Torch Pressed Sushi — Restaurant in Toronto

I'm a little late to the game but finally dropped by Torch Pressed Sushi to try their much talked about aburi sushi. I've had aburi sushi in the past and it hasn't always been my first choice as I've felt that restaurants sometimes use fish that is not quite fresh because they can disguise the subpar quality with the torching and the sauces. However, after trying the aburi sushi at Torched Pressed Sushi, I think I will have to change my tune.

I ended up trying three different types of aburi sushi. The Torched Salmon ($6.59/3pc) is definitely my favourite. A thick piece of salmon sashimi is layered with Japanese mayo, unagi sauce and topped with sesame. The fish and mayo were torched giving the sushi a nice smoky aroma and making the salmon delightfully melt-in-your-mouth creamy and accentuated the sweet, rich fatty flavour of the fish. The rice was nicely seasoned and the slight sweet acidic flavour perfectly balanced the richer deep flavours of the fish and sauces.

The Torched Surimi ($5.95/3pcs) is new on the menu and is a good option if you prefer lighter fresher flavours. The sushi is topped with a mix of imitation crab, cucumber, masago and mayo and then topped with some fresh diced mango. I enjoyed the sweet crab flavour mixed in with the creaminess of the mayo and the mangos on top gave it some extra tropical sweetness.

The Torched Fantastic Four ($6.59/3pcs) is probably the most Instagrammable and labour intensive. Pieces of tempura shrimp, tempura imitation crab are rolled into the rice at the bottom and then the entire thing is topped with a layer of tai and spicy mayo and finally topped with some tobiko and green onion. The tempura inside is still slightly crispy and the spicy mayo gives the sushi a punch of flavour. I liked how the green onions gives a hint of freshness at the end.

Prices here are on the more expensive side but the quality of food and service here is top notch! The cashier and the girl making my sushi were both really friendly. There was only one customer ahead of me but I think the store was preparing a larger order and let me know ahead of time that there might be a little bit of a wait. I was given my miso soup first (comes free with 6 pieces of sushi) and while I was waiting, the girl making the sushi asked if I wanted to try the surami as well and added that to my order with no charge. Location wise, it was a little hidden (actually directly behind the TTC stop - the TTC shelter blocked my view of it initially) but look for the samurai looking building (red and black roof) on the north west corner of Yonge and Connaught and you'll find...

This is a review for delivery

Their tasting box is our go-to order holding 8 pieces of aburi sushi, two maki rolls (lobster salad and tuna), a healthy handful of edamame, and seaweed salad.

What arrives with the aburi can vary but you’ll always find a piece of their spicy salmon that incorporates not only a jalapeno slice but also spicy sauce and black pepper to really create a punch. It’s so loved by my husband that we generally get an extra order of two pieces ($4.45) to add to the meal.

A couple of my other favourite bites is the zesty shrimp that contains a hint of lemon, which nicely balances the rich mayo base of everything else. The marinated saba is a stronger tasting fish and is usually slightly thicker than the rest so it’s a piece where you can really taste the protein and not just the rice and sauces. Overall, Torch’s seafood is sliced thinner than some other places so if you like a meaty bite, it could be a disappointment. Yet, the thinner fish is also reflected in their lower price point and there’s enough of it to add to the taste.

Ingeniously, their hand rolls arrive with the nori separated from the rice by a plastic wrapper, a great way to save them for lunch the next day – something that always happens in our household as we tend to over order. The toro or tuna belly roll is bland and doesn’t include much of the green onion or tobiko that’s described on the menu. So, you’ll want to rely on the limited soy sauce (how do they give such a small package for so much food?) to use on this item. Or if you happen to order an appetizer that has the spicy mayo given, then save some to jazz up the toro.

The lobster roll is much better as it’s tossed in a tangy mayo that provides some flavour. You can’t really decern the lobster from any other seafood, but of the two maki this is the clear favourite.

We’ve generally ordered from Torch through Uber where they offer a complimentary seafood basket ($5.99) deal. The crispy tempura battered seafood trio consists of squid tentacles (fairly tasty), shrimp (overly battered so you can’t really taste the shrimp), and aji or Japanese mackerel (very good and the best piece of the bunch). A great add-on, if only for the chipotle mayo that can be used on...

Been seeing some pictures of this place, and I have a hard one for torched pressed sushi so finally checked it out. The man serving me must have been the owner, since he offered me so much free stuff and was super grateful for my business. Idk if y'all know but it's hella hard to find actual Japanese sushi restaurants (most are Korean!) around here, but this place, the food, and the service instantly reminded me of Tokyo.

I ordered 2 different kinds of torched pressed sushi, 3 pieces each. And a rice bowl as well. He asked me how many chopsticks I'll need, and I said 1. The total came out to $25 (after tax) which is a bit pricey, but well worth the tasty experience. After I paid and waited a few minutes for them to prepare the food fresh, the owner approached me and offered me a free drink, any drink of my choice. I politely declined as I had just grabbed some bux, even tho he insisted. As he was packing the finished food into the bag, he asked "how many people is this for?" and at this point I'm thinking I already told him I only need 1 pair of stix, oh god am I being a fatty? Don't wanna seem glutinous here Austin. So I'm like "it's for 2 people" and he throws in an extra miso soup in the bag. What a champ.

10/10...