As someone who's traveled all over seeking omakase's, I was thoroughly impressed with sushi Umi…read moreespecially given the price (omakase + premium sake pairing + tip) of $210 cad, the flounder fin, toro and tamago were the stand outs, but each bite was seasoned appropriately and quality fresh. The chefs aren't very social but the waitstaff were great, attentive and friendly, not once letting my water run low. One protest is that there's no glass option for sake, only a tasting or half bottle and up. Another thing to note is the entrance of the restaurant is facing the freeway, as opposed to the shopping center, might make it a little bit difficult to spot (as it did for me lol).

Sushi Umi in Markham offers a solid omakase experience that's well worth a visit if you're in the…read morearea. The fish arrives fresh, with nigiri and courses that deliver reliable quality and nice seasonal touches without overreaching. Service is friendly and smooth, keeping things comfortable, and the pricing sits comfortably alongside other local spots, making it a practical choice for good sushi nights. Reliable pick for fans of the format.

A great omakase experience that doesn't break the bank. Learned that omakase uses warm rice under…read morethe fish, this changes the sushi experience! The rice was a nice texture with great flavor, a perfect vessel for the fresh fish place atop. Each piece of sushi was nicely presented and really good. It is a 14 course experience that includes a tasty steamed egg, miso soup, and dessert. The fish was fresh, juicy, and tender. The chef was great and gave us an entertaining experience, teaching us about the omakase difference. He took the time to craft each course and it showed in the presentation. The restaurant has a cool Toronto-based vibe accentuated by a mural with various Toronto reference. It's located in Yorkville without the yorkville price.

Pretty nice and affordable omakase experience at MSSM Yorkville! For $98, you get 14 different…read moredishes. We came before 6pm on a weekday and the restaurant was already almost half full! Luckily we got seated before our reserved time slot. Our chef was super chill and relaxing compared to the rest lol Everything was prepared infront of us, so we knew exactly what to expect next. Everything was fresh and perfectly handed to us. We were advised to use our hand to eat all nigiri, so we didn't use the chopsticks unless for the cold/hot dishes. The funny part was they would yell and next thing, someone would be running out with the hot rice. We ordered an extra order of the uni "kiss", but didn't expect it to be placed on our hand. I would have appreciated it if I was told before hand so I could at least "clean" it first. The only item I didn't really enjoy was the shiso leaf "ice cream", which was shaved ice. It was so cold I could barely eat it. The shiso leaf was pretty overwhelming and it was a bit difficult to scoop the ice. Service was great though!

Reserved the Tempura Omakase earlier this month and it was a stand-out experience. The interior is…read moreJapanese minimalistic. There was only one other party there for the sushi omakase, and as the only group participating in the tempura one (in a separate area/counter from the sushi), they remarked that it was essentially a private party! The chef was animated throughout and explained all the ingredients of our meal in detail, from where each originated from (all fish and even the garnishes came imported from different areas in Japan), while making jokes and engaging with us. We started off with the Kuruma Ebi, a giant prawn with a fried crunchy spider made of the prawn head. We had a dish of three flavoured salts and the chef would recommend what to dip each piece into. Next was the wagyu wrapped in a shiso leaf, which was one of the top three courses for me. The wagyu was cut into pieces and was so juicy it melted in your melt. Paired with the matcha salt, I didn't want it to end. Then we had a fried whole fish dipped in mushroom salt. The hokkaido scallop was served with yuzu zest on top, which really elevated the sweetness and freshness of the seafood. Then we had my favourite of the night - a mountain of uni topping a shiso leaf! He kept adding more to it and instructed us to eat it in one bite - the most decadent and heavenly thing ever! The vegetable tempura dishes were also very good, with the stand-out being the mushroom with its concentrated aroma in such a small bite (Chef Saito mentioned it costs $90+ per lb). The abalone was also good and served on the shell. Finally, we had the fried mini crab (like a crunchy chip), and sakura shrimp chasuke in a fish bone broth (so much umami and felt like a warm hug). Throughout the meal, the waitress would refill my tea and collect our abalone shells. We ended off the meal with dessert (blueberry ice cream for my friends, a homemade matcha tofu cheesecake for me). I would 100% return to try their sushi omakase now!

Been here a few times now and can safely say that they've stayed consistent and reliable. Initially…read more$55 for a 10 course lunch omakase a few years ago, not only has the price and quality stayed the same but today we walked by and saw the lunch omakase is now $48. Note the photos are a mix of multiple omakase lunches. Today we had yellowtail, scallop, sea bream, snowcrab, bonito, squid with uni, bluefin tuna (lean), handroll, and tamago for 8 pieces of sushi and 1 handroll. We also had a miso soup as one course. I think this is a great experience for someone looking for a more accessible omakase option. I wish they would have an option with more courses and of course a higher price point for days when you feel like a longer meal. I usually consider it a light lunch. The two chefs are always willing to talk more about the fish and the menu. There is one server who is the hostest as well. There are just about 10 seats. Interior is simple and calm. We will be back!

I recently returned for my second visit and was just as impressed as the first time. The restaurant…read moreis absolutely beautiful, offering a variety of dining experiences including omakase chef bar seating, regular table seating, and teppanyaki. Same as the last, this time I enjoyed their $55 omakase set again along with some a la carte items and it was excellent. The sushi and sashimi were fresh, beautifully presented, and every piece was delicious. The cooked dishes were also prepared perfectly and complemented the meal wonderfully. I also noticed they now have a much larger sake selection compared to my first visit, which was a pleasant surprise. From the chefs behind the counter to the serving staff, the service was exceptional throughout the entire experience. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and made us feel very welcome. One thing I really appreciated was that they seemed to have taken my feedback from my previous visit regarding the noise levels. The dining atmosphere was much more enjoyable this time, showing that they genuinely value customer feedback and continuously strive to improve. Overall, another fantastic experience. Fresh, high-quality food, outstanding service, and a beautiful setting make this an easy recommendation. I'll definitely be returning again.

Came here on a Friday evening around 8pm and this place was really busy. Luckily, I had a…read morereservation and was seated right away. I opted for their summerlicious menu which was $55 and included a starter, main and dessert. Their menu choices were very appealing for m price. The starters and the mains were both good. It's not super premium quality but for the price, I'd say it hit the spot of a mid tier sushi spot. The cod was flaky and the scallops were cooked well. I overall enjoyed everything up until the dessert. The desserts were the weakest link of the entire dinner. The cheesecake was a little dry and the mochi didn't seem super fresh. It was all edible but just not amazing. The service was good, staff were attentive and food came out fairly quick. The design of the place is really nice as well. Not a first option I'd jump for but not a bad spot.

Great variety at this price point in Yorkville area…read more There was uni, otoro, chutoro, anago, hotate, ikura. A lot of premium ingredients. Unlike some other places at this price point would be serving the basic salmon, akami etc. Their tamago is one of the best in town. Smooth with a brulee top. Only thing was, the pace was very fast. We felt like we had piece after piece with the chef rushing us if we didn't eat our piece right away. (Ive had enough omakase experience to understand it is best to eat it right away, but doesn't mean i should feel rushed). Never felt this way at the Markham location. Overall, good omakase experience! Worth a try

It was our first time at Sushi Umi and the experience was definitely worth every dollar. The…read moreappetizer they started us off with made such a great first impression. The cod was amazing. We were also pleasantly surprised by the amount of uni we got to try. For all uni lovers, this omakase is a must try! The restaurant itself was quite small but still felt cozy. We would definitely go back.

Before you taste the food, a true Japanese sushi restaurant signals perfection in these ways:…read more- hot towels to clean your fingers so you properly taste the sushi - all staff are Japanese - no Korean items on the menu. If you want Korean, there are many great places. But hybrid and fusion menus mean compromise

My wife chose Zen to celebrate our anniversary. I'm so pleased she did despite getting caught in…read morepost Blue Jay game traffic that delayed us 30 minutes. However, she texted them prior to our arrival and responded with "no problem. Have a safe drive". We were greeted warmly and taken to our table in a back room. We asked to be moved to the sushi bar to see the chefs work despite the privacy of the table. We immediately received a couple large cups of steaming green tea which was delicious. The space is simple & contemporary in its bright & clean design. We ordered the omakase sushi chef's choice (13 pieces each), dancing tempura mushrooms and seared & marinarated duck. We most definitely ate more than 13 pieces though! The courses covered sea bream, toro, oyster, eel, maguro, chopped scallop muscle wrapped in nori and a chopped maguro hand roll stand out in my memory. Some preparations were brushed with soy and others topped with a delicious bead of Japanese green onion & ginger or yuzu/ginger. Absolutely wonderful additions that still make my tastebuds sing! We shared a chilled 300ml bottle of hakkaisan sake with our meal. The chef explained each bite he delivered and the staff was consistent & attentive without interfering at all. The evening was extraordinary and very memorable. I recommend at least a visit to this exceptional spot!

We had the 12 course omakase. 11 sushi plus 1 miso soup. The ingredients is very fresh - the…read morehighlight is the Anago sushi for me. The eel is still warm and matches perfectly with the sushi rice. As expected, most omakase's are not very filling but the quality is on par with most omakase. The service is excellent as we were the only ones at that time slot on a snowy weekday. Ambiance is casual no wow factor there but the food and service were good especially for a $70 price tag. 4.5 star

My first Omakase experience and I was blown away by the quality. I have been to Japan and I felt…read morelike I was transported back. The sushi chef Kaito himself recommended we try the uni and I am glad we did. It makes you appreciate the art a lot more seeing him prepare the sushi infront of you. Service was excellent as mentioned above and not too many staff required for this type of experience. The ambiance was intimate with only 2 other parties sitting with us and we all shared the experience together. I highly recommend anyone to try this if they never have before.

Came here with some friends for the omakase special meal…read more Such a lovely overall standard omakase experience and meal. The highlight for me was probably the set of four starter appetizers, they were flavourful, delicately prepared and perfect way to start the meal. I liked the slightly pickled dish with cucumbers the best. We also had sushi prepared with fresh seafood. The rice was probably my favorite compared to other places I've been. It was perfectly seasoned rice, warm and cooked to have just the right texture, not overcooked and not undercooked. The rice held up well when picked up by hand and complemented the flavours of the fish. Finished the meal with a matcha flavored pudding flan type dessert which had deep matcha flavours. If you're a fan of matcha, you'd probably enjoy it too. All in all, the meal was enjoyable, the torched tuna sushi was probably my favorite sushi of the set and my least favorite was the egg/eel, I was expecting a sweet egg at the end so it unexpected.

Taki is a fine dining Japanese restaurant located in the busy commerical areas of Richmond Hill…read more We recently had lunch here for a special occasion. The restaurant is super quiet and they offer great quality of food with great service, and the price is expensive if you choose to order sukiyaki set (expect $80+ per person). You can choose between sushi sets at different price level or sukiyaki from the menu. This suits the need of our group given some people prefer sushi but some couldn't eat raw food. They also offer a couple of limited appetizer dishes such as tempuras and unagi don. If you booked the sukiyaki table and want to order sushi, you need to call them in advance to notify which sushi sets you want. We tried the sashimi and sushi courses at $55, which included miso soup, 5 pieces of sashimi, 8 pieces of sushi (squid, toros, salmon, scallop etc.), handroll and matcha or black sesame icecream at your choice. The sushi is smaller than average, suitable for small eaters. The course is totally worth the money. I love every piece of sashimi and my favourite sushi include the scallop and the squid. Everything was super fresh. The dessert was also having the perfect sweetness level for me. In addition, we also tried the sukiyaki for two ($110), which includes mushrooms, cabbages, great quality of Angus beef, yummy tofu and udon. Again, all the material was with great quality and super fresh. I especially liked the sweet sukiyaki soup, the tofu and the udon. We also ordered some shareable dishes including chawanmushi, unagi don and cod. Cod was cooked to perfect (soft and flavourful), and unagi don had quite decent portion. It would be better if the unagi could be softer from my personal opinion. Chawanmushi was mediocre. Overall, I strongly recommend this restaurant to fan of Japanese cuisine. It meets different people's needs by offering both cooked and raw food options, and the sushi set definitely has great value for money.