Yasu Sushi Bar

The omakase for contemporary nigiri sushi

You don’t have to fly to Tokyo or New York City for a good sushi omakase (お任せ; blind tasting menu). Over the last 10 years, Toronto has gained several high-end sushi restaurants with their own niches. They are also better value here, other than Sushi Masaki Saito which starts at $600 per person—the most expensive meal in Toronto.

Yasu’s strength is non-orthodox nigiri sushi. By non-orthodox, I mean the willingness to venture beyond traditional Japanese produce and flavours. That’s the trend of top-end restaurants around the world. Delivering the classics isn’t enough—chefs have to impress seasoned foodies with dishes they have never had before. Of the 16 courses I had at Yasu, only half were traditional. Everything else had some modern spin on it.

Exterior of Yasu Sushi Bar
Yasu Sushi Bar

The food

There’s only one offering at Yasu: dinner omakase. Sake pairing for $90.40 more. Before the dessert course, diners can request repeats of any course (charged separately). In fact, you can pretty much request anything or ask for recommendations.

I had the pleasure of being served by the head chef for this sitting.

1. Sashimi

Akami (赤み; lean tuna), hamachi (ハマチ; yellowtail) and hotate (ホタテ; scallop). This was the largest course of the night. Not that I was complaining. All seafood was exceedingly fresh and tasted clean. The garnish of gelatinous seaweeds like Irish moss enhanced the aesthetics but didn’t add to the flavours. Wasabi was freshly grated from the wasabi root—I expected nothing less at this price point. Even the soy sauce was deep in flavour and had a few chrysanthemum petals. Like the seaweeds, the flowers were more for show than taste. 8.5/10.

Sashimi from Yasu Sushi Bar
Sashimi

2. Toro, uni, and shiso flower

This is what I alluded to earlier about non-conventional dishes. It was a base of fatty toro (トロ; fatty tuna), layered with uni (ウニ; sea urchin), and topped with shiso flowers (紫蘇の花; a nutty herb). I had never seen or tasted anything like this before. To be honest, I don’t care much for uni but I loved the buttery soft toro that melted in the mouth. The shiso flower tasted unsurprisingly like shiso leaves–a nutty aftertaste that creeps up on you. But it was less intense than the leaf form. One of my top 3 favourites of the night. 9/10.

Toro, uni, shishito flower from Yasu Sushi Bar
Toro, uni, and shiso flower

3. Shima aji

First nigiri sushi of the night. Like others that followed, a dab of wasabi and soy sauce was incorporated into it. The shima aji (縞鯵; Japanese striped jack) was delicately fishy. 8/10.

Stripejack from Yasu Sushi Bar
Shima aji

4. Monkfish liver

From Boston. I’ve never had fish liver in a sushi before. It was milder than I expected. Texture-wise, it was a liver mousse. I wouldn’t have minded more liver flavour. Ponzu, minced daikon, and shiso helped add earthiness. There was also yuzu but it didn’t seem to blend with the other ingredients. I like the direction of this sushi but it could use more fine-tuning. 7/10.

Monkfish liver from Yasu Sushi Bar
Monkfish liver

5. Shiro ebi

Sweet white shrimp (白海老) from Toyama, Japan. Not many places serve this. It was a winner with lemon zest to brighten up the sweet meat. 8/10.

Shiro ebi from Yasu Sushi Bar
Shiro ebi

6. Gindara, aburi-style

From Vancouver Island. Gindara (ギンダラ; black cod) sushi is a modern invention and is another uncommon sighting. It came with what seemed to be the chef’s favourite condiment: minced daikon. The cod wasn’t blow-torched enough and not as crisp as it could be. Cod taste was moderately strong. 7.5/10.

Black cod from Yasu Sushi Bar
Gindara

7. Tai

From Japan. The slice of tai (鯛; Japanese sea bream) had pretty scoring on its skin. The temperature of the fish was perfect, just below room temperature. 8/10.

Sea bream from Yasu Sushi Bar
Tai

8. Poached lobster

Fron Nova Scotia, with lime zest and yuzu sauce. The lime hit first, followed by lobster a few seconds later. Unfortunately, the lobster was overcooked and tough. It was also hard to assemble and fell apart when I picked it up. Perhaps the lobster chunk should have been wrapped with a strip of nori? The temperature of the meat was all right, slightly above room temperature. I think lobster is overrated on account of its mild taste, so I wasn’t drawn to this dish. 6.5/10.

Poached lobster from Yasu Sushi Bar
Poached lobster

9. Akadashi miso soup

The akadashi (赤だし) was a little better than the average miso soup. It had a deep miso flavour and fine spring onions. 7.5/10.

Agadashi miso soup from Yasu Sushi Bar
Akadashi miso soup

10. Duo of otoro and akami

2 pieces served in the same course. The bluefin tuna otoro (大トロ; fatty belly) was from Mexico. The akami (赤み; lean cut) was from Japan. The otoro had a glaze of soy sauce and a dot of wasabi. Crosshatch scoring added aesthetic appeal but wasabi smudges at the edge of the fish took points away. Curiously, the belly had less flavour than the leaner piece of fish. 7.5/10.

Duo of bluefin tuna and atami from Yasu Sushi Bar
Duo of otoro and atami

11. Saba

Mackerel (サバ) from Norway. Garnished with green onions and ginger. It was draped in a daikon sheet. The mackerel had an intense, meaty, satisfying flavour. Or maybe I’m just biased towards mackerels. This was one of my top 3 favourites. 8.5/10.

Saba from Yasu Sushi Bar
Saba

12. Snow crab with liver

From Nova Scotia. This was a simple dish, It didn’t look good but it tasted good. The crab had a briny taste. I could have used more liver though. 7.5/10.

Snow crab with liver from Yasu Sushi Bar
Snow crab with liver

13. Katsuo

Skipjack tuna (カツオ) from Japan. Served with a dollop of minced green onions. The fish was assertive and deep-bodied. It was the live, in-the-flesh version of katsuobushi (dried fish flakes, commonly used as a topping for Japanese foods and in dashi). Points for the glossy skin. This was one of my top 3 as I like fish with distinct, bold flavours. 8.5/10.

Katsuo from Yasu Sushi Bar
Katsuo

14. Anago

This was similar to grilled eel found at many Japanese restaurants. Except that this was saltwater eel (アナゴ; anago), not the more common freshwater eel (ウナギ; unagi), as the chef eagerly pointed out. Taste-wise, it was almost indistinguishable. It was grilled and coated with the same sticky, sweet, brown sauce (うなぎのたれ; unagi no tare). The big difference was in texture. The sea eel dissolved in the mouth, like a creamy explosion of umami. 8/10.

Sea eel from Yasu Sushi Bar
Sea eel

15. Tamago

Short for tamagoyaki (卵焼き; omelette), this was made up of whitefish eggs. It was like an egg cake. Slightly sweet with a caramelized exterior. It was an OK dish. 7/10.

Tamago from Yasu Sushi Bar
Tamago

16. Black sesame ice cream

I guess one shouldn’t come to Yasu for dessert. The ice cream was adequate. Nothing particularly bad but also nothing particularly memorable. The toasted black sesame seeds were a nice touch, further enhancing the sesame goodness of the ice cream. 7.5/10.

Black sesame ice cream from Yasu Sushi Bar
Black sesame ice cream

One could tell that the chef was an adept sushi maker by the way he moved. There was a rhythm in constructing each sushi and the chef’s body swayed accordingly. The temperature of the rice and seafood was perfect. I also applaud the embracing of Canadian and international ingredients. There’s no reason every ingredient should be shipped from Japan. Besides addressing sustainability, a whole realm of creative possibilities opens up.

Drinks menu of Yasu Sushi Bar
Drinks menu

The service

Overall, the service was average. Neither stellar nor obsequious. Plates were cleared frequently. Water was not always topped up vigilantly but I did not have to request for more. The chef checked in every 4 courses, so it was not that annoying. The whole seating of 10 diners were served by 3 chefs and 2 waitstaff. It was quiet throughout the meal. Nearly all diners were first-time visitors so there was none of the banter that happens when the chef develops a rapport with regulars.

The place

The place is functional and doesn’t encourage idling. There are timed services after all.

Bar seating at Yasu Sushi Bar
Bar seating

True to the restaurant name, it is set up like a bar. An intimate affair where guests are seated along an L-shaped countertop. The focus in an omakase is on the chefs, so the decor and furnishings are minimal. Just sit back and watch your food being made!

Tableware at Yasu Sushi Bar
Tableware

There was a single couch that was unused when I visited.

Seating at Yasu Sushi Bar
Couch seating

As a COVID-19 precaution, plexiglass screens are hung from the ceiling to almost the end of the countertop. There are also screens between every 2 seats.

Acrylic screens at Yasu Sushi Bar
Plexiglass screens separate chefs and diners

Verdict

Nigiri sushi with a cosmopolitan outlook. Some misses but mostly hits. 8/10.

Practical information

Name
Yasu Sushi Bar
Rating
8/10
Recommended dishes
It’s a omakase, so dishes change frequently.
Prices
Omakase: $175.15 ($155.00 excluding tax)
Address
81 Harbord Street
Hours
Wednesday to Sunday 1700h – 2330h
Date of visit
July 2021