Shizenya (Broadway)

Often, when we eat out, the food is greasier, saltier and sweeter than what we should be consuming.  However, the main point of most restaurants is to provide something tasty that you may not necessarily be able to cook at home.  Now that would be fine and dandy if you ate out only intermittently.  I don't eat out as much as I used to for a variety of reasons, yet I do still eat out a decent amount.  So sometimes it is nice to have a relatively clean and healthy meal.  That is why we chose Shizenya for lunch one day.  They are known for their brown rice sushi and bowls, that is better for you than white rice.  Also, they do their best to make most of their other dishes in a healthier manner.

This exemplified even with their starter Salad (included with the lunch sets) where the dressing was not as sweet as other spots.  Ingredients were fresh and vibrant.  Off to some Tuna and Salmon Nigiri, it was set atop brown rice (as mentioned earlier).  Naturally, brown rice has a firmer texture than regular sushi rice.  It is less sticky and also has a nuttier flavour.  We didn't mind it as it was well prepared with fresh fish on top (as fresh as flash frozen can get).

On the topic of that fish, we got the TST Sashimi featuring albacore tuna, sockeye salmon, and tuna toro.  As you can see, there was a nice sheen on the slices of fish which meant it smelled fresh and like the pieces in the nigiri, they were indeed fresh (as much as flash frozen can get).  Naturally, the salmon had a firmer texture than the tuna but was still buttery.  The toro was predictably the softest and fattiest while the albacore was meaty while soft.

We ended up with 2 rolls in the Dynamite and Spicy Salmon (also 2 pieces of Unagi Nigiri).  Of course they were made with brown rice which made them heartier, but not overly so.  As evidenced in the picture, they didn't shortchange us with the salmon, but it wasn't as spicy as we wanted it to be.  The dynamite roll was pretty typical but the avocado and cucumber was really fresh.

We added some lunch sets with the Sliced Beef Ribeye Bowl with spinach gomaae.  Again, the use of brown rice made this robust and filling despite the bowl's modest size.  The sliced beef was soft and tender while the teriyaki glaze was just sweet enough with some tanginess.  Really enjoyed the side of spinach gomaae as it was cooked just enough that it still had a crunch.  Sesame dressing was natural-tasting while not being overly sweet.

Last thing we got was the Shizenya Bean Curry with Chicken.  Due to all the beans, it ate like a curry chili.  Lots of texture and body while the curry was flavourful without being too sweet.  The addition of tender chicken breast made this fulfilling.  It was still moist despite being cooked through (as chicken should be!).  Overall, the food felt healthier and was quite satisfying.  Only thing is that the prices are on the higher side, but I guess you are paying for the ingredients.

The Good:

- Healthier alternative

- Fresh ingredients

- Quite tasty

The Bad:

- Pricier than other places

- Parking is not the best right now on Broadway