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Zagat’s 2012 survey picks Toronto’s best restos and settles that pesky average tipping question

Scaramouche’s Keith Froggett (Image: Renée Suen)

Online restaurant review sites like Yelp and Urbanspoon may have cut into the crowd-sourced territory that Zagat once owned, but the yearly survey still has some clout—and the power to get diners in the door. The 2,266 food-loving Torontonians who voted in this year’s survey were crazy for Keith Froggett, giving fine dining restaurant Scaramouche top honours for food and also placing Scaramouche’s pasta bar in the top 10. But the winners weren’t all about linen tablecloths and tasting menus: The Burger’s Priest, with its epically greasy Vatican City burger, broke the top three for best food, while pan-Asian chain Spring Rolls was voted most popular restaurant (proving that democracy isn’t foolproof).

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From the Print Edition

March 30, 2011 | 10:05 am

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Greatest Hits: Chris Nuttall-Smith picks the 25 most delicious dishes of the last year

Enoteca Sociale’s octopus and fava beans

The 25 most delicious dishes Chris Nuttall-Smith tasted this year, ranging from lowbrow comforts (potato puffballs) to high-minded masterpieces (tea-smoked duck)*

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*Availability of dishes varies according to season and changing menus

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Food Porn

January 14, 2011 | 2:41 pm

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A photographic tour of Toronto’s unique sushi and sashimi experiences

If Bloor Street and Queen West are any indication, Toronto is flooded with a sea of all-you-can-eat restaurants serving raw fish with or without vinegared rice. Most provide a quick fix, but only a handful of establishments in this city promise unique experiences that will satisfy all senses. Here are nine gorgeous examples, from the delicate and rare to the dramatically innovative.

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: It’s not exactly a vacation to Tsukiji, but at least a visit to chef Johnny Zhenge’s Kokyo will help you save for a trip to the real deal. Here, the sweet and meaty spot prawns are three times the size of their sweet shrimp cousins, and the crunchy tsubu-gai clam tastes like fresh seawater. Other delicacies include herring flesh pressed with crisp herring roe and monkfish liver that earns its designation as foie gras of the sea. $2.50–$3.50 per piece.

: Chef Bruce Bu takes pride in the details, from his house-made miso and soy sauce to his meticulously crafted array of nigiri sushi. Bu torches scored ends to give silky squid fillets texture and depth, and tops sea eel with fried seaweed. Other thoughtful surprises include using spicy yuzu pepper paste to cut through the fat of the red sea bream snapper, aromatic fried leeks that add sweetness to B.C. albacore tuna, and topping fluke with grated daikon, scallions and a yuzu-ponzu jelly. $6–$20 per pair of conventional and customized nigiri; $70 per person for the omakase for two (sushi course pictured).

: Leslieville’s Sushi Marché operates as a takeout shop, but chef John Lee’s competitively priced and well-composed products are anything but humdrum. In his signature special maki, Lee, who trained under Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, wraps spicy salmon with crisp tempura bits, cucumber and fish roe in rice and nori. All orders are accompanied by decorative elements, like shiso flowers or orchids. Ample vegetarian options. Delivery available. $7 per roll (five pieces); omakase platters start at $60 for two.

: Leave all decisions up to chef Mitsuhiro Kaji when partaking of the omakase dinner at his namesake restaurant. The multi-course meal starts with a parade of cooked courses followed by some of the country’s best sushi and sashimi. On one occasion, we were greeted with pressed oshizushi (brick-shaped sushi); on another, loose thimbles of warm vinegared rice were topped with feathery minced tuna belly, crisp herring roe with bonito flakes and barbecued eel finished with unagi sauce and fine omelette threads. $80–$120.

: Chef Ken Zhang may be new to the Annex’s sushi row, but his aim is to elevate neighbourhood standards by offering affordable omakase experiences. Diners enjoy eight seasonally inspired dishes from both kitchen and sushi bar that go beyond Bloor Street’s usual rundown of teriyaki chicken and California rolls. Of the fish-focused plates, we were drawn to a perfect tower of tuna tartare with tiny edible shiso flowers. A quick blast from a butane torch gives the lemon- and soy sauce–seasoned fish complexity in aroma and flavour. Mixing the diced tuna with a raw quail egg creates a silky finish. Omakase requests should be made a week in advance. $70 per person.

: There are a few reasons why chef John Lee’s creations are easy to swallow. He applies contemporary techniques to traditional Japanese ingredients—think white tuna in garlic oil confit or slicked with house-smoked soy sauce and sweet chili—and 90 per cent of Omi’s menu uses sustainable fish. Bite-sized sushi pizzas feature flame-licked Hokkaido scallops over panko-crusted sushi rice. They are topped with flying fish roe, Kewpie mayo (Japan’s most popular brand), fresh grated ginger and scallions. Roasted garlic oil harmoniously binds all the elements. $8.95.

: Serious Japanophiles head to this local treasure to sample the only known traditional kaiseki in North America. Chef Masaki Hashimoto expertly prepares the finest ingredients, sourced locally or imported from Japan, in ways that enhance their natural characteristics and find balance between taste, texture and aesthetics. One of the nine seasonally driven courses pairs sculpted pickled vegetables and mirin-braised tree seeds with delicate porgy. Fresh grated wasabi and house-blended soy sauce accompany the dish, which is served on a platter that, like the food, reflects the season. $300 per person.

: Challenge sense and senses with bites of hamachi that are marinated in calamansi vinaigrette and served with such Asian-inspired components as sliced scallions, pickled ginger, puffed tapioca chips and black sesame powder. Avocado and cauliflower purées complement the dense and buttery fish while adding dramatic visual impact. Compressed cucumber spears, radish rounds and cress from Cookstown Greens are the final tweezer-set finishes. $17.

: Chirashizushi, the traditional Japanese dish of sushi rice mixed with various ingredients, rises to new heights at this Scarborough gem. Chef Kosuke Oi tops a bowl of rice with an assortment of fresh fish, including velvety sea urchin, sweet shrimp and a whimsical wasabi mayo–dotted tuna temarizushi (ball-shaped sushi). Also in the bowl: slices of snapper, squid, octopus and salmon. The real surprise lies between two layers of sushi rice: a thin omelette blanketing warm fillets of barbecued eel made more fragrant by minty kinome leaves. $35 per set; includes tea, seaweed salad and a slice of cake.

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Culinary Curiosities

July 7, 2009 | 12:26 pm

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Food Wars: Montreal 14, Toronto 1

We want Terrence Henry’s job. The Atlantic has asked him to explore North America in search of our continent’s best farmers, brewers, butchers and chefs. The goal is to create a map of the most innovative artisanal food around—not the fussy five-star stuff that usually gets reviewed. While we support his mission, we were surprised to see that Henry’s Google map presently lists only one stop in Toronto (at Lai Wah Heen). Once we compared that to his Montreal itinerary—14 planned tastings!—our surprise turned to competitiveness. We think no North American culinary tour would be complete without sampling Ruth Klahsen’s chèvre, say, or Colborne Lane’s liquid nitrogen ice cream. Or Ryan Donovan’s charcuterie from Cowbell. Or the fukiyose platter at Sushi Kaji. Or Marc Thuet’s bread. Or the bold chocolate concoctions at Xococava.

Oh, the list goes on. We encourage readers to post their favourite local innovations, too, both here and on The Atlantic’s site. After all, he said he was looking for suggestions.

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Food Porn

March 26, 2009 | 3:41 pm

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Sushi Kaji: An omakase odyssey

The view from here: Above the bar at Sushi Kaji (All photos by Renée Suen)

Nearly every Toronto food enthusiast has heard about a little boîte on the Queensway called Sushi Kaji. We were there recently for the omakase meal ($120)—12 courses spanning several hours. Nabbing a spot at the bar, we were privy to the cooking theatre starring chefs Mitsuhiro Kaji and Takeshi Okada, and also got to slurp soba noodles with staffers from some of Toronto’s best restaurants. We found ourselves in the jubilant company of folks from the Thuet empire, Scaramouche and All the Best Fine Foods. Our bellies were treated to a parade of Japanese delights—presented in the photos after the jump—and we left with the happy impression that, despite the economy, many chefs still choose to eat out and support one another’s craft.

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All stories relating to sushi kaji

The Dish

Restauran-TO

Zagat’s 2012 survey picks Toronto’s best restos and settles that pesky average tipping question

The Dish

From the Print Edition

Greatest Hits: Chris Nuttall-Smith picks the 25 most delicious dishes of the last year

The Dish

Food Porn

A photographic tour of Toronto’s unique sushi and sashimi experiences

Start the tour »

The Dish

Culinary Curiosities

Food Wars: Montreal 14, Toronto 1

The Dish

Food Porn

Sushi Kaji: An omakase odyssey

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