Minami Sushi Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Aurora

I was fortunate to have visited Minami once again in mid-December, and have consequently restored my rating to the full 5 stars.

I was able to speak to the woman who has been the manager of the restaurant since its opening when I lived in Aurora. She was very much aware of the issue with the preparation of the rice, and assured me that this had been rectified.

And indeed it has been. I was told that the rice was the same as ever, but that a new chef needed more training to prepare it properly.

The sushi is once again exceptional.

October revision:

I have to reduce the rating for Minami Sushi in Aurora as a result of two recent meals on a visit back from Montreal back to Aurora in late October 2022.

The big problem, in my opinion, is that the management seems to have given up on the one crucial factor that made this an exceptional sushi experience: the rice. It seems that for whatever reason, they are using a lesser quality (quite ordinary, really) rice and it doesn't seem to be properly marinated. My dining companion immediately noticed the same problem.

The quality and preparation of the rice is everything when it comes to sushi.

Everything else is as good and fresh as ever, with restraint in the use of sauces, but the lackluster rice has, in my opinion, reduced Minami to just another good sushi restaurant. It doesn't stand out any more.

Was this an economy measure? If so, misguided. The prices here are still reasonable for the general quality and the portion size, so an extra dollar or two here and there to maintain exceptional quality would be a more sensible approach. Or even offer properly marinated sushi rice at a small premium. I would more than gladly pay.

I will likely be visiting Aurora again in early December, so I look forward to another attempt to get truly superior sushi, if the management reads this review and takes it seriously.

Previous Review: It's easy to get jaded about sushi in Aurora. There are many good to excellent sushi restaurants to choose from. I think Minami Sushi is more than excellent, it is exceptional!

I moved from Aurora to Montreal two years ago. I have tried all the "Best in Montreal" sushi restaurants and they range from mediocre to truly horrible. It seems nobody in Montreal even knows what sushi is. This is surprising since almost every other kind of food here is wonderful. But this has put into perspective for me how extraordinarily good Minami Sushi is. In the interim, I have even spent time in Tokyo and other cities in Japan, and Minami Sushi is as good as anything I tried there.

I recently had occasion to visit Aurora, and of course my first stop was lunch at Minami. If anything the sushi is even better than I remember it. Since I moved, Minami has opened a take-out kitchen in Newmarket, and its offerings are just as good as at the original location. No mean feat during the disruptions of the pandemic.

Why is Minami so good? I think there are several reasons. Most important is their attitude to the rice. The word sushi actually means "sour rice". Minami takes great care to source high quality sushi rice and then marinates it correctly. With an excellent base, one can make great sushi with almost any fresh topping (I have had some amazingly good maki and nigiri made with good quality, properly marinated rice and canned ham.)

The second reason for Minami's excellence is the freshness of the fish and other ingredients. They also don't rely on heavy application of sauces, letting the flavour of the ingredients speak for themselves. The sauces and garnishes are excellent, but tend to be light and applied with restraint.

Third is the obvious pride taken in careful preparation and presentation. They currently offer only take-out service, but the presentation even in the plastic and foam containers was meticulous and pleasing to the eye at both locations.

The portions are generous, so although Minami isn't the cheapest in town, one gets excellent value for money even if only the portion size is considered. Factor in the quality and the food here...

Unpleasant Experience at Minami Restaurant: Poor Service and Unprofessional Conduct

I regret to say that my recent experience at Minami restaurant left much to be desired. From the moment we attempted to pre-order our meal, the ordeal began. Despite offering our credit card details over the phone for pre-ordering convenience, we were bluntly refused the option, leaving us puzzled and frustrated.

Upon arrival, our dissatisfaction only grew as we discovered a spider crawling on our table. The fact that we had to take matters into our own hands and eliminate the arachnid ourselves is unacceptable in any dining establishment, let alone one claiming to provide a pleasant experience.

We were assured that pre-ordering wouldn't be necessary as the restaurant wasn't busy and service would be prompt. However, this was far from the truth. Despite being a mere five minutes away and calling in advance, we were met with resistance when attempting to pre-order, as if inconveniencing the staff with our request. The blame was shifted to the owner, indicating a lack of coordination and communication within the establishment.

After enduring a lengthy wait of 15 minutes for our food, our patience was tested even further when we requested the bill. To our disbelief, it was not the hostess but another individual who handled our payment. Not only did they fail to return our change, but they also had the audacity to accuse us of neglecting to tip. When we clarified that we typically receive change before tipping, they displayed a shocking level of rudeness and unprofessionalism.

In conclusion, my experience at Minami restaurant was marred by poor service, unhygienic conditions, and unprofessional conduct from the staff. I cannot in good conscience recommend this establishment to anyone and will certainly not be returning. It's a shame that such potential is overshadowed by incompetence and disregard for customer...

TL;DR — Staff kept hovering over shoulder, bringing us the bill when we hadn’t even asked for it (essentially kicking us out) and asked for gratuity on top.

My friend and I came here on a Friday evening at 6:30. The restaurant wasn’t busy at all. Staff kept coming by our table, even though we hadn’t called them for anything. Literally every 2 min or so, a staff member would be at our table. Then, as my friend and I are talking (not calling any staff members or asking for the bill), the waiter comes up to us with our bill. My friend and I looked at each other cause neither of us asked for the bill. I told him it’s gonna be a separate bill, he said “a split bill?” I said no separate. He comes back with our bills, my friend pays and when he turns to me to pay and is waiting for me, he turns back to my friend and flat out says “oh you didn’t add gratuity on this”. My friend and I were seeing red cause a tip is earned, not just expected? We asked to speak to the manager or get their contact info since our experience wasn’t any good. We hadn’t even been there a whole hour and guess what? The place was hardly busy, so I’m not really sure why we were kicked out. The staff kept looking at us like aliens and just kept saying “there’s no number”, “we don’t know when he’ll be in”, etc. For a good 10 minutes, we were just going back and forth about needing to get into contact with the manager.

There are MUCH better restaurants in Aurora and the surrounding area. Trust, you don’t...