Review: Ikura Sushi Japanese Rest.

[Sting]

I went to this new AYCE Japanese sushi place. It just opened last monday so right now until the end of this week. They have 15% off for the grand opening. I tried the place with skepticism because nobody was in the place when I came in for dinner last nite. The place wasn't too small but not too big. It was nicely organized and have nice decor. Not as flashy was Wasabi but very nice nonetheless. But I didn't come for the decor, I came for the food. I have tried numerous AYCE restaurant and I must say that this place was very very good. The quality of the salmon sashimi was excellent and most important. The slice of salmon was cut just right. Bite portion. It wasn't too big or too thin. The buttermilk fish almost melted in my mouth, it was soo tender. The hot food item was very good as well. The shrimp tempura has just enough batter that you actually taste the shrimp and not the batter. They have excellent beef ribs and the Beef skewers was so tender. It was so good.

I had a talk with the owner of the restaurant because it wasn't very busy. He used to work at another AYCE restaurant and I won't mention the name of the other place because this is his place. He learned to make sushi by reading tons of books and practicing his trade. I was very impressed. His number goal was to have the freshest ingredient and high quality. He knows that his prices are similar to most of the AYCE rest. so he knew that what will make people come back to his rest. was his freshness and quality of his food. He was a very humble person and cares very much of his customers. The service is also fast and quick.

I recommend people that loves AYCE to give this place a try and let me know what you think of this new place.

Ikura Sushi Japanese Restaurant
3280 Midland Avenue
Unit 15
Scarborough, ON
M1V 4W8
416-640-0888

Prices are 10.99 for lunch mon-thurs. 17.99 for dinner mon-thurs.
I don't remember the price for lunch on fri-sun but i think itz 12.99 or 13.99 but for dinner on fri-sun itz 19.99. Like I said, the price is very similar to other AYCE rest.

Itz located in the place just north of finch and midland. It is on the west side of midland. Its where the Korean BBQ restaurant is located.

I am in no way affiliated with this restaurant but I just want to give a new place a bit of a boost. I really enjoyed the food there and I would definitely go back.

Thank you for reading this LONG review.

[JlF]

Since Japanese AYCE starts to appear I refuse to go to BuffetKing, Mandarin or any other similar kind of Western-Chinese like Buffets anymore because the quality in general is not that great (AYCE, what do you expect???).
I'd rather spend similar amount of money to eat in other Chinese restaurants instead as I prefer quality over quantity.

Let me first explain the COST as one of my primary reason towards ***. AYCE.
In weekdays, most of the ***. AYCE are charging for $17.99.
Talk about non-AYCE rest., many Korean owned ***. rest. are charging their bento box dinners for $14.99 in average, with some exceptions such as "Kinda" on Woodbine (south of HWY7) having higher price (but larger quantity in bento box with 3 tempura shrimps).
So to eat in a ***. AYCE restaurant, you are not really paying a lot more.
And don't forget you can always find some 10% off coupons in their ads from the chinese newspapers!

Don't get me wrong, I go to many non-AYCE rest. to eat with my gf.
For example in Kinda, I usually order one bento box, with one order of sushi rolls, and that's pretty much enough for me and my gf (my gf of course eats significantly less than I do).
And I also have their VIP cards for another 10% off, so that's quite cheap compared to eating AYCE with my gf (I paid for my gf too, of course).
But the thing is, if I eat with another big guy too, then that's going to be $18.99 for a bento box to each of us. So why not go to ***. AYCE instead?

I am looking forward to try out the food in that new place.
I am sure they can do a good job during their grand openings, but usually (and mostly), not many of them are able to maintain their service and food quality when the place is getting more busy.

I still remember that there's a ***. AYCE at Slvd Star Blvd. that I usually go. Their sushi and sashimi are really fresh, the freshness is similar to some food my gf just made at home and put into my mouth!
I am really susprirsed that during my last visit (I promise, last time ever), the sushi rolls are filled with much more rice than before.
Even with my complaints, they are still making out the same thing.
Their place is small and I guess they are not able to keep up the profit and decide to do it this way.
And it's really a sad and dumb thing to do IMHO.

Forgive my long and unorganized opinions towards ***. AYCE.
Thanks OP for the deal and will definitely go and try out this week.

[trueno92]

I went to this new AYCE Japanese sushi place.

buttermilk fish almost melted in my mouth

BUTTERMILK?! gahhhh.... wtf! fish or pancakes?

[Sting]

BUTTERMILK?! gahhhh.... wtf! fish or pancakes?

heheh ... I don't quite remember what kind of fish it was .. It was white and thats all I can remember. But I would really enjoy to read a review by you trueno cuz I have read the reviews you have made at other AYCE places. Hope to hear your review of this place.

[iNFiNiTe]

AYCE japanese restaurants just dont work... japanese food isnt about stuffing yourself to death...

these AYCEs overall taste horrible... the stale fish, bleh...

[trueno92]

heheh ... I don't quite remember what kind of fish it was .. It was white and thats all I can remember. But I would really enjoy to read a review by you trueno cuz I have read the reviews you have made at other AYCE places. Hope to hear your review of this place.

Heh, thanks man. Your review was really good, includes all the important stuff. Its good enough that i'll try to visit on your recommendation!

Buttermilk is used in other stuff (baking..) but i guess this is butterfish.

I think this place is called 'ikura' right? do they actually serve ikura there? (large fish eggs)

[ferkel]

my goodness.. so many choices now.. the one at Denison & Kennedy just opened this week also.. It's called Akina Japanese along with the one on Steeles & Old Kennedy.

[JlF]

I think the buttermilk fish that the OP mentionned is white tuna?

[ricky13579]

i agree to infinite..you get what you pay for.
Nice Japanese food is a kind of art, and you won't see it in AYCE shops...

[CSR]

Interesting, will check it out.

[JlF]

Went to Ikura for dinner after struggling on roads for over an hour.

The salmon and white tuna sashimi:
They are extremely fresh and size are cutted perfectly for the mouth as the OP mentionned.
They also give 4 pieces of raw scallops and "oil gold fish" (dunno what's the english name) for me and my gf to try.

Chicken (souvlaki style) and beef ribs:
Both of them are cooked right to the level having no blood or red inside.
I do like it because it's more healthy but YMMV as some ppl like the chicken pan fried to be crispy outside and the beef ribs with grilled taste.
Most restaurants are in hurry to over cook the outside and leaving all red inside the meat.
The sauce for the chicken is not like teriyaki but more like the one for the poutine, can anyone confirm that since my gf cannot taste it???

Soft Crab, salmon skin sushi rolls:
Soft Crab sushi rolls have 4 big pieces in 1 order with actually quite a lot of crab meat inside where I've gone to many restaurants that only put a lot of batter inside the rolls.
Salmon skin sushi rolls are real crispy!
It however does not have any taste because the rolls only have the salmon skin and cucumber inside.

Shrimp tempura:
The shrimps are in good sizes and the batter is real crispy!
I am sure the batter is not the best I've eaten before, but it's real crispy!
It's actually the first AYCE ***. that I enjoy eating their tempuras.
The waitress also kindly asked and gave 2 deep fried tiger shrimps for us to try.

Deep fried ice-cream:
It's not actually deep fried into the oil with batter like some of the restaurants did.
Just so there are some powders on the ice-cream.
I guess can't complain much for the dessert.

I did enjoy other stuff too like salad shrimp sushi, and overall, really fresh and hopefully they can keep up the quality when it's getting more busy.

My gf and I arrive there at 7pm and it is only until 8:15pm that there are 3 more tables being "occupied".

I am sure I will go there once more next week.

[JlF]

Originally Posted by keanefan
Sounds good!

Did the restaurant owner put up a big sign outside the restaurant?

Big sign: "Grand Opening- 15% OFF" will attract customers. Or "Now Open- 15% OFF".

The store does have a sign saying 15% off.

As for the salmon skin rolls, I am sure you can request to add some avocado into it. I am looking forward next week to go and try other kinds of sushi rolls!

[pothia]

Somebody please reply to this cause I haven't been to any AYCE sushi place: Are ANY of these AYCE restaurants have TUNA sushi/sashimi?

I repeat, TUNA!

[JlF]

Originally Posted by pothia
Somebody please reply to this cause I haven't been to any AYCE sushi place: Are ANY of these AYCE restaurants have TUNA sushi/sashimi?

I repeat, TUNA!

Most of the AYCE restaurants provide white tuna sashimi/sushi.
I have never seen any one of them providing red tuna for AYCE.

[pothia]

Damn thats toooooo baddddd!