Sushi Rock (Toronto)

I walked into this restaurant wanting to try one of the many good and interesting restaurants in the Yonge and Eglinton area. Someone told me their friends had been here in the past and had enjoyed it. My best guess is that they got the name of the restaurant wrong because I can’t imagine anyone would go out of their way for it.

As soon as we walked in I noticed the lack of decor, white walls with a few of the exact same small piece of art and a bamboo decoration in the back, where no customers were seated. It was dinner-time on a Saturday evening and there were only two tables occupied apart from our own. We were quickly seated by the staff who barely spoke more than a few words to us.

I was handed a menu that seemed to have been left out in the rain then dried overnight. It was poorly organized for the most part, with some menu items referencing others, and no description of quantity for many dishes. After stifling the desire to simply walk out I decided to give the food a try, rather than judging the book by its cover.

Miso Soup ($1.50):
Like the rest of the food arrived cold- slightly warm but still as if left out and forgotten for a time before being served. Did not have very much taste and toppings in the soup were limited.

Garden Salad:
Didn’t order it, but came for free alongside miso soup- unsure if this was intentional or not. Drenched in a sweet miso dressing, which on its own tasted quite pleasant, but was so excessive that whatever flavour the lettuce and cucumber would have had was overwhelmed and impossible to recognize.

BBQ Eel Appetizer ($7.49):
Six very small pieces of BBQ eel with a good amount of sauce. Again the fish was cold, as if left out for a while before being served. Nice presentation. Very little bang for your buck.

Rock Roll ($9):
Roll was cold and mushy. Cream cheese overwhelmed all the other flavours to the point of them only adding texture (I enjoy cream cheese in my sushi but at this point I might as well have been eating cold cream cheese out of the container). Wasn’t fresh- seemed like it had been left out for hours such that it turned cold and the rice had begun to harden.

Lychee Martgarita ($6.50):
Staff seemed very uncertain when I ordered it, I witnessed and hear a few scrambling around asking each other questions, as if no one had ever ordered it before. Was very watered down. Poorly crushed ice with large chunks floated atop a watered down somewhat lychee-tasting liquid. Came in a small martini glass that would have been acceptable if not for the terrible quality of the drink. Very overpriced.

For the first time in years I found myself unable to force myself to finish the food I had paid for.

While quick, the service was very indifferent to us- they barely spoke. The dishes were all cold, not fresh, and overpriced. It was as if no effort had been put into any aspect of the restaurant- the food, the menu, the decor, the service. A major disappointment.

I would highly recommend avoiding this restaurant. Toronto has many good sushi restaurants to offer and it would be a shame for anyone to limit themselves to a place like this.

1.5/5

If, despite this review, you would like to try Sushi Rock for yourself:
2359 Yonge St.
http://www.sushirocktoronto.com/

Cheers,

FP

P.S. Although it may be better to go multiple times to see if it is truly such a bad restaurant, in most cases I am unable to do so. While it is unlikely, I may return to this restaurant in the future, and if I do I will certainly update this review with positive comments or simply ones that reinforce what I have already said.

Kasa Moto (Toronto)

Located in Yorkville, Kasa Moto attempts a new approach to Japanese Cuisine. It offers a variety of typically creamy dishes with the same heavy garnishes and has a strong focus on presentation. Like many restaurants in downtown Toronto, you hardly get any bang for your buck.

Upon arriving we were taken to the upstairs patio where we had made our reservation. There were about 20-30 square tables, each with an umbrella over it- which came in handy later in the evening when there was a bit of a light rain. There was also a bar area that had a handful of people standing around it sharing drinks and a Robatayaki grill off to the side.

I was here last week with a group and we ordered nine dishes between the four of us, which wasn’t as filling as I would have hoped.

Goma-Ae ($8): creamy, hint of sesame, great presentation, good portion size.

Tuna Tataki ($19): creatively served on top of a daikon radish, one bite pieces that blend together in a medley of quality tuna sashimi and a light ponzu sauce, sweet, a bit crunchy from the vegetable combined with the melt in your mouth texture of the tuna.

Soba Noodle Salad ($11): very very creamy, thin stringy carrots mixed in with the green tea infused soba noodles. Was tasty but nothing special.

Wagyu Beef ($15): sweet, very tender, a bit of fat, excellent glaze that helps bring out the flavour of the beef without overwhelming it, fairly small portion but otherwise not at all disappointing.

Rock Shrimp Tempura ($16): very very creamy, light batter, a bit spicy but just enough to notice not too much- added a bit of tang, sweet, good portion size.

Kinoko Salad ($13): a variety of wild mushrooms which make up most of the dish and have a salty and slightly sweet taste, heavy garnish.

Kasa Moto Roll ($22): Worth a try at least, their one and only attempt at a unique roll on the menu (still not very special), rice was a bit mushy, melted in your mouth- good medley of flavours, small portion.

Spicy Tuna Maki ($12): Nothing special, mushy blend of spicy tuna, very small pieces of maki, mushy rice, was disappointed- have had better spicy tuna maki at cheap AYCE sushi places.

Chicken “Two Ways” Futatsu No Aji De ($22): first way was small piece of chicken surrounded by dry flaky breading- could barely taste the chicken, interesting looking but not very tasty. Second way was medium sized cubes of chicken in very creamy sauce with a hint of spice, bad blend of flavours, chicken was a bit mushy. Good portion size.

Kasa Moto is a great restaurant to go to if you want to be served some unique dishes that are often more fun to look at than they are to taste. While it does have some unique and flavourful interpretations of dishes it depends heavily on cream and a lot of garnish which at times can overshadow the dish itself. The sushi is far from creative with only one unique item (the Kasa Moto roll). Furthermore, sushi prices were absurd and the quality did not help me forget that- for example only 5 or 6 pieces of California roll (a very common and basic maki roll) for $12.

The service was excellent and lightning fast. The dishes were brought one at a time with little to no time in between so we were never left waiting. Staff members were all very knowledgable and well informed on all the dishes and drink options.

You hardly get any bang for your buck but its worth a try for their robata menu items and if you enjoy a good presentation with your meal. The service made the experience very pleasant despite the shortcomings of some of the dishes. Not a good place for sushi so stick to their other menu items or go somewhere else if that’s what you’re looking for.

3.5/5

Try Kasa Moto for yourself:

Home

15 Yorkville Avenue

Kenzo Ramen (Toronto, ON)

I visited Kenzo Ramen twice within the last week and a half and it has quickly become one of my favourite places to get a quick cheap bite. And when I say quick I mean very quick.

Kenzo Ramen is a small restaurant that seats about 30. Most tables are for 2 people (although they do have accommodation for larger groups). There is a bit of Japanese decor on the walls and the tables are metal but provide decent seating. There are usually a small number of staff on hand but the restaurant always runs quickly and smoothly, even when it is packed to the brim with a line out the front door.

I ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen ($10.95) when I was there last Sunday. The other time I visited I got the same but with double toppings (an extra $3 charge).  The meal was very filling, even after having skipped lunch earlier in the day.

Tonkatsu Ramen

The noodles weren’t anything special- more or less standard ramen noodles, perhaps a bit hard (but certainly not inedible). The garnish was three small slices of pork, some fish cakes, half an egg, some onions, and beansprouts. Again, none of the toppings were anything special.

The broth was excellent. It was a creamy sweet and slightly salty pork bone broth. I usually don’t finish the broth when I go out for ramen but in this case I ate every last drop of it. If I knew how to make this broth I’d probably be making it every day (barring the likely health risks of doing so).

Tonkatsu Ramen with Double Toppings ($3 extra)

The service is impeccably fast. I got my food and drink (matcha iced latte, $3.95) within four minutes of ordering each.

Kenzo lacks in its small variety of menu options, coupled with OK noodles and expensive matcha drinks. Whereas you can certainly get a quick and pretty decent meal (which is what keeps me coming back), what you gain in fast service you lose in menu options and quality.

3.5/5

Try Kenzo Ramen for yourself:
http://www.kenzoramen.ca/index.php
372 Bloor St. W
or
4860 Yonge St.

Nomé Izakaya (Toronto, ON)

ONE DOLLAR OYSTERS!

If you like oysters, this is absolutely the place to come! If you like Japanese tapas as well, this is even more the place to come!

On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings you can come here to get dollar a piece oysters. The best options are the Malpeque Oysters (from PEI), which have a sweeter taste, and the Fanny Bay Oysters (10 for $12, Vancouver), which are much larger and have a bit of a briny taste. My personal favourite are the Fanny Bays- although you only get 10 they are big enough to split the difference, and they taste great!

Fanny Bay Oysters

I highly recommend making a reservation a day in advance (Call 647-347-7937) and going with a friend. Split a dozen or two oysters then try some of their tapas dishes to share. For example, the tiger shrimp is spectacular- they are coated in a very unique sweet tangy sauce that will make you want to order tons more! (although I’d recommend against that unless you want to lighten you wallet)

To go with your copious amounts of dollar oysters and few tapas dishes I suggest getting either an XL Sopporo, which comes in a freezing cold glass, or try one of their cocktails. Last time I was there I had the Jade Fox (Kiwi Mojito), Sumo Sour (Lime and Orange Sour), and Cunning Kimono (Lychee Martini). If you were to try just one of the three I suggest getting the Cunning Kimono- it’s a lychee martini that is heavy on the lychee with a hint of cranberry.

Cunning Kimono

Cheap but great oysters, excellent Japanese tapas dishes, and amazing drinks makes this one of my favourites in Toronto.

5/5

Try Nomé Izakaya for yourself!:
4848 Yonge Street

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(647)-347-7937

STACK (Toronto, ON)

Located on Yonge Street just north of Lawrence, this is a gem in the burger joint packed area of North York. Go to STACK if you want a really good bang for your buck!

I went here yesterday with a friend of mine and got The Big Stack burger ($17) and a S’mores milkshake ($7).

The burger patties were pretty good tasting, not the best in Toronto per se, but definitely up there when it comes to burger joints. The garlic aioli added a nice touch and the bun tasted great. The downside is the difficulty of fitting the burger in your mouth to take a bite out of it, and the relatively thin bun quickly becomes soggy- you will definitely be making good use of your napkin! I used a fork and a knife for the last third or so of the burger. At $17 it is the most expensive burger on the menu and extremely filling. My friend got the Avocado Bacon Burger ($13) and was satisfied with the amount of food.

The milkshake was amazing. I highly recommend getting one. Truly tasted like s’mores: sweet, well blended, graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate. Plus the presentation is great!

The service was lightning fast. The server apologized for taking a short amount of time to get to us and was very attentive and helpful. No complaints in this area!

I’d say the only area where the restaurant could improve is to have a greater and more varied selection of burgers.

4.5/5

If you want to try STACK for yourself go to:
3265 Yonge St.
http://stackrestaurant.ca/home

Guu SakaBar (Toronto, ON)

Located on Bloor St., Guu Sakabar is easily one of my favourite restaurants in this city. If you are looking for an authentic Japanese izakaya (tapas) experience, this is the place for you! (Approx. $15-20/person + drinks)

Guu SakaBar operates on the same basis, menu, and overall feel as it’s original location Guu Izakaya, but can be distinguished by a few key features. It offers a quieter section where you take off your shoes and sit at lower tables for a more traditional Japanese feel (if you want to sit in this area be sure to arrive early, or reserve a spot in advance!). There is a different sake selection, which includes the Murai Family Junmai- a must for those looking for a good drink to have before or with dinner! Finally, in my experience at least, the food is made a bit better at this location (odd considering the other location is the original).

I went here yesterday and got three dishes that I’ve never tried before, which I figured would be the perfect opportunity to attempt a ‘non-bias’ review of the food. I kept things exciting by getting Kurage (Jellyfish), Gyu Carpaccio (Beef Carpaccio), and Kabocha Korokke (a pumpkin/egg croquette).

The Kurage ($5.50) was sweet tasting with an odd crunch to it, and was served with glass noodles and a dressing reminiscent of (or possibly the same as) the one used on seaweed salads.

The Gyu Carpaccio ($7.20) was amazing- slightly seared on the edges with a drizzle of wasabi mayo and ponzu sauce made it a very exciting dish, I was tempted to order another. The meat was chewy (to the same extent as carpaccio usually is) but the sauces made every bite (chew?) worth it!

Finally, the Kabocha Korokke ($6.00) had a texture reminiscent of baked potato, but was made from pumpkin and had a hard boiled egg in the centre. I found this to be a bit too much for one person, but I’d expect it to be a great dish to share between 2-4 people. Only get this dish if you really like pumpkin.

Overall, this restaurant is truly unique for Toronto. It offers an authentic Japanese Izakaya (tapas) experience, two areas- each offering a different look into Japanese dining, a wide variety of food that you’ll rarely (if at all) find anywhere else in Toronto, reasonable prices ($15-20/person) and enthusiastic staff. If you love Japanese food and want an authentic experience, this is the place to come.

5/5

If you want to try Guu SakaBar for yourself:
559 Bloor St. W
http://guu-izakaya.com/sakabar

168 Sushi Buffet (London, ON)

I am a massive fan of sushi. I’ve been eating it since I was about five years old and have been to several of the top sushi restaurants in Toronto as well as to Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan. Additionally, I have recently learned how to make it myself, which has allowed me to get a better sense of what’s good and what’s not.

Living in London for university I find myself going for an AYCE (All You Can Eat) Sushi Lunch at least once or twice a month with friends. There are several options for this, a few of which I may review at a later date. However, my personal favourite is 168 Sushi Buffet.

On most visits the rice is a decent quality, not seasoned too well but when you’re downing an excessive amount of sushi you tend not to notice (I may simply have higher standards because I have made it in the past), it is also room temperature or cold, which does make it slightly less enjoyable. If you’re lucky you’ll get your sushi when the rice has been freshly made and is still warm, which in my experience makes the sushi more tasty.

The fish itself isn’t great to be honest, but it’s more or less the best you’re going to get at an AYCE sushi place in London, ON. The cost for lunch is $14.95 on weekdays, and $15.95 on weekends.

You use an iPad with food organized into simply categories to pick from the large selection of food, then tap the “Call Server” icon and your server will appear within a few minutes, if that. Even on busy days the service is very fast- a side note here: the hot food tends to arrive before the cold food. The only true downside to the service is the random unexplained disappearance of things you have ordered. Typically with the sheer quantity of food my friends and I tend to order it’s not much of a problem, but it is really annoying when you’ve been waiting for over 30 minutes for a particular roll or set of rolls. Reminding the server usually fixes this problem, but it happens far too often to just look past.

While the quality of the rice and fish is certainly not top notch, the combination of fast service, easy ordering, large selection, and reasonable cost makes this place worth visiting for lunch when you have a craving for AYCE sushi.

3/5

If you want to try 168 Sushi Buffet yourself:
660 Oxford St. W, London, ON

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Guu Izakaya (Toronto)

After several visits to the Guu Sakabar location I decided to give the original Guu Izakaya on Church St. a try.

As soon as my friend and I walked in we were greeted by the entire staff shouting something in Japanese (presumably welcoming us into the restaurant). We went at 5:30PM on a Saturday aiming to avoid the rush, but the restaurant was already nearly full. We were seated at the last two available seats at a communal table.

Most of the tables were communal tables of about 8-12 and there were also several bar seats available. The restaurant had a repetitive beat as background music that fit the hectic and loud atmosphere. Despite the constant shouting (all in Japanese), the servers were very fast and responsive.

There is an authentic Japanese izakaya (family style) menu, so we ordered the Gomaae ($4), Salmon Tataki (7.80), Takoyaki ($5.50), and Kakimayo ($8.50) to share, and each got the Sake Tasting option ($14 for 3 shots). While conversation was made difficult by the loud atmosphere the food and drinks arrived within less than 10 minutes- surprisingly fast for how busy it was.

The Gomaae was a ball of spinach drenched in a sweet black sesame sauce. It made a good appetizer and satisfied my sweet tooth for the meal. The only thing this dish could benefit from is a greater portion size to make it better for sharing.

The Salmon Tataki was a slightly seared sashimi dish with about 5 small pieces. Despite the portion being a little small for the price the food quality was definitely there. The salmon was clearly good quality fish, and the garnish added to the flavour. Would highly recommend this dish for salmon and sushi lovers.

The Takoyaki was battered balls filled with octopus, but the octopus was very lacking. The ball itself was a bit too mushy, but was saved by the excellent garnish and ponzu sauce. If there were more octopus in the takoyaki balls the dish would be significantly better. For once the portion was adequate.

Finally, the Kakimayo was simply amazing. No complaints, even the portion size was good. It was a medley of bc oysters, mushrooms, spinach, and garlic mayo and topped with cheese. This dish was reminiscent of the Twice Baked Potato but with oysters instead. Brilliant creation and creamy taste with a good amount of mushrooms and oyster. There is no wonder this is known for being their signature dish.

The sake selection was limited in variety and their best looking option (the Junmai) was unavailable. I was pleasantly surprised by the dry but sweet tasting Guu’d Sake- it was the best of the three I ordered. Meanwhile the Izumi was dry and less flavourful, and the Gekkeikan was dry and a bit bitter. My friend had the Plum Wine Sake which had a soft cherry taste.

Overall it’s a great restaurant with a very loud atmosphere. Fun for larger groups and for people looking for an authentic Japanese Izakaya experience. I recommend ordering at least two (different) dishes per person and sharing to get a nice variety. High quality food with small portions for the price they charge.

4/5

If you want to try Guu Izakaya yourself:
398 Church St.

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The Works (London, ON)

Upon entering into The Works my friend and I were quickly greeted and seated by the maitre’d. Our server was quick to come to the table and explain the menu to us, very friendly too. She also gave each of us a 16oz measuring cup full of water, and the salt and pepper shakers looked like light bulbs- both added to the friendly atmosphere of the restaurant.

When you open the menu you are met with an overwhelmingly large number of options that can only be narrowed down after a great deal of thinking and some random elimination. You start by picking the toppings from a list of about 40 options, then pick the type of patty you want (such as turkey, beef, and, for an extra charge, elk). You also have a choice of several sides, including a few premium options such as sweet potato fries. Finally, you choose what type of bun you want- between white and multi-grain.

I went with the Hunka Hunka burger ($14.53), cooked medium well, with an elk patty ($3.88 additional fee) and sweet potato fries ($1.76 additional fee). The food took around 15 minutes to arrive and the server came back briefly after we started to check on us.

The Hunka Hunka burger had bacon, peanut butter, and banana slices and came on a regular sized elk patty. The toppings complimented each other and added a sweet kick to the burger. Aside from having peanut butter dripping down my fingers, it was very enjoyable. I would recommend however to get the elk patty cooked medium rare or medium, so as to bring out the flavour more. Otherwise, I suggest going with a beef patty, as most toppings were likely selected with a beef patty in mind.

The sweet potato fries came with chipotle mayo dipping sauce. The fries were fantastic- every one of them had the ideal amount of crispiness and the dipping sauce was creamy with a hint of spiciness (but not too much). I highly recommend upgrading this this side.

Overall the meal was very filling and well worth the money. The vast amount of topping choices makes me want to come back to try new combinations.

4.5/5

If you want to try it yourself it can be found at:
145 King St., London, ON

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Zen Gardens in London, ON

I went here with a friend of mine and had the lunch combination with the Sweet and Sour Lappa (C71), which cost $10.50. The meal came in a bento box with purple rice, some type of tofu thing (at least I think it was tofu), a fruit salad, and of course the sweet and sour lappa.

The two small pieces of “tofu thing” that looked like mini-chicken-nuggets had a spongy texture but tasted great with the dipping sauce provided. I actually wish the dish had come with more than just two of them.

The purple rice had a grainy seasoning which I thought took away from the flavour of the rice itself. In my experience purple rice tastes plenty good on its own and the two textures didn’t mix very well.

The fruit salad was adequate given what it was. The sour sauce didn’t go very well with the sweet tasting fruit. It was an interesting but for the most part unsuccessful attempt at incorporating fruit into a sweet and sour dish.

Finally, the lappa balls in the sweet and sour sauce were amazing. Apart from the two small “tofu-things”, this was the saving grace of the lunch combination. They tasted like a vegetarian take on small meatballs without trying to hard to create an artificial meat taste. This part of the dish was served on top of mushrooms, pineapple, and a few other fruits. Again, the only big flaw here was the portion being rather small. Should I return to this restaurant in the future I would most likely just get the sweet and sour lappa balls on their own, instead of as part of the lunch combination.

Overall the food was pretty good despite a few shortcomings, including the rather small portions. Additionally, the service was rather slow despite there only being a few tables occupied.

3.5/5.

If you want to try it yourself it can be found at:
344 Dundas Street, London, ON
http://www.zen-garden.ca/