Looking for great sushi (yes, another thread)

[peppermint pate]

Desperately craving some great sushi andmaki - no desire for other cooked food options, etc. I would normally have gone to Omi but alas, no more. I like Japango but don't particularly feel like going all the way downtown. I considered Sushi Marche but it's a long way to go for take-out (still no seating, right?). I wasn't that wowed by Sado and Edo is decent but not stellar.

So...any rec's for great sushi in the square framed by Lawrence, Leslieville,College and Dufferin? I'm not fussed about prices. Thx.

[cacruden]

Outside of the area specified, but I found Hiro Sushi (171 King St. E - near King/Jarvis) to do quite good sushi (although service generally is not the best).

[skylineR33]

I had lunch at Hiro around 2 months ago. Had the sashimi lunch set $20, it is a total rip off with some of the smallest sashimi cut I have even seen before. Fish quality is average. I wonder if they have improved.

[pinstripeprincess]

at least you didn't get the sushi set, you might have gotten a big juicy shitake mixed in there.

[Googs]

LOL. Yeah and what's with chicken(!) being commonly offered as sushi these days??? Whaddupwiddat? Do they figure the mushroom hoax wasn't working any more?

[cacruden]

They are serving raw chicken there ... I did not know they did it here, did not know we had any sushi grade chicken. Actually, the one meat I really liked as "sashimi" was horse.

[pinstripeprincess]

so i'll admit that i've only eaten at hiro once and that was probably near two or more years ago now... but you've got to be seriously resting on your laurels if you think people will accept chicken as sushi!

maybe i'm assuming incorrectly, but there's no way it's raw chicken right? with all the phobic behaviour caused by pink burgers and threats of health canada storming the doors... chicken? i thought that was the stuff of underground dining party myths in nyc and la.*

* i do know that raw everything is being eaten in japan as we speak... and a part of me hopes to partake.

[Googs]

Sorry. That was a little confusing. I was laughing at the succulent shitake comment. Too funny. Nothing to do with Hiro.

I can't say as I've ordered chicken sushi here, just that it's appearing more and more on menus at places with, shall we say, less than stellar reputations. Honestly I had no idea raw chicken could even be eaten anywhere let alone Toronto. I highly doubt Toronto would allow it to be served. Previously frozen sushi anyone? Sheesh.

[cacruden]

Interesting. Last time I was there I was relatively happy. Now it was at night, and I don't order sets... When I go out for sushi, I prefer ordering Toro, Uni, Saba mostly - and then I might have some others - but those are my favourites. If I am ordering sushi, I am not worrying about cost -- otherwise I just would not have it.

[MartiniGirls]

isn't there some james chatto-touted place out on the queensway? anyone been? i never bother with sushi in toronto, it's no match for vancouver, but i miss it & would die for some worthy sashimi...

[Otonabee]

I think that would be Kaji Sushi that you are thinking of.

[deelicious]

Yes it would be Kaji. The cooked items help make this resto very special! The best.

[DishyDiva]

I agree, Kaji is very good food-wise. But the location isn't so great.

[JonasBrand]

Ematei is authentic and delicious.

-----
Ematei
30 Saint Patrick St, Toronto, ON M5T3A3, CA

[peppermint pate]

Thanks for all of the rec's as they sound fantastic and I will definitely make the rounds. The only problem is that for me, living in midtown, these would be exciting destination spots but not the kind of place I would drive to if I suddenly had a craving at 7:00 one evening. If I lower my standards from "great sushi" to "really good sushi", are there any options in midtown or downtown? Anything??????

[Full tummy]

I like Akane-ya on Queen Street East, in the east end of the Beaches. I think the fish is excellent; they may not have the range of fish at Zen or Michi, but the quality and portion is better than most.

[peppermint pate]

I finally found an answer to my own post. I've recently had a couple of take-out lunches from Fukui sushi on Bayview (near Hollywood Gelato) and I have to say that I was quite impressed. No, this isn't Omi or Hiro quality fancy sushi but for fresh fish, interesting maki, nice presentation and central location - not to mention great value (a la carte sushi/maki lunch for 2 approx. $40) - this place gets my vote.

[Googs]

Oh I forgot to mention this: Sushi Marche, while good, isn't in the same league as Zen or Omi. I find it better than the Toronto average. I would enjoy it heartily if it were in my neighbourhood. It wouldn't merit a special trip in my mind either, peppermint. I'll be looking elsewhere for my next take-out sushi in my search for quality and convenience of location.

[Charles Yu]

Cafe Michi or Zen.
Last time I was at Michi, Toshi San served me three types and grade of tuna including a blue fin toro! Also, two types of wild sea bream was available, one from the Japanese sea and one from the east coast. Salmon roes were from wild Alaskan salmon, marinated in sake and mirin.

[peppermint pate]

Wow, sounds great. Where are those 2 spots? We tried Sushi Supreme last night - we weren't expecting a "supreme" experience but we had read good reviews. We were pretty disappointed. It wasn't that the fish was bad - it's just that everything had a certain same blandness to it - we tried spicy tuna/salmon, toro nigiri, spicy scallop hand roll, hamachi, etc. Can't complain about the pricing but nothing would tempt us back there - actually, the agedashi tofu and the eggplant with miso were pretty tasty but that's it.

[Charles Yu]

They are a bit off your desired locale, but the food is worth th extra few minutes drive,
Michi is at Sheppard/Pharmacy
Zen is at Eglington/Midland
You can google search both.
Enjoy!

[T Long]

I'm a big fan of Michi, which in addition to excellent sushi has a good selection of cooked items, but if you are interested in just raw offerings then I would consider Aoyama on Victoria Park between Sheppard and Finch (in a strip mall...look for the KFC). I would consider their sushi on a par if not superior to Michi. I would consider Michi though if you like a piece of cake with your meal. A search of Aoyama or Michi on this site will reveal numerous positive reviews. With about 24 seats, Aoyama is about half the seating capacity of Michi, reservations are probably a good idea at either place.

[325i]

You forgot to mention Aoyama Sushi at Sheppard/Vic Park.

[Googs]

Zen is superb. Do make the trip. You won't regret it.

[skylineR33]

Yes, I also think Cafe Michi and Zen are great ! Here is some of the sushi I had at Zen recently, geoduck, sea eel, snow crab, amberjack, fatty tuna, sweet shrimp, scallop ... the scallop is hugh (compared to the one I had at Hiro one time, 4 times bigger). Utra fresh, high quality !!

[pinstripeprincess]

that plate is stunning, how much did it cost?

[skylineR33]

It is the omakase sushi, so Full tummy is right. $45. I do prefer the omakase sashimi, which it has more variety and two pieces of everything, geoduck, toro, octopus, yellowtail with lime rind, spanish mackerel ........ so better in case of sharing and never disappoint on the quality !

[Full tummy]

Hey, thanks. I've been to Zen sushi before but didn't have omakase; I will next time.

[DishyDiva]

Is the omakase available at lunch time at Zen...or at any other Japanese resto, for the matter?
Or is this something that's only available in the evenings?

[Googs]

I wouldn't know for certain, but given that the omakase at Zen is a single chef's choice plate it's likely they could accommodate. I don't know if I'd want to rush in and out in an hour though. The quality of offerings deserves a relaxed approach so you may savour each mouthful. Mind you, in the absence of John Lee's Omi, Zen is my hands-down favourite so I may be a little biased.

[skylineR33]

Hi DishyDiva, I think it also available at lunch since I do not recall seeing it is exclusive for dinner. You don't need much time to finish the omakase at Zen. It is normal to eat omakase at lunch in a sushi restaurant if it is available. Many sushi places especially the top one in Japan only has omakase available for lunch and dinner.

[Googs]

Oh I wasn't suggesting that omakase lunch at Zen would take a lot of time. I've had regular lunch there and gotten back to work on time even with about 15 minutes of round-trip travel time.

I was suggesting that given the rarity of Japanese restos capable of this level of skill and quality, the diner might want to take some extra time to savour and explore the menu. The hot dishes I've had are quite good as well.

[DishyDiva]

Thanks for the info, skyline and Googs! I'm actually not worried about time constraints, since I intended to visit on a Saturday. I was thinking of trying out their omakase at lunch first before committing to more substantial fare.

A few years ago (3 or 4?), I had the omakase dinner at Hiro -- it was very good but pricey at over $100 a person (believe me, I'm not a big eater either). So, $45 at Zen sounds like a bargain by comparison.

[Full tummy]

Was that omikase, or if not, what did you order?

[pinstripeprincess]

i was at cafe michi for lunch a couple weeks back and actually found the flavour of the more common types of fish rather lacking, fresh but meh... i did however find the ika, salmon roe in mirin, scallop, and another fish i couldn't identify absolutely fantastic.

the unidentified fish was translucent like a leaded glass window and i could practically see the veins of the shiso leaf sitting behind it. the smooth texture matched the rich creaminess of the fish and it was absolutely delicious. i was hoping perhaps someone might be able to help me identify it with this feeble photo. it is the one in the top right corner.

[pinstripeprincess]

problems uploading photo... photo attached here.

[skylineR33]

Isn't this kampachi ?

[pinstripeprincess]

hrm... you could be right, i might have hit a ditz moment. it's significantly more translucent than the kampachi i've had in the past (which was very similar to hamachi in that it's pink and more opaque)... but i do recall some translucency. nice call.

[ace123]

It looks like kampachi.