Blooming Orchid (Japanese)

Blooming Orchid is located at 525 Eglinton Ave. W., near Avenue Road, a short bus ride west of Eglinton subway station. It was newly opened when we went for weekend lunch. Interior was nice, bright white and modern. Ordering is from menu numbers onto paper templates. Soy sauce at table was only slightly salty, fresh and flavorful. Ginger is not dyed pink. Reusable chopsticks are used, happily. Pop is $1.50, canned not AYCD. Note that its name and signage indicate "Asian Fusion" but I've categorized it as "Japanese" as its menu is almost identical with all of the other Japanese sushi places we've visited.












Mishy said the seaweed wakame salad was a little on a sweet side but still good. I liked the green salad with house wasabi dressing though was also slightly sweet. We both found the miso soup was okay to good, but was a bit dilute and lacking in umami; a dash of soy sauce remedied this. Hot and sour soup was fantastically good, among the best I've ever had, perfectly spiced and very fresh. Cheese wontons were very good hot and fresh in a nicely spicy sauce with a piquant flavour.

Shrimp and yam tempura were both excellent, although slightly oily this did not detract and the dipping sauce was very tasty. Beef teriyaki was a very welcome lunch addition and was good, and the sauce was good as well although it had an interesting aftertaste. We both enjoyed the spring rolls and they were hot, fresh, moist and the sauce was very good. Chicken teriyaki was awesome, beautifully spiced with a delicious sauce, and we both loved it. Chicken yakitori was almost as good in similar sauce, although missing some of this by spicing, but still very enjoyable. Sweet and sour chicken was a little overboard on the sweet, lesser so was General Tso's chicken which I found better.

Even more amazingly, there was sashimi on lunch, although is a three-piece maximum for order, but still to have it at all is most welcome. Salmon was very good, white tuna and red snapper were excellent, very fresh and both with great texture. Salmon nigiri was very good and fresh. Philadelphia roll is also very good with plenty of cream cheese and flavour. Hashbrown was a bit oily but good with a ketchupy sauce which was also used for the chicken nuggets which were also good. Beef udon soup was a bit bland in the broth but a dash of soy sauce did wonders on it too.

For dessert, unique apple tempura was very good with a hint of maple and whipped cream on the side. Coconut ice cream was excellent with large pieces of fresh coconut in it, and coconut is already my favourite. Mango ice cream was good and actually tasted homemade. Although Blooming Orchid got off to a bit of a slower start, it became a memorably good lunch, and for such a reasonable price especially with sashimi was also an excellent value for only $17 for weekend lunch (although that may have only been an opening special.) We would very happily return.

Rating: 9-9.5/10