Photolog 2020: Day 16 of 366

on
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Chelsea and I went to Araya Sushi for a late lunch this afternoon 'cause we were hardcore craving sushi. They just opened up a few months ago and we're always excited to try out new sushi places in this area, so this has been on our must-try list for a little while now. We got there at 3:30 PM, which is just a bit too late for lunch and way too early for dinner — so basically, it's the most perfect time to go when you want the most efficient, attentive service, and ultra-fresh, carefully prepared food.

Sashimi Dinner

Thriller Roll

Angry Roll

We decided to share the Sashimi Dinner, plus the Thriller Roll (pickled radish, cucumber, avocado, and crabmeat topped with seared tuna and green onion) and the Angry Roll (spicy salmon, avocado, crabmeat, and cucumber topped with pickled jalapeño and tobiko). The Sashimi Dinner featured an assortment of gorgeous, fresh, plush fish, from salmon to tuna to butterfish (that's seared!), and comes with a bowl of rice. (The reason we got the Sashimi Dinner instead of a sashimi combo or à la carte is really just because it was the cheapest option for the amount we wanted.) Both maki were excellent; the seared tuna lends a fantastic smokiness to the Thriller Roll, and the jalapeño adds a great spicy-tart crunch to the Angry Roll. Great portions for the price, too. (Seriously, they're gigantic.)

Homemade gyoza

Our server was amazing as well — not only did she give us both miso soups and edamame to start with (one miso soup came with the Sashimi Dinner, but she gave us a second one anyway since there were two of us), but she also presented us with a plate of freshly fried homemade gyoza on the house. And I kid you not, it was some of the best gyoza I've ever had. Most casual sushi restaurants serve frozen gyoza, so the meat filling inside is hard with a muted flavour, the wrapper is tough, and they're not evenly fried. It's why I almost never order them. But these gyoza had a soft, tender, flavourful meat filling, and the wrappers were thin and pliant with the most perfect, crispy, golden texture. I think they lightly coat it with panko and deep-fry them instead of just lazily pan-frying them? Whatever the case, it gives them the most exquisite crunch, and I still managed to eat three even though I was already stuffed to the brim.

Black sesame ice cream

To top it all off? She also gave us black sesame ice creams on the house. I don't know if it's because Chelsea had mentioned that I review food on social media, or because she saw me taking so many photos, or because we were the only customers in the restaurant at the time and she was just feeling particularly generous, but she legit gave us appetizers and desserts for free when she totally didn't have to. (We made sure to tip her well.) In conclusion: I think we just found our new favourite sushi spot in Markham.
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