Looks like our iconic ’ Sushi Kaji ’ has been omitted in most current discussions of Japanese cuisine/sushi?! Guess, time for me to pay them a long-overdue re-visit and post an updated review! Ha!
As for bakeries, ‘HATTENDO’ cream buns ( especially, Apple cream and plum Sake ) are my current favourites! Multiple locations! soooo addictive and gooood!
Cho-San for take out higher-end sushi and sashimi
Cafe N’One for its ’ Wiggly souffle cheese cake ’
Yeah I have read about Saito a bit but have yet to get decent feedback for the Toronto location (just paid review sites and lists for the food industry) as there is a dearth of reliable source there so far.
Also I haven’t been in ages but Hasimoto is worth a mention being in The Japan Canadian Cultural center (JCCC is a boon as it adds to the experience IMO. I have enjoyed my trips to their annual bazar sigh they haven’t held one a few years due to COVID.
Also would like to add Ontario Sake Company is very good. Their Sake will put a lot of high end offerings to a test. I am not a big sake luver but their Nama Nama is hard to resist (especially the unpasteurized version)
@THECHARLES The hattendo sakesu you mentioned is a collaboration I believe as I can order it via UberEATS from Izumi store as well)
I’ve only been to Kaji once, around 2005. I ordered the Silver level. It was a nice meal, but I went as part of a Meetup-type group. I didn’t really like fine dining with strangers at the time.
I tried 2 Hattendo baked goods from the Cumberland Terrace location. That location (might be closed now) wasn’t getting much traffic in May or June. My cream bun seemed to be a day old. Or maybe 12 h old. Not very good. Haven’t been back.
The location on Baldwin seems busier.
I liked what I ordered at Neo Coffee Bar but haven’t been lately.
Good to know.
Anyone tried Shoushin?
I’m of Japanese background, but we don’t end up going out much for Japanese. This is partly because for the more casual, “home-style” dishes, I’ll just make them at home (and much of this stuff isn’t what is served at restaurants). Also, we try to eat sustainable seafood as much as possible and most of the better restaurants serving sushi/sashimi emphasize quality over sustainability.
In addition to trying Chotto Matte recently (more Peruvian-Japanese), we also tried Minami, the sister restaurant to Miku. It was quite good and had a decent sized patio. Here is the link to that report. Miku was also good when we went, but that was pre-pandemic and we haven’t tried their patio. We haven’t been to Saito and haven’t been to Kaji in a long time. We do love Kaiseki Yu-Zen Hashimoto for special occasions.
We also love Manpuku for casual comfort food, but haven’t been during the pandemic.
We like many of the ramen places: Kinton (my favourite noodles), Santouka (best pork), Sansotei, Raijin, Isshin, Ryus (the vegetarian miso is very good), Oji Seichi (just went again yesterday). We haven’t tried Konjiki yet.
For sweets, we like Uncle Tetsu of course, Hattendo, Isabella’s Mochi Donuts, Fuwa Fuwa for pancakes, Sasaki in J-town for mochi, and we greatly lament the disappearance of Beard Papa from Pacific Mall a number of years ago.
For groceries, we mainly go to either Sanko on Queen St. W. or J-Town. At J-Town we buy goods primarily at Heisei, baked goods from Nakamura, sometimes meat from Famu. We by takeout food form Famu, Niwatei, Tanuki, and Cafe Green Tea (most of which are available in Heisei.
Thanks for sharing your fav spots. I totally forgot about FAMU oh boy some of their Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki Wagyu sets are so beautiful I want to frame them if it was socially acceptable. Nakamura hmm I enjoyed it on occasion but not recently.
Anyone tried Ramen Yutaka?
Hanamaru market on Pape has a decent selection of items.
Looks like Michelin answered my unanswered question with a star…. Another on my list to visit besides Masaki Saito which scored 2*
Let us know how it goes!
I don’t really spend more than $100 per person on any meals anymore, so I’ll never know!
I guess folks on this board generally don’t respond to questions …. And appreciate nor acknowledge restaurant tips
I posted this yesterday. Guess you did not notice?!
Exactly my point… I guess you didn’t get my snarky response
Unlike ’ chowhound ', Ontario/Toronto members on this board are sparse and few! Guess one has to get used to the occasional ’ no-response '!
I had tried neither Shoushin nor Ramen Yutaka, so had nothing to say. I do try to respond if I have something relevant to add.
I think it depends on whether one is interested in the threads. A handful of us post about baked goods, patios and take-out a lot.
I don’t post about other restaurants that don’t do patios or takeout because I don’t dine indoors anymore.
Oh I forgot to add Patisserie 27 along with MonK Patisserie. MonK has been hit and miss at times. Patisserie 27 is still memorable as their croissant is very unique and dense and the freshly made mille feuille is pretty much unmatched (I have tried the Alo bar version though not Giuletta). Lots of Japanese influence at both spots
I tried a hot specialty coffee (Okinawa Brown Sugar Macchiato) at Hazukido on Bay yesterday. It was too sweet for me, and didn’t have enough coffee flavour, so I’ll try something else next time.
I enjoyed the coffee I had in Japan in Jan 2020. I guess Neo or Nine Tails are the better Japanese-style or inspired Cafés downtown. I find the lattes at Fuwa Fuwa and a Little Pebbles to be very sweet and very milky, without enough coffee flavour.
Croissants don’t agree with me, so I’m unlikely to try them, but I might pick some up for friends at some point. They open at 10 am.
