Maki Zushi

Maki "Zushi" is located at 15 Ringwood Drive, at the eastern end of Stouffville on Main St. at the location of a former Burger King. It's easy to find, in contrast to its previous incarnation: Fujiyama, which was hidden by the GO tracks and thus closed. I'd eaten there and found it to



be amazingly good, so when I returned with friends I was very sad that it was gone, and understandably ecstatic when I found that Maki had been opened by the same owners as Fujiyama.

I wasn't disappointed. I've seen a lot of negative reviews of Maki around the web, and, honestly, I think the reviewers were there when it had just opened and the bugs were being worked out. The tempura wasn't greasy, the service wasn't slow, and they weren't out of anything on the menu.

Instead, I was treated to one of the best Japanese AYCE meals I've ever had. Everything was just about perfect, from the savoury miso soup, to the fresh sashimi with a hint of lemon, to the light and flaky tempura. The atmosphere was a bit noisy, yet, because the place was packed! Word obviously got around that Maki is a great place to eat, and, unexpectedly so for a small town like Stouffville, better than almost all of its equivalents in nearby Toronto.

Some other highlights include:

- Delicious bacon-wrapped asparagus. Never had this before, and I love both of them, even more so together I found. I ended up eating three portions.

- Cheese dumplings. Watch out... very hot inside! Poke them with a chopstick and let them cool off for a minute or two. But the sever burning the roof of my mouth received didn't stop me from ordering seconds, so they must be good.

- Avocado rolls. Absolutely the  best I've had of these and we couldn't get enough of them.

- Beef teriyaki. Deliciously savoury and perfectly cooked.

The service was excellent, fast and (important for AYCE) accurate. Everything we ordered ended up arriving as requested. Given that the place was packed, this was beyond expectations.

Price is $20.99 for dinner, which for the quality is excellent. I have no reservations giving Maki 10/10, and I'll definitely be returning.