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Ten-Ichi Japanese Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
4810 Sheppard Ave EScarborough, ON M1S 4N6
Neighbourhood: Scarborough
(416) 297-5787
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
40 reviews for Ten-Ichi Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Be sure to make a reservation in advance." In 7 reviews -
"ten-ichi mango yogurt." In 5 reviews -
"...of items for an AYCE sushi place, some standout ones that..." In 6 reviews
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Lisa C.
2/23/2012
Ten-Ichi was my very first sushi/sashimi experience that coincided with a "first date" of sorts. My companion was a regular of the place and I was rather thankful for his knowledge because I wouldn't have had a CLUE how things worked. He gave me some good tips about places like this (and specifically this place) - keep in mind that I'm a noob:
First of all, he made a reservation in advance to have us sit at one of the tables with the flat top grill built into them ($2/person extra cost I think). His reasoning was that the food would be hotter and fresher and he was definitely right about that. More about that later. But a reservation is probably necessary regardless.
Secondly, I had no idea that at an AYCE place like this, you have to pay for whatever you don't eat. Good to know if you're not familiar with these place. My companion ordered a LOT of food and since I don't eat piles of food, we had lots of leftover. The resulting bill was around $75!
Thirdly, my companion advised me that you're best off to order everything at once if you know what you want, or at least order in large batches. The people that sat beside us had to wait much longer for their food than we did and he told me that was part of the trick of ordering. Even with lots of food coming at the same time, it was still well paced and worked out.
Onto the food - I don't think I've ever had this good of an experience with a type of dining experience such as this. While I felt much like a fish out of water, the food was absolutely excellent.
The sashimi was melt-in-your-mouth good, fresh, cold and absolutely YUMMY. I tried the salmon and the white tuna and they were both excellent - the white tuna was incredible actually! I can't remember everything we had, because there was SO much, but some of the dishes that I recall trying include the salmon roses (not my favourite but yum), the Roses Maki were delicious and the edamame were a delicious little side dish that I munched on throughout the entire meal. We also had a number of things off the grill, including chicken teriyaki (good but not something i'd order again), korean kalbi (good as well, wouldn't order again), grilled mushrooms (odd... not sure about those) and grilled flounder which was AMAZING. The desserts were yummy too - but very tiny in little egg cups. I would get more than one of those next time.
Overall, great service and great food. I was rather pleasantly surprised and hope to go back in the future! -
Review from Anton K.
Toronto, ON
5/17/2012
I've tried virtually every Japanese all-you-can-eat restaurant I've encountered. I love Japanese food. It's unique, it's pretty and it's delicious. When someone says, "Hey you can eat all you want of it!" a bell goes off in my head and I become Pavlov's dog.
My expectations were high before I even set foot in the place. It was already 9 pm and it was still full. The first thing I noticed was the food. It is above average for AYCE. The rolls were satisfying, and everything tasted like it was freshly cooked. I didn't get that heavy, disgusting feeling right away, like I just ate a pound of fried dough covered in salmon.
Then I realized why: the food took a long time to reach our table. It took so long that we were forgetting what we had ordered. We were even worried about going over the time limit. We made a strong push at the end and just order four of everything anyone wanted. Then, I was in a bad place.
I managed to squeeze in some room for dessert, which seems to be the main attraction. They have yogurt and stuff like tiramisu in little shot glasses. While it's not the most efficient way to prepare and/or eat dessert (why not use a bigger glass?), it's fun to eat. Also you find yourself saying things like, "Yes we would like to order 30 glasses of tiramisu please."
I would give Ten-Ichi a 3.5 out of 5. The extra 0.5 star is for the quality of the food. I was really disappointed with how slow the service was, although our waitress was very polite and accommodating (30 glasses of tiramisu!).
I would definitely try this place again, but I'm sure there's a good chance I'll be waiting for a table in my next visit, and that the service will be just as slow. -
Review from krista l.
Scarborough, ON
Updated - 3/26/2012
I needed to update my review since Ten-Itchi recently moved next door.
Table of 4.5 (4 adults and a 3 year old) arrived without a reservation on a Saturday for lunch around 1:00PM. If they were still at the precious location I'm sure we wouldn't of been so lucky to get a table right away.
We were situated at the very first booth with a view of the host stand. The interior decorator really failed at the table arrangement here. My boyfriends mother said it had to do with the "Feng Shui" of the restaurant, which is an excuse for the inferior decorator to come up with shitty design.
Service was horrible. I'm not too sure whether to blame that on the servers or the table arrangement. Honestly it didn't even feel like we were sitting in the restaurant; we were so far. Every time someone opened the front door we would get a blast of cold air, which would be nice if it was a hot summers day. Instead we found ourselves picking up all the AYCE paper menus off the floor. No one would be around to clear our plates or replenish our tea. One thing that pissed me off was when the non-english-speaking teenager server dropped off not one, but 3 hot soup in front of the baby.
10 minutes After ordering our 2nd round of AYCE goodies, and still waiting, the server ran up to us and told us it was last call. I explained that we were still waiting for our food, so we didn't exactly know if that was going to satisfy us.
The bill arrived before the desserts and the 3 year old got charged a whopping $8.95. They soon changed it to a $3 baby. Not too sure what age they distinguish between baby and child.
We noticed they locked the front doors since they were closing up for dinner service preparation. When people couldn't get it they looked at us, as if we were supposed to let them in. This worked on our favor when the owner and her husband were locked out (whom of which my boyfriends mother grew to know). We explained that we were waiting for our desserts for a while, and literally 1 minute later they came.
Ten-Itchi used to be my go-to AYCE spot. Food is average. Service needs a ton of improvement. We also come here a lot because it's a convenient 5 minute drive.
If you're looking for quality over quantity sushi, head to Niji which is close by.Listed in: Sushi in Toronto
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/20/2011
Practically every other weekend I accompany the boyfriend's family here for lunch. There is usually… Read more »
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Review from Jay T.
Toronto, ON
5/13/2012
Been to Ten-Ichi many times but they just renovated again and I been once after that. The newly renovated area is more comfortable compare to before. This place is always busy and line up can take up to 1 hr. The fish quality is good and the selection on the menu is good. Only thing I dislike is the service is very slow as it is always a full house. This place has the best dessert for all Japanese AYCE I been to. This is still my fave AYCE place and looking forward to go again.
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Review from Gloria H.
Mississauga, ON
1/6/2012
Been here a couple of times for AYCE and I love the food! (although service often leaves much to be desired)
Ambiance: Not too bad, pretty standard. However, when it's crowded (i.e. often, especially at night), some of the tables are inconveniently placed and uncomfortably close.
Service: They always have the same guy at the reservations table and he's hilarious (without intending to be- he's very high-strung, poor guy). However, it seems that reservations often get their table much slower than should be expected- possibly due to the fact that the waiting area is literally a can of sardines. The one complaint that I have about their service is that after two rounds of ordering, they don't seem to want to take your order anymore and it seems that higher-quality items get mysteriously "dropped" from the order and never arrive. Drinks can take a while to arrive.
Best menu items:
-Grilled eggplant: Light, sauce is great, very well done
-Grilled mushroom
-Avocado seafood salad: Served in a scallop shell, it's basically baked guacamole with bits of seafood. It's really good, although small, so order a few!
-Chopped Ika: chopped and wixed with mayonnaise and tobiko, tastes great.
-Chawanmushi: Very soft and served in a small japanese teacup-looking thing? Well above average.
-Sirloin steak teppanyaki: Prepared with garlic and OH SO GOOD.
-Sushi in general is fresh and well-sized (unlike other japanese buffets that try and stuff you with rice because they're cheap)... main reason for coming back
Least favorite menu items:
-Udon: Average, don't eat it here- there are much more worthwhile items to try.
-Desserts in general aren't great, don't save too much space for them. Also, many of them seem to be unavailable most of the time (I have this complaint for a few other menu items as well). The ginger milk is great though.
All in all, nice place. -
Review from Lena J.
Ajax, ON
5/5/2012
Hello,
So the other day my friend was back in town and I thought it would be nice to go grab sushi. I heard about Ten-Ichi from others in the past so I said lets check it out and grab a bite. So we go, get seated pick what we want to eat from the all you can eat lunch menu and gave it to the waiter. The waiter took about 10minutes to bring our miso soup and salad and we thought alright it won't be long until we get our food but was I ever wrong. It took...wait for it.... 50MINUTES before the waiter came back and had to "reorder" our order because he lost our sheet!! ... So by the time we got our food we were upset that we did not even want to eat anymore... and they had the nerve to call last call around 1:50PM when we waited an HOUR for our food. By The Way the TEMPURA FOOD WAS COLD AND GROSS. AND THE STEAK WAS COLD, AND IT WAS COOKED BLUE!!!!!!!!!! Then came time for dessert and I was waiting and waiting for my dessert and it didn't come. I asked the waiter where my dessert was and he said I didn't order it! Are you kidding me?! .... I am a waitress myself and I would NEVER do what he did! It is ignorant, and rude! BY FAR THE WORST SERVICE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE! I have ate at various restaurants in North America, South America and Europe and have never been served like this. And I got the bill and saw they charge 10% for service; in my opinion the waiter did not deserve that much, and when a restaurant charges for service fee then they better serve good!!! -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
Monday 1:00 pm at Ten-Ichi Japanese Restaurant
Me - "Can I have your AYCE lunch?"
Waiter - " Sorry, AYCE lunch only available on Saturday and Sunday"
Fail!!! Super Fail on my part!!
Ended up having Lunch Specials
- Sushi Lunch Special ($7.50)
- Teppanyaki Steak and Shrimps with 3 pc of California Roll ($8.50)
with Miso Soup, Salad and Dessert
hmmm, not bad.... but I am here for AYCE.....
FAIL!
My father was so disappointed!
FAIL!
The waitress asked what I want for dessert... I want to scream AYCE! -
Review from Alan W.
1/5/2012
Great Selection and good for a Buffet style restaurant. I'm not crazy about buffets, but I would say that it is a really good all you eat place. For roughly 30 a person, you can get a better meal for 30 or less in Toronto. But if you can eat a lot, this is a great place for you.
Food: 7 out of 10
All you can eat: 10 out of 10 (Large selection)
atmosphere: 5 out of 10
I would recommend this place for first-timers trying Japanese food. -
Review from katie j.
12/12/2011
This place was fantastic (keep in mind, we're suckers for AYCE. That's All You Can Eat for the newbies).
Made a last minute reservation for a Saturday night and were seating quite quickly. Carefully budgeted our stomachs but loved the sushi (especially the special rolls), sashimi (small pieces - order several at at time), agedashi tofu, shrimp and sweet potato tempura, sliced sirloin rolls with green onions and garlic, mango yogurt and ice cream.
Wish they had one of these by my home! -
Review from mii c.
Mississauga, ON
5/13/2012
this place is always packed for dinner. selection is pretty good, food awesome. i'm not particularly big on buffets but this is pretty awesome relative to others. though last time i went the sashimi was a hit and miss. we ordered three sets of 20 salmon sashimi, only the last set was melt in your mouth goodness. strange. anyhow, this is the go to buffet place.
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Review from Elise X.
Scarborough, ON
10/29/2011
Drove all the way to this restaurant for All-You-Can-Eat Lunch and as soon as we get there, the waiter tells us they're not doing AYCE for lunchtime anymore. It's not that we were too late, they just don't offer it. I don't know if it's just the weekdays they don't offer it for, or if it's that they no longer offer it at all, but nonetheless, they didn't let us order AYCE when we went.
My husband and I didn't even bother staying. What pissed me off wasn't that they no longer offered AYCE, but the fact that they didn't even mention this change on their website. Home page: "We welcome you to enjoy an exciting All-U-Can-Eat Japanese feast here at Ten-Ichi." And they still have the lunch menu up! I mean come on. -
Review from August L.
11/16/2011
I didn't get sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FOOD
the food was delicious. I really liked that we got the choice of Teppanyaki and regular sushi type food.
I'm a sashimi fan and I was so glad I didn't get sick after eating all the salmon sashimi on the table! My favourites were definitely the grilled shrimp and the the sashimi (salmon).
I was too full that I didn't have room for dessert!
PRICE
I think the price of $23 is average for an AYCE. And if one doesn't get sick? I must be in heaven.
TRAFFIC
wow, this place was so busy. Lucky we made reservations. We were actually late for our reservation by a 1/2hr but they still managed to have a table for us.
SERVICE
I thought the service was really fast and they brought everything we ordered.
Just writing this makes me want to go back! -
Review from Ron and Dawne P.
7/20/2011
I don't like going to buffets -- but this is an exception. All-you-can-eat sushi and teppanyaki for $22... and the best part is it's good! The place is always packed for a reason!
As other reviewers have mentioned -- make a reservation. You'll still wait a bit when you get there, but at least you're guaranteed a spot. It's worth the wait -- trust me. I live in SF, but my family is still in the GTA -- whenever I fly in, I make sure that we have at least 1 family dinner at Ten-Ichi.
And try to always get a teppanyaki table. They have regular dining tables for $2 less per person, but wouldn't you rather have your teppanyaki meal coming straight from the grill -- warm, juicy and irresistible?!
Last but not the least, save room for dessert! Sweet tooth or not, you will want to have some of their mango yogurt. Even when I'm on diet, I end up eating 4 cups. Did I just say diet and buffet in one post? Whatever, it's that good!
Would I recommend this place? No -- if only to sway you from taking my spot at this jam-packed restaurant! -
Review from Edwin A.
5/27/2011 2 photos
Ten-Ichi is one of the best all you can eat japanese restaurant I've been to in Toronto.
Food is consistantly good, servers were friendly and attentive, and most importantly the food selection is very good (they offer all the basics covered and more such as house specialties)
It's popular dining spot during the middle of the week which says a lot, so definitely call the 'hotline' to make a reservation to avoid disappointment.
Only thing I would say the restaurant needs renovation; things are a little worn down. Tables, chairs, walls, decors. Still a fan though. -
Review from Yvonne T.
Ten-Ichi (ichi = 1) should change its name to Ten-Ni (ni =2). Two seemed to be a reoccurring theme tonight. This was the second time I had reserved a table in advance and I arrive and they have no record of it. We ordered most of our dishes in twos, and they only ever brought one. And subsequently, we had to ask twice for some items that they didn't even bother to bring. Maybe they should have Jacob Two-Two working for them as well... At least it would spruce up their PR.
If it weren't for the quality of the food, it probably wouldn't even be worth the hassle to come back.
We ordered the following items:
White Dragon Roll (crispy kani roll topped with tai tataki, teriyaki sauce and bonito flakes) - We didn't actually order this item, but I am glad they did because I would've never thought to have ordered it. It was good!
Roses Maki - This is what Ten-Ichi is reputable for. It is made with mango puree, and avocado, and is very very tasty. A must try item.
Unagi Hand Roll - My parents ordered 2 of these, and I was too full to try it, but from what they told me, it was good.
Beef Roll - Had a nice charred flavour to it, was tender, and very savoury.
Garlic Beef - I always prefer this beef dish to all others because of the burst of flavour that simple garlic gives to it. However, tonight it was way overdone, to a point where it was too chewy. How inconsistent! The last time I was here it was amazing.
Salmon Roses - Very tasty!
Salmon Sashimi - Was extremely fresh, even buttery-er than the white tuna which was surprising. However, the portion sizes were half of what they used to be... It appears they have now taken what would normally be one slice of salmon sashimi and further sliced it in 2. So make sure you order more than you normally do.
White Tuna Sashimi - Was not fresh tonight. Grrr...
Seafood Salad - Probably the unhealthiest salad out there, but who cares? It is too delicious to pass up on. Plus you can tell your trainer that you had a Seafood "Salad" and not get dumped with an additional 20 pushups. It is served on a shell and is made mostly with avocado. It is creamy goodness! Allow for 25 minutes prep time. Order this the moment you sit down, but don't down more than 1, because these babies are filling!
Grilled Eggplant - We always try to get in some veggies, and this is infinitely healthier than tempura without sacrificing flavour.
Desserts:
Mango Yogurt - Leave all your preconceptions of what yogurt should be like behind. You are not going to find Yoplait here! It is more like an egg white custard topped with a spoonful of mango puree.
Green Tea "Waffle" - Again, leave any craving for a piping hot waffle topped with ice cream behind. The "waffle" which you are served is really a pizzelle disguising as a waffle. But after a night of AYCE, its probably more of a blessing than anything else.
Ginger Creme Brulee - If there was any ginger in it, the sugar killed it. It was, however, nice and creamy as a creme brulee should be.
Summary:
Food - ****
Service - **
It should also be noted, that its common practice of AYCE sushi places to tack on an automatic 10% gratuity. I am a firm believer that servers have to work for their tip. I am very anti-automatic tip, not because I'm cheap; if the service is good I give you a good tip; if its bad I should have the freedom to tell you what I thought of your lousy service by decreasing my tip. Automatic tip additions to your bill means: we really don't give a shit what you think of our service, we're not going to improve, and if you don't like it - sayonara Yvonne-san! And so the search for a new Japanese dining establishment continues...Listed in: Scarberia, Eat your heart out!
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/6/2011
Brought a friend here the other day because I was craving sushi and although my last experience… Read more »
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Review from Yelper Z.
Toronto, ON
12/21/2011
Bout time i come here! mostly word of mouth recommendations to come here...
first, the mango yogurt is my main reason for coming here... its soooo tasty
i was excited to taste the creme brulee... but they never even have it..yet its still on the menu
^ thumbs down for that
also thumbs down for not having alot of vegetarian options..
the only sushi i could order was,,,the avocado one...
BUT it was the most delicious Avocado sushi ive ever tasteddd! it tasted soo fresh and so damn tasty ...just only avocado?? wuhhhhhh?
even though their range (or lack of range) of vegetarian sushi...there is....what i did get to have was deliciousssss...
no wonder this place is always packed.
UPDATE April 2012:
FINALLY, about time they renovated this place, it is ALOTT better and way way nicer looking i really Like how im not literally 3-4 inches from the next table anymore!
too bad they didnt add new stuff to their menu..
basically if you're a vegetarian , all u can really eat there (but SO good) is only a few things like:
-Avocado maki
-spring roll with their wasabi mayo ..mmm
-some weird kinda noodle
-sweet potatoe /veggie tempura
-tofu
-DESSERT !!! -
Review from Amie T.
Toronto, ON
5/19/2011
Definitely glad I came on yelp before I went to the restaurant. MAKE RESERVATIONS. you're fine to call on the same day, but do it; it is packed, even on weekdays.
I'd say the food is only worth three stars - good for all you can eat, but nothing made me go "WOW". Where it earns its extra star is:
- Organized and Friendly Service. Yes, there were a few double orders, or things that weren't ours, but they were always taken away with a "Oh, that's okay, sorry!" rather than scowls or a "Well, too bad, you have to eat it" attitude that I have experienced at other AYCE places.
- Small Portions! Instead of 6 of each kind of roll, they'll bring you smaller portions (3 of each, for example). I really appreciate this because my favourite part of all you can eat isn't eating as much as you can...my favourite part is getting to sample a little bit of everything. The smaller portions allow you to order a lot of different foods, even if there's only 3 of you at the table!
Finally, I didn't really notice this from the reviews, but the neighbourhood of the restaurant is kind of sketchy on the outside. Don't let that scare you away! The inside of the restaurant is clean and pretty. -
Review from Vincent C.
Markham, ON
7/18/2011
Personally for me this was actually my favorite place to be after they added more items to their menu. The service is really good considering how much employees they have to work with. The atmosphere of the restaurant gives a rather modern- traditional feel. The lighting is not too low nor to bright that would leave your eye squinting. The food is scrumptious and will leave you craving for more. The portions of the items are rather small however since it is a buffet it really doesn't matter.
For dessert, the fudge and the mango pudding are to die for, they are neither too sweet nor too bland. I highly recommend this place -
Review from Tamara M.
Toronto, ON
2/2/2011
Q: "Which night is the best night to go to Ten-Ichi?"
A: "The night that you make a reservation."
That was the answer we heard from the host giving to a customer when we were waiting for a table on a Wednesday night. The place was surprisingly busy for a weekday night but we were seated within 15 min which wasn't too bad considering that we didn't make reservations.
There was a good variety of items for an AYCE sushi place, some standout ones that you don't typically find were:
- Avocado seafood salad, which reminded me of an oyster motoyaki but made with avocado and seafood inside a clam shell
- Seafood wrapped tempura with bite-sized crab cakes inside
- Dynamite hand rolls, which were explosively delicious!
- Teppanyaki items like sirloin steak and teriyaki chicken
And last but not least, their dessert selections were impressive, which included assorted mouses (ie. custard, tiramisu, strawberry, ginger creme brulee,etc) and of course green tea ice cream!
Service was friendly, informative and quick. Our server even remembered to check on a forgotten order.
Would definitely go back if we are craving sushi and find ourselves in the area. -
Review from Sanzo L.
Scarborough, ON
5/4/2011
Me and my buddies would always go here for the exam afterparty. The food is really good and so was the service. I remember the waiter/waitress came in and out of our private room to see if we needed anything else.
Pros
- Good food and service
- Gave us a private room even though we didn't specify for one
- Excellent sashimi and ramen
- Dessert sizes were perfect (Some places serve very tiny tiny portions)
Cons
- Always packed in evenings so reserve
- Order as soon as everyone seated (Check their website for the menu if you want to be ready to order when you get there) -
Review from bold c.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2011
This was the original AYCE - All you can Eat - Japanese Sushi place in Toronto. They started the trend back in the early 1990s. Aside from a recent refresh not much has changed.
30 Sec Summary
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1. Call ahead - make reservations
2. Call again - confirm reservations
3. Plan, Plan, Plan - get your friends to come early for the reservations
4. GUARANTEED to be busy and over subscribed!
5. Seating is fast and service will be SLOW
6. Plan on ordering two (2x) before you actually get everything you order
7. Food is quantity not quality based - skip style and presentation - this is the place is too busy
8. Parking is BRUTAL (watch out for the left turn into the parking lot) - I have seen one too many close calls (I guess people are suffering from Sushi highs - too much carbs!)
9. Order the rolls (*Dragons & Spicy Salmon)
10. EAT EAT - KOREAN AND JAPANESE FOOD
11. PRICE ARE UNBELIEVABLE -
Review from Brad A.
Scarborough, ON
1/5/2012
Stumbled upon this place now that I live near Markham and Sheppard. It's GREAT food, but you need a reservation. Service was awesome last time, but a bit slow the first time. It was Sushi/Sashimi and Teppanyaki - all you can eat, and very reasonable. It is small and getting really popular, so make a reservation for sure!! Enjoy!!
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Review from Jonathan C.
Oakville, ON
2/9/2011
Friends told me about this place, and claimed it was one of the better AYCE Sushi places in Toronto. Maybe it was overhyped for me like Transformers 2, but it seemed only slightly above average.
The best dishes I had were probably: White Dragons roll, avacado seafood salad, spice salmon hand roll.
Everything else was good, but the quality and variety doesn't necessarily stand out from the rest of the AYCE crowd. They do have a variety of desserts, but being a dessert freak, I was really disappointed when they get to my table. None of the desserts were actually very good, the mango yogurt, tiramisu, waffle & ice cream (which isn't an actual waffle, more of a
wafer or something), chocolate mousse, were all subpar.
Nothing was BAD, it's just nothing was outstanding, and you have to factor in the price (it's a bit more expensive than other AYCE joints) so that's why it's getting an "A-OK". After tax and tip, you're looking at $30 a person, and that doesn't include any drinks (other than water and tea).
I wouldn't hesitate to go back if my friends suggested it, but I won't be getting any cravings to come back. -
Review from Wendy C.
11/25/2010
Amongst a sea of AYCE pseudo-Japanese** restaurants in GTA, this would be my #1 choice for loading up on decent quality food.
PROs
- the BEST Korean style grilled beef short ribs, thick meaty cut, always cooked perfectly, always tender
- succulent grilled shrimps and cod fish
- beef rolls with green onion, nice
- grilled eggplants with bonita flakes, likey
- efficient service, they are quick to bring you the food once you order and always take away dirty plates promptly
CONs
- Always packed. Be sure to make a reservation in advance
- No ebi sashimi on weekdays (Mon-Thur)
- No seaweed salad (goma wakame)
- Terrible tempura
OVERALL, good value and decent food.
** Almost all of these places are owned / operated by Chinese or Koreans, so adjust your expectation for authenticity -
Review from Sharif A.
Toronto, ON
3/3/2011
This place is the bomb to hang out with friends! I can't say I've come to a better AYCE sushi place in the Scarborough area.
You must make reservations if you are a party of more than 2 people; it gets really busy around each of the meal times and you sure as hell don't want to be caught at the tiny entrance for more than a few minutes. Order immediately when you sit down because it takes awhile due to the sheet amount of people eating at once.
The presentation of the food is superb and well-thought. I've never gotten an ill-prepared dish or sloppy set of rolls, always neat and orderly. This place is all-you-can-eat so make sure you take advantage of that. I always remind my friends that it takes an average weight person to start feeling full around 12 minutes and an overweight/obese person 20 minutes - so eat as much as you can as fast as you can! Don't bother ordering the individual soft drinks, get a pitcher for $4 or just order some free ice water - definintely helps when you're feeling thirsty and the free green tea isn't cutting it.
I never feel pressure to hurry up and leave - the atmosphere is perfect. Something about watching the sushi chefs fold and cut raw fish that I find mesmerizing. The menu selection for lunch is quite large along with their deserts which are all AYCE.
Overall you're not going to find anywhere better in the relative vicinity for the price-point at which they are offering. -
Review from Duong N.
2/4/2011
I might have given this a better score... if their customer service was better. We made reservations to dine in and made the long trek through traffic to get there in this extremely cold weather, which made us a little late.
What reception did we receive? "Sorry, you were late for your reservation, so we gave your table away. If you would like, you can wait another hour like the rest of the non-reservation people, and we might be able to put you into the spare room (non-main dining room)."
Excuse me? Seriously, usually if you are a little late, a restaurant, if they gave your table away, would offer to sit you at the next available table, not put you on a waiting list for you to sit through hell in this freezing cold weather. Also, what is the point of taking down your phone number if they never intended to call you in the first place? Spam marketing calls?
Needless to say, we left this not so fine establishment, and headed towards Inakaya, calling for reservations again. Now that is a fine establishment there. Inakaya had great customer service, and the authentic Japanese food they had there was excellent. Their variety of sushi and other authentic dishes were just spectacular.
Will I ever go back to Ten-Ichi? Maybe, if I was going with a group of people who really wanted to try the place out. Bad customer service always leaves a bad taste in your mouth. -
Review from Joeie K.
Mississauga, ON
9/2/2010 1 photo
Short point-form reviews.
Background: I drive from Mississauga to go to this restaurant specifically.
Pros
- delicious hot foods such as their teppanyaki dishes (personally like the avocado seafood salad, but that's just me)
- mango maki roll is delicious (roses maki)
- sashimi is always good for the price you pay
- large variety of foods
- friendly and efficient service
Cons
- best to make reservation because it gets packed any weekday/weekend nights
- atmosphere/ambiance: not the best, but relatively clean and normal
Overall
For an AYCE sushi place, the food quality is average-above average, and you always get a good bang for your buck while not sacrificing/accomodating any type of dirty environment or yucky food. -
Review from Edward N.
Scarborough, ON
8/27/2009
Ahhh yes another Japanese AYCE.
Been here multiple times with friends and families and they never seem to disappoint. The service does become sluggish as the place gets busy which is between 7-9 PM but that is forgiveable.
The food is good however do not try the Avocado Seafood Salad it may sound temptingly good but its not, its basically warm guacamole with seafood (glahhh). Do try the Roses Maki as it is one of the best Maki I had so far in any AYCE resto, its basically an avocado roll however the mango sauce on top makes it the best Maki ever, I can literally just drink that stuff. The hot food is also good the sirloin roll and steak was cooked well.
Food - 4/5
Recommendations - Roses Maki, Chocolate Mousse, Tiramisu, Sirloin steak and Roll, -
Review from RJ S.
Mississauga, ON
3/12/2010
On the outside this place looks really ghetto, but on the inside a whole different story. When you get inside to your right they have tepanyakki where the chefs cook the food right in front of you. On the left is where you can sit and enjoy the all you can eat sushi. The seating area is very nice and well decorated the ceiling is filled with lanterns and the lighting was just right to set the mood for eating.
Waitresses were very nice in the beginning but the moment it started to get very busy it seemed very impossible to get a waitress. Mind you I didn't mind that at all b/c I have alot of patience other people on the other hand were very frustrated, but honestly what do you expect when every seat in the restaurant is taken.
On to the food! There is the usual things you find in an all-you-can-eat sushi but there was a few things that made this place a lil different than the others. At the top of the menu it stated what the chef's recommended which was really nice b/c sometimes I don't know what the restaurant's specialty might be so that saved a lot of time trying to figure out what was good. If you ask any of the waitresses they will tell you the top ten items that are mostly ordered by the customers which was really helpful as well.
Everything on the menu was very good however there is always one exception, unfortunately it had to do with their maki rolls, hand rolls, and sushi which was basically half their menu. I was definetly not a huge fan b/c of the rice. The rice had no flavour to it, it's like they forgot to make it sushi rice and left it as plain regular rice. That alone took my whole experience away and had to rely on ordering tepanyakki and sashmi for most of the night.
I do plan on going back b/c I would like to try the tepanyakki where the chefs cook in front of you and most of the meat items on the grill b/c I gave up meat for lent! :-S
Items to definetly order:
- salmon sashmi
- mussels with wasabi sauce
- spicy seafood ramin noodle soup
- grilled shrimp
- sweet grilled fish -
Review from Elvis A.
5/18/2011
I think one the best AYCE places in GTA. Keep in mind here you are paying for variety and quantity and not necessarily top notch quality. That being said its a good place for people with good appetite. We always go for the teppanyaki table rather than the other side which seems to be packed all the time. I go for the mix grill which includes shrimp, squid, sable fish, mushroom, Mix vegies, chicken teriyaki, Beef Teriyaki Rib and Sirlion and rice if you want. Most of the items except the sable fish are a crowd pleaser for people who play it safe with food. Other items like sushi, rolls and sashimi are more of fillers and range in the average to below average. The fried stuff is nothing special but is acceptable for sure. Desserts are tiny goblets and some are above average (mango yogurt which is light and somewhat neutral is my finisher) As mentioned by others reservations are recommended (I suggest if you miss the 6ish sitting try to show up around 8 and usually you will get lucky and find a spot)
Service is ok with some servers being ok and they usually mix up the food if you ask for it again. I would give 3 and half stars overall especially if you are small group of people as you can try several things and eat till your heart is content. -
Review from Vivian L.
Scarborough, ON
4/12/2011
This is my go to AYCE sushi place. I have consistently received good service (with the exception of this one new girl with the green kimono shirt, and gold sash), and consistently strong food quality. You MUST make a reservation, otherwise you're guaranteed to have an extremely long wait, which will probably hamper the way you feel about the restaurant. I've read in previous posts that they lose reservations, but that has never happened to me. There is also a wide array of selection in the menu both for the savoury dishes and the desserts. Overall, great place to go with a group of friends/fam to have one. Going with a small group will limit the amount of food you'd be able to eat/try since portions are decently sized (they look small, but are really filling). Overall probably one of, if not the best, AYCE sushi place in the scarborough area.
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Review from Rao R.
Brampton, ON
5/9/2011
Best AYCE restaurant in Ontario. When we arrived, we were quickly taken to our table and gave us a appetizer of sushi to start things off (for reserving a table). The food was amazing and the atmosphere was comfortable. The waiter was friendly and we got our food qucikly. The restaurant is packed so remember to make reservations. I recommend this restaurant to everyone.
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Review from daz M.
Scarborough, ON
7/9/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I found this place before it got super popular. Now it's hard to get in without a reservation, but the food is very affordable and has a wide variety of Japanese food. I also like that you can choose to eat both all you can eat sushi AND teppanyaki. Pretty awesome.
The Roses Maki sushi is TO DIE FOR. It's gotta be the only reason why I keep returning there! Oh! and the little chocolate mousse dessert. yummmm!
The atmosphere is nice as well, and it's best if you go there when it opens at 12:30 so you don't need a reservation and you don't have to wait.
BUT I've had more more fresh sushi in other places. -
Review from Sam G.
Scarborough, ON
6/25/2011
One of the better Sushi all you can eat places. But it is more expensive than others and they do not give you all you can drink. Their Sushi are about the same as other All-You-Can eat places. But their kitchen items are a little better. I love their sirloin steak and other items from their BBQ section. This place is always crowded, make sure you reserve ahead of time. We did a reservation last time and still had to wait 40 minutes, so minus one star for that. Our previous reservations were good, didn't need to wait. I guess it was because we had only two people.
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Review from Max W.
Ajax, ON
1/17/2010 1 photo
As a person who actually doesn't eat any raw fish, I can only offer my experience on the other dishes. (Though I've constantly been told that this place has the best fish around)
The maki rolls were all nicely put together. I love that they don't overload the rice like Yang's Kitchen does to prematurely stuff you. My favorite was definitely the Rose maki which is an avocado roll with mango sauce on top.
The restaurant is notoriously busy on the weekends and you must come prepared with reservations otherwise you could wait for a very long time. As busy as the place gets though, their service is fairly good for an AYCE and they do a good job of remembering your orders.
Things to try:
- jumbo grilled shrimp
- rose maki
- ten-ichi mango yogurt
- sirloin steak
- avocado salad
- beef sashimi -
Review from R. M.
Scarborough, ON
4/1/2011
O, Ten-Ichi, how I crave your sushi! How I delight in your Teppenyaki grill! Each time I visit, I am lonely 'til next I can stay, dining amongst the chaos - in perfect harmony with raw fish and hot dishes. O, Ten-Ichi, you may not be the best at anything, but you have so many things, it matters not. O, Ten-Ichi, this is my Ode To Thee!
This is a 4-star for me only because - as you'd expect from AYCE - the quality is not top-notch. But that's okay. That's not why you go. There's a reason it's crowded and reservations are an issue. It's because, for about 22$ (for food), you can sit for hours on end, ordering a diverse array of delicious morsels and drinking free tea and cheap cocktails. You can hang out in front of the teppanyaki grills, watching batch after garlicky batch of steak and grilled flounder dispensed in rapid succession. They have the most diverse menu of any AYCE place we've been to in Toronto - and most of it is yummy. The raw fish selection is not huge, but the teppanyaki is included and it's awesome. We love, love, love that everything comes in very small quantities unless you specify otherwise - so much the better sampling and conversing! Personally, we've never had anything but friendly - if busy! - service here. They prioritize efficiency here, and you're likely to end up with anywhere from 1 - 3 servers. Despite the crowds of committed sushi-eaters, the service for us has been remarkably relaxed and even entertaining. And yes, we sometimes go without reservations. However, we go as a couple - maybe smaller groups get seated faster. Expect to order a lot of stuff at once, then see it arrive gradually (but fresh!). Expect things to show up at your table that you didn't order. 'Roll' with it - who cares? Most of the time they just got their orders mixed, and you get a bonus. If you miss a dish, you order it again. This is not a place to be uptight. This is not a place to go when you are on a schedule. This is not a place to go if you expect gourmet sushi. This is not a place to go if you want quiet or privacy. This is a fun, chaotic, delicious smorgasbord. Make a reservation, go with the flow, and enjoy! -
Review from Rainie L.
Markham, ON
10/21/2011
One of my favorite Japanese AYCE places. Why? Because the food is tasty and fresh. And their menu includes some items you might not find in other places such as steamed egg, salmon belly, tiramisu, kalbi, chicken wings, and ice cream waffles! I'm getting hungry just writing this review. I like to recommend going on a weeknight though because weekends get VERY packed. Even when I go on weeknights I have to wait. The restaurant is somewhat small relative to its popularity and can be a little bit loud. Don't expect ambiance but expect tasty food. The presentation of each order is fairly nice. The ordering of all the menu items is by pieces instead of servings so if you order one sashimi, you literally only get one slice. Which helps because sometimes when your belly has no more room but you absolutely need to have one more fried banana, you can literally get one fried banana and leave a happy camper :)
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Review from Betty C.
Toronto, ON
3/16/2011
I love this place, went twice in a month. It's always full, You should make a reservation before u going. if u had bad luck and u still need to wait for some time even with reservation. It is bit expensive than others average Japanese "all u can eat" but tin-ichi worth the price!! Good services, Perfect sushi!!
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Review from Lisasia C.
Toronto, ON
10/11/2010
Despite hearing mixed reviews about Ten-ichi, we decided to give it a try. We made a reservation and were very impatient to try their food. We ended up regretting our decision.
The first thing that shocked me was how dirty the place was. The carpet, chairs and tables looked like they needed to be replaced. Our table was not even cleaned when we arrived, not to mention our chairs that had food scraps on them. The wait staff was distracted and no one really seemed to care about the customers' satisfaction. Although I don't expect much from an AYCE restaurant, I've never seen such a careless service. Not to mention that the service was terribly slow.
The food was nothing special. The entire experience was a huge disappointment and I felt like it was a total waste of time and money going there. I find this restaurant to be overpriced for what it is. If you are looking for a decent place to eat with nice food, nice atmosphere and what the heck, a respectful service, this is not the place to go. -
Review from Mike P.
Scarborough, ON
11/12/2011
I used to be a fan of Ten-Ichi, I mean its AYCE Sushi so you can go in, stuff your face and roll on home. I've been there about six times now, y most recent experience really turned me off. We were seated in a congested little corner as usual, no problem, the waitress took our first set of orders, no problem, of the six items we ordered only one came, problem. it turns out the giggling pair beside I us was receiving our food and not saying anything, this is made even worse as they sat down AFTER us, were served their food and OURS. We basically never received anything else for 25 minutes, however, a waitress there attempted to deliver the same fried jumbo shrimp to my wife and I SIX times. I'm allergic to shrimp and she does not eat friend shrimp, the waitress started getting ruder and ruder every time she brought the shrimp. After that I had a mediocre meal and long delays between orderings. I won't be back anytime soon.
