Real Life Reviews: Aji Sai Sushi

After game night last week my friend and I were quite hungry. As is becoming a thing for us after game night, we went for sushi. My friend recommended Aji Sai, as she had been there before and it was close.

At 178 Ontario street Aji Sai is quite close to the downtown transfer point. It has an unassuming facade that can be easily walked by. But once you're inside that changes. You enter into a large room with the sushi making station in the center. The light sets a very mellow tone, while the decor is modern with brick. The place is warm, even seated beside the door as we were, and the mixed nationality music had very good acoustics through the place.

The servers and food were both prompt, though that may have partly been being some of the last customers of the night. We both got the all you can eat deal, which cost about $24 after taxes. Considering our last sushi adventure, this was a savings. We were given each a bowl of miso soup which was a great palette cleanser. It was just the right temperature to drink, and wasn't too thick or milky.

We started with a Sex on the Beach roll. It was pleasantly sweet, but the sauce dribbled on it had a bite. It benefited from the sweet ginger garnish, and was wrapped in pink nori- a very pleasing ascetic.

The salmon sushi and sashimi didn't really do it for me, as I found the salmon to be a bit watery and bland. However the Takoyaki was a pleasant surprise in being a chewy sweet fried dumpling, with a hint of ginger.

The Volcano roll was smooth and chewy, and had an overbearing taste of cucumber. Meanwhile the BBQ Short Rib roll was much too American flavoured, and unsettlingly warm, if not unpleasant. I quite enjoyed the tuna sushi for its melt in your mouth smoothness and umami sweetness.

I tried two more sashimis, both butterfish and mackerel, and neither were quite my style. The butterfish was quite fishy tasting, and burst in your mouth with a watery wetness, and left a lemony aftertaste. Much to the opposite the mackerel was almost too dry and flaky with a strong level of salt and a peppery aftertaste.

The Red Dragon roll was good, but I found it to be the less satisfying younger brother of my favourite of the night, the Black Dragon roll. The Black Dragon roll was topped with ultra smooth and buttery eel, while the tempura shrimp added just the right amount of crunch.

For dessert we had a melange of mango. A bowl of mango ice cream that had a truly satisfying milkiness to it that it must be homemade. And a Mango Milky. Now this was nothing like the milkshake I was expecting. Instead it was a two layered shot glass of thin milk pudding and a mango puree creating a sweet and intense mango flavour. Now that's a shot I can get behind!

I found the portion sizes to be a wee bit small, but enjoyed that I could then select more things to try. The restrooms were impeccably clean and private, but they were exceptionally small.

All in all I quite enjoyed the experience and wouldn't mind returning. Even a good while later as I write this I am still full from my meal, and don't regret the expense. Perhaps give it a go the next time you're nearby.