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Big Sushi
Category: Restaurants Sushi Bars Sushi Bars [Edit]
388 Bloor St WToronto, ON M5S 1X4
Neighbourhood: The Annex
(416) 921-1468
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
25 reviews for Big Sushi
Review Highlights
"...rolls upon rolls of spicy salmon/tuna stuffed with tempura..."
(in 4 reviews)
"Red dragon roll is my favorite."
(in 3 reviews)
"...place has a super cheap lunch special that rivals even non..."
(in 3 reviews)
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Q H.
North York, ON
11/29/2011
Rather a decent sushi place. A bit more upscale than New Generation sushi (which is across the street) in its taste, price and atmosphere.
The place is clean, and the tables are large. It is also very quiet as well. The service is quick, but I wouldn't say servers are attentive.
The rolls at this restaurant are above average. Red dragon roll is my favorite. They really do have nicely constructed taste. Other rolls have balanced tastes throughout. The consistency of the restaurant is amazing. Sushis are pretty good too. The fishes are fresh, and slices are nice thick chunks.
I gotta say this is one of the best sushi restaurants on Bloor west. -
Review from neesa r.
9/21/2011
just as in its name the sushi and rolls are massive here.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a veg option in the specials menu (veg dragon rolls or something of this kind). in general the menu is pretty small but oh the veg options!
the service was a bit slow and we received appetizers well after the main dish and water even later.
I also found it cute that they served both of our orders on the same huge plate assuming sharing=) -
Review from Jacob L.
10/26/2011
Sushi is just ok. Nothing special.
The rolls are very good, and a fantastic value. I am the kind of guy that loathes to fork over $6-9 for a stupid roll, and I usually get a sashimi deluxe, or chirashi, or a la carte when I get sushi. Having said that, the rolls seemed to be the stars here, so I tried some sushi AND the rolls.
What I didn't realize is that the rolls here are not the regular rolls where the diameter of the roll is approx 3 cm. These rolls are BIG. Not only are they big, they have quite a bit of fish and stuff, and not much rice. (As opposed to New Generation or some of the other places I peeked into).
I really like their Catepillar roll, and one of their maki combos, I forgot the name of it.
For guys (even big eaters like me), 2 rolls will do you good, for girls, 1-2 rolls. (order 2 for her, and then steal her stuff).
Overall, not the fanciest place in the world, but tasty filling eats. -
Review from Jesse S.
Toronto, ON
8/13/2011
The price to value ratio is insanely high... possibly higher than you could imagine. My wife and I have been here about 30 times... we call it 'date night'.
One time my miso soup was a tiny bit sour... that gladly brought me out a new bowl. I often over eat here and my stomach aches ;)
They tend to sell out of soft shell crab quite often (our favourite). -
Review from Kristy P.
Toronto, ON
6/26/2011
I had a fruit fly circling my miso soup. That says all.
We went there for a Saturday lunch and the restaurant temperature was pretty warm when we came in (similar to the outside temp). The boyfriend was worried that the fish might not be fresh since, well... it was warm inside the restaurant. But he went on and order Sushi Combo C, which consisted of 8 pieces of sushi and 8 dynamite rolls. I ordered Bento A, which had chicken (breast) teriyaki, veggie tempura, and 8 california rolls.
Like other have mentioned, this place is a good bang for your buck, especially for students. Our tab came up to be less $20, which is pretty affordable. Unfortunately, we got what we paid for. The chicken teriyaki was bland and the sweet potato tempura was tough. The california rolls were ok, though they put A LOT of rice in them (they did the same thing with the bf's dynamite rolls).
I've had much better experience at other "cheap" sushi place, so I will not go back.
On the plus side, the waitresses were nice and chirpy. -
Review from Jenny T.
2/7/2011
Big sushi? Well, more like two-bite sushi... I guess I was under the impression that it was going to be bigger, but I guess that's guys for ya - always over-selling the size factor of things. Ahem.
Nevertheless, the rolls were the main selling factor of this place so we decided to order a bunch. Spicy salmon, spider, dynamite, california, dragon, some deep fried one, we practically tried their entire roll menu! They were all very good, it's just that they all taste like california roll. They all had the orange fish eggs, the cucumber, many of them had the avocado and many of them also had the spicy mayo. These ingredients were used as filler to make the sushi bigger.
This place would be great for someone who has a newly discovered love for california roll and wasn't so sure about trying anything else or, for a bunch of really hungry people. Not recommended for sushi enthusiasts. -
Review from A S.
Scarborough, ON
12/27/2011
I came here one day during because there was a huge lineup outside Sushi on Bloor and I didn't feel like going to New Generation because I was recently there. I must say, with all the sushi restaurants on Bloor Street, I don't really think that there is anything special or good to say about this restaurant that sets it apart from the others. I had their chicken teriyaki and it tasted like microwave-cooked chicken. It was too dry; there were no signs that it even touched the grill. Overall, just horrible and not worth your money. Just go to some other sushi restaurant on Bloor Street; there are plenty.
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Review from Lindsay S.
Toronto, ON
5/27/2011
Great value for your $. But if u r watching your diet, not one of my favourites. Alot Of items are Fried , ex. Asparagus and sweet potato roll.... Even though not listed as fried. And rolls are ginormous
And sloppy. Even certain items ex. Spicy salmon roll.. Keep you guessing as to what's in them... Good for students, budgeters who don't care much about what their eating as to getting fed....terrible service, we payed a 45 dollar tab with a hundred dollar bill and got 5 dollars back! the server insisted we gave her a 50 and wasnt going to give us our money until we stood there and fussed for 10 min til finally they got annoyed with us. :( -
Review from Sabrina W.
Toronto, ON
12/17/2010
I enjoyed this place a lot. Although I've been here 3-4 times, it never fails me on portion size. I only tend to get the sushi, not so much the bento box. I usually spend about $15-$20 dollars, because I order about 3 different kinds of sushi. However, this place is good on the wallet.
I am usually satisfied by the time I'm done. The sushi isn't AMAZING.. but its good for the price.
The crowd is usually college/university students but also some couples ranging from 25s -40s.
The restaurant is pretty big, and has a lot of booths. Ideally it's good for a group of 4. Great place to chill and talk too, but if you are the type that choices atmosphere/ design of the restaurant over food.. then I think this isn't the place for you, as the place is a little weary.
Service is pretty good, they always keep on refilling our tea. The waitresses are kind. -
Review from Nicole H.
Toronto, ON
7/1/2010 3 Check-ins Here
There's so many sushi places on Bloor - i've tried a couple of others like Sushi on Bloor and New Generation - but Big Sushi remains my go-to for fresh, value for money, quick food.
I can't speak to the seafood and other meat menu options, but there's a great range of vegetarian options ranging from sushi specials, regular rolls, noodles and bento. (Be warned if you are vegetarian/vegan, the miso soup at Big Sushi includes a fish-based dashi).
The best option, I find, is to get a mix of rolls - my favourites are the avocado (always fresh and great quality avo) and the tempura yam rolls. Excellent sized portions will leave you stuffed, but wishing you had room for some veggie gyoza or vegetable tempura. Lunch specials are a great deal (for money and for variety of foods), definitely worth a pit stop if you're wandering the Annex on the weekend.
The place itself is a little worn, but it's got a nice charm and is an equally great place to go with a bunch of friends as it is to pop in for a quick bite or takeaway on your own. It can get busy, but their turnaround is pretty good - and there's plenty of booths up the back which they do a good job of fitting everyone in.
I would say, don't take a risk shopping around for a sushi place on Bloor when you have this place as an option! -
Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
9/16/2010
The Annex. Filled with the young-end-of-the-20-somethings, students, and anyone trying to stretch a buck. Easy to do in this neighborhood, especially since most places offer a $5.99 (or close) lunch menu.
I'm not a huge fan of any of them, to be honest, but when I meet with my university friends to remember the annex days long past, we always select Big Sushi.
Don't be deceived when you peek in the door, there is alot more room in the back. As mentioned by other Yelpers, they have booths (!) and can accommodate parties of 8 or so.. plus they will take reservations.
The lunch specials are "meh", as per most of the cheap lunches around here, but they aren't terrible. At dinner, the combos creep up to the $12 range, and they have a decent selection of options although nothing overly creative.
Big Sushi gets an extra star for having my favorite (MAMMOTH) Green Vegetable dragon in the city. Tempura Yam, Avocado, Teriyaki sauce!! It is gigantic, seriously like two-bites-per-piece. ($7.95)
For a while, they were using the white ginger, last visit they were back to the pink. (grr) - 1 point.
Quick, Decent service, Takes Reservations, Cheap Lunch Specials. Not bad.
3.5 Stars. -
Review from Lauren M.
5/22/2010 5 Check-ins Here
Big Sushi is my second favourite on the Bloor/Annex strip.
Things that make it unique from the others:
1) The BIG, comfy booths! Oh yeah. (At Sushi on Bloor I can get crammed into a small table and chair and have to sit near the doorway with 15 people waiting in the queue, talking loudly. This doesn't happen at Big Sushi. I get a huge booth with padded back rest far away from the entrance)
2) The waitresses actually wear kimono tops
3) Relaxing music (jazz usually) playing in the background
4) Plates shaped like a big fish (what can I say, I'm easily amused)
The menu has some unique maki options but for the most part it's a pretty standard menu. The lunch specials aren't *as* cheap as some others, there are a few specials for $5.99 but most are a few bucks more.
I also find the rolls are a bit more plain/basic looking than Sushi on Bloor makes them and the sushi bar area up front isn't as exciting as other places (like New Gen) where you can actually sit and watch things being made. -
Review from Jon S.
Guelph, ON
7/4/2009
My partner and I went to Big Sushi after hitting up the book store across the road.
I ordered a Sushi Pizza and a bowl of Wonton Soup, she ordered the Chicken and Tempura Bento Box.
The only thing I regret about the meal was order soup and sushi, since they were both larger than expected. My partner was unable to finish her lunch box because there was so much food, and I (being the fatter of the two party members) struggled to finish mine, but ultimately prevailed.
The food was not God's gift to lunchtime, but it was far from just "fine". The sushi pizza was flavourful, filling, and really well prepared, and my partner, who was new to restaurant sushi, was overwhelmed by the amount of food given in her Bento. Her chicken was well prepared, the sushi was tasty, and the tempura vegetables were crispy and delicious. The wonton soup was also good, but lost out on flavour compared to my sushi pizza.
All in all a great experience, and one that was worth the trip. I'd eat there again in a heartbeat, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a quick lunch.
Our bill came to 21 dollars for the lunchtime Bento combo A, the sushi pizza, and the bowl of wonton soup. We both had water, so factor in a bit more for drinks. -
Review from Bijan V.
11/23/2008 1 Check-in Here
No doubt what everyone else has said is true. Looking in from outside Big Sushi doesn't look big at all. You see 4 or 5 tables but once you get seated, you take a walk through a never ending hallway to a huge room in the back! Almost makes me feel special, being taken to the "back" room.. or wait, maybe that's not such a good thing haha.
Regardless Big Sushi delivers on their food as well, large portions with cheap prices and actually very good food! I got their black dragon roll as well as a lunch special and not only was I completely full for most of the day, I absolutely loved the black dragon roll!
Service is a bit slow though so don't come here if you're in a rush. But servers are nice, food is good, prices are great, and the place is usually filled. -
Review from Rachel L.
Toronto, ON
12/5/2009
A friend brought me here once. I was hesitant to go because there wasn't a long line at New Gen but I decided to try something new. I can't exactly recall how I reacted to the food, but I think it was overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic.
Being a typical Bloor sushi restaurant, it doesn't score many points on decor, but the servers all wear kimonos and the bathrooms are nice.
Everything about this place is big. The menu has a big selection of special rolls (which are amazing!), the tables and the booths are big, and the sushi is BIG. Plus the price is pretty small, and that is big, too.
My friend and I split edamame and three special rolls. I can't recall their names (the veggie caterpillar, perhaps?) but it they each had various combos of avocado, sweet potato, and maybe salmon. They were wonderful!
The service here is a bit slow but I wasn't in a rush. It's generally lightly packed and I think for our four items, we paid $34 with tax and tip. Not bad, eh? -
Review from Catherine M.
ON
11/21/2008
I love Big Sushi a whole bunch. It was the first sushi place to break me out of the New Gen/Sushi on Bloor loop, which often means waiting in line a lot. But "Big Sushi" isn't a lie - this place has a huge amount of dining room space, and as such, you are virtually guaranteed a table if not when you walk in, then certainly soon thereafter. You might be deceived by the front dining room seeming so small until you head to the back of the restaurants, with roomy (yay!) booths lining the hallway down to another, larger dining room.
It may sound silly, but one of my favorite things when I sit down at Big Sushi is to order a Coke. Usually at sushi places I will just have tea and/or water, but at Big Sushi, they bring you a can of coke and a sort of old-timey soda shoppe glass to pour it in. And the class has been nicely chilled and filled with ice. Silly, yes, but it's the little things, right?
Next up after a tasty cola beverage is an order of the crispy tofu. This dreamy squishy tofu is deep fried and then drizzled with a sweet honey-based sauce. An order comes with three or four pieces and at just a couple of dollars its a great way to start your meal alongside your usual edamame or salads.
Next up on the menu, I enjoy the variety of so-called "specialty rolls", of which Big Sushi features prominent menu pictures (seriously, they have more photos in their menu than I maybe have seen ever, it's practically a children's book). The vegetarian-friendly choices such as their sweet potato/asparagus roll are pretty delicious. The servers are always pleasant and efficient, and I really enjoy a trip to Big Sushi because you can hang out a bit without feeling anxiety that your table is prime real estate. -
Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
11/20/2009
I totalyl thought this place would be gross but everything about it is pretty awesome. Its got a nice clean interior- comfy restaurant. And the lunch specials are cheap. and it IS BIG sushi.
I'd give it 4/5 if I didn't come from Vancouver (where we're almost snobbish about the availability of raw fish)
= ) -
Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
8/20/2008
This is my favorite sushi place in the Annex area. The portions are reflective of its name -- BIG!
Unlike other sushi restaurants on Bloor, the raw fish is actually edible. I never understood why New Generation and Sushi on Bloor were such hot spots. For the same price you can get better portions and quality food at Big Sushi.
The bento boxes are all very generous and inexpensive, but my favorite are the special maki rolls. Spider roll, dragon roll, spicy tuna or salmon rolls, unagi avacado rolls, etc. are all recommended.
The servers are quite nice, though when it is busy, you may be slightly neglected. Excellent value sushi and the best in the Annex. I call it 'the best of the worst'. -
Review from Alejandro A.
Toronto, ON
11/28/2008
First things first: the sushi. I've come here a few times, and the sushi has never really impressed me all that much. I'm sure I'll come back again because it's good enough, but it's certainly not my favourite place to grab some sushi.
What's good about this place? Line-up are usually short or non-existent. The staff who works there is friendly, and the environment is comfortable. You never feel rushed or anything of the sort, and unlike other sushi places, you actually get service once in a while. It's nice to see the staff come by your table once every so often, you know?
Overall this place is a mediocre sushi spot, but a fun place to sit and grab a bite with your friends. -
Review from Gaurav S.
Toronto, ON
2/13/2009
Big Sushi is my favourite "everyday" sushi spot in Toronto.
Fresh ingredients. Good portions. Solid presentation. Definitely well priced. It's like they took a page out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Sushi Island on College has better veggie/vegan options, there are definitely higher-priced joints around town that offer better presentation and ambiance as well. But, on a random run-of-the-mill weekday, Big Sushi's holds it down. Do it! -
Review from Sandra O.
11/7/2008
This place has a super cheap lunch special that rivals even non-sushi hotspots in the nabe. Their lunchtime meals average $6-7, which includes miso soup, iceberg lettuce salad, and unlimited green tea.
Big Sushi's rolls are definitely big. Their Spicy Maki Combo ($10.50) has got to be one of the most filling on their menu. It's just rolls upon rolls of spicy salmon/tuna stuffed with tempura bits to add crunchy texture. For dinner, my boyfriend and I split this dish with their Veggie Maki combo ($10) to make a complete meal for ~$20 (includes soup and salad for both).
The front of the restaurant is deceiving as it looks quite small. But their back area is huge and if you are a "OMG! I love booths!" type of person, this place is your friend.
Unlike 'New Generation' and 'Sushi on Bloor', Big Sushi actually de-veins their shrimp! I stopped going to New Gen because I was so sick and tired of losing my appetite over Dynamite rolls that have little black dots of poop and silt in the cross-section of the shrimp. Yo, that is gross.
I agree with the first reviewer--At peak times, you may feel neglected. The wait staff tend to get flustered during prime dining hours.
I offer 4 out of 5 because it's not highly sophisticated sushi. But for their location, portions, and comfortable seating, it's a deal! -
Review from Alex x.
NORTH YORK, ON
8/4/2010
As good as it gets if you're looking for pretty darn good sushi on a tight budget. I love my spicy salmon here, they always make it tasty (all other rolls are pretty good), black dragon or green dragons are good too. My favourite sushi restaurant on Bloor st, hands down. You'll see lots of UofT kids here, but they all behave and keep quiet, due to the big-servings of sushi shining in front of them, keeping them busy.
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Review from Tom J.
Toronto, ON
7/16/2010
This was a decent Sushi restaurant dressed up like a dive Sushi restaurant. Upon first entering, I was ready to turn around. The layout was a little awkward, the fixtures and furniture dated and the wait staff all seemed a bit frazzled but we decided to try it out anyway. The selection of food was decent and the portions were generous. The beer was luke warm and served in what looked like an Ice cream Sunday glass dish. The presentation and taste were a little above average so if it not for the general feel of the place I would have given a 4.
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Review from Fiona L.
Toronto, ON
4/5/2010
Interesting Makis and more bang for the buck.
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Review from Anonymous A.
11/9/2008
Excellent food, merely okay service. The place wasn't even that busy and still there was a long wait.
Bento boxes are tasty, and agreed with the other reviewer Neil they are relatively inexpensive and generous. The lunch special is also great.
