Sushi Jin

Much like many other cuisine, Japanese can be good value and also be super expensive.  It all comes down to quality and preparation.  Places like Sushi Garden are accessible to most people and offers up everyday sushi that does the job.  However, for those looking for something more special, these include Tetsu, Masayoshi, Tojo's, Maumi, Stem, Yuwa and Miku/Minami.  I've been to them all, but I've been meaning to try Sushi Jin for quite some time.  Fortunately I made it in before they raised the price of their Omakase by $50.00

Yes, their Omakase is a wallet burning $250.00 now, but with the cost of food and operations skyrocketing, it was only is a matter of time we see increases across the board (if it hasn't happened already).  So to start things off, we were served Steamed Live Abalone (including the innards).  Preparation was simple and was only accompanied by some freshly grated wasabi and salt.  The natural flavours and sweetness was on display as well as the classic abalone texture.

One glance at the Hirame Carpaccio and it was pretty clear that the fish was high quality.  Exhibiting a beautiful sheen, the flounder was firm and sweet.  Topped with some grated ginger and dressed in ponzu and oil, the hirame was complimented but not overshadowed.  Plenty of brightness around that kept things fresh and light.

We were then presented with the Grilled Black Cod served in a sheet of nori.  The cod itself was buttery and sweet with a sake finish.  Texturally, it was perfect being barely cooked all the way through.  As for the nori, it had softened up due to the hot piece of fish.  That made it a bit difficult to eat.  However, a minor detail compared to the deliciousness of the black cod.

Somewhat of a palate cleanser, the Asari no Sumashijiru was so simple and delicate.  It consisted of a broth with scallop, squid and clam.  The flavours were subtle exhibiting the natural sweetness of the seafood.  It was clean and straightforward where the textures were buttery with a bite.

Onto the nigiri course, we had the Shima-Aji which had a fresh snap yet was still buttery in texture.  It was clean, bright and sweet.  Underneath, the rice was chewy while soft at the same time (it was on point).  Next, we had the Kanpachi which was buttery and soft.  It was sweet with an appealing fishiness.  The green onion was bright and offered a good punch.  Oh we were so spoiled by the Bluefin as it had a clean taste and was fatty in texture.  It was aged for 2 weeks, hence there was a definite seafoodiness to it (but it was delicious).  Lightly torched, the Tsubugai (Whelk) was smoky and garnished by a bit of wasabi.  It was lightly chewy with a crunch and natural sweetness.

Oh the deliciousness was only getting started as we were served the Botan Ebi with Hokkaido uni in nori.  This was so intensely sweet due to the ebi and the supremely fresh uni.  Definitely a taste of the sea as well.  The King Salmon Aburi completely melted in my mouth with a fattiness that was both a textural delight and burst of flavour (including the torched smokiness).  If we didn't get enough already, the Hokkaido Uni was such a treat.  It was served ice cold which further enhanced the bright sweetness.  It was creamy and super fresh.  Yah, things just kept getting better with the Hon Maguro no Otoro which was creamy and fatty.  All the flavour from the fat was impactful and memorable.  The salt from the caviar helped balance the sweetness with some saltiness.

What could be any better than combining all of the good stuff into one?  The Luxury Gunkan featured toro, Hokkaido uni, ikura and baby shrimp.  Yah, this was full of seafoody brightness and sweetness.  Naturally, we found layers of flavour and once again, the cold temperature was key.  The temp was equally important with the Anago as it was warm with just enough sauce.  It was soft and moist with a mild salty sweetness.  Wrapped in some crispy nori, the Negitoro Temaki was truly beautiful. The crunch from the nori gave way to fatty tuna that was accented by just enough green onion.  Before headed to dessert, we got the Tamago which was custardy and consistent texturally.  It had a mild mirin sweetness.

So for dessert, we were served the Monaka Matcha Gelato.  Love their version with a wafer shell.  Fits the seafood theme very well.  This was a light, crispy and creamy all in one.  Nice way to end a fantastic meal at Sushi Jin.  The quality of the ingredients was evident and the preparation was excellent.  Sure, it is expensive, but you won't many places with this quality of sushi.   If you have money to burn or you have a special occasion coming up, keep this place in mind.

The Good:
- High quality ingredients
- Prepared properly
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- You need to spend some green here