Our First Toronto Post: JaBistro

Wow, after arriving home from Vegas one of the first few things we craved was sushi and sashimi (fish fish fish)! We scoured the web looking for something new, and finally decided on the latest venture from the creators of Guu: JaBistro. We had a really good time; the food was flavourful, particularly the oshizushi pressed sushi, and our server Ayaka was so attentive and genuinely kind – good customer service is so hard to find these days.

If you can see this mascot from the outside then you have arrived at JaBistro (btw this fish totally reminds us of the one in Finding Nemo). Their front door is to the right, albeit a bit hidden.

Dinner menu

Ginger hoji – a hot drink. The spiciness of the ginger really came through and paired nicely with the sweetness of the drink.

This Virgin green tea mojito was a bit too watered down for our tastes. However, it was carbonated which was refreshing.

No shortage of cups here: not only did we receive the drinks that we ordered, but we also received some hot water as requested. In addition, our server also automatically gave us each a glass of cold water = a total of three cups per person

The blowtorch was constantly in action!

Sashimi sampler: very organized and symmetrical presentation. The chef divided the plate in half and mirrored the fish on both sides such that two people could eat the exact same things in the same order. Decorative pieces of carrots were used as a garnish.

Saba: cured mackerel oshizushi. This was SO flavourful and simply delicious. The searing of the fish by the blowtorch imparted that much more extra flavour to each piece. It felt as if the rice had soaked everything up. No additional soy sauce was required; in fact they don’t even give you any soy sauce on the side because the chef has already sauced everything for you. Just eat and enjoy.

Nama classic 7 pieces: very fresh fish. The one on the far right was a piece of deep fried tuna, which didn’t have a lot of flavour, and perhaps a seasoned batter would have helped.

(Top display) Aburi: blowtorched 7 pieces. This was another awesome dish. Pretty much all the blowtorched orders were amazing

Atlantic Salmon Oshizushi. The fish in this dish melted in our mouths EVEN MORE so than all of the others previously mentioned combined. The small sliver of jalopeno pepper on top also added a friendly kick to each piece of sushi

We ordered the coconut puff for dessert, and Ayaka asked if we were celebrating any special occasion. We casually mentioned that Joseph’s birthday was approaching in 2 weeks, and before we knew it she surprised us with a thoughtful (and edible) message attached. Happy birthday indeed, baby! 😀