Fushimi (Japanese)

Has it really been eight whole years since we reviewed Fushimi? It would seem so, so it’s time for a re-do. After all this time, Fushimi has the same decor (I guess if it ain’t broke...) iPad menus are used, as well as reusable chopsticks thankfully. Free Wifi is available. Fushimi had both $1.50 canned pop not AYCD, or $1.75 refillable AYCD fountain... unique to have a choice. Soy at table had a strong and rich flavour, not salty and fresh so was very good. Green tea was very good and included. Have to ask for ginger; it’s available but not by default, and is not dyed pink.

Cheese wontons were excellent, not oily fresh and enough cheese. Shrimp tempura was excellent, not oily, light, flaky and had a good sauce. We both noticed that the yam tempura was oily and left residue on our fingers. Green salad dressing was fantastic and made it very enjoyable; seaweed salad was strangely only on dinner menu. Miso soup was underwhelming and lacked dashi umami. Gyoza were excellent, crisp, fresh and with an excellent sauce. Spring rolls were excellent, not oily and with a very good sauce.

Salmon nigiri were very fresh, with a good rice consistency that did not fall apart, overly excellent. Philly roll we both loved as had an excellent balance of ingredients and were very fresh. Butterfish aka tilapia nigiri was also fresh and very good; Even Mishy tried some and liked it. Red snapper was similarly good and fresh as was surf clam and crab surimi. Spicy salmon sushi was excellent as not too hot and overpowering.

Steak yakitori had a fantastic and unique sauce which we loved. Chicken had the  same; the sauce seemed to be orange zest and garlic... whatever it was worked well. Chicken katsu also had an excellent sauce and was done very well, crisp but not overcooked. General Tao chicken was very good, not overly hot and with an excellent sauce. Beef udon soup was OK but had undercooked vegetable notes and lacked savour, and also contained oversized double broccoli florets with no way of separating them.

For dessert, Mishy adored the mango and strawberry ice cream, indicating they were very fresh and creamy. I agree the strawberry flavour was fantastic. Vanilla was French vanilla which i prefer as is more flavourful. Mango as expected was about the best, perfectly flavoured and wonderful. Green tea ice cream was fresh and good. Weekend lunch is $27.95 which these days is a couple of bucks cheaper than the going rate for this area; Fushimi used to be a little more expensive than average but the average has caught up. With a couple of shortcomings it was still quite a good lunch at a reasonably good price.

Rating: 8 - 8.5 / 10

Original review:

I'd already reviewed Fushimi's location north of Toronto (which has since closed) and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it wasn't the only one. This Fushimi is located in the core at 491 Church St. It's just south of Wellesley so is transit-accessible, being a short walk from Wellesley subway station.

Fushimi wasn't much to look at in the forward section, but the decor and ambiance improved in the darker interior, although there are no full booths. It had a style of washrooms I've never seen before, with one unisex room and handwashing sink, containing several male and female stalls with sliding enclosures... Is that how it's done in Japan?

Fushimi is a little pricier than the usual AYCEs we review, and I wanted to see if it was worth the difference. I wasn't disappointed. Nearly everything we had there was among the best we've had. For starters the miso soup was light and savoury and very good, although to be honest the second bowl was a bit watery. Salad's dressing was excellent. All of the soy sauce is sauce is low sodium.

The difference became more obvious in the entrées. Sashimi was thickly sliced and served on a bed of ice to keep it cool and absolutely fresh throughout the meal. Chicken teriyaki was awesome and it was nice to not hear Mishy dig out her oft-used and seldom-understood "rubbery" adjective. Lemon chicken was delightful and this is Mishy's favourite dish... I usually avoid it but enjoyed it this time. Shrimp tempura was perfect as was the sauce; even though slightly sweet I still loved it.

Beef teriyaki was the only letdown; I've had much better and this time it's me with the "rubbery" descriptor. The sauce was also too sweet. Stir fried vegetables were also OK. But the excellent pepper beef teriyaki with orange? mandarin? sauce put things back on track, chicken fried rice was superbly savoury and definitely the best we've had, and the Volcano Roll was excellent as well.

For dessert, the large scoops of mango and green tea ice creams were among the freshest and best ever. Red bean ice cream and tiramisu were good as well. Black sesame pudding didn't really taste like anything, though, and mango yogurt was sort of "meh". But I still thoroughly enjoyed Fushimi. Weekday lunch is $14.99 and dinner is $22.99 and it was worth the extra.

Rating: 9-9.5/10.