Issmi Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Toronto

I am not in any way affiliated with Issmi, its ownership, nor am I receiving compensation for providing this review.

Issmi is bar none simply the best quality of Japanese/Korean food I have ever had the privilege of enjoying. There is not a dish on the menu that I have not tried that I have not loved. The high quality of the food begins with how fresh the ingredients are. Fish always tells the tail! :) The fish at Issmi always tastes as it should and is served cold. The food is prepared with care and precision and the presentation is not just visually appealing but, rather, is often stunning. My personal favourite is the Issmi Special Sushi - it is always a work of culinary art that delights. To add to the great fare is the incredible selection of cold sake. Frances and her team have taken great care to source some of the highest quality sakes in the world - sakes that you will not find elsewhere in Ontario to be sure.

This review would be remiss if I didn't tell you how wonderful, welcoming, and caring Frances and the team at Issmi are. It is always the small personal touches and attention to detail that take a great dining experience and move it to exceptional. The team at Issmi is responsive to all of your dining needs at Issmi in that they are caring and attentive. And to have Frances herself, so often check in with her guests is such a beautiful added bonus.

Thank you for all you continue to do at Issmi Frances! I will be back again and again. A true gem in...

Stay away, unless you enjoy poor service. A good restaurant can make a mistake and learn from it - and then there are restaurants like Issmi. I was seated quickly enough, but then 20 minutes went by without anyone acknowledging me. Nobody took an order. Nobody offered a glass of water. Nobody even said "we're busy and will be with you shortly". They weren't too busy, however, to run to tables with a fresh fork or to re-fill water glasses or to put together take-out orders. After waiting 20 minutes and unable to get any attention or service, I went to the counter and told staff that my table was now freed up since I was leaving, explaining that waiting 20 minutes without being acknowledged was unacceptably poor service. I advised that I would be posting my experience to Google. A restaurant that actually cared about its customers would apologize and learn from the experience and offer to address the problem right away. Their response? Silence. Nothing. Why? Likely because they feel that they can fill my table with other customers, so one unhappy experience doesn't matter. Well, it does matter, and I won't be returning, and I hope my review will convince other people to stay away. Perhaps a few empty tables will help Issmi learn about good customer service. Diners can only vote with their dollars and in my experience, poor service should not be rewarded. My vote? Issmi is not worth the trip or the poor...

Was cruising the area and stumbled this little shop called Issmi and boy did it surpass my expectations.

Although they're well known for their sushi, I was in the mood for the kalbi ribs (marinated korean short ribs) and the meat was cooked to perfection. The sauce was the right amount of sweet and the ribs were tender and juicy.

Don't judge a book by its cover as the inside of the restaurant is another thing to speak for as well. It looks like it was recently renovated as the floors and walls look so modern as opposed to the other old worn down sushi places I've been to. Despite being busy with delivery drivers and other take out orders, my food still came in a timely manner.

I chatted with the owner Francis for a little bit while waiting for my food and she was very friendly and welcoming. She has run the place for over 15 years and I can see why, the food is fantastic and the customer service is top notch.

Kudos to the hard working staff at Issmi for making everyone's experience a pleasant one, we appreciate your hard work. I highly recommend this restaurant to all, especially if you're...