Photolog 2018: Day 216 of 365

My brother and sister-in-law came up to visit from NYC for the weekend and made a reservation for us at Zen Japanese Restaurant for their signature omakase course dinner. I've wanted to try Zen for a while now (first for Chelsea's birthday last year, then for mine), but we were never able to get a reservation for the days we wanted, so we never ended up going. But Zen has an amazing reputation and stellar reviews; one of Chelsea's friends actually used to work there as an apprentice chef and has said that it has some of the highest quality sushi in all of Toronto, which is how I had heard of the place to begin with. So I was super, super excited to finally try it out. All of us decided on the omakase sushi course, which starts with the lightest dish and ends with the heaviest. Our course for the evening:

1. Kumamoto A5 wagyu beef on a bed of carrot salad with sesame dressing
2. Marinated Japanese cucumber with roasted eel in vinaigrette; raw shrimp with sea salt-marinated radish; mackerel with daikon, grilled octopus with mustard, and slow-cooked duck breast with wasabi
3. Assorted nigiri sushi (part 1): Blue fin tuna, ocean trout, skipjack tuna, Hokkaido scallop, Scottish trout, and Russian king crab
4. Assorted nigiri sushi (part 2, served with miso soup): Wild tuna belly, sea bream, Argentinian shrimp, amberjack, aji mackerel, sea urchin, and BBQ eel + tuna belly hand roll (not pictured)
5. Assorted Japanese desserts: Caramel egg custard with marinated black bean; matcha sesame cookie with soy milk ice cream; warabimochi with brown sugar syrup

This dinner was phenomenal. I have never had fresher or better quality fish at a sushi restaurant in Toronto. What sets Zen apart from other Japanese restaurants is that their focus is on their omakase course, which means your whole meal is the chef's choice, and thus can be as innovative and surprising as they want to show you the pride and quality of their food and skills. The server states exactly what type of fish is being served and where it's from. Each cut of fish is thick and plump, and I could genuinely detect the differences in flavours, textures, and mouthfeel of each type (my favourites were the Hokkaido scallop, Scottish trout, wild tuna belly, and sea urchin). The rice was warm but firm, and never fell apart or felt too hard, and the amount of wasabi in each piece was just enough to compliment the flavour of the fish but never overwhelms the senses. While the sushi is obviously the star of the show here, I gotta say that the Kumamoto wagyu beef was also impeccable; just melt-in-your-mouth tender. We only got two tiny slices as part of the sakizuke (first appetizer), but let me tell you, it leaves an impression. Each dish is served at a good pace, too; enough time for you to truly taste and enjoy the course, but never left waiting for the next dish. The omakase course is pricey, but it is an incredible experience and worth every single penny.