Restaurants
Kanji Sushi
The cocktails are all based on Japanese liqueur or sake. I had the Ukiyo ($10), a combination of tequila and lychee that blew me away. I'd have never imagined them together, but they blend perfectly without being overly boozy.
We started with Gyoza ($7), made with seasoned beef instead of the typical pork. They were meaty and unique - it was almost a crime to dip them into the vinegary sauce. The meat substitution kept the dish satisfyingly familiar, but different enough to be memorable.
I'd heard great things about the Crazy Tuna Roll ($13, lead image) so while others looked interesting - shrimp tempura with mango, and salmon with tuna and asparagus, to name a few - I had to see how it held up to the hype. Avocado and crunchy spicy tuna were surrounded by tuna steak and crispy leek. The pieces held together while we dragged them through wasabi mayo and cilantro sauce. It was easily our favourite thing on the table.
The Chirashi Sushi ($17) we had next was put together well but overshadowed by the Crazy Tuna. It's an elegant take on chirashizushi, and served more like a sashimi sampler artfully arranged over rice and shredded daikon. It was a great assortment of the chef's choice, but a bit sedate and could have benefited from a touch of the inventiveness we'd seen in earlier dishes.
Fusion fun came in the form of the Sushi Tortilla ($10). Sliced tortilla was layered with slivers of tuna and salmon and topped with diced tomato, onion and jalapeno slices. On the whole it tasted pretty great, but the tortilla was too soft. The whole thing became mushy as it sat on the plate. If the tortilla was toasted first I think it would hold together better, and frankly, I don't know if it works beyond the novelty factor.
For dessert they offer deep fried ice cream ($8), in either green tea or black sesame varieties. It's a great serving size for two people to share. We demolished it pretty quickly, so even though the fried coating was a bit thick to cut through, it held up. It was a strong finish, and even though the plates weren't too large, it was an altogether reasonable amount of food for the prices.
Service was speedy and polite, and the atmosphere was chic while still feeling comfortable; even with the music pumping we could still hear each other talk. They don't take reservations, but it's a big dining space with a separate bar, so getting a table on a Saturday wasn't hard (for now). This place already has a fair amount of buzz and the quality to back it up, and it looks to be around for the long haul.
Discussion
31 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
I'm afraid most of the locals from Parkdale won't be able to afford what this place offers.
Got told I had a job here in December and moved into the city from the 'burbs as i'd been staying at a mate's since coming to Canada. Got told training would start in January and so on, so forth.
Now if the place had issues with opening fair enough, it happens but have the decency to answer calls or return emails from the people you gave jobs to.
Hope the prick fails.
Kanji, I assure you that my ego is larger than yours. the food may look great but I will purposefully avoid this spot if you feel that I should accommodate your schedule, rather than the opposite. I can't believe this trend has caught on in Toronto.
There is no reason, whatsoever why an establishment should have a no reservation policy.
- Use Open Table for your reservation service - if people do not show up, they get banned from the service and have no other way to reserve (after 4 no-shows, but it still encourages them not to no-show.)
- Have a 5 minute policy - if people are more than 5 minutes late for their reservation, their table gets given away!
It REALLY doesn't need to be this difficult.
"The majority of us can afford the food."
I hope you were being sarcastic there. The majority of the people who live in South Parkdale would definitely not be able to afford the food that Kanji provides.
Here's a quick way of telling that: just look at the clientele. Chances are they won't look like the people who live in affordable housing, are immigrants, or scrappy artists, or working-class people. This joint is nothing but another gentrifying entry into South Parkdale. They know that, and that's why they have pretty, white girls posted outside their door to weed out the unwelcome crowd.
I'm sorry to sound so blunt, but that's real talk.
Sadly, I doubt they'll last though winter. If the no-reservation policy means that people have to stand outside for 20 seconds in the winter, then they will probably go elsewhere.
That being said, the food was good but the rolls were the highlight of their menu. The sashimi was pretty small for the price but overall the freshness made up for it.
The drinks were good and had great combinations of flavours and there was something for everyone.
Also to all those people complaining about yet another place to see and be seen... who the fuck cares? If it makes some people happy to feel cool then let them.
Head south from this place a couple of blocks to King a bit west of Dufferin and you'll find Kotta, where they do very good sushi, sashimi and other Japanese dishes at reasonable prices in a non-pretentious and douchebag-free environment.
My wife and I have eaten there a couple of times a month since they opened, and while the food doesn't scale the sames heights as higher end sushi joints like Hiro, it's much better than the price point would suggest. We rarely drop more than 50 bucks (although we don't usually drink booze there - if we did, it would be more), and we always enjoy what we're served, and leave full and satisfied, usually with some leftovers.
Don't believe the hype, folks.
shhhhh... don't spoil it ;)
YOU PROBABLY COULD NOT AFFORD A HOME IN PARKDALE.
HAVE YOU PRICED THE HOUSING MARKET IN THIS AREA LATELY.
NOT.
This place is only overpriced compared to all the run of the mill, lunch time special, Sushi places around.
For a relatively high-end place, the prices are reasonable and the dishes good.
For 5 of us with drinks and plenty of food the bill came to $250 tax in. Not too bad for great sushi and atmosphere. Cheaper than Blowfish and Wabora, although I like Blowfish better (can't stand wabora).
Overall, I'd go back.