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).
Overall mark - 9.5 out of 10
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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
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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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