Update 2015-Mar-17: Price for weekend lunch on return was $14.99 so dropping by half a point, and it was the curried chicken we didn't like, not the shrimp tempura (we'd mistakenly ordered breaded which is why the "tempura" batter was off!)
Update 2018-Jan-20 Itamae is now known as Osaka Sushi.
Osaka Sushi can be found at 747 Don Mills Road, which is south of Eglinton in the Flemingdon Park plaza, accessible from the Don Mills bus from both Pape and Don Mills stations, or the Flemingdon Park bus. It seems to be rather new so when Mishy and I passed it a while ago we were determined to stop it at any opportunity when we happened to be in the area. It's quite large inside with seats and booths surrounding a central area; we had a unique comfy semicircular booth which was just about the best possible seating arrangement as we usually sit beside rather than across from each other. And "best possible" is applicable to just about everything else, with one small exception.
Osaka uses iPad menus which we've encountered before (at
Spring Rolls.) They are a welcome improvement as they ensure that the
order is understood by the server, prevent items from being missed and
also show the diner what the food looks like. Osaka's soy sauce is in
nice decorative pouring containers and was deliciously unsalty.
Chopsticks are quality and non-disposable, which is good (as noted on
the Sushi Place review a lot of forest is wasted on disposable ones.)
The
large and decorative stainless-steel tea carafe was left on the table
for us which is a nice touch so that we don't run dry and have to bother
the waiters for more; it kept the (excellent) tea hot throughout the
duration. Even the pickled ginger was noticeably
above-average.
Salmon nigiri sushi was "awesome" as Mishy put it, and she doesn't
hand out praise this strong about her favorite dish easily. Avocado,
salmon and smoked salmon rolls were also perfect. Miso soup seemed at
first to be a flavorless letdown... until it was stirred and suddenly
became excellent. Salad was fresh and crisp but dressing a bit bland.
Chicken teriyaki was awesome and skewers very good as well. Beef
teriyaki and dumplings were both good. Hot and sour soup wasn't sour but
deliciously savoury and a worthwhile reorder. Osaka also has a nice
selection of desserts with multiple flavours of ice cream, mousse and
cake... we tried most of them and Mishy and I both enjoyed them all... OK, Mishy didn't like the mango mouse but I loved it.
Everything
was better-than average or excellent with one exception: the curried
chicken had an almost inedible flavour that disagreed with us, almost
like soap, and it was difficult to finish. But it balanced out on return
when we tried the breaded chicken, which Mishy dropped the expletive
"awesome" for yet again.
We
went for weekend lunch which was $14.99. This is high-end
pricewise but it was worth it. Service was excellent and fast and
Mishy, who has waned on AYCEs as of late, thought it was wonderful. This
is a place we will (did!) definitely go out of our way or make a special trip
to enjoy again soon.
Rating: 8.5/10