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Aji Sai Japanese Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Buffets Japanese, Buffets [Edit]
467 Queen St WToronto, ON M5V
Neighbourhoods: Alexandra Park, Queen Street West
(416) 603-3366
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
68 reviews for Aji Sai Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Their specialty is the Fire house roll." In 3 reviews -
"my personal favorite however is the green tea ice cream." In 3 reviews -
"They have AYCE and its very reasonably priced." In 25 reviews
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68 reviews in English
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Review from Chris C.
4/24/2012
I visited Toronto a few years ago and I have to say that this is 1 place that sticks in my mind, time and time again.
I'm so upset that I didn't arrive at their lunch buffet earlier (2pm when it closed at 2:30pm) and more than once during our trip. It's literally the best $12.99 I could ever spend and I've considered making a trip back to Toronto JUST FOR THIS PLACE.
It's All You Can Eat and from what I can remember, they have an extensive menu of over 50 items and speciality rolls as well. They make them fresh to order (not buffet style) and the truly was honestly divine. You have to make sure you finish all of your sushi or I believe they will charge you. But for all you can eat and at that price, I don't know where you will find a better deal. If you know of a place, please let me know!
The service was excellent even though we arrived towards the end of lunch. I can see how this place can get packed quickly during the lunch hour so make sure you get there early!
Love this place. I've gotta go back! -
Review from Josie C.
Toronto, ON
4/23/2012
Sigh. Aji Sai. Where do I start.
First, I live down the street from Aji Sai, so I enjoy it, and frequent this place because of the convenient location. I've eaten here many, MANY times - I would say that I go AT LEAST once a month.
Next - AYCE. Love this. There are quite a number of other sushi places along Queen Street - some look a bit sketchy so I avoid them. As for the more presentable looking ones, they don't have AYCE, which I prefer which is another reason I choose to go to Aji Sai.
The food - always great quality. Well, for the most part. Last time I was there I ordered the chicken katsu and my boyfriend ordered (I think) sweet and sour chicken and the chicken katsu wasn't very satisfying. There was more batter than chicken, and the whole thing just tasted of deep fried batter, and it looked as if the oil had not been changed in a while maybe. Looks like the sweet and sour chicken had been fried in the same oil, and it looked quite greasy. Speaking of deep fried, that's not to say, however that their tempura isn't great, because it always is! Love the shrimp tempura here and the batter is always crispy and it looks like the tempura is fried in clean oil.
More often than not, this place is packed and in those cases you will have to wait a little to be seated (about 10 - 15 mins typically). The lineup grows quickly and the line tends to get a bit disorganized as they don't usually take names (they just ask for number of people).
Now, the service. Every time I come here and experience the service, I always wonder why I keep coming back. It's like I choose to forget about the terrible service because the food is always so satisfying. However, the last time I was there, the service seemed exceptionally terrible. The servers always tend to look miserable and often seem to have a sour attitude about them. As previously mentioned, I have been here a countless number of times, and last week was the first time I saw a friendly, seemingly happy server at this restaurant. I remember making a comment to my boyfriend about how surprisingly friendly she was, as it was very rare to see servers like that at Aji Sai. When I think about that conversation, it blows my mind as friendly service should be standard, not an exception! Come to think of it, I didn't recognize her so I wonder if she is new.
It seems they don't have one dedicated server per table/section, so when it gets particularly busy (which is often) you'll have about 3 different servers providing you with half-assed service. On my last visit, we placed our first order shortly after being seated, and only moments after had a second waiter attempt to take our order. On our second order, we had ordered the cheese wontons and it was served to us - no joke - 30 seconds after the order was placed. I'm pretty sure our waiter hadn't even put the order in, but a server already brought us the wontons. 5 minutes later, another serving of wontons came out and we had to let them know that we had already gotten them. On the other hand, sometimes they will forget to bring you part of your order as well (or perhaps it is served to another table by accident). This has happened to me on a few visits. Last time I was there I ordered shrimp tempura with my first order with waiter #1, and it never came. Someone from the kitchen came out to serve us something from our second order, and so we asked her about the shrimp tempura and she said she would check on it and retreated back into the kitchen never to be seen again. We then asked waiter #1 about it again, and he said that it was on its way. After about 15 more minutes, we asked waiter #2 about it, and she said she would check on it (at this point we had already finished everything else we had ordered). After about 10 more minutes, we got so fed up with waiting that we just asked for the bill and told them to forget about the shrimp tempura, and waiter #2 said "It's coming out right away. I just put the order in. Didn't you just order it?" to which I had to let her know that I had ordered it when I first sat down, about an hour earlier. I also know that the table next to us had ordered sushi pizza which never came out as well. At the end of their meal the waiter had asked them if they ever received it, and they told him that they hadn't and that they figured it was just forgotten, so they no longer wanted it and had him cancel it so they could get their bill.
Aji Sai really has the food part in the bag. If they could just improve their service (and I'm talking a major improvement), I'd give it 5 stars. Unfortunately, I'm sure as hell not "teaching them a lesson" by going back time and time again despite the terrible service, so I guess what difference does it make to them? As long as they get my money (and clearly a lot of other people's money), I'm sure they're happy and feel as though they're doing everything right. -
Review from Nao C.
North York, ON
2/26/2012
I came here for the first time with a medium-sized group at a somewhat busy hour (weekday lunch). It's one of the better AYCE sushi places downtown but nothing spectacular.
Service was all right. We only ordered about 3 rounds before they told us it was the last order, which seemed kind of abrupt, especially considering one of our party didn't arrive until later.
The food itself is better quality than a lot of the other sushi places in Toronto but not amazing. My expectations are never that high for AYCE sushi quality anyway so the quality was about right. I was disappointed with the variety, though. Maybe I don't go to AYCE sushi enough, but I'm used to more fish options than just salmon and tuna.
The winning point is really the price. This is definitely some of the cheapest AYCE sushi you can get in the area.
I'd recommend this place if you've got a big sushi craving on a budget, but not for a real fine dining sushi experience. -
Review from Audrey L.
Toronto, ON
5/1/2012
This a cheap lunchtime AYCE, and I came here often when I worked nearby with my colleagues. They have a fairly large selection on the menu, even for lunch, at a decent price ($12.99/lunch), though the food itself is just average--not bad, not great.
The service here, however, could use improvement. The majority of the time, the waitstaff is essentially hurrying us to leave so they can turn over the table. The most recent visit was entirely opposite: we couldn't even wave down a waiter to refill our waters, much less take our orders. If you can overlook the service, it's a decent price for decent AYCE sushi. -
Review from Fern H.
2/6/2012
We came to Aji Sai for a group dinner on a busy Saturday night. Luckily, we had made reservations but there was still a bit of a wait for available tables to accommodate everyone.
A few people in our group were delayed so it worked out but I don't know what would have happened if all of us had arrived at the same time as there was only a table available for four people at our reservation time (we were a group of 13).
The order process was chaotic. We all ordered a variety of different rolls and they arrived on two huge platters with no way to tell the rolls apart. We're not picky eaters so we dug in but I specifically ordered the Firehouse Roll to try and it was no where to be seen. Someone else ordered the Enoki Mushroom Rolls, which didn't arrive either.
The rolls that we did get were good but again, I couldn't make note of which ones I liked best because I had no idea the names of them.
I personally am not a big eater so I tend to avoid all-you-can-eat places, although I would consider coming back if I ever decide to take up competitve eating for sport. Also, I'd probably limit my group to 4-6 people so that we could keep a handle on the ordering process. -
Review from Angela C.
York, ON
2/16/2012
My favourite AYCE sushi restaurant in Toronto, for sure.
The service here is fantastic, the food is good, and the menu is so diverse. I'm surprised by the reviews saying the service is poor. I have been at least half a dozen times and, besides the occasional forgotten "round", I have no complaints. They don't pressure you to eat quickly, even though there is usually quite the line up. And the style of the service (lots of servers serving lots of tables at once) makes it conducive to ordering lots of small rounds. This is perfect to not overdo it on your order and to try out different things at the table to see what everyone wants more of. The variety is also great for my friends who don't like sushi.
Why it doesn't get 5 stars:
1. The sushi isn't the best I've ever had. It's fine for the price.
2.The lunch menu is very limited. -
Review from Evelyn W.
1/24/2012
It seems to me that at lunch they ONLY do All You Can Eat. I love AYCE sushi, but if you just want to order a few specific items on a quick work lunch it might not be what you're looking for. They seem blown away if you aren't into AYCE. Are they only AYCE? I still don't know.
Anyway, it suited my growling belly today so that was swell, and it was only 12.99.
I was a bit annoyed that certain items are only on the "dinner menu" which you CAN get at lunch but it costs more. This included edamame and ebi (shrimp) sushi and all sashimi, I found this a bit strange. They are AYCE staples in my mind, and aren't necessarily the most expensive items. It's not like I asked for soft shell crab... ok... I did... but it was a no go... but I understand that one.
The sushi was fresh, but not the freshest, and I'll go back when I want to indulge over lunch, but it wasn't the best.
The servers were sweet and on top of everything, but it just wasn't the great experience co-workers told me it would be. -
Review from Melyssa A.
Toronto, ON
12/30/2011
I never tried AYCE sushi before coming here so I wasn't sure what to expect, however soon as the first order came to our table I was sold!
After reading a bunch of reviews here I went expecting bad service and wasn't disappointed in that regard, but given the number of people they have to deal with every day I can't say I'm surprised. It could have been worse! The servers weren't rude or anything, just really busy. Though I did notice they tended to "forget" to bring certain orders out toward the end of our visit.
The food itself was quite good. Again, given the number of people being served it could have been much much worse. The sushi pizza was a bit overdone but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed everything we tried.
My favourite sushi place is still Sushi X-tra just down the street but I'm definitely going to come back here for lunch again one day soon. -
Review from Charlie S.
Toronto, ON
4/15/2012
My favourite spot for AYCE sushi! I have introduced sooo many friends to this place. One of the servers remembers my name and makes me feel special :) I know sometimes the waiters can be a bit rude but I've never had a bad experience. I love the diversity of their menu. My favourites are the ikayaki and the fried banana roll.
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Review from Jenny T.
Toronto, ON
1/27/2012 7 Check-ins Here
I've been to Aji Sai many times and it has become my favourite All You Can Eat Sushi joint in Toronto. Because of the popularity of this place, you may have to wait in line, but once you get in the service is usually quick. The firehouse roll and the cheese wontons here are to die for. I feel those two dishes alone are worth the trip to Aji Sai.
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Review from Steeven L.
Etobicoke, ON
8/7/2011 3 Check-ins Here
In my opinion, one of the best all you can eat sushi restaurants in Toronto.
Lunch is $12.99 and has a decent selection. Dinner is $21.99 and has much, much more to offer. If you come hungry and you lay off the rice, you can definitely get your money's worth here. The service is usually pretty good and they do a good job at remembering what you've ordered (unlike many other AYCE sushi places I've visited).
They have a huge selection of sashimi, nigiri, all sorts of special maki rolls, hot dishes, soups and salads. The back of the menu also has a very useful description of all of their special rolls so that you can figure out what's in each of them.
I've been half a dozen times and the fish has always been very fresh, especially the sashimi, which is how sushi should be enjoyed.
Personal favourite: Butterfish sashimi
Coolest combo roll: Firehouse roll (spicy tuna with banana)
I recommend a bowl of miso soup and some gyoza to get your taste buds rolling, then move on to the delicious sushi. Be warned though, all that rice will start filling your tummy after a while, so try to eat less of it if you want to try as many types of sushi as possible. -
Review from Pascal P.
Toronto, ON
11/3/2011
I give it 4 stars because as far as AYCE sushi goes...it's the best. The service still sucks but the food is good and the menu is huge. I dont remember everything but some of the highlights
Good
Cheese wontons- we didnt actually order but what an amazing mix up
Philly roll- smoked salmon and cc cant go wrong
deep fried banana with ice cream- everyone had seconds
Bad
Cowboy roll- beef teriyaki roll without any sauce
The roll wiht the banana- banana and sushi is a no go in my books
BBQ salmon belly- not my cup of tea -
Review from Michael L.
Richmond Hill, ON
10/14/2011
I've been seeing a ton of positive reviews on Yelp lately revolving the ayce at Aji Sai. Finally got a chance to hit this one with a group of 5 and I must say from a price perspective, it is the place to go!
First impression was yelpers have been doing way too much hyping because the line is so bloody long! usually a good sign especially considering it was a weekday. I had called in earlier to see if a reservation could be made, but it was not allowed during the lunch hour for obvious reasons. Total wait time was about 10 minutes which was quite reasonable given the smaller size of the location.
The food portions are very reasonable, and the speed of delivery for the sushi was great. my Favorite roll was definitely the one with the bananas, I've forgotten what it was called. the quality of the non sushi/maki food items was pretty average for an AYCE joint. The servers were very reasonable and make this AYCE a much better experience than most I've been to both in the toronto proper, GTA and outside toronto.
I would give Aji Sai at Queen and Spadina a 3.5. 2 for the sushi/maki. 0.5 for the price point, 1.0 for the service.Listed in: Konichiwa!
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Review from Mochi M.
11/1/2011
I don't think AYCE sushi is my thing. I always feel sick and the food feels heavy in my stomach.
(I think my stomach is sensitive/picky and needs REALLY fresh sushi, not AYCE sushi)
That said, this is probably the best AYCE out of all of the ones out there. Quite fresh, good portions, very fast and tasty for the most part (although not as good as if you pay for an actual meal, and I am not sure you really economize when you do AYCE seeing as you don't really eat more than what you can pay for in a regular restaurant).
Even so. If you like AYCE, head here! -
Review from Linh N.
Calgary, AB
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
The sushi here is pretty decent. Probably the best all you can eat because it includes specialty rolls and pretty much all the bells and whistles of any typical sushi place. For 21.99, you can't go wrong.
I really enjoyed their plum wine and the waiters are especially friendly and patient.
They have a wide selection of rolls and I loved the butterfish sashimi. Mostly because I've never seen or heard of it before.
This place is rather busy so I suggest you come early because their last call is 10:30 on the weekends. -
Review from Daniel H.
Mississauga, ON
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Been here a couple times now... Lovin' the cheese wontons
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Review from Reynold P.
Toronto, ON
9/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Aji Sai is my go to Sunday Lunch destination.
Ever since my gf brought me here, things have never been the same.
Aji Sai is the perfect balance between value and quality.
Their all you can eat is one of the best I've ever had. The menu offers many choices, some better than others. I usually go for the black dragon roll, fire house roll, crunchy spicy salmon roll, yakitori, japanese fried chicken and plate after plate of veal chops.
I just can't get enough of their veal chops! Similar to beef ribs you would find at your favourite Korean restaurant, these are just a bit thicker and...ENDLESS.
Their specialty is the Fire house roll. It's unique because it contains banana in it. Sounds weird, but it's fantastically delicious.
The quality and presentation of the sushi is top notch, considering it's AYCE. The waiters don't mess around either, they come to YOU without you having to flag them down. Insane? I know.
Aji Sai is a tradition that my waistline hates but my wallet truly adores. -
Review from Brian Y.
4/21/2011 1 photo
Ayce ayce, ayce ayce. This is a common chant amongst my friends whenever we're deciding where to go to eat. And when it's a large crowd, ayce normally wins. In case you're not sure what ayce stands for, it's all you can eat. For many of my friends, ayce almost directly translate to Japanese. That's right, not an Americanize buffet place or an Indian joint, it's gotta be Japanese... specifically sushi.
So with a group pushing around 15 people, we headed over to Aji Sai on Queen for ayce sushi. This place has been here for a while and a popular choice downtown. Word to the wise, definitely make reservations if you can. Whether it's for a table of 2 or for a table of many, make reservations. The wait can be pretty brutal and they won't seat you till you have 75% of your guest there. The place is decorated well, nothing great but it's definitely not a dump. I would call it the typical modern asian fusion type of decor that has flooded our food markets with.
We got our table and we order almost immediately. The selection is quite good but the only major different between lunch and dinner is probably the ability to order sashimi. And the sashimi here is alright. I would say average to maybe just slightly above average. For the salmon peeps out there, it's alright you won't complain nor will you sing their praises. The hot food wasn't bad and with such an extensive menu, you can get lost. The shrimp tempura was fresh and nicely battered. We ordered wayy too many meat dishes so be careful when ordering as the they give you a fair amount with each order. Didn't like the cooked fish as they didn't feel fresh. And when they're not fresh and you have a huge portion, it's gonna be a long night.
Now the maki and sushi we had were all rolled pretty well. They didn't over stuff it with rice or cheap out by giving you more vegs. You did get what you ordered. I'm a big maki fan and though all the ingredients and portions were there, something just didn't add up. The flavour wasn't there. Don't get me wrong it wasn't bad at all, you can eat much worse maki, but just... Didn't meet my expectations. Had better but very similar to New Sushi Island. The sushi was okay. The fish to rice ratio was good which is very important. Angela's a huge salmon sushi fan and she was able to put her stamp of approval. Service wasn't bad but they did forget a couple of items on our order. So you may have to remind them or reorder a couple of times.
Overall, Aji Sai wasn't bad. The place looks well kept and they do appear to care about cleanliness and quality. It's quite popular so service can drop once it gets busy. And you're probably bound to have a few items missed. But the food selection is pretty good and the quality is a little bit above average. Is it the best ayce sushi in town, no... but you can do much worse.Listed in: the asian connection
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Review from Susan C.
Toronto, ON
8/8/2011
I came to this restaurant when it just opened and I would say it was a good experience, good enough to keep bringing me back. But, each and every time I come back, I see it's slowly starting to disappoint me.
Not too long ago, I believe, they opened an additional room for dining. It surprises me that your order will be made in less than 20 minutes...HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? But, what I noticed now is that the sushi is made terrible-ly. It isn't as tasty, the structure of the sushi will break apart really easily (WHICH IS THE MOST ANNOYING THING EVER).
Most likely, I will be returning when I'm with a large group, but I'm not a big fan. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! -
Review from Susie H.
4/13/2011
Last week marks the third time I've been here, and I am glad I gave Aji Sai a second chance. As per most AYCE places, you have a time limit when eating here (this is for the dinner menu, not sure if the lunch menu is different): 70 minutes of ordering time and 2 hours of eating time. The timer for both of these starts when you first come in.
The first time I came here, I thought the place was nothing special, and didn't seem to stand up to the reviews that had been given to me by friends: a lot of the food seemed like it had been sitting around before it was brought over and service was slow/nothing special. The second time, I had a huge problem with the food: the tempura tasted like it was rotten or something and the avocado used in everything was very unripe, and when I sent it back they came back with new food that had the same problems. Both these times, I came in for lunch.
This third time, however, I pretty much have no complaints. Service was friendly and fast even though it was packed. We were a party of 5 but even still our orders were correct and there were no problems with the food. Another nice thing is that they don't pack the maki rolls full of rice, which they do at a lot of AYCE restos to try and fill you up faster. Dynamite, Rainbow California, Spicy Scallop and Aji Sai rolls are must-tries!
I would definitely suggest ordering off the dinner menu rather than lunch, because even though it's more expensive ($21 before tax), the menu is WAY better and includes a lot more options that are worth the extra money. -
Review from Nishant F.
Toronto, ON
4/21/2011
My first encounter with sushi was at Aji Sai, and you may call me a romantic for visiting Aji Sai as regularly as possible ever since. Of course, for the affordable $13+tax+tip AYCE lunch buffet. I won't call it a sushi lunch buffet, because Aji Sai has SO MUCH MORE to offer beyond sushi.
FOOD:
- Really good sushi for the price (relative to AYCE sushi bars for under $20). I have been to fancier, well-acclaimed places (read: JapanGo), and they have failed to match up to Aji Sai.
- Has a really diverse lunch menu including sushi, hand rolls, special rolls, teppenyaki, other miscellaneous stuff, and dessert. It's incredible. The new menu now describes the special rolls on the flipside, which is helpful.
- I would list all my favourites, but I'd go over the character limit. But my top picks are: [Special rolls]: Dynamite, Firehouse, Spicy Atlantic Smoked Salmon, Shrimp Tempura Rolls, Green Dragon, Black Dragon. [Teppenyaki]: Chicken Teriyaki [From the kitchen]: Gyoza, Sesame chicken. Veal chop. (the veal chop was AWESOME).
Food rating: 6/5!
PRICE:
- All that for 13+tax+tip?!?
Price rating: 5/5
DECOR:
- Given it's popularity, it used to be swamped. It still is swamped. But they have expanded their space. Pretty spacious
- Comfortable cushiony sofa-style seating.
- Renovated decor = pretty good.
Decor rating = 4/5
SERVICE:
- Although it's usually super-busy, they have enough competent staff that are constantly circulating to take orders or refill the green tea or to answer questions / cater to requests (I always need more ginger!)
- They won't tell you their name, or smile. In their model of efficiency, they don't have time for that. And I prefer it that way. Get me my sushi pronto, and I'm a happy panda!
Service rating: 5/5
Why to go there?
- Why NOT to go there? Can't think of a reason. Unless you're looking for a fancy sushi bar with sushi circulating on a boat, this is your place to go for sushi!
Additional tips:
- They don't take reservations. And they are very popular. So you may have to wait. Especially if you have a large group.
- AYCE Lunch buffet is between 12-3. -
Review from Julie T.
Toronto, ON
5/29/2011
A former AYCE sushi junkie, I've given up AYCE for fear of falling into an unstoppable spiral of maki-fuelled gluttony. However, I recently found myself here for dinner one night with a group of friends... Okay, I slipped. But it was so worth it.
For $20.99, the dinner menu is +100 items, made to order, and pretty darn delicious. The sushi was surpringly fresh and the portions were larger than expected for an AYCE place. We were seated quickly and service was prompt. Even though it was busy, they didn't try to chase us out of there after an hour - in fact, the server insisted that we order dessert after we polished off a tabletop's worth of food.
The menu is incredibly diverse, featuring sushi, sashimi, maki, teppenyaki, soups, and salads. There's no limit on the number of orders you can place, and the food arrives quickly. That's actually the only thing I can complain about - they don't bring the food out in courses as much as they bring it out as soon as it's ready, so the table can quickly become crowded.
There are some neat experimental rolls on the menu that will send sushi purist into a tizzy. Banana and tempura flakes with tuna? Yep, they do that. And it works so well.
For $27 (including pop, tax and tip), I totally feel like I got my money's worth out of this place given that I ate about four courses. The atmosphere is alright; slightly noisy at times given that the place is always packed. The restaurant recently doubled its space and it was still packed to capacity for dinner - always a good sign. -
Review from Justine H.
Toronto, ON
8/21/2011 1 photo
Restaurant: Aji Sai
Cuisine: Japanese
Location: Queen West
Address: 467 Queen St W
Price Range: $15-25
1: Poor
2: OK
3: Good
4: Very Good
5: Excellent
Food: 3
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Extra information:
*Japanese All You Can Eat
*Order by Menu
*30 different types of Rolls
*LLBO
There are many AYCE sushi places here in Toronto, lots of them located near Chinatown. Aji Sai being one of them, there are close to 100 items on their menu with over 30 special rolls. Lunch AYCE is about $12 plus tax and with the choice of quality food you get, it def sounds better than regular lunch bento menu. Inside is bright and nicely decorated; actually one of the nicest AYCE restaurants I've been to. Service wise, you have to look around and wave your arms around to catch the eyes of waiters. I felt like they didn't want to help you or purposely avoided eye contact. However, they were helpful once you got their attention if that makes it any better.
After we ordered food, tempuras and all the fried goodness showed up first (that seems to be the case at many AYCE places). Their nigiris were decent size and the rolls were pretty good. Overall everything was a little bland but for AYCE, I couldn't really complain. My favorite roll was the Black dragon roll and I would recommend ordering all the sushi+rolls first cause eating all the fried stuff first will fill you up real fast and make you feel bloated.
Summary: It was decent for the price I paid, but if I ever find a better AYCE place I wouldn't go out of my way to go back. -
Review from Lynn C.
8/10/2011
We went there for lunch and their selection is a lot smaller, but the price is also a lot cheaper. For 12.99 you can get all kinds of special rolls, nigiri, hot foods, dessert, starters, etc.
The only thing that I thought was missing that made me sad, aside from the expected lack of sashimi which I don't eat anyway, was that they didn't have shrimp tempura. They did have tempura everything else. Thankfully that was made up for with rolls that had shrimp tempura. I was satisfied.
I didn't find the salmon in the spicy salmon hand roll to be that great though. I've had better.
I think my favourite thing about the restaurant is its service. This is probably the first and only AYCE restaurant that has good service. The servers there are really friendly and prompt and will tell you about the food even without you asking (such as when I asked for the wakame salad, he told me it's dried seaweed layered on top of green salad).
They give student discount, so bring your student card :) -
Review from Blair M.
12/28/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Aji Sai is by far the best AYCE sushi restaurant in the GTA and it becomes very obvious of that when you visit as it can be packed with a huge lineup no matter what time you choose to visit. They have the best selection of Sashimi (only at dinner) Sushi and maki and their specialty rolls are fantastic with plenty to choose from as well.
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Review from Laura L.
Toronto, ON
1/12/2012
Best AYCE Sushi in Toronto!
I've been to many AYCE sushi places in the GTA, this is by far the best. The sashimi is fresh and they have a bigger selection of sushi compared to other AYCE places. You can get any sushi you can think of. It's not run by Japanese, but still great.
The price is also reasonable. Lunch is $12.99 which is awesome, especially since it's downtown. Dinner is $21.99.
The sushi is really good. My favourites are the Bushido roll, Black dragon roll, spicy salmon crispy roll, spicy salmon sushi, and deep-fried cheese wontons. Soooooooo gooood. Satiates my tastebuds and satisfies my sushi-cravings, cause I can eat a lot. My boyfriend, even more.
Service is good. Most of the time they're quick, although sometimes they're a bit slow.
They mixed up my dessert order a few times when i ask for Deep Fried Banana with Red bean ice cream, they keep giving me vanilla. But my boyfriend always orders the same thing except with Vanilla ice cream, they never mess it up. I guess red bean ice cream is a bit rare here. They always give me the red bean ice cream though after i told them they got it wrong.
It gets reaallllly busy at dinner time on Fridays or Saturdays, so come early or make a reservation, to avoid lining up all the way to the front of the restaurant.
Washrooms...i never went to the washrooms there. The reason is because my friends and boyfriend have used the washrooms before and they all say the same thing: dirty. I can't say for myself as I've never gone to the washrooms there.
Overall, food is great. Best AYCE sushi i've had so far. Nothing fancy, but for the price, beats other AYCE places. -
Review from Alex K.
4/7/2011
My favorite sushi venue by far. Who can beat $13 AYCE (all you can eat) sushi for lunch? Especially with their seafood udon soup to start. I've yet to find a sushi place that compares in quality and/or price.
Quality of the food is just about always excellent.
Customer service is pretty decent for the most part. Sometimes they can be a little bit off (especially when they get busier), but they're usually really good.
As others have mentioned, the butterfish sushi for one is rather excellent, and I'm not sure why so few places have it :-/
All-in-all, I would (and very often do) recommend this venue to anyone who is a lover of sushi. Just keep in mind that sashimi is not included for lunch. I'm not sure if they even offer it for lunch, so if that's what you're in for, you might want to confirm before going there for lunch. For the dinner from what I understand, it is included in the AYCE. -
Review from Alex P.
Saanichton, BC
8/19/2011
YES! This is the go-to place for me to eat a lot for a little. GREAT fast service is astonishing. The menu works like this, dinner, one price, as much as you can eat brought FRESH from the kitchen to order for you. You can eat in rounds! You can eat so much, and share and as long as you eat it all then they don't charge you extra (for uneaten portions)
I am so glad they opened a second room because it was always and justifiably packed. Fast, tasty. Great sushi, Great soups, salads, terriakki, rolls, etc etc. Eat eat eat! and finish it off with fried banada, or green tea ice cream or egg pudding.
LOVE IT!!!! -
Review from Terry P.
11/28/2010
I've been here a few times now for the All You Can Eat sushi lunch, both times on weekends. Although it is always busy, I have never waited more than 5 or 10 minutes for a table.
Food is decent quality and a great selection. You order off a menu but you can order as much as you want. Don't order too much or you will be charged for wasted food!
I find the staff very attentive, and I don't think they rush people at all. I think that some of the previous reviewers have mistaken the staff's efficiency for poor service. Yes, they sometimes bring the bill before they've even brought dessert, but who cares - they do it so that when you are ready to leave, you can do so.
My friends and I always leave here happy and satisfied. -
Review from Nandan F.
Ottawa, ON
12/2/2010
I have been here a few times usually for lunch. They have AYCE and its very reasonably priced. It's about $14 for lunch and a few bucks extra on weekends.
I don't really expect a lot when its AYCE but this place is pretty darn good. It gets busy so you might want to make a reservation. The sushi is fresh and the quality is good. The service is average and the food may take a while when its busy. If you don't want to splurge and satisfy your daily sushi cravings, this is a good place. For some fine sushi dining, look for my other reviews. -
Review from Alex K.
Toronto, ON
6/4/2011
Great all you can eat. Good service and an easygoing atmosphere. You could bring a date or a buddy here and comfortably pig out together.
Beware the line up and stay away from the overpriced and terrible stocked wine list, but otherwise, enjoy. -
Review from Sanzo L.
Scarborough, ON
7/7/2011 4 photos
4th time going here.
It was really crowded yesterday but the waiting time for a table was short. Service was really fast as usual. There were no order mix-ups. Going for lunch is the best minus the fact that you don't get any sashimi.
If you're going to get sushi, I highly recommend the Dynamite Roll, Green and Black Dragon Roll. Their Chicken Teriyaki and Squid Tempura was also very delicious. Otherwise, the food was up to par, better than most AYCE places. -
Review from Gord M.
East York, ON
11/6/2010
$12.99 AYCE sushi: better than you think.
I never thought I'd find myself in an AYCE sushi joint, but it happened yesterday over lunch and I was really, pleasantly surprised.
The menu is pretty sizable and all of the food looked and tasted great, especially the green and black dragon. Yum. And the butterfish. Oh man.
The staff, as well, were on top of everything despite the packed house. We didn't have to wait, nor ask for anything. -
Review from Fabio N.
Toronto, ON
1/4/2011 4 Check-ins Here
It's pretty difficult to find a good(-ish) all you can eat sushi, so this place is really a nice surprise.
I went with a pretty big group on December 30 and the service was good even with the place totally packed. I'm definitely going back to try it a la carte in a more "normal" day, but I'm impressed already. -
Review from Karen G.
Toronto, ON
3/4/2011
Finally, I found an all you can eat Sushi place downtown, and on Queen West none the less! And lucky for me (and all Toronto sushi lovers), it's affordable and great quality and service.
The restuarant is mid-sized, and can be found 1 block West of Spadina on Queen. Not sure if the place takes reservations, as we walked in on a Wednesday night, but I would recommend you call ahead if so as it seems like it would fill up quick. On this particular typical bitter winter weeknight, the place was packed and had quite a few groups waiting anxiously at the door for a table.
The service here was spectacular - I'm used to surly waiters and waitresses at sushi places in the burbs. We were seated directly next to the door, and when I hesitated (as I mentioned, it was bitterly cold this evening), the waiter offered to bring out a space heater for our table, which he quickly did. The service was quick throughout the meal, despite the full house, and always given with a smile.
The range of food available on the menu was quite extensive. Udon and miso soup, hot dishes, terriyaki, tempura, wantons and dumplings, and of course sashimi, suhi, hand rolls and maki rolls. I was surprised at some of the unique rolls on tap, particularily the Fire House Roll (banana and avacado on the inside, tuna and tempura bits on the outside - very interesting taste and would order again) and what I think was called the Everything Roll, which like its namesake, had a bit of everything. We also ordered some spicy salmon crispy rolls and yam rolls, which were both exceptionally fresh and tasty.
The only "disappointment" was when it came time for dessert, the ice cream came in portions of about a tablespoon and a half. Being a red bean ice cream fan, and only being able to get this at a sushi restuarant, I really look forward to the dessert course. It was a little embarassing after ordering dessert once to order it 3 more times. So I would recommend ordering a few portions to begin with, or even better if you have a group - order several portions and share :) Makes you look like less of a fatty ordering 5 ice creams :P
For $20.99 for an all you can eat dinner, you really can't beat this place for quality and service, and most of all, location. See ya, overpriced a la carte Toronto sushi joints!Listed in: Best Restaurants in T.O. for…
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Review from Magdalena R.
Toronto, ON
11/1/2011
Good atmosphere, good price for Japanese food, decent sushi, BUT the service needs improvement. It was hard to get a hold of someone when we needed things like food and drink. The biggest star-drain for this place was that we didn't get everything we ordered. We even asked for those items several times, and were reassured that they were coming right out, but they never did. We eventually gave up and ordered dessert. The dessert sure did come out. I think our table got cut off :(. We didn't even order that much vs. how many people we had. Perhaps it is better if you come here in smaller groups.
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Review from Ana D.
Etobicoke, ON
12/31/2010 9 Check-ins Here
Definitely my favorite AYCE sushi restaurant. Not so much for lunch as the menu is kinda limited and not as fresh, but I love it for dinner! Never had to wait longer than 10 minutes for a booth because I always make reservations. The line does get pretty huge, though. Especially on weekends.
The price is pretty good, like others mentioned. Around $14 for lunch and $24 for dinner. Sometimes it's fresher than other times but it's definitely never stale.
The service can be slow at times but 90% of the time, the place is so packed that they keep up with all their orders pretty well. Some of the waiters don't speak the greatest English so sometimes you'll either get something you didn't order, or like 10 pieces of tempura instead of 5. Not complaining though, I always manage to finish it.
I've been to Aji Sai about 50+ times. Absolutely love it. Definitely a regular there and the waiters/staff definitely treat my bf and I as regulars. -
Review from M P.
Toronto, ON
10/12/2010
Not a fan of huge line ups, but it was not too bad this time. Had a chance to catch up with my buddy from Montreal who was feeling the Asian vibe. Oh it's Asian alright!!!
The sashimi/sushi are fresh and delicious!! Oh, you have to try the short ribs. I dont think this item is on the menu but ask for it.... It's REALLY good!! Their portions are generous and service is overall good despite being so busy....
I would definitely go again, given that it's my second time already)!!! -
Review from Marie F.
9/6/2010 34 Check-ins Here
I've been here so many times and I can't believe I've never rated it.
This is probably one of my favourite AYCE Sushi joints in town but beware the wait... during lunch the lineup are long!
Once you are in the service is pretty quick. I highly recommend the Firehouse Roll and the Black dragon roll which as amazing here. Sashimi is only available for dinner but it's fresh and worth paying extra for at night.Listed in: God save the Queen...…, Sushi Me Baby!!
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Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
8/25/2010
Their $12.99 AYCE lunch special is a favourite at Queen and Spadina. There was a line-up but my friend and I didn't wait longer than 10 minutes, and by the time we sat down, we knew what to order thanks to being given the menu while we waited.
The atmosphere is fast-paced; it does make for an interesting scene when you see servers bicker about getting the orders on time to your table. It's also a little frustrating when you're trying to get their attention to order more food. They're so focused on fast service that they end up rushing in their actions, which can result into mistakes.
One example was our server banged the leg of the chair into my foot as I was leaving it and they wanted to clear the table right away. It didn't hurt and he did apologize but witnessing their speedy service, I was tempted to turn to them and tell them to, "R-E-L-A-X." I might be leniant but someone else might not be.
As for the food, the lunch menu is long so you have a lot of choices of sushi rolls, maki and tempura to try. My friend and I had the squid tempura (very chewy), large sushi rolls of tempura shrimp, fresh salmon and eel (one of these was called Rock 'N Roll). One roll we did try was the Cowboy Roll, which was stuffed with onions and beef. Personally, I didn't think it paired well with the other fish dishes and tasted more like a cheap steak wrapped in rice.
A challenge with all you can eat sushi is that you end up ordering too much and in some restaurants, you get charged for leftovers. Here, the platters are small, about four to six pieces, so there's minimal leftovers. However we didn't have this problem. We left the restaurant comforting our swollen bellies and with satiate look on our faces.
Aji Sai is worth a revisit but perhaps not during the lunch or dinner rush.
3.5 stars
