JaBistro

I would say most was excellent. Had the sashimi platter which you can tell was amazingly fresh and very high quality. We also tried the sushi samplers and there was a roll with it but the «torch» they use to infuse flavours wasn’t the greatest. I tasted the burnt flavour more than the fish. I don’t really see the value in the firing up some of their items.

The place is exactly like a modern Japanese Restaurant. The taste of sushi is so fresh and delicious. High recommended! Great location and reasonable price!

This place is just ok. Maybe a few years ago it was the bomb, but now there are better Japanese restaurants around.
It’s good quality fish, but it is waaaaaaayyy overpriced and overrated. It’s not nearly as good as other high end sushi restaurants such as Miku, Yasu, or Shoushin for the amount of money you spend. In fact, Yasu is a much better value. You can definitely get the same quality for a lot less at places like Saku, Yutaka, Wow, etc. We ordered the $ 80 lobster platter, nama, wagyu beef oishizushi, and the aburicuous. The rice for the wagyu and aburicious was overseasoned and overpowered everything. There was too much mayonnaise/​cream sauce for the aburicious — it gets kind of heavy and sickening. The rice also kind of fell apart. The presentation of our sashimi platter was also very standard — nothing like those other photos of sashimi spreads presented on stone slates posted on Unilocal.I can only speculate that the quality is inconsistent depending on the chef working. I also ordered a 3oz unfiltered plum wine for $ 20 — tasted watered down and was a huge rip off. This was my first time dining here and most likely my last.

I’ve been meaning to go here since a lot of my friends have recommended this place or if I’d ask them about it, they get really excited. Definitely set expectations high, but they were met!
There’s a really nice vibe and atmosphere going in here. We were seated at the bar which was nice to see the sushi chefs at work. Unfortunately, the bar is really high so I did need to lean over to see which I thought took a little away from the experience.
The service is really attentive and everyone seemed very friendly and approachable.
For drinks, I don’t remember the name, but it was non-​alcoholic and tasted like the strawberry campino candy. It was so creamy even though it didn’t look like it’d be. So delicious!
We decided to get the small sashimi sampler. The fish is really fresh, just how’d you expect.
What really stole the show was the blowtorched sushi. We decided to get the aburicious because it was a sample of all the blowtorched sushi except for the way guys oshizushi, so we ordered a plate of that as well. The shrimp and salmon blowtorched sushi had some amazing concoction on it. I dunno what it was, but we ordered the shrimp one because it was too good! I’m not kidding you, it’s like your body shot up to heaven because you died from how amazing it was LOL
I would definitely come back to have more blowtorched sushi and try some cool other things on the menu.

I’ve been wanting to come here for quite a while and I am so glad I finally did!
I made reservations ahead of time and I’m really glad I did because even though it was somewhat empty when I got in, soon enough it filled up real fast. The restaurant was smaller than I had thought because there is literally only one row of tables and a bar area. I actually really liked the layout of the place. The servers were also nice and I liked how the server we got was knowledgable and made recommendations for us.
We ended up getting:
— lobster miso soup: not worth it, tastes just like fish broth and nothing more
— abrui: so so good. Some of the pieces weren’t as good as the others but I would say majority was really good. The sushi literally melted in your mouth. The fish was all so fresh too.
— ochamame: very mediocre, would not order again. It was cold edamame and although I do agree you can taste the green tea infused in it very distinctly, it honestly was not anything special. The cold part really threw me off cause most places I’ve had it was lukewarm at least.
— Hokkaido salad: my friend got this one which she said was okay.
Overall, I would come here for the blow torched sushi because that’s what they’re known for, but I would not waste my money on their other items. I will definitely be coming here again soon to try the other sushi flavours!

Everything surprises me! I have been here several times a month! JaBistro is the best Japanese food restaurant!

Salmon and tiger shrimp aburi are the best. The jabistroll (i think that’s the name of it) is also great. Lovr coming here for their torched sushi. I usually get a drink and my two favourite rolls as appies before heading to another restaurant for another meal.

Finally got to try this high-​end sushi restaurant! The dining room is essentially one long rectangular box, with a sushi bar on one side and tables on the other side. My friend has been to JaBistro several times before, so I entrusted him to order! We got the sashimi platter, aburicious sushi, JaBistroll, wagyu oshizushi, and agedashi.
The sashimi platter came first, with about 25 pieces of fish. There was salmon, scallops, hamachi, wagyu beef, and sweet shrimp, and two types of tuna to name a few. The fish tasted so fresh and cold when it was served. My personal favourites were the wagyu beef and the fish was blowtorched (unfortunately forget what it was called). We got two different kinds of soy sauce to accompany the sashimi– one was their homemade sweet soy sauce (which I loved!) and the other was a traditional soy sauce (more on the salty side).
The aburicious sushi and JaBistroll came next. I liked the creaminess of the salmon oshizushi, but my favourite has got to be the ebi oshizushi! The tiger shrimp, alongside the blowtorched flavour and topped with mayo made that sushi taste fantastic. The JaBistroll reminded me of the Miku Roll. They’re actually made of the same ingredients (salmon, crab, uni, cucumber, and tobiko), so they looked and tasted very similar.
Because I liked the wagyu beef sashimi so much from the platter, we ordered an additional wagyu oshizushi. Unfortunately, it didn’t taste as good as a sushi– I think the taste of the beef was masked in this form.
Finally, the agedashi was quite heavy and a lot more filling than anticipated. It came with 4 pieces of deep-​fried oyster, which were very juicy and meaty, 2 pieces of deep-​fried eggplant, and 2 pieces of deep-​fried scallion. At the bottom of the dish was stock made from kelp (kombu) to add a nice hint of flavour.
Service was excellent– the waiters and waitresses were all very friendly, an explained what each dish contained as they were served. They also continuously refilled our water, which I appreciate, since I drink a lot! Would definitely come back here again. :)

Trendy but aspiring to Japanese quality. Sitting at the sushi bar you can witness the fresh and elegant preparation of the dishes.
This is a costly adventure, but expected when one seeks this level of Japanese fresh quality.

3.5÷5, +.5 for service
Yup, everything about this place is true. Live it, breathe it, love it. This place takes sushi to a whole new level by adding the aburi style, they do it very well in that too.
JaBistro’s decorations remind me of Guu/​Kinka (makes sense, it’s the same organization umbrella), although this place is a lot less noisy. Reservations are virtually required at all times, although I got extremely lucky that there was an area of 3 leaving as I arrived, so I was able to snatch that area.
We ordered the miso soup with lobster, JaBistroll, sashimi carpaccio, mirugai sushi, wagyu oshizushi, and the aburi platter. I really wanted to order off the menu, but I wasn’t knowledgeable enough to know what’s offered beyond the menu.
Honestly, everything was excellent except the miso soup with lobster. The JaBistroll was torched very nicely and tasted very good as well. The sashimi carpaccio had a nice Italian twist to it, although I probably won’t order it again. The mirugai (geoduck clam) sushi was very unique and of a large size too. The wagyu oshizushi was probably the highlight of the meal; so good that we ordered two of them at the end! The aburi platter featured torched scallop, sea bream, salmon, otoro, tiger shrimp, and mackerel; the tiger shrimp and mackerel weren’t too spectacular, but the scallop, sea bream, salmon, and otoro more than made it up for this dish. Finally, the miso soup with lobster had a bland taste to it, and the lobster didn’t really contribute much to the taste.
Service was excellent, and I couldn’t have asked for more. The aburi dish initially didn’t arrive, but the waitress I had noticed each time and assured we would get the dish as soon as possible. It took a while, but it eventually arrived and she profusely apologized for it. I had to tell her that it’s fine and these things happen. Nonetheless, if I’m nearby with friends and looking for a sushi dinner spot, this place would definitely be one of the first in my mind.

The sushi here was above my expectations. I’ve tried so many sushi joints in Toronto and they are all mediocre compared to this place. After hearing so many good reviews and I finally came to try it out myself. I had tried the sashimi platter and JabistRoll. Both were so tender and made properly.
For drinks I had the Sakura cocktail and a glass of red wine to pair with the sushi and sashimi. Their cocktails are pretty good and would definitely try a new one next time.

Yummmmy sushi~~~
I rarely order anything from the menu. But when I do, it’s usually the lobster platter carpaccio to start and a la carte sushi as my main.
Like Japan, this is the type of place where you can sit at the sushi bar and the chef will make you whatever you want, one at a time.
The employees are overly friendly. I once ordered an entire toro as a joke… And it was placed in front of me. (See picture)
This place gets really busy so make a reservation before you go!

I don’t know if I can ever have all you can eat sushi ever again after eating here. We arrived 15 minutes before our scheduled reservation but they were able to seat us right away. We sat at the sushi bar which is good because you get to watch the sushi being prepared, but not so much if you don’t feel comfortable sitting next to other people. The distance between the couple beside us was decent, so I don’t really have any complaints there. They have a coat check which is completely necessary for those sitting at the bar because the chairs aren’t big enough to hold up a heavy jacket.
The staff is very friendly and attentive, and you never have to wait to get someone’s attention. We started with the 50 sashimi platter (20 – 25 Pcs), which was fresh and had a good variety. They actually make your sushi orders plate by plate so that its fresh when you get to it and isn’t sitting in room temperature while you finish your other dish. We wanted to try a bit of everything so we ordered the aburicious and ended up getting a separate plate of the ebi oishizushi. The ika (calamari) off the bistro menu has a 7 spice mix on the side of the plate, adding an extra kick. We ended it with the nama — 7pc nigiri sushi, and the o-​toro was so buttery that we were able to easily cut it in half with a chopstick to share!
Amazing place! The prices are definitely worth it. We’ll be back

It was between this or Miku. I’ve heard such raving reviews from friends saying that this is superior and even their site mentions that they’re the best sushi of Toronto. Now I don’t mind spending a bit more on quality sushi but honestly these were huge claims that didn’t really live up to the hype.
Ordered
The menu was simple but limited. We tried the $ 100 sashimi platter, a selection from their torched sushi — wagyu beef, aburicious (a sample of each torched sushi but doesn’t include wagyu beef). Sashimi was slightly sweet perhaps from the authentic wasabi that compliments it. Expect that green tea would be extra in a restaurant like this.
We concluded that the jabistroll and ebi oshizushi (shrimp) to be the best. The sauce and combination of textures really makes these rolls stand out.
However after eating this for a while everything just melds together and was quite same and left me wanting more variety. Perhaps the tasting menu would have been a better bet and made it more memorable.
Service
They take your jackets and most of the waiters are Japanese who barely have a hold on the English language. I could hardly understand them but I guess their good looks and attentiveness makes up for it ha!
Overall
If you’re anything like me who doesn’t mind paying more for sushi at times but appreciate good value, I wouldn’t recommend this place. It just didn’t blow me away and make it that memorable. I hate comparing regular restaurant to ayce but I wouldn’t say it was much better than Kaka’s (ayce) special sushi they only have available only on the weekends.

Freshest fish i have ever had hands down. Ordered the sashimi platter large, wagyu ouishizushi, and aburisushi. All were fantastic! Servers were attentive and the sushi bar was a good show. The o toro chew toro, geoduck, and spot prawns blew my mind. The place is on a pricy side and the down side is its not a lot of food too but quality is there.
Thanks mcdonalds …

I’m torn about my review of Jabistro. This is the third time I’ve been, second in the last two months, but I have to say that this was probably my least favourable experience. Kudos to them for opening on New Years because I had tried to book other Japanese establishments, all which had decided to take NYD off.
They were celebrating their third year anniversary and as a nice gesture, they offered all patrons a one ounce sake or a hand roll. Both were very nice.
We ordered the one hundred dollar sashimi platter and it came out in beautiful fashion, with a beautiful assortment of fish. However, I found the service to be very rushed. While the fish was being explained to us, some one else was intruding with all the plates of soy sauce, leaving everyone distracted and unable to pay attention. My other two times was not like this. One came after another with much patience and well timed. I felt very rushed.
We also ordered several aburi rolls to share. While the wagyu roll was tasty, there was an extreme inconsistency when it came to the size of each piece, some thicker than others, while others just barely covering the sushi rice.
We also ordered the assorted aburi, which I have had before… That first time I tried it, I remember how perfectly torched it was,. This time, I felt that it was very careless, and over torched. Several pieces felt burnt, and the cream sauce on top was very heavy handed, leaving me disappointed.
While I really want to give this time three star, in reality… I’ve had better, both here and elsewhere.

Jabistro has been around for a few years now, making a name for itself as one of the top high-​end sushi places in Toronto. While I wasn’t blown away by the food or service, it was an enjoyable dinner in a comfortable and cozy environment.
We ordered the sashimi sampler, the aburicious and the Jabistro Roll. Sashimi was good quality and extremely fresh. The cut could’ve been a bit thicker but it was solid nonetheless. I came for their signature torched sushi so my focus was on the roll and the aburicious.
JaBistro roll had a soft texture and it really just melts in your mouth. The uni gives it a nice creaminess and the torched mayo on top is simply an explosion of flavors. Delicious.
The aburicious comes with 6 pieces (2 salmon, 2 saba and 2 ebi) of torched pressed sushi and 2 pieces of the Jabistro roll. They all had that wonderful smokey flavor but my favorite was the ebi which was combined with a basil mayonnaise. As for the least favorite… I’ve never been a big fan of saba but this wasn’t bad. A-​OK but I wouldnt get it again. The pressed sushi is fairly filling as the rice portion is quite thick. I would’ve preferred less of it but the rice was perfect so I can’t complain.
They have real wasabi which isn’t spicy or overwhelmingly strong like the typical kind that’s served in lower end sushi places. It’s a nice change because it’s actually more sweet. Make sure to try this!
I also would suggest to get a drink! They have a lot of interesting concoctions on the menu. I can’t remember the name of the one I ordered (nashi dashi? Lol) but I loved it.
It’s a small space and tables are very close together. If your neighbors spoke loud enough or if you were listening closely, entire conversations can be heard very clearly. So if you’re looking for an intimate setting, I wouldn’t recommend it.

I have been wanting to try Ja Bistro for a while now and now have come here on two separate occasions — lunch and dinner. The menus are essentially the same, with the dinner adding 2 – 3 more items and fresh fish selection which is on the over-​priced side ($ 9 for a single boston sourced uni sushi)… but you’re paying for quality.
On the bistro menu, the must haves are the ika (calamari) and ebi nanban (shrimp). The ika is admittedly, probably the best calamari I have had. and everyone has had a lot of calamari.
The menu shines on the blowtorched sushi portion. Every single roll is solid, but the standouts are the salmon and jabistrol (that also has uni in it). The jabistrol is probably my favourite and almost melts in your mouth. Best sushi in Toronto? possibly.
For dessert they had an interesting crème brûlée+green tea ice cream that was different. They also have a very, very extensive sake list — ranging from reasonable to super pricey. It’ll will be interesting how this place will hold up against the newer, much larger Vancouver import — Miku.
LATE EDIT: I ended up trying Miku in Vancouver. Ja Bistro’s Aburi is far better.

Really delicious. I especially like the aburi (blowtorched sushi). I got the abicurious, and this list is in the order of fav to least fav: salmon, tiger shrimp, jabistroll, mackerel. Salmon one is melt in your mouth. Tiger shrimp one has great flavour. I actually didn’t like the mackerel one that much and wouldn’t order it again. I love how everything is seasoned in its own way, and it def doesn’t need any soy sauce or wasabi.
Have also tried the sashimi here which is really good. Nigiri the rice is quite sweet (I’m not a huge fan of nigiri to begin with — I’d rather the rolls or sashimi).
Experienced great service, and really enjoyed the food.

I was lucky enough to receive a gift card for this restaurant for my birthday, and after a year later I finally got the time to find a babysitter so my partner and I could fully enjoy ourselves.
It’s not secret that I love Japanese food, and my visit to Ja Bistro had literally been a year in the making.
I ordered a 3oz cold sake, that tasted like a sweet apple juice (I seriously doubt there was any alcohol in it, it went beautifully with the fish). My partner opted for a non-​alcoholic ginger tea since he doesn’t drink alcohol.
We started off with the $ 50 sashimi platter. Everything was presented and explained to us upon delivery. The only one I didn’t care too much for was the shrimp. It had such a slimy texture that I had to immediately wash down with my sake. Otherwise, delicious fish, beautifully presented. We were fortunate enough to sit at the sushi bar where we watched the chefs create these works of art.
After the sashimi platter we wanted to try the nigiri and blowtorched platter ($ 27). I don’t even remember what each piece was, but I never tasted anything like them. Each piece came dressed in its own sauce, so no need for dipping in soy sauce. So unbelievably creamy and velvety!
Would love to come back again, but would skip on the sashimi plate and just try their blowtorched nigiri.