Matsumi (Asian?) AYCE Lounge is in the Centrepoint Mall at 6464 Yonge St., at Steeles Ave., Toronto's northern edge. This establishment opened recently, a couple months before this review I think. It has a bright, light-toned modern and attractive interior. We went for weekend lunch. iPad menus are used. There is a limitation on the number of items that can be ordered; the first order is 12, and then 6 each time with a 5 minute gap, possibly to prevent the chefs from getting overloaded. Whatever it was slowed the service down significantly at first but then it got better. The limitation didn’t interfere with the enjoyment/quantity at all, and we still both became very full! Pop is $2.50, canned not AYCD, but at least does include Coke Zero. Unfortunately disposable chopsticks are used, but we brought our own as usual. Soy at table was slightly salty, but very flavourful and with some sweetness, and fresh. There is also a serving robot. Watermelon pieces in a bowl are provided without being ordered.
Green salad house dressing was fantastic with a fresh hint of possibly mint and Mishy described it as perfect, clean, very fresh, and with the right amount of dressing and perfect size pieces. She also enjoyed the seaweed salad. Miso soup was very good, but unfortunately slightly dilute. Mushroom chawanmushi was delicious; this is a savoury non-dessert custard with a wonderful savoury eggy flavour I enjoyed.
Philadelphia roll was fantastic, ample rolls with big pieces of salmon and cream cheese and Mishy said it was perfect. It went beautifully with the soy sauce and my brought-from-home real wasabi. “Fantastic salmon” torched nigiri really was fantastic, and we both agreed on this. Of course the salmon rose was also... just perfect. Salmon nigiri was amazing and so good with the accompaniments. Even the mackerel and ika aka squid nigiri were tolerable.
Chicken sausage skewers were initially very good, though had a somewhat odd aftertaste. Still, it's nice to have as this isn't something that's commonly found on these menus. Cheese wontons were very good. Steak teppanyaki and black pepper steak were absolutely phenomenal, seemingly actual pieces of steak, and the black pepper sauce was out of this world. General Tso chicken was absolutely delicious and I loved it more than usual. Mishy accidentally ordered shrimp spring rolls rather than regular ones and we didn't like them at all, but I take it as more of a personal thing because we didn't really want them anyway so no adjustment. Chicken and beef skewers were both excellent, as were not dried out and included mushrooms and vegetables on the skewer rather than just being meat, which actually made them better. Chicken teriyaki was very good. Shrimp tempura was excellent with light and flaky breading, and the sauce was very good and went well with it.
For dessert, ice jelly was not bitter or herbal but instead wonderfully coconutty with raisins and nuts and moderate sweetness like granola, thoroughly enjoyable. Coconut pudding was too good to imagine... I was hoping Mishy wouldn't mind if I ordered seconds. I absolutely loved the strawberry, chocolate and caramel sundaes, which are made from vanilla ice cream that is better than the usual soft-serve and in cups. Mango yogurt, mango pudding, and strawberry pudding shot glasses were excellent. We both loved the sesame balls and Mishy said they were perfect at least in shape. It was $35.99 for weekend lunch. Given some of the offerings (small steaks and salmon rose) this is only slightly over the average, and the quality was there. With a couple of minor shortcomings we had a memorably enjoyable lunch.
Rating: 9.5 / 10 – 0.5 value adjustment = 9 / 10
