The Onda is bringing a 20-course omakase menu to Toronto's St. Clair West neighbourhood.

Led by two brothers-in-law who share 50 years of combined culinary experience, the restaurant stays closely rooted in Japanese tradition while setting itself apart with Korean influences. 

A family affair, the compact operation is run by owner-chefs Sunil Woo and Yoongil Choi (Yasu, Okeya Kyujiro), together with their wives, Yoonmi Choi and Jiyoung Kim.

"The name means an abundance of blessings," says Yoonmi Choi. 

It's a sentiment felt throughout, from the carefully sourced ingredients and considered dishes to the warm hospitality that greets guests the moment they walk through the door.

And while The Onda may be their first restaurant together, there's an ease and confidence to the room that makes it feel like it's been open for years rather than months.

Minimalist, with a nine-seat chef's counter, the space is intimate and calming, designed with neutral-toned woods and clean lines throughout.

That same sense of refinement carries into the menu, where dinner unfolds across 20 courses for $250, with an optional six-pour sake pairing for $150. Lunch offers a slightly shorter 14-course menu for $135, available on Sundays. 

Although the dishes may vary, there's a balance of seasonal cold plates, warmer courses, and a long progression of nigiri.

In true omakase fashion, the nigiri moves between delicate, lean fish and richer, fattier cuts, all expertly sliced and served over warm, seasoned rice with a brush of soy or a touch of freshly grated wasabi.

With 20 courses to cover, here's a brief look at how it all unfolds — consider it the CliffsNotes version of a meal that deserves more space than I have here.

The opening dish, akami yukhoe, swaps beef for a tartare of lean red tuna and Asian pear. Finished with osetra caviar, it has a delicate umami finish. 

"It is inspired by Korean yukhoe, which is traditionally made with raw beef, but we reinterpret it using Japanese tuna akami," says Yoonmi Choi.

The next course brings together buttery lobster and pumpkin paste, wrapped in crisp nori and balanced by the subtle heat of gochujang.

One of Japan's most beloved seasonal offerings, hotaru ika, or firefly squid, is dressed in a sweet miso sauce, then torched and served with spicy daikon radish. 

Hay-smoked Spanish mackerel from western Japan, Hokkaido scallop and torched fluke fin arrive as a trio, served alongside a shiso-garnished seaweed salad.

The savoury chawanmushi is rich and comforting, the silky smooth custard layered with freshly shaved black truffle from Italy. White fish crackers add a subtle crunch.

A tempura-fried parcel of silken tofu wrapped in shiso follows. It's served with broccoli in a glossy, sticky-sweet crab sauce.

A nest of finely chopped cabbage acts as the base for fresh snow crab, complemented by yuzu, shiso flowers and an umami-rich dashi jelly.

The nigiri section begins with finely chopped swordtip squid, paired with mild Japanese chives.

From there, the meal moves into a lean cut of aji, or Japanese horse mackerel.

Next is a buttery, tender striped jack (shima-aji) from Kyoto, brushed with sweetened soy sauce.

The progression then moves richer with red sea bream, wet-aged for nine days to amplify its flavour and create a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Hidden underneath is another layer of chives.

The isaki, also known as chicken grunt fish, is more delicate, brightened here with fresh yuzu zest.

The richness peaks with otoro, prized as the fattiest cut of bluefin tuna. Perfectly marbled, it has a silky, buttery texture. 

Later, tuna makes another appearance in the form of toro-taku.

Mixed with pickled daikon and chives, the toro is tucked into a crisp sheet of nori that's crowned with a generous topping of briny Hokkaido uni. 

The uni deserves its own close-up.

To prepare the palate for what's still to come, a warm bowl of miso soup arrives, its flavour concentrated by the addition of lobster tail.

A nod to Korean barbecue, the kalbi-style short rib is served with Japanese mustard sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

The second and final meat course is wagyu tenderloin. By this point in the meal, I've used "buttery" more than once, but here the word earns its place, especially when the beef is served over a creamy yuzu sauce and finished with a dollop of lobster butter.

The mushroom clay pot rice with grilled black cod is a heartier offering, layered with maitake and king oyster mushrooms, fresh wasabi and Hokkaido ikura.

The savoury portion closes with a slice of tamago, a sweet-savoury Japanese omelette that lands somewhere between custard and cake.

And of course, one can't forget dessert. Better yet, there are two: vanilla ice cream with red bean paste, followed by a tangy yuzu pudding with whipped cream and chestnut.

The Onda is located at 750 St Clair Ave W.