SASHIMI TO SAVOUR

Sushi Mori on 30 Eglinton Ave East serves a mean sashimi lunch.

Sashimi lunch includes rice and a few seared options

I imagine there to be 10,000 sushi restaurants in Toronto, at least. I also imagine that many of them (like elsewhere in Canada) are Korean owned and operated. Sushi Mori was no exception. Though I thought I heard the elegant lilt of spoken Japanese in the kitchen, they were actually speaking Korean. Some people might think that for a Japanese restaurant to be good and authentic it has be Japanese-owned. Although I have somewhat leaned towards this school of thought in the past, this was certainly not the case in this instance.

Some people might think that for a Japanese restaurant to be good and authentic it has be Japanese-owned. Though I have somewhat leaned towards this school of thought in the past, this was certainly not the case in this instance.

Sushi Mori is a sushi-ya san by day and an Izakaya by night. They were offering $5 pints of Sapporo this afternoon so I decided to indulge. The rather charming (and handsome) waiter suggested that I have some kara age which is always a good pairing with ice cold Japanese beer. I couldn't decide on the uni and ikura chirashi, or the unagi don. Both seemed delicious, as did the more moderately priced sashimi lunch special. I decided to get the sashimi (which really is always the very best thing you can order at a good Japanese restaurant) and some kara age (small pieces of Japanese fried chicken).

Simple yet delicious

There's nothing more satisfying than having a delicious piece of cold, raw salmon gently dipped in soy sauce with just the right amount of wasabi followed by a mouthful of hot rice. It soothes the soul, it is deeply satisfying and oh so simple. Raw fish and rice is really the most wonderful thing that ever came out of the Japanese kitchen and I don't say this lightly as I spent six years eating Japanese food voraciously when I lived in Osaka and Kobe. It's also very nice to have that combination with something deep fried such as kara age or tempura on the side with an ice cold beer. So refreshing!

The sashimi that was served today was a nice variety. There was tuna, salmon, butter fish, and yellowtail. The butter fish was new to me. It was a tasty seared white fish with a very delicate flavor, somewhat sweet with a wonderful texture and finish, also very appealing with the the nice sear on the outside. Presentation was on point. There was grated daikon (Japanese radish) as to be expected, and a lovely little raw fish florette in the center. This reasonable lunch special sashimi plate certainly was one of the best I've had at a casual, Canadian, Korean-owned Japanese restaurant. I spoke to the waiter and in fact the chef was highly trained and experienced in Japanese fine dining.

The disappointing dish was the fried chicken. There is something about authentic Japanese fried chicken that is oh so special. Perhaps its that they are usually served as perfect bite size morsels with a crunchy delicious batter and always juicy and succulent meat. Sushi Mori served the juiciness correctly. The meat was tender, but the batter wasn't quite right. There was something a little bit too sweet about it. It was not crunchy enough, and to add insult to injury it was served with tartar sauce. I was actually hoping for some very sinful Japanese mayo instead. Oh well, the experience was quite delightful nonetheless. Service was excellent and the sashimi made me leave feeling very satisfied. Overall a great casual lunch experience. It also helped that I was only one out of two tables being served.

You can check out Sushi Mori here.