[Vancouver] Toshi Sushi

By Jess Saturday August 20, 2011

Notorious for the lines, my sister, Mike and I arrived at 4:40, twenty minutes before Toshi Sushi opened at 5pm. Unfortunately, a large line had already formed outside and I was certain we’d have to wait for the next seating. As we entered the tiny restaurant, I crossed my fingers and hoped they’d be able to squeeze us in. It just so happened that there were three seats left at the sushi bar. Luck was definitely on our side.

Salmon and hamachi sashimi

The servers here were polite and efficient (as were the sushi chefs – we were served very quickly). I was surprised how many servers there were given how tiny the restaurant is. Guess they need to turn their tables over quickly as they’re only open Tuesdays to Saturdays for dinner only.

We started out with the seaweed salad – Seaweed on greens with a soy vinegar dressing ($4.50). Sadly, it wasn’t the type of seaweed salad I prefer. Although it was decent, I wouldn’t order this again. Not the greatest start to the meal, but it definitely went up from here.

We had to order some sashimi so we went with wild sockeye salmon sashimi ($11.50 for 8 pieces) and the hamachi sashimi ($7.75 for 4 pieces). The sashimi was incredibly fresh… if only we could get fish this fresh in Toronto.

Box sushi roll

My sister suggested the Box Sushi Roll – Salmon, prawns, scallops, mayo and lemon ($7.25). The rice and toppings are pressed into a box and comes served in a rectangular form. At first I was hesitant to agreeing to this roll since I’m not a huge fan of lemon. But the paper-thin lemon slice gave the roll a bit of refreshing tartness that I actually enjoyed. Apparently this roll only recently began appearing on the menu as it was a one-time creation for a customer. However, it became quite popular through word of mouth and is now featured on their menu.

An item I always order at sushi restaurants is some form of spicy chopped scallops. This time, we decided to go with spicy chopped scallop hand rolls ($4.25 each). Although they weren’t exactly cheap, they were certainly worth it. The rolls were filled with large, plump pieces of fresh scallops and topped with a dollop of spicy mayo. Certainly a nice change from the rolls filled with three-quarters of rice.

Negi Toro roll

We also ordered the Negi Toro Roll – green onions and tuna belly ($3.25). Given the price of this roll, I expected a tiny roll but was pleasantly surprised. It came with three large pieces, stuffed full with tuna. Similar to the hand roll, the rice-to-filling ratio was perfect. All for only $3.25 – what great value!

The last thing we had was the Nasu Dengaku – baked eggplant with miso sauce ($5.75). This was one of my favourite dishes of the evening. Even my sister who isn’t a huge fan of eggplant enjoyed it. The sweet sauce complimented the soft, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant perfectly. A must-order!

Overall, I had a great experience. I think the only downside of Toshi Sushi is the long wait…but I guess that’s the price you have to pay for reasonably-priced and fresh sushi!