For me, there are two types of Japanese sushi restaurants in Toronto, the < $10 bento box shops with decent maki and a focus on take-out or high end, fancy ones where I like to go for lunch (great deals) or celebrating and occasion. Recently, I’ve been visiting more mid-tier restaurants, those offering high quality, fresh sashimi in the $20-$30 range. Etsu falls directly in this category with a chirashi bowl priced at $21 before tax and tip. While more attention was spent on plating, I wasn’t convinced our meal was worth the higher price.

Atmosphere: Filled with sleek Ikea furniture, Etsu aimed to exude a hip and happening vibe. On a Monday night though, the restaurant was quiet and filled with diners enjoying a casual meal. There are lots of Japanese restaurants on Baldwin, from ramen to AYCE, and Etsu tries to fill the “fancy” slot. The spot for a first date, or a special dinner. I think they would’ve almost been successful if not for the general impression of not trying.

Service: Monday night was slow with only a few tables filled. However there was only one server manning the restaurant who was cold, brusque and disorganized. We sat with our menus closed for a solid 10 minutes before getting his attention. We ordered 3 beers in total, one was brought over and then 10 minutes late the other two. This was not the level of service I had expected.

Food: Our stop at Etsu was actually dinner number two that night for 4 of us. With smaller appetites, the plan was to share a few appetizers and a sashimi platter. The one girl who needed a full dinner chose to order the chirashi bowl, which was stocked with a wide variety of beautiful pieces of fish.

The two appetizers we chose to share was the tempura and soft shell crab. Both dishes were underwhelming. The tempura was limp and not crispy. The soft shell crab was fried much better, crunchy but wasn’t served with legs.

What attracted me to Etsu was their sashimi. I had been craving good quality sashimi all week and the 15 piece plate saved the night. Each piece of fish was buttery and sweet. A drizzle of sauce topped some and others had a sprinkle of crunchy bits. A small mound of wakame salad was included as filler.

Overall, Etsu doesn’t quite measure up to similar prices sushi restaurants in downtown Toronto. On baldwin though, it’s a good bet for high quality sashimi.

Lately, The Hubby and I have been getting lazier about going downtown for dinner, especially when it’s just the two of us on a regular night. This means we’ve been venturing north more often for food. All the free parking is also pretty appealing. Hub Sushi was on of the Thornhill restaurants we discovered and one of my new favourites.

Atmosphere: I called Hub Sushi just before leaving our condo to make a reservation for that night (in 30 minutes). When we arrived, the restaurant was half full and I figured the reservation wasn’t needed. By the middle of our meal though, there a queue out the door and I was glad we got our table early. The restaurant was compact and artfully decorated with lots of greenery and cute knick knacks. It felt like I was in an Asian cafe more than a Japanese restaurant.

Service: The only disappointing point about dinner was how understaffed the restaurant was. With a full restaurant, there were two girls running around taking care of all the tables. While not quite as bad at Akane, it was a slow ordeal to place our order and have our tea refilled. I watched the girl with the teapot going from table to table, running out of tea halfway and then get flagged down for something else. All of dishes arrive at once and it was a challenge to fit every dish on the table. One more server would’ve helped the pace of service greatly.

Aside from being rushed, our server was friendly and had lots of smiles when we saw her. I also liked how they had a photo album of each menu item that accompanied the menu. There was also an offer of free mochi ice cream if you posted a photo on social media using their hashtag.

Food: When it comes down to it, I’m a sucker for good quality food at a good price. Despite service hiccups, if the food was awesome and I think it was a good deal, I’ll be back; and the sushi at Hub Sushi did win me over.

The Hubby and I chose to order the Dinner for Two ($39) , which came with 10 pcs of sushi, 10 pcs of sashimi, tempura and our choice of a special roll. We also added on a wakame salad. I was impressed with the quality and selection of fish. The sashimi slices were thick, buttery and sweet. There was salmon belly, seared tuna, red snapper, mackerel and shrimp. Considering the price, this was a steal. I would’ve valued just this plate at $30 easy.

The wakame salad was served on a bed of greens drizzled with a citrus dressing followed by a basket of tempura arranged in a dim sum steamer. Hub Sushi plated their dishes with some care and I appreciated the sentiment. Given our small table, the salad plate took up a lot of real estate. I found the salad up to par and the tempura disappointing. The batter had a strong oil flavour and wasn’t light or crispy.

Being a great blogger, I can’t recall the exact sushi roll we chose but there was a fried element (soft shell crab), tobiko and avocado. Each bite was delicious with lots of flavour and a great balance of crunchiness and creaminess. Overall, Hub Sushi is a great spot for sushi North of the city.

One of my favourite things about being home on a weekday is taking advantage of the awesome lunch deals nearby. Of the three Japanese restaurants on Spring Garden Ave, Kiyomizu has the highest price tag and the best quality of sashimi. While dinner would easily be > $20 / person, their lunch specials are very affordable at < $12 for a full bento box with the same high quality ingredients.

Atmosphere: The booths are Kiyomizu are private with high wood separations and I often forget there are other diners on the other side. Soft, instrumental music plays softly and conversations can be held easily. We stopped by on Good Friday and the restaurant was quiet with only a few occupied tables. Kiyomizu would be a restaurant for date night with the intimate seating and elegant feel.

Service: On all of my visits, service has been friendly and efficient. Our server brought over two complimentary croquettes and our bento boxes arrived quickly. She was soft spoken, quick to clear empty dishes and refill water.

Food: For a quick lunch, Kiyomizu delivered great quality at a good price and a generous portion. I ordered the sashimi bento box which came with a miso soup, salad, rice, two side dishes and 12 pieces of sashimi. The assortment of sashimi was pretty standard, salmon, red snapper, tuna and a piece of octopus but each fish was fresh and an excellent texture. I also found the side-dishes to be a great palate cleanser, mild and not salty like many other restaurants.

The Fiance had the tempura and sashimi bento box, which came with miso soup, a huge pile of tempura, 8 pieces of sashimi, salad, rice and one side dish. The tempura was light, airy and not at all oily. I also really liked the deep fried sweet potato croquettes that were crispy and sweet. I do have a weakness for mashed potatoes in any form.

Kiyomizu is a neighbourhood gem. Their dinner menu has a great selection of sushi and cooked dishes, beautifully plated and perfect for any occasion. Their lunch menu is a total steal.

When ordering Omakase (chef’s selection) at a sushi restaurant, the diner is trusting the chef to create a meal with their best ingredients and serve them in an order that enhances each course. In Toronto, there are only a handful of restaurants that offer Omakase and many offer the option in addition to an a la carte menu. At their 12 seat restaurant, Yasu serves only Omakase for $80 per person

Atmosphere: Occupying a converted semi-detached house, dinner at Yasu was an intimate and unique experience. With only 12 seats, 10 of which surround the sushi bar, you’re up and close to the chef as each piece of nigiri is prepared and served. Background music was quiet, making conversation easy when we weren’t transfixed by the chef.

Service: Yasu currently offers 2 dinner seatings from Monday to Thursday and 3 from Friday to Sunday. Arriving too early for a seating may mean having to wait outside if the previous seating ran long. The Fiance and I arrived 10 minutes before our reservation and took seats #5 and #6 at the sushi bar. Servers took our coats as we entered and drink orders were taken after some time with the menu. We were taken care of by Chef Yoshinaga who was friendly, answered our questions and had fun posing for pictures. Dinner only began once all 12 diners had been seated.

Reservations can be made one month ahead of time and require a credit card. Note that any cancellations or changes to the number of guests made with less than 24 hours notice will have the full $80 + HST charged unless the seats get filled. Yasu posts on their Facebook page when same-day seats are available.

Food: The Omakase at Yasu consists of 18 pieces and dessert. Both The Fiance and I were satisfied after our meal (I ordered one additional piece) but not stuffed. The quality and freshness of the ingredients were top-notch. I was in love with every bite.

At the start of the meal, Chef Yoshinaga placed a mound of pickled ginger on each plate and asked about allergies. He also asked if we had a preference for the amount of wasabi or size of rice ball. We all left ourselves in his capable hands. Displayed between both chefs were the fresh fish being prepared that night and the chefs passed pieces between them as they cooked. Each piece of sushi has a unique amount of wasabi paired with it and a brush of nikiri sauce. Some pieces, like the horse mackerel were topped with sliced scallions and grated ginger. Watching each piece of sushi come together was fascinating, from selecting where to slice the fish to the delicate assembly.

The wasabi at Yasu was grated from horseradish root and rich in flavour. More ginger can be requested at any time during the meal. Chef Yoshinaga introduced each fish with their name and origin as he placed them in front of us. At the end of the meal, we were able to order additional pieces of any fish at $7-$8 each.

For me, my favourite piece of the night was the sweet shrimp. Close behind were the horse mackerel, ocean trout, ikura, bluefin tuna, o-toro and sea bass. Each piece had it’s own unique texture and there wasn’t one that I didn’t enjoy. The scorpion fish was the most fishy and I have had better uni in Toronto.

The most interesting sushi that night was the shirako, or cod sperm. No one had a clue what it was and after finding out, everyone was game to try. The shirako did not have any fish taste, was creamy, velvety and pretty tasty. In Japan, shirako is considered a delicacy and served with many cooking techniques. Next time I’m in Japan, I’ll be searching for it.

Dinner ends with a square of sweet tamago and your choice of black sesame ice cream or green tea panna cotta.

Overall Yasu delivered a high quality meal with delicate and intense flavours. If you appreciate sushi, the entire experience of dining at Yasu is worth the price tag.

If I was stuck on a desert island and could eat one thing for the remainder of my days, it would be sashimi. Basically, I’m always craving raw fish and am lucky to live close to Taro’s Fish, a Japanese fish shop/grocer with a small dine in space.

Atmosphere: Taro’s Fish resides in a commercial block located on Sheppard Ave., between Bayview and Leslie. Townhouses are being built in neighbouring lot, but for now there’s still ample parking and signs of future residential development (yet). Walking into the shop, the layout is more convenience store, grab and go, than dine in. There are seats at the sushi bar and along the front windows, but less than 10 in total. In addition to fresh sashimi and sushi take-out, Taro’s Fish has a full supply of Japanese groceries like snacks, sauces and instant noodles.

Service: After taking a look around, The Fiance and I decided to eat in. We placed our order at the register and settled at the sushi bar with a great view of the prep area. In addition to ordering from their take-out menu, there is a great selection of fresh slabs on sashimi in the freezer. You can buy a piece and Taro’s fill slice it into sashimi or make nigiri (at an extra cost) for you on the spot. Our order was brought to us, but everything else was self serve. There’s no tea or water, but a wide variety of Japanese drinks available for purchase.

Food: As usual, we ordered too much food. To be fair, we didn’t expect the rolls to be so gigantic and we added a slam of sashimi as an after thought. In total, we had a chirashi bowl, spider roll, dynamite roll, spicy tuna roll, fresh ocean trout sashimi and two pieces of scallop sashimi.

The highlight of the meal was definitely the fish. The ocean trout was sweet, buttery and pretty amazing; one of the best pieces of sashimi I’ve had in Toronto. Same thing with the scallop nigiri, sweet and it just melted as I chewed. Compared to these two cuts of dishes, my chirashi looked a bit scraggly. Aesthetics didn’t dictate the taste though and the bowl was satisfying with tuna, bluefin tuna, salmon, mackerel, salmon roe and octopus.

Our full plate of rolls arrived and half way through, we were already full. Each piece was a mouthful and had a great filling to rice ratio. I didn’t love the lettuce that was used as filler though. My favourite of the three was the spicy tuna, which had the most raw fish. Overall, while the rolls were filling and helps make the meal reasonably priced, I could’ve skipped them and splurged on more sashimi.

Taro’s Fish is a great place to grab high quality sushi for yourself or a take-out platter that will impress guests.

When I’m in Markham, I’m usually eating dim sum or Chinese. Japanese used to be a regular occurrence, but since moving to North York, I’m satisfied with the selection of restaurants close to home. When a group of friends suggested dinner at Mi-Ne Sushi’s new Markham location, I was eager to check it out.

Atmosphere: Our group of 12 was seated at a long row of tables in a private section of the restaurant. The restaurant was full of mostly couples and families. The decor was clean and modern with Asian inspired elements like rice paper shades and wooden Japanese dolls.

Service: Each table at Mi-Ne was equipped with a ring for service bell, one that I felt really guilty pressing. A large table is hard to manage, the restaurant was busy and they did just open. Counting all of those factors, service was slow but not for lack of effort. We had two servers looking over our table and it took over ten minutes to get a refill for teapots. The servers were genuinely apologetic with the delays, which was what caused the guilt whenever I pressed the service button. Our food did arrive quickly and 95% at the same time.

Food: Myself, The Fiance and another couple split a medium sashimi boat, 42 pieces for $49, and two rolls. A standard variety of fish was used including salmon, seared tuna, red snapper, mackerel and tobiko. All of the fish was fresh, sweet and cut into the perfect size. I would’ve loved a little more selection, but I was happy with the quality of the fish that was served.

The two rolls we ordered were spider and spicy tuna. Both rolls had a thin layer of rice and a generous amount of filling. I had to take two bites for each piece of spider roll. The flavour of the soft shell crab was muted that night but the textures were great and I still enjoyed the roll. Oddly, the spicy tuna didn’t use any mayo, just hot sauce, which made the roll very spicy. It was tasty, just hot.

A single complimentary oyster was served, perched on a shot glass. I won the rock-paper-scissors challenge and had the pleasure of slurping it back.

At this point, the rest of our table realized their orders were massive and couldn’t finish. We realized we were still kinda hungry. Many of the cooked dinner specials (raning from $21-$32) were large portions and came with multiple courses . For example, the Sushi and Udon meal came with udon, tempura, and 7 pieces of sushi. My little group of four decided to add an order of Tempura Udon to our meal and that filled everyone (ok so it was me that was hungry) up nicely.

The tempura arrived separately from the still boiling pot of udon. The shrimp tempura was a little doughy while the vegetable pieces were light and tasty. I really liked the udon broth that was light, full of vegetables and had great depth of flavour. Overall, the sashimi I had at Mi-Ne Sushi was very fresh and the cooked dishes were also impressive. The price tag is higher than a casual Japanese restaurant. I’d go back for a birthday or group dinner, but not for a weekday, I’m-too-lazy-to-cook meal.

There is an abundance of Japanese restaurants near Yonge and Eglinton. When I do head south for lunch, I’m usually drawn in by one of my regular haunts before making it to Sushi Supreme. In the five years I’ve worked in the neighbourhood, this was only my second visit. Based on the quality of sushi, I’m willing to make the trek more often in the future.

Atmosphere: When I stopped by for lunch with some co-workers, the restaurant was half full and the patio was still in use. Many of the diners were also in business casual attire. Decor was minimal and the tables were fairly spaced. Sushi Supreme felt like a neighbourhood spot to grab a quick dinner or take out after work.

Service: Our server was harried. While the restaurant wasn’t busy, he was the only one taking orders, refilling water, getting bills, delivering dishes and answered the phone for takeout. If this was a time-management game, he’d be winning. As is, while our table had no issues with his multi-tasking, the table beside us was antsy about settling up.

Food: The lunch deals at Sushi Supreme are a great value at under $10 and includes the typical teriyaki bento boxes and sushi plates. Complimentary green tea and miso soup was brought to the table once we ordered. One of my coworkers went with a sushi combination that included a hand roll, 5 pieces of nigiri and 6 maki. Oddly, the hand roll used a sesame soy wrapper instead of seaweed. There was no indication on the menu description of the ingredient change but my co-worker didn’t have any issues with it. My other coworker ordered the Green Dragon roll that came with two pieces of salmon nigiri. The roll was packed generously with shrimp tempura, had a thin layer of rice and plentiful avocado.

I went with a Chirashi bowl and the fish was very fresh, one of the better displays of sashimi in the neighbourhood. My bill came to just over $15 after tax and tip, a little expensive for lunch but reasonable for the 12 pieces of sashimi (+2 crab and +2 tamago). While the selection was standard salmon, tuna, yellowtail and shrimp, all of the pieces were thinly sliced and delicious. The texture was great and the tamago had just the right sweetness. Underneath all the fish, the sushi rice was also well prepared, at room temperature and I could make out each individual grain.

AYCE Japanese restaurants are a staple in any Toronto neighbourhood. The vast menu of cooked and raw items is able to appease every taste bud. Of the many Japanese restaurants in North York, Sushi One is my go to for an AYCE option.

Atmosphere: While my little brother was visiting during March break, we continued our tradition of over-indulging on sashimi with a visit to Sushi One. Arriving at 7pm on a Monday, the last thing I expected was for the restaurant to be packed. It was a full house. Our timing was terrible and it seemed like every table had just settled into their meal. We decided to wait it out, getting hungrier before an AYCE meal felt like the right course of action. There was one couple before us and we both got our tables at the same time after 20 minutes. The restaurant doesn’t have an area to wait, so the 20 minutes were passed standing between two tables of diners.

Service: Service was fine, not exceptional but got the job done. Our table for two became very crowded very quickly. We had to rearrange and stack plates ourselves throughout the meal. There is a service call button, which we did use a few times to place another order and to get the bill. One thing I really liked about Sushi One is the attention to presentation. Both our orders of sashimi arrived nicely plated.

Food: Dinner price was $21.99 and our bill for two came to $55 after tax and tip. This is equivalent to one of their medium party trays that include 55-66 pieces. The sashimi pieces served for AYCE are always smaller than a la carte but with the addition of grilled items, ice cream and appetizers, the variety of the meal is what I enjoy the most. I was impressed that sweet shrimp and mackerel sashimi were included on the menu as seasonal items. The sweet shrimp was fresh and tasted great. Both items had a limit of 5 pieces per order. Overall, the sashimi was fresh, cut in bite size pieces and the maki was rolled with a thin layer of rice. All of the appetizers we ordered were standard to good; miso soup, wakame salad, edamame and kimchi. The tempura and agedashi tofu were lightly fried and not greasy. The kalbi slices were thick and grilled well. No expectations were shattered, but they were consistently met with some nice surprises.

Sushi One’s lunch AYCE is a great deal at $12.99, an extra dollar for Friday-Sunday. Sashimi is not included but the maki, rolls and sushi selection is on par with dinner. Sushi One also offers great $6.99 lunch bento specials. For dinner, my favourite take out orders are the Chirashi or Gold Sushi dinner set.

A handful of new Japanese restaurants have opened in the Yonge and Finch area during the last year. My goal for this year is to try each one with high hopes of finding a new neighbourhood gem. Yuzu Izakaya, located on Yonge just south of Finch, was first on my hit list.

Atmosphere: The restaurant was easy to find with their lemon logo covering a front window and easy to spot from the street. Walking into the space, a large sign with daily specials greeted us before the hostess showed us to a table. The interior is dimly light with wood paneled walls. I liked how bamboo blinds were set up between each table to offer privacy and could be rolled up to accommodate larger parties. Yuzu is definitely aiming for a more boisterous, bar, izakaya feel. Hip hop music played the entire time we were there and they have a nice sake selection. On the night we visited though, it was pretty quiet and low-key.

Service: Service was fine, friendly but not the most attentive. It wasn’t hard to flag down our server when we needed something, but we didn’t really see her except to drop off dishes. Our bottle of sake was dropped off unopened. Only after I had poured a glass did we realize it needed to be shaken. Each dish arrived quickly, presented on pretty plates.

Food: Five dishes, an appetizer and bottle of sake brought our bill to just over $90 after tax and tip. Overall, not an expensive meal but a few of the dishes are priced $1 higher than other izakayas, like the $5 tako wasabi. I liked the plentiful seaweed squares that was served with the octopus, it could’ve had more wasabi.

We also ordered a sashimi salad, creamy pork belly, chicken karaage, nugget and spicy salmon, and grilled yellowtail. My favourite dish of the night was the nugget and spicy salmon. They were big mouthfuls but delicious. Just the right amount of spicy, mayo and salmon all served on a deep fried potato croquette. I really hope this becomes a permanent menu item. The sashimi salad came with the dressing on the side and was ok. The BF really liked the dressing and I thought the sashimi pieces were very fresh.

The creamy pork belly was interesting. On one hand, I really enjoyed the pork belly, it was soft like butter and braised full of flavour. On the other hand, it was served on a creamy sweet potato mash that I didn’t love. The sweetness of the yam really conflicted with the richness of the pork and I thought the two clashed. The texture was also overwhelmingly creamy, the yam was over pureed and reminded me of baby food. The chicken karaage was also disappointing, not crispy and lukewarm. The Costco fries and mayo were great.

When the yellowtail arrived I was worried because it smelled fishy. Luckily, the smell didn’t translate to the taste. The fish was a touch overcooked and I would’ve liked it rarer but it was ok. I was also confused as to why it was served with wasabi and soy sauce. A sweeter, tangy sauce would’ve paired better. I actually dipped my pieces in the leftover dressing from the sashimi salad.

Yuzu still feels very new and is missing a bit of polish. If all of their dishes were like the nugget and spicy salmon, I’d be back in a heartbeat. As is, I’m on the fence.

While I was researching restaurants for my Montreal food trip back in December, I was surprised to find out about Kazu, a popular Japanese izakaya located on St-Catherine. I didn’t remember Japanese cuisine being popular from when I lived in the city during middle school. Back then though I hadn’t started taking my taste buds out yet, so maybe I was just oblivious. Either way I juggled my schedule to fit in a lunch at the restaurant.

Atmosphere: The restaurant itself is tiny, probably similar in size to Sansotei in Toronto, but more packed and rustic reminding me of ramen shops in Tokyo. The BF and I didn’t have to wait long because I planned to arrive just as lunch service began, which was a great decision because it was a cold day and a line up did form. There was less yelling, still present but toned down to allow for a conversation to be held comfortably. Customers ranged across a wide spectrum from university students and young families with small children to people my parents’ age. Colour papers with hand printed menu specials in a rainbow of marker colours covered the walls.

Service: Everyone was friendly and eager. A bit too eager clearing away plates that still had food and dishes arrived so quickly we had trouble fitting all the plates on our small square table. There were a lot of smiles though. Language wasn’t an issue and we ordered easily in English. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach and I wanted to order 4 dishes while the BF was worried it would be too much food. We asked our server for his opinion and he assured us it would be ok. It was more filling than I expected and we could’ve passed on one dish.

Food: Walking in I wasn’t sure what to expect especially for the ramen. We’re fairly spoiled with the quality of izakayas in Toronto now that they’ve begun to migrate east. For starters, we ordered the Traditional Salmon Sashimi and the Pork Cheek Pate. The salmon was more carpaccio style with sesame seeds, a vinaigrette and topped with a bundle of salad greens. The salmon slices were paper thin and not the biggest portion. For me, the stand out dish of the meal for the Pork Cheek Pate. I loved this dish. It was the perfect mix of modern presentation and traditional flavours. The tender pork cheek was served shredded to a paste, well seasoned and the wide plate rim was garnished with sauces. Each piece of toasted tortilla was soft and and warm. The three mountains of pork cheek made for at least 4 to 5 bites each, a perfect starter.

For entrees, the BF and I split the 48 hour pork bowl and a ramen bowl, served only at lunch. I liked the pork bowl but it wasn’t outstanding. The pork was tender, sweet, soy saucey, served on a bed of rice and garnished with slices of pickled ginger. It was a dish with familiar Asian flavours, similar to what I would make at home. The large bowl of ramen arrived with noodles and toppings submerged in the broth and garnished with a large square of seaweed. Dissecting the ramen into the three characteristics I look for to define a great bowl, Kazu hits two out of three. First, I liked their house made noodles. They were thick and had a great chewiness. Second is the broth. I couldn’t find any indication of what protein the broth was, not as milky as tonkotsu but probably pork based. The seasoning was there, but I enjoy a richer broth. Last is the toppings, which was where Kazu lost points. The pork belly was not charred, the fat not fully rendered and there wasn’t much bamboo or bean sprouts. Taking a look online at other bowls of ramen, it does seem like there’s an inconsistency to how the bowl is assembled. For me, this made the difference between a great bowl of ramen and just an OK one.

I’m glad I had a chance to check out the Kazu and look forward to visiting more Japanese restaurants in Montreal.