What’s on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand’s new two-storey North York location
Name: Tsujiri
Contact: 4909 Yonge St., 647-341-6622, tsujiri-global.com, @tsujiri-toronto
Neighbourhood: Willowdale
Chef: Tomo Hiro
The Food
This 155-year-old Japanese brand started as a humble tea shop and now has 30 international locations. And while they still brew classic green teas, made from plants grown in the tea fields of Uji (just south of Kyoto), Tsujiri’s massive lineups are owed to their matcha-packed desserts. There’s raw matcha cheese cake, matcha soft serve, matcha shaved ice, matcha sundaes, matcha parfaits and even wobbly matcha pancakes.
This is Toronto’s second Tsujiri location and the first one outside of Japan to serve a menu of hot, savoury items. While the Japanese Tsujiris serve only traditional preparations of soba, the menu in North York includes a few new takes on the classic. There are ramenizations (soba served with ramen-inspired dipping sauces) and some “poke soba” bowls that swap out rice for matcha-infused buckwheat noodles.
The Drinks
Green tea, in its many manifestations. There are traditional steeped teas (kabusencha, gyokuro, premium sencha), which are served either hot or cold; tea lattes made from matcha and houjicha (green tea that’s roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal); and a variety of frozen drinks flavoured with matcha, houjicha and yuzu.
The Space
On the main level, a modern tea shop juxtaposes black walls with blonde-wood tea displays, while the full-service dining room upstairs is much brighter, with white-oak everything.
, Tsujiri’s massive lineups are owed to their matcha-packed desserts. There’s raw matcha cheese cake, matcha soft serve, matcha shaved ice, matcha sundaes, matcha parfaits and even wobbly matcha pancakes.
This is Toronto's second Tsujiri location and the first one outside of Japan to serve a menu of hot, savoury items. While the Japanese Tsujiris serve only traditional preparations of soba, the menu in North York includes a few new takes on the classic. There are ramenizations (soba served with ramen-inspired dipping sauces) and some “poke soba” bowls that swap out rice for matcha-infused buckwheat noodles.
[caption id="attachment_455219" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Although this is billed as a “poke soba,” it’s a very loose interpretation of poke—it’s closer to a salad bowl. The matcha-infused noodles are imported from Japan, and topped with veggies, grilled chicken and shredded nori. Diners then choose a “poke sauce” (creamy sesame, mustard-soy or vinegar-soy). $12.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_455224" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Kitsune soba soup comes with unagi ochazuke (a bowl of grilled eel-topped rice that hot tea is poured over). $13.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_455228" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] The tonkotsu soy-milk tsuke soba was inspired by pork ramen. Its creamy dipping sauce is made from a soy milk-pork bone broth. $12.50.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_455227" align="aligncenter" width="854"] This miso tsuke soba is served “Sapporo style” because the miso dipping sauce is garnished with corn and butter (popular ramen mix-ins in Sapporo). $12.50.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_455230" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] These jiggly pancakes are made to order. They get their bounce from egg whites and their green hue from matcha. They're served with brown sugar syrup and a few small scoops of house-made ice cream. $14.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_455218" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] The kinako kuromitsu latte ($5.50) is pictured with a raw matcha cheesecake and a duo of daifuku (cream-filled mochi).[/caption]
The Drinks
Green tea, in its many manifestations. There are traditional steeped teas (kabusencha, gyokuro, premium sencha), which are served either hot or cold; tea lattes made from matcha and houjicha (green tea that's roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal); and a variety of frozen drinks flavoured with matcha, houjicha and yuzu.
[caption id="attachment_455229" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] The O-Matcha is unadulterated, stone-ground matcha whisked with water (served hot or cold). $4.50.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_455223" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Houjicha latte. $5.[/caption]
The Space
On the main level, a modern tea shop juxtaposes black walls with blonde-wood tea displays, while the full-service dining room upstairs is much brighter, with white-oak everything.
[caption id="attachment_455231" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Here's the second-floor dining room.[/caption]
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