Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto

My sister and I enjoyed the lunchtime Kaiseki meal last weekend, and it was a fantastic experience. We had been to Kyoto before and wanted to re-​experience a piece of Japan and we were not disappointed.
Every detail, from the décor to the cherry blossom trees (not quite in bloom yet) to the friendly service was exquisite. Our host, Kei, was so friendly and explained each dish in detail. It was truly a «mindful eating» experience as each dish was a work of art and a flavour journey, with ingredients sourced straight from Japan and seasonally inspired. We enjoyed genmaicha tea with our meal.
Another special touch was a hand-​written Japanese birthday card from Chef Hashimoto who also came out to visit us at the end.
I highly recommend this incredible culinary experience in Toronto and hope to be back!

This was definitely where quality of food and taste meets delicate fine art meets respectful culture* all in one* we came here to celebrate our two yrs anniversary and not only we had amazing food but we learnt a lot from the chef and his son who served us privately that night throughout all 8 courses and hosted the tea ceremony at the end.
The chef also hand written us a card*~
Everything was so beautiful and delicious in its very impressive way yet holds the core traditional value of Japan’s Kaiseki*
We highly recommend this place and couldnt be more happy with the experience and service*

It’s a great cultural experience with great food beyond expectations. Every dish is full of flavour and texture. The tea ceremony at the end is definitely highlight of the whole dinner.

I am confident when I say this place is hands down the most authentic Kaiseki cuisine I’ve ever been to in Toronto (thus far).
The experience takes you back to Japan — from the moment you walk in, the intricate décor and personable service, it felt like they were trying to take you through a journey.
The assistant Manager, Kei, was a pleasure to talk to. He was friendly and extremely knowledgeable about every question we asked him. The entire restaurant only had 3 tables and they keep it that way to ensure you have a proper Kaiseki experience in peace and quiet.
It was our 7 year anniversary celebration and the on on the table was a personal note written and stamped by the chef. They really pay attention to details when you make the reservations, which are recommended a week in advance.
I won’t go into detail about the dishes, but $ 200 per person for the 6-​course lunch was well worth it. The quality of all ingredients are top-​notch and the effort spent on each dish can be seen in small details like how they tie bean sprouts into a knot, the exquisite plating. Every course was served like it was a piece of art.
The miso soup may be my favorite — it does not sink to the bottom like other places, but instead carries a creamy texture and the dab of mustard went surprisingly well with the soup.
We had tea ($ 6) to go with our meal and you are able to get up to 2 refills. The main course was duck breast porridge w/​poached quail egg. We were offered seconds in case we weren’t full before dessert was served.
The lunch sessions do not come with the tea ceremony, so if you’ll have to come during dinner to see it.
On our way out, Kei took photos of us by the front door, which would be emailed to us along with photos of our meal today. Since it was Valentine’s Day, we each received a fresh rose!
The chef came out to say goodbye, walks us all the way out the door and bowed outside in –20 weather! I wanted to usher them back inside because it was freezing, but the Hashimoto family won’t let you leave without making you feel like a true VIP.
I will definitely be back!

The short version of my review is this: «Hashimoto is hands down my favorite dining experience ever.»
It’s rare to be able to walk away from a restaurant and say that every course was delightful, and good enough to have stood on its own. I thought this was true of every course at Hashimoto. It’s also rare to be able to say that every dining experience at a restaurant is as delightful as the other. This is true of the few times I’ve gone to Hashimoto over the years as well.
Service at Hashimoto is exceptional. I always feel very welcomed when I come here. From the moment I’m greeted at the door, throughout service, and all the way through to the end of the meal and as we’re driving off. The chef even comes by to talk with us at the end of the meal, sees us to the door, and then bows to wave good bye as the car pulls away. Every course is well introduced, explained down to the detail of not only why certain ingredients are used, but why the plateware is being used. We were happy to let the restaurant pick the sake to pair, and the chef was the one who make the recommendation. And it sung perfectly with the meal. They also don’t have a large number of tables as well. I think in total there’s only three. And so while we talked with normal voices, it was not loud at all. There was only one other table/​room also used last night. The previous time I was here, it was just us. I rather like that about Hashimoto.
This is not a sushi restaurant, so please don’t leave thinking «I didn’t get very much sushi.» But if you’re interested in a meal where the courses are carefully designed, and they seem very well connected and balanced, then I can’t think of a better restaurant to recommend.
I don’t know how to describe what the meal feels like other than to say that every mouthful brought a smile to my face. The experience is quite different (at least for me) from an «explosion» of flavour… but instead it’s a very harmonious experience.
I’m not going to describe each dish because the menu changes. The ingredients also are flown in from Japan, so it’s dependent on the season. There were some elements that I remembered having from the previous time I was here. But there were certainly new ones as well. But everything is very pretty.
There is an optional tea ceremony at the end as well. We skipped it this time, but have done it in the past. It is a very nice experience as well.

I visited here with a friend last week for dinner. Service is warm and impressive. Food comes top level around Toronto, but average in Japan. They use a small metal cup to serve salt. It’s definitely not exquisite. To sum up, this is a good restaurant, but overpriced.

A very delightful experience. Very high quality food and service. From the moment we walked in until we left they made us feel like we were their only priority. Just incredible! The food was amazing. Every dish was a work of art! If you appreciate the simplicity and depth of Japanese food you will enjoy every dish here. The experience ended with a beautiful tea ceremony which was also a very unique. I’d definitely come back here next time I’m in Toronto. I’m looking forward to try their their menu for other seasons as well!

Amazing experience ! K and his parents took a great care for us. The fish was arrived on day and everything is so fresh! Learnt a lot of Japanese culture there as well!

Was there with some clients and a colleague. It is $ 300 a person and it is an artfully done 9 course experience. Each course however is very tiny and I left wishing there was more of certain dishes. Service was impeccable and we were the only group in the place and had a nice private room. I was afraid going in that I would be expected to kneel for the entire meal but that was not the case. We were offered some special unpasteurized sake at $ 250 a bottle. The difference was lost on me but I doubt I will be doing this too often.
Diner finished with a tea service where I did have to kneel. The entire experience took about 3 hours and we did get a bit of business done!

I ate at the Mississauga location three years ago, before they moved.
An extraordinary experience; it’s not a meal, it’s cultural immersion.
I was at a wedding in a cheesy banquet hall in an ugly mall and went out for some air [OK, a ciggie]. Next to an auto detailing shop was a tiny door with a menu posted on it: $ 225 per person, tasting menu… needless to say I was intrigued.
I booked the next day and we ate there two weeks later. Very hard to describe the attention to detail and the quality of the food, but it made Susur’s look positively pedestrian. The Wagyu beef literally melted in the mouth and the duck was astonishing. My wife liked the sushi, but I preferred the sashimi. The ingredients are flown in from Japan twice a week.
There were two tables and no distractions until a couple of drunk guys walked in and asked for a beer… then they saw the whole set up and just walked away, no doubt thinking «WTF?»
If I has the money, I’d eat there once a week. Of course, if I had the money I might not live in Brampton… just sayin…

I went there for lunch wiz my mum. It is nothing but distinction. The food n service just cant be better. Defi wanna try again.

My partner and I visited Kaiseki Yuzen Hashimoto for a wonderful dinner.
This is a fine family run establishment, where the Japanese cuisine is very accomplished, and the service is professional yet very warm. As soon as we were seated we were made to feel right at home by the mother and son service team.
Also of note, we thoroughly enjoyed a bottle of gorgeous sake from Okunomatsu, simply superb with our meal.
All in all, the best kaiseki cuisine I’ve experienced in Canada.

My date took me here because he wanted to impress me with how much money he has. He said the only people who know of this restaurant are the ones that need to know it. Now I am one of those people and I’ll explain why dinner here may not be worth the staggering price.
I loved the restaurant’s concept. We were seated in an individual room and head server was dressed in a pretty kimono. Ambiance was of traditional Japanese mansion style. The table looked aged with unfinished and plates looked like they belong to museums.
$ 300 9-​course meal, which had required 1 week advance reservation, consisted of sushis, soups, cooked fish and many dishes I was not familiar with. They tasted good but for someone like me who doesn’t know anything about cooking it seemed like a waste. But exotic ingredients and they way they were combined and cooked were unique. They tasted like nothing I had before. The most memorable thing from the dinner was how those dishes looked. They looked like artworks!
Each plate had tiny amount of foods. I know this is normal for tasting menus but the chef’s exercise on how little food could be served on each plate was on a different level. Some dishes literally had a couple of bites. What good is good food if I could have only a taste of what it could potentially be in full form? Some dishes felt anticlimactic as I couldn’t fully enjoy all the different flavours. But the dishes came out in timely manner.
After dinner we opted for tea party on the house in a different room. That was a memorable experience but we had to kneel during the whole time, which hurt my legs. The tea was very bitter. But supposedly it is good for health.
After all was said and done dinner came up to more than $ 1000. With so little food I didn’t even feel full. If you’re wondering, I kindly refused his offer and paid for my own meal.
All in all Kaiseki is a restaurant for those who know their foods and those who can appreciate good foods when they see them. Me dining at this restaurant was like giving an illiterate East of Eden and telling him to read all the pages. If you have too much money and want to feel good about it this restaurant is good for that purpose too.