Restaurants › Japanese
Ichiriki
- 120 Bloor St. E. (at Church St.) • View on map »
- 416-923-2997
Soulful jazz isn’t an obvious accompaniment to raw fish, but after an evening at this unassuming Bloor East gem, the connection is clear—like jazz standards, Japanese
classics are most interesting and enjoyable when updated with innovative riffs. To wit:
tako kimuchi, tender chunks of octopus tentacles in a fiery
kimchee sauce with paper-thin slices of cooling cucumber. Sushi highlights include scored fresh sardine topped with a pinch of minced ginger—proof that those tasty swimmers should never
be canned again. Sea urchin innards make for an orange, briny and delicious mouthful of the Pacific; toro, the belly meat of the urchin, is balanced on a quenelle of rice.
A clear view of the jazz-loving chef is afforded by the seats at the south end of the short sushi bar; it’s a perfect spot from which to observe his
deft manipulations. Service
is cheerful.
120 Bloor St. E. (at Church St.) | This location is wheelchair accessible
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