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| - Shiitake is one of the few AYCE Japanese restaurants in the Hwy 7 and Islington area. Located in a plaza, there is plenty of free parking.
The decor inside is more modern. Deeper colours add to the ambiance, and mirrored walls make the place seem larger than it is.
Not knowing how busy the place gets, I made a reservation, but by the end of the night realized I didn't need one. The place never hit full capacity, so either it's relatively new, the area is not interested in AYCE Japanese, or the food/service is terrible.
Well, I would lean towards the latter on this one. The food was not impressive at all. In fact most of the dishes were barely passable at 2,5 stars, and they were missing some key items, staples like Red Tuna and Salmon Roe.
However, there were a few things in their favor. 1: it's All You Can Eat (AYCE). 2: all their dishes are in really small portions. 3: they have an extensive selection despite missing a some of the staples. 4: Everything is ordered by picture via iPad.
So why 3 stars and not 2 stars? Well although the food was sub par for the most part, I felt that it had enough variety in their menu to conclude the it would be a good place for someone new to sushi to start. So rather then a discouraging 2 stars, I've decided on an encouraging 3 stars for the Newbie.
When I say the portions are small, I really mean it, they're even small for tapas. But that makes them perfect for sampling. Since its AYCE, if you like it, order more! If not, well then it's only a small portion to swallow.
Most dishes are probably between 2-3 stars. The sashimi is on the thin side but forgiven since it's AYCE. The Thai food, well it wasn't Thai, but it's a good place to start if trying something different. The desserts were hit and miss, and probably the weakest items they serve. The one thing they did do nicely for the most part was presentation, especially the sushi/sashimi.
Tonight I think we burned through at least 35 different menu items. See my pics, I've rated each item on each pic individually.
Would I come back? Probably not. Would I recommend? Only to someone I'd be introducing Japanese cuisine to. There is a good enough balance of cooked, raw, and vegetarian dishes to suit everyone, and the mild flavours will not shock a Newbie's palette. It would establish a base for the Newbie, and as they slowly expand their menu selections to determine which ones they like, when they venture to other Japanese restaurants, their experience would only heighten. With that said, I would also not recommend this place to anyone who already knows and enjoys foods from the land of the rising sun...
If you would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit!
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