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Sushi Couture
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
456 Bloor Street WToronto, ON M5R
Neighbourhood: The Annex
(416) 538-8618
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 11:30 am - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 11:30 pm
Sun 1 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
48 reviews for Sushi Couture
Review Highlights
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"The BC Tuna melts in your mouth." In 3 reviews -
"The prices are very reasonable, e." In 3 reviews -
"...the ultimate winner on the list is the Sushi Couture maki." In 16 reviews
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48 reviews in English
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Review from Natalie B.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2012
Best sushi on the Bloor annex strip. Apparently the chef at Sushi Couture used to be at Japango (which is also excellent compared to your standard Toronto sushi joint)- it shows.
Sashimi dinner- yes. Sashimi don- yes. Signature sushi couture roll- yes. Nasu dengaku- yes. The name of the restaurant (a play on Juicy Couture I'm assuming?)- no. But if this is one of the worst things about Sushi Couture, I think it's safe to give it 4/5 stars. -
Review from Tammy Y.
3/6/2012
Sushi Couture falls in that middle ground between cheapo-depot sushi (see New Gen/Sushi On Bloor) and tasty, but pricey, good stuff (see Japango, Solo Sushi).
Decor is lounge-y, music choice was definitely very Kenny G.-inspired.
Sushi prices are reasonable - a sashimi dinner and a couple of maki rolls were plenty for 2 people to share. Service is friendly and attentive.
In short: if you're in the mood for sushi, aren't looking for a particularly "special" experience, it's a nondescript weekday, but are also suspicious of ridiculously cheap fish, Sushi Couture is a good option. -
Review from Maheen M.
1/30/2012
***4.5 stars ***
Sushi Couture is one of the many sushi spots in the Annex area. My SO and I decided to check it out after reading a few yelp reviews that gave this place positive reviews. The signage of this place makes it look very deceiving. The decor inside is quite trendy and tastefully done up. The seating is comfortable and spacious; makes you want to sit and enjoy your meal unlike the other cramped sushi spots in the Annex.
The fish was fresh and rolls did not have excessive amount of rice. Try their spicy salmon, it is very interesting, not like any other spicy salmon roll I have tried before - careful it does pack some heat.
Price range is competitive to the other sushi spots - we ordered two rolls & dinner special which came to ~$40 with tip. Our server was super friendly, she even brought us an extra miso soup for no charge.
Check Sushi Couture if you are in the Annex area! -
Review from J Y.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 5/14/2012
The food here is still good.
The service? Worse than last time. The waiter/waitress there at the time took a while to get back to us. Several people in my group ordered meals that came with salad and miso soup. They forgot the soup.
It wasn't busy at all. I don't know if it was just a bad day for them or if it's a common occurrence there, but I'm less inclined to go there with a group again.
But the food is good. I still recommend the soft shell crab for those who like shellfish. Chicken karaage is good too.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/17/2012
Celebrated a birthday here. Our waiter was nice and helpful with telling us about the menu. The… Read more »
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Review from Pavel B.
Toronto, ON
10/7/2011 4 photos
Hey guys,
I've had a chance to come here with coworkers and by myself a few times, and have always been impressed with the freshness of the fish, prices and atmosphere.
This is hands down the best sushi place in the area.
The one downer is that the staff has a tendency to bring out the food at different times so you can expect to wait 15 minutes between the first and last dishes arriving at the table.
Overall, I totally recommend it. -
Review from Vivian W.
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here on a Friday night after volleyball. I liked their food, definitely one of the better ones among all the sushi restaurants in the Annex; but maybe some more staff training would be appreciated.
Food - we ordered a bunch of makis to share. My favourite one is their House Roll "Couture Maki" (something like that). It is their most expensive one, but worth the try! It got some seared scallop on top and more like california roll inside.
If you want some more budget meal, I suggest you to order their combos, they have good mix of different makis in their maki combo (unlike places that just give you california rolls)
Service - because we got their pretty late, and we walked in with 12 people, I didn't expect too much. However, after settling down for 10 minutes, things should be in order. For example, we didn't have our own dish for soya sauce (they ran out of it, I guess they were not washed yet). Both soya sauce bottles on our table were completely empty. They asked us to take our seats when we walked in, and later, they forgot that they haven't cleaned our tables yet, and thought the tea cups left over on the table from previous customers were ours... that's like after sitting down 15-20 mins, when we asked for tea/water.
Service is not the best, but I will go back for their maki. -
Review from Rob C.
Toronto, ON
11/14/2011
Let me be frank, food was more of a 4-5 rating. Some of the freshest sushi I've had. The light searing on some items brought out some extraordinary flavours. The service though friendly was quite slow and I was there a times when there were no more then 3 tables in the restaurant.
If money is not an issue and you want to be adventurous I highly recommend having the chef's menu tour. Not everything was necessarily something I would normally order but they were interesting and small portions to help explore the menu.
Will definitely go back and hope they can pick up the pace ;) -
Review from Susan G.
8/19/2011 1 photo
I ended up at Sushi Couture one night to curb my sushi craving. The original plan was to go to New Gen or Sushi on Bloor, but they were both packed - this place had no line and really wasn't that full, which made me slightly nervous, but we decided what the hell and gave it a try.
I was pleasantly surprised! First of all, I'm a sucker for "trendy" decor in a restaurant, it just makes the experience so much better for me - and Sushi Couture definitely has it. Our service was really good, in fact the waiter realized pretty quickly how much water we were going to drink (hey, I like water!) and brought us over a jug, which is soooo much better for everyone involved.
Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. It was the kind of sushi that when they bring it to you, you just know it's going to be amazing because it looks like it was made with love! (no, not love, fresh ingredients).
We had a green dragon roll, spicy salmon and scallop, yam and avocado, and a wakame salad (NOTE: this is big enough for two, which makes the $5 price totalyl reasonable!) and it was all really good.
I secretly wish this place was a bit cheaper though, some of the rolls were around $11-$12 which is just too much for me - but their descriptions were amazing, so hey maybe they're worth it.
All in all, I think Sushi Couture may have stolen the role of "my go-to sushi place on Bloor". -
Review from Jiao S.
10/23/2011 3 photos
Like most sushi lovers working downtown, I tried to squeezed myself into Japango for lunch, where you have to watch the way you sit, otherwise, your lunch buddy's miso soup will be all over you. But that place still packed, we love it.
That is why, when I read on Toronto life that the chef from Sushi couture was trained in Japango for like 5 yrs (or 7yrs?) I wanted to try it right away.
After a year lol, finally I went to this place. I will give Japango a 4 but here a 3.
At a glance of sushi bar, I can see fish is absolutely fresh, kept in wooden box, very authenthic way. So that I ordered Chiriashi right away, and my friend ordered Sashimi Don. We also ordered a deep fried soft shell crab as appetizer.
Love the soft shell crab, juicy and crispy, dipping some vinegar, PERFECT.
Chirashi was beautifully displayed in a box using unagi don tho, love the butter fish, very good.
Sashimi don is more like the Korean way, that you eat it together with the hot sauce. My friend enjoyed it.
The inner deco is very trendy and tasteful, even the tea cup is nice.
I might be too picky but.. I expected a little bit more variety in my Chirashi (just one more kind will be good ), also, I think.. it is suppose to served in a round bowl. Also, I hope the owner can spend some extra to upgrade the menu a little bit.
Maybe too many plants indoor, there were small insects all the time around my table, kinda annoying later. -
Review from Ana W.
2/6/2012
Although the service was poor, no tea refills, and the restaurant was not even busy, the Chirashi was good. White tuna sashimi was prepared really well - different from other Japanese restaurants.
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Review from Zoe R.
6/5/2011 2 photos
I had to have sushi last night. We hit a few other sushi spots, but there were line ups. Prob. the sushi there was good, but we wanted pronto service and pronto food, so we ended up at Sushi Couture. Prices there seemed to be the going rate.
The place was almost all full, but we managed to get seated right near the front in no time. I ordered one miso soup ($1.00, good but salty); one veg maki (6 pieces, $3.99); partook in my fella's grilled eggplant (gross, SKIP this one, about $4.00); and one serving of Inari sushi* (unless you're just getting out of prison and have been craving inari since slammer-time, SKIP their overpriced Inari -- at $3.50 for two SMALL pieces, I actually felt insulted by their limited portion size). *You can get a better idea of how small they are by checking out the pics that I'm going to upload right after I post this review.
All pickled ginger that came with the sushi was white not pink in colour. I like that b/c I prefer the idea of avoiding red/any dye in my diet.
Service was more than alright. We had this young 20-something Japanese server who schooled us on something relatig to the Japanese language and even natto. I've lived in Japan, and never knew that stinky-but-loved-by-some natto beans originated from the northern part of Japan (an area called Niko). He chatted a wee bit with us, but then left each time before we could even associate him w/ the idea of overstaying his spot.
What's interesting is that we had more than one server. Two different servers kept an eye on who needed more water (during their idle time), we had others come in from the back of the restaurant to bring us some of the food orders. Hey, nothing wrong with not waiting too long for food. :)
Not everyone was Japanese, one of the three sushi chefs was Korean, the other was possibly Chinese. Still, the sushi arrived well rolled (that's one sign of good sushi, no?)
Nice setting, but beware of fingerprints on your dishes. Not a big deal, just ask for another set and the server will MAKE SURE that your next set of dishes arrive definitely CLEAN.
Would we come again? We'd be open to it. Thing is, I'm also curious about some of the other sushi hot spots on Bloor... So eventually, I do see us being back... -
Review from Ellie A.
5/7/2011
When I think "couture" I think Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Rucci, Pierre Cardin. I think dripping jewels and extravagant hats. I think parties that I'm not invited to. Sushi Couture is more like the Gap. Decent quality but not exactly the cutting edge.
This restaurant is a mixed bag. It has some of the freshest, loveliest fish on the sushi strip (aka Bloor street), but the service is bad and so is their consistency. I had one meal here that was lovely and one that was terrible - maybe they were training a new sushi chef that night?
I ordered four handrolls that were rolled so poorly that two of them slowly started falling over in their little handroll stands and almost spilled out their contents on the table. My husband's veggie sushi rolls were fine, but small. Vegetarians take note: you'll have more luck and variety at the old standby (aka Sushi on Bloor) than this spot.
While we were sitting at our table, waiting 45 minutes for our sushi to come to the table, customers on both sides of us had orders come to their table wrong or not come at all. Again, maybe it was an off-night, but with a name like "couture" it was a real disappointment.
Next time, diamonds on the rims of the teacups?...
Vegetarian score: 5/10. You can dine once or twice, but then you exhaust your options. -
Review from Jaime Y.
Toronto, ON
6/20/2011
In the Annex, there are probably close to five or so "Japanese" sushi restaurants that scatter the area from Spadina to Bathurst. Of all the sushi joints on the block, I can say that Sushi Couture offers the freshest and tastiest fish. I'm giving Sushi Couture 4 stars just because of the quality of the fish. When I came back from visiting the West Coast, I was dying for some fresh sashimi that could rival the quality of Vancouver--without spending an arm and a leg, Sushi Couture comes the closest!
For those ol' skool sashimi fans, the Sashimi Dinner offers the an assortment of the daily fresh fish of the day. There is usually always butterfish/whitefish, salmon and tuna. One thing that the Chef does differently is he sometimes torches the top of the whitefish and adds a dab of garlic oil. For those ol' skool sashimi fans (like my Dad), this does not go over well. Sashimi is not supposed to have anything on it except for wasabi and soy sauce. I do, however, enjoy the torching and garlic sauce, but sometimes the chef adds a little too much garlic oil--when that happens, it's not good. The Chirashi dinner has a slight garlic oil on the rice. My ol' skool Dad did not like this and wanted the traditional sushi/chirashi rice. I like it!...and you will too, if you're willing to bend on the traditional chirashi rice rule :)
All of the dinners come with a bowl of miso soup and a small salad. The miso is good, not too salty (according to my Japanese miso tastebuds) and the salad has a nice soy based (I think?) base. The lettuce and veggies in the salad are always fresh. One other thing that the waiter does is come around to fill up my tea cup. In Japanese restaurants, you should never have to ask to fill up your tea cup and servers should always make sure that you have tea if you want it.
Sometimes if you order some sashimi, you could be lucky enough to get some FRESH WASABIIIIIIII!!!!! This is almost unheard of in Toronto and it is tasty as heck! I always order the Ikura (large fish eggs) and 95% of the time I get fresh wasabi with it. It's such a treat and it really adds a different taste to the Ikura and to my sashimi. If you feel lucky, ask the waiter if you can have fresh wasabi...I guarantee you'll think about it every time you use the tube-squeezed-green-dyed generic wasabi that you find in most "japanese" sushi restaurants. By "japanese" I really mean...
Of the special maki roles, they are all good! But the ultimate winner on the list is the Sushi Couture maki. I can't describe what is in it (brain fart), but it's topped with torched white fish and has lots of those little red eggs on top of it. If you're going to try a role, try to be a little adventurous and steer towards the sushi couture maki and order your California roll or red dragon roll another time.
Overall, the restaurant is nicely decorated and not overcrowded. Sometimes the waiters are a tad slow, but they've been getting better each time I see them. Also, don't expect your sushi rolls to come out in 5 minutes like all those pre-made roles that you get with your bento box from the other "japanese" restaurants on the block. Each order is made when you order, so sometimes it takes a little longer than usual. So, although Sushi Couture is not the most authentic Japanese restaurant, they really serve quality fish at a decent price....and with that, I am satisfied! -
Review from Payam Z.
9/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sushi Couture deserves allllmost three stars! I usually expect my sushi dinners to be quick and hassle free, but when you have essentially only one person seating and serving a packed restaurant on a Friday night, you will have a problem! To elaborate, our first set of rolls took almost 40 mins to arrive (maybe they forgot?) and by the time the second set arrived, I wasn't very hungry anymore!
The choices for the rolls aren't as extensive as usual which makes selection a bit easier! The butter yaki maki was excellent and I would say it is probably the best roll at Couture. The spicy tuna was almost too spicy for me and aside from that the rest of the rolls and gyoza were standard!
So the service almost killed it for me, but on the bright side the space is clean/new and the fish quality and freshness is above the prices charged! -
Review from SB M.
8/26/2011
Have been here 3 times.
First time, food was very good, service was awful.
Second time, food was good, service was awful.
Third time, food was mediocre, service was awful.
There's not going to be a fourth time. I admit that they have some items on the menu that are nice and that are different from other sushi restaurants. I enjoy getting to try new things. But if your service is going to be bad, you've got to provide consistently special food. This place just doesn't do that. -
Review from Anni L.
7/18/2011
I accidentally fell upon this place when i tagged along with a few of my friends to have dinner. This place was selected by the culinary guru among my circle of friends. As the name would suggest, I expected the place to be new, trendy, and hip. I was not disappointed.
As I walked in, there was a sushi chef with a torch flambe some rolls. We were promptly seated and the waiter came to inquire immediately on our drink orders.
The decor itself is very modern given this place is fairly new. It is your typical hip japanese sushi place that you see often as these new places keep sprouting about.
Across the street closeby was a huge line up for Sushi on Bloor which I have been before...known mostly for quantity rather than quality, atleast in my book. This place however was half empty as not many people seem to know of this small hideout.
I ordered the chirashi sushi which came fairly promptly. The butterfish, the salmon, and this other white fish all had alot of flavor, to my surprise. Most sushi places in Toronto serve sushi that is ok, but lacking flavour.
I had a good experience and the price was reasonable given that our meals were around $18-20 per person. The service and food were good. The restaurant was clean and had a good ambiance. I would definitely go back. -
Review from David N.
12/13/2011
Why five stars? It's as simple as this: Torontonians should get down on their knees and thank the Goddess that they have a place to order sushi of this quality at these prices, where you can actually sit down and enjoy eating it. Instead, we see self-indulgent little 1- and 2-star Yelp tantrums that pass for reviews by people who hold this place to standards appropriate for places charging far more.
This place may not stand alone, but it is clearly one of just a handful of sushi joints in town that distinguish themselves from the pack by the sheer quality of the fare, regardless of price. And at these prices, this place is simply remarkable, and folks would do well to keep that in mind as a balance to any occasional lapse in service, especially during peak hours. O.K.?
Love the Sushi Couture Roll and the eggplant appetizer (which does include a coating of katsuobushi shavings, so be forewarned, all you lovers of westernized sushi). -
Review from Rochelle L.
Toronto, ON
4/13/2011
As a patron of many of the different sushi places that are in the Annex, my attitude is meh they are all the same. Well this is not the case. I went for lunch with a colleague who has a slightly more adventurous palate then myself. She raved about the more unique rolls, including one with blowtorch seared salmon on top of a spicy almost california roll type of roll. Not wanting to seem too fussy I went with it. Well she gets a huge high five for that. The name of the roll fails me at the moment but it was to die for.
What sets this place apart from all of the other ones in the 'hood is the attention to detail the staff have for their craft. The fish was fresh and flavorful. They are currently not serving tuna from Japan, but a sign on their window says that a portion of sales will be going to relief. Nice gesture.
This is the perfect place to take a date when GUU is packed. It's also miles ahead of the more well known sushi places in the area. It stands out because of the quality of food as well.
As for service, it wasn't busy at lunch, our service was perfectly pleasant, as expected at any sushi place.
Will definitely go back for lunch and or a date. -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 1/6/2011 2 photos
I cam again with my mom last night, wanted her to try the awesome sushi they offer. Food was just as good as last time, but I have to say the service left some room to improve.
Ordered Tempura Udon, Eggplant app, and Sashimi dinner, which should have come with 2 salads and soups. They only brought one at first, until about 15 mins later, he noticed and gave us a 2nd one. This also made all our other dishes come out later.
Eggplant came out, then a Chicken Udon. I told him, and they gave me a side tempura dish. The tempura sauce didn't have any radish in it (not a deal breaker, just an observation).
What surprised me was that the Sashimi was the last to come out. I guess we could have specified that we want it as an appetizer.
I also didn't like that during our conversation, the waitress was timid, and seemed to need permission to refill my tea.
I really like the fish here, and really fresh. I just wish they had some sort of Sashimi platter instead of a la carte or 16 pieces.
I guess you can order two.Listed in: A meal to remember (and to go…, In the Annex.Yorkville area
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/22/2010
The service and food quality was amazing, but be prepared to spend your cash!
The sashimi tasted… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
12/9/2010 12 photos
Sushi Couture though is a step up from other Sushi joint in the Annex area but when compare to other Japanese restaurants I been to with the same price point, it is not as good or dare I say authentic?
We did not go for the Omakase menu but opted for the a la carte.. The prices are quite reasonable.
Beef Teriyaki Dinner ($11.99) comes with miso soup and salad
- Beef is not the best cut, but for that price, I don't expect much
- a little chewy and a little overcooked but the waitress never ask how we like the beef cooked...
- nicely presented and the teriyaki sauce is ok
- rice has sprinkle of black sesame seeds
Sashimi Dinner ($15.99) come with miso soup and salad
-There are 16 pieces of fishes and nicely presented
- The only concern I have is out of the 16 pieces, only 7 of them 5 piece of Salmon and 2 piece of Hamachi not seared or with no sauce on them?
- OK I am here on a Sunday night and using the blow torch techniques and a light sauce of top does cover the original freshness taste
Sushi Couture Maki ($10.99)
- The best order of the night!
- Scallops lightly seared with a smokey taste.. melt in the mouth tenderness
- The roll were cut into pieces that were too small... less than bite size
- the sauce is nicely balanced and has good flavour
Uni Sushi ($8.50) 2 pieces
- Fresh and buttery... such strong taste!
- so small! :) little little uni...
Black Seasame Ice Cream ($3.99)
- stored bought.. standard
- took 15 minutes to arrive!!! I will definitely skip that next time!
The 2 sushi chefs and the kitchen staffs are all Chinese speaking. I heard them talking to each other in Cantonese. So the verdict is: if you only eat at Japanese owned/chef restaurant, Sushi Couture is not the one to come to.
There is something definitely lacking in the presentation, the taste and the spirt in Sushi Couture for them to be a really top notch Japanese restaurant!
They accepts Visa and Mastercard only!Listed in: Japanese Restaurants in the…, A Day in The Annex!
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Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
3/25/2011
Sushi Couture was disappointing, for sure. Originally, I saw the sign from the street, and was not at all interested in visiting (ugh font fail). However, a trusted co-worker texted me on a weeknight (!!) proclaiming his love for this sushi couture roll, and demanded (!!!) I give it a try.
Fast forward a week, and my girlfriend and I are finished shopping for housewares, and have rumbling tummies. How about we try this new sushi place, I say, It will likely be fast, they cannot be too busy at 5pm on a Saturday.
So clearly, this place is a step up in terms of decor, and price, from the usual Annex sushi offerings.
We sat and waited in a booth, in the closest booth to the sushi bar, where three chefs were prepping for the night ahead. We were one of only two tables. Eventually someone came to take our order. We chose three different rolls to share. Our tea was not refilled until we asked (with the bill) and the rolls came out after a ridiculously long time. We were sitting RIGHT THERE. It was like they continued to prep for the night, and would make one of ours on a whim. We were fully finished each before the next came, it was a truly uncomfortable staggering.
The fish was very fresh, the presentation lacking, the service terrible. We felt completely ignored. Bill was over $30.
This couture roll my coworker was mad-texting about was good, torched salmon with scallop and fish eggs, but to be honest, my experience at Big Sushi just down the street a couple days later was shockingly better.
Less then Meh + Very Fresh Fish = 2 Stars.Listed in: Associasian Eats, Sushi!!
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Review from Vivien L.
2/17/2011
My bf and i were walking around trying to decide where to eat and finally decided upon this place because of the name.. like really, sushi couture? we were too curious to NOT go in.
as we walk in, i check in on foursquare and someone said the raw fish was realllly good so obviously i went for that, the bf didnt.. because sadly.. he's allergic to fish =(
honestly it was super good. very fresh and i was very satisfied. Service was good, our waiter was nice and made conversation in a non-creepy way (you knoww what i mean). my bf for udon and he said it tasted pretty normal.
so basicallyyy if you're gonna come here, get the raw fish =) -
Review from Thomas H.
11/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
If you go here, you're going for FRESH sushi. Obviously if you don't like raw fish, you're missing the whole point of the restaurant.
The Sashimi is excellent.
I've been about 10 times now, and 9 of 10 times the fish was very fresh. One time it wasn't as fresh, and that was on a Sunday.
This is really great quality for the price.
I think some of the comments about the slow service are a bit overboard. Yes, it can be slow at times. I think that's just the style of the restaurant... they're quality over speed. Servers are friendly and helpful, so I'm sure if you're in a rush you could get served faster.
This is the only sushi place I will consider going to on Bloor. I'm happy to pay a couple dollars more for higher quality -
Review from Kelly K.
Toronto, ON
3/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Those who have commented on the hit-or-miss service were not exaggerating: I went with two friends tonight for dinner, one's order was forgotten not once, but twice, and it was a simple spicy tuna maki. Not the hardest thing ever.
That said, the freshness of this place's fish is unparalleled at this price range. The BC Tuna melts in your mouth. The salmon is almost buttery. Their maki has a little too much tobiko (orange fish roe) for my liking, but otherwise it was great.
The cost is also a bit on the high side: $35 for one can of Sapporo, the dynamite maki, spicy salmon maki (ordered bc the dynamite roll was about half the size as it is elsewhere in the city, which drove up the overall cost of my meal -- had i just had the dynamite, it wouldnt have been mentionable) and 2 pieces of BC Tuna.
Would I go again? Absolutely, I especially want to come back during their lunch special as the prices are much more my style, but Ill walk in expecting slow service. -
Review from Mike C.
Toronto, ON
10/2/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Easily the best sushi on this stretch of Bloor, and we've tried a bunch. They're still working on ideal service and speed, but it's a month in, and the difference over time is visible. But the part that really matters is the food. I've been there four times now, and each time I've come away happy, full, and content.
If you know and love Japango, the chef is the former sous chef from Japango, and the fish supplier is the same. The quality is unmistakeable, and they call out the new arrivals each day, if you really want to nom on some killer sashimi.
I tend towards the sashimi end of the spectrum more than maki, and I find the portions are entirely reasonable, and the selection is good. The Sushi Couture roll is fantastic, and really shows off the talent we're dealing with. They don't overdo the rice, so the rolls don't look as big, but the contents are fish-centric, so the value is there unless you just want a lot of rice...
The decor is crisp and modern, and there's plenty of seating, without being too big to maintain quality, so I'm a fan of the work. Booths are big and comfy, and the tables are cozy but not too cozy. Really just hits the right notes for me.
Unless you're a broke college student, there just really isn't a reason to pick any other sushi joint in the Annex. -
Review from Jeffrey W.
Toronto, ON
11/28/2010 12 photos
Warning: I may be just a liiiittle (read: quite) biased.
Ever since I initially heard of Sushi Couture from Cookies and Tomatoes and I went to try it, I've pretty much been going back at least once a week (usually for lunch, but sometimes dinner). I find that they've got really good service -- the waiters and waitresses are nice, and Ken is simply awesome.
There are tonnes and tonnes of sushi places along the Annex, but I think Sushi Couture hands down has the freshest and most delicious fish in the area. Personally, even though Sushi Couture's lunch menu items cost a few dollars more than their Sushi on Bloor/J-TIme/New Gen counterparts, the quality more than makes up for the slight increase in cost.
I've actually done two reviews (I'm planning to do a third review of the $40 Omakase come December) of Sushi Couture on my food blog. Check it out by going to my profile!
Cheers. =D -
Review from Hailey H.
Toronto, ON
3/30/2011
Sushi Couture has to be the best sushi place in the Annex.
Walking past on our way to our go-to sushi place across the street, we saw the Sushi Couture sign (look past the font, we're glad we did) and decided to try it out after quickly scanning yelp reviews on my iPhone (oh, the many eating disasters averted because of the iPhone).
Walking in, we waited in line before we were seated. We got our menu and tea promptly and after looking at the menu we decided on edamame, spider roll, unagi eel roll (forgot the actual name) and chirashi dinner.
The edamame were plump and perfectly seasoned (not too salty). The spider roll was delicious- the crab was plump and delightfully crispy and was served warm. The unagi roll had great flavor and the unagi was melt-in-your-mouth. So good. The chirashi dinner was the best part of our meal- the fish was fresh and again, melt-in-your-mouth good. The tuna sashimi was seared on the outside, giving it a wonderful taste and texture. The rice was perfectly seasoned with a good sweet to slightly sour blend. The salad and miso soup were standard-good but not great.
The prices were very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food ($45 including tax and tip for 2 people). I would definitely pay the extra $5 than go to the other sushi places in the area.
I can't wait to go back and try the sushi couture roll! -
Review from Lauren M.
9/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
DISCLAIMER - This place has 4 star potential but they are having some serious service issues, probably because they have just opened.
Considering they opened last week, they did a good job at rounding up customers. It was a full house tonight. I was surprised. The price point of this sushi joint is moderate and I wasn't sure what the Annex would really think of a slightly more upscale sushi joint.
The main problem was that our order came out staggered and took nearly an hour. I was with 2 others and we each ordered our own rolls. Instead of the food arriving all together, they would bring 1 roll out at a time, about 15 minutes in between each. It made no sense whatsoever. The last roll took so long that we just told the server we didn't want it anymore.
The server could not be found on most occasions, I had to get up twice - once to get soy sauce from another table and a second time to find a clean pair of chopsticks. We couldn't get our tea refilled either until the end of the meal.
Anyway, the good news is, the rolls were all pretty delicious. We tried the butter yaki maki, crunchy maki, sushi couture maki, and green island maki. Portions were small-ish but as the previous reviewer mentions, fish was exceptionally fresh and the rolls came out looking classy. The wasabi was not good and not enough pickled ginger was given.
The server did bring the last roll in a takeaway container for us to have free of charge. I think they are doing their best and I expect service will improve over time.
I expect Sushi Couture will draw the crowd who likes quality fresh stuff and a bit nicer surroundings. But for me, I will revert to Sushi on Bloor or Big Sushi, because I like cheap, copious amounts of sushi. -
Review from Julianna N.
Pickering, ON
11/18/2010
I came here with a group of friends, and while they were all extremely impressed, I was not quite as happy as them (Maybe I'm hard to please, who knows!)
Anyway, as a vegetarian I asked them to substitute veggie rolls for their dinner combo and they didn't mind (as Rudolf mentioned below hehe). This being said, they charged me extra for the substitution (which I agreed to), but the quality of the rolls was far less than the quality of the rolls that originally came with the combo (I received many simple rolls such as avocado instead of the gourmet-type rolls which were originally part of the combo). The staff did randomly give us some sort of salmon roll on the house (I believe that this is because of my substitution, they never actually told us the reason?), but I wasn't even able to eat it! Of course, my experience as a vegetarian will be different from a fish-eater's.
This being said, the rolls were not amazing but I would say above-average. At one point when I wanted something it took me forever to get the attention of a waiter as they would rush by in a hurry, but the staff generally seemed quite nice.
Overall not a terrible experience but not an amazing one! -
Review from andrew a.
9/17/2010
Well my friends, with great anticipation did I wait for Sushi couture to open, and how delighted was I to hear the great reviews my fellow yelpers have written about the place, was I ever excited to start off yom kippur by feasting on fresh sushi just around the corner from my place. Well, ill be finishing my dinner off with an amply topped slice from pizzaiola tonight.
Suffice to say, this place has all the makings of something that could be great, but falls desperately short of anything faintly near a "great" sushi restaurant.
The service here is horrible, and I give no clemency to the fact that the place has only been open 3 weeks. Seated quick enough, given a half filled glass of warm water to start the night didnt score many points. Miso soup, it was ok, but its miso soup. starter salad, comparably un enchanting. Ive walked by the restaurant countless times and seen the tasting menu special and really wanted to order it but was not really told about it and so thought it was off the menu. maybe thats my fault, either way.
The food, spicy tuna roll: yes maybe the fish was fresher then sushi on bloor, but it lacked a real zing, if i wanted a taka maki (tuna roll) i would have ordered one, not rolled very well and half of my order fell apart mid chopsticking. Onto the main, I ordered the chirachi as it seemed like an interesting way to combat my typical order of hamachi tako and snapper, boy was i wrong. for 13 you get 2 slivery pieces of maguro, three salmon, three chunky small pieces of what seemed to be seared ahi amd some stupid egg concoction and butter fish (the latter being exceptionally foul).
They put it on a bed of rice, what the hell am i supposed to do with a bed of oily sushi rice, make the damn sushi my self? A quarter handful of white raddish? wtf. honestly, what the fuck. To top it all off, that took 45 minutes.
I was left sitting at my table after finishing the spicy tuna with an empty glass of water and an empty plate, albeit being passed by the busboy numerous times. Altogether, I really do hate giving such a low score to what could be a great restaurant, and if you check my record i typically only dole out 4s and 5s. but they really failed on every part, both service and food wise.
I could have gotten a kings ransom at sushi on bloor or new gen or any of the other places. The decor is nice, but if im bringing a date to a place id like not to wait there for an hour to get the food, i only have 25 minutes of conversation material... STAY AWAY!! -
Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
9/8/2010
Swanky Japanese in the Annex. Yup, you heard it right! It's a nice change from the same same university hang outs like New Gen, Big Sushi, and Sushi on Bloor...but at what cost!?!?
1. Dinner was $20/person without alcohol and with a free roll (because they took so damned long to serve us).
2. Service was severely lacking. If you're gonna be swanky, your service needs to be bang on. If I wanted bad service (to die for), I'd go to New Gen! Zing!
3. The Couture Roll was fantastic ($11 or $12 I believe). It had a wonderful medley of grilled and raw seafood in roll form. A must have dish!
4. Overall, there's a notable quality difference between this place and the cheaper alternatives. Fresh fish is apparently flown in from all over the place.
5. It is a nice place to treat yourself to, but for the price difference, I'd be just as content with Big Sushi or Sushi on Bloor. What can I say, I like my sushi like I like my women: big, ghetto, and cheap!
3 stars, worth a visit or if you want to class it up for a meal. -
Review from Anne B.
10/13/2011
I should preface this review by saying that my 2-star rating was not because I didn't enjoy the sushi. The food was actually, for the most part, quite delicious.
This establishment was well on it's way to receiving a 4 or 5 star rating from me. The sushi was delectable and they kept the green tea flowing...it wasn't until my Agedashi Tofu arrived that things started going south. Typically, Agedashi Tofu (from my experience anyway) is deep fried tofu served w. a slightly sweet thick sauce on top. However, when they served it to me at Sushi Couture it was covered (and I do mean COVERED) in Bonito flakes. The smell was overwhelmingly awful, everyone at my table looked over to see where the fowl stench was originating from. I quickly asked the waiter if he could kindly remove the dish and bring me another order of Agedashi Tofu sans stinky Bonito flakes (which was not listed as a component of the dish on the menu. They're just a fragrant surprise!). To my shock, he brought the dish back in about 3 seconds flat still with remnants of bonito flakes scattered along the bottom of the plate and stubbornly stuck to some of the tofu pieces. I couldn't believe it! That's seriously poor service in my opinion. I was clear in what I wanted and they chose to lazily ignore my request.
Good sushi, lousy customer service. -
Review from Eileen C.
Toronto, ON
12/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
First time here and first impressions were good. Decor was a refreshingly trendy change from dingy joints like sushi on bloor. I lived in cali and bc for a number of years and ate enough sushi to worry about mercury poisoning. The selection at s.c is limited, mostly catering to people who consider yam tempura maki to be sushi (no judging here but i firmly believe sushi includes actual raw fish) but their specials menu made up for what the main menu lacked in selection. Definately try madai (seabream) and one of the spicy rolls. They use chili oil instead of te usual spicy mayo. Be warned though, the chili oil lingers and can be overpowering so i wouldnt reccomend eating more than one maki. Sashimi was fresh and cut thick b.c style, but the rice on the makis was a little under seasoned. The sushi couture maki is also must!
All in all i was impressed w the food, and the service was quick and attentive. A young janpanese (male) server was very knowledgeable and great at reccomending what was prime that day. The girl server however could use a little more training. She gave me hamachi when i ordered hirame, and didn't even acknowledge the fact that she made the mistake. I found a scale in my sashimi dinner, and let the bald server (or manager?) know, he offered an apology and changed my plate. i have high expectations when it comes to service since i've worked in the industry for a really long time. Still, the service great overall, especially compared to some of the other sushi joints on bloor.
The only disapointment was their lack of cold sake, only nigori available. The price wasn't cheap, but then again you don't come here looking for cheap sushi! They charged $2 extra when I asked them to sub salmon for B.C Tuna, which to me didn't make much sense since B.C Tuna is more expensive than salmon. Still, I find the prices very reasonable, at $110 bucks for dinner for two including tip. Be advised that my bf and I eat A LOT so I doubt what we paid could be considered average for the place.
All in all, i probably will make sushi couture my go to when im in the mood for sushi in the annex :) -
Review from Jeremy P.
Toronto, ON
12/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
Delicious, but...
Worst. Service. EVER. -
Review from Amy L.
5/2/2011
Sushi Couture is a relatively new Japanese restaurant on the Bloor strip of countless other Sushi places in The Annex. I'm usually really reluctant to have Japanese food on Bloor since they're all very mediocre in quality. I heard many positive reviews of Sushi Couture and was finally convinced to give them a try. Sushi Couture is located near Bathurst Station, with tall windows and a sign written in hot pink fancy writing (how couture of them!). The restaurant had a modern and chic design with black tables and white leather chairs. The lights were off during the afternoon and I could hear jazz music playing when I entered the place; how interesting : ). There were flowers present in their glass cabinets and red bottles (of something) lined up by the wall. At the back of the restaurant was some sort of fixture/screen with neon pink lighting. Sushi Couture's design kind of reminded me of Ginza Sushi.
The lady who served me provided excellent service and always had a smile on her face. The only minor complaint I have is that I wasn't given any water or tea until my food came and I had to ask her about it. I requested for either tea or water but she ended up bringing me both, haha ; ). I found the items in their menu to be fairly appealing and their prices were extremely reasonable. I ordered Spicy Salmon maki ($5.99) and Chirashi Sushi ($10.99). I've never had Chirashi for less than $15 before so inevitably my expectations were altered here at Sushi Couture. You can't expect it to be as tasty and memorable as the Chirashi served at Solo Sushi Bekkan or Nami (both owned by Japanese), but what you get here is pretty darn great.
For starters, I had the complimentary miso soup and garden salad. The soup was a little too salty for my taste but I liked their addition of button mushrooms. The Spicy salmon maki had sesame seeds on the outside with salmon, cucumber, diced onion, lettuce, and spicy oil. I'm telling you, this was one spicy salmon maki all right : D I didn't like how the maki was so loosely rolled; I had difficulty picking them up in one piece (or perhaps my chopsticks skills failed on me ; )). This was a bit different for me since I'm used to having Spicy Salmon or Tuna rolls with spicy mayo instead of spicy oil.
The Chirashi was unquestionably a fantastic value. This was only $10.99; it's still mind-blowing to me, haha. The assortment of sashimi were fresh and soft, unlike the ones served at the nearby Japanese restaurants where their fish had veins that would stick to your teeth when you eat them : D I liked how one of the fishies was slightly seared on the outside because it added a touch of smokiness and flavour to the overall dish. A common problem of most Japanese restaurants is their rice preparation. I know it's really difficult to get it to the right texture but at the same time, it's so important. It's especially crucial that the rice is cooked right for Chirashi don since you get lots of it and you can really tell whether it was prepared well or not. Isn't it a bit astounding how much you can tell about a Chef's skills when it boils down to the most basic ingredients? Nevermind the sushi cut, the rice itself already makes a statement. Unfortunately the rice here was slightly too stiff and hard; reminded me of regular rice as opposed to sushi rice.
I can understand why so many people recommend Sushi Couture and I'd definitely return for their food. The service is great, the prices are reasonable, and the quality of their sushi/sashimi is wonderful based on what you pay for it. For many of us, it's not necessary that we have such authentic Japanese food every time we decide to have sushi. It's okay to pay for half the price; especially if what you get is satisfying enough ; )Listed in: Japanese Restaurants
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Review from pink f.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 1/22/2012
Amazing and not pricy! Especially sushi couture maki is awesome. Meats are always fresh. The best sushi around annex (I did,t see a better one though, except very expensive restaurants)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/19/2011
We loved this place but recently a server (bald guy) treats so rude. Also, tt takes a long time to… Read more »
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Review from G K.
Mississauga, ON
Don't let the padlock on the door fool you, this place is open for business. The decor is upscale with dark walls and pot lights. Unfortunately there is no seating at the bar so you cannot watch the chefs go to work.
I came here on a Monday at 530 and was the only patron. I ordered the charishi sushi which is sixteen pieces of sashimi on a bed of sushi rice as well as a salmon and tuna maki.
The dinner also comes with soup and salad. Both are standard and fine.
The rolls appear to be smallish if you are used to other places on the bloor St. Strip but this place knows what it is doing. It gives you a ton of fish and just enough rice. By far the best example of maki on this strip and one of the better ones in the city. The fish in the rolls was extremely fresh and overall excellent.
The charishi included hamachi, tuna, bc tuna, salmon and egg. Please believe me when I say that this fish was ridiculously fresh. The chef added some garlic sauce on to the already stellar butterfish.. Perfection! The owner dropped the food and spoke about the fish with a real passion. Something that is sorely lacking around these parts! Absolutely makes other places on bloor pale in comparison.
He also said that it is tough to draw new customers to this place with all of the competition but hoped that quality will win out. I am sure that this place will be a huge success as the fish is excellent and the owner really cares about the quality of his product.
In addition I also received a free roll courtesy of the chef which included salmon, cucumber, avocado, tobiko, spicy mayo and crab. It was outrageous! Very flavorful and meaty.
Overall a super meal. I'm really impressed. With this new spot as it is miles above what other sushi joints are offering up.
Note: no liquor yet but the licence should be ready in a month or two. Owner promised lots of sake so we'll see.
If you are looking for sushi on the annex skip new generation and SoB and try this gem!
Total cost for my meal (which could easily feed two.. Hey I wanted to try a bunch of things!) was $30 with tax and tip. -
Review from Paul F.
8/6/2011
I was really looking forward to a place called Blowfish but it was closed, since it was a holiday weekend and a Sunday many of my friends suggestions were dead-ends. We luckily found this gem hidden in a block of bad looking sushi spots - don't let the bad name fool you this place serves great fresh fish and the sushi chef is creative. The butter fish and hamachi both were great- the rolls were good and the spicy salmon was not heavy on the mayo- We also tried the tempora and gave this good marks. The miso was also good. They have Sapporo on tap. Enjoy.
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Review from Barry W.
Toronto, ON
12/7/2010
The best sushi restaurant on Bloor St. Stands out among the competition for fresh fish, wonderful service, nice decor, and inventive menu. Ken, the owner is the sushi chef and it shows in his care and attentiveness. We are always warmly greeted. And the restaurant is MSG-free, except for soy sauce -- but on request they weill serve MSF-free soy sauce.
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Review from Tom M.
North York, ON
11/24/2011
There are 2 exceptional Japanese restaurants in this city: Kaji and Hashimoto. After those two I'd have to say Sushi Couture is next. Yes the svc can be a bit spotty at times but it can also be quite good. Just the other day we walked in, sat down with my family and within 30 seconds a bowl of rice with Tobiko arrived for my daughter. They remembered the fact that she always orders this and brought it for her. The rolls are awesome, especially anything in the bottom part of the rolls menu. Their signature Couture maki is EXCELLENT. Great sushi.
