Showing posts with label nigiri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nigiri. Show all posts

The Sushi Bar Revisited in 2022 (Toronto)

If you could get any vanity license plate for your car, what would it say? The owner of Sushi Bar would use “Dr Sushi” as indicated by the plates hung on the wall, it’s a whimsical touch I hadn’t noticed in the past, along with pictures of family and friends that provide a glimpse into their private lives.

The wall is also where they post their specials including black cod sushi and lobster maki. The black cod sushi ($10 for 2 pieces) is an interesting take on the fish, the nigiri torched tableside so the fish’s fat begins to melt forming slight layers in the cod. Being a denser fish, it does need a fair amount of flavour and while the sweet soy was a start, it needed something else for interest. After the experience, I’m still on the fence of whether a nigiri is the best use of this prized fish.

My preference is still for the baked miso marinated black cod ($15) where the fish is hot and flaky and infused with a slightly sweet umami flavour. The palm-sized portion is just enough for sharing amongst two people.

Sushi Bar’s other a-la-carte nigiri is just as good with large pieces of barbeque eel on the unagi and a thick slice of ruby red tuna on the maguro (both $7 for 2 pieces).

Displaying the lobster on top of the lobster roll ($18) was a great idea as it becomes the first thing you taste, and diners can see the full tail in its glory. However, it was already overcooked and blowtorching it at the table made it even more dry and chewy. Ideally, they should undercook it to begin, and the torching will help heat and finish off the doneness at the table. It’s a dish with promise and the thin cucumber lantern a great idea for a beautiful garnish.

Starting every meal is a bowl of rice crackers that arrives with drinks, a pre-pandemic tradition that I’m glad has been kept, providing something to snack on as we peruse the menu. A new addition is an amuse bouche of seafood, squid, and seaweed salads, enough for a bite each to enjoy while the rest of the meal arrives.

As the temperature drops, the complimentary starter is sometimes a rich hot bowl of miso soup with cubes of tofu and seaweed flakes. A welcomed respite after a cool walk to the restaurant.

With a variety of maki available, the black dragon ($17) was an interesting take on the fancier dynamite roll. In this case, sweet-glazed barbeque eel, tempura bits, fish roe, and green onion wrapped around the shrimp tempura. It’s a colourful creation offering a variety of textures and flavours and it’s ideal that the pieces aren’t overly large so that they are enjoyed in one bite.

The red dragon ($17) is just as good, substituting the barbeque eel for salmon instead. If you’re in the mood for shrimp tempura ($8 for 3 pieces), I’d recommend having it in maki-form as the fried shrimp by itself is underwhelming, the batter too thick and the temperature tepid at best.

Upsold to the tuna tartare roll ($10), we should have stuck with the tried-and-true spicy tuna ($8). In the tartare, the tuna too pulverized and the filling including dreaded tempura bits that causes the roll to become gummy. It also needs more heat to be considered spicy tuna.

Despite their name, Sushi Bar also makes a variety of non-sushi dishes. You get a hefty portion of hamachi kama ($19) with the full portion, a meaty cut of the fish’s jaw. A thicker cut, there were parts of the fish that could have been done a touch less but being a bone-in piece, it can be hard to gauge. Nevertheless, the skin was crispy and the fish hot and delicious. Served with a radish ponzu soy sauce, a bit more salt sprinkled onto the fish would help it pop.

Since our past visits, my husband and I noticed an improvement at Sushi Bar: the maki seemingly contains less rice and are cut to the perfect bite-sized pieces and more emphasis is placed on plating the izakaya-type dishes.

There’s also a host of regulars, stopping by the open kitchen to speak to everyone before departing the restaurant. This creates a cozy neighbourhood-feel to Sushi Bar that matches the photos adorning the walls. As Mr. Rogers sang, “A beautiful day for a neighbour. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?”

Overall mark - 7 out of 10



How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3365 Yonge Street


Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


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Planta Queen (Toronto)



I don’t often have sushi in a restaurant whose menu isn’t entirely Japanese, but Planta Queen’s nigiri is so inventive that you should try it once. As the ahi watermelon ($5.25 for two) and unagi eggplant ($5.25 for two) are placed before us, I’m marveled by how much they look like lean tuna and mackerel. In reality, the consistency and taste doesn’t resemble fish – the watermelon has a strong ginger flavour and the eggplant a slight smokiness – yet, it also doesn’t taste like the fruit or vegetable it’s made from. It just works!


The ahi watermelon makes its way into the rainbow roll ($15) and spicy tuna roll ($15) as well. Of the two, the rainbow roll has more interest: the soft pressed watermelon paired with creamy avocado and mayo, crispy romaine, and a sliver of bright shiso leaf. The spicy tuna roll is fine, but relies a lot on the spicy aioli for flavour.


You wouldn’t want an entire order of gomae ($12.25) for yourself. Even though it’s essentially just boiled spinach tossed in a sesame dressing with crisped rice thrown on top, the nutty sauce is also what makes it fairly rich as well. Yet, when shared, it’s a nice way to start the meal or even to finish off with something refreshing.  


On the other hand, I could easily down an entire bowl of the mushroom dashi ($8.95). It’s everything you want during the winter: a warm bowl of rich consommé, enoki and shiitake mushrooms peppered throughout, and cubes of delicate tofu sitting at the bottom. It’s simple and heavenly.


Planta’s Hakka rice noodles ($17.50) doesn’t really taste like anything I’ve ever had at a Hakka restaurant, but it could easily grace the menu of a Thai establishment. The coconut green curry base has a lovely aroma and a hint of heat, but could use more salt. As it stands, the dish of rice noodles with tofu and Chinese broccoli (gai lan) was fine but didn’t overly excite.


The udon ($18.75) was a hundred times better. In this case, the rice noodles (since we were having the gluten free version) was tossed in truffle oil and coconut milk creating a creamy base that would make Alfredo weep. There’s no shortage of mushrooms in the dish and is finished off with some snow pea leaves for colour and freshness. Would this dish paired with a bowl of mushroom dashi be too much fungi for one person to handle? Challenge accepted.


In general, Planta Queen uses a lot of truffles, whether it be the infused oil or the real deal. Even the maitake mushroom fried rice ($28) comes with shaved truffle on top, which truthfully doesn’t add that much to the experience. Overall, I expected the dish to offer more – something bursting with wok hay and an umami essence galore. Instead, it was pretty average fried rice with shaved truffles on top.


After the heavier mains, we thought the lemon curd ($12.35) would be a lighter finish to the meal. It certainly was a refreshing end, but the combination of lemon custard with passion fruit gelato makes for such a tarte finish that I’m puckering up thinking of the bite. The meringue needed to be sweeter and the matcha powder dropped all together as the combination of acidic citrus with bitter powder wasn’t necessarily the greatest.



For those who are celiac, you’d be happy to know every dish in this post is celiac friendly and vegan. Planta Queen certainly has an impressive menu of options for various food sensitivities. Best yet, they’re actually tasty and makes you realize that Asian food could easily forgo all the meat, eggs, and gluten and still be fantastic. Mushroom dashi, until we meet again.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10



How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 180 Queen Street West 

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
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Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


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Yasu (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 81 Harbord Street
Website: http://www.yasu-sushibar.com/
Type of Meal: Dinner


Yasu tops my list for traditional sushi in Toronto. No, there's not going to be dynamite rolls but you will find a train of nigiri served piece-by-piece so each one is fresh and at the optimal temperature. Chris Nuttall-Smith, the Globe and Mail’s food critic, gave it a rave review. Nonetheless, I set my expectations low as the only point of comparison to Yasu I have is Jiro Roppongi (a two Michelin star restaurant in Japan where they live and breathe sushi).

I’m happy to say my expectations were blown away! To be fair, Jiro was still a better experience (the deftness/evenness of the fish slices, the flavouring of the rice and meticulous preparation of each ingredient). But, for less than half the price, Yasu was absolutely amazing! If Canada ever awarded Michelin ratings they would be at least a star.

With only two 12-person seatings per day (at 6pm and 8:30pm) space is limited. With the exception of a table for two, all other spots are located around a sushi bar so patrons can watch the two chefs prepare each piece in anticipation.


It’s an omakase menu ($80/person), meaning you essentially eat what you’re served.  They will inquire about allergies at the onset but I discourage visiting if you have aversions to seafood, rice or seaweed. We eagerly waited as the 18 pieces were crafted in front of us. Each prepared with a recommended amount of wasabi and sauce so once placed in front, all you need to do is try not to make a mess gobbling it down.

To begin striped jack (shima aji) a neutral white fish that was great to warm up the palette.


Next a beautifully coloured salmon (sake), which was lean so that the fish oil taste was not over whelming.


My husband and I both agreed the horse mackerel (aji) at Yasu was much crisper tasting than the ones we’ve had in Japan. So, if you’re normally turned off by the strong fish essence of mackerel you may still enjoy this.


A vibrant piece of marinated lean tuna (maguro) arrived next. It was just ever so lightly seasoned so that the delicate fish took on a bit of sweetness.


Yasu lightly blow torches their scallop (hotate) rather than serving it completely raw, helping to counteract the gummy texture.  Topped with just a pinch of yuzu pepper it was already spicy enough to warm up our mouths. I was so excited to eat it that I forgot to take a picture of the scallop in its fully dressed glory.


The fifth piece consisted of monk fish foie gras (ankimo) with shiso leaf. Another excellent combination with the creaminess from the liver balanced by the citrus basil element of the shiso leaf.


This was followed by a piece of sea bass (suzuki), another crisp, clean and mild fish which is a nice contrast after the richer liver.


Although the Chef removed the skin from the sardine (iwashi), this tends to be a fish that has a stronger taste. Luckily, Yasu tops it with some ginger and green onion to counteract the fishiness and make it milder.


The marinated salmon roe (ikura no shoyu zuke) was quite nice and served make-your-own hand roll style with a sprinkling of freshly grated lime zest. I appreciated the extra big piece of toasted nori to fully encapsulate all the roe so I could take smaller bites (with no fear of making a mess) and really enjoy the briny flavours. 


Indeed, the snow crab (zuwai gani) was good but, in my opinion, would have been better if the crab was boiled and removed from its shell just prior to serving. In the end, it lacked the sweetness that I expected from crab meat.


The following sea bream (tai) was soft and had a surprisingly creamy texture that was quite enjoyable.


Another piece of mackerel was served next (except not the horse version) so was more intensely flavoured. The large slice of pickled daikon and sprinkling of green onion helped to counteract its essence.


Fatty tuna (otoro) is always a treat. Yasu blow torched it to let out some of the oil’s essence and topped with freshly grated wasabi. An absolutely delicious piece of sushi.


After the rich otoro, the yellow tailed amber jack (buri) almost acted as a palette cleanser with its refreshingly light taste.


Another one of my favourite pieces of the night was the stunning looking lightly charred bonito (katsuo). The fish itself was delicious and fresh and had a kick to it from the pepper rub used.


Each individual was offered a tuna hand roll next. The seaweed (nori) was lightly toasted on the oven then filled with chopped tuna, shiso leaf and wasabi. It left my eyes watering and me breathing heavily to rid my nose of its burning sensation.

 

Sadly, I was too anxious to eat the eel (unagi) that followed and forgot to take a picture. Trust me when I say there was a nice big piece of it. It had been roasting on the grill during our dinner then topped with a thick sweet glaze complimenting the tender meat. I can still taste it now…

Our last piece of sushi was egg (tamago) without rice, a light and slightly sweet ending.


Yasu offers a choice of desserts at the end of the meal. The sesame ice cream was the popular choice amongst the diners that evening. It was delightful with a fluffy texture but still had an intense black sesame flavour.


Meanwhile, the green tea panna cotta was much richer and creamy. I enjoyed the addition of maple syrup drizzled on top as it added sweetness but also masked the subtle green tea flavour of the panna cotta itself. All in all, not a bad dessert.


Yasu’s drink menu is one area that can be improved. With only Chardonnay offered by the glass it presented limited options for single wine drinkers. My husband and I ordered beer instead (Asahi and Kirin) and they arrived in frosted glasses. He believes they were stored in the same fridge as the fish, as when it first arrived, he found a faint fish smell on his glass, but not something I noticed.

Do yourself a favour and make reservations soon before it becomes impossible. I was able to score our spots two weeks in advance but overhead the waitress telling another couple that smaller tables now have a month lead time and large seatings even more. If you want to eat traditional sushi the way it’s meant to be prepared, Yasu is definitely the place to visit in Toronto. 

Overall mark - 9.5 out of 10



Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this: