Kiyomi — Restaurant in Toronto

I just had my worst Omakase experience in Toronto.

Firstly, the course I booked was the tempura omakase. It was only after we started eating that I realized we received the sushi omakase instead. I asked the waitress why we were served the the wrong course and was then told we were accidentally put on the wrong course list. We decided to overlook the mistake and continued with the sushi course. However, that was only the beginning of a list of mistakes and horrible service the restaurant made.

During the two hours of the meal, the teacup was only refilled once during the entire meal and remained empty the rest of the meal, completely ignored by the waiting staff. After our soup course, the waitress only took away my friend's bowl and left my empty bowl on the table until the sixth course after it. A piece of kelp was lying on the table the entire time, the Waitress did not even attempt to clean any thing during the dinner.

Regarding the ingredients, the shellfish were soft and not fresh, and the eel sushi was not properly deboned.

🔺 After dinner, I waited for the dessert for nearly half an hour. I kindly told the waitress that today's dining experience was as not expected, but she responded in a defensive tone with a look of disbelief on her face that she received a review less than superb, "Oh? What did I do wrong?” The lack of awareness, coupled with an unapologetic attitude rubbed me the wrong way so I made myself clear regarding the quality of service I’ve received. The waitress’ tone became hostile, ”ok so what do you want?” I immediately said I didn’t want anything, but wanted to bring to attention the negative experience we received during our meal. She then just left the table with a terrible attitude and zero apology. When the payment machine was handed to us there was no dinner amount entered in, we had to enter everything in by ourself.

From the taste to especially the service, by far this was my worst dinner experience in Canada. This is the first restaurant in Canada that I gave 0 tips. Avoid this restaurant...

OVERALL: Wonderful omakase experience in the city. Definitely recommend it if you're looking for premium sushi omakase in Toronto. We'll be back to try the tempura omakase experience which is one of a kind.

VENUE: Came in on a Friday evening with a 7pm reservations. The restaurant is nicely designed for a premium experience. We loved the design of the back wooden wall. Street parking was available across the street, directly infront of the restaurant.

FOOD: We opted for the sushi omakase experience but will definitely be back to try the tempura omakase. The sushi course had 21 items which is a lot. It started with an excellent sashimi appetizer and was followed by a great selection of sushi pieces. We sat facing sushi chef Katsumi who was great at explaining each sushi piece to us along with some of the history and nuance with his style of sushi, including the Edomae specialty of preparing the fish. The stand-out pieces for me were the squid in the sashimi appetizer, mackeral (cooked), scallop, toro (there were two), the chef handroll. I also ordered a sake flight (3) to go along with my meal. The sake was an top notch selection and each one was different that went nicely with my food.

SERVICE: The nuance of an omakase restaurant is the service experience is both from the server and the sushi chef which I've touched on above. Our server was excellent. She was kind and offered to check our coats. When we sat down, she explained to us the omakase course ahead and offered us a drink menu with recommendations. She was attentive and checked up on us quite regularly including removing plates that came with some courses and refilling water etc.

VALUE: The premium omakase experience is pricey but it's at the expected price point that is comparable with competitors in the city. For the price, you expect high quality food, drinks and excellent service and it was...

I love omakase; it’s such a unique experience every time. Omakase feels like a museum of all of the chef’s experience condensed into one meal, carefully curated. Each course is a work of art.

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Kiyomi, and it was such a beautiful experience. The minimalist decor, the Joe Hisaishi soundtrack playing softly in the background, and the quick, efficient service created a tranquil atmosphere to enjoy watching Chef Katsumi work his magic.

Every time I’ve had omakase, there’s always a standout piece that stays with me long after the meal. For this omakase, it was the ankimo with daikon radish. While I’ve had ankimo before, I’ve never had it presented in a way where the daikon cuts through the richness of the fish, and the addition of shiso (I think?) leaves a clean, refreshing aftertaste.

I also loved the squid with mentaiko in the sashimi course. I’m usually not a fan of squid due to the chewiness, but this one was cut into small pieces, and the mentaiko added a subtle saltiness that elevated it to another level.

Another favorite was the negitoro hand roll. I think part of my love for it comes from watching someone roll sushi with such expertise, but the quality of the fish was also outstanding.

I love the attention to detail and the care they have for their craft. Plates were changed often, cleared quickly, and they asked about our preference for wasabi and whether we liked the amount. The dinner was well-paced and filling. At the end of the sushi courses, you can choose to add additional pieces if you are still hungry. I appreciated how innovative courses were interwoven with classic pieces, making this omakase equally enjoyable for both newcomers and seasoned omakase lovers alike. Thank you for a lovely...