/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Food & Drink

What’s on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand’s new two-storey North York location

By Caroline Aksich| Photography by Caroline Aksich
Copy link
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.

What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
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.

 

What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
Kitsune soba soup comes with unagi ochazuke (a bowl of grilled eel-topped rice that hot tea is poured over). $13.

 

Advertisement
What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
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.

 

What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
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.

 

What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
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.

 

What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
The kinako kuromitsu latte ($5.50) is pictured with a raw matcha cheesecake and a duo of daifuku (cream-filled mochi).

 

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.

Advertisement
What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
The O-Matcha is unadulterated, stone-ground matcha whisked with water (served hot or cold). $4.50.

 

What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
Houjicha latte. $5.

 

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.

What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
Here’s the second-floor dining room.

 

What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location
What's on the menu at Tsujiri, the Japanese matcha brand's new two-storey North York location

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for Table Talk, our free newsletter with essential food and drink stories.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.

Advertisement
Advertisement

More New Restaurants

What's on the menu at Gochu Libre Kantina, a Korean Mexican snack and cocktail bar

What’s on the menu at Gochu Libre Kantina, a Korean Mexican snack and cocktail bar

Inside the Latest Issue

Inside the Latest Issue

The April issue of Toronto Life features the anatomy of a Bay Street fiasco at RBC. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.