I’ve passed by Toyo Sushi so many times last year and it always seemed to be closed. I was on Instagram the other month and I saw one of my followers going and I had to check it out for myself as it’s right in my neighbourhood.
Reservations
I would highly recommend getting reservations, not because it will be really full as this place is still under the radar. Some people have said their hours of operation is unreliable, so best to make reservations to ensure they are open on the day and time you’re planning to dine.
Bar Seating
The space is a decent size, but bar seating is best if you’re in a small group. Watching the chef prepare your meal is the best. The chef isn’t very chatty, but I always appreciate all the hard work of seeing the meal come to life.
Sashimi Omakase
The sashimi omakase starts at $70 and it is essentially a sashimi platter. We expected the chef to serve it piece by piece as we sat at the bar like at other sushi bars around town. We were the only people at the restaurant, so we watched him make the whole platter and then present it to us.
When we went there, our sashimi omakase had 7 different sashimi and 14 pieces in total. The chef didn’t explain what sashimi was on the plate, but the server told us quickly. I tried my best to remember the names, but some of them looked very similar, so sorry if I accidentally misnamed any.
The sashimi omakase was a great way to try the freshest cuts of sashimi decided by the chef. My favourites were the blue fin otoro and scallop.
Sushi Omakase
The sushi omakase has 10 pieces of nigiri on a platter and it starts at $60. It was similar types of fish in the sashimi omakase. At first it does seem steep of a price, but the quality is there. The negitoro, ikura, otoro, and scallop were outstanding. The other types of fish were good, but it wasn’t my personal favourite.
Unagi Nigiri
We ordered these both after the omakase because my husband judges a Japanese restaurant based on how they make unagi nigiri. This was really good! Very soft, tender, and packed full of flavour. Highly recommended.
Tamago Nigiri
Another item that my husband judges is the tamago. The side of tamago was thick and had a good balance of sweet and savoury to it. Highly recommended as well.
Kushi Katsu
These are deep fried and battered skewers. There is scallop and prawn in one skewer, chicken on another and then salmon on another. It comes with a dipping sauce too. These were decent. Since the meal we had was very clean and not too oily, this was the only fried dish we got beside the fried fish from the sashimi omakase.
Final Thoughts
The quality is definitely the best in Burnaby. It’s a great little hidden gem in The Heights, but it isn’t cheap. You are really paying for the quality. My husband and I spent just under $200 after tax and tip here. We had to try the omakase, so that why it’s pretty steep. Next time, we will probably skip the omakase and go with our tried and true favourite items.
Address:
3978 Hastings St, Burnaby, BC
Website:
https://www.toyosushi.ca
