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| - Yasu has been getting quite a bit of attention in the last year or so making onto EnRoute's Best New Restaurants in 2015. Reviews here have also been generally positive.
So recently decided to make a reservation and see what the fuss is all about. 2 seatings a night and for the 8:30pm seating, it was completely full, 11 at the bar and 2 more by the window. 2 chefs took care of us, dividing us between them.
18 pieces in all plus dessert. The fish variety comes from all over the world, Mexico, Peru, Vancouver, Boston, Norway and of course Japan. The type of fish also changes but there does seem to be a staple of fish that they like to serve or at least be able to get a hold of in the quality and quantity that they need. We had fluke, bluefin tuna from lean to fatty, scallop, sweet shrimp, mackerel, uni (sea urchin), monkfish liver, lightly smoked bonito, salmon roe, yellowtale, snow crab, sea bass, sea eel, and snapper. So definitely no shortage of variety.
We sat right in the middle of the bar table and was able to see both chefs at work which was a really nice treat. I would definitely recommend getting a bar seat rather than the 2 seats by the window. There were fish that didn't make too much of an impact but I really enjoyed the mackerel, medium tuna, sweet shrimp, eel, scallop, bonito and even the uni and I'm usually not a fan finding it a bit too strong for my liking but the one from Vancouver I found quite creamy and nice. Everything was made with care and placed in front of us one piece at a time. The attention to detail was evident and nice to see.
Negatives? Not much I would say. The portions if I had to be critical were a bit thin. No one would ever mistaken Yasu for an all you can eat sushi restaurant or should it ever be. It is aiming for Kaji, more focused than Zen. I think it bodes well for Toronto that Yasu can do well in the city and is getting the recognition that it has. It means we have more choice than salmon, tuna and some nondescript white fish. Don't even get me started on the Dragon Rolls.
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