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| - There are many restaurants along this strip of Eglinton, some of which attract a fair bit of buzz from the Forest Hill crowd, before settling into mid-town mediocrity.
Located down the street from Ave/Eg anchor Yitz's Delicatessen, Edo provides a convenient answer to those who feel more like raw fish than cured meat.
At one point, they pretty much had the strip to themselves. Now, sushi joints dot the landscape, in varying degrees of authenticity. I doubt anyone would accuse Edo of being overly authentic, but if you're willing to shell out, you will receive a perfectly decent meal.
In light of the clientele and toned-down offerings, I humbly suggest that we coin a new term for this kind of cuisine-"Jewpanese"-ethnic food that you can bring your squeamish grandparents to enjoy.
Viewed through this lens, dinner at Edo is a success. Miso soup packs deep flavour into warming broth studded with tofu and wakame. Wait staff don't bat an eye when superannuated diners request spoons.
Gyoza-made with veal, not pork-are tender pasta pockets with a light crispness, surrounding delicate meat.
Tempura anything is properly crisp, although the Shiso leaves always have gloopy cold spots. They're best avoided in favour of the sweet potato and zucchini. My only regret about the shrimp is that there aren't more.
Bento boxes offer the usual suspects. Rice is texturally perfect; stir-fried vegetables occasionally overdone; teriyaki is predictably sweet and dry-just as your grandparents like it.
Sushi is well-executed but unadventurous. Cream cheese appears often in rolls, along with crispy tempura bits. The fish itself is reliably fresh, though. A pick-and-mix selection makes for a fun and collaborative meal.
This is the rare case where I deduct points for atmosphere. The room is cold and grey; the chair are hard metal, set at odd angles. Service discourages lingering. A model of efficiency, perhaps, but an underwhelming dining experience.
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