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