Koji Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Toronto

Unfortunately, we had a terrible experience. To preface, I’ve been dining here for 6 years and it has always been great — dine in or take out they haven’t missed. We moved to the neighbourhood a few years ago and I was excited to now be a 5 min walk from Koji. For me, it was my favourite casual Japanese spot on the west end, a hidden gem. Tonight we got a very simple take out order and it was probably the worst sushi and tempura I’ve had in Toronto. As soon as I took it out the bag I knew something was up. Nothing that should be cool or cold was. The tempura, which they used to package thoughtfully by trimming an edge of the container so it didn’t steam in transit was in regular plastic container and very greasy, limp and bland. Just looking at the sushi I knew something was different. The inari was pale and unappetizing, the avacado on the green dragon was strangely shiny, and the rolls were very poorly assembled, soggy and just unpleasant. The tempura bits in the rolls had zero texture and looked like they had been sitting around or maybe even microwaved before being used in the rolls. Even the salad was bad and consisted only of lettuce, half of a cherry tomato, and a single slice of cucumber. We got $60 worth of food and ended up throwing it out. I called the restaurant because I was so surprised by the experience and the woman I spoke to (who was nice and apologetic and offered to have me come back for different food) shared that the original owner was either gone or away and they had someone new which I guess explains our experience. I really hope that the either the original owner returns or they get the quality control sorted out but I won’t be coming back...

Incredibly rude and unfriendly staff!!!

I have just ordered lunch here for the first time, and had a question about the menu, so I went up to the counter to ask. The waitress gave me a few options and once I decided handed the machine over to me without saying anything. Once I saw her coming with my order I have already noticed that there was a miscommunication because she gave me a bag with takeout containers. Once I opened the bag to enjoy my lunch, she came straight up and said “you cannot eat here!” I tried to explain to her that I wanted to dine in, and that she simply didn’t ask. She vigorsouly stood her ground and basically threw me out. After a while of trying to resolve this issue of lacking communication, she added “this is not a food court“, that these are the house rules, and that I shall leave now. …Which I did because I simply couldn’t handle the stupidity of the situation anymore.

This didn’t feel like a human experience at all! Not recommend!!!

If that’s how you’re treating new customers, then I want to never ever...

Sushi Deluxe

I’m honestly heartbroken writing this because this used to be my absolute favorite sushi spot in the neighborhood. As you can see from the photos (Before vs. After), the quality has drastically gone downhill.

Before, their sushi was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented — with a great mix of premium nigiri and delicious dynamite rolls. The rice was perfectly seasoned and held together well. Everything felt like it was made with care. More importantly, the money was so worth it.

Now? The rice tastes completely different — dry, bland, and no taste of sushi rice. The variety of sushi has significantly downgraded, with mostly basic fish and very little attention to detail. Even the rolls are now have barely any flavour. It doesn’t taste the same anymore AT ALL. I couldn’t even finish the plate because sushi and the roll were that flavourless.

I don’t know what happened. Change of chef? Management? Cost-cutting? Whatever it is, it’s a huge disappointment. I won’t be ordering sushi...