With a name like that and being just off Yonge Street it had disappointment written all over it. Once I stepped in, however, I had a better feeling: Small – holding maybe 25 people tops – and not grubby at all, with staff in traditional dress.

We opted for the sushi pizza, a sushi appetizer and a few rolls. The rolls selected were spicy tuna, unagi with avocado, and one of the specialty rolls (The Wow! Sushi roll, I believe, but that was later changed to another of the specialty rolls after the chef informed us that our first choice was very similar to another roll we ordered).

I pretty much always don’t touch the soup at sushi places, but this one I did indeed partake in. I was pleasantly surprised. I think it was the presentation that won me over. Had to try it. Yes, the fact that it was complimentary was nice.

Every item brought to our table throughout the night was explained to us in detail, complete with a bow and a ‘thank you’. I instantly got the feeling that they really did care that we were there and they were almost honoured that people were eating at their establishment. This was unprecedented among all of our sushi reviews. I’ve never experienced that. Frankly, I was blown away. It showed not only that they really cared about the food, but they also really cared about their customers.

The sushi appetizer was some of the best sushi I’ve ever had. I started to regret not ordering more of it.

Ah right “Japango” — I forgot the name. I wasn’t overly thrilled with the Japango to be honest. Not horrible, but I wasn’t raving either. The Spicy Tuna was decent but I though the spice was too overbearing on the taste (have had better). The Unagi roll was nice – no complaints on that one.

Yes, the sushi pizza was fairly on par with others we have had. The differing presentation was a nice touch though. I’m surprised we’ve never seen it served that way before.

… An extra 0.5! Yeah, the complimentary dessert was nice. I believe you mentioned at the table that the table next to us also got complimentary dessert but something different. I guess you could say that’s yet another personal touch. I didn’t really care for the fig tempura but that’s fine.
There was discussion via another table about a case on the wall where they keep the chop sticks of “regulars”. That’s wild! Not sure how “regular” you have to be but yet another way ‘Wow! Sushi’ are differentiating themselves.

Wooooooooow… Agreed on most points. The service was the finest we’ve ever experienced (although I wasn’t a fan of having to ask for the bill after a decent wait): The passion for the food was second to none – explaining every dish in detail when presenting it to the table; expressing gratitude to the customer in the delivery of every dish and when order taking… The nigiri appetizer was fantastic. I didn’t find the maki over and above other places, however. That is my one negative – they could have been better. Despite that, ‘Wow! Sushi’ should be on everyone’s list: 8.5/10.

Ah, yes… Walter said in a note to us “I’d be curious to hear your thoughts” about Ginza. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. Either way we took the plunge. And, hey, it’s Yorkville so can it be that bad? Meet up time was on a Tuesday at 5:30. I was late due to the whole TTC ticket-replacing-tokens fiasco. Ok, I should have planned better. Anyway, the place was actually pretty much empty. Nice restaurant, actually, but I think we were only one of two (maybe three) tables of people.

I’m guessing that’s not a good sign. Anyway, let’s get down to the grub. We decided to go all rolls plus the sushi pizza. First up, for the rolls, was the ‘signature’ Ginza Roll (soft shell crab, tempura shrimps, BBQ eel, tobiko, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, green onions and mayo).

Agreed on the Ginza roll – nothing special. I was expecting to much better based on the presentation. Ditto for the other two signature rolls. The Moscow Roll ($10) was almost impossible to eat without making a mess. When I eat sushi I want a comfortable eating experience to really enjoy it. If I have to take two bites to get through a piece or have it spilling all over my plate it really ruins it for me. The Moscow wasn’t amazing, that’s for sure. Why did it remind me of onion rings? I put it at average at best. The Black Pearl ($15) didn’t do anything for me either. I’m not sure if I was having an ‘off’ night or what but none of these rolls really did anything for me. The Spicy Tuna rolls were the final roll we ordered. They were average as well. My pint of Sapporo was good though!

The Salmon Sushi Pizza ($8) was decent – and was the tastiest thing we ate. Afterward our waitress asked if we wanted ice cream. Not knowing whether that was extra or not we went for it anyway. I went Mango and you went Green Tea.

Hehe… annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, free ice cream! No extra charge for the ice cream, which was nice (but, I may add, seems to be standard at many sushi places). We also had a special guest as part of the Sushi Toronto team this time around. Our guest decided to take advantage of the 2 for 1 martinis! I don’t recall which ones but the review was ‘yum’ (paraphrased) I believe.

Agreed. The restaurant environment was great. Clean and modern with good, friendly service. All was good except for the actual food. Too bad, really. I suppose we made it a bit difficult in choosing mostly all ‘signature’ rolls, but, really, your ‘signature’ rolls should be your best stuff. They looked good but dropped the ball on the taste factor and the fact that they’re difficult to eat ‘properly’. I can’t believe I’m going to join you on this one, again, but I can’t justify a rating of 7: I give Ginza Sushi in Yorkville a 6.5/10.

Sush Inn has an upstairs and downstairs, both accessible from outside so you get to choose (woo-hoo!). The confusion led me to choose the downstairs for whatever reason. Once I walked in, I was greeted right away and offered what I call the ‘VIP Section’… Ok, it was one of the two tables that sits elevated from the rest of the seating, and is along the windows looking out to Cumberland. Works for me.

I chose from a decent selection of beer, which was poured into a glass by our server. You went with tea. As for the good (ok, better) stuff, we started off with the sushi pizza (it’s now mandatory when we go for sushi!). I can’t complain – it was quite good. Next up was the spicy tuna maki…

To be honest, except for once, I rarely remember the difference when it comes to sushi pizza! Soooo, the spicy tuna (with sauce on top), I thought, was great; we had the Dragon Roll which was good as well; and then a roll with crab. BBQ eel was another one. It was all tasty goodness!

Yep… All around I give Sushi Inn high marks. Good food, great service, all in a decent setting. What’s with the gummy candy they give you with the bill, though? I’m giving Sushi Inn 9 shopping bags out of 10.