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| - 2.5 Stars (2 for food, .5 for service)
Toshi Ryoriten is indeed an authentic Japanese restaurant in that it's Japanese run and the food is fairly traditional. But just because it's run by Japanese people doesn't mean it's good!
The food and product is fine, as was the wait staff. I went there and ordered the Toshi Course ($85). It began okay, though when I pay this kind of money for food I expect more than just food, I expect an experience. This restaurant never got there. My first course, sashimi, was handed to me nonchalantly by one of the sushi chefs and he didn't bother explaining to me what the different fish were on the plate. I also noticed that they're using cheap wasabi that you can find at any other lower-price point sushi place.
The server bringing me the cooked courses was nicer, making sure to explain what each course was. I enjoyed the eggplant in the black cod/eggplant/tempura'd pepper plate.
I'm used to going to omakase places around the city like Zen and Shoushin and I expect a certain minimum experience (call me a snob) in that the chef understands stuff like timing the meal and not serving too fast or too slow so that the patron can eat at a gentle pace and enjoy themselves. Normally, at places like this you sit at the sushi bar and the chef serves you piece by piece.
Maybe the chef didn't like that I was taking photos or something, but it honestly felt like he was trying to serve me as fast as humanly possible, laying down multiple pieces in front of me before I had even finished the former without even bothering to explain what each piece was. I felt incredibly rushed, I'd pick up one piece and before even putting in my mouth there would already be another nigiri on my plate ready to go. There was no time to savour or think about each piece, because he was not planning on stopping. He'd plop a piece down and immediately start work on the next piece over and over again -- if I hadn't eaten as fast as I could it felt like he'd have just loaded my entire plate with his course so he could get me out of there!
Note that unlike the usual omakase experience, the rice was too warm, and he doesn't usually season the neta and recommends you put it in their house soy sauce. Omakase literally means "I leave it to you", and you are entrusting the chef with everything, including how he feels the fish is best eaten. It's lazy (IMO) to not take that extra step but I do understand his perspective on this at least (leaving it to customer discretion).
At the end of the day I was in and out of the restaurant in less than an hour. Won't be going back, stick to Zen or Shoushin... even Kiu was better.
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