If one is looking for great Japanese sashimi and sishi in the downtown area, one does not need to look further than Nami Japanese restaurant on the east side of downtown Toronto. Once inside, this restaurant gives one the impression that one is actually in Japan when dining in. There are about 6 to 7 private booths on the side and multiple tables at the front of the restaurant. The sushi bar is on the right as well as a mini teppanyaki style grilled area for those who are interested in a more lavish experience. My wife and I, and it was just the two of us, decided to go with the traditional sushi and sashimi type dinner for the evening. Scanning their extensive menu, we decided to go with a couple of appetizers and a couple of entrees.
First to arrive was the BC Tuna Tataki ($13.00). Upon first glance, it looked like cooked pink salmon meat. It appeared dry and looked as if it had come from a tin can. But as they always say, never judge a book by its cover. This dish was in fact far from it and was actually quite appetizing and very, very tasty. The tuna meat was hardly dry. In fact, it was soft, very fresh and the outside of the tuna was gently seared. The garnish on top of it brought the flavor out some more. This BC tuna actually tasted even better than the regular red tuna that is often found with the tuna tataki. I was thoroughly impressed as the dish truly came through. It was definitely one of the best tatakis I've have had of the tuna type in quite some time.
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| BC Tuna Tataki |
The Black Cod ($14.50) arrived soon afterwards. The waitress explained to us that the extra "half piece" was because there was extra fish remaining that they could not serve as a whole and they did not want to waste it so the chef grilled it up and gave the extra half piece to us. Appearance wise, there wasn't much to go on. It was literally one and a half pieces of fish placed on top of a piece of lettuce. The only part I didn't like too much was the fact that the outer skin was grilled to a crisp. For those who are health conscious and are worried about eating too much of that blacken part, it might be wise not to touch the outer skin. The meat itself remained nice and soft and was quite juicy overall. There was a touch of butter simmered with the black cod however it was hardly overwhelming and did not take over completely the taste of the cod. Otherwise, the dish was kept simple and other than the over burnt skin, the fish presented itself well.
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| Black Cod |
Once we were done our appetizers, the waitresses quickly cleared our table and presented us our entrees. My wife went with the chef's special ($45.00) while I went with the Jouzushi Moriawase ($29.95). I will start with the Jouzushi Moriawase. It basically came with 9 pieces of sushi and 6 pieces of makis. Quoting directly from their website, the pieces included tuna, salmon, ebi, hirame, hamachi, hotate, unagi, and ikura. The 6 pieces of maki were 3 pieces of kappa maki and 3 pieces of negihamachi makis. There really is no need to describe all the tastes of the fish but one thing that is important to note was that every single piece of fish of my plate was extremely fresh. There was not a hint that the fish had been frozen for long periods of time and even the rice tasted as if it had just came out of the cooker. It was very tasty and it very easily filled one's stomach up. The quality of the fish certainly lived up to its billing and it was well worth the price as advertised.
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| Jouzushi Moriawase |
The Chef's Selection ($45.00) was very similar to my moriawase dinner that evening. The only difference was that there was no maki which was replaced with tuna sashimi, scallops sushi, butterfish sushi and bluefin totoro sashimi. Again every piece of fish on the plate was very fresh. Did the price match the quality of the fish? It would be close however if I had to choose between the two, I think that one would get more bang for their dollar with the Jouzushi Moriawase. This is not to say that the quality of the food wasn't good but for $45.00, personally I would have expected maybe 3-5 extra more pieces. However this is just my thoughts on this dish alone. As well, there was more rice in my Jouzushi Moriawase which would fill up one's stomach a little better.
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| Chef Selection |
Overall, it was a fantastic night nonetheless. Other than the slightly over burnt black cod, I really had no complaints at all. Of note, none of the dishes came with a miso soup or salad. For those who want some of those items, one would have to order one of their other set courses or order them as a side. Since it was a weeknight evening and not a Friday there was plenty of parking on the side streets. Looking around the place, it certainly gave you that authentic Japanese feel. I certainly would come here again. Overall I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Nami Japanese Restaurant
55 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5C 1K6
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