Name: Tora
Contact: 3401 Dufferin Street, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Upper Level, aburitora.com, @aburitora Neighbourhood: Lawrence Heights
Owners: Seigo Nakamura (Aburi Restaurants)
Chefs: Michael Acero (kitchen menu development) and Kazuki Uchigoshi (sushi menu development), both veterans of Aburi Restaurants (Miku Vancouver and Toronto, Minami and Gyoza Bar)
The food
A wide selection of aburi-style (flame-seared) and oshi (pressed) sushi, as well as a new line of edomae-style nigiri flown in from Japan and topped with house-made soy sauces to enhance the flavour of the fish. All sushi items are also made with seasoned akazu shari rice. There are a few non-sushi dishes, too, like a wagyu sukiyaki and a chilled pork belly shabushabu salad. There are separate menus for vegetarians and kids. Corporate pastry chef Aiko Uchigoshi is behind the dessert menu that includes made-to-order ice cream sandwiches, ice cream mochi, mango pudding and coffee jelly.
Most orders of nigiri come as a pair. Clockwise from top left: kinmedai (golden eye snapper) EdoPrime nigiri ($9.50); aburi ebi (shrimp) oshi with asparagus and Miku sauce ($4.50); yuzu soy–finished kanpachi (amberjack) EdoPrime nigiri ($6.95); aburi salmon oshi with pressed B.C. wild sockeye salmon, jalapeno and Miku sauce ($4.50); and akami (red tuna) EdoPrime nigiri brushed with dashi soy ($8.50).
Clockwise from top left: aburi unagi (barbecued eel) oshi topped with dollops of unagi sauce, avocado purée and yuzu zest ($4.95); aburi scallop oshi ($4.95); hamachi (yellowtail) edoprime nigiri ($6.50); and Hokkaido scallop nigiri ($5.95).
Clockwise from top: negi-toro gunkan (battleship maki) made with minced tuna and green onion ($5.75); uni gunkan (sea urchin, $5); maguro (tuna) poke inari, a sushi-rice stuffed seasoned tofu pouch with mild tuna poke ($3.50); and suzuki (Japanese sea bass) EdoPrime nigiri finished with a slick of yuzu soy sauce ($7.95).
The EdoPrime tuna nigiri select features all three cuts from the Bluefin tuna belly, finished with a light house-made dashi soy sauce. From left to right, o-toro (fatty tuna belly), chu-toro (tuna belly), and lean akami (red tuna). $19.
The ume daikon salad dresses matchsticks of daikon radish with a creamy Japanese plum dressing and crispy fried shallots. $5.95.
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The Miso-Baked Scallop Dynamite sits on a bed of charred corn. $8.50.
Pork belly shabushabu salad is a chilled dish with ribbon-thin slices of blanched and dressed pork, served with shredded daikon and carrot, plus some mixed greens. $9.
Wagyu sukiyaki comes with baby potatoes, dried and fresh shiitake mushrooms, carrots and a soft-cooked egg in a sweet sake, soy sauce, mirin and dashi-flavoured broth. $10.
The Castella strawberry shortcake tops a slice of Japanese sponge cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. $5.
Black sesame cheesecake is garnished with yuzu jelly, whipped cream, rice puffs. and a shortbread crumble. $6.50.
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The Wa-Parfait tops a layer of frosted corn flakes with a scoop of matcha ice cream, anko (sweetened red bean paste), pieces of Castella sponge cake, shiratama dango (mocha rice flour dumplings), strawberries, whipped cream, kuromitsu (dark sugar syrup) and kinako (roasted soybean flour). $8.50.
The drinks
There are a couple Japanese beers on tap; Aburi Ginjo, an exclusive house sake made by Yoshi no Gawa; and imported sodas.
Drinks include a melon-flavoured cream soda ($4.95) and Ramune ($3.95).
The space
The minimalist Ste. Marie–designed space is divided into a moody dining room outfitted with the automated laneway delivery system (who needs humans?) and a lofty, full-service (by humans, that is) lounge.
Here’s the lobby.
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And the laneway seating.
Guests place their order on the automated ordering system.
And it’s delivered via the (also automated) laneway delivery service.
This is the full-service lounge area.
The restaurant is accessed from inside the mall.
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