Restaurants › Japanese
Kaiseki-Sakura
- 556 Church St. (at Wellesley St. E.) • View on map »
- 416-923-1010
- http://www.kaisekisakura.com/
THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED. As Matt Dusk croons from the speakers, 20-somethings sip saketinis at the cheerfully lit bar—this is not your average setting for traditional kaiseki, but it matches owner-chef Daisuke Izutsu’s modern approach to the ancient cuisine. Omakase is the way to go, letting Izutsu assemble five, six or seven courses ($80, $100 or $120) from Japanese ingredients, paired with shochu, fine sake and original cocktails (for an extra $35, $40 or $45). Harmonies are pitch perfect: for instance, dashi-poached botan shrimp arrive atop dense sesame tofu with grilled turnip and juicy mizuna greens in a gelatinous dashi broth. The house specialty is a more western dish: quivering beef tongue slow-cooked for a week in vegetable and miso stocks is served with slices of baguette. (Truth be told, it’s an acquired taste.) Well-informed young servers explain every dish with easygoing charm. The extensive sake list has everything from unfiltered to sparkling. Small plates $6–$10.
556 Church St. (at Wellesley St. E.)
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