A photographic tour of Toronto’s unique sushi and sashimi experiences

By Renée Suen | January 14, 2011

By Renée Suen | 01/14/2011

If Bloor Street and Queen West are any indication, Toronto is flooded with a sea of all-you-can-eat restaurants serving raw fish with or without vinegared rice. Most provide a quick fix, but only a handful of establishments in this city promise unique experiences that will satisfy all senses. Here are nine gorgeous examples, from the delicate and rare to the dramatically innovative.

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Chirashizushi, the traditional Japanese dish of sushi rice mixed with various ingredients, rises to new heights at this Scarborough gem. Chef Kosuke Oi tops a bowl of rice with an assortment of fresh fish, including velvety sea urchin, sweet shrimp and a whimsical wasabi mayo–dotted tuna temarizushi (ball-shaped sushi). Also in the bowl: slices of snapper, squid, octopus and salmon. The real surprise lies between two layers of sushi rice: a thin omelette blanketing warm fillets of barbecued eel made more fragrant by minty kinome leaves. $35 per set; includes tea, seaweed salad and a slice of cake.

Challenge sense and senses with bites of hamachi that are marinated in calamansi vinaigrette and served with such Asian-inspired components as sliced scallions, pickled ginger, puffed tapioca chips and black sesame powder. Avocado and cauliflower purées complement the dense and buttery fish while adding dramatic visual impact. Compressed cucumber spears, radish rounds and cress from Cookstown Greens are the final tweezer-set finishes. $17.

Serious Japanophiles head to this local treasure to sample the only known traditional kaiseki in North America. Chef Masaki Hashimoto expertly prepares the finest ingredients, sourced locally or imported from Japan, in ways that enhance their natural characteristics and find balance between taste, texture and aesthetics. One of the nine seasonally driven courses pairs sculpted pickled vegetables and mirin-braised tree seeds with delicate porgy. Fresh grated wasabi and house-blended soy sauce accompany the dish, which is served on a platter that, like the food, reflects the season. $300 per person.

There are a few reasons why chef John Lee’s creations are easy to swallow. He applies contemporary techniques to traditional Japanese ingredients—think white tuna in garlic oil confit or slicked with house-smoked soy sauce and sweet chili—and 90 per cent of Omi’s menu uses sustainable fish. Bite-sized sushi pizzas feature flame-licked Hokkaido scallops over panko-crusted sushi rice. They are topped with flying fish roe, Kewpie mayo (Japan’s most popular brand), fresh grated ginger and scallions. Roasted garlic oil harmoniously binds all the elements. $8.95.

Chef Ken Zhang may be new to the Annex’s sushi row, but his aim is to elevate neighbourhood standards by offering affordable omakase experiences. Diners enjoy eight seasonally inspired dishes from both kitchen and sushi bar that go beyond Bloor Street’s usual rundown of teriyaki chicken and California rolls. Of the fish-focused plates, we were drawn to a perfect tower of tuna tartare with tiny edible shiso flowers. A quick blast from a butane torch gives the lemon- and soy sauce–seasoned fish complexity in aroma and flavour. Mixing the diced tuna with a raw quail egg creates a silky finish. Omakase requests should be made a week in advance. $70 per person.

Leave all decisions up to chef Mitsuhiro Kaji when partaking of the omakase dinner at his namesake restaurant. The multi-course meal starts with a parade of cooked courses followed by some of the country’s best sushi and sashimi. On one occasion, we were greeted with pressed oshizushi (brick-shaped sushi); on another, loose thimbles of warm vinegared rice were topped with feathery minced tuna belly, crisp herring roe with bonito flakes and barbecued eel finished with unagi sauce and fine omelette threads. $80–$120.

Leslieville’s Sushi Marché operates as a takeout shop, but chef John Lee’s competitively priced and well-composed products are anything but humdrum. In his signature special maki, Lee, who trained under Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, wraps spicy salmon with crisp tempura bits, cucumber and fish roe in rice and nori. All orders are accompanied by decorative elements, like shiso flowers or orchids. Ample vegetarian options. Delivery available. $7 per roll (five pieces); omakase platters start at $60 for two.

Chef Bruce Bu takes pride in the details, from his house-made miso and soy sauce to his meticulously crafted array of nigiri sushi. Bu torches scored ends to give silky squid fillets texture and depth, and tops sea eel with fried seaweed. Other thoughtful surprises include using spicy yuzu pepper paste to cut through the fat of the red sea bream snapper, aromatic fried leeks that add sweetness to B.C. albacore tuna, and topping fluke with grated daikon, scallions and a yuzu-ponzu jelly. $6–$20 per pair of conventional and customized nigiri; $70 per person for the omakase for two (sushi course pictured).

It’s not exactly a vacation to Tsukiji, but at least a visit to chef Johnny Zhenge’s Kokyo will help you save for a trip to the real deal. Here, the sweet and meaty spot prawns are three times the size of their sweet shrimp cousins, and the crunchy tsubu-gai clam tastes like fresh seawater. Other delicacies include herring flesh pressed with crisp herring roe and monkfish liver that earns its designation as foie gras of the sea. $2.50–$3.50 per piece.

2 thoughts on “A photographic tour of Toronto’s unique sushi and sashimi experiences”

Kat says:

January 17, 2011 at 9:33 pm

you forgot one very special place called Kaiseki Sekura on Church at Wellesley. Amazing sushi that is artistically presented and the manu changes seasonally. http://kaisekisakura.com/
Catherine says:

January 21, 2011 at 10:11 am

Mmmmm…Sushi Marche is fantastic. My favourite neighbourhood mention is in The Beach…Aki Da on Queen St E, just east of Woodbine, South side.