Weekly Lunch Pick
Japango
This little Japanese bar is big on taste and originality—a welcome change from the city’s predictable sushi specials By Andrew Brudz
The slammer: Oyster shooters from
Japango go down in one shot of
textures and flavours
The place: The tiny 20-seater near the Coach Terminal is a lunchtime treasure to regulars who feel right at home, storing their personal chopsticks in monogrammed boxes behind the bar). Dark wood mixes with Japanese bric-a-brac to create one of Toronto’s closest replicas of a genuine Tokyo sushi joint. Expert chefs are thankfully within whispering distance of waiters who can seem unsure about what they’re serving.
The crowd: With only about half the seats taken on this Tuesday, in-the-know suits and casual diners are content on keeping this sushi secret to themselves.
The deal: The menu offers pages of lunch options, including creative bento boxes, seasonal sashimi deals and sushi platters that range in price from $9.99 to $16.99. Most options come with miso soup and salad for a substantial lunch that won’t require an afternoon nap to digest.
The dish: One heaping bowl of salty edamame is enough for our table of three. The sashimi lunch comes with simple but fresh salad and rice. Don’t be fooled by the size of the sashimi; the salmon and lightly seared tuna morsels pack a tasty wallop, while melt-in-your-mouth butterfish lives up to its name. The piece de resistance, however, is the extra oyster shooter with raw quail egg, uni, vibrant tobiko, tart ponzu, and scallions ($7). Served in a shot glass, the miraculous mix of flavours has us asking, “Can we have another?”
The time: Three courses in under 50 minutes.
The cost: $31, including oyster shooter, bento box, green tea, tax and tip.
Japango, 122 Elizabeth St. (at Dundas St. W.), 416-599-5557.
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