Maru Japanese Bistro is one of the few restaurants I've left genuinely speechless. Every dish was amazing and I want to go back while typing this review. We started with the sake flights, which were a really fun way to try a few different options. Going into the meal, I thought the tacos would end up being the highlight of the night, but the pork belly completely stole the show. It was incredibly tender, melted in our mouths, and was easily one of the best bites I've had in a long time. We also ordered a beer and the matcha cocktail, and I can honestly say it was the best matcha cocktail I've ever had. It was rich, balanced, and actually tasted like matcha instead of being overly sweet. I'd go back specifically just to order it again. From start to finish, everything exceeded my expectations. read more

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Maru located along Queen St. E. near Greenwood avenue serves up delicious fresh sushi, great service and a relaxing vibe. I've been wanting to go to Maru for the longest time ever since foodie friends on Instagram raved about this place. The place is located a few steps downstairs where there are 3-4 steps to navigate. They also have a patio as well but I'm not sure if it's being utilized. The restaurant is open primarily for dinner but they also do have lunch from Fri to Sun. I stopped by Maru on a Friday afternoon to grab lunch. I arrived before 12pm and the restaurant wasn't busy (only one other table inside). Staff greeted me as I entered the restaurant and she pointed out the lunch specials which were on a blackboard. She also gave me a lunch menu as I sat down, letting me choose any seat in the restaurant. I ordered the chirashi don (daily selected assorted sashimi, sushi rice, miso soup, and salad) - $38. The soup and salad came out at first. The chirashi don was a reasonable size and had a lot of great offerings. My chirashi included 5 pieces of toro, 2 pieces of salmon, a scallop, uni, and several other white fish (one was similar to hamachi...but the staff indicated that currently this is what was in season in Japan). The sashimi was absolutely delicious and fresh - melt in your mouth goodness. The rice was coated with some mild sauce and seasoning. The chirashi don was plated beautifully. As I got to my last bites of the chirashi don I didn't want the experience to end. Service wise, the staff were super friendly. They are Japanese and they do try to make sure you are served well. Lunch wasn't busy but it was the perfect place for a solo lunch out in Leslieville. Overall, delicious fresh food made with care. Wished I lived closer to Maru because I'll be thinking of that chirashi don until the next time I can have it again! read more

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Very cute bistro. Small and cozy. We went for an end of week - we deserve a break - dinner. Some things on the menu are unique while others are just ok and not worth the money. 1) the pressed sushi was ok. Yummy and relatively good price 4/5 2) their drinks were ok. Not worth the money 3/5 3) their "tacos" - sorry, forgot what they were called, were the best. We had the spicy salmon 5/5, scallop 4/5 and crab 4/5. So crunchy, unique and delicious. 4.5/5 - if I came back. I would just eat these. Only slight issue is that they were filled with more rice than I would have wanted. An avocado slice would have been better. 4) service - horrendous. They're friendly but only if you flag them down. They will never come to you and check on you. We waited a while before we could get them to place another order of more food. Not sure if I would come back again, but if I did, you know what I will order! read more

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Such a cute Bistro with awesome staff and delicious food. Enough said. Apparently not enough cuz yelp needs a few more characters. -there read more

Maru Japanese Bistro - Chirashi don - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

A fancy Japanese restaurant my boss wants to have a team lunch here. so we went here during weekday. there is no lineup when we got here. i think the owner is actually japanese. The food is good. it is average priced, and the staff is friendly. however, the food is very "japanese" ( small portion and not much favours). i would come here for business dinner. read more

Maru Japanese Bistro - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Super cute quaint Japanese resto in Leslieville. The fish was pretty fresh and service was good. I tried their yuzu mocktail which was delicious. My standouts were the spinach salad (the sesame taste was so fresh) and the salmon pressed sushi. The chicken karaage portion was so big. It was 5 giant pieces! read more

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Adorable Japanese restaurant in leslieville across from the ttc street car yard. The restaurant was cute, small, cozy place. The service was meh. The staff seated us but didn't give us a menu until we asked for one. We didn't get order taken until we asked as well. It was busy when we went but I felt like the staff was just new perhaps. The food was great. I thought the canapé were absolutely delicious! Loved them. And the chirashi don was my absolute favorite. read more

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Such a cute cozy spot tucked away in leslieville. Came here 830pm on a wednesday night and had no issues getting a spot for 2. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Washroom was clean as well. Food wise pretty good for the price point! The duck croquettes i found that it was missing a sauce - the only item i would say you can pass. The taco sushis were good ! There is definitely a good chunk of rice in there to fill u up - i dont think the hamachi was a standout fish for a steeper price given i couldnt taste much of its original flavour. But still highly highly recommend the sushi tacos. The other dish we thoroughly enjoyed was the octopus- very meaty and tender and the char was well done! read more

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Visited for my birthday with 3 other friends. The location is not the greatest, but this place gave me a cozy, warm and welcoming vibe. The servers were nice, ensured we had no allergies and were understandable with some of my friends' picky dietary restrictions. Overall service was nice but it was slow. They often forgot some requests I had asked for, so I had to remind our server a couple of times until we were provided with what we needed. We ordered Salmon Nori Canapes and Bluefin tuna Nori Canapes. This was a good starter. Every ingredient in the canapes balanced really well with the dish's overall flavour. We all got the special sushi set with 3 pieces of torched press sushi and 10 pieces of chef's choice. There were a couple of them I did not enjoy and thought it could have been better. Yet, the quality of the fish and overall taste are amazing. For the price of the dish, it was worth it. I would re-visit and get the same dish. After our meal, our server asked all of us how we thought about the chef's choices as they took ongoing feedback to improve their choices, which I thought was extremely nice because I could share with the restaurant what I enjoyed and didn't! Maru was one of the Japanese bistros that were on my list and was happy I visited. I will definitely re-visit soon! read more

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I appreciate the location, ambiance and the attention to detail each dish has however I feel like for what I paid for $80 for 3 appetizers and a 3oz sake, it was hard to compare to other sushi places (AYCE or not) The tiger shrimps were big and juicy! It was just a bit hard to enjoy considering each shrimp was about $5. The salmon canapé was AMAZING and definitely recommend, we only ordered 3 because the pictures looked really big but I think they may have made the menu item smaller considering inflation prices as of late. We were craving for some more but it was too late to reconsider the quantity. Unfortunately, after an $80 bill I left still feeling pretty hungry. Would bump it down to a 3 but ambiance, music, and service was pretty good. But if you hold those values low and appreciate quantity and a bang for your buck, maybe this place isn't for you. read more

Maru Japanese Bistro - Tiger shrimp tempura and duck croquette - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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It's been a few months since my last review and I've been back several times. Would like to add that the service here has been consistently VERY slow. Slow enough that you'd think that they forgot to put in your order. Even for takeout- I called them at 5pm to ask for a 6pm pickup time and the food wasn't ready until 6:10pm. If you're going to come here to eat, expect delicious food but don't expect this to be a quick in and out experience. read more

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We ordered via UberEats. The food was somewhat unique and that's great but overall it was way too greasy a meal. To serve temperature shrimp with aïoli instead of something fresh, or spicy, or herbaceous is over the top oily. The shrimp themselves were good quality. I ended up taking all the tempura off because it was making me sick to my stomach and I didn't even have any of the aïoli. The scallop canopés were nice in that the scallop was fresh and amazing, but to cover it all up in cheap mayo and diced cucumber without even some onion, lemon, Yuzu -- something to balance the flavours of straight up mayo grease was unappetizing. Add to that the fact that the nori was battered and deep-fried in tempura was wayyyy too heavy on the grease profile again. Grease should not be a flavour -- sweet, salty, astringent, spicy and pungent should be. No reason at all the batter the Moro here: keep it fresh! Add some onion, take away the mayo or at least provide an option to not have it so you can taste the expensive fresh scallops. 20 to 30 years ago Japanese food used to be so clean and healthy and now with all the cream cheese, extra deep frying, aïoli, mayo, etc. it's not really a healthy choice anymore and that's sad. The avocado salad had three tiny cubes of avocado and four tiny slices of strawberry, so I suggest they change the name. In addition to that there was lettuce, and then some pickled ginger in the salad again making for a quite an unbalanced dish. The salmon maki was fine, but not exceptional. You have some quality ingredients please treat them with respect and not as if they're something from McDonald's. read more

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Great food and lovely ambiance. If you're considering a visit, plan for ample time as food takes a while if you order from bar menu...everything from there is hand made to order. you will not get your food order all at once. definitely plan on sharing your food as it may take a while to get the rest of your order. the portions are small/tapas style. perfect for couples. groups of 4 or more would be a challenge...again bec you typically will not be served all at once. if you're not used to waiting...this may not be the place for you. also, a bit pricey. I ordered two cocktails, a tiny bowl of miso soup, a bowl of glass noodles (both bowls were smaller in size of a typical miso soup bowl) and two pieces of sushi...total spend of about $90 I'd still go back. The food was great. read more

Small menu with no set lunch or dinner. Everything is a la carte! Definitely on the pricier price point, however their seafood is fresh! We ordered their spot prawn and scallop nigiri and a couple of rolls. Their scallops are from Japan and they were big in size and amazing in taste --probably the highlight of my meal. They also have a patio area with umbrellas and about 3/4 tables. I would highly recommend making a reservation because all the patio tables were reserved. They do not offer parking to their customers but you can pay for parking via queen street east. read more

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Pretty good Japanese restaurant that uses good quality ingredients. Service probably could be better, but the industry is facing a pretty bad shortage of workers.. there was this one gentleman that was very nice and running around the restaurant to make sure customers were helped, kudos to him. We ordered a variety of food, and you can expect to spend about $100 pp after tax/tip if if looking to be somewhat full with 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks. The salmon canapes were very good and pretty different from what you'd get at other Japanese joints. Tempura vegetables are a must order. They come out piping hot, fresh, crispy and perfectly battered. Chirashi don also another must order. You get a ton of fish for $45 and the rice is really well done. The nigiri I found the fish on the thin side... Ordered salmon and blue fin tuna nigiri and it was ok, but nothing amazing. Lastly, the Negi toro hosomaki (small Maki) was very good. A good amount of minced tuna belly. They did give us 4 pieces of complimentary deep fried rice cubes, which was a nice touch. Overall, good food and decent experience. Hopefully their service improves with time. Cheers. read more

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They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And with its recessed location, beautiful interiors, exquisite plating, and inviting patio, Maru seems like a winner. Unfortunately for me, this beholder's eye cares about none of that. It's my stomach and wallet that rule, and that's where Maru falls short for me. We dined in for dinner and got: - Uni Canape: The uni was from Boston, and it exquisitely creamy/buttery. Pop-in-your-mouth size at $10 for a piece, it was pricey. Justifiably so though. - Scallop Nori Canape: Nori was used like a 'taco'. The nori itself was crispy and a good backstop to the scallop. The scallop (and veggie-rice mix it was paired with) was on the too-bland side. Pricey at $14 for 2 itty-bitty pieces. - Hosomaki Combo: An assortment of 'sliced' rolls. The tamago was overwhelmingly sweet (which I liked but can see most people disliking it), unagi was bland, spicy tuna was overwhelming with spice and not enough tuna, and salmon was plump though a bit lumpy. Filling for $25 but was expecting better quality. - Toronto Roll: A signature roll, this one had grilled beef at its centre, with asparagus, mushrooms, and parsnip chips. Sounds delicious. Except the beef, while properly charcoal grilled, was a bit bland. The parsnip chips on top though saved the dish. That said, expected more for $25. Overall service seems slow but actually isn't when you check the time (maybe it's because they don't seem overly attentive?). As I mentioned earlier, the place is well designed and the patio is a definite hit in good weather. Unfortunately I'm all about the food and value, so this to me was a fancy-pants place without the substance. read more

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I now frequent this restaurant. It offers reliable, well prepared food that is much better than most Japanese restaurants It's on the higher end but not unreasonable at all! This is not a place for AYCE folks. In fact, I would go to any AYCE place I believe it's Japanese and family run. The staff are lovely read more

This is a cute little sushi place on Leslieville with a bit of French influence. The aesthetic of the restaurant is elegant and peaceful. I particularly enjoy the Chirashi don, the seafood tempura and the Uni Gunkan. They were all reasonably priced and fresh. The seafood tempura was really the star of the show in my opinion. It came with fried shrimp, salmon, fish roes wrapped in seaweed and some squid. The cut of salmon that was used in this tempura was so buttery and fatty, the flavour just coats your whole mouth! The fried fish roes wrapped in seaweed was very unique and tasty as well! The sushi rolls in my opinion was subpar, the quantity of the rolls were good given the price but the seaweed was not crispy and the fried shrimp on the inside of my dynamite roll was also cold and not crispy. I still highly recommended everyone try this place! read more

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If you're in the Leslieville area and looking for some Japanese food, MARU located near the intersection of Queen St East & Greenwood Ave is a spot to try. Offering a variety of sushi, rolls and sashimi, this Japanese bistro unifies Japanese cuisine with French cooking techniques. The nori canape is similar to a taco, with the shell being fried seaweed and stuffed with rice, avocado and either salmon or tuna. We tried both options and while it was tasty, the seaweed shell dominated the flavours. We also tried their Leslieville roll, which was fried soft shell crab, cream cheese with asparagus tonkatsu sauce and dijon mustard. The roll was average and it was on the salty side. The chopped scallop roll was also average, nothing out of the ordinary. Salmon Nori Canapé ($8.50) Tuna Nori Canapé ($9.50) Leslieville Roll ($21) Chopped Scallop Roll Sesame ($12) @MaruBistroToronto Price Range: $3 - $90 IG: #The_Yum_Report read more

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This is small, cute place for some sushi. The prices are reasonable and their lunch specials are great! We tried the karaage, a small salad, yam sushi and nori canapés, the canapés were the highlight! Everything was super fresh and well presented. The service was prompt. Definitely going back read more

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Dined in for dinner with my friend on Friday night. The restaurant was very cosy and was not too packed regardless of Friday night. We had Salmon canapé, Tune pressed sushi and miso eggplant. Salmon canapé came in a deep-fried seaweed with sushi rice topped with salmon and avocado. It was delicious! The seaweed was very light and crispy. Tuna pressed sushi came with shiso leaf and minced tune in the middle topped with a slice of tuna. Miso eggplant was simple but very flavorful. All the dishes were delicious. Service was fast and the servers were not the most pleasant . read more

Great service, ambience & food! This is a small Japanese French inspired restaurant located in Leslieville. They have both an indoor and outdoor space with ample street parking directly in front of restaurant either on the residential streets or right on Queen East. As there are limited seats I would make a reservation ahead of time and check for daily menu offerings as they usually have new items or specials. A must try is the nori canapés! read more

It's a cute neighbourhood spot if you're in the area. The food is tasty but not a Stand out. They're known for the crispy sushi hand roll tacos and the seaweed is delicious, the fish is good. The miso eggplant was yummy but the Toronto roll with beef was so so, not a good combo, the flavours didn't blend well. read more

Amazing sushi-- tuna belly is a must. Miso soup is big and smoky. Wonderful but not cheap. Definitely worth a splurge.

Nice little sushi spot, service was great and the workers were so warm and welcoming. The fish tasted very - you can tell everything is made/cut to order. Of the items we ordered, the standouts were the nigiri, Toronto roll, miso soup, and tempura. read more

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If you enjoy getting very little food for a whole lotta money, you'll love Maru. It's a fairly bleak little space, below grade, opposite the streetcar yard. We ordered the sashimi "set" which featured three kinds of fish, two slices each. All were excellent but over-priced by 100%. If I'd had four "sets" I'd still be hungry. Beware the "home-made dessert"! A 3" lemon tart with 3 raspberries. Very nice at $6 but a compete rip-off at $13. In short, if you're desperately trying to rid yourself of your excess money, this is a very good place to start. We spent $81 on two (ungenerous) appetisers and a tiny tart. And two glasses of tapwater. Not going back. Ever. read more

Absolutely delicious. So fresh and such a special place. Scallop pressed sushi and scallop canapés are outstanding. Can't wait to go back!

I have been there twice. Really live it. Service was good and the owner was friendly. read more

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This was one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever had. Please see below for a breakdown of my experience 1)called at 525pm for a basic order, I was told it would take about an hour (first red flag) 2) I followed up at 615pm to see if my order was ready because an hour for sushi seems a bit absurd. And was told that the order would be ready for now 640pm... 3) I showed up at 640pm to be told my order was still not ready and waited until 653pm until finally being given my order. 4) i left the restaurant With my order only to be called 5 minutes after I had left that they forgot a piece of the order. 5) i asked for a credit or for a discount which was not provided. I asked for a miso soup and was told it was boiling. 6) i will never go back to Maru nor would I ever recommend anyone eat there. The sushi is very average and I've had better miso soup at hole in the wall all you can eat places. do not waste your time or money on this supposedly premium sushi spot. read more

I had the most incredible "Duck Korokke" and "Chicken Karaage" I've ever had. The flavours and the textures were absolutely amazing. Thank you so much! read more

Really nice spot with super fresh sushi and unique dishes. We came here on a recommendation from a co-worker and were not disappointed! We asked the restaurant to pick our food for the evening and everything was amazing! It's easy to go straight for the sushi options but save room for miso eggplant! It was soooo good and a standout! Melt in your mouth and so unique. The owners were the sweetest and made great recommendations throughout our meal. Exactly the kind of small, family-owned business I love to support! Don't miss out on this spot, it's a Toronto gem! read more

Finally! Amazing Japanese food in Toronto! It ain't cheap but it's very high quality, fresh and delicious. I will definitely return.