars.

Overall dinner at Yukashi was a wonderful, intimate way to celebrate our anniversary. We were spoiled and surprised with delicious ingredients of the best quality. The meal delighted every sense with charm and a sense of playfulness.

Since going back to work after my maternity leave, finding time for just Stephen and I to connect has been a challenge. We’ve had the best intentions for monthly date nights but between work, constantly having a cold and trying to find time for ourselves, going out has not been realistic. What has worked is aligning our work from home days and going out for lunch dates! We’re exploring our neighbourhood and get a chance to feel like an adult. One such date took us to Toshi Ryoriten, a Japanese restaurant at Major Mackenzie and Leslie with a more upscale menu.

Atmosphere: Although Toshi Ryoriten is located in a strip mall next to a grocery store and Tim Hortons, the restaurant had all the trimmings of high end sushi bar. Plenty of natural wood decor, modern pendant light fixtures and a live edge counter at the sushi bar. At lunch on a weekday, the clientele was casual and moderately busy. There were seats at the sushi bar, tables at the front of the restaurant and more booths around the corner, in an almost separate dining room. Stephen and I sat at the sushi bar and next to us was an older group who sounded like regulars, greeting the chef by name and talking about catering for a private event. Cozy and familiar.

Service: Sitting at the sushi bar, most of our interaction was with the sushi chef. There was one server who greeted and seated us and brought us tea. Our meal was prepared quickly from the kitchen and sushi bar. I do wish the chef had listed the fish that were on the plate instead of silence. With how separate the dining areas were, it was a challenge for her to manage both areas once the restaurant became busier. We did have to wait a bit to get our bill, but not unpleasantly long. Chef Shinji Mori was very friendly and lively with the group of regulars next to us, which did create a feeling of different levels of service.

Food: Originally, I had planned to order the Chirashi Sushi Lunch ($17) but Stephen convinced me to splurge on the Premium Sashimi Platter that came with chutoro and uni ($60). My platter was beautiful and the quality of fish was top notch. The uni and chu-toro were on par with omakase restaurants in the city, not a surprise as Toshi Ryoriten does offer omakase at dinner and feature fish flown in directly from Japan. The uni was excellent in flavour, rich, creamy and tasted like the ocean with no aftertaste. It was also a generous portion.

While the quality was superb, I was a bit disappointed by the variety, only 6 types. Without any info from the chef (I’m aware I could have asked), I recognized sea bream and amberjack, but something unique or a more diverse selection would’ve taken the meal from good to exceptional. In hindsight, ordering the Chirashi Lunch ($17) and adding an order of Uni Sashimi ($16) would’ve been a better value.

Stephen balanced my splurge lunch with his Tempura lunch bento. The bento box was packed with tempura, rice, salad and a complementar bite of beans with a sesame dressing. The tempura was light, excellently cooked and fresh, not at all oily. All of the vegetable pieces were just cooked, sweet and in season.

Overall, lunch at Toshi Ryoriten was ok with glimmers of amazing. The menu is extensive and ranges from casual Japanese fare to premium sushi. They would be a good choice for a group of diners with varying paletes and budgets.

Continuing our tradition of splurging at a Japanese restaurant for my birthday, Stephen and I headed to Jugemu last November. We booked an early dinner reservation (new parent life) and enjoyed a lovely omakase meal at the sushi bar. I was incredibly saddened to hear that the restaurant would be closing their doors at the end of June. Chef Koji Tashiro’s presence will be missed and I look forward to his next venture.

Atmosphere: Jugemu was located in Cabbagetown under their popular sister restaurant Zakkushi. When we arrived only one other table was occupied by two Japanese ladies chatting and entertaining a newborn. I love seeing restaurants downtown that not only accommodate babies out of necessity but actually welcome them. Jugemu was roomy enough for a stroller to be parked by their table and quiet, without loud music, perfect for little eardrums. The dining room did begin to fill as dinner service began and all of the sushi bar seats were reserved.

Service: After settling into our seats, we were ready to order with just a quick glance at the menu. There was only one server that evening and she expertly took care of all the tables in addition to serving soup and prepping drinks. My sake arrived quickly and Chef Koji chatted with us as he prepared each piece of sushi. Throughout our meal, he was friendly but left us to our own conversation. At the end of the meal, I was ready to order an extra piece of Hokkaido uni but he recommended sticking to the Boston that was cheaper and comparable quality. I really appreciated the honesty.

Food: The one page menu at Jugemu had three sections, sushi, tapas and soup. Each section was simple with only a few options (just one soup). Stephen and I both ordered the the ultimate 12 piece omakase, $70, and a bowl of the Fish Stock Red Miso Soup. The soup was rich and savoury with lots of fish bones, very reminiscent of the miso soup from Sushi Dai in Tsukiji market! There wasn’t any hint of fishiness, just amazing flavour.

The omakase began with an octopus salad that had a light soy based vinaigrette. The texture of the octopus was chewy but tender and there was just a touch of heat. Our 12 pieces that night included unique fish like Japanese barracuda and staples like scallop and chutoro. I liked both the marinated horse mackerel and cured mackerel, both were flavourful and fresh. My favourite course was the uni and ikura, served on a small bowl of rice. The two were a perfect combination of contrasting textures and flavour. The creamy richness of the uni was accented by aach salty pop of ikura. Other highlights of the night for me were the spot prawn and king crab with crab liver. Not pictured was the tuna handroll, simple and satisfying. I was disappointed that we missed out on shirako (cod sperm), which had been served in previous weeks, and the lack of otoro.

Overall, the omakase dinner at Jugemu was a delicious and lovely experience. As always, Stephen and I enjoyed watching each piece of sushi come together and the quiet, serene atmosphere. I’ve been recommending Jugemu to friends and family all year, they really will be missed.

Tachi opened early 2018 and brought a whole new way of eating sushi to Toronto. The restaurant, located in Assembly Chef’s Hall, has only 8 standing spots and serves an omakase menu in under 30 minutes. I’ve been drooling over their social media posts since doors opened and seriously contemplated visiting while babywearing Alivia. Fortunately for her (and me), I had the chance to attend a private tasting while she hung out with Daddy and Grandma.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Atmosphere: Inside the crowded, bustling industrial style food hall, Tachi was a moment of zen. Diners waited outside until their reservation time. Once inside, a large door slid closed and created a wonderfully intimate and cozy feel. Two chefs stood behind a wooden L shaped sushi bar, expertly serving piece after piece of edomae sushi. Each standing spot was marked with a small wooden block bearing a number in kanji and set with a bamboo leaf where the nigiri was placed. The focus was all on the sushi. I loved how peaceful and calm the space felt.

Service: While the meal was quick, every interaction with the hostess and sushi chefs was welcoming and efficient. Outside the restaurant, a digital clock shows “Tachi Time” and counts down to the next seating. Once I picked my spot, number 7, the server took my drink order and I hung my coat on one of the many wall hooks available. There was also a convenient shelf underneath the sushi bar for bags. Every spot had a prime view of the sushi chefs at work.

Food: Tachi’s menu changes often and is posted at their entrance, 12 pieces for $55. There is also typically a daily special like uni or wagyu that can be added for an additional charge. The selection of fish was diverse, including premium pieces like uni, otoro and scallop while the quality was on par with other, far more expensive, omakase restaurants in the city. There was also less common fish served like sea bream, fluke and bonito. In fact salmon wasn’t even served that night and I didn’t miss it, instead savouring my pieces of ikura and anago. Each piece of fish had a great texture and tasted incredibly fresh. The flavour of the seasoned soy sauce was salty and sweet without masking any of the natural fish flavour.

Overall, the omakase experience at Tachi was delicious and such a steal for the quality and variety of fish. The first lunch seating is at 11:15pm, last at 2:15pm (a perfect splurge lunch) while dinner begins at 5:15pm and ends at 8:15pm. I would highly recommend reservations.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is one of my favourite documentaries. After watching the film I had dreams of visiting Chef Jiro Ono’s 3 Michelin star restaurant but after learning how difficult it was to secure a reservation, I had little hope of them ever coming true. While planning our trip in 2016 to New York I read about Chef Nakazawa, one of Jiro’s apprentices, who moved to the US and became a head chef at his own restaurant in Manhattan. I made reservations immediately. This was likely as close as I’d get to Sukiyabashi Jiro.

Atmosphere: The entrance of Sushi Nakazawa opened to a waiting area with a handful of seats and a fully stocked bar. We arrived early for our reservation, so after checking in with the hostess, we ordered cocktails to sip on until our table was ready. Complimentary coat check was available. There were no seats available at the sushi bar while we were in New York, so I settled for the dining room, which was in a completely separate room with no visibility to the chefs. The dining room was dimly lit, quite the contrast from the bright sushi counter, and tables angled away from each other for added privacy.

Service: From the very first step into the restaurant to our last bite, service was exceptional. Before the meal began, our server walked us through a display of classic Japanese ingredients that would be used throughout the meal like yuzu, shiso leaf and pickled plum. Compared to other omakase experiences, sitting in the dining room paled in comparison to the sushi bar. Dinner still flowed at a comfortable pace but I missed watching each piece come together, especially when the price difference was minimal. Stephen found a piece of shrimp shell in his bite of tamago and we were offered a complimentary piece of wagyu beef nigiri as apology.

Food: The omakase at Sushi Nakazawa featured 20 pieces plus a hand roll. The quality of the fish was top notch, sweet, buttery with textures that ranged from melt in your mouth to firm and chewy. A trio of salmon nigiri was first, three different species that varied in fattiness and flavour. Next was a selection of white fish and scallop, each uniquely garnished. Snow crab, prawn and mackerel were next. The nigiri on this plate all had stronger natural taste and I liked the progression from sweet salmon to fishier fish. Following this was a variety of tuna cuts from lean to medium fatty. No o-toro but still delicious. Two pieces of uni were next, one from each coast of the US. Our meal ended with a negi-toro hand roll followed by a piece of conger eel and tamago.

At the end of the omakase meal, our server left us with the a la carte menu to order additional pieces if we so wished. I usually double up on pieces like uni and spot prawn or try a fish that wasn’t included, however I was surprised with just how many other fish were available. Double the selection of our meal. To me, ordering omakase infers that a variety of the day’s best selection of fish will be served. While the variety was there, seeing many more premium types of fish available a la carte was frustrating. I would’ve liked more transparency upfront with their menu or a tiered pricing model to include pieces like o-toro and Hokkaido Uni from the get-go. But, I guess that’s part of trusting the chef.

Overall, I feel like my expectations for Sushi Nakazawa may have been to high based on the hype and price tag (over $200 CAD/person after tax and gratuity). It was still a memorable meal, but not my favourite omakase experience.

We can all agree that aesthetic is an important part of meals. When a dish makes me drool just by looking at, that’s a plus. At least until the first bite. In today’s age of Instagram visual appeal has become an even more important part of marketing and how restaurants gain popularity. However, taste is still key and should be the primary focus. No matter how pretty a restaurant’s interior is, how many succulents they house or how many edible flowers they use to plate, if the food tastes only ok, I just don’t see longevity. Aburi Room had a lot of promise. High quality torched sushi at a mid-range price and their aesthetic was on point (especially the takeout option). After eating lunch there, I’m not super surprised they’re already re-branding.

Atmosphere: Located in the first floor of a condo in North York, I was excited to venture back to our old neighbourhood for lunch at Aburi Room. This was one of our first outings with Alivia and I scoured pictures online to make sure there was plenty of room to fit a stroller next to our table. We made a reservation for 11:30am, right when doors opened and were the first diners seated. Tables were nicely spaced out with a few for large groups and comfy armchairs. Decor was modern with lots of greenery, pendant lights with an exposed industrial ceiling. Lunch was relaxed and busy but not to capacity.

Service: Our server was friendly and patient. Being our first time out in awhile, we were busy catching up with friends and took some time to decide on our order. The pace of the meal was comfortable and when our Smoked Chirashi Tart arrived, she was happy to wait for Stephen to get his camera and pose for our shots. Our reservation was made with a baby and our table had been set up with a high chair, an added touch that I now truly appreciate.

Food: After my lengthy intro I have to start with, the meal was good. Not amazing, but pleasant. My biggest challenge with the Omakase at Aburi Room was that for the price, I’d much rather spend either a bit more for amazing quality and fewer pieces (lunch at JaBistro $28 for 7 pieces) or much less for quantity ($15 Chirashi from Ichiban on Spring Garden). The menu relied heavily on the trend of aburi style sushi and presentation to distinguish themselves, which almost worked. It’s a hard neighbourhood to compete in when there are multiple Japanese restaurants every block.

Stephen and I both ordered the Signature Omakase (10 pieces + 2 hand rolls) for ourselves and split a Smoked Chirashi Tart with our friends. First to arrive were three square bowls with edamame, a cabbage salad and two slices of sashimi on seaweed. The sashimi was a white fish, very fresh and sweet; a good start.

The 10 pieces of aburi sushi was served on a rectangular white plate. There were 6 pieces of torched nigiri and 4 pieces of pressed, then torched sushi. Each piece was paired with a unique garnish ranging from jalapeno to tobiko and a thin slice of okra. I really enjoyed the salmon and truffle shrimp sushi, which were sweet and flavourful. The yuzu peel garnish on the scallop was interesting, a tart and bitter contrast to the sweet seafood. I liked it but not everyone at the table agreed. With the pieces of pressed sushi the layer of mayonnaise was generous and caramelized to a delicious flavour after being torched. However, it did mask the flavour of the fish a bit and all the pieces aside from mackerel tasted the same.

I admit, I ordered the Smoked Salmon Chirashi for the visuals and it did not disappoint in that department. Served on a round plate under a glass dome filled with smoke, presentation was on point. As for actual flavour, there was a lot of sauce. The layered tart of rice, chopped salmon sashimi and avocado was smothered with spicy mayo and nikiri sauce. This was not a subtle dish and I couldn’t really taste much smokey flavour.

We had almost forgotten about the two hand rolls when they arrived, which were filling and completed the meal. A piece of tamago would have been a nice touch. Overall, lunch at Aburi Room was good and I am happy to have tried the omakase. I’m interested in seeing how the restaurant evolves as there is a lot of potential.

Over a year later I’m finally writing the last post about my trip to Vancouver from 2015, dinner at Tojo’s, one of Vancouver’s most well-known and acclaimed Japanese restaurants. Besides procrastination, I’ve been delaying this post because I was disappointed in the meal. After eating at a handful of Japanese restaurants since, I grew even more weary of reminiscing on my Vancouver omakase experience. However, I do think part of my disappointment was due to an error in my expectations based on the price.

Atmosphere: Walking into Tojo’s, I was surprised by how big the restaurant was, and quite modern. There were only a few seats at the sushi bar that looked into the kitchen, but there were many tables and booths in the dining area. For Saturday night, many of the tables were full but they weren’t at capacity. I spied Tojo himself a few times at the sushi bar chatting animatedly with the diners seated there.

Service: Service itself was efficient and professional. Our server explained the difference between the omakase options in the menu and explained each plate when it arrived. I also appreciated the complimentary dessert for one of our friends who didn’t decide to order the omakase. One thing that surprised me was how quickly each course arrived, which made me question how special the omakase was. It felt like the kitchen was already prepared before our orders were even placed. The only course that took some time was the sushi one, which our server came by to apologize for the wait as orders at the sushi bar were being prioritized.

Food: Omakase is available to be ordered at any seat inside the large restaurant, but is priced slightly higher at the sushi bar ($150. For myself, I ordered the 6 course omakase ($120) and The Hubs chose the 5 course omakase ($80), we shared the plates of each set. Between the two, the 6 course set exceeded the 5 course meal with an extra piece of sushi and higher quality ingredients. I didn’t feel any part of the $80 meal was special or unique, which is kind of the expectation for an omakase meal, especially compared to a similarly priced dinner at Yasu.

For the 5 course meal, dinner began with Tojo’s Tuna, a marinated tuna sashimi dish that was fresh and lightly seasoned. Next was a plate of 3 pieces of tempura, tomato, zucchini blossom and okra. All three pieces were lightly battered and not oily. The third course was an octopus salad with a light citrus dressing. I did like the texture of the octopus salad but at this point I was concerned if The Hubs would be full. Also, while good, nothing yet had been amazing. The fourth course was the “main” entree and unfortunately, the one I really didn’t enjoy, cod with zucchini, tomato and a cream cheese. This dish didn’t fit my palate with the cheese. I’ve always avoided ordering Philadelphia rolls, and that will not be changing. The last course was 5 pieces of sushi that included scallop, shrimp and salmon.

The 6 course meal began with a sashimi salad that included tuna, salmon and yellowtail. I liked the quantity and quality of sashimi in this dish. Next was a smoked salmon and Atlantic lobster salad. My third course was wild prawns with a balsamic sauce, which was good but I would’ve loved if the prawns were a touch less cooked. At this point I’ve lost track of one of the courses (dessert may have counted as the 6th) but I believe the next plate served was the smoked sablefish, which was my favourite dish of the night. The bowl arrived still covered and was revealed at the table. The sablefish itself was incredibly firm but tender and flavourful. One of my friends had opted to just order the sablefish entree and I was wildly jealous of his decision. Similar to the 5 course meal, my set menu ended with a plate of 6 assorted rolls and sushi.

Overall, dinner at Tojo’s wasn’t the highlight of the trip I thought it would, but I am glad I visited. A few of the dishes were amazing, like the sablefish, but fewer than I expected. I feel like ordering a la carte would’ve offered a much better experience than the omakase, which defies the definition for me.

Ever on the hunt for delicious sushi, as I scroll through my Instagram feed I’m always on the lookout for mouth-watering photos of raw fish. Almost a year ago I noticed Aoyama, specifically a stunning chirashi bowl full of my favourite types of sushi. Hubs and I stopped by for an impromptu Monday date night as part of my birthday celebrations this month.

Atmosphere: Pulling into the parking lot of a block of restaurants in Scarborough, Aoyama was the definition of unassuming. The storefront was understated and the interior was similarly simple and unembellished. Walking in for our 5:30pm reservation, I was shocked that all the tables were set with “reserved” plaques. However, we had the restaurant to ourselves until 6pm when other guests began arriving. Dinner was cozy and quiet, great for conversation and perfect for our date.

Service: I only decided on dinner at Aoyama early that day and called around 3pm to make a reservation. At first, I thought about just walking in, but went with a reservation just in case, which was the right decision. I’d recommend always making a reservation if you can. I have to assume that many customers order the omakase because our appetizers arrived immediately after we ordered, and the platter of nigiri quickly followed. Two servers took care of us and both were friendly and efficient. One girl was far more proficient with English than the other, she was the one to take orders and chatted with us about sushi restaurants in the city. I do wish our plates were coursed out. As is, I felt a little overwhelmed with the continuous arrival of plates that quickly filled our table.

Food: For the two of us, we ordered the Omakase Sushi set, which comes with a trio of appetizers, soup, 20 pieces of sushi and a 6 piece salmon maki. On top of this, we added a plate of assorted tempura and unatama (unagi with egg sauce on rice). We didn’t actually need the unatama to be full, but I had been tempted my Instagram photos and our server informed us it was a good dish for take-out, perfect for my lunch the next day.

With our sushi set, the appetizers served alongside were edamame, a few chicken teriyaki skewers and two medallions of monkfish liver. A flavourful, clear seafood broth was served in a clay teapot and little tea cups. This was not the highlight of the meal, but a nice start to the meal. The assorted tempura had three pieces of shrimp and a largey variety of vegetables. The batter was light and the vegetables were fresh. However biting into each piece, they looked more crispy than they were. This could’ve been because the plate arrived while we were still working on the appetizers and let the tempura sit for a few minutes.

The sushi was where it was at. The pieces included were unagi, uni, sweet shrimp, scallop, crab, salmon belly, hamachi, chutoro, otoro and tamago. All of them were amazing, sweet and buttery. They’re also all my favourite types and what I would order a la carte myself. The salmon belly was fatty and almost as good as the toro, almost. Although the sushi set can change everyday, based on social media photos, the same selection of fish is served fairly consistently and otoro is guaranteed. The uni was also quite fresh, one of the better quality ones I’ve had in Toronto, but did still leave a slight aftertaste. Overall, for the price and quality of the fish, while not exactly a true omakase meal, the omakase sushi set was easily worth the $89 price tag

We did dig into the unatama that night before taking away the bulk of it, and it was delicious. I loved the sweet unagi sauce, mixed altogether with the eel, rice and runny egg sauce, created a perfect spoonful.

This year The Hubby and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary at Shoushin. It’s hard to believe, but when we first starting dating, he only ate salmon sashimi and only when I dragged him out for sushi. Over our years together, I’ve fed him more and more sushi and he’s grown to enjoy and appreciate many varieties of raw fish. One thing I love about The Hubby, is how how’s willing to give anything a shot. I also love being able to share my love of sushi with him, which is good, because it’s one food I’m always craving. Our dinner at Shoushin was a lovely experience filled with high quality fish and excellent sake.

Atmosphere: The interior of Shoushin was zen-like with plenty of light natural wood decor and modern with straight lines and pot lights. At Shoushin, the sushi bar itself was constructed from a 200 year old Japanese hinoki tree, a wood typically reserved for the construction of shrines, temples and palaces. We had the chance to sit at the sushi bar and watch Chef Jackie in action slicing and assembling each piece. There were no set seating times and the seats around us switched over a few times. I was impressed with how Chef Jackie multi-tasked, keeping track of where each diner was through their courses. Conversations were hushed and dinner was serene.

Service: Throughout dinner we were taken care of by both our server, who was friendly and professional and Chef Jacky. Our server explained the menu, introduced each sake we were served and walked us through all the dishes aside from the sushi course. When it came time for the sushi, Chef Jacky introduced each fish as he served the pieces for The Hubby and I, and since we had ordered different set courses, he also explained the difference between the two. The pace of our dinner was comfortable, not rushed and with no lulls. Although we were pretty quiet, Chef Jacky did answer what questions we had and chatted a bit with us. Mostly, we listened in on his conversation with the couple beside us, regulars to Shoushin.

Food: Shoushin offers 4 different omakase menus ranging from $80, offering two appetizers and sushi, to $250, which includes sashimi, caviar and sushi. We opted to try both of the mid-range options, the Yuri at $130 and Sakura at $160 both with sake pairings, an additional $50 and $60 respectively. Between the two, the appetizers differed slightly and the Yuri had stuffed squid while the Sakura had Uni from Tokyo. My Sakura set also included o-toro, which I split with The Hubby, and anago, which was so good we ordered an extra piece. As for the sake, there was no difference between the two courses in terms of quantity or number of pours. As someone with very little knowledge of sake, I only knew I liked my selections slightly more than The Hubbys as they were a touch sweeter.

Both set courses began with a cold appetizer. The Hubby had a seafood and vegetable terrine and I had scallop and mackerel in a light vinaigrette. Both dishes were elegant and had a variety of textures and flavours. I really liked the slushy bonito broth that the terrine was served on. Next was the sashimi appetizer where our selections of fish varied slightly. Both had firefly squid from Japan, which were delicious and new to me. All of the sashimi was tender and sweet, some of the best I’ve had in Toronto. A few more cooked dishes followed before the sushi started, delicate seasonal vegetables, a lightly battered shrimp fritter and a bowl of soup.

By this point, my appetite was whet and my tastebuds were ready. I truly had a great time with every single piece of sushi. I’ve combined both the Yuri and Sakura set together. We didn’t get photos of every piece. The fish for each set, starting first row left to right, and then second row were:
Fluke, Skipjack, Kimada, Prawn
Blue Fin, Chutoro, Otoro (Sakura), Uni (Sakura)
Stuffed Squid (Yuri), Anago (Sakura), Saba (Yuri), Horse Mackerel (Sakura)

My favourite pieces were the fluke, otoro, anago and horse mackerel. Each fish had their unique flavour and texture but all of them were incredibly fresh and sweet. The one disappointment was the uni, which had a slight aftertaste. My sakura menu also included a tuna hand roll, wrapped with crisp nori and hand delivered by Chef Jackie. Our sushi course ended perfectly with a piece of fluffy, sweet tamago. Even after all that, there was still dessert. The Hubby and I split a matcha pudding and scoop of strawberry ice cream that had chunks of real strawberries. When given the opportunity to order extra pieces, I had zero room left.

Dinner was exceptional, albeit with quite the hefty price tag. I would recommend opting for the sake pairing as the bottles poured were all great compliments to the courses. During our sushi course, we were each given a full carafe of sake to enjoy at our leisure that was at least 2 cups. If available, I would also recommend sitting at the chef’s table for a much more personal experience.