John M.
Yelp
I had dinner as early as they would allow (5pm) yesterday and the experience was mostly very good. The resto is on a characterful street in Old Montreal. They've set it up with plexiglass barriers between tables; I sat at the bar as is always my wont for sushi, and my seat was braced by them, which is fine and responsible. But the space is tight and it's a little odd to negotiate seating, but they have to do what they're doing. I understand.
Now, as to the food: This is 100% plant-based sushi and other Japanese delicacies. My only experience with vegan sushi is at Whole Life Go in Calgary, where I live, and I set that as my benchmark throughout this meal. I ordered the one-person "omakase," which isn't really an omakase since everything is laid out in the menu (an omakase should entail an a la minute element of surprise based on whatever's best that day, but I've seen this before where the "omakase" is really just a set meal, a "combo" or "assiette" if you will, and it didn't affect the taste of anything!) and it started out magnificently with a very rich, very delicious miso soup with mushroom. It was the best miso soup I've had in memory- order this! Then came a trio of fried gyoza with a vegetable mince of some description. They were fine, nothing exceptional, but the accompanying peanut sauce was absolutely killer and I drank the balance of it- I could've used three more of these tiny gyoza just to mop up the sauce. My gracious server offered me another ramekin of it to go with my sushi, which was a plate comprising three rolls: a simple avocado maki, an "outside" roll with various vegetables and topped with what looked like green goddess dressing, and a tomato roll with tempura crumble on the inside (like my favourite places at home do a spicy tuna roll, with tempura bits mixed into the macerated tuna).
Not all of these were outstanding. The avocado roll was fine but the avocado looked a bit bruised and overripe. The "salad" roll had lettuce, which I never enjoy in a veggie roll, and a bit too much rice. The spicy tomato roll was HEAVEN. If I come here again, I'll have the miso soup and two of those tomato rolls, absolutely.
I'm taking one star off this rating because of something very important, which is that my seating was not comfortable. I need a proper chair with a back for dining, and these were stools with one of those almost-nonexistent low backs; at the tables were backless stools. The only way to have back support looks to be to get a seat along a wall. I know this looks neat, but it's not comfortable. Another thing is that though my server was INCREDIBLY nice and did a superb job, he did say something that I a bit put off by: see, I eat sushi with my fingers. This is how it's done in Japan, and is the mark of somebody who knows and loves sushi. In the midst of my meal, he asked if I wanted a fork. I was surprised that a server at what looks to be the most highly-rated sushi resto in Montreal would presume that I couldn't use chopsticks. I can use chopsticks deftly, but sushi needn't be eaten with them. He was gracious when I responded with this explanation, but it was still a bit jarring that he was unaware that consuming sushi with one's hands is the mark of a connoisseur, not a novice.
Another thing I wish they'd consider, and this goes to my comparison between this place and Calgary's SUPERB Whole Life Go, is that WLG used sprouted brown rice as an option with all of their dishes. It's an amazingly good ingredient- sprouting it makes it softer and lends a delicious, toothsome texture to sushi, and makes it healthy as well, adding fibre and that nutty deliciousness.
I must add that this omakase is the incredibly reasonable price of $29! I''ve seen omakases at traditional sushiya for as much as $200, and those wouldn't have been as satisfying as this was.
