Update: 2022-Oct-01 - Sushi Den is showing as Permanently Closed on Google Maps and Yelp, so updating its status appropriately.Update: 2021-Aug-20 - There is currently no AYCE at this location 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 status.
Sushi Den is located at 155 Wellington Street E. in Aurora, two municipalities north of Toronto, very close to Yonge Street. Sushi Den has a very nice darker interior which Michelle described as gorgeous. It did make it seem more upscale. Appearances notwithstanding, disposable chopsticks are used unfortunately, so I brought my own. Pop is $1.99 canned not AYCD. Soy at table is all green-lid supposedly low-sodium, although it was rather salty. Ordering is old school onto paper templates. There were about half a dozen other customers.
Mishy absolutely loved the wakame salad and said it was the best she had ever had. Miso soup was fantastically good, for the rich smoky flavor and perfect balance; both of us loved it. Green salad was excellent with a very nice house orange ginger dressing, and was very fresh. Popcorn chicken was delicious, very well spiced and not overly breaded. Mishy described the chicken "teriyaki" as beautiful, and I agree it was very good to excellent, with a nice sauce that was not too sweet. She also indicated that the sweet-and-sour chicken was dried out, but I did not agree as this was due to the coating and enjoyed it.
Mishy did not like the marinated beef short ribs at all, and I really didn't either. I don't know what the flavor was supposed to be like that traditionally or not, but it didn't seem to work unfortunately. Deep-fried scallops, probably surimi, were quite good and the sauce was close to mayonnaise but still complemented it well. Gyoza were excellent, not only the sauce was good but they tasted fresh rather than being prepared from frozen as many other places do. Spring rolls similarly tasted not frozen, although they were not exemplary, were quite good and the sauce was nice. Shrimp and sweet potato tempura were both very light and flaky and non-greasy, and the sauce was tasty but a little bit too sweet. Chicken katsu was good and well breaded, but the sauce was too sharp and acrid; I have had such before so was used to it, but Mishy had not and did not like it at all.
Salmon nigiri was excellent, very fresh, a nice portion of salmon that flowed over the rice. Salmon cream cheese roll was very good. Mishy's favorite, salmon rose, is available, but she didn't like that the dollop of mayonnaise on the top was far too large. I tried some and I agreed completely as it overpowered the rest of the roll so that all one could taste was the mayonnaise. Spicy salmon sushi was alright, however watch out for the portion size which is much too large for most people to be bite-sized; I could barely fit it into my big mouth. Spicy crab sushi is the same, also oversized but with shredded surimi replacing salmon, and I actually found it to be better. Surf clam, red snapper AKA tilapia and butterfish AKA escolar nigiri were all fresh and good.
For dessert, mango pudding was wonderful and both Mishy and I loved it very much. We both found the coconut pudding lacking in coconut flavor and with a strange dusty taste that was unappetizing. Strawberry ice cream was delicious with big chunks of strawberry. Vanilla ice cream was delicious and creamy. Mango ice cream have the delicious orange flavor though I love, which Mishy correctly identified as being Creamsicle. Ginger ice cream was good and always welcome, though not as much so as at other places. Weekend lunch is $19.99. Overall most dishes at Sushi Den were good, a few were exemplary, but a few that were not so good dragged the rest down; was not consistent. Overall it was not bad, though for the area and offerings the price was slightly high.
Rating: 7-7.5/10
Mishy absolutely loved the wakame salad and said it was the best she had ever had. Miso soup was fantastically good, for the rich smoky flavor and perfect balance; both of us loved it. Green salad was excellent with a very nice house orange ginger dressing, and was very fresh. Popcorn chicken was delicious, very well spiced and not overly breaded. Mishy described the chicken "teriyaki" as beautiful, and I agree it was very good to excellent, with a nice sauce that was not too sweet. She also indicated that the sweet-and-sour chicken was dried out, but I did not agree as this was due to the coating and enjoyed it.
Mishy did not like the marinated beef short ribs at all, and I really didn't either. I don't know what the flavor was supposed to be like that traditionally or not, but it didn't seem to work unfortunately. Deep-fried scallops, probably surimi, were quite good and the sauce was close to mayonnaise but still complemented it well. Gyoza were excellent, not only the sauce was good but they tasted fresh rather than being prepared from frozen as many other places do. Spring rolls similarly tasted not frozen, although they were not exemplary, were quite good and the sauce was nice. Shrimp and sweet potato tempura were both very light and flaky and non-greasy, and the sauce was tasty but a little bit too sweet. Chicken katsu was good and well breaded, but the sauce was too sharp and acrid; I have had such before so was used to it, but Mishy had not and did not like it at all.
Salmon nigiri was excellent, very fresh, a nice portion of salmon that flowed over the rice. Salmon cream cheese roll was very good. Mishy's favorite, salmon rose, is available, but she didn't like that the dollop of mayonnaise on the top was far too large. I tried some and I agreed completely as it overpowered the rest of the roll so that all one could taste was the mayonnaise. Spicy salmon sushi was alright, however watch out for the portion size which is much too large for most people to be bite-sized; I could barely fit it into my big mouth. Spicy crab sushi is the same, also oversized but with shredded surimi replacing salmon, and I actually found it to be better. Surf clam, red snapper AKA tilapia and butterfish AKA escolar nigiri were all fresh and good.
For dessert, mango pudding was wonderful and both Mishy and I loved it very much. We both found the coconut pudding lacking in coconut flavor and with a strange dusty taste that was unappetizing. Strawberry ice cream was delicious with big chunks of strawberry. Vanilla ice cream was delicious and creamy. Mango ice cream have the delicious orange flavor though I love, which Mishy correctly identified as being Creamsicle. Ginger ice cream was good and always welcome, though not as much so as at other places. Weekend lunch is $19.99. Overall most dishes at Sushi Den were good, a few were exemplary, but a few that were not so good dragged the rest down; was not consistent. Overall it was not bad, though for the area and offerings the price was slightly high.Rating: 7-7.5/10
