NO LONGER AYCE - Sushi & Bento (Japanese)

Update: 2021-Aug-20 - This location is not open for dine-in post-lockdown even though it is now permitted, and it is unknown if and when it will ever return. I am therefore removing it from the active list, and will follow up periodically and restore it should it return to AYCE dine-in status.

Sushi & Bento is located at 187 Dundas St. W., in Toronto, just east of the St. Patrick subway station at Dundas, in the core. I passed it while on the way to Gallery Sushi so ensured I returned.  Lunch on weekends is served until 5pm which is the latest I have ever seen. The interior is pleasant and cozy and it was almost full. Soy sauce is all low-sodium and it really tastes that way too.

The miso soup, although not cloudy/clumpy was among the savouriest and tastiest I have ever had... Torch was off to a good start. Green salad was cool/fresh/crisp with an orange vinaigrette; although it was good, it made me cough for some reason (and someone on Yelp had the same issue.)  I didn't like the spicy sashimi salad -- did they forget the dressing? -- it was rather flavourless, just lettuce with crumble.

Salmon sushi was good, fresh and not too thick. Spicy salmon sushi was very good, and very spicy, but without being too hot. House spicy sushi was similarly good and also not too hot. The Avocado/cucumber roll was excellent with very fresh ingredients in quite large pieces.  Gyoza/dumplings were quite good, especially dipped in the tempura sauce. Chicken udon soup has big chunks of tender chicken and not too strong of a flavour, but I definitely enjoyed it. However the grilled chicken, which seems to be a stand-in for chicken teriyaki, had a sauce that I did not enjoy at all. When I returned later with Mishy it had much improved.

Shrimp and yam tempuras weren't very flaky, but also not oily thankfully; the dipping sauce was excellent. However there is one caveat on lunch: the diner has to order 3-4 pieces of veg. tempura to receive one shrimp tempura... this is mentioned on the order sheet but I didn't quite understand it as worded at first and wondered why I ended up with a broccoli tempura though I hadn't ordered it.

For lunch the dessert options are limited as there are only green tea and vanilla ice creams, but I can do without. The service was excellent and very fast; even when busy there was no waiting and tea was refilled ASAP, and a new sheet is given as soon as an order is placed. For $12.99 Sushi & Bento is a good deal for lunch, and although there were a couple of items I wasn't big on there were others that were stand-out, and I do like the ambience and the food overall. I did as noted return later with Mishy for dinner, so it's worth it.

Rating: 8/10.