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Hiro Sushi Restaurant
Categories: Event Planning & Services Caterers Restaurants Sushi Bars Caterers, Sushi Bars [Edit]
171 King St EToronto, ON M5A 1J4
Neighbourhood: Corktown
(416) 304-0550
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 12 pm - 2:30 pm
Tue-Sat 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
About This Business:
An eclectic and beautiful Cooking Studio that is ideal for: Private Dining for 10 to 30 people; Interactive & Hands-on Cooking Classes; Interactive… read more »
25 reviews for Hiro Sushi Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"We ordered in the omakase style and I must admit, WE WERE..." In 6 reviews -
"BUTTERFISH (regular and smoked." In 5 reviews -
"Most interesting Japanese cuisine." In 8 reviews
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Eric L.
Toronto, ON
4/3/2012
Had a nice prix fixe meal for $45. Included a soup, a starter, a main, and then 6 pieces of Nigiri and a 3 piece cucumber roll. All were very good - the starter was delightful, and several of the Nigiri were unique that I have never had before. I will return, and try to sit at the sushi bar, where I would have preferred to sit, although it said reserved and I'm not sure why, as it didn't seem to be fully occupied.
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Review from Sharky L.
Toronto, ON
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is the rave of lots of people, saying they have the best sushi here. Came here with my girlfriend and my other couple friend. For some odd reason everyone was impressed with the neat scooper that was used to get your soya sauce from the cup that it came in. Tip to restaurants, add this and you can increase your prices by 10% at least!
The salad was too salty and the food took a very long time to come. My friend did the ordering since it was his suggestion. He ordered a bunch or items but was surprised with the fact that each order only comes in 2 pieces, we had to double the food.
The sushi was good. I guess by him talking so much about it primed me to think it tasted better. It wasn't cold and it was warm and soggy, it had a good texture but I personally did not see what all the rave was about.
Like Karen G said I don't think it's worth it for the prices they charges but if you go and sit in front of the Chef as he performs then it might enhance your experience. -
Review from Richard L.
North York, ON
2/18/2012
Worst japanese food ever.
Took about an hour for 3 rolls to arrive, they were extremely small, and tasted bland. on top of that the tables are so close together.
wouldn't come here if it was free. i think even the chinese-japanese food restaurants serve better food than this.
go to kirei instead, it is light-yrs ahead. -
Review from Karen G.
Toronto, ON
7/10/2011
Call me low brow, but for the astronomical prices they charge here, I didn't find the quality or the taste of the fish much different from the average western sushi joint. I ordered the chef's platter, and was impressed by the lack of "fishiness" in some of the cuts like eel and mackrel. You could tell they were very good cuts. And the addition of garnishes like garlic and basil was a nice touch. However, when it came to the maki rolls, I found them lacking in flavour.
If you want a full belly, one average person would easily have to spend over $100. I came and left hungry. The service was lacking, and we got attitude from the waitress when we didn't order a second round of sushi or any dessert. We paid our $60 bill with $80 in cash, and the waitress assumed the extra $20 was a tip.
Not worth the cash and pretentiousness. I'll stick to Tokyo Kitchen down the street and get comparable freshness and taste for half the price - even if the bathroom is in the parking garage. -
Review from Floyd M.
Etobicoke, ON
6/1/2011
Hiro is in my top 3 list for Toronto sushi restaurants! The chef's choice platter is the way to go or the Omikase style if money is no object.
I go to Hiro more often than the other high end sushi restaurants because the $/value you get for such authentic and high quality Japanese style sushi is unmatched.
The ambiance and feel of the place is also very authentic, just like in Tokyo. -
Review from Lindsey W.
3/27/2011
Hiro may have completely ruined sushi for me as this place (and the sushi chef Hiro) are so good that I don't think any other sushi will ever compare. Everything here is quite delicious and you MUST sit at the sushi bar and just get whatever Hiro puts on your plate. It is the only way to eat here.
Here are a few of the highlights of our dinner:
-Bottomless, sweet, cold and delicious Sake
-Flight of salmon (smoked, salted and wrapped in tea leaves and regular)
-BUTTERFISH (regular and smoked)
-Spanish Makarel
-Monk Fish
-Fried Red Snapper
Honestly I must have tried at least 20 different types of sushi. You know the place is good when the chef is slicing fresh ginger root and grinding his own wasabi. Anyone that doesn't think this place is incredible is seriously jaded and needs a good kick in the pants. -
Review from M W.
Markham, ON
Most interesting Japanese cuisine.
I love Japanese food, and the menu here is ok, but there are certain things that I just never had elsewhere.
The mackerel salad was one of them!
Raw Spanish mackerel, topped with hot sesame oil and ponzu sauce! Wow!
Something else that was very different was the veggie tempura. Hiro's version is shredded veggies deep fried in a light tempura batter. Very interesting!
Its a bit pricy but worth the experience.
Would go back for some of the rarer menu items.
Not sure I would go often though. This definately not a first date type of place! -
Review from Betty M.
3/1/2011
This place is not for the average diner. It is quite expensive for what it is. This was our first stop after checking in at the hotel and it left us wondering is Canada really this expensive?
We had a Sushi Deluxe, though it would have been a Regular in US standards maybe? 9 pieces of sushi and a roll set us back 45 CAD. We also ordered Wagyu Beef appetizer that came to be 18 CAD. The sushi pieces we got were not at all premium and the beef was the size of a half dollar coin, seriously. I do have to give props that it has some authentic Japanese dishes, but nothing I would grovel over.
With taxes of 13%, tip, and no remote satisfaction of any of the items that we tasted, we had to rate it poorly. It's average food at upscale prices. Even the atmosphere or service did not merit the price tag.
If I had to do it again, I'd head off to Japango for a better experience. -
Review from Chad T.
10/28/2010
It's hard to imagine what people would complain about here. This has to be one of the best, authentic sushi places I've been to outside of Tokyo and Sushi Yasuda. Really really fresh fish, perfectly cut. You won't get any dragon rolls or rainbow rolls here.
If you're non-japanese he may serve you a really spicy hotategai handroll, and tell you it's a Gaijin-Roll. Look it up. -
Review from Kay X.
Mississauga, ON
3/17/2011 6 photos
Hiro sushi is the best sushi in Toronto! In our omakase, we had monk fish liver in three styles: steamed sashimi with ponzu sauce, boiled sashimi, and sushi . The smoked butterfish, which is also highly recommended on yelp, is also impressive. The flavor of smoke and the texture of smoked fish combined perfectly. I highly recommend the sweet shrimp sushi - delicate texture and a trace of sweetness.
Overall, Hiro sushi is my favorite sushi place in Toronto. Serious chef, delicious food and reasonable price. -
Review from Jean M.
Thornhill, ON
3/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Just returned from my wonderful diner with Hiro. What a pleasure. I can waste everyone's time saying all the things people usually say but I will keep it short.
Quality 5/5
Service 5/5
Ambiance 5/5
If you are expecting Memories of Japan or any of the Korean sushi places then save yourself a trip. However, if you wish perfection. Don't be cheap. Go for the whole experience.
oh and try the salmon trio!! -
Review from August L.
Freshness:
I am not a sushi expert at any means however I do know I can get very sick if the sushi is even so slightly not fresh. Hiro Sushi is one of the few places where I didn't have to run to the bathroom after my meal so I give it a 4 star for freshness. The only thing I was concerned with was the freshness of the octopus. My friend recently had very fresh octopus. It was chopped up and served to her on a plate. The funny thing is that the chopped pieces were still moving after 45min. My octopus however at Hiro was not moving. I am not sure whether this means my octopus dish was to be served differently.
Cost
This place is definitely not for students. I was lucky enough to have a friend take me to celebrate the passing of one of my exams. For 2 of us, it cost $160 before tip. We had one Sushi Platter/Chef's Choice and one Omakase. We only drank tea, no alcohol. The Omakase came with 4 appetizer dishes (beef tongue, turnip dumpling, a variety of sashimi, anchovi salad (I think)) and 1 Sushi tray. I uploaded pics for your liking! I know I always like to see pics!
Staff
The staff was very attentive but I think it was b/c there were only a total of 14 people going in and out during my time there (my dinner was about 2 hours long on a Saturday night). Hiro is great to watch. He has a stature of a Karate Master. But his assistant is good to look at too. Really cute and winked at me ;)
If you're not a sushi expert, you will not be able to appreciate the authenticity of the restaurant. So I would suggest going somewhere in Korean town nearby. Otherwise, had a great time! -
Review from Vanessa G.
Toronto, ON
8/22/2008
I went to Hiro Sushi with high expectations. Many had said it was on par if not better than Ki Sushi on Bay and I have to say I was really disappointed with the whole experience.
I went with three other people for a business dinner and the service was absolutely appalling. They sat us at the front of the restaurant and practically ignored us for the entire night. We were at the restaurant for three hours!
We waited 45 minutes between courses and when the food arrived it was sub-par. None of the sushi was especially distinctive or unique. The toro belly was the only saving grace, but the for the price and wait time, it definitely wasn't worth it.
If you want a really delicious upscale sushi experience where the wait staff actually pay attention to their customers, go to Ki and have the chef's selection - you will not be disappointed! -
Review from Joyees Y.
Scarborough, ON
1/13/2010
I think this place is ok. It is ok, ok, ok.
The atmosphere is nice, very simple and comfortable decor. Also, the waitstaff was really friendly.
I had a sushi combo which came with miso soup with salad. The miso soup was nice, full of flavor without being too salty. The salad was good! I hate salad but I liked this one, nice balance of acidity and salinity and they had a good selection of leafy greens, not the usual watery bland iceberg lettuce.
The sushi selection was nice, some I haven't tried before like the smoked butterfish which I liked. Not too conventional which is good since I'm bored of salmon and tuna already. It was fresh but I thought my rice was too warm.
My boyfriend ordered a shrimp tempura roll. It was good for what it was. We also had toro, it was good (it was toro, duh!) but I've had better for sure.
But I must complain about the potato, it was a braised potato for six dollars. ONE potato. SIX dollars. Not like a regular sized potatoes but a small potato, like you'll cut it in half and roast it to accompany a steak. Those ones. SIX DOLLARS.
Anyways, this place is better than the average McSushi place by far but the price...I think Le Cafe Michi is the better slightly pricey sushi joint. -
Review from Zachary C.
11/2/2009
I visited Toronto a few months after being in Tokyo. The first thing I said after eating at Hiro Sushi was that the place would easily be at home in Shibuya or Shinjuku charging twice the price. I was honestly blown away that I could find sushi this good so far outside of Japan.
Truly master class sushi in an amazing town. -
Review from Derrick C.
4/3/2011
Excellent sushi house in downtown Toronto. Had the omakase there, it was very good although if you get omakase it could be pricey.
Food:
many courses of monk fish liver (ponzu, sushi, sashimi) - enjoyed it
smoked butter fish sashimi and sushi - I'm normally not a big fan of butterfish, but this was excellent!
Sweet shrimp sashimi and sushi - good as always
Long island clam mussel - This was new for me, delicious
Seared Toro sushi - very good, comparable to the ones I've had in Sushi of Gari in NY
mackerel sushi - very good, no fishy taste as all, better than many other mackerels i've had
Many other courses of tuna/salmon/etc...Please get the omakase when you go... -
Review from Hiromi N.
8/10/2009
Yum, yum and yum. I must thank my expert on Toronto, Miss Marianne, for taking us to Hiro's. There were four of us in the party, seated at the sushi bar and we were treated to excellent and attentive service from the waitstaff and the sushi chef himself.
We ordered in the omakase style and I must admit, WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED. The traditional flavors were clean, crisp and hauntingly Japanese. It reminded me very much of my dining experiences in Japan with my mom and her family and as my friends savored each morsel, I delved into each bite with full force as my happy memories of Japan caught up with me. I felt as if I had come full circle and had gone to my happy place.
That night, Hiro started us off with 3 appetizer dishes: 1) filleted mackarel prepared in ceviche like style, drenched in warm sesame seed oil, 2) tempura prepared fig with winter melon and 3)steaming hot green pea soup. Then, we went through a piece by piece presentation of several different type of nigiri sushi that I can't even remember....marinated tuna, toro, mackerel, sardine, butterfish, a salmon trio, Isaki, taco (which I didn't partake of)...and many more...In addition, he gave us a wasabi roll (fresh wasabi) to cleanse our palate and sinuses!!! We finished off dinner with strawberry sorbet with spicy raspberry/strawberry sauce. We also partook of 2 bottles of SAKE!
What I appreciate about my experience is that the FISH was showcased. It wasn't about the crazy, modern style rolls or overpowering the fish with wasabi or rice. The portion size of the nigiri roll is not meant to be more than bite size. In my opinion, the fish should speak louder than the surrounding. It should be the star of the show. In the case of the sushi at Hiro's, the fish is an A-LIST celebrity and nothing less.
I can honestly say that this is the BEST sushi that I've had in North America so far (including NYC, Seattle, SF...) and I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit to Toronto because of my experience here.
As for specifics...it isn't cheap, but not expensive for the quality of service and food that you get. 4 people, ordering omikase, 2 bottles of sake = $400+, not inlcuding tip. -
Review from Dave J.
Toronto, ON
12/1/2011
This is just a great place. I have been coming here for 10 years and have never had a bad meal. The fish is fresh and delicious, and the service is good even if communication is a bit of a challenge. (Hey, it's authentic.) Yes, it costs more than the "average western sushi place", as one reviewer wrote - perhaps 50% more than the myriad nondescript sushi joints - but you get what you pay for. If you want average western sushi, don't come here. But if you are discerning about your sushi, don't mind spending a bit more and want Toronto's best sushi (aside from the crazily expensive kaiseki places in the burbs, where you will pay through the nose to eat well), this is the place to go.
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Review from Hratch P.
Toronto, ON
8/6/2008
As the debut of http://Yelp.ca coincides with a business dinner at my favorite neighborhood sushi shop, I have to oblige. (This has nothing to do with your repeated orders LW)
Right in the St. Lawrence market area, any local sushi lovers should feel lucky to have Hiro around.
Let's get a few things straight. You go to Hiro to have great sushi (or sashimi), sample the authentic Japanese app specials of the day, and sip quality sake. You will not sake bomb, you will not feel like you're in a swanky lounge, and you will not order multicoloured rolls inspired by the latest trend. If you're looking for yet another trendy Japanese fusion place you're probably better off at say, Blowfish on King West. However, if you're in the mood for a fairly traditional Japanese experience and fresh fish in an understated yet comfortable environment you'll be hard pressed to find better in downtown Toronto as evidenced by Hiro's patrons.
The fish is always fresh so keep an eye out for specials of the day. Hiro prepares his sushi with generous amounts of his freshly prepared wasabi and suggests that you don't add any more to his specially seasoned soy sauce. Trust me, unless your taste buds are defective you will not need it. The sushi has a noticeable but pleasant kick to it so if this doesn't sit well with you make sure to let them know when you order and they'll happily leave it out.
Best way to enjoy it: Go sit at Hiro's sushi bar with a friend, order a few of the appetizers from the day's specials, and then go for omakase sushi, letting Hiro serve you his best. You'll probably pay close to $50-60 for your food plus drinks. -
Review from Duke L.
Toronto, ON
4/8/2009
A couple of the negative reviews compelled me to sign up and write my first review.
I have been to Hiro a few times, and I couldn't disagree more with those reviews. Hiro is among one of the few exceptional truly Japanese-run sushi restaurants that truly remind me of the sushi bars in Japan. The fish is of exceptional freshness, and everything coming from Chef Hiro Yoshida's blade is of excellent quality and craftsmanship, understated but so evidently there for the discerning. I'm not sure traditional would be the word that I'd use, as there is such sublime originality in some of his dishes, but definitely there will be no "Super Dragonfly Six-Color Spicy Mayonnaise Special King St. Roll" on the menu.
Omakase is definitely the way to go at this place - Chef Yoshida definitely comes from the traditional rigors of sushi chef training.
I think a problem with Toronto is that we're spoiled with a wealth of sushi places, and being in North America, these joints tend toward a Western palate that involves fancy rolls that originate more from the Pacific shoreline of our neighbors down south than the fishing villages in Japan. We're a city that grew up on a lot of bad sushi, and most people think the crap stuff is actually the way it should be. A good 90% of sushi joints in Toronto are serving the Japanese food equivalent of sweet and sour chicken balls (a nifty invention passed off as Chinese food to unsuspecting and unschooled in Chinese food for decades). Our sorry lack of knowledge about Japanese cuisine, is how chi-chi lack of substance places like Ki are even allowed existence. In any N.A. city that knows their fish, e.g. like Vancouver or NYC, Ki would sink within 3 months.
I can't even begin to fathom how you can compare the two. I guess it's the age-old culinary battle of the so-called trendy avant-garde vs. the purists. It's like comparing good old Ribeye from Barberian's to a baseball mitt of a steak from the Keg mansion - for some it's both steak, and the Keg mansion may be better atmosphere, but Barberians will smoke the Keg on every cut.
That said, it's really a matter of individual preference. Bottom line is if you like a spoonful of mayo with your rainbow rolls and the gullible ambiance of faux-Asia, go to Ki, but if you really like raw fish and you're a sashimi eater, go to Hiro. Authentic Japanese and nothing but.Listed in: Sushi
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Review from hmmmm l.
Scarborough, ON
Updated - 10/4/2010
We have been restaurant hopping and decided to try this place since it was suppose to be authentic.
If you are going to come here to eat sushi or sashimi I recommend you not.
The sushi isn't cut properly, some had fish bones left inside, and mr hiro even forgot to cut off a part of the tail of the fish and served it to us in the form of sushi.
I have been to Japan 3 times and the sushi is not seasoned properly. Aji is a very fishy type of fish that needs to be seasoned with ginger and green onions mr hiro forgot.
No service, asked for water 3 times, asked for wasabi 2 times.
Shattered glass pieces onto us, with no apologies and no care or concern if they injured us.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/1/2010
I saw some reviews and a couple of my friends and I decided to try the place out.
I expected a lot… Read more »
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Review from Maxine S.
Montréal, QC
9/7/2011
respectable and traditional. always a great meal.
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Review from JP B.
5/14/2010
Fact: high quality fish, screamingly fresh and exquisitely prepared is inherently expensive stuff, traditionally served in small portions. My sashimi dinner here was a steal at $20-some, albeit a very light supper. But a less experienced dining companion had real trouble negotiating the menu and left unsatisfied. If your concept of sushi is California rolls and the like you may want to put off a visit to Hiro. If you're looking for an undiluted Japanese sushi experience look no further.
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Review from J B.
7/21/2010
Ugh. Where to begin. Horrible service - one hostess/waitress was primarily focused on organizing/checking paperwork, leaving the entire restaurant to the other waitress. Every time we looked for her to ask for something, we noticed that most of the other diners were doing exactly the same thing, and didn't seem very happy about it. Tiny portions of very average food at high prices, presented in a very unimaginative manner (please don't tell me this is somehow "authentic" - I've dined in Japan many times and never had such mediocre food in tiny portions with such abysmal service).
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Review from Mia P.
4/3/2009
I think if people are going to Hiro and comparing it to places like Ki, they are of course going to be disappointed. It's a totally different, and as a previous poster mentioned, more traditional experience. Old school but good!
