JaBistro

JaBistro is practically invisible to passersby cha-cha-ing down Richmond Street, with only a cute whale image indicating its presence. When it was the first in town to nail aburi-style sushi in 2012, the basement venue had a lot of sushi fans talking. Chefs flame roast the fish on nigiri with a blowtorch, adding that umami—the sixth taste—flavour to the pieces. After a few years, the place is still packed with people looking for a good time after work. When the weather warms up, diners may head to the spacious rooftop patio, which is decked out in wood and lit by twinkling lights.

The restaurant serves high-end sushi at a more moderate price point, acting as a bridge between an expensive omakase meal and all-you-can-eat. The JaBistroll is a signature meal that combines salmon, snow crab, uni, and tobiko in delicious packaging. The outcome of vinegared rice is packed into a wooden mold and topped with fish is oshizushi, which emerges with a roof of cured mackerel. The kyukyoku set is the younger sister of omakase, with the chef bringing over his freshest fish over the counter. The final oh-so-buttery o-toro (fatty tuna belly) bite is the dreamiest of the trio of increasingly fatty tuna nigiri.

Address: 222 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1V6, Canada
Website: https://www.jabistro.com/