Authentic Japanese taste, reasonable prices, and lots of variety. Truly feels like Japan -- I'll definitely buy again. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Sashimi platter - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

The Noms: Uni $68 Chu Toro Sashimi $38.25 Salmon Sashimi $24 Nothing hits quite like good-quality seafood. We were craving some sashimi and uni and knew that this was the spot to hit up. You can order party platters here too, but I decided to just buy the fish and prep it at home. The staff also provided a bag of ice to keep everything chilled, which was so clutch. There was no fishy smell from the salmon and Chu-toro. Each bite was fatty, had great chew, and was such a satisfying bite each time. I made some sushi rice myself to make gunkan maki with the uni and it was the highlight bite of each round. Considering just one uni gunkan maki is ~$20 for one, we definitely got our money's worth having it freshly assembled at the table. Honestly one of the best meals the husband and I have shared in a minute! read more

J-Town By The Sea - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Sushi is fresh Service is fast It's more like a food court style Good for quick bite read more

J-Town By The Sea - Deluxe Sushi $19.80 - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Got a lunch and since i was having it there they helped me warm up in a bowl. Staff were very nice and friendly. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Chirashi bowl - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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J-Town is an interconnected complex of Japanese restaurants, markets and stationery stores like Bakery Nakamura, Famu, Tora Sushi and By the sea with a decent amount of free parking. By the Sea have freezers of frozen foods, fresh Japanese herbs & leaves, yuzu, along with a variety of drinks, sauces, preserved goods and onigiri. They also have a multitude of culinary supplies to create a perfect Japanese meal, including knives, kitchenware, cutlery, and cooking supplies. That being said, Bakery Nakamura (connected) sell the same drinks for slightly cheaper & Hesei mart (across) have cheaper onigiris too. By the Sea onigiris being $3.85 have had its price steadily raising over the years but quality and experience is subpar. It is bigger than Hesei but only because they use more rice; both have a small amount of filling. Comparably, they both have difficult to pull apart the wrapping for the onigiri due to the packaging they use and perhaps how sticky the rice it. The times I've had it (3+) was a failure in having a complete rice ball stay as one whole. I've also noticed the amount of sashimi in their dons being inconsistent through the times I've visited and bought their dons. I've tried their Chirashi and Hokkaido Dons. Generally, their dons are on the smaller side. They come with a slab of wasabi, ginger, a container of soy sauce already inside the bowl and sticky rice layered with a modest topping of sashimi. The Hokkado Don comes with salmon, uni, ikura and tamago. The salmon was good; unfortunately, only came with 3 pieces. Uni was good; one piece and was on a piece of shiso leaf. Tamago; one pieces. Ikura; a teaspoon full. As I took a bite of the ikura, I was awaiting a burst of rich and savory flavors I've had before but instead, it was a soft shell with a light "pop", light salt, sticky and not juicy. Price used to be $13~$15 in 2019-2021 and now it's $17~$19 for Chirashi/Hokkaido Dons/Sushi Sets. As there are now higher price points for smaller portions and less selection, there is also less of a drive for me to return. On a positive note, they have very nice and polite workers which helps it become a 3 star rather than a 2 star from me. Note: Closed on Mondays & they give you ice if requested. read more

In the heart of J-Town, J-Town by the Sea has amazing fresh fish! Perfect for a family meal or even platters for big parties! Such nice cuts and really tasty. Highly recommend! read more

J-Town By The Sea - Sashimi platter! - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

We returned again ... thinking that the last visit was a one-off disappointing experience. The proprietors need to either change their business model or step up their game in the new normal we are living in. Sushi and sashimi aficionados will pay IF IT IS WORTH IT. Too bad. This place was ok for many years. read more

This sushi and shashimi shop has more to offer than just food, as it is also a grocery store (you can buy actual wasabi) and houseware store. I was looking for a quick light lunch and picked up one of their prepared sushi boxes for around $15 after tax. It came with 8 pieces of shushi, some ginger and wasabi. The quality of the fish is obviously good, with the raw shrimp and the octopus being my favorite. Only complaint is that the rice was a little too wet in some places. Overall okay. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Sushi set - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I love Japanese food and we are honestly so lucky to have so many authentic options in the GTA. I enjoy heading over to J-Town to pick up Japanese snacks, condiments, etc. and from time to time will grab food from J-Town By The Sea as well. Their menu has changed slightly over the years but when I come I usually get the rice bowl with salmon, ikura, and uni! Portion is definitely on the smaller side though so I find it's best for a lunch meal. If you are feeling extra hungry one bowl isn't going to be enough for you. Recently I was craving uni so I decided to pick up one of their uni trays - depending on the season they have uni from Vancouver, Boston, and Japan. I went for the Japan one ($$$) from Hokkaido. It was definitely a splurge and I likely wouldn't get it again just because I can't justify the cost but I very much enjoyed eating it at home with seaweed and rice. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Takoyaki (octopus balls) and the salmon fried rice ($4.80) from the hot meals section are quite delicious. They went by fast so if you wanna get them, go there early. They do have a good variety of Sushi and Don (see my photos). However, while the fish in the the Hokkaido don ($13.80) we ordered seemed fresh, the rice was not. Some of the rice was hard and tasted as if it was leftover from yesterday (or it was actually made the same day but they have really poor quality control or they simply don't know how to make Japanese rice properly). Paid that amount for a sub-par quality Japanese food is what earned them 1 star. All the eateries at J-Town are usually of high quality. This place used to be really good. But the quality of food seemed to have gone way downhill. Not sure if it's the case but some said they have changed owners. read more

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I had a Sapporo Don lunch special ($13.8) - it came with a small snow crab leg, Extra crab meat, uni, fish roe. A soup and salad were included in the combo. The quality and freshness of the seafood was just okay; the snow crab meat was frozen, I believed, and made the rice very watery. The service was friendly and meal came quickly. I may come back for other lunch combo but not the Sapporo Don. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Delicious chirashi bowl from J-Town by the sea! The seafood is super fresh and piled up high on the rice. It even has Uni on top!⁣ The portion isn't super big, but the price is only ~$17. It's located inside J-town, a shopping mall with multiple small shops that sells all sorts of Japanese goodies. ⁣ read more

J-Town By The Sea - Chirashi Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Let's be honest. We live in Toronto. We are not near any ocean. We are in close proximity to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie (238 km). Our marine life is comprised of yellow perch, smelt, lake trout, bass and white fish. With this knowledge at hand, I have realistic expectations on sashimi available in Toronto. Seafood traveled a long way to arrive at our lovely city. I have always been a fan of J-Town By the Sea for as long as I remember. We often come by to pick up sashimi for key milestones: birthdays, graduations and career changes. The owner is always very kind. The seafood at J-Town By the Sea never disappoints; blue fin tuna toro, hamachi, sweet shrimp, uni, sockeye salmon, mockfish liver, sword fish, to name a few. You can find a good variety of Sashimi. Prices varies by weight. Ice is offered for Sashimi takeout. On a day I when want to treat myself, I will come by for chirashi don ($13.80) or an 8 piece sushi set ($13.80). Although the rice tastes like it has been refrigerated (which it has been), it is an ocean party in your mouth! Pro tip: Free mochi, If you post a picture of them on Instagram. read more

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Full disclosure, I only tried the prepared food here, and I didn't buy any raw seafood from them. Put simply, the bowl came out piping hot, with abundant beautiful pieces of cod lining the bowl. The flavor was just right - that savory and sweet combination that you find at Japanese places. Not too overwhelming and not too understated. The sushi rice was nice and fluffy, absorbing some of the sauce and flavor. I was also pleasantly surprised that it came with miso soup and a side of small pickled salad. The takoyaki wasn't that good, though. Although it was supposed to be made to order, it came out lukewarm, and I didn't feel like the dough enveloping the octopus was up to snuff. There's a utensil and water station on the side, which I found very helpful and practical. Overall, would try lunch here again. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Cod don - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

We came here for lunch as we wanted to pick up some yummy Japanese snacks since we are at J-Town. My girlfriend suggested that we come here to grab lunch as I have never had lunch here before. The decor of this place is along the lines of no thrill design: basic and functional. However we didn't come here to "eat" the decor and we wanted some fresh fish. I was looking at the menu and we decided to get the cod katsu-don. This came out not long after and I can smell the yummy aroma of the dish. We shared the fish and this was very fresh. I can taste the fish still even though there was batter on it. And the rice was just moist enough with the soya sauce. Price isn't bad too, cause for the price I paid is pretty decent for the quality and quantity of the food we got. We will come back to try other stuff. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Lunch #2 with cod (wild caught) katsu-don. Very fresh fish. - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

A place I have always been dreaming of! J-Town By The Sea will probably be my to go place for anything Japanese and fresh from the sea! This place is just like a mini fish market in Japan! Lunch Special with a choice of 7 items till 2pm if you want a taste of well prepared cooked seafood or Sashimi. Kaisen Don ($10.80) was so so good. Nothing fancy but have this homey feel or something prepared with care! A mixture of cooked and raw seafood of what is fresh and available. There are also uni, eel and even exotic fish from Japan. Fresh or frozen seafood....Sashimi heaven! There is an small eat in area and you can eat from real bowl! I will be back! A grilled whole sea bream! read more

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Urgh. Asked for 15 pieces of salmon sashimi (while pointing to a slab of salmon in the display case), which they somehow misheard as salmon sushi. Waited for 15 minutes before they presented me with the sushi, which I then clarified was not what I ordered. Waited another 10 minutes while they looked confused, then pointed to the same slab of salmon I had been gesturing to and asked if I wanted it to be sliced. Oh, and waited 5 minutes after asking for ginger...and explaining what ginger is. By the way, this is what $20 worth of salmon sashimi looks like. It better be the best tasting sashimi I've ever had. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Salmon Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I love this Japanese supermarket/restaurant complex. They have everything from sushi, wagyu steaks, bakery, desserts, groceries, you name it. The food is amazing and fresh and the price is fair for what you get. I wish they stayed open a little later because 6:00pm is hard for people that finish work at 5:00pm and can't get there time because of traffic. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Sashimi Menu - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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My first time having uni that wasn't from a restaurant! I actually saw a sponsored ad on Instagram a tray of Boston uni for approx $35 (so cheap) and thought why can't we eat yummy during quarantine! It tasted delicious in homemade uni hand rolls and uni chirashi bowls! I'm not sure how fresh it was since on some there was this clear/white substance which might be naturally occurring and normal, but taste wise it was deelish! read more

J-Town By The Sea - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I was a bit disappointed with the appearance as the demo showed the crabshell but there was only a crab leg when the lunch set delivered to me. Nevertheless, the lunch set came with a bowl of soup and small dish of salad and a plate of rice with seafood. The soup tastes a bit concentrated, i.e. it's a bit slightly salty to my taste. The salad tastes a bit fishy too. For the plate of rice, there were different kinds of seafood on top of the white rice. The uni, the sea urchins, did taste fresh and delicious although they were small. There were also fish roes and crabmeat with its paste and two slices of eggs on top of the rice. The plate of rice did taste a bit dry, perhaps, other than sea urchins, the eggs, the fish roes and crabmeat are dry. I will try something else at this place next time. After all, it's not very bad. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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It was a nice little food court spot. It wasn't the best seafood in my honest opinion but it wasn't terrible. I got a seafood bowl with rice, uni, crab to name a few. It also came with a miso soup which tasted nice! Its a small little food court with self serve water dispenser. The plate itself was 13 dollars. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I absolutely love coming to J-Town. They have the best priced sushi and anything Japanese. I came here for lunch with a friend and got the Sapporo Don. Can't say I'm a fan of the uni, but everything else was delicious. The lunch came with a small portion of potato salad, two small pieces of mochi, and miso soup. Price is a tad bit on the expensive end.... But then again, you're getting uni and crab so it's more or less worth it. Definitely going to come back again and try what else they offer for lunch! read more

J-Town By The Sea - Sapporo Don - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Can't seem to stay away from this place! I've been frequenting Jtown almost once a week for the past month or two because I can't get enough of their sushi/sashimi. Their fish is consistently fresh and I can't get enough of their "Special Sushi" (four small pieces of nigiri sushi usually made with premium ingredients such as uni, roe, or toro) that they only come out with on the weekends. For uni lovers, their East meets West Uni sushi ($16.80) is a contrast of two different types of uni - Boston on one side and Vancouver on the other side of the nigiri. Another favorite is the the Sushi Supreme ($13.80) with a mix of toro, ikura, uni and tobiko. But my absolute favorite so far is the uni-roe ($13.80) because the combination of those two flavors is mind blowing. If eating in, I would recommend getting one of their 10 set meals which comes with a side of soup and veggies and is available throughout the week. You order at the counter and when the meal is ready, the girls will call out the number on written on the receipt and bring the bring the food out to you. I personally would recommend the Hokkaido don ($12.80) with fresh salmon, uni, ikura and tamago on a bed of sesame rice. The Otaru Kaisen Don ($14.80) is good too but is missing the game changing uni. Aesthetically, place is very humble and it looks more like a cafeteria. But the food is good, the place is clean and the people there are very nice and helpful... And that's what really matters. I left my phone there once and the girls kept it safe until I returned. On days that I don't have much time, I love that I can pop in here to pick up all the fresh ingredients I need to make my own Japanese meals at home. One of the things I miss most about Hokkaido Japan is their amazing kaisendon filled with ikura and uni. But at Jtown, I can get my own little taste of Japan by picking up one of their uni platters ($30.80) and pair it off with some roe, some sushi rice and voila - the ultimate kaisendon. read more

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I stopped by J-Town to grab dinner just before 6pm on a Friday night and there was nothing left except the case of Boston uni and a spicy tuna roll. Grabbed them from the fridge and ordered the Hokkaido Don combo to go. The set combos are made fresh and ready in about 5-7 mins. *4 stars* goes to the Hokkaido Don, which was actually quite impressive. Generous toppings of Uni, ikura and salmon. The v rice was soft and warm! The Boston uni was fresh has a sweeter after taste compared to the Vancouver uni. However, the spicy tuna roll was nothing to write home about. I love going to this place whenever I'm the only one craving for raw fish. No fuss! read more

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I have always walked the markets of j-town but never tried having the food there. Today was a good time to try lunch since I wasn't in a rush, they have a list of lunch specials and a sample of how they look like. They all look so good!! I picked the hokkaido Don (12.80) whereas my boyfriend picked the unagi Don (11.80). We ate at the small sitting area next to the cashier, and they brought the food to us. The service is very nice and friendly. Both bowls were presented very nicely with a piece of fried okra, and a couple of Ontario grow muscat grapes!!! And a bowl of miso soup. The uni, ikura, and salmon was very fresh. Uni was nice and creamy and went very well with the rice. The unagi Don had many pieces along with some ikura, and cucumbers. The mix of unagi and rice had this perfect sweetness, and the price was so reasonable for such fresh quality ingredients!! Will definitely come back to try other lunch specials!! read more

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Got the 8 piece sushi set and 3 onigiri (yellowtail, mackerel, and tuna). The onigiris were really average. One of my onigiris fell apart because the rice was too dry. If you want a better quality onigiri, just step to the grocery store next door and grab one. The sushi set was average too. I expected the fish quality to be consistent throughout since this was a fish market first. In my opinion, only the fish roe/sea urchin roll was on point. The other rolls did not taste that fresh and again, the rice was not great. My recommendation? Go to Taro's Fish instead. read more

J-Town By The Sea - 8 piece set - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I was having a craving for some sashimi so I decided to come try here. Initially I wanted to try taro's fish but they are closed for 3 weeks. J town by the sea was not disappointing at all and not super expensive. This was my first time picking out the seafood and having the staff cut and assemble for me. The fish was super fresh and tasty. You can also order premade party trays, chirashi don, rolls or just pick and choose what you want and they make it on the spot for you within 20min depending on how busy they are. I would recommend this to all my fellow sushi and sashimi lover to try at least once. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Will definitely come back for more Sashimi and Hokkaido Don = ^ 0 ^ = The taste of Dine- in order is excellent, but just like any authentic Japanese cuisine, the portion is more delicate and petite (compared to North American food). But yes! this is definitely the place when you want to pamper yourself with a variety of sashimi, especially Uni (Sea Urchin) and fresh fish. They also see frozen ika (squid) and different kinds of pre-cut sashimi. The pre-packaged sushi could be in the fridge for few hours...but the chef of the handcraft Nigirizushi (hand- pressed sushi) is quite professional. It's still good, but I might have too much expectation after watching some authentic sushi making YouTubes....XD Just wish I could try some that are made-to- order next time. The fried food is okay...they don't have the special soy-sauce for Tempura =( read more

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It was pretty decent, but not sure that I'd return. Ordered the Hokkaido Don. It did taste good, but I was still quite hungry after. I know that Japanese food is generally smaller quantity, but I expected a little more for the price given how casual this place is. Also tried some of my wife's curry. It was okay, but I've had better elsewhere. read more

Had the unagi don today. While I have to say that the rice and the various accompaniments were fresh, and they hadn't been sitting there for very long (the unagi don was pre-packaged, and when I got it, the rice was still just barely warm), I can't give it any more stars because it just doesn't wow me in terms of price to portion and quality. It costed $8.99, and it was large enough for a light lunch or good sized snack. There's a part of me that wants to say that there wasn't enough unagi in my bowl to call it a unagi don. There was one piece of unagi in my bowl, and it was about the size of a half-full individual pack of Kleenex (the kind you carry in your bag). The rest of the toppings (of which there were plenty) were some broccoli, cucumber, carrot, and tomato slices, a cube of pumpkin (this was incredibly sweet and delicious), what tasted like some shredded radish and tofu pocket stewed in bonito (smoked fish) and soy sauce, and a bit of wakame (seaweed) salad. The rice was quite good. The unagi was fatty and tender and delicious. I really do wish there was more of it. This unagi don was alright, but I've had better elsewhere (I miss you, Sakana-ya). read more

J-Town By The Sea - Unagi don - $8.80 - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Very tasty and fresh. A real secret for those looking for some great sashimi. Unlike many of the places that serve fish in Markham. Give it a try and you won't be disappointed. read more

This review is only for the cooked foods. I love it here! Prices are reasonable i.e. less than $15 for lunch and the fish is soooo fresh. Note that the options are simple and not the westernized type, so no spicy salmon lover rolls here. Great for a healthy meal with soup and some cute side dishes. Similar to diners in Japan. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

This is a decent place for sushi and sashimi, for lunch eat-in and take out, but something is missing. The quality of fish is pretty good, but the old Taro's Fish (from over 10 years ago, is now located near Leslie and Sheppard) is definitely much better. Taro's quality is better, the price is cheaper, and the service is better. As you might be aware, you can get a slice of fish at Taro's, and they slice it up into sashimi for you for free. At J-town By the Sea, I asked if they could slice up the fish for me, and they said no. I'm not sure how you can justify a higher price than Taro's and have less quality and service. Some of their premade sushi takeout "bento" in plastic containers are pretty generic. From what I remember, the amaebi are some of the smallest ones I've seen (the ones you'd see at ayce places, if they have them). I don't think I've seen the huge Botan Ebi here ever. I'll give them credit that they do have a variety of food there, from the frozen food to the made to order lunch "dons". Also, they do have sea urchin and Toro slices there that you can buy, if you feel like paying more and not having it sliced into sashimi. But in general, I'd recommend that you drive to Taro's instead for better sushi and sashimi. Quality: 7.25/10. Service: 7/10. Value: 7.5/10. Overall 7/10 (Not an average). read more

So we have the whole J Town complex in general and individual places on Yelp... I didn't end up having lunch here, but I purchased some of the food products available in the fridges. There is a large amount of variety available, especially considering the small size of this place. They also have a sushi/sashimi selection on the other side of the store, and the selection looked very impressive (bluefin tuna, toro, etc). There is also a large seating area that's mainly for people who ordered lunch or just want some free cold water available, but I've also seen people coming from Tora Sushi to sit here, because it gets...kinda lonely in that sushi place. As for the taste of what I bought? Well, I don't know yet; haven't eaten them yet. I'm quite confident it'll be tasty though! If not, I'll update this review accordingly. Next time I'll definitely try the lunch specials. No question about it. read more

This is only a review on takeout orders from J-Town by the Sea. So far I have tried their Dynamite roll with salad, Unagi Bara Chirashi, Pork katsu don and sashimi & sushi platter. Their dynamite rolls are ok - falls apart quite easily, HUGE pieces, and tastes decent. The unagi bara chirashi is delicious and I pretty much get that most of the time. Sashimi & sushi platter is good because their sashimi tastes fresh! Pork katsu don is way too salty for my taste. The lunch sets usually comes with mochi, but now sometimes it comes with small containers of octopus salad or eggplant instead of the dessert. The salads are good but I want the mochi balls back!!! The tiramisu mochi is pure love!!! All in all, I recommend this place for its sashimi and chirashi dons!! Their cooked food are just OK. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Unagi bara chirashi. I love it!! - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Came here for a Sunday lunch. Tried the crab and uni on rice, and the cod on rice. Forgot what their official names were. The food is too salty, and the portion is really small. The flavor is just okay. Quality of food is not what I would expect from a Japanese restaurant. But I suspect this place is run by Chinese though. Probably their specialty is their sushi and sashimi, not the hot dishes. Quite disappointed. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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I got the Hokkaido don ~ いただきます！！The fresh uni, ikura and sashimi with the rice... It's like eating a big ass bowl of sushi goodness! The fresh seafood here never disappoints! J-Town always has delicious meals, fresh seafood, and amazing service. Not to mention the presentation is always on point! read more

J-Town By The Sea - {Hokkaido don} いただきます！ - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

For lunch this is not a bad place if you want some acceptable and affordable seafood in Japanese style. Service is casual, expect a casual lunch. As for buying take out, the quality seems to have decreased when it changed hands to some other owner a couple years ago. I stopped buying sushi from then since. I might update the review after I try their sushi again. read more

J-Town By The Sea - Tuna don - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Came here after work, it wasn't busy unlike how it usually is packed at lunch time. I ordered #7 on the menu - salmon chunks, avocado and roe. Everything was fresh, and portion was great for a dinner. Really enjoyed the experience and would come back again. read more

J-Town By The Sea - #7 on the menu - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

This is by far one of my favorite places to eat. A hidden little gem inside j town with different daily specials. The portions are very generous for its price and the quality is amazing! I love how all the food is authentic and prepared with care. The soup that comes with the dishes are so homey and delish! There's also a few freezers where you can pick up some seafood for a very reasonable price. There's also small quantity goods such as premium soy sauce, green tea, sake, sushi, etc. read more

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