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

I must have walked by Yuzuki Japanese Restaurant hundreds of times given its prominent location on Bloor Street, just steps from the interchange subway. From the outside, the gleaming metallic sign doesn’t even list ‘Yuzuki’ on it, instead it prominently features the name ‘Ichiriki’ so it’s a bit confusing to find. It wasn’t until we opened the doors that a printed paper announced we were in the right place, further confirmed when our reservation was found, and we were brought to one of the many wooden tables.  

One dish that elicits excitement when it’s on a Japanese restaurant’s menu is grilled fish jowl (or neck). I know, it sounds a little strange and the rhyme “fish head, fish head, rolly polly fish heads” probably plays through your mind. But there’s such a wonderful succulence from the jowl that’s only matched by fish cheeks, and these are so small that they hardly come in dish form.

Yuzuki’s hamachi kama shio-yaki ($13.50) was brilliantly done, the skin on the fish grilled until crispy with the meat flaking off and moist. There’s that delicious meatiness on the first bite that you just want to savour. Fish jaws can be delightful.

In quick succession the premium sushi set ($57) arrives with 10 pieces of nigri and a negi-toro roll that’s created from fish flown in from Japan. Each piece was deftly prepared and small enough to be consumed in one-bite or savoured with two smaller nibbles. The lightly warmed rice could have been seasoned more but had a nice consistency - not too densely packed yet compressed enough that it held up being handled.

The pieces of hirame, kanpachi, Hamachi, madai, and jin-kinmedai, were all light on the palette choices. Ideally, with 10 pieces the set could have benefited from including a stronger fish like aji or non-fish protein to create a greater contrast in flavours. There was a trio of tuna (oma akami, chu-toro, and o-toro) that’s typical in a premium sushi set. All were good except the o-toro contained a chewy bit, so I didn’t experience that sought after melt-in-your-mouth effect.

Thankfully, the uni and ikura were both fresh and clean tasting. Although, I can see why these are best served with the soy glaze brushed on top. Unlike fish, it’s difficult to turn the pieces over to dip into soy sauce, so it goes rice-side down and really soaks in condiment so that saltiness masks the creamy uni and briny ikura.

Yuzuki may not have a roof-top patio and the glitzy crowds that flock to Kasa Moto, or the showmanship of the teppanyaki tables of Yomato. Rather, the cozy restaurant offers well-executed dishes at an affordable prize. I’m so glad we stumbled upon this hidden gem in Yorkville, even though they really should get the sign fixed.