Ichiban Sushi

Ichiban Sushi
1375 Yonge St.

So it appears that my methodology for finding new places is going to change for the summer. I re-discovered the fun of cycling, and yesterday set out on my bike for lunch. Now what I did was ride out to Yonge and Davisville, and then fire up Poynt on my blackberry.  What this does is grab my location via GPS and then do a search based on my geographical location. Pretty nifty huh? Well, it told me that Ichiban sushi was less than a kilometer south of me, so off I rode. When I got there I was like “Oh this place!” I’ve been past it a few times, and it is part of the “chain” that includes the now defunct Grand Ichiban sushi.

I decided that I would make a similar order to what I got at Grand Ichiban so that I could make a direct comparison, and also because I know I ordered a fancy Lobster roll. It’s never the wrong time for Lobster. So I dove back in with the Lobster Fantasy Roll ($14) and one of my stand by’s, the ubiquitous Salmon Pizza at $7. First off, when I say chain, I don’t want anyone to envision Red Lobster or Swiss Chalet. These are nice restaurants, and the service is right up there as you would expect. First to arrive was the Salmon Pizza, and it was different. But thats why I like it, there’s no set in stone method for making Sushi Pizza. This was a thin crust version, with a very thin rice patty. Avocado was placed around the edge like a “crust” and the salmon was chopped, mixed with mayo, and placed in the center. I was actually somewhat disappointed, as I’m used to thicker slabs of Salmon. But thats what you get with an ever morphing recipe, change. While it wasn’t what I expected, I had to admit that it was tasty and the presentation was excellent.

Next up came the Lobster Fantasy Roll, and in this case I was slightly disappointed by the presentation. Grand Ichiban did it completely differently. While the lobster tempura was there, that was where the similarities ended. This version contained avocado and cucumber as well, and was topped with more lobster and a spicy lobster sauce. Have I said lobster enough in this paragraph? The crustacean in question was good and fresh, and the sauce almost felt like it covered the roll in a thicker bisque. It was certainly filling as well, giving the feeling that you’d gotten a good portion for your $14.

I’m having to temporarily get used to using a point and shoot camera again. Until I get off my duff and buy a cycling backpack, I don’t feel comfortable carrying my DSLR. But I’m off again today, so we’ll see what random adventure occurs food wise!